According to KIP, the high-volume LED production print system, which can print UV stable, waterproof images at a constant speed of 325sqm/hr regardless of ink coverage, is the first wide format toner-based device to be aimed at the quick turnaround, on-demand POS market.
The device offers a resolution of 600x2,400dpi and can produce 288 A0 or 516 A1 posters an hour. It can handle premium bond paper weights up to 150gsm and standard blue-back 115gsm poster paper and other substrates.
"Quick turnaround, short-run poster jobs are a major headache for the graphics print market," said KIP UK sales and marketing director Grainger Hill. "Especially satisfying the demands of retailers for urgent runs of 100 to 2,000 POS posters, for instance.
"The C7800 is capable of producing over 500 full colour A1 posters in an hour directly from file with no set up or finishing time – just straight out the door to the client, instant print for instant sale. This represents a total step-change in the level of service that can be offered to the POS poster print market, and we’re already getting a massively enthusiastic response."
The £50,000 machine is available in both graphic arts and architectural versions - with the latter coming equipped with a different RIP and integrated folding options - and can be used with a variety of third-party workflows including Caldera, Shiraz and FlexiSign.
Hill said that while poster print was currently dominated by inkjet and litho technology, there had not previously been a comparable wide-format toner device.
He added that the print quality offered by the C7800, while not photo-realistic, was very good even at high speeds, while a high-colour satin print mode offers increased colour vibrancy at a reduced speed of 197sqm/hr. High capacity stacking for up to 1,000 A0 sheets is supplied as standard.
Both versions of the printer, which comes embedded with KIP’s own software suite, including the KIP Colour RIP, will be on the manufacturer's Drupa stand C37 in Hall 5.
Hill added that users of the C7800 would benefit from KIP's flexible click charge, which reduces as volumes increase. "We look at the meter each month and put the printer in the best banding based on the volume they are producing," he said.
