FEATURE
FESPA BERLIN HIGHLIGHTS INNOVATIONS
IN SPECIALITY PRINT AND SIGNAGE
BY CHARNIA YAPP
FESPA Global Print Expo 2018 ( Messe Berlin , 15-18 May ) reinforced its standing as the global landmark event for speciality printers , with visitors from a record 142 countries gravitating to the German capital for the four-day show .
Following the 2017 shift to an annual event cycle and the decision to amalgamate the flagship show with its FESPA Digital ‘ spin-off ’, FESPA 2018 attracted the largest number of visitors ever for a four-day FESPA show , with 20,442 individual visitors to FESPA and the co-located European Sign Expo 2018 . This represents a 22 % increase on the number of individual visitors to FESPA Digital 2016 ( Amsterdam ), FESPA ’ s last four-day event .
Two-thirds of all visitors dedicated more than one day to the event to cover the ten exhibition halls and take advantage of the expanded content programme , including European Sign Expo , the FESPA Trend Theatre , an enlarged Printeriors showcase , the new Print Make Wear garment production feature , and the firstever Digital Corrugated Experience for packaging and point-of-sale . These repeat visits brought total event attendance at FESPA 2018 Global Print Expo to 33,799 .
Germany delivered the largest percentage of visitors overall , with 26 % of the total audience coming from the host country . After Germany , the top ten countries in terms of visitor attendance were the United Kingdom , Poland , Italy , Netherlands , Spain , France , Czech Republic , Switzerland , Belgium and Sweden . The high number of Polish visitors in particular reflected the accessibility of Berlin for printers from across the border .
The dominant area of visitor interest according to the event registration data was digital printing , which was the key focus for 44 % of all visitors . FESPA ’ s sustained coverage of innovations in textile printing was reflected in the fact that one in three 2018 visitors indicated an interest in textile and fabric printing . Commercial print , finishing , design to print , sublimation printing and industrial printing also featured particularly strongly among visitors ’ priorities for the event .
The optimism of the market as a whole , as reported on site in the latest FESPA Print Census , was evident in the energetic mood throughout the exhibition halls . Exhibitors across the show reported excellent business and strong interest from print service providers in technology and consumables innovations to drive greater productivity and applications diversity .
FESPA Exhibitions Director Roz Guarnori said : ' FESPA 2018 Global Print Expo was a vibrant , action-packed event that absolutely surpassed even our own expectations , from the energy and appetite for innovation among our diverse visitor audience , to the incredible range of new products brought to market by our exhibitors . Our own research and the electric mood of the show reinforce our confidence that speciality print and signage are sectors that never stop inventing , exploring , pushing boundaries and looking for new ways to achieve growth .'
The next FESPA Global Print Expo takes place at Messe Munich , Germany , from 14-17 May 2019 . FESPA has also confirmed the location and dates of the 2020 edition as 24-27 March 2020 , Madrid , Spain .
Many of these innovations will be exhibited at the flagship FESPA Africa Expo , taking place from 12-14 September 2018 at Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg .
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS :
AGFA
JETI TAURO H3300 Building on the successes of the Jeti Tauro H2500 LED , the bigger , sturdier and faster Jeti Tauro H3300 LED guarantees both smooth , detailed results and rapid UV LED curing . The Jeti Tauro ’ s image vividness is created to last , even when subjected to harsh outdoor weather conditions . Due to the high pigment load of Agfa-made inks and Asanti ’ s ink saving algorithms , ink consumption per square metre is the lowest on the market . The result is an ideal balance between quality , productivity and cost of ownership .
www . agfa . com
CANON
OCÉ TOUCHSTONE The Canon Océ Touchstone is an elevated printing solution with applications in digital wide format graphics , décor and packaging . The solution enables graphics producers , sign-makers and décor service providers to use an Océ Arizona flatbed printer to print multiple layers , resulting in printed effects that mimic textured surfaces , embossing , metallic accents and raised lettering .
www . canon-europe . com EPSON
SC-F2100 PRINTER The printer offers speedier results than its predecessor , with additional fast print modes and improved ink circulation for quicker start-up , and incorporates improved screening for smoother reproduction of images and a wider gamut than the previous model . Epson ’ s versatile Garment Creator utility is available for free with the SC-F2100 . The software allows users to add text and multiple images , create user presets for image adjustment , and provides a hot folder and CMYK image support .
www . chemosol . co . za 32 ISSUE 95 MAY / JUNE 2018 | www . SignAfrica . com