The inaugural Label & Packaging Expo won plenty of fans last month with more than 5000 visitors going through the gates of the show and its co-located exhibitions, PrintEx19 and Visual Impact, at the Sydney Showground.
Providing an added focus on the label and packaging sector to the industry’s leading event, the show saw leading names showcase a range of technologies, services and solutions for the industry, following the PrintEx19 theme, ‘Step Into the Future’.
With one of the largest stands, Platinum Sponsor Durst showcased its range of label presses and associated solutions, introducing the P5 250 HS wide-format UV machine, and the TAU RSC 330 E high-speed label press, and illustrating the company’s leadership in taking ‘Pixel to Print’ with complete digital workflows.
Rotary Engineering took the chance to discuss their Australian-designed and manufactured print and finishing solutions, while Trimatt Systems featured colour UV inkjet solutions for labels and plastics, as well as variable data barcode technologies. Gulmen Digital took the opportunity to present a full suite of products from software to finishing as well as its own augmented reality solution.
Screen, co-exhibiting with Jet Technologies, demonstrated its Truepress Jet L350UV digital label press and Equios workflow, using CGS colour management software and Hybrids PackZ and CloudFlow label and packaging software – solutions which were also demonstrated by Hybrid on their own stand. Esko, too, had software solutions with its Print Control Wizard, to guide flexo printers through the plate preparation process, and Editions automation engine, on its ‘Packaging Connected’ display.
Puty Technology, new to the expo, introduced its range of label printers, label tapes and printing consumables and Guru Labels provided a trade printing solution for high quality digital labels, for PSPs who want to offer the service to their clientele.
Illustrating the benefits of co-location, many of the PrintEx exhibitors also showcased products of relevance to the market. HP Indigo, for example, featured not only on stands like QLM Label Makers but also on the HP and Currie Group stands, where innovations in ink technology as well as impressive flexible packaging solutions, all created quite a stir. Amari Visual Solutions, Böttcher, Epson, Fuji Xerox, Graphic Art Mart, Konica Minolta, Mimaki, Océ Australia, Ricoh, Screen, Starleaton and Xeikon were among the other exhibitors who included label solutions in their display.
Variable data, with its power to customise labels and wrappers, was also a feature on many stands with new applications proving that the power of personalisation continues unabated.
New solutions for the more conventional practices of foiling and embellishment proved to be just as popular, with market leaders like Kurz proving the perennial appeal of surface decoration as a means to elevate and differentiate products on the shelf, as well as provide added complexity and, therefore, security.
