The Print Show Preview 2025

This year marks a major milestone for organisers of The Print Show in that it is ten years since the first edition of the event took place. The 2025 exhibition will be the ninth instalment of The Print Show, with the pandemic having caused a two-year hiatus and scuppered plans for both the 2020 and 2021 editions. According to organisers, the show is set to be the biggest and best event to date.

Running from September 23rd to 25th in Hall 3 of the NEC in Birmingham, The Print Show will once again play host to exhibitors from all corners of the industry, with the focus very much still on supporting UK print companies and connecting them with the manufacturers and suppliers that can help them succeed and grow with their various solutions.

From heavyweight brands such as HP, Epson, Agfa, and Roland DG to more niche suppliers that could open up opportunities in various markets, The Print Show 2025 pledges to have something for all visitors, with professionals from across the UK industry encouraged to attend this September.

Valuable Event

Event director, Chris Davies has been at the helm since the show was first announced back in 2014, overseeing its growth and evolution over the years. Speaking about this year’s edition, Davies says that with competition in the print market hotting up, attending the show and speaking with exhibitors about how they can support print businesses is more important than ever.

“From day one, our focus has been on supporting UK printers,” Davies explains, adding: “We designed our first show following intensive feedback from the industry and this has served as the basis for the eight shows we have hosted since year one.

“Heading into our ninth edition this year, our ethos remains very much the same. We aim to work with exhibitors that will bring real value to the event, offering the solutions that will have a tangible impact on print businesses. If you take a look at our exhibitor list, we have everything from small-format presses and finishing solutions to wide-format printers and software. We’re covering all bases to ensure there is something for everyone.”

If you are to take this advice and cast your eyes over the floorplan, Davies’ words ring true. The front row of The Print Show 2025 makes for impressive reading with Agfa, Fujifilm, Hybrid Services and Mimaki Europe, HP, and Quality Print Services (QPS). The row behind is just as impressive with the likes of Epson, Konica Minola, Resolute DTG, and Premier Paper.

Organisers say The Print Show is the place to be if you are seeking new solutions to support your forward growth plans

However, as Davies explains, The Print Show is much more than just large manufacturers and suppliers as it also serves as a valuable platform for smaller providers that are seeking to place their own solutions in front of thousands of potential visitors. Smaller stands dotted around the perimeter of the show throw up many intriguing names for visitors to explore across the three days.

“The Print Show is an event for anyone involved with printing in the UK,” Davies comments, adding: “Whether you are a small, high-street printer or a multi-location, nationwide print business, The Print Show is the place to be if you are seeking new solutions to support your forward growth plans.”

What’s New For 2025?

While exhibitors will serve as the main draw of the event, those in attendance can also enjoy several added-value features during this year’s show. Among these is The Knowledge Zone, the dedicated speaker area of the show that will return with a brand-new programme for 2025.

Picking out some of the highlights, Jeremy Page, global head of brand and strategy at the Brandnation agency, will start this year’s Knowledge Zone schedule with a with a look at the long-term benefits of artificial intelligence in print. Meanwhile, Tom Willday, the founder of Willsow, will speak about his exciting business and how it not only drew the attention of investors on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den, but also David Beckham and King Charles III.

Solopress chief executive officer, Simon Cooper will also consider the environmental impact of AI for those in print who decide to adapt it, while The Printing Charity will be hosting a ‘Knowledge Exchange Live’ session, with a look at wellbeing in the workplace.

Alongside this, the big news for 2025 is the addition of a new, co-located event in the form of The Sign Show. Designed as a dedicated event for the UK sign-making industry, this will take place in the same hall as The Print Show, allowing visitors to explore the latest in both markets without having to exit Hall 3.

Within The Sign Show, visitors can get involved with several special features. These include the School of Wrap, allowing visitors to see expert wrappers in action and attend sessions showcasing certain skills across vehicle and architectural wrapping. CVi Group, All Print Supplies, SPACE Architectural Interiors, and FESPA UK will all help run this area.

Elsewhere, Neon Insights will see specialists from Neon Creations showcase neon, speaking with visitors about the differences between true neon and modern interpretations, while also allowing visitors to test out their skills by having a go at neon bending. In addition, David Mearns of Signmode will lead the Traditional Sign-Making Masterclass, where visitors can try out techniques such as signwriting on white emulsion boards.

“The co-location is a fantastic opportunity for companies with interests in both the print and sign-making markets to explore the latest solutions and connect with exhibitors, all under one roof,” Davies says.

Showcase of Excellence

Switching focus back to the many exhibitors, and with more than 100 set to appear across the two shows this year, visitors would be well advised to plan ahead to ensure they see all they would like to during their trip to the show.

Highlighting just some of the technology that will be displayed during the three days at the NEC this September, HP, located in The Sign Show area of the hall, will be showing a range of print technologies. Exhibiting on its own stand this year, highlights will include the HP Latex R530, which offers a maximum printing width of 1.6m, as well as the HP Latex 830W, and the HP Latex 630W. Aside from HP Latex, visitors can view the HP DesignJet XL3800 multi-function colour printer and the HP DesignJet Z9 Pro, a 1.6m-wide machine.

Colin Easton, UK and Ireland HP Large-Format Print channel manager at HP, comments: “We are thrilled to be part of The Sign Show, a vital gathering of creative minds and business leaders in the sign-making community. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience HP’s range of wide-format printers, high-resolution graphics solutions, and our most environmentally certified printing technologies designed to elevate the quality and efficiency of signage production.”

Meanwhile, Epson will also be taking its own stand at the show this year to display a total of six machines from its SureColor range. These will include the SC-S9100, the new eco-solvent replacement to the popular S80600, as well as the SC-V2000, another new machine with a ten-colour ink set. Visitors can also see the SC-V7000, Epson’s first UV large-format printer, as well as the SC-R5000, the SC-G6000 roll-to-roll solution, and the SC-T5200DM aqueous printer.

Phil McMullin, head of sales for commercial and industrial at Epson UK, says: “The Print Show is turning into the marketplace for any print service provider that is looking to invest in bigger kit, especially UV flatbed technology. We also know that Brits don’t travel in numbers to FESPA and drupa, so it’s imperative that we have a relevant and vibrant trade event to service the UK print industry.”

As for returning exhibitors, Fujifilm will be back the show to demonstrate various machines from across its range. These include the Acuity Triton AQUAFUZE,a new roll-fed machine with AQUAFUZE water-based, UV ink technology that can print at 15sq m/hr in high-speed mode. Visitors can also see the Acuity Prime flatbed UV printer and new 5upercolour print models, the Revoria Press SC285 and SC285S.

Rising Confidence

Andy Kent, who is the general manager for Fujifilm UK, says: “The Print Show is a great opportunity to get a feel for the character, culture, and of course the core technology of key suppliers to the market. I hope that it will give confidence to the wider market by showing that suppliers like Fujifilm are still investing in the future of print and bringing innovative and sustainable solutions to the market.”

Another returning exhibitor is Konica Minolta Business Solutions, which will display its new AccurioPress C14010S, which offers fifth colour capabilities, which the manufacturer says can produce “spectacular eye-catching results on a broad range of media”. As for productivity, it has a top speed of 140 pages per minute, as well as the ability to accommodate sheets up to 1,300mm and paper thicknesses of 450 g/sq m.

New to the floorplan for 2025 is Roland DG, which is exhibiting on its own stand for the first time. Located within The Sign Show, Roland DG will run live demonstrations of its Dimense DA-640, a new, tactile wide-format printer that can produce embossed prints with up to 2mm of 3D effects. Stand-out features include the ability to produce print in qualities of up to 1200dpi on materials as wide as 1,615mm. The new printer can also run substrates up to 1.0mm thick and offers printing in four-colour CMYK.

Among the many other highlights across the show this year will be swissQprint and its Kudu high-end flatbed machine, which boasts a top printing speed of 341sq m/hr and a 3.2m x 2m flatbed size.

Meanwhile, QPS will showcase a range of ColorJet and Roland DG machinery, including the ColorJet Verve 2513R, which can run speeds of up to 91sq m/hr and produce prints at a maximum resolution of 1200dpi.

Chris Bailey, managing director of QPS, comments: “The event offers the perfect opportunity to see a range of solutions from some of the industries established suppliers.”

Exhibitors are hailing The Print Show as the marketplace for any print service provider that is looking to invest in bigger kit

From one Chris to another, event director Davies agrees with this statement, saying a trip to The Print Show this year – which is as easily accessible as ever at the well-connected NEC – will certainly be worth your time.

“Nowhere else in the UK can you see such a diverse range of manufacturers, suppliers, and other solutions providers in a single location,” Davies says, adding: “If you are already in the market for new machinery or considering taking on a new piece of kit to support your move into a new area, then the chances are that you will find it at The Print Show 2025.

“Add in the new, co-located event in The Sign Show, which could potentially open your eyes to even more opportunities in the wider market, and the event is one that anyone in and around the UK print industry simply cannot afford to miss.”