Sara Milani · European Marketing Specialist · Canon · Embellishment · Power to Move
At Canon’s Power to Move event in Venlo, Morten B. Reitoft speaks with Sara Milani, Canon Marketing Specialist, about an area of print production that continues to create opportunities for differentiation and added value: embellishment.
While print quality has improved dramatically over the past two decades, the conversation focuses on what happens beyond the printed image itself. From foiling and soft-touch laminates to spot effects, packaging applications, and specialty finishing, today’s production environments offer printers countless ways to create products that stand out and command higher margins.
Milani explains how Canon works with a range of technology partners to help customers build complete production workflows that extend beyond printing. Rather than viewing embellishment as a niche application, she sees it as an increasingly important tool for helping print service providers differentiate themselves in competitive markets. Whether the application is direct mail, premium marketing materials, book covers, packaging, or personalized products, embellishment can play a significant role in increasing both perceived value and customer engagement.
The discussion also explores the business case behind embellishment. Premium printed products often generate higher response rates, stronger customer engagement, and greater opportunities for brand differentiation. For printers, this can translate into higher margins and new revenue streams without necessarily increasing production volumes.
Book production, personalized packaging, and short-run applications are highlighted as particularly interesting opportunities. Canon’s toner-based production presses can handle a wide range of media weights and formats, creating possibilities for everything from customized book covers to highly targeted packaging applications. Combined with finishing solutions from Canon’s partners, these capabilities allow customers to move into areas that were previously difficult or uneconomical to serve.
Throughout the conversation, Milani emphasizes the importance of education and inspiration. Many customers attend events such as Power to Move not only to evaluate equipment but also to discover applications and business opportunities they may not have considered before. By showcasing complete workflows and finished products, Canon aims to help customers identify new ways to grow their businesses and create additional value for their own clients.
Recorded at Canon’s Customer Experience Center in Venlo ahead of the Power to Move event, this interview explores how embellishment, finishing, and creative applications continue to expand the possibilities of modern print production.
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Wed June 17th
Maureen Grasser & Michael Stock · Business D...
At Canon's Power to Move event in Venlo, Morten Reitoft speaks with Cathy Bittner and Tino Waegelein from Canon EMEA about a topic that is becoming increasingly important in modern print production: workflow. While much attention in the industry is focused on presses and print quality, Bittner and Waegelein argue that the future of productivity lies in understanding and optimizing the entire production process—from order intake to final delivery. Rather than taking a print-centric view, Canon is encouraging customers to adopt an end-to-end workflow mindset that considers every step in the value chain. A fascinating part of the discussion revolves around Canon's "End-to-End Experience," a methodology that uses physical building blocks and gamification techniques to visualize workflows, identify bottlenecks, and uncover opportunities for improvement. Originally developed as a teaching tool, the concept has evolved into a practical framework for helping customers understand complex production environments and make better decisions about automation and integration. The conversation also explores workflow openness, software integration, cloud-based solutions, strategic partnerships, and the importance of connecting specialized technologies rather than forcing customers into closed ecosystems. Canon's approach, according to Bittner and Waegelein, starts with understanding customer requirements before recommending the right combination of software, services, and production technologies. Finally, the discussion turns to artificial intelligence and whether AI may one day design and manage workflows on its own. While both see enormous potential for AI as a productivity tool, they believe human expertise, decision-making, and oversight will remain critical components of successful print production for years to come. This is a thoughtful conversation about workflow, automation, integration, and why the future of print may be less about individual devices and more about how everything works together.