Future Links March 30th

How digital printing is competing with display media
Printing companies are no longer competing only with printing companies. Because of a sharp increase in quality thanks to digital printing processes, printing companies such as HP are taking on display media as well. Digital presses are driving innovative printed marketing communications so that there is more marketing collateral, more direct mail, more point-of-purchase displays, more outdoor and indoor signage and more packaging.
More at Gartner

3D printing is about to revolutionize healthcare
3D printing has been on the fringe of the healthcare industry: Experts assume that healthcare only accounted for 1.6 % of all investments made into the 700 million USD 3D printing industry. However, that number is expected to grow to 21 % over the next 10 years. The latest research shows an even more drastic development for health and medicine. Using 3D printing for medical applications could amount to a market value of 2.13 billion USD by 2020, says market research company MarketsandMarkets.com.
More at The Next Web

drupa 2016 opens up new opportunities for the adoption of digital print
drupa 2016 will showcase the best and newest inventions in digital printing technology; it will also make digital print more accessible to companies who have been holding back on investing in digital presses. At drupa, new production inkjet presses are shown that offer lower operating and machine costs, better image quality, higher capacities than xerographic systems, and ever smaller footprints. At the same time, the data analytics for customization and personalization will get more sophisticated and cost-effective.
More at Xerox

UNIZ3D wants to bring fastest 3D printer for home users to market
The need for speed is clearly there: In the past months, companies like Carbon3D and NewPro3D have announced competitively fast printing methods. Now, UNIZ3D aims to bring high-speed 3D printing to home users. UNIZ believes its Slash model will be the fastest desktop 3D printer ever made, boasting record speeds at 1,000 cc per hour. The crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter is underway.
More at TCT

The man who made the letterpress cool again
Sometimes, taking a step back is the best way to move forward. That’s what Alan Kitching did when he started working with an old letterpress. His original ideas, inspired by Modernism, along with his determination to reach technical perfection, gave letterpress a new spin. His distinctive typographical prints and powerful artwork set a trend. Kitching was commissioned by everyone from The Guardian, Tate Modern and The National Theatre to the British Library, Penguin Books and Royal Mail.
More at The Yorkshire Post

3D model marketplace Pinshape shuts down
Downloadable 3D model marketplace Pinshape has announced that it will close down its operations March 31. The move came as a surprise to many users who appreciated the service. According to their farewell message, Pinshape had grown to a community of active users more than 75,000 strong, who downloaded more than 1,500 3D models a day in countries all over the world. The shutdown is due to difficulties in monetizing the service.
More at 3D Print

Five innovative sustainable packaging solutions from Europe
Packaging Digest has collected five groundbreaking eco-friendly packaging solutions that were invented in Europe. They include technologies for trays made of potato starch and others made from grass, beverage cartons that are 100 % renewable or fold conveniently for recycling and high-definition printing onto wooden packaging.
More at Packaging Digest