In 2011, HEIDELBERG and Ricoh entered into a strategic partnership to meet the evolving needs of the fast-growing digital print market.
And for 15 years now this partnership has brought innovation and sustainable success to the industrial digital print market through its Versafire digital printing systems.
“Our longstanding partnership with Ricoh is a success story for HEIDELBERG in digital print and a prime example of successful technological cooperation to open up new market segments. Today, the Versafire systems, which are perfectly tailored to the needs of the printing industry, exemplify our claim as a full-service provider and end to end system integrator of hybrid print production.”
- Jürgen Otto
Chief Executive Officer at HEIDELBERG
A partnership built on innovation
With the 2011 introduction of the Versafire digital printing system, HEIDELBERG established itself as a leading system integrator for hybrid print production, looking at the opportunities presented by an integrated offset and digital strategy, rather than looking at them as competing approaches. Looking at offset and digital as complementary rather than competitive marked a significant milestone for both companies in creating a shared production environment. HEIDELBERG integrated the Versafire systems into the Prinect workflow through its inhouse developed digital front end (DFE). This has enabled production print shops to complement their offset production with digital presses, offering customers greater flexibility, more cost effective short runs, and increased personalization capabilities.
“Over the past 15 years, we have worked with Ricoh to consistently industrialise digital printing and fully integrate it into our digital ecosystem. For our customers, the integration means maximum flexibility, highest process reliability and a clear future perspective in hybrid production printing.”
- Dr David Schmedding
Chief Technology and Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG
Customer benefits
Together, HEIDELBERG and Ricoh have focused on creating added value and competitive advantage for print shops, including:
Greater opportunities for VDP and personalization
A wide range of substrates to deliver high quality commercial print products
Maximum flexibility in runs and applications
Seamless integration into the HEIDELBERG digital ecosystem and its automated workflows, uniform operating logic, and end-to-end color management
And with the Prinect Digital Frontend, all production, from job creation to finished product, are automated and standardized, making it simpler for print operators to meet growing demand. The integration of offset and digital enables HEIDELBERG customers to achieve consistent, efficient, and economical production.
“We are delighted that this enduring partnership has helped support the adoption of agile digital production for so many print service providers. We look forward to many more years of cooperation together.”
- Koji Miyao
President, Ricoh Graphic Communications
Looking ahead to continued success
The relationship between HEIDELBERG and Ricoh has been ongoing since 2011 and the plan remains for long term cooperation, with strategic expansion. Continuous development of software, automation, and services will strengthen HEIDELBERG as a leading provider of integrated, hybrid print solutions and reinforce Ricoh’s leadership in digital production technology.
How could we help you? Contact us to start a conversation and let's see where we go.
Recommended for you
ArticlesImportance of Finishing in Print Production
This article discusses the importance of having an integrated print production to achieve consistent and high-quality finishing outcomes.
ArticlesCost crossover point from offset to digital
When does it make sense to move printing from offset to digital presses? German Sacristan shares what Keypoint Intelligence found in a survey of PSPs.
ArticlesOffset to digital printing migration
See why now may be the best time to consider migrating some work from offset to digital presses, and how to streamline the effort.