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.

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.

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 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.”

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.

“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.

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.

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.

The majority, but not all.

Happily, the Postmark 1170 Rapidcolor is capable of providing flexibility never before seen in the print industry. Built with the HP FI1000 printhead, Postmark’s flagship inkjet printer is capable of full-bleed printing up to 11.7” wide, all while producing consistent high-quality prints at incredibly fast speeds. Printing upwards of 12,000 #10 envelopes per hour is well worth bragging about, however the ability to adjust the printhead, up to 10” high, is where the flexibility comes in.

Postmark’s preferred Canadian distributor, Insource Corp, has installed several 1170 printers in the past four months. The variety of applications currently running across Canada speaks volumes not only to the flexibility of the equipment, but the tremendous ROI that the 1170 can provide your business.

Let’s start in Quebec at Imprimerie Maxime. A print shop that has served the Montreal area for thirty years offering digital offset and large format printing services. In recent years they’ve seen an increased volume in envelope printing, which brought the 1170 Rapidcolor to the forefront of their minds.

“We wanted to acquire a machine that would be dedicated to producing our envelopes,” says André Paiement, President of Imprimerie Maxime. “It is much faster and more efficient to produce our envelope orders. The simplicity and ease of operation greatly influenced our decision to purchase [the 1170 Rapidcolor].”

That simplicity and ease of operation is realized thanks to the Xitron Defender software that powers every Postmark 1170. Xitron’s software allows you to upload a PDF that has been built to the exact size of your substrate, allowing for perfect alignment on every print, all while allowing you to adjust spot colors as needed for perfect colour matching results.

Unlike some other printers, every job is set to the middle of the printhead. While the guides on the feeder move together, ensuring that every substrate you feed goes perfectly down the middle. This means that switching from one application to another can be done incredibly quickly.

Take, for example, Minuteman Press in Vaughan, Ontario. The owner of the store, Fred Lai, had long been looking for an envelope printer, but found it difficult to invest in a printer that could do just one thing. This is why he decided to add the Postmark 1170 Rapidcolor to his franchise, allowing him to run envelopes, but also add coasters, boxes and napkins to his shop’s repertoire, greatly increasing his potential return on investment for the machine.The robust feeder that comes with the 1170 is perfectly capable of running a variety of substrates up to 12” wide, envelopes are a breeze, but thicker materials such as coasters can be fed reliably as well. Once they’ve made their way off the feeder onto the transport conveyor, finger guides keep thinner substrates properly registered all the way to the printhead. Here at Insource we’ve successfully run materials as thick as 5mm through the feeder and under these finger guides with no issue.

Finger Guides & Post Guides: Clint Dixon

Another reason Fred is able to add napkins and coasters to his shop is the high-quality HP inks that are used in the 1170 Rapidcolor. Not only are they rated safe for food packaging, but they are also waterproof. No matter how sweaty a refreshing beverage may get on a hot day, the printed image on that coaster is going to be up to the task and look sharp the whole way through. There’s no doubt that feeding a napkin is a difficult task, a job for which a separate feeder is available. For smaller orders though, it is possible to hand-feed the napkins, or other substrates, while keeping everything properly registered.

Coasters in Feeder: Clint Dixon

If you remove the finger guides, post guides can be installed in their place. Switching over takes only two minutes and allows you to hand-feed larger substrates. Combine that with an adjustable printhead raising up to 10” high and you expand the capabilities of the printer very quickly.

That’s exactly what Cap-Pele Sawmill is doing on the outskirts of Moncton, New Brunswick. Though they’re not a print shop, they’ve still married the 1170 Rapidcolor to a unique application, printing directly to wood for displays on boxes of oysters.

“We only do oyster boxes,” says Jeremie Doiron of Cap-Pele Sawmill LTD. “We love how we can print almost anything on wood, it’s a very clean print.” Combine that print quality to the speed, and it’s easy to see why the 1170 Rapidcolor is the printer of choice when you need to print 6,500 wooden oyster boxes every month!

“The range of what you can do is really up to your creativity,” explains John Davis, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Martin Yale, the group which owns Postmark. “Besides the usual applications we have customers that run wooden beverage coasters, customized high-end shoe and dress boxes for boutiques, to-go food boxes that include your family picture and name, beer and soda koozies, and event napkins for weddings or anniversaries.”

In the past four months, Insource Corp has installed four of Postmark’s 1170 into four different provinces, all running drastically different applications on the machine. If you would like to discover how the 1170 can complement your business by improving profitability on existing applications, or opening new revenue streams, we invite you to attend our Technology Summit on April 25th and 26th at our office in Markham. You will have the opportunity to see the Postmark 1170 Rapidcolor along with several other pieces of equipment that may be able to help your business become more profitable. Register today and we’ll see you in April!

The Oxford Dictionary also defines tsunami as “an arrival or occurrence of something in overwhelming quantities or amounts.” There are hundreds of words that have dual, often opposite intents, just as futuristic technologies often carry equally painful and joyful outcomes.

Future of offset

Recently, a raft of industry news signalled hope for some offset press manufacturers—photos of customers with toothy grins standing before their new investments on social media and trade magazines. Most of the recent installations are B1 (40 in.) and often have unique configurations. Late last year, Heidelberg announced the installment of the world’s largest offset press, a Speedmaster 106 with a whopping 20 units, at a Westrock plant in Poland. It’s as if we took the last 15 years of stagnation, wrapped it up in a beach towel and buried it someplace: Did the printing industry’s struggle against the internet ever happen? This rejuvenation is only an illusion; declining print use is the reality. Print service providers must do everything faster and at less cost to keep afloat.

The recent resurgence of traditional offset press sales is exciting, even with print’s decline. New equipment makes mincemeat of older presses that have become obsolete overnight. But I still wouldn’t bet on the long-term future of offset. Other new digital technologies are making huge, tsunami-like moves to replace the old guard.

Fully digital

A client in New York recently contacted me with big news. This 100-year-old business and longtime offset commercial printer wanted to sell all their offset equipment and go 100 per cent digital. This is no small operation. The pressroom held two 16-page webs and a six-colour 40-in. press. I’d never encountered a situation as significant and evolutionary before, and as I travelled, I assumed the company’s president wasn’t completely serious. I held onto that notion until I walked into the area that used to house their offset webs. It was all true; this company had overnight transitioned from typical old-school printing methods to a shiny new HP T250 HD inkjet roll-fed press. As I stood and watched, the HP, with only two operators (it looked as if one was enough), hummed along at close to 500 ft per minute from paper rolls through to a bespoke ribbon-deck finishing line that folded and then collected complete products ready for (in this case) perfect binding.

The owner likes to say he grew up making “signatures.” Now, no longer. The plant also doesn’t need a battery of traditional folding machines, as pages are printed in order and bound.

As if the HP T250 HD to a perfect bound book—sans signatures—wasn’t enough, the same HP runs roll-to-roll. Then the printed rolls are sent to another line, encompassing a Hunkler sheeter, an MBO eight-page folding section and finally into a Müller-Martini Prinova stitcher. The Prinova collects each folded signature until the book is complete, then sends it along where a cover feeder can fold and feed a cover. One operator for the whole line. There are no skids of signatures awaiting the entire book to be printed. Printing and binding are in real-time with few personnel and drastically lower costs. Run lengths vary from a few thousand to well over 30,000 copies.

The 40-in. sheetfed, mainly used for cover work (also equipped with UV), hasn’t seen a job in months, with all the work transferred to a few recently installed toner cut-sheet digital presses.

With such a long, successful history, this printing firm had to overcome two world wars, a global depression and fierce competition in the transactional and book printing segments. Today, they have accomplished something few thought feasible: a completely digital process from workflow to delivery.

This isn’t the first HP T250 HD or HP T485 HD installations and Hunkler and Müller-Martini aren’t new to collaboration. Twenty years ago at Drupa 2004, these two were running with Koenig & Bauer’s RotaJet. HP has been marketing the web lines for over 10 years. Transitions of this kind continue to spread. Whether it be Ricoh’s ProZ75, Canon’s ColorStream or Xeikon’s SX30000, choose a partner, as there are many. What has changed is the frequency of these new technologies taking the lead away from old-school offset. The tsunami is already here. Discover it soon.

Nick Howard, partner in Howard Graphic Equipment and Howard Iron Works, is a printing historian, consultant and Certified Appraiser of capital equipment. He can be reached at nick@howardgraphicequipment.com.

The low tack, picking and piling characteristics of the product result in “excellent board compatibility” and “the product’s low misting characteristics improve performance on high-speed presses,” said a company statement.

Novasens P670 Prime is compliant with INGEDE de-inking requirements and is formulated with 75 per cent renewable raw materials. The series complies with standards including FDA, ISEGA, EuPIA, Swiss Ordinance, and the Dutch Commodities Act.

Emil Schroetter, technology director – sheetfed for Flint Group’s Offset Packaging Solutions, said, “Novasens P670 Prime delivers quality without compromise and unlocks unmatched performance regardless of the board grade used. Furthermore, the ink system comfortably performs on fast-running presses, ensuring excellent printability and increased productivity across multiple press types. Importantly, this product boasts the widest regulatory compliance of any Flint Group Sheetfed ink series in addition to a suite of proven environmental benefits.”

While many in INSEAD’s academic community say climate change is the biggest threat to business in 2024, INSEAD also firmly believes that this is an area where businesses can be a force for good.

Climate change

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) Global Risks Report 24 based on a survey of 1500 global leaders gave a similar perspective. Two-thirds of respondents rank environmental risks as “most likely to present a material crisis on a global scale” in 2024.

At the WEG annual general meeting in Davos, the patron of INSEAD’s Hoffmann Institute, Andre Hoffman, spoke about the need for long-term thinking in managing the environmental impacts of organizations.

Hoffmann said. “It’s the question of a functional economy… We need to make sure we understand the consequences and dependencies we have on the three main capitals: the social, the human and the natural. The idea of a business that is completely independent of nature [doesn’t] go very far.”

Geopolitical crises

The threat of geopolitical crisis looms large. Conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan are obvious contributing factors, but other variables are at play. This year, 64 countries have elections, entitling about half of the world’s population to vote. Outcomes may intensify geopolitical tensions and lead to more conflict.

Social instability

Social instability can be the spark for, and a consequence of, geopolitical crises. It is also an area where businesses can have a positive impact.

The surge in AI-generated misinformation and disinformation is one of the catalysts for increased societal and political division. Furthermore, civil society is becoming less trusting towards leaders and institutions. The ingredients for polarisation and unrest are clearly present.

Income and wealth inequality

INSEAD sees income and wealth inequality as both a risk to business and an area where business can make a positive impact. The World Bank’s Gini Index indicates that income inequality has worsened following the Coronavirus pandemic. According to the World Bank, poorer countries took a bigger economic hit than richer countries in 2020. And generally, poorer households lost jobs and income at slightly higher rates than more affluent households, contributing to greater worldwide poverty and inequality.

These global trends suggest a challenging time ahead. However, with its critical role in society, business (a more competent and ethical institution than governments, NGOs, and the media, according to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer) has power. With this power comes responsibility. The responsibility to function as a force for good. In fact in the Edelman Trust Barometer, 62 per cent of respondents expect CEOs to manage changes occurring in society, as well as in their organization.

So, we are in a testing period no doubt. But not without agency. Business leaders, in print and elsewhere can make a difference, levering and justifying the trust that the general public has in their competence and ethics. By promoting responsible choices, by implementing sustainable practices and sourcing, by taking part in community initiatives and sponsorships, and by supporting charities and just causes. And also, very simply, just by continuing to set an example in terms of integrity and passion, your business sits on the right side of the line, a force for good.

John Blyth is marketing and communications manager, Graphic Communications Group, Ricoh Europe

Now, don’t get me wrong; the industry has made great investments and strides into assembling some of the greatest and coolest technology out there. From new advancements in sheetfed printings to short-run digital print, variable capabilities, web-to-print, and expanded colour gamut, the list goes on. But how do we perceive these advances against what’s happening in other industries that are inhabited by our (as well as potential) clients? Print lovers who have lived in our industry over the past decades will tell you there is still a place for print in the world, that it means something to folks and can still be useful to organizations outside the publication sector. But do we really agree with that? More importantly, do our future customers and partners agree with that? Do we know our future customers? Why is it that we, as a collective group, only see advancements in technology as a way to better serve our current crop of customers, a group that is constantly dwindling due to market variables. Have we thought about the lack of knowledge regarding print in the digital-native generation, which includes millennials and the groups that came after them. With the age of AI (artificial intelligence) upon us, how will we, as an industry, shift focus to educate the world on print.

Power of data

It’s time for us to not only look at print technology, but also how we can incorporate print into existing tech. Online privacy laws have become much more restricted with stricter ad-blocks for digital advertising and a need for opt-in-consent of emails. As a result, organizations will lose the ability to reach out to the masses and generate revenue. Variable printing is an attractive option in these times. It is extremely powerful and has a higher success and open rate than traditional printed pieces, but let’s dig a little deeper.

Our clients have powerful CRM software that houses a lot of data about their customers. They might not understand how to target market different segments of that information to maximize their objectives. They may understand that they have data, but at the same time, they might be purchasing new leads lists because they want to grow by X per cent year over year. How about helping them better understand their own data? What if you could show them that 60 per cent, for example, made it to the checkout page and only 18 per cent made the purchase. What can we do with that information? Well, for starters, we take the time to help clients understand the metrics behind variable print—explain to them variable printed pieces have an open rate of 79 per cent, per my company’s internal data metrics, and if you sent an individually messaged note to more than 10,000 prospects, there’s an eight/10 chance for them to make a sale or garner more attention to their physical or online storefront. The key is to incorporate digital data the client has and automate it into a print process. If we can unify these two worlds, then we will have a two-pronged approach to generate revenue. This will open doors to new markets.

I bet you’re wondering what the ROI is on these types of personalized notes. However, what’s more important is to understand what that ROI means to a customer and where it can be seen along the sales process.

Is there a place in this world for print? Absolutely. Can the industry be perceived as cool and fun in the global marketplace? Yes, no doubt. There is a place for print to be more functional, a place where we can intertwine it with the latest technologies and provide our industry with a different set of product offerings. These solutions will continue to educate people on the relevance of print for generations to come and in a world where we stand as tall as digital.

The bottom-line is that print is here to stay, so let’s get creative albeit in a different way.

A.J. Rai is the vice-president of sales at Mitchell Press, Burnaby, B.C. He can be reached at ajrai@mitchellpress.com.

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

For the first time in North America, Fujifilm will be showcasing its new mid-sized Acuity Prime Hybrid printer, specifically developed for wide format printing on a variety of substrates. The inkjet printer is a mid-range LED UV wide format press capable of printing both rigid and roll substrates. It allows for printing on flexible and rigid material up to 2 in. thick and roll media up to 6.5 ft wide. It has the ability to print up to 1,518 sf an hour.

“The ISA International Sign Expo is a must-attend event for graphics professionals, and we’re very eager to engage with creative sign professionals and show our latest innovations,” said Hidetoshi “Toshi” Kino, general manager, Fujifilm North America, Graphic Communication Division. “ISA and Fujifilm share a unique fun fact: we’re both celebrating milestone anniversaries this year, with ISA touting 80 years, and Fujifilm celebrating 90 years of excellence and innovation. Something else we have in common is our strong commitment to this industry, a tradition we look forward to continuing.”

The Kongsberg C68 Exact drafting and cutting machine has been specifically developed for industries demanding the utmost accuracy, such as the aviation, aerospace or adjacent precision-focused sectors.

“Built for those sectors with extremely high expectations of accuracy combined with a large area, the Kongsberg C68 Exact sets a new standard for precision in very large format drawing and light cutting,” said Stuart Fox, CEO and president of Kongsberg PCS. “With this latest innovation, we are realizing our stated ambition of exploring new markets and delivering on our objective of further developing our digital solutions to grow the Kongsberg brand beyond the print and packaging industries.”

Hosted by the Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA) and media and marketing forum the Debating Group, discussions were held on the motion that “Printed paper is the preferred medium of record, whilst also a sustainable marketing communications format”.

Of course, most of us are already aware of the many reasons why print is consistently chosen and for the majority it will be no surprise that the room unequivocally found in favour of the motion.

The debate covered the most widely acknowledged reasons why print is trusted and valued. They included:

• Engagement – Richard Pepper, founder of greetings card service Funky Pigeon, said human beings simply engage with the medium better than they do with the digital word. Deep learning comes from reading books.
• Sustainability – Digital media is often considered to be consequence free by consumers who are often encouraged to go paperless for environmental purposes. Jonathan Tame, managing director of Two Sides, pointed out paper’s high European recycling rates and that pulp is grown in expanding European forests. This compares to electronic devices that are rarely recycled and rely on extractive mining of non-renewable materials as well as the ICT industry which accounts for five to nine per cent of energy use globally. The latter could rise to 14 per cent of global emissions by 2050. Emma Newman, chief revenue officer, EMEA of digital advertising firm PubMatic, responded that while nearly 90 per cent of PubMatic’s energy usage is from its data centres, U.K. data centres and all global collocation data centres are powered exclusively by renewable energy. She added the transparency of data-driven marketing operations, where every process can be logged, allows for proactive action to drive carbon reduction.
• Highly targeted marketing – This was acknowledged by John Booth, data centre expert and founder of sustainable IT consultancy Carbon3IT. Highly customised communications see the greatest return on investment.
• Tangible impact – Booth also recognized how print’s success can be measured. There are numerous studies that show how effective print is in driving action and achieving return on investment.
• Near-universal deliverability – Booth accepted print’s ability to reach a wide and varied audience. Combined with the ability to deliver consistently interesting and engaging content enables the creation of desirable, and as a result, successful communications.
• Medium of record – Booth agreed that historically, printed paper is the preferred medium of record in some sectors, such as legal and banking.

The last four points, Booth said, were also possible with digital media with many business environments digitalizing content, from internet banking and libraries to legal papers. He said this allowed for real time updates, helped keep users informed of latest news events and developments and ensured information is up-to-date and relevant.

IPIA general manager Brendan Perring defended the printed word too. He said print, being static, is a strength for a medium of record, while digital’s weakness is that it can be changed and edited. He concluded that in a world where moral integrity and the meaning of truth is under threat, digital needs an ally.

Print and digital can be combined to deliver powerful, memorable, and hyper personal messages that can be delivered in highly sustainable way.

Erwin Busselot is director, business innovation and solutions, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe

Digital Pro Plus has a standard web width of 13 in. (330 mm), and a 1200 x 2400 print resolution, equivalent to 3600 DPI. It is capable of production speeds up to 76 ft/min (23 m/min) on a variety of substrates from paper to supported films and foil.

“We genuinely see it as a clear roadmap for growth as its capability can be scaled up as and when required. It’s the right press for high-quality CMYK printing roll-to-roll but is easily and affordably upgradeable to a full-scale inline production tool that can include flexo printing before and after the digital unit, cold foil, lamination, semi-rotary die cutting, slitting, scoring, sheeting, and delivery onto a stack conveyor – it really is a great all-rounder,” said Mark Andy’s newly appointed product manager for digital presses Ben Luly.

The Nekoosa Dye Sublimation Transfer Paper is paper-based and 100 per cent recyclable. $5 Nekoosa Bucks are also available in Nekoosa Dye Sublimation Transfer Paper. Users can collect Nekoosa Bucks in select rolls of the new product and wide-format print media year-round and redeem them online for a gift card of their choice.

All respond to the consumer’s desire to feel special, valued and understood. This next level ability to communicate is delivered by hyper personalization. Rather than focusing on segments or groups, it concentrates on the individual. We also know it as one-to-one marketing, of course. It uses big data, artificial intelligence, and data analytics including customer scoring, in real time to deliver products, content, and experiences tailored to each customer’s unique needs, preferences, and context. Going beyond simple facts like a customer’s name, geographic location, demographic data, and search and purchase history, it accesses more advanced and complex information. This can include a customer’s purchasing behaviour, browsing activity, response rates to notifications and times when they are active. Artificial intelligence analyses the data and creates insights that help businesses deliver highly customized campaigns. It increases the likelihood that communications contain optimal content as well as enhances customer satisfaction.

There are at least five reasons for brands to make hyper personalization a part of their marketing strategy:

• Increased revenue –  An Accenture Interactive report found that 91 per cent of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that recognize, remember, and provide them with relevant offers and recommendations. Offering a hyper personalized experience demonstrates that customers matter. As a result, they are more likely to make purchases and become repeat customers. For example, in the insurance industry the first sale is often made at a loss to act as a “door opener” that leads to selling more insurance. This makes for a complex customer relationship that’s by definition “sticky”. This principle applies also to B2B marketing, especially with follow up sales.
• Better customer experience – An accurate understanding of a customer eliminates irrelevant interactions, thereby ensuring time and effort efficiency for communications. It increases engagement and helps deliver information that is interesting, valuable, and memorable. Research by Boston Consulting Group discovered that customers who experienced a high level of personalization provided customer loyalty scores 20 per cent higher than those who experienced a low level of personalization.
• Reduced customer churn – Winning customers is a lot more expensive than retaining them. Hyper personalization is a proven way to maintain brand interest. It is even expected – a McKinsey report found 71 per cent of consumers want companies to deliver personalized interactions. And 76 per cent get frustrated when this doesn’t happen.
• Boosts marketing ROI – Marketing is a huge business cost if not implemented effectively. Return on investment is shaped by three metrics: conversion rate, average order value, and customer acquisition costs. Hyper personalization delivering accurate and relevant targeting of products and messaging increases the first two and lowers the last one. In fact, Econsultancy reported 80 per cent of companies experienced an uplift following the implementation of personalization.
• Dynamic targeting – Hyper personalization is dynamic. Data is updated – unlike traditional personalization where, once the information is collected, it is not checked. It reflects changing customer needs, preferences, and behaviours such as life milestones and new interests.

Brands can enjoy all of these with creative digital print that delivers highly customized content and offers that drive action. Highly impactful, meaningful, and measurable communications can be created that ensure your clients’ customers feel understood and valued as well as keep them connected and encourage long-term loyalty.

Erwin Busselot is director Business Innovation & Solutions, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe.

“We are excited to bring these new printers to market,” said Todd Zimmerman, SVP/GM Display Graphics & OEM Ink of EFI. “Vutek printers have been the leader in the hybrid category in signs and display graphics for more than two decades, with more than 300 installations worldwide. The Vutek h+ series answers some of the key pain points for our customers, all while improving ease of use and offering the LED environmentally friendly benefits you expect from EFI Vutek technology.”

Media handling improvements are some of the most notable enhancements in the Vutek h+ series. An upgraded vacuum table allows for better control of thicker media and thin-light-edged materials, thanks to double the vacuum strength on the print table.

For more information about the EFI Vutek h+ series and other sign and display graphics printing solutions, visit www.efi.com.

While familiarity can be comforting it breeds complacency and diminishes excitement. In fact consultancy Accenture reports a YouGov survey found that 45 per cent of global respondents find shopping experiences dull. Accenture’s own Life Trends 2024 survey reported 35 per cent of respondents consider app designs to be indistinguishable across brands, with the sentiment rising to nearly 40 per cent among 18 to 24 year olds.

Customers yearn for the thrill of newness. In response brands should respond with a mix of familiarity and innovation. Whether in the form of cutting-edge products, immersive campaigns, or unexpected collaborations, novelty delivers sustained interest and emotional connection.

Generative AI is increasingly being deployed in creative processes to strive for new ways to be seen. But there is the danger that this novel approach quickly becomes commonplace. It could then become more difficult to stand out, as competition for attention increases due to the volume of content being created. On the other hand, differentiation could become easier because, as organizations lean heavily on generative AI, human creativity could set others apart.

Where there’s a void of novelty, there’s opportunity – in a sea of familiarity, originality truly stands out. This is true for all forms of communication.

Creativity can be expensive, but the investment usually pays off in the richness of the quality of results. Accenture makes these recommendations:

• Make friends with risk – rather than sacrifice quality for speed, reintroduce craft, creativity, fun, and attention to detail.
• Break the technology templates – to avoid bland, recycled, templated design content, skilled creatives should be involved in the use of generative AI to deliver something truly creative that breaks through.
• Know thyself – a deep understanding of the brand’s identity and culture makes it possible to take creative risks and to focus on the right metrics.

Employing fresh ways to differentiate is a key challenge for businesses and one that print can help meet.

Industry leaders such as Peter Field, Tyler Brûlé and Sonoo Singh agree. They applaud the effectiveness of print in capturing attention in advertising. Kevin Longhurst of IPG media company Magna adds that whether through direct mail, newspaper adverts, catalogues, magazines, or door drops, print media consistently proves its power to enhance other channels. There is a very good reason why digital giants like Amazon, Disney and Netflix include print advertising in their media mix.

Print can also drive up client engagement (79 per cent of mail is read) and prompt a commercial action (41 per cent) as discussed here. Digital print supports the creation of targeted content that is delivered to a pre-determined select group. Action can be encouraged by QR codes that also aid accurate measurability with for example UTM tracking codes, which can be used to report KPIs, or power seamless collaboration of physical and online channels.

Unleashing a more imaginative approach doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. Attention grabbing and attention holding communications can be curated to hit the mark and drive interaction. Discover how you can transform the bland into brilliance to enthral and captivate.

What is the state of the print industry today, in your opinion?

SC: Exciting! The technology is forever evolving, and the possibilities continue to expand. While the majority of our business is weddings, our customers are continuously pushing us to learn new techniques and adopt new technologies to bring their designs to life. We continue to add technology, and subsequently, new capabilities. This is in addition to our core strengths, which remain in specialty print and finishing. Technology is allowing us to deliver more complex projects quicker with a greater degree of accuracy.

What attracted you to the print industry in the first place?

SC: I went to school for fine art. I specialized in printmaking, and then I kind of left that for a while. I started working more in digital and web design. It wasn’t until I was working with a letterpress printer to create our wedding invites that I was re-introduced to physical print. I started a greeting card company in the back bedroom of our house in Toronto, and eventually started designing and printing wedding stationery. Word got out that there was a new specialty printer in Canada, and we started to get requests from other wedding stationers to print their designs. That side of the business grew so quickly that the decision was made to focus on production and move away from greeting cards. The single garage became a double garage, then 1000 sf, and most recently, several thousand along with a handful of employees.

How can the industry attract more young people?

SC: The industry serves young people. The more they can become part of the process, the more they will come. The entrepreneurial spirit seems to be alive and well with young people, and because the cost of entry into the industry can be low, more youngsters are starting businesses printing on all kinds of things from clothes and wood to acrylic. We have friends who have started businesses in their apartments with a laser or silkscreen and now have scaled to the point where they have converted from side hustle to full time. In many cases, they’re providing a living wage to others.

In such a competitive landscape, how can printers win more sales?

SC: It is important to understand your business and strengths. Printing is no longer only about paper and ink. We recently attended a print show and were amazed at how people were able to do one thing really well and building a very lucrative business around that one product or service. We happen to focus on specialty printing on a wide variety of papers using both digital and analogue techniques. We don’t print t-shirts, mugs, or vehicle wraps. However, there are plenty of shops doing just that and making a decent living doing so. If you are good at what you do, you will attract the people who are seeking what you provide.

What are some of the biggest opportunities you see in the print industry?

SC: The constant evolution of technology is opening up possibilities for creators. The idea that small runs and one-off products can be created very easily and inexpensively is allowing creators to prove concepts and establish need prior to investing or printing massive runs. Additionally, platforms like Etsy and Amazon Handmade are enabling makers to test the market and maintain manageable inventory levels. They are also allowing those same creators to reach audiences that they never could have hoped for 10 years ago.

What do you think is the most exciting thing about print today?

SC: The sheer volume of print products that are available today are creating opportunities for the creators. Innovation in technology and creative minds pushing the limits of their capacity make for an interesting combo that perpetuates this cycle.

Sibylle Cox’s response was edited for length. For more Q&A Spotlight interviews, please visit www.printaction.com/profile.

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of PrintAction.

The two new grades of paper in this product line are made to be used as adhesive facestock for food and industrial label applications in which there may be adverse conditions such as moisture, grease or solvents.

The entire Termax range is manufactured in accordance with the ISO 14001 and EMAS environmental standards, the ISO 50001 energy management standard, the ISO 9001 quality standard, and the ISO 45001 occupational health and safety standard. It can also be ordered with PEFC Chain of Custody and FSC C011032 forest certifications.

Yet, if we want to envision a sustainable and harmonious future, we must change our attitudes and discourse, offer new solutions that embody the challenges of tomorrow, disrupt deeply rooted habits, approach growth differently, and recognize that there is not just one way of doing things.

Digital technologies, which commercial printing and the label industry have embraced for a long time, will inevitably contribute, whether we are convinced or reluctant, to providing new perspectives in service of projects and needs. Behind digitalization lies not only the printing aspect, which is often seen in opposition to conventional approaches like offset or flexography, but also a world of finishing, including embellishments such as varnish and foil stamping, as well as cutting, automated workflow management, and enhanced prepress control that bridges the gap between clients and production.

To embrace and perhaps anticipate these technologies, the key is to evolve the mindset, adopt a holistic approach, reconsider the relationship with clients and the market, and thus transform the company culture, allowing new capabilities to permeate and impact all levels of society.

Digital synergies

Web-to-print, continuously evolving in its approach to the market, anticipating needs, and delivering highly refined customer experiences, has directly benefited from the new capabilities offered by digital advancements. It certainly would not have revolutionized the market without this contribution. However, we must not forget that web-to-print and digital technologies mutually leverage and feed off each other to progress and gain market share, forming a virtuous spiral.

In turn, web-to-pack benefits from the capabilities provided by digital means dedicated to the packaging and point-of-sales industry.

This, in turn, justifies the development of new equipment and solutions by manufacturers. The combination of digital and web-to-pack undoubtedly contributes to democratizing access to simplified packaging solutions that were previously reserved for experts with minimum volumes.

It now allows any brand or project holder to launch, test the market, make mistakes, backtrack, and avoid imposing heavy commitments.

Rapid web-to-pack market growth

All of these factors contribute to the rapid growth of the market share captured by web-to-pack without impeding the traditional business conducted on a personal basis. Moreover, the increasing number of new product launches, special and limited editions, and the incredible trend of offering numerous variations of the same product—to cater to individual consumers’ preferred flavour, colour, etc.—all contribute to the explosion of demands that require online solutions coupled with digital production technologies. If these numerous packages are produced locally, directly within the workshops connected to the web-to-pack platform, the loop is closed.

We are witnessing the development of more or less advanced and transparent web-to-pack offerings, indicating that these solutions seem like El Dorados. However, let us not be mistaken. The production of packaging, even with digital equipment, requires well-controlled processes and technical know-how that are acquired over time, sometimes through setbacks. Some platforms simply act as intermediaries, selling products produced by local or exotic manufacturers, while others make the radical choice of controlling their processes and production in-house, despite the constraints and difficulties this process entails. However, they retain all the added value within their own company.

As with any epic journey, we are witnessing the creation, consolidation, disappearance, and rapid growth of companies until the market structure solidifies. In the meantime, ingenuity and creativity know no bounds, naturally pushing the boundaries.

The remarkable ability of human beings to invent and reinvent themselves gives us hope for a promising future, albeit different from what we know today. Ultimately, one question remains: Do we wish for something better tomorrow, or can we become better ourselves? That is quite a program.

Fred Corbo is CEO and owner of SmilePack.fr, a web-to-pack platform. A part of the Drupa Essentials of Print Series, this article was published in the November/December 2023 issue of PrintAction.