If you run light production equipment, you may not have given much thought to the Digital Front End of your printing device. There is no industry standard for what a DFE should encompass, or even a widely agreed set of guidelines. And, while you may have a choice of features and even vendors for the DFE, there hasn’t been much discussion of what should come next. What should you be asking for and when should you expect it?

Do your customers know everything you can do for them? Education drives ideas and new applications. In-plants that are growing take the time to educate their customers about all their capabilities by hosting events and taking on marketing to educate and demonstrate the benefits of print to solve business and communication needs.

3D printing is used to drive efficiencies in manufacturing everything from jet planes to prosthetics – and printing is no exception. Pete Basiliere joins Inkjet Insight with an overview of 3DP in the every day print operation.

Midland Paper, Packaging + Supplies, one of North America’s largest independent distributors of media for business communications, recently launched a new and innovative Specialty Media catalog for offset and digital sheet fed printers. The all-inclusive catalog merges media for major sheet fed print technologies into one unique publication. Offset, HP Indigo and Dry Toner substrates are all featured within one book.

In January, Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd. and OKI Data Corporation, the OKI Group’s printer company, concluded an exclusive international sales agreement for the distribution of OKI Data’s wide format inkjet printers. Under the terms of this agreement, the two companies will expand their sales alliance in Japan, announced in March 2019, to encompass overseas sales.

Jeff Matos shares his experience migrating to the 4th generation of inkjet at Broadridge Financial Solutions including special considerations for MICR and his experience with the RICOH Pro VC4000 in all its configurations.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), a leader in world-class printing technology, today announced the official launch of the MGI JETvarnish 3D One, a simple, compact and affordable digital embellishment press that provides sensory print applications for printers of every size.

In the previous post How to Make an Inkjet Sandwich I talked about the potential different ways that ink can react to a substrate when used in combination with other fluids such as primers or post-coatings. Those interactions make it critical to optimize all the fluids for your entire process, prior to linearization and profiling, to avoid print defects such as color to color bleed and coalescence.

At Inkjet Insight, we are all inkjet. So, when we come across different inkjet applications, we want to experience it and dissect the product ourselves. Most often we are visiting

Just as there are many types of inkjet printheads and ink, there are many types of processes for inkjet drying. Most printers combine several processes to create a drying solution. Ralf Schlozer discusses the fundamental factors related to drying in document and packaging printing environments including absorption, phase change, radiation and evaporation. It’s dry – but important.

There is no industry standard for what should be included in a digital front end, and there is no universal template that guides how much control the inkjet DFE should expose to an operator to permit changes in how a job will be processed. As we enter the 2020s, this is something that should change. It’s time for the buyers of inkjet presses to identify their expectations, list the features that make a difference to their operation, and categorize the challenges they may have with their current DFE.

What comes to mind when you think of inkjet printing? Do you think of substrates (papers, textiles, electronics)? Do you think of two dimensional applications (direct mail, books, ceramics)? Or do you think in three dimensions (displays, jet engines, medical implants)? Why not 3D?

Kao Chimigraf hosted the first Kao Innovation Day, in Barcelona, that attracted representatives from 22 companies based in 6 countries. The event showcased the Kao Collins X-BAR, and two multi-printhead systems manufactured by Colordyne Technologies. Inkjet inks from Kao Collins were also shown by Kao Chimigraf, the European partner for both companies.

Inkjet Insight talks to Phil Self a VP at Ricoh USA, Inc. about its recent customer event. The event focused on opportunities for using inkjet within commercial and direct marketing business.

Designers drive decision making on print versus e-budgets, print processes, paper choices. For direct mail they impact response rates, production efficiency and overall industry health. Let’s get designers excited about direct mail and amplify those inkjet pages in 2020 and beyond.

In 2020, Inkjet Insight will be expanding coverage of inkjet’s role in growth markets like packaging and industrial while we continue to keep you informed about application segments where inkjet is fully entrenched. This week we got some great Direct-to-Object stories from Richard Romano.

The METIS 3D Scanner creates opportunities for designers and printers think outside the box and expand creative applications for all print markets. Being able to reproduce 3D texture reproductions with existing UV printing equipment or providing scanning services for CGI/PBR (computer-generated imagery/physical based rendering) applications allows designers to not only visualize but customize and develop 3D patterns.

In-plant operations evaluating papers need to take a broader perspective of what cost means in an inkjet environment. There is a potential domino effect on cost when low grade papers are used in high-end devices that corporate procurement teams need to understand.

Pat McGrew with happy new year news on possible compatibility of finishing options across printing processes. Consider the finishing options that can add value in your inkjet environment.

Our latest research surveys production inkjet users on  requirements for print quality measurement when qualifying papers for use on inkjet presses and their satisfaction with OEM services related to meeting those requirements. Executive summary available to all. Premium members can download 18 page report.