Coffee roasters across Australia are increasingly recognising the value of the Trimatt ColourStar AQ printer, with interest accelerating in the first quarter of 2026 as operators seek to bring packaging production in-house and cut costs.
Founder Matt Johnson says industry interest was reignited following the company’s presence at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) in March 2026, which helped reset conversations with both existing and prospective customers.
One of the standout outcomes was a confirmed deal with Ferntree Gully-based roaster Chosen Bean.
“Stephen Coster, Director of Chosen Bean, was frustrated with the cost of buying packaging externally, the delays, and the need to constantly check quality when it arrived. It just didn’t sit right with him for a long time,” Matt says.
The ColourStar AQ is described as an all-in-one, customisable, industrial digital colour printing solution making in-house package printing “fast, economic, and profitable”.
He says the roaster is the latest in a growing number of coffee businesses now rethinking traditional outsourced packaging models, particularly as the economics of small-batch production tighten.
“When Trimatt introduced itself to the coffee market in 2023, most people didn’t really understand what we did. They thought we were just a provider of printed bags,” Matt says.
“Through staying in front of the market – direct B2B engagement and a lot of editorial storytelling – people are starting to understand the value better.
“We’ve now got interest from at least three more roasters as well – some of them well known names.”
Matt says some small roasters think they can’t afford investing in the ColourStar AQ until they run the numbers.
“We see cases of roasters paying $1.70 per bag with pre-printed artwork. Now, they’re purchasing bags for around 44 cents and adding roughly five cents of ink himself, on demand, in-house, in the volumes they actually need,” he says.
Matt believes the ColourStar AQ has applications regardless of the size of the operation.
He says there is significant interest among businesses moving toward sustainability using paper-based coffee bags.
“Secondly, we’re working with businesses looking at private branding or white-labelling, especially those supplying smaller roasters who don’t have production capacity,” he says.
“Thirdly, there are larger businesses that don’t necessarily want to print directly on bags but want flexibility for secondary packaging – boxes, café materials, paper bags, napkins, coasters, menus, and so on.”
For more information, visit trimatt.com.
