Olivia Cahoon

By Melissa Donovan

Keypoint Intelligence—InfoTrends 2016-2021 Global Forecast cites the global continuous feed inkjet market growing from 265 billion pages in 2016 to almost 550 billion in 2021. In addition, continuous feed inkjet is expected to account for half of all digital color pages by 2020.

This statistic is bolstered by the many drivers of adoption. With such demand in place, continuous feed inkjet is poised as a primary future player for digital color pages. Challenges in relation to hardware and workflow are still present, but some of the newest feature sets address these issues. Consistent product introductions and enhancements are evidence of manufacturers’ devotion to this technology.

Above: Konica Minolta partners with Super Web to distribute the WEBjet 200D and 100D continuous inkjet printers.

Primary Drivers of Adoption
Continuous feed inkjet is attractive due to its high speed and reliability. It found favor early on in direct mail and transactional segments, however as technology advances it is more commonly used by commercial printers as well.

According to Michael Poulin, director of product marketing, Canon Solutions America, reasons for direct mail houses and subsequently commercial printers choosing to use continuous feed inkjet include not only its high speed and reliability, but affordable cost-per-piece price point and ability to leverage variable data in large print runs.

“With today’s advancements more commercial printers are moving into the world of inkjet due to its ability to rival the look and feel of offset print, while allowing for personalization and more cost-effective printing of variable run lengths,” continues Poulin.

Avenues beyond commercial print drive continuous feed inkjet adoption. “For new application growth of continuous feed inkjet press pages, keep an eye on higher quality color books and journals, business to business catalogs, and specialty magazines. And packaging—folding cartons and labels—is a nascent market for inkjet web presses,” explains Will Mansfield, director of worldwide product marketing and category management, Kodak Enterprise Inkjet Systems Division.

Bill Papp, product manager, Document Data Solutions (DDS), cites companies in the retail, automotive, cell phone, and healthcare space, as well as other large volume mailers that require a low-cost way of producing personalized direct mail pieces as main integrators of continuous feed inkjet.

In all scenarios, print providers are looking to continuous feed inkjet as a next-generation technology to better service customers, shares Deana Conyard, worldwide marketing manager, continuous feed inkjet, graphic communications business group, Xerox Corporation. “The drivers for adoption typically focus on driving more volume at a lower cost in the most simple and efficient way possible—all without sacrificing quality.”

“This is what continues to drive interest in the platforms—the promise of printing as economically as conventional print, at speeds fast enough to address medium to long runs, but with all the advantages of digital,” agrees Mark Schlimme, VP of marketing, Screen Americas.

Another driver of adoption, as pointed out by David Murphy, PageWide industrial, worldwide marketing director, HP Inc., is the shortage of skilled labor among print service providers (PSPs) with tenured offset press operators. “PSPs are challenged in hiring skilled operators to backfill vacancies as well as recruiting early career, unskilled operators who want to work on analog presses. High-volume, high-quality inkjet presses are easier to operate and tend to be more attractive to early career workers.”

Challenges
Continuous feed inkjet offers benefits, but doesn’t come without challenges. Some issues are in the process of being overcome, others may take a bit longer to be solved. Main concerns include substrate compatibility, ink costs, and workflow.

“One of the most significant challenges users face is not being able to print on traditional offset coated papers with aqueous inkjet inks. These papers are lower in cost than inkjet-treated papers, but designed to work with oil-based inks, making adhesion difficult for aqueous inks,” says Mike Herold, director of inkjet solutions, commercial and industrial printing business group, Ricoh USA, Inc.

In response, many manufacturers offer adhesion promoters, but Schlimme admits these can cause issues. “Printing to coated stocks is a challenge without adding some kind of adhesion promoter—either at the mill or inline with the press via aqueous coating or jetting of an adhesion promoter. This can add cost, affect the appearance and performance of the paper, and have implications for finishing as well.”

Schlimme believes challenges from substrate compatibility contribute to the hesitation of continuous feed inkjet adoption. “What holds back adoption is the economics associated with premium inkjet papers and the technologies developed by OEMs to promote adhesion to coated substrates. Premium inkjet papers carry a pricing premium of between 20 and 30 compared to common coated offset papers. That’s a significant cost when paper compromises between 40 and 50 percent of a job’s total costs,” he shares.

Directly related to substrate concerns is ink. It is important the correct ink and media are used for optimal results. “The inks for a high-speed inkjet printing system must be matched to the inkjet writing system. Different writing systems require different ink formulations. For example, piezoelectric drop on demand writing systems require higher amounts of wetting agents—humectant—in their inks. These wetting agents make it difficult—if not impossible—to print and dry high ink coverage jobs, especially on coated or glossy papers,” explains Mansfield.

Ink costs are higher for continuous feed inkjet jobs with heavy coverage, adds Murphy. “The higher cost of inkjet ink is challenging for the economics of heavier coverage graphics applications. Inkjet inks cost more to develop and manufacture compared to lithographic or flexographic ink. There is a high degree of chemical engineering and related sciences involved in harmonizing the ink with the printhead and media.”

Workflow is another challenge. “There is a need for improved integration with faster speed inkjet nozzle technologies and affordable integrated finishing options to address a growing range of applications. As we migrate to digital from legacy systems, workflow optimization is important for continued adoption,” admits Dino Pagliarello, VP, product management and planning, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.

“It is important to fully automate the entire process from printing to finishing. Creating efficiency and automation means solutions need to anticipate job changeover and address shorter time to market with smaller runs. We need to overcome this challenge by educating users that there is more than just faster speeds. End-to-end workflow optimization is essential,” adds Kevin Marks, VP of marketing, BlueCrest.

Ink Sets
As enhancements are made to printheads and print engines, as well as in response to new substrate introductions, ink sets are also updated. Many ink sets seen on continuous feed inkjet printers are second or third generation.

Canon Solutions America offers many different ink sets for its Océ ProStream Series of inkjet platforms. Its newest iteration, the Océ ColorGrip polymer pigment ink set is designed for offset coated media.

DDS acknowledges that the ink market has changed. “We no longer wait months and years on the promises of a next generation ink set. Now multiple partner companies are rapidly developing better inks for our customers’ applications,” says Papp.

Kodak has gone through three generations of its continuous feed inkjet technology and its forthcoming ULTRASTREAM is its fourth generation. “Each technology builds on the last, adding new capabilities and providing upgrade paths without the fear of obsolesce,” explains Mansfield. The company develops and manufactures its own inks for each system. Kodak also creates custom software for each ink, referring to it as an ink-dex file. It provides customers with the ideal settings by ink type and writing system technology.

Konica Minolta and Super Web’s WEBjet presses use patented Versapass drop on demand thermal aqueous dye inks developed specifically for WEBjet printheads by Memjet.

According to the company, Ricoh has developed more than a dozen different ink types to support a variety of applications printed on its continuous feed inkjet portfolio. It continually invests in new ink offerings.

Screen works with ink manufacturers to develop proprietary ink formulations for its presses.

Xerox’s first generations of ink were dye-based for uncoated paper. It has since moved to pigment inks. The company’s High Density Ink is optimized for printing on low-cost plain bond/offset coated papers. High Fusion Ink is used for printing on offset coated media to achieve vibrancy and quality.

Pigment vs. Dye
Both pigment- and dye-based inks are used in continuous feed inkjet devices. They each offer a range of advantages as well as disadvantages.

General consensus states that while dye-based inks are easier to print with and are more cost effective, pigment inks offer more water fastness, lightfastness, and vibrancy. “Dye-based inks are 100 percent fluid based. Pigment inks, meanwhile, use a solid, physical particle for the colorant. While dye inks are typically more cost effective, pigment inks provide more archival qualities, such as water fastness, lightfastness, and more vibrant output,” explains Herold.

“A pigment is a colorant that is insoluble in the carrier liquid, but is dispersed or suspended in the form of small particles. With pigment inks, paper acts as a filter to capture particles and hold them in the paper fibers. Pigment inks tend to sit higher on top of the paper, making them less likely to show through, even on lightweight media. Pigment is more light and fade resistant—good for applications that need to be archived,” says Poulin.

Pagliarello argues that dye-based inks offer several advantages over pigment inks—except in instances were long-term fade resistance is critical. “Dye-based inks use a colorant that is fully dissolved in a carrier liquid. This provides greater interoperability among advanced inkjet nozzle technologies to enable higher resolutions. With the correct substrate partner, dye-based inks offer a high color gamut with an environmentally friendly, water-soluble colorant.”

According to Poulin, it is important to remember that pigment- and dye-based inks each have advantages, and the choice to use one over the other comes down to the application. “Many transactional customers with fixed applications and media may look toward dye inks, whereas many direct mail printers and commercial print shops lean toward pigment for the media flexibility,” he adds.

Hardware Developments
Recent hardware developments on continuous feed inkjet presses include media handling/feeding features, drying systems, print modes, and ink sets.

BlueCrest and HP partner to offer a complete solution from the hardware to the software that fully automates the process. For example, HP presses are outfitted with High Definition Nozzle Architecture (HDNA) printheads that can be retrofit in the field. This is possible because HP controls all parts of the process from the main frame to the printheads. BlueCrest enhances the process with its Clarity suite of products, a set of processes for printing and inserting that track, measure, and analyze workflow for maximum efficiency.

At Canon Solutions America, the Océ ProStream 1000 features a new engine design with the latest piezoelectric drop on demand printheads, a floatation drying technology, and improved heavy media paper handling. Unique to the Océ ProStream, the floatation drying technology keeps the web free floating to maintain consistency and control.

For DDS, advanced printheads affect its continuous feed inkjet product development. The new Fuji Samba-based FS-1200 family found in its hybrid printers supports a range of ink types.

To address demands of high speed and quality, HP offers the Performance HDK or high-definition black feature on its HDNA-enabled PageWide Web Press T240 HD Presses. In this mode, the printer operates up to 500 feet per minute with black printheads engaged in high-definition quality mode at 1,200 nozzles per inch.

Increased drying times are possible with Kodak PROSPER Presses intelligent inter-station drying architecture, which uses infrared energy to dry inks faster than other water-based presses. “This gives a customer’s work that high-value look, feel, and bulk of offset they expect, without the cockle and curl seen in other inkjet presses with less capable drying,” shares Mansfield.

Konica Minolta partners with Super Web to offer WEBjet 200D and 100D printers. Latest advancements on the presses include a smart stacker configuration that automatically cuts and stacks paper up to 22 inches. The systems can be configured as roll to roll, roll to sheet, or roll to fold. The presses can be integrated with inline finishing equipment like stacking, punching, perforating, folding, die cutting, and booklet making.

Ricoh continuous feed inkjet presses include three recent hardware developments. New paper transport handling inventions make handling heavier, lighter, and more coated papers simpler and more cost effective. Improved vision systems allow for high-resolution image capture of printed documents. Ricoh’s new drying technologies allow users to print on standard offset papers with high ink limits at faster speeds.

Screen also focuses on enhanced drying time with its optional Integrated InfraRed Dryer (IIR Dryer), which provides faster printing at higher image resolutions on coated lithographic stocks. The IIR Dryer works in conjunction with air assist and heat dryers, totaling three available drying technologies. Drying configurations can be set per paper type and saved as part of the press’ paper profiles.

Xerox developments on its continuous feed inkjet product—the Xerox Trivor 2400 HF Inkjet Press—include optional capabilities like a rewind unit, puncher, cutters, folder, stacker, and additional printheads.

Continuous Feed Inkjet
High-volume, continuous feed inkjet production presses bridge the gap between digital and offset. Continuous feed inkjet targets a range of applications including high-volume commercial print, production mail, publishing, and even packaging. Manufacturers continue to make changes to their printheads, ink sets, and print engines to offer more cost-effective ways to print on offset-quality substrates. dps

Nov2018, DPS Magazine

Continuous Feed
Digital Print
Inkjet

By Cassandra Balentine

Book publishing is a core area of the print industry. Within that, textbooks are a unique segment with several economic and cultural factors driving its evolution. When digital printing emerged more than a decade ago, the publishing model began to transform. Book manufacturers were among the first to embrace inkjet. As this technology evolves it becomes more important to the modern supply chain.

The ability to print at high speeds and combine finishing inline allows textbook manufacturers to push the breakeven points toward digital from offset. It is important to take into account the overall cost of production versus the price per page to determine whether or not digital is more economical for a particular production run. Beyond cost, digital print technologies offer inherent benefits like the ability to provide variable pages and shorter runs.

Textbooks Transition
New technologies allow the textbook to evolve, enabling custom editions, limited runs, and even virtual links to electronic tools.

David Murphy, worldwide marketing director, HP PageWide Industrial Division, HP Inc., points out that inventories of out-of-date or unsold books create major economic burdens for education book publishers. Many have re-engineered their book production model from print then sell to a more effective sell first then print strategy.

Graham McLachlan, sales director, Enterprise Inkjet Systems Division, Kodak, says inkjet provides an argument towards on demand production models for high volumes of books, which is not achievable with slower and more costly electrophotographic (EP) devices. “Driven by the publishers’ desire to eliminate waste and free up the enormous sums sitting in inventory combined with the threats of e-readers to the printed book it provided the perfect storm for the already established inkjet revolution in the publishing segment.”

Book printers traditionally led the way in digitization and consolidation of manufacturing processes, being among the first to migrate to fully imposed film output and then to computer plate solutions because of the standardized product and the immediate benefits and savings in the prepress departments, adds McLachlan. The emergence of high-speed industrial inkjet solutions is a breakthrough in cost per book and speed of production, creating a significant challenge to offset.

“The industry has undergone several significant challenges over the past decade. First and foremost, with the economic downturn of 2007 to 2008, textbook adoptions were severely curtained, reducing the demand for printed products, resulting in books that were increasingly out of date in the hands of students in local schools. State budgets have begun to recover and there is now a growing demand to replace these legacy textbooks across the country. In addition, the growth of digital printing has significantly altered how textbooks are published and manufactured,” points out Jim Kaeli, solutions manager, book technology and hardcover division, Muller Martini.

Will Frank, marketing specialist, Standard Finishing Systems, says textbook run lengths have declined but seem to have reached an equilibrium. “Publishers have been experimenting with both print and digital platforms, trying to find the right balance. The consensus seems to be that both print and digital—not either/or—play an important role. We’re also seeing more customized course packs, so educators can blend chapters from different books to match their syllabus. Education researchers universally agree that printed books outperform e-books and other mediums on learning and knowledge retention. Textbooks will invariably change over time, but hardcopies you can touch and feel have a fundamentally bright future.”

Murphy also sees a trend towards adaptive learning. Within this trend, textbook content is customized to the unique learning level of each student. “Digital print is the enabler as a true book of one can be efficiently and affordably produced and delivered to the student.”

Steven Germansky, high-speed inkjet sales, publishing specialist, Screen Americas, says trends in publishing—while different than the general commercial print market—have the same effect of driving down run lengths, shortening the time-to-market cycle, and making digital a valuable tool for textbook production. “For example, we have seen publishers offering state-specific and custom content that results in multiple variant editions of what used to be single titles. We also see the integration of online content that frequently requires versioned and shorter print runs as content changes,” he offers.

Technology Pushing Forward
Digital printing technology continues to get faster and more reliable, enabling book manufacturers to handle both high volumes and shorter runs. In addition, Murphy points out that workflow is creating new efficiencies in prepress, production management, and finishing.

Manrico Caglioni, president, Book Automation, adds that its web-fed finishing solution allows printers to run different textbooks on the fly without stopping the equipment at the end of each job. This is available thanks to automatic programming features. He sees digital printing and finishing solutions enabling textbook manufacturers to produce short runs efficiently and cost effectively. This ultimately gives publishers many advantages such as shortened time to market, savings due to reduced or near zero storage costs and waste, and the availability of variable data applications.

Industrial inkjet and associated finishing solutions are now an intrinsic part of the manufacturing options available to the printer and publisher. “High-end inkjet allows for longer runs to migrate economically from offset at a lower run length in the book-of-one for example, depending on all the other impacting factors surrounding the job, an EP press could be the right option. From long-run offset jobs all the way to single copies, digital printing offers flexibility to the publisher and printer. We should consider that the print method is no longer important or relevant as it is all about choosing the most cost-effective means of manufacturing for any given job,” says McLauchlan.

High-speed, four-color inkjet printing provides manufacturing productivity at a lower cost per page than either color toner or short-run offset with plate changes. “Bindery equipment is also expanding to meet the needs of custom publishing in terms of speed and with various page counts/trim sizes,” points out Germansky.

Kaeli says digital printing and finishing drives the development and rapid growth of customized textbooks down to a single class size. “In the past, a single textbook—say a history book—would need to serve the needs of a single state or region. Now, history texts can be customized by the publisher to represent unique geographic or regional interests on several topics,” he offers.

Shorter run lengths and customized course packs require a robust and efficient print-on-demand digital book platform, so these textbooks can be manufactured efficiently, comments Frank. That equates to higher demand for automated finishing. A short-run system requires quick, efficient setup and changeover and has zero tolerance for spoilage or waste.

Textbook Trends
The past decade brought a lot of change in textbooks, which includes the rise of both rental markets and electronic editions.

McLauchlan sees an opportunity to have more specific course or lecturer content in some educational publications; this would reduce the pagination of the publication focusing on the relevant teaching sections only. This further reduces waste and also impacts the amount of second-hand books on the market.

Kaeli says print runs can now go to double or even single digits. In addition, and particularly at the college level, teachers and professors can tailor textbooks to closely match the desired syllabus of their classes. “Our digital finishing solutions complement customized book production runs, enabling very short runs to be produced economically.”

“The textbook market is providing ways for students to affordably obtain learning materials. The more streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective digital printing can be, the better equipped it is to compete with these other textbook markets,” says Sheri Jammallo, senior advisor, marketing, Canon Solutions America.

Textbook publishers increasingly offer book titles in multiple formats from printed books to e-books to audiobooks. “Digital enables the ability to print the quantity needed with quick turnaround time as demand changes,” says Murphy.

Electronic components to publishing—like e-books as well as electronic supplements—complement traditional, physically printed books. “E-books are part of modern textbook publishing as a complement of the traditional books, allowing in-depth and multi-media analysis of the textbook’s subject,” says Caglioni.

McLachlan believes the level or degree of importance of electronic delivery can depend on the part of the world being discussed. “In some developing countries, printed books dominate educational publishing for example. I believe that on balance, print and electronic delivery will sit side by side as discussed in the points about choosing the most efficient manufacturing process. The consumer will choose how they want to consume the content—either print or electronic. However, the predictions about the demise of printed books in the same way that digital content changed the way we access music looks unlikely and consumers in a growing number prefer the printed page,” he shares.

Germansky says online content and testing supplements create textbooks with a longer adoption cycle and can also enable a longer shelf life for that edition before new printing is required.

“In today’s classroom environment, whether it be elementary, high school, or even college—electronic media components are used to supplement traditional print books. This is particularly true in the language area, where online/internet-based labs can supplement or even replace traditional language labs. In addition, these can be accessed throughout the day or evening, making them more user friendly and cost effective,” says Kaeli.

Jammallo adds that there was a time when school boards and educational institutions were shifting from printed to online textbooks in an effort to be more environmentally friendly. However, recent research indicates that reading comprehension is higher in print then in digital, which could have major implications on learning. “More so, there is still a high preference for printed books. So, now we are seeing a trend where textbooks link to detailed videos, three-dimensional renderings, or online quizzes to check for comprehension—thereby using both printed and electronic components.”

Additionally, while printed books have footnotes or endnotes that take the reader to the source reference of the content, solutions like HP Link Technology enable readers to use a smartphone to click on the text hyperlinks and be directed to a website to explore and learn through multiple layers of internet-based content.

Advantages and Challenges
Digital printing reduces labor in the process of offset printing, therefore lowering costs without sacrificing quality, comments Jammallo. “Digital printing also accommodates short- to medium-runs and allows for variable data printing and versioning options.”

Kaeli says digital printing and finishing complement traditional book manufacturing and is not intended as a replacement. It instead offers a cost-effective solution to the offset production process.

The main advantage of implementing digital printing and finishing is flexibility and the ability to address the demand of producing several short-run jobs per day instead of a few titles with longer runs. “On the finishing side, new solutions allow quick change over, flexibility, and highly efficient production of textbooks,” says Caglioni.

Germanksy points out that advantages to digital inkjet printing for textbook production include the ability to produce fewer copies down to a single book on demand, with variable content at production speeds and more economical costs.

He believes quality control and data verification are important. “On press, OCR-enabled camera inspection systems produce necessary audit trails for publishers. Online ordering systems, web to print integration, and MIS reporting are all key components to managing the lifecycle with reduced inventory with print on demand for short-run front lists, reprints, and custom publishing.”

McLachlan says the challenge is understanding the current run length and job profiles and what volumes are more economically printed via inkjet than current offset or other entry-level digital solutions.

“Manufacturers must work closely with publishing customers to understand the evolving needs in educational markets. They must continually re-educate themselves to stay abreast of the rapidly changing digital printing and finishing landscape,” states Kaeli.

Caglioni says the biggest challenge is creating and implementing a workflow capable of managing the increased number of jobs to be produced per day with a very short time to market—sometimes as low as 24 hours.

Frank admits that it’s challenging to attempt the short-run or book-of-one business model using conventional bookbinding methods because labor costs associated with setup and changeover will chew into profits. “To manufacture short-run books efficiently, you need to automate and streamline the production process with reliable system elements and eliminate manual touch points.”

Bringing new technology into any existing manufacturing platform requires a cultural shift and a fresh mindset. “Sometimes digital book printing and binding is set up as a separate manufacturing cell with different staff to help ensure the technology is properly adopted. That’s less common today, as most book manufacturers recognize that digital printing and binding are just another set of tools that help them compete more effectively and complement long-run book work,” adds Frank.

Equipment for the Job
Many digital printing and finishing products are suited for textbook production.

Canon offers production inkjet technology, which the company says is well suited for manufacturing short-run books. “This technology gives publishers a new level of control over managing inventory, enabling them to adjust their strategy as demand wanes or surges for individual titles, and helping ensure that what they produce they also sell. Production inkjet enables every small order to be produced efficiently and run seamlessly as part of a much larger print run batch. This makes it possible to make short-run book production profitable for any printer,” says Jammallo.

HP is driving the adoption of digitally printed textbooks by improving print quality using High Definition Nozzle Architecture (HDNA) and increasing media versatility using HP Priming for offset media.

The company offers a full portfolio of HP PageWide Presses for the educational publishing market. The flagship of the HDNA-enabled inkjet portfolio is the HP PageWide T490 HD, with print capacity of up to 8,000 color pages per minute.

Meccanotecnica offers a range of solutions for the production of digitally printed books including the Universe family of thread sewing machines, which produce thread-sewn books starting either from cut sheets or rolls. This binding technique makes books that always lay flat, even with high spine volumes. Downstream, the company’s Inline back gluer allows for the application of the soft cover or the preparation of books for the casing in process. Its Trimming solution allows for three-sided book cutting. Universe, Inline, and Trimming can be connected inline for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

Muller Martini offers web finishing solutions to produce book blocks from inkjet or toner-based continuous feed engines. The company also offers finishing solutions from saddle stitched to customized booklets to perfect bound books down to runs of one and highly efficient casing in solutions for hardcover books. Touchless workflow, barcode-driven automation, and high-productivity capabilities are key factors that allow the AlegroDigital and KM200 to address textbook production.

The Kodak Prosper 6000 High Speed Inkjet Printing System provides speed, quality, and cost, which McLachlan says are necessary in a competitive and viable solution.

Screen manufactures and sells a full line of Truepress Jet 520 Series narrow web, high-speed continuous-feed production inkjet presses for the book manufacturing environment.

Specifically designed to respond to the growing need for short to medium run-length book production, the Smart Binding System from Standard Finishing goes from roll to finished book with no manual touchpoints. It combines a Hunkeler unwinder and rotary cutter with Horizon folder, gluing and pressing station, perfect binder, intelligent accumulator, and three-knife trimmer to convert pre-printed rolls into finished books in a continuous, fully automated, touch-free process. The system is able to move seamlessly between books of varying format and page count, ensuring absolute quality assurance through end-to-end system control and integrity checking. It can produce up to 2,000 books an hour, without manual intervention or added labor costs.

Changing Markets
Within the publishing industry, the process of manufacturing textbooks evolves with digital print and finishing technologies.

“Books are one of the fastest growing applications in our industry, so we think this market will be active over the next few years,” says Jammallo. “We expect to see more book printers invest in digital solutions—especially production inkjet—to keep up with the changes in demand in the overall book and textbook markets. We expect to see more printers shift to a print on demand only model, which makes a digital solution absolutely critical.”

As digital print continues to evolve it becomes more attractive to textbook publishers and manufacturers. dps

Nov2018, DPS Magazine

Digital Print
Textbooks

By Olivia Cahoon

Digital envelope printing devices utilize high-speed inkjet and toner technology for full-color printing, variable data, and lower operating costs. Print providers that invest in a digital envelope printer look for specific functions like automatic loading, high speed, and multiple job processing. Before selecting a solution, it’s important to consider intended media types and material thickness.

Above: Printware’s offering of the iJetColorPro is a light, industrial envelope press that uses a vacuum conveyor system.

The Envelope Evolution
Envelope printing evolved to reduce pre-printed envelopes and logistical challenges while promoting full color and short runs. This is partly due to the success of digital envelope printing.

Traditional envelope printers featured windowed and pre-printed envelopes, which are often associated with challenges like high inventory and warehousing space. The onset of digital print technology introduced a just-in-time manufacturing approach with the ability to print short-run envelopes and labels with colorful graphics at high speeds, comments Bill Papp, product manager, Document Data Solutions (DDS).

“Recently, higher speed inkjet technology was introduced to provide real production capacity at a significantly reduced operating cost and duty cycle exceeding 2,000,000 per month,” he explains. Papp points out that digital print technology offers the ability to produce personalized graphics and mailing addresses on plain white, closed-face envelopes inline with processing equipment.

Inline digital envelope printing streamlines workflow and eliminates waste at higher speeds all while offering four-color printing and variable data. For example, inline devices print addresses in zip code order with the appropriate Intelligent Mail Barcode as mail inserts—allowing large mailers to comingle jobs and take advantage of postal discounts without added expenses or offline sorting, shares Papp.

Today’s envelope use is largely connected to mailing applications like transactional and direct mail. These markets seek solutions that optimally process physical output streams. As a result, print service providers invest in faster production machines such as inkjet printers and inserter systems, says Arwin van Oostveen, international sales director, DJM Inkjet Solutions. “In order to process the volumes efficiently, blank envelopes are used more often and are printed online with inserting machines with logos, addressing, and postage.”

Additionally, the direct mail market has made a comeback—demonstrating strong growth in one-to-one communications—with the use of variable data, says Oostveen. It’s often used by retail companies to display targeted messaging on the envelope—resulting in higher attention value and conversion rates.

Arthur Verwey, senior product marketing manager, OKI Data Americas, says schools and universities, quick printers, and commercial printers are more demanding now than ever. “They want the latest and greatest technology and the most impressive graphic output. They are moving away from traditional applications and towards technology that provides a wow factor.”

Digital Is Integral
Compared to traditional solutions, digital envelope printers offer advantages including the ability to use variable data, an on demand printing process, inline capabilities, and lower operating costs for short runs.

Moving the envelope printing process to inline inkjet printing enables print providers to produce high-quality, full-color personalized messages and graphics quickly and cost effectively, says Andrew Bruce, product line manager, inserter print solutions, BlueCrest Inc. “Studies show consumers are more likely to open mail if it has colorful graphics on its envelope.”

Digital envelope printers also provide immediate advantages like relevant messaging with variable data, lower operating costs, and greater security using closed-faced envelopes. In fact, Bruce believes inkjet printing eliminates the need to use anything other than plain white envelopes.

“You can personalize messages down to each individual envelope. With high-impact color and graphics, your mail piece delivers a great first impression before it’s even opened,” he offers.

Digital envelope printing equates to personalization and customization—the ability to print variable data, variable images, and quick response codes. “Plus, digital technology can accommodate smaller print runs economically. There are no setup charges involved, no waste, and jobs are printed quickly due to the mechanics of digital technology,” says Verwey.

Compared to offset devices, digital envelope printers benefit from shorter run sizes. “The high cost of plate changes in both material and labor add up quickly,” admits Papp. In addition to cost effectiveness for short runs, these devices also yield high personalization at speeds of over 25,000 envelopes per hour. “It’s about being more competitive in the marketplace by providing better pricing and faster delivery while increasing profits, particularly on short-run jobs,” he adds.

When dealing with multi-color envelopes, suitable job sizes are typically one to nearly 100,000. After 100,000—unless there is a variable data component—the advantage shifts back to offset. “Because of this, shorter run jobs can be run per shift yielding more profitability for the printer,” says Andrew Schipke, VP, sales & marketing, W+D North America Inc. The printer can also fulfill orders quickly and respond faster to time-sensitive jobs.

In addition to advantages over offset technology, inkjet envelope printers compared to toner devices offer the ability to print over non-flat finished surfaces like seams or embossed paper, adds Schipke. Unlike toner technology, inkjet is a non-thermal process that allows print providers to use traditional, low-cost window films.

Problem Solving
Despite its advantages, digital envelope printers have their fair share of challenges in regards to media, feeding, printability, and print quality.

“Envelopes are different because they are made with four or more layers of paper, thickness varies all over the envelope,” shares Verwey.

Several common envelope challenges occur with cuts, folds, glue, flap adhesive, paper dust, and twisted materials. “It can really cause a fit for mailers. Most printers are designed to handle cutsheet or roll paper with a nice, flat, and even surface,” admits William J. Longua, senior director, Neopost Digital Print Group.

It’s important that envelope printers can feed and print on challenging items. “They have to be flexible and forgiving,” says Longua. For example, some digital printers handle a range of materials from three-inch coin envelopes and 10×13-inch flats to 10.5×16-inch padded mailers. Additionally, integrated feed systems exist that are designed to quickly separate and feed envelopes into the print engine in the most efficient manner, all while holding registration and being top-loaded so production can continue with minimal stops.

“Media is a substantial challenge to profitable envelope printing,” agrees Tim Murphy, president, Printware Mfg of iJetColor. That is why digital envelope printers are robust and allow a wider range of stocks, thicknesses, feeding methods—friction bottom roller/vacuum table—and adjustable printhead heights to handle media up to one-inch thick. “Research the capabilities of dedicated envelope presses and compare variable costs, speed, and capabilities,” he recommends.

Envelope thickness—not only in variable production mode—and envelope quality comes down to substrate choice. “Inserting machine manufacturers have modified their inserting machine with an adjustable transport section that compensates the thickness,” says Oostveen. In the case of inkjet printing, he believes this is especially important in order to have the proper distance between printhead and substrate.

Limitations
In addition to challenges, digital envelope printers also have limitations that need to be improved to match rivaling technology.

For example, not all colors will translate to a CMYK inkjet process—especially on uncoated paper. To accurately match colors, Schipke says print providers need a fifth spot color station or the ability to change paper to a treated or coated inkjet substrate. “This may not work for a variety of technical and cost reasons so it’s critical that you understand the color gamut of the inkjet press you are looking at and your customers’ demands,” he cautions.

Those successful with a CMYK inkjet process typically change how they sell print. Schipke says these providers optimize prepress, RIP, and color software for a range of papers and substrates that fit the cost and needs of the customers.

There are also limitations with different types of digital printers. Toner units require heat and some envelopes don’t respond well to that technology, admits Longua. “Getting toner to fuse on thicker materials or stuffed envelopes doesn’t work either and the fuser can melt non-laser-safe window envelopes. Speed is also not the greatest for toner-based printers.”

On the other hand, he believes inkjet printers are much faster, but they require a porous substrate—or one that is inkjet pre-treated—so the ink dries quickly upon printing. This is the main limitation on an inkjet device, which affects its suitability for some applications. “Obviously, the pros far outweigh the cons for both of these technologies because they are very successful in this market,” adds Longua.

According to Joe Bondonna, product manager, Spiral Binding Company, Inc., the bottom line is that offset print technology still offers the best print quality. “Provided the end user’s volumes justify the large print runs required to make offset pricing reasonable, which is still the preferred method.” However, he adds that the ability to add short-run marketing information to a customer’s mailpiece can outweigh the advantages of offset envelope printing.

Specific Functions
Print providers seeking a digital envelope printer look for specific features like multiple job processing, intelligent inserting, and a low cost of ownership.

Verwey suggests features like a feeder that is easy to set up between different sizes of envelopes or even flat sheets, Pantone matching colors, variable data at rated engine speed, straight paper path, and a fifth color option are in demand.

A high-speed envelope print system requires a workflow that automatically loads and processes multiple jobs without stopping. “The ability to group print jobs together allows the operator to load several hours of productions with a couple of mouse clicks,” says Papp. Solutions are available with automated workflow options including the ability to accept ICC color profiles for adequate color reproduction.

The type of envelope affects the print technology that the print provider chooses. “The provider must ensure that the printer will be able to print on all the types of envelopes the customers will request,” advises Mark Priede, VP, sales and marketing, Xanté. He suggests toner-based printers are ideal for most paper-based substrates.

Because customers often require different envelope sizes, the ability to quickly and easily switch between sizes is also important. “Look for a digital printer with an efficient and simple feed system that accommodates as many envelope sizes as possible. Question the manufacturer about the exact amount of time required to switch sizes,” recommends Priede.

Bondonna says people seem to forget about the cost of ownership. In addition to looking at equipment cost, he suggests print providers also consider output cost as well. “Inkjet systems generally have consumable costs that run one-third the cost of toner-based systems.”

Roundup
A variety of digital envelope printing solutions are currently available. Finding the right solution depends on the device’s features and its media capabilities.

BlueCrest offers the Print + Messenger color inkjet inline printing system. With a maximum 4.25-inch print width, it relies on HP Thermal Inkjet 4 printing technology. Dye-based inks offer vibrant images and high-quality native barcodes without the use of a dryer. The device also features CMYK, variable envelope thickness, built-in composition tools, and PDF workflow with the Print + Composer. The Print + Composer software merges address and postal data, marketing messages, and images to create dynamic envelope content. Bruce says the full printing system supports a range of production job sizes.

DJM Inkjet Solutions provides the HP Color Print Module C500. The device handles widths up to 4.25 inches and offers the ability to add color images, graphics, and variable data to envelopes and documents. The device operates up to 500 feet per minute and features a modular design to easily integrate with existing equipment and workflow. According to Oostveen, the HP Color Print Module C500’s automated service helps it stand out from the competition.

The DDS iDataPrint ColorSpeed C500 offers a 4.25- or 8.5-inch print width on any envelope size. Utilizing HP inkjet technology, it performs automated printhead cleaning and maintenance, various workflow options, standard ICC color profiling, and optional print verification. The device is designed for an output of up to five million envelopes per month. Papp says the iDataPrint ColorSpeed C500 is available for $163,000 including 4.25 inches of CMYK color print, ink delivery, and print controller.

The Neopost MACH 6 utilizes 1,600 dpi Memjet thermal inkjet technology to handle envelopes up to 10.5×16 inches with a 3/8-inch thickness. It features full-color output and a full bleed to handle average production sizes from 25,000 to 50,000 envelopes per month. According to Longua, the device’s color output exceeds 8,000 envelopes per hour while offering all-metal heavy duty construction, a color touch screen, job storage and recall, adjustable thickness control, and a 500 plus envelope capacity top-loading feeder. Pricing starts under $20,000.

OKI Data’s envelope presses feature a straight paper path, easy set up feeder, LED technology, and a fifth color option.

Printware’s iJetColorPro industrial inkjet press is a high-speed, light industrial envelope press that prints full-color filled or unfilled envelopes of various sizes and shapes for volumes targeted at 1,750 to 7,120 variable images per hour. The device uses a vacuum conveyor system to deliver products for personalization, text, and imaging. It utilizes a Memjet-based VersaPass component and handles print widths up to 8.7 inches. The system incorporates leading color management tools, workflow, industrial touchscreen operation, and supplies from Printware. According to Murphy, the iJetColorPro is available for under $60,000.

Spiral Binding offers the iJetColor Press Performance Bundle, powered by Memjet. It handles media up to 9.5×17 inches and produces 4,700 envelopes per hour. The bundle includes everything print providers need to print four-color personalized envelopes, direct mail, and short-run letterheads including iJetColor RIP and Workflow, iJetColor Spot Color Matching/Correction Software, and iJetColor Variable Print Utility. Bondonna estimates that users receive a return on investment in 12 months by producing as few as ten orders of 1,000 envelopes per month. MSRP is $24,995.

W+D offers a portfolio of inkjet technology for various envelope mailing segments including the W+D Halm i-Jet inkjet envelope press in the envelope overprinting market. The device handles sheets and envelopes up to 15×18 inches and utilizes production class Memjet CMYK+ technology. Its engine offers 1,600×1,375 dpi with a production size of over six million envelopes per year. W+D Halm i-Jet produces 32,000 envelopes per hour at high resolutions.

The Xanté En/Press Multimedia Digital Press is an electrophotographic envelope printer that handles sizes up to 13×49.6 inches. It prints up to 4,000 envelopes per hour and offers 4,800 dpi. The digital press includes a patented Enterprise High Speed Feed System and iQueue Workflow. It also supports heavy media up to 18-point thickness and includes PlateMaker 8 technology for printing on polyester plate media. According to Priede, the En/Press Multimedia Digital Press is available through Xanté direct sales or the company’s global network of independent dealers.

Modern Postcard
Established in 1976, Modern Postcard is a high-quality print and direct mail marketing provider based in Carlsbad, CA. The company serves the mailing and addressing industry—offering direct mail, data and lists, marketing and design, and custom solutions.

The print provider originally used a toner-based device for its envelope printing but felt it was limiting its capabilities. In July 2015, the company sought a solution to remain competitive and produce high-quality, customized envelopes in house, at an affordable cost. Soon after it selected the Memjet-powered iJetColor Press from Spiral Binding.

The iJetColor Press is a complete digital color print solution that handles up to 4,700 envelopes per hour at a maximum 9.5×17-inch width. With this device, Modern Postcard prints full color with variable data in one step at 1,600×1,600 dpi. It provides the company with the ability to print full-bleed, windowed envelopes.

“When it came down to make the final decision on quality, purchase cost, and actual total cost of ownership, the iJetColor Press came out on top,” says Keith Goodman, VP, corporate solutions, Modern Postcard.

Before investing in the iJetColor Press, printing graphics and variable data on an envelope was a two-step, two-machine process for the print provider. A minimum quantity was required to justify setup time and cost-per-piece was high. Outsourcing the job could take seven to ten days.

After utilizing its newest press, Modern Postcard prints personalized messages and addresses using the same machine in a single pass. Its faster setup time allows the company to take on smaller projects that still make financial sense with no minimum quantity. It also produces high-quality graphics in house, on demand, with a four-day turnaround.

“The iJetColor Press has given us the opportunity to run medium-sized jobs without burning out the unit because of the durability and the speed. We can knock out a medium-sized job in a day. The printer paid for itself in four and a half months,” offers Goodman.

Modern Postcard ultimately purchased the iJetColor Press to print better quality customized envelopes in house, which led to a 50 percent decrease in turnaround time and a 50 percent gross margin increase compared to outsourcing.

Envelopes with Style
Envelope market segments like direct mail and transactional billing benefit from the use of digital envelope printers. These devices evolved with high-speed inkjet technology—allowing print providers to create full-color envelopes with variable data.

“Envelope printing has become a more demanding solution for printers and direct mail operations as customers want more impactful and colorful designs with shorter runs and faster turnaround,” concludes Murphy. dps

Nov2018, DPS Magazine

Digital Print
Envelopes

By Cassandra Balentine

Many factors come into play to perfect media performance with production inkjet. Paper manufacturers offer solutions especially formulated for optimal results on specific equipment and ink sets while original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) look for ways to improve media performance on their end. Both sides work closely together to ensure success for the end user.

Above: Kodak Prosper presses feature fast, intelligent drying.

Understanding Media Compatibility
The first step for those running high-speed production inkjet is to understand the nuances of media compatibility.

The media selection will make a significant difference in runability, finishing, image quality, and cost. “The same ink can react very differently to two very similar media from different suppliers,” explains Mark Schlimme, director of marketing, Screen Americas. Support and training for paper profiling should be important criteria in any evaluation.

Every system’s inks are a little different, and media must not only be compatible with inkjet, but also with the specific engine’s ink sets. “Print providers should have the conversation with the OEM about the types of media compatible with their devices,” recommends Dave Bell, manager, product marketing, media, Commercial & Industrial Printing Business Group, Ricoh.

Lucy Perez-Sierra, senior marketing specialist, media and papers, Canon Solutions America, points out that anyone new to the world of production inkjet should know that it is thriving, and media options for inkjet continue to grow and evolve with the technology. “The media options we have today are far more advanced and diverse than those we had even just one year ago,” she offers.

Will Mansfield, director, worldwide marketing and category management, enterprise inkjet systems, Kodak, adds that while many papers may look alike, different properties—pulp, additives, smoothness, and surface chemistry—are specially formulated to support different applications. Inkjet papers have unique advantages for image quality. They are optimized for optical density and color gamut and formulated to reduce color-to-color bleed, show through, and ink mottle. “Ultimately, the substrate selection is driven by the characteristics and demands of printed output. Run lengths, color or monochrome, and variable data all impact the decision and may often call for a hybrid approach.”

It is imperative that print providers understand their customer’s expectations. For example, is it important to use the exact stock that they have traditionally run on offset? Ed Pierce, product marketing manager, Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division, says an inkjet platform may require a treated stock to properly allow ink to dry and cure so it doesn’t remain tacky.

Deana Conyard, worldwide marketing manager, continuous feed inkjet, and Beth Barrese, inkjet media specialist, Xerox Corporation, suggest selecting a paper that works well for both the customer application and the target press. “Aqueous-based inks absorb into the fibers of the paper—unlike toner, which gets fused to the surface of the paper. Therefore, printers should understand the differences with the way ink interacts with each piece of paper before they start a job. Furthermore, the characteristics of paper may define different operating parameters of the press—such as dryer temperatures, ink limits, drop sizes, resolution, and production speed.”

Bell notes that generally, Ricoh suggests print providers start with dye and move to pigment when needed. “Dye inks are less expensive and are good for transaction applications. Pigment inks are best when it comes to archivability, using light weight media, and sometimes water fastness. For instance, when printing books, pigment makes sense because it has greater staying power and sits higher on the sheet, which means it won’t show through lightweight paper as easily as dye ink.”

In book printing, Mansfield says paper choices are driven by publishers, where initial production involves long print runs on an offset press in B&W. This may be supplemented later with short runs using inkjet presses. On the other hand, newspaper publishers make their choice of substrates to accommodate a mix of medium length print runs and shorter runs of regionalized materials. Similar to book publishers, a hybrid offset/inkjet model suits production needs. For direct mail and color-critical applications, marketers and agencies make a paper selection based on the desired result and impact. These print runs typically emphasize faster turnaround times, variable data, adjustable run lengths, full color, and high quality. “The opportunity for every market, therefore, is to match the quality, production, and price goals with substrates that deliver predictability and performance. With a growing supply of excellent inkjet papers, clients need tools and data to help them choose the best paper for their application,” he comments.

Schlimme adds that media is a significant part of overall job cost. “Based on thousands of jobs that Screen Americas has helped printers evaluate, paper costs typically account for 35 to 40 percent of a job’s total cost. Paper costs as a percentage of total costs can be even higher as high-speed inkjet continues to improve its ability to efficiently produce longer run lengths. As inkjet print quality has improved, print providers are looking to move jobs on coated stocks to inkjet. Therefore, the ability to print to commodity grade, readily available coated lithographic stocks can represent significant savings as treated papers typically carry pricing premiums of between 20 and 30 percent over standard coated lithographic stocks,” he explains.

Scott Robertz, digital printing systems product manager, Komori America, says the good news is that print providers don’t have to sacrifice anything in terms of media compatibility. “With the latest inkjet technologies for high-speed inkjet—including UV ink with LED curing—the same stocks as traditional offset presses may be used. There is no longer the need to purchase pre-treated stocks or apply a primer to the sheet prior to printing.”

Choosing Ink Sets
One differentiation to take into account is the use of dye- or pigment-based inks, each type having its own characteristics that affect the print output.

Dye inks involve a colorant that is dissolved in the carrier liquid, similar to the way sugar dissolves in water, explains Perez-Sierra. With dye inks, paper acts as a sponge to hold the colorants that stain the paper fibers. They are absorbed more deeply into the paper, making results more scratch resistant than pigment.

In contrast, pigment inks involve a colorant that is insoluble in the carrier liquid but is dispersed or suspended in the form of small particles. “Pigment is similar to paint. With pigment inks, paper acts as a filter to capture particles and hold them in the paper fibers,” says Perez-Sierra. She adds that pigment inks tend to sit higher on the top of the paper and are more light and fade resistant, but may be less scratch resistant.

Mansfield says selecting the right ink requires evaluating ink costs, drying requirements and capabilities, effects on printhead life, achievable color gamut, image performance, along with environmental considerations against the print applications one intends to run.

Inkjet ink dries using a combination of absorption into the media and evaporation into the air, allowing the excess water to disperse quickly and leaving the colorant on the surface for color pop, offers Perez-Sierra, adding that the type of ink and paper determines just how much pop. “This translates into color vibrancy and robustness of the completed application. It is important to note that each type of ink—dye or pigment—prints differently and will do so on different papers.”

While dye inks can offer advantages in brightness and may be less expensive per unit volume, David Murphy, worldwide marketing director, PageWide Industrial Division, HP Inc., says pigment inks tend to offer better lightfastness, color fastness, and color stability.

Conyard and Barrese note that for uncoated papers, the industry has largely moved away from dye-based inks due to advancements in pigment-based inks, where they are more stable and cost effective. “Pigment-based inks produce more favorable quality on a wider range of substrates, whereas dye-based inks require more expensive inkjet treated or coated media. Pigment inks offer better water resiliency and have more efficient ink utilization,” they explain. “Dye-based inks may still be less costly per unit, but systems generally require more ink usage for acceptable quality. Traditionally, inks were only compatible with uncoated media or expensive inkjet coated media, however advancements in ink formulations allow for compatibility with traditional offset coated media as well. The ink formulations have to be optimized around the coated versus uncoated attributes because uncoated and coated media have competing performance characteristics around absorption.”

Pierce suggests print providers carefully consider what they need to accomplish with a production inkjet platform and then understand that the ink sets run on various platforms. Are they trying to run very basic and low-quality work that does not require deep colors and a wide color gamut? How does finishing come into play? Does an ink’s finish perform well with coatings and lamination films for instance? These questions help print providers properly select ink.

Media Perspective
While fairly simple mechanics drive production inkjet presses, the nuances of ink and media compatibility are complex. It is important to achieve a thorough understanding of ink sets and media selections available to ensure successful output. dps

Nov2018, DPS Magazine

Digital Print
Inkjet Media

By DPS Staff

thINK, an independent community of Canon Solutions America production print customers, held its fourth annual inkjet educational conference from September 5 to 7, 2018 in Boca Raton, FL at the Waldorf Astoria Boca Raton Resort & Club.

thINK is a network of production inkjet users. This year it brought together over 600 inkjet customers, prospective customers, analysts, partners, press, and industry experts.

Throughout the three-day event, more than 25 educational sessions were offered, along with hands-on workshops, networking opportunities, keynote speakers, and special evening gatherings.

The event kicked off with a word from the thINK board of directors followed by an energetic keynote presentation by Ted Rubin, CMO, Brand Innovation.

Above: thINK, an independent community of Canon Solutions America production print customers, held its fourth annual inkjet educational conference in September.

New at thINK 18
thINK 2018 presented unique activities for attendees. For the first time, it provided hands-on workshops.

Additionally, the event hosted the inaugural Inkjet Innovation Awards honoring unique innovation, forward-thinking strategy, and proven excellence in inkjet printing. Winners were announced during the conference and honored for pushing the boundaries of inkjet technology.

Further, attendees were invited to visit and tour the Canon Customer Experience Center in Boca Raton, FL to see the latest Canon Solutions America production inkjet equipment firsthand.

Another element of the event was the networking time in the Partner Pavilion, where representatives from Canon and several vendor partners including ARCIS, Domtar, Duplo, International Paper, Muller Martini, Standard Finishing, and Tecnau exhibited.

The conference concluded with an engaging keynote by Jamie Clarke, adventurer/CEO, LiveOutThere.com. Clarke shared his perspective on setbacks and success by sharing his experiences climbing Mount Everest.

Tying the event together was the use of Klik Technology, a wearable device connected to an event mobile application (app) that allowed attendees to virtually connect by physically tapping their bands. The more connections made, events attended, and special incentives an attendee participated in, the more points collected. A leaderboard on the app tracked top performers throughout the event, and winners were announced at the conclusion, earning special prizes for participation.

thINK Forum
The annual thINK forum provides a place for current and perspective Canon inkjet users to network, gain knowledge, discuss common challenges, and share best practices. dps

Nov2018, DPS Magazine

Digital Print