Irish Printer - July 2014 by Ashville Media Group

JULY 2014 // THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY // WWW.IRISHPRINTER.IE

NEWS

Over €6m Invested in Irish 3D Print Company

PROFILE

Web-2-Print Provider Targets Irish Market.

AWARDS PREVIEW

New Categories & Sponsors for 37th Irish Print Awards

WIDE FORMAT

Plus2Print Proves Power of Vehicle Branding

HP WALLART

INSPIRING THE IRISH PRINT INDUSTRY IP COVER July_FINAL.indd 1

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World-beating KBA press technology

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SIS adjustment-free adjustment-free no no sidelay sidelay sheet sheet in-feed in-feed SIS automated synchronised synchronised functions functions at at makeready makeready automated FAPC fully fully automated automated plate plate change change FAPC Flying JobChange JobChange Flying PlateIdent register register pre-setting pre-setting && plate plate identification identification PlateIdent SFC simultaneous simultaneous coating coating forme forme change change SFC fully automatic automatic simultaneous simultaneous anilox anilox roller roller exchange exchange fully VariDry‘plug&play’ ‘plug&play’interchangable interchangable VariDry in-deck and and swan swan neck neck drying drying system system in-deck high substrate substrate flexibility flexibility at at production production speed speed high integrated in-line in-line colour colour measuring measuring and and control control integrated automatic in-line in-line register register measurement measurement automatic full-format high high resolution resolution scanning scanning and and correction correction full-format MAXIMUM PRODUCTION PRODUCTION SPEEDS SPEEDS MAXIMUM (740 xx 1,060) 1,060) RAPIDA RAPIDA106 106 up upto to20,000 20,000sph sph (740 (1060 xx 1450 1450 mm) mm) RAPIDA RAPIDA145 145 up upto to17,000 17,000sph sph (1060 (1,205 xx 1,640 1,640 mm) mm) RAPIDA RAPIDA164 164 up upto to15,000 15,000sph sph (1,205

The game-changers Our next-generation range of performance presses are the most advanced and most productive ever seen. Our unique innovations are designed to make a difference – with adjustment-free no sidelay sheet in-feed, the highest production speeds, the shortest makereadies (with even zero downtime at changeover), the greatest stock flexibility and most reliable quality control at full production speed – it’s little wonder that today’s adopters of KBA printing systems are among the fastest growing and the most profitable in the industry. Let KBA power-performance unlock the potential of your business. Call us. Your success is our business.

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KBA (UK) Ltd. world-beating presses | experienced professionals | first class service

Telephone: 01923 819922 Email: enquiries@kba-uk.com Web: www.kba-uk.com

02/07/2014 12:06:32 25/6/14 09:49:42

Contents | IRISH PRINTER

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

Cover Story » 12 HP talks about its mission to inspire Ireland’s print community with its innovative and colourful WallArt range.

Profile » 15 Maev Martin talks to Tony Rafferty, Managing Director of web-2-print provider w3p about the company’s products and their plans for the Irish market.

Awards Preview » 18 The Irish Print Awards, in association with IBS, a Xerox company, will take place in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, Dublin, on Friday, November 28th. In this issue we continue our profiles of this year’s sponsors and categories.

Packaging » 23 • Fitting automation to a digital print engine allows the type of single pass working that is typical of narrow web flexo presses but, until now, has found little favour with digital users. Nick Coombes reports. • Changing the ‘Ground Rules’ in Flexible Packaging • Lamination Solution for Flexible Packaging • Nilpeter Displays Inline Production of Coffee Boxes • Holographic Footballs Decorate World Cup Champagne • Esko Releases Next Generation Productivity Suite

What’s New in Print » 28 Irish Printer looks at some of the latest innovations and product launches in the trade.

Wide Format » 30 • Plus2Print Proves Power of Vehicle Branding • Agfa Adds Primer Option to Jeti Titan Range • HP Disrupts Production Printing With PageWide Technology

Talking Technical » 33 David Rogers, Business Unit Director for Static Control at Meech International, a specialist developer and manufacturer of electrostatic controls and related solutions, explains why the print industry really needs to be aware of static.

Business Matters » 34

What Are Employer’s Legal Obligations Towards Their Employees? - Avril Clinch, Senior Consultant with Athru Solutions, explains.

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02/07/2014 08:32:18

IRISH PRINTER | Editor’s Letter

stronauts are set to benefit from 3D print technology after a specially designed device was given approval by NASA for use on the International Space Station (ISS). Designed by Made in Space, a company that specialises in manufacturing in-space, the 3D printer has been customised for use in microgravity and is ready to launch. Once installed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox on the ISS, the device is scheduled to print an initial set of 21 demonstration parts, including a range of test coupons, parts and tools, that will provide immediate data via downlinked HD video and will be returned to Earth for detailed analysis. The first set of prints will help verify the printer and extrusion process in microgravity, while the next phase will demonstrate how 3D print can be used to create other items such as crew tools, payload ancillary hardware, and potential commercial applications. And it isn’t just the popularity of the 3D printer that is going into orbit, glasses-free 3D digital signage technology is also about to hit the market, providing potential business opportunities for sign makers and large format print providers. Exceptional 3D has launched a new line of auto-stereoscope 3D display solutions which allow viewers to observe content with special eyewear and the technology can be used to play both 2D and 3D content. It works by placing a lenticular layer (containing multiple prism lenses aligned along one axis) over a standard screen, but rather than showing a conventional image the video is ‘sliced’ and off-set along the lines of the prism. The differing images presented by each prism tricks the brain into interpreting the subtly different images as objects in 3D space, thus creating the optical illusion. Staying with the 3D theme, but closer to home, Co Louthbased 3D full colour printer supplier Mcor Technologies recently received €6.6m of growth capital from London and Munichbased private equity fund manager, WHEB Partners. The company says it is experiencing “strong demand” internationally for its products and believes that the investment from WHEB

The team

Editor: Maev Martin Editorial Manager: Mary Connaughton Art Director: Jane Matthews Design & Layout: Jane Matthews Advertising Designers: Jennifer Reid/Colm MacDermott Stock Photography & Illustrations: Thinkstock

will allow them to deliver on their “exciting sales pipeline and, together with WHEB, build Mcor into a global 3D printing company”. At the moment, 3D printing is the preserve of well-known manufacturers such as MakerBot and Stratasys. However, the success that an Irish company like Mcor has enjoyed in the global corporate and consumer printing markets in recent years shows that it is only a matter of time before 3D printing technology becomes affordable to manufacturers and suppliers in the commercial printing sector. And if this happens, significant growth in the number of print companies offering 3D printing services can’t be far behind. Remember when the first mobile phones came on the scene (I don’t because I’m too young but I’m sure some Irish Printer readers are old enough to remember those big concrete blocks!). In the space of less than 20 years we have iPhones and iPads and most of us would be lost if we didn’t have our mobile to tell us the time, write notes, send emails, check our calendar, listen to music etc. 3D technology is on the verge of embarking on the same journey that the mobile communications industry has taken, a journey that could create a further seismic shift in the way we work and live. By the time many printers and publishers realised that mobile and online technology could be a business opportunity rather than a threat it was, unfortunately, too late. But this time, the printing industry has the opportunity to get in at the very start of the 3D journey and use its technical knowledge and experience to capitalise on the popularity of this new, exciting and groundbreaking technology.

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

Cover Image Courtesy of Markus Benesch for HP. Contact: Irish Printer, Ashville Media Group, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7 Tel: (01) 432 2200 Web: www.irishprinter.ie

All rights reserved. Every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate. The publishers cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © Ashville Media Group 2014. 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

Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Production: Jennifer Reid Printed by: Walsh Colour Print

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Miller Graphics are a pan-European provider of packaging graphics services to Brand Owners, Retailers and Printers. Leading the artwork and reprographics process, we provide brand implementation solutions that help streamline the new packaging development process. To help customers maintain consistency and quality throughout the process, we offer industry leading imaging technologies including HD Flexographic plates and sleeves.

For information telephone + 353 87 9086 123 or email david.little@millergraphics.com SWEDEN • FINLAND • LATVIA • POLAND • UNITED KINGDOM • IRELAND BELGIUM • HOLLAND • FRANCE • MOROCCO • ALGERIA 231875_1C_MillerGraphics_CMD_IP.indd 1 Untitled-3 1

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IRISH PRINTER | News

The Inkjet Conference

SMA, a non-profit association in Europe for specialist printing manufacturers of screen and digital print technology, is hosting The Inkjet Conference in the Swissôtel in Neuss (Düsseldorf), Germany, September 30th and October 1st 2014. The conference is an ideal opportunity to connect with technology suppliers, research institutions, integration experts, as well as OEM’s from different market sectors, in what has become a rapidly growing billion euro business. It will showcase technologies and spot trends to enable emerging developments in printed electronics and functional fluids to learn and partner with those that have been successful in aiding volume adoption of inkjet technology in manufacturing applications. To keep in touch with the latest news and updates on The Inkjet Conference, you can go to the dedicated website: www.TheIJC.com. Registrations are open to all. The two-day event will offer a three track educational conference developed specifically for inkjet equipment manufacturers. Track One: Inkjet engineering - Fluid systems – Precision engineering – Print heads – Digital Asset Management – RIPs, colour calibration and workflow; Track Two: Fluid - Ink components - Nano particles - Laboratory equipment - Rheometers - Particle size analysers - Conductive inks - Aqueous inks - UV inks; Track Three: Academic track - The academic track is open to all universities and non-commercial research institutes to present their work. Over the past seven years, ESMA has organised conferences on a range of topics, including Computer-To-Screen (CTS), GlassPrint, membrane switch, advanced functional and industrial printing.

Neopost Branches Out with Roadshow Series

Printers from the Roland wide format range (pictured here at Fespa 2014) proved popular at the Neopost Ireland roadshows.

eopost held a series of roadshows during May which were well attended by companies in the print and sign industries. For its ‘Branch Out’ themed shows, Neopost teamed up with some new partners this year to bring an array of equipment and services to the sign and print sectors. Partners included Serigraf, Tharstern, Xeretec and National Business Machines. The Radisson Blu Hotel in Galway was the first stop on the roadshow itinerary where a total of 30 companies attended on May 13th. “We were delighted with the turnout on the day and there was particular interest in the Roland wide format printers,” says Neopost Ireland Marketing Executive Yvonne Maguire. Next stop was the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork on May 27th. “A total of 40 companies came to our event in Cork and we were thrilled to see so many people taking time out of their busy schedules to find out what is new on the market,” says Yvonne. “Again, there was strong interest in the Roland wide format offering, as well as in the new Neolt XY trimmer and the new Multigraf CP375 creaser and perforator. It has been great to see so many printers and sign makers coming to these events. Attendees at each event received a free three-month cinema pass and were also entered into a draw to win an iPad. The lucky iPad winners were Dave McCarthy of Woodland Print & Design, who attended the Cork show, and Mark Foran of George Signs, who attended the Neopost event in Galway. There will be further Neopost roadshows in Dublin, Limerick and Belfast in September and October 2014.

Canon’s imagePrograf iPF9400 large format inkjet printer.

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News | IRISH PRINTER

Ricoh in New Sustainable Partnership with ReCreate

icoh Ireland announced a new partnership on June 17th with ReCreate, a social enterprise which diverts end of line and surplus stock from businesses in Ireland and reuses them as arts materials at its Creative Resource Centre in Ballymount, Dublin. ReCreate encourages children to engage in open-ended play through creating art from end of line, surplus or excess materials from businesses. Its educational mission is to increase creativity, curiousity and lateral thinking, while simultaneously raising awareness of sustainability and reuse. Since opening its doors in November 2013, more than 15,000 children, parents and teachers have participated in art projects using materials from ReCreate, either at their schools, youth centres or onsite in ReCreate’s Creative Resource Centre called the ‘Warehouse of Wonders’. In its first year, ReCreate estimates that it will save 150 tonnes of material from being thrown into landfill by Irish businesses. Through this new partnership, Ricoh will work closely with ReCreate to increase the quantity and quality of re-usable materials that can be used by children for art projects. This includes cardboard, paper, posters, cylinders, spools, fabrics, mounting board and a whole host of other materials. Ricoh will divert surplus materials from its own production print facility in Park West, Dublin and will also encourage

Picture Caption: Pictured at the announcement on June 17th Pictured at the announcement on June 17th at the ReCreate ‘Warehouse of Wonders’ in Ballymount, Dublin are (l-r): Gary Hopwood, General Manager, Ricoh Ireland and Dara Connolly, Executive Director, ReCreate.

its partner network and customer base to do the same. In addition, Ricoh will be donating one of its Eco-line multifunctional print devices to ReCreate and will also take on the production and printing of promotional and educational collateral for ReCreate from its production print facility. This partnership coincides with Ricoh’s Global Eco Action Month which aims to improve environmental awareness and understanding, and to encourage

participation in environmental activities. Ricoh has set aggressive longterm targets to cut CO2 emissions by 87.5% by 2050. Ricoh’s environmental credentials have seen it being named in many credible sustainability global indexes such as the Global 100 most sustainable corporations in the world and the FTSE4Good index series. In Ireland, Ricoh has held certification for ISO 14001 for effective environmental management since 2001.

Kodak Issues Call to Action on Sustainability

odak has issued a white paper, entitled Process Efficiency for Improved Sustainability, specifically targeted at print companies looking to use technological innovation to implement significant environmental and financial efficiencies within their print operations. The release of the white paper was marked with a presentation by Digital Dots Managing Director Laurel Brunner, the author of the paper,

at Kodak’s plate manufacturing plant in Osterode, Germany. Recognising the increased pressure on companies across the print sector to improve their environmental credentials, the paper aims to highlight the constantly growing importance for companies to assess their processes and ensure that they are in line with the latest print technology. With the print industry constantly in a state of flux, the fact remains that those

businesses that optimise their environmental credentials, process efficiency, quality management and process control, stand the best chance of ensuring long-term profitability. Kodak’s Osterode facility was recently certified with ISO 50001:2011. The certification officially recognises that Kodak’s Osterode plant has implemented and maintains an energy management system.

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IRISH PRINTER | News

Sugar Club Screens Linotype: The Film Tracey McGloughlan and Rachel Hegarty at the screening.

ublin-based DJ, promoter and letterpress printer Louis Scully hosted a special screening of a film about linotype printing machines at The Sugar Club on April 23rd last. Louis licensed a screening of Doug Wilson’s Linotype: The Film (2012) for screening at the club. Brendan Murphy, Peter Fitzgerald and Jim Tierney, all retired linotype operators and members of the National Print Museum’s chapel of printers, were invited to take part in a question and answer session after the movie, chaired by

letterpress printer Jamie Murphy of The Salvage Press. Jamie Murphy interviewed members of the National Print Museum chapel who recounted their experiences as linotype operators in Ireland until the techology’s demise in the 1970s. These included former Irish Printer contributor, author, retired printer and renowned storyteller, Vincent Caprani, who told a tale or two during what proved to be an extremely entertaining evening. There was a good turnout of people from all walks of life, including students,

designers, lecturers and, of course, those working in or retired from Ireland’s print industry. Louis Scully runs the events management company Discotkeen, which was founded in 2009 and runs a variety of events

Jamie Murphy, Peter Fitzgerald, Jim Tierney, Brendan Murphy and friends at the screening in The Sugar Club. Images courtesy of photographer Sinead Rice.

including club nights, live gigs, screenings, talks, and roller discos. He is also a letterpress printer, printing small runs of business cards. and stationery from home.

Book Printer Improves Efficiency and Colour with X-Rite Glasgow-based academic book and journal printer Bell & Bain recently purchased X-Rite’s IntelliTrax colour management scanning solution from Rutherford Graphic Products to manage their on-press colour control. IntelliTrax is X-Rite’s advanced, automated colour management scanning for press-side colour control. Founded in 1831, Bell & Bain is one of the few Scottish academic printers to have survived the centuries to thrive in today’s ultra-competitive market. With more than 80 employees, the company has a turnover in excess of £9m and has more than 150 customers, including most of the blue-chip names in international publishing. Bell & Bain operates three large format KBA Rapida 142 offset presses and a new B2 four-colour Rapida 75 with coater. The latest KBA press purchase was part of Bell & Bain’s investment programme, which has helped the firm increase turnover by 50% since 2005, and win new business that includes a portfolio of work in the fine arts sector. “Our initial IntelliTrax investment has made a huge difference to our operations - both in accuracy and in speed,” says Scott Hill, Print Manager at Bell & Bain. “First, the integration of the Rutherford closed loop capability that feeds information back to the press makes duct key changes even more accurate. In addition, the IntelliTrax solution is a lot faster, cutting our make ready time in half and significantly reducing waste. With IntelliTrax, we can reach target densities in 20 minutes - and that’s for large format four-over-four printing. On the older system, it generally took 24 minutes for four-colour make-readies, and that was only one side of the sheet, so this is a significant improvement.” X-Rite’s IntelliTrax automatically scans the colour bar of a typical press sheet in less than 15 seconds. It can measure special colours, Pantone colours, non-process colours, and paper colour. Instant reports are then created and displayed on-screen. Bell & Bain’s Intellitrax was installed in conjunction with Rutherford’s AutoPilot, a software solution that delivers off-line closed-loop colour control.

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News | IRISH PRINTER

Over €6m Invested in Irish 3D Print Company

ondon and Munich-based private equity fund manager, WHEB Partners has invested €6.6m of growth capital in Irish 3D full-colour printer supplier Mcor Technologies Ltd (Mcor). Based in Dunleer, Co Louth, Mcor claims that while most 3D printing technologies are used to build models from expensive and often environmentally harmful plastic, chemically infused powder, or metal, Mcor 3D printers use ordinary office paper as the build material. “This has several advantages,” says Dr Conor MacCormack, CEO and Co-Founder of Mcor. “The paper can be imprinted with Mcor ink to give a much more realistic colour to the 3D objects than any other technology currently in the market, the use of inexpensive paper results in low total cost of ownership, the‘used’ paper can be utilised, and the 3D printed objects are themselves fully recyclable thanks to the use of waterbased adhesives in the build process.” Dr MacCormack says that Mcor are experiencing “strong demand” internationally for their products and he believes that this investment from WHEB will allow them to deliver on their “exciting sales pipeline and, together with WHEB, build Mcor into a global 3D printing company.” Dr MacCormack and his brother, Fintan MacCormack, founded Mcor in 2005 and have increased revenues by 800% since 2012. The main customers are product design studios, architects, educational institutions, and print shops. “The 3D printing market has experienced tremendous growth recently and Mcor is well positioned to take advantage of this trend, thanks to its truly unique technology,” says Dr Alexander Domin, the Partner at WHEB who led the transaction. “Mcor’s 3D printers allow objects to be printed in high resolution colour while using environmentally friendly materials that cost five per cent to 20% that of other technologies’ models. This potentially saves Mcor’s customers hundreds of thousands of dollars over several years of ownership. This deal perfectly exemplifies the resource efficiency and growth opportunity themes in which WHEB invests.”

Conor (left) and Fintan MacCormack.

New Flexi Covers from Robinson & Mornin

obinson & Mornin Bookbinders recently introduced its new and unique Flexi Cover bound books. A Flexi Cover book is a ‘niche’ binding style that offers the advantage of both soft cover binding and hard cover binding. As the name implies, a flexi-cover book is the combination of a book block wrapped in a flexible, turned-edge cover. The result is a book with more durability and flexibility than a soft cover book but without the added cost of a hard cover bound book. Flexi-cover books also have a higher perceived value than a soft cover book, a desirable quality for many industry applications. A Flexi Cover book is also lighter than a normal hardcover book. For further details and samples, contact Georgina on 028 90 240 942 or email georgina@ rmbookbinders.com

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02/07/2014 08:49:04

IRISH PRINTER | News

HP Model is Biggest Selling Flatbed in Ireland

The HP FB500

P’s FB500 and FB700 flatbed presses are proving popular with print companies around Ireland, with recent installations at SL Graphics and Digital Business Services in Dublin and, more recently, at KPW Print in Ballinasloe, Co Galway. According to Peter Morrow, Sales Manager Graphic Arts for Diatec, the HP reseller in Ireland for the FB500 and FB700 models and HP’s 310, 330 and 360 series latex presses, Diatec has an installed base of 10 machines in Ireland for this HP flatbed range. “It is the biggest selling flatbed in the country,” says Peter. “HP’s flatbed range is ideal for the production of POP/POS, exterior signage, exhibition and event graphics, interior decoration, directional rigid signage, outdoor furniture, short-run packaging and 3D displays.” The HP Scitex FB700 prints up to six sheets at once and at speeds of up to 80 metres square per hour. It offers six colour printing, including a white ink option, and uses HP UV-curable inks. The press can print directly on virtually any rigid or flexible material, even on corrugated plastic. It can also print on materials that are up to 6.4cm thick, and up to 2.5 metres wide by 3.05 metres long. KPW Print installed the HP FB700 in October 2013 and for the past few months the company has been producing large volume runs on corriboard but also on foamex, vinyl

and some banner materials. “We had secured a contract that had sizeable signage requirements so we wanted to have the capability to deliver it in-house,” says Gabriel Naughton, General Manager at KPW Print in Ballinasloe, Co Galway. “And in general, having the equipment in-house gives us much greater flexibility and control over order fulfilment. We researched what was available on the market for almost four months and we considered a number of alternative flatbed options before deciding on the HP machine. This press is a natural fit for us because of its quality and environmental benefits. It is second to none in terms of speed, giving us a competitive advantage in terms of faster turnaround times for our clients. In addition, the machine is very easy to operate - a new operator can run the press with a few hours of training and observation.” Dublin-based large format digital print and multimedia signage company SL Graphics installed their HP FB500 in October 2012. “We were already operating two Seiko ColorPainter models supplied by Spectrum Digital Services in Ballycoolin, in Dublin 15, but this machine was our jump into flatbeds,” says Managing Director Dave Savage. “Before we installed the FB500 we had to operate a two-stage process

for certain print jobs - we printed the job on vinyl and then had to mount it manually onto boards. However, we needed to be able to print straight onto a substrate and the HP FB500 allows us to print directly onto the panel so this investment is about keeping up with market trends and with where our customers are at. I considered a range of brands before making the final decision to invest and the quality of the output from the FB500 was outstanding. Also, it allows us to print 10 foot by 5 foot panels and that is very important for us because we are A1 size upwards printers. In addition, the FB500 is a roll-fed machine as well as being flatbed and there is a very fast change between the roll-fed and flatbed modes – we can switch into a roll-fed system in about five minutes. This is because of the dismountable tables at the front and back of the machine which can be collapsed and pushed out of the way.” SL Graphics print panels for indoor and outdoor applications and they are printing on a range of materials with the FB500, from foamex and timber to acrylic and vinyl. “We are looking to invest in further presses this year to cope with increasing demand and with the large short-run jobs that constitutes most of our output,” says Dave.

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02/07/2014 08:50:45

News | IRISH PRINTER

Heidelberg Offers Enhanced Performance Consultancy

In a scheme that mirrors the launch of its ISO 12647-2 certification scheme two years ago, Heidelberg is launching a parallel consultancy service to maximise Speedmaster XL productivity.

ccording to Heidelberg, the XL Performance Package offers another step forward in process control and overall machine efficiency. “The production data from Analyze Point has shown us time and again that the XL makereadies are very fast and that the machines can operate at incredible speed over a wide range of jobs but that delays are occurring for non-machine reasons,” says Prinect Technical Specialist John Murphy. “This can be down to skill issues, working practices, availability of paper or other consumables, shift changeovers and so on. The XL Performance Package will give employers an objective look at where they could lift productivity and profitability further and help with implementing those changes. It safeguards the value of the machine and has the potential to add to bottom line profits.” There is a basic package which includes qualification and measurement, normally three months after a machine is installed, and feedback on actions recommended in terms of the press, people and processes. This is followed up by implementation of agreed amendments to operation and the associated press processes, and a further check after six months to ensure that performance is being maintained and that changes have stayed in place. In total, customers will have about six days of expert on site help from Heidelberg. A prerequisite for benefitting from the service is that the customer must have a spectral measurement device and Analyze Point in place. “Two pilot installations have been identified, one in the north and one in the south,” says John Murphy. “We will be selling the standard service for Stg£7,500 but with an option for an enhanced bespoke consultancy service for players

The Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 long perfector.

with more specific or additional needs. We believe there will be a clear payback, in some instances as high as a 10% to 20% lift in output, as well as reduced waste. We have seen just how valuable Print Colour Management has been to our customers and we are launching this XL Performance Package because the technology has been so successful that printers want to maximise its full potential.”

KBA and IFS in Cutting Edge Partnership

BA and Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS) recently announced a collaborative venture in the marketing of a major guillotine brand. In an initiative formulated in Germany by Perfecta Schneidmaschinenwerk GmbH, the world’s longest-established mainstream guillotine manufacturer, and Koenig & Bauer AG, inventor of the power-driven printing press and the second-largest press manufacturer, KBA sales divisions in various territories around the world will offer the Perfecta range as part of their product portfolios. The agreement takes the form of a working partnership with Perfecta’s existing sales channels - in the case of the UK and Ireland, Intelligent Finishing Systems. “This is an excellent opportunity to further extend the reach of the Perfecta offering to the larger formats, packaging printers and specialist areas where KBA is the press of choice, as well as increasing our presence in the general commercial sector,” says IFS Joint Managing Director Bryan Godwyn. “Perfecta is a leader in the introduction of intelligent control systems for high speed cutting efficiency and a world record holder for the largest guillotine so we see this as a perfect fit.” KBA (UK) Ltd Managing Director Andrew Pang describes Perfecta as “a leading guillotine brand with a unique pedigree and IFS has a really professional and experienced support team. As with our other recently-announced partnerships, such as with Optimus and Montex-print, our customers will benefit from KBA’s experience with similar installations across Europe in specifying and implementing the best solutions for their needs.”

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02/07/2014 08:51:42

IRISH PRINTER | News

Smart Templates – The Future of Packaging Pre-Production?

Ricoh Ireland Appoints New General Manager

icoh Ireland appointed Gary Hopwood as its General Manager last month. His primary responsibility will be to drive business growth and profitability for Ricoh Ireland while ensuring all company goals are achieved on time and on target by his team. Gary will also define and develop business strategies and will oversee their implementation in the Irish operation. Gary has more than 30 years’ experience working in senior business and leadership roles. He has a strong outsourcing and services focus and has been directly involved in the transformation of Ricoh UK into a managed service leader in recent years. Gary will oversee Ricoh’s key objective in the Irish market of becoming market leader for managed document services. Gary has been Regional Operations Manager for

Gary Hopwood, General Manager, Ricoh Ireland.

Ricoh UK’s outsourcing division since 2008. In this role he had responsibility for all UK managed services’ customers outside of London. He was Regional Service Manager for Ricoh UK from 2003 to 2008. Prior to joining Ricoh UK, Gary was National Service Manager in Ricoh Ireland for seven years from 1996. Gary will work closely with his direct team of more than 60 Ricoh Ireland employees and also his indirect channel of dealers throughout Ireland.

Maria Boylan Joins Watermans Printers

atermans Printers recently appointed Maria Boylan Maria Boylan as Business Development Manager. Maria will be responsible for developing and growing new and existing business across a broad market segment. She has a wealth of experience in client relationship management, including her previous role in Hudson Killeen where she worked as Sales and Marketing Manager for over nine years. Watermans Printers employ over 35 people within its Cork and Dublin offices. They are an award-winning company and the proud recipients of the prestigious Book Award at the Irish Print Awards in 2013.

Smart template capabilities are now becoming available for packaging preproduction and, according to a recent white paper from Esko, could be the basis for a ‘near-lights-out prepress workflow in packaging pre-production’. Esko recently released a white paper identifying key market drivers that affect the packaging supply chain and discussing opportunities for innovation and efficiency in prepress and converting operations. 5 Key Trends for Packaging Prepress and Production Workflow, written by WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne and sponsored by Esko, is available for download at http:// whattheythink.com/whitepapers/5Key-Trends-in-Packaging-Prepress.cfm “Increasingly, the package is the brand,” says Cary Sherburne. “Brand owners and packaging converters alike must stay current with the latest technologies in order to better understand the possibilities for innovation and improvement across the entire packaging design, production and distribution process. In doing the research for this white paper, I was particularly intrigued by the smart template concept as a basis for near-lights-out prepress workflow in packaging pre-production. We have seen this concept in play in other areas of the printing industry, where it has made a huge difference, and it is exciting to see smart template capabilities now becoming available for packaging pre-production as well.” Smart templates separate design from content creation. Content resides in a cloud-based packaging management system and smart objects within the templates are linked to approved content in a secure database. “This type of infrastructure accommodates the need for smaller runs of more targeted packaging and also allows late-stage editing, critical in a dynamic environment such as the one we face today,” says Cary Sherburne. “The ability to change content once and have it flow through a variety of templates also ensures that all content remains current and in regulatory compliance. This improves efficiency and reduces cycle time, benefiting all stakeholders within the packaging supply chain.”

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News | IRISH PRINTER

Inpress Control Move is Check Mate for Bishops

ortsmouth-based Bishops Printers has invested close to £2m with Heidelberg this year. It has taken delivery of a Stitchmaster ST 450 saddle-stitcher and a Speedmaster XL 75-10-P, its first press with the Inpress Control automated colour and register control. The company sees Inpress Control as a stepping stone to ISO 12647-2 colour certification. If customer demand for great colour control dictated this part of the investment, it is the rise in the use of silk papers over gloss stocks that has decided the company on the ten-unit configuration. Silk papers require a seal on the fifth and tenth unit to allow work to be moved straight through to postpress processes without fear of marking. It has already realised the benefits of Autoplate XL on previous purchases, reducing plate changes from 12 to two minutes which, with an average of 14 makereadies per press a day, represents a significant time saving. This is a replacement press so Bishops retains the largest UK battery of B2 Speedmasters, a total of 70 units. The ST 450 saddle-stitcher replaces an older Muller Martini machine and means that Bishops is running three Stitchmasters. That means it can offer its commercial and direct mail customers a wide range of stitching options. Bishops Printers operates 24/7, has close to 2,500 customers, and handles over 20,000 jobs a year.

Bishops Printers Managing Director Gareth Roberts.

Ricoh’s Clickable Paper Wins Innovation Award Ricoh Clickable Paper was recently awarded the accolade of Best Valuable Innovation by the European Digital Press Association (EDP). It was voted for by the 20 member magazines, which represent more than one million readers interested in digital printing trends in EMEA. Stephen Palmer, Head of Production Printing, Ricoh UK and Ireland, says that Clickable Paper’s ability to provide immediate one-touch access to multiple online resources such as photos, video/multimedia, websites, e-commerce portals and social networks makes it hugely attractive for businesses looking for ways to add value to the printed page. “We are delighted that the EDP recognises the added value Clickable Paper brings to professional print

operations, providing their clients with more creative ways to increase the effectiveness of print,” he says. “Clickable Paper is a powerful, interactive print solution that bridges the online and offline worlds and is available for print services providers, agencies, publishers, brand owners and other organisations to make paperbased communications interactive. Clickable Paper provides easy access to digital rich media via a smartphone or tablet. Its functionality can be critical when it comes to developing an effective interactive print campaign that drives readers to take action or seek additional information. It also provides tracking of these activities to publishers and advertisers.” Clickable Paper is based on Ricoh Visual Search image recognition

technology. “Clickable Paper is more secure than QR codes, and permits the repurposing of already printed materials without marking, editing or reformatting the source documents,” says Stephen. “Hotspots are used to link to rich media from related authored content, user contributed social information or calls to action such as tweets, maps, calls and emails.” The accolade follows two other high profile awards presented to Clickable Paper recently. It won the 2013 Graph Expo Must See ‘ems Award in the US and the French Xplor Grand Jury Award for Innovation. The Xplor jury selected Clickable Paper based on how Ricoh and the luxury watch manufacturer, Bell and Ross, created a customised app to add impact to the launch of a new ceramic watch.

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Cover Story | IRISH PRINTER

HP Helps to Get designs

On the Wall HP outlines the advantages of WallArt, its customised wall decoration solution, and explains how it can create new revenue streams for Irish print service providers.

Wall Decoration When we talk about interior decoration, what exactly do we have in mind? What are the market opportunities? Who is buying interior dĂŠcor solutions, and what solution is HP offering? More importantly, how can you, the print service provider, enter into or grow your wall covering business? The decorative application options that are available on the market are wide ranging and advances in print technology have made those options more accessible and cost effective. With our new Latex technology, HP can print on just about everything: we can print floors, decorative laminates, window coverings, wall coverings, and canvas. So which ones of these options provides the biggest business opportunity for Irish print service providers? Well, at the moment, wall covering really is the way to go. Wall covering has gone through a bit of a transformation in the last few decades. In the 1950s and 1960s, wall covering used to be a full-room application - all four walls were covered with paper and featured a design which was essentially a repeated pattern. In the 1990s, all of the walls were painted, and then came the feature wall, which

basically meant three white walls with one wall painted a different colour. These days the paint is becoming wall paper but not just your garden variety wall paper â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there are photo murals as well - so a photo can be created on the wall as well as on other canvas applications. There are many different ways to dress, personalise or decorate your walls because the wall covering business is now a fashion business.

In Fashion In fact, the wall covering business works very similarly to the fashion business. Collections are created once or twice a year. They are exhibited at shows where

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people can see the new collection, new colour trends, and new design elements. And the production of wall paper is very similar to the approach that is adopted in the fashion industry. Wall covering works in exactly the same way. In addition, the wall covering manufacturers not only come out with a new design collection every year but they actually work with very well known designers, just like the haute-couture houses do, and they show their wares on the catwalks in Paris, London, New York, etc. So, when something is in fashion, the smart business owner or operator will seize the opportunity presented by the market trend. People want wall paper and they want to know how and where they can buy it. Not only that, the increasing popularity is also being driven by a desire for customisation. People want more bespoke design in their homes, in their restaurants, in their hotels, etc. The market has moved away from buying a series of patterns and sticking them on the wall to a wall covering solution that identifies the person or the corporation with their interiors.

Faster, Better, Cheaper Those of us either printing or supplying to the print industry know that digital printing technology is getting faster and the quality is improving all the time. It is also becoming more cost effective to print digitally and the variety of media that can be printed on is almost limitless. Of course, this is driven by HPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latex technology, which makes it even easier to print on many media. So, the message is that the consumer has well and truly abandoned the world of four walls with a repeated pattern and is embracing a completely different world of interior decoration, one of customised art on walls. And the really good news is that the printing industry now has the technology to respond to this market demand in a cost-effective and high volume manner.

WallArt Opportunities for Printers When it comes to producing wall art, the residential, commercial and retail sectors all provide business opportunities for Irish printers. Worldwide, the wall covering sector produces well over 50 million rolls of wallpaper. Only a very small part of that production is done with digital printing. There is a huge opportunity in the commercial space - business, offices, etc. - where the end customer is the most sensitive to customised design. But it is the retail sector which is by far the most accustomed to printing digitally. Why is this? Well, shops remodel or redecorate at least once, if not twice or three times, a year. And the way they do that is by working closely with a print service provider. So the wall art needs of the residential sector are currently being met by the traditional wall covering manufacturers, where they sell through various retail outlets. But the wall covering requirements of the commercial and retail sectors are being served by the print service provider and that is where there is a big business opportunity for the Irish print community.

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Getting into the Market “I have the machine, I have substrates, but I don’t know how to go about getting into the wall covering market or how to promote my services to that market.” This is a comment that we hear quite regularly from our customers in the print world. But HP WallArt has all of the tools that a printer needs to participate successfully in this market. We can give you the tools that you require to expand into high-value customised wall decoration for the residential, retail, or commercial spaces. Whether it is the production of wall coverings, posters or canvas, and from the wall layout to print stage, HP WallArt makes it simple. Install HP WallArt software at your website and let your customers take creative control. With a simple, easy-to-use design tool, customers can get the job started on their own using personal photos, their own image gallery, or by searching a vast library of high-quality images, designs and artwork from HP’s market-leading partner Fotolia. There are about 1,500 users of HP’s Wall Art solution worldwide, half of which are in Europe, so we would encourage Irish print service providers to visit https://www.hpwallart.com.

word processor for Walls WallArt is a cloud-based software which can be used free of charge by any print service provider who owns a HP latex printer (no other type of HP device can access WallArt). It is an end-toend solution and it is perhaps best described as being ‘a Word Processor for Walls’. From design to ripping to managing colour, right through to choosing the right media, the printing itself, and the cutting, everything in the HP WallArt package is controlled by the print service provider and is created as a clean solution. Wall coverings are printed on the HP Latex series of printers which feature latex ink (water-based, non-solvent inks), making them the ideal covering for all internal environments, but particularly for dining rooms, hospitals and schools, as these inks are completely safe and emissions-free. It is very difficult to find a wall in a building that is completely white with nothing on it. There is always a plug, a door, some kind of an element which makes the wall unique, so it is important to see what a design will look like with all of these existing elements before you even print the wall covering. WallArt allows you to plan your wall before you print it out and the software is available for IOS as well as Android tablets. HP WallArt is an easy way to differentiate your business and generate some extra margin. HP is sponsoring the new Business Innovation Award at the Irish Print Awards in November (see full details in the August issue of Irish Printer). Irish print companies don’t have to have HP printers or WallArt to enter this category but WallArt is one of the many new solutions available on the market that can help Irish print companies to further innovate and create some outstanding and eye-catching productions. You never know, you might be the inaugural winner!

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Profile | IRISH PRINTER

w3p provides e-commerce solutions for digital and lithographic printers who want to better compete in the online market. Maev Martin talks to w3p’s Managing Director Tony Rafferty about the company’s web-2-print products and their plans for the Irish market.

Tony Rafferty, Managing Director, w3p.

New Web-2-Print Provider

Targets Irish Market

3p was born out of the the Printing.com formula, which is a franchise network across Ireland, the UK and other countries. “I walked around the drupa 2008 exhibition and spoke to many innovative web-2-print solutions providers but I concluded that their products were too difficult for print companies to implement on a dayto-day basis unless those companies employed a dedicated web-2-print specialist,” says Tony. “The templates that are at the heart of web-2-print are simply too time consuming for printers to build - it would take one to two hours to build a template for any of the great web-2-print systems that we saw at drupa - so we decided to create a product that was different and easier to operate.” w3p’s first branded partners were Printing.com and they have been using the software since 2011. “We have since made it available to printers in the wider print industry,” says Tony.

“We introduced it in beta format in the UK in January 2013 and it has been running as a mainline product since the second quarter of 2013. It went into Ireland as a beta product at the start of 2014 and we are now ready for the next phase. With close to 100 w3p partners in the UK it is the right time to introduce our w3p solutions to a wider market which includes Ireland. w3p’s print partners in Ireland include We Do Print in Dublin (w3client and w3shop), Wise Eyes Creative in Carlow (w3client), Omagh Printing (w3shop), Athlone Printing (w3client), All Design in Kilkenny (w3client), Web Buddy in Naas (w3client), Print Etc in Summerhill, Co Meath (w3client), Mooney Media in Banbridge, Co Down (w3client) and Edit Print in Cork (w3client and w3shop). We want to provide Irish printers with fully functioning web-2-print that is low cost and easy to use.”

for corporate, and in particular, multisite, clients, and w3shop is for print companies who want to sell directly to the consumer. In developing these software products the company’s vision was that web-2-print should be simple, the templates should be built by the software, and there should be a special module to sell to SMEs, together with a library of ready-made design templates. “When we couldn’t find a web-2-print solution that fitted those requirements we built it ourselves,” says Tony. A w3p client template sample for Revive, a UK mobile car care company.

A B2B Solution w3client is w3p’s web-2-print solution

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Profile | IRISH PRINTER

Tony Rafferty, Managing Director, w3p.

New Web-2-Print Provider

Targets Irish Market

A B2B Solution w3client is w3p’s web-2-print solution

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IRISH PRINTER | Profile

Online Print Group

w3p is part of Grafenia Plc, as are Drukland in Holland who sell printing and flyers online. “We took their knowledge about selling online and how you work with Google and distilled that down into the w3shop product,” says Tony. “The group also comprises Printing.com, which many print companies in Ireland would be familiar with, and Marketplace, which is a trade portal for printers and graphic arts professionals to buy and sell online. Marketplace includes product from Printing. com, other suppliers and, indeed, every w3p user can become a marketplace supplier themselves. Marketplace will provide an option for the w3p user as and when they want to use it. For instance, the foil blocked or embossed flyers may be an option for you to use from time to time. We will go live with Marketplace early next year. However, there is no point in having a platform where printers are selling their product unless there is a significant number of trade buyers so our focus through to the end of this year will be on engaging with the print community in the UK and Ireland to generate more buyers on the site.”

Examples of design templates available through Template Cloud which is automatically integrated into w3shop.

“Templates are at the heart of web-2print. A key differential of w3client is the ease with which you can set up web-2-print systems, and microsite functionality enables you to personalise your client’s web-2-print portal.” Rather than having to use a third party proprietary piece of software, Tony says that w3client takes the hard work out of building templates by automatically building the print company’s web-2-print templates direct from Adobe InDesign. “Working in this way utilises your graphic designer’s existing skill-set, as the fixed or flexible elements of the template are specified using the established layer functionality within InDesign,” he says. “If you are a graphic designer in a print company and you know how to use InDesign we can have you up and running building templates in half an hour. If you are doing business cards why make a PDF if you can make an editable template that can be reused? With w3client, you save the template as an InDesign file, upload it to the cloud, and our system will pull that file apart and turn it into an online editable format. There is no web-2-print software in the market place that takes the raw InDesign file, uses the graphic designer’s existing InDesign skill set, and turns it into the editable online format with the same level of simplicity as our system - and it is the power of the cloud that does that.” Tony claims that building a template for, say, an A4 leaflet, could take one to two hours using conventional

web-2-print systems. “With w3client this process could take as little as 10 minutes,” he says. “The w3client software does the hard work for you so you’re not paying technical staff to labour over template creation. I demonstrated our w3p software to a Managing Director of a small print business at Ipex and he said that it is doing what their prepress manager spends two hours doing building a web-2-print template so w3p is creating a different scale of efficiency.”

Turning Websites into Webshops SMEs, clubs, charities and business start-ups are increasingly buying print online. If a printer turns their website into a webshop it provides opportunities for their clients to order online when and where they want. “Prior to w3shop this type of platform was the preserve of large companies with big budgets who dominate the online market,” says Tony. “With w3shop the printer has everything they need to start selling printing competitively in the online marketplace. With basic graphic skills, they can configure their w3shop from a library of ‘themes’ in a similar way to WordPress. com – and they can do it in a couple of hours, keeping the elements they need from an existing website while adding their print deals, the shopping cart, and templates. It is about choosing your themes and working out your landing pages, because they are often more

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important than the home page, and then adding sliders, because most modern websites have sliders at the top of the page with three, four or five messages. This reduces the bounce rate, which is what the online community dreads - one page view and the person leaves the site - so sliders are used to quickly throw in relevant messages.”

Cloud Surfing If a printer adds Template Cloud to w3shop it enables SME clients without print ready files to place an order for printing from the printer’s webshop. TemplateCloud is a sector-specific library of 80,000+ templates. According to w3p, it is the world’s largest library of design templates for SMEs, covering leaflets, flyers, invitations, stationery etc in sizes A4, A5, DL, A6, A7 and business card, and sectors such as electrical contractors, gyms, charity events, garages and the like. “Before you can start selling to SMEs online you need templates for the collateral and many SMEs won’t have artwork and will want to do something from scratch,” says Tony. “Template

“With close to 100 w3p partners in the UK it is the right time to introduce our w3p solutions to a wider market which includes Ireland. We want to provide Irish printers with fully functioning web2-print that is low cost and easy to use.”

Cloud allows us to cloud source from graphic designers who get a share of the revenue if and when one of their files is chosen and paid for by a client. Your SME customers can reduce their reliance on Template Cloud as they build up their own portfolio of designs.”

Trade Print Portal w3platform is w3p’s specialist solution for trade printers who work with networks of resellers and graphics professionals. “On June 9th w3p granted two master licences, one to a trade printer in Australia and another to one in Europe, to re-sell w3p in certain locations,” says Tony. “These trade printers want to be able to give their resellers w3shop and w3client in the hope that they will send through printing orders to them. The licence allows them to use all of w3p’s products and we anticipate granting more of those licences in Europe over the coming months.”

To avail of any of w3p’s web-2-print solutions, log on to www.w3p.ie or contact the w3p Irish Director, Matthew Duffy on (01) 405 4775, 087 6830 813 or email: matthew.duffy@w3p.ie.

K600i versatile inkjet printer for Variable Data Printing

Stand S5F391

www.domino-printing.com 230987_2L_CODICO_JR_IP.indd 1

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www.codico-distributors.com Cleaboy Business Park, Old Kilmeaden Road, Waterford • Tel (051) 379933 Unit 4,W.I.N Business Pk, Canal Quay, Newry, BT35 6PH • Tel (028302 ) 61066

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02/07/2014 12:50:20

IRISH PRINTER | Awards Preview

New Categories Reflect Market Trends & Industry Innovation

Preview

37th Irish Print Awards in association with ibs, a xerox company

The Irish Print Awards, in association with IBS, a Xerox company, will take place in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, Dublin, on Friday, November 28th.

ith 10 new categories and six new sponsors (at the time of writing!) the 2014 Irish Print Awards are set to be the biggest and most innovative in the awards 37-year history. Irish Printer magazine’s events team will be issuing a call for entries in August and full details on all of the award categories and on how to enter will be available on the magazine’s website. In the meantime, we continue our profiles of this year’s sponsors and categories.

MGI Digital Print of the Year MGI Technology, the UK distributor for French manufacturer MGI S.A., confirmed on the first day of IPEX 2014 that Agfa Graphics would distribute its range of digital printers in the UK and Ireland. In addition, to further mark their entry into the Irish market, the company is sponsoring the blue riband category at the 2014 Irish Print Awards - Digital Print of the Year. ‘As MGI becomes better known throughout the UK and Ireland the opportunity to sponsor the digital category of the Irish Print Awards was not to be missed,” says David Evans, Director, MGI Technology. “As confidence and growth returns to the economy and printers look at their investment plans, it is an ideal time to evaluate how MGI can enable business owners to build new revenue streams and differentiate their service offering. An association with Irish Printer magazine and with

these prestigious awards is the perfect channel for us to reach our target market and to promote the MGI portfolio of digital presses and digital spot UV coating technology to the Irish market.’ MGI Digital Graphic Technology provides innovative and awardwinning solutions for the graphic arts industry. Founded in 1982, it is a public company listed on the NYSE Alternext, Paris as ALMDG. MGI’s digital portfoilo enables print service suppliers to add value and differentiate their service offering to increase margin from their respective customers. MGI Technology is the exclusive distributor of MGI S.A. for the UK and Ireland.

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IRISH

PRINTER

THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY // WWW.IRISHPRINTER.IE

SUBSCRIBE to the Irish Printer magazine and receive a free online directory listing! To subscribe or renew your subscription please contact Emma Nolan on: 01-432 2226 or email: emma.nolan@ashvillemediagroup.com If you have any stories or features that you would like included in future issues of Irish Printer, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to hear from you. Contact: maeve.martin@ashvillemediagroup.com

Website: www.irishprinter.ie AwardsAds2.indd 1

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IRISH PRINTER | Awards Preview

RÉalt Paper Events & Corporate Stationery Printer of the Year Réalt Paper were the first ever headline sponsor of the Irish Print Awards in 2013 and they are continuing to support the awards in 2014 by sponsoring one of the new award categories. “We have chosen to introduce and sponsor this new ‘Event and Corporate Stationery’ category because it is an all-inclusive award open to practically every printer in Ireland,” says Ger Barron, Managing Director, Réalt Paper Ltd. “The level of design, quality of print, and choice of paper with matching board and envelope are crucial to the impact the finished job can have on a print customer, be it a large corporate stationery suite or a full event package. The higher the impact, the larger the margin earned, and the better the chance of retaining the print customer. We will continue to support the awards because we believe it is important to celebrate the talent within the trade through an annual flagship event. The Irish Print Awards is a platform for the entire print industry - small, medium and large print companies alike - and our hope is that this new category will encourage even more print companies to enter in 2014. In the toughest of times Réalt Paper is prepared to step forward and support a trade that has supported us for 33 years.” Réalt Paper are an independent Irish-owned paper merchant with an extensive range of paper and board servicing the print, packaging, sign and office supply trade. “As part of the AIMS buying group our purchasing power enables us to bring the best of what is on offer from mills around the world, from value-based products to specialised finishes and textures,” says Ger Barron. “Whether you need to produce a volume coated or offset job, or a particular stationery suite for high end customers, we have the solution for you.”

Antalis Print Integrated Marketing Campaign of the Year New sponsor Antalis is sponsoring one of the new award categories in the 2014 Irish Print Awards - the Print Integrated Marketing Campaign of the Year. “We are delighted to sponsor the award for the new category of ‘Print Integrated Marketing Campaign of the Year,’” says Maura Hoey, Marketing Manager at Antalis Ireland. “Printed campaigns are integral to the future of the print industry. We have always had close ties with both the print industry and the graphic design and advertising community so we are delighted to acknowledge their excellence through this award. The Print Awards have been an important event in the Irish print industry calendar for many years. In this era of continuous change and new technology, we believe that acknowledging excellence in the print industry is more important than ever.” Antalis is the leading European distributor of paper, packaging solutions, and visual communications products, ranking third worldwide and operating in 44 countries. Established in 1897, Antalis Ireland is the oldest and longest serving paper merchant on the island of Ireland. “We have a product range that is unrivalled anywhere,” says Maura Hoey. “Antalis Ireland employs over 45 staff in Dublin and brings global benefits to our local market. We will continue to work with our very loyal customers, bringing new ideas and opportunities. We operate in five separate business sectors: print, office, packaging, sign & display and educational products. From our conveniently located Dublin hub, we can provide you with the following services: next day and same day deliveries - on time in full, every time; Antalis Online stock availability, pricing and ordering 24/7; Sample and Dummy Service delivered next day, in perfect condition; Technical Consultants - here to support you whenever you need them; Specialist Conversion Facilities (ex UK) - to supply your non-standard material requirements; Business Solutions Team - support for your business from our experts in supply chain

management; Consultancy Services - to help you gain certification in key business areas; and Digital Matters - our dedicated support for digital technology. Whether you are running a commercial printing company, a graphic design or advertising agency, a packaging firm, or a small office, we have something to offer your business to help you get the best from your paper-based communications while saving you time and money. We have a market-leading range of over 13,000 products, including papers, envelopes and consumables, as well as packaging, promotional and visual communication materials, and school and college copy books, note books and refill pads. And it’s all backed up with a service that is second to none. We operate an overnight service from the UK for the majority of the products that we do not stock locally. As a multi-specialist paper merchant, we offer you a wealth of choice. We’re here to help when you need us.”

The Sun Chemical Award for Magazines Sun Chemical is sponsoring an award for the first time this year and has chosen to endorse the well established ‘Magazines’ category. “Given our market leadership in Ireland and the rest of the world, our local infrastructure and our continued dedication and commitment to the Irish market, we feel that now is the right time for us to come on board as an Irish Print Awards sponsor and the category that we are sponsoring fits with part of our business,” says Kat Harper, Projects and Marketing Manager, UK & Ireland Packaging & Nordic, Sun Chemical Ltd. “Magazine production encompasses many processes - conventional sheetfed, heatset, coldset and digital - for which Sun Chemical has numerous product ranges so the Magazine award category mirrors and encompasses what we are about in this sector. We have numerous customers in Ireland and we will continue to provide value to their

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE AWARDS OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES, PLEASE CONTACT: emma.nolan@ashvillemediagroup.com or call 01 432 2226. www.irishprinter.ie

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IRISH PRINTER | Awards Preview

businesses through our commitment to innovation, service, product development, safety, and customer service excellence. In an ever changing industry, the Irish Print Awards is an important showcase of excellence for graphic arts professionals. The awards recognise the best of Ireland and they are a great place for the Irish community to congregate and celebrate print excellence.” Sun Chemical, a member of the DIC group, is the world’s largest producer of printing inks and pigments and a leading provider of materials to packaging, publication, coatings, plastics, cosmetics, and other industrial markets. With annual sales of more than $3.5bn, Sun Chemical has over 8,000 employees supporting customers around the world. Sun Chemical Corporation is a subsidiary of Sun Chemical Group Coöperatief UA, the Netherlands, and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey in the US.

Miller Graphics FMCG Packaging Printer of the Year Multinational pre-press and brand management company Miller Graphics is sponsoring the new FMCG Packaging Printer of the Year award. “Packaging is a growing sector across the world and in Ireland, where we see great opportunity, so we are pleased that packaging is taking a higher profile at the Irish Print Awards,” says David Little, Sales Manager Ireland, Miller Graphics Ltd. “We are delighted to sponsor this important sector and to acknowledge the great quality of Irish packaging printers. Miller Graphics are experts in FMCG packaging graphics and work with many of the largest brand owners across Europe. The Irish Print Awards continues to be an excellent and enjoyable social and networking evening. It creates a unique opportunity in the year to meet colleagues and friends from the sector, to entertain customers, and to see positive outcomes from the

sector’s hard work.” Miller Graphics are a pan-European provider of packaging graphics services to brand owners, retailers and printers. “We assist in the artwork and reprographics process and we provide brand implementation services, automating the new packaging graphics development process,” says David. “We also manufacture the latest in high definition flexographic plates and sleeves and assist our customer in achieving consistent, process specific, high quality print results.”

peers. As a supplier of equipment in a challenging market, we believe the awards demonstrate the continuing strength and endurance of our industry and it is a night when we can forget our woes and focus on individual and corporate achievements.” Portman Graphic has been supplying new and used equipment to the industry since 1988, including offset, letterpress, web, sheet fed, and, of course, finishing equipment. Komori and Portman Graphic have been supplying new presses to the industry on a joint basis since 1997. “We believe that we have been instrumental in the development and growth of technology and efficiencies in the Irish printing industry during this period,” says Ian. “And we continue to be one of the leading suppliers and supporters of the Irish printing industry.”

The Komori/Portman Graphic Small Printer of the Year Award Komori UK and Portman Graphic is once again sponsoring the Small Printer of the Year category in the Irish Print Awards. “Komori and Portman Graphic are happy to recognise the level of excellence that small print companies are achieving,” says Ian Murphy, Managing Director of Komori’s exclusive Irish distributor Portman Graphic. “This category is one of the most fiercely contested and represents the majority of Irish printing companies. Despite the difficult economic climate, these companies continue to excel in terms of the quality of their output and the consistency of the service that they provide. They are the backbone of the Irish print industry, and they account for a large percentage of Portman Graphic’s business, so we are delighted to be able to give something back by supporting this category and recognising the achievements of the nominees and the award winner. Komori and Portman Graphic believe that the Irish Print Awards are an extremely important fixture in the industry calendar because they provide print and finishing companies in all sectors of our industry with the opportunity to come together and join in applauding the achievements of their

The Heidelberg Award for Sheetfed Colour Offset Printing Heidelberg is a long-time sponsor of the Sheetfed Colour Offset Printing category in the Irish Print Awards and we are delighted that they are endorsing this category again in the 2014 awards. “Heidelberg works closely with many companies in the Irish market, large and small, and in diverse sectors,” says Gerard Heanue, Managing Director, Heidelberg UK. “In supporting this award Heidelberg wants to acknowledge the enterprise and initiative shown by printers in their quest to produce really classy, high quality print. The Irish Print Awards bring together players from the graphic arts industry who are keen to acknowledge the best in their business. It is an important networking event and always a fun evening. Heidelberg is the leading supplier to the graphics arts industry, providing digital and litho equipment, workflow, consumables and unmatched service and training support. The Heidelberg brand is synonymous with reliability, quality and value for money.”

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02/07/2014 09:48:16

Packaging | IRISH PRINTER

Paul Roscoe (left) worked closely with ABG’s Matt Burton to identify the best specification for the Digicon lines at Berkshire Labels.

Automation Brings Digital Package

Printing Into Line Fitting automation to a digital print engine allows the type of single pass working that is typical of narrow web flexo presses but, until now, has found little favour with digital users. Nick Coombes reports.

hen high quality converter, Berkshire Labels, added digital print technology to its flexo capability it turned to ABG International to supply and install complementary converting equipment. When I visited the family business in Hungerford in the UK to see the new machinery in action, Berkshire Labels’ Managing Director Paul Roscoe described the effect it has had on his company’s performance. “We have always prided ourselves on producing quality work, from the early days of letterpress in 1983 through to the single pass UV-flexo presses we have today but it was the decision in 2010 to invest in a digital press that really focused our minds on how to make the best use of its unique production capability,” he says. Having made the decision to invest, Berkshire Labels had to then look at how it could maximise the effectiveness of the new technology while maintaining its reputation as a supplier of premium products. The solution came as a result of a detailed discussion with the UK’s leading manufacturer of narrow web converting technology, ABG International which, with its Omega inspection rewinders, had been a trusted supplier of Berkshire

Labels for many years. Having taken time to evaluate the options for digital printing, Berkshire Labels selected and installed a HPIndigo 6000 engine in 2011 and elected to add an ABG Digicon series 2 line to convert the printed webs coming off the press. The Digicon provided semi rotary flexo, laminating, die cutting, slitting and rewind capabilities. “There was a steep learning curve to climb in the first 12 months and we had to run two shifts to cope with the output,” says Paul Roscoe. “Workflow planning needs a whole new way of thinking and we had to develop new markets to fill the capacity, which involved reeducating staff and customers alike.” Once the company had a clearer picture of how to maximise the potential of the Indigo, it installed a second ABG line - a Digicon Lite - with flexo, laminating, die cutting, slitting and rewinding facilities, and moved production to three shifts. While it is well established and accepted in the commercial print market, digital technology was, initially, perceived as an unreliable print option when it came to the production of high quality labels. Paul Roscoe knew that if his investment in digital print was to succeed he needed to convince

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IRISH PRINTER | Packaging

The Digicon working inline with the HP 6600 is both jdf and jmf-enabled and offers single pass production.

customers that consistent quality and reliable delivery, coupled with a sharp price, were all available, just as they always had been with flexo. “In the final reckoning, they are not interested in how it is produced, only that it meets their criteria for quality, delivery and price,” he says. “If we could take the print process out of the equation we could demonstrate the extra creative opportunities that digital production could offer them.” By 2013, Berkshire Labels was confident that it had ticked all the boxes and was in a position to move to the second phase of its £2m investment programme. At the end of the year it installed a HP Indigo 6600 (and upgraded its 6000 line) and this time it added an inline jdf and jmf-enabled ABG Digicon to raise its single pass capability to that of its flexo lines. Converting inline brings many benefits - less downtime, less work in progress, and the need for fewer operators. “Inline finishing gives us superior control and greater efficiency, and we now have one of the most automated lines in Europe,” Paul claims. The latest Digicon is running inline with the Indigo 6600 and is specified with the very latest ABG automation offerings. These include automatic die loading and unloading, automated slitting, electronic i-score back slitting, and a jdf job file drives the entire

line. Lean manufacturing principles and automation are high on Paul’s agenda and these recent installations tick a lot of the lean manufacturing boxes by stripping out previously required processes and increasing the value-added contribution. They also offer single pass production, with one operator in control of printing and finishing. Contrary to accepted practice, Berkshire Labels has not separated its flexo and digital printing presses. It has decided instead to operate the production area as one big clean room. In reality, this required little change to the company’s long established housekeeping practices and they now operate an environment in which substrates from 20-micron film to 450gsm board can be handled with equal facility. The changed operation of the production area has allowed Paul to compare the two production processes, with some interesting results. “In the early days we saw the crossover point between digital and flexo at around the 1500 metre mark - now, with inline automation, that figure is closer to 10,000,” he explains, adding that runs of up to 30,000 metres on the latest Indigo were not unknown but that this was job dependent. “What the inline solution offers is the opportunity to remove any hiatus in production caused by offline systems,

including ours!” says ABG’s Matt Burton, who was responsible for specifying the package of converting equipment, valued at close to £1m, to the Hungerford plant. “In the case of Berkshire Labels, automation has reduced make ready from hours to minutes. This means that a typical working day will see 50 jobs produced instead of 35. That’s some result!” With printing speeds rising on digital presses, Matt Burton estimates that each press now needs one and a half Digicon lines to cope with output, which puts Berkshire Labels in the spare capacity bracket with room for growth. Although the vast majority of the 1000 Digicon lines that will have been installed by the end of 2014 are working offline, Matt foresees a rapid growth in demand for online solutions now that they have been proven to work in demanding commercial environments where quality is paramount. “In addition to the Digicon lines, Berkshire Labels has invested around £1m with ABG over the past 18 months on an HSR twin rewind and RTS sheeter to work offline with the company’s guillotine,” he says. “It’s clear that automation is central to the company’s philosophy of improving quality and productivity.” There is no doubt that the latest technology has blurred the margin between digital and flexo and Berkshire Labels has set out its stall as the market leader in added value products, using whichever technology is most appropriate. Interestingly, despite digital technology lifting company turnover from £4.5m to £7m since its arrival, and showing a four-year ROI, Paul Roscoe insists that his next press will be an all-singing, all-dancing flexo line. “It’s all a question of maintaining the ideal balance of production capability,” he says. “For now, we believe we have taken our investment in digital technology to its optimal point and although its current 35% of our turnover will grow to 50%, we will need to grow our flexo capacity to compete.” With a desire and appetite to continue this growth through £8m and on to £10m, there seems little doubt that Berkshire Labels will succeed, based on the current outlook at the plant. In fact, since my visit, Paul Roscoe has installed a fourth high-spec Digicon series 2 offline unit that features all of the aforementioned automation but has, in addition, hot/cold foiling capability, twin laminating stations, two flexo heads and the facility to 3-ply digital coupon production.

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02/07/2014 10:06:03

Packaging | IRISH PRINTER

A Vetaphone Corona unit working with a HP digital line.

Changing the ‘Ground Rules’ in

Flexible Packaging

ith a market share approaching 85% in narrow web, and a year-on-year growth rate of nearly 20%, the Danish manufacturer of corona treatment technology, Vetaphone A/S has now set its sights on the mid and wide web markets. Vetaphone has been manufacturing high quality equipment for the converting industry since its foundation in 1951 by the father of brothers Jan and Frank Eisby who now run the company. Jan Eisby reports that the company is close to a technical breakthrough that will “significantly change the ground rules” in the flexible packaging industry. “We intend to build close working relationships with the OEMs in this market, just as we have in narrow web,” he says. “We know

that our technology can significantly improve press production speed and print and lamination quality at the same time as reducing expensive waste and we will build our growth around successful commercial installations.” Claiming to be close to an exclusive agreement with one of Europe’s top press manufacturers, Jan believes that once the dam is breached, the flood will follow. Initially predicted to be the death knell for corona treaters, digital presses have, in fact, increased sales for Vetaphone in the narrow web market, with units being required both before and after printing to permit down stream product enhancement, like cold foiling. Vetaphone has become, at least in the narrow web industry, a by-word for

corona treatment, and lists most of the leading press manufacturers among its portfolio of OEM customers. These, along with direct sales to converters, accounted for more than 1,000 units in 2013 and Jan Eisby has set the ambitious target of a 25% increase for this year. At its agents’ conference in 2013, Vetaphone set targets of growing sales by 400% for the printing, laminating and key accounts sectors in the three years to 2016.

A Vetaphone Corona unit fitted to a Nilpeter FA flexo press.

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IRISH PRINTER | Packaging

Comexi Group has developed a dedicated lamination solution optimised for the HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press.

Lamination Solution for Flexible Packaging HP recently announced a strategic agreement with Comexi Group, a leading flexible packaging machinery manufacturer, to develop a dedicated lamination solution optimised for the HP Indigo 20000 digital press. HP says that the Comexi Nexus L20000 is the first dedicated end-to-end lamination and coating solution for digitally printed flexible packaging. Available in inline or offline configurations, the Comexi Nexus L20000 will offer advanced solvent-free lamination to help flexible packaging converters shorten time-tomarket, as well as reduce waste and environmental impact. The HP Indigo

20000 is a mid-web digital press that helps meet the needs of flexible packaging converters for short runs. It provides converters with the ability to produce several different items around a common design, then customise each one by changing the colours, images and language. Additionally, the press’s 762-mm/30-inch width and ability to print on a wide variety of substrates and film (from 10 to 250 micron) gives converters market versatility. HP says its Indigo’s liquid ElectroInk technology is the only digital colour printing process that matches gravure printing. With seven ink stations, converters can meet stringent corporate branding requirements and achieve perfect colour

registration on all substrates. HP Indigo ElectroInk is also safe and suitable for printing on food packaging, under set conditions of use and compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for non-food contact surfaces. First announced at drupa 2012, the HP Indigo 20000 is now successfully operating at a select number of customer sites in the US, Europe and Asia, where it is producing commercial work across a variety of industries. The HP Indigo 20000 will begin global shipments later this quarter. Comexi Group will showcase the Comexi Nexus L20000 in Autumn 2014. Availability is expected in early 2015.

Holographic Footballs Decorate World Cup Champagne

Image © Iggesund.

The gift carton is made of Incada from Iggesund Paperboard and decorated with holographic footballs.

The Taittinger champagne house is supplying the official champagne for this year’s football World Cup. The company has developed a limited edition Brut Réserve NV and a gift carton especially for the competition. The gift carton is a version of the packaging that won the Carton of the Year award in 2012 at the Europe-wide ProCarton/ECMApackaging awards. The winning carton was decorated with round holographic effects representing champagne bubbles. In the new World Cup version these bubbles have been transformed into beautiful holographic footballs. The World Cup gift carton is made of Iggesund Paperboard’s Incada 235 g/m2 paperboard and the conversion is by Le Sanglier, which specialises in gift cartons for champagne. The foil lamination is by API. Even the bottle is specially produced for the event, with the World Cup trophy depicted on a gold label. “We’ve used the latest in both printing technology and 3D printing to create both the unique bottle and the carton,” explains the company’s Export Director Clovis Taittinger.

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02/07/2014 10:08:12

Packaging | IRISH PRINTER

Nilpeter Displays Inline Production of Coffee Boxes Bogota-based converter, Impresos & Acabados, recently opened its doors to 70 printers invited by Nilpeter to demonstrate the capabilities of its Nilpeter eight-colour FB-3300S roll-to-roll flexo press. The press is equipped with hot air dryers, four UV lamps, a double in-feed system, corona treater and suction web cleaner. The converters in attendance witnessed an impeccable demonstration of inline production of coffee boxes and multiplesubstrate coupon labels. “Our flexo presses allow the printer to reach completely new segments”, says Jesper Joergensen, Global Sales Manager at Nilpeter. “There is no doubt that these types of packaging and label applications could help many of the converters gain a competitive advantage”. General Manager Fernando Herrera says that just a year after their investment in a Nilpeter FB-3300S they won the 2013 Best of Flexography Labels Award. “I believe that we have proven that it is entirely possible to make the leap from sheet-fed offset to roll-to-roll flexo,” he says. “In our case, the flexo press has allowed us to expand our market reach by adding coupon labels and wrap-around cartons to our capabilities. The press is constantly fully booked!”

The box printed at the Open House measured 14 x 8 x 3 cm. It was printed, diecut, and sheeted inline on 200g cardboard and laminated with 10-micron metallic film in a four-colour process with coating.

Esko Releases Next Generation Productivity Suite Esko has released Suite 14, a collection of new and updated software for brand owners, premedia houses, converters, sign and display producers, and commercial printers. The Connect software kit enables users to further remove manual activities from the packaging preproduction process, driving endto-end automation, and Connect integrates with a wide range of thirdparty solutions such as MIS, shipping systems, popular web applications such as Google Maps, or other web portal or cloud-based solutions. A series of new colour tasks are now integrated into the automation engine, which now automatically converts brand colours to a fixed ink setting using Equinox profiles. Other enhancements increase designer productivity when preparing designs for production and improve diepress efficiency as well. Suite 14 also gives ArtiosCAD users more realistic 3D visualisation when folding corrugated and paper board, setting more realistic expectations for clients when presenting designs. This update of ArtiosCAD also features a number of improvements for die making manufacturers. This includes single-click options for filling a line or path with nicks and configurable options for driving various output devices to reduce the time it takes to get a design into production. Enhancements to the die-board bolt hole mounting pattern tool allows users to select mounting holes more quickly and efficiently. Esko Suite 14 also includes a number

The new Suite 14.

of enhancements to its 3D capabilities. Visualizer effects in Illustrator lets users of Studio Designer go beyond the normal 3D view to add special effects and finishing details when creating packaging graphics in Illustrator. Esko’s Store Visualizer lets users place virtual objects in photographed scenes, enabling them to see their designs in an in-store setting to determine how they compare with competitive products. The integration of a Level Of Detail system gives users enhanced speed when rendering virtual store views, especially in environments with vast numbers of 3D models. Suite 14 ships with three pre-established hyperrealistic environments to help users see what their 3D products will look like in a store environment. In addition, the new version of Studio includes an Augmented Reality viewer for mobile devices. The new Suite 14 has been available since the beginning of this month.

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02/07/2014 10:09:13

IRISH PRINTER | What’s New in Print

Agfa Enhances Mobile Publishing Platform

Agfa Graphics showcased a number of new features of its Eversify mobile publishing software at the World Newspaper Conference in Turin, Italy, last month. Eversify is Agfa’s automated mobile publishing solution for tablets and smart phones and it captures existing content from any editorial or other content system. The latest version provides publishers of newspapers or magazines with advanced publishing options and improved reader analytics. It allows publishers to promote multiple titles via a single app as it goes beyond a simple reader and presents multiple products in a virtual kiosk. Advanced reader analytics provide publishers with details about their readers’ behaviour down to how long each article was read. The EDC++ feature adds interactivity to the enhanced digital copy editions, allowing readers to read articles at a single click. It also lets the reader control the text size and allows easy swiping to the next/previous article. The reader’s choice feature enables a publisher to provide both interactive and EDC content of the same edition. The readers then decide which format they want to read. Other new features include reader text choice, improved text formatting, asides and quotes, and automatic ad upload.

First App for Flexo Printing

lint Group recently launched its new FlexoToolbox app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices, which is now commercially available on the global market. This interactive collection of tools incorporates many different functions for simplifying and standardising flexo prepress, plate making and process control. The app can assist plate makers with

tasks ranging from the calculation of plate distortion to the control of processing parameters, such as solvent balance or monitoring UVA intensity and the determination of sleeve diameters. The FlexoToolbox App can be obtained free of charge in the Apple App Store and in the Google Play Store with immediate effect in the English language.

Masterwork Launches New Die Cutter

Masterwork Graphic Equipment has expanded its product line-up following the launch of the MK1060ERS, an automatic platen die cutting machine with stripping and blanking facilities. The MK1060ERS incorporates five processes - feeding, die cutting, stripping, blanking and waste conveying - allowing one operator to turn printed sheets into finished products in a single pass. Optional devices include pre-stacking and stripping preparation stands. The timing belts incorporated into the feed table improve the presentation of stock to the front and side lays while the slow-down device enables thin paper to be controlled accurately. Continuous feeding is aided by the high level of automation, with sheet detectors and control devices reducing waste. Masterwork has equipped the stripping unit with a quick locking facility for easy operation and fast positioning of the stripping board. Separation sheets can be inserted automatically in the non-stop blanking unit at pre determined quantities. The MK1060ERS can handle sheets from 400 x 350 mm to 1,060 x 760 mm, and offers a die cutting area of 1,060 x 745 mm with an accuracy of 0.075 mm. The machine can be used with paper/ board between 0.1 – 2 mm thick and corrugated board up to 4mm. The feeder and delivery pile heights are 1,550 mm and 1,200 mm respectively and the die cutter can achieve speeds of up to 6,500sph.

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New in Print | IRISH PRINTER

HP Expands Production Inkjet Possibilities HP expanded its production inkjet capabilities with the recent introduction of the HP priming solution, which enables HP inkjet web press users to print on a broader range of media, including standard offset coated media that is not typically compatible with production inkjet technology. HP claims that its new priming solution allows printers and book manufacturers to print on low-cost, coated offset stock without compromising print quality or productivity. The priming solution is available for the full HP inkjet web press portfolio and the first solution offers a matte finish. HP also recently announced the T260 mono inkjet web press, a

The HP T260 offers fast speeds and an efficient imposition form factor for book production.

new digital press designed specifically to help publishers increase speed to market and profitably print high quality black and white books in both large and small quantities. The first 66-cm-wide (26-inchwide ) HP inkjet web press, the HP T260, prints on a wide range of media and offers an efficient imposition form factor for book production and fast speeds - up to 244 metres (800 feet) per minute. The HP

T260 has a duty cycle of 123 million A4 sized (111 million mono landscape letter-sized or 87 million portrait letter-sized) and 211 million 152.6-mm by 228.6-mm (6-inch by 9-inch) equivalent images per month, extending the crossover point for analogue to digital printing. The HP Priming Solution and the T260 Mono Inkjet Web Press are expected to be available before the end of 2014.

Friedheim Acquires New Agency

riedheim International is enlarging its equipment portfolio with the addition of a major new supplier, the Vega Group, which offers a range of Italian folding and gluing machines for producing solid and corrugated board boxes of various sizes and thicknesses, plus box collecting. Vega equipment provides finishing solutions for short, medium and high run applications across all market sectors - commercial print, digital print, converting and packaging. Vega also offers Braille embossing and double feeding, along with a custom design service. All of the machines will be available in the UK and Ireland with immediate effect from Friedheim International.

New Mineral Oil-Free Ink SunJet, the inkjet ink division of Sun Chemical, and inkjet technology specialist Xaar have collaborated on the development of IK822, Black MOF - a new mineral oil-free (MOF) ink that addresses food contamination fears. The new ink, IK822, Black MOF, is designed for use in secondary packaging applications such as barcoding on corrugated and other absorbent paper-based materials. While it provides a solution ahead of potential legislation, the IK822 MOF ink has also been developed to meet coding and marking requirements. Containing premium grade pigment, the new ink delivers high quality and optical density on a wide range of porous substrates. IK822, Black MOF ink is approved and optimised for use with the Xaar 128 and Xaar 500 printheads.

VEGA Pulsar folder gluer.

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IRISH PRINTER | Wide Format

Plus2Print’s capabilities stretch from banners to signage to displays and beyond.

plus2print proves

power of vehicle branding Downpatrick-based Plus2Print is a printing company with a strong online presence. The company secures a substantial portion of its business through platforms such as Facebook and Twitter so it’s ironic that their decision to purchase a Mimaki CJV30100 came about via more conventional channels. A chance meeting at a set of traffic lights was all that was needed to partner Plus2Print with the right machine for its requirements and budget. “We happened to see a Dennis D Evans van parked at a set of traffic lights and I knocked on the window for a brochure,” explains Gavin Oakes. “It really was a fortuitous meeting.” Belfast-based Mimaki reseller Dennis D Evans was able to demonstrate the speed and print quality of the Mimaki CJV30 integrated printer/cutter and Plus2Print’s CJV30 model was installed shortly after the chance meeting. “The Mimaki CJV30 fitted perfectly into our setup and the seamless transition from printing into cutting has been a great asset to us,” says Gavin.

“We were looking at wide format to push our business forward to the next level, having been mainly print and design for 20 years. Meeting the Dennis D Evans guys was a real breakthrough - vehicle graphics are a great way of strengthening any company’s brand and giving a business a professional image, all of which can now be done with our Mimaki.” Frank Wilson of Dennis D Evans says the sale to Plus2Print is a great example of what good vehicle graphics can do for your business. “It was a refreshing example of how you mustn’t overlook more conventional marketing means,” he says. “Our branded vehicle proved to be the perfect opportunity for us to show Plus2Print how a Mimaki CJV30 could allow them to produce high quality vehicle graphics for their customers, in addition to a whole host of other applications.” Established in 1990, Plus2Print is a family business which is currently run by brothers Alan and Gavin Oakes who took over at the helm from their father

15 years ago. Between them they have degrees in business studies and fine art, backed up by experience in print and graphics. The CJV30 Series printer/cutter offers four sizing options, from 60cm through to 1.6m. The CJV30 has production print speeds of 17.5m2/h and runs with Mimaki’s SS21 outdoor inks. Plus2Print’s Gavin Oakes and the company’s Mimaki CJV30-100.

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02/07/2014 16:56:51

Wide Format | IRISH PRINTER

A Way With Words...Across Concrete and Tarmac! Soyang Europe is well known for having every surface covered so when Manchester-based Trafford Signs were looking for something a little different to fulfill a high-profile client brief they contacted Soyang to see what was available. It emerged that the client was The London Book Fair, which was held at Earls Court in London in April, and after further discussions a sample roll of Alumigraphics was provided to Trafford Signs. This aluminum foilbased material conforms and holds to the texture of any surface that it is applied to. With its resistance to heavy pedestrian and rolling vehicle traffic, as well as all types of weather conditions, it has a myriad of potential applications in both indoor and outdoor environments. The aim of the project was to create a meandering and inspirational ‘river’ of words which would entice and lead visitors across the public pedestrian spaces around the exhibition halls and in through the main entrance. Once the concept and application was approved - and after a highly successful test and trial run - the race was on to get everything printed and installed in time for the opening

Pavement text at The London Book Fair.

of the Fair. The extensive printing exercise was carried out as soon as the media arrived and driven down overnight for installation the day before the show opened. “It was quite a challenging few days for the team at Trafford Signs because of the tight schedule and the fact that the Alumigraphics media

Agfa Adds Primer Option to Jeti Titan Range The new digital primer option on Agfa Graphics’ Jeti Titan S and HS flatbed inkjet printers improves ink adhesion and extends the durability of prints. Digital primer is typically used to print outdoor signage and displays on low-cost yet more difficult (in terms of adhesion) materials (e.g. fluted polypropylene) with the objective of extending the durability of the prints. Agfa Graphics’ digital primer solution can be applied to the entire image or ‘spot-wise’ only. It is subsequently cured by the printer’s UV curing system. Digital primer vastly improves adhesion without sacrificing either the maximum density or the ink colour gamut.

was so new to the UK market,” says Tim Egerton, Sales Manager for Soyang Europe. “However the printing went really smoothly and the installation went like a dream. The whole team were genuinely impressed with how easy the media was to work with and lay across such uncompromising outdoor surfaces. What no-one really expected was the huge level of interest from passers-by, members of the public and other contractors, as the installation took place. People were stopping in amazement and photographing the process on their smart phones.” Alumigraphics is available in smooth or high-grip surface finishes and can be printed on large format UV curable latex and solvent digital printers, or even screen printed.

Agfa Graphics’ Jeti Titan HS with primer option at Fespa 2014

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02/07/2014 10:29:32

IRISH PRINTER | Wide Format

The HP Designjet T7200.

HP DISRUPTS PRODUCTION PRINTING WITH PAGEWIDE TECHNOLOGY HP announced last month the scaling of its inkjet-based PageWide technology for large-format printing. This technology, which consists of more than 200,000 nozzles on a stationary print bar and spans the width of the page, enables users to produce a variety of black-and-white and colour applications, such as drawings, maps and posters. HP claims that its PageWide Technology will disrupt the $1.3bn production printing market currently dominated by monochrome light-emitting diode (LED) printers. HP is also expanding its existing large-format portfolio with the introduction of the 36-inch HP Designjet T3500 Production eMultifunction Printer (eMFP), which is ideal for use by businesses, and the 42-inch HP Designjet T7200 production printer, a full colour, large format printer built for central reprographic departments (CRDs) and reprographic houses with high volume print demands. It is capable of handling three heavy media rolls and it can produce both colour and black-andwhite prints on a wide range of media, from bond to glossy photo paper. These solutions can handle the volume and diverse print needs of enterprise organisations, CRDs, architectural, engineering, construction (AEC) and design ﬁrms, public sector agencies, quick printers and small- to mediumsized reprographic houses. “The new large-format HP PageWide Technology will disrupt the production printing market by offering customers an affordable option for high-volume

quality prints, transforming an industry that typically prints in monochrome into one that now prints in colour without compromising speed,” says Stephen Nigro, Senior Vice President, Graphics and Inkjet Solutions Business, HP. The HP PageWide printhead is built with thousands of identical drop generators that offer uniform volume, speed and trajectory for precise printing. The technology also regulates the speed and penetration of Original HP pigment ink to accelerate drying and to control dot size, feathering and colour-to-colour bleed for high-quality prints. HP claims that, together with its thermal inkjet technology and HP pigment inks, the new HP PageWide technology for largeformat printers reduces the cost per page and offers the ﬂexibility to use low-cost photo papers for graphically rich applications. Additionally, the PageWide platform prints the full page in a single pass. The large-format HP PageWide printers will be available in the second half of 2015. The HP Designjet T3500 Production eMFP is now available worldwide while the HP Designjet T7200 production printer is currently available in the US only.

The HP Designjet T3500

TURNING LIGHT SWITCHES INTO DECORATIVE FEATURES When Weymouth-based Stika.co invested in a Mimaki CJV30-60, the young company already had a substantial sales presence on eBay and needed to expand its production capabilities to meet a rising demand for its unique, digitally printed product. Stika. co’s merchandise ranges from light switch stickers to health and safety labels and .they regularly despatch 150 orders per day through their website. Analysing its workﬂow, Stika. co decided that investing in a new printer would allow them to offer faster turnaround, high quality ﬁnishes and one-off production. Working with Mimaki reseller, PaperlinX, they invested in a Mimaki CJV30-60 integrated printer-cutter. “The Mimaki perfectly suits our application, with its vibrant colours and high print detail,” says Stika.co’s Alex Smith. “It then seamlessly cuts to shape without the need for an operator to intervene - which is ideal for smaller businesses where one person may be carrying out multiple jobs.” Using Orajet 3164 100mic vinyl, Stika. co has developed a portfolio of light switch stickers, ranging from cartoon-based images for children’s bedrooms through to abstract art and stylish interior décor pieces. The company is also beginning to expand its range to include mobile phone skins and covers for television remote controls.

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02/07/2014 10:31:13

Talking Technical | IRISH PRINTER

why you need to control Static David Rogers, Business Unit Director for Static Control at Meech International, a specialist developer and manufacturer of electrostatic controls and related solutions, explains why the print industry really needs to be aware of static.

: Why is static an important consideration for the print industry? A: International businesses need to take notice of static as a phenomenon mainly because when it is present on a printing line it will attract dirt and dust, which can result in poor print quality, with the printing press necessitating frequent cleaning. But many CEOs working in this sector may not be aware of the financial repercussions that stem from the presence of contamination on the web. Frequent downtime spent on cleaning the printing press implies a reduction in machine speed and therefore can lead to significant loss of production. This is obviously an unacceptable outcome for businesses that rely heavily on print. Finally, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the health and safety angle to take into consideration. If accumulated on web rewinds, static can potentially generate harmful operator shocks. This is particularly apparent with todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more common filmic materials, as they tend to generate higher static charges. End users are demanding more sophisticated standards in the goods they purchase than they may have done a number of years ago, and these filmic materials are being used more commonly as they are pleasing to the eye.

: In which processes is static a particular issue and what kind of problems does it create? A: Static can cause many quality and productivity issues throughout the printing process but one area that needs special attention is unwind/rewind lines. Think about a digital label printing line, where a massive static charge can be generated both during printing and as the film or paper is unwound from a roll. These charges are capable of attracting dust to the web from several feet away. The print quality is affected when dust has deposited on the material. After all, printers cannot offer a fast service if they have to keep stopping their machines to clean them due to the build-up of contamination attracted by static charges. Considering that quality expectation is much higher these days, this is a problem that requires an effective solution. There is also the

issues with ink adhesion in the digital printing process, where uncontrolled static can actually repel the ink from the material surface. Not only does this scenario lead to increased production costs, it can also lead to reduced production speeds.

: Is the print industry fully aware of the impact of static or does it need educating? A: As a whole, the industry is still coming to terms with the effects static can have. A lot of companies are aware, more so today than they might have been five years ago, that static control is needed, particularly in filmic applications, but they may not fully comprehend why. That is where the experts can step in and help, with solid knowledge of the different applications and products available to help neutralise the charges and keep printing lines running smoothly and at optimum speeds.

: What are some of the challenges that print manufacturers are facing today? A: As already mentioned, quality expectations have increased significantly for printers compared to 10 years ago but another big challenge they face is the minimisation of downtime. Printers need to be able to cope with the high volume of customer orders they receive, which means that a spotless, static-free web is required in order to keep presses running and achieve that perfect balance between productivity and print quality.

: What does the future hold for the print industry and what will it mean for static control? A: It is evident that print will continue to move to digital for the foreseeable future which, of course, means production speeds will carry on increasing and more filmic materials will be increasingly employed. As a consequence, there will be a need for companies like Meech International to produce static control solutions that can be employed on printing presses and will result in high quality applications.

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Talking Technical | IRISH PRINTER

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IRISH PRINTER | Business Matters

What Are Employer’s

Legal Obligations Towards Their Employees?

The onus is firmly placed on an employer to be aware of their obligations under Irish employment and health and safety law and to ensure that they adhere to legislation. Avril Clinch, Senior Consultant with Athru Solutions, explains.

n the current economic climate, employers could easily be forgiven for thinking that the most important aspect of their business that they need to concentrate on is developing and growing their business. However, if employers do not acknowledge their legal obligations towards their employee it can lead to very costly awards and penalties. In an ideal world employers would get it right from the start by ensuring that all new employees receive a contract of employment and that an up to date Health and Safety Statement is in place. However, it is never too late to ensure compliance with both employment and health and safety legislation.

How To Get Started Terms of Employment It is never too late to issue employees with contracts of employment. The Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 provides that an employer must issue its employees with a written statement of terms and conditions relating to their employment within two months of commencing employment. However, as the saying goes, it’s better late than never! If your employees do not have contracts, employers are liable for claims and penalties under the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 and also NERA (The National Employment Rights Authority). The following terms must be in writing: employer’s and employee’s full name; address of the employer – if the employer is a company then the registered office; the place of work or, if it is the case, the fact that the employee is required to work in a variety of locations; job title or the nature of the employment; date the

employment began; the details of the contract if it is fixed; expected length of the contract if it is temporary; details of rest periods and breaks as required by law; rate of remuneration; the pay period (the intervals at which you will be paid); hours of work (including overtime); paid leave; arrangements for when you are unable to work due to sickness or injury; pensions and pension schemes; periods of notice which both your employer and you must give on ending employment; reference to any collective agreements which affect your work contract. To Provide a Safe Place of Work In Ireland, health and safety law applies to both employees and employers, imposing obligations on both of them. However, again, the majority of obligations fall on the employer. The employer has the primary responsibility to ensure that they provide a safe place and safe systems of work for their employees. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 is the main piece of legislation providing for the health and safety of people in the

workplace in Ireland. Section 8 of the Act outlines an employer’s duties. Some of the primary responsibilities include: to provide proper instruction and training to employees on health and safety; to provide protective clothing and equipment to employees; to prevent any improper conduct or behaviour likely to put the safety, health and welfare of employees at risk; to appoint a competent person as Safety Officer; to provide and maintain a safe workplace; to provide safe plant and equipment; to ensure safe working practices are followed; to prevent risks from use of any article or substance; to prevent risks from exposure to physical agents, noise and vibration. All of these primary responsibilities should be outlined in your Company Health & Safety Statement. If you are an employer and are unsure of what to do, please do not wait until an accident happens to address the issue. What I have outlined in this article is just the basics and in the coming weeks and months I will be addressing several different issues such as lay off/short time, redundancies and shift work.

About the Author Avril Clinch is a Senior Consultant with Athru Solutions, a Dublinbased outsource company that provides a complete human resources management service with personalised human resources packages to meet the needs of SMEs, start-ups and multinationals. She specialises in employment law compliance and industrial relations.

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