New Oce Arizona 550 XT Extra-Large UV Flatbed Printer for High-Volume Production Environments

TRUMBULL, Conn., June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Oce, an international leader in digital document management and printing for professionals, today announced the new Oce Arizona® 550 XT UV flatbed printer with an extra-large flatbed table for oversized rigid media or objects. It includes a Production Mode print speed nearly twice that of the Oce Arizona 350 XT printer. The Oce Arizona 550 XT printer will make its debut in the international Oce booth at the FESPA exhibition in Munich, 22-26 June 2010. It is expected to be available for order in the U.S. starting in late Q3-2010.

The Oce Arizona 550 XT printer is the next generation model in the award-winning Oce Arizona Series of UV flatbed printers. It uses UV curable inks and Oce VariaDot™ imaging technology to deliver near-photographic image quality for nearly any application. Designed as a true flatbed system, it can print on a wide variety of oversized rigid substrates up to 98.4 by 120 inches and offers a flexible media printing option for roll-based media up to 86.6 inches wide.

Exceptional image quality, productivity and ink economy with Oce VariaDot imaging technology

The Oce Arizona 550 XT printer uses Oce VariaDot imaging technology that enables a printhead to produce ink droplets of variable size resulting in variable sized dots on the printed media. The ability to jet small droplets produces sharp images with smoother gradients and quartertones. The ability to jet larger droplets produces dense, uniform solids. The result is near-photographic image quality with sharpness only before seen at resolutions of 1,440 dpi or higher. Print providers will never have to refuse a job because of their clients' expectations for high quality output when using the Oce Arizona 550 XT printer.

In addition to superior image quality, Oce VariaDot imaging technology requires only four color inks to achieve the best image quality in the industry. The use of only four colors and of variable-sized droplets results in significantly lower ink consumption – up to 50 percent less – than six color printers with fixed droplet inkjet technology.

Production print speeds

The Oce Arizona 550 XT printer features a Production print mode of up to 462 square feet per hour on rigid media without sacrificing any of the award-winning print quality for which the Oce Arizona Series is famous. With this productivity, print providers can confidently take on peak demand and rush jobs. It reduces the risk for businesses wanting to make the transition from analog to digital printing by providing all the print quality they need at production speeds.

Ideal for banner and outdoor work

An Express print mode is also available with print speeds of up to 709 square feet per hour, nearly three times higher than the fastest print speed available on the previously-released Oce Arizona 350 XT printer. Express Mode prints have all the sharpness and color density of other print modes and are ideal for banner and outdoor work.

Extra large versatility

Nearly 110 four- by eight-foot boards can be produced in a single eight-hour shift on the Oce Arizona 550 XT printer using Production print speeds, making it a great solution for typical sign and display work that would otherwise go to the screen press. The extra width of the Oce Arizona 550 XT printer enables it to be used in a continuous imaging mode for rigid media up to 49.2 by 98.4 inches, or a standard four- by eight-foot board. Two rigid boards of this size can be mounted on separate vacuum areas of the flatbed table. While one board is being printed, the operator can change the other. Since the printer never has to stop printing for a media change, users can significantly increase their net print production on boards of this size.

Print providers can offer innovative products and services to their customers

By using the extra-large flatbed and the white ink capabilities of the Oce Arizona 550 XT printer, print providers can innovate the products and services they offer for higher-value print applications. Print providers can print on irregularly shaped objects or non-square media, heavy substrates such as glass, or materials that have an uneven surface such as wood. This is an important advantage over competitive rigid-capable printers that use belt or friction-based media feed systems, as they can often only print on square-cornered, lightweight materials of uniform thickness. The true flatbed architecture enables printing on anything that is reasonably flat up to two inches thick. Print providers can add value to a metal cookie box, a DVD, a piece of furniture, a pane or architectural glass, a sheet of painted aluminum, wood, medium density fiberboard (MDF), or even a full-sized garage door. The Oce Arizona 550 XT printer offers unparalleled versatility for those print providers that are serious about innovation and higher margin printing applications.

Costs a third less than comparable systems

Like all Oce Arizona printers, the Oce Arizona 550 XT model was designed using a cost efficient  engineering approach that makes it much more affordable than comparable systems. Print providers can own this high quality, high capacity printer for about 30% to 40% less than comparable, competitive UV flatbed systems. That reduces capital outlay for small- and medium-sized businesses and enables them to acquire the best-in-class print quality and application versatility.

Available options

A Roll Media Option is available giving print providers the ability to print onto flexible media including vinyl, self-adhesive vinyl, scrim banner, paper and blue backed paper without compromising the rigid printing workflow. Print providers can use this system to expand into more exotic applications that command premium prices, from parts templates for manufacturing; CD covers and wallpaper, to fast food menus and fabric, and anything needed for sign and display.

The Oce Arizona 550 XT printer includes a White Ink Option that enables under-printing for non-white media or objects, over-printing for backlit applications on transparent media and printing white as a spot color. Under-printing white ink provides a base for non-white surfaces upon which color can be added, giving print providers the ability to expand their range of offerings to include specialty applications. Over-printing white ink provides a diffusion layer for backlit applications that will be viewed from the unprinted side, enabling print providers to produce high quality backlit images for point-of-purchase applications. The ability to also print white ink as a spot color enables white features of images to be highlighted for greater effect. Using white ink to its full effect will have a very positive impact on the margins that print providers can demand of their customers.

Expanding the premier UV flatbed product family

The Oce Arizona 550 XT printer joins the market-leading Oce Arizona family of UV flatbed printers at the top of the range. Other Oce Arizona Series models include the Oce Arizona 550 GT (49.2 by 98.4 inch table, up to 4332/hr production speed), Oce Arizona 350 XT printer (98.4 by 120 inch table, up to 248 ft2/hr production speed), the Oce Arizona 350 GT printer (49.2 by 98.4 inch table, up to 239 ft2/hr production speed) and the Oce Arizona 300 GT printer (49.2 by 98.4 inch table, up to 133 ft2/hr production speed). All share the same award-winning image quality and robust architecture, offering the Oce values of quality, reliability, productivity and user-friendliness.

In all, Oce Arizona Series UV flatbed printers have accumulated 19 industry awards to date from organizations throughout the world, including three SGIA Product of the Year awards. These awards validate the quality and innovation built into every Oce Arizona Series printer, now the best selling series of flatbed printers in history.

Oce Display Graphics Systems

Oce Display Graphics Systems is a leading provider of professional, large format solutions for indoor and outdoor color display graphics applications. Oce solutions are specifically designed to enhance the revenue and profit opportunities for service providers by combining hardware with workflow software and the expertise to help companies expand into digital large format color. From extremely high-quality UV curable flatbed printers to outdoor-durable roll-based systems, Oce offers a total solution including hardware, software, imaging supplies, finishing systems, service & support, and financing. Customers benefit in working with a full-service partner they can count on to help their businesses grow.

About Oce

Oce is a leading international provider of digital document management technology and services. The company's solutions are based on Oce's advanced software applications that deliver documents and data over internal networks and the Internet to printing devices and archives -- locally and around the world. Supporting the workflow solutions are Oce digital printers and scanners, considered the most reliable and productive in the world. Oce also offers a wide range of display graphics, consulting and outsourcing solutions.

Oce employs around 22,000 people, with 2009 revenues of approximately $3.7 billion, operates in around 100 countries and maintains research and manufacturing centers in the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Romania and Singapore. Oce North America is headquartered in Trumbull, CT, with additional business units in Chicago, IL; New York City; Boca Raton, FL; Salt Lake City, UT and Vancouver, BC. North American revenues represent approximately half of Oce's worldwide business, and employment is approximately 10,000. For more information about Oce, visit www.oceusa.com. Outside the U.S., consult http://global.oce.com.

"Oce" and the Oce logo are registered trademarks, and "Oce VariaDot" is a trademark, of Oce-Technologies B.V. "Oce Arizona" is a registered trademark of Oce Display Graphics Systems. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks and are the property of their owners and are respectfully acknowledged.

SOURCE Oce

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