News

Screen has set out its stall to become a major player in the print-on-demand (POD) arena by putting its key focus on digital print at Drupa.

The Japanese manufacturer, which is best known for its CTP products, has promised to give the vast majority of its stand to inkjet presses for a range of variable-data uses, including transpromo.

Key sectors where the firm is developing products include packaging, industrial printing, paper media and sign and display.

Brian Forsdike, president of Screen Europe, told delegates at last week's pre-show press event: "We will give the majority of our exhibition space over to print on demand. We are not known in that market so we really have to make a big impression."

Few specific details were made public on new products for the show, although Screen Europe marketing manager Tim Taylor said new upgrades to the Screen Truepress Jet520 would be on the stand, among other innovations.

He also revealed that the firm was close to signing a customer from the newspaper sector for the Jet, 520, which is able to print full-colour newspapers on uncoated stock, although the name and location of the customer remained under wraps.

In CTP, Forsdike said Screen was committed to producing platesetters for the larger-format web and sheetfed presses that are coming onto the market, although it is unclear whether these will be shown at Drupa.