Weekend Print Production Notes from 11/29/2010

- Hewlett Packard announced it sold five Indigo 5500 production color systems to C2 Imaging, a printshop in St. Paul, Minnesota.

- Xerox announced that customers who own some of their production monochrome systems can pay for a temporary speed upgrade. Details:
o Applies to Nuvera 100, 120 and 200 models
o Called the Xerox Flex Speed Program
o Entails field installation of firmware by technician
o Provides boost to speed for up to 90 days
o Customer can extend for another 90 days
o Maximum speed boost of 44ppm
o Cost for 90 day period runs from $2000 to $7500 depending on model
o Service contract pricing remains same

- Xerox announced a new option for its Xerox 700 Digital Color Press, the SquareFold Trimmer Module. Details:
o Also for the 1000 Digital Color Press, 4112 and 4127
o Option for the Booklet Maker Finisher or Light Production Finisher
o Provides square folding, and creasing of cover sheets in booklets
o Provides face trimming of booklets
o Minimizes toner cracking on the fold line
o Pricing not announced

- Xerox announced it sold 1000 Digital Color Press to Kellmatt, a printshop in England.

o Two other new Xerox models are based on the above, and are aimed at the light production market, and are called the Xerox Color 550 and Color 560. Differences are:
 550 offers 50ppm color and 55ppm b/w
 560 offers 60ppm color and 65ppm b/w
 Base MSRPs of $34,700 and $39,200
 Replace the DocuColor 252 and 260
 2400x2400dpi
 Comes standard with two 500 sheet paper drawers, 200 sheet letter drawer and 250 sheet stack bypass
 Auto duplex standard
 $2000 for letter size LCT
 $5995 for 13” x 19” LCT, or $9995 for dual drawer 13”x19” LCT
 Handles up to 300gsm (runs at half speed)
 10.4” color LCD touch screen on armature
 Document feeder holds up to 250 originals
• Top color scan speed of 50opm
• Can scan both sides of original at same time
 30K yield for black toner, and 34K yield for color
 Black drum yield of 85,700 pages
 Color drums yield 194,500 pages
 Does not come standard with a print controller so choices are:
• $18,000 for Xerox FreeFlow server
• $6995 for embedded EFI Fiery
• $25,500 for external EFI Fiery
• $16,000 for external Creo
 $999 for single line fax, can add two more lines for $1399
• $990 Internet fax option
 Finishing options include:
• $2995 finisher with 50 sheet stapling and hole punch
• $4995 finisher with 50 sheet staple, hole punch and booklet making of 15 sheets
• $6550 finisher with 100 sheet stapler, hole punch and cover inserter
• $11,800 finisher with 25 sheet booklet maker
o $5700 for trifold/z-fold option

EFI MicroPress Powers Konica Minolta bizhub PRO 1200 Series of Digital Presses

Dec. 9, 2009 – Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), a leading provider of advanced imaging and networking technologies for the desktop to the print shop, and EFI™ (Nasdaq: EFII), a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, today announced that the EFI MicroPress® RIP and production workflow solution is driving the bizhub PRO® 1200 Seriesof monochrome digital presses. This technology combination enables mid-to-high volume digital print environments to maximize their Konica Minolta equipment investment by providing a high-performance, feature-rich document solution for the control of many pre-press processes.

The newest series in Konica Minolta’s award-winning line of monochrome digital presses combines long-run reliability and image quality with fast output speeds – 120 ppm on the bizhub PRO 1200 and bizhub PRO 1200P, and 105 ppm on the bizhub PRO 1051.

“Our bizhub PRO 1200 Series is built to be a professional replacement for offset systems in the digital era, so we once again joined forces with EFI, a leader in digital RIP and workflow technology, to drive these systems,” said Kevin Kern, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. “Delivering unmatched flexibility, speed, efficiency and customized capabilities, the bizhub PRO 1200 Series is further proof of how customers can count on Konica Minolta for their entire spectrum of production print needs.”

With EFI MicroPress, users will realize increases in efficiency and reduction of costs through streamlined and automated workflows, allowing for even more productivity and greater engine utilization. EFI MicroPress supports the latest industry standard file formats, with the power to natively process PostScript®, PDF and XPS, resulting in faster, more accurate output. The offering takes advantage of powerful hardware to provide production print environments with the fastest, most capable, late-stage editing solution available. Addressing last minute job changes without reverting back to a native file or requiring changes to the production workflow saves operators time and increases efficiency. EFI MicroPress is scalable to manage up to 12 digital print engines, providing a seamless growth path to support expanding future production workflow demands.

“Today’s production print providers are constantly facing the challenge of delivering high volumes of documents with complex requirements in a short time,” said John Henze, vice president of marketing, Fiery division, EFI. “The combination of EFI MicroPress and the new bizhub PRO 1200 digital presses help alleviate these headaches, ensuring high-quality output at top speed to meet the most demanding customer requirements.”

About Konica Minolta

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is a leader in advanced imaging and networking technologies for the desktop to the print shop. In 2009, Konica Minolta was named Supplier of the Year by both the Allegra Network and the National Association of Quick Printers (NAQP). For more information, please visit http://www.CountOnKonicaMinolta.com and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KonicaMinoltaUS.

About EFI

EFI (www.efi.com) is a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation. EFI’s award-winning solutions, integrated from creation to print, deliver increased performance, cost savings and productivity. The company’s robust product portfolio includes Fiery® digital color print servers; VUTEk® superwide digital inkjet printers, UV and solvent inks; Rastek™ UV wide-format inkjet printers; Jetrion® industrial inkjet printing systems; print production workflow and management information software; and corporate printing solutions. EFI maintains 23 offices worldwide.

-=Cheers=-

Print Production Weekend Notes 6/08/09

The National Association of Print Leaders (NAPL) economists announced:
- Total production hours are down 14.2%
- 80% of printshops report that payroll hours were lower than a year ago
- 41.5% of shops report that productivity is lower
- Commercial print sales are down 15%
- 80% report decline in output

Kodak announced it will partner with Xeikon. Xeikon, which makes production color systems, will now offer Kodak web-to-print solutions as an option to drive the output.

EFI announced it received three “BEST” awards from BERTL:
- EFI Fiery XF won for color management for wide format color inkjet printers
- EFI Fiery Central
- EFI SendMe
Ricoh now shipping the Pro C550EX and C700EX. As stated in previous newsletter, these are based existing workgroup color MFP, the C6000, but offer accessories to make these able to be sold into the production print space.
- Base MSRPs of $58,840 & $67,240
- C550EX offers 55ppm full color and 60ppm b/w
- C700EX offers 70ppm full color and 75ppm b/w
- uses polymerized toner (Ricoh PxP)
- uses 4 tandem OPC drum design
- has two 160GB hard drives
- Uses engines from the MP C6000 and C7500 mid-range color MFPs, which compete against
the Konica Minolta bizhub C552 & C652
- Offers the EFI Fiery E8100 print controller
- Supports up to only 80lb. cover in the paper drawers
- will auto duplex up to 90lb index only
- 110lb. cover stock must be placed in the bypass of the RT4000 large capacity deck for $4780.00
- Standard paper capacity is 5,300 sheets
- Finishing options include stapling, hole-punch, GBC punch, booklet maker and three ring binding
- SR4010 fifty sheet stapling finisher for $3150.00
- SR4020 fifty sheet staple and 20 sheet booklet maker for $5460.00
- SR5000 one hundred sheet stapling finisher for $5830.00
- Tab sheet holder for $47.00
- Hole punch kit for $920.00
- Cover insertion unit for $1160.00
- Z-folding unit for $7350.00
- 100 sheet document feeder comes standard
- Will be marketed with color click pricing as low as $0.0495, single click 11”x17”,
and b/w clicks as low as $0.0132.
- Designed to compete against the Konica Minolta PRO C5501 & C6501 systems
- 600x600dpi, but does not offer true 8 bits per pixel imaging

EFI Reports Huge Success at ISA International Sign Expo

EFI Reports Huge Success at ISA International Sign Expo
Investing in the Show’s Largest Booth Pays Off

FOSTER CITY, CA -- April 30, 2009 -- EFI™ (Nasdaq: EFII), the world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, saw a fantastic return on their investment in the ISA International Sign Expo in Las Vegas, where the company’s booth was the show’s largest. Included in EFI’s lineup of revolutionary technology were the new VUTEk® GS3200 3.2-meter hybrid and GS5000r 5-meter roll-to-roll superwide format UV printers, the just-announced Rastek™ T660 wide-format UV flatbed, and demonstrations of EFI’s legendary integrated digital workflows.

“Those attending this year’s ISA show were there to get business done, and were asking questions they have never asked before,” said Frank Mallozzi, senior vice president, worldwide sales and marketing, EFI. “Purchasers were asking smart questions about color management and workflow solutions, and were interested in understanding how to manage their shops more efficiently and productively, which is where EFI has its strengths. Having the largest booth and incredible new products at this year’s show really helped drive traffic, which translated to an impressive number of leads and sales directly from the show floor.”

EFI’s VUTEk GS3200 and GS5000r on Display for the First Time

The VUTEk GS3200 and GS5000r are revolutionary new printers that are redefining superwide. The GS3200 produces superior photorealistic images at speeds previously unattainable from a superwide hybrid UV digital printer, and the GS5000r redefines 5-meter roll-to-roll printing by delivering exceptional Point-of-Purchase (POP)-quality graphics at billboard speed. These uncompromising printers extend the range of applications that can be produced on superwide printers, and allow EFI customers to set new standards for quality and speed. The response to these new products from ISA attendees was overwhelming – both products drew huge crowds for the duration of the show.

“We needed more production to keep up with demand, and after hearing great reviews, we went to ISA with the goal of seeing the GS3200 in operation,” said EFI customer Wes Shinn, general manager, PVS Instore Graphics, Portland, Oregon. “When I saw that it was functioning at the promised speeds and quality – that was all the verification I needed to buy one. I’m very excited about this technology and what it will bring to our business. This printer will help us grow by leaps and bounds.”

EFI’s New Rastek T660 UV Flatbed Announced at ISA

Also drawing crowds to EFI’s booth was the new Rastek T660 UV flatbed, which was announced at the show. EFI’s newest Rastek printer is causing excitement among print businesses for its best-in-class image quality and affordability, making it the best way for businesses to quickly and profitably expand into the fast-growing wide-format market. Because the T660 has been optimized for over a dozen substrates, including glass and aluminum, this versatile printer gives businesses the capacity to provide a wide range of applications, including indoor and outdoor signage, display and exhibition graphics, POP advertisements, and even short-run packaging and prototyping.

EFI Demonstrates Integrated Digital Workflows

Though ISA is primarily a hardware show, demonstrations of EFI’s award-winning APPS solutions, including EFI Digital StoreFront®, Fiery® XF and EFI Pace™, were crowd-pleasers as they epitomize digital integration from creation to print. These tools provide EFI customers with the foundation needed to maximize profit potential through resource allocation, electronic forms and automated management and processing.

“It was great to see so many well informed and savvy customers at the ISA show,” added Mallozzi. “The caliber of attendees was stellar, they were looking for solutions that would allow them to thrive in this economy and give their customers the highest quality output available.

For more information about EFI solutions, including VUTEk superwide printers, Rastek wide-format printers, and EFI Web-to-Print, RIP or Print MIS solutions, visit www.efi.com.

About EFI

EFI™ (www.efi.com) is the world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation. EFI's award-winning solutions, integrated from creation to print, deliver increased performance, cost savings and productivity. The company's robust product portfolio includes Fiery® digital color print servers; VUTEk® superwide digital inkjet printers, UV and solvent inks; Rastek™ UV wide-format inkjet printers; Jetrion® industrial inkjet printing systems; print production workflow and management information software; and corporate printing solutions. EFI maintains 23 offices worldwide.

# # #
EFI, Fiery, and VUTEk, and Jetrion are registered trademarks of Electronics For Imaging, Inc. in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and/or certain other foreign jurisdictions. Rastek is a registered trademark of Electronics For Imaging, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.

Print Production "Weekend Notes" 4/12/09

4-12-09

The following is a quick review of print production news from various trade publications.


Xerox announced it sold an iGen4 production color system at Blue Star, a print shop in Australia. It also sold them a Nuvera 288 b/w system.

PrintShop Mail, a product of Objectif Lune, won award for best variable data software from the European Digital Press Association.

Oce’, at the recent OnDemand show, highlighted multiple engines connected together by the Fiery Central system, instead of a MicroPress.

Kodak announced it has placed a NexPress 2500 production color system and DigiMaster EX150 b/w system at Alcom, a print shop in Harleysville, Pennsylvania. The NexPress 2500 also included a NexGloss unit and a Watkiss booklet maker.

Interesting statistics about German offset press maker, Heidelberg
- In last 20 years, sold over 230,000 presses
- World wide share of press consumable market is only 3%
- CEO, Jurgen Rautert, hopes that in ten years, half of company revenues will come from consumables and service
- Will cut another 2500 employees in 2009 to reduce costs
- Plans on future digital color inkjet press system

EFI, maker of Fiery controllers, announced it would take cost cutting measures due to declining revenues:
- Employee salary reductions of 5%
- Management salary reductions of 10-15%
- CEO Guy Gecht’s salary reduced to $527,000
- President Fred Rosenzweig’s salary reduced to $450,000
- CFO John Ritchie’s salary reduced to $279,000

Print Production Weekend Notes 4/5/09

- Xerox announced a new high speed b/w production print system, called the Nuvera 200 EA featuring
- 200ppm top speed
- 4800x600dpi
- 156 lines per inch
- Uses Xerox Emulsion Aggregate toner (polymerized)
- Pricing not announced

- Oce’ won a “Best of Show” award for production color systems at the recent OnDemand show for showing an EFI MicroPress driving 4 CS665 Pro systems (relabeled Konica Minolta bizhub PRO C6501) at the same time and calling it the Oce’ DC260T Pro.

- Xerox placed one of its $640,000 iGen4 production color devices at MicroPRINT, a print shop in Waltham, Mass.

- EFI announced version 5.0 of its award-winning Command WorkStation interface for its print controllers. Features:
- Operator mistakes reduced up to 30%
- Works with Fiery print controllers which are running version 6.0 operating system
- Displays status of engine, jobs and consumables
- Gain access to info about resources
- Drag and drop features
- Customizable icon tool bar
- Improved job previews
- Fiery SeeQuence Suite option honors job ticket level decisions like complex imposition and make ready

- Xante’ of Alabama is now shipping its Ilumina 502. Details:
- advertised as a “Digital Production Press”
- is actually a relabeled desktop color LED printer from Okidata
- claims it can print on stocks up to 502gsm
- optional extended warranties do not include supplies, including the fusing section cartridge
- top speed of 36ppm full color

- Press maker gets rid of its leader. Albrecht Bolza-Schunemann, president and CEO of Koenig & Bauer (KMBA) of Germany, is out, and replaced by Helge Hansen, the CFO, amidst declining sales of offset presses.

- Latest statistics on the print for pay industry from PIA:
- printing shipments down 4.5%
- number of shops declined by 2,300 locations
- total employment was reduced by 73,800 jobs
- only 39% of printshops reported a sales increase
- 56% of shops reported sales decrease