Recently, Graphics House Imaging purchased a Virtu 36 flatbed printer from a company in Sunrise Florida, called Leggett & Platt. When we bought the machine, there were less than a dozen in operation in the entire United States. Subsequently, proper instruction on the operation and maintenance of the machine was critical. To that end, Graphics House sent me, along with our Graphics Director, Charles Mortenson to Sunrise Florida for training.

We flew to Florida in early November. The trip for me was very exciting. For one, winter was fast approaching and the weather in Michigan was already very cold. I could not wait to get to the “Sunshine State”. And second, I had never been on an airplane before, so this was going to be quite an exciting experience.

But my thoughts of a sunny paradise were quickly dashed when we arrived at the airport. Hurricanes Katrina, has passed through months before, and Rita who came a few days prior to our arrival, had definitely left their mark on everything. It looked like we were entering a war zone. There were store signs demolished, houses with no roofs, and even a few cars that were upside down in the streets.

And it got worse. We arrived at our hotel, only to find that our room had been given to someone else. Because of the disaster, a lot of local residents were forced into hotel rooms while their homes were being repaired. Charles and I spent most of our first day on the phone trying to find a room. We finally found one, but it now was very late, and we had to get up early to get to L & P’s facility for our training.

The next day, we arrived at L & P and met Angelo. He was to be our trainer. Angelo seemed to know everything about the Virtu, so I knew we were in good hands. We sat in a conference room where Angelo spoke about the basics of the machine; its capabilities and its limitations. He then took us out on the floor of the facility where eight to ten Virtu’s stood in various states of repair. Some of the machines worked, but others did not. It was here that all the hands on training took place.

One of the first things I learned was the vertical and horizontal alignment procedure. I also learned the step-by-step method of changing the UV bulb. The bulb is buried far into the machine, so it is critical that each step is followed precisely to ensure proper removal and installation. Changing a print head is another very in depth operation. There are many small springs and other parts that can be easily lost if the operator is careless.

The Virtu 36 is a very versatile, high-end, flatbed printing system. Although we currently print in four color process, there is a six color process option. The flatbed allows for printing on rigid substrates up 48” x 96” and up to 2.5” thick. However, there is a “Superwide” feature that allows printing on substrates up to 98” wide. “Roll to Roll” printing allows you to print on any rolled media, such as banner material, up to 98” wide by any length needed. And the “Hybrid” setting allows for 98” wide by whatever length of rigid substrates. There is also a curing oven built into the machine that allows printing on substrates that may be damaged by the UV lights used to cure most projects. This is extremely helpful when printing on materials such as satin or nylon flag fabric.

Probably this machines greatest strength is the number of different substrates you can print. Foam boards, glass, wood, tile, acrylics, corrugated plastic, even floor mats and carpet are possible.

At the end of our five training days, I came home knowing a whole lot more about the machine and its capabilities. And because of the training I received, we have not needed to fly a technician in to our facility to fix anything. On the rare occasion when a situation does arise, a quick phone call to Leggett & Platt’s technical support section, gives me the information I need to affect repairs myself. All in all, it was worth the journey to fly down for 5 days to get a better understanding of the equipment.


As submitted by Ryan Broton, Imaging Specialist.