Irish Printer Issue 2 2021

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The era of uncertainty Print firms on preparing for life after lockdown and obstacles to growth

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ISSUE 2 2021

04 News

A look at what’s happening in the print industry

09 Uniboard expands offering

The future is looking bright at UniBoard, with further investment and an expanded portfolio set to help the firm grow its presence in Ireland

13 Adapt and grow

Celebrating 40 years in business, Carraig Print Litho Press has launched a new book printing service for writers looking to self-publish

15 Making an Impact

20 The era of uncertainty

Print firms from across the country talk to Irish Printer about the challenges they’re facing and how they’re preparing for life after lockdown

16 ‘Disruptive technology is in our DNA’

With a shift in focus to small format, McGowans has expanded its digital setup with a host of new equipment, including a Landa S10

18 Colour Co-ordinated

With a new website and e-commerce platform, Alphagraphics is introducing itself to new markets and customers throughout Ireland and further afield

24 The Last Word

In April this year the National Print Museum turned 25 and to celebrate, the Museum revealed a teaser of the first of a series of birthday collaborations for 2021

Limerick firm Impact Labelling invests in Truepress L350UV+ LM for its speed and compliance with food and pharma requirements

IRISH PRINTER

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Welcome to issue 2 of Irish Printer for 2021.

Customer requirements have changed since Covid hit our shores and print firms are continuing to adapt their business to remain operational and to fuel growth. McGowans is one of the latest companies to shift its business focus to take advantage of the changing nature of the print sector. With more of an eye to the small format sector, the firm has purchased a new Landa S10 Nanographic Printing Press which will, says Mal McGowan, allow the company to strengthen its position in that competitive space. The days of the long print run are gone, says Mal, with clients now looking for more targeted marketing campaigns. When it arrives late summer, the Landa will join a new Highcon and a LaForte 400 poster printer. These significant investments are part of the company’s futureproofing strategy, paving the way for future growth.

Limerick’s Impact Labelling Systems has also gone down the investment route with a Truepress L350UV+ LM printer, the first to be installed in Ireland.

The new machine will, says the firm, help it meet customer demand for ever shorter lead times and provide consistently high print quality. Carraig Print Litho Press in Co Cork has also adapted its business, albeit in a slightly more unusual way. The company recently launched a new online book printing service called PrintMyBook.com for writers looking to self-publish. Investment has gone into PUR and EVA binding, book sewing, casemaking, three knife trimming and laminating equipment to facilitate the new venture.

For this issue’s cover story, we asked print firms around the country how they’re preparing for life after lockdown and what they see as the main obstacles to growth. Despite the many challenges currently affecting the sector, it’s great to see some optimism coming through from companies that are eager to adapt their offering in order to survive and hopefully, thrive.

Editor: Denise Maguire Email: editor@irishprinter.ie Creative Director: Jane Matthews Designer: Anna Wesolowska Production: Ciara Murray Contact: Irish Printer, Ashville Media Group, Unit 55, Park West Road, Park West, Dublin 12, D12 X9F Tel: (01) 432 2200 Web: www.irishprinter.ie McGowans Print Printed by: Printed on: HP Indigo 10000 using Novatech paper supplied by Antalis.

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 2021. 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

As always, we’d love to hear from you. If you have any thoughts on this issue, please drop us a line at editor@irishprinter.ie. Enjoy!

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IRISH PRINTER

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NEW E-commerce Website

04.2021

Register your trade account today at www.ag-ni.com Keep all your Pressroom and Wide Format needs at your fingertips with our new e-commerce website. Offering a wide range of industry-leading solutions to keep your production running smoothly, our portfolio continues to grow, positioning you at the forefront of industry trends.

SERVICES:

P R E S S R OOM

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W IDE FORM AT

COLOUR M ANA G EM EN T

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NEWS PAUL MACDONALD BIDS FAREWELL TO MARK ANDY

Paul Macdonald, one of Ireland and the UK’s leading figures in narrow web press sales, has retired from his position as Area Sales Manager for Mark Andy UK. He joined the company in 2007 and worked initially as a sales representative for the North of England and Scotland, before being appointed Sales Manager for the UK and Ireland in 2008. Well known and highly respected amongst his colleagues and customers, Paul has been a major driving force for Mark Andy presses over the years with, he estimates, sales totalling more than £50 million in value. Announcing his retirement, he said: “It’s been a lot of fun and often hard work, but I’ve loved my time in the industry and have met and made many good friends along the way. I’ll miss the buzz of exhibitions and the camaraderie of it all, but it’s time to hang up my hat, lace up my golf shoes and work on improving my handicap!”

Anyone looking to keep in touch or play some golf can contact Paul at paul.macdonaldhwi@googlemail.com

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NEW INVESTMENT SEES PRIORY PRESS PACKAGING TARGET PHARMA MARKET

North Down headquartered packaging production firm, Priory Press Packaging, has almost doubled its production capacity and created four new jobs following a £1 million investment in a new industrial Komori press. Supported by Ulster Bank’s asset finance division, Lombard, the new press features a fully automated plate changing and make-ready process to ensure print and colour accuracy and minimise waste. It has also boosted production throughput to 15,000 sheets per hour, a considerable increase in production capacity compared to the firm’s previous system. Investment in the new press will allow the firm to grow its business in the pharmaceutical market. As a BRCGS High Hygiene AA Grade certified business, Priory Press Packaging was already well positioned to expand into the tightly legislated pharmaceutical market; building on that, the new press features a PDF comparator system which provides quality assurance for important information on pharmaceutical packaging by analysing text, colour and more. This automated electronic checking process eliminates human error and avoids costly wastage caused by misprints. Mark McConville, Managing Director at Priory Press Packaging, said: “This is the single largest investment we have ever made in the business. We recognise that investing in the right equipment to allow us to diversify into pharmaceuticals comes at a significant capital expenditure. The finance facility offered by Lombard has meant that we’ve been able to acquire and commission an asset that will drive growth in a strategic market sector for us over the next 15 years while also improving the quality and efficiency of our current production output.”

IRISH PRINTER

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NEWS PAKFORM INSTALLS IRELAND’S FIRST KOLBUS AUTOBOX MULTINOVA Pakform Ltd of Little Island, Co Cork recently purchased a Kolbus Autobox MultiNova box gluing machine (MN400), the first to be installed in Ireland. According to the company, the decision to go with the MultiNova was based on the requirements for quick set-up time, automatic feed, modern gluing technology and short machine footprint. The Kolbus team installed the machine and handled customer training and by day two, Pakform operators were running the machine at 1400 boxes per hour. This is two to three times the speed of their historic gluer, with excellent quality finished boxes. Commenting on the new machine Ed Casey, Pakform Managing Director, said: “There was nothing the machine would refuse, it performed even better than I expected. It was extremely quick to set up and very flexible for short and medium run lengths. You could pick and choose the best way to run each job, sometimes a 90% fold, others 50% and sometimes we could run the product flat if easier.

We ran a number of very varied jobs

Antalis

EXTENDS ITS PORTFOLIO OF FOLDING BOXBOARDS

Antalis has added to its portfolio of folding boxboards with the introduction of Performa Light, an eco-friendly option for a variety of

during training; a very tricky 50mm height die-cut box, a large 2300mm x 800mm case and a tall box with a height of over 1200mm. All of which we knew would test the machines capabilities. We produced them all at a good speed and quality.”

carton applications. The new product is a GC2 folding boxboard that is light in weight but high in bulk and stiffness, offering a robustness that enables brands to create strong and firm packaging with less weight.

Antalis says Performa Light combines excellent smoothness, high brightness and whiteness, while a triple pigment coated top side delivers excellent print results. It’s ideal for premium packaging applications such as cosmetics, beauty and healthcare as well as other graphical applications and is compatible with a range of printing techniques including offset, flexo, rotogravure and digital. Performa Light is exclusively stocked in Ireland and the UK by Antalis in a wide range of sizes and weights.

IRISH PRINTER

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NEWS IT’S IN THE BAG WITH TESCO AND MONDI PARTNERSHIP Global packaging and paper group Mondi and Tesco Central Europe have launched a new partnership, in which Mondi will purchase the retailer’s warehouse corrugated waste to create recycled paper for the retailers’ shopping bags.

This is the first time Tesco has collaborated directly with a paper producer to turn its paper waste into a renewable resource in line with its circular economy goals. Mondi uses the retailer’s corrugated waste to produce the EcoVantage grade, in which recycled and fresh fibres are combined to achieve a recyclable and high performing shopping bag. With the EcoVantage paper produced at Mondi’s mill in the Czech Republic, this collaboration shows how suppliers can work with retailers across the value chain to develop circular systems and turn waste back into a valuable resource. Paulus Goess, Sales Director Speciality Kraft Paper, Mondi said: “Our EcoSolutions approach means we collaborate very closely with our customers to create the best possible product for their needs – using paper where possible and plastic when useful.

We have been working on this project with Tesco for over two years, with the aim of reusing their warehouse waste to create a quality product that is strong in terms of peformance, based on renewable resources, uses recycled materials and can in turn be fully recycled and ultimately contribute to a circular economy. Our strong EcoVantage paper allows consumers to re-use the shopping bag multiple times despite the recycled content and Tesco encourages its consumers to do so.”

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AGFA’S

JETI TAURO INKJET PRINTER HITS THE MARKET

Targeted at the high end of the sign and display market, the Jeti Tauro H3300 UHS LED from Agfa prints media up to 3.3m wide in four or six colours at a speed up to 600 m²/h.

Like its siblings, Agfa says it combines industry-leading print quality with all-round versatility, extreme productivity and cutting-edge automation, yet it is even sturdier and up to 30% faster. Similar to the other members of the Jeti Tauro H3300 family, the new printer is also a true hybrid that can handle boards and sheets as well as flexible materials in different configurations. Every component of the new Jeti Tauro H3300 UHS LED (UHS for ‘ultra-high speed’) is geared towards sustaining highly productive, reliable print operations with low maintenance requirements and high uptime. Examples include the high-speed autoloader for fast media processing and the large ink tanks for greater autonomy. The new printer is also well-suited for corrugated cardboard packaging printing, thus enabling sign & display printers to expand their offering and cover all deliverables for their customers’ marketing campaigns. The master roll-to-roll configuration can handle both single- and dual-roll printing and features an optional camera for accurate double-sided printing of blockout media.

IRISH PRINTER

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NEWS Spotlight on…

DOUBLE RICOH INVESTMENT HELPS NEXT STAY OPERATIONAL DURING COVID Early in 2020 clothing, footwear and home products retailer Next invested in two new printers from Ricoh to help the business remain operational during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ricoh T7210 UV flatbed printer and Ricoh Pro L5160 latex printer were installed at Next’s Leicestershire-based reprographics department in March 2020 as part of an effort to bring more print work in-house and reduce the number of

imagePROGRAF TZ-30000 Canon’s new imagePROGRAF TZ-30000 Series is, says the company, the ideal machine for customers in architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing, as well as professional print service providers and copy shops. Features include excellent media handling and the scope to produce high-quality applications including CAD/GIS drawings, renderings, maps and posters. Printing at speeds of four A1 CAD pages per minute, this newest model is the fastest in the imagePROGRAF Series. With 700ml high-capacity ink tanks and dual roll feeding, it maximises output and minimises downtime, handling production volumes between 300 and 500 square metres a month, supported by Direct Print Plus workflow management software and a high-capacity stacker holding up to 100 A0 sheets. This printer series also comes with ‘hot swap’ either for media rolls or for inks, making it the first system in its category to enable users to replenish media and ink on the fly during printing. Commenting on the launch of the new imagePROGRAF TZ-30000 Series, Joe Courts, Head of Product at Canon UK & IE, said: “In developing the new Series, we set out to address a number of typical frustrations faced by users. This fully featured production printer balances productivity and efficiency, slashing large format print and finishing times and helping customers to deliver on the tightest deadlines. I’m certain that this latest addition to the imagePROGRAF family raises the bar for customers and will match the growing demands of any business needing streamlined and hassle-free large format print production.” The new machines will be available from Canon through Canon’s sales channel and selected channel partners from May 2021.

projects it had been outsourcing, including window displays for its network of 550 stores across Ireland and the UK. When its physical stores were forced to close, the retailer was faced with a new print challenge – ensuring its warehouse remained open and operational while adhering to stringent guidelines. The new machines stepped up to the task, producing thousands of floor graphics in a matter of days to ensure disruption to Next’s online service was kept to a minimum.

When lockdown rules were relaxed, attention turned to ensuring the retailer’s physical stores could reopen safely. Again, the new Ricoh machines were put to work on producing floor graphics such as social distancing markers and directions.

IRISH PRINTER

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NEWS THE PRINT SHOW CONFIRMS RETURN FOR 2021 Organisers of The Print Show have announced that the event will return from September 28th to 30th in Hall 7 of the NEC in Birmingham. With several names already on the floorplan after companies that signed up to exhibit last year agreed to switch their appearances to 2021, The Print Show looks set to appeal to audiences from across the print, wide-format print and related industries. The event will operate under the banner ‘Print Without Barriers’, with organisers aiming to encourage visitors to look outside of their traditional markets and consider moving into other areas to diversify their services. Former Apprentice and Countdown star Nick Hewer and boxing legend Frank Bruno will both appear at The Print Show, while a third star guest will be unveiled closer to the event.

NEW SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING SOLUTION FROM SMURFIT KAPPA

Smurfit Kappa has collaborated with LED lighting company Signify to design a new integrated packaging system that’s used to ship and transport UV-C lights. The BioShift UV-C Chamber Case is a 100% mono-material paper-based solution that removes all plastics and reduces the number of packaging materials used, from five to one. The BioShift case is secured by a fit-to-size hood with special multi-use locks. The case is then placed on a corrugated pallet. In addition to providing a more sustainable solution, the new integrated packaging system also reduces costs. The product’s lightweight design reduces assembly labour by 50% and reduces storage space by 30% which allows for 16 additional pallets per truck, while its packaging also guarantees 100% security during transport. The BioShift UV-C Chamber Case is a part of Smurfit Kappa’s Better Planet Packaging portfolio of products, which offer substantial alternatives to single-use plastics as they are renewable, recyclable and if littered, biodegrade naturally without leaving a trace.

WEBPRINT ACQUIRES INM CITYWEST PLANT Webprint has announced it has acquired the former INM print plant in Citywest. INM stopped printing in Citywest in March 2020 following a decision to shift newspaper printing to its own Newry plant. Webprint will continue to operate from its plant in Cork and hopes to start operating in Citywest within the next two months. At the moment, INM sub-contracts printing to Webprint and this is set to continue. Webprint intends to expand the business and is currently recruiting extra staff. Former printing staff from Citywest are, says Webprint, more than welcome to apply.

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IRISH PRINTER

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NEWS UniBoard expands offering

The future is looking bright at UniBoard, with further investment and an expanded portfolio set to help the firm grow its presence in Ireland

U

niBoard has continued to grow since it became part of the EBB Group in July 2019. A disrupted 2020 saw record sales in Ireland as the business consolidated its market leading position in carton board while adding paper stocks to its portfolio. Former owners Myles and Sharon Fitzpatrick have continued to lead the growth along with their experienced team.

January 2020 saw UniBoard take up residence in its new state-of-the-art distribution hub in Rathcoole, Dublin.

The 12,000 pallet facility is the centre of the operation, with further investment in in-house logistics only weeks away. 2020 also saw the opening of a sales office in Belfast to support both board and paper sales and this will be complimented by a local warehouse (scheduled to open April 2021). Further investment will see the in-house logistics operation replacing the current outsource model; this will allow for efficient next day delivery across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Recruitment is underway across all areas of the company including sales, warehouse and logistics and it is expected that 10 new roles will be created in 2021.

Board Offering

UniBoard will continue to expand and develop its portfolio of board grades, many of which are marketleading European brands. Future investment in the latest barrier products is also underway, where pressure for plastic alternatives is growing.

Significant stock investment of 8,000 pallets of board product in Dublin is supported by 18,000 pallets held by UniBoard’s sister companies in the UK – EBB Board & Warren Board. Bi-weekly trunking to Dublin means consistent lead times, even from the extensive UK stocks.

In addition, UniBoard now has access to reel to sheet conversion from its group facility. This facility allows for fast turnaround on bespoke sizes, with over 1000 tonnes of reels available for conversion.

This, along with the pallet stocks, allows the company to offer customers maximum choice on carton board grades.

Paper Offering

Although new to the portfolio in Ireland, paper products are the bread and butter for the UK parent company, EBB Paper. The UK’s leading stock merchant has the support of mill suppliers to replicate the offering to the Irish market. Coated, uncoated, copier and digital ranges have all been added to the local stock range. Stock investment in excess of 2,000 tonnes is already available locally in Dublin, with an additional 25,000 tonnes available from UK stock.

“These are hugely exciting times for the team in Ireland. Paper sales have started well and board sales continue to go from strength to strength. Our expansion is backed by investment to allow us to build a reliable and sustainable business,” said Chris Sandwell, Sales and Marketing Director.

“I have been impressed with the commitment and investment from the EBB Group to grow their presence in Ireland. This investment is providing opportunities for existing and new staff, despite the unusual climate created by Covid. We are excited about the plans for the future and look forward to offering customers more products, more stock and a reliable next day service,” added Myles Fitzpatrick.

IRISH PRINTER

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NEWS Adapt and grow Celebrating 40 years in business, Carraig Print Litho Press has launched a new book printing service for writers looking to self-publish Jon and Sally Waterman

Declan Harold, Carraig’s longest serving employee

Based in Carrigtwohill in County Cork, Carraig Print Litho Press has launched a new online book printing service called PrintMyBook.com. The launch of the new business coincides with the celebration of the company’s 40th year in business.

PrintMyBook.com allows authors to self-publish their books and customise features like the cover, interior design, formatting and online distribution. According to Jon Waterman, son of Carraig Print founders Wanfred and Carmel Waterman, the new service is an expansion and modernisation of the work the print firm has been doing for years. “We have long been printers of books for writers and self-publishers. Now with digital technology, our book printing and publishing capabilities are much more dynamic and powerful.”

Like several other print firms, Covid-related signage and graphics provided Carraig Print Litho Press with a new revenue stream in 2020. With businesses again starting to open their doors, demand for the service has tapered off over the past few months. “Covid-related products were a great help during the first wave, when businesses and schools were

reopening for the first time. That demand has since dwindled and we’re finding that business is challenging.

The company was set up in 1981 in the middle of a recession, only we didn’t know it then, but this has probably been the most challenging time we’ve experienced since establishing the business 40 years ago.

There was a time when you knew when business would be quiet and when it would be busy, but in recent years it has become very unpredictable. Now, it nearly changes on a day-to-day basis but that’s how you stay in business – you adapt,” says Sally Waterman, Marketing & Business Development at Carraig Print.

The company’s new ‘Print My Book’ venture is part of that ethos of adaptability. “We have always printed books for writers and self-publishers; the trouble was not enough people knew about it. The aim of the new business is to have the book printing part of the company stand alone in its own right. Although we’re in the middle of a pandemic, we felt we could put the time and energy into launching the business the way we wanted.” Investment has gone into PUR and EVA binding, book sewing, casemaking, three knife trimming and laminating equipment to facilitate the new venture. “We have all that equipment under the one roof, which gives us total control from start to finish. Things are going great so far.

We have one author who we have produced six titles for, along with reorders and several other single title authors.

Books are slow burners; we have writers contacting us at all stages of their book, not only when they are ready to print, but they might have a manuscript which they need help with. We’re here to help at every stage to bring a book to its conclusion.”

IRISH PRINTER

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ADVERTISE WITH US IN I S S U E 1 2 0 2 1 | | T H E V O I C E O F T H E I N D U S T R Y | | W W W. I R I S H P R I N T E R . I E

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Making an

IMPACT

NEWS

Limerick firm Impact Labelling invests in Truepress L350UV+ LM for its speed and compliance with food and pharma requirements

imerick’s Impact Labelling Systems has invested in a Screen Truepress L350UV+ LM printer, helping it to meet customer demand for ever shorter lead times, provide consistently high print quality and ensure labels meet strict food and health requirements. It’s the first Screen L350UV+ low migration press installed in Ireland.

“This machine enables us to supply labels at competitive prices, with extremely short lead times and provides a consistently high-quality product every time,” said Company Director Evan Fox. “The fact that Screen’s technology is food and pharma safe and certified by Eupia, Nestle and Swiss ordinance was very important to us.”

Lead times have become the overriding factor for customers in the current print market, says Evan. “The Screen L350UV+ LM press allows us the flexibility and reactiveness to keep our customers happy.

It allows extremely quick changeovers and minimal material usage when changing medium. Digital printing opens a lot of opportunities for new customers and – this machine not being our first digital press – has been an essential part of our business for several years,” he says.

“In a world driven by efficiency, we pride

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ourselves on putting quality and service at the forefront of everything we do.

Having state-of-the-art machinery is a key part of this.”

In addition to manufacturing labels for customers in the food and drink sector, the print company also serves a wide variety of other industries including medical devices, electronics and biochemical. Despite the uncertainties caused by Covid, the firm has held strong and has seen demand increase in several areas. This has included producing labels for Covid-19 test vials In Ireland.

Impact Labelling, a family business run

by Evan, his father Richard (MD) and his mother Deirdre, sees its close involvement with customers as one of its biggest strengths. The company aims to gain more medium sized customers in the Limerick region and surrounding counties in coming years. “The Screen press has opened up a lot of new potential markets for us. Richard and I are both engineers, so we enjoy exploring new markets and the technical challenges they bring.’’

Impact Labelling is the latest addition to Screen Europe’s customer base in Ireland, a market that’s growing steadily and is in the process of making the switch to digital printing. “We are absolutely thrilled that Impact Labelling, a very focused family run business, has purchased the first Screen L350UV+ Low Migration inkjet press in Ireland. This deal was concluded following detailed discussions and market analysis and the provision of various samples on numerous substrates.

We are delighted to be working with Evan, Richard, Deirdre and the team into the future,” says Richard Styles, Sales Director, Litho supplies, Screen Europe’s print equipment distributor in Ireland.

Highcon Systems partners up with Litho Supplies

Litho Supplies has signed an agreement to represent Highcon Systems in Ireland, signalling Litho’s first move into the area of finishing.

Highcon’s portfolio of digital laser cutting and creasing solutions joins Litho’s existing product offering which includes Fujifilm, Screen, Hybrid Software and Cerm.

“Litho Supplies has a solid reputation in Ireland supplying sophisticated digital solutions to a broad base of customers.

Highcon Systems is excited to be working directly with Litho Supplies in the introduction of digital laser cutting and creasing solutions into the Irish market,” said Steve Donegal – Manager Highcon Systems UK & Ireland. Highcon’s services will, says Litho, be of interest to firms operating across corrugated, folding carton and commercial print.

For more details, contact Richard Styles, Litho Supplies on 087 2342881

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Investment

‘Disruptive Technology

DNA’ Mal McGowan

T

is in our

he past few months of lockdown have given Mal and the team at McGowans a chance to think about the future of the business and how it can be shaped to take full advantage of the changing nature of Ireland’s print sector. New, technologically advanced equipment is playing a big part when it comes to future-proofing the business and recent investment in new machinery hasn’t been modest; a Landa S10 Nanographic Printing Press will, Covid allowing, be installed late summer and will join a Highcoin digital cutter and a new LaForte poster printer.

The acquisition of a Landa S10 (the first in Ireland) is all about moving the company’s small format division up a gear, says Mal McGowan. “We feel that we have maxed out our small format division with Indigo technology. We want to move that division of the business forward and I feel that the S10 can help us achieve that. Disruptive technology is in our DNA and as a result, we immediately recognised the advantages and possible transformative nature of the Landa press – its speed and quality is ridiculously good. Plus, its B1 format and its ability to print on any material for additional substrates/applications opens up a whole new revenue stream for us. As soon as we saw it at Drupa 2012, we put down a deposit.” For the most part brands aren’t looking for long print runs anymore, says Mal. “Now, they’re looking for more focused, targeted marketing campaigns. With its potential to print on stocks from 60/70 gsm up to 800 μm, the Landa opens up a whole new set of opportunities with products like direct mail, publishing, commercial print, folded carton and POS.”

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With a shift in focus to small format, McGowans has expanded its digital setup with a host of new equipment, including a Landa S10

Mal also expects the new machine to bridge the gap between McGowans’ existing small format digital offering and the large format corrugated division. “We’ll also be able to provide customers with a quick turnaround, low waste and reduced storage – attributes that will significantly improve the sustainability of customer campaigns, a huge ambition for most brands. It’s the Landa S10 that will truly change print in Ireland and will be a major milestone in the evolution of our company. I predict that it will be the next ‘big’ technology to impact the industry and this is why we were early to sign-up. The market is heading towards a more focused, targeted and sustainable future and one where huge print-runs are just not compatible. Nanography is poised to be the answer and we’re excited to be the first business in Ireland to take it to market.”

McGowans has also invested in a new Highcon which will complement the Landa and a LaForte 400 poster printer which replaces the company’s existing Turbojet. “We wanted

LaForte

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Investment

LaForte

Landa S10

LaForte

Landa S10

A quick look at… the Landa S10

to get rid of solvent ink from our factory. It smells, it’s harmful and it’s not healthy for operators. When they’re posted, the solvents also attacks the ozone layer so we decided we wanted to go green for outdoor media. There was nothing wrong with our solvent printer, we could have kept going with it but the market deserves and needs a change. Offering a green, higher quality solution has to be a winner for everyone.”

In another bid to keep up with an ever-changing industry, McGowans has also upgraded its Nozomi to print white inks. “Now we can print on brown boards with white as a base. For e-commerce, POS or for our regular cardboard box market, a customer’s brand or graphic will really pop on a brown box.”

The effects of Covid mean that McGowans has lost work across its exhibition/promotional division, but POS is thriving. “We’ve also been sustained through a new brand called Cardboard Magic, the idea for which came about during lockdown. We’ve created a range of cardboard products for children that are coloured-in and assembled at home and it’s been a huge success for us. With the Landa acquisition, the LaForte printer and the other plans we have in the works, we’re feeling confident about the future.”

Engineered for the packaging and converting industries, the single-sided B1 (41 in. / 1,050 mm) format Landa S10 Nanographic Printing Press enables just-in-time mainstream efficiency for the production of folding carton and POP/POS applications. With a higher throughput than any other digital sheetfed press in the industry, the Landa S10 prints 6,500 large format (B1 / 41 in.) sheets per hour on off-theshelf substrates in thickness from 2.4-32 pt.

(60-800μm). With a crossover point of around 30,000 boxes and even higher when ganging jobs or adding variable barcodes, the Landa S10 provides a digital solution for more than 50% of all packaging jobs.

Key features • Generates up to five times the throughput of other digital printing presses • Offers plate-free digital printing for folding carton, boxes and more • Supports coated and uncoated off-the-shelf substrates • Delivers high-speed and scalable printing from single copies to versioned jobs • Streamlines operations in any workflow environment.

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COL OUR

Growth

With a new website and e-commerce platform, Alphagraphics is introducing itself to new markets and customers throughout Ireland and further afield

Co-ordinated

For Belfast-based print and signage consumables supplier Alphagraphics, April 2021 marked an exciting new phase in its 34-year history. Commenting on the company’s new ventures, Managing Director Wesley Moody said: “I would call this evolution and revolution at the same time. With the ability to sell online, we are aiming to increase our customer base and grow the business. But, in essence, the things we want to showcase are the products and services that have represented the biggest areas of growth in recent years.”

Alphagraphics was founded by Wesley Senior in 1987, focused on blending and distributing printing inks to a Northern Ireland customer base that was quite different to the one that exists now. Product ranges have continued to evolve and diversify ever since and that process never really ends, says Moody.

“In the years since the financial crash, we have worked hard to keep Alphagraphics relevant and important in the market and to ensure we remain a one-stop-shop for the products and expertise that our customers from every sector rely on. As our customers diversify, we do too. Continuing to evolve while keeping focused on our core strengths can be a tricky balancing act at times. But we’re still here and we’re still growing so – touch wood – we are succeeding.”

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Aside from its traditional presence in sheetfed litho in both the commercial and carton printing sectors, the narrow web and corrugated flexographic markets have represented good opportunities for growth for the company. “We are the route to market for some of the leading manufacturers in the industry,” said David Phillips, Sales Director. “It is very much a three-way relationship between us, the manufacturer and the customer and we hope that, as a result, our customers get the best of both worlds – local stock and service with the back-up of some of the biggest players in the game.”

While business has been challenging in certain sectors over the last 12 months as a result of the Covid pandemic, what has intrigued Phillips is the willingness of some customers to invest, especially amongst some of Alphagraphics’ newest clients. “We have had to adapt and cut our cloth like everyone else in the last year. But sales of X-Rite spectrophotometers and software packages in particular have seen some encouraging growth, largely from industry sectors previously unknown to us. Objective measurement of colour is becoming mainstream rather than niche and we have had huge interest from everyone, from medical device manufacturers to road marking specialists. The thing

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Growth

From left to right: L-R Patrick Sherry, Wesley Moody, David Phillips

they have in common is an ever-increasing need for colour management and high levels of accuracy. That’s where we come in – we can help all these industries speak a common language.”

Perhaps the biggest focus for the new website is on the wide format product range. “Our growth in this sector over the last 10 years has been strong, but organic,” said Patrick Sherry, Sales Manager, Wide Format Division.

“We have applied our traditional formula to this sector: heavy investment in stock and a high level of customer service. The new dimension that the website will offer is that extra degree of product information. With new products being introduced to the market all the time from our partners such as Hexis and Decal, we have put together a website that is easy to navigate but that powers up our customers’ product knowledge and application know-how.

You can never have too much of that.”

Sherry sees the fast-changing interior décor market as an area where Alphagraphics expects to see a lot of growth, post-pandemic. “While products such as printable vinyl and laminates are bread-and-butter, we see exciting opportunities for growth in areas where our products can add value – wallpapers, special-effect vinyl and laminates.

The PVC-free products that address environmental

requirements will also be interesting over the next few years. The website is an ideal opportunity to promote what we have to offer in all these areas.”

As a perennial sponsor of the Print Graduate category at the Irish Print Awards, Alphagraphics is keen to promote the industry as a great career choice for the younger generation and has recently taken on an apprentice ink technician of its own under the supervision of Ian Cairns at Belfast Met. “Like many businesses in our industry we are always a blend of old and new, building on what’s worked for us in the past and looking to the future,” said Phillips. “So, in 2020 we thought we should put our money where our mouth is and put the next generation of expertise in place. Or, as we are the sponsor, we’ve put our mouth where our money is!”

Has Brexit had any significant impact on Alphagraphics?

Moody is sanguine. “I was part of the Remain campaign so I didn’t welcome the result and I haven’t yet met anyone in business who did. But we’ll do what’s right for us and our customers – adapt, move on and keep creating opportunities.”

Alphagraphics’ new website can be found at www.ag-ni.com

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Cover Story

The era of uncertainty Print firms from across the country talk to Irish Printer about the challenges they’re facing and how they’re preparing for life after lockdown

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Cover Story

R

ight now, a feeling of uncertainty defines Ireland’s print sector. At the time of writing, no definite dates have been proposed for the cessation of lockdown and the opening of hospitality businesses and non-essential retail, leaving print firms in the dark as to when they might expect an upswing in business. Speaking with Irish Printer, print firms told us an understandably nervous client base has led to projects being put on hold in an environment where the main challenge is managing the changed business environment during and post Covid. Brexit continues to have an impact on the cost and supply of raw materials and other issues such as a lack of skilled workers across the industry and insurers’ refusal to pay out on claims are adding to the unsettled feeling across the sector.

Despite the very obvious obstacles to growth, there is some optimism out there. The Brexit effect may be leading to customs delays and increased costs for a large cohort of print firms, but it may also lead to opportunities. “Brexit has presented positive opportunities, with some clients looking to move work that had migrated to the UK back into Ireland to avoid any possible delays.

Although Brexit has created some supply chain delays, we have worked hard to stay ahead of this. Production and estimating have worked closely to ensure we have had no delays or shortages of raw materials but it’s something you now need to factor into your planning,” says Ciaran Bowe, Sales Director at P+D. Eugene Healy, Managing Director at Trimfold, also believes Brexit has created opportunities for indigenous Irish print companies fighting competition for jobs from the UK through Irish ports. “Previously, print firms in the UK were producing and delivering print jobs quickly but Brexit has affected that. Now, we have a slight advantage which should get better as sterling gets stronger.”

Those potential opportunities may be beset by the day-to-day challenges presented by Brexit. Delivery costs and delays are an issue for most suppliers, says Nick Little, Managing Director at Trimwel. “We have had to look at our costs and part of the solution that we came up with was to take an extra facility in Dublin, close to our HQ in Parkwest to allow us hold extra stock.” Some firms like Westside Press have started sourcing materials from Europe as getting urgent parts in from England is taking longer. Moving product in and out of the country, particularly if you’re exporting in small amounts, can be a challenge, says Eugene. “If you have to send something as part of groupage, that’s where the difficulty comes in. Most products for UK companies go out in full container lots but parcels up to 30 kilos are sent out through the likes of DPD. Before Brexit, that was a two-day delivery. Now, it can take up to five or six days.”

The vast majority of print firms saw a reduction in sales in 2020, but most of the businesses we spoke to are feeling positive about the second half of 2021. “I’d say we’re down over 30% compared to 2019. We’re hopeful that the

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Fintan O’Callaghan

Dermot Downer

last quarter will see an upswing in business. The market has definitely changed, with the commercial printing side of the business suffering the most,” says Fintan O’Callaghan, Account Manager at Impress Printing Works. As the economy starts to open up, commercial print should kick off again, says Dermot Downer, Managing Director at Westside Press. “We believe companies will be eager to advertise through printed media. We spent the last year improving our efficiencies so that our service to the print trade will be better and more economic.” The company has invested in large format and purchased a HP Indigo B2 press to help with shorter runs and personalisation. “We’ve also invested in our bindery with quicker folding machines, automated Muller and new wirobinding equipment.” Nick at Trimwel says they’ve also been busy preparing for the upswing in business expected by most in the print industry.

“We have increased our offering of outdoor/pavement signage and café barrier systems as we feel signmakers and printers will need these, given the government support to bars and restaurants.”

Print has remained an essential medium of communication throughout the pandemic, says Ciaran at P+D. “Particularly in the retail environment, print can be an important compliment to digital offerings. We have looked to continue to improve the design and logistics end of our business to complement our print offering and offer our clients a complete solution.” P+D has seen consistent growth in its corrugated retail POS business this year, says Ciaran, along with medium run packaging. “We will potentially be looking at investment in these areas later in 2021.” Another company that has made a significant investment to future-proof its business is Webprint. The firm recently announced it has acquired INM’s former print facility at Citywest. “Combined with our Cork plant, this means we are now able to offer the largest newspaper print and mailroom capacity in Ireland

22

Eugene Healy

with a total of 14 printing towers, four folders and five mailroom lines available,” says Barry Noonan, Head of Operations.

Barry believes the Covid pandemic has sped up the contraction in printed newspapers that we have seen in recent years. “We will be watching how any recovery affects the market this year and what opportunities may arise. We have to keep costs under control in order to remain competitive Ciaran Bowe in our market. We also need to understand that some of our customers cannot afford any price increases in the current climate. This means we have to strike a very careful balance between what we need to earn to survive and what our customers can afford to pay.”

Last year, Trimfold launched a sanitised cutlery envelope for the hospitality sector. “It’s ironic in that we launched a product for Covid that couldn’t be sold because of Covid.

Right now, there’s huge interest in it and I expect that to increase as hospitality businesses start to reopen,” says Eugene. Like so many businesses across the country, Eugene investigated business interruption cover once the pandemic hit. “We as businesses obviously pay business interruption insurance and when we put the query to our insurance firm, we were told we weren’t covered. I’d like to see some clarity around this issue as all I’m hearing are soundbites and nothing else.”

For some print firms, opportunities have arisen out of the pandemic. “Covid was a double-edged sword in that overnight, it had a massive negative effect on our regular

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Cover Story

trade but presented new opportunities in protective screens, signage and floor graphics. Unfortunately, this did not offset the drop in our regular business,” says Ciaran at P+D. Challenges to growth, says Ciaran, are continued upward pressure on cost base and clients looking for reduced costs.

“A reduction in the volume of print work due to digital advertising is also contracting the marketplace.”

Most of the print firms we spoke to agreed that a reduction in the VAT rate would help offset the current challenges faced by the industry. “There’s no doubt that a lot of print is leaving the State that would otherwise be produced here if the VAT rate was lower. There should be an incentive to help businesses by paying lower VAT on printed products, particularly at the moment when we need support to help companies survive and thrive as we open up our economy,” says Fintan at Impress. For years, we have been facing unfair competition from print companies located in Northern Ireland, says Dermot at Westside Press. “VAT free printing attracts companies that can’t claim VAT back, such as the charity sector and colleges.” A lower VAT rate would also help encourage more people to purchase newspapers, which may in turn allow some of the smaller independent publishers to survive, says Barry at Webprint. It’s an issue that has been to the forefront of the industry for several years, so why has no progress been made? “The lobby just isn’t big enough.

The government doesn’t see the benefit of supporting what they see as an ageing industry. The VAT issue has been on the agenda since before I was on the Print Federation Council in 2010 and we’re no further on,” says Eugene Healy.

With no print apprenticeship scheme in operation, some firms are taking matters into their own hands. “We’ve started to train our own people; at the moment, we’re training three new staff members. We’re aware that we have an ageing staff; people will retire and talent will be lost if we don’t prepare.

Solas or the government are doing nothing to help the situation,” says Eugene. With every downturn, skilled people opt for different careers and this one is no different, says Fintan at Impress. “As the industry becomes more competitive, wage levels become static or fall to levels that are less attractive to new entrants.” In the next 10 years we could be facing into a very serious skills shortage, says Dermot Downer. “There are very few young people coming into our trade and there have been no apprenticeship programmes in Ireland for the past 10 years. It is difficult to attract young people when you can’t give them a trade qualification. We see this being a problem in the future.” A lack of a trade qualification is a big stumbling block to new entrants into the market but the very nature of the industry could also be a deterrent, says Barry Noonan. “It’s becoming harder to attract people into our sector where shift work and 365 days a year production is required. However, one positive result of Brexit has been an increase in applications for open positions from people either based in, or returning from, the UK.” Print firms are also faced with competition from some

of the major tech firms and digital agencies in Dublin which are very attractive to graduates, says Ciaran. “Some fantastic and very skilled individuals continue to work within the sector but due to the pressures it’s under, the print sector can struggle to recruit some of the best talent available.” Although the industry is facing a host of challenges, most of the firms we contacted are feeling optimistic about the future. With the economy set to reopen in the coming weeks, the hope is that the market will begin to recover in the second half of 2021 and further growth will continue into 2022.

Nick Little

Barry Noonan

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The Last Word

National Print Museum turns

On

5 2

the 4th of April this year the National Print Museum turned 25 and to celebrate, the Museum revealed a teaser of the first of a series of birthday collaborations for 2021. First up is Parallels, the first collaboration between the National Print Museum and Atelier Maser.

As his starting point, Maser chose the 1916 Proclamation and the craft of letterpress printing. “There is a real grounding in rediscovering our national heritage and I get a strong sense of recognition in the values the Proclamation talks about. I wanted to honour and respect the original document, but as a living breathing call for hope and action for Ireland today,” said Maser.

The essence of the project was to create an artwork which calls on history to collaborate with the present.

In so doing, Maser has uncovered a series of ‘parallels’ which celebrate the collaboration of past and present, of traditional processes and new and finally, that of artist and printer. In the resulting artwork, Maser has created an overlay of hand-set type and visual impressions, which are inspired by the processes used by the printers of the Proclamation. Each individual print has been hand pulled in-house at the National Print Museum by letterpress printer Mary Plunkett, whose grand uncle, Joseph, was the youngest of the seven signatories of the Proclamation.

Plunkett will print the artwork on the Museum’s Vandercook proofing press using wood type from the National Print Museum’s collection and Maser’s newly created forms. Due to the handcrafted nature of the letterpress printing process, each print will be unique and signed and numbered by Maser.

This new work is being made available by Maser in a strictly limited edition. Supporting this project will contribute to the preservation of the traditional craft of printing and the continuation of creative opportunities for artists in Ireland.

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From everyone at the National Print Museum, a big thank you to the industry for all its support over the years.

There are many ways to stay involved with the Museum, from donations and sponsorship-in-kind, to visiting when we reopen and spreading the good word! The team look forward to learning, exploring and making with you for many years to come!

Carla Marrinan Funder, CEO, National Print Museum

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© 2021 Miraclon. Flexcel is a trademark of Miraclon. The Kodak trademark, logo and trade dress are used under license from Kodak.

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