Lisa Oakleaf · Director, Global Software Product Management · Ricoh · PRINTING United 2025
At Printing United in Orlando, Morten B. Reitoft from INKISH speaks with Lisa Oakleaf from Ricoh about the company’s renewed focus on automation, AI, and software integration in commercial printing. Oakleaf, who oversees Ricoh’s software ecosystem, explains that success in modern print depends on the seamless connection between hardware and software. “If you don’t have the software,” she says, “you can’t get the results out of the hardware.”
She highlights the Ricoh Pro VC8000, calling it the company’s most advanced production inkjet press to date. Built with machine learning and AI, it automates make-ready, color control, and real-time adjustments — addressing labor shortages and improving uptime. “The system takes on the work that used to require deep operator expertise,” Oakleaf notes. “It keeps the printer running and ensures consistent, high-quality output.”
Oakleaf also introduces Ricoh Predictive Insight, a data-driven tool included with the VC8000 and other Ricoh presses. It monitors productivity, identifies inefficiencies, and sends alerts before issues occur, helping printers improve processes and profitability. Customers can even track true job costs by entering cost-per-piece data.
Ricoh’s solutions are designed for open integration, supporting API connections and custom workflow development. “We meet customers where they are,” Oakleaf says. “Some have IT teams; others just need it to work out of the box — we can do both.”
She concludes that Ricoh’s mission is to make the transition from offset to digital effortless. “We’re not leaving offset printers behind,” Oakleaf says. “We’re bringing everything they value — quality, reliability, and precision — into a smarter, more automated world.”
Thu October 23rd
Greg Bane · Imposition Solution Account Man...
At Printing United in Orlando, Morten B. Reitoft from INKISH sits down with Greg Bane from Ultimate Tech to discuss the company’s focus on automation in large-format printing. Greg explains that automation has become increasingly important as print shops face tighter deadlines, higher material costs, and the constant need to improve efficiency. By streamlining workflows and reducing manual intervention, automation helps printers achieve faster turnaround times, optimize costs, and maximize the return on their hardware investments. Bane highlights Ultimate Tech’s continued innovation in workflow automation and imposition software. The company’s solutions integrate seamlessly with any digital front end, printer, or cutting equipment, offering full flexibility regardless of brand. Their two-way communication capabilities allow operators to receive detailed feedback from devices, including data on material usage and waste. This enables printers to make better production decisions and minimize losses, particularly when working with high-value substrates. He also discusses the power of shape-nesting optimization, where the software calculates the most efficient way to position jobs on a sheet or substrate. When given a bit more time to process, the software often finds surprisingly effective layouts that significantly reduce waste. According to Bane, these savings alone can easily justify the software investment. Reflecting on his own background, Bane shares that he joined Ultimate Tech less than a year ago after previously working with the company as a partner. He praises the team’s professionalism, strong ethics, and deep industry experience. As the conversation wraps up, he emphasizes the key takeaway for the print industry today: automation is no longer optional. To remain competitive and meet modern customer expectations, printers must embrace “automation, automation, and automation.”