Mark Andy ups education program

This has included a presence at the Graphics Canada trade show in Ontario in early April, where the company reported interest in its entry-level digital prime label printing technology from Canadian offset printers looking to diversify into the narrow web roll label market. The three-day event allowed Mark Andy to introduce commercial printers to new markets and converters to digital.

On a Digital One entry-level hybrid press exhibited at the show, prime label printing was demonstrated using a dry toner digital print technology combined with flexographic in-line decoration adding embellishments with cold foil. The label job was then converted and finished in a single pass. At the event, Mark Andy confirmed sales of Digital One and Digital Series HD hybrid presses. The Digital One machine on the stand has shipped directly to a Canadian printer who committed to the hybrid labeling technology on the show floor to support its need for short-run digital printing. This will be the seventh Digital One label press installed in Canada.

In collaboration with Labels & Labeling and Labelexpo Global Series, Mark Andy also participated in a digital label printing forum alongside other prominent industry players.

Later this month, Mark Andy will host the ‘Shrinking to Expand’ shrink sleeve workshop in St. Louis, Missouri. The educational, hands-on seminar at its global headquarters on May 21, 2019. The event will provide insight converters need to identify a clear path to expanding business with shrink sleeves.

Quoting figures from AWA Alexander Watson Associates, Mark Andy identified that demand for shrink sleeves has incrementally increased in recent years, with the application now accounting for approximately 18 percent of all label production.

Joe Calmese, chief business officer, Mark Andy Digital, said: ‘We are excited to bring converters who have expressed interest in shrink together with suppliers who have a vested interest in their success to learn and see first-hand that a new application is attainable. I’m personally thrilled with the team and the technology that we’ve put together who can provide business owners a realistic path to printing shrink productively and profitably.’

Also in March, Mark Andy, DuPont Advanced Printing and tesa tape co-hosted an open house dedicated to students of print-oriented technical universities from Warsaw, Lodz, and Stuttgart.

The event was held at Mark Andy’s European headquarters in Warsaw, Poland. The open house attracted over 100 attendees from five universities, focused on educating students on the latest label and packaging technology, as well as the consumables that result in the highest quality print.

Professor Volker Jansen, supervisor of the Stuttgart Media University group, commented: ‘This a great opportunity for our students to learn about the latest packaging and label printing solutions based on flexographic and inkjet technologies. Our department was completely restructured last year, and the packaging/label market is one of the key areas we focus on. Our students were deeply interested in the demonstrated presses as well as accompanying consumables. We hope to continue to attend this type of event in the future.’

Hybrid printing through Digital One will also be presented at InfoFlex 2019, taking place May 6-7 in New Orleans.