Next Generation Color Digital Press Helps Promote Education and Advancement of Digital Printing Technologies

Chicago - GRAPH EXPO 2011 - Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), a leading provider of advanced imaging and networking technologies for the desktop to the print shop, announces that it has donated the award-winning bizhub PRESS C8000 Color Digital Press to Printing Industries of America to help support the innovative digital and offset research conducted at the organization's Center for Technology & Research in Sewickley, PA.  The bizhub PRESS C8000 joins the facility's line-up of donated resources that are valued at over $30 million and drive the research and training vital to the printing industry.

Printing Industries of America is the world's largest graphic arts trade association representing an industry with approximately one million employees. It serves the interests of more than 10,000 member companies and, along with its affiliates, delivers products and services that enhance the growth, efficiency and profitability of its members and the industry through advocacy, education, research and technical information.  Printing Industries of America's Center for Technology & Research serves members and the industry with in-depth, quality research, reports, products, services and more.

"Printing Industries of America is committed to educating commercial printers and graphic arts professionals and is thrilled with this generous donation from Konica Minolta.  We are excited about partnering with Konica Minolta as we strive to help companies exploit the business potential of this growth market segment," said Dr. Mark Bohan, Vice President, Technology and Research for Printing Industries of America.  "The bizhub PRESS C8000 press will be integral to our facility and underscores Konica Minolta's commitment to the industry."

Dr. Bohan (Twitter: @MarkBohan) will be the featured speaker in Konica Minolta Booth #2227 on Sunday, September 11th.  He will discuss the Konica Minolta/Printing Industries of America partnership, and present two Printing Industries of America studies highlighting successful applications of the bizhub PRESS C8000 and bizhub PRESS C70hc.

Combining output speeds of up to 80 pages per minute (ppm) and a 500,000-page monthly duty cycle with a variety of advanced finishing and media handling capabilities, the bizhub PRESS C8000 promises impressive overall productivity for commercial offset and high volume digital environments.  Among the bizhub PRESS C8000's enhanced features are: true 1200 x 1200 dpi print resolution, Konica Minolta's Simitri HD+ color polymerized toner for offset-like image quality, an Image Density Control (IDC) sensor for real-time color adjustments, a new Dual Fusing system to maintain productivity even when running heavy stocks, and a vacuum belt paper feeding system for reliable substrate handling. Driving the bizhub PRESS C8000 is the powerful IC-306 image controller from EFI, featuring the Fiery System 9.

"The award-winning bizhub PRESS C8000 is truly an industry-leading color digital press and we are pleased that it can be part of Printing Industries of America's ongoing research that helps further advance this technology in the field," said Kevin Kern, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.  "Our customers and partners can count on Konica Minolta to continue working with organizations like Printing Industries of America's that serve the digital imaging industry by delivering ongoing resources and education for print professionals."

Click here for a video promoting the Konica Minolta-Printing Industries of America partnership.