PRESSIdeas February 2016 lssue by Jacob George

Issue 02, 2016

Fire: Heidelberg’s digital portfolio...............24 Xerox: Let the Work Flow.................................26 The formidable Canon.....................................28 Konica drives future growth..........................30

A monthly Publication from PRESSIdeas Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

vol-16 Issue- 02 February 2016

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Vol.16

Love for Books at NDWBF’16.........................12

Kodak’s key drupa attraction.........................35 Shree Arun installs Kongsberg......................36 125 years of Bobst..............................................38

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Contents

Jasmeet D. Editor & Publisher (jasmeet@pressideas.com)

FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK.............................................................................................................................................................................................................6 drupa cube partners with The Medici Group to spur out-of-the-box thinking.........................................................................................................8 New Delhi World Book Fair 2016 bolsters the Love for Books...................................................................................................................................... 12 The best time to invest in the technologically advanced press................................................................................................................................... 15 3rd drupa Global Trends Report 2016.................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 ESMA shows the potential of functional printing at drupa 2016................................................................................................................................ 17 Heidelberg increases sales and records net profit after taxes...................................................................................................................................... 18 TOPA celebrates Printers Day ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Polaris Trykk extends collaboration with EAE and QIPC.................................................................................................................................................. 20 Time Inc. to launch Sports Illustrated multi-platform broadcast and digital networks across Asia................................................................ 20 Major Chinese Publisher purchases 8 Screen Truepress Jet web presses ................................................................................................................ 21 Flint Group issues binding offer to Siegwerk to purchase Web Offset business ................................................................................................... 21 Protect digital business from legacy culture, key message at Digital Media India .............................................................................................. 22 Kodak Sonora Plate Green Leaf Award for Malaysia’s NSTP .......................................................................................................................................... 23 drupa 2016: Heidelberg restructures its digital printing portfolio ............................................................................................................................. 24 HP inspires print providers to reinvent their possibilities at drupa 2016.................................................................................................................. 25 Xerox at drupa: Let the Work Flow.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Helping Print Service Providers Transform and Grow...................................................................................................................................................... 27 Canon: A formidable brand at drupa .................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Konica Minolta driving future growth at drupa ................................................................................................................................................................ 30 Komori and Highcon announce strategic business partnership................................................................................................................................. 31 drupa 2016: Heidelberg a driving force behind industry’s digitization..................................................................................................................... 32 PM launches India Soars High at ‘Make in India Week’.................................................................................................................................................... 33 Fujifilm and Heidelberg to introduce Primefire 106 at drupa....................................................................................................................................... 34 Sonora along with its wide product range will be Kodak’s key drupa attraction.................................................................................................. 35 Shree Arun Packaging chooses Kongsberg V20 sample making table..................................................................................................................... 36 CreaseStream awarded European patent for Gravity Flow Feeder............................................................................................................................. 37 125 Years: For The Next Generation........................................................................................................................................................................................ 38 FINAT reveals event agenda for the year.............................................................................................................................................................................. 40 Judges announced for the 28th DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation........................................................................................................... 41 Flint announces acquisition of ACS........................................................................................................................................................................................ 41 Lake Image Systems to showcase full suite of integrated, tailored solutions at drupa 2016............................................................................ 42 Flint Group Flexo Round Table presents Newrotec Lightweight Sleeve .................................................................................................................. 43 MPS supports local university talent with printed pattern art project .................................................................................................................... 43 Flint equips flexographic and letterpress platemaking exposures with high intensity lamps......................................................................... 44 SIES GST Job Fair to recruit the best of talent in Printing & Packaging ..................................................................................................................... 44 adphosNIR technology ensures high performance and quality for digital printing presses............................................................................ 45 Ricoh to acquire garment printing giant AnaJet............................................................................................................................................................... 45 Printeriors 2016 presents ‘The Print Hotel’........................................................................................................................................................................... 46 Xitron launches Navigator Northstar..................................................................................................................................................................................... 47 Arrow Digital Installs the EFI H1625 LEDUV printer at its R&D/Demo Centre......................................................................................................... 47 New President for new Konica Minolta company............................................................................................................................................................. 47 DP Lenticular to present world premiere large format lenticular lens at drupa 2016.......................................................................................... 48 Arrow Digital installs EFI VUTEk GS3250LX Pro at Arihant DigiPrints ........................................................................................................................ 48 Global Graphics raises the bar in Inkjet quality with drupa launch............................................................................................................................ 49 Xaar expands product range for UV applications.............................................................................................................................................................. 49 Epson to present latest range of SureColor at Sign & Digital UK 2016...................................................................................................................... 50

Vineet K G. Associate Editor (vineetkg@pressideas.com) Jasvinder S. Sub-Editor (jasvinder@pressideas.com) Jacob George Marketing and Sales (jacob@pressideas.com) M.S. Mukundan Advertising and Sales Southern and Western India (aims@pressideas.com) Graphic Designer Anil Kumar

Networking/ Hardware Consultant Sukhdeep Singh USA Correspondents Tensi M., Preeti European Correspondent Rimi, Yadhu Morphine Production Thomas K Alex

PRESSIdeas February 2016 Vol. 16, Issue 02 Printed by Jacob George and published by Jasmeet Singh on behalf of PRESSIdeas Publishing Pvt Ltd. Printed in India at Hues and Colors 363, Industrial Focal Point, Phase-IX Mohali, and published at PRESSIdeas, 437-A 1st Floor, Industrial Area, Phase-2 Chandigarh-160002 (India) Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. All material supplied is compiled from sources believed to be reliable or solely an opinion of the authors. PRESSIdeas is not responsible for any steps taken based on the information provided herewith.

February 2016

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FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK Dear Readers, The 24th edition of NDWBF 2016 concluded successfully with record sales and visitors, bolstering the love for Books with over eleven lakh booklovers visiting the Fair. The National Book Trust, India reported its Fair sales figures as Rs 80 lakhs. Children’s Pavilion remained the hub of activities for and by children. NBT came up with a new Navlekhan series for young writers under the age of forty and brought out 16 new titles. Besides one thousand publishers, distributors and booksellers as participants, over 2000 literary events were organized. The Theme Pavilion, China Pavilion, Foreign Pavilion and the Children’s Pavilion remained the centre of attraction at the Fair. Read complete report in this issue. Digital Media India 2016, the 5th annual digital media conference organised by WAN-IFRA from 22nd to 23rd February at Delhi, underlined the importance of protecting digital media business from legacy culture. It was the central message of the roundtable discussion that followed in the conference’s concluding session. The conference drew 170 delegates, the highest number in the past 5 years and a growth of 35% from the previous edition, from more than 10 countries. The conference focused on the theme “Engaging audience, monetising content,” included parallel break-out sessions on a) Social media growth b) Online video c) Digital advertising and d) Ad blockers. Digitization will be a foremost topic at the upcoming drupa 2016. Major players are gearing up for the premier show of the industry. Heidelberg will be marketing its entire digital printing offering under a standardized family name, the “Fire” product line, as of drupa 2016. Customers will then be able to choose between the new Primefire 106, Versafire CP/CV, Omnifire 250/1000, or Gallus Labelfire 340 according to their needs. Other digital leaders – Xerox, Canon, Konica Minolta, HP and Kodak will be showcasing big at Dusseldorf. With a theme “Let the Work Flow,” Xerox is gearing up to showcase how providers can solve their biggest challenges, propel business forward and work better by becoming more automated, integrated and productive in their operations. The company will also have an ‘India Day’ at drupa. Canon will be a ‘formidable’ brand at drupa 2016. With a showcase sprawling about 3200 Sqft. it will be having new launches and presentation of solutions in pre-printing, printing and post-printing arena. Konica Minolta will be driving future growth at drupa. Visitors to its stand will ‘touch the future’ with its latest innovations in printing and applications. Watch out for the much awaited KM-1. HP will inspire print providers to reinvent their possibilities at drupa where it will unveil HP PrintOS, a cloudbased, mobile platform that simplifies and automates print production management. Kodak will feature a series of new innovative products at its stand. The showcase will include announcing its new process free plate. Keep in touch with these columns and our online updates to know the latest about drupa 2016. Important happenings across the global graphic arts industry include Bobst celebrating its 125th Anniversary; Flint Group’s offer to buy Siegwerk’s web offset business and acquiring ACS, USA; and Ricoh’s agreement to buy Anajet. Key installations include: Esko Kongsberg V20 at Shree Arun Packaging; Arrow Digital installing an EFI H1625 LEDUV printer at its R&D/Demo Centre as well as installing an EFI VUTEk GS3250LX Pro at Arihant DigiPrints; and 8 Screen Truepress Jet web presses at a major Chinese Publisher. Find all this and much more in the February Issue of PRESSIdeas.

- Jasvinder Singh, Sub-editor

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February 2016

drupa cube partners with The Medici Group to spur out-of-the-box thinking Best selling author Frans Johansson and other thought leaders to deliver keynotes during drupa 2016.

“Just as Gutenberg revolutionised communications by converging the spoken word with print, we are seeing new crossroads that are spawning unimaginable results in every sector. Be it personalisation of printed products, ‘fabbing’ or even human organ printing, drupa is a showcase for how we ‘Touch the Future’ of print.” - Jordan Waid, FreemanXP

Key Notes : > International innovation firm The Medici Group partner for development and delivery of innovative content for drupa cube 2016. > Worldwide brands already drawing on the strategic expertise of The Medici Group. > Bestselling author Frans Johansson (The Medici Effect) will base his talk on the drupa theme “touch the future” and ‘Intersectional Thinking’.

February 2016

Four months prior to the start of the trade show on 31st May, the programme for drupa cube, the conference and event location at drupa 2016, is now largely set. The primary partner for development and delivery of innovative content for drupa cube 2016 is international innovation firm The Medici Group and its founder and CEO Frans Johansson. Johansson caused somewhat of a furore with his 2004 book “The Medici Effect,” and since then has been the go-to expert for the concepts of thinking and acting outside fixed limits and the “out-ofthe-box principle.” Worldwide brands such as American Express, IBM, Nike, Volvo and The Walt Disney Company have already been drawing on the strategic expertise of The Medici Group. Now drupa is doing the same. “With The Medici Group, we have precisely the right partner at our side for drupa cube. A consistent approach to change management is absolutely necessary to master the challenges in the print, packaging and media sectors,” says Sabine Geldermann, Director at drupa. “I am extremely pleased that we will be presenting a high quality and clearly structured programme that will appeal both to the print and media industry as well as to web agencies, brands and print buyers, with The Medici Group and other impressive thought leaders at its core.” Keynote speaker Frans Johansson, Silas Amos & Shane Wall In his opening keynote on 31st May,

bestselling author Frans Johansson (The Medici Effect) will base his talk on the drupa theme “touch the future” and ‘Intersectional Thinking’. The core question that will be addressed is, “What happens when technological revolutions meet an industry that has been around for a millennium?” The second keynote on 2nd June will build on this and explore key situations where one can forge a route to a future vision. The third keynote speaker on 6th June, Silas Amos ‎(Founder of Silas Amos Ltd. Design Thought), has worked as a designer and strategic partner for several firms in the FMCG industry, including AB InBev, Bacardi, Diageo, Heinz, Mars and Unilever. The final keynote will be held on 8th June with Shane Wall, Chief Technology Officer at HP and Global Head of HP Labs, as the speaker.

pressideas/ commercial printing

There will be a mix of the following sessions across the eleven days: Business Evolution: Twelve 30-minute slots are aimed primarily at decision-makers in the printing industry who are focusing on increasing efficiency and profits within their companies. Accordingly, both “best practices” and business models, as well as investment strategies and human resources management will be discussed. Already on the list of speakers are: Ronan Zioni/HP, Neil Falconer/Print Future, Ulbe Jelluma/ Print Power and Chris Bondy/RIT’s School of Media Sciences.

Technology: Eleven 30-minute slots will focus on technological innovations and their new areas of application. How can these innovations be integrated into existing workflows and what will be the consequences? These and other topics are aimed at decision-makers and management at printing firms, and will also appeal to all other drupa visitors who have an interest

in technology. One special event of note is the three one-hour “Gladiator Sessions” comparing two converging technologies where the pros and cons are discussed with a moderator. The following speakers have already committed to participate: Chris Bondy (RIT’s School of Media Sciences / USA), Joanna Stephenson (DataLase/UK) and Lilach Sapir (Massivit 3D printing/Israel).

Intersectional: These six sessions, led by The Medici Group, will focus on “Innovation @ the Intersection” and will encompass the six highlight topics of drupa 2016 (multichannel, print, functional printing, 3D-Printing, packaging production and green printing). In each interactive lecture slot, several of these highlight topics will be combined with one another using specific application examples, such as functional printing & packaging print, 3D printing & sustainability or multichannel & print. C-Level: The four invitation-only slots in this programme segment are aimed at a fixed, defined subscriber group at management level as well as at exhibitors and visitors. These C-level sessions will directly follow the four keynotes and are formatted as interactive workshops where strategic insider knowledge is conveyed. The keynote speaker whose talk precedes each session will act as the moderator. The strategic and creative design of the programme and on-site implementation

February 2016

have been entrusted to London-based brand experience agency FreemanXP. “Just as Gutenberg revolutionised communications by converging the spoken word with print, we are seeing new crossroads that are spawning unimaginable results in every sector. Be it personalisation of printed products, ‘fabbing’ or even human organ printing, drupa is a showcase for how we ‘Touch the Future’ of print. With The Medici Group, drupa Innovation Partner 2016, we have evolved the drupa cube experience to encourage conversation and convergent thinking that will lead to the co-creation, re-imagination and re-invention of the future of printing,” added Jordan Waid, Vice President Brand Experience, FreemanXP EMEA. A provisional programme will be online from February; the complete programme is scheduled to be online in March. An extra special feature: participation in the cube programme is free of charge for drupa visitors, included in the daily ticket price.

New Delhi World Book Fair 2016 bolsters the Love for Books The 24th edition of the Fair concludes successfully with record sales and visitors.

New Delhi World Book Fair 2016 has concluded successfully with record number of people visiting the fair and publishers achieving record sales. It has also ended on a positive note that the love for books remains undiminished and the books are here to stay, be it in the form of printed books or ebooks. As compared to last few years, the number of people visiting the book fair has increased. This year over

NBT came up with a new Navlekhan series for young writers under the age of forty and brought out 16 new titles. The theme pavilion displayed books beginning from bhoj patra to ebooks and also displayed ancient scripts.

Key Notes : > Over eleven lakh record number of booklovers visit the Fair. > The National Book Trust, India report Fair sales figures of about Rs 80 lakhs. > Children’s Pavilion remained the hub of activities for and by children.

February 2016

eleven lakh booklovers visited the Fair. The record number of people visiting the fair is historical. About one thousand publishers, distributors and booksellers of major Indian languages and English from across the country participated. They were happy with the response of readers at the Fair as this time they had a record sales. Even, the National Book Trust, India had

good sales figures of about Rs 80 lakhs as compared to last year’s sales figure of Rs 50 lakhs. Besides books, over 2000 literary events including book release functions, seminars, panel discussions, poets’ meet were organized by the National Book Trust, India along with the publishers and the foreign publishers. A good number of authors, children’s writers and poets interacted with the booklovers at the author’s corners and other literary events. The Theme Pavilion, China Pavilion, Foreign Pavilion and the Children’s Pavilion remained the centre of attraction at the New Delhi World Book Fair. The handwritten lipis (manuscripts) on bhojpatra, the books on culture, tradition and scholars like Rigveda, Tulsidas, literary & cultural programmes and dramatic performances on Indian classical texts at the Pavilion attracted the booklovers. The exhibitions at the China Pavilion on Chinese Tea culture, Chinese books and publishing industry connected readers with the Chinese culture and literature. The other cultural programmes at the Fair included recitals, songs, folk music & dances, skits, classical dance and music programmes, discussions, poetry sessions, meets and book release functions.

New Delhi World Book Fair takes place from 9 to 17 January 2016

discussions etc. for booklovers, authors and publishers at the Pavilion.

The 24th edition of New Delhi World Book Fair took place at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 9 to 17 January 2016. China was the Guest of Honour country and HRD Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the fair organized by the National Book Trust, India in collaboration with the India Trade Promotion Organisation. Later, the HRD Minister also inaugurated the Theme Pavilion and the China pavilion. Eminent author S L Bhyrappa speaking at the inaugural function, commented: “Efforts should be made to make Sanskrit a language of communication, administration and science & technology. The booklovers seemed to have been waiting for New Delhi World Book Fair. A long queue of booklovers could be seen at the metro stations to buy the entry tickets. The visitors of all age-groups and from all walks of life were seen busy browsing their favourite books and participating in the literary and

Mr Sun Shoushan, Vice Minister, SAPPFRT, China said that New Delhi World Book Fair 2016 has set up an important platform for the cultural exchanges and mutual understanding for the entire world. “As Guest of Honour country we are pleased to get together with the publishers of India. The publishing exchanges between China and India have played an important role in cementing the relationships between peoples and promoting cultural exchanges,” he said.

cultural programmes at the Fair. More than eleven lakh booklovers visited the Fair.

China as Guest of Honour Country at the Fair China was the guest of honour country at the New Delhi World Book Fair 2016 and its delegation includes more than 80 publishing houses and groups. More than 10,000 copies of 5000 titles were on display at the Pavilion. The visitors saw the India-China cultural exchanges as well as had a glimpse of Chinese book publishing industry and their culture at the exhibitions at the Pavilion including China-India Cultural Contacts Photo Exhibition, Publishing and Printing in Ancient China Exhibition, Chinese Tea Culture Exhibition and the Original Illustrations for children. China organized a number of events including book release, seminars,

Theme Pavilion showcases Cultural Heritage of India This year, the theme of New Delhi World Book Fair was the ‘Cultural Heritage of India’. Situated at Hall No 7, the Theme Pavilion emphasised on the philosophy, knowledge traditions and multilingual literary practices which have shaped the culture and civilization of India and beyond for thousands of years. The Theme Pavilion displays more than 800 titles on Indian art, culture, music, dance, philosophy in various Indian languages. A number of activities were organized at the Pavilion including a panel discussion on the topic ‘Science through Sanskrit: Exploring Possibilities’. A panel discussion on the topic ‘Many Languages One Nation’ was organized at the

February 2016

pressideas/ commercial printing

Theme Pavilion at Hall No. 7. Prof. Agnihotri said that languages are a medium to connect with others. He opined that the different languages of India empower the country and unite the people. Shri Baldeo Bhai Sharma, Chairman, NBT; Prof. K N Tiwari, University of Delhi and Shri Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, Niyogi Books also spoke on the occasion. Besides discussion, several other programmes were organized at the Theme Pavilion including the Choir songs and panel discussion on the topic India’s Secular Literary Tradition. A panel discussion on the topic ‘Bharata’s Natyashastra and India’s Performance Tradition’ was organized at the Theme Pavilion. The rare hastalipis (manuscripts) on palm leaves, the books on culture, dramatic and cultural performances on Indian scripts at the Theme Pavilion, the photo and cultural exhibitions at China Pavilion and literary activities like seminars, poets’ meet, book launch attracted the booklovers, publishers and authors alike. The B2B event for the publishers, the New Delhi Rights Table was organized from 11 to 12 January and attracted more than 60 publishers from India and other countries.

Children’s Books and Activities at NDWBF 2016: A Treat for Children The Children’s Pavilion remained the hub of

February 2016

activities for and by children where the young children not only interacted with the authors but also participated in the workshops and enjoyed the children’s films screened at the Pavilion. Jugalbandi, an interactive children’s session was organized at the Children’s Pavilion at Hall No. 14. Noted writer Das Benhur remarked that National Book Trust, India is helping children expand their knowledge through such programmes. Even during working days didn’t deter booklovers to visit the Fair. The Hall No 14 comprised of the stalls from various children’s books publishers from across the country. Several activities for and by children were organized at the Pavilion by the NBT in collaboration with various schools, NGO and other organizations. The children got an opportunity to meet their favourite authors, illustrators, had reading and storytelling sessions with them, participated in the workshops on creative writing, illustrations etc. For the children’s writers, teachers, librarians, panel discussions, seminars were also organized. The Children’s Film Society screened popular films for children at the Pavilion every day. The Illustrator’s Corner encouraged young artists; another corner informed about learning aids; a corner by Care India made people aware about the need to educate children especially girls; reading corner let booklovers read books and know about the National Centre for Children’s Literature Library.

Workshop on animation, various skits by children, programmes and panel discussions were among the various initiatives taken by the pavilion. The panel discussions on Hindi literature and noted Hindi writer Premchand and Poets’ Meet were some of the literary events that engaged the booklovers. Baldeo Bhai Sharma, Chairman, NBT said “The Trust has come up with a new Navlekhan series for young writers under the age of forty and has brought out 16 new titles. The theme pavilion displayed books beginning from bhoj patra to ebooks and also displayed ancient scripts.” A discussion based on the books published under the Navlekhan series by National Book Trust, India to promote young authors was organized at the Theme Pavilion. At the Children’s Pavilion, a workshop on script writing was also organized.

Literary Programmes At the Lekhak Manch, a literary book titled Kavya, edited by Nivedita Srivastava was released. On this occasion, a poet’s meet was also organized. A programme on Sanskrit literature was organized at Sahitya Manch, Hall No. 8. The speakers were of the view that Sanskrit is an ancient language of knowledge and wisdom. A symposium on Sufism was held at Hall No. 8. Topics on terrorism and need to promote love, peace, tolerance and harmony were discussed.

pressideas/ commercial printing

The New Delhi World Book Fair saw more than eleven lakh booklovers visiting the

Pragati Maidan to interact with authors, participate in literary events like seminars,

book release functions, panel discussions, visit the stalls of the publishers and acquaint themselves with the culture of China and India through books and exhibitions at the Theme and China Pavilion. At Lal Chowk, Dastongoi, a storytelling session was organized. Dastangoi, is a unique form of storytelling in Urdu language in which two storytellers narrate the story in rhythm with the help of musical instruments. A number of books were released at the Fair.

The best time to invest in the technologically advanced press... Stable Indian Rupee: The Rupee is

“Has there ever been a better time to invest in the world’s most technologically advanced press?” asks Neeraj Dargan, MD, manroland Sheetfed India. He says that in many years, there has not been such an alignment of factors that make investment in the next manroland press more sensible than it is now. The factors enumerated by one of the top Offset Press manufacturers include:

currently more stable against the Euro than it has been anytime in the last four years. “The price you will pay for a new press at today’s rate is more or less same as in the last more than 3 years when Indian Rupee dropped to a record low against the euro in 2012 / 13,” says Neeraj Dargan, MD, manroland Sheetfed India.

Picking up Indian economy: The stable interest rates introduced by RBI post financial crisis, have finally translated into sustainable economic growth for India.

“Looking forward, the political outlook is stable and business friendly. Strong fiscal management is leading the country out of recession and for sure the signs that Print is picking up right along with it, are there,” says Neeraj.

Low interest rates: Interest rates are at historically low levels. Money is relatively cheap and credit easier than in the dark days of the financial crisis. “But we believe the era of ultralow interest rates is over and the cost of money will only increase. Secure that loan today; it’s a brave man that bets against a rate rise in the coming months,” adds Neeraj. Stable prices of Presses: The prices of presses have hardly increased in Euro terms since the financial crisis. “Demand for presses dropped off a cliff back then and the big three German press builders were left struggling with over capacity,” says Neeraj. “With wage increases in Germany rising at over 3% per year over several years now and the other press builders finally aligning supply with demand, the price of a new press is only set to go up. Get a quote now and we’ll stand by it for an order placed until 31 March,” he declares. The tried and tested ROLAND 700 Evolution: It’s been well over a year since the latest incarnation of the legendary press was launched. “The ROLAND 700 Evolution is already tried and tested in the field. The fine tuning as per customer feedback has too been done. So, we think the time to invest in your next ROLAND press is right now,” recommends Neeraj. manroland will be present with its latest solutions at drupa 2016.

February 2016

3rd drupa Global Trends Report 2016 Optimism for growth in 2016.

With just weeks to go before drupa 2016 opens, the results of the 3rd drupa Global Trends report have been published. The report finds that although recovery from the financial crisis in 2008 is incomplete and uneven, printers everywhere are increasingly optimistic about their prospects throughout 2016, despite tightening margins and falling prices. This is influencing their plans for investment in production equipment. Sabine Geldermann, Director drupa, Messe Düsseldorf, said: “This year’s drupa is a showcase for the latest developments in the global printing industry. By commissioning the series of drupa Global Trends reports, we are able to put these new developments into the context of the state of the industry as a whole. Anyone visiting drupa this year will find the reports make an invaluable backgrounder.”

The three reports have drawn on a global panel of about 750 printers to survey the state of the printing industry and expectations about its future over the three years leading up to drupa 2016.

Key Notes : > Africa and Middle East especially optimistic. > Digital growing but conventional processes still dominate. > Web to print stalls.

February 2016

The research and writing of the reports were handled by Richard Gray and Neil Falconer of the specialist consultancy and market research company Print Future. “The previous report in 2015 was upbeat in general, globally,” says Richard Gray. “In 2016 the picture is patchier, with some regions thriving, such as North America, others are struggling, including some of the developing regions. Similarly whilst packaging and functional markets are in general doing well, those in the commercial market are more challenged and those in the publishing market particularly so.” In each report the responses of printers have been gathered and aver-aged to produce a barometer of economic confidence. Some 37% of the global panel of printers described their current condition in 2015 as good, although a significant 12% said their condition was poor, giving a positive net balance of 25%. Looking ahead, printers were in general more positive with 50% expecting their economic condition to improve in 2016 compared with just 6% expecting it to deteriorate – a positive balance of 44%. Taken by region, everywhere is more optimistic for 2016 than 2015, but the biggest increases in positive feelings are in Africa, Australia/Oceania, Middle East and Asia. Taken by sector, all the 2016 forecasts are more optimistic on balance, with commercial and functional (sometimes called industrial) printing showing the greatest increase compared to 2015.

Digital prospects Looking at some 14 common print processes, the report found that, as might be expected, digital technologies are growing fastest (on average by 28% per annum), but that sheet fed offset lithography is also seeing significant growth, particularly in publishing (net positive growth of 7%) and packaging (+12%). Flexography is also doing very well in packaging (+18%), and gravure is also seeing a modest but definite growth (+3%) in this sector. Functional printing is a growth area for screen printing (+11%), though digital is very important here too. While the bulk of turnover still comes from conventional print, there is a steady increase in the volume and value of digital print, with the exception of packaging where only 13% reported that it represents more than 25% of turnover, compared to 35% for commercial, 24% for publishing and 59% for functional. The ability of digital to print variable content is important, with 59% of functional printers and 35% of commercial printers reporting that more than 25% of their digital turnover was variable. Web to print seems to have stalled, with only a percentage point of growth from 2014 (25% of printers had it) to 2015 (26%). Only North America as a region and functional print as a sector saw significant increases in volumes going through web to print.

Limits to growth Both printers and suppliers cited strong competition as the biggest constraint to growth, with lack of sales being almost as large a factor. When asked the reason, the largest factor (58%) was finding new customers, with finding good sales staff second at 35%. About 32% blamed lack of demand for conventional print, but only 10% said the same for digital. The full report will be released in English in a few weeks; the Executive Summary will be available in seven languages (German, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Chinese) at drupa website.

pressideas/ commercial printing

ESMA shows the potential of functional printing at drupa 2016 ESMA, European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association, will be present in two pavilions at drupa 2016. The pavilion in hall 3A 70 will be dedicated to functional and industrial printing with member companies such as SPS demonstrating screen printing equipment used for food decoration (e.g. chocolate) and other special effects achievable at high operation speed. SPS’s partner ATMA will showcase latest developments in machines for conductive and technical printing. German specialist in stencils, KIWO, will present printing of pressure sensitive adhesives with high electrical conductivity. A variety of decoration techniques for glass and other rigid materials will be in the spotlight in the ESC booth and another ESMA member, Marabu, will present applications of their inks for touch panels, tablet and smart phone masks. Visitors to ESMA Lounge will learn about the latest projects around smart tags, smart sensors, flexible and washable conductive inks used in textile industry, and the overall employment of various print technologies for Internet of Things. Further innovations will be highlighted in ESMA pavilion in hall 6 where Color Passport will present their revolutionary approach to colour management and reproduction on different substrates. Other experts in colour management, ColorGate, come to the show with development stations and state-of-the-art RIP technology for industrial printing with inkjet. Last but not least, Intrinsic Materials, a specialist in nano-materials, will show their achievements in conductive inks and printed electronics components applied by the medical industry, such as e.g. disposable testers with smart tags. Functional printing will build the core of ESMA presence at drupa and it is therefore worthwhile to briefly investigate what hides behind this term. In its early days, the functional printing relied on chromatic inks which changed colour due to external influences such as light (UV/black light), temperature (heat), pH changes or water contact. They found their applications in printed gadgets, especially packaging which took marketing advantage from the distinctive special effects. The glowing and phosphorescent decoration started years ago and reappears on the market

on continuous basis. More advanced and more functional opportunities have followed and entered new industries. Evolution in conductive inks and electroluminescence (EL) not only benefited branding purposes (e.g. light-emitting packaging of Bombay Sapphire Gin) but delivered solutions also for solar panels (fingers and busbars). Initial applications have pushed the boundaries of functional printing. Printed circuit boards (PCB) and flexible antennas combining FM, TV, mobile, GPS in one antenna and used e.g. in automotive, gave rise to car radar systems for adaptive cruise control. Nowadays, near field communication (NFC) and RFID antennas are standard features in electric devices and the integration of printing in the manufacturing process constantly improves their costefficiency. As far as electroluminescence is considered, a technological jump took place towards OLED (organic light emitting diodes). Flexible OLEDs integrated in fabric pave the way for smart textiles and wearables, as shown in one of the recent ESMA-powered international projects – POLEOT (Printing of Light Emitting Devices on Textile). The door to the future of printed electronics, conductive inks and coatings is now wide open. Batteries (flexible, thin, rechargeable), energy harvest systems (based on Peltier effect), smart tags and sensors are becoming common consumable goods, many of them disposable, too. Smart wearables and smart sensors increasingly find applications in medical and pharmaceutical sectors, for instance quick test strips for diabetics, blood analysers, smart blister packs… Healthcare is one of the markets which embrace new solutions and enable successful business cases of printers who decided to “go functional”. Quad Industries has developed temperature logger labels for blood bags used in transport. The smart tag registers and transmits data to a smartphone app to ensure the correct transport conditions. When mentioning the smartphone, many may not realise the number of its components facilitated by printing techniques. Capacitive switches, batteries, touch panels and screens – printing once again replaces expensive and highly energy-consuming processes.

Obviously, marketing departments will come on board, as well. One of the recent Audi TT brochures included printed controls which, after aligning with the smartphone on the right spot, turned the page into a controllable experience of the new model’s cockpit display. Functional printing partners with anti-counterfeiting technologies and delivers combinations of inks, coatings and substrates to create invisible markers. Both for monetary needs or luxury goods, security print is the most efficient and cost-attractive protection against imitation. Current possibilities offer even fingerprint recognition surfaces. Many of the above mentioned applications are included in the in-mould decoration process, be it for automotive or electronic devices – ranging from the integration of antennas in car mirror caps, in the car console, to capacitive buttons on 3D thermoformed parts and surfaces. The industry is growing and gives new, creative development dimensions for printers, manufacturers and product designers. They will all meet for 18 technical talks and business cases presented during the 3rd Advanced Functional and Industrial Printing conference (AFIP) on 2-3rd March 2016 in Radisson Blu Scandinavia hotel in Düsseldorf. The day before the conference, 1st March 2016, the nearby CST GmbH invites all attendees for a guided factory tour showing the company’s involvement with functional printing technology.

February 2016

Heidelberg increases sales and records net profit after taxes Improvements resulting from the portfolio measures were the reason for the better result. Heidelberg has ended the latest quarter with a positive net result after taxes, and its net result before taxes after nine months (April 1 to December 31, 2015) reached the break-even point. The company is on track to again record a positive net result after taxes for financial year 2015/2016 as a whole. Developments during the current financial year prove the success of the realignment implemented by Heidelberg. The main focal points for the future will be further developing the growing digital business and continuing to expand service business. The Heidelberg Services segment already accounted for almost half of Group sales after nine months. “We’ve made good progress with our goal of ensuring long-term profitability at Heidelberg. Our new portfolio is more closely geared toward stable market segments, is more profitable, and creates the conditions for further growth,” said Heidelberg CEO Gerold Linzbach.

Heidelberg will be joining forces with its cooperation partner Fujifilm to unveil a new, highly productive inkjetbased digital printing system for industrial applications at the upcoming drupa.

Key Notes : > Net result after taxes in third quarter improves by euro 60 million. >

Sales after nine months up 16 percent at around euro 1.8 billion.

> Will be presenting smart services and networked products for further industry digitization.

February 2016

Net profit after taxes in third quarter The nine-month business results achieved by Heidelberg are pointing in the right direction overall. Sales and the operating result for the reporting period were a significant improvement on the previous year’s figures. Group sales were 16 percent up on the equivalent nine months of the previous year at euro 1.802 billion (previous year: euro 1.552 billion). This figure includes positive exchange rate effects amounting to euro 93 million. The successful integration of the newly acquired PSG Group also made a substantial contribution to the higher sales. At a regional level, sales were well up in North America and Europe,

while Eastern Europe and Latin America remained stable. Sales after nine months are also encouraging in the Asia/Pacific region. In the third quarter, however, the very subdued market development in China was reflected by a fall in orders. Total incoming orders in the reporting period were significantly higher than in the previous year at euro 1.904 billion (previous year: euro 1.780 billion). The operating result in the third quarter and after 9 months continued its upward trend. EBITDA excluding special items as at December 31, 2015 increased to euro 119 million (previous year: euro 80 million), while EBIT excluding special items doubled to euro 65 million (previous year: euro 29 million). The Heidelberg Services segment is still on target to achieve the planned EBITDA margin of 9 to 11 percent.

pressideas/ commercial printing

Refinancing measures in previous quarters led to a financial result as at December 31, 2015 of euro –42 million (previous year: euro –49 million). The pre-tax result after nine months reached the break-even point (euro 0 million; previous year: euro –92 million). The net result after taxes for the third quarter improved by euro 60 million to euro 7 million (previous year: euro –53 million) and the nine-month figure of euro –7 million was far better than the euro –95 million recorded for the equivalent period of the previous year. “We have created the financial scope to finance acquisitions and invest in growth and innovation. In the future, we will keep working on further optimizing our financing framework and ensuring the continued strategic

development of Heidelberg,” said CFO Dirk Kaliebe.

Heidelberg a driving force behind industry’s digitization at drupa At the drupa trade show in May this year, Heidelberg will be presenting smart services and networked products required for further industry digitization. The digitized print shop of the future will feature automated, cost-optimized production processes and equipment that works almost entirely independently and autonomously. Over 10,000 presses have already been installed and networked worldwide, creating the basis for innovative data-based services. Heidelberg will also be joining forces with

its cooperation partner Fujifilm to unveil a new, highly productive inkjet-based digital printing system for industrial applications. It is the only supplier to offer customers the opportunity to run offset and digital technologies in parallel based on a userfriendly, integrated process. Boosted by healthy order books, Heidelberg is aiming for sales growth of 2 to 4 percent after adjustment for exchange rate movements in the current financial year 2015/2016. As in the previous year, the company is assuming that sales will be higher in the second half of the financial year than in the first.

TOPA celebrates Printers Day Printers Day is celebrated world over remembering the inventor of printing, Johannes Gutenberg. The Telangana Offset Printers Association (TOPA) organized a grand function by bringing together various printers from Telangana and students. The event with the theme ‘Printing Industry: Challenges and Opportunities’ took place in Hotel Western Ashoka, Hyderabad.

welcome speech, drew attention towards the needs of various printers of the newly formed state. He stressed upon the need for power tariff revision by the government for small printers. He highlighted the organisation’s efforts in securing government assistance on various fronts including an amount of Rs. 5 lakhs sanctioned towards travel assistance for small printers to attend drupa 2016.

Dr. M. V. Reddy, Director, Technical Education was the Chief Guest. Guests of honour included Dr. K. Rama Chandra Murthy, Editorial Director, Sakshi Telugu Daily, K. Srinivasan Reddy, Managing Editor, Manna Telangana and P. Narendra, Joint Managing Director, Pragati Art Printers.

Speaking on the occasion, Sri D. Nagarjuna Advisor, TOPA said that human resource poses the biggest challenge for printing industry. “Printers have been providing apprenticeship to the students of Govt. Institute of Printing Technology, Secunderabad for the last 39 years. As a result, diploma holders from the institute have been able to get 95 percent placement

C. Ravinder Reddy, President, TOPA, in his

in various positions across the country as well as abroad,” he said. He also felt the need for restoration of B. Tech course in Printing Technology and emphasized the need for the printing education institutes to come closer to industry to help students get knowledge on latest technology and needs of the employment. V. Surya Chandra Reddy, Vice President TOPA in his address mentioned about the Lean Manufacturing approach in managing printing presses. K. Srinivasan Reddy expressed confidence that Telangana printers will have bright future and Hyderabad being a hub, has a huge potential for the growth and development of printing and packaging and should be given all support in proving its capabilities. Dr. M. V. Reddy congratulated the prize winners of the Technical Paper Writing Competition conducted by TOPA and GIPT. Sri Manikyam, Vice President (South) of All India Federation of Master Printers was a special invitee.

February 2016

Polaris Trykk extends collaboration with EAE and QIPC The Norwegian-based printing group Polaris Trykk is set to intensify its collaboration with Engineering Automation Electronics (EAE) and Q.I. Press Controls (QIPC). The concern will not only be installing QIPC’s mRC-3D and several system updates from EAE in its plant in Harstad, Polaris Trykk’s existing system architecture is also being upgraded so that a new folder can be added to the current configuration. In addition, Polaris Trykk has also signed a five-year service contract with EAE.

“By replacing its ageing electronics, Polaris Trykk is now able to ensure maximum product reliability and production efficiencies,” explains Erwin van Rossem, Head of Sales at QIPC. He was closely involved in bringing about the deal. “Due to EAE’s close collaboration with QIPC, we are able to combine the convenience of a single supplier, a single project manager and a single contact person for any ongoing automation upgrades for their measurement and control technology.”

Performance Package

This convenience was a major factor in Polaris Trykk’s thinking. QIPC’s mRC-3D is likewise part of this Performance Package. The mRC-3D will enable full automation of the cut-off register. Åsmund Kildal adds: “Thanks to the mRC-3D we expect to attain our quality standards more quickly and maintain these levels during production.” More precisely, this means savings of at least 250 copies during the make-ready stage.

The updates, including the mRC-3D and modernisation of the system configuration, form part of a Performance Package which will help ensure that the client is able to take full advantage of the partnership between EAE and QIPC. The Norwegian concern was eager to continue using EAE products on account of their ease of use, so decided to invest in an upgrade of the systems.“Our experience working with EAE’s control systems has been positive”, Åsmund Kildal, plant manager at Polaris Trykk in Harstad explains in justifying its decision for the Performance Package. This involves the update of EAE’s NetPCs, the Info System, the Print System and the Control Consoles. For Åsmund Kildal, a key factor in opting to intensify the partnership with EAE was the opinion of the operators. It was they who wanted to keep the EAE systems because of their ease of use.

Five-year Service contract In addition to the products already mentioned, Polaris Trykk has also signed a five-year service contract with EAE. This means that the company can fall back on round-the-clock support from EAE for the electronics on the printing press. Erwin van Rossem: “As such, EAE now becomes an important partner for Polaris Trykk in the long term.”

As it happens, the partnership between Polaris Trykk and QIPC/EAE goes back a long way. In addition to its printing plant in Harstad, Porlaris Trykk has also been using several QIPC systems in its plants in Alesund and Trondheim. In fact the Alesund plant was the first ever user of the IDS-3D, which serves to illustrate the trust the company vests in QIPC. The long-term partnership helps boost the confidence that the Norwegians have placed in QIPC’s ability to complete installation of the systems and other matters quickly and effectively. When tight deadlines in getting these systems up and running are involved, this is important. “For us however,” explains Erwin van Rossem confidently, “the deadlines are well within our means”.

Time Inc. to launch Sports Illustrated multi-platform broadcast and digital networks across Asia

Time Inc. has announced a wide-ranging partnership with ASN to develop a Sports Illustrated sports broadcasting and digital network across Asia. The new alliance will rebrand the Hong Kong-based, Pan-Asian ASN and ASN2 pay TV sports channels, companion websites and mobile apps to “Sports Illustrated/Sports Illustrated 2.” The partners will also collaborate on daily programming development, coverage of global sporting events and expansion

February 2016

of worldwide distribution across linear networks, SVOD, OTT, digital, mobile and emerging platforms and technologies. Sports Illustrated/Sports Illustrated 2 in Asia is scheduled for a spring 2016 debut. “This groundbreaking partnership speaks to the power of all our brands—in this case Sports Illustrated—and enables us to build a significant international presence across new platforms,” said Steve Marcopoto, President, Time Inc. International. “Our partners at ASN have built a strong foundation, and together we look forward to creating a differentiated and compelling sports network in the most

populous region in the world.” The new Sports Illustrated/Sports Illustrated 2 networks will feature a heavy mix of event coverage and original video programming from SI Group brands (SI, SI Kids and FanSided) surrounding live—and in some markets, exclusive—broadcasts of many popular sports leagues and events, including the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup finals and March Madness. Popular video franchises such as the award-winning Underdogs series and SI Films will be heavily featured on the network, along with local adaptations featuring powerful stories from the region.

pressideas/ newspaper

Flint Group issues binding offer to Siegwerk to purchase Web Offset business offering to the market of inks, press room chemicals and transfer media products. This commitment guarantees a long term supply position for our Heatset and News Ink customers and further enhances our strong focus on the Print Media and Packaging markets across the world.” Siegwerk’s decision to sell its web offset business is in line with its strategy to focus on its core business in packaging printing, which is growing globally, and to further build its market position in inks and coatings for labels and flexible packaging where the company sees significant potential. Flint Group has announced that it has issued a binding offer to Siegwerk to acquire their web offset business. This offer includes the transfer of all technical expertise and product portfolios relating to Siegwerk’s Heatset and Newsink product lines. “We are very excited by this transaction,” says Antoine Fady, CEO, Flint Group. “This investment confirms our long term commitment to customers in these key market segments and re-enforces our unique

“To ensure the lasting success of our company, we need to clearly devote our resources to serving the markets of tomorrow. We will do so by focusing on our core packaging printing business,” says Siegwerk’s CEO Herbert Forker. “It is here where we see significant growth opportunities particularly within the strongly accelerating Asian markets.” All 76 permanent employees in Siegwerk’s web offset business will be offered a transfer

into other areas within their Siegburg site with Flint Group intending to employ a core team from Siegwerk’s web-offset business after the sale. The Siegwerk publication gravure business, which manufactures printing inks for high-end magazines, catalogues and commercials, will be continued. Its long-standing expertise and high market share of around 45 percent in Europe give Siegwerk an exceptionally strong market position in this area. Siegwerk will work closely with Flint Group to ensure that any handover of business is completed without disruption and that the same products and services for the customers of both companies are maintained throughout. Completion is still subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by the competition authorities. Until such time as approval is granted to proceed, Flint Group and Siegwerk will remain separate entities and continue to manage their organisational affairs independently and without impact to customers, employees or suppliers.

Major Chinese Publisher purchases 8 Screen Truepress Jet web presses China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Corporation (CNPIEC) recently ordered eight Screen Truepress Jet520 series inkjet web presses. CNPIEC Digital Printing produces a wide variety of publications that require high-quality printing, including many well-known foreign titles. The print provider intends to implement four printing lines built around the cutting-edge Truepress Jet520HD and Truepress Jet520EX Advanced. Screen has shipped more than 950

Truepress Jet520 models to countries around the world since it launched the continuousfeed variable printing system in 2006. The Truepress Jet520HD high-definition press features 1,200 dpi x 1,200 dpi maximum resolution and precise droplet size control to achieve the colours, textures, details and solid ink areas demanded for high-end publication work. The Truepress Jet520EX Advanced is a dedicated monochrome printing system. Following a thorough evaluation of print quality, CNPIEC Digital Printing concluded that the Screen inkjet presses could drive the desired growth of its digital printing business. “We have struggled to find a system that is capable of producing the appropriate number of copies in a timely fashion without compromising on quality,” said Pod. Guo, president of CNPIEC Digital Printing. “Our new systems will certainly provide us with

the ability to handle publications for both the domestic and international markets. They will allow us to utilize applications that target individual consumers with variable and smalllot printing. We were also impressed by the technical support provided and have every confidence that Screen is an ideal partner.” In addition to the eight-press order, Screen and CNPIEC Digital Printing forged a mutually beneficial strategic partnership. Under the terms of an agreement signed in December 2015, Screen will provide comprehensive technical support as CNPIEC Digital Printing expands its digital printing business and proceeds with plans to establish five more operational sites within Mainland China. Furthermore, Screen will avail itself of CNPIEC Digital Printing’s facilities to develop promotional campaigns that accelerate Screen’s sales strategies for China and the rest of Asia.

February 2016

pressideas/ newspaper

Protect digital business from legacy culture, key message at Digital Media India Mobile Internet will be the game-changer, as smart phones and quality bandwidth become affordable. The opening keynote by Torry Pedersen, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of VG, Norway, at Digital Media India 2016, the 5th annual digital media conference organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) from 22nd to 23rd February at Delhi, underlined the importance of protecting digital media business from legacy culture, which VG followed in Norway, and also became the central message of the roundtable discussion that followed in the conference’s concluding session. Pedersen presented how VG transitioned by thinking “digital first” and recruiting the right people to cope with the dynamics of transformation. He stressed that transformation requires new criteria for success, setting the tone for the conference’s deliberations. Rajan Anandan, Vice President & Managing Director of Google South East Asia & India, who spoke following Pedersen at the opening session, said 65% of users in India access the Internet via mobile and the total number of Internet users is estimated to reach 500 million by 2017. He said online news requires new capabilities – web and app, video and Wi-Fi and localised content. The panel that followed the opening session, joined by India’s leading news publishers, set “increasing engagement in mobile, online

February 2016

video and native advertising” as the common digital priorities for the year. The conference focused on the theme “Engaging audience, monetising content,” included parallel break-out sessions on a) Social media growth b) Online video c) Digital advertising and d) Ad blockers. Other key takeaways from the conference include: •

• • • • • •

Journalism is not disrupted by digitisation, and it has only made it better than before. Power is in the hands of the audience (mobile, connected), go where they are. Robo journalism is a reality today. Improve the life of readers with trusted, compelling content. Revenue lost due to ad blockers in India is still less than the global average. Prepare for the long haul to make money in digital. Local language content online is a huge opportunity in future, but equally tougher to monetise. But India could leap frog the transition.

The conference, which drew 170 delegates, the highest number in the past 5 years and a growth of 35% from the previous edition,

from more than 10 countries, concluded on 23rd February with a roundtable discussion on “Can digital pure players disrupt the news media industry in India?” The speakers at the roundtable – Gautham Pai, Group Managing Director, The Manipal Group, India (as the chair), Ritu Kapur, Co-Founder, The Quint, Siddharth Varadarajan, Founding Editor, thewire.in and Sruthijith K K, Editor-in-Chief, Huffington Post India – agreed that traditional media and digital pure players will co-exist, each playing to their strengths and filling the gaps left by the other. With the costs of smart phones and quality bandwidth becoming affordable, mobile Internet will be the game changer, but will come with a set of challenges. At the same time, technology will be a great enabler. The conference was sponsored by Google, The New York Times News Service & Syndication, Locovida Digital Solutions, Quintype Technologies, Kreatio Software, Express KCS and joined by infotable suppliers – 4CPlus, Newstech and Datomata. WAN-IFRA’s News Publishing Focus and Asian News Publishing Focus were the official publications of the conference. The supporting publications of the event were All About Newspapers, GXPress, Indian Printer & Publisher and RIND Survey.

pressideas/ newspaper

Kodak Sonora Plate Green Leaf Award for Malaysia’s NSTP Kodak has awarded Malaysia’s largest media group, The New Straits Times Press (NSTP), with the prestigious Kodak Sonora Plate Green Leaf Award 2015. NSTP is the first winner of the award in South East Asia and the second winner in the Asia-Pacific region. NSTP, established in 1845 when it published its first print edition and now reaching more than 5.6 million readers, is being recognized for its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its operations. As the leading publisher of print newspapers in Malaysia, NSTP manages four printing plants across the country for its portfolio of six daily newspapers. Over the past several years, the company has taken numerous steps to become more sustainable as part of its focus to allocate significant resources to protect the environment. With a considerable amount of capital invested in materials, NSTP has worked to improve materials management, reducing wastage of paper by over 24%. Investment in press system upgrades since 2012 have continued to increase in-house efficiency by reducing start up copies and printing registrations. NSTP also sends 100% of its paper waste to Malaysian Newsprint Industries (MNI) for recycling.

Systems Division commented: “NSTP is one of Malaysia’s most respected and admired brands. It has earned this reputation by investing over the long term to create the best news and entertainment products for over two centuries. NSTP’s moves to become a more sustainable printer build on this legacy of excellence.” Beyond investments in greener printing technology, NSTP also focuses on efforts to reduce its environmental impact across its physical plant operations. The company uses energy efficient equipment and monitors energy usage and greenhouse gas emission. It also monitors water usage and extensively recycles paper and e-waste. Significant growth in the demand for process-free plates has coincided with the commercial print industry’s devotion to developing and integrating sustainable solutions. Sonora Plates remove the need for the plate processor, eliminating chemicals,

water, and energy and therefore generating no waste from processing. Kodak is seeing rapid growth in Sonora Plate adoption, with plate volume increasing significantly over the past year with an expected growth rate of more than 50 percent by the end of 2015. The Sonora Plate Green Leaf Award, launched in 2014, is a program recognizing excellence among Kodak customers that are leaders in environmental initiatives. Award entrants are judged on a range of criteria, including management practices to improve energy and water efficiency, participation in local community sustainability initiatives and the use of eco-conscious materials and supplies. All submissions are reviewed with scores determined by a panel of Kodak judges.

The introduction of Sonora Process Free Plates in 2015 to its Headquarter manufacturing site builds on NSTP’s focus on upgrading its pre-press operations. With Sonora Plates, which eliminate all processing steps including water, chemicals and energy, NSTP aims to reduce dramatically waste from its pre-press operations in the coming years. Evandro Matteucci, Vice President & Director of Product Management, Kodak, Print

Kodak MD (Middle East, Africa and South Asia) Komal Sharma (third from right) presents the Sonora Plate Green Leaf Award to New Straits Times Press production general manager, Aszman Kasmani

February 2016

digital printing

drupa 2016: Heidelberg restructures its digital printing portfolio “Fire” product line as a standardized family name for the entire digital printing portfolio.

Heidelberg will be marketing its entire digital printing offering under a standardized family name, the “Fire” product line, as of drupa 2016. Customers will then be able to choose between the new Primefire 106, Versafire CP/CV, Omnifire 250/1000, or Gallus Labelfire 340 according to their needs.

Key Notes : > Heidelberg Versafire CP/CV for economic production of short runs. > Gallus Labelfire 340 for flexible label production. > Heidelberg Omnifire 250/1000 for printing on virtually all objects.

February 2016

Heidelberg is extending its digital printing portfolio for drupa 2016 with a world premiere for the industrial production of digital printing applications in B1 format: the company will be presenting the Heidelberg Primefire 106 based on the leading inkjet technology from its development partner Fujifilm and the proven peak performance platform from its own offset technology. Core competencies of Heidelberg such as the non-contacting paper sheet guide or the proven feeder and delivery technology are therefore incorporated into the system. The company is thus smoothing the way for the industrial production of digital printing applications in a new format class. Heidelberg is also taking account of the demanding market requirements of many companies, particularly from the consumer goods industry. They want an integrated solution for fast, flexible, versioned or personalized, demand-oriented and economic production of innovative printed products in short to medium production runs to support their increasingly digitized production processes, with quality on a par with the standard familiar from offset printing. At the same time, Heidelberg is opening up new business models for users which meet these requirements head on. “With the world premiere of the Heidelberg Primefire 106 we have reached another milestone in our digital strategy: achieving success in working with partners to bring systems to the market within the shortest time. This will help our customers to address the increased market challenges in a digitized world in the future also. Now we are the first provider to enable the industrial and integrated production of digital printed products in the Smart Print Shop. At the same time, in doing so we are also opening up opportunities for the future growth of Heidelberg”, says Stephan Plenz, Member of the Management Board and responsible for Heidelberg Equipment, during an advance presentation of the new system.

World premiere of the “Fire” product line: Heidelberg introduces a standardized portfolio name for its entire digital printing offering As of drupa 2016, Heidelberg will be repeating its approach with the Speedmaster series by presenting its entire digital printing offering under a standardized family name, the “Fire” product line. While the Speedmaster range predominantly stands

for maintaining the competitiveness of a print shop’s core business (operational excellence), the digital printing portfolio is aimed at particularly innovative business models and pioneering printing applications (business innovation). With this rename, Heidelberg is increasing both the clarity of the entire offering and the recognition value of the brand for customers. “The name “Fire” for our digital printing portfolio stands for performance, dynamism and growth – and also for digitally “transmitting” data and ink onto different surfaces. We want to send a clear message to our customers that we have one of the highest performance digital printing offerings in our industry”, says Jason Oliver, Head of the Digital Division at Heidelberg. The Heidelberg digital printing offering will therefore have the following structure as of drupa 2016: Heidelberg Primefire 106: The new digital inkjet printing system for the industrial production of digital and innovative printing applications in B1 format meets the highest standards. Heidelberg Versafire CP/CV is the new name for the existing Linoprint CP/CV digital printing systems. The Heidelberg Versafire is therefore the all-round system for the economic production of short and personalized runs in combination with a large choice of substrates and an impressive price/performance ratio. Heidelberg launched the system in cooperation with its partner Ricoh in 2011, and has been continuously refining it ever since. Gallus Labelfire 340 is the new product name for the former Gallus DCS 340 for the growth market of digital label printing. The machine was successfully launched at Label Expo 2015 in Brussels. It is distributed by Gallus, the Swiss subsidiary of Heidelberg. Heidelberg Omnifire 250/1000 is the new name for Heidelberg’s 4D printing systems, replacing the former name Heidelberg Jetmaster Dimension 250/1000. Heidelberg uses the term 4D printing to describe the personalized and flexible printing on various three-dimensional objects such as balls, drinking bottles, and other mass-produced items, especially from the consumer goods industry. In

pressideas/ digital

addition, Heidelberg is working on the development of systems also suitable for industrial applications, for example in the automotive industry. The launch of the Heidelberg Omnifire 1000 is planned for the end of 2016.

Smart Print Shop: integration of digital and offset printing

integrated into the overall workflow of a print shop together with the Heidelberg offset systems via the new Prinect Digital Front End (DFE). Web-to-print applications as well as multi-channel publishing business models are also supported. Heidelberg is thus making the Smart Print Shop a reality, with a solution where users can largely automate their offset and digital printing processes

as well as manage them in a uniform and transparent way. A comprehensive range of services and consumables is also available for all products to enable users to exploit the potential of their value chain as fully as possible.

The entire digital printing portfolio can be

HP inspires print providers to reinvent their possibilities at drupa 2016 Company unveils HP PrintOS, a cloud-based, mobile platform that simplifies and automates print production management. HP will exhibit its broad portfolio of digital printing solutions at drupa 2016, including new advancements that demonstrate how HP digital print technology enables print service providers (PSPs) to reinvent their possibilities. The company also unveiled HP PrintOS, a cloud-based operating system that reinvents how customers manage print production. The new platform will make its worldwide debut at drupa 2016. For the first time in drupa history, the HP Graphics Solutions Business is hosting the tradeshow’s largest exhibit in hall 17 and the world’s biggest digital printing showcase for the eleven day event. In keeping with the evolving landscape of drupa, HP will display its latest technology for the general commercial printing segment, in addition to new hardware and solutions for labels and packaging, large-format and sign and display application areas. “HP is bringing the full power of our vast portfolio of digital printing solutions to drupa 2016, featuring breakthrough innovations,”

said Rob Le Bras-Brown, global head of print marketing, HP. “With today’s introduction of HP PrintOS and more ground-breaking pre-drupa announcements to come, HP is following through on our promise to ‘keep reinventing’ with advancements across application segments that truly enable our customers to reinvent their possibilities.”

Simplifying and automating print production management An open, secure and integrated platform for print production management, PrintOS is a cloud-based operating system ideal for PSPs of all segments and sizes for use with HP Indigo, PageWide Web Press, Scitex and Latex digital printing technology. Featuring a suite of intuitive web-based and mobile applications, PrintOS helps simplify and automate print production, enabling customers to start printing jobs, faster. Additionally, cloud connectivity allows customers to monitor print status remotely as well as track and improve production performance over time.

“We run a multi-shift, multi-press operation at ProCo, yet we have not previously had a window into the production performance of our digital operation,” said Graeme Parry, production director, ProCo. “PrintOS offers anytime, anywhere access, enabling more visibility than ever into our business. Not only are we using PrintOS to drive better print performance, but it’s also helping raise the bar of our staff, empowering operators with the right tools to better oversee production. It’s fantastic.” Among others, PrintOS applications include: • Box, a tool simplifying job onboarding through non-automated channels like email and file transfer services. Often, a disproportionate amount of time and effort are invested in handling jobs prior to production. By standardizing processes, Box reduces upfront overhead, increasing capacity and improving profitability. • Site Flow, which combines automated order submission, pre-press and shop floor management capabilities to address the needs of PSPs serving the business-to-business and businessto-business-to-consumer markets. The application allows PSPs to offer attractive costs and higher levels of service to fulfill hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of individual, personalized print orders every day, including direct shipment to end customers. HP Indigo and PageWide Web Press customers can begin using PrintOS on May 31, 2016. Many apps will be available without charge to existing customers with a service contract, while certain apps will be subject to monthly subscription and usage charges.

February 2016

digital printing

Xerox at drupa: Let the Work Flow Riding on the successful launch of key products last year, the company will have an ‘India Day’ at the upcoming drupa 2016.

Year 2015 has been good for Xerox. “We have grown at about 40 percent last year,” says Balaji Rajagopalan, Xerox. This growth figure denotes the production business of the company, which also attained the No.1 position in the IDC Report for second quarter of last year. Xerox rides on the success of its many new launches during the last year. It started with the launch of Versant 2100 in the last quarter of 2014. It was followed by a couple of high quality launches by Xerox. It launched Versant 80 in the first quarter of 2015. Other key launches include Xerox Color C60/70 and Xerox Color Press 1000i. “We launched the products addressing the whole application and market range. These machines address from entry level production to mid production and high production. This gave us a clear edge in the market as the products we brought in have great power saving capability. For example, Color C60/70 can save from 30 to 50 paise per print as compared to other similar technologies in the market. This is a big saving,” says Balaji.

“We are present in every space of Digital Printing. Xerox has been a total solutions provider that believes in – live with Xerox and grow with Xerox. We have been very clear in our objective – to be one of the top two players – that we strive to keep.” – Balaji Rajagopalan.

Key Notes : > Successful launch of Versant 80 in first quarter of 2015. > Also launched Xerox Color C60/70 and Xerox Color Press 1000i. > Believing in ‘live with Xerox, grow with Xerox’.

February 2016

“The C70/C60 deliver cutting edge reduction in energy consumption with 1/4th the electricity costs of similar presses available in the market. The newly developed, heat-efficient IH fuser does not require preheating, which helps reduce power consumption, also the power consumption of the scanner using LED lighting is 1/3rd of traditional scanners. Besides offering cost efficiencies, it also has the widest range of applications in this market space, including ability

to print on tear resistant and naturally waterproof Never-tear Media making it ideal for printing frequently used documents like Menus, Maps or instructions. It also runs synthetic media with optional permanent or removable adhesive for use as window stickers or polyester signs. Printing carbonless paper is an ideal way to create multipart forms in precollated coloured sets, transfer papers, magnets and many other unique applications are made possible with Xerox’s low melt toner & flexible paper path,” adds Balaji. Another key launch, the Versant series targets the photo market in India. “The most attractive thing about the Versant 80 and Color 1000i is that these machines bring some of the interesting features of iGen series to mid production,” emphasises Balaji. The Versant 80 has registered a great success in FY15. It was launched around mid-2015. The press provides production press capabilities with offsetquality performance and automated features that remove the guesswork from optimizing image quality

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and registration. The Versant 80 offers Ultra HD 2400 x 2400 imaging resolution and 1200 x 1200 x 10bit RIP rendering resolution (four times more pixels than the standard) for exceptionally fine details in graphic fills, sweeps, line art and text. It also leverages 10-bit architecture for stunning smooth vector gradients.It can handle a variety of media types with a compact Belt Fuser system and Xerox’s EA Low Melt Dry Ink which supports an incredible array of substrates with superior mixed media, low-density colour and mixed colour/black performance.

spot colours, it has orange, green and blue,” says Balaji. “We are present in every space of Digital Printing. Xerox has been a total solutions provider that believes in – live with Xerox and grow with Xerox. We have been very clear in our objective – to be one of the top two players – that we strive to keep,” he asserts. Xerox will have a great showcase at the upcoming drupa. Apart from the flagship iGen5 and Impika, there will be a host of

solutions in the software, packaging and digital arena. “We will be there at drupa with our team, partners and will be having an ‘India Day’ as well,” informs Balaji.

Helping Print Service Providers Transform and Grow Print service providers looking to expand offerings and increase revenue have opportunities for growth in production colour inkjet, digital packaging applications and investing in workflow solutions. According to InfoTrends: • Global production colour inkjet print volume is expected to grow 23.0 percent through 2019. • Digital printing of packaging applications is expected to grow 22.5 percent through 2019. • Expanding workflow features to offer new services is the top workflow initiative for print service providers. Xerox is helping providers capture these key

market opportunities with the unveiling of new products and other innovative offerings at drupa 2016, in Dusseldorf, Germany. With a theme “Let the Work Flow,” Xerox is gearing up to showcase how providers can solve their biggest challenges, propel business forward and work better by becoming more automated, integrated and productive in their operations. An array of production print devices, workflow solutions, business development resources and high-value applications segments – such as direct mail, catalogues, books, transactional marketing, photos and packaging – will be on display in the Xerox stand. Attendees will learn how automated,

integrated end-to-end solutions are strengthening and transforming operations. “We recognize the shift that’s occurring in the printing market and our commitment is to help providers embrace change. Our new offerings will enable providers to discover new business opportunities, capture more pages and navigate change with confidence,” said Robert Stabler, senior vice president and general manager, Global Graphic Communications Business Group, Xerox. Xerox will be presenting at drupa, Hall 8B.

Offered in true Pantone metallic gold or silver specialty dry inks, the ColourPress 1000i gives print companies a creative, competitive advantage. With increased automation, the device keeps print environments at peak performance levels. The Colour Press 1000i device includes an optional Specialty Dry Ink Station that enhances documents with metallic gold or silver dry inks or applies spot or flood creative effects with clear dry ink. The 1000i can migrate lucrative foil stamping applications, such as invitations, certificates and business cards, to short-run, high-value digital production. Multi-pass printing with clear ink adds an extra textural/dimensional feel and the “pop” of the silver and gold inks. “We have also launched a 4-colour option with Color 1000i. Another key product is iGen5. It has got a good response from customers and has 7-colour – in addition to

February 2016

digital printing

Canon: A formidable brand at drupa A showcase sprawling about 3200 Sqft. will have new launches and presentation of solutions in pre-printing, printing and post-printing arena.

Puneet Datta of Canon believes that last year has been better than previous two years for the Digital Printing market in India. He says, “Both colour and black&white Digital Printing markets have grown in the year 2015. The overall market size has grown.” In terms of units sold, the market has shown a growth of around 20 percent which is up by about 5 percent from around 15 percent previously. In terms of print volumes too, the growth for Canon India has been good. He however pointed out that decentralisation of print has affected print volumes in recent times.

“We will be focusing on pre-printing, printing and post printing at drupa. I think, this is where we see the real character of printing which is more about value addition today.” – Puneet Datta

Key Notes : > Canon India success for last year is marked by launch of imagePRESS C10000VP and DreamLabo popularity. > Aims improving growth of 25 to 27 percent through expansion. > ImageStream - world’s first continuous feed inkjet roll-to-roll machine which can print on Offset coated paper stocks.

February 2016

“We ended 2015 with a big bang with the successful launch of and phenomenal response for imagePRESS C10000VP. What impressed us the most were the comments by customers regarding its unmatched quality. They say that the machine not only surpasses toner quality but also crosses the liquid toner quality. These types of comments have been really very heartening for us,” says Puneet. Customers have been thronging Canon’s Noida facility which has been providing live demo of the machine’s capabilities. “Though we haven’t launched the machine as a competitor for liquid toner based products, customers have insisted that the machine should be pushed for that market. We have specific products for specific markets, however, such feedback from customers can only be implemented after rigorous tests as per Canon standards. The customers are pretty enthusiastic about its quality,” he adds.

The imagePRESS C10000VP builds on the success of the imagePRESS range and sets new standards in imaging quality and productivity with new technological innovations. It is designed to meet the increasing demand from higher production volumes of professional printers. The product comes with 2400 x 2440 dpi resolution, a choice of new front end controllers based on EFI Fiery FS200 Pro Platform enables the imagePRESS C10000VP to streamline the workflow & media handling capabilities from 60 gsm to 350 gsm. There are a host of at least 12 new technological innovations over the earlier imagePRESS series that make this product the most eagerly awaited product in the industry.

DreamLabo India installations are highest in South Asia As for the Photo printing industry, the flagship product of Canon – the DreamLabo is already successfully serving customers with its unmatched print quality. “DreamLabo is the product which even surpasses the traditional Silver Halide technology,” says Puneet. “We see other products in market that claim to produce quality like Silver Halide but that is not the case. We either have high quality given by Silver Halide or the low quality (toner and liquid toner based) products, which try to mask the quality by lamination etc. Canon, however, gives top quality with the DreamLabo which gives results even better than Silver Halide,” he states.

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DreamLabo 5000 uses a seven-colour dye-based ink system that delivers smooth gradation. Employing image processing technology that makes use of the full range of Canon’s unique inkjet printing colour gamut, the new printer enables the output of photo images with a level of colour representation which comprehensively surpasses that of conventional silver halide. Towards the end of 2015, Canon had already installed its 4th DreamLabo in India, making it the largest market in South Asia. Strengthening its foothold in Digital Photo Printing with the installation of its stellar product DreamLabo 5000 – a commercial inkjet printer – at the Capital Color Lab in Mysore, Canon marks India as the second highest in printing volume as well. South India has emerged as the fastest growing market and a hub for superior image quality printing. In India, the demand for better printing output is being fuelled by the fast changing taste of discerning consumers and the manner in which they want to capture and treasure their memories. “DreamLabo 5000 is a very ambitious product of Canon. With this product we aim to change the way photo printing industry perceives the quality of photo printing especially wedding photography,” says Puneet.

Canon sees expansion across the country Canon sees the next three years as the years of expansion for the company. Currently present across the country in about 50 cities – of which 40 are top populated ones – Canon targets to reach about 100 cities. “We understand that where there are more people, there will be more printing. Whether

we take on the most populated cities or the smart cities as published by the government, we have potential for expansion there. As these cities go smart, digital will too take shape – in terms of wider digitization as well as digital printing,” says Puneet. “Canon has grown from 25 to 27 percent and we want to better this. For this we would be looking at expansion; our plan is to capture market share and therefore we have to keep our targets above the industry growth,” he adds.

R&D might of the formidable brand Canon is one of the most formidable brands having its direct sales and service network in the industry. “If we are a premium brand, sold at a premium with probably the highest click charges in the market, what our customers expect from us is ‘peace of mind’,” quips Puneet adding that they ensure this with their direct sales and service. What makes the brand formidable is the might of R&D at Canon and Oce. “The range of products and verticals that Canon caters as a single brand are matchless. No other brand can match the level of quality and service we offer,” declares Puneet. In coming times, Canon will be more focusing on R&D in newer technologies and market segments. Canon has built its image because of its quality, features and technology. These focuses and trends will be visible in the upcoming drupa, says Puneet. At drupa, Canon will bring a lot of new products. There would be products which would be new launches as well as products which are already present in some markets but may be introduced for other markets.

Talking about one such product, Puneet says, “The ImageStream is an interesting product which is world’s first continuous feed inkjet roll-to-roll machine which can print on Offset coated paper stocks. “The machine delivers droplet size of 1 picoliter. Besides, the inks are of different viscosity that helps them bond with the paper and dry without the need for any special drying process at such high speed,” informs Puneet. Another key product in this line is a B3 cut sheet Inkjet Press by Canon. The company will have a showcase sprawling about 3200 ft2 stage at the exhibition. “We will be focusing on pre-printing, printing and post printing at drupa. I think, this is where we see the real character of printing which is more about value addition today,” emphasises Puneet. “We observe that commercial printers who don’t have digital capabilities are seeing a decline in revenues; commercial printers who have added digital capabilities have seen growth to the extent of up to 80 percent; and those who also are adding value to the print and customers have seen further boost in profitability. Hardware is a crucial factor in achieving this. However, we would be exploring more in the line of ‘how we can add value to the customers and build solutions around the hardware’,” he concludes. The key challenge Puneet thinks in way of the expansion and plans is complex tax structure in the country, especially in different states. The taxes, regulations and VAT etc. in different states make it imperative to invest a lot in back-end. He is pretty optimistic about the implementation of GST soon which he hopes will surely eradicate much of the complications and significantly reduce costs.

February 2016

digital printing

Konica Minolta driving future growth at drupa Visitors to its stand (A65, Hall 8B) at drupa will ‘touch the future’ with Konica Minolta’s latest innovations in printing and applications.

Konica Minolta is gearing up for an awe-inspiring spectacle reinforcing its robust position in production printing. Konica Minolta will enable its customers’ businesses to generate more profit by demonstrating real-value business opportunities in several business zones on a massive 2,400sq m stand, one of the largest at drupa 2016. The business zones will cover the complete Konica Minolta production printing portfolio, including markets such as industrial inkjet, label printing and marketing automation. New products as the bizhub PRESS 1250e series and the full commercial launch of KM-1, a UV sheet-fed digital press, will help pull the crowds.

At drupa, Konica Minolta will present solutions targeting markets including industrial inkjet, label printing, print enhancement, packaging and marketing automation.

Olaf Lorenz, General Manager of the International Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, said: “Our fundamental goal is to anticipate our customers’ needs and turn their ideas into reality, by delivering innovative and meaningful solutions that drive their business. At drupa, we will be demonstrating thought leadership by presenting innovative business concepts. We will be illustrating how we enable our customers to grow their business and to generate more profit.” “We look forward to welcoming visitors to our stand. We have one of the largest stands at drupa. For our Indian customers, we will have members from our Indian team to assist and serve customers from the country,” adds Balakrishna, Konica Minolta India. “The key focus, apart from the keenly awaited KM1,

Key Notes : > To demonstrate real value business opportunities in several business zones. > The zones will cover the complete Konica Minolta production printing portfolio. > Full commercial launch of KM-1, the much awaited UV sheet-fed digital press.

February 2016

will be our latest solutions in print enhancement and packaging.”

Konica Minolta has a good India experience Last year has been quite marvellous for Konica Minolta India. In one of the major developments, Konica Minolta India acquired the Production Printing Business of Monotech Systems, which has been distributing Konica Minolta products in the country. We found Konica Minolta quite busy last year with its numerous roadshows across the country. Apart from the roadshows, Konica Minolta had a significant launch – MGI JETvarnish 3DS with iFoil inline digital foiling module. With this new solution, printers can expand their services to include new amazing spot UV and 3D tactile varnishing capabilities. The solution received a great market response at Pamex 2015 stall of the company. Konica Minolta higher management team was present at the show and was led by MD, Yuji Nakata. “The awardwinning JETvarnish 3D takes digital spot UV coating to a new dimension, featuring increased output for flat spot UV jobs and elegant 3D raised effects,” says Yuji Nakata.

International recognitions for environmental management and policies Konica Minolta has been ranked first place for two consecutive years in the overall manufacturing sector

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Promotion System, as well as high scores for the rest of the components in the assessment. The company’s environmental initiatives and policies reduce environmental impact and its environmental know-how helps customers in their environmental management and day-to-day operations to lower environmental impact.

at the 19th Environmental Management Survey. The annual survey assesses environmental management of Japanese companies and recognizes initiatives toward sustainability in terms of both environment and business management. 1,737 manufacturers were invited to the survey and 413 companies responded. In the survey Konica Minolta earned the top score in Environmental Management

Konica Minolta has also been awarded RobecoSAM Silver Class, a global distinction for corporate sustainability. In this year’s assessment, Konica Minolta has earned the highest evaluation in the Computers & Peripherals and Office Electronics sector for its economic initiatives including innovation management and risk management, as well as for environmental initiatives on climate change strategies, environmental policy and its management, and information disclosure. RobecoSAM, based in Switzerland, is the investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing. Results are analyzed in terms of economic, environmental and social issues with a focus on long-term value creation. RobecoSAM released its annual “Sustainability Yearbook 2016” in which 77

companies are ranked as Gold Class, 74 companies including Konica Minolta as Silver Class and 97 companies as Bronze Class. Besides RobecoSAM Silver Class, Konica Minolta has been included in Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for four years and Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index for seven years by Dow Jones and RobecoSAM, FTSE4Good Global Index of the UK-based FTSE Group for twelve years, and Japan-based Morningstar Socially Responsible Investment Index since 2003. In addition, the company has been named to CDP’s Japan 500 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index for three years. Konica Minolta has also been awarded Prime Status by Germany-based oekom research AG since 2011, among the best companies for CSR in its worldwide industry segment. “Under the brand proposition “Giving Shape to Ideas,” Konica Minolta aims to become a sustainable global company vital to society and will contribute to solving social challenges through its business activities,” says Yuji Nakata.

Komori and Highcon announce strategic business partnership Komori and Highcon have announced the formation of their strategic partnership. Komori will be selling and supporting the Highcon Euclid digital cutting and creasing solutions in the Japanese market. This partnership is a key step in Komori’s strategy to provide comprehensive solutions to their customers, covering both analog and digital workflows, and spanning printing and finishing alike. The first Highcon Euclid machine in Japan has been installed at Komori’s Graphic Technology Center at Tsukuba. Komori held an Open House on February 4th-5th, where 400 customers got the opportunity to see firsthand how this revolutionary digital finishing technology fits into the Komori portfolio. By offering the Highcon Euclid, Komori

will provide customers with a solution that removes bottlenecks in the post-press process. Moreover, the Highcon Euclid II+ can perform the most intricate cutouts, deliver production samples for test marketing and produce packaging for customers that simply could not be done conventionally. Komori will offer the UV inkjet digital printing machine (Impremia IS29) and the Highcon Euclid digital cutting & creasing system to allow their customers to grow their business by adding value. The Euclid series of machines has already been installed in over 20 sites worldwide, and the companies who are using this system are successfully demonstrating the benefits of the differentiation it offers. This collaboration is a win/win situation for Komori, Highcon and

their customers. Eiji Kajita, Operation Officer and Global Sales & Service Group, Group General Manager of Komori said: “We believe that concluding the agreement with Highcon, is an important step in Komori’s business target of being a PESP (Print Engineering Service Provider). We are encouraging our customers’ success by providing a variety of solutions to resolve their problems with partner companies from all over the world. The combination of Highcon’s innovative system and Komori’s products will provide a new business model which has not been possible to implement until now.” Aviv Ratzman, Co-Founder and CEO of Highcon said: “This partnership is a testament to the quality and industrial strength of our product offering which brings huge benefits to both digital and conventional workflows. We are proud to have our young technology taking its place amidst the portfolio of Komori, with their almost 100 years’ experience of manufacturing products of superior quality and reliability.”

February 2016

digital printing

drupa 2016: Heidelberg a driving force behind industry’s digitization Portfolio expansion in digital and services growth segments opens up new business models and applications in industrial environment. Heidelberg is acting as a driving force behind the industry’s digitization and further expanding the packaging, digital, and services growth segments to coincide with the drupa trade show. One focal point in this respect is making print shops more competitive by integrating and automating the customer’s entire value chain. To this end, systems will in future operate ever more independently and autonomously with the relevant services. Another aim is to extend customers’ business models with new digital printing solutions. The new digital printing system developed in collaboration with Fujifilm is designed to open up new market segments by making industrial printing even more flexible. “We will take our industry into a new digital era by stepping up our investment in the digital and services growth segments. Our customers expect us to deliver added value and enhanced business opportunities, and we are actively helping them make the transformation to a digitized future,” said the company’s CEO Gerold Linzbach. Heidelberg will be presenting the industry’s digitized future under the motto “Simply Smart” at drupa 2016 in Düsseldorf. In an industry environment that is still changing rapidly, print shops need to continuously

In Hall 1 in Düsseldorf, Heidelberg and its partners will be exhibiting integrated business models for commercial and packaging printing under the motto “Simply Smart”.

Key Notes : > Industrial digital printing system improves flexibility and productivity. > Digitized value chain in fully integrated pressroom. > Cloud-based service platform to boost competitiveness.

February 2016

improve their efficiency and respond to the global demands of end customers in ever faster and more flexible ways. It is important when doing so to shape the digitization of their own business model and involve print buyers in this process.

Industrial digital printing system improves flexibility and productivity The new Primefire 106 digital printing system from Heidelberg will have its world premiere at the show. The company has joined forces with its Japanese partner Fujifilm to develop a new portfolio for industrial digital printing in less than two years. Following the presentation at drupa, the sales launch is scheduled for 2017. The print market as a whole

pressideas/ digital

is increasingly moving toward shorter, more personalized runs. In response to the doubledigit annual growth rates of digital printing, Heidelberg now offers a comprehensive digital portfolio that is integrated with the company’s latest offset solutions. “Integrated print shops fare better in a difficult market environment. Automation is the key to remaining competitive in the printing sector. The digitized value chain will be indispensable for most printing companies simply to remain fit for the future,” said Stephan Plenz, Member of the Management Board responsible for Heidelberg Equipment.

Digitized value chain in fully integrated pressroom The basis for this is an integrated software platform enabling a continuous flow of data – from job acceptance to the machines and on to order processing. Heidelberg has combined its entire portfolio in the Prinect print and media workflow. In conjunction with a completely new control system design and concept for sheetfed offset presses, an increasing number of steps for automatic pressroom operation are making their way into the printing systems. With the new Speedmaster generation from Heidelberg, the reality of an autonomous pressroom is getting ever closer, which makes customers far more productive and profitable. “In the Smart Print Shop of the future, we will be demonstrating that Heidelberg is more than the sum of its machines. The benchmark will no longer be the break-even point for individual systems, but the performance of

our customers’ entire value chain. We offer solutions for everything – from completely new business innovations to highly efficient overall processes,” stressed Plenz.

Cloud-based service platform to boost competitiveness The collaboration between Heidelberg and its customers will also change significantly in the digital age. The company is working on a new cloud-based service platform that covers the entire Heidelberg service portfolio and makes it easily accessible. This platform is based on the Remote Service network operated by Heidelberg, which links over 10,000 machines and a further 15,000 software products to the Heidelberg service portfolio. Associated services such as Remote Monitoring and Performance Plus are provided on this platform and help customers with press availability, but also with improving their overall productivity. The large number of machines in the network is key to the quality of the individual service products and productivity recommendations. Customers gain access to the service platform via a customer portal that includes various apps. All the information, support, and contacts customers require from Heidelberg are to hand – from an overview of their installed equipment and available updates to fault messages and self-help tools.

they need to optimize their company’s operations at a glance. We also offer our customers concrete solutions to maximize machine availability, increase their overall productivity, and obtain very easy access to consumables tested by Heidelberg,” said Harald Weimer, Member of the Management Board responsible for Heidelberg Services. Heidelberg already generates nearly 50 percent of its sales with service and consumables and is continuously expanding its service portfolio.

“In the digitized world of the future, customers will have all the information

PM launches India Soars High at ‘Make in India Week’ At the ‘Make in India Week’ in Mumbai Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched KPMG’s report titled ‘India Soars High’ on 13 February 2016. The report offers perspectives on campaigns based on in depth research and analysis of all important policy reforms and initiatives and is expected to help accelerate investments for India. The government has launched several reforms under its various campaigns that include: Make in India, Digital India, Skill India and Start-up India. KPMG has released a white paper on the policies of the government. The first section of the report elaborates all important policy reforms and initiatives, their impact on the Indian

economy and the opportunities that have emerged as a result. The second section of the report focuses on states’ performances to enable business transactions achieve higher operational efficiency for investors. The 100-page report has been printed by PrintStop, based in Mumbai. The report is a coloured perfect bound book which has been printed on Konica Minolta C6000 press using Natural Evolution paper.

February 2016

digital printing

Fujifilm and Heidelberg to introduce Primefire 106 at drupa Take first step towards industrial digital printing with the first showing of new B1 format inkjet machine.

Fujifilm and Heidelberg extend their strong industry positions with the first showing of a new B1 format inkjet printing machine to be demonstrated at drupa 2016 as Heidelberg Primefire 106. “In record time, Fujifilm and Heidelberg have jointly developed the world’s first B1 truly industrial inkjet digital printing press,” said Gerold Linzbach, CEO of Heidelberg. “Our original partnership was based on a joint evaluation of Fujifilm’s core inkjet technology, and after two years of co-development, we remain convinced FUJIFLM is the best partner. Thanks to our close cooperation, we can now present the new digital printing system on our drupa booth, fully integrated into our ‘Smart Print Shop’ demonstrations.”

In late 2013 Heidelberg and Fujifilm formed a strategic partnership for the development of a new industrial digital inkjetprinting machine. The new collaborative approach using respective R&D resources has resulted in a brand new product in less than 24 months’ time.

Key Notes : > First Market Introduction as Heidelberg Primefire 106 at drupa 2016. > Both companies expand new market segments. > New generation machine meets future customer demand for higher flexibility, productivity and versioning options.

February 2016

“Thanks to our strategic partnership with Heidelberg, the major provider and partner for the global printing industry, we are now confident that we can meet the expanding needs of the industrial packaging market,” said Shigetaka Komori, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FUJIFILM Corporation. “The new B1 machine enhances the range and application of Fujifilm inkjet technology from our proven Jet Press 720 series in the B2 space. Fujifilm will continue to innovate and deliver value to the growing digital printing industry by expanding our core inkjet technologies which is the cornerstone of this new B1 machine.” The new print engine design will incorporate Samba state-of-the-art MEMS printhead technology from FUJIFILM Dimatix Inc. Fujifilm’s waterbased pigment ink with Rapic technology for highdefinition imaging will meet food packaging safety regulations. Fujifilm’s inkjet technology will work together with Heidelberg’s worldclass developments

in press manufacturing and system integration capabilities to achieve quality output comparable to offset with superior consistency and reliability. The new machine will be driven by the Heidelberg Prinect Digital Front End (DFE) to optimize workflow and quality. The system design will enable printers to develop new applications from a fully digital-based system for customization, variable data printing, and targeted marketing applications. Fujifilm’s newly developed 7-colour inks (CMYK, orange, green, and violet) and Heidelberg’s varnish will improve the range of digital applications through a wide colour space and accessibility to various commercial substrates. Heidelberg will showcase the machine and the end-to-end benefits of the new configuration during the upcoming drupa exhibition on its booth in hall 1. As a strategic partner, Fujifilm will exhibit their wide range of OEM capabilities in hall 1 with various inkjet products, including the Samba printhead with unique and highly sophisticated ink recirculation design, driving differentiation of the world-class innovative printing device. Both Fujifilm and Heidelberg are planning to market and sell the new solution to their key customers. Commercialization for the new platform is planned in the latter part of 2017. First machine installation for field testing is planned after the drupa exhibition.

pressideas/ digital

Sonora along with its wide product range will be Kodak’s key drupa attraction

Kodak had a good 2015. “Comparing the business or growth with Europe, the US and other countries, Kodak did well in the year 2015,” says Nikumbh Bhalchandra – MD India And West Asia Cluster And Channel Director SEA Cluster – KODAK.

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believe us for our constant development of products. They know that no technology will be out of date. We keep upgrading our products for our customers and in turn enjoy their unrelenting trust in us,” says Nikumbh. Kodak has full range of products. “We have our presses, processors, software and plates etc. In our case, the full range is ours. We are not dependent on others,” asserts Nikumbh. Correct pricing for Kodak products. Kodak has own service centres and has a strong team for marketing as well as after market.

A key challenge for Kodak has been prices. “We can’t beat local players in pricing,” says Nikumbh. “Our key customers remain those who don’t compromise on quality.”

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According to Nikumbh, the key points why Kodak is preferred over others are: • Kodak is a trusted brand; • Kodak works with limited number of selective channel partners; • Kodak products are known for their consistent quality; • Kodak has its own R&D. “People

For Drupa, Kodak’s new Sonora products will be a key attraction along with its wide range of products and solutions. Nikumbh says that there would be more solutions for colour printing rather than black & white, which has limited market at drupa. Kodak has hired global brand experience agency Jack Morton to create its presence at Drupa 2016. Jack Morton will develop a new creative concept for Kodak’s brand experiences, which will be applied across its trade show marketing calendar. The first experience was Kodak’s CES stand in January and next will be Drupa in May 2016. Kodak has converted a major part for VRL Group in Karnataka. Vijayanand Roadlines Limited (VRL) is the single largest fleet owner of commercial vehicles in India in the private sector. Vijaya Karnataka, a Kannada language daily newspaper in Kannada was

published by VPL. It also published Vijay Times, an English language paper. Vijaya Vani, the Kannada paper, was launched in 2012. Kodak has launched LIBRA VP Digital Plates. Compatible with all market-leading violet CTP systems and plateline equipment, the plates maximise productivity and offer the quality and on-press performance required for both newspapers and semi-commercial print applications. Newspaper printers that conventionally process plates can simplify processing and reduce environmental impact by replacing their traditional developer and replenisher with a single, low-pH clean-out finisher. Using the same clean-out finisher, printers wanting to further increase efficiency and save water can use an EasyChem setup that removes the plate wash steps, using either a modified conventional processor or a dedicated clean-out unit. On the development in CtP, Nikumbh says that only thing that will happen here is that the processor will get eliminated. In the Digital Presses arena, Kodak’s Nexpress is the flagship product. Nikumbh says, “The machine has its own niche. It’s a product of choice for high volume Digital Printing. Unless the volumes are over 2 lakhs, the ROI won’t fit in.” Already 4 Nexpress machines are catering to their niche market in Surat, informs Nikumbh.

February 2016

Shree Arun Packaging chooses Kongsberg V20 sample making table Shree Arun installs a Kongsberg V20 cutting and creasing table with FLEXIHead for producing packaging prototypes and samples. Mumbai-based Shree Arun Packaging is primarily a folding box manufacturer providing carton, sleeves, inserts and wrappers to consumer product companies. The company’s main customers are pharmaceutical and FMCG manufacturers, with some packaging materials also supplied to the cosmetics, food and engineering industries. With its offices centrally located in the city and its printing and converting plants in Navi Mumbai; Shree Arun is a leading packaging supplier to several global and local brands.

Key Notes : > A sampling table was the missing link in Shree Arun Packaging’s stateof-the-art chain of equipment. > Opts for the Kongsberg which also means quality. > Is already familiar with Esko products as already working with Esko’s DeskPack since 2012.

February 2016

A user of Esko software, Shree Arun recently installed a Kongsberg V20 cutting and creasing table with FLEXIHead for producing packaging prototypes and samples at one of its plants. Capex is always a constraint but so is the importance of having the right set of tools to quickly and efficiently compete in the carton market. “We were thinking of getting a table for quite some time but were not able to work out the costs until now. We realized that a sampling table was the missing link in our state-of-the-art chain of equipment. We looked at other options as well and after doing a thorough research on sample tables ultimately opted for the Kongsberg. Our customers also know that Kongsberg means quality,” says Mr. Hemant Bhotica, Director, Shree Arun Packaging.

“The Kongsberg V20 has given us a lot of flexibility. We can now cater to our clients faster. In fact, we had a case recently, where we were able to quickly identify and rectify an error because the sample was ready in a very short time frame. Such speed was made possible only due to the Kongsberg V20,” he adds. Talking about the performance of the Kongsberg V20 table, Bhotica says it is not a very complicated machine to handle. “Once the workforce is trained, it is easy to run…We started a corrugation unit just three months back so we don’t have a lot of sampling to do in that department, but I am sure corrugated sampling too would not be a problem,” he adds. Shree Arun Packaging is already familiar with Esko products as it installed Esko’s DeskPack way back in 2012. “We are a satisfied Esko customer,” Bhotica says. Mr. Rafiq Shaikh, Esko’s Regional Sales Manager is pleased to say that, “Shree Arun Packaging has taken a further step with Esko.The Kongsberg V20 sample making table is able to address the efficiency needs of the Indian packaging market in a competitive manner. Esko is proud to be partnering with Shree Arun Packaging in their goal to efficiently address the needs of carton and corrugation market in a competitive manner. Esko’s aim is to plug the

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gaps in the packaging supply chain with smart software and hardware that helps our customers and their customers communicate and execute packaging production with precision.”

Esko digital finishing portfolio, complete with ArtiosCAD software and the Kongsberg cutting tables, is fueling the industry transformation by helping converters expand their range of applications and offerings to their customers.

making, signage and display production. The Kongsberg V offers a broad selection of tools, providing quality results on a wide range of cutting, creasing, and plotting tasks. No matter what application, the Kongsberg V brings the value you are looking for.

There are two kinds of Kongsberg V tables, each with their own strengths and range of applications.

The Kongsberg V for packaging is a cutting table configured for sample making, short-run production of mockups and other packaging specific applications. This table is outfitted with an FLEXIHead. The Kongsberg V for signage and displays comes with a MultiCUT tool head offering milling productivity and a camera system.

The Kongsberg V is a cutting table that stands for value, durability, reliability, precision and ease of use at an attractive investment level. The Kongsberg V cutters come in standard configurations for sample

CreaseStream awarded European patent for Gravity Flow Feeder CreaseStream LLP has just received the European patent for their sheet feeding system, the “Gravity Flow Feeder.” CreaseStream LLP was set up by Tech-niFold’s Founder, Graham Harris to develop a series of innovative products specifically for use in the digital sector of the printing market, utilising his acclaimed rotary creasing and micro-perforating technology. The “Gravity Flow Feeder,” which was launched in 2011, was created to solve inherent problems associated with feeding digital stocks, such as toner scuffing and lack of output consistency. Harris initially tried to source an existing feeding system and tested a number of systems from several global manufacturers. He wanted to integrate it into his range of desk top CreaseStream

mini machines. He found that vacuum feeders were labour intensive and struggled to process heavier stocks with any degree of consistency, whilst friction feeders were simple to set, easy to run yet scratched the toner from the sheets as they were fed. Harris and his team decided to produce their own feeding system that would potentially

harness the best of both types and dispense with the negatives. The project lasted three years and they came up with the right solution – the Gravity Flow Feeder. The Gravity Flow Feeder uses a specially shaped flat rubber pad that is integrated into an angled sheet slide which cleverly fans out, jogs, separates and feeds a full range of stocks without exerting the level of pressure that causes the toner to scratch or mark. The feeder can take a reasonable sheet load and outputs from the bottom, meaning that the operator can top up the pile to keep production ticking over. No vacuum pumps are employed in the design and maintenance costs are impressively low. The Gravity Flow Feeder has recently caught the eye of several manufacturers at trade shows in USA, Germany and UK. “Some have come forward to ask about licensing opportunities,” says Harris. “Our feeding system is simple and I am delighted that we secured our patent. In knowing that the way we feed sheets is catching the eye of other manufacturer’s, we remain open to the possibilities of licensing,” he adds.

February 2016

125 Years: For The Next Generation BOBST is celebrating its 125th anniversary with dynamism and commitment

From the world’s first Autoplaten revolutionising paperboard die-cutting in 1940 to first sales in its now leading US market in 1950, many acquisitions and expansions, braving a financial crisis to consolidation and around 1350 patents, it’s a long story of the number one global supplier of machinery and services to the packaging industry.

Key Notes : > Launching a year of events to celebrate the milestone anniversary. > Anniversary to feature in customer days, open days and trade exhibitions including drupa 2016 and K 2016. > Bobst is present in over 50 countries, operates eleven production facilities and employs over 4800 people.

February 2016

BOBST, a family company based in the Swiss Canton of Vaud, is launching a year of events to celebrate its anniversary. Dating back four generations, the company was founded in Lausanne in 1890 and has managed to build an ambitious international economic project while remaining true to its roots and human values.

Customer events

BOBST is embarking on this anniversary with its sights focused firmly on the future. From autumn 2015 to autumn 2016 it will hold a year of events running under the motto “125 YEARS: FOR THE NEXT GENERATION”. BOBST has chosen this slogan first of all to thank its customers who have placed their trust in the brand for 125 years. It is also to pay tribute to its staff, whose enthusiastic work has given the brand’s products and services their renowned excellence. This anniversary is a reminder that everyone has a part to play in laying the foundations that the company intends to bequeath to future generations, the cornerstone of which resides in customer satisfaction.

“BOBST - One Group around the world”

In addition to the graphic elements which are the visible signs of this anniversary, three key initiatives will punctuate this program of celebrations.

The 125th anniversary will also feature in the company’s trade exhibitions, customer days and open days. In particular, BOBST will be commemorating its anniversary at the drupa 2016 and K 2016 international shows, which will be held next spring and autumn in Düsseldorf, Germany.

On 23 March 2016 all BOBST staff will join together for a day celebrating BOBST’s 125 years. The celebrations will kick off in Japan and will end in Mexico, passing through each of the Group’s facilities during the day. This event, which is being organized in all subsidiaries around the world, will also be an opportunity to thank all who work there for their contribution to the success of the business.

Let us build our future together! 125 years of history and innovation are a great source of inspiration, influencing both the culture of the business and its development by the next generation. The Board of Directors is planning the implementation of collective projects at a local level, coordinated by BOBST staff. These long-term initiatives represent a joint commitment and offer employees the opportunity to build the future together.

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leading market. Developing its operations on the other side of the Atlantic, it worked in partnership with The Champlain Company Inc., a US company specializing in rotogravure printing presses for high-volume packaging, which it acquired in 1965.

Winning over the world from Lausanne. Bobst: An Epic Industrial Enterprise In 1890, Joseph Otto Bobst (1862-1935), a press operator-typographer by trade, set up a dealership in Lausanne for the graphic arts industry. A clever merchant, a few years later he set up a mechanical repair workshop for his customers’ machines, which added to the prosperity of his business. Henri Bobst (1897-1975), his younger son, became the driving force in 1918 as the company went on to specialize in board converting machinery. A talented and visionary engineer, Henri Bobst was just 18 years of age in 1915 when he developed the first platen press for printing Braille embossing. In the 1920’s however, the company came up against severe economic difficulties. After the end of the First World War, competition from German and French machine makers became overwhelming, as they benefitted from currency devaluation in these two countries. In 1924, to avoid bankruptcy, J. Bobst & Fils SA sold its board division to Marinoni, a French company. In 1936, fate offered the Lausanne-based company its comeback when the one-time buyer, having succumbed in turn to financial difficulties, sold the packaging operations business back. BOBST repatriated its industrial heritage to Switzerland and built a factory in Prilly two years later.

BOBST propels board converting into the industrial era In 1940, Henri Bobst launched the AP 900, the world’s first Autoplaten® automatic die-cutter. This machine revolutionized paperboard die-cutting and creasing, processing over 4000 sheets an hour compared with barely 1200 for a manual press of the day. It marked the start of the Group’s awe-inspiring industrial growth. In 1950, BOBST made its first sales in the United States, which was to become its

In 1970, BOBST, having run out of space at its Prilly industrial site, acquired 300.000 m2 of land at Mex, in the Lausanne region, on which to build new production facilities.

Building an international group It was during the 1980’s that BOBST set itself up as an international group. The acquisition of S.A. Martin in France, Peters GmbH in Germany, and a 50% stake in the share capital of Italian machinery manufacturer Schiavi SpA, enabled it to become the world’s leading manufacturer of equipment for the corrugated board industry and to enter the flexible packaging market. Up to the turn of the twenty-first century, the Group was still strengthening its position throughout the world. Having opened a facility in Germany in 1990, BOBST went on to establish subsidiaries in Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Indonesia and to set itself up in India. It put plants into operation in Shanghai, China and in Itatiba, Brazil, and also opened dealerships in Central Europe and Russia. In 2004, BOBST acquired five converting equipment businesses from Metso, the Finnish group, thus strengthening its presence and market share in the flexible packaging industry, a sector accounting for just 7% of BOBST sales at that time. With this acquisition, the Group intended to achieve 20% of its turnover in this field and thus strengthen its position in this thriving market.

Strategic consolidation of the business: a single Group and Brand Between 2009 and 2011, the Group, having been hit hard by the 2008 global financial crisis, launched an unprecedented turnaround program combined with a cost and headcount reduction plan. One of the key aspects involved consolidating its portfolio of brands, which continued to expand with the passage of time, under a single name: BOBST. In 2012, the strategic consolidation of the business into one Group and a single Brand was accompanied by the adoption of a new logo to identify all

the products and services marketed by the company. The efforts expended, and the sacrifices made, enabled BOBST to resume sustainable profitability as of 2014. The Group is now capable of successfully meeting the challenges of a constantly shifting global economic balance. In 2013, on completing the TEAM (“Tous Ensemble A Mex” or “all together at Mex”) project, BOBST inaugurated the buildings at its new Mex facility, where the Group consolidated its two production facilities in the Lausanne area into a single one. Since then the company has excelled with numerous technological innovations. In response to specific needs in growth markets, equipment offering excellent value for money in terms of performance has been launched and is now being manufactured in China, India and South America. In 2015, at the forefront of digital printing, BOBST has been successfully testing two digital presses for a year with its customers. Last spring, it acquired Nuova Gidue, an Italian company specializing in short-run printing machinery. Renamed BOBST Firenze, it strengthens the Group’s position in the label and flexible packaging markets.

Bobst Group today The number one global supplier of machinery and services to the packaging industry, BOBST operates in three sectors: corrugated board, folding carton and flexible materials. BOBST has a presence in over 50 countries, operates eleven production facilities and employs over 4800 people throughout the world. The geographical proximity between its sales and services networks is one of the keys of its leadership. The Group’s dedication towards technological innovation has resulted in close to 1350 patents. Its digital print systems give manufacturers as well as brand owners innovative solutions, especially in personalized production and short runs of packaging and labels. Jean-Pascal Bobst, the Group CEO, is the great-grandson of the founder of the business. Since 2009, he has been at the helm of the company, whose headquarters are in Mex, near Lausanne, Switzerland.

February 2016

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FINAT reveals event agenda for the year FINAT, the international association for the self-adhesive label industry has revealed its labelling events for 2016. Designed to provide key industry learning and networking opportunities these essential activities give the current and future label community members the chance to meet with peers, clients, press and other industry related contacts, to build on their knowledge and exchange information. The events in chronological order are:

FINAT Labelling Competition: this annual event showcases the best of self-adhesive label and narrow web print. It recognizes and rewards achievement in terms of both end-use/ marketing impact and print and converting quality. Awards are given – by a jury of leading industry experts - in the main segments where self-adhesive labels are used: (alcoholic) beverages, food, household, industrial, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, security labelling, (self-) promotion, booklet/coupon labels and for the major reel-fed print processes: flexo, letterpress, screen, offset, digital print and combination print. This year, the 36th edition, welcomes all 2016 FINAT Label Competition entries, before the deadline of March 18.

FINAT Technical Seminar: Labelling – The Future and Beyond is the theme of this year’s event that runs from March 16 -18 in Barcelona, Spain. A number of expert speakers will bring the audience up to date on how labels need to change to face future challenges and to meet the enduser’s and consumer’ criteria. There will be updates on FINAT test methods, regulatory affairs and Life Cycle Analysis. Other topics include inks for food, philosophy on

compliance and unique resource capability on food contact issues, printed consumer experiences, disruptive technical innovation in label thermal printing and measurements in labelstock testing and the relevance in appliance.

FINAT Webinar Series #1 2016: Label Academy: on April 5th, a FINAT webinar will be held on the global training and certification programme for the label and package printing industry, pioneered by industry expert Mike Fairley who founded Labels & Labeling magazine. The label industry has some of the widest range of materials, printing processes and finishing solutions of any printing sector. The number of dedicated printing colleges has spurred the need to harmonize vocational training curricula across the world. The Label Academy is working with other training experts and authors to ensure that it provides up-to-date and relevant training material for the industry.

FINAT Young Managers Congress: this year, the FINAT Young Managers Club will organise the third edition of the Global Young Managers Congress for the label industry on April 28 – 30 in Budapest, Hungary. During this event, young managers get the opportunity to hone their management skills and learn from industry expert’s experiences. The programme includes social events such as networking dinners, interactive workshops and one and a half day of presentations.

FINAT and TLMI LCA: On May 12th, there will be a webinar on the joint LCA guidance project that was established to provide a common understanding of LCA, give insights in the different standards available and identify the hotspots within the industry. Pré Consultants a global leader in environmental measurement, methodologies and integration are executing the project. They will provide case studies offer guidance and training on the LCA methodology, hence creating a high level playing-field. FINAT European Label Forum 2016: June 16-18 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The association’s main annual event is the vehicle for strategic business knowledge, information and inspiration.

February 2016

It is focused on business topics, with two different parallel streams (‘Value Creation’ and ‘Innovation’), an educational workshop in collaboration with the Label Academy and more room for interaction and dialogue between congress delegates. All sessions will feature first class speakers who are recognized experts in the field. More detailed information on this event is coming soon. The annual General Assembly of FINAT is also held during the Forum, as is the formal announcement and presentation of the prizes in the FINAT International Label Competition.

FINAT RADAR: will be released right after the forum. This publication will be in its 5thedition. It offers readers a unique ‘first hand’ 360 degrees’ overview of trends and developments across the self-adhesive and narrow web value chain. As was the case last year, the spring edition of the FINAT RADAR will focus on the label converter perspective.

FINAT Recycling Award: this award recognizes efforts of the industry in paper and film release liner recycling, both at converter and end-user level. The 3rd edition of this competition will be launched in the 2nd week of February. New Technology and Management Webinars: a series of webinars will be held throughout the year. Mark your agenda on July 7 for Brand Certification, on September 22 for Colour Management and on November 24 for Succession Planning.

Committee output: FINAT’s sophisticated network of affiliated associations, committees and subcommittees pulls together industry thought leaders and experts to work on issues of common interest.

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Judges announced for the 28th DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation DuPont Packaging has assembled a distinguished panel of packaging experts in design, research and manufacturing roles, representing multiple markets around the world, to identify the winners of the coveted DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation. Entry is free and nominations will be accepted through Feb. 19, 2016. Forms are available online. “The diverse panel of judges DuPont assembles each year is a hallmark of the DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation,” said Bill Cunningham, global packaging marketing leader, DuPont Performance Materials. “We are pleased with the diversity of this year’s panel and greatly appreciate the time, energy and passion they devote to analyzing and discussing the entries as they identify packaging excellence among the entries.” The judges come from around the world to gather in Wilmington, Del., March 8 – 10, 2016, to share their expertise and vast industry insights as they evaluate this year’s entries. Judges consider excellence in these areas: technological advancement, responsible packaging and enhanced user experience. The 2016 judging panel includes: • Ramon Agustines – general manager, Flexible Packaging Division , Universal Robina Corp. (URC), Philippines • Serena Della Bianca – R&D research engineer, Resins Europe – Food Care, Sealed Air, Italy • Suzanne Fisher – director, Packaging, Sam’s Club, USA • Sanjay Ghoshal – senior director and global head, Packaging, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, India • Marianne Rosner Klimchuk – associate chairperson, Fashion Institute of Technology, USA • David Luttenberger, CPP – global packaging director, Mintel Group, Ltd., USA (Lead Judge) • Jeff Schuetz, staff vice president, Global Technology Consumer Packaging, Sonoco, USA • Colin Yates – sustainability director, Global Petcare Packaging sustainability director, Mars, Germany

•

Eduardo Yugue - R&D packaging manager, Pepsico, Brazil

“It’s a great honour to be asked to return as lead judge,” said David Luttenberger, CPP – global packaging director, Mintel Group. “This year’s panel represents a variety of roles, industries and regions. I look forward to hearing their perspectives as we work together to identify excellence in technological advancement, responsible packaging and enhanced user experience. Year over year, DuPont manages to build a fresh panel of packaging experts who deliberate on what is truly innovative. As a result, honourees really do earn a DuPont Award. They don’t just win it.” Brand owners, retailers, packaging designers, converters and technology providers from around the world are encouraged to enter their packaging solution, provided it is commercially available. There is no fee to enter, and DuPont materials do

not need to be in the packaging structure. Winners will be notified in late spring. DuPont Performance Materials (DPM) is a global innovator of thermoplastics, elastomers, renewably sourced polymers, high-performance parts and shapes, as well as resins that act as adhesives, sealants, and modifiers. DPM supports a globally linked network of regional application development experts who work with customers throughout the value chain to develop innovative solutions in automotive, packaging, construction, consumer goods, electrical/ electronics and other industries.

Flint announces acquisition of ACS Flint Group has announced the acquisition of Advanced Color Systems (ACS), USA. ACS manufactures and distributes water-based inks in North America and also exports to some countries outside of North America. With this acquisition, Flint Group strengthens its position and support to the Paper & Board markets in North America. “Flint Group is very pleased with this new partnership and the opportunities it presents to expand in the North American Paper & Board packaging market,” said Antoine Fady, CEO, Flint Group. He continued, “Tim Becker, Reed Fowler, and the team at ACS have built a customer focused and responsive organisation with teams dedicated to its clients’ success. This culture of teamwork and customer satisfaction fits perfectly with Flint Group’s own strategy and vision.”

Flint Group is truly customer focused; solving immediate needs and concentrating on long term customer cost and solution benefits. Flint Group’s new technologies are worldclass; their inks and coatings products will be a great complement to ACS’ product range.” Mr. Becker continues, “Our customers can be assured to receive the same great service from their existing ACS contacts and also have access to new Flint Group experts. Our company integrates perfectly into Flint Group’s goals and objectives. Furthermore, Flint Group’s latest technical innovations will provide exciting new components to our business model.”

Tim Becker, President and Owner of ACS comments, “The partnership with Flint Group will add a significant high value raw material stream for our customers in the long term.

February 2016

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Lake Image Systems to showcase full suite of integrated, tailored solutions at drupa 2016 Lake Image Systems, exhibiting at the drupa 2016 trade fair on stand #11B42 will be presenting a full suite of integrated, tailored solutions to help customers in all segments of the graphic communications market, to produce error-free printing, automate inspection requirements and reduce waste to drive profitable growth. Lake Image Systems will feature its latest portfolio of powerful solutions for Document producers, Label printers and Packaging converters to automate variable data integrity and print quality inspection requirements. Four industry applications zones will be demonstrated at the show. These include:

systems. Similarly, many security documents and paper have unique identifiers which need to be tracked and verified to prevent criminal activity and ensure process integrity during complex, multi-step production processes. Lake Image will demo its industry winning Discovery MaxScan solution for inspecting, reading, tracking and verifying variable codes on a variety of challenging substrates including highly reflective tax stamps for out of sequence, missing or duplicate labels as well as for positional and print defects issues. The Lake Image Discovery software tools provide 100% quality inspection and print data integrity for all label presses and applicators at speeds exceeding 300 metres per minute.

Digital Packaging: With variable data, digitally printed on packaging is on the increase, Lake Image will be showcasing its latest range of solutions for reading, grading and verifying barcodes, QR codes and text elements as well as for detecting print defects such as streaks, hickies & voids and print registration issues for a variety of flexible packaging applications

Variable Data Labels& Security Printing: Variable data and barcodes on labels such as tax stamps, pharmaceutical and authentication labels are now critical for many anti-counterfeit and traceability applications such as track and trace

Transactional and Direct Mail: The full Discovery platform will be demonstrated, including a comprehensive range of verification, inspection and integrity software tools to ensure mission critical documents and mailings are always 100% correct. Sequence check, data matching and presence/absence software tools provide variable data verification from page to page printing including duplex operations. Inspection tools detect print defects such as print registration, colour deviation and print quality. Integrity tools such as Batch Control, File Audit and File Look-Up, verify that each and every printed page is produced with

the highest levels of integrity compared to the original customer data job files. Discovery tools can be invoked conditionally by detecting triggers in the data, an image or a code printed on the document. Combining multiple tools enables complex inspection tasks to be performed when required and is saved with the specific job.

Loyalty, Gaming & Plastic Cards: A variety of inspection solutions will be on display including card number verification, missing/duplicate card detection, scratch off verification, pin number legibility, pin & account number reporting, sorting/batching and database integrity reporting. Other requirements such as card/carrier matching & magnetic stripe reading are also available. “Drupa is an important event for us, and offers the perfect stage to present our full portfolio of solutions for improving print quality, variable data integrity and waste reduction, and illustrates our commitment to working with our customers to grow their businesses” commented Martin Keats, Managing Director at Lake Image Systems Ltd. “We will be demonstrating our broadest array of industry targeted solutions ever which effectively addresses all the inspection needs for today’s blended conventional and digital production environments, Our application and technology experts will be on the stand throughout the show to ensure visitors get all the information they need.”

February 2016

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Flint Group Flexo Round Table presents Newrotec Lightweight Sleeve Flint Group Flexo Round Table conference that took place at Damme and Fichtenau, Germany reached a new attendance record with a total of approximately 120 participants. Flint exclusively presented its newrotec Lightweight Sleeve to the conference members even before it was launched to the market. This new generation of hard-coated sleeves for conventional plate mounting with adhesive tapes offers weight savings up

to 40% compared to standard sleeves and meets a range of customers’ requirements in the mid to wide web and pre-print sector. Now, maximum weight limits in the pressroom, shorter and easier press setups, or missing adapter configurations can easily be managed. Additionally, the rotec Lightweight Sleeve offers a new feature which makes it even more attractive: The entire sleeve edge is sealed with an aluminum plate, which protects the sleeve from exposure to cleaning liquids, inks or solvents and prevents unnatural diameter growth of the sleeve. The new sleeves are available in rotec Omega Surface Technology for use of solvent based inks as well as with other well-known features like the rotec Stainless Steel Register Ring.

The nyloflex FTF Digital plate was introduced into the market in the summer of 2015, and provides the Easy Way to Flat Top Dots. The plate offers significant complexity reduction and efficiency gain for the reproduction of Flat Top Dots, as it can be processed like any standard digital plate – no changes, additional equipment, processes or consumables are needed. Furthermore, a special surface texture eliminates the need for time consuming surface screening. Additionally, the plate offers reliable high quality and consistency. The conference programme was completed with exciting lectures around the subjects of cleansing and SAS smart anilox systems given by Flexo Wash and Sandon Global, as well as an exchange of participants’ experiences.

MPS supports local university talent with printed pattern art project Following MPS’s move to new headquarters in Arnhem, The Netherlands, the company commissioned a local art student from the ArtEZ University of the Arts to create and execute a printed art design project for the new building’s decor. Marjolein Linders was the selected candidate for the project, and her creative art designs were printed on MPS presses. After sharing what MPS envisioned in the project, the talented young Marjolein designed an abstract art pattern with a range of layers for final print on a flexo press. By combining four print sleeves with six printing colours (CMYK, red and blue), Marjolein found a way to create over a thousand variations of the original pattern. The printed patterns could be framed, applied as wallpaper, combined with other paintings or

converted into shrink sleeves and labels. Marjolein’s designs were printed on both the MPS EF flexo press and the hybrid EF SYMJET press, using a variety of colours and applications such as cold foiling. The colourful and vibrant printed art was used to decorate the offices, hallways and walls throughout the new MPS building and is enjoyed daily by employees and visitors to MPS. Aakon Schüssel, Sales and Marketing director of MPS comments: “When it came time to integrate décor in the new MPS building, we approached a local Art University in Arnhem for the project, to also help support our new community. Marjolein surpassed all our expectations of the project, not only with her stunning

designs, but with her ability to incorporate MPS’s dynamic culture, energy and press technology into her art. Marjolein’s designs are decorative, technically very well executed, and communicate her enthusiasm and tremendous creative ability. We thank Marjolein for her contribution to MPS and wish her continued success as an artist.” Marjolein Linder’s designs can be seen at MPS headquarters in Arnhem, The Netherlands and a photo album is also available on the MPS Facebook page. During her time with MPS, Marjolein Linders completed her studies and graduated from ArtEZ.

February 2016

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Flint equips flexographic and letterpress platemaking exposures with high intensity lamps As of 2016, Flint Group Flexographic Products will equip all main exposure units with high power UV-A lamps of the latest generation. The UV-A output of the high definition lamps increases by up to 15% compared to standard UV-A 10R lamps. This makes them perfectly suitable for the reproduction of high definition halftones and the finest images in flexo form processing. Due to higher UV-A output and improved stability during operating time, the new lamp generation meets the requirements of

the highest quality standards. Longer life, and therefore reduced replacement cycles, makes them cost-efficient and user-friendly. The new lamps have an initial UV-A intensity of over 20 mW/cm2. This allows one to fully exploit the potential of the latest generation of flexo plates, such as the nyloflex FTF, a flexo plate with inherently flat top dots and a textured plate surface. Due to improved crosslinking, even the finest vignettes with soft fade-outs can be easily reproduced.

SIES GST Job Fair to recruit the best of talent in Printing & Packaging SIES GST (Graduate School of Technology) in Nerul is organising an All India level Job Fair on February 27, 2016 in the campus located in Navi Mumbai. Four colleges are part of this job fair. Job Fair 2016 by SIES GST Department of Printing and Packaging Technology is exclusively for final year (undergraduates) Printing and Packaging Technology students. SIES GST is affiliated to the University of Mumbai. The ISO 9001:2008 AICTE, NBA accredited institute is an integral part of South Indian Education Society, one of the prime & oldest names in Mumbai in the

field of academics & overall development of human society. It is one of the premier institutes in Navi Mumbai imparting quality Technical Education. Printing and Packaging Technology is a unique course which offers students a chance to deviate from mainstream engineering and gives them an opportunity to explore a highly resourceful branch. The Job Fair 2016 has been organised with an objective to create a pool of fresh talent from all major printing and packaging institutes under one roof for recruitment by the industry. It is an initiative that is designed for the benefit of students as well as the

recruiting companies. The idea is to make a wider and diverse set of talent accessible to the recruiters at one place. The Job Fair is open to participation for all the printing and packaging engineers set to graduate in 2016, irrespective of their institute. This first-of-its-kind Job Fair will have participation from at least 50 companies from printing and packaging sector. The participation fee of Rs 3000 is applicable for all the recruiting companies while the students will be charged with fee of Rs 50. The participant companies will also be able to organise promotional sessions and technical workshops for the students at the campus. This activity will be like any conventional Job Fair conducted across the globe and SIES GST will act as the facilitator at this great platform for students and the employers to have a direct one-to-one contact. The registration starts at 9 am on 27 February, 2016. Participating students are advised to give themselves at least an hour to be there, to meet with as many hiring managers as they want. A candidate will get about 5 minutes at each recruiter desk.

February 2016

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adphosNIR technology ensures high performance and quality for digital printing presses The graphic arts industry has already made a significant investment in inkjet and believes that the market will experience growth in a wide range of applications – even before DRUPA 2016. Today, more than ever, known bottleneck limitations are a problem for productivity: • Limited range of substrates • Ink coverage (even less than 270%) • Colour density limitations • Reduced productivity and performance – especially for coated and glossy substrates • Waviness (cockle and curl) of printed products • Longer make readies with resulting paper losses • Substrate over drying which may need remoistening or re-saturation • Smearing and offsetting which may require an overcoat These limitations are independent of the inkjet technology and/or inkjet supplier. To answer these limitations, the adphos Group has developed the next generation

of renowned dryer family with adphosNIR technology to significantly decrease or eliminate the limitations. adphosNIR Technology provides: • Near instantaneous drying • Enhanced print quality (higher resolution, colour density, brilliance) • Reduced heating of the substrate • Flatter books and printed materials

The small footprint of adphosNIR drying technology allows for easy integration on existing presses possible. adphos offers a wide range of standardized kits to fit customers existing presses. To learn more about the number and variety of inkjet presses retrofitted and how to increase the performance of your inkjet press visit adphos booth C03 in Hall 6 at drupa.

Ricoh to acquire garment printing giant AnaJet Founded in 2006, AnaJet was one of the first companies in the world to mass produce DTG printers. The majority of AnaJet products available today leverage Ricoh’s market-leading inkjet printheads.

Ricoh Company has recently reached an agreement to buy AnaJet, the known name in direct to garment (DTG) printing. The strategic investment by Ricoh will strengthen

its industrial inkjet business. Located in the U.S., AnaJet will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Ricoh Printing Systems America, Inc.

The addition of the AnaJet portfolio will help Ricoh further its position in the industrial inkjet market, a market where Ricoh has been providing inkjet printhead globally. “AnaJet already possesses a proven reputation as a leader in DTG printing and as such, it is a great complement to Ricoh’s broad portfolio,” said Junichi Matsuno, General Manager, Inkjet Business Division, Ricoh Company.

February 2016

signage printing

Printeriors 2016 presents ‘The Print Hotel’ Interior design showcase and dedicated conference return with new concept for 2016.

Printeriors 2016 will take place from 8-11 March, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, alongside FESPA Digital 2016, demonstrating how print can be used to create statement interiors.

conference, visitors will be able to hear from industry experts including interior magazine editors, branding suppliers, large format kitchen design specialists and ceramic printing experts.

This year’s event will offer visitors a visual and interactive experience. Presented in the form of a hotel, it will demonstrate the possibilities for print showcased in 16 room sets from lounges, bathrooms and bedrooms through to cafes, bars, meeting rooms and shops.

The sessions will focus on a range of topics including design for the workplace, vinyl applications for interiors, printed furniture and how to bring images to life with large format printing.

“There are numerous possibilities for printers in this sector including walls, floor coverings, textiles, furniture and accessories. For 2016 we have chosen a hotel theme so that we can highlight the different techniques and applications that can be created using print across a number of interior environments.”

This application-focused showcase will illustrate the expanding diversification opportunities available for wide format printers and aims to inform and inspire both the print and design communities to stimulate awareness in this area.

Roz McGuinness, Divisional Director, FESPA, comments: “Printed interior decoration is a strong diversification area for wide format digital printers and is making waves in the interior design and architectural industries. Textile for decorative applications was also one of the main growth areas highlighted in the FESPA Print Census.”

“It will cover the complete gamut from ceramic tiles in bathrooms to printed cushions and curtains in the lounge or bedroom. The Printeriors showcase and conference will once again provide both printers and designers a place to visualise how print can transform ordinary interiors into the extraordinary.”

The showcase will be supported by a oneday conference on 10 March dedicated to printed interior design. During the

“We know that an increasing number of our core FESPA Digital community already offer solutions in this field, and therefore want to

February 2016

ensure that we are proactively highlighting the opportunities to those who may still be considering the value to them.”

pressideas/ signage

Xitron launches Navigator Northstar RIP and workflow for inkjet printers using Memjet Northstar print heads Xitron, developer of RIP and workflow products for commercial, digital, and highspeed inkjet printing has released Navigator Northstar for sale through their worldwide dealer network. Navigator Northstar improves the colour accuracy of Astrojet M1/M2 printers as well as the Colordyne 1600 (C &

S), RTI-Digital Vortex 850/851, Trojan One, and Formax Colormax (among others), all of which use the Memjet Northstar inkjet head. “Digital printing doesn’t have to equate to a lack of colour control,” said Jeffrey Piestrak, Product Manager. “The colour adjustment tools built into this workflow make it extremely easy to match a job’s spot colours without impacting the rest of the document.” Users adapt quickly to the intuitive interface, which guides the operator through the process. The result is a near immediate increase in productivity with the colour accuracy.

of the Navigator Harlequin RIP with Xitron’s colour transform technology, what you see is what you print, consistently.” Designed for the desktop envelope, flyer, and label market, Navigator Northstar includes Navigator RIP version 10.1r2, Navigator Color Matching Workflow, and the Northstar connectivity plug-in developed by Xitron. The system is multi-platform compatible and accessible from anywhere on a user’s network. Navigator Northstar is shipping now, available through Xitron dealers worldwide.

Piestrak added, “By combining the power

Arrow Digital Installs the EFI H1625 LEDUV printer at its R&D/Demo Centre Arrow and Efi with their wide portfolio have been helping brand managers and print shops with the latest technologies. Arrow Digital with its service/support structure and R&D demo & applications Centre in India brings revolutionary printers for the market. It has recently installed the state-of-the-art EFI H1625 LED at its Demo / Training Centre in Ahmedabad.

multilayer printing as well as eight-level variable drop grayscale heads for superior quality imaging. Its LED technology gives users the ability to print on a broader range of substrates, including high-value, specialty substrates, opening the door to unique, creative opportunities. The printer is also a greener solution for graphics production operations.

The new installation will enable customers to test and get hands on experience on the printer to be more confident in their decision on important investment. The EFI H1625 LED 1.6 meter hybrid mid-level production printer drives greater profits with a low total costof-ownership, giving users the ability to print fast-turn, high-margin wide-format graphics on roll and rigid media. It offers four-colour plus 2 channels of white and single-pass

The EFI H1625 LED printer’s ink emits lower VOC levels than solvent inks, and the cooler curing on the printer translates into lower running costs compared to latex printers.

Key applications include – Indoor/outdoor signage, POP displays, Exhibition graphics, Backlits etc. Moreover, it offers an affordably priced entry into premium rigid and softsignage applications. Other Models available in this are EFI H1625 LED-SD, which can produce thermoforming applications with super-fast and super-efficient quality using EFI SuperDraw UV Inks. EFI H1625 LED-RS, which can produce custom and standard, regulated and non-regulated roadside safety, and tourism signage applications faster and more efficiently using 3M inks.

New President for new Konica Minolta company Konica Minolta has announced the appointment of Jun Haraguchi as the president of Konica Minolta Japan, a new domestic company of the Konica Minolta Group. Haraguchi will take office as president on April 1, 2016. Konica Minolta Japan, Co., Ltd. will be established on April 1, 2016. The company will be handling the entire process of digital marketing solutions; providing digital manufacturing services; supplying solutions to home medical and nursing care; and providing one-stop services with digital printing systems. Jun Haraguchi holds an economics degree from Yokohama University and began his career at Konica Japan. During his tenure at Konica, he has held various management positions with the parent company in Japan as well as numerous positions with its subsidiaries

February 2016

pressideas/ signage

DP Lenticular to present world premiere large format lenticular lens at drupa 2016 DP Lenticular, dedicated to the promotion and sale of lenticular plastic sheets and rolls for the offset, digital and label markets, will be presenting its creative portfolio of solutions, including a world first, at drupa 2016. (Hall 7, stand 70F09 at DIP) As the sole producer of large format lenses made in Europe, DP Lenticular will place the spotlight firmly on its new 3D 28 LPI UV-MF. With a thickness of 2.15 mm and a viewing angle of 37°, it is the perfect match for three-dimensional lenticular applications printed on medium format digital systems. It joins the large format 3D 20 LPI UV-LF. Both are extruded in Europe with PETG-UV resin making them ideal for indoor use such as airports, subways, railway stations and outdoor use such as bus shelters. Extruded with a specially developed UV protection resin to preserve colours, PETG-UV is also fire-resistant and offers a much better transparency than other resins. Daniel Pierret, managing director of DP Lenticular states: “This lens design does not exist anywhere else in the world and its development is in direct response to a gap we spotted in the medium to large format flatbed market.”

From postage stamps to large format advertising applications At drupa, DP Lenticular will be partnering with KBA for live demos to the offset market. Show stopping prints will be produced on their new half format press using LENSTARplus 75 LPI lenticular sheets. The LENSTARplus lenticular sheet is a PACUR

product created specifically for direct lens printing that provides unsurpassed characteristics in brightness, toughness, clarity, notch resistance and cutability. Developed specifically for the brand authentication, security, philatelic and other high-end flexible label markets, MicroFlex labels will also be on display at the show. MicroFlex is a unique ultra-thin lens array film and the first ever label of this thickness to produce eye-catching depth, dimension, and motion effects. This unique substrate contains a micro-optical lens array on the surface magnifying graphic elements imbedded in the second surface printing. Unlike traditional lenticular material which is too stiff for most labeling applications, MicroFlex is a patent pending blend of a biaxial oriented polypropylene base layer (for press stability) and cast polypropylene (for flexibility). All products enable printers to print the interlaced (and reversed) image directly onto the gloss surface of the lenticular sheet (backside) using conventional or UV inks.

At the show, DP Lenticular will also stage the third edition of the Lenstar Lenticular Print Awards, supported by drupa. Created to highlight technical processing options, and likely to attract more than 150 entries from 40 countries, the Awards Ceremony will be held on June 2 in the DIP in hall 7. Entries will complete in six different categories.

Arrow Digital installs EFI VUTEk GS3250LX Pro at Arihant DigiPrints Arrow Digital, the wide-format solutions’ distributor has recently installed an EFI VUTEk GS3250LX Pro at Arihant DigiPrints of Mumbai. The UV LED curing digital inkjet printer EFI VUTEk GS3250LX Pro extends the range of supported substrates while lowering operating costs.

The eight-colour plus unique multi-layer white print capability and true grayscale technology of EFI VUTEk GS3250LX Pro LED hybrid printer allow customers to take on new applications. With its production-level speeds and Continuous Print functionality,

February 2016

He concludes: “It is an ideal medium for boosting the corporate image and business profitability and is appropriate for use in a large number of applications such as POP designs, packaging, direct mail, promotional and various card formats, from a postage stamp to large format advertising.”

Pierret adds: “Lenticular printing’s ability

Arihant specializes in indoor as well as outdoor signages and already have a line-up of multiple Vutek and HP large format printing machines.

to create eye-catching animations or 3D effects by putting printed images behind ridged parallel clear lenses has been growing in popularity in the past decade. This is as a result of the effects becoming more accessible thanks to digital cameras and easier design and production programmes. To offer exceptional print resolution, we supply printers with a perfectly clear and stable lenticular sheet that results in optimal registration.”

jobs can be produced faster and more efficiently at reduced cost. Virtually no VOCs, fewer consumables, less waste, lower energy consumption, and the ability to print on recycled and other heat-sensitive materials without warping or head strikes, makes it the greener printing solution for customers changing demands. It can handle rigid and sheeted media up to 126.5 in. (3.2 m) wide and up to 2 in. (5.08 cm) thick and can print at speed up to 2,400 ft²/hr (223 m²/hr).

pressideas/ signage

Global Graphics raises the bar in Inkjet quality with drupa launch New innovation helps single-pass inkjet presses achieve high quality at high speed. Single-pass inkjet presses can now achieve significantly better print quality, thanks to a technology breakthrough to be unveiled by Global Graphics Software at drupa (drupa innovation parc 70B21\C20). The Harlequin Multi-Level Digital Screening Engine varies the amount of ink delivered from the inkjet head in any one location on any type of media to overcome common problems such as streaking and mottling that are frustrating many press manufacturers. Martin Bailey, chief technology officer at Global Graphics Software, says: “Our new Harlequin Multi-Level Digital Screening Engine compensates for the quality problems currently faced by inkjet press manufacturers and helps them to achieve their goals of high quality and high speed. This new engine can be integrated into Digital Front Ends based on Harlequin RIPs, but will also work with third party DFEs by the addition of a standalone version to replace the native screening.” The Harlequin Multi-Level Digital Screening Engine is part of a new service Global Graphics will introduce to inkjet developers

characteristics of the press and calculates optimal changes in the dot patterning. These mitigate the effect of drops straying in flight from their aim points and possibly then spreading and coalescing on the substrate before they can be cured.

at drupa, that sees technicians measure test prints from single-pass greyscale presses, and process the results through Global Graphics’ new Digital Print Quality Optimizer tool. This calculates optimized patterning and overlaps for the various ink drop sizes available, to overcome common high speed inkjet press problems such as streaking and mottling. The Digital Print Quality Optimizer calculates the optimum drop sizes and screen pattern for particular combinations of press, greyscale/multi-level print heads, and substrate. This significantly improves the printed quality of photographs and similar image types, especially in highlights and areas of subtly changing tones. Global Graphics measures the printing

The Digital Print Quality Optimizer allows the Harlequin Multi-Level Digital Screen to be fine-tuned for particular press/substrate combinations, with particular regard to controlling the overlap between different drop sizes as they are used to build up tones from light to dark. The White Paper, “Halftone screen Optimization for Single-Pass Inkjets,” can be downloaded from the Global Graphics website. Global Graphics, developer of software platforms for digital printing, digital document and PDF applications, including the Harlequin RIP, has offices near Boston, Massachusetts and in Tokyo. Customers include HP, Quark, Canon, Delphax, Kodak and Agfa.

Xaar expands product range for UV applications The printhead is ideal for printing UV spot varnish for labels, packaging and graphics, as well as adding textured effects to wood laminate. Xaar has announced the launch of the Xaar 1002 GS40 for UV applications. Already proven in the ceramics tile decoration industry, the launch of this printhead into the UV market makes possible a range of high build varnish and textured effects for labels, packaging, graphics and wood laminate.

be particularly useful in creating fine detailed effects. For those wishing to print solid white base coats underneath fine halftone images or text, such as companies printing labels or packaging, the Xaar 1002 GS40 can be used in combination with the Xaar 1002 GS6 printhead.

This latest addition to the market-leading Xaar 1002 family of printheads jets drop volumes from 40 – 160pL and has greyscale capability (5 levels). It is perfect for printing UV spot varnish and for applications requiring a high laydown at higher print speeds. And, depending on the drop size, the printhead can lay down extra opaque whites with a larger drop size or a finer base of whites with a smaller drop size; this can

The large drop capability of the Xaar 1002 GS40 also means it is ideal for printing high build spot varnish or tactile, textured effects, such as wood grain, which improve the visual appearance of edge banding or other wood laminate products manufactured by the décor industry. In addition, the throughput of this printhead surpasses that of any other on the market; this is due to greyscale capability combined with high drop size which deliver a

very high volume of ink laydown per nozzle. As with all of the Xaar 1002 family of printheads, this new variant includes TF Technology® which ensures a continuous ink flow at a very high rate directly past the back of the nozzle during drop ejection; this provides unrivalled reliability, troublefree printing and maximum printing and production uptime. The architecture of the Xaar 1002 GS40 combined with TF Technology allows the printhead to perform exceptionally well with a wide range of ink types and viscosities and in varying ambient temperatures. This is particularly important when printing heavily pigmented and higher viscosity inks, such as opaque whites and varnishes.

February 2016

pressideas/ signage

Epson to present latest range of SureColor at Sign & Digital UK 2016 At Sign & Digital UK, at Birmingham, 19-21 April 2016, Epson will show its latest range of professional SureColor printers and demonstrate the many new features that combine to deliver superb quality, production performance and ink use efficiency for the signage and display graphics sector. There will be live demonstrations of Epson’s three new professional 64-inch SureColor SC-S large-format printers: the 10-colour SC-S80600, the high speed CMYK x 2 SC-S60600 and the 4-colour SC-S40600 – highlighting exceptional print quality on even the cheapest monomeric vinyl and best use of Epson’s new formulation UltraChrome GS3 inkset including red, white and metallic for accurate and consistent corporate colour match signage. The new range offers print service providers (PSPs) a choice of printers from 4-10 colours (including white and metallic) and quality modes for backlit panels, POS materials, vehicle wraps, wallpaper and canvases, and up to 95.3sqm/hr single-pass productivity for exhibition/display graphics. Alongside a substantial reduction in ink price, PSPs

should experience significant lower ink consumption as a result of the improved chemistry in the new GS3 inkset. The result for users will be a big improvement in total cost of ownership compared to other printer options on the market. Show visitors can also see Epson’s new super-fast aqueous SureColor SCP20000 large-format printer. Features include Epson’s new permanent PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead and the new Epson UltraChrome Pro 10-colour inkset, to deliver the highest quality at print speeds of up to 17.5sqm/hr. The printer is ideal for the creation of high-quality, wide-format POS/ POP, interior signage, exhibition/display graphics, promotional graphics and photographs. For the textile sector, Epson will be demonstrating its latest SureColor SC-F9200 and SC-F6200 dye sublimation printers. Both are capable of producing high-quality printed

textiles such as soft signage, clothing, sportswear and home textiles, plus offer flexibility for rigid and 3D applications. Also making an appearance on the Epson booth is the 36-inch SureColor SCT5200MFP 4-colour, large-format printer, with colour scanner and copy facility. This printer is perfectly placed for the highspeed production of POS and high-quality, quick-print applications such as high-quality posters, prints and graphics – outputting an A1 print for example takes just 28 seconds.

Events Calendar PackPlus south 2016

FINAT Technical Seminar

PAMEX 2017

Date: 02-Mar’16 to 05-Mar’16 Venue: Hitex International Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad, Telangana

Date: 16-Mar’16 to 18-Mar’16 Venue: Barcelona Spain

Date: 18 DEC-17 to 21 DEC-17 Venue: Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon Mumbai, Maharashtra

Fespa Digital 2016

drupa 2016

Date: 08-Mar’16 to 11-Mar’16 Venue: Amsterdam RAI, Amsterdam Netherlands

Date: 31 MAY-16 to 10 JUN-16 Venue: Dusseldorf, Germany

All In Print China 2016 Printeriors 2016 Date: 08-Mar’16 to 11-Mar’16 Venue: Amsterdam Netherlands

Date: 18 OCT-16 to 22 OCT-16 Venue: SNIEC, Shanghai Shanghai, China

Labelexpo India 2016 Print Business Outlook Conference’16 Date: 15-Mar’16 Venue: Westin Mumbai Garden City Mumbai

February 2016

Date: 17 NOV-16 to 20 NOV-16 Venue: India Expo Centre Greater Noida (Delhi NCR)

Readers are required to confirm the dates of the exhibition from the organizers. This is a reader service provided by PRESSIdeas and the company cannot be held responsible for any error or omission. If your event is not listed in the above list, kindly write to us at info@pressideas.com with subject as event and we shall gladly be including the same as above.

Making the future easier.Â At the touch of a button. Easy and fast use of our products. Easy and efficient control of your processes and applications. All integrated in one clever system. We call it: Simply Smart. â&#x20AC;ş heidelberg.com/drupa

drupa 2016 in Hall 1.

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31 May to 10 June.

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