FuturePrint Podcast

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What happens when an innovator refuses to accept that digital printing with HP Indigo technology on metal packaging is impossible?
In this episode of the FuturePrint Podcast, Marcus Timson speaks with Augusto França of Vislo and Amir Raziel of HP about the development of InnoCan: an indirect digital-printing process designed to bring the quality, flexibility and responsiveness of HP Indigo technology to three-piece metal packaging.
Augusto traces his journey from growing up around Brazil’s printing industry to confronting the limitations of conventional can decoration. Working with canmaker Brasilata, he recognised that lengthy offset set-ups, ageing machinery, large production batches and costly inventories created a compelling need for digital production.
The conversation explains how InnoCan prints onto a transparent film using HP Indigo ElectroInk before transferring the image to metal. A specialist coating developed with ACTEGA creates the required bond, producing a durable, high-quality result that can pass through established can-forming processes.
Amir discusses why the project attracted HP’s attention and why customer-led innovation is so powerful. Because the concept emerged from a genuine production environment, it addressed the complete application—including forming, slitting, coating, economics and market requirements—rather than focusing only on whether an image could be printed.
The guests also examine how digital production can reduce waste, inventory and working capital while allowing conventional offset equipment to focus on longer runs. Most revealingly, they explain why the greatest barrier was not the technology but the willingness of people and factories to change.
It is a story of curiosity, persistence and complementary expertise, and a compelling example of how collaboration can unlock entirely new industrial applications for digital print.
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What 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 Packaging, Labels & DTS Summit, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Industrial Print Show, 11-12 May '27, Munich, Germany

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Elena Knight spoke to Jorge Ania of Studio DC, a surface designer who has spent his career teaching industrial printers to imitate stone, marble and wood. He told us why he disliked digital printing at first, how it went on to transform ceramic tiles, why in his opinion wood décor has lagged behind - and why, in his view, the machine is only ever half the story. 
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What 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 Packaging, Labels & DTS Summit, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Industrial Print Show, 11-12 May '27, Munich, Germany

Send us Fan Mail
Hot air drying has powered print and coating lines for decades, but it comes with a familiar trade-off: you heat the whole substrate, spend energy you do not really need to spend, and still fight limitations on speed and material choice. We sit down with Dr Kai Bär, Managing Director, President, and Owner of adphos, to get practical about an alternative: high-power photonic drying using near infrared energy that targets the liquid layer and absorbs where it matters most.

Kai explains the core difference in working principle between conventional thermal drying and photonic processes, including the often-misunderstood point that “photonic” does not mean zero heat, it means better control of where heat is created and how it moves. We talk about why that matters for digital inkjet printing, coatings, labels, and especially packaging, where water-based inks on plastics and flexible packaging can be constrained by temperature sensitivity, solvent concerns, and cases where UV curing is a no-go for food or skin-contact applications.

We also zoom out to the wider industrial picture: coil coating, paper manufacturing with high liquid removal, thermal forming, and emerging projects in printed electronics, solar cells, ultra-fast particle processing, and even lithium battery manufacturing. Finally, we tackle the cost question head-on, focusing on process cost, automation, reproducibility, and ROI rather than judging the technology by equipment price alone. If you find this useful, subscribe, share it with a colleague working on production upgrades, and leave a review with the one drying bottleneck you most want to solve.
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What 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 Packaging, Labels & DTS Summit, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Industrial Print Show, 11-12 May '27, Munich, Germany

Send us Fan Mail
Printing on curved packaging sounds simple until you try doing it at industrial speed without missing nozzles, wasting materials, or slowing production to a crawl. We sit down with Florian Fässler, Head of R&D for Digital Technologies at Polytype, to unpack how direct-to-shape digital printing has evolved from a promising alternative into a robust manufacturing process that can handle real-world airflow, turbulence, and uptime demands.

We get into the technical leaps that matter most, including greater throw distance, modern inkjet printheads, and waveform optimisation that improves drop speed while reducing satellites. From there, we explore why manufacturers and brands are increasingly choosing digital direct-to-shape for short runs, rapid changeovers, and simpler logistics, especially in B2C and web-to-print models where lead times can be hours, not weeks. Florian also explains how printing directly on the container cuts label carrier waste and supports recycling goals while keeping inventory lean.

The conversation moves from decoration to capability: variable data printing enables unique QR codes and barcodes within the run, opening doors to connected packaging, traceability, and smarter customer engagement. We also look ahead at AI and automation, from AI-generated artwork to operator support tools, predictive maintenance, nozzle sensing, and even what happens when procurement becomes agent-to-agent ordering. If you care about industrial inkjet, sustainable packaging, mass customisation, and the future of manufacturing networks, this is a practical, grounded listen. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.
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What 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 Packaging, Labels & DTS Summit, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Industrial Print Show, 11-12 May '27, Munich, Germany

Send us Fan Mail
In this episode of the FuturePrint Podcast, Marcus Timson speaks with James MacDonald, Vice President of Nazdar’s OEM Inks business, about why collaboration is becoming essential to the future of industrial inkjet.
James explains how ink has traditionally been introduced relatively late in machine development—after decisions about printheads, curing systems and equipment architecture have already been made. As industrial applications become more complex, however, OEMs increasingly recognise that ink must be considered from the outset as a fundamental part of the complete system.
The discussion explores how Nazdar works as a strategic development partner rather than simply a consumables supplier. This requires a detailed understanding of the substrate, application, production environment, printhead, curing process and required end-use performance. James also explains how early collaboration can shorten development cycles, reduce technical risk and improve the prospects of successful commercialisation.
Marcus and James examine the balance between customisation and scalability, including how specialist formulations can become significant commercial opportunities as an OEM’s installed machine base grows. They also discuss structured development processes, forecasting, manufacturing capacity, regulatory change and the importance of clear communication throughout a project.
Above all, James argues that the next phase of industrial inkjet will depend upon closer cooperation across the technology ecosystem. Ink developers, printhead manufacturers, system integrators, raw-material suppliers, equipment builders and end users must align their technical and commercial objectives from concept to production.
The message is clear: ink is no longer the final component added to a machine. It is central to the architecture—and ultimate success—of the complete industrial printing system.
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What 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 Packaging, Labels & DTS Summit, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Industrial Print Show, 11-12 May '27, Munich, Germany