Press giant Heidelberg has launched the Anicolor version of its Speedmaster XL 75 colour offset press, which promises to increase productivity by up to 50 per cent over the standard model.

The new B2-sized press is now available in Australia for about the price of a high end XL75, but Heidelberg head of product management Shane Hanlon advises printers to wait until the final quarter of this year when UV and long prefecting models come out.

Hanlon says the XL 75 Anicolor, which debuted at drupe 2012, is suitable for short run colour jobs, packaging and any printer that needs ‘ultimate colour consistency’.

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He says the new press has easier operation, colour consistency and lower print cost due to 50 per cent quicker make ready speed.

He says the Anicolor works in a closed loop colour environment, completely matching colour to the proof and allowing only limited on the fly alteration, unlike its standard XL 75 sibling.

As with a conventional press it has no zonal control, allowing for easier operation and colour consistency with lower cost to produce due to 50 per cent quicker make ready speed.

“There’s virtually no operator intervention, just load the plates in the XL Autoplate cassette and go,” Hanlon says.

Heidelberg has had a 52cm Anicolor for several years, the B2 version takes ultra-fast turnaround press up to the half size market.

It also features stable inking-up from the outset with a new print job inked up after 20 to 30 startup sheets, cutting paper waste by as much as 90 per cent; and complete integration into the Prinect Workflow.

Hanlon says both LED and low energy UV systems for all Anicolor press models will be available in the second half of the year.

“Low energy UV capability has been on printers’ wish lists for years, ever since the Anicolor technology first came out,” he says.

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