EFI used the All4Pack show in France to show the white ink capability of its Nozomi corrugated board digital press, together with new print modes that trade colour gamut against ink usage to increase the unit’s flexibility.

In addition to the six colours already supported (CMYMK plus orange and violet), the Nozomi C18000 now has an option to print white ink, which allows photographic images and other elements containing vivid colours to be printed directly onto brown kraft board liner. This is supported by software in the Fiery NZ 1000 DFE that is sold with the press, which simplifies the process of creating white spot or flood layers in print jobs without users having to create specific white layers in supplied artwork.

Three new software-selectable printing modes have also been introduced: Photo mode, which allow matching of up to 97% of Pantone colours on a six-colour machine with no ink consumption limit and is suited for printing display materials where saturation and vividness are important; Pop mode in which colour gamut is reduced slightly but ‘without a significant difference in final appearance’ in order to save ink; and Eco mode, which cuts colour range to minimise ink consumption and therefore costs. EFI said, ‘Even when using uncoated boards and simple graphics, it is possible to achieve significant ink saving with excellent print results.’

The Nozomi press and DFE are backed by EFI’s Corrugated Packaging Suite, now at version 6, which includes shipment planning to reduce costs and carbon footprint, plus order-promising, back-to-front scheduling and various other features and enhancements that support upgrading from legacy systems, pricing changes, sales and shipping information. Integration with Esko software supports the creation of FEFCO styles for boxes and the import of Artios CAD files.