Ricoh has been named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree for its new Ricoh Ri 100 Direct-To-Garment (DTG) compact desktop printer. CES (Consumer Electronics Show, this year January 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada) is the world’s gathering place and conference for professionals involved in consumer technologies. It has served traditionally as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years and is “a global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace and is largest hands-on event of its kind.” Products entered in its prestigious Innovation Awards program are judged by an expert panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade media to honour outstanding design and engineering across 28 consumer product categories. The awards are sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), owner and producer of CES since 1976. Entries are evaluated on their engineering, aesthetic and design qualities, intended use/function and user value, unique/novel features present – and how the design and innovation of the product directly compares to other products in the marketplace.
The Ricoh Ri 100 fits easily on desks and counters. Its ease of use makes it an ideal fit for environments not traditionally dedicated to printing, such as souvenir shops and small businesses. Leveraging technology from Ricoh and AnaJet (a Ricoh company) this newest printer puts the power of Direct-To-Garment (DTG) printing directly in the hands of these organizations and allows for cost-effective one-off prints and short runs. Users can choose between ready, out-of-the-box design software, or simple integration with existing design tools. The Ricoh Ri 100 prints simply and safely at up to 1,200 x 1,200 dpi in vivid mode, leveraging Ricoh printheads and modular drop-size technology.
“Today’s organizations are constantly on the lookout for new ways to engage customers and develop brand loyalty, and Ricoh and AnaJet are committed to developing innovations to help them do just that,” said John Fulena, Vice President of the Commercial and Industrial Printing Group at Ricoh USA. “The Ricoh Ri 100 makes hitting that goal easy, fast and extremely affordable, at an MSRP considerably lower than traditional DTG printers.”
The Ricoh Ri 100 is bundled with an intuitive heating system that removes wrinkles from fabric, creating a smooth surface for printing, and then cures the ink afterwards – helping to hold the design in place for long lasting, colorfast prints. The heating unit was designed with simplicity and safety in mind, helping those new to DTG printing to easily produce a finished product. The Ri 100 joins the Ricoh Ri 3000 and Ri 6000 printers in building upon Ricoh and AnaJet’s (a Ricoh company) history of fast, high-quality garment printing. “Over the years, our customers have asked for an affordable, low-risk way to enter the DTG market and we’re proud to be the first to answer that question at a price point that’s unmatched today,” said Karl Tipre, CEO of AnaJet. “Like our Ricoh colleagues, our commitment to our customers is to help them reach their business goals.”
