IST Intech is part of the IST family and has specialized in custom- and digital LED UV solutions - here Pat McGrew talk with Global Sales Director Koen Santegoeds.

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!

Jeff Zellmer is the VP of Global Sales at Eastman Kodak Company and has been part of the transformation process Kodak is going through for two years. About two weeks ago, Jeff Zellmer posted a LinkedIn post about how much a printing company could save the environment using process-free plates - and that caught our attention - and here we are. Jeff Zellmer instantly agreed to talk to INKISH, and we believe you get good information from watching this episode - so please enjoy!

INKISH hosted for the first time ever our NON-EVENT. The Non-event is celebrating the people that have been in front of the camera, or been supporting INKISH during the past years. This is a new recurring event, and the idea is to give space for the people we have featured to connect in a new way. We invited 150 people, and 32 decided to join us. Our guests came from Japan, Canada, USA, UK, Belgium, Sweden, and Denmark - and we are confident that next year, even more, will come. We asked most of our participants to talk LIVE during the dinner - and here is Klavs Holm from Denmark. Klavs Holm is the CEO of Medit Consult a leading workflow- and management consultant company in the media industry. Enjoy!

We met Klaus Lund from Walter Lund, Chile, at Weilburger's booth - and though his name sounds German, he was born and raised in Chile. His Grandparents moved to Chile, and in Chile, the family has grown a distribution company of, among other things, coatings from Weilburger plus paper and more. Super interesting talking to Klaus Lund :-)

Klaus Lammersiek has a background with HP and Scodix, and both will be valuable experiences in his only seven-month-old job as Head of Digital Transformation. Digital transformation is as much about educating and bringing staff forward as creating digital solutions for customers. Of course, digital transformation is not only about digital print but also using digital technology to optimize processes—and, well, become more profitable. It was great talking to Lammersiek!

In this Learn with Us session Kit Tomshøj, and Michael Bradley tell to explain how to calculate prices. The presentation is a great balance between basic knowledge and a few examples of how you would do it in case you have the PrintVis ERP/MIS solution. After the presentation, CEO Kasper Tomshøj also joins for the Q&A session - where we, among other things, discuss the newly developed AI module developed to suggest prices to customers. Great inspiration.

Most of us know how addictive this industry is, and I am not sure why Kirk Icuss decided to get back into business after selling his long-time business. BUT. Imagine starting with all the knowledge you have and then choosing the right equipment, the right finishing equipment, and maybe even the right customers to begin with? This is precisely what happened to Kirk Icuss, who know run and operates Enterprise Group Printing with help from smart employees (some even his kids) :-) This is a good film to find inspiration from!

Well, International Business is about communication. The picture is illustrating a situation where I just had signed a contract with a Chinese company. Helping them to come to the European markets. A short time after we signed the contract, the same day, the manager asked me to go into a meeting room and then explain to all his managers how it was to make business in Europe. And I'm sitting in front of this Chinese group of people, the two sitting left to me, they spoke some English. And the rest was just looking. And I had a preplanned English PowerPoint I was using. It is not about the word 'understanding'. It's more about the word do you comprehend? And this is where International Business Cross Culture very often goes wrong. Business in Europe is about knowing how and knowing who. It's about having a network. It's about knowing the markets. Empathy is about understanding, comprehending, trying to see who you have on the other side. Understand the way they are. It's about relationships. It is a people's business. It's very important. I'm not trying to sell them anything. I'm explaining them what my products can do. And what they can do for them. And together we find a concept which would be the right one for them. In Europe, we have trust. Straight away. The first time you and I we met each other, we had trust. In Asia, it's different. You earn trust, it takes time. You need to get closer and closer and closer. In this specific case, I came back to this guy five years ago. I called him saying: are you home? And he greeted with me with open arms. I hadn't seen him in the company for twenty over years. And said: look here Kim. This was the bottle you gave me thirty over years ago. I kept it and cherished it. And I saved it for a memorable day. That wasn't the customer's attitude. That was a friend's attitude.

Jean Lloyd has been in the industry for a long time and has become an industry-recognized specialist in the past years. In the film, we talk about digital packaging and why converters choose to go to Innovationdays, though there is little packaging and equipment to see. But tune into this film, and learn :-)

It’s Pat McGrew, and we’re again talking to printers who are here at Printing United. And Kevin, you are here at Printing United. What is it that you’re looking for, and what’s your impression of the show? “Well, the impression of the show is actually that it’s got a lot of energy,” Kevin says. “We’re here both as an exhibitor and as a vendor looking for potential partners throughout the show floor. I’d say I’ve been impressed with the amount of traffic, but also the diversity of the exhibitors that are here and the breadth and depth of what’s being offered at Printing United.” “Great,” Pat replies. “Kevin, thanks so much for your impression.” “No problem,” Kevin says with a smile. “You have a great day.”

Kevin Neureuter, as of May 1st, 2024, has been appointed new CEO for manroland sheetfed North America. Kevin Neureuter has been with manroland for the past four years and explains in this interview that he, for some time, has been trained and positioned for his new role, and now the time is here. Kevin Neureuter will still be visiting clients and will be 'on the road' 80% of the time - and with a background in the industry, Neureuter has the same domain knowledge as the newly appointed Global CEO Mirko Kern. It's interesting to see how different the major players in the market address leadership. Meet Kevin Neureuter in this interview: open-minded, smiling, and relaxed - GREAT!

I live just north of Glasgow in Scotland on the banks of Loch Lomond. Like most sales guys…You know, you spend a lot of time traveling, a lot of time in the office. Probably way too much time working and not enough time personal. I have a lovely golden retriever dog. And him and I walk constantly. And this is my regular walk where I go with a dog. The Loch Lomond Whiskey is a very smooth whiskey. I think it should just be savored and enjoyed. My father is 87. And every night in life he has a big stiff whiskey. I'm sure, Captain Haddock, has maybe dabbled in some of the other ones as well. But but if that's his brand, then good on them. I have a beautiful wife and two lovely kids and a dog. And I love my dog. That's not to say I don't love my kids and my wife. It Is a very true saying. If you love your job, you'll never work a day in your life. My engineering background wants to help people solve problems. I believe in what I do. I believe that I try and do my best for the people that I do the job for. The challenge I have in the industry is the product that we sell, which is Corona treatment, not a lot of people really know it or understand it. They know they need it, but they don't really understand it. The founder of the company Vetaphone, that was actually the guy that invented Corona treatment. Because necessarily invent something doesn't necessarily mean you're the best. And actually that's something that I'm very conscious of. So therefore, to make sure that you are the best, you have to do it in a very different aspect. You have to address all areas of the process. As a company like you mentioned earlier, we're very proud of our history. And one of the things that really separates us from that is the knowledge of the process. We try and help them understand that not one size fits all. We're approaching them to help educate them in the process. And then we can go into the technology and why it's different. Why that is? Why should they buy the piece of equipment that we've got as opposed to just making something themselves? LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-mckell/

Bluecrest technology solutions, or where maximum levels of personalization meet with zero error tolerance. To be considered a trustworthy partner in this niche, it is essential to excel in producing engaging print and mail communications and delivering cost-efficient and error-free personalized printed collateral to the mail or e-box. We learn more by talking to the Vice President of Global Production Print, Kevin Marks.

We met Kevin Loos six months ago when we filmed with one of their customers. MCS specializes in inkjet post-printing, meaning stand-alone and retro-mounted inkjet options for printing on envelopes, boxes, and more. At SuperCORR they show their new HP 4-color option - and with great examples of how this can increase the value of your product packaging. Good to see Kevin again :-)

At Printing United in Orlando, Morten B. Reitoft from INKISH met with Kevin Loos from MCS, a company widely recognized for its expertise in inkjet and mailing solutions. MCS has built a strong reputation for retrofitting production and finishing lines with advanced variable-data and addressing systems, while also expanding into labeling, packaging, and corrugated applications. Kevin Loos explained that although the overall mail industry has evolved, the advertising mail segment remains stable and profitable. MCS’s strategy is to help customers achieve better ROI by enabling more efficient, flexible inkjet technology. He also noted that staffing challenges across the print industry make it essential to design equipment that is intuitive, easy to train on, and requires minimal operator involvement. The centerpiece of MCS’s presentation was a new CMYK print bar built around HP’s TIJ 4.0 technology. This innovation allows customers to produce full-color variable prints at the same cost as monochrome printing a year ago. The compact, high-speed system runs at up to 600 feet per minute with 1200 DPI resolution, offering near-offset quality with a much smaller footprint. One of the major advantages Kevin highlighted is the micro-recirculation ink system, which minimizes maintenance and removes the need for automated wiping or daily servicing. Compared with previous piezo-based print systems, the HP-driven technology offers a lower entry cost and simpler maintenance while still delivering production-grade performance. MCS demonstrated both a 4.25-inch CMYK model and an 8.5-inch version suitable for larger envelopes, packaging, or flexo and offset integration. The system can be scaled even further with the company’s Raptor controller, which can manage print widths over 51 inches. Kevin Loos summarized MCS’s mission as helping customers bridge capability and cost—developing inkjet solutions that expand what printers can offer their clients while keeping production simple, fast, and profitable.

Congratulations to Kevin Bennett from EZ-Mailing. At drupa 2024, we got to catch up with Bennett, whom we filmed a year ago. Already then, Bennett joked about getting a perfection press - and soon he did :-) A warm Congratulations to everybody.

Kevin Abergel is the founder of Taktiful - a company driving a community for companies working with digital embellishment - and also now a software supplier of a newly developed MIS system - that essentially takes the next step for how embellishment can help their owners make more money. In this interview, Abergel talks about how he was born into the industry with two uncles and a father founding MGI - and how digital embellishment differentiates from analog embellishment. Super interesting story that we can all learn from! Watch and learn!

An hour's flight east of Seattle, you find the city of Spokane. Friendly people, stunning nature, and then, of course, Sonderen Packaging. Sonderen Packaging is today led by Keva and Matt Sonderen, siblings with extensive experience and a strong belief in the company's and the market's future. We are there because Sonderen decided to acquire a new Manroland Evolution 700-series offset printer—and, of course, we had to see it, and learn about why they chose to work with manroland. Sonderen have worked with manroland for years and yet they, of course, compared with other suppliers before investing in the new machine - but service, quality, delivery - well - all the boxes ticked in favor or manroland - and today it produces at high speed, high quality, with short setup time - and the service they get is great. But check out the film yourself and enjoy :-)

Kern is one of the main players when it comes to inserting & mailing systems. The Hunkeler feeders will match the company color and can be had in Swiss red, or was it Ferrari red? Not sure if it has to reflect the speeds they obtain, but they are the only ones allowed to have a different color for the Hunkeler equipment that they integrate into their inserting lines. Good talk with Daniel Wenger about how Kern meets their customers' automation requirements.

At Printing United 2025 in Orlando, Morten B. Reitoft from INKISH visits the Standard Finishing Systems booth, where he meets Kent Larson from Bridgeport National Bindery. This company has evolved far beyond its traditional roots while staying true to the craft of bookmaking. Kent explains that Bridgeport began as a bindery but later expanded into printing, a move that strengthened its understanding of both disciplines. “We’re a bindery first — that’s in our DNA,” he says. “We moved backward into printing, which means our focus on quality binding has never changed. Consumers still want a well-made book.” He points out that the quality of digitally printed books has improved dramatically. “Years ago, digital print and hot-glue binding didn’t hold up,” he recalls. “Today, with the right engineering and partners like Horizon and Standard, the books look and feel just like traditionally produced ones — they last.” Kent emphasizes that time-to-market has become the key competitive factor. “That’s the antidote to warehousing,” he says. “If you can print and ship on demand, you eliminate inventory and speculation.” He also highlights how digital printing has revived the book market, once thought to be in decline. “The physical book is thriving again. Short runs, backlist reprints, and print-on-demand are driving a new model — print what you need, when you need it.” Drawing a parallel to streaming media, Kent compares today’s publishing landscape to the evolution of audio and video. “Just like Spotify or Netflix changed how we consume entertainment, digital printing lets publishers deliver books directly to readers. E-books didn’t replace print because people want something tangible — they want to hold it, gift it, and disconnect from screens.” He notes that in recent months there has even been a spike in Bible sales in the U.S., underscoring that printed books still carry cultural and emotional weight. “You can read a Bible online, but people want the real thing,” he says. At the show, Kent explains he’s mainly there to meet friends and see what’s next in finishing technology. “It’s a dynamic time in publishing,” he concludes. “The physical book isn’t going anywhere — people still want something they can touch and feel.”

At Printing United Expo in sunny Orlando, Wayne Beckett from INKISH sat down with Kenneth Hanulec from EFI to talk about how the company is approaching this year’s busy and energetic show. “We love Printing United,” Kenneth said with a smile. “It’s a great community of people. It’s been super busy—day one was packed, and we’re halfway through day two and still running full speed. We’re just excited to be here.” Wayne noted that the show seemed bigger and more vibrant than before, and Kenneth agreed. “It certainly feels like there’s more traffic,” he said. “We’ve seen people from Latin America, Canada, and a lot more from the West Coast than I expected. It’s really a broad mix of visitors.” EFI’s booth was one of the largest on the floor, showcasing an extensive range of machines. When asked how conversations with PSPs were going, Kenneth explained that the focus was mainly on applications. “EFI is centered on three verticals—sign and display, packaging, and industrial textile,” he said. “All of our printers are designed to do two key things: maximize productivity and efficiency while driving the lowest cost per square foot, and enable new applications. Whether it’s clear ink, multilayer printing, or working with new substrates, it’s all about giving PSPs ways to boost profitability.” Wayne remarked on the impressive range of substrates EFI printers can handle, from textiles to rigid materials. Kenneth laughed. “I tell people—and it makes engineers nervous—that we can print on almost anything. As long as it’s about 2 inches thick or less and the process is contactless, we can spray ink onto it and make a beautiful image. Whether it’s paper, film, metal, glass, wood, or plastic, inkjet technology is incredibly versatile.” Asked if EFI has a “sweet spot” among its many printers, Kenneth replied, “I love all the children. We have over 40 printers available for commercial use across our three verticals. Here we’re showing hybrid and roll-to-roll technologies, and our partners have brought dedicated flatbed and hybrid systems as well. The strength of our portfolio is its breadth—whatever a customer’s capacity or productivity needs are, we’ve got a solution that fits.” Wayne pointed out that EFI continues to partner with Fiery for front-end solutions. “Yes,” Kenneth said. “We’ve worked with Fiery for decades. Even though we’re now separate companies, Fiery still accounts for 99% of our digital front-end sales. They’re great partners, and we really value their technology.” Turning to automation, Kenneth explained how EFI approaches it from both software and hardware perspectives. “When we talk about automation, it’s really twofold,” he said. “There’s software-based automation, which drives workflow efficiency, and then there’s hardware automation. Take our packaging solution, Nozomi—it can produce a thousand boards an hour, so you need automation to keep up with that. We’ve also launched EFI Insight, a cloud-based analytics tool that converts real-time data from the Nozomi printer into business intelligence. It helps customers improve efficiency, increase profitability, and even manage preventive maintenance. It’s still early days, but the potential is huge.” Wayne asked whether robotics was also part of EFI’s roadmap. “Yes, we’re working on various automation programs,” Kenneth confirmed. “There’s nothing commercially available yet, but it’s an area we’re actively developing.” As their conversation wrapped up, Wayne commented on how impressive the EFI portfolio looked. Kenneth nodded. “We have an excellent direct and indirect sales team, and we focus on solving real problems for our customers,” he said. “With such a wide portfolio, I’m confident we can help anyone who comes to us.” Wayne smiled. “Kenneth, it’s been great talking to you. There’s still a day and a half left—by the time you leave, I’m sure all the machines will be sold.” Kenneth laughed. “That’s always the plan.”

When Japanese publishers wanted to expand their approach to logistics and publication management, they began working with the Rotomail team and their solution, Bronte Global Alliance. In this exclusive Inkish interview, Kenichi Igarashi speaks publicly for the first time.

Ken Garner is the VP Development & Industry Relations for the American organization, APTech, short for Association for PRINT Technologies. APTech used to be the organizer of GraphExpo and Print shows in Chicago but chose in 2019 to team up with Tarsus to continue the show under the name Brand Print Americas. In this, Over the Skype session, we get the chance to hear more about the work of APTech. We also hear about the first larger virtual conference that due to the COVID-19 was moved from being a physical conference to a virtual one - and many more exciting subjects. 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!