59 July / August 2023 - Issue 343 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk “This will be achieved through software enhancements and physical changes to presses, and include monitoring the quality of the jobs being printed and the performance of the press to ensure consistent production,” Ulman says. “Automation will also give you unattended operation with tasks such as cleaning and even scheduling print to start before a shift begins. Automation is also about better integration with pre- and postpress equipment as well as with production management tools that can ensure a constant flow of pre-flighted data to the press.” As for the advantages of inkjet printers, Ulman says in addition to the well-known benefits of digital over litho, inkjet also has typically lower running costs. These, she says, come from paying only for the amount of ink used for a job rather than a fixed click charge, making it more competitive on longer-run projects. “In terms of the range of commercial applications inkjet is best suited for, we have seen the technology grow from transactional mail into direct mail and book printing,” Ulman says. While Ulman says inkjet is not yet prevalent in commercial printing, she does say that with products such as Ricoh’s Pro VC70000, Ricoh is beginning to see commercial printers taking advantage of the substrate flexibility and ‘offset’ print quality that can now be achieved to produce a wide range of brochures and catalogues as well as simple flyers and folders. Breaking down some of the core facts and figures of this machine, the printer can produce output at speeds of up to 150m/ issues that printers have to cope with. Up until now, those printers who wanted to exploit the potential of digital printing have had to invest in toner devices. “These however are slow, and application limited. As requirements for new applications, longer runs, faster throughput, and consistent print quality continue to increase, inkjet is already proven to be a capable technology in wide-format printing and more recently in label printing. It is now poised to accelerate the digital transformation for commercial print too.” As to what PSPs should be looking for in an inkjet digital press, Kitagawa says while this will depend on the kind of product you would like to apply, total cost of ownership can be the most important feature which is a combination of the running costs of consumables, productivity, operational hours, and other factors. “Another important factor to consider for commercial printers wishing to explore inkjet digital printing is the choice of vendor,” Kitagawa says, continuing: “When moving to a new printing technology, carefully choosing the right partner with a proven track record and a clear R&D roadmap is essential to provide peace of mind and minimise adoption risk. “I would always recommend seeking references, where possible, of customers who have owned and run the devices for many years. The product design, manufacturing quality, and also the support culture are key factors in maintaining a very productive and high-quality inkjet system for many years.” Automation Developments Casting the net further still and Ricoh also has its finger firmly on the pulse of development and advancement in the inkjet print market. Beata Ulman, marketing development manager at Ricoh Graphic Communications, says the most important trend in high-speed inkjet is automation, with the goal of being able to net more production in a shift. Following successful beta trials in Europe, the US, and Japan, the Fujifilm Jet Press FP790 will be commercially available in late 2023 Factoid ▼ Screen Europe has committed substantial time and resources to inkjet development. Pictured: the Screen Truepress Jet 520HD+ ► The new Fujifilm Jet Press 750S High Speed was developed more than ten years after the first iteration of Fujifilm’s flagship B2 inkjet press minute at repeatable print lengths as long as 1.37m. It can produce up to 40 million impressions every month and features Ricoh TotalFlow Print Server R600A digital front-end for job and data processing, with support for multiple data streams, access to colour management and additional job tools. “Built to accelerate the transfer of offset print volumes to digital, the Ricoh Pro VC70000 gives commercial printers the ability to produce demanding high-quality applications, such as catalogues and magazines, traditionally only suitable for offset presses,” Ricoh says. “In addition, it combines this high level of print quality with the demands of highspeed production applications such as direct mail and critical communications, making it the most versatile high-speed, high-quality digital printer in the market. “With the addition of our new extended gamut inks which require no precoating and our new advanced drying system, the Ricoh Pro VC70000 maximises production capacity giving users the ability to print faster on a wider variety of media, including both offset coated and uncoated papers.” If there is one thing that is abundantly clear from speaking with numerous manufacturers in this market, it is the level of innovation in inkjet. Development and new advances with this printing technology shows no signs of slowing down as manufacturers continue to respond to the evolving needs of the market. Consider taking a look at the latest options available to you to see if new investment could drive your business towards growth. FOCUS ON / DIGITAL INKJET PRESSES
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