Long-established printer invests in Konica Minolta’s AccurioJet KM-1 inkjet technology to increase flexibility

| 30 birželio 2020

Imprimerie Baron & Fils has defied the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and successfully increased digital printing power and flexibility with an investment in Konica Minolta’s award-winning KM-1 Accurio-Jet technology.


Live printing started in May for the forward-thinking company, which completed 4-5 different jobs during training alone. Luxury brands, financial agencies and companies, trendy customers and the French national library are among clients of Baron & Fils now goes benefiting from the Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1 B2+ UV inkjet press that replaced an offset machine.

Crucial was Baron & Fils’ team support from Konica Minolta. The installation was the centrepiece of a major modernisation programme at the site in Clichy, in the suburbs of Paris, France, which had to be halted in mid-March due to the global coronavirus pandemic. It was completed two months later when restrictions were lifted and regulatory approvals obtained including cross-country border access.

“The Konica Minolta team came all the way from The Netherlands and Germany in these difficult times of the lockdown and worked long hours. They completed the installation within a week and we started print runs soon afterwards. It was an incredible achievement. We thank them wholeheartedly for their professionalism, efficiency and commitment while working in difficult circumstances. In a partnership and collaborative approach, they accompanied us in every step, from the choice of press to its successful implementation. We’re so glad we’ve reinforced our digital production capabilities and opened up new opportunities for our customers. It’s the cornerstone of our business strategy. Moving forward, we know that short-run applications will become even more appealing for our customers. And it will help open the door to more clients, such as creatives and agencies who will be able to proof their jobs on the same machine that will print the final product, which also ensures consistency. It’s a win-win situation for everybody. Short-run digital production will become increasingly important, particularly after the pandemic is over.„

Florent Sylvestre, Manager and Partner of Baron & Fils


Key reasons for investing in the Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1 included:

  • Economics. The average run lengths for Baron & Fils are now 500-1500 sheets, with customers increasingly demanding personalization
  • Substrate flexibility. One of the most critical in the printer choice, enabling printing of a very wide range of substrates without precoating and to use same media as offset and even more.
  • New opportunities. One new application involves textured, special material printing, particularly as it is scratch resistance and the ink quality is extremely high. Baron & Fils also wants to develop its own web-to-print business
  • Faster response times. Digital jobs can now be completed within a day, with proofing and printing all done on the AccurioJet KM-1 with less waste, whereas offset work would typically take 3-4 days
  • Frame technology. The AccurioJet KM-1 is simple to use, more productive and provides superior reliablility
  • Quality / gamut. Reproduction of Pantone colors gives perfect matching – on one day alone 10 different substrates were successfully tested.

With the introduction of Konica Minolta’s AccurioJet KM-1, Baron & Fils will increasingly work directly with agencies, luxury brands and fashionable restaurants. Employing 10 people, Baron & Fils was formed in 1924 and has continually evolved to remain at the cutting edge of technological innovation.


“Despite the impact of coronavirus, we’ve seen a lot of positives from our customer base – and Baron & Fils is a perfect example. We will continue to support them, as we do all our customers. We wish them every future success with our award-winning Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1, the centrepiece of their refurbished premises as they begin a new digital journey. Even in these troubled times we continue to provide practical and dedicated support as we continue to help shape ideas around the world, around the clock with our dedicated approach to customers in a collaborative, partnership approach.„


Hidetoshi Omo, Head of Center of Competence, KM-1 at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe