Ricoh named Leader in IDC high-speed inkjet ranking

Ricoh has been placed in the Leaders category of the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide High-Speed Inkjet 2025 Vendor Assessment for the third consecutive year.

The report cited Ricoh's global reach and reliability record, as well as its technical service and continued investment in innovation. It highlighted advances in printhead accuracy, job automation, and sustainability features, and noted a complementary portfolio of toner-based presses.

High-speed inkjet is a core segment of production print, alongside toner-based digital presses and offset printing in commercial and industrial environments. Vendors compete on print quality, uptime, service coverage, and the ability to integrate presses into automated production workflows.

Ricoh sells production print systems and related software and services, supported by a large global service organisation for its installed base. It serves commercial print, in-plant print rooms, and industrial applications including labels and packaging.

The IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model ranks suppliers using a scoring method based on qualitative and quantitative criteria. It places companies into categories including Leaders. Buyers and partners often use these assessments as a reference when reviewing suppliers, although purchasing decisions typically depend on fit with application needs and support requirements.

Koji Miyao, President, Ricoh Graphic Communications, and Senior Corporate Officer, linked the recognition to the company's customer approach and product development.

"We were delighted to be recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape," said Koji Miyao, President, Ricoh Graphic Communications & Senior Corporate Officer, Ricoh Company, Ltd. "We are focused on enabling clients to best position their operations to successfully manage the developing print production landscape. Our services, solutions, and own-developed technologies are shaped for each operation in response to individual needs. We collaborate and co-innovate every step of the way to support clients as they evolve their operations, expand their services, and grow their business."

IDC Research Director Tim Greene attributed Ricoh's position to a mix of product development and execution, pointing to areas buyers typically evaluate when procuring production inkjet systems, including printheads, drying systems, and the scope of service and support.

"Ricoh is a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for WW High Speed Inkjet as the company combines innovation, performance, and execution, and supports customers in their high speed inkjet initiatives. Ricoh is very strong in some of the key areas that customers are looking for in a partnership such as equipment capabilities from advanced print head and drying technologies to service and support," said Greene.

The report's emphasis on printhead accuracy and drying reflects ongoing engineering priorities in inkjet. Printhead performance influences image quality, productivity, and the range of substrates that can run at speed. Drying and curing approaches shape throughput and the ability to handle coated and uncoated media. Automation, also cited in the assessment, affects job setup time, scheduling, and output consistency across longer production runs.

High-speed inkjet suppliers also face pressure to address operating costs and energy use. Many print service providers weigh total cost of ownership alongside the ability to produce personalised direct mail, transactional documents, and short-run commercial work. Sustainability requirements are also increasingly included in tenders, especially among larger brands and public sector buyers.

IDC's reference to Ricoh's complementary toner portfolio reflects its relevance in mixed production environments. Toner presses often support short runs, heavier stocks, and applications that require specific finishing or substrate handling. Many print providers use a mix of toner and inkjet equipment to balance utilisation across devices and manage peaks in demand.

Ricoh is headquartered in Tokyo and operates in around 200 countries and regions. It reported worldwide sales of 2,527 billion yen for the financial year ended March 2025, which it said was equivalent to about USD $16.8 billion.

Ricoh said it will continue investing in technology development across printheads, automation, and sustainability features as it competes in the high-speed inkjet segment.