Gecht, EFI : “AI is accelerating at unbelievable speed” Pg 3

February 2017 US$2.75

COMPANIES NEWS PROFILE Agfa Graphics ...... 12 AMS...... 22 Avery Dennison ..... 10 Azonprinter ...... 17 Baldwin ...... 22 Canon ...... 9 Cimpress ...... 22 Color-Logic ...... 20 Coveris ...... 20 Drytac ...... 17 Efi ...... 3, 15 Felix ...... 19 FINAT ...... 19 HP...... 5 hubergroup ...... 20 JHF...... 9 Kernow ...... 12 Nayar sees growth Kodak ...... 23 Komori ...... 12 in digital Kornit Digital ...... 23 Lecta ...... 10 GM-Zabeel backs reinvestment Mepco Gulf ...... 19 into the printing business PG 27 Mimaki ...... 17 Mohawk ...... 20 Mutoh ...... 15 REGIONAL NEWS Ndigitec ...... 6 Nilpeter ...... 5 Onyx Graphics ...... 15 Plastivision ...... 5 Polar ...... 22 RadTech ...... 22 Sappi ...... 19 SBA ...... 5 SGP ...... 10 Stora Enso ...... 19, 20 Sun Chemical ....10, 22 SwissQprint...... 15 400 exhibitors from Tech-ni-Fold ...... 3 Vetaphone ...... 5 Wohlers ...... 5 Xaar ...... 12 Xeikon ...... 20, 23 36 countries at SGI’17 Age Graphics, JHF Xerox ...... 15 The 20th edition of the Sign and Graphics Imaging show was Zünd ...... 23 inaugurated by Mona Ghanem Al Marri, director general, Dubai host event Media Office page 31 Manufacturers JHF organized REGULARS the event in Thailand pg 9 News ...... 3 Comment ...... 25 Analysis ...... 30 PRODUCT OF THE MONTH Features ...... 42 Product Portfolio ...46 Post Script ...... 50 Kodak NexPress ZX3900 NexPress has new offerings like opaque white ink and can support up to 530gsm page 46

UAE NEWS

Tech-ni-Fold Annual conference EFI Connect targets ME Creasing experts Tech-ni-Fold and its sister-company, digital kicks off with AI address finishing solutions provider, CreaseStream, have joined the EFI chief executive Guy Gecht first time fix rate on service roster of exhibitors at this highlighted Artificial calls by 50%. year’s Gulf Print & Pack show Intelligence (AI) as the next He quipped: “The robot in Dubai. big thing for the industry in that will make the keynote After focussing its efforts on his opening address at EFI’s address in two or three years seeking the right partner in annual user conference, will introduce you to even Turkey during 2016, Tech-ni- Connect. more happy customers.” Fold turn their attention Gecht had actually worked However, he also shared toward the Middle East to on an AI project when he was research involving a survey of expand its distribution net- at university 30 years ago, 1,000 people that showed how work even further. After 18 which involved attempting to widespread people’s concerns years in business Tech-ni-Fold make a computer recognise Launched its largest soft signage printer: Vutek FabriVU 520 are about the possible dangers has assembled an expert team different handwritten letters. of AI – the younger demo- across more than 40 countries “It was very difficult for a was being powered by big about ‘lights out’ print factory graphic of 18-34 year-olds to promote and sell its world- computer to do that, and the data, the “unbelievable com- was becoming a reality. were actually more concerned renowned products. key thing was could it learn putation power in the cloud” He cited Printflow as EFI’s about its likely affect on jobs Tech-ni-Fold’s leading prod- over time. It was so tough [for and the computing power in first learning software, and and the potential for ‘bad peo- uct, the Tri-Creaser, is a retro- the computer to achieve this], everyday devices. said the company was invest- ple to use AI to harm others’ fit tool that has revolutionised I thought ‘this isn’t going to “Technology everywhere is ing in other AI projects such as than the general population. the way creasing and folding is happen in my lifetime’. But helping us to do more with less Smart Print Production, Gecht’s address kicked performed in print finishing something happened and the people,” Gecht stated. which has a major focus on off the event in Las Vegas, houses and binderies around AI space is accelerating at “Machine learning will watch preventive diagnostics and a with some 1,000 customers the world. unbelievable speed.” the habits of customers.” goal of improving uptime by from around the world in Tristan Owen, Tech-ni- He said the AI revolution He said the often-talked- 20-25% and to improve the attendance. Fold’s International Business Manager, said: “We are com- mitted to identifying those dynamic individuals and com- Paperworld to be held between 14-16 March panies who are knowledgeable about the full range of finishing The annual office supplies turers and distributors of Paperworld and Playworld machines, systems and process and office paper exhibtion - office equipment, paper attracted 6,774 trade visitors and who are ambitious enough Paperworld Middle East will shredders, engraving from 101 countries while 304 to introduce a new product to be held between 14th -16th machines, presentation aids, exhibitors from 36 countries market.” March this year at the Dubai organisational aids (includ- showcased their latest wares, Digital creasing machine International Convention & ing organiser, timer), mail- from office supplies, paper, manufacturer CreaseStream, Exhibition Centre. ing, adhesives, stamping, 7th edition to start in March school, party and gift articles, are set to share stand alongside Organised by Messe office accessories, writing to toys, games, wrapping Tech-ni-Fold during Gulf Print Frankfurt, the show will have and drawing utensils and This year will be the 7th paper, printer consumables, & Pack 2017, which runs participation from manufac- full-range suppliers. edition of the show. In 2016, and arts and craft supplies. between 26th–29th March. THE MONTH IN PRINT

Nilpeter hosts an event with Agfa launches 3.2m, 6 colour Cisco has released the findings of a global study indicat- new distributor Vetaphone RTR 3200 LED printer STOP PRESS ing that while cloud adoption continues to accelerate, Event held at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Jeti Ceres RTR 3200 LED is available few organizations are maximizing the value that cloud can offer. According to the Dubai on 8th January Page 5 with immediate effect Page 12 study, nearly 68 percent of organizations are using cloud to help drive business outcomes, a 61 percent increase from last year’s study. The increased cloud adoption Delta Group unveils state-of Mepco Gulf with its European is being fueled by cloud-native applications, including security and the Internet of the-art facility in Dubai partner conducted an event Things (IoT) cloud-based solutions. On average, the most “cloud advanced” organi- Delta Group has invested around Special conference held at Shangri La zations see an annual benefit per cloud-based application of $3 million in addi- 200m for the new facility Pg 6 Hotel, Dubai on 26th of January Pg 19 tional revenues and $1 million in cost savings. These revenue increases have been largely the result of sales of new products or accelerated ability to sell into new Fortune7 becomes the hubergroup develops markets. The study also reveals that 95% of those organizations with optimized partner of Wit Color for GCC sheet-fed printing ink cloud strategies have built a hybrid IT environment that uses multiple private and Deal finalized during SGi event Pg 9 MGA NATURA for food packaging Pg 20 public clouds based on economics, location and governance policies.

PrintWeek MEA Editorial t: +971 4 2399955 e: [email protected] Subscriptions and advertising t: +971 4 2399955 e: [email protected] * All featured prices are approximate and correct at time of going to press For a full contacts listing go to page 50 www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 3

UAE NEWS

REGIONAL BRIEFS Bahrain is heading towards the adoption of a new press Dubai Police UL discuss and e-media law that would preserve the rights of journalists and media persons the risks of 3D printing and would criminalize whoever assaults a journalist. Dubai Police is collaborating During a Cabinet session held with 3D printing experts to out- earlier this week, Bahrain’s line the risks posed by 3D print- ministers discussed a draft press and e-media Law that would ing with a two-day workshop replace Law 47/2002 on the Organization of the Press, Printing covering the emerging indus- and Publishing. Bahrain Minister of Information Affairs Ali try, processes, materials and Al-Rumeihi told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that the new law quality as well as the various would guarantee press and media freedoms in line with ethical safety considerations. and professional standards. According to Wohlers Associates, the global 3D print- UK will be the ‘country of ing market – or additive manu- honour’ at Sharjah Book Fair. facturing as it is also known – is 3D printing experts outlined the risks posed by 3D printing The Sharjah Book Authority expected to reach $21 billion by (SBA) has announced that the 2020 with safety equipment, confirming that they intend to technology is advancing rap- United Kingdom (UK) will be toys, construction and manu- invest heavily in the world idly across the world and Dubai the ‘country of honour’ at the facturing products among a altering technology in the next Police are committed to being 36th edition of the Sharjah range of goods that are expected ten years, safety sciene firm, forerunners in the 3D genera- International Book Fair (SIBF). to be provided locally through Underwriters Laboratories tion by highlighting the world’s The announcement is part of UK/UAE 2017, a year of bilateral the world altering technology. (UL) is encouraging a diligent best practices adopted in the cultural exchange between the two countries organised by the However, alongside the and responsible approach to public safety industry.” British Council. Ahmad Al Ameri, chairman of SBA, said: “The many potential benefits there ensure the technology is Earlier this year, Sheikh selection of the UK as ‘country of honour’ at SIBF 2017 exemplifies are also very serious potential understood and adopted in the Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE the deep-rooted historical ties binding the UAE and the UK and dangers and risks, including correct manner. Vice-President, Prime Minister our long-standing relations based on mutual cooperation and the possibility of criminality in Colonel Badran Al Shamsi, and Ruler of Dubai, announced common interests in various domains.” terms of counterfeit and deputy director of the General that by 2030 25% of all of untested goods. Department of Training at Dubai’s construction will be Plastivision Arabia, will be With many GCC countries Dubai Police said: “3D printing 3D printed. held along with 4th Arabia Mold and 3rd Print Pack Arabia at Expo Centre Sharjah from Dec. 11-14, 2017, organized by Expo Centre in Nilpeter hosts an event with new association with All India Plastics Manufacturers distributor Vetaphone in Dubai Association and the support of the Sharjah Chamber of By Venkat Raghavan Commerce and Industry. “The exhibition is going to break new Nilpeter hosted an event with ground this time. The launch of special focus areas will be their new distributor another advantage that will be adding immense value to Vetaphone at Crowne Plaza Plastivision Arabia 2017, which is part of an exclusive multi- Hotel, Dubai on 8th January. industry trade event for the regional plastics, mold-making, Customers and media persons printing and packaging industries,” said H.E. Abdalla Sultan attended the event. During Mohamed Al Owais, Chairman, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce the event, they explained how and Industry & Expo Centre Sharjah. Vetaphone helps the clients to increase the surface adhesion HP Inc. awarded their channel on plastic and metalized films partners during Sign and in Extrusion or Converting Graphics Imaging - 2017. UAE – processes through Corona & The event held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on 8th January Best Pagewide Partner for Al Plasma systems. Suwaidi, Saudi Arabia – Best Talking about their new dis- it. Apart from this, Vetaphone resentation. Through this dis- Partner in All Across Products for tributorship with Vetaphone has been doing business in the tributorship, we will be selling Al Eqtessad. A lucky draw on for GCC, Shyam Babu, direc- region without agents so they Surface Corona & Plasma Latex partner was conducted tor of Nilpeter commented, too thought it is the high time Treatment systems for coating, and the winners were Kuwait – NAF and Lebanon – CIS Buro. Elie Saab “Nilpeter always wanted to to establish genuine sales lamination, extrusion, narrow and Najib Kfoury from CIS BURO together, said, " We feel excited and deal only with the best suppli- team and after sales efforts in web & wide web printing proud for receiving this award. Our efforts has been recognized and ers in the market and since GCC region.” machines. In addition, we we feel proud for it. We represent 17 brands and in HP we do business Vetaphone, a global leader in He further added, “Nilpeter believe that with our strong for all printing related products. HP latex 2016 award." Nedal Odeh, the corona segment and the will be covering the GCC area network and good reputation GM of NAF, said, "Since 15 years we are having relationship with HP in inventor of corona, was look- and to some extent of the in the GCC market, Vetaphone LFP segment and this is our fourth award and first in Dubai." ing for a partner, we thought Middle East markets where will attain all their growth it's a good match and went for Vetaphone don’t have any rep- ambitions in the region.” www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 5 NEWS

PRINT BY Delta Group unveils state-of- NUMBERS the-art facility in Dubai 4 Delta Group has announced Group’s new facility expects the inauguration of a new to redefine industry JHF multi-service facility which standards for integrated The new facility is around will host several of its sub- workflows. 4 times bigger than the sidiaries. Located in Dubai’s “Innovation and quality current facility National Industries Park are the key principals by page 9 (NIP), the 250,000 sq.ft. which we operate and 2017 facility will offer a compre- will be an important year for hensive range of end-to-end us. We plan to continue scal- solutions under one roof. ing our operations with fur- This includes the Group’s ther expansion and also 800 Delta Printing Press as well venture into new verticals. Lecta as Brandscape Advertising, This will allow us to offer The new machine has a Magic Screen, Pulp, Delta more allied services across width of 2,450 mm and a Labels and Delta Interiors. Delta Group has invested around 200m for the new facility the MENA and European speed of 800 m/min Equipped with the latest markets. The print industry page 10 technology, the fully inte- hub, not just attracting busi- director of Delta Group. is continually evolving, and grated facility is the first of ness from within the region, Housing several of the with increasing digitization, its kind to be set up in NIP, but also from Europe. Not Group’s subsidiaries under traditional printing has pro- said Delta. The annouce- only are we very pleased to one roof will offer unparal- gressed immensely. We have ment was made in front of offer our clients this new leled convenience to clients constantly evolved to keep 94 media persons and special facility, but it also allows us and enable cost optimiza- pace with rapid industry guests at JW Marquis Hotel, to significantly expand our tion. This will especially advancements, and by Agfa Graphics Dubai on 1st of February. production capacity and benefit projects and cam- investing in the finest tech- Jeti Ceres RTR 3200 prints “As a home-grown busi- operational capabilities into paigns which span different nology and infrastructure we at a speed of up to ness, we are very proud to be newer segments and mar- media. From advertising and are able to offer robust effi- 94sqm/hr in production based in the UAE. The coun- kets,” said Kabeer Jalaluddin, marketing, to printing, ciency and fast turnaround mode try serves as a regional print chairman and managing labelling and interiors, Delta times,” Jalaluddin added. page 12

NDigitec opens Open House event held at Hexxa new facility 206 Flexible Packaging Solutions SwissQprint The Nyala 2 4x4 model NDigitec has announced its Open House event held at the can print speeds of up to decision to open a new, dedi- premises of Hexxa Flexible 206sqm/hr in production cated facility within Dubai Packaging between January 24 mode Production City aimed at fur- and 25 which was attended by page 15 ther enhancing its overall fab- senior management executives rication competency amidst a across the label industry surge in demand for its fabri- including Kimoha, Pacman – cation solutions and services CCL, Future Pack, Sigma in the UAE region. The new Labels, Matrix Pack, Medad, facility will offer a range of Nuplas, Emirates Printing 200 services. Press, Express Group, Azonprinter Vatche Kavlakian, CEO of Repotronics, Namma Digtech UV Matrix can print on NDIGITEC, commented: and Repro Flex 3 (R3). Apart MPS 430 MM press was shown during the Open House objects up to 200mm in “NDIGITEC is witnessing a from this, the event was height sharp growth across all its attended by few media persons With its new MPS flexo partner.” He added, “The Open page 17 competencies, making it a from the industry. During the press, the company is set to house was a good platform for one-stop destination for all Open House the new MPS 430 achieve higher productivity in the entire fraternity of the UV creative production needs. MM press was shown to all the shorter print runs, as Raja narrow Web industry to come The concept of selling ready- visitors. Recently, Anoop Gandhi, managing director of together for exchange of ideas made exhibition stands on Plastics who is the local MPS Hexxa Flexible Packaging and information.I would like 111 our web-to-print platform, representative for the Middle explained: “We needed a nar- to thank the sponsors Zeller Polar Dubaiprint.com will be East has sold this machine. row web flexo press to offer Gmelin, Weilburger, Avery Polar to offer gifts on 111th implemented in 2017 and we The Open House was a joint more competitive prices on Dennison, Kurz and Taghleef anniversary believe this will be game effort by Hexxa, MPS and shorter print runs. This is why Industries for extending their page 22 changer in the industry.” Anoop Plastics. we chose MPS as our flexo support for the event.” 6 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com A PRINTER AND A DATA BANK ALL-IN-ONE!

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GCC/LEVANT/AFRICA NEWS

Gulf Print Pack 2017 JHF kick off meeting held in next month Gulf Print & Pack, slated to be held between 26th - 29th Thailand along with partners March in the Za’abeel Halls at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Beijing JHF Technology Co., leadership of Victor Tse. Hong is expected to be 10 percent Ltd held their kick off meet- Kong based Victor brings to bigger in 2017, say organizers. ing to celebrate and acceler- JHF his many years of indus- The exhibition will be used to ate at Thailand on last try experience of interna- showcase the latest technolo- 19-20th January. The event tional business, having been gies and consumables from was attended by media per- involved with leading compa- across the entire field of print- sons and channel partners. nies like HP, HongKong. ing. Confirmed major players Along with the other part- “In 2017 we planned to exhibiting in 2017 includes: ners, Age Graphics who is the consolidate our position in AFRA, Ali Alhashemi Trading distributor of JHF for GCC, these regions, as well as initi- Co, Bobst, Canon, Heliozid also has attended the meeting. ate it’s thrust in other areas and Prestige Graphics. The JHF announces closure of like Latin America, Europe lineup of first-time exhibitors another successful year in New facility is around 4 times bigger than the current facility and the USA. As a first small, features Barberan, Holoprint 2016. Company completes yet very significant, step in Security Solutions, Imaging first phase of establishing its 2015. 2016 is also the year 10 channel partners on board this direction the company is Care, Konica Minolta, international operations along where we decided to proac- in the Asia and ME regions proud to announce that a PACFORT Packaging and Sun with the announcement of its tively go international with and with over 3 dozens of state of art demo facility for Papers & Labels. Displaying demo facility in Bangkok. our highly acclaimed JHF machines in this category international customers the newest in multi-substrate According to the company range of industrial solutions installed, outside of China. would be operational in presses, ink systems, wide and spokesperson, “We are which are being OEMed by Internally the company also Bangkok within next narrow format digital presses, pleased to announce yet some leading international structured to meet this chal- Quarter. This facility is laser die-cutting, 3D printing, another very successful year brands. As a result of this lenge. An International team, approximately 4 times the smart labels and packaging, in 2016 having which wit- engagement JHF ends the to handle the sales outside of size of the current facility,” web-to-print software and nessed a growth of 70 % over year 2016 with approximately China was formed under the commented spokesperson. product decoration. Canon ‘Room to Read’ books Fortune7 becomes the reach African schoolchildren partner of Wit Color

The first books printed by Fortune7, the company Canon as part of the Room to which believes in Made in Read literacy programme UAE concept gets the distrib- have reached school children utorship of WIT COLOR for in South Africa. 3,300 books GCC. The partnership knot have been delivered to 176 happened during the SGI schools across South Africa as Dubai 2017. In addition, they part of the Room to Read lit- are distributors of Lami eracy programme, in partner- Corporation - Japan for their ship with Canon. large format Laminators. Canon began working with Also, they produce LFP’s with Room to Read and German- two year warranty. Distributorship goes for GCC based publisher Goloseo, who Talking about their partner- initiaited the scheme at ship, Sree Kumar Rangan, MD He further added, “We Drupa, in a bid to eliminate 3,300 books have been delivered to 176 schools by Canon of Fortune7, said, “Normally, always wanted to promote the waste from print samples at the traders, bring any of the ‘Made in UAE’ concept so trade shows. Canon sustaina- books can be produced on fect bound and trimmed on cheaper printers from far East through this we can enhance bility director Stuart Poore demand in an integrated man- Canon partner Tecnau’s Libra (especially from China) and the concept and in addition said: “We are really proud to ner.” Text pages for the books 800. The three picture books address them as distributor/ the customers will get an have been able to support were prepared using Canon being sent were translated by dealer. The tie-up that I made opportunity to deal with a Room to Read and their vision partner Ultimate Techno- Goloseo from German into is more tactical where the neighborhood manufacturer of transforming the lives of graphics’ Impostrip book English and two African lan- Chinese themselves partner- of large format printers rather millions of children, by focus- imposition software and were guages, Sepedi and Xitsonga. ing with me and I too an inves- than depending an unknown ing on literacy skills and gen- printed on Canon’s Océ Poore said that since comple- tor for them in their factory Far East supplier. Mainly we der equality in education. ColorStream 6000 at Drupa. tion of the project, Canon has which assures a long-term target to manufacture the Eco “The book printing took Cover pages were printed on a already delivered a similar pro- association where the end Solvent/Solvent/UV Based place live at Drupa 2016 and Canon ImagePress C10000VP ject for a partner printing bro- user can feel more confidence LFP’s with Epson and Ricoh was used to showcase how and the books were then per- chures for children in Zambia. in after sale support.” Gen5 Print Heads.” www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 9 NEWS ENVIRONMENT

SGP sets goals Sun Chemical launches water- for industry The Sustainable Green based pigment inks for textile Printing Partnership (SGP), one of the authority in sus- tainable printing certifica- Sun Chemical is presenting reduces additional finishing tions for print manufacturers, its portfolio of SunTex tex- costs and also allows for the has elected a new board of tile inkjet inks to the interior cost effective production of directors and hired Brittany decoration and home fur- bespoke or personalised Sutphin as Executive Director nishings markets at applications as well as ena- to help the organization Heimtextil 2017. bling smaller print runs to achieve an ambitious set of SunTex Encore is a multi- take advantage of changing objectives for 2017. SGP antic- colour ink set that combines fashion and seasonal trends.” ipates certifying more than 50 CMYK, red, green, blue and At Heimtextil, Sun new facilities this year, dou- grey which is suitable for Chemical also displayed bling the number of certified pigmented textile inkjet SunTex Sonata - a series of sustainable printers in the inks. According to the man- dye sublimation transfer United States and Canada and ufacturers, SunTex Encore SunTex Encore is suitable for pigmented textile inkjet inks inks and disperse-dye direct continuing the Partnership’s also delivers very good adhe- print inks for polyester and drive toward a fully sustaina- sion to a range of substrates furnishings and interior provide customised designs, polyester-rich substrates. ble future for the industry. including natural and syn- décor applications. trending colours and sea- And SunTex Concerto RDE - Supported by patrons thetic textile fabrics such as James Gould, product sonal designs. This highly a range of reactive dye inks including 3M, International cotton, viscose, silk and manager, digital aftermarket versatile ink benefits from for direct printing onto nat- Paper, and Hewlett-Packard, poly-cottons. In addition, its at Sun Chemical com- the cost-efficient and flexi- ural fabrics such as cotton, SGP is recognized as a global wash and wet-rub resistance mented: “Inkjet is definitely ble production capabilities viscose, silk and wool. leader in eco-friendly innova- as well as its high levels of growing in popularity for of inkjet print technology, For more information on tion and best practices for the durability to colour and light use with home furnishings which eliminates the need Sun Chemical’s SunTex tex- printing industry. With its fading makes SunTex and interior décor applica- for additional and complex tile inkjet ink portfolio visit new board and Executive Encore particularly suited to tions due to its quick turna- post treatment processes. www.sunchemical.com/ Director, SGP is committed to the printing of a range of soft round times and ability to This increases output, product/suntex/ aggressive goals this year. Lecta ups production capacity of Avery Dennison prints recyclable metallized papers catalogue on FSC paper In accordance with Lecta’s Avery Dennison highlights plan, a new coating and lac- emerging opportunities quering line made by the with its latest Select Swiss manufacturer Solutions catalogue, that Polytype was recently put was printed on recycled into operation at the Leitza paper, made from 100% mill (Spain). FSC- certified paper, includ- The new machine has a ing release liner waste. width of 2,450 mm and a The catalogue reveals mar- speed of 800 m/min. This ket trends as well as devel- Includes release liner waste will allow for increasing the opments and solutions production capacity of metal- across many different mar- market segments. “This col- lized papers at the Leitza mill New machine has a width of 2,450 mm & speed of 800 m/min ket segments. The cata- lection has been designed to from 25,000 to 40,000 tons logue’s key feature story give converters what they as well as expanding the cur- results in better customer In the manufacture of focuses on Radio Frequency need when they need it. rent range due to the techni- service, reaffirming, in addi- metallized papers, it is nec- IDentification (RFID) and Innovative materials, low cal advances that the tion, Lecta’s commitment to essary to apply specific coat- Near Field Communication minimum orders, quick machine embodies. the most cutting edge tech- ings to ensure paper quality: (NFC) – technologies that quotes and fast shipping Its implementation has nology and a high degree of first thing which is needed is are already common in the make these products a valu- been accompanied by other specialization. a proper fixing of the alu- apparel segment and which able addition to any con- improvements at the Leitza Metalvac is Lecta’s high- minum on the paper and are now moving into other verter’s business. This new mill aimed at optimizing the vacuum, 100% recyclable then the optimum printabil- relatively untapped markets. edition covers innovative production process of metal- metallized paper designed ity of the metallized coat. Jenny Wassenaar, product solutions in segments as lized paper, including for the production of labels, The new coating and lac- line team director Select diverse as heavy industrial enlargement of existing inner liners, wrapping paper quering machine incorpo- Solutions, said that the cata- labelling at extreme tem- spaces for raw materials, and flexible packaging. Its rates the latest technical logue helps converters to peratures through to recy- intermediate product and gloss and finish offer excel- developments in the appli- identify and leverage oppor- cled papers and intelligent finished product stock. This lent printing results. cation of these coatings. tunities offered in various labelling.” 10 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com 3M™ Envision™ Print Film 48C Naturally versatile.

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Kernow’s new Agfa launches 3.2m, 6 colour KIP Range Kernow Coating ltd has been producing synthetic media for RTR 3200 LED printer, Jeti Ceres the digital industry. From large format Aqueous, Agfa Graphics has laun- this we developed a machine Solvent, Latex, UV curable to ched a new roll-to-roll that has the Titan technology Dry Toner and Design and printer with UV LED curing on board but just with the repro media, used by printers aimed at mid- to high-end roll-to-roll so that you don’t for graphical, packaging, sig- applications. have to buy a complete flat- nage, advertising or technical- The 3.2m-wide Jeti Ceres bed to use the roll-to-roll.” drawing applications. RTR 3200 LED is commer- She added: “This machine Sales and marketing direc- cially available with immedi- offers the speed, precision tor, Bosy Colak, said, “It was a ate effect. The six-colour and efficiency required by natural path for us to offer a plus white and primer intensive print firms – and product range for the KIP machine prints high quality the UV LED curing process Colour print system. Our on single- and dual-roll only adds to its business- years of expertise in produc- media at speeds of up to RTR 3200 LED is commercially available with immediate effect boosting capacity.” ing high quality dry toner and 186sqm/hr in express mode The device, which is pow- reprographics synthetic or 94sqm/hr in production print on heat-sensitive in this market who want to ered by Asanti workflow media, combined with the mode. media such as self-adhesive have a high-end roll-to-roll software, will be shown in extraordinary print quality The UV LED curing lamps sheets and PVC without machine,” said sign & display public for the first time at from the Kip Colour Print sys- are said to save costs, warping or wrinkling them. high-end marketing product C!Print Lyon. It will also be tem, has allowed us to deliver increase eco-friendliness, “Our Anapurna portfolio manager Reinhilde Alaert. shown at Fespa in Hamburg KIP users a truly unique col- broaden the printable media is aimed more at mid- to low- “The Jeti Ceres is further in May. Pricing for the lection of media.” range and eliminate lamp- end applications whereas the thinking on our Jeti Titan machine was not disclosed. KernowPrint KIP is a range based downtime. Jeti Ceres is aimed at the machine, which is a flatbed In December 2016, Agfa of durable material suitable The device uses Agfa’s UV mid- to high-end. There are but you can also do roll-to- launched the Jeti Mira LED for manufacturing, architec- LED-cured inks which can quite a number of customers roll printing with it. With flatbed printer. tural and technical drawings. Komori launches new one-pass Xaar inks partnership double-sided press with Xerox Komori has expanded its Xaar has signed a new part- Lithrone product portfolio nership agreement with with the launch of a larger Xerox for the development of format one-pass double- bulk piezo inkjet printheads. sided offset press. Xaar chief executive Doug The Lithrone GX44RP, Edwards told PrintWeek that which is commercially avail- the partnership was similar to able with immediate effect, the co-operation over thin uses the same technology as film technology with Ricoh, the manufacturer’s existing which the Cambridge- Doug Edwards from Xerox B1 GX840RP press but has a Lithrone GX44RP has a maximum sheet size of 840x1,150mm headquartered manufacturer maximum sheet size of announced at Drupa. elements of each company’s 840x1,150mm. eliminates sheet reversal “In the packaging sector “It mirrors what we’ve done platform. The 15,000sph machine, and features single-edge reducing the amount of with Ricoh, but in bulk piezo, “It’s an important first step. which can be equipped with gripping. Eliminating sheet board required for the job where our platform is getting The starting point is the Xerox either an H-UV or UV drying reversal is said to ensure sta- can be a significant benefit.” on for 10 years old,” Edwards solid ink printhead. A lot of system, is said to deliver ble sheet transport that is According to Komori explained. “We’re at a point experience and investment high quality, short turna- capable of handling either spokes team, the press can where we’re going to have to has gone into it, and we will be rounds, high speed, stability light or heavy stocks through also be optionally specified invest, and our strategy is to building on that along with and reduced waste in dou- the use of four double-size with the A-APC Asynch- do that with partners – jointly our 25 years of investment at ble-sided printing. transfer cylinders. ronous Automatic Plate we can effectively spend more Xaar.” Front-to-back plate imag- “Because you’re not turn- Changer, the PDC-SX than we can do on our own.” Xaar will source products ing is in the same direction, ing the sheet over halfway Spectral Print Density Edwards said more details from Xerox, “tweak them” for just as with single-sided through the press you only Control SX Model and the would be available in March, specific applications, and then presses, which Komori said need the gripper margin at PQA-S Print Quality Ass- when the £93.5m turnover resell them. “We will probably increases efficiency in that single edge so you essment System for Sheetfed group will announce its 2016 launch a product in the mid- pre-press. potentially have a saving in to further boost quality and results. But he said the inten- dle of the year,” Edwards A new system on the press substrate,” said Turner. productivity. tion was to combine the best added.

12 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com (;75(0(/<9,9,'35,17,1*

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ZZZDJIDJUDSKLFVFRP EFFICIENT India’s largest manufacturer of digital inkjet printers INDIAN ENGINEERING - ALL SET TO TRANSFORM DIGITAL INKJET PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

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Booth No. 474-3 , Hall 1 Jeddah Center for Forum and Events, Jeddah COLORJET GROUP 27th February - 2nd March 2017 INDIA : B-195, Phase-II, Noida-201305 (U.P.), INDIA. T +91 120 4548195 DUBAI : ůŽĐŬͲ͕KĸĐĞEŽ͗ϭϭϱ͕,ĂŵƐĂŚƵŝůĚŝŶŐ͕<ĂƌĂŵĂ͕ P.O. Box: 123360, Dubai-UAE. T 00971 43961744 Authorised Partner [email protected] | www.colorjetgroup.com SIGN AND DISPLAY

DISTRIBUTORSͻRIYADH : Sign and Display Establishment, Madinah Center, Al Madinah Munawwarah Road. Near Old roundabout Tariq bin Ziyad St, P.O. Box ϲϱϴϮϵ͕ZŝLJĂĚŚϭϭϰϲϰ͕ZŝLJĂĚŚ<͘^͕͘WŚŽŶĞ͗ϬϬϵϲϲϱϰϰϰϲϮϬϮϭ͕ϬϬϵϲϲϱϲϮϭϴϱϱϭϱdĞů͗;нϵϲϲͿϬϭϭϴϭϮϳϮϰϮ͘ͲDĂŝů͗ƐĂůĞƐƌŝLJĂĚŚΛƐŝŐŶĂŶĚĚŝƐƉůĂLJ͘ŶĞƚ͕ ŝŶĨŽƐĂƵĚŝΛƐŝŐŶĂŶĚĚŝƐƉůĂLJ͘ŶĞƚͻ JEDDAH ͗^ŝŐŶĂŶĚŝƐƉůĂLJƐƚĂďůŝƐŚŵĞŶƚ͕<ŝŶŐ&ĂŚĚZŽĂĚ͕DƵƐŚĂƌĮLJĂŝƐƚ͘KƉƉŽĨůĂŝŬ͕EĞĂƌ&ĂůĂƐƚĞĞŶ:ĂǁĂů^ĂƵƋ͘ WŚŽŶĞ͗ϬϱϲϳϬϰϭϲϮϮdĞů͗;нϵϲϲͿϬϭϮϲϲϱϭϲϭϳ͘ͲDĂŝů͗ƐĂůĞƐũĞĚĚĂŚΛƐŝŐŶĂŶĚĚŝƐƉůĂLJ͘ŶĞƚͻDDD͗WŚŽŶĞ͗ϬϱϰϰϰϲϮϬϱϵ͘ DIGITAL NEWS

Xerox and EFI SwissQprint launches 2 new Partner support Xerox Corp. & EFI announced a strategic partnership to bring 4xCMYK flatbed printers to market a next generation digital front end (DFE) to drive SwissQprint has launched two panies that have a high out- Xerox digital production new “4x4” flatbed printers that put, such as large digital presses. The agreement come configured with quadru- printers that need to produce includes the sale of Xerox’s ple CMYK printheads. a lot of material with high FreeFlow Print Server (FFPS) The 4x4 models of the quality. Stand construction is DFE business to EFI. Under the Nyala 2 (3.2x2m flatbed) and an interesting field, for exam- terms of the deal, EFI will con- Impala 2 (2.5x2m flatbed) ple, because those businesses tinue to produce and support series are said to retain the tend to be short of time and FFPS so current customers do same quality as the existing have to produce quickly.” not experience interruptions in 2xCMYK models, but are The 4x4 models of the sales or service. around twice as fast. Nyala 2 (3.2x2m flatbed) and “Customers will gain a pow- The UV machines, which Impala 2 (2.5x2m flatbed) erful solution with more effi- are said to be suitable for The Nyala 2 4x4 prints at up to 206 sqm/hr in production mode series are said to retain the ciencies, performance and screen printers as well as same quality as the existing quality to meet the most booth builders and large- rendering of fine detail. Fine in quality mode and 51 sqm/ 2xCMYK models, but are demanding production scale digital print firms, can art mode enables applica- hr in fine art mode. around twice as fast. requirements,” said Andrew be used to produce high-qual- tions such as backlit graphics “These machines offer The UV machines, which Copley, president, Graphic ity POS items, displays, post- to be printed at up to 57sqm/ more speed but with exactly are said to be suitable for Communications Solutions, ers and banners. hr while the device can print the same quality as if you screen printers as well as Xerox. “EFI is an industry The Nyala 2 4x4 model at up to 206 sqm/hr in pro- were using the 2xCMYK booth builders and large- leader and has a proven track prints at up to 101sqm/hr in duction mode. models,” said SwissQprint scale digital print firms, can record with performance, ease quality mode, which the The Impala 2 4x4 model marketing services specialist be used to produce high-qual- of use and seamless integra- manufacturer said results in prints at up to 180 sqm/hr in Petra Fetting. ity POS items, displays, post- tion with industry workflow “brilliant” colours as well as production mode, 89 sqm/hr “They’re suitable for com- ers and banners. solutions.” Mutoh marks Heimtextil debut Onyx Graphics unveils with new dye-sub printer launch Onyx 12.1 software Mutoh is marking its first par- US-headquartered software ticipation at Heimtextil by developer Onyx Graphics has launching a new dye-sublima- launched Onyx 12.1 software, tion transfer printer suitable the latest version of its wide- for home textile and interior format print workflow and RIP decor printing. product. The 1.9m-wide ValueJet The software builds on 1948WX is being premiered Onyx 12, which was shown in this week at the textile and Europe for the first time at garment manufacturing trade Fespa Digital last year, by Users can get more profit fair in Frankfurt and is offering accelerated speed expected to be commercially Mutoh’s 1.9m-wide ValueJet 1948WX can print at up to 117sqm/hr and performance, a simpli- user’s profit margin by as available by March/April. fied user interface, enhanced much as 30%. The machine integrates a prints. Roll holders for light- nage and textile banners. automation and advanced On average, processing staggered four printheads weight roll media up to 30kg Mutoh commercial market- finishing tools. times in Onyx 12.1 are three setup and a large built-in dual come as standard while an ing manager Nick Decock Onyx 12.1 is available for times faster than in Onyx 12 heater, which the manufac- optional heavy-duty media said: “We already have dual- the full Onyx software prod- for halftone processing. Data turer said enables high speed feed and take-up system main- head printers which are micro uct line including Onyx transfer speeds to many printing and improved pro- tains stable media transporta- staggered but if you double the Thrive workflow, Onyx grand-format printers are ductivity, delivering a top tion on roll media up to 100kg. amount of heads – as we have ProductionHouse, Onyx also up to three times faster. speed of 117sqm/hr. The ValueJet 1948WX can done with this machine – then PosterShop and Onyx Onyx said users can also Mutoh said the device, print onto fabrics or dye-subli- you can go even faster. RIPCenter RIP software. achieve a higher level of col- which uses its new high-den- mation paper, which can be “Typical production speed Highlights of Onyx 12.1 our consistency across multi- sity and medium-density dye- transferred to polyester for for sellable production quality include the ability to process ple devices with integrated sublimation inks, is suitable for applications including uphol- on this machine will be above more files in less time with a G7 correction, verification businesses looking for a high- stery, curtains or cushion fab- 80sqm/hr, which is doubling full 64-bit platform for RIP and iterations, making it eas- volume production printer for rics. The machine can also be up the speed we currently and applications, with speeds ier to match colour and build roll-to-roll digital transfer used for fast fashion, soft sig- have with the 1638WX.” that Onyx said can improve a output consistency. www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 15

WIDE FORMAT & POSTPRESS NEWS

EFI misses $1b Azonprinter launches Matrix, target EFI has reported record full- wide format UV curable inkjet year sales of $992.1m follow- ing a record fourth quarter but fell just short of its $1bn annual Croatian manufacturer cially regarding high-quality turnover target. For the quar- Azonprinter has launched resolution and reliable print.” ter ended 31 December 2016 what it claims is the only wide- The Matrix comes with a the company recorded sales of format UV-curable inkjet flat- bulk ink system using six $266.7m, up 4% on Q4 2015 bed printer on the market that 500ml ink tanks. Azonprinter’s revenue of $256.5m. Its sales can print on objects up to ink recirculation is said to pre- were up 12% year-on-year for 200mm in height. vent the pigment in white ink the full-year ended 31 The UV Matrix is available from settling, which provides December 2016 – in 2015 it with immediate effect in sizes more consistent white layer. As recorded total revenue of of 600x1,200mm (S) and a result, ink tanks can be $882.5m. 600x1,800mm (M) while the refilled from ink bottles, ink EFI chief executive Guy bed size of the UV Matrix Pro is Azonprinter’s UV Matrix can be used to print onto USB drives waste is minimised and print- Gecht said: “All year we have 1,100x2,500mm (L). ing can be continued without stressed our focus on improv- The device, which has a res- adheres ink to any kind of sub- keting manager Žaklina Begi interruption. ing execution, especially olution of up to 2,880dpi and strate including PET, ABS, said: “We believe this product Ink configuration comes in around financial metrics, so it can handle heavy materials up polycarbonate, TPU, wood, will be popular in the furniture CMYK plus two white chan- is very encouraging to see that to 100kg, is suitable for pro- stone, glass, canvas, ceramic, industry, with graphic design- nels and two clear channels. our team’s work is showing ducing a range of printed aluminum and leather. ers and in the sign industry. A separately available rotary great results. applications including USB The machine’s zoned vac- “We will see how everything adapter, Rotax, also enables the “Having said that we are drives, smartphone cases, cum bed holds material flat will go regarding the market device to print onto cylindrical obviously disappointed that lighters and pens. and steady to ensure stable but we believe this machine and cone objects with diame- we did not deliver better top- The manufacturer said the printing and enable printing will find its niche once custom- ters that range from 41mm to line numbers, even when UV LED lamp curing system on soft and thin materials. ers have a chance to experience 127mm and on objects up to accounting for all the effects instantly and efficiently Azonprinter sales and mar- everything it can offer, espe- 279mm high. of FX.” Mimaki adds Kebab option to UJF Drytac launches a film MkII printers for short-pile carpet Mimaki has made its Kebab Self-adhesive materials manu- module for printing cylin- facturer Drytac Europe has drical objects available for launched a new printable film its new UV flatbed printers. suitable for indoor floor The Kebab, which uses graphic applications. rotary rollers, was first The product is said to easily launched for the UJF- adhere to short-pile carpets, 3042HG small-format flat- making it suitable for short- bed LED UV printer in term indoor floor graphic 2014. advertising for tradeshows Suitable for indoor floor In October last year that and retailers such as furniture device was replaced by the stores. but it will remove cleanly. UJF-3042 MkII while the The Kebab module prints on cylindrical objects The maximum lifespan of “The tack of our existing UJF-6042 MkII replaced Polar Carpet, which is com- Hi-Grab carpet product was a the UJF-6042. standalone printers are individual runs and opens patible with solvent, eco-sol- little bit too tacky so we had to The UJF-3042MkII, priced at £20,995 for the up revenue streams in sec- vent, UV and latex printers, is work around this to get adhe- which has an A3 format bed, UJF-3042MkII and £35,995 tors such as the cosmetics around eight weeks. sives that would stay down, is compatible with the new for the UJF-6042MkII. industry, where regulatory Drytac said the product can but not so aggressively that it Kebab MkII model while The Kebab is said to ena- requirements differ be used with its slip-certified would pull all the pile up on a the new MkII L model ble high-quality printing on between countries. laminating films – including carpet.” Kebab is suitable for use cylindrical products with Commercial availability Interlam Pro Emerytex and Bristol-based Drytac, which with the UJF-6042MkII, diameters from 10mm to for the new Kebab modules Protac ScuffGuard – to pro- was founded in 1976, makes which has an A2 format bed. 110mm, including wine and is expected in February vide slip resistance. products for a wide variety of The Kebab module is water bottles, seals, candles 2017. In additin, Mimaki Drytac Europe sales direc- markets including wide-for- optional and sold separately and cosmetics bottles. participated in SGI Dubai tor Steve Broad said: “Polar mat display, commercial to the two MkII printers. Mimaki said the Kebab event on January and show- Carpet has been developed to printing and sign making. Last The Kebab MkII costs makes it possible and afford- cased their latest printers allow users to create sticky summer the company £2,495 while the MkII L able to produce on-demand including the MKII series graphics for flooring applica- released an updated version of model costs £2,995. The original products in short or models. tions. It’s a high-tack adhesive its Emerytex laminating film. www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 17

CONSUMABLES AND PAPER NEWS

FINAT will host Mepco Gulf with its European event in Berlin The international labelling partner conducted a conference association, FINAT will be hosting its prime annual event, the European Label Mepco Gulf with its of HP ColorLok and store Forum in Berlin. The event European partner brand paper print outs. will be held between 7th-9th International Paper con- Everything was printed on June this year. ducted a special conference at the same printer by using the It will bring together a spec- Shangri La Hotel, Dubai on same inks. Participants were trum of industry leaders, from 26th of January and pre- asked to identify their prefer- label converters to raw mate- sented their specialty prod- ences between the two. The rial suppliers, media and stake- ucts in Digital papers and outcome of the result unim- holders, to debate major how they can further enhance aginery. Participants unani- business topics, gain in-depth the image of HP. The presen- mously and independently market knowledge, and be tation included a presenta- - expressed preference for inspired by a programme of tion of International Paper Conference held at Shangri La Hotel, Dubai on 26th January the HP ColorLok paper. top international speakers. It company, the HP range, According to International also hosts FINAT’s annual Colorlok technology and of first item in 1996. Apart not on the customer’s radar Paper spokesperson, General Assembly, and the environmental credentials. from this, HP Papers will be but with the exposure, it “ColorLok ‘wow’ factor presentations to the winners International Paper celebrating its 20th anniver- makes an impact! Exposure serves to build value for HP. in the association’s FINAT Worldwide was founded in sary in Europe. to the benefits or ColorLok On average - with our sample International Label Com- 1898 and they are one of the Fadi J Baaklini, managing reveal its ability to further of 44 respondents - we see an petition and FINAT Recycling world’s largest producers of director, commented about elevate HP brand percep- expected price that is $2.35 Awards. FINAT will also par- paper and packaging. Their the Mepco Gulf, “Everyone tions,” he added about the higher per ream for ColorLok ticipate in Europe’s biennial two key platform businesses knows that Mepco is a lead- product. versus non ColorLok. While industry exhibition, Labelexpo are uncoated paper & pulp ing paper & board trader in He further added about few are willing to pay this Europe -- the largest labelling and packaging. HP and the Middle East, North The ColorLok Challenge: The high of a premium, many event in the world -- which International Paper relation- Africa and Indian sub-conti- participants of the demo pre- express openness to paying takes place this year in ship begins with the launch nent.” ColorLok may seems sented with a blind selection ~30% more for ColorLok. Brussels, 25-28 September. Sappi, Felix Schoeller will jointly Stora reconsiders plan develop sustainable packaging for chemical pulp mill

Sappi Europe and Germany- Stora Enso has initiated a pro- based Felix Schoeller Group cess with the Government of have entered into a collabora- Guangxi, China with the tar- tion agreement that includes get to remove the authorisa- the joint development of sus- tion for the hardwood tainable barrier paper solu- chemical pulp mill from its tions for flexible packaging investment permit, reported applications. The two compa- PaperAge. nies will be combining com- Stora Enso has previously petencies in their respective announced that it considers business fields in the future Agreement that includes the development for flexible packaging building a chemical pulp mill Karl-Henrik Sundström, CEO in order to provide brand at its Beihai Mill site, once owners with more sustaina- ality papers,” explains packaging and has built par- the consumer board machine market has been negatively ble packaging solutions for Thomas Kratochwill, Vice ticularly strong process tech- is up and running. The final impacted by new investments their products. President of Sales & nology expertise in the decision is yet to come in. in hardwood pulp production. Sappi is a leading global Marketing at Sappi Packaging production of photographic “The market demand for At the same time, we consider manufacturer of speciality and Speciality Papers. and digital printing papers. high-quality food packaging the wood costs to supply the paper and carton board. In Global manufacturer Felix “Our collaboration with board will continue to grow potential chemical pulp mill recent years, Sappi has Schoeller Group produces Sappi creates many synergies. in China and neighbouring to be too high, which reduces evolved from a pure substrate high-quality papers for ana- We will be integrating our Asian markets. Our invest- the competitiveness of such supplier to a provider of com- logue and digital photo- specialist expertise to pursue ment in a consumer board a mill. Therefore, sourcing plete paper and carton pack- graphic and digital printing, the development of unique mill in Beihai is ideally the chemical pulp to Beihai aging solutions. nonwovens for the wallpaper packaging solutions that will placed to serve this market,” Mill from the market or uti- “Felix Schoeller Group is industry as well as release lin- benefit the industry and the said Stora Enso’s CEO Karl- lising our current captive the ideal partner to help us ers and decor papers. In addi- environment,” says Hans- Henrik Sundström. global hardwood supply is a further enhance the function- tion, the company has been Christoph Gallenkamp, CEO “Meanwhile, the supply- viable option for us,” ality of our high-quality speci- developing flexible food of Felix Schoeller Group. demand of the global pulp Sundström said. www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 19 NEWS PACKAGING

IN BRIEF hubergroup develops Packaging giant Coveris has invested £3m in its carton- board division. The interna- tional packaging manufac- sheet-fed printing ink turer invested in a raft of new machinery, site refur- Printing ink manufacturer, bishment, upgrades to hubergroup has announced existing equipment and a that it has developed sheet- new staff training programme for 2017. The new machinery, fed printing ink for high-vol- which includes a six-colour Komori GLX-640 with coater, ume printing of food two Jagenberg Diana glue lines, a Heiber & Schröder win- packaging. NATURA GA dow patcher and an Iberica cutter-creaser, should all be series with its latest MGA operational by summer 2017. A spokesman for Coveris said NATURA series starting 1 that relocation and refurbishment of other equipment February 2017. would make the business more efficient. The cartonboard MGA NATURA will be division manufactures cartonboard packaging for a variety available as process inks, as MGA NATURA will be available as process inks of sectors in the food industry. It also has CAD and platemak- spot inks in line with the ing facilities. classic colour guides and The new ink is suitable for tact. Brand owners and also as bespoke corporate producing food packaging printers will then be assured Xeikon is creating a dedicat- design colours. with good organoleptic that no impurities or unde- ed sales, service and support All components in the for- properties, especially when sirable substances will be operation in Australia and mulation are evaluated and fast post-print processing is implemented in the produc- New Zealand. The new divi- the production process is required. All components in tion process. sion will be fully operational subject to thorough checks the formulation are evalu- A family-owned enter- in February 2017. The decision and controls, which means ated and the production prise, hubergroup consists follows the acquisition of MGA NATURA contains process is subject to checks of 40 companies and 130 Xeikon by Flint Group follow- only substances that either and controls, which means sites. 2016 saw the Group, ing a thorough review of synergies between the companies. do not migrate or that have MGA NATURA contains with its global workforce Bent Serritslev, managing director Asia Pacific explains: “After been assessed for food con- only substances that either of more than 3500, gener- assessing the opportunities for both companies we have tact announced hubergroup do not migrate or that have ate sales worth over €820 decided the time is right to establish a direct sales and ser- in a statement. been assessed for food con- million. vice organization in Australia and New Zealand. It will handle the full range of Xeikon digital presses and solutions for labels, folding cartons and commercial printing.” In 2015, Stora Enso has Xeikon joined Flint Group to create a new “Digital Printing Color-Logic, iC3D take Solutions” division for the global print consumables and divested solution provider to the packaging and print media indus- Stora Enso announced the software to new level tries. Flint Group develops and manufactures a portfolio of divestment of its 100% share- printing consumables and employs some 7900 people. At the holding in its Finnish subsid- Color-Logic has announced same time, Xeikon will cease its collaboration with dealer iary Formeca Oy, a provider the support of their process Absolute Electronics. of machines for automated metallic colour system by packaging lines, to Amitec iC3D from Creative Edge Mohawk, North America’s Oy, an engineering and Software for prototyping largest privately-owned machine construction com- labels and packaging. manufacturer of fine papers, pany based in Finland. Discussing the certifica- envelopes and specialty Following this transac- tion, Color-Logic CTO substrates for commercial tion, Stora Enso will become Richard Ainge commented: and digital printing, a reseller of Formeca "The Color-Logic Design Suite Software to visualize ideas announces a new minimum machines and retain the abil- (plug-ins and palettes for order quantity for non-stocked envelopes. Beginning imme- ity to support and consult Adobe) was developed to ena- then production. The two diately, customers can order as little as 1,000 envelopes in customers on packaging ble designers to create decora- technologies save brands a standard sizes, even if that envelope is not in stock. “Now automation solutions. tive effects at a fraction of the huge amount of time and cost designers, printers and end users can improve a client’s “Supported by Amitec's time required to do so manu- in getting to market faster." image and enhance direct mail response rates while staying dedicated competence in this ally. Because time to market is Creative Edge Software's within budget with smaller envelope orders and Mohawk’s field, Stora Enso will be able a critical factor in the packag- iC3D is the first all-in-one soft- one-stop shopping convenience, fast delivery and superior to serve customers even ing and label market today, ware for generating 3D photo- envelope converting quality,” said Ted O’Connor, senior vice more effectively,” said Peter with Color-Logic and the realistic packaging mockups in president and general manager, Mohawk Envelope and Torstensson, SVP and head iC3D software brands, design- real-time. "Users are able to Converting. Premium non-stocked envelopes can be ordered of Corrugated Nordics, ers and prepress personnel visualize their ideas allowing for a minimum of 1,000 or one carton (whichever is greater). Division Packaging can visualize the Color-Logic brand owners to increase the The kit features a variety of digital substrates including paper, Solutions. “In addition, effects on the package or effectiveness of their packag- envelopes, polyester, PVC, vinyl, pressure-sensitive, magnets, Amitec has the necessary labels across a broad spectrum ing before ever going to print," embedded, and dimensional products to showcase market- strength to further develop of environments or on a wide explains Trevor Haworth, ing solutions that are attractive, durable, and can be pro- Formeca and ensure its busi- variety of metallic stocks managing partner at Creative duced quickly, using variable data and tailored messaging. ness progress.” before going to proofing and Edge Software. 20 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com 26 – 29 March Come and visit us at Gulf Print & Pack stand N3

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nilpeter.com Stand D14

Nilpeter Middle East LLC • Dubai • Phone: +971 (0)4 448 33 13 • e-mail: [email protected] NILPETER A/S • Denmark • Phone: +45 5850 1166 • e-mail: [email protected] • www.nilpeter.com NEWS GLOBAL

IN BRIEF Cimpress has embarked upon Polar to offer free gifts a major restructure to decen- tralise its operations that will see thousands of jobs devolved into its business on 111th anniversary units and the departure of a number of senior executives. Celebrating its 111th anni- voucher for buying a Guillo- The Netherlands-headquartered web-to-print giant announced versary, Polar has recently Crease, a creasing system the changes alongside its Q2 results. Around 3,000 employees announced to everyone in a that converts the cutting that previously worked in central teams will move into its various press statement that it will machine into a creasing business units, while some 160 positions – circa 1.6% of the give away various ‘perfor- machine. Every Transomat 10,000 workforce worldwide – will go altogether. Cimpress is also mance-enhancing options’ Unloader TRE will be decentralising its manufacturing plants “into the business units with new orders booked equipped with an extra OPP. for which they most often fulfil orders”. This will render the role from February - September OPP is an optical pallet of chief supply chain officer redundant. Total sales in the group’s 2017. The promotion is lim- pointer and helps to align second quarter (to 31 December) rose by 8% on a like-for-like ited and applies to deliveries the pallet easily. basis, and by 16% including acquisitions, to $576.9m. in 2017. Free gifts from February The Polar webshop (www. Customers opting for the mohr-shop.com) will also RadTech, The Association for top-of-the-line model N graphic presentation of the be celebrating the anniver- UV&EB Technology, has PRO HD will be given the sheet, process visualization sary throughout the year opened a new area on its Compucut software for their shows the operator how to offering promotional cam- website www.RadTech.org high-speed cutters free of move the material being paigns. The Guillo-Crease devoted to educating printers charge. The N PLUS high- processed. Polar will give creasing system, for exam- about the use of ultraviolet speed cutter model has pro- customers who decide to ple, will be available at a (UV) and electron beam (EB) cess visualization integrated buy a hydraulic D-model special-offer price with an technologies. The Radtech free-of- charge. Based on a cutting machine a 111 euro 11.1 percent rebate. UV+EB Resource Guide for Printers is a compilation of more than 50 articles, archived webinars and fact sheets developed by industry experts and specific to the use of UV/EB technology in printing. The guide was developed to better inform new and Baldwin has acquired Air Motion existing users in the printing industry who would like to learn more about the technology and how it can benefit their opera- Two major players in the UV ing its position within the market. experience together to tap an tions. The guide, located at http://www.radtech.org/uv-eb- curing systems industry, Air The new entity of Baldwin, unprecedented opportunity in resource-guide-for-printers, has nearly 20 categories of infor- Motion Systems (AMS) and part of the $2 billion Barry- LED and UV, and to serve an ever- mation. It includes an overview and introduction; sections for all Baldwin Technology Company Wehmiller family of companies, widening range of markets and print processes (flexography, lithography, grauvre, digital and are merging their expertise to will rebrand as AMS SPECTRAL applications.” screen); and areas that focus on applications, curing, equip- create the premier provider of UV and combine AMS with Complementing this technol- ment, LED, food packaging, radiometry, regulatory benefits, RFID UV and LED curing technology Baldwin’s UV division. ogy, Baldwin’s UV division has and sustainability. RadTech will continually update the guide across the globe. “This acquisition marks the experience in highly reactive UV with new information. Baldwin, a leader in highly beginning of a new era in provid- curing and numerous LED appli- reactive UV, LED UV and IR dry- ing high-performance solutions cations outside of traditional print Sun Chemical has entered into ing systems, has acquired Air for the UV industry,” said AMS markets. Further, the new curing- a partnership with Document Motion Systems leading provider Spectral UV president Steve technology entity will leverage a Security Systems, Inc. (DSS) to of LED UV curing technology for Metcalf. “We’re bringing the top massive base of experience serv- cross market and sell one the graphic arts industry, expand- industry minds, technology and ing OEM and industrial markets. another’s anti-counterfeiting products. The strategic part- nership allows Sun Chemical to market and sell DSS’ suite of Fespa 2017 to be held in Hamburg anti-counterfeiting technolo- gies that include smartphone Fespa 2017 campaign mes- global speciality print commu- authentication, hidden images and copy protection. DSS will also sage, ‘Dare to Print Different’ nity”, explains FESPA divisional market and sell Sun Chemical’s wide range of anti-counterfeiting strapline is part of the multi- director, Roz McGuinness. solutions, including multiple covert taggant-reader systems, channel marketing campaign “When printers head to FESPA special effect inks and smart sensor technology. Jim Reiman, for the print expo. Slated to be 2017 in May, we want them to director of Brand Protection for Sun Chemical said: “This partner- held between 8th to 12th May arrive with the ambition to ship with DSS offers even more anti-counterfeiting options for 2017, at Messe Hamburg, explore and identify something our customers to choose from. We’re particularly excited by DSS’ Germany, the show includes that could expand their bound- advanced smartphone authentication capabilities and how they three distinct zones devoted Event between 8-12th May aries and give them fresh complement our own product portfolio.” “We’re pleased to have to screen, digital wide format impetus. Every feature we the Sun Chemical name associated with DSS,” said Mike Tobin, VP and textile printing, encour- ments and promotional items, incorporate into FESPA 2017 is of marketing at DSS. “We have made significant investments in aging printers and sign-mak- interior décor, surface decora- designed to show PSPs the brand protection solutions like AuthentiGuard and this partner- ers to explore the full tion and vehicle wrapping. many avenues of opportunity ship with Sun Chemical, one of the most respected companies in spectrum of applications “Dare to Print Different is a available to them, and to leave the market, helps to validate our strategy.” including graphics and soft statement of our confidence in them invigorated with new signage, industrial print, gar- the entrepreneurialism of our ideas to apply in their business.” 22 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com GLOBAL NEWS

IN BRIEF

Kodak to incur charges Kornit Digital (KRNT) has received new system orders at Heimtextil 2017, the world’s on restructuring leading exhibition for home textile design and manufac- turing, which took place in Kodak has announced the approximately $3m of total Frankfurt, January 10-13. The Company’s booth showcased a live streamlining of costs on its charges for separation benefits demonstration of the Allegro, utilizing its unique single step, dry Prosper business, which could will require cash expenditures process, which led to high customer interest and system orders. incur hefty charges of up to and the remainder will be pro- The Allegro, which utilizes Kornit’s proprietary NeoPigment print- $17m as efforts to sell the vided from the company’s ing process, is the only industrial solution that can print with high inkjet operation continue. pension plans in the form of quality on multiple fabric types, with no separate pre or post Kodak announced in late special termination benefits. treatment required. At only seven meters in length, the Allegro 2016 that hopes for selling its In a statement, Kodak said: offers a unique proposition with an impressive seven-colors, Prosper business before the “As announced in December, photorealistic print quality, an ability to print on multiple fabric close of the year had faded and Kodak to streamline costs Kodak is streamlining its com- types without changing inks, minimal infrastructure requirements that discussions with potential mercial inkjet operations to and practically no water consumption. buyers would now continue cash related charges for maximise performance and into 2017. inventory write-downs, $2m- address market opportunities FESPA Eurasia 2016, which took As a result of this latest $3m of non-cash related in publishing, high volume place from 8-11 December 2016 restructuring decision, Kodak charges for asset write-offs direct mail and packaging. In in Istanbul, Turkey had 8,232 expects to incur charges of and up to $1m in other cash- addition, the company is plan- individual visitors, with total between $12m and $17m. related charges associated ning to refocus the business to attendance across the four These will include $5m- with the action. emphasize print head compo- days reaching 9,774 visits. $7m relating to separation In order to account for the nents and the development of There was an increase in benefits, $5m-$6m of non- charges, Kodak expects that Ultrastream technology.” International attendance compared with FESPA Eurasia 2015, claimed the organizers. The top 10 countries attending outside Turkey include: Iran, Bulgaria, Algeria, Greece, Tunisia, Jordan, Ukraine, Iraq, Lebanon and Zünd unveils new routing system Germany. For more information on FESPA and its global exhibi- tions visit: www.fespa.com. Zünd has launched the new A key feature of the new HSK, Minimal Quantity high-performance RM-L rout- RM-L module, which is availa- Lubrication (MQL), a set of At Heimtextil 2017, SPGPrints ing system for the sign and ble immediately, is its power- bits, a gantry, the ZCC option presented its digital inkjet tech- graphics market. ful, water-cooled spindle with or a sealgrip underlay.” nologies for varied home textile The new router option is pneumatic collet, which deliv- Zünd product manager for applications including the new designed to handle a more ers 3.6kW of processing power graphics, Lars Bendixen said: 3200mm-wide JAVELIN inkjet challenging range of materials and a maximum torque of “The automatic router bit printer for bedlinen, curtains including MDF, acrylic, PVC, 0.7Nm enabling greater speed changer is a key feature, which and upholstery that debuted at Dibond or aluminium. With and cutting depth. can accommodate up to eight the show, and the 700mm-wide PIKE Decor printer, a digital the exception of carbides and Described by Zünd product different collet holders. This solution for furniture and panel laminate applications. The stone the new tool can route, manager, graphics, Lars allows a fully automated tool JAVELIN printer operates in scanning mode with an array of 36 engrave and polish almost any Bendixen as “a complete rout- changing and significant Fujifilm Dimatix Samba print heads jetting ink in variable drop material, according to the ing system”, it includes auto- increases of production auto- sizes (2pL-10pL) at resolutions of up to 1200 x 1200dpi. SPGPrints’ manufacturer. matic router bit changer ARC mation and throughput. Archer Print Head Program provides a two-and-a-half-year guarantee on the print heads in combination with the use of accredited inks. JAVELIN can use reactive, acid or disperse inks H.B. Fuller acquires Wisdom manufactured by SPGPrints. Lucien De Schamphelaere, the H.B. Fuller has acquired the business will be included in founder of Belgian digital press industrial adhesives business H.B. Fuller’s Americas manufacturer Xeikon, has died of Wisdom, a provider of adhe- Adhesives operating segment. aged 85. De Schamphelaere sives for the packaging, paper Jim Owens, H.B. Fuller presi- passed away on 20 January. Born converting and assembly mar- dent and CEO, said the acqui- in Gijzenzele, Belgium, in 1931, kets. Founded in 1875, sition will strengthen the De Schamphelaere graduated as Wisdom has been privately company’s position in this an engineer in electronics and started working in the same year owned and operated by five Jim Owens from H.B. Fuller market segment within the for NV Gevaert, which merged with Agfa in 1964. De Schamphelaere consecutive generations of the Americas adhesive business, as founded Agfa’s Electronical Imaging Systems department in 1979 Wisdom family. chase price multiple equal to well as the delivery of its 2020 and within three years his team had presented its first digital The acquisition value of 122 approximately seven times strategic plan commitments. black-and-white printing press, the P400. In 1988, he founded million USD is expected to Wisdom’s fiscal 2016 EBITDA Wisdom’s highly successful go- Xeikon, after being given the presidency of Agfa’s venture capital generate annual run rate syn- on a post-synergy basis. H.B. to-market strategy, based on a fund to seek out the most promising applications in digital imag- ergies of approximately six Fuller expects the transaction focused product line, ultra-fast ing. Agfa took a minority participation in Xeikon and the rest of million USD, starting in 2018, to be modestly accretive to delivery and virtual service, the equity was bought by six additional investors. which would make the pur- earnings in the first year. The will complement H.B. Fuller. www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 23

EDITORIAL COMMENT

SHILPA JASANI PRINTER’S DEVIL

Where will the industry stumble and Curtains fall on the 20th where will it thrive? The current situation about the printing industry is in big alarm for a while. edition of SGI show Many of the researchers and experts are saying their own opinions but they And yet another Sign itself, while also expressing that it would be cannot give an appropriate suggestion and Graphics Imaging better if the timing of the show be moved to to the owners. show (SGI) con- the last week of January. On their part, the However, everyone has to follow their cludes, with most organisers introduced some initiatives this own style and provide a better exhibitors and visi- year like the SGI Hall of Fame and hosting a service to the existing clients. We tors expressing satis- delegation from African nations. even would have witnessed a lot of faction in general, The first issue of PrintWeek MEA -2017 presses doing manual work and in with the visitor turn- features exclusive interviews from the Sign turn consumes more time as well as out and visibility and Graphics show, and our Better Business labour. To overcome this, they should factor. While the article examines the ways of adding value to make use of the available technologies to number of exhibitors from the East has a digital printing job, dwelling on the make good profit. Some corporates say increased significantly; a lot of big names increased affordability of embellishments that this is the correct time for them to from the UAE were missing this year. It like texturing, embossing, metallic and show their potential to capture the market could be a strategic or ‘budget-constraints’ other exotic finishes. share from the small players. So whatever it is, we all decision, since 2017 will host another Our Star Product features the hand oper- believe that the printing industry will survive as long as major exhibition - Gulf Print and Pack. ated, lever-pull, vertical platten type Caslon readers are there. Non-participating exhibitors expressed Adana 85C and Kodak’s NexPress ZX3900 the price increase by organisers to be the digital, colour production press. decisive factor in their decision to with- draw. Participating exhibitors though If you have an interesting print story to share, an incident expressed satisfaction at the visitor turn- Shilpa Jasani is the editor of PrintWeek that made you smile or an occurrence on the shop floor, out, especially on the first day of the show MEA magazine. email us at [email protected]

JO FRANCIS - PRINTER’S DEVIL FLASH POINT Can the suppliers stick this time? Last autumn, as the But is Brexit simply to blame and how can UK print industry the industry do its best to overcome the seem- began to settle down ingly inevitable price increases? after the initial uncer- “Any paper pricing increase is normally led tainty of the post-EU by mills, not merchants,” explains Denmaur referendum era, the Independent Papers managing director first reports of impend- Mike Gee. ing paper price “Some grades went up in 2012/13 but then increases began to drifted back down. What we’ve had over the trickle though. By the end of 2016, that trickle past five years is a situation where prices have became a torrent as a whole host of manufac- gone up marginally but then tended to drift turers announced increases, largely set to down over time because of supply and demand come into force last week. or markets weakening.” Fedrigoni was one of the first papermakers to Skelton agrees, considering that customers show its hand, announcing price increases of will be keeping a close eye on exchange rates Olden days printing: Generally, the olden days printing press 5% to 8% from 21 November. But it was far and will have no inhibitions in pressuring mer- has a less number of space to work and there are less of jobs to from alone, with a steady stream of other manu- chants to lower prices once they improve. do. So they are well disciplined and well occupied with what facturers making similar announcements in the they do and what they want to do. However, things got to get following days and weeks, and by mid-Decem- changed in the years by years like, the people started to rely ber virtually all had signalled their intent to Jo Francis is associate editor, PrintWeek. more on the machineries rather than humans and that is why raise their UK rates, with most increases in the To read the full transcripts of these blogs, the trend in the printing industry has seen this massive growth. 5%-10% range, but in some cases higher. visit: www.printweek.com/jofrancis Being specific is a matter of interest when it comes to the “old” days of printing. The “old” days, however, can be generally bookmarked if printing on a transportable material (past that of PrintWeek MEA reserves the Make sure you advertise in the right to edit letters. a smaller stone) is used as a defining element. Once this has Letters can be sent to: been decided, one might start to think about a timeline for industry’s most reliable print title PrintWeek MEA, PO Box printing and the approximate time lines put forth by those 502090, 419, City Bay Business supposedly in the know. The development of printing has made Tel: +971 50 8734029 Centre, Abu Hail Road, Dubai, it possible for books, newspapers, magazines, and other reading E-mail: [email protected] UAE, or email: feedback@ materials to be produced in great numbers, and it plays an printweekmea.com important role in promoting literacy among the masses. www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 25 Verton, HP: Regional printers want affordable printing e printing Pg 4 pg5 ” Alex Li, VP: “ME is the most strategic region for Pantum” “Markets have recovered from the slump” Mukundan, Liberty PP: st strategic re gion for Pantu October 2012 US$2.75 pg 7 m” Pg 4 survive” COMPANIES uld s REGIONAL NEWS November 2012 Adobe y co ...... 3 Al ola ...... 25 US$2.75 Antalis PROFILE ...... 8 PROFILEILE APP ...... 24 COMPANIES 75 Arbros ...... 25 s to Adobe Shah, Al Borj: September 2012 US$ 2. Arjowiggins ...... 16 Chairmanairman planplans to AV Flexologic Al Ahli ...... 7 rate ...... 17 ...... 5 REGIONAL Canon ...... 1 Arjowiggins forwardrward integintegrater Al Drupa 9 Bosch NEWS ANALYSIS Akhba ...... 13, 19 ...... 17 ...... 9 ge 23 EFI ...... Brother COMPANIES Abdulrahmandulrahman of Dar Akhbapage 232 ...... 11,19 C.P Bourg ...... 4 ‘Automation in packag ...... 7, 17 Epaon ...... 4 “Gone are the days when anybody could survive” Al Bayader 19 aleej shares his vision Esko Canon ...... 13 Khaleej shares his vision ...... 17 ...... 4,7,12 Antalis ...... Ferag CMC Machinery ...... 9, 19 ...... 15 Drupa Kannath: Arjowiggins Flint Group ...... 8 ...... 17 19 Canon ...... 4, 13 Global Graphics EFI ...... 19,18 ...... 16 ...... 6 Enfocus Chromolux HP PROFILE ...... 4,8,18 EPA ...... 18 Col.Art ...... 5 s, Inpap ...... 3 PROFILE ...... 7 ...... 25 Esko GMDigiMatrix alarmed with Intec ...... 5 ...... 17 ...... 19 pg23 FedEx Kinko Durst ... 11, 13 ITC ...... 24 Flint ...... 17 ...... 7 December 2012 US$ 2.75 risingEFI ...... prices Kama ...... Fujifilm ing is need of the hour’ ...... 3 KBA .. 15 We see good sscope Epson .. 19 ...... 18 Gallus ...... 11,12 Menon ...... of Dubai Printing Pres Kimoha cope ...... 5 Esko ...... 4 and possibilipossibilities Giffin Graphics explainsEvolis ...... the price.... dynamics 4 9 Kodak ...... Gitex .13 ties ...... 4 COMPANIES Pg 4 Fespa ...... 7 komori ...... 1 Gulf Print ...... 4 Mepco Gulf 9 Thomas, CEO of Eiffel Print Adobe Flint ...... 1 ...... 25 ing PressPre HP...... 4,5,7,19...... 3 ...... 3, 19 Mimaki ...... 19 will update infrastructuinfrast Ilford Akwa I ...... Heidelberg ructure pagepagage 23 Al Kif ...... 9 NEC ...... 11 Inca Digital ...... 9 bom Heytex 1 Al Nasher Oki ...... IPEX ah owing” August 2012 US$ 2.75 HP...... 4, 15 ...... 4 ...... 12 19 Al-Borj ...... 7 NEWS ANALYSIS One Vision REGIONAL NEWS Kodak NEWS ANALYSIS page 5 ICMA ...... 1 ...... 3 Arjowiggins ...... 3 Orient Labelco ...... 17,18 ...... 5 re gr Informa ...... 1816 ...... 24 Aslan Primera Manroland ...... 5 ..7 8 IP ...... 17 Benf ...... 19 Roland Memje ...... 9 7 ...... 3 ...... 4 NEWS ...... 1 3,18 ...... 18 Blue Rhinord COMPANIES .. 15 Ipex Samsung Metsa t ...... 19 ...... 4 BQFP ...... 4 Al Manhal Jacky’s 15 Mondi ...... 9 Fair competitcompetition ...... 17 1 ...... Seiko ...... 19 Canon ...... e API Kern Col.Art celebratescelebr Obeikan ...... 16 ...... 4 ckaging are gr .... 16 ...... 19 SKB ...... 24 Creazy ... 9 Autobond ...... 11 Kodak .15 Océ ...... 7 enhances creativity ...... pa ..... Spectrum ...... 4 ...... 13,18 EFI ...... Bemis ...... 4, 9 Konica Minolta 20th anniversanniversaryStora Enso Pantum ion Epson ...... 7 Bobst ...... 5 ks ahead with ...... 16 GM of QPress plans machine . Lombardi Sunpg 4 Chemicals Papers worldwide ...... 4 Esko ...... 3,13 Bodoni ...... 19 ...... 17 Farook Int’l installs ...... 3,16 ...... India ...... 17... 9 Manroland Digital printer looksloo aheCC Tech-ni-fold PI Benford upgrades in 5-year plans Ex ...... 1 ... 11 Canon a ...... 19 ...... 15 plorer 15 ...... Mimaki ...17 expansion plans in GGCC, Toyo Ink Primedia ...... 16 4 machine Exx Coca-Col ...... 8 lls onMobi ...... 19 ...... Quark ...... 3 ry Fespa ...... Combibloc ... Octal ...... 15 X-rite ...... 1 plans 1 RR Donnelly ...... 12 pgg 23 Fujifilm ...... 13 1,16 Domino Pitney Bowes Xerox ...... 1 REGIONAL NEWS 3 l ...... 13.... 18 4 NEWS 3 region’s first SX-52 Samsung Gitex ...... 16.. 4 ...... 17 PROFILEDrupa Prati m NEWS Xiekon...... 11 ...... 18 ...... 4 ...... 5 Schawk ...... 9 Goss ...... EFI ...... 17 Presstek ..... 19 XOL ...... Gulf Print & Pack to ...... 6 5 Sinapse ...... 11 Heidelber ...... 11, ,19 son pg 4 2 Ep ...... QuadTech Preparing to meetts Farook International Statio HP ...... 11 nery SisTrade ...... 7 ...... 4 13 Evolis ..... Schawk from Heidelberg, the SX 52-4H, thehas first invested such in sheetfed o ...... 4 Kern g ...... 7 Gidue ...... B2B 4, 5needs-Canon ffset printer Spectrum bubuys Vediojet ...... 1 PROFILE ...... 16, 19 18 Sharp President of Seiko rinter Xerox ...... 17 KonicaMi ...... “For EPP, both offset and packaging are growing” GMC ...... 718 ...... 17 page 5 machine sold in the regi t & Pack Kodak Smurfit Canon’s new 400 sqm showroo ...... 13,18 be held in April 2013 ...... REGULARS regi X-Rite 8 Gmund ...... 17 on new Ricoh printerp Kwality nolta...... 154 Mazrooei advises ...... rg ...... 7,... 15 Stora Enso to display about 25 produc News ...... 12 .... ,16 Goss Sun ...... 13 ...... 3 Macmi ...... 19 Heidelbe ...... 5, 9 l ...... 17 Comment Razian bac The launch event of Manroland ...... financial prudence ..... 19 Sun Chemica n backs the industry in the region ...... 21 ks ‘reliable‘reliabl machine to lla ... 4,7,16 Epson on ME visit McAfee Henkel ...... 11 Epso Analysis ...... 2 with low operating cost’ REGULARS November n ...... Natarajan: HP...... 11, 18 Technique NEWS 2 PRODUCT OF THE MON page 4 April 2 Mondi ‘Start printshop with own ...... 15 Features ...... 24 TH c page 3 the expo was hos ...... 7,18.. 3 Informa ...... ta ...... 5 Vastex 9 Minoru Usui, president ofpage Seiko 3 News Neilpeter .... 1 says chairman of Dar Al Fajr ..... 3 ...... 13, 1 Product Portfoli ...... 3 ...... 8 Kodak pg 23 Xeikon during his maiden visit o ... 32 Comment Presstek ...... 3 Post Script ...... 38 Profile ...... 21 sted at Al Bustan RRotana013 on 5th Ricoh .... Konica Minol ...... 23 ...... 16.4 Lexmark ...... Horizon Features PRODUCT OF THE MON Seal ...... 16 ...... 18 16 MACtac NTH Product Portfolio ...... 24 otana on 5 Sona ...... 17 tion awa REGULARS ...... 19 Manroland GM...... of Al Mawrid dig Post Script Spandex ...... funds,’ ... 3 Labelco invests in News ...... 3 PRODUCT OF THE MO th Unibind ...9,18 Metsä ...... 21 ...... 38 ...30 Gidue TH ..... 15 backs ...... packaging Comment SmartStacker Videojet ...... pg 23 Mondi ...... 17.. 4 .... nova ...... 23 8-colour GallGallus ...... 3 Poli-TapeBabukutty of Al Mawrid believes Analysis X-Rite g ...... Innovation awards ...... 24 Company says the press is ideal for Xaar ...... QuadTech in slow and19 steady growth Features ... 32 TECHNOLOGY Printshop to also expande o ...... 17 NEWS category,lio Xerox ...... Samsun ...... 3 UAE Product Portfo Fujifilm B2 magazine printers w MX label capacity at a later date us 15 ...... 4 ...... 38 REPORT ho don’t XOL ...... 4 Satbir ..17 Post Script want to invest in a B1 pre xpand ...... o Schawk ...... t Remote Service TECHNOLOGY ...... 13... Kwality invests AED REGIONAL NEWS ffset 11 July 2012 US$2.75 ...... presented to digitalpage 3 page 33 ss REGULARS ...... 4,18 Sistrade ...... 13 DigiMatrixDigiMa getspage 30-31 pagepa 5 ...... 3 ical .. 15 c gave away 20 awardsa to digital press agee 5 REPORT ...... 9 ..... 4 Smurfit 6 UvistarPro8 News ... 4 ...... Sun Chem ... rer, MACtan the first prize in good response Green Comment ...... 13 1 with the secosecond K A super-wide format ...... 3 15 m in expansion COMPANIES ...... Thiele ...... 11 consumables Anal ...... 4 19 UPM ...... printersecaux woin away UAE Laser cuttincutting machines pageppa popular 7 For serving the label market, is it KBA page 28-29 Featuresysis ...... 4, 13, 19 ...... 13, 18 printer developed for POP ...... Dubai-based print shop, Kwality Gallus ...... 4 Videojet 3, 15 with regional printers really easy to use and Product Portfolio ...... 3M Wasatch .11 Substrate manufacturer,manufactu MACta and outdoor advertising on ...... 4 ...... Post Script ...... 26 .21 15 million in machinery and la HP TECHNOLOGY option? find out on ..... 23 REGIONAL NEWS ...... 4, 4 Xaar ...... printers in UAE. JcDJcDecaux won the first prize in the regional flexible and rigid media Xerox Xerox ...... 19 REPORT bought a low cost ...... 4.5 page 3 ME 32-33 installations ...... 38 Kodak ...... 5 5 XMPie ...... while The Designer walked E-books page 30 ... 32 PRODUCT OF THE MONT Lexmark ...... 5 page 7 Kodak ME launches Zevrix page 28 Sharp...... 5.5 3 within 2 months OKI ...... 3 PRODUCT OF THE MONTHlion on Arabic OCR module ...... 21 Bobst EPP 5 Goss Community presses REGULARS ...... 23 TECHNOLOGY Manufacturer also showcase Atlas ...... i ....5, 5 18 ...... 21 page 5 Printing and Stationery inve Colour nPower ...... 7, 18 News .... 23 in Bahrain, Oman, Egypt rger premises in DIP rtini .7 .. 24 high speed scanners Scree .... Comment ...... 24Atlas looking at Hunkeler ...... 7 ...... 15 ... 32 REPORT Mobile g Analysis ...... Efi Fiery H Muller ...... Ma olta newer avenues PRE-MEDIA in ...... 9 Features .....38 REGIONAL NEWS UPP t ...... 7, 9 ...... 38 Radia invests AED 20 mil costs and in the page 29-31 Heidelberrint ....9, 16 9 Product Portfolio page 3 Konica Min . transpromoDashboard business page 4 ...... Post Script Portal basysPrintt Kappa...... 9 11 sts AED s Ricohurfi s ...... 9 b wo Keep an eyetivity on from your anywhere costs and in the Smurfi tions ...... 11 Y Enabling users to track probl ...... 11 produc IP ...... nnoluk and when they occur Innolu ...... er OLOGY world with this cloud-basedpage 32 data Quark ...... 11...13 reg ...... s ...... 13 11 e Dalim e ndled by KBA’s Cortina analysis and information ...... 13 PORT AdobeC ...... 11 TECHNOLOGY collection tool NEC .. 15 REPORTr Calibration ...... Pitneyr Boweo ...... 15 Colour page Calibration 28 page 32 Xaar ...... 15 16 ems as Dominot Berlin e 3 ...... rst newspaper in ththe region to change from Bobst o ...... 15 page 3 s ...... 16 First in AraArabhe fi world Duplo rmidns ....17 format; printing to be ha Horizon ...17 7 MacDe ner th press ...... 17...... d Arjowiggi ...... 18 UPM to go Berliner ...... 1 Metsä e ...... 18 ...... ONTH Gidue ...... 18 Gulf News becomes thet fi EFI Multinational buys ...... 18 Baldwins ...... g ...... 18 broadsheet to BerliBerliner ...... 19 GossO ...... nberg ...... 19 waterless double-widouble-wid Kodak’s NeXpress MBO Digital production press installed Wohle ...... in Lagos, Nigeria Graph-Tech PRODUCT OF THE M Ryobi int ...... 3 21

..... 23 6 ...... 21...... Océ nt page 5 REGULARS 30 will it News ...... o ... Comment s ...... 26...... 2....38 mono print ortfolio Analysis VarioPrVarioPrinthe t ...... cial print, wilwill it Features page 30 Product P y? Post Script DP Line Designed to cater thet demands of commer match offset qualityqualit UDI PRINTUSTRYeport SAUDIINDUSTRY PRINT Detailedpage report 25

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Learn more at Kodak.com/Go/Sonora KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates MADHUSUDANAN NAYAR PROFILE The money earned from the press has to be reinvested only in the printing Madhusudanan Nayar, general manager of Zabeel Printing Press LLC, Ajman in conversation with Venkat Raghavan, shares his experience towards the printing industry as well as the other industry and how he is handling the current market

ailing from Coimbatore and raised in Kerala, India, Madhusudanan Nayar completed his schooling in St. Thomas Higher Secondary School in K K Pudur, H Coimbatore and after completing it their family moved back to his hometown in Kerala. As soon as he landed, he started to pursue Bachelors of Arts degree in Accountancy at PTM Government College Perinthalmanna. While he was pursu- ing his studies he got a job in Nestle as sales executive and did education and degree together. In 1998, he arrived in UAE to ven- ture into the printing industry career. Madhu: Our suppliers has been continuously offering a very good support on all circumstances Madhu says, “My career started while I was pursuing my edu- cation in Kerala. My first job was in Nestle as a sales executive HIGHLIGHTS Offset printing, consistent color reproduction and runs to suit and I was there in that company for around one and a half years. O Printing press does most almost any need - all for a very practical price. We mostly focus After resigning from Nestle, I joined Ponds India Pvt. Ltd as sales of their business with towards the school jobs and it is not that much easy for a new representative for North Malabar Area. I worked there for schools in UAE printing press to enter into this segment. There are lots and lots of around two years and after that I joined Ramtirth Brahmi Oil as input required to do a single schoolbook like number of pages, marketing manager for Kerala. Since I was desperately looking OThey have received ISO graph pages and many more. Since we know all the requirements for good opportunities, I immediately got a job in Cycle Agarbatti certification 9001:2008 of every curriculum we are able to meet their requirements.” as Kerala manager and worked there for the next 3.5 years. Speaking about the changes in the technology, printing indus- During that time, I worked hard and invested in a property in my try and the trend, he added, “The industry always welcomes the hometown which was a big accomplishment for me. After some new technology and without the technological development we period again I got a very good opportunity in Natraj Pencils as cannot grow so the technology is growing rapidly. Now, everyone regional manager for Kerala and Tamilnadu where I worked for in the industry is scared to invest and this has to be changed 4 years. After resigning the job I was looking for some overseas immediately. The region business for us has been the same from opportunity and somehow I come to know that Ali Alhashemi 2013 and we didn’t see any decline in our business. Since we Trading was recruiting for their one of their company. I focus more in the school books, we are having a steady business attempted the interview and got selected for Printing and altogether. Printing is a capital intensive and highly competitive Stationery Industry, Sharjah (PSI) in 1998 and came to UAE. industry. However, digital will continue to be the main focus and Since I am quick learner I learnt almost everything about the this is where I see growth. Another major advantage in UAE is diary manufacturing, custom made exercise books, mailing that the presses don’t need to own big warehouses, as all the machine envelopes and many more. During that time, mailing materials are available instantly. The small printing press in the facility was available only in UAE. Since I was the in charge for market are closing their presses as they are unable to meet the many important division, it gave me a good opportunity to learn breakeven cost which is horrible and affecting the suppliers faith all these things. I worked there until 2010 and while resigning I on other presses. I would request the presses to reinvest the was the sales manager. After resigning, I started looking for some money earned from the press in the same industry rather than better opportunities and luckily during the same time, the owner the other industry.” of the printing press was looking for a responsible person to take Speaking about the employee benefits, credit period, and care of the whole printing press. Since both of our ideas managed company plans, he further says, “We haven’t felt any difficulty in to be the same I got this opportunity to work as a general man- retaining the employees but however, with our services like ager for Zabeel Printing Press LLC.” accommodation and other benefits, our employee are much Talking about the press, he added, “We are one of the most happy with us and that is why we have reached this good posi- innovative and trusted printers in UAE. Our reputation and our tion along with them. In addition, we have planned to give obsession with quality is second best to none. We are manufactur- insurance and employee bonus in the coming year. The credit ers, offering you a range of school paper stationery products, very period is the one critical point to be considered and we always high quality and competitive price. Some of our products are Ex. prefer to give the clients between 60 to 120 days but so far we Books, Teachers Plan Book, Attendance Register Book (Staff & haven’t faced any hurdles while collecting the money. We don’t Student), Progress Card, Report Sheet, Drawing Book, Children have many plans towards expansion and we will wait for the Activity Book, Practical Record Book, and many more. Quality correct time to invest.” www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 27 SIX REASONS WE

SUSTAINABLE LUV UV AND DURABLE. The UV print market is predicted to PLATE grow over the next few years because 1. FEWER EMISSIONS OF VOCs newer technologies are reducing SOLUTIONS operational costs and therefore 2. INKS CAN DRY ON PLASTIC AND FROM encouraging growth in the commercial, OTHER NON-POROUS SUBSTRATES KODAK FOR mainstream market. UV PRINTING. Even though UV has been around for 3. INKS DO NOT HAVE TO ABSORB a while, more and more of Kodak’s INTO THE STOCK/DRY FAST customers are considering it and asking which solution best fits their needs. 4. IF YOU CAN GET IT THROUGH THE

KODAK PLATE SOLUTIONS FOR UV PRINTING PRESS YOU CAN PRINT ON IT

Kodak’s plate scientists have developed new plate techno- 5. INK DOTS ARE LEFT SITTING logies to withstand the harsh pressroom chemicals needed ON THE SUBSTRATE, WHICH when printing with UV curable inks, while reducing environ- mental impact and operational costs. REDUCES CONTAMINATION AND DELIVERS MORE VIBRANT PROCESS FREE FOR UV COLOR AND DETAIL SONORA XP Process Free Plates are the most sustainable solution from Kodak for UV printing. Zero processing not 6. HIGHER GLOSS LEVELS AND only simplifies prepress, but it lowers costs and reduces waste. SUPERIOR RUB RESISTANCE You may have heard that process free plates don’t work for ARE POSSIBLE UV printing, but SONORA XP Process Free Plates are uniquely different. They are qualified for run lengths of up to 10,000 impressions for UV applications, and some customers are reporting even longer runs. The plate scientists at Kodak continue to improve upon the technology behind process free and are extending the plate’s UV capabilities even further with the launch of SONORA UV Process Free Plates in 2017.

NOT READY FOR PROCESS FREE? The new ELECTRA MAX Thermal Plate is a traditionally processed plate that offers maximum chemical resistance, with unbaked run lengths of up to 150,000 impressions for UV applications. The positive-working ELECTRA MAX Plates offer low chemistry usage and long developer cycles—without having to invest in an expensive, new processor. The plate’s other unique features include 10-micron FM and 450 lpi AM capabilities.

NEED A NEGATIVE-WORKING PLATE? The TRILLIAN SP Plate offers the same significant chemistry savings and durable chemical resistance for UV Printers needing a negative-working plate.

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VISIT KODAK AT BOOTH H10 THE PLATE plate loading and unload- of capabilities. The MCU KODAK SONORA Process ing for up to 120 plates with option features online Free Plates completely uninterrupted operation. Its access to four cassettes eliminate the processing small footprint reduces ship- of 120 plates each, for a step, without requiring Print- ping waste and costs, as total of 480 plates—avail- ers to make sacrifices on well as space requirements. able without any manual productivity or print qual- And, the new cooling system intervention. ity. They are imaged on a yields up to 30% power Automated platemaking with platesetter and mounted savings from its initial design the TRENDSETTER Q400/ on press just like any other —using only 770 watts while Q800 can be accomplished plate, and work with manual imaging. with less than half the space or auto load systems. During requirements, and up to 80% NEW IN 2017 the normal pre-dampening less power usage than com- process, the fountain Kodak announced several parable MCU’s on the market TRENDSETTER solution swells the coating. advancements in its plate- today. AND SONORA: The pre-damp is kept to setter and process free a minimum to prevent plate technologies. KODAK CREATES THE WORLD’S CTP AND PROCESS removal of the coating. FASTEST PROCESS FREE CTP Kodak’s plate scientists are FREE PLATE COMBO Then, when the inking rollers pushing process free capa- The new ultra-fast W speed are engaged, the un-imaged DELIVERS MAXIMUM bilities even further with option significantly increas- coating is “stripped” from PRODUCTIVITY AND the introduction of the es TRENDSETTER through- the plate by the tack and SUSTAINABILITY. KODAK SONORA UV Pro- put to 68 plates per hour shear of the ink—a purely cess Free Plate. The new on an 8-up plate and 75 physical interaction, rather plate design allows Printers plates per hour on a 4-up than a chemical process. using UV—including the plate when imaging KO- The plate coating is carried newer low-energy UV DAK SONORA XP Plates— away on the substrate with presses—to achieve higher creating the world’s fastest the ink, typically within the run lengths than with any process-free CTP. This confi- first few sheets. other process free plate guration delivers more ef- ficient, compact and faster THE PLATESETTER available today. plate making—all without Productivity is amplified The compact TRENDSET- chemistry or processor use. TER Q400/Q800 Plateset- with the addition of the ter with the Single Cassette Multi-Cassette Unit (MCU) TRENDSETTER’S Unit (SCU), can automate to the list JUST STICKING TO THE FACTS … JUST STICKING TO THE FACTS … SONORA TRENDSETTER Process Free Plates Q400/Q800 Platesetter

PROCESSING IS COMPLETELY AUTOMATED PLATE LOADING ELIMINATED – NO PROCESSOR, AND UNLOADING FOR UP TO CHEMISTRY, OR WATER NEEDED 120 PLATES WITH THE SINGLE CASSETTE UNIT (SCU) AND NON-ABLATIVE, SO A DEBRIS 480 WITH THE MULTI CASSETTE REMOVAL SYSTEM IS NO UNIT (MCU) LONGER NEEDED SQUARESPOT THERMAL HEAD GOOD IMAGE CONTRAST – HIGH DELIVERS UNMATCHED QUALITY ENOUGH TO READ 10 PT TYPE SHORTER NON-ROTATOR THROUGH A PURELY PHYSICAL UNLOAD TABLE CREATES AN INTERACTION ON PRESS, THE EVEN SMALLER FOOTPRINT UN-IMAGED COATING IS REMOVED AUTOMATIC SLIP SHEET REMOVAL FROM THE PLATE AND CARRIED AWAY ON THE SUBSTRATE IN-LINE PUNCH SYSTEM WITH AUTOMATIC 3-POINT WORKS WITH SHEETFED, HEATSET REGISTRATION AND WEB, COMMERCIAL COLDSET WEB, ELECTRONIC VERIFICATION OFFSET PACKAGING, NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING AND UV PRINTING NEW COOLING SYSTEM PROVIDES A 30% INCREASE IN POWER SAVINGS WITH SCU, AND UP TO 80% WITH MCU

LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS AT GRAPHICS.KODAK.COM ANALYSIS BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

DIARY Need to know... Sign Istanbul 2017 across the UAE, Egypt, Sign Istanbul is a 5 day Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, India, Get over it: Madrid gets world’s first 3D-printed event being held at the Pakistan, East Africa, and Tuyap Fair Convention & other countries from the footbridge; desktop 3D printer is (mostly) 3D-printed, Congress Center in Istanbul, MENA region. Turkey. This event showcas- Date: 14–16 January 2018 runs on batteries, says Venkat Raghavan es products like MediaPost Venue: Dubai International Communications is an inte- Convention and Exhibition The Institute of Advanced grated publishing and Center, Dubai, UAE Architecture of Catalonia content company whose Contact: +971 04 343 7744, (IAAC) has designed the mission is to provide a www.signmiddleeast.com world’s first 3D-printed complete array of resources pedestrian bridge. for media, marketing and PaperWorld ME 2017 Installed in the urban park advertising professionals The 6th edition attracted of Castilla-La Mancha in etc. in the Media & over 6,774 trade visitors from Alcobendas, Madrid, and Advertising industry. 101 countries, 11 percent up made up of eight separate Date: 4-8 October 2017 on the previous edition that 3D-printed parts, the bridge Venue: Tuyap Fair look to source for products spans 40 ft (12 m) and meas- Convention & Congress and services offered by ures 5.7 ft (1.75m) wide. Center, Istanbul, Turkey international and local Developed in collabora- Contact: +90 (212) 275 75 79, companies, while 305 tion with a multidiscipli- www.en.signistanbul.com exhibitors from 36 countries nary team of architects and showcased their latest engineers, the bridge is Saudi Print and Pack 2017 wares, from office supplies, constructed out of a fused 3D-printed pedestrian bridge sits in Madrid(Credit: IAAC) The 14th edition of the Saudi paper, school, party and gift concrete powder micro- Print and Pack brings articles, to toys, games, reinforced with thermoplas- last month, does look a lit- Non-printed compo- together industry profe- wrapping paper, printer tic polypropylene. Enrico tle like a styrofoam prop nents include motors, ssionals from around the consumables, and arts and Dini, a pioneer in giant from a Lord of the Rings PCB, wires and a 2,000 Kingdom, the region and craft supplies. With all this 3D-printing techniques, movie. mAh LiPo battery that’s the world. The events keep expectations the 2017 event was a principle collaborator It may not be the most reported to offer more pace with the growth of the would be better than with his D-Shape printer elegant looking large-scale than an hour’s printing for packaging, printing, before. allowing for the creation of 3D-printed structure we’ve every hour on charge. plastics, and petrochemicals Date: 14-16 March, 2017 this novel structure. seen, but it is certainly one Open source software industries in the Kingdom Venue: Dubai International Large-scale 3D printing of the strangest and is runs the printing show, and present a unique Convention & Exhibition, has become more wide- likely to be a sign of things with Marlin firmware, opportunity for attendees to UAE spread in recent years and to come. Cura slicing software and advance the growth and Contact: +971 4 389 4500, many types of materials are Pronterface printing soft- development of these www.paperworldme.com currently being experi- There are now a good many ware taking care of busi- sectors and increase their mented with. desktop 3D printers vying ness. Supported print file contribution to the national Gulf Print & Pack 2017 A 3D-printed office for dominance in the home formats include STL, OBJ economy. Together, the Gulf Print & Pack is a plat- building was constructed in office, making it difficult and GCODE and can be Saudi Plastics and form that has attracted Dubai in 2016 utilizing cus- for newcomers to stand out loaded in over USB from a Petrochemicals will take manufacturers and distri- tom-built printers that from the crowd. Italian connected computer or via place. butors within the print & exuded a cement mixture, digital prototyping labora- SD card. A premium ver- Date: 27 February – 2 March publishing domain from while an Italian engineer- tory 3DRap is looking to sion of the printer will also 2017 across the ME, Asia, Europe ing company has been make its mark with a allow wireless file transfer Venue: Jeddah Centre for and the US. Computer-to- working on massive 3D 3D-printed 3D printer that over Bluetooth. Forums & Events, Saudi plate and digital printing printers that can build makes use of open source The printer has a 6 x 6 x Arabia technologies are just structures out of mud, clay software and will retail for 6 cm (2.36 x 2.36 x 2.36 Contact: +966 11 2295604, making their way into the or natural fibers. just over $250. in) bed, and will come www.saudi-pp.com area, and equipment Dutch printing firm, Details are in short sup- with a non-printed manufacturers and MX3D, is even planning on ply as of writing but we extruder head for plastics SGI Dubai 2018 distributors are working to building a steel bridge definitely believe that we and the option of another International Expo Consults educate the market while across a canal in Amsterdam do know that the Poly 3D for printing chocolate cre- organizes the 21st edition of enjoying healthy sales. The using an innovative robotic printer is constructed ations. SGI Dubai. SGI Dubai is the last year edition has attra- 3D-printing technology using 3D-printed biode- The Poly 3D project is anticipated event of the cted most visitors by posting that allows structures to be gradable PLA material. currently in the pre- year in the MENA region for a 26.7% rise in visitor num- created on-site, in mid-air. 3DRap says that PLA release prototyping stage, exhibitors and visitors in the bers with a footfall of 11,918. The IAAC designers should remain solid and with its design team due to Signage, Digital Signage, Date: 26-29 March, 2017 appear to have been stable at room tempera- launch a crowdfunding Retail Signage Solutions, Venue: Dubai International inspired by the organic ture, but will start to campaign to fund produc- Outdoor media, Screen and Convention & Exhibition, works of Spain’s most well- degrade at temperatures tion in March. The base Digital printing industries. It UAE known architect Antoni higher than 65° C (149° F) model is expected to retail brings gathering of both Contact: +971 4 603 3315, Gaudi, but the final prod- and more than 20 percent for €249 (about US$260) exhibitors and visitors from www.gulfprintpack.com uct, which was inaugurated humidity. (Source: 3DRap). 30 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com SGI 2017 SGI 2017 REVIEWS

20th edition of SGI hosts 400 exhibitors from 36 countries

HP

3M 3M participated at the SGI along with its distributor Signtrade. Talking about their range of products on display, Khalil Fakhouri, market development manager, graphics architectural markets - CEEMEA said: “We are launching sustainable, green solution products that is non- PVC products - printable films, car wrapping films and illuminated signage. This year we are announcing a new category that is micro comply - premier and intermediate category for digital printing. Our 8548 overlaminate car wrap is the new launch in the region. The other product goes by the name 48C-1, intermediary digital printing product that is non-PVC used for fleet application, office branding. Another new product is the 40C-114 budget range, transparent product and the 780 micro comply for traffic safety. These solutions are useful for end users like automative, interior decoration, banking or hospitality industries. We have also launched glass finish and fire retardant products. Our range of products are good for indoor and outdoors and come with guarantees. For us the key market now is the hospitality industry, with 64,000 rooms coming up, its a huge opportunity. We have various solutions for this segment like for example we have films to refurbish doors, without the hassle of remov- ing the door. Merely apply the film and you have a new door. Since we use latex inks and our adhesives are also very environmentally friendly and hazard free. The signage industry which traditionally used flex is now moving towards LED and sustainable.”

32 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com REVIEWS SGI 2017

Canon

Epson

Epson relaunched its signage and fabric printers with latest edition printheads - Precision Core TFP, with enhanced features. The manufacturer also launched fine art and graphic large format printers SureColor P10000 and P20000 at the show. The machines are availa- ble in the region and are already being shipped out. Explained Shihab Zubair, regional sales manager, professional solutions: “Epson has had a good year in 2016, doing very well in textile printing machines and signage industry. We are launching the textile machine in Egypt very soon. We are offering special prices at the show and would like to send out a message to our customers that you can do every thing with a couple of machines. As an innovation company we have many new products in the pipeline, and shall announce at the right time. Though Espon does not have a very wide sig- nage range, we are targeting value-added signage. Talking about the regional signage indus- try, we feel there is room for growth and our Micro Piezo technology is used extensively. We are the biggest projector manufactuers in the world. At Gitex we launched our high-end laser projector. I agree that digital signage is very important and one need to have static as well as interactive solutions for marketing and advertising. On the subject of the show, I feel such a show should be organized in Saudi Arabia as well.” Heliozid Oce Emirates

www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 33 SGI 2017 REVIEWS

Jacky’s

Graphic International Centre LLC (GIC)

Signmax

Signmax Advertising Materials Trading LLC participated in SGI for the second consecutive time by showcasing variety of items in printing media like CAST PVC Film, Stone Guard, Carbon film, transparent, floor graphic, plotter series, and digital printing series. Talking about their participation, Usman VK, managing director from Signmax, com- mented, “We took double the size of the booth from last year by believing that we will get more revenue through the event. The visitors were very positive and even they were better than last year where we even received several serious enquiries. On first day, we saw cus- tomers from outside and on the second day we saw the customers from the local market so it’s a mixture of them. Since, last year was our first participation we had our booth which was located away from our competitors and this year we are located in between them and it seems we are in a learning curve. During the show we have showcased our own products and our partners products. Some of the products are Unifol, Unicast, neonpro, LED strips, Halco adhesive tapes, and Nesto machines. The Nesto Aluminium Composite Panels Cutting and Grooving Machines can be used for aluminium panels which are widely used in facade works and advertising industry. Overall, the organizers did a tremendous job and we strongly believe that we will get more enquiries through the event to make our year suc- cessful.”

34 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com REVIEWS SGI 2017

Signtrade

Largest exhibitors at the SGI, Signtrade operated a busy booth. Occupying an entire hall, owner and managing director of Signtrade, Yasin Merchant said: “We are showing new products like UV printers, CNC machines at the show and have entered into new partner- ships with various manufacturers. Dubai has a lot of potential and its leaders are very dynamic. By next year, we will have more products to exhibit like fully automated CNC machines, we plan to go strong with textile printers and plan to bring 3D printers as well. We already have machines for indoor decoration, stone carving among others. Signage market is diversifying towards LED. We do have plans to bring in 3D printers and will announce details at the right time. Though if I may add, 3D printing is more suitable in the architecture, medical and education sectors. All our overseas branches are doing well, but our business in African countries is still developing. As a sign that we are optimistic, we are increasing staff and have employed engineers. It seems as if there are increased partici- pants from China and Far East, but those customers who require quality still prefer European technology.” Signing off Merchant added that next year Signtrade will participate with an even bigger booth. Agfa Graphics

Agfa participated in the exhibition with its range of wide format printers, upgrades to existing machinery, and new technology. Said Moataz Salah Eldin, general manager-Agfa MEA inkjet: “We have a wide range of products - our Anapurna range, the Jeti range, and we will be bringing in textile machines this year. Our main expertise is ink. Since this is a mature market, the growth opportunities lie in industrial applications. We have started making inroads into the home furnishing and interior decoration. “ Earlier this year, Agfa launched the 3.2 meter, roll-to-roll, UV LED curing printer -Jeti Ceres that can print on diverse single and dual roll media at speeds of up to 186 m²/hr. The printer can also print on heat-sensitive media such as self-adhesive sheets and PVC without warping or wrin- kling them, announced the manufacturer. The Jeti Ceres with Asanti (Agfa Graphics’ wide-for- mat printing workflow software) are also compatible with Agfa Graphics’ cloud-based PrintSphere. Added Frederik Dehing, vice-president, EMEA, Australia, Japan and Korea: “Afga stands on 2 legs - offset and prepress which is the traditional business. We are strategising to consolidate our position in the MEA region. We have always applied a total solutions strategy - we provide the CtP, plates, ink, workflow, service.” Sign China

Sign China, who has attracted buyers from over 130 countries and regions for eight years, participated in SGI event. By participating in the show, they elaborated the visitors that their event will be a good platform to reach out to both domestic and international markets. Speaking about their participation, Anna Pan, marketing manager from UBM, said, “Participating in the SGI event is a positive step for us and even few of our exhibitors are already exhibiting here. During the show we have received several enquiries for exhibiting in China as well as few of them have asked for the procedures for visiting the event and for them we said that we will be giving an invitation letter which would allow them to get the visa easily. We have come here not only to pro- mote the show but also to let the exhibitors know that the initiatives we are taking to promote the event as International show. There are some bad perceptions going in the mind of some countries like that if they are showcasing their products then the Chinese manufacturers will replicate it at a cheaper price and they can easily sort this by having patent rights or a partner in China. Our show is entirely different and we focus on one stop-sourcing platform for the exhibitors through our two shows Sign China and LED China. The exhibitors showcase the products starting from raw materials to finish products as well as LED material or components to final product. Overall, SGI event is a good one for us and we learnt many things like on how to have a cordial relationship with the exhibitors and the media persons.”

www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 35 SGI 2017 REVIEWS

Al Shabak General Trading

Al Shabak General Trading participated in SGI event by showcasing their products like MacTac Flexchrome, wallCHALKER, optically clear vinyl and many more. Speaking about their participation, Govind Unni, sales manager from Al Shabak, commented, “In the event we have showcased the products from multi-fix, JM Technical Textiles for Fabric printing, Folex, Endutex for wide format fabrics, and MacTac. MacTac Flexchrome is one of the products we are promoting in the event which is a tuning film and low tack bubble free repositionable adhesive. The next one is the MACtac wallCHALKER which is a unique intermediate film designed specifically for chalkboard applications. We have textured laminating and we long term floor graphics lamination and through this we recently done a project in Oman Airport. Now everyone in the industry is talking about fabric and even the Chinese are producing them at good rate so sooner or later PVC will be replaced by fabrics. Earlier, there was some talk about the green initiatives and it didn’t do well as no one is ready to provide the green inks and media at a cheaper price. Since, the fabrics are currently doing well so the green concept may shift towards fabric. The industry currently facing some problem with the collection so we are taking some kind measure to secure our payment. Al Shabak strongly supports customers and that is why we use to train our customers regularly on the applications and even offer onsite training. Apart from this, we have a colour profiling specialists to help the customer to have correct output. Earlier we were scared to participate in the event due to the market slowness but now we are happy. Finally, we are glad to let the customers know that we are expanding in Iran.” TheMagicTouch

TheMagicTouch participated in SGI and educated their customers about the applications avail- able in their existing machine. Along with this, they have launched the Ball Press machine. Talking about their participation, Rifki Hussain, director – operations from Magic Touch Advertising LLC, commented, “Earlier the event was very small and people hesitate to partici- pate but now it has become mandatory. The event is being organized in such a way to cover the whole region. All our partners were they’re in the event and we all utilized the show to see our customers. In the event I saw visitors from Nigeria, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman. However, only the local market people hesitate to invest but the other people open for invest- ment. Our growth in the last year was good where some sector like promotional printing went well and machine selling had some decline. During the show we have showcased the large for- mat INSTA 828 which comes with a life time warranty. Along with this, Doming Automatic Machine was showcased. We believe that adding more products related to the same product line will help the customer and that is one of the reasons we unveiled the Ball Press Machine. Since, we have a complete range of printers, papers, flex ranges and many more so the show went well for us. Earlier we do demonstration on the show but nowadays we wanted to let the customers come to our office so that we shall spend more time with them.” Magic Trading Co. LLC

36 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com REVIEWS SGI 2017

Worldwide Digital

Worldwide Digital participated in the SGI by showcasing the products like Neotitan RTR3204D-W2 superwide 3.2m UV roll-to-roll with 4 colours (plus white), Neotitan Mini 1604D, Avalon Maxima 3.2m Eco Solvent Printer, Swift 1820s 1.8m Eco Solvent Printer and few more. Talking about their participation, Bishnu Mahato, senior sales manager (ME&A) from WorldWide Digital, said, “We have been continuously participating in the SGI for the last four years and we are witnessing evident growth from all the editions. Earlier we use to work on the solvent and eco solvents only but now we started to look futuristic by focusing more on textile and UV segments. UV is a vast market and that is the one which is going to have good future. Our Superwide 3.2m UV roll-to-roll with 4 colour plus white from Neotitan has been the most economical product in the market. It allows you to achieve maximum speed with photorealistic printing quality. In the current market, we strongly believe that customer ser- vice is the most important factor and we need to offer them whenever it is necessary. In addi- tion, to avoid the credit backlogs we started to work on a strategic plan which would allow us to overcome any issues. Overall, the event went well for us and expecting to participate in the next edition too.” Al Mahir Printing Equipment Trading

Al Mahir Printing Equipment Trading participated in SGI event by showcasing the products like Lei Quan Laser cutting and marking machine from China, Apex UV digital printing machine from China, portable laser marking machine from China, T-shirt automatic folding machine from India, Grafica Nano print plus auto take off, Nano UV dryer 24”, heat transfer machine, Drawer type heat press machine hydraulic style ST-4050A, pen transfer printing machine, pad printing machine and few more. Dilawar Dalwai from Al Mahir, commented about their participation, “The first day of the show was very good and the other days was better. The response was very good, we found that we have received more African visitors compared to the last few editions, apart from this we saw visitors from GCC, Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, and Pakistan. We have received good leads from the event and even sold few machines. The 2016 was steady one for us and there were some growth in printing services, printing, corporates but there were some decline in machine trading and we are positive for this year. This year we have introduced two new products like Vinyl PU and tshirt folding machine. We believe that these products will do well for this region. We always help the customers in all way that is why whenever we are selling machine we use to give on job training for them. Screen printing may not be doing great like digital but with the new available technol- ogies and machines, the customers started to consider the screen print. System Middle East

System Middle East participated in SGI by showcasing the products from Mutoh: Large format Digital Printers, cutting plotters & specialty printers, Polyprint - Direct to Garment Printer, Sawgrass - Photo realistic Sublimation solution on Rigid substrates, Caldera - all machines will run on Caldera RIP platform demonstrating variety of features of the RIP on various applications, Lamidesk, Sawgrass, and Ampla. Talking about their participation, Khalid Gamal, general manager from System Middle East, said, “It’s as usual important for us to participate in the event and it has become important show for the whole region. We have not seen much new customers during the event but we used the show to create awareness about our new products and offerings. Even though the market is little slow the crowd was gathered well and even we saw potential customers in the event. The people are ready to invest and break the slowness in the market which is a good sign for everyone. The customers are looking for solutions which could allow them to gain good margins. The signage industry is well-established one in this region and 2020 expo will have less impact in the machineries but it will have more impact in the consumables from 2018. In 2016 we are able to sell the machines what we sold during the last few years but the price of the machines has been decreased to compete with the market price. We are the master distributors of Mutoh and they are growing on year on year where they around 30% market share on eco solvent business. In general, we are selling a good service through our range of products where customer satisfaction and word of mouth are our primary reason for our sales.” www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 37 SGI 2017 REVIEWS

Mutoh

Mutoh showcased the entry level VJ1604X printer for the Eco Solvent market, Direct Textile Printer VJ1938 TX and the Direct-to-Garment Inkjet Printer VJ405 GT along with other Mutoh products at Graphic International Centre LLC (GIC) booth at SGI. Apart from this, Mutoh products were show- cased at the System Middle East booth during the event. Speaking about the participation at the SGI, Paresh Patel, MD of GIC commented, “This year we have launched the VJ 405 Direct-to-Garment Inkjet Printer which offers both CMYK + White print- ing possibilities for digital production of dark and light coloured garments. It can be equipped with different sizes of easily interchangeable print platens for the different T-shirt sizes.” He added that, “The pricing structure for the Mutoh 405 GT printer is attractively priced for short run T-shirt pro- duction for customer looking for quick turn arounds. GIC has a professionally qualified team of engi- neers, who are trained at Mutoh to handle the after-sale service efficiently.” Nick Decock, commercial marketing manager at Mutoh Belgium nv said that, “Since, the market is not as robust as it used to be, we are tracking trends each quarter to develop strategies and plan better. We are glad to have a relationship with GIC as they have experience in the entire Large Format Print market segment. We are happy with the SGI as it is an international event and its outcome will help us plan our marketing activities in the region. Mutoh has a wide range of printers like textile, solvent, traditional, small format, direct T-shirt and many more which positions us well above our competitors in the Middle East market.” Avery Dennison Avery Dennison showcased SWF colorflow, 5600LD, MPI8000 wall films and more at Strings booth. Talking about the products, E. Kaan Erdogan, sales manager, MENA, said, “This year we have show- cased SWF colorflow series. This is a special series with satin film finish enhancing the colourswap effect. Next is the 5600 LD translucent film that is compatible with LED lights. The product was launched 6 months ago and is having a good response so far. In addition to the 14 standard colours, a fast colour matching service is available with a minimum order quantity of just one roll - allowing end users to customize or match brand colours with the greatest of ease. Another product we are focusing is MPI 8000 wall series that was launched in Europe last year. The product gives design flexibility for even the most ambitious indoors wall vinyl printing applications – with new, three-dimensional tex- tures, rapid application and reliable print performance. Since, this country is a place where people give preference to indoor life, we believe that this product will have a good response as well. Finally, Digital cast MPI 1104 – our superior 3D product is another one that we are focusing in the event. The product allows you to apply it easily to the most demanding substrates and it is printable across all platforms. Last year we have been able to meet our target in UAE and this year we hope to realize the same. In the second quarter we are planning to launch monomeric digital easy apply with bubble free in economic series and in the third quarter we will be introducing digital clear cast. At this time, I would like to emphasize that since our products are in the high end of the sign industry we want to focus more and more on high value products rather than entering a price war. Since, Middle East is quick in adaptability we believe that we will have more growth here.” OKI OKI Europe Limited participated in SGI by showcasing their wide range of industrial printers to let the end users aware about their solutions. Talking about OKI, Terry Kawashima, managing director of OKI, commented, “OKI has been providing office solutions which was our original solution and three years before we have decided to expand ourselves in the graphic arts segment to offer new solutions and this made us to land on Seiko. While we started to speak with Seiko we clearly understood that we both are in the same position and there is no much difference in wide format division. Now our strategy is more enhanced so we call it industry print. The LED technology features very precise and high definition printing together with the straight paper path that in return offers to manage more variety of media. We have established industry print division headquartered in Japan which not only helping us to sell the machines but also helping us to reestablish our portfolio. As a first thing we introduced E64 new wide format product that is the best one for the price. We strongly believe that this product will allow us to expand our standing in the industrial printing market. In addition, we are excited with the Middle East opportunities and with the leadership of Mathias we believe that we will grow a lot. We are now working on the next generation platforms for the industrial printer which would allow us to offer the best solutions to the end users. As always, we wanted to work with our partners and customers to solve their problems and we did the same even in this event too. Finally, we had a very good growth in the last year and expecting more on this year.”

38 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com REVIEWS SGI 2017

COLORJET

ColorJet, India based manufacturer of wide format digital inkjet printers participated at SGI and showcased their new solution through JWEI flatbed cutters. Talking about their participation, “Pavan Gupta, director Colorjet, said, “In this edition we are not exhibiting any new product as such but there are some increase in the print speed and the perfor- mance of the machine. We have recently got a strategic tie-up with the company called JWEI flatbed cutter manufacturer and through them we are demonstrating more of a total solution where you can print on our machine and cut on JWEI machines. The reason for opting this brand is because this machine allows the users to cut any media like acrylic, MDF, aluminum, stickers and many more. Apart from this, the machine allows you to do V-Cut, kiss-cut and many more so that you shall make any items easily. Since, we are an OEM partner for this product so the users can directly purchase from them or through us. As a company, we strongly believe that rather than introducing new prod- ucts we should provide solutions to the users where they could make more profit with the existing product. Even though we have started to move away in the last few years but expanded ourselves to more than 20 countries and we did a very good job last year in the global market. We have distributors in countries like Australia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and also we are strongly expanding in Europe. Again, we strongly believe that we should grow along with the partners and that’s why we select our partners after a long study of them. Finally, I would like to tell that we are very economical affordable solution provider for the rigid media printing and the fabric printing.” Fortune7 Fortune7 participated for the third time in the SGI event. In 2015, they participated along with Sam Inks and from 2016 they started to participate on their own. Talking about their participation, Sree Kumar Rangan, managing director from Fortune7, com- mented, “In the last edition we participated and showcased our 3D UV printers and eco solvent printers which comes with a low price with two years warrants. Since, the product has received very good response from the last edition so we took bigger booth to showcase our new ranges. We basically import parts from the countries and assemble it in our Ajman factory so I could proudly say that we are one of the manufacturers to provide 2 years warranty. Apart from selling the machines here I also have distributors in Saudi Arabia and Doha. In this year event, we have intro- duced F2000 UV hybrid printer with Ricoh Gen 5 print head. The product has received over- whelming response in the event where I have received around three orders within two days. Apart from this, we have introduced print and cut solution starting from 20,000AED. Some may say that threat in using the assembled products is the spare parts and consumable availability but in ours we have a complete setup and technicians available for everything. In addition, we are having complete range of spare parts for CNC, laser and inkjet printers. In the event, we have got the distributorship of Wit-Color Eco-solvent Ink from China for the UAE so with this we believe that we will grow at least 50% compared to the last year revenue of 30% growth. The organizer has done a very good job and we believe to participate on the next edition too.” Mimaki Mimaki participated in SGI event and showcased MK II series UJF 6042 and UJF 3042 for the first at Signtrade booth. Apart from this Mimaki has showcased products like WJF-7151 PLUS, CG-130 FXII – Cutting Plotter, CG-160 FXII – Cutting Plotter, CG-130 SRIII – Cutting Plotter, CG-60SRIII – Cutting Plotter, CF2-1215, ME-500 Engraving Plotter, SWJ 320 S4 Inkjet Printer, SIJ 320 UV, CJV150- 160, JV150-160, JV300-160, TS300P_1800, CFL-605RT, UJF 3042FX, UJF 6042, UJF 3042 HG, JFX 200-2513 and many more. Talking about their participation, Mike Horsten, general manager, marketing EMEA, commented, “In the last year event we have showcased our 7151 small format industrial printer which has received very good response. Likewise, this year we are launching two new models UJF-3042 MkII and UJF- 6042 MkII flatbed LED UV printers bring increased productivity and ease of use to on-demand, direct to object printing. In 2012 we have launched 12 new products and product release depending upon the market requirement and this year we may release few more new products too. On average we are growing between 12 through 15% and we are happy with that. We do see an upward trend in Dubai with more investment and also 2020 is coming so everything is expected to rise. Recently, we have introduced Tiger model machines and it is doing well. Mimaki is successful in small and large format flatbed, solvent business, print cut machines, and the next step for us is to be extremely successful in textile where everyone knows that we are the one who introduced textile printing in 1999. The SGI event has become a International show and four years back the event looked like interesting trade show and it is a awesome show this year so they are growing.” www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 39 14 – 16 March, 2017 Dubai, United Arab Emirates www.paperworldME.com

ACHIEVE A-GRADE BUSINESS SUCCESS

The best way for you to achieve business excellence is by being part of Paperworld Middle East, the region’s premier platform to connect and collaborate with industry peers while discovering the latest innovations in paper products, office supplies, stationery, toys, gift articles and so much more.

Pre-register your visit now, at www.paperworldME.com/Print ERNEST AZZAM HP HP aims to open up new market segments for their customers

In this exclusive interview, Ernest Azzam, HP’s Regional Business Manager Large Format Printing MEMA, shares his thoughts on the HP’s current stand in the market and their plans to handle them

There are a handful of sellers like Canon, Océ, Ricoh, Seiko, so how would you like to differentiate HP from others? HP focuses on delivering the best technology and service to our customers while providing the best support to our part- ners. HP has the largest portfolio in the industry for outdoor and indoor printing. The technologies and solutions launched by HP have always revolutionized the market starting with the Designjet portfolio launched 25 years ago for technical applications and Indoor graphics, to the Latex printing solu- tions providing high quality prints for outdoor/indoor graph- ics. And the recently released PageWide XL production printers replacing old LED based technologies in the market. Our aim is to provide opportunities and open new segments for our customers to grow their business.

What is special in the page wide technology and can you elaborate about its growth in the ME region? The PageWide XL portfolio provides the fastest large-for- mat monochrome and color printing with substantial savings in total production costs. HP PageWide Technology consists of more than 200,000 nozzles on a stationary print bar and quality and high fade resistance indoor. While other long last- spans the width of the page (40 inch), enabling breakthrough ing printing solutions use solvent or low-solvent agents that printing speeds of up to 30 A1/min. The PageWide XL goes are not suitable for indoor use. Decoration is a new growth beyond printing mono line drawings expanding to colour market now available to customers because of HP Latex solu- lines and is suited for Geographic Information System maps tions. Wallpaper, Canvas prints, furniture and more can now and Point-of-Sale posters. It also prints on a wide range of be customized, printed and used safely indoor. Worldwide, media from bond and coated paper to polypropylene and HIGHLIGHTS this segment is 83% analogue/commercial printing and only glossy media. HP PageWide XL was awarded Red Dot Best of O HP’s main goal for 2017 17% digital. In our region, the ratio is even lower for digital. the Best Design Award for outstanding and ground-breaking are customer success and The opportunity for growth is huge and profitable. design quality. ofcourse growth The technology has been a great success in the Middle East. What are HP goals for 2017? Where did those goals come The PageWide XL 5000 and 8000 series, available in the O HP’s aim is to open up from - did you devise them yourself, or in collaboration Middle East as of the end of 2015, achieved a market share of new market segments for with your team, or did they come from higher up in the 63% in 2016 in its category (jumping from 0% in 2015) based our customers helping organization or emerge another way? on IDC. It has been adopted both in the corporate and the them to grow The main goals for 2017 are customer success and of course PSP/Copy Centre segments. growth. Our goals include making sure we provide the tools and programs for our partners to grow profitably while pro- In your experience, what would you say about the future of viding the best service and business model to our customers. the printing industry? We need to make sure our customers are competitive and The printing industry in general is evolving from analogue have new opportunities to grow their business. These goals to digital in all of its segments, commercial printing, outdoor/ are not only set by HP, but they are set by listening to the cus- indoor printing and packaging. New technologies are opening tomers and the market and understanding their needs. new business opportunities for customers, diversifying their offering. Customers need to adopt new technologies that What major events or trends in the organization or in the allow them to address new market segments in order to have recent past shape your 2017 plans? And what major events profitable growth. or themes do you envision coming to the fore over the next 12 months? What simple things can HP do right away to address the Our plans are set based on trends, new solutions and tech- current market? nologies launched as well as market evolution. The Middle Our aim is to open up new market segments for our cus- East is a very dynamic region and the segments we provide tomers helping them to grow. An example is HP Latex Ink that solutions to are very diverse. So the plans always adapt to each is water based. It allows customer to use prints with high segment and the developments in the market. www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 41 BETTER BUSINESS How to raise your profile or make an impression

Now that colour digital printing is ‘good enough’ for the sort of things most people want to do with it, attention is switching to the twiddly bits that catch the eye and add value to the print job, Simon Eccles

mbellishment is the fashionable Fifth colour units are growing more term. This means what used to common on dry toner presses too (includ- be called special effects, such as ing Kodak NexPresses, Ricoh ProC7100X, spot gloss (or matt), texturing, Xerox iGen5 and Xeikon 3000 models). embossing, metallic and other There’s a growing number of ‘neon’ exotic finishes. (UV-fluorescing) inks available for large- EThere has always been the option to format sign and textile inkjets, but so far add these with traditional analogue pro- the only dry toner equivalent seems to be cesses, but we’re now seeing more and the specialist CMYK neon-only A4/ban- more embellishment methods that share ner OKI Pro6410 NeonColor desktop digital print’s advantages of no mak- model, at just £1,300. eready and no plates or dies. This allows for economical short runs and even vari- White able data applications. Some are being Opaque white ink has been increasingly built into digital presses, others require common on large-format and narrow- dedicated stand-alone systems, but both web UV inkjets for almost 10 years, are becoming more common and often though it’s still quite new to digital pro- more affordable. duction presses. It is very useful for use with pre-coloured or clear media as the Extra colours white can form a reflective undercoat For on-press effects, it’s usually necessary that allows coloured inks to show with an undercoat (Kodak and Xerox next-generation machines will to have at least one extra print unit on normal brightness. have interchangeable sequences). your digital press, beyond CMYK. HP Indigos have had a white ink option Xeikon can print white on its web-fed simplex 3000 presses HP Indigo liquid toner presses have since 2012, available on all current for label work. OKI also offers white on its low-cost A4/banner had up to seven colours since the late presses. Unlike most dry toner presses, the Pro7411WT (about £2,000) and the older A3/banner 1990s, but other manufacturers were liquid ElectroInk works on metallised sub- Pro9420WT (about £3,500). slower to follow and so far nothing else strates such as Mirri board. Here a varia- offers more than five units. Often the ble spot-foil effect can be made by printing Embossing extra ‘colours’ are white, clear and metal- an overall white and leaving ‘holes’ for the Embossing, the production of an impressed mark in paper, has lic, but special gamut-extending and foil to show through. been popular for centuries, originally using metal dies. Raised security inks are also sometimes availa- Digital white is available on a handful of print to simulate embossing first appeared in digital presses ble. HP remains the only digital press toner presses, such as the five-unit Kodak with the Kodak NexPress SE series in 2009. Its Dimensional manufacturer to allow users to mix their NexPresses and the Ricoh Pro C7100X system uses a special clear dry toner that swells under the heat own special coloured inks. These can be (sold by Heidelberg as the Versafire CV). of a modified fuser unit to form a raised image up to 40 microns loaded to print in any order, in a way that Unlike Indigos, white must be last in the high. The height of the effect can be varied within the image emulates non-digital presses. sequence, so a double pass is required for (using greyscales to control it), to create textured surfaces.

42 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com BETTER BUSINESS

printed sheets. It’s since expanded the range an auto-feed machine. More recently the to six models in sizes from B3-plus to B1, and Japanese company Uchida has been selling speeds up to 4,000sph. U-Coater foilers that work slightly differently France’s MGI Group introduced its B2 UV and include a burnisher. Prices range from spot varnisher, JetVarnish, at Ipex 2010. Two £3,500 to about £11,000. years later at Drupa 2012 it introduced Now the toner-foiling process is increas- JetVarnish 3D, with similar raised imaging ingly being adopted for larger formats and effects to Scodix (though not with the same higher capacities by laminating machinery maximum thickness). makers. The Korean manufacturer GMP The Czech manufacturer Komfi appeared added foiling to its laminating machines as a at Ipex 2014 with a B2 variable-data spot var- process it calls ‘Sleeking’. This is available nisher called Spotmatic 54, available with GMP Exceltopic-380 and Q-Topic lami- (together with an older B1 model) via UK nators, priced from around £6,000 and agent Friedheim. This can produce modestly £9,250. Intec sells own-label versions of these raised effects by multiple passes. It costs as the ColorFlare range. Vivid has also been about £160,000, compared to about selling add-on foil units for its Matrix thermal £250,000 for a B2 MGI JetVarnish 3D (or laminators (aimed at small offset and digital nearer £700,000 for the B1 Evolution) and press users) for a couple of years. Both GMP anything from £250,000 to £1.2m for the and Vivid say they can also work with black various Scodix models. toner printed onto a protective overlaminate. Large-format UV inkjets offer a lower cost, MGI offers an optional toner-based foiler though much slower route to raised effects. inline with its latest Meteor digital dry toner Roland DG was the first to announce this as a presses. It calls this Unlimited Colours, point- standard feature with its LEC range of roll-fed ing out that foil can be spot colours and dif- LED-UV inkjets in 2008, but similar effects fraction effects as well as pure metallics. can now be achieved with other UV inkjets Cold foil can also be applied to part-cured from manufacturers such as Mimaki and (so sticky) UV varnish or special adhesive Mutoh. primers. The Scodix and MGI raised-image UV inkjet varnishers have been adapted with Metallics and foils inline foilers, giving a raised foil blocking Metallic finishes are among the most eye- effect that’s very convincing. catching effects you can incorporate in print. Laminator maker Autobond makes flat Achieving them digitally is steadily becoming inkjet UV varnishing units called SUV for easier and more accessible. sizes from B3 to B1, that can run inline or as a Metallic ink or toner is one way to do it. standalone system. It has likewise adapted Large-format inkjet makers Mimaki, Mutoh these to run cold foil applicators for about and Roland DG all have metallic eco-sol- £15,000 extra. Alternatively a hot foil-toner vent inks in their range. It’s much the same option can be added to a standard £43,000 story for dry toners. Kodak has been selling Micro B3 laminator for about £7,500. a gold toner for NexPress fifth units since Leonhard Kurz, the German foil maker, 2013 and Xerox introduced gold and silver offers a toner-foiler called DM Liner, costing for its Colour 800i/1000i presses a couple of about £115,000 for B3 and £144,000 for B2. years ago. At Drupa 2016 it introduced a dedicated spot While these inks and toners really are UV inkjet foiler called DM-Liner UV Ink: it’s metallic, they are fairly dull by comparison B2 format, runs 3,600sph and costs about with metallised papers or foil blocking. They £330,000. can be eye-catching though and seem to work Cold foil can also be applied to prints from best if used sparingly as highlights. some of the Mimaki UJF series small (A3 to Foils remain the gold standard in metallics, B2-plus) UV flatbeds and the much larger so to speak, and digital application tech- 2.5m JFX200 flatbed. The Digi-Foil system So far no other dry toner press maker has produced niques have advanced rapidly in the past few has been developed by i-Sub Digital and com- an equivalent to Dimensional. However, since 2012 years. The major advantage is they don’t need prises either a modified Vivid Matrix lamina- HP Indigo liquid toner presses have been able to build metal dies, so very short runs and personalisa- tor with cold foil applicator, or (for JFX200) a up raised and textured images by re-passing the sheet tion are possible. hand-held applicator for spot effects. through the press up to 20 times to build up multiple The original method has been around for a Inevitably, there’s Landa too. At last year’s clear ink layers – it works but can be pricey as each couple of decades: dry toner (or HP Indigo) Drupa it showed a brand new process called pass counts as a chargeable click. A curious variation print can be heated up to the point where it Nano-Metallography. This applies minute on this is a facility to pre-print raised images onto a activates the adhesive on hot foil, which is metallic particles to a spot varnish, giving a liner paper on the impression cylinder. When the pressed onto it with the waste peeled off. mirror finish. It says the first machines will be print sheet is sent through on top it creates a true Black works best. You can print the toner on add-on heads for third-party digital label embossed impression. top of other pre-printed materials such as off- presses and will ship this year. Other embossing simulations use dedicated inkjets set and inkjet. Embellishment lets you move beyond utili- and UV-cured inks to build up raised images of very Caslon has sold US-built FoilTech tarian CMYK for digital print and adds capa- respectable heights. Scodix pioneered this, first machines based on this process for years: bilities that were never possible in the past. appearing at Ipex 2010 with a B2 inkjet with an opti- these start at about £2,000 for a 340mm-wide As ever the main challenge will be to explain cally clear polymer ink which can register onto pre- manual- feed model but go up to £4,360 for the potential to customers. www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 43 TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Manufacturing a cure for toxic errors is getting simpler

ikewise, the Swiss Ordinance: the the FDAs’ recent banning of three perfluori- definitive set of regulations determin- nated compounds (PFCs) used in grease- Swiss-made is ing materials deemed safe for use in proof coatings for fast food paper packaging synonymous with a food packaging. Among any number of 10 years after the potential risks had first been global and local equivalents are guide- “There are a lot identified. The more cynical observer might meticulous atten- L lines issued by the US Food and Drug of chemicals detect partiality in favour of a large US tax- tion to detail, reli- Administration (FDA); the British Retail paying corporation. There may, however, be a Consortium (BRC) in the UK; and with espe- that can be more straightforward explanation. able performance cial reference to print, the European Printing found in ink, Inks have been relatively slow in showing and unimpeacha- Ink Association (EuPIA). Common to all are and if you’re up on the regulatory radar, says Pulse Print ble standards. exclusion lists prohibiting the use of chemi- Products technical director David Morris. cals with known or suspected toxicity. going to start “There’s no very clear regulation about print- Think watches, While we are ultimately what we eat, that testing how safe ing inks for food. It wasn’t really thought chocolate, bank- outer packaging of much of our food-stuff is about as being an issue until it was realised the delivery mechanism on which we depend they all are it’s that the printed material on the outside of ing, the Red Cross to validate its sourcing and viability. Nothing going to take a food packaging isn’t necessarily isolated and Roger Federer. compromises brand integrity more rapidly – long time and from the contents, and that there can be Words by and sometimes irreparably – than an inability some transfer of constituents throughout to live up to its promise. cost a lot of the packaging. Des King Consumer protection may be the primary money.” “There are a lot of chemicals that can be intention of all of these initiatives, but argua- David Morris, found in ink, and if you’re going to start test- bly undermining it are commercial realities ing how safe they all are it’s going to take a that can be far more compelling spurs to com- Pulse Print Products technical long time and cost a lot of money. pliance; not least fears of legislation resulting director “Because that work hasn’t really been done, from an unfortunate food safety mishap. the limits that have been set by the Swiss As a result, enactment can be a cumber- Ordinance are very low indeed. It could well some and not wholly satisfactory process, viz be that were those chemicals to be properly

44 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com TECHNOLOGY REPORT

assessed they’d be a lot less potentially of their suppliers. It’s indicative of a commitment towards developing Ebeam Technologies has partnered harmful than might currently be sup- more equitable working relationships with greater probability of deliv- with ink manufacturers such as Collins posed.” ering safer outcomes. Inkjet to develop and test EB-curable inks “While the inks we use do not contain any materials listed on the that are ready for immediate use. Whereas Bearing responsibility EuPIA exclusion list they are generally designed for ambient or chilled the process was initially offline, Ebeam In the meantime, though, better to be safe storage and use. has developed an electron beam with a life than sorry. The general consensus within “However, special care is required when the end-product requires expectancy of at least 8,000 hours that’s the UK is that inks for food packaging either direct food contact inks or the packaging is used in an elevated sited at the end of the line and can easily should only contain raw materials that are temperature environment such as microwave, retort, boil or cook in keep pace with presses running at 300m/ listed on the Swiss Ordinance positive list. the pack,” says Parkside Flexibles new product development manager min, according to Callini. The underlying objective is to reduce or Mark Shaw. Meanwhile, the company has linked up eliminate the risk of migration from the “An understanding of the final product application is crucial to with Edale and AB Graphic to incorporate outer surface of the pack and coming into selecting the safest ink system.” EB into the Digicon 3000 mid-web finish- direct contact with its contents. ing solution for digitally printed flexible Compliance, however, can be just as Taking the cure packaging and labels on systems such as dependent upon competence as chemistry; Irrespective of whether they are thermal-based (solvent or water) or the HP Indigo 20000. indeed, while an accredited ink formulation energy-curable (UV) based – the regulation-approved ink chemistries may be low-migration-capable, there can – the performance of low-migration inks is governed by the drying or Jetting into a water-based future never be any guarantee of its efficacy if used curing process they undergo. “Whilst there are a lot of good reasons to Although inkjet accounts for less than 1% incorrectly. “It’s not good enough for a con- use energy-curable inks, there’s also space for other formulations,” of the food packaging market the consen- verter to just say ‘I’ve bought a low-migra- explains Saunders. “Water-based tends to be cheaper with fewer envi- sus view is that, in its ability to provide tion ink, therefore job done’,” says Sun ronmental concerns to address; solvent-based inks give excellent print short-run, personalised capability at Chemicals’ global business director for digi- quality when used for flexible packaging.” speed, it’s time is nigh. tal, Peter Saunders. “In the event of there While UV inks provide a high-quality printed effect, concerns over That latter attribute in conjunction being an issue, they’re the one responsible their use centre on their inclusion of potentially harmful monomers and with the low-viscosity droplet size of inkjet for the brand integrity of their customers.” photo-initiators. These, however, are mitigated by continuing advances inks has hitherto posed particular chal- While the financial buck might end up on in the curing process; for example, Flint’s newly introduced EkoCure lenges in terms of controlling migration – the converter’s factory floor, the longer-term Ancora UV LED-curable low-migration ink for narrow-web flexo food albeit efficiently addressed by UV curable damage to the brand owner can be more packaging applications that contrasts positively with the downtime formulations developed notably by Agfa wide-reaching. Selling over a billion prod- associated with mercury lamp inefficiencies, and can run at 150m/min. Graphics. ucts worldwide each day, Nestlé is acutely Targeting the same market sector as LED is the newer electron beam But while UV curable is the de facto aware of the importance within its business curing (EB). It can be a real alternative to UV, says Ebeam Technologies standard for digital inkjet devices such as model of consumer trust, and under no illu- business development manager Elsa Callini. “Electrons are particles, so Screen’s increasingly adopted 50m/min sions about the negative fall-out if it’s the physics behind the curing process it facilitates is intrinsically differ- Truepress L350, other solutions are lin- breached. ent. There is enough energy to achieve polymerisation without recourse ing up. On track for commercialisation Having suffered the full force of con- to triggers such as photo-initiators, which it seems will eventually be sometime in 2017, the high-speed Landa sumer opprobrium in 2005 when the photo- banned. It’s my opinion that brands won’t wait for the legislation to take W10 flexible packaging offset press out- initiator isopropyl thioxanthone (ITX) effect now that there’s a more secure option.” putting at a top speed of 200m/min will inadvertently found its way into their baby- use a hot-air dried water-based solvent- milk product – the converter had failed to free ink, which although containing properly cure the UV offset ink used to print some pigments can claim the lowest the cartons – it was one of the first to phase migration values. out Bisphenol A (BPA) five years later The direction of travel, however, could despite inconclusive scientific opinion. be via hybrid ink technologies; for exam- “Obviously we have to follow the highest ple, Sunjets’ Aquacure that combines UV food safety initiatives, and consider every for adhesion and printability with an 80% market with equal importance irrespective proportion of water to deliver an odour- of size,” says Bruce Funnell, head of pack- free lightweight film, and with a signifi- aging at Nestlé’s UK product technology cantly wider colour gamut. centre. According to Saunders, majoring on the “We have to think global and local. We formulation’s low-migration properties demand full transparency and insist upon a weren’t originally the main focus. “While declaration of regulatory compliance and a there’ll always be an area for 100% solid full disclosure of all chemicals used in pro- UV curable ink, one of the concerns is that ducing our packaging. can put down too thick a layer. “If suppliers aren’t appropriately accred- “Water-based gives the opportunity to ited we conduct our own GMP audits.” reduce the cost of these higher-grade Costs incurred are borne by Nestlé, inkjet specific materials, while addition- although anecdotally other food manufac- “We demand full transparency and insist ally lowering the risk of migration. turers and retailers can be less forthcom- upon a declaration of regulatory compli- “We know that as inkjet is increasingly ing; a bone of contention with some adopted there will be more water-based converters, who may be faced with a bill of ance and a full disclosure of all chemicals solutions. However, there’ll also be a need £2,000 for the privilege of being included used in producing our packaging.” to supplement it with other materials, not on an official roster. Bruce Funnell, only to protect that coating but simply you Nestlé also binds itself to non-disclosure because an ink that’s just water and pig- agreements to protect supplier IP and that head of packaging at Nestlé ment won’t stick to anything.” www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 45 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO Star product Kodak NexPress ZX3900 Digital Production Colour Press NexPress has new offerings like opaque white ink and can support up to 530gsm, Words by Pratik Sardesai

Solutions, you can print gold, opaque white, dimensional raised print, accurate spot col- ours, clear, security features with red fluoresc- ing dry ink or MICR, watermarking or a protective coating. These solutions can be swap in and out within 10 minutes with no need of mask, learning and contamination risk. Laminate like gloss can be achieved with glossing unit to create higher impact on cards, photo books, brochures, menus etc.

How fast and productive it is? The ZX3900 can print up to 131, A4 pages per minute in 5 colors with duty cycle of 4,400,000 sheets. With new substrate expan- sion kit, NexPress can print on up to 530gsm substrates. The press comes with new system software, v16, which has new tools to control image quality while maintaining quality. The What does it do? consistency, thus resulting in photographic Intelligent Calibration System automates the The ZX series is the latest in Kodak’s NexPress image quality beyond offset quality. The process of checking and maintaining print offering. This new digital press supports NexPress Front End handles files up to 3 uniformity to get consistency from first to last thicker paperboards and select heavy weight times faster than previous versions for jobs sheet. The Environmental Control System is a synthetic stocks that will open new opportu- with image-intensive variable data that is built-in system that maintains the tempera- nities for printers, including short-run pack- Specifications recurring. Papers can feed into the press from ture and moisture automatically. This means aging applications like labels, tags, and small Print rate: 7854 sph (131 either one of the 4 drawers or the external the press can run in any environment inside a folding cartons, as well as differentiated com- ppm) feeder, it passes through sensors that check to print shop. mercial and publishing products. prevent misfeeds and double sheets. The Maximum sheet size: paper is aligned in track to ensure accurate What is the USP? When was it launched globally and here? 356 x 1000mm registration. As paper moves from the feeder The ZX series offers great flexibility to pro- Kodak first debuted its new NexPress to the Automatic Sheet Positioner (ASP), it duce a wide range of applications with excel- ZX3900 Digital Production Colour Press at Minimum sheet size: adjusts for any skewing before it hits the lent registration on standard offset substrates, Drupa 2016. It became commercially availa- 279 x 200mm imaging path. with operator-friendly tools to provide great ble in October 2016 for all regions. reliability and consistency. Its modular design Feeder: 4 standard feed- How does it differ from the previous models? allows future expansion as business evolves. What market is it targeted for? ers, 11,000 sheets The NexPress ZX includes new capabilities to Digital PSPs will benefit from Kodak’s expand the range of print applications. The What supports and offers available for this advancements in this industry-leading elec- Imaging: Dry electro- NexPress Opaque White Dry Ink comple- region? trophotographic NexPress portfolio, whether photography, 600 dpi, ments the already available 9 specialty inks, The NexPress ZX Platform is designed with they’re investing in a new press or upgrading multi-bit delivers superior opacity in a single pass com- an unprecedented level of user serviceability. their existing model. It can serve to critical pared to multiple passes on other devices, 90% of press maintenance can be performed client needs for surface finishes like, matte, Substrates: Standard, 60 delivering increased productivity and higher by the operator because of the easy to replace CMYK, UV coating and gloss. The new front to 350 gsm, with kit, up quality short run production for applications Operator Replaceable Components and the end software can handle complex jobs such as to 530 gsm such as packaging, signage, labels and invita- NexPert operator support system. The press is photo services, high-end direct mail, and tions. It has more than 20% higher opacity in available with optional customized vinyl wrap demanding variable data jobs without slow- Contact: Kodak Near a single pass compared to multiple passes on so the printers can have their own design. ing down the press. East, +971-4-3444910, competitive presses. pratik.sardesai@kodak. Alternatives How does it work? com What are the options? The core imaging technology is electropho- High-capacity paper input and output permit Xerox iGen5 tography which utilizes multi-bit LED image longer uninterrupted printing. Add a roll Rated speed of 90 to 150 ppm with sheet size of 364 x writers exposing 5 imaging cylinders, which feeder, long sheet pile feeder or delivery mod- 660 mm and can print on substrates of 60 to 350 gsm in turn transfer the image blankets onto the ule for even greater paper capacity, and in-line substrate. The imaging LED technology can finishing modules to complete jobs in fewer HP Indigo enable 256 levels of exposure on one steps. With the optional business-building 120 four-colour 8.5x11 pages per minute (two-up); 600x600 dot and can be adjusted to maintain Kodak NexPress Fifth Imaging Unit sheet size 13x19 in maximum; Paper weight Coated: 55 lb text to 130 lb cover; Uncoated; 40 lb text to 130 lb “Machine is commercially available for all regions from October 2016.” cover; Thickness 3 to 16 pt

46 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com PRODUCT PORTFOLIO Star product Caslon Adana 85C

A renaissance in craft print prompts the return of a favourite, Words by Simon Eccles to 72pt (made on a Monotype caster) or a vacuum exposure unit to make your own photopolymer plates. Lith film negatives are best for plate exposure, so Caslon offers a basic processing kit. Films are contact- exposed to laser/inkjet printed positive sheets in the exposure frame.

How does it differ from previous models? Thicker side frames and extra travel on the lever now allow an over-pressure stage. Kiss- impression print is still possible, but many of today’s users prefer the debossing effect; there’s also a security aspect, as photocopies can’t reproduce indents. If you want raised type, Caslon sells thermography powders and heaters.

What’s the USP? It’s the only hand-operated desktop letter- press platen that you can buy new. “It’s a small but very versatile letterpress machine What does it do? standing for ‘Caslon-made’. A trial batch of that can be used by enthusiasts as well as This is the only letterpress machine you can 20 machines sold out almost immediately. pros,” says Richard Caslon. buy brand new. It is a hand-operated lever- The next batch will arrive in January with no pull vertical platen type, small enough to fit a limit on future numbers. How easy is it to use? desktop, with an 8x5in (203x127mm) print Specifications Anyone could learn to print in about five area. It takes standard height metal type, Print area 8x5in How does it work? minutes. The challenge is the pre-press. blocks or photopolymer plates. (203x127mm) It’s a small clamshell platen press with all Purists will use traditional metal type, set The new press is based on the 1970s Adana operations controlled by a double-armed upside down and back to front in composing 85 MkIII but with thicker, stronger frames Substrates Thin paper, lever. Ink is applied to the circular top plate sticks. Pragmatists will use computers, film to suit today’s craft letterpress fashion to napkins, business cards, and the lever is part-operated several times to and photopolymer plates. Caslon can supply ‘deboss’ print, i.e. indent it into the paper up to beer mats run twin inking rollers over the plate, which the lot. surface. rotates to spread the ink evenly. After that The Caslon name dates back to William Speed around 500sph the lever is advanced further to ink up the Alternatives Caslon, an engraver who in 1720 created and depending on operator type or plate on the vertical bed. named the serif typeface that remains popu- Finally a sheet of paper is placed on the tym- The main alternative for a new Adana is a used/ lar today. A Caslon family still owns the firm, Impression Media pan (a resilient paper sheet that covers the refurbished one. There are small £100-plus hobby albeit thanks to a name change in the 1800s. standard letterpress type, platen) and held by a movable stop and small machines that can print with rubber stamps and Richard Caslon is managing director. His blocks or dies gauge pins. The lever is fully depressed to even emboss with thin metal dies, but they’re not in father Roy Caslon remains chairman and press the platen against the inked type bed, the same quality league. There’s a lively secondhand demonstrated the new Adana at the compa- Type/block height and the ink transfers. Releasing the lever market for letterpress. The first port of call is probably ny’s St Albans HQ. 0.918in (23.3mm) opens the clamshell, the printed sheet is eBay, but there are also specialists, eg urbanfoxde- extracted and replaced by a blank. sign.co.uk or enthusiast websites where people offer When was it launched and what market is it Footprint 619x330mm You can put in a different plate/type and ink used presses and other items. aimed at? colour and run sheets through again, but Heidelberg’s powered ‘windmill’ platens and flat- Adana was founded in Twickenham in the Weight 15kg very close register isn’t feasible. bed cylinder letterpress machines haven’t been built 1930s. It introduced the 85 (pronounced An extra few cm of movement on the lever new for 40 years. They’re still in demand for cutting ‘eight-five’) hand-operated press in 1953, Price Starts from £1,299 arm is new and applies enough extra pres- and creasing and foiling in modern print works, so priced at the equivalent of £16.80. sure to indent the type into soft paper if you prices may be high. Caslon acquired Adana’s business and good- Fonts Monotype cast want to. Tissue paper can be put on the Chris Bottomley, managing director of Letterpress will in 1987 and the last all-new press was metal in 6pt to 72pt, platen to increase pressure still further. Services in Wakefield, says that models that still have sold in 1999. Since then Caslon has refur- priced from £5.10 to £128 inking rollers, so can print, are in high demand: bished old presses with new parts to high The bed takes letterpress type with the stand- www.letter pressservices.com. standards. Richard Caslon says that demand ard 0.918in (23.3mm) height, or it can take Alternatively, you could build your own Gutenberg- for the refurbs grew so high that it became metal or photopolymer plates mounted on style mini-press from wood, angled steel and a more cost-effective to build all-new ones. blocks to bring them to type height. hydraulic car jack. Vancouver printer Charles Morgan New presses are called Adana 85C, with C Caslon can supply metal type fonts from 6pt “It’s a small clamshell platen press with all operations controlled by a double-armed lever” www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 47 26 - 29 MARCH 2017 | DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

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www.printweekmea.com February 2017 PrintWeek MEA 49 POST SCRIPT Q&A HOSSAM AL KASABANY 3D-printed warfare in What do you like about living in this region? Everything Healthcare

What is your favorite phrase or saying? You get what you give

If you could change anything in the world, what would it be? Bad minds

Hossam Al Kasabany, production Which superpower would you like print specialist, Corporate to have? Connection General Trading LLC, Flying Member of Mohamed Hareb Al Otaiba Group Where would you go if you could time-travel? How did you get into printing? Ancient Egypt (Pharos) Started as a graphic designer & started to love from that moment If you could invite anyone to a party, who would they be? What do you like most about your All my grandparents since the job? beginning of creation Challenge spirit which is a sales While 3D printed warfare may be seen by some as a negative techno- nature What genre of music do you like? logical use, the role of the technology could play in healthcare, particu- House larly surgery, is undoubtedly one of its best. The technology could What is the worst thing about your allow for the printing of body parts for artificial replacements, far job? What is your greatest fear? quicker and cheaper than is currently possible. Sometimes you need to take a rest, Traffic jam For example, US researchers at Cornell University have already used and you cannot silicon in a 3D printer to produce an ear while many other universities What is your greatest luxury? are already using the kit to create anatomically accurate models of What would be your dream job? Persistence human body parts for students to practice and hone their skills on. Volunteer work Since the model is a facsimile of the patient’s actual physiology, sur- What is your most embarrassing geons can use it to precisely shape metal inserts that fit along a What was the best deal you pulled moment? patient’s residual bone. Also, the use of such biological models drasti- off? When I cannot help someone cally improves the accuracy of operation. Every time I win a deal, I feel it is the This can be on everything from arms that need breaking to be reset best one How would you like to be to facial surgery - all allowing doctors to produce accurate versions of remembered? the bones they will be working on to consider the best course of action Whom do you admire in print? A good friend and practice, rather than only having the chance to do this while the Frank Romano patient is on the operating table. Life is....? What makes you laugh? Too short, live every moment like it My son is your last Got an interesting publishing idea? Email [email protected] IN BRIEF ETCHING In pure etching, a metal (usually copper, zinc or steel) plate is covered with a Memory Lane waxy ground which is resistant to acid. The artist then scratches off the ground with a pointed etching needle where he or she wants a line to 54 YEARS AGO... In 1960s Xerox introuduced the xerographic office appear in the finished piece, so exposing the bare metal. The échoppe, a photocopying and over the following 20 years it gradually replaced copies tool with a slanted oval section, is also used for “swelling” lines. The plate is made by Verifax, Photostat, carbon paper, mimeograph machines, and then dipped in a bath of acid, technically called the mordant or etchant, or other duplicating machines has acid washed over it. The acid “bites” into the metal where it is exposed, leaving behind lines sunk into the plate. The remaining ground is then 220 AD AGO... China is the early survivor of woodblock printed fragments cleaned off the plate. The plate is inked all over, and then the ink wiped off among the whole world which is of silk printed with flowers in three colors the surface, leaving only the ink in the etched lines. The plate is then put from the Hyan Dynasty through a high-pressure printing press together with a sheet of paper. The paper picks up the ink from the etched lines, making a print. The process can 139 YEARS AGO... Robert Barclay from England has developed the first offset be repeated many times; could be printed before the plate shows much sign print on a tin in 1875 which is the first of its kind where the second version of wear. The work on the plate can also be added to by repeating the whole was later introduced by Ira Washington Rubel of the United States for process; this creates an etching which exists in more than one state. printing on paper in 1904

Editor: Shilpa Jasani +971 50 354 7436/[email protected]. Junior Editor: Venkat Raghavan +971 55 5825030/[email protected]. Graphic Designer: Saleem Akhtar Marketing Manager: Mammen Thomas +971 50 873 4029/[email protected]. Advertising Consultant: Dilip Kumar +971 52 7583758/[email protected]. Office Coordinator: Sajeena +9714 2399955 [email protected] Printed By: Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing House, Dubai © ATN Media Publishing FZ LLC. PO Box 502090, 419 City Bay Business Centre, Abu Hail Road, Dubai, UAE. Email: [email protected] No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers.

50 PrintWeek MEA February 2017 www.printweekmea.com

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