DO THE MATH: Calculating the Economics of B2 and B3 Formats
Trying to choose between a B2 or B3 press? Canon’s varioPRINT iX-series B3-format sheetfed inkjet press shows that bigger isn’t always better. It offers remarkable productivity, flexibility, cost efficiency, and more. Watch the video to figure out if a B3-format press might be right for you.
The B2 vs. B3 Dilemma: Doing the Math on Print Economics with Canon
As commercial print providers strategically transition from traditional offset equipment to digital presses, the industry has seen a massive surge in the demand for shorter print runs and highly complex variable data jobs. Navigating this constantly shifting manufacturing landscape requires careful technological investments, and there is currently a significant amount of industry buzz surrounding the ideal format size for modern digital presses.
Based on historical experiences with offset machinery and early digital toner devices, many printing professionals have been deeply conditioned to believe a specific paradigm: that B2 digital presses, which utilize bigger sheets and allow for more images up on a single page, automatically equal faster production speeds and lower overarching costs. However, in the nuanced world of print manufacturing, bigger is not always inherently better.
Putting more images on a page does not automatically add up to reduced costs or increased productivity, and simply printing fewer sheets does not always guarantee lower paper expenses or reduced press time. To make a truly informed technology investment decision, print providers must thoroughly do the math to calculate the total operational impact of their equipment choices.
The Inefficiencies of the B2 Format Illusion
The primary challenge for commercial printers lies in the hidden inefficiencies and workflow bottlenecks inherent to the B2 digital format. While possessing the ability to print oversized applications like large posters or expansive pocket folders on a B2 digital press may initially seem highly attractive, these specific oversized applications rarely represent the bulk of a facility's revenue. In reality, approximately 95 percent of all applications produced in mainstream commercial print utilize standard, traditional paper sizes. When utilizing a B2 workflow for these standard jobs, print providers are often forced to gang or batch jobs that require the exact same media to avoid the frequent, time-consuming pallet changes and machine calibrations associated with large-format digital engines.
Furthermore, traditional B2 workflows often require highly extensive offline finishing processes. For example, printing a standard 16-page brochure on a B2 digital engine using large B2 sheets requires four completely separate offline fulfillment steps. After completing the necessary trimming, only 63 percent of that large B2 sheet size is actually used for the final printed product, leaving a staggering 37 percent of the material as expensive paper waste. Adding to these compounding operational bottlenecks, most B2 digital engines struggle with consistent mechanical reliability, typically experiencing an average uptime of closer to only 75 percent.
The varioPRINT iX-Series Inkjet Press
To help solve these complex manufacturing inefficiencies and challenge the traditional large-format paradigm, Canon introduced the varioPRINT iX-series. This advanced equipment is a B3 format sheetfed production inkjet press that offers commercial print providers an incredibly compelling business case.
Canon recognized that true operational flexibility matters significantly more than simply accommodating an oversized sheet. Instead of forcing operators to constantly batch similar jobs, the imaging system within the varioPRINT iX-series requires calibration only once across more than 500 evaluated paper types. This intelligent engineering allows the press to seamlessly switch between highly diverse media sizes and distinct paper types by pulling from up to twelve different input trays. Consequently, print providers can completely fill their digital print queue and run one distinct job after another at the machine's full rated speed, without ever stopping production, even when executing complex jobs featuring mixed media.
Eliminating Waste and Maximizing Throughput
The implementation of the varioPRINT iX-series delivers highly measurable benefits that completely disprove the assumption that B2 digital presses are inherently more productive. By utilizing the Canon B3 engine, operators can successfully print on the specific sheet size that is closest to the job's final finished size, which carries no negative impact on print speed or overarching cost. In the 16-page brochure example, printing that exact same job with the Canon B3 engine on a 12” x 18” sheet allows a staggering 90 percent of the sheet size to be successfully utilized for the final print.
This incredible workflow efficiency helps to significantly reduce costly paper waste by nearly 75 percent when directly compared to the B2 alternative. Furthermore, the Canon solution features a single inline connected finishing device that effortlessly feeds collated sheets, folds, stitches, and trims the final product. This automated inline finishing requires little to no operator intervention from start to finish, which directly helps to lower expensive labor costs, heavily increase facility-wide productivity, and drastically accelerate customer turnaround times.
Beyond material and labor savings, the Canon inkjet technology delivers outstanding speed and unwavering machine reliability. Although B2 digital presses technically offer a larger physical sheet, the varioPRINT iX-series boasts significantly faster overall throughput. Extensive test runs demonstrate that the Canon B3 press delivers up to 63 percent more 12” x 18” full-color equivalent sheets per hour, alongside up to 56 percent more 13” x 19” full-color equivalent sheets per hour. This massive surge in throughput translates directly into a print shop successfully producing significantly more work per shift, granting the business an incredibly strong competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Finally, these tremendous manufacturing advantages are fully supported by Canon's industry-leading machine reliability, comprehensive proactive maintenance programs, and outstanding local service coverage. Thanks to this robust support infrastructure, the Canon iX-series fleet consistently reports an incredible average machine uptime of 94 percent over a 24-hour period. By choosing the Canon B3 format, print providers can successfully recalculate their operational economics and realize the true, long-lasting value that modern production technology brings to the print floor.
Interested in learning how Canon production printing technology can help your business grow? Contact us today.