drupa definitely digital, almost a conclusion from Frank and Andy #whattheythink #futureprint
Yesterday evening there was a Tweetjam using #futureprint hosted by Cary Sherburne for WhatTheyThink. I thought it went really well and showed that new forms of media can be used to discuss print like anything else. Some of the ideas are a bit futurist, such as inkjet chocolate manufacture.
Today there are a couple of links to a video from Frank Romano and part one of an article by Andy Tribute. Frank is making a case for paper, especially with plenty of sparkle and cut-outs that tell a story. He obviously covered most of the show as the two companies he mentions are not well known. Andy Tribute has a lot of detail on equipment, some not widely available till IPEX in 2014. I notice this comment-
"....in terms of generating attention offset was a minor player. I am sure however if one looks at the show in terms of value of orders taken that offset will have taken the larger share..."
From the Tweetjam I can gather that digital media of all kinds are now accepted. Offset is part of a mix and a workflow. There was more mention of the Cloud as an option for MIS and Web2Print. For most people buying print the exact method of production may not matter very much.
Andy Tribute continues-
"..will Landa’s Nanographic Printing being the main technology for the future, or will either new generation liquid toner presses such as those from Océ and Xeikon, or inkjet B2 or continuous feed high-speed presses be shown to be the technology for the future? Or will there be a space for all of them? Can they compete with advanced offset presses in changing the market? Well for my thoughts on that you will have to wait until Part 2 of this article."
or you may have to wait till 2014.