Sitting between the DocuColor 6060 and the iGen3 the new 8000, although based on the same platform as the 6060, has 30% new or updated components.
"I'm very impressed, when they first announced it internally I thought 'oh yeah', but the new laser improves consistency," said Xerox DocuColor product marketing manager Kevin O'Donnell. "We're getting to the stage where the customer doesn't care if it's offset or digital and the 2,400dpi resolution allows the same screening, including stochastic."
The new 80ppm machine features a whole raft of improvements that are aimed at making the machine more attractive to commercial printers and providing a further challenge to HP Indigo and the NexPress 2100.
Price will be 245,000 including one of three workflows, Creo's Spire, EFI's Fiery or Xerox's own DocuSP.
It will be shown at Digital Print World, and Xerox is also showing it at a number of regional events this month.
Xerox has also launched two new wide-format ink-jet machines. Developed by Xerox itself they mark the firm's first commitment to the wide-format graphics market with a home grown product. It has so far dipped a toe in the water with Epson printers.
The 8160 and 8142, respectively 60in and 42in wide, are claimed to offer the fastest print speeds in their class in "sellable quality modes". The firm also claimed that per m2 of media and ml of ink the machines cost less to run than competitive products.
Applications include backlit displays, Point-of-Sale, indoor and outdoor posters and banners and presentation graphics. Dye and pigment inks are available for indoor and outdoor uses.
Xerox is offering the machines as a complete system including integrated RIP, colour management media and ink.
Out of the box the RIP includes colour profiles and settings for 30 different media types in 160 sizes.
Due to ship next month the machines are keenly priced. Based on US prices the 8160 will cost under 10,000, while the 8142 will cost 6,745 ($11,995). The RIP, which is available as a single user workstation and two server versions will start at under 1,000 and go up to 2,527 for the Color Server RIP Pro version.
Story by Barney Cox
