Replay: Understanding Priming and Post-Coating for Inkjet

With severe challenges in getting substrates to print on, it's never been more important to understand how priming and coatings for inkjet contribute to substrate compatibility, color vitality, print quality, durability, flexibility and cost efficiency. There are many options for the application of these important fluids as well as variations in chemistry to drive performance and compatibility with different inks and substrates. Some of these options are tackled by OEMs or integrators, in-house or with partners. Other options are available to press owners looking at options to enhance the performance of their press, or the output from the press. Learn about the:

Role of priming or pre-treatment in driving color quality and compatibility
Growing list of options for protecting and enhancing inkjet prints with post coatings
Key considerations for OEMs in working with partners for priming and coating development
Key considerations for printing companies in selecting priming and coating equipment
Measurable differences in inkjet print with and without priming and coating

Download Slides

New Taktiful/WhatTheyThink Embellishment Study Finds Demand on the Rise

In the latest Taktiful/WhatTheyThink 2026 Embellishment Study, two-thirds of users of digital embellishment equipment said they have seen more demand for digital embellishments in the past year, up from the 29% who said this in last year’s survey. Eighteen percent said demand has remained about the same (down from 56% last year), and only 5% have seen less demand for embellishments, down from 9% last year. Read More

Around the Web: Of Fonts and Files

Last month’s Typographics 2026 was a two-day conference devoted to type, language, and visual culture. Ghost Font is an attempt to keep AI from stealing content. Inkjet printing can be used to make inexpensive OLED displays. “What happens when a type foundry stops designing fonts as static objects and starts designing them as living systems?” An art vending machine. An artist who makes intricate sculptures out of paper. Germany’s the Kugelhaus was a spherical, six-story steel building. The first person in England to use an umbrella was treated to insults and abuse. Graphene oxide composite enables a flexible memristor for low-light artificial vision. “Weird Al” declined to be an AI company’s spokesman. A 1,478-piece “X Files” LEGO set. Could wet coffee grounds be used to generate cleaner sources of energy? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More

Around the Web: Of Tapestries and T. Rexes

Brits snap up tickets to see the Bayeux Tapestry. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette just got its existence renewed. What is the best clothing to wear to keep cool? Probably not leather made from Tyrannosaurus rex cells. Aw, shucks, we missed it: July 16 was “AI Appreciation Day.” A group of Italian students constructed the world’s largest paper airplane. The age-old problem of justifying calligraphic text, like Arabic. A laser-induced graphene sensor enables dopamine detection in tears. A hospital for…houseplants? The first robot to appear in a movie. An electronic nose that can detect food spoilage, food-borne pathogens, and allergens. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More

Around the Web: Of Moons and Mother Roads

The 1835 “Moon Hoax” made ridiculous news stories credible. The USPS is issuing the 2026 Route 66 Centennial Stamp Collection. Highlights from the recent Sustainable Brands Conference. Researchers have created what might be the most accurate mathematical representation of color perception ever. When in North Dakota, visit the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, which opens tomorrow, July 4. An Etsy gardening scam features AI-generated plant images and fake seeds. Good grief: corneal tattooing is a thing. Graphene radar-absorbing coatings for defense use. If you missed Monday’s Strawberry Moon, more moons are coming. Answering the burning question: “do bug zappers still exist?” Turn any water bottle into a water vessel for dogs. Is there any advantage to “alkaline water”? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More