Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

To Create Your Strategy, You Must Narrow Your Focus

In the latest installment in the Smart Strategy Insights series, Wayne Lynn explains how, if your strategy is to address your best opportunities for value creation, you need to narrow the number of possible priorities down to a very short list.

How Much Plastic Is Inside You?

Heidi Tolliver-Walker writes about Plastic-Free July, the goal of which is to raise awareness about the impact of plastic pollution and to inspire individuals and businesses to make conscious choices to reduce their plastic consumption—in two senses of the term, as the average person ingests five grams of plastic every week.

Do You Have a Disaster Response Team?

Stuff happens! Weather, a truck crashing into a critical power line, earthquakes, fires, and a panoply of other things can disrupt your ability to get your products to your customers. Having a disaster recovery plan that includes identification of a well-rehearsed response teams to handle adverse events effectively can speed recovery!

Are Consumers Finally Waking Up to the Realities of Fast Fashion—And Overconsumption in General?

We are a nation of consumers. Overconsumers in many cases. And it’s not good for the planet or your financial health… In this article, we highlight the “No-Buy Revolution” and discuss ways you can participate.

Sizing the Printing Industry in Europe—Austria

This bi-weekly series of short articles provides some country details on the size of the printing industry in Europe per country, especially tracking the number of printing establishments. This time we look at Austria.

The Target Report: Corrugated Consolidation—June 2024 M&A Activity

Green Bay Acquires SMC, SupplyOne Goes West, and more …

Around drupa

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a photo gallery of images taken from around the show. This collection groups the images from days 5–10.

Around the Web: Trebek Tribute. Job Jeopardy? AI Apocalypse? RCA Wreckage. Screen Saint. Bubbler Boondoggle. Robot Rescuer. Reincarnation Remembrances. Pillar Pilot. Caffeinated Condiment.

A traveling exhibition that seeks to use typography and calligraphy to unite student work across different cultures and languages. Looking for a good ereader? Try the new Boox Palma. Alex Trebek is going to be honored with a postage stamp. One of the big concerns about so-called AI is that it is has the potential to take people’s jobs—but what’s the story so far? Is AI leading us to an energy apocalypse? What happened to RCA? St. Clare of Assisi is the patron saint of televisions and computer screens. Meet EMILY: a robot lifeguard. Are children remembering past lives? NASA’s trippy new visualization that takes you on a trip through the Pillars of Creation. 5-Hour Energy’s new caffeinated barbecue sauce. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing—2010–2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2021 there were 276 establishments in NAICS 32222 (Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing). This category saw a net decrease in establishments of -13% since 2010. In macro news, Q1 GDP revised up to 1.4%.

Global Perspectives—Print in the USA

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a Global Perspectives article that looked at the state of the printing industry in a specific nation or region. In this article, Richard Romano profiles the United States.

Heidelberg Offers a Detailed Look at the Speedmaster XL 106

At drupa 24, Heidelberg shared some details about the inner workings of the “Peak Performance” generation of its flagship offset press for packaging and commercial production, the Speedmaster XL 106. Patrick Henry reports.

German Distributor, Kunze & Ritter GmbH, Invests in Fujifilm’s Revoria Press PC1120 at drupa 2024

At drupa 24, Fujifilm announced that Kunze & Ritter invested in an additional Revoria PC1120 press to be used at its showroom in Villingen-Schwenningen.

Flyerline Schweiz AG Installs New HP Large Format 2700 Printer

At drupa 24, HP announced that Flyerline Schweiz signed a deal for a new HP Latex 2700 printer.

Winners of the European Digital Press (EDP) Association’s 17th EDP Awards

On the second day of drupa 24, the EDP Association presented its EDP Awards to 24 winners for the 17th time since its inception.

Product Spotlight: Canon’s PRISMA Home

PRISMA Home is a unique platform that houses valuable applications and tools in the cloud to help manage and support compatible print production processes. David Zwang takes a close look at how the PRISMA family has evolved.

New (Free) Color Library

Chromaspot is a new universal color library available to the industry to communicate color references.

Australia’s Largest Wholesale Printer Makes its First Inkjet Investment at drupa with Canon

At drupa 24, CMYKhub, the largest wholesale printer in Australia, made its first investment in inkjet production equipment by signing for two Canon varioPRINT iX3200 cutsheet presses.

Let’s Make a (drupa) Deal

Drupa 24 was not just a showcase for new equipment and exciting new technologies and print applications. Indeed, selling the equipment is also a very big—some would say the most important—part of the show. Here then is a roundup of some of the major equipment sales deals inked during the drupa fortnight.

Global Perspectives—The State of the Printing Industry in West Africa: What to Expect from Players

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a Global Perspectives article that looked at the state of the printing industry in a specific nation or region. In this article, Joju Adekanbi profiles West Africa.

Pushing the Boundaries of EPR Responsibility for Textiles: New Report From The Ellen Macarthur Foundation

Today, we are sharing an article compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan about a new report from the Ellen McArthur Foundation. The report states: “Policy alone cannot solve the problem of textile waste. Voluntary business action, including the establishment of voluntary EPR schemes, are key to accelerate progress.” McKeegan explains what EPR (extended producer responsibility) schemes are and why we need them as well as what is wrong with the current system.

Global Perspectives—Diversification Driving Growth Down Under

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a Global Perspectives article that looked at the state of the printing industry in a specific nation or region. In this article, Wayne Robinson profiles Australia and New Zealand.

Analysis of Performance—The Current Reality

In the latest installment in the Smart Strategy Insights series, Wayne Lynn explains how to create a strategy for the upcoming strategic planning period.

Stephens & George Become UK’s First to Acquire HEIDELBERG Speedmaster XL 106

At drupa 24, Heidelberg announced that Stephens & George became the UK’s first customer of the new Speedmaster XL 106.

Koenig & Bauer Durst Expands the Application Range in Packaging

Ralf Schlözer looks at the new Koenig & Bauer Durst VariJET 106, a highlight of the joint venture’s appearance at drupa 24.

On the Cutting Edge with Intec

Ralf Schlözer profiles the finishing solutions that Intec was showing at drupa 24.

Driving Efficiency in Training and Maintenance

Ralf Schlözer reports on frontline.io, a platform that can leverage AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), and MR (Mixed Reality) to improve the learning experience and operational efficiency, and its uses in the graphic arts.

Students Display Real Skills in Simulated Offset and Flexo Competitions at drupa

Patrick Henry reports on the student finalists of the WorldSkills 2024 hands-on printing competition at drupa 24.

Solema Explains What It Means by “Industrial Automation” for Books and Packaging

Patrick Henry tours Solema’s interactive experience hub at drupa 24 that introduced visitors to its complete line of solutions for bookbinding automation, paperboard converting, and robotic palletizing and depalletizing.

A Parting Glance at Progress in Offset Press Automation at drupa

Patrick Henry takes a close look at the offset automation options on display at drupa 24.

Kodak Receives Letter of Intent for 5 KODAK PROSPER ULTRA 520 Presses

At drupa 24, Kodak announced the sale of five PROSPER ULTRA 520 presses.

Love Air Conditioning? Thank the Printing Industry!

As we sweat through this summer’s “heat dome,” we are reminded of our appreciation for modern air conditioning. Heidi Tolliver-Walker looks at how modern air conditioning came about as a way to address the printing challenges resulting from the hot, unrelentingly humid air on printing shop floors.

HP Indigo and Fiverr Collaborate to Bring Digital Print Closer to Hundreds of Thousands of Expert Freelancers and Designers Worldwide

At drupa 24, HP Indigo announced that it is collaborating with Fiverr to make digital print more accessible to Fiverr’s millions of freelancers and designers.

Eco Flexibles Invests in Second Jet Press FP790

Fujifilm announced at drupa 24 that Eco Flexibles, a sustainability-focused flexible packaging specialist, has invested in its second Jet Press FP790.

Xitron Climbs K2

At drupa 2024, Xitron introduced K2, a new software system that integrates some of the Hybrid Software offerings to create a complete workflow. David Zwang takes a closer look.

Embellishment and Ecology with Kurz

David Zwang looks at the new developments in embellishment and sustainability that Kurz was showing at drupa 24.

Women in Print Issue: Women and the Machine

The new issue of Fujifilm's “Women4Women” magazine was being printed live at drupa 2024 on the Fujifilm stand, giving a female glance at the world of printing and graphic arts.

We Are Drupa

The We Are Drupa project was created to show the community that comes to drupa to learn, explore, and educate. To show the community, attendees scanned a QR code that led them to an application programmed by the team at Antigro to take a selfie.

Predicting the Power of Print

Konica Minolta is not only a manufacturer of printers, the company also has considerable experience in color science. The company teamed up with the University of Hiroshima for its new Ex Kansai software. Ralf Schlözer explains how, by leveraging AI and neuroscience, the Ex Kansai software is set to simulate the visual perception of consumers.

Introducing Printing Plates Tracking Technology at drupa 2024

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Germany, one of Grey Elephant’s missions is to help label and packaging printers optimize their processes, reduce costs, and improve profitability. Their Scan4Tools technology ensures that each printing tool, including flexo plates, offset plates, die-cuts, and gravure, is registered, tracked, and enabled for maximum efficiency.

Horizon Bets on the Smart Factory

Horizon embraces the smart factory concept to leverage technologies that streamline operations, enhance productivity, and deliver customer value. It was all on exhibition in their drupa stand in Hall 6 and partner stands across the messe. Pat McGrew takes a closer look.

Fiery Brings Superpowers to Industrial Print

Fiery is one of the best-known names in Digital Front Ends and Raster Image Processing for print hardware sellers in many segments. If you are a digital printer, the chances are good that you have equipment powered by Fiery in your print shop. Pat McGrew spoke to Fiery CEO Toby Weiss at drupa 24.

Mimaki Partners with Artists for Dynamic drupa Stand

Danna Drion, General Manager Marketing & PM EMEA at Mimaki Europe B.V. went to users of the Mimaki solutions to find exhilarating examples of how artists use the versatility of Mimaki solutions to create décor art, wearable art, and 3D art. The results were on display at drupa 245.

Would You Like Some Work with That Press?

While salespeople and web2print solutions still remain important forms of business development and onboarding work, as communication and business processes continue to become more connected, new types of partnerships and connected solutions will undoubtedly play a larger role in business development for PSPs.

Miru Systems, Inc. Joint Venture Acquires Two New HP PageWide Advantage 2200 to Serve Philippine Commission on Election for 2025 Mid Term National Election

At drupa 24, Miru Systems announced that they are complementing the Miru Election Management System and Vote Counting Machine with two new HP PageWide Advantage 2200s.

Fujifilm Collaborates with ColorBase to Profile Premium Media for the Acuity Prime Hybrid

At drupa 24, Fujifilm announced its collaboration with ColorBase, a partnership that will see ColorBase profiling a selection of premium print material to support companies that have invested in the Acuity Prime Hybrid printer.

Canon Demonstrates the Power to Drive Positive Change at drupa 2024 Through Collaborations and Support Initiatives

In this article, sponsored and written by Canon, learn how the company is partnering and collaborating with other businesses to drive positive change in the industry and beyond.

Global Perspectives: Poland—Europe’s Printer

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a Global Perspectives article that looked at the state of the printing industry in a specific nation or region. In this article, Anna Naruszko profiles Poland.

Print on Walls with WallPen

Ralf Schlözer looks at a unique exhibitor at drupa 24: WallPen, which has developed a dervice for printing directly on walls.

Customized Printing Solutions with Inkjet Integrators

If you don't find the printing system you need for your printing requirements at drupa, you can also have it built to your own specifications. Ralf Schlözer explains the concept of inkjet integrators, which specialize in non-standard applications and either build inkjet printing units into existing printing, finishing, and production systems or assemble completely new printing lines.

RR Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD) Expands Industry Leading Production Capacity Through the Installation of More Than 15 HP Indigo and PageWide Presses

At drupa 24, HP announced that RR Donnelley has made an major investment in HP Indigo and PageWide presses.

Scodix Brought More than Hardware: Meet Their AI

At drupa 24, Scodix was demonstrating its new AI-based design tool developed that makes it easy to embellish any PDF file. Pat McGrew takes a look.

Xitron Offers New Approach to Offset Prepress Workflow

Patrick Henry looks at Xitron’s new K2 workflow for offset prepress, which was shown at drupa 24.

Print Quality Control for All Offset Presses from Lithec

What can’t be measured can’t be managed. This is particularly true when it comes to printing in color on an offset press. Patrick Henry highlights Lithec‘s solutions for bringing precision color measurement and control to offset presses of all types, on display at drupa 24.

Robust Printing with HP Thermal Inkjet

In this article, written and sponsored by HP, the company explains how it chose Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) to best meet the market demands for productivity, quality, versatility, sustainability, and economics.

Guangzhou Newlife New Material Launches New Magnetic Media

Guangzhou Newlife New Material, a producer of magnetic materials and printing media, launched two groundbreaking products at drupa 24.

Global Perspectives—Printing Industries in Egypt

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a Global Perspectives article that looked at the state of the printing industry in a specific nation or region. In this article, Dr. George Nubar Simonian profiles Egypt.

The Role of Data in Building a More Sustainable Fashion Industry

We read and hear a great deal about actions that are required to reduce carbon emissions, especially in the textiles and fashion industry. But there is little talk about how to actually do this. In this article, we explain the role accurate, real-time, standard data across the industry can play in actually uncovering the “hows” of reducing the industry’s unacceptable carbon footprint.

The Power to Move—Promotional Communications

In this article, sponsored and written by Canon, the company looks at the role of digital printing technology in the production of promotional materials.

Around drupa

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a photo gallery of images taken from around the show. This collection groups the first four days’ worth.

Around the Web: Literary Lunchbox. Coin Composing. Spreadsheet Sports. Tarot Tales. Roman Routes. Fan Fashion. Flying Flivver. Probe Problems. Grilling Gurus.

McSweeney’s celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special lunchbox-themed print edition. Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 on a coin-operated typewriter. Inside the world of competitive Microsoft Excel spreadsheeting. The earliest known photo of a first lady. A history of tarot cards—which were only recently used for fortunetelling. The ancient Roman road network as a subway map. A wearable climate control device for hot days. New plans for a flying car. NASA reestablishes contact with Voyager 1—which has been hurtling through space for 46 years. DoorDash and Aldi promotion will give shoppers a BBQ tutorial with professional “grillmaster.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Q1 Industry Profits: The Two Cities Become One (and Not a Good One)

Quarter-over-quarter profit margin data can be fairly noisy but had been on a general upward trend since the trough of the pandemic—although we had another crash in Q4 2023, which is proving difficult to climb out of.

Musings on drupa, 2024

Industry analyst Sean Smyth offers some initial impressions of drupa 24.

SID: Automating Measurement and Testing

The SID (Sächsische Institut für die Druckindustrie) is a non-profit printing industry-oriented research institution based in Leipzig, Germany, active in several fields: as a research and development partner, as a provider of services including measuring/testing devices for the graphic arts industry, and as a competence centre for technology transfer. Ralf Schlözer spotlights their drupa 24 presence.

Ricoh Expands in Commercial Print

Nicknamed “the dragon,” Ricoh’s Pro Z75 sheetfed inkjet press was shown live for the first time at drupa 24. Ralf Schlözer takes a closer look.

Print It Like Gutenberg

Tired of inkjet? Overwhelmed by all the new technology? At drupa 24, there were also demonstrations of how Gutenberg printed and how he invented moveable type. Ralf Schözer takes a trip back in time…

B3 High-Quality Inkjet with Kyocera

Kyocera’s TASKalfa Pro 15000c, launched in 2019, quickly became an established product thanks to its great price-performance ratio, with about 500 units having been installed worldwide. Ralf Schlözer looks at how the product has evolved, new capabilities being featured at drupa 24.

DG Press Demonstrates Hybrid Approach to Web Offset

Patrick Henry reports on DG Press, at drupa to promote its solutions for hybrid web offset printing in security, pharmaceutical insert, flexible packaging, and label applications. Its presses are modular platforms that can include processes in addition to offset for fast, flexible operation with quick job changeovers and low setup costs.

HP Indigo’s Technology: LEP and LEPx

In this article, sponsored and written by HP Indigo, the company takes a close look at its Liquid Electrophotography (LEP) technology and the new LEPx technology.

Global Perspectives—Brazilian Printing Industry: Innovation and Sustainability Are Crucial for Growth

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a Global Perspectives article that looked at the state of the printing industry in a specific nation or region. In this article, Hamilton Costa profiles Brazil.

Fujifilm Showing Impressive Line of New Products

David Zwang runs down the myriad hardware and software product announcements made by Fujifilm at drupa 24.

Arizona 2300 FLXflow—Streamlining Your Flatbed Printing Production

In this article, sponsored and written by Canon, learn about the advantages of Canon’s FLXflow technology that streamlines production on the Arizona flatbed printer.

Student Perspectives of drupa

WhatTheyThink and the drupa daily arranged to have several students from California Polytechnic State University travel to Düsseldorf. They helped produce the drupa daily and got to see their very first major industry trade event. Here are their impressions of drupa 24.

Strengthening Artificial Intelligence with Clean and Organized Data

It’s hard to go anywhere these days without hearing something about artificial intelligence (AI) and how it might change our world. Before you jump on the AI bandwagon, though, it’s a good idea to take a step back and think about your company’s data. This article explores the importance of clean, well-organized data when exploring an AI infrastructure.

Taopix Unveils Brand Transformation and Cutting-Edge Product Line for drupa 2024

At drupa 24, Taopix re-branded and launched a new suite of photo printing products.

Shengda Printing Technology Installs Five New HP Indigo 100K Digital Presses to Accelerate Analog-to-Digital Transformation

At drupa 24, HP announced that Shengda Printing Technology is continuing its analog-to-digital transformation by acquiring five new HP Indigo Digital Presses.

Expanding Opportunities in Inkjet with Screen

At drupa 2024, Screen launched a number of brand-new inkjet production devices to improve performance and to address new markets—including the Truepress JET 560HDX, which was shown publicly for the first time. Ralf Schlözer reports.

Last Minute Personalization of Boxes with RISO

At drupa 24, RISO was showing their new printhead engine that can be easily integrated into packaging and shipping lines. Ralf Schlözer reports from the show.

Direct-to-Shape Print with LabelSaver

Instead of using labels, a resource-saving alternative can be printing directly onto a container. There are several options for direct-to-shape inkjet printing available—but at drupa 24, newly established supplier LabelSaver believes it has found a novel approach. Ralf Schlözer takes us inside this new technology.

The Fastest Path to Press

At drupa 24, two much-cited critical challenges faced by print service providers (PSPs) were cost pressures and workforce challenges. Pat McGrew looks at how some vendors are helping printers conquer these challenges.

Better Together: Vendors Act in Partnership at drupa

Sooner or later, every drupa gets a nickname from the trade media: the digital drupa. The workflow drupa. The inkjet drupa. There’s no official nickname for drupa 2024 yet, but calling the show “The Partner drupa” wouldn’t be an inaccurate way to describe it. Patrick Henry explains.

Versatility is Keynote of Flexography-plus Press Platforms from OMET

At drupa, OMET was promoting its Flex series of flexographic-plus systems for label and packaging applications across the board in a variety of web widths. Patrick Henry takes a closer look.

Komori Presented Live Demos of Commercial, Digital, and Packaging Print Equipment

Komori made a major commitment to drupa 24 with a 14,500-sq.-ft. stand that presented three pieces of equipment in live operation. The theme was Connected Automation. Patrick Henry takes a closer look.

MGI Digital Technology Wins an EDP Award for Digital Embellishment

The brand-new MGI JETvarnish 3D Web 400 digital roll-to-roll embellishing press won an EDP Award in the “Digital Embellishment Packaging” category at drupa 2024.

Fujifilm Celebrates Triple Win at EDP Awards 2024

Fujifilm won three EDP Awards at drupa 24, for the Jet Press FP790, and the 42K and 46kUV print bars.

Colombian Graphics Industry Shifting to Food Packaging

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a Global Perspectives article that looked at the state of the printing industry in a specific nation or region. In this article, Fabian Ruiz profiles Colombia.

HP Industrial Print and ePac Flexible Packaging Enter into Multiyear Strategic Agreement to Convert ePac’s Flexible Packaging Fleet to HP Indigo 200k

At drupa 24, HP Indigo and ePac Flexible Packaging announced a multiyear strategic agreement to convert ePac Flexible Packaging fleet to HP’s Indigo 200K digital press.

Fujifilm Smart Flow: Taking Workflow Holistically

David Zwang takes a deep dive into Fujifilm’s Smart Flow workflow software, being demonstrated at drupa 24.

Connected Automation with Atomyx

David Zwang looks at Atomyx, a platform built on the vision of Connected Automation to enable the profitable production of individualized print jobs at scale, which was being showcased at drupa 24.

Canon’s ProStream 2133 Helps to Drive McLays & MiPost Digital Transformation

At drupa 24, Canon announced that Mclays & MiPost have become the first UK printer to purchase the new ProStream 2133, which launched at the show.

If Authenticity Is Less “A Thing” In Influencer Marketing, Then What Is?

If you are a marketer, you likely have either a love or hate relationship with influencer marketing. But influencer marketing isn’t simple and straightforward. Heidi Tolliver-Walker explains the nuances.

Xeikon Pushes Speed, Quality, and Sustainability

At drupa 24, Xeikon presented a refreshed brand with a range of new presses. Ralf Schlözer looks at what the company had on show.

Konica Minolta Driving Automation and B2 Inkjet Speed

Konica Minolta made a big splash at drupa 2024 with the seventh largest booth at the show and 20 European premieres with a range of toner and inkjet printers and software solutions. Ralf Schlözer surveys the highlights.

Highlight drupa 2024: Reka Hot Melt Glue Guns for the Graphics Arts Industry

At drupa 24, Reka Klebetechnik was showing its range of professional hot-melt glue guns.

Global Perspectives—Spanish Graphic Arts Market Maintains Its Recovery Trend

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a Global Perspectives article that looked at the state of the printing industry in a specific nation or region. In this article, Rosa Arza profiles Spain.

HP, Horizon and Atomyx Make a Magazine

At drupa 24, the Atomyx, HP, and Horizon teams collaborated to produce a print sample that showed the power of partner collaboration and provided thought leadership. Pat McGrew documents how the project came together.

Kornit Digital Aims to Drive Transformation of Textile Printing

Kornit Digital believes that textile printing is now at the same stage where print on paper was 25 years ago: predominantly analog, but on the brink of a digital transformation. Patrick Henry looks at the compnay’s drupa 24 presence and its direct-to-garment and direct-to-fabric systems.

Koenig & Bauer Covers All the Bases in Its drupa Presentations

At drupa, Koenig & Bauer was promoting a long list of product innovations aimed at upholding the distinction it claims as a manufacturer that can apply any printing technology to any relevant substrate. Patrick Henry sums up the highlights of their presence at the show.

Landa Digital Printing and Gelato Announce Collaboration to Drive Innovation and Streamline Print Production

At drupa 24, Landa Digital Printing and Gelato announced a collaboration that leverages Landa's Nanographic print technology and customer network, and Gelato's global software platform—GelatoConnect—for the delivery of on-demand, short-to-medium run, digitally printed jobs with unparalleled print quality.

Global First: Fujifilm and Barberán Announce First Sale of New HS Series Single-Pass Inkjet Platform, with Deal Agreed on the Barberán Stand at drupa 2024

At drupa, Linney, a full-service UK-based marketing agency, became the first company in the world to invest in the new, ultra-high productivity, single-pass HS Series developed in partnership by Fujifilm and Barberán.

The Canon UVgel Packaging Factory: The Gateway to Future Possibilities with Digitally Printed Corrugated Packaging

In this article, sponsored and written by Canon, the company explains how its new UVgel Packaging Factory extends the Canon Colorado’s already broad application capabilities to deliver the digital equivalent of litho lamination for customized packaging.

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