Digital print transformation in the corrugated industry has been a promise waiting to happen for many years. Part of the reason for the delay could be the industry has been perceived as having one monolithic set of needs and digital print has been promoted as one generic solution to fit all of those needs. However, all corrugated needs and digital print solutions are not the same.

The reality is much more nuanced. There has been some progress in several use cases and sub-markets including high quality graphics, samples, mock-ups, displays, short-run, large format, double-sided print, and supply chain efficiency including turn-around time, but there are still a few other use cases like personalization and variable data that haven’t yielded transformation. Digital print still only addresses a fraction of the overall market for printed corrugated packaging. For this to change, we must address the existing gaps in the overall solution set.

Digital print solutions do not adequately address all substrate, board combinations, and form factors. Special requirements of the printed product like ink holdout, colour, overprint varnish, coefficient of friction, durability, and gluability play a part in what can or cannot be done by any given digital print solution. Specific press limitations might mean something can be done in limited quantities or certain situations but cannot be done at scale and remain cost effective.

Digital print solutions do not adequately address all substrate, board combinations, and form factors. Photo © Drupa

The promise

Digital print was and still is supposed to simplify, streamline, and accelerate the overall graphics, print process, and product development for the corrugated industry. Digital print in corrugated has been most successful in areas in need of disruption including samples, mock-ups, displays, and ultra short runs. However, to get at the bulk of the market, digital needs to contend with what analog printing does well day-in and day-out.

Analog has been incrementally fine-tuned to provide the quality, productivity, reliability, equipment life expectancy, and cost structure that the market recognizes today. Digital print must do something better or different to provide more value than analog.

Finally, digital printing must consider the macro trends and needs of tomorrow. These macro trend requirements are fast turnaround, short run lengths, supply chain efficiency, e-commerce, lightweighting, sustainability, and automation.

The predominant issue with digital print is the production costs for a given run length compared to the analog alternative. For digital to win more broadly, it must look beyond just consumables cost and at reducing overall value chain costs including running costs, maintenance, capital, useful life, and any other steps or parts that can be streamlined.

It is encouraging to see there is a next generation of solutions being developed that will hopefully help make some of the necessary improvements to expand the segments of the market where digital can add value.

For those of us who have been championing digital print and what is possible to transform the corrugated industry, the pace of progress is both encouraging and disappointing. There are pockets of great success, but there is also a lot of work to do to get us to the full transformation that all members of the value chain need.

Robert Seay is the vice-president of digital print strategy and growth at Georgia-Pacific. This article, a part of Drupa’s Essential Series of Print, appeared in the January/February 2024 issue of PrintAction.

Kevin Abergel, founder and CEO of Taktiful Software Solutions, expressed his enthusiasm for the launch stating, “Our journey began with a deep understanding of the pain points within the print embellishment industry. With Taktiful Software Solutions, we are not just offering tools; we provide an integrated platform designed to empower our users with the capability to excel and drive market adoption for digital print embellishments.”

Co-founder Carlo Ruas commented on the launch, “We’re not just creating software; we’re crafting a new narrative for the print embellishment sector. Our tools are built to empower; our technology primed to innovate. With Taktiful Software Solutions, we envision a world where the beauty of print and the precision of technology coalesce to create unprecedented value for our clients.”

The company is working to release their SaaS products by Drupa 2024:

Taktify: A cloud-based AI-powered estimating and pricing software platform that provides the exact costs of production as well as the estimated market value for embellished print based on variables including job complexity, applications, zip codes, and industry verticals.
Reaktor: A cloud-based art file visualizer that lets you proof and experiment with different embellishment effects in a virtual 3D environment.
Kreator: A cloud-based generative AI tool that allows users to quickly and efficiently design embellishment masks for their print files using Taktiful’s proprietary training data.

“By eliminating a lot of our administration, and ganging up jobs from across the country, we are saving our customers a lot of money.” says Michael Heggie, president of parent company, Grovetree Press. “Times are tough for a lot of us and GrovetreeGo allows small printers to offer a profitable add-on without the overhead or monthly payments that machinery brings.”

GrovetreeGo also sells lamination equipment and film.

“We are excited to invest back in the industry and its future, and there is no better place to start than with our members and their families,” says Nathaniel Grant, board chair.

The association has initially dedicated $10,000 per year towards supporting this initiative.

Eligibility criteria

• Children of full-member company owners in good standing with the National Print and Sign Owners Association, who are pursuing a career in printing management, printing technology, or graphic design within the print and sign industry are eligible to apply.
• Students currently enrolled or planning to enrol in a printing or graphics program at a North American technical school, college, or university, whether part-time or full-time, are eligible.
• Students must have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better.
• As part of the scholarship application, applicants are required to submit official transcripts and a 1,000-word essay outlining their career goals and reasons for seeking the scholarship.
• Applicants may be asked to participate in a Zoom interview with NPSOA’s board of directors.

Selection process

• Applications must be received on or before May 31, 2024.
• NPSOA’s board will evaluate each application carefully and award scholarships to those who best meet the criteria, with a focus on the application essay.

Scholarship amounts

• Each scholarship shall be at least $2,500.
• Students may apply to have their scholarships renewed provided they maintain their 3.0 GPA.
• They must also agree to provide an update on their progress via a Zoom call with NPSOA’s board.

Why inkjet?

Drupa’s ninth Global Trends Report predicts a five per cent lift in print volumes produced by high speed colour inkjet printers.

IT Strategies projects that by 2029 continuous feed inkjet pages will account for about 12.5 per cent of total worldwide volume of output at 800 billion pages.

In comparison offset document and publishing pages are declining about four to five per cent annually.

Book manufacturers and consolidation of transactional page volumes on fewer but more productive machines accounts for part of this market outlook.

As does strong growth in the graphic arts segment due to the technology replacing offset, and existing users adding second or third units to drive print volumes and high margin revenue in direct mail and specialty applications.

They are capitalizing on these opportunities:

What’s the potential for PSPs?

Charging more for less – tailored and personalized content achieves greater return on investment. It also helps reduce the cost of paper and postage on items that will not obtain optimum results. It is measurable too – JICmail figures found 40 per cent of website visits prompted by mail converted into online purchases in the fourth quarter of 2023. More than six per cent of mail (including direct mail, business mail, partially addressed mail and door drops) encouraged Christmas purchases, with half completed online. It was also reported that 95 per cent of mail was engaged with, 30 per cent of mail promoted a commercial action, and five per cent of mail prompted a purchase.

How to benefit!

Focusing on higher value pages – a business model of fewer pages, but at higher value per page, if done well, can result in significantly higher revenues for commercial printers. This fits in with trends for magazine publishers to focus on high quality, low volume run publications or hyper-personalized marketing campaigns.

Being at the forefront of growth – few print markets offer such high growth rates. Now is the time to explore how inkjet technology can help transform your print production model to produce high return applications. One area is book production. IT Strategies reports it is the second largest application for continuous feed inkjet output. Key drivers are re-shoring from Asia to Europe and America, due to cost savings, and the growing number of short run titles printed on demand. In fact, these have enabled many book manufacturers to double their revenues during the last four years. The report states that “the convenience provided by production inkjet of nearly ‘instant manufacturing’ and local delivery is unlikely to ever disappear.”

Capture the online growth – as businesses move to more sustainable procurement, the growth in online printing continues to drive more opportunities for inkjet pages. Automated job submission from web to print to pack will allow PSPs to redefine their sales approaches to capture new markets for print.

Sander Sondaal is director of Commercial Print Sales, Ricoh Europe.

This investment will allow them to crease, fold and perf both paper and cardstock in-line with consistent accuracy.

Multigraf is a Swiss manufacturer of print finishing solutions.

The Print Impact Report, the company’s latest annual printing industry report, compares how 300+ marketing decision makers are planning, executing, and adjusting their strategies as well as integrating technologies into print marketing campaigns.

The Print Impact Report found marketers are embracing technology to support their print campaigns, with 31 per cent of marketers planning to use AI to support their print marketing efforts and 32 per cent already using the technology. The study also found that 39 per cent of marketers have adopted web-to-print technology, citing the following main advantages: reduced costs through on-demand printing (50 per cent), personalization and customization of the message (37 per cent), improved efficiencies and streamlined workflow (36 per cent) and enhanced brand consistency (31 per cent). Additionally, 50 per cent of marketers shared they use QR codes in their print marketing and expect for that to continue.

“Modern marketers are prioritizing innovation to uphold print’s relevance and effectiveness as a tool within their omnichannel arsenals,” said Margo Yohner, senior vice-president of growth, Commercial Print, RRD. “Companies are not simply abandoning print; they’re actively seeking ways to optimize its value.”

Print’s relationship status with digital isn’t complicated

The data shows a strong agreement among marketers that print can effectively complement digital efforts by reinforcing digital messaging and driving traffic to online channels. The report found that a “digital primary, print secondary” combination is seen as the most effective approach by marketers (48 per cent), further highlighting the value of print in supporting digital efforts.

Additionally, the report highlights that 94 per cent of marketers are using print marketing to overcome digital fatigue; the top three strategies are personalizing print materials for targeted messaging (62 per cent), integrating print with digital campaigns for cross-channel engagement (46 per cent) and leveraging print for brand storytelling and establishing credibility (41 per cent).

“Print complements digital rather than competing with it. With the ongoing growth of digital marketing, print serves as an effective enhancement to digital channels,” said Stefanie Cortes, director of strategic analysis, Direct Marketing Group, RRD. “By embracing new technology, marketers can evolve the print-digital connection from isolated approaches to integrated ones and deliver highly impactful results.”

First-party data is the fuel powering personalized print campaigns

RRD’s report confirmed that marketers are looking to connect with audiences on a deeper level, with more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of organizations reporting that they are currently personalizing their print communications.

In the midst of a crowded digital environment and shifting data regulations, organizations have prioritized how they obtain and utilize first-party data. For marketers working with a print vendor to personalize their communications, two-thirds of these marketers (66 per cent) cite customer feedback as one of their primary sources for first-party data, with customer demographics (59 per cent), email engagement (57 per cent), buying history (51 per cent), and location data (48 per cent) serving as additional other sources.

To read the full report, visit rrd.com/print-impact.

“Our presence across the country, from Vancouver to Montreal, underscores our dedication to being close to our customers, understanding their needs, and delivering customized solutions with a quick time to market,” said George Boustani, managing director, ePac Canada. “The addition of the HP Indigo 200K to our Toronto plant allows us to scale our operations and continue providing eco-friendly, high-quality packaging solutions that meet the dynamic needs of our clients.”

Rath describes these professionals (who gave tours of their operations to PELT participants) as “very honest” about their businesses and the future of the printing industry as well. He reports that he and his fellow students asked many tough questions about starting pay, highest possible eventual pay, whether there are typically layoffs during slow times of year, and much more, and he says all questions “were answered honestly and succinctly, so as to not give students an unrealistic view.”

Another PELT graduate, Hossein Hosseinian, explains PELT confirmed for him that a career in the print industry would be an exciting opportunity for him to put his cabinet-making experience to good use. “As I learned more about printing, I saw it matched my skills,” says Hosseinian, who is now working in production at Great Little Box Company, also in Richmond. “It felt like a good change for me. I learned about different materials and how to design.”

PELT, now entering its fourth year, is offered through PrintForward Printing and Imaging Association of B.C. and its Next Generation Task Force. Funding is provided by the federal government through the Canada-B.C. Workforce Development Agreement, under the Ministry of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills through the Community Workforce Response Training Grants. PELT is delivered by the NorthWest Skills Institute (NWSI), which offers a wide range of vocational certificate programs and health and safety training.

PELT covers all aspects of the industry from the history of print, production processes, bindery, printing presses, and prepress skills to job readiness.

With over 40 graduates and a job placement rate of 85 per cent, PELT continues to be a highly successful way of easing recruitment pressures and bringing new vitality to B.C.’s print industry. According to PELT program director Jennifer McConnell (who’s also director of operations at Royal Printers in New Westminster, B.C.), the program model has the potential to be replicated across Canada.

This model, a free, honest, and jam-packed introduction to the sector, requires participants to apply for full-time print industry jobs at graduation. It also provides job application training and assistance with job application submission. Rath explains that “revising my resume, coaching me on how to ace job interviews and even how to act after being hired (e.g. attend all social events held by the employer; don’t be anti-social),  was all invaluable information. I credit this to NWSI having direct contact with those employed in the printing industry for several decades. NWSI did not just give general advice.”

Rath also very much appreciated that he didn’t have to demonstrate the reasons why he was seeking job retraining in order to be accepted to PELT. Incidentally, Rath’s reason for taking PELT was to try something new, and because, as an experienced graphic designer and operator in the sign industry, he was frustrated. “No matter the position for which I was hired over the past few years, I was soon transferred to installation,” he says. “This is because most sign installers have long since left for the far more lucrative careers in the construction industry.”

Hosseinian was looking for a new career where he could apply existing skills and thought PELT looked interesting. Some students like Rath are also able to access financial support through WorkBC, free transit passes and more.

Weekly tours to local printing companies exposed PELT students to different print environments and how they can apply their skills in the corporate world.

Rath strongly valued the help with job applications, which led to him being employed very soon after PELT completion. “I very much appreciated that the NWSI applied for several jobs within the local printing industry on my behalf,” he says. “These jobs were based on my past work experience, and on in-class cleanliness, attendance, punctuality, and comprehension of class material. Thus, the potential employer was getting the real picture of my capabilities, while I felt confident the potential employer was not a flash in the pan or only interested in hiring temporary employees for the busiest season.”

Sector needs

NWSI senior program manager Cormac O’Reilly applauds the Next Generation Task Force and PrintForward team for leading the charge with this program in order to address the looming print industry labour shortage. “As part of curriculum development, the NWSI team visited and spoke with a number of PrintForward employer members to understand their needs, and the skills required for a person to start work within this sector,” he says.

From “this invaluable insight and input,” PELT was born. It covers all aspects of the industry right from the history of print, print production processes and planning, bindery, printing presses, creative suite prepress skills, packaging and mail, safety, Kaizen, and as mentioned, job readiness. Guest speakers are an important aspect of PELT, along with weekly tours to local printing companies that expose students to different print environments and how their training would be applied in real-life situations. “The tours were also a great way to help students see what type of printing company or opportunity they would like to get into following completion of the training,” says O’Reilly.

PELT is a free 10-week program packed with hands-on training, guest lectures, and tours of printing facilities in B.C.

PELT has also evolved over its three iterations, incorporating feedback from students and employers. “As a result, more tours, more hands-on projects and more guest speakers have been included,” O’Reilly reports.

Further, excellence in instructors continues to be a critical part of PELT. Sarah Dakiniewicz, owner of Stationery Bike Designs, is PELT’s newest. “My hope is to imbue my passion for print onto the next generation of print industry leaders,” she says. “I am looking forward to lending my experience and expertise to help fill in gaps we’re currently experiencing in the workforce. PELT is an integral component for our industry to not only survive, but to also thrive.”

The 2023 cohort of PELT with advisors and instructors.

National rollout?

With the print industry’s current labour state, no one could argue that a successful program like PELT would be useful across Canada. “We know the B.C. printing sector is not the only province facing challenges,” says O’Reilly. “With a proven training model, there is an opportunity to help expand the program nationally and ensure the amazing skills of experienced professionals are passed down to the next generation before they retire.”

Rath and Hosseinian are also in full support of the program going countrywide. Hosseinian notes that “my journey from cabinet making to printing underscores the potential for individuals from diverse backgrounds to find their niche in this industry. A national program would not only bridge skill gaps, but also encourage career transitions and foster a more diverse and skilled workforce.”

These features include:

• finishing tools in Flexi Design;
• nesting enhancements;
• custom weed paths; and
• an improved user interface.

“As its name reflects, Flexi Complete delivers the entire package integrating design, RIP, and production capabilities into one solution,” explained Mikki Webb, president & CEO, SAi. “As we have always done, we’re constantly developing the software to ensure it meets the specific and demanding needs of our customers and in Flexi Complete, we are delivering a solution that genuinely shifts the dial in improving productivity and efficiencies across the full gamut of sign and large format print applications.”

The EU-1000MF is offered with a choice of ink configurations – 6-colour (CMYK + high-opacity White + Gloss) or 4-colour (CMYK only). Users have the option of choosing from multiple versions available with either six or four printheads in a staggered, two-row configuration (offered at different price points). Both versions feature two selectable print modes – standard or high quality – to suit varying media and production needs.

“By introducing the new EU-1000MF, Roland DGA is giving customers exactly what they’ve been asking for – an advanced, high-volume UV flatbed at an affordable price,” said Roland DGA’s UV printer product manager, Jay Roberts. “The EU-1000MF and its cost-effective E-US inks will allow users to create customer-pleasing output, expand their product offerings, and take productivity and profitability to a whole new level.”

The original cost for UltraColor MAX DTF transfers was a flat rate $0.06 per square inch. With the new pricing model, the cost starts at $0.06 cents per square inch and decreases as low as $0.04 per square inch as the order quantity increases. Quantity price breaks are based on the number of single pieces ordered per individual design.

Stahls’ is also offering more savings potential with free freight on UltraColor MAX orders over $149.

Read more about the new pricing and shipping at blog.stahls.com/dtf-price-breaks.

The availability of higher volume production DTF technologies opening up market opportunities is just one of the reasons it is making strong gains in the global market for direct to garment (DTG) printing that is predicted to reach nearly US$1.9 billion by 2032.

As well as the impact the latest technology is having on DTF‘s growth, predictions for its continued upward trajectory are being fuelled by these five drivers:

1. Quality – The process can be used to produce high quality prints on a variety of surfaces, including dark and light fabrics, non-cotton fabrics, and hard surfaces like metal and ceramics. It can reproduce intricate designs and exceptional images.
2. Sustainability – The ability to cost efficiently deliver multiple run lengths enables operations to move towards a more responsive print on demand approach that reduces waste. DTF can also support responsible production processes that achieve Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certifications.
3. Flexibility – There are multiple application possibilities, including typically T-shirts, hoodies, sportswear, promotional items, and interior décor. Adoption of the relative newcomer technology will enable print service providers (PSPs) to continue to capitalize on consumer desire for customized products. The Future of Digital Textile Printing to 2026 report from Smithers found more than a third of consumers are interested in personalized products commonly made with textiles. Customers are also happy to pay a premium for their customization. The report forecasts digital printed textile volume will increase significantly up to 2026, reaching 5.531 million square metres annually.
4. Speed – DTF is more time efficient than traditional methods of printing on textiles. As a result, it is suitable for creating custom designs for clients on demand. Once the film is printed, it can then be stored and applied quickly when needed.
5. Easy technology adoption – Simple to use, plug and play systems mean any PSP looking to explore DTF can implement the technology quickly and effectively.

Axel Stuhlreiter is head of Textile Solutions, Graphic Communications Group, Ricoh Europe

The J-throne 29, a B2 inkjet sheetfed digital press, is designed with Komori’s image-forming technology that delivers a printing speed of 6,000 sheets per hour (sph) for single-sided printing and 3,000 sph for double-sided printing.

The J-throne 29 joins Komori’s portfolio of digital printing solutions that include Komori’s Impremia IS29s, a 29-in. sheetfed UV inkjet digital printing system, and the Impremia NS40, a 40-in. sheetfed nanographic printing system.

“We are thrilled to unveil the J-throne 29 at Drupa 2024, showcasing its market-leading features, along with our new eco-friendly offset presses,” said Mark Milbourn, executive vice president of sales and service at Komori America. “Komori’s theme at the show, ‘Connected Automation,’ highlights our expertise in offset and digital print, postpress and the technology to connect them all. It supports Komori’s ongoing focus on delivering solutions that maximize customer value and are friendly to both people and the environment to make the future sustainable.”

Mensaha has also joined the Vulcan Foundation Customer Program, giving them priority for earliest delivery of Highcon’s next generation digital die cutting platform for corrugated production. Menasha is the sixth and final member to join this program.

The Vulcan has a maximum sheet size of 1.4 x 1.7 m and supports boards up to 5 mm, including microflute, B, C, and EB flutes. Like all Highcon systems, Vulcan will combine physical creasing with laser cutting.

”We are impressed with how fast we have started production ramp up. Within three weeks from systems delivery, we have commenced full ramp up on both systems and we are certainly off to a good start,” said president of Menasha Packaging Michael Riegsecker. “This has given us the confidence to move into the next phase and extend digital die cutting to corrugated.”

The TH 82 replaces two older buckle folders and is used for folding the company’s 16-page signatures. Heidelberg’s PFX Feeder is designed to feed sheets like the feeder of a printing press – with the sheets shingled and underlapped in the first folding unit instead of feeding them conventionally with a sheet gap. The underlapping of sheets (shingling sheets) on the infeed register table nearly doubles the number of sheets that can be processed versus conventional sheet gap feeding at the same running speed.

According to Cober, “With our older streamfed folders, we would have three people running two folders. Now it’s one person on one folder at twice the speed.”

Cober is also saving labour while increasing throughput with its new robotic P-Stacker – a six-axis industrial robot that autonomously places each signature pile from the folder’s delivery onto a pallet. This automation complements Stahlfolder’s Push to Stop function, where the system automatically changes from one signature to the next.

Stacking up to 300 signature piles per hour, the P-Stacker helps eliminate a very physical element of the folding process for Cober’s operators. “There’s an ease of onboarding new team members into an automated environment,” said Cober. “We can bring in operators with no printing experience and have them running equipment within a few weeks whereas before, that was completely a pipe dream.”

The Mitchell Group consists of Mitchell, its digital marketing division, Project28, which focuses on web development, CGI renderings, and augmented reality, and Pacific Bindery and trade services. It was founded in 1928 by Howard T. Mitchell as a financial newspaper. The company, which is now in its third generation of family ownership, has evolved with the times from being a financial newspaper and web offset printer to digital printing and now, a comprehensive visual-communications solutions provider.

As the print industry goes through a tectonic change brought about by the Internet of Things, many companies have been diversifying, actively future-proofing themselves. In the last few years, Mitchell has also engaged in this exercise. The question uppermost in the minds of senior leadership has been, “How do we prepare the business for another 90 years of success?”

The Vancouver Art Gallery’s Incomplete History of the VAG 1931-2023 is a perfect bound book containing imagery ranging from archival BW to professionally shot artwork.

New perspectives

As part of this resilience strategy, the company hasn’t hesitated to seek advice and talent from outside traditional print corridors to help create a new vision for Mitchell. One such hire or find was A.J. Rai, VP-sales, Mitchell, who won the 2023 Emerging Leader of the Year Award at the Canadian Printing Awards late last year. Not to downplay the role played by others at Mitchell, Rai has been pivotal in the company’s active adoption of digital solutions. I spoke to Rai about how Mitchell is successfully merging the physical and digital worlds and the perspective shift required among printers for the industry’s long-term success.

In June 2017, Rai, who has zero print experience, joined Mitchell as the company’s first digital media specialist. Born and raised in Richmond, B.C., Rai’s background was in tech strategy. A mutual friend introduced Rai to Mitchell’s executive team. During the initial meeting itself, Rai began to see gaps around how the print industry views digital vis-à-vis the rest of the world. In the print industry, digital often refers to digital printing whereas ‘digital’ is far deeper and complex than that; it can refer to innumerable tools and software that can support a business process, Rai explained.

“Print is the only industry where we use digital to mean print and not digital like it’s perceived by the rest of the world. When we talk digital, it always means digital printing, short-run, machine, equipment. This is great but when we look at it from the perspective of the rest of the world, it’s confusing,” he said. For instance, a prospective client may seek your help with digital advertising after seeing ‘digital’ as one of your services. However, you’re only offering digital printing. These genuine gaps in communication make us wonder what the industry is missing by not combining the physical and digital worlds.

A.J. Rai.

Rai came on board with the confidence that while print may have lost its power, it’s possible to use modern technology (read digital) to grow the overall business where print plays a significant role.

Rai’s first responsibility was to launch Mitchell’s digital solutions division. A consultative approach and in-depth knowledge of IT helped Rai understand Mitchell’s clients (old and potential), delve into the data in their CRM systems and how that could be used to address pain points in their businesses.

To understand this better, let’s look at real estate mailouts. Typically, developers send mass mailouts about a new property to residents in a specific postal code. Rai is suggesting a more targeted approach. Since developers have been in the business for decades, they must have data indicating which consumer is looking for what type of property. So, if a developer is looking to sell a 2BHK condo, they can, if needed, send personalized mailouts to consumers who are looking for a similar property. Such personalized, targeted mailouts would naturally generate a higher ROI than mass mailouts.

Another issue that Rai realized Mitchell could help their clients with was website development. Many clients either didn’t have a website or the site wasn’t user-friendly. By optimizing the website, Mitchell helped improve brand engagement.

“Your website is your first tool for sales and marketing. Through our own unique IPs, we’re able to watch people’s ‘behaviour’ on a website. We can map out how they’re interacting with the website. We can take this a little bit further as well by running it through our AI IPs where we record the data, look at the interactions and how it impacts creative. This data will allow us to decide the best places to include a call-to-action button to improve engagement and what colours/fonts/styles to use, as well as product positioning. We identify the metrics that need to be captured for our customers. This allows us to have a better understanding of the client’s goals and objectives and can help determine which Mitchell product can be offered to help the client,” he explained.

Scott Gray, executive VP, Mitchell Press, at the 2023 Canadian Printing Awards.

Micro data

The obvious corollary to the above discussion was the type of data that was being captured. Mitchell’s in-house term for that is micro data.

“It’s concise, intuitive, day-to-day data, actionable and readily accessible to anyone. Through Mitchell’s Project 28 discovery process it can be used immediately in an impactful manner, allowing you to maximize ROI,” Rai explained. “The data we’re collecting allows us to merge the physical and digital worlds and target consumers in specific ways.” Remember the real estate mailout example that was mentioned earlier?

In a nutshell, micro data refers to consumer behavioural data like demographics, time spent on website and pages viewed, purchase history, etc. Mitchell’s Project28, a joint venture with Toronto-based software firm Hypekraft Digital, focuses on capturing and interpreting that data at a granular level.

The Hip Trip Kit showcases the strengths of nanographic printing. It comprises a custom folding carton container, journal/sketch book, mini art prints, and custom baggage tags.

Enter the Nanographic press

Mitchell’s 360-degree approach didn’t pigeonhole them into one silo of the marketing conversation. Thus, they were able to convince customers to use Mitchell’s core business of ‘printing’ to achieve things like unboxing a brand-new shoe, customized packages, etc.

The Landa Nanographic Press is also playing a key role in Mitchell’s digital transformation plan.

In 2022, Mitchell became the first Canadian printer to invest in the Landa S10P Nanographic Printing Press. At that time, Gray said, “The Landa digital press pushes us to re-imagine print. Rather than producing 500 of one book, let’s create 500 books of one – completely personalized, with an incredibly high bar for quality. While mass customization was once a dream, today it’s a cost-effective reality.”

The Landa is allowing Mitchell to elevate its variable data printing capabilities. It has proven invaluable in Mitchell’s ability to blend digital technology and print.

“Landa allows us to take the metrics we’re getting from the web development, CRM, and ERP and transition them towards these [print] initiatives. We’ve done short runs for events and packaging for tea manufacturers. While sheetfed is great, Landa has simply automated the process,” explained Rai.

This gatefold cover book design called for accurate Pantone matching with solid colours, various screened elements and grey tints. It was printed on Mitchell’s Landa press.

Impact

Thanks to Mitchell’s company-wide focus on digital solutions and Rai’s vision to let data inform Mitchell’s client’s marketing decisions, the company’s overall sales volumes increased to pre-pandemic levels by early 2022, a fact that Gray highlighted in his application to nominate Rai to the Canadian Printing Awards program.

The team is now “adept at bridging the gap between print manufacturing and the digital realm. Leveraging data metrics and cutting-edge technology is helping the company transform the industry,” he added.

The new portfolio includes:

• Highcon Beam 3 with optional new Beam Writer for offline writing of DART foils for folding carton production;
• Vulcan1, a next-generation system with 1.4 x 1.7 sheet size, which is still under development for the corrugated packaging and display sector; and
• an upgrade to the Highcon Beam 2C that facilitates the expansion of Highcon’s footprint in the short- and medium-run corrugated market.

“In this challenging environment, Highcon’s customers are successfully using ‘the right tool for the right job’ to optimize their plant productivity, overcome capacity limitations, improve agility, cost-effectiveness and efficiency and better serve their customers – all while maximizing their return on investment,” said Shlomo Nimrodi, Highcon’s CEO. “Inspired by our amazing customers, their feedback and how they’re using our solutions today – as well as inputs that we’ve received over several years – Highcon will be demonstrating [at Drupa] how digital die cutting is becoming mainstream. The time to die cut digitally has arrived.”

Crafted as an uncoated, bright white sheet featuring a super smooth finish, Go-to Digital is available in a range of 5 basis weights from 80T to 120C. It is stocked in two sizes—13  x 19 in. and 20.75 x 29.5 in.

“The introduction of Neenah’s Go-to Digital marks an exciting addition to our collection of fine papers. As the digital print sector continues its rapid growth, providing cost-effective uncoated solutions becomes paramount for the success of print service providers,” explains Jason Leonard, product manager, digital print at Neenah.

Commercially available at Drupa 2024, the new Landa presses also offer a PrintAI module, which automates colour matching.

Gil Oron, CEO, Landa Digital Printing, said, “We’re delighted to announce the launch of the Landa S11 and S11P. Following the success of our customers with current Landa S10 and S10P models and based on deep understanding of the industry’s future needs, we are taking nanography to its next level. The new Landa models enable printers and packaging converters to not only increase print quality, but also elevate productivity and profitability while further reducing job turnaround times.”

The new Landa S11 and S11P models include a new ink drying system that enables transfer of dry ink from the blanket to the media, at the higher speed of 11,200 SPH. The new presses can be customized to the exact requirements of every customer. This means that each new press comes with a choice of four or seven colours, a continuous printing capability, an optional in-line coating unit, and the opportunity to purchase the 11K module and/or the PrintAI module.

Operating out of Toronto since 1986, Lamin-8 delivers printing, mounting and finishing services to clients across a whole host of sectors. Customers include commercial printers, graphic designers, architects, schools and students, professional photographers, galleries, artists, and commercial graphics providers.

Lamin-8 also works with a range of private clients, offering high quality print and finishing across all manner of applications. The company recently teamed up with Drytac to complete one such project: a bespoke dance floor for a wedding reception.

The application measured 20 x 20 ft and featured a black and white design, complete with the first initials of the bride and groom, along with their now-family name, the Archers. Other aspects of the design included a lined border around the edge of the dance floor and a large graphic in the centre.

Core challenges for Lamin-8 included ensuring the printed piece would not be damaged by people dancing on top of the application during the reception. In addition, Lamin-8 had to consider issues such as potential slip risks that the graphic may pose.

For this reason, Lamin-8 chose to work with Drytac SpotOn Floor 200. This monomeric PVC film is designed for use in short-term, indoor floor graphics without the need for lamination.

“We have been working with Drytac products for more than 20 years and they are well known for delivering amazing solutions for use in many different applications,” Lamin-8 president Michael Isaacs said. “For this project, we chose to work with SpotOn Floor 200 as we know that it is great for short-term applications. We had used this product before in an airport and were well aware of its qualities.”

Lamin-8 printed all graphics for the application in house using its HP Scitex FB500 flatbed printer and installed the piece on site for the customer.

“Our client was taken aback with the quality and performance of the product,” Michael said. “Another key feature was the removal; this was a quick process that required little effort and left no adhesive behind on the floor.”

“We’re committed to unlocking profitable and sustainable growth for our customers,” said Haim Levit, SVP and division president of HP Industrial Print. ” Our LEP, LEPx, and inkjet technologies have improved in terms of quality, versatility, productivity, sustainability, and economics and our commitment and significant investment into continuous innovation has enabled over 8,000 printers and converters to expand their businesses and grow sustainably. HP has been a digital transformation leader for more than 30 years, and our digital printing technology has established the gold standard in commercial print and labels and packaging production.”

The newly launched HP Indigo 120K Digital Press reduces human touchpoints and enables multi-press operation by a single operator. The new press is set to deliver offset-matching image quality, flexible job routing between offset and digital, and an ECO mode option for reduced carbon footprint.

The new HP Indigo 18K Digital Press handles a wide range of print applications with a single B2 digital press. It has advanced AI features like auto recovery and proactive alerts.

The HP Indigo 7K Secure Digital Press enables workflows tailor-made for security production lines.

“As the printing industry embraces automation and digitalization, HP Indigo empowers customers with unprecedented levels of productivity, efficiency, versatility, quality, and cost-effectiveness,” said Noam Zilbershtain, VP and GM, HP Indigo and Scitex. ” Our portfolio defines the industry standard for automation and sustainability, reflecting HP’s vision for the print production floor.”

“We’re also excited to announce that today HP will roll out general commercial availability of the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press, the fastest narrow web digital press on the market and first press to utilize new innovative LEPx technology7. Commercial availability comes after successful beta site installations including Brook + Whittle, a leader in sustainable packaging and digital printing in the U.S.,” added Zilbershtain.

HP also introduces an updated print production automation ecosystem with HP Indigo PQ Maestro wizard to optimize press performance; Preflight, an AI-based decision-making tool that automatically predicts the suitability of the best-fit print mode by learning customers preferences; and AAA 2.0 (Auto Alert Agent) advanced, a machine-learning algorithm that increases print productivity with zero human intervention.

“By using AAA 2.0 we experience a significant reduction in production time, saving 1 hour for every 80,000 impressions. This not only enhances our operational efficiency, but also drastically reduces customer complaints and returns by five to seven per cent,” highlighted Andreas Organzidis, head of color digital printing, Elanders.

HP introduces Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) in collaboration with MoviĜo Robotics to automate media transfer.

HP also unveils enhancements to its PageWide Plus Package, which includes a Performance Economy Color (EC) Mode that uses less colour ink and on press colour profiling. HP also announces two new additional capabilities to the HP PageWide Advantage 2200 web inkjet press. Printers can use thicker substrates up to 320 gsm/18pt. Another capability is magnetic ink character recognition for transactional print systems.

“This marks our second investment in a litho press from Koenig & Bauer within the past four years,” said Ron Harris, president and CEO of Jones Healthcare Group. “We’ve been highly satisfied with the performance and additional capabilities offered by our previous investment. By adding another Koenig & Bauer press to our lineup, we not only expand our capacity, but also enhance our ability to adapt to the diverse needs of our customers.”

This latest equipment acquisition coincides with the recent investments to enhance its finishing capabilities, and the U.S. compliance card sector.

“Jones Healthcare Group and Koenig & Bauer have a long-standing relationship that includes future R & D developments so that Jones always has the latest technology. For many years, we’ve had a special partnership with Jones that includes several strategic initiatives so that they remain the leading producer of folding cartons in the industry,” says Ralf Sammeck, CEO of Koenig & Bauer Sheetfed. “At Koenig & Bauer, we deeply value our partnership with Jones and congratulate them on this latest investment.”

Jones invested in ground-breaking features to enhance its operations and service and to develop customer-driven solutions. The new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 seven-colour has integrated simultaneous processes to ensure non-stop operation of the press and custom capabilities to analyze all press parameters in real time, such as aligning the printed product with the customer-approved PDF.

As a result of the restructuring and sale, the Company is able to continue its operations. Under the terms of the transaction, the company remains Canadian-controlled.

“With this transaction, Black Press is in a much stronger position to serve our valued Canadian and American readers, customers, employees, and communities over the long term,” said Glenn Rogers, chief executive officer of Black Press. “We thank our subscribers, advertisers and employees for their support throughout this process, and we look forward to continuing our mission of providing the best local coverage in all the markets where we operate.”

The daylong conference offered a snapshot of Landa’s business priorities, which were neatly encapsulated by the event theme of ‘Run More’.

CEO Gil Oron opened the event with a short summary of Landa’s business performance to date: the company has doubled its business YoY in the last three years. They’re also building an ink plant in the U.S. to “be close to their customers.”

The company now has three investors. Besides the company’s founder Benny Landa and German entrepreneur Susanne Klatten, the Rausing family of Tetra Pak fame has invested in Landa.

“They’re enabling us to continue our development and growth as well as adding new capabilities,” said Oron.

The additional investment from the Rausing family has supercharged the company. They’re focused on offering “more presses, more business, and more technology” to clients.

Sharon Cohen.

Company overview

The company has 300 nanography-related patents. It sold more than 50 presses worldwide. Over 20 of them have been installed in the U.S. In Canada, Mitchell Press, Burnaby, B.C., owns a Landa press. The company has 600 employees with operations in North America, Europe, and China.

They currently have two products – Landa S10 for folding carton applications and Landa S10P for commercial, publishing and POP/POS applications. The Landa presses can be used in publishing, direct mail, folding cartons, calendar printing etc.

The S10 prints at a speed of 6,500 SPH on substrates that are 1.6 to 32 pt. (40-800 μm) thick. The S10P can print 6,500 SPH (single-sided) and 3,250 SPH (double-sided). Both presses can match 90 per cent of Pantone colours and are in B1 (41 in.) format. There’s no need for make-readies or plates with the Landa presses due to a unique, proprietary technology.

Technology

After selling the Indigo inkjet press technology to HP, its founder Benny Landa became interested in nanomaterials research. His research eventually led to the development of water-based nano-inks, which as the name suggests are nano-sized droplets of ink particles.

In a Landa press, billions of these ink particles are ejected onto a heated image conveyor blanket. The droplets blend to form the desired colour. When all the water has evaporated, you’re left with an ink image in the shape of an ultra-thin (500 nanometres) dry polymeric film. The film bonds with the substrate immediately upon transfer, leaving no residual ink on the blanket. These nano-ink images can be transferred onto diverse substrates including coated or uncoated paper or plastic. Since the images are dry, the printed sheets can be coated inline with UV or water-based coatings and then processed in finishing equipment right out of the press.

The Landa presses are designed for short as well as long runs.

Customer response

Landa’s customer-centric focus was the underlying theme of the whole event. Landa’s COO Sharon Cohen stressed on how “Landa always saw the world from its customer’s perspectives,” so that they could run more jobs, business, products, substrates etc. “Over 20 per cent of consumers have decided to buy a second press. This is the strongest validation for us.”

A panel discussion with Landa consumers was enriching. On the panel were Cheryl Kahanec, CEO, Quantum Group; Tara Duckett, sales manager, Southern Champion Tray; Paul Hudson, owner-CEO, Hudson Printing; and Bob Neff, president and CEO, Neff Packaging. The key takeaways from that discussion were Landa’s commitment to service. All the panelists had access to a Landa field engineer onsite to troubleshoot any issues that may arise.

Quantum had bought their first Landa press in December 2022, and is now buying another one. Southern Champion Tray, a folding carton manufacturer, also invested in a Landa press in December 2022. Hudson Printing purchased their first Landa in 2021. They currently have two Landa presses.

“Long runs and variable printing were taking too long on our other presses. We have web presses where the runs were too short. We thought it’ll be more efficient and cost-effective to run them on a Landa,” explained Hudson.

According to Duckett, Southern Champion Tray didn’t have much flexibility in moving jobs between digital and offset. They do short runs of food packaging with multiple SKUs, which was inefficient on offset. Duckett said that the Landa has given them the flexibility of doing business with emerging CPG brands who only need short runs. Heavy SKU jobs with 80,000 sheets that were killing throughput in offset have now moved to the Landa at Southern Champion.

For Quantum, Landa gave them the opportunity to combine jobs. Neff Packaging primarily serves the pharmaceutical market. The Landa has made their operations faster, but not necessarily cheaper. They’ve managed to pick up more than 10 new clients in food and software industries.

Hudson Printing found new product opportunities in variable printing. Landa broke down the barrier between offset and digital for them.

“Everybody is about serving the customers and doing the job right. Landa has some unique abilities like dry transfer, nano-ink, B1 size, etc.,” added Hudson.

When it came to integrating the Landa press into existing workflows, all the panelists adopted unique approaches. Neff intentionally housed the Landa in a separate room to test out the new technology and smooth out any bumps that may arise. They also hired a fresh team to work on the Landa. The Lanada was their first foray into digital printing. It has been so successful that they’re buying another Landa press.

At Southern Champion Tray, a previous digital experience had made employees slightly cynical about hybrid presses. “It took a bit of convincing, but now people love it,” said Duckett.

At Quantum, a fire at the plant around the time the Landa press was being installed changed everything.

“It removed sales resistance and employee resistance. The wall between digital and offset has gone. We’re getting opportunities we didn’t anticipate. We’re also moving things from offset,” said Kahanec.

Having prior digital experience was helpful for Quantum, Hudson, and Southern Champion Tray because the workflows are different. However, for Neff, prior mechanical experience was sufficient to man the Landa.

All in all the panelists were very pleased with the presses and the services being offered by Landa.

Market trends

At the conference, Dr. Sean Smyth, Smithers analyst and consultant, offered a keynote presentation on the future of digital printing. He said companies are changing the way print is manufactured by integrating digital technologies into the process. Some of the mega trends he highlighted were:

• sustainability;
• economic development;
• demographic shift;
• changes to the retail sector;
• regulatory changes (g. front of packaging rules for Canadian CPGs);
• staffing issues;
• rise of technologies like automation and artificial intelligence; and
• drive towards low run lengths.

PSPs must provide more designs and personalization to engage consumers, he recommended.

Dr. Smyth mentioned inkjet is replacing a lot of traditional analog materials and that there’s a move from serial to parallel printing as well as the development of automated finishing systems. This can be attributed to performance of machines in the market (think high speeds, automated make-readies). Print on demand is also reducing inventory and waste. He highlighted that in direct mail, full coloured variable printing is driving higher response.

Looking ahead

At Drupa, Landa will have fourth largest booth. At the 32,000-sf booth, expect to hear more about Landa’s new offerings, especially on how the company is using artificial intelligence and perhaps a new model with higher speed – they hinted at 11,000 SPH at the conference.

The session started with a lighthearted review of printing from the past and included an overview of the printing and publishing activities of Benjamin Franklin. He established the Pennsylvania Gazette, wrote several books, and published several columns. He is credited with printing innovations that improved clarity. Franklin also contributed to the development of the postal system. It’s interesting that the first post office in what is now Canada was opened in 1755 in Halifax, with Ben Franklin as the deputy postmaster for the Colonies. The key message shared was that Franklin diversified from print to include technology improvements, content creation and distribution services to meet customer needs.

Fast forward to the present

The speed of technology changes has shifted from decades to months. Today’s printers need to be aware of the changes and gage the impact on their business. They must also understand market needs as they evaluate print technology and capabilities, such as offset, dry toner, UV inkjet, water-based inkjet, HP Indigo LEP, and the recently introduced nanography printing.

Successful commercial printers have embrace diversification, just as Ben Franklin did. According to a recent study by Printing United, “Fifty-six per cent of commercial printers are moving into adjacent print markets” including signs and graphics, packaging, direct mail services and promotional print and apparel.

In part to overcome labour challenges and to improve efficiency, robots and robotic capabilities have been added to print and finishing equipment, which has decreased production time and the amount of labour required.

The future is now

For many, the use and application of artificial intelligence (AI) is in the future, but it has become a part of our daily lives. AI features are embedded in many of the business and communication applications we use daily and in the advanced workflow tools and processes.

AI can automate prepress, file analysis, colour correction, image enhancement, order management, job routing, scheduling, and quality control to reduce turnaround time, minimize errors, and to ensure a smoother production process. Integrating AI into print management software tasks such as estimating, quoting, and job tracking can automate these jobs, thus reducing manual labour and saving time.

In my experience, successful companies from past, present and future need to be ready for ongoing change. This requires strategy, action, execution and monitoring to ensure you’re on track. Successful leaders will have a combination of business and technical skills required to succeed. Companies that understand markets, customer needs, employee needs, and deliver value will continue to grow.

Bob Dale is vice-president of Connecting for Results, the premier management consulting company focused on the graphics communications industry. He can be reached at b.dale@cfrincorporated.com.

This column originally appeared in the January/February 2024 issue of PrintAction.

“We make this promise with confidence because we only ever use high-quality components and our printers are robustly built and very reliable,” said Carmen Eicher, chief sales and marketing officer at SwissQprint. “Customers have always appreciated our machines’ high uptime.”

The new warranty provisions apply with immediate effect to all new machines and for all models, namely the Kudu, Nyala, Impala and Oryx flatbed printers and the Karibu roll-to-roll printer. The provisions stipulate preventative maintenance intervals. “Preventative machine maintenance has always been a principle of ours to avoid problems arising in operation,” added Eicher.

The JFX600-2531 printer includes nine vacuum zones that can be manually opened or closed with a turn of a valve. The larger bed size of the JFX600-2531 printer can also accommodate oversized sheets with a total printable area of up to 98.4 in. (2500 mm) wide x 122 in. (3100 mm) long and up to 2.36 in. (60 mm) thick. This capability accommodates a 5 x 10-ft board. The JFX600-2531 printer is expected to be available for order this summer.

Additionally, Mimaki USA unveils the CFX Series of production flatbed cutters in three table sizes. The CFX Series can achieve a tool moving speed of up to 60 m/min (39 in/min), and acceleration of 0.7G that reduces machining time. Four tools can be used simultaneously. Two types of controls are selectable: a pressure control with a maximum of 30 kg (294 N), and a position control that enables high-quality cutting and ruled lining. The ball screw on the Z-axis allows pressures from 5 to 30 kg (49 to 294 N). Two processing modes can be selected for ruled lining: pressure-controlled mode and position-controlled mode, depending on the material. Based on the pre-measured flatness information of the table surface, the tool height is automatically adjusted according to the table position to reduce the occurrence of over-cutting and left-over cutting. The CFX Series of cutters is also expected to be available for order this summer.

“We are thrilled to unveil our transformed and enhanced inkjet printer portfolio, where proven wide-format inkjet technology meets the power of three brand-new beasts,” says Arnaud Calleja, vice-president, Digital Printing Solutions at Agfa. “Our overarching ‘Powerful by Nature’ portfolio theme emphasizes that the performance of our printers stems from the way they have been designed. Whatever environment a printing company operates in, whatever its markets or applications, whether seeking high productivity, quality or versatility, there’s an Agfa printer that will deliver impressive results and give their business a boost.”

The following inkjet printers have made their global debut.

Jeti Condor RTR5200 HS 
The Jeti Condor RTR5200 is the latest addition to Agfa’s inkjet printer lineup. This roll-to-roll inkjet printer with a 5.2-m wingspan can print up to 672 m²/h. The Condor handles a wide variety of flexible substrates at up to three rolls simultaneously. It is field-upgradable with light colours and features white and varnish for increased design and application options

Jeti Bronco H3300 S 
The hybrid Jeti Bronco H3300 is 3.3 m high-end UV LED inkjet printer that prints a variety of sign and display jobs in six colours plus white, with optional primer. It offers continuous board feeding as well as independent dual-roll printing. In the first stage, the Bronco will be available with two rows of print heads. However, its horsepower is field-upgradable to a four-row version.

Anapurna Ciervo H3200 
Since the introduction of the first Anapurna over 20 years ago, the family has kept evolving. The new 3.2 hybrid Ciervo brings enhanced print quality and a much higher productivity than its predecessor – boasting an almost 70 per cent increase in printing speed in production mode. The continuous board feeding capacity enables printing on rigid materials, at up to four boards simultaneously.

Established in 1920, Maracle specializes in serving clients in the education, publishing, and financial sectors.

This agreement marks a significant milestone for Hothi, representing his seventh acquisition since 2022 and further enhancing his print solutions portfolio.

“I am thrilled to welcome Maracle into our family of companies,” said Hothi. “Maracle’s rich history, dedication to quality, and esteemed reputation perfectly complement our existing operations. This acquisition enhances our ability to serve clients across diverse industries and reinforces our position as a leading print solutions provider in Canada.”

Under the terms of the asset agreement, Maracle will continue its operations in the same facility and under the same name. The former shareholder group, who was represented by Connecting for Results in the transaction, will remain involved to ensure a healthy transition period.

“We are excited about the opportunities this acquisition brings,” said George Sittlinger, former Maracle president. “Under the leadership of Michael Hothi, we are well-positioned to continue our proud legacy of innovation and commitment to excellence in the printing industry.”

“With the acquisition of the Colorado M5W model, the Impression XL team is enthusiastic about fully leveraging the potential of high-profit projects, particularly by utilizing the white ink option for a variety of applications in the retail and interior decoration sectors,” said a media statement.

Fujifilm asserts four patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 10,427,443, 10,525,696, 10,875,346, and 11,294,279) pertaining to various aspects of processless lithographic printing plate technologies, including method and apparatus claims, were infringed upon.

Fujifilm is seeking remedies including damages and injunctive relief related to Eastman Kodak’s unauthorized commercial manufacture, use, offer to sell, or sale within the United States, and/or importation of its processless lithographic printing plate products that infringe the four asserted patents, including those sold under the product name “SONORA X” and the brand umbrella name “SONORA XTRA”.

“Fujifilm is committed to protecting its significant research and development investments, and in bringing innovative printing plate technologies to customers around the world,” commented Toyoyuki “Tommy” Katagiri, division president, Fujifilm North America, Graphic Communication Division. “We will enforce and protect our innovation and intellectual property rights in the United States and around the world when we believe others infringe unfairly.”

Separately in October 2023 and December 2023 respectively, Eastman Kodak’s European subsidiaries, Kodak GmbH, Kodak Graphic Communications GmbH, and Kodak Holding GmbH, were sued by Fujifilm for infringement of the related European counterparts of the U.S. patents-in-suit in the Unified Patent Court and in Germany.

“We will continue to protect our intellectual property in processless lithographic printing plates, to the benefit of our customers, including small, family-owned printing businesses, as well as medium- and large-sized printing businesses,” added Katagiri.