New Zealand Printer June 2025

Study tour proves printing excellence is truly ‘Made in Durst’.

PacPrint shines in Sydney

Top Six Apprentices

Blue Star ’s new Auckland site Fespa expands June

with 1987-2025

‘Made in Durst’: Tour highlights innovation and technology

Durst Oceania recently concluded its fourth European tour – once again demonstrating that world class printing quality, ingenuity, and innovation is truly ‘Made in Durst’.

Durst, a global leader in digital printing and production technologies, recently hosted its fourth pre-Fespa European tour, a three-day event designed to foster networking, share industry insights, and offer an exclusive preview of the company’s latest printing solutions.

The tour, led by Matt Ashman, managing director of Durst Oceania, featured a visit

to Durst’s state of the art headquarters in Brixen in northern Italy, as well as a cultural stop in the picturesque town of Kufstein, Austria. The event brought together industry professionals across Asia Pacific for a blend of innovation, collaboration, and European heritage.

Durst Group, a third-generation family owned business co-owned by Harald Oberrauch and CEO Christoph Gamper, has

been a leader in digital printing technology since its founding in 1929. Today, the company employs more than 1,100 people globally – an increase of 10 per cent over the past year – and is renowned for the quality and reliability of its advanced solutions across the global graphics, ceramic tile, labels, packaging, and commercial corrugated packaging sectors.

The Durst P5 Platform – Powering the future of print

During a guided tour of Durst’s headquarters in Brixen, delegates were given a firsthand look at its technologies and heard more about the thinking behind the company’s flagship solutions.

At the heart of the showcase was Durst’s extensive P5 platform, a standout example of its commitment to innovation and customer-centric design.

“The word ‘game-changer’ is used too often, but the P5 platform truly earns the title,” said Ashman.

Ashman explained that the P5 platform was developed in response to customer feedback and built to be scalable, designed to evolve with both Durst and its customers’ needs. Combining advanced hardware, hybrid flexibility, and integrated software, service, and ink solutions, it delivers a true end to end offering.

“We set out to create a unified platform that could grow with us and our customers,” he said.

“The P5 has been incredibly successful in achieving that. Many of our innovations are not only available now but can also be retrofitted to existing machines.”

Ashman said the recently launched P5 X marks a new direction for Durst, but it builds on the proven strengths of the P5 platform.

The new PX 5 is a ‘true flatbed’ with roll to roll capability to fill a mid-market position in the company’s P5 large format printing portfolio.

The PX 5 is designed for ease of use, featuring ergonomic handling,

Jamie Xuereb (Mediapoint), John Bryson (Durst), Charlie Hatzi (Mediapoint), Neil Brener (JCDecaux), Ewen Donaldson (Vivad), Matt Ashman (Durst), Troy Cavanagh (ImageBox), and Brett Addison (Durst) in Kufstein, Austria

multifunctional LED status bars, intuitive media registration with a pin system, and automated safety functions for a smooth and secure workflow. Operators benefit from a smart interface and advanced job management, supporting up to 12 independent print queues for efficient multitasking and reduced downtime.

“The P5 X complements the other products in the P5 portfolio and is the true flatbed machine that everyone has been asking for from Durst for some time. The market needs a machine like this with the flexibility, reliability and functionality that Durst customers have come to expect,” Ashman said.

AI meets advanced automation in Durst’s latest print solutions

Another focus of the tour was Durst’s increasing emphasis on software. From automation to artificial intelligence, Durst’s expanding software portfolio is designed to deliver smarter, more connected workflows.

The company’s portfolio includes end to end workflow solutions for seamless automation and AI-powered applications to optimise production processes.

“Our software development, and our software team, has grown at an exponential rate,” Ashman told tour attendees.

Matthias Summerer, sales management software and solutions at Durst Group, told delegates the company is making significant investments in software development to optimise every stage of the production process.

“We recognise that software is the foundation of true automation,” he said.

“What sets Durst apart is that we’re the only print manufacturer offering a complete, end to end software ecosystem. Our solutions are designed to be as flexible, modular, and scalable as possible.

“Each module can be integrated not only with Durst systems but also with non Durst systems, making it adaptable to virtually any production environment.”

Durst Lift ERP is a cloud-based ERP/ MIS software which provides a single integrated platform to run every aspect of a print business. The process is automated and streamlined, from taking a customer’s order online, into preflight and manufacturing, and all the way though to customer delivery. Durst Workflow Plus is a fully featured RIP and pre-press software production suite.

New AI-powered tools developed by Durst are designed to enhance the processes

Matt Ashman presents at Durst’s headquarters

The open house brought together industry professionals from across Asia Pacific

Attendees were given a guided a tour of Durst’s state-of-the-art showroom in Brixen

and make technologies more performant and accessible.

Notably, Durst’s Image Tracking Tool utilises a camera or smartphone to instantly capture and identify prints in real time, ensuring seamless job tracking and enhanced process reliability.

Durst’s new AI-based Upsampling feature intelligently reconstructs low resolution files to ensure crisp, high quality output, even when the original file provided by the customer lacks sufficient resolution.

Durst Group also recently acquired callas software, one of the leading providers of prepress automation and PDF technologies that plays an essential role in many print workflows, either directly or as an OEM component in prepress product.

In the coming months, the collaboration between callas software and Durst Group is expected to deepen, leveraging synergies and accelerating the development of an open, vendor independent software platform for the print industry.

Labels leading the way

Ashman said Durst is focused on delivering flexible solutions that help customers diversify into new markets – whether it’s wide-format, packaging, or labels – with labels standing out as a key area of growth.

“Labels has been massive growth for Durst and we have some of the most advanced label solutions,” said Ashman.

Among these solutions is the Tau 340 RSC. With print speeds of up to 80m/min for

the upgraded version, a native resolution of 1,200dpi by 1,200dpi and up to 8-colour stations, the Tau 340 RSC enables customers to achieve flexo like productivity in a 24/7 environment. It can be also equipped with the revolutionary Durst Hawk Eye technology to automate print quality. Applications for the machine include variable data and speciality packaging.

Further solidifying its commitment to the packaging and labels space is Durst’s partnership with fellow family-owned Italian company Omet to develop hybrid printing systems.

The jewel in the crown of the Durst and Omet partnership is the KJet, a new digital and flexo hybrid machine tailored for the label and flexible packaging market. It is the second joint development by the companies after the XJet.

The KJet combines the ‘cylinder-base dual-servo’ flexo technology from Omet with the robustness and reliability of Durst’s RSCi digital printing engine. The companies say it also offers operators a seamless experience with its user friendly interface and ultra-short web path. This design minimises waste and reduces setup times, showcasing the advantages of digital printing.

“This partnership brings together two industry leaders, combining their strengths to deliver much needed innovation to label converters across the Oceania region,” Ashman said.

Durst will host its next tour dedicated to label innovation ahead of Labelexpo, which takes place from 16-19 September 2025 in Barcelona.

Brett Addison (Durst) and Neil Brener (JCDecaux)

Jamie Xuereb (Mediapoint) and Troy Cavanagh (ImageBox)

Ewen Donaldson (Vivad) and Matthias Summerer (Durst Group)

John Bryson (Durst) and Jamie Xuereb (Mediapoint)

Neil Brener (JCDecaux) and Matt Ashman (Durst) and Brett Addison (Durst)

June 2025

Cover Story p3-5

3-5 Durst: The fourth Durst European tour demonstrated that world class printing quality, ingenuity, and innovation is truly ‘Made in Durst’.

PrintNZ p10-13

10-12 Iain MacIntyre learns about our Top Six Apprentices.

13 Ruth Cobb presents the PrintNZ report card for the 2024 calendar year.

Features p14-36

14-16 HP/Currie Group: Long Beach hosted this year’s Dscoop Edge.

18 Konica Minolta: The new AccurioPress 30000 3,000 sheets per hour.

32-35 Site unveiling: Blue Star officially opened its massive Auckland site recently.

36-38 Fujifilm Business Innovation: A Festival of Five Colours showed a raft of print technology.

50 Printerverse: Deb Corn explains her print-to-table concept.

52 PIDA: The AP has announced this year’s winners.

53 Consulting: Ex-industry specialists can play a role in your business.

54 High performance: Your business can buzz like a beehive.

56 Offset: Is offset still premium option for large scale print jobs?

PacPrint p20-30

20 Introduction: The pursuit of new revenue streams and operational efficiency drove conversations at PacPrint 2025.

21 Epson: The SureColor S9160 is Epson’s new eco-solvent flagship.

22 Fujifilm Business Innovation: The Acuity Triton uses new Aquafuze ink technology.

23 HP: Water-based HP Latex printers wowed the crowds.

24 Konica Minolta: New AccurioPress technology impressed visitors.

25 Graffica: Packaging and point of sale solutions were the focus for Graffica.

25 Mimaki: The UJV300DTF-75 is a new UV-curable Direct to Film printer.

26 Screen: Label interest and growth drove leads for Screen.

26 Ricoh: The company unveiled a new colour management tool.

26 printIQ: Enfigo and Cyanfix joined printIQ to automate print workflows.

27-30 Kiwis at PacPrint: We caught up with Kiwis who crossed the Tasman for the show.

Wide Format Plus p39-49

40 Aarque: Durst continues to evolve its P5 platform.

42 Fujifilm Business innovation: The Acuity Ultra R2 has taken Benefitz to “a whole new ball game“.

44-47 Fespa: Visitors enjoyed new technology and new education programmes.

48 NZSDA Update: The inaugural National Sign Making Day was a hit with students..

49 NZSDA President: Shae Goom reflects on his time as NZSDA leader.

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Andrew Ash, Ruth Cobb, Deb Corn, Peter Fotiadis, Shae Goom, Mikayla Hopkins, Iain MacIntyre

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Kiwis

IN BRIEF

COLOR-LOGIC has expanded its certification of print solutions to include the Revoria Press PC1120, due to its ability to print high quality metallic effects on paper with silver and CMYK toner, as well as on metallic stocks using white and CMYK toner. Mark Geeves. Color-Logic director of sales and marketing Mark Geeves said, “This certification builds on the previous Fujifilm success in achieving Color-Logic certification for its line of large format UV inkjet printers.”

PRINT EPS has acquired MIS provider Avanti Systems from Ricoh. Print ePS says the deal strengthens its position in the midmarket print segment and expands its global technology portfolio. The company says its delivery of software solutions that drive operational efficiency and business value enables Print ePS to serve print companies of all sizes worldwide. It adds that integrating Avanti into the Print ePS ecosystem enhances the company’s ability to continue delivering advanced MIS solutions tailored to midmarket commercial printers.

EPSON has received the highest rating in the MSCI ESG Ratings in 2025. The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) ratings measure a company’s long term commitment to socially responsible investments (SRI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment standards. MSCI says Epson received the AAA rating for the second consecutive year due to its commitment to meeting internationally recognised standards of corporate social responsibility (CSR) procurement and to the enhancement of transparency in raw material procurement and human capital development systems in 20231.

The Printing Museum (TPM) is appealing for funds to purchase a building to help preserve our print heritage and continue its work promoting print.

Dan Tait-Jamieson, secretary/treasurer of TPM, says, “The establishment of a National Printing Museum in an appropriate building will be an asset for both the region and the nation. I

“In addition, it will serve as a springboard for the long term plan of a National Centre for Book Arts.”

The Printing Museum seeks funding for building purchase RMGT enjoys China Print success

At China Print in Beijing, RMGT showed several of its latest technologies.

Cyber, which distributes RMGT’s products in New Zealand and Australia, also attended China Print 2025. Paul Cheong, sales director for Cyber, said, “We showcased the eight-colour plus double coater RMGT 1060LX hybrid press at China Print, equipped

Dan Tait-Jamieson, secretary/treasurer TPM

Comprising one of the largest collections of printing equipment and the only operating type foundry in the Southern Hemisphere, the Printing Museum currently operates from rented space in old army storage buildings in Mangaroa. Recently, it established a Book Arts Centre in Wellington for classes, demonstrations, and workshops.

It has reached an agreement to buy the Hopkirk Building, the former Wallaceville Animal Research Centre. Dan says,

with LED UV. RMGT has sold several 1060s at China Print. These machines are very popular. They come in a variety of configurations and can be tailored to cater to what the customers’ needs are.

“At this show, we also demonstrated how the RMGT 1060LX can be used for chemical emboss.

“Packaging is growing tremendously in China, and when it comes to trends in this space, customers are all looking to purchase at least a six-colour with coater, seven-colour, or eight-colour machine.

“The RMGT 1060LX also prides itself in its high

“The sale terms allow a period for TPM to fundraise for the minimum one million dollars needed to secure the building, which does not require earthquake strengthening.

“Our museum team is confident of again assembling its skilled volunteers for a building restoration and fit-out. The Museum has always been self-sustaining financially and this can continue with a partial lease of the premises.

“Without a permanent home, The Museum, its collection, and the skills and knowledge of its members will remain at risk. This is an opportunity for us to utilise TPM’s full potential and to save a significant piece of New Zealand’s heritage, both tangible and intangible.”

To learn more, please contact Dan Tait-Jamieson: Phone 0274 444-599, or email info@theprintingmuseum. co.nz

productivity rates and fast makeready times.”

The RMGT 1060LX press has application for packaging printing. It uses RMGT’s SimulChanger parallel automated plate changing system. It also has a new polygon-type vacuum wheel that provides a superior vacuum across the entire substrate sheet, and included are improved front-lay and side-lay detectors to accommodate thicker stock up to 1.00 mm.

It delivers fast speeds of 17,100 sheets per hour, plus Smart Assist Printing to further drive productivity to higher levels.

Heidelberg adds large format press to its folding carton portfolio

Offset press giant Heidelberg has expanded its packaging portfolio, adding the new Cartonmaster CX 145 in response to the continuing trend for packaging sector growth, in particular long run folding carton printing for food, beverage, and consumer packaging.

The company sees large format class 6 (105cm × 145cm) sheetfed offset presses playing a key role in the future of folding carton printing. Dr David Schmedding, chief technology and sales officer at Heidelberg, says, “Our new Cartonmaster CX 145 makes Heidelberg a full range provider for folding carton printing.

“As part of our growth strategy, we are expanding our range of solutions for the packaging sector and, at the same time, plugging a gap in our portfolio.”

Heidelberg has based the Cartonmaster CX 145 on the Roland Evolution 900 from manroland sheetfed. The press can be integrated into both the Prinect workflow and the workflow solutions of third-party suppliers. Customers can access performance data for their press in the Heidelberg customer portal.

Besides the actual press in the Heidelberg design, the package on offer also covers sales, installation,

training, and support, including service and consumables. Heidelberg sees maximum press availability, minimal complexity, and a professional, and well established service from the supplier as key investment criteria, especially for packaging producers in the high volume folding carton segment. It adds that the global Heidelberg service organisation offers added value for customers, who now have a more comprehensive portfolio in this market segment.

Schmedding adds, “Our performance promise for all Heidelberg machines includes local support for parts, the global presence of qualified service staff, and quick response times.”

Heidelberg plans the first Cartonmaster CX 145 customer installation for 2026 and a global rollout will follow. The company expects the biggest demand to come from North America, Europe, and China.

Jürgen Otto, chief executive officer of Heidelberg, says, “Adding the

Cartonmaster CX 145 to our portfolio is further proof of our credentials as a system integrator for the end to end production of folding cartons. Thanks to our excellent position in the folding carton segment, this new press, too, is expected to be highly popular with customers and generate increasing sales.”

Heidelberg says it now supplies a full range of products for folding carton printing and can provide the right solution for every need. For example, the company offers packaging customers Speedmaster presses in all kinds of configurations in the 50cm × 70cm and 70cm × 100cm formats, all the way through to the new Peak Performance generation of the Speedmaster XL 106. With its partner MK, Heidelberg also provides solutions for postpress applications, including robotics. The Boardmaster flexographic web printing system in the Heidelberg portfolio covers the top end of the productivity range in folding carton production.

The new Heidelberg Cartonmaster CX 145

PrintNZ Apprentice of the Year narrows its focus to the Top Six

Training advisers and managers share their insights into the country’s top apprentices.

PrintNZ has announced the Top Six apprentices in the 2024 Apprentice of the Year Award. Normally, PrintNZ names a Top Five but this year, judges could not whittle down the finalists any further.

On July 4, at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland, PrintNZ will name the 2024 Apprentice of the Year during the Pride In Print Awards gala dinner.

The top six apprentices are:

• Binding and Finishing – Jessia Moore of Imagine If Creative Studios

• Gravure Printing – Eligh Arthur

of Gravure Packaging

• Label Printing – Faamao (Paul) Müller of Wedderburn New Zealand

• Packaging – Toese Fauatea of Opal Packaging NZ, Cartons

• Reelfed Printing – Bradley Smith of Transcontinental NZ

• Sheetfed Printing – Tayla Jones of Logan Print

Bradley Smith

Steven Jack, training adviser at Competenz, says, “Brad demonstrates a real passion for the industry. This comes through with the way he speaks and is shown in the work produced

over his apprenticeship. His bookwork was a pleasure to read and mark.

“Brad faced his challenges well: being the father of two young children, shift work, and completing an apprenticeship. It is never easy with all this going on but due to his passion for the industry, he never failed to deliver.

“He would often turn up to work in his own time to learn as much as possible. This is a real credit to the man.

“Brad expresses a hunger for knowledge and is keen to succeed. I am 100 per cent sure that Brad will be a future

Apprentices on stage with their supporters at last year’s Pride In Print Awards ceremony

leader in the industry. With young people like him, the future of the industry is very bright.”

Involved in flexible packaging for most of his career, Brad joined Transcontinental in 2005 and evolved from blown film extrusion operator to shift supervisor in the print department.

Nick Ball, printing manager at Transcontinental, adds, “Brad is very thorough. All his assignments were done to such a high standard. He has set the bar very high for the next apprentices that come through here. After completing the plastics engineering apprenticeship and coming runner up in the Apprentice of the Year then, I had no surprise in hearing that he had been nominated again.

“Being able to juggle the apprenticeship, leading the team and having a young family; it has been great to see the personal and professional growth in Brad. It is great to see people coming through the apprentice programme to further their careers and open that door for a lot more possibilities.”

Eligh Arthur

Eligh Arthur joined Gravure Packaging as a finisher in 2020 having previously been an electrician by trade. Andrew Young, managing director at Gravure Packaging, says, “Eligh has worked hard to understand and subsequently master a number of the machines. In doing so, he quickly established himself as a prospect for future development.

“He was rewarded for his hard work August of 2020 when the company offered Eligh the opportunity to start a Level 4 apprenticeship in reelfed printing under Malcolm Pearce’s tutelage.

“Eligh consistently displays a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. He is punctual, polite, reliable and willing to take on additional tasks when needed. Eligh’s enthusiasm for learning and improving his skills is commendable, and he actively seeks feedback to enhance his performance.”

Tayla Jones

In 2028, Tayla Jones left a background in childcare to join Logan Print as a print assistant in 2018. Colin Lean, technical manager at Logan Print, describes Tayla as “highly motivated”.

He says, “Tayla has trained on all three of our six-colour Heidelberg presses, so she has experienced changes in technology from 74 centimetres to 102 centimetres and from sheetfed to the latest Heidelberg CutStar reel to sheet infeed.

“I have been lucky enough to help mentor 14 apprentices, including Tayla, and we have never had someone with her bubbly personality, work ethic and self-motivation.

“For example, during Tayla’s apprenticeship she completed a module where she had to lead a team in a task. Tayla had four experienced printers in their 40s and 50s taking notes from her

plans and then offering feedback. At no stage was she uncomfortable, as she had made her plan and done her preparation and had respect from her colleagues.”

Advisor’s nomination criteria

Commenting collectively on Tayla Jones and Eligh Arthur, Competenz training advisor Malcolm Pearce emphasises that he only nominates for Apprentice of the Year when he “firmly believes” a candidate can win both the award in their field of work and overall.

He says, “Both my nominations have been consistent from the first day of their apprenticeships through to becoming fully qualified in their trade.

“Key factors I consider are assignments that are well documented, and questions answered in detail, often calling on personal experience from the trade, assignments completed by their due dates and apprenticeships completed on time.

“Factors for my nomination of these two apprentices include positive feedback from employers and what I observe from their peers.”

Other aspects Malcolm takes into consideration include:

• Being given more responsibilities during their apprenticeship – for example, are they in charge of a press or do they have an assistant reporting to them?

• Are there obstacles in their lives they

Bradley Smith of Transcontinental NZ

Tayla Jones of Logan Print

Eligh Arthur of Gravure Packaging

have managed such as sports or family commitments, disabilities or biases?

Jessia Moore

After previously working in administration for an electrician firm, Jessia Moore joined Imagine If Creative Studios as a print finisher.

Aly Cosson, senior graphic designer and owner of Imagine If Creative Studios, says, “Jessia has excelled in the apprenticeship and that comes as no surprise. From the beginning she said she wanted to go for Apprentice of the Year, I made the Top 5 back in 2013 and so her goal has been to beat me, and I really hope she does.

“She has put so much dedication into this, and her efforts are more impressive when you know she has dyslexia, something that she really struggled with at school. She was able to receive assistance through this process, and she has really blossomed and become prouder of herself. She knows now that she can do things. She doesn’t have to let the dyslexia stop her. We are so proud.”

Faamao (Paul) Müller

Coming from within the print industry to work at Wedderburn New Zealand as a print assistant in 2019, Faamao (Paul) Müller now operates an eight-colour press.

Tony Reid, labels production manager at Wedderburn, says, “Paul showed drive and commitment to his training.

I knew he would always do well in his print apprenticeship.

“Paul has excelled, consistently demonstrating a strong work ethic, eagerness to learn and the ability to adapt quickly to new challenges. He is also very good at trouble shooting technical printing issues.

“Paul is an asset to us as he brings fresh perspectives and innovation, helping to drive Wedderburn forward.”

Toese Fauatea

Previously a school teacher in Samoa, Toese Fauatea has excelled since joining Opal Packaging NZ in 2020, initially as an assistant in the gluing department.

Dave Wilson, operations manager for Opal Packaging NZ, says, “We asked if he would go into the die-cutting department, because we were introducing some new equipment in gluing and knew some people would be affected by that restructure.

“It has turned out pretty well for him. A number of people in the gluing department had said to me, ‘Actually, this guy is quite good’. Obviously, you take what the people on the floor say, as they are working with him day in day out.

“He has an eagerness to obtain new knowledge, and he applies it. He says: ‘I actually tried what you showed me, and it is working’. and there is a smile on his face that he has achieved.”

ADVISOR ON WORTHY APPRENTICES

Grant Alsop, training adviser at Competenz provides the following comments on Jessia, Paul, and Toese: the three “worthy” apprentices under his tutelage:

Grant says, “Jessia was very enthusiastic and conscientious throughout her binding and finishing apprenticeship. She completed her assignments on time which were always presented to a high standard.

“Putting a lot of effort into gathering the information for each unit, Jessia was proud of her achievements. Her commitment to producing quality work and her problem solving ability was impressive, and her manager always spoke highly of her.

Paul was engaged throughout the four-year reel fed print apprenticeship. He completed his assignments on time and to a good standard and was able to provide quality evidence of his work. He was well supported and is highly regarded by his manager.

“Paul was excited to get the opportunity to do a fibreboard packaging carton cut and crease apprenticeship. He always did his best to provide good work for each unit standard. He demonstrated good practical skills throughout and was able to provide quality evidence of his work. I always received positive feedback on his work and ability from his supervisor.”

Iain Macintyre

Jessia Moore of Imagine If Creative Studio

Toese Fauatea of Opal Packaging NZ, Cartons

Faamao (Paul) Müller of Wedderburn New Zealand

PRINTNZ COMMENT

Your industry association’s report card for the year

PrintNZ focuses on delivering services that provide value and relevance to its members.

As an industry organisation, we are owned by our members and it is only fitting that we provide feedback to our stakeholders about how we are doing, so here is our report card for the 2024 calendar year following our 117th Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday May 14.

The AGM saw the completion of Fred Soar’s four year term as president. Fred has contributed a substantial amount of time and expertise to the role, taking on the presidency in 2021 as we were coming out of Covid and through a busy period for his own business. The meeting acknowledged the sterling job he has done as he steps down into the newly created role of immediate past president.

Jill Cowling, chief executive officer of Blue Star Group, was duly elected to the vacated role of president. Jill has been on the Board since 2021 and we welcome the knowledge, experience and capability she brings to the position, particularly in these challenging times.

Matt Wilson (NZME) and Angela Nauck (Torque Digital) were both re-elected into their roles on the Board for a further two year term, and David Parsons (CQ) remains a standing member.

Penelope Savidan (B&F Papers) completed her two year term as the Supplier Representative and Daniel Telfer from B J Ball was elected by the Board to take that position for the next two years.

Our thanks go to both Fred and Penelope for the time they have given to the Board – these are voluntary roles, and they undertake them in addition to their already busy jobs.

Accounts

The audited Accounts were presented to the AGM. PrintNZ made a pre-tax profit of $37,052 for the 12 months to December 31, 2024. This was down on pre-tax profit from the previous year, a similar story to many of our member businesses as we faced a challenging market and increasing inflationary pressures. The organisation has equity of $1.4m and an investment portfolio valued at $1.5m which generated dividend income of $63,103.

Annual Report

The Annual Report of the president and chief executive was presented to the meeting. This summarises the expansive activities undertaken during the year including lobbying; networking; training; direct to member services; related association activities; and membership statistics. On December 31, 2024, PrintNZ had 487 members.

New Annual Billing Month

PrintNZ currently sends annual invoices on 1 January each year in line with its financial year. A proposal was tabled and accepted to move the billing year to October 1-September 30, taking it away from the cashflow crunch-time of January. This will involve a stepped transition to the invoicing in 2026 to accommodate the new date for annual payers. All members continue to be encouraged to pay monthly to spread the load, and those doing so will not be impacted by the billing change.

New Rules

In keeping with the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022, PrintNZ was required to present an updated Constitution at the meeting and have passed this by a vote of the members present. The rules were last reviewed in 2007, and the mandated change provided a timely opportunity to update the rules to reflect best practice and match the current legislated requirements of a constitution. Following this approval of the rules PrintNZ must now apply to be re-registered as an Incorporated Society under the new Act.

Marketing Campaign

At the end of 2024, the Board committed a substantial sum of money to develop a marketing campaign to raise the awareness of print and create a broader understanding of its effectiveness, the role it plays in everyday life, its sustainable qualities, with the goal to ultimately improve engagement with the print industry. The first stages of the campaign are underway, and resources will be developed for both a targeted external market and for internal use by members to customers.

Delivering benefits and support

So, there it goes. Hopefully, our work is worthy of at least an A. We exist for our members and remain focused on delivering services that provide value and relevance, looking for opportunities to deliver further benefits and support, and continuing to look for prospects for growth for the organisation, both within the industry and across complementary groups.

But we are nothing without our members, our staff and our Board, and a huge thank you goes to all the businesses and individuals that recognise the value of having an industry organisation, in good times and in bad, and support PrintNZ accordingly through membership, sponsorship and participation.

Ruth Cobb

Thank you, Fred: after four years, Fred Soar has stepped down into the newly created role of immediate past president

All the scoop from Dscoop

Nearly 1,300 members gathered at Dscoop Edge Long Beach for a three-day event spotlighting the power of connection, idea sharing and innovation.

Dscoop Edge Long Beach recently took place in California, bringing together nearly 1,300 members of the Dscoop global community, where they converged for three days of learning and connecting. This year, the flagship event, centred around powerful idea-sharing within the Dscoop global community, celebrated its 20th year.

Dscoop, one of the largest digital print communities in the world, now comprises about 22,000 HP Industrial and HP Large Format users and partners across 96 countries including New Zealand and Australia.

In Long Beach, as the event’s theme depicted, they confronted the industry’s next waves, major forces like AI and economic trends that will crash into businesses left unprepared, while uplifting others with incredible momentum.

At the event, Haim Levit, HP industrial print senior vice-president and division president, said, “For two decades, HP

and the Dscoop Edge community have been driving the transformation of digital print – raising the bar for quality, versatility, productivity, cost efficiency, and sustainability.

“This year at Dscoop we celebrate that legacy and embark on a new journey, one in which AI will revolutionise the world of print as we know it today, opening a new era where presses become autonomous and workflows are connected, automated, and orchestrated from creation to delivery.”

Kiwi and Aussie representation

A cohort of 18 print professionals from Australia and New Zealand, including staff from HP Indigo A/NZ distributor Currie Group, attended Dscoop Edge Long Beach, joining like-minded innovators at the event.

The trip delivered more than just a conference experience. The group embarked on a curated programme of exclusive site visits to several high

performing Californian print businesses, gaining invaluable insights into the latest technologies, workflows, and business models shaping the future of print. These tours complemented the immersive Dscoop agenda.

The event also marked a proud milestone for the Australasian print community with industry leader and long time Dscoop advocate Kelvin Gage’s election as global chairman of the Dscoop Global Board.

The energy, collaboration, and inspiration that came from the Long Beach experience left a lasting impression on all who attended. The A/NZ delegates returned home with fresh ideas, strengthened global connections, and a renewed sense of momentum to help drive their businesses, and the broader regional print community, forward.

Mark Daws, Currie Group labels and packaging A/NZ director, said, “Dscoop Edge is always an inspiring experience, bringing together like-

From left: Anthony Jackson, Currie Group; Craig Loveridge, Blue Star Group; Craig Walmsley, HP; Rob Mesaros, Currie Group; Jill Cowling, Blue Star Group; Haim Levitt, HP and Mark Daws, Currie Group

minded professionals from across the globe. It was fantastic to see so many of our A/NZ customers making the journey, connecting with peers and learning from the best. The site visits to high-performing print businesses really reinforced how technology and collaboration are shaping the future of our industry.

“We should be proud of the level of quality and automation we are achieving here in Australia and New Zealand, as it truly stands out on the world stage.”

Among the Kiwis who attended, Craig Loveridge, chief commercial officer - Blue Star Group, said, “It was great to be part of the wider Dscoop community for a few days and get the latest industry insights from across the globe. We were really appreciative of the sites that opened their doors to us during the site visits.”

Also travelling to the event, New Zealand Dscoop country lead and managing director of innovative print company Fuzed, Matt Mills had time to reflect on Dscoop after the event. Matt said, “I have been involved with Dscoop for eight years now. It’s been a valuable space for connection, learning, and staying plugged into some of the latest innovations.

Initially, I became interested in Dscoop after hearing the rumours and wanted to find out for myself what Dscoop had to offer. It wasn’t till I experienced it for myself that I really understood it was the opportunity to connect with like minded professionals and learn from others facing the similar if not the same challenges. The community feel and practical value sets Dscoop apart from typical trade events.

“This year, like every time I go to a Dscoop event, I go to connect, and reconnect with other industry peers, explore existing and new technologies,

with the premise to gather ideas to bring back to Fuzed.

The three best parts for me from this year’s Dscoop were:

• The conversations: Both formal and informal, they sparked new thinking and helped validate some of our strategies along with create ideas to think about for the future.

• Technology demos: Seeing the latest in digital print tech in action, with opportunities to ask real-world questions and how they can apply directly to Fuzed.

• Breakout sessions: Especially those focused on business growth, customer experience, and market trends.

“We gained immense value from the strategic insights: hearing how other businesses are evolving, especially in customer engagement, workflow automation, and scalability. All with the focus of enhancing the offering at Fuzed.

“Compared with previous Dscoops, this year felt more focused and forwardthinking. The sessions were very engaging; the networking was fantastic the relationships built with regular attendees got even stronger and new relationships formed with first timers. AI was a major focus throughout the event, which added a layer of futurereadiness to many conversations, even if that wasn’t my main draw.

“Dscoop helps Fuzed by opening doors to ideas, to partners, and to practical solutions we might not come across otherwise. One of the most helpful parts is being surrounded by people who are solving similar challenges and willing to share their learnings.”

From Australia, Rawson Print & Packaging managing director Andrew Price said, “It has been eight years since

my last Dscoop in 2017. This was my third Dscoop, having previously attended in 2010 (Dallas), 2017 (Phoenix), and now Long Beach.

“Dscoop is a fantastic experience, not just for connecting with like-minded professionals from across the print industry, but for the opportunity to collaborate with peers globally. We’re often facing similar challenges, and it’s incredibly valuable to share ideas and solutions.

“I was eager to see what’s new in the industry and what opportunities we could leverage. I was also keen to explore the latest advancements in HP Indigo technology. My most valuable takeaway was the use of AI in the printing industry, particularly how it can help streamline and enhance both operational workflows and the sales and quoting process.”

Onpack managing director Michael Nankervis said, “This was my first Dscoop event. For anyone considering Dscoop for the first time, I’d describe it as a unique opportunity to gain practical insights, build meaningful relationships, and see what’s possible with new technology, all in one place.

“My motivation for attending this year was to stay ahead of industry trends and connect with peers and partners who are shaping the future of print and packaging. The most valuable takeaway from Dscoop Edge Long Beach was seeing firsthand the latest advancements in digital print technology, including AI for the industry, and how global operators are leveraging them to deliver more agile, efficient solutions for customers.”

The AI advancements that sparked attendees’ attention included:

HP Nio

Powered by HP’s PrintOS, HP Nio empowers businesses with data-driven intelligence to maximise printing resources, drive productivity, and unlock new avenues for growth.

HP Nio is a new chatbot that allows customers to ask questions about their print operations. It connects directly with HP PrintOS to deliver real-time data, production insights, and on-demand knowledge, all in one place.

By using tools like Print Beat and the Knowledge Zone, HP Nio provides expert, print-specific guidance. Soon, it will also integrate with other HP PrintOS apps like HP Site Flow to support workflow automation and suggest smart, actionable next steps. Ultimately, HP Nio will act as an intelligent co-creator, enhancing the PrintOS experience and helping

A/NZ Dscoop attendees on a site visit to Brook+Whittle

automate the entire print workflow from start to finish.

AI inside HP Indigo presses

Introduced at drupa for HP Indigo presses, HP’s AI-enabled solutions including Automatic Alert Agent (AAA 2.0), Print Mode Preflight, and PQ Maestro, were showcased in an end-toend intelligent print workflow at Dscoop Edge Long Beach.

These innovations are estimated to be commercially available in July and are becoming core assets of HP Indigo’s AI technology, helping customers significantly increase print efficiency.

Enhanced features across HP PrintOS and HP Site Flow

HP has further enhanced the HP PrintOS Creativity Power Pack with new features in HP SmartStream Designer, including support for Adobe CC2025, integration of Amazon Transparency codes, and the addition of Bria.ai capabilities for generating AI images within variable data projects, allowing for the creation of highly personalised and scalable campaigns.

HP Quality Power Pack is also available for HP Indigo 120K and HP Indigo 18K Digital Presses enabling printers and converters to achieve colour industry standards in minutes, fully automated, with zero human touch points to increase press uptime.

New features in HP Site Flow will also help printers and converters efficiently track orders, for a more agile workflow including the ability to:

• Get data on reprint jobs with flagged items table.

• Automate complex workflows with custom production plans.

• Connect 100+ carriers in a matter of days with ShipStation API Integration.

• Gain access to advanced intelligent picking and warehouse management capabilities by integrating with Mintsoft.

Automation for brand integration

HP has improved HP Brand Centre, the platform designed to speed up onboarding and improve order tracking, by connecting brands to printers and converters efficiently.

The solution enhances the overall efficiency to manage and share the brand’s product catalogue, simplifying their onboarding process to a few days, and allowing users to manage invoicing,

production, and service agreements in one place.

At Dscoop Edge Long Beach, HP welcomed four new brands to the intelligent HP Brand Centre platform: Zazzle, Minted, Printerpix and Mixam.

HP also announced the launch of HP Business Centre, providing customers with enhanced finance management capabilities empowering customers to make informed decisions and to optimise their operations.

The new solution enhances the HP PrintOS ecosystem with features including online supplies lifespan score monitoring, impressions performance tracking and comprehensive invoice tracking – driving efficiency and automation for organisations to deliver smarter printer operations.

HP’s end to end solutions on stage

At Dscoop Edge Long Beach, HP also demonstrated full production lines powered by the HP Indigo 120K and HP Indigo 18K HD Digital Presses, showcasing the wide versatility and productivity. These presses, with their AI-based solutions, were released at drupa, and aim to redefine the shift from analogue to digital printing.

With the HP Indigo 200K Digital Press, HP celebrates its milestone of 10 years in the flexible packaging market and more than 400 flexible packaging presses installed worldwide. It also presented the add-on slitter showcasing how converters can seamlessly use their HP Indigo 200K press to print pressure-sensitive labels, flexible packaging, shrink sleeves, slit on press and then convert the slitted roll-on narrow web devices.

For the first time, HP put the spotlight on a live, large scale Web2Print experience

printed on the HP Indigo 18K Digital Press, in collaboration with Canva and Printbox, supported by finishing partners Nobelus, Duplo and Z360. Visitors saw the creation and personalisation of posters, greeting cards, sports trading cards, and even photo albums in real-time.

On the show floor, attendees also had the opportunity to learn more about the high speed of the HP PageWide Advantage 2200 and the newly introduced HP PageWide T4250 HDR and HP PageWide T500 HD presses. These two presses let users explore new markets and build new business models, delivering on performance across publishing, direct mail, and commercial print.

As for the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press, it brings digital value to mid-to-high volume label production.

HP said its co-innovation with customers has driven increased technology stability and repeat investments, proving the value of digital adoption with a record of about one million metres a month, adding that it is a “great achievement accomplished only three months after installation”.

HP’s commitment to sustainable print

In addition, HP announced its Sustainability Amplifier Programme is expanding with a new CO₂ calculator to help businesses measure and reduce their environmental impact.

Since its launch in November 2024, over 1,000 industrial print and large format customers have engaged with the programme and its tools.

The company said HP Indigo’s new CMYK+, and PIP+ consumables cut CO₂ emissions by up to 16 per cent while also reducing waste, saving time and space, and maintaining high print quality.

Haim Levitt, HP industrial print senior vice-president and division president, delivers his presentation at Dscoop Edge

Dscoop attendees at the HP Booth

AMBITION

ADVANCED AUTOMATION FOR HIGH VOLUME PERFORMANCE.

PacPrint 2025 highlights innovation and investments

The pursuit of new revenue streams and operational efficiency drove conversations at PacPrint 2025.

PacPrint 2025 concluded a successful run at the Sydney Showground last month, colocating with Visual Impact and Label & Packaging Expo.

PacPrint 2025 welcomed 3,847 attendees and 116 exhibiting companies. Organisers say PacPrint’s “dynamic environment underscored the print and signage industry’s resilience, innovation, and forward momentum”. Even daily train disruptions and an extremely wet week in Sydney didn’t discourage the strong crowd.

The show attracted a high quality audience of serious buyers, with numerous exhibitors reporting strong sales activity from Day One. The sentiment echoed across the show floor, with vendors highlighting the presence of decision makers intent on discovering innovations and making meaningful investments. Organisers commented that a significant contingent from New Zealand added depth to commercial conversations, reinforcing the show’s regional importance. They added that “multiple exhibitors reported strong sales and plenty of high-quality leads”.

Kirsten Taylor, chair of PacPrint 2025, set the tone during the opening ceremony. She said, “This year, our

theme ‘Innovation, Collaboration, and Transformation’ captures the very essence of what drives the industry forward. It’s inspiring to see the energy, creativity, and resilience gathered within these walls today as we come together to shape the future of print.”

She explained that PacPrint 2025 is designed not just to inform, but to ignite ideas, adding, “As we navigate a rapidly evolving landscape, it’s clear that our ability to adapt and innovate has never been more important. This event is your opportunity to explore breakthrough solutions, build new connections, and uncover possibilities that can redefine your business future.”

Seminar programme

The show’s forums brought together some of the industry’s brightest minds and boldest thinkers. The sessions covered everything from industry trends in technology to what it really takes to navigate success in today’s print landscape.

Topics included emerging talent; strategic partnerships; mental health and employee well-being; sustainability; industry compliance; superannuation planning; industry associations and leadership.

Kirsten commented: “PacPrint is more than a trade show. It’s a space where bold ideas come to life. Where connections are made, and where we collectively reimagine the future of our industry.”

Across four days, this vision came to life through imaginative exhibits, informative panel sessions, and robust networking. She added, “The positive energy and commercial success reaffirm the essential role of PacPrint for our industry.”

Visitors with purpose

Exhibitors say visitors came with purpose, looking for transformative solutions and innovation to drive business growth. While automation and sustainability featured prominently, the pursuit of new revenue streams and operational efficiency drove most conversations, according to exhibitors.

With post-event surveys underway, organisers expect to gather deeper insights to further enhance future editions. They add that early indicators point to resounding satisfaction: strong foot traffic, meaningful engagement, and business outcomes that reaffirm the essential value of trade shows, particularly those embracing hybrid strategies to extend their reach.

The organisers concluded, “We extend heartfelt thanks to all attendees, exhibitors, expert presenters and panellists, sponsors, and partners. Your passion, participation, and collaboration are what make PacPrint 2025 the premier event for the print, sign, labels and packaging, and visual media industry.”

This year’s Sydney show hosted 3,847 attendees and 116 exhibiting companies

Kirsten Taylor, chair of PacPrint 2025, cuts the ribbon to open the show, assisted by Mitch Mulligan, Visual Connections board member and managing director of Böttcher Australia

Epson places focus on innovative solutions at PacPrint 2025

New

printers deliver a range of possibilities.

Epson highlighted a range of solutions PacPrint 2025 with a focus on its recently announced eco-solvent flagship, the SureColor S9160.

The company says the 1.6m printer sets a new standard in signage printing by delivering exceptional image quality, an expanded colour gamut, unparalleled productivity, and a compact, user friendly design.

Equipped with Epson’s latest user replaceable 6.6cm PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead, the printer uses an advanced 11-colour ink set, including red, orange and an all-new green, as well as opaque white ink.

This printer’s eco-friendly features include the fact that Epson uses recycled material to make around 30 per cent of the plastic used in its hardware. Epson says this reflects its ongoing commitment to reusing resources and reducing waste. The S9160 also offers the opportunity to install either 800ml or 1,500ml sizes of any of its low VOC UltraChrome GS3 eco-solvent inks which reduces environmental footprint and plastic waste.

Epson SureColor S8160

Also, on show at PacPrint, the SureColor S8160 eco-solvent printer, featuring Epson’s latest 2.64-inch PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead.

Epson says the printer ensures minimal downtime, while advanced technologies, including an integrated temperature sensor, nozzle verification and nozzle replacement system, work together to deliver consistent image quality, precise colour accuracy and improved workflow efficiency.

It also features a six-colour UltraChrome GS3 ink set, including light cyan and light magenta. It supports a wide range of materials, including vinyl, canvas, film, and wallpaper and roll media up to 1,626mm wide. The inks are GreenGuard Gold certified and low-VOC.

For uninterrupted high volume production, the SC S8160 printer features dual ink slots per colour, enabling hot swapping and allowing ink replacement without pausing print jobs. It allows for flexible ink configuration, enabling the installation of either 800ml or 1,500ml of any colour to optimise workflow efficiency while minimising plastic waste.

In line with its PacPrint theme of ‘Come Alive with Epson’, the company also had several other products on display, catering to the photo, signage, merchandise, and labels sectors. They included the SureColor G6060, Epson’s first wide format printer designed exclusively for direct to film (DTF) production featuring a compact design with all front loaded consumables; the SureColor P20560, designed for highquality poster, graphic, signage, and fine art printing; and two Australasian firsts: the SureColor S7160 eco solvent printer and the SureColor V2060.

Other innovative Epson technology at the show included the Epson SD10 Spectrophotometer and Auto Table, ColorWorks C8010, ColorWorks C6510, ColorWorks C4010A, SureColor P20560, SureColor T-Series T5760DM, the SureColor G6060, SureColor F9560, and SureColor F1060.

The SureColor S7160 builds on the success of the SC-S40600, which has achieved over 11,000 units in global sales. Epson says it designed the SC-S7160 to deliver outstanding image quality, productivity, ease of use and reliability at a minimal cost.

The Epson SureColor V2060, an A3 UV flatbed desktop printer, targets the growing demand for high quality, on demand customisation. Specifically designed for producing bespoke merchandise, promotional products, and small-format signage the SC-V2060 brings professional grade UV printing into compact spaces to a wide range of users with ease.

Avinash Patel, business development manager for Professional Print at Epson New Zealand, welcomed Kiwi visitors to the stand over the four days of the show.

Avinash Patel, business development manager for Professional Print at Epson New Zealand, with the new Epson SureColor S9160

The Epson SureColor G6060

The Epson SureColor P20560

Aquafuze makes its debut at PacPrint alongside new Revoria Presses

Fujifilm Business Innovation team highlights a raft of innovations and solutions.

Fujifilm Business Innovation took to PacPrint to launch the Acuity Triton in the region at PacPrint 2025. The company also showed a raft of printing technology including two new Revoria presses.

The new roll fed printer uses the company’s new Aquafuze ink technology, meeting a multitude of market requirements as it combines the benefits of LED UV and water-based inkjet technologies.

The Acuity Triton brings together two titans of the wide format inkjet industry. Mutoh manufactures the hardware in Japan and Fujifilm developed and produced the Aquafuze technology, drawing on its track record of ink innovation.

Aquafuze technology combines UV LED and water-based inkjet, offering low energy, low temperature drying compared to traditional water-based print systems. It provides adhesion to a wide range of media without the need for a pre-coat primer or optimiser.

Prints have a thin scratch-resistant film and do not require a topcoat. Fujifilm says the technology offers excellent jetting stability through reduced nozzle blocking due to low temperature drying.

The Acuity Triton, Fujifilm’s first machine in the 1.6m market has a fourcolour process with UV water-based inks. Features include instant cure and minimal amounts of power consumption. Fujifilm can offer a professional print and cut solution for sign and display applications.

New Revoria Presses

The company also showed the new Revoria Press SC285S and Revoria Press EC2100S.

With the help of Super EA-Eco toner used in high-end models, both the Revoria Press SC285S and Revoria Press EC2100S enable high-quality CMYK printing and achieve shiny metallic colour and gloss. The compact high quality LED print head can provide high-resolution output of up to 2,400dpi x 2,400dpi to achieve high-definition printing with clear lines and images.

The Revoria Press EC2100S is compatible with a variety of papers, has postprocessing functions, and is easy to operate. It features an automatic optimisation function using Revoria Flow, of neon pink toner to achieve a wider colour gamut.

It allows for high-speed printing of uncoated paper (52gsm to 400gsm) and coated paper (72gsm to 400gsm). It prints A4 at up to 100 pages per minute, while its A3 print productivity reaches 55 pages per minute.

The Revoria Press SC285S supports a wide range of paper types and sizes, including various paper sizes as small as 90mm ×146mm and as large as 330mm × 660 mm, and supports optional long paper printing (single-sided) up to 330mm × 1300mm.

From 52gsm thin paper to 400gsm thick paper, it can flexibly handle various gram weight media. In addition to printing a variety of exquisite materials, the machine also has various common business office functions such as copying and scanning. It achieves production efficiency for A4 of 85 pages per minute and as high as 47 pages per minute for A3 printing.

Other products on show included: the new Revoria Press PC1120 + Plockmatic Booklet Maker, the Acuity Prime Hybrid, and Revoria XMF PressReady integrated print workflow.

Fujifilm Business Innovation New Zealand (FBNZ) hosted visitors on the stand over the four days of the show. In a strong Kiwi representation, managing director David Jupe joined with Greg O’Shanassy, Paul Thomas, Cary Rawson, and Ryan Stevens to showcase the company’s latest innovations.

Cary Rawson, from FBNZ, with the Acuity Triton, which uses the company’s new Aquafuze ink technology

The Revoria Press EC2100S ran at the show

HP shows new generation Latex printers at PacPrint 2025

New printers target high impact print quality and enhanced productivity.

At PacPrint 2025, HP unveiled its latest generation of water-based HP Latex large format printing solutions: the HP Latex 730 and HP Latex 830 Printer Series at PacPrint 2025.

Following last month’s innovations announced at HP Amplify, including the all in one HP Latex R530 and HP PrintOS Production Hub, the unveiling of the new series reinforced HP’s ongoing commitment to innovation in large format printing, delivering an impressive portfolio of hardware, software solutions and services.

HP has designed the HP Latex 730 and HP Latex 830 printers to deliver high impact print quality, enhance productivity and costs for small and medium-sized print shops while continuing to differentiate with a sustainability edge.

Craig Hardman, A/NZ country manager large format printing at HP, said, “With the introduction of the HP Latex R530, L730 and L830 Printer Series, we are reaffirming HP’s commitment to empowering print service providers with cutting edge, sustainable technology.

“These next-gen solutions combine exceptional print quality, breakthrough productivity, and operational simplicity, designed to help our customers grow efficiently in a competitive market. Together with innovations like the HP PrintOS Production Hub, we are delivering an unmatched ecosystem that redefines what is possible in large-format printing.”

High value output

With the new colour pipeline, HP Pixel Control, the latest generation of inks and printhead architecture, HP says these advanced printers deliver elevated print quality with maximum consistency.

HP calls its Pixel Control the digital colour pipeline that enables print service providers to deliver a more robust and consistent image quality at a lower number of passes, allowing customers to print uniform solid colours and greater detail. Additionally, enhanced colour consistency and the ability to create colour profiles with the HP Embedded

allows print service providers to confidently repeat print jobs across various media types without compromising quality.

HP says these printers are a powerful tool for diverse printing needs. Equipped with HP Latex Ink to deliver vivid colours and universal user-replaceable HP Latex Printheads to deliver sharp four-point text, print service providers can print a wide range of including branded campaigns, décor, and titled graphics, benefiting now from automated doublesided printing.

Optimised productivity

HP has engineered the new HP Latex Series to simplify production and optimise printing processes. Rapid production speeds significantly reduce printing time, while instant drying prints eliminate waiting times so operators can complete more jobs in less time. When coupled with the recently introduced HP PrintOS Production Hub software, print service providers can further enhance their operations by simplifying print workflows, order management, and remote production from a centralised, real time platform.

HP has considered productivity and time saving innovations at every step of the printing process, from spindle-less front loading to facilitate quick and easy media loading, to the new output platen which minimises material waste by allowing

tighter media control of each print job. The company has enhanced the HP Latex 830 printer to further reduce running costs. It features three-litre HP ink cartridges that you can replace without halting operations,

HP says that each enhancement delivers a smoother, more efficient workflow that enables faster job turnaround and lower total cost of production, ideal for smaller teams when managing multiple jobs in high mix, fast paced large format print production.

Sustainable Solutions

Furthering HP’s commitment to operational efficiency and sustainability, the HP Latex 730 and 830 join the HP Latex 630 as EPEAT Climate+registered printers, the only printers in the signage industry with this certification.

HP adds that the HP Latex Series supports a more comfortable work environment while helping print service providers meet the growing demand for sustainable, high impact print applications with water-based, odourless, and UL ECologo-certified HP Latex inks, low emissions, and compatibility with fibre-based recyclable media.

Over the four days of PacPrint 2025, Wayne Shaw, business manager Sign & Display at HP New Zealand, showed Kiwi visitors around the stand demonstrating the new printers and their innovations.

Spectrophotometer

Wayne Shaw, business manager Sign & Display at HP New Zealand, with the new HP Latex R530 printer

New Konica Minolta presses take the stand at PacPrint 2025

The AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S print at speeds of 140ppm and 120ppm respectively

Konica Minolta debuted its next generation AccurioPress C14010S and AccurioPress C12010S production presses at PacPrint 2025.

Chris O’Hara, national production and industrial print manager for Konica Minolta New Zealand, said, “We were excited to see the new presses launch at PacPrint 2025. These innovative presses empower businesses with stunning print quality, exceptional speeds, and unmatched versatility, letting customers unlock more possibilities in digital print with CMYK + white toners.

“The AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S from Konica Minolta deliver exceptional performance, achieving print speeds of up to 140 pages per minute (ppm) and 120 ppm, respectively.

“The new five-colour print models add white as a new colour and let businesses explore new creative avenues, such as eye-catching print effects.

“The AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S feature six Intelligent Media Sensors. For automated print management, these identify paper type, weight, and size instantly for optimal print settings every time without additional operator input.”

The presses support a broad range of media, from 52gsm up to 450gsm paper including envelopes, embossed paper, polyester, and cut sheet labels, opening doors to diverse applications.

Chris added that the new CMYK + white toner is high opacity and achieves exceptional coverage in a single pass, making it ideal for premium applications, further expanding offerings for the new models, and helping businesses tap into new revenue streams.

Flexibility and smart technology

For larger and more demanding projects, the systems accommodate long sheets up to 1,300mm simplex and 900mm in duplex, providing flexibility to meet customer demands.

Chris commented, “Whether it is for banners, book covers, or specialty items, the AccurioPress C14010s

and C12010S let customers rethink possibilities in production printing and explore additional opportunities for business growth.

“Konica Minolta has engineered the AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S for efficiency, streamlining operations with advanced smart innovative technology. These new print solutions help operators to work smarter, reduce manual adjustments for unattended, uninterrupted printing, and deliver flawless print results faster with reduced touchpoints and exciting new colour options with the addition of white in the new high-opacity CMYK + white toner.”

“Features such as the Intelligent Quality Optimiser Unit, IQ-601, including a new inline spectrophotometer for precise colour profile creation, and Intelligent Media Sensors (IM-104 and IM-105) support consistent, high-quality output with minimum user intervention.

“The IM-105 measures the paper size of the substrates and detects even the slightest variations in paper cutting size and, together with the Intelligent Quality Optimiser IQ-601, automatically adjusts image positioning to eliminate front/back alignment errors for professional quality and consistency with every print run.

High volume production

Other key other benefits include automatic print quality adjustments with Automated Quality Adjustments (AQA)

and Automatic Inspection Technology (AIT), with an intelligent overall design to maximise press uptime.

Chris added, “The AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S models underpin Konica Minolta’s mission to support the digital transformation of our clients’ companies by sector and industry, predicting potential challenges and creating solutions together. This human-centric partnership approach lets customers streamline their businesses through fewer human touchpoints and higher productivity with tangible benefits including highquality output with less print waste.

“Konica Minolta is dedicated to fostering creativity and driving digital transformation for its customers. The new five-colour AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S print systems are built on 20 years of expertise, innovation, and leadership in digital printing, all backed by the trusted support Konica Minolta is renowned for.

“New operator assistance tools and fewer touchpoints, enables Konica Minolta customers to optimise workflows and minimize downtime. This empowers greater creativity, helping customers uncover new opportunities and identify profitable revenue streams.”

Konica Minolta New Zealand managing director Eric Holtsmark headed a strong Kiwi team at the show, joining Chris O’Hara, Rebecca Hughes, and Wade Marriner in escorting visitors around the stand.

Konica Minolta New Zealand at the show, from left: Rebecca Hughes, Chris O’Hara, Eric Holtsmark, and Wade Marriner

Graffica connects with customers at the show

Supplying premium equipment and services catering to the packaging and point of sale sectors, Graffica presented a range of folding box gluers, board slitters, creasing machines, auto loaders, and cutting tables.

The company represents several established global brands specialising in carton finishing, corrugated solutions, point of sale equipment, as well as ancillary machinery and pre-owned equipment. Neil Southerington, director of Graffica, said, “We have sold several cutting tables, and PacPrint has been a great opportunity not only to connect with new potential customers but also to catch up with existing ones who are now considering adding another machine.”

Among its broad portfolio of brands, which includes AOPACK, Wonder Digital, Century, and Fengchi, Graffica also represents Guowei. Graffica introduced Guowei’s latest range of guillotines, distributed in partnership with Robert Allan from Allan’s Graphic Engineers. Robert said, “There are plenty of cheaper brands on the market, but our focus has been on the mid-range, not the high end, because production volumes have shifted.

“Many businesses are not running full scale, all day cutting operations anymore;

Mimaki unveils new products

Among the solutions on the busy Mimaki stand, the company introduced four new products:

The UJV300DTF-75 is Mimaki’s first UV-curable Direct to Film (UV-DTF) printer. It features a new pinch roller for improved precision and uses SVHCfree UV ink, aligning with strict EU environmental standards and setting a new benchmark for safe, high-quality DTF production.

The JV200-160 is an entry level printer powered by the same engine used in the 330 series. It delivers intuitive operation and consistently professional output, ideal for businesses seeking quality with simplicity.

3M MCS, Mimaki’s SS21 solvent ink, known for its rich colour and durability, is now officially certified by the 3M MCS Warranty. This first ever certification for Mimaki’s solvent range strengthens its value, particularly in vehicle wrap applications where the JV330/CJV330 and SS21 are already trusted by brands

they are doing shorter runs, and these machines are perfectly suited for that while remaining competitively priced. They are also strong on service and support, with fast turnaround on parts and real time assistance from China. We can get immediate answers for our customers and that is what they want.”

Graffica also reported strong interest in its new range of automatic box makers from AOPACK, along with WonderJet’s latest digital printer – reflecting a growing trend of commercial printers moving into packaging and custom box production. Neil added “The WonderJet brings some impressive new technology to the custom box market. We see more demand for short-run, personalised

packaging, and this machine is a great fit for that.”

Other key products on the Graffica stand included its range of Century range die cutters. The automatic flatbed diecutting machines target corrugated boxes and POP/POS displays. They can cut corrugated boards, laminated paperboards and carton boards used in the printing and packaging industry, with a maximum sheet size of 2500mm by 1620mm.

Other machines included the CartonFold Pro, a carton folding machine available in 650, 850, and 1100 models with auto-set and job recall; as well as the CorrFold range, a selection of corrugated folder gluers available in 1450, 1700, and 2300 formats.

such as Brad Jones Racing.

The Tx330-1800 is a next-generation textile printer that incorporates Mimaki’s latest 330-series engine and supports BlueSign-approved TP410 pigment ink, making it ideal for both educational

settings and industrial textile production. Mimaki also demonstrated a range of its printers at the show. Geoff Milliken, business manager at Mimaki’s New Zealand supplier Total Supply, welcomed Kiwi customers to the show.

Jason Hay (l), Mimaki Australia and Geoff Milliken, Total Supply with the Mimaki Tx330-1800

Neil Southerington (l) and Robert Allan on the Graffica stand

PACPRINT

Label interest drives leads for Screen

Screen GP Australia managing director Peter Scott said PacPrint generated a strong pipeline of leads, reflecting growing interest from commercial printers in the expanding labels and packaging sector.

He said, “We saw a strong turnout with several high quality leads coming through. I have been pleasantly surprised by the level of engagement and truly appreciate the industry’s support for the event.”

Unlike previous PacPrint exhibitions, Screen chose not to display equipment on its stand this year, instead displaying samples and providing information on its full range of print on demand solutions. He explained, “At previous shows, we have had label presses that took four days to install and two days to decommission, so this time around, we didn’t think that would be necessary and I think we made the right choice.”

The print samples presented at PacPrint 2025 included labels – where

Ricoh simplifies colour management

Ricoh showed its new colour management solution: the Ricoh Auto Color Adjuster. Henryk Kraszewski, Ricoh Australia production print senior product and marketing manager, said, “If you have a fleet of machines, a key concern is being able to produce the same colour on each of the devices; that is something we can simplify.”

With the Ricoh Auto Color Adjuster, you can print calibration sheets on each device, scan them in about 80 seconds, and within minutes standardise colour

printIQ boosts workflows

At PacPrint 2025, printIQ sponsored Infigo and Cyanfix on its booth to demonstrate fully automated print workflows bringing together three solutions: printIQ’s cloud-based MIS system, Infigo’s web to print platform, and Cyanfix’s automated preflight and proofing technology.

The companies say the combined solution creates a seamless end to end system that maximises automation across the entire print production process, from initial online

Screen, through its partners Jet Technologies and Fujifilm New Zealand, has a major foothold in Australia and New Zealand with the Truepress L350UV series. Other samples came from packaging solutions such as the Truepress PAC 520. It produces recyclable, sustainable paper-based wraps and packs that replace micro-plastic producing hydrocarbon-sourced plastics. Screen also presented samples of production

output across all machines. Also, when a customer requests a previous job, the system makes it easy to reproduce it with consistent colour accuracy, ensuring

ordering through to final delivery.

By integrating web to print capabilities with sophisticated prepress automation, print businesses can eliminate manual

from its Truepress PAC830F. Peter added, “Strong interest across the board was really encouraging, connecting with several attendees who were not previously familiar with us and now have a clear understanding of what we can offer.

“The label press has been the most talked-about product at our stand, closely followed by our high-speed inkjet solutions.”

He said the event attracted interest from offset printers who currently outsource label work but are now looking to enter the label market in a more serious way.

He commented, “We listened to many offset printers who currently outsource their label printing but are now looking to bring that capability in-house.

“Additionally, with the strong presence of sign and display printers at the show –many of whom are producing small runs of stickers – we received interest from companies considering their next step. While we may not have a solution for them right now, they now know who we are and what we offer, which sets the stage for future conversations as they grow.

“The show generated a healthy pipeline of leads. There is clearly a strong and growing interest in labels and packaging because it is becoming such a growth area.”

reliable results every time.

Henryk added, “Without knowing the original stock or print conditions, the Ricoh Auto Color Adjuster can scan both the customer’s sample and your current output, helping quickly achieve a close colour match. Simply by scanning [the material] in this device, we can get a much closer match in just a few minutes with no colour skills required. Even though the print may not be what you normally deliver, what is most important is the customer is happy that it matches the original.”

Ricoh also showed samples where it transformed plastic-based gift cards into a more sustainable fibre-based alternative, using its Pro C9500 cutsheet printer to run 800-micron card stock.

intervention at critical workflow stages, dramatically reducing human error and operational costs.

This partnership enables print companies to streamline their operations, improve accuracy, and enhance customer experience while scaling their business efficiently. The automated workflow eliminates double data entry, reduces production bottlenecks, and ensures consistent quality throughout the production cycle.

The companies add that they change how print businesses operate, delivering intelligent automation that drives profitability and growth in today’s competitive marketplace.

Claire Ayaki and Peter Scott on the Screen stand at PacPrint 2025

printIQ sponsored Cyanfix and Infigo on its stand

Yasu Takahashi and Henryk Kraszewski from Ricoh Australia

Kiwis at PacPrint 2025

Sydney show welcomed New Zealander industry members with open arms.

PacPrint 2025 enjoyed a strong representation from New Zealand’s print professionals.

New Zealand Printer caught up with members of the Kiwi contingent at PacPrint 2025; some at PrintNZ’s Kiwi Night at The Helm in Darling Harbour; some on the show floor; and some at both.

Janice Page and Bridget Batchelor, Caxton

From left: Daniela Lopez, Focus Print; John Alden, printIQ; and Vishal Gupta, Focus Print

From left: Paul Thomas, Cary Rawson, and Greg O’Shanassy, FBNZ

Bryce Biggs, Canterbury Print and Brooke Painter, Spicers

Kiwi visitors found themselvess at home at PacPrint 2025

Steve and Marise Spear, Omnigraphics and Geoff Milliken, Total Supply

From left: James Hedger, Original Print, with Lesley and Rene Bros

Peter Lloyd, Kale Print and Wayne Shaw, HP

From left: Craig Harrison, Aarque Group, Sarah Wharfe, Blue Star, and Steve Wilton-Jones, Aarque Group

From left: Gabriel Carberry, NZP; Hamish Woulfe, The Big Picture; and Ruth Cobb, PrintNZ Shane and Sharon Devlin, Graphix

From left: Greg O’Shanassy, FBNZ; Peter Lloyd, Kale Print; and Matt Mills, Fuzed Janette Partington, Omnigraphics and Geoff Wilson, T S Wilson Jnr

Eliza Tsun and Chris Knuckey, Total Supply

Justin Webber and Rachel Davis, printIQ

Mitch Mulligan and Ian Martin, Visual Connections

Paul Thomas, FBNZ and Nicola McIntyre, Eamar Innovative Solutions

Linden Hoverd, PrintNZ and David Jupe, FBNZ

Matt Walsh and Jeremy Newton, BJ Ball

Steve Leverington, and Justin Webber, Mesh Print

Jason Sinclair, Original Print and Don Matheson, ABC Photosigns

Sarah Wharfe, Neil Wouldes, and Delmar Mebius, Blue Star

Wade Marriner, Konica Minolta and Brent Kale, Kale Print

From left: Brent Kale, Peter Lloyd, Dave Trotter, Josh Lindsay, Matt Mills, Shiho Germain, Stephen Kale, and Geoff Wilson

From left Aaron Fowler, Mesh Print; Sam Blenkiron, Mirage; and Stephen Kale, Kale Print

Ryan Stevens, FBNZ and Sam Mitchell, The Big Picture

Sam Blenkiron, Mirage Visual and Chris Mort, printIQ

From left: Justin Shepherd, Aarque Group; Steve McLean, Orafol; Steve Wilton-Jones, Aarque Group; Ashley Playford-Brown and Sam Kay, Orafol Hamish Woulfe and Sam Mitchell, The Big Picture with Brooke Painter, Spicers

New Zealand Printing & Packaging Forum

Tuesday, October 14 2025

Auckland

BLUE STAR OPENING

Blue Star officially opens its massive site in Auckland

Industry leader shows off its 23,000 sqm printing and packaging facility to 300 guests

The Rt. Hon Christopher Luxon, prime minister, cut the ribbon to officially open Blue Star Group’s facility in Auckland.

Around 300 guests and members of the Blue Star team gathered to celebrate the occasion, marking Blue Star’s significant investment in New Zealand’s manufacturing sector.

The facility at 114 Swanson Road consolidates Blue Star’s Auckland operations into one purpose-designed site, bringing together advanced technology, new equipment and an additional 8,000 square metres of production space – totalling 23,000 square metres. For the rugby fans, that is almost three rugby fields.

Guests included customers, suppliers, and key partners. Jill Cowling, chief executive of Blue Star Group, said, “This world class facility represents not only a substantial investment in the future of Aotearoa New Zealand’s print, communications, and packaging industries, but in our people and diverse sectors we serve.

“We are focused on increasing productivity and setting new standards in capability and innovation, utilising AI and digital technologies to improve our efficiency and environmental performance while continuing to deliver the trusted products and service our clients expect.

“Today’s ribbon cutting moment is, importantly, the start of an exciting new chapter for our business, our people, and our industry. A moment to celebrate the ambition, collaboration, and the belief in what is possible with a 40 million dollar investment, not just in buildings or equipment, but in our team’s capability and innovation in local manufacturing.”

New opportunities

Jill continued: “This new facility will support our major customers across sectors including retail, financial services, education, insurance, publishing, and FMCG. As we open the doors today, we are also opening new opportunities to increase productivity through advanced automation; to embrace

AI for smarter data driven decision making; and to lift both efficiency and environmental performance across every part of our operation.

“The facility is future focused and customer-centric designed to help our clients deliver their stories, their brands and their products with more impact, precision, and speed than ever before. In a world increasingly shaped by digital threats, I want to emphasise that cyber security is something we take extremely seriously. We have made significant investments in that space in protecting our people, our systems and our clients.

“I am also very proud to say we are now ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified, an internationally recognised benchmark that reflects our unwavering commitment to information security and data protection.

“We have also taken a logical and systematic approach to our environmental management systems and are proud to say that all of our sites are Toitū environment certified and Blue Star is Toitū CarbonReduce certified.”

Flanked by Blues Star shareholder Craig Heatley and chief executive officer Jill Cowling, prime minister Christopher Luxon cuts the ribbon to officially open the company’s facility in Auckland

BLUE STAR OPENING

“Officially opening this remarkable site today, would not have been possible without the support and leadership of the Blue Star shareholders and board. Your belief in our vision, helped turn the facility from a concept into a reality.

“We’re also particularly grateful to our long standing customers, to our future customers, and to our many partners who backed this project from the very beginning and share our long term commitment to New Zealand’s print and packaging sector.

“We know the world has changed. The pressures of digital disruption. Global volatility and supply chain constraints are real, but through it all, we have remained confident in one of them: the enduring value of high quality onshore production, backed by deep expertise, strong relationships, and a constant drive to improve and succeed.

“We are incredibly proud of what we’ve created here.”

“Finally, to the incredible Blue Star team. Thank you for your skill, dedication, and support made today possible. We are looking forward to building a strong and productive future together.”

Exciting new era for Blue Star

Addressing the guests and Blue Star team, the prime minister said, “Can I just say to Jill and all of the Blue Star team: Congratulations. This is a really, really exciting new era in the company’s history. It’s been a real privilege to spend some time this morning, walking through the facility.

“I just want to say to all of the Blue Star team that are coming together on this site: this is a really important, and a really exciting day when you think about the 40 million dollar investment to make sure there’s a worldclass company from New Zealand taking on customers here at home, but also potentially around the world, it is pretty special.

“Can I just also acknowledge Craig [Blue Star shareholder Craig Heatley] and all

the shareholders that are behind Blue Star, because you know, that’s a big, big cheque to write. It is not something that you easily find behind the cushions on a couch, and they make the investment because they believe in you.

“I hope you genuinely feel really proud because what you’re doing now is setting this business up for another 50 or so years. There’s an investment in technology, in what is a really dynamic and constantly changing industry, but you are right at the sharp end of it, on the foils and are dealing with the change that’s coming.

Pride in a great team

In response to the prime minister’s comments, Blue Star shareholder Craig Heatley added, “There’s an adage in politics that you don’t pick a fight with people who buy printing ink by the gallon. Well, we buy it by the tonne load; but luckily, we don’t print newspapers!”

“This company takes a lot of pride in what it does. For example, we print stamps that are exported around the world, and we’ve got a great team who come to work motivated. They are very creative.”

As a leading New Zealand marketing, print and packaging provider, Blue Star Group will use the new site to support major customers across sectors including retail, financial services, insurance, education, publishing and FMCG. This major investment reflects the company’s confidence in New Zealand’s print and packaging industry, despite global economic headwinds.

The official opening included a tour of the site, technology demonstrations, and reflections on the future of sustainable manufacturing in New Zealand.

Blue Star Group comprises established, industry leading operations across manufacturing, print management, design, marketing communications, digital and logistics.

Guests had the chance to see the facility in operation at the official opening

From left: Craig Heatley, Nick Heatley, Josh Heatley, the Rt. Hon Christopher Luxon, Jill Cowling, Russ Hewitt and Rob Astley

The new Blue Star site covers 23,000 square metres, almost three rugby fields

BLUE STAR OPENING

From left: Katherine Williams, Sarah Wharfe, Darren Comrie, and Russ Hewitt, Blue Star

Graham Harris and Rayne Simpson, Koenig & Bauer

From left: Jill Cowling, Blue Star; Morgan John, Spicers; and John Jenkins, GLC

Herbert Kieleithner and Rob Dunnett, Canon

From left: Matt Wilson, NZME; Daniel Telfer, BJ Ball; Darrin Weir, Aarque Group; and Simon Delany, BJ Ball

From left: Craig Walmsley, HP with Anthony Jackson, Rob Mesaros, and Craig Paul, Currie Group

From left: Tom Dempsey, Webstar; Ruth Cobb; PrintNZ; and Sarah Henry, ARE Media

Sarah Wharfe, Blue Star and Mike Cullerne, Arnotts

From left: Darren Elmore, Ricoh; Craig Loveridge, Blue Star; and Mike Laursen, Ricoh

From left: Stephen Hodson and Cary Rawson, Fujifilm with Michelle Hill, Blue Star

Pam Seymour and Tania McDougall, PrintNZ

Tui Magaono, Blue Star and Rt Hon Christopher Luxon

Rodger Eaton, Boxkraft and Graham Blackall, Durst

From left: Rt Hon Christopher Luxon; Jill Cowling and Jeff Horne, Blue Star

Raimundo Umandap, Blue Star meets Rt Hon Christopher Luxon

Sharon Seal and Jess Tabram, Blue Star

Fujifilm Business Innovation New Zealand’s Festival of Five Colours

Companies combine to make ‘One Fujifilm’ in New Zealand.

Recently, Fujifilm Business Innovation New Zealand (FBNZ) welcomed print industry professionals to its Festival of Five Colours at its Print Technology Centre in Auckland.

David Jupe, managing director for FBNZ, welcomed the guests and shared the news that Fujifilm and FBNZ had combined their sales and technical teams to provide “the highest level of service and support” to its customers nationwide”.

He said, “I really want to thank our team for a fantastic job in putting all this together. You will have noticed our green ‘happi jackets’, which we wore for the first time at our Wellington opening. The team members asked to retain the jackets, which represent who we are from both a Japanese and a Kiwi perspective.

“This gathering is the first opportunity we have been able to say, ‘We are one

Fujifilm’. We are two separate companies, and we come together as one team.

“What is most important is that we keep finding ways to help Kiwis do things smarter. We also appreciate, as do the teams in Japan and Australia, that we do things differently here.

“We look forward to continuing to work with our customers, helping them succeed in their business.”

David Jupe, FBNZ with Ruth Cobb, PrintNZ

Reg Bechu, All About Design & Print and Greg O’Shanassy, FBNZ

Deidre Winter, Mailshop and Alan Hard, Marketing Impact

Dave Lowe, PDQ and Chris Sadler, Mailshop

FBNZ FESTIVAL OF FIVE COLOURS

Reg Bechu, All About Design and Print and Stephen O’Toole, Print House

Bob Mercer, Hard Copies and Steve Watson, FBNZ

Jeremy Han, Focal Print and Glen Greenhill, FBNZ

The FBNZ festival of Five colours celebrated the company’s amazing graphic capabilities

Peter Lloyd, Kale Print and Glenn Conyers, Fujifilm Business Innovation Australia

From left: Dave Trotter, Studio Q; Nicola McIntyre and Raych Foye; and Craig Hutchinson, FBNZ

From left: Chris Cordes, FBNZ with Vishal Gupta and Prince Sharma, Ameba technologies

Julie and Dean Keven, Tass Print

Courtney Allen and Natasha Poznanovic, FBNZ

FBNZ FESTIVAL OF FIVE COLOURS

Greg Daniel, PrintLounge and Todd Powell, FBNZ

Matt Mills, Fuzed and Ruth Cobb, PrintNZ

Steve Pearson, FBNZ and Raych Foye, Eamar

Justis Scrivener and Steve Brown, Gallagher Group

From left: Bryce Biggs, Canterbury Print; Ryan Stevens, FBNZ; and Marty Evitt-Aitken, Marketing Impact

Cary Rawson, FBNZ and Nicola McIntyre

Rajesh Mudundi, Fivestar Print and Dave Trotter, Studio Q

Mark Oldroyd, FBNZ and Yuri Firth Focus Print

Daisuke Inoue and Vanessa Wright, FBNZ

Ajay Patel, Western Mailing and Josh Lindsay, Direct Print and Mail

WIDE FORMAT

Durst P5 platform evolves

Are you ready to adapt? Aarque and Durst have the solutions.

Durst Group has announced enhancements to its P5 platform of large format printers.

Supplied in New Zealand through Aarque Group, Durst technology goes from strength to strength with the company making huge investments in research and development to give its customers a strong competitive edge in the marketplace.

Steve Wilton-Jones, National Sales –Commercial, Aarque Group, says, “The Durst P5 platform has established a reputation for helping customers achieve productivity gains with no compromise in print quality. The P5 platform integrates high end systems, hybrid solutions, and comprehensive software, service, and ink solutions.

“Durst envisioned that the P5 platform printers would evolve with customers’ requirements, so as your business scales up, you can scale up your P5. With factory and field upgrade options Durst P5 delivers a robust platform to manage the complexity of work our customers seek.

“The latest enhancements for the P5 deliver a range of productivity and quality benefits for companies seeking to diversify.”

New colour options

The Durst P5 platform offers a range of colour options such as Light Cyan and Light Magenta. Steve says, “Light Cyan

and Light Magenta expand the colour space, create smooth skin tones, and smooth solid areas with low colour density. The P5 platform now offers Pink and Yellow Fluro ink options. Fluorescent colours use a larger amount of both visible spectra, and the lower wavelengths compared to conventional colours. They not only absorb and convert light energy of the dominant wavelength but also the wavelengths of ultraviolet rays and other colours lower in the visible spectrum. Therefore, the colours will also glow under ultraviolet light.

“Orange and Violet ink options form part of the P5 extended colour gamut. The orange and violet inks allow for a wider range of colours and enhanced vibrancy, particularly useful for applications requiring those specific shades.

Light Black reduces illuminant metamerism on neutral black/white images and light shades. It allows the best possible compromise of image quality and maximum reduction of ink consumption at extreme rates of gray component replacement (GCR) used from the ink saving tool in the Durst Workflow.

Production surveillance camera

The Durst P5 platform can be equipped with a Control Camera System that enables the operator to keep an eye on the surrounding of the printer without leaving the operator panel and to check the material on the entry and exit side of the printer. Steve says, “Up to two

cameras can be mounted: one on the top of the entry side of the printer and the other one on the top of the exit side of the printer. With the VLC-Player, the camera views can be displayed on the monitor of the printer workstation without closing the printer software. It is also possible to connect the cameras to the customer IT network so the customer can have a look at the printer from the office or prepress.”

Additional operating panel

Durst has added the option of a second screen to the P5 platform. Mounted on the back of the printer, it helps to shorten the operator’s walking distances. Steve explains, “When loading and unloading substrates or during printing, the operator is always close to a control panel and has an overview of the printer status and the print queue. Both screens are synchronised.”

Power Vacuum

Factory and field upgradable, the Power Vacuum has been designed to manage curved boards, keeping them flatter on the transport belt. This system delivers 30-40 per cent more vacuum power which gives you a 5-25 per cent better suction height for turned-up edges. Available for the P5 350 HS (S4+D4).

Durst Workflow

Durst P5 platform printers now come bundled with Durst Workflow software, optimised for maximum print quality and processing speed using the latest colour management technology. Steve says, “All processes from data management and print data preparation to output on the printer can be mapped with it. Durst Workflow is installed and delivered on a powerful Dell workstation.

“Also included is Durst Analytics software for displaying the most important print production data via web browser. Equipped with the latest Durst colour management technology, the P5 platform delivers the highest print quality and processing speed. Durst Workflow handles the complete process.

“You can manage the browser-based software without any additional installations from any device. The state of the art Durst Workflow system offers a range of modules that you can expand at any time and adapt to the requirements at hand.”

From left: Darrin Weir, Aarque Group; Matt Ashman, Durst Oceania; and Steve Wilton Jones, Aarque Group on the Durst stand at Fespa

WIDE FORMAT

Fujifilm Acuity Ultra R2: “a whole new ball game” for Benefitz

Five metre machine delivers print quality, productivity, and versatility.

Ayear ago, innovative North Shore company Benefitz installed a new Fujifilm Acuity Ultra R2 printer.

Aidan Bennett, founder and managing director of Benefitz, says, “It replaced our five metre Uvistar machine, which served us for close to a decade. The new Acuity Ultra R2 offers us numerous advantages. It is a whole new ball game: more energy efficient, faster, with better overall quality and more.

“Stu Fausett, our operator, says the Acuity Ultra is more versatile and it gives him advantages like more modes and a wider range of smoothing techniques. The print quality is way, way better, with superior heads and better setup. We can print more together at one time, and although we mainly use it on mid-range speed, the Acuity Ultra R2 is capable of very good quality at higher speeds.

“Our estimate is the Acuity Ultra 2 is at least three times more efficient than the machine it replaced.

“The carbon fibre cradles that come with the machine are very good, keeping wide media straighter. We can now print five metres wide x 50 metres easily (a full roll). Another advantage is being able to print multiple rolls at a time. We do a lot of PVC & PVC Mesh for sporting events

as well as cultural and music events. Other jobs include double sided synthetic posters and fabric.

“The new machine is very user friendly, much improved on our previous machine. It took about one week to set up and a week of training, and our team was away! The Acuity Ultra R2 offers greater versatility and efficiency. The technology had advanced considerably in the 8-10 years since we purchased the previous five metre machine.

Fujifilm. Aidan says, “We started out with what is now Fujifilm Business Innovation around 28 or 29 years ago by partnering with them for our small format digital machinery and have been with them ever since.

“They have provided additional products and services over the years and now are also one of our preferred suppliers for our large and grand format machinery and consumables.

“We love their strength as a global business and the depth of their technical support; great technology and very reliable.”

Smart investments

Benefitz continually invests in technology and people. Aidan says, “Our most recent purchase has been an Imer R15 DA Spider Lift from our neighbours here on the North Shore, Youngman Richardson, to replace our boom lift truck. It is perfect for installing big images and signage!”

The company, which employs 75 staff, works hard to protect the environment as well. It has reduced its emissions by one third over the past 12 months and has a realistic goal for zero emissions.

Like other industry leaders, Aidan takes a pragmatic view of dealing with the economic environment in tough times. He says, “We have had a great first half of the year, business has been very strong. The challenge for all businesses is the overall uncertainty of the economy.

“Our estimate is the Acuity Ultra 2 is at least three times more efficient than the machine it replaced.”

– Aidan Bennett, founder and managing director of

Benefitz

“Fujifilm has designed the Acuity Ultra R2 very well. It gives us a selection of profiles for a wider range of materials, making things even more seamless for the operators. The ability to have a profile for each media, specific to each job, makes the process easy to control.”

The Acuity Ultra R2 is the latest in a line of solutions that Benefitz has bought from

“Our focus is to keep working hard on the core business basics to make sure our customers are happy. We are very proud that many of our customers have been working with us for a long time, some for decades and decades!”

What makes for a great week for the Benefitz team? Aidan says, “Seeing a wide variety of work being completed for our happy customers; whether that’s producing new business cards, or printing a 300 page book, or signwriting a vehicle, or producing and installing everything needed for an exhibition, or completing a building signage project for a new real estate office. There is not much we can’t do at Benefitz.”

From left: Aidan Bennett, Benefitz, Cary Rawson, FBNZ, Rob Gunston, Benefitz; Todd Powell, FBNZ; and Stu Fausett, Benefitz with the Fujifilm Acuity Ultra R2

3.40m or 5.13m

Roll-to-roll for continuous, fast production Up to 667 m2 per hour

GO ACUITY ULTRA R2

Stretch your possibilities.

The Acuity Ultra R2 gives you ultra-wide, ultra-fast, ultra-vivid results - using less ink and less energy.

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Fespa Global Print Expo 2025 delivers a platform

for ‘visionaries’

Two thirds of Fespa visitors gave more than one day to experience the event in full.

Organisers say this year’s Fespa Global Print Expo 2025 served as a dynamic platform for networking among key decision makers, sparking collaborations and discovering the latest technologies driving the print, signage, and personalisation industries forward.

Co-located with the European Sign Expo and Personalisation Experience, the exhibition served as a platform for senior decision makers, with 87 per cent of visitors holding decision making positions and 71 per cent comprising directors, chief executive officers, owners, or managers. The collective median budget of €2.9bn ($5.5bn) saw 40 per cent of attendees planning to invest in solutions in the next year.

The total attendance of 23,061 indicates that two thirds of all visitors allowed

more than one day to experience the event in full. The event’s 14,036 specific visitor total surpassed 2024 figures by 10.5 per cent. Visitors travelled from 126 countries, with the largest audiences coming from Germany, Poland, Italy, the UK, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Austria.

Positive feedback from visitors included enjoying the SmartHub Conference speaker sessions, the line up of features and the vast array of printing and signage technologies on display.

Michael Ryan, head of Fespa Global Print Expo, said, “The feedback we have received on our 2025 events has been phenomenal. From exhibitors and award winners to conference speakers and visitors, it is clear to see that Fespa Global Print Expo and its co-located events provided an exceptional

platform for visionaries to meet and explore opportunities.

“There were well over 100 product and technology launches, networking and so much more. Having the opportunity to connect with members of the print community from across the world, supporting the growth and development of not only their business, but the wider industry, is what it is all about. We are excited to see what further innovations and opportunities the 2026 events in Barcelona will bring to our community.”

European Sign Expo 2025 welcomed its largest exhibitor line up, and the third edition of Personalisation Experience introduced its all new SmartHub feature. The co-located events and wider feature programme worked

At Messe Berlin, Fespa Global Print Expo 2025 co-located with the European Sign Expo and Personalisation Experience

as a platform to convey imminent trends and business opportunities.

The SmartHub conference offered a lineup of thought leaders and industry experts providing actionable and informative advice on the latest advancements in digital technology, streamlined operations and sustainable practices when delivering customisation.

Fespa Global Print Expo, European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience and the second edition of Sportswear Pro will take place at Fira de Barcelona, Spain from May 19-22, 2026.

Agfa shows new inkjets

Agfa unveiled two new inkjet systems at the show: the Jeti Tauro H3300 XUHS and the Onset Panthera FB 3216. It also showed the recently released Anapurna Ciervo H2500.

The Jeti Tauro H3300 XUHS, Agfa’s fastest hybrid press, offers 1280 square metres per hour of raw speed using 12 rows of print heads for maximum throughput, and four or seven colour configurations, including options for extra redundancy in dark colours and enhanced light/mid-tones.

The Panthera FB3216 prints at up to 1514 square metres per hour and offers a range of automation options including manual, ¾ automation (lay table + unload robot), autoloader + unload robot, dual robots (loading and unloading), and dual-flex (lay table + dual robots).

At the show, Arnaud Calleja, vice president of digital printing solutions at Agfa, said, “We are accelerating the pace of innovation. We are a technology driven company and through this innovation we continue to grow. We plan to double the size of this business in the next five years.”

Aligning with Fespa’s theme of ‘Where Visionaries Meet’, Canon highlighted its collaboration with its partners and its Arizona and Colorado platforms.

On the stand, the Arizona 2380 GTF flatbed printer with FLXflow technology, and a roll media option for flexible printing, demonstrated how it can ‘Hold’ and ‘Float’ as wells performing an ‘Instant Switch’ between the two modes for easy media handling.

The Arizona series can work with various rigid and flexible substrates, including more challenging media such as cardboard, wood or glass, offering vast application possibilities ideal for a retail or hospitality environment.

Agfa showed Prisma XL Suite samples that demonstrated how operators can use Prismaelevate XL to create printed layers to a height of 4mm.

Canon’s Colorado M-series printed a variety of large format graphics applications live on the stand. Applications presented included wallpapers, window graphics and soft signage made possible with several options, such as white ink, FLXfinish+ technology for printing both matte and gloss at the same time, and FLXture for subtle surface details.

Steven Badger, Canon Production Printing, said, “The Colorado is a true workhorse for most of our customers. It is the product that enables our customers to get home early on weeknights and not have to come into work on the weekends. So, it is really expanding the application range for customers that already have a Colorado or new and potential customers.”

In relation to the AI tool, he said, “What we are trying to show here is that through the integration of AI, we can drastically reduce the time of our print output. This is just the beginning of the how AI is integrating with print and with our technology to give us these fantastic results.”

The new P5 500 TEX ISUB 5m dye sublimation printer from Durst uses water-based inks for soft signage and textile printing. It complements the P5 350 TEX ISUB that is already in the market for media up to 340cm wide.

Christoph Gamper, chief executive officer and co-owner of Durst, said, “With a 5.2m print width and innovative inline fixation technology, this printer enables a one step direct to fabric process, combining high performance, brilliant colour output and production efficiency for sustainable and high impact visual applications.”

“The Durst P5 TEX iSUB is a water-based printing system designed for super wide soft signage and fabric applications, enabling direct printing on polyester fabrics with brilliant, vivid colours using Durst Sublifix ink.

“Its contactless IR-inline fixation technology ensures colour consistency, sharpness, and high quality print quality across the entire printing width. This is a versatile allrounder for retail, trade fairs, flags, short-term outdoor advertising, and textile printing. It supports both directto-fabric printing and transfer paper printing, delivering exceptional flexibility and efficiency in a one-step process.

“We came to Fespa for the graphics market, and in our world, this is represented by the P5 family. The P5 500 TEX iSUB is one of the most interesting machines at the show, it features technology we are proud of and spearheading into an arena where

Canon shows Arizona and Colorado

Durst launches P5 500 TEX ISUB

Watch Rashed Chughtai demonstrate the AGFA Jeti Tauro H3300 XUHS at FESPA Berlin

Watch Steven Badger demonstrate the use of AI to create elevated print on Canon Arizona printers

Watch Steven Badger demonstrate upgrades to the Colorado M-Series

Agfa’s Anapurna Ciervo H2500

Durst’s P5 X flatbed made its debut at Berlin

On the stand: the Arizona 2380 GTF flatbed printer with FLXflow technology

just a couple of companies have tried previously.”

Durst also demonstrated its P5 X ‘true flatbed’ at the show.

Ahead of the company’s 90th anniversary next year, Durst confirmed the turnover for its business now exceeds €400m ($765m), which represents more than a 10 per cent increase on the €360m reported during the company’s drupa press conference a year ago. Durst has also increased its workforce by 10 per cent to more than 1100 people, up from the 1000 people reported a year ago.

5.08cm thick, giving print businesses the opportunity to explore new materials and/or applications and differentiate their offering without compromising on print quality or productivity.

Four colours plus white, multilayer printing up to five layers in a single pass, and its optional clear ink give print providers the ability to produce highervalue applications, helping them to gain new customers, increase volume from existing ones, and improve profitability.

Another highlight from EFI was the new EFI Pro 30f+ flatbed LED printer, which builds on the legacy of its predecessor.

EFI shows its inkjet printers

EFI unveiled its latest roll to roll, hybrid, and flatbed LED inkjet printers at the show.

Currie Group supplies EFI wide format printers in New Zealand.

Todd Zimmerman, chief revenue officer at EFI, said, “Fespa is where vision meets possibility, and we are here to help our customers see what is next. We are delivering the versatility, image quality, and production level performance our customers need to stay competitive and profitable.

“Our newest technology, showcased at our booth, was developed to help businesses lead with confidence in a fast-moving market. Our EFI experts are ready to meet with visitors, understand their specific needs, and recommend the right solutions to help them succeed.”

The 3.2m wide EFI VUTEk M3h hybrid flatbed/roll-fed LED printer targets higher volume, production level printing.

The VUTEk M3h hybrid printer handles board, sheet, or rolled media up to

The flatbed printer features a large 3.05m x 2.04m printable area with bleed printing and can handle media up to 10cm thick. The Pro 30f+ printer is equipped with EFI’s industry-leading white ink, up to five-layer printing in a single pass and new high-performance ProGraphics+ Series UV LED inks.

Optional clear ink offers dual properties, enhancing an image to add extra pop to colours or special effects to graphics, as well as providing protective qualities.

EFI also demonstrated the high-speed VUTEk Q3h XP hybrid and VUTEk X3r roll-to-roll LED printers. The VUTEk Q3h XP printer offers high-quality imaging, versatile production level printing, and advanced media handling and automation options.

The 3.5m VUTEk X3r printer, engineered for the high-volume production of indoor and outdoor applications, features integrated automation, software, and hardware to support full-shift unattended printing, deliver a complete print-tofinished-graphic workflow system, and take image quality at production-level speeds to a new level.

Epson says it ensures minimal downtime, while advanced technologies, including an integrated temperature sensor, nozzle verification, and nozzle replacement system, work together to deliver consistent image quality, precise colour accuracy and improved workflow efficiency.

It also features a six-colour UltraChrome GS3 ink set, including light cyan and light magenta, delivering smooth gradations, vibrant colours, and sharp detail. It supports a wide range of materials, including vinyl, canvas, film, and wallpaper and roll media up to 1626mm wide. making it a versatile choice for high-quality printing. The inks are GreenGuard Gold certified and low VOC, reducing environmental impact without compromising print quality, according to Epson.

For uninterrupted high volume production, the new S8160 printer features dual ink slots per colour, enabling hot swapping and allowing ink replacement without pausing print jobs.

The SureColor S8160 also allows for flexible ink configuration, enabling the installation of either 800ml or 1500ml of any colour to optimise workflow efficiency while minimising plastic waste.

Engineered for ease of use and maximum productivity, the S8160 features a compact, flat top, low profile design and clear top window with integrated lighting for easy monitoring. The printer also includes an advanced auto tension control system and a media lifter, making media setup simpler and more precise.

Epson’s next-generation printers

Epson unveiled its new SureColor S8160 eco-solvent printer, the latest addition to its large format signage printer range.

The company says the 162cm S8160 offers outstanding productivity, exceptional image quality and a wide colour gamut in a compact, user-friendly design.

The SureColor S8160 features Epson’s latest 6.7cm PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead, designed for exceptional reliability and long-term performance.

For the best intuitive user experience, the printer has an 11cm tiltable touchscreen, featuring animated instructions for smooth operation.

Also, the printer comes with Epson Edge Print Pro RIP software for integration and Epson Cloud Solution PORT, providing comprehensive reporting, tracking, and cost analysis tools.

Epson expects the SureColor S8160 ecosolvent printer to ship in New Zealand in late 2025.

Watch Matt Ashman demonstrate the new five-metre P5 500 TEX iSUB dye-sublimation printer with inline fixation at FESPA Berlin

Watch Ken Hanulec from EFI discuss the VUTEk M3h printer

High volume: the 3.2m wide EFI VUTEk M3h hybrid flatbed/roll-fed LED printer

Epson’s new SureColor S8160 printer

Watch Epson Europe product manager Chris Davies demonstrate the new SureColor S8160 at FESPA Berlin 2025

Fujifilm expands its portfolio

Fujifilm launched two new products in Berlin: the HS3000 single pass machine in conjunction with Barberan and the Acuity Triton with Aquafuze ink technology, which the company previewed at drupa last year.

For the ultra-high production end of the market, Fujifilm and Barberan have developed a single pass inkjet solution available in two configurations. At the top end sits the HS6000, capable of production volumes up to a staggering 6000 square metres per hour, while a smaller, lower volume alternative, the HS3000 launched at Fespa. With a slightly smaller footprint, slightly lower speed, and a lower investment cost, the HS3000 opens the possibilities of single pass inkjet to a much broader audience.

Fujifilm introduced its new ink technology, Aquafuze, after more than a decade of research and development. The ink produces thin film, low pile prints with sharp detail and a smooth, scratchresistant finish, eliminating the need for a topcoat.

Aquafuze technology combines the benefits of UV LED and water-based inkjet printing, offering strong adhesion to various media without requiring a pre-coat primer or optimiser. It operates with lower energy consumption and reduced temperature drying compared to conventional water-based systems. Additionally, it benefits from low odour output, meets safety compliance standards, and enhances jetting stability by minimising nozzle blockages.

Fujifilm launched Aquafuze with the debut of the Acuity Triton at Fespa. Designed to harness the power of Aquafuze, the Acuity Triton offers a cost-effective and energy efficient

alternative to traditional water-based printing systems.

With a 1.6m print width, the Acuity Triton delivers exceptional quality at speeds of up to 15 square metres per hour while ensuring instant drying for immediate finishing, cutting, or laminating. Thanks to the low temperature drying of the Aquafuze ink, the Triton minimises nozzle blockages, improves jetting stability, and significantly reduces energy consumption.

David Burton, director, Fujifilm WFIJ Systems, said, “We have listened carefully to industry needs and designed these solutions to meet real market demands, backed by Fujifilm’s unrivalled service and support.

“At Fujifilm, our philosophy is clear: rather than rushing to market, we evaluate industry trends, identify competitor weaknesses, and deliver superior solutions tailored to evolving customer needs. Fespa Berlin 2025 marks the introduction of three transformative products set to become industry benchmarks.”

Justin Kirkland discuss the Acuity Triton with Aquafuze water-based ink technology at FESPA Berlin

Mimaki shows new printers and ink.

New technology and ink products represented more than 50 per cent of Mimaki’s product line-up demonstrated live on its stand at the show.

These latest solutions include the new Mimaki UJV300DTF-75 printer, which enables product customisation and valueadded printing on items of all shapes and sizes, including those with uneven

or rounded surfaces, as well as sign and interior décor applications.

The UJV300DTF-75 uses a transfer printing method, where the design is printed directly on a glued film, applied to a transfer sheet which is then applied to the object. This further expands application and creative possibilities with reduced risk of misprinting. Equipped with proprietary silicon film pinch rollers, according to Mimaki, this printer addresses issues such as film peeling off or glue being removed, maintaining print stability for desired quality and accuracy.

Two new printers, the JV200-160 and Tx330-1800, also made their debut at the show. The roll to roll JV200-160 uses eco-solvent inks and offers reliable signage production with outstanding print quality.

Created for the textile and apparel markets, the Tx330-1800 uses a dual ink set capability to switch between textile pigment inks and dye sublimation inks for a more diverse range of applications in one machine.

Watch

Watch Ben Carroll from Velflex introduce the Mimaki UJV300DTF-75 roll-to-roll DTF printer launched at FESPA Berlin

Fujifilm’s the HS3000 opens the possibilities of single pass inkjet

Mimaki’s The UJV300DTF-75 enables product customisation and value-add printing

Fespa Global Print Expo 2025 Fespa Global Print Expo

NZSDA UPDATE

NZSDA celebrates as National Sign Making Day arrives at last

Across Aotearoa, sign makers welcomed school students for a day of hands on learning.

Our first National Sign Making Day proved a great success. Across the country, leading sign companies hosted school students, providing them with hands on experiences. The event opened their eyes to potential career pathways in the industry.

Some of the participating schools and sign businesses have shared their thoughts on the initiative.

Students from James Hargest College in Invercargill visited Creation Signs where they received a welcome with interactive activities that allowed everyone to try their hand at different aspects of sign making. A school representative said, “The students thoroughly enjoyed their morning. It was very interactive and hands on, so everyone got the opportunity to have a go at the various activities and came away with a clear understanding of what signwriting involves.”

Creation Signs added, “National Sign Making Day was a fantastic chance for us to share what sign making is all about and showcase our diverse industry to students.”

In Christchurch, award winning company Signtech hosted five students from Haeata Community Campus. Design and technology teacher Dallas Matoe led the

visit and described it as an extremely valuable experience for his students. Dale said, “Signtech pulled out all the stops for us. The students were buzzing when we returned to school and haven’t stopped talking about it since. Each of them created their own sign to take home, and the experience left a lasting impression.”

He said the visit gave students a clear understanding of the real world relevance of their classroom learning and even sparked genuine interest in signage as a career path. He added, “To say that it has left a lasting impression on these students would be understating its impact.

“This was an exceptionally inspiring trip. Thank you very much to the team at Signtech. We were really impressed by your team, the company, and the warmth, time, and materials that you made available for us.”

At Big Brown Industries in Auckland, Jeremy Hunt hosted students from Takapuna Grammar School, opening his creative workspace to showcase the tools and techniques of the trade. The school shared this message: “Thank you to NZSDA and Big Brown Industries for an inspiring morning with our students! Jeremy generously offered his time, skills, and provided some amazing

hands-on experiences. It was a fantastic opportunity and a great day all around.”

Seven students from Tauranga Boys’ College visited Alternative Graphics Design, where they got up close with professional sign making tools and processes. A school spokesperson said, “Hands on, practical experience of any trade is essential for decision making about next steps for school students. Our boys had the chance to see the printers in action, try weeding and apply graphics to different substrates. It gave them a real taste of what a future in this industry could look like.”

Opportunity for more

National Sign Making Day has proven to be a meaningful opportunity for students to explore career possibilities in a creative and growing industry. Many students have expressed interest in pursuing sign writing as a career, which is what the day was all about.

The New Zealand Sign and Display Association (NZSDA) thanks all participating schools and sign businesses for helping make this initiative such a success. Several businesses keen to participate were unable to make it work on the day, so are hosting their visits later in the month. Businesses and schools have already expressed enthusiasm for making the event even bigger next year.

Following the visits, four students have expressed interest in exploring sign making through the Signee Pre-trade programme through their school. Two sign companies have offered to take on a student each, but we still need work placements for the other two. Could this be you?

To further our efforts, Melissa will fly the Signee flag along with some active members that have put their hands up to support and donate their time and expertise to showcase our industry at Career Expos in Auckland.

Mikayla Hopkins, Lead Projects, Events, and Marketing Specialist NZSDA

Hands on: in Christchurch, Haeata Community Campus students created their own signs to take home

NZSDA PRESIDENT’S CORNER

Last post: looking back with pride, looking forward with optimism

Shae Goom reflects on his years as president of NZSDA.

This is my final opportunity to write my notes for the President’s Corner, which has been one of the most interesting parts of what I have done over the past few years.

There were times when I knew what I was going to write about, and things came easily into my head, and there were times that I was scratching around for topics. I recall dreading the phone call from Mikayla informing me of my deadline, and then the follow up phone call from Mikayla that they needed my comments today.

It is amazing what can be produced when under pressure, as I am sure every signwriter knows, but I hope that everyone has enjoyed the posts from the last few years.

Logan Sutton takes over as NZSDA president, a role that is at times challenging, but I have found it exciting to donate time to the industry we are all involved in; to try and get the best out of this industry; and to ensure that as many companies within it are doing the best that they possibly can. In this challenging

industry, we all need to be there for each other during the tougher times.

When I began on the Board, it was just Andy Lowe and myself, with incredible support from Melissa Coutts. Andy was a real rock for me. We took on the terrible task of shutting down the Signee programme but also the positive task of creating a new communications role and welcoming Mikayla Hopkins to our team, who is wonderful to work with.

I take pride in the strength of the current Board: Logan Sutton, Leanne Freeman, Angie Barrowcliffe, Scott Walklin, Clinton Potter, and Antony Merriman, and me. This is an incredible Board, with balance, experience, and a great nationwide coverage.

Some of the Board and NZSDA achievements over the last two years include:

• Redesigning and modernising the Master Sign Maker programme.

• Publishing the best practice guide to try to ensure the quality of work around the country is as high as possible.

• Updating and sending out the wage and salary guide as well as the price guide.

• Introducing assistance for HR to support business owners.

• Working with Advantage Business for additional support and advice.

• Encouraging women in business programmes.

• Setting up school expo trade shop experiences where school age people can have a go applying graphics and get an understanding our industry.

I also made a commitment to set up regional meetings again, and for me to attend these. We made this available for every sign shop to come along to and ask any questions regarding our association as we progressed the above items. It was great to get out and about in our beautiful country, and it was amazing to meet as many of you as I could, and the odd sign shop that I visited as my schedule allowed.

Two years ago, we had the Trade Expo in Manukau, along with the Conference, and the Awards of Excellence, then our Conference and Awards of Excellence in Hawkes Bay last year. These two events were huge successes, well supported by our industry suppliers, and our trade shops, and a lot of fun for everyone involved.

At this year’s 60th Anniversary Conference in Nelson, we have more attendees than the resources could support. This shows that we are taking our association in the right direction. Judging this year’s Awards of Excellence proved tough because the entries were just outstanding. Everyone that entered their signage projects should feel proud, and to those that win, please know that you have all won an award in a year where the entries were of a particularly high standard, so I congratulate you. I wish everyone a fantastic conference and Awards evening.

Logan, over to you now. I know you will do an incredible job, and our association is in very capable hands under your stewardship. I look forward to working with you over the next two years as the immediate past president.

Shae Groom, President NZSDA

NZSDA president Shae Goom shows off his moves with emcee Jackie Clarke at the 2024 NZSDA Awards of Excellence

Print-to-table: The best business idea you haven’t tried (yet)

Farm-to-table changed how people think about food; print-to-table is a new concept that can change how people think about print.

Print-to-table is a concept that came to me while watching a cooking show. It mirrors the successful farm-to-table movement, emphasising local sourcing and sustainability.

The farm-to-table approach has gained significant traction in recent years, with consumers increasingly seeking fresh, locally sourced products. This movement has not only enhanced the dining experience but also strengthened local economies and reduced environmental impacts. And many people feel good supporting this movement.

By adopting a print-to-table model, printers can offer clients the same transparency and community support, providing locally sourced materials that customers can feel good about.

This approach simplifies the message for clients: choosing your services means supporting local businesses, reducing carbon footprints, and contributing to a sustainable future.

It’s a straightforward, impactful way to align your printing business with values that resonate with today’s conscientious consumers – that customers can understand.

Let’s cut through the noise

Sustainability and print industry messaging around it can get way too complicated for print customers. Carbon offsets, supply chain emissions, postconsumer waste content… nobody has time for a Ph.D. in environmental science before making a print purchase.

The best brands don’t educate; they connect. And they do it in one line:

• Got Milk? → Dairy is essential.

• Pork. The Other White Meat. → Pork is a lean protein, just like chicken.

• The Incredible Edible Egg. → Eggs are versatile, nutritious, and delicious.

And the GOAT of sustainability messaging:

Procter & Gamble: We help protect, grow, and restore trees. Our company isn’t

Print-to-table is a concept based on farm-to-table

a tree-killing, eco-enemy… you are “guilt-free” using our paper products.

Consumers don’t want an eco-spew lecture. They want a simple value statement that tells them they can feel good about their print purchasing choice. If farm-to-table helped people rethink where their food comes from, print-to-table makes them rethink where their print comes from.

Print-to-table: The local, sustainable choice for print

• Simple message? Print responsibly. Print locally.

• Why should customers care? Faster delivery, lower environmental impact, and support for local businesses.

• What’s the call to action? Choose print that’s sourced as close as possible to you.

This is a movement printers can own. To make print-to-table as iconic as “Got Milk?”, we need clear, greenwashfree messaging:

Print close, smart, and sustainably. Print local. Print sustainable. Print responsibly. Print locally.

Use emotional storytelling that makes it personal i.e. how print-to-table helps other businesses in the community. Get testimonials from those businesses. Don’t make this about you.

Create and announce partnerships with eco-conscious brands, sustainability

organisations, and local businesses that reinforce your commitment and credibility.

Create a marketing campaign showing items like restaurant menus, business cards, packaging, and books with a simple question: Where was this printed? Then gently introduce your print-to-table initiative and how your business is sourcing the closest resources and partners to improve the environmental impact of the printed materials you produce.

Launching the print-to-table initiative in New Zealand

Define your value proposition: Clearly articulate how local sourcing and sustainability benefit your print customers.

Secure local suppliers: Identify and partner with local (or as close as possible) paper, printing, and business supply sources.

Develop a certification: Create a “printto-table certified” badge to authenticate your commitment.

Pilot the program: Start with a few select clients to test and refine the process.

Hypocrisy alert! Your business should shop locally (or as close as possible) for items you may be purchasing online or far away. You must set the example and be ready to share your story and its impact on your business, and the community.

Own the print sustainability narrative

Farm-to-table changed how people think about food. Print-to-table can change how people think about print.

Print customers are actively looking for sustainable choices; they need the right story to buy into. Let’s give them one they can understand, embrace, believe, champion, and feel good about.

Deborah Corn is the Intergalactic Ambassador to The Printerverse at Print Media Centr.

Image credit: istock.com/Yuliya Taba

AWARDS

2025 PIDAs winners named

A significant number of unique designs were recognised across multiple categories at the recent 2025 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards (PIDAs).

Winners of the 2025 annual Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards (PIDAs) have been announced at a gala awards evening in Sydney. Coordinated by the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP), the PIDAs aim to recognise companies and individuals who are making a significant difference in their field across Australia and New Zealand.

Here is the full list of winners:

2025 Food Packaging Design: Gold – Macro Health Food Box-Bottom Paper Bags (Woolworths Food Co)

• Silver – Australian Organic Food Co. Vanilla Custard Mono Material Retort Pouch (Flavour Makers + Cheer Pack Asia Pacific)

• Bronze – Opal paper-based food & fresh produce punnet

• High Commendation – Gippsland Dairy Crafted Range 150g (Chobani)

• High Commendation – KFC Go Bucket Paper Lid (KFC Australia + Detpak)

2025 Beverage Packaging Design: Gold – FSC Certified Home Compostable PHA Cups (BioPak)

• Silver – TetherSafe (Caps & Closures)

• Bronze – Smooth moulded fibre cup lids (Huhtamaki)

• High Commendation – Hidden Story Pinot Grigio Bagnum (Victorian Alps Wine Co. + Auspouch Australia)

2025 Domestic & Household Packaging Design: Gold – FibreCycle Breeder’s Choice Tasty Treats (FibreCycle + Zipform Packaging)

• Silver – TetherSafe (Caps & Closures)

• Bronze – Tui range of Child-Resistant Bags (Evergreen Garden Care Group NZ + Close the Loop)

2025 Health, Beauty & Wellness Packaging Design: Gold – InsulCap Thermal Pallet Covers + Insulated Bubble Cushioning (Wilpak Group International & Sealed Air Australia)

• Silver – Evo Fabuloso tube 220ml range (Evo Labs + Impact International)

• Bronze – TetherSafe (Caps & Closures)

2025 Labelling & Decoration Design: Gold – Carman’s Gourmet Snack Mix (Carman’s Fine Foods + Zipform Packaging)

• Silver – Certified Compostable FSC Paper Beer BioCups (BioPak)

• Bronze – Jiffy Padded Lite mailer (Amazon Australia + Sealed Air Australia)

2025 Outside of the Box Design: Gold – Reusable eCom Tote (Woolworths Reuse co + Viscount Reuse)

• Silver – Veeco rFlex Recycled Plastic Pallets (Veeco Pallets + Close the Loop)

• Bronze – Advantage 9um Pallet Wrap (Bunzl Australia and New Zealand)

2025 Sustainable – Certified Compostable: Gold – FSC Certified Home Compostable PHA Cups (BioPak)

2025 Sustainable – Display Ready Packaging: Gold – M&Ms Display Ready Packaging (Mars + Birdstone Collective)

2025 Sustainable – Minimise Litter: Gold – TetherSafe (Caps & Closures)

2025 Sustainable – Mono Material Advancements: Gold – Australian Organic Food Co. Vanilla Custard Mono Material Retort Pouch (Flavour Makers + Cheer Pack Asia Pacific)

2025 Sustainable – PFAS Reduction: Gold – ADAMA Plasma Coating Technology (Pact Group)

2025 Sustainable – Plastics Alternative:

2025 Sustainable – Recycled Content: Gold – SULO Circular Mobile Rubbish Bins (Pact Group)

2025 Sustainable – Reuse & Refill: Gold – Katermaster Regen reusable food container (Bunzl A/NZ)

2025 Industry Packaging Professional of the Year Award: Prof. Pierre Pienaar, education director, AIP and immediate past president, World Packaging Organisation

2025 AIP Distinguished Service Award: Keith Chessell, 50-year veteran of the packaging industry and one of the key members of the AIP education team

2025 ABA Scholarship Certificate in Packaging scholarship winner: Pippa Corry, founder & director, philo & co

2025 ABA Scholarship Diploma in Packaging Technology Scholarship winner: Ransheema Rita, packaging technologist, Synlait Milk Limited

2025 AIP President Award for a Diploma in Packaging Technology Scholarship winner: Joel Wells, managing director, Circular

All 2025 PIDAs winners can enter the 2026 WorldStar Packaging Awards, run by the World Packaging Organisation. The 2026 WorldStar Packaging Awards will be held alongside Ipack Ima in Milan, Italy in May.

Gold – Macro Health Food Box-Bottom Paper Bags (Woolworths Food Co.)

The rise of ex-industry specialists

Peter Fotiadis examines how and why smart businesses are tapping into the knowledge and experience of ex-industry specialists over traditional consultants.

Consultants – eye roll. Am I right? A bunch of overpaid book smarts, offering theory based, generic, one size fits all solutions. Missing the mark on understanding your business and its challenges. Sending junior staff in to the job to do most of the work, leaving you to bring them up a steep learning curve. All this culminates into a set of recommendations that looks good on paper but won’t work in practice. The crescendo is reached with the large invoice, then off they go to the celebration lunch for a wagyu and wine, never to be seen on the project again.

In summary, a complete lack of understanding of nuts and bolts behind running a manufacturing business, and a lack of real industry experience which is what you truly need.

Maybe I’m being too harsh, but I’m sure most readers have experienced this at least once in their careers. I have been on the receiving end, too many times.

The rise of ex-industry experts

Part of the problem is that traditional consulting firms have long been the go-to for strategic transformations and other large business improvement projects. They bring polished frameworks, methodologies and broad benchmarking. For the print and packaging industry, that is rarely going to fly.

Ex-industry specialists, by contrast, have lived the challenges. Sure, there are scars, right next to their gold stars.

Years of experience built around successes and failures; this cohort are able to bring the best bits of their career journey and package (pun intended) them up into a value offering waiting for you to access.

They (we) know what works on the factory floor, how to navigate customer challenges, how to manage the commissioning of large capital equipment, how to stand up an efficient supply chain, and good value when it comes to buying and selling businesses.

They give opinions. They tell you what they think.

They are pragmatic, execution-oriented, and can hit the ground running, especially for businesses that need implementation, not just strategy.

The rise of ex-industry experts is gathering momentum because of the ageing demographic of industry stalwarts. Whether it is recently retired, looking to take a step back, or unluckily displaced in the latest corporate restructure, there is a growing pool of invaluable years of experience ready to add value to your business.

All you must do is ask for help.

Maybe, but why would I need this help?

That question is easy to answer but hard to ask yourself. I get the daily grind and focus on business-as-usual tasks. However, no doubt sitting on your desk, email, note board or whiteboard is that

business opportunity you just haven’t got to:

1. It’s a hard project or business problem but I lack the specific expertise in-house

2. I need to inject some urgency into an in-flight project, and want help that can hit the ground running

3. I can’t keep asking the same small number of go-to people in my company to deliver business improvement; they are burning out

4. We don’t have the bandwidth to execute all our priority initiatives

And, so on.

Any of these scenarios is enough for you to at least have the conversation with an industry specialist. Or better yet, start them off small and see how it goes.

These industry specialists are not from the old days of consultants and their boozy lunches – this is a new model of consulting done differently. Yes, that is Mattingly’s tag line, and I’m at risk of blatantly plugging my business, but I’m proud of being the ambassador for consulting done differently and proud of the projects we have been able to deliver.

In fact, I’m giving props to a broader set of peers in the consulting and contractor space who have come out of industry roles and are ready to offer you real world print and packaging experience.

This isn’t about rejecting traditional consulting firms altogether; they still have a role, especially for large-scale benchmarking or regulatory strategy. But for packaging businesses seeking high impact, operationally grounded change, ex-industry specialists offer a compelling alternative. They are not just advisors, they are practitioners. And in an industry where execution is everything, that difference is worth its weight in corrugated board.

Peter Fotiadis is a co-founder and partner at Mattingly, an industry expert supporting businesses with strategy through to execution: strategy and growth, deals and integration, and transformation and execution.

Credit: iStock.com/Volha Rahalskaya

Tapping on the expertise of ex-industry specialists is a new model of consulting done differently

Why offset printing remains the gold standard for large-scale projects in 2025 and beyond

Rawson Print & Packaging explores why offset printing remains the unmatched option when it comes to large-scale printing solutions.

In the ever-evolving world of printing, technological advancements have introduced various methods to cater to diverse needs. However, offset printing continues to stand out as the gold standard, particularly for large-scale projects.

Offset printing involves transferring an inked image from a plate to a rubber blanket and then onto the printing surface. This process ensures a smooth, high quality finish, making it ideal for projects requiring precision and vibrant colours. Whether it’s brochures, posters, or packaging, offset printing delivers unparalleled results, particularly for bulk orders.

Some of the key benefits of offset printing for large-scale projects include:

1. Superior quality and consistency: Offset printing guarantees sharp images and consistent colours throughout the print run. The use of custom plates allows for precise colour matching, ensuring every print meets the same high standard. For businesses that prioritise brand consistency, this is invaluable.

2. Cost-effectiveness for high volumes: While the initial setup costs of offset printing may be higher than digital alternatives, it becomes significantly more cost-effective for large-scale print production. Once the plates are created, the per-unit cost decreases as the volume increases, making it the preferred choice for bulk orders.

3. Versatility in printing materials: Offset printing works seamlessly on various materials, including paper, cardboard, and even certain plastics. This versatility allows businesses to explore creative options for marketing materials, packaging, and promotional items.

4. High-speed production: For businesses on tight schedules, offset printing’s ability to handle large-scale projects efficiently is a major advantage. Modern offset printing presses can produce thousands of copies per hour without compromising quality,

making it an excellent choice for high-volume printing.

5. Eco-friendly options: Sustainability is more important than ever. Offset printing has adapted to this demand with the use of soy-based inks and recycled paper options. Additionally, new processless plate technology has eliminated the use of water and harmful chemicals from the plate-making process, making it a more environmentally friendly option.

Why choose offset printing when it comes to bulk orders?

Large-scale printing services often recommend offset printing for businesses due to its proven reliability. When producing thousands of units, the precision and costefficiency of offset printing become crucial.

For example, companies printing annual reports, catalogues, or large quantities of packaging materials benefit from the method’s ability to maintain uniformity across every piece.

Offset printing vs. digital printing

While digital printing has gained traction for small-scale and personalised projects,

it lacks the efficiency and cost benefits of offset printing for large-scale print production. Offset printing excels in volume efficiency, print quality, and material versatility. While digital printing is faster to set up, offset printing’s costeffectiveness and superior results for high-volume orders make it the preferred choice for large-scale projects.

Trends in offset printing

Offset printing has remained relevant by embracing new technologies and trends, ensuring it meets modern business needs. Key trends include:

• Automation and AI integration: Advances in automation have streamlined the offset printing process, reducing setup times and enhancing efficiency. AI-driven colour calibration ensures even greater precision in high-volume printing.

• Eco-friendly innovations: The introduction of processless plates and waterless printing techniques makes offset printing a greener choice for environmentally conscious businesses.

• Hybrid printing solutions: Many printing providers now offer hybrid solutions, combining the best aspects of offset and digital printing. This allows businesses to enjoy the benefits of both methods, such as the efficiency of offset printing, with the customisation capabilities of digital printing.

The role of offset printing in the business landscape

Major cities around the world rely on high-quality printing services to meet the demands of businesses across sectors. From FMCG packaging to large-scale marketing campaigns, offset printing providers ensure top tier results.

The printing industry has embraced innovations while preserving the timeless advantages of offset printing, making it the go-to choice for large-scale printing services.

There are many benefits to using offset printing for large-scale projects

Partner with us and benefit from the advantages of digital printing technology (variable data printing, output speed, and low costs) combined with the beauty of specialty colours...

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Brand protection insights

Smithers spoke to anti-counterfeiting, brand protection, and security packaging specialist Keith Jacques about the key trends and drivers in the brand protection market

The market for security features is growing at around five per cent annually and stands at US$4.0 billion in 2025, according to the latest market research from Smithers, as the trade in counterfeit goods has significantly expanded over the last five to 10 years with the rapid growth in e-commerce.

Smithers caught up with Keith Jacques, author of The Future of Anti-Counterfeiting, Brand Protection and Security Packaging to 2030, to discuss the key trends and drivers in the brand protection market.

Q: What is the global impact of counterfeiting?

Keith Jacques (KJ): Counterfeiting is a global problem affecting a wide variety of branded products in all regions, impacting brand reputations and carrying potential risks to consumer safety.

The threat to businesses and their customers from this trade requires ever more effective security measures to protect branded goods. A growing number of purchases are now being made from online retail sites and social media platforms, driving the need for innovative security measures.

Q: What key trends and technical innovations are impacting the industry?

KJ: Efficient track-and-trace systems are recognised as being a key weapon in the ongoing fight against counterfeit goods. This is particularly important in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food, and beverages, where illicit products pose potentially serious health and safety risks to consumers.

The ever-shifting counterfeit landscape requires continued refinement of existing technologies to make them more secure, as well as the innovative use of new technologies.

Among the new technologies being introduced for enhanced brand protection is the concept of smart packaging into which functional technologies are incorporated as part of the production process. These features enable products to be tracked along the supply chain, verify their authenticity, and/or identify any evidence of tampering.

AI and machine learning systems are starting to be used by e-commerce sites to detect counterfeits more effectively, identifying small differences in packaging designs from those of authentic branded packaging.

The use of blockchain is also being developed to securely store the growing amount of data collected from supply chain track-and-trace systems and from financial information supplied by consumers.

Q: How are regulations impacting this market?

KJ: We are starting to see regulations being introduced that address the rapid growth in online services such as e-commerce and social media to protect consumers using these platforms.

The European Union is leading on this with the Digital Services Act (DSA) which was implemented by all member states in 2024. The DSA is primarily concerned with the activities of those online platforms that are widely used by EU citizens: search engines, e-commerce sites, social media platforms, app stores, accommodation platforms, and more.

The EU is also initiating a Digital Product Passport (DPP) scheme for products, components and materials supplied in the EU. Although the primary objective of DPPs is sustainability, they will also enhance brand protection through a

unique QR code to provide an additional security measure against counterfeiters.

Q: What area is growing the most in this industry?

KJ: Track-and-trace technologies that enable suppliers, retailers, and consumers to monitor the progress of branded goods through the supply chain have seen the fastest market growth over the last five years. This high growth is forecast to continue over the next five years as well.

Food is the largest segment within the anti-counterfeiting and brand protection market in 2025. Cases of food fraud have risen tenfold in the past four years, threatening consumer safety and their trust in those businesses involved in the production and distribution of food.

Pharmaceutical products have a six per cent share of the global value, but they are an important sector of this market – the health and safety risks of counterfeit medicines and medical devices are particularly high. Pharmaceuticals are forecast to show the highest rate of growth over the next five years.

Q: What challenges will the industry face over the next five years?

KJ: Counterfeiting is a worldwide issue and brand protection requires a high level of global collaboration between businesses, governments, and international organisations to effectively combat the counterfeit networks.

Counterfeiters have become enterprising, innovative, and willing to rapidly alter or move their operations as and when necessary. This requires law enforcement agencies to be equally adaptable in their collaborative efforts across borders.

Many organisations working to combat the counterfeiting criminal gangs acknowledge that more still needs to be done. Higher levels of collaboration across a range of national and international agencies are required to formulate effective global solutions.

More international harmonisation of customs regulations and IPR would also provide a global framework for all enforcement agencies to work under a common set of working practices.

An RFID carton label

Credit: iStock.com/matchefoto

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Pride In Print Awards

July 4, 2025 | Cordis Hotel, Auckland

Judging has finished and you can now purchase your tickets to the gala dinner. Don’t miss out, order your tickets today! www.prideinprintawards.co.nz

Foodtech Packtech

September 2-4, 2025 | Auckland Showgrounds, Auckland

New Zealand’s largest food manufacturing, packaging, and processing technology trade show anticipates more than 250 local and international exhibitors and around 4,000 visitors. www.foodtechpacktech.co.nz

Labelexpo Europe 2025

September 16-19, 2025 | Barcelona

The world’s major event for the label and packaging industry heads to Barcelona. www.labelexpo-europe.com

Printing & Packaging Forum

People In Print Awards and Rising Stars of Print Awards

October 14, 2025 | Auckland

The awards event, which recognises the outstanding people in our industry, will follow the must attend inaugural Printing & Packaging Forum. www.newzealandprinter.co.nz

Printing United 2025

October 22-24, 2025 | Orlando, Florida

The giant US show features all the latest technology, seminars, and opportunities to meet and learn from industry experts from around the world. www.printingunited.com

Labelexpo Asia

December 2-5, 2025 | Shanghai

The region’s largest event for the label and packaging printing industry will host the latest industry technology and trends at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. www.labelexpo-asia.com

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Breathing new life into A1-plus size printing

Introducing the RMGT 970 with Skeleton Transfer System

Why Why ?

No odor

No Ozone

No spray powder

No set-off

No loss time

• Instant dry

• Instant ON/OFF irradiation

Reduce CO2 emission

No large peripheral equipment

No need for overprint varnishing

Reduce electrical consumption

• Up to 91%

No VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)

Reduce heat generation

Long life span

• Up to 15 times

Printing on film and cardboard

Just like your conventional offset press ...without the cons.

A skeleton transfer cylinder will be offered as an option for 970 model A1-plus size straight offset presses. The cylinder mechanism leverages the technology of RMGT’s flagship 10 series, which boasts a solid reputation in the packaging industry.

This newly added feature will enable the press to handle a wide range of sheet thicknesses from 0.04 to 0.8mm, expanding business opportunities by flexibly printing not only commercial and publication products but also packaging and speciality items.

Handles sheet thickness of up to 0.8mm to meet the demands of packaging printing.

Maximim sheet size of 650 x 965mm allows flexible handling of a wide variety of multi-up printing work.

Low-cost heavy-stock printing enhances competiveness (Approx. 20% lower plate costs and 18% lower power consumption versus a B1-size press)