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Fujifilm launches Jet Press 1160CF in EMEA

Fujifilm has confirmed that EMEA customers are now able to place orders for the Jet Press 1160CF, with installations expected by the end of Q3. The manufacturer introduced the continuous-feed inkjet press to the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region via a special live online event held on 9 and 10 July that was broadcast live from Japan. The new press complements Fujifilm’s existing Jet Press 1160CFG, which was launched at Drupa and also demonstrated at the Hunkeler Innovationdays 2025 event in Lucerne, Switzerland in February. Both machines are inkjet presses designed to deliver “exceptional productivity and print quality” for commercial print applications including direct mail, books, and journals. The Jet Press 1160CF features a unique ink formulation, which enables the press to print on uncoated and matt coated stocks with consistent high quality, and is suitable for transaction, transpromo, books, direct mail, and manuals. The Jet Press 1160CFG, meanwhile, is an enhanced configuration of the CF model and features Fujifilm’s unique paper stabiliser technology, which is suitable for printing on standard offset stocks for high quality commercial applications, books, and magazines. The online event featured live demonstrations of both the Jet Press 1160CF and the Jet Press 1160CFG, alongside new robotic and software offerings, in Fujifilm’s Future Edge Smart Factory. Mark Stephenson, business development manager at Fujifilm Europe, hosted the online event from the UK, while Danny Bakker, digital printing demonstrator and application specialist, and Grzegorz Szymanko, product manager for Jet Press 1160, were both on the ground supporting in Japan. Stephenson said during yesterday’s session that some people in Europe, Middle East and Africa "haven’t seen Fujifilm involved in toner until maybe three years ago, and they haven’t seen us involved in high-speed inkjet – we’ve done sheetfed for a while – until perhaps just the last year, but our story in inkjet goes back a lot further”. The manufacturer started its continuous-feed inkjet business in the Asia Pacific region in 2011 and Fujifilm has installed 200 units there since. During the event yesterday, David Cascarino, who is responsible for industrial print inkjet at Fujifilm in Australia, described how one customer there uses a Jet Press 1160CF to produce menus for a grocery and produce home delivery service. He explained: “That’s a daily task. They receive files at about 10am and they’ve got about 24 hours to turn that around. The reason why it works so well on the 1160 is because the varied amounts of menus that are required differ with every single menu. “With some menus they require 5,000 and for some others it might only be 500. The 1160 itself drives that application but the information is delivered by XMF PressReady, which is key critical in matching and delivering to the engine the information and the data that it needs to produce it efficiently. “And the quality that they’re producing off the 1160 is allowing that to happen. “The quality needs to be realistic and vivid and attractive; all of those criteria that make it a menu that the customers want to produce and want to cook.” As well as press demonstrations, the event featured a video case study from Korean company Twinbell, which operates two 1160CF presses and is considering investing in several more.

Fujifilm launches Jet Press 1160CF in EMEA

FESPA Global Print Expo 2025, European Sign Expo and Personalisation Experience (6 – 9 May 2025, Messe Berlin, Germany) welcomed Visionaries from across the speciality print industry to shape the future of print, develop forward-thinking business strategies, and explore innovative ways to translate emerging industry trends into tangible growth opportunities. The event served as a dynamic platform for networking among key decision-makers, sparking collaborations and discovering the latest technologies driving the print, signage, and personalisation industries forward. This year, the exhibition remained a pivotal platform for senior decision makers, with 87% of visitors holding decision-making positions and 71% being directors, CEOs, owners or managers. The collective median budget was €2.9 billion, with 40% of attendees planning to invest in solutions in the next year. With total attendance hitting 23,061, it is clear that the breadth of exhibits and educational content is motivating two thirds of all visitors to allow more than one day to experience the event in full. 14,036 unique visitors attended this year’s events, surpassing 2024 figures by 10.5%. Visitors travelled from 126 countries, with the largest audiences coming from Germany, Poland, Italy, the UK, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, France, Switzerland and Austria. Visitors said they particularly enjoyed the SmartHub Conference speaker sessions, the line up of features and the vast array of printing and signage technologies on display – all under one roof. Narenda Dadid, Group Chairman, DCC Group, explains: “I come to FESPA to discover the latest opportunities and developments in the industry. The event is the ideal platform for uncovering what the future holds, expanding our knowledge and learning more about the industry from exhibitors across the world.” Felix Hartz, Founder & CEO, Sygns, says: “My decision to visit European Sign Expo in particular stemmed from looking for new innovative suppliers of traditional and new signage. The event welcomes so many suppliers from across the globe with different goals and approaches.” Michael Ryan, Head of FESPA Global Print Expo, comments: “The feedback we have received on our 2025 events has been phenomenal. From exhibitors and Awards winners, to conference speakers and visitors, it’s clear to see that FESPA Global Print Expo and its co-located events provided an exceptional platform for Visionaries to meet and explore opportunities. As a result of returning to Germany, we saw a 44% increase in German attendees and a 117% increase in Polish attendees in comparison to Munich 2023. In addition, there were well over 100 product and technology launches, networking – and so much more. Having the opportunity to connect with members of the print community from across the world, supporting the growth and development of not only their business, but the wider industry, is what it’s all about. We’re excited to see what further innovations and opportunities the 2026 events in Barcelona will bring to our community.” Folker Statchetzki, Head of Marketing, Brother, says: “FESPA is the place for us to really showcase our solutions to an interested and international audience. We’re able to converse with them, as they witness the machines in action, explore the final products and provide feedback. FESPA enables our customers to broaden their understanding of the latest innovations.” Daniel Martinez, Senior Vice President of Large Format Printing and Construction Services, HP Inc. Spain, adds: “FESPA, for us, is the event – especially in Europe – that we attend year on year. It’s a great opportunity for our partners to showcase our solutions to their customers and throughout the event, we networked with hundreds of our own customers. Visitors can take advantage of exploring the latest and greatest solutions from HP, but also immerse themselves in the wider print industry. We’re delighted that the event will be held in Barcelona next year, our home ground, and are confident that it will also be successful!” Flavio Rocca, Sales, NSELED, comments: “Every year, we see a growth in European Sign Expo, so we’re pleased to be able to exhibit! It’s a great place to network with a large visitor scale, as well as many of our pre-existing customer base. So, for us it was a great show.” Nathan David, Vice President of Client Success, Design Huddle, highlights: “This was our first time exhibiting at Personalisation Experience and it was great to witness just how many people want to create a unique experience for their customers. They’re moving away from traditional techniques and want to use technology to provide a top-level experience, efficiently and without compromising on quality. It was exciting to be able to have these conversations onsite!” European Sign Expo 2025 welcomed its largest exhibitor line-up, and the third edition of Personalisation Experience introduced its all-new SmartHub feature. The co-located events and wider feature programme were a vital platform to convey imminent trends and business opportunities. The SmartHub conference witnessed a line-up of thought leaders and industry experts providing actionable and informative advice on the latest advancements in digital technology, streamlined operations and sustainable practices when delivering customisation. FESPA Global Print Expo, European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience and the second edition of Sportswear Pro will take place at Fira de Barcelona, Spain from 19 – 22 May 2026.

Fujifilm launches Jet Press 1160CF in EMEA

How to implement automation in printing operations

It is becoming necessary in printing operations to automate as much as possible to gain efficiencies. But before you begin your planning processes, look at your current state to ensure that you understand how works happen today. Kodak, a global technology company focused on print and advanced materials and chemicals, explains the vital role of automation in printing operations and how to do it properly. Read on. Single system of record that reliably gathers data from business and production systems If you have that system of record, you are in the perfect state to take on end-to-end automation. If you have multiple points of data collection that have never been integrated, there is still a path to automation. Still, your planning may take longer to accommodate identifying the required data and the processes that use them. Standard processes for order taking, job specification, and order management When there are standard processes, planning for automation can leverage them to speed implementation. When the procedures to take orders are different for every sales channel, it is hard to standardize order intake. When the process of capturing job specifications varies by sales team member and orders are managed without a strategic view into machine usage and job deadlines, some work will be required before automating and making those processes more efficient. How many spreadsheets are used to track jobs, components, or processes? Every business has some ad hoc processes tracked on spreadsheets, whiteboards, and notepads to keep mission-critical items front of mind. There is nothing wrong with them, but when they become the sole source of truth about a job or a process, they add risk to production. Some organisations justify using spreadsheets by putting them onto shared-access servers so that all authorized constituents can easily access them. It sounds like a great idea, but over time you may find that copies are sitting on individual desktops, and the shared copy is no longer the reliable source of information. Knowing what you have as you plan for automation will help you size the effort. Moving to that automated environment creates a single system of record that is reliable and can be integrated into adjacent business and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Planning for automation You could find some processes that appear easy to automate, add some new tools, and call that your automation plan, but there is a better path. It starts with knowing what is possible. New options in cloud-based workflows bring the same powerful options to smaller shops as the largest shops enjoy. With minimal investments and immediate implementation, shops with a single digital press can build an efficient workflow that will scale using the same technology as a mid-size shop with a mix of offset and digital devices. And these modern cloud-based production workflow solutions can help in any segment, whether the work you produce is graphically-rich static content or uses data-driven processes to execute variable content targeted to a specific recipient. Today’s automated production workflows are built to integrate MIS and ERP tools, Web-to-Print solutions, and e-commerce options. This approach should be high on your list as you consider automation options because it brings a robust IT infrastructure to the table. Automating individual processes glued together with manual interventions isn’t the accomplishment that brings the most benefit. Considering automation requires a dive into every action involved, from the point of estimation and sale to the final delivery to the customer. Planning is the active event designed to identify the touchpoints and the best approach to reviewing each step, the people involved, and the current tools used. Start by articulating your strategic goals for 2022. You may be looking to expand into a new industry or print segments. Your current workload may require more capacity. You may want to acquire more capabilities, either through buying more equipment, optimising workflows, or buying a company. As you consider your strategic plan, itemize the candidate processes for automation to move you toward those goals. Don’t be surprised if you identify current manual processes as critical roadblocks. Strategic goals are long-term and inform the way the business runs. There will be some work to do to build the bridge from strategy to implementation, and that is where tactical planning becomes essential. Tactical goals are more than solving today’s bottleneck. They work within the strategy to consider implementing new software and processes while keeping production moving. Think of it as changing the tires on a car while it’s in motion. There will be practical concerns as current processes are replaced by automation, including how and when to move off tools that are no longer providing value. Tactics should support the strategic goals and solve the business' specific challenges without adding more hurdles to creating an automated environment. Build the strategic plan for automation to consider the practical implication of automating the current processes, including goals for gaining buy-in from the team members in each department, who may be asked to change how they do their jobs or change positions to accommodate the planned process modifications. Look for onramps to the fully automated business environment for every element in the tactical plan that enables lower cost and higher margins. A part of tactical planning includes your approach to daily operations. To create an efficient environment in 2022, consider a standalone Operational Plan to document the expectations for each department, interface points between departments, and the key performance metrics that will help everyone stay on the strategic course. Automation does not eliminate the need to understand the production touchpoints. The best practice is to document what should happen if you lose access to the automation, too. The last step in planning for automation is to build the appropriate contingency plans. Cloud-based automated workflows protect you from onsite server disruptions and mitigate much of the risk associated with onsite installations when paired with a disciplined backup strategy. What to do next If you plan to automate your print workflow in 2022, look for scalable and easy platforms to integrate with your core business systems. Ensure that your chosen technology partner lets you automate each task within prepress and production and then map those automated tasks together to ensure that each type of job takes the correct journey through each process. Learn your options, and then create a plan that works for you.

admin in News July 22, 2022

Estimable estimators

If they were lucky, the human estimators had an adding machine or desktop calculator to help with the figures. A busy medium-sized printer might have 10 or more full time estimators. Finding and keeping that many specialised estimators could be tricky, as the work was exacting but hardly exciting. Computers were an obvious solution, but the knowledge of how to program for such specialised calculations wasn’t. One of the first UK companies to crack it was what was to become Imprint Business Systems, which is still going strong after 42 years. Today its customers in print and packaging run into the hundreds and many of them have used Imprint systems for at least 25 years. Like most of the early MIS developers, Imprint grew out of the needs of a particular print company, which then used the experience gained to sell to a wider circle or printing and packaging companies. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw a lot of computer estimating start-ups, often with printing company roots. Some of Imprint’s original UK competitors from 40-odd years ago have also survived and prospered independently, such as Optimus (originally Optichrome Computer Systems Ltd, or OCSL), DDS (Accura) and Tharstern, while others were taken over by the ever-expanding EFI empire (such as Prism, Radius, Shuttleworth and Technique). A few others have either merged, or closed, or both. Imprint itself was founded in 1978 by Glennys Bourne and Jonathan Richards. Originally the pair had worked together at the art book printer Shenval Press in Harlow. Richards was general manager, later a director of Shenval, but had learned programming skills at college. Bourne went on to run the nearby Caterpillar Press. Bourne says that the reason for writing the original computer estimating program was a shortage of the trained human variety. “You could not get estimators for love nor money,” she says. So the first estimating program was written to suit the needs of Shenval Press and Caterpillar Press. Bourne saw the potential for Imprint beyond the needs of Shenval and Caterpillar, so the latter was sold to concentrate on the new business. “The Imprint name describes the company well and has stood us well over the years,” says Richards. “As for why the name was chosen, it just seemed a good fit at the time.” Both are still very much involved today. Bourne is CEO, while Jonathan Richards says he’s “allowed to be chairman on high days and holidays”. However, time marches on and their children Will Richards and Nick Bourne have also joined Imprint – the latter now being MD. Today Imprint is based in High Easter, in the countryside between Chelmsford and Bishop’s Stortford, handily close to the M11 and Stansted airport. It employs 16 people in an often overlapping mix of management, programming and customer services roles.

admin in News July 22, 2022

Agfa Avinci CX3200

Avinci CX3200 is 3.2 m wide dye sub textile printer capable of printing on polyester-based textiles What is it? Agfa’s Avinci CX3200 is a highly reliable and convenient soft signage printer that can print directly to fabrics and onto transfer paper. It uses an off-line calendar unit to ensure perfect fixation. Agfa’s dedicated dye sublimation roll-to-roll printer will enable you to create vibrant, high-quality prints on polyester-based fabrics up to 3.2 m wide, including a broad range of in- and outdoor soft signage applications, as well as interior decoration. The Avinci CX3200 boasts a rich color gamut and delivers deep black, perfect solids, accurate spot color mapping and smooth tonal rendering that is particularly noticeable in skin tones. The Avinci inks are characterised by their flexibility, image longevity and outdoor resistance. They offer stable jetting performance and deliver the same high-quality results, batch after batch. An off-line calender unit fixes the color deeply into the structure of the polyester-based fabrics while evaporating the carrier fluid. When was it launched at what are the target markets? It was launched on June 22, 2021, and aimed at soft signage industry, sports wear, fashion industry and home décor. Avinic CX3200 is a 3.2 m wide Dye Sub Textile printer capable of printing on polyester based textiles. Does it replace an earlier product? It replaces the earlier model of DX3200. The Avinci CX3200 is driven by Agfa’s Asanti wide-format workflow software. Color accuracy is provided by the easy-to-use color management. Using their Calibrated Print Mode feature, new media can be calibrated and profiled in less than 15 minutes, after which the new profiles can be used to guarantee print quality. Asanti controls and automates the entire printing process from file intake to finishing, maximising productivity. Its comprehensive integration of file handling, color management and preflighting guarantees smooth and error-free jobs. The web-based Asanti Production Dashboard offers a view on your running production. It summarizes the jobs produced and reports on quantity printed, media usage, ink volumes enabling you to control your production and to manage your print shop optimally. What is the USP? It allows you to print directly on textiles and capable of print on transfer paper media as well. Single person media loading and low inks consumptions are another features. High productivity and a robust design for reliable printing at all times, vibrant prints and a wide color gamut; fine detail rendering; extensive applications scope; low ink consumption; convenient operations and a fast changeover between jobs are another features. Avinci produces good results with a minimum of jetted ink. This low ink consumption is based on Agfa’s renowned Thin Ink Layer technology: a smart combination of particular ink characteristics and our Asanti workflow software algorithms that tune the ink quantities perfectly to the required image quality mode. What training and support are available? Full in house training and support available from Agfa UAE and Belgium. Complete and integrated solution are available for printer, inks, workflow software, worldwide service and applications support. How productive is it? It prints at speed of 250 Sqm per hr on express mode. Being able to print directly to fabric is easy and ideal for fast handling and for special applications such as flags, where print-though is needed. Transfer paper allows for super sharp prints, eliminates any set-off, and limits media waste to a minimum. In addition, it extends the application scope to sportswear and fashion garments, as well as home décor prints on non-coated polyester fabrics. What does it cost? How is it sold? The recommended retail price (RRP) is approximately $220k stand alone printer and requires a separate calendaring unit. How many are in use? Currently, the latest CX3200 are around 11 units around the world. Specifications 3.2m Dye sublimation Printer Kyocera print heads 4 colour printer CYMK Direct to garment capable to print on transfer paper Max speed of 250 sqm Stand alone printer Resolution up to 600 x 1800 dpi Media types: Polyester-based fabrics, or transfer paper used to create banners, indoor wall graphics, shop decoration, outdoor advertising, light boxes, trade show displays, flags and high polyester-based blends “Agfa Avinci CX3200 was launched in June 2021.”

Aug. 2, 2022

Epson – SureColor SC V7000 Flatbed Printer

Epson's first UV large format printer offers exceptional image quality, Shihab Zubair What is it? The SureColor SC-V7000 is Epson's first UV large format printer, offering exceptional image quality. The V7000 is ideal for printing eye-catching retail and outdoor signage, window displays, hoarding panels, packaging, promotional goods, and décor products. It includes Epson’s Micro Piezo printhead with ten newly developed original inks, for accurate colour reproduction for spot and corporate colours. It allows businesses the flexibility to print on a range of media up to 80mm thick including acrylics, polycarbonates, PVC, glass, aluminium, metal, polyester, foam board, styrene, wood and stone. The printhead layout enables simultaneous high-speed printing and, with the 4-zone vacuum system, it offers real flexibility for production environments. When was it launched at what are the target markets? The Epson SureColor SC-V7000 was launched in April 2021 within the Middle East region, building on the success of Epson’s award-winning range of SureColor S Series signage printers. The V7000 allows sign and display makers to expand their portfolio of products, to deliver high quality, fast and reliable results on a variety of different media. Does it replace an earlier product? The SureColor SC-V7000 proudly marks Epson’s entry into the UV flatbed signage print market. As Epson’s first UV large format printer, it provides unique features to differentiate and enhance our offering to the signage market. Every feature of the Epson SureColor SC-V7000 has been designed with the customer in mind. This is a robust and affordable UV LED flatbed signage printer capable of fast and quality printing on a wide range of media – any type of surface, despite the size, thickness, or weight. This is in addition to Epson’s successful product solutions such as the Epson SureColor SC Series of eco-solvent and resin ink printers. For instance, for environmentally friendly organisations, Epson’s SureColor SC-R5010 Series has the capacity to include a resin ink solution, offering print service providers and creative design agencies the ability to produce a wide range of signage in a more sustainable way, without compromising on the results. For a larger ink capacity, Epson offers the SureColor SC-R5010L. What is the USP? The Epson SureColor SC-V7000 provides exceptional image quality, productivity, usability, and safety. With the unique Epson Micro Piezo printhead, the printer has ten newly developed original inks and 3-layer high-speed printing. It helps print with ease and safety with automatic measurement of media thickness, a multi-zone vacuum, and a printhead crash prevent function, Epson Edge Print, proximity sensors. What training and support is available? Epson manufactures all the components for the SureColor SC-V7000, including printheads, inks and software, in order to reach the consistent quality levels that our customers expect. The Epson Cloud Solution PORT is a cloud-based system from where you will be able to monitor equipment across several sites, or several printers across one site, from the production floor or remotely, and assist the control of production. This enables efficient production planning, increased uptime and enhanced support. Epson Production Monitor is part of the Epson Cloud Solution PORT suite of apps and allows you to examine the production status in real-time. If an issue occurs, it can be corrected efficiently with minimal disruption to the print run. How productive is it? The SureColor SC-V7000 enables businesses to print at high speed with a maximum print area of 2.5 metres by 1.25 metres. The printhead layout enables simultaneous high-speed printing, with white ink and varnish, without losing productivity. What does it cost? How is it sold? The recommended retail price (RRP) is around AED 330,563 (US $90,000) and it is sold through authorised partners in the Middle East. How many are in use? Currently two printers have been installed in the UAE, and we are scheduled to install a few more in December and further into 2022. Specifications UltraChrome UV 10-colour inkset Printing resolution of 720 x 1,440 DPI Outstanding print quality High-speed simultaneous printing even when using white, colour and varnish Printheads, ink, firmware and software with an ink tank capacity of 1,000 ml Price from AED 330,563 “Epson SureColor SC-V7000 was launched in April 2021.”

Aug. 2, 2022

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