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“Small actions can make the biggest difference, but we must not be complacent and as there is always more we can all do to reduce waste and recycle what we use”. This is behind the charge imposed on plastic carrier bags by the UK Environment Minister in England. The programme has been deemed an outstanding success since its introduction last October.

Packaging design has been changing rapidly in recent years. The development of new technologies, the changing demography of consumers and the environmental pressures on brands have forced packaging designers and producers to come up with new and innovative solutions. At the same time they are required to restrict waste materials, reduce packaging materials and make provisions for the recycling of used containers.

At Landa, the digital printing revolution is not just about putting ink on paper. It’s also about how the press looks and how operators interact with it. To borrow from Steve Jobs, “Design is how it prints.” Ultimately, Landa’s objective is to bring to market a new printing process that delivers what brands and consumers need, but deliver it in a package that would make a Landa press almost an extension of its operator – a totally intuitive, highly efficient and profit-driving system.

Autumn has arrived in Europe and the weather has cooled down now in the south. The population of Northern Europe has returned from the beaches of Spain, France, Italy and Greece, back to the cities like Paris, London and Berlin – cities in which the tourists have been able to roam free without the crowds of commuters and office workers. The mass exodus to the south happens every year in July and August and generates a lot of business for hotels, restaurants, campsites and sun lounger sellers. The summer tourist season also generates a lot of business for those of us in the printing industry, despite the increased use of smartphones and travel apps.

One of the more regular questions I am asked when introducing Nanography^® for the first time is, “Why is the technology different from conventional inkjet presses – after all it uses inkjet heads to lay down the ink?” It is worth taking a few moments to fully explain the fundamental difference between the two processes because it is precisely this difference which endows Nanography with its unique properties.

The retail shopping experience is undergoing seismic change as a result of pressure from Internet giants such as Amazon and eBay. You can see the effect in shopping malls and supermarkets across the globe. Many of the sites are being closed or slimmed down as consumers use smartphones and tablets to place orders online for delivery to their front doors. A “one size fits all” approach no longer works as the Millennial generation, single-person households and Baby Boomers all have specific needs and wants that need satisfying with a tailored sales and marketing approach.

The world’s attention was focused on the Olympics in Brazil in August and amongst the most amazing performances from athletes from every sport, geography and gender, one man stands out, head and shoulders above the rest. I refer of course to Usain Bolt, who must now take the crown of the world’s most famous athlete for his outstanding performance in winning another three gold medals to add to the six from previous Olympic games.

I met a lot of interesting people at Drupa from far flung locations and in many diverse parts of the industry. One of the recurring groups of people I met were not those involved in production. They were the representatives of the major brands from around the world who were in Düsseldorf to look at the latest technology and the impact it might have on them.