Riso Orphis gets green light for UK launch

20 September 2004

One of the unexpected stars of Drupa, the Riso Orphis HC5000 105ppm colour ink-jet printer has been given the green light for its UK launch. The Orphis will be launched either in December or January, said Riso UK managing director Richard Thompson.

The A3-format printer, which uses piezo ink-jet heads developed by Olympus, had created quite a stir at the show (PrintWeek, 19 May). Riso has already sold more than 500 units in Japan. "The initial response has been extremely good take-up, high-volumes and very good customer satisfaction," said Thompson.

The Orphis is currently being Beta-tested with "a number of key customers in the UK". The system's UK price has yet to be released but at Drupa a figure of around 16,500 (Euro 25,000), including RIP, had been quoted. Following the launch of the 130ppm RZ printers (PrintWeek, 16 September), and with the impending launch of Orphis, Riso is planning to aggressively tackle new markets. It aims to treble its size in the UK over the next few years.

This will be achieved through a "combination of autonomous growth, acquisition and new product launches" said Thompson.

Story by Darryl Danielli