Print 21 Hot Picks sizzle at PacPrint
With so much on display, Print 21 picks the latest, hottest, newest technology on show at this year’s PacPrint.
According to Patrick Howard, publisher of Print 21 magazine, the technology awarded is a showcase of the best-of-the-best in the region. "The Print 21 Hot Pick technology awards recognise the most innovative and creative responses to industry challenges," he said. "The awarded technologies represent the cutting-edge of the graphic arts; this is something everyone should pay attention to."
Fuji Xerox: iGen4
Visitors have flocked to the Fuji Xerox stand (F10) to witness the first public viewing of the iGen4, which the company claims to be the most productive and highest-quality cut-sheet digital press in the printing industry.
The Xerox iGen4 increases productivity by automating operator tasks, reducing the need to interrupt the press for adjustments and decreasing overall operating costs. As a result, the Xerox iGen4 improves the break-even point between digital and traditional offset printing - making it faster and more economical to print jobs on digital.
Patrick Howard presents Simon Lane with a Print 21 Hot Pick.
The Xerox iGen4 also features colour management capabilities by utilising the ORIS Colour Managed Workflow Solution (CMWS). This matches and verifies colour across multiple print output devices and enables the production of print to international standards such as the new Australian Colour Print Standard and FOGRA.
According to Simon Lane, national production manager, Fuji Xerox: “Xerox iGen4 is ideal for service providers that demand high image quality and want to increase print revenues by automating manual tasks and increasing overall productivity.”
Kodak: Versamark VL2000
The Kodak Versamark VL2000 printing system stole the show at drupa last year. Employing drop-on-demand print technology with image resolution of 600 x 600 dpi, it eliminates the process of printing full-colour shells for transactional statement and bills, and, greatly reduces costs and production.
Snap! The Kodak team pictured left to right: Patrick Howard; Steve Venn; Steve Green and Kevin Joyce.
All Kodak Versamark V-Series Printing Systems are built on a modular platform; this modular design gives V-Series Printing Systems uncommon flexibility and offers customers a clear and uncomplicated upgrade path. Based on a flexible, rock-solid printing platform, V-Series Printing Systems offer a selection of model configurations to handle virtually any variable data printing application -- and a distinct upgrade path to match business growth. This ability to expand functionality with the unique modular design Kodak systems ensures that such an investment in technology will be protected for years to come.
Currie Group/HP: HP Indigo ws6000
Making its regional debut, the revolutionary new web-to-print machine, integrated with a Digicon label converting system is the latest advance in digital label printing and has already managed to impress the crowd.
Instant and on demand, the happy HP Indigo crew line up with Patrick Howard (left) to receive their Print21 HotPick (from left) Phillip Rennell, GM, digital division; Michael Mogridge, HP Indigo Sales Director APJ; Rob West, channel development and Shane Lucas, Director Graphics Solutions, South Pacific.
Enabling label and packaging printers to transfer jobs up to 13,000 linear feet from conventional printing to digital—at lower cost—while achieving superior quality, productivity and profitability, the HP Indigo ws6000 press operates at 98 feet per minute for 4-color jobs, and produces up to 295,000 sq/ft or 980,000 linear feet per month. The press supports repeat lengths of 12.48 x 38.58"—efficiently using each frame of the substrate and reducing media waste.
Currie Group/Horizon International: Stitchliner 6000
As the latest saddle stitching system from Horizon, the Stitchliner 6000 has proven a popular piece of equipment across Australia.
Yaushi Matsuhara, export director Horizon gets the Print21 HotPick from Patrick Howard ably supported by (left) Bernie Robinson, director and David Currie, managing director Currie Group.
Designed to take account of the difficulties printers have in attracting skilled labour, the Stitchliner 6000 comes complete with a touchscreen operator control providing an intuitive graphic interface. Make ready is minimal through high levels of automation.
The Stitchliner 6000 is capable of stitching through 5mm, resulting in a book size up to a maximum 10mm. Sheet size is 356x508mm maximum, with an operating speed of 6000 sheets an hour.
Heidelberg: Speedmaster XL 75
First unveiled at drupa last year, the Speedmaster XL 75 is a unique press concept that sets new performance standards in the 50 x 70 centimetre (19.69 x 27.56 inch) format class with a capacity of up to 18,000 sheets an hour.
Staying up to speed earned Heidelberg a Print 21 Hot Pick. Pictured: Bernd Blumberg, vice president product management, Heidelberg (left) with Andy Vels Jensen (right), managing director, HAN.
The Speedmaster XL 75 boasts a larger sheet format and innovations, such as the new Prinect Press Center with Intellistart and the new delivery control panel with touch screen and jog wheel. Exceptional flexibility is ensured thanks to a broad choice of substrates that can be used in thicknesses from 0.03-0.8 millimeter, and the wide range of straight printing and perfecting press models with up to 12 printing units plus coating unit. As a customised press with finishing options, such as UV coatings, double coating units, cold foil application with FoilStar, and Duo presses with flexographic printing units before the offset units, the Speedmaster XL 75 also supports versatile configuration for generating added value for customers.
Canon: imagePRESS 1135
The new Canon imagePRESS 1135 printer has been designed to revolutionise digital black and white printing. It is one of the extraordinary monochrome production presses that are capable of delivering high quality image and text prints without any compromise. Capable of 1200 x 1200 dpi output with 256 tonal gradations the imagePRESS 1135 can print up to 8100 impressions per hour.
Pictured: Nick Webb (left), Neale Gallagher (middle) and Patrick Howard.
Aimed at commercial, print-for-pay and in-plant print businesses, the imagePRESS 1135 is specifically designed for larger commercial printers.
“The needs of the market have very much driven the design of these presses,” said Steve Brown, Production Printing Systems Marketing Manager at Canon. “Whether it’s lower cost of entry, manageable running costs or new revenue streams through differentiation, this technology and the service we’re backing it up with gives print owners freedom to be innovative and profitable.”
Epson: Epson Stylus Pro GS6000
The Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 is Epson's first solvent inkjet printer and is designed to be the most operator-friendly and highest quality solvent-based printer for the sign and display market.The Stylus Pro GS6000 is equipped with a newly developed Dual-Array Micro-Piezo print head with 360 nozzles per colour for extremely fast print speeds producing variable sized ink droplets between 3.7 and 20 picolitres, depending on speed and quality options selected.
Unlike other solvent printers on the market which require daily maintenance, the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 has been designed to further reduce maintenance down time. The Advanced Cleaning System built into the GS6000 maintains optimum performance of both the ink and print head, reducing the need for daily maintenance when the printer is in constant use.
Pictured: Patrick Howard with Craig Heckenberg.
The Stylus Pro GS6000 and Epson UltraChrome GS ink also accommodates a wide range of leading solvent media for a vast array of commercial printing applications, including indoor and outdoor banners, billboards, construction and barricade signs, retail point-of-sale display’s and photographic tradeshow graphics, where high quality images and precise, accurate colour is essential.
Kayell: GMG Rapid Check
The first stop for quality assurance, the GMG ProofControl, provides printing process control at the click of a mouse by quickly establishing in a matter of seconds whether the proof is within the specified tolerances.
Pictured: Patrick Howard with Robert Gatto, manager, sales and marketing.
GMG RapidCheck is a solution that examines whether all printing parameters comply with standards ISO 12647-2 and 12647-3 or user-defined in-house standards and is one of the standard work tools of any print shop that uses printing methods such as sheet-fed offset, web offset, newspaper printing, and has corresponding four-color printing presses.
A single measuring procedure is all it takes to acquire the relevant data, analyse them and present them in graph form. In the event of deviations from the specified tolerances, the printer can then quickly make the necessary corrections on the press and thus ensure compliance with the selected printing standard.
Man Ferrostaal: EzyLOAD
With weight capacities from one tonne to 2.5 tonnes, and a unique modular construction, EzyLOAD virtually eliminate bending and lifting, and bring about a significant improvement in overall productivity and efficiency.
Pictured: Markus Haefeli, (left), Ian Gillanders (middle) and Patrick Howard.
A built-in fully adjustable height sensor constantly monitors the top layer of any product on the forks, and automatically raises or lowers the forks as needed, to maintain the pre-determined working height. The height sensor works equally well for cartons, paper, wood, sacks and bottles of any size, shape or weight.
CPI: HP Scitex XP2750
This 3.2-metre wide-format UV printer delivers amazing image quality of up to 635 by 800 dpi and production speeds of 110 metres squared an hour, giving printers to versatility and freedom to work with a range of applications; from flexible and rigid substances.
Pictured: Gerard Wintle (left), Patrick Turner (middle) and Patrick Howard.
With the ability to produce vivid colours and a wide colour gamut for vibrant indoor and outdoor applications, the XP2750 also supports a wide range of flexible media, including polyethylene, mesh, vinyl and Tyvek. With the Flatbed Module, users can print onto rigid substances such as foam PVC, acrylic sheets and more.
DES: JUST Normlicht Virtual Proof Station
The new Virtual Proof Station is the first press-side viewing station that offers computer controls to create an exact viewing environment between monitors and press sheets.
Pictured: Russell Cavenagh (left), Ulrich Kolnic (middle) and David Crowther,
Aimed at the commercial printer who wants to implement the newest cost-savings technology, the Virtual Proof Station includes JUST moduLight lighting technology; ISO 3664:2000 standardised viewing conditions for hard copy and soft proof comparison; JUST USB Interface for exact luminance level control and multiple monitor mounting options allowing for up to two 30” monitors in landscape or portrait orientation.
EFI: Fiery Command WorkStation 5
Fiery Command WorkStation 5 (CWS5) unleashes the powerful features of Fiery servers by centralising job management via an intuitive, flexible interface that produces jobs faster, dramatically reduces operator mistakes by up to 30 per cent, decreases waste, and increases the overall profitability for the production printer.
Pictured: Patrick Howard with Ramin Kazemi.
"The latest generation of Fiery Command WorkStation delivers tangible benefits to our production print customers," said John Henze, vice president of marketing, Fiery division, EFI.
CWS5's intuitive interface simplifies complex jobs, regardless of the operators' experience, providing exceptional results at every stage of a job at two to three times the throughput speed of most competitive printing systems to enable the print shop to deliver customer jobs more profitably.
Konica Minolta: bizhub PRO 65hc
With a revolutionary High Chroma toner for unmatched excellence in colour production printing, the bizhub PRO 65hc was first revealed to the industry at drupa, Germany in 2008. Now, it’s turning heads in Australia.
David Procter accepts his Hot Pick from Patrick Howard.
“The bizhub PRO C65hc is a quantum leap in colour production printing,” said David Procter, national production printing group manager at Konica Minolta Australia.
A wide range of exceptionally vivid colours is just one of the features the new printing system offers its users. Graphic arts companies, commercial printers as well as advertising agencies and creatives will particularly appreciate the large sRGB coverage area along with the facilitated sRGB colour workflow. On the whole, the bizhub PRO C65hc puts additional value to their on-demand printing, allowing users to distinguish themselves from their competitors.
Océ: Arizona 350 XT
This latest model in the Océ Arizona family is capable of producing rigid prints as large as 2.50 x 3.05 meters (98.4 x 120 inches).
A white ink option and a roll media option are also available. Since the printer never has to stop printing for a media change, users can significantly increase their net print production on boards this size. A white ink option and a roll media option are also available.
Oce's Servio Noterman's receives a Print 21 Hot Pick.
These features were designed to deliver a true production printer regardless of media. With the Océ Arizona 350 XT printer, digital print providers can offer complete visual communications packages on a wide variety of media, and be assured of high throughput, superior image quality and print consistency.
Ricoh: Pro C900/C900S
The new Pro C900/C900s colour solution is ultra fast at 90ppm. Built for heavy duty and fitted out with a wealth of finishing options, it processes the most complex printing jobs from start to finish.
Pictured: Kathy Wilson with Patrick Howard
The Pro C900/C900s offers Ricoh’s 10.4”colour operation display, renowned for its ease of use. It has a regular screen for versatile printing functions and a simplified screen for less demanding jobs. Thumbnail views on the display and previews of the document server files let users check scans prior to sending them. The limited number of steps and versatile edit function ensure minimum trained user mistakes. Animated procedures appear on the display to guide users should an irregularity occur. Visibility of jobs on the Fiery server is also possible allowing for reprints direct from the machine.
Agfa: Anapurna M2
Making its world debut in Melbourne, the Anapurna M2 has wasted no time in making waves at PacPrint.
Pictured: Patrick Howard with Frederik Dehing.
Described by Richard Barham, VP Inkjet at Agfa Graphics as “the fastest printer in its segment with many automation enhancements” the new release from Agfa includes the first implementation of six new double-sized print heads, each with 1024 nozzles and a unique vacuum strength-control system for smooth substrate transport at high speeds. The shuttle safety sensors protect the print heads and media loading is made easy with media registration bars and automated head height adjustment. In addition, an ionizer bar prevents electrostatic loads on the substrate, which ensures optimum ink droplet positioning for the highest possible print quality.