Another Breakthrough in Printer Innovation as Oki Europe Launches the First Digital LED White Toner Printers for Smarter in-House Printing

EGHAM, England, September 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

New ground-breaking printing technology removes the last barrier to creativity and design - how to print solid white quickly and cost effectively

OKI Europe has added another major industry 'first' to its portfolio of innovative print solutions with the introduction of its range of digital LED A4 and A3 white toner printers.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120924/562886 )

The new C711WT and C920WT models, showcased recently at OKI Europe's Smart Business Conference in Barcelona, have already highlighted a number of strong vertical market opportunities, from T-shirt transfers and film printing to innovative in-store point-of-sale applications.

The new white toner models are tried and tested devices that are well-regarded by OKI's target small and medium business (SMB) customer base for their high-quality output, robustness and affordability, making them suitable for graphic-based industries. OKI is the first company to introduce a toner-based solution to the "white printer" sector and will significantly expand what has so far been a highly specialist, complex, costly and low-volume market.

"In the past, products have been based on inkjet, dye sublimation or transfer film-ready technologies," says OKI Europe product marketing manager, Paul Ingram. "These have niche applications in areas such as garment decoration or printing proofs for packaging applications which are typically expensive both to purchase and maintain and the production time is lengthy.

"The new OKI white toner-based products by contrast are versatile, easy to use and, as there is no drying time required, enable much faster and more cost-effective printing. At the same time, the robust solid print output is just as good as foil blocking, making it a credible in-house solution for a wide range of white print applications."

Target Markets

The C711WT A4 printer offers 4-colour (CMY and white) printing, at 8ppm in transparency mode and 34ppm using plain paper. The C920WT A4/A3 printer is designed for higher volume applications, at 10ppm and 31ppm respectively (A4), with higher capacity toner cartridges.

The new white toner printers will initially be aimed at a number of key markets in addition to existing graphic arts applications. These include transfer media printing, for example for T-shirts, as well as ceramic decoration, back light signage by transparency film and film printing for packaging. The new products will also offer creative point-of-sale signage opportunities for glass or window displays in retail outlets and car windows, for example.

"However, the applications identified so far promise to be just the tip of the iceberg," believes Ingram. "What is really exciting is that new uses are emerging every day, as businesses discover how our new white toner products will enable them to use white printing in creative and innovative ways."

Customer Benefits

As variants of existing tried-and-tested OKI printers, the new white toner products offer a number of major advantages over other white printing devices, making them affordable for the first time to large and small businesses or organisations looking to expand their in-house print capability.

The C711WT and C920WT offer faster printing and are much easier to use, as users can load and print many sheets. Printed output offers consistent high quality and robust performance, as it is scratch-resistant compared to inkjet-based competitors.

They are more versatile in handling a broad range of media, including photo printing, layout proofs, film printing, packaging, POS and T-shirt transfers.  And all this is delivered with low running costs and overall cost of printing, making them accessible to a much broader user market.

Terry Laidlaw, managing director, OKI Europe, adds: "OKI has built much of its success on technology innovation. With our new white toner products we have once again created a major opportunity for end-customers to improve their competitiveness, by making the most of their ability to print a broader range of high-quality materials in-house."

For further information visit http://www.okiprintingsolutions.com

Notes to Editors:

About the C711WT (A4)

Product specification/features

Colour speed: 8ppm (transparency mode), 34ppm (plain paper)Resolution: 1200x600dpi
Processor speed: 533Mhz
Language: PS3
Paper input: (Main Tray + MPT): 530 + 100
Max paper weight: 220gsm Tray, 250gsm MPT
Max paper size: A4
Dimensions (HxWxD): 389 x 435 x 547mm
Time to first page: 9 seconds
Toner life (colour/white): 11,500/6,000 pages

About the C920WT (A3)

Product specification/features

Colour speed: 10ppm (transparency mode), 31ppm (plain paper)Resolution: 1200x600dpi
Processor speed: 800Mhz
Language: PS3
Paper input: (Main Tray + MPT): 530 + 230
Max paper weight: 216gsm Tray, 300gsm MPT
Max paper size: A3 and SRA3 (up to 328 x 457mm)
Dimensions (HxWxD): 471 x 654.5 x 623mm
Time to first page: 10.5 seconds
Toner life (colour/white): 15,000/8,000 pages

About OKI Europe

OKI Europe  is a division of OKI Data Corporation, a global business-to-business organisation dedicated to creating professional in-house printed communications products, applications and services which are designed to increase the efficiency of today's and tomorrow's businesses. OKI Europe's annual group turnover accounts for over 50% of OKI Data Corporation's group turnover.

The company is well-established as one of Europe's leading printer brands, in terms of value and units shipped. OKI Europe's award-winning product portfolio comprises six distinct segments: colour and mono printers, multifunctional devices, which combine printing, copying, scanning and faxing functionalities, as well as Serial Dot Matrix printers, faxes and specialty printers for point-of-sales and manufacturing. Established in 1990, today OKI Europe employs approximately 1,100 people in 21 production sites and sales offices and is represented in 60 countries throughout the EMEA region.  

OKI Data Corporation is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd., established in 1881 and Japan's first telecommunications manufacturer.

For further information visit http://www.okiprintingsolutions.com

Media Contacts:

OKI Europe Ltd: Pamela Ghosal: Pamela.Ghosal@okieurope.com, +44(0)208-2192127

Whiteoaks: Simon Moss: simonm@whiteoaks.co.uk +44(0)1252-727313