News

The Print Show will move from the NEC in Birmingham to The International Centre in Telford next year.

Fujifilm will use Fespa Digital next week to introduce its 3.2m Uvistar Hybrid 320, a flatbed/roll printer capable of print speeds up to 195m2/hr and available in various configurations up to nine channels (CMYK, Lc, Lm, Lk, orange and white).

Kodak expects to have “OEMs in most vertical markets, including wide-format” for its new Ultrastream inkjet technology by the end of Drupa according to Philip Cullimore, president, enterprise inkjet systems division and senior VP Eastman Kodak, speaking at the pre-show conference earlier this week.

Epson has merged its wide-format, label and textile businesses to create the new Professional Printing Solutions division, headed by COO Sunao Murata.

EFI chief Guy Gecht used this week’s pre-Drupa press conference to announce yet another acquisition - of Bradford-based Rialco - and to hint at a new printer platform that will be unveiled at the show that “combines the great concepts of the Cretaprint, Jetrion and Vutek machines.”

Sign and Digital Materials has opened a new creative centre in Antrim.

At Drupa Screen will launch its Trust Network Service, a remote diagnostic and preventative maintenance solution that uses IoT technology to maximise the uptime of its products. 

Wide-format print equipment supplier South East Drawing Office (SEDO) has introduced a back-up printing service called Disaster Recovery. It allows SEDO customers to request graphic arts and CAD jobs to be processed should an unforeseen situation develop that prevents them from being able to deliver.

New from Hexis is a range of PVC-free films for digital printing and signage applications.

Drytac Europe has brought out ViziPrint Illuminate, a 4mil translucent matte PET film for brilliant backlit window and display applications for high-end retail advertising.

Roland is again sponsoring the ‘Young Sign Maker of the Year’ award at the BSGA British Sign Awards, which will return to the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham on 3 November 2016.

‘Albergo Italia’ is a real-life hotel experience which includes a reception area, bedroom, bathroom, lounge and café, mostly showing direct print applications on a variety of substrates such as textile, vinyl, wood, metal and ceramics. The result showcases finished products such as ceramic tiles, slippers, bed linen, curtains, a coffee machine, wallpaper, lamps, windows and mirrors, among others.

In order to bring Hotel Italy to life, 10 FESPA Italia members are involved (Ecoepoque, FPE, DB Ingegneria dell’Immagine, Gruppo Masserdotti, Silap, Guandong, Ricoh, Epson, Fortex and Loop Design), each bringing their own specialism to the mix. This partnership has facilitated a collective showcase of the complete scope of printed applications, whilst highlighting that co-operation between parties can achieve a final design that wows the audience. 

Working on behalf of Proskills UK, 111Collectiff is undertaking a strategic review of the PrintIt! schools into industry programme to ensure that it is in the best position to address the needs of young people being encouraged to enter the print sector. The review is scheduled for completion by mid-March 2016.