What do you feel were the main trends and key industry developments in 2023?
It’s clear from listening to our customers that there is every reason to look forward to a positive 2024, and particularly so for cut-sheet inkjet devices.

That’s not to say that there won’t be challenging times, but as we have seen over recent years, the print industry is resilient with companies that have become even more agile as they have had to respond and adapt to economic challenges largely out of their control.

If we look back over 2023, it was the first year with no impact from Covid, with market confidence leading to more investment in equipment, print volumes increasing, and healthy pipelines. There is a genuine buoyancy in the industry and a definite upturn in inkjet technology as a dominant presence in the cut-sheet market.

With growing concerns about climate change and environmental impact, the print industry saw a continued shift towards sustainable practices and eco-friendly devices/materials. Many printers began offering recycled paper options, biodegradable inks, and digital printing technologies that reduce waste and energy consumption.

How have the continuing economic and market specific challenges affected you and your customers during 2023 – have you had to do anything differently to adapt/react?
As the price of raw materials has increased, along with energy costs, printers have been looking at solutions that reduce their financial risk and outlay, examining things such as total cost of ownership and flexible solutions that can help them adapt to changing market requirements. Competition and margins remain drivers, which is a good thing.

We have already seen that many printers have experienced a return to pre-Covid levels in terms of revenue and volumes. Good news, but you have to keep in mind that some businesses will have altered their pricing to make up for any shortfalls during the pandemic.

When people look for solutions, our range of innovative printers and accessories are already there today, not something for the future. Due to our unique inkjet technology, we are proud to be at the forefront of manufacturing printers that meet the ever-increasing demand for sustainable print solutions.

The added advantage is that our cut-sheet inkjet printers are the greenest, most productive and have the lowest running costs, ideal for businesses in the production print sphere that are looking for ways to maintain healthy profit margins without impacting service level agreements.

In a similar fashion, cut-sheet inkjet printers, when combined with the necessary equipment and quality data, can provide marketing communications materials that are highly personalised.

What do you expect the main trends, key industry developments, and biggest opportunities to be for printers in 2024?
Personalisation will continue to be a key theme throughout 2024, and this will herald a new era for new technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality. We see these as being a way forward, but they will run side by side with print, enhancing the effectiveness and engagement of campaigns. VR in particular will be more a part of the creative campaign, while print will remain a constant, reliable delivery partner.

Here at Riso, we have witnessed a growing demand for eco-friendly, sustainable print solutions as people look to replace outdated technologies that simply do not meet the grade. Driven by consumers, and corporate responsibility, we can only see this trend for smart and sustainable printing increasing. Consumers are becoming more aware of their carbon footprint and businesses that prioritise sustainable printing methods will not only meet customer demands but also have a positive impact on the environment.

We saw a rise in the demand for in-line book printing in 2023 and expect this trend to continue in 2024, with physical materials very much back in fashion. Cost-effectiveness and environmental awareness have also driven the popularity of high-speed short-run book printing. By printing materials on-demand in lower quantities, excess production and waste is minimised. This approach aligns perfectly with the growing consumer preference for environmentally friendly practices. By partnering with industry leading suppliers, we are committed to delivering solutions that help our customers secure new revenue, maximise margins and help meet their environmental goals.

What are your hopes and expectations for Drupa 2024?
Riso is excited to be exhibiting at Drupa’s first in-person event since 2016. Inkjet technology is in the ascendancy, and we will be showcasing how Riso’s innovative solutions can benefit our customers.

With a focus on sustainable automation, we will be displaying several solutions – some for the first time – that incorporate Riso’s latest cut-sheet production inkjet printers with third-party inline finishing solutions. In essence, we will be showcasing new solutions and configurations that enable yet more applications.

These latest solutions offer our highest levels of productivity and cost saving, while boasting impressive eco-credentials. We are looking forward to engaging conversations with new and existing customers, and seeing the passion reignited at Drupa 2024.

AI (artificial intelligence) has been one of the hot topics of 2023 – what opportunities and threats do you think it poses for print in 2024 and beyond?
There is no doubt that AI will be a part of print’s future, whether that’s during the workflow processes or in device management, in colour creation or designs. The key must be about efficiency, either through streamlining processes or reducing downtime.

While much of the print workflow is already automated, AI-controlled systems can take it to another level. Production cycles, material flows, bottlenecks, down time, and supply chain information can all be monitored and assessed in real time, with the AI ready to make adaptations as necessary.

A word of caution though, while AI has a part to play, we must not lose sight of the fact that a lot of production printing is about confidence in printing, in information, in devices. Anything that could compromise security and efficiency needs to be carefully managed and controlled. Because of this, we believe the human touch will always play a part.

How can suppliers better help printers navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities in 2024?
A key area we focus on is listening to customers and end-users, and we would encourage print companies to do this also (not forgetting margins and costs). Communication is paramount when it comes to understanding requirements, developing solutions, defining outcomes, and monitoring performance and improvements.

As always, Riso will continue to invest in R&D based on customer insights to ensure that we deliver the right products to meet specific requirements, and we will always deliver products that contribute to the sustainability goals of our customers and their end users.

We are more than a manufacturer of printers. We often act in a consultancy role, using our many, many years of experience and unrivalled knowledge to guide customers so that they can survive and thrive in a changing world.

By approaching business this way, suppliers can also stand out from the crowd and become a valued partner to their customers in the same way we do and have done for decades. By providing advice and support, rather than merely selling products – however great they are – they can put their business on a very strong footing for a profitable future.

As we said, with the right people, processes, technology, and devices, 2024 looks like being a very good year.

Note: This prediction is taken from a special Briefing article in the new issue of Printweek featuring insights from industry suppliers, hence it does not follow the same question template as the other predictions.