There are many things to consider that help drive the choice of a grand format UV-cure printing system. One good approach is to answer the question “What are the demands of the application?” To answer that question the print service provider needs to become educated on a growth path into the future.
在选购宽幅UV固化喷绘机时，有很多因素需要考虑，很多顾客不知道如何选购。有一个很好的方式可以有效解决这个问题，就是问问自己“我对这套设备的要求是什么？”喷绘解决方案的供应商们要想回答好这个问题，必须对未来喷绘市场的走向非常了解。
They need to understand the total cost of ownership when looking to invest in a highout-put printer. Productivity, advanced features, automation and ink yield all drive how much the system will cost to use, whether choosing a flatbed, roll-to-roll or hybrid printer. Here we will discuss some considerations for each platform.
他们必须清楚未来的喷绘市场倾向于高产量的喷绘机。无论是购买平板喷绘机、卷对卷喷绘机还是混合两用机，生产效率、先进的功能、自动化程度、墨水产生驱动系统以及设备使用的成本都是必须考虑的因素。本文将为您呈现如何购买一台称心如意的喷绘设备。
More Than One Way to Go
多样的选择
Some print service PSPs prefer dedicated flatbed or dedicated roll-to-roll printing systems, while others enjoy the flexibility of a hybrid device that can handle both rigid and rolled materials. We at Agfa decided not to shoe-horn customers into a limited platform so we offer all three technologies in our line of UV-curing inkjet printing systems.
大多数提供喷绘服务的企业倾向于灵活的混合设备，既可以处理刚性材料也可以处理柔性卷材。但有些企业更喜欢平板喷绘系统或者精密的卷对卷喷绘设备。爱克发（爱克发·吉华集团是一家位于比利时的欧洲跨国公司，在印刷科技影像方面，集团制造模拟和数字印刷系统、软件及耗材，包括直接制版机系统和工业用喷墨打印机）决定在UV固化喷绘系统上为客户提供三种不同的技术方案。
The Oce Arizona 600 Series of UV-curing from Canon employs a true flatbed printer design and an optional separate, dedicated roll-to-roll capability . (Image of Canon USA)
佳能推出的UV固化喷绘机Oce Arizona 600系列采用了真正意义上的平板喷绘和可选的精密的卷对卷喷绘的组合。
We employ a matched-component approach which means that equipment, ink, media, software and -peripherals are all designed to work together. Our approach is to provide options that make the most sense for customers, and our portfolio offers roll-printing options on many of our flatbed systems that can be field-upgradeable.
我们采用一种综合的处理方式，即将机械设备、墨水、打印媒介、软件及其周边设备联系起来一起工作。我们的目的主要是为客户提供不同的可供选择的方案。我们在很多平板设备中增加了卷材打印的功能。
No matter which manufacturer you go with, it is important for printer buyers to first understand what their primary applications will be for the equipment they intend to purchase, while also considering their future growth. Once that is determined, a choice in technology that best fits this anticipated mix of work can be made.
对于喷绘设备的购买方来说，无论与哪个生产商合作，最重要的是首先清楚自己想要购买哪种功能的设备，当然，也要兼顾到未来市场的发展趋势，最佳的选择方案是既能满足现在的打印需求又能顺应市场的发展趋势。
Who is Buying What?
谁要买？买什么？
A good example of future growth opportunities is looking at advanced printer features like varnish or primer. Varnish may appeal to the photo and packaging shop looking to enhance or protect an image. Varnish also adds value for PSPs by offering dramatic effects to many applications including P.O.P. displays and trade show graphics.
至于如何预测未来市场的变化趋势，可以关注一下目前市场上比较先进的喷绘功能、喷绘的色泽以及光油的好坏等。光油可以增强图像的清晰度，可以在现场展示和展销会上增强广告效果，为PSPs增值。
Some of today's UV-cure printers offer varnish as an ink option. This sample image, which shows how varnish can be used to great creative effect, was printed on an HP Scitex TJ8600 industrial UV-curing press.
今天，一些UV固化喷绘机将光油作为油墨的备选项，光油可以产生极富创造力的效果，这幅图片就是由惠普Scitex TJ8600系列UV喷绘印刷机打印。
For providers that output difficult substrates like polypropylene, polystyrene or polycarbonate, primer may be the feature that pays back immediately. For those looking to get into POP, a primer option offers growth opportunity. With a primer option, users can select to have adhesion promoter automatically applied to overcome adhesion and durability challenges. As companies continue to expand their applications, these options canprovide a significant benefit, so it is important to consider all factors when selecting an inkjet system.
对于那些能输出不同的承印材料的设备来说，光油可以起到补充的作用。而POP展示图中，光油处理剂可以提供更多的商业机会。有了光油处理剂选项，用户就可以用助粘剂解决打印色泽的持久性问题。越来越多的公司继续扩大他们的设备，这些因素会为他们提供很多新的商业机会，所以，在选择喷墨系统时，任何细节都不容忽视。
PSPs buying wide- and grand-format devices come from various markets. Printer customers range from in-plants to industrial users. Some sign shops purchase grand format devices to expand their current capacity. Some are entering grand format for the first time. Some are small shops moving from roll-to -roll devices to flatbeds and hybrids. In addition, some commercial printers are expanding into wide format.
PSPs购买的宽大幅打印设备来自不同的市场，他们的客户既有小店面的打印也涉及工业的印刷。有些标识生产企业购买这种大幅喷绘设备用来增强企业内部的实力，这些企业大多是首次引进宽幅喷绘设备，有的小规模的企业将卷对卷UV机换成平板喷绘机和混合两用机，还有一些商业印刷企业正在开拓更大幅度的打印设备。
Advantages and Drawbacks of Flatbeds
平台式喷绘机的优缺点
The Jeti 3020 Titan is a dedicated flatbed that offers a flat-to-roll option, giving you the ability to print on roll media with the same resolution. (Image courtesy of Agfa Graphics)
爱克发推出的Jeti 3020 Titan是一款专业的平台式喷绘机可以提供平对卷的印刷方案，同样的解决方案可以应用在卷材上。
True dedicated flatbed systems offer some unique capacities, like front-to-back registration and the ability to image onto more difficult substrates like corrugated material. Some flatbed devices, for example, use multizone vacuum systems to hold and control heavy or difficult media. Flatbed systems are also better suited to running multiple small jobs that can easily be laid down on the bed and imaged at once. Flatbeds can also print onto almost any substrate less than 2" thick, opening up new markets for PSPs. The drawback of a dedicated flatbed, of course, is that it is not designed to print onto rolled materials, often making it awkward to fulfill such jobs.
真正的平板专用喷绘设备往往会有一些其他设备不具备的独特能力，如双面印刷或者在瓦楞纸等特殊材料上的打印能力。一些UV平板喷绘机可以通过多区域真空系统来操控多种承印材料。平板喷绘机还能更好地满足小幅印刷的需求，可即刻在操作台上成像。它可以在任何一个薄于2英寸的喷绘介质上印刷，可以说，它为PSPs开拓了一片新的市场。很显然，平板喷绘机的缺点主要是它不能打印卷材，这一类的工作都很难完成。
Advantages and Drawbacks of Roll-to-Roll Printers
卷对卷喷绘设备的优缺点
Roll-to-roll systems typically accept a broad spectrum of flexible media for indoor and outdoor applications. They are ideal solutions for sign and display makers, printing shops or commercial printers that want to produce high volume signage. Many roll-to-rolls can print on wide varieties of flexible and lower-cost materials, offering a low total cost of ownership for increased profits.
卷对卷喷绘设备广泛地应用于户内外广告的印刷领域，它可为标识和展示市场、印刷店或者商业喷绘市场提供最理想的解决方案。卷对卷打印设备一般能接受很多承印材料，在降低总成本的同时可以增加利润。
Dedicated roll-to-roll inkjet printers generally are available in six-color, four-color and four-color-plus-white versions. Some roll-to-roll devices offer a mesh option for printing on mesh without a liner. There are also optional trolleys that are specially designed to handle heavy rolls of media. A trolley makes transporting and loading and unloading heavy media easy. We also offer an optional dual roll kit to support printing two 60" rolls of media which doubles productivity.
专用精密卷对卷喷墨打印机一般有6色、4色和4色加白色版本。有的卷对卷喷绘机可以在没有衬网的情况下进行网屏打印，还可以用机床运送某些沉重的卷材。此种设备还提供可选的双辊工具包可以同时打印两个60英寸的承印介质。
The drawback, of course is that roll-to-roll devices may not offer flatbed options which limits the kinds of applications the printer can fulfill. A roll-to-roll workaround for jobs requiring rigid media is to print onto an adhesive-backed film and then mount the film onto rigid board. However, this process is fairly labor intensive.
卷对卷设备的缺点主要是不能进行平台打印作业，这在一定程度上限制了设备的生产能力。而且，卷对卷喷绘机在打印刚性材料时需要在表面贴上一层薄膜，这项工作又非常繁琐，需要多人同时操作。
Advantages and Drawbacks of Hybrid Platforms
混合喷绘设备的优缺点
Hybrid systems offer the advantage of imaging roll-to-roll and rigid media on one device. This can be beneficial if there is limited floor space and a shop has applications for both types of media. Hybrid/belt systems offer the benefit of minimizing the load time between boards. Since operators can essentially butt one sheet against the next, there is almost no lag time with loading boards.
混合喷绘设备集卷材打印和刚性材料打印于一体，这对于那些经营面积不大的店面以及业务范围广泛的企业来说是很有意义的。操作工人很容易就能将承印材料对接上去，中间几乎没有浪费时间，因此，它的加载时间相对较短，生产效率高于普通的设备。
Additionally, hybrid printers can be found in two formats: roll-to-flat (RTF) and flat-to-roll (FTR) . In other words, a printer may be built primarily for roll-to-roll printing with optional media tables that can be attached so the printer can handle flat materials. Conversely, a printer may primarily be intended as a flatbed, but have optional equipment so the printer can handle rolled materials. Conventional wisdom holds that choosing between these types of hybrids would depend on which type of printing the shop does most.
另外，这种设备有两种规格：卷到平格式和平到卷格式。换句话说就是一个卷对卷打印设备带有介质操作平台可以用来处理其他的板材。或者是一个专业的平台式打印设备增加了其他的处理卷材打印的功能。至于购买者要选择哪一种规格完全取决于公司业务需求量最大的打印方式。
Dedicated flatbeds, such as the Q5-1000 UV Flatbed from CET Color, often include desirable features such as multi-zone vacuum systems to hold and control heavy or difficult media. The unit also offers ultra-fine variable dot printing from as small as 5 picoliter to 10 and 15 picoliter. (Image courtesy of CET Color)
专业的平板机床一般都有一个多区域的真空系统来操控不同属性的媒介，例如CET Color公司推出的Q5-1000 UV平板喷绘机，此设备还提供从5皮升至10和15皮升的超细变量点印刷。
If a PSP has significant quantities of both types of output there will always be challenges in trying to reconcile, from a production standpoint, the output of one machine. The changeover can take time, so switching back and forth can be counter-productive. Providers end up trying to balance production of two types of work off one output device. If the volume to support both flexible and rigid exists, PSPs are usually better off wit a dedicated unit for each application and can then expand production efficiently.
从生产的角度来说，如果一家企业的两种打印需求持平的话，在一台设备上也很难调节。过多地更换打印材料也会浪费时间，来回反复更换承印介质会降低生产效率。这种设备完全可以避免打印过程中的时间浪费，供应商们也不必在为如何平衡两种打印需求而烦恼了。如果广告公司内部的柔性和刚性打印需求量互相持平的话，这款设备是势在必得的了。
One drawback to this design is that many times, features such as dual rolls, mesh kits, and front-to-back registration systems—features that are seen on roll-to-roll devices—are not seen on hybrid systems.
这款设备的一个很大的弊端就是有些卷对卷设备上的功能，如双卷、网屏、双面印刷等系统，混合喷绘机上是没有的。
Conclusion总结
PSPs have many platform options from which to choose. The many factors to consider when choosing a printing device range from the experience of the manufacturer and their service offerings to how much ink a system uses. Price is certainly a factor, as is the spatial requirements of the print facility. Shops should also research if workflow software and RIPs available are integrated in the system. Some systems now come with workflow management software that can connect and drive any printing device resulting in reliable and predictable output.
PSPs有很多平台可供选择。购买设备时需要考虑的因素有很多，从生产者的经验判断到设备的油墨使用量，当然，价格也是一个很重要的因素。购买者还需要考察设备中的软件和RIPs能否很好地融合到系统中。现在，有些打印系统中带有工作流程管理软件，这一软件可以联系和驱动任何打印设备，使打印质量和产量更有保障。
Ultimately the choice must come down to the applications that drive a print service provider's business. This is the building block that will get you started and help you learn more deeply about the UV inkjet market. Whatever system you choose, be confident that, with the right system, you will be creating the highest quality print output for your customers.
最终的决定性因素还是购买者的业务需要。设备能给购买者的经营带来多大的变化才是最核心的价值。这些可以帮助你更深刻地了解UV喷墨市场。无论你选择哪一类型的设备，你要相信一点，恰当的喷绘系统能让你给客户创造出更高质量的印刷产品。
