Print Media Centr’s show-and-tell event, Project Peacock Print Fair, will be held at The Ivy Room in Chicago, Illinois, on August 1, as the roadshow dedicated to showcasing innovation and opportunities in print marketing in an interactive, educational and informal atmosphere continues its journey.

Partners joining forces with Project Peacock Print Fair in Chicago include: Agfa Graphics, the Association for PRINT Technologies (APTech), Brand Print Americas, Canon Solutions America, Domtar Paper, Great Lakes Graphics Association, Konica Minolta, MGI, PRINTING United/BRAND United, Sappi North America, Xeikon and Xerox, with media sponsorship from Printing Impressions and Target Marketing.

Project Peacock Print Fair provides a unique opportunity for its partners to communicate with print buyers, creatives and marketers from brands and agencies. Project Peacock partners involved in the first two Print Fair events, held in New York City and Dallas respectively, have paid tribute to how it allows them to give back to the print community, informing and educating customers on the myriad of possibilities print offers in a relaxed, social setting.

The Print Fair philosophy is unlike a traditional trade show or conference, with a strong focus on education and knowledge development as opposed to sales. Partners provide impartial information and advice directly to the creatives at the heart of print marketing, and ensure they have the tools to drive success and get the most out of print technologies.

Dawn Nye, Solutions and Services Marketing Manager for Project Peacock partner Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, says: “This is fulfilling a big need in the industry, to be able to talk to the designers and agencies and educate them on what is possible, because they don’t know. Once they see it, they say, ‘We can do this!’ and that’s why I come; it’s an education for the industry and helps build relationships. It’s not a big show with lots of equipment and noise, it’s just talking about what they do and what we do.”

Deborah Corn, Intergalactic Ambassador to The Printerverse at Print Media Centr and the founder of Project Peacock, adds: “Our Print Fair partners have really stepped up to make their interactions with Peacock attendees as meaningful as possible. They are discussing the specific needs of each attendee, and how their technology can fit in to improve, enhance and in some cases even replace the way they are currently executing their print projects. It’s a unique engagement opportunity that is driving print and paper sales as well as new partnerships through each event. Everyone wins!”

The event takes place from 6-9pm, beginning with a cocktail hour that includes keynotes from Project Peacock founder Deborah Corn and Chief Folding Fanatic at FoldFactory.com, Trish Witkowski. Attendees will be given the opportunity to discover and explore what the Project Peacock partners have on display, with a wealth of samples demonstrating how paper, print and finishing applications can elevate their print marketing materials to new heights.

Project Peacock Print Fair Chicago is FREE for print customers. Printers and service providers are welcome to attend for $45 to benefit Graphic Communications students.

Register for the event at projectpeacock.printmediacentr.com.

Following the Chicago event, the next Project Peacock Print Fairs will be taking place in Los Angeles on September 12, and Toronto on November 7. Registration for these upcoming events is open. In 2020, Project Peacock Print Fair locations are set to include Miami, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Portland, as well as continuing to spread its wings internationally with visits to Mexico City and London.

To learn more about Project Peacock and its partners, watch Project Peacock Peeks videos and get information on upcoming events, visit projectpeacock.printmediacentr.com

To discuss Project Peacock partnerships, please contact [email protected].

For any media inquiries, please contact [email protected].

Peacock Long and Prosper!

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About Print Media Centr

Print Media Centr provides printspiration and resources to our vast network of print and marketing professionals through online content, event support and coverage, and Podcasts From The Printerverse. Print Media Centr also works with printers, suppliers and industry organizations to help them create meaningful relationships with customers, and achieve success with their social media and content marketing endeavors. Visit printmediacentr.com and connect with The Printerverse.

About Project Peacock

Print Media Centr launched Project Peacock in 2017 as a roadshow-and-tell for ad agencies, brands and corporations to share the new possibilities available with digital toner, inkjet and wide-format printing. After meeting with more than 800 print buyers and creatives over two years, in 2019 Project Peacock expanded to offer an on-demand video series and a Print Fair that travels with industry partners to vibrant event spaces across the US, with international events launching in 2020. Visit projectpeacock.printmediacentr.com for information about our programs and how you can become a partner.

Art Laminating & Finishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, has announced that its Sales and Samples Resource Center, beginning July 1, will offer more than 1,000 sq. ft. of custom samples, a custom printed prototype service and meeting rooms that can accommodate 20+ attendees.

Plant tours of the 66,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility and one-on-one consultations with the company’s packaging and graphic design specialists will be available.

For more information, visit www.artlaminating.com.

Organizer and UV specialist IST Metz, Nürtingen, Germany, recently held its in-house exhibition, UV Days, with positive results. Taking place from May 13-16, UV Days 2019 saw more than 1,300 guests and 55 exhibitors from 46 countries. With more than 30 impulse and short presentations, 16 live print demonstrations on the company’s own sheetfed offset press, eight live demonstrations on the narrow web press and three different print jobs – these were the ninth UV Days of IST Metz.

“We are delighted with the great success of the ninth edition of our in-house exhibition. With more than 1,300 visitors and 55 exhibitors, the UV Days were more well-attended and more diversified than ever before in terms of application technology,” said Christian-Marius Metz, CEO of IST Metz GmbH.

PadBook – premium package with added value

A highlight among the print jobs was the PadBook – a highly refined, sustainably produced and usable multifunctional packaging. The fold-out folder serves as a mobile and compact office and contains holders for a writing pad, business cards, pens and storage space for tablet accessories, such as charging cables and plugs. The magnetic closure of the folder allows the entire office equipment to be securely stowed and transported. In addition to that, the PadBook also can be folded to create a tablet holder. During the in-house exhibition, visitors could have the PadBook personalized by Ludwigsburg type artist Sigrid Artmann with UV varnish or by means of modern laser engraving by exhibitor Polar Mohr.

Industry partners enrich UV Days

With 13 industrial partners, industrial applications were represented more strongly than ever before at the UV Days. Even outside the printing industry, the application possibilities for optical systems are almost limitless. That’s why IST offers tailor-made systems and solutions, as well as professional support and laboratory services with UV, LED and Excimer systems for industrial applications. IST Metz systems are used for processing such materials as glass, plastics, wood and wood-based materials. At the in-house exhibition, IST Metz presented its new Excimer laboratory system for the first time in daily live demonstrations.

For more information, visit www.ist-uv.com.

Coating manufacturer Leonhard Kurz, Fürth, Germany, has taken over the print finishing division of the Swiss mechanical engineering company Steinemann Technology, St. Gallen, Switzerland. The division will be managed as an independent subsidiary under the Kurz umbrella.

Kurz intends to retain and extend the St. Gallen location and will continue to sell the products under the Steinemann brand as an accompaniment to its Kurz Digital Metal product family. The full range of Steinemann print finishing machines will still be supported and will be supplemented by complementary services. The current offerings include the Colibri full surface varnishing unit with roller coater for UV varnish, as well as the dmax digital inkjet varnishing unit for spot and relief varnishing, which can be extended with the dfoil module for digital metallization.

New line of Kurz finishing solutions

Kurz has been involved in the development of the digital finishing process since the start of the decade. The company already offers two machine concepts for digital metal effects: the DM-Jetliner series for inline print enhancement, and the DM-Luxliner for independent, offline metallization before or after color printing. With the Steinemann solutions, the company now has extended its portfolio to include offline systems for quickly and efficiently finishing B1 and B2 format sheets. The dmax machine with dfoil module also allows the sheets to be varnished and metallized in a single pass.

Ljubisa Drinic, head of business area Application at Kurz, explained: “Kurz is a pioneer in digital print finishing. We developed the first machines and introduced them to the market long before there were solutions from other manufacturers. The incorporation of Steinemann is the next step in our pioneering work. Steinemann machines deliver exceptional product quality, and digital print finishing results of a high industrial standard that we consider to be market leading. The new Kurz subsidiary will combine this Swiss engineering expertise with our comprehensive know-how in coating technologies.”

With its greater focus on the digital print finishing machine sector, Kurz wants to breathe new life into the printing market.

“Print finishing is an effective answer to declining print orders. We are pulling in the same direction as all manufacturers of finishing systems to raise the importance of printed material,” explained Stéphane Royère, head of business area Industrial at Kurz. “By extending our product offerings we don’t compete with other manufacturers. We simply have expanded the range of available print finishing solutions and are jointly working towards making the added value of print products visible and tangible.”

For more information, visit www.leonhard-kurz.com.

APTech, Reston, Virginia, has announced the return of the RED HOT Technology Recognition Program to take place Oct. 3-5 at PRINT 19 in Chicago’s McCormick Place North, showcasing exhibitors’ newest products or services on the event floor.

“Sales opportunities and the collaboration that leads to growth go to the risk-takers, disruptors and innovators,” said Thayer Long, president, APTech. “The RED HOT Technology participants will have an additional degree of visibility and recognition. Literally providing them a way to stand out in the crowd.”

Featuring publishing and printing technology, equipment or service that has come to market within the past 12 months, the RED HOT Technology Recognition Program highlights the “what’s new” on the exhibit floor. All RED HOTs will be noted in the Event Guide, which will be printed and distributed onsite at PRINT 19. In addition, each recognized product will sport a highly visible RED HOT Technology marker and will be listed online and searchable within the event’s online directory and planner.

Each of these technologies also may be eligible to win one of three RED HOT Vanguard Awards, based on its merit as a game-changer in the industry. The RED HOT Breakthrough Award recognizes products that build on existing technology to significantly advance its use; the RED HOT Collaboration Award recognizes innovative new products that result from a collaboration among different manufacturers; and the RED HOT Pioneer Award will be given to a product that is the first of its kind or entirely new to the industry.

“This program showcases the ‘what’s new’ without judgment, and through the Vanguard Awards, recognizes technology that breaks new ground, opening new markets and business opportunities that the industry needs,” said Long.

Interested exhibitors can find additional information about the RED HOT Technology program, as well as information on how to submit products for inclusion, at https://www.printtechnologies.org/PRINT19/exhibit/red-hot-technology-recognition-program/how-to-enter-for-red-hot/. The deadline to submit is July 26.

Print Media Centr’s show-and-tell event, Project Peacock Print Fair, will be held June 27 at Brake and Clutch Warehouse in Dallas, Texas, continuing the mission to showcase the new possibilities for print marketing through innovative printing technology and techniques, in a unique and impactful setting.

Following the success of the inaugural Project Peacock Print Fair, which took place March 14 at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in NYC, even more print customers from brands, agencies and corporations will have the opportunity to learn about the multitude of opportunities available with new print technologies, and how they can take advantage of them through Project Peacock’s partners.

The Project Peacock initiative started as a way to help agencies and brands broaden their knowledge of what is possible with today’s toner-based, inkjet and wide format presses, digital finishing, paper and substrates, and marketing technology. Before long, the project outgrew the conference rooms and is now filling vibrant event spaces in a wider range of locations. The Print Fair expands the scope of Peacock events, allowing for a broader audience to benefit from the project, and the on-demand, application-based educational video series Project Peacock Peeks takes the venture to a global audience, accessible to everyone.

“The buzz is certainly building around Project Peacock and Print Fair,” said Deborah Corn, Intergalactic Ambassador to The Printerverse at Print Media Centr and the founder of Project Peacock, adding, “The program proves the need for this type of unbiased information and creative exchange to keep everyone up to speed on technology, and foster some genuine industry collaboration.”

The Print Fair will include cocktail hour keynotes from Corn and Trish Witkowski, Chief Folding Fanatic at FoldFactory.com, starting at 6 p.m. From 7-9 p.m., attendees will have the chance to discover the world of print’s possibilities through samples demonstrating paper, print and finishing applications to enhance print marketing from Project Peacock partners that include Association for Print Technologies, Canon Solutions America, Clampitt Paper, Domtar Paper, Kodak, Konica Minolta, MGI, PRINTING United/BRAND United, Reality Blu, Xerox, Xeikon and Yupo, with media sponsorship from Printing Impressions and Target Marketing.

Corn concluded: “The NYC event exceeded all attendee and partner expectations, and we have requests for Print Fairs in several US cities, as well as internationally. If you join us in Dallas, I guarantee you will learn something, see something printspirational and meet some really cool Peacock partners and attendees who love print.”

Project Peacock Print Fair Dallas is FREE for print customers. Printers and service providers are welcome to attend for $45 to benefit graphic communications students.

Following the Dallas event, the next Project Peacock Print Fairs will be taking place Aug. 1 in Chicago and Los Angeles on Sept. 12.

To learn more or to register, watch Project Peacock Peeks videos and get information on upcoming events, visit projectpeacock.printmediacentr.com. To discuss Project Peacock partnerships, please contact [email protected].

Spark Printing, Memphis, Tennessee, has lit a bonfire of new business opportunities with print buyers, brands and other fellow commercial print service providers over the last year with their MGI JETvarnish 3D digital print enhancement press from Konica Minolta.

By taking a creative approach to decorative design and using an advisory-based method of delivering finishing services for promotional marketing campaigns, the firm has grown by 400% in the last year by developing partnerships with peers in the industry to make their JETvarnish 3D embellishment resources available to other printers and agencies on a national basis.

 A Campaign-based Printing Model

Jeff Cowens, president of Spark Printing, summarized his experience with the JETvarnish 3D solution by stating, “The beauty of this machine is discovering new special effects that we didn’t even know were possible before. This technology is turning traditional 2D graphic design into 3D fashion statements and it allows us to act as a brand consultant for our printing partners and customers in the industry.”

In addition to their JETvarnish 3D digital special effects, Spark also offers brand management support for print campaigns with wide-format sign displays, direct mail programs and other traditional commercial printing applications produced by its Konica Minolta AccurioPress C6100. A recent important project and success story involved their work to support the 50^th anniversary commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr’s tragic death for the National Civil Rights Museum. Spark produced a variety of materials and memorabilia for the notable historical event with recurring graphical citizenship themes that allowed the important non-profit organization to exceed its donor fundraising and member participation goals.

 FSEA Odyssey Expo Sourcebook Directory

 The biennial Odyssey Expo, hosted by the International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking (IADD) and the Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA), is the leading postpress industry forum for commercial printers, trade finishers and packaging converters. At the event, the elite craft of decorative print enhancement is catalogued for the marketplace with the publication of the FSEA Sourcebook Directory, a compendium of member services available to print buyers, brands and agencies.

This year, Spark Printing contributed to the proceedings by producing a special duplex promotional insert in the FSEA Sourcebook that illustrates the high-impact brand value available to print buyers seeking to deliver targeted, personalized communications with JETvarnish 3D embossed Variable Data Foiling (VDF) techniques. This piece was produced using three different Crown Roll Leaf foils: Cherry Red, Penny Copper and Rainbow Hologram and utilized an Abraham Lincoln one cent US coin image and a complex electronic circuit board design for maximum effect.

For more information, visit www.mgiusa.com and www.konicaminolta.com.