The JV400 SUV water-based solvent printer, first shown at Fespa 2012 as a prototype, combines the flexibility of solvent with the durability of UV-cured inks, and prints in four colors (CMYK) at speeds of up to 18sqm/hr in draft mode. Meanwhile the UJV500-160 UV printer features energy-saving LED curing with long-lasting LED bulbs, and new nickel-free inks, and has a top speed of 70sqm/hr when printing with white, and 100sqm/hr with just four colours. Also being debuted in Europe is Mimaki’s new CG-SRIII Series plotters, targeted at sign makers, especially those working with vinyl or garments. The three cutters in the series have cutting areas of 606mm,1,070mm, and 1,370mm and can cut curved edges at double the speed of predecessor, the CG SRII. Also launched this Fespa, are two new orange and green latex inks, and updates, including movable LED lamps for reverse printing, to the JFX500-2131 flatbed UV printer, which began shipping in January....

“We really believe in data and analytics as a tool for driving business, so if we can give our customers the tools to help their customers, which we can now, then that’s great,” said chief executive Guy Gecht. SmartSign uses image capture in POS displays linked to facial recognition software that can identify consumer dwell times, gender and age to help brand owners and agencies measure the effectiveness of displays, according to Mark McGowan, EFI director of OPS products. “When it comes to detecting is someone is viewing a display its 98% accurate, gender is 85% accurate and age bracket it is 75% – this is an incredibly acurate tool,” added McGowan. SmartSign will be commercially available in August. The company is also using Fespa to highlight the benefits of its flagship 3.2m wide HS 100 Pro hybrid flatbed and also the milestone of 100 installations of Vuteks with LED curing. “We now have enough statistics to compare how users of LED machines perform like-for-like against mercury systems, and LED users are buying 50% more ink per machine on average, which proves that LED not only saves money, but it actually generates more business,” said Gecht. EFI is also using the show to highlight its UV thermo-forming inks, developed for the eight-colour plus white 2m-wide EFI Vutek GS2000 Pro-TF and 3.2m-wide GS3250 Pro-TF. According to EFI they’re ideal for custom-formed signs, packaging, POS, vending panels, vehicles and promotional items....

Fespa Africa is a joint venture with PP and will incorporate the latter’s established Sign Africa and Visual Communications Africa events. Fespa Africa will also be co-located with PP’s Africa Print show. The combined events will have a footprint of 13,500m2, with 150 exhibtors, and are targeting 6,000- plus visitors from Africa and Europe. Fespa managing director of events and exhibitions Neil Felton said: “Africa is a vital and exciting growth region, and in Practical Publishing, we have an experienced partner to help us establish Fespa there. “FESPA’s strategy is always to work with a partner who can blend FESPA’s brand recognition, organisational strengths and world-class content programmes with local knowledge to deliver something which addresses the unique challenges and opportunities facing that particular region’s printers.” Dyelan Copeland, Director at Practical Publishing added: “Sign Africa and Visual Communications Africa are successful, well-attended events but we know that, by partnering with FESPA, we can take them to another level. FESPA Africa will set out to deliver a new experience for African business audiences, at a time when they need global expertise and insight to help them embrace the opportunities of wide format.” The inaugural Fespa Africa event will take place from 2-4 July 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa....

This week the company gained court approval for a number of steps that will be crucial to its successful emergence from Chapter 11. This included approval of the Disclosure Statement that will allow creditors to vote on its revised Plan of Reorganisation, and the court has also approved the Backstop Commitment Agreement and rights offering announced earlier this month. Voting on the measures can now commence. The committee representing Kodak’s unsecured creditors has recommended that these creditors should vote in favour of the plans. In court, Kodak’s lawyer gave a tentative date for the confirmation hearing of 20 August, with emergence possible by as soon as 3 September. Kodak’s secured creditors will be repaid when Kodak emerges from Chapter 11. Kodak has also agreed exit financing facilities of up to $895m (£584m) with JP Morgan Chase, Barclays Bank, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Chief executive Antonio Perez described the rights offering and new financing as “extremely important”, signalling “market and creditor confidence in post-emergence Kodak.” “We look forward to a renewed Kodak competing successfully again with market-leading technology and products in the commercial, packaging and functional printing markets it serves,” Perez said. The restructured business will have sales of $2.6bn next year, according to Kodak’s projections....

This week the company gained court approval for a number of steps that will be crucial to its successful emergence from Chapter 11. This included approval of the Disclosure Statement that will allow creditors to vote on its revised Plan of Reorganisation, and the court has also approved the Backstop Commitment Agreement and rights offering announced earlier this month. Voting on the measures can now commence. The committee representing Kodak’s unsecured creditors has recommended that these creditors should vote in favour of the plans. In court, Kodak’s lawyer gave a tentative date for the confirmation hearing of 20 August, with emergence possible by as soon as 3 September. Kodak’s secured creditors will be repaid when Kodak emerges from Chapter 11. Kodak has also agreed exit financing facilities of up to $895m (£584m) with JP Morgan Chase, Barclays Bank, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Chief executive Antonio Perez described the rights offering and new financing as “extremely important”, signalling “market and creditor confidence in post-emergence Kodak.” “We look forward to a renewed Kodak competing successfully again with market-leading technology and products in the commercial, packaging and functional printing markets it serves,” Perez said. The restructured business will have sales of $2.6bn next year, according to Kodak’s projections....