Fujifilm's ground-breaking B2 sheet-fed digital inkjet press, the Jet Press 720, can be seen in action for the first time in Europe on its stand 9-CD360 at Ipex. Visitors to the show can see the press at any one of five presentations being delivered during the day, during which time the Jet Press 720 will be printing live.  

The Jet Press presentation will showcase many of the benefits of this revolutionary new press, including:

i)    A breakthrough in digital print quality
The Jet Press 720 takes the print quality produced by a digital printing system to new heights thanks to a combination of technologies.  Firstly, the Jet Press 720 makes use of SAMBATM print-head technology that achieves resolutions of 1,200dpi x 1,200dpi with four variable dot sizes (minimum size: two picolitres), a specification unobtainable from any other digital printing system.

Secondly, quality is enhanced through Fujifilm's unique "anti-curling" and "rapid coagulation ink" technologies, which deliver vibrant images and prevent paper curl and dot gain.  Finally, the superb registration accuracy of the Jet Press 720 together with the use of a CCD sensor (which scans every sheet and makes any necessary alterations in real time) means superb quality can be achieved sheet after sheet.

ii)    A breakthrough in digital print productivity
The Jet Press 720 can print a B2 sheet in a single-pass, resulting in production speeds of approximately 2,700 B2 sheets an hour.  This represents unprecedented productivity for a sheet-fed digital press and will move the break point for the cost effectiveness of digital as a print production technology further into the traditional litho area.

The Jet Press 720 makes B2 print production much more efficient as it removes the need for the pre-press equipment and time associated with plate production. It eliminates the requirement to run up to colour with the associated make-ready material waste and reduces the time required to wait for the printed sheets to dry in preparation for finishing.

A number of jobs will be printed on the Jet Press 720 at Ipex, demonstrating the productivity and versatility of the press in a live production environment.

iii)    A breakthrough in the flexibility of digital print production
As the Jet Press 720 is B2 format, it fits into existing sheet-fed pressrooms without the need for any alterations in terms of paper handling and finishing.   In addition, the fact that standard B2 coated paper can be used is a huge benefit as it removes the requirement to use specialised (and expensive) digital paper.

As the B2 sheet emerges from the Jet Press 720 completely dry, the range of finishing options available is much wider than with many other digital print technologies.  Once imaged, the B2 sheet can be treated like an offset sheet, dropping into existing finishing equipment, with many special finishes possible. As a result, in terms of finishing flexibility, digital print can be treated more like offset print than ever before.  Finally, the Jet Press 720 can take advantage of one of the key benefits of digital print in the form of personalisation and variable data.  

Mr Hideaki Kawai, product planning manager of the Digital Printing Business, Graphic Systems Business Division at Fujifilm's Tokyo headquarters comments: "Development of the Jet Press has been meticulously undertaken, using the very best technologies available, and we are now very excited to be able to show printers exactly what this new B2 sheet-fed inkjet press will mean for their businesses.  Visitors to our stand will be able to see how the press works, what it can achieve in terms of productivity and performance and also give them a chance to ask questions of the technical experts who will be on hand."

The Jet Press 720 is set to revolutionise the business of short-run printing. The press is particularly suitable for traditional commercial printers looking to improve competitiveness for short-run work and digital printers who are looking to offer a wider range of digital print services.