DIGITAL’S ADVANCE CONTINUES ON ALL FRONTS AT IPEX 2010 | 14-5-2010

Four Ipex exhibitions ago, in 1993, the first digital presses were shown by Indigo and Xeikon.  Few printers had heard of these newcomers before the show, and, while their respective products ‘stole the show’, opinions were divided about the impact digital printing would have on the industry.

A glance at the exhibitor-list for this year’s Ipex shows how things have changed in the intervening years, with a host of industry giants showing their particular flavours of digital, among them Agfa, Canon, Fuji, Océ, HP, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Screen, Xeikon and Xerox.  Digital printing is mainstream.  More than that, it’s recognised as the technology on which the future of the industry depends.

However, we should not forget that all the traditional press manufacturers have not stood still but have also embraced digital technologies.

Digital printing now competes with traditional processes in every sector of the industry – commercial printing, publishing, direct mail, transactional, industrial, signage, labelling, packaging and decorative.  Its pervasive influence is due to a number of factors.  Across the board, digital presses are getting better and better, increasing the print volumes moving to digital.  Toner-based presses are becoming faster, although issues around toner fixing and fusing remain an obstacle to higher speeds.  Meanwhile, inkjet presses are becoming more reliable and, because inkjet is a non-contact process, they offer the potential of extremely high-speed production alongside their traditional substrate flexibility.

Add in the steady stream of software developments that enhance workflow and business processes – web-to-print is a classic example – and digital technology offers a growing range of new applications that represent exciting opportunities for print service providers.

Ipex represents a great opportunity to catch up on digital developments, but with so many solutions on show how can you be sure of seeing what’s most relevant to your business in the limited time available?  To help you plan your visit, here’s my take on the key trends in each sector and some of the ‘must see’ products to help you take advantage of the opportunities on offer.

Several publications have published the full article in their regional issues and in mltiple languages.

Source: IPEX2010