Commercial-print

All the major offset manufacturers have machines that exceed the 20,000 sheets per hour benchmark, but do we really need them? Anthony Thirlby helps printers around the world be as efficient as possible, but are the new fast printing machines something for everybody? We also hear about 20% gains in efficiency, but the reality is that these new machines are WAY more efficient than the machines they replace - and it raises the question about what is more important? There is no question that the newest and fastest machines are engineering marvels, but with more speed and the same order volume, the utilization will be lower. We are curious to hear what the manufacturers think about this and why they believe faster machines are needed - but start here - super interesting discussion!

Kevin Neureuter, as of May 1st, 2024, has been appointed new CEO for manroland sheetfed North America. Kevin Neureuter has been with manroland for the past four years and explains in this interview that he, for some time, has been trained and positioned for his new role, and now the time is here. Kevin Neureuter will still be visiting clients and will be 'on the road' 80% of the time - and with a background in the industry, Neureuter has the same domain knowledge as the newly appointed Global CEO Mirko Kern. It's interesting to see how different the major players in the market address leadership. Meet Kevin Neureuter in this interview: open-minded, smiling, and relaxed - GREAT!

You visit printing companies producing beautiful metallizations, embossings, etc., but we have never visited a company like Studio on Fire. Employees are art-educated and have a fantastic dedication to what they do, and what they do is precision foils in multiple colors, embossing, and de-bossing like no one else, letterpress, and materials that are beyond what you find with most printing companies. When you are a customer, the creative team spends hours, days, weeks, and even months to create the perfect packaging for a perfect product - and zero compromises - the process is developed to perfection, and the entirely analog production gives the finished product a sense of beauty that blow your mind - this is simply art, packaging, creativity, and craftsmanship at the highest level possible. You can't do anything but love the process, the people, the products, and the technology that comes from Kluege, Heidelberg, and recently, the KAMA ProCut76 and KAMA FF52i. When you see our film, Ziga Kovac (the filmmaker) has captured the work—and yet fantastic—it doesn't justify the real thing. Ben Levitz likes what he does and wants to work with others, but he realizes that other printing companies often have different passions than Ben Levitz and his team—but you should learn. This is the real deal! GREAT—simply GREAT!

In this film, we visit 'Executive Mailing Service,' or, in short, EMS in the Chicago area, and this is a great experience for many reasons. The company specializes in mailing, and when you enter the facility, you see mailboxes as long as you can see - it's quite a large operation. Though you see many machines everywhere, you also realize the number of people working. In the print room, you have a combination of toner-based printers and the newer MCS Inkjet machines - and in the film, we learn how more efficient the MCS Inkjet machines are - and why EMS is replacing the toners one by one. During the visit, you easily understand how great the collaboration is between EMS as a customer and MCS as a supplier - and as this is our first filming with MCS, we are also learning quite a lot. MCS has an intense focus on mailing, and when we later visited their Chicago-based operation, we got a walkthrough that you can see here: https://inkish.tv/inkish-video/mcs/ - it was a great day, and great meeting dedicated people from both sides of the production!

Robots are essentially dumb; therefore, they need more than anything else tailored software to make them productive tools. When Diego Diaz joined HP, he needed to develop further automation solutions for HP. At DSCOOP Indianapolis, HP, for the first time, presented what they had been working on for over a year. The AMR is here, and it's not just a licensed robot but a robot tailored to HP PrintOS and, in particular, Production Beat. The robots make Lights Out Productions an almost reality, and what HP has in development further down the road is the promise of new technology solutions making print even more automated. This is a MUST-SEE film from us!

At Innovationdays #HID23, the Starbook line was born—but for continuous fed production. Now, Hunkeler introduces the Starbook Sheetfed edition, enabling cut sheet production. Hans Gut from Hunkeler explains how the solutions work and the benefits in this session with Editor Morten B. Reitoft. Great!

Imagine in the nearby future robots that will feed the KAMA ProCut76 die-cutter, move the stripped and blanked pieces to the KAMA Foldinger/Gluer FF52i - and 100% handsfree production takes place - even dies are exchanged by the robot - not only the vision, but soon reality! CBO Jordi Giralt talks about the products - also the digital embellishment machine Hammerhead recently announced - and of course, the journey KAMA is on - super interesting - and worth listening to! Enjoy!

Kevin Abergel is the founder of Taktiful - a company driving a community for companies working with digital embellishment - and also now a software supplier of a newly developed MIS system - that essentially takes the next step for how embellishment can help their owners make more money. In this interview, Abergel talks about how he was born into the industry with two uncles and a father founding MGI - and how digital embellishment differentiates from analog embellishment. Super interesting story that we can all learn from! Watch and learn!

"We are only at the beginning," Noam Zilbershtain says when talking about the opportunities with digital print - and we are talking to a very confident General Manager. Noam Zilbershtain is a super nice and open person who walks into you - easy to talk to, and still with great opinions about the market and how he and his team can drive HP in the right direction. We also get a chance to talk to Noam Zilbershtain about the war in Israel, about liking people, and, of course, he gets an option to mention football :-)

At the recent HP Pre-Drupa event in Indianapolis, we talked to Al Scolari about their latest lay-flat technology. With more and more automation, it's not surprising that APS Imaging Solutions is also looking into faster, better, smarter, and more automated lay-flat binding—but take a look for yourself. Enjoy!

DE Edition Roularta Media Group is a Belgium-based publishing group publishing magazines and news, delivering digitally, making TV, and supporting local and international brands. Roularta is also involved in the printing industry as the group publishes Grafisch Nieuws - but it's also a huge printing company with dedicated objectives of achieving considerable CO2 reductions. As CEO Steven Renders explains, CO2 reductions get harder and harder as the company obviously looks for the easiest targets first. One of these targets was the dryers on Roularta's web-offset presses - they realized that new Contiweb gas dryers could not only use less energy but also considerably reduce the CO2 emissions - so with that, Roularta exchanged all the heaters on their presses, and now the happy owners of three new Contiweb gas-dryers. Roularta is a very automated printing company with clear strategies that enable it to grow, reduce its carbon footprint, and develop more print business through its unique business models. This is a VERY good film to learn from we believe!

German language/multiple languages subtitles: Im Rahmen unserer ALWAYS on DACH Tour hatten wir die Gelegenheit, den CEO Ralf Rehmet von Primus zu treffen. Primus ist eine Online-Druckerei und Zulieferer für andere Druckunternehmen sowie andere Online-Druckereien. Als Online-Druckerei ist ein schneller Produktionsablauf, gleichbleibende Qualität und die Fähigkeit, viele Produktarten herzustellen, erforderlich. Primus liefert alle gebundenen Produkte, von Wire'O und Klammerheftung bis zu perfekt gebundenen Erzeugnissen. Neben dem Druck, der auf den Heidelberger und Koenig & Bauer Druckmaschinen des Unternehmens erfolgt, verfügt Primus auch über digitale Konica Minolta Drucker und einige Formulardrucker - die, da immer weniger Formulare produziert werden, den ganzen Tag beschäftigt sind. Eine der jüngsten Investitionen ist die Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106X, die viel Automatisierung in die Produktion bringt und eine Maschine ist, mit der sowohl Bediener als auch Besitzer sehr zufrieden sind. Es ist interessant zu sehen, wie Koenig & Bauer eine ältere man roland Bogenoffsetmaschine ersetzt hat und wie die Arbeitslast zwischen Heidelberg und Koenig & Bauer verteilt ist. Aber hören Sie hier Ralf Rehmet zu und genießen Sie es. As part of our ALWAYS on DACH Tour, we got the chance to meet CEO Ralf Rehmet from Primus. Primus is an online printer and supplier of print to other printing companies and other online printing companies, and being an online printer requires fast turnaround, consistent quality, and the ability to produce many types of products. Primus delivers all bound products, from Wire'O and saddle stitching to perfect bound products. Besides the print being printed on the company's Heidelberg and Koenig & Bauer presses, Primus also has digital Konica Minolta and then a couple of form printers - that, because fewer and fewer produce forms are busy all day long. One of the most recent investments is the Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106X, which brings a lot of automation to the production and is a machine both operators and owners are very pleased with. Interesting to see how Koenig & Bauer replaced an older man roland sheetfed machine and how the job load between the Heidelberg and Koenig & Bauer is. But listen to Ralf Rehmet here and enjoy. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralf-rehmet-25a508a6/

German language/Multiple subtitles: Das familiengeführte Unternehmen Rosebrock ist etwa 30 Minuten von Bremen entfernt, und wir haben es im Rahmen unserer ALWAYS ON DACH TOUR besucht. Rosebrock ist eine Druckerei, die sich auf den Etikettendruck spezialisiert hat. Im Film erklärt Lars Rosebrock, warum sie von einem 5-Farben- zu einem 6-Farben-Druck gewechselt haben und wie die höheren Energiepreise die Entscheidung beeinflusst haben. Bei unserem Besuch wurde die Rapida 106 von einer jungen Frau bedient, und das erfüllt zwei Anforderungen, die wir mögen - 'Jung' und 'Frauen' - eine tolle Kombination und gut für die Zukunft. English: The family-run company Rosebrock is about 30 minutes from Bremen, and we visited it as part of our ALWAYS ON DACH TOUR. Rosebrock is a printing company that specializes in label printing. In the film, Lars Rosebrock explains why they switched from a 5-color to a 6-color printing press and how the higher energy prices have influenced the decision. During our visit, the Rapida 106 was operated by a young woman, and this fulfills two requirements that we like - 'Young' and 'Women' - a great combination and good for the future.

German language / Multiple subtitles subtitles (including German and English). Die Grafikindustrie muss einfach mehr Anreize schaffen.“ Die Worte stammen von CEO Hans-Jürgen Geiß und handeln davon, wie wir unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen besser vermarkten sollten - sowohl um mehr Kunden zu gewinnen als auch um attraktiv für zukünftige Mitarbeiter zu sein. Dies ist die zweite Station unserer Always On DACH Tour - zusammen mit Koenig & Bauer, und in diesem Film besuchen wir das Druckhaus Bechstein - etwa 40 Minuten nördlich von Frankfurt am Main. Das familiengeführte Unternehmen ist eine Full-Service-Druckerei, die hochwertige Druckerzeugnisse liefert und zudem Lagerhaltung und Fulfillment anbietet. Hans-Jürgen Geiß spricht über die jüngste Investition des Unternehmens in die Rapida 106, aber auch darüber, ein kleineres kommerzielles Druckunternehmen zu sein, das allem Anschein nach ein sehr solides Geschäft betreibt. Es war ein sehr interessanter Besuch, und wir hoffen, dass Ihnen unser Film gefällt. The Graphics Industry simply needs to create more incentives.” The words come from CEO Hans-Jürgen Geiß and are about how we should market our products and services better - both to get more customers and also to be attractive to future employees. This is the second of our Always On DACH Tour - together with Koenig & Bauer, and we are in this film visiting Druckhaus Bechstein - about 40 minutes north of Frankfurt am Main. The family-owned company is a full-service commercial printer, delivering high-quality printed products along with also warehousing and fulfillment. Hans-Jürgen Geiß speaks about the company’s recent investment in the Rapida 106, but also about being a smaller commercial printing company that by all means seems to have a super sound business. It was a very interesting visit, and we hope you like our film. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-j%C3%BCrgen-gei%C3%9F-5a9736131/

The KAMA ProCut76 is an amazing machine, and in the interview soon to be published on INKISH, the founder of Studio on Fire, Ben Levitz, explains how and why the KAMA ProCut76 is a game changer for the company - but in this film, we take the operators perspective. How easy is the ProCut to use, and what makes it stand out from similar machines in the market. Eric Ryan operates the ProCut76 and explains to Editor Morten B. Reitoft how it's used - and I am sure you will understand well - so sit back and enjoy!

German language / German and English subtitles “Ich erinnere mich an die schönen Zeiten, als ich als Kind in der Druckerei gespielt habe”, sagt Silvia Onkel - CEO Offsetdruck Ockel. Als es Zeit für die nächste Generation war, wussten meine Eltern immer, dass sie hofften, mein Bruder und ich würden die gleiche Begeisterung für den Druck empfinden, wie sie es taten, und heute liebt Silvia Ockel den Druck. Und das sieht man. Offsetdruck Ockel produziert jedes Jahr einen Kalender, und der Kalender dieses Jahres ist nicht nur schön gestaltet und gedruckt, sondern verwendet auch Bilder von einer anderen Leidenschaft von Silvia Ockel – nämlich Afrika. Treue Kunden und ein starker Fokus auf Nachhaltigkeit sind einige der Erfolgsfaktoren, aber auch Investitionen in Technologie, die für die Ockels wichtig sind, konzentrieren sich auf eine neue Koenig & Bauer 5-farben Rapida 106, aber auch auf Bindegeräte von Müller Martini, MBO, Stahl und anderen. Offsetdruck Ockel liefert hohe Qualität und hat viele Kunden in der Flugzeugindustrie, was dem Unternehmen direkten Zugang zu Lieferungen am Flughafen verschafft hat – was es sowohl für die Kunden als auch für Offsetdruck Ockel bequem macht. In den kommenden Wochen werden wir Sie auf eine Tour mit anderen Druckunternehmen mitnehmen – von verschiedenen Größen und Typen, um Ihnen die Vielfalt der Druckindustrie in Deutschland heutzutage zu zeigen. Koenig & Bauer hat das Projekt gesponsert, hat sich aber nicht in den Inhalt, die Fragen oder sonstiges eingemischt. Sie haben uns bei INKISH geholfen, die Fragezeichen im Film in korrektes Deutsch zu korrigieren. Bis bald zur nächsten Geschichte! "I remember the good times I played in the printing plant as a child." When it was time for the next generation, I know my parents always hoped that me and my brother would have the same emotions for print as they did, and today, Silvia Ockel loves print. And you see it. Offsetdruck Ockel produces a calendar every year, and this year's calendar is not just designed and printed beautifully but uses images from another passion Silvia Ockel has - namely, Africa. Loyal customers and a strong focus on sustainability are a few of the parameters of success, but also investing in technology, that for Ockels matter is centered around a new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106X but also binding equipment from Müller Martini, Stahl, and others. Offsetdruck Ockel delivers high quality and has many customers in the airline industry, which has given the company direct access to deliveries in the airport - making it convenient for both the customers and for Offsetdruck Ockel. In the following weeks, we will take you on a tour with other printing companies - of different sizes and types to show you the diversity of the printing industry in Germany these days. Koenig & Bauer has sponsored the project but has not interfered with the content, questions, or anything else. They have helped us at INKISH to correct the question signs in the film into proper German. See you soon for the next story!"

In the North West of The Netherlands, you will find an exciting company called Fotofabriek, which we covered a few months ago. Fotofabriek produces photo and personalized products, as you can hear from the name. Still, they also have a very comprehensive IT department that has developed a platform called Instant Design Tool. The tool enables customers to create print designs, and as Carmen Martina explains in this film, the software is a freemium version that allows customers to test before buying. The software output (PDF or PNG) can be printed with any printer, or you can route your work to Fotofabriek - super interesting and worth checking out!

We often say it, and we always mean it. Seeing so many different printing companies, that within their domains are successful is simply great. This time, we visit Fireball Studio in an area of Philadelphia, where the owner, Paul Yararone, tells us that drugs are sold just a few blocks away. However, he also tells about how streets close down traffic to celebrate local art festivals, where both his business and life partner are active. Customers are artists, schools, non-profits, and normal business customers. Despite the company's size, investments range from self-developed Apple Filemaker software to a new Canon iX-3200 Inkjet printer. Motivated staff, even a company turtle, is part of what makes the company stand out, great, and an inspiration to visit. To manage a small business with so many orders, Fireball depends on software. Filemaker for the front end, Enfocus Switch for data routing, and our Canadian friends from Ultimate TechnoGraphics deliver the secret sauce, pushing files and orders to the printer. It is a super company, producing super products and a super setup with motivated staff and owners that kick buts to grow their business - and I for sure hope to be back, expecting further integrations and utilization of Impostrip even more - of course :-) Thanks - wonderful company you have! LinkedIn Profiles: Paul Yavarone https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-yavarone-774887168/ Catherine Dentino https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-dentino-b9829389/

It doesn't happen SO often that INKISH makes films in our backyard, but it's so nice when it happens. The first INKISH film was ALSO from Lasertryk in Denmark, but many things have changed. Back then, Xerox iGens were the workhorses of the time - now you see HP Indigo, the Canon iX3200, and, of course, the two Heidelberg XL106 - and a tonne of binding and finishing equipment. In this film, Production Manager Morten Jespersen explains how the IX3200 fits into the production and when they choose to work with either of the technologies available. Great to be back, and it is always fun to see how companies develop with a combination of focused people and the right investments! Here you can see the first INKISH film ever - also from Lasertryk :-)

In this interview we talk to one of the owners of Realisaprint.com, Rafael Mari. Realisaprint delivers online print in France, North Italy, and Spain, with plans for even more countries. The entirely digital company decided to become a launch customer with Ricoh on their new Pro Z75 inkjet printer. In this interview, we discuss digital print, finishing, and how Realisaprint came to the Pro Z75 decision.

Nothing like friendly competition between the UK, Germany, and France being the most important markets for Ricoh in Europe - and seriously, all markets are important :-) In this interview with Jean-Manuel Jenn from Ricoh France, we learn more about Ricoh and how the market develops. Enjoy!

In the Ricoh PRO Z75 launch introduction, Sander Sondaal talks about partnerships and how important it is. Rafael Mari - one of the two founders of Realisaprint, joins the conversation and confirms how important a partnership is - and - well, listen and learn!

Today, Ricoh officially launched the new PRO Z75 to the market - a B2+ size water-based Inkjet printer. An amazing machine focusing on the Commercial print space, but with its print on substrates up to 600 microns, is also interesting for packaging printers. With 1200 x 1200 DPI and the ability to print up to 4500 sheets an hour, Ricoh has taken a huge step into the cut-sheet market with a machine that can compete with offset and toner-based printing. In this walkthrough, Sander Sondaal gives you an idea about how the machine has been built up and works - also with space for expansion in the future. All-in-all a super nice introduction to the PRO Z75. Thank you for having INKISH on-site with Realisaprint in Contes to learn and document :-)

Always interesting to understand a technology about the market it addresses - and in this interview, we ask whether the Pro Z75 addresses the existing toner market, the competition in the inkjet space, or even the offset space. Listen to Sander Sondaal to learn his perspective on this :-)