New Zealand Printer June 2022

New Zealand Printer

June 2022

Heidelberg leads AU/NZ printers into packaging

Print Leaders Forum Student Diploma winner Apprentices excel Our Covid lessons

1987-2022

with

WIDE FORMAT

years in print

+Plus

June 2022 Cover Story p14-16

CONTENTS Wide Format Plus p25-32

Heidelberg: The press giant has created a suite of products aimed at taking commercial printers to greater heights in the packaging space PrintNZ p8-10

8-10 Helping Hand: The industry’s top five apprentices share their thoughts with Iain MacIntyre Consumables p20-22

20 Techspan: Warren Hadler discusses Techspan’s range of cost-effective label printing solutions 22 Spicers and Revolution: These suppliers have partnered to deliver high quality consumable solutions to the industry

26 Currie Group EFI: Currie Group is the first accredited EFI Fiery for Display Graphics Premier Partner in the region 28 NZSDA Update: Melissa Coutts explains how identifying different types of clients can help your business 30 NZSDA Signee: Blenheim’s BB Signs has served the local community for over half a century 32 Aarque: Pakworld’s Summa F1612 cutting table offers the company a diverse range of capabilities Labels & Packaging p34-39

36 Konica Minolta: The digital giant reaches a new milestone with the 1000th AccurioLabel installation 38-39 AIP: Nerida Kelton covers the Kiwi/ Aussie successes at the WorldStar Packaging Awards

Features p16-40

16 Currie Group: New Horizon finishing solutions are boosting production at Image Concepts 18 Fujifilm Business Innovation: Ray White Raglan has installed an ApeosPro C810 printer to keep its marketing in house 24 Fellman: We can learn some valuable lessons from the challenge of living with the Covid-19 pandemic, says Dave Fellman 40 Competenz: Introducing Matt Stockford, Print Diploma Student of the Year

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Advertiser’s Index

Aarque Group 7, 33 APM 7 Cardy 35 Contact Labels 7 Currie Group 7, 17 Cyber 52 Eamar Plastics 50 FUJIFILM Business Innovation 19 GLC 5 Graphic Machinery 7 Heidelberg ANZ Cover, 15 HP IFC Konica Minolta 37 NZSDA 29 Pride In Print 51 Print NZ 11 Spicers 23 Techspan 21 Think Laterally 50 VPR 50 Wholesale Print 31

Print Leaders Forum p41-49

41 Print Leaders: We asked print leaders to discuss the state of the industry and where they see it heading and we are grateful they have shared their insights here. They are: 42 Rob Mesaros - Currie Group 43 Sabine Geldermann - Messe Düsseldorf 44 Kellie Northwood - The Real Media Collective 45 Markus Heering - VDMA 46 Deborah Corn - Print Media Centr 47 Mick Rowan - Think Laterally 48 Peter Harper - Visual Connections 49 Ruth Cobb - PrintNZ

Finishing on the Horizon, from left: Craig Paul, Currie Group New Zealand country manager; Image Concepts managing director Chris Else; and Dave Else, company founder

ISSN 1171 7912 2021

Official Media Sponsor

PO Box 32-395, Devonport, Auckland 0744 EDITORIAL: 021 631 559 Bruce Craig, Editor - bruce@newzealandprinter.co.nz CONTRIBUTORS: Ruth Cobb, Deborah Corn, Melissa Coutts, Dave Fellman, Sabine Geldermann, Warren Hadler, Peter Harper, Markus Heering, Nerida Kelton, Iain MacIntyre, Rob Mesaros, Kellie Northwood, Mick Rowan

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June 2022

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NEWS IN BRIEF RICOH has received a gold rating from EcoVadis in its latest sustainability survey, placing Ricoh among the top five per cent of companies assessed in the industry in terms of sustainability performance.

EcoVadis says that Ricoh received “high recognition in the areas of environment and sustainable procurement. Ricoh has received a gold rating since it first entered the EcoVadis programme in 2014.

Ricoh participates in the Business for Inclusive Growth initiative to tackle inequality in workplaces and supply chains and the Responsible Business Alliance.

ORAFOL, the German selfadhesive and film manufacturer, is expanding its headquarters with the construction of two new production halls covering more than 15,000 square metres. The company is installing five new production lines for laminating and coating to increase its production capacity for graphic films. In the future, it will produce self-adhesive films that are significantly wider than those currently available. The new technology portfolio will also allow the production of films with functional layers, such as PVC-free surface protection films.

AGFA will increase its offset plate prices worldwide from July 1, 2022. Since Q2 last year, Agfa has implemented quarterly price increases and surcharges to compensate for the significant cost increases it has faced in raw materials, logistics, energy, packaging material and labour.

To support its customers in recovering part of the industry wide cost increases, Agfa is adding new tools to its ECO³ palette of software solutions, allowing its customers to drastically reduce their ink consumption and minimise their paper waste.

Vale Rod Spencer, industry giant Family, friends and the printing industry were saddened to hear about the recent passing of one if its great legends in Rod Spencer.

He left the world peacefully surrounded by family and friends, aged 80 years. A man who made a huge impression on all those who he met and truly dedicated his life not only to his beloved family, but also the printing industry and Heidelberg Australia and New Zealand.

Rod retired in 2001 after over 44 years of commitment

Two Sides reports upswing in greenwash An increase in greenwash over the past 12 months has Two Sides concerned. It believes that banks, telcos, utility companies and government organisations have increased their claims that paper bills and statements are bad for the environment.

The claims include ‘Go Green – Go Paperless’ and ‘Choose e-billing, save a tree’.

Two Sides says those claims are untrue and more about

to Heidelberg. He played an instrumental role in helping to shape the industry and countless companies who dealt with him over the years.

He will be remembered fondly by many friends and colleagues, not only locally but all over the world.

He was well respected and the news of his passing was felt all the way back to the German Headquarters of Heidelberg where those who knew him spoke fondly of him and sent their condolences immediately.

Savas Mystakidis, managing director Heidelberg Australia and New Zealand, says, “I had the great pleasure to start my career at Heidelberg under the guiding eye of the great Rod Spencer.

His knowledge, generosity, wisdom and charisma were inspiring as he helped all those around him like a father figure. He will be sadly missed and our thoughts and prayers go to his wife Patricia, family and friends.”

saving money than saving the environment.

Kellie Northwood, manager for Two Sides Australia New Zealand, says, “Greenwashing is hugely damaging to an industry which has a very strong environmental record.

Paper is a renewable resource from working forests, which are planted and harvested.

This encourages the long-term growth of forests through sustainable and biodiverse forest management.

“Many of the organisations we engage with are surprised to learn that our planted forests have doubled in size from one million to two million hectares. What’s more, this number is growing.”

Globally, Two Sides has engaged over 1,900

organisations making misleading statements about paper. Of those, 880 have removed greenwashing statements from their communications. It lobbies for a change in messaging.

In addition, Two Sides calls on governments to monitor misrepresentation.

Northwood adds, “It remains vital that greenwash is challenged. In this way, we can ensure the industry’s great environmental record is represented accurately.

Further, we can stop livelihoods being damaged by the spread of misleading marketing messages. Paper is renewable, recyclable and an important part of our social inclusivity in an increasingly digitally divided country.”

Rod Spencer helped shape the industry

NEWS for New Zealand – all the latest print industry news from home and overseas, delivered to your inbox Go to the news website

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June 2022

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NEWS ABG launches the Omega SRI3 Finishing equipment manufacturer, A B Graphic International (ABG), has released the next generation of its Omega label finishing system.

Currie Group supplies ABG in New Zealand.

The updated ABG Omega SRI3 delivers high performance slitting, rewinding and inspection as well as a range of new and adjustable options to meet future requirements.

With a larger unwind diameter at 830mm, and increased nip roller wraparound, waste is reduced and tension control improved, preventing slippage and interweaving of the web and providing unparalleled versatility, according to ABG. It adds that the upgraded features, which include a lower splice table, allow operators greater flexibility and increased ergonomic comfort, thereby improving productivity and efficiency.

The SRI3 is the only machine in its class that

IN BRIEF

The ABG Omega SRI3 doesn’t rely on a third party inspection system. Providing 100 per cent print inspection with ABG’s fleyeVision camera system, everything works perfectly together with seamless integration.

Other enhancements include an arm that enables a right handed operator to easily cut the reel, and a built in tape holder. Manual slitting can now be upgraded to autoslit, which was not possible on the previous SRI, and the rewind module can be taken out and replaced with a turret at a later stage.

Designed with retrofitting

possibilities in mind and a modular setup to make future updates simple, the SRI3 can be fully configured to meet individual needs.

Ralf Wirtz, managing director of ABG, says, “At ABG, we strive to deliver premium service and the best experiences for our customers across the globe. And with over 30 years’ experience manufacturing slitter rewinders, this commitment to excellence is at the core of our evolutionary approach to the Omega SRI3’s design.”

LABELEXPO ASIA has been postponed. Due to take place at the end of June, the show will now run from December 7-10, 2022. The announcement comes as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions currently in place in Shanghai. Jade Grace, portfolio director for Labelexpo, says, “We are excited to have new dates this year for Labelexpo Asia.

I’d like to thank our exhibitors and visitors for their patience, and we look forward to providing them with a show to remember.”

MIMAKI has released a new clear ink for use with its 3DUJ553 full colour 3D printer. The company says its new Pure Clear ink MH-110PCL negates the yellowish tint evident in the previous clear ink cyan, magenta, yellow and black, enabling more transparent modelling.

It combines with colour inks to reproduce translucent colour effects. Applications include product design for home appliances and cosmetics; design mock ups and verification for industrial products; as well as medical and architectural models.

New press targets digital packaging Koenig & Bauer Durst has unveiled the Delta SPC 130 FlexLine Eco+ industrial production press for run lengths from one to millions of square metres.

The entry level, compact model will offer corrugated converters a new route into digital packaging. It uses water-based, food-safe, sustainable inks and will offer a price performance ratio for converters with media sizes up to 1.3m by 2.8m. It also includes a compact drying system.

The company has also introduced what it calls Dynamic Nozzle Management (DNM), which it says will significantly reduce the printhead maintenance across its Delta SPC 130 product portfolio. DNM will become part of the standard package for the Delta SPC 130 portfolio, including the new

newzealandprinter.co.nz

Eco+ model, and will further reduce the maintenance cycles of the Koenig & Bauer Durst printheads.

The tool identifies nozzle clogging and can then be programmed to manage the level of ink being jetted from the head. It ensures that high-quality production is always maintained.

Matthias Krautgasser, product manager for Koenig & Bauer Durst Delta SPC 130, says, “We have already implemented our automated non-contact cleaning system.

DNM will further increase uptime and productivity of our Delta SPC 130 product line up.

“The DNM will be fitted to all new products, including the Delta SPC 130 FlexLine Eco+ model that will be available from next year. It can also be upgraded to existing customer machines.”

June 2022

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NEWS Efaraimo takes on chief operating role at Brother Brother New Zealand has appointed Manuel Efaraimo to the role of chief operating officer.

Warwick Beban, managing director at Brother New Zealand, says, “I am delighted to have someone of Manuel’s experience, drive and mana in such a pivotal role in our business and I know Manuel will help move Brother to a new level of excellence.”

In 2000, a 20 year-old Efaraimo began his career at Brother New Zealand in the warehouse and parts department.

He initially hoped to play rugby professionally but changed his mind.

He explains, “The changing moment for me pursuing rugby was having my first child. I had to reassess my reality and

Manuel Efaraimo, chief operating officer at Brother New Zealand rethink what future success looked like to me and my family, so I applied myself to growth in my work at Brother.

My journey has been about constantly setting new goals and achieving them.”

He credits the support and influence of

managers and mentors at Brother and his wife, assisting his personal tenacity at each stage of his career.

Brother supported his ambition to undertake an MBA at the University of Waikato, offering flexibility to attend classes. He says, “Completing the MBA whilst working in one of the busiest times of my career was arduous, especially during Covid-19, but I am grateful for the opportunity and the experience.”

His aspirations for the new role including developing his team, focusing on improving robust business processes and utilising technology to enable scale and growth to improve the customer experience.

Proudly of Samoan and Māori heritage, he says, “A big motivation for me representing my culture in a corporate environment is being able to set a positive example and hopefully influence or inspire people, especially our youth.”

Outside of the office, he remains a sports fan and volunteers at the Tauranga Boxing Academy, part of the Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust, as a mentor and gym trainer.

Prinect Direct aims for autonomous printing Heidelberg is completely revamping its Prinect print shop workflow, which will now be available in the cloud.

The new workflow suite, called Prinect Direct, targets autonomous production in print shops. The company will make all the new workflow functions gradually available to customers in the form of cloud-based apps.

Christopher Berti, head of software solutions at Heidelberg, says, “With the new Prinect Direct cloud-based workflow, Heidelberg is moving a big step closer to autonomous production in print shops in line with our Smart Print Shop concept.

“The new Prinect apps eliminate most manual steps throughout a print shop’s production process, from job creation all the way through to delivery of the finished print product.”

The new Smart Product App automates job creation at the prepress stage without restricting design creativity or the possibilities of print production, according to Heidelberg. It includes a user friendly cloud-based job creation function with automatic quality control of the PDF files produced. Besides the PDFs, all additional types of job data, referred to as the product intent, are also compared with each other.

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Heidelberg wants to create a fully digitised and automated print shop Heidelberg says a straightforward user interface guides everyone intuitively through the job creation process to the PDF stage and, if appropriate, all the way to the approval of proofs.

The company aims to ensure an error-free, clearly defined job (the ‘smart product’) consisting of the print-ready PDF and the desired print product properties for automatic production, that is produced autonomously via the impositioned printing plates right through to the press.

Prinect Direct uses the data stored during job creation to independently decide on the most cost-effective production process. The existing Prinect Production Manager software, which is compatible with Prinect Direct, still supports print production.

Heidelberg has scheduled the Smart Product App for launch in the fourth

quarter of this year. It will cover labels and packaging with subsequent versions.

It will introduce further Prinect apps gradually over an extended period.

The company says its ultimate goal is to create a fully digitised and automated print shop, a true smart factory. It says the new Prinect Direct workflow will put an end to the current separation between commercial and production processes, providing appropriate functions in a single workflow.

All existing Prinect customers can continue using their workflow system, including Prinect Production Manager.

Heidelberg is enhancing both system environments with the focus on new functions in Prinect Direct.

All the other upcoming Prinect apps are compatible and use existing functions for applications such as printing plate output based on the Adobe PDF Print Engine.

June 2022

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The event includestechnology the NZSDA packaging and processing AGM, a trip brings to the industry historic Walter Peak trade show professionals Station; a visitmakers to local wineries, the and decision together providing a annual awards dinner,discussion, and the Signee forum for education, as well as Apprentice of the Year. sharing knowledge and expertise.

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Labelexpo All in Print Americas China

September 13-15 October 11-15, 2022 Chicago, USA Shanghai Apart from the latest technology and More than 1300 exhibitors will solutions, Labelexpo Americas this year demonstrate their solutions across the features full two-day 120,000 asquare metresconference of show space programme and two masterclasses at the Shanghai New International Expo organised by the Label Academy on Centre. Organisers expect more than digital embellishment self-adhesive 160,000 visitors from and all over the globe materials. as they open the “Oriental Window of the World Printing Industry”. www.labelexpo-americas.com

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June 17, 2022 Christchurch Te Pae, Christchurch’s brand new events NZSDA Awards venue, willConference host this year’s & premier print July 6-9,gala 2022 awards night. Tickets are now on sale, so take the opportunity to join with Queenstown fellow print, signage and packaging ‘Innovate – Integrate – Motivate’ is the professionals celebrate ‘best of motto for the to New Zealandthe Sign & Display the best’ at New Zealand’sand premier print Association’s Conference Awards. event.

The event includes the NZSDA AGM, a trip to the historic Walter Peak Station; a prideinprint.co.nz visit to local wineries, the annual awards dinner, and 2022 the Signee Apprentice of the PacPrint Year.nzsda.org.nz June 28-July 1, 2022 Melbourne Labelexpo Americas All systems are go across the Tasman as September 13-15, 2022 organisers and suppliers prepare for a Chicago, USAregion’s largest print show. return to the Organisers put the welcome and mat Apart from have the latest technology out to welcome New Americas Zealand visitors solutions, Labelexpo this to the thatahelps generateconference business yearevent features full two-day opportunities through the latest programme and two masterclasses technologies, solutions, and trends. organised by the Label Academy on digital embellishment and self-adhesive pacprint.com.au materials.

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June 2022

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helping hand

The top five named for the Apprentice of the Year Award Iain MacIntyre talks to this year’s Apprentice of the Year finalists

Christchurch’s brand new Te Pae Convention Centre the association and training provider, Competenz Te Pūkenga, at a recent Auckland Graduation Ceremony.

IAIN MACINTYRE

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his year’s top five finalists for the BJ Ball Papers Apprentice of the Year are Liam Bloom, Kosema Fuiono, Frey Head, Mithun (John) Reddy and Nana Southall.

Ruth Cobb, chief executive at PrintNZ, made the announcement on behalf of

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She says, “It was great to see the pride and delight on the faces of the five candidates when their names were read out – and even more so on those of their families, friends, employers and colleagues.

“As we go to press, the top five look forward to the Pride In Print Awards gala dinner, one of the first events held at the brand new Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. At the event, the top five take their place on the stage for the naming of the BJ Ball Print Industry Apprentice of the Year.”

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

helping hand

Liam Bloom Proud to receive the nomination, Liam Bloom reflects on his journey since joining ACI Screen and Print, Auckland as a general hand in September 2015. He says, “I then worked up to becoming the print assistant of the printer at the time, Ian Curry, who alongside my employer, Phil Norvill, started showing me the ropes.

“I quickly became interested in pursuing this career further and soon after started my apprenticeship.”

He particularly enjoyed learning about the print industry as a whole during the training. He says, “Until then, I was only exposed to just a fraction of what it is.

There are a lot of opportunities in terms of career paths and skill development.”

Now the lead printer at ACI Screen and Print, he welcomes the variety of the work. He says, “What I enjoy the most is that things are ever changing. It keeps you on your toes so there is never really a dull day. It also encourages continued growth in conjunction with the instant gratification of producing quality prints.”

Looking ahead, he says, “I hope to further hone my craft and gain experience within the business management side of the industry. Ultimately, I see myself owning and operating a print company in whatever field of the industry that may turn out to be.

a lot. The support and help I received from trainers, managers and colleagues from Blue Star Collard during my apprenticeship had a big impact and I am very grateful.”

After commencing in June 2015 as a print assistant at Nicholson Printing Solutions, which evolved to become Blue Star Collard, he is now a printer on both a Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 74 and Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105. He continues, “I enjoy working alongside a great team, creating and making things happen, and of course printing itself with all of the challenges that comes with it. I am also currently still an operator, helping out in the die-cutting and foiling department when needed.

“My plans for the future are to continue with printing and learning. I want to explore and learn more about the printing industry and learn about the different kinds of printing.

and printer on the night shift at Oji Fibre Solutions Paper Bag, whom he joined in 2018. He adds, “What attracted me to the industry was the complexity of printing as well as an appreciation for art and design combined with the physical and team aspects.

“What I enjoy most about my work is putting everything I have learned into practice and perfecting my skills both as a printer and as a team leader.

Also, knowing that there is always something new to learn about print both in the technical and business side of the industry.”

In regard to the future, He plans “to gain more experience and hopefully one day manage a print department”.

He adds: “I have really enjoyed the journey and thank you to everyone who made this possible.”

“If there will be another opportunity to better myself, I will most definitely jump on the ladder.”

“I am blessed to have had the opportunity to do an apprenticeship and have learnt so much from some very experienced printers that have been doing the job for so long. It has taught me so much about printing and I will forever be grateful.”

“I would like to thank everyone involved that have helped me reach this point and to those that continue to do so. Thank you for your consideration.”

Mithun (John) Reddy Completing his apprenticeship at Philstic Labels in Auckland was the culmination of a challenging journey for Mithun (John) Reddy, one that saw him leave the industry when his previous employer closed down and then had to redefine his apprenticeship when returning in another field.

Kosema Fuiono Working at Blue Star Collard in Auckland, Kosema Fuiono feels honoured to be named in the Top Five and says he found the apprenticeship a stimulating and rewarding experience.

He says, “I really enjoyed doing the very challenging jobs because I learned

newzealandprinter.co.nz

June 2022

Frey Head Finding the nomination an “unbelievable” experience, Frey Head expresses gratitude to his employers at Oji Fibre Solutions Paper Bag in Auckland for their backing in the apprenticeship.

He says, “The improvements that it had on my skill and also the confidence gained from these experiences is what I enjoyed and valued the most.”

Entering the sector as a print assistant in 2008 with Epic Packaging, he has progressed to the roles of team leader

He explains, “In 2019 I was made redundant. After a couple of weeks as a barber, Grant Alsop from Competenz contacted me with the chance of completing my apprenticeship at Philstic Labels – an interview was organised and I was offered the job.”

He values the apprenticeship for a variety of reasons. He says, “I really enjoyed learning the flexographic presses: printing coupons, printing on the adhesive, joining two webs together and die-cutting, all in one run of the press.

“I also built friendships with people who have become a big part of my life and

9

helping hand

without the apprenticeship I would have never met them.”

“The company and people are what I mostly value, as you can’t do everything on your own, but you can achieve so much with a team of people that you can support and get support from.”

Having begun with Huhtamaki as a print assistant in 2016, he is now enjoying running Philstic Labels’ HP Indigo 6K Digital Press – “the only one of its kind in New Zealand”.

Entering the industry and commencing her apprenticeship in 2017 with FindUs, she joined her current employers in 2019 and has recently been promoted into the packaging prepress and structural team.

She says, “The most enjoyment is when your customer receives the product that you have created and produced and then you see it out in the marketplace.”

He continues, “After a few years of doing flexographic printing during and after my apprenticeship, I was then rewarded with the chance to print on a digital press and become a digital operator. In April 2022 I completed my Level 1 training and received a certificate as digital operator.

“My main goal for the future was to purchase my first home and, after a few months of completing my apprenticeship, I was able to do so.”

Nana Southall Blue Star Constellation in Auckland is where an “ecstatic and proud” Nana Southall has finished her apprenticeship.

She is another who has navigated the challenge of relocating between two businesses during her apprenticeship.

She says, “Through the four years while completing my apprenticeship I have been lucky enough to be part of two very different companies, which has made me realise it doesn’t matter how big or small you are, you can still have the same values.

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With ambitions to take “any opportunity that is presented to me within the industry”, she says, “I have heard people say before ‘print is in your blood’ but I never understood it. Now I understand. I can’t see myself doing anything different.

“All I hope for is that I can continue to learn and present my work to the best of my ability.”

She expresses significant gratitude to her former and current employers for the opportunities and support provided during her career to date, and particularly singles out Competenz’s Grant Alsop as well as Blue Star Constellation’s Mandy Nilsson.

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

Keeping it local, let the world know

PNZORG0000 Keeping print in New Zealand is more important than ever.

Use this logo so both you and your customers can demonstrate the part you are playing.

Apply to PrintNZ on info@printnz.co.nz or phone 0800 654 455

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COVER FEATURE

Heidleberg leads Australia New Zealand printers into packaging Heidelberg has created a suite of products that will take commercial printers to greater heights in the packaging space

The Speedmaster XL106 is built for higher performance

C

OVID-19 created a lot of uncertainty in the commercial printing sector, but not in packaging. The last 24 months has seen a phenomenal increase in sales of new presses – primarily add on equipment to companies across Australia and New Zealand. A combination of factors has seen a massive increase in packaging printing throughout not only Australia and New Zealand, but also the world.

With Covid and severe lockdowns, an increase in food packaging has seen packaging print volumes increase dramatically. Added to this has been the pressure to shift away from plastic packaging to cardboard which has also led to further increases in print volumes.

In addition to the success in the commercial printing market, Heidelberg Australia and New Zealand has also installed six high-tech packaging presses - three of which are for the IML market and three for board packaging.

The six packaging presses feature the latest technology, namely: • XL106-6LYYLX – six colour with double coaters and logistics • XL106-7LYYLX – seven colour with double coaters and logistics

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• • • •

XL106-7LYYLX – seven colour with double coaters and logistics XL106-7+L with CutStar at a highquality label printer CX102-6+L with CutStar at a highquality label printer XL106-D rotary die cutter

Australia and New Zealand are not the only markets with increased demand.

North America, Japan, Korea, and many countries in Europe have also stepped up their sales dramatically. It used to take up to six months to make and ship a press to most countries, but with capacity in Germany at recent record levels, manufacturing times are out to six or eight months and with international shipping now delayed you could wait for up to a year to become operational.

One of the largest packaging printing companies globally who have for several years been using Heidelberg Speedmaster VLF presses in the US and Europe have for the first time purchased a Heidelberg press in New Zealand.

The press is a Speedmaster XL1066+LYYLX with smart technology including Fully Automatic Logistics, Push to Stop autonomous features and with double coating capability.

Heidelberg customers are enjoying record breaking performance thanks to the addition of the latest Speedmaster XL 106 technology 2020 generation.

With the continuous development and improvement of the Heidelberg peak performance models, productivity and output KPIs are being exceeded globally.

SPEEDMASTER XL 2020 KEY INNOVATIONS AND FEATURES Push to Stop fully automated processes For the first time, navigated printing with Push to Stop is possible on all Speedmaster machines. The patented Intellistart 3 defines all the steps required for the job change without any operator intervention and provides maximum transparency across all active and queued processes.

Intelliguide simulates the time-optimised sequence live and, if necessary, also includes the steps to be executed manually.

Plate loading systems • Auto plate XL a complete plate change in less than one minute.

• Auto plate pro plate changing in approximately two minutes.

• Auto plate allows for plate changing in 40 seconds per printing unit.

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

COVER FEATURE Drying system Heidelberg DryStar Fully flexible drying solutions are available for individual application requirements: • DryStar • DryStar LED UV • DryStar UV • DryStar LE low energy For continuous high volume packaging printing, Heidelberg logistics systems are tailored for maximum output and material movement. The latest generation colour measurement system also enables fully automated colour and register control for make ready on the job change over. Prinect Inpress Control 3 has a new algorithm for waste sheet reduction during make ready.

Prinect Press Center UX Heidelberg UX is the holistic and intuitive operation of all Heidelberg touch points.

Intelligent assistants and a uniform user interface reduce complexity and simplify production processes.

CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS FOR THE PACKAGING SECTOR A global trend also evident in Australia and New Zealand is the growing number of installed customised presses. As many as 20 printing and coating units with interdeck and end-of-press dryers as well as multiple cold foil modules can be installed in one sheetfed offset printing press from Heidelberg.

For example, a Speedmaster XL 106-2+LYY-P-8+LYY-1+L with 2 FoilStar cold transfer modules is efficient for inline finishing of the inside and outside of folding cartons.

In a trend that has been emerging for a long time now, a growing number of print shop customers are demanding printed products with sophisticated coatings and special effects. This development is particularly striking in folding carton and label printing, with branded goods manufacturers

aiming to generate a steady stream of new purchasing incentives using particularly effective, stand-out packaging designs.

However, print shop customers in the commercial segment also want to run their marketing campaigns with custom-designed print products that stand out from the crowd thanks to striking and sophisticated coatings and special effects.

At Heidelberg, these market requirements are being met by presses with increasingly long custom configurations and a wide variety of equipment.

The general market recovery is also being clearly reflected in the demand for customised machines. The trend toward print products with increasingly sophisticated surface finishing is still growing and is boosting the profitability of branded goods manufacturers and print shops in equal measure.

The new generation Diana X 115 model

A Speedmaster XL 106-2+LYY-P-8+LYY-1+L with two FoilStar cold transfer modules

newzealandprinter.co.nz

June 2022

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COVER FEATURE

Heidelberg’s Mastermatrix 106 CSB model IMPRESSIONS COUNT Increased volumes result in high outputs.

It has now become common place for high volume packaging printers to produce 70 million impressions per year. This volume is unbelievable when you consider most companies will run their machines for between 10 and 15 years.

Total volumes when machines are being traded out can easily have between 700 million and 1.2 billion impressions and that is before the machine is resold and starts its life again in a secondary market.

Fort Dearborn, a US custom label and packaging company with 20 locations nationwide, reached nearly 82 million impressions on its Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106-8+L in 2020. This high level of productivity was especially critical to Fort Dearborn’s success as demand at grocery stores due to Covid-19 surged.

To produce so many impressions annually requires a well-built machine that is reliable and is supported by the largest technical network in the world. Uptime is critical to continuous printing as is the ability to monitor the equipment remotely.

PREDICTIVE MONITORING Heidelberg’s predictive monitoring and remote service diagnostics makes it possible to deliver high uptime availability of the press. This is achieved through continuous data collection.

With predictive monitoring, the system records and monitors up to 500 million data records per year. The system

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algorithms detect irregularities and propose predictive measurements to prevent failures.

Heidelberg Expert creates an intelligent task list and plans execution: • Remotely • Next planned visit • Immediate on-site call (exception) Full reporting is possible via regular monthly data reviews, service reports or with regular phone conferences.

MASTERWORKS DIE CUTTERS CONTINUE THEIR GROWTH Eight years after the partnership was formed, Heidelberg and Masterworks in 2014 have enjoyed great success selling the die cutters and folding box gluers with over 500 machines being sold. Since 2013, Masterworks has sold over 3,000 die cutters internationally.

Both packaging and commercial printers have benefited from the competitively priced machines.

The Geprüfte Sicherheit (“Tested Safety”) or GS mark on the Masterworks die cutters indicate that the equipment meets German and, if available, European safety requirements for such devices, including operating procedures.

The GS mark confirms that the compliance with the European safety requirements has been tested and certified by a state-approved independent body and is based on the German Product Safety Act (“Produktsicherheitsgesetz”).

GS certification is voluntary.

From the simple die cutter right through to the fully equipped machine with stripping and blanking, Masterworks offers a comprehensive range of machines to suit the market demands.

Masterworks even offers a machine (Duo Press) that can foil as well as die cut, strip and blank all in the one pass.

FOLDING BOX GLUERS To complete the box manufacturing process is the internationally renowned folding box gluers formally known as Jagenberg. The product series named “Diana” has been existing since 1958 and high-speed Diana folder gluers (with 600m/min. belt speed) were already introduced in the late 1980s by Jagenberg.

The new generation Diana X 115 model is Heidelberg’s first machine that integrates a folder gluer with single servo drives.

This was launched at Drupa 2008.

Heidelberg, through its partnership with Masterworks, has sold and installed over 142 folding box gluers worldwide and continues to build on its reputation as a total solution provider.

Heidelberg is well positioned to supply and support turnkey solutions to the packaging and label sectors – from sales consultancy to software solutions, machinery, after sales service support as well as a full consumables product range.

This strong portfolio places Heidelberg firmly in the leading position as the partner of choice in both Australia and New Zealand.

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

www.heidelberg.com/sp

eedmaster-premium

FINISHING

Image Concepts scores Horizon first with Currie Group New finishing kit brings increased productivity, quality and accuracy

Finishing on the Horizon, from left: Craig Paul, Currie Group New Zealand country manager; Image Concepts managing director Chris Else; and Dave Else who founded Image Concepts

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ecently, Image Concepts installed a Horizon iCE binder BQ-500 Perfect Binder and iCE HT-300 Trimmer, supplied through Currie Group.

The Auckland-based print company has scored a Southern Hemisphere first with the installation. Managing director Chris Else says it updates the company’s finishing capabilities in the best possible way. He says, “Replacing our older Horizon equipment means we can grow the business as required. We needed greater capacity and now we have it.

“As an all-digital print shop, we print anything and everything, ranging from brochures and business cards through to catalogues, manuals and books, including novels and kids’ books. We complete all the finishing in house. This gives us full control over the jobs and we achieve faster turnarounds for our customers.

“We have worked with Currie Group for about 10 years and we have a fantastic relationship with them. I have known Craig Paul (country manager for Currie Group New Zealand) for a long time.

“In finishing, we started with a manual binder and have progressed with greater automation. The obvious benefit of the automation with the Horizon is that we can produce material faster with greatly improved quality and accuracy. The more manual processes we take out of a job, the better it is for everyone, especially our clients.

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“The new Horizon equipment fits perfectly with where the book side of our business sits. Productivity has improved as we are achieving about four times the finishing speed we had previously. The Horizon gear is pretty impressive when it is going full tilt. We can do 20, 50, or 100 books easily and of course we can do 12,000 if that is what the customer needs.”

Image Concepts also runs a Horizon saddle stitcher and creaser folder. Chris says, “We chose Horizon for a number of reasons but one of its main advantages is that it is solid and will last forever.

“The guys at Currie Group have been great. When required, they come out the same day we call them.

“Another plus for the Horizon technology is how intuitive it is. Once you get the hang of one machine, you can easily operate the others. For example, with the saddle stitch machine, we have a similar user interface. You can train one operator to run all of them.”

Horizon’s iCE Series enables automated workflow using cloud technology. He says, “The iCE is exciting. Let’s say you have five machines on the floor with iCE; your production manager can see what machine is working and how is it going.

It means you can manage the machines without physically being on the machines.

As we upgrade more machines, we have the opportunity for greater automation.”

Digital print finishing future Chris’s father Dave started Image Concepts in 1997 and Chris took over 10 years ago. He says, “I originally trained on offset but that was never really a big part of our business. We could see the future would be digital.

“The finishing quality we produce from digital printing is, in essence, similar to the quality for a commercial finishing operation. In terms of digital books, they are so varied. We can be producing a book on a dog one day and a corporate catalogue the next.

The variety is always interesting.”

Image Concepts offers trade finishing.

He says, “This gives other printers a handy option, especially for small to medium sized runs. With the Horizon equipment, we can increase the volume and we can guarantee the quality. As the work increases, we will have to take on more staff and that is a positive because it puts someone else into the industry.

We are definitely keen to train someone up on the gear.

“Taking good care of our customers is a major focus, alongside building solid relationships with both customers and suppliers like Currie Group, which makes sure we have the right machinery for our business.

“The team at Currie Group provides the support we need to achieve our goals.”

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

DIGITAL

ApeosPro keeps Ray White Raglan working in house Fujifilm Business Innovation delivers quality solution to real estate experts Yana Pemberton, licensee salesperson at Ray White Raglan, operating the ApeosPro C810 printer

the paper thickness, it performs a stable paper feed even with cardstock paper.

Carolina says, “Printing on demand is another benefit for us. For example, we will print up to 50 booklets on one day but on another day, we might do 20 or more. How much and what we print depends on where the market takes us.

The demands are varied and require nimble responses.

“Another benefit from using the ApeosPro C810 printer is that we don’t have to order and print more material than we need.

There is no requirement to warehouse any marketing material and it offers the added bonus of having next to no waste.”

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eeping its marketing processes in house is paying dividends for the team at Ray White Raglan.

The company designs, prepares, prints, and finishes all of its marketing material.

Carolina De Armas, marketing manager and graphic designer at Ray White Raglan, says, “The property market, whether for sales or rental, is ever-changing and fast moving. To keep ahead of our competition, we need to be light on our feet.

“Completing all our marketing work in house saves us time, money and the potential loss of sales. To help us achieve this, we installed an ApeosPro C810 printer, supplied through Fujifilm Business Innovation. This means we can produce our own material such as presentation books and window cards, which require back lighting.

“It is so much easier for us to work in this way. Waiting for the material to be printed elsewhere would make our job impossible. In fact, the fast pace of business in the real estate sector is one of our biggest challenges. We now have the capability to make presentations to clients with printed material that looks amazing, and we can produce it in the shortest possible time.

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“Every business looks for something to give it an edge and keeping marketing in house does that for us. The competition in this industry is fierce, so the fact we can work at speed to present printed marketing material that also looks amazing is becoming essential.

“When we looked for a solution to replace our previous printer, we could see that, for our purposes, the ApeosPro C810 was the fastest on the market and it could also deliver high quality printed material.”

High quality Fujifilm Business Innovation says the ApeosPro C810 printer has the world’s first LED printhead to achieve 2400 x 2400 dpi high resolution. These compact printheads deliver high image quality, having evolved to be sharper and higher definition. Using Super EA Eco toner, which has the industry’s smallest toner particles for smoother gradation, the ApeosPro C810 printer handles a range of stock and weights from 52gsm to 350gsm, offering a banner length print of 330mm.

The ApeosPro C810 printer handles textured stock with ease. By adjusting the force applied to the paper, according to

Offering ease of operation, the Apeos Pro C810 printer comes standard with Simple Image Quality Adjustment (SIQA). This enables the team at Ray White Raglan to maintain print quality by scanning dedicated charts to automatically calculate the appropriate adjustment values. This quick and simple user operation removes the need to remember fine calibration values.

Its Graphic Print (GP) Controller provides high image quality and productivity with 1200 × 1200 dpi high-resolution RIP processing and 10-bit smooth gradation correction for reproducing text, thin lines, and gradations. It also has a 3D calibration that allows for colour adjustment of CMYK single colours and for a mixture of colours. It automatically detects if RGB images, such as photos, are ‘Portrait’ or ‘Scenery’ and corrects them to match the characteristics.

Carolina says, “The ApeosPro C810 printer handles specialised paper and we have been able to set it up for printing different types of paper and weights of paper. It is in constant use and it is easy to operate. On weekends, when we have open homes, we are doing a lot of printing. We print booklets A4 and A3.

“Of course, this is not our first printer from Fujifilm Business Innovation. They are nice people. Our Fujifilm technician, Tua, is amazing. He comes from Rotorua to Raglan and he is absolutely brilliant.

“Overall, we are very happy with the ApeosPro C810 printer.”

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

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To find out more, head over to fujifilm.com/fbnz

CONSUMABLES

Reduce costs with label printing consumables Warren Hadler discusses cost-effective label printing solutions of companies and is this year celebrating 43 years in business.

Warren Hadler says Techspan can save you money with label printing consumables

As the New Zealand authorised partner of TSC we offer the full range of TSC label printers, available on our dedicated e-commerce web site, or direct from Techspan.

TSC has been manufacturing label printers since 1991 and have supplied over five million printers into the market in over 90 countries. They are an award winning, top-five global manufacturer of label printers worldwide, with a market share of over 33 per cent in the USA and Asia, and over 40 per cent in India.

Within the last few years, TSC has completely refreshed its range of printers from the desktop through to the heavy duty industrial printers.

We also convert a large range of thermal transfer ribbon and hot stamping foil from jumbo rolls to printer ready rolls and have been doing so since 1999 when an SME Quadro 400 high speed slitting machine was installed.

Now, we are a major converter of thermal transfer ribbon in New Zealand, supplying ribbon from Ricoh Japan, Iimak USA, as well as suppliers in Germany, France and Taiwan. Black ribbon is supplied in all grades: wax, wax resin and resin for flat head printers (Zebra, Datamax, Meto, Sato, TSC and Intermec to name a few) and near edge printers (Toshiba, Avery, Markem-Imaje, Easyprint, Domino, Link).

We have the ability to slit ribbon to any width and length our customers require, and on cardboard or plastic cores to accommodate any printer type.

Techspan’s SME Quadro 400 high speed slitting machine

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t is becoming harder to save money on consumables in the competitive New Zealand market, but label printing consumables remain as an effective way to reduce costs. At Techspan, as a converter of these, we are confident we can save you money, possibly thousands of dollars.

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If you are printing anything from dispatch labels to overprinting short label runs we can help with printers from 50mm up to 220mm, and all the consumables.

Techspan Industrial Printing Systems Limited is part of the Techspan Group

As well as ribbons for desktop and industrial label printers, we also supply ribbon for TTO inline high speed thermal coders.

Printheads for all printer types and a range of blank label stock is also available.

Hot stamping foil is supplied in metallic and pigment grades.

Please do not hesitate to contact Craig, Warren or Jon with any enquiries on 0800 603 603.

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

info@tsclabelprinters.co.nz

www.tsclabelprinters.co.nz

CONSUMABLES

Spicers joins Revolution in high quality graphics Partnership supplies local industry with world class graphic arts material New Zealand’s sales and distribution network with Revolution’s product range and technical knowledge offers customers a compelling reason to take advantage of the partnership.

Blair says, “We were fortunate to secure the channels for some of the world’s best suppliers but to deliver on our service model we needed a nationwide footprint.

We have enjoyed a great working relationship with the team at Spicers for many years and share many of the same customers. Our industry is facing many challenges and as suppliers we need to look for ways to be more efficient and maintain a high level of service, so partnering with Spicers made a lot of sense.

Revolution selects its products for their global position and technical advantages

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upplying high quality printing inks, overprint varnishes and consumables, Revolution Graphics has quickly established a reputation as a reliable partner to companies across the printing, signage and packaging sectors.

The company got its start in February 2019 when directors Blair Welch and Darron White both returned from living in Australia. Blair explains, “We were encouraged by former colleagues and some key customers to start up a graphic supply company. We listened to our customers and the challenges they were facing and quickly realised that there was an opportunity for a supplier with products that are best in class together with great service.

“The ‘old crew’ from Nova Inks & Chemicals got back together and felt we could provide a point of difference. So, we went about sourcing the best products from leading global suppliers.”

Two separate companies operate under the Revolution brand. Revolution Graphics focuses on the supply of inks and consumables while Revolution Packaging has a focus on providing functional barrier coatings to replace plastic in packaging. Blair says, “We are happy to be referred to as Revolution though. What we want the industry to know is that Revolution provides leading solutions with a focus on quality and service. We provide technical support

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based on years of experience across all formats of print.”

Revolution sources best in class products from the world’s leading manufacturers.

Blair says, “Key suppliers include Flint Group, Siegwerk, Atece Graphics and Gardiner Colour. We provide a full mixing service for special colours and engage with many customers at the design stage.

We have demonstrated how we can add value not only in the print room, but also in supporting our customers with end users and brand owners.

“All our products have been selected for their global position and technical advantages. We have demonstrated significant improvement in processing speeds with reduced consumption, while our application support helps our customers realise better efficiencies on their machines.”

Nationwide distribution In 2020, Spicers New Zealand and Revolution agreed to form a partnership.

Morgan John, general manager of Spicers New Zealand, says “We are committed to diversification but also our core markets of commercial print, packaging and labels. This partnership is an exciting mix of diversification and commitment to our core industries.”

As part of the partnership, Spicers New Zealand distributes Revolution Graphics products. The combination of Spicers

“Spicers New Zealand has significant infrastructure and has demonstrated a strong commitment to the industry through diversification and investment.

Its distribution capability with our technical support means we can provide a truly unique offering for our customers for years to come.

Morgan adds, “Joining forces with Blair’s team has given us industry knowledge and world class products; a great combination with Spicers New Zealand’s sales and distribution network. We look forward to talking about graphics with our customers and consolidating paper and graphics supply for the print industry”.

Since partnering, the companies have produced a highly functional relationship at all levels within the business across the country.

For everyone in the commercial sector, freight and raw materials costs remain a massive challenge. Blair says, “While these inputs are difficult to control, our partnership with Spicers means that we can efficiently manage our local costs.

Spicers New Zealand has an efficient distribution network and our customers can now receive all paper, ink and consumables in one delivery, on one truck!”

The future will see Revolution and Spicers New Zealand going from strength to strength in their partnership. Blair adds, “We see constant improvements in quality. Our customers are passionate about the industry and our solutions are delivering excellent results.”

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

Graphics Coatings Consumables Inks Mixes Chemistry Products from the world’s leading manufacturers

Revolution Graphics Solutions For further information please contact your local Spicers account representative or visit spicersnz.co.nz Auckland T. 09 925 3000

Wellington T. 04 587 1960

South Island T. 03 366 2289

FELLMAN

Did we learn anything?

The landscape around Covid is that machine resources will either be enhanced by or diminished by human resources But Company B was in better shape when it was time to bring people back. The fact of the matter is that many Company As can’t even fill their open positions right now, and when they can, it’s with new people who have to be trained to some level of performance.

It can be difficult to hire great people right now, especially if you’re not willing to view your human resources as an investment rather than a cost

Dave Fellman is the president of David Fellman & Associates, Raleigh, NC, US, a sales and marketing consulting firm serving numerous segments of the graphic arts industry.

Contact Dave at dmf@davefellman.com.

Visit his website at www.davefellman.com.

T

The point of the article was that the “Just In Time” manufacturing strategy has been very good for many companies since Toyota first pioneered the concept in the 1960s.

However, it stopped being as good when Covid-19 stopped the flow of raw materials, which stopped the flow of component parts, which stopped the flow of finished products.

In the printing industry, we had supply and demand issues with ink and paper and other substrates.

Not to mention the difficulty in finding people to do our work, which is what I really want to talk about now.

Cost focus Low cost is a contributor to high profit.

That’s inarguable. But it’s not the only way to achieve high profit.

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They were not as likely to suffer to keep a not-so-good job.

And that has been compounded by the reality that many people with low-paying jobs could make more money through unemployment benefits than they could from working, and even when those benefits ran out, they could find higherpaying not-so-good jobs because of the demand situation.

Bottom line

DAVE FELLMAN

his is from the last paragraph in an article in the New York Times, about disruptions in the worldwide supply chain due to Covid-19: “The real question is, ‘Are we going to stop chasing low cost as the sole criteria for business judgement?’”

Many Company Bs were able to keep their good people on – granted, sometimes with reduced hours and at reduced wages, but people were willing to suffer some to keep a good job.

Also inarguable is the old adage that you have to spend money to make money.

Here’s an observation – Printers love to invest in equipment.

But, on the other side of the coin, printers tend to be reluctant to invest in human resources.

“Keep payroll down” is the mantra, and it too often results in unexceptional people, compounded by not enough of them to get the job done.

The other side of that coin is to pay premium wages to attract and retain premium people.

Here’s a tale of two printing companies.

Company A spends $30,000 per month on 10 unexceptional people. The work mostly gets done.

Company B spends $35,000 per month on eight exceptional people. All of the work gets done, efficiently and effectively.

Which company would you rather be?

There’s definitely some irony to the Covid situation. Company A was admittedly in better shape when people needed to be laid off.

Here’s what I hope you readers will learn from all of this. Everything starts with your human resources!

The ink, the toner, the paper and even the machines are essentially the same.

Oh sure, some machines are more capable than others, but across the competitive landscape, someone always has machine resources at least equal to yours (and in many cases, someone has machine resources that are even greater than yours!)

But here’s another fundamental truth.

Machine resources will either be enhanced by or diminished by human resources.

Granted, it can be difficult to hire great people right now, especially if you’re not willing to view your human resources as an investment rather than a cost. But that mindset does make it easier.

What I’m hoping to accomplish is an attitude change, and the first steps toward building a Company B team.

It may take you all of 2022 to get from where you are now to where you want to be, but if you can manage to accomplish that, you will be in much better shape in 2023 and beyond.

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

:

Find your best client

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Currie Group gets EFI Fiery l Durst updates software

WIDE FORMAT

Currie Group accredited first EFI Fiery premier partner in the region EFI and Currie Group provide additional support and expertise to their customers that caters to different job types and makes it easy to automate repeat jobs and repetitive tasks.

Fiery Prep-It Fiery Prep-It is a print-for-cut preparation software. It is an easy to use solution for the preparation, layout and automated production of print for cut jobs, which is likely most of the jobs customers are producing, according to Currie Group. It can save them hours of prepress time and dramatically decrease media usage with efficient true shape nesting.

Paul Whitehead, business unit manager – Sign & Display Currie Group

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urrie Group has recently received accreditation as the first EFI Fiery for Display Graphics Premier Partner in the region.

Further strengthening the partnership between EFI and Currie Group, this programme ultimately benefits the companies’ wide format customer base by way of additional support and expertise.

As a Fiery for Display Graphics Premier Partner, Currie Group is now listed on EFI’s website so customers can easily locate it by selecting the region to see Currie Group there.

As part of the programme, Currie Group was required to complete sales and technical training for the entire line-up of Fiery display graphics products. Chris Schowalter, global sales director – Fiery for Display Graphics, says, “We are very proud to have Currie Group joining the Premier Partner programme. They quickly met all our criteria achieving the highest-level accreditation for Fiery Display Graphics Products.

“Currie Group is a trusted partner and doing a great job supporting all our customers in the region. Now our partnership is even stronger, and we can together keep our customers happy and loyal.”

SUITE OF SOLUTIONS The portfolio has grown beyond the EFI

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Fiery XF and Fiery proServer itself. There is a complete suite of software solutions that will make customers more efficient, including Fiery JobFlow for prepress automation; Fiery Prep-It for true shape nesting; and Fiery IQ for display graphics that will help customers better manage their fleet, even across multiple locations, by providing real time operational data via the cloud.

Paul Whitehead, business unit manager – Sign & Display at Currie Group, says, “Currie Group is committed to becoming the leading supplier in both the Australian and New Zealand Sign and Display markets. EFI hardware was only the first step, and now we are excited to add the Fiery for Display Graphics software to our portfolio.

“Becoming an accredited Fiery Display Graphics Premier Partner ensures we can support both our EFI customers to a greater level, whilst also providing a full suite of workflow support to customers that utilise printers from other manufacturers.”

The various components of the Fiery for Display Graphics software suite: Fiery XF 7 Fiery XF7 is the easiest way to achieve superior colour results, gain maximum productivity and profit from business insights with EFI Fiery Command WorkStation digital print job management. It is a workflow solution

Alternative means of true shape nesting either involve longer preparation times or excessive use of media or both, when compared to Fiery Prep-It. Fiery JobFlow Fiery JobFlow automates job preparation steps in prepress workflows to produce ready-to-print files. This easy to use print workflow automation software increases productivity and reduces costs. With its easy to build workflows, users can use it for automated image enhancement and automation, file submission and archiving, integration with other workflows for intelligent job routing and much more. The JobFlow mantra is ‘Don’t touch what you can automate’.

EFI IQ for Display Graphics EFI IQ, a cloud-based application, provides the data analytics that help owners and managers make smart decisions. It can provide answers to questions such as: • • • •

How well is my shop running today?

How much ink did we consume in the last quarter?

Is there a disruption in my shop I need to know about?

How well are my printers being utilised?

By gaining real time access to the answers to these questions and more, owners and managers can quickly adapt to get things back on track, whether it needs additional operator training, better inventory management, scaling up production capacity, or any other action to ensure a smooth and profitable operation.

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

WIDE FORMAT NEWS Total Supply brings Dimense to New Zealand Total Supply has signed a deal with Australian company Stick on Signs to distribute Dimense 3D printing technology in New Zealand.

Cameron Harris, general manager at Total Supply, says, “This is something different to run of the mill large format printing. It has multiple applications such as feature walls, children’s bedrooms and corporate office space. We can’t wait to bring it to the New Zealand market.”

Dimense wide format 3D printing technology makes printing of a 1.5mm high structure with water based latex inks on the PVC-free substrates possible.

The company has developed a set of print substrates that it calls Dimense media. The substrate consists of two layers: non-woven in the back and a patented PVCfree phthalate-free Ecodeco composition on the top. Under certain temperature in the printer, the top layer of the media foams and expands by 1mm-1.5mm.

However, in areas where structural ink is applied, it stays flat. Dimense says that,

The Dimensor S roll to roll printer in this way, it can control the thickness of Dimense media and create a distinctive structure for every print.

Structural ink itself is transparent and it can be printed with CMYK inks. So you can print picture and structure in one step, as well as print structure without colour.

Dimense says the basic principle of structure creation is that the media stays flat in areas where structural ink is printed, while the rest of the surface expands. The structure and motif can

be matched to each other, or the structure may be completely different than the picture itself; it depends on the designer’s creativity.

The Dimense solution comprises the Dimensor S roll to roll printer, seven types of media (matt, pearl, suede, gold, silver, chameleon, Media Plus) and water based latex inks. The Dimensor S roll to roll printer consists of two major components: an inkjet printer and calander.

Workflow software expands Durst’s footprint Durst Group has announced its 500th customer installation of Durst Workflow Software.

Matt Ashman, managing director Durst Oceania, says, “This milestone, reached in less than three years, highlights Durst Group’s transformation from a press manufacturer to a solutions provider in the digital printing industry.

“Durst Workflow is the most comprehensive software solution in the market that is also open to third-party providers, and successfully integrated it into its customers’ production.”

Founded in 2019, the Durst Software & Solutions Division now has more than 60 employees and has developed a range of solutions. Michael Deflorian, business unit manager, Durst Software & Solutions, says, “We are proud that more than 500 customers from different sectors rely on our workflow solution.

With the help of their feedback, we try to improve our products every day to offer the best software ecosystem for the digital printing industry.”

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June 2022

Matt Ashman, managing director Durst Oceania Durst Workflow is the company’s high end solution for fully automated management of prepress and production tasks. Originally developed to provide the highest print quality for Durst printing systems, it is now also available for thirdparty printing systems.

Ashman says, “The complete browserbased solution has a user-friendly interface that allows the entire PDF workflow to be fully automated. Durst Workflow integrates seamlessly with the customer’s existing software environment, enabling a higher level of automation than comparable stand-alone products.

“Thanks to preconfigured corrections, data preparation is faster and more

efficient, and the integrated, powerful colour engine guarantees exact colour accuracy right from the start.

“With Durst Workflow, it is possible to print more while using less ink, thanks to predefined colour saving profiles that can be applied with just one click.”

Serge Clauss, product manager at Durst Software & Solutions, adds, “We develop software solutions that help our customers make their prepress and production processes more predictable and productive.

Reaching 500 users with our Durst Workflow solution is a clear statement that we are meeting our customers’ expectations.”

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NZSDA UPDATE

Who is your most important client?

Melissa Coutts looks at the different clients we have in our business

It is important to meet with your staff and discuss your clients

Encourage staff to focus on giving the clients excellent quality service. By doing this, you will get to know them better and they will start to become advocates for your business.

So now having established your ideal or dream clients for your business, don’t forget the most important one of them all: you. Without, you the business would not exist. By focusing on yourself in the first instance, you can give your clients better service and performance.

Time management plays a significant role in this process. Some say they don’t have time to sit down and assess their work life balance. However, without doing this you can’t be effective and efficient.

Life maps

MELISSA COUTTS

M

ost of us may admit that we do not see a lot of difference in a client to a customer.

Both demand the same amount of attention, generate similar income for your business and both pay their accounts on time, right?

Well let’s put things into perspective by looking at what a client hierarchy may look like, this will give us a clear understanding of how we can categorise our clients from customers.

A client is a person who repetitively purchases goods or services from your business on a regular basis and is of value to you and your business. The final piece to this hierarchy are the advocates, who are ultimately the key or dream clients.

They tell everyone about your business and the positive experiences they have experienced from you.

If you want your business to be all about quality customers, you need to focus on differentiating between your quality customers and others. To do this, you must measure and record the average sale value and profit per sale to identify the top customers. This will also help you understand more about your industry and or market.

Build a profile

On the bottom we have the ‘suspects’, potential clients, which includes anyone and everyone. Next come the ‘prospects’, people who have heard of your business through any marketing mediums, or even just by walking by on the foot path or driving by.

Once you identify your top customers, they become your clients. Building a profile is key to attracting more of them. A profile is easy to set up with most sales recorded in systems anyway. Adding other information like gender, age and location of business, will add value to your relationships with your top clients as well as assist in finding more of the same.

The customers sit very comfortably in the middle as people have done business with and have purchased from you in the past.

Near the top are the clients.

The next step is to meet with your staff and discuss the importance of these clients and the point of difference between them and the other customers.

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Working in your business, on the nitty gritty and the day to day running, is far different from working on your business with development of strategic planning, networking and team building.

To be effective in business you need to have a good core of wellbeing in life.

You can use a life map that comprises humanity and community; home and family; self and health; as well as business and career. It is hard to achieve a good balance in all these areas. People may exceed in the business and career area but have with weaknesses elsewhere, in say self and health.

Taking time out to address this life map on a regular basis can deliver significant benefits in you as a person and within your business. Once you have worked out how to become more effective by working on your business, efficiency will flow.

Your clients will reap the benefits of this positive change.

Ask these questions. Who is my most important client? Do I have too many customers? Do I have any advocates?

How much time do I spend on my business? And do I need to achieve a better core wellbeing in my life?

In a nut shell, it starts and ends with you. Whatever effort you put into your life your business will only flourish from it.

June 2022

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Contact 0800 0800 52 or email secretary@nzsda.org.nz Visit the NZSDA website for further membership enquiry at www.nzsda.org.nz

NZSDA SIGNEE

BB Signs is Blenheim through and through Busy sign shop “happy in its own skin” Adam has 25 years’ experience as a sign maker, 14 years with BB Signs; Lee has been doing it for 12 years. They still enjoy the small amount of traditional sign writing they get to do. Adam says, “We don’t get as much opportunity to do artwork but when we do, it is quite relaxing. However, machines are quicker easier faster and more cost-effective.”

Training sign makers BB Signs has one apprentice right now.

He says, “It is a challenge to help them finish their modules. Sometimes we make projects up for them just so they can do that. But having apprentices is great. It means we are doing our bit for the industry and it gives them a genuine qualification.

BB Signs owners Lee Church (l) and Adam Lonergan

B

ased in Blenheim, BB Signs has served the local community for over half a century.

Owners Adam Lonergan and Lee Church purchased the business after working there as sign makers. Adam says, “We bought it four years ago from Brian Benseman, though Brian wasn’t the original BB in the name BB Signs.

That was Barry Bridges. It was just chance that they had the same initials.

Brian has semi-retired but he still pops in from time to time.”

“Blenheim is a great place to live. It’s one of New Zealand’s best kept secrets and frankly, we would like to keep it that way.

For business, Blenheim is a winery town, so we are always pretty much flat out and we love it.

With nine staff, BB Signs completes all types of signage jobs. Adam says.

“We are basically a full service sign shop, plus we do CNC machining. That came about because we were having to

30

outsource that work, which meant we struggled with turnaround times. We have made some weird and wonderful things with the CNC, like bed frames and aluminium parts for racing cars.

It is interesting and a good part of the business to have.

“We have great relationships with our customers. We have known most of them for a long time. In fact, some customers are what we would call generational grandkids.

“We don’t have any grand plans to make BB Signs a giant company.

We are a part of Blenheim and happy in our own skin. Where necessary, we will grow with the town. Ours is a localised business model.

“Having to adapt and keep moving as a business is a good thing. I think the variety in the work is one of the best parts of what I do. It has always been like that for me. You don’t get bored and you aren’t stuck in a repetitive job.

“People have some odd reasons for not taking on apprentices like, ‘They will leave’ or ‘It costs too much’. Of course they will leave at some stage, but they will also return and they will certainly feel more loyal if you have given them a reason to come back. Also, half of it is government funded so for us, it is a no-brainer and a positive way we can contribute to the industry.

“It hurts to see young ones getting ripped off in low paying jobs when they could be learning a trade.”

“We enjoy the meeting the challenges the work brings. Right now, we are working on health and safety, keeping up to date.

The other challenge is time crunch. When a customer wants a job done the same day, that can be tough but we find ways to get it done.

Like everyone else we have had to adapt for Covid. It can be a struggle but you just have to strap your boots on and get on with it. The industry is in good shape and there are a lot of good things happening.

It is rewarding to do great graphic work.

We have excellent graphic designers who do award winning work.

“We value having the NZSDA. It has grown over the years. NZSDA has always been a working group that has upskilled with the industry. We are looking forward to the conference in July. We intend to enjoy it. We will make the most of the trip south and have a blast on some of the bike trails down there.”

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

Think again... we still love them, and they still have a purpose in many businesses today.

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AARQUE PAKWORLD

Pakworld picks Summa for flatbed cutting Aarque supplies Summa F1612 flatbed solution to leading packaging company Pakworld has partnered with Aarque for over three years.

He says, “Aarque provides a range of consumables.

We also have a tie-in there through another major supplier, BJ Ball Group.

Summa at Pakworld: Mike Murphy (l), general manager and Steve Browne prepress manager with the Summa F1612 flatbed cutting system

B

ased in Christchurch, Pakworld International produces a range of fibre board packaging for clients, locally and throughout the rest of New Zealand.

Aarque talked to us about the Summa. We realised that it would be good value for money. We needed quality.

The Summa is an ideal fit for our requirements; it ticked all the boxes for us.

Bill Flett started the company in 1980 and his sons, Jonathan and Chris took it over in 2002. They successfully grew the business using innovative concepts and the best technology. In 2017, they sold Pakworld to one of their major customers, Tumblar Products, another innovative, family-owned Kiwi company.

“About 85 per cent of our work is for FMCG, mostly food related. Rapid prototyping for packaging has become a significant part of the business so we are pleased we can offer that to our customers. The Summa helps us do that.

For example, we can proof a design, die-cut the proof and hand glue it before we incur any prepress or tooling. This allows our customer to review a completed, finished package before incurring any expense.

Mike Murphy, general manager at Pakworld, says, “Chris and Jonathan stayed with the company until late last year and it is good that it is still a privately owned, family business. We are wellknown in the South Island and we have many long-term and loyal clients.”

Recently, Pakworld installed a Summa F1612 flatbed cutting system through local supplier Aarque.

He says, “We wanted to be able to provide our customers with a service offering quality prototypes for packaging.

We had looked around for the right machine and Steve Wilton-Jones from

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“Before we installed the Summa, we outsourced our prototypes, which took longer and came at a cost. But it is not just about saving money and time; it is also about broadening the experience for customers.

“Another benefit is if we have to change board types, or weight, it gives us the flexibility to show our customers the product prior to committing to the change. They are continually looking for ways to take cost out of their product and we want to help them with that wherever possible.”

“It is a good relationship.

Steve Wilton-Jones is really knowledgeable. He knows his stuff and that is important.

Also, when they commissioned the machine, the technician was very efficient and helped make the bedding-in process simple. Our prepress manager Steve Browne has taken the Summa on board as part of his role and he is finding it easy to operate. It is a matter of looking at what you want to achieve with the machine, which is not complicated to run.”

Pakworld has weathered the Covid storm well despite facing a number of challenges.

Mike says, “While packaging is our core business, it is one of many ingredients for our customers. We would like to see greater stability around supply lines. It is difficult to order months out when our sales visibility is only a few weeks’ out.”

Increased pricing for board supply is another challenge.

Passing the price increases on to customers is a reluctant necessity. He says, “We are no good to them if our business is not viable.

“The industry is in reasonably good shape. Sustainability is a requirement now. We are finding customers asking, ‘How can I do this without plastic?’ There is some conversion back to cardboard.

We try to work with the customer to understand how they want their product perceived in the market while not compromising on the requirement of the pack.”

SUMMA F1612 FLATBED CUTTING SYSTEM PROVIDES FLEXIBILITY Steve Wilton Jones, national equipment sales consultant at Aarque, says, the Summa F1612 flatbed cutting system expands your options with numerous innovative features. These include: Multifunctional head – holds up to three tangential modules at one time. The central unit houses a positioning laser and an integrated camera system for fast and accurate contourcutting mark recognition.

Tangential module – offers a vertical force of 10kg and corresponds to a wide range of matching tools. Each tool has a barcode identifier that ensures automatic recognition and parameter settings.

Perforating Knife Tool – is a new addition to the tool set, allowing for a selection of four TPI cutting blades.

Media advance clamps – pneumatically-driven, they hold the material down while pulling it forward in order to work continuously in panels or multiple jobs.

Barcode workflow – automatically identifies the job to obtain the necessary cutting data. Scanning the job happens automatically by the built-in camera of the Summa F Series system or by a hand scanner, depending on the selected workflow Media Library – gives on board profiles for a wide range of media types, allowing for fast setups of tooling cut parameters. Conveniently, the parametric design library of cartons and POS displays makes the design process seamless.

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

Professional flatbed finishing systems The Summa F Series offers a line of digital flatbed cutting systems based on 30 years of experience.

These advanced engineered flatbed cutting tables are capable of cutting a wide range of sheeted and rigid materials as well as roll stock.

ONE MACHINE, COUNTLESS POSSIBILITIES Each Summa module and tool offers an array of possibilities. Summa’s professional flatbed finishing systems are able to cut substrates ranging from cardboard, roll material, synthetic material, foamboard, wood and even special material, such as magnetic and rubber.

The F Series with its wide range of tools will provide the means to create applications of all shapes and sizes. From packaging, folding boxes, roll-up banners, vehicle graphics, counter displays, routing, outdoor signage and many more...

An arsenal of optional add-ons further expand the capabilities of the F Series, allowing for a custom-tailored machine to perfectly fit your specific workflow and cutting requirements.

0508 22 77 83 | www.aarque.co.nz

LABELS & PACKAGING NEWS Screen hits milestone with Truepress Jet L350 UV Label Press Screen has announced the installation of the 200th Truepress Jet L350UV SAI inkjet label press at the Hickman Label Company in Tennesee, USA. Released in 2019, the Truepress Jet L350UV SAI follows its earlier models, the Truepress Jet L350UV+ and Truepress Jet L350UV+LM, plus the original model, the Truepress Jet L350UV, which launched in 2014. Screen says the Truepress Jet L350UV SAI series offers greater stability with printing speeds of up to 60 metres per minute and allows for seven printhead channels with the option for an eighth. The seven-colour set includes special blue and orange for an extra vibrant colour gamut.

Hickman chose the Truepress Jet L350UV SAI S to expand its business into a full-service label production operation. The company got its start in 2015 by supplying blank labels to the industry. Founder, Neil Hickman says he needed a compact press that was easy to operate and one whose manufacturer offered exceptional training and a great service programme.

The company also plans to purchase additional Screen equipment and hire more operators. Hickman says, “I expect that the printing side of the business will grow to be as big as or even bigger than the blank side of our business. The press is already running every day. It’s been a great investment for us.”

First Nozomi 14000 LED installed in UK EFI has completed its first EFI Nozomi 14000 LED installation at UK-based corrugated packaging manufacturer Caps Cases.

The 14000 model is a 1.4m ultrahigh-speed digital press designed for mainstream, high-volume packaging production. It prints at speeds up to 100 metres per minute. EFI says it delivers high uptime and reliability, with durable performance in heavy industrial production, direct to board on nearly all flute types. It adds that the corrugated packaging press offers superior colour registration and award-

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Company founder Neil Hickman with his son, Neil Jr and the 200th Screen Truepress Jet L350UV SAI Label Press Peter Scott, managing director at Screen GP Australia, says, “Two hundred is a great milestone for the Truepress Jet L350UV series and, I am happy to say, all of the original ones are still in production and in demand if traded-in for upgrade. We have installed 11 in the Australia New Zealand region, which is 5.5 per cent of the world total; far more than would typically be expected. For this I have to thank our dealer partner Jet Technologies, who is co-exhibiting with us at PacPrint.”

Yukiyoshi Tanaka, President of Screen Graphic Solutions, says, “While the severe situation caused by Covid-19 has

continued in recent years, the volume of label shipments has shown steady growth.

This has made it even clearer that label printing is an ‘essential business’ for people’s lives.

“The Truepress Jet L350UV SAI not only offers the features of digital printing, but also delivers ease of use and market-leading high uptime thanks to its high stability in maintaining print quality, extensive after-sales support, and proactive service systems. We believe these are the reasons why so many of our customers have adopted our systems.

Many of them own multiple units of our systems.”

winning imaging quality.

Trevor Bissett, managing director of Caps Cases, says, “The EFI Nozomi 14000 LED is the first solution that has been suitable for us both in terms of the physical space that the machine demands, and in the quality that it can achieve. We will be able to alleviate some of the bottlenecks we have in our current process in ways that have not been possible with digital until now.

“Throughout the buying process, it was clear that EFI is a professional, supportive, and transparent organisation.

We have been able to virtually design a system that EFI have then brought to life for us to ensure it fits our goals, production process, and physical space, so they have been very accommodating.”

Evandro Matteucci, EFI inkjet packaging and building materials vicepresident and general manager, says,

“The response to the Nozomi 14000 LED has been incredible, and it validates what we came to understand during the research and development process, as well as through ongoing dialogue with our corrugated packaging customers. There is an essential need in the market for a highly productive, reliable, and versatile industrial packaging solution designed for more compact production lines.

“We are thrilled that Caps Cases has become the first business globally to invest in and install the latest evolution of EFI’s breakthrough Nozomi platform. We are looking forward to supporting Trevor Bissett and his team as they increase productivity, alleviate bottlenecks, and deliver more value to their brand owner clients using the outstanding graphics quality and flexibility of our award-winning singlepass UV LED inkjet technology.”

June 2022

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LABELS & PACKAGING

Konica Minolta reaches 1000 AccurioLabel press milestone Digital label press increases in popularity 1000 and counting: The AccurioLabel press series

Chris O’Hara, national production print manager Konica Minolta New Zealand industry, seeing run lengths reduce and greater flexibility required.

K

onica Minolta has installed its 1000th AccurioLabel press, reaching the milestone less than seven years after entering the labels market and only two years after announcing the 500th installation.

The 1000th installation is an AccurioLabel 230 press that went into French label specialist Etiq’Lyon, which employs seven staff at Caluire in France.

Bertrand Genin, owner of Etiq’Lyon, says, “As we continue to invest in digital technology, which we see as the future, we are extremely proud to have become the 1000th customer of the AccurioLabel toner press.

AccurioLabel press marks a significant milestone as we continue to grow in this space.

“The AccurioLabel 230 press offers affordable entry to high quality digital printing as a cost-effective solution. Ease of operation is one of the many features that companies are taking advantage of to save time and money to deliver stable print quality.

“As a digital print technology pioneer, Konica Minolta continues to set the benchmark with our high quality platform for digital production of labels and packaging.”

“This investment will enable us to offer many other new business solutions for our customers spread across all industrial trades, thanks to the support we receive, very good colour stability of the machine and fast production speeds.

New Zealand print and label companies have also shown real interest in the AccurioLabel 230, with several installations completed.

“The technology, extremely competitive total cost of ownership and professional support and responsiveness from their expert staff were major factors behind our decision. Konica Minolta has been extremely good at listening to us and working together in partnership to deliver on our exacting requirements.”

Designed for small to mid-size label converters, the Konica Minolta AccurioLabel series offers flexibility and reliability.

Chris O’Hara, national production print manager Konica Minolta New Zealand, says, “The 1000th shipment of the

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Fast turnaround

O’Hara continues, “Konica Minolta has positioned the AccurioLabel press to address the issues faced with the label printing industry, particularly its need for small to medium print runs with fast turnaround. This is timely with the effects of the Covid-19 reverberating around the

“Many traditionally analogue label converters have now embraced digital printing for the first time with our AccurioLabel solutions and many commercial print companies are expanding their capabilities and growing new revenue streams.”

The AccurioLabel 230 runs most tack papers and films at speeds of up to 23.4 metres per minute delivering a printing resolution of 1200 dpi × 1200 dpi and 256 gradations. O’Hara says, “An intuitive touch panel monitor enables ease of operation, eliminating the need for extensive user training. It also offers the added benefit of a compact footprint.

“Tasks that were time consuming on analogue machines can be performed quickly and accurately. It is perfect for a variety of applications including food and beverage, industrial and pharmaceutical products and much more.

“Unlike conventional flexo and offset printing, these highly flexible digital presses can process jobs that require variable data printing, numbering or barcode printing easily and efficiently.

You can complete a run of one or of several thousand.

“Passing the 1000 install milestone shows that the AccurioLabel series is hitting the mark with print companies and label converters who need to deliver high quality and consistent results, repeatedly.

“Our local teams look forward to talking about the AccurioLabel press series with you.”

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

NEVER STOP DELIVERING The new AccurioLabel 230 offers enhanced productivity, job flexibility, operability and excellent image quality at an affordable system cost, making it the perfect solution to ensure you always deliver high quality labels on time, every-time. Printing at an impressive 23.4 metres per minute and with a compact footprint, this label press is perfect for label converters looking to convert to digital technology as well as those entering the label market.

To book a demonstration on the new AccurioLabel 230 simply visit

konicaminolta.co.nz/accuriolabel-230

AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF PACKAGING

A/NZ ranks second in the world in the 2022 WorldStar Packaging Awards Australian and New Zealand companies have received the second highest amount of WorldStar Packaging Awards in the world behind Germany •

The Collective’s 100 per cent rPET drinking yoghurt bottle by Pact Group

•

•

Nerida Kelton is the executive directorof the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) and vice-president – sustainability and save food of the World Packaging Organisation (WPO).

NERIDA KELTON

T

•

he Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) is pleased to announce that Australian and New Zealand companies have received the second highest amount of WorldStar Packaging Awards in the world behind Germany – with Japan in the third position and China in fourth.

Only companies that have won Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards are eligible to enter the WorldStar Packaging Awards.

The global packaging design competition attracted over 440 entries from 37 countries which represented a 30 per cent increase in submissions. A group of 36 global judges deliberated over the 440 submissions and determined 240 winners for the 2022 round of the awards program.

WorldStar Packaging Awards Food Category • Brookfarm Kerbside Roll N Recycle stand up pouch – O F Packaging: Using a specialty label that allows the 100 per cent high barrier PE pouch to change shape at end of life, this is the first ever pouch packaging in Australia that can be put in mixed recycling and be sorted through a mechanical recycling process.

• The Collective 100 per cent rPET drinking yoghurt bottle – Pact Group: The company worked with The Collective, to launch the first yoghurt bottle in New Zealand that incorporates 100 per cent PCR base

A/NZ PIDA Award winners have been internationally recognised with 27 awards across 12 categories in the WorldStar Packaging Awards, which are run by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO).

This is the highest amount of awards that have ever been won for A/NZ.

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THE 2022 WORLDSTAR PACKAGING AWARD WINNERS FOR A/NZ ARE:

resin rPET in its packaging.

Chobani Yoghurt cup – PakPot: The Chobani Yoghurt Tub is not only sustainably designed but also incorporates patented design and injected/IML process to mould the label like a shrink-sleeve.

Junee Lamb & Sealed Air for Cryovac Total Bone Guard: Cryovac brand Total Bone Guard (TBG) safeguards high value bone-in proteins by protecting against physical damage and product spoilage.

Squeezepak squeezy sauce bottle – Wellman Packaging: Squeezepak is a fully recycled squeezy LDPE condiment bottle made with 100 per cent food grade recycled plastic delivering about 12 per cent better top load for about eight per cent resin use reduction, a 50 per cent reduction in pigment, and about 10 per cent more brimful volume, seven per cent larger label panel and improved hotfill performance via an optimised base punt design.

Woolworths paper seal Meat Tray: Woolworths moved a specialty range of grass-fed beef to sustainably-sourced, fibre-based, kerbside-recyclable meat tray packaging with the most innovative consumer education onpack of any packaging in the region.

WorldStar Packaging Awards Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Category • VentX Unico – Omni Group: VentX Unico is the world’s most sustainable, effective, and innovative ventilated pallet wrapping solution.

WorldStar Packaging Awards Beverage Category • Melbourne Coffee – Cyclpac: Melbourne coffee is not just beautifully illustrated, great tasting sustainable coffee, it’s intelligently packaged in mono-material film design for the circular economy. Compliant with OPRL and ARL recycling standards to ensure global market appeal.

• Schultz Organic Dairy – Rhima Australia: Schulz Organic Dairy moved to a reuse and refill model.

All bottles are returned to their facility to be cleaned and sanitised

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF PACKAGING Chobani’s Yoghurt cup by PakPot

before each reuse. The program includes a customer incentive to encourage reuse and refill.

WorldStar Packaging Awards Household Category • Cove – Natures Organics: Cove is a range of refillable and reusable cleaning products designed to reduce packaging waste and lessen the environmental footprint of household cleaning across the kitchen, bathroom and laundry.

• Zero Co – O F Packaging: Zero Co. wanted to reduce the large amount of unnecessary single-use plastics found in the household product market, while committing to cleaning up our oceans and reducing plastic waste. With O F Pack, it created an innovative concept that includes recycled plastic materials and works in a closed loop/refill system.

• Colgate Palmolive – Wellman Packaging: Colgate Palmolive, in a market first, converted 100 per cent of its Australian surface cleaners over to 100 per cent recycled PET content for all bottles, produced efficiently on-site in two stages from preforms and with zero pigments via compatible shrink sleeves, thus increasing the recycling recovery rates for these market leading products.

WorldStar Packaging Awards Packaging Materials & Components Category • Blue Harvest Oyster Tray – BioPak:

newzealandprinter.co.nz

June 2022

WorldStar Packaging Awards Medical & Pharmaceutical Category • Vaccine Protector – Planet Protector Packaging: The design includes a wool knop liner encased in a metallised polyethylene film and an outer corrugated carton.

WorldStar Packaging Awards Electronics Category • Telstra packaging design system – Birdstone Collective

Cove’s solution by Natures Organics

WorldStar Packaging Awards Labelling & Decoration Category • Pana Organic Drink Blends – Zipform Packaging: Zipform Packaging teamed up with Pana Organic to create the most aesthetically pleasing composite fibre-based pack in the market.

The print finish of the packs utilises Pana Organic’s signature use of illustrations and silver foil representing the premium profile of the brand.

components fully recyclable or compostable.

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Seafood transportation has its challenges as it is a high-temperature sensitive product that cherishes quickly after harvest. These oyster trays provide a sustainable alternative to plastic and PS trays.

VentX Unico – Omni Group: Designed to significantly reduce the amount of film required to wrap a pallet, VentX Unico is guaranteed to reduce plastic usage by over 50 per cent. This is all achieved while drastically improving load ventilation and containment.

Edgell Super Crunch Delivery Carton – Simplot Australia: The Edgell Delivery Chip and Carton are an innovative and intuitive design that extends the life of the chip so that the consumer has the longest possible time to consume the chips and therefore reducing the amount of food waste at the end of the meal.

Colgate Palmolive – Wellman Packaging: For a fully holistic environmental solution, the conversion to 100 per cent rPET coincided with Colgate’s launch of new ECO enviro-sensitive formulations, new pack shapes improving supply chain efficiency, PET compatible label stocks, unpigmented closures and mono-material, metal-free PP trigger sprays – together setting the tone for the market to follow.

Squeezepak squeezy sauce bottle – Wellman Packaging: Circular economy design objectives including 2025 Targets have been fully met for the Squeezepak squeezy sauce bottle.

WorldStar Packaging Awards Health & Personal Care Category • Dove 50 per cent rHDPE bodywash bottles – Pact Group: Pact worked with Unilever to transition its Dove 350ml bottle to 50 per cent postconsumer Australian sourced recycled High Density Polyethylene.

• Vaccine Protector – Planet Protector Packaging: The solution is a 100 per cent sustainable alternative to expanded polystyrene boxes for the transport of frozen vaccines, with all

WorldStar Packaging Awards eCommerce Category • NZ Post & Sealed Air for Jiffy recycled Shortuff mailer: The solution not only safeguards NZ Post e-commerce deliveries, but responds to consumer’s sentiment for sustainable packaging, all while satisfying 2025 National packaging targets.

WorldStar Packaging Awards Transit Category • 1/6th Retail Ready pallet – CHEP Australia: To be compatible with existing infrastructure, the new platform includes features to ensure it can be stored, stacked, and transported safely with other supply chain equipment from manufacturer straight through to retail floor.

• VentX Unico – Omni Group: Some of the advantages of VentX Unico include a reduction of plastic usage by over 50 per cent, help for our environment with sustainable packaging, saving on wrapping costs by halving usage, preventing damaged produce with improved load ventilation, achieving optimum pallet load containment, and saving on energy consumption and electricity costs.

• Vaccine Protector – Planet Protector Packaging: Wool knops allow for a 65 per cent reduction in wool material usage, whilst maintaining superior thermal protection. Its Metallised Radiant Barrier can maintain -20°C for over 60 hours.

WorldStar Packaging Awards Other Category • rPump – Zipform Packaging: Zipform Packaging in conjunction with a leading health and beauty business has developed rPump, a world first in combining a recyclable composite fibre-based pack with a reusable closure and pump, in response to the recyclability challenge presented by existing pump style packaging.

The WorldStar Special Awards will be announced at the 2022 WorldStar ceremony, scheduled for 4 May, in Milan, Italy.

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TRAINING

Matt Stockford named Print Diploma Student of the Year Gravure Packaging printer wins major award He says, “Having the support from Gravure and Competenz was valuable throughout my training. They were able to grant extensions which definitely helped to balance aspects of my life when I most needed it.”

It was during this period he discovered an opportunity to develop a new recycling initiative for Gravure. He explains, “Sustainability is important to me and the Diploma’s environmental unit standards got me thinking about how the business could improve its environmental footprint and contribute to a greener future.

Matt Stockford, Print Diploma Student of the Year

M

att Stockford from Gravure Packaging in Wellington has been named the Print Diploma Student of the Year 2022.

resulted in improved outcomes for the business, all while continuing to work and manage a young family, is worthy of the title he has been awarded.”

After leaving school early, the now 36 year-old says completing the diploma and winning the award is a personal achievement and something he will look back on with pride.

Matt was 26 when he started his career at Gravure Packaging, a manufacturer of award-winning packaging specialising in shrink sleeves and cut and stack; as well as film and paper flexibles for the food, beverage and healthcare markets. Providing packaging for major Australasian brands, the Petonebased manufacturer is one of only a few companies in the country with rotogravure printing technology.

He says, “I wanted to challenge myself academically which is why I signed up for the diploma. Leaving school when I did, it became important to me to test and prove I can apply myself to study. It is a good feeling to have achieved this and to win the Diploma Student of the Year is a great way to wrap up my studies.”

Ruth Cobb, chief executive at PrintNZ, says Matt was chosen as this year’s Diploma Student of the Year recipient because he demonstrated a practical understanding of his study.

She says, “Matt was committed to not just completing the Diploma, but to using what he was learning and applying it to the business. As a result, the company has benefited from the research he has undertaken and the projects he has implemented during the course of his study.

“His ability to transfer his learnings so quickly into practical applications that

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Starting in a finisher’s role, Matt worked hard to master a number of the machines, quickly establishing himself as a prospect for future development.

His hard work was rewarded in 2015 and Matt accepted the company’s offer to start in his printing apprenticeship under the tutelage of Malcolm Pearce of industry training organisation, Competenz.

His success during the apprenticeship, and a passion for self-development, prompted Matt in 2020 to enrol in the Diploma in Print Industry Management.

While completing his Level 5 studies, Matt overcame a number of personal challenges, to stoically balance study, work and life.

“Consequently, I implemented two initiatives that are now enshrined in the business. One is a new recycling initiative that every year saves seven tonnes of waste going to the landfill.

The other is a beach clean-up on the Petone Esplanade which happens every month. I am in charge of setting up team meetings on the beach and recording the information gathered from the cleanups. It’s rewarding to see my co-workers adopting these greener initiatives.”

His on-the-job training and study has paid off in his personal life. He says, “I apply a quality mindset to everything I do, including how I approach my home life.”

Andrew Young, managing director at Gravure Packaging, says, “I have seen immense growth in Matt over the course of his studies, both personally and professionally. He’s undoubtedly benefited from the learnings, tools, ways of thinking and the personal confidence the Diploma has given him.

“Matt was recently appointed to a Shift Leader 2IC position; a leadership role he is thriving in. He is firmly in the spotlight for future leadership roles within the company, and has passed the baton onto a new apprentice who is enjoying being trained by him.”

Matt hopes his own training has a positive impact on the new apprentice.

He adds, “I hope my own experience from my studies is showing through, and I can make an impact on the print industry by adding a positive mind set to my training and by encouraging future apprentices of the print industry to adapt and become more environmentally driven.”

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

PRINT LEADERS FORUM

Being agile, creative, and brave as possible without compromising customer experience will be imperative.

Having clarity of purpose and understanding why you exist is critical.

Companies that truly create fans out of their customers will win the race. It will require them to amplify their relevance through continually experimenting and innovating.

More specifically, the mega trends in our industry continue to point to long-term segment growth in labels and packaging, including flexibles, folding cartons, and other niche forms of packaging.

For us at Currie Group, Covid was a catalyst for our new multi-year strategy.

We’ve been busy improving the ways we work, focusing on our systems, tools, and automating processes. Concurrently, we’ve been adding to our portfolio of best of breed solutions, as well as building our catalogue of service capabilities.

An example has been our investment in a ‘customer success’ function, which acknowledges that driving loyalty requires a new level of engagement.

This new capability will act as the bridge between solution selling and break fix.

Rob Mesaros, chief executive officer, Currie Group

T

urbulence and unpredictability underscores 2022, with the global situation continuing to create challenges. The key themes that the industry continues to grapple with are inflationary pressures caused by supply chain delays and escalating costs, coupled with material shortages; the continued shift to digital communication; as well as labour and skill shortages.

Many organisations including our own have been busy getting match fit.

Operational efficiency and productivity, overall balance sheet health, and building new capabilities have been the order of play. The good news is that with challenges comes opportunity.

As in any crisis, history continues to teach us that the strong get stronger.

This past year, we’ve witnessed successful organisations exhibiting common behavioural traits. Agility and creativity, coupled with the bravery to make bold

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decisions, have delivered great rewards for many industry players.

Conversely, doing what you’ve done for the past decade isn’t going to cut it.

I’ve witnessed companies that have taken an overly cautious approach to investments, whether it be capital equipment, internal systems, acquisitions or talent, struggle to come to terms with the new market dynamics. 2021-22 has seen the continuation of market consolidation driven by the strong and the brave. Typically, these acquisitions have resulted in a broadening of capabilities and the creation of adjacencies to their core offerings.

Becoming match fit has necessitated organisations to deep dive into their business models, cost structures, and processes to streamline for the new market realities. Moving forward, businesses need to take a multi-faceted approach to strategy. Ensuring that operations are as efficient and automated

It’s also about collaboratively working with our technology partners and customers to define successful projects and ROI. Ultimately, our continued success is intrinsically linked to the business health of our customers. They all continue to rely on our service, technology partnerships, New Zealand and Australian coverage and our unsurpassed industry expertise.

Equally, we are continuously on the lookout for new partnerships that add value, with the most recent being the addition of EFI. This partnership helps deliver on our objective to enter the wide format, sign, and display arena.

Above and beyond individual business aspirations, what must bind us together is the common ambition for a sustainable future. We all play a role, and as a solutions provider Currie Group chooses to partner with technology vendors that hold this ambition as a core foundational value. Meeting the needs of the present can no longer compromise future generations and we must act now.

As we all navigate through 2022 and on through 2023, I’m optimistic that our industry will bounce back strongly as industries and the world reopens.

The magic of value-added printed communication will undoubtedly shine through once again.

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

PRINT LEADERS FORUM

Increasing relevance of sustainability and digitalisation Sabine Geldermann, project director Print Technologies Messe Düsseldorf

economy and sustainability will play a significant and major role in future, and definitely at drupa 2024.

Therefore, it is crucial not to oppose change but to embrace it. The new claim of drupa, ‘create the future’, clearly underlines the commitment of the community to proactively drive and shape the industry. drupa 2024 will show the current and future impact of a constantly evolving industry on processes, products and business models. After all, drupa has always stood for cutting-edge technologies along the entire value chain, with a special focus on future and cross-sectional technologies.

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e have been living in very challenging times since the start of the pandemic and its effects are still being felt in the extreme.

Disruptive global supply chain shortages, resource constraints, massive increases in energy and raw material prices and, above all, the war in Ukraine have created new major challenges for Europe and the world.

Besides the unbelievable human tragedies, production facilities in Ukraine are destroyed or isolated, new suppliers have to be established and forecasts on business developments change daily. In addition, the lockdowns in China are causing further disruptions in the supply chains.

All this leads to massive implications on worldwide stock exchanges and impacts nearly every industry sector.

Despite all these circumstances, it is anticipated that the economic environment will regain more trust and confidence in the upcoming months.

After all, the industry has proven that it is highly relevant even in times of crisis.

Printing is an essential part of packaging production and industrial printing applications in vertical markets.

Many companies significantly enhanced their digital core competences during these difficult times and have optimised

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their in house processes regarding IT, workflows, efficiency and automation.

These investments and new digital skills are essential to guarantee a competitive advantage.

The ongoing digitalisation is a significant megatrend that we are also focusing on for drupa 2024. Digital workflows shape everyday working life and have an enormous influence on companies and their future competitive edge. The digital transformation is continuously opening up the potential of new key technologies that are conquering all industries. All this also goes hand in hand with understanding and acting on the needs of brand owners in an ever changing world, especially when it comes to sustainable solutions.

Sustainability is definitely not a new topic for the print and packaging industry. On the contrary: the discussion about paper and energy consumption, recycling and circular economy has concerned the industry intensively for years, but never reached today’s scale and the associated urgency.

Changing global circumstances, be it geopolitical regulations, disruptive supply chains, price pressure, traceability of production processes or brand owner expectations, will force the industry to adapt. Solutions relating to the circular

In this context, circular economy, resource/energy efficiency, recycling, automation, upcycling, Print 4.0, Finishing 4.0, artificial intelligence, platform economy and connectivity will play a central role both in specialist forums and for the agenda of our conference programme.

Messe Düsseldorf is currently experiencing a busy restart of the exhibitions business at the Düsseldorf fairgrounds: A total of 14 trade fairgrounds with a total of 11 partner and guest events.

The results of the 2022 business year will be determined especially by the autumn trade fairs, first and foremost by the world’s number one trade fair for plastics and rubber, K 2022, which runs from 26 October 19-26 in Düsseldorf.

Since the restart of trade fairs, customers have increasingly relied on personal contact and live customer experiences despite all the advantages of hybrid formats and solutions. People want to engage with all their senses, a requirement that digital formats cannot deliver.

For the rest of this year, Messe Düsseldorf is also looking forward to a number of trade fairs taking place as part of drupa’s global portfolio, such as Indoprint in Jakarta, from August 31 to September 3; PackPrintPlas in Manila, from October 6-8; All in Print in Shanghai from October 11-15; and PackPrint International and Corrutec Asia in Bangkok, from October 19-22.

We hope to see you there.

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PRINT LEADERS FORUM

Defining our own future plays in a modern era. For this, bespoke, consultative sales skillsets need to be a key focus for success.

For many years, our industry has been impacted by the two largest cost triggers: labour and energy. How our suppliers provide solutions to both these costs will be critical. Furthermore, the approach from supplier innovation to energy will be industry changing when aligning with our carbon mapping programmes, and we need to look closely at the innovation across energy conservation for all of industry.

I expect more consolidation across the industry this year, with organisations working smarter together and delivering more value for industry and businesses through collaboration. Virtual workflow and streamlining operational solutions are now ingrained across our teams and these practices will assist us to deliver more at greater speed.

Kellie Northwood, chief executive of The Real Media Collective

T

he Covid-19 pandemic throughout 2020/21 impacted the entire economy, and none more so than the manufacturing and media sectors.

2021/22 realised some small pockets of recovery. However, a surge in Covid cases in the second half of the year across Auckland leading to additional restrictions re-instated and borders shut, not only threw many businesses into disarray, but also left a sense of dread, that the prior year didn’t.

Consumer index ratings fell. The New Zealand industry throughout the 18-month period reported an average 37.2 per cent downturn with 70 per cent of companies reducing their hours, 16.7 per cent of the industry’s workforce being made redundant and businesses experiencing exposure to debtor-related issues they had not faced before.

Despite the turbulence, the late end of the year saw marketing investment resume.

Printers reported an average 38 per cent increase in turnover and retailers returned to the market cautiously, as the government moved from suppression to vaccination strategies. It couldn’t have come at a better time to reinvigorate our machines and teams as supply chains, particularly into New Zealand ports stumbled.

Paper prices were one pressure point to manage. However, it is now less the price

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and more the supply. UPM’s extended industrial dispute, now resolved, saw a stall in paper production for over six months. Russia’s invasion into Ukraine saw FSC and PEFC declare timbers from the area ‘conflict timbers’ and therefore unable to be sourced. Freight prices rocketing to a point of non-delivery has been untenable and whilst there has been some correction, it is marginal and a long way from pre-Covid rates. Additionally, freighting into New Zealand is difficult to negotiate and increasingly expensive.

We are positioning this argument fervently with the government and we will push on, now directly liaising with the prime minister’s office, demanding recognition and consideration to our industry concerns.

In 2022, the industry must define its own future. We need to look at building an industry standard across carbon mapping, providing government with a clear industry structure and ultimate target for reduction commitments. We must invest in our emerging leaders, committing to talent acquisition programmes to strengthen our future industry workforce. Using digital technologies, we can collaborate more effectively and innovate more successfully. Building sales training modules to align our sales approach to customers will strengthen the role print

Remote and flexible work solutions will also become a standard approach and cultural team-building will need to include virtual activities.

This year, The Real Media Collective will continue to lead, share, and protect as we merge with the peak Australian industry body, the Print & Visual Communications Association. Our commitment to our members is to deliver relevant programmes that provide value to member businesses. To support this, we do what we say we will, and we take pride in our proven track record in this regard.

Our review of the carbon reduction programme from government, waste export ban across commercial print paper waste, paper import continuity of supply liaison, future leaders, apprentice programme review across the states, upgrade of Two Sides, VoPP and Love Paper campaigns that promote the print media channels we represent, government submissions across our industry employment and needs, the digital engagement proposals and educational programmes and more will arm our industry with more knowledge and content than ever before.

Whilst a nervous start, there is stability, albeit with challenges, and one thing I know about our industry is its sheer resilience and ability to navigate through tumultuous times to calmer waters. We must plot our path and steadily find our North. The Real Media Collective is here to assist your course.

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

PRINT LEADERS FORUM

Think outside the box will not normalise soon. The situation is similar with the current delivery delays for machine components. The situation is not expected to ease any time soon.

Despite the circumstances, the mood within the industry is not bad, as an internal survey also confirms. 71 per cent of respondents state that their turnover has increased compared to the previous year, and over 40 per cent have positive business expectations for the next 12 months.

World packaging consumption increased in recent years. In addition, sustainability is a key issue for everyone in our industry.

We need to rethink the use and value of secondary materials. This includes the design of durable and resource-efficient products, ‘design to recycle’, as well as the optimisation of our own production sites and processes.

Nowadays, we all need to think outside the box. Growing consumer concern over the preservation of the environment is driving demand for more sustainability, based on renewable resources.

For packaging producers and brand owners, the ease with which packaging can be collected and recycled is growing in importance. Furthermore, there is mounting public pressure to tackle excessive packaging as well as the legal framework regarding circular economy.

Dr Markus Heering, managing director of the VDMA German Printing and Paper Technology Association

T

he social importance of our industry cannot be underestimated.

In the last two years, many have become aware of how important printing and paper technology has become in our daily lives. It is considered systemrelevant in some regions because of the high hygiene requirements. Without us, nothing would be sent out or packaged. However, the pandemic also posed challenges for our industry and many companies had to contend with restrictions, but the past year went better than initially expected.

As far as VDMA is concerned, we have offered support to our members in various areas. We have organised a series of interactive group webinars on dif ferent topics as well as, where possible, face to face events at our headquarters in Frankfurt.

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The VDMA is keeping a close eye on developments surrounding Covid-19 and our service portal provides VDMA members exclusively with country and travel advice, information on legal and insurance-related issues. Our offer has been taken up even more by our members in the last two years than before. In particular, the surveys on the impact of the pandemic on firms have been very popular.

Our industry has recovered well from the pandemic so far and the order books have filled up. Unfortunately, as in all rapidly recovering industry segments, a shortage of raw materials is sometimes leading to considerable production restrictions.

The increased prices of input materials are also putting pressure on the earnings situation at customers.

We assume that the current delivery delays and high price expectations

For us in Europe, the European Green Deal is of particular importance. The EU has adopted the Green Deal and its main goal is for the EU to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

The discussion about how the two megatrends of digitalisation and the circular economy can be brought together more strongly in the future is increasing and is also important for our industry.

With the help of digitalisation, existing information gaps in the circular economy can be overcome, enabling more informed decisions than before, and creating new markets with concrete use cases in mechanical engineering.

Advantages in product development could arise from digitalisation if simulations, models and data analytics could be used to determine the impact on procurement, design, use, recycling due to substances requiring substitution. In particular, the topics of digitalisation and sustainability will keep on accompanying our industry and will therefore be the focus at drupa 2024.

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PRINT LEADERS FORUM

Getting back into the game the utilisation of robots for menial and repeatable tasks which doesn’t negate the need for humans.

Equipment that takes fewer people to run, workflow solutions that allow for touchless processes and less human interaction, as well as more robotics to eliminate the need for humans are just some of the technologies that are expected to further develop in 2022.

Businesses should also start growing future employees by getting involved in high schools and universities. Look for prison reform programmes, or create one, to give opportunities to those who deserve a second chance. Think way out of the box and focus on the skills you need, and less on the resume and past titles of applicants.

For example, a journalism major could make an amazing new business development person. They know how to research and provide quantitative data to support their conclusions.

Deborah Corn, intergalactic ambassador, Print Media Centr

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021 was the best of times or the worst of times for many businesses depending on their customer base, and access to supplies like paper and ink.

It was also an unpredictable year.

The lingering stench of Covid-19 made planning even more difficult.

It was also a stagnant year. Technology development slowed, events were few and far between, and market needs changed to immediate and short-term. To keep relevant, businesses had to deliver on topical customer communications and education. This involved telling their story and giving back to the community they serve.

As for myself, I carried on providing prinspiration and resources to print and marketing professionals. I spoke at online and in-person events, presented to graphic communications students and faculties, produced a plethora of podcasts,

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and helped as many people as I could each day to connect, find resources, find work, find help, and give them strategy and ideas for creating new business opportunities.

To prepare itself for this new year, the industry needs a new attitude! e-Commerce and digital marketing need to be part of every print shop’s business plan for 2022. The world is not going back to analogue, make it easy for people to find you, or do business and communicate with you however they wish.

You need to always be learning. Things change, things evolve. We learned from Covid that the world can stop. The only way to be prepared for that is to know your options, always, and be willing to create some new ones for yourself and your business. Focus your efforts on workforce development and more streamlined presses, processes, and

As for areas of growth, the business of ‘green’ is one that companies should be looking to in 2022. This topic is only getting bigger. There are established companies in this space, and I believe there will be a tonne of start-ups for everything from eco-consultants to companies making batteries and charging stations for electric cars. Do the research, get your business as green as you can (there is no hypocrisy allowed in the eco space) and start prospecting.

I am bullish about 2022 – if we can get Covid and the supply chain issues behind us, we have a fighting chance to make this year a great year. I don’t know about you, but I could use a great year. It has been a while. And I can’t be the only one with that pent up ‘put me in coach’ feeling.

Once we all get back into the game, we all have a chance to win a productive and profitable 2022.

This year, Print Media Centr is continuing to provide prinspiration and resources to print and marketing professionals.

I moved my weekly #PrintChat from Twitter to LinkedIn so more people can participate. In addition, #ProjectPeacock is evolving into a streaming platform; think Netflix for print. The #GirlsWhoPrint mentoring programme is relaunched and revamped, and I will be working more closely with Inkish.TV, on Project Peacock and on #PrintLife a new workforce development initiative.

Connect with me and stay tuned.

June 2022

newzealandprinter.co.nz

PRINT LEADERS FORUM

Focus on connecting with customers options will be abundant, and we should expect to see more tactile options, authentication, security, and connectivity.

The printing industry has been making a conscious effort to reduce its environmental footprint. Expect to see new, more sustainable materials as we continue on the path to providing consumers with the environmentally friendly options they desire.

The digital printing market will continue to grow in the foreseeable future, driven by developments in the packaging and textile industries, the increasing popularity of personalised products, the growth of e-commerce, and the rising demand for sustainable and eco-friendly printing solutions.

Mick Rowan - Think Laterally

T

he year just past has continued to change the way we do business.

The effects of Covid-19 continued throughout the industry, with paper production and distribution heavily impacted. Illness and state-enforced lockdowns greatly affected the ability to maintain fully staffed plants. However, while changing circumstances were causing a level of disruption within the industry, they also presented opportunities for savvy business owners who were able to pivot and adjust to meet the new market demands.

The unique circumstances forced companies to deal with severe staff shortages and declining revenues.

Therefore, many companies looked to streamline their operations via automating processes within the workflow.

E-commerce and web-to-print solutions provided respite for some via the ability to offer online quoting and ordering, payment gateway, invoicing, and job tracking. This removed some of the burdens of staff shortages and, at the same time, extended the reach to a greater audience.

I’ve been working with customers to help them widen their reach and target more specific audiences. A big focus for me is business strategy, and I’ve spoken to many people about their vision

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June 2022

and how they can achieve it. My goal is to help build better brands that will resonate with customers and create a loyal following.

Research is key. Businesses must understand the landscape and the forces that might conspire to stop them from servicing their market. Soaring petrol costs and supply chain issues aren’t going away anytime soon, so these must be factored into costs. Businesses also need to be aware of potential growth areas, such as digital packaging and labelling. Luckily, we have PacPrint on the horizon, the most comprehensive and relevant business-to-business event in the region. PacPrint should be a must for every ANZ printer with equipment and technology on display as well as many education and networking opportunities.

Our reliance on online shopping grew exponentially when Covid abruptly stopped the live experience. If Covid has taught us anything, people need access from anywhere, and 24/7 access is the norm. So, expect to see e-commerce continue its rise, providing new and easy ways to interact with businesses.

Smart, or active packaging, will continue to grow in the packaging industry as the unboxing experience becomes ever more prevalent. Specialised brand packaging

Owners and managers should focus their efforts on the foundations of their business as these remain critical. Staff need to know where they’re going, how they’ll get there, and how they’ll behave along the way? Business strategy is paramount and yet often gets wholly neglected. You can’t work toward a goal if you and your team don’t know what it is!

The transition from offset printing to digital technologies will increase. With it will come faster and more efficient production methods, a reduced need for technical staff, fewer touchpoints in the job process, and less waste. There will also be a renewed interest in automating workflow systems and creating a lean production environment.

At Think Laterally, we’ll be working with companies to help them establish their vision, mission, values, and unique value proposition. We’ll help them create a business strategy that defines their business goals clearly and concisely so that everyone can understand and follow.

We’ll help develop a unique brand identity that represents them while setting them apart from the competition.

The key for any business is to focus on their target market, understand the customer base, and make sure that they offer them the type of service that will bring them back and have them singing their praise to other potentials. If you want to build a meaningful connection, understanding who you’re servicing is key.

The best equipment in the world won’t help you if you don’t have customers!

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PRINT LEADERS FORUM

Exciting times ahead for 2022 and beyond connected and informed, but we are delighted to see the return of in-person events including PacPrint, which opens its doors in Melbourne next month. Long regarded as the leading trade show for industry businesses in New Zealand, the flagship expo returns to Melbourne from 28 June – 1 July co-locating with Visual Impact and the Label & Packaging Expo, and it will be a ‘must-attend’ event for businesses with an eye to the future.

New markets are opening up, and exciting trends are emerging. Some obvious ones are packaging and sheet-fed digital printing, with other strong areas including all areas of security printing and of course 3D printing.

Peter Harper, chief executive officer, Visual Connections

W

hile the past couple of years have been a mixed bag for the print and graphic communications sector, there are exciting times ahead for forward-thinking businesses. PacPrint in Melbourne offers the perfect opportunity to explore and capitalise on new opportunities.

Like the year before it, 2021 was a mixed bag for our industry, with some companies doing well and others significantly impacted by pandemic restrictions. However, many suppliers reported strong sales of both equipment and consumables during the year. That’s very encouraging for the industry, but there’s no question many print and signage companies are still doing it tough.

A key characteristic of successful operations during this time has been the ability to diversify to protect their business as demand fluctuates and changes. It’s proven there are still good opportunities out there for smart-minded operators.

The underlying foundation to take businesses forward in 2022 so far has been to review their position following the past couple of challenging years, rebuild a business plan that takes into account the way market demands have changed and new trends emerged, and reconnect with their customers and their suppliers as they plan for the future.

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I believe that a major key to success will continue to be diversification and a willingness to change the things that are not working. Don’t become too focused or dependent on any one part of your business, and be prepared to assess the success – or otherwise – of what’s been done in the past.

It’s really time to rethink things which are holding you back, while taking care to identify and manage your risk.

Priorities will vary from business to business, but for many that will involve upskilling employees to ensure they are well-placed to meet the demands of current and potential customers, others will need to focus on finance and profitability, while many will explore investment in new technologies and innovations to allow them to expand their offerings or capitalise on new markets and opportunities.

Visual Connections represents the industry’s suppliers, many of whom operate across the Tasman, and we have continued to work with our members, and with our fellow industry organisations in both Australia and New Zealand, to progress the interests of the industry during the past couple of years.

While our usual events were on the backburner, we’ve introduced a number of initiatives to keep the industry

PacPrint is shaping up as a must-attend event, providing the perfect opportunity for businesses to catch up with the global trends, see how the accelerated change in market demand is impacting developments since the last major show in 2019, and evaluate new offerings first hand.

Importantly, it’s also an important opportunity to gather information and ideas, and to take stock of their own business needs as they make important investment decisions for the future.

Exhibitors are keen to showcase the innovations they’ve developed and brought to market over the past couple of years, with many promising to show new products for the very first time in this region or, indeed, the world. The chance to see these innovations demonstrated live, and talk face-to-face with the product experts who can help you build your success, is the key advantage of inperson expos, and it’s fantastic to see that return to the region this year.

While it would be a brave person who would try predict anything in this unpredictable world we currently live in, I strongly believe that the qualities which have stood us in good stead over the past couple of years – creativity, agility and resilience – will continue to be the most important determinants of success.

There are exciting times ahead. It is time to update our attitudes, invest in systems and equipment to meet current and emerging market demands, and retain and upskill the employees who are our most valuable assets.

June 2022

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PRINT LEADERS FORUM

Print industry works hard to deliver the goods Ruth Cobb, chief executive officer PrintNZ

last one, a lifetime in terms of technological change.

For the greater part, online exhibitions have not been successful and the ability to interact with the industry in person, particularly close to home initially, will be welcome. I am as keen as everyone else to see the innovation that has occurred over the last two years.

Packaging and labelling have been the shining stars during Covid and this will continue. But as New Zealand reopens to the world, and businesses look to reestablish their presence, print is the ideal medium to do this. We hope to see growth in sectors such as retail, tourism and hospitality which will in turn flow into other areas of the economy, all of which use print.

T

he last year has seen our industry continue to prove its importance as a communication tool; its value as a marketing tool; and its effectiveness as a protector of product integrity.

However, 2021/22 also brought challenges for the industry with a number of issues that have impacted everyone. Covid-19, lockdowns, global supply chain issues, labour shortages and inflation have impacted every business in some way, but despite this, our industry worked diligently to deliver the print that was needed.

The print industry is very responsive to change and able to adapt quickly. Quite a number of businesses have amended their product offering to match what their customers need, although this isn’t anything new for our industry. Print is a fast moving industry and we are early adopters of new technology which means there are always opportunities to offer new products and processes. In addition, disruptions in the supply chain have caused businesses to look at alternate options and in some cases this has resulted in some unexpected wins.

PrintNZ has worked extensively for the industry over the last 12 months, collectively providing businesses with the tools they need to navigate the everchanging journey that Covid is taking us

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June 2022

on. It has been important for the industry to have a voice into Government forums, but it is not only Covid related issues that we lobby on. There are a myriad of matters that continue to evolve around us, particularly mid-term in an election cycle, including vocational education reform, employment matters, immigration and the supply chain.

On top of this, we work individually with many of our members to assist with specific operational issues and help them work within the lines of complex compliance requirements.

Businesses need to have an in-depth understanding of their costs of doing business and review these regularly, making adjustments to their pricing accordingly. While price increases are often difficult to pass on, they can’t be ignored. In addition, they should be proactive with their customers to look at ways of minimising the impact of any increases, perhaps offering alternate ways of production, different substrates, and design alternations, all with a view to creating efficiencies.

People are eager to travel again and to see in person the developments that have happened over the last two to three years or longer. By the time drupa comes around, it will be eight years since the

Areas of focus for owners and managers for the next 12 months (all equally important) are: a. Employee wellbeing - ensuring they have the tools to both function well and feel good. b. Understanding supply chains, costs and pricing. c. Taking steps to measure, manage and mitigate environmental impact. d. Partnering with customers to reduce the impact of disruptions e. Ensuring your customers understand the effectiveness and sustainability of print.

Predictions have proven to be a fool’s game over the last two years but generally, while the disruption will continue, I think that New Zealand will slowly start to rebalance and confidence will return, with an overlap of environmental awareness.

A great deal of PrintNZ’s work relies on face to face contact and for us that is the driving force for the next 12 months; connecting with people both individually with face to face visits and collectively at celebrations such as the Pride In Print Awards. We also have some exciting plans bubbling away in the background and hope to see them come to fruition before the end of the year.

For the year ahead, you need to know your business; plan for change; continue to look for opportunities to transform both the business and the products offered; and innovate.

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NZP CLASSIFIEDS To advertise please email brian@newzealandprinter.co.nz

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Patron 2022

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Friends of the Awards 2022

Blue Star Group (New Zealand) Limited, PhilStic Labels, Contact Labels & Print Finishers, Sealed Air (Hamilton) Soar Communications Group, Wholesale Print, APC Innovate

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