Fespa to showcase printing in live production environments at Fespa Digital

Fespa has said the Print Shop Live! element of this year's Barcelona show will showcase how best to integrate new technology with existing equipment, all in a live environment.

A hands-on technical experience, Print Shop Live!, will enable visitors to test their artwork files on both wide- and narrow-format print technology.

Prepress workflow on show includes GMG colour management software coupled with ripping and preflighting tools from Onyx.

Print output will be showcased across multiple printers from manufacturers including Epson, HP and Mutoh, while Esko Graphics' Kongsberg finishing technology will carry out the cutting.

According to Duncan MacOwan, Fespa’s head of events and new media, technology remains the driver behind many of the opportunities open to wide-format printers.

He added: "The biggest challenge can be to assess how best to integrate new technology with what they have already to achieve the best outcome for their business.

"With Print Shop Live!, we’ll show how straightforward it can be to seamlessly bring together the different production stages, optimising productivity and operational efficiency across multiple applications to offer the most comprehensive service to customers."

Fespa has also announced that Veronique Verdyck from screen printing and embroidery firm PAS Belgium is the winner of the Fespa Fabric 2012 t-shirt design competition.

Veronique will have her t-shirt design printed and showcased as the official Fespa Fabric 2012 t-shirt during this month's show.

She said: "I think that’s how you should see life - through rose tinted heart shaped glasses - with the reflection of a holiday campervan and a marvellous destination ahead. What could be better?"