Ricoh c7500 after 8 years of using a xerox versant 2100

thibault

Member
Hello everyone,

I wanted to give my testimony on the transition from a Ricoh 7500 press after using a Xerox versant 2100 for around 8 years. I am a small printer in Paris and we have a diverse clientele. I took the large format banner option which allows me to print up to 700mm long double-sided plus the 5th group options in white/silver/gold and translucent toner.
It is above all these possibilities which led me to be interested in this machine because there is no equivalence in this price range and size of machine (the xerox iridesse is much too large for my small area). For now, after two months of use, the results are really very positive. One of the most important things for me is printing on very textured papers and the Ricoh does it more than well. All my most difficult papers print perfectly without having to make any adjustments and it's quite impressive where I often had to fight with the transfer settings on my 2100 to achieve satisfactory results. The print result is however slightly shiny as if there was a varnish
It is apparently possible to reduce this effect by adjusting the temperature settings but I have not yet explored this possibility and most of my customers have been very satisfied with the result. In terms of print quality, the solid colors are much more uniform and the colors are more vivid. The screen is much finer which makes the printing of photos really impressive. The result is almost close to an inkjet print from my Epson 9500.

The vacuum paper handling system is a huge plus and all types of paper pass through very easily and I have had almost no jams so far. The envelopes also pass very well which is really a huge advantage for me. I have not yet tested weights beyond 400gr but I am eager to carry out tests on the limits of the machine which is close to 500gr. Very light weights also look interesting (45gr). Otherwise the white toner is impressive with two passes in a row and the reprinting is quite precise which surprised me. I haven't tested the translucent yet but the gold and silver work really well on colored paper.

It takes about 10 minutes to change the special toner and apparently this has been improved and simplified compared to the 7200. The storage boxes are not too bulky

I would also add that the registration is really very precise compared to my old press.One of the big advantages is that the alignment sheets can be reused in printing because the marks are reduced to the minimum of the 4 corners of the sheet. This will prevent me from wasting the paper like before where flat gray areas were printed over the entire surface. I would like to add that the price was around 30% cheaper than the Xerox 4100 opposite which did much less good... After testing it, it showed absolutely no change compared to the 2100 and there was all the same defaults including the horrible banding which often appeared on the solids of thick paper.


Don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions.
 
Hello everyone,

I wanted to give my testimony on the transition from a Ricoh 7500 press after using a Xerox versant 2100 for around 8 years. I am a small printer in Paris and we have a diverse clientele. I took the large format banner option which allows me to print up to 700mm long double-sided plus the 5th group options in white/silver/gold and translucent toner.
It is above all these possibilities which led me to be interested in this machine because there is no equivalence in this price range and size of machine (the xerox iridesse is much too large for my small area). For now, after two months of use, the results are really very positive. One of the most important things for me is printing on very textured papers and the Ricoh does it more than well. All my most difficult papers print perfectly without having to make any adjustments and it's quite impressive where I often had to fight with the transfer settings on my 2100 to achieve satisfactory results. The print result is however slightly shiny as if there was a varnish
It is apparently possible to reduce this effect by adjusting the temperature settings but I have not yet explored this possibility and most of my customers have been very satisfied with the result. In terms of print quality, the solid colors are much more uniform and the colors are more vivid. The screen is much finer which makes the printing of photos really impressive. The result is almost close to an inkjet print from my Epson 9500.

The vacuum paper handling system is a huge plus and all types of paper pass through very easily and I have had almost no jams so far. The envelopes also pass very well which is really a huge advantage for me. I have not yet tested weights beyond 400gr but I am eager to carry out tests on the limits of the machine which is close to 500gr. Very light weights also look interesting (45gr). Otherwise the white toner is impressive with two passes in a row and the reprinting is quite precise which surprised me. I haven't tested the translucent yet but the gold and silver work really well on colored paper.

It takes about 10 minutes to change the special toner and apparently this has been improved and simplified compared to the 7200. The storage boxes are not too bulky

I would also add that the registration is really very precise compared to my old press.One of the big advantages is that the alignment sheets can be reused in printing because the marks are reduced to the minimum of the 4 corners of the sheet. This will prevent me from wasting the paper like before where flat gray areas were printed over the entire surface. I would like to add that the price was around 30% cheaper than the Xerox 4100 opposite which did much less good... After testing it, it showed absolutely no change compared to the 2100 and there was all the same defaults including the horrible banding which often appeared on the solids of thick paper.


Don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions.

It would be interesting to see samples, especially of solid colours like you said with no banding
 
This has been my experience also, took in a 7210x after having a KM. At my previous employer we were all Xerox so very familiar with that world as well. Over 2 million clicks in I’m still very confident I made the right choice. Love the versatility, reliability, color and registration consistency. Changing out parts myself is a snap.

I will say, just have very few paying applications for the 5th color, it’s mostly used for dicking around (ie: making fancy business cards for us). Occasionally I do use the banner sheets (we got the vacuum banner drawer with a regular drawer below it) but still not as much as we probably should to justify it.
 
Thanks for sharing! Does the Ricoh C7500 slow down for jobs mixed media weights (ie, 90gsm interior and 200-300gsm cover)?
 
Yes, the machine slows down to adapt the temperature according to the weight but it cannot do otherwise when you understand how it work. I guess that you have to pre-print the cover to insert it without lowering the speed.

One other impressive thing is that the 7500 can print some media completely full page with full bleed. This only works on weights between 160 and 240gr with formats between postcard and A4+ but it's quite surprising.

I will post some picture later today to let you see how good it is :)
 
Here is some picture with two passes white toner for enveloppes.
 

Attachments

  • White toner.jpg
    White toner.jpg
    208.7 KB · Views: 73
  • White toner 2.jpg
    White toner 2.jpg
    223.7 KB · Views: 74
An example with silver toner on Fedrigoni materica Colbalt paper. It's a little harder to take a photo of due to the shine but the result is quite subtle.
 

Attachments

  • Silver.jpg
    Silver.jpg
    622.1 KB · Views: 65

PressWise

A 30-day Fix for Managed Chaos

As any print professional knows, printing can be managed chaos. Software that solves multiple problems and provides measurable and monetizable value has a direct impact on the bottom-line.

“We reduced order entry costs by about 40%.” Significant savings in a shop that turns about 500 jobs a month.


Learn how…….

   
Back
Top