It appears that the B2 format sheet fed digital press may be the Holy Grail for press manufacturers. In the 1990s Indigo regularly brought a mock up of a future B2 format press to the different trade shows. The problem was that Indigo (pre-HP) never managed to develop an imaging engine for the press. This shows the problem, rather than the solution. Most sheet fed digital presses have a maximum imaging width of up to 14 inches (35 cm). With the exception of the Kodak Nexpress all sheet fed digital presses up to now have used laser-imaging technology. This technology works by focussing multiple laser beams onto a spinning mirror system that deflects the beams via a lens onto the imaging drum or belt. The problem with this is that while it is physically possible to use this imaging approach to image over a wider measure than 14 inches, it is both extremely complex and expensive in terms of the lens and mirror systems to keep the laser spots controlled in size and shape across the whole imaging width. This is why all the continuous feed monochrome and color digital presses that use xerography (electro photographic technology) use an array of LEDs to image across a width of 18.5 inches or more for a 20-inch plus wide web.

At Ipex in May we will see the availability for the first time of true B2 format sheet fed digital presses from both Dainippon Screen and Fujifilm. These two presses were previewed at drupa two years ago. At that time we also saw the Jadason Q Press from China. The Jadason uses LED imaging and xerography whereas the Dainippon Screen and Fujifilm presses are the first true sheet-fed digital color production presses using inkjet technology. These two presses have different approaches to the B2 format. The Fujifilm JetPress 720 is a true 72 cm press taking the 72 cm across the press like B2 format offset presses. The Dainippon Screen TruePress JetSX takes the long dimension down the sheet and has a maximum paper width of 53 cm (20.8 ins) by 74 cm. To be correct the TruePress JetSX is in reality an A2 format press. These presses also differ in the Fuji press is built upon an existing Ryobi offset press chassis for the paper transport, whereas the Dainippon Screen press does not make use of an existing offset press chassis and is built as a true digital press. When both of these presses were shown at drupa they were both single sided presses that would require the paper to be printed twice to allow for duplex (double sided) printing. Dainippon Screen have announced that the TruePress JetSX will now have an automatic duplex facility on the press, and the illustration shows how this has been implemented within the paper transport.

I have been fascinated by this move to the B2 format and the fact that none of the established sheet fed digital press suppliers (Canon, HP Indigo, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Ricoh or Xerox) have decided, as far as is known, to enter this market. I wondered therefore what is the rationale for introducing a press for this format. In other words what are the ‘killer apps’ for the B2 format. I have discussed this with many of the existing digital press suppliers who feel there is no compelling reason for a B2 format press. Fujifilm and Dainippon Screen tell me there is a major level of interest from printers for this format, but I am not sure if this is coming from offset printers who have yet to move into digital printing, or from existing digital press users?