To be housed at the School’s Digital Print Centre, the machine is expected to assist in the training of students at all levels.
“Practical experience on the actual equipment that they are likely to encounter in the marketplace is essential for their all-round development as graphics professionals of the future,” said Black (pictured, far right), director of RMIT’s International Centre of Graphic Technology.
Océ print room and education specialist Andy Cocker said that the CPS900 was specifically chosen for its suitability in a training environment.
“The Océ CPS900 is unique in its ability to print on a variety of stocks including those with textured surfaces, Cocker said. “Final output is able to be laminated and creased after printing without the associated issues, of most other colour digital presses.
“Obviously this vastly increases the options of students to use the printer to develop creative and widely varying portfolios, using a variety of different stocks.
“The Océ CPS900 is also able to achieve consistent colour automatically, without need for calibration, for printing on a wide range of media choices on sizes up to oversize A3.
“This means students can rely on colour consistency for such specifics as corporate colours, logos and brand reproduction. You could produce a calendar, for instance, confident that the red or blue you had used for page one, would be consistent with that used on page 12.”
Cocker added that Océ was working with the School of Design management and staff to further develop its links with RMIT.
“We see the relationship between Océ and RMIT as a key association, given that it is from here that the next generation of graphics professionals will emerge.”
Black agreed, saying that “Océ has been a strong supporter of our graphic arts curricula by providing training for students in the operation of modern digital presses.”
“This donation of a premier colour printing press takes the company’s co-operation and support to a new level and one which will be greatly appreciated by the student body,” he added.
Earlier this year, Canon Australia also signed a deal with RMIT, which saw the company donate an imagePRESS C1 digital press to the university.
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