LightJet5000 Digital Photographic Printer

LightJet 5000 Wide-Format Printer

Affordable investment
If you think a photographic printer is beyond your reach, you'll be surprised by the affordability of a LightJet 5000. Even running at half capacity, you can see a return on investment in as little as three months. LightJet's price and maintenance costs are much lower than competitive systems. And since the LightJet images on inexpensive photographic materials, you'll save on material expenses over inkjet and electrostatic technologies. With low paper costs and no inks or toners to worry about, your profit per print is high.

Durable media
Photographic materials are long lasting and resistant to fading so your customers will be happy with their LightJet prints for a long time. Some paper manufacturers guarantee archival quality photo paper that are color fast for several generations.

Multiple applications
Whether you're producing posters for point of purchase displays, tradeshow graphics or portrait packages, Cymbolic Sciences has a LightJet wide format printer that is tailored to meet your needs. Choose from a variety of models and options that vary resolution, maximum print size and prices. Our range of LightJets also includes a remote sensing option for applications requiring high geometric accuracy such as aerial photography and satellite imaging.

Choose from three models
LightJets are available in three models: LightJet 5300 images up to 32x50" / 81x127cm; LightJet 5500 images up to 50x50" / 127x127cm and LightJet 5900 images up to 49x97" / 124x246cm. The 200 dpi option is available to print any image up to 50x50". At 200 dpi, a LightJet can produce a 50x50" print on RA4 paper in 4.1 minutes.

Open interface
Cymbolic Sciences has created an open interface so you can choose the ideal digital workflow for your production environment. LightJet FE software accepts digital files from networks and third party RIPs using a hot folder. With this interface, you have the freedom to use any program that produces RGB-TIFF files. Cymbolic also offers two other software options: System Manager LT is a stand-alone package that efficiently prepares, color corrects and prints TIFF (CMYK/RGB) and Scitex CT files. System Manager XL includes all LT features and an integrated PostScript level 2 RIP for on-the-fly RIPing and printing of most files.


Points of Enlargement	Sharp text, exceptional detail The LightJet's image quality is superior to competitive photo printers because its imaging technology ensures a constant pixel size, shape and intensity over the entire image. Media is held stationary within a precision internal drum, while a spinning mirror directs laser light to expose reflective and backlit photographic material.

	True continuous tone Using red, green and blue lasers, the LightJet achieves true continuous-tone photographs without visible dots. Inkjet and electrostatic printers, which simulate photo quality with half-tone dot patterns, would need to image at 4000 dpi to duplicate the same image crispness, highlights and shadow detail. LightJet photo printers set the standard for backlit displays.

	Ultimate ccolor fidelity The LightJet design incorporates advanced laser technology to optimize color range and color resolution. Its 36-bit color space, capable of producing 68 billion colors, ensures optimum control over the light source to reproduce color with perfect fidelity. In comparison, other photo printers are limited to 24 bits or 16.7 million colors.

	Real-time hardware interpolation Using our proprietary adaptive 16-point bi-cubic algorithm, the LightJet enhances sharpness through on-the-fly pixel interpolation. Because the pixels are faithful to the original image, the system can output small files at high resolution with no loss of sharpness. Unlike software interpolators which limit the flexibility of the interpolation process, our hardware uses complex algorithms to produce the best possible results. For example, the LightJets adaptive interpolation gives users the ability to sharpen some areas of an image, while maintaining softness in other areas - no other printer has this capability.

	High productivity With the 200 dpi option, the LightJet will print a 50x50" image in 4.1 minutes (on RA4 paper). Smaller prints are produced even faster. Inkjet printers operating in "photographic mode" can take up to 10 times longer to produce a half-tone image.

	Optional software optimizes workflow Cymbolic Sciences has created an open interface that allows for numerous workflow solutions. System Manager XL is optional software that incorporates invaluable features that can accelerate workflow when producing a mixture of print sizes from a variety of image data files. The software accepts PostScript (RGB/CMYK) and TIFF (RGB/CMYK) intermixed on the same page with no preprocessing required. The integrated PostScript RIP automatically calculates and RIPs file to size with no operator intervention. Both PostScript and TIFF files, either in RGB or CMYK, can be previewed and color adjusted. Visual feedback is provided to the operator for color correction. CMYK files are converted to RGB as the files are imaged with no pre-processing required. Different color corrections can be applied to individual image files that are printed on the same page. Distinct sizing, cropping and interpolation factors can be applied to each image on the fly while imaging.

LightJet 5000 Specifications	Print Times 200 dpi (res 7.9) Image Size Print Time 30x50" 3.6 minutes 50x50" 4.1 minutes 49x97" not applicable 305 dpi (Res 12) Image Size Print Time 30x50" 5.8 minutes 50x50" 7.5 minutes 49x97" 22.5 minutes* 406 dpi (Res 16) Image Size Print Time 30x50" 8.1 minutes 50x50" 11.8 minutes 49x97" Not applicable Print time includes material advance and look-up table download. Actual print time depends on computer configuration, file complexity and speed of data storage device.

	Resolution Spatial Resolution Continuous-tone: 200, 305, 406 dpi / Res 7.9, 12 and 16. Apparent half-tone resolution is 4,000 dpi.The 200 dpi Option is available on each LightJet model. The maximum print size at 200 dpi is 50x50" / 127x127cm. Color Resolution 36 bits; each 8-bit input channel is interpolated to 12 bits to produce a 36-bit outdoor color space, resulting in smoother gradients, and increased highlight and shadow detail.

	Operational Maximum Image Sizes LightJet 5300 32x50" / 81x127cm LightJet 5500 50x50" / 127x127cm LightJet 5900 50x50 / 127x127cm or 49x97" / 124x246cm Image sizes apply for paper and trans materials.For clear-base films the maximum print size is 49x50" / 124x127cm. Images longer than 50" / 127 cm are printed at 305 dpi. Prints longer than 50" require the use of 50" wide materials. Roll Media Capacity Length: Up to 164 feet (50 meters). Width: 30", 40" and 50" / 76cm, 102cm and 127cm Photographic Media Popular reflective and backlit display materials are qualified. Laser Light Source Red: Helium-neon - 633 nm Green: Helium-neon - 543 nm Blue: Argon-ion - 458 nm

	Remote Sensing Option The Remote Sensing Option can be specified for each LightJet model. This option is ideal for applications requiring very high geometric accuracy, such as remote sensing, aerial photography and lenticular imaging. Its overall geometric accuracy is +/- 1 mm over the entire 50x50"/ 127x127cm image area. When ordered with System Manager software, two additional data formats are supported: pixel interleaved (BIP) and line interleaved (BIL).

	Image Interpolation and Sharpness Control Hardware Interpolation Adaptive 16-point bi-cubic spline applied on a per frame basis. Does not increase the size of files being transferred or reduce productivity. System Manager Software Interpolation Automatic bi-cubic interpolation applied on a per image basis (multiple images within a frame can be scaled independently). Exact sizing feature provides for automatic scaling and interpolation to specific dimensions. Interpolation Scaling Range Hardware: 100% to 1,000% Software: 25% to 400% Sharpness Filters User selectable with defaults that allow different portions of an image to be sharpened or smoothed adaptively on a per frame basis.

	Application Software Versions * LightJet FE Open Interface * System Manager LT * System Manager XL Supported Workstations Pentium II or Digital Equipment Alpha (Pentium II recommended for highest productivity). Supported Operating System Windows NT 4.0 Workstation; Pentium II LightJet FE Open Interface LightJet FE Open Interface software accepts digital files from networks and third-party RIPs using a hot folder. It opens the LightJet to all programs that produce RGB-TIFF files. System Manager LT and XL LT and XL Features * TIFF (RGB & CMYK), Scitex CT; PostScript Level 2 RIP (for XL version). * On screen color correction with user interface control over highlight, 1/4 tone, id-tone, 3/4 tone and shadow. * Fast image preview prior to printing. * Image cropping for printing elected areas only. * Independent scaling of each image in a multi-image print. XL Features * PostScript Level 2 RIP. * 90, 180 and 270 degree rotation. * Automatic CMYK to RGB conversion while printing. * Simultaneous RIP and print on-the-fly. Actual RIP and print times depend on the computer configuration, image size and PostScript file complexity. * Seamless RIP to file and then print capability.

	Physical Electrical 200/208/220/230/240 VAC ±10% single phase, 47 to 63 Hz, 3,200 VA typical, 3,800 VA maximum Size (WxHxD) 81"x50"x93" / 205cmx127cmx235cm Weight 3,600 pounds (1,650 kilograms) Lighting Normal room light when printing; darkroom when loading or unloading media.