Tech

Tue June 13th

En

Invests in Tilia Labs · Peter Varady · C...

Meet Peter Varady from Pacer Print from California. This company started as a design company and became increasingly involved with production. Learn how Tilia Labs became an enabler for the company. Super story and a great example of how many ways into the industry are so different :-)

Tue June 13th

En

Counting on Horizon · Shawn & Pallo...

Fast, good & Cheap is the slogan of this truly dense printing company in the San Francisco Bay Area, where almost all types of print production are possible. RGMT offset press, HP Indigo, Xerox Iridesse, Fujifilm Wide Format, and tons of binding equipment from Horizon enable the company to deliver fast, well, and cheaply. The two Nag brothers have a background as software engineers at Intel but decided to start their own business year's ago - and here we are with PrintPapa in the Bay Area - amazing how much technology you can fit into premises this size. Great meeting the brothers :-) LinkedIn Profile: Shawn Nag: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-nag-4839508/ Pallob Nag: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallob-nag-555254b/

Wed May 24th

En

Brodnax invests in Eagle Systems and mor...

What was supposed to be our California Cruising tour also took us to Dallas in Texas, and lucky us, as this allowed us to meet with Jim Singer from Brodnax21C. Brodnax is a General Commercial printing company with both digital and analog equipment. The company has specialized in trading cards and high-end printed products, and as they are an Eagle Systems customer, Mike King and Ellen Manning asked to stop by to see how they utilize the Eagle. And that was a great experience to see and understand why Jim and his team invested in cold foiling. Brodnax has also agreed to invest in a Landa Press in a new DURST vast format machine and has on order a new SCODIX 106 HD machine - and I understand from Jim Singer that even more signatures are on their way for more equipment. Efficiency and a firm belief in the future are what I see when visiting Brodnax - Super lovely people, and super great to see print striving.

Tue May 23rd

En

Genesis and Better Together is worth pay...

At the Graphics Canada show, INKISH talked to the Head of Global Product Marketing and Product Life Cycle, Andrew Gunn from Xerox, about something called Genesis. The great thing about Genesis is that it has become part of the XEROX DNA as it's about how Xerox customers and their customers can become more profitable using the Beyond CMYK+ technology and in the interview part in the same film with Global Product Marketing Manager Billy Stojanovski, talk about another theme with Xerox, 'Better Together.' 'Better Together' is very much about utilizing different types of technology, so you, for example, use one type of technology for covers and another for content - to optimize your profit. INKISH believes most PSPs already understand this, but by emphasizing this once again, Xerox is taking the lead in educating customers - that gives an A in our minds :-)

Fri May 19th

En

Interket invests in IST LED-UV · Ronny R...

Interket in Ommen, The Netherlands, is a label-printing company/converter that recently invested in LED-UV curing from IST. The advantages are many. No pre-warming before printing, a longer lifetime for the lamps, and considerably lower energy consumption. Production Manager Ronny Renker is happy and can't imagine investing in new machines that don't have LED-UVs. Great story about how better quality and better economics simultaneously go hand in hand with better environmental production!

Wed April 12th

En

CoboStacks, Heidelberg Subscriptions �...

Established in 1866 and strongly focused on customer satisfaction, investments in new technology, and curiosity driving Kohlhammer Druck into the future. Often CEO Steffen Franzisi says that's not difficult - which gives you great insight and understanding into why we have two ears and one mouth. Kohlhammer Druck is located in Stuttgart and serves a wealth of well-known brands in both offset and digital. Great company with friendly people and a strong belief in the future, and what we like the most - not afraid of investing in technology driving the company forward!

Wed March 29th

En

Using RMGT to Grow His Business · Kevin ...

In the suburbs of Indianapolis, we met with Kevin Bennet from EZ Mailing. EZ mailing is a company focused mainly on political campaigns - a type of company you mainly see in the US. When you come to EZ Mailing, all the walls are covered with slogans and banners from all types of political campaigns. Slogans from elections of mayors and house members to school elections and election of the head of a fire brigade. The diversity is vast, and so is the production, which has both offset, digital, binding equipment, inkjet devices for addressing, a huge paper warehouse, and what drove us to EZ Mailing, an RMGT Series 9 offset printing press. Besides the current machine EZ Mailing has, the company has already ordered its first 9-series perfector press to support the Bennet experience growth. He is even foreseeing growth that could lead to yet a perfector press. Who says print is dying?

Mon March 27th

En

HP Industrial Print in Durban · Suhail A...

Durban is a major print hub on the east coast of South Africa - a couple of hours' flight from Cape Town and only one hour from Johannesburg. Impress Printers is, by all means, a full-service printing company with capabilities from web-offset and sheetfed offset to digital production of labels, cut-sheet, and inkjet roll-based printing. HP is 'living' their newly defined reality where indigos are placed side by side with a T-250 inkjet machine - and all machines are busy from schoolbooks produced on the T-series to posters, covers, postcards, and high-quality printed brochures printed on the numerous Indigos placed in air-conditioned rooms. The contrast to the offset production is sharp as the offset production is about getting volume produced; the HP technology is used for both fast turn-around products, but also short runs and print requiring personalization. Suhail Agjee, who operates Impress Printers with his father, is proud of what they have achieved. I would say a successful printer in South Africa with capabilities beyond most. Great story.

Mon March 13th

En

Schätzl Print Emotion invests in Canon I...

Schätzl Print Emotion is a German printing company that has been covered numerous times on INKISH - and for good reasons. We first visited the company because of an investment in Scodix. The second time because we did a lot of educational videos for the company in both German and English, and this time it's because Schätzl Print Emotion have invested in their first inkjet machine, namely the Canon iX-3200 - and that is, of course, interesting as Schätzl Print Emotion is a high-quality photobook producer (among other things), but also since the company since we visited the company last time has been acquired by Elanders. Lots of interesting perspectives, and as usual, Ulrich Schätzl is open-minded and speaks openly about the interesting perspectives he sees in the market. Enjoy! LinkedIn Profiles: Steven Asumang https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-asumang-3592a3161/

Mon March 6th

En

BW Papersystems deliver 400 meters/minut...

Drewsen Spezialpapiere is an almost 500 years old paper producer based outside Hannover, Germany. Amazing to see how the company has grown over the centuries and how important the company is to the city of Lachendorf. Generations have worked with the company, and the key to success for Drewsen is its specialty paper production. Paper is typically produced on demand and to the specifications required by customers. When BW Papersystems approached the company about the latest edition of the Questec family cut-stackers, the company could hardly believe the promises. 400 meters/minute on 40 GSM, perfect cut and stacked - but after some testing and further development, the machine is now installed and delivered on its promise - and Drewsen Spezialpapiere is very satisfied with the machine, as you can hear. The cut-stacker can also be used on a web-based printing machine and therefore have a broader audience than 'just' the paper industry. But see for yourself - quite impressive! LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthias-rauhut-a2a35066/

Thu March 2nd

En

Conquering the rum market with Bobst hyb...

It's almost impossible to imagine, but years ago, most labels used in Rum and the luxury segment in the Caribbean were imported from the US or even Europe. That changed when the two Evelyn brothers decided to start a label business in Bridgetown, Barbados. The rest is almost history, but as the company keeps growing, so does the demand for technology, and INKISH were so honored to be invited to Barbados to visit the company, see the technology that Mark Andy delivers, Nilpeter and the newest member of the family, a Bobst DM-5. Now Caribbean Label Crafts has production in Barbados, Jamaica, and soon an entirely new facility in the Dominican Republic. Interesting to see how business skills, craftsmanship, and technology have now moved 70% of the entire luxury label segment to be produced locally. Great!

Thu February 23rd

En

Kodak Prosper Ultra 520 Press · Randy Va...

Seeing some of the latest technology is always interesting, and here, ladies and gentlemen, are the Kodak Prosper Ultra 520 Press. The 520 is a brand-new press developed for a pretty broad segment of the market, as its prints on almost any substrate - paper and plastic - and with speed comparable to virtually any B2 offset press. In this film, VP Randy Vandagriff, a legend within Kodak and broadly recognized for his talent, explains the ultrastream technology and how he believes the 520 perfectly fits into today's commercial print space. Enjoy!

Tue February 7th

En

From Digital to Rotogravure · Peter Metc...

In the suburbs of Cape Town in South Africa, we got the chance to visit quite an amazing printing company, Novus Holdings. The company was formerly known as Paarl Media, but as it went public, it changed its name. Peter Metcalf, Group Executive: Sales & Marketing, welcomes INKISH to the almost 70,000 m2 facility that houses all the printing equipment you can think of, from cut-sheet digital to rotogravure machines. In this film, you'll get an overview of the company, how they manage power outs for up to ten hours a day, and how they re-circulate ventilation and optimize their production. An amazing story and we are confident you will like it!

Tue January 24th

En

Books-of-one requires the right software...

Rotomail is, by all means, a fantastic printing company and is a living example of how Digital Transformation is not only about technology but also the mindset. Rotomail came from a background being an IT service provider, to Direct Mail, to now also being one of Europe's largest digital book printing providers. A vast number of printing machines from HP and Canon, embellishment from Scodix and MGI, binding equipment from Tecnau, Hunkeler, Contiweb, and Kolbus - but what makes Rotomail stand out from most is the software 'Bronte' that ties all the business processes from customers ordering books to plan, to imposition, to proofing, production, and invoicing - all seamlessly integrated, and with no pre-press planning at all - all super optimized. In this film, CEO Alessandro Antonuzzo explains the ideas behind the strategy and implementation, and as Rotomail is the owner and the company that developed Bronte, of course, proudly talks about the capabilities and how it can help other books-of-one-companies, should they choose to invest in the maybe best end-to-end solution on the market. Learn and enjoy!

Wed January 18th

En

Tecnau Libra 800 · Walkthrough · Stefano...

In this film, you'll get a walkthrough of the Tecnau Libra 800 all-in-book-of-one machine at Rotomail. Rotomail is one of Europe's leading producers of Books-of-One and has a strategy to produce books from reels, which then, in return, requires a binding line that can accept roles for covers and content - and with the co-development of the Libra 800, Rotomail (and other customers) can now produce books having two rolls of covers (for example one with gloss laminated covers, and one with matt laminated covers) - but you will see in this walkthrough. Today Rotomail uses several HP T-series printers, many Indigo's, a Canon ProStream, and much binding equipment besides the Libra 800 from Hunkeler, ContiWeb, and Kolbus. All are tight together with a software solution called Bronte, developed, programmed, and sold by Rotomail. Rotomail is an exciting printing company to visit, and they are very open-minded and not afraid of sharing how they do things. LinkedIn: Stefano De Marco https://www.linkedin.com/in/demste/ Alessandro Antonuzzo https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandro-antonuzzo-05bab217/

Mon January 16th

En

This is the Rolls Royce in UV Large Form...

At PRINTING, United Agfa showed off technology derived from the recent acquisition of Inca Digital, namely the Agfa Inca Onset X3 - which was presented at the show with a robot handling media loading and unloading. A very happy and proud Global Business Manager, Matt Brooks, explains why there is such a vast interest in the X3 - and how Agfa continues to develop state-of-the-art technology!

Fri January 6th

En

Never go Back to Conventional UV · Marcu...

You see GEW everywhere - and they support conventional mercury-based UV and LED-UV. In this film, Director of Sales & Service Marcus Greenbrook explains how easy it is to shift from mercury to LED if you have a GEW frame and how LED UV is becoming increasingly important for converters. Now GEW is part of the EcoFlexo group. Each member remains an independent company but can offer end-to-end solutions by working together. EcoFlexo has the following members besides GEW - Hamillroad, COE, MPS, and Zeller + GMelin. We produced a film from each EcoFlexo member while in The Netherlands. For further information, visit the EcoFlexo website: www.ecoflexo.net

Fri January 6th

En

Ink is not just ink but part of a bigger...

In this film, Jochen Christiaens explain that ink is not ink - or, to be more precise, that different technologies need different types of ink and that the supply chain or the full package is as, or sometimes, even more important. Interesting to hear from an ink manufacturer, we; unfortunately, don't have many of them on INKISH - but here we go :-) Now Zeller+Gmelin is part of the EcoFlexo group. Each member remains an independent company but can offer end-to-end solutions by working together. EcoFlexo has the following members besides Zeller+Gmelin - Hamillroad, GEW, COE, and MPS We produced a film from each EcoFlexo member while in The Netherlands. For further information, visit the EcoFlexo website: www.ecoflexo.net

Fri January 6th

En

Better Quality and Lower Ink Consumption...

We met Hamillroad Software for the first time at LabelExpo back before COVID. Here is a link to the interview we did at the time https://inkish.tv/inkish-video/andy-cave/ In this film, Danielle Kinsella explains the advantages of using Hamillroad's DMS technology for improved quality. Now Hamillroad is part of the EcoFlexo group. Each member remains an independent company but can offer end-to-end solutions by working together. EcoFlexo has the following members besides Hamillroad - GEW, COE, MPS, and Zeller + GMelin. We produced a film from each EcoFlexo member while we were together in The Netherlands Danielle Kinsella is not working for Hamillroad anymore, but Danielle Kinsella and Hamillroad agreed to push the film anyway! For further information, visit the EcoFlexo website: www.ecoflexo.net

Fri January 6th

En

MPS Set and Objective to be the easiest ...

Niels Van Groenendaal explains in this film about MPS and how they set the course to be one of the most straightforward machines to operate. He also describes how a company like MPS needs partners to bring the best products to the market. Now MPS Systems is part of the EcoFlexo group. Each member remains an independent company but can offer end-to-end solutions by working together. EcoFlexo has the following members besides MPS - Hamillroad, GEW, COE, and Zeller + GMelin. We produced a film from each EcoFlexo member while in The Netherlands. Niels Van Groenendaal is no longer working for MPS Systems, but we agreed to push the film anyway! For further information, visit the EcoFlexo website: www.ecoflexo.net

Fri January 6th

En

Best Quality – Machine or Plates/S...

Asking one of Europe's leading prepress houses whether plates/sleeves or machines are more important is maybe unfair; however, the answer is interesting. As GM Torben Segelken says: you can print great quality on an old machine if the plates are perfect, but you can't produce excellence with bad plates on a new machine, and so it is, of course. Carl Osterman Erben, or COE, is more than 120 years old and has, since its origin, focused on becoming the best prepress house in Europe. Now COE is part of the EcoFlexo group. Each member remains an independent company but can offer end-to-end solutions by working together. EcoFlexo has the following members besides COE - Hamillroad, GEW, MPS, and Zeller + GMelin. We produced a film from each EcoFlexo member while in The Netherlands. For further information, visit the EcoFlexo website: www.ecoflexo.net

Mon December 26th

En

Walkthrough Roland 700 Evolution · Kevin...

Kevin Neureuter is the Director of Sales with manroland sheetfed USA and explains here why the Roland 700 Evolution series is a good fit for customers. He explains that the color pilot, the level of automation, and the undeniable growth in packaging are a good fit for manroland. As we are visiting Keystone Paper & Box, who recently invested in two machines - Kevin Neureuter is very convincing talking to. Enjoy!

Sat December 24th

En

Walkthrough · Xeikon Idera · Daniel Vele...

This walkthrough gives an early view of the new Xeikon Idera, a digital corrugated cardboard printing machine. Daniel Velema is the VP of Corrugated & Solution Services at Xeikon. He is responsible for developing the Idera, so who better to ask about the ideas developed into what is among the first presentations to the public. Enjoy the walkthrough :-)

Wed December 14th

En

Tecnau & Canon Enables Higher Produ...

Imagine your production equipment has end-of-service, and you get a job that needs to be delivered on time? First, you find a printer that can provide the required quality and quantity. Second, you ensure it can be delivered on time - and suddenly, you have North Europe's first Canon Color Stream 8000 installed. With it comes new binding equipment - not unique to KGM, but new at this site - namely the Tecnau Revolution 50 series - and voila, the production can deliver the print job. The story is told by CTO Johan Lansgard, who stepped in on concise notice in this film, made from KGM Datadistribution in Stockholm as part of the Tecnau Spring Forward event - enjoy!