The 610mm x 420mm device builds on the success of the UJF-3042 FX and HG, both of which will continue to be sold alongside the 6042 when it arrives in January 2013.

In addition to doubling the bed size of the 3042, Mimaki has increased the maximum resolution to 1,800dpi and opted for a higher precision ball screw head conveyance mechanism.

Duncan Jefferies, marketing manager at UK distributor Hybrid Services, said: "The ball screw mechanism is much more accurate and means we can print a 2pt text.

"It's a feature that we have on a machine costing around £80,000 but it's the first time we've seen it at this level of the market."

Jefferies added that the larger A2 bed size would allow printers to reproduce the popular 60x42cm screenprint size while the addition of clear and white ink enables a range of special effects as well as printing onto clear substrates.

"You can print things like acrylic photoblocks, which are high value, high quality products by printing in reverse and backing it up with the white ink," he said.

"You can also print to clear film or board and because the curing uses LEDs rather than metal halide it's very cool, which avoids the problem with heat deforming that you can get with some of the sign and packaging films."

Jefferies added that the clear ink allows the creation of a number of textured effects, as well as printing braille onto packaging. "We've barely scratched the surface of what we can do with it – it has such a broad range of applications," he said.

"Because it's a UV printer it can print onto any substrate – you don't need to have a porous substrate because the ink sits on the surface and the LED flashes and cures it."

Jefferies said that pricing for the 6042, which has the same 150mm head clearance as the 3042 HG, was not yet available. The respective prices for the UJF-3042 FX and HG are £22,995 and £29,995 including RIP and a set of inks.

Mimaki officially launched the UJF-6042 at Photokina last month.