drupa Düsseldorf

When planning your visit, knowing the drupa Düsseldorf dates and opening hours is essential for organising meetings with printing equipment manufacturers, prepress and finishing technology providers, packaging production specialists, converting machinery suppliers, industrial printing companies, software developers, and distribution partners.

Professional buyers in this industry evaluate more than individual machines. Print quality, production speed, workflow integration, automation capability, substrate compatibility, sustainability, and total cost of ownership all influence procurement and partnership decisions.

drupa Düsseldorf provides a professional environment for exploring developments across print production, packaging production and paper converting, industrial print applications, materials, creative print solutions, automation and AI, sustainability, and industry services.

Why Visit drupa Düsseldorf?

For professional visitors, drupa Düsseldorf offers a concentrated setting to compare printing and converting technologies, discover emerging innovations, evaluate suppliers, and follow developments across the global printing, packaging and converting industries within one event.

The event brings together manufacturers of printing equipment, packaging production machinery, converting systems, industrial printing technology, materials, and software with print-company owners, production managers, technical directors, packaging engineers, converters, print buyers, brand owners, and procurement professionals from commercial printing, packaging, labels, publishing, paper converting, industrial printing, textile printing, and advertising production sectors.

Visitors can compare product ranges, evaluate suppliers, identify partnership opportunities, examine technical documentation, and follow developments in digital printing, packaging production, industrial printing, workflow automation, sustainability, and Industry 4.0. drupa is the global stage for printing solutions, taking place every four years in Düsseldorf.

The next edition will take place from 9 to 17 May 2028 as a nine-day event at Messe Düsseldorf in Düsseldorf, Germany. drupa 2024 brought together 1,614 exhibitors from 49 countries across 150,000 square metres of net exhibition space. Visitors attended from 173 countries, and 80 percent of the visitor audience was international. Visitors should check the organiser’s official website for the confirmed daily opening hours and the latest ticket, registration, programme and visitor information.

Source: drupa Official Website — drupa – The Global Stage for Printing Solutions

Exhibition Background & Industry Context

drupa is the global stage for printing solutions, taking place every four years in Düsseldorf since 1951. The event serves as a platform for industry professionals to exchange ideas and showcase innovative solutions across the entire printing, packaging, and converting value chain. The name drupa is a portmanteau of the German words “druck” and “papier” (print and paper).

drupa 2028 is organised around four Experience Clusters that reshape the visitor experience:

• grow – Business & Solutions — investment decisions, integrated workflows, and business partnerships in print and packaging production
• create – Brand Owners & Creative Industries — brand applications, packaging design, personalisation, campaign production, and creative print solutions
• learn – Knowledge & Inspiration — knowledge exchange, standards, AI, sustainability, regulations, training, and education
• play – Experience & Community — live technology demonstrations and hands-on experiences

The exhibition covers eight official product areas:

• Print Production — prepress, offset, digital, flexographic, gravure, screen printing, postpress and finishing
• Packaging Production & Paper Converting — labels, folding cartons, corrugated packaging, flexible packaging, converting and finishing
• Industrial Print Applications — functional printing, printed electronics, direct-to-shape, decorative, textile, ceramic, glass, automotive interior, medical, and security printing
• Materials — paper, board, films, foils, inks, coatings, adhesives, and other substrates or consumables
• Print Creative & Solution World — brand applications, design, personalisation, campaign production, and creative print solutions
• Automation, Robotics, Digitalization & AI — MIS, workflow automation, robotics, inspection, data integration, and autonomous production
• Sustainability & Regulations — resource efficiency, circularity, waste reduction, energy use, and regulatory developments
• Services — consulting, finance, logistics, research, training, maintenance, and technical support

Is This Trade Fair Right for You?

Relevance depends on your role within the printing, packaging, and converting value chain and whether your objectives involve sourcing equipment, identifying technology partners, evaluating production capabilities, or understanding market trends in the printing and packaging industries.

Ideal For

• Print-company owners, production managers, and plant managers
• Technical directors and process engineers
• Printing press operators and finishing specialists
• Prepress professionals and prepress managers
• Packaging engineers and packaging production specialists
• Converters and paper converting professionals
• Commercial printers, book printers, and label printers
• Packaging printers and converters
• Industrial printing and functional printing specialists
• Textile printing professionals
• Brand owners, packaging buyers, brand managers, and creative directors
• Agency production managers and marketing production specialists
• Retail packaging and e-commerce packaging professionals
• Print buyers, direct-mail and marketing-production specialists
• Procurement professionals, supply chain and logistics specialists
• Software developers and workflow automation specialists
• Sustainability managers and environmental specialists
• Researchers, educators, and students
• Consultants, engineers, and industry planners
• Media, associations, and investors monitoring innovation across the printing and packaging sector

These professionals can assess product ranges, compare technical capabilities, examine system documentation, and evaluate print quality, production speed, workflow integration, automation, and long-term partnership potential.

May Be Less Relevant For

drupa may be less relevant for consumers seeking home printers, office-printing supplies or individual retail print services. It is primarily intended for professionals involved in industrial and commercial print production, packaging, converting, materials, automation and print-related brand applications.

Industries & Business Areas Represented

Based on the official drupa 2028 product areas and experience clusters:

• Print Production — prepress, plate-making, CTP, colour management, proofing, offset, digital, flexographic, gravure, screen printing, hybrid systems, postpress, binding, cutting, folding, coating, and laminating
• Packaging Production & Paper Converting — label printing, folding carton, corrugated packaging, flexible packaging, paper and board converting, slitting, rewinding, die-cutting, folding, gluing, embossing, finishing, and quality control
• Industrial Print Applications — functional printing, printed electronics, direct-to-shape printing, decorative printing, textile printing, ceramic and glass printing, automotive interior printing, medical and biosensor applications, security printing, industrial inkjet, and specialised coatings
• Materials — paper, cardboard, films, foils, printing inks, coatings, varnishes, adhesives, and specialty substrates
• Print Creative & Solution World — brand applications, design, personalisation, variable-data printing, web-to-print, campaign production, and creative print solutions
• Automation, Robotics, Digitalization & AI — MIS, prepress workflow, production planning, web-to-print integration, JDF/JMF, robotics, inspection systems, AI, machine learning, IoT, data integration, and autonomous production
• Sustainability & Regulations — eco-friendly materials, energy efficiency, waste reduction, circular economy, recycling, and regulatory compliance
• Services — consulting, finance, logistics, research, training, maintenance, and technical support

These business areas are connected by the commercial and operational requirements of the printing and packaging sector, where print quality, production speed, workflow integration, automation, and total cost of ownership are as important as individual machines.

Products & Solutions You Can Explore

Product and solution areas presented by the organiser include:

• Offset, digital, flexographic, gravure, screen, and hybrid printing presses
• Prepress workflow software, colour management systems, proofing systems, and CTP equipment
• Postpress equipment — binding, cutting, folding, coating, laminating, and finishing systems
• Label printing presses and converting equipment
• Folding carton production and corrugated packaging machinery
• Flexible packaging printing and converting equipment
• Paper and board converting machinery — cutting, sheeting, folding, coating, laminating, embossing, and die-cutting
• Digital printing presses and digital finishing solutions
• Industrial inkjet and functional printing systems
• Textile printing equipment — digital, screen, and rotary textile printing
• Direct-to-shape and decorative printing solutions
• Printed electronics, RFID, and smart packaging solutions
• Printing inks, coatings, varnishes, adhesives, and printing consumables
• Paper, cardboard, films, foils, and specialty substrates
• MIS, production planning, and workflow automation software
• Web-to-print and variable-data printing solutions
• Artwork preparation, packaging design, and print-production workflow software
• Robotics, inspection systems, AI, and Industry 4.0 solutions
• Sustainable materials and green printing solutions
• Consulting, training, and technical services

Business Opportunities

• Compare printing equipment, converting machinery, materials, and software suppliers against defined production requirements
• Assess whether equipment meets quality, speed, substrate compatibility, and automation standards
• Evaluate workflow integration, automation capability, and total cost of ownership
• Identify equipment, workflow, materials and service partners capable of supporting planned production upgrades or new print applications
• Evaluate competing approaches to printing technologies, packaging production, converting, and digitalisation
• Compare how suppliers address packaging compliance, material reduction, recyclability, energy use, traceability and production waste
• Clarify regulatory compliance, certification requirements, and technical documentation through direct discussions with potential partners
• Compare systems based on print quality, production speed, substrate range, waste reduction, and sustainability
• Network with equipment manufacturers, software providers, converters, printers, and procurement professionals

How to Prepare for a Productive Visit

Before attending drupa Düsseldorf, careful planning can significantly improve the value of your visit:

• Define your strategic priorities: Identify whether your focus is on print production, packaging production and converting, industrial print applications, materials, creative solutions, automation and AI, sustainability, or services
• Prepare questions about production capability and workflow integration: For printing systems, compare format, resolution, registration accuracy, colour consistency, production speed, makeready time, substrate range, ink consumption, waste rate, drying or curing requirements, inline finishing, automation, maintenance and local technical support. For software and workflow solutions, examine MIS and ERP connectivity, JDF/JMF or supported standards, web-to-print integration, preflight automation, variable-data processing, colour-management integration, production scheduling, shop-floor data collection, API availability, data ownership, cybersecurity, and licensing model
• Review the experience clusters and special programme: drupa 2028 is being organised around the grow, create, learn and play experience clusters. Visitors should consult the official programme for confirmed forums, demonstrations, conferences and special formats within these clusters
• Divide the exhibitor landscape by the eight product areas: Before the event, group exhibitors by key areas — Print Production, Packaging Production & Converting, Industrial Print Applications, Materials, Creative Solutions, Automation & AI, Sustainability, and Services — to structure your visit efficiently. The fair takes place from 9 to 17 May 2028 at Messe Düsseldorf
• Plan meetings with potential partners: The event provides an opportunity to coordinate with manufacturers, suppliers, and industry professionals in one location

Review the organiser’s current exhibitor directory and group relevant companies by business objective, product area, or hall location before planning meetings.

Exhibitor Perspective

Exhibitors at drupa range from international printing equipment manufacturers, packaging production and converting specialists, and industrial printing companies to materials suppliers, software developers, automation providers, and service organisations. drupa 2024 brought together 1,614 exhibitors from 49 countries across 150,000 square metres of net exhibition space.

Visitors attended from 173 countries, and 80 percent of the visitor audience was international. Visitors evaluating potential partners should look beyond individual products to understand print quality, production speed, workflow integration, automation capability, and total cost of ownership. The event’s focus on innovation, digitalisation, sustainability, and B2B networking provides additional engagement opportunities for visitors and exhibitors.

Planning to exhibit rather than visit? Explore the drupa Düsseldorf Strategic Exhibitor Guide.

Continue Your Research

Research companies participating in the exhibition — explore the drupa Düsseldorf Exhibitor List to identify printing equipment manufacturers, packaging production and converting specialists, industrial printing companies, materials suppliers, software developers, automation providers, and service organisations before your visit.

When comparing printing, packaging, and converting events, use our guide to choose the right trade fair in Germany for your strategic sourcing or partnership priorities.

Understanding how German and European professional buyers evaluate suppliers can help you prepare more focused conversations during product exhibitions.

For companies using German trade fairs as part of a wider international strategy, explore how international branding in Germany can strengthen credibility, supply chain recognition, and long‑term market presence beyond the exhibition.

Companies considering participation can use this checklist to prepare for a German exhibition, including system documentation, production evidence, and structured follow‑up.

At drupa Düsseldorf, a productive visit depends on evaluating print quality, production speed, workflow integration, automation capability, and strategic fit across the printing, packaging, and converting ecosystem.