The print Show at Capacity

When the three directors of Link Publishing sat around their boardroom table in 2014 discussing the idea of launching a brand new company and a trade show dedicated to the UK print industry, they could not have realised just how successful it would become in such a short space of time.

The Print Show may have come from humble origins, but its third edition has already sold out and surpassed all the expectations set for it in terms of its exhibitor base and the momentum it has achieved. All the while competing tooth and nail with one of the very biggest trade show specialists in the world.
 
With more than 110 exhibitors and a who’s who of major printer and print finishing technology manufacturers under its belt, its latest revelation that Canon had confirmed it would exhibit on one of its largest stands is further testament to the reputation the exhibition has built for itself in just three short years. Indeed, this news was closely followed by the revelation from Manroland Sheetfed that it too would be taking a stand to network with its customer base.

The Print Show this year will be at The International Centre in Telford and take place from October 11th to 13th. Canon will provide visitors to The Print Show a unique insight into new technologies, which it states have been “designed to unleash the power of print”.

Another major coup for The Print Show is that it will be showcasing its Océ Colorado 1640, the first 64” roll-to-roll wide-format printer built on Canon’s revolutionary new UVgel technology. Canon’s complete range of large-format and production printers will also be on show and its stated aim is “to deliver the ultimate combination of features to offer the broadest range of applications”.

Duncan Smith, director of industrial and production solutions at Canon UK, comments: “We’ve been inspiring customers to explore the power of imaging for more than 80 years. Canon combines heavy investment in research and development and dedication to launching disruptive technologies to help customers face today’s complex business challenges.

 
“Exhibiting at this year’s Print Show is an exciting opportunity for visitors to explore a hub of creative ideas. It also gives us the chance to network with like-minded individuals in an industry that is vibrant and dynamic.”

Smith continues: “Canon prioritises showcasing its advanced applications in new and different ways. We’re a partner that can be trusted to help organisations work more efficiently, achieve growth, and stand out in an always-on world.”

The company is known for its ability to supply a whole host of printing solutions; ranging from smaller-format office printers and production printers, right up to the more wide- and large-format devices. Among the commercial printing solutions Canon offers to the market are its cut-sheet colour printers such as the Image Press C10000VP, which can hit speeds of up to 100ppm on media up to 350gsm, while the Image Press C850 and C750 models can hit speeds of 85 and 75ppm respectively.



Also on offer to the market are a host of flatbed printers within the Océ Arizona range, and visitors to the show this year can learn more about such solutions. As one example of these products, both the Océ Arizona 6160 XTS and 6170 XTS can run at a maximum print speed of 155sq m/h.

Speaking about the addition of Canon to the floorplan for this year, Adam Every, account manager for the manufacturer at The Print Show, comments: “It has been a long journey to get Canon on board and for me to get such an iconic brand on board has filled me with an enormous sense of pride.

“From the long-established quality of their camera products, to the state-of-the-art printers they do now, I have been impressed with the values that Canon holds dear proving that a multinational company still has family at its core.”

A must-attend event

Meanwhile, another major company that will again feature on the show floor this year is none other than home-grown print finishing success story Watkiss Automation. The firm will be demonstrating a selection of booklet making, laminating, and perfect binding technology at the show.

Set to feature on stand G08 at The Print Show 2017 is the Watkiss Power Square 224 system, which features full bleed trimming and dynamic auto-adjustment to produce perfect stitching and book quality regardless of sheet count. Visitors will be able to see the machine producing colour stitched booklets at the event.



In addition, visitors will be able to see first-hand both single- and double-sided lamination on the automatic Plasti 350XP laminator and the table top Plasti 330.

Speaking about the decision to commit to the event again, Paul Attew, sales director at Watkiss, comments: “Exhibitions like The Print Show are the perfect opportunity for us to meet with customers, demonstrate our technology, and respond to their print finishing needs. We’re focused on helping our customers finish their output on-demand, on-time, and on-budget.”

In recent weeks, organisers have confirmed the addition of industry giant EFI, which, as it has done at previous editions of the event, will focus on its extensive range of software solutions—while its world renowned wide-format inkjet systems will be showcased through major distributor CMYUK.


RGBuk, an accredited reseller of Canon, Roland DG, and OKI wide-format print products, has also signed up, as has KAS Paper Systems, a leading UK manufacturer of mail enclosing systems.

Also confirmed for The Print Show year is Lion—which specialises in high-value personalised print products, large-format trade print expert Your Print Partner, finishing solutions firm A Star Binding Supplies, Beechwood Finance, and Celtic Binding.
 
This latest group of exhibitors once again shows both the strength and depth of The Print Show’s offering to the UK print industry, as it not only caters for a rainbow of smaller independent suppliers, but also major manufacturing brands such as Xeikon, KBA, OKI, HP, Konica Minolta, Duplo, Epson, B and R Moll, Mimaki (Hybrid Services), Inktec, RISO, Morgana, Roland DG (Grafityp), Hans Grohni (Printers Superstore), Vivid Laminating Systems, Intec, X-Press On Demand, and many more.

Global super-powers

Speaking about EFI’s decision to return this year, Martin Mayo, inkjet regional sales manager at EFI, says: “We attended The Print Show last year and the year before that. Both shows were very successful for EFI in terms of conversations with existing customers and prospects.


“The business results we saw from these conversations and the visibility translated well for EFI in the UK market. We are confident to experience another successful Print Show—especially the co-location with Signlink Live will help broaden the audience and generate additional traction for EFI’s offering for commercial, but also, large-format digital printers.”

Mayo also revealed details of what visitors can expect on the EFI stand this year: “During The Print Show, we will mainly showcase our Productivity Software Solutions with its certified end-to-end workflows for the commercial and digital printing segment; in addition to our Fiery Server and Software portfolio.

“Additionally, we will proof our digital printing capabilities with a variety of samples produced by our Inkjet printing systems.”


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