Color That Clicks

Color copiers and digital duplicators are productive tools with many applications.

by MARK SMITH

IN THIS age of computers, flatbed scanners and color desktop printers, it's easy to forget that not every document is readily available as a digital file. Nor does every piece have to be printed in four-color to be effective.

These are just two reasons why color copiers and digital duplicators continue to be productive tools. Both product categories can be considered entry-level digital printing systems from a price standpoint.

The color copier category is harder to pin down in terms of target markets and applications. Manufacturers commonly call them "printers/copiers," but some have started referring to them as "digital printing systems," playing down the integrated copying capabilities. RIPs and network interfaces have become standard equipment, or are offered as options. As a consequence, variable data printing is also making inroads.

Another trend is turning copiers into digital proofers. Manufacturers are teaming up with traditional providers of proofing systems to incorporate color science and matching technology into device front ends.

In a similar fashion, digital duplicator manufacturers have taken to calling their products "digital presses" or "digital printing systems." These devices fill a somewhat unique niche by providing spot-color (and black-and-white) printing at comparatively higher speeds and lower cost, with the image quality benefits and substrate flexibility of ink on paper.

Because of their different levels of color printing capabilities, the two categories of products tend to not be direct competitors. They only compete in the sense that entry-level system buyers must decide which best fits their color output needs.

A Good Fit

Color copiers can fit all of the aforementioned applications, but with a couple caveats, says Janet Cain, director of marketing at Canon U.S.A. Graphic Systems Division.

"These systems are suitable for producing concept proofs and intermediate proofs, but not really contract proofs," Cain explains. She also believes variable-data printing still is mostly being done in the monochrome arena, since the color segment is still working toward a standard.

Even in the digital age, an integrated scanning unit still can come into play, Cain says.

• Information often needs to be updated in existing printed pieces. Before for a major revised printing is done, the current piece can be scanned and edited on a color copier for output in smaller quantities.

• Some popular office software applications can be difficult to process through four-color, PostScript-based workflows. Shops can output the file to a desktop printer and then recapture the document for volume production.

While most documents are created digitally, the file is not always readily available, points out Dino Pagliarello, product marketing manager for color at Minolta. For example, he says, a company may wish to share its competitor's marketing pieces with its sales staff.

"In addition, some artists and graphic designers still prefer to work with hand-drawn illustrations and layout sketches," Pagliarello notes. A color copier can easily reproduce the fine lines and colors in illustrations, he says.

Whether the original is digital or not, color copiers can be more affordable than high-speed digital presses, offset printing and dedicated color proofers, depending on the volume, Pagliarello adds. They also can provide faster turnaround.

Scanning To File

Scanning hard copy documents to a file is the biggest use being made of the integrated platen in color copiers from Konica Business Technologies, reports Stephen Jones, vice president of color operations.

"The file then is brought back into the computer for editing or merging with other elements before it is reprinted," he explains.

Jones says he is also seeing more interest in customized marketing pieces, which means a given job will include smaller quantities of multiple versions of the document.

"They are not using variable data in this case, but customers are doing variable data printing on our machines," he notes. "The capability has gotten easier to use."

How Do They Compare?

Beyond the basic differences in the product categories, how do some of the top-of-the-line offerings from leading manufacturers stack up?

The Canon CLC 5000 color copier with the ColorPASS Z5000 server is the company's lead graphic arts product, Cain says. The integrated scanning system can process captured documents without using compression, maximizing output quality, she adds. Output speed is 50 impressions per minute on stocks up to 250gsm. Standard software features include support for 1:1 marketing, Enfocus PitStop for editing of PDFs and DocBuilder Pro for imposition.

Minolta's DiALTA CF9001 copier/printer outputs eight color pages per minute (32 black-and-white) and offers an "enhanced" 600x1,800-dpi image quality. It employs Fine Edge Enhancement technology for sharper text and LIMOS III technology for smooth tone reproduction. The device prints up to an 11x17˝ full bleed on 12x18˝ stock in weights up to 110-lb. index. For color matching, a test print with seven different color versions can be output on a single sheet, and then the best match selected for volume production.

Konica Business Technologies' 7832 color imaging system is based on Konica's award-winning 7823 engine, Jones says. It prints a 600x600-dpi resolution on paper sizes from 12x18˝ down to 4x6˝ and weights up to 110-lb. stock. To optimize color match, users can see seven variations of the same print. The 7832 prints and copies up to eight pages per minute in color or 32 in black-and-white. The device offers automated functions for color management, calibration and Pantone support.

'Digital Press' Options

The RISO 3700 digital press can reside on a network and handles stock sizes from 4x6˝ to 11x17˝ and weights from 13 lb. to 110 lb. Print monitoring software provides job control and tracking, while automatic print density and contrast adjustment functions enhance results when printing photos, text or a combination. A variable addressing unit can be rolled up to a RISO digital press to print return addresses, teaser messages and address information.

Duplo's DP-63 Series digital printing systems offer high-speed printing at 600 dpi. Both the DP-63P and DP-63S models feature master and ink systems that reportedly produce sharp images while maintaining minimal ink consumption. The thermal imaging head and advanced scanning mechanism are said to ensure print quality. The DP-63P offers a computer interface that requires no additional hardware, while the DP-63S has an optional computer interface. They can accommodate paper weights up to 110 lb. and sizes to 11.88x17.28˝.

With 600-dpi resolution, high-density inks and a precision inking system, the Standard Duplicating Machines SD630 prints sizes up to 11x17˝, at up to 120 sheets per minute on a range of stocks. It has automatic image rotation and on-board document storage. Color drum units can be changed in seconds.

Ricoh Corp. is a player in both the color copier and digital duplicator markets. Its Aficio Color 6000 series includes the model 6513, which prints 13 color pages per minute (51 ppm in black-and-white). It handles stock sizes up to 13x19˝ and weights to 140 lb. index.

The firm's duplicator product family is headed by the Priport JP800 and VT6000. Both handle stock sizes to 12-1⁄2x17-1⁄2˝ and output 120 ppm at 600 dpi.

Reengineering The Image Process

Setting aside the developments in digital interfaces, the fundamentals of these print engines remain largely unchanged. However, a couple of new technologies and systems recently have been introduced that reengineer the imaging process itself.

Several years have passed since its original introduction, but the Océ CPS700 color printer reportedly is now commercially available. While Océ formally refers to it as a printer, it does have an integrated scanner for hard copy originals. The unique feature of the device is its use of seven-color imaging—CMYK+RGB—in one pass. The image is built up as a single layer of toner on a central imaging drum, thereby reducing the amount of toner used and improving registration, the manufacturer says. The machine prints 25 ppm on stock weights up to 110-lb. index.

Seven colors are used to improve the printer's color stability and accuracy, not increase its color gamut, notes Karen L. Fitt, vice president of advertising and public relations at Océ-USA. The unit's controller automatically handles the conversion of either CMYK or RGB files into the seven colors, she adds.

The interesting development in the works from Xerox is in the area of consumables. (It continues to offer the DocuColor 12 and 40 systems with integrated document scanning units, as well as the stand-alone DigiPath scanner.) No specific timetable has been announced for the U.S. introduction of its new emulsion aggregation toner technology, but its development reportedly is well under way in Japan.

The technology is said to "grow" toner particles with well-defined shapes and smaller sizes, which are incorporated into a wax-based formulation for oil-less fusing. Benefits include lower operating costs, improved image quality and reduced environmental impact.

Xerox offers the Document Centre ColorSeries 50, which prints 50 ppm in black and white and 12.5 ppm in color. It features 600-dpi image quality, a built-in network controller and a user interface common to the Document Centre family of systems.

Whatever name they are given, entry level digital output devices promise a colorful future.

Sidebar: Duplicators Or Digital Presses?

Digital duplicator manufacturers also must deal with the issue of properly positioning their products in the marketplace. RISO has taken the step of referring to its products as "digital presses" and not duplicators, says Anne Barrett, marketing manager. The company's machines can provide spot color printing at 7,200 impressions per hour for as little as a third of a cent each, she notes—numbers more akin to press performance.

"Many two- and three-color jobs don't require the expense and setup time of an offset press, and wouldn't be cost effective to produce on a color copier," Barrett continues. "Additionally, these devices can handle a wider variety of paper stocks and sizes than many copiers."

Spot-color work, low cost per copy and fast speed are key strengths of digital duplicators, agrees Shen Liao, manager of marketing services for the Digital Duplicators Division of Duplo USA. However, she also points out that the expertise of a press operator isn't required to run these devices, and they can even be set up in an office environment.