The upgrade is based on features first introduced on the iGen150, which was launched at Drupa, excluding the physical increase in printing speed.
"All together these enhancements improve efficiency and I think will be a natural upgrade for all iGen4 users," said Xerox UK product marketing manager Alan Clarke.
Most of the features are upgrades to the software and can be retro-fitted. The one hardware addition is the long sheet high-capacity stacker, which can take 660mm long sheets. To date longer sheets on the iGen4 have had to be delivered to the bypass stacker.
"80% of iGen4 customers take the long sheet option and we expect this to be as popular on the Diamond Edition and as the most requested upgrade from existing users," said Clarke.
Other features include automating image-to-paper set up, eliminating the need for users to check and adjust front-to-back image registration, and automated colour maintenance.
This uses the built in spectrophotometer to monitor colour quality and to automatically correct output or recalibrate if needed based on user-determined intervals, either time or number of sheets printed.
Upgrade price is dependent on the age of the machine and what digital front end the user has. All the new features are supported in the latest version of Xerox’s Freeflow and EFI’s Fiery controllers.
Xerox stopped selling the Creo DFE at Drupa, and firms using Creo would need to completely replace it with one of the two remaining controllers to take advantage of the new functions.
The list price for the iGen4 Diamond is £425,000, while the iGen150 starts at £350,000.
Kevin Horey, Xerox VP or Production Product Marketing, told PrintWeek the upgrade was being rolled out in the United States and Europe, with an Asia Pacific roll-out yet to be determined.
The US list price is $662,000 and Horey said: "The iGen family really has a full portfolio now with this Diamond edition and the iGen 150, giving us different price points in the marketplace.
"And what this really does is give our current iGen4 customers the ability to add some things that they currently don't have - so there's an asset protection component with this model - while also offering enhancements for new customers."
As for the overall market for new press sales, Horey said: "The sales environment is certainly better than it was in '09 and '10, but again it couldn't have gotten much worse. The leading indicator we see is page volumes - when printers maximize their page volumes, it's time to either get another piece of equipment or upgrade. We've already seen that page volume growth and now that's starting to translate into new equipment."
Additional reporting by David Ward.
