By Cassandra Balentine
The Association for PRINT Technologies (APTech) is preparing for PRINT 19, a comprehensive trade show for the print industry scheduled to take place October 3 to 5, 2019 at Chicago’s McCormick Place North in Chicago, IL.
In addition to the exhibit floor, the event features more than 80 education sessions, including hands-on labs. Additionally, pre-registered attendees are able to participate in programs like TechWalks, which are exhibitor tours based on technical topics of interest.
Above: Photobook Technology highlights fully automated finishing equipment to produce books in small quantities in booth 215.
Event Changes
The PRINT 19 trade show continues to evolve. Next year, APTech and Tarsus Group—the group behind LabelExpo—combine efforts to launch Brand Print Americas. The first event from the joint venture takes place instead of PRINT 2020 and is co-located with the 2020 edition of Labelexpo, which is planned from September 15 to 17, 2020 at the Donald E Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.
The partnership unites decades of expertise of the overall print market. Brand Print Americas offers converters and brand owners access to solutions for a variety of print needs.
The Brand Print Americas event is formed in response to market research that APTech says demonstrates the need for diversification in the print industry. Brands with labels and packaging requirements also need to source printed materials to meet their other marketing needs, including point of purchase, collation packs, outdoor advertising, fleet graphics, and direct mail. These two events bring together the entire supply chain under one roof, therefore providing greater synergies and opportunities for printers, converters, manufacturers, suppliers, and creatives.
Exhibitors
Hundreds of exhibitors showcase products and services targeting the digital print industry. Here we highlight PRINT 19 show plans from select vendors.
Aurigma, booth 131, features its flagship Customer’s Canvas web to print (W2P) editor. The online editor enables printing companies to implement product personalization workflows of any complexity. The company presents its latest variable data printing technology as well as a new backend that facilitates the management of products and their digital assets, bridging the gap between ecommerce and W2P. Aurigma also showcases its font engine, which improves text rendering features within the web browser and brings them up to par with desktop publishing systems.
C.P. Bourg, booth 117, showcases its full line of print finishing solutions including perfect binding, sheet feeding, booklet making, and the newly released Bourg Preparation Module. This product converts parent-size sheets with multiple pages printed on them to form-sized documents, automatically feeding them into the connected booklet maker or perfect binder without operator intervention.
Cooper Enterprises, booth 554, features its end boards for web-fed printers. Made from high-density fiberboard, its end boards are optimally sized, unbreakable, and splinter-free. Cooper Enterprises is a contract manufacturer of wood and laminated components.
Crawford Technologies, booth 541, highlights its software solutions including PRO Conductor, PRO Inkjet Express, and QA in the Cloud. PRO Conductor is an integration platform solution that orchestrates every step of an end-to-end print production workflow. PRO Inkjet Express allows print and mailing service providers and in-plant operators to take advantage of the inherent efficiency of inkjet when converting to inkjet presses. QA in the Cloud automates document testing and manages continuous regression testing, as well as quick comparisons with on-premises or secure cloud licensing options.
D&K Group, Inc., booth 121, introduces its Endura Overlams. Endura Overlams offer a waterproof durable thermal laminating solution. Endura Overlams are suitable for outdoor environments and other demanding applications including cards, menus, and durable labels.
Duplo USA, booth 621, exhibits a selection of print embellishment and specialty finishing solutions. Products displayed include the DDC-810 Raised Spot UV Coater, DC-646 Integrated Folding System, UD-300 Die Cutter, DFL-500 Dry Coat/Foil/Laminator, and the 600i Duetto Booklet System.
EMT International., booth 614, features the Chameleon RFX series roll-to-sheet finishing line. The finishing line configuration features live demonstrations of the company’s next generation unwinder, dynamic cross perforating with cross creasing capability, chip-cut sheeting, and stacking.
GTI Graphic Technology, Inc., booth 2808, showcases its viewing stations. Quality from today’s printers is excellent and print jobs often require components to printed output using different technologies on various substrates. To ensure accurate color matches and fidelity—and to maintain brand integrity—all output should be viewed in controlled conditions. GTI offers a range of ISO 3664:2009 compatible viewing stations including desktop viewers, floor stand models, and large format viewing areas up to 25 feet wide.
Harris & Bruno International (H&B), booth 1839, highlights the ExcelCoat series of sheet and web coaters for aqueous and UV. The ExcelCoat ZRS Spot Coater utilizes a quickchange flexographic-style plate system and sophisticated camera registration technology, which registers spot coating to the printed sheet. For web, the ExcelCoat ZRW Duplex Web Coater features a quick change sleeve system for both anilox and applicator rolls, which allows for job changes in minutes. Equipped with the H&B chamber/anilox system, ExcelCoat lays down everything from primers to common liquid chemistries and specialty embellishment coatings.
InSoft Automation, booth 249, launches its Estimation module on top of its Layout Planning & Ganging software. The software features a single interface for creating print-ready layouts for packaging, commercial, and signage segments of the print industry. While automation is a buzz word, InSoft’s solution walks the extra mile to provide optimization with built-in software intelligence to improve the bottom line.
LogoJET, booth 421, features its R-Series UV Printers, which are equipped with Ricoh printhead technology. See live demonstrations of large format, direct-to-substrate printing on the UVx90R and rotary printing on the UVx40R model. LogoJET’s UV printing solutions help expand product customization capabilities while saving time and money on production.
Photobook Technology, booth 215, highlights its fully automatic equipment to produce layflat, panorama book blocks and hardcover books in small quantities.
PressWise, booth 539, demonstrates its print MIS and workflow automation software. Packed with a holistic toolset that includes estimating, quoting, proof approval, job tracking, impositioning, production automation, mail processing, shipping, outsourcing, inventory, accounting, W2P storefronts, reporting, and the ability to integrate with third-party web storefronts and accounting systems, PressWise coaches busy print providers on how to automate and grow with its cloud-based software through live demonstrations.
Print Reach, formerly known as Virtual Systems, booth 134, brings a 40-foot motor home to PRINT 19. Virtual Systems and PagePath merged to form a new company called Print Reach. The company is excited to offer more W2P and MIS/ERP products to both the biggest and smallest shops in the industry.
Quadient, booth 443, showcases its leading Customer Communications Management (CCM) solutions. Demonstrations include Quadient Inspire, which enables the quick and easy repurposing of existing print-based content into high-impact digital communications and Quadient Interactive, which enables digitalization of key processes and empowers business users within service providers and enterprise clients to streamline content change management.
Quantum Design, booth 304, presents all of its product lines that serve the print industry, including Quantum Roll Sheeters, KTI, CTC, and Quantum Design Control Systems. With roll sheeters to support the sheet-fed printing industry, splicers and rewinders for both traditional and digital printing applications, and automation services for all industries, Quantum brings a lot to the table. Stop by the booth to learn about all of these products and how they can help improve your printing process and save your company time and material costs.
Rochester Software Associates, booth 527, helps visitors with automation production workflow. See live demonstrations of the latest releases of WebCRD in-plant W2P software featuring new ImpactVDP, QDirect output manager, and the ReadyPrint universal prepress suite.
Skandacor, booth 2217, exhibits the latest print finishing equipment and processes. The company believes in empowering digital printers to create finished prints that leave a lasting impression for a competitive edge. Be sure to stop by for live demonstrations.
Spiel Associates, booth 2401, features its new perfect and PUR binders, along with automatic punching and wire binding equipment. It also debuts the new Coilmaster Jr. TS with inline coil forming.
Standard Finishing Systems, booth 810, showcases a comprehensive lineup of feeding and finishing solutions. As always, the booth is packed with equipment set up for live demonstrations in die-cutting, perfect binding and trimming, slitting and creasing, folding, saddlestitching, and roll-fed print solutions. Standard produces a variety of finished products throughout the show, demonstrating format flexibility, short-run capability, and smooth setup and changeover. Among the highlights are machines featuring advanced automation and new technology, with the Horizon BQ-480 Perfect Binder raising the bar in variable book production and the StitchLiner Mark III Saddlestitcher delivering higher quality booklets in a wider range of sizes. In addition, Hunkeler’s Generation 8 Modules are on display in a Roll-to-Cut/Stack solution designed for the unique requirements of inkjet printing. PRINT 19 attendees are invited to arrange a private equipment demonstration tailored to their application requirements by pre-registering for the Standard VIP Program atsdmc.com/print19.
Tharstern, booth 548, provides demonstrations of MIS throughout the day. Head down to see how its MIS could help your workflow. Tharstern presents new features to event visitors, including project estimating, mailing, and sheet optimization.
Ultimate TechnoGraphics, booth 627, releases the new generation of its imposition solution, Ultimate Impostrip 2019. With new Imposition Agent powered by artificial intelligence, new advanced dynamic marks preview, and new power and memory capabilities, users benefit from an enhanced experience in a completely redesigned and intuitive Mac and Win OS interface. The Ultimate Team also offers live demonstrations of the new Ultimate Impostrip 2019.
See you in Chicago
Visit us online for more information leading up to PRINT 19, including a podcast with Thayer Long, president, APTech.
The October issue also features exhibitor highlights. Both editions of the magazine are at PRINT 19. Stop by booth 2455 to say hello! dps
Sep2019, DPS Magazine
