Roll-to-roll, flatbed and hybrid large-format inkjet printers – we bring you up to speed with the latest offerings and ask manufacturers what’s in the development pipeline.
InkTec and Ricoh have nailed their colours to the mast and already announced new printers being introduced in 2019. SwissQprint and HP are teasing us with promises of launches at Fespa Global in May but for now keeping their cards close to their chests, while many other manufacturers are saying even less about specific plans but promise ongoing development and launches as you’d expect. So if you’re in the market for a new large-format printer here’s what we can tell you about the latest models on the market, and what the manufacturers are telling us about things to come.
At Roland DG, as Rob Goleniowski, head of sales UK and Ireland, points out: “It’s not just about developing premium quality hardware. It’s also important to invest in developing powerful software that opens the capabilities of the hardware and increases efficiency. For example, Roland DG has recently released an update to the VersaWorks Rip package. Aside from quality and productivity, VersaWorks 6 controls ink usage to get the best results without wastage, which in turn improves the profitability of the entire system.”
Petra Fetting at SwissQprint also talks of non-hardware R+D areas that to make its printers more versatile as well as efficient: “Generally speaking, we see that certain markets require specific features, e.g. automation for operations with high throughput, or fixation systems for the corrugated packaging market. In addition, workflow and data flow are getting more and more important – smooth and comprehensive workflow from the customer data to the machine user interface. And of course also providing data (JDF) for the MIS system, e.g. production status, cost information (machine uptime, ink consumption) etc.”
Talking about the 2019 launch of its Pro TF6210 and the Pro L5100 series printers, Simon Isaacs, national sales director at Ricoh UK, says the company’s focus “is to develop our current commercial large-format business with a new Latex solution and expand into new Industrial inkjet sectors with the ProT7210 and ProTF6210,” pointing out too that it will “also increase the synergy with our new acquisition, ColorGate. We will prepare bundle solutions with Ricoh hardware and ColorGate’s Rip Platform for flatbed and large-format applications.”
According to Ken Hanulec, VP marketing EFI Inkjet Solutions: “PSPs care about two things: lowering their cost per square metre and doing things they can’t currently do today to drive high value applications. With EFI LED UV technology for example, printers need less power consumption, ink usage volume is optimised, and users can print on a broader range of substrates. At Fespa we will be focusing on customer innovations that solve those two market asks.”
Tudor Morgan, sign and display segment manager, Fujifilm Graphic Systems Europe says: “We’re not able to comment on upcoming printer hardware announcements at this point, but, our focus will continue to be on delivering solutions that give our customers an edge. Our core technologies of printhead development and ink chemistry, and our combined expertise in these areas is driving hardware development, boosting quality and performance across the board. In 2019 this will remain our core focus, as we continue to drive the market forward.”
Phil McMullin of Epson points out that the company spends around £1.5m per day on R&D focusing on printing for textile, signage, POS, décor, photo, label and a raft of other applications. “Over the next two years we intend to significantly expand our production print portfolio in all these areas utilising our own piezo printhead technology and own ink chemistry covering aqueous, eco-solvent, resin, UV, dye sub, DTG and DTF.” Watch this space.
Newest offerings
We asked each manufacturer for the name, launch date and basic spec of each of their latest respective roll-to-roll, flatbed and/or hybrid large-format inkjet printers – the details of which follow. Please note that prices refer to the ‘from’ UK price ex VAT.
Agfa
Anapurna H1650i LED
- Max speed: 63m2/hr
- Max resolution: 720 x 140dpi
- Uses Agfa-made Anapurna 1500 LED inks
- Driven by Agfa Asanti Workflow
- KM1024i printheads
- Price: £82,000
Jeti Tauro H3300 LED
- Launched 2018
- 3.3m wide hybrid
- Roll-to-roll option: 3.3m wide single roll and 2x1.6m double roll
- Anuvia 1550 LED inks
- Colours: 6-colour (48 heads), 6-colour (48 heads) plus white (12 heads), 6-colour (48 heads) plus white (8 heads) and primer (4 heads)
- Max speed: 453m2/hr
- Max resolution: 635 x 1200dpi
- Driven by Agfa Asanti Workflow
- Various automation options
- Price: £500,000
Canon-Oce
Océ Colorado 1640
- Launched May 2017
- LED-UV roll-to-roll
- Piezo-electric inkjet with UVgel ink
- Max media width: 164cm
- Max print width: 163cm
- Max media thickness: 0.8mm
- Ink drop size: 10 picolitres (binary)
- Colours: CMYK
- Max resolution: 1,800 x 600dpi
- Max speed: 159m2/hr
- Price: £48,000
Durst
P5 250 HS
- Launched February 2018
- Durst printhead arrays built with Fujifilm Mems nozzle plates
- Max speed: 240m2/hr in two-pass mode
- Max resolution: 1200dpi
- Media transport system
- Durst Symphony comprising touchscreen user interface, workflow suite and analytics platform for pre-emptive maintenance and consumption data.
EFI
Pro 24F
- Launched October 2018
- LED UV curable, 1.2 m x 2.4 m flatbed with moving carriage and gantry
- Max print width: 245cm
- Max speed: 107m2/hr
- Max resolution: 1200 x 1200dpi
- Colours: CMYK + two white channels
- Vacuum media system
Pro 32R
- Launched October 2018
- LED UV curable roll-to-roll
- Max print width: 320cm
- Max speed: 207m2/hr
- Max resolution: 635dpi
- Colours: CMYK, white option
Vutek h3/h5
- Launched May 2018
- LED UV curable hybrid
- Max print width: 320cm
- Max speed: 74 boards/hr (109 on the h5)
- Max resolution: 1200dpi
- Colours: 4 (optional) or 8-colour modes + white
Epson
SureColor SC-F9300
- Launched 2017
- 1.6m dye-sub
- Max Speed: 108.6m2/hr
- Colours: CMYK
- Max resolution: 720 x 1440dpi
- Epson Edge Print Rip software and Control Dashboard
- LFP accounting tool
- Price: £16,595
Fujifilm
Acuity LED 1600R
- Launched February 2018
- Uvijet RL LED UV curable ink
- Max print width: 161cm
- Max media thickness: 1mm
- Colours: CMYK, optional CMYKLcLm, CMYKW, CMYKLcLmW
- Max speed: 33m2/hr
- Max resolution: 1200 x 1200dpi
- Price: £25,000
Acuity Ultra (5000 and 3200 series)
- Launched May 2018
- Uvijet GS series
- Max print width: 500cm (320cm for 3.2m model)
- Media thickness: 0.1-2mm
- Colours: CMYK, Lc, Lm with option for additional two white channels
- Max speed: 236m2/hr (181m2/hr for 3.2m model)
- Max resolution: 1200 x 1200dpi
- Price: 3.2m :£295,000, 5m: £325,000
HP
Latex R2000
- Launched May 2018
- Latex
- Max speed: 88m2/hr
- Colours: 9 (CMYK, White, Lc, Lm,
- Latex Optimiser, Latex Overcoat)
- Max rigid media size: 250 x 120cm (up to 250 x 305cm with two sets of extension tables)
- Max roll size: 2.49m
- Price: £242,000
Latex R1000
- Launched July 2018
- Latex
- Max speed: 57m2/hr
- Max resolution: 1200 x 1200dpi
- Colours: 9 (CMYK, White, Lc, Lm, Latex Optimiser, Latex Overcoat)
- Max rigid media size: 162 x 122cm (up to 162 x 305cm with two sets of optional extension tables)
- Max roll size: 1.63m
- Max thickness: 50.8mm
- Price £180,000.
InkTec
Jetrix LXi6/i7
- Launched January 2019
- UV LED curable flatbeds
- Max media size: 2500 x 1280 / 2500 x 3060
- Max speed 78m2/hr
- Max resolution: 1080 dpi
- Colours: 8 ink channels with white, varnish and primer channels available
Jetrix LXiR190
- Launching February 2019
- 1.9m edge-to-edge roll-to-roll printer
- Max speed: 45m2/hr
- Max resolution: 720 x 1440 (8 pass) / 720 x 720 (2 pass)
- Colours: Max 6 with CMYK + white
Mimaki
T555-1800
- Launched November 2018
- Roll-to-roll dye-sub
- Max print width: 194cm
- Max speed: 140m2/hr
- Max resolution: 1200dpi
- Colours: 9 (Bl,M,Y,K,Lbl,L,Lk,Fy,Fp)
- Price: £24,995
Tiger-1800B MkII
- Launched May 2018
- Roll-to-roll dye-sub or reactive
- Max print width: 185cm
- Max speed: 385m2/hr
- Max resolution: 1200dpi
- Colours: 4 or 8
UCJV series
- Launched September 2017
- LED UV curable
- Max print width: 160cm
- Max speed: 25.8m2/hr
- Max resolution: 1200dpi
- Colours: 8 (CMYK,Lc,Lm,W,Cl)
- Price: UCJV300-75 £14,995, UCJV300-107, £15,995, UCJV300-160 £23,995, UCJV150-160 £15,995
Mutoh
ValueJet 1638UR
- Launched April 2018
- UV LED roll-to-roll
- Max media width: 162cm
- Max speed: 13.5m2/hr (CMYK)
- Max resolution: 1440 x 1440dpi
- Colours: CMYK, white, varnish
- Dual head, dual lamp
- Price: £19,995
PJ-2508UF
- Launched May 2018
- LED UV flatbed
- Max media width: 125 x 254cm
- Max speed: 20m2/hr
- Max resolution: 600 x 1200dpi
- Colours: CMYK, white, varnish
- Price: £71,425
ValueJet 1627MH
- Launched November 2018
- Resin-based hybrid
- Max media width: 162cm
- Max speed: 12.1m2/hr (CMYK)
- Max resolution: 1440dpi
- Colours: CMYK, white
- Price: £23,795
OKI
Colorpainter E-64s
- Launched 2016
- 64in eco solvent flatbed
- Max speed: 22.9m2/hr
- Colours: 6 colours (CMYK,Lc,Lm)
- Max resolution: 1080dpi
Ricoh
Pro L5130/L5160
- Launching early 2019
- 64in Latex roll-to-roll
- Max speed: 44m2/hr (outdoor mode), 25m2/hr (indoor)
- Top resolution: 1,200 x 1,200dpi
- Colours: CMYK, CMYK + white
- Media thickness: up to 200gsm
Pro T7210
- Launched August 2018
- UV flatbed
- Print size: 2.1m x 3.2m
- Max speed: 50m2/hr (standard CMYK mode), 100m2/hr (high-speed)
- Max resolution: 1,200 x 1,200dpi
- Colours: CMYK, clear, primer
- Price £200,000
Roland
VersaExpress RF-640 8 Colour
- Launched October 2018
- Max print width: 161cm
- Max speed: 10.5m2/hr (360 x 720 resolution, 6 Passes)
- Max resolution: 1440 dpi
- Colours: 8 CMYK + light black, red, green and orange
- ErgoSoft Roland Edition 2 Special Plus Rip
- Two-stage integrated heater system
- Price: £12,999
Texart RT-640M
- Launched October 2018
- Max print width: 161cm
- Max speed: 32.6m2/hr (540 x 360 resolution, 2 pass)
- Max resolution: 1440 dpi
- Colours: 4 (CMYK) or 8 (CMYK, Lc,Lm, orange, violet or CMYK, fluorescent pink, fluorescent yellow, orange, violet)
- ErgoSoft Roland Edition
- Price: £17,499
SwissQprint
Nyala 3/3S
- Launched May 2018
- Flatbed with roll-to-roll options
- Print bed: 3.2 x 2m
- Colours: CMYK + 5 freely selectable colours (3S + I selectable)
- Max speed: 206m2/hr (3S 370m2/hr)
- Price: Nyala 3 £223,000, Nyala 3S £296,000
Impala 3/3S
- Launched May 2018
- Flatbed with roll-to-roll options
- Print bed: 2.5 x 2m
- Colours: CMYK + 5 freely selectable colours (3S + I selectable)
- Max speed: 180m2/hr (3S 317m2/hr)
- Price: Impala 3 £190,000, Impala 3S £262,000
Oryx 3
- Launched May 2018
- Flatbed with roll-to-roll options
- Print bed: 2.5 x 2m
- Colours: 9 max
- Speed: 65m2/hr
- Price: £138,000
Karibou
- Launching May 2019
- UV roll-to roll printer
- Details to be announced at Fespa Global