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Tomorrow, October 19th, at 9 AM Pacific Time, the doors will open at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Several hundred exhibitors and their thousands of employees will be ready to welcome the thousands of people attending PRINTING United from all over the US - and even several international visitors.

So what can you expect? PRINTING United has worked hard to get everything ready - not only on the exhibitor side but also on the attendee side. As with most trade shows, success is measured by the numbers. How many attendees, leads, and orders are placed during the three days, and will it be worth spending an enormous amount of money on going? PRINTING United move from city to city, and the 22-edition is in Las Vegas. The city is for sure scaled to handle the enormous number of people. Restaurants, Ubers, Shows, Casinos, and, most likely, the vast number of prostitutes are ready to serve the people flying into a crazy expensive place. Hotel nights sell for up to $999+ - a crazy level that will keep some attendees away from PRINTING United. For those who can afford it, Las Vegas is an easy-to-access city. Getting from the airport to one of the many hotels doesn't take long, and getting from any hotel on the Strip to the convention center is less than ten minutes away.

Expectations are speculative. Will this be a blast like the 2019 edition in Dallas, or will it be the show that buries future trade shows? Numerous rumors about how PRINTING United has tried convincing vendors to exhibit have been circulating for a long time. So has a very active strategy to convince attendees to visit Las Vegas. Everybody knows what's at stake. If the exhibitors don't get value for money, the show will have difficulties, and if the attendees don't get value for attending, will that be a problem? A catch-eleven situation!

Tomorrow, everything starts - and soon, we can report the actual situation. PRINTING United 22 is one of the first more significant events in the industry, and for sure in North America. Let's cross our fingers for success.

Morten B. Reitoft
Editor-in-Chief


During the next few days, the primarily American printing industry set the course for Las Vegas. Mostly for the PRINTING United show, but why not enjoy the climate? For those into the more loose life in the Casino, you sure have the opportunity!

INKISH will, as usual, cover PRINTING United intense, so keep yourself updated with us :-)

We will during the days update this page with information about everything we see at the show, so bookmark this page and revert. When we report from companies or persons we have filmed earlier, we will link to them here, so you can get a fuller picture!

If you would like to meet - you can find us at the following booths during the next few days.


Print Sample TV with Pat McGrew takes place daily from 9:30 AM. Print Samples are amazingly great for showing technology, but even more important to promote our business to designers, print buyers, and brands, so they can quickly see how print brings value to a business.

At PRINTING United, Pat McGrew made three great Print Sample TV episodes. The first is from Koenig & Bauer, showcasing unique technology for inline (offset) embellishment. The second is showcasing the new Kodak Ascent digital press, which enables inline embellishment - a new breed of technology. The only other machine similar, as far as we recall, is the MGI AlphaJet. On the last day, Pat McGrew did her Print Sample TV from HP's booth. You can see the three episodes below.

And below are a few examples from the past - you find close to a hundred episodes on INKISH.TV. Click here to see the overview :-)


WEDNESDAY

N848
Ultimate TechnoGraphics
Wednesday · 9:45 AM

Ultimate TechnoGraphics is one of the leading suppliers of workflow/automation software solutions for PSPs - and also one of the oldest companies with many installations.


N1650
Tharstern MIS
Wednesday · 10:30 AM

MIS Systems are immensely important to any PSP or Converter, and Tharstern is taking the lead in being one of the best solutions in the market, focusing 100% on the industry served. We already got a peek into Tharstern at LabelExpo and can't wait to see what's next for the British MIS solution provider!

At PRINTING United, we got the chance to learn even more from the British-based company, Tharstern. 

If you are also interested in Tharstern Cloud, a dedicated solution for Labels production, you can see the interviews/demo we did at LabelExpo below!


C4807
Kongsberg Precision Cutting
Wednesday · 11:30 AM

The journey Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems have been on since its friendly 'divorce' from ESKO has been interesting following. We have interviewed several people from Kongsberg, and at PRINTING United, we have plenty of time both talking and showing, so stay tuned for great content on INKISH :-)

At PRINTING United, we made four films. One with President & CEO Stuart Fox, following up on the past year since Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems got independent from ESKO. We meet the new VP and General Manager for Kongsberg Americas, Matt Thackray. But what is a tradeshow if we don't see products, and Julio Pierre and Russel Boudria professionally handle that in two of the below films :-)

Below is the first interview we did with Stuart Fox right after Kongsberg became independent. You can also see a demo from FESPA Amsterdam 2020 with Wim Brunsting and David Petit Bayot.


THE UNICORN AWARD CEREMONY · 12:30

This award is given to a company that has shown excellence in a print sample during the PRINTING United event. The award is solely chosen by The Intergalactic Ambassador to the Printerverse, Deborah Corn. Every day we will award the best - a true UNICORN - in our industry. The award is an honor and exposure. At the UNICORN AWARD CEREMONY, we will talk to the winner and understand how it was made, and Deborah Corn will motivate the winner.

In the film, we do from the ceremony; you will also see and follow Deborah while investigating the exhibitor's creativity and ability to create a brilliant print sample!

W+D won the UNICORN Award on the first day at PRINTING United. W+D has developed a machine that converts the role of paper to an envelope with content, enabling a brilliant and innovative solution for the Direct Mail segment. Andrew Schipke received the award.

On the second day, Nations Photo Lab won the UNICORN award for their clickable photo frame. Without any tools, a consumer can now easily create a picture frame that looks nice. Simon McCauley and Cate Cannavino received the award.

The third UNICORN award was awarded to Veika. The company is specialized in creating textured prints, using foam-prepped material that can be 'baked' into any texture. Looks very cool. The award was given to Aleksey Etin - congratulations!

Three impressive winners of the newly established UNICORN Award. Deborah Corn found these three remarkable winners. See the films and learn about their fantastic technology. 

WARM congratulations from the entire INKISH team - well deserved!


N2521
Scodix
Wednesday · 1:00 PM + Thursday 1:00 PM

Covering our friends from Scodix is always fun. With GREAT visuals and interesting case studies, you can only expect excellence. At PRINTING United, we will interview Sabine Lenz, Warren Werbitt, Don Droppo Jr., Eli Grinberg, and David Baird. 

Donald Droppo was a very happy man at PRINTING United for a good reason. Years ago, he was the first North American customer of the Scodix S75, and now he is the first North American customer of the new Scodix Ultra 6000. The Ultra 6000 uses the new SHD (Smart High Definition) technology, allowing the digital embellishment machine to have much finer details. The smaller and more precise drops are needed, and also Sabine Lenz from PaperSpecs emphasizes this in the interview I did with her (link below). Curtis Packaging is an offset packaging printing company in Sandy Hook, CT.

David Baird is the President and CRO of the company Truly Engaging. The 125 people company produces 'Save the Date' magnets and showed Editor Morten B. Reitoft a new card set (really cool) that can easily be personalized. The cards consist of several arched cards that go into a set of four (I believe it was) - and the text is then foiled with the Scodix machine, enabling the customer to get gorgeous cards. But you can see them in the film. David Baird explained that the work before getting the cards online was a great collaboration between HP, Scodix, Paper Supplier, etc. Great to see how innovative Truly Engaging and David Baird are.


N1928
Ricoh
Wednesday · 1:30 PM

Ricoh is one of the significant suppliers of inkjet and toner-based printing machines to the market, and at PRINTING United, I hope we will get a chance to see the new Z75 inkjet cut-sheet device. I believe a B2 format cut-sheet inkjet printer can be a game-changer for many printing companies, and now we get the chance to talk to Ricoh and learn more :-)

The Ricoh Z75 is highly anticipated, and yes, I had hoped to see the machine on the show floor, but the second best was speaking to Mike Herold. Ricoh is well-known for its roll-based inkjet printers like the VC70000 and has a vast history in inkjet. In 2007 Ricoh acquired the entire IBM print business, including the InfoPrint-series printers. These printers dominated the transactional print domain for years, and I guess - and it is a guess - has given Ricoh a lot of knowledge to build on. Today Ricoh is among the more prominent players in roll-based inkjet, and we have made films from PSPs operating these machines. The Z75 can, in my mind, quickly become a game-changer. Currently, the only B2 digital devices in the market are HP Indigo's and the Fujifilm Jetpresses - and though you easily can add a cut-stacker to any of the web-based inkjet machines in the market, the real issue is how to utilize fast change-overs on substrates. Sheets are more accessible, and though Ricoh won't say it directly, I believe the Z75 aims to address the Indigo market and offset market. 

That is, of course, interesting for many reasons. When rumors about a new HP Inkjet machine got to my ears (which never happens very early, to be honest), I was convinced that HP would finally deliver a cut-sheet inkjet device. It could be cannibalizing the Indigo market, but with lower operational costs, it would make sense to consider it as competitors like Ricoh will soon have something that might compete. 

The Z75 was unfortunately not on PRINTING United and is still not shipping (Q1/23), but the print samples they showed were quite impressive. Of course, we have earlier been impressed by print samples from companies (did I say Landa?) that had more than difficulties delivering afterward. Still, precisely because of that, Ricoh probably won't release anything until it's perfect.

The Z75 will be interesting for all of the reasons above, but also to see how they manage media diversity and consistency over a larger format and what speed it will be able to deliver at - so I can't wait. I hope to get a chance to see it soon.


PUBLISHING YOUR NEWS ON INKISH IS FREE - SEE THE VIDEO TO LEARN HOW!


N1617
Tecnau
Wednesday · 2:00 PM

Tecnau is, among other things showing LIVE demos of their Revolution 50-series, including a new solution to create inline book blocks. We are keen to show you the techniques and the lovely people from Tecnau US. 

Pete Dolfis from Tecnau shares his views and insights about Tecnau in the North American market with Editor Morten B. Reitoft. The Revolution 50-series is a high-speed, high-quality solution from Tecnau that, via its modules, can be configured to the needs of the PSP. One of the things Dolfis mention is the tight tension throughout the entire machine, which gives the owner a wealth of advantages. The Revolution 50-series is fast and can operate online, nearline, or offline. But check out the film yourself. 


N642
PLASTGrommet
Wednesday · 2:30 PM

When I saw PLASTGrommet's unique technology for automating large-format print finishing, I was "sold." When you know the number of banners and signage using grommets, it still amazes me that PLASTGrommet is among the only suppliers doing this - and doing it right. Dig in for more information shortly after our time with our lovely Spanish friends!


N2433
Eagle Systems
Wednesday · 3:30 PM

Eagle Systems have a special place in my heart - to be honest - for a couple of reasons. First, they produce beautiful products within foiling or, to be more precise, metalization. Secondly, I got to know Mike King during the pandemic, so I look forward to meeting him in person. You should know him too.

Today we all take cold foil for granted, but the world would look different if it weren't for Mike King from Eagle Systems. In this film, you'll get some background for who Mike King is, his company, his passion for his wife Ellen Manning, who he took on a date to drupa, and the story continues. The love for technology and engineering has driven Eagle Systems to become one of the most important suppliers of cold foil used by thousands of brands globally today. A great story and worth your time!

Earlier in 2022, we made this super great film from a packaging printing company, TPC, located in Chattanooga, TN, USA. We interviewed one of the three owners, Joey Schmissrauter, who told us how happy he was with the Eagle Solution he installed when he acquired a new Koenig & Bauer press. Amazing to see how cold foil used for overprint can create so much value for a printing company. You will see some pretty nifty print samples in the film - so click to get started!


C8130
Agfa ·
Wednesday · 4:00 PM

Agfa is one of the VERY important players in the industry, and at PRINTING United, we will be filming the Onset X3 HS. We are excited to learn more about the Onset machine, so stay tuned for further information! 


N872
Four Pees
Wednesday · 4:30 PM

Four Pees has been increasingly noticed and recognized for implementing MIS/Web-to-Print, and workflow/automation solutions. We expect to learn a lot from visiting their booth at PRINTING United. I even believe it's the first time they exhibit in the US - why? I am sure we will find out!

When we got there, Tom Peire and David Van Driessche took care of the booth at PRINTING United. A nice green backdrop, but no computer, products, nothing, so what and why? Tom Peire is the CEO of the Belgium-based company Four Pees. During the interview, it became clear that the company is using the opportunity at PRINTING United to discuss the implementation part. Often customers buy software without utilizing it 100% or even knowing the capabilities, and what Tom Peire and his team learned during the COVID is essentially the possibility of serving a global market with the expertise the company offers. I was convinced, but take a look at the film, and judge for yourself!


THURSDAY


N1808
Design'N'Buy
Thursday · 9:45 AM

Design'N'Buy has, in the past years, worked its way into the global printing scene with web-to-print software and design tools that can be used with any eCommerce software. Looking forward to seeing what PRINTING United will bring.


Dheeraj Kumar Pandey is the Vice President of Sales with Design'N'Buy, he is also a skilled presenter, which you can see in this film. Dheeraj Kumar Pandey elegantly demos here the Pinnacle Award-winning DesignO solution.


N2215
AMP
Thursday · 10:30 AM

IoT is everywhere, and with AMP, you can connect your sources and monitor all the easily connected devices. With an easy-to-understand view of your productivity, you can easily improve your efficiency and make more money. Learn more in our session with the nice people from AMP!


N4323
Koenig & Bauer
Thursday · 1:00 PM + Wednesday · 9:30 AM

Koenig & Bauer is one of the market's most important offset printing machine suppliers. With a focus on offset, logistics, finishing, and digital, we look forward to seeing what Koenig & Bauer will present at PRINTING United. 

Stephen Kirk Sanker has only worked for Koenig & Bauer for a short time, but as he explains in this film, he is really excited about the strategy the company has. Kirk Sanker's area of work is the digital side, and as Koenig & Bauer has a diverse digital print strategy with partners like Durst and HP + development of the Rotajet, the future is paved with positive expectations, but listen for yourself!


N429
Solimar Systems
Thursday · 3:00 PM

Have you ever thought about how the dots are connected in data-driven communication? Or what about how fast PDFs need to be processed to allow the output of a modern digital inkjet printer? The solution comes from Solimar, and in our coverage at PRINTING United, we will learn why!

CXO Mary Ann Rowan talks about Solimar solutions in this film - filmed at the RISO booth at PRINTING United. Solimar Systems are today used by over 15,000 customers and is the 'behind-the-scene' software that makes it possible to handle data easier, smarter and faster.


FRIDAY


N1943
Standard Finishing, Hunkeler & Horizon
Friday · 9:45 PM

Thinking of books, transactional, transpromo, or almost any digital print capability, you immediately think of Hunkeler and Horizon. Solution providers seen everywhere and in the US thanks to Standard Finishing and their great team of representatives and technicians. We will see running equipment from Standard Finishing's booth. We can't wait :-)


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