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Digital Embellishment, Design, & Dogs: A Live Chat with Xerox’s Kelly Leahy | Taktiful Tuesdays #16

In this special live episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, we're coming straight from the Xerox Partner Summit in Las Vegas. I sat down with my longtime friend and Xerox legend Kelly Leahy—Senior Global Product Marketing Manager—to talk about everything from digital embellishment trends and the Genesis Initiative to the psychology of print, AI in design, and how print service providers can better educate their customers. We also dive into career growth, continuous learning, baseball tournaments, and dogs. If you're curious about where the print industry is headed, how digital embellishments can boost engagement, or just want to hear two print geeks talk shop (and dogs), you’re in the right place.

Andrew Gunn · Director Production Solutions & Enablement, Americas

In this interview with Fujifilm's Andrew Gunn, the viewer will get an understanding of why Fujifilm chooses to use words like 'platforms,' 'disruptive,' and many other far-reaching expressions - and as always, Andrew Gunn understands and defines the business for Fujifilm at a speed beyond most people. Always interesting - thank you, Gunn!

From Pressman to Print Expert: Ken Huizenga’s 40-Year Print Journey | Taktiful Tuesdays Ep 15

In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, we sit down with industry veteran Ken Huizenga, a print production expert with over 40 years of hands-on experience. Ken has seen everything from running sheet-fed presses in the ‘80s to embracing cutting-edge digital print and embellishment technology. We dive into: - How print production has evolved over the decades - The growing demand for faster turnaround times and higher-quality print - The role of digital embellishments in shaping the future of print - The skills modern press operators need to succeed - Why preventative maintenance is key to keeping your press running smoothly And on a fun note, we also talk car racing, whiskey, and the thrill of going fast—on and off the press!

Hideotoshi Toshi ·  General Manager, Graphic Communication, North America

Toshi has been stationed in various parts of the world for years and enjoys learning about different cultures. When asked which country he likes the most, he, after consideration, replies, "Italy." Food and wine rank high for most people liking Italy. Toshi has been the General Manager in North America for 4,5 years, and now he will revert to Japan for a job in Global Marketing - as we discussed at the end of the interview - a lot of work with all the products Fujifilm today delivers. Enjoy!

Mark Hunt · Few days from Retirement · Standard Finishing

Almost 34 years with Standard Finishing, and one of the most influential people in the US printing industry, Mark Hunt, is soon retiring. 68-year-old Hunt looks back on his career in this interview with Editor Morten B. Reitoft, but also forward as he expects to see more of his family. Enjoy!

Michael Poulin · Sr. Manager, Inkjet Solutions · Fujifilm Graphic Communication Division

Michael Poulin has vast experience in Inkjet from his past with Canon and Kyocera - not Sr. Manager, Inkjet Solutions for Fujifilm. At Digital Disruption Reveal, Michael presents the Fujifilm J Press CFG1160 - a continuous-fed inkjet printer where the "g" is short for Graphic. The machine offers many new inventions, and among the brilliant inventions is the Paper Stabilizer that removes the need for pre-treated paper by warming up the paper and cooling it down to production temperature, which results in considerably less stress on the paper when it dries the print. Michael Poulin greatly explains the machine and technology, so dig in and learn!

Ricoh Pro VC80000 + Tecnau Revolution 50-series inline finishing · Tim Taylor & Morten B. Reitoft

The Pro VC80000 is an entirely new generation of high-speed inkjet from Ricoh - wholly built by Ricoh also means that the VC80000 has some major differences compared to previous machines, and that's exactly what we will be talking about in this video. Tim Taylor has worked with high-speed inkjet for over 20 years, but as he said, the VC80000 is the most fantastic machine he has worked on. Smaller footprint, high speed regardless of paper quality, and speaking of quality - simply stunning. Though not entirely the same, the Pro VC80000 has borrowed technology from its sister, the Pro Z75. Tim Taylor also discusses some software suites that make the Pro VC80000 even more efficient. The Pro VC80000 is installed with the new Tecnau Revolution 50-series variable cut-size line. As a visitor, it continuously amazes me how fast the machines are, and the output. Among the samples we looked at were the photos also printed at drupa - and it's difficult not to be astonished that it all is possible. Enjoy!

Christoph Clermont · Printess · leading up to the Online Print Symposium 2025

Clermont knows what he is talking about, and in this interview, we learn about the EU's Accessibility requirements, which will allow even blind people to produce, for example, photo books online. Christoph Clermont is not so nervous about this, as he believes that technical development will help people with disabilities even faster than the legislators can invent "new" legislation. We, of course, ALSO get a chance to talk about his fantastic project, Printess - which he describes as an online version of InDesign. It was great talking to him - enjoy!

Michael Fries · Vista · leading up to the Online Print Symposium 2025

Michael Fries confirms that he has a lot of fun working for one of the World's largest PSPs, namely VISTA. This is the first time any from VISTA is being interviewed on INKISH, and Michael Fries openly answers the questions about the organization, the leadership, the operation, and whau - it could be interesting to see the company from the inside as well. The second best is meeting Michael Fries at The Online Print Symposium 2025 as keynote speaker and guest. Enjoy!

Jeff Mercier · President · BOPI · Re-investing in Koenig & Bauer

Jeff Mercier is the President of BOPI - a commercial printing company in Bloomington, south of Chicago. BOPI is a family-owned company that produces high-end, great-quality commercial print work from brochures, prospects, leaflets, books, and more - and the customers are diverse from local businesses to large nationwide corporates. The company has a lot of printing and post-press equipment, and it's because of their previous acquisition of a Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 that we are visiting BOPI, as they recently acquired an iPress 106 also from Koenig & Bauer. The iPress has been a good investment for BOPI as the machine die-cut faster and better than the previous older solutions, so not only has existing working become more profitable, but it has also opened up for new technology, as BOPI also invested in a folder gluer - also from Koenig & Bauer. Jeff Mercier's father, Tom Mercier, tells us that buying equipment is about relations and trust - and he is very vocal about his experiences during his life as a printer. Executive Vice President Jeff Fritzen, who handle sales, also tell how new equipment leads to more business - as he can show samples, tell customers about new capabilities, and well, BOPI have got a new family member that seems to be a very welcomed member of the BOPI family. Enjoy the film!

Bernd Zipper · Zipcon Consulting · leading up to the Online Print Symposium 2025

The Online Print Symposium has been going on for many years, and as the conference has developed, so has its role. It's about innovative companies and business models, learning from successful companies, and identifying trends. Of course, it's also about more daily things, like legislation and standards. Here, Bernd Zipper talks about everything, and we hope you will enjoy it!

So entwickelt sich Vogtland Kartonagen mit seinem Technologiepartner Koenig & Bauer

English and German subtitles: English Summary: Hagen Sczepanski, owner of Vogtland Kartonagen, fulfilled his dream of entrepreneurship by building a successful packaging company. Initially growing rapidly, he realized this pace negatively impacted employee relations and productivity, prompting a shift toward slower, organic growth. Maintaining close customer relationships, providing honest and flexible solutions, and making thoughtful investment decisions have been central to their success. The company emphasizes comprehensive packaging capabilities, including specialized offset printing, and values long-term partnerships with machinery suppliers like Iberica and Duran, now part of KBA, appreciating their reliability, innovation, and excellent service. German Summary: Hagen Sczepanski, Inhaber von Vogtland Kartonagen, erfüllte sich seinen Traum als selbstständiger Unternehmer mit einem erfolgreichen Verpackungsbetrieb. Nach anfänglichem schnellem Wachstum erkannte er jedoch, dass dies zu Lasten der Mitarbeiterbindung und Effizienz ging, und entschied sich bewusst für ein langsameres, organisches Wachstum. Besonders wichtig sind ihm enge Kundenbeziehungen, flexible Lösungen und sorgfältige Investitionen. Das Unternehmen deckt das gesamte Spektrum der Verpackungsproduktion ab, darunter insbesondere großformatigen Offset-Druck, und setzt auf langfristige Partnerschaften mit Maschinenlieferanten wie Iberica und Duran, heute Teil von KBA, deren Zuverlässigkeit, Innovation und Service geschätzt werden.

Bonus Bonjour · Volker Leonhardt & Andrew Fetherman · Müller Martini · Hunkeler Innovationdays 2025

Just after the already planned Bonjour here on the last day, we got a pleasant surprise as Volker Leonhardt and Andrew Fetherman honored the INKISH team with yet a fantastic opportunity to dig into the leadership of Müller Martini - we hope you enjoy!

Digital With Screen · Tilmann Wild & Ralf Kutschera · August Faller

Entering the production floor at August Faller is a fantastic experience. The floor is utilized to its max, but the mix of technology makes the company stand out. Web-offset, digital inkjet, folding equipment, and robots enable August Faller to produce pharma leaflets to perfection. Pharma is a zero-error industry, and seeing how the flow of a production seamlessly integrates from one segment to the next is excellent. August Faller has invested in Screen technology (color and monochrome), and the choice was for August Faller to be easy as they needed the offset look and feel to move between technologies without going through tedious approval processes. They needed printers that could print on thin paper, and the more they looked into the options, the more obvious Screen's solutions ticked the boxes. The machines print roll-to-roll and hereafter get folded in a combination of Hunkeler and GUK equipment. Camera inspection and automatic rejection of anything that doesn't comply with the SLA are just a few of the things that make this amazing. With Tilmann Wild and Ralf Kutschera, you also feel very safe as these two gentlemen seem to have things very much under control - whau - this was a fantastic opportunity for INKISH to see and learn - and hopefully you will enjoy the film and learn as well!

Darren Carlson & Rodney Franson · Carlson Print Group · Double Eagle in Minnesota

Order one of the market's most advanced Koenig & Bauer presses - check. Order two of the most advanced Eagle systems in the market - check. Create stunning (and we are NOT exaggerating) trading cards using cast & cure, cold foil, and multiple offset printing options - and we are at Carlson Print Group in Minnesota. We didn't see secret areas, but we saw unbelievable samples and met dedicated staff. Staff that have the chance to work with the planet's coolest technology along with the coolest print applications you can imagine. This was a very special one. Thank you, Mike King and Ellen Manning, for bringing us to Carlson Print Group, where we met with Darren Carlson and Rodney Franson. WHAU.

Montserrat Peidro · SVP Global Strategy & Operations · Pax8 · Conflict · NONEVENT24

In this session, Montserrat Peidro, SVP of Strategy & Operations, Pax8, and board member of BOBST, explores how conflict, when managed effectively, drives innovation and builds high-performance teams. Drawing from real-world examples, such as the development of the iPad and Airbnb's success, the talk delves into the psychology of workplace conflict, the role of cultural differences, and the importance of psychological safety. With references to influential works like "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" and "Good to Great," this presentation offers insights into transforming conflict from a source of fear into a catalyst for breakthroughs. Join us to understand why keeping calm and minding the gap is key to a thriving, innovative workplace. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/montserratpeidro/

Carmen Loher-Eicher & Adriano Gut · swissQprint · Generation 5

Frank Siegel · Geschäftsführer/CEO · Obility Business Automation

UKRAINE

This film was not easy to make. How do you represent the sufferings of people at war? How do you create momentum when a war in Ukraine doesn't make sense? I decided to leave the film I made on my iPhone for a long time until the time was right—the time is right now. Seven print-operators dead. Everything destroyed. A Heidelberg 10-color machine and its operators blasted with glass from an incoming missile. Aggression like the ones we see on TV, in the news, and on the Internet; most people in Ukraine are sick and tired of the films and the pictures. Casualties in the hundreds of thousands. Casualties that haven't done anything besides being people living in a power momentum mostly led by evil men. Politicians, priests, and influencers cause wars, but rarely the people - and here, just a few days before the inauguration of Donald Trump in the US, the time has never been more divided, and he and his allies thrive. The fear, the uncertainty, the upbuilding of us and them has never been worse, and all driven by populations that have more information available than ever - and yet, media are not trusted, governments aren't trusted, judges are not trusted - and some people believe more in the radical podcast host than in data, statistics, processes, and even science. The world has become a pick-and-choose buffet where you pick the truth that fits your agenda. Trump claims that the war in Ukraine doesn't belong to Americans. You can argue that distance makes a European matter, but that's not the reason. The real reason is that democracies and the so-called free world are global and that the few countries still have democracies should stand up and protect - despite the distance, and not related to any simple man who believes everything is a bargain. This is my journey to Ukraine - a war Russia can not be allowed to win. Production supported by Heidelberg & Cloudprinter.com Heidelberg also supplied all spare parts to Faktor-Druk for free.

Henrik Müller Hansen · CEO & Founder · Gelato