Despite taking place in May-June of 2024, drupa is still a topic of discussion today. Taylor Sinclair directs his focus towards trade printers and how the show impacted this sector.
The word ‘drupa’ holds heavy weight in the print industry. Despite only taking place every four years – barring no pandemic of course – the trade show ignites conversations in the world of print, whether it is focusing on technology launches, trends in the industry, or what is to come. This time, eight months on from the last show, it is possible still to reflect on the impact drupa 2024 truly has had on the industry, with a particular focus on this occasion on trade printers.
The last iteration was a stage for companies to showcase their latest shiny solutions to the 170,000 people who visited the show. Taking a step back from the lights, the theatre and the performance of the drupa stands, key take aways for trade printers are perhaps best summed up by Anthony Rowell, sales and customer success director at Tradeprint.
He highlights automation, AI, and sustainability, as the main areas of focus for the trade print sector. ‘We’re seeing smarter workflows, more efficient production, and a growing demand for more sustainable options,’ he tells Digital Printer. ‘These innovations will help trade printers operate faster, smarter, and more sustainably, ensuring we keep up with evolving customer expectations.’
Steve Wenlock, managing director of Flexpress
These views are more or less echoed by several other trade printers: Jack Clifford, operations director at Solopress; Mark Young, managing director at Route 1 Print; and Steve Wenlock, managing director of Flexpress, who also includes the utilisation of robotics in print as a trend moving forward.
Expanding further on Mr Rowell’s point, Mr Young says, ‘I think drupa shifted the focus to what comes next. The advancements in automation, AI, and other emerging technologies are paving the way for significant changes in the industry. These developments will have a long-lasting effect, reshaping how the sector operates and evolves over the next few years.’
He reaffirms his final point of reshaping the sector over the next few years, stating that despite the buzz around AI and robotics, and its ‘undeniable’ potential, the industry is not ready to make it a meaningful reality just yet.
Scott Conway, director and co-founder of Venture Banners, noticed another trend as a result of drupa: the rise of textiles. He says, ‘Whilst banners and roller banners have always been the mainstay of our product range, since 2017 sales on our flags, stretch products, and textile graphics have grown significantly and now equate to around 40% of our business. Given that we’re a trade-only print business, this really reflects the extent to which print businesses are experiencing an uptick in demand for this kind of product, as well as how many printers are looking to diversify into new areas of print to remain competitive.’
He anticipates that this growth in demand for fabric printing will not taper off in 2025 – if anything, he believes, it will probably accelerate.
Staying ahead
Why focus on trade printers? Surely these are broadly the same areas of innovation and focus for the whole industry? Jack Clifford of Solopress states that the overall direction of innovation is fixated on enhancing speed, quality, and reliability – which AI, sustainability and automation contribute to. However, Steve Wenlock of Flexpress explains that ‘trade print survives through its ability to produce products more efficiently than its clients’.
‘Trade print survives through its ability to produce products more efficiently than its clients’. – Steve Wenlock, Flexpress
This places a necessity on staying ahead of the curve and investing in new technology, said Mr Conway, who emphasises the importance of keeping a weather eye on broader industry developments.
One company which has acted upon this already is Route 1 Print. The Rotherham-based business purchased a Horizon MiniCabs binding line at drupa, which it says has doubled its book manufacturing capabilities. The machine comprises of a binder, loose block feeder, end sheet feeder, gauze feeder and trimmer, all connected with Horizon’s ICE link technology.
‘One of the main draws for the machine was its ability to change quickly and automatically from job to job using the ICE link system,’ said Mr Young. ‘We’re running a wide range of work through the machine and often at quantities of 25. To be efficient at these levels, automation is key.’
Off the back of the event, Route 1 Print also invested in its large format capabilities with the purchase of three new machines: the EFI Vutek FabriVU 340i+, EFI Vutek Q3r, and EFI Vutek h5.
Tradeprinter’s managing director Charlene Joss (far left); and its operations director rod scrimgeour (second from right) at drupa last year signing for its second Canon 3200 iX
During the show, Tradeprint signed on the dotted line with Canon, taking on its second Canon 3200 iX digital printer. The company also invested in its software with a new MIS, and this is no one-time fix – it is something the company is continuously developing and refining to stay ahead of the curve, explained Mr Rowell.
Solopress has also invested in the last eight months. The company purchased a HP Indigo 120K, which was shipped directly from drupa to its Southend production facility after the show. The 120K has addressed the company’s requirement for B2 sheet-fed digital print, states Mr Clifford. He adds that it has improved reliability and print quality while increasing productivity by 30% compared to the two Indigo 10K presses it replaced. Following this investment, he says the company is weighing up its options, and that further investments will be made within the year, potentially based on what was seen at drupa.
From today to 2028
With the next drupa set for 2028, it is clear to see from the last show that it is the hub of innovation and has a huge significance in the direction the industry takes in terms of trends. As Jack Clifford puts it, it shapes dialogue between printers and print technology providers.
Steve Wenlock feels that in the coming months and years, trade printers must continue to invest to meet their clients’ needs, not just to better themselves. He adds that even with technology, new does not necessarily mean better.
With 2025 only just beginning, it will be interesting to see how far these trends influence the industry throughout the year, and how the trade sector adapts to the increased demand for sustainability and quick turnarounds.
