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Was it ley lines that led to two of the biggest surprises and talking points of the show being conveniently located across the aisle from each other in Hall 8b? Screen’s Truepress Jet SX and Fuji’s Jet Press 720 attracted positive feedback from commercial printers who hot-footed it to see their B2 and offset-like feeds and deliveries, even though some pundits pooh-poohed the offset-press-apeing approach. Screen European marketing manager Tim Taylor says: "Screen has always helped its customers to move their businesses forward and this is just the next stage of development." Taylor added that, historically, Screen has got its technology and timing right, migrating from cameras to scanners and imagesetters to platesetters. With the majority of its 12,000 CTP installations worldwide being B2, it’s got plenty of potential customers, many of whom have been waiting for a B2-sheetfed machine and a supplier they trust to enter the digital fray.

The technology inside the SX is piezo drop-on-demand inkjet using a water-based ink that can print onto regular coated and uncoated stocks. It’s not UV-cured, but there is some form of dryer. At 1,600 B2 sheets per hour, speed is in the same realm as the top end of toner-based digital machines, working out at 106 A4 pages per minute, but with the advantage of being able to work seamlessly with existing finishing kit using standard stock. Screen emphasised the machine on show was a prototype, albeit one that was running, so exact details are subject to change, but it is deadly serious about having a machine in the field inside a year.

Format: B2 sheetfed
Size: 740x530mm
Colours: CMYK
Speed: 1,600sph
Technology: Piezo drop-on-demand
Shipping: Beta site anticipated Q2 2009
Price: TBC