EFI has used the Virtual drupa online trade show to introduce the Pro 30h, an entry-level 3.2m hybrid printer that the company says is suitable for commercial print shops, sign shops and in-plants looking to add or upgrade their wide-format print capabilities.
The new machine uses 12 Ricoh Gen 5 printheads to provide 1200dpi resolution with variable drops size and is rated at up to 230sqm/hr. Six channels are provided, which can be configured either as CMYK plus double white, or one of the whites can be switched (as a factory option) to a clear varnish for spot/special effect or flood varnish finishes. Up to five layers may be printed in a single pass, albeit with a performance reduction proportional to the number of layers used.
A six-zone vacuum system can tailor suction to a narrower roll or board width, and helps simplify the loading of roll media. Double roll or multiple simultaneous board printing are supported, as is continuous board feeding and printing.
There is a choice of ink sets, one favouring higher adhesion and the other designed for flexibility in applications such as vehicle wraps, both LED-cured, Greenguard Gold-certified and supplied in 5l bottles. Various features from other models in EFI’s wide-format printer line have been included, such as the magnetic linear drive for smoother head carriage travel, and the inclusion of front- and back-mounted operator control panels, a popular feature from the h3/h5 line.
A Fiery ProServer Core DFE with spot colour control, cut marks creation, colour profiling and colour verification features is included with the printer, whose street price without any extra options is expected to be under US $200,000.
