ROCHESTER, N.Y.-- Xerox Corporation has expanded its line of super-fast continuous-feed printers, today announcing the entry-level Xerox 495 Continuous Feed Duplex Printer. The new digital printer features a unique, small-footprint design and innovative fusing technology that results in better image quality and productivity than competitive systems. With the addition of the 500 image-per-minute Xerox 495, the Xerox continuous-feed line now includes 11 different products that range in speed from 250 simplex to 1064 duplex ipm, giving commercial print shops, in-plant print operations and service bureaus even more flexibility to produce high-volume print jobs. "Xerox is targeting the continuous-feed market with the same intensity as the cut-sheet side of the business," said Quincy Allen, president, Xerox Production Systems Group. "The Xerox 495 is a great example of our increasing investment in innovative continuous-feed technology to complement our production printing portfolio. And there is more to come." The Xerox 495 system offers users the opportunity to produce new revenue-generating applications. Print providers can use the printer to expand beyond transactional jobs, such as invoices or statements, and efficiently tackle publishing applications like owners' manuals, catalogs and on-demand books that are typically reserved for cut-sheet printers. The Xerox 495 offers a unique configuration for "wide-web duplex printing." It is the only system currently on the market that simultaneously prints both sides of an 18" wide web with a single, compact print engine. This design occupies about half the space of competitive twin-duplex configurations, saving significant space in a print operation. Printing duplex on a wide web is key to maximizing productivity for print-on-demand applications or two-up documents -- two individual statements or invoices on one sheet of paper. "The Xerox 495 is an affordable continuous-feed solution with a compact and flexible design that will bring a new dimension of productivity into transaction environments, particularly those where space is at a premium," said Jim Hamilton, director, InfoTrends On Demand Printing & Publishing Consulting Service. A key competitive advantage of the Xerox 495 printer is its "non-contact flash fusing" technology. It creates an image using high-intensity flash lamps and a uniquely designed toner instead of conventional heat and pressure rollers. Flash fusing only heats the toner; there is no direct heat or pressure roller contact with the paper, maintaining moisture in the paper and minimizing or eliminating stock shrinkage, paper curl and static electricity. The result is improved registration and increased productivity and reliability because the chances of paper jamming during the printing or finishing processes are reduced. Furthermore, the reliability of flash fusing technology allows document designers to use a wide range of substrates to create innovative applications that require adhesives, such as plastic identification cards and peel-off labels on statements, price tags and stickers, and RFID transponder inlays. Entry-level offering The printer's speed, image quality and flexibility let users quickly switch between print-on-demand jobs, such as newsletters and brochures, and transactional jobs, driving page-volume growth and profits across both segments of their business. The product is particularly suited for print providers seeking a high-volume system with more productivity than a cut-sheet digital printer. It is also aimed at users transitioning a single-stock application, where only one type of media is being used for the job, from cut-sheet to continuous-feed. RPM Print & Design in the United Kingdom selected the Xerox 495 system for its productivity and image quality. "We had been looking at the continuous-feed market for some time but had been a little disappointed with the quality of the output, particularly the halftones," said Jonathan Harry, managing director, RPM Print & Design. "But what really impressed us about the Xerox 495 was the superior image quality and speed it delivers. This printer is a real step forward in terms of economics of operation and quality." The Xerox 495 printer also: * Prints on pin-fed paper, either roll or box fed, at 115 feet-per-minute. * Runs 250 ipm in simplex mode, 500 ipm duplex, regardless of the substrate being used. Many competitive machines have to slow down for lightweight, heavier or specialty stocks. * Offers tight front-to-back registration and 600 dots-per-inch resolution to enhance the graphics and photos accompanying publishing and transactional printing applications. * Offers an easy auto-loading and auto-registration/alignment system for quick or frequent stock changes for shorter run lengths. * Operates simply and efficiently with a built-in Xerox print controller and color touch-screen graphical user interface. Availability and pricing The Xerox 495 Continuous Feed Duplex Printer is immediately available in North America, Europe and developing markets through Xerox sales representatives at a list price of U.S. $425,000.