"The biggest event of the graphic arts industry in the Americas in 2013", this is the definition made by Dieter Brandt, president of AFEIGRAF (Association of Manufacturers and Agents for Equipments and Supplies of the Brazilian Graphic Industry) for the ExpoPrint Digital 2013 event, which will take place from March 13th to 16th at the blue pavilion of Expo Center Norte, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The event will have the same focus of ExpoPrint Latin America: to show the latest in software and hardware of the graphic arts universe, but focused in the area of digital printing, direct mail with relevant content, transpromo, variable data and small print runs. Visitors can also expand their contacts with a network of suppliers and graphic arts professionals from the main digital printing companies.

For Dieter, the event also represents a milestone for a market of great technological changes that was in need of an appropriate space to match its growing importance. Moreover, Dieter reveals how AFEIGRAF helps graphic arts professionals who want to enter this segment and how AFEIGRAF helps the printing industry in the defense of its market. Check it out:


To AFEIGRAF, how important is ExpoPrint Digital 2013 in the Brazilian and Latin American market?

ExpoPrint Digital will be the major graphic arts event of the Americas in 2013. It's the place where the latest developments in digital printing can be seen. Digital printing became a strong business for the industry and this was also one of the main themes we focused during Trends of Print Latin America, the biggest Latin American conference focused on graphic arts debates and tendencies, held in Sao Paulo in September this year.

This technology is getting more attention, as the demand from the market and from the end user goes into this direction by requiring cost efficient short run jobs produced on classic offset equipments and ultra short runs of 1 or 100 copies on a digital device. While the offset market is, in absolute numbers, the biggest, but with a low rate of growth, the digital printing market started only few years ago and already achieves bigger growth rates.


How AFEIGRAF sees the digital printing market today? What are its main challenges and opportunities?

AFEIGRAF observes that the digital market still shows major technological changes and therefore, a separate event after the year of Drupa and two years after Expoprint Latin America 2010 is needed to provide a state-of-the-art information platform. One of the challenges is to provide printers with technological and application know-how to find a correctly designed solution, which shall not be too small, but especially not too big for a volume that can hardly be predicted, especially if the printer is starting in this new segment. And, finally, the solution must also be economical for the company.

The essential challenge, however, seems to be getting the investment designed well. This solution needs to fit the customer like a handmade shoe. The investment should have the right dimension in order to avoid putting jobs which are not right for this process on the machine.

Expoprint Digital 2013 will therefore be the only platform in the Americas to provide all this know-how in one event in 2013.


How AFEIGRAF can help graphic arts companies and professionals that want to insert digital printing in their portfolio of services and solutions?

AFEIGRAF is always in contact with graphic professionals in Brazil to prepare high quality level solutions. Associated manufacturers and providers of solutions for the printing industry bring into AFEIGRAF meetings the requests of the market and this allows us to prepare events needed by a strong and growing industry. An industry that, according to ABIGRAF (Brazilian Printing Industry Association), for 20.000 print shops with more than 200.000 professionals that produce 0.5% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Brazil.

This means that we translate the needs of the graphic arts professionals into the right event, such as Expoprint Digital. It's the place where we can find the newest technologies and product launchings combined with a network of specialists from the leading manufacturers and providers to assure a successful visit to this unique exhibition. A visit of a graphic professional to this exhibition pays off when he achieves these two objectives of meeting new technologies and contacts.

And just have a look at how many international and specific events like ExpoPrint Digital exist around the globe. Then you will understand that this exhibition in Brazil and South America is a mark that has similar importance to its mother event, Expoprint Latin America, however for one specific market segment.


How AFEIGRAF can actually help graphic arts professionals in relation to the taxes of imported machines and consumables?

AFEIGRAF main activities are focused on ExpoPrint Latin America, ExpoPrint Digital and the Trends of Print conference. Besides this, we are working in different groups that target the specific needs of our market. One group is working on the "Ex-Tarifarios" topic, where we are working with partners on cost efficient ways to import products which are not produced in Brazil.

Our goal is to work on all the relevant topics where we can support the Brazilian printer to become more competitive in a local level and, especially, in an international level. This way we can all grow in a very strong and well organized market.