From virtual.drupa to real paper price increases

According to Printweek, big increases in paper prices are on the way, with Burgo Group, Navigator, Lecta, Sappi, Feldmuehle and Mitsubishi HiTec all having announced price increases recently due to rising costs.

Almost every publication has a story looking forward to next week’s virtual.drupa, including Printweek, which also has a link to the Cult of Drupa Songs Facebook page put together by Mark Stephenson of Fujifilm, who clearly has a stronger stomach than most of us.

Indian Printer and Publisher also covers the Drupa show, but asks can a virtual.drupa event help the actual event in 2024, since even with a line-up of more than 150 companies, the total number of exhibitors will be less than a tenth of those of a real drupa?

Print Business picks up on this theme but says that even if the virtual.drupa only attracts 10 percent of the audience, it will still be the largest print event to take place in cyberspace since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Elsewhere Print Business suggests that inkjet is poised to reap a post-pandemic surge in interest, discussing the options for B2 printers. And in another story, the magazine says that inkjet is continuing to replace offset, detailing all the continuous feed inkjet machines available.

Meanwhile from Australia and New Zealand, Print21 reports that commercial paper imports for the year ending January 2021 have fallen by 55 percent as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the paper industry’s Pulp & Paper Edge report.

Print21 has a separate story on Paul Graham’s appointment as CEO of Australia Post, becoming Australia’s highest paid public servant. Helpfully, Print21 points out that his predecessor, Christine Holgate has just appeared before a senate enquiry over her dismissal.

From Canada, Graphic Arts Magazine reports that Fujifilm has agreed a deal with Spicers Canada, whereby Spicers will act as a nationwide distributor for the Graphics Division of Fujifilm Canada, including the firm’s CTP products and related equipment.

Labels and Labelling covers the Brazilian label press manufacturer, Etirama, which has launched a new series of three narrow web flexo presses, which all come complete with UV curing.

L&L also carries a story on Sixth Dimension, a distributor based in Jordan, that has set up a new showroom complete with a GM DC330MINI label finisher, having already installed the fourth GM machine in the country.

Staying with the Middle East, ME Printer has picked up on the global rise in paper prices but notes that demand is likely to remain strong throughout 2021.

Elsewhere ME Printer reports that the Saudi Paper Manufacturing Company has been granted a credit facility of 50 million Saudi Riyals (approx €11.1m) from the country’s Ministry of Finance in cooperation with the Riyad Bank to finance its working capital and raw materials purchase.

Finally, Inkjet Insight has looked into the issue of sustainability, asking where is the pressure for companies to take a more sustainable approach? The article covers the difficulties in defining sustainability as well as the opportunities in this area for digital print.