Jonathan Pert explores the continued development and refinement of toner kit, hearing from a number of manufacturers which have released new equipment to the market
Alongside innovations in inkjet, automation, and workflow intelligence, toner’s development has also continued at a significant pace, with new solutions being released to market in quick succession.
Across the commercial print sector, manufacturers are introducing refinements that improve colour accuracy, media versatility, energy efficiency, and overall productivity. These advances are broadening the scope of applications suited to toner while strengthening its role in short-run, on-demand, and variable-data environments.
As press speeds increase and maintenance demands decrease, toner devices are becoming more competitive in areas once dominated by other technologies. At the same time, upgrades in finishing options and substrate compatibility are opening fresh opportunities for print providers looking to diversify their output.
In this feature, Print Monthly examines the direction of current toner innovation, the market forces shaping its adoption, and how commercial printers are using updated platforms to meet changing customer expectations.
Fujifilm has been one of the manufacturers consistently investing in toner technology, releasing a number of new additions to the market that aim to improve consistency and efficiency.
For Mark Lawn, head of POD Solutions at Fujifilm EMEA, toner technology has moved forward at an impressive pace. He explains: “What we’re seeing across the industry is a shift from purely CMYK-focused printing to systems that offer far greater colour range, consistency, and creative potential. Improvements in core image quality have played a big part in this, with newer toner formulations and higher-resolution LED printheads producing much smoother, more accurate results.”
For Lawn, the real change in the market has been how these advances are being delivered, with capabilities that were once the preserve of high-end presses – such as expanded colour channels, speciality toners, and sophisticated colour processing – becoming far more accessible. As he says: “The market has opened up, giving a much wider range of print businesses the opportunity to offer higher-value applications without needing to invest at the very top end of the spectrum. It’s a clear sign that toner technology is evolving not only in terms of performance, but also in terms of who can benefit from it.”
Fujifilm’s latest additions to the market include the Revoria Press EC2100/EC2100S and Revoria Press SC285/SC285S, mid-range production presses that are designed to deliver high quality four- and five-colour production with high detail, consistency, and efficiency.
Explaining some other features of the new Revoria presses, Lawn continues: “They are also fully field-upgradeable, allowing customers to move from CMYK to five-colour printing when required. These ‘S’ models support speciality toners including pink, clear, and toner for textured paper, as well as gold, silver, and white.”
Fujifilm recently announced the introduction of a gold toner for its Revoria SC285S and Revoria EC2100S models, adding to the speciality pink, clear, and toner for textured stock options initially announced for the presses upon release. White and silver toners were introduced four months later, with the arrival of gold toner meaning a total of six speciality toner options are available.
In the view of Lawn, these presses “make added-value printing more accessible than ever before, opening up creative and commercial possibilities previously associated with higher-end devices.” In his opinion, print companies of today should be looking for a solution that not only provides these speciality options, but still delivers consistent, high-quality CMYK output as a baseline standard. “Image quality, colour stability, and the ability to handle a wide range of media remain essential,” he asserts.
Lawn also believes that it is increasingly important to consider whether a device can support added-value applications, either through speciality toners or extended colour capability, not only to stand out from the crowd but because the market is demanding it.
As he puts it: “The pace of development within toner technology continues to accelerate. The expansion of speciality toners into the mainstream market, and the broadening of applications they enable, shows that there is still considerable opportunity for growth. There remains strong demand for high-quality, versatile, and reliable toner-based solutions, and ongoing innovation in colour capability, print quality, and production efficiency suggests that the sector will continue to evolve even further.”
Finally, Lawn notes that sustainability is becoming a core requirement across the board, and that PSPs should look to invest in toner technology that promotes more efficient production. He comments: “Lower fusing temperatures, reduced energy consumption, and recyclable print all contribute to a more efficient and environmentally responsible production environment.”
Features that were once considered exclusively high-end are now available to a much wider audience, and we anticipate this trend will continue
In summary, Lawn points not only to the significant development of toner solutions in recent years, but hints at further toner releases from Fujifilm to come. He concludes: “Features that were once considered exclusively high-end are now available to a much wider audience, and we anticipate this trend will continue. Fujifilm has a number of exciting toner technology announcements planned for 2026 – so watch this space.”
Konica Minolta has continued to sharpen its focus on toner-based production print, rolling out a new wave of AccurioPress systems designed to push speed, colour capability, and automation forward for commercial environments.
Among its releases in 2025, Konica Minolta announced the launch of the new AccurioPress C10500 and C10500S production presses, which complete the company’s C14010 series range. The range is designed for commercial printers, in-house print rooms, and high-volume enterprises, designed to deliver quality output with minimal intervention.
The presses utilise Konica Minolta’s Simitri V toner, which is designed to deliver an offset matte finish and low fusing temperatures. Following the trends seen in Xerox and Fujifilm kit, the S model adds fifth colour capabilities including white toner, demonstrating an industry-wide push for additional colour options.
Both the AccurioPress C10500 and C10500S use a raft of technology enhancements developed to streamline workflows and reduce manual intervention, including automatic adjustments and monitoring of colour profiles using the IQ-601 optimiser unit. Both also come with an IM-104 intelligent media sensor, which can identify paper type and weight for unattended, uninterrupted printing.
Speaking about the presses, Malcolm Smith, category manager of professional print at Konica Minolta Business Solutions UK, says: "The AccurioPress C10500 and C10500S add exciting new options to our C14010 range. They expand our target audience and enable a broad spectrum of print businesses to better utilise their operators' time by working smarter and utilising greater automation, without sacrificing quality and consistency.”
Factoid: Desire for specialty toners in packaging and industrial print applications has been growing, with a rise of 8% in 2024, according to marketing research publication, Industry Research
The AccurioPress C10500 and C10500S offer reported speeds up to 105ppm, as well as media handling across a broad range of substrates. The presses can work with paper up to a thickness of 450gsm, long sheets up to 1,300mm, embossed paper, envelopes, polyester, and cut-sheet labels. The C10500 series has also been developed to deliver vibrant results on coloured, clear, or metallic materials.
Konica Minolta also launched the AccurioPress C7100 ENHANCED series in 2025, an upgrade to the AccurioPress C7100 and AccurioPress C7090, designed to deliver quicker turnaround times and greater media flexibility. The new ENHANCED series, which offers a 3,600 x 2,400dpi resolution, has been developed to provide greater automation and ease-of-use in comparison to previous models.
The new AccurioPress C7100 and C7090 feature reported print speeds of up to 100ppm and 90ppm respectively. The presses also provide greater media flexibility with stocks of up to 400gsm, paper feeding for all formats up to 900mm in length, and the flexibility to handle embossed and textured media.
Responding to market demand for further automation, the ENHANCED presses feature a new ‘intelligent colour control’ algorithm designed for enhanced colour management and colour reliability, which can measure up to 13 colours during production and make adjustments on the fly. The C7100 ENHANCED series is also available with an optional IQ-501 Intelligent Quality Care unit, which can provide consistent colour quality and front-to-back registration, aiming to eliminate the need for recalibrations or inspections during print production.
In addition, an optional in-line TU-510e trimming unit offers a variety of finishing options including cutting, creasing, and perforating, allowing for the production of products including full-bleed trimmed book jackets, imposed cards, business cards, and coupons.
Describing the new AccurioPress C7100 ENHANCED Series, Smith says: “It is designed to meet the needs of today’s dynamic print producer. It features the speed, high print volumes, flexibility, and workflow automation needed to turn jobs around quickly, but with the accuracy and high-quality needed to impress and retain customers, helping them to outmanoeuvre their competition, win new business, and remain profitable.”
It is designed to meet the needs of today’s dynamic print producer
In addition to its kit releases, the Konica Minolta AccurioPress C84hc also become the only high chroma toner system on the market (as of writing) to be awarded the internationally recognised FograCert Validation Printing System (VPS) certification.
To earn Fogra accreditation, the AccurioPress C84hc underwent testing across multiple production scenarios to assess capabilities including PDF/X conformance, proofing substrate colour, gloss and fluorescence, colour accuracy, uniformity, permanence, and light fastness. The AccurioPress C84hc passed with distinction in two tested controller configurations: Konica Minolta’s proprietary IC-609 configuration and the optional EFI Fiery IC-317. The achievement means that all of Konica Minolta’s current colour production systems are now officially Fogra certified.
Summing up his response to the certification, Smith adds: “This Fogra certification is a powerful endorsement, not just of the technology, but of the consistent quality and reliability our customers expect. It’s a game-changer for UK print businesses looking to push boundaries, find new opportunities, and unlock new revenue streams with confidence.”
Another company ‘setting the tone’ has been Xerox, with a series of new toner presses being released to market within the last few years alone.
As Kevin O’Donnell, Xerox’s head of marketing for Graphic Communications and Production Systems in the UK, Ireland, and the Nordics, puts it: “Xerox Emulsion-Aggregation (EA) toners continue to be refined, resulting in more uniform, smaller particles that give sharper detail and better colour representation, whilst using less toner and less energy.”
Among its recent releases, Xerox announced the launch of its new Proficio Production Series at PRINTING United Expo 2025, with the event marking the debut of both the Xerox Proficio PX300 and Xerox Proficio PX50 presses. The new series is designed to help print providers compete and grow in the evolving mid-production colour market.
At the time of release, Terry Antinora, head of product and engineering at Xerox, said: “Market conditions and client expectations have shifted in ways that make differentiation and efficiency more critical than ever. The new Proficio presses build on our leadership in automation, colour science, and ‘Beyond CMYK’ – helping print providers boost profits, stand out from the competition, and expand their business.”
Proficio has been labelled as the new ‘master brand’ for the company’s production press lineup, with the Proficio name derived from the Latin verb meaning to make progress, advance, and succeed. The Proficio PX300 and PX500 deliver speeds of 85ppm and 100ppm respectively, offering Ultra HD resolution with an optional fifth colour station which includes fluorescent pink, clear, and low gloss clear options.
New performance modules have also been added to maintain precise colour density and front-to-back registration in real-time, without slowing production. In addition, the modules are also designed to eliminate static build up on synthetic stocks.
At the time of release, Xerox explained that the thinking behind the Proficio Production Series was to build “on a platform approach that unites the most advanced imaging, automation, and AI-assisted intelligence from Xerox,” with the series representing “a cohesive family of presses engineered to drive measurable performance, efficiency, and profitability for every print provider.”
Alongside the launch of the presses, a new Xerox Print Server was released to market which is powered by the Fiery FS700X, exclusively designed for the PX300 and PX500 to deliver increased automation and streamline workflows.
O’Donnell asserts that toner is only one component of the overall value proposition, so buyers should “seek evidence of a collaboration among automated workflows, the digital front end, highly productive toner-based engines, and the ability to produce automated calibration, accurate colour rendition, and reduced waste, which together can improve the bottom line.
“At Xerox, we call this holistic view the Xerox Production Eco-System, where all parts of the process and value chain are connected and interacting.”
As of writing, the Proficio presses are yet to be officially rolled out, with Xerox announcing that it will begin taking orders for the Proficio PX300 and PX500 models in March 2026. The new Proficio series is intended to replace the Xerox Versant 4100 and Versant 280 models, both of which utilise Xerox's proprietary EA Low Melt Dry Ink toner, enabling production of Ultra HD images with ten-bit RIP rendering. The Versant 280 model added compatibility with the Xerox Adaptive CMYK Plus Kit, allowing users to swap out standard CMYK toners for specialty toners like white, clear, silver, gold, and fluorescent colours.
Explaining the formulations that Xerox has developed for its ‘Beyond CMYK’ devices, O’Donnell says: “They can run additional colours, such as metallics, clear, whites, and fluorescent, in a single pass, adding value to the printed piece. A good example of this is our Low Gloss Clear toner, which allows users to print on textured stocks without losing image definition. These provide gateways into new markets, for example, white and clear for short run and personalised packaging, or eye-catching metallics into the high value product sector such as cosmetics and jewellery.”
Toner won’t be going away – it offers a low entry but scalable pathway with little compromise on capability
While early digital toner presses may have been primarily valued for short-run efficiency and fast turnaround, today’s PSPs expect a far more sophisticated combination of productivity, quality, versatility, automation, and economics. Toner presses have evolved into highly capable production engines, and that change has shifted the minimum expectations of its users. With solutions like the Proficio series, Xerox is aiming to respond to that change in demand, with a range of new features, modules, and automation capabilities.
Asked whether there are further toner innovations on the horizon, O’Donnell concludes: “With continued advances in chemistry, nanotechnology, and AI, new solutions for intelligent toners for security and even printed electronics are being developed. Toner won’t be going away – it offers a low entry but scalable pathway with little compromise on capability.”
