While the original Pro9000 Series A3 digital toner printers were launched three years ago, the addition of an envelope feeder and conveyor to the system enables it to handle short-run envelope printing.
An Envelope Fuser is also included to reduce wrinkle and ensure uniform print across a wide range of designs.
The system prints onto envelope sizes ranging from C7 to 330x381mm (13x15in) at speeds of up to 500 DL envelopes in around 12 minutes.
It incorporates one of three printers from the existing Pro9000 Series – the Pro9431E model prints CMYK, the Pro9541E prints CMYK plus white or clear and the Pro9542 prints CMYK over white in one pass. The machines can handle stocks of up to 360gsm.
The Pro9000 Series Envelope Print System is commercially available with immediate effect and has already been shown at local roadshows, OKI said, but Fespa will mark its major European show debut.
Existing users of Pro9000 Series printers can buy the envelope feeder and conveyor separately to attach to their machines.
OKI Europe head of industry print for the North West region Rob Brown said: “The envelope feeder gives users the ability to print variable data and make something much more personal for people. Be it a t-shirt or a piece of mail or packaging, that personalisation is what’s helping us see a drive in our business in shorter run applications.
“People have also been using the envelope feeder for printing onto paper bags, and there’s a customer of ours that produces personalised party bags for children’s parties or hen do’s. Applications that we didn’t initially see would be there for the envelope feeder are now coming through.”
He added: “Businesses can spend a lot of time and effort trying to get new customers in but they’ve actually got a much greater chance and opportunity of selling a new product to an existing customer.
“So we’re finding that people want to add a revenue stream to their business to take to existing clients and grow their revenues that way. Somebody that maybe traditionally has a large-format business is now looking to print shorter runs on machines like our Pro9000 and branch out into something that they maybe didn’t do before.”
OKI will also use Fespa to preview its new Pro1040 and Pro1050 narrow-format label printers. Brown said these machines mark the company’s “first foray into the short-run digital labelling market”.
The company’s ColorPainter range of large-format printers, including the E-64s and the M-64s, will also be running live on its stand at Fespa, which will take place at Messe Berlin from 15 to 18 May.
