Fujifilm launches 'class beating' white Onset

The Inca Digital-built flatbed, which will be launched at Fespa Eurasia next month, is understood to be the first in a series of white ink-enabled Onsets.

The CMYK+WW machine features two white ink channels, and Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems marketing manager, high end, Tudor Morgan hinted that more white-enabled Onsets could be launched in the near future, perhaps including a six-colour-plus-white machine.

"Inca is working on a wide range of white models, the key reason for doing this is that people often forget that if you go back to 2004/5 then it was Inca that first commercialised white," said Morgan.

"White has always been part of the Inca offering, but the reason it hasn't been on the Onset until now is that these machines are really aimed at volume work and users historically didn't want to slow them down to print white. Or they had other methods to incorporate white and it wasn't economical. However, we've had more and more interest in white."

The Onset S40i runs Fujifilm's latest Uvijet OZ UV inks and its full-width print array uses 168 Fujifilm Dimatix printheads, 56 of which are dedicated to white. It features the same 15-zone vacuum bed as the six-colour S40i as well as a choice of uni- and bi-directional and super high-quality print modes. However, the white functionality will not be retrofittable to CMYK+Lc+Lm Onset S40is.

According to Morgan the S40i features newly developed Dimatix printheads, which, when combined with the OZ ink system and the Onset's architecture, create a machine that can print extremely fast even in white mode.

"If you wanted to print white today, the best you're going to get is probably 20-30sqm/hr, and here we are with something that can print big bold graphics at 175sqm/hr full flood white," added Morgan.

The S40i is capable of 560sqm/hr in CMYK mode.

The white-enabled Inca Onset S40i will be given its global debut at Fespa Eurasia, which takes place on 3-5 October in Instanbul, Turkey. It's available for shipping immediately and pricing will be "on par with" the six-colour S40i.

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