I’m not usually in the practice of opening emails from sources I don’t know, but this one was from “trillium@xeikon” with the subject line of “Sneak preview of Trillium press.”
Hmmm, I thought, I’ll take a chance.
As near as I can tell from the cryptic, anonymous note that came with the video (with no admonitions about non-disclosure), Trillium is the name of a new press Xeikon will be showing at drupa next week. Developed under the name Quantum, the production name of the new device now seems to be Trillium. There’s maybe a story there, but I don’t know it.
So I open the email to find a Flash video (probably done on a phone) of paper going through a roll-fed print engine at maybe 400 to 500 feet per minute with the words “Trillium” and “quality” on the paper. Since I know how to edit video, I can tell this one hasn’t been “enhanced” in the editing suite. There are people talking in what sounds like Dutch or Flemish, but I don’t know what they are saying.
Anyway, the video provided a glimpse of the new machine being produced by Xeikon that uses a new toner that’s a thick, high-viscosity goop. I know from speaking with some Xeikon execs a few weeks back that the press is intended to compete with inkjet in terms of operating cost while delivering quality much like that of toner-based devices.
As good as some of the inkjet machines are, they still don’t beat toner in terms of print quality, and it seems that Xeikon is aiming squarely at inkjet jet devices while relying on EP to deliver the quality. I know that there will be at least one other liquid-toner system rolled out at drupa, but this could prove to be one of the most interesting machines to be seen at drupa.
Trillium…three of something? Given the advance info, maybe it’s speed, quality and low operating cost? Beats me, but we’ll all find out soon enough.
So stay tuned. I have meetings with Xeikon early in the show, including a close look at this new device, so I’ll have the details and real video once I’m across the pond.
- Companies:
- Punch Graphix Americas