Stood out in the horde of 1,837 exhibitors from 54 countries, some prominent wide-format companies dealing in a range of advanced machines, materials and methodologies during the recent drupa 2016, the world’s largest trade fair for print and cross-media solutions with a theme on future technologies and growth potential, unfolded a host of groundbreaking products and ideas. As per an overall observation, the focus at the expo this year was production inkjet and other innovative and evolving technologies gearing up towards varied range of applications, including commercial printing, with the indication that wide-format has been playing a big role in it, which was why the noticeable presence of the world’s leading wideformat players in the expo.

What is trending?

At drupa 2016, new offerings were of the introductions of welldelineated technologies. Most of the newly launched products and materials in the expo intended to bring certain printing technologies into a broader range or to a new high. And the entrylevel and mid-volume printers were the areas quite moving during the show. An example in this context would be the new HP Latex 1500. These days, for a print service provider (PSP) or a sign shop, it’s not just speed, but also the versatility that clicks their needs. In this, their ultimate objective is to do more with the less.

There were certain areas shown during the expo overlapping with wide-format technologies — for instance, packaging is one such domain. Those firms engaging in production of prototypes for packaging or small quality production runs may also find that brand owners (their clients) are equally eager to have them to produce retail signage items or such display graphics as well. This is not the point that one must use the HP Scitex Corrugated Press to produce soft signage POP displays. But there are applications that complement one another fairly well using a common printer; this was one of the notions that drupa 2016 vibrantly signified.

A matter of fact is that wide-format, packaging and industrial printing can come under a common domain, sharing a lot in common among them. And of course, drupa 2016 was a place to see such a new development. As mentioned above, corrugated printing comes close on the heel of display graphic printing. In a similar way, wide format is now moving more towards ‘industrial printing’. When we talk about industrial printing, to clear the doubt, it’s more or less about churning on unique, not necessarily wide, substrates like ceramic, glass, wood, tile and such types of unconventional materials. And this domain is now gradually opening up a new horizon of business, bringing unique niche display or graphic items.

As textile printing is one of the impending domains in the industry, a select range of technologies at drupa 2016 opened up new applications, be it signage or any form of apparel. A number of groundbreaking textile printers were introduced during the expo, from Roland DGA, OKI, Mutoh, among others, pushing direct-to-textile printing and dye-sub technologies to a new standard. Though drupa is not niche expo with full breadth of textile printing, it however brought the latest trend into this segment, informing the signage players about the (textile) technology now weaving itself into more and more commercial ways, whether it may be for dye-sublimation, direct-to-fabric dye sub or other types of fabric applications.

In addition to printers, what was deserved a rich recognition during drupa 2016 included the upgraded range of finishing systems, such as cutters and routers that have become vital tools these days in the specialty printing arsenal. In this respect, a host of new and advanced finishing tools with greater capabilities and versatilities were introduced during the expo, signaling a new progression in the segment. For instance, laser cutting, which was once a technology reserved for rigid materials, has now been gradually becoming an affordable option, even for those engaging in fabric printing.

RIPs are now about more than just converting ‘post script’ data to printer dots or even managing colour profiles. Nowadays, RIP software is vital control centers for workflow as individual RIP modules add application-specific tools and features. It’s because of the reason that the requirements for vehicle graphics are different than those for banners, which are different for those for textiles and so on. In this, the overall emphasis is on maximizing productivity. Let’s take a simple example of ‘nesting’ that is akin to imposition for wide-format printing, where trying to strategically squeeze as many images on a page or a board as possible, so one can use fewer boards that can be expensive.

Traditionally the process of nesting was done manually positioning the images in a programme like Adobe Illustrator, but companies like EFI, ONYX, Caldera and others at drupa 2016 offered nesting features that would attempt to automate images and job nesting. Moreover, Enfocus has been partnering with wide-format companies for enhanced levels of automation.

In the tradition of wide-format and specialty printings, quite a volume of jobs are done manually, but such phase has come to an end as it is more and more necessary to plug specialty graphics into the rest of the enterprise, to capture accurate data, as well as streamline and automate production. When it comes to referring ‘automation’ one specific thing is that those who have never seen a robotic arm unloading boards from a cutting table might have missed a visit to the stall of Zünd at drupa 2016.

Key showstoppers The host of wide-format exhibitors at the expo unanimously reported excellent business deals, extremely promising contacts and a positive spirit for the global printing industry. Be it of anything, every one of them offered innovative and matching solutions while opening up new lines of business and business models at the same time. In fact, the wide-format segment is constantly re-inventing itself and offers a wealth of high-potential facets. And this is precisely what drupa 2016 had very impressively proven; take a closer look at the show floor occupied by the few wide-formats playing big roles in the show.

AGFA: Revealing growth opportunities for PSPs, AGFA Graphics showcased its wide-format solutions designed for best-in-class UV inkjet applications, having different automation and finishing options and dedicated workflow software. The line of Jeti and Anapurna are engineered in accordance with AGFA Graphics’ matched components approach, which was being proved at the company’s stall where demonstrated live action of roll-to-roll and hybrid solutions driven by Asanti workflow technology. All that pulled crowd were Jeti Mira with its unique dockable roll-to-roll option and the highly productive Jeti Tauro, now upgraded with an automation line-up including a new automatic board feeder and unloading unit. AGFA Graphics also showcased its state-of-the-art ink portfolio for a wide array of industrial printing applications.

Bordeaux: ‘One ink for all fabrics’—this is what Bordeaux loudly pronounced with the introduction of its EDEN PG-MV/LV waterbased pigment ink solutions. Frank Michaud from Bordeaux Digital Printink Ltd said their aim is to bring a revolutionary change to the textile printing landscape with the introduction of EDEN PG-MV/LV. Delivering a uniform colour coverage and bright vivid colour regardless of the fabric composition, EDEN PG-MV/ LV is compatible with RICOH Gen 5 and EPSON DX printheads and printable on cotton, polyester, viscous, leather, blended fabric and others. In addition, the company’s introduction of full of range new UV inkjet inks at the expo offered new solutions for HP flatbeds, Vutek GS, Mimaki JFX and others. Mulberry-scented Bordeaux UV curable coating designed for commercial and offset prints pulled crowd.

Canon: Big announcement from Canon for the wide-format market was the new Arizona 2200 UV flatbed series. Following the successful introduction of the Oce Arizona 1200 series in early 2016, this new series, according to the company, is an enhanced solution for PSPs who need to increase their production capacity, expand their range of applications and meet tight deadlines. Meanwhile in wide-format finishing, the company demonstrated a prototype of what it is currently calling ‘View & Cut’ workflow automation system that is a product through the company’s partnership with Zünd.

Dilli: One of the major showcases among the whole line of printing machines displayed at the company’s stall during the expo included Dilli Neo Mercury UV inkjet system, which can run at the speed of 50 m/min delivering resolution of 1200 x 600 dpi with variable drops and grayscale. Yong-Bae Kim from Dilli (Seoul) defined the printer as a ‘complete solution’ equipped with high-quality inks and it helps PSPs meet the growing demands for short-run demands.

Once a new media is fixed on unwinder in the printer, media control sensor adjusts and drives the web to right path automatically with dual web-guide system.

Award winners! During drupa 2016, EDP (European Digital Press Association) awarded some machines/technologies in the wide-format categories, recognising their unique features and core competencies. Roland TrueVIS VG and SOLJET EJ-640 bagged the prestigious awards under the ‘Best Wide-Format Print & Cut Solution’ and ‘Best Wide-Format Roll-to-Roll Printer (up to 170 cm)’ categories. Roland TrueVIS VG Series is the culmination of Roland’s many years of market-leading expertise in the field of integrated ecosolvent print & cut technology, combined with a host of new enhancements. Meanwhile, Roland SOLJET EJ-640 is a 64 inch eco-solvent printer designed with cost-efficient and high-performance productivity. Zund D3 cutter, latest finishing system from Zund, which made its debut at drupa 2016, was also honoured with the EDP Award under the ‘Best Wide-Format Finishing Solution’ category. The award recognised the finishing system for its dual-beam cutting system that sets new standards in productivity. Yet the award conferred on another innovative product, Jeti Mira from AGFA Graphics, in recognition of the printer’s quality and innovation mark under the category ‘Best Wide-Format Flatbed/Hybrid Printer (up to 250 sq m/h). And Mimaki did hat-trick winning three of the awards for its Mimaki UJV55-320 being named Best Wide-Format Rollto- Roll Printer (up to 320 cm); Mimaki UJF-7151 Plus as Best Special Object Printer; and Mimaki TX300P as the Best Textile Printer Roll-to-Roll (up to 100 sq m/h). Mimaki UJV55-320 is an affordable roll-fed wide-format printer that at the speeds of up to 110 sq m/h in resolutions of up to 1200 dpi; meanwhile Mimaki UJF-7151 plus is an industrial small format UV Inkjet flatbed printer designed for high quality printing and top level productivity with ultra-accurate ink droplet placement; and Mimaki TX300P-1800 is an innovative 1.8 m roll-to-roll direct-to-textile inkjet printer.

durst: Designed for both the corrugated packaging and display graphic markets, durst launched Rho 130 SPC at the expo. The versatile printer is featured with single-pass and multi-pass systems, capable to churn boards at the speed of up to 9,350 sq m/ hr. Based on the latest generation of single-pass printing systems, which the company has already used in the label printing segment, durst Rho 130 SPC is equipped with non-hazardous ink system based on the Durst Water Technology. In addition, the company also showcased its line of machines comprising Rho 1312 AF flatbed printer, Tau 330 (in combination with a laser finishing system), among others. Daniel Swoboda from Durst Phototechnik said that they aimed to meet the customers’ demands to the fullest in a complete way.

EFI: Announced to be its biggest inkjet product development till date, EFI unpacked its Nozomi single-pass LED technology, which can reach print speeds of upto 75 linear m/min, stating that it would give customers the benefits of low acquisition price with ‘significant total cost of ownership advantages’. This new technology will be first incorporated in EFI’s 1.8m-wide EFI Nozomi C18000 inkjet press, which it says will help corrugatedcardboard manufacturers and brands access a wide colour gamut and broader design options in corrugated board work.

In addition, EFI showcased its line of existing portfolio, which comprised VUTEk systems; also the company revealed the full scope of industrial inkjet hardware and ink development along with DFE (digital front end) and end-to-end manufacturing execution system (MES) and MIS/ERP workflow technologies. And the new Fiery DFE for the Nozomi C18000 press will also integrate with MES and ERP technologies in EFI’s Packaging and Corrugated Packaging Suites, as well as with Esko workflows.

During the expo, EFI and Esko announced their collaboration for integrated solutions for corrugated boards with a single seamless workflow. On the other side, EFI tied up with RICOH to let the latter sell their VUTEk flatbed printers. Now RICOH will distribute the flatbed printers, in addition to its existing Pro L4100 series. The global agreement between the two companies will commence with availability through Europe and Latin America, with North America and Asia Pacific to follow. The deal focuses on the solutions that offer the best fit for RICOH’s clients.

EPSON: Among the host of its printers designed for varied range of applications, EPSON unpacked SureColor SC-P10000, which combines the highest printing speed with superior quality at 600x600 dpi and higher, during the expo. The printer is an addition to the company’s SureColor SC-P Series, which follows in the footsteps of the recently launched 64-inch SC-P20000.

Both innovative models are easy-to-operate and produce accurate, superior-quality, large-format photos, POS items and signage, even at superfast speeds. Marco van Neikerk from EPSON Europe mentioned that PSPs can now benefit from all of the features from the range. Also shown attractively at the company’s stall during the expo included EPSON SureColor F2000, a new marvel in textile printing.

Esko: Together with its sister company X-Rite Pantone and subsidiaries Enfocus and MediaBeacon, Esko showcased a whole gamut of its solutions to make packaging and display designs better and faster. Spread out across six ‘Inspiration Zones’ visitors were taken through each step of a typical production workflow.

In addition, Enfocus and Pantone occupied dedicated zones to display well-known guides and tools for colour inspiration and design. On the other side, X-Rite showcased new tools that allow brand owners to select and communicate colour so that it could be consistently achieved across multiple substrates, printing processes, and locations.

In the Design Zone of the company’s stall, Esko’s solutions pulled attention to connecting design with production/ logistics for faster time to market and the ability to ensure achievable designs prior to the expense of production. One of the impressive highlights was Artios CAD 16, the CAD design editor capable to design and pre-produce multi-part packaging and POP displays in a simpler, more intelligent and productive way.

Faster Displays: This Spanish supplier of POP display systems excelled in the expo with a striking range of display systems, which comprised totems, tables, screens, among others. According to Sandro Bugosse Alonso from Faster Displays, they group together through community membership across the world; and being a member is much more than a license over their patented products. He mentioned that belonging to the community places a company a step ahead of the rest.

FUJIFILM: Under the slogan ‘Value from Innovation’, FUJIFILM presented the company’s largest drupa presence to date this year. Covering the entire range of products, the company showcased the technologies and solutions that add value to print operations in wide format and other segments. According to SM Ramprasad, assistant vice president, Graphics Arts Division, FUJIFILM India Private Limited, a prime element to the company’s presence in the expo was their industry-leading inkjet technologies, summarised and showcased under a new brand name ‘FUJIFILM Inkjet Technology.’ The focus was on how these technologies are being used to further the penetration of inkjet printing in all possible printing domains, including ‘wideformat’.

In the wideformat zone of its stall, FUJIFILM demonstrated its new Onset X printer for the first time in Europe. The printer represented the latest evolution in Inca Digital’s advanced ‘scalable architecture’ concept, and the productivity achieved with a choice of Dimatix printheads and Uvijet inks allowing this industrial machine to be used for a diverse range of production requirements. Also being introduced was the new Uvistar Hybrid 320, a 3.2m hybrid (flatbed and roll printer), capable of producing high quality output at the speeds of up to 195 sq m/hr.

Gandy Digital: Using the drupa platform, Gandy Digital executed the first live public demonstration of its new Fascin8tor UV rollto- roll printer. The crowd buzzing around the five-metre printer got impressed with its unique features, such as very low ink consumption and high quality print, regardless of speed. These key attributes of the printer enable PSPs and sign makers increase productivity, application variety and job profitability. Moreover, Fascin8tor is equipped with eight RICOH Gen 4 6 picolitre printheads per colour and advanced blade technology. Shmulik Lagziel, MD-EMEA, Gandy Digital, commented that they were thrilled to be able to demonstrate Fascin8tor’s full capabilities via live demonstrations during drupa 2016. Alongside the printer, Gandy Digital showcased a wide spectrum of its product portfolio at the expo, impressively.

Hewlett Packard (HP) Inc: Taking over the entire Hall 17, HP Inc occupied the largest stall at the expo, showing colossal sections segregated for different technologies and applications, such as Indigo, PageWide, Latex and 3D printing. The company redefined new possibilities of printing with the latest technologies. New at the expo from HP Inc were the unveiling of HP PageWide C500, first technology demonstration of HP Indigo Combination Press, HP Jet Fusion 3D, PrintOS as well as the Latex and Scitex portfolio for the conventional large-format graphics. The company introduced the complete combo to empower the PSPs in reinventing new possibilities.

The largest exhibit space of HP Inc featured more that 50 digital printing solutions from across the company’s wide portfolio highlighting new innovations, speeds, performance and power of digital printing. HP PageWide C500 Press is a flexible and robust industrial post-print corrugated solution powered by proven HP PageWide Technology. Also, the company showcased the new HP Indigo Digital Combination Press, enabling HP Indigo print and digital embellishments in a single pass. “Drupa 2016 is a celebration in the graphics industry and an opportunity to showcase innovations that are transforming the print and graphics world,” said Mike Salfity, GM and global head, HP Graphics Solutions Business, HP Inc.

Leveraging 30 years of HP Thermal Inkjet innovation and powered by proven single-pass HP PageWide Printing Technology, the new HP PageWide C500 Press introduces a highly versatile, cost effective solution for corrugated direct-to-board printing. Demonstrated in the large-format arena of its colossal stall were HP Scitex 9000 and HP Latex 500 as well as the showstopper HP Latex 1500. “We are redefining the role of printing with digital innovations that change the economics of the graphics industry. We have breakthroughs at drupa that aim to surprise, delight and inspire print providers with the possibilities enabled by prints,” Mike remarked. Featured at the stall of HP Inc was the world’s first production-ready commercial 3D printing system HP Jet Fusion that revolutionises design, prototyping and manufacturing.

Big crowd from India Collectively around 260,000 visitors from 188 countries and some 1,900 journalists from 74 countries flown to Düsseldorf to witness the latest technology innovations, further developments and new business lines the printing industry brought on one common platform. Of the visiting crowd, approximately 75 percent were executives; and indicators produced by the visitors’ survey showed clearly that drupa is a flawless B2B trade fair and platform for business decision. Compared to the last edition held four years ago, the percentage of international visitors this year is 16 percent increased. Counting the Asian visitors, 17 percent of the total international visitors came from the continent alone; and India accounted for the largest share with a record of more than 13,000 visitors rushed from the country, followed by China with three percent.

OKI: From desktop to large-format printers, OKI has always been at the forefront of innovation through pioneering digital LED technology within printing devices and the company at drupa 2016 showcased their complete range including the introduction of its newly launched Pro6410 NeonColor, a professional A4 neon printer for garment decoration design and POS graphics. Guy Boxall from OKI Europe said their approach is to deliver dedicated products and solutions to customers through consultative and innovative notions. Among the major attractions the company offered at their stall was ColorPainter series, which revolutionised the inkjet display graphics.

Massivit: Israeli 3D printer manufacturer Massivit unveiled its Massivit 1800 for the first time for public at the expo. A super-fast large format 3D printer, Massivit 1800 is set to transform the way high-level marketing, advertising and themed projects are created. With output speeds incomparable to anything else in the 3D printing industry, the printer can produce high quality 3D pieces up to 1.8m / 6ft high. Now PSPs seeking to dramatically extend their product portfolio beyond 2D pieces can access to a profitable new and unique application capability. According to Avner Israeli, CEO, Massivit 3D, Massivit 1800 is an outcome of their three years of hard work and incredible progress. He mentioned drupa 2016 is the right platform to present the 3D printer.

Memjet: An OEM partner of a number of large-format machine manufacturers, Memjet is a driving force behind high-end printers of varied configurations and sizes. At the expo, Memjet demonstrated how their high-speed, digital colour printing technology is changing the printing landscape with solutions that deliver speed, ease of use, and low cost of ownership, designed for those who seek to pursue new opportunities and expand their business. What had been showcased at their stall was the power of technology at work in solutions from Memjet OEM catering to big machine companies, such as Xanté, Canon, Colordyne, Delphax, Digikett and Astro Machine.

Mimaki: Demonstrating its line of armory to bear with a full product portfolio of solvent, UV and cutting tables at the expo, Mimaki made debut of its new UJV55-320 printer, capable to run at the speed of 110 sq m/h. Visitors swarming around the company’s stall were impressed with the Mimaki UJF-7151plus flatbed printer, designed for direct printing on various substrates at very high, industrial production level of quality. In addition, on the showcase at the stall were also included other versatile flatbed system, Mimaki UJF-6042, flaunted alongside the smaller LED UV UJF-3042HG and UJF-3042FX desktop printers. Moreover, crowd thronged the company’s high-performance flatbed printers – JFX500-2131 and JFX200-2513, along with the UJV500-160 UV RTR industrial printer.

Mutoh: Presenting a range of large-format print solutions, designed for signage graphics, direct-to-rigid object printing, dye sublimation and direct on textile applications, Mutoh pulled crowd to its showcase that included a brand new Valuejet 2638 introduced at the expo. This newly debuted printer is a 2.6 m system equipped with the originally manufactured eco-solvent inks. Valuejet 2638 runs at 50 sq m/hr and capable to take substrates up to four mm thick at a maximum resolution of 1,440 dpi, highly suitable for applications like backlit signs, POP displays, decals, vehicle graphics, among others.

In addition to this newly unpacked printer, Mutoh showcased its select line of Valuejet series, engineered for quality print applications.

Roland DGA: Apart from showing its existing highly demanded machine portfolio, which comprised the most acclaimed VersaUV LEF-300 UV-LED direct object printer, SOLJET EJ-640 high-production eco-solvent printer and many others, Roland DGA made a big announcement at the expo—a new fluorescent ink formulated for Texart XT-640 and RT-640 dye sublimation printers.

“Developed for dyesub transfer printing, this newly introduced ink is for the textile printers who wish to deliver outstanding print quality and productivity for sportswear, fashion, soft signage, decor, promotional merchandise and much more,” detailed Deborshi Poul Choudhury from Apsom Infotex Ltd. Apsom Infotex is an exclusive distributor of Roland machines in India.

The newly introduced inks, Fluorescent Pink (Fp) and Yellow (Fy), can be combined with Roland’s Texart process ink colours to produce hundreds of vivid fluorescent hues. And the proprietary Roland DG Fluor Colour Library swatch palette can be installed in Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW for unmatched ease of use and colour customisation. Other products of attractions at the company’s stall at the expo included SOLJET EJ-640 highproduction eco-solvent printer and the company’s newly launched TrueVIS VG printer/cutter series, that featured with new FlexFire printhead technology, advanced cutting functionality and a host of features to optimise production.

SwissQprint: As automation being one of the major revelations at the expo, swissQprint announced an innovation on this front with the introduction of robotic solution called Rob for unattended printing. The compact robot assists any swissQprint flatbed printer to load and unload media. The new robotic automation systems demonstrated how unattended printing works with swissQprint as it precisely loaded boards onto an Impala 2 flatbed printer and just as carefully stacked them up after printing. Rob can handle extra shifts without supervision and takes over repetitive work, resulting in extra time for operators to take up other tasks.

XAAR: Using drupa as a strategic launch platform, XAAR introduced its 5601 family of high-resolution inkjet printheads which could deliver a market-leading combination of total cost of ownership, print quality and usability. This new printhead family incorporates a number of innovative technologies, such as XAAR’s new Thin Film piezo Silicon MEMS technology. The family is very high resolution with over 5600 nozzles, capable of jetting up to 6 litres of ink per hour. New innovations such as AcuDrp Technology in the new printheads allow complete control over greyscale drop ejection for perfect image quality. In addition, the XAAR 5601 printhead family incorporates TF Technology to maximise production up time, print quality and lifetime.

In addition to the product launch, XAAR also announced its partnership with RICOH, to maximize the benefits from each company’s considerable expertise in the Thin Film Piezo printhead development. The collaboration between the two companies will deliver superior technology and a broader range of printheads, which will provide substantial benefits to the customers of both. The announcement comes at an exciting time for XAAR, whose Bulk Piezo Inkjet technology is already at the heart of an enormous number of industrial printing systems in a wide variety of applications around the world. In a similar trait, XAAR also announced its collaboration with Global Inkjet Systems (GIS) to deliver and sell drive electronics and ink supply systems optimised for the XAAR 5601 printhead family.

YWDS Korea: A manufacturer of optimally automated bending machines for signage and display items, YWDS Korea presented its innovative technicalities at the expo, showing a new automation standard in die making technology.

“We are quite satisfied that trade visitors from different countries, including India, showed interest in our automated bending systems,” told SH Lee, assistant manager, YWDS Korea. The YWDS machines are designed for varied purposes, including bending, cutting, lipping, bridging, perforating, broaching and nicking.

Zund: Latest Zünd D3 digital cutter was what it pulled crowd to the company’s stall throughout the expo. Twice the throughput, unprecedented efficiency, maximum profitability, the newly launched Zund cutting system can double up productivity in one fell swoop, without compromising quality or reliability. In addition to this new product, Zund had a complete digital cutting solutions and intelligent automations shown in the expo under their banner ‘Double Your Productivity’, said Prasana Venkatesh VA, general manager, Zund India. The new Zund D3 was presented in conjunction with the company’s BHS (Board Handling System) for automated board loading and unloading, which imparted a new quantum leap of the company on the automation front. Also, Zünd in collaboration with Canon introduced ‘View & Cut’ prototype to automate wide-format finishing. The new prototype workflow automation solution – provisionally named ‘View & Cut’ – is the result of a collaborative project between the two companies to further automate the finishing of printed output from Canon wide-format printers, such as Océ ProCut G3 and S3 flatbed devices.

Well, here the concluding note is that drupa 2016 offered matching solutions for all possible applications while opening up new lines of business and business models at the same time. Witnessed all over was a positive vibe gesticulating re-invention of the printing industry itself to offer a wealth of high-potential facets of growth, precisely proven by the expo.