TRUMBULL, Conn., April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Oce, a Canon Group Company and an international leader in digital document management and delivery, today announced it has qualified several products produced by leading fiber paperboard producer M-real Corporation for the Oce Arizona® Series of UV flatbed printers. To date the products qualified include Carta Elega and Carta Integra paperboard and Kemiart topsheet used in corrugate packaging applications.

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The Oce Arizona Series of flatbed printers are very versatile in a variety of applications including digital packaging – from prototype creation to custom and short-run packaging on both paperboard and corrugate. By being able to print directly to rigid substrates up to two inches thick and a maximum eight foot by ten foot image area, the Oce Arizona Series of printers enables packaging companies and their customers to realize a host of digitally-derived benefits previously not cost effective when produced traditionally.

Oce North America Product Marketing Manager Randy Paar states, "Oce's qualification of the M-real products now provides packaging companies entering into digital packaging an immediate, high quality, proven result that not only works on the digital flatbed but traditional offset or flexographic presses as well. This means the brand owner can much more confidently and quickly sign-off on a prototype and then see it go into production knowing that the final result will be accurately reproduced on the very same media."

Qualification consisted of producing samples on the Oce Arizona printer at the Oce Knowledge Center in Itasca, IL followed by further evaluation by M-real. The resulting image quality and ink adhesion were exceptional using the Oce IJC256 Series inks, even when printed at high volume production speeds. Using the companion Oce ProCut™ digital cutting table for creasing and cutting, both ink and substrate demonstrated good structural performance with virtually no cracking, chipping or scuffing of the printed package with either paperboard or corrugated board. M-real Americas Technical Marketing Manager John Sarik states, "The samples of M-real's Carta Integra and Carta Elega FBB (Folding Box Board) produced on the Oce Arizona printer looked exceptional. They were presented at a company meeting where the images, screen work, and color reproduction were commented on as being top quality. Additionally, previous samples of Kemiart Lite and Kemiart Graph produced on the same printer as combined corrugated board showed very good color intensity, critical for POP display work, and fine detailed screening used in halftone reproductions."

About M-real

M-real is a leading primary fiber paperboard producer and a major paper supplier. The company's customers include brand owners, carton printers, converters, publishers, printing houses, merchants, and office suppliers.  

M-real supports its customers' businesses by providing high-performance paperboards and quality papers for consumer packaging, communications and advertising end-uses. Together with its customers and partners, M-real develops products and services for demanding end-uses. The company's paperboard is mainly used for the packaging of beautycare and healthcare products, foods, cigarettes, and consumer durables, as well as graphics. Paper is mainly used for office papers, as well as wallcoverings and other specialty end-uses.  M-real is headquartered in Finland. In 2010, the company's sales totaled euro  2.6 (USD 3.2) billion, and it has approximately 4,500 employees. M-real, part of Metsaliitto Group, is listed on the NASDAQ OMX. web: www.m-real.com email:  [email protected].

Oce Display Graphics Systems

Oce Display Graphics Systems is a leading provider of professional, wide format solutions for indoor and outdoor color display graphics applications. Oce solutions are specifically designed to enhance the revenue and profit opportunities for service providers by combining hardware with workflow software and the expertise to help companies expand into digital large format color. From extremely high-quality UV flatbed printers and roll-based printers to advanced finishing systems, Oce offers a total solution including hardware, software, imaging supplies, finishing systems, applications expertise, hardware support and financing. Customers benefit in working with a full-service partner they can count on to help their businesses grow.

About Oce

Oce is one of the leading providers of document management and printing for professionals. The Oce offering includes office printing and copying systems, high speed digital production printers and wide format printing systems for both technical documentation and color display graphics. Oce is also a foremost supplier of document management outsourcing. Many of the Fortune Global 500 companies and leading commercial printers are Oce customers. The company was founded in 1877. With headquarters in Venlo, The Netherlands, Oce is active in over 100 countries and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide. Total revenues in financial 2010 amounted to approximately euro 2.7 billion. Oce is listed on Euronext in Amsterdam. For more information visit www.oce.com.

Oce North America is headquartered in Trumbull, CT, with additional business units in Chicago, IL and Boca Raton, FL. North America represents 34% of Oce's worldwide revenues, and employment is over 8,000. For more information about Oce North America, visit www.oceusa.com. Outside the U.S., consult http://global.oce.com.

Oce and Canon: Stronger together

In 2010 Oce joined the Canon Group of companies with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to create the global leader in the printing industry. Canon develops, manufactures and markets a growing line-up of copying machines, printers, cameras, optical and other products that meet a diverse range of customer needs. The Canon Group comprises over 197,000 people worldwide. Global net sales in 2010 were more than US $45 billion. For more information visit www.canon.com.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2010(1), with global revenues of more than US $45 billion and is listed as number six in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies 2010 list. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – "all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future" – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

(1) Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

SOURCE Oce North America