SOS Print + Media invests in Fuji Xerox 2800 Inkjet Press

SOS Print + Media invests in Fuji Xerox 2800 Inkjet Press for high speed colour production Sydney, Monday 22 July, 2013 — Leading Sydney printing and communications company, SOS Print + Media, has invested in a Fuji Xerox 2800 Inkjet Press to address the burgeoning market in high-quality, full-colour digital print.

The new Fuji Xerox 2800 Inkjet Press will be installed at the company’s Alexandria, NSW, headquarters at the end of August, and will be fully operational early in September, complementing the company’s already extensive arsenal of both offset and digital print equipment. SOS Print + Media’s continual research into new business opportunities revealed that the market for full colour in shorter run commercial offset work could be addressed effectively using high-speed, continuous feed colour inkjet. This market includes high quality digital print for books and educational products, magazines, marketing, and transactional products with variable data. Michael Schulz, director at SOS Print + Media, said that the company’s requirements included high quality and consistency in image reproduction, quality service and support back-up, and an upgrade path for the machine.

The Fuji Xerox 2800 is a proven production machine with several installations in ANZ already, so we know it works. Its print quality and productivity were very important, and the support of Fuji Xerox was another factor,” he said.

“We plan to run a wide range of applications that would include educational, marketing and high-volume variable data products. The various quality and productivity requirements were the main reason why we took so long to decide on a colour inkjet solution.” The Fuji Xerox 2800 Inkjet Press is a single-engine duplex printer with a full web width of 520mm. The engine is capable of printing in high quality on a wide variety of coated and uncoated stocks at speeds up to 200 metres per minute. While Schulz is adamant that the company is still committed to offset printing, the new Fuji Xerox 2800 Inkjet Press will open new opportunities for the company.

“Variable items are growing in importance,” Schulz continued. “We now do a lot of mixed offset and digital applications, where we print the colour base offset and then overprint variable in black only. But we plan to turn that into full-colour variable, and of course that then also enhances the product for the customer because variable can be anything, anywhere on the sheet.”
 
“The inkjet is expanding our product range. Offset is still very important for us,” said Michael Schulz. “Offset is an offering we have, but in digital there is certainly growth in digital colour, and there’s growth in short run work. Sometimes we can accomplish that with offset, and sometimes with digital.”
 

An important aspect of the company’s choice of continuous feed inkjet engine was service and support. SOS Print + Media has previously been a customer of Fuji Xerox Australia, and is fully aware of the company’s reputation for ongoing support to clients.

We haven’t had any Fuji Xerox kit for a while but we do know that they are reliable, and we also know they have very good technical support,” he said.

Business Manager and Southern Region Inkjet Specialist for Fuji Xerox Australia, Paul Sanelli, said, “We are thrilled to be part of SOS’s growth strategy. Their selection of our FX2800 high-speed continuous feed inkjet system is validation of Fuji Xerox’s leadership in business aligned solutions, customer support and business development credentials. 

“Integral to their own customers’ requirements was the ability to print on a broad range of papers consistently and without compromising image quality, which the FX2800 excelled at. Hearing the leadership at SOS talk about their offset transition to inkjet, and the value associated with it, provides an insight into their business direction, and their sustainable vision, which we are pleased to be associated with.”