Thousands of engineers, chemists, materials experts, and software developers create innovations that improve the versatility, sustainability and efficiency of digital printing systems every year. The PRINTING United Alliance highlights some of these advances by presenting Pinnacle Product Awards in three main categories: Output, Non-Output, and Technology.
The awards honors the variety of digital printing devices that enable all types and sizes of businesses to print not only on paper, but dozens of other materials used for permanent and temporary signs, visual communications, wallcoverings, vehicle wraps, transit wraps, sportswear, fashion apparel, labels, art prints, stage backdrops, promotional products, museum exhibits, corrugated packaging, folding cartons, windows, building materials, and more.
About the Output Category
The Output category in the Pinnacle Product Awards includes multiple sub-groups based on type, size, or price the digital printing system. The printers don’t have to be new to qualify, because the capabilities of well-established printing platforms are continuously being improved with new models or innovations in inks, software, curing systems, or in-line automation.
Entrants in the OUTPUT category are judged on the printer’s accuracy in reproducing a supplied test file on a specified material. Measurements from color management software determined which devices were most accurate within each sub-category.
Winning Products
AGFA
Agfa Onset Panthera FB321 is a new high-volume production UV flatbed inkjet printer that can print on sheets of materials up to 63-in. wide for use in retail graphics, packaging, and point-of-sale displays. Using innovative 63-in. wide arrays of LED curing lamps, the Panthera prints quality gloss or matte graphics at speeds of more than 16,000 sq. ft/hr. Agfa has developed synchronized automated systems for loading and unloading of materials. The Onset series is driven by Agfa’s Asanti wide-format workflow software that controls the entire printing process from prepress to production and finishing.( Category: UV hybrid/flatbed, high volume production)
CANON U.S.A
Canon Colorado M5..This model is the faster of two 64-in. printers built on Canon’s award-winning UVgel ink technology. This completely modular M5 system enables the printer to be upgraded as the customer’s business grows. For example, users can add FLXfinish+ for matte, gloss or even mixed matte/gloss printing or white-ink capability for up to 5-layer printing. Media handling can be automated to accommodate bulk roll input or deliver prints directly to in-line cutters or other finishing equipment. (Category: roll-to-roll UV inkjet printer, under 80 inches)
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO 2600 This 24-in. printer enables creative professionals to achieve the exceptional print quality and color accuracy required to produce and sell small quantities of photographs, fine art prints, and graphic-art posters. (Category: roll-to-roll aqueous printer, under 80 inches)
DURST IMAGE TECHNOLOGY US LLC (Durst North America)
Durst P5 350 HS is an all-in-one 3.5 meter UV-LED hybrid printer for roll-media and board printing up to 138 inches at speeds of up to 7,000 sq ft/hr. Its 10 color channels can carry one of several configurations of ink, depending on the user’s production requirements. Inks that can be added to a standard CMYK configuration include: orange and green for a wider color gamut; fluorescent pink and fluorescent yellow for bright colors; or light cyan and light magenta for smoother gradients in photographs. Together with white ink and varnish, users can create a variety of visual and tactile effects. Other features include dual-roll printing, double-sided printing, and space-saving foldable tables for printing on large rigid substrates. An optional multi-track feeding table enables simultaneous production of six different jobs on rigid substrates. The Durst Automat Feeding and Stacking system is available for loading and unloading. Prepress and production functions are handled by the Durst Print Workflow software. Durst Analytics software monitors and reports production data. (Category: UV/Latex Hybrid, more than $500,000)
Durst P5 350 HSR. This 3.5-meter roll-to-roll UV-LED inkjet printer is engineered for high productivity and long, uninterrupted production cycles. It uses up to 8 color channels to print on rolls of materials up to 138 in. wide at speeds up to 9,063 sq ft/hr. It can also print on two 64 in. rolls of material. Features include an inline XY cutting system and the ability to quickly switch from printing perforated mesh materials for large outdoor graphics to conventional banner materials. (Category: Roll to Roll UV, more than $500,000)
Durst P5 TEX iSUB The P5 TEX iSUB dye-sublimation printer uses an inline fixation unit to efficiently produce rolls of printed polyester fabrics up to 130 inches wide for apparel and soft signage. In addition to reducing production time and energy costs, the iSub contactless fixing technology ensures color consistency and sharp details in images and text, while eliminating color blurring or bleeding. The P5 TEX iSUB is not limited to direct printing. Transfer papers can also be printed, then processed on an external heat press. (Roll-to-Roll Dye Sublimation on Textile, more than $100,000)
Durst P5 TEX. This dye-sublimation printing system that can print images up to 130 inches directly on rolls of coated polyester fabrics or transfer paper. After the printed materials are dried with an infrared (IR) and heated-plate system, the materials undergo a traditional fixing process with an external heat press. (Category: Roll to Roll Direct Disperse Ink on Textile)
EPSON AMERICA
Epson SureColor F11070. This 76-inch industrial dye-sublimation printer is engineered for high-volume. roll-to-roll printing of sublimation transfer papers. With four Epson PrecisionCore MicroTFP printheads and Epson UltraChrome DS ink technology, it can print at speeds up to 2,700 sq. ft/hr. Productivity-boosting features include user-replaceable printheads, high-capacity replaceable ink packs that hold up to 20 liters of ink per color, and an optional large-roll media unwinder for less user intervention on long print runs. The SureColor F11070 comes with Epson Edge Print workflow software and Epson Cloud Solution PORT for live production and fleet management. (Category: Roll-to-Roll Dye Sublimation on Textile, $50,000 to $100,000)
Epson SureColor F6470H. This 44-inch dye-sublimation printer enables smaller shops to produce a variety of custom products such as aluminum photo panels, promotional products, apparel, home decor, and soft signage. The six-color ink set can be configured to use CMYK plus Light Cyan and Light Magenta Inks, Orange and Violet inks for wide color gamuts, or Fluorescent Pink and Fluorescent Yellow ink for brighter graphics and apparel. Epson offers a high-performance transfer paper optimized for photo reproduction on metal panels and other rigid surfaces. The printer can also use a multiple-purpose transfer paper for rigid substrates or fabrics or an adhesive-backed transfer paper for transferring images to stretchy fabrics.
Epson SureColor S9170. This 64-inch, 11-color solvent inkjet printer is designed for small to medium-sized sign shops, print franchises, and e-commerce companies who print short runs of outdoor-durable signs and vehicle wraps. The advanced UltraChrome GS3 11-color ink set on the S9170 includes Red, Orange and an all-new Green, ink to achieve an expansive color gamut. The 11 colors can reproduce virtually any color and match up to 99.5% PMS Formula Guide Solid Coated (2022 Edition). This is important to sign shops that are expected to match the brand colors used in omni-channel marketing. Other features include fast drying times for same-day lamination and a user-replaceable Epson PrecisionCore Micro TFP piezo printhead. (Category: Roll-to-Roll, Solvent/Latex, Under 80 inches)
Epson SurePress L-6534VW with Digital Varnish. This is a highly automated, versatile UV-inkjet press for label converters, specialty printers and product manufacturers. Using 4 colors (CMYK) plus white ink, the system outputs labels up to 13.4 in. wide as fast as 164 ft/min. The UV-LED inks work with the same substrates used in flexographic label presses and dry fast enough to allow the Digital Varnish to add surface embellishments in the same pass. A space-saving center drum system integrates production functions such as corona treatments, varnishing, white ink usage, web cleaning, and ionizing to reduce static electricity. Automated maintenance (including nozzle maintenance) helps keep total cost of ownership low, and press operation simple. (Category: Digital Roll-to-Roll Label Press, Inkjet)
FUJIFILM
Fujifilm J Press 750HS B2. Fujifilm’s 4th-generation production inkjet sheetfed press is a fast full-color B2 sheet-fed digital press. It handles sheet sizes up to 23 x 29.5 in. and outputs up to 3,600 sheets per hour. Designed for commercial print companies and packaging specialists, the press delivers better-than-offset print quality while enabling users to accept more job and longer run lengths. (Category: Digital Press, Inkjet, Cut Sheet)
Fujifilm Revoria Press EC2100S. This high-resolution toner digital press is designed for quick printing and commercial print shops who want to use a specialty toner (pink, white, gold, silver, clear, or textured paper) in conjunction with standard CMYK toners. The press can handle paper weights from 52 gsm to 400 gsm and sizes from 3.6 x 5.8 in. to 12.9 x 51.1 in and print at speed of 100 pages per minute. Envelopes, water-resistant paper, and cardboard for packaging can also be printed. Features include a system that detects and corrects color density variations and misaligned sheets in real time. Inline finishing options include full-bleed trim, creasing, and cover insertion. Five-color jobs can be set up and previewed with either the REVORIA FLOW digital front end or Fiery EC 21 or EC 22 server. (Category: Digital Press, Toner, Cut Sheet)
MIMAKI USA
Mimaki JFX200-1213 EX. This medium format UV-LED flatbed printer enables print-service providers and in-house print shops with limited floor space to produce a wider range of products. Designed for fast low- to medium-volume production, it excels in printing multi-layer surfaces for products such as art prints, braille signage, decorative panels, and jigs for holding smaller items in place for decoration. (Category: UV/Latex Flatbed Under $100,000)
MUTOH
Mutoh ValueJet 1638UH Mark II. This budget-friendly 64-in. UV-LED hybrid printer can print rolls or sheets of rigid materials with either MUTOH UV-LED flexible (US11) or rigid (UH21) inks. The staggered dual print heads have UV-LED lamps on both sides for greater efficiency and throughput. This printer comes with Mutoh’s user-friendly VerteLith™ RIP software and FlexiDesigner MUTOH Edition 21. The software combination can automatically generate named Pantone coated/uncoated spot colors and automatically set up the layers for prints that combine layers of white, spot colors, and varnishes. To reduce waste, software users can preview an onscreen soft proof of how the printed graphics will look and make necessary adjustments before printing the file. (Category: UV/Latex Hybrid under $100,000)
MUTOH ValueJet 2638X. This 104-in. eco-solvent printer provides high-quality, outdoor durable billboards, banners, and vehicle wraps at an affordable price. It uses MUTOH’s GREENGUARD Gold-Certified MS31 Eco-Solvent Ink in 220 or 440 cartridges or 1-liter bags with optional adapters. Users can choose to use either two sets of CMYK ink for faster throughput or CYMK with Light Cyan, Light Magenta, and Light Black ink for smooth gradients and skin tones in graphics with large photos. This printer comes with Mutoh’s user-friendlyVerteLith™ RIP software and FlexiDesigner MUTOH Edition 21 software for automatic spot-color generation and soft proofing. Other features include: staggered dual printheads; i² Intelligent Interweave technology to reduce banding; DropMaster ink dot placement technology; a multi-stage heater system; and heavy-duty motorized roll-feed and take-up unit (Category: Roll-to-Roll Solvent/Latex. over 80 in.)
MUTOH XpertJet 661UF. This compact UV-LED flatbed printer can custom-print objects up 5.9 in. high and up to 19.02 x 23.39 inches in length and width. The combination of CMYK color inks, white inks and clear varnish can be used to create fine textured prints or Braille letters on ADA signage. Objects with variable data (such as name tags) can also be printed. The Local Dimming Control technology reduces print time, graininess, banding, and misalignment of print layers for textures. The printer is bundled with MUTOH’s VereLith RIP software for optimum print performance and FlexiDESIGNER MUTOH Edition for designing the graphics to be printed. (Category: Tabletop Flatbed, Industrial/Small Item Decoration)
M&R PRINTING EQUIPMENT
Polaris S4™ Industrial Direct-to-Garment Platform. This high-volume garment decorating system combines automated high-precision screen-printing stations with two industrial inkjet-printing stations (one for white ink, the other for CMYK inks). The combination enables users to achieve both high production speeds and exceptional print quality. A new onboard pre-treating system digitally applies the optimal pretreatment solution only to the areas of the garment that will be printed. The pretreatment is fully controllable to apply the correct amount of chemistry for optimum print quality on dark and light garments on a wide range of fabric types. (Categories: Direct-to-Garment Printers, Black Shirt. Direct-to-Garment Printers, White Shirt)
VANGUARD DIGITAL SYSTEMS
This U.S.-based printing equipment manufacturer was acquired by the Durst Group in 2020. All Vanguard printers can be driven the Durst software, such as Durst Workflow Vanguard Edition, a browser-based software solution that runs a PDF-based workflow in a manual or fully automated way.
Vanguard RADNOR. The 3.2 meter Radnor UV-LED hybrid inkjet printer can efficiently switch between printing rolled materials up to 126 in. wide as well as panels or rows of rigid substrates up to 2 inches thick. It can be configured with up to three rows of printheads to maximize print speed, while still allowing for optional white ink and varnish channels for specialty graphics. The Radnor is equipped with large 5-liter color ink tanks and a 3-liter white ink tanks. as well as six independent vacuum zones and a continuous print mode for rigid substrates. For roll printing, the X-axis manual cutter and Y-axis slitter enable print jobs to move quickly to finishing or fulfillment. Other features include: variable drop-size printing, a magnetic linear drive system for precise dot placement, mirrored operation controls on the front and back of printer, easy foot pedal control, automated two-sided printing, and a fold-down extension table for handling longer sheets. (Two Categories: Hybrid/Flatbed New Technology: Roll-to-Roll UV/Latex Hybrid, $100,000 – $500,000)
Vanguard VK300D-HS. This high-production flatbed printer balances throughput speeds and print quality. With a print bed that accommodates 5 ft. x 10 ft. boards or objects up to 4 inches thick. The electromagnetic drive system can propel the printhead carriage up to 1.8 meters/second for fast production (up to 60 boards per hour) with precise ink drop placement. The Kyocera printheads produce industry-leading drop sizes for crisp, impressive print quality. This printer comes with CMYK inks and can be upgraded with white ink and clear varnish to increase the range of applications that can be produced. The printer can also be upgraded with a second row of printheads to complete a higher volume of work each day. (Categories: UV/Latex Flatbed, $100,000 to $200,000; UV/Latex Flatbed + White, $200,000 – $500,000)
Vanguard VK3220T-HS This high-speed ultra-high production flatbed printer has a 126 in. x 80 in. print bed. It can use up to three rows of printheads and reach print speeds over 3,800 sq ft/hr. With multiple configurations of ink colors, varnish, white, and primer, this printer can decorate materials ranging from everyday sign materials stuch as coroplast and styrene to higher-value materials such as acrylic, wood, metal, glass, brick, porcelain, stone, glass, rubber. leather, and cardboard. Features include: one-touch pin registration: front-to-back and back-to-front printing; and reversible 7 vacuum zones. (Category: UV/Latex Flatbed + White, $200,000 to $500,000)
Vanguard VR5D-E The Vanguard VR5D-E is an entry-level all-in-one printer for printing graphics on sheetfed flexible materials and rigid substrates up to 4 in. thick. Equipped with two Ricoh Gen 5 Dual Channel printheads and a standard 50 in. x100 in. print surface with 4 vacuum zones, the VR5D-E uses many of the same features as Vanguard’s higher-end printers, including fully adjustable liquid-cooled UV-LED curing lamps to produce the widest array of applications. The unit can be upgraded with an additional row of printheads or optional channels of white ink or clear varnish channels. (Category: UV/Latex Flatbed, Under $70,000)
A Salute to the Innovators
“Each Pinnacle Award recipient reflects the bold thinking and technical excellence that continue to elevate and move our industry forward, said Lindsay Ferrari, Program Administrator, PRINTING United Alliance.
Jim Peterson, COO and Founding Partner of Vanguard Digital commented about the significance of winning multiple Pinnacle Product Awards, “This recognition is not just about our technology – it’s about the ideas, the growth, and the hard work of the people behind it, and about the customers who believe in what we do.”
Peterson is not the only Pinnacle Product Award winner to recognize the role of their employees and customers. The R&D employees at the winning companies work hard to develop new printing technologies that can resolve their customers’ needs and expand what’s possible..
Future posts on this site will highlight the winning products in the Non-Output and Technology categories.
Compare Mutiple Printers at PRINTING United Expo
The online Pinnace Awards Gallery gives you a sense of the huge variety of printing systems, materials, software, and ancillary equipment that have redefined the printing industry.
Whether you want to start a new business, grow an existing print business, or modernize manufacturing operations, the best place to see multiple printing devices in action this fall is at the 2025 PRINTING United Expo, Oct. 22-24 in Orlando, FL. Many winners of 2025 Pinnacle Product Awards will be shown, along with winning products from 2023 and 2024.
Visit the PRINTING United Alliance website for more information about the organization and the upcoming Expo.