Xerox has added a fifth colour option to its iGen print engines, dubbing the new machine the iGen5.
All other aspects of the machine specifications remain the same, including the ability for specifically modified engines to print on 600 micron boards for packaging. The fifth colour will allow the machine to print an additional green, blue or orange, colours which are needed says Xerox to match the corporate colours of some the world’s leading companies. The new toners will be offer as standard or matt finish toners
There are as yet no options for a clear toner to act as a varnish, nor for metallics or fluorescent colours. Xerox does offer the possibility of printing with clear toner and now silver or gold metallics on its Color 1000i machine, which is developed by Fuji-Xerox in Japan.
The fifth unit sits on the reverse of the press, so the colour is applied to the imaging belt apart from the four process colours. It means that with the replacement unit system that Xerox has developed, the fifth unit can be switched for one colour assembly to another in around half an hour. Using the fifth colour appropriately, Xerox reckons to hit more than 90% of PMS colours.
It will appeal particularly to companies producing direct mail, packaging or photo products says the company with consistency on corporate colours being a key benefit.
The addition of a fifth printing station brings the iGen platform in line with the Kodak Nexpress S3300which has a the option of a fifth unit with a number of choices on what it can print and with the Indigo family offering up to seven colour printing. Xeikon also offers a fifth print unit on its web presses. Gamut extending colours are becoming possible on smaller production print machines, though developers like Ricoh believe that white and a spot varnish creating toner are going to be more in demand than the colour boost that Xerox is delivering.
The iGen5 is using a VCSEL diode laser imaging at at 2400dpi and includes object oriented screening to maximise the quality of separate elements on a page, flat artwork, half tone images, text etc by varying the screening resolution. This is the same imaging unit as the iGen4. The optional fifth unit, however, does not use the VCSEL laser, but more standard diodes. The press includes the most recent features for colour accuracy and automation, including the Fiery FS200 Rip which is designed for CMYK+ printing.
Price for the standard machine is $72,000 rising to $849,000 with the fifth colour option. The company is taking orders now and will feature the press at Graph Expo in Chicago in September.
The Xerox iGen, the colour digital press announced in 2004, has reached its fifth version. The key difference now is that the press has the option of a fifth printing unit to extend the colour gamut that has been possible until now.
