Ricoh USA Inc. has announced the next generation of its flagship toner-based color sheet-fed press, the RICOH Pro C9500. Designed with an eye on empowering commercial printers to further evolve from offset to digital, the RICOH Pro C9500 brings new image quality, productivity and substrate capabilities that will allow customers to unlock new markets and easily manage more creative projects to expand revenue streams. The latest performance improving technologies include a new RICOH Graphic Communications Operating System engine base controller and Auto Color Diagnosis Unit, which simplify operations and automate key tasks to drive operational efficiency and profitability in a time of increased labor shortages.

"The RICOH Pro C9500 marks a significant advancement in empowering production printers with innovative technology to transform and broaden their production capabilities," said Gavin Jordan-Smith, senior vice president and general manager, head of the Global Sales Strategy Division & RGC North America Sales, RICOH Graphic Communications. "Built on a proven foundation and supported by a range of software options — such as RICOH Supervisor, RICOH TotalFlow Production Manager and RICOH TotalFlow Producer — print service providers can achieve greater control and automation of their workflows in a complete production ecosystem that's a gateway to new business and impactful results."

The RICOH Pro C9500 builds on what made the RICOH Pro C9200 an industry favorite with new technology that is already elevating customers' productivity and quality while simplifying operations and expanding application opportunities. Printivity, an online commercial print service provider, has been beta testing the new Pro C9500 in their operations. Printivity is a longtime Ricoh partner that through the beta test experienced significant improvements in color consistency, registration and wait times compared to their current fleet of RICOH Pro C9210s.

"We have used generations of Ricoh equipment for years and know that our partnership has given us the best opportunity to grow our business and support our customers," said Lawrence Chou, CEO, Printivity. "Ricoh's vision for the future of printing, including embracing digitization, is evident with the RICOH Pro C9500. Even with the most difficult and color-critical jobs, this press feels refined, mature and reliable. All of the many little improvements add up to a press that can be trusted to handle even the most demanding and time-sensitive customers."

The RICOH Pro C9500's newly developed base controller introduces operational and maintenance management improvements. It includes a larger screen with an intuitive and easy-to-use user interface, and is compatible with external diagnostic systems and maintenance programs. Users can access the printer from a PC or tablet, and settings can be remotely managed, saving time even in a multiskilled environment where print operators perform numerous tasks.

Greater automation and operational efficiency are powered by a new Auto Color Diagnosis Unit that automates the three critical inspections in production printing: quality, registration and color fluctuation. It delivers improved inspection accuracy; while there is now greater efficiency post inspection with automatic reprinting and purging functions, and the setting procedure is now easier to operate with seven detection levels to choose from.

Other features and enhancements include:

• Improved media handling of paper between 40gsm and 470gsm with extended input and output options for media up to 1260mm.
• An enhanced Image Quality Monitor with 16 functions featuring seven levels of inspection that automatically compares RIP-processed image data to scanned printed image data and improved Color Homing to ensure color stability during continuous printing.
• Gloss Control to adjust the amount of gloss between three levels based on media, artwork and customer preference in order to immolate an offset printed sheet.
• New paper transfer unit to enable improved front to back registration.
• Improved 21.5-inch operator panel enabling the operation of applications in one place.
• Completely new, powerful digital front end options specifically developed in collaboration with Fiery to support operational demands for today and into the future.
• Outputs up to 135 pages per minute (ppm) with optional Productivity Upgrade Kit.
• New finishing options with the GBC StreamPunch Plus for inline creasing and perforating and the Plockmatic Crease Trimmer unit for top and bottom trimming and creasing.

The RICOH Pro C9500 also incorporates proven technologies introduced on the RICOH Pro C9200. They include: VCSEL technology (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser), DEMS (Development Electric-field Modulation System), fusing belt smoothing roller, DSC (Dynamic Shading Correction), registration adjustment and an inline sensor system.