Ricoh announces the European availability of its new Ricoh Pro L4100 latex large format printer series. The new roll-to-roll large format printer, officially available in the UK market from March 2014, comes in 130cm (53 inch) or 160cm (63 inch) widths and supports up to seven colours in various configurations. In addition to CMYK, orange, green and white inks are also available. The Ricoh ProTM L4160 and L4130 deliver high print productivity and quality as a result of technological innovations which include the Ricoh piezo electric print heads. The series also meets the market need for products that reduce environmental impacts printing through its use of aqueous latex ink and ability to operate with low power consumption.
Stephen Palmer, Director, Production Print, Ricoh UK & Ireland Ricoh UK says, "Following the early reveal, at drupa 2012, of our intention to grow our portfolio with the system, the Ricoh Pro L4100 series has been through Ricoh's rigorous quality assurance process, and we have been assimilating the positive customer feedback we received. As well as being ideally suited for the specialist signage market, we are particularly excited to be able to offer print services providers in the UK another solution to support their business growth and offer new services such as display and signage to their clients."
The Ricoh Pro L4100's latex ink is an aqueous (water-based) ink which contains a low level of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). It has no odour and the low curing temperature of 60°C ink enables both quick drying, for a fast job turnaround, and the ability to print on many heat-sensitive substrates without damaging them.
The extensive array of media includes PVC, tarpaulin, synthetic paper, coated-paper, uncoated paper, film, textiles and more. In addition, it allows the use of lighter weight substrates, thus reducing overall costs, including shipping. Ricoh is expanding the range of compatible substrates through its continuing media profiling and testing programme in partnership with Colour Concepts, an industry standard for media validation.
"Ricoh latex inks offer outdoor durability of one to two years, or two to three years with lamination. With white ink," says Palmer, "printers' clients benefit from brilliant colour on all substrates - including transparent and dark materials - for signage, branded materials and window displays. And the addition of orange and green extends the colour gamut to encompass a wider range of vibrant colours, ideal for both indoor and outdoor materials, and to reproduce corporate colours accurately."
Ultra-small droplets for ultra-high quality
Using Ricoh's latest generation of high quality stainless steel multiple jetting piezo inkjet heads, three different drop sizes are produced at once, with drops as small as four picolitres. The result is smooth, lifelike images every time. The small drop size also enables production of smooth gradations and fine details, including fine lines and small fonts.
The Ricoh Pro L4100's Uninterrupted Ink Supply System (UISS) adds to the productivity of the printer. "When one CMYK ink cartridge runs out of ink, the system switches automatically to the second cartridge of the same colour for unattended printing," says Palmer. "In a busy print production environment, this ensures that the operation runs as smoothly and productively as possible with minimal operator intervention."
Intuitive ColorGATE RIP for more productivity
The Ricoh Pro L4100 is available with the ColorGATE RIP. "We are providing ColorGATE as a bespoke menu-driven RIP that allows users to choose the exact feature set they need," Palmer explains. "It is intuitive, reducing the learning curve and improving productivity. And it includes excellent colour management tools ideal for demanding commercial print environments."
Palmer concludes: "We anticipate that commercial printers will find the quality and environmental responsibility of a Pro L4100 series printer coupled with the power and colour management capability of the ColorGATE RIP an attractive combination. Especially as they are backed by Ricoh's world class service structure. Today's announcement means they are able to coordinate the in-house production of a broader range of colour-managed print applications, strengthening their client relationships and improving their profitability."
Ricoh Pro L4100 series features summary
· 7 colour printing — CMYK, white, orange and green
· Latest generation Ricoh piezo variable drop print head with drops as small as 4 picolitres
· Aqueous latex ink with low environmental impact
· Durable printing for outdoor and indoor applications
· High productivity printing up to 18.2 m2 per hour
· Fast drying
· Wide range of media supported, from PVC to paper to textiles and more
· Choice of two print widths (1361 mm or 1610 mm)
· 50% less power consumption than its closest competitor
· Lower ink curing temperatures for reduced energy consumption and use of lighter-weight and heat sensitive materials
· Optional ColorGATE menu-driven RIP for exact feature set specification
