In 2008, the digital print sector was defined by an increased uptake of the technology. And in a year where the term "adding-value" was de rigeur, digital print proved to be a priceless vehicle by which printers could offer shorter runs complete with personalisation.
For printers, especially those moving into the digital arena, by being able to offer variable data and in doing so, tap into new markets, digital kit proved to be an increasingly attractive proposition.
In the current climate, press investments were steady, with many companies taking on digital as a means to diversify their offering and hopefully weather the economic storm. At Drupa alone, HP signed a deal to supply 36 of its Indio digital presses, arguably no mean feat.
Digital inkjet was the belle of the ball at 2008's Drupa trade fair with the Fujifilm Jet Press 720 and HP Inkjet Web Press both on show, while manufacturers reported record sales and countless deals.
2009 will no doubt see more printers take on digital as a way to grow their business and in turn, we'll see manufacturers respond in kind by pushing how far digital print can go.
January
MPG Books moved into "true print-on-demand" after being sold to its managing director and sales director in a management buyout…. Polestar invested in an Xerox iGen3 110 with XMPie software for its in Nottingham site to expand its variable colour facilities….Peter Taylor scooped the role of director of the production business at Xerox moving from his previous role as the head of Xerox’s graphic arts division…. Direct mail giant Dsi CMM boosted turnover to £120m with the acquisition of Manchester-based communications firm K2 Group
February
Nipson posted a positive trading update, driven by an increase in sales of its VaryPress printer range bringing total sales for 2007 to £27m…Jeremy Walters, managing director of Dialogue Solutions said that digital investment and cross-platform strategies key to firm’s vision for print…Screen was set to debut the Truepress Jet 2500UV at Sign & Digital UK 2008 as part of its strategy to move into the print on-demand market….MAN Roland and Kodak announced a joint venture that will unveil a high-speed on-press web-offset inkjet system at this Drupa
March
Inca Digital announced it was to showcase its eight-colour Spyder 320-8 printer at Fespa Digital… Perspektiv Direct installed a Xerox iGen3 110 to meet anticipated growth in the personalised direct mail market…. HP threw down the gauntlet in the digital printing arena after announcing the launches of the HP Indigo 7000 and a new digital web press, the W7200, as well as an enhanced version of the 5500…. Punch Graphix released the Xeikon 8000 press, its fastest press to date printing at speeds of up to 230 A4 pages per minute
April
Amazon came under fire after decreeing that all print-on-demand books sold through its US website must be printed by its own in-house printer, Booksurge... Personalised direct mail was among the least irritating forms of marketing, according to a poll…Communisis signed a deal to partner with HP and make its Exstream software the lynchpin of the print manager’s entry into the growing transpromo market
May
Hillside Group added a Roland DG SolJet PRO wide-format digital press and laminator to enable it to create integrated marketing campaigns... Presstek announced it was to launch a UV option for its 52DI and 34DI direct imaging offset presses at Drupa... Real Digital secured the first UK graphic arts installation of the new Xerox X1300 Continuous Feed Printing System. The same manufacturer unveiled the previously denied iGen4 digital press at Drupa
June
The Charlesworth Group invested in two new digital presses, a mono Kodak NexPress and a colour Ikon CPP 650… HP Indigo scored its biggest deal yet with the signing of a multi-million dollar deal to supply 36 presses to US firm Consolidated Graphics… HP also announced it was to reorganise its Imaging and Printing group by consolidating the division from five groups down to three
July
Book printer Short Run Press bolstered its digital offering with a new dual Océ set-up... Ravensworth Digital projected a £3m increase in turnover over the next 18 months… KCS Trade Print targeted the banner and display markets with two Mimaki JV5 machines and an Epson 44in wide-format press… Digital Studio became first UK printer to install the Xerox 700 press
August
Gemini Digital Colour set its sights on a near 100% increase in capacity after taking delivery of a new HP Indigo 5500 digital press… Xerox profits for the second quarter dropped 19% after being hit by $63m restructuring charges… Kodak's chairman and chief executive Antonio M. Perez said he would pull forward the commercial launch of the Stream continuous inkjet press by as much as half a year… Wincanton Print made its digital debut with an investment in a Konica Minolta Bizhub Pro c6500e
September
New start-up Digital Book Print targeted the short-run book sector by securing the UK's first MGi Meteor DP60 colour digital printer… Lightning Source set its sights on 20-30% year-on-year growth following the opening of its new Milton Keynes site… HP claimed it was making progress in its inkjet print de-inking project
October
Advantage Digital Print (ADP) were revealed as UK's first Xerox iGen4 user, just a week after its official European debut… Fujifilm Sericol launched Euromedia – its new large-format business… Commercial Label Products (CLP) became the first European printer to install EFI's Jetrion 4000 digital colour label press… Exhibitors at Total Print! Expo (TPE) said that the show has cemented the view that litho and digital are complementary technologies
November
Nipson placed its main operating subsidiary into the Redressment Judiciare, the French equivalent of administration… Océ launched its latest cutsheet presses, the VarioPrint 4000 series… Stralfors bought two Xerox iGen3 presses in response to "growing marketing requirements for colour digital"… K.C. Tompkin Printing Services eyed growth in its digital operation following a Kodak NexPress 2100 colour press installation… Kall Kwik Camberley was named the UK trial site for Canon's latest imagePress - the five-colour C1+
December
Finishing Touch made its debut into the print arena with an investment in an Océ CPS800 Platinum digital machine… Xerox launched two image quality-enhancing technologies for the DocuColor range of digital colour presses including Advanced Color Quality Suite (ACQS)…. Kodak said it "remains committed" to its Graphics Communications division, despite speculation that it would no longer invest in digital printing technology… Gpex looked to build on its £3m turnover after making its debut into the digital print market a brace of Canon machines
