Ali Ridha Jaffar is the VP of Syncoms Group in the UK. The company is a commercial printing company, but Jaffar has also become a recognized presenter at numerous EFI Storefront presentations. The great thing about listening to a customer talking about any software is the passion. It's also to understand that there are steep learning curves with all solutions - and as Ali Ridha Jaffar says in this interview, it's not about setting up the prices and the designs and the flow, but how your web presence can get you even more successful. Ali Ridha Jaffar's LinkedIn profile.

Imagine. Europe's fifth-largest online-printer isn't even a printing company - or at least not anymore. In this 'Learn With Us' session, Ali Jason Bazooband explains how the printing company moved from having own operation, to a source with 60+ printing companies in a quite unusual business model. Print24 or Unitedprinters own equity placed with printing companies spread all over Europe. The conversation was originally about outsourcing, and yes - printers still source with Print24, and both suppliers and print24 is able to make a margin based on this business model. Amazing story, enjoy!

What to expect when you visit a North African country for the first time? Well, we arrived at around 20:00 local time in Casablanca airport, and when we got out of the plane, the warm, dry air was pleasant. Luggage and security were a breath, and a few minutes later, our driver came, picked us up, and drove us about 30 minutes from the airport to our hotel. The adventure started great, and the expectations of visiting DirectPrint were high. And we were satisfied. Several Komori printing presses in different formats, Horizon and MBO binding equipment for perfect binding, stitched products, and tons of hands and equipment for rigid boxes, folding cartons, labels, digital embellishment, and, of course, the two KAMA products - the very reason for our visit - a Flexfold FF52i (Folding Gluer with extremely short setup time), and a ProCut76 a die cutter/hot stamping machine with extreme precession AND fast setup time - we have done a walkthrough of the machine, you can see it here: https://inkish.tv/inkish-video/sofwalkthrough/ Ali Benchekroun is getting ready to take over the family business at some point. Still, he will take over a super WELL-run operation with all the modern technology you can only dream of. Enjoy!

Fujifilm is showing both their POD solutions as their large format equipment at C!Print Madrid. Alfonso Garcia gives his take on the POD portfolio on their booth.

Alfonso Cobe from ASG discussed his company at the Weilburger Graphics stand at drupa. ASG is a major national distributor in Spain, focusing on consumables like rubber, inks, chemicals, and plates. They have been distributing Weilburger Graphics water-based and UV varnishes for three years. The market response to Weilburger Graphics is positive due to its high quality and international reputation. Current trends include a high demand for barrier varnishes as a replacement for plastic, with Weilburger Graphics offering specialized varnishes like Soft Touch, Dripot, and UV effect varnishes. The Spanish printing market is focused on packaging, reducing costs, and increasing productivity. At Drupa, Alfonso is interested in new digital technologies and their integration with varnishing processes.

Welcome to Drupa. We are here in Hall 1 at the KAMA stand with Alexandra Marchand, who joined KAMA last week and is attending Drupa for the first time. Alexandra Marchand has a background in the printing industry, including four years with a paper manufacturer. KAMA, a German company, showcases two machines: a folder gluer and a cutting, hot stamping, and embossing machine. KAMA's machines are known for their short set-up times and ease of use. The folder gluer includes options like width and length registration and a camera system for quality control, making it ideal for markets like pharmaceuticals. The machine also supports braille embossing across its width. Through advanced engineering, KAMA focuses on automation and simplicity and offers robotic solutions to minimize manual labor and repetitive movements. Alexandra Marchand expressed her enthusiasm for the graphic arts and confidence in KAMA's innovative technology.  

Wayne Beckett talk with Alexander Sperrfechter CEO & Founder of Rissc Solutions about their web-to-print and marketing automation system. Having moved from working with large brands into the print sector their solution has been developed to integrate into most workflows.

At the Kohlhammer event on Friday, September 27th, 2024, a few people were invited to present their businesses and what they do. One of the people was Alexander Cartellieri from Hahnemühle. Besides the company’s impressive age (established in 1584), he also spoke about the unique papers produced and sold only through art shops in about 10,000 outlets worldwide. Cartellieri explains the processes in this interview and how the paper is excellent for digital print, like Inkjet. We also talk about the collaboration with René Staud, who uses Kohlhammer as a supplier for high-end books of the highest quality—a super exciting interview. Language: German Subtitled: English

Welcome to the fun with Chinese manufacturers. This is the Shield Technology Development. It is a continuous-feed inkjet device powered by Memjet Duralink for color and mono. It is targeted to book printing, direct marketing, and transaction applications, though most are book printing. Steel Wang: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steel-wang-4009a0199/ Alex Yuen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-yuen-52227825/

As we get closer and closer to Hunkeler Innovationdays 2025 #HID25 in Lucerne, why not look at a customer using Hunkeler every day - we are talking about Rotomail in Milan. In this film, you will learn from Giovanni and Alessandro Antonuzzo about technology, relations, and how Rotomail got into books of one. Super interesting story - and by the way, their Bronte book factory software solution will be demonstrated at Innovationdays and is worth a visit. Enjoy! LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandro-antonuzzo-05bab217/

Chinese language - English subtitles

At the recent HP Pre-Drupa event in Indianapolis, we talked to Al Scolari about their latest lay-flat technology. With more and more automation, it's not surprising that APS Imaging Solutions is also looking into faster, better, smarter, and more automated lay-flat binding—but take a look for yourself. Enjoy!

Laurent Pineau, le patron d'AJ PLUS, est une personnalité bien connue des imprimeurs français. AJ PLUS est importateur de certaines marques connues comme Morgana, Plockmatic et autres. Laurent est fier d'être membre d'impriCLUB France et est très solidaire envers ses membres. Nous obtenons des réponses claires et concrètes à nos questions concernant son point de vue sur la situation et l'orientation du marché français. Merci Laurent! —— Laurent Pineau, the boss of AJ PLUS, is a well-known personality among French printers. AJ PLUS is importer of certain well-known brands such as Morgana, Plockmatic and others. Laurent is proud to be a member of impriCLUB France and is very supportive of its members. We obtain clear and concrete answers to our questions concerning his point of view on the situation and direction of the French market. Merci Laurent!

At Inprint in Munich, we met Global Business Director Packaging Matt Brooks, who brought us up to speed on the new Agfa Speedset B1 printer expected for delivery in Q1, 2024. A machine that promises more than 10,000 B1 sheets an hour in high quality, perfect for micro flute and corrugated

Agfa recently sold its offset division, and in this interview, Editor Morten B. Reitoft asked Head of Textiles and Global Press & PR Mike Horsten from Agfa whether this was a bold move. You can hear the answer, but Reitoft also pushes back Horsten on the difference between iterations and bigger strategic moves, which drives the conversation into a chat about diversity, digital, and sustainability. Enjoy!

In this interview from Sign, Print & Promotion 22, Helsinki we get a chance to talk to Niels Arne Sletten, who is the Nordic Sales Manager & Nordic Branch Manager for Agfa. During the COVID Agfa appoint LexPlast as their distributor in Finland - already working together in the Baltics. Niels Arne Sletten and I, of course, also talk about the recent Inca Digital Printers acquisition - Interesting times for Agfa, who according to Niels Arne Sletten is in a very good position right now. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nils-arne-sletten-b1b1105/

At PRINTING United INKISH did more than 30 interviews in total. The one with Jason Hamilton from AGFA was quite interesting. Jason Hamilton is a Solutions Architect from AGFA, and of course, he will be meeting many different customers. In the interview, he tells that for AGFA, the customers will get recommendation on competitor-solutions in case AGFA can't deliver the right solution themselves. We believe this is one of the best approaches to customers, and we are even convinced that customers will choose AGFA over any supplier with this approach. Enjoy the interview!

Tharstern Desktop is a comprehensive MIS solution tailored to PSPs working with everything from offset to packaging and everything in between. At PRINTING United, we got a chance to talk to Chief Revenue Officer Lee Ward from Tharstern. In an interesting interview, you will learn that the Desktop version is a strong platform with integrations to other major software platforms, able to integrate into almost any software at any given point with a strong set of APIs. Ward also gives an insight into the implementation process, time, pain stakes, and the value of choosing to upgrade existing MIS systems to Tharstern, obviously :-)  

Adrienne Palmer, chief editor of DTF Printing, serves on the advisory board for the Women in Print Alliance. On the heels of a sold-out luncheon at PRINTING United Expo ‘24, she discussed the organization’s grassroots beginnings a decade ago.

INKISH's Mark Vruno talks to Adriano Gut about neon and fluorescent colors. Gut talks about an increasing demand from the fashion and textile industry - super interesting!

Müller Martini took over years ago, binding equipment from Heidelberg, and since then, the relationship has been tight. In the Home of Print space, you'll find Müller Martini showcasing the newest and latest within stitching. We, however, also get around the situation in the US, how Müller Martini see opportunities in emerging markets - super interesting, as always, talking to Adrian Mayr.

In this session, we talk to Head of Product Management & Corporate Marketing, Adrian Mayr from Müller Martini. The Swiss binding equipment vendor is a well-known exhibitor at tradeshows like drupa and even decided to participate at printing-expo.online. This session will discuss what needs the expo's fulfilled and what Müller Martini expects from participating in events like drupa vs. a virtual event. We will also discuss whether virtual events can do things that the physicals can't?

In this film, Head of Product Management & Corporate Marketing Adrian Mayr gives us some insight from the Müller Martini operation in Zofingen, Switzerland. It's not the first time we've filmed from Müller Martini, but it was interesting to see it again and learn how they service their customers globally. Enjoy!

With a vast background within Müller Martini, Adrian Mayr is the perfect Head of Product & Partner Management as he bridges the different technologies and needs when developing a new product. That and other things we get to discuss in this nice interview!