Digital opportunities abound at Drupa

In addition to the hardware and software, there are interesting trends which shall unfold at Drupa.

For instance, cheap cross-media solutions for SME printers in India, that’s a big thing. Can Indian print firms leverage this? For example with software as a service (SAAS).

My colleagues in UK sent us a link of MindFire. This software solution allows print firms to offer email campaigns, Twitter, FB and sms integration.

The key devices on my radar are

• FujiFilm’s JetPress 720 B2 sheetfed inkjet presses for the folding carton marke
• Heidelberg which is premiering with the Speedmaster SX press platforms (between their SM and XL range) plus the digital launch of the Linoprint.
• Ricoh enters the wide-format market with a four-colour device aimed at CAD, construction and quickprinters.
• Canon has announced that the Oce Colorstream 3700 high-speed inkjet and the Arizona 318 GL UV flatbed will be launched.
• Epson will show the SurePress X single-pass digital label press, its first UV ink product, and enter into the the digital dry labels with the SureLab SL-D3000 for on-demand photo and card printing.
•  Holding centre stage at the FFEI stand will be the Caslon digital inkjet web label press, that will incorporate a new digital spot colour printing unit that prints digital UV-curable white ink. 
• Xerox will demonstrate the waterless inkjet press at Drupa, which can print on ordinary offset papers without any coating.