En la feria Printing United 2025 en Orlando, Nayeli González de INKISH TV conversa con Héctor Cordero, presidente de Conlatingraf, sobre la reciente reunión de la organización y los desarrollos más relevantes en la industria gráfica latinoamericana. Héctor comienza explicando que la asamblea de Conlatingraf fue un éxito, con una gran asistencia y una amplia variedad de temas abordados. “Uno de los puntos más importantes”, comenta, “fue la designación de Hamilton Terni Costa, un prestigioso consultor brasileño, como el nuevo Líder Gráfico de las Américas.” Destaca que Costa “fue el único experto de la región reconocido por Drupa por sus aportes al futuro de la industria gráfica” y que la decisión fue aprobada por unanimidad por todos los delegados de Conlatingraf. Otro reconocimiento será para Grupo Espinoza, una empresa mexicana especializada en producción editorial y de libros, que está desarrollando nuevas tecnologías para hacer más accesible la impresión personalizada. “Están creando un modelo donde cualquier persona pueda enviar su propio libro para imprimir,” explica Héctor. “Ese nivel de innovación es lo que les ha hecho merecedores del Premio a la Innovación Tecnológica.” El evento también reunió a una amplia gama de participantes internacionales. Entre ellos se encontraban Ford Bowers, CEO de Printing United, y Daniel Sunderland, presidente mundial de FESPA, además de expositores de China, España y América Latina. “Vimos empresas chinas presentando innovaciones en impresión de cama plana, una empresa española llamada Rotatek mostrando nuevos desarrollos en empaque tras recibir una fuerte inversión árabe, y una compañía mexicana, Inatural, que busca exportar tintas flexográficas a toda Latinoamérica,” comenta Héctor. HP también tuvo una participación destacada, abordando un estudio ambiental alemán que calificaba la impresión Indigo como altamente contaminante por la composición de sus tintas. “HP presentó sus datos y argumentos, explicando que el estudio no tomó en cuenta todos los factores,” señala Héctor. “Es un tema abierto al debate, pero es positivo que todos puedan escuchar ambas versiones y sacar sus propias conclusiones.” Nayeli comenta sobre la creciente importancia de la sostenibilidad, señalando que las empresas del sector se están adaptando a las nuevas exigencias. Héctor coincide: “Sí, absolutamente. La sostenibilidad es un tema central hoy en día. Incluso compañías como Heidelberg están adaptándose. En lugar de trasladar sus grandes prensas a la feria, invitaron a los visitantes a una planta cercana, a solo 15 minutos. Es una medida más económica, pero también más sostenible.” Agrega que muchas empresas están adoptando este modelo: menor huella, menos maquinaria gigante y mayor eficiencia. También destaca que Ángel Bustamante, director de Ricoh Latinoamérica, trabaja estrechamente con Conlatingraf para expandir tecnologías de impresión sostenibles en toda la región. Al ser consultado sobre su impresión general del evento, Héctor responde que la asistencia fue alta y el ambiente optimista. “La participación fue excelente,” afirma. “Eso demuestra que la economía de Estados Unidos, aunque no está en auge, se mantiene estable, y eso es una buena noticia para América Latina, porque cuando Estados Unidos se mueve, nos arrastra a todos.” La conversación gira luego hacia la creciente presencia de fabricantes chinos en el mercado latinoamericano. “Es positivo,” dice Héctor, “siempre y cuando esté regulado. Damos la bienvenida a la competencia, pero debe ser en condiciones justas: precios equivalentes, calidad constante y aranceles adecuados. Así, los consumidores pueden elegir con base en el valor, no solo en el precio más bajo.” Subraya que el financiamiento será clave para la modernización del sector gráfico en la región. “El financiamiento marca la diferencia,” explica. “Si los proveedores ofrecen un paquete completo —equipo, capacitación y opciones de arrendamiento— es mucho más fácil para los clientes decidir. Pagar conforme se usa la máquina permite que más empresarios inviertan.” Finalmente, Héctor cierra la entrevista con una invitación: “La próxima asamblea de Conlatingraf se llevará a cabo en Brasil, durante ExpoPrint en marzo de 2026, donde entregaremos el premio Líder Gráfico de las Américas a Hamilton Terni Costa y el Premio a la Innovación Tecnológica al Grupo Espinoza de México.” Nayeli sonríe y responde: “Ahí estaremos. Muchas gracias, Héctor.” Él asiente y concluye: “Gracias, Nayeli. Nos vemos en Brasil.”

Müller Martini lanzó dos grandes novedades en América del Norte: la encuadernadora de líneas blandas Antaro Digital y la solución roll-to-stack GEN8 EVO (esta última en colaboración con Hunkeler). La Antaro Digital viene ahora con una capacidad nueva para producir bloques de libros en tapa dura en línea — algo que no tenía en ediciones anteriores — lo que abre camino para tiradas más pequeñas, productos personalizados y cambios rápidos. La GEN8 EVO fue mostrada en su primera exhibición en EE.UU., destacando su interfaz modernizada y el enfoque en automatización para flujos de trabajo digitales y de alto volumen. Héctor Castro, Director ejecutivo Región Latinoamérica para Müller Martini resaltó que buscan adaptarse a la demanda creciente de tiradas cortas, personalización y producción eficiente — un reto clave para la industria gráfica actual.

On the final day of Printing United Expo in Orlando, Wayne Beckett from INKISH stopped by the Fiery booth to speak with Heather Long, Product Marketing Manager at Fiery. Despite the long week, Heather was in high spirits. “It’s been incredible,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of foot traffic and strong leads, so it’s been a really successful show for us. We’re excited to wrap up on a high note.” Wayne noted that this year’s event seemed to be the biggest yet, with both exhibitors and visitors. Heather agreed. “Yes, it’s definitely been busy,” she said. “It’s great to see so much energy and engagement from the industry.” Heather explained that Fiery was using the show to preview a new workflow automation solution called Fiery JobFlow Pro. “This is the successor to our current Fiery JobFlow,” she said. “We’ve completely redesigned it from the ground up on a much higher performance platform, so it’s faster, more flexible, and now integrates with AI.” She described how the system is designed to remove repetitive, time-consuming prepress tasks. “For example, if you’re getting hundreds of small jobs like business cards, you don’t want operators spending all day clicking the same settings and doing the same impositions,” she said. “JobFlow Pro automates those steps. It reduces clicks, eliminates human error, and frees up time so operators can focus on higher-value work.” Wayne asked how the system fits into a typical production environment, especially for companies running web-to-print systems. “That’s one of the biggest changes,” Heather explained. “We’ve re-engineered the architecture so it can receive jobs from multiple sources—e-commerce sites, job tickets, Command WorkStation, or even drag-and-drop from a browser. Once a file is received, the AI scans not just the metadata but also the file contents to understand what kind of job it really is. So if someone uploads a file named ‘businesscard.pdf’ but it’s actually a catalog, the system will recognize that and route it to the right workflow automatically.” She added that the AI also improves communication and usability for less experienced operators. “If a preflight report comes back full of technical terms, a beginner might not know what to do with it. JobFlow Pro can translate that into plain language, so it’s easy to understand. It can even send the report back to the customer automatically with simple instructions so they can fix it themselves.” According to Heather, the system is flexible enough to suit any type of user. “You can have an experienced prepress technician or a new intern using it,” she said. “Once the workflows are built, the AI handles the routing and logic. It’s all about making automation accessible.” Wayne asked how far the system goes in the production chain. “Ultimately, the goal is to get the job to print,” Heather said. “We can connect to any Fiery-driven printer—whether it’s a cut-sheet device or a large-format printer—and we can also integrate with MIS or ERP systems to feed production data, trigger new workflows, or even automate tasks like printing shipping labels once a job is complete. It really can go all the way to dispatch.” She added that the new system is far more dynamic than before. “The old JobFlow was more linear. JobFlow Pro can branch, connect, and scale. It’s built on a modern node-based framework, so it’s open-source friendly. Customers can create or add their own building blocks to customize workflows. We’ve tried to remove the need for scripting so it’s easier to use, but power users can still go deep and integrate at the API level.” Fiery JobFlow Pro, Heather confirmed, will be available in early December. “It’s all about our new motto: ‘Print smarter, automate anything,’” she said. “Reducing touchpoints, improving consistency, and giving customers tools to scale up—those are the goals.” Wayne smiled. “That’s exactly what the industry needs,” he said. “Fewer touchpoints, more automation, and faster turnaround.” Heather nodded. “Exactly,” she said. “That’s what we’re aiming for.”

A racing car driver is spotted in the halls of Labelexpo Europe 2023, promoting pre-press expert Heaford’s Top Mounter competition.

At Printing United 2025 in Orlando, Wayne Beckett from INKISH interviews Haik Zubadrah, founder of Bazaar Printing in Los Angeles, a company known for ultra-fast packaging production and premium digital embellishment. Haik explains that Bazaar Printing began seven years ago in downtown L.A. with modest equipment and a simple goal — speed. “We saw a major gap in the market. Most companies took three weeks to deliver packaging. We decided to do it in one day,” he says. That commitment quickly attracted customers and forced the business to scale. “When demand reached hundreds of thousands of pieces, we needed commercial-grade solutions. That’s when we invested in HP Indigo presses and a Scodix system.” He describes how Scodix transformed the company. “It let us do raised UV and raised foil in minutes — no dies, no long setup,” Haik says. “Customers can walk in with no design, and our team can create, print, and finish samples the same day.” Bazaar Printing now focuses on labels, boxes, and pouches, offering full in-house service from design to final packaging. Haik emphasizes that Scodix adds more than visual appeal — it changes how brands connect with customers. “When people see a box with Scodix, they can’t unsee it,” he says. “It’s not expensive — it’s value. There’s nothing else like it. It helps brands stand out instantly.” He credits Scodix and digital printing for enabling nearly 400% growth in the past two years. “It’s not just about technology,” he says. “It’s about people, design, and details. Many can print, but few can deliver a full experience.” Wayne concludes that Haik’s enthusiasm mirrors his company’s success — built on creativity, technology, and a relentless focus on fast, high-quality results.

In this conversation, Morten from INKISH speaks with Hayco, who has just concluded a remarkable 26-year journey at Canon EMEA. After more than two decades helping shape Canon’s commercial print direction, he begins an exciting new chapter at RPI on Monday. Hayco reflects on the emotional challenge of leaving Canon — a company that has been central to his identity for over half his life — and the colleagues who became close partners throughout his career. He introduces RPI, a global leader with more than 500 employees and production sites in Seattle, Rochester, Atlanta, and Eindhoven. The company specializes in: High-end white-label production of personalized photo products, including photobooks for major brands Self-publishing platforms like Blurb and MagCloud supporting creators who want to design, sell, and distribute books and magazines He explains that while creating one photobook is easy, producing thousands every day — with consistent routing, quality, traceability, and fast delivery — is highly complex. Only a small number of companies worldwide can do this at scale. Hayco was especially impressed by RPI’s investment in workflow, automation, IT, and APIs, designed to make customer integration efficient and straightforward. In his new role as head of European sales, Hayco will support existing global customers, explore new opportunities, and drive diversification. Because photobooks are highly seasonal, he sees big potential in using RPI’s production capacity for other applications outside peak periods. As ordering moves increasingly online, printers must act more like IT companies — and strong PSP/OEM partnerships become essential. Morton notes that RPI’s focus on personalization, waste reduction, and sustainability positions the business well for the future — a point Hayco fully agrees with. He also shares that RPI works with multiple OEMs, including Canon and HP, and highlights sustainability as a key focus area. Hayco feels a strong cultural and personal fit with RPI and looks forward to staying close to the industry. He confirms he will attend the NON-EVENT in January.

Konica Minolta is a well-known supplier of toner-based digital printers, and in DRUPA 2012 the announced the B2 format KM1. At that time it was a pre-announcement, and the interest was pretty good. At DRUPA 2016 the KM1 was not just an idea, but a fully operational printer and many KM1's are now at work globally. At the recent Inkjet Update 2019 event in Denmark, we got the chance to talk to Mark Hinder, who is the Head of Market Development. The result is this great interview and if you see Mark Hinder sweating it may be because we ask him whether KM1 is a safe bet investing in or how they see the future of Inkjet - or maybe just because it was a really warm and beautiful day in Denmark. Regardless - Mark Hinder as always gives an open and honest inside to the story about Konica Minolta KM1 and Inkjet in general.

Wayne Beckett from Inkish interviews Hasan from B&G at LabelExpo 2025 in Barcelona. Hasan is the Turkish agent for Weigang and has represented them for about 17 years, starting back when the company was still called Dong Hai. He recalls first visiting China around 2008 in search of new technology to represent in Turkey, and although Weigang was small at the time, he believed in its potential. The first machine he sold and installed in 2010 convinced a skeptical customer, who went on to buy three more. Today, that same customer runs four offset and two flexo machines, and many others have followed a similar path, often purchasing multiple presses. Hasan, an engineer by background, explains that early on, he advised Weigang to adopt German technology to overcome market skepticism about Chinese machines. They initially chose components, which helped build trust in Turkey, and later shifted to technology due to its ease of maintenance, spare part availability, and lower costs. Since 2010, he has sold around 70 Weigang offset label printing machines and about 10 flexo machines in Turkey, with more orders already on the way during the show. He says his 39 years of industry experience, now shared with his two sons, combined with reliable local support and fast 24-hour response times, have built strong customer trust. Technical issues are rare, and when they occur, they are resolved quickly, which he credits as a major reason for their sales success. Hassan concludes that trust, proven technology, and dependable service have made selling Weigang machines in Turkey both successful and sustainable.

Harm Jan Hulleman is the EMEA Sales Director for Tecnau and is a partner to Heidelberger Druckmaschinen. Tecnau has since PRINTING United 2023 developed partnerships with several companies, including Heidelberg. Though Tecnau is known for its web-based paper processing and finishing equipment, Tecnau also delivers cut-sheet equipment, and that's what the partnership is also about. With Heidelberg's Jetfire 50 and later Jetfire 75, fast and efficient finishing is required, and Tecnau provides the right technology.

In this 'Learn With Us' session Harm Jan Hulleman & Scott Peterson from TECNAU gives us a presentation of some of the solutions some of their customers have chosen.

The Horizon Finishing First event is about Horizon products and several partners. One of the partners is Tecnau. INKISH has made several films of Tecnau customers, and at one filming task in Madrid, Spain, we met with Harm Jan Hulleman. In this interview, we catch up from the filming session with Pullmen, but of course, it also touches upon Tecnau's revolution 50-series and why Tecnau attends the Finishing First event. Dig in, and get the story!

Morten from Inkish interviews Harald Jasper from Actega at LabelExpo in Barcelona about their breakthrough metallization technology, Ecoleaf. Harald explains that for years, metallization at the show was shown only as dummies, but this time it is running live on a press from Gallus. Traditionally, metallic effects were made using foil carriers, which generate large amounts of waste. Ecoleaf replaces the foil with metal flakes suspended in water: a binder is digitally printed and cured on the substrate, then metal flakes are applied and adhere to the binder, creating a glossy metallic surface comparable to foil. He says this method cuts the carbon footprint by at least 80% because it eliminates polyester film production, metallization, and transport. The gloss and reflection now match conventional foil, and when overprinted with inkjet, the results are striking. Harald notes that metal flakes themselves are recyclable and that Actega has received RecyClass certification confirming the recyclability of the finished products. Developed over eight years by a multidisciplinary in-house team, Ecoleaf is already shipping and can be mounted on almost any press—typically at the start of hybrid presses for overprinting with inkjet, or at the start of flexo lines for applications like spirits and whiskey labels. Actega’s focus now is scaling up from 8-hour runs to 24/7 production, expanding globally to support major brand customers, and developing new applications such as shrink sleeves and possibly cardboard. Harald emphasizes that big brands are increasingly driving the push for sustainable packaging, and Actega aims to meet that demand with Ecoleaf.

We like getting great print samples - no doubt about it. We also like to get postcards reminding us about how valuable print is, and how nice it is to get a well-designed printed piece. In this Print Sample TV episode, host and evangelist Pat McGrew appreciate the season cards and samples she received from Mike Herold and Heather Poulin from Ricoh. You should use postcards in your marketing and communication and if you can spice them up with great messages, your customers will love them!

Chinese language - English subtitles

Tony Suh from Hansol Paper in Korea talks to INKISH.TV Henrik Klem Lassen about their newest and latest paper called Subli-Mate - as the name indicates, a sublimation paper. Tony Suh also talks about the value of being at FESPA in Amsterdam and the interest in the company's products.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-schmidbauer-5810235/

Wayne Beckett talks with Has Scheffer CEO & Founder of Helloprint about the importance of AI and how Helloprint are utilising this software in every aspect of their business even down to using AI in the creation of their lunches.

Interesting conversation with CEO Hans Peter Shöllhorn from Hohner.

In the presentation, The New Offset Machine that Doesn't Exist, Hans Jürgen Geiß discusses Druckhaus Bechstein as a full-service provider and printing company. He also discusses how faster setup time on his offset machine brings digital print back to offset. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-jrgen-gei-5a9736131/

At Innovationdays #HID23, the Starbook line was born—but for continuous fed production. Now, Hunkeler introduces the Starbook Sheetfed edition, enabling cut sheet production. Hans Gut from Hunkeler explains how the solutions work and the benefits in this session with Editor Morten B. Reitoft. Great!

In this film, CMO Hans Gut from Hunkeler presents the new stacker with a new Robot arm - as always delivered to perfection :-) LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-gut-68a65213/

Here's a detailed walkthrough of the new Hunkeler Starbook Cutsheet solution. The duration shows how much we dive into details—it's good to learn from! LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-gut-68a65213/

You'll find Hunkeler in Hall 8A at drupa, but you will also find Hunkeler with nine different partners - one of the strengths of Hunkeler. The machines can be integrated with many printing machines and output many different types of applications - remember to check out the Hunkeler solutions when you visit print OEMs like Ricoh, Canon, HP, and more. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-gut-68a65213/

Even for CMO Hans Gut, the Müller Martini acquisition of Hunkeler came as a surprise but was a logical step in a time when consolidations are part of company growth. With a vast potential for both companies, the future is bright. Hans Gut, several times in the interview, emphasizes that Hunkeler will keep also working with competitors to Müller Martini - respecting the legacy and the people - and, of course, once again, a firm commitment to Hunkeler Innovationdays that takes place next time as an even bigger event in February 2025. Great talking to Hans Gut and also getting some commitments for the future.