One commentator said it was unprecedented that two Japanese firms, which historically have not been big on discussing, (never mind showing), anything that isn’t going to be available imminently, chose to show machines. That they are so near to commercialisation underlines the importance of inkjet’s role in the next wave of the digitisation of commercial print.
The market’s reaction to Fuji and Screen’s revelations has been one of increased belief that inkjet is indeed the crucial technology for the future of print. Their, and other vendors’, decisions to display at Drupa have driven other manufacturers to come off the fence and decide that if they haven’t already, now is the right time to adopt inkjet, even if they won’t be drawn about it in public just yet. According to Xaar chief executive Ian Dinwoodie, those customers of his that have privately committed to inkjet but chose not to play their hand at this year’s Drupa felt the show reinforced the belief that they had made the right decision.
Bespoke technology
Dinwoodie adds that while many of the devices on show weren’t quite right for visiting printers, the products acted as a spur, showing that the technology, if not any specific product, is now ready to meet the demands of their applications. He expects that will lead to some pioneering firms having machines tailor made rather than investing straight off the shelf or stalling until something suitable comes along. That might seem an outlandish prediction, but he’s definitely not alone in seeing that as a likely approach. For one, RR Donnelley developed its own 76cm-wide digital web, which runs in two or four colours at four and two metres per second, respectively. In the UK, Croydon’s Real Digital took the plunge with bespoke inkjet presses a couple of years ago.
Inkjet printing is increasingly being integrated into packaging and production lines, although the brands taking this approach tend to be extremely secretive for fear of losing their competitive advantage. Whether you take the high-risk approach as one of the first to stake your future on inkjet, or you play the longer game by biding your time, it is crucial you understand how and when inkjet will impact on your markets. The technology may not be perfect right now, but it would be wrong not to get to grips with it in order to ensure that when the time is right, you are ready.
Barney Cox is executive editor, Print Group Haymarket
Stage is set for inkjets coming of age
If you need any evidence that an emerging technology is ready to break into the mainstream, look no further than a manufacturer's keenness to show it off. Inkjet had been a major talking point in the lead-up to Drupa, and, now that the exhibition has come and gone, it's worth reflecting on how vendors approached this potentially disruptive technology.Inkjet was the biggest deal at the show if you wanted to get a sneak preview of something that the reps back home aren't badgering you about just yet. And there were some real surprises. Industry insiders were taken aback by the decision by both Fujifilm and Screen to pull back the curtains on B2 cut-sheet presses.
