By John Blyth, Marketing and Communications Manager, Commercial and Industrial Printing Group, Ricoh Europe
In just a few months the Coronavirus changed human behaviour on a worldwide scale. For more than a year every aspect of our lives has been affected and we have all adapted to measures introduced to control the pandemic.

The European paint, printing ink and artists' colour industry is under heavy pressure due to rising raw material prices. A complex mix of demand, capacity issues and scarce transport resources is increasing uncertainty in the supply chain for key raw materials. Despite huge implications for the industry, the paint industry is working to reduce risks for customers.

Trends, know-how, orders and, above all, practice-oriented approaches to solutions - this is exactly what the international consumer goods industry needs during and after the pandemic. The Consumer Goods Digital Day is putting together an exciting digital conference programme for this purpose on 20 April 2021. Sanjay Sauldie will open the day with a plea to actively shape the digital transformation in retail. In parallel, there will be the opportunity to order directly from over 300 companies via Nextrade. Participation in the Consumer Goods Digital Day is free of charge.

Canon Europe launches the results of its latest Insight Report – ‘Creating Customer Value’ – which reveals the changing demands of the print buyer and the untapped opportunities for PSPs and in-house print rooms. The research uncovered that fewer than 20% are fulfilling the needs of their customers. At a time when brands are under more pressure than ever to achieve due to static or declining marketing budgets, 80% said they would welcome more creative input from their PSPs, representing a clear opportunity for print.

By John Blyth, Marketing and Communications Manager, CIP Group
It goes without saying; but I’ll say it anyway. 2020 was a year. Like. No. Other.

Global study finds significant privacy concerns stemming from the pandemic, fueled by rapid shift to remote work and the need to utilize health information of individuals.
Privacy legislation worldwide has been well received, with nearly 80% of security and privacy professionals seeing positive impact on their organizations.
Strong privacy infrastructure and robust security practices are essential for post-pandemic social and economic recovery.

Esko has announced it will support brands with a free, downloadable e-book ‘2021 Packaging Trends’, in which leaders from Danaher Group companies, Esko, X-Rite Pantone, discuss this year’s packaging trends with insights into how business can leverage them for success.

By Craig Lewis, Head of Enterprise Printing, Commercial and Industrial Printing Group, Ricoh Europe
COVID-19 required businesses to make sweeping operational changes overnight with most implementing immediate homeworking.

Product manufacturer demands and changing consumer behaviour accelerate transition to digital label production

Through the crisis with digital technologies, automation, inkjet and finishing

There is no doubt that the Corona pandemic will leave its mark on the printing industry. The coming months will show how severe the impact will be, which sectors are most affected and how quickly a new normality will be established in the printing industry. What is certain, however, is that despite all the changes in the print and media industry, digital printing will once again hold its own. With the possibilities of digital technologies, print service providers and printers are addressing changing customer demands through new and profitable business models. Konica Minolta has identified four market trends in production printing that printers will not be able to avoid in 2021.

First edition of decorative color inspiration brings us back to earth with intense reds and passionate yellows

To compliment prominent blush shades from past years, these warm hues are perfect for color blocking, a design trend here to stay
Formulated with Clariant’s Hostatint™ 500 pigment preparations

Avient Corporation, a premier provider of specialized and sustainable material solutions and services, today announced that Avient ColorWorks has launched ColorForward 2022. This 16th edition of the annual color forecasting guide for the plastics industry marks its debut within Avient, which was formed this year from legacy businesses PolyOne and Clariant Masterbatch.