FULL STORY
Bytes Document Solutions, authorised Xerox distributor to 27 sub-Saharan countries, hosted several key Xerox customers from South Africa at the Birmingham-based show.
‘The show left a lasting impression on the customers who attended and were hosted by Bytes Document Solutions at the Xerox stand,’ said Paul Haglich, manager of the production systems group of the Xerox division at Bytes Document Solutions. ‘The well laid out, visitor-friendly exhibit comprised a wide range of digital presses, real customer application areas, workflow solution areas and Real Business Live theatre events where customers could learn about business formulae that are proven to deliver results. Industry gurus presented on topics that are influencing the printing industry and also gave us a glimpse into the future where the industry is heading.’
‘The digital print innovations by far surpass offset technology as we know it, and we are definitely looking to expand our capacity in this area, particularly with the i-Gen4 and the continuous press which we sneak previewed,’ said Tommy du Sart of Ren-Form. ‘We are confident that our partnership with Xerox in this field will grow from strength to strength.’
Jeff van der Watt, chief executive officer of Tunleys Mail & Print, said, ‘There are some really exciting developments in the pipeline, particularly from Xerox. Being a new entrant into the high-speed digital print game, Tunleys is looking forward to being at the forefront of bringing new and exciting transpromo solutions to the South African market.’
Xerox also demonstrated continuous feed high-speed digital printers capable of printing over 10 million impressions per month, particularly useful to printers looking to enter the book printing arena.
Shaun Bowen, MD of Bowens Bureau, also attended the Xerox Premier Partners Congress that took place prior to IPEX, on 17 May in Manchester. (The Xerox Graphic Arts Premier Partners are the world's leading printing companies in digital printing, with 730 members in 48 countries on six continents.) He was invited to share his Rapid Studio branded photobook business development success story with delegates and members attending the congress and for the first time a truly South African success story was featured in this prestigious forum. Bowens Bureau has grown its e-Commerce photobook business to 20 per cent of its overall revenues, and plans to increase that percentage further in the next year to between 50 and 60 per cent.
‘Bowens Bureau had originally purchased an iGen3 for short-run digital jobs, including business cards, brochures, and books. The company knew it could also depend on it for its new photo publishing business because the iGen3 provides the exceptional image quality that consumers expect in photo applications,’ said Haglich.
But one of the stars of IPEX, says Haglich, was Xerox’s new ColorPress 1000, which was launched at the show.
‘The overall image quality and the fifth colour - clear toner, resulting in a varnish effect - drew immense interest and nods of approval from discerning customers, mostly commercial printers, showing that Xerox has once again raised the bar for digital printing quality.’
The clear toner can be applied in either flood format (full image) or spot format which can be applied to any element(s) within a page where the varnish effect is required. Applying the clear toner coating does not slow down the press and does not require any additional processing, resulting in a highly productive inline process. These presses are ideally suited to the photo and brochures / collateral printing markets. Photobook printing is identified as a key area of significant growth for digital printers. Early reports from Xerox indicate that more than 50 of these new presses were sold at Ipex.
The iGen4 automated packaging solution with Epic UV coater and Stora Enso Gallop die cutting solution attracted many customers with interest in short-run, on-demand packaging requirements. The production line was producing a real live business application; boxes for Microsoft Windows 7 software. Mediaware digital, a Xerox customer based in Dublin, has an automated packaging solution installed and produces MS Windows 7 boxes on a sell-then-make basis. Microsoft orders boxes per exact quantity and in the required language or languages delivered on a just-in-time basis.
Xerox provided customers with a glimpse into the future of very high-speed digital printing but holds attendees to a non-disclosure agreement. The upshot, though, is more than 2,000 impressions per minute with full-colour CMYK.
Pictured above: Some of the Bytes Document Solutions group on a conducted tour of the Xerox stand at IPEX on SA Team Day. From left to right: Stephen Beaumont (Copyworld, East London); Gary Bowen (Bowens Bureau); Barry Hasleham (Bytes); Bernard & Ronel Sefferdt (Eduprinters); Nasser Tayub (Xerographics, Malawi); Peter Hempel and Dean Hempel (Theta Graphics and Print).
© Graphic Repro On-line, 15 June 2010.
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