Print Innovation Asia 12

Print INNOVATION

Asia

Magazine

Printing, Packaging and Publishing Industries across Asia since 1986 Issue 12

Discover the new dimensions of modern ink saving software Read the full article from page 40 of this issue

5th INTERNATIONAL PACKAGING AND PRINTING EXHIBITION FOR ASIA

22- 25 SEP 2021 BITEC • BANGKOK

www.pack-print.de

325

National Pavilions and Groups

leading exhibiting companies from

from Germany, Taiwan, Thailand, China and Singapore

30

countries and regions

International Visiting Delegations

More than

19,000

from the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Korea, Japan and many more, as well as local group visits from Thailand's printing and

trade visitors from

63

countries, making up a 30% overseas participation Supported by:

I

Messe DUsseldorf / Organizer of:

packaging industries

For enquiries:

Within Thailand:

Exposis Co., Ltd Tel (66} 2559 0856 _ Fax (66} 2559 2893 info@exposis.co.th

Overseas:

Messe DUsseldorf Asia Tel (65} 6332 9620 _ Fax (65} 6332 9655 ppi@mda.com.sg

Jointly organized by:

8* au1Aumsuss,il'irurllna

THE THAI PACKAGING ASSOCIATION

The Thai Printing Association

f Messe Diisseldorf Asia

Winners announced soon.......

Asian PrintAwards 2019 th

PACKAGING EXCELLENCE AWARDS: 2020

2020

_018 020 VIETNAM - August Contents Page 4

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Real books still outsell e-books — here’s why New Heidelberg Versafire and Prinect DFE 2020 offer flexible application options Digital Printing Driving Innovation in Textile Printing.

HP gets largest packaging deal with ePac’s $100m spend What’s next in inkjet and the many reasons to adopt it.

Providing creative solutions to expanding Chinese markets Disruptive tools to combat counterfeiting Memjet OEMs Power the Future of Label and Package Production Craftsmanship Brings Print to Life What Makes an Award-Winning Print?

Chinese printer goes with the Lithrone G46 Discover the new dimensions of modern ink saving software 2019 innovation ranking – study confirms printing industry’s innovation credentials Koenig & Bauer captivates printers in China The 3 Big Packaging Print Concerns Brands Have Right Now - (and how to answer them) The Vanishing CEO News from around Asia and the world

Issue 12

Print INNOVATION

Asia Magazine

Published by Asian Print Awards Management Pte Ltd Level 28, Office 28-31 Clifford Centre, 24 Raffles Place, Singapore 048621 Print Innovation Asia Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia Asian Print Awards Packageing Excellence Awards Label and Packaging Conferences Publisher

Paul Callaghan paul@printinnovationasia.com

Editorial

Elizabeth Liew elizabeth@printinnovationasia.com Editor Sha Jumari sha@printinnovationasia.com Packaging Sales Elizabeth Liew elizabeth@printinnovationasia.com

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

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Real books still outsell e-books — here’s why Do you prefer reading an e-book or a physical version? It might be a surprise, but for most people, old school print on paper still wins.

Publishers of books in all formats made almost $26 billion in revenue last year in the U.S., with print making up $22.6 billion and e-books taking $2.04 billion, according to the Association of American Publishers’ annual report 2019. Those figures include trade and educational books, as well as fiction.

While digital media has disrupted other industries such as news publishing and the music business, people still love to own physical books, according to Meryl Halls, managing director of the Booksellers’ Association in the U.K. “I think the e-book bubble has burst somewhat, sales are flattening off, I think the physical object is very appealing. Publishers are producing incredibly gorgeous books, so the cover designs are often gorgeous, they’re beautiful objects,” she told CNBC. People love to display what they’ve read, she added. “The book lover loves to have a record of what they’ve read, and it’s about signaling to the rest of the world. It’s about decorating your home, it’s about collecting, I guess, because people are completists aren’t they, they want to have that to indicate about themselves.”

Genres that do well in print include nature, cookery and children’s books, while people prefer to read crime, romantic novels and thrillers via e-reader, according to Nielsen Book International.

It’s more than a decade since Amazon launched the Kindle, and for Halls, there is also a hunger for information and a desire to escape the screen. “It’s partly the political landscape, people are looking for escape, but they are also looking for information. So, they are coming to print for a whole, quite a complex mess of reasons and I think … it’s harder to have an emotional relationship with what you’re reading if it’s on an e-reader.”

While millennials are sometimes blamed for killing industries, it’s actually younger people who appear to be popularizing print. Sixty-three percent of physical book sales in the U.K. are to people under the age of 44, while 52% of e-book sales are to those over 45, according to Nielsen.

It’s a similar picture in the U.S., where 75% of people aged 18 to 29 claimed to have read a physical book in 2017, higher than the average of 67%, according to Pew Research.

Not every author is a fan of e-books: “The Catcher in the Rye” author JD Salinger famously resisted digital media and information sharing online, but in August his estate agreed to publish his work as e-books for the first time.

Salinger’s son Matt said a letter from a woman with a hand-related disability who found physical books hard to handle had convinced him to make his books available, according to a report in the Guardian.

As for the future of books, all formats will continue to be in demand, according to Jacks Thomas, director of The London Book Fair. “People always need knowledge and people always need stories, so from that point of view, the very core of the book industry I am sure is very strong. I’ll be really interested to see what the classroom of the future is because I think that will dictate a huge amount as to how future generations will engage with the written word … Or will it be the spoken word, but it will still be stories and it will still be knowledge, those aspects of books will still need to be curated. So, I think that the book, in whatever format, has a strong future,”.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

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New Heidelberg Versafire and Prinect DFE 2020 offer flexible application options • Increased production capabilities thanks to the new inline finishing modules for a fully flexible print production • New interposer for optimal hybrid production of digital and offset sheets • Prinect Digital Frontend Version 2020 with new functionalities providing full support for the new finishing equipment • New automatic ICC profiling for all print media • Available worldwide as of December 2019 Heidelberg continues actively to develop the digital solutions Versafire EV and EP for commercial applications by offering new hardware options for in-line finishing as well as a new updated version of Prinect DFE which not only supports this but also comes with new functionalities. Thanks to this, customers will benefit from an improved integration of both print technologies and processes.

With the new feeder and postpress options, the new systems offer even more production versatility. The new Plockmatic banner feeder is designed for high-volume production of print products in the 330 x 700 millimeter format, for example for a six-page A4 flyer. There is also a new standard and booklet finisher with a doubleslot delivery compartment for nonstop production. In addition, the booklet finisher can now staple and fold up to 30 sheets. The new airassisted Interposer makes it possible to feed pre-printed sheets or unprinted separator sheets from two trays into the job. For example, the sheets can be pre-printed in offset and then - at

the desired position - added to the digital prints. This makes fully flexible hybrid production of digital and offset possible and the advantages of both printing processes can be optimally exploited. In order to ensure high availability of the Versafire, the ease of maintenance has also been significantly improved.

Prinect Digital Frontend Version 2020 integrates the new functions in order to make maximum and efficient use of the new capabilities.

The new functionalities in Prinect DFE Version 2020 support the expanded capabilities of the finishing hardware.

The complete presetting of the feeder and finishing modules is integrated for a fully automatic production workflow.

The Prinect DFE Version 2020 also offers additional options for even more flexible impositioning or register sheet printing. Thanks to the PDF plugin "Document Assembly", training documents with register and separating sheets can now be conveniently prepared on a separate workstation.

The resulting PDF can then be automatically processed in Prinect DFE Version 2020 and in the Versafire.

In addition, media-specific ICC profiles can be generated in a few intuitive steps in considerably less than ten minutes without specialist knowledge. These color profiles can significantly improve output quality, especially on tinted media.

Existing Versafire EV and EP systems can be upgraded with a firmware upgrade to connect the new finishing devices. The new Versafire options will be available worldwide as of December 2019.

"We are reaping the benefits of our long-standing partnership with Ricoh by offering our customers more and more options through a powerful digital printing system," confirmed Manuela Gomez, Head of Commercial Digital Printing at Heidelberg. "Prinect 2020 also gives us the opportunity to integrate the best of both worlds - offset and digital - and to become an integral part of our customers' production system".

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

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Digital Printing Dri in Textile Printing.

For decades, digital printing for the fashion, dĂŠcor, industrial, and graphics industry was relegated to sampling and short run printing.

With the advantages of innovative inkjet technology, the industry is now addressing the demand for environmentally responsible output, innovative designs, and the need to improve supply chain operation.

This article examines the latest textile industry trends and examines the dynamics that digital innovations have on this massive industry supply chain.

Innovations in design, digital print, as well as cutting and sewing of textilebased products.

The Textile Transformation Like many industries, the textile printing market has been changing to adopt new innovative technologies aimed at addressing a new generation of consumers, brands, as well as the supply chain. This massive industry, with over a trillion and a half dollars in annual business value in the apparel and accessories sector, is undergoing a transformation.

Brands must adjust to appeal to a new generation of consumers who shop in both brick-and-mortar stores as well as through online retailers. With the digital age now an economic certainty, brands as well as textile mills must adapt. Many of these changes have

evolved in the past decade as early high-speed production digital textile solutions emerged (1). The changes are impactful in several key areas.

Productivity One of the largest areas in textile printing that has improved dramatically is the ability to produce just-in-time any length of fabrics or garments. With no cylinder or screen make ready, and with the advent of sophisticated workflow automation tools, textile mills can now produce any design rapidly - meeting the needs of designers and brands trying to meet the quick changeover in the fashion industry. Additionally, innovations in colour matching and design are revving up the creative process, shrinking creation time from months down to weeks to even just mere days.

Creativity In the textile space, improvements in productivity and simplified design have

also translated to greater creativity.

With the ability to produce single item runs, there is no mass production risk associated with taking new designers on. Many brands are allowing budding designers to enter the fray and compete for mind share and recognition. It is common place today to be able and order quarter yard of fabric from traditional textile mills or a new generation of mass customization ondemand producers.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

iving Innovation .

BY Rob Gilboa

(reaching about 4 billion square meters in 2022 ). With productivity and creativity trends urging companies to adapt a more flexible production schedule that prioritizes product diversity, it is only natural that improvements would come to the supply chain.

Environment Lastly, environmental sustainability continues to rise to the forefront of service provider responsibility.

Research has repeatedly shown that younger generations – particularly Generation Z – prioritize sustainability when it comes to product selection. In many cases, this age group is willing to pay more for products that were created with sustainability in mind. For the textile industry, this means a change.

For generations, textile manufacturers have been considered a large polluter, with 20% of waste water produced by textile mills globally.

Optimizing the supply chain Now that we have broadly outlined the textile transformation and the factors driving it, we can more fully discuss just how the textile market is changing as digital fabric printing print volume continues to grow at 19% CAGR

Integration into Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) When brands plan their next season, they usually resort to the use of a Product Life Cycle Management system (PLM). These tools are aggregators of all the components needed to usher in a new successful season. From managing resources (ERP), design components, collection and ensembles, to patterns and product photography, these collaborative platforms enable all the functions and processes in the creation of next season’s products - a coordinated effort from brands, designers, textile mills, and cut & sew operations to the logistics that move products to shelves or ship them out in packages.

Just-in-time manufacturing While just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing has technically been a term that has existed since the 1960s, it has grown in applicability in recent decades. JIT manufacturing allows new businesses to get their product lines to market in days or weeks, rather than months. For larger organizations, it can mean rapid response to the fashion industry needs to meet seasonal demand. Seasonal

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

10 These fit into the growing uses of e-commerce in the apparel industry at large, where continued growth will drive estimated revenues up to $145 Billion by 2023 according to Statista 2018 digital market Outlook.

Several suppliers epitomize this trend, pointing out to the need for customization for a community of likeminded people and, on a larger scale, addressing the needs of the masses with diverse customized products.

Leading the way here in Asia, the Kornit Atlas is a heavy-duty system created for super-industrial garment decoration businesses. It is designed for upcoming market needs, and easily adaptable to new features and product developments. Just one of many products Kornit provides customers in the region variations can be on shelves on time, giving textile companies better ability to please their customers.

Digital printing: Reduction in overstock and warehousing The shift toward digital printing can also mean improved inventory planning, resulting in less overstock and warehousing needs. As textile service providers move away from longer runs and shift toward short, varied, targeted production – they have been better able to match product to client need. Clothing can now be made as needed rather than in bulk order, letting companies spend less on inventory that may or may not sell.

These capabilities ushered in a new

type of fabric suppliers - On Demand manufacturers. These companies use a Purchase Activated Manufacturing business model, whereby production commence only once an order was received and paid for in advance. There are no finished goods in the warehouse just blank raw materials.

Rise of On Demand fabric manufacturing (Mass customization) With the supply chain being shortened using innovative print technology and continued advancements in workflow, new players have been entering the space over the last several years, empowered by easy online tools that make it simple to start selling customized clothing commercially.

Spoonflower Spoonflower has operations in the US (North Carolina) and Europe (Berlin) and has been serving the needs of creative and hobbyist markets for many years. The company has created a community of patter designers that are linked to customers on the company’s multi-faceted platform. They can customize fabrics, wallcoverings, and wrappings on the Spoonflower site, while modifying home décor elements on the Roostery site.

The company makes use of digital print technology for cotton and manmade materials that require no extensive use of water for processing, namely pigment inks for cotton and sublimation for synthetics. A key to success for Spoonflower is its on-going R&D, which looks for latest print and workflow solutions. The company also prioritizes maintaining and improving its IT infrastructure, which allows for hundreds of thousands of jobs to be processed annually - from small as 8x8” squares to multiple yards, per client needs. In the world of mass customization, purchase activated manufacturing requires great attention to shop management and production tracking to ensure defect-free output and keep down the margin of error.

Amazon (Merch) Another powerful new tool is Amazon Merch. One of the largest online retailers in the world, Amazon realized the potential in digital printing many years ago when it started printing books on demand. Today, Amazon is an investor in companies such as Kornit, which supplies the company with Direct to Garment printers that enable Amazon Merch’s “print per buy” operation. No inventory, no risk of unsold inventory.

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

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Amazon offers its front-end infrastructure to entrepreneurs with designs and ideas and then provides the ability to benefit from Amazon backend infrastructure to get those ideas fulfilled. Its services support both independent designers as well as large-scale brands such as Disney and Marvel.

Users of Amazon Merch also get to take advantage of Prime shipping, one of the leading shipping services in the US, as it has free two-day (and one-day) shipping services. That said, sellers on Amazon Merch will have to split their profits with Amazon, only earning a royalty with each sale.

The Color Soup Lastly, an example of a traditional textile manufactures with innovations in their blood: Miroglio group from Italy. With several industrial sites, the company operates in 22 countries - providing materials as well as vertically integrated fashion brands. The company has been using single pas inkjet printing since its inception in 2011 and has also been a pioneer in environmental preservation and design innovation. In 2015, the Miroglio group created The Color Soup as an online portal for the creation and ordering of high-end fashion fabrics for anyone with a browser and internet access.

Technology innovation Clearly, many of these innovative solutions would not be possible without the relentless innovation in print technology and materials science, with the latter driving the use of the various types of inks needed for the best results on a range of fabrics.

From Reactive dyes used for naturelle fibers to high energy and low energy sublimation inks, to those specialty inks for silk and nylon printing (Acid), and the emergence of new generations of pigment inks that can print on most fabrics without the intensive use of water as is the case with some textile inks - a world of design freedom and color has opened.

Digital printing has evolved from the early 80s where it was used for strike-

off only (proofing) to today where single pass sprinters reach speeds of up to 90 meters per minute. With textile specific transport systems, we have seen the impact of printhead reliability improvements and cost reduction enable production systems from 1.8 to 3.2 meters and beyond.

According to the Keypoint Intelligence annual digital textile forecast of 20172022, about 12,000 digital printing devices that produce Garment, DĂŠcor and industrial fabrics, will be placed by 2022. This will drive a cumulative effect of print volume, reaching about 4 billion square meters of printed fabrics.

There are several groups of products in the fabric printing industry, including scanning head technology, single pass and hybrid systems. Most commonplace systems are those with scanning heads not dissimilar to those used in the sign & display graphics segments. In the textile industry, however, these reach new heights to include in some cases of up to 12 color channels and upwards of 64 printheads to allow for high throughput of thousands of square meters an hour. Many of these as well use a sticky belt that enables the even transport of fabric on through the printer.

Single pass, as the name implies, lays

down all colors in a single pass. With its early introduction in 2011 by MS printing from Italy, now part of Dover Corp., single pass has enabled a new area of high-speed printing. Following its introduction, additional single pass technology emerged from a range of suppliers and today the technology is capable of printing upwards of 90 (4) linear meters per minute. The manufacturers of these systems are diligently working on multiple ink system configurations, inline quality control, and other tie-ins with industry 4.0 standards.

Lastly, hybrid systems – which combine analog and digital systems together. With initial introduction in in China (5 ), these systems are capable of harnessing analog rotary screen printing in sync with digital single pass engine to reap the benefits of both technologies. We have also lately seen flat screen analog frames in line with a scanning head printer to form a tight integration between the latest in inkjet with the veteran analog process.

A cut above Nevertheless, the main hurdle to overcome for many companies is the last stages of the process - namely converting fabrics into garments.

Cutting, Sewing, and accessorizing finished garments is still labor-intensive work that primarily takes place in lowwage skilled labor markets such as South East Asia, China, and Latin America.

This current workflow requires a level of proximity between textile mills and sewing operations.

As automation encroaches on workforces worldwide, the textile industry will undoubtedly undergo its own evolution. It is long in the making, however, as governments such as the US (through its Defense Advance Research Project Agency (DARPA)) fund projects aimed at automating the sewing progress using a multistage sewing assembly line with intelligent sewing machines and sensors.

These systems, though with more steps, can outpace human production capabilities due to their potential non-stop operation. To tie garment components together, future threads used for sewing can be digitally dyed on the fly using digital technology by

the likes of Twine (Israel), which is in production with garment manufacturer Delta Galil, producing on demand digital thread dyeing.

InfoTrends’ Opinion After several decades of development, digital textile printing is making its impact noticeable on the production volume of fabrics with 6% of share and growing at a double-digit pace. As with many printing segments, this industrial segment is part of expansive supply chain with many facets of raw material supply, brands, designers, producers, cut & sew, and logistical services.

Ensuring environmental impact is minimized and delivering customized products are ongoing trends that are impacting this massive industry.

Digital printing technology is being adopted by both established manufacturers as well as entrepreneurial companies that use IoT infrastructure to start mass customization efforts that deliver on demand. Major brands are taking note and looking for solutions that allow them to achieve key business goals - namely high-quality consistent product creation, waste and inventory reduction, and satisfying customer demand for design innovation and personalization.

Many of the lessons learned in the graphics arts industry regarding production consistency and workflow automation are now being adapted by textile printing equipment suppliers for use in their technologies.

That said, to create a significant impact, digital printing will need to move beyond quality short run printing. As the suppliers integrate 2D and 3D design that can be printed directly on clothing patterns, we will see automation kick in for cutting, sewing, and integration vertical manufacturing platforms.

These will enable micro factories to emerge locally

and produce timely customer products that will no longer require outsourcing.

When this happens, it will likely be a part of massive supply chain realignment that will take a while to fully materialize.

(1) 2011 MS Printing introduced Lario first single pass textile printer (2) https://www.unece.org/ fileadmin/DAM/timber/ meetings/2018/20180716/UN_ Partnership_on_Sustainable_Fashion_ programme_as_of_6-7-2018.pdf (3) Keypoint Intelligence 2017-2022 Digital Textile Forecast (4) EFI Regianni Bolt 2018 (5) Atexco Vega One

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

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HP gets largest packaging deal with ePac’s $100m spend As part of its global expansion, ePac unveiled that it is investing USD$100 million in HP Indigo. In 2020, the company will be rolling out HP Indigo 20000 digital presses across its locations.

The incremental order of 24 presses is the largest packaging deal to date for HP. This nearly doubles production capacity for ePac, from 28 presses in 12 locations to over 52 operating at 20 sites – including new locations opened in Canada and the UK. The investment is valued at over $100 million, including hardware, supplies and services over several years.

“In every market we enter, we experience a similar reception. SMBs partner with us to help them grow into bigger brands, and as they grow, they see opportunities to rapidly bring new products to market and run more targeted promotions. Based on our

success, we’ve decided to accelerate our business plan with an additional investment,” said Jack Knott, CEO, ePac Flexible Packaging. “We have figured out how to drive the digital transformation within the flexible packaging market for short, medium and even longer strategic runs with this game-changing technology provided by HP Indigo.” ePac taps into growing market for digital flexible packaging ePac was founded in May 2016 with just one HP Indigo 20000 press, and has grown since. In late 2018, ePac

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signed for 20 orders of the HP Indigo 20000 which was then also a recordbreaking deal. Since the beginning of 2019, ePac has more than doubled its customer base, with 75% placing repeat orders. Today, ePac serves over 5,000 customers.

“The meteoric rise of ePac and its business model based on HP Indigo digital printing technology in just a few years is truly amazing,” said Santi Morera, general manager and global head of Graphics Solutions Business, HP Inc. “Thanks to the continued collaboration between HP and ePac, brands of all sizes can obtain high-quality, digitally printed flexible packaging in quick turnaround times, with low minimum orders, high variation and personalization options.” ePac’s key markets include coffee, pet food, nutritional supplements, snacks, health and beauty, organic foods,

cheese and dairy, and bakery products.

“Our customers love the advantages of working with an eco-conscious, community-based packaging partner and the financial impact of fast time to market with the ability to order to demand,” added Carl Joachim, ePac CMO. Additional advantages of the 30-inch wide (76 cm) HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press are the 42-inch repeat and white ink options. At ePac, HP PrintOS is also an integral part of job flow, performing press performance uptime monitoring across their entire fleet of printers.

Customers taking advantage of ePac’s HP digital capabilities include: • Sock Fancy, a worldwide sock subscription service delivering monthly to customers: “The big reason we switched to ePac was personalization.

Nobody else could do this type of high-level customization. With other

companies you have to order tens of thousands of one SKU,” said Stefan Lewinger, founder and CEO. • Granarly, a granola snack company: “Since we received the ePac bags, we’ve grown tenfold, and it’s all because of the packaging,” said Morgan Potts, founder.

• Smackin' Snacks, a company producing sunflower seeds for sporting events. “The low minimum quantity and fast lead time are great for a small company and allows us to have multiple SKUs in a single order,” says Cole Schaefer, founder.

• Skratch Labs, a nutrition sports drink company. “ePac technology and digital printing enables us to order short runs of unique limited-edition packaging with HP Mosaic software, which gives us an edge over the competition,” says Elliot Freeman, vice president of marketing.

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

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What’s next in inkje reasons to adopt it.

The overriding message for drupa 2016 was that inkjet is now ready for “prime time” across a growing range of applications and well positioned to displace conventional printing methods. In 2016 we were supposed to “touch the future” and in 2020 we should really “embrace it” properly.

For 2020, everyone is guessing that drupa will signal the victory of non-impact printing. For me, 2020 will be another inkjet drupa. The success of inkjet derives from and is embedded in the very nature of the technology which can be looked at across its key elements.

Contactless printing Today, digital printing eliminates most of the inefficient downtime of a printing press, there are almost no more intermediate steps. The print service providers become more productive, they increase their responsiveness and they contribute to inventory reduction for their customers. The future of printing is set for digital and for inkjet. Xerography and offset can’t go where inkjet can go with very

large widths, printing on objects and fabrics. Inkjet technology allows printing without contact, eliminating the risk of distortion of the image or deterioration of the substrate.

No market is standing still for manufacturers and they all are redoubling their ingenuity to manage those tiny drops of ink.

Whether it means the ejectionheight compared to paper, the fragility of the heads in terms of friction, their interchangeability, the speed of ink-ejection coupled with the preciseness of each drop’s shape, the size and quality of the pigments, limitation of ink penetration into the substrate, or the improved drying of uncoated paper, etc.

We see many printhead suppliers (Memjet, Kyocera, Fuji, Xaar, Konica Minolta to name but a few) delivering higher resolution, higher speeds and lower costs. This all opens up new horizons. While heads previously only had moderate resolution and speed with limited application usage, we are witnessing an incredible development of new heads across many suppliers delivering high throughput and print resolution. Therefore, there are a lot of inkjet machine suppliers serving numerous markets from labels to large format, textiles, packaging and industrial printing.

The growth here is significant and I am convinced that we are at a clear tipping-point for inkjet to become the dominant technology at drupa 2020. We will witness some revolutionary machines and see that there is almost no limit for inkjet.

Software, Artificial Intelligence and 3D printing While the printhead itself requires advanced technologies, the inkjet magic taking place is also thanks to other key ingredients recently available such as 3D printing, advanced software and Artificial Intelligence. These components are the ultimate tools to help in perfecting the inkjet machines, thus advancing their flexibility and accuracy beyond expectation.

Some printhead manufacturers like Bobst Group Mouvent are using 3D

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

et and the many

By RĂŠgis Thienard

printing technologies to integrate all the components into a small space, with the highest level of precision, delivering compact headclusters for use across numerous technologies. Almost as simple as Lego bricks!

Adjacent technologies are truly accelerating the ongoing development of inkjet, itself invented many years ago. New algorithms help digital press builders in the search for nozzle failure, in the detection of air bubbles inside the head’s ink tank, in achieving a constant ink-ejection rate coupled with the fineness of each drop, or with fly ink shotcorrection by diverting to the jet

adjacent to the missing jet, etc‌ In short you can say that Artificial Intelligence in advanced software is helping to remove imperfections in printhead engineering.

The recently invented Industry 4.0 - which refers to machines which are augmented with wireless connectivity and sensors, connected to a system that can visualise the entire production line and make decisions of its own - is very much aligned to the principles of inkjet.

Color in abundance With presses having up to 12 colors and drop-size varying by a factor 10, all colors are printable as the gamut is at the top of any

printing system. It is no longer the human eye that judges and compares between the original and the output, it is the system which applies its own patterns. The recent announcements of Landa, in achieving close to 97% of Pantone and claiming that spot colors may eventually become something of the past, are setting the scene for drupa 2020 where we all expect inkjet to be the star of the show.

The recently announced BOBST DigiColor technology also heralds the twilight of spot colors. All such announcements will please brand owners who will no longer have to rely on the mood and subjectivity of a press operator.

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Xerox Baltoro HF Inkjet Press

Application versatility Inkjet technology has the potential to print on almost any substrate – from textile to packaging incl. direct to shape on many substrates.

Current inkjet technology has not established a landmark across literally all that is printed, but there is no doubt that it will evolve further. In some areas inkjet is still in its infancy, for example in embellishing. Companies like MGI, KURZ, SCODIX are opening up new areas and this is just the beginning.

Inkjet is increasingly seen as an evolutionary driver of printing techniques and such evolution enables the printing of increasingly complex materials. The contactless nature of inkjet opens up myriad new markets such as glass, ceramics, tiles, even printed circuit-boards.

We can be sure that drupa 2020 will bring such new applications to life.

The motto “embrace the future” could well become “embrace inkjet as the future”. Disruptive innovations are on the move!

I expect drupa to showcase digitally printed books with integrated augmented reality and printed electronics, connected packaging delivery advanced safety features across the entire supply chain, fabrics with health sensors (tension, dehydration, etc…)

Variable data, agility and flexibility Brand owners and their agencies are expecting, even demanding, more personalization and late stage customization. They all wish the package to be the product. Some major players like Philip Morris International (PMI) expect digital printing to be at the core of their packaging production. Digital enables any packaging-item to be unique and done in 7 days rather than 18 months, as they recently claimed. Moreover, as ‘data’ becomes the backbone of Industry 4.0, digital printing and inkjet will by its nature cope with this new reality so whatever is printed can be all the same but also can be all different.

Costs Many claim that the limit of inkjet is linked to the cost of ink. Today, the manufacturer-research required to produce inks involves ongoing investments, especially as printheads are constantly changing and ink formulations must be adjusted.

Whilst it’s true that the development of inks for inkjet is more costly than for offset or flexo, it is just a question of time for inkjet to become more affordable and when its production volume surpasses offset inks it could indeed be at cost-parity.

Sustainability The acceleration of inkjet adoption also derives from the fact that it can be water-based with all the associated environmental benefits.

HP in corrugated printing is making major claims about the sustainability of their inks especially for food packaging. Others will follow with water-based inks, as recently shown for example at Labelexpo 2020 by the Bobst Group with their up to 100 meter/minute Mouvent label press.

As I said in the introduction, drupa 2020 should embrace inkjet like never before. Inkjet is still a relatively new and fast-developing technology, the innovations taking place now and the ones to come will make it the dominant technology across all key printing applications and even beyond. So, as you prepare your trip to drupa in Düsseldorf, be open-minded and seek out especially the things that were not hitherto possible, because they will very soon be the ‘new normal’!

Régis Thienard “At drupa 2020, we will witness some revolutionary machines and see that there is almost no limit for inkjet.”

“Recent announcements are announcing the twilight of spot colors” “Current inkjet technology has not established a landmark across literally all that is printed, but there is no doubt that it will evolve further.

The contactless nature of inkjet opens up myriad new markets”

www.xeikon.com

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Providing creative solu Chinese markets Xeikon has opened a state- of-the-art innovation center in Shanghai. Designed to support the expanding Chinese markets, the facility will be a dedicated and welcome place of interaction where visitors and customers will have the ability to test a variety of applications and options for new revenue streams and business growth.

The Shanghai Center will be equipped to house the latest Xeikon equipment and technologies, and Xeikon staff will be on hand to offer expertise, guidance, and demonstrate creative solutions and applications for a significant variety of markets and sectors.

Klaus Nielsen, General Manager Xeikon Asia, said: “We are seeing unprecedented global growth in the desire for digital printing solutions for labels and packaging. We are very pleased to be able to open this important Innovation Center in Shanghai and bring our technology to

this region. Xeikon’s high technology facility will play an important role in the development of our business in China and will support our Chinese customers in helping them to make considered decisions when investing in Xeikon’s digital technologies. We would like to thank our teams in Shanghai for conducting such a successful grand opening event.”

During the event, visitors were welcomed by Benoit Chatelard, President and CEO of Xeikon. Jackie Chen, Sales Manager Greater China, conducted a demonstration of the

Xeikon 3500 digital press driven by Xeikon’s powerful and intelligent front end – the X-800.

The Innovation Center has been designed to bring the latest Xeikon digital technology to China. It has been planned as a technology hub for hands-on interaction and a ‘go-to’ demonstration center where personal care and attention will be given to customers looking for advice and expertise on new ideas to transform their business models. Importantly, Xeikon’s Shanghai teams will help in finding the most appropriate

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equipment and solutions to take Chinese businesses to new levels.

Technology in the new Innovation Center The new center will be fully equipped with Xeikon’s front end workflow software – the X-800, as well as a Xeikon 3500, a digital label press for folding carton production using dry toner technology for food safety compliance.

Designed for versatility and fast delivery of short runs and more complex jobs, the 3500 prints at 1200dpi with a max.

of 516mm x 1000mm. This flagship press can address multiple applications in multiple segments.

“With over 30 years of experience pioneering digital label and packaging technologies, Xeikon has much to offer the Asian markets. With the opening of this much awaited center, visitors will now be able to experience ‘real-life’ examples and test the latest solutions using Xeikon’s certified dry toner technology. They will be able to discover the true creative quality of the

end-products and the opportunities in different sectors that this can offer them to differentiate and grow their business.

The opening of this Innovation and Technology Center in Shanghai is going to help develop business both for Xeikon and its Chinese customers,” Nielsen concluded.

The Xeikon Innovation Center is located inside the Shanghai Printing and Publishing College.

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Disruptive tools to combat counterfeiting Brands in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region are making efforts to enhance the transparency of their operations by offering new disruptive tools through smart packaging to combat counterfeiting, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s 2018 Q4 consumer survey reveals that 68% of consumers in APAC are always or often influenced by how trust-worthy or risk-free a product is.

Shagun Sachdeva, Consumer Insights Analyst at GlobalData says: “Consumer safety and quality concerns are driving tremendous innovation in the consumer packaging space. Consumers in APAC are increasingly paying attention to the product authenticity and product safety and take cues from the packaging, including the packaging quality as well as security features such as QR code, holograms and RFID tags.”

Counterfeiting is a global problem across multiple categories, with most leading brands being at risk. As a result, manufacturers and suppliers need to carefully assess the types of counterfeit and its impact on their category to identify the smart packaging solution.

Sachdeva explains: “Brands are therefore embedding advanced smart packaging techniques such as blockchain, Internet of Things to provide consumers with information regarding the contents of the package, its environmental condition, and location, among other data points.”

Consumers have been the ultimate victims of counterfeiting in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), especially in food, drink, cosmetics and toiletries, and pharmaceutical products.

Food scandals in the past few years have only resulted in consumers being more attentive to the source of ingredients, country of manufacturing, naturalness/purity, quality control, and brand trust, all basic factors to be considered before purchasing.

Shagun adds: “Smart packaging has the most influence on the purchases

of Generation Y (Millennial) as they are considered to be a driving force for digitalization, encouraging manufacturers to act accordingly.”

For instance, Switzerland-based smart packaging company ScanTrust collaborated with Shanghai-based coffee firm Cambio Coffee to build blockchain–enabled traceability functions to fight counterfeiting and bring in greater transparency across its supply chain. Danone added ‘hydration coaching’ cap to Font Vella bottled water to coach consumers towards adequate hydration.

Sachdeva concludes, “Manufacturers need to make smart and sustainable packaging work together to give premium categories a new competitive edge. Also, there exists opportunity for independent brands to leverage the ‘economies of small’ in their favor and support artisanal communities.”

Going beyond the only true metallic spectrum.

To make Metallicolour possible, the Iridesse™ Production Press uses 6-colour-1-pass technology with two types of special ink from Silver and Gold. This is the first time such an impressive overlay and underlay of speciality ink has been made available.

Discover what’s possible in Metallicolour www.fxap.com.sg/beyond-imagination

Iridesse™ Production Press. Beyond imagination.

Xerox, Xerox and Design, as well as Fuji Xerox and Design are registered trademarks or trademarks of Xerox Corporation in Japan and/or other countries.

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Memjet OEMs Power the Future of Label and Package Production At Labelexpo Asia, Memjet OEM partners highlighted solutions that demonstrate the expanding role digital printing plays in the production of labels and packaging. At the event, close to ten OEM partners and resellers are demonstrating an expanded range of Memjet-powered printing solutions that enable the fast, easy production of highquality labels.

“The market opportunity for inkjet label and package printers in Asia has never been stronger,” said Bent Serritslev, Memjet’s senior vice president of business development in APAC. “Label providers today are looking for more affordable, easier-to-use press systems with the speed and quality needed to capture market opportunities. Memjet technologies play a key role in helping partners develop these types of printing solutions and bring them to market faster and at less cost.”

The First DuraFlex-Powered Label Printer in Asia Released in September of this year, DuraFlex technology is a modular single-pass print solution that combines Memjet’s signature features of speed, simplicity and affordability with new attributes such as enhanced durability, A4 and A3+ widths in a four-colour printhead, a high-speed data path, and modules that control all printhead functions.

Memjet's first DuraFlex partner in Asia, COASO, featured a new label printer called iCueLabel 420. With its marketleading 1600 dpi print quality and ultracompetitive pricing, the iCueLabel 420 creates new opportunities for label production. COASO demonstrated this new printer in the booth of their reseller, Lida (hall E3 O46).

DuraLink Partners Demonstrate Growth at Labelexpo Memjet’s DuraLink technology is a digital printing platform that combines long-life printheads, pigment ink, and flexible modules. These features give OEM partners a fast, easy way to develop solutions for solutions that meet the demand of high-volume print markets like labels and packaging.

DLG/UP Group one of the first OEM partners to adopt DuraLink technology, showcased its DuMax-330 Label Printer. This DuraLink-powered press is an affordable and flexible solution that can print at speeds up to 203 meters per minute, with resolutions up to 1600 x 1585 dpi.

Bent Serritslev, Memjet’s senior vice president of business development in APAC

Another early adopter of DuraLink, Liaoning Zheng Hong Basch Digital Technology (Basch), also exhibited

at Labelexpo. In hall E2 H10, Basch highlighted its SnowLeopard DL-220 label printer. The mono black highspeed printing system was created to meet the specific needs of the express delivery labels and logistics industry in China.

VersaPass Means Quality and Reliability OEM partners also demonstrated solutions that feature Memjet’s VersaPass technology. Memjet’s first printing technology, VersaPass uses water-based dye inks that can achieve the highest combination of image quality and reliability in label and package printing.

Partners that exhibited solutions include UP Group with two VersaPasspowered desktop label printers: the Upg-1A, Upg-1B and TrojanJet with its Trojan T2 mini press and the T2C benchtop press. In addition, the company showed its Trojan P1 application for printing on corrugated.

Afinia Label printers can be found in the booth of Wenzhou Denchern Machinery, while AstroNova / Trojan Label showcased the T2-C highvolume label press and the QL-850, a high-productivity, tabletop, color, and durable wide-format label printer.

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Craftsmanship Brings Print to Life Exhibiting creativity and originality, Allegro Print’s entry “George’s Anatomy Book”, won the hearts of judges who eventually awarded them a special recognition award. By Sha Jumari.

At the Asian Print Awards 2019, Singapore printer Allegro Print took home the Gold for Design Excellence for their entry, “George’s Anatomy Book”. The entry was specially singled out by the judging panel for its exceptional print quality and outstanding design work.

Judging for the entry proved an interesting process. The entry scored high across the board, and judges had a difficult time pinpointing it as winner

in several of the categories. Eventually the judges deemed it so special that it earned itself its own category. As such, the George’s Anatomy book was also awarded the Special Judges Recognition.

Perhaps what was most surprising was that Allegro Print is a first time entrant to the competition.

“Before this we’ve never had the time to look through what we’ve done

because we’ve been busy printing.

This time we got encouraged because this particular book has won multiple awards including the D&AD award, which is a well recognised international competition. When this opportunity to participate came up this year, we thought we would give it a try,” said Ho Yeow Liang, executive director of Allegro Print Pte Ltd. The client for the project is a Singaporean design agency, Couple.

The book was an annual report for the Lien Foundation, an organisation that supports charity work in Singapore.

Given to its donors, the book is highly sought after and limited edition. With the particular project, the report delivered the content through the interesting concept of anatomy, life and death, and cradle to grave.

Encased in an acrylic cover, the book entices anyone to pick it up and flip through its contents. A series of eyecatching illustrations referencing pop culture, accompanied by tactile feel of the paper and perfect print invite the reader to continue turning its pages.

“There’s many aspects and surprises to this book. The book even has glow-inthe-dark print. To a lot of people this is just a book. But for people with an eye for design, you can understand how hard it is to produce this book. This book cannot be automated at all,” said Ho. Perfection in the Details “This project took about a year to come to fruition. Before the final product, I think we did about 10 mockups maybe.

A lot of the techniques are new and have not been done before,” said Ho.

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30 book with a lot of handcrafting, trial and error, and that’s how we’ve been all along,” said Ho. The Colour Experts Allegro began 20 years ago as a colour management company with a small team of six. The main clientele were overseas publications for museums and galleries from Europe and the US. In 2002, Allegro purchased its offset machine – a Heidelberg.

One of the techniques is the manual rounding of the edge of the book: “Initially the acrylic cover is square edged. However, we found that with the square edged, it became too sharp and not too nice. We tried it with a rounded back, and it turned out more beautiful,” said Ho. “However, the book now has a squareedged finishing that does not fit into the new rounded back of the casing.

All binding has to be square-backed; once its machine bound, it comes out squared automatically. To make it rounded, we had to do a lot of trial and error,” explained Ho. “When the book was freshly bound, the glue is hot, and it’s a bit flexible still. We took it out immediately, did a clamp with a special mould to make it round. That’s how we were able to fit it perfectly with the acrylic casing.”

Ho emphasized: “That is just one aspect of the craftsmanship of the book. It’s not just machine-made; there’s a lot of manual work involved. Every single piece is handcrafted.”

According to Ho, the printing on the acrylic casing was also individually handcrafted. Initially the team wanted to mass print the image of “George” on the acrylic. After a few tests, the team realized that some of the images

were unable to completely cover and align with the image underneath on the book.

“Perhaps a little bit of the bottom image might show. It’s imperfect already. This is not acceptable. It does not finish well, the alignment is off,” said Ho. “So we literally took each individual book, put it in the individual casing, and printed it piece by piece. All 2,000 books.”

A Niche in Handcrafting “When it comes to the more difficult things, our clients tend to look for us more often because we’re able to give them advice and work closely with them on what is possible and what can be done,” said Ho. “Most of the time, the industry is automated. Automation is for productivity, but it cuts down on the creativity. With automation you are limited with what the machine can do, but in the process a lot of creativity has been lost,” Ho continued.

“Craftsmanship has value for us. We felt that in order to bring back the love of reading books for people, creativity plays a very important game. With books such as this, you cannot just read them online. It’s not the same. With such a book on hand, you gravitate to wanting to pick it up, touch and feel it and read the book. This is all lost online,” said Ho. “This is where creativity plays such an important role. And that’s the fun part and the strength of our company.

We’ve been able to come up with this

“We went into offset for one reason; we believe colour management will become a sunset industry due to digitalisation.

Due to our background, Allegro has strength in colour management. This is why a lot of museums and galleries love working with us,” said Ho. Ho recalled the when Allegro first worked on the inauguration book for Singapore’s National Gallery. The team personally visited the exhibits and did colour correction on the spot to ensure that the artworks match what would be printed.

“We also asked them how and where they want the book to be read - in a gallery setup? Daylight? The colours will differ based on that too,” said Ho. “We bring to the table our ability to consult on colour. We can advice them on the paper to use as well, for example we can propose different papers depending on what sort of mood do you want the book to have.”

What’s next for Allegro Print?

“Creative work is our branding and niche, but of course, we also do a lot of bread and butter work, with standard finishing. That is where the volume is,” said Ho. At the awards, Allegro also won a Silver in the self-promotion category. Their entry is a promotional catalogue for the company’s web-to-print product, Layerplay Wallpaper.

“We want to do more tech-driven things. My big dream is to bring the company to be more tech-driven, for example with web-to-print. We are venturing into that direction and working to create something a little different for that,” Ho concluded.

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What Makes an Awa The Asian Print Awards, now going into its 15th year, aims to grow further as a regional competition for print excellence. One of the main highlights of the awards programme is the best of the best awards.

It was always and most stressful time for the panel of independent judges to nominate and select the “Best of the Best”. The winners have to be outstanding and stand out from among the winning entries. Justifications and diligent deliberations from among the judges are important to decide the winner. I am glad the judges came from varied field of print experiences and most of them are current print practitioners in the industry in their respective countries.

This special part of the competition pits each entry against all of the entries in the entire awards, as opposed to just categorically. We pick the brain of lead judge and print veteran, Major Wong, to find out what exactly made these prints stand out against the rest.

Tell us about your experience judging this year’s Asian Print Awards.

For this year, I was nominated as a lead judge by the Award Management. We had gathered a panel of experienced international judges from the UK, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. The judges were all

committed for three full working days in a closed door environment and on the weekend of Singapore’s National Day celebrations.

Most fulfilling was the consistency and unanimous decisions from each independent judge and as a team. I supposed it was the maturity of an “Ace-team” that have been together for a number of years. Most important, their judging experiences and expertise have also grown over the past 15 years as they examined and deliberated each entry to its fullest in the judging process.

What were the quality of the entries like this year?

Print quality is still utmost and remain a key criterion in this award competition.

Today, most entries submitted had very little defects and weaknesses as compared to the initial years of the print award competition. We no longer see fundamentals of quality defects from printing and finishing process.

Over the years, I observed that most participating companies are submitting entries of the “highest print quality standards”. Quality of entries for this year were excellent and had improved with the maturity of the print award which is into its 15th edition.

We are receiving the “Best of the Best” from Asia Region as the only print competition from Asia. Companies are now more conscious of the award criteria and their submission and had to be the best. I am sure they had vetted their own entries internally before submitting for the award judging.

With lesser fundamental print and finishing defects, the excellent work submitted posed great challenges to the judges to deliberate on each winning entry. Having examined the entries on the table, it is where the experiences and expertise of each judge were tested to the limit in the deliberation process.

ard-Winning Print?

What surprised you the most?

Seeing Award Winners from New Companies and Countries It was exhilarating to see new entrants in the competition. Some of them surprised us as award winners though they were newbies. In particular, congratulations to Allegro Print Pte Ltd from Singapore. This company is a first-time participant and was accorded a prestigious “Special Judges Recognition Award in Design Excellence” and bagged a Silver Award in Self-Promotion Category.

There were also other new entrants.

Some of them may not be a winner of this year award but there are always second chance and opportunity for next year and the year after next… as long as the Asian Print Award continues.

Surprises also came from winning Major Wong companies and countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. We were exhilarated to see a Gold Winner from Indonesia in Digital Limited Edition; a Gold Award Winner from Vietnam in Digital Labels as well as

another Bronze Award Winner in Personalised Photo books category and a Silver Award Winner from Sri Lanka in Digital Packing. Well, you see the emerging rise and acceptance of digital printing in these countries in Asia.

Suffice to say, the judges had no prior knowledge as to the companies and countries where these entries came in. Yet, it was fulfilling to see the award tally of winners at the end of the judging. The Award Management analysed the results from the judging team. Having done our utmost in the judging process as Independent Judges, we often asked ourselves: have we been fair and diligent to all the entries submissions that were the best of the best in Asia?

Multi-Award Winner from India: This year, I was delighted to see Pragati Offset Pvt Ltd from India winning multiple categories. This company had bagged the most as well as multiple award winners in seven categories.

Their winning entries covered a wide spectrum of print products, print processes as in traditional offset and digital printing as well as beautiful embellishments and finishing in

its product presentation. I am sure these multi-award accolades bear great testimonials of their marketing achievements and success of the company’s performance.

My utmost congratulations to Pragati Pvt Ltd! I have seen their previous entry submissions over the past years. This company had made tremendous progress in its print quality and finishing ever since their first participation in the Asia Print Award competition. I witnessed their progress in the Award competition year after year.

These multi-award winnings certainly bear witness and recognition that the company has grown exponentially in it print quality. I am sure their clients are also pleased with their winning entries and award-winning feats.

Today, companies from India had emerged as one of the key award winners in the competition. We also have two other award winning companies: Ramya Reprographic Pvt Ltd and Anaswara Offset Pvt Ltd. What does all these new entrants tell us? It signalled that prints coming from

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Enormous print control and much attention by the printer to achieve this winning results. Pragati Offset Pvt Ltd has done well to deserve the Award! At the end of the day, how many copies?

Not many, because it’s Limited Edition and Art Reproduction. You still need to print for the valuable client who would be most happy with the reproduction from prints. It’s a copied original in most art reproduction. these debutant winners and country like India are now as competitive as the best in Asia.

What advice do you have for printers wanting to join the 2020 edition?

Never belittle your own print production works and think it’s not going to compete. You never know, it could be a winning entry tomorrow. Of course, you need to put in conscious efforts to examine each entry before you submit to the Award Organization. Also, submit your entries in the appropriate category that you think it best befits as a winner! Putting multiple items in one particular category does not ensure you hit the winning jackpot. If it is going to be a winner, just select one of your best of the best for award submission.

You are entering a print award competing with the Best of the Best in the Asia Region. My advice is for companies to conscientiously vet their own entries before submission. Do your own self-check. I understand some companies had taken such seriousness that even their bosses take personal interest in vetting the entries before submitting to the award organization.

BEST OF BEST AWARD WINNERS Heidelberg Best in Offset: Book printing Winner: Ideol Marketing, Thailand.

A challenging print work, full of solid colours and ink coverage. Degree of difficulty is in achieving consistent print control through all the pages of the books, including reverse side printing, match-up and joining pages.

The good choice of paper substrates also enhances the beautiful prints.

Print and finishing quality standards are of its highest, befitting the title “In Remembrance of His Majesty King”.

I am definite that the Printing Company had put in tremendous effort and attention to get this print job done in remembrance of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Anyway, the panel of Independent judges looked at the print qualities and judging criteria and no judged by the title of the book nor its contents. Congratulations to the winning company!

Fuji Xerox Best in Digital: Gold Silver and Special Colours Winner: DG3 Asia Limited, Hong Kong.

A combination on the best choice of print technology onto the selected substrates are important factors for good digital prints. In digital prints, the print technology and standards differ from each supplier as they give different results. Finally, it’s the final impact on visual presentation that must be presented well and acceptable to the client.

Digital printing needs much more stringent control in colour calibration to achieve consistent print results from page to page. The colour control and degree of difficult is most challenging from pages to pages. It combined well with toner technology in use of silver, gold and special colour printing to enhance the print works. It’s definitely a Wow factor to the final presentation of the book when printed.

CGS Best Use of Colour: Limited Edition Winner: Pragati Offset, India To most, this is black and white. As print specialists, we see multi-colours that were being printed onto the photos of each pages. The printed work befits what is an Art Reproduction by a printer, though we hope to see the actual art pieces being re-produced and

Special Judges Recognition Award Winner: Allegro Print, Singapore It surprised the judges too that this Company is a newbie in Asian Print Awards and has bagged a winning print work in the book of George’s Anatomy.

George’s Anatomy has every other parts in print and finishing as we look at this entry. Interestingly during the judging process, this book was circulated on the judge’s table for two days and fits well into any other category as a deserving winner. Finally, we decided to give it a special recognition. It will not do justice if it’s being award in just one category.

Just like all the intricate inter-twining small body parts, this winning entry deserves the has everything: from print to finishing, special binding, embellishment, best use of colour onto different substrates, innovative presentation in a bended plastic case yet with printing to register with well with the book cover. Utmost important, the print works are beautiful to meet the print criteria as a winner.

It has done well in design excellence and creativity by the designer to project a simple pictorial anatomy book to live.

It’s so simple to even find the small pancreas and body parts from the visuals.

Most important, the printer is able to achieve the best print results for an impactful “visual communications in prints”. Printing is communication in prints and still has a place in the market place! It’s not a sunset industry though the print volume has been reduced.

Besides printing companies, may we also encourage creative designers and agencies to send in their works to future editions of the Asian Print Award.

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Discover the new dimensions of modern ink saving software Who wouldn’t like to find the key component in his company that could cut his costs in half ? When printing houses come up with the question of how to save money, the topic of "Ink Saving" keeps coming up.

That's not new, and many printers have already gained experience with appropriate software solutions. But it’s not just any software, although often similar results are promised. It pays to look twice and challenge the field tests that were done a few years ago with first generation Ink Saver tools.

The fact that this works reliably can be seen in extensive tests over a wide variety of customers. As a rule, ink savings of around 20 percent are

achieved on average. Of course, this depends on various factors, such as the artwork, the printing application, the substrate and the printing machine

Colour expert CGS has devoted a lot of attention to ink saving and continues to expand on the technology: "In the past, ink was to be saved with ink saving software and costs reduced as a result, and that was that. Today, significantly more factors are included in the calculation of optimal total ink coverage, and we achieve much more than ink reduction, namely the optimization of print results and of the entire production process," said Andrew McIntyre of CGS.

The figure shows a test print on a DURST Rho P10 200 and basically illustrates the general mode of operation of Ink savings: Expensive CMY inks are reduced, i.e. dark parts of the images previously generated by CMY are replaced by black (K). The software algorithm is key to the operation here. Visible are perfect inks that are far more stable than before, a truly neutral grey and more detail and depth in the images. itself. This shows in practice that in some cases up to 50 and 60 percent of the inks can be reduced – without the expense of quality. On the contrary,

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"Another great advantage is that post-press finishing is made easier and quicker by the reduction of ink cracking across folds. This is especially important for packaging printers,” added McIntyre, commenting on customer feedback. In addition, a reduction in ink quantity means a more green, eco-friendly, system – not an insignificant point where UV inks are concerned.

"We’ve also received feedback that the necessary UV intensity to dry the prints can be reduced, which means extended UV lamp life. The same is also true for print heads, they are rarely replaced."

In the high-speed inkjet sector a significant benefit is that drying times are reduced, allowing faster machine speeds and more throughput which, in return, means more customer jobs.

"If you are operating in three shifts, for example on an HP Page Wide Web Press T240, with 10 percent of ink saving, that automatically means 10 percent higher production speed due to faster drying times, without any loss of quality. Over a twelve-month period, that gives you 5 additional weeks of production time,” McIntyre said.

make sure that the software can be integrated into their existing workflow and be easy to use or, even better, have automated set-up procedures that allow different employees with different skill sets to be able to operate the software flawlessly.

There are many positive effects that can be achieved with the right Ink Saver software that go far beyond reducing ink usage. Greater profit margins and the ability to react to price pressure in the marketplace are important benefits in an ever increasingly challenging printing environment.

If print shops want to invest in Ink Saver solutions, it is also advisable to

Günter Mazur and Heiko Mazur, Managing Directors, Häuser KG & DruckDiscount24.de

d

image details can now be visible that were not discernible before. In other cases, though, e.g. in textile printing, ink savings are not yet as great.

Other quality improvements from ink saving are more image contrast, less ink show-through and more abrasion resistance due to the lower amount of ink. For many customers these effects are the main reason for deciding on Ink Saver software.

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„With the new LEDcure,

we can get a huge amount of printing done. Here in Cologne‘s biggest printing company, tradition and innovation work hand in hand. The LED system from IST Metz is designed to offer top performance at low running costs. The new LEDcure can do even more than its predecessor, and

we can now print very efficiently!“ IST Metz LEDcure: The most efficient UV LED system of its kind

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

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2019 innovation ranking – study confirms printing industry’s innovation credentials • Heidelberg leads the sector as one of the 25 most innovative companies in Germany • Contribution to digitization/digital penetration a key ranking criterion The 2019 innovation ranking – a study carried out for Germany’s Handelsblatt business newspaper – testifies to the printing industry’s impressive innovation credentials, especially in the context of the sector’s ongoing digital transformation. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is significantly ahead of the competition in this ranking, claiming 23rd place in Germany (325th worldwide).

The assessment criteria on which the study was based are particularly telling. The number of relevant patents a company applies for over a lengthy period determines its position in the ranking. A patent’s relevance and value are decided according to its contribution to digitization and/ or digital penetration, especially at the interface between analog and digital technologies.

On this basis, the Swiss consulting firm EconSight drew up a list of the

100 leading companies at this interface for Handelsblatt. According to the newspaper, these companies have an excellent chance of leading the way in the coming years in a competitive environment driven by innovation.

Handelsblatt quotes EconSight Managing Director Kai Gramke as saying: “We currently see breakthroughs where companies excel in combining digital innovations with established technologies as being the most economically significant.”

Relevant patents drive digitization. Take the example of Intellistart.

The patent incorporated in the Intellistart 2 operator guidance system supports fully automated job changes and is a key prerequisite for autonomous printing.

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The printing sector’s innovation credentials remain impressive, as underlined by the 2019 innovation ranking for the Handelsblatt business newspaper. Heidelberg features in this ranking’s top 25.

Heidelberg CEO Rainer Hundsdörfer has the following to say on the subject: “The 2019 innovation ranking underlines our technology leadership when it comes to the digitization of the printing industry. It also confirms we’re on the right track overall with the digital transformation of Heidelberg.”

and develop an appropriate product that goes on to be a commercial hit.

Innovation management at Heidelberg operates along these lines, focusing on the digitization of all value-adding processes at a print shop with the aim of boosting the profitability of customers and thus the company itself.

Focus on customer benefits – Intellistart an example of how Heidelberg is combining analog and digital technologies According to Handelsblatt, the basic rule of successful innovation is being able to identify a genuine customer need

A clear example of this at Heidelberg is the development of the Smart Print Shop and the associated autonomous printing that only requires operators to intervene in the event of an actual problem. One of the key patents held by Heidelberg that contributes to this development relates

to the optimization of automated job changes on offset presses as part of the Intellistart assistance system.

This software module automatically optimizes job changes based on the job parameters. It also ensures automatic, time-optimized process implementation and guides operators through the system. This makes the function a key prerequisite for autonomous printing and demonstrates how Heidelberg is using innovations to drive the sector’s digitization of processes.

Heidelberg top of its sector for patent applications Each year, Heidelberg applies for about 80 priority patents (original applications for an item) and submits around 220 subsequent applications. Some 60 percent of these relate to digital innovations. This gives Heidelberg a total of approximately 3,400 existing patents.

“As the 2019 innovation ranking quite clearly shows, the printing industry is anything but part of the ‘old economy’ – it boasts a large number of creative minds who are succeeding in turning ideas into innovations that have the potential to safeguard the sector’s future in the digital world,” adds Hundsdörfer.

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

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Steering Committee:

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Koenig & Bauer captivates printers in China The roadshow which took place in midNovember was already the 12th in a series of tours visiting print professionals all over China. More than 800 experts took the opportunity to attend events in Xian, Kunming, Shanghai, Shijiazhuang and Fuzhou Alongside practice-oriented lectures and presentations, enthusiastic discussion and intensive exchanges of experience, live print demonstrations at users in the individual regions are traditionally highlights of the events. At Shanxi Yusheng, for example, the roadshow participants were able to watch the production of pharmaceuticals packaging on medium-format presses of the Rapida 105 series. The company operates a six-colour version and a

brand-new seven-colour model – both with inline coating facilities.

Yunnan Qiaotong is the most important supplier of packaging for cosmetics, cigarettes and many other products in Kunming. Since its investment in a Rapida 106 with seven printing units, perfecting and a coater, the company has attracted several new customers from the cigarette industry.

General manager Yin Kunxiong: “The

press has helped us to move up to a new technological level. At the same time, we have achieved significant enhancement of our efficiency and print quality.”

The centre of attraction in Shanghai was the first Rapida 75 PRO supplied to a user in China. This eight-colour coater press was installed by Shanghai Zhilin, one of the most important packaging providers in the country.

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

49 Alongside a Rapida 106 with nine printing units and coating facilities, the company operates also a brand-new Rapida 106 with eight printing units, twin coaters and an additional printing unit ahead of the extended delivery.

DriveTronic SPC is just one option on a long list of automation features.

From medium to large formats Hebei Xindong is the leading packaging printer in its region, and is especially active in the fields of pharmaceuticals, foods, alcoholic beverages and highquality board packaging. The declared goal of president Kong Jiandong is to become the number-one provider for pharmaceuticals packaging in Northern China.

The recently installed Rapida 105, a seven-colour press with UV coating capabilities, is the company’s second investment after the purchase of a Rapida 164 for six colours and coating in 2014. The visitors were treated to a show of high-quality print production on both presses – including changeovers to special applications using gold. silver and film substrates.

Fuzhou Xingkai has also invested in a seven-colour Rapida 105, in this case

with inline coating and an extended delivery, in order to keep pace with the growing demand for high-quality packaging. This press, too, could be witnessed in live action during the roadshow. It boasts the largest number of printing units, the highest level of automation (for example FAPC plate changers) and the most modern technology of any press in the metropolitan area of Fuzhou.

This year’s Koenig & Bauer roadshow demonstrated once more how print companies in China are operating successfully on the world market thanks to modern equipment and technologies. The companies can point to numerous unique selling points and a correspondingly high product diversity. In this way, they distinguish themselves from competitors and are ideally prepared to handle whatever market changes the future may bring.

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The 3 Big Packaging Prin Right Now - (and how to a Competition for consumers’ attention has never been fiercer and packaging is an important tool in the kit. With connection, allegiance and loyalty to play for there’s plenty at stake. Miraclon explores the concerns driving brands’ decisions on packaging and how can print providers help.

As brands change how they talk to consumers, packaging is becoming more important than ever. It’s a core communications channel loaded with the potential to connect, resonate and stand out. In the zero moment of truth when shoppers’ decisions are made, effective packaging is vital.

“How do you stand out on the shelf and how do you communicate why someone should want to buy your product as opposed to something else?” Procter and Gamble’s (P&G’s) Research Fellow Ken McGuire is used to asking demanding questions of his products’ packaging. As named inventor on more than 50 US packaging patents it’s his job to develop packaging breakthroughs that could work for any of P&G’s brands, from diapers to cleansers.

“It’s all about disrupting that onautomatic behavior people have when they shop,” he continues. “From the very beginning of the product design, the packaging has to do a great job of communicating what it is about that brand that’s special.” This brings with it a host of concerns for brands big and small. Concerns that the smart print providers are tackling head on…

Concern 1. How do I maximize impact?

To stand out, brands need to be brighter, bolder and sharper than the rest. Miraclon’s Director of Advanced Print Applications Dr. John Anderson explains that recent advances in flexo printing technology mean photorealistic imagery with high contrast and fine

fades are helping products leap off the shelf. “We’re now seeing brands starting to realize they can do highfidelity reproduction and resolution of images they didn’t think possible,” Dr John continues. “We’re even starting to see a trend where this is achievable at lower line screens. Rather than forever chasing higher and higher line screens they can stay at 133 versus 150 of 175, produce really great looking artwork with high detail fades and give their printers a lot more production latitude.

It’s a win win.”

Robert Chiapuzzo from Global Flexo Innovation Award winner CR Serigrafia, agrees. For his Milan-based pre-press business it wasn’t just the impact and quality of flexo printing that they knew would appeal to customers, it was the opportunity to improve on what was being done elsewhere. Working with its customer Esbe, a leading producer and printer of plastic food packaging, CR Serigrafia developed a way to flexo print premium quality images directly onto conical plastic containers, combining an Omso Servocup 237 system with KODAK FLEXCEL NX plates.

“High quality, high impact imagery on pack is more and more important and was the main thing we were looking for,” he explains, “but the real innovation is eliminating sleeves; while maintaining the quality – it takes cost and materials out of the process. We believe it’s the future.”

Esbe’s Stefano Fortusini couldn’t be happier with the process and output.

Which means the brands he works with are happy too. “The results we’re getting are superb, with a much higher resolution and better color range, as well as being able to print special spot colors out of the CMYK ink set,” he explains. “And as for whites – they’re now perfect. Overall the level of quality is almost photographic which would have been unthinkable using dry offset.”

nt Concerns Brands Have answer them)

Concern 2. How can I make sure my packaging print quality is consistent?

The need to turn heads with packaging affects brands of all shapes and sizes, but as product ranges grow additional concerns rear up. When your brands take in a vast range of products and packaging types, all the various iterations of the brand must be consistent. William Roberts is

Managing Director of Global Flexo Innovation Award winner Roberts Mart & Co, a flexible packaging manufacturer based in Leeds, UK. His clients include many FMCG blue-chips from Mars to Haribo, to Tate and Lyle.

He says consistency across ranges and from design to design, is the biggest thing his clients demand. “Many of our

customers now measure every repeat order to the first print run,” he explains.

“We've got one customer in the snack market who has 30 to 40 packaging types in its range.

When they’re sat alongside each other they all have to be identical.” William mentions having ‘a lot of fun’ doing this for Galaxy chocolate designs,

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

52

where different products in the range were printed on different materials using both gravure and flexo, making it particularly hard to match the colors.

The trick was in finding the best fit for all the materials and substrates to achieve consistency, and that takes care and attention. “We measure every color off every reel,” says William, “and have the highest tolerances on all our presses.”

Concern 3. How can I tackle the sustainability challenge?

For many brands today, responding to the pressure to print and package more sustainably is a driving motivation. In its recent ‘No Ordinary Disruption: The Four Global Forces Breaking All the Trends’ report, which looked ahead to the packaging landscape of 2020, The McKinsey Global Institute identified sustainability as a key trend that will change the game for packaging in the next five to ten years. Ken from P&G is certainly feeling it. “We just had the top 35 technologists in all our packaging R&D together for three days,” he explains. “Every single one has some sustainability project on

their portfolio. It’s certainly a huge opportunity for us. And if we don't do it well, it could be a big problem.”

and printers to show what flexo is capable of – with color, consistency and material.”

For small brands too, the opportunity and challenge are palpable. Although they might not have the resource of a multinational’s research department, they are often nimble and passionate – able to experiment and pivot towards the latest breakthroughs. For them, truly sustainable packaging can become a powerful communications channel, a chance to show – in an instant – that their brand stands for something.

Today’s leading edge flexo is well positioned to respond.

Global Flexo Innovation Award winner Lorytex is a great case in point. Based in Montevideo, Uruguay, it embarked on a project to develop its expanded color gamut (ECG) printing offer, with its packaging client and collaborator Ecoflex SA. The result was a 30% faster turnaround, reduced ink inventory, and exceptional visual impact. “ECG can provide a real boost for brands,” says Lorytex’s managing director Roberto Dolinksy. “When we demonstrate how efficient the process is and the quality results possible, there’s a real interest.”

Versatility, lower costs and an ability to print on an ever-expanding range of substrates are valuable. But what the flexo community also has to offer when it comes to brands looking to realize their sustainability ambitions is an appetite for innovation. “The best flexo printers are eager to collaborate, experiment and break new ground to help brands realize their ambition,” Dr. John continues. “Sustainable materials are a challenge – but they’re also a huge opportunity for pre-press specialists

He’s also keen to stress that the key to this project’s success was close collaboration with his client and he would advise any other printer to do the same. “On projects like this, we get involved right at the start, at design stage,” he concludes. “This is important with flexo because the process is new territory for many creatives. If we understand what the designer and the brand want the packaging to communicate, we can apply our knowledge of the technology to achieve the best results.”

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

54

The Vanishing CEO Report from the Mood Group

According to the FT Weekend newspaper (September 2019) article “The vanishing CEO shows shareholders can still call the shotsâ€? ‌ Last year there was more turnover amongst chief executives at the top 2,500 public companies, than at any point since 2000 when the company Strategy&, a PwC consultancy business, started collecting statistics. A new record is likely this year.

So, what can this mean to you?

It comes as no surprise to many, that when there are changes at the top, those changes tend to cascade down through senior and middle management teams.

A newly arrived CEO will often bring in his or her own past industry contacts with them and/or after a short evaluation process decide to refresh the current team leading to some existing team members finding unexpected changes forced upon them.

Sometimes this will be good changes, with promotions and extra responsibilities but it also can lead to bad changes such as redundancy, termination, demotion, sidestepping & early retirement.

So what can you do to prepare - and how can you determine when you might need to act?

First it is good to ensure you are fully networked not only internally within your present employer but also within competitive businesses and/ or companies operating in related sectors who might have a need for

your capabilities and experience. How do you do this - well inviting people to connect with you on LinkedIn is an immediate priority, join all focused LinkedIn Groups and follow the Company LinkedIn pages of the afore mentioned businesses. Be sure to like, follow, share and comment on relevant published articles and papers thus increasing your profile and expertise, become known to those that can help you in the future. Attend trade shows and networking events, enter trade competitions or awards. Start a blog.

Additionally, our recommendation is to always be ready for the expected and prepared for the unexpected. Have your latest CV in Word ready to hand and uploaded to your account with Mood Group. Make sure your multiple preferences are set and your automatic vacancy alerts switched on. Check you are following all our social media channels, to ensure you are receiving, not only all our current vacancies but also trade news and latest thinking, this might also relate to your current employer or target employers too.

In reference to your timing, and apart from water cooler/office gossip, In parallel do your best to understand how your present employer's business is prospering or not as the case may be - download the most recent accounts, look at industry data on the web about your company versus the competition, read all press releases - understand your products and services to the best of your ability to understand where you are likely to be standing versus the competition. Review your present companies M.A.C.'s (moves, adds and changes) - is there a freeze on recruitment, does investment seem to be slowing down, are benefits and perks being reduced, when was there last a pay increase? Has your line manager been planning your promotion and increments?

It is better to be ahead of the news and have held some interviews, determined your current market demand/worth and received some offers to accept, than to be starting that process when matters are not quite so favourable.

Practice preparing for interviews and have answers ready to classic questions such as "what are your strengths and weaknesses"? - "what was your career plan to date?" - "why are you seeking to make a change"? and "what values do you bring to a new employer"? also Know what you like, and know what you don't like, after-all you don't want to jump from the frying pan into the fire.

Success is the journey - not the destination and change can always be an opportunity rather than a threat. Be focused, keep calm, have your strategy and follow it. Believe in your self and your values and remember good always comes out of bad.

Please share this article with all those you feel would benefit equally from the advice. www.moodgroup.co.uk About the author: - Marcus Doo is a Managing Partner of Mood Group the specialist head-hunters / recruiters to the Print & Packaging sectors.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

56 The VOGUE printer is capable of using virtually any type of textile ink; at the show, it will be running with EFI Reggiani IRIS sublimation inks to showcase direct-to-textile printing.

The EFI Reggiani direct sublimation process ensures superior colour brightness and penetration, as well as fast turnaround time, while increasing sustainability by avoiding transfer paper waste.

EFI highlights green solutions at ShanghaiTex Textile solutions from EFI are changing the way textile and apparel products are designed and produced, bringing environmental sustainability to the industry in a big way.

At the ShanghaiTex tradeshow, EFI featured sustainable printing solutions for direct-to-textile production and denim dyeing under the theme of Innovation in Green. The company showcased the future in innovation with the range of superior-quality EFI Reggiani scanning digital printers; the company’s short and environmentally friendly direct sublimation process offering; a new FUOCO acid ink range; and DENIM technology, a highly sustainable, breakthrough continuous indigo rope and warp dyeing and denim fabric finishing solution.

The centrepiece of EFI’s ShanghaiTex exhibit is the EFI Reggiani VOGUE, an industrial textile printer designed for superior-quality direct-to-textile printing in fashion and sportswear applications. The VOGUE model prints at resolutions up to 2,400 dots per inch (dpi) with 16 printing heads, 8 colours and 4- to 72-picolitre drop sizes. In addition, the VOGUE printer boasts an innovative recirculation system that saves ink and reduces maintenance during machine operation and between stoppages. The recirculation system also reduces the need for specific air conditioning and humidity controls, saving energy and reducing overall usage costs.

EFI Reggiani develops and produces a whole range of water-based inks from reactive to direct disperse and disperse sublimation, pigment and acid. New at ShanghaiTex is the EFI Reggiani FUOCO range of water-based acid inks, which are specifically designed to deliver superior-quality prints for highly demanding textile applications with unmatched colour depth and vibrancy.

Available in 11 colours, including three light colours, EFI Reggiani FUOCO can give textile producers some of the highest-quality printing available on both silk and polyamide fabrics. EFI Reggiani Extra Deeping chemistry, an additional enhancement solution that can be used with FUOCO, increases the penetration of the ink into fibres for a fabulous double-face effect.

The EFI textile ecosystem was also featured, including EFI Optitex, EFI Fiery and EFI Fiery DesignPro. Heidelberg has new chairman of board Dr. Martin Sonnenschein is the new chairman of the supervisory board of Heidelberg Dr. Martin Sonnenschein is the new chairman of the supervisory board of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg). He was appointed a member of the supervisory board

at the end of November by the Mannheim Register Court and will take over as chairman of the supervisory board on 1 December 2019.

"The election as chairman of the supervisory board is an honor but rather a responsibility towards shareholders, customers and employees. I wrote my thesis here 30 years ago. Today, Heidelberg is the global market and technology leader as a systems supplier to the printing industry. Now is the time to seize the opportunities offered by digitization, technological change and new customer requirements. The current economic situation is making it more difficult. The demands on expanding expertise, speed of change and innovation are high. Profitability must increase in order to have scope for the transformation that has begun and for new markets. With the Heidelberg spirit of the entire team, we will successfully shape these massive changes," said Sonnenschein.

"Dr. Martin Sonnenschein has many years of comprehensive industrial expertise in the areas of strategy and transformation that are important to Heidelberg. He has successfully implemented growth projects around the world that have focused not only on important strategic decisions but also on digitization and increasing profitability. Thanks to his management experience, he will play a valuable role in being a sparring partner for us," said Rainer Hundsdörfer, CEO of Heidelberg.

Martin Sonnenschein is partner and managing director of the management consultancy A.T. Kearney. As a longstanding member of numerous top management committees, former A.T. Kearney CEO Central Europe and worldwide practice leader, he is responsible for some of the most important clients in industry and services. In recent years, Sonnenschein has successfully implemented a variety of large digital transformation programs and industrial growth and innovation projects around the world, focusing on operational improvements and new business models. Before joining A.T. Kearney, the Karlsruhe graduate industrial engineer held management positions at Daimler-

For advice on how Konica Minolta can help your business move forward, contact us at (65) 6361 2800 or enquiry@konicaminolta.sg

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

58 Benz InterServices, E-Plus Mobilfunk and ThyssenKrupp.

The supervisory board of Heidelberg had already elected Dr. Martin Sonnenschein as chairman of the supervisory board on October 28, 2019, subject to court appointment, after Dr. Siegfried Jaschinski had decided to leave the Supervisory Board for personal reasons effective November 30, 2019. Dr. Martin Sonnenschein has been appointed until the end of the next Annual General Meeting on 23 July 2020. There he will be proposed to the shareholders for election to the Supervisory Board.

Messe Düsseldorf appoints new president and CEO At the Shareholders’ Meeting of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, presided over by Chairman, Lord Mayor Thomas Geisel, appointed Wolfram N. Diener as the new president & Chief Executive Officer. Diener succeeds Werner M. Dornscheidt, who will retire at the end of June 2020 after almost 17 years at the helm of the Düsseldorf trade fair company. Diener will take up his post on 1 July 2020.

Erhard Wienkamp was also appointed as new Managing Director Operative Trade Fair Business.

“Markets are shifting, the world is becoming more international, more digital and more complex. With their many years of trade fair experi-

ence worldwide, Wolfram N. Diener and Erhard Wienkamp are the ideal torchbearers to lead Messe Düsseldorf into the future. They stand for both renewal and continuity,” said Dornscheidt, of the new management team.

A graduate of business administration, Diener was responsible for the Asian trade fair operations of Messe Frankfurt (H.K.) Ltd. from the end of the 1990s as Managing Director.

In 2001 he joined the management at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre Ltd. After various management positions with Asian trade fair and congress companies, he successfully worked as a member of the management board at UBM Asia Ltd. in Hong Kong until 2018.

“The Düsseldorf trade fair organisers have an unbeatable brand profile that can be made even more successful in the future driven by internationalisation and digitisation. I am delighted at the confidence shown in me to carry out this vision responsibly with the help of an outstanding team,” said Diener.

In his role as new President & CEO he would like to focus further on the international trade fair portfolio, the optimisation of the exhibition centre at the home base, on corporate responsibility and digital transformation.

Pantone's colour for 2020 is a real classic Pantone announces that the Color of the Year 2020 is PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue.

We’ve had a rough year, so Pantone gave us a calming colour – the

unassuming Classic Blue. It is also extremely boring and reminds one of dull meeting rooms and the colour of your boss’ tie. On the up side, product developers wanting to ride the colour of the year wave probably already have this swatch in their library.

According to Pantone, the colour is “a timeless and enduring blue hue” and “elegant” in its simplicity”. It is “suggestive of the sky at dusk” and has reassuring qualities that highlight “our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.”

“We are living in a time that requires trust and faith. It is this kind of constancy and confidence that is expressed by PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue, a solid blue hue we can always rely on. Imbued with deep resonance, Classic Blue provides an anchoring foundation. A boundless blue evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky, classic blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious to expand our thinking; challenging us to think more deeply, increase our perspective and open the flow of communication,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

The chosen colour comes as a com-

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

60 plete 180 degree change from Pantone’s previous selections, including 2019’s vibrant Living Coral, and 2018’s dramatic Ultra Violet.

For over 20 years, Pantone’s Color of the Year has influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings, and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design.

ROLAND 700 prints a record 50 million sheets in just 9 months Gabwoo MoonHwaSa, the highend South Korean printer, has set a new record by achieving 50 million impressions within the first nine months of installing its latest press, a ROLAND 705 3B EVOLUTION. With annual revenues of €130 million, Gabwoo MoonHwaSa specialises in high quality magazine and book printing.

In 2018 the company began expanding its business scope to the high quality packaging printing sector by installing their fourth ROLAND 700 press.

“Thanks to Manroland’s advanced printing technology and strong service support, our company has maintained a rapid growth momentum,” says company CEO, Mr. SoonKwan Jeon.

“We are extremely satisfied with the amazing performance of this machine..... our ROLAND 705 3B EVOLUTION has already printed 50 million sheets in just 9 months!”

The machine went on to print 62 million sheets in the first year of its operation.

Gabwoo MoonHwaSa attaches great importance to the maintenance of its presses and operates Manroland Sheetfed’s ProServ 360° maintenance regime.

“Honestly, we could not afford any machine breakdowns, as we always have tight schedules with our customers,” says Mr. SoonKwan Jeon.

“Our printing machines are always kept in the very best condition thanks to the ProServ 360° maintenance contract and Manroland technicians are always available.”

Mr. HyungJoon Ahn, Managing Director of Manroland Korea: “From the beginning, we were aware that Gabwoo MoonHwaSa are particularly concerned about machine availability.

In order to prevent any critical failure, we provide them with Proserv 360°, our highest level of maintenance support. For sure this was a major factor in achieving this remarkable performance record for our press”.

Scott Print from Australia achieves ISO colour matched across offset and digital David Crowther, the Colour Doctor of Colour Graphic Services has recently returned from Perth with the news that leading WA printer Scott Print has achieved an Australian/ NZ-industry first by attaining Mellow Colour Proficient Printer certified for ISO 12647-2:2013 (including ISO 12647-8:2012) for all of its colour production, offset and digital.

“The original certification was one year ago,” says Crowther, “but of course, any standard is only as good as the upkeep of it via auditing and I am delighted to say that Scott Print has passed its second audit with flying colours, no pun intended! It is a significant achievement since both digital and offset/CtP output devices need to be maintained to ISO 12647 colour standard day-in, day-out. Not only this but Scott Print uses both digital liquid toner (HP Indigo) and dry toner (Xerox), and these lay down images in different ways. Add to that the CtP/Offset variance and controlling colour across eight devices is a challenge for the world’s best – and Scott Print certainly falls into this category.”

Scott Print’s production comprises: 1 x HP Indigo 5000 SRA3 digital colour press 1 x Fuji Xerox Iridesse SRA3 digital colour press 2 x Fuji Xerox Colour 1000i A3 digital printers 1 x Komori HUV GL840 B1 offset press 1 x Komori LS 629 B2+ offset press 1 x Screen PlateRite 8900S CtP Prinergy workflow and 2 x seats of Mellow Colour PrintSpec Techkon SpectroDens Premium and SpectroPlate for measurement, Just Normlicht viewing This combination now delivers ISO 12647-2:2013 latest colour standard matched to all colour output, digital or offset.

Mr. SoonKwan Jeon. CEO, Gabwoo MoonHwaSa and Mr. HyungJoon Ahn, Managing Director, Manroland Korea with the record -breaking ROLAND 705 3B EVOLUTION . The press achieved 50 million impressions in the first 9 months of operation and went on to make 62 million impressions in its first year.

“I’d like to congratulate the colour management team headed by Doug Henderson, Adriano Piccaluga in Offset and Danilo Bernini in Digital,

We print your world We combine inks and substrates so that the greatest variety for packaging is created.

Because printing is our world.

Koenig & Bauer (SEA) Sdn Bhd Tel: +65 6562 8582 Email: Michael.Choong@koenig-bauer.com koenig-bauer.com

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

62 addition reflects the company’s core competence: providing banknote printing technology solutions.

World leader in the field of printing for 200 years, the Koenig & Bauer Group is historically the oldest manufacturer of printing presses in the world. With nearly 5,700 employees worldwide and a turnover of EUR 1.2 billion at the end of 2018, the Group enjoys a strong reputation, and a recognized and well-established image in the printing industry.

for their diligence and professionalism in learning and maintaining the ISO standard across all devices and, of course, the management of John and Tim Scott for their faith and perseverance in world-best practice of print colour management,” says Crowther.

KBA-NotaSys becomes Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions A new name for the world market leader in high-security printing solutions. KBA-NotaSys announces the change of its corporate name to Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions as of 1 June 2020. The name change will harmonize brands within the Koenig & Bauer Group and has no influence on the organization and structure of KBA-NotaSys. A global overhaul of the logo, the website and related visuals will be presented during the first half of 2020.

KBA-NotaSys was founded in 1952 as Organisation Giori, and became

De La Rue Giori in 1964. Since 2001, the company is part of the German industrial group Koenig & Bauer, and initially adopted the company name KBA-GIORI. It was rebranded as KBA-NotaSys in 2011.

Eric Boissonnas, CEO of KBANotaSys, explains: "The renaming of KBA-NotaSys to Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions reflects the operational and structural situation that has existed for many years, and ensures consistency across the entire group. It does not impact the current or future activities of our company.

It's all about fully integrating the Koenig & Bauer brand, both in the complementarity of the technical solutions we offer and in our visual identity. In this way, we want to ensure the continuity of our brand and offer our unique know-how under a single global name."

KBA-NotaSys is the last entity of the group to be renamed as Koenig & Bauer. The "Banknote Solutions"

The Koenig & Bauer Group has four distinct and specialized product segments: Sheetfed, Digital & Webfed, Flexo and Special. KBA-NotaSys is part of the Special segment, focusing on security printing, especially banknotes. Each company in this industrial line is a leader in its field and offers highly technological solutions.

Claus Bolza-Schünemann, CEO of Koenig & Bauer, concludes: "We are very proud that KBA-NotaSys is joining our brand. Since 2001, we offer different, but complementary technologies. The new name Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions reflects the unique competence of the company in the world. As of now, our combined know-how will become even clearer for our customers. " Educate attendees about the value of waterless offset printing At Labelexpo Shanghai, IST Metz, Codimag and Toray teamed up to educate attendees about the value of waterless offset printing for a variety of label and other applications.

With waterless offset plate costs as much as 10X less than flexo plates, and with state-of-the-art Aniflo anilox technology on a Codimag VIVA press equipped with IST Metz drying systems, set up times and waste are lower, job change-over can be done in less than five minutes with less than 30 meters of waste, and printing is accomplished at maximum speed up to 85 m/min.

Waterless offset printing is suitable for printing on every substrate (including paper, plastic, cardboard, shrink sleeve, in-mold labels), and for every market

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

63

LET US BE THE FUEL

Industrial Textile

MIS Systems

Hybrid Superwide

Wide Format

Roll-to-Roll Superwide

Soft Signage

Thermoform Printing

Web to Print Solutions

Fiery Servers

Ceramic

EFI offers you the broadest choice of products across the widest range of TM

applications to fuel your success. From superwide LED inkjet, to ceramic printing, to powerful Fiery print servers. From the lowest cost per print, to soft signage ÂŽ

textile printing, to delivering peak performance by running your business through EFI Productivity Suites. Contact your local EFI specialist at EFI_ANZ@efi.com.

Nothing herein should be construed as a warranty in addition to the express warranty statement provided with EFI products and services.

EFI, FabriVU, Fiery and VUTEk are trademarks of Electronics For Imaging, Inc. and/or its wholly owned subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or certain other countries. Š2018 Electronics For Imaging, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fast drying and environmentally friendly ink With the help of extensive research work, the international printing ink manufacturer hubergroup has succeeded in launching a particularly fast drying and environmentally friendly ink series: ECO-PERFECTDRY. The Cradle to Cradle silver certified sheetfed offset inks, which enable the print product to be processed quickly, are ideal for commercial printing.

For the development of the globally available ink series, hubergroup carried out extensive tests in order to optimize the drying process.

For this purpose, the ink specialist cooperated with the German company Onlineprinters to examine the processes in practice. Bernd Groh, Global Product and Portfolio Manager Sheetfed/UV at hubergroup, explains: "It was important for us to exactly understand the interaction between the drying parameters and the drying performance – that's why we speak of drying kinetics. Thanks to this knowledge, ECO-PERFECT-DRY has a unique drying speed which helps printers speed up processes."

Additionally, hubergroup paid particular importance to the eco-friendliness of the product.

Consequently, ECO-PERFECTDRY is not only cobalt- and mineral oil-free, but also has an optimised CO2 balance. Therefore, the Cradle to Cradle silver certified printing ink is ideal for environmentally conscious companies.

AUGUST 26 - 27th Ho Chi Minh City

application (including food, wine, beverages, industrial, pharmaceutical, security). It delivers exceptional quality and preserves precious water resources.

LABELS & PACKAGING CONFERENCE

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20 8 _01

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 12 2019

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Quality Printer?

Then go for GOLD The 2020 Asian Print Awards Awards Dinner Manila Philippines Oct 2020

16

th

FREE ENTRY FORM DEADLINE 5PM JULY 3RD 2020

SINGAPORE - THAILAND - INDIA - MALAYSIA - JAPAN - HONG KONG - CHINA - KOREA - TAIWAN - VIETNAM - INDONESIA - SRI LANKA - PHILIPPINES - CAMBODIA - MYNAMAR The annual Asian Print Awards was founded to recognise outstanding achievement in the print and packaging industries across Asia.

With more than half the world’s population represented in this fast growing area, communication in the form of printed matter links Asia’s diverse cultures. It is imperative that such print achievements do not go unrecognised, especially among the population base that Asia enjoys.

The Awards are judged on a wholly quality-oriented set of criteria to ensure that fair play is enacted at all times.

The Independent Judging Panel comprises highly qualified personnel from within Asia and around the world. The independent judging panel has no knowledge of the actual entrants details. ALL ENTRIES ARE NUMBER-CODED. Entries must be commercially produced work.

The Asian Print Awards is the only regional print quality competition of its kind in Asia. Supported by leading industry-supply companies, any progressive quality print house should enter and prove that they are the best - by winning the Gold, Silver or Bronze award. Proving pride in quality awareness is what customers love to see. It’s not just empty words, you can prove it.

Categories 1-8 : Offset Printing Only

20. Digital Labels

1. Calendars – any format

21 Digital - Outdoor Billboard

2. Sheetfed Magazines

Categories 22-26 : Specialty Categories

3. Book printing – less than 4 colours

22. Multi–Piece Productions and Campaigns Any substrate or print process: Multi–piece Production must be 3 or more items such as folder, leaflets, ring binders, inserts, envelopes including their contents.

Campaigns must be 3 or more items with a consistent theme produced during the year by the same printer for the same client.

4. Book printing – 4 or more colours 5. Limited Editions & Artwork Reproductions (under 1000 print run) 6. Web Offset – Coated stock 70gsm and above 7. Web Offset –LWC (light weight coated) 65gsm or less 8. Offset Packaging products

Categories 9 - 21 : Digital Printing Only

9. Book Printing 10. Calendars 11. Personalised photo books – any format.

12. Posters 13. Showcards & Point-of-Sale material 14. Digital Magazines

23. Embellishment Any substrate – any combination - for example: embossing – diecutting – foil stamping –laminating coating.

24. Innovation / Specialty Printing The entry must exhibit any innovative and/ special application of machinery, process, substrate or finishing.

A short description must be provided for the judges, detailing reasons for entry into this category.

25. Company Self Promotion Any item printed to promote a product or company involved in the graphic arts industry. Self promotion cannot be entered into any other Category.

26. Judges Special Award (A job that catches all the Judges’ attention)

15. Gold, Silver and Special colours 16. Restaurant Menus 17. Limited Editions & Artwork reproductions (under 500 print run) 18. Digital Proofing (must supply the digital proof and the prinnted product)

Best in Digital Award

19. Digital Packaging * If your company wins an award, a representative(s) from your company MUST be present in Manila to receive the award on stage, we will not send any awards to you if you are absent!

The Awards Dinner Presentation will be Friday Oct 9th in Manila, Philippines and held alongside the leading PPP Trade show also in Manila.

Best in Offset Award Best Use of Colour Award

FREE ENTRY FORM ASIAN PRINT AWARDS 2019

Deadline for Entries Submission: 3rd July 2020, 5pm Remember to submit 2 copies of each job! Why? - Just in case one is damaged.

SECTION A (This will not be shown to judges). Please fill the form in capital letters.

Entered by (company name): ______________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Person: ________________________________________________ Email______________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone: __________________________________

Country________________________________

Category entered __________________________ Title of entry (ie: " Paul's Ice Cream" ): ____________________________________________________________ Printed by (Printers name): ________________________________________________________________________________________ Client name: ________________________________________________________ Designer Pre Press House: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Brand of Printing Machine used: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Stock supplied by (Merchant’s name): ______________________________________________________________________________ Brand name of stocks Coated Uncoated: ____________________________________________________________________________ By signing here you accept the rules and conditions of the Asian Print Awards

Signature over printed name_____________________________ Name_____________________________________________________

SECTION B Production information to be shown to judges

( tape this securely to the back of your entries)

Category entered (Same as above): __________ Entry number (Administrative use only] ____________

Title of entry (ie: " Paul's Ice Cream" )__________________________________________Print method: _______________________

Number of ink colours (4-6-8 etc) ________

Any Embellishment (foil stamping etc) __________________________________

Quantity produced (Print run copies): ___________ Other technical details (finishing processes etc) ________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

16th Asian Print Awards 2020 ENTRIES SUBMISSION CLOSES 3rd July 2020, 5pm

Send all entries to: APAM Pte Ltd, Level 28, Office 28-31 - Clifford Centre, 24 Raffles Place, Singapore 048621 Email: paul@printinnovationasia.com Additional entry forms can be downloaded at www.printinnovationasia.com Please note that entries are non-returnable unless a self addressed courier pack is supplied.