Zeitgeist


“The distinction we grew up with in the industry are largely disappearing. “Producers, to be competitive, try and get the largest amount of wallet from their customers and provide as much as they can. “When you walk into printers today, they are using a variety of technologies to print a variety of products.” It seems diversification is pushing a change in the hardware


available as printers look to offer more products to their customers.


Convergence is key!


IT SEEMS MORE AND MORE THE TRADITIONAL, SPECIALISED PRINTER COMPANY IS NO MORE, WITH MOST OPTING TO DIVERSIFY THEIR PORTFOLIO. WHEREAS BEFORE YOU MAY HAVE GONE TO SEPARATE BUSINESSES TO PRINT YOUR LOGOS ONTO UNIFORMS, SIGNS, OR MARKETING MATERIALS, NOW IT CAN ALL BE DONE UNDER ONE ROOF. MANUFACTURERS ARE ALSO ADAPTING TO THIS NEW WAY OF THINKING, DESIGNING DIGITAL PRINTERS THAT CAN CREATE A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS TO ALLOW BUSINESSES TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO MULTIPLE FIELDS.


THIS CONVERGENCE HAS HELPED PUSH THE POTENTIAL OF LARGE FORMAT PRINTING AND SOME TRULY GREAT INNOVATIONS HAVE BEEN BIRTHED FROM ITS CONCEPTION.


Roland DG just launched the TrueVIS XP-640 at a special event at Monza Circuit in Italy. Dealers and journalists flocked to see the printer which was claimed to be the fastest of its kind on the market. However, what may have gone under the radar was the launch of the company’s first attempt at a large format DTF printer, the TY-300. It is new territory for Roland, having dealt mainly in more traditional large format mediums but its announcement came as almost a way to stay competitive in the changing market as CEO at Roland DGA, Andrew Oransky explained. “There is this term being thrown around a lot in the print industry which is convergence.


30 | February/March 2025 THE


DISTINCTION WE GREW UP WITH IN THE INDUSTRY ARE LARGELY DISAPPEARING. WHEN YOU WALK INTO PRINTERS TODAY, THEY ARE USING A VARIETY OF TECHNOLOGIES TO PRINT A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS


CC Supplies & Workwear is a good example of this. In a recent article covered by Sign Update, it was explained how the company’s turnover has increased by £1 million since installing its Mimaki JV300-160 UV printer/ cutter. Having previously focused its efforts on embroidering logos onto garments the company is now able to offer personalised signs and other products to the same customers thanks to the printer.


But the adaptation of the market can only happen if there is


a market to begin with and that comes with the customers. Printing companies are being asked to become almost a one-stop shop for customers and their personalised products and these businesses are adapting their hardware according to the market demands. Duncan Jefferies, head of marketing and business


development at Hybrid Services; which is the exclusive distributor of Mimaki machines in the UK, explained what he thought was the key to this change in approach from equipment.


He said: “I think the demand has come from people being prepared to pay more for a personalised product and expecting the possibility of personalising products. “Necessity is the mother of invention, so people will look if


they have a shortfall in their business, and they’ll look to see a way to expand their operation. “From our customer’s point of view, they’ll be thinking how can I make the most money out of my investment? “Buyers are very educated in the capabilities of digital print;


it’s a relatively mature technology now and most companies will have a good understanding of it. “If you’re thinking about personalisation, that works to the benefits of digital print where one product costs the same per item as it does to produce 10 or 100. “Certainly, for Mimaki, innovation is at the company’s core. Their R&D is very focused on it, helping customers be more reactive and more diverse.” The idea of diversification is very much a chicken-and- egg question. What came first; the demand from customers looking for a single print provider or the development of equipment which allowed printers to offer multiple printed products from one place. Whatever the reason, these changes are reshaping the dynamic market of large format printing. Companies that had the forethought, like CC Supplies, to broaden their scope of products are seeing the benefits from their proactive decisions; so much so they may have new obstacles to overcome in the future. But for now, it seems convergence is key and it may just be the thing needed to expand your business.


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