Years ago, the annual Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) Expo was a showcase for screenprinting technology. As the years have gone by and digital prinitng made inroads into the screenprinting market, the SGIA and its annual show evolved as well.
 
Today, the SGIA Expo is growing at a time when other printing shows are on the decline. SGIA 2015, which runs through Friday, Nov. 6 at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA, once again shows the major steps that have been made by inkjet inks.
 
Ink manufacturers are among the hundreds of exhibitors on hand this year. Among the ink suppliers at SGIA 2015 are Agfa Graphics; EFI; Epta Inks SpA; FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division; Gans Ink & Supply; Henkel Electronic Materials; HP; INX International Ink; J-Teck; JK Group USA; Kor-Chem; Kornit Digital; Marabu North America LP; Nazdar SourceOne; Prism Inks; Proell; Sawgrass Industrial; Sensient Imaging Technologies; and STS Inks.
 
For example,EFI is bringing new VUTEk printers, coatings and textile capabilities to the Expo. It marks the first time that EFI  is showing its latest acquisitions: EFI Reggiani soft signage textile printers and EFI Matan roll-to-roll printers.
 
“In the past year, EFI has invested significantly in acquisitions, R&D and product development so our customers can continue to outperform in the industry’s highest-growth markets,” said Scott Schinlever, SVP and GM, EFI Inkjet Solutions.
 
Among the latest offerings from EFI are the EFI VUTEk HS125 Pro inkjet press; the EFI VUTEk GS3lx Pro LED printer; the EFI H1625-SD, an entry-level production, 1.65m UV hybrid printer with EFI SuperDraw UV ink for imaging direct to thermoformable substrates; and EFI Armor UV roll and water-based coatings. 
 
The EFI VUTEk GS5500lxr Pro LED printer runs EFI – 3M SuperFlex Inks on 3M Printable Fabric 9100, a new textile substrate being shown for the first time. The EFI H1625 LED printer, an entry-level hybrid printer, will be shown at both EFI and Nazdar SourceOne’s booth.
 
From EFI Reggiani, the EFI Reggiani ONE 180 soft signage printer will be highlighted, as will be the the EFI Matan Quantum LED printer.
 
FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division is launching its Onset X Series of flatbed presses from Inca Digital. These presses can be fitted with up to 14 channels to jet combinations of Fujifilm Uvijet inks.
 
According to Fujifilm, the Onset X1 features eight active channels, with four channels printing CMYK, and the remaining channels configured as needed using a combination of light magenta, light cyan, White and Orange (Lm, Lc, White, Orange). The Onset X2 offers a second set of CMYK and an optional six channels. The Onset X3 features three times CMYK ink channels plus White or Orange.
 
The new Uvistar Hybrid 320 is a 3.2 meter, combination flatbed and roll printer that uses FUJIFILM Dimatix Q-Class printheads and Fujifilm Uvijet inks. The Acuity LED 1600 II prints 65% percent faster than the previous model.
 
The Acuity Select 8 will run Uvijet KN, Fujifilm’s newest ink, which offers better color gamut with greater adhesion. Another new ink, Uvijet KV, was formulated for deep draw thermoforming applications.  The Acuity F now comes with an all-new ink set, Uvijet WH.
 
INX Digital International is showing three new  TRIANGLE inks. TRIANGLE DT7 inks are water-based textile inks for the Mutoh ValueJet printer, designed for direct-to-textile printing on polyester, nylon or mixed synthetic fabrics. TRIANGLE HFB inks are formulated for the HP Scitex FB500 printer. TRIANGLE RXV inks are eco-solvent wide format inks.
 
Kiian Digital is bringing Digistar Sublisonic, its new industrial dye-sublimation ink series designed for Panasonic printheads, to SGIA 2015, as well as its water-based Digistar HI-PRO inks for Epson printheads.