The "big iron" was out in force at Print 09, the annual trade show for production printing held September 11-16 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center (below). Hewlett-Packard, Konica Minolta, Xerox, Canon and other digital-imaging vendors in the light-production segment were on hand and hosted booths. Following is a brief rundown on their participation and new announcements and products. 
Canon U.S.A.
Canon U.S.A. introduced a new color server for its imagePRESS C7000VP/C6000VP/C6000 digital presses , the imagePRESS CR Server A7000 developed with partner CREO. CREO Color Servers are developed by Kodak's Print On-Demand Solutions Group, and the new server is Canon's first collaboration with this group.
The new server features color-management tools, workflow connectivity via built-in JDF capabilities, and VDP printing. Customers will be able to integrate their imagePRESS systems with a variety of professional workflows with open connectivity using JDF standards, including Kodak's Prinergy Workflow System. Operators will be able to manage both offset and digital workflows from a central point. The server provides professional imposition tools, automation tools, as well as flexible paper handling and control of the imagePRESS digital presses' document finishing.
An optional Process Power Pack includes Parallel RIP, so that operators can run two jobs simultaneously, and Photo Touch-up Software is provided for the photo-book printing market.
Hewlett-Packard
HP, which recently announced an expansion of its partnership with Canon Inc., took the opportunity to showcase the latest developments in its Graphics Solutions Business, which it says targets the $115 billion global digital-color printing market. Announcements included:
- Partnerships with other technology vendors, including a new alliance with Pitney Bowes, which will be HP's designated T300 Color Inkjet Web Press integrator for the transactional and transpromotional print markets. Pitney Bowes will market HP's Inket Web press as part of its IntelliJet Printing System, bringing the T300 Inkjet Web press to the high-volume transactional output (HVTO) space. .
- Commercial availability of HP's Indigo W7200 Digital Press, a new liquid electrophotographic printing (LEP) solution that HP says is a digital color imaging system that provides offset-quality for applications that require the "true look and feel" of offset printing.
- New white ink, called ElectroInk White, for HP Indigo sheet-fed digital presses. ElectroInk White enables customers to produce high-value applications that typically require clear, colored or metallic foil substrates, such as point-of-purchase materials, overlays and name plates.
T300 Color Inkjet Web Press
Print 09 marked HP's official commercial launch of the its T300 Color Inkjet Web Press, previously known as the Inkjet Web Press. The T300 Color Inkjet Web Press accepts media as wide as 30" (762-mm), and prints at 400-feet-per-minute (122-meters-per-minute), and is designed for high-volume production printing, market estimate to generate 1 trillion pages annually by 2012.
Now available, the T300 Color Inkjet Web Press has been installed in commercial customer establishments beginning in December 2008. HP estimates that several more T300 presses will be installed in commercial customer printing environments by the end of 2009. Currently, Rotolito Lombarda, a European provider of web offset, sheet-fed offset, digital and gravure printing, has signed a customer agreement to install the T300 press in January 2010. The Italy-based company will use the T300 press to produce medium-run-length color applications, including production of children’s books, atlases and educational and scientific publications.
HP also announced that partner EMT International is working on the development and manufacture of wide-web ink-jet press platforms as well as specialty finishing solutions for the T300 press. Another HP partner, MEGTEC Systems, has developed and is supplying customized drying solutions for use with the T300.
HP Print Module
At the Print '09 show, HP and Pitney Bowes demonstrated an envelope-inserting and imprinting line that features HP's Print Module technology. Print Module is a four-color-process imprinting solution that runs at speeds of up to 400-feet=per-minute, and is scheduled for availability in 2010. Print Module is based on HP's Scalable Printing Technology, a next-generation thermal inkjet platform also employed by the HP T300 press.
ColorPRO Media
HP also announced new media for the T300 press and its Designjet printers. ColorPRO media incorporates a set of paper-enhancement technologies that HP says deliver enhanced print quality that includes more vivid colors, crisper text and graphics, and higher-contrast blacks when compared to standard, uncoated offset and untreated bond papers.
Paper manufacturers around the world can gain access to ColorPRO Technology by entering into licensing agreements with HP. Partner Domtar Corporation will be producing ColorPRO media that will be compatible with HP's T300 press.
The first ColorPRO Technology media will include uncoated text and book grades for use with the T300 press, and HP Universal Bond Paper and Bright White Inkjet Paper for use with HP's Designjet large-format printers.
Indigo W7200 Now Commercially Available
HP announced the commercial availability of the its Indigo W7200 Digital Press, a roll-fed LEP dual-engine printer that provides Indigo offset quality, and is designed for on-demand and short-run book printing, high-volume personalized color direct-mail campaigns, and transpromotional statement printing.
The W7200 uses HP's liquid HP ElectroInks, including custom-mixed spot colors (in up to seven color stations), and prints at 240 ppm ppm (letter-size, four-color), and at 960 ppm monochrome (letter-size). Compatible media sizes include postcard and 6" x 9" (153- x 229-mm) book applications, and includes applications for printing folders, folding mailers, folding albums and book jackets. HP says it will continue to expand the Indigo W7200's capabilities to provide higher-volume photo-specialty production.
Graphic Solutions Partner Program
HP announced its Graphics Solutions Partner Program. The program encourages partnerships with third-parties for developing products that integrated with HP's Designjet, Indigo, Inkjet Web Press and Scitex product lines.
New Partnership With R.R. Donnely
HP announced a new partnership that R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company. R.R. Donnelley & Sons will work with HP's Inkjet High-speed Production Solutions group to create new digital-printing solutions for inkjet-based digital presses. The new products will be sold under the HP brand name. Both will initially focus on developing a Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) printing solution. MICR printing enables high-speed and secure reading of checks and other financial documents by financial institutions. This solution would be based on HP’s inkjet printing technology and developed by RR Donnelley for transactional, transpromotional and direct-mail applications. The technology will be be used for R.R, Donnelley’s internal needs, and also marketed by HP.
Upgraded Workflow Solutions
HP demonstrated its SmartStream Workflow Portfolio solution, which includes the newest version of the HP's SmartStream Director end-to-end workflow solution. The company also demonstrated an upgraded versions of its SmartStream Designer and SmartStream Production Plus, Production Pro and Ultra print servers. Also on hand were the newly announced Exstream 7.0 enterprise-document automation software, which HP says provides more than 250 enhancements.
Kodak
Kodak introduced two new production printing systems at Print '09, the Prosper 5000XL for color applications and KODAK PROSPER 1000 Press for monochrome applications.
Prosper 5000XL And Prosper 1000
Based the Prosper 5000XL And Prosper 1000 are based on Kodak’s Stream Inkjet Technology, and are designed for book and direct-mail markets; the Prosper 5000XL Press is also be aimed at catalogs/inserts and magazines.
Kodak says that, for book printers, the Prosper presses provide an alternative to offset presses for producing print jobs of up to 7,000 copies, while for direct-mail printers, the Prosper presses feature customization for improving response rates as well as 30-percent lower total cost of ownership compared to offset printing. For catalog and magazine printers, the Prosper presses offer lower costs than offset presses when producing run lengths of up to 3,000 copies.
Unified Workflow Solutions
Kodak also unveiled the latest version of its Unified Workflow Solutions that's designed help to further simplify and automate complex production and color-management for both digital and offset print providers. Prinergy Workflow System 5.1 integrates Colorflow Software. It simplifies production, while Colorflow software helps ensure a reliable color match from original electronic files through the production process to final output on both digital and offset presses.
Web-to-Print Solutions
Kodak introduce the latest version of its Web-to-Print Solutions family, which provide a more comprehensive suite of software tools designed to help print service providers move more capabilities and services online. Kodak’s Web-to-Print Solutions include Insite Storefront System, Prinergy Digital Workflow System, and Darwin Software.
The newest version of Insite Storefront System includes integrated variable data printing (VDP) capabilities for creating VDP templates that can be customized and ordered online. Other additions include the ability to accept print jobs in more file formats, an integrated print driver that enables print orders to be supplied from virtually any application, integrated pre-flighting capabilities that deliver instant feedback on uploaded orders, and "embeddable" HTML catalogs that print buyers can edit to incorporate their branding messages.
Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions demonstrated its current production line-up at Print 09, including:
bizhub 1200 Series
Just introduced on September 9, the bizhub PRO 1200 Series includes the bizhub PRO 1200, 1200P and 1051, all of which are designed to replace traditional offset systems in central reprographic departments, commercial print shops and print-for-pay enterprises.
Konica Minolta rates both the bizhub PRO 1200 and 1200P at up to 120 ppm, and the bizhub PRO 1051 at up to 105 ppm. The systems are exceptionally modular, with the company saying it's offering more than 40 different system configurations. Maximum monthly volume for all the systems is up to 3 million pages.
Konica Minolta says it's also enhanced the systems with new screening technologies. Document-finishing options include saddle-stitch booklet-making up to 200 pages; perfect binding for booklets up to 600 pages; multi-position and variable-length stapling of up to 100 sheets; six types of folding (including gatefold and z-fold); document hole-punching; and post-process document insertion. One configuration includes up to eight paper drawers for a maximum paper capacity of 14,000 sheets.
The systems use LED (light-emitting diode) technology, and Konica Minolta’s Simitri polymerized toner, which produces higher resolution and sharper image quality than conventional toner (resolution is at 1,200 dpi). Simitri toner also requires less energy to be fused to media, which results in lower energy consumption (Konica Minolta says lower energy consumption results in 40-percent less CO2, NOx and SOx emissions during production).
The bizhub PRO 1200 and 1200P specifications are as follows (note that the 1200 is a printing-only system, so scan and copy specifications do not apply:
Embedded controller with 2.0 GHz Pentium M CPU, and 2 GB of memory, 160 GB hard drive, 10/100/1,000-Base-T Ethernet network interface, support for IPV6 protocol, and PCL 5E/XL (PCL 6), Adobe Post Script 3 printers, and TIFF and Adobe PDF printing.
Minimum paper size is 182 x 139 MM (7.165" x 5.472") and maximum paper size is 324 X 463 MM (12.795" x 18.228"). Maximum paper capacity is 14,000 sheets.
- Scan speed is at up to to 105 originals per minute (opm), at up to 1,200 dpi, and scanning includes scan to hard drive, FTP, SMB, and e-mail in PDF, TIFF, Secured PDF, and XPS file formats. TWAIN scan is also included.
- Copy speed is up to 120 ppm at 600 dpi. An optional 100-sheet automatic document feeder is available for the bizhub PRO 1200.
The bizhub PRO 1051 is similar to the bizhub PRO 1200, incorporating print, copy and scan, but is rated at 105 ppm.
Konica Minolta also says that it's taken pains to design the systems with their environmental impact in mind. First, it says it's committed to achieving full compliance with WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) regulations for the bizhub PRO 1200 systems. As such, it guarantees proper recycling and disposal of all components and parts, and, in accordance with Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) standards, the company says no harmful materials are used for the manufacture of any electrical or electronic components. The systems are also Energy Star compliant for lower energy consumption.
The bizhub PRO 1200 Series is available via Konica Minolta's North American direct sales and authorized-dealer sales channels. List price for the bizhub PRO 1200 is $74,900, while list pricing for the bizhub PRO 1200P and bizhub PRO 1051 are $65,900 and $62,590 respectively.
New Fiery Servers for bizhub PRO C6501/C5501
At Print '09, Konica Minolta also introduced a Fiery print server from Electronics for Imaging (EFI) for its bizhub PRO C6501 and C5501 color production printers. The Fiery IC-305 v3.0 server is based on Fiery System 9 software that EF says is up to 70 percent faster than the previous generation. It incorporates make-ready tools for production-printing jobs, as well as variable data printing (VDP) capability (with PPML compatibility), as well as Fiery ColorWise color management. An optional Fiery Graphic Arts Packages provides more advanced color management, proofing, and workflow control, while the optional Fiery Color Profiler Suite adds more precise color profiles with a single profiling solution.
Other enhancements include enhanced job submission automation tools and advanced job-management features. The new Fiery Command WorkStation-5 print job management software centralizes print workflow, is compatible with all Fiery-equipped systems on the network, while job-queue management capabilities help eliminate bottlenecks and minimize downtime. A new booklet maker wizard utility enables operators to create booklets easier and faster.
bizhub Pro C65hc Gets Pantone Certification
Also at Konica Minolta's booth was bizhub PRO C65hc, which, says Konica Minolta, has just been certified for Pantone color-matching. Pantone color-matching is widely used in the graphic-arts world; Pantone-certified printers must be able to produce specified Pantone colors correctly. This helps ensure color consistency, for instance, so that a printer can produce a company logo color that exactly matches the original logo color. Konica Minolta also says that the bizhub Pro C65hc has one of the largest Pantone color gamuts among four-color, dry-toner printing systems evaluated and licensed by Pantone.
The company also demonstrated the bizhub PRO C6501, bizhub PRO 2500P, and its Printgroove workflow solution.
Océ
Océ launched two new production systems at Print '09, the JetStream 3300 and VarioPrint Ultra 6320
JetStream 3300
The JetStream 3300 system is an inkjet, 30" web press rated at up to 492 feet per minute (150 meters per minute). The JetStream 3300 joins the JetStream 2800 (rated at 427 feet per minute). Both systems are available as black-only printing systems that can be upgraded in the field to full CMYK color printing, and may be equipped with a fifth print head for a future additional spot color.
The JetStream 3300 is based on Océ's DigiDot ink-jet technology and Océ's SRA MP controller architecture; the SRA MFP controller includes variable data printing in AFP/IPDS workflows, with built-in data integrity, error recovery and color management. It also includes an Adobe PDF engine for efficient "white paper" printing to produce monochrome variable data concurrently with a full color form.
Océ is also promoting the JetStream 3300 for printing newspaper and books, noting that it can print a a typical 5"x7", 150-page book pack in less than 0.75 seconds. The system's SRA MP controller "RIPs" (raster image processes) a complete book; the RIPped books can then be printed in copy mode at full engine speed. Customers can also print 12- and 16-page book signatures and two-up tabloid newspapers in their original formats.
Océ will begin shipping the JetStream 3300 in the second quarter of 2010.
VarioPrint Ultra 6320
Océ launched its fastest cut-sheet monochrome press to date, and the flagship of its yet VarioPrint family, the VarioPrint Ultra 6320.
Océ says this one-pass system can produce 314 A4 images, or 155 duplex A3 pages, per minute, and points out that it's 25-percent faster than its 6250, and and also faster than the Kodak Digimaster EX300 and Xerox Nuvera 288. As with other VarioPrint systems, the Ultra 6320 is designed for print-on-demand.
Xerox
Xerox was a prominent force at the show, with a booth measuring over 28,000 square feet that showcased the company's solutions for automated packaging, dual-engine presses, and continuous-feed and wide-format solutions. New CEO Ursula Burns was on hand, and the company presented its Real Business Live! event that took an entertaining look at graphic-communications myths and discussed the challenges facing the industry today and starred hosts of the Discovery channel's popular Mythbusters program.
iGen4 220 Perfecting Press
Xerox showcased its new cut-sheet digital color press, the iGen4 220 Perfecting Press, at Print 09. This new production system incorporates two Xerox iGen4 110 presses running in tandem, with print speeds of up to 220 impressions per minute and the ability to handle monthly print volume of up to seven million impressions.
The company says the new system actually has a smaller footprint and is more compact than two iGen4 110 presses sitting side-by-side. With it, one finishing device can be used to support two print engines. The new system can handle media up to 14.33" x 22.5", and 12 different stocks, all of which can be collated in a single job.
Continuous-Feed-4-Over-1
Xerox also introduced a new color continuous-feed printer, the Xerox Continuous Feed 4-over-1 Solution, which it says will provide an affordable transition into color printing for producing traditional B/W output, such as billing and statements. The company says it It will initiate a limited product launch in early 2010 for the system, but pricing isn't yet available.
According to Xerox, this new system combines the power of its 490 Color Continuous Feed Printer with Xerox's 650, a B/W continuous-feed printer. , and is designed for transpromotional applications - documents that provide transactional and promotional information based on the recipients' previous purchase habits. For instance, customers will be able to produce full-color marketing messages on one side of a page, and lower-cost terms and conditions details in B/W in the other side.
The ability to print full-color marketing on one side of billing and statements could provide a valuable entry point for enterprises seeking to expand their contact with customers. Xerox points out that, according to market-research firm InfoTrends, 95 percent of consumers open and read the bills and statements they receive in the mail. These same consumers spend an average of two to three minutes reviewing each statement, and 20 percent of them spend five minutes or more doing so. Incorporating color marketing material into billing and statements can serve as another way for companies to reach customers.
The new system takes advantage of Xerox's proprietary flash-fusing technology: it uses a micro-burst of light to heat only the toner and not the paper, resulting in better print image quality and greater substrate flexibility. Flash fusing also eliminates the need for fuser oil lubricant, thereby lowering the cost of consumables and reducing environmental waste.
Xerox says a leading financial-services company will install and test the Continuous Feed 4-over-1 Solution later this year.
Automated Packaging Solution
Xerox also demonstrated its Automated Packaging Solution powered by Stora Enso Gallop, which allows print providers to customize packaging in a new ways. For instance, in conjunction with Xerox's iGen4 Press, it provides completely automated production of folding cartons, in-line, with minimal operator intervention.
This new solution can be put to use in intriguing ways, for instance, enabling printers to produce novelty gum wrappers, promotional golf-ball boxes that could display a company's logo and contact information.
DocuColor 7002/8002
Also on hand were Xerox's new DocuColor 7002/8002 Digital Presses that it had introduced in early August. These two color digital productions presses are designed for high-volume color printing applications such as producing promotional materials, marketing collateral, direct marketing and photo-publishing applications. U.S. list pricing for the systems, which Xerox rates at 70 and 80 ppm respectively, starts at $245,000; Xerox begins order taking in August.
Xerox's DocuColor 7002/8002 shown equipped with document-finishing options.
The new systems feature a number of enhancements, including new low-glass toner for a smoother matte finish; automated color workflow; and an in-line spectrophotometer. The in-line spectrophotometer measures test patches on print output; this data is then sent to Xerox's Automated Color Quality Suite (ACQS). The system then performs system calibration and spot-color matching in order to keep color image quality consistent. The in-line spectrophotometer and ACQS are now standard with every press, and Xerox says they're compatible with optional print controllers, including controllers from Electronics for Imaging (EFI), Creo and Xerox's FreeFlow Print Server.
Xerox's recommended monthly volumes for the DocuColor 7002 is 75,000 - 300,000 pages per month, and is 100,000 - 400,000 pages per month for the DocuColor 8002. Optional controllers include Xerox's FreeFlow Print Server, CX Print Server from Creo, and an EX Fiery server from EFI. Color scanning is optional with the FreeFlow Scanner 665.
Other Updates
- Xerox also showed a new update to its Nuvera line - the Nuvera 200 and 288 MX Perfecting Production Systems that now incorporate MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) printing. MICR is typically required to print documents that require maximum security, including checks, rebate coupons and financial forms.
- Xerox's new FreeFlow Process Manager 8.0 is designed to help print providers streamline the time between job submission and print by automating the labor intensive and repetitive prepress process.
Results Of Xerox Survey
Xerox also released the results of its second annual survey of its North American Graphic Arts Premier Partners. Overall, the results indicated that customers are increasingly turning to variable printing, using personalization to increase response rates for direct mail, sales collateral and other promotional pieces.
In addition to variable printing, Web-to-print tops the list as the most requested offering from customers. The survey also showed that today's current economic climate and declining marketing budgets were the top challenges facing print providers today. As was the case last year, customers say that direct mail, photo specialty products and transpromotional pieces were the leading revenue sources.