Printing Books with Production Inkjet

A look at updates to and market penetration of the Canon varioPRINT iX series one year from launch.

90% of all books are still printed on offset equipment. So where exactly does inkjet play in the book printing market? Let’s find out.

This month we learned of 11 new production inkjet installs with 5 in the US and 6 in Europe.

High speed inkjet already outstrips most sheetfed offset. With run lengths falling, do we really need to go faster?

Posters, banners, signage – there is a large group of print applications that are based on a large format, unfolded sheet and usually printed single sided. Admittedly, what exactly constitutes a “large format” is up for discussions.

In this video, Elizabeth Gooding provides her top reasons to look at the inkjet cost-benefit analysis in different ways and to repeat the process at multiple points in the life of your investment.

Updates on all 2020 production inkjet press launches serving the document and publishing market, when announced, when commercially available and important development trends.

Commercial printing is a large market with little digital penetration, providing green fields for the right inkjet technology. But what is the “right” technology?

Mary Schilling talks key attributes of book papers and some new paper releases for 2020.

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Thomas Printworks is a different kind of printing company that takes an unusual perspective on print markets. While many companies categorize themselves as a particular type of printer, direct mail, commercial books, etc., Thomas Printworks looks at the customers they want to capture and how to do the most for those customers. In terms of printing applications and technology, they simply look at large format and “small format.” This article discusses the digital print portfolio the company uses to deliver solutions of all sizes to a wide range of customers and what they have learned from investing in inkjet.

This June, Kodak announced the launch of their latest device: the Prosper Ultra 520, fulfilling their promise to “double down on digital.” We take a deep dive on the device specs and what makes Kodak’s latest offering remarkable.

The new press is the first Kodak-manufactured press using Kodak’s revolutionary ULTRASTREAM writing system, which employs high-precision placement of smaller, perfectly round, satellite-free drops to produce the highest inkjet image quality available in the marketplace today, according to Kodak announcement.

Evergreen Packaging® today announced the release of TruSpec® Inkjet Book with ColorPRO Technology, a new digital coated matte paper developed in conjunction with HP. Evergreen is the only North American coated paper producer utilizing cutting edge HP ColorPRO technology. Learn more about Evergreen Packaging and HP during Inkjet Innovation Week beginning June 15.

This week HP provided a pre-drupa peek at the HP PageWide Web Press T250 HD and new Brilliant InkTM that will be added to its inkjet portfolio this year. Learn about the new capabilities of the device, available before the end of 2020, and how they compare to other devices already in the market from Canon, Ricoh and Screen.

In Europe, inkjet printing of books continues to have great success. And the good news? There is still room to grow in the book printing market. Ralf Schlozer shares information on top producers in Europe and key trends for 2020 and beyond.

Our latest research surveys production inkjet users on  requirements for print quality measurement when qualifying papers for use on inkjet presses and their satisfaction with OEM services related to meeting those requirements. Executive summary available to all. Premium members can download 18 page report.

Our most recent white paper, sponsored by RICOH, examines the many factors that combine to create a quality inkjet solution for a particular market need. The production workflow and quality sensitivity varies significantly from one application segment to another. While some companies may be replacing one technology platform with another, others are challenged to maintain compatibility between inkjet and toner or offset platforms.

Most inkjet applications require paper. For many reasons, compatible inkjet paper is in short supply. If you are involved in the inkjet print supply chain, or a buyer of the finished product, it is in your best interest to help clear hurdles to identify and qualify compatible papers and to communicate availability as efficiently as possible.

While every workflow should be unique to the service provider, thinking of the workflow solution as unique to a particular application segment can limit a company in terms of their workflow design and potential for page growth on their inkjet device(s). Designing reusable components within your workflow, and “stubbing in” steps for other types of work you may do in the future, will make your workflow system more flexible, extensible and auditable.