Canon vs Ricoh

[HMS]

We are getting ready to upgrade our in-house color printer and are looking at the Canon image press C1+ and the Ricoh pro C550. Color integrity and color consistency are most important. We are a package design firm and use the printer as our work horse to evaluate new designs and for presentations to clients. Any comments on either machine would be helpful. Thanks!

[Gene Glass]

HMS, the C1 is considered a proofing device. Great print quality, but very slow. If looking to match colors for a design comp, the C1 is your best bet. If you need 50-500 copies, look to other Canon models, like the new 9076/9065 series. This new product is supposed to print great colors on a wide variety of stocks (up to 300 gsm). I'm a bit dated (2 years) on Ricoh color control and calibration. Back then you had little control over calibration on the Ricoh. Ask your rep to show you how to calibrate the machine. Better still, ask him how to Pantone match.

[HMS]

Thanks Gene. Very helpful and good suggestion re questions for rep.

[X33]

Color integrity and color consistency are most important.

Then you need to look at the Xerox DocuColor 252.

Did you know that digital machines use developer? The developer is a very key component to color integrity and consistency. When your color starts to fade, it's usually because the developer needs to be replaced. So a service call needs to be placed, wait for a few hours for the tech to arrive, and have the tech remove the old developer and put fresh one in the machine. Some hours later, you are up and running.

On the Xerox DocuColor 252/260 and Xerox 700, the developer is in the mono-component toner the machines use. The technology is called Trickle-Charge Development. Everytime you change a toner cartridge, you are putting fresh developer in the machine. The fresher the developer, the better consistency you'll have. No more service calls, no more waiting.

[lfelton]

Depends on how critical your colour accuracy and consistency are. From experience I know that the Xerox 2xx range produce really nice "pleasing colour" (as I think the sales people used to call it), but are not capable of great colour accuracy. They're also challenging to keep colour consistency, even with a spectro. I bet the KM and the Canon in that price range are pretty much the same.

You might be better off with an epson 7900 with the built in spectro and a decent rip and a nice office colour laser for presentations and the like. Then you absolutely positively will know that your colour critical mock ups are right.

[vwrome]

I am actually a Tech who has had Ricoh and Canon machines. I fell the MPC6000 7500 series are great boxes when you run them. I have quite a few in print shops that are doing great. You can probably get a great price now that the MPC6501 and 7501 are released.

[rDuke3]

I have had a bit of experience with both and have found the C1+ is slow especially on cover stocks. I also have found the c7500 is a fine machine for the money so long as you are running it with a Fiery.

On a similar note can anyone offer input to the production capabilities/reliability of the Canon 6000 in the field...