Greens will be supplied with four of the latest Ricoh Pro C9500s; two Ricoh C9500s have already been installed, with two more to follow this year. Additional Pro 8300 mono series devices will also be added to the portfolio later in 2024.

With over 100 years in the communications, documentation and logistics industry, Greens produce clinical research materials for drug trials, with its document construction and global distribution. The company’s other main areas of operation include data and transactional print, mailing and distribution.

Daniel Buckland, group finance director at Greens, commented, ‘This most recent investment in Ricoh technology has enabled us to further improve our existing offerings to our customers and to build further workflow automation into our production environment, which is helping to support the continuing growth of our web to print platform Doxzoo. All of this results in enhanced operational efficiencies for our business and higher-quality output for our customers.’

Tim Carter, commercial print director at Ricoh Graphic Communications, added, ‘We are delighted to extend our partnership with Greens for the next five years. The instalment of the latest Ricoh Pro C9500 will drive a wide range of positive impacts for the customer, generating business success and long-term growth.’

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Looking to replace an existing cutting system that often incurred unproductive periods waiting for support, Next was introduced to the Vivid range through Ricoh, whose T7210 UV wide-format flatbed and TF6251 printers with roll-feed were already in use, and which resells the Vivid line of finishing and embellishment equipment.

Ricoh has been a long-standing supplier to Next, supporting it through workflow and process improvement in Next’s warehousing and storeroom functions, in addition to the wide-format and cut-sheet print and finishing technology. To complement the existing installation and to provide a complete production workflow system, Ricoh chose Vivid’s Veloblade Nexus and Zip Core Packaging Suite to work alongside its Latex and UV flatbed printers.

The system had to be operable over three shifts, easy to use, able to cut various materials involving routing and most of all be reliable. These criteria were amply met, according to Next print services manager Steve Clarke, who commented, ‘Vivid’s support is truly deserving of a five-star rating; they consistently go above and beyond to ensure we have the best support when operating the Veloblade Nexus and Zip Core Packaging Suite. This level of support is truly invaluable to us.

‘Since partnering with Vivid, our experience has been nothing short of fantastic. The Zip Core Packaging Suite opens up endless possibilities, and the ability to send a 3D Virtual CAD of a project, rather than creating a physical sample, has saved us an incredible amount of time. The Veloblade Nexus has demonstrated its precision, speed and clean-cut performance, surpassing all our previous experiences with other brands. This has given us the confidence to take full control of in-house production.’

The installation has not only saved time but has been ‘transformative’ in that it has also delivered substantial cost savings and with technical support from Vivid, has allowed applications to easily be prototyped and bought into production in a matter of hours.

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Described as ‘the world’s first B2 perfecting sheetfed aqueous-based inkjet press’, Ricoh says the Pro Z75 will ‘accelerate the shift from offset to digital with higher print quality, faster turnaround times and fewer demands on staff following successful in-market testing’, delivering ‘the advantages of a sheet-fed platform with the low running costs and high productivity of inkjet’. The description carefully fits around competitive B2 inkjet machines in that Konica Minolta’s KM-1e does perfect but uses UV ink, while Fujifilm’s JetPress 750S and variants has aqueous ink but doesn’t perfect.

The specification is as previously announced, with print speeds of up to 4500 sheets per hour (sph) in straight printing or 2250sph duplex/perfecting mode. Stainless steel piezo print heads give 1200dpi native resolution at all speeds with four colour (CMYK) pigment-based inks, while the proprietary drying system ‘ensures high quality results ready for immediate finishing’. The press handles uncoated, inkjet treated and offset coated media up to 400gsm with a maximum sheet size of 585mm x 750mm.

In addition, the press incorporates ‘significant’ automation solutions and an intuitive control panel to reduce the need for operator intervention and improve shift efficiency. A heavy duty ‘offset-like’ build quality of Ricoh’s own design and advanced, durable printheads are designed to maximise press uptime and availability.

US beta test site Heeter Printing has been using the Z75 since summer 2022. President Kirk Schlecker commented, ‘The Ricoh Pro Z75 is like a multitool for our operation. It combines the image quality, efficiency, print size, substrate flexibility and economics that allow us to say ‘yes’ to more jobs, and deliver a better experience for our clients.’

‘As shorter runs and increasing demand for data-driven communications push print service providers to adapt their production strategies, we are helping them lever the latest hardware, software and data to become indispensable to their clients with the Ricoh Pro Z75 as a powerful example of that commitment in action,’ said Eef de Ridder, vice president, graphic communications, Ricoh Europe. ‘The result is a new level of performance that enables easier, faster and more profitable production of applications like direct mail, postcards, marketing materials and other commercial print work.’

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The open house event at the company’s Customer Experience Centre in Telford, Shropshire, was attended by some 65 UK customers and included presentations of the recently launched Pro C7500 and Pro C9500 toner presses, Ricoh’s software and workflow portfolio and a demonstration of the new Auto Color Adjuster.

The latter is designed to de-skill colour management by providing a simple one-touch approach to measuring calibration charts for ICC profile building, or printed samples in order to provide accurate matching of existing work, across multiple print devices and over time. The floor-standing unit has a built-in spectrophotometer and auto-feed that can read a patch chart in around 20 seconds.

It offer three modes: Quick Adjust which checks press calibration and compensates for colour deviation; Verify, which enables test charts containing Fogra Media Wedges to be generated and measured, with pass/fail certification; and Spot Colour which allows for matching of existing samples by scanning the sample to be matched, plus a ‘raw’ print from the press in question and automatically generating a device-link CMYK-to-CMYK correction profile to make subsequent new prints match the sample.

Ricoh’s commercial print sales director Tim Carter spoke to Digital Printer and revealed that the announcement of a UK customer site for the company’s long heralded Pro Z75 inkjet press is due ‘within the next few weeks’;  installation at a French site is presently underway, with one to follow in the Netherlands, and a fourth is expected by the end of the current financial year. Mr Carter said that the fourth machine could possibly also be placed in the UK.

‘We are scaling manufacturing in Japan and getting the spares, support and infrastructure in place to ramp up installations significantly,’ he confirmed. Describing the target customer for the B2 press, he explained, ‘It has been designed to have the broadest appeal possible, for general commercial printers moving standard offset pages to digital.’ Target businesses include online printers and gifting/greetings cards producers; Mr Carter also noted that the press’s ability to handle stock up to 600microns thick would suit some packaging applications – helped by its water-based inks – and said that it has been designed to ‘open up and expand opportunities both for Ricoh and its customers’.

There is an optional primer for the Pro Z75, he added, ‘but the aim aim is to not to have to use it, as the press prints on silk, matt and coated papers without it’, and the primer was intended for use with speciality media or some types of uncoated stock. He also explained that the dryer, critical to presenting flat dry sheets in duplexing work, uses a patent-applied-for directed heat technique that focuses on the imaged area.

Reference was also made during a general presentation to a forthcoming ‘new [inkjet] platform’ that would use AI and automation to ‘match offset productivity’. Few further details were given but Mr Carter likened the next step to the difference between Ricoh’s VC60000 and VC70000 models (both of which have evolved since their introduction) and implied that speed, quality and substrate flexibility were all in line to be further improved. More information about this is expected in a month or so. Both this and the Pro Z75 will be on display at drupa 2024.

The post Ricoh adds colour tool, counts B2 installations and teases inkjet development appeared first on Digital Printer.

Prior to this appointment, Mr Griggs held the position of board director of sales, leading a team of more than 250 Ricoh sales employees across the UK and playing a ‘pivotal’ role in steering the business’s transition to a digital services company across multiple divisions and service offerings. Under his leadership, the business received numerous industry awards. 

Nicola Downing, CEO, Ricoh Europe, commented on the appointment: ‘I’d personally like to thank Phil for his committed and successful stewardship as CEO of Ricoh UK and Ireland, and wish him well in his new role within the Northern European region. Glenn has a wealth of experience and brings with him a strong vision and history of driving growth. I look forward to working with Glenn and his team to continue driving our people-first approach across all areas of our business.’

Mr Keoghan commented: ‘I would like to congratulate Glenn on his appointment. I’m confident that the UK business will continue to thrive under his leadership, delivering innovative solutions and excellent service to our customers. I am looking forward to working with Glenn and the rest of the leadership team across the region to achieve closer cooperation and driving efficiencies through knowledge sharing and creating additional value for our customers across Northern Europe.’

Following the announcement, Mr Griggs said: ‘I’m delighted to be appointed to the role of CEO. We’re in an auspicious moment for Ricoh and I’m confident we have a bright future ahead. In my role, together with my executive team, I will lead wholeheartedly with a people-first strategy.’

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The report, which examined attitudes and adoption of automation from more than 150 key stakeholders across printing, imaging and associated digital services, found that while nearly 80% of the printing industry wants to automate to improve efficacies, over half (52%) of businesses are still running on legacy or manual systems. Also, more than two thirds of the industry (66%) anticipate increased investment in business process automation.  

Simon Isaacs, national sales director at Ricoh UK, added, ‘When it comes to print services, document storage, signing and delivery, automation has to be the next ‘business-as-usual’ implementation. Evolution is a central part of business success and the results of our survey demonstrate just how eager the print sector is to drive innovation and utilise automation to improve the quality of service and productivity of their employees.’ 

This research is particularly relevant to industries reliant on print services, such as public sector agencies. As an example of this, Ricoh recently worked with the DVLA, installing the a Pro VC60000 inkjet web press and Process Director workflow software.

Jonathan Gordon, Output Services Group IT development manager at the DVLA, remarked, ‘Ricoh ProcessDirector is really the brains behind our operation and was ideal for the type and volume of work we do. Its flexibility means we can create different applications, manage the large volume and complexity of data we receive and process transactions quickly. We can now create our own workflows and job paths depending on type of data and document. That is very helpful because we can make changes ourselves, when file type changes for instance, without having to rely on specialists.’ 

The post Many UK printers missing out on potential growth, says Ricoh appeared first on Digital Printer.

The free-to-attend session will be held via Zoom and will explore print’s role in retail and the importance of printed media for vendors to capture the attention of consumers. Key talking points will include the role of display and point-of-sale in the retail space and collaboration with the supply chain to generate growth.

Olga Munroe, head of the Retail Institute at Leeds Beckett University and chair of the BPIF Display & PoS Group, will facilitate the roundtable and also host a Q&A and discussion session with a number of specialist speakers.

Other industry experts due to take part include Yucel Salih, UK Production Wide Format Specialist at Ricoh UK and a representative from substrates manufacturer Drytac.

Marcus Clifford, regional director at BPIF commented, ‘This event is part of our Display and PoS group which brings networks together to help the sector sustain and grow, from all parts of the supply chain. The solutions we provide, combined with our relationships with POPAI and The Retail Institute and our showcase at the Visual Media Conference, provides the sector with insight, information and knowledge. We want to champion the sector and provide inspiring solutions for the future.’

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The updates give users access to a range of new print modes, which ‘significantly’ enhance image quality on products produced on the three Ricoh UV flatbed printers. The latest versions of the software also feature new print profiles including an all-white mode and multi-layered printing modes, as well as enhanced print modes in 4C Standard ‘Enhanced’ and 4C Quality ‘Enhanced’. The enhanced print modes are said to improve image quality and final output, and have minimal impact on productivity.

An updated interface that enables users to easily access the new print modes is included in the software, as well as the ability to check key printer information regarding ink consumption.

Stewart Cobby, inkjet sales manager at Ricoh UK, said, ‘The software update is the latest step in Ricoh’s ongoing commitment to supporting our customers in the long run. At Ricoh, our journey with the customer does not end when they have invested in a machine. We are equally dedicated to working with them long-term to support their business goals and continuously improve the quality of output. Making the updates available free-of-charge demonstrates this.

‘The new versions of the software offer brand new features to customers, allowing them to strengthen their service offering and helping to future-proof their business – all at no additional expense.’

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A new Ico restaurant in Wakefield, located underground in a former bank vault, presented a challenge with a brick wall space that the restaurant chain wanted to decorate in an ‘authentic’ Mexican style to promote its unusual location. Having worked previously with Turner, Ico approached the company again.

Turner first considered printed aluminium composite board for the job, but after seeing Drytac Polar Street FX on Drytac’s Instagram page, decided that this material would be a better fit for the desired appearance. Polar Street FX is a PVC-free aluminium media suitable for outdoor floor and wall graphics without lamination. Supplied in this instance by Signmaster Systems and available in several slip-ratings, Polar Street FX has been developed for rough ground or wall surfaces such as brick, concrete or asphalt. The job was printed on Turner’s  Mimaki CJV-150 eco-solvent print and cut device, before applying the graphic to the wall space.

‘The customer was absolutely blown away with the final result,’ Turner Signs’ director Curt Turner said. ‘We have been working with Drytac media for about four years and know how flexible their products are for jobs like this.’

Drytac products have also been used by Ricoh to update its recently reopened Customer Experience Centre in Telford. Over 40 new self-adhesive graphics have been installed at the Shropshire site, printed on Ricoh’s Pro L5160 latex roll-fed printer, using ReTac Smooth 150, ReTac Textures Canvas and ReTac Texture Linen.

Simon Isaacs, national director Ricoh Graphic Communications group, at Ricoh UK commented, ‘We’ve worked with Drytac for many years and have always found their solutions to be of the highest quality.’

The post Turner shows its mettle in Wakefield appeared first on Digital Printer.

Continuing a 12-year relationship with Ricoh that was initially based around the latter’s digital printing equipment, Communisis will use the RPD workflow and process management platform to help give its clients the ability to provide their customers with a ‘seamless, flexible and efficient omni-channel experience’.

Cara Walker, executive director of digital solutions at Communisis, told Digital Printer that this will involve processing large volumes of customer data that arrive from multiple sources and in a wide range of formats, from mainframe line listings to AFP and PDF, into a single Communisis-defined format that will suit both print and digital distribution channels, from email and web pages to SMS, working in conjunction with Quadient software.

RPD will use software automation and AI techniques to ensure that communications are sent on time, to the right recipients and via the most appropriate communication channel, whether that is print or digital, with the ability to mix the two depending on recipient response. The project is part of a larger 18-month digital transformation process at the customer communications provider, and after the initial input conversion phase, which is expected to go live in June 2022, will aim to add shopfloor automation across Communisis’s print production sites.

The use of RPD is expected to add flexibility to processes, allowing Communisis clients’ end-customers to ‘self-serve’ where appropriate, to increase production efficiencies and reduce lead times significantly. This will also support wider objectives at Communisis, such as improving sustainability through better use of materials and energy, in addition to providing high levels of data security via compliance with standards such as PCI and Cyber Essential Plus. These are essential for operating in highly regulated sectors such as transactional mail, which forms the majority of Communisis’s business.

Ms Walker said, ‘We are delighted to be able to take our clients’ omni-channel capabilities to the next level and enhance their brand engagement.

‘The pace of our ever-evolving digital transformation has helped us enhance the service we provide, not only to our clients but to their customers. This is just one example of the investment Communisis is making in our products and services to ensure we are always improving the customer experience and making lives better.’

Simon Isaacs, national sales director at Ricoh UK, said, ‘This multi-year investment in RPD will give Communisis greater flexibility, cost efficiency, and total output integrity.’ He also noted the modular nature of RPD which will enable the software to keep pace with Communisis’s requirements over time.

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