The events will mark the arrival of the range in those countries, followed by a phased rollout initially in France and Spain, and then other countries in the coming months.

Fujifilm Business Innovation is said to be the number one supplier of A3 multifunction printers in the Asia Pacific region. Prior to the European launch, none of these devices had been available under the Fujifilm brand except in the Asia Pacific region.

Fujifilm will be offering the A3 multifunction printers, Apeos series, with a focus on productivity, reliability, and growing demands in the work environment. The printers are explained to provide uncompromising usability, enhanced security, with quick and simple operability to support user’s success in Europe.

Built on Fujifilm’s decades of print knowledge, the Apeos range is designed for the modern workplace. From remote/mobile printing capabilities to security features, including its BLI security validation (Keypoint Intelligence) and sustainability credentials, Apeos is a multifunction printer range capable of supporting digital transformation to meet the rapidly changing and diverse demands of the post-Covid environment.

A described key feature of the Apeos series is its quality. The series has a print resolution of 1200 x 2400dpi, capable of printing on versatile media with speeds ranging from 20-70 pages per minute. The range’s IReCT, digital image adjustment technology, minimises colour mis-registration. The useability/reliability of the range means accelerated operations with no wait time, supported by its described easy navigation with UI and attention light.

The series has adopted IH fusing technologies that reduce energy consumption. Also equipped with LED printheads that enables energy saving design, means the range of printers is sustainable. The developed super EA-Eco toner contributes to reducing power consumption achieving low-temperature fusing.

Advanced scanning functions support the digitalisation process with features including searchable OCR, automatic orientation of scanned page to upright position and correcting the skewed page or removing blank pages.

Taku Ueno, senior vice president, device technology division of Fujifilm Europe, commented, ’It’s hugely exciting to be entering the European office printer market after our entry into the toner production printer business in Europe in 2021. We’ve had tremendous success in the last three years introducing high quality Fujifilm branded production printers to the market, and the launch of our office printers is the natural next step.’

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Reconomy combines technology and skills to enable businesses to better manage their resources, helping to reduce waste, optimise their supply chains and contribute in a meaningful way towards the circular economy.

While this involves working directly with print companies, Reconomy has also partnered with several leading manufacturers and distributors, supporting its customers with textile waste management. One such partnership is with Soyang Europe, whereby printers using materials from Soyang Europe can responsibly dispose of their waste.

This partnership came about three years ago with the support of Fespa UK. Reconomy was working on sustainability initiatives with Fespa, while Soyang Europe is a long-term member of the association.

The process works with Reconomy providing customers with a baler to prepare their textile waste. Soyang Europe then collects the bales when delivering new products to customers, with the waste taken to its facility in Altham in Lancashire ready for bulk collection and transportation to a recycling facility for processing.

‘It was a perfect fit,’ said Reconomy’s director Jon Hutton. ‘Soyang has always been proactive in wanting to offer their customers, and the wider industry, waste management solutions for their products.

‘Sustainability is a hot topic for several reasons. Brands and consumers are looking down the supply chain for environmental credentials, so it’s therefore a driving factor in how to not only maintain and gain business, but how a printer positions themselves for the long term.’

Mark Mashiter, managing director at Soyang Europe, added, ‘It provides our customers with an outlet for their waste. This works well with local customers when we deliver orders to them; we can bring any textile bales back with us and store them in our yard until they are collected.’

Originally, Reconomy had sourced a solution for recycling PVC banner and polyester fabrics at a UK site, whereby waste was blended with other polymers to produce low grade products. While this process ended when more desirable material became available to the market, a recovery route was soon set up and, with the support of Wheeldon Brothers, waste could now be diverted from landfill to renewable energy.

However, recycling has since been re-established and material is again being used in manufacturing processes. Coupled with its use for renewable energy, all of this is helping work towards a circular economy.

An additional benefit to the service is that Soyang Europe is willing to take other supplier’s waste textiles along with its own. This option is available to customers using their own transport within a set radius of Soyang Europe’s facility and when making deliveries.

‘Soyang Europe wants to be part of the environmental solution and not the problem,’ Jon said. ‘The take-back scheme provides a platform for printers to demonstrate their sustainability by providing customers with an outlet for their recycling waste.

‘Several customers have engaged with Reconomy further and are now collecting their own clients’ end-of-campaign textiles, integrating this with the collection of their materials. All loads are tracked, and Certificates of Recycling can be issued once the material has been processed.’

The work does not stop here for Reconomy, with Mr Hutton saying the company will continue to work with Soyang Europe, Fespa UK and its wider membership base to provide more sustainable solutions to the UK industry. 

‘It’s our aim to continue to be a driving force in educating the industry on the importance of recycling and developing circular economies,’ Mr Hutton said. ‘This, with the continued support of Soyang Europe, will ensure more customers take up this service.’

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InkTec Europe says it has grown over the last year as a manufacturer and supplier of large format printers, media and inks and that Ms Thirlby’s promotion reflects InkTec’s expanding operations in the UK, Europe and at its headquarters in South Korea.

Joey Kim, managing director of InkTec Europe, commented, ‘As InkTec continues to grow with new product developments being launched and more in the pipeline, it’s an ideal time for Michelle to assume the role of operations director. Her leadership will be key in further building our business and maintaining high-quality, uninterrupted customer support.’

Ms Thirlby said, ‘I’ve faced a variety of challenges during my time so far at InkTec so far, and this promotion allows me to continue building and developing the operations side of the business to push the company forwards. My core focus will be to ensure continuous operational development and support for our customers, while also working closely with the team.’

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Manufacturer of inkjet printers and cutting technologies, exclusively distributed in the UK and Ireland by Hybrid Services, Mimaki Europe has looked to long serving Mr Terashima to take the company forward.

Starting his career at Mimaki in 1997 as part of the R&D department, Mr Terashima has developed his knowledge of Mimaki’s technology portfolio and the surrounding market over the past 26 years.

Prior to his new role, Mr Terashima was senior general manager of the Asia Oceania business unit, a position he first started in 2017. Formerly to this, he spent six months as senior deputy general manager of quality management between April and October 2017.

Mr Terashima’s career path has also led him to work beyond Mimaki’s headquarters in Japan, in positions across the company’s branches. He spent four years as managing director of Mimaki Singapore between 2013 and 2017, and he also worked at Mimaki USA early in his career as part of the technical support staff.

Mimaki Europe’s new managing director aims to bring his industry expertise, analytical thinking, business, and team-building skills, as well as his extensive company knowledge, to this new role.

Excited by this latest challenge, Mr Terashima commented, ‘Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the European headquarters, we can look back on the past two decades proudly, thanks to the ongoing hard-work and effort of the team.

‘Looking to the future, it is key to ensure our principles of innovation, collaboration, and sustainability continue to drive us to provide excellence for our customers.

‘Being part of this company and the print industry for over 25 years, I am committed to taking Mimaki into the next 20 years of success.’

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Located in Aalsmeer, close to Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport, the facility houses offices, warehousing and distribution, and a demonstration hall where a range of the company’s products are presented.

A Truepress Jet demonstration during the grand opening of the new Screen Europe Inkjet Innovation Center

Machines on show in the 2000sqm showroom and demonstration centre include those from the Truepress Jet family for commercial printing and direct mail, Truepress Label for label printing, and the new Truepress Pac range for flexible packaging. Screen Europe’s computer-to-plate (CtP) product range is on show also.

Eiji Kakiuchi, chairman of Screen Holdings, said, ‘Establishing the Inkjet Innovation Center reflects our confidence in the status of the printing industry and Screen’s position as a leading player in the market for inkjet digital printing equipment.

‘We outgrew our previous building due to our solid and steady growth in existing inkjet and CtP markets; we also needed more space for the next wave of industrial inkjet digital innovations for both existing markets, such as label and commercial, as well as new markets such as flexible packaging.’

Osamu Yamagata, the recently appointed president at Screen Europe, said, ‘In addition to showcasing our expanding range of digital printers, the Inkjet Innovation Center will serve as a hub for innovations in digital printing. Collaborating closely with our software and finishing partners, our aim is to provide customers with end-to-end printing solutions, offering a glimpse into the future of the printing industry.’

The opening of Screen Europe’s new headquarters featured an official ribbon cutting ceremony, whilst Japanese drummers marked the occasion with a performance of traditional Taiko drums.

The event was attended by a number of distinguished guests, including AJ Kakiuchi, chairman of Screen Holdings, Yukiyoshi Tanaka, president at Screen Graphic Solutions, and Takanori Kakita, advisor at Screen Graphic Solutions, as well as Mr Kakiuchi and Mr Yamagata, alongside the Mayor of Aalsmeer, Gido Oude Kotte.

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Founded in 2016, B_RD focuses on creativity, production, logistics and installation on retail, event and hospitality projects. Working with clients throughout the entire process, from the initial concept to the final delivery of the project, B_RD is committed to offering customers a wide range of production options. With the demand for sustainable print among clients on the rise, B_RD has recently updated its printing technology with two HP Latex printers said to offer ‘more planet friendly technology’.

Company founder and CEO Ben Needham noted that this double investment means B_RD is now in a position to win work within its competitors’ group, as well as expand into higher volume distribution. One example of this is that the agency is now working more in the experiential production industry as the HP printers also help with the 3D side of its business.

Following the success of this investment, B_RD now has plans to establish a similar setup at its other locations around the world to support growth across the wider business.

‘We are delighted to be partnering with HP as our print supplier and we have ambitious plans for the future for replicating what we have set up in the UK across the US, Europe and Dubai in the Middle East,’ Mr Needham concluded.

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In February 2023, the digital fluid applicator (DFA) system, sold by Ricoh and installed inline with the Ricoh Pro VC70000 web inkjet, has offered Isiprint the ability to remoisten paper, thus preventing problems associated with uncontrolled reabsorption of moisture.

Olivier Guermouh, managing partner of Estimprim and Isiprint, explained, ‘We produce magazines and books for major publishers, ranging from 100 to 1500 copies. Although our printing is of a high quality, we were looking to improve the finished product, which was affected by the defects inherent in rotary inkjet printing. Coated paper tended to curl or change format slightly, and this was visible on the inside pages which, as it regained moisture, protruded from the cover.’

Curling and shrinkage are common problems with web inkjet printing; drying ink on printed paper requires a high temperature to evaporate the moisture in the ink, which also causes the substrate to dry out. Paper with a low moisture content is likely to break and crack. And being hygroscopic, it also tends to reabsorb moisture, resulting in curling, wavy edges and variations in format.

Compatible with all digital web inkjet presses, Contiweb’s DFA mixes tap water with a surfactant (with silicone oil optional) and applies it via steel contact rollers mechanically pressed against the paper web. Fabric sleeves around the rollers ensure even moisture distribution and remoistening can be applied independently to each side of the web. The DFA is placed inline between the printer and the rewinder and directly supplied with running water. Mr Guermouth explained, ‘We then indicate the quantity of water required for a print run, depending on the type of paper and ink load. Very little maintenance is required.

‘Since we’ve been using the DFA, we haven’t had any problems with humidity. The inside pages retain their original format, and curling has been considerably reduced. We can now offer high-quality colour printing with the Ricoh Pro VC70000 inkjet press, without any restrictions on the type of paper we use.’

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Mr Fox has 35 years of selling experience in the industry, having started as an apprentice at MET Graphics back in the late 1980’s. He joined Mayday Graphic Products in 1991 and worked there for 26 years before being part of a management buyout in 2017.

He commented, ‘The acquisition and merging of the two businesses accelerated our growth and Ultraflex Europe is now a sizeable business focussing on the speedy supply of stocked high performance wide format, digital print media to the market.’

‘I’ve enjoyed being a part of the consolidation and I’m looking forward to focusing on driving sales. We are now supplying several larger direct customers and distributors with a much broader range of products. These include rigid and roll media, like first class mesh, front-lit, back-lit and block-out outdoor banners, printable textiles, rigid foam PVC boards and many speciality materials. We hope in time our new partnership with Agfa will help our consumable business grow along with sales of equipment. But the 3.2 and 5m roll market accounts for the largest proportion of our sales and it is where we will continue to specialise.’

Clint Green, managing director of Ultraflex Europe, said of the appointment, ‘We were delighted that Jim Fox came with the Mayday Graphics business when it was acquired, and he has been instrumental in reassuring customers and bedding in new processes over the past three years.  It’s now a logical time to appoint him as sales director of the combined business, Ultraflex Europe, and I am delighted he has taken on the challenge and confident he will continue to grow sales.’

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Mr Luedtke will take over from Thomas Kirschner on 1 July 2023. After 25 years as the company’s founder and CEO, including during the company’s acquisition by Ricoh in 2018, Mr Kirschner will remain with Colorgate as an advisor until January 2024.

Mr Luedtke has a degree in printing technology and more than two decades in the digital printing industry. He joined Colorgate in 2019 as CMO, having held senior positions beforehand at companies such as Heidelberg, Best, EFI and Kornit Digital.

During his tenure as CMO, Mr Luedtke helped reposition Colorgate towards not only sign and display printing, but also in various industrial applications, including surface decoration, garment decoration, packaging and ceramic printing.

Commenting on the new challenge ahead, Mr Luedtke said, ‘Every digital printer and decorator can benefit from what Colorgate has to offer. We provide key software technology that improves colour consistency, streamlines print data generation, and enables automation. We also offer comprehensive training and services to ensure successful operation. I am excited to take the reins from a successful founder and CEO. The technology, coupled with the passion and drive of the team, provides a strong foundation from which we will venture into new opportunities and projects to further expand our horizons.’

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The ColorCut SC6000 is a free-standing, on-demand digital sheet cutter and creaser, with no physical cutting dies or set-up costs. It is targeted at those seeking an affordable, high-capacity device, capable of unattended cutting.

John Brailsford Printers, a Rotherham shop-fronted business, reviewed several potential products. Company owner John Brailsford remarked, ‘We had looked at a variety of potential solutions, but nothing was quite suited to our needs. Either they were too expensive, were overly complex, or they still needed dies to be produced. The previous Intec machine, the SC5000 was close, but not quite large enough to handle the range of stock that we needed to process. We thought we were just going to have to stick to outsourcing any work that required die cutting.

A call from Ray Hillhouse at Morgana introduced the SC6000 to Brailsford, which overcame the limitations of the smaller model. The SC6000 is a hybrid automated cutter that blends flatbed and sheet-fed technologies, to give a maximum working area of 340 x 710mm, plus  a range of updated features.

Mr Brailsford added, ‘We introduced the SC6000 to our studio people initially. They were able to easily understand the ‘front-end’ of the machine. The output from the studio, including cutting requirements and run length, is encapsulated in a QR code, meaning that all the people at the post-press end of the factory need to concern themselves with is selecting the right stock and scanning the QR code printed on the job.

‘This machine is quite amazing. The results have been quite superb. We keep thinking up new ways of using it – with labels, for example, we are now running through our stock of pre-cut labels, and then we can simply use the SC6000 to kiss-cut the labels for us on plain adhesive-backed stock. That means any sized, or shaped, self-adhesive label is possible, and we don’t need to have the expense of holding any stock of various sized at all.’

Mr Brailsford said, ‘The feeder is a critical element for such a machine, and this one is amazing! It will feed virtually any stock, it seems, eliminating any static issues, and the potential for any doubles.’

Accordind to Morgana, particular attention was paid to the feeding system to ensure good performance levels for card, vinyl labels, or even laminated sheets. The SC6000’s auto feeder accepts up to 900 sheets, raising or lowering as required. 

‘We had been sending work such as short-run boxes, pocket folders, and various other cut-outs, to an external supplier. That kind of work has definitely been on the increase, so this really was the right time for us to bring such tasks in-house – it’s going to cut our outwork bill significantly, and therefore will pay for itself in no time,’ added Mr Brailsford.

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