Linx Printing Technologies has launched a new model in its acclaimed Linx 6900 Continuous Ink Jet (CIJ) printer range, which is capable of reducing solvent usage by up to 40%, delivering additional cost of ownership savings while still maintaining excellent reliability.

The Linx 6900 Solver is the first printer to ‘think as it inks’. Using a new ink system and specially created intelligent software, the coder adapts to specific printing conditions by reducing solvent evaporation within the system and, adjusting its operation according to the requirements of the code that is being printed.

This dynamic operation is designed to be the most reliable solvent saving technique. Of the more traditional systems currently available, the ‘condense and recycle’ method can affect the quality of the ink while the ‘pulsed suction’ process can allow ink to build up in the printhead, which could mean more regular printhead cleaning and increased downtime.

Linx says the new model will be of particular interest to large-scale users of CIJ technology, who are printing 24/7. “The standard Linx 6900 already delivers the lowest cost of ownership in the market today,” explains Rajiv Narayan, Product Manager at Linx. “Nevertheless, we have recognised that for those manufacturers who are continuously running multiple printers, solvent costs can soon add up and this is where the Linx 6900 Solver can give the greatest savings.”

In addition to its 40% solvent saving, the Linx 6900 Solver printer maintains all of the established functionality of the standard model: five line printing at speeds of up to 8.4m/s, an intuitive color user interface with WYSIWYG display and menu system, low-maintenance operation and an attractive curved appearance.

The new model also continues Linx’s reputation for pioneering new product development. The company was the first to develop full printhead autoflush at shutdown and auto power-down and the first to introduce a WYSIWYG display.

“Customer feedback consistently highlights the importance of cost of ownership,” says Rajiv Narayan.
“The Linx 6900 Solver is another example of how we are continuously focusing on ways to minimise running costs while still ensuring consistent long-term reliability from our coders.”

via www.linxglobal.com

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Here is another device from the family of “The World’s Mosts and Firsts”. This is a wide-format Solara ion inkjet printer by Gerber.

The printer can print on virtually any surface that is up 64 inches wide and up to 1 inch thick! When it comes to printing speed, the device covers up to 639 square feet per hour at a resolution of up to 1440 dpi on rigid and rollable media. Gerber Solara ion printer makes printouts that can last up to 3 years outdoors without lamination.

So, what actually make this printer world’s first? Of course, it’s the technologies behind it.

Solara ion printer is the first to use GerberCAT cationic inks that dry instantly and are ready to use right after printing. Besides, these inks feature unmatched adhesion on materials problematic for other ink jet printers such as textiles or even glass.

Next is Cold Fire Cure technology that allows printing on wider range of heat sensitive media such as plastic, vinyl, fabric, and paper based materials. Needless to say, the technology produces no volatile organic compounds, no odors, and no environmental ozone.

As you can see, this is no ordinary device you would buy home. Gerber says that the device is targeted at printing applications such as billboards, fleet graphics or vehicle wraps.

Up to date, there is no any exact information on the price of this printer. Gerber, however, mentioned that the Solara ion offers better performance than any other such printer on the market today for under $150,000.

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You may be pleased to know that Kyocera announced a development of the world fastest and industry widest drop-on-demand inkjet printhead.

The KJ4 Series printhead that was developed in cooperation with Brother is claimed to print at speeds of

• up to 200 m per minute at a resolution of 600×480 dpi
• up to 150 m per minute at 600×600 dpi.

They didn’t specify the width of a print produced at such speed, but it seems to be the width of the printhead ifself, that is 10 cm.

The printhead comprises a Kyocera-developed piezo actuator that accommodates 2,656 ink nozzles in a 108 mm-wide arrangement. The device dimensions are 200×25x58 mm.

The printhead is versatile and can use both water-based pigment and UV inks, delivering them in 4 to 20 picolitres droplets onto variety of media – from paper to fabric, film and plastic.

In performance test, two printheads used in Miyakoshi Printing Machinery MJP600 printers were able to achieved outputs of 1,000 A4 sheets per hour.

Commercial sales of the KJ4 Series printhead will start in April 2008, which means we’re going to see devices printing at light speed some 3-4 month later.

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You may have forgotten, but in November 2007 Epson announced a new high-speed inkjet printer that was supposed to be a compelling alternative to laser printer.

I’m talking about Epson Stylus C120.

Today, this printer is launched into production, so let’s see what they say it can.

Printing speed. Based on independent testing, the Epson C120 offers the fastest black text printing compared to ink jet printers under $160 and is up to two times faster compared to ink jet printers under $100. To be exact, the printer speeds up to 37 ppm for black and 20 ppm for color. In draft mode, naturally.

Ink and Print Head Technology. Epson Stylus C120 prints using Advanced DX3 MicroPiezo printhead with smart nozzles that produce and precisely place three sizes of ink droplets. According to Epson, variable size of droplets requires fewer nozzles to print photos at fast speeds.The printer uses individual ink cartridges with DURABrite Ultra inks that increase fade resistance up to six times in indoor display condition. Two black cartridges allow about twice as much black printing, at about twice the speed, as compared to (you will be surprised here) printing with a single black cartridge!

The printer comes in bundle with Epson’s Auto Photo Correction that allows for, well, photo correction. The software is, by the way, unavailable to Mac OS X users.

With Hi-Speed USB 2.0 support, this Windows and Mac OS compatible printer is now available at a suggested retail price of $69.99.

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Do you think history of printing starts with invention of the laser printer? Wrong. The printing press? Wrong again. The history of printing takes off well before our era.

The first known example of printing — the so-called Phaistos Disc — was found on the Greek Island of Crete. Most scientists believe that it was used as one of the earliest forms of a printing “press” dated 1800-1400 BC. This is 3800 years ago.

If you are interested in how was the printing technology developing up to the 21th century, you will learn that from an article title “The History Of Print: From Phaistos To 3D.” The story will take you from ancient Phaistos Disc to tomorrow’s (actually they exist today, but not widely spread) three-dimensional printers. Illustrations and videos are supplied.

This is a recommended reading to the history of laser printers.

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We rarely write about software, but today we do. The subject is not some ordinary program but ZEdit Pro, special software developed by Z Corporation for its 3-d printers.

The pecularity of this new software lies is that automatically prepares 3D data files for easy full-colour 3D printing. ZEdit Pro lets users of 3D mechanical CAD software verify and ensure that geometric data is 3D printable; apply colours, texture maps and labels to their models; and easily print very large prototypes in component pieces.

Another great thins about ZEdit Pro is that it transforms files that were never originally intended for 3D printing, including those produced by 3D digital content creation software used in animation and architecture. ZEdit Pro makes these files 3D printing-ready, often with a single click.

With these capabilities, Z Edit Pro helps create better models faster, and enables including architects, conceptual designers, and game designers to reap the same benefits of easy 3D printing as mechanical engineers.

Naturally, ZEdit Pro suits best Z Corporation 3D printers, and focuses on three functional areas that improve the quality of 3D printed models:

• geometry optimisation to automatically make 3D data ready for 3D printing;
• painting and texture mapping for colouring and applying images to models; and
• print preparation for cutting or hollowing parts before printing.

Unlike mechanical 3D CAD software, digital content creation tools used for visualization and rendering in architecture, animation and avatar creation often do not typically produce 3D printing-ready data. ZEdit Pro automatically “3D Print enables” data from either kind of 3D software, as well as medical scans, by incorporating printable geometric data, closing gaps, repairing meshes, and adding depth that is only suggested by shading in some software.

ZEdit Pro also gives anyone the easy ability to print CAD models that are too big for the printing envelope. The software automatically segments oversized models, creating pins and holes for reassembly of the sections after printing. ZEdit Pro also hollows out solids that would otherwise waste resources, and helps users create bases and pedestals for models.

ZEdit Pro is priced at $2,500, but for a while it will be included with purchases of Z Corporation 3D printers at no cost. Feel like saving $2,500? Buy a $20,000 3D printer and get this software for free!

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Ricoh Americas Corporation, last week introduced the Ricoh Aficio MP 2550B/MP 2550 and Ricoh Aficio MP 3350B/MP 3350 Digital Imaging Systems. Ideal for small and mid-sized businesses, the MP 2550 and MP 3350 models have color scanning capabilities that produce clear images, store documents securely and boost productivity and efficiency.

The MP 2550/MP 3350 models are replacing the MP 2510 and the MP 3010. The Aficio MP 2550 and MP 3350 come standard with monochrome printing, copying and color and black-and-white scanning capabilities out of the box in two pre- configured models — the SP and SPF (the SPF includes faxing capabilities). The Aficio MP 2550B and MP 3350B come with copying capabilities and have a flexible upgrade path which includes monochrome printing, scanning and faxing that allows features to be added as users’ document management needs evolve over time.

The Aficio MP 2550B/MP 2550 and MP 3350B/MP 3350 improve overall productivity with a print speed of 25 pages per minute (ppm) and 33 ppm, respectively. Designed to make professional business documents easier to produce, the MP 2550 and MP 3350 models offer a 1,000-sheet booklet finisher and optional hole-punching — a Ricoh first for Segment 2 Black & White. These models also include special design features that provide ease of use, such as a Full-Color VGA Control Touch Panel, easy-access paper tray handles and animated menu guidance.

In today’s business environment, security plays a crucial role and with the MP 2550B/MP 2550 and MP 3350B/MP 3350, administrators can restrict access to the system to only authorized users. The Locked Print feature is another security function that protects confidential documents from being seen or accidentally picked up in the output tray. For the sake of highest security requirements, customers can also use the DataOverwriteSecurity System (DOSS) to prevent the possibility of reconstructing data from “latent images” on the internal hard drive.

To enhance organizational efficiency, the MP 2550 and MP 3350 models can store up to 3,000 frequently used documents in its Document Server, where they can be instantly accessed for reprinting, re-faxing or re-scanning. Furthermore, users can prioritize job lists by automatically moving the most critical jobs to the head of the print queue to ensure they are finished first.

The MP 2550 and the MP 3350 also include auto e-mail notification that sends a report to a designated e-mail address when the machine is not operating at optimum performance levels, maximizing uptime. In addition, the @Remote Intelligent Management System saves administrators time as it automatically places a detailed request for service when needed, eliminating the need for users to initiate service calls, which reduces the total cost of ownership.

The Aficio MP 2550B/SP/SPF models are available at the suggested retail prices of $5,085/$7,035/$8,130 and the Aficio MP 3350B/SP/SPF at $6,435/$8,385 & $9,480, respectively.

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