Adir Ariel, regional business manager for Indigo in HP CEMA (Central Europe, Middle East, Africa), and Ronnie Louw, product manager of HP Indigo at Dynagraph, explain to Packaging MEA in an exclusive interview how the Middle East region will benefit from this historic association.
Packaging MEA (PMEA): Many thanks for giving us an opportunity to have this inter- view with you. Can you briefly share with us HP’s plans for the Middle East, given the new developments in the region which enables HP to sell and service its Indigo range of digital print machinery and allied software.
HP Managent (HP): We plan to distribute our Indigo and PageWide digital presses through- out the Middle East region via Dynagraph, a leading printing equipment supplier in the Middle East for over 70 years. HP aims to bring more choices to the market in the Middle East region by providing new technology which encourages innovation and contributes to prosperity and growth in the market. HP wants to provide more than just products – we want to provide services and expertise in the region and create potential to grow our Middle Eastern customer base.
PMEA: It comes at a time when digital print for packaging is slowly but surely gaining momentum and both brand owners and packaging (cartons, labels and flexible) printers are seriously looking at new invest- ments into digital print. What is HP’s strategy and plan for the Middle East region for the rest of 2021 and for the future.
What message would you like to convey to our readers (brand owners and packaging printers-converters)?
HP: HP’s strategy for the Middle East region is to improve the quality of products and services available to customers, through our partnership with Dynagraph. The plan is to provide numerous services that go beyond just printing services. These include, for example, testing machines at Dynagraph facilities to assess which press is the most suitable for consumers. Other initiatives include training and installation facilities. With these initiatives, we aim to create more choices.
If you are looking for a distribu- tor of high-quality products and services and a place to enrich your knowledge, Dynagraph partnered with HP can do that for you.
PMEA: You have appointed Dynagraph as your UAE dis- tributor for the Indigo range of products. Can you give us more details on this new partnership and what made you choose Dynagraph as your UAE partner?
HP: Dynagraph is one of the leading printing equipment suppliers in the Middle East and has been for over 70 years. The company previously supplied our large format HP Latex and HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printers and we felt that this was the natural next step to take. HP will supply our Indigo presses and HP PageWide presses to Dyngraph, and it will distribute these presses along with other beneficial services to customers. Dynagraph has a significant amount of knowledge of print- ing and international trends and with this extensive experience in the printing services industry, it made sense to partner with them.
Ronnie Louw, product manager Indigo HP, Dynagraph
PMEA: Can you please share with us some of your latest digital packaging print machinery that printers can look at investing here in the MEA region?
HP: In 2020 and 2021, HP rolled out a new portfolio of HP Indigo digital presses. These presses allow our customers to tap into industry megatrends and grow three to five times faster than the market they serve.
For the label market specifically, we introduced three new presses. Firstly, the HP Indigo 6K, which is our latest addition to the HP Indigo 6000 series. With nearly 2,000 presses in production worldwide, this narrow web press is the global backbone of digital label printing.
Secondly, we added the HP Indigo 8K to the HP Indigo 8000 series. This high productivity narrow web press allows label converters to deliver mid and even long run jobs faster and at lower cost comparing to flexo.
For the flexible packaging market, we are introducing the HP Indigo 25K. The HP Indigo 25K is our latest addition to the HP Indigo 20000 series with over 250 presses installed world- wide. This mid-web press allows innovative converters to tackle high growth and short-run jobs, such as sustainable pouches, delivered in fast time to market with no tools and no minimum order size. This press is also popular with label converters for high productivity printing and large size labels, as well as those wishing to diversify into shrink sleeves and flexible packaging.
For the folding cartons market, the HP Indigo 35K is the latest addition to our HP Indigo 30000 series. With over 70 presses installed worldwide this press is allowing folding cartons and card converters to provide high-value, short run boxes and cards.
All our new K models have made progress in three key areas.
Application range – introducing new inks, brand protection capabilities and product capa- bilities allows our customers to serve a larger book of business. Colour and workflow automation – broader colour automation system, remote service tools and new HP PrintOS capabilities allowing our customer to grow productivity and print quality. And finally, sustainability – we’ve introduced new capabilities for lowering waste, making it easier than ever to print sustainable and recyclable packaging.
PMEA: What is HP Indigo’s principal focus with regard to its packaging print and fulfilment and what sets HP apart from its competition?
HP: HP Indigo is leading in the digital label & packaging space owing to a few key areas.
Firstly, we know that brands are not willing to compromise on print quality given that packaging is the face of most products and often the first interaction
a customer will have with a product. That said, we ensure that printing quality is of the highest standard possible for brands.
Secondly, most label converters serve multiple market segments and need presses to be able to serve diverse customer needs.
HP Indigo LEP digital printing technology is the only solution that allows converters to deliver high quality packaging on any media and serves nearly all applications including indirect food packaging. In addition, HP Indigo has the widest press portfolio, allowing converters to standardize their production floor with a single set of ink, parts, supply chain and operator skills.
Finally, due to its size, HP Indigo is the only player that can deliver an end-to-end eco system. The HP Indigo Digital Pouch Factory is a great example of such an end-to-end eco system, allowing converters to set up a pouch business with a small footprint and modest investment.
PMEA: Consumers on the retail shelf look for brands and products that have visibility, high shelf impact and ‘sensory experience’ (comprising luxury and captivating print-finishing).
At HP, how are you able to successfully retain all of your sustainable credentials / goals and yet be a best seller at digital print for packaging. Do you agree with the buzz: “Minimalism the new luxury and shelf appeal in packaging”?
HP: Consumer demands are changing, forcing brands to broaden their product offering, launch new SKUs and invest in personalisation. A brand’s ability to forecast what will sell and what will stay on the physical or online shelf is declining, forc- ing brands to practice an agile supply chain. At the same time, entrepreneurship is thriving – new craft brands are propel- ling demands for packaging that cannot be served cost effectively and in a sustainable manner using conventional equipment. These trends and others fit perfectly with the value proposi- tion of HP Indigo Digital Printing.
HP Indigo technology allows Print Service Providers to cater for nearly any need using a
single press. Converters can print dozens of jobs per day using a single press, alternating between various media type ranging from thin film, heat sensitive and rough paper. And all with unparalleled creativity using Indigo special inks portfolio and software capabilities allowing convertors to offer unique and variable art.
PMEA: If there are any other thoughts that you feel like sharing with us, please do so.
HP: We are looking forward to changing the printing industry in the Middle East region through our partnership with Dynagraph. We hope that by partnering with a business that has extensive knowledge about the industry and is well informed on inter- national trends, we will be able to contribute to prosperity and growth in the region. We want to inspire more innovation through our printers, provide more choices in the market and help custom- ers to become more educated.
Dynagraph Management:
BD: Congratulations on winning the distributorship for HP Indigo. What does this mean for Dynagraph and its growing influence in the packaging print sector?
Dynagraph: Dynagraph has over 70 years of experience as a leading printing services business in the Middle East. Our knowledge and expertise in the industry have given us significant influence and power in the market. Our partnership with HP will grow this as we provide innovative facilities and high-quality printers which will introduce customers to new futuristic technologies.
An example of these facilities is a machine which will choose a suitable press for custom-
ers. This will positively change the industry. This partnership will help us to strengthen our relationships with customers in the region by providing more products and services.
BD: What are your immediate plans to introduce HP Indigo to the local market (printers-converters)?
Dynagraph: Our immediate plan is to showcase the HP Indigo press as a key featuring product. We will also be showcas- ing other HP products including the PageWide presses at our new facility in Dubai which
we have recently invested in.
BD: What is your message to the local printers-converters in the region with this new product (HP Indigo) in your portfolio?
Dynagraph: Our message to the local printers-converters in the region is that they have the opportunity to adopt new technology which can improve their printing significantly and change the way that they work for the better. We want to deliver the message that
the market is growing and there are more options available. Along with this, they also now have the opportunity to be enriched with training and consulting. We hope that with our knowledge and expertise – and with HP’s high-quality versatile Indigo presses – we can encourage innovation and aid prosperity in the region.