FuturePrint Podcast

• #298 - Printflation, AI and Trust: HP’s Amir Raziel on What’s Next for Print

  Send us a textIn this FuturePrint Podcast episode, Marcus Timson is joined once again by Amir Raziel, Head of Strategy at HP Industrial Print, for a wide-ranging conversation about where print is really heading as we move into 2026.Drawing on almost 20 years at HP across operations, sales, product marketing and strategy, Amir revisits his well-known framework of five key transitions – from AI-driven automation and resilient supply chains through to sustainable production, experiences and services – and explains how each of them has accelerated over the last 12 months.He unpacks the reality of “printflation” in 2025: rising ink and paper costs, multiple price increases, cautious capital spending and slow delivery of some post-drupa promises. At the same time, research from firms like Keypoint Intelligence shows sustainability rocketing to the number-two concern for PSPs and converters, with regulation turning ESG from a marketing angle into a business imperative.The discussion also tackles:How AI, workflow automation and software are shifting value away from raw hardwareWhy energy consumption and data-centre growth could soon constrain press investmentsThe rise of Chinese vendors in labels and packaging – and how established players must respondWhy trust, service and transparency are becoming critical differentiatorsAmir shares practical advice for PSPs and converters on unlocking value today – from better conversations with brand customers to “non-stop digital print” and quick wins hiding in existing workflows. He closes with three strategic questions every print business should ask as it prepares for 2026.If you’re leading a print or packaging operation and want a clear, strategic view of what’s coming next – and how to prepare – this is essential listening.Listen on:Apple PodcastGoogle PodcastSpotifyWhat is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events:FuturePrint TECH: Industrial Print: 21-22 January '26, Munich, Germany

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• #297 - Matti: Printing The Impossible - Book Edge Innovation

  Send us a textPrinting clean, durable artwork on the edges of a finished book sounds like magic—until you see how the right heads, inks, and control systems make it routine. We sit down with Martin Letzner and Thomas Amrein of Matti Technology to unpack how their single pass, head-agnostic approach delivers vibrant colour on three edges at up to 4,000 books per hour, straight to pallet with no smearing. The secret? High-viscosity inks that resist capillary wicking, higher pigment loads for pop, and smart transport with cameras and real-time warping to handle imperfect spines and shifting pressure in stacked books.We walk through the journey from lab tests to turnkey machines built to slot into existing pre- and post-press lines. Thomas explains how close collaboration with ink manufacturers leads to tailored formulations that run dryer-free, while Martin highlights the operator-friendly design: traffic-light machine health, on-the-fly adjustments, and simple, one-button operation that cuts labour costs. Shorter runs are driving the roadmap toward automated format changes and, ultimately, true book-of-one capability—where every book can vary in size and edge artwork without stopping the line.The conversation stretches beyond books. The same principles apply to products with book-like proportions—think cigar boxes, folding cartons, and flooring packs—where edge graphics and codes can unlock new branding and security options. With extended gamut on the horizon and more ink channels in development, Maty is pushing colour and consistency while keeping energy use in check by avoiding heavy drying. It’s a clear picture of how Swiss engineering turns a tricky, manual niche into a scalable competitive advantage for printers, finishers, and packaging converters.Enjoyed the conversation and want more like this? Subscribe, share with a colleague who loves print innovation, and leave a review telling us where you’d use edge printing next.Listen on:Apple PodcastGoogle PodcastSpotifyWhat is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events:FuturePrint TECH: Industrial Print: 21-22 January '26, Munich, Germany

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• #296 - Sustainable Packaging at Speed: How Esko Is Building the Digital Backbone for a Low-Waste Future

  Send us a textIn this episode, FuturePrint’s Elena Knight speaks with Geert De Proost, Director of Market Intelligence & Product Partnerships at Esko, about the accelerating drive toward digital, data-led and low-waste packaging workflows — and why sustainability is now a compliance essential rather than a voluntary goal.Geert explains Esko’s role across the packaging value chain, supporting brands, pre-media and converters with tools for structural design, colour, pre-press, palletisation, workflow automation and business process management. Their mission: drastically accelerate packaging development while reducing waste, carbon impact and complexity.A major theme of the discussion is the regulatory shift reshaping packaging. With EPR, the EU’s PPWR and emerging global sustainability rules, brands now face direct financial consequences if packaging isn’t designed and documented correctly. That pressure is driving a need for accurate, structured digital data — something Esko’s cloud platform is built to enable.Geert also breaks down the three Manifesto principles most aligned with Esko’s work: optimised design for purpose, improved print efficiency, and leading with data and transparency. He reveals how combining structural and palletisation intelligence avoids “shipping air”; how colour and planning tools reduce makeready waste; and why digital data is the industry’s most urgent blind spot.The episode also explores cultural change, the evolution of the packaging ecosystem, and where the biggest sustainability wins can be achieved today — especially in conventional printing, where simple workflow improvements can significantly lower waste.Esko joined the Sustainable Print Manifesto to help drive cross-industry collaboration, and Geert shares his vision of a future where Esko acts as the data backbone connecting brands, converters, printers and recyclers.A must-listen for anyone involved in packaging, print workflows, sustainability or supply chain transformation.Listen on:Apple PodcastGoogle PodcastSpotifyWhat is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events:FuturePrint TECH: Industrial Print: 21-22 January '26, Munich, Germany

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• #300 - Mark Boyt on Why Robotics and AI Will Redefine Print’s Next Chapter

  Send us a textIn this episode, FuturePrint speaks with Mark Boyt, one of the print industry’s most experienced and respected analysts, now Principal Analyst at Keypoint Intelligence. With more than four decades in print across 3M, Xerox and now Keypoint, Mark brings a unique, long-view perspective on how technology, culture and economics shape the sector’s evolution.Mark discusses the slow but accelerating adoption of automation within print, revealing new research showing that nearly half of printers have not yet begun their automation journey. He explores why: the industry’s inherently conservative mindset, caution around investment, and the complexity of integrating disparate workflows.A major theme of the conversation is robotics — where Mark believes print is significantly behind other industries, yet exceptionally well-positioned to benefit. He explains why robots are ideal for lifting, transporting and repetitive handling tasks that continue to pressure today’s production floors. He also addresses common misconceptions, such as fears around job loss, noting instead the potential to relieve labour shortages and free staff for higher-value work.Mark also highlights the escalating role of AI as the “turbocharger” for automation, connecting workflow islands, optimising scheduling, and enabling more predictive and intelligent production.The discussion ultimately presents a compelling vision of the near future: highly automated, AI-orchestrated production environments where robotics integrates seamlessly into print workflows. Mark shares clear, practical advice for printers on how to begin that journey, the importance of strategic planning, and why events like FuturePrint Industrial Print Munich offer essential opportunities to learn, see technologies firsthand, and build the roadmap for the next phase of print innovation.Listen on:Apple PodcastGoogle PodcastSpotifyWhat is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events:FuturePrint TECH: Industrial Print: 21-22 January '26, Munich, Germany

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• #295 - 10 Microns: The Smart Printing Belt That Redefines Digital Precision

  Send us a textIn this episode of the FuturePrint Podcast, Frazer Chesterman is joined by Luca Rovacchi, Innovation Business Development Manager at Habasit, part of the wider Moovimenta Group. Luca shares the story behind one of the most intriguing new technologies to enter the digital print ecosystem – the Habasit Smart Printing Belt, an innovation that could fundamentally shift what precision means in industrial inkjet.Luca begins by explaining Moovimenta’s mission – smarter, safer, more sustainable – and how its corporate accelerator works across the group to identify, develop, and scale breakthrough technologies. That innovation pathway led directly to the Smart Printing Belt, an evolution built on Habasit’s decades of leadership in belting, from synthetic belts in the 80s to Kevlar-reinforced constructions in the 90s.The real leap, as Luca explains, comes from integrating a magnetic scale and sensor array directly inside the belt, enabling direct, real-time positional measurement with an astonishing accuracy of ±10 microns. This level of sub-pixel precision dramatically reduces banding, colour shifts, and registration errors, while improving uptime, yield, and consistency across long or repeat production runs.Luca also discusses how the system requires no machine redesign, can be retrofitted, and is compatible with existing heat-press joining methods – opening the door for integration across textiles, corrugated, décor, ceramics, packaging films, metal packaging and more.This is a rare genuine step-change in transport technology for digital printing – and one you’ll want to understand.Listen on:Apple PodcastGoogle PodcastSpotifyWhat is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events:FuturePrint TECH: Industrial Print: 21-22 January '26, Munich, Germany

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