What does it do?
This is the latest iteration of Xerox’s iGen series of high-end, high-throughput dry-toner digital colour presses. The major difference over the previous iGen150 is the fifth colour unit. Just as useful, the iGen5 is modular and upgradable with a choice of three speeds and four or five colours.
When was it launched and what market is it aimed at?
Launch was on 7 July, the target markets are commercial print, direct mail, books and packaging, with the option of five colours open to those that need to print spot colours for brands. Xerox markets the scalability as a “flexible platform for growth”.
How does it differ from previous models?
The main print engine essentially uses the same 2,400dpi components, toner technology and paper transport as the iGen150 and it’s compatible with the same inline finishing systems.
What’s different is the scalability, with provision to go from a 90ppm CMYK engine taking 364x571mm sheets, to 120ppm with five units and longer sheets up to 364x660mm, and then to 150ppm. Older iGen 150s can’t be upgraded because the structure is different.
Xerox’s Color 800i/1000i presses also have a fifth unit, with clear, gold or silver toners. However, they’re not swappable – iGens are made in the US and the Color presses are made in Japan by Fuji-Xerox.
“The application space for iGen is more in the offset world than the Color models,” says Kevin O’Donnell, Xerox Europe’s graphic communications marketing manager. “From our market intelligence we decided that the three colours we are launching with give us the biggest opportunity here. If there’s a business benefit for us and our customers you may expect to see additional colours in future.”
Also on the cards in future is the ability to take cartonboard up to 600 microns, which is already available on iGen150 but not yet the iGen5.
How does it work?
The base CMYK iGen5 90 has provision for the fifth unit on the other side of the toner belt from the CMYK units. This is added as part of the 120 or 150 upgrade. The fifth unit uses LED imaging for compactness compared to laser diodes in CMYK units, but Xerox’s iGen product marketing manager Ian Mitchell says that imaging quality is identical.
If you just need one extra colour then the fifth unit always stays in the press. If you have two or more extra colours, the fifth developer unit is swapped over. It comes out easily after disconnecting three snap-on hoses, with no need for draining or cleaning.
Xerox offers a free online Gamut Extension Tool to check whether a particular spot colour will benefit from a fifth colour. You type in a Pantone Plus number and it tells you which if any of the fifth colours is needed, and predicts how close the match will be.
In the iGen set-up software you can choose whether the extra colour is just used with spot colours, or used everywhere to extend the overall gamut. The system calculates the colour mix.
How productive is it?
There’s a choice of 90, 120 or 150 A4 ppm, printing 4/0 colours. It’s a duplex press so 4/4 SRA3 sheet speed is a quarter of that, and you’ll get the same A4 page rate but fewer long sheets in a given time.
What’s the USP?
The upgradable speed choice seems to be unique in this market sector. Other press makers offer fifth colour units, but Mitchell points to the ease, speed and cleanliness of the colour change. “Visitors coming to Uxbridge are very complimentary about this, plus the speed of getting back up and running,” he says.
Ease of use?
According to O’Donnell, ease-of-use and productivity though automation is a main strength of all iGens. “We build in technologies that ensure that’s the case. The iGen5 continues that, including using the extra colours.”
What training and support is on offer
Operator training is part of the deal. Running, consumables and service support are usually paid for by click charges. Fifth colour toner is a separate consumable at £488 per box of two cartridges. Cost depends on usage and it isn’t part of the CMYK ‘per-page’ click charge.
What does it cost?
As the iGen5 is new Xerox hasn’t established UK prices for all the speed options, it says, but the top iGen5 150 will start at £520,000. The upgrade from a CMYK 90 to five colours will be £42,655 and extra colour units are £17,541.
How many are installed?
Xerox doesn’t disclose sales targets. There’s at least one installation in Europe, but none in the UK apart from a demo unit in Xerox’s Uxbridge site.
SPECIFICATIONS
Max paper size 90:364x571mm; 120 & 150: 364x660mm
Max speed 90,120 or 150 A4 impressions per minute
Resolution 2,400dpi
Colours CMYK plus optional orange, green, blue
Paper weights Uncoated: 60 to 350gsm; Coated: 90 to 350gsm
Input capacity Up to 12 trays, all full-size/weight for total of 30,000 sheets. One post-fuser inserter module with two trays. Optional roll feed.
Delivery Up to four stackers, two carts per stacker, for total of 12,000 sheets
Inline finishing options Bookletmakers (CP Bourg or Duplo), stacker, perfect binder, UV coater, Xerox perfect binder, Rollem cut/slit/score/perforator
Footprint 6.2x1.8m with main tower, two feeders and two stackers
Price From £520,000 (iGen5 150)
Contact Xerox UK 0330 123 3245 www.xerox.com
ALTERNATIVES
Kodak NexPress SX3900
Kodak has offered fifth units for years with its NexPress series, which are aimed at broadly the same high-end market as the iGens. Rather like the iGen5 you can start with a slower press and upgrade it. Today’s top model is the SX 3900, with a long-sheet capability up to 1,000mm (though an add-on special pile feeder is needed for this).
The fifth unit offers a larger choice of effects than iGen5: gamut extenders, spot gloss, spot raised imaging, gold, and a clear pearlescent (for a semi-metallic look).
Max sheet size Standard: 356x520mm; optional: 356x1,000mm
Speed 120 A4 ppm (131ppm with long-sheet option)
Number of colours Five
Stock weight range 60-350gsm
Price £320,000
Contact Kodak 0845 602 5991 www.kodak.com
HP Indigo 7800
This is HP’s top SRA3 model, billed for throughput as well as print quality. You can upgrade from lesser 7000 series models and you can start with fewer colours and then add more. The max is seven, printing in any colour order but top speed is only hit if you confine it to CMY and no black. HP Indigos are the only digital presses that can run user-mixed spot colour mixes.
Max sheet size 330x482mm
Speed 120 A4 ppm (CMYK), 160 A4 ppm (EPM/CMY)
Number of colours Up to seven
Stock weight range 60-350gsm
Price From £575,000, Upgrades to 7000 series from £50,000
Contact HP 0330 587 5113 www.hp.com
