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Dorinda Gibbons has worked as a recruiter focusing on the Graphic Arts Industry for the past twenty years with great success. It's about matching talents, and in this chat, we get a chance to understand how she works and the value she brings to the table. It's great to hear the HR perspective, which rarely happens!  

At PRINTING United, we got to catch up with Holly Steedman from IST Intech. IST Intech is owned by IST Metz, known for its UV solutions for many different types of printing presses, and IST Intech is a UK-based company that focuses on integration partners. So IST Intech is more about a special solution that can be used, not only in the printing industry but in any industry, utilizing LED-UV. IST Intech also entirely focuses on digital print solutions. In this interview, we learn how IST Intech and the Business & Technology Development Director get more and more customers in the American market. Holly Steedman is always interesting to listen to, and you will also often see her speaking at various conferences - so stay tuned!

Photo products continue to be an exciting market for producers and retailers. They need software to get orders and let consumers design and order their unique designs. Taopix is a 17-year-old software company from the UK that quietly (relatively) has grown into a company serving customers globally. The former CFO, Adam Grieve, was recently promoted to the Managing Director of Taopix. In this interview, we get insight into his role, his work, how Taopix at drupa launched the cloud-based solution - and what opportunities this brings to the market. Super nice talking to Adam Grieve, so please enjoy the interview :-)

Our second featured celebrity is Sarah Kilcoyne-Guilliam, who recently became the Sales and Customer Success Director with British Solopress. Enjoy!

These days, a new player on the Software scene is being presented—the company's name is CoCoCo, and the founders are well-known people from the industry. In this interview, we get the chance to talk to two of the three founders, Andreas Aplien and Karl Ciz. It's 35 35-minute interviews, but super interesting to learn from - what is CoCoCo, why does it matter, and what benefit does the software provide its customers? In the interview, Aplien and Ciz share an example from one of the company's customers, where it seems apparent that the savings using CoCoCo deliver a truly rapid return to the buyer - but listen for yourself!

Morten Reitoft and John Blyth discuss the upcoming Drupa 2024, reflecting on the excitement and challenges leading up to the event. Blyth mentions that it's been eight years since the last Drupa, and there's a significant amount of anticipation and celebration around the event. He highlights Ricoh's readiness to showcase its innovations and commitment to its client's success through partnership and transformation. Reitoft notes that it's Ricoh's fourth Drupa, emphasizing the company's relatively recent emergence as a major player in the industry. Blyth recalls joining Ricoh 12 years ago when the company was still establishing its presence, and he expresses pride in Ricoh's rapid development and expansion since then. Blyth explains that attending Drupa was an easy decision for Ricoh, as it provides a unique opportunity to showcase their refreshed production printing hardware range, including the Pro Z75 (the world's first B2+ inkjet sheet-fed device with aqueous ink and auto-perfecting) and the new flagship high-speed inkjet Webfed device, the Pro VC80000. Ricoh aims to create a memorable experience with their "House of Hinkaku" theater, featuring a multisensory show highlighting their commitment to transformational innovation. Reitoft asks about the meaning of "Hinkaku," which Blyth explains as "transformational innovation," emphasizing fundamental and far-reaching change. This ethos underpins Ricoh's approach to innovation, which involves collaboration with partners and clients to meet their specific needs. Blyth mentions the importance of aligning their products with market needs through consultation and feedback programs. He recalls the successful launch of the Pro Z75, highlighting the collaborative effort between Ricoh's Japanese R&D team and European staff. Reitoft compliments Ricoh's booth design, noting its contemporary and minimalist style with Japanese influences, including a theater structure reminiscent of a Japanese temple and calming gardens. Blyth confirms the booth's bright accent colors, including pink and purple, and hints at a Japanese flavor in their offerings. The interview concludes with Reitoft thanking Blyth for his time and looking forward to seeing him at Drupa.

Let's talk about inkjet print heads here at Fespa 2024. Much of the equipment on display at the show uses Ricoh technology, so who better to talk to than Graham Kennedy, their Director of Industrial Print Solutions himself. Enjoy.

Since we at INKISH are always looking for interesting stories and new players, we wanted to learn more about JETRIX, a name we've seen more often lately. The Jetrix brand is actually owned by InkTec, a South Korean manufacturer of wide-format flatbed and roll-to-roll inkjet printers. They are focusing hard on the LFP market, and recently expanded to Europe and the US. Let's meet Julian Menell, helping them shape sales from Oxon, UK.

In this online interview, Mark Dempsey from HP and editor Morten B. Reitoft chatted about the digital transformation in the corrugated industry. Dempsey explains that the business case moving to digital from flexo is easier than moving from offset to digital in the folding carton segment. We also talk about the C550, which today, February 14th, 2024, celebrates its first year in the market - a warm congratulations to HP for the achievement. Enjoy!

Eef de Ridder is the Vice President of the EMEA Graphics Communications Group and has for years influenced how Ricoh has positioned itself as one of the major players in the industry. In the interview, Eef de Ridder explains that Ricoh in the graphics arts segment is a new player and that it was only in 2012 that Ricoh entered the market - and maybe you remember - the 9xxx and 7xxx series were true game changers with high-quality, lower acquisition and operational cost. The inkjet business came along with the acquisition of IBM's print division and its InnoPrint machines. Of course, we also talk about the current offerings and market positioning of Ricoh - their new Pro Z75 and VC80000 are products Eef de Ridder and Ricoh have expectations for. Under all circumstances, a super interview that I am sure will give you great insights!

Everything that can go digital will go digital - and in a presentation at the Unboxing event of the new AGFA SpeedSet 1060, Sean Smyth from Pira International explains the trends. Editor Morten B. Reitoft gets the opportunity to ask whether AGFA ticks all the boxes with their new press - so dig in and learn :-)

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

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

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

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

Delivering a new and very anticipated machine is interesting, and in this interview with Sander Sondaal from Ricoh Europe, you will get insights about the journey. Why did it take longer time than anticipated? How does Sander see this in the market - which will also be dived deeper into in a separate film on INKISH - but listen, and enjoy! Soon we will also have the walkthrough we refer to in this film :-)

In this interview with Sander Sondaal, Editor Morten B. Reitoft asks questions that explain how the machine delivers. From the B2 sized drawers to options with pallet feeding, to the print technology inside the PRO Z75, and also for whom the machine is for. During the day you can see samples, more details of how the machines work, and more - so stay tuned!

In an engaging conversation with Morten Reitoft from INKISH, Sander Sondaal from Ricoh discussed the latest trends and developments in the printing industry, particularly focusing on the shift towards digital and inkjet printing solutions. Sander Sondaal highlighted Ricoh's journey since acquiring IBM's printing division in the early 2000s and its continuous innovation in printing technologies. A key topic was the shift in market dynamics from traditional offset to digital printing, driven by the need for high-quality, high-productivity solutions. Sander Sondaal also emphasized Ricoh's focus on continuous-fed inkjet solutions aimed at high-productivity sectors. He touched on the challenges of the analog or offset printing market and how digital printing offers a viable alternative. Ricoh's strategy includes providing solutions that cover various market needs, from high-end continuous-feed inkjet printers for long runs to toner printers for ultra-short runs. The conversation also covered the advancements in inkjet technology, making it suitable for a broader range of commercial print applications. Sondaal mentioned the importance of flexibility in printing solutions, catering to different market segments and customer needs. The recent developments in Ricoh's portfolio, including the Z75 and the new inkjet solutions, demonstrate their commitment to innovation. Sondaal further delved into the operational aspects of transitioning from traditional printing methods to modern digital solutions, outlining how Ricoh's technologies are designed to be user-friendly and accessible to a wider range of printing businesses. He concluded by discussing the competitive landscape of the printing industry and Ricoh's position in it, emphasizing collaboration and innovation as key drivers for future growth. This interview underscores the dynamic nature of the printing industry and Ricoh's adaptive strategies to meet evolving market demands, focusing on quality, productivity, and innovation. RICOH is one of the leading inkjet companies in the graphic arts segment. In this talk with Director Commercial Sales, Sander Sondaal, and Editor Morten B. Reitoft, they talk about the market, toner print, obviously the Z75, and the new continuous fed inkjet printer Pro VC80000. In a market that continues to develop and where inkjet becomes more and more choice for many PSPs, the new Pro VC80000 delivers 150 meters per minute, equal to about 10,000 B2 sheets (4+4) per hour, and on substrates up to 300gsm, and with precession and easy better than previous models. A super nice and intense conversation that hopefully gives you many answers to the newest member of the RICOH family - enjoy!

As mentioned a couple of times, CERM did some super nice panel debates from their booth, and James Brennan was in a panel with Stuart Morrison from Screen and Dennish Ebeltoft from Springfield. It is great to hear how solutions are actually integrated.  

Commercial manager Lizzie Bentley talks about IST Intech’s LED curing technology and the company’s recent rebranding from Integration Technology Ltd.