Xerox 800 Digital Color Press and 1000 Digital Color Press "Spec Review"

- Xerox, at the OnDemand show in Philadelphia, allowed the public to see their new color production print models, the 800 Digital Color Press and 1000 Digital Color Press featuring:

o Actually made by Fuji of Japan
o Base MSRPs of $350,000 and $395,000 respectively
o Xerox hired Frank Romano (famous RIT professor) to create video endorsing this product
o In same size frame as the huge Xerox iGen4 (74” high) and weighs 3,197lbs.
o Unlike the iGen units, these new models use polymerized toner (called EA for polymerized “emulsion aggregate” technology)
o Unlike iGen units, does NOT use fuser oil that can drip inside engine, so this unit has paper drawers underneath the engine for smaller footprint than iGen
o 80ppm and 100ppm top speeds respectively
o Advertised as offering “2400dpi” (not true 8 bits per pixel as Xerox takes a pixel from a 600dpi data stream and divides it into 4 quadrants to get 2400dpi effect)
o 4 tandem OPC drum design with expected life of 800,000 impressions per drum
o Uses dual corotron grids that are self-cleaning
o Uses 5 toner cartridges, as the fifth is clear toner, for optional flood gloss or spot gloss applications (this is first color toner unit with in-line gloss coating, as the Kodak NexPress’s NexGlosser is an off-line device)
o Uses a mylar film transfer belt called a “Intermediate Belt Transfer System” or “IBT Technology”
o Uses fuser belt system instead of traditional fuser rollers, using a dual fuser to run thick stocks at same speed as plain paper
o “In-line Belt Cooling” along with paper decurl mechanism to reduce paper curl
o Requires a 240v/50amp outlet
o Recommended monthly volume of 300,000 pages per month
 Maximum duty cycle of 1.75 million pages per month
o Comes standard with two 2,000 sheet paper drawers
 Optional LCT adds two more 2,000 sheet paper drawers
 Maximum paper capacity of 8,000 sheets
 Auto tray switching with on-the fly paper add feature
 Maximum paper size of 13”x19.2” out of any paper source
 Heavy or coated paper out of any drawer
 Optional tray insert to handle 4”x 6” postcard media
 Maximum paper weight handling up to 350gsm
o Xerox promises back to front registration of 0.5 millimeters for auto duplex output
o Has “Customer Replaceable Unit System” called SMART technology, meaning the customer is responsible for replacing 40 different cartridges, even though they must have a service contract from Xerox.(this includes 5 different toner cartridges, 5 different drums, mylar IBT transfer belt, fuser belts, paper feed tires, etc.)(even though the customer will be responsible for performing most of the service, Xerox apparently has no plans for discounting the click charge)
 Customer is provided with a special screwdriver that allows them to open up the doors of the machine
o Xerox plans on submitting the units for certification (Pantone, FOGRA, etc.)
o Customers have choice of EFI Fiery, Kodak Creo, or Xerox branded FreeFlow print controllers
o Optional “Profit Accelerator” programs to teach customer how to market & sell output, includes DVD, templates, VDP samples and more
o Finishing options include:
 Interface Module (required purchase to attach any finishers)
 GBC hole punching system
 GBC punch and bind (up to 100 sheets with plastic bind)
 5000 sheet stackers (can have two maximum)
 Fold unit (C and Z folding)
 200 sheet post process cover inserter
 Booklet maker (25 sheet booklets maximum) with optional face trimmer
 Tape binding up to 125 sheets
 Plockmatic Pro booklet maker (30 sheet booklets) with face trim

-=Cheers from Sandy Hook"

Ricoh Pro c720 "Price Review"

- Ricoh announced pricing for the PRO C720, which is 72ppm version of the C900 production color system. Details:
- Base MSRP of $104,099 for print only version
- Base MSRP of $121,098 for MFP version
- Optional $140 kit for embedded applications
- Optional embedded EFI Fiery, but does NOT offer a CREO option or external Fiery
- Does NOT offer optional perfect binder or ring binder
- 320K/month max duty cycle

-=Cheers=-

Xerox Concept Color 220

Print Production Weekend Notes

These were recent posts from Print4Pay Hotel members. If you're selling Print Production systems you need to become a member of the largest and fasted growing social site for Imaging Professionals!

- A printshop announced it is installing a wind turbine to generate electricity to drive its production systems. Phoenix Press, of North Haven, CT, hopes to use the turbine to provide one third of the power it needs to run its Kodak DigiMaster 9110, Canon imageRUNNER 7095 and imageRUNNER C5180 units.

- Hewlett Packard announced it sold two Indigo 7000 production color systems to Capitol City Press of Tumwater, Washington.

- Hewlett Packard announced it sold an Indigo 5500 to ProGraphics Communications of Atlanta, GA.

- Hewlett Packard announced it sold an Indigo 5500 production color system to Positive Images of Mitcham, Surrey, England.

- Ricoh launched a new production color system, called the PRO C720 system offering:
- Slowed down, cheaper version of the slow selling C900
- Offers a top speed of 72ppm versus 90ppm of the C900
- Maximum duty cycle of only 320K/month
- Runs at same speed, regardless of paper weight, like the C900, up to 110lb. cover
- Uses same EFI Fiery as C900
- finishing options are limited to saddle stitch booklet maker and standard finisher

- Xerox announced it has sold a Xerox Nuvera 288 production b/w system to CFH Total Document Management of Somerset, England.

- Xerox announced it has sold a Xerox Nuvera 288 production b/w system and an iGen3 production color system to Hamilton Printing Co. of Castleton, NY.


-=Cheers=-

Weekend Print Production Notes

Printshop revenue for month of November in the U.S., was a total of $7.38 billion a decline of 8% compared to last year. It was the first November to be below $8 billion since 2003.

Heidelberg, the large German offset press maker, now supported financially by the German government, is looking to get back into the digital printers market according to Business Week magazine. Apparently, it is even considering partnering with Kodak. As you may recall, Heidelberg sold its digital press business to Kodak, after buying it from Kodak a few years earlier. This division includes the DigiMaster b/w systems and the NexPress color systems.


Memjet, the company that has been promising a high speed color inkjet copier, announced it has hired a new executive. Len Lauer, former COO of Qualcomm, will be the new Memjet President and CEO, working out the San Diego office. (Memjet has 2,600patents related to technology developed by Mr. Kia Silverbrook of Australia)

Direct Color Systems Inc. launched the Millenium 700, which can produce a full color plastic name badge in 25 seconds. Purchase price, and cost per card were not announced.

-=Cheers=-

Ricoh Launches Pro C720/C720s Color Production System

Ricoh Launches Pro C720/C720s Color Production System

New Light Production Digital System Offers Affordable Alternative for Color Printing, Scanning, Copying and Document Storage
WEST CALDWELL, N.J., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment, announced today the official launch of the RICOH® Pro C720/C720s, a production class multi-functional color system, the latest addition to Ricoh's Pro series of products, designed specifically for the production environment. This flexible system is targeted at corporate and commercial professional print environments with demanding application needs. The Pro C720/C720s has a robust duty cycle of 320,000 images per month, and runs at 72 pages-per-minute (PPM) regardless of paper weight.

The RICOH Pro C720s allows customers to complete a wide range of applications within one system. The Pro C720s offers high-resolution scanning, copying, and automated distribution to multiple destinations, including e-mail, URL, and FTP. It also allows customers to store files on a document server so you can reprint them without re-ripping the files.

Central to the operation of the RICOH Pro C720/C720s is a server-based EFI Fiery® Print controller. The Fiery platform optimizes the Pro C720/C720s with top speed, quality, advanced color management, and integrated work-flow utilities that provide the customer with complete control over digital file processing at every stage of production. The Fiery is an open, flexible solution addressing the demanding requirements of Commercial Printers, In-Plant Print Shops, and Central Reproduction Departments (CRDs). The Fiery controller is a standard component of the Pro C720/C720s and includes a number of value-added workflow and job automation utilities such as Fiery Graphic Arts Package, Standard Edition, EFI Hot Folders, Fiery WebTools, and more.

Additionally, the RICOH Pro C720/C720s offers a wide range of advanced in-line finishing options that can be configured to customers' exact requirements, providing enhanced flexibility and efficiency. Options include a high capacity stacker which enables longer unattended print runs, and an array of document handling and finishing options.

The Pro C720/C720s is engineered to provide maximum uptime and reliability to customers in demanding print environments. It is ideal for print-for-pay shops, CRDs and other environments that need to take on more color jobs, increase revenue, and lower cost. The Pro C720/C720s incorporates Trained Customer Replacement Units (TCRU's) that enable operators to replace key components of the system, providing improved productivity. In addition, Ricoh bundles remote diagnostics, troubleshooting and online consumable ordering through the included @Remote diagnostic solution.

The Pro C720/C720s feature large capacity trays that incorporate air-assist paper feeding for sheets up to 13" x 19.2". The Pro C720/C720s handles media basis weights from 16lb bond to 110lb cover and prints at rated speed regardless of basis weight.

"With the economy still on the rebound we're continuing to develop cost-effective solutions that help our customers improve their bottom lines. We've had very good customer experiences with the C900, and the Pro C720 builds on the reliability and quality of the same platform," said Carl Joachim, vice president of Marketing for PPBG, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "We've made good inroads in the production color market over the past year, not only with the Pro C900, but also with our solutions and professional services that address emerging applications such as Web2Print and VDP."

Order taking for the C720/C720S will be effective immediately, with availability scheduled for February 2010. The product will be available through US channels of distribution that include Ricoh Business Solutions, IKON and authorized independent dealers. Additional distribution within the Ricoh Americas group is planned through Ricoh Canada Limited and Ricoh Latin America.

For more information on the C720/C720s and other PPBG products and solutions, please visit www.ricoh-usa.com/ppbg/.

About Ricoh's Production Printing Business Group:

The Production Printing Business Group (PPBG) of Ricoh Americas Corporation is dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art, high-speed production systems that provide efficient document workflows with high-volume production printing and finishing. Incorporating superior engineering, service, reliable technology, and extensive software and finishing options, PPBG helps production centers to cost-effectively modernize and streamline their operations to meet today's rapid turnaround and high-quality demands.

Ricoh Americas Corporation, founded in 1962, is headquartered in West Caldwell, NJ and is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., the 73-year-old leading supplier of office automation equipment and electronics, with fiscal year 2008 sales in excess of $20 billion.

Information about Ricoh's Production Printing Business Group can be accessed on the World Wide Web at www.ricoh-usa.com/ppbg/.

All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Ricoh Web Site: www.ricoh-usa.com

-=Cheers=-

Downtown Print and Copy standardises on Xerox

Downtown Print and Copy, based in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, has standardised on Xerox equipment following the purchase of a DocuColor 5000AP to replace an ageing DocuColor 2060 and a wide-format 6204 to replace an Oce plan printer. The new machines were installed in August and operational the same day.

‘The DC5000AP has placed us at the forefront of quality, production and ultimately service,’ says David Scholtz, owner of Downtown Print and Copy. ‘For example,
we are able to produce 500 full colour business cards printed on 300gsm in only 40 seconds. Our customers are now getting the best quality and turnaround time and at the right price.’

Downtown Print and Copy has a 10-year relationship with Xerox equipment, supplied and serviced by local Bytes Document Solutions’ authorised dealer, Digi Copiers.

Prior to its latest acquisitions the Eastern Cape business, with 24 employees between its head office in central Port Elizabeth and branches in Walmer and Lorraine, had four DC12 colour copiers and printers with EFI Fiery and Splash RIPs, two DocuTech 6135 production black and white printers, an 8100 plan printer, a DC3535 colour copier and printer, two WorkCentre Pro 45 copiers and printers, a DigiPath Make Ready pre-press system, and a DC252 colour copier and printer with a Creo RIP.

‘We chose Xerox because they have always looked after us as a business, they are professional, skilled and competent in their field,’ said Scholtz. ‘We have looked at other offerings which were cheaper but, because we are in the print-for-pay market, if the solution does not work we are out of business. Xerox equipment seems to be made to last and from our past experience we know that it does.

‘We standardised on Xerox because we believe that the product and solution are the most powerful at this stage of the game and most important, the after-sales service delivered by Digi Copiers is on par with Bytes Document Solutions standards which is recognised as the best in the industry,’ he said.

Downtown Print and Copy has also seen an uptick in business in its short run operations following its latest acquisitions.

The newest machine, the DocuColor 5000AP, has in addition enabled the business to increase the run lengths of jobs due to the lower running costs of the system.

‘Anyone with a need for colour printing will put the DC5000 to good use, while the 6204 meets the needs of the architecture and design industry,’ said Scholtz. He added that the newest systems are easy to understand and operate and require no specialised training.

‘Downtown Print and Copy has operated in Port Elizabeth for the past 28 years,’ said Paul Haglich (pictured above). ‘They have a huge amount of experience in the industry, long-standing clients because of the service they bring to market, and it’s a huge feather in our cap that they have standardised on our equipment.’

Click here for more Downtown Print and Copy standardises on Xerox

Printing decreases for first time in U.S.?

Printing decreases for first time in U.S.? According to researcher, Jake Wang, of IDC:

- “Starting with the fourth quarter of 2008, we saw a definite drop in printer page outputs”
- IDC uses computer software to monitor the use of 700,000 printers and MFPs in the U.S.
- “It was like going over a waterfall.”
- Total of 1.5 trillion pages for the year, or 5,000 sheets of printouts per man, woman & child.
- Predicts drop of 10% in 2010.
- “When an economy sheds million of workers, there are that many employees who aren’t
doing the printing”
- “I’m thinking fewer contracts are signed. Fewer documents sent from one person to another”
- Expects increase in 2011 after the recovery.
- Forrester Research predicts that electronic bank statements will start declining in 2010.
- In 2007, the Securities & Exchange Commission stopped requiring corporations to mail out printed annual reports to shareholders.

Indigo 5500 sold to ProGraphics

- Hewlett Packard announced that it sold an Indigo 5500 production color system to ProGraphics Communications, a printshop in Atlanta, GA.

In addition, it sold an Indigo 7000 system to L&D Mail Masters, a print shop in New Albany, IN.


-=cheers=-

Weekend Print Production Notes

- Staff at three Sappi paper mills went on strike in Europe. Union workers in Finland and The Netherlands are upset over allegations of serious safety issues, and demand a one year wage increase of 1.5%, despite the poor economy.

- According to Jim Cohen, Executive VP of Consolidate Graphics:
- print shop revenues are down 25%-50%
- Before, 9/11/2001, there were 50,000 printing companies
- By 2003, there were only 35,000
- Predicts that by 2010, there will only be 20,000
- Own 70 different printshops
- 66 of the printshops they own, have digital presses
- Own 70 HP Indigos
- Own 30 Kodak NexPress’s
- Own 25 Xerox iGen’s
- Own some Xeikon’s

- Kodak announced it sold a NexPress S3000 production color system to Contac Services, a print shop in Canada.

- Fuji claims it has 41 iGen production color systems installed now in Australia.

- According to Tenon Recovery, an insolvency specialist, 9 out of 10 printshops are in danger of collapse due to the economy.

-=Cheers=-

Local printing manufacturer expands product range

Local printing manufacturer expands product range
Bizhub adds several new models to its existing product range

With the introduction of the bizhub PRO C6501 series and the bizhub PRO C5501 digital colour production printing systems, Bidvest company, Konica Minolta South Africa is extending its existing successful production printing systems.

With a print speed of between 55 A4 colour pages per minute for the bizhub PRO C5501 and 65 colour pages for the bizhub PRO C6501 series, they offer a large throughput. All systems offer heavy duty cycles. The bizhub PRO C5501 now also supports three print controllers: the external controllers IC-304 Plus powered by Creo, the IC-305 EFI Fiery and the internal IC-408 EFI Fiery controller.

“We are confident that the bizhub PRO C6501 series and the bizhub PRO C5501 will top their predecessors in terms of success,” says Leon Minnie, product specialist: production systems at Konica Minolta South Africa.

“Not only does the whole series of new bizhub PROs provide our customers with the three essential elements of high quality colour production printing, which are outstanding colour, superior image quality and high production speed. Their sturdy yet compact built and various in-line finishing functions also mean a further ‘scale up’ in benefits for our customers.”

-=Cheers=-

Ricoh Expands to Data Center Printing with 3 New Systems!

This was posted on the Print4Pay Hotel Message Boards today. I added a few items for everyone. Enjoy!

The Ricoh Pro 907/1107/1307 series was officially released last week. This is the new, print only version of the Katana series and it's targeted at Data Centers. It's co-developed with both Ricoh and Hitachi technology.

With it's release, the Pro 1357 becomes Ricoh's flagship monochrome printer. Effective immediately, the Pro 907 and the Pro 1107 replace the DDP 92. The DDP 70e is now discontinued.

In comparison to the DDP models, these new products offer stacker options. These stacker options lend themselves very well to the Data Center marketplace.

Although the print only version of the Pro 907/1107/1357 is very similar to the copy version, there are some notable differences. Here's a brief summary of the major differences:

*New DC (Data Center) Print Controller for the print only series (features dual CPUs to drive the engines at rated speeds)
*MICR Printing will be supported by the end of the year on the Pro 1357 (MICR Printing on the Pro 907/1107 will be available 30-60 days later)
*The Ring Binder and Perfect Binder options are not available for the print only series
*The Fiery and MicroPress options are not available for the printer series

What's New!

There's a new Multi-folding Unit (FD 5000, which will accomdate six different folding patterns, locking paper tray and stacking trays, MICR Toner, standard De-Curl Unit, DC (Data Center) Conntroller, and IPDS.

Want more it's all on the Print4Pay Hotel!

-=Good Selling=-

Punch of Belgium launched the Xeikon 8000 production color system

Punch of Belgium launched the Xeikon 8000 production color system featuring:

- Uses LED instead of laser printheads
- 1200x3600dpi
- Up to 240lpi using Pericles screening library
- Two in-line densitometers
- Uses PA toner (Productivity Adapted)
- Uses rolls of paper only (webfed)
- 244ppm top speed full color
- Monthly duty cycle of 9 million pages per month
- Optional inline UV coating and finishing- Pricing not announced

-=Good Selling=-

C.P. Bourg Unveils New Technology Large Format Tower Collator in Print09

C.P. Bourg Unveils New Technology Large Format Tower Collator in Print09

C.P. Bourg reports the sale of the first BST-e collator in North America - the BST-BME system from the PRINT 09 show floor - to a Canadian commercial printer.

PRINT 09 Chicago; September 14, 2009 -- C.P. Bourg, the world's leading technology developer and supplier of in-line and near-line document feeding, binding and finishing equipment for the broad spectrum of traditional and digital printing environments, has launched the Bourg BST-e Suction Tower Collator, the printing industry's first large-format tower collator able to support "finishing on demand" booklet making from both traditional and digital workflows, here at PRINT 09.

At the same time, the company reported the sale of the Bourg BST-e-based booklet-making system being shown in its booth (# 3400) here at PRINT 09 - the first in North America - to Allan Graphics Ltd., a full-service commercial printer based in Kingston, Ontario.

The Bourg BST-e is a new-generation tower collator designed to feed offset or digital printed material in sheet sizes up to 14.5 x 23.5 inches (370 x 600 mm) into the company's award-winning Bourg BME Booklet Maker, an advanced stitch-fold-trim finisher able to match the full size of the Xerox iGen - the largest digital press available today.

The Bourg BST-e relies on a C.P. Bourg-innovated suction paper transport system and a new gear-drive system that matches perfectly the BST-e operation to the Bourg BME Booklet Maker. It is controlled entirely through the color touchscreen operator console of the Bourg BME - a significant modification that results in fewer electronics in the collator while giving the BME operator total control of the finishing process through one component.

Paper pile height in each of the ten pockets in the BST-e is 66% higher to accommodate 3-inch stacks of paper stock from 60 gsm to 350 gsm. Up to five BST-e towers can be linked together to create a paper-feeding system that offers its user a high degree of flexibility.

"By accommodating traditional, digital or hybrid workflows, the new Bourg BST-e tower collator makes it possible for printers with any type of workflow to benefit from large-format, on-demand stitch-fold-trim booklet making," said Richard Trapilo, EVP and General Manager of C.P. Bourg Inc. Return to all actualities

New Xerox product debuting this week

Xerox Corp. is putting out a new iGen4 product — the iGen4 220 Perfecting Press.

The Connecticut-based printing and imaging company manufactures its iGen4 line of high-end color digital printing presses in Webster.

The 220, which also will be made in Webster, is two iGen4 110 print engines working in tandem. According to Xerox, it can handle volumes of up to 7 million images a month but takes up less space than two iGen4 110 printers standing side by side.

Xerox is debuting the machine this week in Chicago at Print 09, a large printing industry trade show.

==Adios Mi Amigo==