Heidelberg has solved its inkjet problem by striking a deal with Canon to offer Canon’s iX3200 and upcoming B2 Variopress iV7 across the entire Heidelberg sales network.
The VarioPress iV7 is a 750x615mm format B2 press using aqueous ink through a 1200dpi Canon developed piezo inkjet head. It runs at a maximum of 8,700sph single sided, half that in duplex mode.
For Canon the deal breaks through the wall that has slowed the uptake of inkjet printing by commercial printers moving pages from litho to inkjet.
Peter Wolff, in charge of Canon Europe marketing as senior vice president production printing, says that offset printers need to adopt a production platform that blends technologies “to meet the changing requirements of print buyers and to cope with the leap in short runs and small jobs. We share many business values with Heidelberg: both of us have a sharp focus on long term partnerships to support customers with a very solid organisation for service. This deal will give print service providers the confidence to invest in inkjet technologies.”
To date Canon has had most success in moving its customers from an existing digital technology to inkjet rather than from offset, and in combining sheetfed and continuous feed inkjet, in book printers for example. It has struggled to convince commercial printers to adopt sheetfed inkjet.
There are signs that this is happening. Potts Print (UK) will get its iX3200 next month and one other UK customer has replaced older digital presses and a Speedmaster XL75 with its installation of an iX3200.
Under terms of the deal Canon will supply spares and consumables for the inkjet presses, even the ink that Heidelberg will sell under its Saphira brand.
The litho press manufacturer will differentiate the Jetfire 50 (B3) through colour management and tight integration to its Prinect workflow.
The B2 machine (Jetfire 75) will be open for orders next summer, these for delivery early in 2026. There are samples on the Canon stand at Drupa.
While the iX3200 has faced little competition, the B2 machine will be challenging in a market that already includes the Ricoh Z75 and Fujifilm Jetpress 750 HS as well as B2 Indigos and machines from Chinese suppliers.
Heidelberg chief sales and service office David Schmedding says: “This is a decisive addition to our portfolio to offer exactly the technology combination that suits our customer needs.” While the SX52 B3 litho remains in the Heidelberg range, it seems that few customers want a litho press in this format. “In this B3 and SRA3 market 95% of customers are buying digital already. The two-page market is digital,” says Heidelberg CEO Ludwin Monz.
