Wednesday, June 10, 2009

IKON Delivers RICOH Pro C900 Digital Color Printer for Print & Letter Company of San Diego



IKON Office Solutions, Inc., a Ricoh company, today announced that Print & Letter Company has installed a RICOH Pro C900 digital color printer, giving them greater capacity and enhanced flexibility in meeting their customers’ wide range of printing needs.

With more than 12 years of industry experience, Print & Letter specializes in both commercial and digital printing. Based in San Diego, Print & Letter has a nationwide presence, and works with customers on their printing and fulfillment projects from start to finish — including concept graphic design, offset and digital printing, binding, packaging and complete direct mail and fulfillment services.

“Our philosophy is to exceed our customers’ expectations by combining a superior product with quick turnaround time at an affordable price,” explains Dan Mashburn, President, Print & Letter. “Our processes and equipment are second to none, and we take pride in utilizing the latest innovations in the commercial printing industry.”

As part of their commitment to innovation, Print & Letter is the first in the San Diego area to purchase a RICOH Pro C900, giving them more versatility, faster speeds and better print quality. “Digital printing is the future in the commercial print market,” says Mashburn. “The RICOH Pro C900 allows us to better create solutions for our customers and help meet their business needs. We’re building the future of our company around the capabilities of the RICOH Pro C900 and will be able to offer more robust graphic design and customized collateral via variable data technology. It has proven to be a perfect fit and has met all of our expectations with ease.”

Engineered to meet the demanding needs of the production print environment, the RICOH Pro C900 represents an advancement in efficiency and productivity combining consistent 1200 dpi output with 90 pages-per-minute speed. It utilizes Ricoh’s new image processing technology for unsurpassed quality and fast turnaround times, and can handle a wide range of media, including weight ranges up to 110 lb. cover. Its modular design enables a number of input and output configurations, and offers many production tools for advanced page programming requirements like tabs, inserts, covers and chapter breaks.

“I’m impressed with the RICOH Pro C900’s ease of use and its versatility,” says Mashburn. “It combines fast speed and outstanding quality. In addition, its color is brilliant and consistent, print run after print run. We’ve been very pleased with our results.”

The RICOH Pro C900 is designed to have extremely low maintenance requirements, and is backed by IKON’s team of locally based service and support professionals, along with a team of color and production specialists. IKON has many years of experience in meeting and exceeding the demands of corporate print centers and commercial print businesses. In addition, IKON customers can maximize their color solutions by engaging with IKON’s color and production specialists, and its Professional Services team, who can provide customers with a suite of services and application development, including variable data integration for marketing and personalized communications, advanced color management, forms design, data stream conversion and custom workflow solutions to help improve productivity, reduce turnaround time, and increase efficiencies.

It is this kind of support that led Print & Letter to purchase their RICOH Pro C900 through IKON. “We have received a tremendous amount of support from IKON, from our decision to purchase the RICOH Pro C900 through the delivery, set up and training,” says Mashburn. “They have a lot of ideas on how we can best utilize the machine, and having a team as experienced as they are pushing our creativity is great. They are truly a partner in our planning and success.”

“Our extensive experience in production environments helps us create solutions for our customers like Print & Letter that lead to increased capacity, faster turnaround times, and higher print quality using state-of-the-art technology,” explains Spencer Adamson, Vice President, Production Solutions and Commercial Print, IKON Office Solutions. “With its superior quality, high speed and broad workflow applications, the RICOH Pro C900 sets a new standard in productivity.”

Mashburn agrees. “The RICOH Pro C900 is vital for our future success and gives us more options to fulfill our printing needs. Working with IKON has proven to be a great experience. They fully stand behind their products and are helping us expand the digital printing market to all of our customers.”

About Print & Letter Company

Print & Letter is a pioneer in variable data and variable content printing. They are able to offer solutions to customers that help them grow their business. With consultative selling and a strong work ethic, Print & Letter has been the go to printer during these interesting times. Print & Letter offers ideas and concepts that fit within any budget and get results for customers. Direct mail to posters, banners and business cards, car wraps to boxes, we do it all.

About IKON

IKON Office Solutions, Inc. (www.ikon.com), a Ricoh company, is a leading provider of innovative document management systems and services, enabling customers to improve document workflow and increase efficiency. IKON integrates copiers, printers and MFP technologies, and document management software and systems, to deliver tailored, high-value solutions, implemented and supported by its team of services professionals. IKON leverages the manufacturing and engineering expertise of Ricoh, a more than $20 billion global technology innovator, with the experience and reach of its locally based sales and services teams, to provide end-to-end solutions and one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of document management services, including on-site and off-site managed services, technical service and support, and customized workflow design and implementation.

IKON Office Solutions®, IKON: Document Efficiency at Work®, are trademarks of IKON Office Solutions, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Océ Adds Five New Digital Cutting Tables to Océ ProCut System

June 9, 2009 – Trumbull, CT – Océ, an international leader in digital document management, today announced the addition of five new digital cutting tables to its Océ ProCutTM system. The additional table models enable shops with larger roll-based inkjet printers to effectively cut and trim media, and provide better support of oversized rigid media that can be used on the Océ Arizona® 350 XT UV flatbed printer, which can print onto rigid media up to 98.4 inches by 120 inches.

Océ ProCut Digital Cutting Tables offer a versatile solution to all finishing needs including trimming and contour-cutting, through-cutting, kiss-cutting, routing and creasing. The tables are suitable for roll media, sheets or rigid substrates up to 1.97 inches thick. Customers can choose from a variety of tables in the following sizes:
Model Size
Océ ProCut 2500 M 51”x 98”
Océ ProCut 2500 L 70” x 98”
Océ ProCut 3200 L 70” x 124”
NEW Océ ProCut 1600 XL 86” x 63”
Océ ProCut 3200 XL 86” x 124”
NEW Océ ProCut 1600 XXL 107” x 63”
NEW Océ ProCut 3200 XXL 107” x 124”
NEW Océ ProCut 1600 XXXL 128” x 63”
NEW Océ ProCut 3200 XXXL 128” x 124”

The Océ ProCut system includes this expanded range of Océ ProCut Digital Cutting Tables to automate cutting operations, Océ ProCut Software for preparing the cut data in a seamless workflow, and expert pre- and post-installation service & support. This complete package reduces labor and materials costs in the finishing stage while enabling customers to maintain high productivity levels and increase profit margins. It also opens the door to new business opportunities as customers can offer a wider range of services to their clients.

New V-cut Tool
Also now available for use on Océ ProCut Digital Cutting Tables is a V-cut tool, a specialized item that enables the creation of three-dimensional structural designs. It is ideal for cutting v-shaped channels into extremely rigid sandwich board. The V-cut tool will cut at a variety of angles on material up to 5/8” thick. Notched boards can then be bent onto their final shapes to create everything from furniture to temporary emergency shelters.

Availability
All models of Océ ProCut digital cutting tables are available for order now for U.S. deliveries.

Océ Display Graphics Systems
Océ Display Graphics Systems is a leading provider of professional, large format solutions for indoor and outdoor color display graphics applications. Océ solutions are specifically designed to enhance the revenue and profit opportunities for service providers by combining hardware with workflow software and the expertise to help companies expand into digital large format color. From extremely high-quality UV curable flatbed printers to outdoor-durable roll-based systems, Océ offers a total solution including hardware, software, imaging supplies, finishing systems, service & support, and financing. Customers benefit in working with a full-service partner they can count on to help their businesses grow.
About Océ
Océ is a leading international provider of digital document management technology and services. The company’s solutions are based on Océ’s advanced software applications that deliver documents and data over internal networks and the Internet to printing devices and archives -- locally and around the world. Supporting the workflow solutions are Océ digital printers and scanners, considered the most reliable and productive in the world. Océ also offers a wide range of display graphics, consulting and outsourcing solutions.

Océ employs around 23,000 people, with 2008 revenues of approximately $4.3 billion, operates in around 100 countries and maintains research and manufacturing centers in the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Romania and Singapore. Océ North America is headquartered in Trumbull, CT, with additional business units in Chicago, IL; New York City; Boca Raton, FL; Salt Lake City, UT and Vancouver, BC. North American revenues represented approximately half of Océ’s worldwide business in 2008, and employment is approximately 10,000. For more information about Océ, visit www.oceusa.com. Outside the U.S., consult http://global.oce.com.

“Océ” and the Océ logo are registered trademarks, and “Océ ProCut” is a trademark of Océ-Technologies B.V. “Océ Arizona” is a registered trademark of Océ Display Graphics Systems. All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks and are the property of their owners and are respectfully acknowledged.

-=Good Selling=-

Monday, June 8, 2009

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

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

HP showcases 30-inch Inkjet Web Press


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HP showcases 30-inch Inkjet Web Press

Monday, May 11, 2009

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.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

InfoPrint & Ricoh Solutions Appoints Daisuke Segawa its new Chief Executive


BOULDER, CO—05/06/09—Daisuke Segawa has been appointed the new CEO & President of InfoPrint Solutions Co., a joint venture between IBM and Ricoh. Segawa was instrumental in the formation of the joint venture and moves into this new role from his former position as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Strategy, Planning & Transformation for InfoPrint. He is also a long-time Ricoh executive and member of the InfoPrint Board of Managers.

Segawa takes over the position from Tony Romero, who was President & CEO, and had been leading InfoPrint since the launch of the company in June 2007. Under Romero’s direction, the company is in a strong position in its core business areas of solutions offerings, (Transpromo, Automated Document Factory) and continuous forms color (InfoPrint 5000) to name but a few.

The company’s long-term plan has always been to pass the reigns over to a Ricoh executive when the time was right, and Romero — along with the Board of Managers of InfoPrint which is made up of IBM and Ricoh representatives -- believe the logical time for this change is now as we move into the final year of our Joint Venture agreement. On a related note, Jeff Paterra, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Technology & Solutions Development of InfoPrint, has been named to the Board of Managers.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Hewlett Packard now shipping Indigo 7000 production


- Hewlett Packard is now shipping the new Indigo 7000 production color system featuring:
- 120ppm full color top speed
- 240ppm top speed for one or two color
- 812x1219dpi (8 bits per pixel imaging)
- Up to 180lpi
- Uses 22 beam laser print head
- Advertised as using ElectroInk (similar to toner suspended in a liquid)
- Touch screen color LCD control panel
- Built-in densitomer to calibrate output as it exits print engine
- Uses fuser oil
- 13”x19” max sheet size
- maximum image size of 12.48”x18.26”
- Up to 130lb. coated cover, or 120lb. uncoated cover, up to 16pt. thickness
- comes standard with 4 paper drawers for total of 6100 sheets
- auto duplex standard
- besides cyan/magenta/yellow/black, can also add orange and violet
- Pantone certified (can match up to 97% of Pantone colors)
- requires 400volt/63amp circuit
- weighs 7,275lbs.
- Print controller offers PostScript print driver only (this is odd, since HP invented the PCL print driver, and competitor, Adobe, invented the PostScript print driver)
- Optional Creo print server
- optional paper deck has three 1800 sheet paper drawers
- optional stacker output system

-=Good Selling=-