Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) is proud to announce that it is in the top 5% of companies rated by EcoVadis in all industries. The company has received a Gold Medal (its ninth consecutive medal) in recognition of its sustainability achievement, placing it in the top of companies assessed by EcoVadis over the past 12 months. EcoVadis provides the leading solution for monitoring sustainability in global supply chains. Using innovative technology and sustainability expertise, it strives to engage companies and help them adopt sustainable practices. By reliably assessing sustainability performance, EcoVadis provides comprehensive feedback, benchmarking and tools that enable companies to embark upon a journey of continuous improvement. The EcoVadis rating process assesses corporate social responsibility in four key areas – Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. Konica Minolta’s EcoVadis Sustainability Assessment Report states that, “The company demonstrates an advanced sustainability management system that covers all four themes under review.” Olaf Jonas, General Manager Environmental Social Governance, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, stated, “Receiving a medal from EcoVadis for nine consecutive years is testament to our company-wide global commitment to make a positive environmental and social impact, through our own company initiatives and frameworks as well as supporting the goals of international programmes.” Tackling global environmental challenges, helping society to evolve and grow, and being a good corporate citizen are the cornerstones of Konica Minolta’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies, which are guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The company is focused on improving the sustainability of its operations and its place in the circular economy, as well as addressing the climate crisis and cutting pollution.

Labelexpo Global Series has announced the launch of Gulf Print & Pack in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, taking place from 21 – 23 January 2025 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition Conference Center (RFECC). The new show builds on the success of the established Dubai-based exhibition Gulf Print & Pack and showcases the latest in commercial and package printing technology alongside packaging equipment and materials in the country. With this, Gulf Print & Pack will cement its position annually in the Middle East region comprising of two events, Gulf Print & Pack 2025 in Riyadh to service the burgeoning Kingdom of Saudi Arabia market and Gulf Print & Pack 2026 in Dubai for the GCC market. The announcement of the event in Riyadh coincides with an investment boom across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in line with the country’s Vision 2030 initiative, which emphasizes sustainable growth across a wide range of industry sectors. This is expected to create major business opportunities for commercial printers and packaging converters as well as drive demand for automated packaging systems and sustainable packaging materials. The Saudi plastics packaging market, for example, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% and reach USD $20.52 billion by 2030, while the value of the paper and paperboard packaging market is expected to reach USD $5.87 billion by 2028. Jade Grace, Managing Director, Labelexpo Global Series, commented: “We are launching Gulf Print & Pack in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia just as the Kingdom scales up its plans to boost industrialisation by adopting advanced and sustainable technologies all of which will be showcased at the show. This will require major investment by PSPs, commercial and packaging printers and specifiers of automated packaging machinery and eco-friendly materials.” Barry Killengrey, Event Director, Gulf Print & Pack said: “We are excited to extend the Gulf Print & Pack series to Riyadh, where a vibrant consumer market is driving adoption of new digital technologies and packaging formats across the FMCG market. We see a huge potential for growth for all sectors of the print and packaging business supporting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s development goals.” Osamu Miyauchi, Managing Director of Konica Minolta Business Solutions Middle East said: "We are eager to participate in Gulf Print & Pack 2025 in Riyadh because it is a premier event for the industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, offering insights into cutting-edge technologies, and a chance to showcase our innovations. Engaging with industry leaders in the Kingdom and potential clients will significantly boost our business’s growth and visibility." Ayman Ali, Marketing Director of Canon Saudi Arabia said: "The printing industry in Saudi Arabia is experiencing rapid growth, highlighting the critical need for a professional exhibition like Gulf Print & Pack. This platform provides Canon Saudi Arabia with the ideal opportunity to engage with our customers and showcase the latest innovations in Canon's professional printing solutions." Mohammed Azam Arabi, General Manager (West Asia) Afra Printechnik said: "We are excited about Gulf Print & Pack 2025 that will be taking place in Riyadh. We see a huge potential for growth with the print and packaging business and look forward to showcasing our products in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our continued participation in the Gulf Print & Pack series remains paramount!" Ahmed Fayez, General Manager, Al-Kharafi Co for Paper & Printing Equipment commented: "The decision to hold Gulf Print & Pack 2025 in Riyadh is not surprising. The packaging market currently is very promising, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on track to become an important regional hub in the coming years. We extend a hearty welcome to Gulf Print & Pack 2025, that will bring a new era of innovation and cooperation for the packaging market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." Ahmed Siddiqui, CEO, Zeej Print commented: “Having witnessed the remarkable assembly of innovation and industry expertise at Gulf Print & Pack in Dubai, I am thrilled to welcome its inaugural edition to Riyadh. Gulf Print & Pack is not just a showcase of the latest in printing and packaging; it represents a pivotal moment for our region. It symbolizes a bridge connecting the past and future of our industry and embodies the vibrant potential of the MENA region to lead global advancements in this space. We warmly welcome Gulf Print & Pack to our home, marking a new chapter of innovation and collaboration in the heart of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Komori has outlined a trio of new machines that it will be demonstrating live on its stand at Drupa, including a new digital press. During an open house event at its Graphic Centre – Europe in Utrecht, The Netherlands, on 17 April, Komori held a press conference to reveal details of its showing at the returning trade show, which will take place from 28 May to 7 June at Messe Düsseldorf in Germany. Komori said it will start its build-up for Drupa from 7 May. Its stand will be split into zones and will run under the theme ‘Connected Automation’. At the Commercial Print Zone on its 1,500sqm stand – Hall 15, Booth E02 – will be the new Lithrone G37P advance EX edition (GL-837P-A), a 37-inch, eight-colour, convertible perfecting offset press with H-UV L (LED) curing. Compared to the Lithrone G40P Advance, the new machine uses a print plate 20% smaller, at 700x945mm, power consumption at 60 Hz of 125.8 kW – down 34%, and a machine size of 12.8x3.47m – down 39%. Komori product marketing manager for Europe, Craig Bretherton, said the EX at the end of the new offset presses stands for ‘Ecological Transformation’ and this will apply to all of the Lithrone GX advance models, from the 40-inch up to the 44-inch models, including the RP reverse printing models. It will also apply to the G37 and 40-inch presses in the Advance series. He said the machines boast a new look, with “a very distinctive silver panel on the side of the press, which is a change in design”. Also in this section of the stand will be various items of MBO kit including the K80 B1 combi folder, the A80 stack delivery, the CoBo-Stack palletising robot, and the new Agilox One autonomous mobile robot. Introducing the technology, Peter Minis, marketing manager at Komori International in Europe, said the new GL-837P-A has a focus on “sustainability, ecology and even more efficiency”. Meanwhile, at the digital area of the Commercial Print Zone, Komori will show a new digital press called the J-throne 29, a 29-inch B2 sheetfed LED UV inkjet digital press that can print up to 6,000sph simplex and, in the perfecting version, 3,000sph duplex. The CMYK four-colour process press has a resolution of 1,200dpi, and it can run coated and uncoated paper with no pre-conditioning required. Compared to the Komori Impremia IS29, power consumption has been reduced while substrates will work well on this machine at room temperature. Ink used to be sourced from Konica Minolta, but Komori’s plan is to introduce its own ink for this model. Commercial availability is expected in 2025. On whether Komori would continue its digital press partnerships with Konica Minolta and Landa, Komori chief commercial officer Ulrich Sause said: “The Impremia series consists of two presses, both are the result of a joint venture between Komori, with the sheet transport system which is our core technology, and an imaging technology from an OEM partner. “The J-throne is our own Komori technology – it’s not only the sheet transfer system but the imaging technology is our own system, and the consumables are our own, so we are in full control.” The two OEM partnerships will also continue though, with Komori continuing to supply the sheet transportation systems for the existing presses produced by these collaborations. Finally, on the Packaging Zone at the stand will be the Lithrone GX40 advance EX edition (GLX-740A+CC), a UV-equipped 40-inch seven-colour sheetfed offset press with inline double coater.   The press will have double coating capability as well as Komori’s Super Short Makeready and Smart Color features, also new for Drupa, that the manufacturer said lower makeready waste and help solve print problems. The new offset presses will be available from June, with typical lead times of around six months. The KP-Connect Pro cloud and workflow automation offering that enables the Smart Factory will also be centralised on Komori’s stand, alongside a raft of “sustainability and ecology solutions”. The Komori-Kare support service and the K-Supply consumables service will also be discussed at the booth, as well as its specialised print technologies including security printing, printed electronics, its web offset presses, and Komori Chambon, which designs and manufactures in-line production systems for packaging. A print gallery will show a wide variety of colourful print samples produced with Komori equipment, while the Komori Theatre, complete with wide screen, will enable the company to showcase other technology not on its Drupa stand. The accompanying open house, which saw more than 300 people attend from around 125 companies, saw attendees treated to a full-day schedule of presentations and live demonstrations including the GLX740+CC and GL-837P, sister presses to the new offset machines unveiled to journalists earlier in the day. There were also talks by a range of product area specialists and partners, a customer panel, and an interview with Sabine Geldermann, director of Drupa and Portfolio Print Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf. Speaking to Printweek at the open house, Bretherton said: “For us, this event sets the scene and increases the awareness of what we can do. It's been superb; the feedback from today is that some serious packaging customers are really looking at it with new eyes when they saw what happened in the demonstrations that we've put on.” As well as MBO, which Komori acquired in 2020, a raft of Komori partners joined the open house. These included Kodak, Technotrans, GEW, Tresu, Baldwin, Apex International, and Eltosch Grafix.

A brand owner at a medium sized snack company sits in her office and signs off on a new brand of peanuts.  A year later, a man walks into a shop, browses the shelves for a snack, likes the look of the packaging and chooses the new brand. What the man does not know is all the hundreds of major and micro decisions and steps that have led to this point and have influenced his decision in this moment. From the initial concept creation, the target demographic and competitor research, to the flexible packaging design, the substrate selection, weighing environmental impact, protective qualities, cost and more. The prototyping and testing, the mock-ups and functionality evaluations. The printing, the coating, the laminating, the filling and sealing, palletising and the shipping.  All the steps and strategic decisions made by brand owners and converters along the way, which can make or break a brand, or transform a brand from a mediocre success to a global smash hit.  Wouldn’t it be good if brand owners and converters had an industry expert by their side as a strategic partner providing counsel and advice to get all those big decisions correct?  That is now a reality, with BOBST Application Management. An industry expert by your side to help make the big decisions BOBST Application Management is a hands-on innovative consulting service from BOBST, which can be scaled to the specific needs of converters and brand owners. Through BOBST Application Management, customers can receive guidance on technologies, raw materials, sustainability, processes, and business cases along the entire packaging value chain. Application Management is the latest major initiative to help BOBST fulfil its vision to shape the future of the packaging world for its customers, based on the pillars of digitalization, automation, connectivity and sustainability.  “With over 130 years of leadership in the packaging industry, BOBST is much more than a manufacturer of machines, we are industry experts and thought leaders and can offer significant insight and counsel to our customers,” said Xavier Bonamour, BOBST Application Manager. “We fully understand the pain points and barriers faced by our customers and, with an industry-wide view, we can provide exactly the right solutions and advice for each specific scenario.”    BOBST Application Management is currently available for flexible packaging and will be available for other industry sectors in the future. It helps customers to match solutions to their specific requirements, addressing their specific pain points, while ensuring their business is future proof.  How does it work in practice?  A typical scenario is when a customer is facing a major decision for their business. Perhaps they are entering a new market or industry, for example moving from labels only into flexible packaging, or they are seeking to enlarge their product portfolio. BOBST will work closely with the customer to plan through potential scenarios and provide insights into the strategic directions most suited to their business in the current and future environment.  Another typical example is when a customer is thinking more holistically about how to improve a certain element of their business – how to better incorporate sustainability for example. Perhaps the customer is considering polymer versus paper flexible packaging. BOBST has the insights and understanding of market needs on these topics – from the brand owner, converter and consumer perspectives – and the range of solutions available to provide accurate advice and with it, a significant competitive advantage.   On the other hand, a customer may just want some general counsel and guidance on how to improve their business, ensure they are well prepared for the future, or understand how to get ahead of the competition. “At BOBST, our business has always started with listening to our customers and truly understanding their challenges so that we can help overcome them, so Application Management is a natural extension of what we do best,” said Xavier Bonamour. “Now, we provide this service in a very tailored and bespoke way, which can really elevate a brand owner’s or converter’s business to the next level.”  

Trends in fashion are ever-evolving and unpredictable. For those companies working on the manufacturing side of these dynamic sectors, being at the forefront of the evolution and able to keep up with the rapid changes is key. Among others, dye sublimation printing technology has grown to become a must-have manufacturing tool when producing fashion. Why? Arguably, it enables users to achieve top quality with vibrant, consistent colours. It’s productive, efficient, cost-effective, easy to handle, and sustainable. To sum it up in one phrase, it ticks all the boxes. Digital sublimation printing is at the core of Italian company, Quicksilver. Specialised in manufacturing digital printed fabrics and garments for different textile market segments, the company has leveraged cutting-edge sublimation printing solutions to diversify and strengthen its production and achieve a leading market position. Quicksilver seamlessly moved from screen print transfer to inkjet transfer printing thanks to the extensive range of Mimaki technologies on offer. The company has now successfully built a healthy business, working side by side with fashion laboratories serving high-end fashion brands, as well as with premium sportswear brands. More recently, the company was faced with an increasingly competitive global market and all the changes and disruptions caused by COVID-19. To overcome the challenges, Quicksilver opted for a Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkIII, a cutting-edge industrial printer that brought in higher speeds, higher productivity, and unmatched quality, enabling the company to explore new opportunities and take the business to the next level. Surfing inkjet sublimation printing technology Quicksilver was established in 1987 in Padua (Italy) as a specialist in sublimation transfer through screen printing. Faced with this evolving market and the advent of inkjet technologies, the company quickly seized the opportunity and embraced the most advanced inkjet technologies to reshape and refresh the product portfolio and make its print applications more competitive and in line with market demand. “We identified the opportunity inkjet printing posed and knew we needed to go in that direction. Mimaki was our first choice – the JV Series was known at the time to be one of the best transfer printing options in the market and already featured a wide format size compared to competitors. And that has proved to be the right move”, explains Plinio Cecchin, founder and owner of Quicksilver. The company invested in its first Mimaki inkjet sublimation printers in 1997 through Bompan, an exclusive importer of Mimaki for Italy. Since then, Quicksilver has kept a keen focus on inkjet sublimation printing and continues to make further investments to this day, with Mimaki technologies at the forefront of its production processes. “Over the years we have explored all the options in the market and tried a few, but Mimaki remains the best choice for us. The innovations they constantly bring are perfectly in line with our needs and with the market demands.” Quicksilver discontinued screen printing about five years ago and now focuses on inkjet printing exclusively. With the objective to become a more versatile business and explore different textile applications, Quicksilver installed the Mimaki TS500-1800, a high-volume sublimation printer, and two Mimaki TS55-1800 – with one unit equipped with 10-litre tanks. Leveraging those printers, the company was able to increase its competitive edge and customer reach through a strong, diverse product offering and improved customer service. “Competing in the textile market is not easy for a mid-sized company. This is why selecting and choosing the right equipment was so crucial," explains Mr Cecchin. “We achieved unprecedented production efficiency in the first instance, due to the extremely comprehensive firmware from Mimaki, which provides the printing information in real time, enabling extreme efficiency and reducing risk of error. Mimaki cares about every detail, and this reflects in their product performance. This way, we have elevated our own service, which is now top quality, accurate and punctual.” Quicksilver has now consolidated its position as a leading supplier in sportswear, fashion, high-end fashion accessories market segments, as well as in the gaming and soft signage space. Its product portfolio ranges from technical sports clothing, printed apparels and garments, printed fabrics for luxury accessories like umbrellas, printed fabrics for gaming tables and soft signage applications. Besides a diverse product portfolio, the company also offers all-round services ranging from ‘print and transfer’, the supply of sublimation printed paper rolls and the transfer process only. The Era of the Tiger With a wealth of products and services on offer and a strong, reputable standing in relevant markets, Quicksilver looked to take the next step to overcome the new challenges posed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher volumes were in the company’s sights, so the management went on the hunt for an industrial, robust textile sublimation printing system. After exploring the different options available in the market, Quicksilver turned to the Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkIII and purchased a unit in May 2021 through Mimaki Bompan Textile, a joint venture between Mimaki and Bompan specialised in providing digital printing solutions for the textile and apparel market. According to Plinio Cecchin: “The ever-evolving textile printing market requires continuous investment. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the market changed dramatically and we felt the need to strengthen our competitive edge. We needed to efficiently increase the production volumes, while ensuring the high-quality standards we are known for are met. The Tiger-1800B MkIII fits all our requirements, and so did the customer service from Mimaki Bompan Textile.” A high-speed industrial sublimation textile inkjet printer, the Tiger-1800B MkIII features Mimaki’s advanced print technology to deliver highly stable performance, market-leading print speed, and stunning print quality for both direct and transfer printing. “Not only can we achieve consistent top quality at a higher speed, but also the printer features a robust body and an advanced conveyor belt engineered to transport the transfer paper, enabling safe loading of the jumbo rolls and higher image quality and precision,” explains Mr Cecchin. “The Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkIII proved extremely cost-effective, reliable, and efficient. In fact it has allowed us to produce higher, industrial volumes and so has completely transformed our business. We estimate that we have been able to cut the energy cost due to increased production efficiency. Additionally, using 10-liter ink tanks has generated savings of up to 25% on the costs of the inks, and likewise the jumbo rolls – which are extremely efficient to load and unload – further contributing to reducing production time.” Looking back over the past two years since the investment, Mr Cecchin adds: “Overall, the Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkIII has allowed our company to become more competitive in high-volume productions, which means that today we can address all the markets where we were not competitive in before”.

ColART Publishing & Advertising LLC, Dubai, has finished 30 years of service. On the occasion, Rajesh Kutty, Managing Director, said: "Our Anniversary Coincided  with the holy month of Ramadan, which enabled us to invite all our office colleagues along with their family members to celebrate grand Iftaar in a Dhow Cruise. This also helped us to commemorate a few of our employees who were part of the journey for more than ten years. "As we are in the service industry, we always walk that extra mile to satisfy our customers' requirements with discounted rates or additional benefits than the market. Specifically, on this occasion of our 30th anniversary, we have not specified any offers as such, but yes, we will always gauge the requirements and will make conscious efforts to keep our Customers happy. "Two young brothers started an ambitious but humble journey in 1993 -94 in a studio flat in Bur Dubai. With three employees, it has grown into a well-established Advertising Organisation with 75+ employees and 2 Companies under its belt. The associate company, M/s. Al Rajaa Decor, caters to Exhibitions, stand building, and other woodwork. Our journey from traditional offset printing to large-format digital printing and signage, complemented by an exhibition factory, reflects our strategic pivot to meet evolving market demands. “We cater to corporates for their printing and signage requirements, as well as partnering with advertising agencies and event planners for branding enquiries such as events, mall engagements, decor, and retail shop branding. Our ability to adapt to customers' needs has been our core business strength. We are looking to expand in Abu Dhabi and plan to explore KSA soon. “First and foremost, we strive to be an eco-friendly company by enabling our customers to print solutions using eco-friendly products. For example, we have UV Flat bed printing machines, thus enabling UV solutions. Moreover, we use fabrics as an alternative to PVC again, a drive towards sustainable growth. “As an old player in the market, with high-tech machinery and a hugely talented team at our disposal, we can achieve quality and efficiency, thus enabling our customers a better pricing advantage. We have been trusted partners to many over time, be it our long-term customers or our strong suppliers.”

The Agfa Middle East family has welcomed a new customer, and the company has announced the latest installation of the Anapurna H2500i, UV Hybrid Printer, and Digital Flat Bed Cutter EYKON2516 at DRC. Another Agfa Anapurna H2500i printer has been installed in East Africa. The Print Store Ltd. in Kenya, Agfa's esteemed reseller has done it. The wide-format hybrid Anapurna LED series is a perfect fit for sign shops, digital printers, photo labs and mid-size graphic screen printers that want to combine board and roll-to-roll print jobs. The engines print at a width up to 3.2 m and combine high quality with high productivity for outdoor and indoor, rigid and flexible wide-format jobs. The white ink function creates possibilities for printing on transparent material for backlit applications or for printing white as a spot color.  The hybrid Anapurna LEDs are fitted with air-cooled UV LED lights that save you energy, costs and time. Due to their minimal energy output, these LED lights are ideal for thin heat-sensitive materials. They also lead to faster operations as they can be switched on and off instantaneously. The Anapurna H2050i LED, the Anapurna H2500i LED and the Anapurna H3200i LED come standard with an additional set of large media tables.