THE HIGH VOLUME PRINTER & DIGITAL DUPLICATOR GUIDE

Transcription

1 Independent Consumer Guides to Document Imaging Equipment THE HIGH VOLUME PRINTER & DIGITAL DUPLICATOR GUIDE Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C8000 Editor s Choice Choice Awards Awards Editor s High-volume black-and-white black-and-white and and color color printers printers with with High-volume speeds from from to to pages pages per per minute minute (priced (priced from from speeds $18,000 to to $355,000) $355,000) $18,000 Digital duplicators duplicators with with speed speed up up to to pages pages per per minute minute Digital (priced from from $1,995 $1,995 to to $27,000) $27,000) (priced Guide Number: 224

2 The Nation s Leading Independent Buyer s Guide for Office Equipment Konica Minolta Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C ppm Sum-up: Heavy duty color production printer with strong extended color controls. The bizhub PRESS C8000 is the latest member of Konica Minolta s high end production printing line. This 80ppm machine is a new design with a number of impressive features. Note that we went to press before the release, so we don t have full information on components prices and full specifications for the machine. In any case, this unit very much intended for large in-plant printing operations and commercial print shops requires a much closer look than we can provide in this guide. There are a variety of new features on this machine that are aimed at improving color quality and reliability, even compared to Konica Minolta s already high standards. The press incorporates a new automatic density sensor that tracks and adjusts colors during a print run. This allows the press to makes automatic density balance adjustments that help keep colors consistent through the whole run of a job. Print density is a measure of the amount of toner laid down on each page, which can vary during a normal run based on heat, humidity, and power variations. While it s not a big deal in typical office printing, precise consistency can be a major deal for large, professional print runs with critical color. In addition, Konica Minolta is offering its third generation of Simitri toner, for improved color detail and vividness. In the area of reliability, Konica Minolta has added some strong features. The transport mechanism for the press is based on air suction, allowing the press to handle a variety of stocks up to 35gsm (unusually thick paper, which translates into over 200lb. index or 130lb. cover). We believe that is the heaviest maximum paper weight in the digital printing industry. A new decurling unit straightens printed pages curled by the heat of the fusing process, so that they will lay flat for finishing and binding. There is also a new dual fusing system that allows for high-resolution accuracy without slowing operation. Konica Minolta also touts its new die-cast aluminum laser unit that, they believe, will enhance maintainability and prolong operability. Konica Minolta will offer users a choice between two third-party print controllers, along with the introduction of a Konica Minolta-designed controller. The Fiery IC- 306 from EFI offers a number of advanced color tools, as well as variable data printing, and advanced workflow tools. A number of options are available for automatic assembly and imposition of print jobs, a major requirement for a busy printing environment. Also offered is the CREO IC-307 print controller. It offers its own tools for color management, variable data management, and job ticketing for improved workflow. Both the CREO and EFI packages are based on years of real-world expertise. Paper input capacity maxes out at an impressive 10,760 sheets, including two optional high-capacity Paper Feed Units, each of which holds up to 4,630 sheets. Automatic duplexing is standard. Among the finishers to be offered are two multiposition stapling units (one staples 50 and can produce 80-page booklets the other staples for 100 sheets), hole punches, and postprocess inserters. There are also a 5,000- sheet removable stacker with a removable cart, a multi-fold/punch unit that supports six distinct fold types, a saddle-stitch unit that can produce booklets of up to 200 pages from 50 sheets, and an inline perfect binder that can produce booklets up to 600 pages (300 sheets) in size. Konica Minolta keeps adding new features that make their machines ever more viable for high-end users who want to produce offsetquality print runs using sophisticated tools to produce very good color pages inexpensively. The bizhub PRESS C8000 looks to be an impressive new addition to its line, and we give it our Editor s Choice Award. Editor s Choice Reprint Better Buys for Business is the leading independent buyer s guide to office equipment. Our mission is to help buyers of copiers, printers, fax machines, scanners, and duplicators make smarter purchasing decisions. To learn more about Better Buys for Business, including subscription information on independent guide ratings for all vendor vender models, contact us: Better Buys for Business allows both print and electronic reproduction of this document.

3 Konica Minolta bizhub PRO C65hc 65ppm/65ppm Sum-up: Color production printer aimed at demanding users. The bizhub PRO C65hc is based on the same engine as the successful bizhub PRO C6501P. The hc in the name stands for High Chroma, and Konica Minolta is selling this machine to clients who have even higher color demands than the C6501P can answer. This enhanced version has a list price of $65,000 (compared to the C6501P s $42,945). The key advantage of the new printer is the ability to produce a wider color gamut, leading to brighter and more accurate color production. Konica Minolta explains this improvement in terms of what is called a srgb workflow. srgb stands for standardized Red-Green-Blue, which means that adjustments made on a calibrated monitor can be accurately and quickly converted into matching colors on the output, even with a wide variety of media. It also means that adjustments to color made on the monitor can be adjusted with visual feedback, and the changes will be present on the printed page. This new printer has improved technology for printing very thin or reversed text. It also has enhanced color stabilization, so that the colors do not drift during the course of a run. Konica Minolta has upgraded its toner, using a new Simitri HC toner that yields richer colors. In addition, Konica Minolta has added precision to the registration system, so that the colors line up exactly as intended. The printer also includes new screening patterns for better reproduction of color gradations. The bizhub PRO C65hc has a 12.1" color touchscreen control panel and has monthly duty cycle of 300,000 pages. It can print on up to 170lb. index stock. The print engine comes with 1GB of memory, and there is an optional 160GB hard disk array (4 x 40GB). Ethernet connectivity is standard, as is PostScript printing. Standard input consists of three 500-sheet trays for a total of 1,500 standard sheets. You can add up to two 3,000-sheet paper feeders or a 2,500-sheet large-capacity tray for a maximum of 7,500 sheets of input. All trays can accept up to 13" x 19.2" paper. The output features, all of which are optional, are extensive. They include: A roll-away 5,000-sheet large-capacity stacker ($17,325). A finisher with 50-sheet multiposition stapling and a 3,000-sheet lower tray and 200-sheet upper tray ($2,993). A 2/3-hole punch kit is available for this unit. A finisher with 100-sheet multiposition stapling and a 3,000-sheet lower tray and 200-sheet upper tray ($7,140). A 2/3-hole punch kit is also available for this unit. A booklet maker with saddlestitching ($5,145). This unit holds up to 2,500 sheets in its lower tray and 200 sheets in its upper tray. It can perform multiposition stapling on up to 50 sheets. It can fold and saddlestitch up to 20 sheets to make up to 80-sheet booklets. It also supports tri-fold. A booklet maker with saddlestitching and a built-in trim- mer ($26,250). This unit holds up to 4,000 sheets in its output tray. It can perform multiposition stapling. It can fold and saddlestitch up to 50 sheets to make up to 200sheet booklets. Konica Minolta bizhub PRO C65hc Intended for the market with very demanding color production. Better Buys for Business allows both print and electronic reproducton of this document.

4 Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C Impressive new color machine with a wide array of features. A multifunctional unit, which consists of a folder unit that includes both a postprocess inserter and a 2/3-hole punch ($17,850). This unit supports half-fold, letter foldin, letter fold-out, Z-fold, double parallel fold, and gatefold. A perfect binder unit ($36,750) can produce books of up to 600 pages and includes a trimmer unit. A GBC StreamPunch unit ($17,200) allows users to create a variety of pre-bindery punch patterns, including wire-, Velo-, and comb-binding. Operators can replace die sets as desired. Users have a choice of two print controllers: external units from both EFI and Creo. Konica Minolta keeps extending its range in high-speed color printing. The bizhub PRO C65hc is aimed at users for whom good-enough color isn t good enough. It builds on a solid and proven base machine and adds features that will appeal to a limited, but very demanding, audience. It wins our Editor s Choice Award. Konica Minolta bizhub PRO ppm Konica Minolta bizhub PRO 1200 Konica Minolta bizhub PRO 1200P 120ppm Sum-up: Konica Minolta rolls out even faster monochrome production printers with top-rate features. Konica Minolta has come out with three new monochrome production printers/digital presses in its bizhub PRO lines. This new family consist of the 105ppm bizhub PRO 1051 ($62,590 list), and the 120ppm bizhub PRO 1200 ($74,900) and 1200P ($65,900). These machines have an impressive set of add-ons and possible configurations that allow them to fit into a wide variety of in-plant and commercial print shops. The bizhub PRO 1051 is similar to the discontinued 1050eP but with much more horsepower, memory, and some enhanced features, including the ability to scan and copy on two of the machines. Konica Minolta says that it has upgraded the LED imaging system for these models to make both text and halftones sharper and grayscales more precise. The bizhub 1200P differs from the 1200 in that it has no document feeder and is a printer only, while the 1200 is capable of scanning in originals and of copying them. Nevertheless, the bizhub 1051 and 1200 are primarily production printers, not office copiers. Powered by a 2GHz processor, these machines print at 1,200dpi resolution. Except for the 1200P, they copy at 600dpi. Standard (and maximum) memory is 2GB. A 160GB hard drive also comes standard. Ethernet (including Gigabit Ethernet) is standard. PCL and PostScript are supported, as is direct printing of PDF and TIFF. The controller includes support for subset stapling, Bates stamping, and an advanced spooling function. Scanning (on the 1051 and 1200 only) makes use of a 100- sheet document feeder. It can scan up to 105 pages per minute. Scanning to hard disk, to , to FTP, and TWAIN are supported. Output formats are PDF, secure PDF, TIFF, and XPS. Durability: These machines have a maximum monthly volume rating of 3 million. This impressive figure is evidence of this machine s high-end ambitions, and indicates that Konica Minolta believes that these models are twice as capable of sustained productivity as even the bizhub PRO 1050eP. On the other hand, monthly volume ratings from vendors are subject to spec inflation as vendors seek to outdo one another. In this case, however, it really looks as if the figures are a true indicator of the machine s durability. One test is to look at its consumables and preventive maintenance (PM) schedule. The drum and developer yield one million pages, and toner yield is 119,000 pages per bottle. The PM schedule is 750,000 pages. All of these are solid indicators of the machine s high-volume capabilities. Paper handling: These models offer strong, productionlevel paper handling. All of the paper trays support a minimum of 140lb. index, and some of the paper trays hold 170lb. index stock. The heavy-duty construction of the paper trays is a feature worth noting. Better Buys for Business allows both print and electronic reproducton of this document.

5 They also feature some advanced paper-feeding technology, using ultrasound detection to identify misfeeds within the paper path and have user-selectable air blowers within the paper trays to facilitate feeding heavy stock. Paper-feed precision is another strong point, and the machine supports registration accuracy of 0.5mm or less. Further, images can be adjusted on both the vertical and horizontal axes independently. The standard paper-feed system consists of dual 1,500- sheet trays. To supplement this, there is a $6,090 paper-feed unit that has three 2,000-sheet trays. Finally, there is a 5,000- sheet paper unit, also with three drawers, that sells for $9,980. The 5,000-sheet unit can also be used as a postprocess inserter for adding preprinted pages to a job. That flexibility is unique in the industry. With all the options, you can feed up to 14,000 sheets, an impressive capacity. All of the trays support 12" x 18" paper. Output devices: As you might expect on a high-end production printer, the bizhub PRO 1051 and 1200 models have a choice of output devices. Automatic duplexing is standard. There is a $7,140 basic finisher that has 200-sheet and 3,000-sheet paper trays and 100-sheet multiposition stapling. For $17,850, you can get an advanced folding/punching accessory that comes with 2/3-hole punch and a dual-tray postprocess inserter. Inserter tray capacities are 500 sheets each. Folds supported include gate-fold, Z-fold, and letter fold. There s also a booklet maker with saddlestitcher and trimmer that lists for $26,250. It can create booklets up to 200 pages (50 sheets). A GBC StreamPunch unit ($17,200) allows users to create a variety of pre-bindery punch patterns, including wire-, Velo-, and comb-binding. Operators can replace die sets as desired. Note that a sheet reversal unit is needed on the bizhub PRO 1051 to operate this device. An internal perfect bind unit ($42,300) with hot melting can make booklets up to 600 pages (300 sheets). It comes with one-side trimming. It has an output capacity of up to 3,000 sheets and includes a roll-away cart. These machines also offer a 5,000-sheet stacker accessory that list for $17,325. Up to two stackers can be on line at one time, providing an impressive 10,000 sheets of output capacity. Each stacker includes a roll-away cart that allows you to easily move output from the machine to another location for tasks such as offline finishing. Additional carts are available as well ($840 list per cart). This imposing collection of devices provides versatility when several accessories are connected to the same machine. The basic finisher can be used along with up to two of the stackers. Some data center customers will simply opt for the two stackers. Users requiring advanced finishing can combine the folder with 3-hole punch and postprocess inserter, booklet maker with saddlestitcher and trimmer, and the basic finisher all on one machine. Interface and software: These models feature a color touchscreen control panel. Called the Universal User Interface, it uses a 15" screen that is mounted on an adjustable arm over the printer. Konica Minolta s PageScope software enables the bizhub PRO series to handle a variety of network management and document distribution tasks. The software applications include: PageScope DirectPrint, which allows users to execute PDF or TIFF print jobs quickly using drop-and-drag icons PageScope Job Spooler, which manages print job queues to prevent printing traffic jams PageScope Web Connection, which enables remote management of the printer from a networked PC Konica Minolta bizhub PRO 1200P Konica Minolta s speediest production machine with a wealth of finishing options. Better Buys for Business allows both print and electronic reproducton of this document.

6 PageScope Net Care, which enables remote management of a fleet of network printers (including non-konica Minolta machines) from a networked PC PageScope Network Setup, which facilitates the fast setup of new bizhub devices as soon as they re installed Konica Minolta also offers its PrintGroove software suite. This software allows interaction with customers including accepting jobs, scheduling, billing, and invoicing. Conclusion: Konica Minolta keeps pushing out one serious production machine after another. In a market once dominated by Xerox, Kodak, and Canon, it has made big inroads. These Konica Minolta models compete well in an increasingly tougher market, but one that is likely to expand as it replaces low-end analog printing presses. The power is serious, the prices are reasonable, and the finishing options are excellent, all adding up to a set of very desirable machines for the high-volume production printer. We give this family our Editor s Choice Award. Konica Minolta bizhub PRO ppm Sum-up: A robust high-volume printer with remarkable paperhandling capacity. The 95ppm bizhub PRO 950 ($45,255 list) is a fast hybrid of high-volume printer and copier. This machine offers an impressive collection of features and capabilities. The bizhub PRO 950 has a maximum monthly volume rating of 750,000. On the other hand, monthly volume ratings from vendors are subject to spec inflation as vendors seek to outdo one another. In this case, however, it really looks as if the figures are a true indicator of the machine s durability. One test is to look at its consumables and preventive maintenance (PM) schedule. The 950 s drum and developer yield 1 million pages, and toner yield is 80,000 pages per bottle. The PM schedule is 1 million pages. All of these are solid indicators of the machine s highvolume capabilities. This machine prints and copies at 600dpi resolution. First-page-out time is 3.1 seconds. Scanning is standard as well. Ethernet connectivity is standard. Paper handling: The bizhub PRO 950 offers production-level paper handling. The standard reversing document feeder (RADF) allows for two-sided scans and copies and runs at 95ppm and can hold up to 100 ledger-size sheets. The standard paper-feed system consists of a paper-feed unit that has two 500-sheet trays, a 1,000-sheet tray, and a 150-sheet bypass. In total, that s 2,150 sheets standard. The standard trays all hold paper up to 11" x 17" in size, while the bypass holds up to 12" x 18". The bypass can hold paper up to around 200lb. cover (300gsm). The other trays can handle pages up to 90lb. cover (around 135lb. index). That is very heavy stock indeed. You can optionally add either a 4,500-sheet large-capacity tray that holds letter-size paper ($2,100) or a 4,000-sheet tray that holds paper up to 12" x 18" ($2,940) and can also handle the same paper weights as the bypass. The maximum input is 6,650 sheets. Automatic duplexing is standard. There are two main finishing options. First option is a 100- sheet multiposition stapling unit. It holds a 200-sheet tray and a 3,000-sheet tray and costs $5,408. The second finishing option is a combination booklet maker / folder ($5,303). This unit can perform 50-sheet multiposition stapling. It could also saddlestitch booklets of up to 80 pages from 20 sheets and performs either half-folds or trifolds. It holds a 200-sheet tray and a 2,500-sheet tray. There s also a face trimmer option for tidying up the booklets ($7,193 with mount kit). There s a 2/3-hole punch unit ($788) that works with either finisher. A combination hole-punch/z-fold unit is also available ($5,198). An optional insertion tray allows you to add covers and preprinted sheets ($1,050). This tray holds 200 sheets and can handle weight up to 200gsm (around 135lb. index). Finally, there is also a GBC StreamPunch unit ($17,200). Software: The bizhub PRO 950 features a large color touchscreen LCD control panel. This display gives you access to a wide range of professional printing technology for managing workflows and enhancing output quality. Konica Minolta bizhub PRO 950 Impressive production-oriented monochrome machine. Better Buys for Business allows both print and electronic reproducton of this document.

7 Konica Minolta s PageScope software enables the bizhub PRO 950 to handle a variety of network management and document distribution tasks. The software applications include: tition in terms of price and features. In any case, potential buyers have another very good alternative. We give it our Editor s Choice Award. PageScope DirectPrint, which allows users to execute PDF or TIFF print jobs quickly using drop-and-drag icons PageScope Job Spooler, which manages print job queues to prevent printing traffic jams PageScope Web Connection, which enables remote management of the printer from a networked PC PageScope Net Care, which enables remote management of a fleet of network printers (including non-konica Minolta machines) from a network Konica Minolta also offers its PrintGroove software suite. This software allows interaction with customers including accepting jobs, scheduling, billing, and invoicing. The bizhub 950 also works with EFI s Micropress software that allows you to set up tandem printing, load-balancing between more than one machines. Connectivity: This machine features a standard print controller that was developed by Konica Minolta. The embedded device is based on industry-standard PC hardware, which in this case is a 2GHz processor, and it comes standard with 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. It also includes PCL. Adobe PostScript and direct PDF printing are extra. Scan features include scan-to- , to-mailbox, to-desktop, and to-ftp. You can scan to PDF or TIFF formats. The hard disk allows you to set up private and group mailboxes. Secure print is also supported. The controller includes support for subset stapling, Bates stamping, and an advanced spooling function. Conclusion: Like other models in this guide, the 950 PRO is a sign of Konica Minolta s growing position in the big leagues of production printing, competing with high-end production machines from Xerox, Canon, and Kodak. This Konica Minolta model stacks up very well against its compe- Konica Minolta Ramsey, NJ Vendor Profile Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. is a subsidiary of a major Japanese imaging company. Although a main thrust of the company is copiers, it also sells advanced imaging, security, and networking technologies for equipment ranging from the desktop to the print shop. Over the last few years, it has built a reputation for color products in these markets. In recent years, Konica Minolta has gotten very serious about high-volume production printing with a growing line of impressive machines. It has, seemingly out of nowhere, taken a serious chunk of the production color market and continues to add new models and develop advanced technologies. The company continues to improve and add modules to its Printgroove POD Suite, a set of software solutions for printon-demand workflow and job management. This suite includes such features as over-the-web job submission; job ticketing, accounting, and billing; and multi-level job tracking and scheduling. Excerpted from The High-Volume Printer Guide, volume 224, June,. Progressive Business Publications, Inc. No Advertising. No Bias. No Compromise. Better Buys for Business is the nation s leading independent authority on document imaging equipment (copiers, printers, faxes, scanners and duplicators). To assure its independence, Better Buys for Business accepts no advertising. Need more information? For subscription information on independent guide ratings for all vendor models, please call , visit us at or mail at 370 Technology Drive Malvern, PA Better Buys for Business allows both print and electronic reproduction of this document.

8 STOP THE PRESSES. AND START THE REVOLUTION. Meet the groundbreaking bizhub PRESS C8000 Color Production Printer from Konica Minolta. This is the digital press that goes head-to-head with offset and comes out ahead in so many ways. With blazing speed and turnaround, so you can meet the tightest deadlines. Extraordinary color accuracy and consistency. Advanced, in-line finishing that saves time and labor. Support for a broad range of media, including heavy stock, oversized and coated papers. And rock-solid performance, so you ll stay up and running. Learn more at stopthepresses-km.com. Graph Expo Chicago October 3-6, Booth #2244 KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, U.S.A., INC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Konica Minolta is a trademark of KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC. bizhub is a registered trademark of KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.