Conference Shows Bright Future for UV

LAS VEGAS—Several presenters at the sold-out Print UV 2009 technology conference, held March 8-10 at the Wynn Encore resort, declared that UV and hybrid UV technology might well represent the future of the offset printing industry. Now in its second year, the 2009 edition of Print UV drew more than 150 registrants, a 50 percent increase over last year’s attendance, with vendor personnel accounting for just 30 percent of the total.

In his introductory remarks, Hans Ulland, co-owner of Air Motion Systems and founder of the Print UV conference, reported that several key indicators suggest that UV printing is gaining ground. While sales of conventional inks are down from 30 percent to 60 percent in the current recession, Ulland said, sales of UV inks are flat or up by as much as 45 percent.

In his keynote address, Warren Werbitt of Montreal-based Pazazz Printing chided printers for commoditizing their own industry. Combined with a rededication to customer service, he noted, UV printing offers a way for printers to reclaim their integrity (and their profit margins) by building a value-added niche to lift their businesses out of the commodity trap.