Among what it made FESPA Digital significant this year was the dramatic 30 percent increase in visitors’ traffic against the last Hamburg edition of the show held in 2011. The record-breaking phenomenon bucked all trends with a signal showing bright outlook of wide-format segment and the market gearing up for growth. The expo attracted a record audience of 16,766 unique visitors from all over the globe, highest ever figure recorded in FESPA’s eight years of history. Of the visitors who came to browse the products, technologies and services that 536 exhibitors put on display, 49 percent of them returned to the event for more than one day, bringing the total attendance to 24,954 visits.

Most diverse audience

It was not just the number (of visitors) that made FESPA Digital 2014 a record-breaking event, a confirmation of the event’s growing global appeal, the mix international crowd was poured in from 121 countries and 70 percent of them were from outside the host nation. Neil Felton, CEO, FESPA remarked, “It’s thrilling to see the market respond to FESPA Digital 2014 with buoyant enthusiasm. The level of audience growth bucks every trend in the B2B event world. It strongly reinforces our conviction that a content-rich, community-led event, geared towards the needs of exhibitors and visitors rather than those of shareholders, offering all participants the most positive experience, providing a great platform for business with a unique feel-good factor.”

Big launches

A sneak peek into who was showing what at the expo enumerated almost all the world’s leading brands. Amid the myriad of attractions flaunting across the four exhibition halls and themed content ‘hubs’ were some mega product launches to which visitors heeded with extra interest. Leading global brands known worldwide for their top-notch machines, materials and technologies used FESPA Digital 2014 as an exclusive platform to introduce new products.

Entry level hybrid and true flatbed printers from Gandy

Gandy introduced its SL8TE family of hybrid and true flatbed entry-level UV printers during the expo. SL8TE hybrid comes in widths of 1.6 m, 2.2 m and 2.6m, allowing PSPs to print flatbed (with extension tables) or roll-to-roll (rewind and unwind with precise tension control). These printers take materials continuously without stoppage giving higher throughput and optional extra heavy duty extension tables allowing PSPs to print extra-long rigid materials. SL8TE true flatbed comes in print size of 1.6 m x 2.6 m and 2.6 m x 3 m. SL8TE UV printers come with combination of 10 to 20 Ricoh iGen 4, 6 pico litre printheads giving PSPs the sharpest print quality.

Canon’s new Océ Arizona 6100 series

Canon had a reason behind the debuting of its new Océ Arizona 6100 Series at FESPA Digital 2014. The company knew the new UV flatbed series printers would appeal to a very specific market in which PSPs need the superior quality offered by Océ Arizona technology coupled with the speed to manage the high volume production of rigid media applications. Of course, FESPA attracted exactly the right customer demographic for this product, which is configured to print edge-to-edge (full-bleed) onto rigid media up to 98 inch wide x 120 inch long and up to two inch thick.

Enhanced Anapurna i-Series

Mid to high-end Anapurna M3200i RTR is one of the first models in AGFA Graphics’ enhanced Anapurna i-series, offering high productivity and quality at the most attractive price and presented with a dual roll and mesh option at the expo. Incorporating the latest generation of 6-colour (CMYKLcLm), high-resolution printheads, the sturdy 3.2 m wide roll-to-roll UV-curable Anapurna M3200i RTR printer achieves up to 116 sq m/hr output in express print mode. Also shown at the company’s stand during the show included the new Anapurna M2050i, the redesigned version of the hybrid Anapurna M2050.

FUJIFILM’s Euromedia vinyl and laminate line

What it pulled crowd around the stand of FUJIFILM were newly unpacked Euromedia product line comprising 2D Vinyl P-GB, a polymeric film that can be used for a variety of high-quality solvent and UV 2D printing applications, suitably designed for flat and slightly curved surfaces; Mono Vinyl II FR, next generation range of Mono Vinyls, Mono Vinyl II FR, which include 11 different monomeric vinyls, with the option of 80 or 100 micron thicknesses; Mono Laminate II FR, a water-based laminate having a high transparency and UV-filter capability; and HighProtect Laminate Advanced, available in a choice of matt, glossy or crystal and a cold laminate with solvent adhesive.

Global debut of Inca Onset R40i

Demonstrated at FESPA Digital for the first time worldwide by FUJIFILM, Inca’s exclusive global distribution partner, Inca Onset R40i is the latest addition to the Inca Onset series equipped with Dimatix Spectra printheads. This high-end UV flatbed printer delivers a 14 pl drop size and a genuine 400 sq m/hour productivity. Based on the dynamic Onset Scaleable Architecture platform, this new Onset series is available with a variety of colour options (CMYK, Lm, Lc and white), with customers being able to modify their machine. Inca Onset R40i produces a maximum output resolution of 1200 dpi on media up to 3.14 x 1.6 m and up to 50 mm thick at the rate of up to 80 full-bed sheets per hour.

EFI’s UltraDrop 7 greyscale technology

FESPA Digital 2014 witnessed EFI ‘driving forward’ its wide- and super-wide format inkjet production leadership with UltraDrop 7pL greyscale printhead technology on its VUTEk GS series printers. EFI’s high-volume VUTEk HS100 Pro UV-inkjet printer features full automation and the material edge guide (MEG) system. The company’s exhibit at the expo staged its newly debuted EFI H1625 LED printer - first LED device in the entry-level EFI wide-format printer line and EFI VUTEk GS3250LXr Pro roll-fed printer.

Premier of Mimaki JV300-130/160 eco-solvent family

Mimaki premiered its JV300-130/160 family of eco-solvent inkjet printers which is compatible with solvent and water-based sublimation inks and it covers a wide range of applications including outdoor, posters, interior décor and vehicle wrapping. This eco-solvent family produces quality output in 1.3 and 1.6 m widths at speeds of up to 105 sq m/hour. This range of new Mimaki printers features brand new printheads that can easily manage both solvent and water-based inks.

Newly unpacked Mutoh printers

Mutoh’s successful presence at the expo was associated with the company’s introduction of three new printers that received a very positive response. The first 24 inch ValueJet 628 Eco Ultra printer and two new LED UV printer models (A3+ VJ-426UF flatbed printer and hybrid 64 inch ValueJet 1626UH) marked an introduction of a complete line of printers from the company during the show. The introduction of these new LED UV printer models also marked Mutoh’s entry into the market segment of short-run specialty and industrial print applications.

New inks from J-Teck3

J-Teck3 introduced new J-Cube inks for Kyocera and Ricoh printheads during the expo. Designed for polyester fabrics, these newly unpacked J-Cube inks are initially launched at FESPA 2013 London. In Munich, the series had been boosted by adding direct-to fabrics versions branded J-Cube PK (Kyocera) and J-Cube PR (Ricoh). Manufactured with the exclusive J-Teck Cluster Technology, these inks have been extensively tested on dedicated printers and represent J-Teck’s answer to the market demand for high-quality inks.

ONYX Textile Edition software

Long-awaited ONYX Textile Edition finally surfaced for a global launch at FESPA Digital 2014. Onyx Graphics’ landing in the textile zone says it will ‘answer your challenging colour management questions’. ONYX Textile Edition, developed specifically for the large-format textile printing marketplace, helps PSPs in seamless colour management to save time and money. Scientists at Onyx Graphics provided visitors with practical advice on calibration, generating a colour profile and maintaining colour management parameters across devices during the show.

Brand new Lintec dry apply film

Lintec Graphic Films unrolled its brand new lightweight and dry apply film being showcased alongside the company’s range of non-PVC premium window films for screen and digital applications during the expo. Aimed at the POS and retail markets for short-term promotional campaigns, newly unveiled RePop is a non-PVC dry adhesive, 50-micron polyester film that is designed to replace traditional ‘cling’ PVC window film. Addressing the quality and application issues associated with traditional PVC films, RePop is Lintec Graphic Films’ easiest film to apply to date.

High-speed Caldera RIP

A new high-speed RIP and hardware solution from Caldera, which was seen in action at the company’s stand, set its worldwide launch during the expo. This newly introduced Caldera C4 platform incorporates a comprehensive set of advanced features to facilitate high performance, with a new set of algorithms designed to take full advantage of modern programming and hardware innovations. Configured to be up to four times faster than previous iterations, high velocity software of Caldera 4 is designed to facilitate fast and fluent processing.

Nyala 2 from SwissQprint

SwissQprint presented its new Nyala 2, which is now the largest, most productive and efficient machine in the Swiss manufacturer’s product range and SwissQprint considers it as a new generation of inkjet printers. What is most noticeable about Nyala 2 is the visual similarity to its predecessor. The total machine size is in fact the same however the printing table of Nyala 2 is 25 percent larger than its sister model of 3.2 x 2 m. Nyala 2 runs with the latest printhead technology at a maximum speed of 206 sq m/h.

Zünd’s enhanced productivity

Visitors at Zund’s stand experienced the company’s first-hand pursuit of enhanced productivity in all aspects of digital cutting and finishing. Primary focus of Zünd’s exhibits was on increasing efficiency throughout the production workflow. The company demonstrated the enhanced cutting system configurations that could meet rigorous productivity demands typically encountered by users on daily basis. The software and hardware components in these configurations complement one another perfectly, while fully-automated material handling systems limit the need for manual intervention.

Debut of Barak 8QW

Matan Digital Printers premiered its latest Barak 8QW super-wide hybrid UV printer in new length. This five meter printer received a huge market acceptance at SGIA 2013, where it was launched last October in its 3.5 meter configuration and since then gained growing customers installations in many countries. The Barak 8QW offers exceptional value to customers through its combination of outstanding white printing, patented 8-colour PDS technology together with an impressive collection of value-added features and options.

ColorBooster 250 textile printer from Hollanders

Hollanders made debut of its latest ColorBooster 250 textile printer. This newly unpacked modular textile printer is a 2.5m long, featured with built-in air conditioning system to control humidity and temperature. It also comprises an on-board cleaning system with printhead ‘shower’. The company witnessed increasing levels of interest in all of its ColorBooster printers and finishing systems during the expo.

Xeikon’s large-format document suites

Using FESPA Digital 2014 as their official launch pad, Xeikon introduced its Document Suites designed for large-format and wall decoration applications. The company continuously pushed forward the boundaries of what can be achieved in these areas. Visitors at their stand enthralled about depicting images so realistic that it’s only by touching the flat surface, indeed the illusion revealed.

New Kornit QuickP Plus workflow

Latest from Kornit Digital at the expo was QuickP Plus workflow package for direct to garment printing. The package consists of design, ordering, inventory, management and print workflow tools and is designed to reduce the time to prepare files. Its design experience is very easy to use, it’s very easy to resize, crop, rotate and add text and image retouching.

Latest version of Screen Truepress Jet W3200UV

Following on from the launch of Truepress Jet W3200UV flatbed UV at FESPA London last year, Screen previewed a new high-speed version at Munich. The printer runs at 150 sq m/hr and is higher-productivity version of Truepress Jet W3200UV of 85 sq m/hr. This new speed version has additional features such as Caldera GrandRIP+, with the EasyMEDIA option for ICC profiles.

Brand introduction

Subsequent to Kiian Group’s announcement that Kiian Digital has become a separate legal entity, an independently operating company focusing on the development of market-leading digital inks for textiles and graphics applications, the new branding and the company’s latest additions to its extensive product range were exhibited at Fespa Digital 2014. Also, Kiian Digital launched K-One ink for the Kyocera ink-jet print-head, enabling high quality and productivity for industrial-scale production.

Sold out!

Canon was one of the jubilant exhibitors at the expo for one big reason. The company sold five of its Océ Arizona 6170 XTS printers during the expo. The company said the new Océ Arizona flatbed printer, which took centre stage on its stand, further demonstrated its ongoing commitment to addressing specific customer and industry needs with sales being signed on every day of the event. Sales of the Océ Arizona 6170 XTS during FESPA Digital 2014 were made to customers in Switzerland, Belgium, Norway, Italy and Netherlands.

Yet another milestone was the purchase of the world’s first Inca Onset R40i UV flatbed printer by a UK-based signage biggie imageData Group during the expo. The purchaser is proud for their long-standing relationship with FUJIFILM and Inca which have been supplying to them with excellent inks and high-end digital printing devices for many years. In 2004, imageData Group were the UK beta site for Inca’s Columbia Turbo flatbed printer, ultimately installing two of these devices, which was followed by an investment in an Onset S70 in 2007 and latest being Inca Onset R40i in 2014.

On the second day of the show, Hewlett Packard (HP) had its first worldwide sale of their recently launched HP Scitex 15000. FESPA once again provided an excellent show for HP to demonstrate its broad and versatile portfolio, which is enabling PSPs around the world to increase profitability and better serve brand customers.

Themed executions

Separate zones and themed content hubs on the show floor provided a new shade where visitors could catch some useful ‘live’ demos, seminars and other sessions. Onyx Graphics invited visitors to ‘Meet The Expert’ in colour management in which Max Derhak, vice chair of International Color Consortium (ICC), principal scientist at Onyx Graphics and wide-format colour management expert, helped PSPs gain greater control of their printing environments. Max also presented a session in the Fabric Hub where he conducted the session titled ‘Everything you need to know about colour and textiles - but were afraid to ask,’ by lifting the lid on textile colour management.

Epson set up a special zone completely dedicated to ‘design-to-finish’ production demos of wall coverings, signage, t-shirts, apparel that attracted huge crowds. The high level of interest underlined how serious Epson is as a manufacturer of quality products for the textile, decor, sign and display sectors. A spotlight was also beamed on the company’s introduction of 10 professional print products under the ‘Sure’ brand over the last two years.

Ultimate rejoice

Responding to FESPA’s call to Dive Deeper Into Digital, exhibitors at the show reported exceptional footfall, dynamic conversations with investment-ready decision makers, qualified leads and confirmed sales. Most of the participating companies pronounced this their best ever FESPA, with commercial outcomes for many expected to exceed those from the flagship ‘screen + digital + textile’ FESPA event in Berlin in 2007, before the global economic crisis impacted the sector.

Most-highly attended FESPA Digital 2014 by most-diverse international visitors has signalled a positive sign of the industry getting onto a new growth curve.