UNDER THE HOOD | AGFA JETI TAURO H3300 XUHS It really is a beast – something me and Mike Horsten, senior press & PR manager at Agfa agree on. “Even we didn’t foresee this when we were launching the Tauro,” says Horsten, who is speaking of the latest addition to the company’s hybrid LED printer range. The range began with the introduction in mid-2018 of the Jeti Tauro H3300, and saw increasingly faster S, HS, and UHS variants added over subsequent years. The latest, and perhaps final instalment, as it’s now edging into the productivity territory occupied by what were the Inca machines prior to the acquisition of that company by Agfa in 2022, is the Tauro H3000 XUHS, launched at FESPA 2025 in Berlin. Developed by the same team in Belgium that was responsible for the all the previous Tauro models, this adds a further 30% speed capability to that of the already formidable UHS model, bringing it to a maximum 1280sqm/hr, delivered by 96 Ricoh Gen 5 printheads (rising to 120 if you take any of the white, primer, or varnish options) configured in 12 rows, and supported by a comprehensive range of automation options. This obviously isn’t going to be a cheap machine – think seven figures for even a relatively simple configuration – so the natural question to ask is “who needs a printer that is this fast?” Horsten is upfront that not many do, expecting to sell ‘one or two handfuls’ a year, but points to printers servicing large retail clients in the US and larger European countries, particularly national supermarket chains, where a store refresh or seasonal campaign might require the production of 15,000 pieces to fit out a thousand stores. These are sites that may already have a previous Tauro, an EFI Nozomi or Inca/ Agfa Onset, or possibly even a SpeedSet for corrugated work, so similarities in operation with existing Agfa kit simplify training, while the Agfa inks, which are the same, would already be a known quantity. The XUHS model is very much aimed at bulk production environments where the hybrid format suits a range of substrate materials and sizes, including but not limited to standard display boards, and diverse finishing requirements that could include contour cut-outs. It is available in four- and seven-colour configurations; the former doubles up regular CMYK inks for speed, while the latter introduces a mix of light and mid-tone inks. Horsten says that rather than go with the more usual light C, M, and K, the colours are chosen to provide a balance of smooth skin tones while retaining the ability to provide punch in areas of solid colour. The 7pl drop size and 1200dpi resolution also allows Agfa has further upgraded its 3.3m flagship hybrid UV LED printer to achieve colossal throughput, but with great power comes the need for great automation, finds Michael Walker Unleashing the Beast with the Agfa Jeti Tauro Michael Walker is a trade journalist, technical writer, and editor with over 37 years’ experience in the print, prepress, photography, and digital imaging sectors, with a particular interest in the digital transformation of processes. In addition to editing Desktop Publishing Today and Digital Printer magazines, he is co-author with Neil Barstow of Getting Colour Right (Ilex Press, 2004) and Practical Colour Management for Photographers and Digital Image Makers (2009, self-published e-book) and winner of a Communicators in Business Gold Award. It really is a beast, something even we didn’t foresee when we were launching the Tauro 42 email: editor@signlink.co.uk Issue 260 - August / September 2025
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