Press Releases

OKI Europe Celebrates 30 Years of LED Technology

05/12/2019


At the heart of its innovations for more than three decades, OKI has pioneered the use of LED for its speed, reliability, precision, media-flexibility and colour intensity

Egham, 05 December 2019 – Three decades on from the release of its first LED printers, OKI Europe is celebrating its history as a founder and champion of LED printer technology, which it continues to refine and use in its award-winning devices.
 
From easy maintenance to superior speed, accuracy, unrivalled media handing capabilities and print quality, OKI Europe is passionate about the benefits OKI’s LED printer technology delivers. 
 
As part of its 30-year celebration of LED innovation, OKI is inviting its customers and partners to share their experiences with OKI’s LED technology through a series of fun customer-generated videos. OKI is also challenging customers to test the accuracy and precision of OKI LED printers and multifunction printers (MFPs) by printing Daniel Defoe’s entire novel, Robinson Crusoe, on a single-page PDF and viewing the printout with a magnifying glass to see just how clear the tiny text appears.
 
“At OKI Europe, we are incredibly proud of our heritage in LED and pioneering use of it as a printer technology,” said Pamela Ghosal, General Manager Marketing Communications EMEA, OKI Europe Ltd. “Over the past three decades, we have championed LED over alternative printer technologies. It has been used in millions of OKI products and remains an important part of our pipeline of product innovation.”
 
OKI Europe – innovating with LED 

OKI pioneered LED technology within printers in 1989 with the launch of the OL400 and OL800, Europe's first LED printers. In 1998, it launched the OKIPAGE 8c, OKI’s first digital colour printer with speeds that were twice as fast as its competitors. 
 
Further innovation with LED printer technology followed; in 2005, OKI launched the C5500 MFP, the world’s first A4 colour multifunction printer in the LED/laser market. It went on to use the technology as part of a series of innovations in size, speed and colour, launching ground-breaking printers that were faster, smaller and more affordable than competitor models, making colour printing on a range of different media accessible to all. And as a testament to this strategy, earlier this year, OKI launched the multi-award winning C800 Series, the smallest A3 colour printer on the market.
 
Functioning on the same principles of electro-photography – using light to inscribe the page image on a photosensitive drum – the key difference between LED printer technology and laser printer technology lies in the image writing process. 
 
Unlike laser print heads, LED print heads write directly to the drum, with no moving parts or mirrors. This simple, straight paper path increases the reliability, as well as the media handling capabilities of LED printers compared with laser alternatives. This makes OKI’s LED printers perfect for any business type, whether that is an office printing business-critical documents, or a retailer looking to increase customer loyalty by improving in-store customer experience through visual communications printed on-site.
 
Today, OKI is building on the benefits of LED technology, particularly the unrivalled media handling capabilities which can help businesses print more in-house without having to rely on lengthy and costly print processes. From shelf signage, including price-tags, labels and almost any pre-cut media formats, to self-adhesive floor stickers, eye-catching posters, promotional displays, gondolas, double-sided banners, and waterproof media application, all this and more can be done using OKI’s compact LED devices.
 
Furthermore, LED technology is proving to be a real game changer in the ‘print for profit’ market by helping creative businesses and print shops to offer new services and access new revenue streams through unique LED powered printer technology. This includes a host of devices, from the world’s first digital LED white toner printers, to the world’s first 5 colour printers (CMYK+White and CMYK+Clear Gloss), as well as the world’s first desktop 5 colour (CMYK+White) digital label printer. OKI’s portfolio of Industry Print devices offers cost-effective alternatives to direct to garment printing, merchandise personalisation, label printing and envelope printing on a wide range of media types and weights. This includes dark media, pushing the boundaries of creativity and personalisation with a minimum volume of just one.
 
“OKI Europe strongly believes in the incredible capabilities of LED printing and the many advantages it offers compared to laser printing,” said Lee Webster, General Manager, Product and Propositions, EMEA, OKI Europe Ltd. “Looking to the future, we will continue to improve, develop and pioneer LED as part of our ongoing drive to deliver choice, reliability and superior quality on an unrivalled range of media for our customers in the office and beyond.” 
 
For further information, visit www.okieurope.com/LED .
Notes to Editors: 
 
About OKI Europe 
 
OKI Europe Ltd is a division of OKI Data Corporation, a global business-to-business brand dedicated to creating cost effective, professional in-house printers, applications and services which are designed to increase the efficiency of today’s and tomorrow’s businesses. 
  
The company is well-established as one of Europe’s leading printer brands, in terms of value and units shipped. For over 60 years OKI Europe has been delivering advanced printing solutions worldwide, introducing ground-breaking technologies that support the needs of businesses large and small. Our pioneering development of digital LED printing technology has placed OKI at the forefront of the market in delivering high-definition, eco-friendly printing devices. 
  
Since the acquisition of the globally-deployed wide format printer business of Seiko I Infotech Inc. a subsidiary of Seiko Instruments Inc. OKI distributes precision-engineered wide-format printing systems specifically for the sign, graphics, CAD and GIS markets that provide industry-leading productivity and image quality. With an EMEA wide network of authorised distributors and dealers OKI Europe Ltd provides complete printing solutions including wide format printers, inks, media, software, installation, support, knowledge and training. 
  
In addition to a vast portfolio of award-winning printers and MFPs, OKI offers a range of services to help optimise print and document workflows.  This, together with an integrated suite of software technologies and tools, can help businesses take control of their print and document costs in a secure environment, whether office based, mobile or in the cloud. 
  
Today OKI Europe employs over 500 staff in 15 locations (sales offices and production sites) and is represented in 60 countries throughout the EMEA region.  
  
OKI Data Corporation is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd., established in 1881 and Japan’s first telecommunications manufacturer. 
  
Visit www.oki.com/eu for further information.
 
 
 
PR Contact: 
OKI Europe Ltd: Pamela Ghosal:pr@okieurope.com + 44 (0) 208 2192190

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