Fujifilm announces two versions of roll-to-roll CYMK Jet Press

Water-based inkjet presses talked about at IGAS in Tokyo

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Fujifilm Jetpress 1160CF
Fujifilm has developed this Jetpress 1160CF roll to roll inkjet press Photo Fujifilm

Fujifilm Business Innovation has developed not one but two roll-to-roll versions of the inkjet Jet Press, building on the existing sheetfed Jet Press 750 series with a similar printing system but different inks. Both of these were sort of announced at IGAS though neither machine was at the show.

The two versions use very similar hardware and offer the same basic specifications. Thus, these are twin engined presses for duplexing and take 520.7 mm wide paper rolls. They use Fujifilm Dimatix printheads with 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution and print CMYK using water-based pigment inks. After printing, the paper path goes around a heated drum and then turns back on itself, passing underneath the print tower before exiting for either the second unit or the rewinder. As well as the heated drum, warm air is wafted around to help dry the ink without removing too much moisture from the paper.

The main difference between the two models is the ink set. The 1160CF – or Continuous Feed – uses what Fujifilm describes as a “newly developed high concentration pigment ink” which has been designed for uncoated and plain paper, where the paper can absorb some of the water content in the ink to reduce the amount of drying needed. It can run at 160 meters per minute at 1200 x 600 dpi – around 2096 A4ppm – or 80 meters per minute in its Image Quality mode at 1200 x 1200 dpi. This model takes 64 to 250gsm paper, though the press will slow down for media over 157 gsm. This version should warm up to operating temperature in 15 minutes.

The 2150CFG – Continuous Feed Graphics – has been designed for printing to offset paper without needing any kind of inkjet treatment or precoating. This press uses a different water-based pigment ink, which Fujifilm described to me as being a “sticky” ink where the ink is designed to hold the shape of the dots to give a sharper image and prevent any spreading into the substrate.

This press also appears to have gained an infra red heating unit, which the paper passes through before reaching the heated drum. Each of the print units is slightly bigger than the 1160CF, which presumably is also to accommodate a longer paper path to expose the media to hot air over a longer period to help with drying the water content from the ink.

As such it is aimed primarily at graphics applications, such as books and magazines. It’s maximum speed is slightly slower at 150 meters per minute or 1968 A4 pages per minute on uncoated paper, but it can run this at the top resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi. This speed drops to 120 meters per minute on coated matte paper. The Standard print mode can deliver 80 meters per minute and there’s an Image Quality mode that runs at 50 meters per minute. It takes paper from 64 to 157gsm. It needs around 20 minutes at room temperature to warm up before printing.

These presses use a Fujifilm digital front end, based on the Adobe PDF Print Engine. The ink is supplied in 20 kilogram packs per color, and both presses have a large ink buffer tank so that the presses can be refilled on the fly.

For now, Fujifilm is only selling these presses in Japan though it seems likely to me that there would be strong demand for both of these in the US and European markets. Naturally, Fujifilm was not ready to talk about pricing though the 1160CF has been available now for a week.

It’s also worth noting that Fujifilm announced the high speed version of the cut sheet Jet Press, the 750HS, as a new model for the Japanese market, though this was introduced into Europe last year. You can find further details from fujifilm.com.

This article is reprinted by permission from www.nessancleary.co.uk.

2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India

Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.

The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry. While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.

The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.

Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.

Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.

Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.

– Naresh Khanna

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