Konica Minolta unveils HD B2 inkjet press

Photobooks and art books can be produced with the HD press
Photobooks and art books can be produced with the HD press

Konica Minolta has unveiled a high definition (HD) version of its AccurioJet KM-1e B2 inkjet press.

The manufacturer said that by incorporating new HD technology, improvements have been made to the output quality of the AccurioJet KM-1e HD, including the reproduction of skin tones, solids and textures.

Photobooks, art books, and digital package printing are among the applications the company said are suitable for the new model.

The original AccurioJet KM-1 B2+ perfecting sheetfed, full-colour UV inkjet press was launched in 2016. The AccurioJet KM-1e followed in 2020 and offered improved connectivity to third-party post-press kit and compatibility with a wider range of substrates. The KM-1e will remain available alongside the KM-1e HD.

Uncoated, coated, art coated paper, coloured and metallic papers, transparency media, plastic media, canvas, and stone paper can all be used on the new machine.

Konica Minolta said that on developing the AccurioJet KM-1e HD, it worked closely with customers’ existing finishing machines to customise the connection systems. Areas such as analysing machine operation status and productivity improvements have also been developed in close cooperation with customers, the company added.

Hidetoshi Omo, head of centre of competence KM-1 at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, said: “Inheriting the customer-oriented history of the KM-1, the new high quality HD model will contribute to further expansion of the customers’ applications and business.

“By using HD, it is possible to improve the smoothness of skin, the uniformity of solid backgrounds, and the reproduction of textures. The image quality has now reached the top level in the industry. There is no difference in RIP times, and we expect any change in ink consumption to be negligible.”

He added: “The AccurioJet KM-1e and KM-1e HD models are key pillars in our strategy to help our customers rethink creativity. Working closely in partnership, we want to help them shape and seize the many new opportunities digitalisation brings along, supporting the trend to switch from offset to inkjet printing in a growth market.”

The first European customer of the AccurioJet KM-1e HD has been announced as Werner Druck & Medien in Switzerland.

The commercial launch date and pricing for the HD model are yet to be confirmed.