Ellipsis fires up first Fuifilm JetPress B2 inkjet

USQ Ellipsis Media has commissioned the country's first Fujifilm JetPress digital sheetfed inkjet print system, with director Rob Keanalley saying work in the first week "has already exceeded expectations". 

  First in Australia: With the new Fujifilm JetPress 750S at Ellipsis Media are (l-r) David Martin, Rob Keanalley, and David Fritz.

The new JetPress 750S represents the biggest investment by far for Ellipsis Media, and joins a toner-based digital colour printer and an SRA3 offset press, and an extensive bindery fleet at the production centre in Toowoomba.

Ellipsis Media serves the University of Southern Queensland, and the printing community of south-east Queensland. Keanalley told Print21, "When we reviewed our business we determined that we wanted to offer a service to printers in the area that they did not have, that would set us apart from the field, and would give printers something extra to go to the market with. Inkjet digital printing in B2 sheetfed was the clear solution to that, then it was a question of which solution.

"As a government organisation we have to go through a rigorous verifiable selection process. As we did that over a period of 18 months it became clear that the Fujifilm JetPress was the technology that would meet our needs. The print quality is out in front, with 1200dpi, a wide colour gamut, and solids that are better than offset. It will print on standard offset stocks, which includes packaging stocks, and even onto canvas.

"And it will do all that at a price point that the market is more than happy to meet. Feedback we have had in the first week on that has been overwhelmingly positive, and we already have local printers taking advantage of this capability."

Keanalley says Ellipsis was initially looking at the JetPress 720S amongst other solutions, but when the 750S came out "that was the clincher". He said, "I also was happy to be a first mover in the market. There is a risk of course, but the analysis that we had, and the conversations with JetPress owners in different parts of the world, made me comfortable in being the first in Australia, and proud to be so."

Ellipsis is not yet at peak productivity as the operators hone their skills with the JetPress. Keanalley says the JetPress 750S will work with run lengths up to 5000, "depending on the type of work." He says Ellipsis is already transitioning high-run work from the digital toner printer and low end from the offset press onto the JetPress. He told Print21, "When it comes to solids for instance on our offset press it would take a significant number of sheets and time to get that right. With JetPress it is good from the first sheet, so no waste and minimal makeready, which means we are saving time and money.

"On the second day we did a particular job which would have taken a day and a half on the offset press, on the JetPress it was two and a half hours. The decision to invest in JetPress inkjet sheetfed is working out already."

Ellipsis is aiming to produce trade work for printers all over south-east Queensland, including those in Toowoomba, Brisbane, Gold and Sunshine Coasts, and – says Keanalley – as far north as Cairns and Towsnville. He said, "We have the technology, it is now available for printers to access."