Editor’s Pick: Océ Transforms Wide-Format Printing Industry

By Anthony J. Lockwood

Dear Desktop Engineering Reader,

Océ recently unveiled its newColorWave 600, a large-format color printer and the first product from thecompany using its new printing technology called CrystalPoint. The ColorWave 600 is fast, unfussy about the type of print media used, and able to give you a semi-gloss finish on uncoated paper without those environmentally nasty coatings.

CrystalPoint printing technology sounds pretty neat. Considering that you’re not going to get toner stains on your hands and shirt,  it certainly is on that front. CrystalPoint combines elements of inkjetting and toner printing. Its ink cartridge — which is transparent so that you can see how much ink you have — contains what the company calls TonerPearls. The pearls are capsules of color — cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. The capsules drop into the imaging system, where they are converted into a gel that is inkjetted onto your print media. The ColorWave 600 has two imaging devices per color, and its minimum pen width of 0.0016 inch produces fine details.

Advantages abound. For one, the capsules mean that there’s no toner dust, and any waste gets trapped in a tray integrated with the cartridge. So, no mess, although I hold great faith in the ingenuity of engineers to so inspect the cartridges and waste trays that, after great exertion, they can stain their clothing at least once. Even if they do, what little waste there is is nontoxic, and can be disposed of in normal business trash.

But I digress. The gel remains compact as it’s jetted on the media, where it crystallizes, adheres tightly, and dries instantly. Compactness and tight adhesion means 1200 dpi of bright colors and tight lines without feathering into fuzziness. The ColorWave 600 produces a semi-gloss finish without environmentally challenged coatings, and the images are water-fast.

Speaking of fast, the ColorWave 600 can print with a maximum throughput of 1,575 square feet per hour or, in more familiar terms, you can print a color D-size (22 x 34 inches) document in 16 seconds. And the ColorWave 600 is not persnickety about media. It prints on normal bonded and recycled bond paper, polyester films, translucent film, vellum, and Tyvek. Media sizes range from 8.2 inches to 9.8 feet long by 11 to 42 inches wide.

You can learn more about Océ‘s new ColorWave 600 and CrystalPoint printing technology in today’s Pick of the Week write-up. Sign up to access the spec sheet and brochure as well as download the video demo. You’ll also find links to further details on CrystalPoint technology.

The printing requirements of engineering firms have evolved over the years to embrace rich output that combines photo-quality renderings with sketches, 3D illustrations, and business graphics to wow your clients and potential clients. With the economy getting murky, the pressure to impress clients with terrific output will surely increase. So with its fine details, crisp lines, bright colors, and speed, not to mention its environmental friendliness, Océ‘s ColorWave 600 large-format printer might just be what you need.

Thanks, Pal – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood
Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering Magazine