Irish Printer - May 2014

IRISH

PRINTER

May 2014 // The Voice Of The Industry // www.irishprinter.ie

16

Future Print

John Charnock on New & Exciting Print Technologies.

19

Packaging

Are You Ready for December 2014 Labelling Changes?

22

Wide Format

Spectrum Signs Crowned Ireland’s Best Vehicle Wrapper.

26

The IPEX Report

Benny & Guy Debate the Outlook for Print.

Digital Media:

The End of the World for Print?

World-beating KBA press technology

Unlock the potential of your business

SIS adjustment-free adjustment-free no no sidelay sidelay sheet sheet in-feed in-feed SIS automated synchronised synchronised functions functions at at makeready makeready automated FAPC fully fully automated automated plate plate change change FAPC Flying JobChange JobChange Flying PlateIdent register register pre-setting pre-setting && plate plate identification identification PlateIdent SFC simultaneous simultaneous coating coating forme forme change change SFC fully automatic automatic simultaneous simultaneous anilox anilox roller roller exchange exchange fully VariDry‘plug&play’ ‘plug&play’interchangable interchangable VariDry in-deck and and swan swan neck neck drying drying system system in-deck high substrate substrate flexibility flexibility at at production production speed speed high integrated in-line in-line colour colour measuring measuring and and control control integrated automatic in-line in-line register register measurement measurement automatic full-format high high resolution resolution scanning scanning and and correction correction full-format MAXIMUM PRODUCTION PRODUCTION SPEEDS SPEEDS MAXIMUM (740 xx 1,060) 1,060) RAPIDA RAPIDA106 106 up upto to20,000 20,000sph sph (740 (1060 xx 1450 1450 mm) mm) RAPIDA RAPIDA145 145 up upto to17,000 17,000sph sph (1060 (1,205 xx 1,640 1,640 mm) mm) RAPIDA RAPIDA164 164 up upto to15,000 15,000sph sph (1,205

The game-changers Our next-generation range of performance presses are the most advanced and most productive ever seen.

Our unique innovations are designed to make a difference – with adjustment-free no sidelay sheet in-feed, the highest production speeds, the shortest makereadies (with even zero downtime at changeover), the greatest stock flexibility and most reliable quality control at full production speed – it’s little wonder that today’s adopters of KBA printing systems are among the fastest growing and the most profitable in the industry.

Let KBA power-performance unlock the potential of your business.

Call us.

Your success is our business.

KBA (UK) Ltd. world-beating presses | experienced professionals | first class service

Telephone: 01923 819922 Email: enquiries@kba-uk.com Web: www.kba-uk.com

Contents | IRISH PRINTER News » 4 A round up of some of the latest news from the Irish print industry.

Cover Story » 10 How Does Print Stay Relevant in a Digital World?

Irish Printer talks to some print companies about what they have been doing to stay ahead of the game.

Innovation » 13 A new Best Practice Guide shows how to ‘do PDF/VT right’ to maximise productivity and minimise turnaround in the deadline and profit-critical world of variable data print.

Future Print » 16

22

John Charnock of Print Research International highlights some new and exciting print technologies.

Packaging » 19 Are You Ready for December 2014 Labelling Changes?

Maev Martin talks to Alan Brown, Managing Director of Miller Graphics UK, about how design and print companies can get ready for the new Food Information Regulations.

Wide Format » 22 • Spectrum Signs Crowned Ireland’s Best Vehicle Wrapper •C anon Launches Poster and POS Printers •M imaki Flatbed Takes Centre Stage • Fujifilm Unveils New UV Inkjet Inks • Epson to Launch 10 New Printers • Ricoh Opens Ink Jet Centre • Roland Showcases First Flatbed.

26 The IPEX Report» 26

10

• The World Print Summit at Ipex 2014 heard presentations from industry experts on a range of topics, including creating new revenue streams, future proofing print in the digital age, the latest inkjet technologies and post press developments.

• Benny Landa, Chairman and CEO of Landa Corporation, and Guy Gecht, CEO of EFI, debate the outlook for print.

What’s New in Print » 30 Find out about some recent innovations from Agfa, Esko, Mondi, and LumeJet.

IPEX News » 32 Despite the absence of some of the big press manufacturers, IPEX 2014 was a successful and well attended exhibition and proved to be a hit with some of the key players in the business, including Konia Minolta, Fujifilm and Riso.

1

IRISH PRINTER | Editor’s Letter

W

elcome to the May 2014 issue of Irish Printer. The industry is currently in the midst of the exhibition season, with IPEX drawing to a close at the end of March, and the Sign & Digital and FESPA Digital exhibitions getting underway in April and May respectively.

Notwithstanding the innovations and new technologies that were promoted at IPEX 2014, the event tends to have a broader and more traditional print focus. Sign & Digital and FESPA Digital are all about wide format and the print technologies inkjet and screen - that support that output.

One of the features that I found particularly appealing when I attended the FESPA exhibition last year was the applications-driven approach that was apparent throughout the event. The idea was to show visitors that wide format is about the variety, and in some cases, limitless array of material that can be printed on wide or super wide format devices.

I don’t think the print industry in Ireland needs much convincing. Most digital print companies have, by now, added a wide format service to their offering - one that is either operated in-house or made available to their customers via a trade partner. It is, and will continue to be, the growth area in our industry.

Recent trends show that sales growth in the graphics and sign sector in Ireland continues to be very strong. A Roland white paper - “Going Wide – Understanding the Opportunities in Wide Format Printing”- reveals that for the calendar year 2012 companies in this segment reported a median sales growth of 16%, stronger than the expected 11.2% rate reported at the same time last year. For 2013, companies expect a growth rate of 19.2%. More than two-thirds of companies surveyed (67.5%) expect 2014 to be more profitable than 2013 while no companies think it will be less profitable. Everyone, it seems, sees wide-format applications as a growth area.

So the growth and continued growth in demand for materials produced by wide format printers is beyond dispute. The question for the commercial printer is ‘which aspect of the wide wide-format market is the best fit for my business?’ Should I focus on operating entry-level equipment or dive in at the deep end and invest in a big piece of industrial inkjet kit? The availability of finance isn’t the only deciding factor - the potential ROI must be examined as must the number of players operating successfully in certain sectors of the wide format arena.

Sign & Digital and FESPA Digital will, no doubt, provide Irish print companies with some of the answers to their investment questions and will inspire them to look at producing products that they might never have thought were possible with a press, wide format or otherwise. If the pre-exhibition publicity material is anything to go by, there will be plenty of exciting technologies from the likes of Epson, Agfa, Roland, Mimaki and Screen to whet the Irish printer’s appetite for wide format.

We will be reporting on some of the Sign & Digital and FESPA Digital highlights in the June issue.

Maev Martin Editor Email: maeve.martin@ashvillemediagroup.com Tel: (01) 432 2271

The team

Editor: Maev Martin Editorial Manager: Mary Connaughton Art Director: Jane Matthews Design& Layout: Alan McArthur Advertising Designers: Jennifer Reid/Antoinette Sinclair

2

Printed by: Walsh Colour Print This issue of Irish Printer is printed on LumiArt 130gsm paper supplied by PaperlinX Ireland.

Stock Photography & Illustrations: Thinkstock

Email: editorialdesk@ashville.com or write to Irish Printer, Ashville Media Group, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7

Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Production: Jennifer Reid

Tel: (01) 432 2200 Web: www.irishprinter.ie

All rights reserved. Every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate. The publishers cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © Ashville Media Group 2014. All discounts, promotions and competitions contained in this magazine are run independently of Irish Printer. The promoter/advertiser is responsible for honouring the prize. ISSN 0790-2026

IRISH PRINTER | News

Neopost Signs Distribution Deal with EFI

The Neopost Ireland sales team recently visited EFI’s offices in Belgium (l-r): Wilfred Kleefsman, Sales Director UK, Nordics, DACH, with EFI; Neopost Ireland Sales Director Duncan Groom; Conor Power, Graphics Sales Manager with Neopost Ireland; and Paul Cripps, Managing Director and VP EMEA at EFI.

N

eopost Ireland recently signed a distribution deal with EFI to distribute their wide format printers in Ireland.

“Neopost are delighted to be able to supply the market with award-winning products that are leading the transformation from analogue to digital imaging,” says Neopost Ireland’s Sales Director, Duncan Groom. “One of the key products that Neopost will now supply to the market is the two-metre EFI Vutek superwide inkjet printer which allows printers to produce high quality prints extremely quickly. The Vutek also has other significant benefits that will power your print room such as greater profitability, increased capacity and reduced labour and waste, making it a highly cost-effective piece of equipment. EFI’s integrated systems yield a quick return on investment by delivering

4

superior image quality, system performance, colour management, reliability and durability. They also allow your business to expand into high margin applications that drive your revenue. EFI inks are produced by the largest ink manufacturer in the world and offer the widest colour gamut in the print market today. In addition, demand for wide and super wide format equipment is on the rise so we are delighted to be able to supply the market with top class equipment.”

Recent trends show that sales growth in the graphics and sign sector in Ireland continues to be very strong. A Roland white paper - “Going Wide – Understanding the Opportunities in Wide Format Printing”- reveals that for the calendar year 2012 companies in this segment reported a median sales growth of 16%,

stronger than their expected 11.2% rate reported at the same time last year. For

2013, companies expect a growth rate of 19.2%.

More than two-thirds of companies surveyed (67.5%) expect 2014 to be more profitable than 2013 while no companies think it will be less profitable. Everyone, it seems, sees wide-format applications as a growth area.

“With the availability of finance we are also making it easier for your business to invest in this ever expanding market,” says Duncan Groom. “Neopost Ireland has begun training their engineering team on EFI wide format products and we are the only EFI service agent in Ireland.

We believe that supplying local service backup will set us apart from our competitors. With demand for quick turnarounds on the increase, it is vital that printers choose a supplier that offers a quick response when issues occur.”

Belfast Hosts Newtech Ireland Show Newtech Ireland, the printing, fabrication, textiles, displays and finishing show, will take place in the Ramada Hotel in Belfast on May 20th and 21st.

Print companies will have the opportunity to view the latest technologies, including an integrated workflow for producing temporary textiles, indoor and outdoor signs, vehicle wrapping, lorrysides, tarps, banners, tensile structures, inflatables, tents, marquees and display products.

The show is the latest in a series of ‘co-op’ events, including those at venues in Edinburgh, Bristol, London and Manchester, that have been created to bring companies with complementary products together to reach local markets around the UK. “Exhibiting companies are enthused at being able to produce workflow solutions with associated market companies and products that are not competitive,” says Martin Morrissey, Managing Director at Marketing Alchemy/ Newtech. “Visitors are able to take a short time away from the office and have their questions answered on new products and solutions by technical experts in a relaxed atmosphere. The exhibitors include HP’s Irish partner Diatec, Ultima Displays and Hanolex.”

News | IRISH PRINTER

New Procurement Guidelines The Government has introduced new guidelines aimed at making it easier for small businesses to tender for public contracts. The new rules were announced recently by the Minister of State for Public Service Reform and the Office of Public Works Brian Hayes.

They provide for the sub-division of larger contracts into lots where possible, and for the setting of relevant financial capacity, turnover and insurance levies for tendering firms proportionate to the circumstances of a particular contract. They also urge buyers to provide for the formation of a consortium of smaller businesses to allow them to bid for public contracts.

Marking a Milestone in Westport’s Printing Life

L

ast month marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of one of the Westport’s most successful indigenous businesses – Berry’s Print Group. The Mayo News carried a front page article on April 11th 1964, heralding the opening of a modern new printing works. They were referring to a new venture by the then 24 year old Joseph Berry, a local man who had commenced a printing apprenticeship at the paper in 1955. In 1999 Joe sold the company, which was by then among the largest suppliers of pharmaceutical and other print products in Ireland, to the Field Boxmore Group. The company remains in operation today as part of the US multinational Chesapeake Corporation.

In the mid 1960s, when most of his contemporaries were leaving the west of Ireland, Joe Berry purchased his first printing press - a Thompson Platen - and set up in what was a converted gateway on Westport’s Fairgreen.

By the early 1970s Berry’s Printing Works was providing a full service to the local community, along with a stationery shop. That shop remains in operation to this day, under the ownership of Joe’s youngest daughter Louise and her husband Shane. The Mayo News was acquired by Joe and a consortium of business people in 1988 and by 1993 Joe had become the sole proprietor of the newspaper. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Joe Berry’s passing at the age of just 65 but his legacy and his entrepreneurial spirit live on in his native town. The Berry family has retained ownership of The Mayo News through Joe’s only son Dermot, his wife Natalie and their family. His daughter Carol is also involved in the business.

A celebration to mark 50 years of Berry’s Printing Works will be held in Westport this month.

Open House Showcases Colour Consistency R

eprocentre held an open house on March 25th and 26th where they demonstrated the GMG colour server software and proofer for the first time since their appointment as the GMG reseller in Ireland.

“We produced the same image using four different printing technologies - UV, solvent, solvent UV and pigment - across five printers - the Agfa Anapurna, Canon IPF8400s, Mimaki CJV30, Mimaki SUV and Epson 7890 – and the results were outstanding,” says Eoin Honan, Sales Director, Reprocentre Group. “We achieved a perfect colour match from each engine. ‘Wow’ was the comment from one customer. Any printer with multiple output devices should seriously look at this software. It is nearly impossible to manage a media campaign across multiple printers, multiple substrates and multiple technologies without this software.

We also showcased the new Mimaki SUV printer range, which combines the flexibility of solvent printing with the durability of UV cured inks, resulting GMG colour server image – the top image is with in smooth, glossy GMG and the image below is without GMG prints that simulate Reprocentre produced the same image using four different printing technologies across five printers the appearance of and achieved a perfect colour match. being coated yet retain the colour brightness expected from a solvent printer. At the end of the open house customers were so impressed that a number of orders were placed, with a few more to follow.”

Reprocentre customers who attended the event included Colorman Ireland, Cuspal, Image Quest, Artscan, Vision Branding, PrintExpress.ie, Alpha Signs & Nameplates and Revolution Graphics.

5

IRISH PRINTER | News

Fujifilm Highlights the Power of Print T

he ‘Why Print? Why Fujifilm?’ book on display on the Fujifilm stand at Ipex 2014 was a great example of what it is possible to achieve with modern inkjet technology. 60 copies of this 116-page book were produced daily at the show in Fujifilm’s print shop production environment. The book was printed on Fujifilm’s Jet Press 720 using a Stora Enso LumiSilk paper and demonstrated the business model for the production of high quality coffee table books. The ‘Why Print? Why Fujifilm?’ volume celebrates the power of print as well as its evolution and effectiveness but also gives an insight into Fujifilm technologies that are shaping the way print is produced. The book is a concrete example of how effective the Jet Press 720 is at printing larger format, short run coffee table books, and highlights the value and quality delivered by a B2 digital format press. The total print time for 60 copies of the book is around two hours.

Fujifilm inks.

Why Print? Why Fujifilm? cover.

Magazines application.

Drupa Publishes Global Trends Report D

rupa is publishing two reports called Drupa Global Trends and Drupa Global Insights that look at the major changes in the international print and media sector at both global and regional levels. The results will be based on research with a representative panel comprising printers, suppliers and print buyers from around the world but recruited primarily from the Drupa 2012 visitor and exhibitor database.

In its role as Drupa organiser, Messe Dusseldorf has appointed two independent consulting and market research companies - Printfuture (UK) and Wissler and Partner (Switzerland) - to compile these reports. The first, Drupa Global Trends, is now available. The complete English language report in PDF format is e249.

The reports show that there are clear signs that economic conditions

6

are improving. As a consequence, the printing industry globally is planning increased investment over the next 12 months. Efficiency gains and the development of new services are driving investment in the industrialised countries. North America is leading the way by gearing up for major transformation with high levels of investment in printing technology, IT and new services. In the emerging countries, growing demand is the main driver. It also shows that the printing industry is in the midst of a transition from a productdriven industry to a service-driven one.

The demand for new solutions and business models that better reflect the customers needs is clear.

Digital printing is playing an increasing role in the technology mix deployed.

Among printers, 65% produce using both

conventional and digital methods and one-third of commercial printers already gain a quarter or more of their turnover from digital printing. But conventional printing (especially sheetfed offset) continues to be an important pillar for the print sector. And this is reflected in planned investment, as 29% of all printers say they intend to invest in sheetfed offset printing.

This first Drupa Global Trends report provides an initial assessment of the state of the global print industry. In order to monitor the trends going forward, the survey will be repeated in the fourth quarter each year. In parallel, Drupa will publish a series of Global Insight reports that will offer detailed analysis into specific industry-relevant topics. ‘The Impact of the Internet on Print’ will kick off the series in June 2014.

News | IRISH PRINTER

MGI Expands Distribution with Agfa Graphics Ireland M

GI Technology, the UK distributor for French manufacturer MGI S.A., recently announced an agreement with Agfa Graphics to distribute its range of digital printers in the UK and Ireland.

The agreement, confirmed on day one of Ipex 2014, follows successful partnerships in a number of European countries, including Switzerland, with Agfa Switzerland being awarded the MGI EMEA Distributor of the Year trophy in 2012. Peter Doyle, Sales Director with Agfa Graphics Ireland Ltd, will be promoting the MGI portfolio of digital presses (the Meteor DP60 and the Meteor DP 8700 XL +) and their JETvarnish 3D, a digital spot UV coating machine, in the Irish market.

“Unlike a lot of digital presses on the market today, MGI operate a purchase model rather than a click charge model,” says Peter Doyle. “Also, the presses have a 1.2 metre sheet length which enables you to print five A4s in a single sheet and that is unusual for a non-web digital press. MGI’s Meteor DP 8700 XL + press can support stock up to 400gsm and can print on a wide variety of substrates, including plastic.

It can print up to 400 micron on plastic so you can print on credit card-type cards such as loyalty cards etc. The digital presses are ideal for any printer who is in, or is looking to get into, digital print. We see a lot of printers that have conventional B3 presses and are looking at using them less. These presses are an ideal alternative if you want to move towards digital print.

The JETvarnish machine is unique - it competes in the same space as the Scodix digital embossing press - and it could be an ideal additional product for a print finishing company. It is early days for these devices on the Irish market but we are following up on some enquiries that we have received following MGI’s presence at Ipex.”

Joergen Vad, Agfa Graphics Managing Director, UK and Ireland, says the MGI portfolio complements Agfa’s own workflow and CtP products while MGI Technology’s Managing Director David Evans believes that Agfa’s commercial print customers will appreciate and understand their conventional cost

Joergen Vad (left) Agfa Graphics MD, UK and Ireland with David Evans, Managing Director, MGI Technology.

structure with no click charge when making their next digital investment. “The Agfa sales team has already been trained on our range of digital printers and I can tell they are all ‘chomping at the bit’ and ready to get started,” he says. The agreement covers the full range of MGI equipment, including the Meteor DP8700 XL+ digital printer and the JETvarnish 3D. “This takes digital spot UV coating to a new dimension, featuring increased throughput for flat spot UV jobs and amazing 3D raised effects,” says David.

MGI Technology is headquartered in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The company was founded to sell, distribute and maintain the entire range of MGI digital printing and finishing solutions

in the UK. The manufacturer, MGI Digital Graphic Technology, was founded in 1982 and designs, manufactures and markets a full range of multi-substrate (paper, plastics and envelopes) fourcolour digital presses, as well as a complete line of finishing solutions, including the JETvarnish digital inkjet spot UV coater, as seen at Drupa, and the JETcard digital inkjet six-colour plastic card press. MGI Digital Graphic Technology has a portfolio comprised of several thousand customers in a wide range of sectors, including graphic industry professionals, Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, plastic card manufacturers, silk screeners and photo labs.

7

IRISH PRINTER | News

Irish Printers Focus on Finishing at Heidelberg Event H

eidelberg secured £9m of orders at its two-day 20/20 Vision open house in Brentford, London, at the end of March, which attracted 450 printers, including 20 from Ireland.

“Almost all were there with specific spending projects in mind and finishing was a particular focus with great interest in the new Stitchmaster ST 500 saddlestitcher and the latest generation of automated folder,” says Heidelberg’s Sales Representative in Ireland, Declan Martin. “We were pleased that so many of the larger companies in Ireland were represented at this landmark event. They were able to take tours of the showroom and secure tips on maximising efficiency and profitability. There was interest in the seminars and talks, news of the B2 Anicolor and a new Speedmaster CD 102, as well as the commercial review of low energy UV printing. But it was finishing that was in the spotlight. The Polar PACE efficiency always impresses, but Irish customers were particularly taken with the advances in Stahlfolder

Danny Francis of Heidelberg shakes hands with MPC Solutions’ Managing Director Tony Crook. UK print company MPC Solutions bought a new five-colour B2 Speedmaster XL 75 at the Heidelberg event.

With six minute makereadies and an operating speed of 15,000 sheets per hour, MPC realised they could produce their current workload, which is spread over two presses, with just one press.

technology and the launch of the ST 500.

There was also a strong focus on service and consumables and Heidelberg really is ahead of the game in this respect in Ireland it is often a deal clincher.

Heidelberg cannot announce any orders at this stage, although one very large £3m press order has been delivered into the Republic of Ireland and many other projects will come to fruition in the coming weeks.”

Some of the Irish contingent attended a Celebration of Print at Stationers’ Hall, hosted by Heidelberg Managing Director Gerard Heanue. Gerard will visit several customers in Ireland this month as a follow up to the 20/20 Vision event.

UK Print Output Levels at Six-Year High T

he latest BPIF Printing Outlook survey, which was carried out during the final quarter of 2013, reveals that confidence is returning to the UK print market.

A total of 55% of printers who were questioned about the general state of trade believed that the market had improved, with just eight per cent reporting that the situation had worsened. The results are the best for five and seven years respectively. In terms of trading prospects compared with a year earlier, 38% believe that the first quarter of 2014 will be better compared with 12% who are concerned that the market may be weakening. Demand for print matched the forecast for the second quarter running. This meant that the final quarter of 2013 was a busier time for many. The level of new business increased for 52% of survey respondents - the highest figure

8

for three years and outweighing the nine per cent that suffered a drop in orders. Output levels rose in tandem with the increase in demand. The number of printers that saw a rise in production (58%) was the highest for six years.

Competitors pricing below cost to attract custom is the main business concern among printers. Almost three quarters highlight this process as being detrimental to growth. The impact of expected paper and board prices on profitability is the second key concern, replacing the worry that profit levels are not sufficient to allow for investment. In third place in the list of key concerns is the financial effect of poor output prices on companies. Late payments by customers, under-utilisation of capital equipment, survival of major customers and pre-pack administrations also feature highly among the main anxieties.

SS TO TRA NE

OUR BUSI Y E

ENAB > L EF

GET

EXTRA

POWER

FORM ITSL NS

Be Inspired…

NEW bizhub 1060/1070 series

Come and discover the BIG News

everybody is talking about!

NEW Label and Card printers

Thursday 5th June 2014 from 11am. – 19:00pm.

Ramada Plaza Belfast, 117 Milltown Road Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast BT8 7XP.

Don’t miss it... www.mjflood.ie

RSVP: agnes.paliga@mjflood.ie

www.dbcgroup.ie

IRISH PRINTER | Cover Story

How Does Print

Stay Relevant in a Digital World?

Rupert Howell, Group Transformation Director, Trinity Mirror Plc, spoke about this at the IPEX 2014 World Print Summit. This month Irish Printer talks to some print companies about what they have been doing to stay ahead of the game.

Horizon’s :M Press Leopard – not every print company can invest on this scale but as demand for POS material continues to increase maybe more will be in a position to scale up.

I

n his presentation, ‘Embracing Change to Stay Relevant and Grow Your Business’, Rupert Howell looked at the lessons that print companies could learn from TV and the press about how to respond to technological change. “Radio was predicted to kill the press – it didn’t, cinema was predicted to kill radio – it didn’t, TV was predicted to kill cinema and radio – it didn’t, while online was/is predicted to kill all the above – it hasn’t and it won’t,” he said. “All media can survive and flourish in a multi-media world if they adapt and change.” He described how ITV and Trinity Mirror had transformed their respective fortunes by going online, integrating their print and online offerings, and using specific digital technologies to highlight what the printed product has to offer. “You have no choice but to embrace change and new technologies,” he said. “At both ITV and Trinity Mirror the key to transformation was/is seeing digital as a friend of TV/print, not an enemy.”

New Media – The Impact Diarmuid Everard is Managing Director of Printcom, a 23-yearold, Irish-owned print business which was established as Computer Stationery Printers Ltd in 1990. The key milestones in the company’s history, as outlined on their website, reflect how Printcom has successfully responded to market trends by introducing relevant new services and it also shows them to have

10

“Radio was predicted to kill the press – it didn’t, cinema was predicted to kill radio – it didn’t, TV was predicted to kill cinema and radio – it didn’t, while online was/is predicted to kill all the above – it hasn’t and it won’t.”

been ahead of the curve at certain points in their trading history to date. The company acquired a sheetfed operation in 1996.

This was followed by the purchase of Vanessa Press in 1999 and the establishment of a mailing facility in 2004. A digital facility was set up in 2006, lean manufacturing was implemented in 2009, and Printcom expanded its wide format facility in 2013.

“The growth of electronic commerce has eliminated much

Cover Story | IRISH PRINTER

Personalised Photo Wallpaper

Growing demand for POS materials is helping print companies cope with the shift to online.

of the demand for the business forms that we manufactured,” says Diarmuid. “We were manufacturing invoices, statements, docket books, cheques and stationery, and all of that product carried transactional data,” he says. “However, all of that transactional data is now being sent electronically so the majority of our business went with that shift. People don’t want printed invoices and statements in the post - they don’t want to have to store them, buy them, print them and send them out. Any big paper application forms such as returns to revenue, car tax and CAO application forms have all shifted online. The growth of new media has also impacted on our staffing levels - we have reduced our staff by over 50% in the last six years. And it has impacted on the level of raw materials that we are purchasing – if we aren’t printing as many forms then we aren’t buying the paper, ink, plates, and boxes, and we aren’t using a delivery company. It was what we set up the company to do so it has had a major impact.”

The Response Like a number of print companies in Ireland, Printcom looked to an area of the print industry that has been growing in recent years. “Digital printing, particularly personalised digital printing, is growing, and we have installed equipment in recent years that allows us to produce wide format printing products, including vehicle branding,” says Diarmuid.

“We are wrapping commercial vehicles and tour buses and we are also producing window graphics and workwear. The way that companies market their services has also changed dramatically and that is a direct result of the growth of new media. Up to about three years ago most company’s marketing efforts consisted of flyers and leaflet drops whereas now marketing

With 15 years experience in print and design behind him, Russell Altman, a Director at Speciality Printing, has recently created a second business called wallmural. ie, which he is operating in his spare time along with his brother Harrison Altman. “The business focuses on producing personalised photo wall paper and wall graphics for peoples’ businesses and homes,” says Russell.

“I am offering this service not just to my own clients, friends and the general public, but also to the trade.

We do a full print and fit service if required and I have recently invested in new large format machinery that produces a range of photographic work. I have received a lot of enquiries from marketing and advertising agencies who are looking at how my service would fit in with the requirements of some of their clients, including some of the big corporates in the Irish market. We have already done some work for sports clubs, major betting companies and restaurants.

“One of the biggest impacts of new media on print is the increasing amount of POS and other large format print work being produced in smaller digital runs and to suit tight budgets. Some of what we used to print at Speciality Print has moved online but there is still a demand for print and a professional company wants and need to have both. In addition, we are finding that people are bored with social media and are reverting back to print to make a tangible impact. So, while print runs may have been reduced by the impact of new media, there is a bit of a backlash against social media in certain sectors.”

is inbound instead of outbound. Rather than contacting people directly about their product companies are posting information on their website or company blog, enticing the customer to come to them for information and to buy the product. So inbound marketing is eating into the demand for trandtional print marketing. The statistics for people who check out a product online before they buy it is very high and that is all down to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and HubSpot.

There was a time when every company was a potential business prospect but that isn’t the case now so we are targeting less people because less people are using the printed product.”

Tony Roe of McGowans Printers points out that the growth of new media has had a huge impact on working practices, from Roland’s VersaCamm VS420 online estimating, file receipt

11

IRISH PRINTER | Cover Story

Russell Altman’s wallmural.ie operation focuses on producing personalised photo wall paper and wall graphics for businesses and homes.

Reasons to be Cheerful About Print • The resurgence of Trinity Mirror, Guardian Media Group, DMG, Telegraph Media Group etc – all of whom have fully embraced digital.

• The halt in decline of book sales as Kindles have increased the popularity of reading again.

• Online fashion retailer Net-A-Porter is now producing a printed magazine.

• The biggest selling magazine in WH Smith in February was the iPad magazine! and management to production software platforms. “We have built and are developing an online platform for greeting cards/ photobooks /canvas prints and this will extend to a fully functional online buying portal with every type of product available online,” he says.

Future Demand Are there technologies such as augmented reality, QR codes and Apps that Irish print companies should be providing as a service to cope with the onslaught of new media? “We design QR codes and we will offer our print customers the option of having that on their marketing collateral,” says Diarmuid.

Tony Roe says that QR codes are having far less of an impact than was initially expected. “Companies should be exploring Apps,” he says. “We are integrating our management software to enable it for tablet and mobile access by clients and staff.” So what impact will the continued growth of

12

electronic commerce have on the print industry over the next decade? “E-commerce sites will become the norm with bespoke purchasing becoming the exception,” says Tony Roe. “Companies will have to adapt methods to suit front-end machine integrated portals and CRM-enabled systems, which will include marketing and production practices.” Diarmuid Everard says that the requirement for people to send printed matter in the post will be eliminated. “The banks and utility companies are constantly pushing the consumer in that direction and the government will eliminate cheque books eventually. At Printcom, we still do litho printing and we are still a business forms printer but we had to find new products to replace the ones that the market no longer needs and we have done that through digital and wide format. There are opportunities for print in other sectors but the big question is ‘will those areas compensate for the fall off in demand for transactional print?’”

Innovation | IRISH PRINTER

Turbo Charge

Your Variable

Print Productivity A new Best Practice Guide shows how to ‘do PDF/VT right’ to maximise productivity and minimise turnaround in the deadline and profit-critical world of variable data print.

T

he Hollywood entertainer Eddie Cantor once remarked that “it takes 20 years to become an overnight success.” For much of the last 15 years or so, evangelists for variable data in digital printing (VDP) knew the feeling.

Widely regarded as ‘the next big thing,’ the technology took a while to reach the tipping point and realise its vast, untapped potential. When it did, things changed quickly. Today, VDP is routinely used for all manner of personalised information - from credit card bills and bank statements to direct mailshots and personalised catalogues, from college enrolment packs to photobooks, and from cheques to tickets.

These jobs are created and managed by a wide variety of software, from specialist composition tools to general-purpose design applications configured for VDP. And they pass through workflows involving - or even completely within - the digital front end (DFE) for a digital production press. A similarly broad variety of people use these tools, from graphic designers and marketing campaign managers, through to experts in data management to - last but definitely not least - digital press and finishing equipment operators.

The result is the evolution of a huge number of complex, sophisticated workflows. Many of these are based on PDF and its standardised subset PDF/X, which have become the dominant delivery formats for conventional print and print-on-demand (PoD). According to InfoTrends, 85% of print service providers are using PDF for their VDP work. (DFE Study, InfoTrends, November 2011). PDF’s pre-eminence was reinforced recently by the PDF/VT format, which is designed specifically to support robust

13

IRISH PRINTER | Innovation

delivery and production of modern variable data print jobs. PDF/VT enables graphic designers to apply many of the features they use in commercial print and publication work to complementary direct mail and transpromo campaigns.

The format also includes metadata that can be linked to a job ticket such as JDF, allowing for more automated processing and finishing.

PDF workflows work very well most of the time. However, as VDP jobs themselves become richer and more complex, they place additional demands on the processing power of the DFE: printing a VDP job at 120 pages a minute means RIPping 120 pages a minute. Each minor inefficiency in a VDP job often only adds between a few milliseconds and a second or two to the processing of each page, but multiply those times by the number of pages in the job and the problem becomes clear. A delay of half a second on every page of a 10,000-page job running at 120ppm adds 30 minutes to the whole job. For a really big job of a million pages, an extra tenth of a second per page at 5,200ppm adds 24 hours to the total processing time.

As a result, constructing PDF files properly - ‘optimising’ them - has become critical to production efficiency. Poorly constructed PDF files can impact print service providers in two ways. Firstly, the additional processing they require slows down the digital press, reducing the return on investment (ROI) and disrupting production schedules that are typically tight, particularly for variable data direct mail and transactional print. Secondly, they can make the DFE more expensive because, to expand the processing capability, the press vendor builds in more hardware than would be necessary if all jobs were well-constructed.

Monte Rose, R&D Manager for Media Solutions at Quad Graphics, vividly describes the challenges VDP printers face far too often: “We have all seen files that will ‘rip’, but not necessarily in a timely fashion. With VDP files we see it more frequently - files with too many fonts, too many layers, or too many images. The RIP has to sort the bits out within an ever-shrinking window of time to meet print engine speed. Any slower, and the job isn’t going to finish on schedule. Your options are to schedule extra RIP time, which isn’t usually practical, or split the files across multiple redundant RIPs, which is costly. Or you can redesign the file to simplify ripping, which is risky - you break it, you own it!

14

And whatever you do, you have to hope it doesn’t affect the final results.”

Steps to Optimise PDF/VT Fortunately, there are a number of simple measures designers and users of VDP can take to streamline the PDF workflow, as a new independent guide to optimising PDF files explains. Do PDF/VT Right: How to Make ProblemFree PDF Files for Variable Data Printing is a concise, readable, independent guide that provides objective information and advice to anyone with a stake in VDP print, including graphic designers, print buyers, production managers, press operators, owners of print service providers, and digital press DFE developers.

The guide, which is available free of

Martin Bailey

charge, is edited by Martin Bailey, Chief Technology Officer for Global Graphics and the primary UK expert on the ISO committees that maintain and develop PDF and PDF/VT. Do PDF/VT Right is

Innovation | IRISH PRINTER

sponsored by a number of other leading vendors in the VDP sector - DirectSmile, Global Inkjet Systems, HP Indigo, HP Inkjet High-Speed Production Solutions and Screen. The content is rigorously vendor-independent, which is why the guide is also endorsed by the PODi and Xplor industry associations.

“Don’t Force Your Digital Press Front End to Swallow an Elephant if it Only Needs a Mouse…”

Martin Bailey says the main aim of the guide is “to promote one simple maxim: don’t force your digital press front end to swallow an elephant if it only needs a mouse! In other words, don’t ask the workflow to do more than it needs to if there’s no benefit for the designer, marketing department or recipient of the printed piece. There’s no intention of reducing the freedom of the designer to achieve the visual effects they want to - just to ensure their design can be encoded into a PDF file as efficiently as possible.”

The content of the guide is organised so that readers can easily find concise, practical and, importantly, actionable information relevant to their role in VDP projects. The first two sections, for example - “Why PDF for VDP?” and “Why Optimisation Matters” - provide an overview of the key issues for less technical readers. The content then turns more technical for those with a more ‘hands-on’ involvement, covering topics including optimising images (for example, by matching the effective image resolution to the output resolution of the digital press), and optimising transparency.

Martin Bailey says that transparency is a key area where improvements can be made. “The very rich and flexible support for live transparency in PDF is an incredibly useful aspect of the format, and is one of the key reasons for selecting PDF over other page description languages for production print,” he says. “On the other hand, compositing transparent regions in a PDF file is much more processor-intensive than handling opaque areas of a page. For example, we see PDF files where images have drop shadows attached to them even though they’re on a solid black background and the shadow can’t be seen. Simply gaining a better understanding of what’s happening inside the PDF can have major benefits. Another common example is a high resolution image placed at a very small size so it has an effective

resolution several times higher than the press it will be printed on. That needs a lot more processing but doesn’t increase the quality of the printed image at all.”

To download a free copy of ‘Do PDF/VT Right: How to Make Problem-Free PDF Files for Variable Data Printing’ go to www.globalgraphics.com/doPDFVTright.

Industry Supports New Guide “In a world transitioning from offset to digital printing we find that many users don’t have a strong background in data processing but are skilled in graphic arts. Using PDF or PDF/VT makes it easier for them to adapt to VDP using formats and tools they’re familiar with rather than starting over with something completely different. Do PDF/VT Right provides guidance to ease their transition while they explore new product differentiation.”

Tom Bouman, Strategy Manager, Workflow/Digital Front Ends, HP High Speed Inkjet Web Press Solutions.

“As more creative agencies embrace variable colour, our support teams regularly have to deal with issues arising from badly prepared variable data. Colour VDP is only going to increase as inkjet presses get faster so the timing is perfect for a simple guide to file preparation. By following a few basic rules you can transform the ‘printability’ of a job without any need to compromise on design integrity.”

Tim Taylor, VP Solutions & Technology, Screen Europe.

“Improperly created PDFs can choke production workflows. Therefore it is crucial for production personnel to know how they can optimise production.

This Guide will be a great tool for them.”

Kaspar Roos, InfoTrends.

“Unpredictable delays can wreak havoc with low margin/high volume jobs often found in business/transactional applications. In some cases extra staff must be maintained to diagnose and provide workarounds for problem jobs in the VDP arena.”

Mike Rodriguez, Independent Colour Consultant and Former Director at RR Donnelley USA. “Now the industry has clearly embraced this new standard, PDF/VT enabled workflows will optimise and efficiently manage a wide variety of variable data printing jobs.”

Harry Raaphorst, MD, DirectSmile.

“We believe that PDF and PDF/VT are the emerging dominant file formats in many industrial inkjet applications. It is important that our OEM customers and their system end users are fully informed about the benefits and opportunities offered by PDF technology so we are pleased to support this initiative.”

Nick Geddes, CEO, Global Inkjet Systems.

“I have experienced many challenges when receiving badly-produced PDFs for variable data documents. The difference can be from days of additional processing to not processing them at all! Any systems or standards that help standardise files that are supplied will be a huge benefit to the industry.”

John Charnock, MD, Print Research International and former Group Technical Director, St Ives, UK. “Global Graphics has produced an invaluable guide. Its many practical recommendations and technical explanations will be immensely useful.”

Tony Hodgson, Director, PODi Europe.

15

IRISH PRINTER | Future Print

From

Pure Imagination to

Print Reality Following his presentation to the Design, Print & Packaging Skillnet on ‘What Printers Should be Thinking About in 2014’, John Charnock of Print Research International highlights some new and exciting print technologies.

T

his article takes a look at some of the technological developments in our industry that are exciting me and some of my customers and it covers ink and paper, conventional printing, digital printing, interactive solutions, and other interesting areas such as 3D printing.

What’s New in Inks and Paper?

The first exciting technology is metallics. Whether you are a conventional printer or a digital printer, adding special effects such as metallics really does make the print stand out. At Ipex, Print Research International worked with Color Logic and Mirri to create a perfect example of how metallic substrates can enhance the product. The ticket below was produced using CMYK, white and a metallic board by Mirri. The tickets had real ‘Willy Wonka appeal’. This technique is not restricted to digital or metalised board. Color Logic also has some amazing offset silver ink - you can buy a trial pack at www.color-logic.com.

White and metallic ink are becoming more commonplace in

16

the digital arena and when you use white ink, of course, you can use it on coloured substrates to great effect, but using it to improve the image holding capability of lower quality substrates really is bringing the focus of white ink to the fore.

Conductive inks are another interesting development in the ink world. At the Design, Print and Packaging Skillnet event in Dublin in February I demonstrated a steel drum that was made of cardboard and was completely playable (see P.17).

A technology company in Cambridge called Novalia – www. novalia.co.uk - are leading the way in printed electronics that everyday printers can use to make their products interactive.

Their Chief Executive Officer Kate Stone presented this at TED in California last year to great acclaim. Alongside conductive inks, there are also some developments happening with electrochromic inks. These inks can change colour when electricity is applied and, again, can be used to interesting effect.

In packaging, and more specifically food packaging, there is lots of work going into low migration inks so that when using

Future Print | IRISH PRINTER

UV inks the photo initiators in the ink do not migrate out of the ink and into the food or packaging. This is not so much a technology as a development of a system that prevents the migration as it requires the packaging structure and ink to be applied under specific good manufacturing practices that are specific to the ink supplier.

Although not a new technology, the impact of EU timber regulations will begin to have an impact within the paper industry so being aware of the regulation and of the responsibilities of manufacturers and suppliers will require ongoing education and information. It is worth taking the time to read the FSC website: www.fsc-uk.org/eu-timberregulation-eutr.82.htm.

There are many other paper innovations that are modifications of a current technology and there are too many to mention here. However, one of the biggest challenges facing paper is the challenge of printing inkjet to a high quality without using costly silica coatings. The paper coating companies have developed calcium carbonate-based nonporous coatings that enable fluid droplets of ink to be absorbed, leaving the pigment on the surface of the paper.

Hopefully we will soon see inkjet papers being as cost effective as commercial papers.

Paper for Electronics Paper manufacturers are also looking to the electronics world for new markets. Companies like Arjowiggins are developing cellulosic papers that compete with plastic for smoothness and the capability to print electronics onto them. They claim, “unprecedented surface smoothness, excellent sintering behaviour, reduced overall production costs as less ink is required for printing, and a recyclable and biodegradable solution for all your printed electronics needs. This new cellulosic paper formulation and coating provide a unique, flexible substrate that opens up a world of possibilities in packaging, advertising and other industries where there is a cross-over between the real and the virtual.” Printed electronics look set to become a multi-billion Euro industry and, although not for every printer, it is certainly an interesting area to keep an eye on.

Conventional Printing The conventional manufacturers are not sitting still either.

Many have integrated digital inkjet heads with either traditional printing machines or finishing machines, enabling them to personalise elements of a job with some of the cost benefits of volume production (see KBA image).

Other manufacturers like Timson have extended this to develop a traditional press but entirely digital heads in order to provide very fast make ready production (initially only black and white books). Web offset presses just got wider in the UK, with Polestar’s gravure-sized Goss 96 page heatset press, which equates to a width of 2,860mm, promising faster make ready and high pagination. The plates are enormous!

Digital Printing Every digital technology is getting wider and faster too, with most manufacturers offering B2 and above. Fujifilm demonstrated the Jet Press 740, the web-fed press, and Graphium, an inkjet label press, at Ipex, and their commitment to inkjet printing is obvious. But Xerox, HP, Canon and Ricoh all have their volume solutions for inkjet. HP (Indigo) now have the 10000 base machine and are offering packaging (board) and labels (web-fed) solutions for this platform.

Image courtesy of KBA.

Digital special effects are continuing to develop. Scodix offers a machine for digital embossing, glitter, and all kinds of additional special effects for short-run and digital printers.

Inkjet head development is also continuing, with the new Xaar 1002 heads mainly focused towards functional printing for applications such as ceramics, laminate floors, fabrics, labels and plastic decoration. The area that we feel will grow significantly over the coming years is direct to shape printing.

This means imaging directly onto bottles, containers and any packaging product. Fuji Dimatix is also one of the main developers of heads for the graphic arts, as well as for printed electronics, printed solar panels, fluid dispersion systems, and a whole host of other applications. I am very excited about this new area of printing technology, but even if you are not interested in these functional printing developments, all of these new areas will certainly help maintain the investment in the development of printheads for the graphic arts products.

And this will result in faster and better applications for us all.

An area that I feel is deeply underutilised is tools that enable conventional printed products to be made interactive. Augmented reality can be extremely complicated to implement if you want to have 3D objects interacting with a phone but I have been very surprised at how easy it is to embed a simple video, button or sound in any previously printed product. That product then acts a bit like a QR code but instead of recognising the black and white squares it recognises the image of the printed product and augments through smart phone buttons, links or video.

17

IRISH PRINTER | Future Print

This is how simple it is: 1: Register with Layar and create a campaign.

2: Upload an image into Layar Creator. It can be any image that you want as a trigger.

simple. Layar has over 30 million apps downloaded but there are other solutions like Blippar, Alive app, Augment, Aurasma, Daqri, Fingo, Google Goggles, Junaio and Zappar. Once you have a campaign published, you can also get all the statistics and information on who scanned your image, which turns your piece of print into a data collecting piece.

3D Printing Finally, a subject that could stand alone as an article in its own right is 3D printing, although many do not consider this technology relevant to the graphic arts market. It is a relatively new technology and it is being purchased by some printers to offer as a bureau service. 3D printing is not that new. It has been around for nearly 30 years.

The following is a brief time-line of the key milestones in its development and the key suppliers of the technology:

3. Add Buttons to link to web sites or twitter accounts.

4. Or drag a video and position it in the appropriate place.

Once published, download the Layar app and scan the image to see the augmented additional content. It really is quite

18

1986 Stereo Lithography......................................... 3D Systems 1989 Fused Deposition Modeling.................................Stratasys 1995 Selective Laser Melting..........................................Realizer 1998 Polyjet Matrix............................................................ Objet 2001 Selective Laser Sintering............................................ EOS 2002 Electro Beam Manufacturing................................... Arcam 2008 Fused Filament Fabrication.....................................Many...

The reason that it has suddenly hit the headlines is because many of the patents are now released, freeing many more companies to take advantage of the technology and making it more cost effective for consumer use. One of the principal market leaders in this field is Stratasys who have acquired or merged with companies like Objet, Fortus and Makerbot to dominate the professional 3D printing systems. Their Connex range of products now offer the capability of multi-material and multiple colours which are all produced in one pass.

The number of new opportunities that are available for printers today is far reaching. The challenge for many is deciding what is appropriate to the markets that they serve, where the demand is, and how a traditional business shifts its focus to potentially new markets. All of these new technologies have the potential to add value and create differentiation, something that most printers are striving to achieve. The discussion that we had in Dublin following my presentation on these subjects was around understanding what customers value, and how a printer can differentiate between a fad and a real opportunity. That is probably better served in another article. However, one of the conclusions from the discussions at the Skillnet event was that understanding your customer and their future needs, whether it is 3D printing, printed electronics or metallic effects, will require a more sophisticated relationship than many service providers currently have with their customers.

Packaging | IRISH PRINTER

Are You Ready for December 2014 Labelling Changes?

The new Food Information Regulations are designed to remove any ambiguity from labelling across the EU, to standardise the approach to labelling, and to emphasise the presence or absence of certain ingredients. Maev Martin talks to Alan Brown, Managing Director of Miller Graphics UK, about how design and print companies can get ready for December 2014.

Q

: What impact do you believe the new Food Information Regulations will have on the duration of a typical product development cycle and what impact will that have on graphic designers and print companies?

A: Provided everyone involved in the process is familiar with the requirements and as long as the required legislative changes have been factored into packaging updates or new designs, then the impact can be lessened. Time and cost can therefore

be managed as part of the normal packaging development process and, as a result of good planning, the length of the product development cycle should remain unaffected. There will be a dramatic spike in activity over the next several months as changes are initiated and implemented. There will be a heightened demand on resources and capacity, which will affect all stakeholders and particularly those involved in the production stages, including graphic designers, repro houses and print companies.

Q

: What advice would you give to design and print companies about how to prepare their packaging clients for the new legislation?

A: We are working with a number of print companies in Ireland who are in the process of implementing legislative packaging changes. Although there will be challenges, my advice is to ‘keep it practical’. Ensure that everyone involved is familiar with the various dos and don’ts - assess the projected activities, make a plan of how the workload will be approached, and set achievable

19

IRISH PRINTER | Packaging

timescales. Workshops are a great way for everyone involved to get to grips with projects of this nature.

Q

: Miller Graphics is a pan European provider of packaging graphics services to brand owners, retailers and printers. Can you describe the brand implementation services that Miller Graphics provides and how these services can help companies to cope with the new legislative environment?

A: At Miller Graphics we acknowledge the value of aligning design with specialist implementation skills and the required print processes. That is why we provide a comprehensive range of products and services that extends upstream as well as downstream. These include project and technical management, design implementation, artwork and repro, colour management, and print consultancy, through to the provision of an extensive range of printer tools. This unique combination of skill, service offering, and our understanding of the complexities of the NPD process, will enable us to help companies cope with the new legislative environment. We can start at the design development stage or simply work from existing files to incorporate the required legislative changes. We create compliant artwork that is sympathetic to the originating design and repro that is appropriate to the required print process.

Managing this process with our business workflow solution allows full visibility of the project and the timescales to all stakeholders. With functionality that includes project management, asset management, on-line approvals and KPI reporting, our packaging implementation process creates an environment for enhanced efficiency, cost effectiveness and increased control.

Q

: There is scope for different interpretations of aspects of the regulations and there is a lack of clarity as to how certain terms are defined. Some of these issues relate to font size, the requirement not to ‘hide’ mandatory information, the possible requirement for multiple languages on packs, the requirement for nutritional information in table format, and the requirement for written instructions for use, as well as symbols etc. Are there specific aspects of the regulations that you believe are likely to create problems (or opportunities) for the printing and graphic arts industries?

20

Alan Brown

A: We have and will continue to experience challenges such as those thrown up by these regulatory mandates but we will always find ways of making them work. The design, print and packaging sector can be pretty resourceful and innovative. I have no real concerns regarding the legibility of text at the required font size. After all, we are already achieving legible text as small as 4pt (positive) and 6pt (reverse) in flexo printing. Achievement is naturally down to the skills of the printer, affected by the type of substrate and influenced by the quality of the repro. Of course marketers would prefer a clutter-free front face to promote their packaging designs but since these are mandatory requirements we will just have to be a little more creative. Let us not forget that this legislation is about empowering the consumer to be better informed so I don’t view these new regulations as restrictive but more as a great marketing opportunity.

Q

: Will the new legislation lead to a requirement for more graphic designers and printers to service this sector of the industry?

A: Workload will naturally increase and probably hit a peak during the summer months. I expect everyone in the graphics sector to be pretty busy and there will clearly be a need to consider resources

and available capacity. While recruitment will be a consideration and possible requirement, finding additional people with the right skill sets may prove a challenge. Increased working patterns may be needed but each business is different and only they will know what the impact will be on their operation. But we shouldn’t underestimate the scale of the challenge – it is a European directive with wide-reaching implications, particularly as evidence this year would imply that many food businesses are waiting until the last minute to implement the changes.

Q

: Who are Miller Graphics’ key clients in the food packaging sector?

A: The brands that we work with include: GSK (Aquafresh, Sensodyne); Greencore (Weightwatchers, Little Dish); General Mills (Jus-Roll, Betty Crocker, Green Giant); Mackies (Ice Cream, Potato Crisps); Weetabix (Alpen, Weetabix); Jordans (Ryvita, Jordans Cereals); SCA (Tena,Tork, Velvet); Intertissue (Nouvelle, Kitten Soft, Soft & Easy); Findus Seafood (Youngs); and Lakeland (Own Brand Dairy Products).

We work with most retailers across Europe. The printers and converters that we work with include TetraPak, Delta Packaging (Belfast), Albea, Chesapeake, Interflex, Ultimate Packaging and Americk Primopost.

Packaging | IRISH PRINTER

Q

: Has Miller Graphics introduced (or are you planning to introduce) any new design, project management or colour management tools that you believe will improve the quality and consistency of the branding service that you provide to the packaging sector?

A: Our digital asset management solution has been developed specifically for use within the packaging graphics sector and accommodates access for many different internal groups and also many different external supply chain partners to bring time, cost and quality benefits. Our digital asset management solution is one of four core modules that also includes on‐line proofing, project tracking, digital asset management and reporting.

Miller Graphics’ innovations that have delivered significant benefits to our customers include our investment in flexographic plate technology (LiNX) to enhance quality and reduce cost, and the development of true match to print proofing technology (DotMatch). After a period of extended cooperation and development, Miller Graphics introduced LiNX, which blends the latest plate technology from Kodak with special retouching and colour management techniques. This unique technology allows flexo to match or exceed gravure standards with outstanding production results achieved by a number of major flexible packaging converters.

Initially taken to press at Cropac in Telford and with the DFTA in Stuttgart, from the outset the product has performed above expectations. The main benefits are the increased tone range combined with significantly finer screen rulings, with 175 lines per inch and even finer screens viable. Results from the LiNX process have been outstanding. It is regarded as the single

most exciting technical development in the past ten years and it is set to radically affect the whole packaging industry. For brand owners and retailers, the LiNX technology means that qualityorientated packaging designs previously specified for the gravure process can now be produced by the flexo process while achieving the same high levels of quality but at a significantly reduced print production cost. Miller Graphics were selected as the preferred partner to beta test this revolutionary innovation which was recognised at the prestigious Flexotech Awards in the category for innovation.

Miller Graphics also boasts one of the most innovative proofing devices in the UK, which draws customers from across Europe and the rest of the world. The DotMatch true flexo wet proofing system is the only means of delivering proofs that can be accurately reproduced on press, on the specified substrate, and using the correct ink densities and dot gain for the flexographic printing process.

Developed to create a solution to the myriad of problems that arise with the design of artwork for flexo printed packaging, we have invested considerable time and resources into its design. This has resulted in the

Changes to font size, name of food, allergen and ingredients lists, among others, will be required to the back of packs from December 13th 2014.

The Design, Print & Packaging Skillnet hosted a one-day seminar on the new Food Information Regulations on March 20th in the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel. The seminar, which was led by AnneMarie Boland of the Food Safety Authority, provided delegates with a detailed understanding of the new regulations and discussed specific changes and how they will affect them. Other speakers included Stuart Stutton of FoodChain Europe and Alan Brown of Miller Graphics UK.

evolution of a system that supports the whole design process, working with clients at every stage to ensure that they have complete control over the final look and feel of their flexo-printed product. DotMatch is not an off-theshelf option - it is a process tailored to meet the needs of individual jobs and it is a continually evolving system that underlines Miller Graphics’ commitment to innovation.

21

IRISH PRINTER | Wide Format

The international judging panel, from left, Maurice Boyer, Ole ‘Sunshine’ Solskin and Justin Pate (2nd on right) present the trophy to Robert Davidson (centre) with Sign+Digital Managing Director and host for the day Leo Maher (far right).

Spectrum Signs Crowned Ireland’s Best Vehicle Wrapper The first ever All Ireland Vehicle Wrap Championship hosted by Dublin-based supplier, Sign+Digital took place on April 8th at their premises in Airton Close in Tallaght. The winner will represent Ireland at the FESPA Digital World Wrap Masters in Munich this month.

T

he wrap championship, which was centre stage at the Sign+Digital Creative Showcase, was a packed out event as visitors were eager to watch the live competition and to find out who the country’s best vehicle wrapper is!

The competition consisted of three rounds with 24 companies completing a number of timed challenges in order to progress to the next round. An international judging panel was selected to judge the competition and contestants were scored on a number of criteria, including technique, quality of work, precision and speed. Just four contestants made it to the final. They were Stephen Carley of Crosbie Brothers Ltd, Phil Dillyston of The Sign Place,

22

Konstantins Makovojs of Carstyle Ireland and Robert Davidson of Spectrum Signs. The competition was fierce, as the competitors had just one hour and 10 minutes to wrap one complete side of a VW Caddy van.

The judges deliberated for quite a while, checking every detail, but in the end Spectrum Signs’ Robert Davidson was announced the winner and was crowned Ireland’s Best Vehicle Wrapper 2014. Robert will go on to represent Ireland at the FESPA Digital World Wrap Masters in Munich from May 20th to 23rd. The prize includes flights and accommodation for four nights for two people in Munich during the Wrap Masters, as well as a cash prize of a500.“I was totally shocked when

Wide Format | IRISH PRINTER

they called my name,” says Robert Davidson. “The competition was very tough and everyone who competed was excellent at what they do. I am over the moon with the win and I am delighted to bring the trophy home to Spectrum Signs.”

Sign+Digital customers and the international judging panel were wowed by the attention to the detail and scale of the event. International wrap judge, Ole ‘Sunshine’ Solskin said he had never seen such an amazing stage for a wrap championship before. The Sign+Digital premises was completely transformed into an explosion of colour and a once empty warehouse was made over into a vibrant exhibition hall, displaying the very best that the Irish sign making and wide format printing industry has to offer.

Leading brands such as 3M, Orafol, Roland, R-Tape and Metamark exhibited at the showcase and over 150 companies passed through the doors, enjoying the full range of activities and demonstrations on offer throughout the day.

“We would like to thank all the customers who attended the showcase for making the event such a success,” says Sign+Digital Managing Director Leo Maher. “We have been absolutely delighted by the interest in the wrap championship and we have already decided to make it an annual event. I would like to say well done to all the companies who took part in the competition and to wish Spectrum Signs the very best of luck for the World Wrap Master at FESPA.” A total of 24 companies entered the competition - Vision Signs, The Sign Place, Custom Window Tinting & Car Valeting, Sign & Design Kilkenny, Sattal, Universal Graphics, MieTeck, The Sign Fella, Dyna Signs, Signrite Omagh, Carstyle Ireland, Signlines, Freeney’s Graphics, Sign Select, Adventure Branding, Spectrum Signs, Newtone Group, Crosbie Brothers Ltd, Inksplash, Zoom Graphics, BM Graphics, Signal Signs, Retink Graphics and Sign Systems.

Based in Athlone, Spectrum Signs offer vehicle branding, exhibition and display solutions. The company produces vehicle wraps for a wide range of companies across a number of industry sectors but they are finding that vehicle wrapping is particularly popular with food companies. Some of their bigger customers include Glenisk and Heavenly Foods.

This isn’t the first time that the company’s vehicle wrapping expertise has been recognised. Spectrum Signs won the Paperlinx Award for Commercial Vehicle Wraps in the 2013 Irish Print Awards last November. In their first year to enter the category, they took the top award for the printing of their own Spectrum Signs van.

Konstantins Makovojs of Carstyle Ireland.

They submitted a full wrap, including the roof, which is quite rare with vehicle wraps. The full colour wrap was printed on a Roland Soljet Pro4 device on Avery premium cast vinyl. About 50 metres of material were used to wrap the entire van.

Phil Dillyston of The Sign Place.

Stephen Carley of Crosbie Brothers Ltd.

23

IRISH PRINTER | Wide Format

Canon Launches Poster and POS Printers C

anon Ireland recently announced the launch of two six-colour, large format imagePROGRAF models for the in-house production of posters and POS (point of sale) collateral. The two six-colour models complement Canon’s existing imagePROGRAF range and are positioned between the five-colour dye ink CAD models and the eight- and 12-colour photo quality and production print models. The new 24 inch imagePROGRAF iPF6400SE and 44 inch iPF8400SE - the ‘SE’ signifying speed and economy - can produce an A1-sized poster on coated paper in only one minute in ‘fast mode’, and have been

developed specifically for entry level users. According to Canon, a key feature of the new models is the six-colour LUCIAEX ink-set which, using pigment rather than dye inks, ensures the longevity of the printed images on display and is compatible with a wide range of media.

The composition of the ink-set can offer lower ink usage by reducing the amount of ink required to produce certain colours.

By including red as one of the six ink colours (magenta, cyan, yellow, black,

Epson to Launch 10 New Printers

Epson aims to launch ten inkjet printers for professional print applications over the next 18 months. The intention is to have a portfolio of 33 professional production printers for the sign and display, textile, label/ packaging and production photo markets by 2016. The Epson SureColor SC-F7100 64 inch dye-sublimation transfer printer, first shown at Ipex, is now commercially available via distributors iSub and RA Smart, which are also selling it bundled with post print systems. The new roll-fed CMYK printer is aimed at those who want to produce shortto mid-volume polyester coated textile print (and polyester coated fibreboard, metal, plastic etc). It was shown at Sign & Digital UK and will be on display at FESPA Digital. The SC-F7100 works with all major dye sub transfer papers and substrates with polyester coating. Productivity is up to approximately 58m2/hr - or typically 30m2/hr in two-pass production mode.

24

matte black, and red), the printer can produce eyecatching graphics through the vibrant reproduction of

reds and oranges, colours that frequently appear in posters and POS collateral.

Canon’s new imagePROGRAF iPF8400SE.

Invisibly Perfect Adhesive D

rytac’s FaceMount mounting adhesive has been engineered for the face mounting of virtually any image to clear substrates such as PetG, acrylic, Plexiglas and polycarbonate. It is also appropriate for lenticular imaging applications and backlit display transparencies. FaceMount is an optically clear polyester mounting film coated on both sides with a pressure-sensitive, solvent-based acrylic adhesive which is protected prior to use on both sides with siliconised polyester release liner. It is available with permanent adhesive on both sides. Facemount mounting adhesive is optically clear and Drytac says it is ideal for demanding applications where colour integrity is of paramount importance, such as high-end proofing and photographic laboratory printing, museum quality fine art and giclée printing.

Surface Graphics Illusion

S

oyang Europe has launched Alumigraphics, a 100% recyclable, wide format substrate made from pliable aluminium foil with a white finish that accepts a wide range of solvent, ecosolvent, latex and UV inks. The media can be printed direct to the surface with no over lamination required. It moulds naturally, without heat, and Soyang claims that it can be applied to virtually any rough or smooth textured surface.

Alumigraphics is available in two different surface finishes; Smooth, for interior and exterior wall surfaces such

as brick, stucco, concrete or tiled walls and Grip, with a slipresistant reflective surface for external flooring applications such as concrete, asphalt or paving. Soyang Europe showcased the new product at Sign & Digital UK at the NEC from 29 April to 1 May.

Wide Format | IRISH PRINTER

Fujifilm Unveils New UV Inkjet Inks F

ujifilm is launching four new inks at FESPA Digital to allow printers to generate business in new application areas using existing wide-format hardware. Uvijet OH is Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems’ latest Uvijet ink development for the Onset. It has been formulated for use with polyethylene and polypropylene materials. Uvijet OL is a new low odour corrugated ink which satisfies the DiN EN 1230-1 standard and is aimed at display and secondary packaging, with the residual odour for OL mimicking that of water-based flexo inks. Fujifilm’s new thermoforming UV-cured inkjet ink, Uvijet KV, is aimed at light industrial applications, and has been produced for use with the Acuity Advance Select printers. Uvijet QN is a new white ink which has been developed to increase the scope of possible applications on the Uvistar. This ink will allow users to produce super-wide format posters which can be illuminated for either day or night usage.

Roland Showcases First Flatbed

Roland unveiled its first flatbed printer at Sign & Digital UK. The VersaUV LEJ-640F has a bed size of 1.6m x up to 3.3m and can print onto substrates up to 15cm thick. It comes in three ink configurations: CMYK+White+Clear ink, CMYK+White+White and CMYK+Gloss+Gloss.

The printer comes in three model types, depending on the bed size: the LEJ-640 F210 (printing area of 1.6m x 2.1m), LEJ-640 F250 (printing area of 1.6m x 2.5m) and LEJ-640 F320 (printing area of 1.6m x 3.3m). Print quality is up to 1440 x 1440dpi on substrates weighing up to 200kg.

Ricoh Opens Ink Jet Centre Ricoh Europe is supporting the growing demand for industrial inkjet printheads used in wide format graphics, textile and 3D printing via a new European Ink Jet Technical Centre in Telford. The centre opened its doors last month and provides technical support for OEM inkjet innovators across EMEA. It has laboratories for providing internal testing, evaluation and external training and is equipped to assist integrators, from design through to the product introduction. Ricoh’s technical team will also assess jetting characteristics, component application compatibility and fluid performance, allowing integrators to have their fluid tests performed locally.

Mimaki Flatbed Takes Centre Stage

M

imaki will be presenting two printing solutions at FESPA Digital 2014 in Munich (May 20th to 23rd) - the JFX200-2513 entry-level UV inkjet flatbed and the Tx500-1800DS direct sublimation printer for the textile and soft signage industries. FESPA Digital 2014 marks the European debut of the latter.

An early version of the JFX200-2513 was unveiled as a prototype at Viscom Dusseldorf in November 2013 and will be commercially available in Europe after FESPA Digital 2014. It features two different ink types - LH-100, a hard UV cure ink with high rub and chemical resistance and LUS150, a low-cost UV

cure ink with suppleness that extends to 150% with no cracking for materials to be applied to curved surfaces.

It also features variable dot function that results in less granular high quality prints by jetting three ink dot sizes at once. The Mimaki JFX2002513 LED UV flatbed printer

made its UK and Irish debut at Sign & Digital UK 2014. It has a bed size ideally suited to the UK and Ireland’s 8 inch x 4 inch rigid sheet market.

In addition to a choice of process colour inksets, white, clear and primer ink options facilitate printing onto coloured or clear substrates.

25

IRISH PRINTER | IPEX 2014

Print Has a

Big Future The World Print Summit at Ipex 2014 heard presentations from industry experts on a range of topics, from creating new revenue streams and future proofing print in the digital age, to the latest inkjet technologies and post press developments.

Maev Martin reports.

O

ne of the sessions at the World Print Summit posed the question ‘can print co-exist with digital communications in the future?’ Olaf Lorenz, General Manager, International Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, answered the question with a resounding yes.

“It is still a very important part of the communications mix and I still believe that print has a big future,” he said. He highlighted two features which, he believes, give a printed

26

publication advantages over the online product. “It is tangible whereas Internet applications can easily disappear.

Secondly, print has credibility - there is no fear of it catching a virus - and it is a more engaging medium than digital.” However, he also referred to some of print’s disadvantages. “Online communication is much less expensive, online is speedy and it provides wider coverage than print,” he said. “In our opinion cross media is the connecting piece between online and print and to

have that connecting piece as part of your service mix is the future for the commercial print industry. For example, a brochure or catalogue that is posted out with augmented reality technology gives new opportunities for print to connect to the online world. The packaging sector, as well as print, will soon be dominated by that technology.”

He quoted InfoTrends research for the period 2012 to 2017 which stated that publishing and promotional printing will be the drivers of the commercial

IPEX 2014 | IRISH PRINTER

print industry over the next few years.

According to Olaf, Konica Minolta is moving towards the packaging and industrial printing markets, such as decorative and functional printing. “We are looking to fulfill all of these areas with different technology partners,” he said.

The message from the other speakers in this session - Andy Fry, Managing Director of Nova Direct, Andy Barber, General Manager of the imail division in UK Mail, and Charlotte GrahamCumming, Director of integrated marketing agency, Ice Blue Sky - was that print and direct mail is ‘alive and kicking’. Real-life examples of where high street brands have dramatically increased revenues using cross media and other hi-tech applications - with print at its heart - were outlined.

Andy Fry has been in the direct mail industry for 28 years and founded the Nova Direct agency in 1991. He talked about the agency’s scented direct mail product, ‘Smellymail’, where the scent is held in millions of micro spheres. The product was introduced in 2012 and the first campaign to use the product was for Konica Minolta who also used it at the Crossmedia exhibition in 2013. The company also launched their bespoke augmented reality solution at Crossmedia. “With our augmented reality solution, we take CAD designs and interact them with smart technology,” he said. Andy demonstrated how augmented reality is a big business driver for print. This included a project that brought dinosaurs back to life by combining the power of print with the latest digital technology. Software typically used in games technology for children is being re-engineered for practical applications in the real world.

“The potential for print is enormous,” he said. “Using augmented reality for everyday uses is just the start of a profitable journey into the future.”

Bringing Sexy Back UK Mail’s Andy Barber titled his presentation ‘Print - Bringing Sexy Back’.

He talked about the organisation’s imail product which was introduced in 2008 to open up their network to small businesses. “With imail, our hybrid mail service that links the printed piece with email and SMS, we are now printing 45 million images a year which proves that direct mail is alive and kicking,” he said. “Most of our direct mail business is coming from SMEs who hadn’t used direct mail in the past but are now

using it because we are making it as quick as email.” According to Andy, one hybrid mail solution netted a a2m revenue boost for the Co-operative Group, a customer of imail. “Postcard Peter, where we can convert iPhone images into postcards for delivery, is our latest innovation,” he said. “For £1.29, Postcard Peter prints and delivers the postcard. Cross media is really exciting but the printed piece is the cornerstone of the cross media campaign.”

Charlotte Graham-Cumming of Ice Blue Sky described print and digital as a “match made in heaven. I firmly believe that print isn’t going anywhere and that it will settle into becoming a key part of the marketing mix but print has to adapt and change and direct mail has to innovate.’

She said that when Ice Blue Sky organises an event invitations that combine print and digital get a 50% higher response rate. “70% of consumers love direct mail that rewards loyalty,” she said. “The ROI of direct mail has increased year-on-year for the last 10 years and digital marketing has actually driven innovation in direct mail. For example, 58% of people say they are more likely to click on a search link if they’ve received something in the post. Augmented Reality Apps are great for leveraging direct mail and a really good example of what digital and print can do when they are combined.”

Charlotte referred to a direct mail campaign for Waitrose which chose a VIP tier of customers and sent them a hamper with ingredients and recipe cards. The recipients were encouraged to go online and post reviews. “They got significant ROI from the campaign as it resulted in supplies of rhubarb at Waitrose being sold out within four days, instead of 14,” she said.

During the Q&A session, Charlotte was asked if she believed that traditional marketing was dead. “No, it definitely

Olaf Lorenz, Konica Minolta

isn’t dead but marketing is all about having multiple touchpoints for the brand so the digital and print mix is important,” she said. Andy Barber said that postcards and direct mail pieces are central to direct mail campaigns. “We want to build up the cross media pieces around that - clients that do that are getting phenomenal returns,” he said.

Charlotte was asked if there was a shift with her clients from print to online. She said that there was a significant shift a few years ago but that in the last 12 to 22 months there has been a shift back to print. “But print is now being used in a more personalised and creative way,” she said. “Printers have to take responsibility for getting their share of the direct mail marketing budget back and they can only do that through innovation.”

Andy Barber said that print will be the centre of their mail campaigns but that they have to make it simple for their SME customers to convert print into email and other cross media elements because the results for brands who do this are staggering. “We see print as being the lead piece of the cross media campaign,” he said. When it comes to future trends, Charlotte said that interactive direct mail will become more accessible to the market.

27

IRISH PRINTER | IPEX 2014

Print: Doomed or on the Verge of a New Digital Renaissance?

The printing industry has experienced a tumultuous 20 years since Benny Landa unveiled the world’s first digital colour printing press in 1993. At the World Print Summit the Chairman and CEO of Landa Corporation, and Guy Gecht, CEO of EFI, debated the outlook for print.

B

enny began his presentation by saying that he loved printing and being in the print industry but that sometimes it can be a bit embarrasing!

“When I meet a stranger and tell them that I am in the print business they say print has no future and is dead and that is painful to me,” he said.

“That is because of the power of new technologies that pervade our everyday lives. Social media was practically unknown 10 years ago and today one billion people use Facebook to interact with each other in a way that no one could have predicted. We don’t know how robotics and other technologies will affect us but we know that technology creates lasting change and that there is no going back.”

After selling Indigo to HP, Benny Landa’s plan was to leave the printing industry for good. He then started the development process that led to nano printing. “The development of thermo electric conversion technology was the original aim but the technology’s unique way of creating nano particles prompted me to transfer the technology to pigments,” he said. “Nano pigments create higher colour quality and provide other benefits. We discovered the holy grail for the future of printing.

Of course, printing isn’t the only application of nano technology and nano materials are present in a variety of products.”

28

Landa’s nanographic printing presses were the big news story at Drupa 2012.

What is Print?

Benny said that when most people refer to print they are thinking of books and newspapers but he pointed out that they only constitute 10% of the $800bn industry globally. “The $300bn packaging market is soaring and outstrips GDP growth in nearly every country in the world,” he said.

“There are slight declines in commercial printing in the US and Europe but those declines are offset by growth in the developing markets. A lot of commercial printing and packaging can’t be replaced by digital media in the way that books and newspapers can.

76% of people make buying decisions in store. Why? Because of signage and point of purchase materials. Printed advertising can influence the choices of more than three quarters of shoppers.

Therefore packaging and printed advertising will continue to thrive.”

The relentless demands of the market for ever more customised products means that run lengths will continue to get shorter. “That is a big challenge for commercial printers,” he said. “I believe that the answer lies in nano technology as it offers, among other things, digital speed, a low cost per page, and litho quality. The printing industry is on the

IPEX 2014 | IRISH PRINTER

verge of a new digital renaissance. It is about to reinvent itself as an industry that will bring immense added value to our digital society, dispelling the sceptics view that print is dead.”

Guy Gecht of EFI said that the digital renaissance had already started.

“Customers are already going with digital printing,” he said. “I visited some of our print company customers in Europe the week before IPEX and I found that the most successful printers are those for whom digital is a part of their business.

We had 1,500 customers at our EFI Connect event in January and they said that their businesses were growing. In 10 years there will be less pages printed but what is left will be a higher value product because digital is bringing a lot more value to print. The best way to do marketing today is direct mail with variable data. Digital printing is a huge opportunity for print companies and for the industry. The one thing you can’t do is nothing because if you do nothing your business will disappear.”

A Partnership Philosophy Benny said that Landa Corporation’s philosophy was to work with pioneers as partners. EFI and Landa Corporation recently entered into a partnership agreement for the development of a digital front end (DFE) as part of Landa’s end-to-end nanographic printing solution. Commenting on the partnership at the time, Guy Gecht said that “Landa nanographic printing presses have the potential to accelerate the migration of mainstream commercial printing and packaging to digital printing.” The Fiery DFE technology that EFI is developing for Landa will offer the processing power needed to drive large volumes of offset-quality digital images, including personalised/ variable-data content. The new Landa DFE will enter beta testing as part of the beta installations of the B1 (41 inch/1,050mm) format Landa S10 nanographic printing press slated for Q4 of this year. At the World Print Summit, Benny Landa referred to Landa Digital Printing’s partnership with Komori, describing the company as the fastest growing and most profitable of the printing press manufacturers. Referring to the beta customers for the Landa nanographic printing technology, he said that they will be in North America and Europe and that they are active in either packaging or POP advertising materials.

Benny Landa says customers love the big iPhone touch screen.

What Next for Nanographic Printing?

Landa Digital Printing claims that its nanographic printing presses yield the lowest cost per digitally printed page in the industry and combine the versatility of digital with the qualities and speed of offset. Professor Emeritus Frank Romano of RIT, who moderated the session, asked if the key features of the nano presses announed at drupa had remained the same and Benny confirmed that they had. “My presses still deposit a very thin coating of ink, half as much ink as is deposited by offset printing, and that is one of the reasons that we have the lowest cost per page to print.”

Professor Romano asked Benny when his nanographic printing presses would be ready for the market and who his first nano printing customers might be. He didn’t give anything away, unfortunately, but he said that the company had made major changes to the concept of its nanographic printing presses since drupa.

“Customers loved the big iPhone touch screen but they wanted it moved to the left hand side of the press to create an operator cockpit,” he said. In addition, the feedback they were getting was that customers don’t like offline coating in the folding cartons sector so, since drupa, they have added inline coating to their presses.

These changes had delayed developments and put the roll out of the presses further down the road than had originally been envisaged when they were launched at drupa.

Frank Romano asked Guy Gecht about

Guy Gecht

the future relationship between EFI and Landa. “Half of EFI’s business is inkjet,” said Guy. “Inkjet is an amazing disruptive technology and gives you opportunities to print on anything - the best days of inkjet printing are definitely ahead of it.”

He was also asked if he saw an overlap or potential conflict between his business and the Landa Corporation in terms of the product offering. “In EFI if we only overlapped with people who had zero overlap with us we would have a lonely life so we have no fear about overlaps emerging from our Landa partnership,” he said. “The Landa machines are high end, expensive, massive web and offset presses whereas EFI is in the custom markets, including posters, wide format and ceramic printing so we see no conflict for the foreseeable future.”

29

IRISH PRINTER | What’s New in Print

New Agfa Printers, Workflow & Inks at FESPA

Agfa Graphics will show the latest additions to its portfolio of UV-curable wide-format inkjet printers at FESPA Digital in Munich (May 20th to 23rd), including two models from the new Anapurna i-series as well as the new Jeti Titan S/HS – all fuelled by the company’s proprietary UV-curable inks. Agfa Graphics’ Asanti workflow software will drive all wide-format engines on their stand. The 2.05 metre wide Anapurna M2050 has been redesigned – the Anapurna M2050i achieves a productivity increase of at least 50% in addition to optimised dot positioning. It also features Agfa Graphics ‘white ink management’ solution. The 3.2 metre wide roll-to-roll UV-curable Anapurna M3200i will be shown with dual roll capability and the new mesh option enables printing on mesh material without liner. All Anapurna i hybrid engines are prepared for integration with an automatic board feeding system. At FESPA, the Jeti Titan S/HS will be shown with an additional primer feature, which improves adhesion on thermoplastic substrates. A (spot) varnish option to create an appealing cosmetic effect will follow later.

Mondi Enhances Inkjet Portfolio

Mondi recently introduced its new high-speed inkjet portfolio 2.0, which features a larger colour gamut, increased opacity, and new grammages of 60, 70 and 230 g/m2. The larger colour gamut in critical colour areas, such as reds, compensates the magenta weakness of current high-speed inkjet systems and thereby enables improved accuracy when it comes to logos or reproduction of images.

Mondi claims that another key benefit of its new, fully treated, high-speed inkjet grades is trouble-free duplex printing due to the increased opacity (non-see-through). In the case of DNS high-speed inkjet CF/ NF the opacity of 80 g/m2 is now equal to the current standard of 100 g/m2. Mondi is also guaranteeing no reel joins.

Mondi’s DNS high-speed inkjet CF has also been recognised as ‘good’ deinkable according to INGEDE test method 11 (in combination with Canon Océ pigment inks). DNS premium has also been successfully tested for deinkability.

Esko Promotes Brand Management Solutions

E

sko experts explained how to enhance content management, shorten approval cycles and ensure regulatory compliance with WebCenter, a fullyfeatured online packaging

30

management solution, at Interpack, the international trade show for the packaging industry, in Dusseldorf (May 8th to 14th). They advised brands about how to manage brand colour accuracy across

the global supply chain - from proof to package to display - with dedicated colour solutions such as PantoneLIVE and through leveraging the benefits of multi-colour printing with Esko Equinox. Esko promoted its Esko’s 3D technologies, including Studio and Store Visualizer, which present hyper-realistic 3D images of packages from design through positioning on store shelves. Partners that joined Esko at Interpack included HP Indigo and HP Scitex (showed digital and wide format printing solutions,

powered by Esko software solutions, for the digital print production of folding carton, flexible packaging, labels and corrugated production), Sun Chemical, who showcased the colour management capabilities of PantoneLIVE on their stand, and Videojet, an Esko sister company, who showed a unique joint project where coding and marking of complete content blocks such as nutrition panels and regulatory content is applied to preprinted material.

What’s New in Print | IRISH PRINTER

New Packaging Board YBBS premium board is Mondi’s new uncoated wood-free packaging solution.

YBBS is produced in Austria and board grades range from high white to ivory, or coloured boards to cupstock. All grades are ISEGA certified to comply with the BfR XXXVI regulation on direct food contact safety.

The board also features a unified colour and print reproduction with twosided printing.

The new portfolio comprises YBBS premium white board, YBBS premium ivory board, YBBS premium coloured board and YBBS

premium cupstock board. YBBS premium coloured board (pictured here) is available in 39 standard colours and additional customised colours upon request. This coloured board enables the production of personalised packaging

solutions. It features solid colour saturation due to pulp colouring, even colour distribution and no white edges and is certified for toy suitability according to EN71-3 and food contact safety according to BfR XXXVI.

Photonic Digital Printer Makes IPEX Debut L

umeJet Ltd, a first time exhibitor at IPEX 2014, introduced the S200 digital printer - the first commercial application of its photonic printhead technology for short-run, image-intensive document printing. The LumeJet printer takes 305mm photographic roll paper for page sizes up to A3 landscape double-page spread, full bleed, including trim (1000mm x 305mm maximum) - ideal for lay flat books. The LumeJet S200 prints with light within the visible spectrum (RGB) onto light sensitive media in order to achieve ultra high resolution prints, combining contone photo quality with legible text and fine line art graphics. It prints a dot size less than 0.005mm, it can print 200 A4 sheets per hour, and it can handle a maximum paper weight of 260gsm and a minimum paper weight of 160gsm. LumeJet says its unique, patented LumeJet Digital Print Head has diverse applications, ranging from photo and commercial printing, inkless printing and packaging, to patterning for printed circuit boards/photo resist and printed logic and large-area organic electronics.

The LumeJet Digital Print Head is similar in format to an inkjet print head assembly and works in a similar way but fires light onto photosensitive media instead of ink onto coated paper.

Color Copy Celebrates 25th Birthday

The international packaging and paper group Mondi is celebrating 25 years of its Color Copy brand.

Launched in 1989, Color Copy was the first paper worldwide to be specially designed for use in digital colour laser systems. It was the world’s first colour laser paper to be FSC-certified and since 2010 Color Copy is available CO2 neutral.

For the 25th anniversary Mondi has embossed the Color Copy ream in chocolate and wrapped it in a gift box produced out of Mondi’s latest innovation, YBBS premium white board. It will be available throughout 2014 and will be used internationally for customer activities.

Over the last 25 years, the Color Copy portfolio has grown to include a broad range of shades and textures with Color Copy, Color Copy style, Color Copy coated glossy, Color Copy coated silk and Color Copy Indigo, a HP 3-star certified paper for HP Indigo digital presses.

31

IRISH PRINTER | IPEX News

Big Exhibitors Report

Strong Interest and Sales Despite the absence of some of the big press manufacturers, IPEX 2014 was a successful and well attended exhibition and proved to be a hit with some of the key players in the business, including Konia Minolta, Fujifilm and riso.

Visitors Praise Print Shop Production Concept

Largest Exhibitor Nets a3.5m Worth oF New Business

Fujifilm declared IPEX 2014 a successful show for the company, with widespread interest in the multiple inkjet production systems for commercial print and label applications displayed on its stand. The Fujifilm booth was buzzing for the duration of the show as the Jet Press 720 B2 sheet-fed press, the Jet Press 540W web press, and the new Graphium digital label press attracted a large number of visitors.

“Fujifilm’s ‘real production environment’ ran smoothly throughout the six day show,” says Keith Dalton, Managing Director, Fujifilm Graphic Systems UK. “We’ve proved that it is possible to recreate a print shop and run a live production environment during an exhibition, operating a seven and a half hour shift every day of the show.” Short run calendars, brochures, magazines, books, labels, manuals and posters were produced on a daily basis in line with an intense production schedule. The Jet Press 720 produced an average of over 100 make readies daily, while the Jet Press 540W produced the equivalent of over 110 sections each day. “The new digital Graphium UV inkjet press developed by FFEI in conjunction with Fujifilm was very popular and produced hundreds of thousands of labels, more than we were actually able to hand out!” says Keith.

Konica Minolta, the largest exhibitor at IPEX 2014, is confident that the exhibition will net them over a3.5m worth of new business. That’s according to Olaf Lorenz, General Manager, International Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe. “While the offset market still covers €107bn of revenue, digital only covers a7.7bn,” he said. “Digital colour print is set to experience a compound annual growth rate of about four per cent until 2017. With this knowledge, Konica Minolta decided to expand its reach into new markets and increase its product portfolio, as we are committed to the printing industry and convinced it has a bright future.”

Konica Minolta’s 1,200 square metre stand had 12 print and software systems demonstrations running live throughout each of the six days of the show. One of the top attractions was the KM-1, the B2+ UV inkjet colour sheetfed press. At the show it was confirmed that beta testing will start later this year at customer sites in Japan, North America and Europe, with full production starting in 2015. The KM-1 is specially designed for short print runs, extremely tight deadlines and variable data processing. The demonstrations of the press at IPEX were of particular interest to commercial and packaging

An overview of the Fujifilm stand at IPEX 2014.

32

IRISH PRINTER | IPEX 2014

printers, as well as folding carton printers.

The manufacturer also promoted its new partnership with Watkiss to offer a new inline square back stitching system with inline 3-knife trimming on their bizhub PRESS 2250. The PRESS 2250 is Konica Minolta’s new 250 PPM mono production system. “The Watkiss system will likely be available on our range of colour and mono production systems in the near future,” says Phil Schueler, Production Print Manager with Konica Minolta’s Irish distributor MJ Flood.

“Konica Minolta also demonstrated their own in-line square back saddle-stitching system at the show, which will be released in the next six to eight months. Konica Minolta has two new mid-range production colour devices out now, the PRESS C1060 and PRESS C1070. These products offer vacuumbelt feeding, near perfect front-back registration with Konica Minolta’s new swing registration system, which virtually eliminates paper skew, and outstanding image quality with a rich matte finish similar to offset print.”

In a few months’ time, Konica Minolta will also be launching the bizhub PRESS C1085 and C1100, the newlydesigned 85 and 100 ppm high-volume colour production systems. These two products will be able to duplex up to 350g stock and will offer vacuum-belt feeding. Towards the end of the year, Konica Minolta is expected to launch the PRESS C70RLC Label System, which was also previewed at IPEX 2014. This laser-based production label system will output up to 18 m/minute with an unwinder-rewinder configuration, and up to 9m/minute set up with an unwinderlaser die-cutter configuration.

Live demonstrations of the KM-1 ran three times a day at the show.

New Pur Binder Attracts Irish Interest Neopost Ireland was happy with its performance at IPEX 2014.

“While IPEX was a smaller event than in previous years, this actually was as an advantage for customers and Neopost alike,” says Neopost Ireland’s Marketing Director Karen Kavanagh. “It allowed customers and Neopost personnel to spend more quality time focusing on specific solutions of

The Neopost stand at Ipex.

34

interest. The highlight from a Neopost perspective was the new Duplo UltraBind, a Pur Binder which attracted significant interest from our Irish customers and generated a strong pipeline of potential orders. IPEX also gave Neopost the opportunity to introduce our commercial print sector to the range of Neopost fulfilment and addressing solutions that could increase the range of services provided to their clients.”

Communication Technology Launches Latest Riso Press in Ireland Leading inkjet cut sheet manufacturer, Riso introduced the latest in its ComColor series of high productivity, high-speed printing solutions at IPEX 2014. Communication Technology, the exclusive distributors of Riso products in Ireland, said that the new ComColor X1 series, which prints 150 A4 sheets per minute, incorporates a range of feed and delivery options that enable users to complete projects in one easy process.

“Riso UK manufactures and distributes innovative digital print solutions and has developed unique inkjet technology that offers customers a more cost-efficient and more environmentally-friendly alternative to printing, versus the more traditional, and more common, toner technology copier and printers,” says John Conroy of Communication Technology.

“The new ComColor series prints with low running costs for both colour and black and white that are virtually unmatched by any other devices in its class. The ComColor X1 series’ proven paper feed technology enables smooth operation with most types of uncoated paper, from lightweight to heavy stocks and envelopes, and the high capacity feeder and high capacity stacker options allow for continuous high volume printing with minimal operator intervention.”

Due to the choice of available controllers, the X1 Series can handle print jobs from short runs to large variable data printing when required. RISO also displayed The Bridge at IPEX. This is a unique partnership with Böwe Systec that fully facilitates production printing with high-performance inserting to deliver a complete print and mail solution. Ideal for short runs of items such as confidential billings, financial statements, legal information and other confidential items, The Bridge is capable of producing up to 8,200 printed and enveloped materials in an hour. Riso also showcased its Wrapping Envelope Finisher, which enables users to produce a finished mailing piece at the touch of a button, its Perfect Binder solution that produces on-demand books perfect bound up to 600 pages, and its embedded PaperCut software.

The new ComColor X1 series prints 150 A4 sheets per minute.

ComColor

9150

Sets new Standards in Full Colour Print Production

Applications • Transactional and Transpromo printing • Direct Mail and Variable Data Printing • Fully Automated Mailing Solution - PRINT, FOLD, INSERT & SEAL • In-line Perfect Binding System

Communication Technology Limited

Walkinstown Avenue, Dublin 12 Contact our Production Print Specialist: FREEPHONE: 1800 333 666 | Tel: 01 456 1274 www.comtec.ie Exclusive sole distributors for Riso in Ireland

K600i versatile inkjet printer for Variable Data Printing

Stand S5F391

www.domino-printing.com

www.codico-distributors.com #LEABOY "USINESS 0ARK /LD +ILMEADEN 2OAD 7ATERFORD s 4EL 5NIT 7 ) . "USINESS 0K #ANAL 1UAY .EWRY "4 0( s 4EL

30/04/2014 17:11:29

IRISH PRINTER is the only magazine dedicated to serving the communications needs of the Irish Printing and Graphic Arts Industry and its circulation covers the island of Ireland.

Stafford Engineering Stafford Engineering provides a turnkey operation for all printers • We can now service and repair all printing and finishing machines • Rollers refurbished or replaced. Specialist coatings for Anilox and Chroming • Blade grinding, new blades and cutting sticks • General engineering for machine parts manufactured.• 24 hour service, 7days a week.

Unit 12 Parkmore Industrial Estate, Long Mile Road, Dublin 12, Ireland Tel: +353 (0)1 460 0055 • Email: sales@staffordengineering.ie

036 IP May 2014_Classified.indd 1

IRISH

230987_2L_CODICO_JR_IP.indd 1

PRINTER

APRIL 2014 // THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY // WWW.IRISHPRINTER.IE

5 C:LH

16 >C8DCK:GH6I>DC 22 L>9: ;DGB6I

32 HI6C96G9H

2I[ 4EWWTSVX ;MRW 4VIWXMKMSYW 7IGYVMX] (IWMKR %[EVH

(I^]REQMXI 8EPOW %FSYX ;MRRMRK %[EVHW ERH 7EZMRK XLI 4PERIX

-73 7XERHEVHW 'ER &VMRK 8ERKMFPI &YWMRIWW &IRI´XW

8SR] 6SI SR XLI 3TTSVXYRMXMIW MR XLMW (MZIVWI 1EVOIX

(32«8 *-+,8 3:)6 '30396 %2=136)

)1&6%') +1+ ;-8, 6)463')286)

If you wish to advertise in IRISH PRINTER please call Fiona Larmon, Commercial Manager on: (01) 432 2223 / 086 821 0203 or email: fiona.larmon@ashville.com

www.irishprinter.ie

02/05/2014 13:01:05

Judge a book by its cover!

Yes, Walsh Colour Print judges a book by its cover and its

ultra strong PUR binding!

Perfect Binding with PURfect Quality!

We can send you a sample of one of our perfect bound books and you will see the quality for yourself!

Please contact us for a free quotation Freephone: 1800 613 111 For a superb finish on all books, annual reports, brochures and magazines, Email: sales@walshcolourprint.com give us a call and we will give you a price that you will not believe!

DISCOVER TRUE WHITENESS! ON UPM FINESSE PAPERS

UPM Finesse papers offer high whiteness and brightness, opacity 90–100% and different finishing from gloss to matt.

Its superior surface provides the best image and text reproduction, ensuring you can make a sharp and lasting impression.

UPM Finesse woodfree coated papers are available in a wide range of sheets and reels. Their runnability and overall performance is proven to be excellent. Close co-operation with technical service and product development ensures that the paper is constantly being developed to meet different printing and market requirements. UPM Finesse is an EU Ecolabel awarded paper.

FI/11/001

www.upm.com