What Printers Have the Best Inline Finishing Options for POD?

Print-on-demand (POD) is a profitable business model for print shops. Companies hoping to make the most of it need to ensure all surrounding processes are equally as efficient as the printing itself. Built-in finishing features are a great way to do so, but what printers have the best inline finishing options for POD?

Many commercial models include finishing options, but a few stand out from the rest. Here are the eight best POD printers with inline finishing.

1. Fujifilm Revoria Press EC2100

Fujifilm printers — the Fujifilm Revoria Press EC2100 and its higher-end trim, the EC2100S — are the best printers with inline finishing options for most applications. Through a range of modular setups, the EC2100 series’ finishing includes:

• Cover insertion
• Hole punches
• Staples
• Singe folds
• Tri-folds
• Z-folds
• Creasing
• Face Trim
• Two-sided trim
• Full bleed trim

This list isn’t the end of its finishing capabilities, either. Beyond these choices, the EC2100 series features workflow automation to detect and correct color errors, misalignments, and other issues. Print speeds up to 100 pages per minute (ppm) complement the streamlined software to make custom printing more efficient than ever.

2. Minolta AccurioPress C6100

Konica is another favorite brand for POD operations, and its Minolta AccurioPress C6100 is one of its best products for inline finishing. These features include stapling, punching, folding, booklet binding and more. It also has automatic density correction to maintain quality printing despite jumps in productivity.

Modular functionality aside, the AccurioPress C6100 is a great everyday printer. It reaches speeds up to 100 ppm, can print all sizes of papers and even banners, has automatic image stability assurance, and has an input capacity of over 13,000 sheets. Compared to several other manufacturers, Konica Minolta is often affordable, too, making the C6100 good for smaller operations.

3. Canon varioPRINT iX-series

POD shops dealing with higher production volumes or a greater variety should consider the Canon varioPRINT iX-series. It supports media from 60 grams per square meter (gsm) to 350 gsm in both coated and uncoated forms in matte, silk, or gloss finishes. The iX-series can even handle multiple media types within a single print run.

In terms of inline finishing options, the varioPRINT iX-series uses various machine-to-machine interfaces to connect to third-party finishers. These include perforating, punching, stapling, creasing, scoring and more. The need for third-party equipment does add some extra complication, but the sheer range of available features is worthy of consideration.

4. Ricoh Pro C7200x

The Ricoh Pro C7200x is another solid choice for POD operations with unique needs. Its finishing applications cover stapling, booklet trimming, stitching and hole punching, among others. It also automates color management and calibration to keep production running smoothly with less manual work.

At 85 ppm, it’s not the fastest printer available today, but it’s still sufficient for many small to medium-volume POD shops. Its support for media up to 360 gsm and impressive color quality make it ideal if you need to handle unconventional print jobs, too.

5. Fujifilm Revoria Press EC1100

While the Revoria Press EC2100 may be Fujifilm’s best, the EC1100 deserves consideration, too. It’s a mid-market printer, sacrificing print speed for a lower cost, but you can get the same flexibility and convenient automation options. All the modular finishing choices you can get for the EC2100 are also available with the EC1100.

The EC1100 offers remarkable quality, printing at 1,200 by 1,200 dpi. It’s also highly versatile, letting you print media as small as 148 by 98 millimeters or as large as 330 by 1,200 millimeters. That includes inserts up to 400 gsm, which few other printers can support.

6. Minolta AccurioPress C4070

Konica Minolta also makes another one of the best printers with inline finishing options in the AccurioPress C4070. This mid-volume printer reaches speeds of 70 ppm while supporting envelope fusing, perforations, punching, folding, stapling, binding and more. It can also print media up to 34 inches long on both sides.

Resolutions up to 3,600 by 2,400 dpi make it one of the highest-quality printers in its class. A built-in automated print optimizer makes it easier to capitalize on these features, even without extensive knowledge or experience. That’s particularly helpful for newer shops or those with frequent employee turnover.

7. Canon imagePRESS C810

While the AccurioPress C4070 is ideal for smaller, newer operations, the Canon imagePRESS C810 is better for mid-to-high-volume POD processes. As with many Canon products, it’s less affordable than options from Konica, but you get impressive quality and functionality for the price.

Finishing accessories include binders, punching dies, staplers, folders and even print inspection tools. The imagePRESS C810 also excels with heavier stocks other printers may struggle with. It’s not quite as modular or fast as some other options but works well for niche use cases or print runs with high image quality needs.

8. Ricoh Pro C9500

A final printer with some of the best inline finishing options to consider is the Ricoh Pro C9500. The C9500 is a highly modular and versatile system, making it an excellent choice for POD operations managing a wider range of client needs. Its finishing applications include binding, stapling, stitching, trimming and support for third-party peripherals.

The C9500 is capable of printing resolutions up to 2400 by 4800 dpi with automatic color quality monitoring. It supports banners up to 38 inches long, media up to 470 gsm and speeds up to 135 ppm. These features make it one of the most high-performing POD printers on the market today, although not every company needs such functionality enough to justify the investment.

Why Do You Need a Printer With Inline Finishing Options?

Now that it’s clear what printers have the best inline finishing options for POD, it’s important to understand why those add-ons are necessary. Inline finishing entails higher upfront costs, regardless of the manufacturer you buy from, but it will save you money in the long run.

POD is all about efficiency. The longer your lead times are, the less ready you are to adapt to individual clients’ needs and provide the turnaround they expect. Inline finishing ensures you can achieve the adaptability and speed you need by reducing the number of steps between printing and producing a final product.

Finishing options are also becoming increasingly in demand in today’s market. Printed books alone saw a $68 million increase in sales in 2021, and similar media has showcased strong growth lately. Consequently, your shop must be able to put out folded, bound, creased and otherwise finished material at rising rates.

Relying on separate finishing processes will not be viable in this fast-moving sector for long. Demands for efficiency are growing too quickly for POD operations to ignore the potential for inline alternatives.

How to Choose a POD Printer With Inline Finishing

What qualifies as the absolute best printer with inline finishing options depends on your specific needs. You can choose an optimal system by starting with your clientele. What sort of media do you get orders for most often? What folds, bindings or other finishes do your customers ask for? What industries do you typically serve?

Asking these questions will help you understand which finishing options you need. Some POD operations need booklet-binding and quality inspection tools more than anything, while others can get by with just stapling and hole punching. There’s no single answer that’s better than another — it depends on the kinds of print runs you fulfill most often.

Specific finishing applications aside, you should consider other printer specs. You’ll want a machine with a higher ppm rate and larger input capacity if you deal with larger order volumes. Conversely, if your business model is slower but more focused on quality, you should lean toward higher dpi models.

Find the Best Inline Finishing Options for Your Printer

These eight printers offer some of the best inline finishing options for any POD operation. Once you understand your clientele and what they expect, you can choose a modular printing system that suits those needs. Regardless of what you need, you can likely find a printer that works for you among these choices.