Inkjet Summit Puts Profitability in Focus

Since its inception 14 years ago, the Inkjet Summit has stood apart as one of the most influential events dedicated exclusively to advancing production inkjet printing. Designed as an invitation-only experience, the Inkjet Summit, presented annually by PRINTING United Alliance, Printing Impressions, and In-plant Impressions, brings together senior-level printing industry executives, industry analysts, and leading solution providers for several days of high-level education, strategic discussion, and meaningful peer-to-peer engagement.

This week, the event kicks off in San Antonio, Texas, place April 27-29, at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Villas.

What makes the Inkjet Summit unique is its focus on real-world business outcomes. Rather than product pitches or surface-level trends, the program dives deep into how production inkjet continues to reshape print manufacturing — enabling greater efficiency, expanded application opportunities, and stronger profitability across commercial, book, direct mail, transactional, and in-plant environments. Attendees gain direct access to the full inkjet ecosystem, including press manufacturers, workflow and software providers, finishing specialists, and paper suppliers, all working together to support successful end-to-end solutions.

With a theme of “Technology Advances Making Print Providers More Profitable,” the curated educational sessions will highlight advances in software, workflow, and finishing, as a key component to driving productivity and profitability.

As the printing industry navigates ongoing labor challenges, cost pressures, and shifting customer expectations, production inkjet printing remains a powerful catalyst for change. The Inkjet Summit’s content addresses these realities head-on, exploring how print providers are leveraging inkjet technology to transition pages from offset, streamline operations, and deliver more targeted, data-driven communications. From continuous-feed to cut-sheet inkjet, discussions highlight where the technology stands today and where it is headed next.

According to Conference Chair Marco Boer, president of IT Strategies, this year marks a shift.

“2026 is starting to look like the beginnings of a shakeout in our printing industry, a year where efficiency and reducing friction in conducting business is going to out run traditional measure of competitive success,” he says. “For example, we are starting to see companies measure pre-press setup not in minutes but in seconds as a way to identify inefficiencies. Once they have identified the inefficiencies, they can address the underlying problem to improve or eliminate the inefficiencies, thereby enabling far higher productivity and profit than their competitors. It’s deep insights and knowledge that has kept the Inkjet Summit as the preeminent event in the production inkjet market for the past 14 years.”

New this year is a session led by PRINTING United Alliance’s new vice president of consulting — Applied AI & Printing Technology, Amy Servi-Bonner.

“Inkjet Summit is where real production decisions get made, so it’s the right place to have a grounded conversation about AI,” Servi-Bonner says. “My session isn’t about tools or hype, it’s about where AI actually helps inkjet operations today, where it can quietly do damage if misapplied, and how leaders can use AI to improve throughput, estimating confidence, and margin visibility without losing control. If AI doesn’t hit the P&L, it’s just entertainment.”

Beyond the formal agenda, the Inkjet Summit is equally valued for the conversations that happen outside the meeting rooms. The intimate setting encourages candid dialogue, shared experiences, and practical insight among peers facing similar challenges and opportunities. For many attendees, the event serves as a strategic reset, offering clarity, inspiration, and actionable takeaways that extend well beyond the Summit itself.

For printing industry leaders serious about understanding the future of production inkjet and how it fits into their long-term business strategy, the Inkjet Summit continues to deliver an experience that is both educational and transformative.

Keynote Sponsors for the 2026 summit are Canon U.S.A., Kyocera Document Solutions America, Ricoh Graphic Communications, and Screen Americas. They will be joined by more than 50 solution providers.