LAS VEGAS, Sept. 26 -- Oce, a global leader in digital printing solutions, is demonstrating its next generation Oce Arizona 250 GT printer that offers printing without compromise for a broad range of applications. The Oce Arizona 250 GT printer uses UV curable inks and Oce VariaDot imaging technology to deliver near-photographic image quality, includes a true flatbed platform to print onto a wide variety of rigid substrates, and features an optional roll-to-roll module for printing onto flexible media. The printer is on display beginning today at the Specialty Graphics Imaging Association's Annual Convention and Trade Show in Oce booth #734. "The Oce Arizona 250 GT embodies the Oce product values of quality, reliability, productivity and user-friendliness. It was designed to produce the best possible image quality ever achieved in a flatbed printer. The quality truly has to be seen to be believed," said Gido van Praag, President and CEO of Oce Display Graphics Systems, Inc. "But we also understand the market demands more than just image quality. We designed it to also provide media flexibility, enhanced productivity, investment protection and a lower total cost of completing most applications - a total package that provides breakthrough performance not available anywhere else." Printer Basics The Oce Arizona 250 GT is based on a new Oce-developed platform that combines a true flatbed design and a separate, dedicated roll-to-roll capability. It can print onto rigid media up to 49" wide x 98" long x 1.89" thick (1.25 m wide x 2.5 m long x 48 mm thick). The optional roll-to-roll module can print onto flexible media up to 87" (2.2 m wide). It uses four- color (CMYK) UV curable inks and Oce VariaDot imaging technology with near- photographic image resolution and delivers a true production print speed (sellable prints) of 172 ft2 (16 m2) per hour. Breakthrough Features Image Quality. The Oce Arizona 250 GT uses Oce VariaDot imaging technology, the next evolution of piezo inkjet technology that enables a print head to produce dots of variable size versus print heads using fixed-droplet technology. Oce VariaDot technology creates these variable dots by dispensing ink droplets that vary in size from six to 42 picolitres. The ability to vary the drop size to as little as 6 picolitres produces sharp images with smoother gradients and quarter-tones. The ability to jet larger droplets up to 42 picolitres produces dense, uniform solids. The result is near-photographic image quality with sharpness only before seen at resolutions of 1,440 dpi or higher. The quality of images printed on the Oce Arizona 250 GT exceed the quality of those printed on current six-color printers using outmoded, fixed-droplet- sized print head technology. Text as small as 6 pt. is legible. Uses Less Ink. In addition to superior image quality, Oce VariaDot imaging technology with four-color inks uses significantly less ink compared to six-color printers with fixed-droplet inkjet technology. The resulting lower ink consumption results in ink savings of up to 35 percent over fixed- droplet, six-color printers. Rigid or Flexible Media, Designed to Fit the Workflow. The Oce Arizona 250 GT is a true flatbed design that uses a vacuum system to hold media stationary on a flat surface, ensuring accurate registration even on multiple imaging passes. Full bleeds can be printed, saving time and labor costs in finishing. No minimum print size means just the necessary materials are used with no substrate waste. Unlike all other flatbed or rigid-capable printers, the Oce Arizona 250 GT prints along the long axis of rigid media to optimize throughput - the fewer the number of printing passes over the media, the higher the average productivity. The Oce Arizona 250 GT can print on irregularly shaped or non-square items, heavy substrates such as glass, or materials that have an uneven surface such as wood. This is an advantage over competitive rigid-capable printers that use belt or friction-based media feed systems, as they can only print on square-cornered, lightweight materials of uniform thickness. The Oce Arizona 250 GT opens the printing possibilities to more exotic applications that command premium prices. An optional roll-to-roll module can be added in the field, giving customers the ability to print onto flexible media including vinyl, self- adhesive vinyl, scrim banner, paper and blue backed paper without compromising the rigid printing workflow. Once a rigid print is finished, the print head assembly is positioned over the roll-to-roll module and begins printing on flexible media, while the rigid material is swapped out and the new board is placed on the vacuum table and prepared for printing. When the flexible media printing is completed, the print head assembly moves back to the table to resume printing on the rigid media. The roll media can be dismounted at any time without disturbing the rigid printing function, and there is no down time to reconfigure the system to change from one print mode to the other. The modularity of this system protects the customers' initial investment because the roll-to-roll option can be added in the field at any time without cost penalty. Designed for Productivity A number of features are included to keep the printing workflow moving smoothly: Ink System. The UV curable ink is packaged in bulk, 2-litre ink bags minimizing change-out. A quick-change ink system reduces waste, mess, and operator intervention. Intelligent ink bag sensing alerts the operator to an ink change requirement before running out of ink and ensures the correct ink color is installed. The regulated ink system maintains consistent ink temperature for optimal printing, making the ambient environmental control less critical and less expensive for the end user. Nozzle-out Mapping. Two print heads per color enable malfunctioning nozzles to be bypassed, protecting the image quality, reducing waste and optimizing productivity. White Space Skipping. Large unprinted areas are skipped, increasing throughput. Beyond Display Graphics Applications The Oce Arizona 250 GT is ideal for producing a wide variety of display graphics such as event graphics, point-of-purchase displays, limited-term signage, banners, backlit and reflective rigid displays, transit advertising, and directional signage. But because of its ability to print on a range of materials not predetermined simply by "square, flat and thin," the Oce Arizona 250 GT can produce applications beyond the norm including custom furniture, glasswork, fixture enhancement, fine art, or nearly anything that the imagination can conceive.