Industrial Print Commentary & Analysis
TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK: NEW & EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES—Unlocking the Future: Printed Electronics
Contributor Pete Basiliere considers the print hardware technologies driving the growth of printed electronics and the market trends in this dynamic industry.
Heidelberg Stakes New Claim to Industrial Inkjet with Jetfire
Patrick Henry reports from drupa 24 on Heidelberg's return to industrial inkjet printing with a pair of machines introduced in partnership with Canon.
Highlights from FESPA 2024—Textile and Direct-to-Object News
In part 2 of his coverage of the FESPA Global Print Expo, held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, March 19–22, European section editor Ralf Schlözer rounds up some textile and direct-to-object product launches and announcements.
Inkjet Integration: Flexible and Sustainable
Production inkjet is not new, but increasingly we are seeing it used in bespoke solutions that address many disparate manufacturing requirements. Importantly, this technology can also provide sustainable solutions.
Ceramic Tiles and the Recirculation Revolution: How the History of Inkjet Technology Changed Interior Design
Guest contributor Dr. Mark Bale looks at how developments in industrial inkjet printheads paved the way for digital printing on ceramics.
Printing On Glass: The View of the Future Is Bright with Inkjet Technologies
Over the years, many different methods have been used to decorate glass including painting, silk screen, sandblasting, etching, and decals and cling films—and of late inkjet technology has been increasingly used. David Zwang surveys the current state of direct-to-glass printing.
New Beginnings and Future Opportunities in Digital Print
In his inaugural submission to WhatTheyThink, Keypoint Intelligence’s Carl Doty contemplates new beginnings and future opportunities for growth in the printing industry.
drupa 2021 Essentials of Print: Woodworking Surface Decoration—Digital Horizons within Reach?
A new focus on mass customization and a growing demand for sustainability are causing digital printing to become more vital in one area of industrial printing: woodworking. We expect to see continued growth in the woodworking industry as a whole, including categories like furniture. This article will focus on two key areas where industrial printing has a significant impact: digital décor paper for laminates and direct printing in the woodworking industry. Ron Gilboa explores the opportunity and technology that is driving this innovation to be adopted.
Printed Electronics: High Value, High Touch
From life-saving medical devices and rapid COVID-19 tests, to dashboards and musical instruments, printed electronics are a high-value opportunity. To exploit the opportunity requires high-touch engineering and customer support. Contributor Pete Basiliere details the challenges.
What Do We Talk About When We Talk About Industrial Printing?
The definition of “industrial printing” has been changing, especially with the advent of inkjet printing, which is opening up all new “industrial” applications. This article looks at the state of industrial printing today, and the various applications that comprise it.
Beyond the Hype: The Reality of Direct-to-Shape Printing
Printing company owners are seeking new markets as the pandemic affects their businesses, and many owners are evaluating an opportunity that leverages their inkjet printing expertise—digital direct-to-shape (D2S) printing. Contributor Pete Basiliere details the market opportunities for print providers in the D2S space.
Velox Brings Mass-Production to Digital Direct-to-Shape Printing
Velox specializes in industrial-scale direct-to-shape digital printing—or, as the company calls it, “decorating”—predominantly on tubes, aerosols, and other cylindrical items. We take a look at the capabilities of Velox’s technology.
Inkjet Makes a Grand Entry: axpanel Revolutionizes Garage Doors
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.
Ceramics Printing Goes Digital
Printing on ceramic objects is a great business opportunity for printers and sign shops of all sizes. Although there are multi-million-dollar ceramic printing systems on the market, the good news is that it can be easy and affordable to enter the market for short to mid-sized runs of decorated ceramic products. Senior editor Cary Sherburne explains how.
Printed Electronics: Closer Than (But Not Where) You Think
Printed electronics have been hyped as a potential growth area for printers for years. Pete Basiliere offers a reality check on the current state of printed electronics, what some top applications are, and what printers need to know if they want to pursue them.
Industrial Inkjet Gets RIPPED
In an industrial inkjet environment, a lot of pieces go into creating a specialized solution, but it’s the raster image processor (RIP) that does the heavy lifting. Elizabeth Gooding takes a detailed look at all the criteria to keep in mind when selecting RIP software for an industrial printing workflow.
Replicate the Real Thing
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.
Beer Giant AB InBev Launches Trial “Direct Object Printing” for UK Market
This month, AB InBev will launch a campaign for its Beck’s brand in the UK using glass bottles that were printed via “direct object printing” inkjet technology. ABI has partnered with Dekron to develop its first UV printing line for high-speed inkjet digital printing of glass bottles. Ths article provides a brief overview of the campaign.
SensorKnits: A New Approach to Wearable Tech
As part of our coverage of textiles and apparel, we look for interesting developments, both in the more conventional textiles and apparel market as it transitions to a more digital approach, as well as developments in technical textiles. In this article, we present the work being done at the MIT Media Lab to use knitting to embed conductive fibers in fabric in order to add functionality.
The Bürkle and EFI Partnership: A LIGNA 2019 Interview
During LIGNA 2019, Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends caught up with José Luis Ramón Moreno of EFI and Olaf Rohrbeck of Bürkle/LIGNA to learn more about the recently announced partnership between EFI and Robert Bürkle GmbH. This article provides a transcription of the interview.
Memjet for Packaging: DuraLink Entries Are Ramping Up
Memjet’s second-generation technology, DuraLink, achieved its first commercial placements from a few OEMs, and is now expanding into industrial applications. This article provides an overview of DuraLink technology, explores how it compares to VersaPass, and considers how Memjet’s offering may compare to more established industrial jetting technologies.
InPrint USA to Showcase the Latest Industrial Printing Opportunities
InPrint USA heads to Louisville, Ky., to showcase the latest opportunities for commercial printers in the fast-growing area(s) of industrial printing. Richard Romano offers a preview, and talks with InPrint co-founder Frazer Chesterman about the show and industrial printing.
FiberForce Partners with Pantone to Bring Professional Color to 3D Printing Filaments
Last month, Pantone entered into an agreement with FiberForce Italy to bring Pantone colors into the world of 3D printing. Although color has been available in 3D printing filaments and powders for some time, there has been no standard way to ensure users achieve the color they are truly looking for. All of that changes with this partnership. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with both Pantone and FiberForce to learn more.
Fiery Guy
As EFI moves forward with new leadership, Frank looks back at the tenure of Guy Gecht, who stepped down as EFI CEO last summer.
Sewbotics: The “Last Mile” in Automated Apparel Technology
As brands look to take time and waste out of the apparel design and manufacturing process, there is a strong focus on automation. Much progress has been made—yet the sewing stage has provided challenges. Softwear Automation is tackling that challenge with SewBots—robotics designed to automate the sewing process. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Softwear Automation’s Chief Commercial Officer, Pete Santora, to learn more.
Flatland: What’s New(s) and What’s Next for Flatbed Wide-Format Printers?
It’s been nearly 20 years since the advent of the flatbed wide-format printer. They’ve come a long way, baby; what’s new with the technology and where do they go from here?
Wide-Format 2019: What’s Next?
As we head into 2019 and toward 2020, what are the emerging and accelerating trends in wide-format and specialty printing? The buzzword is “convergence,” which will only accelerate, but what other forces are changing the nature of applied graphics?
MakerBot Method Bridges the Gap Between Desktop and Industrial 3D Printing
MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys, has two primary missions: Helping to innovate in STEM education to better prepare kids for the future, and to help companies bring product to market faster. It is in this latter category that today’s announcement of MakerBot Method falls. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Forrest Leighton and Shawn Miely of MakerBot to learn more.
Leaving Las Vegas: Recapping the SGIA Expo
The final SGIA Expo was a culmination of all the specialty graphics innovations of the past decade or two—with a few signposts (digitally printed, of course) pointing to the future.
SGIA Expo 2018 Marks the End of an Era—But the Start of an Exciting New One
The SGIA Expo 2018 opened yesterday to large crowds and a completely full exhibition hall. Our recap of Day 1 looks at where SGIA President and CEO Ford Bowers sees the organization and the industry going, and highlights a handful of new product announcements.
Building to Order—Bergstein: Specialists in Direct to Shape Inkjet Technology
For over 10 years BERGSTEIN has been developing and delivering industrial printers. Their first flatbed printers were based on solvent inks, already printing products with a height up to 30 cm. They put significant investments and developments into small flatbed printers, which are suitable for a huge range of industrial products using UV or LED inks and direct to shape. And in the last 5 years Bergstein is selling solutions for customer in Industrial Single Pass printing.
Is Graphene Really a Miracle Material?
A great deal is being written about graphene, in textiles and other industries. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talked to Vorbeck Materials Corp. President & CEO Dr. John Lettow to learn more about what many are characterizing as a miracle material.
Digital Print, Expanding Horizons in Woodworking
The biannual International Woodworking Fair, which took place August 21-25 in Atlanta, Ga., held its inaugural Digital Printing Symposium. While this symposium is new, digital printing has actually been part of the woodworking industry for some time. That said, the need to short-run cost-effective decorative surfaces, as well as ongoing development in digital inkjet printing sector, is creating a perfect storm for the technology to meet woodworking’s market needs.
Fiber Computing: The Next Industrial Revolution
The mission of Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) is to enable a manufacturing-based revolution—what we could call Industry 5.0—with the transformation of traditional fibers, yarns, and textiles into highly sophisticated integrated and networked devices and systems. In a recent conversation with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, the organization’s Chief Marketing Officer, Eric Spackey, explains.
Memjet’s DuraLink, One Year Later
Unveiled in 2017, Memjet’s DuraLink technology appears to be catching on with OEMs. Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends believes this is due to its improvements in head life and other features, which will enable Memjet products to address high-volume applications. As DuraLink evolves, it looks poised to succeed in industrial print applications such as high-speed label and packaging printing.
Success with Specialty Printing: Changing the Mindset
As we all know by now, there are very few surfaces, substances, and objects that can't be printed, and thus there is no end to the print products that a shop can offer. From posters and banners, to signage, to garments and other textile products, to garage doors, to...name it. But when approaching the vast new market for specialty graphics printing, two questions usually come to mind: Where do I start, and How do I sell it? Here is some advice.
Wide Format: Now and Venn
What do we talk about when we talk about “wide format”? How is the term definitionally changing—and what does it even mean anymore? And more importantly, how does whatever we define as “wide format” play nice with other kinds of printing such as industrial, packaging, and commercial? And how can we navigate the “convergence” of these different print silos? Read on for more.
How MakerBot Is Shaping a 3D Future in Industry and Education
For a dozen years, Forrest Leighton held marketing roles at Canon USA, and then spent four years with Marcomm Central. Today, he is Vice President of Marketing at MakerBot, a Stratasys company and a global leader in desktop 3D printing solutions. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with him recently to learn more about MakerBot and how 3D printing might be a relevant opportunity for commercial, sign & display graphics, packaging and textile printers.
InPrint Reflections: Moving the (Digitally Printed) Goalposts
A major theme of last week’s InPrint Industrial Inkjet Conference in Chicago was the emerging distinction between two specific kinds of industrial printing: printing as part of a larger manufacturing process and what we have often called specialty printing. The conference explored the differences between them, where the growth areas are, and what the drivers of that growth are. Read on for some reflections on the conference.
Direct-to-Shape: An Intriguing Corner of Digital Print for Packaging
Within the direct-to-shape printing for packaging market, digital printing is generally growing as a complement to offset, flexo, and other analog presses that print labels, folding cartons, flexible packaging, and corrugated. This article explores the direct-to-shape market by answering some basic questions about it.
On Demand Manufacturing: A Sea Change for the Apparel Industry
Can apparel be completely manufactured in an automated environment? Not yet. But it’s coming soon and will revolutionize apparel manufacturing. Learn how NextWave, and its partners EFI, Klieverik, Zund, and Henderson are creating an on demand microfactory, which will be on display at TechTextil/TexProcess in Atlanta in May.
InPrint Industrial Inkjet Conference to Highlight the Intersection of Industrial and Commercial Printing
Inkjet technologies have been blurring, or completely eliminating, the lines between commercial and industrial printing. But understanding new print applications and new print markets involves more than technology. We talk with Frazer Chesterman, Director of FM Brooks, which is bringing the InPrint Industrial Print Conference to Chicago next month, about the dwindling distinction between industrial and commercial printing and the opportunities that are emerging.
Retail, Transportation, and Manufacturing Central to Hot Future of Thermal Print Supply
New Smithers Pira Research forecasts strong growth for thermal printing, identifying retail, transport, and manufacturing as the top three applications for thermal printing equipment and supplies. Read on for an overview of the thermal printing market from 2018 to 2023.
The Shapes of Things to Come: Direct-to-Object Printing Bridges the Gap Between Industrial and Commercial
New systems are emerging that can print directly onto three-dimensional objects, especially cups, glasses, and bottles, to serve what is emerging as a lucrative promotional drinkware market. In this feature, Richard Romano looks at direct-to-object offerings from Xerox, Inkcups, and Engineered Printing Solutions.
Threading the Needle in Digital Textiles
There’s a lot happening in the world of digital textile printing, an exciting and vibrant market. It seems like every day we come across new products, services and applications that digital technology enables—either to streamline existing traditional methods or to enable entirely new capabilities. Israeli company Twine Solutions is bringing digital printing technology to the most basic commodity in the industry, the thread. Read more to learn how this technology can benefit your business.
The [Office] Space Age: Signs By Tomorrow Transforms the American Diabetes Association’s New Headquarters
Environmental or experiential graphics are a growing trend in signage, with sign shops using the latest display graphics technologies and substrates to transform office spaces. As a result, sign and display graphics providers are working more closely with interior designers and architecture firms. Case in point: Signs By Tomorrow’s interior graphics for the American Diabetes Association’s new headquarters.
From 3D to 2D: An Interesting Journey
There has been a lot of hype over the last few years about 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, being the next big thing in the print-related world. We recently learned that EFI hired Gal Barak as its Inkjet Eastern Region Sales Manager. Barak most recently worked for 3D printing company Stratasys. Why did he make this move and what are his thoughts on 2D versus 3D? Read more.
Digital Direct-To-Shape Market
Direct-To-Shape (DTS) has become a commonly used term in recent times. We want to try to clarify a little around the definition of DTS and to describe the state of this particular art. We are prompted to do this by our recent visit to the InPrint Europe Industrial Print show in Milan, Italy, where there was a lot of discussion of the potential of DTS as a market.
“Industrial Printing” Takes Center Stage at SGIA Expo 2017
What turned out to be the penultimate SGIA Expo featured an emphasis on “industrial printing”—a nebulous but increasingly common term for what mainstream printing may be morphing into.
SGIA Becomes an Association Partner with InPrint; Interview with SGIA President Ford Bowers
As interest in industrial printing gains momentum, the inaugural InPrint USA Industrial Print Show will take place in Orlando in April. We spoke with SGIA President and CEO Ford Bowers about industrial printing in general and the upcoming show in particular.
Michigan Tech Study: 3D Printing Ready for Prime Time
Study on 3D printing concludes that 3D production is now ready for the mainstream and every home. How does this impact MSPs using or considering using 3D printing as a way to get customers in the door?
Think 3D Printing is Not for You? Think Again!
3D printing was one of six focused areas at drupa 2016. Most printing operations are probably wondering how this can apply to their businesses. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne has some ideas to share that will shed light on the subject.
HP Set to Revolutionize Prototyping/Manufacturing with Jet Fusion 3D
It’s been some time since HP first announced it would be entering the 3D printing market with a production-class printer and it is finally show time. The HP Jet Fusion 3 Printing Solution will be unveiled at RAPID, the largest 3D additive manufacturing conference. As promised, the printer is 10X faster and half the cost of its nearest competitor.
Advanced Materials for Advanced Applications
Gearing up for drupa yet? At WhatTheyThink, we are. In fact, our drupa page is already up, so be sure to follow the news as the show gets closer! One of the areas worth investigating when you go to drupa is the developing area of advanced materials, whether it is resins for 3D printing, conductive inks, or advanced inkjet ink formulas.
Inkjet Ecosystems: Notes From EFI Connect 2016
EFI is integrating hardware and software for specialty printing applications, as well as making the most of its many recent acquisitions. Here are some wide-format-related highlights.
3D Printing Makes Room for a Fourth “D”
Just when we thought that the definition of “printing” had been pushed to the limit, along comes a new one that envisions morphing objects made of self-assembling materials.
HP 3D: Changing the Future with Additive Manufacturing
After doing a multi-year stint managing the established imaging and printing businesses for HP, Steve Nigro is back doing what he loves – running a start-up business. His current role is President, 3D Printing, at HP, Inc., with worldwide responsibility for creating and scaling HP’s 3D business.
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