AMBITION
Elite apprentices
AI-powered sales
Accessible packaging May 2025
Sustaining founder mentality
AUTO QUALITY ADJUSTMENT
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Maximise your efficiency with AQA. konicaminolta.co.nz
Reach your ambition: the future of digital print is here now
Konica Minolta’s new AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S.
Konica Minolta has redefined the digital print landscape with the launch of the AccurioPress C14010S and AccurioPress C12010S.
These next generation production presses, debuting at PacPrint 2025, mark a significant leap forward in print speed, media versatility, automation, and colour capabilities.
The advent of these new AccurioPress solutions sees the new high opacity CMYK + White toner. Chris O’Hara, national production and industrial print manager for Konica Minolta New Zealand, says, “Konica Minolta has engineered these new presses to provide print businesses with enhanced creativity, expanded service offerings, and greater profitability.
“The team here is buzzing with excitement for what we can share with our print community. For us, it is about so much more than the new press’s technical specifications because innovation in digital print means more than simply increasing print speed; it involves the need to unlock new creative opportunities. The AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S set a new standard for what’s possible in the print industry.”
New Business Potential with White Toner
Chris points to the introduction of white toner, one of the most anticipated features of the AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S, as having a major “transformative effect for businesses looking to elevate their print applications”.
He says, “The ability to print in white unlocks a range of creative possibilities, enabling printers to produce highimpact designs on dark, coloured, and transparent media.
“Our customers do their business in a highly competitive market, and they are always looking to add high-value print services to expand their revenue streams. With the new white toner, print businesses have the power to differentiate themselves and offer premium, high-margin applications. They can take their creative design capabilities to a whole new level.”
High performance for high volume production
Built for efficiency, the AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S deliver exceptional speed and quality, with production rates of 140 pages per minute and 120 pages per minute respectively. Designed to handle demanding workloads, these presses integrate seamlessly into commercial and specialty print environments, helping businesses meet tight deadlines and maintain consistent quality.
Key performance features include:
• Advanced IQ-601 Intelligent Quality Optimiser – Ensures real-time colour control and precise registration adjustments for flawless prints.
• Expanded media handling – Supports a wide range of substrates, including textured, synthetic, and heavyweight stocks up to 450gsm.
• High capacity input and output
– Reduces downtime and boosts
productivity by enabling continuous, uninterrupted printing.
• Versatile finishing options – Includes inline booklet making, perfect binding, creasing and folding, streamlining production for various applications.
“With the new white toner, print businesses have the power to differentiate themselves and offer premium, high-margin applications.”
– Chris O’Hara, national production print manager for Konica Minolta New Zealand
Chris comments, “Efficiency matters, always. The new presses deliver greater throughput, reduced waste, and superior quality control, making them ideal for high volume environments. Although they are incredibly fast, the key performance features mentioned above really take your production to a new place. We can’t say enough about how these innovations can help you to change up your production and workflow.”
Meet the growing demand for customised and high quality print
The print industry continues to undergo the transformation from analogue only to a mix of digital and analogue technologies. The increased demand for short run, customised, and high quality print solutions sees digital printing growing at an ever increasing rate.
Chris says, “It is really an evolution of customer requirements that is driving the
The Konica Minolta AccurioPress C14010S
COVER STORY
equally significant evolution of technology.
“The AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S meet these evolving needs by offering:
• Enhanced automation – Reduces operator intervention and increases production efficiency.
• Exceptional colour consistency –Konica Minolta’s imaging technology ensures precise colour reproduction across all print jobs.
• Seamless integration – Works effortlessly with existing workflow and print management software, simplifying operations for businesses of all sizes.
Smart technology for smarter printing
To meet customer demands, Konica Minolta continues to pioneer intelligent print solutions with features that minimise manual adjustments and optimise press uptime.
For larger and more demanding projects, the systems accommodate long sheets up to 1,300mm simplex and 900mm in duplex, providing unrivalled flexibility to meet customer demands. Whether it’s for banners, book covers, or specialty items, the AccurioPress C14010s and C12010S let customers rethink possibilities in production printing and explore additional opportunities for business growth.
Chris says, “Graphic arts customers such as print service providers, offset printers, digital printers, and direct mail will
benefit from the AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S models. Other potential market segments include enterprise document printing, such as central print rooms and in-plant print operations.
“Konica Minolta has engineered these new presses to provide print businesses with enhanced creativity, expanded service offerings, and greater profitability.”
– Chris O’Hara, national production print manager for Konica Minolta New Zealand
“Konica Minolta’s AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S are engineered for efficiency, streamlining operations with advanced smart innovative technology. These new print solutions help operators to work smarter, reduce manual adjustments for unattended, uninterrupted printing, and deliver flawless print results faster with reduced touchpoints and exciting new colour options with the addition of white in the new high-opacity CMYK + white toner.”
Features such as the Intelligent Quality Optimiser Unit, IQ-601, including a new inline spectrophotometer for precise colour profile creation, and Intelligent Media Sensors (IM-104 and IM-105) support consistent, high-quality output with minimum user intervention.
The IM-105 measures the paper size of the substrates and detects even the slightest variations in paper cutting size
and, together with the Intelligent Quality Optimiser IQ-601, automatically adjusts image positioning to eliminate front/back alignment errors for professional quality and consistency with every print run.
Make the most of press uptime
Other key benefits include automatic print quality adjustments with Automated Quality Adjustments (AQA) and Automatic Inspection Technology (AIT), with an intelligent overall design to maximise press uptime.
Chris says, “The AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S models underpin Konica Minolta’s mission to support the digital transformation of its clients’ companies by sector and industry, predicting
Chris O’Hara, national production print manager for Konica Minolta New Zealand
potential challenges and creating solutions together. Its human-centric partnership approach lets customers streamline their businesses through fewer human touchpoints and higher productivity with tangible benefits including high-quality output with less print waste.
“Konica Minolta is committed to enhancing its customers’ creativity and digital transformation. The new five-colour AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S print systems build on 20 years of digital printing expertise, innovation, and leadership. We back this up with dedicated professional support. Konica
Minolta established a fearsome reputation for high quality service and support, and we regard that as one of the cornerstones of our offering. We don’t take it lightly and we appreciate that is what we are known for.
“We also know that Kiwis have a reputation for getting to know their kit really well and take pride in their ability to ‘do it themselves’ when it comes to maintaining their operations.
Our new operator assistance tools and fewer touchpoints let Konica Minolta customers optimise workflows and reduce downtime. This leads to greater creativity
COVER STORY
that empowers customers to rethink opportunities and identify new, profitable revenue streams.”
The new presses take off
The official Australasian launch of the AccurioPress C14010S took place on the first day of PacPrint at the Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park.
Chris, says, “PacPrint provided the perfect opportunity to showcase the power and versatility of the AccurioPress C14010S and C12010S.
“Visitors to Konica Minolta’s stand gained an exclusive first look at these inspiring digital print solutions in action and had the chance to engage directly with Konica Minolta production print specialists.
“We were bowled over by the reaction of so many print professionals who visited the Konica Minolta stand. They discovered how our latest innovations can drive their business success.
“That was really cool but of course, that was then and this is now. Not everyone got the chance to attend PacPrint. For those of you who never saw the new presses in action, we have them at our showrooms and we look forward to demonstrating them so that you can experience them first hand and learn how the new presses integrate cutting edge technology, automation, and superior media handling to redefine what is possible in production print.
“Our team really looks forward to hearing from you and discussing your needs. Whether you are looking to expand your business, explore new print applications, or to enhance workflow automation, our team is ready to help you unlock new possibilities.”
The Konica Minolta AccurioPress C12010S
Cover Story p3-5
3-5 Konica Minolta: The launch of the AccurioPress C14010S and AccurioPress C12010S has helped Konica Minolta to redefine the digital print landscape.
PrintNZ p10-13
10-12 PrintNZ Helping Hand: Iain MacIntyre introduces the country’s top 10 apprentices.
13 PrintNZ Comment: Take the opportunity to invest in future print leaders, says Ruth Cobb.
Features p14-28
14 Currie Group: Blue Star has installed a Horizon iCE BQ-500 Perfect Binder and HT-300 Three-Side Trimmer at its new site.
22 RMGT: US and Chinese companies have recently boosted production with RMGT presses.
23 Print sales: Daniel Edwards says print’s great strength is its ability to move people.
24 Currie Group: Olaf Gerber from baumannperfecta recently made a visit downunder with the company’s ANZ distributor Currie Group.
26 Printerverse: Deb Corn advises print companies to diversify to thrive.
28 Print Sales: Dave Fellman says AI is good, but you must still build relationships with your customers.
Labels & Packaging P16-20
16 Sustainability: Zespri uses Sinclair’s new compostable label to reduce plastic waste.
18-19 Nekkorb: AVT offers an impressive range of inspection technology and Dantex has released a new PicoColour press.
20 Packaging Design: Nerida Kelton says thoughtful packaging design prevents unnecessary waste.
30
its
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Ruth Cobb, Deb Corn, Daniel Edwards, Dave Fellman, Shae Goom, Mikayla Hopkins, Nerida Kelton, Iain MacIntyre, Hafizah Osman
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Carter
to the next level after its recent acquisition by Aarque Group.
32 Durst: Aleph and Durst have completed a milestone integration, while Vanguard Digital has released a new wide format printer.
34 NZSDA Update: Mikayla Hopkins reports back from the inaugural NZSDA National Sign Making Day.
35 NZSDA President: Shae Goom travelled to Las Vegas for the recent ISA show.
36-39 Print
of his journey in print.
New Zealand Printer is mailed to members of the printing, packaging and graphic communications industry in New Zealand 11 times a year, February-December.
New Zealand Printer is a member of the Printer Media Group
New Zealand: New Zealand Printer Asia Pacific: ProPack.pro Australia: Australian Printer, ProPrint
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© Copyright 2025: Contents
Eric Eenkhoorn (l) and Allen Masterson at Blue Star’s new site with the company’s new Horizon gear, page 14
Nekkorb Solutions introduces new Dantex label printers
Nekkorb Solutions has announced the launch of the Dantex PicoColour HD and Dantex PicoJet 1200 models.
Built on a modular platform, the Picojet 1200 is a true hybrid system, available as a reel-to-reel press with a print width to 350mm and speeds of up to 75mpm, as a bespoke hybrid system where a variety of base and additional colour stations can be custom configured to incorporate features such as full or semi-rotary die cutting and a variety of flexo station options.
The PicoColour HD is built on and benefits from advanced Picojet technology, providing print width to 254mm with speeds of up to 50mpm, and compact inline finishing.
Tash Brokken, commercial manager at Nekkorb Solutions, says, “Pico offers highly productive, affordable label printing; no minimum run quantity; minimal waste; super-fast turnarounds; and it makes label production fast and easy. Modular station options can include flexo, die cut, cold foil, lamination, edge trim, back scoring and rotary or shear slitting.”
“In addition, PicoCenta and PicoPilot workflow automation software with touchscreen interface adds to a userfriendly experience. Other features
include SuperWhite ink, offering an opacity of 92 per cent in a single pass; SuperText, which delivers super fine text; and DecoTactile for a wide range of textured embellishments.
“PicoJet’s Digital Resolution System (DRS) significantly increases print quality and detail, positioning the PicoJet DRS as groundbreaking in the label and flexible packaging space. Featuring eight grey levels and providing 2400 dpi, this proprietary technology, owned exclusively by Dantex, marks the first time in the industry that a digital inkjet system has reached this level of precision.
“Pico technology also boasts advancements in colour gamut, setting a new benchmark for digital UV inkjet
printing, ensuring unparalleled colour accuracy and consistency. With a Delta E of two, it continues to push the boundaries of colour precision, covering 97.5 per cent of the colour gamut. Utilising CMYK WOVG, Dantex’s eightcolour printing press achieves the highest colour accuracy due to the combination of its incredibly powerful software suite with Dantex’s printing technologies.
“Dantex’s Pico presses have passed a stringent 150-point requirements list which guarantees that the manufacturing supply chain is ‘truly British’. Only those products that pass this test are permitted to carry the Made In Britain mark. The Made in Britain accreditation is an international seal of excellence.”
Pico technology features SuperText, which enables super fine text creation
IN BRIEF
NUTEC DIGITAL INK has expanded its fluorescent ink options for its water-based dye sublimation range. The latest addition of pink and yellow fluorescent options is in the Aquamarine AQ15-DST-HC ink range developed for Kyocera printheads. The company says this high-density, highchroma dye sublimation range is fast drying for high speed printing and is recognised for its outstanding colour gamut and superior transfer rates. Applications include sportswear, fashion, home décor, and promotional graphics.
PRINT EPS has announced an extension of its partnership with PlanProphet. The companies say the enhanced collaboration will bring powerful salesforcepowered CRM capabilities to more Print ePS users. Print ePS will now resell PlanProphet solutions directly within the ePS suite of products, providing customers with access to CRM capabilities as part of their broader investment in Print ePS technology. Customers can now work with a single provider for sales, onboarding, and support.
FLINT GROUP has achieved a Gold Rating from EcoVadis, the world’s largest provider of business sustainability ratings, which commended Flint Group for its exemplary greenhouse gas management systems and ambitious decarbonisation goals, which are aligned with the Science-Based Targets initiative. Flint Group says the rating reflects its comprehensive environmental policies, enhanced transparency through its Sustainability Report, and its methodical approach to sustainability management. The rating also places the company among the top five per cent of EcoVadis-rated companies.
Epson launches desktop flatbed printer
Epson has expanded is UV desktop printer lineup with the launch of its new SureColor V2060, an A3 UV flatbed desktop printer designed to meet the growing demand for high quality, on demand customisation.
Shuhei Sato, product manager for Epson Australia’s Professional Print Solutions Division, says, “The SC-V2060 builds on and furthers Epson’s commitment to innovation in the UV printing space. It offers significant creative potential in a compact,
user-friendly format that’s designed to fit seamlessly into a wide range of business environments.”
Specifically designed for producing bespoke merchandise, promotional products, and small-format signage the SC-V2060 brings professional grade UV printing into compact spaces to a wide range of users with ease.
The V2060 prints directly onto a wide range of materials, including acrylic, metal, wood,
Durst Group scores a first with Amazon Transparency integration
Durst Group has integrated Amazon’s Transparency programme into Durst Workflow. With this development, Durst Workflow becomes the first prepress workflow software to seamlessly generate and incorporate Amazon’s Transparency codes into production processes.
Amazon’s Transparency programme, a product serialisation solution that eliminates counterfeits, aims to protect both brands
and consumers.
With the integration into Durst Workflow, you can directly download Transparency codes, automatically integrate them into their designs, and proceed directly to production. Durst says the simple and precise process integrates seamlessly into existing workflows. This advancement sets a new standard in the printing industry, enhancing product security and consumer trust.
and canvas. It handles media up to 420 x 297 mm (A3 size) and up to 70mm in thickness.
The SC-V2060 uses UltraChrome UV ink, featuring a 10-colour ink set that includes grey, red, white and varnish. Epson says the expanded gamut and smooth tonal gradation enable stunning print results with vivid colour depth and minimal graininess. White ink and Varnish can be applied as spot colours or layered for visual effects.
Replaceable 140 ml ink packs help streamline its operation and maintenance, as well as minimise waste. It also boasts an intuitive 11cm touchscreen operation panel and a fully automated cleaning system.
Epson expects to ship the SureColor V2060 A3 UV flatbed desktop printer later this year.
Serge Clauss, product manager software and solutions at Durst, says, “Our mission is to consistently provide our customers with the best technological solutions.
“Integrating Amazon Transparency into Durst Workflow enables brands and print service providers to elevate counterfeit protection to a new level and unlock new business opportunities.”
This feature opens new avenues for brands enrolled in Amazon’s Transparency programme. Durst adds that the solution underscores the Durst Group’s commitment to the highest standards of quality, security, and efficiency in print production.
The new Epson SureColor V2060 A3 UV flatbed printer
PrintNZ names the country’s Top 10 print industry apprentices
Apprentice of the Year winner will come from one of these Top 10 apprentices
When the Pride In Print Awards return to The Cordis Hotel in Auckland on Friday July 4, PrintNZ will name the Apprentice of the Year, who will come from the Top 10 apprentices named recently.
The Top 10 Apprentices are:
• Eligh Arthur – Gravure Packaging, Lower Hutt
• Simon Berghan – Spectrum Print, Christchurch
• Flynn Clinch – Opal Packaging NZ – Cartons, Christchurch
• Joshua Faccioni – Graphic Packaging International New Zealand, Auckland
• Toese Fauatea – Opal Packaging NZ – Cartons, Auckland
• Tayla Jones – Logan Print, Gisborne
• Lisa Maich – Print House, Hamilton
• Jessia Moore – Imagine If Creative Studios, Morrinsville
• Faamao (Paul) Muller – Wedderburn Scales, Auckland
• Bradley Smith – Transcontinental NZ, Christchurch
Eligh Arthur Gravure Packaging, Lower Hutt
Learning about making the Top 10, Eligh’s first thought was to tell his trainer, Matt Stockford. Eligh says, “I felt absolutely stoked. Completing an apprenticeship over so many years is definitely a big commitment, not only on my behalf but also on behalf of the company and the person who trained me.
“I always did my best to submit work that I felt I put my full effort into. To be recognised for that feels special to me. On top of that, it feels more special to make my trainer proud. He has been
such an inspiration to me, taking me through the apprenticeship while also himself being a father, partner and professional at work, but still always having so much patience and a desire to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of printers.”
Andrew Young, managing director of Gravure Packaging, says, “Eligh has demonstrated excellent growth and potential. His dedication, positive attitude, and willingness to learn makes him a valuable member of our team. With continued development, Eligh is firmly in the spotlight for future leadership roles within the company.
“On a personal level, I am absolutely thrilled for Eligh. Not only has he grown professionally, but he has also grown personally. Eligh is setting the standard for fellow staff looking to upskill and grow within the company.”
Simon Berghan Spectrum Print, Christchurch
Feeling “pleasantly shocked” at making the Top 10, Simon comments, “I just thought that I was doing the apprenticeship and that would be all that was going to be: getting the required trade units to pass the qualifications to become a qualified print finisher.
“I enjoy the challenges that come with the trade. They change day to day, job to job. I am also lucky to be working at a great workplace. There are great staff, and management that look after you and they are approachable for anything, or for any reason, big or small. That is a big tick in my book.”
Sonia Dench, general manager at Spectrum Print, says, “Simon’s attention to detail and concern for outputting the best quality possible, backed by years of experience adds great value to our team.
“I am really pleased for Simon that he decided to go down the apprenticeship path as it would have been easy for him not to.
“He now has some official form of acknowledgment for his years of hard work and successes in the industry. He put immense amounts of work in to ensure he communicated effectively, and this is the proof that it paid off.”
Flynn Clinch Opal Packaging NZ – Cartons, Christchurch
After attending secondary school with “no motivation to be there and no goals or aspirations”, Flynn says making the Top 10 evoked an emotional response.
He explains, “I used to pass on every opportunity and never took a risk. People kept telling me I would never amount to anything, and I guess I just believed them. Three years later, I have taken every opportunity given to me; worked my absolute hardest to finish my apprenticeship; taken on the role of union delegate; and overall, I have just given work everything.
“To finally have my hard work recognised and know I am making the right decisions makes me really proud of myself and honestly quite overwhelmed. Especially, making it this far with just one good hand.”
Eligh Arthur – Gravure Packaging, Lower Hutt
Simon Berghan – Spectrum Print, Christchurch
Flynn Clinch – Opal Packaging NZ – Cartons, Christchurch
Carl Hartmann, manufacturing manager at Opal Packaging NZ, says, “Flynn is a real go-getter. He is not afraid to ask why and to challenge the norm. He loves a challenge and is ambitious. Also, he is not afraid of hard work and he rolls well with changes. Flynn has a very curious mind and asks great questions.
“He finished his apprenticeship in record time, which was thoroughly merit based. Flynn is certainly one of the best young people I have met in some time.”
Joshua Faccioni
Graphic Packaging International NZ, Auckland
Describing his initial reaction as “completely blindsided” to the news he had made the Top 10, Joshua says, “Never did I ever expect to be nominated for Apprentice of the Year.
“It means a lot to me that my work over the years has been recognised, even amongst all the other apprentices who have no doubt worked hard to qualify. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this award.”
Welcoming the inherent challenges and problem solving required in his job, Joshua enjoys discussing the technicalities with those outside of the industry. He says, “Someone might grab a box of beers on a Friday night, but they will never think of how the carton was made and that someone actually has to print, die cut and glue the cartons.”
Milton Froggat, plant manager at Graphic Packaging International NZ, says, “Joshua is highly accomplished at his job. The Bobst die cutter he operates processes some of our most complex and difficult work such as the Bell Tea packs with tear-off tabs and concora cutting, essentially cutting both sides of the sheet in one process.
“Josh is very calm in his approach to difficult jobs and interacts with his peers in the same manner. He is highly respected by the entire team, has accepted additional duties and challenges with ease and displays a maturity beyond his years.”
Toese Fauatea
Opal Packaging NZ – Cartons, Auckland
Feeling “blessed” to be named in the Top 10 as well as involved with Opal Packaging, Toese says he also feels grateful he received the opportunity to undertake the die cutting apprenticeship.
He says, “I personally had no clue that I would end up in this situation. I have always tried the best I could, but being in this place is a blessing from the man above.
“I also thank the boys who helped me through my journey: the leader, supervisor, and the operators, both printers and die cutters. I am speechless and lack words to say other than thank you so much. I enjoy every part of my job.”
Dave Wilson, operations manager at Opal Packaging NZ and Andre Adams, die cutting supervisor, says that Toese has shown great initiative and commitment since he came knocking on the door for a job”.
Dave says, “He always focuses on getting the efficiencies up, just getting stuck in and running the machine as fast as possible which is obviously a moneymaker for us. But he also has a strong focus on quality.
“We all make mistakes. When Toese made one, he actually put that carton in his locker just to remind himself.”
Tayla Jones Logan Print, Gisborne
While Tayla says she felt “ecstatic, excited and emotional” at making the Top 10, she says the achievement fully sunk in when experiencing how “immensely proud” her family were.
She says, “Being nominated Top 10 means so much to me. I put a lot of hard work and effort into every assessment that I completed. There were long hours, challenges to overcome and continuous learning. But I wouldn’t be here without the help and guidance of Colin Lean and Ian Hoskisson. They always helped me understand things I was unsure of and gave me equations until I understood.”
She also takes great satisfaction in becoming the first female from Logan Print to complete an apprenticeship. She adds, “I hope to make Logan Print proud and I hope to encourage more females to join the industry, which has previously been male-dominated, and show other females they can do it too.”
Colin Lean, technical manager at Logan Print, “Tayla is highly self-motivated. She manages the press and her print assistant and covers for her supervisor when he is away.
“Tayla communicates well with all the areas of Logans from account managers, prepress and our ink lab through to finishing and logistics. Tayla also represents the print department on our health and safety committee.
“Tayla’s training was also completed during the Covid-19 pandemic. She, like many of our team, rose to the occasion during a concerning time for our country.”
Lisa Maich Print House, Hamilton
Saying she is “honoured by making the Top 10”, Lisa recalls “all of the late nights, the early mornings, the sweat and the unwavering dedication I’ve poured into this”.
She says, “This recognition isn’t just about the achievement itself, it’s about the
Joshua Faccioni – Graphic Packaging International New Zealand, Auckland
Lisa Maich – Print House, Hamilton
Toese Fauatea – Opal Packaging NZ – Cartons, Auckland
Tayla Jones – Logan Print, Gisborne
journey, the lessons learned and the growth I have experienced along the way. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and excited for what comes next.
She adds that working alongside her colleagues is a job highlight. She says, “We have a great team dynamic. Everyone is supportive and we share a good laugh while getting things done.
“I learn so much from their different skills and experiences, and I consider myself fortunate to be part of such a positive and collaborative group.”
Jim Grainger, operations manager/director at Print House, says the team knows that if they give Lisa a job, “it will get done”.
He says, “Lisa is always keen to do her best at whatever you ask her to do, always finishes the job and is very quality conscious. She has a brilliant sense of humour and fits in well with the other members of the team.
“I know that all the directors of Print House, me included, are immensely proud of Lisa and of all the hard work she has put in to get her qualification.”
Jessia Moore
Imagine If Creative Studios, Morrinsville
After receiving the “amazing news” about making the Top 10 from her employers, Jessia spent the next half hour in emotional phone calls with family. She says, “I even had some of them crying because they knew how hard I had worked.
“Everyone I have told is so proud of me for achieving this as I didn’t think I was going to. We all have dreams, and I was hoping this one was going to come true.”
She adds that she feels “very lucky” to also be living with a teacher when starting the apprenticeship. She says, “She helped me out with tips and tricks to make sure I kept on track and didn’t miss stuff because of my dyslexia. She put up with me, reading every workbook and
assessment out loud to make sure I didn’t add or miss words.”
Aly Cosson, owner and senior graphic designer at Imagine If Creative Studios, says, Jessia is one of the hardest-working staff members we have ever had.”
“She goes above and beyond in everything she does, nothing is ever an issue. Jessia is more than happy to problem solve unusual jobs or figure out ways to achieve things we have never tried to do before.
“She is dedicated to what she does, and she has an eye for detail and quality; an amazing asset to have in our business.”
Faamao (Paul) Muller
Wedderburn Scales,
Auckland
Describing his children’s reaction to the news received while on school pickups as “priceless”, Faamao (Paul) says he is “thrilled” by the nomination.
He says, “Being a nominee in the Top 10 reassures me that my efforts are noticed and valued, which can spark further ambition and passion within the printing industry.
“The sacrifices I have endured over these past four years to get to where I am today are ultimately paying off. I am forever grateful to Wedderburn for this opportunity.”
Faamao enjoys working and learning alongside “some of the best if not the best, who have been in the printing industry for 20-plus years”.
He adds, “Taking in their knowledge is something I don’t take for granted.”
Tony Reid, labels production manager at Wedderburn Scales, praises Faamao for having a “strong work ethic and a good eye for detail”.
Tony says, “Paul is also very good at trouble shooting technical printing issues, approaching every task with attention to
detail, ensuring high-quality results and contributing to the overall success of our work. His positive attitude combined with his growing technical expertise enhances the efficiency of our operation.
“The value he adds to our business is clear.”
Bradley Smith
Transcontinental Packaging, Christchurch
Having worked in the flexible packing industry for most of his career, Bradley appreciates that “hard work and persistence don’t have an age limit”.
He says, “I am truly humbled to be named in the Top 10. It is something I didn’t expect. I have always focused on showing up, working hard, and contributing to the team. As a husband and father of two, everything I do is for my family, and to receive this recognition is deeply meaningful.
“It reflects not just my efforts, but also the incredible support from those around me, especially my team and my workplace, who have stood by me throughout the journey. I am extremely grateful for their unwavering support. I am also grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow and I am honoured to have made it this far.”
Nick Ball, printing manager at Transcontinental Packaging, says, “Brad has a can-do attitude. No matter what the day brings for him he will tackle it head on.
“He shows his leadership with the way he handles himself with the team and he always leads by example, No job is too small for Brad to take on.
Brad has been an integral part of TC in all departments he has worked in, not only with his work ethic, but also attitude and dedication to the role.”
Iain Macintyre
Jessia Moore – Imagine If Creative Studios, Morrinsville
Faamao (Paul) Muller – Wedderburn Scales, Auckland
Bradley Smith – Transcontinental Packaging, Christchurch
Investing in your future leaders makes good sense
Take this chance to give your staff leadership skills for the future.
In today’s environment, having people that can lead your teams effectively is more important than ever.
I often hear people say, “Being a good printer doesn’t mean they are a good supervisor”, but they can be, and that comes down to the investment you are prepared to put into to help them develop.
Every year, PrintNZ runs an ‘Introduction to Team Leadership’ cohort for the industry and this has had amazing results for the people that have gone through it. The programme isn’t just for those currently in team leadership roles. Think about your up and coming leaders and those that could step up in your business in the future and start that process early by giving them the opportunity to get those skills under their belt before they need them.
The skills learned will benefit both parties and are well worth the investment, no matter what role the person is in:
The topics covered include:
• Goal setting
• Problem solving and using initiative
• Effective delegation
• Creating a great team culture
• Effective communication
• Running effective meetings
• Technology for modern leadership
• Motivation
• Time management
• Leadership styles and tools
• Creating efficiencies and productivity as a team
Many of these skills are useful for everyone in a workplace to understand. The advantage of undertaking this training in a print cohort is that it provides the opportunity for them to learn alongside colleagues in the same industry and to share knowledge and experiences that are relatable.
The course provides the best mix of self-study, face to face learning and group discussion, against a backdrop of workplace learning, all designed to fit around work schedules, and with the cohort model it provides plenty of touchpoints to ensure they remain motivated to complete the course.
The course requires the participants to look for an opportunity for improvement in their own workplace and work on this as a project which they present to the group. I have had the good fortune to listen to some of these presentations, and they are outstanding – both in the problems solved in the workplace and the way in which they were presented. In some cases, these identified opportunities for quite worthwhile opportunities for their businesses including time savings, reduced errors, less wastage, or actual dollars saved.
For the businesses, well trained leaders are better equipped to motivate their teams, establish clear goals, foster innovation, and manage their time more effectively, which often results in higher productivity and improved delivery. In the current economic climate, productivity gains can be a key to improving the bottom line and every opportunity to increase it should be embraced.
But you don’t just have to take my word for it. Here are some of the comments of people that have gone through this training. They provide the real insights into just how much this could benefit you and your staff:
“I have really enjoyed this stuff (Performance Management Cycle),
I want to learn more about it, and I think more people should be talking about this, hearing this, asking these questions too.”
“You learn as you go, it is the experiences you have, it is scenario driven...so I can think how to apply that to my team.”
“I think to myself it isn’t a problem; it is a challenge.”
“Be open minded to everything, all learning.”
“There are different ways of teaching and influencing staff.”
“Keep an open mind, find better ways of doing things.”
“The benefits you take from a growth mindset and apply this to daily tasks will help improve my leadership skills.”
“Presenting doesn’t have to be so daunting.”
“Diversity can be beneficial to your team in the way we all have different solutions to problems.”
“Feedback and monitoring are really important, this can be forgotten I think, the focus is the goals and then the review and not the in between.”
“The mouse trap activity really showed what fear does and the importance of trusting the leader.”
In a world where adaptability and effective leadership can make or break a business, developing your future leaders is essential. By giving your staff the opportunity to grow, you invest in their potential and you safeguard the future of your company. So why wait for leadership to emerge by chance? Create it with purpose and watch your people and your business thrive.
The 2025 PrintNZ ‘Introduction to Team Leadership’ cohort starts on June 11.
Don’t miss your chance to be a part of it.
Ruth Cobb
Grow your business by helping good workers to become good supervisors
FINISHING
New Horizons for Blue Star finishing operation
Currie
Group brings Horizon’s latest perfect binder to Blue Star.
The country’s largest commercial printer has recently installed a Horizon iCE BQ-500 Perfect Binder and Horizon HT-300 Three-Side Trimmer at its new site in Swanson, Auckland.
The company arrived at its decision to purchase the Horizon finishing equipment from Currie Group after considering several options. Allen Masterson, operations manager at Blue Star, says, “From the outset, Blue Star was keen to explore updating our existing binding equipment, as a priority, at our new expanded site in Swanson.
“With an established high volume, high speed binding capability in our commercial bindery, there was an opportunity to support our busy and growing digital channel with new technology.
“We considered a number of available options for a small footprint binding line that could comfortably handle run lengths of medium to long runs. Blue Star made the decision to purchase the BQ-500 perfect binder and the HT-300 trimmer because this system offered ease of use, quick makeready times, and produced a great quality product.”
Currie Group introduced the Horizon iCE BQ-500 Perfect Binder to the local market at PacPrint 2022. At drupa 2024, Craig Paul, country manager for Currie Group
New Zealand, demonstrated the binder to Blue Star staff.
Craig says, “The Horizon iCE Binder BQ500 connects to Horizon’s cloud-based JDF workflow and job management tool. Its 30cm touchscreen helps enable quick setup, while its ergonomic design and enhanced delivery system help deliver an efficient, operator-friendly operation. It can produce up to one thousand perfect bound and trimmed books an hour, handling books from 1mm up to 60mm thick.
“The HT-300 trimmer is a single knife three side trimmer with fully automated setup features. The maximum production speed is 300 cycles per hour, cutting multiple books at a time up to a total of 51mm for increased productivity. This machine delvers accurate and clean cuts using precision automation and features such as auto book thickness measuring and table angle adjustment. Having the HT-300 connected inline with the Horizon BQ-500 perfect binder increases productivity and reduces labour costs.”
Easy integration
The team at Blue Star has wasted no time integrating the Horizon solutions into a busy workflow. Allen says, “The intuitive use interface and ease of operation of the machine when compared to a more traditional style of binder made the user training and implementation into the
production workflow quick and painless. The user manuals have proven to be easy to use and helpful. Operators who have operated other Horizon equipment are comfortable with the familiar Horizon user interface.
“The installation of the machine was seamless and was completed quickly. Paired with Currie Group’s after sales service and technical support, it was an easy decision to select Horizon, which has proven to be a brand that provides innovative and reliable equipment in the digital print space.
“From the initial book off the line, we have been very pleased with the waste reduction due to the first book of each run being almost always at a saleable standard. We have greatly reduced our setup times due to the benefits of the Horizon system, with no loss of quality.
“Our choice to go with the Planamelt hot melt system has offered a number of benefits over the PUR glue systems often seen in the digital space. With the Planamelt hot melt system, the glue bonds to the covers quickly reducing the post-production handling risks associated with PUR. It still delivers a finished product with resilience similar to a PUR glue with none of the cleanup and glue wastage that would normally occur with a digital PUR solution.
“The Horizon system also gives us a variable thickness mode that makes it extremely quick to run multiple jobs of different page counts in the same format because the machine automatically adjusts the clamp and scores for spines of varying measurements.
“Our relationship with Currie Group is a longstanding one via our HP Indigo fleet but also through other Currie Group finishing equipment. For this latest purchase, installation and ongoing support, the Currie Group team, as always, were professional, efficient, and easy to deal with.
“We are pleased to have selected the Horizon finishing equipment and we have enjoyed working with Currie Group getting this technology to New Zealand and into production.”
Eric Eenkhoorn and Allen Masterson at Blue Star’s new site with the Horizon iCE BQ-500 Perfect Binder and Horizon HT-300 Three-Side Trimmer
SUSTAINABILITY
Sinclair and Zespri join forces for new sustainable labelling
The Sinclair - T55 compostable label sets a new standard in produce packaging, reducing plastic waste and helping create a more sustainable future
Sinclair, a global leader in fruit labelling technology, and Zespri, the world’s largest kiwifruit marketer, have joined forces to launch their newest and most innovative compostable fruit label.
The companies say the new label, named the Sinclair - T55 fruit sticker, marks “a significant step forward” in produce packaging and environmental responsibility.
The compostable sticker provides a minimal packaging solution that reduces consumer waste compared to other packaging. It can be disposed of in-home compost bins along with fruit peels and other organic waste, simplifying consumer waste management.
It breaks down and fully biodegrades to become part of usable compost within 365 days. This demonstrates that the Sinclair - T55 fruit sticker is safely compostable, without leaving harmful residues in the environment.
With certification for its end-of-life performance – it has received the home and industrial ‘Finished Products’ certification from TÜV Austria and the home composting certification from ABA and DIN CERTCO – the fruit sticker also maintains Sinclair’s high standards for automated, high speed application in the packinghouse and throughout the supply chain.
According to Sinclair and Zespri, this is the highest performing compostable label available, with application performance equivalent to conventional plastic stickers. It provides exceptional
conformity to adhere securely to fruits and vegetables, allowing essential product information – origin, variety, PLU and barcodes – to be displayed with branding.
Duncan Jones, senior marketing manager, at Sinclair, says, “The label is constructed from a certified compostable film. A fruit label has three components: adhesive, label material, and inks. SinclairT55 has home compost certification for the finished label construction, not just components.
“Our goal for a home compostable label began about 15 years ago, and we are on our fifth generation, which finally meets all current global composting standards and has ABA, DIN CERTCO, and TÜV Austria home compost certification.
“It also meets composting standard AS 5810, making it a minimal packaging alternative that can help reduce plastic packaging waste. Certification from the Australasian Biobased Association (ABA) demonstrates its environmental performance and suitability as an environmentally conscious choice to remove plastic packaging from the supply chain.
“Its performance is equivalent to conventional labels, which in the past has been a challenge due to the nature of compostable materials.”
Jones says the Sinclair - T55 fruit sticker offers the fresh produce industry and retailers with the opportunity to reduce plastic packaging.
He says, “It is a significant achievement as it currently meets single use plastics legislation globally. We now offer a proven packaging solution to help reduce reliance on plastic packaging, but still provide the benefits consumers and retailers require.”
“As a certified compostable label, it also provides essential consumer point of sale information like produce variety, origin, brand, and so on, as well as ensuring retailer information such as PLU, barcode, etc can be displayed for checkout efficiency and or product traceability.
“Our business has focused on fresh produce labels for more than 40 years and this remains. We are already receiving other enquiries from the packaging industry due to the uniqueness of this achievement in developing this certified compostable label.”
Jason Te Brake, chief executive officer at Zespri, says, “Our collaboration with Sinclair reflects our commitment to embracing more sustainable practices across our global supply chain. Exploring more sustainable fruit label options has been an area of considerable focus for Zespri over a number of years, with our labels providing an important assurance to consumers that the fruit they are purchasing is authentic, safe and high quality Zespri kiwifruit.”
Sinclair - T55 is available in Australia and New Zealand, with Zespri confirming it is transitioning to label all its kiwifruit to Sinclair - T55 in the next 12 months.
The Sinclair - T55 fruit sticker marks “a significant step forward” in produce packaging and environmental responsibility
Sinclair senior marketing manager Duncan Jones
offset m/c with revolutionary cost saving cold transfer technology
Narrow Web (Label) printers
Wide Web Printers
NEKKORB
Nekkorb Solutions reinforces AVT partnership
In a significant development for the print inspection industry, Nekkorb Solutions has announced the continuation of its partnership with AVT (Advanced Vision Technology), a leader in inspection systems for reel-fed printing and converting applications. This extension of their partnership comes as AVT reclaims its independence, moving away from its integration into Danaher’s Esko business to return to its core operations.
Digital Printers
100% Print Inspection for Labels and Narrow Web 100% Quality Assurance for HP Indigo 20k Digital Press
Combined Print Inspection Solution for 100% Process & Quality Control
On March 3, 2025, AVT officially launched as an independent entity, marking a crucial shift in its operational strategy. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, AVT is poised to leverage its heritage to prioritise innovation in print inspection technology.
This transition follows AVT’s acquisition by Porat Itay Holdings. Roy Porat, chief executive officer at AVT, says, “This independence allows us to focus entirely on what we do best: print inspection, process control, and quality assurance.”
Since its establishment in 1992, AVT has been at the forefront of print inspection advancements, providing automated systems that help printers achieve superior quality and efficiency. The company’s separation from Danaher provides it the opportunity to enhance its growth potential and focus on innovative innovations.
Roy says, “This milestone is a pivotal moment for AVT. We are committed to strengthening our position as leaders in advanced print inspection technologies, offering our customers the highest levels of precision, efficiency, and innovation.”
As a standalone company, AVT will maintain strategic partnerships with Esko and X-Rite, ensuring ongoing collaboration with industry leaders and seamless integration of specialised workflows and colour measurement techniques. Roy says, “We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to revealing our latest innovations, which will support our customers in achieving operational excellence.”
AVT’s renewed emphasis on independence and innovation is positioned to redefine quality control standards in the printing
sector, empowering customers to enhance productivity and optimize their operational outcomes in this new era of print inspection excellence.
Frank Brokken at Nekkorb Solutions, says, “Since 2017, when Danaher acquired AVT, we have been dedicated to selling and supporting their products. With AVT’s transition to a standalone company, our customers can feel secure knowing they will not need to establish new relationships to access ongoing support and cutting-edge technology from AVT.”
Nekkorb Solutions recently completed the final sale and assisted installation of an AVT vision system installed in Oceania under the old ownership and is actively involved in numerous ongoing projects that will progress seamlessly under this new agreement. The company offers a broad representation of AVT’s impressive range of solutions, which include:
• Inspection for Labels: Helios
• Inspection for Packaging: Argus, Apollo, Jupiter, Prelude
• Solutions for Offset: Titan
• Solutions for Digital: Helios & Apollo
Frank concludes, “Nekkorb Solutions encourages local printers to engage with its team to explore the extensive array of AVT’s inspection technologies, the perfect opportunity to capitalise on this strengthened partnership.”
Contact Nekkorb: Sam Kay (Technical Sales) Mob: (+64-27) 7283723 , Email: sam@nekkorbsolutions.co.nz
The AVT Argus is part of the company’s extensive range of inspection solutions
Excellence in Finishing
PicoColour press relaunches
Dantex Group has relaunched its popular, small footprint PicoColour press designed to provide high quality printing at an accessible entry level price point.
The newly modernised PicoColour offers a compelling solution for businesses seeking to enter digital production.
Building on the 10-year legacy of the original PicoColour, which achieved extensive global sales, this latest evolution, retains the same footprint as its predecessor but is now equipped with today’s advanced technology. Sam Kay, technical sales specialist at Nekkorb Solutions, the Dantex Australia and New Zealand agent, says the result is a seamless and future-proof solution for label converters.
Compact and user-friendly, it offers several features from the flagship Dantex PicoJet, including an expanded colour gamut, superwhite, supertext and supertact. Sam says its optional inline compact finishing, delivers an exceptional printing experience, guaranteed to deliver a professional-grade solution, allowing you to scale your digital production confidently.
Built entirely in the UK to Zone 1 manufacturing standards, including to CE and UL, the new model achieves print speeds of 50 metres per minute while maintaining a compact footprint suited for any production environment. Dantex says that, with over 80 per cent of the supply chain coming from the UK, the high engineering and quality control standards, guarantee reliability, and an uncompromising attention to build quality.
By prioritising efficiency, service and cost-effectiveness, Dantex says it has optimised maintenance to reduce running costs, strengthening PicoColour’s reputation as a wise investment.
Developed as part of the broader Pico range, it provides a unified technology platform, simplifying training and support for customers managing multiple presses while improving overall production workflow.
Customer feedback has assisted Dantex in refining the design of PicoColour to print 254mm wide. It now has a fully integrated finishing system that includes shuttle-based die-cutting, lamination, matrix removal, and edge trimming, all while maintaining its footprint. From a sustainability perspective, this overall design reduces material waste and further enhances efficiency.
Dantex adds that the relaunch has received an incredibly positive response from across the world and with pre-sales underway, it expects the first deliveries in Q4 2025. Dantex will showcase the press at Booth #5E73 Labelexpo Barcelona in September.
Ben Danon, chief executive of Dantex Group, says, “The original PicoColour was a huge success, and we have seen continued demand, even in the secondhand market. We knew the time was right to bring it back, but this time it’s even better: modernised, efficient, built with the latest technology, and entirely made in the UK. Customers can feel reassured that Dantex’s quality standards and service are never compromised.
“The response thus far has been remarkable, demonstrating that customers have been eager for a highperformance, entry-level UV inkjet press. With the new PicoColour, we are providing exactly that.”
For more information contact Nekkorb, Sam Kay (Technical Sales) Mob: (+64-27) 7283723 , Email: sam@nekkorbsolutions.co.nz
BGM Elite Label-i Automatic Inspection Slitter Rewinder
Free-standing label inspection slitter rewinder suitable for paper labels, transparent clear-on-clear & films
BGM Elite Comflex Compact Digital Converting Finishing System
A fully offline entry level digital converting finishing solution suited for any digital print house
BGM Elite Digiflex Digital Converting Finishing System
Small footprint: The Dantex PicoColour press
PACKAGING
Visit Japan if you are looking for thoughtful, accessible packaging
Nerida Kelton says fit for purpose packaging must show ease of use design.
Designing packaging that is thoughtful, intuitive, and accessible can be the difference between edible food being unnecessarily wasted, or not, in a household.
Accessible and inclusive packaging makes all the difference to so many people with limited functional abilities in the community; but yet it is often overlooked in the design process.
Key guidelines for accessible packaging include packaging that is easy to open and reclose, clear intuitive instructions, highly legible font, colours and labelling, and unique intuitive design features that eliminates the angst so many people have with packaging. True fit-for-purpose packaging needs to demonstrate ease of use design principles.
All too often, accessible packaging is not considered in the new product development stage, which in turn leads to unnecessary frustration such as opening and resealing packs, reading the ingredients or labelling, and being able to intuitively open the packaging without hurting oneself.
How many times have we all grabbed a knife to open a pack of ham, spilt food across the kitchen countertop because the pack was too hard to open, been unable to read the text on the pack (even with glasses on), or used your teeth to open a pack and then vowed to never buy that brand again?
You, as brand owners, must consider accessible design and ease of use elements in your packaging designs. Have you tested your packaging with all your target audiences? For one, can they open and close the pack?
As someone with the unique opportunity to work in many countries around the world, the best part of my job is visiting retail stores to see how each region is designing their packaging.
One of my latest trips was to Japan and I have never seen more thoughtful, accessible, and inclusive packaging designs before. The trip confirmed for me that Japanese embed accessible and inclusive design principles into almost all of their packaging, right from the start of the
design process – and should be a benchmark for other countries.
The thoughtful, accessible, and inclusive designs I saw truly do make life easier for everyone in society. Japanese packaging designs consider the needs of all types of people – visually impaired, people with disabilities, senior members of the community, and people that have difficulty opening and closing packaging. Japanese packaging also intuitively communicates to the consumer how to open and close the packaging. The packs display arrows, feature text explanations, and include multiple tear and notch points. The packaging is so intuitive by nature, it makes opening and closing the packaging easy.
Alcoholic
One innovative accessible and inclusive packaging design feature in Japan is that all alcoholic beverage cans have braille on the top to indicate to the visually impaired that the beverage they have selected contains alcohol. This ensures the consumer doesn’t accidentally purchase alcohol instead of another beverage.
Milk cartons with notch points
Next time you are in Japan, head to the milk aisle. You will notice that some milk cartons have notch points or arc-shaped indentations on the top and some do not. These notch points alert the visually impaired that the carton is a pure milk
product. Those without the indentation are not.
No more mistakes confusing shampoo with conditioner
One of the most frustrating issues many of us face when we are in the shower is working out which bottle is shampoo, and which is conditioner. This can be due to the packaging being similar in colour, shape, and design, the font being too small to read on the bottles, or the text being illegible.
Japanese shampoo and conditioner bottles are designed differently and can be deciphered merely by touching the bottle. Shampoo bottles have textured stripes on the side and conditioner bottles have none. This is also an ideal feature for visitors to Japan who are unable to read Japanese, as well as visually impaired.
Accessible and inclusive packaging design that is intuitive, easy-to-open and innovative should be an integral part of your packaging and I encourage you to integrate this critical element into your future design processes. Your packaging could make a difference for so many people. Just take Japan as an exemplar for this type of design.
Nerida Kelton is the executive director of the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) and vice-president, sustainability and save food of the World Packaging Organisation (WPO).
cans with braille
Braille on the top of a can for a visually impaired person to identify it contains alcohol
Notch points at the top of the packaging alert the visually impaired that the carton is a pure milk product
New Zealand Printing & Packaging Forum
Tuesday, October 14 2025
Auckland
RMGT presses charge up production for Chinese and US companies
RMGT speed, print quality, and quick drying times increase productivity across the board.
RMGT has announced the sale and successful installation of several machines in the US and China.
The company recently completed a successful installation of its 1060TP-8 printing press in China to Zhong Mei Printing Co based in Beijing.
After learning about the strong reputation of the RMGT TP series, widely installed across various regions in China, the company became interested in the technology.
Impressed by its production efficiency and proven nationwide performance, Zhong Mei made the decision to invest in the TP press. RMGT says, “We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our sales agent in China, Beijing Jia He Ding Xin Technology & Business Co, for their dedicated efforts in promoting our products.
“At RMGT, we are committed to providing a diverse range of high-quality printing machines and services, including our TP series, which meets the growing demand for double-sided printing. Through our domestic and international service networks, we will continue to support our customers with cutting-edge solutions.”
LED-UV curing
Florida-based DPS (Digital Printing Solutions) recently installed an 8-UP RMGT
920PF-8+LED eight-colour long perfector, supplied via US distributor Graphco.
A key highlight of the installation, the press’s advanced LED-UV Curing Technology, has taken DPS’s printing operations to a new level. The full sized eight-up press has proven its value, enabling high speed, high quality production for the company’s busy political direct mail season.
The firm recently printed 286,000 mailers within two days of receiving the artwork. Terry Sutton, owner of DPS, says, “Our new press makes high-volume, fast-turnaround work possible, and LED-UV instant-curing technology is one big reason.”
RMGT LED curing technology ensures printed materials are immediately dry and ready for the next production step, significantly speeding up workflow. LED inks have further optimised DPS’s production efficiency. Terry says, “Not having the printed product sit to dry is essential to keeping work flowing smoothly through the plant.”
In the past, DPS often used aqueous coating to expedite drying, even at additional cost. Now, LED curing eliminates the need for such measures while delivering superior results.
Chris Manley, president of Graphco, says, “LED inks are 8-10 per cent glossier
than traditional oil-based CMYK inks. Sheets coming off DPS’s new RMGT press almost have a sheen comparable to aqueous coating, without the energyintensive drying process”.
Graphco also installed a full size 8-up RMGT 970PF-4 to Michigan-based Quick Reliable Printing (QRP).
QRP serves clients across diverse sectors, including education, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and non-profits. This advanced piece of equipment represents a significant technological upgrade, replacing legacy sheetfed offset presses that had faithfully served for two decades.
Hal Grunwell, a solutions specialist at QRP, says, “We realised we were relying on outdated technology, operating an ‘ancient’ press that lacked many of the automation tools available today.”
He cites the QRP team’s enthusiasm for the new press, particularly its advanced features, such as automated ink management and skid loading. Among the most impactful innovations during the first four months of operation have been the LED-UV lamps.“The automation is impressive, but the instant curing of UV ink with LED-UV curing has been outstanding,” Hal says.
The RMGT 970PF-4 press significantly enhances productivity with a running speed of 16,000 sheets per hour and 30 per cent faster makeready times. Hal adds, “We achieve optimal colour much more quickly now.”
In addition, G7 compliance ensures consistent colour matching with reduced paper waste.
The press’s ability to ‘learn’ during colour calibration has been particularly noteworthy. Additionally, the automatic skid-loading system streamlines workflow, enabling faster paper handling. He adds, “We can flip and feed paper much more efficiently.”
RMGT is available in Australia and New Zealand through Cyber.
Representatives from Florida-based DPS in front of the RMGT 920PF-8+LED eight-colour long perfector
Print’s real strength lies in its ability to communicate with people and to move them
Print service providers need to lean into what print’s always been good at: physically moving people, one bold message at a time.
At a recent bustling tradeshow, I found myself behind a charity stall as a volunteer, tasked with designing our print collateral. I printed a fluoro yellow strut card, connectionheavy DL flyers, and a detail packed A1 poster, each stripped back to focus on role over polish. By day’s end, I had out talked and out engaged glossier booths around me, proving that print’s real strength lies not in beauty, but in moving people.
I settled on these three pieces, each with a clear role. The strut card screamed in fluoro yellow, emblazoned with the most basic font of all, Arial Bold, as big as it would fit – just the outcome of the product, no branding at all. It wasn’t pretty, but I wanted people to notice it and to be able to read it across the room.
The DL flyers were artifacts they would take home. It listed the product benefits and all the connections there are so people can continue to learn more, a QR code, URL, email, and phone number on the back, with branding for recognition.
The A1 poster, hung behind me, was a wall of legible detail, minimal colour, light on logos, heavy on information for those who stepped closer. It was a conversation leader. My setup stood in stark contrast to the booths around me, where vendors meticulously arranged high-res banners, curated samples, and vibrant displays, a symphony of visual noise.
As the show kicked off, that strut card cut through the chaos like a beacon. I could see people from down the aisle notice and read the strut card, drawn in by its blunt clarity. They’d sidle up, and pointing them to the poster, I’d walk through the offering. I then handed out flyers and took details.
Meanwhile, neighbouring stalls, with their busy setups, often sat quiet. Their displays dazzled, but they didn’t move anyone. Too cluttered, with no clear message, they did not stand out.
This was a revelation for me as a printer. In my book, I’d argued print excels with clarity of message, not decoration. Here was proof. The strut card’s unapologetic simplicity grabbed attention where intricate designs drowned. The flyer was a take home piece that funnelled activity online, down the conversion funnel, while the poster was a prop that structured conversations up close.
It reinforced a truth we’ve drifted from: print is good at communicating and moving people, physically across a room or down a marketing funnel, not to mimic a website’s gloss.
When I started in this industry, crafting 76cm by 100cm posters for Westfield, print was raw and practical. We’d cut vinyl onto screenboard. There was no capacity for images, the style guide drove the font choice, and when text got small, the material limitations meant we had to use the font VAG Rounded so it would weed.
Back then, the medium’s limits seemed like limits because of what we couldn’t do. But those limits actually kept us playing to print’s strengths.
Now, digital printing’s ease has seduced us. Full colour images and endless typefaces tempt designers to prioritise aesthetics over function. Marketing and branding experts, caught up in screen inspired trends, overlook what print does best. At that tradeshow, I saw how far we’ve strayed and how much we can reclaim by refocusing on purpose.
Too often, as printers, we’re stuck in the back, churning out jobs without seeing the front lines. We miss how our work performs, whether it grabs eyes, sparks talk or sits ignored. This disconnect lets clients dictate designs that look great onscreen but falter in the real world.
So, what’s the takeaway for us as print professionals? Start talking to your customers and ask where their print will live in the sales or marketing funnel. Offer design advice that fits that context. Suggest how a face to face interaction flows and where print can guide it. The more we share our expertise beyond just quoting prices, the more we shift from commodity vendors to trusted partners. That’s how we stop competing on cost and start proving our value.
The tradeshow reminded me how to really leverage print: it’s a tangible, human medium with power to connect. We don’t need to chase digital’s sheen; we just need to lean into what print’s always been good at: moving people, one bold message at a time.
Daniel Edwards is the founder of Posterboy Printing. He has worked in the printing industry since 2002 and has worked on thousands of print jobs with hundreds of Australia’s top marketers. He is also the author of The Power of Print.
Print is good at communicating and moving people physically across a room or down a marketing funnel
Image credit: istock.com/EduLeite
FINISHING
Currie Group hosts Olaf Gerber from baumannperfecta
Visit strengthens partnership and showcases possibilities that Currie Group and baumannperfecta can offer
Following the recent announcement of Currie Group’s new partnership with German finishing equipment specialists, baumannperfecta, the company has played host to Olaf Gerber, baumannperfecta’s export sales manager, on his first visit downunder.
Gerber, who has worked with baumannperfecta since 2021, was in the country to learn more about the requirements of the Australian and New Zealand market and to meet the Currie Group team, following the company’s first sale in Australia under the new agreement.
His experiences during the visit, he says, have confirmed in his mind that local print service providers are the equal of any in the world, and face many of the same challenges as their counterparts in Europe and other markets. He says, “It was exciting to visit customers, to learn more about their businesses and the challenges they face and speak with them about what is possible with new technologies from baumannperfecta.
“A shortage of skilled staff is certainly a key issue for Australian businesses, as it is for print service providers around the world, and this is something we can really help address, with cutting systems which
businesses can rely upon to grow output and improve productivity, even in the face of staff shortages.”
Wide range of solutions
As well as its high-speed, customised cutting machines, baumannperfecta offers a wide range of system solutions, including pile hoists, loaders, automated joggers and jogging systems, pressing and cutting equipment including three-knife trimmers, and buffering and unloading solutions.
Olaf says, “These can be configured into total cutting solutions, to ensure that our customers are well-equipped to grow and prosper.
“You know, it is quite difficult these days to find people at all, and if you are asking them to do a very physically demanding job of moving heavy paper for eight hours a day, that makes it even harder. This is not even to mention the risk to businesses if workers are injured – lost productivity and of course workers compensation claims.
“To make the best use of the people you have is not usually to have them doing something which a machine can do. Automation eliminates some of the hard, physical work which used to be part of the
cutting and finishing process, protecting existing staff from injury and maximising their productivity, while also making these jobs more attractive to new talent.”
With the cost of wages, energy and other inputs going up relentlessly, the pressure on margins has also never been greater. As print service providers cannot necessarily recoup increasing costs by raising prices, it’s important to find efficiencies and cost savings wherever possible.
Alan Tam, Currie Group’s Category manager for Post-Press Equipment, says this is also where new generation cutters and automated materials handling can deliver real value to the bottom line. He says, “For larger, high volume environments this may mean investing in baumannperfecta’s fully automated finishing systems, but there is something in the range for operations of all sizes.
“Importantly, all baumannperfecta systems can be upgraded, extended and further customised to meet the needs of a business as it grows and changes, and this is definitely something which we have found to be a real positive with businesses here in Australia, who appreciate that flexibility.”
Downunder visit, from left: Alan Tam, Currie Group; Olaf Gerber, baumannperfecta; and Rob Mesaros, Currie Group
FINISHING
Industry 4.0 compliance
Another important factor is baumannperfecta’s compliance with Industry 4.0 architecture, which means entire cutting workflows, including equipment from any compliant manufacturer, can be seamlessly integrated into a digital finishing ecosystem.
Olaf explains, “The trend is definitely towards more digital printing, so our systems are developed to take prepress data direct from the digital job bag or even via a barcode, to automatically generate the cutting programme.
“The various cutting parameters are calculated by the machine, and the whole process is stepped out on the visual display, so it is easy to follow and reliable. This makes everything easier, leads to fewer errors and greater precision, and of course, makes for faster setup and job changeover times. Again, it’s about increasing efficiency and profitability.”
While Perth was not on the itinerary this trip, Gerber was pleased to be visiting Australian shores just as Currie Group installed their first baumannperfecta sale – a BP 80 model cutter at iPrint Plus in Perth. Alan says, “This is a compact and versatile 80cm machine, which impressed the customer with its ease of use and reliability, and more importantly, the safety of baumannperfecta’s blade changing system.
“The fact that the machine also comes standard with a spare parts kit to keep on-site, and is supported by Currie
Group’s extensive service network, were also important factors in the investment decision.”
New start, fresh approach
While his company is future-focused, Olaf is also aware of the longevity of cutting equipment, saying this trip has included visits to businesses who have baumannperfecta cutters which are 10, 15 or even 20 years old.
He says, “Even though we are well known in the printing industry in Australia and New Zealand for many
years as a strong manufacturer with renowned German engineering excellence, our partnership with Currie Group marks a new start with a fresh approach and increased strength.
“Their approach of being a reliable business partner, not focusing on the quick sale but on finding the right solution for each particular customer, is exactly how we like to do business. Their commitment to service is also very important, and we’re pleased to complement that with remote diagnostics and technical support from baumannperfecta in Germany, ensuring customers have the support they need at all times.
“We work with dealers worldwide and, for us, it’s very clear that we can only be strong in a market if we have a very strong local partner. We were lucky to find that in Currie Group, who not only sell a portfolio of quality products, but have an unrivalled reputation for service and support. We are definitely excited to be working together.”
Alan says the visit had been an important step in the ongoing partnership, with more visits planned as part of the close collaboration between the two companies. He says, “We are grateful to Olaf for making the journey to Australia to connect with our team and customers.
“It’s been a valuable opportunity to strengthen our partnership and showcase the possibilities baumannperfecta and Currie Group can offer print service providers. We look forward to welcoming him back again soon, to visit more customers across Australia and New Zealand.”
baumannperfecta delivers high precision and high performance
Founded in 1930, family-owned baumannperfecta manufactures post-press and automation systems including high-speed cutters, cutting systems and three-knife trimmers, pile hoists, loaders and pile turners, automatic joggers and jogging systems, and buffering and unloading devices.
The baumannperfecta cutting solutions fall in the 80cm – 225cm range, complementing the offerings of Currie Group’s other finishing solutions, providing complete coverage for digital and traditional printing applications.
The company has established and maintained an enviable reputation
for robustly-engineered and technologically advanced systems, which marry German precision with high performance automation and intuitive digital operation.
Cutting often causes a bottleneck in the print production process, whether that be for offset or cut-sheet digital printing, or high-growth areas like labels and packaging. baumannperfecta provides a range of productive, highly automated solutions which encompass the entire process including fully automated jogging and cutting, barcoding and peripheral logistics, and which can be customised to individual requirements thanks to their modular and expandable design.
The baumannperfecta fully automated cutting system with robotics
The baumannperfecta 115 high-speed medium format cutter
Navigating a way to keep the focus on the value of print
Look at becoming a one stop shop for your customers needs.
2024 was a year of innovation, optimisation, consolidation, doing more with less, maximising profits on decreasing print volumes, getting work in and out faster with fewer employees, and reducing environmental footprint.
Innovation: After an eight-year hiatus, drupa, the world’s largest and most comprehensive printing event, returned to Messe Düsseldorf in May 2024. The energy was high, and printing innovation was on display for 11 days across 18 halls of the vast fairground.
Why this matters? drupa is a bellwether for things to come and where many trends in the printing industry are born. Some suppliers will be building equipment for the next three years to fulfill orders from the show.
With the impending threat of imposing tariffs from the US and the potential for limited inventory due to supply and demand, I suggest print service providers get in the pipeline now if you are in the market for new equipment.
Consolidation: Mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, and closures were prevalent 2024 trends in the printing industry. This was felt on the customer side, too. Everyone is operating with less time, money, and people.
Adjusting how to communicate, educate, and market to customers and consumers will require embracing empathy and patience and delivering it.
Provide customers with convenience and as much information about your business as possible, including what you do, who you help, what you sell, why it matters to that business (vertical), how it can help that business (vertical) generate results, an easy way to order and pay, and manage assets if that applies.
If you can’t do it all, ask your customers which is most important to them, and make decisions from there.
Frustration: Workforce development ranks high as a collectively shared problem and one of the top trends in the printing industry.
We don’t do a great job of changing the perception of print from an antiquated communication channel that kills trees and contributes to climate change to a modern, data driven, and innovative service that invests heavily in producing products to be used, reused, recycled, and reclaimed.
Getting people excited to work in print is challenging if they think it’s a dead end industry for a career. That is a high hurdle to get over.
We must step outside our echo chamber and launch a global PR campaign to address these misperceptions. The problem? Utilities and financial institutions, frequent users of ‘go green, go paperless’, are also major paper and print buyers.
Industry organisations don’t want to publicly call them out and upset
them, prioritising industry business relationships over consumer protection from misleading environmental claims.
If we can start a meaningful conversation with the world to illustrate that print is not the enemy of the environment, we are in a much better position to keep the focus on the value of print with print customers, and the value of a career in print with potential employees.
2025 is already testing our resolve individually and as an industry. We have now entered the ‘survival of the fittest’ era. The industry will get smaller.
Those who haven’t evolved will find it harder to catch up, and those who have evolved or are in the process should look at becoming a one-stop resource for all communication, marketing, sales, promotional, and education needs, online and offline. Find partners. You don’t have to do it by yourself.
The global political climate and related economic uncertainty will continue to present many challenges to the industry. Opportunities arise for those prepared to speak about price increases and potential supply chain disruptions with relevant customers in advance, so they are also prepared and budgeting accordingly.
If you haven’t met with all your current customers to find out what else they buy from other printers and related vendors, start there. You are leaving money on the table, and more than you know.
Looking for new ways to share information and break free of the noise in all marketing channels will be significant trends.
Print Media Centr’s mission is to provide ‘printspiration’ and resources to print and marketing professionals around the world. We will continue that mission in 2025, with a priority on growing our global audience through trust, authenticity, and a value-based exchange of our content and their time.
Print Long and Prosper.
Deborah Corn, Intergalactic Ambassador to The Printerverse, Print Media Centr
What can sales automation do for you and your customers?
Don’t expect miracles from AI, you still need to build relationships.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is on everybody’s minds these days. One of the top applications for AI in the printing industry is sales automation. The idea is intriguing, but also, in my experience, it’s highly misunderstood. If you’ve been hoping for a sales robot to bring you new business every day, that isn’t going to happen (well, not soon enough to help you in 2025 anyway).
There are elements of sales automation that can help you right now, though, once you understand a fundamental point. The whole goal of sales automation is to create more time for salespeople to sell; defined as time spent convincing prospects to become customers and customers to become maximised customers. It does that by automating some of the critical yet time consuming activities that take up so much of a typical salesperson’s day.
For example, sales automation can pull data from various platforms into one place – accounting software, estimating software, production management software, CRM software, even pulling contact data from prospects’ social media platforms into a CRM.
I frequently hear salespeople complain about how much time they have to spend pulling data from various sources. Today’s sales automation programmes can reduce that time significantly.
Routine contact
They can also manage some of the routine customer contact that helps to maintain relationships. In the old days, many printers did that through a monthly mailing.
Using a full-featured CRM, a salesperson could automate a wide range of contact plans. A small, occasional customer might get a lightly personalised email version of that monthly mailing. A small customer with large potential could get something more highly personalised.
The AI being built into modern sales automation software could identify which products a customer is currently buying from you and send them monthly emails about other products. A salesperson could
design a “marketing plan” for just about any situation ranging from early stage prospecting to customer maximisation.
Sales automation will not, however, close the sale. Sure, sometimes it will, just like SEO brings people to your website and they end up getting a quote and placing an order without much human intervention. That’s not making you rich, though, is it? Those tend to be small orders, and small customers. The big fish tend to require a salesperson’s involvement, to overcome obstacles, handle objections, build a relationship and close the sale.
So, here’s a closing thought on sales automation. It can help a star become a superstar. But it probably won’t help a poorly trained, poorly managed underachiever to be anything more than one of those with more time to goof off. Don’t expect miracles.
Other observations
On a related subject, print salespeople have been complaining to me for years that the new generations in the workforce are very difficult to connect with.
I’ve heard numerous variations on the theme that “they only want to text or email, they won’t agree to face to face meetings”. Further research suggests that this is a prospect problem more than a customer issue. On one hand, it has been proven that you can have very satisfactory relationships with active customers without a great deal of face to face. Text, email and telephone have
proven to be perfectly adequate for project management” communications. Also, in my experience, active customers are generally willing to have an occasional face to face with valued suppliers.
The prospect problem is real, but there’s more to it than “generational” differences. A colleague said this to me recently: “I don’t have time for anything I don’t have time for”.
We on the sales side have to recognise that the people on the other side are pressed for time. We should never ask them for something that doesn’t represent a good investment of their time.
Which means that, in the prospecting scenario, the first sale a salesperson must make is the value of a face to face meeting. Don’t just ask for an appointment. Be prepared to sell the appointment, to justify the value of the meeting.
My experience with buyers of all generations is that they will give you what you want if you make a good enough case for it. That ends with giving you the order, becoming a customer. It starts with selling the value of simply engaging with you.
And please, have more to say than, “I may be able to save you money on your printing”. Here’s a final observation. The buyers who make the best customers are more moved by the prospect of better results than by lower prices.
David Fellman, President, David Fellman & Associates
Industry legend shares his journey in print
Aarque Group acquires Carter NZ
Digital textile supplier prepares to move to the next level.
After 20 years supplying a range of equipment to the industry, Matt Carter has sold his company, Carter NZ, to Aarque Group.
Matt initially bought the company as Impact Klipbind. Talking to New Zealand Printer, he reflects on how the business evolved into its current position as one of the country’s major textile printing suppliers.
He says, “When I bought Impact Klipbind, every school and every corporate had a bindery in their offices. If you made a document, it was not emailed; it was bound. We sold small folders and mailing machines. That would change as we evolved the business.
“Along the way, we acquired several companies: Binding Technologies, Kaycote Laminations and Photo Direct. We bought them because the future of binding was declining. So, that was a way to grow revenue and dip our toes into different markets.”
Matt also negotiated and secured the exclusive distribution for GBC Australia in New Zealand. After a French company acquired GBC Australia, Matt rebranded his company to Carter NZ. He continues, “We expanded the company through selling small format finishing equipment. We enjoyed considerable success there, working with the digital print suppliers but the margins were quite low in that space.
“Around 10-15 years ago, personalisation became a common catchphrase, and I made a conscious decision to move the business into that sector. It was niche and had good margins.
“We began with small format dye-sub for personalising mugs etc. After rolling that out and experiencing good success there, we moved into selling t-shirt printers and we headed into the craft market. That has been our strength in the past few years. We have become specialists in supplying to this personalisation market.
“We were the first commercial company to bring direct to film (DTF) printers into the country and I believe we are still the main player in the sector.
“We have machines from Paihia to Invercargill. That includes screen printers and anyone serious about garment manufacturing.
Adding
Aarque Group capabilities
Matt believes Carter NZ’s solid service and support network will work in well with Aarque Group. He says, “Feedback from customers about the acquisition is overwhelmingly positive.
“When I approached Aarque Group and advised them I was considering retirement, I thought Aarque Group would provide the best fit for Carter NZ’s customers and I am pleased to see that it is working out that way. We needed someone like Aarque Group with its capabilities in service and support. In return, we bring a whole different revenue stream to Aarque Group within that specialised space.
“Having Aarque Group behind Carter NZ matters because they can take it to the next level. For example, in the last few years, I have been doing sales on my own.
Aarque Group has a team that can ratchet it right up.
“I could not be happier with who the business is going to. When you sell your business, you want to have someone who is going to do good things with it; it is your legacy after all.”
Matt will continue with Aarque Group for the short to medium term. Darrin Weir, general manager Aarque Group, adds, “We are excited to bring Carter NZ into Aarque Group, and we look forward to working with Carter NZ customers.
“Matt has helped grow this industry sector and we will continue to expand on the strong foundation he has built.”
Customer relationships matter
Over 20 years, Matt has kept the business thriving through nurturing his relationships with suppliers and customers. He says, “I have really enjoyed dealing with startups; people who have approached me with a vision about what they wanted to do and seeing them grow their business and the ways they built their businesses.
“There are some real success stories, and I feel really good about the progress they have made watching them scale their business. I feel privileged to have been a part of their journeys.
“The biggest challenge I faced, and it is still the same, is evolving technology. You need to stay on the wave; you can’t get comfortable and fall off the back. A classic example is DTF which has transformed the volume market compared to direct to garment (DTG) process. If you are too late to the party on technology, you find yourself behind the eightball!
“For anyone wanting to grow their business, I would say go to trade shows and see where the opportunities lie. Once you have identified what they are, be bold enough and brave enough to go there.
“Within our sector, the t-shirt market will evolve with DTF and the quality will get better and better. Consumables will also improve. Personalisation will grow.”
Darrin Weir (l), general manager Aarque Group with Matt Carter from Carter NZ
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DURST
Durst sets new milestone with Aleph integration
The Durst Group and Aleph merger has begun to enter its final phase, setting another milestone in the digital textile industry.
The companies say that with legal completion expected by the end of 2025, Aleph will be fully integrated into the Durst Group, and Durst Como will emerge as a new centre of excellence for digital textile printing.
The merger will see product management centralised under the leadership of Andrea Riccardi, head of product management graphics and textile at the Durst Group, to ensure a clear strategic direction and seamless integration of all technologies.
Christoph Gamper, chief executive officer and co-owner of the Durst Group, says, “Durst Como will be our innovation centre for the textile future – a hub that unites technology, software, and passion.”
The new structure will be supported by a strong leadership team, which will include Alessandro Manes, director global sales industrial textile, Roberto Manes, director development textile, and Roberto Frigerio, managing director of Durst Como.
Matt Ashman, managing director of Durst Oceania says, “I am so pleased to have the world class Aleph brand now fully integrated into the Durst portfolio. It shows real drive and innovation by the Aleph team and the Durst team to bring the best possible solutions to our
customers. We are looking forward to the first installation of this market-leading technology in Oceania imminently”.
Durst will showcase an initial result of the merger at Fespa Global Print Expo 2025 in Berlin, featuring the new Durst LF Series Graphics. These printing systems, developed further from the Aleph Laforte platform for indoor and outdoor applications using water-based inks, enable both high speed sublimation printing on paper and direct printing on polyester fabrics with sublimation ink.
Key features of these advancements include the sticky belt transport system for textile materials and the patented vacuumbelt transport system for paper media, both ensuring top precision and quality.
At Fespa 2025, the Durst Group will exhibit the LF 430 GF (Graphics Direct Fabrics) using water-based pigment inks for direct to fabric printing.
Durst says this expansion of the Durst Graphics portfolio reinforces the company’s market position in the areas of signage, trade fair construction, and textile advertising.
Vanguard’s new Radnor
Vanguard Digital, a Durst Group Company, has announced the launch of its latest printer, the Radnor.
Making its debut during the 2025 ISA Expo, the Radnor expands Vanguard’s
already robust fleet of printers. Much like its namesake, Tennessee’s scenic Radnor Lake, the Radnor was created out of necessity, shaped with intention, and built to help Vanguard clients reach new heights.
The 3.2m UV-LED hybrid printing system is a true all in one solution, effortlessly handling both rigid and roll substrates. It can be configured with up to three rows of printheads, delivering astonishing print speeds of up to 570 square metres per hour.
Equipped with Kyocera 4pl variable-dot printheads and a magnetic linear drive system, it ensures precise drop placement and stunning image quality. Jim Peterson, founder and chief operations officer at Vanguard Digital, says, “In a year full of milestones, growth and reflections, it is incredibly meaningful to introduce the Radnor.
“Our evolution can be seen and felt across every aspect of our business, from the scale of our operations to the sophistication of our offerings. We have a team devoted to the continued pursuit of developing the business and pouring their brilliance into new ideas and innovations.
“The Radnor builds on the momentum we’ve created over the past few years, delivering faster, high quality, and accessible printers for every level of print service provider. The Radnor stands as our most advanced machine to date. It was exciting to unveil it at ISA and we look forward to seeing it in the hands of our customers, partners and friends.”
Vanguard lists the Radnor’s main features:
• Upgradeable, with up to three rows of printheads
• Six independently controlled vacuum zones
• Optional white and varnish ink
• Continuous print mode for efficient rigid sheet production
• X-axis manual cutter and Y-axis slitter for flexible materials
• Dual-side operation with mirrored controls and foot pedal access
• Automatic board registration
• Eco-conscious engineering with no VOCs, lower power usage, and reduced waste.
Durst and Aleph representatives outside the Aleph building in Como, Italy
NZSDA UPDATE
National Sign Making Day encourages future signees
Students across Aotearoa can see sign making as a real and
It’s always great to see how busy the industry gets this time of year. As everyone is in the thick of it after the string of public holidays, busy submitting their awards entries, or simply working hard to pay the bills. I hope everyone is staying safe out there as we have seen some horrific weather across the country recently.
May is an especially busy time for the NZSDA with May 1 marking New Zealand’s very first National Sign Making Day. We hope that by introducing this event and dedicating one day each year to share what sign making is all about, we can inspire students with an interest in creative work and encourage them to see sign making as a real and rewarding career path.
We would like to say a massive thank you to the many sign shops around the country who put their hands up and
offered their time, their sign shop, and their expert knowledge to this cause.
The event was a massive success with the participating sign shops creating hands on immersive experiences for the visiting students. We have had so much great feedback with many sign shops and high schools expressing their interest in making this an even bigger event next year.
We are looking forward to adding to this momentum by representing the industry at high school career expos throughout Auckland later this year. We’d love to see the sign industry represented at more of these events nationwide, however there is only so many places we can be at once. We encourage any sign or print shops interested in supporting the future of the industry, to get in touch with us. We are happy to do the admin, if you are willing
rewarding career path.
to show up on the day and tell the youth all about this awesome and creative career.
Conference and Awards
The other reason this is such a busy time of year for us is the National Sign Conference and the Sign Display Awards of Excellence coming up in June.
With conference registrations now closed, we are knee deep in planning and preparation, ensuring we can deliver the best possible event to celebrate our 60th year.
Our theme ‘Tradition Meets Tomorrow’, is reflected in many of the conference activities, including a keynote presentation on the use of AI in the industry, and a morning spent learning all about traditional sign painting. A nod to both the past and the future of this varied industry. We will also celebrate the NZSDA’s 60th Birthday with an epic party on the Friday night of conference.
Awards entries have now closed, and the judging panel are undertaking their difficult task of choosing which entries will take out one of the coveted awards. Their feedback so far has been that this year’s entrants are on point and that they are loving the creative, and often humorous, descriptions accompanying many of the entries. The judging panel was also extremely impressed by the quality of work done by this year’s Apprentice of the Year applicants. Each of them a credit to their employers.
We are also excited to see more Master Sign Maker applications coming though, as May marks the second intake for the accreditation, and the final intake available for those wanting to receive their plaque at this year’s sign awards ceremony. We can’t wait to celebrate those incredible sign makers who have achieved this accreditation at the awards in Nelson!
Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa. Let us keep close together, not far apart.
Mikayla Hopkins, Lead Projects, Events, and Marketing Specialist NZSDA
National Sign Making Day: Students from Haeata Community Campus visiting Signtech in Christchurch
National Sign Making Day: Students from James Hargest College visiting Creation Signs in Invercargill
NZSDA PRESIDENT’S
Viva Las Vegas: ISA show numbers rebound from Covid
Shae
Goom enjoys a mix of technology and education at ISA 2025.
The seasonal changes around the country really seem to be hitting us in full force. Major flooding in Christchurch; snow to 700m in Canterbury; the windiest storms in Wellington in over a decade; ferries cancelled for a couple of days; rain and high winds in Auckland with warnings the harbour bridge will be partially closed.
I was initially going to be flying back to Wellington today, but my flight has been changed to avoid the Wellington roller coaster ride onto the runway that I am sure will be in full swing today.
This is all a far cry from the very settled and warm weather I experienced last week whilst I was attending the ISA sign show in Las Vegas. We had eight New Zealanders make the trip over the Pacific for this sign show, and I particularly enjoyed the time I spent with each of you who made the journey.
The show this year was getting back to the size we had seen before the Covid-19 pandemic. Clearly, the research and development that our global industry suppliers have been able to work on since the Covid-19 pandemic disruptions are starting to show through now with new technologies; modifications and upgrades to existing methods; and just a general feeling of getting back into it and getting life back to normal. Or at least as normal as things can be at the moment, especially in the USA.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I had a couple of seminars that I was booked to attend outside of the large number of steps walking around the sign show, and the general city of Vegas. The time sitting was greatly appreciated.
The 3D printing seminar was interesting, and it covered the various types of printers and materials available. It is not that far off from when, in our industry, we can use this technology as a viable way to assist with replacing smaller fabricated letters. It can also offer a different way to have a halo illumination with the printable translucent plastic, which can be placed anywhere on the letter return for selected side illumination if required.
Sometimes it was the simplest things that really stood out, a new banner tensioning system was one of the first things I saw that looked very simple yet effective, for example, a stud welder that would make life so much easier for inserting threaded pins, or a threaded sleave. I was particularly impressed with how they used this system for acrylic too. I see that there will be a few orders for these welders heading to the suppliers over the next week or two.
To those that have always wanted to go to one of these large sign shows, I really encourage you to put some time and money aside to attend these. You get a really interesting snapshot of where technology is going for our industry, particularly in the larger markets. Also, you get to talk to a lot
of like-minded people. You do come away with a very positive mindset, which does last longer than the 13 hour flight back across the Pacific.
I was also booked into an AI seminar, but unfortunately, I missed this one, slightly ironic as I also offer a digital wayfinding service here in New Zealand and Australia for complex buildings, and I had a few issues looking for rooms. I would love to have the opportunity to install our system into these huge convention centres over there to make it easy to find selected rooms.
Awards judging
I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible at our 2025 conference in Nelson in June, and our Awards of Excellence evening.
I have just completed round one of judging the award entries, and it just stuns me the quality of the entries. There are some incredible branding projects and jobs entered this year, and to everyone who has entered, the work you are producing is just outstanding. It leaves me just so damn proud of what our industry can produce, and I wish you all the very best of luck as we work through the incredibly tough process of judging.
Shae Groom, President NZSDA
Along with other benefits, trade shows offer an interesting snapshot of where technology is heading
Don’t stop me now: Keith Ferrel
Keith Ferrel talks to Hafizah Osman, reflecting on his time in the industry and crossing the Tasman to achieve enormous success in Australia and beyond.
There’s no one in this industry quite like Keith Ferrel. At 75 years of age this year, he is one of the few remaining seniors that works full-time – and he has no plans of stopping anytime soon. His peers describe him as a visionary; a calculated risk-taker; an extremely hardworking but humble person; a gentleman that wants to make a difference in the printing world.
Ferrel has also experienced it all in business – from helping start up a company in printing with no prior print knowledge, to being held at gunpoint when he demanded payment from a procrastinating client, visiting an international client during a coup, and seeing one of his sites impacted by tragedy.
The business, Cactus Imaging, is a huge part of his life, and having helped run it from its inception, he says it is one of his prides and joys. Ferrel, who is originally from New Zealand, has not only taken Cactus Imaging from strength to strength, but he has also come a long way since his foray into the world of print.
Widely recognised in Asia Pacific as one of the most influential people in
the print industry, Ferrel has several accolades under his belt. A FESPA Hall of Fame inductee, Ferrel was also the 2014 FESPA World Printer of the Year and the 2021 Media Super Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
In addition, Ferrel has constantly topped the ProPrint Awards list since 2022 –he won the Printer 50 category in 2022, came runner-up in 2023, and topped the list again in 2024.
“People think I’m a visionary but to me, it’s just business sense. You’ve got to have foresight and take advantage of opportunities; otherwise, you’re just wasting time. But you’ve got to know when to jump off the bus and jump back on another one,” Ferrel said.
Early beginnings
Ferrel co-founded Cactus Imaging in Auckland in 1992, together with Warwick Spicer. The duo met when Spicer was CEO of the now-defunct Auckland Star, while Ferrel was group sales director. The idea of starting a business emerged when Spicer was intrigued by electrostatic printing technology at a tradeshow when looking to buy a newspaper press. He found
the technology to have commercial potential and approached Ferrel with the proposition.
Ferrel bought into the idea and they both set the business up in Auckland. At that time, Ferrel was only 42 years old, and Spicer was 54 – with no prior printing experience whatsoever.
“We ended up buying an electrostatic printer, which was the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere, and potentially the first outside of the US,” Ferrel said.
However, after 12 months of running the company, the pair realised the New Zealand market alone was not big enough for what they were anticipating for the business. So, they made the big move to Sydney in 1993 and set up the sales arm of Cactus Imaging Australia. Their New Zealand operations was printing what they were selling in Australia.
“We got to the stage where we were selling more in Australia and printing in New Zealand, than printing and selling in New Zealand,” Ferrel said.
They also saw the potential for paper billboards, which was very common back then, to be replaced by vinyl. After researching Vutek vinyl printing technology in 1995 and meeting Dan Griesemer, whose company, Impact Imaging, was doing grand-format vinyl printing, the pair decided to play in that space – which was largely dominated by MMT in Australia.
However, as Cactus Imaging didn’t have sufficient funds for a vinyl printer, Spicer and Ferrel outsourced production to Impact Imaging. Very quickly, the vinyl billboards business skyrocketed, and the duo were soon looking to own their own 3.5m Vutek Sprayjet in Australia.
Griesemer took a 50 per cent stake in Cactus Imaging and helped Spicer and Ferrel establish a full-scale production plant at Lane Cove, Sydney, in 1996.
With the new Vutek Sprayjet installed in Australia, Cactus was able to introduce seven-day turnarounds.
“When we were printing on vinyl billboards in America, turnarounds were between six to eight weeks. But, when we got a machine here, we could turn them around in a week. It was a game-changer,” Ferrel recalled.
Cactus Imaging co-founder and general manager of operations Keith Ferrel
PRINT LEGEND
“I still remember the very first billboard that we printed – for Balmain Rugby Leagues Club. It was about an 8m by 3m billboard, and it took nearly six and a half hours to print.”
Have bag, will travel
Cactus Imaging’s expansion into Asia followed shortly when it purchased machinery through the now-defunct Israeli-based NUR. Cactus owned the second NUR Blueboard HiQ Plus machine in the world, which was also an Asia Pacific first.
The NUR rep at that time, suggested Cactus Imaging go offshore to which Ferrel replied, “We’re only just starting to make headway here, let alone go anywhere else”. The rep then suggested a joint venture.
Austrade helped Ferrel and Spicer organise appointments with potential joint venture partners right through Asia, including India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. In 2000, they eventually signed a deal with Chennai’s Bee Vee Graphics to
set up what Ferrel said was India’s first digital grand-format operation.
“It just went off from there. Then came about this opportunity in Pakistan with a company called Lakson Tobacco, through Philip Morris. We thought we could service Pakistan using our Indian factory, not knowing the feud between India and Pakistan,” Ferrel said, candidly.
“I’m not going to tell you exactly what we did to get around it; they’d probably hunt me down.”
Another memorable incident for Ferrel was when a Pakistani client owed the company money and was procrastinating to pay. When Ferrel visited his operations in India, he decided to make the trip over to Karachi to retrieve what this client owed him.
“They lied that they’d got the money, not realising I was in India and was only an hour and a half flight away. I landed there that afternoon, got a cab from the airport to the hotel, and he gave me a cheque. The deal was for cash,” Ferrel said.
“I was furious and got closer to him. The next thing I knew, I had a shotgun to my head. I ended up getting the money anyway, but the challenge then was getting US$50,000 through the Karachi airport. Those days, we had to be at the airport five hours before a flight, so I checked in and hid in the toilet.
“They kept calling my name and I exited the toilet at the last minute possible and told the airport staff I had been violently ill. They put me on a buggy and raced me through customs and onto the plane.
“On the plane, I thought to myself, ‘I have all this money on me, how am I going to manage when I disembark in India?’ Thankfully I had been going in and out of the country so often that the guy at customs knew me and let me through quickly.”
After six years in India, just as Ferrel was returning to Sydney from visiting its Chennai operations, tragedy struck. Ferrel knew something was off when Spicer was at the Sydney Airport to receive him.
“Warwick was at the airport and as soon as he saw me, he said ‘mate, go home and get changed because you’re getting back on a plane this afternoon to Chennai – the place is six metres under water,” Ferrel said.
“The Chennai site was backed onto a river and there had been huge storms. The banks had broken, affecting the entire industrial area including our factory. It was an absolute disaster.”
As nothing was salvageable, the company lodged an insurance claim, which he calls the biggest insurance payout in Chennai of that time, because Cactus Imaging was insured for loss of business as well.
Cactus Imaging saw no reason to rebuild the business, so it sold its stake in the joint venture and exited India. The Pakistani business also drifted off.
Through its time, Cactus Imaging serviced clients in other Asian countries
The handshake deal when Cactus Imaging upgraded to new Fujifilm Acuity R2
Matt Ashman (Durst), Nigel Spicer (Cactus Imaging), Christoph Gamper (Durst), Keith Ferrel (Cactus Imaging), and Johanna Weber (Durst) when Cactus Imaging invested in Durst’s MIS system at drupa 2024
Keith Ferrel at the 2024 ProPrint Awards where he topped the Printer 50 list for the second time
PRINT LEGEND
as well, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Cambodia.
“When I was doing some work for a company called Sena Jaya in Singapore, its boss Simon Loong was talking to someone named Calvin Pereira in Cambodia – I had not even heard of the country at that time!” Ferrel said.
“Calvin was using MMT in Malaysia to print his billboards, so Simon suggested he use Cactus Imaging. Calvin was happy to meet me for a chat, so I jumped on a plane not knowing anything about Cambodia, apart from it being about two hours away from Singapore by flight.
“When I got on the plane, you wouldn’t believe it. I was the only person in civilian clothes. The rest were in army uniform. When we landed in Phnom Penh, it was right in the middle of a bloody coup!
“I disembarked the plane and didn’t have to clear customs or anything. There was a car at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for me. I got into the car and surprisingly ended up at the royal palace in Cambodia. Phnom Penh Media was owned by representatives of the royal family at that time, so I stayed at the palace and met with someone named Dien Douk, whose father was the King of Cambodia.”
Cactus Imaging still retains Phnom Penh Media as a client to today, with Ferrel and Douk becoming good friends –he was even invited to Douk’s wedding.
Australia the cash cow
All eyes were on Cactus Imaging’s growth, and in 2007, Ferrel and Spicer received an acquisition proposal from New Zealand private equity company, Knox Investment Partners, also a major shareholder in Opus Group. Knox Investment Partners had previously purchased Cactus Imaging’s New Zealand operations.
“Warwick and I didn’t want to sell the Australian business as it was our cash cow. The business was doing very, very well so we refused their first offer,” Ferrel said.
However, when the investment firm came back with a counteroffer, it was a deal they could not refuse. By this time, Spicer was close to retirement age – he left the business within a week of its purchase by Knox Investment while Ferrel and Nigel Spicer (Warwick’s son) continued with the business.
“Warwick’s leadership, his business acumen, his inspiration, and more importantly, his continued friendship has had such an enormous impact on both my life and career,” Ferrel said.
Opus Group went on to purchase several other top printers of its time including McPherson’s Printing in Melbourne, CanPrint in Canberra, and Ligare in Sydney. However, Opus started facing revenue declines.
“When this happened, several of Opus’ acquisitions including Cactus Imaging were ‘bailed out’ by CK Lau in Hong Kong.
Following that, he put Cactus Imaging up for sale as large format wasn’t his thing and he wanted to focus on book printing, which was more in tune with the offerings of Ligare and McPherson’s Printing,” Ferrel said.
“I discussed it with Brendon Cook, the founder and then CEO of oOh!media before he retired, and the company bought Cactus Imaging for a very good price. This provided, and still provides today, surety supply and reinvestment in equipment for Cactus Imaging.”
At the forefront of technology
With such a strong history backing it, Cactus Imaging has become a market leader today. It owned – and owns – the latest and greatest printing and finishing equipment and has spent millions on automation to support its clients and staff.
Previously, along with the NUR Blueboard HiQ Plus machine, Cactus Imaging had a few other firsts when it came to technology. The innovation-forward business owned the world’s first HP Scitex TurboJet 8500, fourth HP Scitex XP5100, and second HP Scitex XP5500 in its heyday.
It was also the first in the southern hemisphere to go from solvent to UV.
In more recent years, Cactus Imaging purchased the southern hemisphere’s first Durst Rho 512R roll-to-roll UVcurable printer in 2017 and a high-speed Durst P5 350 HS D4 hybrid press in 2023, which was also the second one in the world. Cactus Imaging also recently
Inspecting the print of Cactus Imaging’s first vinyl billboard
Cactus Imaging’s first vinyl billboard installed for Balmain Rugby Leagues Club
A Cactus Imaging billboard in Cambodia in 1999
A Cactus Imaging billboard in Cambodia in 1999
invested more than €300,000 in a new MIS system with Durst last year.
In 2019, Cactus Imaging installed Australia’s first Fujifilm Acuity Ultra 5044, one of the first five of its generation in the world. It also installed its predecessor, the Fujifilm Acuity Ultra, in 2018, also as an Australian first. The Fujifilm Acuity R2 was installed at Cactus Imaging in 2023 – the first of several installations for this technology following its showcase at Fespa Munich that year.
In 2020, Cactus Imaging also installed an Australian-first Fotoba trimmer.
“We’re always at the forefront of technology. One of our big benefits –which has been built up over years of trust and working with manufacturers –is our ability to help them help us. We’ve been to beta sites, we’ve tested various equipment, and we’ve always put our toes in the water where new technology is involved,” Ferrel said.
“Because of this trust, we can sometimes gain knowledge of what technologies are in the works from manufacturers, which allows us to forward plan.
“I’m not interested in going to tradeshows and buying what anybody else can buy today because we bought that two years ago. What I’m looking at is the manufacturers’ future inventory because we don’t just want to be competitive; we want to be market leaders.”
A prime example of Cactus Imaging’s market leadership is the development of its environmentally friendly printing option for outdoor advertising billboard skins, where the substrate is not only recycled, but turned back into boards for use again. Led by Nigel Spicer, Cactus Imaging partners with Gale Pacific on these projects.
This idea started taking root in 2019, when Cactus Imaging developed Smart Skins – a world first outdoor advertising banner – in conjunction with oOh!media. Smart Skins allowed the substrate to be turned into high grade polymer products like park benches and bollards when no longer needed.
“We’ve been working on our environmentally friendly printing option for more than 10 years and we’re 98 per cent of the way there. Unless you’re doing things like these, you’re going to be yesterday’s man,” Ferrel said.
Ferrel has no intentions of stopping or retiring, saying he is more focused than ever and wants to pass on his immense knowledge and experience to the industry.
“I love what I do, the people I work with, and this industry. I’d hate to put it in all this work for nothing and hopefully, others can benefit from it. I’m still going at this age because it’s mind over matter for me. Maybe one day I’ll wake up and think I’ve had enough, but until then, I’ve got more than enough enthusiasm to want to be a part of print,” he said.
Having been in the industry for 33 years, Ferrel said the growth of innovation and technological shifts in print has been “mind boggling”.
“In the past, your machines would allow you to print for one segment of the industry. They were also slower and lacked in detail and quality for prints,” Ferrel said.
“Machines today are super-fast, allow us to print on a variety of substrates, are so detailed in their print quality, have short changeover times, and allow us to play in markets we haven’t done before.
“For example, our Durst P5 allows for hapt printing – you can use it to print braille and raised effects and its many other features. We’ve just completed a big job for an artist using the hapt feature, and the prints will go into the New York Art Gallery.”
What’s also happening is the growth of digital billboards – but Ferrel finds it’s not as bad as some make it out to be.
“Digital billboards haven’t impacted anywhere near as much as people think. I don’t deny there is growth in digital outdoor, but that has given recognition to outdoor media. So, while there are fewer static billboards now, the volume of changeouts of static ads have increased, allowing printers to produce more,” Ferrel said.
PRINT LEGEND
“One of the advantages of static billboards is it’s availability 24/7. Digital billboards rotate advertising, so each ad is only shown for about 10 seconds at a time,” he said.
“You can drive past your billboard on a freeway five times a day for five days and never see your ad. Also, with static billboards, research shows retention rates are much higher than with digital billboards.”
Social endeavours
Ferrel’s efforts extend beyond the doors of Cactus Imaging. He gives back to industry and society, plays as hard as he works, and makes sure he sets aside time for family.
“I’ve reached a stage in life where I have the experience to give back. If I keep everything to myself, there’s no legacy left. My knowledge is there to spread so hopefully others can be better, or better equipped,” he said.
Within the industry, Ferrel advocates for Women in Print, the Fespa Future Leaders Program, and the ASGA apprenticeships and traineeships programs, to name a few.
He was also a past HP Customer Advisory board member, past board chairman of the Asia Pacific Japan Dscoop board, is currently a board member of the Asia Pacific Japan Dscoop board, and a current board member of Fespa Australia.
Cactus Imaging supports Camp Quality, Cure Our Kids, the Endeavour Foundation, and the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, along with many other charities. Ferrel, who loves his rugby, has also made sure the company backs charities founded by former Wallabies including the George Gregan Foundation and Matt Rogers’ charity, 4 ASD Kids.
A true sports lover, Ferrel also has a soft spot for horse racing – he currently owns far too many racehorses but has been lucky enough to have a Melbourne Cup runner.
“Three of them recently raced at Rosehill, and all three came second. I guess that’s better than nothing,” he said with a chuckle.
The family-focused man also finds himself spending valuable time with his family.
“My family is everything to me. I’ve been married for 43 years now, have an amazingly supportive wife, three wonderful daughters and four beautiful grandchildren,” he added.
Hafizah Osman, Contributing Editor
A brochure featuring Keith Ferrel and Warwick Spicer in 1998
WIDE FORMAT NEWS
Summa launches V Series flatbed cutters
Summa has introduced the V Series, a new lineup of four advanced flatbed cutters designed for the packaging industry: the Invicta, the Optima, the Integra, and the Omnia.
Computaleta supplies Summa solutions in New Zealand.
Stijn Henderickx, chief executive officer at Summa, says, “The V series are powerful cutters designed for packaging. Engineered to handle materials from corrugated board to folding carton, they deliver the utmost precision, from a single prototype to low-volume production runs.
“We are proud to expand our portfolio into the packaging industry and bring our expertise in precision cutting to this dynamic sector.”
Equipped with Summa’s intuitive GoProduce software, these digital cutters
Fespa Foundation launches
Fespa has launched The Fespa Foundation, a new sister organisation to Fespa, dedicated to encouraging sustainable practices throughout the speciality print and visual communications industry, and channelling resources into community support and educational outreach programmes. Neil Felton, chief executive of Fespa and founder of The Fespa Foundation says, “By creating the Foundation, we want to harness the combined strength of our global exhibitor and visitor base and demonstrate how, together, we can channel the power of print to drive positive change globally.”
Canon announces two-year printer warranty
Canon Production Printing Australia has launched a two-year manufacturer’s warranty for its Arizona Flatbed and Colorado M-Series Range across Australia and New Zealand. The company says that any new Arizona flatbed printers
offer kiss and V-cutting with quick and easy tool swaps. Applications include prototyping or medium production runs for packaging, printing, signage, and apparel production.
Summa has designed each of the V Series four specialised models for distinct applications. The Invicta, a single-head flatbed cutter, suits prototyping and short production runs. The Optima offers the same capabilities with a double-head design for increased efficiency. The Integra features an integrated router for board and sign as well as packaging. The Omnia targets automation and short production runs.
All the cutters are available in various bed sizes, ranging from 750mm x 800mm to 1600mm x 3030mm.
Under the strapline ‘Print for Good’, the principal activities of The Fespa Foundation are:
• Encouraging exhibitors to produce print applications that can enrich educational environments for children in underprivileged communities, thereby reducing printed waste from Fespa exhibitions worldwide;
• Facilitating the collection, transportation, distribution and installation of these print materials in the beneficiary communities, via international and local partners;
• Collecting in-kind and monetary donations that further support the beneficiary communities, for distribution via credible local charities and community outreach programmes.
Illustrating the initiative’s transformative potential, The Fespa
or Colorado M-Series roll to roll printers purchased from now will have a manufacturer’s warranty valid for two years from the first day of installation.
The manufacturer’s warranty covers labour, the printer hardware and its parts, from any manufacturer’s defects within this warranty period.
Canon says that the Arizona Flatbed Series delivers versatile, accurate, and highly efficient multi-board and double sided output. The company adds the Colorado M-Series stands out for print and signage companies for their high quality, durable prints with excellent colour
Supporting sheet-based workflows, the V Series can process a wide range of materials, such as folding carton, corrugated cardboard, vinyl, PVC, foam board, leather, fabrics, grey board, and paper.
The V Series offers over 15 specialised tools for cutting and creasing and can process materials up to 20mm thick.
Summa has added tool compatibility across all models.
The company says the V Series makes an excellent choice for small copy shops, sign makers, and design studios. Key applications include packaging, motor decals, all types of signage and displays, and patterns.
Luca Bartalini, product manager at Summa, says, “The V Series stands out with its seamless tool compatibility and high-precision, making it the perfect solution for the packaging, sign making, and apparel industries. It features quick tool swaps and one-click workflows. It delivers high quality cutting and versatility with top-notch Italian engineering and a five-year warranty.”
Summa will demonstrate the V Series at Fespa Global Expo in Barcelona.
Foundation has already revitalised Evane Intermediate School, a rural school serving 90 children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
The Fespa Foundation’s first major initiative will be to collect printed materials and in-kind donations at Fespa Global Print Expo, which runs from May 6-9 in Berlin, for distribution to community projects in southern Africa.
A number of exhibitors have already committed to supporting The Fespa Foundation in this way. Fespa will invite visitors to the Berlin show to make in-kind donations of items such as used reading glasses, notebooks, pens, art kits or school supplies.
Visitors and exhibitors will also have the option of making monetary donations to The Fespa Foundation to fund the purchase of items such as mosquito nets for malaria prevention and clean water drinking straws.
consistency and scratch resistance. Steven Badger, head of Sales and Professional Services at Canon Production Printing Australia, says, “By introducing a two-year manufacturer’s warranty for our Arizona flatbed printer and Colorado M-Series Range, we reinforce our confidence in the quality, reliability, and manufacturing excellence of our printers.
“Our large format graphics portfolio offers a broad range of technologies. Whether customers need a flatbed, roll to roll, or technical printer, they can trust Canon to consistently deliver the right results.”
The Summa V Series
with our Canon varioPRINT iX3200
Delivering short run printing on a wide range of media at incredibly high speeds with stunning image quality and the ability to personalise without breaking the bank.
0800 289 774 or register online at www.wholesaleprint.co.nz
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NZSDA Conference and Awards
June 12-14, 2025 | Nelson
Celebrating its 60th anniversary, NZSDA has combined its awards and conference under the theme: Tradition Meets Tomorrow. www.nzsda.org.nz
Pride In Print Awards
July 4, 2025 | Cordis Hotel, Auckland
Judging has finished and you can now purchase your tickets to the gala dinner. Don’t miss out, order your tickets today! www.prideinprintawards.co.nz
Foodtech Packtech
September 2-4, 2025 | Auckland Showgrounds, Auckland
New Zealand’s largest food manufacturing, packaging and processing technology trade show anticipates more than 250 local and international exhibitors and around 4,000 visitors. www.foodtechpacktech.co.nz
Labelexpo Europe 2025
September 16-19, 2025 | Barcelona
The world’s major event for the label and packaging industry heads to Barcelona. www.labelexpo-europe.com
Printing & Packaging Forum
People In Print Awards and Rising Stars of Print Awards
October 14, 2025 | Auckland
The awards event, which recognises the outstanding people in our industry, will follow the must attend inaugural Printing & Packaging Forum. www.newzealandprinter.co.nz
Printing United 2025
October 22-24, 2025 | Orlando, Florida
The giant US show features all the latest technology, seminars, and opportunities to meet and learn from industry experts from around the world. www.printingunited.com
