Following an eight-year absence, May 2024 saw the return of the popular Drupa event in Düsseldorf – the leading global trade fair for print technologies.
Naturally, the CFH team were excited to attend, with Bill McFedries, Steve Cray, Adam Harwood, Jon Marsh, Paul Turner, Lee Cook, Alex McAlpine, Nic Smith, Keith Smith and Jason Lusty each flying out to Western Germany for the start of the event.
Keen to discover the latest and greatest innovations that could be shaping the industry for years to come, the trip was a chance to focus on everything from production, back office MIS, print-related software and even ideas for new sales opportunities.
Three days was hardly enough time to visit all 17 halls of The Messe Düsseldorf venue, with a net area of around 100,000 m² and hosting over 900 exhibitors, including the likes of HP, Canon, Ricoh and Konica Minolta.
Described by the team as ‘the print equivalent of Glastonbury’, the sheer scale of the event is hard to put into perspective within a short news article, but to provide insight, some inventive exhibitors and guests were making their way from hall to hall via motorised suitcases on wheels!
Interesting examples of innovation included a demonstration to highlight technical printing machinery, some of which were able to seamlessly and quickly produce braille print, layered pop-up signs and detailed miniature models of town plans. These were alongside huge equipment setups, some exceeding 2 or 3 storeys in height.
Some members of the traveling team were lucky enough to experience garment printing firsthand – with Epson demonstrating the power of clothes printing on demand. Their garment printer was able to produce high-quality dresses, tops and more, with different patterns, colours and sizes available upon selection.
On a more focused note, some of the recurring topics throughout the event included sustainable processes, the introduction of artificial intelligence into printing equipment and even the potential of virtual reality within the industry.
It was noticeable just how varied printing processes were during practical demonstrations, with the scope for printing equipment to be used in different environments and within different industries explored by a number of exhibitors.
The scale of the event and innovation on display in Düsseldorf was evidence enough that print is as relevant as ever, with plenty in the pipeline to look forward to.
Coming away from the trade fair with plenty of insights and food for thought, the team are already looking forward to the next edition in 2028.
