Esko released WebCenter 18

Esko as released WebCenter 18, described as a major new release of its packaging management system that streamlines and speeds up the packaging development workflow by delivering extra features that give brand owners and converters more control and visibility of their packaging pre-production specification, approval and project life cycle. Esko noted that when CMO Council asked packaging professionals how long it takes to make a packaging change. They reported that changes take an average of

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

Sun Chemical to unveil new inks

Sun Chemical will debut new products in its graphics, industrial and digital textiles portfolios when it returns to Fespa next month.
Streamline UML, Sun Chemical’s latest ink series for wide-format, will be demonstrated live on a Mutoh printer, while Sonata DTR500, an ink developed for Ricoh Gen 5 printheads, and SunMotion, which the company said is “a viable alternative to backlit signage and LCD displays”, will also be presented on the company’s stand.
“As one of the world’s leading suppliers

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

Sign China expects more visitors

SIGN CHINA will again be staged at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, China during 19 to 21 September, 2018. SIGN CHINA has been attracting overseas buyers as well as local buyers from over 110 countries/regions for 12 consecutive years.
Sign China spokesperson, commented, “As demand for booth space at this year’s show has been spectacular, most of the industry’s leading companies have confirmed to attend the show. The 3-day exhibition will expect around 1,200 exhibitors to attend this

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

Xeikon Café continues year on year growth

Xeikon Café continues year on year growth. A record number of 830 unique visitors attended the four-day event, which had an international scope with attendees from 40 different countries – mainly Europe, Asia and Australia as American packaging and label printers are invited to the Xeikon Café North America that takes place between May 15-17 in Itasca, Illinois. The organization also announced that next year’s Xeikon Café event has been confirmed and will run again in Belgium from March 26

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

KBA's “Ready for the next step!”

Koenig & Bauer under the motto “Ready for the next step!”, invited trade professionals to its Radebeul facility in the second half of March to learn more about the benefits of rotary die-cutting on the Rapida RDC 106 in packaging, label and commercial production. During the course of each one-day workshop, up to 20 participants were able to test the claims made about the innovative rotary die-cutter for themselves and gained a first-hand impression of its performance capabilities. During

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

TheMagicTouch to supply printer

TheMagicTouch will supply Ricoh’s new RI 100 direct-to-garment printer in the UK, with commercial availability starting at the end of April.  The entry-level system is said to be suitable for creative entrepreneurs starting a garment printing business or those wanting to add a new profitable product line to their existing offering.
     The Ri 100 enables users to print on demand promotional and personalised items including t-shirts, cloth bags, cushion covers and sweatshirts. The device can

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

Zanders sponsors the 2018 Inkjet Summit

Zanders sponsors the 2018 Inkjet Summit, which held between 9-11 April in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The company will present its most recent launch, Zanjet, a coated inkjet paper available in a gloss and silk finish. Zanders is known for its premium brand Chromolux, which is one of the world’s leading paper brands. “Zanders is proud to be a sponsor as we believe this conference benefits the industry through knowledge and idea sharing”, says Amy Ambos, Sales Manager for Digital Inkjet Papers

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

De La Rue chief questions viability of Gemalto pricing

De La Rue chief questions viability of Gemalto pricing. Petitions calling for a government re-think on the UK passport contract have now reached more than 175,000 signatures, while De La Rue chief executive Martin Sutherland has questioned the viability of preferred bidder Gemalto’s pricing. Gemalto is in the process of being acquired by French multinational Thales, in a deal that is expected to be completed in the second half of this year. De La Rue chief executive Martin Sutherland questioned

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

Zechini ups changeover times

Italian manufacturer Zechini has launched its Roby Zero casemaker, which can be made to change format in 12 seconds. It replaces Zechini’s Mephisto range of casemakers, advancing on its predecessor by diverting all set-up processes to a joystick – tools are no longer required to adjust sizes, resulting in a significantly reduced job changeover time.
“Digital printing is on the rise and its increased significance means that our customers now want to be able to sort jobs in a heartbeat,” said

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

OKI Europe to highlight specialist Colour Printing at FESPA 2018

OKI Europe Ltd announced that it will be placing a key focus on the benefits of Speciality Colour printing at FESPA 2018 where it will be participating as a  Gold Level sponsor for the major industry event.
Exhibiting at stand 3.1 - A22, OKI Europe will be demonstrating how its unique Pro Series printers enable print businesses to reach new heights of creativity by producing vibrant, eye-catching colour that goes beyond CMYK, expanding the range of services print for profit businesses can offer

Staff Writer, 14 May 2018

OKI Europe turns into Gold sponsor of FESPA

OKI Europe Ltd recently announced its Gold Level sponsorship of FESPA 2018 where it will be showcasing solutions for businesses across the graphic arts sector, from retailers to signmakers and beyond. From OKI’s digital LED technology to large format inkjet devices, OKI Europe will showcase a range of award winning products for indoor and outdoor applications, from the smallest labels and price tags to interior and exterior banners, wallpaper, car wrapping, and expansive, highly durable

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

EFI strengthens leadership team with three key new hires

EFI strengthens leadership team with three key new hires. Gene Zamiska, the former senior vice president of finance, corporate controller and chief accountant for Verifone, is joining EFI as the company’s new chief accounting officer. Another veteran accounting executive, Mark Allred, has joined EFI as the company’s new vice president of corporate accounting. EFI has also hired Jill Norris, a long-time mobile industry tech leader, as its new chief information officer. “Gene Zamiska and Mark

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

Koenig & Bauer has received the German Design Awards 2018

Koenig & Bauer has received the German Design Awards 2018 in the category “Excellent Communications Design - Apps” for the Rapida LiveApp. After the automation app award received in 2016, this was already the second prize for the Rapida LiveApp developed together with software design specialists Macio. The Rapida LiveApp supports users with functionality for the location-independent monitoring and control of sheetfed offset presses of the Rapida series. After login via NFC, an info panel is

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

UniNet demonstrated their new transfer products at ISS

UniNet demonstrated their new transfer products at the Atlantic City Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS). During the three-day event, UniNet did demonstrations on the iColor 550 and 600, which are multipurpose printing solutions for the transfer production of garments, labels, stationary, banners, hard surfaces, marketing customization and more. Also being presented is the new iColor SmartCUT software, which allows users to easily print and press oversized images onto apparel and hard surfaces.

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

Chimeng Packaging now representing MPS in Taiwan

Chimeng Packaging now representing MPS in Taiwan. The new appointment is the first of more to follow in Asia, since the recent opening of the dedicated MPS Systems Asia office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. George Tan, MPS area sales manager commented: “Chimeng Packaging speaks the label and packaging language very well and has developed strong relations with local printers. Building transparent partnerships with their customers to improve printing quality, consistency, and enhance profitability is

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

Mimaki releases 3DUJ-553 printer

Mimaki has introduced the official campaign of its innovative 3DUJ-553 3D printer. The printer is commercially available since January 2018.
“We are very excited to be formally bringing this breakthrough product to market in Europe,” said Ronald van den Broek, general manager sales at Mimaki Europe. “Making the leap from UV-curable 2D inkjet printing devices to 3D printing was a logical step for Mimaki, and we have dedicated significant R&D resources to our 3D development efforts. The Mimaki

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

HP Indigo gets new certification

HP Indigo commercial digital presses and the HP Indigo Label & Packaging presses have been certified with Master Elite Level ISO/PAS 15339 Certification designations.
“This certification is a significant differentiator for OEMs such as HP Indigo,” said Timothy Baechle, Idealliance VP, Global Print Technologies & Workflows. “It offers buyers of technology empirical data upon which to base their purchasing decisions as well as offering print specifiers great confidence in production coming

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

Mouvent to unveil new digital textile printer

Mouvent will unveil their TX801  digital textile printer at ITM 2018, 14-17 April, in Istanbul, Turkey. This will be one of the company’s first ever global trade shows demonstrating the TX801 – an 8-colour multi-pass digital textile printer. During the event, there will be four live demonstrations each day of the TX801 at the Mouvent booth.
“It is a privilege to go to Istanbul and share our innovative digital textile printing technology with the world,” said Reto Simmen, chief business officer

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

De La Rue Kenya invests Ksh30m

De La Rue has invested Ksh30 million in a three-year programme aimed at boosting the management and Health and Safety skills of its staff at the Kenyan site.
Eight of its 300 staff at the site recently passed the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) exams due to funding from the programme, with three achieving Distinctions. NEBOSH is offered by a UK-based examination board, but vocational qualifications in health and safety practice and management are recognised

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

HP expands with wide-swath

HP Inc. at Sino-Pack announced a 22mm wide-swath printhead for high-speed, high-resolution marking needs, including 1D and 2D bar codes, enabling brands to benefit from large-size codes and characters for advanced product identification, anti-counterfeiting, and track and trace.
“Product identification is used increasingly in manufacturing and supply chains to help brand owners protect products. Smart barcodes and more data-rich codes require high print quality,” said Annette Friskopp, general

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

Essel plant in Turkey returns to normal operation after 6 months

Essel plant in Turkey returns to normal operation after 6 months. A challenge they won thanks to a huge and tireless job that allowed PM2 – the machine supplied to Essel by the Lucca-based company in June 2015 – to return to operation. “We worked incessantly in the course of these months”, explains Rony Michelini, sales engineer application at Recard, “to recondition all the damaged parts and make the plant operational again. We dismantled what was left of the machine and brought it back to

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

Hubergroup increases prices

After the announcement of price increases for solvent-based inks in January, hubergroup states general price increases for all sheetfed and UV offset inks and varnishes across Europe from April 1, 2018. Depending on the individual product line, the raw material related price adjustments will be up to 10% in specific areas. “Key raw materials like azo and phthalocyanine pigments, carbon black and the largest part of our additive portfolio (all ink product lines), MMA-based acrylate resins

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

AGFA-Gevaert has reported a drop in both revenue and gross profit in its 2018 results

AGFA-Gevaert has reported a drop in both revenue and gross profit in its 2018 results. For the full year to December 2017 the group recorded revenue of Euro 2.44bn, down by 3.7% on the Euro 2.54bn recorded in 2015. Gross profit, meanwhile, fell by 5% from Euro 857m to Euro 814m. Group recurring Ebitda fell from 10.4% of revenue in 2016 to 9.1% in 2017. Agfa Graphics’ gross profit margin decreased from 29.8% in 2016 to 29% in 2017. “Unfortunately, for this part of the Graphics business, 2018

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

FESPA has announced the shortlisted entries for its FESPA Awards 2018

FESPA has announced the shortlisted entries for its FESPA Awards 2018. The entries, which are displayed online now, will be showcased at FESPA Global Print Expo 2018, which takes place from 15 to 18 May 2018 in Berlin, Germany. FESPA Awards judge and head of technical support at FESPA, Graeme Richardson-Locke comments: “This year’s award entries were, as always, wide ranging and innovative. From industrial graphics to textiles and stadium branding, the judging remains challenging as it spans an

Staff Writer, 18 April 2018

Public prefer digital news: A study

A study published by OMNESMEDIA.com has pointed out an apparent decline in the traditional media compared to their electronic counterparts. The study, which was based on a questionnaire of 10,000 participants from different segments of society in more than 14 countries around the world, showed that 36% of the participants read traditional media, especially print media, 46% follow it occasionally, 6% follow press once a week, while the daily print readership accounts for 12%.
The survey results

Staff Writer, 15 March 2018

KBA has become one of the “Top National Employers of 2018”

Koenig & Bauer, a printing press manufacturer, has become one of the “Top National Employers of 2018” as per an annual analysis by the magazine Focus and the employer assessment platform Kununu. The company president and CEO Claus Bolza-Schünemann said, “The pioneering spirit of our founders has been driving our commitment to further development of the print industry for 200 years. In the social sphere, too, we have assumed a spearhead role. Already before the introduction of state social

Staff Writer, 15 March 2018

BPIF unveils version three of its colour quality scheme

The BPIF has launched version three of its colour quality scheme. The newly titled Colour Quality Management Certification Scheme was launched at an event at the St Bride Foundation in London. The BPIF said that the new scheme has been simplified to enable more companies to demonstrate their commitment to excellence in colour management. The improved scheme is a result of feedback from all interested parties since the first publishing of the ISO 12647 Colour Management Certification Scheme in

Staff Writer, 15 March 2018

EFI announces its results

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. has announced its results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2017. For the quarter ended December 31, 2017, the Company reported record fourth quarter revenue of $269.2 million, up 1% compared to fourth quarter 2016 revenue of $266.7 million. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company reported revenue of $993.3 million, up 0.1% year-over-year compared to $992.1 million for the same period in 2016. “The performance of our direct business drove

Staff Writer, 15 March 2018

Printed Easy to install first HP Indigo 12000

Printed Easy is poised to install the first two HP Indigo 12000 HD presses in Europe in a major upgrade of its B2 digital facilities.
 The 12000 HD was announced last autumn and has just become commercially available. It has double the resolution of the existing Indigo models with new high-definition writing heads, and has a top resolution of 1,625dpi. It prints at up to 4,600sph and can produce fine line screens of 290lpi, the company said.
Managing director Jon Lancaster signed for the two

Staff Writer, 15 March 2018

Mimaki announced that textile and apparel professionals received its Tiger-1800B during demos

Mimaki announced that textile and apparel professionals received its Tiger-1800B production-class textile printer during demonstrations at a series of industry trade shows in 2016 and 2017. The Tiger-1800B is available in direct to textile (reactive ink) and sublimation (heat transfer) versions. “Mimaki was an early mover in digital textile printing, as early as 1998,” said Ronald van den Broek, general manager sales at Mimaki Europe. “Over the ensuing years, we have developed in-depth

Staff Writer, 15 March 2018