Irish Printer Nov/Dec 2015

NOV/DEC 2015 || THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY || WWW.IRISHPRINTER.IE

STATE OF THE ART

Antalis Leads the Paper Revolution

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AS VERSATILE AS THE COLOURS OF LIGHT. Experience the versatility of UPM Fine, the ultra-white uncoated paper. Discover the paper as a perfect basis for your thoughts and ideas. UPM Fine offers enormous versatility in terms of characteristics and applications, from its enticing whiteness and outstanding rigidity to its consistently high quality.

Because UPM Fine is available in a particularly wide range of basis weights from 60–300 g/m2, it really is a universal paper. UPM Fine is an EU Ecolabel awarded paper and produced with both machine finished and supercalendered surfaces. Get to know the versatility of UPM Fine and find out why it is referred to be “AS VERSATILE AS THE COLOURS OF LIGHT”. www.upm.com

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NOV/DEC 2015 CONTENTS

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News

14

Interview

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Best Buys

Latest news from the Irish print industry.

Stephen Palmer, Production Print Director, Ricoh UK & Ireland, talks to Maev Martin at The Print Show in Birmingham about recent deals in the Irish market, new technologies, and his plans to develop their Heidelberg alliance in Ireland.

In the second of a series of reports on equipment that is helping Irish print companies to expand their service offering, we look at the impact that the Horizon BQ 270 perfect binder is having on one of Ireland’s most successful print service providers.

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The Print Show

The three-day (13 to 15 October) inaugural ‘The Print Show’ in Birmingham’s NEC had a steady flow of visitors, a good mix of suppliers across digital, litho, finishing, and software, and some innovative features that distinguished the event from other more established exhibitions in the print industry calendar. Maev Martin reports.

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Future Tech

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Packaging

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Canon Europe showcased existing technologies to partners and customers at its Expo in Paris in October but the manufacturer also gave visitors an insight into new solutions that are currently being developed by its R&D teams.

We report on HP’s recent collaboration with Bud Light, Durst’s latest inkjet solutions for the sector, and drupa’s plans to highlight how papers with outstanding sensory appeal and excellent finishing techniques can turn packaging into advertising media.

Technology

Printing consultant and Smithers Pira technologist Sean Smyth urges printers to go to drupa to find out what inkjet can do for their business.

Cover Story Antalis is the leading materials supplier in Ireland, with an annual turnover of around €40m a year. MD Eoin Heagney tells Irish Printer readers why they can add value to your business while saving you time and money.

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The Big Picture

32

The Social Network

Two of the biggest brands in the large format printing sector, Mimaki and Fujifilm, have introduced new printers for the direct to textile and high volume UV markets respectively.

The ninth Sign-Makers of Ireland Golf Invitational & Customer Appreciation Day, held at The Heritage hotel in Co Laois, attracted 64 participants from in excess of 25 customers of the Irish paper giant Graphic & Paper Merchants Ireland.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

elcome to the November/ December edition of Irish Printer magazine.

More than half of small-to medium-sized companies in the print industry have recorded some form of business growth in the past 12 months. That’s according to a report by Close Brothers Asset Finance.

In the ‘Close Brothers Business Barometer’ quarterly survey of UK SME owners and senior management from various industries, more than one fifth of print SMEs list business growth as being top of their agenda, while a further 32% expect to expand over the next year. “The print sector appears optimistic, as over half of the firms we talked to said that trading conditions were better now than this time last year and, as a result, many are making strategic decisions to expand and move their business forward,”said Mike Randall, Chief Executive of Close Brothers. The survey also suggested that 46% of print SMEs are hoping to take on new staff during the next year, while more than half of the companies that took part in the research aim to invest in new assets.

I’m not suggesting that a survey of the Irish market would result in an equally positive picture of print companies’ experiences over the past 12 months. However, trading conditions have improved for most Irish print companies, as some printers benefit from the pick-up in the economy and big brands decide to loosen the purse strings on their marketing budgets. Growth has also returned as a result of the decision by many print service providers to broaden their portfolio of services. For example, Mark Doggett of Doggett Print and Design reports

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that his company has been growing at an average rate of 25% to 35% year-on-year since it opened for business in 2006. Maybe that is because they offer services that other printers don’t, which allows them to upsell to their clients and therefore get extra margin on what they are selling.

Perhaps the best indicator of an improvement in printers’ fortunes is the recent deals completed by Ricoh in the Irish market. For many years now print companies have been telling me that they were interested in the Ricoh technology and wanted to invest but couldn’t access the funds. The manufacturer had been hosting a number of events in the Irish market where they were receiving very positive feedback but the feedback wasn’t translating into sales. However, this year they have been able to convert the positive feedback into installations in the Irish market - seven Pro C7100 presses were sold into the general commercial print sector in Ireland and two Pro C9110 presses – one to Anglo Printers in Drogheda and one to Colour World in Kilkenny (see Page 6).

So there is plenty to celebrate in the Irish print industry and what better place to do it than at the 2015 Irish Print Awards. We look forward to seeing you at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Northwood in Dublin on November 27th and we wish all of the finalists the best of luck on the night!

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

THE TEAM Editor: Maev Martin Editorial Manager: Mary Connaughton Creative Director: Jane Matthews Layout: Antoinette Sinclair Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Production: Claire Kiernan Printed by: Walsh Colour Print on Novatech Matt 150gsm, manufactured

by Arjowiggins Graphic and supplied by Antalis.

Contact: Irish Printer, Ashville Media Group, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7 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 2015.

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

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TEN TOP STORIES

3D Printing Up Close 3D printing is the technology that everyone in the print community is talking about. Additive production processes are on the minds of users in the design and packaging industries, machine and plant construction, aerospace, automotive construction, and dental and medical technology the world over. 3D printing allows for complete customisation and is the key to highly flexible production, making it very attractive for promotional items and personalised products. It is also ideal for producing small batches of tools, for finishing, for example. So futuristic 3D printing will play an important role at drupa 2016. “drupa’s realignment is shifting the focus towards innovation in the sector and providing a special platform for pioneering interdisciplinary technologies like 3D printing,” says Sabine Geldermann, Director of drupa. Numerous ‘traditional’ exhibitors like HP, Leapfrog, Mimaki, Roland, Ricoh, Xerox and TU Chemnitz are already looking into this technology and will be presenting solutions. Early movers in this market like Stratasys and Massivit 3D Printing will also be attending drupa 2016. “It was important for us to pick up and focus on this topical issue,” says Sabine. “The potential of 3D printing in many vertical markets shouldn’t be underestimated. In particular, spare parts for mechanical engineering or packaging design offer huge opportunities for machine builders, users and also print providers.”

The 3D fab+print touchpoint show at drupa will present the latest technology and best-practice cases. And, last but not least, 3D printing is also featured in the drupa innovation park in the ‘Innovations in Printing Technologies’ area.

ABOVE & RIGHT: New MPI 1104 cast films deliver great printability and image quality. Part of the new generation of digital cast films, they cope with 3D challenges such as rivets and corrugations.

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TEN TOP STORIES Fujifilm Hosts Creative Printing Demonstrations Fujifilm UK’s educational ‘how to’ demonstrations at its headquarters in Bedford in the UK in September focused on creative printing.

Workshops showcased applications that printers may not have thought of for their businesses, and provided fresh ideas on how to generate new revenue streams from printing. “There are so many opportunities available to printers to create new revenue streams using technologies they know, but in a slightly different way,” says Fujifilm UK Managing Director Keith Dalton. “We want to highlight some of these possibilities, encourage the in-house creativity that printers already have, and show them how they can bring this together to generate more business.

We showcased a wide range of applications, including creative value-added printing, prototype packaging and mock-ups, thermoforming, interior design, photobooks and photo gifts, among others.” The latest digital inkjet and tonerbased technologies were at the heart of the workshops, in combination with Fujifilm workflow and web-to-print systems.

Neopost Ireland Wins laya healthcare Contract Customer communications management and output management company, GMC Software Technology (GMC) and Neopost Ireland announced on October 8th that laya healthcare had chosen GMC Inspire to deliver all customer communications. The agreement will be rolled out in four phases over the coming months. By implementing GMC Inspire, laya healthcare will improve customer experience and reduce the time associated with managing the customer communications process. It will also cut print wastage and associated costs while at the same time providing a platform for future growth, scalability and support. “Laya healthcare is a long established Neopost mailing customer and we are delighted to grow this relationship to include a best-in-class CCM solution like GMC Inspire,” says Neopost Ireland Managing Director Duncan Groom.

“It will allow laya healthcare to deliver highly personalised and cost effective communications to their customers, which will ultimately help Ireland’s second largest health insurance provider deliver on its brand promise to look after its members always.”

GMC Inspire provides the tools to help organisations create and manage complex personalised customer engagement across all channels and devices, whether in print or through digital delivery. The solution is particularly beneficial to the insurance and banking industry as it integrates well with core legacy systems. The new deal will also allow Neopost and GMC to consolidate their strong presence in the Irish market.

(l-r): Ian Brennan, Director of IT, laya healthcre, Duncan Groom, Managing Director, Neopost Ireland, and Joanne Boyle, Head of Customer Service at laya healthcare.

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TEN TOP STORIES

Ricoh Comes Out on Top in Drogheda and Kilkenny

Two of Ireland’s most successful print companies, Colour World in Kilkenny and Anglo Printers in Drogheda, took delivery of the Ricoh Pro C9110 press in recent months. Both are first time Ricoh customers and both are reporting that their respective presses have exceeded all expectations. Colour World’s Prepress Manager Michael Keating says the company only dipped its toe in the water with digital last October. “We put in an iDevelop machine and within three months the work had grown to such a degree that we needed to install a second press,” he says. “Then the work grew again and we needed something that could handle more volume so we looked at the Fuji JetPress and at the HP Indigo, as well as the Ricoh press. The Fujifilm and HP machines were far more expensive and we couldn’t justify the cost because they weren’t that much faster and there was no difference in the print quality so we decided to go with Ricoh. I’ve done almost 300,000 clicks on the press in the two weeks that I’ve had it so it has already exceeded our expectations. A lot of the work being produced is Point of Sale material for the retail sector that needs to be personalised for different stores.” Colour World are still operating the two iDevelops, which are busy producing business cards, letterheads and envelopes.

The company is also reporting an increase in its litho output in recent years.

“Following the closure of a number of litho printers, we have found that a lot of their work has come to us,” he says. “In the past 12 months we have replaced a five colour and a six colour litho press with two 10 colour presses.

We now operate two 10 colour B2 presses and one 10 colour B1 press.” Anglo Printers in Drogheda installed their Ricoh Pro C9110 in mid August. “We had been a Xerox house for 15 years and we had a very good relationship with

Xerox,” says Managing Director Padraic Kierans. “We received an excellent service from them so it was difficult for us to make the decision to move away from Xerox but when we went to do our research in the market we were determined to look at best in class that suited our needs. We looked at two options from Xerox, a model from HP, a Konica Minolta machine, and then the 136ppm Ricoh press. We asked each staff member to score each of the machines based on capital cost and ongoing cost, machine performance, saleability of the product, and the quality of the output. We sent 10 files to each of the suppliers and asked them to output them on the devices.

Based on that, and on the costs we received, we got our staff to score the machines in each of those four categories. We fully expected Xerox to win out but, to everyone’s surprise, including my own, Ricoh came out on top.” Padraic reports that the installation of the Ricoh press has proven to be ‘revolutionary’ for the company. “The output is phenomenal,” he says. “Opting to go with a new service provider on the digital press side was a bit of a gamble for us but it has been a very positive experience.

The Ricoh Pro C9110 is a very reliable machine, the uptime is fantastic, and the speed of output has really surprised us. The rated speed stays the same across all stock weights up to 350gsm. Its functionality makes it unique – we can do a six page A4 and we can also do a four page A4 landscape, which we couldn’t do on the previous machines that we operated.

We have a client that has Pantone colours that are a nightmare to print process. Theirs was the first sheet off the press and the quality was as good if not better than litho.” Anglo Printers’ investment was motivated by a desire to improve the quality of their digital output and to migrate some of their litho work to digital. “We were competitive on short runs on litho and that is why we kept a lot of that work on the Komori but we needed to free up some capacity on the Komori to do more long run work and the Ricoh device has allowed us to do that without sacrificing on quality,” says Padraic. “In the first three weeks with the new Pro C9110 we had four times the digital output that we had been generating previously and so far we have migrated somewhere in the region of 20% of our litho work to digital. In addition, we have taken on another operator since installing the Pro C9110 so that is a mark of how successful the installation has been for us.”

Padraic Kierans (left), Anglo Printers, with Paul Kealy of Ricoh Ireland.

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TEN TOP STORIES

Kilmartin Goes for High Speed Digital Litho and digital printers T Kilmartin & Son, who are also one of Ireland’s oldest trading companies, installed a Konica Minolta bizhub Press C1085 in August. The company was already operating a Konica Minolta bizhub 7000.

“We were very happy with the bizhub 7000 which we found to be a reliable and robust machine,” says Production Manager Caroline MacAodha. “The print quality did not deteriorate over time. We were also very happy with the print registration achievable on this press. The new C1085 has allowed us to increase capacity without increasing the production hours. This is a faster machine than the C7000 and it does not reduce speed when printing on heavier weights, which was a key factor in our decision to purchase. The C1085 is now our main press but we held on to the C7000 as it is still a very reliable backup for busy periods.” Kilmartins’ first digital press was a Xerox 250. “However, now, as experienced digital printers, we have become fans of Konica Minolta,” says Caroline. “We installed Konica Minolta technology in 2012 because we were amazed at the advancements in digital technology that Konica had made - the increased speed, the larger capacity trays, the range of stocks that we could print on, the consistency in solids and the print registration were all excellent.” Kilmartins were traditionally lithographic printers and they currently operate four Heidelberg litho presses ranging frovm single colour to full colour. The company also offers finishes such as foiling, embossing, thermography and die-cutting. “The print market is definitely picking up, although prices continue to be very competitive,” says Caroline. “During the recession we found that customers reviewed print costs and adjusted their budgets downward to suit their circumstances. Currently, we are experiencing an upward demand for general print and high end niche print finishes such as foiling, thermographic printing, de-bossing, embossing and duplexing, which is evidence of increased activity in print marketing material. Overall, this indicates a positive outlook for the print industry.” T Kilmartin & Son commenced trading in Belfast in 1866. In the 1920s Kilmartin Print re-located to Nassau Street in Dublin where the company traded successfully until 1970 when they moved to Santry in Dublin 9. In 1996 the company moved to its present location - a purpose-built print works at Clonshaugh Industrial Estate in Dublin 17. Kilmartin Print has been Irish family-owned and managed since its formation in 1866. The Beirne family have managed the company since 1970 and Mary Beirne is the current Managing Director. Kilmartin Print employs 19 full-time staff, many of whom have more than 20 years’ service with the company.

New Role at Xeretec Ireland Leading Xerox digital print hardware supplier, Xeretec, has appointed John Harcourt as Graphic Communications ABOVE: John Harcourt.

Specialist for Ireland.

John joined the company in 2013 and has since helped commercial print companies to develop their print environments, including those within design agencies and in-house print rooms. “The appointment of a dedicated Graphic Communications Specialist will allow us deliver a centralised focus in this market sector,” says Xeretec Ireland Managing Director Cliff Barnes. “With an ever increasing Xerox Production Product portfolio we recognise the need to ensure that our existing customers are fully informed when making next step decisions for their business. The consultative expertise that we will bring to both our customers and non customers alike will ensure that solutions are delivered based on an understanding of what the customer needs.” Established in 1991, Xeretec has grown to become Xerox’s largest reseller in Western Europe for light and heavy production print technology and is the number one iGen reseller in Europe. The company also has a strong presence in office print technology and a portfolio of Managed Print Services solutions.

BELOW: Caroline Mac Aodha, Production Manager, with Andrew Beirne, Assistant Production Manager at T Kilmartin & Son.

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TEN TOP STORIES

Ink Quality Tips the Balance in Favour of Fujifilm Doggett Print and Design recently invested in a Fujifilm Acuity LED 1600 wide format printer from Fujifilm distributor Litho Supplies. “The Fujifilm Acuity LED 1600 has a UV curing system so it complements our Arizona 250, which also has UV curing but is roll to roll,” says Managing Director Mark Murray. “However, the main reason we opted for the Acuity was the white ink that it is capable of laying down. We looked at a number of roll to roll and large format machines and we found that the ink was very opaque and slightly off white. Fujifilm’s Acuity model was the one that produced the best white ink quality by far. The other big plus for the machine is that it gives us the ability to spot UV varnish our large format and POS material in one pass.” The printer was installed in June and Mark says that the training and back up service they received from Fujifilm and Litho Supplies was excellent. The Acuity LED 1600 can print on flexible and rigid substrates up to 13mm thick. It has an eight-colour ink set, including CMYK, light cyan, light magenta, white and clear. Apart from the Acuity and the Arizona, Doggett’s also operate a Roland XF, which was installed early this year. “We print pull up banners, point of sale material, acetates - anything that we could print on the flatbed Arizona or on the Roland XF we can print on the Acuity so it is a very high end, high quality machine,” says Mark. “It is for the customer who has clients that want a bit more than a standard job.”

Doggett’s also installed the Xerox Versant 2100, which was launched this year, in January, making them one of the first printers in Ireland to install this Xerox technology. They also operate Konica Minolta black and white machines, as well as Konica Minolta sheetfed digital colour presses. “We offer services that other printers don’t offer such as PUR binding on site,” says Mark. “We also have SquareBack technology in our bookbinding department. With the Fujifilm Acuity, we can now do a pull up banner or unit and spot UV varnish that on site while we are printing it. We are upselling to our clients and therefore getting extra margin on what we are selling. Our clients are glad to pay it because of the quality and extra finishes that they are getting.” According to Mark, Doggett Print and Design has been growing at an average rate of 25% to 35% year-on-year since it opened for business in 2006. “I started with two employees and we now have 17. We began trading in a 5,000 square foot premises and over the last few years we have taken over other premises around Greenmount Industrial Estate so, with the support of good suppliers like Richard Styles of Litho Supplies, and through education and attention to our customers, we have experienced very favourable trading conditions.” The sheetfed litho and large format print company is part of the Doggett Group, which includes Stray Dog, their graphic design and digital communications arm, and OC Digital, which specialises in small format digital print. Clients range from PricewaterhouseCoopers to Crown Paints and Mothercare. “We have some super brands on our books so it is all about keeping them happy and helping them to stand out from their competitors.”

Smurfit Invests €1m in GPMI Graphic & Paper Merchants Ireland (GPMI) has received a €1m equity investment from Dr Dermot Smurfit. Enda Brophy, majority shareholder and GPMI Managing Director, has welcomed the investment, saying that Dr Smurfit brings vast experience and understanding of the sector. “Customers will welcome this news as it strengthens the level of competition in the market,” says Enda. “The higher margin graphic materials business, representing approximately 40% of group turnover, has seen strong growth which is expected to continue. GPMI will target growth opportunities in the industry and expects to increase its share of the paper market through acquisitions and consolidation opportunities.” Commenting on the investment, Dr Smurfit said he was “delighted to partner with Enda Brophy in helping to bring the new company to a new level of excellence in serving its existing and future customers.” GPMI bought out the Irish arm of PaperlinX in a management buyout (MBO) last June. Dermot Grant of Origin Corporate Finance advised GPMI on the MBO and investment. GPMI has a turnover of €32m and employs 40 staff in the Republic of Ireland and 12 in Northern Ireland.

The Fujifilm Acuity LED 1600.

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TEN TOP STORIES

Celebrating 25 Years of Out of Home Advertising Out of Home media agency, Kinetic is celebrating 25 years of communicating brand messages through Out of Home advertising. Kinetic operates on a 32-county basis with offices in Dublin and Belfast. Originally named ‘Poster Plan’, Kinetic was established in 1990 and was the brainchild of Simon Durham and Carol Hogan, who both previously worked for OAS (Outdoor Advertising Services). In 2008, Poster Plan rebranded as Kinetic as part of a strategic repositioning. Some of Kinetic’s longest standing clients include Coca Cola, Irish Distillers and Heineken. The early 1990s saw major changes in the market, most notably the introduction of backlit six sheets into bus shelters, replacing the existing four sheet size. In 2008, the introduction of scrolling, illuminated Metropoles transformed the face of OOH across Dublin. More recently, Kinetic were the first to book campaigns on the first 96 sheet lightbox in Dundrum, as well as the 48 sheet lightboxes at Naas Road and Donnybrook. Additional 48 sheet lightboxes are expected throughout the country later this year. Back in the 1990s and up until the last seven or eight years, special builds or innovations were a rarity. Now they can be seen in every cycle, from 3D builds and lighting effects, to wrapped bus shelters and wrapped Luas columns, making OOH a more sophisticated and interactive experience.

Intelligent Business Cards Come Alive with Arjowiggins Web-based print business MOO has just revolutionised the humble business card. Inspired by Arjowiggins Creative Papers’ patented Alive connected paper, Business Cards+ is an interactive platform that can deliver a range of digital actions and smart functionality. Simply tap to an NFC-enabled device, such as a mobile phone, and Business Cards+ comes to life. The interactive nature of the physical cards is made possible by Arjowiggans Creative Papers’ patented PowerCoat technology and their Alive! range of connected papers.

Arjowiggins Creative Papers launched PowerCoat, an ultra smooth paper developed specially for the printing of electronic circuitry, in 2012. Two years later, the company announced the addition of the ‘Alive’ range of NFC papers to the PowerCoat family. To create ‘Alive’, electronics are pre-printed onto a PowerCoat paper base by using silver inks. A tiny silicon chip is then embedded into the circuitry and thin grades of the company’s fine paper are laminated onto both sides, completely hiding the circuitry. The final product is ready for conventional printing and finishing. Conqueror, Arjowiggins Creative Papers’ flagship brand, is available in an NFC, connected version. Conqueror Alive is the chosen substrate for MOO’s new Business Cards+ range. Business Cards+ are driven by URLs that you can change even after you have handed out your cards. Business Cards+ are initially available in a run of up to five different backgrounds for every pack of 20 cards ordered. Business Cards+ will be available in MOO’s matte finish and the packs come in a futuristic neon and white gloss relief patterned box. “Of course we love print but because we also love the web we wanted to bring those two worlds together, making paper more useful than it has ever been,” says MOO’s Founder and CEO Richard Moross.

“As soon as we saw this technology we knew we had to develop it. It provides us with an enormous commercial opportunity, but really it is all about our mission to help our customers to stand out. Now for the first time we’re able to give them a whole new digital, as well as paper, world. We can’t wait to see how they use it.”

BELOW: Kinetic is celebrating 25 years of communicating brand messages through Out of Home advertising. Pictured at the company’s 25th party at House in Dublin are Founders Simon Durham and Carol Hogan.

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COVER STORY

Antalis Ireland

HERITAGE, EXPERTISE & INNOVATION

Antalis is the leading paper and substrate supplier in Ireland, with an annual turnover of around â‚Ź45m a year, but its state of the art warehousing and distribution facilities in Finglas, Dublin, are a far cry from its humble beginnings, which date back to 1840.

Creative papers from the Curious Collection.

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COVER STORY

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hat’s when Scotsman Andrew Armstrong set up a branch of the paper and stationery firm Alex Cowan & Co on D’Olier Street in Dublin and, since then, Antalis has experienced many changes during its 175 years. All manufacturing has long since ceased and today the business is focused on supplying customers from its portfolio of 13,000 different product lines, ranging from paper, envelopes and consumables to packaging and visual communication products.

Despite the many changes over the years, the customer remains at the heart of Antalis and it has been this customer-orientated approach, combined with the company’s continued ability to change, develop and innovate, that has transformed the company into Europe’s leading distributor of paper, packaging solutions, and visual communications products, with a number two ranking worldwide.

Drawing on its long standing heritage, and bringing together the expertise and strength of all aspects of its business operations, Antalis is uniquely positioned to provide outstanding and trusted customer service. Through harmonised sales and marketing, shared supply and logistics systems, and extensive local market knowledge and expertise, Antalis Ireland delivers the widest and most innovative ranges of products and solutions for the local graphic arts community. “Whether you are running a commercial print company, a graphic design or advertising agency, a packaging firm, or small office, we have something to offer that can help, while saving you time and money,” says Eoin Heagney, Managing Director of Antalis Ireland. “And it is all backed up by a service that we are extremely proud to say is second to none.”

Just in Time As the supply and demand market for print consumables has shifted to a just in time model, with few print businesses now holding quantities of stock at their own premises, Antalis has become an extension of its customers’ own business in terms of warehousing and storage. This has led to a change in the working relationship between Antalis and its customers, whereby trust and confidence in ‘just in time’ delivery is paramount. To meet these changing demands, and maximise efficiencies in its own warehousing and distribution operations, Antalis has invested in the latest automated warehouse, pick, pack and logistics systems to ensure that the right products are selected and delivered to the right customer at the right time.

A Winning Team While on time delivery is absolutely crucial, it is the extra dimension that Antalis brings to the market that sets it apart. The company is constantly looking for creative and ground-breaking substrates and solutions that will enhance its already extensive portfolio and enable its customers to explore new applications, new opportunities, and potential new revenue streams.

In addition, the dedication, knowledge and expertise of its staff bring an understanding of the market that can add value that goes beyond that of the pure customer/supplier relationship. Eoin knows the importance of having the right team behind him. “Antalis may be able to offer the most extensive range of products in the country but if we don’t have a skilled and dedicated staff to help advise our customers, process orders, and get these products off the BELFAST INSIDE SALES TEAM (l-r): Billy Forsythe, Michael Press, and Rodger Woods.

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Historical Timeline of Antalis Ireland 1840 Dublin branch of Alex Cowan & Co Ltd established in D’Olier Street, Dublin 1887 The company moved to Lower Abbey Street when it purchased a saw mill on the site of the old Dunlop Building. At this time, envelopes were manufactured and book binding commenced. A branch was also opened in Dublin.

1915 Fire destroyed the buildings and machinery in Lower Abbey Street and the company moved to a disused tobacco factory in Amiens Street.

1927 A reorganisation of the business saw the Belfast office sold and old machinery was replaced with modern equipment from Britain, Germany and the US. 1939 The business expanded its manufacturing to include manuscript books and stationery, as well as operating a considerable paper merchanting business.

1948 The company was sold to envelope and stationery manufacturers Pirie, Appleton & Co Ltd, a subsidiary of the Wiggins Teape Group of Papermaking Companies of London.

1951 The two businesses were combined to form a new subsidiary sales company known as Pirie, Armstrong Ltd with a warehouse and offices established at the corner of Moss Street and City Quay.

1963 The businesses were amalgamated to form Wiggins Teape (Ireland) Ltd and centralised into one facility at 74 to 112 East Wall Road, Dublin.

1991 Arjo-Wiggins Appleton was created following the merger of the Frenchbased company Arjomari Prioux and Wiggins Teape Appleton. The merchanting division was known as Arjowiggins Merchanting.

2000 Arjowiggins Merchanting becomes Antalis, a subsidiary of the Sequana Group.

2007 Antalis acquires Map Merchants, which includes McNaughton Paper.

2013 Antalis acquires the Xerox Document Supplies Europe Business in 16 Western European countries, including Ireland.

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COVER STORY DUBLIN TEAM (l-r-back): Alan Daly, Ian McGrath, Eddie Moloney, Hilary Fleming and Chris Crowe, (l-r-front): Linda Geraghty, Peter Denner, Sarah Reidy and Clodagh Kelly.

Alan Boyd, One of Our Longest Serving Employees at Antalis Ireland Warehouse Operative Alan Boyd is one of the longest serving employees at Antalis Ireland, and is the third generation member of the Boyd family to work at the company.

“My grandfather was the first of us to work at Antalis back in the 1920s, when it was Wiggins Teape,” says Alan. “He was followed by my father, who joined the company in 1943 and clocked up 42 years. It was when my father was the Warehouse Manager that he got me a weeks’ work at Antalis back in April 1987 and I’m still here 28 years later!” Alan has witnessed a great deal of change during his time with Antalis. “When I first started working for the company we had a factory in Dublin’s docklands making envelopes for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which were exported to the UK. So, when you received those dreaded tax demand letters, they arrived in one of our envelopes!”

Today, Antalis is a supply and distribution business which handles over 13,000 different product lines, with the warehouse being the central hub of the Antalis operation. “Many of our customers no longer have large warehouses of their own so they rely on us to deliver the right product on a Just in Time basis,” says Alan.

“Efficiency is therefore essential. When I began working nearly three decades ago every job was manually tracked. Today we have a highly automated ‘pick and pack’ operation that enables us to get the right stock to the right customer at the right time.”

Alan is clear about why he and his father and grandfather before him have served Antalis so loyally for so many years.

“Antalis is a great company to work for,” he says. “They look after their employees and they are ambitious and progressive but, most of all, they look after their customers.”

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shelves and out the door, we would quite easily fail,” he says.

Antalis Ireland employs around 48 staff, all of whom are based at its Dublin and Belfast facilities, while its regional sales managers are constantly on the road serving customers in the local community. With a staggering number of combined years of service, the team at Antalis Ireland integrates long-standing service and expert knowledge with new recruits who are keen to learn from the experienced while introducing and embracing the new.

Training and Development Training and development is not just reserved for its employees. Antalis operates educational programme for its customers. This includes a range of online tools, discussion forums, and podcasts on digital print topics via its Digital2business website, as well as hosting a series of practical workshops at its training Academy at the Group’s headquarters facility in the UK. These workshops, which cover topics such as sign making, colour management and framing, are aimed at print

service providers looking to expand their knowledge of new applications and explore opportunities to enable them to extend their services and increase revenue streams.

The scope of substrates and consumables supplied

by Antalis has come a long way since it first started supplying envelopes and paper products in the 1800s. Digital print continues to be a growing sector of the print industry and this is fuelling the continued demand for a range of digital papers, such as Olin Digital. For use with HP Indigo and dry toner technology, this family of premium digital papers achieves pure tinted areas and vivid colour reproduction. Similarly, the sign and display sector is seeing an upward surge of activity, with advances in inkjet technology opening up the opportunities to print on more innovative substrates. In addition, there is a revival of the use of creative, textured papers in the design world, which is boosting the sales of highly innovative papers such as the ‘Curious Collection’.

These papers not only offer high impact visual appeal, but special sensory ‘touch and feel’ qualities to the printed product.

Research and Development Research and ongoing product development is therefore a significant part of the business at Antalis, and one that Eoin believes helps the company to maintain its leading edge in the market. “We are continually adapting our product offering, not only in reaction to changing demands but by looking ahead and anticipating the future needs of our customers,” he says. “This could entail the introduction of new environmental classifications for our papers, bringing innovative substrates to market, or by just working with our customers to review their current services and offer advice and support to printers who are introducing alternative solutions that will enable them to exploit new sectors. Times are changing in the printing industry but if we continue to adapt and evolve, we are confident that there is a positive future ahead for us and our customers.”

Sarah Reidy: Youngest and Latest Recruit From experience to next generation, Sarah Reidy is the youngest and latest recruit to join Antalis following a four-year course studying Print and Digital Media Technology. “When I finished college, I was looking for a job where I could use my knowledge and experience of print and media, as well as have the opportunity to learn, gain experience and start to build a career for myself,” says Sarah. Having just completed her first year as a sales advisor which entails taking calls, processing orders and handling customer queries, as well as supporting a number of key accounts and two regional sales reps, Sarah is enjoying the interaction with customers and the experience of learning from her colleagues. “I learn something new every day. There is always a new product that customers are looking for and the people I work alongside are fantastic. Their product knowledge is extraordinary and they are always willing to go the extra mile to help a customer. I knew Antalis was a leading company so when I was offered the job, I jumped at the chance. It has enabled me to use some of the skills that I learned on my course, as well as develop new ones, while constantly learning from those around me. I’ve been so lucky to find a company that not only looks after me but looks after its customers as well.”

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INTERVIEW

Stephen Palmer (left), Production Print Director, Ricoh UK and Ireland, with Kevin Dunn, PHD Business Development Director, PHD Mail Ltd who announced their investment in the Ricoh InfoPrint 5000 Production CMYK Inkjet platform at The Print Show.

Flagship Irish Installs Signal

STEADY GROWTH for Ricoh

As I sit down with Ricoh’s Stephen Palmer for a chat at The Print Show I can see he is a very happy man. Ricoh took a bit of a gamble when they signed up to the inaugural show, but it has more than paid off, with Stg1.5m worth of new deals signed up at their stand during the three-day event.

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T

he big deals transacted at the show reinforce the growth that the brand is enjoying in the digital print production market and its recent successes in the UK and Irish markets in particular.

“Over 12,400 people preregistered for The Print Show – the organisers had set a target of 10,000 – so that is a terrific achievement for the inaugural event,” says Stephen. “I’m delighted that Ricoh has supported the show and with what we have gained from our presence at the NEC in Birmingham. Given the Ipex announcement and the fact that Drupa 2016 is several months away, this dedicated show for the UK and Irish print industries fills a gap in the market for an event that showcases the latest technology to British and Irish print service providers.”

He tells me that their Irish business, including their production print operation, has enjoyed steady growth for three years now. “The print industry is a good barometer for the economy generally and Ricoh has seen improvements in the economy, with confidence coming back into the print sector in Ireland. In fact, we have experienced more investment this year than in the previous two years combined and that is down to a pick-up in the industry and in the wider economy, but can also be attributed to our developing product range. In 2015 we have sold seven 7100 presses into the general commercial print sector in Ireland and two 9110 presses – one to Anglo Printers in Drogheda and one to Colour World in Kilkenny (see story on Page 6). In both cases the Ricoh presses are being used for general print work and for runs of up to 1,000 or 2,000 copies. The traditional cut off had been 400 or 500 copies for our 901 or 900 range so that has now gone

09/11/2015 15:41

INTERVIEW up considerably. And the quality is definitely comparable to litho. Some of our customers even prefer the colour produced on our digital presses to what they see produced on litho presses. Both of the recent 9110 installations in Ireland are new placements and it is the first time that both companies have invested in Ricoh presses. 50% of our 7100 installations in the UK and Ireland are new business wins.”

In the UK 50% of Ricoh’s business is in the commercial print sector and the other 50% is in the corporate and government space – and workflow a vital part of their value proposition in the corporate sector. “In commercial print we have led with the 9100 and 7100 series up to now,” says Stephen.

“And our service and product reliability, reputation, image quality, and cost of ownership makes a compelling proposition, but we want to bring more value into the print space because printers need to bring more value to their customers. Marcom Central, our software-as-a-service platform that manages and customises a company’s marketing content across the entire organisation, is part of that. We are progressing well on that in the UK but there is more work to be done in promoting this and generating take up in Ireland. We are trying to help Irish print companies to change their mindset. We want them to see changing direction and diversifying their product as not simply moving some or all of their output from litho to digital print, but also as using digital print technology and digital media to add value to their customers. For example, the Ricoh Clickable Paper product is becoming popular with printers We get a lot of enquiries and we have customers who use it to good effect because it is a bridge between the print and digital world.”

We are trying to help Irish print companies to change their mindset. We want them to see... diversifying their product as not simply moving...their output from litho to digital, but also as using digital print technology and digital media to add value to their customers.”

Better Together Partnerships are a core part of the Ricoh business model. Like a lot of other big brands, they have engaged in numerous partnerships on the digital front end and finishing sides that are not always visible to the external market, such as those with Fiery, Duplo, and Morgana, among others, and, more recently, Watkiss. However, the most high profile of all is their alliance with the world’s largest manufacturer of printing presses, Heidelberg. “We have a strong relationship with Heidelberg in the UK but not yet in Ireland,” says Stephen. “However, Gerard Heanue and I talk regularly and we are trying to develop the partnership in Ireland because it is a real success story for both brands in the UK. For example, the digital side of Heidelberg’s business in the UK has grown 30% to 35% since the partnership began. In the UK we have 46% to 50% of the digital cut sheet colour market and Heidelberg played an important part in the achievement of those statistics. Heidelberg is a massive brand in the commercial print space and when we entered into the commercial print market three or four years ago, the partnership with Heidelberg helped us to reach the point that we are at now as a well respected operator in this space. Gerard and I need to put the agreement in place and it requires close cooperation at field level, which we have in the UK, so we now need to build that in Ireland.”

Commercial Print The Irish market is five per cent of Ricoh’s UK business. “However, our commercial print market is disproportionately bigger in Ireland than it is in the UK, although it generates relatively small numbers,” he says. “We have

Stephen Palmer, Production Print Director, Ricoh UK and Ireland.

sold 100 to 150 units in the UK for 2015 and we have sold 12 in Ireland this year. General commercial print, especially transactional print, is a key market for Ricoh but we are moving into direct mail and book printing.

Ricoh offers two types of large format printing platforms – the toner-based Pro 2200 system, which bridges the gap between technical wide format and low end graphics, and the Pro 4160 latex press. “We sold about 70 or 80 of the Pro 2200 press in the UK and Ireland this year and the

BELOW: The Pro C9100 is a 120ppm press with a four-colour only engine.

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INTERVIEW

Pro 4160 has been very successful for us in the commercial print space,” says Stephen. “We have sold a few of this model in the UK but not in Ireland yet.

The sales in the UK were to UK printers who had already invested in the 9100 and 7100 and decided to move into the large format space by investing in the Pro 4160 so it is encouraging when we see that type of progression among our customer base. Packaging is the only area that we are not present in. However, I would envisage that, with our laser and inkjet technologies, we could get into that sector at some point in the future.”

Ricoh on Show Ricoh showcased some of its latest and flagship technologies at The Print Show, including Marcom Central. On the hardware side, the Ricoh stand featured the Pro C9110 and Pro C7110x digital colour cut sheet production systems, and the Pro 8110 digital mono cut sheet production system, as well as their wide format Pro L4160 printer. Ricoh’s Pro L4160 is a latex, roll-to-roll large format printer that comes in 130cm (53 inch) or 160cm (63 inch) widths and supports up to seven colours in various configurations.

The Pro C7100x can be supplied as a five-colour machine offering clear toner for spot varnish effects and white toner for striking results on coloured boards and papers. The press is designed for versatility, including print to one metre in length, and lower fusing temperatures mean that it has the ability to cope with a greater range of papers and heat sensitive plastic materials. At The Print Show the press was running with Blake Envelopes to show the impact of overprinting on a coloured envelope. The Pro C9100 is a 120ppm press with a four-colour only engine. The high volume digital press is especially suited to larger commercial printers seeking to start up or expand their hybrid digital and offset workflow. It has the extended sheet length feature of the Pro C7100x and can also handle the textured materials and synthetics that the smaller machine handles. At The Print Show, it was running in line with the Watkiss PowerSquare binder, showing how stitched spine finished products can be delivered without the additional finishing step.

Ricoh launched its newly-developed inline SquareBack booklet-making solution in collaboration with Watkiss at the show. The Watkiss PowerSquare 224 has now been configured to integrate in line with the Pro C9100 series and Pro C7100X series, as well as the Ricoh Pro C8100 series. The Watkiss PowerSquare 224 combines the four processes of stitching, folding, spineforming and trimming to produce SquareBack books up to 224 pages thick.

It supports a maximum paper size of 330m x 520mm. The Watkiss machine can run at an average of 50,000 plus books per month and 150,000 books per month at peak times. It has fully automatic settings for different book sizes and pagination, including variable stitch-leg length to support different book thicknesses. Its maximum book thickness of 10.4mm is double that of conventional booklet making machines. This makes it ideal for books with a high volume of pages or those produced on thicker stocks. Orders could be placed since the beginning of October for the Watkiss PowerSquare equipped Pro C9100 series and Pro C7100 series digital colour production systems, and in early 2016 for Pro C8100 series digital mono production systems.

ABOVE: John McBride was appointed Business Excellence Manager, Ricoh Ireland, on October 14th. John’s primary focus will be to manage Ricoh Ireland’s quality management system and CSR division, as well as delivering a programme of continuous improvement across all areas of the business.

Why Support The Print Show?

Stephen says that The Print Show is good value for money. “It is a compact and focused show and we felt that the UK and Irish markets needed a dedicated print show. Also, there is always a risk that the market becomes too quiet prior to Drupa. We signed some business on our stand for the Pro 9100 and Pro 7100 but not for Ireland, unfortunately. By the end of the show we hope to have signed up a significant amount of new business, and, in addition, I think there will be a strong spin off from the show.”

A couple of hour after our chat I return to the Ricoh stand and my timing couldn’t have been better. The UK’s PHD Mailing company were about to announce their investment in a Ricoh IP 5000 colour continuous inkjet machine. The deal represents an Stg£1m investment over five years.

BELOW: The Pro 8110 digital mono cut sheet production system.

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09/11/2015 15:41

BEST BUYS

BINDER PROVES

PERFECT FOR WESTSIDE In the second of a series of reports on the equipment that is helping Irish print companies to expand their service offering, we look at the impact that the Horizon BQ 270 perfect binder is having on Dublin’s Westside Press, one of Ireland’s most successful print service providers. hen it comes to shortrun digital bookbinding, print service providers need an easy-to-use and highly reliable binder that can produce top quality books with quick and easy changeovers.

They can, of course, outsource this work and, up until September 2014, Westside Press had always sent their small run digital work out for finishing. But last year they decided to take this operation in-house and they are delighted that they made the decision to invest in the Horizon BQ 270 perfect binder, which was supplied by Portman Graphic.

Westside Press Production Manager Jonathan Nelson says that the amount of small run digital work that the company was producing was increasing steadily and they wanted to find a more economical way of handling this work, as well as a process that would give them more control over the entire print job. “For typical runs of up to 500 books we can turn them around very quickly with the Horizon BQ 270,” he says. “We found that it was very handy to have this piece of kit in-house. Ultimately, it has increased our speed of production, our turnaround time on jobs, and it has saved us money as well.”

Westside Press is a long-standing customer of Portman Graphic, having installed various pieces of finishing kit over the years. “We operate a lot of folders and other equipment from Portman Graphic but the Horizon BQ 270 was our first perfect binder and probably the finishing investment that has made the biggest difference to our operation. It gives our print customers the option of having a perfect binder to finish off their work and we also now bring in a lot of work to perfect bind for the trade so it has made a great difference to the company. It has also made a positive difference to me as Production Manager because I don’t have to worry about work coming back to us late from another finishing department. I can now control every aspect of a print job in-house.”

Jonathan says that he would have no hesitation in recommending the binder to other print companies. “It is a flawless machine,” he says. “There is a scoring feature on the cover so you don’t have to pre-score your covers, and all the other processes are automatic. It is a really clean machine and it is compact – it doesn’t take up too much room on the production floor.”

Westside Press perfect binds a variety of digital and litho printed material on the Horizon BQ 270, such as

IP Nov_Dec 2015 _Best Buys.indd 17

programmes and magazines, as well as journals, including school journals. “I would say that on average it can bind 250 books per hour and that is without a three knife trimmer,” says Jonathan.

“The output level is is probably the same with the three knife trimmer but we would need another operator on the machine. We would like to invest in a bigger binder but at the moment the Horizon BQ 270 is perfect for what we are producing.”

Key Features – Horizon BQ 270 Perfect Binder The Horizon BQ-series perfect binders have become the industry standard in short-run book manufacturing. Key features include a fully automated set up via colour touchscreen, the ability to store recurring jobs for instant recall, and the capacity to produce top quality books up to two inches thick at up to 500 cycles per hour, with set ups in under one minute. The binder also has an automatic thickness caliper which conveys data for precise sub-system setup, allowing true book-of-one production. Also, the system can be enhanced with JDF capability via the Horizon pXnet bindery control system.

The Horizon BQ 270 perfect binder supplied

by Portman Graphic.

From small format equipment to the largest presses and bindery equipment, Portman can help you with your project. Contact us on Tel: 01 6233977. Email: info@ portmangraphic.ie or visit www. portmangraphic.ie.

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THE PRINT SHOW

GO FORTH AND DIVERSIFY Based on what I saw during my day long visit on October 14th, The Print Show in Birmingham’s NEC (13 to 15 October) seems to have surpassed the organisers’ expectations – and pleasantly surprised many of the exhibitors.

Textile printing was one of the areas highlighted at The Print Show as having the potential to boost printers’ profits.

Design 2015. It was a new and rather novel way for visitors to experience what the litho manufacturer is up to without manroland having to incur the cost of transporting and installing presses at an exhibition venue. The advantages of their LED UV technology was the focus of KBA’s display at The Print Show, while Presstek set out a very impressive stall with its litho presses and plates. steady flow of visitors, a good mix of suppliers across digital, litho, finishing, and software, and some innovative features distinguished the event from other more established exhibitions in the print industry calendar.

Ricoh and Konica Minolta were there to represent the digital world, KBA and manroland provided the litho print presence, although the latter was without presses. manroland used the world’s most advanced virtual reality technology, an Oculus Rift headset, to give visitors to The Print Show a three minute tour of their Roland 700 Evolution press, the first sheetfed offset printing press to receive the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product

IP Nov_Dec 2015 _Print Show.indd 18

Remanufacturing Proves Popular

Presstek was promoting its move into remanufacturing, as well as launching its eco UV technology. “The DI range was and remains popular and is a good solution for today’s print service provider,” said Presstek’s Ian Pollock. “But Presstek now also sources machines, mainly from finance houses and printers that have gone bust, and we completely remanufacture them and test them for print. We have been successfully remanufacturing our 34DI and 52DI presses and we offer a 12 month warranty for remanufactured presses, as well as new presses. 500 to 10,000 job runs are ideal for our presses and they complement a print company’s array of digital presses. Our eco UV unit offers instant drying of the substrate using low energy UV.

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THE PRINT SHOW

It uses 25% of the power of a normal UV unit and it allows printers to print on a variety of substrates.

The small printer is struggling with, among other things, reducing print runs and the race to the bottom on price so Presstek is the ideal solution as our presses will help printers deliver higher margin products. Presstek is evolving its DI technology to suit today’s tough market by introducing the remanufacturing option and the low energy eco UV solution. In addition, we will be launching a new thermo CtP plate called Gemplate, which cuts out stages in the print process. It will be launched commercially in quarter one of 2016 and it is an open platform plate so it can be used on any press.”

Digital Dynamic

Konica Minolta had one of the largest stands at the event and was building up to the commercial launch of its KM1 sheetfed inkjet press, which is expected at drupa next year. It is a joint project between Konica Minolta and Komori using UV inkjet to print a B2 sheet. The manufacturer exhibited a range of unique products, including the MGI Jet Varnish 3DS, a UV spot coater that highlights defined areas and 3D effects. In combination with the Konica Minolta print heads, the new varnish formula enables printers to create a 3D effect on laminated surfaces or directly on toner. The variable data option delivers full personalisation capabilities.

Konica Minolta strengthened its new partnership with EFI, following the signing of its distribution agreement in February, by showcasing the EFI Vutek H1625 LED printer on its stand at the exhibition.

This is part of Konica Minolta’s wider strategy to move into the competitive inkjet market. The EFI Vutek H1625 LED is one of the manufacturer’s flagship pieces of technology. Printing four colours plus white and greyscale, it can hit 42.3 square metres per hour and can easily shift between flatbed and roll to roll print production. At the exhibition, Konica Minolta carried out live printing

BELOW: The advantages of their LED UV technology was the focus of KBA’s display at The Print Show.

demonstrations on the EFI H1625 LED using different substrates to show commercial printers what is possible. The show also marked the UK debut for Konica Minolta’s Bizhub Press C71HC, which is said to be the world’s only printer featuring High Chroma Toner, as well as high speed digital presses, the Bizhub C1060 Pro and C1100.

Smart Software Solutions

Flying the Irish flag at The Print Show was smart software solutions company Pyxis (see Irish Printer – November 2014) whose stand showcased its range of software solutions, including Pyxis Imposed, its digital numbering and imposition software, now with prediction and learning features, Pyxis Ink, which sets ink keys to an accurate initial value, and Pyxis QR, which instantly converts any URL into a quick response code. Also on display was information on Pyxis Quickpost, which extends the functionality of INPUT accounting software, Pyxis Invoicing, which records sales and create invoices and statements, Pyxis Numbers, which creates a numbered file for use with Adobe InDesign, and Pyxis Cloud, which can convert any website/webspace into a private cloud. New software packages that Brendan Dooley of Pyxis Software has introduced since we last spoke include Pyxis Newsimpo, which provides automatic imposition of newspaper pages from the local network or remote planet - it supersedes Pyxis Pages - and Pyxis Barcode, which generates and imposes barcodes for the packaging printer. Pyxis Design is their DIY application for creating leaflets, flyers and posters.

Adding Value

Professional print applications that provide added revenue making opportunities was the theme of Oki Systems UK’s stand at The Print Show. Centre stage was its five colour digital LED ES9541 which can print white or clear on coloured media, offering print shops and designers the opportunity to take on high gloss finish short-run jobs without the need for expensive lithographic equipment. This printer is also highly versatile when it comes to media. OKI’s digital LED technology enables printing on a complete range of sizes, from A6 to SRA3 or banners up to 1.3 metres on weights up to 360gsm single-sided and 320gsm duplex. The OKI C711WT can print on different substrates, including glass bottles, leather and plastics, which paves the way for print shops to innovate further and add to their capabilities by printing packaging or offering personalised products on the spot.

Oki Data Corporation announced on October 1st that it had completed the acquisition of the wide format printer business of Seiko l Infotech Inc, a subsidiary of Seiko Instruments. So, following the acquisition, the Colorpainter M64 – a solvent based wide format printer - was also on display at The Print Show. The ColorPainter M-64s features eco-solvent ink that offers high speed printing, low odour and three years of outdoor durability without lamination. With its top speed of up to 66.5 square metres per hour, Oki says that this printer was developed specifically to address the growing demand for high productivity in the outdoor signage and indoor graphics markets.

The manufacturer claims that it produces excellent image quality on PVC, even at 33.1 square metres per hour. John Sweeney, Managing Director of Dublin-based Spectrum Digital Services, the Irish distributor for the Oki large format printer range, reports that the ColorPainter M-64s model is proving popular with Irish print companies. They recently sold two M-64s to Eco Rock and another to DBS Print & Sign.

Apart from presses, there was plenty of finishing technology at The Print Show, from the Watkiss PowerSquare unit and lay flat Fastbind technology offered by Ashgate Automation, to mailing systems from KAS Paper Systems and CMC Machinery, laminators from D&K Europe, wire binding from Renz, Joto and Simply Print Finishing, to perfect binders from Watkiss, Terry Cooper Services, Morgana and Perfect Bindery Solutions.

Diversification Zone

The Print Show introduced a number of new features to the exhibition scene, including traditional print masterclasses. These were a series of ongoing live demonstrations of traditional print and finishing techniques, from letter press to intaglio, relief, and stone litho printing. In addition, a diversification zone aimed to boost printers’ profits by helping them to expand their products and services into highly lucrative areas of print. From personalised drink cans and USB sticks, to gig wrist bands, there is profit to be had. That was the message from the expert consultants who were on hand in six diversification areas at the show – industrial print, textile printing, large format graphics, digital marketing services and crossmedia, packaging, and promotional print.

Another interesting feature was the three software training theatres for Adobe, Corel and Quark. Each one provided in-depth training to visitors as well as one-on-one consultancy free of charge in between sessions.

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11/11/2015 11:35

A New Dawn: Ricoh launches three new colour digital presses

If you would like better margins, an extended portfolio of services and a proposition that leaves your competitors in the last century, we’ve created something especially for you.

We’ve brought three new devices to market

For small to medium graphic arts businesses

Ricoh ProTM C7100 Series The Pro C7100 series delivers a premium finish that allows you to expand your print capacity and seize new digital opportunities with a 5th colour station.

For larger commercial printers

Ricoh ProTM C9100 Series The Pro C9100 series is a range of affordable digital colour production printers that have greater media handling capabilities than anything else in its class.

For medium to large graphic arts businesses

Ricoh ProTM VC60000 Series The Pro VC60000 series uses continuous feed, multi-drop ink technology that offers lightning-speed printing and is perfect for future-proofing your business.

ProTM C9100 Series

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Allow us to show you exactly how your business could prosper.

Visit us at our European Customer Experience Centre (CEC) for a full product demonstration.

Get in touch.

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FUTURE TECH Super creative printing from Canon.

FAST FORWARD

ww

TO THE FUTURE

Canon Europe showcased existing technologies to partners and customers at its Expo in Paris in October but the manufacturer also gave visitors an insight into new solutions that are currently being developed by its R&D teams.

Canon Expo in Paris

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Canon Technology Wows Printers in Paris

C

anon is developing solutions that enable our production print customers to adapt to an everchanging, multi-channel commercial world,” says Jeppe Frandsen, Head of the Production Printing Group at Canon Europe.

“Canon no longer sees print as a manufacturing industry, but a true service sector and it is working closely with B2B customers to build solutions that make the most of their combined expertise. As a result, Canon is focusing on growing print applications in numerous markets including packaging, book printing, textiles, décor and direct mail and solutions such as Canon’s Infinistream, ImageStream 3500 and 2400, ColorWave 910 and VarioPrint i300 were specifically developed to meet those requirements.”

Additional solutions on show at the Expo included 3D printing, mixed reality, the Canon imagePress C10000VP and the ColorWave 910, as well as an advanced workflow management system, and what Canon claims is the world’s smallest and lightest 4K projector.

Canon is taking its first steps into the 3D market with its partner 3D Systems. At Expo, two 3D Systems printers were on display while Canon’s Mixed Reality Solution – MREAL – combined real-world environments with virtual computer-generated-images (CGI). Mixed Reality is designed to address key challenges in the manufacturing industry and the technology has already been used by Canon, with its product prototype being manufactured since its launch in Japan. At Canon Expo, the MREAL system was featured in an automotive manufacturing environment where visitors could try out MREAL first hand as they experienced the technology inside a full scale car frame.

Launching in EMEA at Canon Expo, the

11/11/2015 11:38

FUTURE TECH imagePress C10000VP is Canon’s first colour digital print engine delivering print capabilities of 100 pages per minute. The press is designed to meet demand from both commercial and in-house print service providers for higher production volumes without compromising on quality. At Expo the imagePress C10000VP was shown in a print environment to highlight how Canon is helping its customers transform imaging technology into customer opportunity.

The recently launched Océ ColorWave 910 wide format colour printer delivers a printing speed of 1,000 square metres per hour. This next generation ‘single pass inkjet’ product offers productive CAD/GIS and poster printing, with the choice of two fully integrated finishing options - an online folder and the Océ dual tray high capacity stacker.

Also launched in EMEA at the Expo was Prismadirect, a management solution that enables in-house print facilities to streamline their entire production workflow. At Canon Expo, Prismadirect was shown in a bicycle manufacturing business scenario to let customers see how workflows can be improved to achieve outstanding results and maintain competitive advantage.

Canon Expo was the first time that Canon’s next generation 4K projector – the Xeed 4K500ST – was shown in Europe since its announcement in September. Designed for a wide range of applications, the LCOS projector is capable of displaying 5,000 lumen video and still images at a resolution of 4,096 x 2,400 pixels, a level of definition that surpasses the 4,096 x 2,160 pixel-resolution of 4K digital cinema.

At Canon Expo, visitors were able to step into an immersive theatre to experience the benefits of 4K resolution while exploring culturally significant sites from around the world.

Also launched in September 2015, the i-Sensys MF729Cx is designed to address the print and document challenges of small workgroups as part of a larger organisation. In addition to the core functionalities of print, copy and scan, the new i-Sensys MF729Cx brings additional mobile print features. At Canon Expo, the i-Sensys MF729Cx was on display in the Connecting with Enterprise zone, where visitors could see how Canon technologies, solutions and services can be optimised to help bring customer ideas to market, maximise growth and optimise back office systems.

FROM TOP: Super creative printing from Canon. BELOW: A high resolution printing solution.

Display Application Demand Boosts UV Inks Market

Demand for Canon’s UV curable ink has been growing since its launch at Fespa earlier this year. The ink is called IJC257 and it provides strong adhesion to different flexible outdoor and indoor media. The ink is developed for Canon’s 300, 400 and 600 printer series from the Océ Arizona collection. “The new IJC257 ink is a ‘best of both worlds’ product - it combines the high adhesion characteristics of our specialist industrial ink with the attractive satin-matt finish and superior colour gamut of our major sign and display ink product,” says Mathew Faulkner, Marketing Manager at Canon Europe’s Wide Format Printing Group. Demand for ink offering excellent adhesion, alluring surface features and great colour gamut has been driving the UV curable ink segment and UV curable ink manufacturers have been under pressure to develop multiple purpose ink

for sign, as well as display, applications. Since the retail industry occupies a significant market share, there has been a constant need for advancements to help ink add more value to the industry and deliver a valuable buyer experience. Big Market Research recently launched a report titled ‘World UV Curable Inks Market - Opportunities and Forecasts, 2014 – 2020’, which indicates how certain factor, such as eco-friendly technology, high efficiency, and use in 3D printing, have contributed to the rapid growth of the market.

BELOW: Canon’s next generation Pro Printers.

Next Generation Printers at Expo Canon’s new line of Pro printers at the Expo featured printers in a variety of sizes that make up the new line, including 60-inch, 44-inch and 17-inch models. The Canon 17-inch, 24-inch and 44-inch Pro line printers will all use a 12-ink system. High resolution and high dynamic range will be key features of these next generation printers. In addition to the Pro line printers featured at the Expo, a 60-inch and 44-inch option in the imagePrograf line were on display in the industrial printing area. Both of these devices will feature an eightcolour ink set, like the current iPF8400S and iPF9400S printers.

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PACKAGING

MASS CUSTOMISATION & PERSONALISATION

THE DIGITAL FUTURE BudLight is the latest brand to leverage our mass versioning technology to craft a custom and shareable experience.

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ud Light adopted HP digital print technology to produce 200,000 unique, limitededition festival cans available at the 2015 Mad Decent Block Party music festival events, making Bud Light not only the first beer but the first brand in the US to use HP SmartStream Mosaic for mass customisation.

In order to celebrate the music, culture and artistry that the Mad Decent Block Party festival is known for, Bud Light sought to capture the energy of the summer music scene through this first-ever custom packaging campaign for the US market.

Leveraging a HP Indigo WS6800

We report on HP’s recent collaboration with Bud Light, drupa’s plans to highlight how papers with outstanding sensory appeal and excellent finishing techniques can turn packaging into advertising media, and Durst’s latest inkjet solutions for the sector.

digital press and HP SmartStream Mosaic, 31 designs were transformed into more than 31 million possible graphics, ultimately creating 200,000 unique can designs with no two cans exactly alike. These special edition festival cans were made available at Mad Decent Block Party events during September in cities across the US and Canada. “This project would not have been possible without HP digital print technology, which allowed us to experiment and create an original experience with America’s favorite beer,” says Valerie Toothman, VP of Innovation, Anheuser-Busch.

“Today’s consumer is seeking unique, customised experiences. Consumer reactions at this summer’s Mad Decent Block parties are proving that custom graphics are indeed an impactful and relevant way to elevate a consumer’s experience with the Bud Light brand.”

The HP SmartStream Mosaic enables automatic creation of millions of designs based on core patterns, offering fast turnaround of highly customised campaigns where every copy is different. With a high degree of automation and tight integration with the converting process, this design software is helping the world’s leading brands to deliver one-of-a-kind packaging campaigns. “Customisation on a global scale is the next frontier for brands,” says Doris BrownMcNally, Worldwide Brands Business Development Manager, HP. “HP digital print offers the ability to quickly create and produce millions of unique designs, and BudLight is the latest brand to leverage our mass versioning technology to craft a custom and shareable experience.”

06/11/2015 09:43

TENDER SALE

On The Instructions of George Maloney, Baker Tilly Ryan Glennon Liquidator of Castle Print (Galway) Ltd (IVL) & Aengus Burns, Grant Thornton, Receiver of Graneway Limited (IR)

Heidelberg Speedmaster CD102 5+L Five Colour + Coating Press 75.8 M Imp. (2008)

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Heidelberg Speedmaster CD74-5+L-C Five Colour + Coating Press 71.7 M Imp. (2002)

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Astex Engineering Rotek Pallet Invertor with Blower

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Heidelberg GTO52, 36cm x 52cm Press

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Original Heidelberg Cylinder 54cm x 77cm

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Kodak Magnus 800 Plate Setting System (2007)

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Polar 115XT Guillotine with RA-4 Jogger & LW 1000 Stacklifts (2008)

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Polar Mohr 78X5 Guilloting (2004)

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Tauler Printlam 105 Laminator (2006)

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Muller Martini Bravo Bindery Line (2000)

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Stahl SBP46.2 & SBP66.2 Delivery Pressing Units

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Morgana Autocreaser Unit

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Duplo System 5000 Booklet Making System

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Jud FORMAP MR500 Perfect Binder

TENDER DATE, Friday 27 November 2015 by 12.00 Noon Viewing: Wednesday 18 & Thursday 26 November 2015, 10.00 – 16.00 & Morning of Sale 9.00 – 12 Noon.

Or by prior appointment For Further Information Contact: McKay, Dublin, t. 01 490 3130 e. info@mckay.ie View Photos & Download a Full Catalogue from Our Website

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11/11/2015 10:12

Europe, Asia and America – all to be found in Frankfurt!

THE HEART OF THE BUSINESS from 30. 1 – 2. 2. 2016 in Frankfurt am Main

Meet the Judges Irish Printer would like to thank our distinguished and expert panel of judges, including members who have provided a valuable service to the awards over the decades, as well as those who joined us this year.

The Irish Print Awards 2015 judging panel comprises: FREDDIE SNOWE Chairman, Irish Print Awards Judging Panel ANDREW HORAN Dublin Institute of Technology

61284-002_PW_Internationalitaet_IrishPrinter_130x390 • CD-Rom • ISO 39 • CMYK • tg: 18.09.2015

DU: 25.09.2015

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GB

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Book your ticket now and discover the world’s largest range of paper, office supplies and stationery products: paperworld.messefrankfurt.com/tickets

JOHN CHARNOCK Print Research International GERRY ROSS formerly of Robert Horne and Paperlinx Ireland IAN CAIRNS Belfast Metropolitan College

info@uk.messefrankfurt.com Tel. +44 (0) 14 83 48 39 83

LOUISE REDDY Dublin Institute of Technology KEITH REDMOND Flint Group DAVID MAHON EVAD DARREN FINN Flexographic Plate Plan Ltd

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PACKAGING The Power of Touch

Inkjet Applications Industrial inkjet application specialist Durst presented its latest solutions for the label and packaging printing sector at LabelExpo 2015, with a particular focus on the Durst Tau 330 UV inkjet printer which comes in a variety of configurations and integration options, as well as offering new workflow functions. The Tau 330 UV inkjet printer has been integrated into the production process of more than 50 companies, with Durst signing up new customers for the press in France and the UK. In addition to the individual configurability and the industrial scaling, a lot of attention was focused on the fully automated integration of the Tau 330 with third-party solutions. A comprehensive range of options was displayed by the print service provider Printum. Its stand was equipped with a 30 meter production line, consisting of a Tau 330 and a number of conventional finishing solutions. At the other end of the spectrum, Durst introduced the Tau 330E at LabelExpo, which paves the way for small- and medium-sized companies to enter into digital production.

This entry-level model is priced at 35% below the top version but Durst claims that it features identical print quality and productivity. It comes as a stand-alone printer system, equipped with up to five colours. Durst has also developed new highlypigmented UV-inks for the Tau 330E, which reduces ink consumption by up to 25%.

Durst also addressed the issue of workflow optimisation and presented its own image processing software to enable direct order processing and print data control via a web browser, to ensure a rapid co-ordination and allow for decentralised production processes. “Our Tau 330 has managed to bring inkjet technology on a par with other production methods,” says Helmuth Munter, Segment Manager, Durst Label & Package Printing. “We open up new business areas, such as primary packaging for our customers, we simplify workflow processes and we assist our global customer base with any necessary service or support they require. Digital production in the label and package printing segment is a reality and we are making it happen.”

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Meanwhile drupa has announced that its 2016 exhibition will feature a ‘Packaging Touchpoint’ show dedicated to packaging production and the sensory appeal that packaging can have for consumers.

According to current forecasts, the packaging market will increase to €975bn by 2018. “Our aim is to use the visionary Touchpoint to identify potential in packaging design and production and address important vertical markets”, says Sabine Geldermann, Director of drupa, highlighting the idea behind this part of the show. “Electronic displays and sensors make packaging intelligent. Digital printing permits personalisation and versioning. Packaging Touchpoint is aimed at brands, packaging designers and service providers who are already operating in the packaging sector or who want to enter the sector.”

This special ‘Packaging Touchpoint’ forum is being designed and implemented in close collaboration with the European Packaging Design Association, Europe’s leading association of brands and packaging agencies. “We will be covering the whole spectrum of the packaging world: technical/functional requirements, cultural and ethical considerations, cost-effectiveness and efficiency, and the wide range of substrates through to the technologies used”, says Claudia Josephs, Project Manager at the association.

To be in a position to better fulfill the special needs of the various user industries, Packaging Touchpoint is divided into four ‘future labs’ – specifically into food & beverage, non-food, pharma and cosmetics. “Successful practical examples, as well as potential future production solutions, will inspire visitors and leave a long-lasting impression,” says Sabine. “A special programme in the Forum itself will cover very specific topics. The Packaging Touchpoint gives companies from the packaging design and production sector the opportunity to present their innovative technologies, inspiring solutions and visionary concepts.”

06/11/2015 09:43

UNIT TO LET with SHARED SERVICES with “similar” businesses!

Would suit Small/Medium Sized Printer, Computer to Plate (CTP) Company, Print-Originator l Facilities available include: Muller Machine, Guillotine, Finishing Facilities, Fork-Lift. l Secure set-up includes floor space, office space, roller-shutter and pedestrian access, customer and staff parking. l Two potential new business accounts ‘in-house’ for CTP company!

Location: Baldoyle Ind. Estate, Dublin 13.

Have you a new years resolution?

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If you’ve answered “YES” to any of the above and are interested in driving your business forward in a Unit with SHARED SERVICES with a similar business, please contact Linda on 086-1012537 to discuss or email linda@irishbroker.ie

Finalists Announced

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TECHNOLOGY

INKJET - STATE OF THE ART OR

SCI-FI FANTASY PRINT? ‘Are we there yet?’ People are all too familiar with this refrain and with the answer – ‘in a little while’. In the case of inkjet, it is a recurring theme and, while we are not there yet, printing consultant and Smithers Pira technologist Sean Smyth says we are getting much closer.

Approaching the Destination Some print providers have arrived. A great example is REAL Digital International based in South London. In 2004, the company was founded based on the belief that transactional and direct mail production could be improved using a flexible inkjet solution. They invested heavily in secure premises and powerful workflow with finishing systems to cut, fold, collate and insert almost anything.

They invented 650mm wide high quality colour duplex web inkjet printing by mounting a pair of single pass inkjet presses on a flexible transport system. In addition, REAL Digital International developed new paper coatings to reach acceptable quality for leading brands, printing personalised carriers, mailers and magazines. The business identified inkjet’s potential and went for it, making good money in the process.

REAL Digital’s journey continues by upgrading to a pair of Screen Jet520 duplex lines in 2014 - but they aren’t stopping there. They continue to monitor the technology to see what the future holds.“Inkjet technology provided the flexibility enabling us to deliver solutions that address latent customer demand and to drive new demand in areas where we have seen further opportunities,” says REAL Digital International Managing Director David Laybourne.

“The technology continues to evolve and inks are more flexible with increased colour gamut, reducing the need for special substrates while increasing productivity. As the ink manufacturers accept more viable pricing models, the proportion of the marketplace that inkjet solutions are able to address will only increase.”

Viable Ink Costs Are Key David’s opinion about viable ink pricing models is informative. Ink cost makes medium to long runs with high ink coverage uneconomic in inkjet, as compared

IP Nov Dec 2015 _ Technology.indd 28

to analogue print. Suppliers want to maximise profit and this disconnect is holding back the adoption of inkjet in commercial print, publishing and packaging applications. Printers using analogue presses think the ink is too expensive. There are several supply models for equipment, service and consumables (mostly ink, but cleaning fluids and replacement heads must be considered). High value recurring consumable revenue is attractive to suppliers, but print service providers are not used to this. They buy a litho press and negotiate for plates, inks and support from the established supply base – although some press manufacturers are competing there.

Costly ink is turning some potential customers away from inkjet.

Substrates Also Important Another historical barrier to wider adoption of inkjet, especially for commercial printing applications, was the need to use specially treated papers and the inability to effectively print on glossy coated stocks. The latest generation of production inkjet presses is rapidly eroding those barriers. “With the latest system introductions of the ImageStream, the reachable range of applications extends even further, due to the printability of offset coated material for matte, silk and glossy applications,” says Peter Wolff, Director of Commercial Printing Group, Canon EMEA. “With these new capabilities, additional applications like magazine printing, catalogue printing and others are now doable on inkjet, with all the benefits regarding individualisation and customer targeted content without additional cost related to special inkjet treated papers.

This offers commercial printers the opportunity to combine a broad range of applications on one digital press with productivity and quality equivalent to offset.”

Books Leading The Way It is important to note that the costing of inkjet production is different from that of analogue print. It has lower prepress and set-up cost, but ink – and until recently, paper – is more expensive, often much more expensive. This means that for long run, high ink coverage work inkjet is not cost effective so there is little appetite for printers to change. In book production, however, there are advantages in combining inkjet with in-line finishing, delivering finished blocks ready for cover application and final trimming.This is particularly true for monochrome books. Publishers and book printers have gone beyond just comparing print costs to considering the total cost of manufacturing, since inkjet can deliver folded, collated and glued blocks for a simple cover application and final trim for books in any format or pagination, with minimal waste. The flexibility of inkjet allows book production to be re-engineered with overall cost and service advantages, enabling book publishers to reduce their stocks and their publishing risk.

Colour books are quickly following the mono lead. For other products, the benefits of changing

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TECHNOLOGY BELOW LEFT: Costly ink is turning some potential customers away from inkjet. RIGHT: The Ricoh ProVC60000

Beyond Traditional Print

Samples Testing.

The applications for inkjet are many. There is coding and marking, addressing, security numbering and coding, photo printing, wide format (sheet, roll-fed and hybrid), flatbed imprinting systems, narrow web, tube and irregular shapes, high speed wide web, and sheetfed, to name a few. Outside of traditional printing and graphics, inkjet has revolutionised ceramic tile printing and it is growing very strongly in textiles and other industrial decoration applications – from pens and memory sticks to architectural glass and laminated decor. Jon Harper Smith, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems Business Development Manager, says that inkjet has become ‘the preferred decoration process for ceramics and other decorative materials’. Thus, inkjet offers opportunities for expansion into related areas that may not normally be considered by traditional print providers. “Not too long ago, inkjet was praised as an alternative to conventional systems for its ability to offer singleoff sheets, short runs and personalised prints,” says Paul Adriaensen, Agfa Graphics PR Manager.

“In the meantime, the technology is challenged to offer higher speeds and higher volumes to replace some of the conventional systems. But the technology is also introduced in new areas never related to the printing industry before. This creates interesting dynamics in the industry.”

Mimaki and other manufacturers are bringing innovative digital inkjet solutions on the market, delivering higher speed and productivity to meet the demands of the booming textile market.

From a technical perspective, inkjet has a major advantage over all other print processes because it is the only non-contact, high quality, high performance process. The advances are primarily in new and better control of print heads, better inks, and a much wider selection of readily available and more affordable inkjet treated papers. New applications are developing almost daily. For example, Canon has installed lines in Nigeria to print election ballot papers.

Think Ink manufacturing processes to inkjet are not so clear yet.

Well-established analogue methods are meticulously honed to minimise cost while delivering high quality. This will change as more companies install inkjet equipment, learn the capabilities, and exploit new opportunities. New inkjet equipment will provide higher return on investment for many print products.

Production Inkjet: A Growth Opportunity In 2015, there are many inkjet early adopters and profitable users. Ricoh is at the forefront of quality with the high speed Pro VC60000 press launched in 2014. It has several early adopters, including HansaPrint in Finland, a €70m turnover firm specialising in retail and publishing.

“Prior to experiencing the Ricoh Pro VC60000, I did not believe that there would be a major shift from offset printing to inkjet,” says Jukka Saariluoma, HansaPrint Business Unit Director. “But the new press has changed my mind. Our clients are very excited by the new level in quality and the increased flexibility offered and are moving significant amounts of their work from offset to inkjet.”

The print world is certainly changing. All the key analyst organisations predict very high growth continuing for inkjet print volumes and values. Smithers Pira forecasts that the value of inkjet printing output for graphics and packaging more than trebles over 10 years, from €23bn in 2010 to more than €70bn in 2020 (in current values), with CAGR forecast of 12.7% between 2015 to 2020. HP alone reports that its customers have produced more than 100 billion inkjet pages since its first installation of a production inkjet press in 2009, a clear indicator of overall market trends, with other inkjet press manufacturers reporting rapidly growing volumes as well.

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Ink manufacturers spend lots of money developing new inks that perform well in the heads and provide excellent print quality. Such research is not cheap but the result is that ink properties have improved, with higher density levels that result in more offset-like quality with lower coverage. Also, there are now more substrates that perform well with inkjet, aided by colour management improvements. There are many routes to market for inkjet inks. Some equipment manufacturers formulate and manufacture their inks, while others sell ink that is made under license by ink specialists. In low-end wide-format inkjet there are independent third-party ink suppliers competing with the OEM. That is probably the healthiest part of the market for end users, with thousands of machines sold each year consuming millions of litres of inks. This is not the case for high performance systems, where the equipment supplier typically provides the ink tailored to optimise performance within the overall system.There are indications, however, that this is changing. Collins Inkjet is an independent inkjet ink manufacturer who sells a range of inkjet inks, innovating in many applications, including new electron beam curing. It makes waterbased inks for many of the high speed single pass presses. However, it remains to be seen how effective this company and others will be in establishing itself as a third-party ink provider, in competition – or partnership – with OEMs.

Inkjet: Driving New Market Opportunities Inkjet has been around for some time. Today a huge amount of money is being spent developing printheads, inks, substrates, control software, transport, drying and turnkey print systems. While these investments have forced changes on the world of print, it is nothing compared to what we expect to occur over the next few years. The inkjet markets today are largely new. As productivity grows, inkjet is becoming greedy, with suppliers now turning toward siphoning volume from analogue print markets for additional growth and offering directly competing solutions. The productivity, quality and economics are pushing inkjet firmly against sheetfed litho and narrow web flexo, and it has larger format flexo and web offset in its sights.

While a few inkjet suppliers may be guilty of hyperbole (sorry, they are very guilty of it in some instances!), it is good to see users and customers voting with their feet and their wallets.

That being said, we will continue to see enhancements to productivity and boosts to the cost performance of inkjet. Some totally new formats and systems are coming to market. At least a couple of these will be on show at drupa, in new formats and markets. What is also new is that these will be firmly aimed at the heartland of offset and flexo printing. Choice of printing methods changes because of one or more reasons: to reduce cost, to improve quality, to achieve greater levels of service, or to do new things. Inkjet allows printers to do all four – and no doubt there will be other new reasons going forward. Flexibility. Agility. Power. In technology terms, inkjet is state of the art. In business terms, inkjet is being used to re-engineer supply chains, making money.

That certainly is not fiction. Go to drupa to find out what inkjet can do for your business.

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THE BIG PICTURE

Two of the biggest brands in the large format printing sector, Mimaki and Fujifilm, introduced new printers for the direct to textile and high volume UV markets respectively.

INKJET INNOVATIONS FOR UV AND DIRECT TO TEXTILE MARKETS

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imaki debuted the Mimaki TX300P-1800, a 1.8 metre roll-to-roll direct-to-textile inkjet printer at textile and garment machinery exhibition, ITMA 2015, in Milan from November 12th to 19th. “The TX300P-1800 is designed to meet the market demand for smaller lot sizes, faster delivery times and the ability to quickly produce samples,” explains Mike Horsten, General Manager Marketing of Mimaki EMEA. “We are also mindful of the shift in textile production from both analogue to digital and from centralised to distributed production. We envision a day not too far in the future when consumers will be able to download or create their own patterns rather than being limited to commercially available designs. The TX300P-1800, which is available with a variety of ink types and produces very high quality, is ideal for this new distributed model of textile printing.”

The Mimaki TX300P-1800 eightcolour inkjet printer features a new printhead that ejects ink droplets at high speed to ensure accurate ink placement with a high head gap. This makes the printer ideal for printing high quality images on all types of fabrics, including thicker and textured materials. Other features of the TX300P-1800 include print resolution of up to 1,080dpi, with drop sizes

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THE BIG PICTURE ranging from 6 to 24pl. Small droplets create highresolution printing, and large droplets are useful for highspeed printing. The TX300P is capable of printing up to 68m²/hour and Mimaki claims that the TX300P has ‘stable textile transport that maintains optimum tension’.

The TX300P is available in the UK and Ireland from December 2015 through exclusive Mimaki distributor, Hybrid Services Ltd. The TX300P can be used with sublimation dye, disperse dye, pigment, reactive dye, and acid dye inks to meet a wide range of application needs.

Sublimation dye inks will be available at the commercial launch with other inks following soon. These 2L ink packs enable uninterrupted printing on longer runs, which are assisted by automatic detection and cleaning of clogged nozzles. Mimaki offers the TX300P with a choice of digital front ends - Mimaki RasterLink 6 or TxLink3 Lite. The latter offers simple RGB and CMYK colour replacement on raster and vector data to more accurately achieve corporate and other special colours, as well as the ability to produce different colour patterns.

Meanwhile, on October 21st, Inca Digital launched the new Inca Onset X series of flatbed UV inkjet printers, which are sold globally and exclusively by Fujifilm. Each Onset X printer features a larger 25-zone vacuum table and UV control system to eliminate masking, as well as a carriage that can incorporate up to 14 ink channels. If they wish, users can start out with the Onset X1 (560m2/ hr /6027sq ft, 112 full-bed sheets/hr) and, as their business develops, upgrade to the Onset X2 (725m2/ hr /7803 sq ft, 145 beds/hr) and eventually to the new ultra-high-productivity high-quality printer that sits at the pinnacle of the Onset X Series - the Onset X3 (900m2/hr /9687 sq ft,180 beds/hr). The speeds and productivity of the Onset X Series printers are dependent on the choice of Fujifilm Dimatix printhead and can be configured for each customer depending on their desired quality/speed requirements. Each model in the Onset X Series can handle substrates in sizes up to 3.22m (126 inches) x 1.6m (63 inches) and thicknesses up to 50mm and is compatible with different types of automated media handling systems to optimise productivity.

With a maximum throughput of 560m2/hr (equivalent to 112 full-bed sheets/hr), the Onset X1 is ideal for companies producing a mix of fast-turnaround retail graphics requiring distance viewing as well as high-quality images for close-up viewing. The Onset X1 features eight active channels: four print CMYK and the remainder can be configured as required using a combination of light magenta, light cyan, white and orange (LmLcWO). When the time is right, an additional carriage can be added to scale up to an Onset X2 or X3.

With a second set of CMYK, the Onset X2 delivers even higher productivity — 725m2/hr (145 beds/hr) — while an optional six LmLcWO channels can be populated to add versatility. Also upgradeable according to business needs, the 14-channel Onset X2 provides the capacity to extend the range of jobs companies can handle. A choice of uni-directional, bi-directional and super high-quality print modes can be selected depending on the specific job requirements.

Capable of printing at 900m2/hr (180 beds/hr), the Onset X3 features 3 x CMYK ink channels plus the choice of white or orange, and 14 or 27-picolitre printheads.

ABOVE: The Mimaki TX300P-1800 direct-to-textile inkjet printer.

According to Fujifilm, with this printer, users of analogue screen printing lines can take the digital route, confident that they can print long runs of high-quality print with superb consistency and reliability.

The new 25-zone vacuum table, featuring a powerful new vacuum solution and choice of skin design depending on the user’s needs, completely eliminates bed masking for substrates of any size, greatly reduces set-up times for standard POS substrates, and increases throughput of shortrun, fast-turnaround print. Fujifilm claim that this innovation alone can increase the Onset X Series’ productivity by up to 20% compared to previous Onset printers.

For the Onset X Series, Inca has also developed a new GUI to provide a powerful yet simple-touse printer and job management tool. The operator can finalise and initiate jobs, save settings, create print queues and manage and optimise every stage of the print process. Improved offmachine job set-up means that when jobs arrive at the printer, more parameters (substrates, print speed, quality mode, gloss levels, etc) are already defined. Password control and web browser access enable production management to control the decision-making process and amend print queues remotely. Other new features include a productivity pack which incorporates: advanced high-speed shuttering systems that protect printheads from UV damage when printing thick substrates; optional automated substrate cleaning using an adhesive roller system to remove debris and improve up-time; and a new-design roller for corrugated board printing that, in a single pass before printing, presses the substrate onto the vacuum bed to ensure a good contact.

Capable of printing at 900m2/hr (180 beds/hr), the Onset X3 features 3 x CMYK ink channels plus the choice of white or orange, and 14 or 27-picolitre printheads.

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THE SOCIAL NETWORK

New Hosts Celebrate Successful

CUSTOMER EVENT The ninth Sign-Makers of Ireland Golf Invitational & Customer Appreciation Day, held at The Heritage hotel in Co Laois in September, attracted 64 participants from in excess of 25 customers of the Irish paper giant Graphic & Paper Merchants Ireland (GPMI). other nature must have a soft spot for sign-makers as they enjoyed another great day in the sun at another superb entertainment and golf venue. The Co Laois course at The Heritage is the only Irish golf course designed by Ryder Cup hero Seve Ballesteros, and GPMI customers travelled from all over Ireland to celebrate the Irish print and sign making trade and to raise their soon to be empty glasses to the new hosts of the event, GPMI. “Thankfully the difficult period of transition did not deter our suppliers and, in fact, many dug a bit deeper this year to ensure that the ninth annual event would be a success,” says GPMI’s Regional Sales Manager Suneel Seetal. “This event would not happen without the consistent support of our suppliers, our customers, and our logistics partners. All four provinces of Ireland were represented at the event and GPMI was delighted to be in a position to publicly recognise Ciaran Joyce from Avery Dennison for Avery’s excellent support throughout the year and for this event.

GPMI would also like to thank Northern Irish Plastics, Brett Martin Foamalux, Avery, Norwich Corrugated, Altuglas, Bright Green Technology, Ultima Displays, Duracoat/IIMAK, Simona PVC, 3M, Politape & ATP, and Molson Canadian Ireland.” The 10th annual invitational is already confirmed at the world class venue of Ballyliffin in Co Donegal on September 9th and 10th. “All sign-makers are invited to bring their families and make it a mini Irish vacation to one of the most beautiful places in the world,” says Suneel.

New Board Member at GPMI New board member Stephen Mason has joined GPMI, bringing with him a wealth of paper industry knowledge and experience. Stephen led the Robert Horne Group until the acquisition by PaperlinX and has held the position of Regional President of Buhrmann, with responsibility for the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, and South Africa. “GPMI is a well managed Irish company so I am looking forward to working with the team.” MD Enda Brophy says that GMPI are “very grateful” for the opportunity to work with Stephen. “His understanding of the industry and his relationships with suppliers are invaluable to us.”

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PICTURED: 1: GPMI’s Regional Sales Manager Suneel Seetal (third from left) and Managing Director Enda Brophy (extreme right) present the first place prize to Munster Signs & Print in Dungarvan, Co Waterford and Dyna Signs in Galway. 2: Warren Reidy and team of Applied Signs receive their third place prize from Enda Brophy. 3: Ciaran Joyce of Avery Dennison accepts the Supplier of Year award from GPMI. 4: Long drive winner Ed Stokes of Freeney’s in Dublin accepts the Frank Jameson Memorial Trophy from Shane Martin of GPMI. 5: Closest to the pin winner Dave Duane of Dyna Signs in Galway accepts the Frank Jameson Memorial Trophy from Lucy Smith of GPMI. 6: GPMI’s Mark Doyle (right) with Conor McDonald of McGowans. 7: Shane Martin of GPMI with Finbar Heaney of Northern Ireland Plastics, Tony Larkin of Instant Signs and Niall Rankin of The Signlab. 8: Paddy Deakins captains McGowans ‘A Team’. 9: The Freeney’s of Dublin team – two time defending champions.

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