Fespa last week was the first international print show in Europe this year. Staged over three days at the RAI in Amsterdam, the event pulled good crowds despite the absence of some regular exhibitors because of the proximity of Drupa.
The major announcement, that Agfa and EFI would ‘swap’ machines, had been made in the run up to the show, but this meant that visitors could examine the way that the rebadged machines would fit in the portfolio.
Agfa gained a superwide roll to roll printer, branding it the Jeti Condor because of the huge 5.2 metres wingspan. It can take three rolls of product simultaneously. Agfa took the opportunity to rename almost all its machines after some of nature’s big beasts. It already has the Tauro as the high speed hybrid machine. This is joined by the Grizzly, previously the Onset X3 HS, the Bronco, the H3300S which was making its debut at Fespa and the Anapurna Ciervo. The Bronco is offered with two rows of print heads and six colours plus white and clear. A field upgrade will take this to four rows of heads in the future.
EFI’s implementation of the Agfa Tauro H3300S and HS become the Q3HX and Q3HXP respectively, connected to a Fiery front end rather than Agfa’s Avanti. The US company also introduced three Pro 33R rolls to roll printer and showed the Q3R roll to roll machine.
The absence of other big beasts allowed the spotlight to pick out some of the next level companies that might normally be overlooked. Rapidly growing Liyu demonstrated what becomes its flagship flatbed printer the Platinum KCXL+, offered with 2.5m and 3.0 metre bed sizes. These can be split to enable tandem printing, one bed is printed on one half of the machine while the next bed is prepared.
Ricoh introduced the Flora X20 UV, the result of collaboration between the Japanese company and Chinese manufacturer. The printer uses Ricoh printheads and Colourgate Rip and workflow and is intended as a workhorse machine capable of inside and outside work for a smaller display print business.
Likes Vanguard is Durst’s second strong brand. The Austrian company was itself absent but Vanguard, sold through distributors, was present to launch the VKR 3200 HS flatbed.
Throughout the message about the importance of sustainability resounded clearer than ever. Likewise direct to film continued to rest into dye sublimation for printing apparel and diversification into adjacent sectors was prominent. It will be even more so when Fespa reconvenes in Berlin next spring.
