A few weeks after IPEX 2010 and it seems to me to mark more of a shift than appears from some reports. I have done three stories for OhmyNews but there seems to be some problem with the editing at the moment. It is not just my stories, by the way. The entire front page is slow to change.

There is now a sequence of four shows. As well as Print in Chicago and drupa in Duesseldorf there is IGAS in Tokyo, next one Sept. My guess is that the trends at IPEX will be much more clear by then. So this draft is a way to speculate on how this could look. It is a form of journalism that can be checked withn other sources and also will be revised.

Of the video I put on YouTube most views are for the clip about run lengths and the FujiFilm Jet Press 720. Colour inkjet could challenge litho on runs up to 2000 sheets. There was no detail at IPEX about costs but there will probably be more information at IGAS and also about other similar machines. Heidelberg continue to make claims about short runs but the challenge from inkjet will be interesting as runs around the 2000 level are discussed.

The second most viewed clip is about the Heidelberg iPhone app, remote access to Prinect so you know if the machines are running. Heidelberg are expected to announce something about digital by the end of 2010. Probably an arrangement with another supplier. I stand by my story that the Xerox stand was very close to the Heidelberg stand at IPEX. In a demonstration of workflow software it turned out that Xerox had current info on each and every Heidelberg device.

Xerox Tips IPEX Digital Solutions Past Heidelberg

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_sangview.asp?menu=c10400&no=386092&rel_no=1

Video was much stronger at IPEX than reported so far in Printweek or Digital Printer. There was video form the Printweek stand but I am not sure how this continues. Andy Tribute has almost stopped text blogging but joins the video crew for What They Think. My story about video at IPEX has had most views on OhmyNews so far. Some of the brands had their own channel, direct to YouTube without any budget for print magazines. Kodak and Oce both had studios or at least a large space for an audience. HP are active and Canon has a policy on social media. This will move further before IGAS with Canon / Oce integration.

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_sangview.asp?menu=c10400&no=386094&rel_no=1

IPEX Print Show Zooms Social Video

The effect of the move to digital and the presence of video is to make print appear much more part of a communication system based on the web. In the UK this comes over through changes such as the London College of Printing changing to LC Communication. I still don't follow how print and publishing map to design and media but there will be more about this over the coming months and comparison with other places.

Design and media are not limited to print. Composition and page makeup are as much intended for online and other digital forms. There was no presence at IPEX from Apple or Quark. Adobe made a limited appearance on the FujiFilm stand for one presentation a day. The show is mostly about producing hard copy. The content may just as well appear from somewhere else.

It would not be surprising if Adobe did not turn up at all at IGAS. At IPEX the announcement was about variable data for the PDF print engine. this could be the final Adobe message for the printing industry. There are implications for direct marketing and book publishing but Adobe is unlikely to explain this in detail. There is more interest in video for mobile devices. Adobe Classic purchased Macromedia to become Adobe (FLSH). The Chief Technology Officer is Kevin Lynch.

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_sangview.asp?menu=c10400&no=386098&rel_no=1

Adobe Classic Completes Messaging To IPEX

It will be interesting to see what happens to prices on Adobe Classic products. Both Postscript and PDF are open standards. Companies such as Global Graphics and Founder offer alternatives for PDF creation and page design.

It was unclear at IPEX what was meant by "pre-media". The video on YouTube did not have a lot of production or at least it was not on display. "Pre-press" describes more of what was shown. Despite the smaller scale I think there was more emphasis on composition at the digital zone for the London Book Fair. As attention turns to digital publishing the "front end" will be independent of hard copy.

I am just basing this on trends at IPEX and drupa. My guess is that IGAS will be mostly about digital printing with "pre-media" in the background.

Although FujiFilm hosted the Adobe presentation on variable data their approach to inkjet colour is not to offer duplex. Variable data is more appropriate if both sides of the paper are printed at the same time. Screen did demonstrate this with the Truepress JetSX at IPEX. There will be speculation as to which features will be on offer as this type of equipment develops.

IPEX will launch IPEX World towards the end of September 2010. Looks like a Twitter feed and associated links. The idea of a local event once every four years is changing towards a constantly revised set of web links.

https://www.ipex.org/page.cfm/Action=Form/FormID=61/t=m