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Run-ons and run-ins

How close is digital to usurping offset?

So, Kyocera has developed an inkjet head capable of producing 1,000 full-colour A4 pages a minute.

I admit, I almost did a cartoon-like double take when I saw the story and had to check that I hadn’t misread it. (As I’m sure a number of printweek.com readers did, for example perhaps those employed, oh I don’t know, say by German or Japanese press firms.)

Essentially, what this breakthrough means is that there is a digital technology now commercially available that can produce 60,000 A4 pages per hour - in other words an inkjet head capable of giving a 15,000 sheets per hour B2 press a serious run for its money.

Of course, offset still has the edge in the quality stakes, certainly to my mind - the Kyocera head  for example only offers a maximum of 600dpi.

However, with inkjet technology advancing at a seemingly exponential rate, I wonder how long it will be before it matches or even, dare I say, overtakes offset in the quality stakes?

Comments

 

Matthew Parker said:

I think I'll wait for effective large format presses before declaring  the decline of litho...

Matthew Parker

www.printandprocurement.com

March 27, 2008 1:57 PM
 

Nigel Cliffe said:

I think the argument over whether digital is better or worse than litho is one that only exists amongst printers - clients don't give a dam...when we will we wake up to this and move the argument on a bit? i.e. by whatever method we put messages on paper, how can we be creative, on time, relevant, oh, and yes, competitive? How can we utilise online and print based channels to offer communications solutions? Is there a client out there who disagrees?!

March 27, 2008 4:51 PM

About Darryl Danielli

PrintWeek editor Darryl Danielli joined the UK’s leading print industry magazine as editorial assistant in 1997. During the past 11 years has held a variety of roles on the magazine, the flagship title of Haymarket’s print and packaging group, culminating in being appointed editor in May 2006.