Printing & Materials
Digital, offset, screen — choose the right process, paper and ink for cost and quality
- Audience
- Designers・Procurement Staff・Brand Owners
- Digital Printing
- Offset Printing
- Inkjet Printing
- Screen Printing
- Letterpress
- Gravure
- Paper Materials
- Ink
- Cost
Two Major European Paper Mills Exit Back-to-Back: Supply Chain Risks and Packaging Solutions for the Second Half of the Year
UK-based Cepac closing production lines and Germany's Schleipen halting operations highlight a severe structural contraction across the European papermaking industry. Taiwanese brands relying on imported paper face a double blow of soaring costs and missed delivery deadlines in the second half of the year unless they line up alternative materials early
The Big Three in Paper Packaging Sound the Alarm: 3 Strategic Moves for Taiwan Printers and Brands
North America's top three paper packaging giants made a rare joint appearance at the Jefferies conference, sending strong signals on market volatility and pricing pressure. This battle among market leaders is spreading fast, creating real cost pressures that Taiwan's small and mid-sized printers and brand clients must face over the next six months
How Will GB 4806‑10‑2025 Affect Printing Inks?
Explains China's new food-contact standard, effective September 2, 2026, and highlights key changes to formulations, testing, and supply-chain documentation, helping Taiwanese printers and brands put compliance into practice quickly during the transition period
How Europe's Paper Industry Contraction Is Affecting Taiwan's Printing Sector
Fibre Excellence is shutting down the Tarascon paper mill in France, while MCC is pulling out of Bingen, Germany. The supply-chain squeeze is turning paper costs and lead times into variables. Identifying alternative sources and setting inventory strategies are key for Taiwanese brands and printers to avoid material shortages
Do Metallic and Fluorescent Inks Turn Gray When Overprinted? A Complete Guide to Hybrid Offset and Screen Printing
Metallic and fluorescent inks often look dull and gray in offset printing because ink film thickness and hiding power differ. This article breaks down two practical workflows, "screen-print metallic ink first, then overprint with four-color process" and "screen-print a base, then layer offset inks," with ready-to-use steps and key considerations for designers and printers
A New Path to Printing on Non-Paper Substrates: How to Choose Between Revoria PC2120 and MGI Inkjet PCB
Fujifilm's Revoria PC2120 opens up high-value markets such as metallic and white effects with seven toner colors and automation, while MGI brings inkjet to circuit boards for rapid PCB prototyping and small-batch production. This article breaks down how the two technologies work, their business models, and practical ways to put them to work, helping printing and electronics companies quickly identify their entry points
Domino N410 Debuts in North America: How Small and Mid-Sized Printers Can Break into Digital Labels
The Domino N410 digital LED inkjet label press just launched in North America, focusing on low barriers to entry, a compact footprint, and low power consumption. For small and mid-sized print shops eager to take short-run, high-mix orders without massive capital investment, where does this press fit in? Here is a direct breakdown of its core specs and production potential
Before You Buy an All-in-One Print-and-Cut Machine, Get These Three Numbers Straight
Roland DG has introduced the TrueVis AG-640, the world's first wide-format system to combine latex printing with contour cutting. Its promise of labor savings has sign and graphics shops excited. But where the savings come from and how much you can save are tied directly to your own order mix. Some shops will genuinely save. Others will spend their budget solving a bottleneck that does not exist
Three Numbers to Make Sense of AF&PA's July Paper Report
AF&PA (American Forest & Paper Association) publishes a monthly packaging papers report that serves as the clearest public window into North American paper supply and demand. The July numbers are out: operating rates rebounded, inventories dropped, and bleached food wrapping weakened against the trend. Put together, these three signals offer practical timing cues for Taiwanese brand procurement
Nazdar Changes Leadership After Fujifilm Ink Deal: 3 Industry Signals from the New CEO
In September 2026, Nazdar named Edward Baiden President and CEO, following the retirement of Richard Bowles after more than 23 years. Coming just three months after Nazdar acquired Fujifilm's screen and flexo ink business, Baiden's cross-industry background and timing send signals to Taiwan's print buyers that deserve far closer scrutiny than the press release itself
Stop Rushing to Make Plates for Heavy Stock: The Ricoh Pro C9500 Sheetfed Press Breaks the 600 gsm Limit
Commercial sheetfed digital presses just received a major upgrade. With Ricoh's new RICOH MediaMax technology, presses can now handle media up to 800 microns thick. This cuts out the hassle of traditional sheet-to-sheet duplex laminating, slashes carbon footprints, and opens new paths for short-run packaging and plastic card alternatives
Xerox Badges Xeikon: A Digitization Crossroads for Packaging and Label Printers
Xerox and Xeikon have announced an alliance. Xerox will sell Xeikon digital printing technology under its own brand, officially entering the label and packaging market. This isn't just routine OEM news. It's a calculated move by a legacy giant borrowing technology and distribution to corner short-run digital printing faster. For small and mid-sized print shops in Taiwan, it's time to figure out what this chess match means for your business
Expectations Jump 21% in a Month, but Current Conditions Stay Tight: How to Read the Print Industry's August Climate
In August 2026, the business expectations index for Germany's print and media industry surged, crossing the neutral threshold. Yet evaluations of current conditions showed almost zero positive ratings. This dynamic, where expectations lead while reality lags, is exactly when people misread market turning points the most. It is also the window where brand buyers and small to mid-sized print shops need to read the signals correctly
Banning Card Surcharges Cuts Straight into Print Margins
The Reserve Bank of Australia announced a ban on credit card surcharges starting October. While it looks like a win for consumers, it actually pushes processing fees on every order right back onto printers and brand clients. It is a pricing lesson the whole world should learn early
Stop Relying on Equipment Upgrades to Save Catalog Printing Capacity
German publishing giant Bertelsmann is shutting down its Vogel Druck plant. Despite heavy spending on carbon-neutral upgrades in recent years, order volumes simply could not sustain the capacity. It serves as an early warning for small and mid-sized print shops still relying on high-volume commercial printing
Complete Guide to DTF Printing: From Converted Printers to Compact Factory Models
DTF (Direct-to-Film) printing has lowered the barrier to taking orders thanks to converted machines, but unstable quality remains a real problem. Roland DG's release of a compact factory-built DTF printer signals that this business is shifting toward being easy to start and reliable in quality
Ten Years of ePac: Digital Flexible Packaging Is Not a Backup Plan
The CEO of flexible packaging giant ePac Flexible Packaging looks back on a decade of running an all-digital print business. From the perspective of brand procurement and executive decision-making, this article breaks down what this model means for both Taiwan's small and medium print shops and brand owners
Xeikon Partners with Xerox: Procurement Is Changing for Small and Mid-Sized Print Shops
Xeikon, the digital printing division of Flint Group, announced a strategic tie-up with office equipment giant Xerox. The presses will carry the Xerox badge, but Xeikon technology will power them underneath. This kind of channel integration is a big deal for buyers, and it pays to understand what is happening now
Ignore Chemical Cocktail Risks, and Your Food Packaging Will Get Stuck at Customs
Scientists are urging regulators to evaluate chemicals of concern in food packaging by group. Passing tests for a single substance no longer means the whole package is safe. This directly changes material selection for brands and packaging converters, quietly raising the export compliance bar for Western markets
Flexo Is No Longer Going at It Alone: What the New FTA Awards Signal to the Industry
The flexographic trade group FTA quietly adjusted its 2027 award rules, adding a standalone digital category and a multiprocess pilot. That is no small tweak. It is the industry's official take on how flexo and digital should work together, and small to mid-sized print shops need to understand it right now
Ink Distribution Shakeup: Why Your Design Files Feel the Impact
Sun Chemical handed its North American label ink distribution to Mark Andy Print Products. This isn't just a distant corporate reshuffle in the US. It's a clear signal that consumable supply chains are consolidating. MINDS (MS) breaks down this shift to help designers see how it could affect color management and file handoff specs
Deeper Color with Less Ink: Breaking Down the SunLit OptiPace Launch
Sun Chemical launched SunLit OptiPace high-performance sheetfed ink in September 2026. If you are ordering print jobs for the first time, there is a practical reality behind this: ink quality dictates how often plates need cleaning and how fast pages dry, which ultimately decides whether your job arrives on schedule and with accurate color. This article breaks down its actual engineering and what it means for print buyers
The Downgauging Race in Flexible Packaging: What Evertis's Expansion Says About Coex Cast Tech
Evertis México just launched an advanced coex cast line with a 9,600-ton annual capacity. This isn't just a basic capacity expansion. It's a direct answer to brand demand for less material without sacrificing performance. Here's a breakdown of what this equipment move means for Taiwan's export supply chain
3 Key Color Rules for Print Prep: A 60-Second Crash Course for Packaging Design
A design that looks stunning on screen often falls apart in print. Drawing from real-world proofing experience, this 60-second guide breaks down color wheels and contrast logic to help designers and brand clients align color expectations before sending files to print, cutting down endless rounds of revisions