The Esko – Mark Andy Innovation Day, held on 5 March at the Mark Andy Technology Center in Warsaw, brought together label printers and converters from across Europe to explore advanced solutions for the evolving label production landscape.
Label printers face increasing pressure to optimise production processes, reduce costs, and boost efficiency in response to shifting market demands, according to Mark Andy. Lena Chmielewska-Bontron, European marketing manager at Mark Andy, highlighted the importance of partnerships in advancing label production technologies.
She said: “This time we partnered with Esko, which offers a wide range of advanced hardware and software solutions used by our mutual customers. The meeting attracted many attendees from Poland, Turkey, Croatia, Czech Republic and other countries. For us, it was a great opportunity to showcase the new presses in Mark Andy’s portfolio, including the fastest UV inkjet hybrid press on the market dedicated to label production, Digital Series HD HighSpeed 1200.”
Jan De Roeck, marketing director at Esko, discussed key technologies like automation, AI, and cloud computing that are reshaping the sector. “Digital transformation is crucial in overcoming current production challenges,” Mr De Roeck explained.
The event had live demonstrations of Mark Andy’s printing presses, including the flexo Evolution Series E5 and the Digital Series HD HighSpeed 1200. The latter, which Mark Andy claims to be the fastest UV inkjet hybrid press in the world for label production, drew attention for its speed and capabilities.
Other demonstrations included a walkthrough of Esko’s Automation Engine, a tool used by over 3000 companies worldwide to streamline workflows and reduce errors. Sam Coussens, application sales manager at Esko, demonstrated how the software integrates with Mark Andy presses for optimised prepress, file approval, and print processes.
The event also featured a session on Esko’s flexo platemaking systems, with Nils Otto, solution architect at Esko, highlighting the environmental and financial benefits. These systems, when combined with Esko’s colour management tools, offer significant cost savings and reduced environmental impact, according to Esko. Ms Chmielewska-Bontron concluded that the events at the Mark Andy Technology Center will be a great prelude to the forthcoming Labelexpo Europe in September.
