Dscoop returned to the Americas this spring, as the HP users conference took over the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center from March 25-28, 2018. The event, which featured the theme “Unleashing Print,” welcomed print service providers who use HP Graphics Technology – including HP Indigo digital label presses and related solutions – along with creative designers, marketers and brand leaders.

Dscoop Dallas was the first of three global events for the users group this year, with the next edition scheduled for  Vienna, Austria, June 13-15. Dscoop also made its way to Seoul, South Korea, May 14-16.

The American edition of the event featured record attendance, including 237 participants from 18 different countries. Many of these visitors hailed from Latin America and the Caribbean.
The show featured a wide range of speakers, including Jeremy Gutsche, founder of TrendHunter.com, Dan Heath, a Senior Fellow at Duke University’s CASE center, Dana Arnett, founding partner and vice chairman of  VSA Partners, and as always, Alon Bar-Shany, vice president and general manager of the HP Indigo Division. Andrew Davis, a bestselling author and internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, served as the conference emcee.

Heath, who delivered the keynote presentation on the event’s opening day, explored how to create meaningful moments for print customers. “We live in the era of experience. Everywhere you look, there’s someone looking to make your experience better,” he said. “If you study great service experiences, they’re mostly forgettable and occasionally remarkable. Those remarkable, peak moments, don’t plan themselves, but we’re so busy fixing small problems that we ignore the potential peak moments that will make our customers overlook small flaws.”

When identifying peak moments, Heath used the now-iconic  “Share A Coke” campaign to illustrate a memorable idea that left a lasting impact. “I’m a 44-year-old man, and I still get a charge out of seeing my name ‘Dan’ on a soda label. That’s how you turn a transaction into a moment,” said, adding, “Print is the medium of memories.”

Davis, the conference’s emcee, also told attendees, “It’s not about what you print, it’s about how what you print makes them feel.”

Bar-Shany, during his March 27 presentation, detailed the digital print and packaging market while also providing a glimpse into the future. Dscoop 2017, which took place in Phoenix, AZ, marked the 40th anniversary of HP.  Bar-Shany utilized Dscoop Dallas this year to reflect on the 10-year anniversary since the stock market collapse in 2008. Not only did he provide valuable lessons learned along the way within the printing industry, he gave suggestions as to what might help avoid those same pitfalls going forward.

“What we’re trying to do is print different, which means breaking boundaries, unleashing print, opening up new business models,” said Bar-Shany. “We want to do things out-of-the-box – and I really love that concept – and I think that’s what this industry has done.”

HP originated in 1977, and it has been 25 years since the introduction of Indigo at IPEX in 1993. According to Bar-Shany, the launch of the HP Indigo S3 at drupa 2008 was a turning point for the brand. Brands and printers both began their transformation, which coincided with the 2008 recession.

“This is the time to think ahead and make the right decisions,” Bar-Shany stressed. “What drove Indigo was the impact of the recession. Fundamentally, it forced change. There was massive change because of what the global recession created. It forced people out of their comfort zones and forced them to make tough choices. People needed to understand you couldn’t just price marginally and use old equipment. You had to change your business model, and it changed not just with printers but with designers, marketers, brands, agencies and so forth.”

In the next 5-10 years, the printing industry will have to answer several important questions. For example, how does it compete with internet presences like Google and Facebook? There will need to be an answer to greater demands for immediacy, data and personalization.

Bar-Shany conceded that the future is somewhat harder to predict, as new, emerging technologies have changed the outlook. Product lifecycles are getting shorter, and consumer preferences have continued to change over time. Today, consumers are willing to pay more for experiences and memories, but also higher quality.

This will often be seen in the craft beer industry, which capitalizes on unique and intricate labels featuring eye-popping graphics, Bar-Shany said. There are over 3,000 craft breweries in the US, and craft sales have grown by 17% since 2013. Bar-Shany also emphasized that many label converters for craft beer brands use HP Indigo presses to capitalize on short runs and quick turnaround times.

“It’s amazing to see the innovations and experiences our customers can create,” said Bar-Shany. “We’re creating something you can hold, share, and we’re creating emotions.”

Dscoop will help with the future of digital print providers, he added. “Much of the future will be built around the trust we can create as a community,” he said. “And it’s not just between ourselves as brand owners and customers, but as a community with all the solution partners, media partners, and with brands and designers. This is a change. That is why Dscoop is so important, because it’s not something you can just do as a vendor. HP will try to drive the market and keep this passion for customers. The Dscoop customers drive us and tell us where to invest our R&D.”

In order to keep up with industry trends, HP has made significant investments in inkjet technology. The company is also relying on feedback from customers by requesting samples and case studies. HP is trying to change the perception around digital and the supply chain that digital printing can be a reliable solution for bigger brands, as well as those specializing in shorter runs.

General Sessions
Dscoop’s general sessions touched on a wide range of industry topics. S-One Labels & Packaging took a deep dive into the opportunities available for label converters in the flexible packaging space. Meanwhile, Michelman looked at how new coating and primer technology can optimize digital printing.

As part of a presentation on the hottest trends in print design, Sabine Lenz said, “Most designers have no idea what’s possible in print today. They’re surprised by what digital technology can do.”

She added that 71% of creatives are producing 10 times more work than five years ago. In addition, seven out of 10 designers report they are understaffed.

In the labels and packaging space, Lenz said the use of foil is one of the major trends. “Hot-foil stamping can provide a tactile experience,” she said. “The shine never falters. You have hundreds of foil choices, and the softer the paper the better.”

Thinking Tree Spirits embodied many of these trends in one of its newest spirits labels. The craft distillery based in Eugene, OR utilized the Hired Guns Creative design team to develop a unique label template. CCL printed the labels, which included hot stamping. The color matching and streamlined production achieved on the HP Indigo digital press highlighted the label, Lenz added.

Lenz stressed that interactive elements are one of the key trends now, and augmented reality could very well be a hot topic in the future.

Other presentations, such as those from S-One Labels & Packaging and Michelman, explained how supplies have been optimized for label converters. S-One Labels & Packaging examined the growing trend toward the world of flexible packaging. Among the highlights, the company emphasized the benefits for label converters, and how this thriving segment can grow a label printer’s operation.

S-One’s Ralph Giammarco defined flexible packaging as “probably the single fastest growing area in printing right now.” Label converters can capitalize on this opportunity, he added, because the technology, relationships and materials all exist to find success in this niche. There is a greater understanding of the flexible packaging process, and optimization is occurring at a fast rate,” he said.

Meanwhile, Michelman highlighted a wide range of products that are suitable to enhance digital printing output on HP Indigo digital presses. Michelman has developed a new primer, DigiPrime 022, a water-based primer, specifically for use with the HP Indigo 6900 digital label press. In addition, DigiGuard 222 and DigiGuard 901 also serve as reliable offerings. Other Michelman solutions include doctor blade chambers and various priming methods, as well as services like priming and milling.

Finding ‘Inkspiration’
Dscoop Dallas also highlighted its renowned Inkspiration Awards, where 16 honors were presented to 13 customers and designers in multiple categories, ranging from general commercial printing to labels and packaging. Nearly 200 entries from more than 75 HP customers and designers were submitted to the 2018 competition. Winning  works were produced on HP Indigo, PageWide Web Press, and Scitex print technology.

In the labels and packaging space, the following companies were recognized:

• Spirits: Indemetal Gráficos, Brazil
• Spirits (Honorable Mention): Etimex, Mexico
• Health, Beauty and Fashion: GLS / Next Precision Marketing, Minnesota, US
• Food and Beverage: Hammer Packaging, New York, US
• Home, Sports and Recreation: Red Pepper Comunicacion, Mexico
• People’s Choice Award: Digital Label Solutions, California, US

Dscoop Community
In Dallas, Dscoop Community was launched, a new platform designed to connect creatives and marketers to the innovative printers, as well as a new website. The all-new online community experience was previewed during the event. Dscoop Community highlights print projects and applications, with the goal of providing as much information to all those in the value chain. Content includes production details, designers, partners and results.

“The new platform is designed to connect marketers, packaging designers, creatives, print users and the print providers who make those powerful ideas a reality,” explained Keith Wilmot, the newly-appointed Dscoop CEO. “We are creating a new world of print lovers and educating them on how to succeed with digital print.”

In addition, the platform provides real-time connection to printers around the world, the latest in live and digital education, tips and trends from industry leaders, and creative brainstorming.
Eticom adds HP Indigo 20000 and Pack Ready Lamination

Eticom of Mexico is installing an HP Indigo 20000 digital press and the HP Indigo Pack Ready Lamination solution to launch flexible packaging services to its customers with the  benefits of digital printing.

The announcement was made official during the conference in Dallas where Eticom was in attendance. Eticom is a provider of self-adhesive labels, including for the food, beverage and spirits markets. Eticom is using its digital brand, Digitallabel, to capture the opportunity for flexible digital packaging production that saves time, waste and costs.

“We see the market value and the service opportunity in the flexible packaging world, and we decided to acquire an HP Indigo 20000 that is undoubtedly the most efficient way to produce short, high-quality and immediate delivery demanded by the users of the packaging, which is of growing importance in Mexico,” said Martin Rodríguez, Digitallabel director.

Digitalabel will also operate the HP Indigo Pack Ready Laminator from Karville, the first in Mexico, for a “very agile, simple and safe way to laminate products,” Rodríguez explained.

Pack Ready Lamination for HP Indigo digital presses delivers high-quality, high-performance laminates without the use of adhesives in zero curing time for immediate pouch converting, opening new market opportunities for digitally printed flexible packaging. “Pack Ready Lamination is a solution for 40% of our applications,” Rodríguez  said. “It provides a cost-effective business model to deconstruct laminations and improve food safety compliance.”

Eticom operates three HP Indigo WS6800 digital presses. The Digitallabel brand is intended to drive a new level of customer service and create the “platform of the future” based on digital printing.