2009 Wide-Format Imaging Readers’ Choice Top Products Awards

At the Annual International Sign Expo (ISA), Wide-Format Imaging revealed the winners of the magazine’s fourth annual Readers’ Choice Top Products Awards . Awards were given out during the ISA Show in Las Vegas on April 16th. Wide-Format Imaging is a monthly business and technology publication dedicated to corporate and senior management focusing on issues of wide-format and grand-format imaging.

2009 Wide-Format Imaging Readers’ Choice Top Products Awards

Reader’s Choice Overall Top Product
Caldera VisualRIP+

Flatbed Printer
Océ Arizona 250GT

Grand-Format Printer (Tie)
HP Designjet 1000s
EFI VUTEk QS3200

Wide-Format Aqueous Printer
HP DesignJet Z6100 Series

Wide-Format Solvent Printer
Seiko ColorPainter 64

Wide-Format Low-/Mild-/Eco-Solvent Printer
Mutoh ValueJet 1614 64“

Wide-Format UV Printer
Durst Rho 800 Presto

Wide-Format Engineering Printer
Xerox 6204 Copier/Printer

Wide-Format Media: Fabric
3P TruColor Flag

Wide-Format Media: Vinyl
Oracal ORAJET Series 3641

Wide-Format Media: Fine Art
Hahnemuhle Digital Fine Art Collection 60”

Wide-Format Media: Universal
InteliCoat MagicPOS PRO 200+

Wide-Format Media: Banner (Tie)
Ultraflex Jetflex +
Ultraflex Normandy Pro-Banner

Wide-Format Media: Film
3M Controltac Graphic Film with Comply v3 Adhesive

Wide-Format Media: Rigid
Kommerling Komacel Plus

Laminating Equipment
SEAL 62 Pro D Laminator

Laminates
Oracal ORAGUARD PVC Lam Film

Toner
KIP Toner

Dye/Pigment Ink
Epson UltraChrome K3

UV Ink (Tie)
Durst Rho Inks
Fujifilm Sericol UV Jet

Solvent Ink
Triangle Digital INX Solvent Inks

Eco-Solvent Ink
Roland ECO-SOL MAX

Banner Stands & Display Materials
Expolinc Roll Up

Scanner (24+ inches)
ColorTrac SmartLF Gx-42

Color Management Software
Caldera EasyMedia

RIP Software
Caldera VisualRIP+

Planrooms
Planwell PDS

3D Graphics Software

Ranging from impressive visual films such as Pixar Animation Studios’ releases to the basic modeling and rendering that powers everything from GPS topography to medical images, 3D rendering software helps to animate virtual worlds.

In practice, 3D models enable a variety of industries from commercial design to architecture and modern entertainment. In fact, simulations utilizing modern 3D technology have revolutionized the practice of medicine throughout the world. Some of the most prominent 3D digital imaging packages include:

Autodesk 3DS Max

A top software package utilized by the entertainment industry, Autodesk 3DS Max is fully compatible with file formats from the company’s popular Auto CAD program, allowing designers to import landscapes into the program for broader effects.

Blender Foundation Software

The top open source 3D animation suite, Blender animation studio has extended to allow for cutting edge technologies such as particle animation, physical dynamics and non-linear rendering. Running on a variety of platforms, Blender is used by game and entertainment developers throughout the world.

Massive

Known for the CGI battle scenes in Lord of the Rings, massive has created one of the industry standards for epic, large scale 3D effects. Incorporating artificial intelligence into its animations, Massive has been featured in a variety of feature films, including the popular King Kong remake and a variety of Pixar films.

Top Entry Level SLR Cameras

In order to utilize today’s most advanced digital imaging software, it’s important that the inputs into an imaging system rely upon a high level of technology. One of the most prominent technologies is the single lens reflex (SLR) camera, which captures the exact imaging by way of an automated mirror. Standard cameras often distort the field through dual optical lenses.

Traditionally, SLR cameras were prohibitively expensive for all but professional photographers. Today, however, there are a variety of SLR models which provide direct technology to a broad array of photographers. The high level of precision provided by SLRs can capture true fields without the distortion of flash and can also utilize a larger aperture for quick images.

The digital imaging software utilized to process and enhance images is aided by the purity of the cameras. Popular models such as the Canon Powershot IS and Panasonic Lumix allow for quick changes of lenses and provide raw image formats that can be readily understood by modern software packages. While the models are still, generally, more expensive than traditional cameras, they have become much more affordable in recent years; today, you can find models for under $1,000, offering the vast advantages that come with single lens reflex technology.

New Digital Book Scanner Released

Konico Minolta has released a revolutionary new digital book scanner to help libraries and businesses to translate their records into the digital age. The PS 7000 Digital Book Scanner is powered by the Image Diva Software program which allows for high resolution, easily readable scanned images.

With Minolta’s technology the scanner is capable of reproducing high quality replicas of detailed work ranging from art to topography, even capturing 3D elements. For law firms and businesses, the scanner will allow high quality reproduction of contracts and records for long term storage. With a large scanning area which covers documents as large as 18×24″ in less than 10 seconds, it is easy to digitize records more quickly.

Designs for ease of use, the scanner has touch screen applications, and connects remotely to printers for direct output. Based upon feedback from the company’s thousands of customers, the model has been field tested for archives, medical records and legal contracts to hone in one ideal quality.

Motion Capture Technology: Live Action to Animation

Animation films have come a long way from the classical cel animation that defined early cartoons. While there is an element of artistic nostalgia surrounding hand crafted classics, today’s 3D animation is made possible with lifelike motion capture software. From animated 3D films to rendering in next generation video games, motion capture technology has fundamentally changed the way that we view movement.

Digital MD: Image Software for Medical Professionals

As technology has advanced rapidly in the medical profession, the ability of digital imaging software packages to physicians in analysis has been expanding. Today, modern hospitals feature an array of high resolution cameras which capture images both externally and internally, ensuring that doctors understand the nature of their patient’s ailments from, literally, every angle.

Editing Toolset: Pinnacle Studio Ultimate

For high end image and video hobbyists, Pinnacle Studio plus is one of the most intuitive software packages on the market. Designed to help you edit your videos, the new version of the software now allows for full High definition images and video editing, as well as providing an improved interface.

For first time users, the product has complete video and image editing tutorials which can help you figure out the intricacies of technical editing more quickly. AS you venture from static image editing to more dynamic media formats, you will appreciate the multi-media tools that the programs come with including Smart Audio, which helps you align audio to your video and Studio Plus which helps optimize your files to limit the amount of hard drive space they take.

You can even professionally finish your image and video products by adding menus and navigation buttons to your final product, as well as more traditional video editing tools such as transition screens. One of the more impressive video editing tools today, Pinnacle Studio 12 comes highly recommended as an alternative to Adobe Premier.

New Creative Suite: Review of Adobe Photoshop CS4

For graphic designers, amateur photographers and design enthusiasts, Adobe has released its fourth edition of its Creative Suite software with a number of enhancements to its digital imaging capabilities.

This is the first version of Creative suite to offer full 64-bit capability, which users of Mac OSX and Windows Visa can take advantage of. While you’ll want to ensure that you have at least 3 GB of RAM in order to run the program smoothly on those operating systems in full 64-bit mode, the benefits in terms of speed are pretty amazing. For users of Adobe CS3, you’ll fondly recall the slow down that occur when zooming in on detailed photos - the improved memory management and caching features in CS4 now limit these programs, so you can readily zoom in and manipulate high resolution photos with relative ease now.

Adobe also upped the ante on artificial intelligence in the new version of Photoshop, introducing a series of features that allow you to resize images with intelligent scale. When scaling images in past versions, you were left with options of maintaining the ratio of the size or just manually doing adjustments at the individual layer level. Although Photoshop CS4 does not do a perfect job of solving this problem, it did quite well for most purposes in our tests. You can even utilize a field depth tool to manipulate digital images after the fact as if you were back on the scene, capturing the original image.

The improvements in both speed and features make Photo Shop CS4 a must buy for serious photographers and digital imaging enthusiasts.