No question that new technology paves its way into several business areas. In this Print Sample TV host, Pat McGrew is eagerly telling about the possibilities with laser die-cutting, but also about why making your own print samples is SO important. The samples in this Print Sample TV came from a Landa S10 and a Highcon Beam machine and was presented by the lovely folks from Virtual Packaging in Dallas. Enjoy!

At the Think Smart Factory event in Kyoto, we got the chance to talk to VP Marketing & Partnering, Hans Gut from Hunkeler. Hunkeler and Horizon have been working together for years, and of course, it makes sense for both companies to exhibit at each other's events like Think Smart Factory and Hunkeler Innovationdays. Where Hunkeler has focused on reel-based finishing equipment, Horizon has focused on sheets - and of course, their equipment interfaces with both printers, and other finishing equipment. In this interview, Hans Gut speaks about the automation opportunities, and that the need for even more automation is a huge demand from printers. Enjoy this interview!

Hudson Printing has been featured in our famous Print Sample TV episodes by Pat McGrew more than once because of the intense focus on quality and customer satisfaction. Hudson Printing has also got quite a lot of media coverage because of the company's investment in two Landa S10P presses. So we believe now it's time to visit the company to understand more about it, what drives it from a technology perspective, a human perspective, and of course, a business perspective. We nail it pretty well in this film from Salt Lake City. Enjoy it! https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-hudson-2b170016/  

The rebirth of Crown Van Gelder papers. After a few restless weeks, it is now officially a fact Crown Van Gelder is back in business! Today at 15:00, INKISH was invited to the Crown Van Gelder booth at the Hunkeler Innovationdays in Switzerland to hear and cover what went on at the Dutch Paper producer. It’s GOOD NEWS, so let’s find out together. Enjoy! LinkedIn Profile: Rodney Jansen

At the Komori Open House in Utrecht, EMEA Product Manager Craig Bretherton got the chance to represent Komori for the first time. He got into the position of Product Manager less than a year ago. At the Open House, he spoke about the Auto Pilot solution that according to Komori is similar to what other manufacturers have on their machines, but with a few VERY smart things that according to Bretherton is better. Listen for yourself.

At SuperCORRexpo, we met with Craig Black, who, in this film, talks about the FlexoCleanerBrush. This unique yet straightforward hardware solution saves flexo printers money and time - and according to Craig's colleague Lee, a repayment time is often less than eight months. Listen to Craig and our interview with Lee Simonds and learn - this should be a no-brainer investment.

Fast, good & Cheap is the slogan of this truly dense printing company in the San Francisco Bay Area, where almost all types of print production are possible. RGMT offset press, HP Indigo, Xerox Iridesse, Fujifilm Wide Format, and tons of binding equipment from Horizon enable the company to deliver fast, well, and cheaply. The two Nag brothers have a background as software engineers at Intel but decided to start their own business year's ago - and here we are with PrintPapa in the Bay Area - amazing how much technology you can fit into premises this size. Great meeting the brothers :-) LinkedIn Profile: Shawn Nag: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-nag-4839508/ Pallob Nag: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallob-nag-555254b/

65 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 300 meters per minute corrugated production, but on top of that, full quality inkjet print integrated. Seems impossible, but it's here, and though the market might be limited, it opens up for entirely new applications. In this interview, Head of Digital RSR Sales / Global Senior Expert - Digital Print, Nils Gottfried, gives you the insight that explains the potential. INKISH will soon show the machine in one of our popular walk-throughs - we are still trying to figure out how to do it right - but we will :-)

Ten years ago, Highcon was founded. When the company was founded, it was among the very first companies who believed in the idea of doing digital finishing using lasers - and the very first using 3D print to create creases. Highcon has taken off and is today considered one of the leading companies when it comes to digital finishing - and of course, the use of lasers. The Highcon family of products have, of course, since then developed, and rather than ONLY showcase fine, almost, out couture Highcon has moved to be an industrial workhorse. Founder Aviv Ratzman in this conversation talk with editor Morten B. Reitoft about the past, the present, and unfortunately less of the future. However, with drupa around the corner, who knows, maybe there are new things in the pipeline. Great conversations and important as part of our executive documentation series.

This was a very fun and very interesting session with Conrad Fischer, fifth generation owner of the printing company Die Pharmadrucker. Interesting views, like, *you won't need a print operator in the future," or "We don't have ANY of the salespeople left before we transformed our offset printing company into a specialized company serving the pharmaceutical industry." Or what about "I don't want customers who decide what I should work with tomorrow." - Plenty of amazing statements - in German, but soon with English subtitles!

It's almost impossible to imagine, but years ago, most labels used in Rum and the luxury segment in the Caribbean were imported from the US or even Europe. That changed when the two Evelyn brothers decided to start a label business in Bridgetown, Barbados. The rest is almost history, but as the company keeps growing, so does the demand for technology, and INKISH were so honored to be invited to Barbados to visit the company, see the technology that Mark Andy delivers, Nilpeter and the newest member of the family, a Bobst DM-5. Now Caribbean Label Crafts has production in Barbados, Jamaica, and soon an entirely new facility in the Dominican Republic. Interesting to see how business skills, craftsmanship, and technology have now moved 70% of the entire luxury label segment to be produced locally. Great!

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 Conni Dreyer from Denmark. Conni Dreyer is the CEO of Dreyer Kliche, which is one of the world's best producers of cliches for embossing and foil stamping. Her company has actually won several awards, and you can't find any luxury brand in the world that hasn't been produced by her and her team. Enjoy!

Connecting IOT devices across brands, types, and how this can bring more value to the PSP’s. Baldwin introduces AMP

Connecting hardware from different vendors may not be as easy as it sounds - so how will this be done? - Steve Metcalf, Baldwin Technologies.

Signcom is a well-known subsidiary of Igepa Group, and yet well-known, your humble editor didn't do his homework before meeting with the Finish Managing Director Samuli Vuorenhela. But what you don't know, you can learn - and it was truly great both to meet Samuli, but also to learn more about Signcom. At shows like the Sign, Print & Promotion, you really get to see a lot of equipment, substrates, software, and applications - and you can compare. I talk to Samuli about competition in the market, but also about the company's history. Great meeting Samuli, and I am confident that we will meet again! LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuli-vuorenhela-32a4282/

In this Print Sample TV edition, host Pat McGrew shows some really cool 'collector's items' made on a Fujifilm JetPress. In this Print Sample TV, Pat McGrew show two examples - a magazine and a box with cards - and both show the creativity of the people at Fujifilm, but also, of course, the great capabilities of their digital presses.

Wayne from INKISH is at The Print Show at the NEC in Birmingham, catching up with his good friend Colin Sinclair McDermott — better known as The Print Coach and founder of Print Mastermind. Colin shares that the first day of the show has been buzzing, with a steady flow of visitors and a renewed energy thanks to the addition of The Sign Show and the central Hall 3 location. With decades of experience in the print industry, Colin built and ran his own print company before moving into business coaching over five years ago. Noticing a lack of dedicated coaching for the print sector, he created Print Mastermind — an online training and community platform designed specifically for print and packaging businesses. The platform helps companies improve in every area — from sales and marketing to systems, processes, and finance — through weekly mastermind sessions, structured content, and shared best practices. Colin emphasizes that the Print Mastermind community is selective and focused on creating a safe, collaborative environment where members can share challenges, ideas, and strategies. Businesses interested in joining can reach out directly via LinkedIn, his website, or by phone to discuss fit and goals. Wayne highlights Colin’s impressive podcast and webinar content, which continues to help print businesses raise their game and accelerate growth. Looking ahead, Colin is preparing to head to Orlando for PRINTING United, where he’ll take on a major role as part of the new Allstars Ambassador Program — serving as team captain alongside other industry leaders. He’ll also be speaking at various events, participating in “Spill the Ink” sessions, Student Day activities, and hosting live podcast recordings throughout the show. From Long Beach to Birmingham and next to Orlando, Colin’s journey reflects his commitment to empowering the global print community. A lively conversation about education, leadership, and collaboration in print — filmed live at The Print Show.

At Printing United Expo in Orlando, Wayne from INKISH meets with Colin Sinclair McDermott, captain of the Printing United Allstars. Colin explains that this is the first year the Expo has introduced the Allstars program — a group of 15 ambassadors who promote the event, host “Spill the Ink” sessions, and guide students around the show floor. “We’re here to showcase all things Printing United,” Colin says. “It’s about helping new people experience the industry and making sure they get the most from their visit.” He mentions that several universities have sent students to the show, and the Allstars are giving them guided tours. “They’re full of energy,” he smiles. “They’re seeing real technology in action, and we’re helping connect them with exhibitors who can show them how it all works.” Beyond his Allstars duties, Colin has been busy as The Online Print Coach, delivering a packed seminar on “The Top 10 Growth Mistakes Printers Make — and How to Avoid Them.” He says the session was well attended and sparked great conversations. “I love helping PSPs avoid the same mistakes I made and get where they want to be faster,” he explains. Colin is also recording several podcast episodes at the show, featuring guests such as Chris Minn, Lucy Swanston, clients from Nevada, and an AI-focused speaker. “I like to mix PSPs and industry voices,” he says. “The goal is to share different perspectives from across print.” Reflecting on the event, Colin calls Printing United “amazing.” It’s his first time attending, and it exceeded expectations. “The show floor’s been buzzing, the seminars are full, and everyone’s here to learn and grow,” he says. “People have come from all over — even Jamaica — so it really feels like the go-to event in North America.” Wayne notes that exhibitor feedback has been strong and that next year’s Las Vegas edition is already selling out fast. Colin nods: “I can see why. It’s been fantastic. I’m already looking forward to captaining the Allstars again in Vegas next year.”

Dalim Software presents at #HID25 a new solution that will impose way faster than previous versions and also in lanes - two things that Managing Director Colin Price emphasizes. The scope of Dalim software is amazing and you should of course get to their booth and see for yourself :-)

This is our first cherry blossom season here at our new facility. We just moved north of Kyoto onto the shores of Lake Biwa. We opened up the new Horizon Innovation Park. And that's where myself and the Horizon International team are now located. Right now, we can do demonstrations on every Horizon system. Some people would say that the printing industry is declining. We would say that it's changing. It's undergoing an evolution. Or it's more short run, more variable, more digital. The Japanese spirit is all about going from the smallest bit to the largest finished product, all in-house. Everything from the rollers to the circuit boards are produced right here. It was in 2019 when we held the first "Think Smart Factory" in Kyoto, Japan. What we want to show, automated solutions integrated from prepress to your press to your finishing in order to optimize your workflow. And what our workers can do during assembly is they can call those little robots to go to the warehouse, bring the necessary parts that they need. Our customers want to really feel the paper for themselves. They want to see the finished product. Here, the machines operating. As manufacturers, we want to present solutions and hear from our customers. Right now that's not always an option. Since the beginning, we've been adopting the newest technologies to be able to replicate that experience. They never expected that they would get this high quality. It's also opening up new doors. Because we get to take them on tours of our facility. Which you would never get to do when you're just at a trade show. Right now, we have a new training zone. Where we can have people from all over the world come and get hands on training with the machines. But when that's not an option, we have a training team here to help them out when they're in a pinch.

At Printing United 2025 in Orlando, Morten B. Reitoft from INKISH meets Colin Flinn from Horizon USA at the Standard Finishing Systems booth for a detailed conversation about digital transformation in print finishing and the growing role of software — particularly Horizon’s IceLink platform. Colin, who has spent his career growing within the Horizon family, explains how the company has evolved far beyond traditional finishing. “What we’re really seeing,” he says, “is that many companies that used to be print companies are now IT companies that happen to print — and the same goes for manufacturing. Horizon has always been in finishing, but now we’re focused on the data. That’s what makes our customers successful, and that’s exactly what IceLink delivers.” He recalls the early days of the platform: “When IceLink first came out, I used to tell people it stood for ‘I can’t explain,’” he laughs. “But today I can. It means Intelligence, Connectivity, and Efficiency — and that’s the foundation of everything we’re doing.” Colin explains how finishing used to lag behind printing in terms of automation, data visibility, and job tracking. “Finishing was always a black box,” he says. “It’s why you never see a smiling bindery manager. But with IceLink, that’s changing. Now you have job tracking, performance analytics, scheduling, and even preventive maintenance tools — all in one connected ecosystem.” The software comes in two tiers: IceLink Basic and IceLink Enterprise. “The basic version is plug-and-play,” Colin says. “It’s included with every installation and gives operators access to job tracking, error notifications, and preventive maintenance tools — things that used to require clipboards and paper logs. Enterprise, on the other hand, grows with you. It supports full automation, JDF/JMF integration, and API connections to MIS systems. It’s ideal for advanced operations that need deep workflow connectivity.” Colin points out how partnerships, such as Horizon’s collaboration with Ultimate Bindery, demonstrate the platform’s flexibility. “If you’re exchanging JDF data and running integrated workflows, that’s where Enterprise shines,” he says. “But even customers just starting their digital journey can see immediate value.” Asked whether software gets overshadowed by the hardware-heavy show floor, Colin smiles. “The machines bring people into the booth, but the real conversations happen around software. Once people see what IceLink can actually do — the automation, the live data, the efficiency — that’s when things get exciting.” As the interview wraps up, Morten jokes about Colin’s perfectly timed on-camera “blink,” and both share a laugh — a fitting end to a conversation that captures the quiet revolution happening inside the print finishing world, where data and connectivity now drive the future.

Cold foil embellishment, what is it, how does it work, and what does it do for print? A few weeks ago, Jacques Michiels and Jan Majnik from INKISH visited the city of Turnhout, aka the “Printvallley of Flanders,” in Belgium. What they found was nonother than a concentration of some of the most innovative printing companies, yes even world leaders in their field like Cartamundi, where printing presses have been running already since 1765 and today has become the largest playing cards – and board game manufacturer in the world. Amazing and all originating from this rather small area in central Belgium. Our interest was drawn to one of the pioneers working with the Coldfoil technology for many years, Grafische Groep Matthys. So what is Coldfoil actually, how does it work, and what does it do for print? In this film, we take a deep dive into COLD FOIL. We show you all the different steps and how conventional cold foil is produced in an industrial environment like those operated at Grafische Groep Matthys. We ask our friends from the VIGC (the Flemish innovation center for graphic communication) - an independent organization also residing in Turnhout - how they see print embellishment evolving and to give some recommendations to printers looking into embellishment solutions and these kinds of work. So let’s meet the passionate folks at Matthys, who were willing to open up and share their story and passion in helping their customers SHINE - literally & vibrant! Great film. Watch it, Learn, Like it and Share it.

In this film, we walk through the BOBST Novacut, a die-cutting machine in several configurations. Area Sales Manager Cody Call shares his vast knowledge with Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft. The film explains, among other things, how the three paper-handling systems work—all doing a fantastic job but also coming at a price. It's a great walkthrough; we hope you like it!

Established in 1866 and strongly focused on customer satisfaction, investments in new technology, and curiosity driving Kohlhammer Druck into the future. Often CEO Steffen Franzisi says that's not difficult - which gives you great insight and understanding into why we have two ears and one mouth. Kohlhammer Druck is located in Stuttgart and serves a wealth of well-known brands in both offset and digital. Great company with friendly people and a strong belief in the future, and what we like the most - not afraid of investing in technology driving the company forward!