Over the past 25 years, wide-format printing equipment has become wider, sturdier, faster, more versatile, more automated and capable of using specialty inks on specific materials. These advances have laid the groundwork for building custom digital printing systems for industrial manufacturing.
The evolution of Agfa’s wide-format printing technology is a good example. Since Agfa announced their Anapurna 100 UV inkjet printer at FESPA 2005, Agfa engineers, ink chemists, and software experts have developed and refined innovations such as:
- Using thin-Ink layers to minimize ink consumption to achieve the desired results
- Increasing throughput with multiple rows of more advanced printheads
- Switching from mercury bulb UV ink curing to energy-efficient UV-LED ink curing
- Creating tactile and visual effects on prints with layers of clear varnish
- Developing intelligent multi-device workflow software for signs and display graphics
- Integrating robotics and automation for loading and unloading substrates
At PRINTING United Expo 2025, Agfa demonstrated how high-performance digital print technology has been incorporated into Agfa’s four product lines for mid-market and high-volume pint-service providers. Booth visitors saw demonstrations of the Jeti Bronco H3300 HS, the Onset Panthera FB3216, Jeti Tauro H3300 XUHS, and the Anapurna Ciervo H2500.
The also highlighted their Asanti workflow software for sign and display graphics, Speedset Orca production inkjet press for packaging, and Synaps synthetic paper.
Jeti Bronco H3300 HS
This new, higher-speed addition to the Jeti Bronco series is a 3.3-meter hybrid printer for supreme flexibility. It can print on the many types of flexible and rigid substrates used for indoor and outdoor signs and displays. With throughput speeds of up to 4,844 sq. ft./hr., the Jeti Bronco H3300 HS can handle single 126-in. wide media rolls of two rolls of materials up to 63 in. wide. A media guide is available as an option for shops that need to hold down corrugated or slightly warped substrates.
The Jet Bronco uses a set of seven colors plus white UV inks formulated for energy-saving UV-LED curing, It also features Agfa’s neutral gray balance technology to deliver the accurate grayscale tones and smooth gradients for required for higher-end applications in signs and display graphics.
Onset Panthera FB3216
This true flatbed press is engineered for high-volume/high performance jobs for both the sign and display and packaging communities. The Onset Panthera FB3216 can produce sheets of retail point-of-sale graphics on coated papers up to 200 gsm, sign boards up to 1.8 in. thick, and corrugated packaging and display materials. Maximum sheet size in 126.8 in. x 63 in.
The print carriage spans the full width of the vacuum bed that holds the media in place. The full bed can be printed in one pass, eliminating the types of visible artifacts that can appear with multiple bi-directional printing passes. Depending on the type of image and substrate being printed, the Onset Panthera can print up to 16,297 sq. ft./hr. or about 296 beds/per hour.
To achieve these speeds, the printhead is equipped with 12 channels that carry 3 sets of CMYK inks. A 14-channel model carries 3 sets of CMYK inks plus 2 channels of White ink.
The innovative two-step curing process features 2 LED curing units at the front and one at the rear. This enables each printed layer to be cured in multiple steps for consistency drying and strong adhesion.
The two-pass printing mode on the Onset Panthera FB3216 enables high-gloss or high-satin finishes.
Multiple configurations of automated components are available, depending on whether your shop frequently uses thin sheets of flexible materials or mostly uses thicker, heavier boards for packaging the displays.
Loading and unloading robots excel at handling thicker and heavier boards. An auto-loading table can take single sheets of thinner materials from a stack and pre-position them for accurate robotic loading onto the vacuum table.
The “high-five” function on the Panthera automates double-sided printing on substrates that weigh up to 11 lbs.
Jeti Tauro H3300 XUHS
The Jeti Tauro H3300 XUHS is Agfa’s newest and fastest multi-pass inkjet printer. Available with automated material-handling systems, the Jeti Tauro H3300 excels at efficient, both high-volume print runs, and high volumes of short-run jobs.
The Jeti Tauro H3300 XUHS available with 4 colors of ink (CMYK) or 7 colors (CMYKcmk). It can also be configured with channels for white inks, a primer, and a varnish.
The Jeti Tauro H3300 XUHS can handle a wide range of substrates up to 126-in. wide (including plastics and corrugated) for signs, displays, and packaging jobs.
The automated system that combines Flex RTR (roll-to-roll handling) and MAX Bots (for loading and unloading) can handle up to 150 load cycles per hour, including a mix of flexible rolled materials and rigid sheets.
The secret to the fast throughput (up to 13,778 sq. ft./hr.) is an additional four rows of printheads. The Tauro H3300 XUHS has 12 rows of printheads, compared to the 3 other Jeti Tauro models which have 4, 6, and 8 rows of printheads.
Anapurna Ciervo H2500
The 98-in. Anapurna Ciervo 2500 is similar in width to the Anapurna 100 wide-format printer that Agfa introduced in 2005. The Anapurna was among the first wide-format printers designed to give sign shops and small to mid-sized graphics companies the ability to produce short-run jobs on a mix of rigid boards and roll media.
A lot has changed since over the years. The Anapurna Ciervo printers still use 6 colors of ink plus white inks. But the inks are formulated for printheads that can print higher-resolution images and text as small as 4 pt.
More importantly, the inks on today’s Anapurna printers are cured with faster, more energy-efficient UV-LED technology instead of mercury bulbs. Because UV-LED curing produces less heat, operators can print on a wider range of materials, including heat-sensitive foils, PET, and microflute.
At Sign Expo 2025, Agfa introduced two new models: the 126-in. Ciervo H3200 with dual-roll printing and the 80-in. Ciervo H2250 for sign shops with limited floor space.
Other improvements include a continuous board feeding system that enables the next board to be loaded while another board is still being printed. The system enables four boards to be printed simultaneously.
Media guides are now available for shops that need to hold corrugated or other warp-prone media flat during printing.
Agfa Asanti Workflow Software
Asanti is an automated production hub for sign and display graphics projects. Based on Agfa’s popular Apogee PDF-workflow technology for offset and digital printing, Asanti was introduced in 2013 for entry-level to mid-sized sign and graphics companies. Since then, it has been continuously upgraded with features to make it easier to manage graphics production in shops that use a mix of printers, cutters, and media types.
In addition, Asanti’s capabilities have evolved to adapt to changes in print-business models and markets, such as the use of wide-format printers for packaging materials and the mergers of regional printing businesses into larger national organizations.
Asanti can drive Agfa and non-Agfa printers and supply job and cut line data to a wide range of digital cutting tables, Plus, it offers JDF/JMF-based integration with many MIS (management information systems) solutions.
Using the latest Adobe PDF Print Engine, Asanti pre-flights incoming design files and converts them to print files for error-free job handling and predictable, consistent print quality.
Asanti guarantees consistent color reproduction through the creation and use of color profiles. To do so, it deploys the patented Calibrated Print Mode (CPM) feature. This technology uses easy-to-set-up production templates that contain all parameters for a particular substrate and enables automatic job creation. It takes about 15 minutes to calibrate and profile media, so users can achieve optimal and consistent quality without having a color-management expert on staff.
“We are constantly working on ideas on how we can make color management even more operator friendly,” said Dieter Jancart, segment manager, high-end systems for Agfa Digital Printing Solutions.”
The Asanti Production Dashboard is a browser-based reporting tool that enables users to see the status of each job in progres and receive data about each job’s printing time, ink consumption, and media usage.
Asanti’s automatic job layout, positioning, and true-shape-nesting reduce the amount of time required to process multiple jobs. The automatic collection of images allows you to gather all artwork for a specific press and specific media, and to optimally nest it on the print sheet or roll, taking copy count and bleed into account.
Asanti is now available through three subscription plans:
Asanti Core is the beginning level for companies that want to run 3 printers in parallel. It includes a layout editor, color engine and profiling, high-quality screening for Agfa printers, and a production dashboard to show the status of jobs in progress.
Asanti Advanced is for companies that process jobs on up to 10 printers. It includes all of the Core functionalities, as well as template-based automation; hands-off integration with finishing devices (such as digital cutters,) and MIS (management information systems). One of Asanti’s newest features is the ability to use real production data to calculate the shop’s C02 footprint.
Users who want to link a non-Agfa RIP/workflow with the Tauro printers, can use TauroConnect, which captures data from the in-place workflow and uses it for screening, output quality, and printing parameters.
Asanti Expert adds advanced functionality for an operator-free workflow, a custom integration to an MIS, and 6 satellites for maximum processing power.
“Agfa offers more than just printers,” said Christine Polzin, the head of sales for Digital Printing Solutions in North America. “Thanks to our integrated ecosystem of printers, software, inks, and services , we deliver consistency, standardization, control, integration, and efficiency.”
Agfa SpeedSet Orca
At PRINTING United Expo, Agfa booth visitors also learned more about the SpeedSet Orca, Agfa’s B1 inkjet press for packaging. It uses water-based inks, a primer, and varnish to print 41.7 x 29.5-in. sheets of materials used to make folding cartons and other shelf-ready packaging. It can print up materials from 0.2 to 2 mm thick, including papers and microflute corrugated.
The SpeedSet Orca is primarily intended for package printing. It is driven with Agfa’s Asanti software, so some smaller-format, higher-volume sign and display jobs could be printed on the Orca.
Agfa Synaps
At PRINTING United Expo, Agfa also showed their new SYNAPS line of high-performance synthetic print media. This tear-resistant, dimensionally stable polyester film has a unique silky soft feel like a premium luxury paper. But it is also durable without lamination. It resists damage from water and UV light.
Potential applications include gift cards, business cards, menus, hiking and biking maps, luggage labels, plant tags, bus-shelter advertising posters, roll-up banners, outdoor stickers, safety signs, shopping cart signs and other creative applications.
It is available for use on offset, dry toner, and UV and latex inkjet printers.
Synaps OM (offset matte) is white, opaque two-side printable material for use on offset presses.
Synaps XM (xerographic matte) is coated for use on laser printers and copiers
Synaps PS (pressure-sensitive) is the adhesive-backed version of Synaps for printing on UV-curable or Latex inkjet printers. It is available with a permanent or repositionable adhesive.
Fulfilling print-on-demand orders is one of the benefits of using Synaps. A high volume of prints can be pre-printed on an offset device and personalized on a digital press when an item is ordered.
“At Agfa, we are proud to work closely with our customers to ensure they have the right tools to seize new opportunities and grow their businesses,” said Deborah Hutcheson, Director of Business Development at Agfa. She said their PRINTING United presence was designed to show how their printers, software, and media combine to deliver the performance and flexibility today’s market demands.
About Agfa
In business for more than 160 years, the Agfa Gevaert Group is known for its leadership in imaging technology. The company develops, manufactures, and markets analog and digital systems for the printing industry, healthcare IT, the green hydrogen industry, and for specific industrial applications.
In addition to producing wide-format printing systems, Agfa’s Digital Print & Chemicals Division develops specialized inkjet printing systems for the laminate and leather industries and high-performance inkjet inks and fluids for industrial inkjet applications. For example, Agfa offers functional inkjet inks for the printed electronics industry.
The Agfa-Gevaert Group’s head office and parent company are located in Mortsel, Belgium. The Group’s largest production and research centers are in Belgium, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Austria and China.
For more information about the company’s large-format inkjet printers, visit: https://www.agfa.com/printing/large-format/printers/