Key takeaways from The Print Show 2023

The 7th Outing of The Print Show welcomed circa 5,000 professionals and innovators to The Birmingham NEC between 19th and 21st September for three days of networking and collaborative learning.

For those unable to attend, here are a few highlights from the show.

The Print Show 2023 Theme: Print Without Barriers

The theme of this year’s show neatly reflected the exhibitors’ and visitors’ broad set of skills and specialities and how they collectively contribute to the production and distribution of printed materials.

Exhibitors at the show demonstrated various printing methods, including offset printing, digital printing, screen printing and more. And how their technologies set new standards for what is possible with print.

Technology highlights included the following:

Digital Printing

“With digital printing, the limitation is your imagination”, said Phil McMullin of Epson. “Digital has revolutionised the print sector. Moreover, it is a great leveller because the barriers to entry are a lot less. Digital imaging makes the running costs for a short run a lot lower. From an Epson point of view, digital allows you to take one digitally stored image and output it to any device you want with lots of different types of inks, depending on what you want to do with the end product.”

He added: “At Epson, we want a strong UK and Irish print industry. To be strong, businesses need to be up-to-date and invested in the latest technology. I believe the best way to find out about new and profitable revenue streams is to come to a show like this, walk around and discover technologies you might not even have thought about.”

Personalisation

The trend for personalisation continues to gain momentum because it allows companies to tailor printed materials to individual recipients and specific target audiences, thus making content more relevant and engaging.

“We took a large stand at The Print Show to demonstrate our growing range of digital print solutions for multiple market sectors,” said Andy Webb, Head of Wide Format UK at Fujifilm. “We’ve been delighted by the amount of interest in our stand and the opportunity the show has provided to show visitors the quality and performance of our output.”

Tactile finishes engaging multiple senses

One of the things that makes print stand out from digital-only output is the interactive elements, including die-cutting and embossing, to create memorable and sensory-rich output.

Wendy Baker, Marketing Manager at Morgana Print Systems, a company that specialises in providing various printing and finishing solutions for the print industry, said, “Personalisation and embellishments are where the value-add lies. They give you a fantastic result and add quite a margin to your finished products.”

She added, “We’ve been coming to The Print Show every year since it started. It’s the only big show that the industry does in this country – so it is important for us to support it. We use the show to showcase our full range of products, which include booklet makers and our flagship AutoCreaser products and DigiFold. This year, we’re delighted to showcase our SC6500, the newest addition to our range of post-press devices.”

Sustainability

The growing concern about sustainability has seen many print companies adopting eco-friendly practices, such as using energy-efficient equipment and water-based inks. Also reducing waste.

“Sustainability is the theme of our stand,” said Product Marketing Manager Trevor Maloney of Kyocera. “Since Kyocera’s foundation in 1959, it has focused on how it produces products, manufactures them, and incorporates recycled plastics into its devices. The product we’re showcasing on our stand is inkjet. Because it is inkjet, it uses very little energy. And very little heat in drying media printed. Compared to a laser product, inkjet uses 70% less energy. What’s more, it uses sustainable water-based inks.

Trevor added, “To underpin our environmental credentials, Kyocera has partnered with PrintReleaf. This means that we plant a tree for every 8,333 sheets people print with our products.”

View from the Trade Association

We were delighted to catch up with Bettine Pellant at PICON (Printing Industry Convention). PICON supports its members attending the show by providing a space for meetings, refreshments and relaxed conversations.

On this year’s Print Show, Bettine commented, “Hosting a print show in the UK is essential for promoting the Print Sector and providing a valuable resource for knowledge exchange and networking.”

Expert-led education and learning sessions

Prominent speakers on sustainability included Frazer Chesterman of FuturePrint, who talked about the challenges, opportunities and key considerations for printers seeking to succeed with sustainability.

On day two, Jonathan Tame of Two Sides spoke of dispelling the myth that printed brochures and magazines are unsustainable and discussed ways to reassure consumers that they have a good environmental story to tell.

After that, on day three, Jon Hutton of Reconomy discussed the cost of waste and recycling management and affordable options available to companies to help them transform into environmentally friendly operations.

Returning this year… A Gala Dinner

Hosted at Birmingham Town Hall, the Gala Dinner paid tribute to the work carried out by print businesses, manufacturers and suppliers to keep the market running.

Morgana Marketing Manager Wendy Baker said, “This year, a Gala Dinner has replaced celebrity talks at The Print Show 2023. We’re looking forward to it and the networking opportunities that it provides.

PICON’s Bettine echoed that thought. “We think the Gala Dinner is a great idea, as it allows visitors and exhibitors to meet and connect in a relaxed and social setting and have the time and space to have more meaningful conversations.”

To sum up

Attending The Print Show 2023 offered deep insights into the cutting-edge world of digital printing, the art of customisation, and the pressing importance of sustainability in the print sector. We discovered how digital technology is revolutionising print with its speed and precision, witnessed the power of personalised print materials, and gained a heightened awareness of eco-friendly practices shaping the industry’s future. We came away enthused by the dynamic convergence of innovation, creativity, and environmental responsibility in the ever-evolving world of print.

This blog is relevant to the following Veritek industry sector verticals:

Print & Graphics