Print4All Conference 2026: Redefining Human-Tech Dynamic

Registrations are now officially open for Print4All Conference 2026, taking place on 2 July 2026 at Centro Congressi Ville Ponti in Varese, Italy. The event is designed to bring companies and their contributions back to the centre of the debate on the future of printing, converting, and packaging.

Organised by ACiMGA and ARGI—Italian trade associations representing the printing and converting machinery industry—in collaboration with Fiera Milano, the conference aims to become a key moment of synthesis between market data, strategic visions, and practical applications, offering the supply chain a content-rich agenda designed to support industrial and strategic decision-making during a period of profound transformation.

The 2026 edition is built around the concept ‘Humans Print the World’, developed along two main directions—Human+Machine and Human+Life—guiding discussions on technological innovation, skills, sustainability, and the social role of packaging.

Human+Machine: Process Intelligence and Corporate Culture

The Human+Machine track focuses on the transformation of production processes through artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and data management. The challenge is not simply introducing new technologies, but rethinking corporate organisation and decision-making models around tools that are becoming structural elements of manufacturing systems.

Keynote sessions will explore how AI is evolving from operational support into a true industrial tool capable of influencing planning, quality control, and predictive maintenance. Companies will present concrete solutions—from bottleneck management in folder-gluer systems analysed by Petratto, to slitting and rewinding technologies by Bimec designed to improve interactivity and operational continuity, up to the integration of UV inkjet printing, digital embellishment, and laser die-cutting into unified workflows proposed by SEI Laser.

The common thread is the ability to connect machines, data, and human expertise in order to reduce downtime, optimise quality, and increase overall productivity.

Human+Life: Packaging as Relationship Interface

Human+Life shifts attention to the role of printing and converting in everyday life, and to packaging as a relationship device between companies, consumers, and the environment.

Packaging is no longer viewed solely as a functional container, but as a communication and accessibility surface capable of expressing corporate values and sustainability commitments. Topics will include inclusive design, usability, sustainability communication, and new sensory experiences connected to materials.

The conference will also present the first Italian research study dedicated to inclusion, workplace culture, and skills within the sector—a document mapping employment transformations, industry attractiveness for younger generations, and the upskilling paths required to face technological and cultural transitions.

Operational Sustainability: Theory to Practice

Sustainability will be addressed as an operational capability rather than a simple communication claim. In particular, TCE Printing will present a pragmatic approach focused on making sustainable production an everyday practice, realistically applicable under routine operating conditions.

This means working simultaneously on multiple fronts, including materials (water-based inks, recycled and compostable substrates), machine conditions (drying systems and ink rheology), process control (mechanical defoaming, viscosity and temperature control, surface energy management of substrates), and enabling technologies such as turbulent drying with energy recovery, new anilox technologies, and hydrophobic high-release plates.

The objective is clear. It involves transforming sustainable solutions into robust and repeatable practices, reducing operational complexity for printers and converters, and enabling a truly scalable transition.

Technology and Process Quality: Comparing Business Cases

Participating companies will provide practical examples of how technology and quality can be integrated. SIMEC Group will explore anilox configuration as a strategic lever for quality, process control, and waste reduction. Canon, on the other hand, will highlight the role of inkjet technology in shifting from efficiency-oriented production to a broader business transformation model for printing. In a similar stride towards modernisation, Uteco will present solutions for integrating sustainability into flexible packaging printing lines, while HEIDELBERG will showcase the evolution of its technologies in response to new packaging and industrial transformation needs. Finally, OMET will present approaches combining flexibility, personalisation, and premium finishing within printing and converting applications.

Data and Economic Scenarios: Balancing Opportunities and Risks

The conference will also analyse market figures and external scenarios influencing industrial decision-making.

Recent indicators show a sector moving at two different speeds. On one front, a growing demand for printing is being driven by investments in high value-added applications and UV/UV LED technologies. Conversely, machinery manufacturers continue to face increasing competitive pressure and rising imports.

At the same time, strong resilience signals remain evident through high levels of industrial investment and employment growth within the sector.

From a regulatory and geopolitical perspective, discussions will focus on PPWR, cellulose and recycled fibre availability, food contact requirements, dependence on Asian supply chains, and the impact of energy and raw material costs on European competitiveness. These are the conditions within which companies must design medium- and long-term strategies.

Education, Skills, and Industry Attractiveness

Another key theme concerns skills development. Technological transition requires targeted educational paths and corporate policies capable of attracting and training younger generations. The Italian research study on inclusion and skills will provide practical insights into how companies can rethink organisational models, career paths, and upskilling initiatives in order to ensure workforce adaptation and increase the attractiveness of the industry.

International Platform for Dialogue

Thanks to the support of Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and the participation of an international delegation of around 60 operators from more than 30 countries, Print4All Conference 2026 further strengthens its international positioning as a strategic platform leading towards Print4All 2027.

Consequently, the event is positioned not only as a space for technical and market updates, but as a collective laboratory where technology suppliers, printers, converters, brand owners, and stakeholders contribute to shaping a shared vision for the future of printing and converting.

Participating in the conference means gaining access to real business cases, strategic reflections, and operational solutions directly tested by industry players. It is an opportunity to evaluate practical tools for increasing production efficiency, implementing sustainable processes, and redesigning business models within an evolving competitive and regulatory landscape—the first step on the road towards Print4All 2027.