PRINTING United 2024 was a celebration of forward thinking, versatility and innovation in the printing industry. Sign Builder Illustrated was in The Knowledge Center outside of the Central Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center and it was great to meet members of the industry at our booth. We’re always excited to receive new projects and information from the new faces we meet at shows. Judging by the people who stopped by our booth, wide format-produced installs are, of course, still a staple of the industry. We talked to some talented people who have helped with rebranding efforts for the Denver Broncos, AutoZone, Dunkin’ Donuts and more!
Just outside of our area was the Central Hall, which featured a large booth from Canon and big players like Mimaki, Konica Minolta, HP, Ricoh USA and Graphco spread out amongst a sea of printing industry companies. Interesting technology like interchangeable CNC routing heads with welding capabilities, high-speed direct-to-film printers and substantial vibrancy improvements in printing color left those on the show floor impressed.
From my perspective, it seemed as though PRINTING United attendees tackled the floor in waves, exploring the Central Hall for a full day, then transitioning over to the South Hall the next day. When walking between the Central and South Hall, attendees interacted with our section of the show floor where all the media companies were housed. PRINTING United hosted a variety of informational talks, along with a very touching retirement party for longtime Printing Impressions editor Mark Michelson and various industry awards focused on printing.
The South Hall featured a few more traditional wide format players like EFI, Epson and Mutoh, with a large focus on apparel and merch production throughout the rest of the hall. Companies like M&R Printing Equipment, ROQ US, Trotec Laser, Kornit Digital and more showcased their latest tech to the likes of small business owners, wholesalers and other printing industry members who walked the South Hall floor. The appetite for the latest technology in apparel production was palpable, and at some points it was difficult to even find a spot to stand in certain booths.
There were also multiple Tesla Cybertrucks on the floor, which were being wrapped in real-time for attendees to watch by companies like Roland DGA. Products from t-shirts to wallpaper coverings to coffee mugs dominated the conversations as small business owners and content creators alike are now relying on print capabilities to produce their custom items for their businesses. As we’ve seen on social media and in the general marketplace, small businesses are now essentially required to market themselves on social media and in the real world with custom apparel and merch. As a result, custom printers are being asked to make all of this come to life, from the hats and shirts worn in social videos, to the actual backdrop of the videos.
The general takeaway I had from the show was this: the industry is healthy and eager to grow. The printing technology in both the wide format sector and the apparel production sector seems to be continuously progressing at a rapid pace. Many companies were showcasing vacuum suction technology on the beds of their printers to keep items in place while printing, which was quite impressive to witness.
Ink cartridges continue to become easier to install and dispose of, and the versatility of many wide format printers is quite honestly shocking. One large, capable wide format printer can print on anything from corrugated packaging, to banners, to phone cases, stickers, window graphics and more.
The wholesalers know that the customers demand high quality, custom work these days, and that’s what’s being demonstrated on the show floor. The idea of a true “one stop shop” in the signage and graphic world continues to become more achievable with the increasing versatility of the printers on the market today.
