In order to accelerate the growth of the global inkjet business, FUJIFILM Imaging Colorants, Inc. (Newcastle, Delaware, USA, hereinafter referred to as FFIC Inc.), a U.S. subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation will construct a new production plant for pigment dispersions, which is a colorant for water-based pigment inkjet inks. Construction will start in April 2021 and is scheduled for completion by 2022. The investment for this construction is approximately 19 million USD.

The BoxMaker, a leading Pacific Northwest manufacturer of corrugated packaging, broke ground on a new production plant in Lowell, Arkansas on March 16th, 2021 as part of a multi-million-dollar investment to effectively address growing demand across the country for digitally produced packaging and displays.

Leader in integrated software and hardware solutions, Esko, has partnered with UK-based supplier of high-quality and innovative products for cats and dogs, Making Pet Food Matters (‘MPM’) to streamline the MPM artwork process, introducing cost and time-saving benefits.

Based in the Kansas City suburb of New Century, Kansas, Stouse is a trade-only specialty print provider. It supplies applications such as labels, decals, magnets and signs to promotional products distributors, commercial printers and marketing and advertising agencies. The company opened its doors as a screen and flexographic printer in 1977 and has since grown into a market leader with 40+ years of consistent sales growth. At any point in time, there are some 3,000 active jobs in the shop.

Toppan Printing (Toppan) (TYO: 7911), a global leader in communication, security, packaging, décor materials, and electronics solutions, has developed a more eco-friendly manufacturing method for offset printing that combines oil-based biomass ink with water-based varnish. ECOLUSTER is an addition to Toppan’s “SUSTAINABLE-VALUE™ Packaging” lineup, which is part of the recently launched “TOPPAN S-VALUE™ Packaging” range targeting added value for society and fulfilling living.

Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd., the parent company of the specialty chemicals manufacturing conglomerate Toyo Ink Group, and ITOCHU Corporation, a leading global trading house, have entered into a cooperative agreement to establish a plastic recycling scheme for the recovery and reuse of multilayer film packaging materials. Specifically, by using their respective technologies and vast business networks, the two firms will develop the materials technology needed to create real circularity of multilayer flexible packaging by making currently unrecyclable multilayer plastic packaging into a recyclable material by 2022. The collective goal is to boost the plastic material recycling rate to more than 40% in Japan and abroad. At present, the recycling rate in Japan is about 27%.

Esko, the global developer of integrated hardware and software solutions for the label, packaging and wide format print industries, has launched a new whitepaper – Cloud Freedom – delivering operational efficiency, data security and flexibility for print and packaging suppliers. This latest tool follows the successful launch of the company's Digital Maturity Model program in 2020 designed to help management teams meet the growing need to strategically address business digitization, automation and connection.

Labelexpo Europe will take place in April 2022, Labelexpo Americas in September 2022 and a new US Label Congress is announced for September 2021.

V-Shapes, an innovative supplier of vertically integrated products and services for convenient, hygienic and sustainable single-dose packaging, today reported that South African company EasyPack Packaging has acquired a V-Shapes ALPHA vertically integrated machine for the manufacture of single-dose sachets that can be opened with one gesture using one hand. In addition to producing hand sanitizer, the company also packages and exports food products, such as honey, peanut butter, grappa, olive oils – anything liquid to semi-solid.

V-Shapes, an innovative supplier of vertically integrated products and services for convenient, hygienic and sustainable single-dose packaging, today reported that it has partnered with TrojanLabel, an AstroNova Company, to integrate the TrojanLabel T2 high-volume digital inkjet press into its V-Shapes PRIME packaging machine. This integration delivers high quality 1600 dpi printing in-line on sachets using designed-for-recycling materials developed by V-Shapes and partners that can be printed using digital inkjet technology. The TrojanLabel T2 digital inkjet printer prints at an impressive speed of up to 12 inches per second with Memjet printheads.

Toyo Printing Inks, Inc., a member of the Japan-based Toyo Ink Group, one of the world’s largest ink manufacturers, recently brought to market the LP-9000 Toyo Life Premium Food LO/LM, a new series of sheetfed offset inks with low odour and low migration characteristics. Engineered and manufactured in accordance with EuPIA (European Printing Ink Association) guidelines and the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), the LP-9000 LO/LM product is suitable for use in printed packages for the food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and other sensitive applications. This new low-migration offset series has been specially formulated for printing on the non-food contact surface of paper and cardboard media.

Label Academy, the global training provider for the label and package printing industry, is to host its third virtual master class aimed at an international audience in March. This latest learning opportunity will cover brand protection for the first time.

DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials, announces its portfolio of reworkable and repulpable barrier coating resins for the food and non-food packaging industry. Now manufacturers have an alternative to traditional, less eco-friendly LDPE coatings.

V-Shapes, an innovative supplier of vertically integrated products and services for convenient, hygienic and sustainable single-dose packaging, today reported that Thailand-based NR Instant Produce PCL, a leading global manufacturer of sustainability produced ethnic, plant-based and functional foods, has installed four V-Shapes ALPHA packaging lines to support manufacture of its non-food consumer products for domestic and international distribution, including its Sustainable Development Brand (SDB) clean shots hand sanitizer as well as co-packing of third-party products.

Esko has entered into an exclusive partnership with leading Swiss packaging prepress solutions distributor Amagoo, to support packaging businesses on their journey of digital transformation with Esko-powered software.

The migration behaviour of digital ink systems plays a decisive role in the selection of a digital press and determines to a large extent which application segments the printing system can cover – and to which segments it could be expanded if necessary. These comprehensive aspects of migration-optimised solutions are discussed in Xeikon’s new white paper, in which Lode Deprez, Vice President Technology, provides insight into the criteria that must be taken into account when purchasing a digital printing system.

Konica Minolta has announced the launch of a new digital inkjet press for corrugated packaging. The PKG-675i enables printers, converters, and brand owners to benefit from an easy-to-use solution for their on-demand packaging production – matching the trend towards more customised printing for corrugated boxes.

Scodix, the world’s leading provider of digital enhancement solutions for the graphic arts industry, today announces that Germany S.A.C.I.A.G has installed a Scodix Ultra Digital Enhancement Press. The press is the first of the Scodix Ultra series to be installed in Paraguay where Germany S.A.C.I.A.G is a leading packaging producer in the food, tobacco, clothing, cosmetic and pharmaceutical markets.

CompanyBox, the U.S.-based, on-demand custom packaging company, announced the purchase of a second HP PageWide C500 Press, significantly expanding their capacity and nationwide corrugated digital print solutions. The multi-million-dollar investment makes CompanyBox the first company in the world to operate two HP C500 presses in the same facility.

Siam Toppan Packaging (Siam Toppan), a subsidiary of Toppan Printing (Toppan) (TYO:7911), has been honored in the WorldStar Packaging Awards 2021, making it the first Toppan Group company to receive the accolade for two consecutive years.

High impact presentation boxes from Pollard Boxes have provided the ideal format for major football clubs celebrating significant anniversaries and milestones.