The two companies will use their Real Print and Finish open house to showcase real-life production and performance benefits.

Joining Apex and IFS for the first time at the former's premises in Hemel Hempstead on 15, 16 and 17 March will be Graphic Arts Supplies.

Its Foilco metalised foils, including gold, silver and several colours, will be digitally imprinted using the Foliant Taurus 530SF B2 laminator with sheets digitally printed on the Konica Minolta C1060.

It is the second event of its kind after last year's debut and Apex sales and marketing director Neil Handforth said it was “very much a hands-on” event.

“We are encouraging people to come along with jobs so we can produce samples and help them with practical issues behind the work that gives them heartaches and headaches,” he said.

“The open houses target all commercial printers across the board interested in everything, from presses right through to finishing.”

Imprint, KAS Paper Systems, Vpress, Renz and TSS will also show a range of different systems for everyday applications. Premier will supply paper.

The IPIA will offer free consultations with business experts via pre-booked appointments and visitors will also benefit from specially selected “real deal” event promotions.

Handforth said Apex would be demonstrating a five-colour Ryobi 755G B2 offset press equipped with LED-UV curing.

 “Ryobi’s LED-UV system was the first of its kind and unlike some of the alternatives on the market uses genuine LED and is not simply a low power conventional UV system,” he explained.

“A fully equipped Ryobi press is a supremely versatile piece of kit, and we will be demonstrating the machine printing on plastic substrates for the first time.”

Also on show will be a new CTP range from Cron.

Handforth said: “The next few months will see a surge in printers wanting to upgrade and renew their equipment as the industry emerges from five or so years of recession.

“Some are sat on relatively old machinery they would have otherwise replaced a few years earlier if the economic climate had been kinder.

“People are taking particular interest in LED UV and we have a number of installations around the UK. Ink manufacturers meanwhile are offering products.

“It has become no longer something of the future. It is here now and as a result there is a lot of interest in that side of press-room equipment.”

Apex managing director Bob Usher said: “We ran the first Real Print and Finish show last March to show production solutions, not promises or possibilities. It worked, so this year we are expanding.”

IFS will feature Horizon finishing systems including the fully automated SPF-200L A4 landscape booklet production.

These will be shown alongside two perfect binders (a single-clamp BQ-270V EVA and a four-clamp BQ-470 PUR), an automatic AFC-566F B2 cross-folder and a CRF-362 digital creaser-folder. A Horizon RD-4055 rotary die-cutter will be used to cut the imprinted metalised sheets.

IFS managing director Bryan Godwyn said: “Visitors who pre-register for the open house will be given the option of having 'real' digitally foiled business cards produced in a choice of designs.

“Anyone involved in producing high-quality business cards with foiling must see this efficient and low-cost solution.”

Imprint MIS will show systems that link the various pre-press, press and finishing systems at the show while KAS is bringing its Mailwrap polywrapper and compact envelope inserter.

Renz will bring a selection of punching and binding equipment and Vpress will demonstrate its web-to-print solution.

Customers can register for the event at www.realprintandfinish.com.