To address the challenges and transformations in the packaging sector, the touchpoint packaging initiative at drupa 2020 will showcase how innovative printing technologies contribute to the future of packaging. drupa will take place from June 16 to 26, 2020 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.

During the latest steering committee meeting in December 2018, the touchpoint packaging members Agfa, Bobst, Danone, Esko, Heidelberg, HP, Kurz, Nestlé, Siegwerk and EPDA (European Packaging Design Association) defined more than 20 projects that will cover key issues such as customisation and personalisation, digitalisation, security and authentication.

In these projects, concepts and the latest know-how about packaging production, finishing techniques and substrates will be developed and presented - the highlight will be prototypes of new packaging solutions that meet the demands and requirements of future consumers and brand owners. drupa visitors will be able to experience both physical and non-physical packaging elements via augmented reality, virtual reality and digital workflows. Over the 11 days of drupa 2020, visitors will be able to listen to keynotes, attend roundtables, engage with specialists and see the newest packaging solutions designed to help brand owners, packaging designers and packaging converters meet the requirements of the next decade, show organisers explain.

In addition, drupa has formalised an agreement with NABA, International Academy of Art, Design and Fashion. A handpicked group of their international students will add their insights and creativity to the steering committee member-driven projects and present their own ideas and design concepts for tomorrow’s packaging.

HP Inc. announced it reached a milestone one-thousand HP Indigo Series 4 presses sold, amid growing customer momentum for its industry-leading1 29 inch (B2) platform across commercial and labels and packaging digital printing applications.

“Supplying 1000 presses to customers in 65 countries is an exciting milestone. The introduction of the HP Indigo B2 platform at drupa 2012 set the stage for a massive disruption in printing, prompting print service providers to reevaluate their businesses,” Alon Bar-Shany, general manager, HP Indigo, HP Inc., said at the annual HP Indigo 2019 Global Customer Event, showcasing HP’s latest digital press portfolio and business opportunities for growth applications. “Today, adopters of HP Indigo technologies are enjoying double-digit growth thanks to their relentless drive to innovate and print different.” 

Ryan Printing a New York, US-based, print service provider, was recognized as the 1000th worldwide installation of an HP Indigo Series 4 press with its purchase of an HP Indigo 12000 HD Digital Press.  “The Indigo 12000 HD will be a perfect fit for our longer and large-size digital runs and our shorter traditional offset jobs, and will help enable us to open up new markets and capabilities,” said Al Ryan, owner and general manager, whose new press will expand production alongside its HP Indigo 7800.

Setting a new industry benchmark for quality, the HP Indigo 12000 HD has reached 50 installations worldwide, including the recent purchase of five units by Smartpress. The 29 inch (75 cm) wide Series 4 press platform also includes the oversized B1 HP Indigo 50000 for commercial and photo printing, HP Indigo 20000 for labels and flexible packaging, and HP Indigo 30000 for folding cartons.

Additionally, HP Indigo’s narrow-web Series 3 labels and packaging presses, including the HP Indigo 8000 and HP Indigo 6000 series, have reached 1500 installed units. Recent HP Indigo labels and packaging momentum includes: 

·       Continued adoption of the highly productive HP Indigo 8000 Digital Press, enabling label customers to cost effectively convert medium and long runs from flexo to HP Indigo. “The HP Indigo 8000 is a great combination of outstanding productivity with renowned HP Indigo print quality. The 8000 has delivered a revenue stream equivalent to three of our flexographic converting equipment processes,” said Rocky Rahija, CEO, Flextec.

·       Pack Ready Laminator by Karlville, a pioneering technology extending the value of flexible packaging printing on HP Indigo digital presses, is gaining traction with eight customer installations worldwide.  Offering an immediate time-to-market solution for flexible packaging converters, Pack Ready uses an adhesive-free lamination film that can meet global food packaging safety standards.  

·       Rootree’s launch of a 100% compostable packaging solution based on the HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press.  “We’ve made a commitment in the industry to bring environmental consciousness in packaging by addressing the full packaging lifecycle. With the HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press, we’re manufacturing packaging fully made with 100% compostable films with up to 75% less waste than conventional packaging manufacturing,” said Philippe St-Cyr, general manager, Rootree.

·       Flexible packaging converters installing large fleets of HP Indigo 20000 digital presses, including a total of 28 units at ePac in the US and eight with LVAI in China.

More than 650 visitors, including customers, partners and print industry analysts, joined the February 11-14, 2019 event at HP Indigo’s headquarters, production and R&D sites to be inspired by new technologies and customers and brands sharing growth stories. 

Kernow Coatings, the global leader in the development of digitally printable synthetic substrates, announced today the launch of KernowPrint Lucid clear polyester synthetic sheets – a new material built using the company's proprietary Cobalt Coating Technology for HP Indigo.

KernowPrint Lucid for HP Indigo expands the range of materials offered by Kernow and provides users with an ultra-clear printable film for commercial printing special effects, industrial nameplates, and button panel applications. 

KernowPrint Lucid for HP Indigo is a new product that expands the existing KernowPrint for HP Indigo synthetic materials range from Kernow Coatings. The polyester based film delivers high optical clarity and is well suited for applications requiring high transparency, windows, and specialty print needs. To aid in feeding, the KernowPrint Lucid for HP Indigo features an opaque paper backing that can be easily removed after printing. In addition, the material takes advantage of the Kernow Cobalt Coating Technology for HP Indigo to create an optimal surface for ink adhesion and colour vibrancy, while fully controlling static during printing and post-processing. Users can deliver high-durability prints that repel liquids, greases, and oils, including harsh industrial chemicals. Based on a polyester core, KernowPrint Lucid for HP Indigo can handle repeated folding and handling, including strenuous use in applications such as machine button panels and membrane switches.

The KernowPrint Lucid clear synthetic material for HP Indigo is available in a range of sheet sizes for any HP Indigo press and comes in 105, 130 and 180 micron thick sheets.

The newly released material joins the growing range of synthetic products for HP Indigo driven by Kernow's Cobalt Coating Technology. The combination of high optical clarity, extreme durability and easy handling has led customers to early successes in markets, such as industrial manufacturing, promotional piece embellishment, and greeting card special effects.

“The success of our Cobalt Coating Technology with customers has been above and beyond anything we expected”, states Dan Lawellin, HP Indigo Materials Product Manager for Kernow Coatings. “As customers have come to trust Cobalt, optically clear materials have been one of the top requested products by our closest partners. KernowPrint Lucid for HP Indigo gives us a way to answer those needs with a material that is tough, durable, and easy to use. The HP Indigo press is perfectly suited for short run and variable needs of markets such as membrane switches. By providing customers with a new high clarity material, they can take advantage of the digital print technology and further transition business from traditional screen and offset prints to the more lucrative digital presses. Outside of industrial print, we're seeing designers really jump on this product for layered special effects that add excellent depth to promotion pieces and greeting cards.”

KernowPrint Lucid Clear Polyester for HP Indigo is launching worldwide through distributors in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.

Neopost Australia, a state-of-the art graphics solutions enterprise offering wide-format print technology, equipment, and consumables to the graphics industry and Arlon Graphics, a leading cast vinyl manufacturer offering innovative product solutions with unparalleled customer support to the sign and graphics industry, announce a new distribution partnership for the Australia region. 

Arlon and Neopost are both committed to providing exceptional customer support, technical expertise, and a diverse product portfolio to the Australian market. Neopost will bring their experience and energy to give greater accessibility to Arlon products. 

“Neopost is delighted to be announced as distributor for the Arlon product range in Australia. This partnership cements Neopost’s resolve to continue with our strategy to become THE leading partner to the sign & display industry, providing the widest range of media and print solutions to our customers that offer the highest quality, every single time,” says Stuart Macdonald, Managing Director, Neopost Australian. “We are excited to move forward as a key supplier of the Arlon range, which will no doubt help Neopost grow our product range in the sign & display space and allow us to expand our offering to our customers across the widest range of product.”

About Neopost
Neopost is a leading partner to the Australian Print Industry, working with the world’s leading manufacturers of print technology to deliver the very latest innovation to our customers. We deliver market leading technology through an extensive network of dedicated account managers and service representatives to deliver world class solutions to the Australian print sector. We have been supporting the Australian Print Sector for over 60 years and continue to innovate and partner with leading brands to offer the very best in equipment, media and support solutions to help Australian print businesses achieve growth.

About Arlon Graphics
Arlon Graphics, LLC is a cast vinyl manufacturing company in the business of creating innovative material for visual expression. Founded in 1958, Arlon Graphics manufactures and markets high-quality pressure-sensitive materials for the fleet, architectural, digital imaging, and signage markets. Through more than 180 distribution partners across the globe, a growing number of strategically-positioned sales offices and warehouses, and customer-centric operations, Arlon is recognized as a global leader in graphic films. Join the Arlon Graphics conversation and follow us at @arlongraphics on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. For more information, visit www.arlon.com.

Roland DG would like to extend its thoughts and best wishes to those who have been affected by the recent flooding in Queensland. Roland DG would like to offer assistance and provide the following information on how to best handle your electronic and production equipment in this situation to customers affected.

Water exposure can make equipment dangerous to inspect, test and operate so please use extreme caution in doing so.  

• Equipment can short out when powered on as the chassis could become 'live' and endanger lives.
• Always get professional advice before attempting to powering on electrical devices if unsure

Water damage and the after effects of water damage will impact on a machines ability to operate. 

• Water can damage production equipment, from gears to bearings, rail assemblies, motors, rollers, electronic circuitry and more.
• Rust can settle in either immediately or within a short amount of time, this is exacerbated because the water is not 'clean' and can leave residue over components and potentially create electrical shorts.
• High levels of humidity and moisture can enter your equipment.  This can, like water itself, cause issues outlined above.

Power outages and fluctuations can also have a major impact on electrical and electro-mechanical products. Over both the short and long term there are procedures that can assist you when expecting outages that should be implemented, our service people are available to advise specifically for your type of machine/s.

If you require assistance or your business has been affected, please contact our service team through service@rolanddg.com.au or call 1-800-500-119. Roland DG will provide assistance at reduced service rates to review damaged or moisture affected Roland equipment and advise condition reports for any insurance claim requirements.
 
We will endeavour to find additional ways to assist those affected from providing special disaster pricing for replacement products so please contact Roland DG for more details on how we can help get your business back up and running.
 
The Roland DG Care service team will be scheduling service runs in the affected regions from mid to late February. Should there be any questions please do not hesitate to contact Roland DG directly for assistance on 1-800-500-119. One of our staff will be more than willing to arrange assistance or offer advice.

Drytac, a leading international manufacturer of self-adhesive materials for the print, label and industrial markets, has announced the global availability of two new exciting additions to its WipeErase range of films.

Drytac ReTac WipeErase and WipeErase White are both designed to be written on with standard dry-erase markers to create a whiteboard anywhere - an ideal practical solution for environments including schools, universities, offices, hospitals, retail stores and more. In addition, their anti-graffiti properties allow for easy removal of permanent markers, while they can both be branded or decorated using UV printing technology.

Drytac's ReTac WipeErase is a 6 mil (150 micron) white dry-erase film, coated with a scratch- and stain-resistant lacquer that is guaranteed for up to ten years. The film is easy to handle, can be applied to a smooth surface and can be taken down and repositioned with no loss of adhesion and leaving no residue, thanks to its integrated ReTac Permanently Peelable Adhesive. Unlike a whiteboard, it won't suffer from ink staining or ghosting.

Shaun Holdom, Global Product  Manager at Drytac, comments: "ReTac WipeErase is ideal as a replacement for whiteboards and flip charts, where sheets can be moved around to help with visualising and planning, and then taken away for future use. It essentially provides an 'A-frame whiteboard in a tube'. This product is also hugely beneficial in a retail environment where messages need to be moved around the store relevant to specific product ranges."

These innovative attributes have already won fans in the graphics industry: ReTac WipeErase topped the Laminates, Adhesives, Films, Coatings category in the SGIA Product of the Year awards in 2018. These prestigious awards were announced ahead of the SGIA Expo 2018 in Las Vegas in October 2018 and recognised the most exciting products to be showcased at the event, selected by knowledgeable industry professionals.

Drytac's second new product, WipeErase White, has a permanent adhesive for locations where the signage will not need to be moved, such as wall coverings, restaurant menus and whiteboards. It is a 6 mil (150 micron) film with excellent durability and scratch resistance.

"The WipeErase White film incorporates Drytac's adhesive expertise to deliver a product that is very easy to apply, yet remains firmly intact for many years," explains Shaun Holdom. "When it is time to remove or replace the film, it will leave no residue and the area can have new media applied to it immediately."

As well as offering 'a whiteboard in a roll', both Drytac ReTac WipeErase and WipeErase White can be used to resurface existing whiteboards to give them a new lease of life.

Holdom explains: "Whiteboards often suffer from 'ghosting', making them look grey and shaded. In time, the pens used on these boards scratch the surface and when rubbed off leave a very faint impression of previous writing. Once this has happened, there is no way of repairing the whiteboard itself and so the ghosting needs to be put up with, or the board replaced. A sheet of one of our WipeErase products applied to a whiteboard essentially makes it as good as new and is considerably cheaper than replacing it. Do this across a whole organisation and the savings could be huge."

Océ Australia has today announced the launch of its new generation Océ ColorWave 3000 series, a reliable, flexible and productive large format colour printing system, which it says has been designed specifically ‘for the creators’.

Dale Hawkins, Senior Manager – Indirect/Marketing for Océ Australia says the easy-to-use range is ideal for those looking for a productive, accurate and versatile printer that will help build business, save time…and put more money in their pockets.

The fourth generation of Océ’s CrystalPoint colour printers, the ColorWave 3000 series has a decade of proven technology behind it, providing businesses with reliable, repeatable, accurate output on a wide range of mono or colour applications where uncompromising quality is required.

“Using distinctive Océ TonerPearls, CrystalPoint brings together the best of toner and the best of inkjet to provide a versatile, precise and instantly dry print solution that is ideal for a wide range of media and applications,” Hawkins explains, saying the two models in the new series are ‘packed’ with smart, time-saving innovations and intuitive operational features.

“The ColorWave 3000 range has been designed to deliver both high productivity and unparalleled ease of use, with automated print quality settings that deliver reliable, ‘first-time-out’ quality and ‘set and forget’, intervention-free operation,” he says.

“The Océ ColorWave 3500 has been designed for worry-free, ‘walk up’ printing of CAD documents, plans, maps and the like, at the high level of precise detail required by corporates and businesses in sectors like architecture, engineering and construction.”

“Its stablemate, the Océ ColorWave 3700, provides higher media capacity and versatility, as well as superb rendering which captures every detail perfectly. This makes it the perfect choice for reprographic applications where that level of precision is a must, as well as superior, photo-quality graphics and other commercial digital print applications.”

As well as being so easy to use that even inexperienced operators can get outstanding, reliable results, both machines are exceptionally versatile, printing on a wide range of media from thin uncoated stocks like 80gsm bond to vinyls, without compromising on quality.

“CrystalPoint printing technology means that the image is totally independent of the media, so you can choose the right media for your application and be sure of getting consistent results,” Hawkins says. “Prints are delivered dry off the machine and are both robust and water resistant, giving them a certified archival lifetime of at least 100 years.”

Featuring the kind of benefits for which Océ has become renown among print service providers, Hawkins says the technical expertise and market experience of the Netherlands-based manufacturer is evident in every aspect of these machines.

“There’s Océ’s workflow software which makes job changes seamless, media capacity of up to six rolls for fast changeover between jobs without sacrificing productivity and even Océ ImageLogic scanning technology which turns imperfect originals into perfect prints using advanced image enhancement,” he says.

“On the 3700 Océ step it up even further with Océ MediaSense, which automatically adjusts the gap between the imaging device and the media, to ensure superb high quality output without manual adjustments.

“The result is a finely-tuned, beautifully engineered machine which will allow printers the ability to grow their applications volumes and expand their product range to capitalise on profitable new revenue streams while enjoying higher profit margins and faster return on investment.”

Add great environmental and OH&S credentials – CrystalPoint emits no fine dust, ozone or odour – and reliable, low-maintenance performance, backed by technical and service support from Océ Australia’s dedicated national team – and the new range ticks all the boxes.

“At the end of the day, building business success is about capitalizing on opportunities and building profitability,” Hawkins says. “With the poster printer option on the CW3700, you can move into the Graphic Arts applications while still maintaining your revenue from CAD prints using one single machine. The Océ ColorWave 3000 series, allows you to say ‘yes’ to more jobs, more often … and keep more dollars in your own pocket.”

The Océ ColorWave 3000 series are now available from Océ Australia www.oce.com.au

When he’s not helping customers or working with state-of-art printing technology, Andrew Ward, Konica Minolta’s NSW Sales Manager for Production and Strategic Sales, dedicates his time to ‘Head Above Water’, a fundraising group formed to positively affect Mental Health on the Northern Beaches. 

Shocked by the rate of suicide on the Northern Beaches and the negative effects of poor mental health, Andrew and a bunch of his mates got together and decided to take action. The name they chose, is a reflection of the need to implement exercise as a key strategy that contributes to positive mental health and a sense of wellbeing. It also takes into account that having good mental health is a daily proposition that needs attention. 


(Andrew in the blue top)

The people behind the charity are all volunteers giving up their time to try and make a difference.  

“We are hoping to raise money via entry fees and donations to individual swimmers and swim teams,” says Andrew. “We’re also seeking lane sponsors and naming sponsors for the event. With your valuable support we know we can make a huge difference to mental health awareness, not just in the Northern Beaches, but across Australia.”

Head Above Water is running a 24 hour swim-a-thon at the Collaroy Rock Pool, raising money for Gotcha4Life. Their event will be held on the 16th & 17th March. So far the swim has attracted a lot of interest and over 100 swimmers have registered, 5 of these will be from the NSW branch at Konica Minolta. Overall, the team is hoping to attract 300+ swimmers and raise $80-100K for this really worthwhile cause. 
 
If you’d like to take part in the swim-a-thon, donate or look at sponsorship opportunities, the follow these links 
• Register to swim and raise money
• Donate
 
It’s a great opportunity to help a worthy cause. For more information, please visit www.headabovewater.com.au

Pozitve Signs and Graphics Supplies, in conjunction with Ritrama and Auto Artisan Group, are hosting an 'Introduction to Vinyl Application Course' on the 26th and 27th of February. 

There are only limited places for each day, so you have to be quick to reserve your place. 

The course costs $195, which includes lunch, drinks and tool kit.



Check out the Pozitive Ute wrapped with Ritrama Slide and Tack film
https://youtu.be/jriBSCx_GKk

To register, visit: https://pozitive.com.au/product/application-course

Scodix, a provider of digital enhancement solutions for the graphic arts industry, announced the commercial launch of the Scodix Ultra 101 and the Scodix Ultra 202 Digital Enhancement Presses. The Scodix family of presses, including the Scodix Ultra 101 and the Scodix Ultra 202, was developed to meet the increased demand for business-generating digital enhancement and allow print service providers of all sizes to target new revenue opportunities.

Designed as a stepping stone into the world of digital enhancement, the Scodix Ultra 101 is fully compatible with offset and HP Indigo presses. Seamless integration ensures print providers can maximize their uptime and crucially, expand their throughput. The Scodix Ultra 101 offers six Scodix enhancements including Scodix Sense, Scodix Foil, Scodix Metallic, Scodix VDE, Scodix Glitter and Scodix Cast&Cure, plus combinations of all of the above, offering users a competitive business differentiator. The Scodix Ultra 101 solution is making its worldwide debut at the HP Indigo Global VIP customer event on February 12th. The full capabilities of the Scodix Ultra 101 will be demonstrated with HP Indigo 12000 HD Digital press.

“Delivering visually striking and tactile enhancements, Scodix adds great value to HP Indigo prints,” states Alon Bar-Shany, General Manager, HP Indigo Division, HP Inc. adding, “The introduction of the new Scodix Ultra 101 is further testament to the company’s innovation and will increase applications and business opportunities for HP Indigo customers.”

The Scodix Ultra 202 ‘full feature’ Digital Enhancement Press provides customers with the largest array of enhancement capabilities in the industry today. This press produces unmatched quality – quickly and cost-effectively – enabling print providers to increase their throughput and creating business opportunities. Users have the freedom to print enhancements on paper, lamination, a variety of water-based coatings, PVC and carton, opening the door to a succession of new applications.

All nine of the Scodix applications run efficiently on the Scodix Ultra 202 press, replacing the need for separate systems on the production floor and preserving a small footprint. By incorporating digital enhancement, print providers can expand their service offering with attention-grabbing applications. These include premium business/greeting cards, folders, head-turning book covers, audience-engaging brochures, stand-out labels and packaging.

Scodix brings numerous benefits to a range of industries, including commercial print, direct mail, folding cartons, point of display, web2print, security markings and many more with a focus on fine details.

Adina Shorr, CEO at Scodix, concludes, “By adding these new systems to our portfolio, we are increasing the number of customers that can employ Scodix and ‘turn print into an experience’.

“The Scodix Ultra 202 promises to be our flagship product, with the widest range of applications and substrate compatibility in the market, while the brand-new Scodix Ultra 101 provides a taste of that, allowing smaller printers to add luxurious embellishments and personalisation that sells brands, whilst protecting profitability.”

Roland DG Australia, a leading manufacturer of wide format inkjet printers and 3D devices, today announced the launch of a new $5,000 cash back Trade-In program for the TrueVIS VG Series Printer Cutters.

Recently, the TrueVIS VG Series was awarded the BLI Buyers Lab top choice for image quality and productivity through its unparalleled colour output, reliability and integrated print and cut versatility. To celebrate this honour Roland DG are offering customers the opportunity to upgrade to the latest TrueVIS VG Series Printer Cutter, and receive $5,000 cash back when trading in their old wide format printer.

To qualify for the $5,000 cash back offer, purchase a TrueVIS VG-540 or VG-640 wide format printer cutter before March 8th 2019, then register the old printer for trade-in, it’s that easy. Roland DG will verify and arrange for the collection of the old printer and provide the cash back*.

For more details and to register your trade-in, visit www.rolanddg.com.au/vgtrade-in, or contact Roland DG on 1800 500 119. 

Working in partnership with cross-media marketing specialist TagG Informatique, SCREEN Europe announces today the commercial availability of a fully-integrated native IPDS (Intelligent Printer Data Stream) controller. Thus, enabling compatibility with the latest IS/3 and MO standard: DCA GA (Graphic Arts) accredited by the AFP consortium, for use with its range of high-speed, continuous feed printers in the Truepress Jet520 series.

Recognising that an IPDS interface is essential for printers needing to protect the integrity and confidentiality of data, Screen partnered with TagG and its subsidiary, R&D Tech Research, because of the company’s excellent track record integrating IPDS controllers with OEM equipment.

“TagG’s expertise in this area combined with the strength of our relationship made them the obvious partner, and we’re delighted with the outcome of this joint venture. TagG has developed an efficient solution that is extremely reliable,” states Takanori Kakita, President at Screen Europe.

As a cross-media marketing company, TagG has an annual production of over 300 million printed A4 pages per year and 50 million folds posted per year. The company is a pioneer of VDP in France and through the development of new software and adaptation of new technologies, its R&D department revolutionizes personalization and offers new perspectives to creative and marketing departments. TagG has been using the Truepress Jet520HD with IPDS controller at its production site in Entrelacs, Savoie.

Stuart Tootill, Systems Engineer at Screen Europe, adds, “Not only are we delivering IPDS functionality, but users can also use Equios workflow on the same press. This provides access to functionality such as advanced colour management, automated pre-flighting and PDF fixing for jobs that don’t require the security of IPDS. We are seeing more printers that typically use IPDS getting more PDF work, so this flexibility is a huge plus point for printers who want to serve different markets or run different kinds of jobs on the same press.”

With the introduction of IPDS, transactional and security printers have more freedom to use Screen’s Truepress Jet520 series, with confidence that data is transient and secure, whilst closed-loop technology ensures 100 percent delivery. This includes the highly productive flagship Truepress Jet520HD+ press, offering exceptional offset quality for commercial printing and supporting a wide range of paper stocks including standard offset coated papers, without the need for pre-treatment. The IPDS controller can also feed the Truepress Jet520NX press, supporting not only transactional printing, but also direct mail, transpromo, and book printing, which allows customers to extend their markets. Both presses will be showcased at HID 2019 in Lucerne, Switzerland, from February 25-28th.

TagG Informatique Founder Hervé Lesseur adds, “We enjoy our close relationship Screen and it’s been a pleasure to collaborate on this project. Screen has a fantastic reputation in the market for reliability and productivity, with the addition of the TagG IPDS controller we’re delighted that more printers will have access to that across the globe.”

The future of the retail industry is beginning to look much different than many predicted. While it seemed for a while that online shopping would dominate the retail scene, millennials and Generation Z have surprisingly begun to show a preference for shopping in brick-and-mortar locations. 

Around 40% of consumers make purchases inside of physical stores at least once a week, with over half citing reasons such as not wanting to wait for delivery or wanting to see a product in-store before buying. Point-of-purchase (POP) displays have long been an essential marketing tool for brick and mortar stores. Customers want fresh, new experiences and the right POP display will help provide that.

POP Displays Provide Desired In-Store Experience

POP displays are meant to present consumers with something fresh, new, and exciting as they approach checkout. These displays enhance consumers' retail experiences while showcasing unique products. Marketers utilising POP displays have the option to issue calls-to-action and do a little bit of storytelling to get consumers familiar with and interested in their brands.

Aiming to get the best consumer reactions from your POP display should be item number one on a marketer or retailer's agenda. Fresh and enticing features, such as digital displays, should work effectively to capture consumer attention and allow retailers to make changes to displayed information quickly. When designing POP displays, consider incorporating the following:

Interactivity

Interactive displays that give consumers an experience in-store are fantastic ways to catch the attention of the consumer and nudge them toward the sales cycle. Examples include secure video game console displays or makeup testing options, which give consumers hands-on opportunities to interact with the product.

The option to touch, feel, or test products when applicable is paramount to purchasing decisions. Consumers are turning back to brick-and-mortar because they want to see the products they are considering in person.

Brand Identity

POP displays should give consumers a taste of the brand the product represents. Consumers in younger generations, especially, are looking to feel a connection with the products they buy—they want to feel good about the purchases they make.

By customising POP displays to showcase innovative design and marketing techniques, marketers can project the things they value, such as minimalism, eco-friendly practices, or social sustainability.

Personal Connections

Consumers seek out brands that they feel good about. They want to have a medium to connect with the world around them and the causes they care about when they make purchasing decisions. Through showcasing aspects of a business that highlight these things, a retailer or marketer can anticipate a positive consumer response.

Every Retailer Has Its Place

Retail marketing has seen a turbulent decade. Forecasts have shifted dramatically as retailers try to pin down trends in a volatile and disrupted market. With the rising popularity and efficiency of the internet, brick-and-mortar retailers feared what the future would bring. Luckily, older and younger generations alike seem to be heading in-store once again for many of their purchases, suggesting that brick-and-mortar and online retail can co-exist after all.

Interactive, fresh POP displays will remain a relevant and effective way to drive interest and sales from customers who come looking to get a taste of what they're buying before they part with their funds.

AstroNova, Inc. has announced that its Product Identification group has launched the QuickLabel QL-300, a new product the company says is world’s first 5-colour, toner-based tabletop printer designed specifically for production label printing.

The QL-300 goes beyond the traditional 4-colour (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) printing process by adding white toner, giving customers the ability to print white and CMYK in 1200 dpi (dots per inch) high resolution in a single pass. The benefit of toner EP (electrophotographic) technology includes label print that is durable, water-fast and UV resistant.

The QL-300 expands printing labels from traditional white or light-coloured materials to also include transparent/clear, black, Kraft paper, metallic silver and gold coloured label materials. The AstroNova Materials Research Lab has tested and approved a wide variety of label materials, from economical to premium, that are compatible with this printer.

The addition of white toner expands the creative labelling opportunities for industries such as personal care, cosmetics, food and beverage, beer and wine, chemical, e-liquids and many others.

QuickLabel’s newest printing solution is being unveiled at WestPack, which takes place today through Thursday at the Anaheim Convention Centre. Visitors to the AstroNova booth (#5439) will be able to view live demos of the QL-300 along with the expansive product lineup from both the QuickLabel and TrojanLabel AstroNova business units.

“In 1994, we introduced the world’s first tabletop digital colour label printer.  Now 25 years later we’ve achieved another major industry breakthrough with the QL-300 that can print full colour plus white,” said AstroNova President and CEO Greg Woods. “Unlike office machines, the QL-300 was developed from the ground up as a full-production label printer in a compact tabletop footprint that easily adapts into the print workflow of any business.”

The QL-300 prints label widths ranging from 1.0” to 5.0” and features roll-to-cut or roll-to-roll operation. With a built-in automatic cutter that allows for single-pass printing, label waste is eliminated. The QL-300 also includes a free license to CQL Pro, QuickLabel’s advanced labelling software that allows users to effortlessly design, manage and print their own labels.

“Because AstroNova is the only full solution provider in this industry, we are also releasing today an updated version of CQL Pro, our industry-leading design software, to support the QL-300 and a broad range of new label media types,” Woods said. “By tightly integrating the operation of our hardware, software and supplies, customers are assured of optimal results and outstanding labels.”

Colordyne Technologies, a manufacturer of full colour digital inkjet label and tag printers, has released an enhanced entry-level label printer, the 1800 Series C. The addition to Colordyne's suite of products provides brand owners and private label manufacturers with affordable and versatile in-house label and tag printing capabilities.

The 1800 Series C is a continuous printer for on-demand short run label and tag production. The press features a flat, unobstructed printing path and redesigned printhead maintenance station. These press enhancements eliminate the need to break the web to clean the printhead during runs, increasing run lengths and improving print quality.

"Colordyne's newest system provides additional features that customers have been looking for in our entry-level benchtop solutions," says Taylor Buckthorpe, director of sales at Colordyne Technologies. "This includes an on-press job library that allows brands to better manage their label inventory on-demand, eliminating the need to manage a stock of pre-printed labels and reducing waste from unused label inventory."

The job library can be accessed through the 1800 Series C's on-press touch screen user interface. The touch screen improves the user experience by providing quicker access to frequently used printer functions, such as: printhead maintenance, job setup, media settings and more. Additionally, the user interface was designed to be easy to use, so operators of any skill level can run and maintain the printer.

"Companies are looking for a solution to affordably print smaller label quantities in a just-in-time business model," says Buckthorpe. "The 1800 Series C gives brand owners and private label manufacturers the opportunity to bring high-quality label printing in-house. These companies are increasing their productivity, expanding marketing capabilities and improving customer satisfaction."

The 1800 Series C can run in multiple modes, including: print-to-cut, fanfold and roll-to-roll, when used with optional unwind and rewind attachments. The 1800 Series C prints in full colour (CMYKK) using a single Memjet water-based dye printhead and ink set. The press can print at a premium resolution of 1600 x 1600 dpi and run at speeds up to 60 fpm.

Vale – Jeff Gittus 1959 – 2019

The Active family, and much of the Australian print and manufacturing industry is mourning the loss of Jeff Gittus, founder of Active Display Group.

Jeff passed away peacefully on Friday after undergoing his second lung transplant a little over 2 weeks earlier.

Jeff founded Active Sites Alive in 1985 after establishing his own signage business from home only 5 years earlier.

Through Jeff’s vision, personality and nature, Active has provided employment for thousands of people for over 30 years.

It’s an extremely sad time for the people at Active, their clients and the retail marketing industry at large.

Jeff was part of many industry organisations, including a pioneering founder of POPAI (now Shop!) in Australia. 

Jeff considered everyone at Active to be his family, and family was at the heart of what he valued most.

On behalf of all the industry, we pass on our condolences to Jeff's family and the team at Active. 

Epson has again been recognised this year as one of the 2018-19 Derwent Top 100 Global Innovators. They are also amongst the best of the best being one of only 35 organisations to have been recognised for the eighth year in a row since the inception of the program in 2011. These innovators exhibit consistently strong performance in successfully obtaining rights to their innovation, seeking wide protection and global markets for potential products and services based on that innovation and are recognised by their peers as creating leading innovation for others to build on.

Clarivate Analytics cited reasons for Epson’s inclusion in the top innovators list including the fact that Epson regularly files high volumes of patent applications and had good success this year in converting these to granted patent rights. 

They also showed improved performance in global filing of inventions filing more within the Quadrilateral authorities (US, Japan, China and Europe) than last year. 

Epson holds many patents globally and is working with patent agencies in 20 countries or more at any given time. 
 
“It is an honour to be selected as one of the Top 100 Global Innovators for the eighth consecutive year,” said Toshiya Takahata, executive officer and general administrative manager at Epson. As stated in its Management Philosophy, Epson seeks to become an indispensable company, an ambition that Epson considers to be consistent with the realisation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. We will continue to conduct our business and pursue intellectual property activities with the aim of creating a sustainable society.”

For more details about Epson's intellectual property activities go to: https://global.epson.com/innovation/intellectual_property/ 

The Gallus Labelfire E 340 features CMYK plus digital white, and is intended to provide a different entry point to those looking to produce lowest cost, digital, finished labels in a single pass on an industrial platform.

Launched in 2016, the Gallus Labelfire 340 is an 8-colour digital production system combining UV inkjet printing with in-line embellishment and converting. The inkjet system, co-developed with Heidelberg, features state-of-the-art, 1200 dpi inkjet heads from Fujifilm. Gallus Labelfire E 340 features the same 1200 x 1200 dpi image quality, without orange, violet and green inks.

Gallus stated that the new model can be configured based on the current needs of the customer to provide the lowest cost of entry when it comes to getting started with digital hybrid label printing. The whole system is integrated into Heidelberg’s Prinect print media workflow. Those customers who purchase the five-colour Labelfire will have the ability to upgrade to eight colours and add further embellishing options including screen, cold foil, additional flexo, as the need arises or their business grows.

Michael Ring, head of digital solutions at Gallus, said: ‘We have many customers who want to get into digital hybrid printing, but do not need the complete high-end, fully featured configuration that an 8-colour Labelfire provides. This new 5-colour version allows them to get started in the digital arena but still provides the flexibility for expansion in the future while protecting their initial investment.’

Gallus Labelfire E 340 is available worldwide immediately. Deliveries are expected to start in April.

HP Graphics Solutions Business has launched a personalisation framework, The Personalisation Pinwheel, intended to help brands to accelerate business growth and increase consumer engagement.

Informed by insights from more than 45 million online conversations in four markets across the globe, the framework hones in on what motivates consumers to personalise – from photo books to magazine covers to consumer packaged goods – and how brands can capitalise on those motivations. 


An accompanying infographic outlines the value of the personalised gift market as $31 billion USD by 2021, up 55 percent from 2016 according to statistics from Technavio. Some 70 percent of shoppers are said to be willing to pay at least 10 percent more for personalised products. Figures from Deloitte identify more than 50 percent of Millenials and Gen Z expressing a desire for personalised products. 

Nancy Janes, global head of brand innovation at HP, explained: ‘Personalisation is a powerful tool to create meaningful experiences with consumers. It increases brand loyalty and engagement and at the same time accelerates business growth and speed to market. HP’s digital printing capabilities are transforming how consumers connect to brands through personalised packaging and products.’

Charles Ohiaeri, chief fulfilment officer at Zazzle, added: ‘In our eyes, personalisation encompasses far more than just customised or stylised products; it’s about how we can intelligently curate and contour the whole experience for those in our community – makers, designers and consumers alike. HP’s digital printing solutions allow us to serve our customers in ways we would not have considered previously.’

The six spokes of The Personalisation Pinwheel cover:

• Fingerprinting: driving market share through collectability of unique items;
• Flying Your Flag: driving engagement by personalising products according to heritage/codes;
• Letting It All Hang Out: increasing connection with Millennials and Gen Z by celebrating consumer stories individually;
• Permission to Indulgence: allowing consumers to tailor their experience of the world to their own unique preferences;
• Bringing Bonds to Life: growing penetration by expanding into gifting and e-commerce through fully customised products; and
• Mindful Materialism: building value and differentiating through purpose by enabling consumers to express their own voice in solving social or environmental issues.