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Updates From Graph Expo: Will Print Buyers Sacrifice Quality for Lower Costs?

Posted on September 12, 2007 at 9:35am, written by Charlie Corr, VP Corporate Strategy

Graph Expo is one of the large printing industry trade shows. The event is held annually in Chicago, with every fourth year being a Print Expo that is designed to be a more global event. This year the event ran from September 8 to the 12th. Production digital color roll-fed devices were prominent.

There are two primary technologies used in digital printing. One uses toner made of plastic (electrophotography) and the other special inks (inkjet).  Most digital printing uses toner but inkjet is gaining share. The advantages of toner are higher quality and a wider range of technology choices, inkjet is faster and lower cost but produces lower quality color.

InfoPrint Solutions (the new joint venture company formed by IBM & Ricoh) showed the InfoPrint 5000 from Screen. This is an inkjet device that prints 916 full-color letter-size impressions/minute in 2-up tandem duplex mode.

Kodak again showed the Versamark inkjet product that is roll-fed and highly configurable. It can print in a number of colors and can print a roll that is 1-up or 2-up. The top of the line Versamark VX5000e prints at 1,431 ipm 8 ½ x 11” 2-up duplex images a minute.

Océ announced the ColorStream 10000. This is a roll-fed, electrophotographic device with color speeds of 172 ipm 8 ½ x 11” 2-up, printed two sides. Other electrophotographic roll-fed solutions include the Xeikon product line (the 6000 prints at 160 2-up, duplex, letter size images a minute) and the HP Indigo press w3250 that prints 133 pages per minute (2-up, duplex). Fuji Xerox and Xerox in Europe have shown the Fuji Xerox 495 Continuous Feed Duplex Printer that outputs at up to 460 pages a minute (2-up, duplex) another electrophotographic device.

Current inkjet technology offers faster speeds and lower running costs but less flexibility in terms of substrate support and lower quality. The interesting question for those who buy print is will you accept “good” quality (inkjet) at a lower cost rather than “best” quality (electrophotography) that will cost more?

Tags: fuji xerox, graph expo, ibm, inkjet, kodak, oce, print expo, ricoh, versamark