Irish Printer Issue 3 2019

I S S U E 3 2 0 1 9 | | 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

LOVE COLOUR!

The Perfect Production Print Partner

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1989 - 2019

we’re just getting started

w w w. m c g o w a n s p r i n t . c o m 01 410 6700 • IDA Industrial Estate, Poppintree, Dublin 11

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ISSUE 3 2019

04 News

A look at what’s happening in the print industry

09 ‘For us, it’s a game changer’

Ballyprint’s decision to invest in a new Iridesse from Xerox has allowed the firm to step into new creative markets

11 New Horizons

A recent deal with Durst is set to future-proof Horizon Digital Print’s fast-growing business

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Opening the floodgates to service and quality

For over 80 years, MJ Flood has been providing its customers with the highest levels of customer service

16 Label Leadership

The label printing market is forecast to reach over €40bn by 2022. Here are four trends that show why labels are pioneering progress in packaging

17 In Focus

Dermot Downer gives his take on why so few books are printed in Ireland

19 Flying High

Heidelberg’s Jim Todd talks to Irish Printer about embracing a high tech future and shifting the focus back onto the individual

20 Innovation

FESPA Global Print Expo 2019 delivered value-added ‘return on experience’ for visitors

22 Spotlight on… packaging

A report on the packaging sector shows how different technologies are allowing brands to connect physical packaging to the virtual world

IRISH PRINTER

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Welcome to Issue 3 of Irish Printer for 2019.

For this issue of Irish Printer, we sat down with MJ Flood’s Phil Schueler to talk about the company’s longevity (its been operating for over 80 years) and how it has managed to survive multiple recessions and an industry in flux. Reinvention has allowed the company to survive and flourish despite a shifting economy but one aspect of the business has never altered and that’s its commitment to the customer. Repeat business is key at MJ Flood, a fact that proves its customer service ethos isn’t just lip service.

Also for this issue, we spoke to Dermot Downer from Westside Press about why so few Irish books are printed in Ireland. An ongoing issue, Dermot believes it’s down to labour costs. A shift in mindset needs to happen before Irish printers get a slice of the pie while an incentive from government encouraging firms to consider Irish printers before sending work abroad would certainly help the situation. Turn to page 21 for more on Dermot’s views.

Jim Todd from Heidelberg believes customers are swinging back around to print and realising that there’s value in receiving personalised, print marketing materials. Research has shown that paper-based content and ads offer special advantages in connecting with our brains. In our interview with Jim on page 22, he also talks about how customers have grown frustrated waiting for the Brexit situation to be resolved and are starting once again to invest in technology.

This issue also includes a report from FESPA and details on why Horizon Digital Print is eyeing up new opportunities in the packaging sector.

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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Editor: Denise Maguire Email: editor@irishprinter.ie Creative Director: Jane Matthews Designer: Anna Wesolowska Production: Claire Kiernan 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 2019. 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

IRISH PRINTER

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NEWS MIMAKI TO LAUNCH NEW FLATBED PRINTER Mimaki Europe announced the European launch of its new JFX200-2513 EX large flatbed UV inkjet printer at FESPA Global Print Expo 2019. According to the company, the JFX200-2513 EX features substantial productivity increases on previous JFX models – 280% faster in new draft mode when printing in four colours plus white and 100% faster for all other print modes. This entry-level printer also uses Mimaki’s 2.5D Texture Maker to enable smooth embossed print at the touch of a button, allowing print service providers to offer large format digital print with dimensional textured effects without lengthy file preparation.

The new printer also eradicates the timeconsuming process of creating multiple Photoshop files featuring stacked stepped layers for smooth expression, by adding a greyscale image of the original coloured file in the RIP.

Olin

THE WHITE REVIEW CHOOSES OLIN FINE PAPER

Antalis UK has supplied the paper for an anthology produced by The White Review, a leading arts and literary publisher. The company worked in partnership, with both the design team at The White Review and the printer PUSH of London, to supply paper that would be as inspiring as the contents of the publication.

The design required uncoated paper that was high in quality and aesthetics as well as tactile and bright to complement the beautiful printed images and text it supported on the pages. Olin paper, manufactured in the UK and stocked by Antalis, fitted the brief perfectly. The White Review used a mixture of whites and creams with differing textures throughout to create the visual qualities required for each part of the publication. Olin Regular Cream was selected for the cover, dust jacket and the text pages, with Olin Regular Natural White chosen for the colour sections.

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IRISH PRINTER

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Fuji

FUJIFILM’S JET PRESS 750S SCOOPS 2019 EDP AWARD

At the EDP (European Digital Press) Association awards in Munich on Wednesday 15th May, Fujifilm’s Jet Press 750S was named digital press of the year in the ‘cut sheet colour B2(+)’ category. Describing it as “the perfect blend of the old and new… combining offset paper handling with the best digital inkjet technologies,” the EDP Technical Committee also noted the press’ excellent sheet-to-sheet registration, reliability, quality and speed. The EDP Association is made up of 21 magazines with a digital print focus and every year it assembles a technical committee to analyse and evaluate the latest technology and product developments across a range of categories in digital print.

NEWS AVERY DENNISON CLEANFLAKE PORTFOLIO WINS RECYCLING AWARD An innovation from Avery Dennison that allows for closed-loop PET recycling has won this year’s FINAT Recycling and Sustainability award. The CleanFlake portfolio enables production of high quality recycled PET (rPET) from post-consumer bottles while maintaining visual impact and food contact approval. It further reduces environmental impact by using recycled PET liner material while the option of a rPET23 liner, which contains 30% postconsumer waste, adds to the portfolio’s environmental benefits.

SPGPRINTS AND XAAR SHOWCASE DYE SUBLIMATION INNOVATIONS A technology collaboration between SPGPrints and Xaar was showcased to a select group of visitors recently at ITMA 2019. The event gave guests a sneak preview of the new Xaar 5601

PLATESENSE PROGRAMME NOW AVAILABLE IN EUROPE After a successful UK trial in 2018, Fujifilm’s PLATESENSE programme is now available throughout Europe. It allows printers to effectively administer or even outsource their plate production and is, according to the company, set to revolutionise the pre-press process for printers throughout Europe. Litho printers will now have the option of either reducing overall administration or allowing Fujifilm to help manage the plate production process so that they can

printhead, together with the waterborne sublimation inks that SPGPrints created specifically for the printhead. The dyesublimation transfer printing process on polyester and other synthetic fabrics enables textile printing companies to print more efficiently with less ink while producing higher levels of colour density for maximum impact.

concentrate on running their businesses with maximum efficiency.

Under the new programme, Fujifilm delivers plates to customers when they need them, along with all associated CTP equipment and consumables, while also managing waste and aluminium collection (helping to protect printers from plate price increases) and providing comprehensive processor maintenance, service and support.

IRISH PRINTER

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NEWS

PrintFactory appoints Colourgen as new distributor Well-known supplier Colourgen Ltd has been appointed as a distributor in the UK and Ireland for PrintFactory workflow software. Colourgen will help the Netherlands-based software producer to develop its alternative reseller channels, working in tandem with PrintFactory’s already successful HP and JETRIX distribution base.

DRYTAC POLAR SCORES AT LIVERPOOL VS BARCELONA MATCH

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NYLOFLEX FROM FLINT GROUP DELIVERS THE COMPLETE SOLUTION Flint Group has partnered with SOMA and Marvaco to work on an environmental friendly full HD Expanded Gamut Printing (EGP) on paper. At the SOMA Flexo Challenge Conference 2019 held in Czech Republic, the live printing of the print design showcased that sustainability is a top priority with high print quality results.

Flint Group delivered nyloflex XPH thermal printing plates, suitable for water based and UV inks. The round top dot plate is processed with the nyloflex Xpress Thermal Processor. A sustainable easy-to-use system of several components, nyloflex delivers a complete solution for lightning-fast plate making and high-end flexo printing. Additional benefits include 30% less waste, up to 88% reduction in electricity, a plate processing time of only 45 minutes, improved productivity as well as excellent print quality. In addition, the rotec CFX Bridge with carbon-fiber structure has been used as a high quality adapter with a long lifetime.

IRISH PRINTER

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NEWS Delta

New brand logo and identity for The Delta Group

The Delta Group has announced the launch of a new brand identity and the creation of three new internal departments.

The Group has amalgamated services into three clearly defined divisions - Creative, Display and Technology. “By highlighting our services in this clear way, we hope to give credit and visibility to all our talented teams while also aligning with the future needs of clients in a rapidly changing and highly competitive retail landscape,” said Jason Hammond, CEO of Delta Group.

According to the company, this rebranding aligns Delta’s strengths as an end-to-end communications provider combining insight, creativity, production, execution and optimisation to provide clients with a broad range of visual communications.

“Our services are designed to reduce the complexity of international marketing campaigns across multiple markets and languages whilst maintaining consistency, increasing localisation and responsiveness,” said Hammond. “Clients told us they needed help to simplify the dizzying process of international campaign management so we listened and decided to invest to help future-proof our business for our employees as well as our clients,” concludes Hammond.

We hope to give credit and visibility to all our talented teams while also aligning with the future needs of clients in a rapidly changing and highly competitive retail landscape

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News

‘For us, it’s a game changer’ Ballyprint’s decision to invest in a new Iridesse from Xerox has led to happier customers and an opportunity to step into new creative markets For a firm like Ballyprint that offers customers a range of services including short run spot colour work, installing a brand new Iridesse in its Ballymena facility was a great idea. After investigating a few different machines, Aaron Klewchuk, Director at Ballyprint decided to continue his long-standing relationship with Xerox and invest in an Iridesse. Compared to other machines on the market, the Iridesse came out on top when it came to efficiency. “Being able to move jobs from our plate press and do them digitally was a huge cost saving for us. We also have a sister company that does quite a bit of wedding stationery; they’ve been able to improve their offering to customers with high quality printed metallics,” said Aaron.

The Xerox Iridesse is a new-generation digital press, offering inline embellishment thanks to up to six colours in the same pass. This is the first dry toner press available with six colour stations, which include metallic gold, silver, white and clear, on top of standard full colour.

Ballyprint is the first company in Northern Ireland to install the innovative colour digital production press.

The installation is part of the firm’s ambitious plan to grow the company over the next few years and was part of a wider investment in industry sectors like wideformat printing, label printing and job automation. “I’ve been a Xerox customer for 10 years and that relationship is crucial to our business. Excellent customer service has been the mainstay of the relationship; obviously the quality of the press played a major role but the service supplied by Xerox was an equal factor in my eyes.”

Intensive training from Xerox ensured Aaron and the team at Ballyprint were confident when it came to using the machine. “The training we received was very thorough and gave us a greater knowledge on an engineer level basis. Again, that care and service we received from Xerox was a major factor when it came to selecting the Iridesse.”

In printing terms, the Iridesse is at the top of its class.

It allows Ballyprint to offer its customers a wide variety

The Iridesse has given Ballyprint the ability to diversify their offerings and align with their objectives of automating their operations. With the Iridesse’s special applications, Ballyprint will also be able to provide better quality with greater flexibility at lower costs - Mark McPhillips, Managing Director, Xerox, Ireland

of print applications, opening up exciting options with creative papers and embellishments in a cost efficient way, a service which would have been very difficult to offer previously. Since installing the machine, queries have been coming in from the creative sector. “We’ve only had the machine a couple of months but already, we’ve had interest from graphic designers and marketing agencies. It really is proving a game changer for us, allowing us to improve our offering to existing customers while dipping our toes into previously untapped markets.”

IRISH PRINTER

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ENTRIES NOW OPEN Head over to www.irishprinter.ie/awards/ to enter today!

For All Enquiries Contact: Niamh McDermott, Event Manager Email: niamh@ashville.com • Phone: 01 432 2232

For Sponsorship Enquiries Contact: Trish Murphy, Sponsorship & Sales Director Email: trish.murphy@ashvillemediagroup.com • Phone: 086 837 9246

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News

NEW

Horizons

2019 Is proving to be a busy year for Horizon Digital Print. The company is just about to open a new extension to its head office on the Navan road while a recent deal with Durst is set to future-proof the fast-growing business

he deal, which was finalised recently at FESPA, involved the signing of a third Durst large format printer. Thanks to the extra capacity that the new large format printer will create, Horizon is looking to capitalise on opportunities in the packaging sector.

Durst has agreed to supply a fully automated Rho 1312 with a Smart4 speed advancement tool that improves speed and productivity by 40%. Horizon

IRISH PRINTER

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News

We pride ourselves on our ability to react to our customers’ needs without compromising on quality; that’s the cornerstone of our business model

already has Durst P10 25O HS and Rho 1312 print production machines, which are also automated systems.

Tony Gillen, a Director at Horizon, said: “We have gone through transition at Horizon over the last 10 years and Durst has been part of that. We don’t want to fix something that isn’t broken. Our decision to once again partner with Durst was an easy one. The Durst 1312 Automate is state of the art and will increase our capacity significantly. It is around 300% faster than the previous machine, thanks to automated handling around the printer. It also gives us gloss, semi and matt finishes through varying the cure depth.”

The consistency of the Durst printer ensures there are no colour variations in print runs from start to finish. As for colour matching,Tony says that the Durst matches the Pantone spectrum more accurately than any other machine in its class.

He added: “We pride ourselves on our ability to react to our customers’ needs without compromising on quality; that’s the cornerstone of our business model. The team at Durst gave us the confidence to develop our business further, and as partners they too provide second-to-none service and support. Durst provides us with the confidence to meet

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our clients’ needs.” Gillen says that Horizon is now well placed to start targeting packaging options. “This is a new machine that allows us to enter new markets and with its capacity, it will put the sales team under pressure. We are looking at packaging in a big way because of the growth in e-commerce and people getting purchases delivered at home.”

Horizon was formed more than 30 years ago and employs over 80 staff. With a design and print hub, it specialises in retail, POS, outdoor advertising and interactive digital and works with a cross-section of clients, including blue chip companies.

IRISH PRINTER

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Cover Story

Opening the floodgates to

service and quality For over 80 Years, MJ Flood has been providing its customers with the highest levels of customer service

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MJ Flood is one of those firms that epitomises the ‘Irish success story’ moniker that businesses all over the country strive for. Established in 1935 and privately owned, the company is the largest indigenous supplier of digital technology, copiers, office furniture and interiors in Ireland.

Multiple recessions and an evolving market has seen the company reinvent itself several times over the years but with one central tenet that has never changed – the customer comes first.

MJ Flood’s head office is situated in Dublin’s Baldonnell Business Park and consists of purpose-built offices, showrooms and warehouse.

Its HQ is supported by eight regional branches in Athlone, Belfast, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Wexford and Waterford; each branch employs local staff, underlining the company’s commitment to the local areas it operates in.

Phil Schueler, Production Print Manager at MJ Flood, has been with the company since 2010. Before moving to Ireland in 2007, he worked directly for Konica Minolta in the US for several years. “MJ Flood is the exclusive distributor for Konica Minolta in Ireland so even before starting at the company, I had that knowledge and experience of the brand. I actually started at Konica before Minolta and Konica were even one company.” MJ Flood’s partnership with Konica Minolta reflects the company’s long track record in delivering quality print management solutions and technical expertise to the Irish market. “Providing a value that extends beyond the sale for our customers is probably our main aim here at MJ Flood. That service starts before the sale and it doesn’t end once the sale is complete. My most important role begins once the

IRISH PRINTER

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Cover Story

MJ Flood – a timeline machine is installed. We want our customers to feel supported throughout the entire process and long after the press has started operating.” MJ Flood customers range from small to medium sized print firms. “Over the years, I’ve had customers entering the industry with very little experience. They might have been operating shops out of their house or garden. Then on the opposite side of the spectrum, I’ve had customers who have been in the print trade for years. We cater for all kinds of firms; finding the right solution for each company, regardless of its size, is key.”

Hard work has gone into building and maintaining a loyal customer base. “We have quite a lot of repeat business. I’ve been lucky enough to have customers that have stuck with me and the product that we supply for several years but at the same time, we’re always expanding into new business. This year alone, we have gained an additional 10 new customers.

That repeat business and those new clients require a lot of hard work, word of mouth and phone calls, which is still essential in this business.”

MJ Flood has been selling Konica Minolta machines in Ireland for over 45 years. The brand is known for its innovation, efficiency and quality.

“We’re very happy to stand over the equipment we supply. We provide a vast range of digital printing systems from the Konica Minolta range. These digital print machines are ideal when it comes to servicing the needs of central reprographic departments, printfor-pay providers, commercial printers or any production printing environment.” Right now, higher volume machines are in demand. “We’re finding that customers are opting for the AccurioPress C6085 and the C6100. These machines are both high volume units; they’re affordable yet score highly when it comes to functionality. Quite a few of the entry level machines are also proving popular at the moment, including the AccurioPrint C3070L.” The print industry has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. “It’s certainly gotten bigger and more crowded but there’s been a huge amount of innovation as well. I think that today, you could start a print shop based around digital printing at a much lower cost than what it would have cost a few years ago. The print industry has opened itself up and digital has opened the door for more entrepreneurship in the print trade.” Regardless of the changes that are set to shape and mould the print industry going into the future, MJ Flood will be best placed to cater for those shifting requirements.

“We’ve been around for a very long time. Our customers buy from us because they know that as their chosen equipment provider, we’ll be here to take care of business for many years to come.”

1935 Michael John Flood leaves his job as a typewriter engineer to set up his own company in a small premises on Pearse Street 1940 Bob Blake joins the company, at the age of 15. Bob was to work for the company for 48 years

1939 Just before World War II, MJ buys in a large consignment of typewriters, thus ensuring the business thrives during the “emergency” 1964 MJ’s grandson, Michael Power takes over the business

1968 The facit typewriter agency is secured 1971 Sales grow to £200,000 and the first branch opens in Sligo; Martin Keating joins the company to start the photocopier division

1969 A turnover of £50,000 is achieved 1974 Distribution rights are acquired for Mitsubishi (now Konica) photocopiers

1975 MJ Flood moves from Pearse Street to Walkinstown 1979 Brian Whiteside joins to set up the Office Furniture Division.

Later that year, the company moves to Sandyford.

The company head count has now reached 80 1985 The Athlone branch opens, thus completing the network of eight branches 1990 Turnover reaches £10,000,000

1976 Turnover reaches £1,000,000 1983 The company moves to a larger premises in Sandyford.

The company is appointed the Herman Miller dealer for Ireland 1989 The company enters the UK market with a Herman Miller dealership in Luton. Larry Doyle secures the first ever £1m order from Vauxhall Motors 1991

1995 The Interior Contracting Division is set up in Dublin and the following year, 1996, MJF Copiers starts in Belfast

The Herman Miller Office Pavilion in Heathrow is taken over, thus significantly strengthening the group’s position in the UK market. A third office in the UK, MJF City in Central London, was established in 1994 1997-1999

2007 The company moves to a premises in Baldonnell Business Park, Dublin 22. The group now turns over €120m and employs some 300 people 2019 MJ Flood became the largest supplier of digital production printing presses in Ireland

Strong growth in Ireland and the UK with expansion in Ireland into the technology area and in the UK into interior fit-out and business services 2010 MJ Flood is given sole distribution rights to Konica Minolta Ireland

IRISH PRINTER

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Trends

Label leadership The label printing market is forecast to reach €40bn by 2022. Here, we take a look at the trends that show why labels are pioneering progress in packaging The integration of digital and analog

Digitally-printed labels have boomed in recent years, driven by market demands for shorter runs, more customised packaging, greater sustainability and the need to help products stand out even more. The rest of the packaging market is following. Indeed, we have recently seen a tipping point in the industry with more new narrow web digital press installations than flexo presses. The capabilities of digital printers and presses are increasing, but such breakthrough innovations can take more time than expected to become mainstream.

Digital represents an entirely new way of processing jobs, from the file to the end product and step-by-step, it will enable companies to reach new frontiers in quality, productivity and overall workflow. In addition, the online ‘digital product’ is growing in importance; sophisticated software is enabling more of the design, approval and marketing process to be completed using the digital product.

The rise of customisation and premium labels

Analog printing is well suited for mid-to-long applications and will continue to contribute to a large percentage of global production. Meanwhile, demand is evolving rapidly towards more customisation and promotion which means smaller runs, greater cost constraints and eventually the transformation of the entire digital workflow. Being able to produce results with maximum flexibility and to an optimum economical value will give digital printing a huge foothold in all sectors. Brands, small and large, are promoting so-called ‘targeted campaigns’, where the labels alone can enhance the apparent quality of a product. Different print effects such as hot foil stamping, cold foil stamping and gravure printing are used to embellish the labels to give them a more ‘premium’ appearance.

consistency is leading the drive towards the Extended Color Gamut (ECG). ECG printing uses three additional ink colours – orange, green and violet (OGV) – on top of the conventional colours of cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK), making for seven in total (CMYKOGV). Printing with a traditional CMYK blend only matches approximately 60% of the Pantone but when printing with a CMYKOGV blend, it is possible to match 90%+ of the Pantone. Again, in this domain, innovation will be at the forefront to improve ink while increasing the Pantone reach. What the industry needs to see is repeatability and consistency. Now, the digitisation of colour matching has made 100% colour conformity with the job master request a reality. Brand owners want to achieve colour conformity on a global scale, irrespective of where their printing suppliers are located in the world. Converters have been pleasantly surprised by the outcomes that will enable them to deliver on this request.

They also recognise the immediate advantages in flexibility and time-to-market when using the ECG technology in combination with digital automation in flexo presses.

Increasing automation and Internet of Things (IoT)

The growing demands on label printers for shorter print runs, faster turnaround and greater flexibility and customisation is driving the industry towards higher levels of automation across digital and analogue printing methods. Ultimately, this will likely lead towards integrated workflows optimising time to market and increasingly satisfying consumer demands. Already, systems can link to Cloud applications and monitor machines and productivity. Higher levels of automation of course have an impact on the type of personnel needed. Human errors are the biggest reason for product recalls; step-by-step, new solutions will significantly reduce this risk. A more important role will be taken by the pre-press specialist and the supply chain people, ensuring there are no bottlenecks, but rather a smooth automated flow.

Words by Federico D’Annunzio, Product Owner, Hybrid & Label Printing, BOBST

Demand for better colour control – from file to finished product

Understandably, brand owners have a great demand for colour consistency. The increasing demand for colour

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In focus

WHY ARE SO FEW BOOKS PRINTED IN IRELAND? Publishing companies need to give Irish print firms a foot in the door when it comes to pitching for work. Dermot Downer, MD at Westside Press Ltd, talks to Irish Printer about why print firms are missing out

Go into Easons or any book store around the country and you’ll find that a significant proportion of books written by Irish authors or focusing on Irish themes will have been printed outside the country. This is something that has been happening for several years but it’s still a bitter pill to swallow. Labour costs have been cited as the primary reason for publishers opting to send books abroad rather than down the road for printing and it seems it’s still a major factor.

“Books are certainly being sent to Eastern Europe, the UK, Spain and as far as China for printing. Also the closer you get to paper mills, the cheaper the raw materials become so the end price is lower. Labour costs are one of the main reasons why Irish printers are overlooked. The cost of living in Ireland is much higher than in other countries and we feel that we pay our staff an appropriate wage but we certainly wouldn’t say we’re paying too much,” said Dermot Downer, Managing Director at Westside Press Ltd. The lack of skilled professionals coming into the industry isn’t a primary reason for books being shipped abroad for printing. “The staff requirement nowadays isn’t as much of an issue as it once was and that’s down to the technologically advanced machines that most printers have invested in.

Twenty years ago, you would have needed three printers to run a machine, whereas now you only need one.” The Irish Printing Federation is currently in negotiations to reinstate

the apprenticeship scheme. “We’re hoping it will be sorted out shortly. We actually don’t need a huge number of apprentices to make the scheme viable; technological advances mean we only need 10 to 12 apprentices and we feel that’s a realistic goal.”

Books with a longer lead time stand more of a chance of being printed in Ireland, says Dermot. “If it’s a shorter lead time, then books are often sent to Northern Ireland or the UK. This has been going on for nearly 15 years and I feel like it’s almost a reflex at this stage for firms to immediately out-source their printing requirements abroad. Ireland isn’t even in the mix. I would urge firms to give us the opportunity to tender for the work and get out of the habit of automatically sending work overseas.”

There’s currently no incentive from the government to encourage firms to send work to Irish printers. “That’s something the Irish Printing Federation feels very strongly about. Once we get the apprenticeship scheme up and running again, we’ll be in a better position to lobby government on this particular issue. Even if firms were to begin to reconsider sending work abroad, that would be something. They might say that all the work is going up on eTenders but if that’s the case and Irish firms are still falling short, we need to find out by how much. Educate us and help us and let us know how far out we are. We need firms to work with us on this.”

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In Person

Flying high HEIDELBERG’S JIM TODD TALKS TO IRISH PRINTER ABOUT EMBRACING A HIGH TECH FUTURE AND SHIFTING THE FOCUS BACK ONTO THE INDIVIDUAL

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For over 170 years, Heidelberg has been setting the bar for printing technology. An industry powerhouse, the company offers its customers everything they need to run a successful print production operation, whether that’s consumables, offset or digital presses, along with the quality service to go along with it.

However no company, regardless of how successful or powerful they are, is immune to the dreaded Brexit effect. With print firms sitting on their hands, waiting for certainty around Brexit, sales are down at print manufacturing companies around the world. “It has certainly been trickier than we’d like but I think the situation is improving. People are frustrated with how long Brexit is taking so they’ve decided they can’t wait forever to make an investment decision. Some of our more industrial customers have decided to treat it as business as usual. Smaller enterprises seem to be more cautious about any potential ramifications and the effects on the economy,” said Jim Todd, Sales Director at Heidelberg Graphic Equipment Ltd. The Brexit effect has impacted on sales and orders at the company. “That reluctance to invest has put the brakes on and it’s even something we’ve done ourselves. We were due to run an open house in the Spring which we intended to start planning after the 29th of March. That date came and went and we decided against the event. Brexit is taking people’s energy away from their day to day business which of course is affecting the industry.”

Brexit aside, customers are realising the value of print once again, says Jim. Studies around the world repeatedly show that customers like to receive personalised, print marketing materials, while neuroscience

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I think people are beginning to appreciate that email can be deleted in seconds, but even a door drop of something quite poorly printed has more presence than email

research has proven that paper-based content and ads offer special advantages in connecting with our brains. There’s no delete button once something is printed so those who utilise print are more likely to be taken seriously. “I think people are beginning to appreciate that email can be deleted in seconds, but even a door drop of something quite poorly printed has more presence than email. I was reading recently about Netflix getting to its customer base by publishing a magazine. Right now, you’re seeing companies that have grown from a digital backbone branching out into more conventional marketing mechanisms like print. That’s good news for our industry. Being an optimist, I think we’ve reached the bottom of the curve but we’re coming up the other side now.”

Over the past few years, Heidelberg has expanded its business focus. It’s still a company that sells printing machines but it aims to become a ‘digital eco-system’, a firm that redefines what it means to manufacture printers in a digital age. Last year, Heidelberg launched a new subscription model, meaning customers no longer have to buy a print machine. Instead, they buy a subscription, giving them the right to a full-service package including

paper, maintenance and more. This shift in focus means the company is steadily increasing its share of the market for consumables like ink and paper. The core of the business is, says Jim, still sheetfed litho presses but it’s the Heidelberg knowledge that goes along with the machine that sets the company apart. “It’s that service support that enables the most effective utilisation of the machine.

We work very closely with customers to ensure the capital investment they make is justified. We’ve adopted a consultancy approach to ensure our customers are making the most appropriate decision for their business. A few years ago, a customer would ask for a quotation and we’d give it, they would buy the machine and that would be it. Now, when someone asks us for a quote for a press, we don’t even talk about what that quote is until we’ve had a couple of meetings to work out where the customer wants to go with their business and what their plans are. The options have exploded with regards to press configurations so we want to ensure we provide the right advice and ultimately, the right press. If a decision is made in our favour, then we have to carry that through and ensure we deliver on those expectations and where possible, we’ll help with application and uptime support.” Jim believes that when it comes to providing an all-round solution for customers, Heidelberg does it best. “I think we’re doing a much better job than our competitors in that respect. The technology behind our machines combined with the service we deliver is second to none.”

The future of Heidelberg is all about the advancement of digitisation of the industry. New digital technology will allow print shops to produce sheets quicker and more cost-effectively than ever before. Heidelberg intends to keep on creating machines that produce at peak productivity rates, while providing customers with the knowledge they’ll need to grow their business. “Ease of operation, efficiency and additional benefits are important considerations and that’s why we offers customers our subscription service, to ensure they’re only using the modules they actually need from an overall package. We’ve shifted the focus onto the consumer and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”

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News

FESPA fever FESPA Global Print Expo 2019 delivered value-added ‘return on experience’

ver 20,780 individual visitors from 137 countries attended this year’s FESPA Global Print Expo in Munich. As with previous events, the host country delivered the largest national delegation of visitors at 25% of the total number, with attendees travelling from across Germany, followed by Italy (7%) and Austria (5%). Overall, the exhibition attracted a diverse international audience from far beyond Europe, including visitors from as far afield as Israel, Turkey, China, Japan, the USA and Australia.

Digital print machinery was singled out as the key area of interest for 41% of visitors, followed by digital print consumables (31%). This was matched by the proportion of visitors interested in textile and fabric, demonstrating FESPA’s growing importance as an international meeting place for the textile printing and garment manufacturing communities. This was reflected in the launch of the new Sportswear Pro event, to be co-located with FESPA Global Print Expo in Madrid, Spain, March 2020.

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The FESPA 2019 event programme included a range of immersive features such as Printeriors (printed interior décor), Print Make Wear (garment printing and production) and Colour L*A*B* (colour management), as well as the popular Trend Theatre, FESPA Awards and the World Wrap Masters vehicle wrapping championship. Collectively, the features attracted thousands of visitors through a combination of creative displays, engaging speakers, guided tours and practical demonstrations.

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News

FESPA Global Print Expo 2019’s strapline, ‘An Explosion of Possibilities’, spoke to the array of opportunities for business development in speciality print. This was evident from the extensive line-up of product launches and enhancements introduced at the show. A total of 700 exhibitors filled six of Messe München’s halls, displaying a host of new equipment and colourful applications.

EFI and Mimaki chose the event as the platform to debut their new flatbed printers, the Pro 30f and the JFX200-2513 EX respectively, while Epson expanded its SureColor SC-S range with the addition of two new industrial output models, the SC-S60600L and the SC80600L. Roll-to-roll printing was another key area of innovation, with Canon unveiling its latest system, the Océ Colorado 1650, while swissQprint launched Karibu, its first roll-to-roll printer. Durst introduced its own modular software solutions – Durst Workflow, Durst Analytics and Durst Smart Shop – to provide customers with an automated production unit ‘from pixel to output’.

Elsewhere, textile print saw some significant hardware announcements, such as the debut of HP’s flagship 3.2m-wide S1000 Stitch dye-sublimation printer. For the first time, Kornit Digital displayed the Kornit Atlas, a heavy duty system created for super-industrial garment decoration businesses and the Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro, featuring

the company’s NeoPoly Technology, the industry’s first digital, industrial process for high-quality printing on polyester.

Exhibitors such as Canon Europe and Dataline commented on the strong volume of leads generated at the show. “FESPA is an occasion to meet with customers and prospects from all over EMEA to develop our sales pipeline and this year we exceeded our expectations for leads across all our products,” said Wouter Derichs, Sales & Marketing Director, Large Format Graphics, Canon Europe. “We could not have been at a better place at a better time, we even overshot all our targets with high-quality leads,” added Dirk Deroo, CEO at Dataline.

Other companies were keen to highlight the international scope of the visitor audience. Danna Drion, Senior Marketing Manager EMEA at Mimaki Europe, commented: “We were particularly pleased to see the way in which FESPA is becoming an increasingly international exhibition. In fact, at FESPA 2019, we met visitors not only from EMEA, but also from the Americas, Asia and Australia, reaching the widest international audience ever.”

A number of highly satisfied exhibitors are already anticipating FESPA Global Print Expo 2020. Stephan Keimer, Sales Manager at Bickers, said: “This has been one of the best FESPA shows for us. The quality of the visitors has been excellent – we’ve had productive conversations with decision-makers, some of which have even led to onsite sales. The FESPA organisers are doing a great job and we’re looking forward to be returning to Madrid next year.”

Louis Patruno, Director Marketing & New Business at DS Smith, a first-time exhibitor, was also particularly enthusiastic about the event. “The show has been a very insightful experience for us. From our talks with visitors and prospects, we’ve noticed three key trends: first of all, FESPA has built a truly international audience – the show can no longer be classified as a European show, opening up a host of new business opportunities for exhibitors. Secondly, we have been very impressed with the quality of demand – visitors know what they want and now have very specific requirements that we need to be able to satisfy. Finally, sustainability has become a key priority, with an increasing number of customers keen to embrace green practices and we need to be able to deliver eco-friendly products. In that respect, the show has been an eye-opener.”

FESPA Global Print Expo 2020 will be held at IFEMA – Feria de Madrid, Spain, from 24 to 27 March 2020. Also taking place alongside the event will be European Sign Expo 2020 for non-printed signage and Sportswear Pro 2020, FESPA’s newly launched exhibition dedicated to sportswear manufacturing.

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Packaging

SPOTLIGHT ON…

Packaging A report on the packaging sector shows how different technologies are allowing brands to connect physical packaging to the virtual world, while the growth of plastic-free is pushing brands to rethink their packaging solutions

Released by Mintel, the ‘2019 Global Packaging Trends’ identifies four trends that will impact manufacturers, companies, brands and retailers in packaging markets around the world, over the coming months and years.

definitive answers. Though recyclable packaging claims have become common, claims to include recycled content are still rare. Low availability of high-quality recycled plastic and concerns over food safety are hampering the use of recycled material in food and drink. Brands have opportunities to meet consumer demands for more recyclable packaging. While eco-responsible packaging can be complex to engineer, the way in which that responsibility is communicated to consumers on-pack must be simple, straightforward and actionable.

Re-engineered recycling

Connected packaging is seeing renewed interest, driven by growth in ownership of connected devices worldwide and advancement in technologies that can link packaging to the online world. Brands today have a wealth of options to connect virtually with packaging, including QR codes and other graphic markers, near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), bluetooth and augmented reality (AR). Connected packaging creates a marketing opportunity, bringing the engagement and interaction of the online world to the shopper moment, potentially influencing and driving purchase.

Recognising the lack of domestic recycling infrastructure, the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) Plastics Division has announced new plastic resin producer targets with the aim of recycling or recovering all plastic packaging used in the US by 2040. Development of a new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin that can be extrusion blowmolded on shuttle machines allowed Coca-Cola’s 89oz Simply Orange’s bottle to switch materials from hard-torecycle materials to the widely-accepted PET. By also optimising the bottle design, Coca-Cola is able to reduce annual plastics usage by more than 1.5 million pounds. The pressure-sensitive label on the bottle now uses an innovative adhesive that separates the label from the bottle during the recycling process, further improving the package’s recyclability.

QR codes and other digital markers

REINVENTING THE BOX

CONNECTED PACKAGING

QR codes are the most well-known digital markers, however many brands or service providers have created their own proprietary markers. These include Snapchat’s Snapcodes, Amazon’s SmileCodes, Coca- Cola’s sip & scan marks and Spotify Codes to name a few. Of all these digital codes, it is QR codes that have become the most widespread. Poor use of QR codes, including a lack of on-pack signposting and lack of consumer benefit/engagement, risks giving QR codes a poor reputation.

CLOSING THE LOOP

During the past year, proclamations by brands and converters touting their commitment to 100% recyclable materials or packaging that is 100% recycled have dominated industry headlines. The reality that few have yet to fully consider is how, where and who will be supplying and recycling these materials. These are simple questions that don’t have

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Packaging and brand professionals agree the rapid development of e-commerce has had a greater impact on the business, technologies, supply chain, engineering and design of packaging globally than anything the industry has experienced in the past several decades. Unlike efforts in the early 2000s to incorporate radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to item-level packaging or the 2006 roll out of the Walmart Scorecard, e-commerce poses challenges and opportunities at every link in the supply chain. These challenges are being met with initiatives that drive costs down and consumer engagement up. There are limitless opportunities for brand marketers to think about the next generation of shelf presence, the ‘hero images’ on retailers’ websites and the “unboxing” experience when a product and package is delivered. From an environmental perspective, e-commerce is already a catalyst for new ideas in sustainable design.

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Packaging

The Amazon effect

What began as wrap rage – the over- packaging and inability to easily open products purchased online – has become wrap revenge. During the past 10 years, Amazon’s sustainable packaging initiatives have eliminated more than 244,000 tons of excess packaging materials, avoiding 500 million shipping boxes. Amazon’s Frustration-Free Packaging programs have grown to include both Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP) and Ships in Own Container (SIOC).

The SIOC initiative, which produces less waste than traditional packaging, enables more efficient fulfillment and streamlined distribution, appropriate external package branding for manufacturers, while the reduction in packaging materials and components respects the environment.

PLASTIC-FREE

As the scale of marine litter grows, there is now a growing consensus around the need for different attitudes to the material. In the UK, plastic pollution has become the most pressing environmental concern, cited by 47% of UK adults as the most important environmental issue. While the term

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‘plastic-free’ may appear to be a simple one, there is no universal definition. For example, the lack of definition has allowed Dutch organic supermarket chain, Ekoplaza to include cellulose-based plastics within its plastic-free aisle.

Cellulose-based plastic (usually cellulose acetate) is biobased (made from plants) and biodegradeable, suggesting that the ‘right’ kind of plastic may find a ready place in plastic-free aisles and stores. New opportunities such as plastic-free aisles, package-free stores and alternative pack materials allow consumers to actively make choices about the plastic that is put out in the world.

Plastic-free private label

The UK retailer Iceland has pledged to remove plastic packaging from its own-label products by 2023. The chain made changes last year with two new meal ranges launching in paper-based trays rather than the conventional black plastic. According to the retailer’s consumer research, 80% of its customers say they would support a supermarket that decided to go plastic-free.

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Last word

TrueVIS

RENAULT F1 TEAM CHOOSES TRUEVIS VG2

When you’re one of the best car racing teams in the world, you need pretty good graphics. That’s why the Renault F1 team chose Roland DG’s new TrueVIS VG2, the second-generation eco-solvent print-and-cut device, to produce its Grand Prix prints. The team has relied on Roland TrueVIS for many years, using the systems at its Technical Centre in Enstone, Oxfordshire, to produce stickers for its racing cars, livery for its support vehicles, displays for its hospitality areas and much more. The Renault F1 team always travels with 30 identical versions of every sticker, totalling around 1,400 stickers for every race.

LAST WORD

Mimaki

MIMAKI’S INDUSTRIAL PRINTER SEEN FOR FIRST TIME AT FESPA 2019 Under the theme ‘Imagine the Future of Print’, Mimaki Europe took visitors on a journey through its innovations in printers, software and cutting-edge solutions at this year’s FESPA. The company also showcased its new large format printer, displayed at the event for the first time in EMEA along with its new FDM 3D printer for the small Print to Object market and its new Simple POP software, specially developed for the retail market. Designed with a futuristic theme, Mimaki’s largest ever FESPA booth featured LED-lighting paths on the floor that led to a central hanging kaleidoscopic installation, Mimaki’s Bionic Heart was on display at the Industrial Products area

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incorporating UV digital print on mirrors.

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12/06/2019 13:49

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