By Lisa Guerriero
Digital duplicator manufacturers are moving toward faster devices with higher image quality, providing efficient machines that can drive and supplement production.
Schools, churches, and nonprofits are common users of duplicators, and are settings where they’re often the sole printing device. However, the technology is also popular among commercial printers, who use the devices to supplement other production equipment.
Our March issue profiles three scenarios in which duplicators are used as the solitary output device, or as part of a complete line up of production devices. Here, we offer product highlights from flagship, popular, and new duplicators on the market.
Duplo
Duplo has duplicators in various sizes, speeds, dpi, and sheet sizes, with options geared for entry-level to high production printing.
The company’s flagship duplicator is the DP-U950 Air-Fed Duplicator, which offers a 600×600 dpi resolution and prints up to 150 pages per minute (ppm). It prints ledger size, 11×17 inches, and has adjustable exit guides for perfect stacking capabilities.
Featuring a 3,000-sheet feed/receive capacity, it is designed for higher production jobs such as those for on demand printers, in-house printers, and reprographic divisions. Suggested applications include newsletters, flyers, menus, letters, and school documents.
Ricoh Americas Corp.
Ricoh provides digital duplicators that offer a variety of features and publishing conveniences including color capabilities and computer connectivity.
The company offers a variety of duplicator models, including the Priport DX 3343 for low-volume environments, the Priport DD 4450 for mid-volume operations, and the Ricoh DD 6650P for high-volume needs.
The Priport DX 3343 features a minimum document size of 4.1×5.8 inches, maximum document size of 8.5×14 inches, and a copy speed of 130 ppm.
The Priport DD 4450 offers a minimum document size of 2.8×5.9 inches, maximum document size of 12.8×17.6 inches, and a copy speed of 130 ppm.
The Ricoh DD 6650P provides a minimum document size of 2.8×5.9 inches, maximum document size of 12.8×17.6 inches, and a copy speed of up to 135 ppm.
RISO
RISO offers an array of duplicators, including two new high-end devices. Naoji Igarashi, VP/GM, observes that “traditional” duplicator environments, like schools and churches, are only part of the picture – the company also serves the commercial production market.
RISO describes the SE9480, launched in January, as offering unrivalled speed. It scans and prints at 600 dpi while producing up to 185 sheets per minute (spm). Optional color cylinders afford a wide color selection, including metallic inks like gold. The SE9480 combines “high-end quality with high-speed,” asserts Igarashi. The device has a touch screen panel for review and point-of-printing editing of documents. The SE9480 also uses 95 percent less power than a toner-based system. The SE9480 is suited to a wide variety of printing environments, such as corporate and manufacturing, as well as educational settings.
RISO launched another new duplicator, the ME9450, in December. Aimed at high-volume, one- and two-color printing, it prints at up to 150 ppm at 600 dpi. The device’s workflow capabilities reduce prepress and makeready times by up to 50 percent over more traditional two-color processes. The emphasis is on ease of use, include an “Easy 2-Color” process allows for color separation, and the ability to produce output from multiple formats, such as hard copy, electronic file, USB storage, or files already stored in the unit. RISO recommends the ME9450 to graphic artists, teachers, and office managers who want low-cost printing and while still having spot color.
Standard Finishing Systems
Standard Finishing Systems offers several duplicators models in its SD line, which are user friendly and “combine the convenience of copying with the cost savings and versatility of printing,” says Neal H. Swanson, director, marketing communications, Standard Finishing Systems.
The SD365 prints up to 130 spm on a variety of stocks in 8.5×14 inches. The ink colors are black, red, blue, and green, with an option of custom-built colors. “It provides a large 11×17-inch area platen glass and lets you choose how you accessorize with a rugged platen cover or automatic document feeder,” explains Swanson. As an energy-saving function, the SD365 can shut itself off at a specific time of day or period of non-use. Combined with overall low power use during printing, Standard asserts this ensure up to 80 percent less energy than modern digital copiers.
The SD440 is Energy Star qualified and has an LCD control panel designed to make operation easier for an untrained user. Productive at speeds up to 130 spm, it features 400×600 dpi scanning. It has an optional “short” master drum for printing 8.5×11-inch format. Swanson describes the SD440 as an ideal model for organizations with limited budgets, because it balances print quality with economy.
The SD710 offers HQ-Series of inks and masters, an impression cylinder with built-in gripper, and 600 dpi. These, Swanson says, add up to “press-like quality with the convenience and operating simplicity of an office copier.” The SD710 handles print volumes of up to 600,000 images of up to 11×17 inches per month, with an operator-adjustable speed range of 60 to 135 spm.
Standard also has the SD722, a two-color in one-pass device designed as an accessory to the SD710 and SD440. Images are generated on the host duplicator and then printed at up to 120 spm on the SD722. The operator manages the position of both images on the final copy, and can control paper feed and output settings from the control panel.
Seeing the Benefits
Digital duplicators offer fast, low-cost printing. These advantages mean the devices are sought after, even outside of traditional venues. Vendors are further varying their products to meet the needs of print professionals as well as non-commercial users. dps
