Insights from drupa 2024 – hustle, bustle, trends and innovations

After eight years without a show, it was amazing for our team to be able to head over once again to Dusseldorf and see the very latest in print and paper technology.

Now after a few days back in the office, it was clear the show was a success for us. Not only did we gain insights on the industry alongside meeting partners and customers, but Karl Forbes was able to deliver his presentation on how our Aquinox printhead and our unique Xaar technologies are transforming productivity in digital textile printing.

Indeed, with our technology visible across several stands, we have gathered the thoughts from the team at the show to help give a flavour of our experience.

People are everything

Despite a downturn in official visitor attendance figures this year compared to 2016, the show was busy, and many exhibitors we spoke to reported having in depth conversations with both existing and potential clients.

Xaar Product Manager Rob Ison was blown away by the sheer size of the show: “My first impressions were that it's massive. I’ve never been to an exhibition like it before – 17 halls full and more than I could cover in my time  there.”

Megnajet’s Mike Seal, who has attended drupa multiple times, noted, "Even in week two, the footfall was impressive. It felt like day one throughout the event, which was pleasantly surprising." Charlotte Baile, Head of Marketing, echoed this sentiment, mentioning the sustained buzz and excitement around the show.

Inkjet growth obvious

Digital printing had a significant presence at the show, with the team noting that inkjet in particular, has become a staple for all major brands. Karl said: "drupa is now a digital show with some analogue – very different from the first drupa I attended 20 years ago.”

Business Development Manager, Shawn Feng also emphasised the digital transformation across all stages of the printing process, noting that inkjet technology, especially with high viscosity capabilities, is making significant strides. "Thanks to its high viscosity capacity, the colour density of printed images is significantly higher, allowing for a wider range of substrates to be printed," he explained.

The importance of packaging

When it came to other key trends that stood out, packaging was front and centre. The team observed how cardboard-based packaging is much more prevalent, with evolutions in machine automation, with "sheet to box" solutions being showcased. This went together with the strong sustainability messages across the show.

Flexible plastic packaging was also prevalent at drupa. There were several solutions on show pushing digital print, with some clearly in the early stages of development. More innovation will surely come to this area as the market looks for a true fully digital solution that delivers the opacity and impact of print required. It’s a growing area and one which we are focusing on - with the combination of our Ultra High Viscosity and High Laydown Technologies enabling more viscous, highly pigmented inks to printed.  

Xaar and Megnajet technology

Our technology was featured on several stands at the show, highlighted in particular by the collaborative work with Marabu and KBA Kammann, showcasing several outstanding glass and bottle samples. These proved of particular interest to a number of journalists. Karl was interviewed by Pat McGrew for Inkjet Insights to highlight the possibilities arising from the collaboration with Xaar’s printheads and technologies, Marabu’s inks and Kammann’s printing machines.

“The High Viscosity fluids demonstrated by the samples on the Marabu and Kamman stands were absolutely superb,” Charlotte said. “It generated a lot of interest, which was great for us to see.”

Megnajet’s fluid management systems were also displayed on various stands, including by C-marx, whose print station demonstrated our reliable HV HFR fluid management system used across Additive Manufacturing and 3D printing. KBA and SpiderJet also featured our technology.

Our favourite stands

When it came to our favourite stands, we had so many to choose from, but we particularly enjoyed the KBA one for its elegant design, clear focus – and carpet! The size – over 4000m2 in hall16 – was amazing and with Kammann’s technology right in the centre, Xaar’s collaboration with partners was clear to see.

The Scodex stand was also a highlight due to its focus on digital embellishment which was ‘exciting and pleasing to see’. Indeed, creativity abounded, and this was also seen on the swissQprint stand where we felt the focus was clear and the design was very eye catching with impactful neon colours and print.

Final impressions

Overall, drupa 2024 was a positive experience and the whole team came away feeling the benefit of the show. The bustling atmosphere and opportunity to celebrate technology and industry ensured drupa has maintained its importance after a long hiatus. It now just remains to say, see you in 2028!