Ricoh USA Inc. has announced the RICOH Pro C7500, designed to empower print service providers (PSPs) to elevate their creative and versatile print production capabilities by achieving richer and more accurate colors. The latest addition in Ricoh's next-generation lineup of digital color sheetfed presses, the RICOH Pro C7500 will be on display alongside the recently introduced RICOH Pro C9500 at Printing United in booth B1916 from Oct. 18-20, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia.

The application-versatile RICOH Pro C7500, like the Pro C9500, is an evolution of successful Ricoh technologies, developed to further enable PSPs to adapt to an ever-changing print production environment. A partner of Ricoh's for more than 10 years, Jodi Solotoff, owner of PIP Marketing Signs Print, a full-service franchised PSP in Livingston, New Jersey, has been beta-testing the RICOH Pro C7500 and shares the following about her experience thus far:

"Having owned and evaluated several Ricoh presses, my expectations for the RICOH Pro C7500 were very high even before taking delivery," Solotoff said. "However, since it's been on the floor and has had every imaginable job thrown at it, the performance is beyond anything I could have anticipated. I am seeing remarkable quality on uncoated stocks rivaling that of coated output, while also achieving enhanced color consistency on heavier stocks, making it a real game-changer for us. Its speed and handling of mixed media — critical for projects like saddlestitched books using diverse stocks — has dramatically improved and the user-friendly interface is very intuitive from effortlessly scheduling tasks to seamlessly guiding the problem-solving of any issues that have popped up during testing."

Succeeding the RICOH Pro C7200 Series, the RICOH Pro C7500 utilizes Ricoh's specialty color toners that include white, clear, invisible red, gold and silver. Its new neon color profile gamut expansion enables the Pro C7500 to generate blush pinks, deep purples and radiant yellows for richer and more vivid color expression.

New to the RICOH Pro C7500 is an elastic intermediate transfer belt that enhances support for rough or uneven textured media. It can handle a wide range of grammages from 40gsm to 470gsm (compared to the maximum recommended grammage of 360gsm for the Pro C7200 Series) and has been strengthened to support duplex printed long lengths up to 1030mm. These developments will enable progressive PSPs to broaden their range of applications with, as examples, light packaging, greeting cards and wedding stationery, while benefitting from enhanced print quality.

The RICOH Pro C7500 is also equipped with a brand new RICOH Graphic Communications Operating System (GC OS). The newly developed engine controller enables efficiencies in device use, and the intuitive and simple operation of machine settings. Remote access, via a web browser from a PC or tablet, streamlines operation in a multiskilled environment where print operators are required to perform numerous tasks. New functions via software updates can be continually added in response to client feedback.

New as well is a powerful digital front end (DFE) developed in collaboration with Fiery that drives operational effectiveness. Additional printing efficiencies and labor-saving functions have also been introduced to reduce time spent on maintenance and support real-time troubleshooting. These include the quick and simple changeover of complete units for special colors and improved operator-replaceable units for more responsive system maintenance.

"The RICOH Pro C7500 exemplifies our dedication to empowering print service providers with innovative technology and cutting-edge software to continually advance their production environments," said Gavin Jordan-Smith, senior vice president and general manager, head of the Global Sales Strategy Division & RICOH Graphic Communications North America Sales, RICOH Graphic Communications. "With its expanded color capabilities, support for various media types and user-friendly controls, the RICOH Pro C7500 brings a new class of production-class hardware to the industry that not only elevates print quality, but also opens up new possibilities for our customers, helping them to deliver on the evolving demands of their clients."

As with the just launched RICOH Pro C9500, theRICOH Pro C7500's capabilities are enhanced by a range of value-added software solutions, including RICOH Supervisor, RICOH TotalFlow Production Manager, FusionPro and RICOH TotalFlow Producer that enable clients to maximize their operation's productivity through automation and return on their Ricoh investment.

The RICOH Pro C7500 will be available to order in the United States and Canada beginning in October 2023.

In other news, Ricoh has been recognized as one of the World's Best Companies of 2023 by TIME magazine. The ranking lists 750 top-performing companies across the globe based on three primary dimensions: employee satisfaction, revenue growth and sustainability (ESG). Ricoh ranked in top 35% in the sustainability dimension.

This new annual ranking was conducted by TIME in partnership with Statista. The comprehensive research study evaluated companies on their revenue, environmental, social and governance criteria based on data from Statista's database. To measure employee satisfaction, a survey of approximately 150,000 participants in 58 countries was conducted as well.

This year, Ricoh has also been named to Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations 2023 by Corporate Knights and Asia-Pacific Climate Leaders 2023 by the Financial Times and Statista.

Ricoh will continue to align ESG and business growth by resolving social issues through business, such as improving customer productivity by our digital services and developing eco-friendly products and services.