Companies offering digital print services thrived during the pandemic, a panel of industry experts revealed at the second virtual roundtable hosted by Tarsus Group for its Gulf Print & Pack show.

Titled “Smart use of digital print technologies in the MEA region”, the virtual session is part of a series of online dialogues that Tarsus Group is organising to keep the region’s industry connected.

Four expert panelists from the region took part in the discussion, including Ayman Aly, senior marketing manager, Canon Middle East; Halim El-Khoury, business manager, large format printing, UAE & KSA, HP; Philippe Hosni, general manager, Helliozid Océ Emirates; and Shihab Zubair, regional sales manager, Epson Europe.

Akanksha Meena, editor, Labels and Labeling Middle East and North Africa / Brand Print / Gulf Print & Pack, chaired the session.

Overall, the panel agreed that the pandemic had resulted in significant positive changes to the printing industry, creating opportunities to adapt and be flexible.  A number of key factors that had helped printing remain resilient in recent months were credited with the current high level of trust in the industry.

This included a number of market segments which have performed particularly well and proved popular; digital signage, Covid applications such as in-office safety signage, vinyl printing, and entry-level consumer printing. Short-run personalised label printing was also noted as a major growth area, with an increasing move from conventional to digital printing, while hybrid too was seen as an area with potential, given its space-saving benefits. The panel also agreed that service support and maintenance is being done increasingly via software and online, while the lack of face-to-face contact with customers and working from home have driven automation technology.