When was it launched and what market is it targeted at? The Scodix 1200 is a high-end inkjet production machine that uses UV clear ink. It was launched in May 2010 at Ipex and can emboss on selective areas of gloss or matt substrates. The machine is suitable for a raft of different applications spanning marketing literature and greetings cards through to packaging and photo albums. Retford-based trade printer RCS was the first UK company to take delivery of the machine at the end of last year.

How does it work? Put simply, the press applies the ink and creates the Scodix ‘FinalTouch’ – "a premium quality print, that has a great impact on the viewer," claims Scodix’s vice-president for marketing and business development Ziki Kuly. Operating at a maximum resolution of 720x360dpi, the 1200 is capable of speeds of up to 1,200 A3 sheets per hour, although this figure is dependent on the layer thickness and substrate. Layer thickness is up to 70 micron and the press works with both PDF and TIFF files. The Scodix is complemented by ScodInk, Scodix’s propriety UV-curable clear ink.

On its launch the manufacturer claimed that it was the first machine of its kind – will its ‘first-mover’ strategy will pay off? In a word, yes, according to an emphatic Kuly. He believes that the printing industry needs to change if it’s going to survive the threat from digital devices and that it has an opportunity to redefine itself and become better through adding embellishments that can be delivered by machines such as the 1200. "While electronic media provide information in a better way than print, it forces printing to become a premium medium – to enhance itself by using more colour to be effective and add more dimensions to create impact and to be a superior media type," says Kuly.

How quick is it and what’s the quality like? Its top speed is 1,200 A3 sheets per hour. As for quality, Kuly claims that this is something that is better experienced than described. "A person must touch it and feel it to evaluate it," says Kuly, who adds "if five printed items were delivered to your mail box, and one had Scodix embossing on it, that’s the one that you will hold for a few more seconds".

How easy is it to use? According to the manufacturer, it’s as easy to operate as an HP Indigo press. That’s not to say that training on the 1200 isn’t necessary – it’s provided on site with regular refresher group courses held.

How much does it cost and who does the machine go head-to-head with? The UK distributor of the 1200 is Image2Output who quote a price of €310,000 (£258,000). There are a handful of alternatives (see box), but another option is purchasing a digital machine that offers varnish as a fifth unit. On the Xerox iGen4 you can add the Epic CTi-635 inline coater for circa £75,000 (there’s also a clear dry ink option available on the Xerox Color 1000 press), Canon offers an option on the imagePress C1+ for around £32,190 and most Kodak NexPress users can upgrade to a fifth unit for as little as £15,000.

SPECIFICATIONS
Max resolution 720x360dpi
Max speed 1,200 A3 sheets per hour
Max paper size 500x707mm
Dimensions 4.7x1.9x2.6m
Weight 2,905kg
Price €310,000 (£258,000)
Contact Image2Output 01707 282710

ALTERNATIVES
Autobond Mini 36 TPM-SUV The UK firm’s offering was developed to apply spot varnishing over matt film. Launched just before Ipex last year, the B3 machine has a top speed of 3,000sph (30m/min) and uses Xaar inkjet heads.
Price £95,000-£180,000
Contact Autobond 01753 530520

MGI JETvarnish This digital inkjet spot UV coater has a top speed of 0.5m per second and according to MGI is the "perfect offline solution for spot UV coating on runs from one to thousands". The JETvarnish’s integrated UV curing dries sheets on the fly via a conveyor belt.
Price £179,000
Contact MGI Technology 0845 388 6448 ?   

Mimaki UJF-706 The UJF-706 is a flatbed UV curing machine that can handle thin packaging film all the way up to rigid products 150mm thick. Earlier this year, Mimaki’s UK distributor Hybrid Services also launched a clear ink for the JFXplus series of UV LED curable inkjet printers and also the A3 format UJF-3042.
Price £79,995
Contact Hybrid Services 01270 501900 ?   

Screen Truepress Jet 1600UV-F This wide-format, flatbed inkjet printer now includes clear ink ability as a standard feature. It’s ideal for producing very high-quality details (1,200dpi), spot and flood varnish effects on short runs or for samples.
Price £125,000
Contact Screen UK 01908 848500 ?