Organisers say China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are among the home countries of visitors, although 70 per cent come from Victoria, the state in which Melbourne is located.

What they have experienced is a PacPrint like none before it: There are just a couple of offset presses – on the stand of Ryobi sheetfed distributor Cyber – but most of the kit is digital… and by no means only in the colocated Visual Impact show area.

Three inkjet web presses are running on the show floor – albeit for varying lengths of time – (see separate story) and these and other digital print related exhibitors have had the attention of some high-level newspaper industry visitors.

But if offset presses are scarce and web-offset nonexistent, peripheral equipment is easier to find. Agfa, Kodak and Fujifilm have CTP systems on their stands, as does Ferag Australia, which sells the mid-market Screen PlateRite.

At Ferag, the QuadTech logo is back on the list of agencies following the announcement this week that the US-headquartered newspaper and commercial web colour control systems company had appointed them to take over the Australia/New Zealand sales and service agency (see story). The move follows the collapse of Plunkett & Johnson earlier this year, and returns to Ferag an agency it held until the early 2000s.

By no means however, was this a newspaper show. Rather an occasional networking point for industry vendors and customers, old and new. The decision of sheetfed giant Heidelberg not to exhibit made it easier for others to follow suit – manroland had a presence only on the stand of partner Canon – and some of those who did take space appeared to be wondering why they had done so. It would also have affected attendance figures.

Such is the predicament of printing trade shows worldwide – with the notable exception of last week’s China Print – and one which certainly challenges next year’s Ipex trade show in the UK. Tuesday’s PacPrint opening day was certainly quiet, and probably double the number on Wednesday still didn’t fill the aisles. Some visitors are also in Melbourne for the first of the Geon plant auctions and Friday’s National Print Awards dinner. The show continues to Saturday.

Peter Coleman

Pictured: Platesetters on the Agfa stand… but where are the presses

On our homepage: Cyber makes history with what may be PacPrint’s last press showing