Xerox removes speed bumps in wide format printing with new, faster machine

Bytes Document Solutions, Africa’s leading document management technology and services company and the largest Xerox distributor in the world, has announced Xerox’s new Wide Format IJP 2000.

“With the growing demand for large indoor posters, signs, point-of-purchase graphics and banners, Xerox’s new Wide Format IJP 2000 gives printers the extra speed needed to produce more jobs faster,” says Paul Haglich, product marketing manager at Bytes Document Solutions, “As an example nine-metre banners can be produced in one minute.”

Increased speed means printers can accept and produce more wide format jobs, even last minute requests.

“The IJP 2000 breaks the mold in terms of speed and brings a huge competitive advantage to our customers,” says Dustin Graupman, vice president, Inkjet Business, Xerox, “Part of the challenge of wide format jobs is they can create a significant speed bump in the work process – and profitability. That’s why we’ve designed an uninterrupted operation right into the printer.”

Key features of the IJP 2000 single pass device include:

• Faster print speeds: complete jobs more than 40 times faster than comparable wide format systems (up to 4,520 square feet/420 square meters per hour). That means high-quality, color signs can be printed in five seconds, 10 meters banners in one minute and production runs of 200 prints in about 20 minutes.
  
• Stationary print heads: allow the paper to move under five print heads in one single pass; fewer moving parts mean better speed and less maintenance.
• High vibrancy with instantly dry ink: produce a variety of full-color products – from tradeshow banners and presentation graphics to life-size photos and promotional displays – with crisp, precise imagery.
• Expansive specialty media range: allow printers to offer customers more choices in wide format applications, with media such as banner fabric, photo gloss, satin and backlit/stoplight films.
• Industry-leading wide format workflow software: the Caldera Grand RIP+ keeps the device running at full-rated speed while processing jobs. The software is easy to use, even for new operators, and includes spot color matching for a uniform look across different jobs and media
• Personalized software (optional): produce personalized materials quickly and efficiently with Xerox FreeFlow VI Design Express software. This Adobe InDesign plug-in simplifies the design and creation of variable signs; includes templates and step-by-step instructions

The new, single pass sheet-fed or roll-fed machine, uses Memjet inkjet technology and is targeted at printers servicing the indoor poster, banner, signage and point-of-purchase display graphics markets.

Operating at speeds of 420 sqm/h at 1600dpi, the IJP2000 can print jobs more than 40 times faster than “comparable” wide format systems and is able to maintain quality and output speed without being impacted by substrate type or width. The machine can handle substrates up to 42in (106cm) and 190gsm.

The printer, which is driven by Caldera’s Grand RIP Plus, is suitable for a range of substrates such as textile, vinyl, backlit and stoplight films as well as standard and coated papers and uses aqueous inkjet, dye-based inks in CMYK.

It comprises five stationary print heads that utilise “breakthrough” technology enabling printers to achieve results that “have been previously unattainable in the market”.

“We anticipate this being a breakthrough product, which is going to redefine the speed quality combination in the market,” says Graupmann.

“The new machine had been designed to meet changing needs in the industry such as shorter turnaround times as well as personalisation and versioning. We think these are all strengths of Xerox and that the IJP will meet some of those demands in the market,” he adds.

Graupmann said that printers would only need to run the machine for 45 minutes a day or for 2,000 to 5,000sq metres a month to achieve “a good return” on the investment

“This machine has the potential to have plenty of available capacity for printers to continue to grow their businesses and also gives them the unique opportunity to retire multiple older devices,” concludes Graupmann.

Order taking for the Xerox Wide Format IJP 2000 begins in July in Europe and in other countries subject to launch roll-out dates.