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The Not-So Crowded World of B3 Format Inkjet

A B3 sheetfed inkjet press can fill a variety of needs, from making inkjet accessible to a small print operation to enabling cost-effective reprinting and job flexibility to larger shops with continuous inkjet presses. This article covers the currently available presses, their reseller channels, and the outlook for the eagerly anticipated graphic arts additions to the fold.

Thursday, June 11, 2026

The entry-level inkjet market continues to be well-served by SRA/B3 format presses with a range of production quality and application suitability. These smaller presses, sporting multiple paper trays that can be continuously loaded with paper allow new jobs to be queued while the current jobs are running and also allow mixed media jobs to be produced seamlessly.

With BlueCrest, Canon, Heidelberg, Kyocera, MCS, Ricoh, RISO, Screen, and Xerox currently touting presses in the B3 range, the market may seem crowded. Digging deeper we find that, of the presses currently commercially available, there are only four main press models from three manufacturers. Two additional presses focused on the graphic arts segment were previewed at drupa, Hunkeler Innovationdays, and PRINTING United in 2024.

This article covers the currently available presses, their reseller channels and the outlook for the eagerly anticipated graphic arts additions to the fold.


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About Elizabeth Gooding

Elizabeth is the former Editor and Co-founder of Inkjet Insight. She has a rare ability to see print related issues from many perspectives. She has managed creative teams on complex design projects, selected outsourcers for major brands and helped print organizations to retool operations, focus their market positioning and educate sales teams to accelerate growth. She works with a team of top analysts to translate experiences into tools, data and content to help print organizations evaluate the potential of inkjet, optimize their operations and grow pages profitably. She is a founding member of the Inkjet Summit advisory board, the co-author of an award-winning book on designing for inkjet and a curious consultant constantly seeking innovative ways to drive new pages onto inkjet presses.

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