What are the typical gripes about digital print from
commercial printers? It’s only up to SRA3, inkjet machines can’t run coated
papers and the quality isn’t there.
Well blow me away Fuji Xerox has pre-announced a B2 sheetfed
inkjet machine, which will be unveiled on Thursday at Drupa. It runs coated
stock at 1,200 dpi. The firm’s press release isn’t clear on the speed – it
might be 180 sheets per minute or 180 A4 pages per minute. So it’s either a
decent for digital 2,700 B2 sheets per hour or a giving Heidelberg et al a
headache speed of 10,800 B2 sheets per hour.
HP has already broken cover with its Inkjet Web Press, which
can churn out 14,640 B2 sheets or 7,126 B1 sheets per hour and is a serious
challenge to sheetfed offset.
There are heavy hints and subtle signs from other suppliers
that they too will release similar machines at the show, which promise to
transform the market with previously unheard of levels of speed, quality,
cost-effectiveness and format flexibility.
If I was going to the show to buy, I’d keep my chequebook
locked up until I’d thoroughly checked out all the new digital alternatives and
satisfied myself that my need was pressing enough not to be able to eke out my
current kit and sustainable enough to pay back the finance on anything shiny
and new before these beasts become widely available.
These larger format B2 machines will have an impact on the
economics of print on demand and personalisation, making some items that were
previously out of reach achievable.
But before getting too carried away I know that it’s all
very well having the press, but ultimately it’s pointless if post-press and
pre-press can’t keep up. There are developments that promise to make many of
the problems in pre-press go away. The one area where there has been little
evidence of the innovation needed is post-press. I can only hope the finishing
guys are keeping some really big piles of powder dry.