Interview with Ocè North America’s Edwin Morris

As you may know, we recently got our new Arizona 550 GT Flatbed printer set up and are already using it to do some really cool stuff. We sat down with Edwin Morris, one of Ocè North America’s Display Graphics Account Managers, to talk about the printer and its capabilities.

First of all, the Arizona Flatbed 550 GT is a relatively new product from Ocè. When did this type of printer become available? “The first installations of this printer occurred approximately 6 months ago. The 550 GT is the third generation of the Arizona printers, and each successive machine has shown an increase in productivity. White ink started with the 350, and I would say that about 93% percent of our machines now come with white ink. Demand for the 550 has been a lot greater than we expected, right now you’re looking at about a 3 month back order for one.”

What are some of the unique and interesting substrates this printer can handle? “The printer can print to a number of unusual substrates including metal, glass and wood. The different types of substrates are pretty much unlimited, as long as it fits within the two inch margin.”

How does the Arizona 550 GT match up with other printers in the industry as far as printing speed? “The 550 was our first real production machine. In ‘Express’ mode, you can print up to 721 square feet an hour and even then the resolution remains high.”

I have read that the Arizona uses a 4 color setup vs. a 6 color. What are some of the advantages to that? “We have patented technology called VarioDot, which  eliminates two colors because colors can combine in midair, and this uses fifty percent less ink than traditional printers.”

The Arizona is a “true” flatbed printer. What does that mean, exactly, and what does it mean for the printer’s output? “It’s not a hybrid system, which involves a head and belt moving and advancing to the machine. We find that true flatbed gives us much more productivity. The bed is stationary and involves an x and y coordinate, so registration and accuracy are much more effective. You can print multiple images on top of one another without bleed or overlap.”

What do you think is the most important thing that will come from a partnership between PrintFX and Ocè? “PrintFX and Print Ship Now are offering a lot of cutting edge ideas and technology in areas such as prepress that I think Ocè will benefit from.”

What is, personally, your favorite thing about this printer? “The Arizona 550 GT is super reliable with virtually no down time during printing jobs.”

Anything else you feel people should know about this printer or Ocè? “Oce is the leader in flatbed printer sales and technology. We think that the introduction of the Arizona 550 GT will lead to smoother, high-tech business transactions across the board.”