An obsession with quality has enabled Rich Pauptit of Flash Reproductions to print beautiful pieces
Fujifilm upgrades its B2 printer while Ricoh adds a new solution
DEPARTMENTS
GAMUT
60 years of print 12 22 6
5 News, People, Installs
10 Calendar
TECH REPORT
18 Showcasing the latest cutsheet production inkjet models from Kyocera and Canon
NEW PRODUCTS
19 Detailing the latest offerings from Roland DGA, Sydney Stone, V-Shapes, Techkon, Michelman and Canon
SPOTLIGHT
22 Audrey Jamieson, president of Marketing Kitchen
COLUMNS
FROM THE EDITOR
4 Nithya Caleb
Celebrating a milestone
INSIDER
8 Bob Dale and Nicole Morrison
Remembering Duncan McGregor
CHRONICLE
10 Nick Howard
Celebrating a milestone
Reader Service
This year, PrintAction turns 60. For more than six decades, we have been at the forefront of the Canadian printing industry, offering commercial printers news and innovative ideas that would help them succeed in their work. It has been a privilege to serve one of the country’s largest manufacturing sectors. I thank our readers for their steadfast support and encouragement throughout the 60 years.
about the print industry’s role in Canada’s fight against climate change.
Thank you, readers, for your support over the decades.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, PrintAction has created a podcast series focusing on some of the important developments in the industry, such as offset technology and digital printing, over the last 60 years. The episodes will be released throughout September. Please listen to them and share your feedback. I shall provide a sneak preview of each episode in the ensuing paragraphs.
Offset technology
In this episode, industry leader and chronicler Nick Howard, explains the evolution of offset technology in the last 60 years.
“Offset technology was very different then. At the beginning of the century, [it was] a new process that came about from stone printing, but it also opened up gaps in new technologies that were going to be needed to operate the machinery. For the first time, we had a situation where two technologies had to combine to make the offset process as know now to work,” he said.
Digital printing
To discuss the transformative role of digital technologies in the printing industry, I spoke to Martin Lepine, president of Paragraph, Inc., Montreal, and his daughter Chloe Lepine, account director and marketing co-ordinator.
Martin shared his own, almost existential perceptions that he had to overcome to successfully use digital technologies in his business.
“The biggest revolution came with graphics software that permitted you to create documents with Illustrator, Pagemaker and Photoshop.This transformed the way to creating a document that could be printed later,” he explained.
Sustainability
We chatted with Richard Kowenhoven, president and COO of Hemlock Printers, Vancouver, and Amanda Chor, sustainability manager, Hemlock Printers,
“I think it is simply necessary for the resilience of our businesses, and for printers, communities and people to survive on this earth. I don’t want to bring on the doom and gloom, but there have been events that we’ve all experienced recently that has shown us that climate change is very real. Sustainability is not just a competitive edge, which it is, but it is also an essential part of doing business,” said Chor.
Education
The School of Graphic Communications Management at Ryerson University, Toronto, plays a pivotal role in training youngsters for professional jobs in our industry. I spoke to Martin Habekost, the school’s new chair, and Ian Baitz, a former chair, about the school’s history and programs. “The program has really changed a great deal from what it was in the beginning with about 20 students, and now we have over 600 students,” said Habekost.
Longstanding companies
The podcast series ends with an interview of Jeff Ekstein, president and CEO, Willow Printing.Willow Printing is older than PrintAction. This was the perfect way to end a podcast series celebrating the resilience of our industry. Ekstein took us back to the initial days of Willow Printing, a story that actually began with his father. Tune into the podcast for additional information.
Canadian Printing Awards Gala
Registrations are still open for the 15th Annual Canadian Printing Awards Gala that honour projects, designs, companies and individuals pursuing print excellence and innovation. In challenging times, it is important for us to celebrate our achievements. Events such as these keep the flame of hope burning brightly, so please join us virtually on September 23. Visit https:// pheedloop.com/CPA/site/home to register for free.
I hope to see you all at the awards show, and don’t forget to celebrate the resilience of the printing industry.
NITHYA CALEB Editor
ncaleb@annexbusinessmedia.com
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West Canadian Digital Imaging, a provider of digital print, signage and document management services since 1952, has launched a new corporate brand identity and name. The organization will now be known as WCD. Among the changes will be its logo, building and delivery fleet signage, and website domain name to www. wcdconnect.com.
“This is an exciting change for us that reinforces our direction as a digital company that provides print and information solutions to our business customers, and, ultimately, to their customers,” said Jennifer Brookman, VP of marketing at WCD.
Eastman Kodak Company and West World Paper (WWP), a paper distributor serving the commercial print industry in Western Canada, have signed a reseller agreement under which the latter will become a key supplier of Kodak’s commercial print solutions. Complementing Kodak’s Canadian sales efforts, WWP will offer Kodak’s complete portfolio of products.
WWP is headquartered in Coquitlam, B.C., and has an additional facility in Calgary, Alta., to support its diverse customer base. It offers a range of printing paper products and will now expand its portfolio by distributing Kodak solutions.
Artisan Complete to Transcontinental Brampton to propel its growth in this sector. Transcontinental Brampton will also be opening an innovation laboratory for customers to test products on different types of shelves.
Epson is offering the Epson PreferredSM Plus Extended Service Plans for the SurePress digital label press line. The new service plans offer next business day onsite response, parts, labour and travel and optional, continuous support for up to seven years. Customers can choose from three extended service plan options.
The Mississauga Board of Trade, Ont., awards Jay Mandarino, president & CEO of CJ Graphics, Inc., the 2020 Business Person of the Year. The award recognizes an outstanding individual who has best demonstrated exceptional business leadership, vision and community involvement.
Spicers Canada announces several operational investments that enhance available resources for customers in multiple markets. It has built an 80,000-sf distribution centre in Anjou, Que. Later this year, its All Graphic Supplies division, currently based in Mississauga, Ont., will be integrated into the Spicers Vaughan, Ont., location. In conjunction with this move, an expanded demo/ technology centre, equipment service department and resource centre will be constructed. Demo centre capabilities are also being expanded in Calgary, Alta., and Edmonton.
TC Transcontinental is relocating its in-store marketing (ISM) product printing activities from recent acquisitions of Holland & Crosby and
recognized for its ability to print on diverse substrates.
Canon has been recognized by Keypoint Intelligence as the market share leader for total production inkjet in 2020. The VarioPrint iX-series, which was launched in April 2020, has “proven to be a popular investment option for commercial print customers,” said a press release from Canon. The company also led the continuous feed inkjet market share category with 35 per cent of installations due to the success of the ColorStream series. Now in its third generation, ColorStream has been installed in 1500 locations.
“It was a great honour to receive this award. This would not have been possible without my wife, our great team here at CJ, all our supplier partners, friends and, most of all, our clients. So, a big heartfelt thank you to all of you,” said Mandarino.
Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Canada) earns a Buyers Lab 2021-2022 PaceSetter in Production Print Applications: Output Variety Award from Keypoint Intelligence.
Based on research conducted in the North American market, this award celebrates OEMs that best support their customers on reducing costs and/or increasing business based on different printing applications. Konica Minolta’s AccurioJet KM-1e LED UV Inkjet Press was specifically
The Private Motor Truck Council (PMTC) of Canada has honoured Turbo Images with four awards and five honourable mentions.
Turbo Images is being awarded for their visual creativity and for graphically enhancing vehicles to not only promote products and services, but also to deliver a positive image of the trucking community.
Turbo Images won the following categories: Straight Truck (St Helen’s Meat Packers), Special Events/ Promotion (Kriska Transportation), Identity Fleet (Metro Canada) and Night-Time Safety (Voilà By Sobeys).
Karen Brookman, George Brookman, Jennifer Brookman and Allan Megarry of Calgary-based information solutions company WCD that recently rebranded itself.
Jay Mandarino
West World Paper to supply Kodak’s commercial print solutions in Western Canada.
Canon recognized as the 2020 market share leader for production inkjet.
Turbo Images wins multiple awards.
Gregg Iftody, a technical business solutions specialist, brings decades of award-winning print marketing experience to Mitchell. He will join a team of professional print marketers and leverage his knowledge to serve clients across Western Canada. With deep roots in Calgary, Alta., Gregg will continue to serve long-time creative collaborators.
Scott Gray, VP, sales + marketing, Mitchell says, “I am excited to be reunited with Gregg. We’ve already shared great success together. His technical experience and dedication to results have been pivotal in some of North America’s most lauded premium real estate and sport-marketing promotions that I’ve seen. He is going to take full advantage of our hugely expanded capabilities for his clients.”
Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems (Kongsberg PCS) appoints Vince Tuccitto as sales account manager.Wide-format specialist Tuccitto has more than 35 years of sales and marketing experience. Based in Toronto, Tuccitto will lead strategic sales growth opportunities for the Canadian market. With excellent skills in media application for the digital, label and offset printing segments, as well as in wide-format printing and finishing technologies, Tuccitto’s focus will be on penetrating new markets by expanding Kongsberg PCS product lines.
Sydney Stone appoints Gary Potter as their Western Canada technical sales specialist. Potter began his journey in the print industry working a summer in a print shop while attending college. He has established and refined his specialized skills working for diverse print solution providers such as Agfa Graphic Systems, Ernest Green & Son, Spicers Canada and Konica Minolta.
“Gary is extremely well known from his time in the British Columbia area and I feel that Gary is well-suited to live up to Sydney Stone’s mission of giving meaning to expertise for our Western Canadian customers,” said Stephen Longmire of Sydney Stone.
Todd Zimmerman , a long-time graphic arts executive with a track record of growing advanced technology initiatives in print, has joined Electronics For Imaging, Inc., as its new vice-president and general manager, Display Graphics.
He comes to EFI from Fujifilm USA, where he spent more than a decade in a variety of executive roles.
Mitchell Digital installs Western Canada’s first Kodak Nexfinity colour sheetfed press featuring Kodak’s dry toner imaging system. As long-time Kodak Nexpress users, the upgrade to the Nexfinity platform has been successful at Mitchell.
Simpson Print of Bloomingdale, Canada, installs a third SwissQprint Nyala flatbed printer. The company is expecting the retail market to take off again soon, and are getting ready to meet the increased demand.
PDS installs the first Duplo DPC-600 in Canada. Duplo’s new DPC600 digital diecutter can produce on-demand corrugated boxes, pocket folders, puzzles and foam board displays. Brett Kisiloski, VP of sales for PDS, installed this unit at Initial Print in Vancouver to increase their in-house on-demand custom product offering.
Remembering Duncan McGregor
He may have retired 25 years ago, but his company is still the industry leader
By Bob Dale and Nicole Morrison
As PrintAction celebrates its 60th anniversary, it’s appropriate to focus on print icons who can inpire us. When we asked current industry leaders from across Canada about the importance of marketing for PSPs, they all mentioned Arthurs-Jones (AJ). So, we reached out to Duncan McGregor, the man responsible for making a good company a great one!
McGregor retired 25 years ago, but his company is still remembered as the industry leader. He told us his company’s mandate was to “be the best printing company in Canada.” He instilled in the 160 staff members at AJ that “commercially acceptable” quality was unacceptable. In order to be the best, everyone in the plant had to be committed to quality.Therefore, they did not have a QC department because everyone was authorized to stop a job if there were quality issues.
Stress on quality
Quality is much more than a slogan at AJ; there’s a stress on the right combination of technology, tools, training, skills and attitude. McGregor made sure AJ was equipped with the best technology. It was a Heidelberg shop, which meant work could be transferred from one press to another seamlessly. McGregor shares the story of producing an annual report for a large U.S. client. The client was onsite for press approvals, and he overheard the client telling his office he would return in two days instead of a week, since they were running all the signatures on different presses so they would finish in half the time others would take.
Beth Potter, president of the Toronto Club of Printing House Craftsmen, Duncan McGregor, former president of Arthurs-Jones and Bob Dale, then chair of the Gallery of Superb Printing, Toronto Craftsmen Club, during an awards show in 1987. McGregor won a gold award in the Gallery of Superb Printing Quality Competition.
To demonstrate to clients that AJ produced the best quality, they would enter work into quality competitions like the Gallery of Superb Printing, which was run by the Craftsmen Club. He would then frame the awards and present them to their customers.
Annual reports
To build a name and reputation for quality, McGregor focused on the annual report (AR) market. He was warned that there were other, more established companies in that space, but he persevered and became the industry leader. Additionally, AJ’s reputation and track record allowed it to be awarded work even if they were not offering the lowest price. They needed to be competitive, but customers recognized the value-add provided by AJ warranted a premium. AJ would also host an AR show, and invite art directors and corporate decision-makers to join them to learn the latest techniques, papers, trends and coatings that could be used to enhance their reports.
Once AJ built a reputation for best quality annual reports, they then focused on expanding sales. At one point, the annual reports for all of
Canada’s major banks were produced by AJ.
Innovation
To stay ahead of competition, AJ invested in innovation and R&D. They developed varnishing techniques that had not been used before. They managed their paper lifts in small piles, and while this may not have been the most efficient, quality and colour was more consistent. They developed new colours and combined metallic silver with PMS colours to achieve unique effects.
One key requirement was the team. They retained key staff, provided a healthy work environment, and had strong leaders for all departments including manufacturing, sales and operations.
Customer focus was a constant endeavour, and they would frequently meet to see what could they do differently and better. While this extra effort came at a price, customers were willing to pay because they recognized the added value AJ offered.
Bob Dale and Nicole Morrison are with Connecting for Results, Inc. They can be reached at info@connectingforresults.com.
September 23, 2021
Canadian Printing Awards Gala Virtual
September 27-29, 2021
Pack Expo Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nev.
September 29-October 1, 2021
Label Congress 2021 Chicago, Ill.
October 6-8, 2021
Printing United Expo Orlando, Fl.
October 12-15, 2021
FESPA Global Print Expo 2021
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
October 20-21, 2021
Print & Digital Convention Düsseldorf, Germany
November 16-18, 2021
Xplor21: The Future of Customer Communications St. Pete Beach, Fl.
60 years of print
Recalling some of the major events in
the industry
By Nick Howard
Canada’s graphic arts industry has navigated many peaks and valleys during the past 60 years. Only one publication has continually captured all the developments, and that is PrintAction (PA).
Transcontinental, one of Canada’s largest printers, began operations in 1976 as a printer of flyers.
PrintAction remains the go-to magazine for print service providers, sharing Canadian stories from coast to coast.
From the 1970s to 1990s, the industry experienced many transformative phases. During the 1970s, the federal government’s position on “Printing in Canada” drew a lot of criticism. Canadian and/or U.S. tariffs were either placed on or taken off many mass-produced products such as books and magazines. Parliament waffled between groups who wanted cheaper printing made in U.S.A. and those who pushed to protect Canadian workers.
Canadians were afraid of their American neighbours, who had bigger plants and could produce print at a cheaper rate. PrintAction made it a point to amplify and promote our country’s printers and featured articles both railing against and encouraging parliament to do something about work being lost to the U.S.
Technological changes
Technology advances, with a constant stream of new devices, filled PA’s pages in the 1980s, as prepress was turned on its ear with computer-driven solutions. These new technologies would soon drive out film. At one time, it was possible to clearly distinguish printers that typeset and output film (and plates) and press owners. PA educated us
on how the two distinct sectors would soon embrace new tools and become one. By the mid1990s, virtually all prepress houses either closed shop or realized they only needed a printing press to stay in business. Also, a cursory perusal of some back issues of PA illustrates that mail rate fears are generational. During the 1970s and ’80s many articles appeared in PA about the negative impact of postage price increases.
Holistic coverage
PrintAction covered the Canadian printing industry’s biggest stories whether it was the dawn of DTP or the latest innovation in diecutting.
The 1980s
In my experience, PA is/was a must read for our industry. In the early 1980s, Canada was starting to recover from a severe recession. Interest rates hoevered around 20 per cent at that time. Times were tough and many shops closed down or
were sold off for pennies on the dollar. However, business started to improve by mid-1983 when a firestorm of major announcements erupted within months of each other.
Linotype Canada
Linotype Canada had, for decades, been a large supplier of equipment. However, Linotype was not doing well in the early 1980s and started to lose many of its prized dealerships, particularly Komori, Stahl, Schneider and Brandtjen & Kluge. Shortly after the highly successful Graphic Trade 81 (October 1981) show, the Komori agency went into the hands of a new company led by former Linotype Canada manager Frank Wilson. The new business would later be formerly incorporated by the Komori Corporation of Japan as Komori Canada. While chaos surrounding the Linotype fiasco played out, another drama emerged on the front pages of PA’s April 1983
edition. Under the caption “Komori opens H.Q. with Tea Ceremony” was the news that Bill Sears, scion of the Sears family and president of the largest graphic equipment supplier in Canada—holder of the Heidelberg agency for over 20 years—had resigned from Sears Ltd., a division of Reichhold. It was suggested Sears had made a play to repurchase the company from Reichhold, and when rebuffed, tension and bad feelings entered the picture, resulting on Bill Sears getting the last laugh.
Over the next six months, printers would eagerly wait for each issue of PrintAction to read the industry-changing stories. By the end of 1983, Heidelberg Canada was incorporated and it began selling directly to Canadian printers on January 1, 1984. Through it all, Miller Corporation aligned with Sears and a fierce battle raged for a few years until Heidelberg came out victorious.
The go-to magazine
PrintAction remains the go-to magazine for print service providers,
sharing Canadian stories from coast to coast. They have been a strong supporter of education, trade shows and “women in the graphic arts”. When it comes to trade shows, PA was not only visible, but also a strong supporter and organizer, often producing special show editions. For many years (up to December 1993) PA was printed as a tabloid, and on newsprint.
Key events
All major events have been covered by PA from the launch of Heidelberg Speedmaster in 1975, Komori Lithrone in 1982 and Manroland’s 700 in 1990 to CTP, coating techs, electrophotography and inkjet. All of these were well discussed so printers could take informed decisions.
Further, the rise of media company Quebecor is an important part of our history—they purchased Ronalds Federated from Bell Canada in 1988. In 1990, they acquired Robert Maxwell’s Maxwell Communication Corporation.
Another company that must be
mentioned is Transcontinental. In 1976, it started off as a flyer printer, but is now Canada’s largest printer.
One PrintAction feature, long retired, was the “Company Reports” column, which published the financials of some of the largest public companies. Many of these firms have vanished today, but were they ever making money! In April 1981, the Toronto Star a profit of $22 million for 12 months. That is $65 million today. Moore Corporation earned in profits $110 million (U.S.) or $325 million today. The rest of the industry, struggling for a seven per cent net margin, could only read it and weep. Printing on newsprint had its advantages; PrintAction easily soaked up the tears.
NICK HOWARD, a partner in Howard Graphic Equipment and Howard Iron Works, is a printing historian, consultant and Certified Appraiser of capital equipment. nick@howardgraphicequipment.com
Serving the US market for nearly a decade, RM Machinery (RMM) proudly brings our expertise to Canada’s printing industry. We deliver the highest quality sheetfed o set, digital inkjet, and flexo printing presses by partnering with the finest manufacturers in the industry.
RMM is the premier distributor in Canada for Mitsubishi, RMGT, and Miyakoshi printing presses; Böttcher rollers, blankets, and chemistry; Standard Horizon finishing systems; GEW UV curing systems and TOYO inks.
The Komori Lithrone was launched in 1982.
1984
Heidelberg began selling directly to Canadian printers on January 1, 1984.
1982 1990
Manroland’s 700 was introduced in 1990.
The Return of Excellence
For years, Mitsubishi set the superior technology standard for Canadian printers. Today, RM Machinery returns that innovation to Canada, but with an even higher standard: Ryobi Mitsubishi Graphic Technology (RMGT).
We are stable, local, and o er the best-in-class technology. We maintain an ample supply of parts, and for as long as you own one of our supported presses, you are guaranteed ongoing service and support programs that are among the best in the industry.
RM Machinery Inc.
905-238-9797 • 1-855-RMGT-123
5250 Satellite Drive, Unit 9 Mississauga, ON L4W 5G5 www.rmmc.ca
Equipping North America to print.
A ‘RICH’ CAREER IN LUX PRINTING
An obsession with quality has enabled Rich Pauptit of Flash Reproductions to produce beautiful pieces
By Treena Hein
When one thinks about ingredients for success at a specialty printing company, several come to mind—cutting-edge technologies, innovative minds, years of expertise and a collaborative spirit are certainly among them. However, these days, you also need a leader willing to push the boundaries; one who has a strong business mind and a passion for achieving what many would consider impossible.
You’ll find these qualities in Rich Pauptit, president of Flash Reproductions, Toronto. When he says that he’s realizing all his hopes and
dreams with certain current equipment purchases, it’s worth paying attention to. However, before we get into the machines (and dreams), let’s go back to the start.
The start
Pauptit’s father Carl Pauptit started a printing business in 1969. “Summers and after school were spent at the shop; screen printing, die cutting and collating,” he explains. “I never intended to do this for a living, and my dad never pressured me. We never talked about it.”
Pauptit trained in radio broadcasting, but found there wasn’t as much room for creativity as he had imagined. When he graduated from
Rich Pauptit
business school in the late 1990s, his dad asked him if he was going to get an MBA or would he rather learn most of it while working for the family business?
During the next six months, Pauptit immersed himself and was completely enamoured by printing. “I got to work on some really exciting projects,” he says. “From the start, I loved talking to designers about their ideas, and then taking that and putting it through the filter of knowledge and experience that we had at the shop. Our pros know how to get the most out of our equipment and what can be done with one technique versus another, and at the end, helped bring the idea to life.”
As time went on, Flash Reproductions started accomplishing things that most North American firms could not come close to. “It’s usually not a smooth ride from concept to reality but we lean into that,” Pauptit says. “Our people are up for anything. I came into it with youthful enthusiasm and learned a lot from my dad before taking over in 2009. What sets us apart is that we’re always excited to make the end result impactful. We’ve become rather obsessed with having every technique in our shop, every tool at our fingertips. Designers come to us with passion and we meet them with a similar passion to create something extraordinary.”
Specific tools
Among the many tools at the fingertips of the 40 staff members at Flash is a KM1 UV inkjet press, installed in 2017. This gives Flash the ability to achieve an offset-like print quality on virtually any substrate.
Since the KM1 arrived, Pauptit wanted another machine that could allow Flash to fill a growing demand in specialty printing: small quantities of unique items. However, the cutting machine he dreamed of didn’t exist then.
“The KM1 is a B2 press built for short runs, and that is what the market is asking for,” he says. “But finishing short runs with an analog cutting workflow is time-prohibitive and cost-prohibitive, so that was a bottleneck for us. With longer runs on the Heidelbergs, the set-up of dies or programming of a guillotine makes sense, but with 10 or 50 sheets off the KM1, we don’t have enough sheets to even set up. Our
The Valiani Omnia, an auto feed diecutting machine, was installed earlier this year at Flash Reproductions.
Print has been pushed into a premium space, creating things that have a reason to physically exist; beautiful, striking things that people physically interact with.
customers are producing smaller, more targeted campaigns, but they still expect high-quality work from Flash, and while we could finally print quality short runs, the finishing was a challenge.”
Meanwhile, luckily for Pauptit, the Valiani Omnia cutter was being developed. He jumped on it as soon as it was available, and in March 2021, one arrived at Flash (the first to be installed in North America). “Its use has ramped up more quickly than anything we’ve ever had,” says Pauptit. “Perforation, cut, crease, it will finish anything that comes off
the KM1 and even some work off our conventional presses. There’s no set up and it can change the die line as it feeds sheet to sheet. Sometimes it cuts sheets after they come off the KM1 down to manageable sizes for letterpress, foil stamp or emboss. We can trust it completely with accuracy before we go to the next step.”
With both the KM1 and the Omnia allowing the same attention to detail and finish quality as previous machines (but faster and cheaper), Pauptit says there is no technique they can’t offer for small orders such as 10 pieces. Also, the timeline is days instead of weeks.
“The Omnia is a small link in our chain, but an important one,” he notes. “It’s really changed everything and I don’t know how we’d go back to working without it.”
Other machines, other capabilities
Over the last few years, Flash has also added pad printing, which enables printing on non-flat surfaces such as bottles and unique cases. Pauptit has also purchased rapid
gluing machines, along with some other small items, such as specialty book binders.
“Right now, I’ve realized my hopes and dreams,” he says. “We do a lot of luxury packaging that spans every industry, cosmetics, tech, food and beverage. We’ve done this for decades, but it’s heating up. We are increasingly involved in creating luxury packaging in such a way that the box itself blows people away. Our customers realize that if they’re going to spend so much time and effort commercializing a product, then the packaging should also be at that level.”
Desire for more
There are still some items on Paupit’s wish list. He would like a smaller version of the KM1 that would be able to run jobs down to the size of a postcard, even if the press is hand fed. He’d also like a machine that can foil stamp and embellish for smaller runs with the same quality as analog machines. “There is a lot of demand for foil
stamping,” he notes. “I’m in constant talks with the digital embellishment people, but the level of detail is not what we need to see, and we’d like to be able to print on unlimited, uncoated substrates like we can on our analog presses. We don’t want any limitations. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I want to be able to take any size sheet, with any finish and foil stamp on any substrate without making a die. Until we see that from a digital machine, we’ll keep doing it the old-fashioned way. It takes skill and time, but in the end we’re proud of it and that is essential.”
In terms of newer substrates, Flash Reproductions is printing a lot on glass these days, along with conventional plastic and acrylic, along with some new biodegradable materials ( e.g . compressed pulp board) that are highly rigid.
The future is now
Looking at the evolution of print, Pauptit notes that long ago, it was incredibly interesting and exciting,
Digital cutting at an industrial level.
Schedule a virtual or in-person demo anytime, and visit us at Printing United 2021, Booth 5330. 1.5 m
then it became boring, but now it’s exciting again. “At one point in history, print was the only way to mass communicate and now, of course, it’s one of many ways,” he says. “Everyone was worried about the internet’s effect on printing, and it has certainly changed the scope, but there are still many instances where print is the best way of communicating. Print has been pushed into a premium space, creating things that have a reason to physically exist; beautiful, striking things that people physically interact with.”
In terms of Pauptit’s own career, it really has run parallel to the print industry’s evolution. He was always focused on the high-end work because that’s what held his interest and challenged him. “I always wanted to see how we could push ourselves, and now that’s what printing is—what we always saw as the interesting part of the market is now the market,” he says. “If companies are bothering to print at all, they want it to be beautiful and use the best techniques and materials.”
Reflecting on his success, Pauptit is very mindful of expanding business for the sake of expanding. He’s believes to have achieved a good balance, and will be careful to preserve it. He’s got all the equipment and the people to work it skillfully, with the volume of projects needed to support that. He feels that right now, Flash is perfectly sized for the companies in and around Toronto (in addition to a few U.S. and overseas clients). You don’t want to lose the intimacy, he says. You want to grow better, and not bigger.
“I got excited about producing amazing projects early in my career, which caught the attention of industry insiders,” Pauptit shares. “What we managed to do was to fly a flag for those who want to do amazing things with print, to say ‘Come here, this is where it’s happening.’ We’ve been able to build that over the years and attract the very best creative people, the very best operators and minds. I think that if you’re doing exciting things, exciting people want to join you. I am so
2017
The KM1 UV inkjet press was installed at Flash Reproductions in 2017.
proud of my team and I can’t wait to see the things we’re going to accomplish in the future.”
The Board Handling System
B2 VS. B3 INKJET: BATTLE BEGINS
Fujifilm upgrades its B2 printer while Ricoh adds a new solution
By German Sacristan
Fujifilm launched a B2size printer 10 years ago, followed by HP in 2013, and years later by Konica Minolta and Komori. Even though expectations have always been high for this larger format of digital printing, reality has fallen short. The opportunity was always there to shift more shorter offset runs and variable data print jobs to B2 digital, along with going after the big size MIF of the largest A3/B3 production electrophotography printers that have been in the market since the early 2000s.
The biggest challenge to convert PSPs with large print volumes being
produced on A3/B3 electrophotography large production printers to B2 was the high capital investments of the B2 printers. Another challenge was to shift more offset print volumes to B2 digital, as even though B2 has lower running costs than the A3/B3 electrophotography devices, there is still a big gap versus offset. What is shifting things is the new introduction of B3 inkjet presses with commercial print quality by Canon (iX series) and Xerox (Baltoro-Color Accelerator Module). These printers provide high productivity and duty cycles at a lower capital investment cost than B2, therefore offering lower TCOs in most cases. The B3 inkjet pressure
Ricoh B2 Pro
Z75 inkjet printer runs with aqueous inks at 4,500 B2 sheets per hour.
Fujifilm JetPress 750 HS can print 5,400 B2 sheets per hour.
on B2 should make B2 manufacturers reduce their capital investment costs to better compete with B3.
Fujifilm JetPress 750 HS
At virtual.drupa earlier this year, Fujifilm announced its new JetPress 750 HS, which brings greater productivity from its successor (5,400 B2 sheets per hour vs. 3,600) in all media weights. The compromise there is that the resolution drops to 1200 x 600 dpi. The new printer may also not need primer while printing at 1200 x 600 dpi, reducing the running cost considerably. New inks might reduce the cost of consumables, too. Finally, Fujifilm protects customer investments by making the 750 HS field upgradable.
Ricoh B2 Pro Z75
Ricoh also announced its new B2 Pro Z75 inkjet printer to compete in the expanding B2 and B3 markets. The device runs with aqueous inks at 4,500 B2 sheets per hour and can print on a variety of substrates, in-
The large production cutsheet inkjet market is expected to be busy and even more competitive with roll-fed inkjet printers, what with more flexibility (variety of input drawers) and lower capital investment costs.
cluding offset coated papers up to 400 gsm. The B2+-size is 23 x 29 in. at up to 1200 x 1200 dpi. The new drying system is expected to deliver good print quality, even on thin paper.
The large production cutsheet inkjet market is expected to be busy and even more competitive with rollfed inkjet printers, what with more flexibility (variety of input drawers) and lower capital investment costs. Large production cutsheet B2 and B3 inkjet devices are expected to
capture a great part of the print volume consolidation happening in the market due to lower TCOs and commercial print quality. It will be exciting and interesting to watch this healthy cutsheet B2 and B3 inkjet battle as printers try to shift more offset print volumes to digital, while gaining as much electrophotography business as they possibly can.
This article was originally published on www.keypointintelligence.com.
Inc.
Production inkjet presses
2. SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY — Die crease without a die, then fold and even glue all on the same machine, up to 30 pt.
3. INTEGRATED MODULAR UNITS — Combined in-line finishing: crease, fold, glue, tipping, envelope inserting, ink jetting (Duplex), clip seal (3 sides), mail prep.
4. SAVE ON POSTAGE COSTS As a Certified Canada Post Direct Marketing Specialist, we get contract pricing reductions.
5. RETURN MAIL PRODUCTS — Customized “Return Mailers” created in-line with “U” or “BOX-shape” remoistenable glue, time perfed applications and envelope formation.
6. MINI-BOOKLETS — Saddle-stitch and trim 2-up booklets in-line to the size of a business card. No need to trim off-line, or do 2 passes. 7. HIGH SPEED EQUIPMENT — High speed Tipping, Folding, Saddle-stitching and soft folding ensuring on time delivery.
The latest innovations from Kyocera and Canon
120 seconds.
Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c
The Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c merges productivity with affordability in a highspeed cutsheet inkjet production printer. It offers customers a “cost-efficient, right-sized alternative” to conventional printing, suitable for shorter-run, highly variable jobs.
Using print head and ink technologies developed by Kyocera, the TASKalfa Pro 15000c delivers consistent output from high-pigment ratio and high-permeability inks. The warm-up time of TASKalfa Pro 15000c is 120 seconds, and the time to first print in black or colour is 5.5 seconds or less.
It is capable of producing direct mail and catalogs on a variety of standard paper sizes up to 13 x 19.2 in. and weights
up to 360 gsm. It is also able to produce up to 1 million images per month.
Canon VarioPrint iX-series
The Canon VarioPrint iX-series presses combine “stunning image quality and wide media range of a cutsheet toner press along with the high productivity and cost efficiency of inkjet.”
The VarioPrint iX-series supports customers with 1 to 10 million letter prints per month and more than 90 per cent average uptime. The press comes in two models: the VarioPrint iX2100 at 205 letter duplex images per minute and the VarioPrint iX3200 at 312 letter duplex images per minute. It features 1,200 dpi printheads, and can print a wide range of coated and uncoated media up to 350 gsm.
The Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c has a warm-up time of
The VarioPrint iX-series features 1,200 dpi printheads.
Showcasing the latest offerings from Roland DGA, Sydney Stone, V-Shapes, Techkon, Michelman and Canon
Roland DGA introduces new V-Bond Ink
Roland DGA introduces V-Bond Ink, which can be used with the VersaUV LEF2 series flatbed UV printers. The new, low-VOC, nickel-free ink is compliant with Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and California Proposition 65.
V-Bond Ink is not only suitable for printing on children’s toys, but also useful for direct printing on stationery, jewellery and fashion items, hygiene products, earbuds and electronic accessories, culinary products and pet products. Available in CMYK as well as gloss and white, V-Bond Ink can be combined with Roland DGA’s True Rich Color 2 profiles for a wider colour gamut. The phthalate-free, high-opacity white ink is suitable for printing dense colours on clear materials, while the gloss enables users to incorporate textural and dimensional effects into prints.
Sydney Stone launches new wide-format films
Sydney Stone is launching an exclusive range of wide-format
media and laminates called EZ
Media in the Greater Toronto Area. This includes self-adhesive vinyl, wall and floor media, banner media, pressure sensitive laminates and backlit film media.
“If you are looking to reduce your costs, we are very confident that the quality and price will turn you into an EZ Media customer,” said Dylan Westgate of Sydney Stone.
“The wide-format market has had some big changes in the last 12 months, and our small business carries a large inventory that will ship quickly along with technical applications specialists that can work with you to recommend the right products.”
Techkon introduces new ink solutions
Techkon, a colour measurement solutions provider for packaging and commercial printers, has expanded its family of ChromaQA colour quality solutions.
These are designed to help printers improve their colour matching capabilities, shorten make-readies, and reduce waste so that they can maintain their profitability.
V-Bond Ink from Roland DGA is nickel free and has low VOC content.
With ChromaQA, operators are not required to be “highly skilled users” of spectrophotometers or computers. Instead, these new solutions are designed for “simplicity and quickly guide press operators and ink technicians to optimize colour match.”
“All ChromaQA solutions include our ink management module, which is extremely powerful and has really earned praises from packaging printers who often times must maintain thousands and thousands of colour standards,” said Stephen Rankin, director of product management for Techkon U.S.A.
V-Shapes introduces VS Dflex for sachet printing
V-Shapes, a supplier of single-dose packaging solutions, launches the V-Shapes VS Dflex nearline reel-to-reel printer for printing the top
The V-Shapes VS Dflex nearline reel-to-reel printer is used to print the top layer of single-dose sachets.
layer of its single-dose sachets.
The sachets are opened with a single gesture using one hand.
Powered by Memjet DuraFlex, this printing system makes it easy to print flexible packaging onsite, thereby eliminating the need to outsource printing or to tie up other equipment in the plant, especially for short runs.
VS Dflex inks were designed for food packaging and formulated for quick drying after printing, allowing the substrate to be ready for use with the V-Shapes Alpha machine.
Canon introduces ColorStream 8000
series
Canon U.S.A. launches the ColorStream 8000 series of
web-fed inkjet printers. This new flagship series represents the next stage in the evolution of the platform and sets a new standard for high-volume production environments with its combined advances in productivity, print quality and application flexibility.
The ColorStream 8000 series has been designed to meet the current and future production challenges of corporate and public sector in-plants, print and communication service providers and specialized commercial printers.
The expanded media range, including lightweight papers, broadens the application focus to include publishing and packaging inserts.
Michelman expands its label offerings
Michelman has expanded its suite of high-performance label solutions, used with UV over-
print varnishes, permitting HP Indigo digitally printed labels to endure harsh environments, including extreme heat, chemicals, water or friction during packing and transport. These solutions allow press owners to increase their addressable market size and produce more with their HP Indigo digital label presses in applications, such as packaging for personal care and cosmetics, household cleaners, automotive oils and fluids, wine and beer bottles and industrial and electronic equipment.
Kongsberg launches production table
Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems expands its C Series range of digital finishing tables with C20. With a size of just 1.6 x 1.4 m, it is the smallest highspeed production table on the market. The cutting table utilizes aerospace technology for cutting accuracy.
Audrey Jamieson / President / Marketing Kitchen
Audrey Jamieson is the president of Marketing Kitchen (2014), a marketing production company specializing in direct mail and fulfillment. Jamieson runs a 40,000-sf facility in Markham, Ont. An expert in all things personalized, she understands variables, paper, diecutting and fulfillment. In February 2021, the 54-year-old launched 5am Lemon, a personalized greeting card gift box firm.
What made your start 5am Lemon?
AJ: I always had a passion for greeting cards, as well as print, paper substrates and shopping. During the first wave of the pandemic, it was near impossible to send a gift online and couple it with a personalized greeting card. I tried a few times through Chapters/Indigo, and the message was always printed on the packing slip, which was missed by the recipient. I thought it would be great to order a fully personalized card online and have it accompanied by a small gift or gift card. I had just installed the KM-1 inkjet press that had a 23 x 29 sheet size with full variable capabilities, so I started playing with the sheet. The next thing I know, my team and I had created a fun and functional greeting card gift box for my daughter’s university graduation. I even took advantage of the side panels, which formed the box, and included pictures of her with her roommates that she could remove and display.
What is the state of the print industry today, in your view?
AJ: I think outside of the current supply chain issues with paper, the state of the print industry is strong. Print delivers is a tangible punch that is tough to match digitally. Print and direct mail carry a ton of credibility that is harder to match with digital.
What attracted you to the print industry?
AJ: I started selling advertising for special interest magazines back in the early 90’s. That was my first introduction to the print world, and I have been in love with print ever since.
How can the industry attract more young people?
AJ: I think as an industry we need to show young people how unique and
Print is an amazing compliment to digital. Print delivers is a tangible punch that is tough to match digitally.
powerful print can be in a digital world. We know they are super comfortable with everything and anything digital, but may not feel as comfortable in the tangible world of print. We need to make sure we educate and expose younger generations to the different printing platforms, paper substrates, embellishment opportunities and all the other finishing options available for print communications.
As humans, we love engaging in anything we are really good at or know a lot about. The print world can be a scary unknown to younger generations, so we need to introduce them early and take advantage of their creative minds.
In such a competitive landscape, how can printers win more sales?
AJ: Printers need to go beyond just putting ink on paper. They need to constantly be in consulting mode and assist clients with the creation of their pieces. They need to introduce new paper stocks, finishing ideas and cost-efficient solutions. Today, marketers have more advertising options than ever before and anyone selling print or direct mail need to offer an expertise that goes well beyond knowing paper and ink.
What are some of the biggest opportunities in the print industry?
AJ: I see an opportunity for marketers to really stand out in the mailbox using print. The inbox is overflowing, and the digital market can feel a bit saturated. Print offers a refreshing medium that does not interrupt your day, and can be consumed at leisure. Increasing personalization and relevance to a targeted audience is key.
What do you think is the most exciting thing about print today?
AJ: Production inkjet printing is definitely exciting. The ability to offer high-quality, fully variable pieces on unique substrates at an affordable price is really cool. The integration of print with digital will keep getting stronger and it’s going to be great to see how creative marketers are going to use the two media. As an aside, who would have thought it would take a pandemic to make QR codes cool again. I think in the future we will be seeing these codes on much more than just restaurant tables.
Jamieson’s responses were edited for length. For more Q&A Spotlight interviews, please visit www.printaction.com/profile.
