If drupa has made one thing clear: Digital printing is definitely here to stay. Many manufacturers and companies now see their business success as dependent on their digital capabilities.
If one thing was clear at drupa, it was that the digital future is here to stay. However, analogue presses with their modern capabilities are here to stay. Both technologies will co-exist, depending on the application. Side by side, however, also means that every company should be thinking about digital printing now, if it hasn't already done so, and investing in these additional portfolio expansions.
According to Smithers' latest report, the inkjet printing market alone will grow to 117.7 billion US dollars by 2029. That's an annual growth rate of 6.6 per cent. This will increase the total market value at constant prices to 162.1 billion US dollars by 2029. Over the same period, the volume of publications, graphic media, packaging and labels will increase from 1.61 trillion A4 print equivalents to 2.29 trillion print equivalents. This growth contrasts with the general outlook for printing, where production will essentially stagnate for the rest of the decade, according to Smithers. Added to this are the market shares of toner-based printing, which must also be added to the overall digital print volume, particularly through digital printing solutions for various applications and also general printing, short-run commercial printing in copy shops, for example.
The global increase in digitalisation in an increasingly networked world also means that consumers can choose their publication channels, their preferred reception channels. For various applications, print runs will decrease, which will benefit digital printing as it can tip the cost balance in its favour, especially for short runs. And inkjet printing has by no means reached the end of its development. Faster, higher, further - the Olympic motto applies here. According to Smithers, new advanced technologies and applications will determine the interaction between the digital online world and the conventional printing world. Inkjet printing is conquering the traditional print markets in terms of cost-effectiveness in manufacturing production, labels and packaging. Single editions and short runs are produced more cost-effectively. These enable new applications and a wide range of finishing options thanks to increasingly complex workflows, which are favoured by increasingly easy-to-use software.
The process already has good market penetration in commercial printing, particularly for displays and signage, but this share will decrease as much of this work moves to electronic channels. The fastest growth between 2024 and 2029 will be in packaging, labels and books, Smithers said in its latest report.
The benefits of faster turnaround times, print-on-demand sales and higher quality mean that inkjet's value market share will significantly exceed its volume share in almost all applications.
More powerful devices are coming to market, and both print speed and printhead resolution will double in the next five years, so the economic advantages of inkjet over analogue printing are and will continue to grow, according to Smithers. And as the quality of inkjet printing improves, it has become attractive for a wider range of high-quality printing applications.
Over 60 EFI presses from the Nozomi packaging and display printing line have already been installed worldwide - with these machines supporting industrial digital printing. HP, HP/König & Bauer and Künig & Bauer Durst have also delivered a wide range of digital presses to customers worldwide in the packaging and display market. Most of these machines are preprint inkjet printing solutions, which means that the cardboard packaging is first printed on roll-based digital printing machines before the web processing takes over. Xeikon pursues a different solution with its Idera inkjet printing technology, whereby the individual sheets of cardboard that have already been cut to size are printed for immediate further processing, which also allows products that have already been produced using the analogue printing process to be subsequently imprinted. The machine, which, like many others, was mostly presented during the acute phase of the ongoing pandemic or had already been earmarked for the cancelled drupa 2020, shows that there is a backlog demand for industrial digital production, especially in the packaging sector. As in all areas of printing, this naturally includes a digital workflow. These software solutions for the packaging sector have made a huge leap forward in the last eight years since the last drupa and streamline production enormously using digital solutions. For labelling and packaging companies in particular, this means that they should invest in advanced software and workflows as quickly as possible. This applies even more to the area of digital commercial printing and large format printing.
At drupa, a wide variety of digital printing presses for all sectors were presented, many of which, as already mentioned, were already planned for drupa 2020. As they had been presented and launched via online/web/customer events, these machines have often already received their first upgrades. In addition, various applications were presented, mostly through co-operations, which significantly expand the range of applications of the digital printing machines.
Canon
Canon was at drupa to expand its production portfolio and enter the B2 sheetfed inkjet market with the varioPRESS iV7, a new inkjet press with a production capacity of 8,700 B2 4/0 sheets per hour (4,350 B2 4/4 sheets per hour). Based on a blend of innovative and proven Canon technologies and designed as a new platform specifically for the needs of the B2 market, the varioPRESS iV7 enables commercial printers to migrate jobs from digital presses and shorter runs from offset. The varioPRESS iV7, together with the new varioPRINT iX1700 and the market-leading varioPRINT iX3200/2100, will form a Canon portfolio of sheetfed inkjet presses that will serve a greater number of print service providers and deliver a broader range of print products with monthly volumes ranging from 300,000 A4 images to 4.5 million B2 images.
In addition to the announcement that Heidelberg has entered into a cooperation with Canon in the field of inkjet printing, the LabelStream LS2000, a water-based inkjet five-colour printing press for labels, was on display. Canon presented its concept for an industrial-scale digital corrugated printing press aimed at corrugated packaging converters, offering offset-like print quality at a print width of 1.7 metres, productivity of up to 8,000 square metres per hour and a new level of cost efficiency.
EFI
On the EFI stand, some of the company's single-pass innovations could be seen live, including the ground-breaking Packsize EFI X5 Nozomi, which prints, cuts, folds, glues and erects full-colour individual carton systems at speeds of up to one carton every schs seconds, and the EFI Nozomi 14000 SD single-pass printer for sign and display, certified by the Fogra Research Institute for Media Technology to the ISO 20690 energy standard.
Fujifilm
New members have joined the toner-based Revoria Press family: Revoria PressTM EC2100S / SC285S with five-colour printing unit can print with a special toner (clear, print, custom red, gold and silver) in addition to CMYK, whereby these can be easily exchanged in the fifth colour unit.
The Revoria PressTM EC2100S / EC2100 / SC285S / SC285 are equipped with a compact LED print head which allows printing at 2,400 dots per inch. The Revoria PressTM EC2100S / EC2100 prints at 100 pages per minute, while the Revoria PressTM SC285S / SC285 prints at 85 pages per minute.
The compact belt roll fuser enables high quality printing on textured paper. Equipped with an Air Suction Feeder*6 that ensures reliable feeding of coated paper that tends to stick to the paper. The Static Eliminator D1*6 removes static electricity from film paper and other static-sensitive printing papers, reducing adhesion between paper sheets and increasing work efficiency.
Printing on B2 paper with dry toner has its pitfalls, but Fujifilm has developed its own new technology in the Revoria Press GC 12500 to overcome them. By developing new mechanisms for the fusing unit and the developing unit, the stress on the paper during the printing process is reduced and image quality is improved. With this new technology, the maximum paper size can be extended to B2XL while enabling automatic duplex printing on paper weighing between 64 and 450 grams per square metre.
The newly introduced Jet Press 1160 CFG for the commercial printing market features a newly developed pre-drying unit called ‘The Paper Stabiliser’. This reduces wrinkling and curling of paper, even thin paper, according to the company. By optimising the ink drying process for all paper media, including thick, coated paper that is difficult for ink to penetrate, the printer achieves a maximum resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 dots per inch and a maximum print speed of 80 metres per minute.
In the Jet Press FP790, Fujifilm has combined inkjet technology and flexo market expertise to create a digital flexible packaging press that also fits seamlessly into a typical flexible packaging production environment.
The Fujifilm 42X Printbar System, which is used in conjunction with the X-BAR Universal Controller from Kao Collins to create an optimised workflow. The FUJIFILM 42X Printbar System has been introduced as a monochrome and four-colour printing system and will be available in three print widths: 343 millimetres and 1016 millimetres. This provides customers with continuous web coverage to meet their growing printing needs.
Fujifilm has unveiled the 46kUV Inkjet Printbar System, a new integrated printing solution for industrial production workflows for a wide range of labels and packaging materials. The 46kUV Inkjet Printbar System features a drop-on-demand design that streamlines workflows with print speeds of up to 150 metres per minute.
Following drupa, the Japanese company announced a joint venture with Konica Minolta to coordinate the procurement of raw materials and parts. This agreement is the result of a feasibility study for a strategic alliance in the multifunction printer (MFP), office printer and production printer segments, which began in April 2024. The companies intend to leverage their extensive supplier networks to strengthen their business foundation by building a robust supply system for their products and streamlining their business processes.
HP
HP has taken its successful Series 4 and 5 to the next level with the introduction of the new generation of B2 presses, the HP Indigo 120K Digital Press and the HP Indigo 18K Digital Press. To capitalise on new growth opportunities, HP is also taking a new approach to the security printing industry with the introduction of a new A3 sheetfed press, the HP Indigo 7K Secure Digital Press.
In the inkjet printing sector, the new PageWide Advantage 2200 platform was presented, which can achieve speeds of up to 244 metres per minute.
Kodak
The new KODAK OPTIMAX Pre-coater enables efficient inline or offline application of primer to substrates for production inkjet printing. The OPTIMAX Pre-coater has been optimised for use with KODAK OPTIMAX primers and was presented at the Kodak booth inline with the KODAK PROSPER ULTRA 520 Press. The OPTIMAX Pre-Coater enables inkjet printing on virtually any paper and helps printers convert more jobs from offset to inkjet. It minimises ink consumption and improves drying times. The KODAK PROSPER ULTRA 520 press, which uses KODAK ULTRASTREAM continuous inkjet technology, will be printing a variety of high-quality applications live every day during drupa. Using KODACHROME inks, the press was demonstrated at full production speeds of up to 152 metres per minute.
Koenig & Bauer
The RotaJet focuses on digital decor printing and high-volume inkjet packaging production. As a special highlight, the products interacted directly with the digital AI solutions from Koenig & Bauer. At the same time, they were protected on the basis of the ValiPack solutions from Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions. Further folding carton products, beverage cartons and high-volume inkjet applications can be seen on the Koenig & Bauer stand and will be processed on the BW Papersystems stand.
The VariJet 106 from Koenig & Bauer Durst will be on show for the first time at a trade fair and combines the experience and expertise of both partners. It is now also available with additional coating units.
With the MetJET ONE, Koenig & Bauer MetalPrint has successfully developed the first digital metal decorating press. The press combines tried and tested digital components with a high level of engineering expertise in the field of metal decorating: sheet handling solutions from Koenig & Bauer MetalPrint are paired with integrated inkjet technology in the form of a Durst multipass printing unit.
Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta presented more than 20 European premieres at drupa, focusing on sustainability, the value of print and how customers can ‘realise the potential of the future of print’. The technology leader will be demonstrating how sustainable production methods and Industry 5.0 can be harmonised.
The next generation of Konica Minolta's HS-UV Inkjet Press, the AccurioJet 60000, made its debut at drupa, a high-end model that takes the quality and technology of the AccurioJet KM-1e series to maximise customer value and further improve ease of use. The AccurioJet 60000 prints at the remarkable speed of 6,000 sheets per hour and offers perfecting in a single pass.
Another Konica Minolta European premiere at drupa was the AccurioPress C84hc printing system. The system uses a high chroma toner that prints bright vibrant colours consistently. It is a platform that uses the new toner without the limitations of the colour gamut of conventional toners. The system is particularly suitable for commercial printers, design offices and advertising agencies.
Konica Minolta and MGI (MGI Digital Printing Systems) used the AlphaJet to demonstrate how separate processes such as printing, metallising and varnishing up to B1+ format can be combined into a single, fully integrated production run.
Kyocera
The new TASKalfaPro 55000c is the company's flagship product. The TASKalfa Pro 55000c achieves print quality comparable to offset printing and high print durability. In addition, this product offers uniform and rich colour reproduction and high-resolution printing with Kyocera technologies such as 1,200 dots per inch inkjet heads and edge smoothing technology that accurately reproduces lines and text contours.
Landa
The Israeli manufacturer's new S11 and S11P models with nanography technology have been equipped with a high-speed module capable of printing 11,200 sheets per hour. A PrintAi module ensures accurate print reproduction.
Ricoh
The Ricoh Pro VC80000 B2 roll-to-roll inkjet printer achieves speeds of up to 150 metres per minute at 1,200 x 1,200 dots per inch.
Nicknamed the Dragon, the RICOH Pro Z75 B2 sheet-fed inkjet digital press is the first B2 inkjet press to be launched on the market. The first B2 sheetfed inkjet press with auto-duplexing and water-based inks accelerates the transition from offset to digital printing with higher print quality and shorter turnaround times.
January marks the launch of the toner-based Ricoh Pro C9500, Ricoh Pro C7500 and Ricoh Pro C5300 with agile, versatile, flexible and responsive technology. The Ricoh Pro C9500 achieves speeds of up to 135 sheets per minute.
Screen
The company presented a highlight with its water-based inkjet printing system for paper packaging. The Truepress PAC 520P can print on media with a width of up to 520 mm with an outstanding resolution of 600 x 900 dpi and a speed of up to 80 metres per minute, thanks to a drying mechanism specially optimised for paper packaging.
A new digital primer option was presented for the Truepress Label 350 UV SAI S already unveiled at Labelexpo.
The flagship in commercial printing, the Truepress JET 560HDX with the new highly efficient drying system, was also on show. These and many other innovations together can produce high quality print applications at higher speeds of up to 150 metres per minute at 1200 x 600 dots per inch. The resolution of 1200 x 1200 dots per inch is produced at a speed of 100 metres per minute for maximum productivity.
Xeikon
The world premiere of the Xeikon PX3300HD for UV inkjet label printing, which is equipped with the latest generation of X-800 workflow functionality and supports full data variability at 1200 dots per inch and 70 metres per minute.
Also on the stand was the Lion, the toner-based Xeikon LX3000, a robust label printing system that was already on show at Labelexpo.
Visitors particularly praised the combinations with various finishing solutions, including Kurz and Sappi, as well as the well-known Sirius for commercial printing and the TX500 wallpaper printing solution.
