On Aug. 14, LexJet hosted its 2008 Technology Review at the LexJet Technology Center in Sarasota, FL, for a broad range of companies representing the spectrum of the wide-format digital printing industry, including commercial printing companies, sign companies, service bureaus, photography studios, and in-house print shops from the beverage distributor market. Media representatives from a number of printing industry publications were also in attendance.

The event offered wide-format printing professionals the opportunity to meet the people driving technological progress in the industry, learn more about the various printing processes and where they're headed over the next few years, see first-hand all the different avenues in which the technology is employed, and engage in hands-on demonstrations and training.

Attendees at the 2008 Technology Review also got a first look at Digital Equipment Company's Legend 98HUV, a 98-in. hybrid (roll-to-roll and flatbed) UV-curable printer, which is scheduled for release in early 2009.

"The event was a great opportunity for us to see different types of wide-format printers operating at the same time. We went to the event mainly interested in UV-curable, and we were impressed with the Legend 72HUV," said John Hart, owner of Hart Graphics, based in Knoxville, TN. "We got to see a lot of different aspects of wide-format printing in a short period of time, and it was interesting and helpful to see the different types of substrates you can print on all displayed in one place."

Throughout the day, attendees rotated between four educational sessions that focused on consumables, printers, and software. In addition to demonstrations by industry leaders Digital Equipment Company, Hewlett-Packard, Canon, FLEXcon, Mutoh, Hahnemuhle, and OKI Printing Solutions, long-time industry expert Dr. Ray Work presented a thorough and balanced examination of the environmental issues facing the industry.