CSI March 2021 Newsletter

Interested in what’s happening at CSI? Here is a link to our March 2021 newsletter. Thanks for reading!

CSI ADDS HP INDIGO 12000 DIGITAL PRESS

Fresh off their acquisition of DigiLink Inc and move, CSI has agreed to purchase and install a new B2-sized HP Indigo 12000 Digital Press at their new location in Alexandria, VA. The Indigo 12000 is HP’s flagship sheetfed digital sheet-fed press.

NEW HP INDIGO 12000 REPLACES CSI’S PREVIOUS DIGITAL PRESS, THE INDIGO 7500

The Indigo 12000 is CSI’s third HP Indigo press, continuing a relationship that began almost 10 years ago. The 29 inch HP Indigo 12000 Digital Press produces the widest commercial application range with superior print quality, high productivity, and wide versatility. Built on the best-selling and proven HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press, the press brings breakthrough printing capabilities that extend unique, high-value opportunities to grow business.

Printing 29 inch (B2) sheets in color at up to 4600 per hour, the press is capable of producing over two million color sheets per month. Print monochrome in duplex at 4600 sheets per hour. Sophisticated automation tools boost production efficiency and uptime.

Interested in seeing a sample print or getting more information about our printing process? How about a shop tour of our new facility? We’d love to show you the Indigo 12000 (and everything else we do here) when you’re ready. Just contact your sales rep and we’ll take it from there!

In the meantime, here is a photo of our new press:

CSI INSTALLS DURST RHO 512R PLUS 5 METER UV ROLL-TO-ROLL PRINTER

CSI has just completed installation and set-up of a new 5-meter wide Durst Rho 512R Plus UV roll-to-roll press at their shop in Falls Church, VA. The Durst Rho 512R Plus is one of the flagship UV roll-to-roll machines by Durst, as part of the Rho platform. More technical information about the 512R Plus can be found here. More information about the Durst large format platform in general can be found here.

NEW RHO 512R PLUS REPLACES PREVIOUS UV ROLL-TO-ROLL PRINTER, THE RHO 312R

This new 512R has replaced CSI’s workhorse Rho 312R, which was installed at CSI in 2015. The Rho 512R UV printer is CSI’s third roll-to-roll press built by Durst. The Rho 512R Plus with state-of-the-art Durst Quadro Array printhead technology along with Variodrop technology, the Rho 512R Plus is the standard for 5m wide high-end UV inkjet productivity. With a print quality of up to 1200 dpi and at speeds of up to 4150 sq.ft. per hour, the Rho 512R Plus prints a variety of large format advertising materials, and can also handle three 1.6m/5 ft. rolls simultaneously. The Rho 512R Plus is equipped with Variodrop technology and uses multiple impulses for modulating the droplet size. Thus the exact amount of ink is placed, which prevents the drop satellites common in conventional gray-scale printing. Unattended printing and very low production costs make the Rho 512R Plus one of the most economical printers of all time.

Interested in seeing a sample print or getting more information about our printing process? How about a shop tour? We’d love to show you the Rho 512R (and everything else we do here) when you’re ready. Just contact your sales rep and we’ll take it from there!

CSI WELCOMES DIGILINK INCORPORATED TO THE FAMILY

September 1, 2018 – Falls Church, VA – Composition Systems, Incorporated (CSI) has entered into an agreement to acquire DigiLink, Incorporated, a well-known and innovative offset and digital printer based in Alexandria, VA.

An industry-leading, award-winning local business of 18+ years, DigiLink felt that the time was right to transition and reached out to CSI to become part of a larger organization. CSI was looking to re-enter the offset printing market, enhancing a presence that was initially cultivated from 2002-2010.

The acquisition will provide each client-base with a wider range of services and capabilitiles, while streamlining production and increasing efficiency from estimating & planning all the way to product installation or final delivery.

Once the acquisition is complete, both companies will be co-located in DigiLink’s current facility, located at 840 South Pickett Street, Alexandria, VA 22304. Both CSI and DigiLink will continue to operate under their respective brands.

Combining CSI and DigiLink under one roof and one organization provides current and prospective clients with a one-stop, comprehensive solution for a complete range of printed products & related services.

For more information, please visit csi2.com or digilink-inc.com.

FABRIC COLUMN WRAPS ENHANCE EVENT SIGNAGE

Event planners are continually exploring new and unusual options to create a unique space to promote a brand, conference or other event. What used to be exciting just a few years ago (banner-stands, floor graphics) is now much more commonplace and so the search for innovative and eye-catching marketing continues. One such trend that has been catching on, especially in the Washington, DC event spaces is that of fabric column wraps.

WHY WRAP A COLUMN?

The truth is that a standard column wrap is nothing new. We’ve been producing them for several years on a number of different types of media. Adhesive vinyl and regular banner vinyl are two popular choices. However, both of those come with limitations that a column wrap made out of fabric does not have. Fabric is a much more elegant looking material, and is also quite easy to install. While the end result of a vinyl column wrap might look a bit wrinkled and ill-fitting, the fabric wrap usually goes up with minimal wrinkling, leaving a smooth and vibrant image. Fabric installs much more quickly than adhesive vinyl and is much easier to remove, too, making it ideal for a temporary graphics application like a conference or event.

The same stock runs flat as well. Vinyl, mesh and fabric are what we print banners in Washington, DC on, from step-and-repeat backdrops to building wraps.

CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS

Usually the biggest challenge when creating a fabric column wrap has to do with the column itself. Many columns are not straight nor do they have a uniform diameter top to bottom. Pre-site inspection and accurate measurement should be performed, especially when time is of the essence. The more you plan ahead for the install, the better the end results will be!

That survey and the mounting are part of sign installation in Washington, DC, so the column is measured before anything goes on the press.

PHOTO GALLERY

Here are some recent examples of fabric column wraps we have produced and installed.

CUSTOM INTERIOR BUILDING GRAPHICS COMPLETE BUILDING RENOVATION

Faced with an outdated building design and layout, AARP set out to completely redesign their corporate headquarters. The ongoing project began earlier this year and CSI was approached to assist with producing and installing the new interior building graphics that will cover each floor. So far, CSI has produced and installed two floors of graphics for AARP over a period of weeks.

CHOOSING THE CORRECT MATERIALS

One of the most important steps in the process is choosing the proper materials for each surface and location. CSI worked with members of the AARP team to carefully select substrates and brands that satisfied the criteria of each graphic element. CSI used a mix of products from 3M, Avery-Dennison and more. Most of the adhesive vinyl & laminates used are produced by 3M, while the cut vinyl (etchmark) is made by Avery-Dennison.

CHALLENGES

A project of this size and scope always comes with challenges and difficulties. Color consistency across multiple panels on long wall murals, accurate cutting, and of course, imprecise measurements on walls & graphics are the most common issues we face. That’s why CSI utilizes several preventative measures whenever beginning a project like this. CSI profiles all of their presses to ensure color consistency and predictability. CSI also relies on technologically advanced equipment like CNC routers to ensure the most accurate cuts are made. Finally, as is standard procedure for output, CSI ensures enough extra material is available for all of their interior building graphics so that the installers have a little more room to adjust panels for odd walls and anything else they encounter while on-site.

END RESULTS

The job was produced on-time and installed when needed. The client was very happy with the end result and we think everything looks fantastic. Here is a quote by our point of contact at AARP:

“CSI has been a great partner as we renovate the national headquarters of AARP. In addition to great service and response time, the installation crew was efficient and worked around some very challenging construction situations, without sacrifice of quality or deadline. The result is s beautiful space done on time and within budget. We couldn’t be happier with the results and onto phase 1.5.” – Michael Hilker, Director Brand Strategy and Creative Services, AARP

Interested in seeing some samples or getting more information about our printing processes? How about a shop tour? We’d love to show you everything that we do at our production facility when you’re ready. Just contact your sales rep and we’ll take it from there!

In the meantime, here are some photos of the interior building graphics we produced and installed for AARP at their headquarters in Washington, DC. NOTE: most of the work is still in progress, so you may see a few production-related items in the shots. For more photos, please have a look at our Flickr page.

CSI INSTALLS INCA ONSET X1 FLATBED PRESS WITH WHITE INK CAPABILITY

CSI has just completed installation and set-up of a new Inca Onset X1 flatbed printer with white ink capability at their shop in Falls Church, VA. The Onset X1 UV flatbed press was recently released by Inca Digital and Fujifilm US, as part of the Onset X platform. More technical information about the X1 can be found here. More information about the Onset platform in general can be found here.

NEW ONSET X1 REPLACES PREVIOUS FLATBED PRINTER, THE ONSET S-70

This new Onset X1 has replaced CSI’s flagship Inca Onset S70, which was installed at CSI in 2010. The Onset X1 flatbed printer is CSI’s third flatbed built by Inca Digital. CSI has been utilizing Inca hardware and technology since they began using flatbed printing technology in 2006. With a maximum throughput of up to 82 full-bed sheets/hr, Onset X1 is ideal for companies producing a mix of fast-turnaround retail graphics for distance viewing and high-quality images for close-up viewing. Of the eight channels, four print CMYK and the remainder can be configured as required using any of light magenta, light cyan, white and orange (LcLmWO). When the time is right, an additional six-channel carriage can be added to scale up to the Onset X2.We can print on an even wider array of substrates than we offered with our previous press, all at a higher quality and with greater efficiency.

Interested in seeing a sample print or getting more information about our printing process? How about a shop tour? We’d love to show you the Onset X1 (and everything else we do here) when you’re ready. Just contact your sales rep and we’ll take it from there!

In the meantime, here are some photos of the new press as well as a video showing the installation.