Xante has a dedicate envelope machine

[JaimeZ]

At Grapho Expo Xante introduced the Ilumina with envelope feeder and they call it the Ilumina Digital Envelope Press+.

According to Xante it will be ready to ship in January 2009.

Looks very promising and may be an answer to printing envelopes on a toner based device.

As I've already posted on other threads the Ilumina already prints envelopes well, but with a special feeder and output conveyor belt it will really make printing them much easier.

Here is Xante's link:
Xante: Products: Ilumina Digital Envelope Press

 

[Cory Smith]

Scott showed this to me at Graph Expo, thing was humming along..looked like a great little setup. It was only printing #10 envelopes at the time. I think he said they were still developing a kit that would allow up to 9X12 envelopes.

 

[JaimeZ]

Yes,

Cory I talked to my contact at Xante and she said it can do 10x13 envelopes. But as you know, we're all from Missouri when it comes to believing--just "show me"!

I imagine, though, that Xante will promote it more and hopefully the local dealers will have a demo machine soon.

 

[Internal_R&D_Analyst]

The machine at Graph Expo was a prototype feeder for 10's only. I was told the same that the feeder when released will be able to do catalogs and booklets.

PSI Engineering's oki machine can do 9, 10, catalog and booklet. I like their delivery better versus the Xante's where the envelopes fall to the floor and you have to bend over to pick them up, not very good on the ergonomics.

MGI had it at last year's Graph Expo but they make an envelope feeder as well which is now available on the DP40 and DP60.

 

[dynamicprinter]

It seems like it might be good for an in house unit, but if you're selling the envelopes to a customer who runs it thru a laser printer I think it would reheat the toner and smear it.

 

[tammierae]

Xante

Xante

This seems like a very interesting machine. Does anyone have any idea what it is going to cost?

Thanks,
Tammie
Quick Print & Signs

 

[Helene]

Stay tuned; I think you'll be happy

Stay tuned; I think you'll be happy

Hi all -- I'm asking the company for more definitive info, or to reply here, but I think you'll be happy to hear that there is more to say on the topic of this particular machine.

 

[rcreveli]

I'll make a point of seeing this at on demand. I want to believe but, I've been hurt to many times.

 

[Internal_R&D_Analyst]

List price is $14,995. If you were to buy it at a show they are saying $12,995.

 

[John A]

How do you deal with wrinkling problems?

How do you deal with wrinkling problems?

I've successfully fed #10 envelopes on a low end color device (HP 9500) without jams - but...

The envelopes were feeding fine (10 - 15 at a time with no jams) but they were coming out with lots of wrinkles from the pressure of going through the fuser section. I've seen that offset presses can avoid this partly by having the ability to adjust the pressure on the envelopes. How will the Xante device deal with this problem?

Also, it would be good to know if you can laser print onto these after they go through the Xante.

Seems like for the new digital printers/presses to ever really get a foothold in the business stationery niche, they'll need to engineer them so you can laser print over the toner based output.

Maybe this is the cue for inkjet technology to break into mainstream digital production?

 

[Internal_R&D_Analyst]

I physically have samples and they are way better then samples ran on laser printers. The biggest issue I see is that the fold overs on the back of the envelope make an impression on the front side of the envelope. This is not seen when printing on the Xante.

I am also told that these envelopes can be feed back through laser devices without issues. I can't say this is 100% but my thinking is that because this is a led printer that might have something to do with it.

 

[JaimeZ]

We have an Ilumina, purchased it last year. We have run envelopes through it many times easily.

I just tested a sheet 20# white bond imaged on the Ilumina full coverage. I then ran it through again black ink only, no smearing of ink, I then ran the same sheet through a Brother laser printer again no smearing.

So I would have to say that it could be used to print business stationery intended to be printed by end user on lasers.

 

[Craig]

Wouldn't the smearing depend on which device has the hottest fuser? Also what about the printed envelope effecting the fuser on the printer after running a few hundred?

 

[JaimeZ]

Craig,

You've got a point about the fuser on the second device being hotter, but the Ilumina uses a high temperature in order to fuse the ink on the envelope to begin with so I can not imagine subsequent laser printers being hotter, although we all know how clients' can muck things up.

As for the effect of running a lot of envelopes through the fuser, it's similar to running 300gsm board weight through the newer devices today, the fuser, and most of the other consumables, are not going to last as long as if you running 20 or 24# paper only. However, you can upcharge for running envelopes reliably through a toner base device and from what I have read in other threads in the Digital Printing Forum, envelopes are difficult to run on most of the toner based digital presses at best and I gather that it's almost impossible for most--at least for the moment.

 

[Craig]

Jaime,
I was referring to the the effect on the client's printer after they run a few hundred of the Illumina printed envelopes through their printer. I wasn't very clear on that after I re-read it, sorry.

 

[JaimeZ]

Yes, Craig I see your point. But wouldn't that also be the case if the envelopes were printed offset with the intention of being imprinted on laser print engines by the end user? That we have no control over and if the thickness of the envelope will damage lesser laser print engines, that in effect, is out of our power and more a responsibility of the laser printer companies to engineer a printer that can handle envelopes better.

Frankly, I don't know how to answer the question adequately. I guess that is why we sell more #10 window envelopes than regular, where the letter/form placed inside has the mailing address printed on it and labels with mailing address printed and then placed on the outside of a myriad of sized envelopes.

I also imagine that many companies are also using inkjets to print envelopes.

Craig, your question is a very good question and should cause all of us to rethink how we sell printed envelopes to the end user.

 

[Craig]

My actual point would be the fact that they are printed with toner vs ink. I wonder if there could be some build up on a customers device after a while.

I do agree that more are using inkjet vs laser printers.

Has anyone asked Xante what the costs are to produce envelopes on the Ilumina, similar to what they show in their ads? I was looking at the Riso HC5500 at Graph Expo, thought it may fill the void for envelopes and letterhead. I just wish the quality was better.

 

[JaimeZ]

I've looked at the one color Risos over the years and have rejected them because their quality is not the same as offset. So Craig your experience with the Riso HC5500 doesn't surprise me. I've been told that the inkjet technology will only improve and within 5 to 10 years will surpass toner based machines. We'll see.

As for the toner build up on laser printers from preprinted envelopes and letterhead printed using toner devices? That is a good question and I will see what Xante has to say about that. But that has always been an issue with offset printed letterhead as well. My clients do not complain about offset printed letterheads mucking up there laser printers. I imagine the small runs that toner base machines (under 500) would be less of an issue, while larger runs (1,000 and over) would continue to be printed offset--at least that is what we would do.

 

[Internal_R&D_Analyst]

If you are willing to spend more on an envelope you can dramatically improve the image quality on the HC5500.

As far as imprinting through a laser printer a sheet that has been ran through a toner device first try asking for Xerox. We have asked them for a solution for years and their response is always that it can't be done, and if it is it may cause the original toner to remelt in the second laser device.

Xante (Oki Data) uses led technology which is different from laser so there may be better results, an official response from Xante would be nice.

 

[Craig]

If you are willing to spend more on an envelope you can dramatically improve the image quality on the HC5500.

How? When at GraphExpo, their demo prints looked worse than a desktop inkjet.