Almost four years have passed since the last PRINT show – a very long time in the graphic communications industry and an even longer time in the technology market. Today, print production providers are challenged to take on a new and exciting marketplace as more and more businesses realize that specific, targeted messaging can increase the propensity for consumers to make purchases. As a result, digital print has experienced phenomenal growth as an excellent means to deliver such specifically targeted campaigns. And this growth will only increase with time.
In today’s multimedia intense, always connected environment, targeted print campaigns are a key element in reaching buyers. With all the “Big Data” that is available and the tools to deliver insights on that data, we believe that marketers will be reaching out to more customers, more frequently, to ensure they manage their customer experience, generate new sales opportunities and effectively market their brand. Additionally, with digital presses, commercial printers can offer customers high-quality, short run printing with faster turnaround times. They can increase profits by eliminating the labor costs associated with preparing and running an offset press. Job setup time is also drastically reduced and reprints are easier on digital presses. Also, because today’s digital press systems are also comparable to offset print quality, transitioning to digital is nearly seamless.
However, while digital presses have come a long way in terms of quality and color management, traditional offset presses are still faster than digital presses, and can still print on larger sheet sizes and on more of a variety of substrates. To “offset” this gap, the industry has introduced a new category between digital and offset presses – the digital inkjet press.
For the last several years, Konica Minolta and Komori have collaborated to develop a product that will revolutionize inkjet color printing — combining the speed and flexibility of offset presses with the digital benefits of variable data printing and zero make ready. The result is the Konica Minolta KM-1, introduced by Komori as the Impremia IS29.
The KM-1/IS29 is a compact 29-inch, sheetfed, UV inkjet press that marries the inkjet, print head, and process technologies of Konica Minolta with the stable sheet path expertise of Komori. The result is an ideal machine for fast turnaround, high quality and reliable color printing. Fast outputs of 3,300 sheets per hour, simplex and 1,650 sheets per hour duplex, make the KM-1/IS29 ideal for fast-paced commercial printing environments where larger size cut-sheet pages are necessary and quality is important. The larger sheet size improves throughput and efficiency and the maximum page size at 23” x 29.5” enables six up letter page layouts, a wide variety of gang runs and easy integration with existing production workflows, making it the ideal solution for short run, variable data and fast turnaround jobs. Additionally, the KM-1/IS29 allows for stable printing on a variety of different substrates that would normally not be available for traditional digital presses. In short, this is a digital press with all of the advantages of offset quality and sheet size.
To find out more, read the press release, watch the video or visit the Konica Minolta booth #518 during PRINT 13.
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