01732 759725
PRODUCTION PRINT
48
M-64s, which prints at 900dpi and includes
eco-solvent inks that produce no smells or
fumes.
One of the show’s highlights was the
world's first A2 digital duplicator, which
RISO claims opens up a new stream of
opportunities for the print and graphics
industry. A2 is one of the most commonly
used formats in commercial print and
the duplicator allows four x A4 multi-
up printing. This saves production time,
making this new model ideal for a range of
applications in commercial printing,
including short-run newspapers,
flyers and leaflets. Capable of
printing 1,000 sheets in just 10
minutes, the single colour digital duplicator
is ideal not only for commercial printers
but also for the graphics departments of
universities.
Ricoh highlighted the wide array
of new products and services that its
technology can help printers produce and
also announced its partnership with Blake
Envelopes, demonstrating the capability of
Blake’s Premium envelopes on a Watkiss
PowerSquare connected to a Ricoh Pro
C9110.
Colourbyte and Epson partnered to
bring a host of wide format printers, RIPs
and consumables to the show. These
included the Epson SureColor SC-T5200
with scanner option and UltraChrome XD
inks; the Epson SureColor SC-S70600,
a wide-format eco-solvent printer with
simultaneous white and metallic ink
support, ideal for outdoor signage, POS and
other graphics; and the Epson Stylus Pro
9890 for contract proofing, photography
and indoor POS.
A team from Colourbyte’s Hemel
Hempstead HQ were joined by specialists
from Epson who were on hand to answer
questions about the machines.
The art of the possible
Konica Minolta, which took one of the
biggest stands at the exhibition and invited
visitors to ‘explore the art of the possible’,
made 45 appointments over the show’s
three days. The print giant showcased a
host of unique products including the MGI
Jet Varnish 3DS, a true UV spot coater that
highlights defined areas and 3D effects,
enabling print providers to offer attractive
print products that are more vivid and
tactile.
In combination with the Konica Minolta
print heads, the new varnish formula
enables printers to create a 3D effect on
laminated surfaces or directly on toner.
Plus, the variable data option delivers full
personalisation capabilities for maximum
one-to-one marketing impact.
The bizhub PRESS C71hc – the world’s
only printer featuring High Chroma Toner –
made its UK debut at the show. Free of the
restrictions imposed by the colour gamut of
ordinary toners, High Chroma Toner makes
it possible to realise a much wider range
of colour reproduction. Other productivity-
boosting, high speed, feature-rich digital
presses on show included the bizhub C1060
PRO and C1100 PRESS.
With traditional design, marketing and
printing disciplines becoming increasingly
inter-connected, Konica Minolta believes the
current climate presents masses of potential
for growth. At the show, it focussed on
solutions that enable forward thinking print
providers to leverage the potential in cross-
media communications, combining print
with multiple channels including mobile,
web landing pages and email.
The company also displayed wonderfully
bright prints of iconic monuments such as
the London Eye on its stand, printed on the
EFI 1625 onto substrates including metal,
hard board and perspex.
The finishing touch
While litho printers, digital presses and the
endless potential for print personalisation
dominated, a number of finishing providers
were also out in force. Mailing systems from
KAS Paper Systems and CMC Machinery
were on show, alongside laminating, wire
binding and perfect binder solutions from
brands including D&K Europe, Renz, Joto,
Morgana, Perfect Bindery Solutions and
Simply Print Finishing.
After the show, PrintIT!, the popular
industry initiative run by Proskills, paid
tribute to the organisers, saying that the
inaugural staging helped generate plenty of
interest in the programme.
A number of students who had taken
part in a competition run by PrintIT! and
The Print Show to showcase emerging
talent in the industry were in attendance
and enjoyed a show tour featuring some of
print’s biggest brands.
The overall competition winner, Louis
Wood from St Ives’ School, returned to
Cornwall with a laptop, while three runners-
up received luxury hampers.
While the competition served as the
main attraction on the PrintIT! stand, staff
reported heavy interest from visitors both
in the programme and the services that
Proskills offers. Proskills UK Chief Executive
Jonathan Ledger said: “The Print Show
demonstrated the huge value that print
has in the UK and certainly opened the
students’ eyes to the career potential that’s
out there.”
He added: “It was also a great
opportunity for Proskills to talk to print
companies about how best to get involved
with PrintIT!”
Event Director Davies was also full
of praise for the programme. “For me,
the PrintIT! competition was one of the
highlights of the event. The whole idea
behind the show is to provide the industry
with a blueprint for the future and what
better way to do that than to get some of
the best young minds in the UK involved
with print,” he said.
Another popular element of The Print
Show were 'The Masterclasses' – hands-on
demonstrations from artisans of traditional
print skills, from letter press to intaglio, relief
and stone litho printing. The organisers
reported much positive feedback about this
zone. They said that people seemed really
interested in the older technology and said
it complemented the forward-looking nature
of the show really well.
The 2016 event will take place at the
NEC in Birmingham on October 11–13.
Another
popular
element of
The Print Show
were 'The
Masterclasses'
– hands-on
demonstrations
from artisans
of traditional
print skills.
...continued
