VarioStream 8000 Beyond 5 Stars for Océ VarioPrint 6250
Once relegated primarily to data centers and service bureaus, high-speed digital printing is now a mainstream technology. It spans transactional documents such as bills and statements, reaches into direct marketing, and is at the core of new initiatives in book publishing. With new applications such as trans-promo printing on the verge of rapid expansion, high-volume digital printing has become a lucrative opportunity. The challenge for print providers is finding production systems that can help them capture more of this business and provide a transitional path to color. They need high print speeds, the ability to provide job-appropriate print quality, and a robust RIP, all with one versatile printing system. The problem was, such a device didn't exist. Until now.
The Best of Two Families Mastering convergence
Print providers commonly invest in machines that will be used for a specific and often narrow range of applications. As other applications are required, additional machines suited for those particular types of jobs are acquired. This is especially true as the convergence of applications placed increasing demands on all types of print providers. Even in Océ's own product lines, for example, the VarioStream 7000 family is primarily used for transactional jobs, while the VarioStream 9000 family is used for direct mail and books. Knowing how this convergence impacted customers, Océ responded with technology that spans a wider range of print options than any other system available today.
The new Océ VarioStream 8000 draws from both the legendary VarioStream 7000 family and the popular VarioStream 9000 line to provide a new generation of high-speed printers that offer a unique blend of capabilities, speed and versatility that addresses the need to cover a wider range of jobs with a single system.
"This new family of printers delivers the fastest twin-able simplex technology Océ has ever offered. It offers an unmatched combination of print width, CustomTone color, Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) printing, new controller power, field-upgradeability, and is available in simplex, twin and triplex configurations," explains Wayne Slota, Product Marketing Manager for the VarioStream 8000.
According to industry researcher InfoTrends, Océ is the world leader in the high-speed continuous feed printers, accounting for half of all documents produced on roll feed systems. "The Océ VarioStream 8000 system extends the breadth of Océ continuous feed solutions and gives customers a solid foundation for upgrading as their needs change. It puts new options and capabilities within easy reach so customers are able to react quickly to market opportunities, notes Guy Broadhurst, Vice President of Product Marketing, Océ North America, Production Printing Systems.
Standout Features
A number of features make the VarioStream 8000 stand out in the market. First is speed. The VarioStream 8750 is the fastest electrophotographic printer available today, able to produce 1,500 duplex, 2-up letter-size images per minute, while running at 344 feet per minute. It can print edge-to-edge on 19.5-inch paper, providing powerful solution for printing 6 x 9-inch books three-up at high speed. Next is the flexibility to use that speed for many types of jobs.
For example, Multiple Resolution Mode allows automatic switching between 240-, 300-, and 600-dpi print jobs, even mixing these resolutions on the same page, with no job modification or operator intervention required. This means legacy jobs can run along with new ones, and older jobs can be updated without disrupting the workflow. The flexibility doesn't stop here.
"The system also has the unique ability to use two different types of toner," explains Slota. "There's standard or production grade toner that's meant for general transactional documents. Then there's premium, or graphics quality, toner for applications such as books, where crisper text, fine lines and smoother halftones are expected." To ensure the best possible print quality in both modes, Océ's exclusive Super Cell technology is a standard feature of the VarioStream 8000. The Super Cell software simulates 256 shades of gray, adding pixels to increase detail, sharpen lines, and smooth the transitions in halftones. The VarioStream 8000 can also use any of some 400 CustomTone colors as well as MICR toner, widening the range of documents that can be produced on a single machine.
Still, reliably changing colors and toners in a fast-paced print environment poses some challenges. Using the incorrect toner on a job can be a costly mistake, so to eliminate such errors, all toner bottles on the VarioStream 8000 use intelligent RFID technology to ensure the correct supplies are loaded before a job is run.
"This is of tremendous importance when printing checks, where MICR toner is required," points out Slota. "The last thing you want an operator to do when you're printing checks is put the wrong toner in the machine."
To prevent this, the electronic job ticket for a run of payroll checks would specify that MICR toner must be loaded. If the proper toner wasn't installed, the operator screen would display a notice about why the job couldn't run. The same security applies to color, standard or premium toner, providing an important layer of security for high-volume jobs.
Familairity Breeds Productivity
The new machine uses the latest version of Océ's SRA controller and will be instantly familiar to any operator who has run a VarioStream 7000 or 9000, and even those who will be running the ColorStream 10000 and the new JetStream 1100 and 2200 models. The operator panels share the same look and feel, and since they all rely on PRISMA software, provide more flexibility in staffing because the learning curve for cross-training between machines shorter and easier.
Investment protection has long been "standard equipment" with Océ printing systems and the VarioStream 8000 is no exception. The system can easily be reconfigured from simplex to duplex to triplex and shares the legendary reliability of the VarioStream 7000 line. "It's built to last a long time," remarks Slota. "This is the fifth generation of Océ continuous feed machines and there are still second generation systems out there that are working well, day in and day out. For businesses seeking the flexibility to run a full range of documents on a single machine, or for busy environments with multiple cut-sheet devices, the VarioStream 8000 provides higher productivity, a lower TCO and excellent print quality, all in a single machine that will stand the test of time."
The VarioStream 8000 was shown recently to groups of industry analysts in North America and Europe who were impressed with its versatility and the features that enable it to work in a variety of print environments. The new machine will have its public debut in North America at the exhibition, taking place March 3-6 in Boston, Massachusetts. Then in May and June it will be showcased at in Dusseldorf, Germany
Beyond 5 Star for Océ VarioPrint 6250
" one of the most groundbreaking technological advancements in the history of electrophotography"
The Océ
VarioPrint 6250 series has received a "Beyond 5 Star Rating" from
Business Equipment Research and Test Laboratories (BERTL). BERTL, a
premier source for independent product evaluation reports and
comparative analysis, only rarely grants a Beyond 5 Star Rating. The
Océ VarioPrint 6250 is based on Océ Gemini Instant Duplex technology,
the only technology in the industry to be able to print simultaneously
on the back and front of a page. The system prints 250 duplex A4 prints
a minute, making it up to 70% faster than other printers in its class.
Highest honor According to BERTL, a Beyond 5 Star Rating denotes a system that is "reserved for the best of the best, the elite level performers in their class, delivering unparalleled quality." In its analysis of the Océ VarioPrint 6250, BERTL called Océ Gemini Instant Technology "one of the most groundbreaking technological advancements in the history of electrophotography." BERTL stated that the VarioPrint 6250 was the most productive digital duplex cut sheet currently on the market and that it had the highest image quality and duplex registration of any system BERTL had seen to date. The report also cited the system for its ability to handle a wide range of media at high speeds while delivering outstanding quality.
Testing in the field BERTL evaluated the Océ VarioPrint 6250 in several environments, including the site of a customer that produces large numbers of short- to medium-run books. BERTL stated that the Océ VarioPrint 6250 performed admirably in the field, saying that the customer had run the system "under extreme workloads with little, if any, unscheduled downtime." The Océ VarioPrint 6250 is well suited for this type of application. The instant duplex technology supports 100% perfect registration for books, manuals and other publications, since the system prints both sides simultaneously. In addition, advanced active dynamic registration technology uses a battery of sensors to ensure perfect sheet positioning and print registration.
Multiple award winner The BERTL recognition was the most recent of several awards for the Océ VarioPrint 6250, which was introduced in March 2006. The production printer also received BERTL's On Demand Best of Show award in 2006, the InterTech 2007 Technology Award from Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (USA), and Best Product of the Year 2007 and Best Production Cutsheet Monochrome printer from the European Digital Press Association (EDP).
An independent industry analyst BERTL Inc. is the premier source for objective, independent product evaluation on digital imaging devices and software. BERTL's evaluation reports, customer satisfaction research, awards and product ratings are undertaken entirely at BERTL's expense for the benefit of its international subscriber base. BERTL's primary focus is always the end user. It publishes the world's largest library of evaluation reports on copiers, printers, MFPs, fax machines and color production devices.
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