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Lab Test Report

BLI RECOMMENDATION

BUYERS LAB

BUYERS LAB

BuyersLab.com © 2010 Buyers Laboratory Inc. Duplication in any manner is illegal and strictly forbidden without written permission from Buyers Laboratory. Violators will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contact BLI at BLI at [email protected].

A Comprehensive BLI Laboratory Evaluation September 2010

The Océ VarioPrint 6320 Ultra is the latest in the ground-breaking Océ Gemini engine-driven series of production devices utilising Océ’s patented Gemini instant duplex printing technology, which involves imaging both sides of the paper at the same time us-ing dual-imaging organic photoconductor (OPC) belt and fuser (TTF) modules. The VarioPrint 6320 Ultra is the fastest in a family of products delivering advertised maximum throughput speeds of 157 (A4) impressions per minute in simplex mode and 314 (A4) impressions per minute in duplex mode. Since BLI’s initial 10-million-impression test on the VarioPrint 6250 Classic, Océ has enhanced the VarioPrint 6000 “Classic” series of products and rebranded them as the Ultra series. New features include a 25% increase in maximum print speed, there is now a Temporary Speed Licence (TSL) option for 171ipm and 200ipm models al-lowing users to upgrade the speed of their device to the 250ipm rate (through a firmware licence upgrade) for multiple 30-day periods, on demand, a PRISMAsync Controller with new service tooling improvements, better Xerox workflow support, support for Kodak SmartBoard v5.0 (KDK), Screenpoint technology pro-viding operators with better grey value optimization and colour to grey conversion through synchronized controls for intelligent brightness and contrast tuning functionality, a new high-capacity stacker with improved stacking, a top window to allow operators

Océ VarioPrint 6320 Ultra*314 IPM Duplex Production Printer

Test duration: Four months, including a 10-million-impression durability test on the Gemini engine and two days of intensive productivity and image quality analysis on the Océ VarioPrint 6320 Ultra engine at Océ head office showroom facilities in Venlo, Netherlands.

Manufacturer’s recommended monthly volume: Up to 10 million impressions.

BLI’s recommended monthly volume for optimum performance: Up to 10 million impressions.

More information on the Océ VarioPrint 6320 Ultra is available through bliQ (www.buyerslab.com/bliQ).

*Reliability and some of the image quality results are based on the results for VarioPrint 6250 (to be referred to as “VP6250 Classic”, which uses the same engine as the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra. BLI conducted a 10-million-impression evaluation of the Océ VarioPrint 6250 Classic at its UK lab facility. During its visit to the Océ headquarters where it conducted the testing on the 6320 Ultra, BLI had the opportunity to see the design changes that Océ had put in place to remedy the issue of overfilling Cleaner Roller that BLI had highlighted on its original report on the VarioPrint 6250 Classic. Based on BLI’s inspection of the design changes which would eliminate the issue of cleaner rollers overfilling (which caused three of the seven service calls in the 10-million-page test on the 6250 Classic), and the added testing of the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra without incident over the course of two days and 163,802 impressions and 10 different media types, BLI expects this product to deliver excellent reliability.

Reliability ........................................................................Excellent *

Media Handling ................................................................. Excellent

Productivity ....................................................................... Excellent

Image Quality ..................................................................Very Good

Ease of Use ....................................................................... Excellent

Job Submission and Queue Management ........................Very Good

Preflight and Job Preparation ............................................ Excellent

BuyersLab.com ©2010 Buyers Laboratory Inc. Reproduced by permission of Buyers Laboratory Inc. Any duplication of this report without the written permission of Buyers Laboratory, is unlawful and violators will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contact BLI at [email protected].

Lab Test Report Océ VarioPrint 6320 UltraBUYERS LAB

BUYERS LAB

2 BuyersLab.com © 2010 Buyers Laboratory Inc. Duplication in any manner is illegal and strictly forbidden without written permission from Buyers Laboratory. Violators will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contact BLI at [email protected].

Strengths

• Based on a highly reliable engine that proved itself in BLI’s 10-million-impression test on the Océ VarioPrint 6250 Classic product) delivering (with TTF overflow detection sensor fix) a service interval of 1 per 2.5 million impressions

• The digital perfecting press with instant duplex printing delivered very high productivity, with no slowdown when combining mixed media weights and/or coated and uncoated media into a single print job

• Intelligent contrast / brightness controls through new Screenpoint technology

• Tunable contrast setting improves clarity and fine detail reproduction when printing halftone images

• Consistent density and registration accuracy across long print runs

• Support for up to 300 gsm coated media at rated engine speed without risk of blocking or bricking during stacking of large duplex runs.

• Very Good black text and fine line reproduction capabilities

• Perfect front-to-back registration on 80-gsm media without manual adjustments (based on the results for the Vari-oPrint 6250 Classic product)

• Well-designed and intuitive operator control panel including colour-coded scheduling screen

• Full remote control and accessibility to alerts via Web browser-enabled devices

• Simple paper-loading procedures with identical loading orientation in all trays for all paper types including inserts and tabs

• Advanced cyclic set support and recovery capabilities

• WYSIWYG programming of finishing attributes through PRISMAprepare, including precise positioning of staples and punched holes

• Quiet operation compared with similar production devices

• Interchangeable with Xerox legacy RDO and Kodak KDK workflow environments

• Wide range of clean-up and make-ready capabilities in PRISMAprepare including full-bleed tabs, repeating job capability, header and footer programming and colour/image editing

• PRISMAaccess is a powerful job submission and workflow management tool

• Extensive array of workflow solutions for corporate and commercial applications, such as PRISMAprepare, PRIS-MAaccess and PRISMAproduction.

• Engine sheet flushing and error recovery in the event of a misfeed

• Extensive job programming from printer drivers and workflow applications, including subset and mixplex capabili-ties and one-step single-pass double-sided tab printing

• No downtime required for toner or paper changes or output stack unloading

Weaknesses

• Productivity slightly impacted by media insertion

• Limited signature set imposition option in printer driver or PRISMAprepare. However, full signature set imposition is supported within PRISMAproduction

• Solid blacks not as dark and overall image intensity not as high as some toner-based production devices

• Some stair-stepping visible under magnification on circle and curve formation

• Halftone reproduction is not as clearly defined as on some other tested units

• The LPR automated workflow utility is not integrated with the media catalogue, but operators can manually enter media type, colour and weight into UI

BuyersLab.com ©2010 Buyers Laboratory Inc. Reproduced by permission of Buyers Laboratory Inc. Any duplication of this report without the written permission of Buyers Laboratory, is unlawful and violators will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contact BLI at at [email protected].


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to see jobs outputting to the stack, support for future inline finishing options, a media enhancement module (MEM) that extends media range by cooling heavy coated me-dia post-fusing and prior to stacking to ensure no sticking of sheets during long runs and enhanced media support for the paper input modules including a 7” x 10” state-ment stock support tray, and browser-based device status viewing. (BLI was also shown an extension of the browser-based status viewing capability that included full device control, with remote users driving the Ocean menu touchscreen with the mouse cursor acting in place of the finger touchscreen control).

With its single-pass duplex system, the Océ VarioPrint 6320 Ultra has the simplest paper path of all models in the marketplace. Unlike with rival devices, there is no need for reverse direction clutches, flipping of sheets or reverse collation of tabs or inserts, all of which helps minimize the impact of media size, weight and type on variances with image registration, reliability issues and operator errors. This was seen during BLI’s extensive 10-million-page test of the 250ipm VarioPrint 6250 Clas-sic product, in which the unit proved to be highly reliable, experiencing a misfeed rate of just one per 333,333 impressions, and not a single job from the wide array of complex production-class jobs was produced incorrectly.

Thanks to the unit’s paper jam recovery system, which automatically purges any sheets from the engine when a jam or misfeed is detected by one of the many sensors along the paper path and registration module, not even a single sheet of paper had to be removed from the engine module unit over the entire course of the 10-million-impression test.

Registration unit under engine

Featuring the ‘Ocean’ design concept (which is found in many Océ products across multiple technology platforms), the touch-screen control panel is easy to navigate; training of new users required minimal time. The touch-screen panel also provides excellent instructions, with the aid of illustrations, on the various maintenance tasks that can be performed by the in-house operator. BLI was fully trained on these tasks prior to testing and found each to be intuitive and straightforward when following the on-screen instructions.



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Scheduler and light colour indicator of device status

During the course of its evaluation, the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra proved to be highly productive, with throughput speed remaining constant, regardless of media and job type with only the use of pre-printed inserts or mixing media from multiple trays in a single PIM having a minor impact. BLI was especially impressed by the device’s ability to maintain engine speed when combining heavyweight and light-weight media and when merging coated with uncoated media, two workflows that commonly cause significant slowdown in production devices due to the need for adjustments to fuser temperature/pressure. BLI was also impressed by the unit’s good performance when switching up to SRA3 size media, another workflow that causes significant slowdown in some production engines.

Output quality was very good overall, with a pleasing matte finish similar to that produced by offset / litho presses. An impressive new feature of the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra is the Tunable Print Quality and Screenpoint Technology, capability that has been added to the image tab of the printer driver and to the automated work-flow. Screenpoint technology adds a selection of custom brightness and contrast settings that give the operator more flexibility over output appearance than with the VarioPrint 6250 Classic previously tested by BLI. Whilst having contrast and brightness sliding guides is common on production equipment, Océ has built spe-cific grey conversion tables for each combination of the 35 brightness and con-trast combination options to ensure that no combination of custom settings can negatively impact other areas of the document unduly, preventing poor output and allowing operators to optimize a specific critical image without having to check every other image in the document to see if the changes have had unaccept-able consequences. Although solid blacks were not as dark as those produced by some other toner-based production and light-production devices that the Vari-oPrint 6320 Ultra may be working alongside, they exhibited very smooth consis-tency of coverage, even during BLI’s high-coverage consistency test. Moreover, front-to-back registration was perfect during BLI’s lab evaluation of the VarioPrint 6250 Classic with only minimal drift measured over the 10-million-page test.

Based on the impressive performance of its Classic product (the VarioPrint 6250 Classic) over the extended test period, coupled with an extensive array of work-flow solutions and design elements that minimize the chance of errors, BLI highly recommends the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra for production environments. Whilst BLI’s test of the VarioPrint 6250 Classic was conducted at monthly volumes of up to 3.5 million impressions, based on its performance, BLI has a high level of confidence in the suitability of the unit for Océ’s recommended monthly duty cycle of 10 mil-lion impressions.



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, — and represent positive, negative and neutral attributes, respectively.

TEST RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS

RELIABILITy EXCELLENT*

Reliability assessment is based on BLI’s 10-million-impression evaluation on the Var-ioPrint 6250 Classic, which is based on the same engine, and to which Océ made a design modification to address an issue uncovered in BLI’s test relating to the over-filling of TTF cleaner rollers, causing toner spillage and the need for service. During BLI’s visit to Venlo to test the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra, its staff had the opportunity to see the modification that Océ has developed to eliminate the toner overspill issue that caused three of the seven service calls on the VarioPrint 6250. The modification involves a pair of sensors at each end of the TTF cleaner rollers which detect the very first instance of toner overflow, stops the print run and generates a message inform-ing the key operator that a roller replacement is required. With this modification in place, the service interval on the device tested by BLI would be raised to 1 per 2.5 million impressions.

The device experienced 30 paper jams/misfeeds over the entire 10-million-impres-sion test, for a misfeed rate of one per 333,333 impressions. Thanks to Océ’s paper jam recovery system, whereby the paper path inside the engine module is flushed when jams occur, reducing the need for operators to come into contact with the engine’s inner workings, there was not even a single incidence of paper needing to be removed from the engine module during the extensive evaluation.

During BLI’s two-day test period of the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra, during which time its analysts ran over 163,000 impressions on media ranging from 60gsm to 300gsm including coated and uncoated stocks, no jams or misfeeds were experienced.

No misfeeds occurred in BLI’s accelerated media switching test (in which 200gsm, 60gsm and A4 tab stock are switched a total of 2,584 times over the course of an uninterrupted hour-long print run, testing the device’s ability to handle extreme media changes.

Stack produced with no misfeed errors during BLI’s accelerated media switching test



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BLI operators all commented on the well-laid-out instructions for jam removal and maintenance tasks, which reduces the risk of operator errors.

Misfeed removal was a simple, well documented process on the Océ VarioPrint 6320 Ultra

The single-pass one-directional paper path limits the risk of damage or jamming when handling difficult media stocks such as heavy card, lightweight newsprint, coated and NCR stocks.

Oce’s patented Gemini instant duplex printing technology



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Over the course of its 10-million-impression test, the VarioPrint 6250 Classic required three sets of TTF belts (rated to last for 3 million impressions), one new pair of OPC imaging belts (rated for a life of 6 million impressions), a new toner sensor on the sec-ondary feed hopper and two drive belts to replace broken ones in each paper input module. Although Océ does not have a set preventive maintenance schedule for the product, the company says that its product engineers make frequent visits to device sites and replace parts approaching end of life as a standard protocol, thus minimiz-ing downtime and drop-offs in image quality.

Although no paper jams had to be manually removed from the engine’s warm process areas in BLI’s test, the procedure for doing so in the event it does occur is complex, requiring multiple steps and the use of tools and was covered in great detail in the key operator training. It is important to closely follow instructions and maintain the correct order to quickly resolve the issue.

* Based on BLI’s 10 million page test on the sister product, the VarioPrint 6250 Classic

MEDIA HANDLINg EXCELLENT

The media catalogue, an integral capability of the system that enables the operator to define the library of media used with the device, is well designed, easy to use and fully integrated with the scheduler and the PRISMAprepare and PRISMAaccess desktop workflow applications, allowing operators to see quickly when specific media stocks are running low.

The media catalogue feature enables operators to include a registration profile (which is created at the device) for each media type, which causes the system to automati-cally adjust feed parameters and image lay-down, as well as to compensate for creep during booklet creation.

BLI technicians were impressed by the ease of loading paper into the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra, with all media, including tabs and pre-printed inserts, being loaded into trays in the same orientation, minimizing the opportunities for incorrect media loading.

All media loaded in the same alignment format



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Maximum media support for all media types, including coated media, in simplex and duplex is 300gsm, which is higher than some rivals. Furthermore, 300gsm media is supported with no reduction in engine speed.

SRA3 media reduces throughput speed by only 8% in simplex and 6% in duplex mode, simply due to the longer sheet size.

Océ advised that the device is now, through a customer requested adaptation of one or more trays, able to print on media up to 350mm x 500mm down to 45gsm (selected media only). Océ advised that this new media handling capability allows the device to now print 4-up duplex B5 book blocks which is a critical workflow for the book printing industry. The large paper size coupled to the low weight support is also a valuable asset in the pharmaceutical industry for the creation of drug information sheets which have to be folded and included with every package.

Testing demonstrated that there was no change in speed when the device switched between light, medium-weight and heavy stocks, even when switching between coated and uncoated media within a single job.

Switching between drawers in the same paper input module (PIM) does have a minor impact on productivity, this is due to the PIM not being able to switch to a new tray until the sheet has cleared the PIM tray transport area. There is no impact on produc-tivity if tray switching occurs between two trays in different PIMs.

Perfect front-to-back registration was achievable on all stocks and BLI experienced less than 0.3mm front-to-back registration drift and less than 0.5mm page-to-page registration drift on 80gsm media between the various image quality assessments conducted during the course of its 10-million-impression evaluation of the VarioPrint 6250 Classic product.

Front to back registration being tested in BLI’s lab.

The full range of supported media, including preprinted media, can be fed from all of the unit’s 12 paper sources at any one time with a maximum capacity of 13,800 sheets, based on 80gsm media.

Unlike competing products with dedicated inserter units, the footprint of the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra is not impacted if post-process insertion is required, as the main trays also act as post-process inserter modules. However, if long production runs of heavy coated media (>100 gsm) are required, the optional Media Enhancement Module (MEM) which is located between the engine unit and stacker (which cools



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the coated media after imaging to prevent the risk of sticking) and has a footprint similar to that of a production device paper input / post-process inserter module.

Either Hunkeler or LaserMax roll-feed options increase maximum throughput capacity further and allow all remaining trays to be dedicated to other secondary stocks thus reducing user intervention levels throughout the day. During BLI’s visit to Océ, BLI analysts found changing media cut lengths for the configured Hunkeler device to be a simple process. While significantly raising the overall noise level of the total solution, the roll-feed option was found to be an invaluable time saver, minimizing media refilling operations to specialty stocks.

The output stacker contains two shelves per module (3,000 sheets each or 6,000 sheets total), allowing unloading while printing. Up to three stackers can be installed (allowing for up to 18,000-sheet stacking), with operators able to select whether to cascade stackers or force unloading upon job completion. With two or more stackers installed, peak engine speed is maintained on long unat-tended production jobs. When one stacker is installed and the stacker is con-stantly unloaded, the engine speed is maintained. However, there is a short delay in production (27 seconds) while the paper path is adjusted to feed the second tray, allowing the first tray to be unloaded while printing continues. Océ advised BLI that when two or three stacker units are installed on a device, this 27-second delay is eliminated as feeding continues to the next stacker, allowing the stacker trays to be switched with no loss of productivity. BLI did not have the opportunity to test this claim.

A paper tray cannot be opened while actively feeding the paper path, avoiding the potential for jams that can occur on rival devices. Any tray not actively feeding the paper path can be opened and refilled during device operation, allowing for uninterrupted print workflow.

BLI was impressed by the excellent tab-handling capabilities on the device, which includes WYSIWYG loading orientation, automatic flushing of unused cyclic set sheets, a unique one-step duplex tab printing capability, three-line tab printing, automated cyclic set recovery when tabs are discarded during a print run due to a jam, and no need for the tab guides required by many rival units.

Tab programing being set up using PRISMAprepare



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PRODUcTIVITy EXCELLENT

The device delivered consistent output speeds in simplex and duplex irrespective of media type and job makeup in the vast majority of cases.

The colour coded scheduler feature on the touchscreen gives operators advance warning of events that might force downtime (toner out, paper out, media mismatch) allowing the operator to react proactively, thus limiting avoidable downtime instances.

The device is capable of running 24-hour shifts with no downtime due to its uninter-rupted paper refill, toner refill and cascade multi-stacker tray design.

Fully loaded with paper input and output options, the device can run for more than 3.7 hours, producing a maximum of 72,000 A4 impressions (two-up double-sided on A3 media with Hunkeler rollfeeder and three HCS2 stackers), before attention is required (based on BLI tested productivity results).

To maintain the highest quality output at all times, the device includes a black image cleaning cycle every 600 sheets (by default), which causes short delays in print jobs. In addition, a calibration routine occurs every 25,000 A4 sheets and lasts for approxi-mately 1 minute.

— Insertion of media through the Cold paper path resulted in some slowdown, with a greater impact being seen when inserts were placed within the document and less impact when use is limited to covers. The degree of slowdown depends on the par-ticular makeup of the job.

The ability to filter the waiting queue by a label such as a user’s name (included at printer driver submission) or by jobs that can be started based on the available media currently loaded in the device, allows operators to choose between ‘keep in sequence’ or ‘keep it running’ workflow.

Whilst BLI technicians liked the ability to filter the waiting queue by available media, a filter that would allow operators to filter by jobs that could be completed based on loaded media supplies, allowing an end-of-day unattended print run to maximize the number of finished jobs, would be a welcome addition.

Océ now offers remote monitoring capability that will allow operators to see current status of the device, as well as the amount of time before attention is required, from locations outside of the line of sight, including from handheld PDAs via a wireless option. This could reduce the chances of device downtime when operators are not within the line of sight. At the time of BLI’s visit to Océ, the viewing timeline was lim-ited to 30 minutes, with no opportunity to customize for longer or shorter periods.

Océ demonstrated a new browser-based job monitoring application that it says will generate pop-up messages when device status changes, for example when loading of media or toner is required. This will be an invaluable aid to limiting downtime.

IMAgE QUALITy VERY GOOD*

Perfect front-to-back registration is possible on all media sources, making printed



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duplex output on lightweight papers look more professional than that produced by some rival units.

Minimal registration drift (less than 0.3mm in most instances) over the course of BLI’s 10-million-impression test on the 250ipm Océ VarioPrint 6250 Classic product with multiple media types and weights ensures high-quality output without the need for high levels of user intervention during long print runs.

— Halftone reproduction and fine detail distinction is not as clearly defined as on some other tested units.

The device delivered very good consistency of toner coverage on both coated and uncoated media, with density measurements across the full length of the long edge varying by only 0.04 on uncoated media and 0.05 on coated media during BLI’s 10-million-impression test on the 250ipm Océ VarioPrint 6250 Classic product.

Minor long edge banding was evident on full-page 80% dot-fill halftone output, with a slight increase as dot fill percentages lowered, however, the banding was negligible compared to that observed on other production devices tested by BLI to date.

The 180-lpi halftone selection delivered crisp fine lines down to 0.25-point and text legible down to 3 point on black, white on black, and converted red and blue output, with the one exception of 3-point red Times New Roman, which was clearly legible at 4 point.

There was good colour to greyscale conversion from the driver and RIP, in most instances eliminating the need to convert colour images into grey space within the application.

Black and reverse white-on-black reproduction of fine lines down to 0.25 point and fonts down to the 3-point size were of high quality across all halftone screens.

A wide range of halftone screen options ranging from 85 lpi through to 180 lpi offers a high degree of flexibility to the operator, further enhanced with the new tunable contrast and brightness feature.

Toner coverage and adhesion were good, even on textured paper stocks.

Output had a matte finish similar to that of offset / litho presses.

BLI liked the intermediate sheet capability (which allows operators to force an addi-tional page to be printed during a print run and exited to the engine eject tray). The user is able to specify the frequency at which the sample print is generated. However, BLI would prefer to see the user given the ability to specify the page used for the sample print task, a feature that is currently not available.

As is typical of toner-based devices, long-edge banding was present on full-page greyscale output at 40% and lower dot-fill levels.

— Slight stair-stepping (distinct steps rather than a smooth curve) was evident under magnification at the top and bottom of circles printed at all halftone frequencies.

— With a peak average optical density of 1.13 on uncoated stock and 1.05 on coated stock, solid blacks were not as dark as with some other toner-based production and light-production devices that the Océ may be working alongside.



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Though lighter in density than that of some toner-based products, solid black output displayed very consistent coverage on uncoated media and coated media in BLI’s tests, even when conducting BLI’s 100-sheet 100% coverage test run, which has shown significant density variance on other toner-based production devices.

Blue text was output with no legibility issues down to 4-point size using default settings.

Blue fine lines were reproduced with no breakup down to 0.25 point in horizontal and vertical orientations, with some breakup on 0.25-point 45-degree diagonal axes using default settings.

Red text was output with no legibility issues down to 5-point size using default settings.

Red fine lines were reproduced with no breakup down to 0.25 point in the vertical axis, and down to 0.50 point in the horizontal and 45-degree diagonal axes using default settings.

— There was some banding in halftone gradations and posterization (visible stepping in halftone areas) in light skin tone areas at 180 lpi. That being said, many devices lose considerable halftone range above 150-160 lpi.

EASE Of USE EXCELLENT

The touch-screen control panel is easy to master and made training of new users a quick process.

BLI technicians found Océ’s Ocean layout platform easy to navigate.



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A new remote device viewer and control feature was demonstrated to BLI which will allow operators to have full control over the device, with a PC or handheld device cursor taking on the same role as the touchscreen.

The graphical printer drivers and workflow applications are well laid out, provide a common interface, have a high level of functionality and excellent job-programming capabilities.

Tight integration of the media catalogue, paper input modules, printer drivers, and workflow reduces the risk of media mismatches.

Paper loading is virtually error proof, with all media types loaded in the same orientation.

Many traditional multi-step production processes such as complex cascade tab printing, two-sided tab printing and NCR forms setup are reduced to single-step workflows due to Gemini duplex technology and PRISMA workflow applications.

Océ’s PaperLogic design (whereby all media are loaded as per desired output stack-ing orientation) limits the potential for media-loading confusion, ensuring that fewer jobs need to be restarted, hence ensuring maximum productivity and minimal waste.

The touch-screen control panel scheduler is well designed and colour coded to allow operators to see at a glance, from across the print shop, when the device is approach-ing an intervention event (paper or toner required, stacker needs emptying, etc.).

The time remaining before the amber alert is generated (which means that interven-tion is required soon) can be set by the operator, providing greater flexibility com-pared with some units where the frequency is fixed.

The print drivers feature a good help capability.

There is no drop-down selection for the insertion of labels (such as to identify print jobs) from the driver or workflow applications; currently the label is manually entered by the operator as free text, which could lead to data entry errors.

Full remote control of printer from a browser based, touch screen enabled wireless device or tablet PC (optional)



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— BLI would like to see a job undelete feature at the control panel, allowing operators to retrieve jobs deleted from the active queue in error.

— The back button does not function when carrying out media registration tasks. This means that in the event of an operator error during any stage of the lengthy registra-tion programming process, the entire process must be started again.

JOB SUBMISSION AND QUEUE MANAgEMENT VERY GOOD

Océ has introduced a Remote utility that allows users with browser access to control the queue from a handheld device or a desktop-PC on the network.

PRISMAaccess delivers extensive job-ticketing capabilities, IPP submission capabil-ity (via Web driver to PRISMAaccess) and the ability to request confirmations and soft proofs via e-mail when jobs are received as well as when jobs are completed.

The driver feature set is extensive, allowing operators to build jobs quickly and reuse templates for repeat operations.

The PCL and PostScript printer drivers now support page and tab level program-ming, subset finishing and mixplex by JDF job ticketing.

Océ also offers a Web-to-print submission tool called PRISMAweb that allows com-mercial printers to accept jobs sent from customers via the internet. BLI did not have the opportunity to test this application during its evaluation.

Operators can filter jobs in the queue by label (e.g., a user’s name entered in the print driver) and available media type, which allows operators to streamline queue processing.

Automated LPR and the optional IPDS workflow capabilities allow legacy back office and data centre jobs to take greater advantage of the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra feature set.

Océ DPLink, DPConnect and DPConvert workflow applications provide integration into, and migration away from, legacy Xerox production environments.

Océ KDKLink provides integration into legacy Kodak SmartBoard 5.0 production environments.

There is no ability to create a drop-down list of clients or predefined queue names for use with the labels feature. Labels are predefined within the system at the time of printing. Labels cannot be reassigned in the job queue.

— The LPR automated workflow utility is not integrated with the media catalogue, requiring operators to manually enter media types when programming workflows. This allows more room for error.

The operator is able to filter jobs per queue, including LPR queues.

BLI technicians would have liked to have seen the ability to select jobs from the waiting queue that could be finished with the media currently installed, rather than limiting the selection process to only selecting jobs that have the media required to start the job.



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The VarioPrint 6320 Ultra’s graphical drivers proved to be easy to navigate.



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PREfLIgHT AND JOB PREPARATION EXCELLENT

BLI was impressed by the WYSIWYG capability of PRISMAprepare that includes intelligent previewing with full integration with finishing solutions. Using PRISMA-prepare, users can see a preview of jobs including exact WYSIWYG placement of stapling, hole punch and folding finishing attributes. This allows users to see quickly if finishing features will have an adverse effect on document appearance (such as a staple being located over the top of a spine label, or a fold not being placed cor-rectly), allowing for correction by the operator with no waste.

The new 5.1 version of PRISMAprepare (tested by BLI on July 2nd 2010) includes full bleed tab support which BLI found easy to program.

Full Bleed Tabs Editor

The new 5.1 version of PRISMAprepare also incorporates a repeating job feature which allows for complex multi-part form setup.

Replace Colours Feature



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The new 5.1 version of PRISMAprepare also provides a colour and image editing feature allowing users to quickly switch one specific colour (Pantone or HKS) with another on a specific element, page or the entire document, plus a selection of slid-ing scale adjustment options to images.

Edit Image Feature Header Footers Feature

Also included in PRISMAprepare 5.1 is a headers and footers feature and TWAIN scanner support. BLI would like to see the positioning of header and footers improved. At present, the user initially chooses between six default locations (top left, middle or right and bottom left, middle or right) with users able to make manual adjustments by entering ‘mm’ coordinate changes. However, the user has to then click OK before the preview window is updated. BLI would prefer to see either a ‘drag and drop’ posi-tioning capability in the preview window or real time adjustments to placement in the preview window as the mm coordinate adjustments are made.

The system offers user-friendly WYSIWYG visual representation of documents includ-ing front and back tab viewing and navigation.

The stack option and set-based editing functionality within PRISMAprepare allows operators to create a transparent layer of all pages in a document. This allows for one-step border trimming of an entire document rather than the page-to-page pro-gramming required with some cleanup tools.

Océ PRISMAprepare stack workflow streamlines clean up of scanned images



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Océ’s patented ‘Align’ technology allows operators to further enhance the stack-ing option mentioned above by aligning each page in the transparent stack to a common design element such as a page number or company logo.

Custom align process in PRISMAprepare

BLI technicians liked the flexible and intuitive despeckle feature found in PRIS-MAprepare, which allows operators to choose between an automated despeckle algorithm selection (which delivered very good results in testing) or a manual pro-cess where the operator can specify the smallest area of a document that should be used as the threshold for determining background noise (achieved by simply dragging a box over an area of the page window).

Custom despeckle procedure in PRISMAprepare



BUYERS LAB


Also useful is the flexible and intuitive deskew feature in PRISMAprepare, which allows operators to choose between either the automated deskew feature (which delivered very good results in testing) or the creation of a custom deskew angle using the mouse and line drag feature with an on-screen document image preview.

BLI found it easy to export documents into external applications from PRISMApre-pare when more extensive cleanup, editing, layout and imposition tasks need to be performed using applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Acrobat Professional, Acrobat plug-ins, etc..

The WYSIWYG page-level viewing in PRISMAprepare allows for quick clean-up and layout processes. PRISMAprepare takes the process one step further by including dynamic forward and reverse navigation through a document by clicking on tab icons within the WYSIWYG document display.



BUYERS LAB


Test Environment

The VarioPrint 6250 Classic product was tested over a four-month 10-million-impression period at BLI’s atmospherically controlled European test facility environment, monitored by a Dickson 7-day Temp/RH chart recorder, ensuring conditions replicate typical operating environment. BLI conducted a supplementary test on two VarioPrint 6320 Ultras at Océ’s research headquarters in Venlo, Netherlands where new product software and hardware developments were assessed, productivity testing conducted and new image quality analysis performed.

Test Equipment

BLI’s dedicated test network, consisting of Windows 2007 servers, Windows XP Professional workstations, 10/100/1000BaseTX network switches and CAT5e/6 cabling. During its test on the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra BLI released its test files using Océ’s Windows XP workstations.

Test Duration

Testing of the VarioPrint 6250 Classic at BLI’s UK test facility included a durability test during which the product was run in a single daytime shift Monday to Friday until it reached its advertised rated maximum monthly duty cycle.

Tested Configuration

The Océ VarioPrint 6250 Classic was tested with two paper-feed units and one stacker unit. BLI conducted its tests on the VarioPrint 6320 Ultra at Océ headquarters with three units made available throughout the course of BLI’s evaluation. The first unit was tested with a Hunkeler rollfeeder, one paper input module, a single HSC2 stacker and CP Bourg Perfect Binder, the second unit was tested with two paper input modules, a single HCS2 stacker, set-finisher and Watkiss BLM500 bookletmaker and the third was tested with two paper input modules, and a single HCS2 stacker

Test Procedures

The test methods and procedures employed by BLI in its lab testing include BLI’s proprietary procedures and industry-standard test procedures. In addition to a number of proprietary test documents, BLI uses the industry standard Altona Test Suite (provided courtesy of the European Colour Initiative - ECI) and ASTM F 1423 test document as part of its image quality assessment.

SUPPORTINg TEST DATA

BUyERS LABORATORy North America • Europe • Asia

Michael DanzigerCEO

Mark LerchCOO

Anthony F. PolifroneManaging Director

Daria M. HoffmanManaging Editor

John DonnellyManaging Director—International

Pete EmoryManager of Laboratory Testing

David SweetnamEuropean Lab and Research Manager

Jon BeesDirector of Strategic Marketing Products

Buyers Laboratory [email protected]

BLI International (UK) [email protected]

BLI International [email protected]



BUYERS LAB


RELIABILITy

Reliability – Test data from 10-million-page test conducted at BLI UK test facility on VarioPrint 6250 Classic product.

PMs/Malfunctions Service Required Meter Count (Impressions)

Impressions Between Service

Meter Count (Beginning of Test) 0

• Continual jamming in engine module unit (error code 6551)

Cleaner rollers overfilled, caus-ing leakage of waste toner;

replaced rollers, removed toner and cleaned TTF belts

2,151,950

Image retention on output

Replaced worn TTF belts and cleaner rollers, removed paper dust and reset maintenance

counter

3,391,090 1,239,140

Worn secondary OPC beltReplaced OPC belt and drive

belt 4,355,843 964,753

• Waste toner spill from cleaner rollerReplaced cleaner rollers,

removed toner spill, cleaned TTF belts

6,1xx,xxx* xxxxxxxxx

• Toner overflow on secondary cleaner roller and some spillage onto TTF belt

On advice from Océ, BLI techni-cians removed toner spill and

cleaned with alcohol wipe8,005,xxx* xxxxxx

Black line along long edge of some output Replaced worn primary TTF belt 9,376,459 xxxxxx

Error code 12754; device shut down Replaced drive belt on PIM 1 9,511,451 134,992

End of Test Period 10,000,000

Total Misfeeds/Misfeed Rate 30/1 per 333,333 impressions

Service Calls7 (4 with TTF overspill removed

from consideration)

PMs **

Total Service Calls (incl. PMs)7 (4 with TTF overspill removed

from consideration)

M.I.B.F1 1,428,571

M.I.B.S2 1,428,571

M.I.B F1 (•eliminating TTF overspill issues which Océ has since resolved through design enhancements

2,500,000

M.I.B S2 (• eliminating TTF overspill issues which Océ has since resolved through design enhancements

2,500,000

*Because of the high speed of the unit, the exact meter count could not be determined.

** Océ does not perform preventive maintenance at scheduled intervals; instead preventive maintenance is performed as the need arises.

1 Mean Impressions Between Failures (To obtain this number, BLI divides the total number of impressions produced during the test period by the number of service calls required. In actuality, it reflects the average number of impressions produced without a malfunction.)

2 Mean Impressions Between Service (To obtain this number, BLI divides the total number of impressions produced during the test period by the number of service calls, including preventive maintenance calls, required. In actuality, it reflects the average number of impressions produced without a service call.)

RELIABILITy



BUYERS LAB


MEDIA HANDLINg

(1) p1, p10, p20, p30, p40, p50, p60 printed from a tray in a different PIM, both trays loaded with 80gsm paper

(2) p1, p10, p20, p30, p40, p50, p60 printed from tray1, bulk of document from tray 3 of same PIM, both trays loaded with 80gsm paper

(3) ) p1, p10, p20, p30, p40, p50, p60 printed from tray4, bulk of document from tray 3 of same PIM, both trays loaded with 80gsm paper

(4) p1, p10, p20, p30, p40, p50, p60 printed on 200gsm from first tray that accommodates 200gsm media stock

(5) p1, p10, p20, p30, p40, p50, p60 printed on 130gsm coated media from first tray that accommodates 130gsm coated media stock

(6) p1 and p60 treated as 200gsm pre-printed cover inserts from closest post process feed unit, (printed document size submitted reduced to 58 pages to retain 60 A4-impression total document size)

(7) p 1 and p 60 printed on 200gsm uncoated media from first tray that accommodates 200gsm media stock

REgISTRATION

Note: Registration test data extracted from Océ VarioPrint 6250 during its 10-million-impression test at BLI’s UK test facility.

Registration is assessed using a BLI registration test chart, with results measured using a digital micrometer. Front to back registration is aided by the use of a light box. Default registration on the device is set to deliver the best possible registration for 80gsm uncoated media. A registration profile per media type will be conducted if the device accommodates the storage of this information within the media catalogue.

Each media type is then run in default mode and registration results recorded. BLI analysts then use any manual registration adjustment features available on the device to get registration as close to perfect as possible. BLI analysts record whether manual registration adjustments can be stored for future reuse. If they can, the job is stored with the adjustment settings and then resubmitted during the next image quality assessment stage to see if registration drift has occurred.

156.38

152.74

156.41

156.25

156.43

156.35

312.69

305.34

156.28

155.58

151.83

156.13

156.38

147.38

156.65

168.03

163.37

157.17

335.20

326.59

314.41

0.00 50.00 100.00 150.00 200.00 250.00 300.00 350.00 400.00

Simplex A4 80gsm

Simplex Letter 80gsm

Simplex A4 200gsm

Simplex A4 300gsm

Simplex A4 350gsm

Simplex A4 130gsm coated

Duplex A4 80gsm

Duplex letter 80gsm

Multiple Media Weights using different PIMs (1)

Multiple Media Weights using trays 1 and 3 in same PIM (2)

Multiple Tray feeding using trays 3 and 4 in same PIM (3)

Multiple Tray feeding with 200gsm heavyweight inserts (4)

Multiple Tray feeding with 130gsm coated inserts (5)

Simplex A4 with preprinted covers (6)

Simplex A4 with covers printed on 200gsm media (7)

2-up simplex on A3 80gsm

2-up simplex on ledger 80gsm

2-up simplex on SRA3 80gsm

2-up duplex on A3 80gsm

2-up duplex on ledger 80gsm

2-up duplex on SRA3 80gsm

Throughput Speed in Impressions Per Minute (ipm)

Maximum Throughput Speed Across Multiple WorkflowsOce VarioPrint 6320 Ultra



BUYERS LAB


Front to Back Registration Results

Short Edge Long Edge Short Edge Long Edge

Before Adjustment (in mm) After Adjustment (in mm)

60gsm uncoated A3 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0

80gsm uncoated A3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

300gsm uncoated A3 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0

210gsm uncoated A3 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0

50gsm uncoated A4 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0

60gsm uncoated A4 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.0

80gsm uncoated A4 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0

250gsm coated A4 0.4 0.7 0.0 0.0

Page to Page Registration Results (in mm, before front to back adjustment carried out)

Short Edge Long Edge

60gsm uncoated A3 0.17 0.14







250gsm coated A4 0.01 0.02

Registration Drift Through Test

Front to Back (in mm) Page to Page (in mm)




210gsm coated A3 0.6 0.43

Samples are taken at 10% intervals throughout the test. The results in the table above indicate the maximum drift of the measured registration.



BUYERS LAB


PRINT/cOPy PRODUcTIVITy PRODUcTIVITy

Maximum Throughput Speeds

Size/Mode Number of Clicks Achieved in Hour

Impressions per MinuteNumber of Human Intervention Steps

Number of Forced Device Stoppages

A4 Simplex 9,182 153.03 0 0

A4 Duplex 18,342 305.70 0 0

A3 Simplex 9,808 81.73 0 0

A3 Duplex 19,620 163.50 0 0

SRA3 Simplex 2,782 77.28 0 0

SRA3 Duplex 13,120 154.28 0 0

Maximum throughput speed over the course of an hour is tested using single page test documents. The test device is fully-loaded with the media and toner supplies prior to job commencement. The hour is started after the first page has been output to remove processing and initiation time. Human intervention times are classified as paper and toner changes and stacker emptying based on a fully loaded cut sheet device in its test configuration. Forced device stoppages are classified as events that stop the device pending operator intervention such as a stacker unload.

RIP Efficiency Analysis

Simplex 1,600-Page NASA Test File

Size/Mode Time to Release from PC (in secs)

RIP Time (in secs)

Time to First Page Out (in

secs)

Time for Job Completion

(in secs)

IPM From Job Release to Final

Page

IPM From First Page Out to Final

Page **

Simplex 1,600 page NASA test file printed onto A4 80gsm

52.53 545.12 66.35 694.66 138.20 152.79

Simplex 1,600 page NASA test file sent twice as single set jobs

First Job 50.35 562.00 63.60 690.85 138.96 153.05

Second Job 101.82 1051.5 716.76 1343.50 147.09 153.17

** BLI analysts noted no delays between the completion of the first job and the beginning of the second job.

Testing of RIP time and first-set-out time is conducted using a 1,600-page PDF with high-resolution images and text elements running throughout the file. The file is sent to the paused PostScript driver print queue at the desktop where the job is allowed to spool completely prior to release, removing the test PC impact from the test process. Various stages through the job cycle are recorded as seen above in the table. The job is then repeated, this time with the same job spooled twice at the print queue. The queue is released again and the times are again recorded. The times for the second set are taken from the moment the data starts to be fed to the RIP (i.e. when the job first shows the printing message in the print queue.)

IMAgE QUALITy

Registration Excellent

Halftones Very Good

Fine Lines Good

Text Good

Solid Darkness Good

Solid Coverage Consistency Excellent

Mixed Page Element Handling Very Good

*Registration and solid density over 10 million page duration are based on testing of the Océ VarioPrint 6250 Classic at BLI’s UK test lab.



BUYERS LAB


Solid Density

Solid Density Measurements Throughout Test on Uncoated Paper

* Data from 10-million-page test conducted on Océ VarioPrint 6250 at BLI facility.

1 million 2 million 3 million 4 million 5 million 6 million 7* million 8* million 9* million10**

million

Average (Front)

1.17 1.18 1.17 1.16 1.15 1.14 1.02 1.00 1.02 1.16

Average (Back)

1.15 1.17 1.17 1.14 1.15 1.10 1.02 0.98 1.02 1.16

Deviation 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.01

Solid Density Measurements Throughout Test on Coated Paper

* Data from 10-million-page test conducted on Océ VarioPrint 6250 at BLI facility.

1 million 2 million 3 million 4 million 5 million 6 million 7* million 8* million 9* million10**

million

Average (Front)

1.14 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.14 0.97 0.96 0.96 1.14

Average (Back)

1.13 1.12 1.12 1.12 1.15 1.07 0.97 0.97 1.01 1.13

Deviation 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.03 0.02 0.07 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.02

* Test samples between 7 and 9 million were printed using release 2.1.1, which, according to Océ, was only available for a two-week period and included a bug that reduced 100% Black density interpretation to 92%.

** Samples produced at 10 million impressions were printed using release 2.1.3.

Measurements are taken on test prints produced using default settings on both uncoated and coated paper at intervals of 10 percent of the 10,000,000-impression durability test using an XRite 508 densitometer. Measurements are based on ten readings spaced across the long edge of an A3 test chart. The higher the density measurements, the darker the image. Density measurements are taken on both the front and back printed samples, with the front sample being a single page file and the back printed sample being a duplex print of a two-page test chart with page 1 blank. An average across the ten results for each test chart is recorded, along with the mean deviation from the average. The larger the deviation, the greater the difference in density across the page.

Solid Density Analysis on Océ VarioPrint 6320 Ultra

Solid Density Measurements Throughout Test

Uncoated 80gsm paper Coated paper

Average (Front) 1.13 1.05

Average (Back) 1.10 1.04

Deviation 0.09 0.02

Solid Black High-Coverage Consistency on Océ VarioPrint 6320 Ultra

BLI assessed solid black reproduction using the default device and driver conditions over the course of a 100-sheet print run, using a 100% coverage document with nine locations specified for density measurement. The BLI test target was sent to print on



BUYERS LAB


80gsm UPM DIGI Color Laser A3 uncoated media and 200gsm UPM DIGI Finesse A3 coated media, with density readings taken at nine different locations on the printed output on the 1st, 50th, and 100th page using an X-Rite 508 densitometer.

Solid Density Measurements

Uncoated 80gsm paper Coated paper

Min. Optical Density 1.08 1.05

Max. Optical Density 1.14 1.10

Average Optical Density 1.08 1.08

Range 0.05 0.05

Halftones on Uncoated Paper

Optical density measurements are taken on test prints carried out on both un-coated and coated paper using an XRite 508 densitometer.

BLI’s test chart includes 33 density patches ranging from 4% to 100% fill in 3% increments.

Optical Density Results from Driver Default Settings on Uncoated Paper

Electronic fill in test document 4% 7% 10% 13% 16% 19% 22% 25% 28% 31% 34%

Optical density of output 0.14 0.17 0.20 0.22 0.24 0.27 0.28 0.32 0.34 0.36 0.38







BUYERS LAB


Optical Density Results from Driver Default Settings on Coated Paper

Electronic Fill in test document 4% 7% 10% 13% 16% 19% 22% 25% 28% 31% 34%






Optical Density Results from 125-lpi Driver Settings on Uncoated Paper







Fine Lines and Text

BLI assesses fine line and text reproduction using BLI proprietary test files cre-ated in Adobe Illustrator and converted into PDF at press quality settings.

Files take into consideration both black and colour conversion elements in both foreground and background, simulating typical end user document scenarios where colour is incorporated into design to accommodate both online publica-tion and printed formats.

Assessments of fine lines and text are carried out at default and maximum reso-lution settings. Fine lines are assessed at 0.25-, 0.5- and 0.75-point thickness at 90- degree and 45-degree angles and fonts are reviewed in Arial (Sans Serif font) and Times New Roman (Serif font) in standard and italic formats down to 3 points



BUYERS LAB


The background colours used are white, black, global red, global green and deep blue sea. Images are viewed using an 8X magnification Agfa loupe and the finest line / smallest font recorded before breakup/legibility issues occur.

Black and White Fine Line and Text Assessment

Image Factor Assessed Default Resolution / LPI Maximum Resolution / LPI

Foreground Colour

Background Colour Uncoated Media Coated

Media Uncoated Media Coated Media

Times New Roman Black White 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Times New Roman Italic Black White 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Times New Roman White Black 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Times New Roman Italic White Black 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Arial Black White 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Arial Italic Black White 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Arial White Black 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Arial Italic White Black 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Fine Lines Horizontal Black White 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines Vertical Black White 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines 45 degree Black White 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Circles Black White 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines Horizontal White Black 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines Vertical White Black 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines 45- degree White Black 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Circles White Black 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point



BUYERS LAB


Red Fine Line and Text Assessment


Foreground Colour

Background Colour

Uncoated Media

Coated Media Uncoated Media Coated

Media

Times New Roman Red White 4 point 4 point 3 point 3 point

Times New Roman Italic Red White 5 point 5 point 3 point 3 point

Times New Roman White Red 4 point 4 point 3 point 3 point

Times New Roman Italic White Red 4 point 4 point 4 point 4 point

Arial Red White 5 point 5 point 3 point 3 point

Arial Italic Red White 5 point 5 point 3 point 3 point

Arial White Red 4 point 4 point 3 point 3 point

Arial Italic White Red 4 point 4 point 3 point 3 point

Fine Lines Horizontal Red White 0.5 point 0.5 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines Vertical Red White 0.5 point 0.5 point 0.5 point 0.5 point

Fine Lines 45 degree Red White 0.75 point 0.75 point 0.5 point 0.5 point

Circles Red White 0.5 point 0.5 point 0.5 point 0.5 point

Fine Lines Horizontal White Red 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines Vertical White Red 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines 45-degree White Red 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Circles White Red 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Blue Fine Line and Text Assessment


Foreground Colour

Background Colour

Uncoated Media


Media

Times New Roman Blue White 4 point 4 point 3 point 3 point

Times New Roman Italic Blue White 4 point 4 point 3 point 3 point

Times New Roman White Blue 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Times New Roman Italic White Blue 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Arial Blue White 5 point 4 point 3 point 3 point

Arial Italic Blue White 5 point 4 point 3 point 3 point

Arial White Blue 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Arial Italic White Blue 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point

Fine Lines Horizontal Blue White 0.5 point 0.5 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines Vertical Blue White 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.5 point 0.5 point

Fine Lines 45-degree Blue White 0.5 point 0.5 point 0.5 point 0.5 point

Circles Blue White 0.5point 0.5point 0.5point 0.5point

Fine Lines Horizontal White Blue 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines Vertical White Blue 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines 45-degree White Blue 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Circles White Blue 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point



BUYERS LAB


Green Fine Line and Text Assessment


Foreground Colour

Background Colour

Uncoated Media


Media

Times New Roman White Green 6 point 6 point 5 point 5 point

Times New Roman Italic White Green 6 point 6 point 6 point 5 point

Arial White Green 6 point 6 point 4 point 4 point

Arial Italic White Green 6 point 6 point 4 point 4 point

Fine Lines Horizontal White Green 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines Vertical White Green 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Fine Lines 45-degree White Green 0.25 point 0.25 point 0.5 point 0.25 point

Circles White Green 0.5 point 0.5 point 0.25 point 0.25 point

Mixed-Page-Element Handling

Fine lines, italic fonts and metallic surfaces benefitted more from the higher 141-lpi and 180-lpi halftone screen options in the PostScript driver, delivering crisper lines and smoother surface finish. However, the higher line screen negatively af-fected the overall appearance of the remaining images, which were reproduced with less clarity, and in some instances, loss of detail. The tunable contrast fea-ture improves the fine detail reproduction at the higher lpi setting to some extent and, due to the sophisticated grey curve programming is, in BLI’s opinion, well worth using to maximize output quality.

The lower 85- and 106-lpi line screen halftone options delivered the best repro-duction of the images, with better definition in light and dark contrast areas and smoother gradation in the skin tones and sky. However, at these lower resolution modes, fine lines experienced slight break-up and there was increased stair-stepping in curves on the line art diagram.

The 125-lpi option delivered the ‘best of both worlds’ and would be BLI’s recom-mended default selection for workflow with mixed text and images.



BUYERS LAB


PRINT DRIVERS

OCÉ VARIOPRINT 6320 ULTRA PRINT DRIVER FEATURES

Features PostScript PCL

Auto Detect Device Configuration Yes Yes

Templates / Save Settings Yes Yes

Resolution Modes 600 x 600dpi and 600 x 1200 dpi 600 x 600 dpi

Halftone: LPI Options 85, 106, 125, 141, 180 lpi 85, 106, 125 lpi

Halftone: Screen Angle Options No screen angle options No screen angle options

Reduction / Enlargement 1 – 1000% No

Image Shift: Independent Front and Back Yes No

Image Shift: Mirror Front and Back Yes No

Image Shift: Individual Page Programmable Yes No

Watermark Yes No

Image Overlay No No

Text to Black No No

Booklet Mode Yes Yes

Booklet Mode: Cover option Yes Yes

Booklet Mode: Creep adjustment Not Required, carried out automatically Not Required, carried out automatically

Booklet Mode: Signature Set No No

Same-Up / Double Print Yes Yes

Integration with Media Catalogue Yes Yes

Cover Mode Yes Yes

Page Programming Yes Yes

Subset Finishing Yes Yes

Tab Text Programming Yes Yes

Multi-Level Tabs Programming 2 2

Mixplex Programming Yes Yes

Page-Level Image Adjustment Options No No

Job Ticket Fields 2 (recipient name and notes) 2 (recipient name and notes)


LAB TESTED

RELIABILITY CERTIFIED

2010

Anthony F. PolifroneMANAGING DIRECTOR

DATE

CERTIFICATE OF RELIABILITY

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT OFFICE PRODUCTS TEST LAB AND BUSINESS CONSUMER ADVOCATE

NORTH AMERICA EUROPE ASIA WWW.BUYERSLAB.COM

BUYERS LABORATORY INC.

COPYRIGHT ©2010 BUYERS LABORATORY. REPRODUCTION WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF BLI IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN.

SEPTEMBER 2010

This is to certify that when subjected to a 10,000,000-impression Buyers Lab durability test in a networked environment, the Océ VarioPrint 6320 Ultra proved to be a highly reliable product.

Awarded to

OCÉfor the performance of the

Océ VarioPrint 6320 Ultrain BLI’s in-house durability test.

Copyright ©2010 Buyers Laboratory. Reproduced with the written permission of BLI.

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