KANSAS CITY, Kansas, April 2, 2008-xpedx today announced it will be the exclusive U.S. distributor of the new RYOBI 1050 Series, a 40-inch, high-speed offset printing press.

The new sheetfed press will make its worldwide debut at drupa 2008 in Düsseldorf, Germany, May 29-June 11, and will be offered in four-, five- or six-color models.  The new press will be available to U.S. printers in 2009.

xpedx, a business of International Paper (NYSE: IP), is North America's largest distributor of printing papers and graphics supplies and equipment.  Ryobi, East Hiroshima, Japan, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of sheetfed offset presses and printing technology.

xpedx and Ryobi Graphic Systems said strong U.S. and worldwide demand exists for new choices in 40-inch offset presses.  The new press will offer superior productivity, operability, reliability and quality-key characteristics required from an offset press today.

It will feature a dual-monitor printing control system as standard and will offer a large variety of options, including inline printing quality control that continuously monitors and automatically controls ink density during the print run.

"Given its combination of productivity, quality and price, this new Ryobi press will offer one of the best returns on investment of any full-size press available to U.S. commercial printers," said John Torrey, vice president and general manager of xpedx Printing Technologies, the exclusive U.S. marketer and distributor of Ryobi-branded printing presses.

Torrey said the new press further enables xpedx to meet the business and operational needs of commercial and corporate in-plant printers, giving the owners and managers expanded purchasing power, as well as sales and service support for their printing papers, creative, pre-press, press and post-press supplies and equipment needs.

The RYOBI 1050 series can feed stock up to 42.72"x30.71", and is available in two formats: the S format with a maximum printing area of 41.34"x27.95" and the larger XL format at 41.34"x30.31".  The press will run up to 16,000 sheets per hour and Ryobi said it is planning an 18,000-sph model.

Standard features of the new RYOBI 1050 Series include:

•    A double-diameter cylinder printing mechanism that provides stable paper transport-from light to heavyweight stock;

•    The RYOBI PCS-L Printing Control System.  Dual operation monitors facilitate easy job setup and greatly improve operability;

•    Programmed inking.  Sets the conversion curve for each color according to the image area ratio data calculated at prepress, which allows the operator to proceed quickly to the next job and minimize the amount of paper waste generated; and

•    Semiautomatic plate changers.

Optional features of the new RYOBI 1050 Series include:

•    The RYOBI PQS inline print quality control system.  This system controls ink density during the print run with a closed-circuit camera that continuously monitors print quality and adjusts ink fountain keys as needed.   It also detects print defects such as hickeys and markings;

•    Moveable shell-type skeleton transfer drums.  Adjustments in the shells can accommodate different types of print stock and thickness;

•    Fully automatic plate changers;

•    The RYOBI-matic-D Remote, a continuous dampening system with remote on/off hickey removing function; and

•    Transfer cylinder air guide plates ensure minimal scratching.

Also available are four delivery options, in-line aqueous or UV varnish coating and a UV curing unit can be mounted at the delivery end.

Ryobi's new entry into the 40-inch sheetfed offset press market follows last year's U.S. introduction of the three-quarter size 920 Series, a high-speed, eight-up press that comes in four- and five-color models.  Other Ryobi press equipment includes the RYOBI 780, 750, 680, 520 and DI series presses.