PrintWeekMENA

Strong Attendance at Inaugural Gulf Print & Pack in Riyadh …

The inaugural edition of Gulf Print & Pack Saudi Arabia, the Middle East’s leading commercial print and packaging trade show, held recently at Riyadh Front Exhibition Conference Center (RFECC), marked a significant milestone for the Kingdom's printing and packaging industry, bringing together more than 5,052 visitors from 54 countries. The exhibition featured over 150 leading exhibitors and thousands of industry professionals from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, China, Bahrain, Jordan, India, and Germany. Gulf Print & Pack 2025 in Riyadh provided a tailored platform for the latest advancements in printing and packaging technologies. From high-speed digital presses and advanced packaging solutions to AI-powered workflow streamlining tools, the event provided a comprehensive overview of the industry's future direction. Major industry players, including Konica Minolta, BOBST, Ricoh, NDIGITEC, Canon, and Fujifilm participated in the event, highlighting their commitment to the Saudi Arabian market and the region's growing print and packaging sector. “We are overwhelmed by the response to the inaugural edition of Gulf Print & Pack in Saudi Arabia. The attendance and participation from leading industry players is a testament to the potential of, and confidence in, the Saudi Arabian printing and packaging sector. There are encouraging signs for this platform in the Kingdom for major brands to showcase cutting-edge technologies, foster valuable connections, and drive the industry forward.” said Barry Killengrey, Event Director, Gulf Print & Pack. Ricoh showcased its latest innovations and technology, highlighting how its solutions, including enhanced automation, can help improve business efficiency and reduce total cost of ownership. Ricoh's exhibit featured a range of digital printing systems, including the Pro 8400 digital mono sheetfed press, Pro C7500 digital color sheetfed press, Pro C9500 digital color sheetfed press, and Pro C5300 digital color sheetfed press, along with the Ricoh Auto Color Adjuster, cementing its expertise in multiple verticals, including luxury packaging. Saudi-based Alkhorayef Printing Solutions, in collaboration with MTEX NS, showcased cutting-edge digital printing and packaging solutions including machines such as NS MULTI 1300, NS MULTI 80, NS AQUAFLEX S. Alkhorayef Printing Solutions brought advanced, sustainable technology directly to Saudi industries, empowering businesses with precision, efficiency, and innovative solutions for flexible and rigid packaging, commercial printing, and labels. Ahmed Samy Eltantawy, Senior Sales Director, at Alkhorayef, said: “It was an exciting event for us to attend, providing us with a great platform to showcase our latest technologies to serve the regional sector.” Konica Minolta covered three segments of Digital Production Print at Gulf Print and Pack 2025 with state-of-the-art AccurioPress C 14000, AccurioPress C 7100 and AccurioPress C 4080. Digital Embellishment was covered by AccurioShine 3600, Digital Spot UV with inline Single Pass Foiling system for decorative prints. Fujifilm, a key exhibitor and industry leader, chose Gulf Print & Pack 2025 to launch two new mid-range printers. The company introduced a fifth colour option to their entry-level printer, the Revoria SC285s, and unveiled the EC2100, a mid-range workhorse printer featuring an entirely new platform and technology, promising significant technical advantages to customers. Elsewhere Canon, the headline sponsor of the event, showcased a suite of cutting-edge digital printing solutions aligned with Saudi Vision 2030. Key launches included the Arizona series for rigid media, the Colorado M-series for high-volume roll-to-roll production, and the VP 6330 TITAN for superior book printing.

Strong Attendance at Inaugural Gulf Print & Pack in Riyadh …

Germark has optimized its production floor with the investment in a BOBST Mouvent LB702-UV digital inkjet press and a BOBST MASTER M5 inline flexo press. These strategic investments will give the leading Spanish label specialist more flexibility to address the widest range of applications and offer faster delivery times for customers in the health & beauty, pharma, and industrial sectors. Located in Barcelona, Germark S.A. employs 115 staff and posted a turnover for 2021 of almost €14mio across its Labels and Systems divisions. Labels account for 70% of the business; the remaining 30% is made up from the design and development of its own brand of labelling systems. The main client base, over 50%, is found in the highly demanding cosmetics market. The family-owned company was founded in 1958 and today has representatives in 20 countries around the world, with 27% of production going to export. Having been instrumental in pioneering premium self-adhesive label production in Spain, Germark was among the first label converters in the country to adopt digital printing technology more than 20 years ago, when it installed an early model toner press. More digital technology has been implemented over the years, including the first foray into inkjet in 2019. More than just manufacturing labels, Germark operates as a packaging consultant supporting customers right from the initial design stage through to the final product to achieve their goals at minimum cost. A strong sustainability focus underpins its mission to invest in best-in-class technology that helps minimize waste and reduce the carbon footprint of print production. Trailblazer in label production Continually investing and expanding, Germark currently runs nine printing presses and four finishing lines at its 7000 sqm large facility in Cornellà de Llobregat, on the outskirts of Barcelona. With ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications, as well as BRCGS for packaging materials, it is the only label converter in Spain to comply with the AuditOne Packaging Standard, which allows the company to work with the biggest cosmetics brand owners in the world, including P&G, Unilever, L’Oréal, and Johnson & Johnson. “We have a long and proven expertise in the label industry, and we are always investing heavily in R&D to drive innovation, so we need the right technology to match our ambition,” said Germark’s Managing Director, Iban Cid, who took over from his father nearly 25 years ago. “We started our partnership with BOBST with an LB702-UV inkjet press, which we saw as the next step in our digital evolution, and it has been extremely successful. Now we have also invested in BOBST’s highly digitalized flexo technology, which fits perfectly with our strategy and sustainability objectives.” More inkjet and flexo power The highly productive seven-color LB702-UV inkjet press at Germark prints in CMYKOV+W at up to 100 m/min (45 m/min with digital white for 70% opacity) with low setup times, giving the company the extra digital capacity and faster turnaround they needed. Quality has also been boosted with BOBST’s proprietary inkjet technology which delivers a resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi to guarantee sharp images, vibrant colors, fine lines, and smooth gradients. Another important benefit is the ability to print on the clear and metallized materials used for label production for the cosmetics industry without the need for a digital primer. Mr. Cid explained, “The main advantage of the new inkjet machine was moving from our existing 600 x 600 dpi capability to a higher level as it helps us meet the extremely high quality-demands from cosmetics brands. Being able to print at 1200 x 1200 dpi at a cost-efficient level also eradicates the difference between inkjet and toner. Add to that the high-speed digital white and the low waste and you have a real game-changer. In fact, the LB702-UV, another first for Spain, is the most profitable press on our production floor.” While Germark has a strong focus on digital printing, Mr Cid is also still investing in the company’s fleet of conventional presses to accelerate opportunities. During a visit to the Bobst Firenze Competence Center, in Italy, to experience the full oneLABEL portfolio of flexo, digital and All-in-One technology in person, the MASTER M5 inline flexo press caught his eye and he quite quickly made the decision to buy one to replace an older machine. Billed as the ultimate digitalized flexo press, the multi-process MASTER M5 offers unrivalled productivity due to its many automation features, which significantly reduce setups times and waste. Fitted with UV-LED curing, the 200 m/min press also saves Germark 60% in energy consumption for even better sustainability. In addition, the Combo Coupon feature was chosen, enabling multi-layer labels to be produced at 150 m/min in one pass. “We’re already working towards maximizing automation in all our production processes, data management and energy consumption,” he said. “BOBST’s central strategy of digitalization, automation, connectivity, and sustainability is reflected in the MASTER M5, so there was no doubt in my mind that this machine was what we needed to update our flexo department.” Value-sharing partnership Germark has built its foundation on three pillars: quality, innovation, and service; values that are closely aligned with those of BOBST. Both companies are leaders in innovation, steering the label industry towards a profitable and sustainable future, with more automation and digitalization. “BOBST is a well-known and trusted supplier across the world. Over the past three years, we have greatly benefitted from their innovative technology and will no doubt continue to do so,” said Mr. Cid. “Our close collaboration with FEIMAR, the authorized distributor agent in Spain, has also been crucial as they have guided us through the whole process from decision-making and specification to installation, ramp-up and stabilization of the press.” “As a leader in label innovation, Germark has been setting the agenda in Spain for many years, and we are proud that they have chosen BOBST as their partner for the future,” said Carlos Santos, Iberia General Manager at BOBST. “BOBST label presses, whether they are digital, flexo or All-in-One, represent the best and most flexible options for any label printing company and Germark is clearly reaping the rewards.”

admin in News Sept. 16, 2022

Strong Attendance at Inaugural Gulf Print & Pack in Riyadh Highlights…

How to implement automation in printing operations

It is becoming necessary in printing operations to automate as much as possible to gain efficiencies. But before you begin your planning processes, look at your current state to ensure that you understand how works happen today. Kodak, a global technology company focused on print and advanced materials and chemicals, explains the vital role of automation in printing operations and how to do it properly. Read on. Single system of record that reliably gathers data from business and production systems If you have that system of record, you are in the perfect state to take on end-to-end automation. If you have multiple points of data collection that have never been integrated, there is still a path to automation. Still, your planning may take longer to accommodate identifying the required data and the processes that use them. Standard processes for order taking, job specification, and order management When there are standard processes, planning for automation can leverage them to speed implementation. When the procedures to take orders are different for every sales channel, it is hard to standardize order intake. When the process of capturing job specifications varies by sales team member and orders are managed without a strategic view into machine usage and job deadlines, some work will be required before automating and making those processes more efficient. How many spreadsheets are used to track jobs, components, or processes? Every business has some ad hoc processes tracked on spreadsheets, whiteboards, and notepads to keep mission-critical items front of mind. There is nothing wrong with them, but when they become the sole source of truth about a job or a process, they add risk to production. Some organisations justify using spreadsheets by putting them onto shared-access servers so that all authorized constituents can easily access them. It sounds like a great idea, but over time you may find that copies are sitting on individual desktops, and the shared copy is no longer the reliable source of information. Knowing what you have as you plan for automation will help you size the effort. Moving to that automated environment creates a single system of record that is reliable and can be integrated into adjacent business and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Planning for automation You could find some processes that appear easy to automate, add some new tools, and call that your automation plan, but there is a better path. It starts with knowing what is possible. New options in cloud-based workflows bring the same powerful options to smaller shops as the largest shops enjoy. With minimal investments and immediate implementation, shops with a single digital press can build an efficient workflow that will scale using the same technology as a mid-size shop with a mix of offset and digital devices. And these modern cloud-based production workflow solutions can help in any segment, whether the work you produce is graphically-rich static content or uses data-driven processes to execute variable content targeted to a specific recipient. Today’s automated production workflows are built to integrate MIS and ERP tools, Web-to-Print solutions, and e-commerce options. This approach should be high on your list as you consider automation options because it brings a robust IT infrastructure to the table. Automating individual processes glued together with manual interventions isn’t the accomplishment that brings the most benefit. Considering automation requires a dive into every action involved, from the point of estimation and sale to the final delivery to the customer. Planning is the active event designed to identify the touchpoints and the best approach to reviewing each step, the people involved, and the current tools used. Start by articulating your strategic goals for 2022. You may be looking to expand into a new industry or print segments. Your current workload may require more capacity. You may want to acquire more capabilities, either through buying more equipment, optimising workflows, or buying a company. As you consider your strategic plan, itemize the candidate processes for automation to move you toward those goals. Don’t be surprised if you identify current manual processes as critical roadblocks. Strategic goals are long-term and inform the way the business runs. There will be some work to do to build the bridge from strategy to implementation, and that is where tactical planning becomes essential. Tactical goals are more than solving today’s bottleneck. They work within the strategy to consider implementing new software and processes while keeping production moving. Think of it as changing the tires on a car while it’s in motion. There will be practical concerns as current processes are replaced by automation, including how and when to move off tools that are no longer providing value. Tactics should support the strategic goals and solve the business' specific challenges without adding more hurdles to creating an automated environment. Build the strategic plan for automation to consider the practical implication of automating the current processes, including goals for gaining buy-in from the team members in each department, who may be asked to change how they do their jobs or change positions to accommodate the planned process modifications. Look for onramps to the fully automated business environment for every element in the tactical plan that enables lower cost and higher margins. A part of tactical planning includes your approach to daily operations. To create an efficient environment in 2022, consider a standalone Operational Plan to document the expectations for each department, interface points between departments, and the key performance metrics that will help everyone stay on the strategic course. Automation does not eliminate the need to understand the production touchpoints. The best practice is to document what should happen if you lose access to the automation, too. The last step in planning for automation is to build the appropriate contingency plans. Cloud-based automated workflows protect you from onsite server disruptions and mitigate much of the risk associated with onsite installations when paired with a disciplined backup strategy. What to do next If you plan to automate your print workflow in 2022, look for scalable and easy platforms to integrate with your core business systems. Ensure that your chosen technology partner lets you automate each task within prepress and production and then map those automated tasks together to ensure that each type of job takes the correct journey through each process. Learn your options, and then create a plan that works for you.

admin in News July 22, 2022

Estimable estimators

If they were lucky, the human estimators had an adding machine or desktop calculator to help with the figures. A busy medium-sized printer might have 10 or more full time estimators. Finding and keeping that many specialised estimators could be tricky, as the work was exacting but hardly exciting. Computers were an obvious solution, but the knowledge of how to program for such specialised calculations wasn’t. One of the first UK companies to crack it was what was to become Imprint Business Systems, which is still going strong after 42 years. Today its customers in print and packaging run into the hundreds and many of them have used Imprint systems for at least 25 years. Like most of the early MIS developers, Imprint grew out of the needs of a particular print company, which then used the experience gained to sell to a wider circle or printing and packaging companies. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw a lot of computer estimating start-ups, often with printing company roots. Some of Imprint’s original UK competitors from 40-odd years ago have also survived and prospered independently, such as Optimus (originally Optichrome Computer Systems Ltd, or OCSL), DDS (Accura) and Tharstern, while others were taken over by the ever-expanding EFI empire (such as Prism, Radius, Shuttleworth and Technique). A few others have either merged, or closed, or both. Imprint itself was founded in 1978 by Glennys Bourne and Jonathan Richards. Originally the pair had worked together at the art book printer Shenval Press in Harlow. Richards was general manager, later a director of Shenval, but had learned programming skills at college. Bourne went on to run the nearby Caterpillar Press. Bourne says that the reason for writing the original computer estimating program was a shortage of the trained human variety. “You could not get estimators for love nor money,” she says. So the first estimating program was written to suit the needs of Shenval Press and Caterpillar Press. Bourne saw the potential for Imprint beyond the needs of Shenval and Caterpillar, so the latter was sold to concentrate on the new business. “The Imprint name describes the company well and has stood us well over the years,” says Richards. “As for why the name was chosen, it just seemed a good fit at the time.” Both are still very much involved today. Bourne is CEO, while Jonathan Richards says he’s “allowed to be chairman on high days and holidays”. However, time marches on and their children Will Richards and Nick Bourne have also joined Imprint – the latter now being MD. Today Imprint is based in High Easter, in the countryside between Chelmsford and Bishop’s Stortford, handily close to the M11 and Stansted airport. It employs 16 people in an often overlapping mix of management, programming and customer services roles.

admin in News July 22, 2022

Agfa Avinci CX3200

Avinci CX3200 is 3.2 m wide dye sub textile printer capable of printing on polyester-based textiles What is it? Agfa’s Avinci CX3200 is a highly reliable and convenient soft signage printer that can print directly to fabrics and onto transfer paper. It uses an off-line calendar unit to ensure perfect fixation. Agfa’s dedicated dye sublimation roll-to-roll printer will enable you to create vibrant, high-quality prints on polyester-based fabrics up to 3.2 m wide, including a broad range of in- and outdoor soft signage applications, as well as interior decoration. The Avinci CX3200 boasts a rich color gamut and delivers deep black, perfect solids, accurate spot color mapping and smooth tonal rendering that is particularly noticeable in skin tones. The Avinci inks are characterised by their flexibility, image longevity and outdoor resistance. They offer stable jetting performance and deliver the same high-quality results, batch after batch. An off-line calender unit fixes the color deeply into the structure of the polyester-based fabrics while evaporating the carrier fluid. When was it launched at what are the target markets? It was launched on June 22, 2021, and aimed at soft signage industry, sports wear, fashion industry and home décor. Avinic CX3200 is a 3.2 m wide Dye Sub Textile printer capable of printing on polyester based textiles. Does it replace an earlier product? It replaces the earlier model of DX3200. The Avinci CX3200 is driven by Agfa’s Asanti wide-format workflow software. Color accuracy is provided by the easy-to-use color management. Using their Calibrated Print Mode feature, new media can be calibrated and profiled in less than 15 minutes, after which the new profiles can be used to guarantee print quality. Asanti controls and automates the entire printing process from file intake to finishing, maximising productivity. Its comprehensive integration of file handling, color management and preflighting guarantees smooth and error-free jobs. The web-based Asanti Production Dashboard offers a view on your running production. It summarizes the jobs produced and reports on quantity printed, media usage, ink volumes enabling you to control your production and to manage your print shop optimally. What is the USP? It allows you to print directly on textiles and capable of print on transfer paper media as well. Single person media loading and low inks consumptions are another features. High productivity and a robust design for reliable printing at all times, vibrant prints and a wide color gamut; fine detail rendering; extensive applications scope; low ink consumption; convenient operations and a fast changeover between jobs are another features. Avinci produces good results with a minimum of jetted ink. This low ink consumption is based on Agfa’s renowned Thin Ink Layer technology: a smart combination of particular ink characteristics and our Asanti workflow software algorithms that tune the ink quantities perfectly to the required image quality mode. What training and support are available? Full in house training and support available from Agfa UAE and Belgium. Complete and integrated solution are available for printer, inks, workflow software, worldwide service and applications support. How productive is it? It prints at speed of 250 Sqm per hr on express mode. Being able to print directly to fabric is easy and ideal for fast handling and for special applications such as flags, where print-though is needed. Transfer paper allows for super sharp prints, eliminates any set-off, and limits media waste to a minimum. In addition, it extends the application scope to sportswear and fashion garments, as well as home décor prints on non-coated polyester fabrics. What does it cost? How is it sold? The recommended retail price (RRP) is approximately $220k stand alone printer and requires a separate calendaring unit. How many are in use? Currently, the latest CX3200 are around 11 units around the world. Specifications 3.2m Dye sublimation Printer Kyocera print heads 4 colour printer CYMK Direct to garment capable to print on transfer paper Max speed of 250 sqm Stand alone printer Resolution up to 600 x 1800 dpi Media types: Polyester-based fabrics, or transfer paper used to create banners, indoor wall graphics, shop decoration, outdoor advertising, light boxes, trade show displays, flags and high polyester-based blends “Agfa Avinci CX3200 was launched in June 2021.”

Aug. 2, 2022

Epson – SureColor SC V7000 Flatbed Printer

Epson's first UV large format printer offers exceptional image quality, Shihab Zubair What is it? The SureColor SC-V7000 is Epson's first UV large format printer, offering exceptional image quality. The V7000 is ideal for printing eye-catching retail and outdoor signage, window displays, hoarding panels, packaging, promotional goods, and décor products. It includes Epson’s Micro Piezo printhead with ten newly developed original inks, for accurate colour reproduction for spot and corporate colours. It allows businesses the flexibility to print on a range of media up to 80mm thick including acrylics, polycarbonates, PVC, glass, aluminium, metal, polyester, foam board, styrene, wood and stone. The printhead layout enables simultaneous high-speed printing and, with the 4-zone vacuum system, it offers real flexibility for production environments. When was it launched at what are the target markets? The Epson SureColor SC-V7000 was launched in April 2021 within the Middle East region, building on the success of Epson’s award-winning range of SureColor S Series signage printers. The V7000 allows sign and display makers to expand their portfolio of products, to deliver high quality, fast and reliable results on a variety of different media. Does it replace an earlier product? The SureColor SC-V7000 proudly marks Epson’s entry into the UV flatbed signage print market. As Epson’s first UV large format printer, it provides unique features to differentiate and enhance our offering to the signage market. Every feature of the Epson SureColor SC-V7000 has been designed with the customer in mind. This is a robust and affordable UV LED flatbed signage printer capable of fast and quality printing on a wide range of media – any type of surface, despite the size, thickness, or weight. This is in addition to Epson’s successful product solutions such as the Epson SureColor SC Series of eco-solvent and resin ink printers. For instance, for environmentally friendly organisations, Epson’s SureColor SC-R5010 Series has the capacity to include a resin ink solution, offering print service providers and creative design agencies the ability to produce a wide range of signage in a more sustainable way, without compromising on the results. For a larger ink capacity, Epson offers the SureColor SC-R5010L. What is the USP? The Epson SureColor SC-V7000 provides exceptional image quality, productivity, usability, and safety. With the unique Epson Micro Piezo printhead, the printer has ten newly developed original inks and 3-layer high-speed printing. It helps print with ease and safety with automatic measurement of media thickness, a multi-zone vacuum, and a printhead crash prevent function, Epson Edge Print, proximity sensors. What training and support is available? Epson manufactures all the components for the SureColor SC-V7000, including printheads, inks and software, in order to reach the consistent quality levels that our customers expect. The Epson Cloud Solution PORT is a cloud-based system from where you will be able to monitor equipment across several sites, or several printers across one site, from the production floor or remotely, and assist the control of production. This enables efficient production planning, increased uptime and enhanced support. Epson Production Monitor is part of the Epson Cloud Solution PORT suite of apps and allows you to examine the production status in real-time. If an issue occurs, it can be corrected efficiently with minimal disruption to the print run. How productive is it? The SureColor SC-V7000 enables businesses to print at high speed with a maximum print area of 2.5 metres by 1.25 metres. The printhead layout enables simultaneous high-speed printing, with white ink and varnish, without losing productivity. What does it cost? How is it sold? The recommended retail price (RRP) is around AED 330,563 (US $90,000) and it is sold through authorised partners in the Middle East. How many are in use? Currently two printers have been installed in the UAE, and we are scheduled to install a few more in December and further into 2022. Specifications UltraChrome UV 10-colour inkset Printing resolution of 720 x 1,440 DPI Outstanding print quality High-speed simultaneous printing even when using white, colour and varnish Printheads, ink, firmware and software with an ink tank capacity of 1,000 ml Price from AED 330,563 “Epson SureColor SC-V7000 was launched in April 2021.”

Aug. 2, 2022

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