It happened last week, on the other side of the country from OnDemand, but its implications are just as important to the digital print industry. Wandering the aisles of the International Sign Expo, ISA, this year looks a lot more like Graphexpo than ever before.  That's not to say that there weren't all of the traditional sign oriented routers, LED signs, banner and sign materials, engraved signs and the like.  But it did look far more digital than ever before.  What was new this year was that most of the old Graphic Arts companies have now joined the wide format digital revolution head on and were all demonstrating their wares there.

Looking around the show floor, Pitman/Charrette had a prominent booth showing that it was taking wide format seriously.  Showing a smaller HP inkjet, a larger EFI/VUTEk printer and an MGE i-cut digital finishing, it showed that it now clearly has a focus and a presence in the emerging "sign" marketplace, rather than being stuck in the offset model. 

Interesting enough, they were next to the DuPont booth, where DuPont showed their complete line of wide format printers on their own.  At Graphexpo in 2006, Pitman had been their major dealer, but Pitman changed allegiance to VUTEk at that show.  Now, interestingly enough, Pitman, Agfa's largest dealer in the old offset world, is not selling the emerging and relatively full digital print product line from Agfa.  DuPont seems to have finally gotten traction with their products, selling but not breaking any sales records as yet.  They do seem to have a market niche with offset printers, familiar with their color technology, happy to move into digital imaging through familiar DuPont products.

Fuji introduced a more complete line of wide format systems taking advantage of the technology and ink manufacturing expertise that it has been garnering over the last few years.  Not just partnering with Mutoh anymore, it looks like a major attempt to bring out a full and growing line of products; finally taking this market seriously.