*This is our opinion based on intense research that we will write about in a series of articles on INKISH NEWS in the week from October 26th-30th. We are confident that Drupa 2021 WILL be canceled - or at least, our analysis of the situation points in that direction. The conversation between Andreas Weber, CEO INKISH D-A-CH, and Morten Reitoft, Editor-in-Chief, INKISH, is an appetizer to a week with articles about drupa. For the past many weeks, we have talked to people in the industry, other exhibition venues, media, sub-contractors, hotels, restaurants, and many more about the situation in Düsseldorf. The COVID-19 situation is, of course, the reason for the uncertainty, but why isn't drupa canceling drupa 2021? As with so many things, it's because of money. The drupa machine is vast, and the impact on the printing industry and the city of Düsseldorf is unimaginable. The situation for exhibitors is not comfortable. Lots of money is tight to drupa, and Messecenter Düsseldorf, and how drupa is handling the current situation, is most likely influencing the tradeshow's very future. Signup to our newsletter on INKISH NEWS and get notifications when articles about drupa are released! Signup link: https://inkish.news/?action=signup-newsletter-form

Jan-Olof Jungersten is the distributor of HP Graphic Arts equipment in his company Visutech, in the Nordic and he and his company recently celebrated their 30 years anniversary at Scanpack 2018. INKISH do not so often cover representatives but of course, we have exceptions. Jan-Olof Jungersten is not only the first Indigo channel in the world, but he is also an author. His third book 'Transmission - Transform the Packaging Industry' is about how he sees the changes in demand, changes in technology, and how we as a printing industry needs to adapt to the new order of the world. As he says "digital is not only about the machines​ but also about the mindset" (free from memory). So, in this INKISH film, he shares some of his visions, some speculations, some considerations put in Swedish perspective - and of course, considerations about both HP and the market in general. Enjoy!

Pat McGrew from Inkish interviews Thomas Sawitsowski, Senior VP of Flexible Packaging at Actega, at Label Expo. Thomas announces that Actega has officially become a partner of HP for their digital presses, launching a new primer product line for the HP 6K and 8K machines. This collaboration allows printing on a wider range of substrates, reduces downtime, minimizes ghosting and ink transfer issues, and improves both quality and process efficiency, ultimately lowering costs for customers. The new primer also offers greater versatility, enabling printers to switch substrates without changing the primer, which reduces cleaning, maintenance, and waste while increasing uptime. Thomas explains that this leads to less off-spec material and longer continuous press runs, making the machines more productive. He adds that Actega offers not only primers but also overprint varnishes, providing complementary technologies that make them a valuable partner for digital printing applications beyond just one part of the process. He concludes by expressing excitement about the strengthened partnership with HP and the benefits it will bring to customers.

At the BHS Open House in Münster, BHS CFO Dr. Thomas List presented a Pay-Per-Use model for BHS equipment, making the cost of running an operation almost 100% variable, doesn't impact the balance sheet and enabling customers to scale faster. In this interview, Editor Morten B. Reitoft tries to understand how the components in financing work - and we believe it's a good session to learn from. Enjoy!

Counterfeiting is a much larger issue than most would believe. In this film, Steffen Scheibenstock explains how KURZ and print can support brand owners. See solutions printed directly on the package to complex and extremely interesting options. With Scribos' solutions, it's possible to monitor how products are being checked globally in real-time. Amazing!

At Intergraf Print Matters in Budapest, Morten Reitoft speaks with Roman Zenner, co-founder of Agentic Punks, a newly established AI consultancy focused on helping businesses implement AI agents in practical and effective ways. Coming from a strong e-commerce background, Roman explains how his company approaches AI with a hands-on, pragmatic mindset, helping organizations adopt emerging technologies without unnecessary complexity. The conversation explores how AI is transforming business processes, software development, and digital commerce, while also addressing concerns many industries have about rapid technological change. Although Roman has no direct background in the printing industry, he shares an outsider’s perspective on print, highlighting the unique value of tangible, physical communication in a world increasingly dominated by digital experiences. Together, Morten and Roman discuss AI agents, emerging industry standards from Google and OpenAI, the future of search and discovery, and the similarities between today’s AI transformation and the rise of e-commerce decades ago. They examine how businesses can adapt to changing customer behavior, why innovation often creates new opportunities rather than simply replacing existing models, and how industries can balance stability with technological progress. The interview also touches on the fears surrounding AI—from business disruption to broader societal concerns—and why Roman remains optimistic about the future. While AI continues to advance at remarkable speed, he argues that human expertise, judgment, creativity, and domain knowledge will remain essential. Rather than replacing people, AI can help eliminate repetitive tasks and allow professionals to focus on higher-value work, strategic thinking, and innovation. A thoughtful and wide-ranging discussion about AI, digital transformation, e-commerce, and what the future may hold for businesses across every industry.

In this interview, Dr. Markus von Beyer explains how KURZ addresses the sustainability agenda - as well as how KURZ work on lowering the company's carbon footprint as well as how they assist customers in achieving higher sustainability through the development of new products. Super interesting to hear how a lower carbon footprint can go hand in hand with packaging that sells!

Dr. Mark Bohan, Konica Minolta, spoke with us about new O’Hare ware offerings in inkjet and toner, and then turned the conversation to the power of integration and how Konica Minolta partners with Graphic Communications to build end-to-end integrated workflows that add efficiency to print manufacturing.

Imagine that a discovery made 30 years ago for space is now vital for fast inkjet presses? We are talking to Dr. Kai K.O. Bär, the Managing Director and President of Adphos. Adphos delivers NIR solution, which is a curing system that, by using the near-infrared light specter, can dry inks without heat. Fascinating technology - but listen to the specialist here!

Every day at 11.00 a speaker is presented on the stage. Today, September 27th, 2022, it was Dr. Johannes Warther from Apenberg & Partners. The company is a consultancy company and has specialized in consulting printing companies. Among the topics were acquisitions and consolidations - which many find interesting in these challenging times! The presentation is done in both German and English at the same time!

At Drupa, we're at the Weilburger Graphics booth, talking to partners, including the Italian ink producer, Colorgraf. They've collaborated with Weilburger Graphics for over 35 years, offering a range of inks for various applications. The ink company, founded in 1951, has expanded from sheet-fed inks to UV and flexo inks, aiming to provide a comprehensive product lineup. They emphasize technical support and passion in their work. Discussing market trends, they see sustainability and investment as key future challenges, believing in quality growth. They hope to pass the business to the next generation.

At Fespa 2023, we meet Dr. Aleksey Etin, the owner of UAB Veika but better known in the market under the brand name DIMENSE. A really interesting showcase of 3D digital large-format printing and embossing technology. Let's see what's so special and new in this niche market. Interesting stuff, enjoy!

Pat McGrew from Inkish interviews Dr. Adrien Steel, Managing Director of Mercian Labels, at LabelExpo 2025 in Barcelona, about how CERM has been central to the company’s drive for efficiency and growth. Adrien explains that CERM has become the “point of truth” for Mercian’s entire production platform, integrating all their hardware and software systems into a single cohesive workflow. They adopted CERM in 2016 and, after an initial implementation phase, have continually built deeper integrations over time. He highlights their biggest productivity leap: integrating CERM with ABG’s Connect platform to automate the conversion of short-run digital labels into finished rolls—traditionally one of the biggest bottlenecks. This project, launched in 2019 and fully operational from 2022, won a global label industry award and has delivered major results: a 9% improvement in turnover per employee in 2023, followed by another 13% in 2024. Adrien notes that this automation not only boosts efficiency but also builds customer trust by improving delivery reliability and product quality, which in turn strengthens sales and retention. He adds that productivity gains have continued despite tough market conditions across Europe, and that profitability has grown as a result. Looking ahead, Mercian is now exploring ways to integrate AI into order processing. Adrien also discusses the cultural side: staff at Mercian expect continual change as part of the company’s drive to be a world-class label manufacturer, and seeing ongoing improvements motivates them. Rather than resisting new tools, employees embrace them as part of their culture—so much so that stopping innovation would unsettle them. Adrien concludes that embracing change, automation, and innovation through platforms like CERM has made Mercian more competitive and secure and has helped build a high-performing, future-ready team.

Of course, the coronavirus is a subject that concerns many people. How does the virus spread, and is paper products something you should be worried about? In this 'Over the Skype' INKISH editor and Country Manager INKISH India, K.S. Ashik talk to the recognized Dr Lal Sadasivan from FHI360 based in Washington D.C. about this - so here you get the newest and latest. 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!

The printing industry is all too measured by the developments in printing technology. Ultimately, however, postpress determines the quality, quality and effectiveness of a print production. All the more exciting the Over the Skype conversation between Volker Leonhardt, President and Member of the Board, Müller Martini AG, with Andreas Weber, CEO INKISH D-A-CH. From the provider of mass production solutions i. e. in the newspaper sector, the solution provider based in Zofingen, Switzerland, has become a top player in on-demand and short run productions. Target markets range from on-demand productions to the manufacture of digitally printed books. Made in Switzerland is becoming a quality mark all over the world. What sounds like squaring the circle is explained by Volker Leonhardt as a logical consequence of turning to Industry 4.0. The digital know-how is used in new, ultimate solutions and in the handling of services and spare parts delivery. --- Die Druckbranche misst sich all zu sehr an den Entwicklungen in der Drucktechnik. Doch letztlich bestimmt die Weiterverarbeitung die Güte, Qualität und Wirkungsweise einer Druckproduktion. Umso spannender die Over the Skype-Konversation von Volker Leonhardt, President and Member of the Board, Müller Martini AG, mit Andreas Weber, CEO INKISH D-A-CH. Vom Anbieter von auf Massenproduktion ausgelegten Lösungen v. a. im Zeitungsbereich hat sich der in Zofingen, Schweiz, beheimatete Lösungsbieter zum Top-Player bei On-Demand und Short Run-Produktionen. Zielmärkte sind anspruchsvolle Produktionen bis bin zum Fertigen von Büchern. Made in Switzerland wird zum Gütezeichen in aller Welt. Was wie die Quadratur des Kreises klingt, erläutert Volker Leonhardt als logische Konsequenz in der Hinwendung zu Industrie 4.0. Das Digital-Knowhow findet Anwendung bei neuen, ultimativen Produkten/Lösungen und im Handling der Services und Ersatzteillieferung. LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/volker-leonhardt-5b887419/

Douglas Gibson is the Managing Director of Infigo Software in the UK. In this 'Learn with Us' session he talks about the processes you should consider before investing in Web-to-Print. What we really like about his presentation is his use of "dreams" vs "reality" approach - it inspired us, what do you think?

Doug Surrett knows that as the Graphics Communications business grows, they must continue to deliver software that meets the challenges of the changing printer industry landscape. He spoke to us about how the company is listening to the management and production teams through the expanding range of software tools they currently manage, and how they are exploring options for additional acquisitions to complement the current portfolio.

Doron Lerner is an Israeli printer offering extensive label services. From Flexo jobs to short run digital S.Lerner printing services every major sector in the label market from food to household to packaging. He describes the complexity of supporting manny product lines and explains how they work with the clients for the best result.

Dorinda Gibbons has worked as a recruiter focusing on the Graphic Arts Industry for the past twenty years with great success. It's about matching talents, and in this chat, we get a chance to understand how she works and the value she brings to the table. It's great to hear the HR perspective, which rarely happens!  

The train is rolling. If you are convinced that inkjet is the future, why not join us and learn how you can optimise the result and make the print run efficient. Let us share our experience on working with hundreds of applications and printers worldwide and help you to find the correct paper for your customer’s job.

Whether in offset or digital printing: the production process of a print product does not end with printing. Suitable finishing equipment contributes significantly to the added value of the final product. The market demands finishing solutions that keep pace with the variability, format diversity and output of modern inkjet systems in an industrial scale. We present various solutions and business cases for softcover, hardcover and magazine production that fully meet the requirements of individualized mass production in an industrial environment - in line to the Muller Martini strategy of "Finishing 4.0".

In this Print Sample TV episode, your host, Pat McGrew, explores the wonderful world of small-size, small print run boxes. She is pleased that the boxes are used at various tradeshows to showcase print, laser, die-cutting, and embellishment technologies. Still, she reminds everybody to include logos and explanations so their print samples won't be in incognito :-)

When we spoke with Chris Manley from GraphCo before going to Verdant, he said we would be intrigued by the owner, Don Kallil - and yes - that's an understatement. When you step into the company, you realize this is different. In a way, it's an in-plant because the technology is specifically acquired to serve Don Kallils's design business - another story and a fantastic story - but for now, let's stick to Verdant. Going from a small DI machine to an 8-color RMGT machine is impossible. You see every day, but then again, having an owner who calls himself Chief Vision Officer reflects quite well that visions, ideas, innovation, and a lovely personality define Don Kallil. Super friendly staff, beautiful products, and a happy RMGT customer - but dig into the story and listen for yourself.

CarbonQuota has almost become a household name in the printing industry, and for good reasons! Dominic Harris is the Co-Founder of CarbonQuota, and in this interview with Editor Morten B. Reitoft, he explains how legislation is behind its promises, and how companies in the future will be responsible for publishing their carbon footprint. It's an interest and super-relevant conversation, so enjoy!