FESPA Day Three: Conversations Center on Solving Printing Pain Points

Day three of the FESPA event in Berlin opened up to a surge of attendee traffic – eager to explore and connect with exhibitors and join conversations with their printing peers. There was still plenty of new equipment to see and advances to explore, but attendees were zeroed in on education.

While conversations on automation, productivity, and changing business landscapes drove discussion the first two days, it all came to one theme on day three: How do all of these new technologies and advances address customer pain points and challenges?

Equipment Updates

Let’s start off by touching on some of the new equipment and fresh updates that continue to dominate the floor:

swissQprint brought its new flatbed printer technology for attendees to see in person. The Generation 5 series is available in three different models that bring increased print speeds and 10 color channels.

The company also had its Karibu 2 roll-to-roll onsite, cementing swissQprint’s effort to make speed and efficiency shine.

Fujifilm welcomed attendees to engage with its HS3000 single-pass inkjet solution on the FESPA show floor.

Another big presence on the show floor was Fujifilm, which introduced the Acuity Ultra Hybrid Pro, HS3000 single pass solution, and Acuity Triton with AQUAFUZE ink technology.

• Acuity Ultra Hybrid Pro – handles both roll and rigid media, and can be integrated with a new automation system to boost productivity, according to the company
• HS3000 – single pass inkjet solution that has lower volume capabilities
• Acuity Triton – the AQUAFUZE technology combines the benefits of UV-LED and water-based inkjet printing

Speaking of new technology, everywhere you turned on the FESPA show floor it seems there was direct-to-film (DTF) printing technology. Printers of all sizes along with DTF inks and accessories are all the rage in the apparel printing side of the industry specifically.

The Roland TY-300, previously launched before FESPA, had its time in the sun in the booth. Unlike the VersaSTUDIO BY-20, the TY-300 is not a desktop solution, bringing with it wider printing capabilities.

Direct-to-film printing was everywhere at FESPA, with multiple companies showcasing equipment and accessories. Shown here is the Mimaki TxF150-75.

Roland was far from the only DTF representative at the show. Also onsite were the Mimaki TxF150-75, The M&R QUATRO, and a whole host of printers from DTF Station, in addition to many other companies showcasing DTF equipment.

How New Technology Solves Pain Points

All of the new product launches, updated capabilities, and advancements in technology not only offer ways for print service providers (PSPs) to expand their businesses into new areas, but they also solve for challenges they experience while running their businesses.

In an exclusive interview with PRINTING United Alliance, Adobe shed light on some of the pain points faced when it comes to color and design.

“People have treated color in different ways, depending on what segment [of printing] they’re in,” believes Mike Scrutton, director of print technology and strategy at Adobe. “In 2025, where we’re seeing advances are in the use of additional colors [beyond CMYK] — bringing in enhanced and expanded color gamut, bringing in oranges, greens, violets, other colors. … We’ve been constantly evolving the technology within PDF Print Engine so we can get as much of that color gamut available as possible.”

Adobe colleague Arnav Sinha, product marketing manager, adds that high quality is now an expectation. Customers won’t accept anything these days but the best, which is why it’s so crucial to constantly evolve everything from ordering platforms to design software and printing equipment. “Printers need to have the ability to deal with what’s coming down the pipeline,” Sinha believes.

In that spirit, PSPs should not only pay attention to what’s happening at FESPA, but other upcoming trade shows such as PRINTING United Expo, set to take place Oct. 22-24 in Orlando, Florida. Trends such as print-on-demand (POD), AI, and more will only further impact the industry at a fast rate.

Talking Trends

The final key takeaway from day three at FESPA is that the aforementioned trends will only continue to impact the industry on every level. According to Hendrik Koemans, sales director, Europe, for Inkcups, POD will only continue its dominance.

“Print-on-demand keeps on moving,” he believes. “It’s unstoppable. … Print-on-demand is when you need it, it’s a win-win for everyone.”

And of course, you can’t go anywhere without having an AI-related discussion. When asked about AI’s impact on the printing industry, Scrutton laughs and asks, “How much time do you have? AI has a role in many different places in the printing workflow, all the way from creative to manufacturing.”

As the printing industry continues to march on through 2025 and beyond, stay connected with PRINTING United Alliance for all of the latest updates and reports.