Status of Inkjet Printing Technologies for Digital Production Printing

By Noel Ward

Machines/Output to See at Graph Expo

Don’t expect to see more than one or two of these machines at Graph Expo in October. But, be sure to peruse and take home any print samples that you can find. Here’s what to look for:

Fujifilm: The JetPress 720 is a half-size (28˝) sheetfed press that has a lot of promise for commercial shops. It was mobbed at IPEX earlier this year, and might well be shown at Graph Expo. And, if there’s no press, go see how the prints look. This is an important machine with no other digital competition.

HP: Look for samples from the T200 and T300. The T200 could find homes in lot of shops if priced right. Be sure to see the side-by-side comparison of documents that were printed offset and on these boxes.

InfoPrint/Ricoh: This is less about the box and more about the workflow, especially for transactional shops. But, the print quality continues to improve and InfoPrint has placed more than 80 of these around the globe. Take a good look. Ask about power consumption, as this machine may have an advantage in this area.

Kodak: You won’t see a Prosper 5000 press at the show, but grab any output you can. This box is the top of the heap in terms of print quality because it can print on coated/glossy stocks. But, it needs a big monthly volume to satisfy its appetite.

Océ: The widest range of inkjet machines are in Océ’s JetStream line and the print quality is more than adequate for all the jobs these machines will run. Look at the books, direct mail and other samples, and ask about workflow. These boxes also do MICR and can add spot colors.

Olympus: Shown last year and now working on distribution arrangements, Olympus runs roll-to-cutsheet with mid-range speed. With a small footprint and acceptable print quality for many transactional apps, this is worth a look.

RISO: Small is good. Good enough, in fact, to be used as backup for some big inkjet machines, as some RISO customers are doing. These are fast, durable and, above all, amazingly affordable.

Screen: The same box as InfoPrint/Ricoh, and could be the one you need if your apps lean more toward commercial printing than transactional jobs.

Xerox: The solid ink device won’t be there, but look for technical info and some print samples as Xerox readies this machine for rollout in 2011.

If you believe the hopeful hype of equipment vendors and the prognostications of pundits, you might be inclined to think that high-speed inkjet presses are poised to irrevocably transform the printing industry and hasten most offset and digital presses to their next life as boat anchors. Hopefully, though, you've done a reality check and recognize that high-speed inkjet is simply the latest in a long stream of technological innovation in print.

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Ready for Prime Time?: A Primer on Inkjet Presses