In the last article, we began to lay out the case for bespoke production systems. While most of these types of systems are somewhat unique by design, in general they all have some of the basic requirements we see in a traditional printing process. Minimally you need an imaging system with ink and media, a transport system, and a digital front end with some workflow and process control as well. But that is where the similarity stops. As you start to dig into more specific requirements, you realize that in a bespoke system, each of those components can be very different by design. The imaging can be offset, flexo, gravure, inkjet, etc. The inks can be dye-based, pigment-based, electronic components, and more. The transports can be roll-to-roll, roll-to-sheet, sheetfed, static, or even dynamic; and the media can be almost any surface you can imagine. While this may sound almost too far-fetched to be real, it is already starting to happen; and we can expect the rate of growth of these types of systems to increase.

In this series, I have used the term bespoke to delineate purpose-built custom solutions, as compared with hybrid systems that are built with multiple technologies but can be used or configured for different applications. Some of these systems are being created by and for companies that have a very specific use case, although many are being developed by the current crop of press manufacturers. Press manufacturers are purposely designing some of their new presses to be modular, to meet customer requirements for this new level of customization. We have already seen examples of this from HP Indigo and KBA/Xerox, and most recently Durst and OMET, with the released the new OMET XJet, a new hybrid printing platform integrating Durst’s Tau 330 digital inkjet system with OMET X6 flexo stations and converting units. Most of these are targeted at label production and enhanced design capabilities, in this latest case by integrating the Durst printing with OMET X6’s finishing and converting units like cold foil, hot foil, lamination, varnishing, die-cutting, and slitting in one pass.

Yogev Barak, Director of Strategy and Business Management at the Indigo Division of HP Inc., takes the concept one step further. “I think that that flexo combined with inkjet is important, but there are other areas and certain kinds of embellishment, like our Indigo GEM technology, that aren’t using flexo.” HP Indigo GEM is a fully digital one-pass printing press for embellishing with foil, screen, tactile, varnish, and other special effects. Developed with JetFX, it uses one workflow, one operator, and one design file without the need for tooling, utilizing GEM Coat and GEM Clear dispersants.