Vol 99 issue 09 2015 by My Office

SEPTEMBER 2015 R50. inc

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THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE STATIONERY, HOME AND OFFICE PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION

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LABEL IT!

LABELS AND LABELLING MACHINES

UNDERSTANDING OPTICAL MEDIA

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Contents My Office Magazine is the official magazine of the Southern African Association for Stationery, Home and Office Products. It is read by over 25 000 buyers and sellers of stationery and office products each month. PUBLISHER Rob Mathews - robm@icon.co.za Kathy Gibson - kathy@futurewave.co.za EDITOR Leigh Richter - leigh@futurewave.co.za SUB-EDITOR Kathy Gibson - kathy@futurewave.co.za ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND MARKETING Wendy Dancer - wendy@shop-sa.co.za EXECUTIVE SALES MANAGER

Vol 99 | September 2015 www.myofficemagazine.co.za | www.facebook.com/shopsa.za

NEWS

34 | INDUSTRY NEWS Industry-related news and trade business announcements 36 | ECO NEWS The latest green news

SALES SAVVY

14 | LABELS AND LABELLING MACHINES Spring cleaning? Get things organised with the help of labels and labelling machines 20 | HOW TO SELL: OPTICAL MEDIA Improve your bottom line with optical media 28 | JAN/SAN: LABEL REMOVAL Remove sticky labels simply and easily with these tips 30 | ARTS AND CRAFTS Have some fun with foil

SPECIAL FEATURES

Kim Kotze - kim@futurewave.co.za NATIONAL OFFICE

Design and Layout: Vanessa Bentley New Membership: Rachel Skink Reception: Ruth Montsho Johannesburg Office PO Box 3226, Parklands, 2121 6 Edward Street, Kensington B, Randburg, 2194 Tel: + 27 11 781 0370 Fax: + 27 11 781 2828 Email: info@shop-sa.co.za Website: www.shop-sa.co.za CONTRIBUTIONS Letters and editorial contributions are welcomed and should be addressed to the editor at editor@ shop-sa.co.za. Publication cannot be guaranteed and is subject to space and the editor’s discretion. THE LEGAL BIT Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy the publisher and editor cannot accept responsibility for supplied material. The opinions of contributors are not necessarily those of shop-sa. Copyright is strictly reserved and no part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Stationery sponsored by

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RETAIL SAVVY

32 | PAINTING 101 DIY paint pointers to spruce up your office this spring

08 |MAC VERSUS PC Which is best for your business? 10 | BACK-TO-SCHOOL BUILD-UP Those shopping for back-to-school goodies are more likely to visit physical stores 26 | ABC Q2 RESULTS: PUTTING PRINT IN PERSPECTIVE A report back on the ABC breakfast 47 | THE REAL STUFF – NOT MARKETING FLUFF This month we speak to Bill Bayley

BUSINESS SAVVY

03 | WE’RE ONLY HUMAN Sometimes it pays to give people the benefit of the doubt, says Brian Holmes 04 |A MATTER OF TRUST Becoming a trusted advisor to your clients is key in a changing world, says Anton Herbst 05 | MARKETING LESSONS FROM A CRETAN WEDDING Marketers can learn a lot from a simple Cretan wedding, says Aki Kalliatakis 06 | LABOUR LAW: THE SENIOR EMPLOYEE AS SCAPEGOAT Scapegoating is not the quick fix people think it is, says Ivan Israelstam 07 | CELEBRATING FRICTION People who disagree could be doing you a favour, says Gavin Moffat

IN EVERY ISSUE 02 12 35 38 38 40 48

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EDITOR’S LETTER DIARISE THIS CRIME ALERT WEB BUTTONS PRODUCT SHOWCASE BUYERS’ GUIDE PUNCHLINE my office magazine

editor’s letter

A good spring clean

pring has sprung, and this is traditionally the time when we get our homes and offices in order. But why is it that we associate the season with a time of organisation? Spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime, and it is prevalent in colder climates where the spring offers the first warm days of the year. During the 19th century in America, March was considered the best time for dusting because it was warm enough to open windows and doors, and the high winds could carry the dirt out of the house.

A look into the origins of “spring cleaning” suggests it dates back to the Iranian Norouz (the Persian new year), which falls on the first day of spring. Iranians practice khooneh tekouni, which translates as “shaking the house”, just before the start of a new year. Everything in the house is thoroughly cleaned. A similar year-end tradition is found in Scotland, with “New Year’s cleaning” on Hogmanay (31 December). Another possibility of the origin of the tradition can be traced to the ancient Jewish practice of thoroughly cleansing the home in anticipation of the spring-time memorial feast of Passover. However, it may just be as simple as the new growth of spring

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after a cold and stark winter prompting people to get rid of clutter and clean up. Either way, labels play a key role in helping you to organise both the home and the office. Our feature on page 14 looks at the different types of labels and labelling machines and which are best suited to your business. If you’re looking to spruce up the office, a fresh coat of paint might do the trick. Our furniture article on page 32 provides some useful DIY tips for painting like a pro. Cleaning your data is also a good idea, and this might be the perfect time to complete the back-ups you haven’t done all year. Our feature on optical media on page 20 gives an overview of the different types of discs and which are best suited to storage. And finally, why not begin the new season with some new crafting skills? Our article on foil art (page 30) will show you how to make your own foil pictures, as well as colour your own foil.

Lei g h

Until next month

Vol 99 - September 2015

business savvy

We’re only human Sometimes it pays to give people the benefit of the doubt

fter graduating college in 1994 – with distinctions I suspect were based more on my investigate journalism piece on my lecturers than on my attendance record – my father said to me: “You can’t sit around at home anymore. You’re either joining the army or going overseas.”

I think he wanted me to learn something about life. I’d already spent my matric year writing letters to some apprentice Nazi with a toothbrush moustache – a Colonel in the paradoxically-labelled South African Defence Force, who I can safely assure you does not understand sarcasm – to avoid the draft to 5 Infantry Battalion. Naturally, I opted for the latter. I imagined the epic party that awaited me. I wasn’t wrong – but I didn’t realise there would be more. I caught a plane to Ben Gurion airport in Israel. The adventure began right away. My sleeping bag detached itself unnoticed from my backpack. A few moments later I turned to find a circle of armed people dressed in khaki, surrounding the “suspicious package” that may or may not have been an explosive device. I rapidly reached between protesting soldiers and retrieved my fallen dream sack. I had been told not to worry about arranging employment from South Africa. I could do it when I arrived. I arrived mid-afternoon. I didn’t realise downtown Tel Aviv was another 40-minute bus drive from Ben Gurion. It was getting late, and I had no idea where the kibbutz office was that would assign me. With the narrowly-avoided Sleep Sack Massacre in my wake, I realised three guys had stopped to watch. www.myofficemagazine.co.za

“Hi,” I said. “Middag,” they replied. And so began about a year of misadventures and shenanigans that would involve five countries, a stolen car, 95% proof vodka, a tractor, scooter racing, a near arrest, a model shoot, a police raid and one young woman who made an indelible impression upon my world view. Fortunately my new friends knew where the kibbutz office was. What we initially interpreted as a hatred of foreigners turned out to be the fairly run-of-the-mill, harassed state of mind of many Israelis – all of whom seemed overworked and underpaid. They could be a nation of journalists. Instead, it appeared everyone carried an M16 assault rifle. We were rapidly posted to Kibbutz Shoval at the northern point of the Negev Desert. We had a fantastic time. We were paid the square root of diddly, but vodka cost only R5 a bottle so we drank. A lot. We raised chickens, milked cows, stole oranges from neighbouring kibbutzim, nicked scooters from the kibbutz members and raced them around the dining hall in a vodka-fuelled mania. We made a raft of friends. We worked like slaves, sometimes from midnight to eight in the morning when chickens could withstand the desert heat. We accidentally bought a stolen car. We unwittingly slept in an air force bombing range. We grew beards and long hair. We pierced our ears. Then we left. England’s greenery replaced the drab desert brown. We ate burgers instead of falafel. We drank Belgian beer instead of the petrol they call vodka in Israel. Then French beer. Eventually we didn’t even have enough money for French beer. We had to get jobs. The carefree and sheltered employment of the kibbutzim faded rapidly from our memories. A South African chef in a pub 10 miles from our digs took pity on me and put me to work washing dishes. I quickly calculated that walking to work and home again at 2am

would net me a six-pack in bus fare. The only problem was that nobody in England carried an M16 and there were no men with toothbrush moustaches. A forest, very dark at 2am, lay in my path. One night, midway through the forest, I heard the unmistakable sound of approaching footsteps. I was suddenly aware of my vulnerability. Years of paranoia indoctrination in South Africa had peaked in conflict-engulfed Israel, and my imagination – fuelled by good Belgian beer – took flight. Being stabbed to death for the remnants of a six-pack seemed an unreasonably poor way to go. Fortunately, forests provide ample seclusion. I swerved behind a large oak. To my consternation a young girl emerged in a clearing right in front of me. It dawned on me that I could easily be mistaken for a 20 year-old, beer-sodden miscreant lurking behind an oak tree in a forest waiting for unsuspecting young women. I quickly stepped out from behind the tree and nonchalantly waved and mumbled hello. She didn’t seem to care, and never responded. She simply kept walking. I was astonished. Gobsmacked, even. I realised that there are places in the world where people don’t fear attack. I have never slept as soundly as I did that day. Stress had been part of my life for so long that I hadn’t even noticed it. In fact, I had no idea what it was. Many of us who work, especially in open-plan offices, live with stress 24/7. Many of us don’t know what it is or that we can cause it ourselves. I’ve since learned to try to take a moment before responding, particularly to negative situations in the course of my work, and think about the outcome I’d like to achieve. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I don’t always succeed. I’m only human after all. And so are you.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT BRIAN HOLMES

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business savvy

A matter of trust Becoming a trusted advisor to your clients is key in a changing world

ne of the major driving forces behind the rapid change we see in the world around us is the pace at which a specific technology matures.

New technologies are born and there is demand for these products reach a peak in a much shorter timeframe than we are used to. Our time to respond to these market changes – and to take advantage of these fleeting periods of high demand – is being compressed. Products also become a low-profit commodity in a much shorter space of time. We also see a lot of clutter in the market, where the same product is presented to the end-user in a dazzling array of options. Some retailers in Europe now carry more than 70 different tablet offerings. The reason for the variety is to address the needs of all potential customers but, unless the user is highly knowledgeable, this variety tends to create confusion rather

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than solving the problem. It is no wonder that people are turning to their friends for advice on the correct solution: they trust their input. The end-user is not only confronted with a vast array of products, but also with a host of ways to buy them. Online, in-store or at a kiosk are just some of the options available to consumers. Most of the new delivery platforms are an abstract experience because there is very limited human interaction. This is all fine if you know what you want or how to solve your problem. What has emerged with the advent of mobile phones, data and the cloud is that there are also different models of ownership and payment. This makes the upfront cost of new products much lower, and has led to these technologies being adopted across a much wider spectrum of users. It also ushered in a host of new competitors, like the banks and the telecommunication companies, and we have not even touched on how the younger generations use, procure and consume technology. Our industry was built on the fact that people buy from people, and that those people had the skills to sell the products.

All the factors above, however, point to a breakdown of this model. If multiple products solve the same problem and are available from multiple sources, the net result is usually a decline in profits. This means that a face-to-face, high-touch model becomes too expensive, where we only sell to procurement without a clear understanding of the need the users want to meet – or the problem we are trying to solve. Much has been said about becoming trusted advisors to our customers but – unless we understand that the change impacts our customers as much as it does us, and they want to transform their business to grow and remain relevant as much as we do – we will not achieve this status. Procurement by its very nature seeks to standardise and optimise costs. The change requires customisation and trusted advice. Selling it to procurement just leads to frustration, and our value being reduced to the lowest price.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT ANTON HERBST

Vol 99 - September 2015

business savvy

Marketing lessons from a Cretan wedding

ost of you reading this column will agree that the celebration of two people in love who will (hopefully) live together for the rest of their lives must be commemorated with a great wedding. Most of you will also agree that weddings are usually enormously expensive events.

Weddings are so emotionally charged; so full of hundreds of important details; so scary because of the massive commitments that need to be made; so full of expectations of the “perfect” day. Most people, but especially close families and friends of the happy couple, somehow don’t seem to be able to think straight. The arrangements are carried out irrationally, emotionally and without logic – and the expensive bills start piling up. Needless to say, there is a whole industry of wedding planners, photographers, jewellers, musicians, florists, hairdressers, beauticians, bakers, venue managers and dressmakers that exist because of this magical event. Let’s focus on just one item that symbolises the importance and solemnity of the wedding – the wedding dress. The average price of a wedding dress is probably in the tens of thousands of rand. However, there are some brides who are quite happy to borrow a wedding dress from family or friends. Yet other brides are equally happy to rent a wedding dress from a store. A few really struggle to make ends meet and try to find the best possible value for their small budget. But these three groups are in the tiniest minority. There are also some brides who won’t hesitate to spend hundreds of thousands on a tailor-made, truly spectacular dress. www.myofficemagazine.co.za

Now, in just about all weddings this dress will be worn for somewhere between 10 and 12 hours, and then returned to the original owner, or more commonly packed away into a nice container stored in the back of a cupboard. What does one do with a used wedding dress? And this is where my opinion gets a bit controversial. The question I like to ask is: “Was this celebration any better because of the bride’s luxurious and lavish dress?” Did the happy couple, their family and friends have a brilliant time because of the dress? Was the wedding one of the most memorable parties ever because of the dress? After being a guest at literally hundreds of weddings in my 58 years, I know that the answer is “no, probably not.” (This is the point where my wife looks at me indignantly and says that I don’t understand.) The most memorable wedding I attended was in a Greek village on the island of Crete. It was held in summer, and the guests walked straight out from the church right into the village square, where everything was laid out. All the guests brought a tray of food, and furniture, cutlery and linen from their homes. Nothing matched. The band comprised of two professionals and a whole bunch of people from the village who jammed along with them. The stunning flowers were picked from gardens and the field around the village. The local baker donated the three-tiered cake as his wedding present, the priest drank too much local wine, and everyone contributed their hearts and souls to the most awe-inspiring and delightful event. It was the finest wedding I’ve ever been to. On announcing their engagement to the parents, the loving bride asked her future mother-in-law what she had worn at her wedding. Proudly, the older lady took out

the packaged dress that had been sitting at the back of her cupboard for almost 30 years. The bride took one look at it and asked if she could also wear it on her special day. After many tears, the relationship was cemented forever. What are the marketing lessons from this most memorable event? For me, the traditional wedding chaos and expense I described is the worldview of old-style marketing, and I can tell you that I truly believe that the marketing world is changing. More and more customers resist paying much more for much less – no matter how famous the brand is (although I don’t predict the quick death of brand power with higher prices). However, the “shift to thrift” is a movement that is gathering momentum. We hear more and more stories of customers that demand to know your costs and mark-ups, and whether they can avoid paying for what they don’t want. In addition, they are ruthless about buying cheaper imported products from overseas – and boasting about how much they saved. And if they have to pay more, they demand better experiences. “New” marketing is about customers being more practical, demanding great value and experiences that dazzle them. In their book Blue Ocean Strategy, authors Kim and Mauborgne state that future businesses that succeed will offer both value innovation and low cost to customers. Customers will also take more responsibility for working together – like those wedding guests in Crete – to ensure that they have a wonderful time, get closer together … and exclude the businesses that don’t offer good value. It’s a scary world – but exciting nevertheless.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AKI KALLIATAKIS

my office magazine

labour law

The senior employee as scapegoat

e have been consulted in numerous disputes where a crisis has occurred at a workplace and the boss found an innocent person to blame.

For example: • Money has been stolen; • Goods have disappeared; • Fraud has been uncovered; • Market share has been lost; • Important clients have been offended; • Lucrative contracts have been lost to competitors; • Property has been damaged; and • Financial losses have been incurred. When this happens, everyone in management runs for cover while pointing fingers at others. For instance, the sales director tells the big boss that sales have been lost due to the fault of the sales manager, or because the store’s manager has not delivered goods fast enough. Or the production director’s excuse is that the engineer has not maintained the machinery properly. Often, the CEO or MD lands on the carpet in front of the board chairperson because the profits are down and they put the blame on one of the directors. Sometimes the accusing finger is pointed in the right direction, but just as often the wrong head rolls because the culprits have conspired to scapegoat an easy target or someone outside the main clique. Very frequently, by the time the scapegoat has been able to recover from the shock of the false allegations and has perhaps even been able to throw some doubt on the allegations against them, the damage has been done.

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That is: The culprits have closed ranks and testimony is hard to come by; • Important documentary evidence has been doctored or destroyed; • The powers that be have decided that the real culprit is not expendable; • It has been agreed who will have to be sacrificed; and • Acrimony and backstabbing have destroyed the working relationship and the scapegoat no longer wants to stay with the company or other organisation. Scapegoating can result not only in the unnecessary loss of key skills for the employer, but can also tarnish the reputation of the employer. From the employee’s point of view, their name will have been muddied and their career prospects may have been damaged. It then comes as no surprise that the employee refers the matter to the CCMA or bargaining council. Clearly, labour law arbitrators take a dim view of scapegoating as this would make a dismissal substantively unfair. For example, in the case of NEHAWU obo September versus the National Department of Social Services (2004, 5 BALR) the scapegoat was a senior administrator. September was dismissed after his personal computer number was used to verify false social grant beneficiaries. Several other employees whose computer numbers had been similarly misused were also disciplined but received only final warnings. The administrator claimed that he had been scapegoated because the employer was under pressure to deal with the matter. That is, the employer was at fault for the fraud because its systems were not secure. In order to deflect blame, the applicant argued, the employer used him as a scapegoat. •

The arbitrator found that: There was no proof that the administrator had benefited from the fraud. • There were indeed serious defects in the system that could allow fraud to occur. For example, employees were permitted to swap computers. • The computer numbers of other employees had also been used to perpetrate fraud. • While the applicant had failed a polygraph test, his claim that he suffered from a mental disease that prevented him from responding to such tests was not challenged. • The applicant had been targeted because the amount of the fraud committed via his computer number was the highest. This was unfair because, due to his senior position, he had the authority to work with higher amounts. • The dismissal was unfair and the applicant was re-instated. The cost of this matter to the employer must have been high.Not only did they have to bear legal costs, they also had to waste the valuable working time of the witnesses in the case. This could have been avoided had the employer made proper use of the appropriate experts to investigate the matter and to help decide on suitable corrective measures. Scapegoating is not the quick fix that many think it is. To attend our 11 September seminar in Durban on Changes and Dangers in Labour Law 2015, please contact Ronni on ronni@labourlawadvice.co.za or 084 521 7492. •

ACKNOWLEDGMENT DR IVAN ISRAELSTAM

Vol 99 - September 2015

business savvy

Celebrating friction People who disagree could be doing you a favour

t’s a fallacy that we all have to agree. We don’t. We should disagree – and more often than we do at that. Who came up with this idea that we need to have consensus all the time? It’s not as though a room full of people continually agreeing in a committee-style manner produce the best results.

In my experience the best end result comes from friction and disagreement. Or, to be more precise, the best outcome comes from the best input, which is generally given in an environment where disagreement is encouraged. Speaking your mind is something that society appears to celebrate, unless what is being said is not in line with the masses. The rub is in the fact that most people who speak their mind are shouted down by the “normers” – those that follow the normal, average path. Could we call these dissenting voices outliers? We could, because they are generally the people who are prepared to say the things that are unpopular, or ask the questions that no one wants to answer. They provide the input that so www.myofficemagazine.co.za

often grates. These outliers can often be annoying for just these reasons. You probably have someone around you who is just like this. They question things even when everyone in the room is in agreement. They ask why when the answers are as obvious a slap in the face with a wet fish. They delay the end of the meeting by an extra 10 minutes because they need to be convinced that the course of action agreed upon is the right one. Some of the outliers choose to be this way just to be different. Let’s discard those individuals because they add very little real world value. They’re just irritating and unproductive. Some of the questioners are outliers because they just don’t get. Let’s remove them from the pack too; their value is also minimal. The ones that I am interested in are the ones who just don’t think like the rest: the ones whose questions are insightful, a little intriguing and more than a little exasperating. Research has shown that disagreement, when handled appropriately, is in fact a catalyst for much improved end results. That’s the crux though. It has to be hitched to a process in ways that can efficiently utilise the energy and intelligence that comes with friction and disagreement.

Being able to disagree also has to be built-in or bolted onto a corporate culture. In this way it is an acceptable practice to disagree and find a better solution. The proviso is always that it is for the sake of a better outcome, not for the sake of disagreeing. Organisations should be looking at the way in which they define people’s roles, and move toward an environment where workers have a greater interest in adding to the business. The companies need to ensure that organisational objectives and outcomes have been through a robust testing process and are well-defined and defensible. Disagreement only comes from engagement, debate and questioning. Questioning comes from a different understanding and perspective. Innovation comes from having this different perspective. Hiring and training people to look at the business with different perspectives will pay off. So celebrate friction. It’s the way to growth and prosperity. It’s not the most comfortable path, but it is one that has roots.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT GAVIN MOFFAT @GAVINMOFFAT

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IT focus

PCs versus Macs: which is best for your business?

he Apple Mac versus Microsoft personal computer war has long raged on, with fans and detractors on both sides. Cut through the noise with a simple guide to which product will better fit into your life.

Price One of the most hotly contested differences between Macs and PCs is the price tag. Few Mac products sell for less than $1 000 (R14 000), while there are dozens of PC models that fall within that price range. However, attempting to compare Macs directly with PCs is problematic. Generally, specifications do not match and Apple products use only highly-optimised components and software, meaning less choice but greater consistency. Buying

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a cheaper PC may require a number of software purchases (such as antivirus) that increase the price point. Ultimately, the relative value of a Mac or PC really depends on the consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs. There is little point buying an expensive Mac when all you need is word processing power.

Specifications The technical specifications offered by Macs and PCs can be very similar or very different, depending on which brand and line youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re comparing. Although they both have similar internal parts (such as processors, RAM, hard drives and video cards), the speed and capacity of these components vary. Macs generally outperform low-end PCs. Apple products boast more expensive components, hence the price tag. When comparing Macs to high-end PCs, Macs are generally found wanting when it comes to RAM, hard disk space

and USB ports, but their processors are usually faster. The kinds of connections and optical drives found on Macs and PCs also differ. Macs offer a standard selection of such features, including a SuperDrive (reads and writes CDs and DVDs), audio in and audio out, USB, FireWire (data transfer), Thunderbolt (video output), Ethernet and a magnetised power port. PCs offer comparable features, plus a few more, like Blu-ray players, TV tuners, touchscreens and HDMI ports.

Battery life When it comes to portable computers, there is very little comparison between Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laptop (Mac Air) and laptops that run Windows. The usage time on a Mac Air is around 12 hours, while standby time is a calendar month. This remarkable battery life comes in a small, lightweight device that weighs just 1,35kgs. Users would be hardpressed to find anything that compares in Vol 99 - September 2015

IT focus terms of battery life and product dimensions when it comes to Windows laptops. This is why Macs are the device of choice for businessmen who need to work for hours without connecting to the mains. Mac offers such a good battery life due to the fact that components are made in-house for particular products, and software is highly optimised to use the least amount of battery life possible.

Closed versus open systems Apple runs on a closed system. All software is made in-house, and is optimised for the machine on which it runs. All applications go through strict quality controls before they are allowed on the Apple iStore. This creates a problem for Apple users, as there are often not as many programs that work on Apple Macs. This is most obvious in business computing, where applications were standardised for Windows years ago. However, although there is not much variety, closed systems offer greater stability and more optimisation. Windows PCs work on an open system. Anyone can create hardware, software or applications for PCs running Windows. This means that while there is a wide variety and more customisation, there is less stability and more chance of viruses. However, as the Digital Age advances, Mac has started to collaborate with Microsoft on programs such as Office Suite. Older, more traditional companies are still concerned with the lack of specialised business software, though. Something that is still limited on Apple’s larger devices is gaming, although this is not true of their portable devices.

Security Many users will raise concerns surrounding protection from viruses and other intrusions. As the vast majority of the world’s computers run Microsoft Windows, most attacks focus on PCs. Malware like Trojans and botnets are targeted at PCs, but rarely harm Macs. However, with the surge in popularity of Apple devices, cybercriminals are beginning to focus on the Mac as a target. But, because of Apple’s stringent controls regarding apps and software, there are still far fewer security breaches than found on Windows PCs.

Design and choice One of the biggest differentiators between Macs and PCs is the fact that Macs are designed to look good. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs spent nearly 30 years www.myofficemagazine.co.za

focused on the outward appearance of the company’s products. This has contributed to Apple’s public image as a producer of high-end, aesthetically pleasing devices. Apple was the first to bring colour to computer cases, releasing a candy-coloured iMac in 1998. This was a turning point for the company’s growth and popularity. Today, many Windows PC manufacturers are trying to create more design-oriented models, but so far none have managed to achieve the popularity of Apple products. Conversely, because PCs don’t originate from a single manufacturer, myriad different designs and combinations of components exist. Because there is no single vision guiding aesthetic choices when it comes to the design of the PC, if you don’t like one design you’re sure to like another. If you prefer to own a Mac, there is little choice in terms of design. PCs wins hands-down in terms of choice in the number of configurations available for each brand. Currently, Apple offers just five computer lines: the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro, the Mac mini, the iMac and the Mac Pro. Apple prides itself on its less-is-more approach to computers. This suits some people, but not others. PCs come in such a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This large selection could be viewed as a benefit for users, who are more likely to find a computer that meets their exact needs.

Users If image is of concern to you, then it is important to note that Apple products are often seen as trendy and prestigious, while PCs are considered to be the domain of “geeks” and gamers. Apple Macs are most often used by those who work in media and design, such as: • Graphic designers and photo editors; • Fashion designers; • Sound editors and record producers; and • Video editors, animators and movie makers. They are also popular with the younger generation and are favourites of the new wave of entrepreneurs and start-ups due to the status factor. Windows PCs are most often used by: • Traditional large corporates such as banks; • Smaller businesses where costs are of a concern; • Gamers; • Software developers; and • The older generation of businesspeople.

Did you know? In April 2011, the Internet was abuzz with the results of a survey conducted by Hunch – a Web site that makes recommendations based on user preferences. It asked users to identify themselves as a Mac or PC person, and then questioned them about a number of self-identifying factors. The results were comically stereotypical. Among the findings were that Mac users were more likely to be liberal, eat hummus and read The New York Times. PC users, on the other hand, were more conservative, had a better grasp on mathematical concepts, and, unlike their Mac counterparts, would rather ride a Harley than a Vespa.

Customer service and satisfaction Because Apple Macs are only made by one company, with a centralised identity, customer satisfaction is high. Apple scores with customers in reliability, service experience and word of mouth advertising. Mac users can get face-to-face assistance from technicians at iStores. Because PCs are made and sold by many people, customer service varies wildly. It is down to the individual reseller to provide good service, rather than Microsoft itself.

Conclusion The days of only being able to use Windows PCs or Apple Macs for one function or another is drawing to a close. Users can now boot into Windows on Apple machines, and there is a far greater variety of programs (both personal and business-related) for Apple users than ever before. As the world turns towards smartphones and other mobile devices, the choice is solely up to you and what you think will be a best fit for your business.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT LEIGH RICHTER my office magazine

BTS build-up

Bricks and mortar for BTS shoppers Those shopping for back-to-school goodies are more likely to visit physical stores

new spending survey by the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) has revealed that backto-school (BTS) shoppers still prefer to shop in physical, bricks-and-mortar stores.

This trend is driven by the desire to physically examine products before purchasing, and the convenience of onestop shopping. According to the survey, while 83% of purchases involve physical stores, 7% of purchases will be click-and-collect. Seventy-nine percent of those who click and collect are likely to buy more items once in the store. In 2014, the ICSC-Goldman Sachs consumer tracking survey found that roughly 90% of households indicated a selection of brick-and-mortar retail as a shopping venue for the BTS season.

Online versus physical stores In 2014, many retailers in regional malls and open-air centres saw increased activity during the BTS

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season. The biggest mover was the apparel specialty store sector, which moved from an 8,4% share in 2013 to a 10% share in 2014. Online stores as a BTS shopping venue declined from 8,6% in 2013 to 8,1% in 2014, while catalogues comprised a 3% share.

Omni-channel is key The survey revealed the importance of the ability for retailers to provide an omnichannel shopping experience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 79% of respondents said they plan to use a mobile device while browsing in-store for BTS products, and 44% of those will use it to compare prices. Furthermore, 28% will use digital coupons, 26% will check reviews and 24% will check inventory. Approximately 73% of consumers indicated that they will do research online, and then purchase in a physical store.

Spending trends The number of those surveyed who plan to spend more in the current BTS season than the last one rose from 50% (2014) to 67% (2015). Approximately 12% cited keeping up with the trends as the reason for this, while the majority cited a need to replace school clothing and supplies. Marketing is a strong driver to start

BTS: 74% of consumers state that they start their BTS shopping when the major retailers begin their BTS campaigns. ICSC found that discount stores still top the shopping destination list (77%), while 40% plan to shop at office supply stores. While discounters are still expected to be the overall winners, the number of households selecting this shopping venue dropped from 90% in 2013 to 80% in 2014. When choosing a retailer, price (76%), convenience (48%) and quality (41%) are the main consideration factors.

Average yearly BTS spend According to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs consumer tracking survey, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation between 10 and 13 July 2014, total BTS expenditures per American household was set at $672 for the year. The survey determined that BTS expenditure, excluding electronics, was around $325 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a sharp increase from the 2013 figure of $285. Fifty percent of consumers were forecast to spend more in 2014 than in 2013, and similar trends for 2015 have been identified.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OPI; SBOMAG.COM

Vol 99 - September 2015

industry events

Diarise this A list of industry-specific events and exhibitions to mark on your calendar

02 – 03 Sept

AFRICA PRINT REGIONAL EXPO CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE Africa Print Regional Expo is a two-day event showcasing products like the digital print process, and will feature sheet-fed A3 machines, grand format digital equipment, commercial and digital printers, finishing equipment, software, media and consumables.

COMMERCIAL AND DIGITAL PRINT EXHIBITION CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE This two-day event will showcase the entire digital print process, featuring sheet-fed A3 machines, grand-format digital equipment, commercial litho and digital printers, finishing equipment, software, media and consumables in the printing and publishing, paper, and paper products industries.

RETAIL INDABA CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE This conference will cover retail outlook, multi-channel retail strategies, consumer trends, brand building, retail marketing, supply chain management, instore activities, African markets, m-commerce, mobile apps, the rise of online shopping, payment solutions, in-store promotions, product design and packaging.

02 – 03 Sept

08 – 10 Sept

12 October

SIGN AFRICA REGIONAL EXPO CAPE TOWN CONVENTION CENTRE Sign Africa Regional Expo is a twoday event showcasing products like plastic, graphics, crafting, screen, and digital supply-based products and services associated with this field.

SMART PROCUREMENT WORLD SOUTH AFRICA GALLAGHER CONVENTION CENTRE, MIDRAND The Smart Procurement World South Africa conference is the ultimate procurement and inbound supply chain conference in South Africa. This is an exhibition for sourcing, procurement, purchasing and buying.

THE SUNFLOWER FUND NATIONAL BANDANA DAY Purchase bandanas from Pick n Pay, Round Table, selected Makro stores and the online shop Zando. R25 will make a difference and offer hope to patients diagnosed with life-threatening blood disorders like leukaemia. Visit www.sunflowerfund. org.za or call 0800 12 10 82 (toll free) for more info.

Do you have an upcoming event? Send the details to editor@shop-sa.co.za for possible inclusion on our events page.

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Vol 99 - September 2015

THE EASIER, THE BETTER Get labelled as smart and efficient with DYMO

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677-0016 374-4112 430-5912 936 5201 743-7359 462-0185

labelling

Label it! Spring has sprung, and it’s time to get a bit of cleaning done. Get things organised with the help of labels and labelling machines Types of labelling machines Each type of labelling machine is designed to fit into your life in different ways.

Personal label printers Otherwise known as label makers, these are small handheld devices intended for use in the home, small office and small business setting. These machines do not have a high price point, and so are popular with those who don’t want to print a high volume of labels. However, these machines print on special, often thermal, tapes which are expensive. In the past, mechanical labelling systems worked by embossing pieces of coloured plastic embossing tape. A hammer in the shape of the letter caused an extrusion on the opposite side of the tape, and the raised plastic would discolour to white to provide visual contrast.

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These types of machines have been largely displaced by electronic thermal transfer devices. Such machines contain a built-in keyboard and display, and an integrated cartridge containing the label material (and print ribbon, if used).

in medium-volume label printing applications, in business environments such as printers or graphic design houses. Industrial label printers These types of label prints are designed for heavy-duty, continuous use in places such as warehouses, distribution centres and factories. They are used to print vast quantities of labels, sometimes for oddly shaped components (such as the safety stickers on a child’s car seat). Industrial portable label printers are used on location in rugged environments, such as construction sites and production floors.

How to choose a labelling device

Desktop label printers Desktop printers are compact, relatively simple to operate, reliable and cost effective. These types of label printers are ideal for a wide variety of mid-volume industrial, commercial and healthcare applications. They are usually designed for light- to medium-duty use, and are quiet and affordable. They are available in direct thermal and thermal transfer printer models, and are customisable. Commercial label printers Commercial label printers are used

Choosing a labelling device for your environment will depend largely on what you want to use it for. Perhaps you’d like to print out address labels, or improve your filing and workflow. Machines with advanced capabilities, such as barcoding, networking and custom printing, are more expensive than simple, handheld devices, so it is important to choose the right one for your application. Features Basic label makers have limited features in terms of label type, size or font. The more advanced the labelling machine is, the more customisation it will offer. If you plan to print different types and sizes of labels using various fonts and graphics, or if you Vol 99 - September 2015

labelling

want bespoke designs, then you will need a machine with advanced capabilities. Other features to look out for include a print history that will store recent or frequently-used designs, as well as how many pages are printed per minute. Some label makers can print barcodes, shipping tracking and laminated labels. Portability Label makers can be handheld or large, static machines. In warehouse settings, portable models are useful for workers on the move. In an office environment, a labelling machine that sits on a desk will be ideal. Labelling machines without a display screen or keyboard are not portable, and will therefore need to be plugged into a computer to work. Display screen and keyboard Some label makers come with a display screen and keyboard, while others need to plug directly into a computer to take data directly from the machine. If you are considering a model with a screen or keyboard, make sure to look at the overall size. The keyboard must be easy to use, and if you want to see the entire label before you print it you will need a screen that does not have a limited character display. Power source Label makers run on either disposable batteries, rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs or on a power cord. If your usage is relatively low, disposable batteries are ideal. However, if you use your labelling machine frequently or want to run batch prints, then www.myofficemagazine.co.za

a rechargeable battery pack is more suitable. Machines may connect to a computer via USB cable, allowing it to charge. Connectivity Labelling machines can be attached to a computer or network, either on a wired or wireless basis. If you are using desktop software to design custom labels, then a machine that plugs into your computer will be ideal. It also removes any limitations on fonts, symbols and designs. If there is only one labelling machine in an office with multiple users, then you will need a networking feature to improve workflow and prevent bottlenecks Print type Label makers commonly use thermal printing, either by direct or thermal transfer. Some devices can switch between these methods. Thermal transfer works best if you want to print in colour or if you want labels that won’t fade over time. Thermal transfer printers require the use of a carbon ribbon. This is transferred onto the substrate via heat. Ribbons can be different colours, and the printing is very crisp and durable. Thermal transfer printers can print on paper, film and even foil substrates. Direct thermal printers require the use of heat-activated thermal papers and films, rather than a transfer ribbon. The print colour is limited to black, unless you buy treated labels that contain chromatic inks, and the printing is not as crisp or durable. Labels tend to darken with age and exposure to light. Direct thermal

printing is popular in the food industry, where items are stored for short periods of time out of direct sunlight. This type of printer is ideal for labels with a limited life-span, where quality is not paramount. Cost The more features your labelling machine has, the more it will cost. When buying a machine, consider not only your business’ current needs, but its future needs too. It may be more cost effective to buy an advanced machine from the outset than to purchase a basic one now and an advanced one later. The type of printing the machine does will also affect overall cost. Direct thermal printers are low-cost to operate because ribbon is not required.

When buying a labelling machine, you will need to ask yourself the following questions: • What applications will the machine be needed for? • Will you use blank or pre-printed labels? • Will you need customisation features? • How long will the label need to last? • What type of surface will the labels be put onto? • What is your budget? • Does the brand you’ve chosen have a good reputation for quality? • What do you expect in terms of customer service and technical support?

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labelling

Types of labels L

abels help all of us keep track of things, whether in the office environment or at home.

Different types of labels are created for specific purposes, and labels also differ in terms of materials, lifespan and adherence. You should choose labels that are best suited to your needs while keeping cost in mind.

Different types of labels Pressure-sensitive labels – these labels are applied by pressing down firmly on them so they stick to the surface. They typically have a release liner that protects the adhesive until it is pulled off. The release liner makes handling the label before application easier. There are three different types of adhesive labels. Permanent adhesive labels – once fixed to a surface, such as a box or disc, the label cannot be removed without ripping. The glue on some permanent labels take a while to set, allowing for the label to be adjusted if necessary. This type of label is ideal for mailing. Peelable adhesive labels – these are removable labels which can be transferred from one surface to another. They usually leave a sticky residue

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behind. Ultra-peelable labels – these labels can be removed without any sticky residue remaining. However, once removed it is hard to get these types of labels to stick to another surface. Depending on which labels get used the most, it is a good idea to have a variety of extras on hand. Address/shipping labels – these typically come as blank labels in the form of sheets, for uses such as mailing, and rolls for thermal labels. Return address labels – these can be bought pre-printed, as the return

address is typically the office address being shipped from. Extras can always be printed onto blank label sheets. Inkjet labels – these types of labels are used in inkjet printers. They are typically blank labels on a label sheet and are often used for mailing labels or name tags. They generally print in black. Laser labels – these labels are used in a laser printer. They are superior to inkjetprinted labels due to the fact that it won’t run or smudge, and it can be printed in colour. CD/DVD labels – these labels are made to be put onto a CD or DVD. They are designed to fit around the central hole in the disc.

Label materials Office labels are made of many different types of materials. These include paper, plastic and thermal transfer, and the right type of label needs to be selected for the job at hand. Litho labels – this is one of the most common types of labelling material. It will stick to almost any surface, and can be removed from hard surfaces using water. Latex labels – these are generally more flexible than litho labels and can fit around curves easily. They are permanent labels, and are waterproof and smudge resistant. Plastic labels – these labels are made Vol 99 - September 2015

labelling of vinyl, acetate and other kinds of plastics. They offer good strength and flexibility. However, they require special printing equipment as conventional ink does not adhere well to them. Foil labels – these are made of aluminium foil. They come in bright or matte finishes. Thermal labels - lettering is applied to a thermal label through the use of heat. These labels are sensitive to light and temperature fluctuations, and fade or darken over time. Thermal transfer labels – these labels are similar to thermal labels, but they can be used in proximity to heat sources. They are also more durable and do not fade over time.

How labels are packaged Office labels come in a variety of different counts, including individual labels, rolls and sheets. When purchasing labels, make sure to get those that fit the printing device or the labelling machine you have. If you’re unsure, check your user manual. Individual labels come in packages to be used as needed for small jobs that do not require a high number of labels at a time. Label rolls are fed into a machine that prints them out as needed. This is the most common type of thermal label available. A label sheet can be ordered preprinted or printed as needed. They are most commonly used for mailing and return labels. They resemble stickers when peeled off the sheet.

Storing office labels Your office label stock should be stored in a cool, dry place. If labels are exposed to direct sunlight or excessive heat or damp, they may curl at the edges, stick together in the printer or discolour. The colour on printed labels may fade or darken to the point that it becomes illegible. Designate a suitable storage spot in a storage closet or room of some sort.

Outwit the routine Imagine how much more you could accomplish with a little extra help and a little more time, every single day. DYMO products can give you both. Whether you work in an office, at home or in an industrial workplace, DYMO has what you need to get organised and complete everyday tasks – in less time, and with less effort, than they take now. How clever is that? www.myofficemagazine.co.za

LTO storage Digital tape storage is a viable and costeffective alternative to hard drives for the long-term storage of digital content where hundreds of terabytes are concerned. The technology is stable, long-standing and doesn’t require any significant learning curve to understand or use. With hard drives becoming more expensive to purchase due to having to buy more and more of them, not to mention protecting them from hazards, the choice of going with digital tape, or LTO (linear tape open), is now surfacing as a means for archiving data. Tape as storage LTO was developed as a non-proprietary open standard in the late 1990s as an alternative to those proprietary formats prevailing at the time. Magnetic tape has been used for storage/backup for more than 50 years, with various companies introducing their own proprietary products and maintaining a tight grip on the market over the years. LTO broke that open and was embraced by small and medium businesses, as well as others who were looking for storage means. The standard form-factor is a magnetic cartridge, which can hold 2,5Tb of data. The 15- to 30-year lifecycle of the LTO cartridge ensures safe storage that exceeds a hard drive’s useful lifecycle.

is used to identify tapes. This enables understanding of different tape generations, as well as storage of tapeuse information. The LTO drive reads data from the cartridge in its own generation and at least the two prior ones, and writes data to its own generation and to a cartridge from the immediate prior generation in the prior generation format. The average rewind time for a typical drive is about 80 seconds, with about 50 seconds for the drive to access data from the beginning of the tape. To help keep the cartridges’ contents clean, an internal tape head cleaning brush is activated whenever a cartridge is inserted. Advantages • Good error detection and correction – data written to tape is verified by reading it back using the read heads, enabling the drive to write a second copy of any data that fails to verify on its own. • Data recovery – this is possible due to the strong error correction algorithm. • LTO cartridges have no moving parts and so are more durable than a hard drive, with a superior storage life. • LTO is low cost when compared to other storage options. • LTO uses no electricity.

How LTO works The LTO data cartridge, called Ultrium, consists of a 2,5cm magnetic tape spooled around a single reel. The design was fabricated for ease of use by those robotic tape library vendors looking to convert the widely used DLT-formatted cartridges (developed by IBM and DEC in the mid ‘80s). The durability of the tape is such that it’s expected to be able to handle around 5 000 cartridge load/ unloads, with about 260 full file passes (that is, filling the entire tape with data). Each cartridge comes equipped with a memory chip, whose memory

Disadvantages • Sensitivity to magnetic fields – LTO technology is sensitive to magnets, and an eraser will render the cartridge unusable. • Temperature sensitivity – the tape also needs to be kept within a “normal” temperature range (that which is comfortable to a human). • Tapes are linear – this means that it must run from beginning to end, and specific areas are hard to access quickly. Source: www.videomaker.com

At home: spend more time enjoying life Organise your attic, cellar and everything in between. Everyone in your family will find things more easily and misplace them less often. This means you’ll spend less time looking for your bits and pieces, which leaves you more time to do what you’d rather be doing. At work: save time, save money – and every so often, save the day

DYMO office products make it easy to do more with less – and to work minor miracles that can make a big difference to your business. Print any label you need in seconds, without the hassle of sheet labels. Accomplish more with advanced labelling at your computer or on the go. Build a database of business contacts without typing a word. DYMO is how labelling gets done. my office magazine

how to sell

Selling optical media O

ptical media are types of storage media that hold content in digital form, and that are written and read by a laser.

There are many different types of optical discs, from CDs to DVDs, and each has a unique set of pros and cons. When recommending optical media to your customers, you need to take into account the writable standard they support, the dyes and other materials they use, their compatibility with different models of writers and players, their archival stability and their overall quality. The original compact disc (CD) specification still stands today. Optical media discs are 120mm in diameter, have a 60mm radius and are 1,2mm thick. They have a standardised central hole which accommodates the rotating central spindle of the optical drive.

Did you know? CDs and DVDs are produced using a physical stamping process, and are called pressed discs or stamped discs. Commercial discs may be one-sided or two-sided, with data sides being a reflective silver colour. Writable discs are produced by a high-powered laser on a layer of dye that can be altered by light. These are always one-sided, with the data side being silver, gold or dark blue.

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Discs differ in terms of the quality of the materials used to make them, and it is worth informing your customers that buying cheaper discs may lead to issues with the archival stability and the quality of the reflective layer. Cheap discs may stop working sooner, and customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; data will be lost. Despite their similarity in appearance, there are many different types of discs.

CDs CD writers themselves may no longer exist, but CDs are still a good buy for your customers. Even premium brands are affordable, and can be found in large quantities. Speak to your customers and ask what they plan to do with their optical discs. CDs are great for duplicating audio CDs and making quick backups of data. There are two types of writable CDs: CD-R discs CD-R (CD-Recordable) discs can usually only be written to once. This means that any data recorded on the CD cannot be overwritten or deleted. Most CDs currently sold are rated for 48X to 52X writes, and so can be used in nearly any optical writer. CD-R discs can be written by all CD writers and by nearly all DVD writers. CD-R discs can be read by any modern optical drive or player. In general, CD-R discs differ in capacity and quality. Standard CD-R discs store 74 minutes of audio (650Mb of data), but there are also 700Mb (80 minutes of audio) discs available.

CD-RW discs CD-RW (CD-Rewritable) discs can be written to repeatedly. Data is deleted or overwritten to make room for new data. CD-RW discs can be rewritten up to 1 000 times. Rated disc speed is more important for CD-RW than for CD-R discs. Writers often refuse to burn CD-RW discs at anything faster than the speed indicated on the front of the disc. Although most recent optical drives and players can read CD-RW discs, there were many early compatibility problems, and so this is an underutilised type of media. There are significant quality variations between brands of CD-RW discs.

Did you know? A writable DVD said to have a capacity of 4,7Gb actually stores 4 700 000 000 bytes. Contrary to popular belief, the units of measurement of data storage are not in round thousands, but are actually in units of 1 024. For example, one megabyte contains 1 024 kilobytes, not 1 000 kilobytes. Thus a DVD of 4,7Gb actually only has 4,4Gb of capacity.

DVDs Unlike writable CDs, for which only the CD-R and CD-RW standards exist, there are numerous standards for writable DVDs. And unlike CDs, rewritable standards for DVDs preceded write-once Vol 99 - September 2015

how to sell standards. DVDs are ideal for customers who want to store large amounts of data, such as music, photographs or videos. DVD-RW Early DVD-RW had 1X drives, and discs were soon followed by 2X and then 4X models. Current DVD-RW discs are certified for 4X or (rarely) 6X writes. They can be rewritten up to 1 000 times and can store about 4,7Gb worth of information. Because DVD-RW has relatively poor error detection and correction, these discs are poorly suited for recording data. However, DVD-RW discs are less expensive than comparable DVD+RW discs, and so are a reasonable choice for recording television programs, movies and other noncritical types of data. DVD-RW discs can be read by any DVD writer other than some elderly DVD+R/ RW-only models, and by nearly all recent DVD-ROM drives. Estimates vary, but approximately 65% to 70% of all installed DVD players play DVD-RW discs correctly. DVD+RW The greatest advantage of DVD+RW discs is that they have much better performance and reliability. DVD+RW discs store about 4,7Gb and are rated for 1 000 rewrites. They are not only faster than DVD-RW, but have superior error detection and correction. DVD+RW discs can be read by any DVD writer other than some elderly DVD-R/RW-only models, and by nearly all recent DVD-ROM drives. Approximately 70% to 80% of all installed DVD players play DVD+RW discs correctly. Advise your customers to use DVD+RW discs when backing up important data. DVD-R DVD-R was the first write-once DVD format introduced. These discs store about 4,7Gb, and are available at up to 16X write speeds. However, error detection and correction is poor, and so it is best to advise your customers not to use these types of discs for storing important data. DVD-R discs can be read by any DVD writer other than some elderly DVD+R/ RW-only models, and by nearly all recent DVD-ROM drives. More than 90% of all installed DVD players play DVD-R discs correctly. www.myofficemagazine.co.za

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how to sell DVD+R DVD+R is a superior alternative to DVD-R. These discs store about 4,7Gb of data and can write up to 16X. Error detection and correction on these discs is much higher, and they are therefore a good choice for storing data. DVD+R discs can be read by any DVD writer other than some elderly DVD-R/ RW-only models, and by nearly all recent DVD-ROM drives. A somewhat lower percentage of DVD players are compatible with DVD+R than DVD-R (perhaps 85%). DVD+R DL The most recent enhancement to the DVD+R standard is DVD+R DL. The DL stands for dual-layer, and at 8.5Gb these discs have a storage capacity almost double that of DVD+R discs. These discs are more costly than their single-layer counterparts. Even so, they are ideal for customers that wish to back up larger amounts of data. They are also useful for backing up original DVD movies. The higher capacity of DVD+R DL allows video to be duplicated without the compression required to fit on a single-layer discs.

Blu-ray Disc Label side

DVD+R DL compatibility with drives and players other than DVD+R DL writers is problematic. If your customer wants to use DVD+R DL discs, recommend that they first verify compatibility with their current DVD drives and players. DVD-R DL DVD-R DL (also called DVD-R9 or dual-layer DVD-R) has a number of drawbacks. It has the same compatibility issues as DVD+R DL, in addition to error detection and correction that’s inferior to the plus-format version. DVD-R DL is acceptable for recording video, but the superior reliability and features of DVD+R DL make the plus versions a better choice for your customers.

Blu-ray discs Blu-ray discs are a next-generation optical disc format that offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs. Up to 25Gb of data can be stored on a single-layer disc, and 50Gb on a dual-layer disc. Blu-ray discs are exactly the same physical size as CDs and DVDs. Blu-ray discs are made by using a blue

DVD

Label side 0.6 mm

1.1 mm

laser with a shorter wavelength of 405nm. DVDs use a 650nm wavelength red laser, while CDs use a 780nm red laser. The shorter wavelength of the Bluray system allows the laser to focus on smaller spots. This means the pits and spiral grooves in the discs can be made even smaller and tighter. Blu-ray discs are ideal for the recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition (HD) video, as well as for storing large amounts of data.

Cover layer: 0.6 mm

Label side Cover layer: 1.2 mm

Cover layer: 0.1 mm

NA: 0.85

Laser wavelength: 405mm

Track pitch 0.32 µm

Track pitch 0.74 µm

Capacity: 25GB

Capacity: 4.7GB

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Track pitch 1.60 µm

Capacity: 700MB Vol 99 - September 2015

optical media

The resurrection of optical media My Office speaks to Manny Cross, GM of Emerging Markets Southern Region at Verbatim, about the future of optical media

any have predicted the demise of optical media as other types of storage, such as flash and cloud, become more popular. And, while there may be a decline in optical media in terms of pure sales volumes, it’s a little more complicated than that, says Manny Cross, GM of Emerging Markets Southern Region at Verbatim.

“Traditionally, optical media was used for transferring data from one PC to another as it had greater capacity and read/write speeds than the floppy disk,” he says. “That was until people discovered it had multimedia properties – and then the market exploded.” Consumers first used CDs, and later

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DVDs, to store data or make copies of music albums or movies. Demand peaked and then, as technology changed, the focus moved to USBs, external hard drives and even the cloud. But something interesting is happening in the space. While consumer sales have fallen, professional adoption is on the rise. “It’s almost as if the market is returning to a pure state – one before the general consumer adoption of optical media occurred,” says Cross. The biggest advantage of optical media is its longevity, which makes it ideal for backups and archiving. The medical profession is just one example of an industry that can benefit from this. One of the most advanced forms of optical media, the M-disc (Millennial disc) is a write-once technology available in DVD and Blu-ray forms. This type of disc does not store data on the dye layer, as is usual with optical media. Instead, the M-disc engraves

information on a type of synthetic stone. This prevents corruption and oxidisation. The M-disc is shock-proof, water-proof, reliable, durable and not affected by magnetic fields. It has archival life of up to 1 000 years. Another advantage of using optical media to store data is that it has no obvious value to potential criminals. Unlike hard drives or USBs, which can be sold for money if stolen, CDs or DVDs that have already been written to have no resale value. “So, no, the medium is not dead. In fact, it’s a safer form of storage than electronic media like USBs, which can be corrupt or break if dropped,” Cross says. “Interestingly, CDs are best sellers at Verbatim. Buyers have gone from DVD back to CDs because they are more affordable.” When asked whether electronic media is still a competitive market, Cross says yes. “The flash market has its place, although that type of media has its own Vol 99 - September 2015

optical media challenges regarding data recovery and longevity. However, it is well-priced, and demand is strong.” As society becomes more and more data-hungry, recording videos and taking photos on all manner of mobile devices, the need for larger and larger storage capacities grows. “The amount of data we generate is beyond our understanding,” he says. But how will this impact on the future of optical media? “We will definitely see brands exiting the market. There will be a degree of repositioning, with a handful of manufacturers remaining to create products for what will ultimately be a niche market.” An impediment to consumer readoption of optical media is the lack of optical drives in modern computing technology, such as notebooks and tablets. “In order for optical media to keep growing, optical writers will need to be simple and convenient to use, which they currently are not. However, PC manufacturers would need to get on board with this vision.”

Did you know? Optical disc trivia 1. The diameter of the optical disc is 120mm. It is the diagonal width of a standard compact cassette from end to end. 2. The thickness of an optical disc is 1,1mm, +/- 0,2mm. This includes the stacking ring which is moulded into every disc. The stacking ring allows for the separation of one disc from another. 3. A CD usually weighs around 15g. 4. Compact disc technology is an evolution of laser disc technology, with a focused laser beam to read and write the high-density information needed for audio signals. 5. Sony and Philips originally developed the technology independently of each other. They eventually collaborated on a standard known as the Red Book. 6. A CD is a single layer disc of polycarbonate on one side, a thin layer of aluminium, and a thin layer of lacquer beneath. It is through this

lacquer that the laser beam reads the pits and translate it into data. 7. Although DVDs come in several different formats, they are all created the same way. They consist of two layers of polycarbonate glued together. There is a lacquer finish on the bottom. Two lasers read the double-layered disc. 8. Laser discs were originally made from acrylic. However, this material is very hydroscopic (absorbs water easily) and the plating oxidises over time. Anyone who owns laser discs will need to keep them in a dry, desiccant environment to prevent oxidation or delamination. The use of polycarbonate for current optical discs prevents oxidation. 9. CD playing time was extended to 74 minutes to accommodate Wilhelm Furtwangler’s recording of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony #9 from the 1951 Bayreuth Festival. Source: www.shop.ace-cases.com

So, who ever thinks about LTO tape labels? TechExpress does ...

Now that you have your LTO tapes, you need labels, and you don’t have the time or the materials to print them yourself. Don’t sweat it – it’s one of the many services we offer to make your life easier. Just send us the preﬁx or sufﬁx sequence and LTO tape generation and we will print your labels professionally using high-quality polyester labels that are weatherproof and tear resistant. The labels are presented in multiples of 32 per page. They peel and stick onto your data tapes with ease. If you have LTO tape label or asset tagging requirements, give us a call or e-mail us to receive quality service.

Tel: 011 467 0227 E-mail: helpdesk@techexpress.co.za Web: www.techexpress.co.za

ABC Q2 results

Putting print in perspective

he Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) held its bi-annual results breakfast in Johannesburg on 13 August, where it released the circulation figures for the second quarter of 2015.

Before the results were presented, guest speaker Jennie Beck, global director at Kantar Media/TNS, spoke about the importance of re-evaluating the role of print in the modern world. “We have to think of it in a new way in order to continue,” she says. The rise of technology has had a significant impact on the ability for newspapers and magazines to make money. In general, the print industry got speed, reach and branding right, but failed in terms of relevance, depth of stories and

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revenue generation. “The Daily Mail is an example of a newspaper that got it right,” she says. The paper completely revamped its image for the online portal, resulting in the print and digital versions of the paper being completely different. The Mail Online Web site receives 180-million unique visitors a month and, while print newspaper circulation is down 6%, advertising revenue is up 2% and Web site traffic has increased by 26%. The South African story is somewhat different. According to Gordon Patterson, chairman of the ABC board, the economy remains distressed. Lack of disposable income, in conjunction with the decline of print as a favoured medium of consumption, has seen some alarming trends in South Africa’s print circulation numbers. Although the newspaper category has

less churn than the magazine category, the magazine results reflect more sporadic areas of growth. Weekend newspapers saw declines in both single-copy sales and subscriptions, but free newspapers reflected an increase in bulk distribution. In the magazine sector, the custom category is now under pressure, experiencing sharp declines in free distribution. However, business titles are showing growth in single-copy sales. The consumer section saw several titles producing solid growth, while others saw decline. “Publishing is a business and there can be little doubt that titles have done everything they can to improve their circulation. Perhaps it’s time to refocus on income generation to grow circulation,” says Patterson. “Without returns, it’s impossible to grow.”

Vol 99 - September 2015

ABC Q2 results Some of the key points of interest from the presentation include: • ABC members went from 875 (31 December 2014) to 858 (30 June 2015)

•

Magazines •

• • •

• •

Newspapers saw the addition of 10 titles from Q1 to Q2 Newspapers lost eight titles from Q1 to Q2 Total press circulation of newspapers declined 1,7% Q2 on Q1 Free newspapers, representing 63% of total circulations, was the only sector to do well Subscriptions stand at 7,12% while single-copy sales stand at 28,77% The Herald was the only daily newspaper to show growth (1%)

•

Newspapers •

The Sowetan and Business Day recorded a 5% decline in singlecopy sales

•

• •

Magazines saw the addition of 11 titles from Q1 to Q2 Magazines lost 30 titles from Q1 to Q2, with the consumer section losing 10 titles alone Total circulation of magazines declined 8,3% Q2 on Q1 Consumer magazine circulation declined by 5%, business-to-business by 6,7% and custom by 11% Free magazines accounted for 60,39% of total circulations Subscriptions accounted for 14,70% of total circulations, while single-copy sales stand at 22,72%

•

Single-copy sales and subscriptions of consumer magazines declined, while PDF replicas increased Custom magazines saw a decline as a result of a reduction in free copy distribution Business-to-business magazines saw growth in single-copy sales and subscriptions, although the sector relies heavily on free distribution

To download the presentation, visit www.abc.org.za/Notices.aspx/Details/43

MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS Newspapers 31 Dec 14

Daily

+10 Titles

Weekly Weekend Local

53 220

Hybrid

Magazines 31 Dec 14

+11 Titles

96 219

Hybrid

Magazines 30 Jun 15

Custom

-30 Titles

185

ABC Members:

209

503

522

www.myofficemagazine.co.za

Weekend

Free

B2B

Weekly Local

Consumer

Free

Daily

223

-8 Titles

Free

348

346

Newspapers 30 Jun 15

31 Dec 14: 875

Consumer B2B Custom Free

180

30 Jun 15: 858

my office magazine

jan/san

Label removal

nyone who has ever re-used a container will know what a pain it can be to remove the original label. After frequent washing, the paper part of the label comes off, but the adhesive remains behind, becoming sticky and dirty.

Cooking oil or spray

Here are our top tips for removing stubborn labels:

Choose an oil, such as olive or canola, and pour it onto paper towel or a cleaning rag. Let the oil-soaked rag cover the sticky label for a few minutes. Lift the rag off, and scrape off the residue with your fingers or a plastic scraper, such as a disposable knife. Repeat if needed. Clean the container with soapy water when done.

Alcohol

Erasers

Choose a suitable alcohol, such as rubbing alcohol or a strong drinking alcohol (like plain vodka), and spray or dab a little on to a paper towel or soft cleaning rag. Leave the moistened rag over the sticky area for a few minutes. The residue should then lift off easily. Use a scraper if necessary.

Use a regular eraser to gather sticky adhesive residue. The eraser dust will cling onto the remnants of glue and fall off to reveal a spotless surface.

Bicarbonate of soda Make a paste of equal parts bicarbonate of soda and a cooking oil, such as vegetable oil. Soak glass jars in a sink of hot, soapy water to remove the paper part of the labels. Rub the paste all over the jars and allow to stand. Use a clean cloth and wipe the paste away. The oil softens the glue while the baking soda acts as an abrasive. For really stubborn labels, use the rough side of a dish scourer.

Citrus A citrus-based cleaner contains

limonene, which cuts through stickiness. Alternatively, rub the surface with bruised orange or lemon peel. Leave this on for a short time before wiping off.

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Essential oils Essential oils will lift sticker residue off a number of materials, such as glass, tiles or ceramics. First check to see whether the oil will stain the surface by testing it on an inconspicuous area. Place a few drops of eucalyptus or tea tree oil on a cleaning cloth. Rub the oily part of the cloth back and forth over the residue. Repeat until the surface is no longer sticky, then rinse in soapy water.

Fast food hand wipes Hand wipes obtained from fast food restaurants often remove sticker residue with ease. Rub the surface continuously with the wipe until all the residue is removed.

Masking tape Wrap a piece of masking tape around your index and middle finger, with the sticky side facing out. Press against the adhesive and pull away. Repeat until youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve lifted off as much as possible.

Nail polish remover Acetone or nail polish remover can also remove adhesive residue. Pour a little nail polish remover onto a paper towel, and lightly rub the affected area. It will easily remove any excess adhesive.

Paraffin Apply a little household paraffin (kerosene) to a cloth. Rub over the sticky residue until it lifts.

Scrapers Save old credit cards and disposable plastic knives, and use them to scrape off sticky residue on bottles and other containers.

Steam Boil a kettle and carefully hold the item in front of the steam for up to a minute. This heats up and loosens the sticky residue left by stickers. Scrape it off with a scraper. This method works best on hard plastic, metal and glass.

Vinegar Paint over the sticky area with regular white vinegar, or soak a small item in vinegar. Allow it to stand for a while and then wash off, or scrape off with a scraper.

Vol 99 - September 2015

arts and crafts

Fun with foil M

aking art out of tinfoil may sound odd, but it can be a fun project for adults and children alike. Foil art can be two dimensional or 3D, and comes in plain silver or very colourful varieties.

Pretend pewter For tinfoil art that resembles pewter, you will need the following: • Cardboard • Pencil • Thick, tacky craft glue • Glue stick • Aluminium foil • Ball of cotton wool • Cotton bud • Black shoe polish • Old rag or paper towels Choose a piece of smooth cardboard to use as a base. Avoid using corrugated cardboard unless you feel it will add to the texture of your design. Using a pencil, draw a simple design on the cardboard. Animals, faces, words and abstract designs all work well. Remember that the details will be added later. Using the tacky glue, trace the pencil lines. The purpose of this is to create raised sections which will show through the foil when you add it on top. Keep any details to a minimum or it will be difficult to work the foil around them. Allow the glue to dry completely before

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you continue. If you don’t have a tacky glue that will dry in a raised fashion, glue pieces of string or yarn to the pencil drawing. Once the glue has dried, cut a piece of foil that is larger than the size of the cardboard, so that you have enough to fold towards the back. Apply the glue stick to the side of the tinfoil you will be sticking to the cardboard, or to the cardboard itself. Press the foil on top and fold all four sides to the back. Gently press the foil down with your finger so that it adheres to the cardboard. Be gentle to avoid breaking through the foil. Use a cotton ball and a cotton bud to press the foil gently around the glue lines so the shapes become more visible and stand in relief. Once this process is finished, use a dull pencil to add any extra details by pressing gently onto the cardboard. Add a variety of shapes, such as lines, swirls and circles, to give texture to the piece. Finally, cover the entire surface with black shoe polish using a soft rag. Wipe off any excess using an old rag or paper towels. The shoe polish will settle in the grooves and highlight any details you have added. It will also darken the colour of the foil. Using a shoe polish with a sponge applicator improves accuracy and minimises mess. The end result is reminiscent of the Victorian era tin ceiling tiles, popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Vol 99 - September 2015

arts and crafts

Did you know? Using different coloured shoe polish has different effects. A brown shoe polish will look like bronze, while a mixture of red and brown shoe polish will create a copper tone.

Colour your own tinfoil If you want to be really creative, you can colour your own tin foil by following these easy steps. You will need: • Aluminium foil; • White glue or clear liquid glue; • Dishwashing liquid; • Food colouring; and • Paint brushes. Cut your aluminium foil into manageable sections, such as squares or rectangles. Pour your glue into a cup or container. For every 15ml (one tablespoon) of glue, add two drops of food colouring of your choice and one drop of dishwashing liquid. Mix well. Ensure that the aluminium foil is facing shiny side up. Paint the glue mixture on. Colour as many aluminium foil sections as you like. Set aside to dry. Once dry, the coloured foil is ready to make into collages, mosaics and other craft projects.

artclubblog.files.wordpress.com Fourartlately.blogspot.com

Creating in colour To create colourful tinfoil art, you will need: • Cardboard • Glue gun or tacky craft glue • Aluminium foil • Glue stick • Colourful permanent markers • Scissors Cut a piece of cardboard to a suitable size for the piece you have in mind. Draw a simple design on the cardboard, and then trace it with the glue gun or tacky craft glue. Allow this to dry properly. Cover the cardboard with the tin foil and gently rub to expose the textured outlines of the drawing. Colour in different areas of the tin foil using an array of permanent markers.

www.myofficemagazine.co.za

my office magazine

furniture

Painting 101 DIY paint pointers to spruce up your office this spring

pring is the perfect time to revive your mood with a new colour or even just a fresh coat of paint – particularly in an office environment where you spend so many hours of your day. If you are not sure about how to go about such a job, consider these pointers before beginning any DIY painting project.

Colour is one of the first elements to be deliberated when repainting. If it’s change you seek, don’t stick to traditional creams or even light pastel colours. Instead, be brave and bring atmosphere into the office or boardroom, with bold, bright or dark colours. It’s possible to achieve calm yet classy tones and a professional look with the right idea, style space and light. Remember to consider the environment in which the renovation is taking place, and what function that area serves. Consider the micro-climates of the rooms, and how much traffic passes through the area. Marry the type of paint finish with the room function. Matte, satin and sheen finishes have different virtues, making them either more or less appropriate for different spaces. A matte coating absorbs light, making its colour truer. Satin or sheen finish coatings, however, are more practical as a result of their high washability, making them perfect for high traffic areas. These

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finishes can withstand more frequent cleaning than a matte coating. Matte coatings are absorbent, and for that reason should not be used in high-traffic areas like passages or boardrooms. With people habitually leaning against and rubbing on the wall’s surface, the paint will wear more readily than is desirable. When choosing your colours for the office, room or boardroom you want to paint, always think about the light that the area receives during the day and what type of tone you hope to set. Darker colours can make a room appear smaller, but if you were to combine it with a lighter colour, the very dark colours contrast well on a feature wall. A feature wall should be the furthest away from the window, while being the largest wall in the room. It should have very little disturbance by objects like doors, light switches or windows. An easy way to work and play with colours is to use flow-in contrasting colours, selecting a lighter colour and then going two or three shades darker for the feature wall. If you prefer more contrast, always choose colours that would complement the room. Try colours that are featured in the furniture, portraits and chairs, or even the carpet, to be a little more radical. Colour is light and always changes during the day. It also changes over time. The pigments that give paint its colour never stop maturing, fading and changing. The environmental conditions paint is exposed to also have an effect on the pigment, which is why touch-ups are never a good idea: you will always see them. This even holds true if you are painting from the same tin that you

initially used. The only way around this is to always paint from corner to corner when even a small section needs fixing. As everyday cleaning of the working environment cannot be avoided, it is important to use the correct cleaning solution when wiping marks or dirt off walls. Avoid using ammonia-based household cleaners and dishwashing liquids. They are not paint-friendly substances and tend to remove the paint instead of the dirty marks. Use a paint manufacturer’s custom-made cleaner, such as Prominent Progold General Purpose Cleaner, or sugar soap diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, for the best results. Regardless of the colour you choose or the finish you select, always remember that surface preparation is the most important step in your DIY process. For wall surfaces in good condition, wash them down to remove existing dirt, stains and grease. Existing painted surfaces in a poor state will need more work. Grooves and indentations can create shadow effects on the wall, and will ultimately affect the colour of the paint. Fill in any cracks with a flexible filler and address any areas of damp. Scrape away flakes and irregularities in the old paint. Sand glossy surfaces with sandpaper to ensure that the paint adheres well to the wall. Painting in dark colours or painting over dark colours will require two topcoats for an appealing finish.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT HERMAN RABE, TECHNICAL SERVICE CONSULTANT AT PROMINENT PAINTS

Vol 99 - September 2015

win this

Win this!

Write in and stand a chance to win a Tower hamper. Send your contact details to competitions@ shop-sa.co.za with Tower in the subject line.

Tower’s extensive range of A4 labels allow you to design and print your own inkjet or laser labels for almost any occasion. From standard mailing labels to CD labels, filing labels and more. Tower has the perfect size for you. Tower label templates are available on Microsoft Word 2007 and upwards.

The hamper will include:

XX Mailing labels 100s – W110 XX Mailing labels 100s – W112 XX Mailing labels 25s – C110 Fluorescent Pink XX Multi-purpose labels 25s - C106 Fluorescent Green XX Multi-purpose labels 100s – W104 XX Multi-purpose labels 100s – W106 XX Filing labels 100s – W330 XX Mini labels 100s – W225 XX CD labels 25’s – W228 XX Luxury photo paper 260gsm A4 XX Premium photo paper 170gsm A4 Office Label Ad.pdf 1 2015/08/26 4:27 XX Premium photo paper 130gsm A4

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Black Eyed Peas

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Johannesburg (011) 611 1820 Cape Town (021) 787 9600 online support www.towerproducts.co.za

industry news SA’s printing industry still looks good on paper The printing industry is examining ways to re-invent itself following the rise of online platforms and direct advertising services that have put pressure on the sector over the past few years. Several leading newspapers and magazines worldwide have closed over the past decade as people turn to the Internet for news and information. Digital printing hardware is replacing traditional printers as costs are lowered, allowing organisations and individuals to produce professional work themselves. The printing industry is traditionally associated with newspapers, books and magazines but it includes a range of other products such as voting material, advertising brochures and pamphlets, and packaging labels. Industry body Printing SA says SA is still “very much home” to traditional printing processes, despite the uptake in digital printers. The industry remains a “significant contributor” to the economy, with an annual turnover of more than R60-billion. The printing and packaging industries employ more than 45 000 people in 1 228 printing and 268 packaging enterprises. Printing SA says that print is a once-off cost while digital documents consume energy each time they are read. Bright, attractive packaging not only ensures legal compliance for products, but it acts as an effective marketing tool. Research shows that printed material still produces the highest return on

investment. Printing SA CEO Steve Thobela says there is a negative perception that print has become irrelevant and is environmentally unfriendly. However, international research points to the contrary. “Print has a one-off carbon footprint and is recyclable,” Thobela says. “Contrary to popular belief, the industry grows the trees that are harvested for the production of paper and, as such, the forest has grown by about 30%.” He concedes that the printing industry needs to accelerate its embrace of the latest technological developments. Retail inserts and catalogues depend on

Africa Print Expo sees record attendance The 2015 Africa Print Expo, which took place from 22 to 24 July at Gallagher Convention Centre, ignited visitors’ print potential, offering them a wider range of educational features and giving them free access to a variety of topics and insight on the latest technologies, trends and business opportunities. Exhibitors were also very positive about the expo, with many reporting increased sales compared to the 2014 event. Africa Print was colocated with FESPA Africa, Sign Africa and Africa LED. “It was our second year at Gallagher Convention Centre and we are very pleased with the feedback from exhibitors as well as the growth in the number of visitors. The task now is to follow up on visitor feedback, analyse visitor data and see how many international visitors we had and from which countries so that we can deliver an

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even better expo in 2016,” says Dyelan Copeland and Charnia Yapp, expo organisers from Practical Publishing. Exhibitors gave positive feedback on the event. “The quality of our prospects are very good. Most of the visitors who engaged with us are serious buyers,” says Raymond Waldeck, MD of Antalis South Africa. “It was a really good show. We have four confirmed sales and we generated serious interest from a number of buyers,” says Wynand Boshoff from Powerbind. “We were extremely happy with the event; we had a lot of good leads and we will be expanding our stand at next year’s event,” says Greg Van Heesch, of Digifab. “This was a fantastic expo where I was able to do three months’ worth of research in a day and half, and all the under one roof,” says Graham Hawthorn, director of Grosvenor Branding Solutions.

the health of the retail sector. Stephen van der Walt, CEO of print company Novus, says he expects retail to be resurgent next year and to gain momentum as demand in Africa picks up. Novus foresees an increase in the demand for paper and tissue products, although the group’s concentration is on security printing – such as ballots and education products. To mitigate the decline in the demand for printed materials, Printing SA will educate the public about the role of print. It is planning the launch of a campaign dubbed “Moments of Print”. Source: Adapted from Business Day

Stand winners and runners up Each stand was judged at the expo according to criteria based on design, staff friendliness and professionalism. Small floor space • First: Optimus; and • Runner up: Rectron. Small shell scheme • First: OKI; and • Runner up: Pantone. Medium floor space • First tie: Trisave-Hamada; and • Runner up: Fellowes Beswick. Medium shell scheme: • First: Tulip Inks Large floor space: • First: Agfa Graphics; and • Runner up: Sharp. Mega floor space: • First: Canon; • Runner up: Antalis South Africa; and • Third place: Xerox. Vol 99 - September 2015

crime alert ACKNOWLEDGMENT THE STAR; MYBROADBAND, IOLNEWS

The Grabber: a cell phone spy machine

he Hawks, South Africa’s specialised police division used to investigate organised crime, recently confiscated a machine said to spy on cell phone users, nicknamed The Grabber. Three men – including a top businessman and a bank employee – were arrested after a sting operation conducted by the police at the Irene Mall.

According to a report, the Israeli-produced machine was installed in a Mercedes Benz Viano. The Grabber, a machine worth over R25-million, is used for cell phone tapping, tracking and locating. It can be used to intercept confidential national security information, which is then sold or exchanged with state enemies. The machine in question could bug at least 10 000 lines at a time. The Grabber had allegedly been used to bug and track members of the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) bid adjudication committee. The men are believed to have used the information to influence and blackmail people who were involved in the tender.

GOLD SPONSORS:

The Star newspaper states that the machine has been “used to advance certain parties in commercial transactions”. This type of equipment is highly regulated in South Africa, and can only be purchased with presidential authority. According to The Star, a fraudulentlyacquired letter of authority from the South African government was used to purchase the machine. “This is a serious security threat. Only certain people are authorised to use this machine. No ordinary citizen is supposed to be in possession of this device,” says an anonymous security operative. One of the three men nabbed by police after being found in possession of this device has made a brief appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, and was released on R10 000 bail. He is expected to face a raft of charges that relate to crimes against the state and charges of illegally bringing the machine into the country in violation of the Rica Act, which regulates how communications can be intercepted, and by who. Crimes committed in violation of this law carry a minimum sentence of 10 years, and a fine of R2-million. The other men were released due to insufficient evidence.

How The Grabber works A cellular security expert, who asked to remain anonymous, spoke to My Broadband about The Grabber and how it works. He said The Grabber is a “pick-up cell”, which joins the signal from nearby cellular base station. The Grabber lets the target phone connect to it, which is referred to as “grabbing” the target phone. The Grabber further boosts the phone’s signal to aid tracking of the targeted phone. It can then provide the location of that phone. The device can also connect to a base station using its own SIM card. This makes it possible to relay and intercept calls from the target phone. It is not certain whether it is possible to pass the target phone’s number on, or whether the caller number is withheld to make the system work. It is also unlikely that it is possible for The Grabber to intercept incoming calls. Whoever is using the device would need to know where the target phone is, in order to get in close enough proximity to then “grab” it. The need for close proximity is why The Grabber is typically installed in a vehicle, which makes it mobile. It is understood that this type of device has been successfully used to find the location of criminals and terrorists. Source: MyBroadband

SILVER SPONSORS:

Keeping shop-sa members abreast of criminal and fraudulent activity in the stationery and office products industry. To sponsor the Crime Alert page contact (011) 781 0370. REPORT CRIME TO wendy@shop-sa.co.za Renew your Crime Alert sponsorship today! Call Wendy Dancer on (011) 781 0370 to book your logo placement on the Crime Alert page as an industry leader in transparency, information sharing and anti-crime business ethics. www.myofficemagazine.co.za

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eco news

Total South Africa’s head office gets a green makeover

otal South Africa’s head office in Rosebank, Johannesburg, has undergone a major makeover to allow for future growth while improving the group’s environmental footprint. The building is now complete. Total South Africa is targeting a level-4 green star rating through the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA), which will require adherence to strict environmental building guidelines.

“Total South Africa considers itself more than just an energy company – we intend to lead the way in creating sustainable energy solutions that are environmentally friendly and have a positive impact on people and communities who we interact with. Our new building demonstrates this and we are proud to be the first multinational petroleum group in South Africa to truly embrace the next era of energy production and efficiency,” says Total South Africa’s MD and CEO, Christian des Closières. Total South Africa appointed PJCarew Consulting to provide environmental guidance on the project and ensure strict adherence to the green building codes as set out by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). “Green building is pragmatic and

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useful and – when done correctly – it has a positive impact on productivity and overhead costs – especially in terms of energy costs,” says Paul Carew, CEO of PJCarew Consultants and previous board member of the GBCSA. The new development includes significant input from office design specialists Paragon Interiors to ensure that employees are happy in their new office environment, leading to improved productivity and a happier work environment. “To successfully achieve an office environment that works for employees it is important to consider the physical, aesthetic and emotional aspects that the space will have on your staff. A poorly designed workplace can decrease productivity by as much as 20%,” says Lauren Paul, marketing manager at Paragon Interiors. Total South Africa aims to increase its

overall market share within South Africa and cement its identity as an innovative brand of reference among its customers. The new building provides sufficient space for growth and allows for a better working environment for its existing staff, while improving the group’s overall environmental impact. The renovation of the Total South Africa’s building is in accordance with Total’s commitment to better energy strategy. This began in 2013 when Total was the first petroleum company to introduce “the service station of the future” when it launched and opened its new eco-friendly site at 14th Avenue in Fairland, Johannesburg. These new service stations feature energy saving and recycling initiatives to lessen on the environment and help communities that surround them. This five-year project aims to revamp 100 service station sites per annum.

Vol 99 - September 2015

eco news

Transforming billboards into urban gardens

rowbag is a unique range of outdoor planters made from of old advertising billboards that would otherwise be thrown away. Each item is one of a kind, highly durable, space-saving and eco-friendly, and aims to fit into the urban life and living space.

Regardless of the size of your patio, garden, balcony, driveway, wall or roof space, anyone can make their environment green. Growbag planters are 100% recycled, and only two materials are used to create this new generation of planters: old vinyl or PVC billboards, and special wax-coated polyester thread. The Growbag range consists of a variety of hanging and floor planters, offered in various colours and patterns. Each planter is one of a kind in colour www.myofficemagazine.co.za

– the vinyl print on the outside of the bag is carefully selected, so that it creates an interesting story. Particular parts of the bag have been reinforced to ensure that the outdoor planters are of the best quality. All bags have been tested in order to make these planters durable in all weather conditions, as well as to ensure the perfect growing conditions for your plant. The bags are lightweight, while the attached handles make it easy to move or carry. The bag’s side pockets allow for extra grow-space, or can be used for storage of gardening utensils. Create new life by growing plants in any environment, no matter how small. As long as you have a wall or a bit of floor space, you can grow ornamental plants, flowers, herbs or vegetables. Each Growbag is handmade in Cape Town by skilled producers who pride themselves on their quality work and ethics. The Growbag idea came about after an extensive research for sustainable products for www.bonsela.co.za, an online shop and wholesale service for bespoke products from the African continent. The opportunity arose from having

access to the billboard material and meeting skilled people who could transfer the idea into products. “Being European myself and living in an urban environment all my life, with limited space for growing plants, is the root of my desire to make the creation of urban gardens easy for everyone,” says Manuela Wall, founder of Growbag. “The consciousness of knowing where our food comes from and what the process of living sustainably entails played a big role within the journey itself.” The Growbag project supports underprivileged communities around Cape Town in which the Soil For Life Organisation is active. With each Growbag purchase, a portion of the profit goes towards the production of planters to be donated to the participants of the Grow to Live programme. This project both creates jobs and empowers workers.

For more information, please visit www.growbag.co.za or contact Manuela on info@growbag.co.za or 082 575 7050. my office magazine

product showcase

ANTI-GLARE & PRIVACY FILTERS Whether you are battling with glossy LCD screen glare of worrying about prying eyes staring at your confidential financial data, 3M screen filters have the solution for you. Both the Anti-Glare and Privacy filters come in a variety of screen sizes for any type of notebook or desktop display. the filters are very eassy to apply with bubble free application, can be reapplied multiple times and it doubles as a screen protector, protecting your display from dirt and scratches. the filter adhesive is optically clear, which means it will not affect your display clarity, and it comes with a convenient storage folder. To clean the product, simply use the enclosed cloth with water.

Tel: (011) 467 0227 E-mail: helpdesk@techexpress.co.za Web: www.techexpress.co.za

product

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THE LABEL SPECIALIST Stick with the best!

www.koloksa.co.za

www.nikki.co.za

www.hortors.co.za

www.rexelsa.co.za

www.bop.co.za

www.interstat.co.za

www.kmp.co.za

www.towerproducts.co.za

www.penflex.co.za

www.treeline.co.za

product showcase

SLIDER TOUCH BY SCHNEIDER MADE IN GERMANY SCHNEIDER has launched a TOUCH pen with the latest touch technology for the use on smartphones and tablets. The Touch Stylus avoids ugly fingerprints on the displays and has a pin-point accuracy. The Slider Touch has a wear resistant stainless steel tip and has the Viscoglide® technology for super smooth and gliding writing. The rubberised three-sided barrel allows relaxed writing. The waterproof black ink dries quickly and is smudge proof when highlighting it. The Slider Touch has an extra broad (XB) line width and is available in 6 colours: black, red, blue, green, violet and pink. There is an attractive Tablet-Display which holds 50 pens with an assortment of colours or they are available in packs of 10 per colour.

Tel: 021 790 4656 E-mail: arifa@global.co.za www.arifa.co.za

ONE HYBRID N BY SCHNEIDER MADE IN GERMANY The newly developed Hybrid Rollerball with a Needle-tip in stainless steel. Its “Super-Flow” system ensures a consistent ink flow from start to finish. The Hybrid N has a large ink reservoir with an ink level indicator. The ink is waterproof and document proof and has a “Cap Off” time of 2 to 3 days! The “N” is for a Needle Tip design of the stainless steel writing tip and is available in two line widths: 0,3 mm and 0,5 mm. The tip is perfect for ruling and stencilling. Colours of ink: black, red, blue and green in both line widths. The ergonomically rubberised finger grip zone allows for relaxed writing. An attractive counter display containing 30 pens in an assortment is available or they can be purchased in packs of 10 per colour.

Tel: 021 790 4656 E-mail: arifa@global.co.za www.arifa.co.za

ONE HYBRID C BY SCHNEIDER MADE IN GERMANY The newly developed Hybrid Rollerball with a Conical stainless steel tip for pleasant soft writing. Its “Super-Flow” system ensures a consistent ink flow from start to finish. The Hybrid C has a large ink reservoir with an ink level indicator. The ink is waterproof and document proof and has a “Cap Off “ time of 2 to 3 days! The “C” is for a Conical shape of the stainless steel writing tip and is available in two line widths: 0,3 mm and 0,5 mm. Colours of ink: black, red, blue and green in both line widths. The ergonomically rubberised finger grip zone allows for relaxed writing. An attractive counter display containing 30 pens in an assortment is available or they can be purchased in packs of 10 per colour.

Tel: 021 790 4656 E-mail: arifa@global.co.za www.arifa.co.za

ONE BUSINESS BY SCHNEIDER MADE IN GERMANY The brand new liquid Ink Rollerball ONE Business is set to be the next generation for Rollerballs. Its “Super-Flow” systems ensures a consistent ink flow from start to finish. The liquid ink is stored in a tank with an ink level indicator. The ONE Business has an ultra smooth writing tip with a line width of 0,6mm. The ink is waterproof and document proof. In addition the ink has a “Cap-off” time of 2 to 3 days and is available in 5 colours: black, red, blue, green and violet. The ergonomically rubberised finger grip zone allows for relaxed writing. An attractive counter display containing 30 pens in an assortment is available or they can be purchased in pack of 10 per colour.

Tel: 021 790 4656 E-mail: arifa@global.co.za www.arifa.co.za

w w w . m y o f f i c e m a g a z i n e . c o . z a

my office magazine

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE A ADDING MACHINE, POINT OF SALE AND MACHINE ROLLS PaperGeni Rotunda (Pty) Ltd. ADHESIVES, GLUES AND SPRAYS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd. - Correction Fluid, Glue sticks & Super Glue Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Freedom Stationery - Marlin ART, CRAFT, GRAPHIC AND DRAWING MATERIALS CTP Stationery - A4 coloured poster boards Freedom Stationery - Marlin Max Frank - Uni, Artline Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd. - Oil pastels and watercolour paint

B 40

BAGS AND CASES D.O.S - iStay Flip File - Business cases. Freedom Stationery - Space Case and Marlin Global Bag And Sportswear Manufactures Custom schoolbags ,tracksuits Kolok - Kenton Topmark - School Bags, Laptop Bags, Pencil Cases, Sports Bags, Luggage BATTERIES Nikki Distributors - Duracell Batteries Nikki Distributors - Energizer Batteries BIN RANGE Krost Office Products BINDING ACCESSORIES AZ Trading - Plastic Comb, Wire, Thermal & Covers CTP Donau - Donau files and slide binders, A4 poster board Parrot Products - Parrot Comb Binding Machines Press Products - wire, combs, coil, covers Rexel Office Products - Rexel and GBC

BINDING MACHINES AZ Trading - DSB, Neorel D.O.S - Prima, DSB Parrot Products - Parrot Comb Binding Machines Press Products - Bindquip Rexel Office Products - GBC and Rexel ranges

BOARDS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - BIC Velleda School Whiteboards CTP Stationery - Flip Chart Pads Hortors Stationery - Legal Notices i.e. Basic Conditions & OSH Act and Leave and Absence Chart Freedom Stationery - Marlin Max Frank - Artline Flipchart Markers, Artline, Maxi whiteboard markers Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Parrot Products - Full range of boards and accessories. Custom boards printed to your specification Rexel Office Products - NOBO whiteboards, pinboards, easels and accessories. Quartet magnetic white/cork boards BOOK COVERS CTP Stationery - Poly Prop Donau heavy duty covers Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly paper Freedom Stationery Gordon’s Productions - contact paper woodgrain, marble, pattern designs. Magic cover back to school clear and coloured self adhesive paper. (4M rolls, A4 and lever arch). Plastic coated brownkraft rolls and pre-cut polythene covers. Grafton Paper Products Palm Stationery Manufacturers - brown paper rolls, poly rolls, gift-wrap RBE - Papersmart BOOKS AND PADS BSC Stationery - Treeline CTP Stationery - Impala and premier books and pads Freedom Stationery - Manufacturers Hortors Stationery - Legal registers Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers

Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar RBE - NCR Business Books Rexel Office Products - Colourhide notebooks BOXES AND CARTONS CTP Stationery - Archiving Systems Rexel Office Products Specialised Filing Systems - Archive and Off-Site Tidy Files - Acid free archiving products

C CALCULATORS Kolok - HP Nikki Distributors - Truly calculators Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products - IBICO CALENDARS CTP Stationery - Diaries assorted sizes CALLIGRAPHY Max Frank - Artline CANTEEN Kolok - Tea, Coffee, milk etc, Sunbeam (appliances), Cleansui (water filters and refills) CARBON PAPER AND FILMS RBE - NCR Business Books CD’S, DVD’S AND DISKETTES Kolok - Verbatim, Kenton CLIP BOARDS CTP Stationery - DONAU brand Parrot Products - Masonite and whiteboard CLIPS, FASTENERS AND PINS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Grip Binders - Essentials, Stephens, Penguin Tidy Files - Filing solution

Binding doesn’t get any simpler! CombBind 100

CombBind 110

CombBind C200

CombBind C210

buyers’ guide COLOURING BOOKS Empire Toy & Stationery - Empire books Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave COMPUTER ACCESSORIES Kolok - Verbatim, Kenton Krost Office Products Pyrotec - Tower Inkjet-laser labels, business cards and photo paper COMPUTER CLEANING Kolok - ComputerCare Pyrotec - Tower computer cleaning range

See page 46 for contact details Rexel Office Products - NOBO planners, refills and T-card kits, Quartet Monthly/ Weekly planner South African Diaries - For all your diary

FAX ROLL MANUFACTURERS Rotunda (Pty) Ltd.

needs DICTATION - TRANSCRIPTION Olympus Audio S.A - Digital Voice Recorders, Transcription Kits and Accessories. Powerhouse Dictation for Philips - Dictation, transcription, meeting recording, mini-tapes, foot pedals, accessories DRAUGHTING AND DRAWING OFFICE SUPPLIES

COMPUTER CONSUMABLES CTP Stationery - Full range of DONAU files KMP - for computer consumables Kolok - Penguin (Ribbons, Toners, Inkjets), Till and fax rolls Redfern Print Services - Redfern inkjet/laser/ copier labels and a full range of stationery labels

CTP Stationery - A4 Poster Boards

E EMBOSSERS AND ENGRAVING

COMPUTER HARDWARE Kolok - Blazer UPS systems, Geha (Interactive white boards) CORPORATE STATIONERY & GIFTING Star Stationers and Printers CRAYONS AND CHALKS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Chalks and Crayons Power Stationery - Powerstar

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Ideal & Trodat Embossers (pocket, desk and electronic), Trotec ENVELOPES AND MAILING BSC Stationery - Leo Envelopes CTP Stationery - Commercial envelopes Global Envelopes - CelloWrapped, peel+seal and FullGum Grafton/Star KZN Envelopes - Manufactures of Printed and Plain Envelopes Merpak Envelopes - Complete range of quality envelopes

Narayan Wholesaler - Wholesaler of Quality Envelopes, Peel and Seal RBE - Papersmart ERASERS & ERASING / CORRECTION FLUIDS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Tippex tape, bottle and Pen Freedom Stationery - Marlin Max Frank - Uni Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Tape/Erasers

DIARIES, PLANNERS AND ORGANISERS CTP Stationery - CTP Brand Hortors Stationery - Legal diaries

Pentel S.A (PTY) LTD - Hi-Polymer and Ain eraser, correction tape and pens Power Stationery - Powerstar

FILES AND FILING African Filing Systems - Top retrieval filing and arching products BSC Stationery - Treeline, Mobifile CTP Stationery - Full range of quality DONAU brand Flip File - Executive display files, expanding files, Document folders, dividers Freedom Stationery - Edo / Unifile Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Lever arch, Ringbinder files, Manilla flat folders Grafton/Star Kolok - Geha (Binding machines) Palm Stationery Manufacturers - leaver arch, ring binder files, manilla flat folders. Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd. - Display book Vivid, document file, clip file and presentation file Rexel Office Products - Prima and Rexel ranges Specialised Filing Systems - Top Retrieval, Archive and Off-Site Tidy Files - Filing solutions

FILES MECHANISMS Press Products - Lever arch, Ring binders FOLDERS CTP Stationery - DONAU Brand Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers - View files, polypropylene & board folders Tidy Files - Specialised FORMS - LEGAL AND MISCELLANEOUS Hortors Stationery - complete range of custom, company, miscellaneous, magisterial, etc.

PaperGeni

DESK SETS AND ACCESSORIES BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Desk Set Solo Delux Freedom Stationery - Marlin Krost Office Products Rexel Office Products - Rexel Eco Range

FURNITURE - OFFICE & SCHOLASTIC Krost Office Products - accessories New Era Office cc - Specialising in all office furniture desks, chairs, credenzas, boardroom tables, etc Reboni Furniture Group - Manufacturing and distribution of educational and office furniture Specialised Filing Systems - Cabinets, Shelving and Hi-Density

Working for you

CombBind C250 Pro

WireBind W20

MultiBind 230 Comb & Wire

ThermaBind T400

www.rexelsa.co.za

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE

GUILLOTINES AND TRIMMERS AZ Trading - DSB, Kobra Beswick Office Products - Fellowes, Vivid Maynards Office Technology - IDEAL Shredders & Guillotines – SA Distributors Press Products - BindQuip Rexel Office Products - SmartCut and ClassicCut

LABELS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Nor Paper Pyrotec - Tower stationery, inkjet-laser labels Redfern Print Services - Redfern Inkjet/laser/ copier labels and a full range of stationery labels Rotunda (Pty) Ltd. Specialised Filing Systems - Filing Tidy Files - Filing solutions

LABELLING MACHINES Kemtek Imaging Systems - Distributor of Brother P-Touch Labelling System

INDEX TABBING AND DIVIDERS CTP Stationery - DONAU Brand board and P.P Flip File - Index Tabs, Flip tabs Freedom Stationery - Marlin Grip Binders Palm Stationery Manufacturers Rexel Office Products - Rexel, Mylar and Prima board

LAMINATING MACHINES AZ Trading - DSB, Speedlam, Lamiace Kolok - GEHA and Galaxy Parrot Products - Parrot A4 and A3 Laminators Press Products - GMP Rexel Office Products - GBC and Rexel ranges

INKS KMP - for computer consumables. Max Frank - Shachihata, Artline Rexel Office Products - Numbering machine ink Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Trodat, Noris fastdry, security, numbering, franking. Laundry.

J JANITORIAL Kolok - Goldenmarc (Cleaning products), Brooms, Mops and equipment.

LAMINATING POUCHES AND MATERIALS AZ Trading - A0 to ID card size Kolok - GEHA, Penguin laminating pouches and rolls Parrot Products Press Products - GMP Rexel Office Products - GBC LEGAL STATIONERY Hortors Stationery - All legal registers, forms, diaries etc LETTER TRAYS Krost Office Products

M MAILING TUBES CTP Stationery

MARKERS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Permanent Markers, Highlighters, whiteboard Freedom Stationery - Marlin Interstat Agencies - Edding Max Frank - Artline , Maxi, Uni Parrot Products - White board, permanent and OHP markers. Wide range of highlighters Penflex - White board, flipchart, permanent markers, highlighters Pentel (Pty) Ltd. - Maxiflo, white board marker and paint marker Power Stationery - Powerstar MATHEMATICAL GEOMETRY SETS & ACCESSORIES Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar MINUTE AND GUARD BOOKS Hortors Stationery - Company registers, minute books and other legal registers

N NUMBERING MACHINES Rexel Office Products Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Reiner Dater/Numberer (manual/electronic), Trodat

O OFFICE ERGONOMICS Rexel Office Products - Kensington copyholders, risers, footrests, Rexel range of electric staplers and punches which reduces chances of RSI (repetitive strain injury) OFFICE FURNITURE IXAXA Office Furniture - Office furniture (Desks and Chairs) from reception to CEO’S office

Excellence Accelerated Get it right first time, in less time. Fusion 1000L

Fusion 1100L

Fusion 3000L

buyers’ guide

See page 46 for contact details

OVERHEAD PROJECTION AND ACCESSORIES Kolok - Penguin Transparencies Max Frank - Artline Parrot Products - Data Projectors, OHPs, screens and rear projection film Penflex - Penflex Overhead projector pens Rexel Office Products - NOBO

Rexel Office Products - Rexel HB & Derwent Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd - Tradition, Wopex, Technical, Clutch Pencils and lead PENCIL LEADS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Criterium 0.5mm leads Freedom Stationery - Marlin Max Frank - Uni Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Ain lead, standard lead - various grades

P PACKAGING Merpak Envelopes - Postsafe packaging range PAPER AND BOARD Antalis South Africa - Office paper and packaging solutions CTP Stationery - DONAU A4 poster boards Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly paper Freedom Stationery Grafton/Star Kolok - Geha (paper media), EPSON, HP, CANON, Nor Paper Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Cubes and board Paper World Handmade Paper, Embossed Paper, Specialty Papers, Scented Paper Board, Paper Products Peters Papers - Rotatrim, Typek and Smart Copy Power Stationery - Powerstar RBE - Papersmart Rexel Office Products - Prima Paper & Board TRIBE - TRIBE Inkjet Paper and Film PAPER FOLDING MACHINES Maynards Office Technology - IDEAL Shredders & Guillotines – SA Distributors PENCILS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - BIC Evolution Graphite, BIC Matic Clutch ,Velocity Clutch, Atlantis Clutch, BU4 Clutch Freedom Stationery - Marlin / Edo Max Frank - Uni Palm Stationery Manufacturers Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Hotshot, Mechanical Pencil, Techniclick Pencil. Power Stationery - Powerstar

PENCIL SHARPENERS Freedom Stationery Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar PENS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Clic, Crystal, Orange and Prismo Freedom Stationery - Marlin and Edo Max Frank - Artline, Maxi, Uni Palm Stationery Manufacturers Penflex - Penflex ballpoints and rollerballs Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Superb Ballpoint, Energel Pen Power Stationery - Powerstar Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd - Ball point, Fineliner, Gel and Pigment liner pens PEN CARBON BOOKS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Power Stationery - Powerstar RBE - NCR Business Books PERSONAL STATIONERY CTP Stationery - Home office and personal filing system, diaries Grafton/Star PLANNING BOARDS AND ACCESSORIES Parrot Products - Range of year planners, term planners, maps and in/out boards. custom printed boards designed to specification. Rexel Office Products - NOBO planners POINT OF SALE PRINTER ROLLS PaperGeni Rotunda (Pty) Ltd.

PRINTING Kolok - Epson, Lexmark (Hardware), Hp Printers, Oki (Hardware) Olivetti Imports - Distributors of Multifunctional Printers / Copiers Star Stationers and Printers Unicopy & Stationers CC - for all your printing & stationery requirements PRINTER CONSUMABLES Impression Management - Prinart, Logic, Q-Ink, Sanchi, Oliser and ATI KMP - For computer consumables. Ink Spot Suppliers - Suppliers of all brands of inkjet and LaserJet cartridges Kolok - EPSON (inkjet, large format etc), LEXMARK, HP, Brother (Toners and Inks), Oki (Toners, inks and Ribbons), Tally Genicom (Ribbons), Seikosha (Ribbons), Panasonic (Toners and Ribbons), Kyocera (Toners), Printronix (Ribbons), IBM (Ribbons), Ricoh (Toners), Fujitsu (Ribbons) Nor Paper PaperGeni Royce Imaging Industries - Remanufacturers and suppliers of inkjet and laser cartridges Technical Systems Engineering - Suppliers of quality compatible cartridges and bulk inks for Epson, Canon, Lexmark, HP and Samsung

PUNCHES AND PERFORATORS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Krost Office Products Parrot Products - Parrot range of punches Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products - Rexel

R RUBBER STAMPS Max Frank - Schachihata X Stampers Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co. - Trodat RUBBER STAMP MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - AZ Liquid polymer, TROTEC laser engraver, flash system

Working for you

Fusion 3100L

Fusion 5000L

Fusion 5100L

www.rexelsa.co.za

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE RULERS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar Penflex - PENFLEX rulers

SCHOLASTIC SUPPLIES BSC Stationery Sales - Treeline CTP Stationery Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly Flip File - Flip File display books A5, A4, A2, A3 Freedom Stationery - Marlin and Edo Gordon’s Productions - contact paper woodgrain, marble, pattern designs. Magic cover back to school clear and coloured self adhesive paper. (4M rolls, A4 and lever arch). Plastic coated brownkraft rolls and pre-cut polythene covers. Grafton Paper Products Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers Max Frank - Artline, Maxi, Uni Palm Stationery Manufacturers Parrot Products - chalk boards/slates Power Stationery - Powerstar Pyrotec - Tower Adhesive Book Cover 45cm x 2m SCISSORS AND CUTTERS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products SCRAPBOOKING Rexel Office Products - Trimmers and guillotines Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Making memories, Clearsnap, Marvy, Ranger, Bazzill, Carl SHREDDERS AND ACCESSORIES AZ Trading - DSB, Kobra, Roto, Repairs to all makes D.O.S - Kobra Kolok - GEHA entry level and high-end shredders

Nikki Distributors - Nikki shredders Parrot Products - Parrot range of value shredders Rexel Office Products - Rexel range Maynards Office Technology - IDEAL Shredders & Guillotines – SA Distributors SLATES Freedom Stationery - Marlin Parrot Products - Whiteboard and chalk board

SPIKE FILES Grip Binders

Tidy Files - Filing solutions

T TABLET AND ACCESSORIES D.O.S - Clarys, iStay TAPES Freedom Stationery Palm Stationery Manufacturers TELECOMMUNICATIONS Nikki Distributors - Siemens office phones

STAMPS, STAMP PADS AND INKS Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Trodat, pre-inked stamps, stamp and fingerprint pads

STAPLING MACHINES AND STAPLES Freedom Stationery - Marlin Interstat Agencies - Genmes Krost Office Products Parrot Products - Parrot range of staplers Rexel Office Products - Rexel range

STATIONERY SUNDRIES - SCHOLASTIC CTP Stationery - DONAU Scissors and cutting knives Freedom Stationery - Marlin, Edo and Unifile Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Power Stationery - Powerstar

STENCILS Freedom Stationery

TELEX ROLLS AND TELETEX PAPER Rotunda (Pty) Ltd. THERMAL ROLLS Rotunda (Pty) Ltd. TONERS AND CARTRIDGES KMP - Computer consumables Kolok - PENGUIN (Inkjets and Laser toners), EPSON, LEXMARK, HP. PaperGeni TOP RETRIEVAL FILING Optiplan a div of Waltons - Paper based top retrieval filing systems Specialised Filing Systems - Total Solution and more Tidy Files - Complete onsite and offsite filing solutions TOYS, HOBBIES AND GAMES Freedom Stationery Pyrotec - Toby Tower Stickers and Activities TRANSFER LETTERING AND SIGNS Parrot Products - Vinyl lettering

STORAGE SYSTEMS CTP Stationery - Archiving Systems Suspension Files Kolok - VERBATIM (hard drives, USB sticks etc), HP Rexel Office Products - Storage boxes Specialised Filing Systems - Filing

TRANSPARENCIES Kolok - Penguin transparencies for inkjet and laser OEM, Penguin and HP Transparencies Rexel Office Products - NOBO range

Spend 98% less time shredding*

UPGRADE TO

AUTOFEED *Max saving when using an Auto+ 500X compared to a traditional feed shredder in a similar price level.

Auto+ 60X

Auto+ 80X

Auto+ 100X | 100M

buyers’ guide

See page 46 for contact details

DID YOU KNOW? • The Buyers’ Guide is an affordable way to highlight your brands while simultaneously introducing up-and-coming stockists to the trade. • The Buyers’ Guide is a valuable sourcing tool to market your business and the brands that you carry. • To book space, contact Wendy on wendy@shop-sa.co.za or (011) 781 0370.

Working for you

Auto+ 200X

Auto+ 300X | 300M

Auto+ 500X | 500M

Auto+ 750X | 750M

www.rexelsa.co.za

CONTACT DETAILS HERE African Filing Systems 011 614 9445

www.africanfiling.co.za

(

011 624 8000

Box 86173, City Deep, 2049

(

021 521 2400

Box 36964, Chempet, 7442

086 540 6892

info@africanfiling.co.za

0866 101 185

labelling@kemtek.co.za

021 521 2402/3

info@penflex.co.za

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Kemtek Imaging Systems - Cape

Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd

(

011 688 6000

Box 6893, Johannesburg, 2000

(

021 521 9600

Box 181, Cape Town, 8000

(

011 474 1427/8

Box 202, Crown Mines, 2025

011 688 6162

marketing.office@antalis.co.za

021 551 5032

brenth@kemtek.co.za

011 474 5563

www.pentel.co.za

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Cape Town (

021 959 9600

021 959 9640

Box 19231, Tygerberg, 7505

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Durban (

031 714 4000

031 700 9253

Box 284, Umhlanga, 4320

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Pretoria (

012 379 0060

012 379 0052

Box 4013, Pretoria, 0001

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Bloemfontein (

051 447 8681

051 447 6765

Box 1795, Bloemfontein, 9300

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Port Elizabeth (

041 486 2020

041 486 2219

Box 9088, Estadeal, 6012

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Pietermaritzburg (

033 386 2078

Box 1425, Pietermaritzburg, 3200

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Botswana (

00267 391 2139

00267 397 5459

Box 1705, Gaborone

AZ Trading

Kemtek Imaging Systems - KZN

Peters Papers

(

031 700 9363

Box 15685, Westmead, 3608

(

011 677 9000

sadlerly@peterspapers.co.za

031 700 9369

Sandim@kemtek.co.za

011 622 6646

www.peterspapers.co.za

Kemtek Imaging Systems - PE

Powerhouse Dictation

(

041 582 5222

Box 15685, Westmead, 3608

(

011 887 1056

info@speech.co.za

041 582 5224

clinth@kemtek.co.za

086 555 3833

www.speech.co.za

Kemtek Imaging Systems - PTA

Power Stationery

(

012 804 1410

PO Box 816, Silverton, 0127

(

032 533 4003

Box 1305, Verulam, 4340

012 804 4286

johlettat@kemtek.co.za

032 533 3254

powersta@netactive.co.za

Press Products

KMP (

021 709 0190

Box 183, Steenberg, 7947

(

011 493 6332

marketing@pressproducts.co.za

021 709 0199

kmppty@iafrica.com

011 499 1019

www.pressproducts.co.za

Pyrotec

Kolok - Head Office (

011 248 0300

Box 4151, Johannesburg, 2000

(

021 787 9600

PvtBag X1, Capricorn Square, 7948

011 248 0381

infojhb@koloksa.co.za

021 787 9791

tower@pyrotec.co.za

RBE Stationery Manufacturers (Pty) Limited

Kolok - Cape Town (

021 597 2700

Box 6385, Roggebaai, 8012

(

011 793 7321

021 297 2799

infoctn@koloksa.co.za

011 793 7348

sales@rbe.co.za www.rbe.co.za

Reboni Furniture Group

Kolok - Durban (

031 570 4900

Box 4206, Riverhorse Valley East, 4017

(

086 173 2664

www.reboni.co.za

031 569 6880

infodbn@koloksa.co.za

086 627 7737

sales@reboni.co.za

Redfern Print Services - Cape Town

Kolok Polokwane

(

086 111 4407

www.aztradingcc.co.za

(

015 298 8795

Box 862, Ladanna, 0704

(

021 552 9680

Box 403, Milnerton, 7435

011 792 9732

sales@aztradingcc.co.za

015 298 8315

infopol@koloksa.co.za

021 552 9681

sales@redfern.co.za

BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Redfern Print Services - Durban

Kolok - Port Elizabeth

(

011 474 0181

PO BOX 43144, Industria, 2042

(

041 406 9900

Box 3163, North End, 6056

(

031 205 9598

dbnoffice@redfern.co.za

011 474 6068

16 Maraisburg Road, Industria, 2042

041 406 9920

infope@koloksa.co.za

031 205 7092

www.redfern.co.za

BSC Stationery Sales

Redfern Print Services - Johannesburg

Kolok - Namibia

(

011 086 2900

Box 278, Brakpan, 1540

(

00264 (61)370500

Box 40797, Ausspannplatz, Namibia

(

011 837 4119

Box 1445, Crown Mines, 2025

011 420 3322

sales@treeline.co.za

00264 (61)370525

valne@kolok.com.na

011 837 8917

jhboffice@redfern.co.za

CTP Stationery

Kolok - Nelspruit

Rexel Office Products

(

011 226 5600

Box 43501, Industria, 2042

(

013 758 2233

Box 4338, White River, 1240

(

011 226 3300

www.rexelsa.co.za

011 474 9242

sales@versafile.co.za

013 758 2235

infonel@koloksa.co.za

011 837 2781

sales@rexelsa.co.za

D.O.S (Denton Office Solutions)

Kolok - Bloemfontein

Rotunda (Pty) Ltd.

(

086 000 7468

info@dosptyltd.biz

(

051 433 1876

PvtBag X01, Brandhof, Bloemfontein

(

021 552 5135

Box 189, Maitland, 7404

086 237 4614

www.dosptyltd.biz

051 433 2451

infobfn@koloksa.co.za

021 551 3070

rotunda@iafrca.com

Empire Toy & Stationery

Royce Imaging Industries

Kolok - Botswana

(

011 614 2243

Box 261524, Excom, 2023

(

00267 393 2669

PvtBag B0226, Bontleng, Gaborone

(

011 792 9530

www.royceimaging.co.za

011 614 3075

empire@netactive.co.za

00267 317 0762

clemencem@vbn.co.bw

011 792 9480

sales@royceimaging.co.za

Flip File

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Head Office

Krost Office Products

(

021 638 3105

Box 2190, Clareinch, 7740

(

011 626 2067

Box 75401, Gardenview, 2047

(

011 262 1400

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

021 633 6942

ashly@flipfile.co.za

011 626 2912

sales@krost.co.za

011 262 1414

trodat@rse.co.za

Freedom Stationery - Johannesburg

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Cape Town

KZN ENVELOPES

(

011 314 0953/4

Box 6459, Halfway House, 1685

(

031 465 3992

P O Box 41259, Rossburgh, 4072

(

021 448 7008

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

011 314 0957

gpsales@freedomstationery.co.za

031 465 1669

info@kznenvelopes.co.za

021 448 7014

cpt@trodat.co.za

Freedom Stationery - Cape Town

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Durban

Max Frank

(

021 557 9152/3

36-38 Silverstone Rd Killarney Gardens

(

011 921 1811

Box 200, Isando, 1600

(

083 377 4109

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

021 557 9155

cptsales@freedomstationery.co.za

011 921 1569

sarah.schoeman@tigerbrands.com

031 266 1082

dbn@rse.co.za

Freedom Stationery KZN (Head Office) (

032 459 2820

Box 478, Mandini, 4490

032 459 3255

sales@freedomstationery.co.za

Freedom Stationery - East London

Maynards - Olympus Audio S.A / Olivetti Distributors (

0860 00 1922

South African Diaries

sales@maynards.co.za

(

021 442 2340

Box 4862, Cape Town, 8000

www.maynards.co.za

021 442 2341

phoneyman@sadiaries.co.za

Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd

Merpak Envelopes

(

043 731 2422

Box 14111 West Bank 5218

(

011 719 7700

sales@merpak.co.za

(

011 579 1600

www.staedtler.co.za

043 731 2421

elsales@freedomstationery.co.za

011 885 3174

www.merpak.co.za

011 608 3497

admin@staedtler.co.za

Global Bag And Sportswear Manufactures

Specialised Filing Systems

Narayan Wholesaler

(

031 305 6507

P.O Box 18586, Dalbridge, 4014

(

083 444 0959

031 301 6553

www.globalbags.co.za

011 869 7243

Global Envelopes

narayantextiles@gmail.com

(

011 477 0640

011 477 3528

www.specfiling.co.za

Star Stationers and Printers

New Era Office cc

(

031 465 5544

envelopes@absamail.co.za

(

011 334 2013

Box 10383, Lenasia, 1821

(

031 569 1061

luke@starstat.co.za

031 465 5634

www.envelopes.co.za

011 334 7358

kuban@neweraoffice.co.za

031 569 1094

www.starstat.co.za

Gordon’s Productions

Technical Systems Engineering

Nikki - Cape Town

(

031 705 8713

Suite 69, PvtBag X4, Kloof, 3640

(

0860 006731

cpt@nikki.co.za

(

011 708 2304

Box 1532, Northriding, 2162

031 705 8714

jacquie@gordons.co.za

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

011 708 1799

sales@tse.co.za

Grafton/Star Paper Products

Tidy Files

Nikki - Durban

011 943 4210

(

011 262 0777

Box 550, Bergvlei, 2012

(

0860 006731

dbn@nikki.co.za

(

011 262 0780

sales@graftonpaper.co.za

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Topmark

Grip Binders (

011 421 1300

Nikki - Johannesburg orders@tigerpaper.co.za

Hortors Stationery

(

011 837 8045 011 837 7442

www.tidyfiles.co.za info@topmarksa.com

(

0860 006731

jhb@nikki.co.za

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) - Cape Town

(

011 620 4800

Box 1020, Johannesburg, 2000

Nikki - Pretoria

(

021 787 9600

086 612 4663

orders@hortors.co.za

(

0860 006731

pta@nikki.co.za

021 787 9791

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) - Johannesburg

Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers (

036 634 1535

Box 389, Ladysmith, 3370

Nor Paper

036 634 1890

impalastat@mweb.co.za

(

011 011 3900

011 011 4099

Ink Spot Suppliers (

011 854 3013

011 852 3013

sales@nor.co.za

Optiplan a division of Waltons info@inkspotsuppliers.co.za

Interstat Agencies - Durban

PvtBag X1, Capricorn Square, 7948

(

011 611 1820

59 Lepus Rd, Crown Mines, 2025

011 611 1834

tower@pyrotec.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) Durban (

031 701 0192

Box 594, Pinetown, 3600

(

011 620 4000

Pencil Park, Croxley Close, Herriotdale

031 701 1285

tower@pyrotec.co.za

086 681 8256

rcurrin@gp.waltons.co.za

Tribe (

011 314 4746 (Jhb)

Box 6280, Halfway House, 1685

021 386 4261 (Cpt)

tribe@global.co.za

(

031 569 6550

Box 201707, Durban North, 4016

Palm Stationery

031 569 6559

interstat@mweb.co.za

(

031 507 7051

viran@palmstat.co.za

031 507 7053

www.palmstat.co.za

Unicopy & Stationers CC

Interstat Agencies - Cape Town (

021 551 9555

Box 36696, Chempet, 7442

PaperGeni

(

031 201 8415

122 Che Guevara Road, Glenwood, 4001

021 557 5456

Capetown@interstat.co.za

(

011 011 3900

info@papergeni.co.za

031 201 8672

sales@unicopy.co.za

011 011 4099

www.papergeni.co.za

Versafile

Interstat Agencies - Port Elizabeth (

041 453 2558

Box 27693, Greenacres, 6057

Paper World

041 453 8504

pe@interstat.co.za

(

012 250 1477/8

info@paperworldsa.com.

012 250 0322

www.paperworldsa.com

IXAXA Office Furniture (

Penflex

Kemtek Imaging Systems

(

011 392 3628

14 Isando Road Isando

Parrot Products

IXAXoffice@gmail.com

(

011 607 7600

debbie@parrot.co.za

011 615 2502

www.parrotproducts.biz

my office magazine

(

011 226 5600

Box 43501, Industria, 2042

011 474 9242

sales@versafile.co.za

Vol 99 - September 2015

the real stuff

The real Not stuff marketing fluff Bill Bayley, MD of Rexel Describe what you do in less than 20 words Rexel Office Products are the sole authorised representative of Acco Brands and import Rexel, GBC and Nobo products for distribution in southern Africa Where did you grow up? Roseacres, in the deep south of Johannesburg What was your first full time job? A junior clerk at Barclays Bank, Rosettenville Branch (also in the deep south of Johannesburg) If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be? Discounting. When demand is high, for example during the back-to-school season, we discount. When demand is low, we discount What do you like best about the office products industry? The many good people; and our ability to communicate and to co-operate

What CDs do you next plan to purchase? Songs of Innocence from U2, and Different Shades of Blue by Joe Bonamassa What’s your favourite gadget? My Apple iPhone 6 What’s your favourite movie? As Good as it Gets. Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt both delivered their finest performances What’s your favourite animal? The rhino Do you have any pets? Five rescue cats and a Labrador who is the kindest, most softhearted animal I have ever encountered What was your first car? A gold Chevrolet Chevair

What’s your greatest personal achievement? 35 years of marriage. Raising and educating four positive, welladjusted and hardworking kids What sports teams do you support? Golden Lions Rugby, the Springboks and, with a greater degree of difficulty, the Proteas What was your first CD? LP actually: Willy and the Poorboys by Creedence Clearwater Revival

www.myofficemagazine.co.za

my office magazine

punchline

Caption this! Send us your funniest caption for the photograph below and you stand a chance to win a Rexel Laminator GBC Fusion 1100 A4 valued at R2 000. Send your Punchline and contact details to competitions@ shop-sa.co.za with Punchline in the subject line

Win

The Rexel Laminator is 33% faster than competitor machines, taking just 45 seconds to laminate a standard A4 pouch or 80 pouches per hour, with an additional cold setting for heat sensitive documents. Other features include: • Automatic switch off after 30 minutes of inactivity. • Exit tray keeps pouches straight as they come through the heated rollers for a perfect, warp-free finish • Incorporates SureFlow™ Technology that reduces jamming significantly for stress-free laminating and maximum productivity • Laminates up to A4 size including ID cards, notices and certificates • Modern, compact design is easy to move around and suits most office and home environments • Single touch button interface: simple to use, no previous experience required • Three heat settings • Accepts 2 x 75 micron (150 in total) pouches, 2 x 100 micron (200 in total) and 2 x 125 micron (250 in total).

WIN ME WINNING CAPTION AUGUST ISSUE Winning Caption: “Monkey on right: have you heard?!! Monkey on left: nooooooooo ... whaaaaat is it?!” – Caz Haines

my office magazine

Vol 99 - September 2015

SAV E TH E DATE 23 October 2015

shop-sa sports day Killarney Country Club

Contact Wendy on (011) 781 0370 for more information