I’ve been thinking about how to tell you all about my incredible experience at Jetcomm and Dscoop since I got into the taxi to the airport heading home from D.C. This is one of those things that could go on forever and never truly do these events justice, or the incredible people I met, and what I learned from them.
The print industry is in a constant state of evolution, but every now and then there is a revolution, and right now that is inkjet. There are many forms of inkjet printing from desktop to wide format, but I am going to focus on high-speed inkjet, and more specifically HP’s high-speed inkjet solutions since Jetcomm was their event, and I was invited to cover it socially for the community at home.
The inaugural Jetcomm was held in Washington D.C. March 4-5, 2015 and from start to finish was a love-letter, not a sales pitch, for HP’s technology. As a matter of fact, HP barely took the stage and instead invited their customers to step up and share their experience and successes with each other. There were some uber technical geeky moments soaring above my head, but the printers in the room ate them up, and seemed impressed by the specs and gamuts and speed etc.
Perhaps the biggest news was the announcement of HP HDNA (High Definition Nozzle Architecture). This is an UPGRADEABLE – yes upgradeable! ink nozzle with twice as many nozzles than currently out there on their presses. HDNA technology allows for more color coverage, and better color output… and did I mention it’s upgradeable; as in keep your press, just upgrade the nozzle.
Jetcomm led right into Dscoop, and I hung out in the HP high-speed inkjet area to meet the printers using this technology and make some videos with them. I walked around when I could and saw many friends in the Solutions Showcase, ran into a few PMC/#PrintChat fans, and spent some time with exhibitors I wanted to meet.
As I said when I started, a simple event recap wont due my experience justice, so now that is done, let’s get to the bigger picture!
Inkjet is not the final frontier, but it is the new frontier for print. The early adapters are leading the way producing the expected, and inventing and creating the unexpected. They are true print pioneers, blazing trails the rest of us would be foolish not to follow. HP introduced me to so many innovative customers that I ended up with 14 video interviews, plus 3 from HP and one of me walking around Dscoop showing the crazy line-up of presses HP brought to DC. (Sidenote – some trucking/shipping company owner is naming their next kid Hewlett!)
Here is my challenge to you. No matter how long it takes – a day, a week, a month, make some alone time and listen to the printers in these interviews. Regardless if you have an HP high-speed inkjet web press, or ever will, you will learn something valuable about marketing, printing, design, innovation, failing, succeeding, persevering, and finding a way to make it happen, even if that way doesn’t currently exist.
To all of the Print Pioneers I met in D.C., thank you for talking to me, sharing your stories with our community, and yeah blowing my mind a few times. You have all raised the bar pretty high and this is just the beginning.
To everyone reading this, no matter who makes it, don’t let inkjet technology pass you by. Get in now so when everyone jumps in you are already past the learning curve, and leading the way. That goes for printers and print customers!
Innovate Long and Prosper! Vive le’ Inkjet!
