Development partners Barberan and Fujifilm have introduced a fully digital inline satin varnish and primerless ink chemistry to the Nautilus single-pass UV printing platform
Barberan and Fujifilm have showcased the latest advancement in their single-pass technology partnership, introducing a fully digital print workflow to the Nautilus system that features an integrated digital varnish capability. The technology was previewed during a dedicated open house event at Barberan’s facility in May 2026, following initial technology demonstrations at the FESPA 2026 exhibition in Barcelona.
While single-pass inkjet production is well established in the corrugated packaging market where high throughput is critical, adapting the technology for the graphics and display sectors has traditionally presented distinct engineering hurdles. Chief among these was the requirement to support short production runs across highly diverse media, alongside managing the high-gloss surface finish native to single-pass UV printing.
Conventional production methods rely on analogue primers and traditional matt varnishes to control surface finish and substrate adhesion. However, these analogue processes add mechanical complexity, extend make-ready times, and increase consumable costs, while often restricting the use of thin or flexible paper stocks. To eliminate these constraints, the chemistry specialists at Fujifilm Ink, based in Broadstairs, UK, engineered a new suite of UV inks. This chemistry provides broad media adhesion to reduce or eliminate the need for analogue primers, allowing print houses to utilise much thinner paper substrates than standard single-pass systems typically accommodate.
To address surface texturing, Fujifilm Ink developed an inline, fully digital varnish option tailored specifically for the precision demands of single-pass UV architectures. The integrated system delivers a consistent satin finish across the printed sheet digitally, removing the need for separate post-print coating processes.
A primary target for this digital configuration is the out-of-home (OOH) advertising sector, where demand is rising for localised, variable, and fast-turnaround campaign graphics. The updated Nautilus single-pass platform addresses this requirement by outputting more than 1,400 high-quality 2050mm x 1600mm sheets per hour—equivalent to over 4,000 square metres per hour—with every sheet capable of carrying unique, variable data content. When paired with Barberan’s automated alignment conveyor technology, the system can execute double-sided duplex printing with a registration accuracy of ±0.1mm.
Oliver Mills, Single Pass Marketing Manager at Fujifilm Ink, commented: ‘We are incredibly excited by the opportunities this latest development creates for the print industry. Fujifilm and Barberan share a common philosophy of pushing the boundaries of digital print through innovation. By introducing a fully integrated digital varnish capability for single-pass UV printing, we are unlocking new levels of productivity, media flexibility and creative freedom for our customers, paving the way for the next generation of high-speed digital production’.
Eladio Lerga, CTO at Barberan, remarked that the Nautilus platform represents a significant shift for high-volume display production: ‘The Nautilus stands alone in its technological advancements, unmatched by any other company worldwide. Its exceptional performance with an innovative ink set capable of achieving outstanding print quality across numerous substrates, and its high output of more than 4000m2/ hr allows it to rival, even offset printing in large formats’.