GRAPH EXPO 2014: A Sampling of New Wide-Format, Cutsheet and Continuous-Feed Digital Presses

Here's a sampling of some new wide-format, cutsheet and continuous-feed digital presses that were highlighted or on the show floor.

Cutsheet Digital Presses

Ricoh Americas launched the Ricoh Pro C7100X series that offer a fifth color station for either white or clear ink. They're ideal for small- and mid-sized printers looking to offer banners, POP displays, signs, and sales and marketing collateral. The Pro C7100X prints at speeds up to 80 ppm and the Pro C7110x at up to 90 ppm, both based upon A4. Max. sheet size: 13x19.2˝.

Canon U.S.A. debuted the imagePRESS C800 (80 ppm) and imagePRESS C700 (70 ppm), designed for small-to-medium commercial, franchise and quick printers. Handle a variety of media options, including heavyweight coated stock, textured stock and envelopes. Gloss Optimization tailors the gloss level of the toner image to that of the media used, similar to offset printed results. Also promoted in a special theater was the Niagara full-color inkjet press that will be released next year. It produces up to 3,800 duplexed B3 sheets and up to 8,500 duplexed letter sheets/hr.

Fujifilm promoted its second-generation J Press platform, including the 720S for the general commercial market. Improved sheet handling and chain delivery systems enable better sheet control. It achieves 1,200x1,200 dpi resolution from a single print head design using Silicon MEMS technology. The 720S handles 70-lb. text up to 14-pt. board at speeds to 2,700 sheets/hr. Its modular print head configuration enables easy print head maintenance.

HP Indigo 7800 and Indigo 30000 digital presses were on display. The HP Indigo 7800 features an in-line spectrophotometer and the ability to print directly on synthetic substrates with One Shot Color technology. Designed for folding carton production, the HP Indigo 30000 was shown in-line with a Tresu iCoat coater.

MGI USA launched its Meteor DP8700 XL+ with the ability to print on up to 16-pt. board and 450 micron plastic substrates up to 47˝ long. It features a new, fully customizable color scheme. Also, MGI's Meteor DP1000 XL was previewed. Available in 2015, it can print 100 A4 ppm on up to 16-pt. board stock. The press also prints a wide variety of substrates in formats up to 47˝.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. showcased the new bizhub PRESS C1100 and bizhub PRESS C1085 color digital presses, boasting speeds of 100 ppm and 85 ppm, respectively, regardless of substrate type or weight. They feature enhanced Simitri HDE toner, S.E.A.D. IV screen processing to maintain image stability, air suction (vacuum) paper feeding and hybrid decurling (zig zag plus moisture) for consistently flat output.

Xanté Corp. launched its Impressia Digital Multi-Media Press, featuring the patent-pending Enterprise high-speed feed system. It delivers higher print speeds (up to 78 color envelopes/min.), higher resolution (up to 2,400 dpi) and a low cost per print (less than $0.01 for a typical full-color envelope). The system is driven by the new iQueue 9 Ultimate Prepress Workflow.

The new Xerox Color C60/C70 printer is suited for polyester labels, menus, magnets, signs, vinyl window clings—and even printing on linen—at up to 2,400x 2,400 dpi. Speeds: to 70 ppm in color; 75 ppm in black-and-white. Also shown was the Versant 2100 press, a 100 ppm, color device that comes standard with a Full Width Array and Automated Color Quality Suite to provide color control and create image-to-media alignment profiles in less time.

Continuous-Feed Digital Presses

GRAPH EXPO served as the North American debut of the Xerox Impika eVolution 20˝-wide inkjet press. Able to handle plain papers and high-quality, inkjet-treated stocks, the device runs at speeds to 832 fpm/3,628 ppm. Patented variable speed technology—due to a frame architecture suited for two to four print heads—maintains maximum image quality when increasing or decreasing press speeds.

Ricoh Americas showcased the Ricoh Pro VC60000 continuous-feed inkjet press that's capable of producing more than 100,000 letter images/hr. New drop-on-demand print heads enable physical resolutions up to 1,200x1,200 dpi.

The Océ ImageStream 3500, available from Canon Solutions America, is the first, full-color Océ-brand continuous-feed inkjet press that can print on standard offset-coated stock without the use of inkjet treatments. Features print speeds up to 525 fpm, r 1,200x1,200 dpi resolution and DigiDot technology. Also, the Océ full-color ColorStream 3900 end-to-end solution can be configured with a Tecnau u40 zero-speed splicer to automate roll changes and with multiple in-line finishing options.

KBA North America unveiled its RotaJET L Series continuous-feed inkjet press. The new series includes five RotaJET printing systems that can handle web widths ranging from 35.2˝ to 51.1˝. Their identical platform allows upgrades. A one-color monochrome system can also be modified into a four-color system. KBA also announced a collaboration with HP to develop and manufacture new roll-to-roll thermal inkjet solutions for the corrugated packaging market. The new presses will be marketed under the HP brand.

The C711DW digital label printer debuted from OKI Data Americas. Together with the HS711DLF, it creates full-color labels on-demand, incorporating digital diecutting and film lamination. The C711DW prints at up to 25 fpm in continuous-feed mode, and handles paper, polyester, vinyl and adhesive-backed substrates at widths of 6.5˝ to 8.5˝.

Xeikon demonstrated the Xeikon 8500 digital color press, which is suited for direct marketing/direct mail, brochures, posters, leaflets, packaging and POP/POS materials. It has a monthly duty cycle of up to 5 million pages, a web width of 20.2˝ and 1,200x3,600 dpi resolution.

Wide-Format Printers

A benchtop flatbed printer, VersaUV LEF-20, debuted by Roland DGA. This machine is capable of printing directly on virtually any type of item, including three-dimensional objects, to create an array of personalized products.

Ricoh Americas presented its seven-color Ricoh Pro L4130/L4160 wide-format color printers, which offer an increased color gamut for creating signs, banners, wraps and point-of-sale displays across a wide range of substrates, including clear and backlit.

The North American debut of the EFI VUTEk GS2000LX Pro two-meter, hybrid flatbed/rollfed printer featured UltraDrop technology, which combines seven-picoliter drop sizes with grayscale imaging and more precise control. True multi-drop addressability in each dot position enables high apparent resolution and high-definition quality with four-level grayscale and two ink density levels. Also shown was the EFI H1625 LED printer, an entry-level, 65˝ hybrid roll/flatbed printer. Its eight-level variable drop grayscale print heads include white ink as a standard feature.

Prisco - Prisco Digital provided end-to-end workflow demonstrations featuring an HP Scitex FB700 printer, Esko Kongsberg V24 automated finishing system, Caldera Grand RIP+, HP's Latex 360 printer and a Graphtec roll cutter.

The Océ Arizona 6100, from Canon Solutions America, Large Format Solutions, is suited for high-volume sign and display production. Comprising the six-color Océ Arizona 6160 XTS and the seven-color Océ Arizona 6170 XTS UV flatbed printers, they feature Océ VariaDot technology, pneumatic registration pins and automated print head maintenance. Speeds: to 1,668 sq. ft./hr.

HP demonstrated the HP Latex 3000 printer, which features double-sided printing and an optional ink collector for printing unlined mesh banner and porous textiles.