This year’s event showcased a diverse printing landscape.
PRINTING United Expo 2024 once again proved to be a hotbed of innovation, showcasing the latest advancements in printing technology and highlighting emerging trends to shape the industry’s future. Similar to last year, this year’s expo, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, was split into two distinct areas, each offering a unique perspective on the evolving world of print.
After years of showing its light production devices at PRINTING United, Sharp has emerged as a serious player with its latest high-speed production devices.
The South Hall was a testament to the industry’s diversification, housing everything related to textile printing, direct-to-object printing, stitching, and more (= the candy). This section highlighted how printing expands beyond traditional substrates like paper and labels, opening up new possibilities and markets.
Xerox has long been a significant player in production and industrial print and the variety of devices on display underscored the company’s leadership in this segment.
In contrast, the Central Hall focused on more traditional approaches to printing, including transactional printing (= the broccoli). Industry giants like Ricoh, RISO, Canon, Screen, Sharp, Kyocera, Konica Minolta, Xerox, Fujifilm, HP, and Landa showcased their latest equipment. The hall also featured finishing equipment manufacturers such as Horizon and EMT, demonstrating the full spectrum of print production.
Software company Solimar Systems hosted a reception for customers at the RISO booth. RISO is one of Solimar Systems’ hardware partners.
Software vendors also were well-represented, with companies such as OneVision, Rochester Software Associates, SpencerMetrics, Solimar Systems, Racami, Quadient, and Enfocus presenting their latest solutions.
A Diverse Technological Landscape at PRINTING United
High-speed inkjet was the name of the game at the RISO booth.
One of the most striking aspects of this year’s expo was the sheer diversity of technologies on display. RISO impressed with its high-speed inkjet solutions, demonstrating how cut-sheet inkjet is becoming increasingly relevant in various print environments. Sharp showcased its evolution in the print industry, highlighting how its multifunction printers adapt and advance into high-speed production printers to change office and production environments.
Canon’s booth was a hub of innovation, featuring advancements in both cut sheet and continuous feed inkjet technologies. Xerox emphasized its progress in automation and AI-driven print solutions, while Fujifilm underscored its commitment to both traditional offset and digital printing technologies.
Konica Minolta showcased a comprehensive range of its production and industrial print products as well as relevant solutions.
Konica Minolta presented a comprehensive suite of solutions, bridging various printing technologies and options for different market segments, from commercial print to packaging. Ricoh’s display focused on workflow automation and integrated print solutions, highlighting the importance of end-to-end process optimization.
The Rise of Embellishments and Value-Add Printing
A key trend evident throughout PRINTING United was the growing importance of embellishments and value-added printing. Several manufacturers showcased technologies that add texture, shine, or other special effects to printed materials, elevating them from simple communications to marketing pieces that demand attention.
Packaging and Personalization: The New Frontier
The expo also highlighted the growing opportunities in packaging and personalization. Many exhibitors demonstrated solutions for adding personalized messaging to packaging materials, from brown shipping boxes to pizza boxes. This trend underscores the increasing demand for unique, customized printing solutions to turn everyday packaging into powerful marketing tools.
Label Printing: A Game-Changer for Small and Medium Printers
Advancements in label printing technology were another highlight of the expo. Several companies now offer affordable label printing solutions, which allow small to medium-sized commercial printers to expand into new markets. Success stories abounded of traditional commercial printers transitioning to label printing and significantly growing their businesses as a result.
Expanding Market Opportunities at PRINTING United
Kyocera’s TASKalfa Pro 15000c was the centerpiece of the Kyocera exhibit.
A recurring theme throughout the expo was the expansion of market opportunities for printers of all sizes. New technologies are enabling smaller printers to compete in markets previously dominated by larger operations. The trend toward hybrid printing solutions is particularly noteworthy. It allows printers to secure business with one technology that then feeds into their core offerings, driving overall growth.
Software Integration and Workflow Optimization
Workflow automation and integrated printing solutions were the focus at the Ricoh booth.
The presence of numerous software vendors underscored the critical role of integrated workflows and automation in modern print production. OneVision, SpencerMetrics, and Enfocus demonstrated how their solutions can streamline operations, reduce errors, and increase profitability for print service providers. Solimar Systems once again impressed visitors with their second-to-none PDF optimization tool ReadyPDF, their JDF/JMF integration capabilities, and their data stream conversion and optimization tools, which enable printers to accept even mainframe data and seamlessly print on the latest and most powerful inkjet presses.
Looking to the Future While Staying Grounded
Fujifilm had a significant presence on the show floor, not only in its own booth but also at partners such as Sharp, which is marketing Sharp-branded Fujifilm high-speed production printers.
While the South Hall showed us what’s possible (candy) in print today and let us imagine what will be possible, it’s important to stay realistic and consider what dealerships can sell to their customers today (broccoli). Epson might be a good partner to explore the future of everything print; however, Kyocera, RISO, Canon, Ricoh, Xerox, Sharp, Fujifilm, HP, and Konica Minolta have the equipment at hand to confidently move from office imaging into light and even heavy-weight production printing. Their hardware, together with their software partners, provides a solid platform for a successful future in printing—both traditional transactional and direct mail printing and ventures into anything paper-based and even label-based printing.
Epson demonstrated a variety of production print devices at PRINTING United prior to its announcement that it had acquired Fiery.
As the printing industry continues to evolve, it’s clear that the future belongs to those who can adapt to changing market demands and leverage new technologies effectively. PRINTING United Expo 2024 has once again demonstrated that the industry is surviving and thriving, driven by innovation, creativity, and a willingness to embrace new opportunities.
The printing industry is poised for an exciting future, with innovations ranging from personalized packaging to high-value embellishments, label printing, and hybrid solutions. As we look ahead, it’s clear that the innovations displayed at this year’s expo will play a crucial role in shaping the industry landscape for years to come, with established manufacturers providing the backbone for this transformation.
My take on PRINTING United Expo? We need both candy and broccoli to keep the printing industry alive and healthy. I fell in love with printing again, particularly at the Sharp booth…the Epson booth, the Riso booth…and the…let’s just stick to the part about falling in love again.
If you didn’t take time out of your busy day to attend, I can only urge you to do so next year. You need to know where printing is going. It’s definitely not going away!
