‘Take a Closer Look’ is Screen’s theme at drupa 2012 as it invites the global print industry to experience the power and flexibility of its automated web to delivery print on demand (POD) solutions. These are designed to meet diverse customer needs for general commercial, direct mail, transpromo, newspaper, book and variable data applications.

At drupa (Hall 9/stand A40) Screen will launch the complete EQUIOS universal workflow and demonstrate the latest enhancements to its highly flexible and successful Truepress Jet520 digital web press. The digital sheet-fed Truepress JetSX, previewed at Ipex 2010, receives its commercial launch at the event along with several enhancements. The company will also reveal new products at the show for wide-format inkjet and the label industry that further extends its POD offerings.

“Despite challenging global economic times and pressures on the print industry, Screen remains a strong and profitable company that is undergoing an exciting transition,” says Katsuhiko Aoki, President of Dainippon Screen’s Media & Precision Technology Company. “Our strategy of evolving into a digital print company to meet the changing needs of the graphics market began in 2006 and at drupa this year we present a range of powerful digital print on demand solutions. Today we are proud to be the world’s leading manufacturer of both high-volume web-fed inkjet printers and CTP devices.”

Screen’s drupa highlight 

EQUIOS: a single universal workflow to drive complete, multi-device, production

At drupa, Screen launches its EQUIOS Universal workflow that has been designed for conventional and personalized printing environments. This single workflow with a single interface drives streamlined production from web to print to the delivery of the finished item automatically. With EQUIOS, users don’t need to operate different device-dependent workflows, each with a different way of handling imposition and colour management, to drive their variety of Screen and third party CTP, toner and inkjet devices. 

EQUIOS provides integrated job management with consistent colour management across different output devices. Communication with a variety of third-party finishing systems is automated via EQUIOS JDF. 

The EQUIOS Autoflow function, which will be shown for the first time at drupa, will allow users to define print workflows according to the product type selected. This can be integrated into any web2print interface so that web ordering automatically generates a print queue and associated finishing instructions.

Drawing on Screen’s long history of prepress file handling, EQUIOS integrates some of the most powerful, yet easy to use, imposition tools available. A library of standard imposition templates covers most digital press applications, as well as having the flexibility to deal with more complex litho tasks.

Colour management is another key strength of EQUIOS that advances what was already available in Screen’s Trueflow prepress workflow. The ability to handle text, graphics and images independently ensures the highest quality results.

A world first for Screen at drupa 2012 will be the introduction of a cloud-based variable data application that simplifies the production of variable jobs and gives printers an investment-free entry into the fastest growing area of printing. Designers and data owners can collaborate on projects via a standard web browser before the finished file is sent to the print provider (EQUIOS user). This service will be launched within the next twelve months and demonstrated on the stand at drupa. 

TRUEPRESS JETSX: commercial launch of variable data B2 sheet-fed inkjet press

Previewed at Ipex 2010, the B2 sheetfed Truepress JetSX inkjet press receives its commercial launch at drupa. This advanced full-colour press with full variable data and duplex printing capability prints 1620 B2 sheets/hour, equivalent to 108 A4 pages/minute. Enhancements to its specifications include the ability to handle offset and inkjet papers and boards up to 0.6 millimetre, and the ability to print fully variable data to any level of output from the Screen EQUIOS front end.

This press handles a wide range of substrates with ease and is aimed at niche applications that require the B2 format that cannot be printed on the current range of toner devices. In addition, anything that can also be printed on a B3 press can be printed on the Truepress JetSX. Its ability to print onto boards up to 0.6 microns (simplex mode), including textured substrates, makes it ideal for personalized photo, photobook, gift, packaging and prototyping applications.

The Truepress JetSX, combined with the EQUIOS front end and third party finishing equipment, can be integrated to provide a highly automated, web to delivery solution. Files received online can be automatically preflighted, colour managed, imposed and placed in the print queue. Once the job is printed, EQUIOS passes the necessary information through to an MIS system for automatic billing if required.

A European beta site will start after drupa.

TRUEPRESS JET520: the world’s most successful high-volume, web-fed inkjet press

Launched in 2006, the Truepress Jet520 range is today the most successful high-volume digital web-fed inkjet press in the world today, with close to a 50% market share. Screen has shipped over 400 machines, including those manufactured for Ricoh, and 2011/12 is shaping up to the best year to date for sales.

The Truepress Jet520 is suitable for every volume requirement from 1 - 100 million pages/month. It has grown into an extensive family of products that range from entry-level monochrome machines that are a cost effective replacement for toner devices, right through to its flagship machine, the four-colour Truepress Jet520ZZ that is capable of printing at almost 3,000 A4 pages per minute (220m/min).

At drupa, Screen launches JetInspection JI-500, a web inspection option for the Truepress Jet520 that captures every pixel of every page as it is printed and compares it against the RIP data to ensure full data integrity. JetInspection JI-500 is integrated into EQUIOS so that, if it monitors an error, the finishing line is notified to reject the page and a new one is activated – all automatically. This option is particularly important for data critical transpromo and billing applications.

PLATERITE CTP: the world’s widest & fastest range of CTP for offset & flexo

Screen has been manufacturing PlateRite CTP devices for over 10 years and is the world’s leading developer with the largest market share (41.4%) and over 17,500 units sold, most still in use. The company offers 26 different highly-automated models spanning 4, 6, 8, 16, 24, 36, 40 and 48-page formats.

Screen is expanding its range of CTP devices for the flexo packaging industry. It offers the Screen PlateRite FX range of thermal platesetters to image all market-leading solvent and water-wash photopolymer plates for flexo and letterpress applications to the highest 4,800 dpi quality levels.

The packaging industry is an area of increasing opportunity for Screen and it aims to become a significant supplier of flexo and packaging solutions. The open-platform PlateRite FX systems can be integrated with any flexo front-end system, in addition to Screen’s EQUIOS workflow and FlexoDot software, and can be used to create a powerful and flexible imaging solution for flexible packaging, labels, cartons and corrugated packaging applications.

The company remains committed to CTP and, to further strengthen its position, has recently completed a factory in China to manufacture all its 4 and 8-page PlateRite units.

Looking closely at the total print production picture

Supplying POD solutions requires a 360 degree approach and Screen builds close partnerships with customers and third party manufacturers through its Equiosnet partnership to provide complete systems that combine data handling, prepress, printing and finishing. As a result, Screen is opening Solutions Centres in Amsterdam, Chicago and Tokyo this year where the full range of Screen POD equipment will be integrated with partners such as Hunkeler, Horizon and Lasermax Rollsystems to demonstrate profitable print applications.

Says Katsuhiko Aoki: “We are encouraging print firms to take a closer look, not only at the impressive capabilities of Screen’s expert workflow and digital presses, but also at the considerable benefits these can bring to their business in the range of quality, value-added products they can deliver supported by low running and maintenance costs and high environmental credentials.”