Images_December_2019_Digital Edition

Fespa took place in May in Berlin www.images-magazine.com 24 images DECEMBER 2019 Printing United: Review North America’s latest – and largest – printing show, Printing United took place in Texas in October. We spoke to Ford Bowers, president and CEO of SGIA, the show’s organisers, about this inaugural event while industry veteran Rick Roth shares his takeaways from the event W ith nearly 30,000 registrants and more than 680 exhibitors filling the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Printing United, built on the platform of the SGIA Expos, is officially the largest printing show in North America. More importantly, it’s the first event to bring to life the phenomenon of convergence – the shifting industry dynamic as digital technologies change how, and for whom, print service providers (PSPs) do business. The show included everything from direct-to-garment (DTG) printers; screen printing equipment; advances in wide-format graphics, textiles, and dye sublimation; to offset printing, production inkjet and toner presses. “Seeing so many types of printing at one site reminded attendees that analogue and digital printing can be combined to print all types and volumes of garments, textiles, signs, displays, packaging, labels and promotional products,” noted SGIA, the show’s organisers. The 4,000sq ft Printing United Experience Zone was a highlight of the expansive show floor. This physical structure allowed attendees to move through simulated home, retail, restaurant and outdoor environments, and highlighted print’s presence in everyday life. “The feedback we continuously received throughout the show, and following the event from both exhibitors and attendees, has been overwhelmingly positive and powerful,” said Ford Bowers, president and CEO, SGIA. “Many commented on how revitalising it was to see such a full, and comprehensive, event. We were most thrilled about all the buying taking place on the show floor. This is the best testament that our industry, indeed, is thriving. We just needed the right model, and we are confident that we have produced that with Printing United.” Industry veteran Rick Roth, of The Ink Kitchen Blog and owner of Mirror Image print shop, walked the aisles and visited the booths to share his observations on the show with Images readers. Rick’s takeaways Two things stood out for me at the Printing United show: the advances in digital printing on every front – a casual attendee might think it was almost an entirely digital print show. To this end, ink and emulsion companies were in short supply. And the realisation by some that, at least in textiles, close to 95% of the printing is still screen printing and not digital printing. So, what was I most excited to see? The OvalJet is a mechanical oval press which utilises heat presses, jets for pre- treat, flash cure units and high speed digital print heads to print full-colour images at a rate of up to 240 pieces an hour with one operator. This is truly revolutionary stuff. Another innovation S aa ti de m o n st r a t ed i t s las er ex p osu re unit [www. t heinkk i tc h e n .co m ]