Fuji Xerox has launched a six-colour digital press at an event in Thailand.
The Iridesse uses the two additional colours to add a white and then either gold or silver toner to create a full range of metallic effects, beyond those possible with the Color 1000 press, which was the first with a metallic toner.
The new press will also run at 120ppm and will be positioned between the Color 1000 and the iGen series machines. Like the Colour 1000, this has been developed in Japan. The iGen5 is the first of this family to offer a fifth colour and has been available since the start of the year, with a blue, green or orange additional colours. A white option was added over the summer, but there is as yet no metallic option.
Unlike the iGen5 where the additional colour is separate from the four-colour imaging head, Iridesse has all six colours imaging at the same point. The extra colours can be applied before or after CMYK. A clear toner is an option for overprinting only.
The launch of Iridesse in Bangkok was an extravagant affair, indicative of the importance that Fuji Xerox is placing in the development. That it will print on 400gsm also suggests that packaging is a target, though a 330x488mm maximum sheet size will limit this appeal.
The press has a resolution of 2400dpi for the CMYK part of the engine, less for the white and metallic colours where particle size is necessarily larger. Iridesse will be preloaded with the Pantone metallic colour libraries. This opens up options for printing on unsympathetic coloured stocks and some synthetic materials which are tolerant of the fusing temperature. White and metallic are laid down first, before overprinting in the same pass.
The Iridesse is available as a four-colour as well as six-colour machine with a starting price around ¥60 million (£400,000) for a six-colour machine with GX controller. The selection of inline finishing and number of paper trays will set the final price. An inline spectrophotometer and automated correction software are standard.
It is not known whether, or when, Iridesse will be available in Europe. Deliveries to customers in Asia began in October.
The Fuji Xerox Iridesse is a six-colour digital press that includes a gold or silver metallic and white toner to open up a vast range of colour effects. However, it is currently available only in the Asia region served by Fuji.
