Heidelberg shows that it finally gets digital

Heidelberg UK welcomed more printers than it expected to the unveiling of the Jetfire 50 in this country last week. It is hard to say whether this indicated that alternative entertainment was unavailable or whether there is a real curiosity or interest in what is Heidelberg’s most significant move into digital printing to date. Its prior history is not littered with great success: Heidelberg was firmly a litho company in product and attitude when the Nexpress arrived and the partnership with Ricoh has allowed Heidelberg to fill a gap and protect its small printer underbelly rather than become a true litho alternative.

With the Jetfire that changes. While capable of a run of one, this machine is competitive to 1,500 sheets says Heidelberg. That is not short run, but increasingly meat and drink to many printers. This is a machine that can become the modern day equivalent of the GTO, a workhorse that all types of printer will need to consider if not invest in. This is not easily dismissed as a glorified copier (even if Canon designed it). With a seamless integration into a Prinect workflow, the Jetfire 50 becomes a press that more than justifies its worth. With the inclusion of inline finishing (not seen in Stockley for lack of space), this heads to hands-free automated production.

Heidelberg now has to persuade prospects that this is a proposition to lead a conversation, not something added as an afterthought when it is clear that the deal for a ten-colour XL106 will not be happening. Printers too need to add this type of machine into their calculations for any upcoming investments. This can be dismissed on a cost per page basis, but investment today has so many more facets than a comparison of ink costs. Printers and Heidelberg will be doing themselves a disservice if arguments come down to this.