PRINTING United Expo

“Where should you be focusing in the coming year?” That was the central question answered by Vincent Mallardiduring PRINTING United.

During PRINTING United, VCE Solutions president Vince Cahill presented “Hybrid Screen-Inkjet Garment Printers: An Overview.”

One common complaint heard across the print industry is that marketers and brands don’t truly understand what is possible with print.

Sabine Lenz, founder of PaperSpecs, discussed “The Five Hottest Print Design Trends of 2019” during PRINTING United.

Access Direct Mail purchased its very first roll-fed, inkjet press — SCREEN’s flagship Truepress Jet520HD.

After years of absence from the trade show circuit, Heidelberg returned as an expo exhibitor at the inaugural PRINTING United.

During PRINTING United, Victor Peña shared what he’s seen and how OmniPrint has stayed ahead of the game.

Dave Leskusky and Ford Bowers discuss the success of PRINTING United and thank everyone who contributed to the success of the event.

The topic at the third of IPI’s in-plant forums at PRINTING United veered away from hardware and focused on the topic of software.

During PRINTING United, Mark Sawchak of Expand Systems/PreMex outlined his vision for a new supply chain for printed fabric.

NAPCO Research presented a new study on adding value to digital print, referring to special effects and embellishments.

Is it possible to have accurate and consistent color across all branding?

Mutoh America was honored with two SGIA Product of the Year Awards at PRINTING United.

Duplo USA announced the winners of its first annual print embellishment competition, the Shima Awards, at PRINTING United.

The inaugural PRINTING United brought approximately 30,000 individuals representing all facets of printing to Dallas October 23 – 25.

GSP won four 2019 Golden Image Awards, including Best of Show, at PRINTING United.

As a Diamond Sponsor of the inaugural PRINTING United, Fujifilm ended the event with multiple signed contracts for its solutions.

Cedarstream Co. is an award winner in the 2019 Golden Image Award Competition for their work in Simulated Process printing.

To wrap up the special Digital Textile Printing special event during PRINTING United's educational sessions, Debbie McKeegan, CEO, TexIntel, touched on how digital printing is revolutionizing the textile marketplace in two key areas: sustainability and speed.

HP announced a significant investment in the next generation of water-based ink solutions, ahead of PRINTING United 2019. The company has committed $200 million over five or more years to develop water-based ink technologies for printing digitally on corrugated packaging and textiles.

Trotec Laser has acquired the assets of Engravers Network, a laser distributor based in Arlington, Texas. The acquisition gives the laser manufacturer opportunities to extend its market reach and broaden the services and support for new and existing customers.

After fascinating, in-depth discussions on the ins-and-outs of wide-format printing from SGIA print guru Ray Weiss during PRINTING United's “Wide-Format 101: Strategies for Success” session, color expert Jim Raffel took questions from the audience.

During PRINTING United, Epson debuted five new products. The SureColor F570 is Epson’s first 24" desktop dye-sublimation printer. It is ideal for promotional products and apparel decoration, including personalizing awards, mugs, mousepads, and garment embellishments. 

During PRINTING United, Jackie Wang of Summit Inks led “Developing the Next Generation in Talent” where she facilitated a discussion on how industry leaders can better prepare the next generation.

Two of Durst’s wide-format offerings made their North American debuts at PRINTING United.

During PRINTING United, two experts explored nine areas apparel printers should focus on.

At PRINTING United, Jim Raffel gave a presentation that was equal parts printing optimization, biology lesson, and art class.

During PRINTING United, In-plant Impressions hosted an in-plant breakfast forum on promotional products.

Canon Solutions America had a successful showing at the first-ever PRINTING United held in Dallas, Texas, October 23–25.

ASDPT inducted its newest members during PRINTING United.

Color-Logic has certified the new Ricoh Pro L5160 large format printer for use with the Color-Logic Process Metallic Color System.

The new swissQprint roll-to-roll printer, Karibu, had its North American debut at the PRINTING United show in October 2019.

At Ricoh’s press conference during PRINTING United, executives discussed keys to the company’s growth and success.

PRINTING United’s book industry update session featured a panel about the state industry.

The past year has seen significant changes for EFI, but EFI remains poised to continue its leadership position.

NAPCO Research presented a study on adding value to digital print, referring specifically to special effects and embellishments.

Judges have selected the winners in SGIA’s prestigious, annual Golden Image Awards competition.

Bob Neubauer, along with panelists Michael George, director of Central Services at Villanova University, and Roy Nance, associate director of the University of North Texas Printing and Distribution Solutions, discussed wide-format applications for in-plant printers, and findings during PRINTING United.

The in-plant community is well represented at PRINTING United and eager to learn.

Denise Gustavson spoke with Mark Subers, president of PRINTING United, and Ford Bowers, president & CEO of SGIA, about PRINTING United.

At the third annual Women in Print Alliance Breakfast, held Thursday morning, a sold-out crowd greeted the lineup of speakers.

John Kaufman offers a look at some of the solutions Canon Solutions America is showcasing during PRINTING United.

Convergence emerges at PRINTING United with a diverse show floor.

Gavin Jordan-Smith of Ricoh sat down with Patrick Bolan of Avanti to talk about Avanti Slingshot.

Erik Holdo tells In-plant Impressions Editor Bob Neubauer about the solutions attendees can explore at Konica Minolta Booth 9536.

How — and why — to achieve sustainability in the supply chain was the focus during the PRINTING United Sustainability Luncheon.

As small, direct-to-consumer businesses carve out market space from giant conglomerates, they need to increase their marketing efforts.

It’s no surprise that the types of print providers that attend are as varied as the types of technology on exhibit.

Based in Witney, England, Jetrix, part of InkTec Europe, is one of the leading flatbed printer manufacturers on the market. At exhibitions and open houses, Jetrix has, for more than eight years, used Brett Martin’s Foamalux range to showcase its range of printers to their full potential.

For more than 50 years, Graphic Systems, based in Minneapolis, Minn., has been satisfying customers with its visionary spin on the retail landscape in marketing, POP build-outs, and graphics.

For many companies, PRINTING United represents a step outside of the status quo — a journey into the near unknown. And that’s a good thing. Stepping out of the comfort zone is good for your personal development and your business.

After changing out its logo a few times over the years, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division wanted to find a way to solidify its brand identity by prominently displaying its new logo for everyone to see. To complete the project, the center reached out to Barefoot Graphics.

Sacramento’s Document Fulfillment Services (DFS) was awarded a large contract with the potential for producing a minimum of 12 million, up to 100 million, impressions within a two-month time frame. “Our first plan of attack was to purchase and install an inkjet press,” reveals James Gilbride, president and CTO, DFS.

Hiring the right people is essential to the success and growth of your business. It pays to use job interviews to gain insight into candidates’ skills, strengths, and such critical issues as their interest in working for you, and their potential fit with your company.

Lloyds Autobody, a specialist in body and paintwork repairs for premium and luxury cars, has relied on a Spray Booth Liner from Drytac for the past five years.

Since installing the Rhin-O-Tuff Tornado Autopunch EX three months ago, Editorial RENUEVO in California has replaced their existing Chinese-branded punches, and eliminated costly manual steps for their finishing jobs.

To show its support for Toronto Pride, longtime Pride sponsor Toronto-Dominion (TD) Bank wanted to install a large, circular rainbow graphic on the ground of the courtyard by its headquarters. TD Bank sought the expertise of AIP Media, based in Mississauga, Ontario.

It’s no secret that the industry has undergone profound changes: communication platforms, shifting business dynamics, and new competitive threats are all impacting printing run lengths and demand for printed products.

Implementing major new software, such as a Print MIS, within an environment where people already feel stretched on a day-to-day basis can sometimes feel like a daunting task. To combat potential issues, it is important that preparation and communication occur before decisions are made.

Graffiti Shield is a converter of anti-graffiti films and surface protection films. They also install anti-graffiti films in commercial properties for the protection of elevators and escalators. Graffiti Shield currently operates with two SP2000 100w from Trotec Laser to create customized surface protection solutions.

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite from Corel plays an important role in the day-to-day operations of an Oklahoma screen printing company. Dustin Barr, owner/designer of Five Nine Print Shop, has been using CorelDRAW to help his custom T-shirt company thrive.

How well do you know your own business? You might know what products and services sell well, but do you know your margins? You may have added new services in response to requests from customers or perceived market opportunities, but are you charging the right price for them? Should you even be offering those services?

Silicone Edge Graphic (SEG) signs are a red-hot growth sector in the sign industry for several reasons. First, they look great aesthetically, with a thin, clean look. Also, once the SEG frame is installed, the textile faces can be replaced quickly and easily without a highly skilled installer. 

Print is a term that has come to encompass far more than just “ink on paper.” That has never been more evident than when walking the show floor at PRINTING United, where vendors are demonstrating the ability to print on everything a printer can dream of.

Starting a successful American company in a suburban garage might sound cliché, but that’s exactly what happened with AccuLabel. Over the years, the flexographic label business had been good to Dave Manning, as he steadily grew AccuLabel’s customer base over a period of 30 years.

SpeedPro Imaging owners Rick and Connie Rhind Robey in Silver Spring, Md., were recently testing HP Optimal Gloss Air GRP and HP Gloss Polymeric Overlaminate distributed by LexJet for wall graphics, and getting great results.

For St. Paul, Minn.-based Honsa-Binder Printing, the challenge was to educate its website customers about value — or exactly what they get for their price point — which can often be more easily done in person than online.

Space within a shopping mall in Calgary, Alberta, was transformed into a tennis court using floor graphics media from Drytac. The project, at the Core Shopping Centre, was to promote the first Men’s ATP Tennis event, hosted at the Alberta Tennis Center.

As PRINTING United ends, SGIA’s Women in Print Advisory Council enters a state of reflection on where we’ve been, and where we want to go next.

Snowflake Designs brought in dye-sublimation equipment to easily and quickly create customized apparel. LaDonna invested in the Roland VersaCAMM VS-300i 30" printer/cutter and a GS-24 cutter, then added the Roland XT-640 64" high volume dye-sublimation printer.

Recent advancements in digital presses have been enticing more and more traditionally offset print shops to embrace digital. As a result, many old-school printers are, for the first time, seriously considering the benefits of adding Web-to-print software.

It might be tempting to gloss over yet another article about sustainability in the print industry. But, the reality is that sustainability is just as — if not more — important than ever before.

The SpencerMetrics CONNECT system was installed in a busy pressroom, running two to three shifts depending on demand.

Moeller Printing, a family-owned business in Indianapolis since 1931, can capture and collect real-time information to make adjustments on press and even in prepress, identify ways to be more consistently efficient, catch issues before they become problems, and track trends over time, which ultimately reduces costs.

ColorDynamics recognized it was at a crossroads. Increasing workloads required operating two shifts, yet seasonal upticks impacted workflow. To better support its wide-format growth trajectory, ColorDynamics needed to invest in an additional printer to handle more direct-to-store retail business.

Kirkwood Direct has partnered with Ricoh to streamline and enhance its variable data printing technology. By implementing a RICOH Pro VC60000 with Expanded Gamut inks, Kirkwood Direct will reduce time and costs associated with VDP.

Blue Prism Digital partnered with Rollem International and installed the Insignia flexo-magnetic, sheetfed diecutter, which allowed the company to produce custom packaging.

INX International Ink Co. has developed a solution for brand owners and food packaging providers wanting to find safe and sustainable alternatives with natural-based inks. INXhrc offers benefits that are better for the environment, and reduce the regulatory risk for brand owners and printers.

The Sourcing Group (TSG) embraced a more advanced level of technology integration about three years ago, when it adopted EFI MarketDirect StoreFront Web-to-print/ecommerce software to better service a new customer.

Consumers have more choices than ever. Boutique brands, regional providers, and craft products fill shelves and generate demand for packaging. Print providers eyeing this market face unique challenges, including food safety.

In more than 30 years as a signmaker, Jeffrey Chudoff, owner of FASTSIGNS of Maple Shade, N.J., has witnessed the transformation of vehicle graphics printing. He has been one of those who helped drive the evolution, and SAi Flexi was one of the enablers.

To gain a competitive market edge for their clients and provide extra creative impact to their offset and digital color print work, the Professional Printing Center of Chesapeake, Va., debuted its “TouchFoil 3D” digital print embellishment service, which utilize MGI JETvarnish 3D technology from Konica Minolta.

Direct Edge Media increased speed and throughput with its new Onset X3, a high-productivity UV flatbed printer distributed exclusively in North America by Fujifilm Graphic Systems Division.

In one month since installing the Rhin-O-Tuff Tornado Autopunch EX, AlphaGraphics #630 has experienced an immediate return on investment. Its savings include the elimination of overtime and second shift runs for large punch and bind jobs; 50% faster job turnaround time; and labor savings on 95% of jobs.

Tom Lamont is proud to be an instructor at one of the top 25 high schools in the U.S., Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton, Mass. Each year, more than 1,000 students apply for 320 spots. “The locals call it Valley Tech,” says Lamont, “Parents throw big parties when their kids get in.”

Reproline, founded in 1991, was an early adopter of digital applications. By 1998, it had invested in its first digital printing machine, and two years later established a digital photo studio. In 2003, Reproline Mediateam was formed, with Erich and Andreas Achter as managing directors.

FireSprint is a trade-only sign printer, creating signs and other graphics for the design, advertising, and printing industries. The company was challenged to meet its customer’s needs — which were low prices, fast delivery, and great quality — along with providing a wide range of products.

In the past decade, digital color printing technology has improved drastically on many fronts, not the least of which is the rise of five-color print, powered in part by the introduction of high-quality, affordable five-color presses that bring more print providers into the five-color fold.

In 2015, Charlie Cox, COO, began a search of hardware and software for something that would demonstrate Wallace Carlson Printing was indeed a different kind of printer.

What does the print industry love in Texas more than great BBQ and the Cowboys? PIAMidAmerica! Come meet your local Texas Affiliate, as well as Affiliates from around the United States and Canada at the Affiliates of the Printing Industry Booth 12064.

For the longest time, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing directly on 100% dark polyester and polyester-dominant blends was an impossible feat. It was a dream that came true the moment OmniPrint International (Booth 2210) debuted the FreeJet 330TX Plus DTG printer with GamutPlus inks & pretreatments.

Ripon Printers began in 1962 when the company printed and published newspapers. Over the years, Ripon grew into a commercial printing firm with an annual turnover of more than $50M. Since 2005, Ripon Printers has continuously automated its production workflow with the implementation of OneVision software solutions.

Applications for digital printing are increasingly expanding into the B1 format for a variety of reasons: manufacturing cost economies, common size convenience, and hybrid print applications. Successfully producing digital applications that perfectly match conventional printing can be a challenge, however.

The Lynx Group is a single source provider for printing, binding, assembly, mailing, and distribution, located in Salem, Ore. Seeking to improve their bindery functions the company evaluated their options and partnered with Rollem International to install the Insignia 6 sheetfed diecutter.

In today’s environment of short attention spans and over-crowded schedules, an association is unlikely to survive without a strong staff, with equally strong opinions and ideas of where an association must move to stay ahead.

Since 2009 Gfp has worked nonstop to introduce a steady stream of affordable quality finishing systems and supplies that produce impressive results.

Over the past 10 years, Adams Litho’s percentage of sales in packaging has been skyrocketing. With expectations that packaging sales will continue to increase, Adams Litho of Chattanooga, Tenn. invested in several Heidelberg machines — a Speedmaster CD 102-6+L, a Diana Easy 115, an Easymatrix 106 CS, and Versafire EP.

Beacon Fine Art Printing purchased two GTI GLL-1032e/PH luminaires for wall viewing. The luminaires use GTI Graphiclite 100 lamps., which are manufactured with a unique blend of fluorescent phosphors that result in a superior D50 spectrum, and a tight compliance to industry standards.

AnaJet has decided to re-release ARTprint, a product bundle designed for use with Ricoh direct-to-garment printers.

EFI’s exhibit at PRINTING United booth 8233 features the new VUTEk 32h LED inkjet hybrid flatbed/roll-to-roll printer.