The Heidelberg Linoprint Digital Press range and the Prinect Digital Print Manager are now available in Australia, completing the final roll out of the global partnership announced between Heidelberg and Ricoh last year at drupa.
Under the agreement Heidelberg in Australia will sell the digital printing systems for short runs from Ricoh under the names Heidelberg Linoprint C901, Linoprint C751 and Linoprint C651.
They are the printers Ricoh brands as the Pro C901, the Pro C7511 and the Pro C651. Linoprint is Heidelberg’s digital brand.
Heidelberg’s workflow software Prinect Digital Print Manager will be packaged with the Linoprint presses. The company says it is the only software package on the market that can manage the entire workflow between digital and offset printing platforms, including colour management. The software integrates with existing Prinect workflows, and is also available as a standalone solution.
Heidelberg’s managing director, Richard Timson says Prinect Digital Print Manager is, “Extraordinary technology that acts as a bridge between digital and offset printing processes. In basic terms it allows offset printers to seamlessly integrate a quality digital print workflow into their operation enhancing their offer to customers. From a productivity perspective, when Prinect Digital Print Manager is integrated into an existing Prinect Workflow, it becomes a one-of-a-kind hybrid workflow that allows the customer to change easily and rapidly between offset and digital printing at any time. This delivers greater flexibility and optimisation of equipment, and that ultimately saves time and money”.
Kathy Wilson, general manager - Business Solutions/Production Ricoh Australia witnessed Heidelberg’s Prinect Digital Print Manager in action at drupa. She says, “It was impressive to see how this software manages the workflow across both digital and offset printing platforms, and the benefits were immediately obvious”.
Timson added that the solution could also be used in printing companies that don’t have an offset offering. He says, “As a package Heidelberg Linoprint and Prinect Digital Print Manager can be a standalone solution also”.
Timson, says, “The global partnership with Ricoh is reflective of Heidelberg’s ongoing commitment to align with companies that are leaders in their fields. This is a great partnership between two forward-thinking companies, and will undoubtedly benefit the market and help grow demand for quality print”.
Wilson says, “With this partnership the market has two extremely strong, well-regarded global businesses working side by side and that’s a very positive message to customers. We are very pleased to be working with Heidelberg in Australia on this solution”.
In explaining how the partnership will work, Timson said the companies had devised a joint strategy “to ensure our customers are supported in the way they are accustomed. This is a Heidelberg solution and as such it meets the high standards of the Heidelberg brand”.
“This is an opportunity for true digital print integration into the offset workflow. It’s not about adding another machine that is independent to the workflow. Rather it is about print shops benefiting from workflow management advances which will turn the focus back to printing profitably by utilising the right press for the right job,” Timson concluded
