MINNEAPOLIS, MN, May 2, 2001 - Ricoh Corporation, the Dependable DigitalTM ouutput company, today introduced two workhorse solutions to the wide format product group that will technologically replace the Diazo machines. The Ricoh FW780 and FW770, continue the company's long-standing tradition of producing excellent copy images and offering high value at a low cost to end users. Designed with optimum performance in mind, the powerful FW770 and FW780 produce four copies per minute (cpm) and can have up to 2 roll feeders to tackle the largest jobs with ease while boasting a small footprint. The FW780 has the ability to grow with a company's ever-changing requirements. It makes up to ten copies at a time in addition to allowing the user to select manual or automatic original feed to eliminate skewing problems. "Ricoh strategically develops its business and product line based on the needs of our customers," said Jim Ivy, President, Office Products Group, Ricoh Corporation. "Both FW780 and FW770 are direct results of needs we identified in the CAD/CAM, engineers and design markets. These are next-generation solutions with improved speed, operation and design." Designed to get more work done while taking up less space, the single copy FW770 offers the best quality available in this class in a simple design. Along with a complete range of copy sizes and paper options, ease of operation is guaranteed through the system's comprehensive and intuitive operation panel. Functionality is further enhanced by access to all operations from the front. "Ricoh builds their wide format product line to offer simple, full function solutions that meet customer needs to easily make wide format copies at a low cost," said Linda Maxwell-Allen, Product Marketing Manager, Ricoh Corporation. "Our solutions are designed for versatility, high image quality and reliability." Both the Ricoh FW780 and FW770 will be available in August. Pricing has not yet been set.