No question that printed packaging is a growing business. In this 26th episode of Print Sample TV, host Pat McGrew shows you a corrugated box printed on both sides making the unboxing an experience as well. In the 'case' the box comes from Birddogs who use the inner side of the box to present customer testimonials. Great idea, and with digital print, this is even an opportunity with short run. We like it! Do you?

At Printing United in Orlando, Morten B. Reitoft from INKISH talks with Billy Stojanovski from Xerox about the company’s latest innovations and strong position in the production print market. Stojanovski explains that Xerox remains fully committed to advancing print technology through strategic partnerships and engineering excellence, highlighting three new machines presented at the show that demonstrate the company’s focus on quality, automation, and versatility. A key part of the discussion centers on the new Proficio subbrand, which Stojanovski explains is based on the idea of helping customers produce, propel, profit, and prosper. The Proficio 300 and 500 models offer four-color printing with an optional fifth color, running at up to 100 pages per minute and supporting substrates up to 400 gsm. These systems are designed to deliver high-quality output, flexibility across a range of applications, and consistent productivity for both commercial and packaging work. Stojanovski also outlines several key technical advancements, including the introduction of LED imaging technology that delivers sharper detail, lower power consumption, and improved reliability compared to traditional laser systems. The presses incorporate a bias transfer belt for improved toner laydown on textured materials, an inertia wheel to reduce image banding, and a static-dissipation module to ensure smooth performance when printing on polyester and synthetic substrates. Inline finishing options such as the GBC Advanced Punch Plus system expand creative possibilities with micro-perforation, hole punching, and advanced binding. Color and image quality are another major focus. Xerox’s extended gamut and fifth-color options, including fluorescent pink, enable highly accurate brand colors, more lifelike skin tones, and enhanced visual effects that closely match digital designs. The conversation also touches on creative gloss and matte effects that simulate varnish finishes directly from the press. Throughout the interview, Stojanovski emphasizes that Xerox’s strength lies not only in its technology but also in its comprehensive ecosystem — combining hardware, software, service, and automation to help customers increase efficiency and profitability. The discussion captures Xerox’s drive to support printers with solutions that evolve alongside the industry and prepare them for the future of digital production.

Wayne from INKISH is at The Print Show on day one, catching up with a long-time friend, Bill Jones from Exel Print & Machinery. Bill shares that the UK remains a vital market for Exel, representing a significant share of their business in quality used printing equipment. With the disappearance of major events like IPEX, The Print Show has become an essential meeting point for reconnecting with old friends and new contacts across the industry. Exel Print & Machinery is not only focused on buying and selling used presses but also provides comprehensive engineering and installation services. The company operates its own team of skilled engineers and maintains heavy-lifting equipment such as forklifts and gantries — ensuring that every installation is handled entirely in-house. Despite challenges in the global offset market, Bill reports a positive year, with multiple UK sales completed and more in the pipeline. Demand remains strong for high-quality used presses, particularly those with low-impression capabilities, such as B1 and B2 machines, which are suitable for both commercial and packaging printers. He notes that sourcing equipment remains one of the biggest challenges, making it crucial for anyone looking to sell or trade in a press to get in touch. Exel offers valuations based on detailed machine information and purchases stock directly. Bill encourages anyone with a B1 10-colour or similar press to reach out, as the company is actively buying. A solid reminder that the UK used equipment market remains active and optimistic, supported by hands-on expertise and a personal approach. Recorded live at The Print Show in Birmingham.

At Printpack India 2025, Wayne Beckett speaks with Bijendra Sharma, Managing Director of BHS India, about the company’s journey in the Indian market and its role in driving automation and sustainability in the corrugated packaging industry. Founded in Germany in 1717, BHS entered India in 2011 and has since grown to establish a strong foothold, with 24 running corrugators and a new manufacturing plant for corrugating rolls set to be operational by mid-year. Sharma highlights the rapid expansion of the Indian corrugated market, where approximately 12,000 million square meters of board is produced annually. Despite having around 10,000 corrugators, 95% of them are still semi-automatic or manual. He explains how BHS, initially perceived as too expensive for the Indian market, has proven the value of advanced technology, helping businesses improve efficiency, product quality, and competitiveness. The conversation explores India’s economic boom, growing infrastructure, and government initiatives such as the ban on single-use plastics, which is accelerating demand for sustainable, recyclable packaging. With India set to become the third-largest global economy by 2027, the need for high-quality corrugated boxes is stronger than ever, particularly with the rise of e-commerce and evolving consumer buying patterns. For those interested in the future of automated corrugated production and sustainable packaging in India, this discussion provides key insights into BHS India’s growth strategy and the broader industry trends shaping the market.

Wayne from INKISH is at The Print Show at the NEC in Birmingham, where he catches up with Bettine Pellant, CEO of PICON — the Printing Industry Confederation. With a long history in the print trade, Wayne and Bettine share memories of past shows from drupa to China Print, reflecting on how important face-to-face events remain for the industry. Bettine explains that while online meetings have their place, nothing replaces the value of personal interaction. Trade shows bring together industry peers, customers, and partners — often people you see only once a year — and PICON’s stand serves as a hub for networking, conversation, and connection. Members are encouraged to drop by, grab a coffee or a beer, and bring customers or prospects for informal meetings. Founded in 1918, PICON represents manufacturers and suppliers of print equipment, software, and consumables across the full spectrum of the industry — from prepress to press to postpress. Unlike associations representing printers, PICON focuses on the supply side and works closely with organizations such as the BPIF and IPIA to align efforts across the sector. Membership benefits include a strong calendar of networking and social events, such as golf days, seminars, and meetings, as well as support navigating complex topics like new employment legislation and regulatory changes. Bettine emphasizes that PICON acts as a guiding partner — connecting members with the right resources and expertise when issues arise. The association also operates several focus groups — including digital, exporters, importers, and suppliers to the paper industry — providing members with forums to discuss challenges unique to their area. These groups regularly address topics such as tariffs, trade documentation, and regulation. While PICON doesn’t typically lobby government independently, it collaborates with partners like the BPIF to ensure the voice of the industry is heard. A warm and insightful conversation about community, advocacy, and collaboration in print, filmed live at The Print Show in Birmingham.

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

Technology development in the graphics arts sector is in full expansion. Smart factory, Print Industrie 4.0 focuses on digital technologies that stimulate the inter-connectivity between printing companies, promote and bring them together with “strategic” partners. Classic models that acted as intermediaries between supply and demand, buyers and sellers, are being replaced by scenarios of transparent networked digital technology. The result: Suppliers, producers and consumers find each other (to a large extent) automatically. Business processes, services, product offering and communication will also become transparent and interactive in equal measure. What does this mean in concrete terms for the graphics industry in the Benelux and in Europe? INTERVIEW with some of the speakers at the VIGC congress 2020 Jan De Roeck (Marketing Director ESKO) Dirk Deroo ( Founder & CEO Dataline solutions) Toon Van Rossum ( Product Manager Enfocus) Jos Steutelings ( Managing Director VIGC ) *Next year’s VIGC CONGRESS is scheduled for October 14th 2021. --- NL: De technologieontwikkeling in de grafische sector is in volle expansie. Smart factory, Print Industrie 4.0 legt de focus op digitale technologieën die de inter-connectiviteit van grafische bedrijven onderling, en die met “strategische” partners bevorderen en samenbrengen. Klassieke modellen die fungeerden als intermediair tussen vraag en aanbod, kopers en verkopers, worden vervangen door scenario’s van transparant genetwerkte digitale technologie. Het resultaat: Leveranciers, producenten en consumenten vinden elkaar (voor een groot deel) automatisch. Bedrijfsprocessen, diensten, productaanbod en communicatie worden in gelijke mate ook transparant en interactief. Wat betekent dit nu concreet voor de grafische industrie in de Benelux en in Europa? INTERVIEW met enkele sprekers van het VIGC congres 2020 Jan De Roeck (Marketing Director ESKO) Dirk Deroo ( Founder & CEO Dataline solutions) Toon Van Rossum ( Product Manager Enfocus) Jos Steutelings ( Managing Director VIGC ) * Het VIGC-CONGRES van volgend jaar staat gepland op 14 oktober 2021.

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

Being at drupa is, of course, a super experience, and when people ask what I find most interesting - it's super difficult. Besides the people, I got an a-ha experience yesterday when passing through the Fujifilm booth, where they showed both a fluorescent green toner but also a one-time adhesive "toner" that enables the printer to produce glued products inline. Is this better than a new press or binding equipment - no - but you find innovations everywhere that won't get much exposure - this was a fun and creative find!

Interview in Dutch - subtitles in English. We starten onze reeks - de VIGC talks from drupa 2024 - bij Hybrid Software en hebben een toffe babbel met Bert van der Perre, hun Associate Director of Sales. Wie hebben het o.a. over 3D visualisatie oplossingen, SaaS, grafische automatisaties en natuurlijk ook over één van hun stokpaardjes, Workflow. Enjoy. -- EN -- We start our series - the VIGC talks from drupa 2024 - at Hybrid Software and have a great chat with Bert van der Perre, their Associate Director of Sales. We talk about 3D visualization solutions, SaaS, graphic automation and of course also about one of their favorite subjects, Workflow. Enjoy.

Our ‘Always on Tour’ adventure this time led us to Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, with our partners at Koenig & Bauer. The drive from our previous filming location was a feast for the eyes – breathtaking scenery and the unique experience of seeing Amish communities. Arriving in Sinking Spring with no preconceived notions, we were suddenly met with the impressive sight of GRAFIKA, a massive printing operation. Stepping inside, we saw many familiar names among those who'd already visited GRAFIKA. Soon, Bernie Elzer III himself warmly welcomed us. This place is a printer's dream—the Latest Koenig & Bauer presses stand next to other manufacturers' printing (like Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG) and post-press equipment (like BOBST). Schur logistics systems were also being integrated, further enhancing their capabilities. Grafika has so much momentum. Elzer III's vision is evident, and his recent investment in a fully loaded Rapida 106 from Koenig & Bauer speaks volumes about his confidence in the future of offset printing. GRAFIKA is simply outstanding. We're thrilled to have experienced it firsthand and are certain we've made lifelong friends!

Conversations are among our most popular formats on INKISH, and in this episode, the member of the manroland sheetfed board Bernhard Schaaf takes time to share his insights with Robert Godwin. LinkedIn Profile

Over the Skype with Bernhard Cantzler, Head of Marketing & Innovation UFP, Mondi Group Based in Vienna, Austria, Bernhard Cantzler is an excellent, internationally experienced specialist in print, packaging, marketing & communication in the digital age. During his studies he came into contact with Mondi in Russia. He had his first professional experience at Mondi with paper for digital printing, especially for inkjet productions. Andreas Weber, CEO / Country Manager INKISH D-A-CH, was particularly interested in this over the Skype conversation: Your tasks have expanded considerably in recent years. And especially now with COVID-19: What are you currently doing? How does that affect the market? What does the postponing of drupa 2020 mean for M? How do you see digital and analog? What influence does digitalization have on your work? What trends do you see and what influence does or will it have on Mondi’s offer? Note: As with all of our “Over the Skype” interviews, the picture / sound quality is based on the available bandwidth and the respective web cams as well as the possibility to literally conduct the conversations LIVE. Despite everything, it works amazingly well and with Over the Skype we have brought together far more than 50 special personalities so far and give insights into the industry as it currently is. Enjoy! Over the Skype mit Bernhard Cantzler, Head of Marketing & Innovation UFP, Mondi Group Blick nach Wien: Bernhard Cantzler ist ein exzellenter, international erfahrener Fachmann in Sachen Print, Packaging, Marketing & Kommunikation im Digitalzeitalter. Schon während des Studiums kam er in Russland mit Mondi in Kontakt. Seine ersten beruflichen Erfahrungen machte er bei Mondi mit Papier für den Digitaldruck, gerade auch für Inkjet-Produktionen. Folgendes interessierte Andreas Weber, CEO/Country Manager INKISH D-A-CH, ganz besonders in diesem Over the Skype-Gespräch: In den letzten Jahren haben sich ihre Aufgaben stark erweitert. Und speziell jetzt durch COVID-19: Was beschäftigt Sie derzeit? Wie wirkt sich das auf den Markt aus? Was bedeutet für Mondi die Verschiebung der drupa? In welchem Verhältnis sehen Sie digital und analog? Welchen Einfluss hat die Digitalisierung auf Ihre Arbeit? Welche Trends sehen Sie und welchen Einfluss zeigt oder wird es zeigen auf das Angebot von Mondi? Hinweis: Wie bei allen unseren “Over the Skype”-Interviews richtet sich die Bild-/Ton-Qualität nach verfügbarer Bandbreite und den jeweiligen Web-Cams aus sowie der Möglichkeit, die Konversationen buchstäblich LIVE zu führen. Es funktioniert trotz allem erstaunlich gut und mit Over the Skype bringen wir bis dato weit mehr als 50 besondere Persönlichkeiten zusammen und geben Einblicke in die Branche, wie sie derzeit ist. Viel Spaß!

Bernard Cantzler has a new job within Mondi Group, and we wanted to ask him what difference it makes for him, the market, and the customers - and here we are! With 18 years of experience in the Americas, Australia, and, obviously, Europe, Cantzler knows the industry. His friend said to him 18 years ago, Why not a Finish mobile phone company rather than the paper industry - Funny enough, Mondi is still here :-) Enjoy!

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!

Bernd Zipper is a well-known name in the printing industry. With his ZIPCON Consulting out of Germany, the writer, consultant, keynote speaker, event organizer, and more, have influenced the printing industry more than most. With a dedicated focus on online printing as well as the newest and latest technologies, how to bring print forward - you can be sure that Bernd Zipper and his team are on the forefront. As with all our ‘Over the Skype’ interviews, quality is limited to bandwidth, web-cams, and ability to literally LIVE mix the conversations. However, it works, and with Over the Skype, we will bring you more than 20 exciting people, and angles on the industry as it is right now. Enjoy!

I ask Bernd if #HID25 is the future of print - and this leads to an interesting talk about why, for example, the Online Print Symposium that takes place annually in Munich is a super interesting addendum. If Innovationdays is about hardware, software, and network, then OPS adds the business models and presentations of companies utilizing the technology - and I agree. HID is very much about finding technology that supports your business, and though HID, naturally, also is about business models, as the technology is the enabler, the different focuses are first and foremost right and secondly complimentary. By the way, the next OPS is already April 3-4, so if you haven't signed up, secure your seat now.

Wayne Beckett talks to Bernd Zipper an hour before the Online Print Symposium 2025 opens. Bernd gives us an outline of what to expect over the next 2 days.

Wayne Beckett talks with Bernd Zipper about the last 2 days at OPS 2025 and how content will always be king. Bernd also talks about the future of OPS and how they're already working on content for OPS 2026.

INKISH loves to hear about opinions and strategies from industry leaders. In this too short interview with Benoit Chatelard, President of Flint group Digital & Xeikon CEO we get to hear about the importance and relevance of the different printing technologies they bring to the market and why they are doing a show like Xeikon Café. A great interview in an open spirit and I feel confident that we will have more interesting stories and initiatives from XEIKON to report on in the future! Enjoy!

In our interview with Benjamin Danon, CEO of Dantex, he spoke proudly about the company’s journey from its origins to becoming Europe’s largest manufacturer and distributor of photopolymer plate materials for the packaging industry. Benjamin revealed that new technologies – including AI-driven solutions – are on the way, alongside the continued growth of Dantex’s modular offerings, which allow customers to produce custom labels faster and more efficiently, with a wide range of inline finishing options. For over 50 years, Dantex has been a trusted name in the Label & Tag market, as well as Dry Offset, Flexible Packaging, Luxury Carton and more. Headquartered in the UK, the Dantex Group has subsidiaries and distribution centres across Europe and the USA, supported by trained distributors in over 30 countries. Through Dantex Digital, the company develops its PicoColour and PicoJet digital presses at its state-of-the-art facility in Kettering, England, offering customers outstanding quality, speed to market, and maximum ROI. Designed on a modular platform, these presses offer exceptional flexibility, performance and print quality. As Benjamin summed up in our interview, Dantex is “proud of its heritage, excited about the future, and committed to providing the market with the most advanced, flexible and efficient solutions available.”

Benjamin Bösch joined Koenig & Bauer Durst just weeks before this interview. Still, with a background from manroland, HP, Landa, and now Koenig & Bauer Durst, we, of course, had to ask him if his the 'living evidence of the digital transformation,' - and here we go. Will the increased digital transformation in packaging also change how sales are done, and will that commoditize the market? We are excited to see Benjamin Bösch with Koenig & Bauer, and hopefully we will get more chances to talk to him in the future. Enjoy!

The Benelux Online Print Event is an event that as the title implies is about online printing. The Keynote is by Bernd Zipper who is one of the most recognized knowledge providers from the online printing industry - author, keynote speaker, event owner (The Online Symposium) and more. Many speakers - both local and international - are present at this exciting day in Brussels, that will be covered by INKISH.TV. We hope to see you! Read more about event: https://bope.vigc.be/?lang=en

You visit printing companies producing beautiful metallizations, embossings, etc., but we have never visited a company like Studio on Fire. Employees are art-educated and have a fantastic dedication to what they do, and what they do is precision foils in multiple colors, embossing, and de-bossing like no one else, letterpress, and materials that are beyond what you find with most printing companies. When you are a customer, the creative team spends hours, days, weeks, and even months to create the perfect packaging for a perfect product - and zero compromises - the process is developed to perfection, and the entirely analog production gives the finished product a sense of beauty that blow your mind - this is simply art, packaging, creativity, and craftsmanship at the highest level possible. You can't do anything but love the process, the people, the products, and the technology that comes from Kluege, Heidelberg, and recently, the KAMA ProCut76 and KAMA FF52i. When you see our film, Ziga Kovac (the filmmaker) has captured the work—and yet fantastic—it doesn't justify the real thing. Ben Levitz likes what he does and wants to work with others, but he realizes that other printing companies often have different passions than Ben Levitz and his team—but you should learn. This is the real deal! GREAT—simply GREAT!