Above: Greetings from Düsseldorf! Canon, Epson, Fujifilm, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Ricoh, RISO, and Toshiba were all present in full force exhibiting at drupa, the mega European printing trade fair, May 28-June 7, 2024. The Cannata Report’s Contributing Writer, Mark Vruno, was live onsite for three of those days.
Canon and offset press manufacturer Heidelberg announced a global sales and service cooperation in inkjet printing. Their joint focus is on supporting commercial print businesses striving to establish hybrid offset/digital production to meet changing print buyer needs and increase their capability to handle shorter runs of more diverse jobs. Additionally, Canon is now expanding into the B2-format inkjet market with the varioPRESS iV7 model, shown as a concept in Germany. Commercially available in the second half of 2025, this new sheetfed device can produce 8,700 four-color sheets per hour (simplex) and 4,350 duplexed sheets per hour with versatile media support.
For the very first time, Konica Minolta exhibited at drupa its top-of-the-line AccurioJet 60000, which maximizes throughput with high productivity of 6,000 sheets per hour. Using high-definition, single-pass UV ink, the inkjet press maintains vibrant image quality and gloss reproducibility that approaches offset printing with a high level of color stability.
Ricoh showcased its new Pro VC80000 inkjet, continuous-feed (rotary/roll) press, which can print on sheets up to 23 inches wide and is “about 50% faster than our previous generation,” according to Mark Little, senior manager of marketing and business development. It also features proprietary Firefly drying technology. Using machine learning, Ricoh’s scanning tech captures media data to prepare paper rolls in one-tenth the time on the VC80000 with no operator intervention. Ricoh also demonstrated its B2 inkjet press, the Pro Z75, featuring full auto-duplexing.
Featuring proprietary printhead technology, Epson demonstrated its SurePress L-6534VW digital UV label press. The press features high-pigment, low-migration LED UV curing ink that eliminates the need for precoating a substrate and can be used with standard flexo substrates. The L-6534VW prints labels up to 13.4 inches wide as fast as 164 feet per minute and enables reliable and repeatable, high-speed printing of up to two million square feet per month.
Epson also revealed its new, top-of-the-range industrial on-demand color label printer: the compact Colorworks C8000e. Designed for in-house, on-demand label printing, this device produces exceptional-quality labels at high speeds while reportedly significantly reducing the costs and waste associated with traditional analog label production processes.
In celebration of its 90th year in business, Fujifilm’s massive exhibit area highlighted several product lines. One spotlight shined on the Jet Press 1160CFG continuous-feed inkjet printing system for full-color production at 263 feet per minute (fpm) at 1200×1200-dpi resolution. In addition, Fujifilm showed the Jet Press FP790, which is designed for mainstream flexible packaging. Running at 164 fpm features high-opacity white ink and can integrate seamlessly into an existing production environment. The JP FP790 model on the show floor was sold to Vedreine Packaging Group with locations in France and Switzerland.
Kyocera introduced products and technologies, including inkjet printheads (the KJ4B-EX1200-RC at 1200dpi and the KJ4B-EX600-RC) at 600 dpi. It also showed high-efficiency inkjet print engines incorporating these heads: The GENIX 1200 achieves monochrome or full-color printing with water-based ink using an all-in-one PrintBox concept. The system allows printing at 1200×1200 dpi native with a grayscale mode up to 100m/min., or 1200x600dpi up to 200m/min. on a 108mm print width. The LENIX 1200 has the same resolution and speed as GENIX and offers print widths from 216mm to 866mm.
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RISO showcased post-processing automation. Under the theme “We Innovate. You Benefit / Sustainable Automation,” the OEM introduced the high-speed inkjet printer ComColor GL9730 and production printer VALEZUS T2200/T1200, combined with various post-processing devices. Those inline solutions automate printing to post-processing, contributing to labor efficiency. The company has developed unique, quick-drying oil-based pigment ink that does not require heat during printing. The ink minimizes paper ripping or curling after printing and immediately ensures smooth post-processing. When combined with Pitney Bowes’ inserter, the ComColor GL9730 reportedly enhances labor efficiency by elevating automation such as printing, folding, enclosing, and sealing. By connecting the ComColor GL9730 or VALEZUS T1200 inline with binding machines from SDD and Plockmatic, the system automates the entire process from booklet printing to saddle-stitching, square-folding, and three-side trimming. This A4 booklet solution operates at speeds up to 165 pages per minute with easy replenishment of the cut-sheet paper.
Toshiba Tec and RISO teamed up to demonstrate the Integlide inkjet printer, which can add innovation to packaging workflows for small-lot printing. Toshiba also launched two piezo inkjet printheads: the CF6/R—an evolution of the existing CF3/R—and the CX1, a new head designed to compete with the Ricoh Gen5 and Konica Minolta 1024i in the mid-to-high-volume large format market. Both on-demand piezo electronic inkjet heads are designed for industrial applications requiring high print quality.
