Xeikon
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Under the Xeikon brand, Punch Graphix develops, manufactures and distributes high-end digital colour printing systems, the related prepress and operating software, and consumables such as toner. The Xeikon presses, and the integrated solutions built around them, are used in different industries and for different applications such as: label printing, book printing, statement printing, direct mail, transfer printing, and textile printing…
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[edit] The Machine
Xeikon printing machines are roll fed high-end digital presses designed for professional printing. The presses deliver state of the art printing quality. The Xeikon 6000, Xeikon 5000plus and Xeikon 4000 use a unique one pass duplex concept. All presses use electro photography as imaging technology. Depending on the type, the Xeikon presses print in 4 or 5 colors. Being 50cm wide roll fed, these presses are flexible in terms of format: the equipment is being used by professional printers to print from business cards, over datasheets, brochures, mailings, poster and banners to wall paper and everything in between. The presses can print on a wide range of substrates: papers ranging from 40 to 350 gsm and many synthetic materials such as polyester and polypropylene. The Xeikon 330 is a simplex printing press suited for label printing, transfer printing and special applications.
[edit] Digital Technology
Digital technology prints documents directly from electronic files to paper, or any other substrate for that matter. And herein lies the major difference with the traditional (offset) printing process: a number of expensive and time-consuming intermediate steps, such as plate imaging and mounting, have been omitted. Up until a few years ago digital print presses were classified as sub-quality when compared to traditional offset printing. Over the last couple of years the technology has proven itself as a contender when it comes to quality, with full compliance of Pantone colours, and the ability of using spot colours.
[edit] Other uses
Other than the time required in preparing a digital document to be printed, there are no film or plate production costs involved in the digital printing process, enabling cost-effective, high quality, and shorter print runs. Digital printing also allows form as well as content of each consecutive print to be different. Only digital printing technology can therefore respond to the ever increasing demand for real personalisation and customisation of printed matter. Hence, digital printing opens up possibilities for real Print on Demand (POD), i.e. providing customers what they want, when and where they want it. One of the newest trends in digital printing is the output of transpromotional mailings: mailing pieces that are completely individualized in full color and containing both transactional and transpromotional information. The latest printing engine developed by Punch Graphix, the Xeikon 8000 is aimed in these markets.
Competitors to the Xeikon Print Engine include Kodak Nexpress, HP Indigo Digital Press and Xerox IGen3.
