Print Pack Publish Asia Dec/Jan 2012 by Adrian Goh

Covering the Printing, Packaging and Publishing Industries across Asia.

MICA (P) 046/11/2010 - KDN PPS 1529/8/2010

ASIA

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“The bizhub PRESS C7000 offers a lot more than high-speed colour printing. Reaping the benefits of superior quality in combination with absolute reliability, print providers simply won’t go wrong when choosing Konica Minolta’s dependable digital colour presses.”

http://www.bizhubpress.com KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS (S) PTE LTD 10 Teban Gardens Crescent, Singapore 608923 Tel: (65) 6563 5533 Fax: (65) 6561 9879 Website: http://www.biz.konicaminolta.com Email: bizhubPRESS@konicaminolta.sg

th Asian PrintAwards 2012

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Contents Page.... 4 8 10 12 16 22 26 28 36 40 42 44 46 50 56 60 64 70 72

An Interview with President of Komori New CTP production line by FUJIFILM Tips on how to win a medal•• Capturing new Business Opportunities with Digital Printing. The road to digital success: being analogue Debating the true cost of quality - Understanding the Business First Kodak Nexpress in Philippines The perfect storm Long term partnership delivers results For Linocraft in Johor Bahru, size doesn’t matter Heidelberg India scores at PAMEX 2011 Roland DG’s new six-colour Inkjet printer for growing Asian market News that's fit to spin: meet the Fox of China The Full Package Increase Competitiveness and Profitability with Postpress Solutions Quick, safe and with a new automation platform Industry news from all over the world Classififed pages Some funny items collected over the last month

Dec/Jan 2012 No 71 Geylang Lorong 23 #07-02, THK Building Singapore 388386 tel+65 6733 5342 fax +65 6733 3586 Publisher Paul Callaghan paul@cpublish.com.sg Managing Director Elizabeth Liew eliew@cpublish.com.sg Editor Ann Callahan calmor@ihug.co.nz Journalist Christel Lee editorasia@cpublish.com.sg Advertising Sales Matthew Callahan matt@cpublish.com.sg Accounts Manager Radika PS accounts@cpublish.com.sg Accounts Meynard Gloria accounts@cpublish.com.sg

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Adrian Goh Sales, Business Development Manager Tel (65) 6733 5342 Fax: (65) 6733 3586 adriangoh@cpublish.com.sg

Matthew Callahan Director of Sales, AFTA Tel (65) 6733 5342 Fax: (65) 6733 3586 matt@cpublish.com.sg

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Ted Asoshina Overseas Sales Japan Tel: (03) 3263 5065 Fax: (03) 3234 2064 aso@echo-japan.co.jp

Christel Lee Journalist /Editor Tel (65) 6733 5342 Fax: (65) 6733 3586 editorasia@cpublish.com.sg

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Sheetfed Offset

An Interview with President of Komori Every year for the last 4 years we have had an personal interview with the President of Komori and this year is no exception. We talk and find out the latest from this leading Japanese press manufacturer Q: Were there any bright spots indicating an improvement in business performance? The past three years have given rise to competitive new products and technologies as a result of promoting development that is firmly focused on the future. For example, since its announcement in October 2009, the innovative H-UV curing system that instantly dries ink has received staunch praise and is fitted to 60%* of our printing presses sold in Japan. Having designed a product fitted with H-UV and numerous automated labor-saving technologies of which we are justifiably proud, Komori has developed promotional activities with

the OffsetOnDemand concept and will stimulate demand in Japan and overseas. Furthermore, in February 2011 Komori announced the LITHRONE G40 sheet-fed offset printing press, the successor to our mainstay LITHRONE S40. While bringing about improvements to existing capabilities and raising product value, the G40 offers cost competitiveness thanks to its reduced number of components and manufacturing processes.

The successful development of the CURRENCY IC532III intaglio press for printing currency has brought about an increase in overseas sales negotiations. In February 2011, an order for a currency printing facility as received from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (the Central Bank of the Philippines). Moreover, inventories that were once excessive, caused by the sudden drop in sales following the global recession, have now been reduced to acceptable levels. * Ratio only of models on which H-UV can be installed

Further Develop the Offset Printing Press Business Q: What specific efforts are being advanced to strengthen the revenue base by fostering the development of existing businesses? Since its establishment in 1923, the Komori Group has developed our business centered on offset printing presses. We are working to expand our revenue base by using the technologies and know-how we have accumulated over those years not only for the sale of printing presses but also to actively develop proposal-based sales and

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Management/General

Delighting You Always

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Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

Sheetfed Offset services to resolve customer issues. Komori’s sales division is engaged in the sale of a wide-range of OEM products from blankets and rollers to software and printing supplies. Similarly, our service division goes beyond the provision of after-sales machinery repairs. We encourage our customers to purchase preventative maintenance services to avoid sudden breakdowns, and advise them on ways to improve productivity, boost quality and reduce plant expenses. At Komori, we are working to link the sales and service divisions with the Komori Graphic Technology Center located at the Tsukuba Plant to pursue improvements in customer production efficiency and profitability while expanding our own revenues, to build up mutually beneficial relations with customers, and to become a trusted Print Engineering Service Provider (PESP). Along with these sales and service initiatives, Komori continues focusing on the research and development of technologies and products reflecting customer needs. In production, while working to improve cost competitiveness as the top priority, we are striving to improve quality and firmly establish the equation that TSUKUBA quality is the world’s best perceived quality. To address the appreciation of the yen, the Komori Group will advance the overseas procurement of parts and examine overseas production. To those ends, a new Overseas Production Promotion Office was established at the Tsukuba

Plant in February 2011.

sales in fiscal 2011.

Reinforce Sales Capabilities in Emerging Markets

Komori demonstrated three of our newest printing presses at the Print China 2011 exhibition held in Guangdong Province in April 2011, making an appeal based on our technological strengths. The reaction exceeded all expectations, leading to very lively business discussions.

Q What progress has Komori achieved in cultivating markets in emerging economies? The expansion of the printing industry is surpassing the GDP growth rate in China, which has particularly outstanding growth among the emerging economies. To increase sales in this promising market, in addition to holding exhibitions and technology exchange meetings in various parts of China, Komori has established the “One China, One Service Team” structure uniting our local subsidiaries and distributors to provide uniform service and positively advance sales and service. With the success of these efforts, Komori achieved record-high

While future government monetary tightening policies warrant careful monitoring, the Chinese printing and printing machinery market is expected to continue growing while showing trends toward greater domestic demand, market expansion from coastal to interior areas, and shifts to more diverse and higher value-added printing. Komori will work closely together with our local subsidiaries and distributors to advance market development and increase sales. We are also working to establish the Komori brand in Central and South America, India, Southeast Asia and other emerging markets, making use of the technical service centers we have established in Brazil and Malaysia to hold product exhibitions, arrange parts supply and maintenance structures, and provide ongoing technical training and support to distributors. Expand the Security Press Business Q What efforts is Komori making to advance overseas sales of security presses? The market for security presses for printing currency and securities is on a growth trend. In the emerging

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Sheetfed Offset economies, the demand for new machinery and equipment is rising for the increased currency printing accompanying economic growth, and to ensure security. In the developed countries as well, replacement demand is rising from efforts to reinforce security and boost operating ratios. During fiscal 2011, Komori held open houses for over a dozen government officials and securities printing company representatives at the Tsukuba Plant, to convert this rising demand into orders. Komori’s strengths in this field include superior printing quality based on our proven track record providing equipment to the National Printing Bureau for over 50 years as the sole Japanese manufacturer of currency presses, along with high productivity incorporating small-lot compatibility, automation and other technologies developed for offset printing presses. We will continue holding open house exhibitions, discovering customer needs, and strengthening our product lineup and service structure to win more orders in foreign countries and expand our market share in overseas markets.

perspective, manufacturers of offset printing presses and manufacturers of digital printing presses are moving toward global strategic cooperation in the printing press industry. At Komori, we came to the decision that our company had to enter the digital printing press business to respond to the diverse needs of our customers. While we are latecomers to this field, Komori is using our distinct advantages to develop competitive products, and preparing a sales structure in time for the drupa 2012 international printing industry exhibition scheduled for May 2012 in Germany. Komori is also assiduously advancing research and development efforts toward entering the Printed Electronics (PE) field and the precision machinery field based on its core competencies of printing technology and precision machinery manufacturing technology.

Develop New Business Q What progress has the company made in developing new business?

Impact of Great East Japan Earthquake Q How was Komori affected by the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake?

The Komori Group is presently focusing on the development of digital printing presses. Digital and offset printing presses have their respective merits and demerits, and printing companies are expected to use both in the future for different purposes, rather than relying on either one alone. From that

First, I would like to express my sincere condolences to all the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and my heartfelt wishes for a rapid recovery. Komori established a Disaster Relief Headquarters immediately after the earthquake struck to grasp customer conditions in the disaster areas,

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and advanced recovery work. The conditions were confirmed in all areas and customer recovery work completed in the Kanto region one week after the quake. Customer emergency recovery work was completed by March 31 in the Tohoku region, which suffered great damages and had been difficult to access. The Komori Group itself suffered no loss of life or injuries in the earthquake. The losses were limited to minor damages to manufacturing facilities at the Tsukuba Plant (Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture) and at our subsidiary Komori Machinery Co., Ltd. (Higashi Okitama-gun, Yamagata Prefecture). However, the delivery of some parts was delayed because our main parts suppliers are located in northern Ibaraki Prefecture and the Tohoku region, and production was temporarily suspended at both plants. Normal operations were resumed from March 22. Komori will continue conducting recovery and support activities for affected customers wherever possible. The earthquake had an immense impact on the Japanese economy, and there are concerns regarding a reduction in domestic printing demand. The Komori Group will make every possible effort to minimize the effects of the disaster on our business performance by working to expand sales primarily on overseas markets and implementing exhaustive cost reductions. •

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Print Pack Publish Asia â&#x20AC;˘ 1/2012

PrePress

New CTP production line by FUJIFILM FUJIFILM Corporation is to start the operation of a new CtP plate production line incorporating cutting edge technology and energy saving facilities, in a move to address the growing demand of CtP plates for offset printing. The production line goes operational early January 2012 at FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V. (Netherlands), one of the company's four major production sites for printing materials. With the digitisation of plate-making processes, the printing market has seen a surge in demand for CtP plates, which allow digital text and image data to transfer directly to printing plates without having to use film. Amidst rising environmental awareness, the industry is strongly seeking environmentallyconsiderate products, such as processless CtP plates that do not require processing and therefore do not generate liquid waste, and low-chemical CtP plates that involve simplified processing to reduce the amount of liquid waste.

system, which integrates the exhaust gas combustion device and the natural gas co-generation device, previously on standalone operations, into a single unit to further enhance the rate of waste heat use. Since waste heat from the exhaust gas combustion unit can be efficiently re-introduced to generate energy (electricity, steam, cold and hot water) required by the new production line, the system improves the rate of waste heat use by 11% and reduces the annual CO2 emission by approximately. 5,500tonnes compared to conventional production lines. FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V. has five wind turbines with the capacity of producing up to 2 megawatts of power. The electricity generated by

the wind turbines currently accounts for around 20% of power used at the factory, in an active effort to reduce the facility's environmental load. FUJIFILM, as a leading company in printing materials and plate-making equipment for over many years, has carried out global development, production and marketing of a wide range of products including platemaking films for offset printing, CtP plates, PS plates, prepress software and film plate setters. It will continue to further expand and develop the Graphic System Business as one of its core business fields to contribute to the development of the world's printing industry. â&#x20AC;˘

The new production line to go operational this January incorporates the Multigrain V technology, which is FUJIFILM 's proprietary surface processing technology that makes it possible to achieve stable production of CtP plates with excellent durability and ability to reproduce high-definition images. It also supports the production of processless CtP plates and lowchemical CtP plates, which require advanced production technology. The new production line is also equipped with FUJIFILM's Cogenerative Thermal Oxidizer (CTO)

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Management/General

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Management/General

Tips on how to win a medal Registration issues have been a regular problem for contenders hoping to snag a medal at the annual Asian Print Awards competition. Wong Wing Kwong, Singapore-based judge for Asian Print Awards, shares some fresh insights on how to win. Surprisingly, it’s nothing technical. Christel Lee writes. Affectionately known in the industry as Major Wong, he imports his expertise from many sectors in the industry – commercial, digital, label, security printing – into the yearly judging process. Major Wong successfully contributes to the balance between dogmatically-correct printing and negotiating acceptable standards with business perspectives. Kill or cue? Active in the business for 19 years, Major Wong has seen the waves of change not only in the industry but in the competition as well. Although he agrees the assessment gets more difficult by the year, he says it’s a good indication of how we are progressing. “I have noticed that some companies start the initial years not winning any awards. They catch up later on and remain consistent by having their names on the yearly scoreboard,” he notes.

The judge has also witnessed volatile movements in contenders’ performances over the past ten years of the competition. Major Wong highlights, “Print quality has improved and caused judging to be tougher. We are now judging entries ‘to the hairline’ in selecting and deciding on the winners. This reflects the maturity

of the competition as it enters into its tenth year in 2012. “What is notable is some contenders, who skip a year or two due to business priorities, return with the same results. When that is taken into consideration, it’s a disservice to dismiss how standards have improved. We have to commend the companies whose standards are consistent even if they skip a year.” Although being competitive is a good thing, it can become troubling when a company is told it is not good enough. For companies who have done well in one year, but the next they don’t get placed, Major Wong has this piece of advice. “The competition is a benchmark for many to achieve a standard. If you win, it’s a confirmation of your efforts paying off. However if you don’t get placed, take it as a cue to improve. Come back the following year to find out where you stand!”

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Management/General 11 Waves of change Since day one, Major Wong has witnessed the competition grow, not to mention the waves of both submission numbers and medals. However, he is not inclined to point out any country with conspicuous surges and declines. He notes, “We judge the prints, not from countries and companies – such information is not made known to the judges. It’s an excitement to see winning entries coming from a new country as they do represent their nation when the results are tabulated.” Major Wong adds, “You can see from the Asian Print Awards catalogue – who’s who in the scoreboard and which countries have a significant increase in standards. As a judge, I am delighted to see a particular country winning with an entry for the first time in the competition. Subsequently, I observe their quality of entries for subsequent years to see if they keep themselves on the scoreboard. Nine years have passed and their name stays!” While there has been successful maintenance by contenders of some countries with their consistency, Major Wong hopes to see entries coming from many other countries in the Asian region. “I have not seen many entries from the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, to name a few. When we first started, we did not have much from India and China. Today we are swarmed by entries from these two!” he highlights. Strategise! This word does not appear to belong here. Major Wong is quick to explain why he introduced the word. “Just like any competition you to choose to participate in, you need to know your strengths and who you are competing against. Assess your own standard and have an idea where you stand,” he said. Sensing a silent nudge to elaborate, Major Wong offers an illustration. “Let’s take a competitive swimmer for instance. Before he participates in a competition, he has to know where he stands. Is he an endurance swimmer? What is his pet stroke and the like? Having such information allows him to make more informed decisions on how he can improve his chances of winning a medal.

“Applying that to the Asian Print Awards competition, a company may happen to be good with specialty or innovative printing. Submitting an entry into another category such as postcards and greeting cards with more contenders may limit their chances to win a medal! Additionally, when a company knows what they are competing in, it’s a clearer way of assessing their standards in comparison to the regional ones,” he explains. Why and how do the mechanics of assessing entries in the competition turn into a game of strategy? The reply from Major Wong is, “Common mistakes are no longer elementary print defects. Printers have progressed in their entry submission so that there are fewer print defects. One of the biggest setbacks is not being conscientious enough to send in the best entry and being let down by poor finishing and binding. This has an impact when we come to the hairline of awarding the best.”

“Year after year, I have seen good entries that can be best submitted and win an award in another category. It’s not for the judges to decide; you enter and compete to win,” he emphasises. • Judge Major Wong Major Wong spent his first 14 years of career life in the military. Subsequently, he embarked on a 19-year journey (and counting) in the print industry, which includes his serving as president and a member of Singapore’s Institute of Printing as well as the Institute of Printing in United Kingdom. Major Wong has managed companies in commercial, security, digital and label printing. Besides serving as a judge in the Asian Print Awards competition, he has also lent his expertise to the Sinar Mas Print Award and was appointed chairman of the judging panel in 2011. Major Wong currently runs his own printing firm in Singapore.

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Digital Technology

Capturing new Business Opportunities with Digital Printing. Established in 1992, Refine Printing has quickly become a renowned and reputable printing company, but the key to commercial success has always been their quick response to market changes and continuous innovation in their offerings. Recently, they have invested in a Fuji Xerox 700 Digital Colour Press and ORIS Colour Management from CGS. There is possibly no other industry that has been so dramatically affected by fundamental technological change as printing. Yet, there are still many highly-successful companies in the market, driven by a business philosophy of constant innovation and operational excellence, always seeking new avenues of growth. Refine Printing is one of these forward-looking companies. Back in 1992, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;hey daysâ&#x20AC;? of the printing industry were just about over, and it became clear that specialising in only offset printing was not enough. Always keen to capture new opportunities, the company has transformed itself over the years from a traditional printing company to a full-service graphic solutions provider, with a wide range of offerings - including, design and conceptualisation, fulfillment, development of Point-of-Sale materials, packaging, and the like. Today, the company employs more than 50 people and has a presence in various countries throughout the Asia region. "Turning plain sheets into fascinating products is our core business, this is why we are dedicated creating high-quality print products. Leveraging on cuttingedge technology allows us to attend to a wide range of print demands at an affordable and cost-effective price. In addition, we are constantly optimising our production and streamlining our printing operations to offer our customers the fastest possible turnaround time", says Alan Yeo, executive director. "Of course we have noticed for quite some time that there was an increasing customer need for smaller print quantities and faster turnaround times. It was

Alan Yeo, Executive Director. clear to us that we would eventually need to invest in digital printing. However, our quality requirements have always been very high, and we would never compromise. Our clients expect consistent offset-level quality from us, no matter whether the process is digital or conventional. Initially we were only sporadically confronted with the need for digital short-run production and we outsourced these jobs to other digital printers. This process, however, created a turnaround time of a minimum of one or two days. We were surprised, how rapidly the volume grew and it soon became clear that outsourcing would no longer be viable. Investing in our own digital production press would give us a

cost advantage and increased capacity to meet the growing demand. Moreover, it offered new opportunities for additional business such as variable data printing. While we were evaluating various digital printing solutions, we were increasingly facing other issues. With our wide range of products and several different offset presses, colour consistency and repeatability rapidly became a challenge. Leading brandname companies today demand colour consistency throughout all printed materials," says Yeo, and adds: "Back then, we did not have a colour management solution in place. Often, we would have to spend a great deal of time and effort to do a rerun of a previous job so as to precisely match the colour.

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Digital Technology

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Digital Technology I was particularly pleased with the colour stabilisation feature in the software. Some of our work includes a lot of grey tints or high quality black & white images. Everyone who operates a digital press knows that maintaining a neutral grey throughout the entire print run is quite a challenge. With ORIS and the robust 700 Digital Colour Press, this has never been a problem," summarises Yeo.

Ideally we wanted to achieve consistent repeatable colour on all of our presses, including any future digital press." To cover all of Refine Printing's needs, the Fuji Xerox team proposed a solution, which not only solved their existing issues but also enabled them to undertake new business opportunities. A Fuji Xerox 700 Digital Colour Press with ORIS Press Matcher // Web with the capability of printing variable data, using XMPie uStudio. Selena Sung, senior manager for marketing at Fuji Xerox Singapore explains: "For us, the combination of the latest Fuji Xerox digital presses and ORIS colour management is a winning combination. Particularly for conventional printers, who are now moving into digital printing, consistent colour is a must. With ORIS Press Matcher // Web they can match their conventional press output literally with a push of a button." After just three months of operation, the results were impressive, actually surpassing everyone's expectations. "Our turnaround time decreased from one or two days when we were outsourcing digital print jobs, to just hours on our own press. What's more, thanks to ORIS Press Matcher // Web and the

Fuji Xerox 700 Digital Colour Press with its outstanding speed and in-line finishing capabilities, we were able to achieve a consistent quality, which actually matched our offset prints. For us, this was a pre-requisite, when we invested in the system. Today, we can print short reruns digitally, and our clients get it almost immediately, without compromising on the quality. In fact, the colour and print quality is so outstanding and consistent that we now print all of our verification proofs on the 700 Digital Colour Press instead of the inkjet printer. This has contributed to overall cost savings of up to 50%. However, we are not only using the press for on-demand short runs, but are now able to generate a substantial volume of new business, offering variable data printing. For us this is the perfect marketing tool to win new customers for our conventional printing also. "When the specialists from Fuji Xerox installed the solution, we finally decided to fingerprint all of our conventional presses as well, and match them all to one standard. ORIS Press Matcher // Web has finally enabled us to achieve cross-fleet colour consistency for both offset and digital presses, using its patented iterative 4D colour transformation process. Now we can switch a job from one press to the other within minutes, just by dropping the file into a hot folder, and the ORIS application takes care of the rest. Additionally, we are impressed by how easy it is to operate the software in daily operation. ORIS Press Matcher // Web is wizard-driven and easily guides the user through the profiling process, thus allowing even an inexperienced operator to achieve perfect consistent results.

Mike Braggins, manager for marketing communications at Fuji Xerox for Asia Pacific comments: "Refine Printing is proof that printing companies today can be highly successful in the market, if they identify their customer needs correctly and employ the right technologies. Many companies have already invested in digital printing with the primary use being on-demand short run applications. Variable data printing accounts for only 15% of all digitally printed jobs worldwide and therefore offers enormous opportunities for customers like Refine Printing." Christoph Thommessen, CGS ORIS sales director for Asia-Pacific, adds: “Refine Printing is another great example of how the combination of Fuji Xerox’s digital presses together with our award-winning and patented colour management solutions can achieve outstanding results which are repeatable and consistent. This is the ideal solution for Commercial Printers moving some of their work to digital printing without compromising on quality because commonly known digital print issues such as a neutral grey balance are addressed and solved. Many digital printers are not even aware of the possibilities that exist!” For Refine Printing the decision to add digital printing was a resounding success, as it not only enabled them to capture new business opportunities, but also helped elevate their conventional printing business. Christoph Thommessen comments: "Our successful partnership with Fuji Xerox in Asia and other regions of world shows that the market has understood the need to go digital, but also that the best possible quality is needed to be able to complement conventional printing."•

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Digital Technology

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Management/General

The road to digital success: being analogue

By Enrico Barboglio

The “and” paradigm shows the direction for graphics companies in the digital age. 24/7 customer-oriented integrated cross-media delivering strategies for addressing new markets will be widely demonstrated at drupa 2012. The defining phrase for the economic crisis is ‘global change’. The next decade may be marked by some tough conditions. Firstly, instability as a structural condition because of the ever-deepening interconnectivity between different parts of the world and different people and the speed with which information and money can flow. Secondly, asymmetric economic and demographic growth in Europe, in the absence of important corrective measures, that will result in weak demand together with high-cost raw materials, as a consequence of demand in other parts of the world. Finally, high sovereign debt will become a driver for substantial changes in habits, behaviour and culture. The ‘and’ paradigm The consequences will be ‘global changes’ in many sectors, because the difficulty of predicting demand will put extra strain on production flexibility and structural costs. The graphics industry will continue to see its structural model significantly challenged as it prepares to respond to ever more stringent demands in terms of time, and ever-changing, more integrated requirements with regards to production objectives. We could say that the successful companies will be those that can address

the needs of a “digital” nature (print/ non print, long run/short run, paper/ electronic) by adopting an “analogue” strategy, which can be summarised in what we could call the AND-paradigm: Innovation AND Tradition, Quality AND Quantity, Costs AND Revenue, Volume AND Margins, Short AND Long Term, Collaboration AND Competition. In these six key areas, the printing service provider, as an entrepreneur in graphics and communication, must therefore use its capabilities to satisfy its clients and also be prepared to respond to the new requirements that are emerging in the paper print sector. It has been widely claimed and argued that paper print will not actually disappear, but what is certain is the market share of printed products will surely decrease. The importance of

digital and mobile communication is growing by the day, as evidenced by usage statistics from sources like SMS, tweets, posts on various social media, email and web pages in general. Integration of the communication channels is the challenge that has faced printing service providers for several years now, based on the fact that today’s user does not generally have ‘information to consume’, but a range of ‘information to integrate’, and very often also ‘to share’. Initially, this process was more relevant to those who operated in variable data digital management systems (so-called 1:1 marketing), but today it also involves print where variable data is not the main feature or does not determine the need for a digital output. How to respond to B2B and B2C needs Until today, Printing Service Providers

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PrePress

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Management/General were considered a link in the communication chain only when it came to producing the final document, brochure or direct mail piece, and had to deal mainly with the client’s purchasing department or their communications agency. Now, marketers are challenged to segment their markets more efficiently and effectively, attract new customers with continuity campaigns that cultivate engagement, support multiple distribution channels with comprehensive materials aligned to each specific channel, identify crossselling and up-selling opportunities, and maximize the lifetime value of the customer. All these are issues that a PSP with business clients cannot ignore. They must begin a transformation from PSP (Printing Service Provider) to CSP (Communication Service Provider) or MSP (Marketing Service Provider). The world of photobooks is a clear example. The consumer’s increasing confidence in digital imaging is making the use of digitally printed photo albums increasingly popular. The initial tendency to keep photos only in their digital electronic form is changing, and this may be further encouraged through an offering that is essentially web based, available 24/7, and offers the consumer the chance to create ’unique‘ and ’personalised‘ products. The photo album can become a true photo story or personalised book; sending greetings cards or party invitations can be left completely to the final user. This has been done, for example, by Penwizard (www.penwizard.co.uk and www.

mymagicalbook.com) or TinyPrints (www.tinyprints.com) recently acquired by Shutterfly. The latter was one of the first companies to enable the creation of photobooks directly inside the Facebook environment. In these and similar cases the support of digital printer suppliers has often been critical in the planning phase. Opening up to clients through W2P Whether printing service providers are aiming to create an offering for the business market or for consumers, they must ensure that they ‘open up’ their own production areas to clients. The proposition of ‘on-demand’ services will be impoverished if clients are not

allowed to generate their demand at any time in the 24/7 context that they nowadays consider it their right to ask for. This is why adopting Web2Print (W2P) is no longer merely an application to be included in the user interface in order to obtain online orders. It has become an important and integral part of the company management process. At the same time, it is a tool no longer a reserve for print companies specialising in online printing, but a solution which more and more traditional print companies are turning to, so that they can respond to new ways of managing demand and orders from their clients. B2B solutions are provided by print

Not all types of rollers are created equal, some just don’t seem to work properly in your printing machine...

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Management/General 19 service providers for their corporate customers. Corporations then use these solutions to manage their supply chain and print procurement process. These types of solutions are traditionally branded with the corporate logo and colour scheme and access to the site is typically restricted to employees or business partners who can log in to the system with a username and password. Some features that most B2B solutions offer include storefronts that can be branded with a corporate identity, configurable permissions for a variety of corporate users, catalogue and template ordering, approval workflows that automatically request management approval when necessary, and support for purchase order and cost center billing.

Alongside the already implemented PDF Online Designer, for instance, it is possible to integrate external tools that offer webshop visitors the functions of professional DTP applications. In this way, individual print products can be created quickly and easily. www. bestprint24.com is an interesting simulation of a printing web shop

B2C solutions are used for selling print products and services directly to consumers. These solutions typically require intensive marketing efforts to drive consumer traffic to the site. Consumers can order print using a B2C solution without having a preestablished relationship with the print service provider. Some features that most B2C solutions offer include adhoc file submission and templated ordering, support for credit card payment processing, real-time shipping quotes via integration with the parcel courier, and the ability for consumers to track the status of their job online.

The optimisation and automation of prepress is the key to being more competitive by reducing internal costs. Prisma Graphic Corporation strongly believes this. Originally a boutique print shop, it has added two successful webbased storefronts known as Dokshop and Print Power to complement its commercial print business. Dokshop serves corporate customers, while Print Power represents a web-to-print solution targeting consumers. With the use of Kodak Prinergy Connect Workflow with Kodak Prinergy RulesBased Automation Software (RBA), Prisma Graphic has improved prepress processes with more automation. “We have to produce a product that costs less money today than it did five years ago,” said Steve Carlson, Operations Manager, Prisma Graphics. “The efficiencies we’ve gained with Kodak’s workflow have freed up some available time in the rest of the plant, either on the digital or offset side. We can do parts of a job ahead of time and optimise press utilisation.”

The ability to integrate third-party solutions within a W2P solution is another added-value feature. This is the case, for example, with Hiflex Webshop, an open system that allows the integration of third-party functionalities.

“The main benefit of Kodak’s solutions are their scalability,” says Nigel Street, general manager for unified workflow solutions from Eamer. “They are also customisable and can integrate seamlessly with third-party systems,

making it very easy for our customers to see immediate results.” HP has partnered with RedTie and the combined offering creates an end-to-end solution that enables the production of personalised, effective and clever campaign materials. "Some of the world's most powerful brands are using digital print and web-to-print solutions to stand out in the marketplace with complex and creative cross-media marketing materials," said Julia Cole, HP Indigo UK & Ireland marketing manager. The prepress is the area where the graphic firm can enhance competitiveness. The producers of software for workflow

Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

Management/General management and file management know it well. They are actually offering more advanced solutions in this field. Global Graphics has over 20 years experience developing printing and edocument technology. Its Harlequin and Jaws RIPs products offer native PostScript and PDF processing for faster performance and more accurate file rendition. The Harlequin RIP’s rich feature set includes many prepress processes that normally run on separate applications, such as colour management, trapping and imposition. The Jaws RIP is a kernel interpreter around which application developers can wrap layers of functionality and incorporate third party tools. Also a key market players is EFI, which since its inception in 1989 by Efi Araz (founder of Scitex) has always developed new products. It now has the richest portfolio of solutions for centralised management of printing and graphics workflows, variable data streams management and for the realisation of comprehensive W2P solutions. Digital StoreFront is the tool that allows any PSP to implement a web platform that can meet the diverse printing needs of its customers, including the ordering of custom prints. Customers can send new documents from their desktop computers from anywhere worldwide, using Digital StoreFront's automatic PDF conversion capabilities or the solution’s easy-to-use ticketing features to specify how they want their jobs produced. Site visitors can also choose pre-defined jobs from a

visual catalogue, as well as variable data printing (VDP) and non-print items like advertising specialties, logo merchandise and apparel, and even kits. In July 2011, EFI also acquired Entrac Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of self-service and payment solutions, and this could lead to further innovations in the way of providing print services 24/7. Being relevant to customers in the cross-media era Once the print provider has been transformed into a CSP offering services available 24/7, their next challenge is to become relevant to their clients. To achieve this they need to start from an important consideration: the market is ready and the time for getting into cross-media marketing communications is now. Various market trends support this recommendation: consumers are demanding more relevant communications, marketers need help identifying the right solution for improving marketing performance, and marketers are ready to participate in cross-media. They are actively seeking technology and partners to help make their lives easier by improving the productivity and ROI of their marketing efforts. While printers can provide more and more answers as they complete the transition from a print service provider into a marketing service provider (MSP). Providing the right information in the right context (Relevancy in Content), to the right people (Relevancy in Contact), delivering this information to the right

device in the right format (Relevancy in Channel), when and as needed to meet the client’s needs (Relevancy in Time). To provide this level of relevancy, a printer must implement the infrastructure (technical, sales, and consultative skills) to develop solutions for efficient communications. Conclusions Demand and the embracing of customised communications are being fueled by technology enhancements and market awareness. Advances in the speed and quality of digital colour technology, along with rapid adoption of automation and online technologies, is driving application development. At the same time, the cost of producing digital colour pages is declining while customised communications adds value and market awareness is growing. Lastly, targeted and relevant crossmedia marketing is now gaining traction in terms of market adoption. C

Print providers who act as marketing service providers meet client needs by offering products and services that are targeted, relevant and measurable. They remain competitive by differentiating their business with higher value products and services. They generate revenue opportunities from the services associated with delivering customised communications. And customised communications can drive volume to digital press. In this way we have an overall cycle covering both print and digital communication. Driving this cycle is the right path to take. •

However if you use Brissett Rollers you will see first hand why we are the market leaders Thailand Singapore Malaysia Indonesia Philippines Vietnam Taiwan www. webshop.brissett.com.au

CMY

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Management/General

DEBATING THE TRUE COST OF QUALITY – Understanding the Business The term “QUALITY” is a subjective debate across the Graphic Communications industry, an attribute which is understood, viewed and determined in many different ways by equally different people. More often we see why defining the quality of a finished product is primarily the main criteria when making any equipment purchasing decision, be it in prepress, press or finishing. Understanding this, would you return to a supplier who provides a sub-standard product or to a restaurant whose service is poor? Quality is of prime importance for all businesses, across all industries. The quality of the product, quality of the people and quality of the after sales service support are three very important reasons why customers will provide you with repeat business. Buyers wish to continue this quality experience with the same entrusted supplier, rather than risk purchasing from an unknown, untried, unproven business entity. They like and enjoy doing business with you because you support and make their busy job schedule so much easier to manage. The Fuji Xerox consultancy approach extensively covers two key purchasing requirements. Generally, quality of the

finished printed result must meet most customer expectations before any further investment considerations are to be made. If not addressed, discussions on the equipment purchase price usually become irrelevant as the primary expectation being quality, did not meet the customer’s requirements.

Paul Dimmock Go-to-Market strategy manager, Graphic Communications International Business Group of Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific

However, before this key step in the sales cycle can progress further, a detailed analysis on true cost of quality across the existing business is required. In real terms, commercial print owners and their preferred supplier should regularly evaluate the existing workflow manufacturing processes together.

If answers are not so easy to formulate, qualified industry suppliers like Fuji Xerox can be consulted to identify process improvements and recommend detailed solutions for your evaluation. These improvements may include procedure changes, up skilling employees through training and certification workshops, recalibrating the manufacturing equipment, product upgrades or combinations of all this.

How often do you consider “Is my existing equipment investment being utilised efficiently across the plant producing work ideally suited for the offset process? What market dynamics, increasing demands and trends (if any) are forcing a change or shift across my business?”

In a print manufacturing facility when change, deviations, out-of-specification, redo work, quality variations or customer complaints occur, corrective actions need to be considered. This could be a combination of costly problems within the business. When detected they should be addressed sooner

Ins_Differ

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Management/General 23

Fit for difference. Make a difference and focus on innovation. Regardless whether you occupy attractive niches in the area of offset printing or want to enter the digital printing business – Muller Martini’s systems can be adapted flexibly to your individual needs. Our finishing know-how, sophisticated Visit hall 14, booth C21 for your personal fitness program 3.5. – 16.5.2012, Düsseldorf

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Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/20121

Digital Technology rather than later. To achieve solid answers requires an agreed discussion centered on what is called establishing the True Cost Of Quality (TCOQ). This information sharing potentially will uncover and determine: • Increased prepress downtime, unnecessary plate production and proofing costs • Increased press makeready/downtime/wasted chargeable hours using manual operated, aging equipment • Sub standard practices, lack of manufacturing capacity throughput, cost of waste includes paper stock, chemistry, unnecessary blanket wear and tear • Lost revenue streams, bottlenecks, workflow processes, shorter runs choking the business • Increasing maintenance wear and tear across the expensive prepress, offset and postpress investment • Sound business ideas which may substantiate a cost effective short run digital press “I believe most will agree. Run lengths continue getting shorter and competition securing offset print dollars from corporations has never been more intense. Commercial Printers not only compete with each other but are competing for advertising budget allocations against other media choices like the web, radio and television,” observes Paul Dimmock, Graphic Communications Strategy Manager at Fuji Xerox. Some estimates by business owners put the True Cost Of Quality (TCOQ) equal to or more than 20% of the

entire sales revenues. The take-up includes total cost of rework repair time, waste, downtime, service calls, credit claims, slow or non payment of sub standard goods; many costly variables detected within the business. It could be possible a 20% TCOQ result can be interpreted to mean for one day of each five-day working week, a company may in fact be spending much time and effort producing considerable waste. Any reduction can transform a marginally successful company into a stronger more profitable one. “Today, having a colour managed digital press working alongside the expensive traditional offset is not so much an option to consider and think about any more. It has fast become a must have, must can do service necessity. For many owners it is already making good business sense.” explains Dimmock.

ate new revenue streams. The many benefits derived using a quality digital print solution makes it an essential tool in today's fast turnaround environment.” But how and why all this pieces together needs to be discussed in logical detail and understood. A very powerful industry debate, not just another throwaway lip service review.

Can Digital Print support your busy offset print shop environment? AND Can Digital Print compliment your existing offset investment processes?

He adds “Justifying a digital print engine may be the correct next step action for your consideration now. Providing additional customer service options across the business can streamline the overall production process and gener-

The Xerox Color 800/1000 Presses print 80 and 100 pages per minute respectively – can produce high definition image quality on a wide range of paper stock. An optional clear dry ink station, a feature exclusive to these devices within the Xerox color portfolio, amplifies full-color jobs. This clear, dry ink allows for images and text to be highlighted for visual impact, or digital watermarks applied for artistic effect or security. It is also beneficial for variabledata applications using Xerox’s XMPie software, as it displays personalized content in more vivid ways.

AGFA GRAPHICS

Plate for ASIAN market

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Management/General 25

Agfa has introduced the newly developed :Aiyinda, a series of thermal CTP plate, for Asian market. :Aiyinda 801 is a long run length, high resolution plate designed for difficult pressroom conditions. It displays remarkable chemical resistance. :Aiyinda 801 uses Agfa’s patented Flat Substrate technology to give the best possible ink balance and press performance. :Aiyinda 801 also delivers high resolution, supporting 1-99% dot reproduction at 280 lpi for Agfa’s :Sublima screening. :Aiyinda 701 is a high sensitivity, fast imaging thermal CTP plate. Exposed at laser energy of only 130mJ/cm2, it also uses Agfa’s patented Flat Substrate technology to give exceptional press performance. :Aiyinda 701 can be baked. Baking will improve its run length to 1 million, or 200,000 with UV or metallic inks. Together with the other CTP plates - the long run, no-bake :Energy Elite, chemistry free :Azura TS, and development-free :Amigo TS, Agfa offers a complete range of thermal CTP plates, providing the best choice for printers by fulfilling different applications. :Aiyinda The standard in Asian digital plates.

Agfa Asean Sdn Bhd Level 1, MENARA AmFIRST, Jalan 19/3, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Tel : +603-7953-5800 Fax : +603-7953-5900

Agfa Singapore Pte Ltd 10 Changi South Street 2, Level 3, Singapore 486596. Tel : +65 6214 0110 Fax : +65 214 0770

www.agfagraphics.com

Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/20121

Digital Technology

First Kodak Nexpress in Philippines Image World, a commercial printing company based in the Philippines, is set to become the first company in Southeast Asia to install the Kodak Nexpress SX3300 Digital Production Color Platform. To gain a competitive advantage in the digital printing market, Image World chose the Kodak Nexpress SX Platform to improve print quality and advance the company’s expansion into new services featuring high-impact applications. Image World handles a variety of print jobs from marketing collateral to school diplomas. When the company wanted to start taking on larger-sized print jobs and offer more value-added services, Dr. Robert Sy, Chairman of Image World, knew the company needed a more versatile digital press than its existing equipment. With a 26"/660 mm long sheet option—delivering 27% more printable area than previous Nexpress presses—and performance comparable to that of offset printing, the Kodak Nexpress SX3300 Digital Production Color Press was an easy decision.

of new printing applications, opening the door to new business opportunities and potential digital sales. In fact, the Nexpress SX Platform prints on more than 700 standard offset substrates, including coated, uncoated, FSC, plastics, magnets, linens, static clings, microperforated substrates, and more.

“The Nexpress SX3300 Press will enable us to print panoramic posters and photos, six-page brochures, as well as any size book cover. We’re excited about the colour, speed, sharpness, and clarity of its print,” said Dr. Sy.

Image World also opted for the Kodak Nexpress Fifth Imaging Unit Solution, which, according to Dr. Sy, was the defining factor in purchasing the Nexpress SX Platform. The Fifth Imaging Unit enables printers to provide watermarking, protection coating, highquality glossing and spot colour, MICR printing, gamut expansion, in-line dimensional printing and red fluorescing ink.

In an independent photo quality study completed by SpencerLab, the Kodak Nexpress SX Digital Press achieved an overall highest rating in print quality, demonstrating the best all-round performance across the majority of attributes evaluated. The Nexpress SX Platform allows printers like Image World to pursue a variety

Like all Nexpress presses, the Kodak Nexpress SX3300 Platform is equipped with Kodak’s Print Genius, a suite of quality control tools and options that allows printers to maintain peak quality throughout the production run for increased efficiency.

Unique in the industry for in-line digital cut sheet presses, dimensional printing is achieved by adding Kodak Nexpress Dimensional Clear Dry Ink to the Fifth Imaging Unit of a Kodak Nexpress

Press. With the Nexpress Dimensional Printing System, printers can create collateral materials, direct mail, business cards, invitations and other applications that truly stand out. Characteristics previously unattainable with digital printing, such as a 3D tactile photo surface, dimensional or raised print, and distinctive textures, can easily be incorporated into the design of materials. With Kodak Nexpress Fifth Imaging Unit capabilities, Dr. Sy foresees the potential for bringing new value-added products to the company’s repertoire— such as photo books with dimensional effects and school diplomas with red fluorescing ink for added security. “The most striking feature of the Nexpress SX3300 Press is the Fifth Imaging Unit Solution, which can do at least six special tasks: the dimensional raised printing that actually makes the desired section of the image palpable and gives depth to the printed material; the watermarking that can be employed to make it look like the design of the paper; the glossing, whether full or spot, that stands out very clearly and definitely shines better than lamination; the MICR that has all the capabilities to print bank checks; red fluorescing ink that can print security and barcodes visible only under UV light; and the RGB that enhances colors and makes the brand color of each company possible,” explained Dr. Sy. Image World represents the first Kodak Nexpress SX Press installation in Southeast Asia, marking a significant milestone for Kodak as the company continues to extend its reach in the digital printing market. •

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Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

Sheetfed Offset

The perfect storm The long road to recovery: the impact of the Great Recession on print by William Mitting

When French bank BNP Paribas announced the closure of two of its off-balance sheet investment vehicles on 9 August 2007, few outside the world of high-finance took notice. However, that event marked the first lashings of rain on Europe of a storm that over the next three years would devastate the European economy and result in the loss of tens of thousands of printing jobs across the continent. The technical definition of a recession is two quarters of consecutive contraction of GDP (Gross Domestic Products). In reality a recession is defined by one thing: fear. Just over 12 months after BNP’s closure of its investment vehicles, the Federal Reserve and the US government took the indefensible decision to let Lehman Brothers, an investment bank that had hundreds of billions of dollars of subprime exposure on its books, fail. Fear paralysed the global economic system. Money markets, on which many European banks relied for funding, ceased up as banks lost trust in their peers to repay the funds; banks collapsed amid the dearth of funding and European taxpayers were forced to intervene to save the global economic system from collapse. A recession like no other in living memory ensued and in its wake thousands of print companies were forced to close their doors.

The perfect storm Of all sectors, print is perhaps hit the hardest by recessions. On one front, it is reliant on consumer confidence, GDP growth and the subsequent advertising investments made by large companies. On the other it is a manufacturing industry, reliant on bank lending to invest in equipment. For printers, the financial crisis was a perfect storm. Andrew Brown, public affairs director at the BPIF (British Printing Industries Federation), says: “The recession was a period of exceptional challenge for print companies, as the deepest and longest recession since the Second World War took its toll. The UK economy shrank by more than 6% during the recession, and by the end it was some 10% smaller than it would have been had growth continued on its previous trend. “The rate of consolidation and structural change in our industry has reached

a level unprecedented in living memory. Many companies went to the wall as the fall in demand for print impacted on our overcapacity sector. “ Brown adds that the contraction of bank lending was a particularly pertinent issue for print businesses. “Companies found that in order to attract external capital for investment, they had to place renewed emphasis on defining specific objectives for any capital spend, linked to tangible and measurable outcomes,” he says. “Others had to pare down their investment plans, or to look to finance it from revenues. To some degree this is a healthy discipline, in many instances prompting more careful investment planning and/or a relook at how well existing assets are being utilised.” Exacerbating changes The impact of the Great Recession was exacerbated by the fact that the print

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Sheetfed Offset 29

This is what winning feels like! So join the Fuji Xerox PIXI Awards in 2012 Now in itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5th year the Printing Innovation with Xerox Imaging Awards are again looking to recognise Asian excellence and innovation in digital printing. Entry also ensures automatic entry to the Asian Print Awards.

There is only one basic qualification ....... ......to enter you must be using a Fuji Xerox solution. Fuji Xerox congratulates all the winners of the Asian Print Awards For your Entry Form (or to order a printer) please contact mike.braggins@fujixerox.com or your local Fuji Xerox representative.

Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

Management/General industry was already suffering when the downturn hit. Many companies in the sector had reacted slowly to the advent of the internet and were operating business models better suited to the heyday of print with high overheads and often inefficient machinery and internal processes. Nick Dixon, a print entrepreneur who built up the Lateral Group over the last eight years before selling it to IOS in August, says that the transformation of the print industry was underway long before the recession hit. “We saw in the early 2000s that the market was moving towards multimedia communications and bought Howitt out of administration in 2004 as the first building block of the Lateral Group in order to capitalise on that opportunity. We felt we needed to be at the forefront of the move towards integrated multi-channel communications,” he says.

Another trend already in full swing before the recession was the consolidation of the industry as traditional printing firms merged to realise the economies of scale required by shrinking margins. However, many were thwarted in their attempts to achieve that. Not least was John Caris, the former chief executive of European printing giant Roto Smeets, who became the champion of the need for industry consolidation. Attempts by Caris to consolidate the European gravure and web offset industry were thwarted firstly by shareholders in the attempt to acquire Quebecor World and then by the credit crunch when a deal for private equity house Hombergh/De Pundert (HHBV) Group to buy the printing company collapsed due to the investor’s inability to raise the necessary funds. Caris, however, was under no illusion as to where the blame for the decline of the print industry lay:

"The printing industry is not profitable and companies have created their own problem. It's the fault of printers themselves," he told an industry conference in 2009. However, not all areas of the print industry have been hit as hard by the recession. Jef Stoffels, director of corporate marketing at EskoArtwork says: “We are mainly active in the packaging printing world with links to the high end commercial printing and publishing industry. “We have to say that this segment in the industry does not seem to be much affected by the financial crisis and the impact is not that visible. Trends of consolidation, globalisation and shifting work from one place to the other in the world continue to go on.” Finding efficiencies Despite the odd patch of immunity in the industry it is clear that almost all businesses have had to adapt to survive the hard economic times. Business models have evolved to meet the new market reality and printing companies have cut overheads and staffing levels in order to retain sustainability. Business processes have also had to develop to realise increased efficiencies. “Customers are seeking improvements to their business operations and processes to improve their efficiency, time to market, consistent quality and reduce errors,” says Stoffels. “People within the packaging and printing supply chain have become more aware of their role and possibilities in the industry. We see traditional segments becoming blurry and players in the industry are seeking ways to broaden their services with added value activities. This way we see commercial printers moving into packaging printing or packaging producers making inroads in the sign and display business” Manufacturers were hit hard by the decline in investment and continue to monitor the current market movements. When announcing its first quarter results for 2011/2012 Heidelberg Group CEO, Bernhard Schreier, said: “We are keeping a close eye on current economic developments across the globe, but it is difficult to predict what will happen. However, given the continuing high

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Management/General 31 demand and strong economic growth on the Chinese market, we are assuming that the regional effects on business development at Heidelberg will be only temporary.” And it will continue to put measures in place to protect recovery. Heidelberg CFO Dirk Kaliebe stated: “We will forge ahead with our successful strategy, particularly through consistent cost and asset management.” Even print companies that could attract bank funding were unwilling to invest large amounts in new kit due to the uncertain economic outlook while all printers looked at ways to cut costs. “Clients who geared up for survival did what we expected them to do, and started to implement cost reduction measures and every expenditure, however small it may be, was analysed before approval,” says Fabian Prudhomme, vice president of Enfocus. “In general, I think it’s safe to say that during the recession we just had (and are still living today by the way), clients are very cost conscious. When they invest or make a budgetary expense decision, it almost exclusively relates to necessary costs. The ‘nice to have’ products and solutions are definitely gone from the horizon.” Manufacturers too have had to adapt to the economic reality by cutting overheads and shelving new product development to reduce costs. Prudhomme says: “When the crisis hit late 2008, early 2009, we acted quickly and based on an internal analysis, we were forced to go through a reorganisation just like many other companies. It forced us to refocus on our core services and eliminate non-revenue driving initiatives as much as possible. A new approach Manufacturers have also adopted a new approach to help their clients through the recession. Previously a company would simply sell a piece of kit and offer a service or warranty contract. Nowadays manufacturers are becoming consultants to their clients offering business training and support in implementing new business models that can be enabled by their investments. Mark Lawn, European marketing manager, Professional Print, Canon Europe, says that suppliers must also be partners and

consultants to their clients to help secure the future of their businesses.

environment,” they said.

That is a trend that a number of manufacturers including Presstek, Ricoh, Kodak and Fuji have identified and they now offer business advice services to their clients.

The BVDM has been pushing these new concepts holding technical forums of topics such as media publishing and web-to-print as well as creating functioning networks of printers and lobbying against legislation such as bans on certain forms of advertising.

Trade Associations, too, have had to work harder to meet the demands of their members and navigate them through the stormy waters. The BPIF’s Andrew Brown says: “While the BPIF’s regular activities in support of members’ businesses continued unabated throughout the recession, this period was a real test of the capabilities and resourcefulness of the BPIF team, and one that they met in spades.

Survival of the most innovative Recessions are a tough but essential part of the economic cycle. During good economic times, companies become inefficient, markets are distorted by an unsustainable influx of funds and new company launches create overcapacity that only becomes apparent when the tide of prosperity ebbs.

“In a recession the focus is inevitably on cost reduction and enhancing existing operating capability, and the bulk of the thousands of phone calls received and visits made by staff over this period reflected this.” In Germany the trade association has been adapting to the new world order. In the most recent annual report from BVDM (Bundesverband Druck & Medien EV) Rolf Schwarz and Thomas Mayer talked of the “shift to sustainability” in the print industry. “The crisis intensified and accelerated structural change in the print industry. The turnover, the number of enterprises and employees in the industry declined. New concepts are required to identify the companies in the highly competitive

Companies that innovate to survive emerge from recessions much stronger and more efficient than when the downturn hit. Print companies coming out of this are no exception. “The print industry has had to re-invent itself in a very short timeframe,” says Prudhomme, “The print industry has probably seen more changes in the past five to 10 years than in the past 80 and I believe this spiral will only keep accelerating. “Printing companies can no longer solely rely on paper, but must look for creative ways to combine paper (which I don’t believe will disappear any time soon) with cross-media delivery mechanisms. I believe that we have only started to scratch the surface of what is possible using today’s technol-

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Management/General

Print companies without specific niches or value added services that were competing on price floundered as prices fell below costs. Consolidation, however, has enabled some progress. The UK web offset sector was among the biggest casualties of the recession in the print industry. Long plagued by overcapacity the recession has seen the collapse of a number of the largest companies and the closure of numerous sites.

ogy.” Indeed, the move to cross media communications has been a key opportunity that successful companies have harnessed. Nick Dixon says: “When companies stick to producing one product competing on price you get a downward spiral and that is what we saw before and during the recession. “During the recession, clients had their advertising budgets cut and they were even more driven by finding efficiencies while maintaining effectiveness. We saw the pendulum swing in favour of e-mail and SMS communications due to the need to cut costs. That was a fundamental shift and had a dramatic knock on effect on communications. Brown says that the BPIF has been helping its members adapt to the ‘fundamental structural changes sweeping across our industry’.“More and more print suppliers are taking advantage of the digital revolution to add to their portfolio of client services in areas such as managing mailing lists and customer data, handling stock and fulfilment, designing and managing customers’ websites, and running campaigns

that integrate all media, new and old,” he says. “The traditional print business model, price-driven and product-focused, is no longer fit for purpose. With the industry’s customers now looking for costeffective campaigns rather than just cut-price commodity print, printers can no longer rely solely on manufactured products and low prices to differentiate themselves: print must adapt if it is to survive.” Continued consolidation Indeed, the commoditisation of print that was already in effect before the recession, gathered pace during the downturn as companies cut costs in an attempt to replace lost business. What ensued was a ’race to the bottom‘ in terms of pricing with some companies offering work at cost simply to maintain cashflow during the depths of the recession. It only takes a handful of companies to embark on a suicidal pricing policy to affect the whole sector and that is what we saw in the recession, the impact of which is still being felt by many.

The sector has consolidation with Walstead Investments leading the charge by acquiring Wyndeham, Southernprint and St Ives’ web division among other companies. The impact of the recession on the UK magazine printing sector may therefore ultimately be positive although it took a lot of pain to get there. Although it may not yet feel like it, the worst of the last recession is probably beyond us. However, we have passed through one storm only to face another. The spectre of the European sovereign debt crisis is weighing heavily on markets and consumer confidence continues to bump along the depths experienced during the Great Recession. We are not out of the woods yet and it may well be that things will get worse before they recover. For the print industry this means that the consolidation will continue and the need to focus on value adding services, with print just one part of a company’s offering will not go away. But the companies that have emerged in business from the last recession have done so stronger and wiser and are competing in a smaller industry. As and when the economy recovers, these businesses will be well placed to reap the rewards of their determination. •

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Sheetfed Offset

Long term partnership delivers results In September Phetkasem Printing Group in Nakorn Pathom, Thailand installed a new Heidelberg Speedmaster (SM) 74-4-H printing press, its seventh Heidelberg press and the second Speedmaster. President of the Group, Saweg Thamsiripong talks about the company’s evolution over the past 24 years and why he believes the new Heidelberg press is an important investment in the future growth of the Phetkasem Printing Group. As Thamsiripong explains, the company was established in 1987 under the name of Phetkasem Garnpim. “We began the business by leasing an equipped print shop. As we didn’t have experience with this kind of a business we suffered losses in the beginning until we decided to replace the old, inefficient equipment with new, more modern machines. This is how we came to work with Heidelberg, purchasing a Heidelberg KORD as our first machine. The KORD was at that time a very modern and fast printing press and it made a significant difference to the operation of the business". With the improvements to production workflow that the KORD delivered, Thamsiripong went on to invest in another four over the coming years, each addition enabling the company to be-

come more profitable. This led to the expansion of the printing factory and the formation of the Phetkasem Printing Group. In 2008 Phetkasem Printing Group purchased its first Heidelberg Speedmaster – a new SM102 4 colour printing press – after seeing the machine in operation at the Heidelberg Print Media Academy in Malaysia. The SM102-4

is suited to industrial commercial printing environments and features a high level of automation. Driven by the Prinect Press Center high-performance control station, the SM102 also features Sheetfed Control, the patented, decentralized control platform from Heidelberg; the highly automated Preset Plus Feeder and Preset Plus Delivery; Prinect Inpress Control, the spectrophotometric inline measuring and control system for color and register and; a central delivery control panel with touchscreen and jogwheel. Of this purchase Thamsiripong says, “We were initially looking for a secondhand press rather than investing in a new one, but we quickly discovered that the cost of a new press wasn’t that much more than the secondhand machines. We could see that a new press would deliver greater benefits due to the faster speeds and automated proPresident of the Group, Saweg Thamsiripong checking a proof of the new press

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Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

Sheetfed Offset cesses and this influenced our decision to invest in the new Speedmaster”. The company’s success over the past four years with the SM102-4 led it to consider the installation of another new press this year. At the Pack Print International Exhibition 2011 in Bangkok last September, Phetkasem Printing Group invested in its second Speedmaster press. The purchase of the SM74-4-H was made ahead of the Group’s business plan, due to an increase in workload and the desire to provide its clients with a more comprehensive service, as Thamsiripong discusses. "The expansion of our workload highlighted the fact that we needed another press to meet the increasing demands of our customers. Time has proven that our initial investment in the Speedmaster was the right decision so we went to Pack Print with the idea of buying another press, this time a half-sized press to complement our existing machines. We did also consider other brands on the market, but in the end we chose to stay with Heidelberg because the Heidelberg printing presses are very reliable and able to truly fulfill our needs." With more than 30,000 SM74 units worldwide, Phetkasem Printing Group has installed what Heidelberg considers one of its bestsellers. The SM74 combines reliable productivity with flexibility. The new suction-tape feeder means reliable sheet pick up and transport with automatic adjustment between

Saweg Thamsiripong (4th from left) with Heidelberg's team at Pack Print International Exhibition 2011 held in Bangkok, Thailand

jobs using different stocks. The delivery uses Heidelberg's proven Venturi sheet guidance, meaning finished work is delivered on an air cushion to minimize the risk of marking. Both feeder and delivery require minimum maintenance. The success and longevity of the Phetkasem Printing Group is due to a number of factors – the visionary approach of Mr. Saweg and the Administrators’ Team to invest in leading edge technology, the commitment of its employees to work to the highest standards, and the company’s partnership with Heidelberg. Heidelberg Thailand works closely with Phetkasem Printing Group to assist the

company in this expansion. Keith Patten, general manager, Heidelberg Thailand said the SM74 is the ideal press for commercial print shops providing a range of automated features designed to improve workflow and raise productivity. We look forward to providing more support on their growth. If we can help them see the latest solution and drive growth in their business then their success is our success. Today Phetkasem Printing Group employs 150 people and produces a wide range of work across all market sectors with a focus on magazine printing. In addition to the Heidelberg printing presses the company also operates a number of Heidelberg machines in the finishing department including Stahl folders and Polar guillotines. And in early 2012, there are plans to implement a Heidelberg CtP solution in prepress, bringing all processes into line and further automating the workflow. Thamsiripong concludes, “Our customers feel confident and pleased when they visit our company and see our building and the Heidelberg printing presses. Our workers are also happier with Heidelberg technical support team's knowledge and service that enable us to continually improve our print quality. Our decision to partner with Heidelberg in the continued growth of our business has proven to be the right and we are genuinely pleased with our investments in Heidelberg's printing technologies”. •

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Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

Sheetfed Offset

For Linocraft in Johor Bahru, size doesn’t matter A roadshow organised by KBA Asia-Pacific on 25 November in the Malaysian port of Johor Bahru was a big success, attracting some 150 participants keen to find out why “size does not matter”. The last one, held two years ago at KBA’s subsidiary in Kuala Lumpur, celebrated the launch of the new B2 (29in) Rapida 75. At this one the focus was on KBA’s new Rapida 105 along with a six-colour Rapida 185 with coater at Linocraft Printers that is the secondbiggest KBA sheetfed press worldwide and the biggest in the region. Along with Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Johor Bahru (“the new jewel”) on the southernmost tip of Malaysia, opposite Singapore, is a major business and printing centre and home to numerous KBA users. On the eve of the roadshow at Linocraft, KBA held a “November-Fest” social gathering where the guests were welcomed by KBA-Asia-Pacific managing director Stefan Segger and sales manager Rex Teng. The next day Stefan Segger opened proceedings with a briefing on KBA’s present market

position and many product innovations. As examples he cited the new B1 (41in) Rapida 105 sheetfed offset press, C16, C48 SG and C56 SG commercial web presses and the newly launched Commander CL newspaper press. He said: “KBA offers customers in many sectors attractive products and continuously improved after-sales services, while a solid financial background allows us square up to future challenges.” New customers in all formats In recent years KBA has gained new customers in Malaysia and, indeed, throughout Asia with a range of presses spanning the half-size Rapida 75, the medium-format Rapida 105 and 106, and large-format Rapida 142 and 185. Secondhand business has also been brisk. Says Segger: “This can be attributed to the high quality of our customer services. While other vendors have been shedding staff, KBA Asia-Pacific has expanded its payroll, even hiring a

number of German technicians.” Many new customers, like Dragon Hitech Printing, Lian Yik, Kencana, Eastern Printers, Linocraft and Tien Wah Press, are driving growth with KBA technology. In the region there is also an emerging trend towards bigger formats, with packaging printing enjoying the highest growth rates. Segger illustrated his briefing with video footage of production at TWP (Rapida 142-5+C) and Kencana (Rapida 75E). Keen interest in new Rapida 105 Attendees showed keen interest in a run-down provided by KBA sheetfed marketing manager Jürgen Veil on the new Rapida 105, which was unveiled just a few days earlier at the All in Print China trade fair in Shanghai and shares the same platform as KBA’s high-tech Rapida 106. Jürgen Veil listed an array of features backing the claim that the new Rapida 105 is “designed for performance” and has even more to offer than its popular predecessor in terms of productivity, makeready and handling. Impressive demonstration of VLF capabilities The high spot of the roadshow was the open house at Linocraft Printers, where a superlarge-format Rapida 185 has been strutting its stuff since late last year. Linocraft CEO Andrew Tan Woon Chay and Stefan Segger hosted a stunning demonstration that included a range of different jobs and substrates printed on a press normally noted for the excellence of its packaging production. Samples included large-scale world maps that were eagerly snapped up by souvenir hunters.

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Heidelberg India scores at PAMEX 2011 Heidelberg India participated in the recent PAMEX 2011 held in New Delhi from 1-4 Nov 2011. The company had two booths at the show: one measuring 400sqm - dedicated to showcasing state-of-the-art equipment. The other 40sqm-booth hosted free training sessions on various print related subjects. Heidelberg India also offered daily “customer-tours” to a leading commercial printshops where customers could learn more about Heidelberg solutions. The whole spread of solutions was well-received by printers who benefited a good deal from visiting Heidelberg booths and participating in customer tours. Heidelberg India exhibited an entire printshop workflow; from software to prepress, press and postpress. Daily live demontrations of special applications, commercial and packaging jobs were conducted using: • Prinect: Print-shop workflow • Heidelberg Suprasetter A 75 CtP • Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74 5+L • POLAR 115 XC Plus cutter • Stahlfolder KHC 78 folder Exciting deals on Systemservice, Saphira range of Consumables, Packaging, Remarketed Equipment, Equipment Finance and Print Media Academy courses were also made available to the

printers. Heidelberg India had a high number of visitors with many from tier 2 and 3 cities. The company contracted a significant number of machines at PAMEX 2011and generated many hot leads from all over India. When asked about the future of Print in India, Klaus Nielsen, Managing Director of Heidelberg India commented, “India will continue to see high growth rates in printing. The manufacturing process will be more automated with focus on waste reduction and

improving the quality levels of the finished product.” Heidelberg India had clearly presented itself as one of the best booths, and won an award for best design and concept, presented by AIFMP. The company is embarking on the implementation of their new digital product portfolio and is consulting many Packaging Printers of theirs on new technologies and value additions. •

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Wide Format / Proofing Technology

Roland DG’s new sixcolour Inkjet printer for growing Asian market Roland DG Corporation, a leading worldwide provider of wide-format inkjet printers and printer/cutters, has introduced the new Hi-Fi JET FH-740 74inch 6-color aqueous inkjet printer, available for growing Asian market. Designed for the sign making market, the FH-740 is the company’s first aqueous printer to be introduced into these growing markets. Shando“Across the Chinese and Korean markets, large format aqueous inkjets are widely used for posters, indoor signage, backlit displays, interior décor items and fine art reproductions, graphics that are viewed at close range and require superior print quality,” said

Kazunori Miura, Roland DG business development manager for the Asian market. “Strong economic growth in these regions is now fueling demand for print devices that achieve even greater image quality while delivering the highspeed production capabilities required

for volume runs. We are proud to introduce the FH-740, providing shops with the stunning color reproduction and the reliable production platform they need to succeed in this highly competitive business environment."

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Wide Format / Proofing Technology

In addition to four-color process CMYK printing, the FH-740 features Light cyan (Lc) and Light magenta (Lm) for flawless flesh tones and enhanced image quality across lighter colors. With Roland’s latest dual printhead design, the FH-740 fires droplets of seven different sizes with unmatched accuracy for smooth gradations, important for photographic reproductions. Precision firing also ensures flawless solid colors for logos and other graphic elements. The FH-740 yields outstanding print quality at production speeds up to 26.9m2/h for cloth banners and also prints at 18m2/h in 6-color mode, ideal for large scale posters. Several print modes are available so users can choose the optimal speed and resolution for the application at hand. Designed for long production runs, the FH-740 is precision built for stability and durability, and includes advanced media

handling features that make operation easy. Fully compliant with Roland’s guidelines for EnvironmentallyConscious Product Design, the FH740 features the company’s Eco-

Label, which recognizes its low power consumption and other life cycle attributes that contribute to a more sustainable production environment. •

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Web Offset Technology

News that's fit to spin: meet the Fox of China

The state-owned Global Times is a provocative instrument that seems the embodiment of its unusual editor

it did, with Reuters, The Manila Times, The Jakarta Globe, The West Australian, Taipei Times and other media mentioning it in news articles. The bellicose editorial was certainly newsworthy, assuming the paper on some level is a mouthpiece for China's rulers. But whose views, exactly, does Global Times really represent?

Most mornings in Beijing, the senior editorial staffers at China's hypernationalistic Global Times newspaper roll in to the office between 9am and 10am. They leave about midnight. In the hectic intervening 14 hours, they commission and edit articles and editorials on topics ranging from asserting China's claims on the South China Sea to the US's nefarious role in the global financial crisis in a slim, 16-page tabloid with eye-popping headlines. In the late afternoon, staffers propose topics for the all-important lead editorial to editor-in-chief Hu Xijin, who makes all final decisions and has an instinct for the jugular. Take a recent sabre-rattling editorial, printed with only slight variations in the Chinese and English editions, which unnerved many overseas readers. ''Recently, both the Philippines and South Korean authorities have detained Breaking the mould ... Hu Xijin.

fishing boats from China and some of those boats haven't been returned,'' the editorial fumed. ''If these countries don't want to change their ways with China, they will need to prepare for the sounds of cannons.'' The war-mongering language was meant to attract attention and that

Its offices are located within the sprawling Beijing campus of People's Daily, the stodgy old organ of the Chinese Communist Party, founded in 1948. But while People's Daily is the parent publishing organisation of Global Times, the newspapers have remarkably different missions. Global Times is unequivocally a state-owned paper subject to the same censorship regime but since its founding in 1993 it has evolved a more populist function - a mandate to attract and engage readers, rather than to telegraph coded intentions of the Foreign Ministry.

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Web Offset Technology

Global Times is by circulation the third-largest newspaper in China, with a daily print readership of 2.4 million, according to the Sobao Advertising Agency. Its reported web readership is 10 million. Even if those numbers are inflated, it's still formidable - by comparison, in 2011 The Washington Post's average daily print circulation was 550,821. ''Why is Global Times popular? Different people in China have different answers,'' the chief op-eds page editor and editorial writer, Wang Wen, says. He has a cherubic face and despite working slavishly long hours, radiates a sense of exuberance uncommon in China's newsrooms. ''The liberals say it is because GT promotes and sells Chinese nationalism. The others say it is because GT is very sharp and we dare to touch the sensitive issues.''

No one embodies the difference more than the man in charge. At 51, Hu wears his longish hair brushed forward in a vaguely hipster look; he is wiry and frenetic. He speaks quickly, emphatically and chooses his words like daggers. ''We call a spade as a spade,'' he told me when I visited recently. ''And we are not afraid to upset you.'' In China, editors at state-sponsored newspapers are appointed officials. Quite often they have never worked as journalists (an editorship may be a stepping-stone to becoming a vicemayor or other municipal official). Hu, however, breaks the mould in nearly every way but one: his devotion to the party. A former war correspondent, he is a maniacal editorial micromanager who insists on co-writing every lead editorial because, as one staffer put it,

''He has a need to write … that's very interesting and unusual. He very much enjoys writing opinion pieces.'' Hu relishes mentioning topics most state outlets avoid, including the 1989 Tiananmen massacre and this year's detention of artist Ai Weiwei, if only to reinforce a party-friendly line. If the de facto stance of China's state-run media is to avoid controversy, Hu courts it. To what extent does Global Times shape, or find itself chasing public opinion in China? ''I always say what I mean,'' Hu says. But some are skeptical. ''I think its position is to make money - nationalism is Global Times' positioning in the market,'' a Chinese writer and international affairs commentator, Michael Anti, says. ''It's like any Rupert Murdoch publication; it's Fox News, essentially.''

As Chinese readers have begun to increasingly look outward, Global Times has delivered on that hunger for international coverage, albeit often with a claustrophobic world view that presents China as a besieged underdog. A sample of front-page headlines from October: ''Attacking China becomes a new vogue for Washington DC''; ''The Senate's vote menaces China''; and ''India and Vietnam signing contracts provokes China.'' Hu's freewheeling tendencies probably represent the most energetic effort in China to win readers for party papers. Of course, Global Times's rising profile may also be the product of limited alternatives: Beijing allows no newspaper devoted to international news to publish on the opposite end of the political spectrum. As a former reporter at Beijing Youth Daily says: ''Why do people read Global Times? There are few options … there's no real news in China."•

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Management/General

The Full Package With an estimated 75% of all retail products purchased on impulse and over 40,000 different lines in a supermarket outlet from which to choose, attentiongrabbing packaging print is the crucial differentiator on-shelf and ways to achieve this will be emphasized at drupa 2012, reports Des King Research into consumer behavioural patterns in-store indicates that on average three out of every four items that end up in the shopping basket are impulse purchases made in about five seconds. Brand loyalty it seems can never be taken for granted. Whilst a number of factors including price offers and shelf placement may determine choice, there’s no disputing the pulling power of text and graphics in capturing hearts and minds; nor their capability to fulfil a variety of different functions. Unlike the commercial sector where it competes against any number of communications options, print for packaging is frontline marketing and fully tuned into the shopping channel. As the direct interface between brand owner and consumer, it is variously required to seduce; to inform; to convince and to reassure at different stages en route from the supermarket shelf and into the home. In production terms it is expected to consistently achieve the highest quality standards at the lowest possible cost.

Packaging is habitually subject to any number of seismic shifts in perception, not least as an eco-problem despite its proactive role in pre-empting rather than merely creating waste post-use. In its decorated form, however, its functionality in enabling brands to effectively turn around on a sixpence - and in relative terms cost not much more than that either - has propelled it up the marketing agenda. Whilst visitors to drupa confronted by such a visible focus upon packaging might conclude that the printing industry has suddenly discovered it, the reality is more that it’s now directly instrumental in repositioning it from being an engineering activity into a marketing strategy; a transformation wholly initiated by digital technology, and which irrespective of print process continues to dictate the pace of change. Setting the tone One of the challenges raised by brand globalisation is how best to resolve the complexities entailed in maintaining colour consistency across not only a widely spread geographical market, but also on different substrates

being printed via different processes. It’s created a knowledge gap that technology developers such as Kodak are seeking to plug, says global packaging segment manager Stu Brownell. ‘Our vision is to provide sustainable brand management and prepress solutions across the packaging value chain that enable brand security and high impact graphic packaging and in the process raise awareness still further amongst brands to what print is capable of achieving.’ Whilst implementing that vision is invariably undertaken by specialist repro houses - now enjoying a new lease of life in operating effectively as brand guardians – brands themselves are taking a closer interest and more direct responsibility, says X-Rite vice president for sales EMEA & global digital supply chain, Francesco Tomasello. ‘By evaluating their workflow and developing a customised and clearly defined set of standards, we’re helping to free up brands to work with repro bureaux and PSPs as necessary, and with the confidence that specifications

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and colour communications will be accurately met independent of market location. In many cases our direct involvement at brand level via the X-Rite's global digital supply chain program leads to a closer working relationship between them and their suppliers specifically within the repro house.’ Converters too are becoming increasingly aware that digitally controlled colour management is part and parcel of an integrated set of workflow solutions designed to strip time and cost out of the prepress process. ‘One of the aspects of process automation is that the integration between a company’s business systems and the prepress workflow software eliminates unnecessary duplication of tasks,’ notes EskoArtwork director solutions management Jan De Roeck. ‘If data has already been entered in the MIS system why should a prepress operator have to input it once more?

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‘Think of the consequences of such integration in the context of digital printing, which will be one of the big themes at drupa. Digital print is synonymous with shorter run-lengths, so to fill capacity the PSP will have to push through a lot more jobs. That’ll include prepress too, and if you don’t automate as far as you can, if you don’t interface with MIS, you’ll be stuck with a lot of job management prepress overhead. It’ll become a bottle-neck.’

with your smartphone or webcam. Visit www.drupa.com/help to find out exactly how it works.

In addition to a continuing interest in an ongoing development of process and workflow automation, De dru1202_90x260_SG.indd 1

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07.11.11 15:32

Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

Management/General Time to market Where digital continues to have the edge, however, is the speed within which a job can be delivered to the press ready to print; basically immediately on receipt of post-proof approval. Conversely, a flexo plate could take ninety minutes at best to prepare – by which time a digitally printed short-run finished inline will be awaiting despatch to the customer.

Roeck also identifies greater adoption of 3D software solutions. ‘It’s a communications tool and increasingly a Q&A tool in the prepress process as well. The obvious difference between packaging and commercial print is structure; we need to be thinking in three dimensions even from the initial design stage, because that’s what the end product is going to be.’ Pressing engagement An overarching issue in all packaging print is how best to take cost out of the supply chain wherever possible; in production terms notably via faster makeready and turnaround between jobs. These are the challenges thrown down by cost-efficient digital print and that conventional process is increasingly managing to address; and as a direct result, redefining volume from extended run length to differentiated throughput per shift. Atypical of modern flexo presses is Mark Andy’s servo-driven 430mm width series, with a running speed of 230m/min and claimed to be profitable for jobs down to 800 linear feet. Setting up the print station takes 35 seconds, with press operators regularly able to upload four separate jobs in less than six minutes. Also boosting the time to market capability of most narrow web flexo systems incl. Performance is the standard inclusion of valueadded decoration, die cutting and other process stations in-line. Even its staunchest supporters would

accede that flexo is not necessarily the most forgiving of processes – an issue that the likes of Agfa, Kodak, Fuji and DuPont are positively overcoming via new high definition digital plate technologies, whose higher dpi and increased stability and consistency on press deliver a quality result comparable with both gravure and offset. Meanwhile, offset is also geared up to respond to JIT requirements, with makeready on KBA’s Rapida, for example, completed in less than 10 minutes. Versioning is also well within its remit as a single-colour plate can be changed on the fly simply by slowing the press down to around 12000 off/ hr (a 25% reduction), and the imminent prospect of extending that facility to 4 or 5 plates fully in register.

HP Indigo now has over 1400 systems installed throughout the global labels & packaging sector; a 76% share of the digital labelling market. By comparison with a 13” narrow-web flexo press, it claims that its ws6000 press – with a multi-substrate capability up to 450micron thickness and a running speed of 30m / min will deliver a like for like four-colour label run in 40% of the time at half the cost of production and generate almost three times the margin. It’s the sort of guaranteed rate of response that most comfortably fits a retail supply chain model that can demand receipt of goods within 24 hours of order as the norm. It’s also the technology du jour; setting the day to day tempo across all aspects of contemporary culture. ‘We have a total belief that just like in the labels sector where digital is becoming mainstream (now accounting for 10% of all labels printed globally), the same thing will happen over time in flexible packaging and folding cartons

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Management/General 53 once the end to end solution is in place. These are relatively early days so we don’t yet have the ultimate solution – but we will build it together with our customers,’ says HP Indigo VP and general manager Alon Bar-Shany. ‘Ultimately what we’re trying to do is to enable the brands to differentiate and to innovate. Our aim is that if they can think it, then they can print it.’ Whereas toner based presses from Xeikon and Xerox have hitherto competed on packaging applications with HP Indigo’s proprietary digital ink solution, the steady emergence of faster running inkjet systems – with the added advantage of being suitable for inline integration – is certain to build digital’s overall market share and accelerate the overall rate of adoption. Also extending more into the packaging sector is digital offset technology from a growing number of press manufacturers incl. Presstek and Konica Minolta. Foiling the frauds The global traffic in counterfeit medicines is estimated by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to cost pharmaceuticals manufacturers around €184bn per annum. As well as leeching revenue out of the industry – and the profitability to fund further research – it also costs lives; possibly as many as 100,000 each year according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regulatory guidelines such as the recently introduced EU’s falsified medicines 2001/83/EC directive have identified the authentication of the

outer packaging of prescription drugs as the industry’s primary and most practical line of defence.

An optical checking system rejects the pack if the check code doesn’t match the reference data.

Amongst a number of systems now coming onto the market is coding & marking specialist Atlantic Zeiser’s recently introduced ‘track & trace’ module. Cost-effectively integrated within an existing production line, the module can apply a range of security solutions incl. GS1 (Global Standards 1); all types of numeric codes, and 1D multi-position barcodes or 2D barcodes (pixel images) to check the legitimacy of the packaging and product online.

Ralf Hipp, vice president, digital printing and coding solutions of Atlantic Zeiser, adds: “Latest developments even make it possible to use the packaging material itself as a test criterion such as DNA testing whereby scanning the surface roughness of material can unequivocally identify whether the packaging is produced by the brand manufacturer or not. These solutions allow users to maximise counterfeit security and to minimise

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Management/General

automatically precluded from food packaging in some countries, UV printed packaging represents the optimum balance between practicality and safety provided that it is 100% cured. Whereas water or solvent based inks can take several hours to dry, because UV coatings lie on top of the substrate they’re cured more or less as soon as they’re exposed to the UV light; in consequence, making UV curing systems an integral feature of most offset press configurations.

losses arising from product piracy. Not only counterfeiting by third parties, but also the grey market problem, can be kept under control through seamless product tracking and sustained anticounterfeiting. Although cost will fall proportionate to volume, current indications are that RFID track & trace solutions will continue to lend themselves more readily to transit rather than retail packaging. In the meantime, whilst advanced coding solutions such as the 2-D datamatrix barcode may be doing much to help manufacturers towards more successfully combating counterfeiting, they can fall short in providing consumers with a similar degree of reassurance. Seeking to change that is new anti-counterfeiting technology from Heidelberg (1-TAG), which incorporates both a 2D data matrix code and an authentication feature based on a unique pattern of randomly positioned copper filaments. Labels can be easily authenticated by any consumer using a smart phone at the point of purchase. It’s an ideal solution for adoption by the pharmaceuticals industry, says Heidelberg head of product marketing

Jürgen Grimm. ‘To stop counterfeiting, we need to put the best technology into the hands of the people who care the most: the consumers. ‘Western pharmaceuticals manufacturers are in denial on this issue to a certain extent as they would prefer to believe that counterfeiting is mostly confined to cheap medication bought online. In reality it’s one of the highest margin businesses in the world.’ Focus on food safety Establishing higher standards of security is equally applicable within the food industry, where real or perceived health scares attributable to packaging materials can lead to costly product recalls and format switch. The increasing availability of lowmigration inks from all of the major suppliers has gone some way towards protecting the converter from the disruption of such an eventuality. A general reluctance to share formulation knowledge, however, can create something of a disconnect with printers required to guarantee that there’s no migration happening yet as often as not being given no full confirmation of what they’re actually putting on the sheet. Although not toxin-free and therefore

Next-stage development could be the wider adoption of lower energy consumption but significantly more expensive LED – well-established in the digital inkjet wide format sector as a replacement for the UV curing arc lamp de facto industry standard. Box-out: Packaging print market The global value of the printed packaging market is €196.8bn; well over 40% of all materials regularly used. The proportion is considerably higher for retail applications viz. 98% of all cartons; 91% of labels; 67% of corrugated (reflecting its extension from the industry’s staple transit solution into full-colour printed retailready packaging on-shelf); and 56% of flexible packaging (source: PIRA). The industry’s leading process technology is flexo with an approximate 38% share of the global market - much of it gained from gravure (14%) – and extensively used for flexible packaging; labels and corrugated. Offset is the predominant process for folding cartons and has a 25% market share. Digital is steadily elbowing its way into contention as run-lengths reduce across all of these principal applications: particularly so in the €20bn+ selfadhesive printed labelling sector, where its 7% market share is set to accelerate now that it’s out-performing flexo in terms of new press installations. •

CMY

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CMY

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Finishing Technology

Increase Competitiveness and Profitability with Postpress Solutions • Postpress Commercial Information Days in Leipzig: Comprehensive product portfolio offers the right solutions for all customer needs • Postpress machines impress with high productivity, efficiency, quality, reliability, and easy operation • Postpress operations for long, medium-sized, and even very short print runs - produced in offset or digital printing • All products on display will be available by drupa • Customers discover the potential for generating extra added value in postpress - 20 saddlestitchers have already been sold this year in Germany and Switzerland alone

From November 1 to 11, 2011, commercial and digital print companies and postpress specialists from around the world are taking the opportunity to get the lowdown on the postpress portfolio of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg). More than 500 customers from eastern and central Europe, the United States, India, and Egypt are attending the Postpress Commercial Information Days in Leipzig to see for themselves the quality, efficiency, and profitability of the equipment on offer. This is the perfect opportunity to see live demonstrations of the entire product portfolio - from folding machines and saddlestitchers to adhesive binders.

One special highlight is the premiere of the Eurobind Pro adhesive binder, which is linked inline with a digital book production line from Hunkeler AG, Switzerland. This makes it possible to switch between digital and offset print production on a single machine. The special configuration of the Stahlfolder Flexomailer mailing system will be on show for the first time. It enables double-sided printing with Kodak inkjet print heads and is equipped with a perfecting module from Popp. Innovative camera technology ensures absolute reliability. In addition to giving users the chance to meet the growing trend of tailoring mailings more closely to specific

target groups, this solution also generates extra added value. "The overarching trend in postpress is increasing efficiency and productivity," says Thomas Krischke, head of postpress commercial at Heidelberg. "Our comprehensive portfolio provides our customers with a number of options to significantly improve their competitive edge." One key topic is the Prinect Postpress Manager, which allows full-service print shops to integrate postpress equipment fully into their overall workflow and thus enable them to make decisions on deadlines and costs based on real facts and figures. In total, visitors have the chance to see live demonstrations of 20 differ-

Print Pack Publish Asia â&#x20AC;˘ 1/2012

Finishing Technology ent machine configurations at the Postpress Commercial Information Days. All products on display will be available by drupa. Customers also have the chance to gather information on PMA programs and the postpress products available in the areas of Systemservice, Saphira consumables, and business consulting. The program is rounded off with a guided plant tour. Heidelberg partners Polar, KAMA, Hunkeler, and ATS are also exhibiting their products and solutions in Leipzig. Sustainability is a key feature of all the solutions on display. Heidelberg defines binding environmental and sustainability targets for all its products right from the start, taking in everything from the initial idea, development, manufacture, and operation at the customer site, all the way through to the end of the life cycle. For example, the separate servo drives of the feeders on the Stitchmaster ST 450 stop immediately if an error occurs, while other machine concepts only stop after two or three brochures, which are then lost as waste. Based on a throughput of 15 million 36-page A4 brochures, this saves around five metric tons of paper a year. The innovative makeready functions of the new Stahlfolder KH 82 combination folding machine, for instance, reduce not only the makeready time for a new job, but also the setup waste. This results in approximate savings of 2.5 metric tons of paper per year when the machine is operating at full capacity. Thanks to signature production with new imposition schemes and the innovative pneumatic twin lay device for the Stahlfolder, the same folding capacity is achieved at lower machine speeds, which cuts the noise volume at the main control panels by half. Postpress machines impress with high productivity, efficiency, quality, reliability, and easy operation Heidelberg Postpress offers customers precisely the answers and solutions they need to make new investments to ensure they are competitive and successful even in difficult economic times. The trend towards ever-shorter print runs and tighter delivery deadlines demands efficient and flexible postpress

operations. The aim is to enable users to produce sellable folded sheets, brochures, and books as quickly as possible. Energy-efficient, modular drive concepts and a level of automation that is consistently geared towards maximizing customer benefits are key. For instance, the position of the various feeder types on the Stitchmaster ST 450 saddlestitcher can be switched quickly and easily to ensure perfect processing of folded sheets, regardless of where in the brochure they are located. With the Eurobind Pro adhesive binder, users can switch from EVA to PUR hotmelt at the touch of a button.

cessing the entire machine network from every control panel of the Eurobind Pro adhesive binder simplifies the handling of even complex systems considerably. During the installation of every machine, experts from Heidelberg provide professional training at the customer's site. Additional training services from the Print Media Academy (PMA) sites in Leipzig and Ludwigsburg help operators get the most out of the machines.

Customer-specific service and maintenance contracts result in maximum machine availability, which in turn ensures optimum adherence to deadlines for end customers.

What's more, consumables from Heidelberg are perfectly matched to the machine requirements to ensure high-quality end products and enable customers to dispense with their own time-consuming material tests. Saphira glues, whose open process times are precisely matched with the machine requirements of the Eurobind adhesive binders, are just one example of this.

A high level of automation coupled, above all, with outstanding ease of operation gives rise to optimum cost-effectiveness. Electronic setup aids, for instance, simplify work on the Stahlfolder folding machines. The possibility of ac-

Postpress operations for long, medium-sized, and even very short print runs - produced in offset or digital printing The enormous pricing pressures facing print shops in the production of classi-

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Finishing Technology

and analysis provide valuable support for operators of folding machines, saddlestitchers, and adhesive binders from Heidelberg. Special, high-quality materials are used for the paper-feeding parts on all equipment from Heidelberg to prevent the vast majority of marks that impact on product quality. New imposition schemes in combination with oblong feeding on the folding machine enable far higher register accuracy for images or title bars running across two pages even with heavier grammages. The use of parallel instead of cross folds also reduces natural creasing.

cal signatures with long print runs and high-productivity presses are leading to calls for press output to be processed on just a single folding machine by one operator. Heidelberg has been able to increase the productivity of its folding machines by up to 30 percent by using new imposition schemes and oblong feeding as familiar from the press. Oblong feeding is made possible thanks to the innovative, pneumatic twin lay device used in the Stahlfolder. Oblong feeding, combined with new imposition schemes, increases productivity by 12 percent along the entire production chain. Instead of 32 pages in A5 format, this solution makes it possible to accommodate 36 pages on a single print sheet. Integrated modules and control systems ensure an end product of the highest quality. One example is the unique glue application monitoring function on the Eurobind Pro, which ensures 100% quality assurance in the adhesive binding process. In addition, functions such as thickness and volume monitoring, print image recognition, and barcode reading

Heidelberg also offers ideal solutions for finishing very short runs, be they entirely digital, a mixture of digital and offset, or traditional offset alone. Inline finishing solutions from Ricoh, for example, extend from small offline machines to large adhesive binders that enable the economic production of both short and long print runs. The portfolio of Heidelberg is supplemented by OEM products from partners such as Duplo/FKS, Hunkeler, Kodak, and Popp. Customers discover the potential for generating extra added value in postpress "More and more customers are discovering the potential for generating extra added value in postpress," explains Reginald Rettig, Chairman of the Board of

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Vertrieb Deutschland GmbH. Twenty saddlestitchers from the Stitchmaster series have already been sold this year in Germany and Switzerland alone. Customers include commercial print shops and finishing companies. They value the high level of automation, flexibility, and short makeready times as well as the comprehensive range of consultancy and services. Many customers use both saddlestitchers and adhesive binders from Heidelberg. The adhesive binding sector is growing, with more than 50 Eurobind systems in operation in Germany and Switzerland. The biggest photo book producer in Europe works with the Eurobind 1300 adhesive binders at several locations. "The enormous pricing pressure faced by our customers is placing increasingly high demands on machine manufacturers, which we meet by providing hightech equipment, excellent services, and the fast availability of parts," says Rettig. Consultancy and investment planning are also playing a key role in developments. In Germany alone, Heidelberg has nine experienced experts on hand to help customers with all matters relating to postpress. In addition to the technology itself, the experts also focus on cost-efficiency. After an in-depth job analysis, they draw up a feasibility study to help with the customer's purchasing decisions. â&#x20AC;˘

Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

Finishing Technology

Quick, safe and with a new automation platform First class bookblocks and an efficient production thrill bookbinders all over the world who produce with the Ventura MC Book sewing machine from Müller Martini. Motion Control Technology together with a series of control devices ensures the high reliability. The new visualization provides for an even clearer and simpler operation. Signatures with a length of 120 to 510mm and a width of only 75 up to 320mm are processed with the Ventura MC. In this huge size range two-ups are produced just as reliably as landscape bookblocks, bookblocks with inserted signatures or products from lightweight paper. Machine operation with maximum ease-of-use Menus guide the operator through the Ventura MC set-up process. Thanks to the logic screen displays, even non-expe-

rienced personnel can carry out all steps. Jobs can be stored and called up at any time. Production data can be exchanged between single Ventura machines. They are standardised, so that the operators are quickly familiar with different machines and can be flexibly deployed within the organization. Step by step the operators are guided through the order or set-up assistant. The logic and streamlined system shows only what is relevant at the moment. The assistant offers possibilities for users of any level. Experi-

enced staff can avoid the logical step by step guidance and enter the data straight into the production menu. Any possible modification the system suggests is also shown to the operator. A remote access is completely integrated into the new visualization. To ask for Muller Martini’s support the user sends a “request” directly from the Ventura MC Book sewing machine. Then the factory carries out remote maintenance.

Grow with Primera.

If mid-volume work is on your agenda, Primera is your saddle stitcher. Featuring a labor-saving, straight-line design and ergonomic operation, Primera offers three speeds of production so your

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operators can precisely match the machine to each job at hand. They will also appreciate Primera’s user-friendly controls, which contribute to the system’s fast makeready capabilities.

Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

Finishing Technology

Fanless and passively cooled Ventura MC now uses a new control unit that does not require a hard drive or electromechanical components. The robust system is fanless and completely passively cooled. Therefore no overheating can occur. The three-part sliding door allows easy access at any position. The Ventura MC offers three types of delivery: stacked, shingled or upright. Asir 3: Barcode scan or image recognition – the user’s choice Müller Martini offers the Ventura MC Book sewing machine with the wellproven control system Asir 3. Signature monitoring is done either with the barcode or image recognition. The sensor consists of an „intelligent“ camera, that recognizes and decides whether a signature is fed in correctly fed in. The sensor is installed that it can check the signatures from inside. With this Müller Martini patent, signatures which are not fed-in in the right sequence or have not been opened correctly can be detected. The Asir 3 sensor takes four pictures of each signature for image comparison. The area in which the pictures are taken is variable and can be adjusted by the

The camera installed on the infeed saddle checks the correct sequence and opening of the signatures – optional either via image recognition or barcode scanner. Correctly gathered book blocks are herewith guaranteed. operator depending on the product. Alternatively, the operator can choose the barcode scan option. Here, the sensor scans the barcode on the head or foot edge or for two-ups even at the divid-

ing line. The barcode scan option guarantees an absolutely clear identification of the signatures and thereby avoids waste. Müller Martini offers a program for users to create barcodes that can be

Primera Saddle Stitcher. High efﬁciency for mid-volume projects.

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Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

Finishing Technology

For maximum efficiency the VenturaConnect links the thread sewing machine via a buffer system directly with the gatherer.

The big advantage of the Ventura MC is that the thread loops are formed by air-blast. This method is extremely reliable because many mechanical movements have been eliminated compared to conventional systems integrated into all current prepress programs. Vacuum generation by energy-saving single ejectors The air consumption of the Ventura MC was lowered by approximately 30% at comparable productions. This is all thanks to the new type of vacuum generation featuring energy-saving ejectors in the feeder hopper and signature opening station. The vacuum is generated exactly where it is needed and for as long as it is needed. This new solution has pro-

duced huge energy savings, and, equally, response times at the beginning and end of the suction process are shorter, resulting in greater process reliability. The modular opening system in which the ejectors are used, offers a multitude of opening versions. A manifold of paper and signature types with or without low folio lap are perfectly opened. MC Technology ensures sensational production speed Even at highest speed the Motion Control Technology ensures an absolutely

The step-by-step visualization at the touchscreen leads the operator through the logic and streamlined order or set-up assistant.

reliable production. The signatures are positioned on the sewing saddle in a servo-controlled way and are aligned on the right side. This, plus the two-part construction of the saddle allow a high production speed also with multiple-up productions and superior products. The MC Technology increases efficiency and uses the energy intelligently and economically, leading to lower energy consumption. Air-jet technology and thread heat sealing for highest product quality The air-jet supported thread loop formation offers the choice between single and combined staggered stitch by simply changing the air-jet direction with a key stroke on the commander. Depending on the product the spine build-up can be reduced considerably. Selectively it can be stitched with or without blind stitches. Productions without blind stitch increase productivity and provide book blocks with short thread-ends. Due to the heat-sealed thread loops the blocks remain in their compact form. Highest quality is guaranteed. Remarkable is also that the Ventura MC processes even signatures with only four pages at high speed. Flexible and safe: Efficient signature infeed in stacks The Ventura MC can be extended with an automated stack infeed. The stack infeed with buffer allows the operator a flexible and efficient mode of operation. Even at highest speeds he is capable to add enough signatures, so the machine is running at full capacity and therefore guarantees high productivity – even with coated paper and such with low grammage. An even higher automation offers the link-up with a gatherer. At the integrated system Connect the gathered signatures are stacked, buffered and automatically fed to one, two or three Ventura MC. The intermediate buffering of the loose book blocks ensures high efficiency. The signature thickness control and the Asir 3 signature control in the gatherer work together with the Asir 3 control system of the Ventura MC for maximum process safety and reliable quality. •

Print Pack Publish Asia â&#x20AC;˘ 1/2012

Finishing Technology

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Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

News Asia Pacific. Deboo will take over responsibilities for activities in Asia Pacific and Japan (excluding China) from JeanPierre De Moor, who is leaving the company after 22 years of service to pursue new opportunities.

Muller Martini Prepares for the drupa 2012

Muller Martini will present the world premiere of solutions for a changing market environment under the motto “one world – one drupa” in hall 14, booth C21 at the leading trade fair in the print and media industry held from May 3 to 16 in Dusseldorf. At its 2,100-m2 booth, Muller Martini will display a total of ten machine exhibits from all of its business divisions: variable size web-offset printing presses, saddle stitchers, perfect binders, hardcover systems, newspaper mailroom systems as well as systems for modern digital book production. With hybrid solutions for digital finishing, Muller Martini is focusing on smart process solutions for existing and new markets. “The digital market as well as profitability and added value of the products are just as important as our life cycle management,” says Bruno Müller, CEO of Muller Martini. “Visitors to our booth will be able to see for themselves that Muller Martini has the right answers to these issues.” With solutions from Muller Martini, printing houses and finishing companies can position themselves successfully in a changing market environment and stand out from their competition with a new flexibility and efficiency. Highest standards of quality, state-ofthe-art technology, process automation and intelligent networking are the main elements that Muller Martini will be showcasing at the drupa 2012.

EskoArtwork appoints new vicepresident for Asia

EskoArtwork announces the appointment of Hoshi Deboo as Vice President

“Hoshi brings a wealth of diverse executive talent and experience to this role,” says Carsten Knudsen, CEO EskoArtwork: “I am pleased to welcome him to our team as we continue to drive growth and profitability in the Asia Pacific region. As this dynamic market continues to rapidly evolve, EskoArtwork is perfectly positioned to help customers make the most of developing opportunities. Central to that ability is an assured delivery of service via an educated and cohesive team that Hoshi is well-suited to lead.” Deboo joins EskoArtwork from United Fiber Systems, Ltd., where he was Acting CEO and Executive Director charged with restructuring the company and bringing in a major investor. During the 1990s, Deboo was based in Singapore with RR Donnelley developing a US$273 million Asian publishing and print outsourcing services business extending from Japan to Australia with operations in seven countries. Subsequently, he joined Cenveo, a $2 billion consolidator of commercial printing companies, leading a $200 million business unit for the company. Deboo speaks four Asian languages and has a wide network of U.S. and Asia Pacific contacts. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and an M.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.

“I am excited to be joining the EskoArtwork team,” Deboo says. “EskoArtwork brings market-leading solutions to the printing, publishing and packaging industries and is committed to developing new services and solutions that help customers meet their individual market and end user needs. There is a huge opportunity for growth of this business in the Asian market, and I am looking forward to transforming those growth opportunities into reality.” De Moor, who will remain with EskoArtwork during a period of transition, says: “During my time with EskoArtwork, the company has greatly increased its presence in the Asian market, creating solutions that address unique, regionspecific issues. I believe EskoArtwork’s presence in this exciting market will be taken to a new level under Hoshi’s leadership. I wish him well in this challenging and rewarding role.” “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jean-Pierre for his loyalty and dedication in the 22 years he has served EskoArtwork,” adds Knudsen. “He played a pivotal role in an exciting period of growth that will continue to evolve through Hoshi’s expertise. We wish him the best in his new endeavors.”

drupa 2012 – Heidelberg presents solutions for growth in today’s market environment

From May 3 to 16, 2012, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is showcasing an extended product and solution portfolio in hall 1 at drupa in Düsseldorf. The leading international solution provider for sheetfed offset printing is focusing its trade show presence on its extensive portfolio of state-of-the-art technologies and services under the banner “Discover HEI”. The company is exhibiting solutions that enable print shops and postpress businesses to meet the latest market requirements. “The circumstances surrounding drupa 2012 are exceptional, since the industry is still changing. But as a reliable partner, we are ideally placed to offer valuable guidance and recommend appropriate solutions,” says Bernhard Schreier, CEO of Heidelberg. “In the current market environment, trust and reliability are priorities for our customers. That is why

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Web Offset Technology

KBA Rapida 105 Designed for performance Robust, fast, versatile â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and ideal for your market. Our all-new Rapida 105 represents the highest evolutionary stage in its class, with an array of features normally reserved for high-end presses. Based on the makeready world champion, our Rapida 106, it incorporates inking units that respond faster than ever, venturi sheet guides, a highline AirTronic delivery and a raft of automation modules.

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A wealth of new technology at attractive conditions. For more information on our new Rapida 105 use the QR code or contact us.

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Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

News we use our innovations to respond to customer queries that extend far beyond purely technical issues, for example – what business models are successful in the long run? What new ideas and strategies will truly pay off for print media service providers and in the print media industry in the future? During drupa, Heidelberg will be presenting the ideal solutions to questions such as these from the advertising and packaging printing sector.” Growth is achievable  The digitally driven change process in production and the consumption of advertising media poses a major challenge for the printing industry. And the current economic and financial crisis is making the market environment even more difficult. Even if print volumes as a whole remain constant, the trends in individual market segments are very different. Set against structural changes in the media and communication market, two clear developments are emerging. On the one hand, traditional print applications such as the newspaper and magazine segment are showing significant evidence of decline in the west while, on the other hand, major growth is anticipated in areas such as the packaging market, short runs, print-on-demand and webto-print production. Print production is also on the increase in the emerging markets. Heidelberg is responding to different rates of development in local markets and increasingly in individual market segments and is showcasing a portfolio of solutions at drupa 2012 that are specifically tailored to the key market

trends in the printing industry. “We see drupa as an opportunity for our sector to prove that it is prepared for the challenges of the future. It is our job to show customers that printed communication is here to stay,” says Schreier. “There are opportunities for growth, but in an environment that is becoming increasingly fragmented, both in regional and international terms as well as in existing market segments, growth will not come on its own. If a company

wants to offer its customers more, it needs optimized business management processes and innovative business models more than anything else. As a global technology pioneer and market leader, Heidelberg is ideally placed to meet these demands.” What Heidelberg has to offer at drupa 2012 During the trade show in Düsseldorf, Heidelberg is presenting a portfolio that spans all key market developments in the sector today. This will enable customers to seize on the latest trends in the industry and build them into their operations for maximum result. The trade show presentation will focus in particular on lean production, green printing, web-toprint, print-on-demand, differentiation through coatings and special effects, the future of packaging printing and gaining an edge through the latest know-how. To reflect the trade show banner “Discover HEI” and give visitors a clear point of reference, each of these seven market trends will be summed up with a “HEI” title:   Lean production Efficiency, cost optimisation, and speed are expected throughout the advertising sector. When it comes to print production, return on investment is what matters to

Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

News

Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

News the customer who is looking for the best product at the best price. The only way that can be achieved is by streamlining the entire production workflow using process optimization and the fastest possible production processes. Green Printing Green printing protects the environment and ensures media production can operate on a sustainable basis. Many companies that are major advertisers have environmental regulations that must be strictly observed by all print providers. Print shops around the world benefit from the high environmental standards of Heidelberg and use them to gain a competitive edge in a whole variety of ways. HEI Eco covers both the sustainable production equipment and processes that Heidelberg offers customers and the optimum ecological properties of printed products that meet customer requirements. Web-to-print Thanks to the Internet, web portals supported by digital processes and software architectures can now be used to create printed matter, commission production, and make payments – all online. Web-to-print opens up a whole new range of possibilities for print service providers and their customers, enabling

them to optimize print production for corporate and end customers and automate manufacturing operations. Web-to-print portals are already proving popular with millions of end users (for photo books, postcards, etc.). However, there is still a huge amount of potential waiting to be tapped in the corporate segment, where the requirements of a wide range of customers can be met with broad-based or customized solutions. Heidelberg offers exactly these solutions under the banner of HEI Integration. Print-on-demand, short-run and hybrid production The term “print-on-demand” covers a whole range of state-of-the-art job production techniques. The basic principle is to transform existing data into printed products immediately. This also needs to be done in short to very short runs with identical content or, increasingly, through printing with variable data. Mixed forms are also in demand, with hybrid production combining and integrating offset and digital printing in one application without detracting from the look of the printed image. Applications include the use of Quick Response (QR) codes, which can link printed matter with online media or online marketing campaigns. HEI Flexibility will show visitors to drupa how they can implement this trend in their own operations. Differentiation through coatings and special effects Every type of surface finishing technique such as coating, embossing, and cold foil applications is used to make a printed product stand out and to enhance its impact or durability. When it comes to coatings and special effects, print shops need to adapt to meet the needs of customers and print buyers for a process-optimized production workflow that keeps costs down, doesn't waste time, generates added value, and ensures the final product stands out. Coatings, special

effects and the skilled combination of various surface finishing options represent a core competency that delivers maximum benefits and ensures an eye-catching result. Heidelberg is presenting these opportunities under HEI Emotions. Packaging printing Packaging is printed communication and often offers much more than just words and images. It doesn't serve simply to protect products and aid their transport and storage either. Packaging makes a direct statement about the product inside. It communicates, transfers knowledge, and is often the decisive factor in a customer’s decision to purchase at the point of sale. In other words, it is largely packaging that encourages us to buy a product. Gaining an edge through the latest know-how In the age of the Internet, it has become even more important to understand the significance of print media and contemporary production techniques. Lifelong learning has also become a key requirement. It is no longer sufficient for economically advanced and ambitious growth regions to simply acquire a oneoff basic foundation in print media production. Instead, individuals need to maintain, expand and carefully develop their expertise on a regular basis, particularly when the production equipment and processes they are using are becoming increasingly complex and demanding. HEI School encompasses a range of offerings that keep print media personnel up to speed for discussions with customers and for their day-to-day work.  A comprehensive range of innovations from Heidelberg Services   Since the IPEX 2010 trade show, Heidelberg has been continuously expanding the portfolio of services it offers customers. By purposefully integrating services, consumables, and consultancy offerings, the company has extended the range of components it offers to help print shops move forward into the future. For example, Heidelberg Services will be presenting new service contracts during drupa that ensure customers can benefit from maximum productivity and machine availability. New and extended Prinect functions will also offer workflow solutions for growth segments in the print media industry. In addition, the Heidelberg consultancy portfolio has been expanded to help print shops optimize

Print Pack Publish Asia • 1/2012

News their energy management systems, for example. Also coming to drupa is a series of exceptionally environmentally friendly consumables known as Heidelberg Saphira Eco.  Speedmaster XL 105 with a printing speed of 18,000 sheets per hour in perfecting mode to be unveiled   As customers become more sensitive to prices, run sizes decrease, and job variation increases, print shops in industrialized nations are going to have to reorganize their production systems so that they are even more flexible and efficient. Throughput times in print production are becoming ever tighter and, in response, Heidelberg is unveiling a Speedmaster XL 105 with a production speed of 18,000 sheets per hour in perfecting mode at drupa. As a result, Heidelberg can now offer a solution designed for lean production and is pursuing a strategy of offering perfectly coordinated processes and products that deliver maximum productivity. Market research has shown that one in three of all customers using a Speedmaster XL 105 today are potential customers for this higher perfecting speed.

Baldwin secures $1M deal with C&C Joint Printing in China

Baldwin Technology Company, Inc., a global leader in process automation technology for the print media industry, today announced that it has secured an equipment order valued at over $1 million from C&C Joint Printing Co., (H.K.) Ltd in China. In 2009, C&C was one of the first group of 48 Chinese enterprises that received the honorable title of “Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners (manufacturing)”, and the company still retains the title in 2011. Baldwin will supply high performance IMPACT automatic blanket cleaning systems to retrofit Heidelberg sheetfed presses (for a total of 84 printing units) in three of C&C’s factories located in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing. Baldwin has also contracted to supply PREPAC cloth rolls to these three locations for two years, ensuring the best possible results for cleaning. The IMPACT cloth systems will replace the original brush systems and upgrade the total cleaning performance by utilizing Baldwin’s PREPAC cloths. The PREPAC cloths are presaturated with cleaning

solution to ensure superb cleaning results, while offering the exceptional advantage of drastically reducing VOC emissions. As C&C Joint Printing Co. has received the Chinese government’s endorsement as a “green” factory, the upgrade to Baldwin’s low-VOC system is instrumental in assisting C&C with continuing to meet the rigorous standards required for the endorsement. The benefits of the Baldwin IMPACT cleaning system extend even further to improved efficiency and cost savings of consumables related to the blanket cleaning process. Peter Hultberg, Baldwin’s vice president, global sales and marketing, stated, “With its green manufacturing endorsement, C&C will be prominent in demonstrating to other Chinese printers how to create and build clean-production facilities. Many potential Baldwin customers that are also pursuing cleaner production in manufacturing will visit the three C&C print centers, and in the process, they will learn about the various benefits of Baldwin’s IMPACT system and how they too can lower VOCs, reduce waste and improve productivity and efficiency.” Chau Chi Keung, assistant general manager of C&C Joint Printing Co., said, “We are impressed by the capability and advantages of the Baldwin system and are expecting outstanding results as we progress into a more environmentallyconscious future”. Alfred Chan, Baldwin’s technical sales and service director for Asia-Pacific, remarked, “C&C has achieved outstanding status in printing and in utilization of green technology. Baldwin has maintained a strong relationship with C&C for years, and we are proud to be selected once again to supply a product that so perfectly meets its production and environmental needs.”

New Gallus sales and service centres in Asia

As part of its ongoing process optimisation and its aim to move closer to the customer in the emerging markets, Gallus is restructuring its organisation in Asia. The company is opening two new Gallus sales and service organisations in South-East Asia and India. True to its motto “Success and security for the labelprinter”, Gallus constantly

reviews and optimises its processes and customer focus. Now, two new regional Gallus sales and service centres are being opened as part of one such optimisation project. Following a long and successful sales and service cooperation with Heidelberg in the Asia region and the expansion of both companies' respective portfolios for their own customer groups, the next logical step for Gallus is to focus on the target group of labelprinters by establishing its own sales centres. Singapore-based Gallus South East Asia Pte Ltd. (Gallus SEA) is taking over all local Gallus sales and service activities for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Indochina. Dario Urbinati, who has worked at Gallus for many years, will head up the Gallus SEA sales centre for the entire region. In his role as Managing Director, he will be supported by a team of sales, service and print professionals who between them have spent years gathering a wide range of local experience with Gallus products. Based in Mumbai, the new Gallus sales and service centre in India will launch operations on 1 December 2011. Led by a team with many years' experience of Gallus products, Gallus India in Mumbai will be responsible for India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Burma and Nepal. Samir Patkar, who spent many years in charge of Gallus products at Heidelberg India, will take on the role of managing director. Narendra Kulkarni will be in charge of service and technical support. Additional support will come from local service engineers in Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore. Gallus is delighted that these two experienced teams will transfer the knowledge built up over many years into the new organisation and that the company is now in a position to take targeted steps to intensify its local presence and move even closer to the customer.