New Screen inkjet to hit Australia by mid 2006

While Screen is known for its prepress technology, the Truepress Jet520 marks the company's first foray into the inkjet market, with the press developed specifically to support the growing demand for high-speed variable data printing.

Gary Seidl, general manager of Screen in Australia, confirms his company is securing its first order for a local install of the new machine.

“We have scheduled the install to take place between May and June, and hopefully by the conclusion of Ipex we will be able to reveal the identity of the company,” says Seidl. “The press will be commercially available to the rest of Australia from October this year.”

Prior to its international release in October, the new machine will be shown to the public during Ipex in April. The Truepress Jet520 is a continuous feed and single-pass inkjet machine, combining Screen's existing technology with Epson's latest inkjet print heads and water-based pigment inks.

The machine's roll-fed paper feeder is emphasised by Screen as the key to its high-speed and high-volume print runs. The Truepress is targeted to provide productivity that is suitable for high volume transactional and direct mail printing, but at a level of quality that exceeds what is currently available in machines of this speed. It can print at a rate of 420 colour pages or 64 metres a minute, with a print width of 507mm.

Screen claims the machine is ideal for a wide range of products, including personalised catalogues, direct mail, full-colour account statements, technical manuals, specialist newspapers and other data driven materials.

The Truepress consists of a printing unit and a rewinder/unwinder unit, and is available in both simplex and duplex models with a variety of inline finishing options. Its controller utilises Adobe's latest PS/PDF RIP core to assist with high-speed processing.