At Hunkeler Innovationdays in Lucerne, Switzerland, today, Kodak introduced the new Kodak Prosper 5000XLi press with Intelligent Print System. The device combines the field-proven performance of the Prosper press platform with new press management technology that constantly monitors and adjusts settings to ensure the highest quality output.
Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) demonstrated the new RotaJET 76 inkjet web press at the Hunkeler Innovationdays show in Lucerne, Switzerland. For its entry into the digital print market, KBA will at first be focussing on the target segments books, direct mailing, manuals, advertising, newsletters and newspapers.
What is striking about the round of installations this year over last, we are hearing about far fewer installation problems and challenges with substrates. We are hearing more about the costs and need to expand post-processing capabilities rather than installation or performance of the presses themselves. Business cases are still strong but, unlike the earliest adopters, those needs were not as acute, so they had the luxury of hanging back and biding their time until that time was right.
Printers face a number of tradeoffs in selecting presses, ink and paper for production inkjet. This article will explore the challenges and solutions relating to paper in key applications, including transactional and transpromo, book, direct mail and general commercial printing.
Characterizing drupa 2012 as another inkjet show is too limiting to capture the broader digital printing focus of the developments announced. Nanographic Printing, liquid-toner presses and hybrid offset-inkjet configurations where every bit as prominent, and the B2 format dominated the product introductions.
Tribune Direct is the direct mail printing offshoot of the Chicago Tribune Media Group, perhaps best known for its venerable Chicago Tribune newspaper. Its value proposition is a three-pronged attack: direct mail strategy, program management and creative development.
Cathedral is a $25 million provider of direct mail and transactional/promotional (transpromo) printing that is demonstrating the ability to lead by example and adopting the latest in digital printing technology, including a Xerox CiPress 500 waterless inkjet production press.
Now that some of the early adopters of inkjet production presses have had a chance to shake out the jitters, where do things stand? What drove these companies to jump in early and what has their experience been?
Darwill has made a name for itself in direct mail by continually changing, adapting and adding services to meet the evolving needs of its customers. “The Océ ColorStream 3500 system makes our large-scale production much more manageable now, and the system offers a scalable solution as our business grows.”
Webcom announced its second major capital investment in the past 18 months, bringing its total to an impressive $20 million. The latest investment will involve installation of an HP T350 Color Inkjet Web Press to complement a T300 model installed just over a year ago.
