Features improve productivity; new models include upgrade path to accommodate business growth

TRUMBULL, Conn., Dec. 4, 2012 — (PRNewswire) — Oce, a Canon Group Company and international leader in digital document management and printing for professionals, today announced four new models in the Oce Arizona^® 400 Series of UV flatbed printers:  Oce Arizona 460 GT, Oce Arizona 460 XT, Oce Arizona 440 GT and Oce Arizona 440 XT printers. Joining the Oce Arizona 480 GT and Oce Arizona 480 XT models introduced in October 2012, these additional models complete the Oce Arizona 400 Series of next-generation UV flatbed printers that feature exceptional quality, improved productivity, application versatility and the ability to upgrade as business grows.

The "right fit" for every customer

The Oce Arizona 400 Series includes six different UV flatbed printers featuring four, six or eight independent ink channels in two different flatbed sizes, offering a range of applications capabilities and capacity to suit nearly any mid-volume print service provider. And as a provider's needs change, an upgrade path is available to ensure that the investment in an Oce Arizona 400 Series printer is protected from obsolescence.

Superior image quality supported by advanced technologies

Oce VariaDot^® imaging technology is the key to the award-winning image quality of every Oce Arizona printer. Included in these new models, Oce VariaDot imaging technology can produce near-photographic quality with sharpness equivalent to 1,440 dpi or higher. Text as small as 2 pt. is perfectly legible, even when reverse-printed (white ink on a black field).

Active Pixel Placement Compensation assures image sharpness, density and uniformity, wherever it is printed on the flatbed or on the Roll Media Option. This feature is standard on all Oce Arizona 400 Series printers.

Reduced operator intervention equals improved productivity

A variable vacuum system featuring six vacuum zones on the Oce Arizona 400 Series GT models – seven on Oce Arizona 400 Series XT models – is configured to match the majority of standard-sized graphics arts media to reduce or eliminate manual masking thereby decreasing operator intervention and increasing productivity.

A batch mode supports complex, multi-layered jobs – those requiring multiple passes for specialty applications. These jobs can now be streamlined using the new batch mode tools, eliminating operator intervention between operations. Included on all Oce Arizona 400 Series models, batch mode can also be used to produce sets of prints sequentially for easy collation and fulfillment.

Choose the model that suits today's printing needs …

Oce Arizona 460 GT and Oce Arizona 460 XT models include six independent ink channels with the first four configured for standard CMYK printing. Channels five and six can be configured in two ways that offer flexibility to meet the demands of various jobs:

• Varnish + White:  Using white ink, print service providers can produce exceptional quality prints on a variety of non-white substrates – including backlit prints – that can command premium prices. Varnish can be used as a spot or flood decorative element for attention-getting results at high-value prices.
• Double-White:  Alternatively, when not required for use in printing varnish, the sixth channel can be used as an additional white ink channel to provide double the opacity in a single printing pass for higher productivity when printing white ink jobs. This is particularly beneficial for backlit and industrial applications.

Print service providers can use these two channels in whichever configuration best suits their needs, changing from Varnish + White to Double-White (and vice versa) as needed.

Oce Arizona 440 GT and Oce Arizona 440 XT models include CMYK ink channels only. This is ideal for those shops that do not initially need the capacity for Varnish or White Ink printing or already have that capability elsewhere but just need to increase CMYK capacity.

… and be assured of an upgrade path as business grows

The Oce Arizona 400 Series printer family is designed to grow with a print service provider's business. Owners can upgrade at any time to add more application versatility and improve productivity. The following upgrades are available[1]:

• Oce Arizona 440 to Oce Arizona 460 adds Varnish + White or Double-White capability
• Oce Arizona 460 to Oce Arizona 480 adds CM² capability
• Oce Arizona 440 to Oce Arizona 480 adds Varnish + White or Double-White capability plus CM² capability

CM² printing adds productivity while maintaining exceptional image quality

The last two ink channels included on Oce Arizona 480 models are used to enhance both print quality – beyond the award-winning level already available in every Oce Arizona printer – and print speed by adding extra cyan and magenta nozzle capacity. Called CM² [C-M-squared], the additional cyan and magenta nozzle capacity offers Production print modes that rival the slower Quality-oriented modes in terms of sharpness, uniformity and smoothness. Users can take advantage of this improved print quality to realize higher net productivity since more demanding jobs can now be printed in the faster print modes.

Meet nearly any application need

The Oce Arizona 400 GT models offer the standard table size of 1.25 by 2.5 meters (49.2 by 98.4 inches) and the Oce Arizona 400 XT models offer the extra large table size of 2.5 by 3.05 meters (98.4 by 120 inches). Both can print on rigid media up to 50.8 mm (2.0 inches) thick. A Roll Media Option is available for both models to print on flexible media up to 2.2 meters (86.6 inches) wide.

All Oce Arizona 400 Series printers are suitable for a variety of display graphics applications including POP/POS, retail signage, backlit images, exhibition graphics, etc. They can also be used for specialty applications where the decorated substrate is not meant primarily for display purposes (e.g. package prototyping, short-run packaging, wallpaper and interior decoration, and consumer product decoration).

Highly acclaimed UV flatbed printer series

All Oce Arizona Series printers share the same award-winning image quality and robust architecture, offering the Oce values of quality, reliability, productivity and user-friendliness. In all, Oce Arizona Series UV flatbed printers have earned more than 30 industry awards to date from organizations throughout the world. These awards validate the quality and innovation built into every Oce Arizona Series printer.

Oce Display Graphics Systems

Oce Display Graphics Systems is a leading provider of professional, wide format solutions for indoor and outdoor color display graphics applications. Oce solutions are specifically designed to enhance the revenue and profit opportunities for service providers by combining hardware with workflow software and the expertise to help companies expand into digital large format color. From extremely high-quality UV flatbed printers to roll-based printers and advanced finishing systems, Oce offers a total solution including hardware, software, imaging supplies, finishing systems, applications expertise, hardware support and financing. Customers benefit in working with a full-service partner they can count on to help their businesses grow.

About Oce

Oce is one of the leading providers of document management and printing for professionals. The Oce offering includes office printing and copying systems, high speed digital production printers and wide format printing systems for both technical documentation and color display graphics. Oce is also a foremost supplier of document management outsourcing. Many of the Fortune Global 500 companies and leading commercial printers are Oce customers. The company was founded in 1877. With headquarters in Venlo, The Netherlands, Oce is active in over 100 countries and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide. Oce North America is headquartered in Trumbull, CT, with additional business units in Chicago, IL and Boca Raton, FL.  For more information, visit www.oce.com.

Oce and Canon: Stronger together

In 2010 Oce joined the Canon Group of companies with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to create the global leader in the printing industry. Canon develops, manufactures and markets a growing line-up of copying machines, printers, cameras, optical and other products that meet a diverse range of customer needs. The Canon Group comprises over 198,000 employees worldwide. Global net sales in 2011 totalled USD 45.6 billion. Visit the Canon Inc. website at www.canon.com.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With approximately $45.6 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in 2011[*] and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2012. In 2012, for the ninth consecutive year, Canon U.S.A. has received the PCMag.com Readers' Choice Award for Service and Reliability. Committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, Canon U.S.A. provides 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

[1] Upgrades apply only to ink configurations, not table sizes. GT tables cannot be upgraded to XT tables.

[*] Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

SOURCE Oce North America