Irish Printer - March 2014

IRISH

PRINTER

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

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Design

Red Dog Reflects on its Positive Relationships with Printers

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Marketing

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IPEX 2014 Preview

Companies Must Innovate to Heidelberg Offers Irish Printers Capitalise on Direct Mail Growth 20/20 Vision

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Packaging

Watershed Label Centre on its Latest Flexo Press Investments

Contents | IRISH PRINTER

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

Cover Story» 12 Find out about how you can join the print revolution with Neopost Ireland at IPEX 2014 and check out the latest offerings from brands such as Duplo, Ideal, Komfi, Multigraf and EFI.

Design » 14 Mary Doherty, Chief Executive Officer of design consultants Red Dog, reflects on the creative and mutually beneficial relationships that her company has had with various printing businesses since its inception in the early 1990s.

Marketing» 16

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Marketing Direct Mail is at its highest level in two and half years. So how can print companies further capitalise on its growing popularity?

Interview» 19 Gary Upton, Director of total communications services company iQ Group, talks about their recent rebranding and the installation of their new – and first – wide format production press.

IPEX Preview» 22 – 28 • Epson Demonstrates Digital Printer Versatility at IPEX 2014 • What's New at Ipex Find out about the latest new products and enhancements at IPEX from Fujifilm, Marlowe Digital, Konica Minolta, Hybrid Software, Friedheim International, and Shuttleworth.

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16 •H eidelberg Offers 2020 Vision Cleverly timing its open house to run at the end of the IPEX week, Heidelberg hopes to attract visitors to its National Showroom in Brentford on March 27th and 28th with the promise of a clear-sighted look at the way print will evolve over the next six years and beyond.

In Conversation» 29 This month Irish Printer talks to Padraic Kierans, Managing Director of Anglo Printers, who tells us about some recent investments and about what he gets up to when he isn't toiling away at the printing press!

PACKAGING» 33 Nick Coombes visits the Dublin-based Watershed Label Centre to find out about its latest and planned flexo press investments and the innovation behind its continued success.

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IRISH PRINTER | Editor’s Letter

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wo Sides US, Inc, recently announced that over 20 leading US companies have removed their 'anti-paper' green claims which were being used to promote electronic billing and other e-services as a more environmentally-friendly solution than paper. These companies are primarily top Fortune 500 organisations in the banking, utilities and telecommunications sectors.

Some of the reasons that Two Sides lists for challenging the claims are as follows: • Print on paper made in the US has many unique environmental characteristics compared to other products. It originates from trees grown in responsibly managed forests and is the most recycled commodity in the US with a recovery rate of over 65% in 2012 (America Paper & Forest Association, 2013).

• Marketing messages like 'save trees' create a false impression that forests are a finite resource that is being destroyed instead of a renewable resource that is continuously replenished using sustainable forest management practices. Over the last 50 years, the volume of trees growing on US forestland increased 49% (Society of American Foresters, 2007).

• The claims are damaging to the US economy and threaten US jobs. A total of 8.4 million jobs (six per cent of total US jobs) that generate $1.3 trillion in sales revenue (8.6% of US gross domestic product) depend on the US mailing industry, which includes paper production, printing production, related suppliers, graphic design and the handling and distribution of mail (EMA Job Study, 2012).

These statistics apply to the US market but I'm sure that comparable statistics are available for the UK and Irish print industries. So what should the Irish printing industry be doing to capitalise on all of print and paper's positive attributes? We have the resources at our disposal to really promote the skills involved and the quality that is inherent in what the industry produces. So why aren't we doing it? The industry should be coming together to promote the high end and innovative work that it is doing via the web (including social media), or even via campaigns directed at consumers and at businesses that use print and digital media. There are many excellent Irish examples of how print can contribute to the marketing mix.

This month Irish Printer is taking a look at what is happening in the direct mail sector and at the creativity that is being displayed by a number of print companies in this sector. This is the first of a series of articles over the next few months that will highlight the key role that print is playing in some of the country's biggest marketing campaigns. It is time for the industry to highlight the quality of the end product that it is producing, to focus more on the applications rather than the printing processes.

You are doing a great job - now it's time to let the consumer and the business community know about it. There are definite signs of an economic pick up and that should lead to growth in print volumes. But if the industry is to really capitalise on an economic uplift, it is going to have to come together in a spirit of collaboration and start promoting what it does to the wider world.

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

The team Editor: Maev Martin Editorial Manager: Mary Connaughton

Advertising Sales Manager: Fiona Larmon Printed by: Walsh Colour Print

Art Director: Geraldine Dunne Design: Philip Moyna, Alan McArthur Advertising Designers: Jennifer Reid, Kevin O’Connor

This issue of Irish Printer is printed on LumiArt 130gsm paper supplied by PaperlinX Ireland.

Stock Photography & Illustrations: Thinkstock

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

Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Production: Nicole Ennis / Jennifer Reid

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

Cover Image: iStock/Thinkstock.com

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All rights reserved. Every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate. The publishers cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © Ashville Media Group 2013. All discounts, promotions and competitions contained in this magazine are run independently of Irish Printer.

The promoter/advertiser is responsible for honouring the prize. ISSN 0790-2026

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IRISH PRINTER | News

Blade Runner Introduces Guillotine Engineering Service B

lade Runner Ltd, Ireland’s largest suppliers of machine blades and regrinding equipment, has now added an engineering division to the operation which means that the company can now provide a full guillotine service package and expanded spare parts range for its customers. Chris Doyle, a former Director of the Miller Group, has joined Blade Runner as its Technical Director and will be heading up the new division.

“Our engineers are fully qualified and trained by original equipment manufacturers on all aspects of paper cutting machines and handling equipment,” says Blade Runner Managing Director Ronan O’Daly. “We comply with the engineers competence guide on all issues of maintenance and safety relating to paper cutting guillotines. We use recommended ‘Stop Time Meter’ equipment to measure the stopping performance of the knife and we have the correct pressure measuring gauges for checking the safety pressures of the paper clamp. Upon completion of a full guillotine service, all work and checks are recorded and a safety check and calibration certificate is issued to our customers. In the UK it is mandatory to have your guillotine checked twice a year. In Ireland the regulations are less clear but the onus is on every printer to ensure that his machine is operating safely and that he keeps a record of checks and upgrades to his equipment. Both Chris and I are

ex Millers and Heidelberg so we have 60 years of printing experience between us, which is a great advantage when it comes to operating Blade Runner. When Millers closed down engineers had been leaving that organisation and setting up on their own and a lot of printers were finding it hard to get their equipment serviced. They were calling us and asking us what to do when their machines were down and we were referring them to other engineers but, with the introduction of this new 32-county engineering service, Blade Runner can now offer a total package to printers on the consumables side of the business.”

Ronan O’Daly established Blade Runner in 2007 and it is now Ireland’s biggest supplier in the guillotines and blade sharpening business. They are the exclusive partners in Ireland of IKS Klingelnberg - the biggest supplier of blades in the world - and of Swemko - the biggest knife re-grinder in the UK. The company also stocks a wide range of creasing matrix cutting machines. “We have gradually built up the regrinding and blade sharpening side of our business,” says Ronan. “We regrind for about 425 printers throughout the country - we sharpen their Tungsten carbide guillotine blades and high speed steel guillotine blades and we sell a full range of bindery consumables for all brands, including Polar, Wohlenberg, and Schneider.”

Multinational Acquires Link Design Studios L

ink Design Studios was recently acquired by the multi-national Equator Design Group. Consolidating Link Design Studios’ presence, Tom Fitzpatrick and Gary Orr are Directors of Equator Ireland while all of the current team will remain in place. “The acquisition is part of Equator’s strategy to increase its growth in the Irish market

and we look forward to announcing new appointments in both our design and management teams in early 2014,” says Tom Fitzpatrick. Equator Design Group is an award-winning global brand design consultancy with offices in the UK, Ireland, the US, and Australia, and partnerships in China and India.

A packaging job from Equator Design's portfolio.

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Directors Gary Orr (centre) with Tom Fitzpatrick and Jaz Singh of Equator Design Manchester.

News | IRISH PRINTER

Ready, Steady, Wrap!

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ign + Digital will host the inaugural All Ireland Vehicle Wrap Championship on April 8th at their premises in Airton Close (Unit 7) in Tallaght, Dublin 24. The event will see 32 companies from around the country compete for the coveted title of Ireland’s Best Vehicle Wrapper.

In addition to being named the best vehicle wrapper in the country, the winner will represent Ireland at the FESPA Digital World Wrap Masters which takes place in Munich from May 20th to 23rd. The prize includes flights and accommodation for four nights for two people in Munich during the Wrap Masters, as well as a cash prize of a500. An international judging panel has been carefully selected to judge the competition. On the day, competitors will complete a number of timed challenges and the judges will select the best contestant from each round. Each competitor will compete

until he/she is eliminated, leaving just one winner who will be announced on the day.

The competition is open to all companies involved in sign making and digital printing and entrants must be representing a company and not themselves. “This is the first time that there has been an event of this kind in Ireland and we have had a huge response from people looking to enter,” says Leo Maher, Managing Director, Sign + Digital. “The prizes are fantastic and it is a great opportunity to boost your business’s profile in the vehicle wrap industry. The event will also mark the opening of our newly-expanded premises and we have invited a number of leading brands such as 3M, Orafol, SOTT, Metamark, Aslan and Roland, all of whom will be exhibiting on the day. Visitors will also receive a tour of our recently renovated Creative Centre.”

Print Ireland Will Not Go Ahead in May F

aversham House recently confirmed that Print Ireland, along with Sign & Digital Ireland, will not take place at the RDS, Dublin on May 28th and 29th 2014.

Despite having a number of leading suppliers booked for the event, the organisers decided that there was not enough support to deliver a show at that time that would give the required value to both exhibitors and visitors. The decision on when next to run the event will be reviewed in the near future.

Although the Irish event will not take place in spring 2014, Sign & Digital UK, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from April 20th to May 1st, will be hosting many of the wide format printing and sign making products and launches that would have been seen at the Dublin event. Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Roland DG, Hybrid Services/Mimaki and Fujifilm, along with many other leading suppliers, are exhibiting at the show. Pre-registration for free entry to Sign & Digital UK 2014 is now open and full details are on the show website www.signanddigitaluk.com

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IRISH PRINTER | News

Electioneering Ephemera from Times Past ‘W

hat You Maybe Meant to Keep’ is an exhibition of election leaflets, posters, pamphlets and political promotional materials dating mainly from the 1970s which is running in the National Print Museum from late March until mid May. The material is from General and Local elections, referendums, and European and Presidential elections and covers all aspects of the political experience, from the ballot paper to the final outcome. Designed and printed in Ireland, the posters, pamphlets and promotional material on display would have been a regular if infrequent aspect of many print companies output. And this collection at the National Print Museum highlights many of the personalities and parties that dominated Irish politics over the past 40 years and reflects the social, economic and political changes in Irish life during those decades.

The material is drawn primarily from a collection started by Alan Kinsella of the Irish Election Literature website [http://irishelectionliterature.

wordpress.com] with some additional materials from the Irish Left Archive [http://www.clririshleftarchive.org], which were donated to them by members of the public, politicians and political parties.

Admission to the exhbition is free of charge and it will be accompanied by a short tour and lecture series with its curators, Alan Kinsella and Dr Ciarán Swan of NCAD. Irish Printer readers should make a note of the following

dates in their diaries: Curator’s tour with Alan Kinsella, Thursday, April 3rd, 18.30pm; Lecture, Political Design, Irish and International, Dr Ciarán Swan, Thursday, April 10th, 18.30pm; Curator’s tour with Alan Kinsella, Sunday, April 13th, 11.00am; Curator’s tour with Dr Ciaran Swan, Thursday, May 1st, 18.30pm. All events are free of charge but advance booking is essential. Email info@nationalprintmuseum.ie or Tel: (01) 6603770.

Young Writers Hand-Set, Proof & Bind Their Poetry L

ightbulbs is a new book of original poetry and its method of compilation shows that the art of printing is far from dead as far as young people are concerned. The book is the result of a collaborative project between Fighting Words and the National Print Museum. The poems in Lightbulbs are original pieces written by ten young writers at Fighting Words in September 2013, with support from their staff, volunteers, and poet and former Managing Editor of The Irish Times Gerard Smyth. Gerard also writes the book’s introduction.

In October, they came to the National Print Museum and set their poems by hand, under the tutorship of letterpress practitioner Mary Plunkett. The poems were collected into a book and launched at the Museum on January 16th. The writers chose their own typefaces, hand-set their poems, proofed them on the Farley proofing press, and chose the papers and binding materials. Each author cut a linocut image to accompany their poem. In addition, the young writers hand-set a letterpress print which includes a chosen word from each of their poems.

The book was printed on the Museum’s Glockner cylinder press on 170gsm Zerkall mould paper, with end papers in

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130gsm grey Hahnemuhle Burga Butten. It was sewn by hand and bound in cloth by Duffy Bookbinders, Dublin. A limited number of deluxe editions were also published. The deluxe is quarter bound in cloth and the Lightbulbs letterpress print. It is presented in a slipcase and each copy is signed by the poets.

Lightbulbs was printed in a limited edition of 100 and is available to purchase from the National Print Museum (shop and website) and Fighting Words (website). Both the National Print Museum and Fighting Words are registered charities and all profits will be used to fund similar projects. A standard copy is e44 and a deluxe copy is e80. For further information visit www.nationalprintmuseum.ie or www.fightingwords.ie.

News | IRISH PRINTER

World’s First Colour Multi-Material 3D Printer S

tratasys Ltd announced the launch of the groundbreaking Objet500 Connex3 colour multi-material 3D printer on January 27th - the first and only 3D printer to combine colours with multi-material 3D printing.

The Objet500 Connex3 features a triple-jetting technology that combines droplets of three base materials to produce parts with virtually unlimited combinations of rigid, flexible, and transparent colour materials as well as colour digital materials - all in a single print run. This ability to achieve the characteristics of an assembled part without assembly or painting is a significant time-saver. It helps product manufacturers validate designs and make good decisions earlier before committing to manufacturing.

“I believe our new Objet500 Connex3 3D printer will transform the way our customers design, engineer and manufacture new products,” says Stratasys CEO David Reis.

“In general and with the Connex technology in particular, we will continue to push the envelope of what’s possible in a 3D world.” Engineers at beta user Trek Bicycle in Waterloo, Wisconsin are using the Objet500 Connex3 for assessment and testing of accessories like bike chain stay guards and handlebar grips prior to actual production. “The Objet500 Connex3 changed the way we manufacture at Trek, augmenting our traditional, time-consuming CNC processes with fast, iterative and realistic prototyping and functional testing,” says Mike Zeigle, Manager of Trek’s prototype development group. “Now we produce bicycle parts that look and feel like production parts. We are particularly excited about 3D printing our models directly in colour. This gives our designers the ability to graphically display colour

contact pressure map data on rider contact parts like seats and grips. We are also working on doing the same with FEA & CFD stress data on structural bike components.”

Similar to a 2D inkjet printer, three colour materials VeroCyan, VeroMagenta and VeroYellow - are combined to produce hundreds of vivid colours. These colour materials join Stratasys’ extensive range of PolyJet photopolymer materials, including digital materials, rigid, rubber-like, transparent, and high temperature materials to simulate standard and high temperature engineering plastics. The Objet500 Connex3 also features six palettes for new rubberlike Tango colours, ranging from opaque to transparent colours in various shore values to address markets such as automotive, consumer and sporting goods and fashion. The flexible materials in colour are expected to be commercially available in Q2/2014. “Since its introduction in 2007, the Objet Connex multi-material 3D printing platform has paved the way for the development of advanced 3D printing materials with unique mechanical and thermal properties,” says Stratasys VP of Product Marketing and Sales Operations, Igal Zeitun. “The Objet500 Connex3 produces models and parts using photopolymers in vivid colours so you can create colourful models from investigating concepts to pre-production pilot runs. As the first true multi-purpose 3D printer, we believe the Objet500 Connex3 is in a league of its own, enabling you to dream up a product in the morning, and hold it in your hands by the afternoon, with the exact intended colour, material properties and surface finish.”

The Objet500 Connex3 is commercially available now and is sold through Stratasys’ extensive worldwide reseller network.

Bicycle helmet 3D printed with VeroMagenta and VeroCyan in one print job on the Objet500 Connex3.

Shoes 3D printed in one print run, using Vero Yellow, VeroMagenta and rubber-like TangoBlack Plus.

One of the six new rubber-like Tango colour palettes.

Glasses 3D printed using Opaque VeroYellow (the frame), rubber-like black (TangoBlackPlus – also on the frame), and a unique translucent yellow tint (the lenses) in one print job – no assembly required.

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IRISH PRINTER | News

EFI and Landa Form Strategic Alliance E

FI and Landa Corporation recently entered into a partnership agreement for the development of a digital front end (DFE) as part of Landa’s end-to-end nanographic printing solution. EFI CEO Guy Gecht and Landa Chairman and CEO Benny Landa announced the partnership to an audience of over 1,000 EFI customers during the opening session of Connect, EFIs annual users conference in Las Vegas in January.

“Benny Landa is a legend in our industry, and we are excited to work with his company as its exclusive DFE technology provider,” said Guy Gecht.

“Landa nanographic printing presses have the potential to accelerate the migration of mainstream commercial printing and packaging to digital printing. The Landa DFE provides a proven, ultra-high-speed and well-integrated front-end platform that Landa customers will require.”

Benny Landa said that his company’s nanographic printing process enables them to offer “offset-quality digital printing and a combination of format size and throughput speeds unprecedented in the graphic arts industry. Reaching this remarkable and exciting goal requires partnering with best-in-class providers. That is the reason we chose Fiery technology and EFI as our development partner to deliver the highest quality ultra-highspeed front-end platform to match the quality and performance of our nanographic printing presses.”

Landa’s new DFE will employ highperformance, EFI-developed Fiery technology. “With this technology, the Landa DFE will offer unique, new functionality for sheetfed and webfed Landa nanographic printing presses in the commercial, folding carton,

point-of-sale, publishing, and flexible packaging markets,” said Benny Landa. “The Landa DFE will stream jobs at full printing speed for four to eight colour printing with Landa nanographic Guy Gecht, CEO of EFI and Benny Landa, Chairman and printing presses CEO of Landa Corporation, conclude their strategic agreement and will enable for Landa’s new high-performance DFE powered by EFI press operators Fiery technology. to perform last-minute job changes on the press, to proof jobs and to prepress and workflow platforms. print rush jobs on-the-fly. In addition, it Fiery is the first and only DFE platform will collect production feedback from the that carries a 100% perfect pass rating presses and support closed-loop colour from industry organisation VIGCs PDF control and inspection. The Landa DFE RIP Audit. The Fiery DFE technology will support all job dynamics including EFI is developing for Landa will offer static, VDP (Variable Data Printing) and the processing power needed to drive EPID (Every Page Is Different) printing. large volumes of offset-quality digital Landa selected EFI because of its images, including personalised/ technology leadership and expertise in variable-data content. high-speed digital systems and colour The new Landa DFE will enter beta and print management. Landa customers testing as part of the beta installations can use the new DFE to create an end-toof the B1 (41 in. / 1,050 mm) format end solution that naturally fits into their Landa S10 nanographic printing press, printing operation, whether full offset, which are slated for Q4 of this year. all-digital or hybrid offset/digital.”

Landa Digital Printing, part of the Landa group, claims that its Landa nanographic printing presses nanographic printing presses yield will be installed next to offset presses the lowest cost per digitally printed and use the same substrates. With page in the industry and combine the new DFE, the Landa presses will the versatility of digital with the integrate into a printer’s existing qualities and speed of offset. Based in prepress, production, and business Silicon Valley, with offices around the management workflow and finishing globe, EFI’s product portfolio includes equipment. The Landa DFE will enable digital front-end servers, superwide, high-speed, variable-data printing on wide-format, label and ceramic inkjet any off-the-shelf B1 format (41 in. / presses and inks, production workflow, 1,050 mm) substrate. As with current web to print, business automation EFI Fiery platforms, the new DFE will software, and office, enterprise and integrate with EFIs MIS/ERP systems, mobile cloud solutions. as well as with leading third-party

Landa’s S10CF press - the latest in its line of nanographic printing presses - which was launched in autumn 2013.

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News | IRISH PRINTER

Neopost Partners with Italian Finishers

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eopost Ireland recently expanded its range of wide format and print finishing options for the Irish market by partnering with Neolt, one of the leading suppliers of trimmers, folders and laminators. The Italian manufacturer’s range includes the Neolt XY trimmer, which is designed to cut thick materials at a variable speed. The trimmer is designed for simultaneous cutting on all four sides. A sensor allows for diverse horizontal cutting whereas the vertical cutting trims the prints as they move forward. The trimmer can cut a wide range of media including photographic media, vinyls, plotter inkjet paper and polyester film. The Neolt range of laminators are ideal for car wrapping, paper transformation and sign making.

Ricoh Scores High on Sustainability

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icoh has once again been rated as one of Global 100’s most sustainable corporations in the world. The company was presented with the news for the tenth year during the World Economic Forum in Davos. The Global 100 is an extensive data-driven corporate sustainability assessment and inclusion is limited to a select group of the top 100 largecap companies in the world. Ricoh has also been recognised by some of the most credible ratings in the world, including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, The FTSE4GOOD index series and OEKOM Corporate ratings. Ricoh has set aggressive long term targets to reduce impacts by 87.5% by 2050 (compared to 2000 levels).

Are You Ready for the New Food Regulations?

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he Design, Print & Packaging Skillnet, in conjunction with the Irish Packaging Society, is running a 'New Food Information Regulations and the Implementation Process' workshop at the Portlaoise Image courtesy of Equator Design.

Heritage Hotel in Portlaoise, Co Laois, on March 20th. The seminar will run from 9.30am until 12.30pm (registration from 9am) and will bring together experts to give brand managers, private label owners, food and drink manufacturers, marketing professionals, new product development personnel, packaging technologists and designers the necessary advice regarding the new legislative requirements. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 – Food Information to Consumers (FIC) is designed to remove any ambiguity from labelling across the EU. The objective is to standardise the approach and emphasise the presence or absence of certain ingredients. Changes to font size, name of food, allergen and ingredient lists, among others, will be required on the back of packs from December 13th 2014. This necessitates a strategic approach to making the changes and implementing the new designs while running down the existing stock. There will be peaks and backlogs so, if it's not done already, attending this workshop is a must.

Led by Anne-Marie Boland of the Food Safety Authority, the workshop will provide delegates with a detailed understanding of the new regulations, discussing specific changes and how they will affect them. Industry experts will look at best practice for implementing artwork changes and managing the reprographic process, taking a project-based approach and highlighting the benefits of a brand implementation system.

Email admin@dppskillnet.ie for further information on the workshop.

Ireland’s G7 Expert is Successfully Re-Certified

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egular Irish Printer contributor and colour management authority Dan Wilson was recently re-certified as both a ‘G7 Expert’ and ‘G7 Process Control Expert’ by IDEAlliance.

A ‘G7 Expert’ is an expert in the field of colour management, process and quality control for proofing and printing equipment. They are able to analyse colour and print-related issues and take effective corrective action to bring systems and processes in control to a set method, standard or specification with repeatable, predictable results.

“In 2006 Dan Wilson was among the first dozen people to qualify as a G7 Expert (there are now almost 600) and in 2011 Dan was among the first dozen

to qualify as a G7 PC Expert (there are now almost 50),” says Steve Bonoff, IDEAlliance Executive Vice President.

“Over the years Dan has participated in many GRACoL committees and steadfastly flown the IDEAlliance flag in Europe, clarifying details of various innovations and answering questions on the G7 approach to colour management. We congratulate Dan on his achievements.

IDEAlliance’s ‘G7 Process Control Expert’ programme builds on the momentum of the original G7 Expert programme and is a must for individuals or organisations wanting to take print production to the next level of profitability and repeatability. With an ever-expanding number of media channels available

to marketers, print service providers are preparing files for a vast array of devices, and often for multiple locations. G7 Process Control training ensures that key staff are skilled in the best practices of both print and electronic media production, which are central to reducing production costs, and operating an efficient multi-channel media production workflow.”

IDEAlliance is a global community of integrated media creators, producers, publishers, distributors, and their service providers, material suppliers, and technology partners. The not-for-profit association identifies best practices for efficient end-to-end digital media workflows - from content creation through to distribution.

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IRISH PRINTER | News

Impro Print Invests in Duplo Bookletmaker

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elfast, Co Antrim-based Impro Printing recently purchased a new Duplo System 5000i, adding to the range of Duplo equipment already on their premises. “We are producing very high volumes so we needed to install an upgrade on our previous booklet maker - Impro regularly invest in modern technology, upgrading pre-press systems and implementing a fully integrated print finishing suite,” says Managing Director Pat Beattie. “The majority of printing and finishing is also done inhouse and this combination means that the company can offer many services to customers. Since the start of December until now we have been very busy.

We have operated a number of Duplo booklet makers over the years and this is probably our sixth piece of kit from Duplo. We also have a Duplo laminator and a creasing machine. In addition, we

operate guillotines, folders and a Heidelberg cylinder and platen.”

Impro are digital and litho printers. “We have a Xerox 8080 production press and on the litho side we operate a Komori five colour B2 press and a KBA 10-colour SRA2 perfecting press,” says Pat. “Most of our output is still litho but our digital side has increased in recent years. We installed the Xerox 8080 two years ago to cope with customers’ demands for faster turnaround and we operate an Epson Stylus 9080 to produce posters and some point of sale materials for drink companies.”

Impro Printing, which has been

trading for over 30 years, employs 34 people and provides print to a broad base of public and private sector clients. “We produce a wide range of printed matter, anything from a million letterheads to brochures, including corporate brochures, and annual reports,” says Pat. So are they planning to make any investments on the printing side of the business? “We are in talks with KBA and with Komori at the moment to see if we can make further press investments,” says Pat.

Stewart Digital Sees Double with Konica Minolta

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angor, Co Down-based Stewart Digital installed its second Konica Minolta device in the space of two months in early February when it took delivery of a Bizhub Press C7000.

The company installed its first C7000 just before Christmas.

“We decided to invest in the first C7000 because our Kodak Nexpress was proving too expensive to run, even though it is a very good machine, so we installed the C7000 to remove some of the workload from the Nexpress,” says Managing Director Gareth Stewart. “However, we then realised that we were able to move all of our workload off the Nexpress device so we have decided not to run the Nexpress anymore. We may have no choice but to scrap it as it wouldn’t have a very high re-sale value.”

Stewart Digital produces mainly estate agents’ brochures and wedding stationery and they also produce quite a bit of trade work for graphic designers. “We also do some wide format work, mainly posters, on our Canon 8000 press,” says Gareth. “95% of our work comes from England and shipping

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wide format back can be problematic so we don’t have any plans to expand that side of the business. All of our work comes through our website and that makes sense because the jobs that we handle are quite small in value so manuallly processing them would be too expensive.” The company also operates two Autobond web laminators, two Morgana creasers, Morgana folders and a Duplo bookletmaker.

There is nothing new about operating a JDF workflow but there are still quite a number of companies in Ireland who haven’t gone down this route. Stewart Digital has been using JDF for seven years now. “We developed our own automated system,” says Gareth. “If a customer orders from us online our system will automatically impose the job and drop it straight onto the print queue on the machine and if we have enough paper trays and paper types the job is automatically printed and we don’t even have to preview it. The system automatically puts a tagline or job ticket on the edge of each sheet so the finishers know exactly how to finish the job but we still finish everything manually.”

KBA Sheetfed Offset Technology

Why KBA?

When every sheet counts... why choose KBA? KBA’s new generation RAPIDA presses feature the fastest production speeds, the quickest makeready times sidelay-free sheet feeding, failsafe on-press quality assurance regimes simultaneous plate changing, synchronised process changeovers and much, much more.

All this from a financially stable manufacturer, the innovation leader in our industry.

So, the question is: why not KBA?

KBA (UK) Ltd. 5 Century Court, Tolpits Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 9PX Tel: +44 (0)1923 819922 | Web: www.kba-uk.com

tel: dublin (01) 409 3100 belfast (028) 9083 9835 email: sales@reprocentre.ie web: reprocentre.ie nangor road business park, dublin 12 51 mallusk road, antrim, BT36 4FE

EXCEL, LONDON 24.03.14 - 29.03.14

JOIN THE PRINT REVOLUTION Neopost is delighted to be participating in IPEX 2014 at the London Excel Arena, bringing exciting new ideas and solutions to power your business. Your local Neopost account manager will be on site to take you and your business across your stands of interest. Use the details below to get in contact with our account managers where you can be sure to be pointed in the right direction.

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Tel: +353(0)16250 900 Mobile: +353 (0)86 262 17 27 Email: d.groom@neopost.ie

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FOLDING & INSERTING SOLUTIONS

BOOKLETMAKERS

Neopost Folder Inserter DS 75

€69

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CREASERS, PERFORATORS, FOLDERS

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€150

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€67

per week

inc maintenance

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Stand S3E270

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IRISH PRINTER | Design

The Designer & The Printer Can be Friends Mary Doherty, Chief Executive Officer of design consultants Red Dog, reflects on the creative and mutually beneficial relationships that her company has had with various printing businesses since its inception in the early 1990s.

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esigners and printers. Chalk and cheese, black and white, Man City and Man Utd? You get the picture.

Designers are unrealistic, irrational and demanding while printers are blasé, over-promising and often creative with the truth! That’s the cliché, anyway. Thankfully we don’t follow this stereotype. Over the years Red Dog has grown up with the help of a handful of very dependable printers that understand what we expect and know that we won’t accept anything less.

From Red Dog’s earliest days in 1993 it was very clear that we needed printers as much as they needed us.

We learned quickly that there was little point in us creating beautiful pieces of design that went off on a courier’s bike to the printer (before email/ftp servers, dropbox and all that) only to return as a disappointment and reduce us to tears. No, in order to deliver work that matched our vision, we knew we needed to work with the very best printers that were available. So we found them.

Hudson Killeen were a staple from the outset with Kevin Fuller being our

Concern Annual Report 2013. Printed by Print Media Services, winner of the Irish Printer Printer of the Year Award 2012.

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representative until his sad passing five years ago. We miss Kevin and still turn to Hudson Killeen for some of our larger endeavours - the Field Day Review was managed by them many times and they also had their turn printing the Concern Worldwide Annual Report - historically the one print job that’s most-coveted by our printers.

The Concern report has been managed

by Paddy Gallagher at Print Media Services for the last few years – and rightly so. We have every confidence that Paddy keeps all of the finer details on his radar as well as the more routine details involving quantities, schedules and deadlines. He offers opinions on how better to do things and often drops by with samples of work he has completed that may have pushed the boundaries a little. While many printers sometimes seem content to work on simpler projects, Paddy is always up for a challenge something we’re more than happy to provide! We can recall working through the night to overcome some issues with a complex print job. Paddy was with us the whole time, talking to his team, pushing

Designers are unrealistic, irrational and demanding while printers are blasé, over-promising and often creative with the truth! That’s the cliché, anyway. for a solution and keeping the coffees coming! We were delighted when Paddy won the Irish Printer magazine’s Printer of the Year award in 2012 for our Concern report, featured here.

Of course, like everyone else, price is a huge issue for us and Paddy may not always be competitive across all of our requirements. For that reason, we frequently use companies like Colorman

Design | IRISH PRINTER

and Print Run for larger jobs. Colorman offer a great digital product which we’ve taken advantage of many times. We often turn to Print Run because we have a long relationship with Gerry Byrne who moved there recently. Gerry has printed Glanbia’s Annual Report for the last few years - that’s a really important project for us and he looked after it well. We found out the hard way that clients aren’t terribly forgiving when it comes to missed deadlines so we need printers in our corner who’ll stop at nothing to get us where we need to go. Gerry always goes above and beyond for us - we know he won’t let us down. He even recently agreed to take part in a photo shoot for one of our clients projects - so when we say above and beyond, we’re not kidding around! For us it’s the individual who works with us that matters - although good printing has to be a given at all times, of course.

A lot of our mid-range printing needs are met by Inkspot and that’ll continue to be the case so long as Niall Healy keeps bringing cakes in to us on a Friday morning (other printers take note!). Niall is great at giving us advice on how to keep costs down for clients without threatening quality.

In different times, when Red Dog was totally immersed in design for print, we bought a lot of print – around e1.5m a year. Sadly, that has dwindled significantly in recent years which makes strong relationships with printing companies even more important – since we want to spend our clients money well.

Often we also require large format printing, short digital runs and, if we’re honest, pretty weird stuff! For this we turn to GP Digital, a family-run business on Pleasants Street. They are delightful to deal with and will do anything they can to help us out.

After writing this article, and reflecting on our relationship with printers, I now realise how lucky we have been in our dealings with the printing industry.

As for the clichés – sure,we may occasionally be demanding (but only very occasionally!) and printers may, from time to time, overpromise a little but it’s always been our experience that there’s plenty of respect going in both directions.

We like our printers and we want to see them do well. For us, honesty is the best policy. If the courier hasn’t actually left or the paper didn’t arrive on time or you just made a complete bags of it (hey - it happens) – just tell us. We may be called Red Dog but we don’t bite!

Cloud One Book for The One Foundation printed by Nicholson Bass.

Glanbia PLC Annual Report 2013 printed by Printrun.

Field Day Review printed by Hudson Killeen.

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IRISH PRINTER | Marketing

Growing the Direct Route to Market Marketing direct mail is at its highest level in two and a half years. So how can print companies further capitalise on its growing popularity?

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reativity and flexibility are the most important attributes for print companies who want to secure work in this area or build on their direct mail output. Brand owners are demanding a lot from their marketing agencies and print partners and the industry has to be ready to respond. “Great service, competitive pricing, flexibility and a can-do attitude are crucial,” says Peter Whelehan, Managing Director, Direct Marketing Campaign Management (DMCM). “Openness to creative ideas is also important. Some printers will give you all the reasons why a creative idea can’t be executed whereas others find out what the issues are and work out

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ways around them to deliver the best options for brand owners. Having said that, different printers have different machines so I tend to pick a printer depending on (and to suit) specific print requirements. In terms of selecting a print company to work with for a direct mail campaign, it really depends on the specific job spec and requirements but we tend to work quite a lot with McGowans Digital Print, Sooner Than Later, and Snap, along with print brokers such as Custodian or RR Donnelly on bigger more complex jobs.”

Karen Kavanagh, Marketing Director at Neopost Ireland, has worked with many brands, including Sage Ireland

and Swiftcall Telecommunication and is a former member of the judging panel of the An Post Direct Marketing Awards. She points out that direct mail is no longer perceived as the traditional, old-fashioned form of communication. “The latest developments in print technology have allowed Irish marketeers to break the creative mould to produce cutting edge, highly engaging DM that has generated amazing results for their respective brands,” she says. “From the industry’s perspective, there are two key elements that the brand owner will demand from their printer when producing direct mail – personalisation and creative

Marketing | IRISH PRINTER

flair. Personalisation is a prerequisite in the development of successful direct mail. Today, brand owners are looking to go beyond personalised addressing and will invest in print that can incorporate the highest (and cleverest) levels of personalisation throughout the direct mail piece. From a creative perspective, marketeers and agencies alike are constantly on the lookout for unique applications that will ensure their direct mail stands out and is seen by their target audience.

While the fundamental success of any campaign is getting the right message to the right person at the right time, the use of clever creative will engage.

So whether it’s the addition of ‘sensual print’, the use of unusual materials or even a clever die-cut, Irish printers must ensure that they can cater for ‘different DM’ becoming the norm, if they wish to be an active participant in this growth area of the industry and become a trusted partner in the production of first-class direct mail communications.”

Trends

What are the direct mail trends for 2014 that print companies should be aware of? “Unusual formats, unique die-cuts, creative folding options and obviously (digital) personalisation from database directly to printed materials, where possible, so campaigns are tailored and relevant to the recipient,” says Peter. “This can be very important for direct mail communications.”

DMCM has worked on a number of direct mail campaigns for high profile organisations and brands, including SEAT Ireland, IBEC/ISA, Volkswagen and Energia. “We used unusual shapes and formats, digital personalisation, diecuts and finishes for different aspects of these campaigns,” says Peter. “The Energia campaign split tested two different offers within two different creatives. Because this was well planned it simply involved a black plate change on each of the two creative executions so there were no cutting edge technological requirements, just clever planning. With SEAT we included a lego brick within the mailing, which sat on the inside of the brochure but appeared on the front through a creative die-cut. To get one step ahead of the competition SEAT Ireland introduced unique product offers across the entire SEAT range for its 2014 registrations. But to avail of the unique offers, customers were required to buy

between October and December 2013.

This formed the basis of the Fast4ward 2014 concept which was brought to life in a unique, engaging and highly targeted DM campaign which took on a life of its own! The brochure within the DM piece contained a pull tab that literally brought the campaign to life!

The brochure contained all the offers with the retouched rev counter visual on the right panel of each page literally flickering up and down between the October to December deadline to reinforce the importance of ordering within this time frame to avail of the offer – leaving it until January 2014 would simply be too late!”

With their direct mail campaign for IBEC/ISA, DMCM specifically designed the printed brochure to slot into a mini Connect 4 (as the Connect 4 game obviously couldn’t be changed)! “The Volkswagen campaign also employed an unusually shaped brochure and creative

design,” says Peter. “The finish was different too, as the brochure had a stud going through the sheep’s ear (literally like a branding stud a real sheep might have). This held the pages together and allowed the brochure to fan out in an unusual way, to make it different and achieve ‘stand-out’. This was all possible because the productions were well planned at the outset.”

DMCM recently worked with McGowans Digital Print to incorporate an innovative fifth UV ink technology into a direct mail campaign for hygiene rental company Service Matters. “We wanted to do something unique and innovative in order to target potential customers of Service Matters,” says Peter. “We wanted them to see the potential of Service Matters and to demonstrate this we sent an unusual DM piece which included a box containing a mini-UV torch and we challenged recipients to ‘see

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IRISH PRINTER | Marketing

the potential’ of Service Matters. We printed a special offer in UV ink on the inside of the brochure which prospects could only read if they shone the light on the (otherwise invisible) UV ink and invited recipients to see Service Matters offering ‘in a new light’.”

Consumers Like DM

The range of communication channels at a marketeer’s disposal is immense

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and the marketing budget is now stretched across more media than ever before. “As those in the industry know, there has been a very sharp shift to ‘everything online’ over the past few years,” says Karen Kavanagh. “Digital technology has allowed brand owners to cast their net further and wider than ever before. However, return on investment and effective engagement is as relevant for marketeers as it has ever

been. Which media will work hardest for the brand? As a result many marketeers have had to rethink the effectiveness of online versus offline and whether they are using the right measure of each channel to effectively engage with their target audience. While there are some that have chosen to invest all of their eggs into the online basket, research is indicating that there is a positive shift towards investment in direct mail as a key medium to drive business growth.

This comes as no surprise given that direct mail is manageable, cost effective and easy to measure.”

A consumer study carried out in April 2013 by Amárach for An Post has indicated that direct mail is achieving significant growth among the 18 to 25 year old market. “The reason this market is growing is because the youth market is constantly being bombarded with communications via online and digital channels so, with all of this activity, it is very difficult to get marketing messages to ‘stick’,” says Peter Whelehan. “Research in the US indicates that the reason direct mail is doing so well with this audience is that they get less mail, so when they do they really take notice. While less of it is happening than 10 years ago, it seems to have found its level and what is being sent is more creative and having a greater impact and therefore generating a better response.”

The An Post study also revealed that seven in ten Irish adults enjoy receiving post and that 85% of direct mail is read.

Interestingly, 60% of Irish adults say that direct mail brochures have helped them choose what they wanted to buy online. The study also revealed that 30% of emails are deleted unopened. Half of Irish adults get excited when they go to check or open their mail and over 40% of the population are disappointed when they find it empty. The survey also shows that 71% of Irish consumers prefer to receive loyalty rewards in the post while only 29% of Irish consumers prefer to receive loyalty rewards by email. The advertising channels which make Irish consumers feel most valued are letters addressed in the post (48%), email (29%) and TV (22%).

Behaviour and Attitudes research by An Post in quarter four of 2013 showed that the average number of mail items received per household per three month period has risen from 24 items (March to April) in 2012 to 31 items (September to October 2014) – a rise of 29%.

Interview | IRISH PRINTER

Smart Visual Solutions in Super Wide Format This month Maev Martin talks to Gary Upton, Director of total communication services company iQ Group, about their recent rebranding and the installation of their new - and first - wide format production press.

The HP Latex 600 super wide format printer.

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ost of the companies that are profiled in Irish Printer began life either as a litho or digital printer. In recent years some of them have gradually expanded their services to incorporate other offerings such as web to print, website design, wide format printing, or fulfillment, as pressure mounts on businesses to evolve from being commodity printers to total communication services companies. But when iQ Group was established in 2009 it provided a variety of communications solutions, including branding and signage, and only recently expanded its service offering to include an in-house printing operation. A HP Latex 600 super wide format printer, supplied by Reprocentre, was installed in December and the press was production ready by January 2014.

“The press is 2.64 metres wide and it is the future of wide format printing - it prints on all roll-to-roll media - canvas, banner, cloth, flags and posters - and it is great for POS and for producing photographic quality material,” says Gary. “We can print off vinyl and lay it on corriboard and it is ready in the same day. We also operate a plotter and a 68-inch wide Seal laminator, which is an essential partner to the press. A lot of what the machine is doing is serving client demands for same day turnaround and we will probably expand our in-house wide format capability this year. We are still working with our external wide format print solutions providers but this in-house printing option allows us to increase our turnaround speeds and increase the

control that we have over the product.” iQ Group’s choice of such a mammoth press isn’t surprising, given the print industry background of one of its directors. He ran a high street chain of digital photographic stores in the UK before returning to Ireland in 2001 where he became sales director with one of Ireland’s leading signage companies.

Five years later he moved to McGowans Printers and it was here that he developed his strong passion for POS and print displays. “I secured a JC Decaux contract while I was with McGowans and I brought in the 3.2 metre version – the HP Latex 800 - into Ireland,” says Gary. “At that time it was the first one to be installed in the country and now we have the 2.64 metre version here at iQ Group.”

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IRISH PRINTER | Interview

The company was set up in 2009 as iQ Signage Projects and iQ Print Media was established in 2011. Effective from January 1st 2014, both companies have now merged and are trading as iQ Group.

“There aren’t many companies specialising in signage and print and providing those services to the same client base,” says Gary. “We felt that if we combined the companies, along with our design service, we could offer a complete service. Also, our customers were unclear about what we did as a result of the split so it was a branding exercise to bring all the elements of our offering together to send out a stronger and more coherent message to our customers and potential customers.

We didn’t start as printers, we started as a signage and print management operation that evolved to provide a broad communications service that includes a site survey, conceptualisation, design of artwork, printing and installation. The tagline that accompanies our new logo is ‘smart visual solutions’ and we are finding that our clients now see us more as a partner than a supplier.” iQ Group employs 20 people and has four distinct aspects to its service offering - signage, print management, their internal print facility, and their

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Vehicle branding is a key part of iQ Group's output.

graphic design studio. “We have four full-time graphic designers and we provide a full design solution for some of our clients,” says Gary. “We also manufacture signs here, including stainless steel lettering way finding systems, and we have an aluminium frame system that is flexible and semi-permanent. We employ six people in that side of the business. We also do some print management work for print companies.”

Signage solutions provided by iQ Group include vehicle branding, building banners, exterior and interior signage, window graphics, event and directional signage, and real estate signs. Print and Display Solutions include point of sale, promotional merchandise, display units, in-store theatre, outdoor solutions and general printing. “Every day we receive requests to solve difficult problems for our clients in relation to signage, print and design,” says Gary. “It could be developing a new signage system for a major shopping centre that seamlessly integrates their

brand, producing a complex window laminate signage for a new store opening, a vast tension-stretched canvas, the wrapping of an entire building or vehicle, or designing a vast ‘mega sign-frame’ system for the National Museum of Ireland that requires careful installation to one of their listed buildings. Whatever the challenge, we have the experience and the knowledge to provide the perfect creative solution.”

Branding The Big Names Print and signage clients include BWG, Ikea, DTZ Sherry FitzGerald, Lidl, Tesco, Savills, and Transdev. “For Transdev we have completed Luas station fit-outs, event solutions, internal branding, specialist NCR books and over 100 outdoor campaigns,” says Gary. iQ Group work for most of the estate agents, including Savills, DTZ Sherry FitzGerald and Jones Lang LaSalle. “Our business is client-led,” he says. “For example, Sherry FitzGerald wanted us to develop a tailored online ordering system for their print and we set that up for them.

In fact, we are now rolling out an online ordering service for all of the estate agents that we work with. Estate agents look to us for advice on how they can refresh and re-engage with potential customers to dispose of properties and we regard that as a compliment.” iQ Group has delivered a range of design, print and signage services for BWG Foods, including 48 national advertising campaigns and 100 FSDU displays. Clients also include Setanta Sports. “We handle all of their print material and fulfillment requirements for the campaigns that they run in pubs and clubs during the year,” says Gary. When BT and ESPN teamed up with Setanta in August 2010 it was one of the biggest

Interview | IRISH PRINTER

sports stories of the year. “They wanted to spread the news that Setanta was bringing exclusive Premiership matches to Irish consumers every week,” he says.

“That involved designing and printing major quantities of six individual elements for 3,500 mailing packs that had to be ready in just ten days. This included over 20,000 tentcards and 18,000 A2 posters. We completed the job in just eight days.” Staying with the sporting theme, iQ Group also recently rebranded the pitchside signage at Parnell Park from Vodafone to AIG for the new sponsors of the GAA Dublin Football team.

In Store Promotions iQ Group have an in-store cardboard theatre in their premises which is a structure that they place the print onto for test purposes – the client can come and see how the print looks on the cardboard structure. An example of a project currently being subjected to the testing process is a new, soon to be launched, cereal product where they are converting the FSDU unit into a cereal box with the spoon hanging over it as a mobile. FSDUs and Point of Sale materials are a big part of iQ Group’s business, accounting for 40% of

the company’s print output. “We have worked on material for a lot of Michael Bublé’s CD launches – we handled the design, production and delivery for our client Beaumex - and we also produced display material for the Love/Hate boxset campaign for Indi Entertainment in conjunction with RTÉ,” says Gary. “We helped Disney design and install its own exclusive area within Clerys which involved the creation of bespoke fittings complemented by bespoke POS. We also rolled out The Halloween HQ store

concept in 16 stores in shopping centres nationwide last year. We designed a new logo that had to be applied across all signage and promotional materials and we managed the printing of all in-store POS material, including PVC banners, large scale posters, floor graphics, hanging banners, leaflets and window graphics. We also created 3D ‘front of store’ visuals for each outlet before Halloween HQ opened their doors, as well as developing a nationwide media press campaign to promote their arrival.”

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IRISH PRINTER | IPEX Preview

Epson Demonstrates Digital Printer Versatility at IPEX 2014 Cost-effective and high quality Point of Sale, signage, apparel, interior décor, t-shirts and label applications open up new opportunities for print service providers.

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t this year’s IPEX 2014 (March 24th to 29th, ExCel, London), Epson will showcase its latest range of inkjet large format, dye-sublimation, direct-togarment, label and proofing printers, and the digital label press. Visitors to the Epson booth (S1-F089) will be able to look at a wide range of new products on show for a variety of applications, spanning proofing, signage, POS, car wraps, décor, textiles for soft signage and apparel, promotional products, t-shirts and quality labels.

Part of Epson’s strategy is to provide the professional photographic, commercial, signage and textile digital print sectors with large format inkjet products and specialist ink sets engineered to deliver choice, quality,

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performance and low Total Cost of Ownership. Over the last two years, and as part of this strategy, Epson has launched several new-generation, large format SureColor inkjet printers which are designed to deliver maximum quality, productivity and flexibility. These printers will be demonstrated together at IPEX and include: three 64-inch SureColor SC-S wide format printers; two SureColor SC-F dye-sublimation printers (44 and 64-inch), and the new SureColor SC-F direct-to-garment t-shirt printer.

Following its highly successful appearance at Labelexpo, Epson will also be showing the versatile SurePress L-4033AW digital label press with white ink, and demonstrating colour managed proofing on its flexible Stylus

Pro wide format printer.

Over the next three years Epson plans to double its product portfolio and offer products and technologies that suit the needs of customers in the signage, label, photo, and textile markets.

Signage & Décor

A variety of high-impact, high-quality and durable Point of Sale, signage, and wallpaper graphics will be printed by three 64-inch SureColor SC-S printer models, offering a choice of productivities, and from four to 10 colours, including white and metallic. These SureColor printers will demonstrate cost-effective, high-speed productivity printing onto a range of materials, including vinyl, window film and recyclable stock.

IPEX Preview | IRISH PRINTER

Textile and t-shirts

Epson sees textile printing as a major growth area. Plans to establish itself in the digital textile printing market, with products offering sublimation and direct to garment printing, are well advanced. Sublimation has been used for many years to print on polyester mixed fabrics and polyester coated substrates such as steel, plastic, metal, aluminium, ceramics, wood and MDF. The quality, flexibility and scratch resistance of the print is extremely high. With the recent improvement of dye sublimation ink, together with polyester mixed and coated substrates, more and more premium brands are starting to use it for lean production. However, for high quality print the reliability was often the issue because no single company was developing printer, print head and ink with manufacturer warranties support.

Epson is the first company to provide this solution With direct to garment printing, quality, diversity and quick change of design to meet the market demand, shorter production to market time, and minimising stock are the critical requirements of the fabric industry.

Digital fabric printing is growing massively but is still less than two per cent of the worldwide fabric production market so there is huge potential for Epson in this space. With the growing demand for low cost, on-demand, directto-fabric printing with fast turnaround, Epson’s latest technology will help fabric printers, and their bottom lines, by allowing them to process more shortrun jobs at lower cost while maintaining great image quality.

To demonstrate Epson’s textile credentials, the manufacturer will display apparel, soft signage and t-shirts, alongside customised giftware, gadgets and décor items, all printed on the SureColor SC-F6000, SC-F7000 dye sublimation printers or the SureColor SC-F2000 direct-to-garment printer.

These are the first printers in this sector in which every component, from ink and printhead, to printer chassis and optional accessories, are all designed and manufactured by one company. As a result, quality, performance and reliability are all optimised for maximum productive uptime and profit. These printers use Epson UltraChrome ink, with specially developed new dye-sublimation and aqueous pigment ink formulations, which produce outstanding images

with vibrant colours, intense blacks, sharp contours and smooth gradations.

Online t-shirt shops, production t-shirt printers and copy shops will benefit from the SC-F2000’s revenue generating features. Epson will demonstrate how users can configure the system to suit their needs by choosing from two sets of CMYK ink for white garments or CMYK with up to four white inks for coloured garments.

Combined with high performance, low maintenance and running costs, it enables businesses to offer a new t-shirt design and print service.

Dye sublimation is ideal for printing and transferring scratch-resistant, photographic quality images onto a wide range of polyester-coated substrates which are difficult to print onto directly, for example, aluminium, steel, plastics, MDF boards, ceramic tiles, etc. As a result, print service providers can not only expand their range of products but also develop new creative value-added applications.

Labels

Epson will show how exceptional print quality and accurate colour reproduction on a wide variety of standard label substrates can be achieved with the SurePress L-4033AW,

seven-colour, inkjet digital label press with white ink. High-quality, shortrun label printing is made easier and more efficient, even on clear and metallic substrates, which gives label converters and commercial printers the opportunity to expand their service offering and improve profitability.

To give a wide colour gamut for precise colour matching and accurate reproduction of spot/speciality colours, Epson’s SurePress AQ ink-set includes green and orange inks. The difference is especially noticeable in the bright green to yellow and yellow-orangered portions of the colour space, with higher colour saturation and lifelike shades that make labels more eyecatching. The ink-set now includes white ink for solid, opaque white printing on materials such as clear film and metallic substrates. Users have the flexibility of printing white first or last.

“IPEX 2014 is an ideal opportunity for Epson to showcase our latest range of large format, dye-sublimation, directto-garment, label and digital proofing printers,” says Daniel Rafferty, Sales Manager for Epson in Ireland. “There will be something for everyone and visitors to the stand will be inspired by the diverse range of new products on show for a wide range of applications.”

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IRISH PRINTER | IPEX Preview

A Total Pre-Press Solution

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hermoFlexX is now offering a total pre-press solution to the flexographic industry following a worldwide agreement with fellow Belgians from Hybrid Software to sell Cloudflow. The deal also includes Hybrid’s recently released PACKZ, an application that makes high quality editing of packaging and labels accessible to small, medium and high production volume professionals.

The six imagers in the ThermoFlexX series allow efficient CTP plate production for applications ranging from labels and tags to flexible/corrugated packaging and folding cartons. Users can tailor plate output precisely to the work being produced by selecting the most suitable resolution. ThermoFlexX resolutions range from 2,400 dpi to 5,080 dpi. ThermoFlexX imagers accept 1-bit TIFF files from any workflow or front-end.

At Ipex, a ThermoFlexX 30 imager will be shown on the Xeikon stand (S1E090) interfaced with products from Hybrid Software (S3H250). “Ipex 2014 provides the ideal venue to show how combining leading software and hardware in this way has resulted in a unique opportunity for flexographic printers and trade houses to handle their pre-press needs with a degree of quality, versatility and output that is unrivalled,” says Christophe Lievens, Director Sales and Marketing for basysPrint and ThermoFlexX. “Our agreement with Hybrid Software to sell its Cloudflow suite, which also includes the new PACKZ editing software for packaging and labels, provides our customers with enormous flexibility in the way that they can edit and process digital files prior to imaging the plate.”

Christophe Lievens (left) of ThermoFlexX and Jan Ruysschaert of Hybrid Software.

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Marlowe Unveils New Pre-Press Products M

arlowe Digital will exhibit solutions across the entire spectrum of pre-press production. New products include StudioRip XF, which brings extended features to StudioRIP and workflow solutions, Quantum, a new low cost service package for owners of rebadged screen platesetters, Torrent JetFilm, an environmentally responsible and lower cost alternative to imagesetting for printers that still rely on film-based StudioRIP XF, built on a new rendering platform, will extend workflows, and Torrent the brand’s capabilities, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

JetPlate, which is an inkjet CTP system for smaller commercial printers. From Ipex 2014, a new version, StudioRIP XF, built on a new rendering platform, will extend the brand’s capabilities and flexibility.

Some of the new features include a comprehensive suite of flexo-specific tools, multicore processing, ink-spread compensation, multiple screen types per job, multi-level imposition and improved pre-flighting. In addition, StudioRIP XF comes as standard with a dot-meter application, the ability to serve data to MAC client computers, and faster and more accurate preview with no zoom limit.

A Holistic Approach to Printing K

onica Minolta will be showcasing its holistic approach to the production printing market through services, solutions and new technology at Ipex 2014 (ExCel Centre, March 24th -29th) where the manufacturer will be showcasing new growth opportunities for customers.

Konica Minolta’s new bizhub Press C1060/C1070 mid-range colour Demonstrating production systems. real-value business opportunities and hosting live demonstrations across software, services and products will be at the heart of Konica Minolta’s offering on Stand N1 C130, a prime location at Ipex, offering 1,200 square metres of floor space. On the equipment side, visitors will be able to experience the new bizhub Press C1060/C1070 mid-range production colour systems, as well the high-volume bizhub Press C1085 and C1100 colour production systems. Konica Minolta will also be showcasing the 250 PPM bizhub Press 2250P highvolume mono production system. All these new products will be offered by MJ Flood Ireland this year. In addition, Konica Minolta will be displaying the KM-1 high-speed B2 inkjet system and many other products and software solutions.

IRISH PRINTER | IPEX Preview

Future Proof Folder Will be Centre Stage for Friedheim

T

he modular M80 folding machine from the new range recently launched by MBO will make its first appearance at a UK trade event on Stand No. S4-E310 (South Hall) at Ipex 2014.

The introduction of this new range is described by the company as a new ‘future proof’ concept in folding and, according to MBO, the new range is set to ‘revolutionise’ the way print finishers think about folding from now on! The M80 on display at Ipex will be a Combi version and feature the R80 continuous feeder, KB80 cross fold unit and DB60 three fold unit, plus A70 delivery unit for handling the folded sections. A Palamides Delta 703 fully automatic stacking and banding delivery system, which will be processing 16-page folded output, will be demonstrated alongside the M80. The new MBO M80 is ideal for B1 work and has an infeed width of 83cm, while the M60 model has B2

Palamides Delta 703

capability and an infeed width of 62cm. Both folders are capable of working at a maximum production speed of up to 230 metres per minute. For those with an interest in digital print processing, Hunkeler will be demonstrating a standalone version of its WI6 Web Inspection System which provides consistently high print quality and error-free assurance for mass mailing Hunkeler web inspection system. and printon-demand applications. Using digital camera technology to scan the full width of the web, the WI6 Web Inspection System captures high resolution images of printed output for various types of quality and integrity analysis. The system reads document identification marks and this allows fully automated operation without manual supervision or adjustments.

The WI6 System is available in simplex or duplex configurations and can run from 1-up to 4-up production without re-configuring.

New MIS Technologies from Shuttleworth S

huttleworth (Hall S3, Stand E292) will showcase new technologies at Ipex 2014, including a fully integrated CRM which now consists of mobile apps that can instantly update vital information plus real time Dashboards which display critical Key Performance Indicators at the click of a button. Also on display will be the newly launched job tracking functionality ‘Milestones’ which makes it quick and easy to view the status of any job as it progresses throughout the business. The Production Scheduling module includes new functionality to support the Job ‘Milestones’, together with new options for automating the whole production planning process, ensuring information is in ‘real time’.

Shuttleworth will launch a new ‘Mobile Stock app’ which allows users to update stock transactions using a mobile device with bar code scanning if required. The company’s ‘Shuttleworth Plus’ team of highly specialist software developers, who are dedicated to delivering bespoke software solutions for customers, will be unveiled at Ipex. ‘Shuttleworth Plus’ is able to: deliver integration projects by automating shop floor operations through both JDF/JMF and direct links to machines; provide fully integrated trading websites which are tailored to meet printers customers’ individual requirements; help customers develop cross media campaigns through the use of QR codes, mobile apps, websites, purls etc; identify and exploit the use of social media to take advantage of the ‘Big Data’ opportunities for brand owners; and deliver cloud-based solutions.

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Feature | IRISH PRINTER

Heidelberg Offers 2020 Vision Wits have dubbed it ‘Heipex’ and certainly the event that Heidelberg has lined up for printers at the end of Ipex week has plenty of appeal, featuring input from its own experts but also from other vendors.

C

leverly timing its open house to run at the end of the Ipex week, Heidelberg hopes to attract visitors to its National Showroom in Brentford on Thursday, March 27th and Friday, March 28th, with the promise of ‘2020 Vision’, a clearsighted look at the way print will evolve over the next six years and beyond. It’s a realistic timescale for most businesses, many of whom are grappling with the plethora of choices open to them in terms of technology options, viable products to run and markets to chase, or who are balancing the varied customer quality, service, sustainability and cost demands.

The manufacturer is promising searching insights, controversy and practical solutions so it sounds as if this is an open house not to be missed. “The timing of the 2020 Vision Open House during Ipex will enable visitors to attend both events and maximise their visit to London,” says Heidelberg UK’s Managing Director Gerard Heanue. “Heidelberg’s landmark event at our national showroom in March will provide a forum where Irish printers can look at some of the challenges and opportunities they will face as we head towards the next decade.

We will be joined by paper, MIS, finance, print buyers and other suppliers to give a comprehensive range of insights and advice. This is an open house which will be relevant to both business and production management. The economy is improving but competition from alternative media is evolving too, so what will printing look like by 2020? Will it retain the same shape and structure? How can printers make choices that improve efficiency and appeal to ensure they are part of that future? Printers can find out at the 2020 Vision event at Heidelberg UK.” Joining Heidelberg at the event are: Two Sides, HHS, IST, Morgana, Sappi, technotrans, Gallus, Polar, Tharstern, Santander, Print Financial Services, and

Heidelberg’s Lance O’Connell presents.

Heidelberg’s landmark event at our national showroom in March will provide a forum where Irish printers can look at some of the challenges and opportunities they will face as we head towards the next decade.

Working to standards.

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IRISH PRINTER | Feature

You know what you want, it makes sense for your business, but how do you get it? The finance companies there will guide you through the best ways to pitch for funding.

The Speedmaster CX 102 in operation.

Winters. Each will be there either with a stand or playing a part in technical tours or in a series of seminars which will offer insights, predictions and even contentious opinions!

New products on show or highlighted will be the B2 Speedmaster Anicolor and the Stitchmaster ST 500 saddle-stitcher.

Themes that will undoubtedly be on the agenda are:

High Productivity The Speedmaster XL 75 is now outputting 56 million sheets a year in the field, for instance, and the Polar PACE, which automates the cutting process (potentially to a manless level), will be two of the many high productivity products shown

Reduced Waste The B3 Anicolor cuts makeready by 90% and makeready times by 50%, meaning a 50% increase in productivity. How will the B2 Anicolor match up? Also, users of Inpress Control on a Speedmaster XL 75 are saving a1,000 a week in paper waste. How?

Quality Compare offset (Speedmaster range) and digital (Linoprint line up) in one place.

Find out, too, about the new measures and tools that Heidelberg will offer customers adapting to a new version of the ISO 12647-2 colour standard to be released very soon. See how it will effect printers in, or wishing to join, the Heidelberg Colour Club.

Do you know what multicolour is and the potential it offers? And what are the new measuring conditions and what

28

The Speedmaster XL 75 5+L – inking units view.

impact will they have on the industry?

Be there to find out so that you can answer your print buyers’ questions.

Control Spectral measurement and closed loop colour, web to print, Anaylze Point management data, and MIS. If you want a place in tomorrow’s print market you need to be able to compete by basing decisions on accurate data - not whim and gut feelings. Heidelberg and Tharstern will share their views on where we are now and how far we can go in putting even more science into the business of printing in future. technotrans will discuss how pressroom peripherals eliminate variables and enhance quality and productivity.

Substrate and Consumables Predictions Take the pulse by listening to, and

Colour control.

talking to, Sappi, Two Sides, Winters and Heidelberg experts. What factors might you consider and what makes a product ‘fit for purpose’?

Packaging and Special Applications Take a look at the Speedmaster CX 102 in detail and also find out the truth about Low Energy UV in a seminar cohosted by Heidelberg and IST. Postpress workflows and Diana X folder gluers and die-cutters will also be reviewed and there will be a sneak preview of new developments for later in the year.

Funding You know what you want, it makes sense for your business, but how do you get it? The finance companies there will guide you through the best ways to pitch for funding.

A marquee adjacent to the national showroom will bring a touch of Heidelberg to Brentford, providing German style fare which will be served from noon.

Irish printers have plenty to see and learn by visiting this Heidelberg event. The lunch and ambience are an added bonus.

2020 Vision opening times are 10am to 5pm on Thursday, March 27th and 9am to 4pm on Friday, March 28th. Visitors should register with Nicky Higgins by calling 00 44 20 8490 6030 or emailing: nicky.higgins@heidelberg.com.

In Conversation With... | IRISH PRINTER

Padraic Kierans This month Irish Printer talks to Padraic Kierans, Managing Director of Anglo Printers, who tells us about some recent investments at his company and about what he gets up to when he isn't toiling away at the printing press!

Q

: What does a typical day at Anglo Printers involve for Padraic Kierans?

A: I have an early start most days with a High Intensity Interval Training class at my local gym, a quick dash home for brekkie, and then into the office for about 8.30am to catch up on what the late shift got done and to plan out the day ahead. Then we have a production meeting to update the schedule followed by a sales meeting where all information is exchanged and recorded for follow up. The rest of the day can be spent in a variety of ways, from taking calls to responding to emails and following up on estimates. Very often I will have a tender or two on the go so there may be work to be done on that which can be very laborious and tiresome. Cashflow will always be a key focus - working with our accounts controller to ensure money is coming in quick enough to go back out again! Every day will always throw up a surprise or a challenge, which can also pull you away from whatever you might have planned to

We have been looking at web2print for a long time but could never find the right time or the right partner at the right price - until now - and I am very excited by the end results that we have produced.

Padraic Kierans, Managing Director, Anglo Printers.

complete that day.

I usually grab a sandwich at about 1.30pm and have a cuppa at the desk where I catch up online with the rest of the world (in between emails). It is quite common that I would be drawn in to help the estimator if he is snowed under or, indeed, to throw a parcel in the jeep to do a delivery. Outside of all of the above I am meeting clients, drumming up business, planning their requirements with them, preparing presentations, negotiating with suppliers and planning with the sales team. I will also do a certain amount of Drogheda

and District Chamber of Commerce business during the day, engaging with the local authority, economic forum or fellow Chamber council members. Early evening, when everyone has left the office, is often the most productive time of the day. I find this a great time to clear the desk and catch up on all outstanding communications, to try and start afresh the next day (not always possible). I always try to leave the office between 7pm and 8pm to get home for some dinner and catch up with the family.

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IRISH PRINTER | In Conversation With...

i have just finished up as president of the drogheda & district chamber of commerce. i have campaigned on town centre regeneration and I am increasingly frustrated by the lack of a retail strategy from local authorities...the local authorities see businesses only as a cash cow for extracting exorbitant commercial rates and fail to recognise the value of a thriving urban town centre space.

Q

: Are you working with any interesting clients that you can tell us about?

A: We are working with a number of new clients this year, as we have tried to broaden our customer base and move into some new markets. We are building catalogues of print items for two clients at the moment on our Web2Print system and we will go live with them both shortly. We are also very close to completing our own ecommerce site which will offer a range of print products and template items with variable data options which can be ordered online. The storefront is well progressed now and will go live in a matter of weeks so we will be adding to it and extending the product offering on it as we go along. We have been looking at web2print for a long time but could never find the right time or the right partner at the right price - until now. I am very excited by the end results that we have produced for our exisiting clients and, indeed, ultimately for passing clients.

30

Padraic Kierans (right) with Simon McCormack, incoming President of Drogheda and District Chamber of Commerce.

Q

: Can you tell me about any capital investments that you've made recently or are planning during 2014?

A: We have never stopped investing in capital projects since or during the recession. We believe it is essential for us to drive efficiencies for our clients – and they demand it. We are proud to offer a prepress studio, print, finishing, storage, mail fulfillment, digital printing, personalisation, and wide format all under the one roof and clients know they can complete large projects with us in their entirety rather than having two or three different suppliers.

Last month we installed Ireland’s first Muller Martini Presto II digital saddle stitcher with six stations and a cover feeder. This is a real game changer while it is a traditional saddle stitcher, as you would expect from Muller Martini, it is also future proofed for digital finishing direct from your digital output device, be it cut sheet or reel fed. You can add a plough folder and an MBO folder feeder for cut sheet digital so that the folding and stitching operations become one, thereby reducing the print and finishing to just two operations.

It also comes with all the automation

of the modern day Primera, with the automatic synchronising of the gathering chain, trimmer and feeder, not to mention the trimmer yoke timing. It also uses a large touch screen user interface with a set up assistant, which only uses graphics to display the options available to the operator. They have taken the expertise out of the operation, so much so that there is actually no tools whatsoever for the Presto II, apart from a wireless remote control which is the size of your TV remote and clips on to your belt!

Most importantly, it was shipped to us with Asir 3 automatic signature image recognition cameras and software.

This means that each feeder scans the section being fed to ensure it is within tolerance of the first fed print sample - it will reject and sequentially adjust the other feeders to reduce waste and improve efficiency. The cameras are fitted to all the feeders, including the cover feed, and the software allows for barcode recognition which we are hoping will open up new markets for us.

This is an area we have identified for growth, as there is a demand for this level of accuracy and security of product with many customers nowadays. The

In Conversation With... | IRISH PRINTER

Last month we installed Ireland’s first Muller Martini Presto II digital saddle stitcher with six stations and a cover feeder.

This is a real game changer - while it is a traditional saddle stitcher, it is also future proofed for digital finishing direct from your digital output device, be it cut sheet or reel fed.

Ireland’s first Muller Martini Presto II digital saddle stitcher with six stations and a cover feeder.

Presto II has also come to us with an Apollo stacker which links back to the user interface and the whole machine is JDF compatible for linking with our Optimus MIS. We are reassured by the fact that Muller Martini have hard wired a connection to the machine from Switzerland, which guarantees updates of the software by MM Service for diagnostics and troubleshooting. This level of connectivity ensures we stay in production no matter what the machine issue.

Q

: Do you have any hobbies or special interests outside of the print industry?

A: I enjoy training with A&S Fitness who do High Intensity Interval Training classes in the local parish hall. I’m not much of a soccer fan but I love rugby and international days out in particular.

We do a lot of work in the horse racing industry and I am a Director of my local track, Bellewstown Races, and I enjoy

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IRISH PRINTER | In Conversation With...

a day at the races with the family or, indeed, my two brothers. My father has a few horses in training and that keeps us all interested in the sport. It was bred into us from a young age so we are always talking horses and jockeys when we meet up and passing on tips.

It’s a great industry and we have made many friends in horse racing over the years. Nothing beats getting to a bit of sunshine every so often so I try to take advantage of any sales with Ryanair when they come along - fair play to Michael, another good racing man!

Q

: Are you involved in any community or business initiatives in your local area?

A: Yes, I have just finished up as President of the Drogheda & District Chamber of Commerce, a position which I held for two years. I have campaigned specifically on town centre regeneration and I am increasingly frustrated by the lack of a retail strategy from local authorities up and down the country.

They are all simply standing by with no plan for the rebirth of our town centres. I engaged with Feargal Quinn to set up the Local Heroes movement here in Drogheda which ran on RTÉ for six weeks and delivered huge interest in Drogheda and worked to alleviate many of the problems here which are shared by every other town in Ireland. Unfortunately, the power to change lies with the local government and not local elected members. The local authorities see businesses only as a cash cow for extracting exorbitant commercial rates and fail to recognise the value of a thriving urban town centre space. It really irritates me, so don’t get me started.

I have also been working on other projects for Drogheda such as ‘Invest Drogheda’ which aims to deliver Foreign Direct Investment for Drogheda by working with the existing agencies such as the IDA and Enterprise Ireland. We also took a Trade Mission out to California on two occasions and are hoping to return to Salinas (south of Silicon Valley) where we arranged a twinning between both Mayors. We have managed to meet Richard Bruton in Leinster House to present our case and we have had some small successes. A big project we are working on is our bid to deliver ‘Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann’ to Drogheda in 2015. We have been active on this as a committee of about 10 people for two years and we will not relent until the Fleadh hits the medieval streets of Drogheda!

32

Many businesses were offered invoice discounting in the boom as a bolt on from the bank to deliver cash for investment. Now they produce print at any price to produce the invoice and collect the cash from the financier. This is a downward spiral to extinction and I urge all print providers to maintain a margin with overhead and investment built into their pricing.

Q

: Are you optimistic about the future of print in Ireland?

A: It is difficult to be over-optimistic in the current climate. However, I do believe print has a big future. This is in the context, of course, of a media mix whereby mobile and the Internet also carry a huge amount of content and opportunity. Print must be considered as a partner in that mix and once everything finds it place then we can have some normalisation. Over capacity remains a problem in Ireland.

While we have lost some really greatprint businesses to the recession, there are still too many printing units on the island. I hope that anyone who has made it this far can make it out the other side and beyond. Many businesses were offered invoice discounting in the boom as a bolt on from the bank to deliver cash for investment. Now they produce print at any price to produce the invoice and collect the cash from the financier. This is a downward spiral to extinction and I urge all print providers to maintain a

margin with overhead and investment built into their pricing. Collecting cash on discounting to feed cash flow will eventually catch up with you but in the meantime it kills the market for everyone else.

Q

: What will the Irish print industry look like in five years time?

A: In five years I believe mobile and web will be in use much more for print procurement with the so called ‘finger generation’. Print will be a strong part of the ‘media mix’ and the lines of connectivity between those offerings will be closer, if a little blurred. Hopefully, it will be much more profitable than it is right now and I can start looking forward to a few more holidays and the odd away rugby international. I don’t ask for much, do I?

Packaging | IRISH PRINTER

Watershed Chooses Mark Andy as Narrow Web Press Partner If you were looking for an example of how entrepreneurial spirit can be translated into commercial success, you need look no further than the Watershed Label Centre. Nick Coombes visited the Dublin-based group to find out what lies behind its sustained success.

(l-r): Paul Macdonald of Mark Andy with Liz Waters and Patrick Murphy at Watershed’s HQ in Ireland

W

hen former Chairman, Tom Waters, established the Watershed Label Centre back in 1992, he did so from an IDA Ireland background, and with no previous experience of the printing industry. The thinking was: if the plan is good enough and actioned correctly, it will work. And, so it has - brilliantly!

Today, the group has grown to include overseas subsidiaries LPS in the UK, Etiko in Poland, which was acquired in 2003 and, more recently, Römer Etikett, based in Marburg, north of Frankfurt-am-

Main in Germany, which was added to the group in 2011. Across all production plants, Watershed employs over 90 staff and in 2013 will extend its annual sales beyond a15m.

Heading up the company today is CEO Liz Waters, with Patrick Murphy as Group General Manager. She explains the company’s founding philosophy: “Tom always planned for the group to be multi-national because he saw the potential strength it offered. The mix of Irish, English, Polish, and German staff

around the table makes for interesting and constructive meetings, and there is a real sense of cooperation as well as competition among the companies.” It also assists with negotiations for new technology. In a quest to establish a true two-way working partnership with a manufacturer, Watershed selected Mark Andy as its press supplier. The partnership has already brought great benefits to both companies, with the group now using eight of the American manufacturer’s flexo lines and two more

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IRISH PRINTER | Packaging

currently running market research with the assistance of ida ireland, watershed is exploring the substrate capability of inline flexo production of the type of work more normally associated with ci flexo presses.

The new P5 in Dublin is the company’s eighth Mark Andy press and two more are on order.

are in the pipeline. These include two of Mark Andy’s award-winning Performance Series - a P5 installed in Etiko’s plant in Stettin last year and, more recently, a P5 at headquarters in Dublin, with numbers three and four scheduled for installation at Römer Etikett in early 2014 and in Poland later in the year.

Inter-company activity within the group is high. By moving to standardise technology across the production plants, Watershed feels it provides a meaningful opportunity for each to compete to be ‘top dog’, while sharing a diverse knowledge base of markets, products, techniques, and solutions.

The Watershed ethos is to be a label solution provider and this encourages all employees to engage in a degree of lateral thinking to improve production efficiency and offer innovative ideas to its range of customers.

“Our larger customers, the PLCs, appreciate our working practices because they feel it offers them a degree of security and the prospect of being one step ahead of their competitors,” says Liz. “Our recent installation of HD Flexo pre-press technology in Poland will enable us to raise the quality benchmark even higher - brand owners love this!

It also gives employees a good feeling about their company and its future plans. By focusing on innovation and new technology, Watershed is highly price competitive but can also set itself apart from its competitors with the quality of customer service it offers.

By the time the two Mark Andy

34

presses are installed next year, Watershed will have bought six new presses in five years. Already the largest privately-owned label converter in Ireland, it puts the company into a unique position with its diverse production facilities and range of markets served. The latest P5 in Dublin is a 430mm (17 inch) wide line, fitted with eight UV Flexo stations and, crucially, chill rolls. This marks a new development for Watershed, with its production potential for flexible packaging products - a market that the company is keen to pursue.

Currently running market research with the assistance of IDA Ireland, Watershed is exploring the substrate capability of inline flexo production of the type of work more normally associated with CI flexo presses. With run lengths shortening, and a more diverse substrate range being used for innovative packaging, Watershed is keen to find out how far they can stretch the Mark Andy’s capability. On current work, it is already showing a marked improvement in output over existing plant. “We estimate that the P5 is capable of producing three times as much work as our other presses, and its short web path means that waste levels have dropped significantly - certainly by 50%,” says Watershed Group General Manager Patrick Murphy. “In fact, downtime is very little, as the press is quick and easy to changeover between jobs, and with the automatic register system we are back up to commercial

production speed in no time. I’d say we’re already running labels twice as fast, and filmics even faster. It’s a very hungry machine!”

Currently, work at the Dublin factory is split 60:40 film to labels, with Patrick Murphy claiming that the P5 is even economical to run on narrower web widths than its 430mm maximum. “With a quality portfolio of customers, quality of print is ‘a given’ and consistency is paramount,” he says. “But so far everything we have asked of the P5, it has achieved and more!”

One of the founding mantras of Tom Waters was ‘plan ahead’. “As we were acquiring the facility in Poland, his mind was already in Germany,” says Liz Waters. “The plan is to continue with controlled expansion and always to focus on the next step. The whole group strives for excellence in all it does and has an all-encompassing attitude to staff, suppliers and customers. We like to empower people to find the best solution to whatever they are doing. We are a very egalitarian group – and it’s what sets us apart.”

If Watershed’s track record is truly indicative of what entrepreneurial spirit can achieve, then other label converters need to take note and learn quickly.

It’s not the only route to success, but planned and managed well, as it is here, it’s hard to argue against it.

Business has generally been tough since 2007 but it’s at times like these that investment pays off. If you need proof, go check out Watershed!

IRISH

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

PRINTER

March 2014 // The Voice of The indusTry // www.irishprinTer.ie

14 Design

iPeX 2014 16 Marketing 27 Preview

32 Packaging

Red Dog Reflects on its Positive Relationships with Printers

Companies Must Innovate to Heidelberg Offers Irish Printers Capitalise on Direct Mail Growth 20/20 Vision

Watershed Label Centre on its Latest Flexo Press Investments

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

www.irishprinter.ie

Guillotine Engineering Services Blade Runner Ltd, Ireland’s largest supplier of machine blades and regrinding, has now added an engineering division to the company.

Blade Runner can now provide a full guillotine service package and expanded spare parts range for our customers.

Our engineers are fully qualified and trained by original equipment manufacturers on all aspects of paper cutting machinery and handling equipment. We comply with the Engineers’ Competence Guide on all issues of maintenance and safety relating to paper cutting guillotines.

We use recommended “Stop Time Meter” equipment to measure the stopping performance of the knife, and have the correct pressure measuring gauges for checking the safety pressures of the paper clamp.

Upon completion of a full guillotine service, all work and checks are recorded, and a safety check and calibration certificate is issued to our customers.

Blade Runner can support our customers on all aspects of cutting.

Quality and accuracy • Advice on cutting different materials • Knife angles • Guillotine maintenance service and safety • Equipment breakdowns • Equipment relocation • Sale and sourcing of used equipment • Training program for guillotine operators

We are the one stop shop for all your cutting requirements.

For further information contact us @ 045 893475 or Ronan @ 086 2586683 • Chris @ 086 0494644

IRISH PRINT AWARDS

2014

The Irish Print Awards 2014 will be launching soon If you would like to be our next “Headliner” or for more information on sponsoring the Awards, contact:

Fiona Larmon - Commercial Manager M: 0868210203 or email fiona.larmon@ashvillemediagroup.com

Thanks to our 2013 Awards sponsors

Ticking ALL The righT boxes

ü

ü Service ü Value ü Trade print only ü No Reps on the road ü No job too big or too small

ü Flyers

Flyer offer: Flyers received up to Wednesday 2pm will be printed and dispatched the next day – Thursday.

ü Business Cards Full colour both sides on 350gsm silk with matt or gloss laminate

Quantity 100 250 500 1,000

ü Quality

Price

€19.50 €34.00 €39.00 €44.00

Full colour both sides on 130gsm gloss

Quantity DL Price A5 Price A4 Price 1,000 €29 €35 €59 2,500 €39 €49 €75 5,000 €59 €79 €119

ü Promo Cards

Full colour both sides on 300gsm card

Quantity 1,000 2,000

A6 Price

DL Price

€67 €104

€79 €129

Please contact us for a free quotation Freephone: 1800 613 111 Email: sales@walshcolourprint.com