Taking place from September 18th to 20th at the NEC in Birmingham, The Print Show 2018 will be the fourth edition of the UK’s leading print event. This UK-focused event will allow visitors to find out more about what companies from across the market have on offer and how this kit can help their business grow.

Visitors to last year’s show will remember that wide-format print was one of the key talking points, and with growth in this sector showing no signs of slowing, organiser have committed to showcasing this form of technology in all its glory by featuring some of the world’s leading wide-format brands.

Epson, HP, EFI, Mimaki and Vivid Laminating Technologies are just some of the companies due to exhibit at the event this year, while other key names such as CMYUK, Signmaster Systems and Venture Banners have also confirmed their attendance.

Modern and eye-catching


Back after a successful debut in 2017 is HP, which will again use The Print Show to focus on its large-format print solutions. This year, visitors can look forward to seeing the new HP Latex R series for the first time in the UK.

Anne Sharp, large-format print marketing manager for UK and Ireland at HP, said: “When we attend tradeshows it’s always with the objective of being able to meet and interact with our customers and showcase the best of our technology and applications and enable our customers to come and talk to us about what they need and how we can work together.

“We felt that we met those objectives at The Print Show last year and that’s why we made the decision to sign immediately to attend The Print Show in 2018.
 
“Along with product announcements we are going to take customers on a journey of applications as at the end of the day it’s all about what exciting new opportunities in print the new technologies can bring to our customers.”

Focusing on the new Latex R, Sharp said: “At The Print Show 2018, we will be continuing this story and we will be showing for the first time at a UK show the new HP Latex R series.
 
“It is HP’s first latex technology capable of printing on flexible and rigid materials with HP Latex Ink. The HP Latex R series brings the most vibrant colours into the rigid printing world, and pioneers white ink capabilities with the introduction of HP Latex White Ink.
 
“Equipped with a single, six-colour ink set, the HP Latex R series technology delivers unprecedented quality at speed, and is the first, true hybrid latex technology that merges HP’s renowned flexible printing capabilities into rigid printing.
 
“The HP Latex R series brings unparalleled quality to a wide range of rigid materials, such as foamboards, foam PVC, cardboard, fluted polypropylene, solid plastics, aluminium, wood and glass among others.

“Unlike UV printing technology, which creates a thick layer of ink that completely covers the material and requires time to dry, HP’s water-based Latex Inks preserve the look and feel of the media, and delivers odourless prints that are both safe for the environment and the printer operator.

Elsewhere, Epson was at the debut event in 2015 and again in 2016 through reseller partner Colourbyte, before taking on its own stand last year. The digital print giant has opted for a similar approach this year, with its stand set to be one of the larger booths at the show.

Phil McMullin, sales manager of Epson UK, said: “We want to show the breadth of our inkjet solutions and the quality of print that is possible for dye sublimation, textile, label, photographic, POS and signage applications. We expect some of our commercial partners to be exhibiting also, demonstrating an even wider range of applications printed with Epson technology.

“For the first time at The Print Show, we will demonstrate some A3 and A4 printer-copiers that are right for cut sheet commercial printing applications,” McMullin said. “This is in addition to a comprehensive range of wide-format inkjet models from our signage (S series), photography (P series) and textiles (F series) SureColor range.

“Expect a modern and eye-catching display to reflect the diversity of products that can be handled from textiles and décor to wraps, posters, signage, POS and promotional applications.”

Building on success


Another company back this year is Hybrid Services, the exclusive distributor for Mimaki in the UK and Ireland. The Hybrid stand was one of the key highlights at The Print Show 2017, after the company opted to use the event to launch two new Mimaki machines in the UCJV150-160 and UCJV300-160. The company has this year taken on a larger stand as it looks to build on its success in 2017.

John de la Roche, national sales manager at Hybrid Services, comments: “Mimaki’s product line-up sports an incredible variety of ink technologies including LED UV, solvent, textile and water-based machines and our stand will represent this with a range of systems on display.

“We’re keen to enable visitors to investigate new business opportunities and with the breadth of capability we have within Mimaki’s product range, there are very few print-related needs that we can’t offer a solution for.”

Elsewhere, for visitors seeking to compare and contrast different brands, then Signmaster Systems should be a must-visit at The Print Show. Signmaster provides a range of print solutions from some of the biggest brands in the industry.

Speaking about the decision, director Lucy Ratcliffe explains: “We are exhibiting simply because we believe 2018 is going to be a great year, we have new courses, new products and a brand new website all to come.

“I think the show is building and building, year-on-year; the time of year is great and it is something I believe we will be apart of for years to come.”

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