Keeping Pace with an Evolving Industry

Kirk-Rudy FireJet

It’s no secret that the print industry has undergone some profound changes in the past ten years. Changing communication platforms, shifting business dynamics, and new competitive threats are all affecting the way printers do business.

Despite all these changes, optimism is on the rise. SGIA research shows that a staggering 95% of printers report they believe expansion is possible beyond their current primary offering. And 93% of printers believe that expansion is happening within the industry as a whole.

Successful printers know that if their businesses are to succeed, they need to approach printing in a new way. Rather than try to produce more volumes of the same print jobs, these printers are taking a new approach: finding new opportunities outside their primary offerings.

“There are opportunities in lots of print markets,” says Bob Mills, GM at Kirk-Rudy (Booth 11734). “But these are new kinds of opportunities, ones that that require a new perspective and different types of equipment that can create the level of innovation needed to succeed.”

Leading by example

Kirk-Rudy doesn’t just talk about innovation. It’s been a driving force of the company’s operations for more than 50 years.

The company builds cost-effective machines, including feeding, labeling, transport, inserting, and stacking systems. Over time, it has also expanded into such areas as RFID, vision, and software. In total, the company offers more than 250 models of machines, and has created more than 2,500 special machines designed to meet specific market needs.

Inkjet is a particular area of focus for Kirk-Rudy. While the company has been providing inkjet systems for close to 20 years, it continues to innovate.

Kirk-Rudy’s most recent innovation, the FireJet 4C Color Inkjet System, was developed to give printers the resources to capitalize on trends in these new print markets.   

Powered by Memjet, the FireJet 4C is an all-in-one printing system that combines the heavy-duty transport Kirk-Rudy is famous for with the quality and reliability the industry expects from Memjet technology. Together, these features create profitable alternative to the smaller desktop, toner-based digital color printers on the market today.

“We created the FireJet 4C to give providers the resources to bring high-speed color printing with near-offset quality to a range of markets, including documents, labels, direct mail, and packaging. The versatility of the solution, combined with its speed and near-offset quality, makes it a critical solution for providers who want to reach new markets without investing large amounts of time and resources,” says Mills.

The FireJet 4C can print A3+ and A4 cut sheets in full color (CMYK) at 1600x1600 dpi, and can print at speeds up to 150 fpm. The newly designed, user-replaceable printhead has been engineered to provide a longer life — approximately 120 liters — and outstanding image quality across a broad range of porous, uncoated offset, inkjet-treated, and inkjet-coated media.

Take control of your opportunity

“I am enthusiastic about the current state of the print industry,” says Mills. “I hope that Kirk-Rudy’s history of innovation — and our new FireJet 4C technology — will serve as an inspiration for others, showing them the opportunities that can come with change.”