James Quirk of Inkish TV interviews Arnd Riekenbrauck, Head of Sales for Converting and Web at IST, at Creation Reprographics in the UK. Arnd Riekenbrauck explains IST’s partnership with Fujifilm and how their combined solutions—such as LuXtream technology and CureMax inks—streamline printing processes. Discover how LuXtream enables both LED and conventional UV curing, why “Smart Cure” optimizes energy usage through digital integration, and how the new “FreeCure” approach eliminates photoinitiators for safer, more sustainable packaging inks. If you’re considering a retrofit or exploring LED UV curing benefits, this interview provides valuable insights into the future of UV curing technology.

Isabell Stiller from TDG The Document Group in Germany is excited about the color options delivered by the new Revoria PC1120. With the options to print CMYK+ varnish, silver, gold, white, or pink - the machine expands the color-gamut plus using gold and silver to give the customers metallic colors - really cool. As you can hear, Isabell Stiller is excited! LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabell-stiller-444313198/

At FESPA Barcelona 2026, Wayne from INKISH speaks with Isabell Nope from Enfocus about how automation, AI, and workflow integration continue to transform print production. As Product Manager for Switch, Nope explains how Enfocus uses live demonstrations at exhibitions to showcase the power of connected workflows, app integrations, and automated file processing in real time. One of the highlights at the booth is an interactive football-card application where visitors upload a smartphone image that automatically moves through a complete Switch workflow. The system removes backgrounds, applies AI enhancements, adds graphic elements, and delivers a finished personalized card back to the user within moments. Nope also discusses Enfocus’s expanding App Store ecosystem, now featuring hundreds of integrations, as well as the company’s upcoming AI assistant designed to simplify onboarding and workflow setup for users. The conversation also touches on Griffin+, Enfocus’s award-winning nesting software for wide-format production, which recently received an EDP Award for innovation.

At Koenig & Bauer’s variJET Open House in Radebeul, Morten B. Reitoft speaks with Chris Travis, a familiar face to many in the industry and, for some, almost synonymous with Koenig & Bauer itself. With more than 20 years in the company, Chris Travis has seen the evolution from traditional offset to the growing role of digital, and that experience frames the conversation. Because while the variJET represents something new for Koenig & Bauer in sheetfed inkjet, it’s not arriving in a vacuum. Inkjet has already been established in other segments, but this is different. This is about bringing digital into folding carton production at scale. The discussion quickly moves beyond technology and into market reality. In North America, where Chris Travis spends much of his time, the interest is clear. Run lengths are coming down, but more importantly, expectations are changing. It’s not only about shorter runs, it’s about new opportunities. New applications. New ways of using print. That’s where the variJET starts to make sense. It’s positioned to complement offset, not replace it. Taking work off traditional presses where it no longer fits efficiently, while at the same time opening doors to applications that simply weren’t possible before. Variable data, connected packaging, individualization, these are not just features, they are entry points into new business. And that’s where the conversation becomes interesting. Because as Chris Travis points out, having a machine like this is not just about production. It’s about what it enables commercially. It gives printers a tool to approach customers differently, to bring ideas to the table that go beyond price and volume. There is also a clear acknowledgment that the market is evolving unevenly. In Europe, regulation and traceability are strong drivers. In North America, the push is different. More focused on engagement, on how packaging connects with consumers, how it becomes part of a broader experience. Different drivers, same direction. The B1 format plays an important role here as well. It places the variJET in a segment where there are still relatively few digital alternatives, offering a combination of size, quality, and flexibility that stands out in the current market. What comes through in this conversation is not hype, but a pragmatic view of where things are heading. Inkjet is no longer something to explain or defend. It is understood. The question now is how to use it effectively, where it fits, and how it can create value alongside existing technologies. Watch the interview with Chris Travis to hear how one of the industry’s most experienced voices sees the opportunities, challenges, and direction for digital in folding carton production.

At the recent Sign, Print & Pack in Norway, one of the exhibitors wasn't Norwegian. Actually not even Scandinavian. It was Print24 which is a well-known online printer in most of Europe. We got a chance to talk to Managing Director Ali Jason Bazooband about how they differ from other online printers. In a VERY open-minded and lively interview, the charismatic Managing Director Ali Jason Bazooband tell you the business that he is managing.

A few weeks ago, a film was published with a very clear message - use print if you like or don't like it - but don't use the environment as an excuse for your choice. The film has humor but a serious message that all printers and the industry should back - namely, that false statements about print don't do us any good. I invited Bernd Zipper for an interview to talk more about the film, how the supermarket chain REWE most likely only does this to save money, how this can become a generational challenge, and many other interesting topics - important - and a message from Bernd Zipper - the links below are to be shared! LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/berndzipper/ Link to Initiative Online Print https://initiative-online-print.de/en/ Link to REWE film English https://youtu.be/56a-pAa8yuQ Link to REWE film German https://youtu.be/i4WmBseqY9Q

I have followed Ray Stasieczko for some time. Almost every day for more than four years, has he delivered a refreshing perspective on the office-print segment. "End of the Day with Ray" is to some extent asking the questions many don't dare to ask, or even worse, sometimes don't even think about. Ray Stasieczko and Editor Morten B. Reitoft WILL at some point meet in person, but here is the first conversation between the two. We normally don't care much about the office segment, but as most of the digital-print vendors in 'our' segment also produces office equipment, the development in this segment COULD influence the professional production segment as well. Ray Stasieczko often in his daily show, refers to numbers, fiscal reports, statistics, etc., and these numbers can be used to broaden your understanding of a significant part of the industry. You can follow Ray Stasieczko here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raystasieczko/ https://endofthedaywithray.com/

Danny Mertens is the Corporate Communications Manager for Xeikon. In a short moment between other things, Editor Morten B. Reitoft got the chance to talk to Danny Mertens about marketing and the importance of digital. Enjoy!

Mark Hinder is head of Market Development for Konica Minolta and for those who follow him on LinkedIn and other channels you find a professional with a great passion for the inkjet machine he represents. Konica Minolta introduced their AccurioJet KM-1 at DRUPA, and since then numerous installations have been installed globally. At the recent Print Next 18 event in Stockholm, we got the chance to talk with Mark Hinder about KM-1, Dot Freeze Technology, Market and more - watch and enjoy these 10 minutes of knowledge and pure passion!

Ola Karlsson is one of the 3 persons behind Grakom - the event maker in Stockholm, who is responsible for Grafkom, Grakom I/O and now Print Next. Who attend the shows and who do Grafkom see as their customers? In this film, Ola Karlsson tells you who and why.

Estonia is a small country in the Baltics with Russia, Latvia, Finland and Sweden as neighbors. With a population of only 1.4 million people and a size like Denmark and the Netherlands, the small population is concentrated in the capital Tallinn and with many printing companies for a country, this size export has been a focus since it's liberation from Russia back in the '80s. In this interview - filmed at PrintNext 19 in Stockholm, we talk to both Katre Savi who manages the Association of Estonian Printing & Packaging Industry as well as Piret Närep and Karol Karu from K-Print - a member and printer in Estonia. Get insight and listen to what KPI's the printers talk about in this film - GREAT.

Happy New Year, and welcome to INKISH’s first interview of 2026. Morten Reitoft is joined by his good friend Gee Ranasinha for a wide-ranging conversation about AI, with a particular focus on generative AI and what it really means for marketing, creativity, branding, and trust. They unpack the difference between machine learning, generative AI, and agentic AI, discuss why tools alone don’t replace human judgment, and explore how brands risk becoming generic if technology is used without intent. The discussion moves from AI in marketing and design to bigger questions about authenticity, differentiation, security, and the future value of human creativity in an AI-driven world. I asked ChatGPT if it believes that Generative AI can be a threat to brands - and here is its answer: Yes — generative AI can be a threat to a brand, but only under certain conditions. Generative AI becomes a threat when it is used as a shortcut rather than a tool. If a brand relies on AI to produce content without clear direction, taste, or accountability, the result often drifts toward generic, formulaic output. Over time, this can erode distinctiveness, making the brand harder to recognize and easier to replace. When everything starts to look and sound “AI-made,” audiences subconsciously read it as inauthentic, low-effort, or interchangeable. The real risk is not the technology itself, but the loss of human judgment. Brands are built on consistency, intent, and emotional resonance — things that require someone to decide why something should exist, not just how it can be produced. If AI is allowed to define tone, visuals, or messaging without strong brand governance, the brand can slowly hollow out, becoming a polished shell that says nothing meaningful. Used correctly, however, generative AI is not a threat at all. It can accelerate ideation, lower production friction, and help teams explore more options in less time. When guided by clear brand principles, human taste, and strategic oversight, AI can strengthen a brand rather than weaken it. In that sense, AI raises the floor of execution — but it does not raise the ceiling. Brands that continue to stand out will be the ones that use AI to move faster, not the ones that let AI decide who they are. In short: generative AI threatens brands that surrender authorship to it. Brands that treat it as an assistant, not a substitute, will be just fine.

The industry will HAVE to go down the path of automation & industry 4.0, whether they want it or not. Same trends & necessities surface in Europe as they do in the US. Analog is shifting to Digital. So, let’s hear what Bill Riley, President & Founder of Ironsides Technology, says about this at HID23. Bill has been the contact for the larger Europe himself and explains why there is a need for a specialist software provider next to the classic ERP/MIS systems in use.

At Intergraf Print Matters in Budapest, Morten Reitoft speaks with Irena Pinta, the 2026 winner of the Intergraf Young Talent Award. Representing Romania and her own company, Koalaink, Irena shares her excitement about receiving the award and discusses the project that earned her recognition: hyperpersonalization in print and marketing communications. The conversation explores how personalization is evolving beyond simply adding names to printed materials. Irena explains how true hyperpersonalization combines design, data, imagery, and customer relevance to create highly targeted communications. Drawing on her experience as a graphic designer and intermediary between clients and specialized print providers, she discusses the practical challenges of delivering personalized campaigns, including sourcing appropriate content, managing data, complying with GDPR requirements, and collaborating with print partners capable of handling complex customization projects. Morten and Irena also discuss the realities of bringing hyperpersonalization from theory into practice. While the technology exists, implementation often depends on having the right workflows, data sources, design capabilities, and production partners. Irena shares insights into how she uses licensed image databases, design tools, and customized production processes to create personalized communications for clients. Beyond the award itself, the interview highlights the Intergraf Young Talent Award's role in encouraging innovation and attracting new talent to the printing industry. Irena reflects on presenting her ideas on an international stage, the value of networking with industry leaders, and how recognition from Intergraf could create new opportunities for collaboration and business growth. A warm and inspiring conversation with one of the industry's emerging talents about creativity, entrepreneurship, hyperpersonalization, and the future of print.

One of the many people who made the Kohlhammer event possible was Ionnis Makridakis, and we HAD to stop him for an interview to learn about what he does when he is not preparing events. With a big smile, he explains that he fixes everything, from machines to the maintenance of the building—and as he explains in this interview, he likes the many different jobs he has. Great! Language: German Subtitled: English

Meet Peter Varady from Pacer Print from California. This company started as a design company and became increasingly involved with production. Learn how Tilia Labs became an enabler for the company. Super story and a great example of how many ways into the industry are so different :-)

Most people know that Greece has been in a crisis but I am quite sure that most people are not even aware of how big this crisis was and even how much it influenced all aspects of the Greek society. In this episode, we visit a unique packaging printer, family-owned printing company Stathatos and hear the story about how they took the chance and invested their way out of the crisis. Their solution was LED-UV delivered by AMS Spectral UV - this story is quite interesting. Enjoy!

Dawrian Salies is the General Manager of SA Litho Label Printers - one of the leading print suppliers in South Africa - and part of a much larger organization, CTP limited. In this interview, Dawrian Salies explains that investing in equipment is also investing in the company. With Nilpeter flexo presses on the production floor, that statement is 100% backed up in doings. Dawrian Salies told me during our tour how they align the different technologies from their offset presses to flexo to digital, and the size and output of SA Litho Label Printers were very impressive. Great company!

In South Windsor, Connecticut, you'll find a packaging printing company named Keystone Paper & Box Company. The owner, James Rutt, is the third generation owner, and while we are visiting the company, James (Jim) shows us around, greets all employees by their first name, and knows pretty much exactly when each piece of equipment was acquired. The BOBST, the gluers, the windowing machine, and while being on tour, getting the exciting story about how Keystone Paper and Box Company became what it is today. With Robert Papa as COO, the company is now initiating a new growth phase that, according to Papa, will double the size of the company. The heart of the production is the two new manroland 700-series offset machines. One is an 8-color straight machine with a manroland cold-foiling unit installed, and for the second, the foundation is being laid for the second machine. Great story and we hope you like the film - we do :-)

We visited the printing company TPC Printing & Packaging in Chattanooga, which recently invested in two new Koenig & Bauers presses. One of the presses is installed with Eagle Systems cold-foil solutions. In this film, President Joey Schmissrauter explains why they chose to invest in the Eagle Systems solutions and how it enables them to create even more luxurious packaging combined with their BOBST hotfoil solutions and their Scodix 106 digital enhancement solution. Very interesting story, and in the film you can see amazing print samples - just for inspiration :-)

DE Edition Roularta Media Group is a Belgium-based publishing group publishing magazines and news, delivering digitally, making TV, and supporting local and international brands. Roularta is also involved in the printing industry as the group publishes Grafisch Nieuws - but it's also a huge printing company with dedicated objectives of achieving considerable CO2 reductions. As CEO Steven Renders explains, CO2 reductions get harder and harder as the company obviously looks for the easiest targets first. One of these targets was the dryers on Roularta's web-offset presses - they realized that new Contiweb gas dryers could not only use less energy but also considerably reduce the CO2 emissions - so with that, Roularta exchanged all the heaters on their presses, and now the happy owners of three new Contiweb gas-dryers. Roularta is a very automated printing company with clear strategies that enable it to grow, reduce its carbon footprint, and develop more print business through its unique business models. This is a VERY good film to learn from we believe!

Yoshihiro Oe is the General Manager for Horizon GmbH. Horizon is a well-known vendor of binding equipment widely used globally. A few years ago Horizon changed strategy in the pursuit selling more equipment, and they chose to sell directly in Germany, the Nordic Countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland), Hungary, and Austria. In Quickborn, just outside Hamburg in the Northern part of Germany, Horizon has built a nice showroom named Horizon Academy. With local employees referencing directly to GmbH the Horizon works to get a broader grip on the market. The strategy seems to be successful. However, Yoshihiro Oe explains in this film, some of the obstacles and wins on the way. Enjoy - We really like this film :-)

One of our very favorite persons in the printing industry, Matthew Parker from Profitable Print Relationships, have chosen to be part of INKISH with his very own channel. We have during the past days recorded the first 11 episodes that stretch from personal branding, social media profiles, sales, engaging with clients, selling on anything else than price, and more. Matthew Parker is an experienced speaker, consultant, and author and has a large audience globally. The new channel will be called 'Matthew Parker PrintChampion' and we can't wait to publish the first films shortly. Before we broke up with each other INKISH editor, Morten Reitoft asked Matthew Parker a few questions about what to expect. Watch, Listen, Like, Share - and stay tuned for truly great hands-on ideas to grow your business!

We are working together with Deborah Corn on a new project called PPN - or the Project Peacock Network. Before going into details about this, let's turn back time for a second. Project Peacock was founded years ago, and has with the same agenda, used various channels to educate, inspire, and promote print. In short, Peacock is about showing designers, brand-owners, and print-buyers what technology can do, and to some extent, bridge buyers and sellers. Over the years, thousands of people have been exposed to various print samples and printing technologies. Before COVID, Project Peacock Print Fair traveled through America and Canada hosting educational events - and during the pandemic, Peacock turned into the Project Peacock Platform where vendors and registrants could meet online 365/24/7 - and Platform events presented various topics and speakers. I was so fortunate to present a keynote at the digital publishing event. It was fun, engaging, and interesting to explore the feedback on a platform that isn't a virtual event, a webinar, or anything like it. Now it's 2022, and Deborah and I have been working on something entirely new. We call it Project Peacock Network, PPN. The idea is to invite people from the industry to talk about various topics and then present it as a two-hour, monthly streaming experience. On the first Friday of every month, beginning in March, Deborah will host the streaming format with guests from PSPs, vendors, designers, brand owners, influencers, and more. As we progress with the production, I am excited about this project - and of course, INKISH wanted to be the executive producer of the show and support bringing people together while bringing excitement and a new format to learn and connect to the audience. The show will be broadcast simultaneously on INKISH, Print Media Centr, our YouTube channels, LinkedIn, and where applicable at noon ET, starting March 4, 2022. If you have stories to share and/or create products and services you believe designers, brand owners, and buyers should know about, this is the time to reach out to us. Project Peacock is supported by partners who share our vision.