signage  appointments 
The second annual Visual Impact Exhibition including the Digit design expo was held on September 18-20 at the Sydney Exhibition Centre, attracting designers and signage developers alike in an event that easily outdid last year’s smaller than expected attendance. A notable difference between this exhibition and last year’s event was the large presence of wide-format printing proponents. Roland DG was once again a major sponsor of the event, taking the opportunity to showcase its new SP-300 wide format printer. However, it was joined by the likes of Product Distribution Australia (PDA) with its Design Graphics Incorporation (DGI) offerings, Mutoh and its products, Desktop Graphic Systems (DGS) and its Mimaki family of printers, Starleaton with Encad’s new VinylJet 36, and Mutoh.

Keith Scott of PDA took the honours of having the largest wide format printer on display in the Jeti 3.3 Digital Printer. Measuring over five metres in length, this six-colour solvent printer is reportedly a big seller in the States and looks set to make an appearance in Australia shortly with two Sydney printers, and one Melbourne and one Perth printer currently in negotiations with PDA.
DGS showed a number of recently released Mimaki wide format solutions. The JV3 series were well in the spotlight, with the JV3-160S and JV3-250SP solvent inkjet plotters taking centre stage. The JV3-160S prints up to 1600mm in width and features three print heads inline, printing six colours at a maximum of 720x720dpi. The JV3-250SP prints up to 2500mm in width and features four print heads in line, printing four or six colours at up to a maximum resolution of 1400x1400dpi.

Mutoh’s Rockhopper II also drew strong interest, demonstrating its new Eco-Solvent Plus light solvent ink which boasts three year UV, water and scratch resistance without lamination, harmful solvent-and VOC-free chemistry, and a wide range of compatible media from uncoated self-adhesive to scrim banner.

CPI was also present, showcasing its BlackMagic proofing software on an Epson Stylus Pro 9600, while the AbsoluteProof proofing software was on display by Positive Camtec.

Complimenting the range of stands over the three days were a series of seminars, covering everything from design and printing, to copyright and business management. More in-depth workshops, exploring the detailed workings of Quark, Adobe and Macromedia products, were held off-site at the Powerhouse Museum.