The Print Show, the UK’s only large-scale print industry event, and the new, co-located The Sign Show take place at the NEC in Birmingham from 23-25 September. LFR takes a look at what visitors can expect from a day out in the West Midlands…
Returning this month for its ninth edition, The Print Show remains the only UK-based event dedicated to printing. This year, the event will again play host to some of the largest names in printing technology, as well as a range of smaller, more niche suppliers, all eager to connect with visitors and showcase their latest offerings.
What makes this year’s event more appealing is that it will be co-located with a new event in the form of The Sign Show. This will allow visitors to explore the latest solutions across print and sign-making – something that should certainly appeal to those companies that have interests across both sectors and are keen to gain insight into new developments.
Here, we take a closer look at the exhibitor list across both shows, picking out some of the key highlights to look out for at the NEC – if you are making the trip this year – as well as the in-event features that will offer additional insight into stand-out trends and talking points.
Sustainable printing success
As is the case with many exhibitions, the main draw of The Print Show, and indeed The Sign Show, will be the companies that are exhibiting. A quick look up and down the exhibitor list for both events throws out leading brands such as HP, Fujifilm, Epson, Agfa, Roland DG, Hybrid Services (Mimaki), swissQprint and Vivid Laminating Technologies.
Along with this are several leading suppliers, including Quality Print Services (QPS), with its range of hardware and consumable solutions, as well as Perfect Colours, which counts HP and Epson among its manufacturer partners. Add in other leading names such as Mutoh, Antalis and InkTec Europe, and there is seemingly no shortage of options to explore.
So, where do you know where to start? Well, for most visitors, new solutions will be a must-see during their day – or perhaps days – out at the NEC. HP, located in The Sign Show area of hall 3, will be among those showing off new technology, namely the HP Latex R530, which will be shown in the UK for the first time. A versatile, all-in-one printer, the machine offers exceptional print quality and is suitable for a wide range of applications, making it ideal for indoor and outdoor signage.
Also, on display will be the recently announced HP Latex 630W and HP Latex 830W Series printers. Both designed for high productivity and efficiency, the two printers are capable of delivering vibrant colours and sharp details for applications such as stickers, wallcoverings, vehicle graphics and window graphics.
Of course, with HP Latex being a running theme across the HP stand, visitors can learn more about the sustainable benefits of this technology. All HP Latex machines run water-based HP Latex Inks, which have far less impact on the environment than solvent, eco-solvent and UV inks due to low VOC content. These sustainable attributes are in addition to high durability with scratch- and UV-resistance, as well as the ability to print onto a wide range of materials.
Alongside its hardware solutions, HP will invite visitors to learn more about its software and services segment. This includes HP Professional Print Services, a selection of end-to-end subscriptions for HP Latex users that help customers optimise their print operations, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency.
HP will be offering VIP stand tours each day at the show. These personalised tours will give attendees an in-depth look at HP’s latest products and innovations, allowing them to gain additional insight into its wider range of solutions. Visitors who sign up for the booth tour will have the chance to enter a raffle to win exclusive Ferrari merchandise. Visitors can sign up for the free booth tour here.
For further sustainable innovation, HP will partner with Digidelta, a specialist manufacturer of digital printing, decoration, visual communication, and textile materials, to run live demonstrations on BIOND. This bio-based, carbon-neutral range of films is being billed as “revolutionary” by Digidelta, presenting users with exciting opportunities within sustainable print production.
Available in ranges including printing films, protection films, décor films and glass décor solutions, all BIOND products feature 85%+ bio-based content, do not contain any volatile organic compounds, and are free from harmful substances such as phthalates and chlorine. In a market where sustainability is becoming an increasingly important consideration for customers, BIOND presents a new option for print companies seeking to enhance their offering.
Incidentally, The Print Show and The Sign Show mark the first time BIOND will be shown to a UK audience. Add in that the material matches the long-term commitment of HP Latex to the environment, and this could see the HP stand become a real hub of sustainable activity across the three days.
“BIOND represents a fundamental shift in visual communications, delivering high-performance print media that establishes new benchmarks in environmental responsibility,” said Steve Broad of Digidelta. “Our commitment extends beyond creating eco-friendly products – we’re pioneering solutions that transform industry possibilities.”
Revolutionary new ink technology
A short walk from the HP stand is Fujifilm, which is back at The Print Show for the third year in a row. One of the stand-out highlights here will be the Acuity Triton featuring AQUAFUZE ink technology. This new, roll-fed device uses the AQUAFUZE water-based, UV ink technology, and can print at 15sq m/hr in high-speed mode. For high-quality print work, the machine can still run as fast as 6sq m/hr.
“In a saturated market, it was high time a revolutionary technology broke into this space to offer wide-format print companies a real differentiator in productivity and all-round performance, and this with sustainability in mind,” Fujifilm said upon the launch of the new printer. “We believe that this breakthrough technology is just the step forward the print industry needs.”
Also on show will be the Acuity Prime 30 flatbed UV printer, seen by Fujifilm as a “new blueprint for flatbed ROI”. Offering a top production speed of 150q m/hr, the printer can process rigid media measuring up to 2.5m x 1.25m and as thick as 51mm. Running with Ricoh Gen 5 greyscale, variable drop printheads, the machine can print work at a maximum resolution of 726 x 1200dpi.
Fujifilm will be supported by Soyang Hardware, which, part of Soyang Europe, was earlier this year appointed as the official distribution partner for the Acuity Triton in the UK. This came shortly after the manufacturer rolled out its Acuity Triton featuring AQUAFUZE ink technology at FESPA 2025.
Soyang has been working with Fujifilm for several years, acting as an official distributor of the Acuity Prime and Acuity Ultra since 2023, with this new deal expanding the relationship between the two companies. At the show, specialist staff from Soyang will be in attendance on the Fujifilm stand to offer additional support and insight into Fujifilm’s hardware.
As for smaller-format options, Fujifilm will show new 5UPER COLOUR print models, including the Revoria Press EC2100S and SC285S.
Keeping with the theme of distributors, QPS will be back at the show this year, taking one of the event’s large stands next to Fujifilm. Visitors can view both the Colorjet Vulcan Hybrid 3202, a 3.2-wide, high-speed machine, and Colorjet Vulcan Hybrid 2001, 2.0m-wide flatbed and roll-to-roll UV printer on the QPS stand.
The supplier will also be showing the ColorJet Verve 2513 true flatbed LED UV printer and the Verve Mini, a high-resolution, LED UV curing flatbed printer that measures in at 2,500 x 1,300mm. On top of this, attendees can view the Roland TrueVIS XP-640, which only launched on the market in January, as well as the QUV-60, a UV-DTF machine developed in-house by the team at QPS.
Future-proof your business
On the subject of Roland DG, the manufacturer will be exhibiting at the show for the first time, taking a stand within The Sign Show. Its main attraction will be the Dimense DA-640, a new, tactile wide-format printer capable of producing embossed prints with up to 2mm of 3D effects.
Core features on the printer include the ability to produce print in qualities of up to 1200dpi on materials as wide as 1,615mm, while it can run substrates up to 1.0mm thick and can print in four-colour CMYK.
Roland DG also highlights additional environmental benefits, including that the machine runs water-based inks, while its 500cc cardboard cartridges, the manufacturer said, cuts plastic use by around 82% compared to previous versions. In addition, DIMENSE media is made from a PVC-free base that is odourless, migration-free and will not leach into surrounding surfaces or the air.
“With efficient power consumption and energy-saving features like built-in sleep timing and smart wake-up, Roland DG is driving sustainability across the digital print industry,” Roland DG said.
Another big-name manufacturer comes in the form of Epson, which should draw in the crowds with its new SureColor S9100, which was unveiled to the market in September last year. Having been available for 12 months now, Epson has reported high interest in the eco-solvent printer – which is seen as a replacement for the S80600 – with demand outstripping supply.
Headline figures for the SureColor S9100 are that it is a 64-inch machine that can print at speeds of up to 119.4sq m/hr and produce quality of 1200x1200dpi. It can run 11 colours – spanning CMYK, light black, light cyan, light magenta, red, orange, green and white – and boasts an UltraChrome GS3 bulk ink solution in a 1,500ml or 800ml selectable ink pouch.
It also has the PrecisionCore Micro TFP user-replaceable printhead, complemented by an additional drying system to ensure prints are cured before reaching the take-up reel. All in all, Epson said it offers a 9% uplift in productivity when compared to the existing S80600.
“While the S80600 was the stand-out performer during its time, inkjet technology has moved on significantly in the past decade,” said Phil McMullin, Head of Sales, Commercial & Industrial, at Epson UK&I. “The S9100 will future proof your business for years to come.”
Other names of note include swissQprint, which will be showing the Kudu, a high-end flatbed device designed for both speed and precision. The machine is capable of handling everything from tension textiles and braille signage to fine art, packaging and retail displays. Meanwhile, Agfa will be back this year, showcasing both its Anapurna Ciervo H3200 hybrid machine and Anapurna H1650i LED printer. The double showcase will come in what is the 20th anniversary year of the Anapurna range.
Concluding our whistle-stop tour of exhibitors aptly with a finishing specialist in the form of Vivid Laminating Technologies. Vivid will display a total of eight solutions, seven of which are already available to the market, with one new solution also being revealed at the show.
Machines set to feature on the Vivid stand include the Matrix Metallic, designed for applying digital foils and spot-UV type effects to coated and uncoated paper stocks, as well as sister machine the Matrix Pneumatic and three machines from the popular Easymount range. In addition, Vivid will demo a VeloBlade Volta digital cutting table solution.
Added value
Along with the main attraction of exhibitors and new technologies, visitors will have access to the Knowledge Zone speaker area within The Print Show. This year, the programme will again feature a diverse line-up of expert speakers from within the print industry and related markets.
Among those due to speak is Tom Willday, Founder of Willsow, who recently drew the interest of investors on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den with what he said is the world’s first ever plantable children’s book. Also scheduled to present is Solopress CEO Simon Cooper and BISON Managing Director Mark Bidewell, while Jeremy Page and George Kowalewski from BrandNation will lead an interesting talk on the benefits of AI in print.
Meanwhile, within the newly co-located The Sign Show, visitors will have the opportunity to get hands on with three different types of sign-making. The School of Wrap – backed by CVi Group, Space Architectural Interiors, All Print Supplies, Fedrigoni and FESPA UK – will showcase vehicle and architectural wrapping, running live demos and inviting visitors to try out wrapping for themselves.
Alongside this will be Neon Insights, run by Neon Creations, where specialists will lift the lid on neon signs, showing visitors how these pieces come to life and allowing attendees to have a go at neon bending. In addition, the Traditional Sign-Making Masterclass, which will be run by David Mearns of Signmode, will see attendees take part in age-old crafts such as signwriting and sign painting.
So, is a visit to the NEC this September worth your time? The short answer is yes. You will not be able to see such a wide range of technologies, in person and in one place, without hopping on a plane and leaving the UK. The Print Show and The Sign Show offer an affordable – in terms of both cost and time – way of catching up on new advancements, ensuring you are in the loop with the very latest in print, wide-format print, graphics, display and sign-making.
