Inkjet throws a lifeline to newspapers: PANPA Forum

Newspapers never fear, inkjet is here and ready to help Australian publications.

Robert Koeckeis, (pictured) director of Océ’s Business Development, Inkjet Technology, and the company’s exponent of the Océ JetStream digital continuous feed colour printer, will speak at the PANPA future forum in Sydney in September, discussing how inkjet technology represents a lifeline to newspapers besieged by the internet.

The forum, headed “Newspapers: The Future Forum – Leadership and Transformation” is a one-day event to be held at Sydney’s Masonic Centre on September 10.

Koeckeis will speak about use of the Océ JetStream colour press by one of Europe’s largest newspaper printers, Imcodavila in Spain, which is printing more than 20 Spanish and foreign mastheads within Spain, six of them daily newspapers.

“The press is currently being used to print foreign newspapers to accommodate expatriates and foreign tourists to Spain, and which previously were available only late in the day after being shipped in,” said Koeckeis.

The Océ JetStream 2200 uses drop-on-demand piezoelectric inkjet technology and is currently capable of printing up to 150 metres a minute (mpm) at 600 x 600 dpi resolution using dye-based inks whose droplet size can be varied. Page format is 543 x 405 mm.

According to Koeckeis, the output will gradually be expanded to 5,000 copies per night which will cover the company’s investment in the digital press. This will accommodate non-European titles which currently take much longer to appear on newsagent shelves, affording a greater window of production. Imcodavila already prints one Latin American title and is actively recruiting more titles.

Koeckeis will also address the issue of “versionised newspaper”, particularly one experiment in Europe in which 30 major international newspapers are combining to offer readers various pages of their publications, combined into one composite newspaper.

“This enables readers to select the best of a range of newspapers in different languages, eliminating sections which are of no interest to them and adding more news about their favourite subjects.

“So, for instance, they may opt for more sport and less fashion news. Or more financial news and no motoring sections. It’s a fascinating concept that I’m sure will be of great interest to PANPA delegates,” Koeckeis said.