Category Archive

This 5th post in the inkjet maintenance series looks at OEM apps for smartphones and tablets, and the questions to ask about the availability of advanced maintenance capabilities using augmented or virtual reality.

With the evolution and variety of inkjet options now available, smaller volume print operations like small and medium size in-plants are now considering inkjet adoption. The justification and cost analysis for inkjet is not as straight forward as the cost of acquiring previous new printers. In evaluating the cost of inkjet adoption there are many considerations beyond the cost of acquiring the printer. While there are varying opinions and models for comparing total cost of ownership (TCO), a detailed cost analysis should compare total cost of finished pieces leaving the facility and the opportunity for impacting the results of printed communications.

Elizabeth Gooding spoke to John Hume, President of Hume Media, about their decision to be the first customer for the Xerox Baltoro HF Inkjet press and their expectation for ramping up production and transitioning volume from other devices.

Benny Landa first introduced the concept of “Nanography” at drupa 2012. There was a reaffirmation of the introduction at drupa 2016, and since then, lots of quiet. It turns out the quiet was self-imposed, and in the interim Landa has been very busy building an organization and shipping presses.

A fully trained operator is central to a maintenance protocol that ensures the machine will perform its best in your environment.  If you spend the necessary time and consumables during ramp up, you will reap the rewards of efficiency and fearlessness as new types of jobs come into the shop.

Inkjet Tip of the Week: Some inkjet devices come with valuable cost-saving features. Here are a few to look out for:

Xerox has announced the availability of the Baltoro High Fusion Inkjet Press. This is a press announcement, but Xerox was consistent in positioning the Baltoro as a “platform” in the model of the Trivor, iGen and DocuTech series of devices.

Augmented Reality has a significant potential to reinforce your position as a though leader and open up nontraditional revenue streams that will not disrupt your existing inkjet operations. The market for Mixed Reality (Print + AR) services is projected to reach $162 billion by 2020. Let’s talk about making Inkjet Insight members part of that market.

In the third installment of her series on inkjet maintenance, Pat McGrew talks about maintenance considerations as you add work or shifts to your press. Like Motorcycle Maintenance, your mileage may vary.

Robert Clark, manager of digital operations for IWCO Direct provides an overview of one of the inkjet educational tools he uses extensively – and why it matters. He’s referring to the Glossary of the 2nd edition of the Designer’s Guide to Inkjet. Wow – we have a fan. Thanks Robert.

Too often, the term “in-plant” has become homogenized. It is used as a generic term for any organization-owned print operation. When we take a closer look, we see that in-plants have varied names, especially when broken out by vertical market. These differences are important for OEMs to understand, and buyers to communicate when evaluating production inkjet.

Inkjet is having an impact on every segment of the print market. While adoption has been slower in some segments than others, the need for inkjet presses to stay running has caused a ripple effect across segments. Many print organizations who invest in inkjet quickly seek to diversify their book of business in order to fill their inkjet presses, minimize marginal running costs and maximize revenue.

Is inkjet eating toner’s lunch? In some areas, yes. But, as long as there are many types of print organizations, there will be a need for many types of printing devices. One size does not fit all. Your mileage may vary. Definitely see the dealer for details.

The Ricoh Interact 2019 event followed the best practices for business development, customer education and ongoing measurement recommended to attendees.

Many buyers in 2019 are looking to complement or replace their offset production capabilities. High speed inkjet is gaining acceptance in a market with high print quality and color expectations. We are talking about high end, high value printing such as marketing collateral, magazines and catalogs. Read on for a round up of factors in evaluating presses for this market and top OEMs making the cut.

What is and is not included in the maintenance contract sound like basic questions – but listening for the RIGHT answers to these important questions is more nuanced than you might think. This is the second in a series on inkjet maintenance agreements.

The USPS wants to keep mail relevant within the marketing mix. This year they are offering new and emerging technologies incentive programs for direct mail. Direct mail campaigns incorporating Augmented Reality sent before August 31, 2019 are eligible for a 2% postage savings.

Whether you already own inkjet presses or you are in the market looking for your first, one of the big questions in the due diligence process revolves around maintenance programs. Pat McGrew provides top questions to ask and explains why they matter.

Coated papers being more expensive, we expect higher quality from the printed piece. Gloss coated, which holds the ink high on the surface, will show any defect from inconsistent pre-coating, print head jetting and even inconsistent paper coating. Note that, even though we may not see a difference in surface coating, offset coated papers can come with inconsistencies that originate at the paper mill. If coating is not evenly applied across the entire paper machine, the roll or ream you receive will print and dry differently than the one before.

Investing in a production inkjet solution is both a major expenditure and the beginning of major changes for the organization. Most companies invest because they believe that new hardware and software will help them to make money – either by doing more for the customers they have or by attracting new customers.