Why should a newspaper publisher or printer consider investing in digital printing today?

The newspaper industry continues to go through a very disruptive transition with the mass migration of readers and advertisers to the Internet. Newspaper publishers and printers must transform their businesses and develop new models to deliver relevant content through both print and digital channels to target audiences. Digital printing is one of the enablers for newspapers to build a new business model.

Some benefits of digital newsprint are the standard offset to digital value props of personalization, micro zip coding for local advertisers, substrate capabilities, finishing and local print and distribution to reduce cost of shipping over long distances. 

What is your business vision for digital printing in the newspaper sector? 

Digital printing and the associated automated workflows can produce short print runs using variable data to personalize content to a targeted group or individual. This allows the production of more specialty editions to a relevant readership which is attractive to advertisers.

Inkjet technology can enable this with a stand-alone press or the mounting of print heads on existing analog presses or finishing equipment. Additionally software products such as Xerox FreeFlow® Digital Publisher and XMPie®, A Xerox Company, provide the automated digital publishing capability of content to print, web and mobile devices.  For example, FreeFlow Digital Publisher offers the ability to produce media rich ‘e’ versions of traditional print jobs to the Web and mobile devices, formatted automatically for easy viewing. 

We understand that newspapers are under intense pressure and must transform. Our vision is that the newspaper segment embraces the digital model for content delivery and the short run printing of more personalized products.

What print head technology does the iPrint eXtreme use?

iPrint eXtreme is designed with DOD piezo-electric inkjet print heads.

How is it possible for the iPrint eXtreme to reach a print speed of 375 m/min (much faster than any other inkjet press on the market - as far as I know)?

The speed of the iPrint eXtreme is based on:

- the choice of the technology (piezo electric DOD Inkjet) and the full mastering of it;

- the combination of frequency and number of print heads;

- the drop jetting management.

What are your requirements with regard to inks and paper? Is it possible to use consumables from different suppliers?

For inks, Impika provides HD Inks (high density), specifically formulated for commodity papers such as standard newsprint with minimal ink show. Our inkjet technologies are specifically tuned to run proprietary inks as the head.  It is important to note that ink combination is critical to optimal performance and machine uptime.

In terms of paper, we have tested a range of traditional commodity newsprint papers from a number of leading suppliers.

What type of ink is used?

One type of ink that can be used is High density inks (HD). They are pigment inks with density boosters specifically formulated by Impika for uncoated papers including newsprint.

The Xerox CiPress™ Production Inkjet System uses Xerox patented waterless solid ink for dye and pigment.

iPrint uses water based dye, pigment and HD inks.

Has the press been sold already (for newspaper production)?

iPrint eXtreme was shown as a technology demonstration at Drupa and is not planned to be fully commercialized until late 2014. We have been deeply engaged with several large newspaper prospects about their early adoption of our inkjet technologies to meet the needs of their rapidly changing market.