The machine, the Pro8432WT, is a replacement for OKI’s current A3 white toner machine, the Pro9420WT, which launched in late 2012 and has now been decommissioned. 

It was given its debut at Fespa and became available for purchase straight after the Hamburg expo for £6,249, which includes 13,000 pages’ worth of white toner and 4,500 pages’ worth of each of the other colours. The white toner initially supplied with the machine has been increased by 60% on the Pro9420WT.

Lee Webster, OKI general manager product marketing EMEA, said 300 orders had already been taken in EMEA, with around 10% to 20% of those coming from the UK, one of its main target markets.

Intended for the graphic arts printing sector, the machine incorporates OKI’s high definition LED printer technology, printing CMYK plus white on media sized up to A3. OKI said printing in white means the machine can produce full colour transfers and ready-to-decorate substrates of any colour. It can print the equivalent of circa 4,500 t-shirts before more white toner is needed.

Webster said: “As a replacement for the 9420 we have improved image quality, specifically around the white, so it’s even denser and there are improvements on some of the effects you may see on certain conditions. In terms of white quality specifically in the current models we have great white on the A4 and the A3 was arguably not so good so this has taken it to a new level.” 

Running at a maximum speed of 35ppm at maximum 1,200x600dpi, the machine takes sheets weighing up to 256gsm. 

Webster anticipates the majority of purchasers will use the machine for transfer materials, mainly t-shirts, but also trophies and other personalised items.

He added: “It is going to give you great running costs where you need whites and full colour.

“One of the other things we’ve changed here is we've halved the price of the white toner as well to make it more attractive and viable from a return investment perspective for printing and this is what we hope people will see. It was great before but white was still seen as something quite special and niche and we want to make this much more everyday.” 

Webster also anticipates the machine will sell well in the growing UK market. 

“What we’ve seen in the last 12 to 18 months is a switch from A4 to A3 in the UK market,” he added. 

OKI also used Fespa to show its 2016-launched ColorPainter E-64S for the first time.