PrintWeekMENA

GulfPack Announces Major Expansion in BOPP Film Production

Gulf Packaging Industries Co. (GulfPack), a leading manufacturer of BOPP, CPP, and metallized films, has signed contracts for a significant expansion to enhance its production capacity and support the growing demand from customers worldwide. As part of this expansion, GulfPack will install two new state-of-the-art 10.4-meter-wide BOPP production lines at a new facility, increasing its BOPP film capacity from 183,000 tons per annum (TPA) to approximately 318,000 TPA. The new lines are scheduled to commence production in 2026 and 2027, respectively. “This expansion is a testament to GulfPack’s unwavering commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer service. We have received an overwhelming response to our recent expansions in 2023-24, and with our customer base growing rapidly, demand for our high-performance films continues to surge across the globe. Today, we export to over 75 countries, and these new investments will allow us to enhance our supply capabilities, strengthen partnerships, and support our customers in achieving their growth ambitions. With cutting-edge technology and an unwavering focus on developing mono-material sustainable solutions, we are driving the future of flexible packaging,” said Naif AlAnsari, CEO of GulfPack. As a forward-thinking manufacturer, GulfPack is committed to driving sustainable innovation. These investments reinforce our commitment to developing solutions that support recyclable mono-material structures while reducing the environmental footprint of flexible packaging. About Gulf Packaging Industries Co. GulfPack is a leading manufacturer of BOPP, CPP, and metallized films, serving packaging converters and FMCG companies with innovative and sustainable packaging films globally. With headquarters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a sales and distribution hub in the USA, and sales offices in 10 locations globally, we proudly support clients across 75+ countries.

GulfPack Announces Major Expansion in BOPP Film Production

Expand Beyond CMYK with a proven innovator – Xerox

Beyond CMYK is a driving force in the marketplace that can help you grow faster and get noticed. Increasing innovation in print enhancement technologies lets you amplify a wide array of print jobs with stunning, business-driving digital special embellishments. Xerox MEA explains that print providers need to earn more from fewer jobs and to differentiate their businesses from the competition. Digital enhancements – like gold, silver, white, clear and fluorescent colors can provide both increased profits and a competitive advantage. Xerox’s market leading Beyond CMYK portfolio provides print professionals opportunity for digital print enhancements - from the large volume print shop, to light production and into the office space. Beyond CMYK technology is the stuff of imagination. Go beyond colour. Bring print to life with glittering golds, stunning silvers, vibrant fluorescents and versatile layers of white and clear. The opportunity is huge as printers can jump ahead with a 27% compound annual growth rate and earn more with margins ranging from 50% to 400%; and buyers will pay a premium of 24% to 89%. The application possibilities are virtually limitless. As the market recovers, print providers need to convert less volume into more value and differentiate from their competition. Page value: Print buyers are willing to pay a premium of 24% to 89% over CMYK for digital print enhancements. (KPI) Enhancement opportunity: By the end of Q4, promotional printing, including direct mail, brochures, books, signage and catalogs, is expected to approach 2019 levels. These applications are in high demand for digital embellishments. (Keypoint) Remain competitive: In a global survey, half of all print providers say specialty colors are a must-have for their businesses. (KPI) Insource, not outsource: Grow margins, save time and cost by adding print enhancements inhouse and not outsourcing client work. Xerox has the broadest portfolio of Beyond CMYK offerings giving customers access to digital enhancements from the large volume print shop, to light production and into the office space. Designer options: Xerox Beyond CMYK offerings can automate adding digital enhancements without a designer or print whatever can be imagined using a designer or creative agency. Scalable: Xerox technology is scalable with new innovations and colors being added to platforms without the need to buy a new press. Affordable: Primelink and Versant 180 Adaptive Kits can be added at a quarter of the cost of purchasing a stand-alone new CMYK+ device. Unlimited Palette: No one can offer the range of colors, varnishes, mixed metallics, extended gamut, media options and single pass digital enhancement technology of the Xerox portfolio of Beyond CMYK offerings. Digital print enhancements increase profitability, delivering higher margins on fewer pages with a broad set of premium applications. Growth opportunity: Print enhancement is the fastest growing segment in print. (KPI) More with less: Profit margins on digital enhancements are between 50 and 400 percent versus ordinary print. (KPI – Beyond CMYK) Enhance existing business: Promotional print applications such as: brochures, business cards, stationery, menus and signage are the most common category for embellishments and standard applications for most commercial print providers. (KPI) Market opportunity: Gold, silver, white, clear are the most sought-after digital enhancements. (KPI) Expand Beyond CMYK with a proven innovator – Xerox Speciality dry inks mean differentiation. Digital technologies open up new opportunities for rich layering and eye-catching embellishments, all while maintaining digital print’s advantages – short runs, quick turnarounds and high-impact personalisation. Xerox offers the widest range of digital embellishment capabilities. Expand Beyond CMYK with business-driving differentiators: White Dry Ink for the Xerox® iGen® 5 Press more than doubles the brightness and opacity of competitive inks; The Xerox® Iridesse® Production Press – the world’s first inline, sixcolour digital platform – can run two embellishments in a single pass with CMYK; Xerox® Adaptive CMYK+ Kits enable up to seven speciality colours on an existing device, enabling instant digital print enhancements – and up to four speciality colours in a single pass. Expand Beyond CMYK with Metallic embellishments Bring print to life with glittering golds, stunning silvers and a virtually unlimited array of metallic + CMYK combinations. Metallic effects matter because Gold and Silver add sparkle and richness; make an impression that says “high class” and “high value”; And, on the Xerox® Iridesse® Production Press, achieve iridescent metallic hues that no competitor can match by layering metallics with CMYK. Metallic spot colours: Good sparkle means Gold and Silver can be used on their own or combined with White and Clear to achieve special spot effects in a single pass. Best sparkle means Gold and Silver, plus virtually unlimited metallic spot colours. Metallic spots + CMYK: Gold and Silver can be used with other toner sets, but it requires a toner swap and a manual second pass – registration variation needs to be considered in these designs. Gold and Silver can perfectly register with CMYK and/or other speciality colours to create unique metallic palettes and effects. Expand Beyond CMYK with White embellishments Unlock new design potential with White on coloured and transparent media. The White effects matter because darker media becomes your canvas; White underlays make other colours stand out and Xerox has even been recognised for having benchmark brightness and opacity for the White Dry Ink on the iGen 5 Press. White spot only offers: - Good brightness + opacity: White can be used on its own or combined with Gold, Silver and Clear to achieve special spot effects in a single pass. Benchmark brightness + opacity: Single or double-hit White to maximise brightness; award-winning White spots even brighter and more opaque. White spot + CMYK offers: - White can be used with other toner sets, but it requires a toner swap and a manual second pass – registration variation needs to be considered in these designs. White can be used as a perfectly registered underlay to prevent coloured stock from showing through and White can be used as an underlay on coloured stocks or an overlay on transparent media to provide optimal CMYK colour rendition with an automated second pass. Expand Beyond CMYK with Clear embellishments Amplify content with eye-catching Clear embellishments. Clear effects matter because spots that pop off the page; floods that add sheen to an entire page or section and textured effects that lift design elements into the third dimension. Clear spot: Clear can be used on its own or combined with Gold, Silver and White to achieve special spot effects in a single pass. Clear overlays can create spot designs, floods and raised textural effects and Clear spot effects are best on their own or next to CMYK. Clear with CMYK: Clear can be used with other toner sets, but it requires a toner swap and a manual second pass – registration variation needs to be considered in these designs. Clear can perfectly register with CMYK and/or other speciality colours to create unique effects. And it is recommended to use Clear over light-coloured CMYK areas for best impact. Expand Beyond CMYK with Gamut Extension Extend colour gamut to match more than 93% of PANTONE® PLUS colours. Gamut Extension matters because, you can move more jobs with PANTONE®/brand colour matching requirements from offset to digital; eliminate trial and error with intelligent, accurate colour matching; enhance the vibrancy and colour rendition of photos and one press makes it possible: Xerox® iGen 5. Orange, Green or Blue Gamut Extension colours can be used to more closely match a desired PANTONE® colour + enhance select imagery. It is easy to determine which gamut extension colour is needed using our online Gamut Extension Tool, which automatically determines if an additional 5th colour is needed. Visit www.xerox.com/gamut. Expand Beyond CMYK with Fluorescent embellishments Infuse prints with eye-grabbing vibrancy and UV light-activated fluorescence. Fluorescent effects matter because posters pop off the wall, safety signage demands attention, direct mail catches the eye, product packaging stands apart and invisible watermarks are revealed under UV light. Fluorescent spot colours:- Good vibrancy: Run up to three different spot colours, plus black or greyscale, in one pass. Best vibrancy: Fluorescent Yellow spot only. Fluorescent process blends:- Design for CMYK, print in full process fluorescent colour; create new palettes, too. Fluorescent spots + CMYK: Fluorescents can be used with other toner sets, but it requires a toner swap and a manual second pass – registration variation needs to be considered in these designs. Fluorescent Yellow can be run with CMYK in a single pass. Informed by a steady demand for print that differentiates and draws attention, Xerox has invested in developing a market-leading portfolio of Beyond CMYK print technologies, Speciality Dry Inks and Toners that help you expand beyond commodity print. Xerox has market-leading portfolio of Beyond CMYK digital print technologies. They are: Xerox® PrimeLink® C9065/C9070 Printer, Xerox® Versant® 180 Press, Xerox® Iridesse® Production Press and Xerox® iGen® 5 Press. Assess your Beyond CMYK technology need: xerox.co.uk/beyondcmyk For more than 100 years, Xerox has continually redefined the workplace experience. Harnessing their leadership position in office and production print technology, they have expanded into software and services to sustainably power today's workforce. From the office to industrial environments, our differentiated business solutions and financial services are designed to make every day work better for clients — no matter where that work is being done. Today, Xerox scientists and engineers are continuing our legacy of innovation with disruptive technologies in digital transformation, augmented reality, robotic process automation, additive manufacturing, Industrial Internet of Things and cleantech.

Admin in News Jan. 11, 2023

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

Latest News

Trending

E-MAGAZINE

Recent Comments

DIARY

Featured News

STAR products