Couldn’t make Sign and Digital or Fespa 2018? Simon Creasy rounds-up the key hardware previews and launches for an armchair update.
Technical
What they say... Kevin Murphy, president and chief executive officer, Onyx Graphics
What does all the noise surrounding newly introduced Onyx 18 say about development direction at this Canon software subsidiary, and in the large-format market in general?
R&D: Where's the money going?
Ok, so products shown at the major trade shows of 2018 so far highlight where manufacturers have been concentrating their development spend, but where next? We asked a cross section of kit and consumables developers and suppliers for their considerations.
What They Say... Ronald Van den Broek, General Manager Sales EMEA, Mimaki Europe
While it expands its product offering and extends its markets Mimaki engineering is also undergoing an internal transition, so will that impact its professional large-format graphics customer-base?
Durst P5: putting it out there
The first of Durst’s new p5 printers is due to start shipping. So what’s so novel about this technology?
Automate or procrastinate?
When it comes to digital transformation of your business, are you at the cutting edge or merely sitting on the ledge? Have you even begun to ask yourself what your business needs to do to remain competitive in a more automated world? Jan De Roeck, director solutions managment, Esko, challenges you to think, digitise, automate, connect.
Software synopsis
Software development is where it’s at in large-format. So who’s doing what? Simon Creasy investigates.
Talking of textiles
Richard Stuart-Turner reports on the latest hardware developments in the thriving digital textile printing market.
What happens after dark?
Should you be looking at cloud-based workflows and at becoming a lights out operation? Printfactory founder and CEO Erik Strik argues the point
What They Say... Joey Kim, Managing Director, Inktec Europe
£68m turnover Inktec is not making any profit. But founder and CEO Kwang Chung says the South Korean based company is “poised to leap toward a new future to achieve our vision of success”. So what’s that vision, what’s the plan, and where does large-format graphics sit in the mix?
Staying Solvent
Solvent printers are the mainstay of many a large-format print business but are the companies that make them invested in their future development?
A new print perspective
Inkjet these days can print on to anything but air. Well, almost. So what are substrate suppliers doing to help you push your print boundaries?
Coming soon
Richard Stuart-Turner takes a look at some of the technical developments that are likely to create the biggest impact in large-format in 2018.
What They Say... Reto Eicher, CEO, swissQprint
Ten years ago three former Zund men set up swissQprint. Now it’s a key player in the flatbed printer market. So what’s the vision for the future?