The Xerox Versant 180 and 3100: In a League of Their Own

In a survey of 417 print service providers and in-plant printers, InfoTrends found that print run lengths are in significant decline, while the number of short-run jobs being performed per day are on the rise (InfoTrends’ Emerging Strategies Survey, Q1 2011). Shorter runs mean more individual jobs, and more jobs mean more touch points and a greater likelihood of human error. From swapping out paper and pre-flighting files, to inspecting color and carrying stacks of output to the nearest finisher, one job can have any number of human touch points. And with each, print shops take on more risk that a job will need to be reworked due to a handling error.

With Xerox’s (Booth 1302) new Versant 180 and 3100 presses, print shops can mitigate that risk by automating an assortment of complex, everyday tasks like color management, registration and alignment, clearing paper jams, trimming and binding, and setting up paper. The devices’ industry-leading automation features place them in a league of their own.

An in-depth look at the devices

The Xerox Versant 180 prints at speeds up to 80 pages/minute, and handles average volumes of 80,000 prints a month. It is a consistent performer in the mid-production range, ideally suited for print shops and enterprise environments that need a simple and affordable solution to delivering more quality in less time. An optional Performance Package delivers top print speeds regardless of stock, and enhanced automation features.

Meanwhile, the Xerox Versant 3100 is a production workhorse, featuring advanced levels of automation and productivity. It prints at speeds up to 100 pages/minute, and handles average volumes of 250,000 per month. It’s an ideal choice for busy print shops that need to turn jobs faster, boost productivity, and improve margins through automation.

Top-of-the line features

Some features on the Versant 180 and 3100 devices are fully automated, like process controls for color consistency within a run, and automated image to media alignment for precise registration, while others require just a few simple mouse-clicks to initiate a press function. Regardless, they all span the production workflow from job submission to finishing—saving operator time, maximizing up-time, and keeping the press churning out profitable pages. A few of the best-in-class features available on the Xerox Versant family of devices include:

• Automated Color Management: Advanced software, known as Automated Color Quality Suite (ACQS), transfers complex color maintenance decisions from operators to an automated system, eliminating time and effort.
• Ultra HD Image Quality: The Versant family achieves unprecedented results by combining 2,400x2,400 dpi imaging resolution with up to 1,200x1,200 x 10-bit rendering resolution. That equates to four times more addressable shades than competitive presses, delivering greater image quality for vector graphics, finer lines and text, and smoother gradients without visible stepping.
• Full-Bleed Inline Finishing: Give collaterals, photo books, and directories the appearance of a perfectbound booklet, but with the added security of a stitched spine. The Xerox Two-sided Trimmer and Xerox SquareFold Trimmer make it happen.
• Automated Sheet Clearing: Let’s be honest, paper jams happen. It’s almost as certain as death and taxes. When a paper jam occurs on a Versant 3100, all sheets before and after the jam are automatically ejected to the top trays. This eliminates the frustration of having to open all doors and levers along the paper path to clear individual sheets. On a Versant 180, our short straight paper path and job integrity features get you printing faster if you run into an issue.

Stop by the Xerox booth to see the Xerox Versant 3100 in action.