Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

Articles by Mary Schilling

Mary Schilling writes about technical inkjet industry articles, provides RIP and workflow training, manages print quality analysis evaluation, ink management and color management for OEM’s and end users for pre and post machine installs. Mary Schilling consults with paper mills, fluid and inkjet machinery suppliers on how to improve color and print quality for high speed and industrial inkjet involving paper, plastics, metal, fabric and glass with UV and aqueous inkjet fluids. This experience led her to receive Innovator of the Year awards from the Flexographic Technical Association and from Xplor International for her efforts in closing the gap between inkjet printing for document, and digital corrugated packaging. She is the owner of Schilling Inkjet Consulting, Published Author and Certified ColorGate Color Trainer and Distributor.

Displaying 1-40 of 40 articles

Biomarker Ink Additives for DNA-Based Track and Trace

Published October 31, 2024

Mary Schilling spoke with Bruce Carnes, director of business development for Diversified Nano Solutions, which creates custom inks and fluids for high-security track and trace applications.

Cool Tools at drupa: Type&Tech

Published September 18, 2024

Mary Schilling Talks with Edith Osterhus and Henrich Weusthoff of Type&Tech about their project to turn wooden type into modern art.

Cool Tools at drupa: Frontline.io

Published September 17, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Itzhak Pichadze, CEO of Frontline.io, about how AI is being integrated into the printing industry.

Cool Tools at drupa: CGS ORIS

Published September 16, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Heiner Müller, Sales Director of Packaging for CGS ORIS, about their cutting edge color management and proofing software for packaging.

Cool Tools at drupa: Epson

Published September 12, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Kan Igarashi, Director of IJS for Epson, about the company’s new innovative printhead.

Cool Tools at drupa: Kelenn

Published September 11, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Anais Bianchi, Industrial Project Manager for Kelenn Technology, about their system for producing printed electronics and all the various fluids with which it is compatible.

Cool Tools at drupa: NSE LED

Published September 10, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Flavio Rocca from NSE LED about the company’s modular and easy to use LED panels for dynamic digital displays.

Cool Tools at drupa: Ricoh Auto Color Adjuster

Published September 9, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Mark C. Little, Senior Director of Global Product Marketing for Ricoh Graphic Communication, about the Ricoh Auto Color Adjuster, an advanced color matching solution.

Cool Tools at drupa: IN-LOG/GAMMERLER

Published September 9, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Klaus Kalthoff, Senior Vice President Global for IN-LOG/GAMMERLER, about the company’s finishing systems for book, magazine, or newspaper printing.

Cool Tools at drupa: Koster

Published September 5, 2024

Mary Schilling talks to Vlad Stoenescu, Sales Director for Koster, a manufacturer of counting machines that make counting money sexy.

Cool Tools at drupa: Pratham Technologies

Published September 4, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Datta Deshpande, CEO of Pratham Technologies, about the company’s unique folding solution for pharmaceutical packaging.

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK—Cool Tools with Mary Schilling

Published August 29, 2024

A round-up of interesting production products that Inkjet Insight contributor Mary Schilling saw on the show floor at drupa 2024.

Cool Tools at drupa: Adphos

Published August 21, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with John Palazzolo, Director of Marketing and Sales for Adphos, about a new technology that can dry any ink on any substrate.

Cool Tools: Massivit

Published August 15, 2024

Mary Schilling meets Erez Zimerman, CEO of Massivit, at drupa 2024 to discuss their 3D printing offerings like the Massivit 3000 and the Massivit 10000-G, a fast production printer using gel and capable of creating thermoforming tools.

Cool Tools at drupa: Esko

Published August 14, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Frank Woltering, Product Manager, Esko, a company that is addressing file preparation challenges for production. They explain the intricacies of trapping in packaging prepress, and introduce automatic trapping and trap text customization.

Cool Tools at drupa: Konica Minolta

Published August 13, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Class Bickeböller, Product Manager Graphic Arts, about the company's Myiro products tailored for the industrial sector. The product line addresses color measurement challenges, offers software solutions for color management, and uses hyperspectral camera technology. It can be customized to meet customer needs and analyze color differences.

Cool Tools at drupa: BW Converting

Published August 12, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Jordan Koplien, Electrical Engineer at BW Converting, to introduce the Meridian Elite laser cleaner. The Meridian, an analog cleaning system, is used in flexo and inkjet processes to ensure print quality and color accuracy. It uses a patented rotary scanner for fast cleaning cycles, with cleaning speed depending on the roll's dimensions and cleaning type. The Meridian also features a built-in microscope for on-machine verification.

Cool Tools at drupa: Mimaki

Published August 12, 2024

Mary Schilling chats with Marc Verbeem, Supervisor Product Management, Mimaki, about a greenfield concept for fabric printing, de-inking, and pollution reduction. This video showcases Mimaki's new Neo-Chromato process that transforms sublimation ink into gas for de-inking printed fabric. The technology, which can be applied with a dispenser, holds potential for larger machines and re-inking shirts.

Cool Tools at drupa: Ricoh

Published August 7, 2024

Mary Schilling and Jason Remnant, Strategic Business Development Manager Industrial Print Solutions, Ricoh, introduce Ricoh's innovative approach to ink and printhead compatibility. They showcase the Ricoh Media Free Test System, a solution to optimize applications and reduce paper waste.

Cool Tools at drupa: Taktiful

Published August 1, 2024

Mary Schilling makes her way to the Taktiful booth at drupa in her Cool Tools journey to talk with Kevin Abergel, President and Founder. Together, they highlight the need for software that enables designers to visualize embellishments. They also discuss the challenges in digital embellishment design and introduces Taktitful's software tools. He underscores the importance of understanding market pricing and aims to improve the digital embellishment industry. Taktiful plans to offer free licenses and training to universities to educate upcoming designers.

Cool Tools: Koenig & Bauer Durst at drupa

Published August 1, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Daniel Velema, Managing Director, Koenig & Bauer Durst, and Wolfgang Knotz, Managing Director, Durst Austria, about the significance of white ink on corrugated substrates, emphasizing its role in enhancing print quality and versatility. They discuss the benefits of digital water base white ink, including its food safety features and compatibility with printing speeds. The conversation also covers the expanded color options achieved with white ink, the SPC 130's print head technology, and the design possibilities offered by white ink.

Cool Tools at drupa: Global Graphics Software

Published July 31, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with David Stevenson, Product Manager, Global Graphics Software, about their solution for data streaming issues in high-speed roll-to-roll inkjet devices at drupa 2024. The discussion revolves around the Smart DFE, an OEM offering for printer manufacturers, the role of AI in driving RIP at rated speed and the benefits of this approach, such as estimating processing time and speeding up operations.

Cool Tools: Mimaki at drupa

Published July 31, 2024

Mary Schilling keeps on trucking through the coolest tools at drupa with her latest stop at the Mimaki booth to chat with Danna Drion, General Marketing Manager, Mimaki, to discuss how the company collaborates with designers, leverages AI and augmented reality to craft innovative products. They demonstrate printing on diverse surfaces and applications such as cushions and backlit products.

Cool Tools at drupa: Tech4Check

Published July 30, 2024

Mary Schilling checks in with Dietrich Magerlein, Managing Partner, Tech4Check at drupa 2024, software that verifies PDFs for packaging. The software tackles market challenges by comparing customer PDFs, final prints, and approved PDFs. It checks for printing accuracy, blade making, and postpress processes. In the pharmaceutical industry, this verification is vital to prevent recalls. The software's capabilities include pixel and dot comparison, geometry and ink spread measurement, and braille decoding.

Cool Tools at drupa: Diversified Nano Solutions

Published July 29, 2024

Mary Schilling and Bruce Carnes discuss Diversified Nano Solutions' development of specialty pigments and dyes. They delve into various fluid inks, including aqueous-based, magnetic ink character recognition, UV fluorescent, and infrared inks. They introduce the encrypt biomarker technology, which allows on-site fluid testing and the addition of custom DNA string biomarkers to any ink or dye pigment.

Cool Tools: OneVision at drupa

Published July 25, 2024

Mary Schilling, David Leonardi, Vice President of Sales and Karin Bader, Team Lead Marketing, OneVision Software, highlight the significance of productivity and automation in print shop workflows. They discuss OneVision's automation software that streamlines pre-press, production and finishing. It minimizes manual intervention and offers connectivity to existing systems. The new Stations module allows scanning of non-digitized manufacturing steps.

Cool Tools: IIJ Industrial Inkjet at drupa

Published July 22, 2024

Mary Schilling talks to Graham Vlcek, IIJ Industrial Inkjet, about the company's specialization in creating custom machinery for inkjet printing on various media. They work closely with customers to provide tailored solutions, capable of printing on a wide range of substrates. The company also offers security features and has successfully completed challenging projects such as robotic arm printing and continuous 24/7 output.

Cool Tools: Scodix at drupa

Published July 19, 2024

Mary Schilling and Amit Shvartz, General Manager and COO, Scodix, introduce Scodix AI, a solution designed to simplify embellishments in printing, especially for the web to print market. The software's features include image analysis, true font recognition and design software import capabilities.

Cool Tools: Troika Systems at drupa

Published July 18, 2024

Mary Schilling and James Stepton, Technical Director, Troika Systems, talk about the company's analog cleaning systems: AniCAM and MagneCAM. They cover the importance of cleanliness, inspection of dirty analogs, plugged cells, and ink compatibility.

Cool Tools: Epson at drupa

Published July 15, 2024

Mary Schilling and Jens-Dirk Bartz, Technical Specialist, Epson, take a look at Epson's new portable spectrophotometer, the SD-10. Highlights include the SD-10's compatibility with ICC profiling and software, and the benefits of its aperture size for fabric printing.

Cool Tools at drupa: IST

Published July 12, 2024

Mary Schilling and Joachim Kranz, Head of Sales Sheetfed, IST highlight their manufacturing of superwide UV lamps and other printing applications. They discuss the nuances between UV and LED technology, ink compatibility, and the advent of "free cure" technology.

Cool Tools at drupa: MeasureColor Teams

Published July 8, 2024

Mary Schilling spent her time at drupa looking for the coolest tools for printers. She met Dan Uress, Founder of Colorware, to learn about MeasureColor Teams, Colorware's innovative color management software. This tool addresses color measurement challenges by enabling efficient communication and rapid data transfer. It extends color measurement to all product components, consolidates data from various devices and manufacturers, and provides real-time monitoring and analysis.

Winning in Flexible Packaging through Chem-Stack Design

Published June 17, 2024

Inkjet Insight's Mary Schilling looks at Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), which was showcasing its flexible packaging printing capabilities at drupa 24.

Let Data Drive your Print Quality Comparisons

Published November 28, 2023

So many things can affect print quality: RIPs, print heads, pre-coating, inks, papers, speeds, dryer settings, and post-coatings, to name a few. Inkjet Insight’s Mary Schilling explains why using your subjective perception of print quality may be OK as an initial step in your decision process, but it should never be the only one.

Allen Datagraph Systems Launches the SnapPress Digital Label Printer

Published October 24, 2023

Mary Schilling talks with Kevin Davis, CEO of Allen Datagraph Systems which, at last week’s PRINTING United, launched the the SnapPress, a user-friendly, small-footprint, short-run digital inkjet label printer. Electrical Engineer Leia Dziadosz gives a product demonstration.

Digital Unboxing: Packaging Experiences an Innovation Collision

Published October 4, 2021

Throughout the industry, from brand identity and messaging to converting and distribution, digital capabilities cause processes in every part of the packaging supply chain to be re-evaluated. Mary Schilling explains how the presence of digital print technology has created stellar opportunities for label, folding carton, and flexible packaging.

Spreading Smiles...Not Cooties: Personalized Masks Bring a Little Humor During Difficult Times

Published June 23, 2020

Inkjet Insight co-founder Mary Schilling describes how she used her digital printing skills to start a cottage industry making masks...with a little help from her friends.

Mary Schilling Shares Smiles, Not Cooties

Published June 22, 2020

Inkjet Insight co-founder and WhatTheyThink contributor Mary Schilling has put her digital printing skills to work, producing on-demand facemasks featuring either stock or custom images. All masks are digitally printed and hand-sewn. Curiously, her best-seller features the face of WhatTheyThink’s Adam Dewitz—and in this video, check out some of her “face models.”

Inkjet Makes a Grand Entry: axpanel Revolutionizes Garage Doors

Published May 26, 2020

Axpanel, a custom developer of inkjet printing and industrial automation for XY, rotary, and single-pass solutions, offers solutions for customized inkjet printing on sectional garage door panels.

Replicate the Real Thing

Published January 6, 2020

One of the fastest-growing applications in wide-format and industrial printing is textures. While a lot has been written about how these kinds of materials are printed, not much has been said about how these textures are created. This article looks at multi configuration scanners from METIS, used to capture high-quality, photorealistic reproductions of existing surfaces.