LCI Paper is now carrying Gmund’s entire line of digital printing specialty paper called Gmund Digital. Available in 50 packs, these 12.6″ x 18″ sheets are available in 16 colors, finishes, and weights to be used in professional color digital presses like the Xerox iGen3, the Kodak Nexpress, the HP Indigo Digital Press series, the Océ CPS900 & CPS800, and the Ricoh IBM InfoPrint 5000. This paper is FSC certified, PH neutral, and age resistant.
Earlier today, I spoke to Herbert Eibach, Gmund’s Worldwide Sales Director, who is based in Germany. He said that the Gmund Digital line’s paper length is sized to fit into all digital printers,
regardless of whether it’s a Xerox device, Canon, HP Indigo… This is the largest size possible to fit into all machines, in the paper tray. It’s one product for all devices.
So we know that the Gmund Digital line is compatible with all professional digital printers. But what exactly is digital printing? Herbert admits that the industry term, “digital printing” is confusing. “It doesn’t tell you anything. If you talk about offset printing, you know exactly the technology behind it. If you talk about silkscreen printing, you know exactly what silkscreen printing is, and so on. But ‘digital printing’ doesn’t tell you anything at all. It just gives you an idea that they [printers] are in a position to do variable data workflow.”
He goes on to explain what digital printing means as it applies to the different devices that manufacturers have designated under their digital printing line. “So the Xerox, they work with a xerographic engine. This is toner based. Canon as well. So most Canon digital devices, they are toner based. Toner means heat is a factor to the paper and also structure. So structure would create some limitations on a Canon or Xerox device. While if it’s an inkjet device or an HP Indigo, there is no limitation to structures because they spit the ink onto the paper.”
The best toner-based device for embossed products is Océ, a color range or product range they call CPS. The difference is easy to explain. They transfer all colors from the sort of “blanket” in one shot to the paper. So they collect on a blanket let’s say, the 4 or 6 or 7 colors and then with one transfer, they put it onto the paper. Therefore, this substrate, this sort of blanket, can be a little bit softer, like a rubber. And therefore, they can go into the embossed papers. Xerox and the Canon, they do it differently. They transfer the cyan, the yellow, the black and the magenta individually, step by step. Therefore, to have a clear, proper image, the blanket needs to be harder, otherwise it would look like if you take a shaky picture. That’s why in deep embossed papers, a Xerox or a Canon have some sort of limitations compared to an HP Indigo or an Océ.
In regards to the Gmund Digital line being compatible with all digital printers, Herbert reveals, “For HP Indigo, you need a treatment on the paper. This you don’t need for the other products, but for HP Indigo, you need a special treatment. This [treatment] we do in the [Gmund paper making] machine, inline, so you can use our product for Xerox, Canon, but also for HP Indigo at the same time. So it’s one solution for all digital printing devices.”
He estimates that currently, digital printing accounts for about 2% of our segment of printing (communications and invitations) but feels that in the next 10 years that percentage could grow to 30%, “So a huge potential.”
So now we have a better understanding of the technology that different brands of products use in digital printing, but how might you and I take advantage of a printing facility that utilizes this technology? Herbert suggests that one exciting use of digital printing is for photo album books. He cites that in Germany, which has a population of 82 million, “We do have about 6 to 8 million photo album books a year. So that’s huge because it’s very convenient. There are some professional sites. You go there. You load up your files, your photos as JPG. Then you can do very simple adjustments, size, colors, pictures per page. And then you would send it to a printer and they would print within a couple of days your individual book or photo album starting from one piece only.”
Thanks to Herbert Eibach for spending some time with me today to help us all have a better understanding of digital printing.
Recommended Links:
Gmund’s Paper Making Tradition – Herbert Eibach Interview Part 1
Gmund’s Paper Making Tradition – Herbert Eibach Interview Part 2
Gmund’s official site
Joshua Birch
