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Selling Premium Technology in China · Henry Cheng · Durst China · All in Print 2026

China is one of the world's most competitive markets for digital printing technology, and selling premium European equipment requires more than demonstrating impressive specifications. At All in Print China in Shanghai, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft speaks with Henry Cheng, Managing Director of Durst China, about building a market for high-end digital printing solutions. Cheng explains how Durst positions itself at the premium end of the market, where production consistency, high speeds, reliability, and automation must justify a significantly higher investment than many locally manufactured alternatives. When Durst entered the Chinese digital label market in 2020, convincing customers to invest required patience, extensive communication, and proof of the technology's capabilities. Today, with more than 30 installations, Cheng sees how successful early adopters and word-of-mouth recommendations are helping establish confidence in the brand. Interestingly, Durst's first Chinese customer in this segment was not a traditional label converter but a sticker producer exporting to Japan, demonstrating the importance of identifying applications beyond established market segments. Competition is also changing rapidly. Alongside established European manufacturers, Chinese digital press suppliers have made significant technological progress, creating an increasingly demanding competitive environment. The conversation also explores Durst's Kyveris concept and its potential for lights-out production. Cheng believes the vision is highly relevant to China's manufacturing ambitions, but emphasizes that successful implementation requires adapting technology and workflows to local market requirements. An insightful conversation about premium technology, customer trust, localization, and the realities of competing in one of the world's fastest-developing printing markets.
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From Labels to Flexible Packaging · Spring Xu, WEIGANG · All in Print China 2026

Chinese printing equipment manufacturers are increasingly competing on technology, quality, and innovation rather than price alone. At All in Print China in Shanghai, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft meets Spring Xu from WEIGANG to discuss the company's international growth and its expanding portfolio of printing and converting solutions. Originally focused on narrow-web label production, WEIGANG is now moving further into flexible packaging and folding cartons. At the exhibition, the company introduces its new 920 mm rotary offset press, designed to handle everything from 12-micron PET films to 400 gsm carton board. Combining offset quality with flexo, cold stamping, and other production capabilities, the machine targets a market increasingly interested in shorter runs, lower production costs, and greater efficiency. Spring Xu also addresses one of the traditional concerns about Chinese equipment: reliability and service. With more than 85% of mechanical components manufactured in-house, a global service organization of over 150 people, and plans to establish a European service center in Portugal in 2027, WEIGANG is investing in supporting customers beyond the initial machine purchase. The conversation explores automation, Industry 4.0 connectivity, international market differences, and the challenges of finding skilled operators. Spring Xu also demonstrates applications produced on WEIGANG's offset and flexo equipment, illustrating the company's ambition to offer complete solutions covering printing, embellishment, and converting. An interesting conversation about how Chinese manufacturers are developing their technology, strengthening their international presence, and challenging established perceptions of what Chinese printing equipment can deliver.
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Automated Quality Is the Advantage · Thomas Macina · Durst · All in Print China 2026

China is one of the world's largest printing markets, and for Durst, it represents both enormous opportunities and increasingly strong competition. At All in Print China in Shanghai, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft meets Thomas Macina, Sales Director Labels & Flexible Packaging at Durst Group, to discuss the importance of the Chinese market, changing customer expectations, and how Durst differentiates itself from increasingly capable local manufacturers. For Macina, competing in China is not about offering the lowest price. It is about innovation, productivity, sustainability, and, perhaps most importantly, automated quality. Brand owners expect consistent results regardless of operators, shifts, or production dates, and Durst believes its technology can deliver precisely that. The conversation also explores Durst's growing installed base in China, the introduction of its new Tau G3 technology to the Chinese market, and the recently announced acquisition of MPS. While flexographic printing is highly competitive in China, Macina explains that Durst's immediate priority is ensuring continuity and strengthening the MPS operation before considering further international expansion. Beyond technology, Macina emphasizes something equally important: listening to customers. With frequent visits to China and other international markets, he believes that understanding customers firsthand is essential for developing solutions that remain relevant. An engaging conversation about competing in China, the value of automation, and why staying close to customers remains central to Durst's strategy for the future.
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Virag Patel · ePac & Fujifilm FP790: Expanding Digital Packaging · PACK EXPO Chicago

At PACK EXPO in Chicago, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft meets Virag Patel, Co-Founder and CEO of ePac Flexible Packaging, following the announcement of a global strategic partnership with Fujifilm and the introduction of the Jet Press FP790 into ePac's production platform.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, ePac has grown from a single facility in Madison, Wisconsin, into an international digital flexible packaging company. Patel reflects on the journey, the importance of taking risks, and how a willingness to experiment with new technologies has become an essential part of ePac's culture. Innovation sometimes involves failure, but according to Patel, learning from those experiences is what allows a company to continue growing.

The decision to invest in Fujifilm's FP790 follows nearly two years of evaluation and represents an expansion rather than a replacement of ePac's existing HP Indigo technology. Patel explains why having multiple technologies available creates opportunities to serve different market segments, support customers as their businesses grow, and explore applications that were previously outside ePac's reach.

The conversation also addresses the majority investment by Butterfly Equity and how access to capital, combined with financial discipline, can support the company's next phase of expansion. Equally important is ePac's highly automated workflow and scalable production model, which have enabled the business to serve thousands of customers across different geographical markets.

Looking ahead, Patel sees opportunities beyond ePac's traditional flexible packaging applications, including new product categories such as labels, sleeves, and other packaging formats. For him, printing technology is ultimately a vehicle for reaching new markets, rather than an end in itself.

An interesting conversation about entrepreneurship, calculated risks, strategic partnerships, and why ePac believes the next decade could offer even greater opportunities than the first.
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Don Schroeder · Fujifilm FP790: Digital Printing and Flexo Working Side by Side · PACK EXPO Chicago

At PACK EXPO in Chicago, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft meets Don Schroeder from Fujifilm to discuss the growing opportunities for digital printing in flexible packaging and how the Fujifilm Jet Press FP790 is designed to complement rather than replace conventional flexographic printing.

Schroeder has been involved with the FP790 since its early development stages in 2021, working closely with Fujifilm's R&D team in Tokyo to refine the technology, improve ink performance, and prepare the press for commercial production. Today, the water-based inkjet press offers packaging converters an opportunity to address changing market demands, including shorter runs, a growing number of SKUs, sustainability requirements, and greater production flexibility.

An important part of the conversation is the relationship between digital and conventional printing. According to Schroeder, the FP790 is not intended to replace flexo but to work alongside it, allowing converters to select the most efficient technology for each job. With its wide color gamut, consistent production speed of 50 meters per minute, and aqueous ink technology, the FP790 brings new possibilities to an industry undergoing significant transformation.

The discussion also explores why Fujifilm is exhibiting at PACK EXPO, a show traditionally focused on packaging machinery rather than printing technology, and why closer relationships with brand owners, converters, and technology partners are becoming increasingly important.

An interesting conversation about digital transformation, sustainability, and how the future of flexible packaging may depend less on choosing between technologies and more on making them work together.
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Gregory Horney · Fujifilm FP790: The Economics of Digital Packaging · PACK EXPO Chicago

At PACK EXPO in Chicago, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft meets Gregory Horney from Fujifilm to discuss why digital printing is becoming increasingly attractive to flexible packaging converters, even in an industry traditionally considered conservative and heavily invested in conventional printing technologies.

The conversation focuses on the Fujifilm Jet Press FP790 and the business opportunities it creates beyond simply replacing analog production. While flexographic presses offer impressive production speeds, digital printing brings advantages in uptime, consistency, reduced setup costs, and the elimination of plates and other consumables. According to Horney, these benefits can fundamentally change the economics of packaging production, particularly as brands increasingly demand shorter runs, seasonal variations, and more SKUs.

Drawing on his experience working with converters, Horney explains how digital printing can help businesses reduce inventory, free up capacity on existing flexo presses, respond faster to changing customer requirements, and even create opportunities for new business models. The discussion also addresses the importance of water-based inks, food packaging requirements, and the ability to handle short, medium, and longer production runs.

With Quantum Flex Pack serving as an important early US customer and European installations helping demonstrate the technology's potential, Fujifilm is now expanding its presence in the American flexible packaging market.

An interesting conversation about why digital transformation in packaging is not necessarily about replacing existing technology, but about improving profitability, increasing flexibility, and giving converters new opportunities to grow.
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Tony Aquino · Fujifilm FP790: ePac Flexibles Invests in Inkjet · PACK EXPO Chicago

At PACK EXPO in Chicago, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft meets Tony Aquino, Vice President of Sales at Fujifilm North America, for an important announcement: ePac Flexible Packaging, one of the most recognized names in digital flexible packaging, has decided to invest in Fujifilm's Jet Press FP790.

For Fujifilm, the announcement represents a significant milestone in bringing its water-based inkjet technology to the North American packaging market. Following successful installations in Europe and growing interest in the technology, the decision by an established digital packaging producer like ePac provides important validation of the FP790's capabilities and commercial potential.

Aquino explains why ePac's decision is particularly interesting. Already operating an extensive digital printing infrastructure, ePac sees opportunities to expand its business by combining existing technologies with the FP790. Rather than replacing current equipment, the Fujifilm press introduces additional capabilities, potentially opening new markets, applications, and business opportunities.

The conversation also explores the growing importance of sustainability, food-safe packaging, water-based inks, and the regulatory developments influencing technology investments on both sides of the Atlantic. Aquino explains why purchasing a digital packaging press involves much more than printing technology alone, with lamination, coating, pouch production, and the overall manufacturing workflow playing essential roles.

With ePac now joining Fujifilm's growing customer base, the announcement could mark an important step in the adoption of industrial inkjet printing for flexible packaging in North America.

An interesting conversation about technology, business development, and why one of the industry's established digital packaging producers is choosing to expand its capabilities with another digital printing platform.
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Taku Ueno · General Manager · Fujifilm FP790 & ePac: A Global Inkjet Partnership · PACK EXPO Chicago

At PACK EXPO in Chicago, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft meets General Manager, Digital Printing, Graphic Communications Department, Taku Ueno from Fujifilm following the announcement of a strategic partnership between Fujifilm and ePac Flexible Packaging, marking an important milestone for the adoption of water-based inkjet technology in flexible packaging.

Fujifilm has been investing in inkjet technology for more than two decades, developing everything from printheads and inks to complete industrial printing systems. Ueno explains how the company's combination of internal innovation, acquisitions, and technology partnerships has helped establish its position in the market. Developing the Jet Press FP790 required years of research, particularly to overcome the technical challenges of printing water-based inks onto plastic substrates.

The agreement with ePac is especially significant. As one of the world's leading digital flexible packaging producers, ePac has built its business around digital printing, and the decision to introduce the FP790 represents an opportunity to expand its capabilities rather than simply replace existing technology. Ueno reveals that ePac had been a target customer from the beginning of the FP790 project and that reaching this agreement involved nearly two years of discussions and development.

The conversation also explores the international ambitions behind the partnership. While the immediate priority is ensuring a successful first installation, both companies see opportunities to expand the technology across ePac's global production network. Ueno emphasizes that getting the first installation right is essential before taking the next steps.

An interesting conversation about long-term technology investment, the challenges of innovation, and why Fujifilm's partnership with ePac could be a significant milestone in the digital transformation of flexible packaging.
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Parag Patel · ePac & Fujifilm FP790: Scaling Digital Packaging · PACK EXPO Chicago

At PACK EXPO in Chicago, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft meets Parag Patel, President of Technical Services at ePac Flexible Packaging, following the announcement of a global strategic partnership with Fujifilm and the introduction of the Jet Press FP790 into ePac's production platform.

In just ten years, ePac has grown from a single production facility in Wisconsin into an international digital flexible packaging business serving thousands of customers across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Patel explains how the company's unique "plant in a box" concept has enabled rapid international expansion through standardized production technology, integrated software, and a decentralized management structure that allows local teams to adapt to their markets.

The conversation explores how ePac has demonstrated that digital flexible packaging can be a profitable and scalable business model. From micro-businesses in Indonesia to larger brands in the United States, ePac has built its success around serving customers with different requirements while maintaining a consistent production platform.

The decision to introduce Fujifilm's FP790 is another step in that development. Rather than replacing its existing HP Indigo technology, ePac sees the water-based inkjet press as a complementary solution that can expand production capabilities, support larger customers, and create new opportunities for growth. Patel also discusses the company's majority investment by Butterfly Equity, the capital-intensive nature of the business, and why continued investments in technology and people remain essential.

Sustainability is another important topic. Patel explains why ePac is investing in recyclable packaging solutions and material flexibility, preparing for changing customer demands and environmental requirements across different markets.

Despite its impressive international growth, Patel believes ePac is still far from reaching its potential. With the global flexible packaging market offering enormous opportunities, the combination of established digital technology, new inkjet capabilities, and a scalable business model could take the company considerably further.

An interesting conversation about entrepreneurship, global expansion, technology partnerships, and why continuous innovation is essential, even for a company that has already helped transform its industry.
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Universitätsdruckerei Klampfer investiers in Heidelberg Jetfire 50 · Daniela & Robert Klampfer

Founded by Daniela Klampfer. grandfather in 1947, Klampfer Universitätsdruckerei has evolved from a traditional commercial printing company into a business in which offset, inkjet, packaging, finishing, and increasingly personalized print work together. In this Perspective, we hear how the company has changed with the market. Commercial print has become more challenging; run lengths are declining; customers expect faster turnaround and more individual products, while packaging and sophisticated finishing continue to grow. Investments in die-cutting, hot foil, embossing, folding carton production, and the HEIDELBERG Jetfire are therefore not isolated decisions but parts of a broader strategy to keep more value creation in-house and expand what Klampfer can offer its customers. The Jetfire also represents an interesting view of where print is heading. Klampfer does not see inkjet simply replacing offset. Instead, the twoX technologies increasingly complement each other: offset remains important for volume, while inkjet brings speed, shorter runs, personalization, and flexibility. And as print runs become smaller, the expectation for premium finishing certainly does not disappear. For Klampfer, technology matters — but so do relationships, service, and people. That applies to its customers, its employees, and its long-standing relationship with HEIDELBERG. Watch the Perspective from Klampfer Universitätsdruckerei and get an interesting view into how a family-owned printing company is adapting its production for the future.
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Automation, Inkjet and People — How Intermountain Health Produces Print · Dan Duersch & Simon Ortiz

Intermountain Health isn't a printing company. It's an integrated healthcare network operating across Montana, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada — but within the organization sits a highly sophisticated print operation that produces everything from patient education materials to insurance, transactional, and member communications. With a team of just 17 caregivers, the operation combines high-volume inkjet, toner production, nearline finishing, redundancy, and increasingly automated workflows. But technology isn't the starting point. The team first asks what the organization needs, what should be produced internally, and only then decides which technology is the right tool for the job. And the economics are different. As an internal cost center, the objective isn't to maximize profit but to deliver the right quality, capacity, turnaround time, and cost while supporting an organization whose primary mission is treating patients. Investments are therefore measured by return, utilization, reliability, and the value they create for the wider healthcare system. After previously experiencing turnaround times of three to four weeks, investments in people, processes, inkjet, Tecnau finishing, and additional capacity have helped Intermountain Health bring production consistently down to just two to three days. In this INKISH film, we discuss automation, redundancy, equipment decisions, the importance of experienced operators, and why, even with increasingly advanced technology, the people running the equipment remain absolutely essential. And perhaps even more interestingly, Intermountain Health is now considering how its print infrastructure could potentially support other nonprofits and healthcare organizations — extending the value of its operation beyond its own network.
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Emballage Mega Packaging — The Risk Creating Capacity for Growth · Marco Macri & Marcus Guilding

Emballage Mega Packaging was founded in Montreal in 1991 by a family — and more than three decades later, that family feeling still defines the company. Specializing almost entirely in folding cartons, Emballage Mega Packaging handles printing, die-cutting, gluing, window patching, laminating, and more in-house. But the owners believe that sustainable growth depends on more than equipment. Great employees, great customers, and great suppliers are the three pillars they believe make a successful business. That philosophy also influences which customers they work with. Rather than chasing growth at any cost, Emballage Mega Packaging looks for customers with similar values and grows alongside them — protecting the service and relationships that have been built over many years. The same thinking played an important role when Emballage Mega Packaging made one of the biggest investment decisions in its history. After working with the same press manufacturer for 32 years, moving to Koenig & Bauer was not an obvious decision. It meant leaving behind something familiar and taking a significant financial risk. But after studying the new press's technology, productivity, service, and capabilities, Emballage Mega Packaging decided it was the right move. The result came quickly. Previously, two presses produced around 120–130 hours per week, and Emballage Mega Packaging was consistently operating close to capacity. With the new Koenig & Bauer press, production initially dropped to around 100 hours, and today sits at around 80 hours per week — despite increased business. The six-color hybrid press with coating, UV capabilities, and extended delivery also means work can move faster from printing directly into die-cutting and finishing. But growth doesn't stop with the press. Emballage Mega Packaging is adding die-cutting and gluing capacity and implementing a new ERP system to improve traceability, organization, and productivity throughout the company. In this INKISH film, we meet Emballage Mega Packaging and hear a very personal story about family, employees, customers, suppliers, technology, and why sometimes growth requires leaving behind what you've known for decades and taking a calculated risk. Because in business, not every investment works from day one. But sometimes — it actually does.
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The Bernard Group — Technology Should Make People Better, Not Replace Them

The Bernard Group is far more than a printing company. From large-format and online print to design, engineering, prototyping, plastics, millwork, assembly, fulfillment, and distribution, the employee-owned company has built an operation around one fundamental idea: serve the customer — and give people the tools and authority to do it exceptionally well. Technology and automation play an increasingly important role, but not as replacements for people. At The Bernard Group, the objective is to remove repetitive tasks and complexity so skilled employees can spend more time doing what they do best. That philosophy also extends to the company's relationships with suppliers. Rather than simply buying equipment, The Bernard Group seeks strategic partnerships in which both parties can learn, develop, and solve problems together. A great example is its relationship with AGFA. When changing customer requirements exposed limitations in color reproduction, the teams didn't simply accept what the machines could deliver. The Bernard Group analyzed actual ink consumption, questioned the existing ink configuration, and worked directly with AGFA's engineers to develop a new configuration — replacing part of the cyan capacity with light magenta while simultaneously improving other aspects of print quality. It's a fascinating example of what happens when a printer, its operators, color specialists, management, and an OEM work together around the same problem. And improvement never really stops. With four high-volume systems running up to 24 hours a day, The Bernard Group continually follows the bottleneck — from prepress to printing, cutting, kitting, and shipping — using technology, data, and experience to dynamically increase capacity where it's needed. In this INKISH film, we visit The Bernard Group and talk about employee ownership, culture, automation, color, continuous improvement, strategic vendor relationships, and why the smartest technology investments are ultimately about getting more from the people who use them.
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Print Is Dead? Only If You Stop Reinventing Yourself · Primary Color · Dan Hirt – President

Friends still ask Primary Color CEO Dan Hirt whether he is really still in printing. After all, haven't we been hearing for decades that print is dead? For Hirt, the answer is much more interesting than simply yes or no. Printing runs deep in his family. His father's uncle worked in stone lithography in Nice, France, producing those wonderfully colorful tourist postcards made from black-and-white photographs and hand-coloring. His parents later moved from Switzerland to South Africa, where they established a successful printing company. Dan and his brother returned to Switzerland to complete apprenticeships in the graphic industry before the family eventually reunited in California. Primary Color started in prepress, at a time when prepress could be an extremely profitable business. But Hirt could see what had happened to typesetters and realized that prepress alone wouldn't last forever. So the company moved into printing. Then print changed. The dot-com boom shifted marketing budgets online. Run lengths became shorter. Traditional print volumes declined. And rather than waiting for everything to return to what it had once been, Primary Color continued changing with its customers. Today, Hirt says they hardly describe themselves simply as a printing company. Primary Color works with design, structural engineering, wood and metal fabrication, temporary and permanent displays, retail, events, and much more — with print becoming one component of a much larger solution. Technology follows the same philosophy. A Heidelberg perfecting press addresses longer-run offset work, while the Landa covers the range from one to the thousands. In large format, Primary Color has worked extensively with Agfa technology and continues investing as quality, productivity, automation, and customer requirements evolve. Operating in California also means that efficiency isn't optional. Equipment has to deliver more output in less space and, increasingly, with fewer people — particularly as experienced offset operators retire and become harder to replace. But perhaps the most important message in this INKISH film isn't about any particular machine. It's about accepting that yesterday isn't coming back. Customers probably aren't suddenly going to start ordering all those brochures again. Markets change. Marketing changes. Technology changes. And Hirt believes the job of a CEO is to keep a finger on the customer's pulse, understand what's happening inside the factory, know what technology is becoming available — and constantly connect those three things. Because print isn't dead. But waiting for the past to return might be.
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Andrea Albanese · From One Copy to Thousands — Automation Driving Production · Pixartprinting

Books and magazines are an important part of Pixartprinting’s business, and with around 1,000 different orders moving through production every day, automation isn’t simply an advantage — it’s essential. At Pixartprinting, production starts from just one copy, putting enormous demands on workflow integration, reliability, changeover times, and waste reduction. Two Canon ProStream presses form part of the production setup, combined with Müller Martini finishing solutions in both nearline and inline configurations. The latest GEN8 roll-to-stack solution can process a wide variety of formats and substrates at speeds of up to 160 meters per minute, while an inline installation connected to a ProStream 3000 uses buffering to enable automatic changeovers without stopping production. The flexibility is impressive. Pixartprinting can change between seven or eight different substrates every day, covering weights from around 100 to 250 gsm, while keeping production efficient and predictable. But the machines are only part of the story. Pixartprinting has built a highly automated digital workflow connecting its production equipment and enabling thousands of individual jobs to move through the factory with minimal manual intervention. Being part of the Cimpress family also creates opportunities for production sharing between plants and brands when products and capabilities overlap. Sustainability plays an equally important role. Since 2018, Pixartprinting has operated using renewable energy sources and recycles almost 90% of its production waste. When producing single-copy products, avoiding waste becomes both an economic and environmental necessity. In this film, we take a closer look at the thinking behind Pixartprinting’s book and magazine production, its partnership with Müller Martini, and why increasing product complexity will make automation, digitalization, and inline production even more important in the years ahead. Enjoy!
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You Have to Jump the River — Prima IP Goes All-In on Digital Print · Primož Štrumbelj · CEO

Sometimes transformation requires more than taking small steps. As Primož Štrumbelj from Prima IP puts it: if you want to cross a river, you have to jump all the way to the other side. That philosophy says a lot about Prima IP. Located just outside Ljubljana, Slovenia, the family-owned company has undergone dramatic transformation over the years. What started with traditional screen and offset printing has today become an almost entirely digital operation, covering dye-sublimation, textile printing, large-format — and now industrial digital book production. Primož describes himself as a technology enthusiast, and that curiosity has clearly influenced the company's development. But as he emphasizes in our conversation, technology alone doesn't create success. The people who operate it, develop the business, and work with customers are equally important. The latest major step was Prima IP's investment in an HP PageWide Advantage 2200, along with automated Hunkeler and Müller Martini finishing technology. Going from cut-sheet digital production to a high-capacity roll-fed inkjet platform wasn't simply another equipment purchase — it represented an entirely new production philosophy. And there was no halfway solution. With the investment, Prima IP can address the growing demand from Slovenian publishers for shorter and medium-sized book runs, while producing everything from softcover and wire-bound products to sewn and hardcover books. For many publishers, Primož explains, seeing the production environment changes their perception of digital print. What was once considered a compromise compared with offset has developed into highly automated industrial production capable of delivering excellent quality, short runs, variable products and increasingly personalized applications. And personalization is exactly where Primož sees some of the biggest opportunities ahead. Combining data, AI, digital printing and automated finishing could enable everything from personalized books and notebooks to highly targeted printed communication. At the same time, Prima IP is developing its own products while serving as a white-label production partner. The river was big. Prima IP jumped. And the journey has only just started.
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The Machines Are the Easy Part — People Make the Difference at Prima IP · Alenka Volk

Ten years ago, Alenka Volk joined Prima IP with a background that had very little to do with printing. She was a lawyer. Today, she is a Managing Director and co-owner of the Ljubljana-based printing company - and can comfortably discuss workflows, drying technology, digital printing, and the daily challenges of running a modern print operation. But her primary responsibility remains people, HR, contracts and the organizational side of the business, complementing Primož Štrumbelj’s commercial and technology focus. And people are particularly important at Prima IP. The company has official status as an invalidsko podjetje — a Slovenian company employing people with disabilities — and Alenka explains that around half of its employees have this status. But rather than separating people into simple or repetitive jobs, Prima IP integrates employees throughout the workflow and production environment. For Alenka, that is fundamental to the company's success. Buying technology is relatively easy. It is the people who operate it, solve problems, develop products, and take responsibility who ultimately make the difference. In our conversation, we also discuss Prima IP's decision to move strongly into digital book production. The company saw an increasingly familiar development in publishing: print runs getting shorter while the number of individual orders continued to increase. For Prima IP, industrial digital printing became the logical response. But identifying an opportunity is only the beginning. Major investments require technology decisions, financing, convincing banks that the business case works in a relatively small Slovenian market — and convincing the people inside the company that the direction is right. Today, those investments are on the production floor, Prima IP is growing its position in digital book production, and Alenka has a very clear ambition for what comes next: When you think about books in Slovenia, she wants you to think Prima Book.
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Canon Colorstream is a game changer for Bidvest Data · Dean Van Der Speck · Production Manager

Near the airport, you find a company called Bidvest Data, and, as the name suggests, it's not just print. The company still does transactional print and manages data on behalf of clients, but as postal services in South Africa changed, the company moved into producing true Omnichannel products, where Bidvest Data produces print and various types of landing pages, and interacts with users via WhatsApp and more. Bidvest Data also moved more and more into book production and recently invested in a Canon Colorstream 8000 to complement both toner-based equipment and older, still-used equipment, like the OCÉ Jetstream 2000. Currently, the investments are in more binding capacity as they aim to sell more - many more books :-) Great visiting Bidvest Data on a cancellation of another visit, so also a warm thank you to Lee-Ann Saunders from Canon to introduce us to both Dean and Kim from Bidvest - a super great day :-)
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Print is Back — and Books are Changing at Bidvest Data · Kim Farinha · Sales Manager

At Bidvest Data outside Cape Town, books are an important part of the business — and for Kim, selling them is about much more than price. Publishers expect competitive pricing, excellent quality and increasingly fast turnaround times. Digital print has changed those expectations dramatically, but it has also created new opportunities. With Canon ColorStream inkjet technology, Bidvest Data can produce short runs efficiently and offer affordable colour printing while maintaining the quality customers expect. Today, typical book orders may start around 50 copies, but the direction is clear. Book-of-one production, fulfilment and direct distribution could become an increasingly important part of the business, allowing publishers to reduce inventory, lower financial risk and sell titles without having hundreds or thousands of copies sitting in a warehouse. Bidvest Data already serves customers beyond South Africa, shipping into Sub-Saharan Africa as well as international markets including North America. The ambition is to make the company an increasingly complete partner — printing, fulfilling and ultimately delivering books directly to the customer. And while technology continues to develop, some traditions remain. Hardcover books at Bidvest Data are still case-made largely by hand. It may sound old-school compared with highly automated book factories elsewhere in the world, but Kim explains that the craftsmanship and resulting quality are exactly what bring customers back. After many years in the printing industry, Kim has seen enormous technological change, particularly with inkjet. Colour quality, productivity and economics have reached a point where completely new business models are possible. Her outlook for the future is equally clear: Print is not disappearing. Print is back — and here to stay.
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CERM Enables Better Data which helps with Better Decisions · Gareth Boyd · Blue Label Packaging

At Blue Label Packaging, technology is important—but people, partnerships, and the ability to use data intelligently are what really make the difference. In this film, Morten B. Reitoft talks to Gareth Boyd, Director of Finance at Blue Label Packaging, about how the company uses technology, data, and strong partnerships to continuously improve its business. Blue Label has grown from its roots in craft beer labels into a much broader label business serving breweries, wineries, spirits, specialty foods, and brands found on shelves across the US. Along the way, the company has built an impressive technology platform that combines HP digital printing, ABG finishing, and CERM, with CERM serving as the software backbone connecting production, administration, customer data, and increasingly sophisticated reporting. For Gareth Boyd, the financial perspective goes far beyond traditional accounting. Live shop-floor information, consumptions, clockings, sales figures, production data, and customer information flow through CERM and into Power BI, giving him and the management team an almost immediate view of what is happening throughout the business. That visibility also changes process improvement. Instead of implementing a change and waiting months to determine whether it worked, Blue Label can see the impact in the numbers almost immediately. Different departments can build reporting around exactly the information they need—from marketing and sales to production, operations, and finance. But the story is also about something less measurable: partnership. Gareth describes CERM as a company willing to listen, customize, connect old and new technology, and develop solutions when a customer requirement doesn’t fit neatly into an existing box. Over the years, CERM has evolved from essentially being the system where orders were placed into something Blue Label simply cannot imagine operating without. And perhaps that philosophy reflects Blue Label itself. Quality and delivery are expected. What differentiates a company is how it responds when something doesn’t go exactly as planned—whether someone answers the phone, solves the problem, and continues investing in the relationship. Technology, live data, process improvement, culture, and people all come together in this conversation with Gareth Boyd—a fascinating insight into how Blue Label Packaging continues to develop its business with a long-term perspective.
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