Production Inkjet Takes on the World
Small-format, continuous feed inkjet production tackles long runs with ease and versatility.
Inkjet brings a world of terrific benefits to small-format applications, such as book printing, business forms, and transpromo work. Print service providers are able to offer their customers color, faster speeds, and attractive prices. And these represent just a few of the advantages offered to those working with high-speed inkjet.
Among the leading manufacturers supplying the segment is Rolling Meadows, IL-based Screen (USA), the wholly-owned subsidiary of Dainippon Screen Group of Japan. The company is best known as a manufacturer of computer plate systems, with more than 17,500 systems installed worldwide.
Screen entered the high-speed inkjet market with its US introduction of the Truepress Jet 520 in 2005. The Screen Truepress family of presses is leading world sales in 20-inch-wide format, with more than 400 presses installed worldwide, says product manager for high-speed inkjet Tom Leibrandt.
The Truepress Jet 520 is reliable, with most of Screen’s customers enjoying more than 90 percent uptime. It’s able to print at full resolution at 722 fpm, or 195,000 pph, and with full variable data, Leibrandt says. It is available with either dye or pigment ink. The other benefit is in workflow. “The Screen EQUIOS Universal Workflow—the workflow that drives the entire series—runs off the latest Adobe print engine, and is also able to do smart variable data processing functions,” Leibrandt says.
Screen Truepress Jet 520 is designed to work well in the transactional markets, such as billing and direct mail, textbook and newspaper applications, and handles both variable and on-demand printing.
Targeted, in Color, and at Faster Speeds
L&D Mail Masters in New Albany, IN, which handles a lot of variable data printing, chose Screen’s solution because it lets the shop provide color at an economical cost, says president Diane Fischer.
That capability has been put to work on the printing of statements from banks and financial institutions, prospectuses, healthcare benefit statements, and county tax statements. “It’s bringing a more targeted piece that talks to [recipients of the pieces] individually, with inclusion of color, at a high speed,” Fischer says. “The faster you can print them, the earlier they can get to market.”
Sebis Direct, a Bedford Park, IL, document management and document production service, also chose the Screen Truepress Jet 520. Sebis uses the press to produce healthcare billing, insurance statements and policies, 401k and other defined benefit statements, and utility bills.
“The Screen printer is outstanding for transactional due to the security capabilities it has,” says president Wes Sanders. “Among its features is the ability to generate a barcode on the front side, and when it prints the backside, it scans the bar code to ensure the backside matches the front side.”
Its impact is seen in the vast reduction in pre-printed forms that have to be maintained, he adds. “We are converting most of our applications from pre-printed form and laser imprinting to full imaging on white paper. Now we can basically image the black elements as well as color elements, all in one pass, on blank white paper; eliminating the need for pre-printed forms.”
Another company that meets the market needs for small-format inkjet applications is Ricoh Production Print Solutions. San Jose, CA-based BR Printers, a print-on-demand book and technical manual printer, has been using Ricoh’s InfoPrint 5000 for more than a year.
“At the time of our purchase, and I think it’s still true today, with our volume and quality needs, that platform best fits our requirements,” says Hugh Loveless, vice president of sales and marketing. “It’s allowed us to print short-run, full-color documentation at a price that’s competitive with monochrome, and offer that to our customers as an alternative to just monochrome printing.”
