Tech

Bennett Graphics is absolutely one of the more amazing printing companies we have visited. Not only is it a family-owned printing company, but it also prides itself with hundreds of awards and prizes for being the best printer. The awards come from hard work and dedication, as well as the will and ability to invest in the newest and latest technology. You see the newest Scodix, Highcon, and HP equipment along with offset presses and binding equipment. Great company, great people - and this film were made in a very special way. More about that on INKISH.NEWS. Thanks to Adair Hall and Adam Seiz for making this together!

Though Kornit is a twenty years old company, the company has over the past years got more attention than before. One of the reason is their amazing Direct to Fabric machines, that enable digital print directly on a long-range of types of textiles. This does not only lead to considerably faster turn-around time, but also to way more sustainable fabrics. In this INKISH interview VP & General Manager, Direct to Fabric, Danny Gazit gives us a tour in the factory, in the showroom, and openly explains why Kornit for sure seems to be on the right track. Amazing technology and a great company to visit.

At the Think Smart Factory Event in Kyoto, we found this presentation of a simple-to-use screen printing solution - also produced by Horizon. Everybody talks about highly technical solutions and the move to digital print. Still, for hobbyists and for small shops, the basic investment and the time to produce a garment with print isn't high or time-consuming. This film also shows the craftsmanship that is the foundation of many of the products we produce. We like this short video showing t-shirt print 100% analogue.

In this film, Yui Kawano from Canon Marketing shows an end-to-end solution together with Yasuo Taketsugu from Horizon International. This is a brilliant example of how workflow & automation enable printers to automate the entire print and binding process. This film also shows the amazing power behind JDF, where not only files but also production data is delivered directly from an MIS system. The entire production workflow is managed in the JDF and setup printer as well as the binder.

One of the more exciting companies we have met is for sure Hamillroad Software from the UK. We have mentioned the company on several occasions on INKISH. In this film, we talk to Owner & CEO Andy Cave about their amazing screening technology. The technology is called DMS - short for Digitally Modulated Screening, and no - it's not AM, FM, Stochastic, or anything you know. The most amazing thing about DMS is that the quality is stunning; at the same time, printers can save ink. Watch, Like, and Share this film - we LIKE it a lot

Mike Grehan got a great idea when he met CHILI publish at drupa 2016. With a background in the funeral industry, he saw a gigantic potential in making coffins out of paper/board, and an even larger potential with personalized print on coffins. When we met him at SPICYtalks 19 in Berlin - ironically in a crematorium turned into a cultural venue, we got the chance to do this interview with him. This interview clearly shows a couple of interesting things - first; We don't think any at CHILI publish ever considered that CHILI Publisher could be used to make personalized coffins. Second, this clearly shows that paper and printing technology still can be used to invent new solutions, and in this incident also turning something like wooden coffins into an environmentally friendly solution. Rest in peace and enjoy!

Once in a while, you meet printing companies that stand out from the crowd, and one of them is for sure Bennett Graphics in Atlanta, GA. The printing company is a family-owned company, and the first things that strike you when you enter the building are the awards. Every wall is covered with awards recognizing Bennett Graphics for its excellence in printing. That established the next thing is what makes the company stand out. The litho printing machine? No. The Scodix? No. The Highcon? No. HP Indigos? No. Since we are sponsored by Enfocus to talk with Adam Seiz about Enfocus Switch, of course, this is part of the success, but the people are the real differentiators. So when you meet dedication and a commitment on all levels, you understand how technology is used to utilize the work, the quality, the awards, and the special touch that makes Bennett Graphics not just famous in Georgia, but among customers in the entire US. In this film, we do, however, focus on workflow and automation, and Bennett Graphics is a transformation process moving from analogue to digital. One thing is the production. But the entire workflow where Enfocus Switch is used to connect the web-store-fronts to the production workflow, to the two-ways integration to the Tharstern MIS system, and to how the company also uses Switch to increase the productivity internally in sales/estimation/production. Adam Seiz is certain that Enfocus Switch is one of the technical key-elements in the success of Bennett Graphics, and when said by Adam Seiz, we believe him. Watch this - in our opinion - brilliant video from Atlanta. We are sure you can learn from it.

Enfocus is one of the maybe most known names in the printing industry. In this interview Managing Director, Wim Fransen goes as far as calling PitStop almost a house-hold name in Europe and the US. In this interview directly ask Wim Fransen whether their in-direct sales channel is the right one for software such as Enfocus Switch. Wim Fransen, who has been Managing Director for a couple of years, tell that this business model is such an important core of Enfocus that he almost compared as important as PitStop itself. As usual watch, like, and share this film.

At the recent LabelExpo Europe 2019, we got a chance to talk to General Manager Kim Beswick from Memjet about their new product launch - Duraflex. Memjet is a developer of core-technology that is licensed to a long range of partners, producing the finale machines. The list of partners is long and include names in almost every segment of the value chain from office print to large format, industrial print. Memjet practically invented waterfall technology where the colours are falling from the mounted print heads rather than moving the print head forth and back. This enables really fast print, and when you see a Memjet enabled machine for the first time, you can't do anything but say WHAU. With the launch of the new Duraflex print head, Memjet offers a third-generation inkjet engine where speed, quality, and price are the main KPI's. Watch, Like, and Share as usual.

Hard-working. Dead Serious. Quiet. No lunch. Loads of coffee. Whispering. Mostly males. White-boards, screens, and computers. CIP4 Inter-OP is serious business, or maybe it's even more. Some are friends. Some are competitors. Some are from large companies. Some not. CIP4 is the name of this group of serious people working on making all printers lives easier. It's a matter of defining a common language for offset printers, digital printers, large format printers, binding equipment, software like ERP, M.I.S., etc. CIP4 defines J.D.F., XJDF, and other standards. You may now know them, but your business is depending on them. Watch, Listen, Like, and Share.

Idealliance is a well-known international organization and the founder of G7. In previous INKISH films, we have shared information about the G7 organization led by Tim Baechle. In this quite exciting interview with Mr. Selvan from Pressman (who represents Idealliance in India), we get an insight into some of the challenges with color-management in India. Color-Management is not only interesting for the brand-owners, but also for the printing companies Selvan explains - and even with more than a 1.000 programs in place in India - still, 249.000 is remaining. Visiting India, and looking at the quality of print - the delta E's are quite big, to say it mildly, but no question that the work Pressman/Idealliance does is excellent, valuable, and well-received!

At the recent Print Pack India exhibition, we met with CEO Hannes Rogler from Rogler Software. The company develops MIS/ERP software that enables printing companies to price, plan, and execute print jobs. With an installed base of users throughout Europe, the company is now expanding into the Indian market, which is why we met with Hannes Rogler in Greater Noida in India. As usual, please watch, like, share, and of course, enjoy!

Kairit Parker is one of the partners with iOnPrint, a new Estonian software company. Estonia is one of the most digitalized countries in the world, so not a surprise that it's an Estonian company that produces, what seems to be a really great solution. One of the more significant issues being a print broker is that brokers often need more suppliers to handle the vast range of products offered. With iOnPrint, print brokers can quickly get more quotes on a job without "disturbing" the printers with calculations. Printing companies register their equipment online, and iOnPrint automatically calculates the price. Based on time, price, and quality, the system enable the brokers to handle their customers fast and efficient. For printers, it seems to be an opportunity to get more work.

As production moves from conventional offset to digital print the need for binding equipment that matches the qualities known is in demand. Italian vendor Meccanotecnica deliver solutions for both digital and offset. At Hunkeler Innovationdays 2019 in Luzerne, we got the chance to talk to Marketing Manager Stefano Formentini from Meccanotecnica. The solution they showed at the event consisted of an unwinder and a cutter from Hunkeler combined with Meccanotecnica's Universe Web solution that sections the cut sheets into a signature and delivers these for further processing. The quality is superior and the applications seamless. Watch, Like, and Share.

Konica Minolta is a well-known supplier of toner-based digital printers, and in DRUPA 2012 the announced the B2 format KM1. At that time it was a pre-announcement, and the interest was pretty good. At DRUPA 2016 the KM1 was not just an idea, but a fully operational printer and many KM1's are now at work globally. At the recent Inkjet Update 2019 event in Denmark, we got the chance to talk to Mark Hinder, who is the Head of Market Development. The result is this great interview and if you see Mark Hinder sweating it may be because we ask him whether KM1 is a safe bet investing in or how they see the future of Inkjet - or maybe just because it was a really warm and beautiful day in Denmark. Regardless - Mark Hinder as always gives an open and honest inside to the story about Konica Minolta KM1 and Inkjet in general.

See this amazing story about the German printing company Schaetzl Druck & Medien from Donauwörth. The company is today managed by Ulrich Schätzl who is the second generation of the family-owned printing company. Schätzl Druck & Medien used to be a conventional litho printer but decided years ago to become a printing company focusing 100% on digital production. Ulrich Schätzl refers to this as bringing more and a higher value to the customers. WIth investments in HP Indigo's and Scodix Digital Enhancement, binding equipment especially suitable for extremely short runs and of course a comprehensive workflow the strategy works. In this film, Ulrich Schätzl speaks about the value that digital enhancement with the company's Scodix is giving both them as a company but even more important their many clients. Great film. Watch it, Like it, Share it :-)

Web-to-Print have dominated the headlines in the printing industry for many years now. When the most successful printers in the industry use web-to-print to both grow and earn money even the smaller ones, of course, look into this new segment. Even influencers like Bernd Zipper from Beyond Print/ZipCon has almost made this into a crusade and has recently expressed that most printers will have to use web-to-print as part of their offerings. One of the successful companies in the relatively crowded market is Design'N'Buy, and at the recent PrintPack India, we got the chance to talk to CEO Nidhi Agrawal. Listen to her. She is one of the pioneers in the web-to-print industry and continues to see growth for both her and the industry.

Most people don't even consider what happens when a computer is turned on. First, the BIOS gets started, the hard drives, the screen drivers, the operating system and this happens if not instant then seamlessly with many hours of work behind it. In the printing industry, we work towards standards that enable us to deliver better quality, higher output, higher consistency, and easier exchange of data between the processes. We know this happens, but most people probably don't even think about who makes this happen and how it's done. CIP4 is the community that makes this happen, and a couple of times a year the engineers from vendors and printers meet at different locations in the world to test, to define, to develop the standard that we are all depending on - namely CIP3, CIP4, JDF, and XJDF. We got the chance to participate at the recent Inter-OP in Copenhagen and got the opportunity to speak to CTO Rainer Prosi who represents both CIP4 as well as Heidelberg. Enjoy!

Danjel Jungersen is the CIO/CTO of a small family-owned printing company in the suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. The company survives on excellent service, fast turn-around time and high quality but regardless of these virtues the company needs to invest in the future. Danjel Jungersen has for some time been wondering about what steps to take to be profitable and able to deliver what the clients needs - and the decision investing in Heidelberg Prinect was decided - also based on the new SaaS model offered by Heidelberg. We met with Jacob Hededam Hummel and Brian Thorsgaard Hansen from Heidelberg at Jungersen Grafisk to talk about why Prinect in their opinions is the right choice. To visit a small printing company with 6-7 people employed a full-featured Prinect solution isn't the most common thing for us to run into but its always interesting to see the many different approaches to the future many different printing companies choose. Workflow is always a very hot topic on INKISH.TV, so enjoy this episode and hopefully find inspiration for your own printing company!

In this INKISH film, we are talking to CEO Michel Hunkeler from Hunkeler AG. Hunkeler is a family owned- and operated company in Switzerland who has specialized in finishing equipment for mainly roll-based equipment. Considered the 'Rolls Royce' of finishing Hunkeler is in the hot-spot for the expected transition from conventional offset printing to digital inkjet. At Hunkeler Innovationdays in 2019 Hunkeler for the first time introduced sheet-based finishing equipment for the Océ/Canon I300 inkjet machine. The company has also set its eyes on the lucrative label industry. Great to meet Michel Hunkeler - till next time!

The impact LED-UV has had on the printing industry the last years is simply amazing. AMS - now AMS Spectral UV - was one of the early adopters in this technology and not only have the technology developed rapidly when it comes to quality, pricing, and even the spectra where the UV-light operates, but the applications and equipment using UV has increased a lot. Having broader frequencies makes it possible to have fewer photo-initiators in the ink making it both cheaper to buy, but also better for the environment. UV has so many advantages, and though the ​ink is still more expensive, the advantages surpass this. AMS Spectral UV now takes LED-UV a step further by offering to retrofit LED-UV on web-offset presses. Exchanging the gas heater with LED-UV saves gas, electricity, but even increase the quality of the print beyond what's possible with the gas-dryer. In this film, President Steve Metcalf explains the opportunities!

In this INKISH film, we talk to CEO Tim Baechle from Idealliance. Idealliance is a non-profit organization working with among other things standardization of colors through the G7 standard. Colors and color-standards are becoming more and more important since faster turn-around time, lower prices, and higher demands from customers require standards not only to be measured against but also to set as an optimum for efficient productions. Listen to Tim Baechle here and reach out to Idealliance to get more info. We expect to deliver more info on INKISH in respect to the challenges of color management and the tools that can help you become more efficient.

Inland Packaging in La Crosse in Wisconsin, USA is an amazing packing printing company that has grown over the past years. Part of the success is due to the company's investment in Tilia Labs Phoenix. As Business Analyst & Programmer Willie Spindler explains in this film, the time reduced on setup is maybe more than 50%. When we made the film Phoenix was mainly used for the offset presses in La Crosse (6 Heidelberg XL-machines), but Inland Packaging is soon going to use Phoenix also for their digital presses as well as their flexo-machines. Visiting printing companies like Inland Packaging is always great but being in La Crosse and see a company working with so many different types of labels and with so many brands shows the diversity of software like Tilia Labs Phoenix and the efficiency you can achieve using brilliant software. As usual - Watch, Like, and share!

At the annual meeting for Federation of Norwegian Printers, we got the chance to meet with Senior Management Consultant Michael Bach Nielsen from Medit Consult. He is one of the leading consultants in the Scandinavian print market and has a great insight in both label print - as well as management in general. No doubt that many printers these days are looking for alternatives in their offerings and though label seems to be a consistent and profitable business area, Michael Bach Nielsen warns about the challenges that have​ to be considered before entering the market space. Listen, learn, watch, like, and share!