Color Copiers Get Squeezed

New installations of color copiers will reach 51,800 this year, representing a year-to-year growth rate of 21.82%, according to Gartner/Dataquest, a market research organization based in Stamford, Conn. "Looking out to 2006, we expect the market to realize double-digit growth, for a compounded annual growth rate of 16.04%," says Don Dixon, the group's senior analyst.

Findings show, however, that color copiers represent a small, niche segment in the overall copier market. In 2001, 1.7 million monochrome printers were shipped, compared to 42,500 color copiers.

Gartner/Dataquest recently completed a study and database on integrated document output (copier, printer, fax) for digital document and imaging.

Despite high overall growth rate projections, color copiers can be a difficult sell. The machines face competition from desktop printers on the low end and from digital color printers on the high end. In fact, some production-level color copiers are marketed as short-run color printers, placing them in competition with such machines as Heidelberg's NexPress 2100 and Xerox's DocuColor 2060 and 2045 digital color presses.

In response, color copier vendors increasingly are marketing their machines as printer/copiers, which are basically copiers bundled with a print controller and some additional finishing options.

"We recognize that our copier products are primarily being used as printers," says Ron Potesky, director of printer and color systems for Ricoh Corporation. "At a lot of sites, the color copier is being used as a printer as much as 80% of the time."

Color copiers are designed and marketed to three distinct business segments, although there can be some crossover. Color copiers targeted for the office environment incorporate speed and finishing capabilities but may compromise on image quality, while those designed for the graphics arena (for in-house art departments or advertising agencies) focus less on speed and more on quality and color management capabilities. Finally, color copiers for the production segment (for print-for-pay concerns or large in-house graphics departments) combine quality, color management tools, and speed.

Fiery controllers from Electronics for Imaging (EFI) have become a ubiquitous component of color copier/printers, controlling such functions as memory and memory compression, continuous-tone printing, scanning support, color management, and RIP-while-printing. While controllers range in price from $3,800 to $40,000, depending on functionality, a fast device is required to achieve a color copier's highest rated speed.

Color copier market leaders include Canon, Minolta, Ricoh, and Xerox, with Sharp and Toshiba now offering strong products as well.

In April, Canon launched the CLC 1140 and CLC 1180, mid-range systems targeted for use by the graphic arts professional. New technology, combined with hardware and software RIP enhancements, reportedly allows critical color accuracy for demanding environments.

"The most impressive improvement is an on-board sensor that can take readings every few pages to provide a 70% improvement in color consistency over previous models," explains Forrest Leighton, product marketing specialist for the Graphic Systems Division of Canon U.S.A., Inc. This new capability is called Real Time Calibration. The two devices also feature a non-linear press-like density curve designed to simulate the tonal density of offset printing presses.

As rated, the new CLC units can produce full-color laser output at 11 pages per minute (ppm), monchrome at 42 ppm. The machines are sold either as standalone copiers, or as fully networked copier/printers with the addition of either the Canon ColorPass-Z400E or ColorPass-Z650, co-developed by Canon and EFI.

An optional graphic arts package is available for the ColorPass-Z650. Priced at $5,595, it is designed for the color-critical user, and includes soft proofing, spot-on color matching, hot folders to automate the printing process, halftone screening capabilities, and paper simulation.

Suggested retail prices for the CLC 1140 and CLC 1180 are $22,150 and $25,350, respectively. Prices for the ColorPass-Z400E and ColorPass-Z650 are $7,495 and $21,000, respectively.

Minolta Corporation's newest copier/printer in its CF series, the DiAlta CF9001 (eight ppm in color, 32 ppm in monochrome), features 600-dpi copy and print resolution and 256 levels of grayscale per pixel. To boost image quality, says the company, the unit utilizes Fine Edge Enhancement Technology, which sharpens text resolution, and Screen Limos III technology, which smoothes tone reproduction.

Additional features include 11x17" full-bleed printing on 12x18" paper, reduction/magnification from 25% to 600%, color test prints allowing for seven different color versions to print on a single sheet, and an easy-to-use touchscreen with four LCD gradations.

Stackless duplexing uses a four-sheet paper path to speed document output. Finishing options for the CF9001 include a 10-bin sorter and 10-bin stapler/sorter. Additional options include an automatic document feeder, cassette tray holding 1,000 sheets, and a scanner unit.

The suggested retail price: approximately $18,600. Two EFI controller options, the Fiery Z4 server, and the Fiery X3e upgrade the CF9001 to a network printer.

Ricoh's Aficio Color 6513 is an eight-bit, 600-dpi continuous-tone graphics copier/printer, offering color management capabilities and the ability to run 13 ppm in full color, 51 ppm in black-and-white.

An enhanced toner boosts image quality by offering high saturation levels. Color manipulation features range from the ability to copy glossy photos to a poster mode for creating oversized reproductions.

Additional capabilities include a 250-sheet bypass tray, paper tray lift system, optional editing capability, and a color LCD display. The Aficio has a maximum paper size of 13x19", and can run stock up to 140-lb. index.

A Fiery E-710 embedded color controller provides full color management and color correcting tools, including ICC profiles, Color Chart, CMYK color reference pages, RGB color tests, trapping and overprinting support, and ColorWise Pro Tools. An external controller, the Fiery E-810, is also available. Both are optional.

The price of the Aficio Color 6513 is $22,995. The unit is also sold as the Gestetner CS213d, Lanier 5813, and the Savin SDC413.

Sharp's AR-C270 copier/printer, launched in May, joins the company's other mid-range models, the AR-C250, and the AR-C160. It has a published duty cycle of 50,000 impressions per month.

The new unit prints 27 ppm in color, 32 ppm in monochrome. It offers an eight-bit, 600-dpi resolution; its first-copy-out time of 9.6 seconds is said to be the fastest on the market. The AR-C270 features stackless auto duplexing for two-sided copying with no static build-up.

Customized for the graphic arts market, the device prints and copies up to 11x17" full-bleed images for posters and signage. A 3,000-sheet input tray is standard, and the AR-C270 comes with either a finisher or stapler/sorter.

Two EFI controller options, as well as host-based VDF software for color printing from a database, are available.

As for the existing unit, the AR-C250 runs at 25 ppm in either color or black-and-white and lists for $31,950. The AR-C160, which replaces Sharp's AR-C150, is rated at 16 ppm in color, 32 ppm in black-and-white; list price is $18,500.

The Sharp copiers use an engine design featuring an image transfer belt system and a series of four drums, positioned to create a very straight paper path. When black-and-white pages are being output, the color section disengages, eliminating wear and tear on that part of the engine.

Toshiba's FC15i and FC22i are identical in every way except speed—and price. The FC15i copies at 15 ppm in color and 22 ppm in black-and-white, and lists for $17,995. The FC22I, which copies at 22 ppm in either color or black-and-white, lists for $21,995.

Both machines run at higher speeds when printing, The FC22i prints color pages at 18 ppm and black-and-white pages at 25 ppm; the FC22i prints at 25 ppm in either black-and-white or color. Both models scan and output pages at 600-dpi resolution.

The models output the first copy is 10.3 seconds. They can feed stock up to 110-lb. index and paper in sizes up to 12x18". Like the Sharp models, the Toshiba machines feature an image transfer belt system; the Toshiba models, however, don't disengage the color section when only black-and-white pages are being printed.

Connectivity options include a low-cost embedded EFI Fiery X3e, as well as the external, high-performance Fiery Z4.

Xerox recently unveiled two mid-range color copiers, the DocuColor 2260 (22 ppm color, 40 ppm monochrome), and the DocuColor 1632 (16 ppm color, 32 ppm monochrome). Both feature 600x600-dpi resolution and a maximum sheet size of 12x19". Standard paper capacity is 3,140 sheets.

The devices come embedded with a controller for RIP-while-printing, continuous printing, document set printing, and reverse order printing. Standard features include an automatic duplexing feeder for up to 50 sheets, electronic pre-collation, a high-capacity tray, and an offset catch tray.

Single-pass, straight-line processing is accomplished using oilless fusing and intermediate transfer belt technology. Productivity enhancements include multi-image copying and printing, auto rotation, and program and scan ahead.

The DocuColor 2240 lists for $19,900, the 1632 for $17,900.

For users with copy volumes of 20,000 to 30,000 monthly, Xerox offers its DocuColor 40 Pro copier/printer (rated at 40 ppm single-sided, 30 ppm double-sided). It can handle stock up to 120-lb. index, and allows 11x19" full-bleed printing on oversized 12x18" paper.

The DocuColor 40 Pro has four separate engines, each with its own drum and developer unit. Standard features include auto duplexing, seven pre-set reduction/enlargement levels, and a collator and stapler. Output options include a 20-bin sorter or an offset catch tray/finisher, signature bookletmaker, saddle stitcher, and trimmer.

A range of controller options (from EFI, Colorbus, Scitex, and Splash) are available. The DocuColor Pro 40 sells for $69,000; the Xerox Fiery X40 RIP lists for $19,000.

Several devices populate the category of production-level copying machines.

Canon's workhorse, with a recommended monthly volume of up to 200,000 impressions, is the CLC 5000, a 50-ppm unit that uses four-drum technology and proprietary Finer Brighter toner. Its print resolution is equivalent to 800x400 dpi.

The system incorporates such finishing capabilities as bookletmaking and trimming of paper in sizes up to 12x18". Says Canon, continuous operation is ensured with scan-once/print-many technology, stackless duplexing, and paper handling capacity of up to 5,350 sheets from four available sources.

List price for the CLC 5000 is $89,500. An optional ColorPass for the CLC 5000 system provides network print capability.

The CPS700 color copier/printer from Océ Printing Systems, which is designed for print volumes up to 100,000 impressions per month, uses the company's Direct Imaging technology to create a full-color image from seven base color cylinders (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, red, blue, and green), applying it directly onto one imaging drum in a single step without the use of developer.

Applying all the colors in one pass and not laying one upon another, says Océ, cuts toner usage in half and minimizes the risk of misregistration.

Océ's CPS700 can handle media up to 11x17" and up to a weight of 110-lb. index. The ability to print and RIP at the same time, regardless of single prints, multiple prints, or multiple sets, reportedly saves such memory that users can pre-program and store jobs while other jobs are in progress.

The copier/printer integrates a choice of EFI Fiery controllers to provide multitasking capabilities across the extended enterprise. With the comprehensive Fiery workflow management tools, users can merge and edit documents, use variable-data files for customized print applications, remotely view and manage jobs, and edit and assemble multi-page documents and booklets, regardless of the platform in which they were created.

List prices start at $118,750.