Niche events organiser FM-Brooks has unveiled Pure Digital, a new European print show in Amsterdam that it says will be a ground-breaking and unique event designed to excite the European creative industry with innovative digitally printed applications.

FESPA has launched the Wrap Masters Design Competition, inviting contestants to create a striking design for a Formula 4S speed boat that will be used by the Haugaard Racing Team in the 2017 World Formula 4 UIM Powerboat Championship. The design will be used by Haugaard Racing Team and will adorn the powerboat until the final of the World Formula 4 UIM Powerboat Championship.

Mimaki’s UK & Irish distributor Hybrid Services is returning to the Printwear and Promotion exhibition, which runs from 26th – 28th February 2017 at the NEC, to give the new Mimaki UJF MkII LED UV small format flatbed printer its first UK public outing.

Mimaki is set to present its range of solvent and UV printers, designed to address key print production needs, on two booths at FESPA Eurasia from December 8-11 at the CNR Expo in Istanbul, Turkey.

Industry awards can sometimes be a bit of a cynical experience. The majority of these events are run by trade press publishers looking to extract a few extra pennies from the market, with winners tending to be representative of the individual category award sponsors own customer base. From experience the majority of awards events that I have attended seemed to be nothing more than a good excuse for a pissed-up food fight and an all-round back-slapping session in the bar afterwards, and there is nothing wrong with that if this is your thing, but it’s not for me.

From 15 to 17 November InPrint Italy will bring to Milan the whole gamut of industrial printing, showcasing its three macro sectors: functional, decorative and packaging from across some 120 exhibitors.

The prime position of Sign & Digital as the key show for the UK graphics industry remains unchallenged, despite a stronger showing for large format digital print at the Print Show in the NEC.

Agfa is gearing up for SGIA Expo (Las Vegas, September 14–16) with the introduction of another Anapurna i-series printer - the Anapurna H3200i LED system, a 3.2m hybrid solution for printing both rigid and flexible media with air-cooled 16 Watt/cm² LED UV lamps powered by its Asanti workflow for wide-format printers.

Mimaki has unveiled two new UJF printer models at Viscom Paris, which takes place from 6 to 8 September in Paris. The UJF-3042 MkII and the UJF-6042 MkII are the latest generation of UV flatbed printers from Mimaki, replacing earlier models UJF-3042HG and UJF-6042, respectively.

One of the key things to strike me about the TV coverage of the 2016 Olympics from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is how much the Olympics have become a showcase for the graphic display industry.

Ricoh has declared its intention to move further into the wide format sector by adding EFI VUTEk flatbed printers to its offering. The announcement made during Drupa 2016 means that Ricoh’s graphic arts offering is expanded further and is now a complementary product range encompassing flatbed, large format, continuous feed, cut sheet, software and consultancy services.

One of the more interesting practical applications to be found at Drupa can be found on the OKI Europe stand where the company is showcasing how its unique NeonColor toners allow creative businesses to bring their designs alive with dazzling, high-quality pigments.

Agfa Graphics is set to boost its UV LED range at Drupa with the launch of the Anapurna H2500i LED system, a 2.5m hybrid solution for printing rigid and flexible media.

FM Brooks, part of the Mack Brooks Exhibitions Group and organisers of InPrint: The Industrial Print Show, has announced the launch of InPrint USA which will take place April 25-27, 2017 at the Orange County Convention Centre in Orlando, Florida.

Mimaki will be descending on Drupa 2016 with its full product portfolio of solvent and UV printers and cutting tables. The company will be exhibiting solutions that serve a wide range of market needs, from indoor and outdoor signage to industrial, packaging and promotional products.

Gandy Digital will use Drupa as the platform to provide the first live public demonstration of its new Fascin8tor grand format five metre UV roll-to-roll printer.

For those looking to either break into the personalisation, industrial or giftware industries, invest in new UV technology, or just find out more about UV printing in general, Roland DG will be holding an exclusive VersaUV Experience Day at its headquarters in Clevedon on the 7th of June from 8am-4pm at Roland DG’s creative centre in Clevedon, with demonstrations and expert information available throughout the day.

This year’s Sign & Digital UK at the NEC has been hailed a success and, with almost identical attendance figures as the 2015 event, it looks as if the show has attracted interest from a broader cross section of the printing industry - and they like it enough to keep coming back. What was even more encouraging was the increased amount of business done at the show, with many of the visitors going along to either place an order on the day or have a final look-see before making a post-show purchasing decision.

OKI Europe Ltd says it is putting the spotlight on its portfolio of Graphic Arts printers at Drupa 2016, including the newly-launched Pro6410 NeonColor digital printer and the renowned ColorPainter range of wide format inkjet printers.

FESPA Digital in Amsterdam was big, brassy, and above all the place to get your head around the current trends, innovative products, and more wide format printing and finishing technology than you could shake a stick at. We loved it, as did 16,000 other unique visitors thereby making it the largest FESPA Digital show to date.

Jim Miller, owner of Millers Decals, USA, has won the prestigious title of World Wrap Master at FESPA Digital 2016.