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If you’re not a proud print nerd (like us), the word ‘Drupa’ probably means nothing to you. But if you’re the kind of person who gets all excited about paper, printing and the machinery that makes it happen (yep, us again), then the word probably fills you with joy.

So, Drupa. What is it? Only the biggest printing equipment exhibition on the planet. It’s held every four years in Dusseldorf, Germany. The word ‘Drupa’ is a portmanteau – a blend of the German words ‘druck’ and ‘papier’ (print and paper). We were lucky enough to be at Drupa this year, along with hundreds upon thousands of fellow print geeks from around the world.

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that we had an amazing time.

From the elaborate paper display decorating the ceiling at the main entrance, to buildings the size of airplane hangars all packed to the brim with people and equipment, Drupa is a pretty awe-inspiring experience. There are press conferences and product demonstrations that are more like concerts – the Xerox stand hosted a performance by DJ Lovra, while Highcon had a booth outfitted with chairs, bookcases, sculptures and clothes – all made out of paper (there’s also an official Drupa song, but the less said about that the better).

Drupa is a showcase of the best of the best, and what became clear as we wandered around all this cutting-edge technology is that when it comes to printing, the Australian market is incredibly sophisticated. Not only that, but the investments that Newlitho has made in digital finishings in recent years puts us right at the forefront of the industry. It was a pretty amazing feeling for a printing company from the suburbs of Melbourne to walk into a giant trade fair alongside the biggest names in the industry and know that we could go head-to-head with the best of them.

What’s more, the mood at the event was overwhelmingly positive. It’s clear that despite the doomsdayers, the print industry remains as vibrant as ever. The technological advances and creative thinking on display at Drupa made it clear that the future is bright – very bright.  

In terms of the broad trends we witnessed, three stand out:

• Personalisation. Tactile print pieces targeted precisely at customers and clients

• Automation. As in many industries, automation is changing printing in some dramatic and surprising ways

• Recognition that digital and print are complementary technologies. Plenty of our clients have shaken off the mentality that digital is a replacement for print and have realised that both are crucial elements of the most successful marketing plans. Increasingly, print and digital suppliers are joining forces to offer customers the best of both worlds.

All in all, it’s an exciting time to be in the print business and we’re looking forward to taking what we learned and incorporating it into the work we do for our clients.