Konica Minolta to exhibit at Amplify

Showcases new embellishment solutions

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Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta's JETvarnish 3D Evolution (Evo) 75 supports a B1+ sheet size for large commercial print and packaging. Photo Konica Milnota

Konica Minolta, in industrial and commercial printing and packaging solutions, recently announced its participation in the Amplify print finishing and embellishment show in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from 14-16 June.

Embellishment has evolved into a key marketing tool for packaging, with specialty printing and enhancement having more than 46% higher quality perception. At Amplify, Konica Minolta will showcase its range of embellishment products developed to serve printers of every size. Through presentations and product demo videos shown at stand 700, the company will demonstrate how bold and bespoke packaging produced by its devices can help businesses increase market share and become leading brands.

“We’re on the brink of a print revolution, and embellishment is a huge part of that, with techniques such as laser die-cutting, foil stamping and digital varnishing growing in popularity,” said Dino Pagliarello, senior vice-president, Product Management and Planning, Konica Minolta. “High-end packaging is moving from one-size-fits-all to customization and personalization thanks to new digital technologies, and we’re looking forward to helping our customers seize new opportunities to gain new customers, increase profits and grow their businesses by helping them create visually stunning pieces that elevate brands.”

Amplify attendees will be the first in the US to learn about two new Konica Minolta inkjet spot UV digital embellishment presses – each targeted toward specific markets – offering a solution for any need. While the company will not display equipment at its stand, visitors can view product demo videos, experience a wide selection of output samples and talk with senior sales executives and subject matter experts.

Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta’s JETvarnish 3D Web web-fed digital solution for embossed hot foiling and 2D/3D spot UV coating for labels as well as flexible packaging.
Photo Konica Minolta

Powered by MGI’s innovative varnish technology with Konica Minolta’s reliability, one press enables in-house spot UV varnishing, from prototyping to full production, without the need for screens, plates or dies. The company will also showcase a new JETvarnish device that provides sensory print applications for printers of every size. Utilizing the best of JETvarnish technology, printers will benefit from self-cleaning automation features as well as enhanced paper feed and print capabilities.

Other products Konica Minolta will present include the JETvarnish 3D EVO 75, supporting a B1+ sheet size for large commercial print and packaging and the JETvarnish 3D Web web-fed digital solution for embossed hot foiling and 2D/3D spot UV coating for labels, as well as flexible packaging. For routing, creasing and cutting to complement MGI printers, the Colex Sharp Cut SX1732 flatbed cutter will also be shown. This product includes a fixed knife, oscillating knife and router, allowing for a multitude of applications for sign makers. Optional add-on tools are available to allow customers to customize the cutter to suit their specific needs and workflow.

Konica Minolta is the proud sponsor of the Amplify promotional postcard. The company provided the stock on which it was printed, and the card was embellished by the client and partner Print Panther in Ontario, Canada using the JETVarnish 3DS. Print Panther was Konica Minolta’s first Canadian customer to install this device.

Zan Banks, director, Industrial Print Business, Konica Minolta and Christine Yardley, president, Print Panther will present the Ideas! Digital Embellishment Workshop on Wednesday, 15 June from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Dedicated to designing and creating accurate files for digital embellishments for print, the workshop will also include an event floor tour where attendees can see firsthand how digital embellishments are applied and executed. The session will showcase how embellishments can elevate a brand, and why and how printers are embracing the new print reality. Samples of designing with digital foils, varnishes, specialty colors, metallic inks, fluorescent inks and more will be available for attendees to experience.

Konica Minolta notes that many of its embellishment print clients have entered the Foil and Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) 2022 Gold Leaf Awards competition. The company recognizes the beautiful work submitted by the following companies and wishes them well as the results are revealed Tuesday, 14 June at the Gold Leaf Awards Reception.

2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India

Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.

The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry. While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.

The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.

Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.

Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.

Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.

– Naresh Khanna

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