Irish Printer April 2015

APRIL 2015 || THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY || WWW.IRISHPRINTER.IE

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NEWS

Litho Supplies Completes Prepress Overhaul at Playprint

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DIGITAL CONFERENCE

HP’s ‘Dscoop Open’ Set for Convention Centre Dublin in June

A partner for growth

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TECHNOLOGY

3D Design Reaches 100,000th 3D Models Milestone

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WHAT’S NEW IN PRINT

HP and KBA in Press Partnership

Our roots in traditional printing combined with advanced new technologies make us the perfect partner for growth.

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18 design

Reprocentre Wins Label Printer Distribution Deal

Bennis Design on How They Rate Print Standards in Ireland

printing 24 textile

The Fabric of the Future? We look at current and future trends

28 intervieW

Design

Red Dog Reflects on its Positive Relationships with Printers

Tom Clements on his recent appointment as IPF President

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Marketing

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iPeX 2014 Preview

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

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Packaging

Watershed Label Centre on its Latest Flexo Press Investments

OppOrtunities

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NEWS COVER WIDE EXHIBITION http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/520436229.jpg?v=2&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=zSGCmt5AdaxIorEabSbXaviOvlQI5eJwL2qsxLHTCRGL5YO9c7QuQTSTORY FORMAT PREVIEW 7AnMKMuoJ0 Agfa Investment Expands Production at Horizon

Freeney’s Graphics MD on Retaining Print’s Craft Skills Base

Digital Textile and Wallpaper Solutions

Print & Substrate Innovation at Sign & Digital

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New Passport Wins Prestigious Security Design Award

Dezynamite Talks About Winning Awards and Saving the Planet

Tony Roe on the Opportunities in this Diverse Market

32 staNdards ISO Standards Can Bring Tangible Business Benefits

Don’t fight over Colour anymore

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Bizquip Signs €280K Sherry FitzGerald Deal

18 PAPER Price Increases Hit Printers Hard

24 PROFILE

Global Acquisition Boosts Irish Print Managers

desire ...

34 FUTURE FOCUS

Printers Actively Research Diversification Opportunities

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NEWS

Over €6m Invested in Irish 3D Print Company

the new

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Web-2-Print Provider Targets Irish Market.

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Contents | IRISH PRINTER

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26 MANAGED SERVICES » 22

NEWS » 3 A round up of some of the latest news from the Irish print industry.

DIGITAL CONFERENCE » 12 HP’s Dscoop Open Set for Convention Centre Dublin in June.

TECHNOLOGY » 13 3D Design Reaches 100,000th 3D Models Milestone.

COVER STORY » 14 A Partner for Growth - Fujifilm is uniquely positioned to help printers grow their businesses thanks to the company’s roots in traditional print processes and the development of advanced new print technologies.

Bryan S Ryan was awarded a sizeable fiveyear contract by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform when it met the exacting criteria with a Kyocera and PaperCut solution.

WIDE FORMAT » 24 n Screen Takes Truepress to New Levels at Fespa n Sealwise Signage from Soyang n Inkjet Focus for Fujifilm n Canon Launches New Océ ColorWave Printers n CMYK Ink Added to Digital Sign Printing System n Roland Demos New RIP

INK » 27 Don’t Splash the Ink - ink is one of the most highly priced commodities in the world and businesses in all industry sectors are feeling the impact of these prices.

WORKFLOW » 29 Muller Martini showed that it is a global technology leader in the field of automated production workflow in digital printing when it showcased its variable data capabilities at Hunkeler Innovationdays 2015.

WHAT’S NEW IN PRINT » 30 n HP and KBA in Press Partnership n Invercote Upgrade n Mobile Publishing from Agfa Graphics n Xeikon Launches New Dry Toner Digital Colour Press n Drytac Europe Launches New ChalkMate Film n New Kala Automatic Trimmer

PACKAGING » 18

FINISHING » 32

n Mimaki Makeover for Cosmetics n Virgin Fibre a Necessity in Chocolate Packaging n Bespoke Solution Highlighted at Xeikon Café n Abrasion-Proof Pharmaceutical Labels

The Perfect Binder for Offset & Digital Muller Martini’s Vareo perfect binder was the centre of attention on the company’s stand at the Hunkeler Innovationdays in Lucerne in February. Large numbers of visitors wanted to see the machine in action as it made its global debut.

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IRISH PRINTER | Editor’s Letter

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or an industry that doesn’t generate breaking news on a daily basis, the print industry certainly gave a lot of other sectors a run for their money this month with the demise of many of the UK operations of Paperlinx.

Unfortunately, the writing has been on the wall for the company for some time now. In retrospect, the biggest red flag was GF Smith’s announcement on March 26th that, with immediate effect, its products would no longer be available through Paperlinx. Joint Managing Director John Haslam said concerns over continuity of supply for customers had driven the move.

Printers, merchants and mill owners will argue about the reasons for the paper giant’s demise in the UK, which was the group’s single largest market in Europe. According to the firm, Paperlinx UK was increasingly competing with European mills that were selling directly to its customers at “unsustainably low prices”, negatively impacting sales, profits and market share. The firm has also cited a reduction in demand for paper in Europe. However, the issue now is, how will the print industry in Europe and in the UK cope with this seismic collapse? More importantly, what impact will it have on the supply of paper in the Irish market? Will Irish paper merchants be able to handle whatever shortfall Paperlinx can’t handle?

While many of the Paperlinx businesses in the UK are in administration, the good news is that it is business as usual for Paperlinx in Ireland. It will, of course, be impacted significantly by the developments in the UK and the Irish company will need to ensure that it has suppliers on board that will work with them through this difficult period.

Although the print industry is reeling from the unprecedented recent developments in the UK, what has happened in the Irish print industry over the last decade is quite incredible - there is no Mount Salus Press, no Future Print, no Woodprintcraft. More companies and capacity have gone out of the print trade in recent years than are left in it today. And a number of negative factors – the removal of between 30% and 40% of the print business during the

recession, the rise of digital media, over capacity, and below cost selling are continuing to impact negatively on the trade. The industry is still in a very fragile state - some are predicting that more printers will go bust this year, few printers are making money, and a lot of print businesses are hugely leveraged with big borrowings.

At the time of writing, the Paperlinx saga is an evolving one and the story may well have moved on by the time you read this. A number of companies have been mooted as potential purchasers for all or part of the Paperlinx operations. These include Swedish paper and packaging business Papyrus and European paper group Lecta. Paperlinx is a major customer of Lecta, which owns Garda Cartiere, Condat and Torraspapel, and makes the Regency range of coated papers sold by Paperlinx.

There has also been speculation that Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) could be a potential buyer for the European operation via some sort of pre-pack sale.

In the short-term the collapse of the Paperlinx businesses in the UK will result in uncertaintly in the market and will, no doubt, put a great deal of pressure on paper supplies in the coming weeks and months. However, in the long-term the industry in the UK and in Ireland will adjust. Paper merchants are already working with mills to secure supplies and to ensure that any potential disruption is kept to a minimum.

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

THE TEAM Editor: Maev Martin Editorial Manager: Mary Connaughton

Printed by: Walsh Colour Print Cover Image: Courtesy of Fujifilm

Creative Director: Jane Matthews Design & Layout: Jennifer Reid Stock Photography & Illustrations: Thinkstock Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Production: Nicole Ennis

Contact: Irish Printer, Ashville Media Group, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7 Tel: (01) 432 2200 Web: www.irishprinter.ie

All rights reserved. Every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate. The publishers cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © Ashville Media Group 2014. All discounts, promotions and competitions contained in this magazine are run independently of Irish Printer. The promoter/advertiser is responsible for honouring the prize. ISSN 0790-2026

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News | IRISH PRINTER

693 JOBS TO GO

AS PAPERLINX’S BRITISH SITES CLOSE

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number of Paperlinx UK businesses went into receivership this month, with 693 of the company’s 1,200 UK staff being made redundant, as well as the prospective closure of the company’s sites. Deloitte were called in to administrate the businesses involved on April 1st. The appointment relates specifically to Paperlinx UK’s paper and visual technology solutions businesses, comprising the following principal trading companies: Robert Horne Group Ltd; Howard Smith Paper Group Ltd; The Paper Company Ltd; and Paperlinx Services (Europe) Ltd. In addition, a number of non-trading holding and subsidiary companies have entered administration. These are: Paperlinx (Europe) Ltd; Paperlinx Investments (Europe) Ltd; Paperlinx Brands (Europe) Ltd; Paperlinx (UK) Ltd; Paperlinx Services (Europe) Ltd; Paperlinx Treasury (Europe) Ltd; Robert Horne UK Ltd; Robert Horne Group Ltd; Howard Smith Paper Group Ltd; The Paper Company; Howard Smith Paper Ltd; W. Lunnon & Company Ltd; Trade Paper Ltd; Sheet and Roll Convertors Ltd; Precision Publishing Papers Ltd; Pinnacle Film & Board Sales Ltd; The M6 Paper Group Ltd; Contract Paper Ltd. The UK packaging businesses (Parkside Packaging Ltd, 1st Class Packaging Ltd and Donington Packaging Supplies Ltd) of Paperlinx UK will remain outside of administration and continue to trade normally. All other global operations of Paperlinx, including Paperlinx Ireland Ltd, and the businesses in mainland Europe, Asia and Australasia, are not impacted by the UK administrations and continue to trade normally.

The joint administrators are Neville Kahn and Matt Smith

of Deloitte UK. In a press release issued by Deloitte, the administrators point out that the industry has faced “an increasingly challenging environment due to falling demand as digital communications have increased.

We are investigating how best to maximise value in the businesses for the benefit of its creditors. The joint administrators are seeking to continue to trade the businesses on a limited basis to secure the best value available from current stock holdings and other assets.” Many of the sales office locations are being closed but the businesses will continue to actively trade from five sites, including the Northampton head office, but on a more limited basis than previously. During this period the joint administrators will also be attempting to find a purchaser for the businesses involved in the administration as well as the wider Paperlinx UK businesses not pulled into administration.

As a result of the continued lower demand for paper and the decline in margins in the UK, Paperlinx

UK commenced a strategic review in December last year. In February 2015, Paperlinx provided an update on the review and outlined underlying EBIT losses for the European business of €14.9m, mainly due to a “shortfall in earnings from Commercial Print divisions in the UK and the Benelux.”

The Paperlinx group’s worldwide sales fell 12% to A$1.3bn (Stg659m) but pre-tax losses ballooned to A$87.4m for the six months to December 31st 2014 compared to losses of A$25.3m for the same period the year before. In its results statement, the group said that one of its key objectives was to continue its diversification away from commercial print, with its sign and display/VTS, packaging and consumables divisions now generating 12.1%, 10.8% and 2.9% of sales respectively. Half year sales across Europe fell 15% to €610.9m (£444m) year-on-year, with pretax losses almost doubling to €35.3m from €18.2m. The divisions underlying EBIT loss increased 13% to €14.9m. The group’s net debt increased by A$64m to A$157.6m in the last six months of 2014.

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IRISH PRINTER | News

THE PRINTED IMAGE WINS BEST MANAGED

TPI Managing Director Conor Callinan is pictured with Simon Boucher, Chief Executive Officer, Irish Management Institute.

GOLD STANDARD

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t was a case of four in a row for The Printed Image when it recently scooped the prestigious Deloitte Best Managed Company award.

TPI first became a Deloitte Best Managed Company in 2012, requalifying in both 2013 and 2014. As it was their fourth year, they underwent the qualification process again from scratch and were delighted to have qualified as a Gold Standard winner.

“TPI has continued to grow since 2012 through what have been tough years for business,” says Managing Director Conor Callinan. “I believe that the Best Managed Company mark has helped us to cement that progress. We have found that being a Deloitte Best Managed Company adds significantly to our credentials when presenting to

prospects or clients. We have also used the Best Managed Company programme to network and add to our customer base through reciprocal arrangements with fellow Best Managed Companies. We are now focusing on the strategic direction of the business for the next three years, bringing us to 2018, and we have set top-line turnover and profitability goals. We purchased a boutique below the line marketing agency called Runway Marketing and set up a specialised permanent POP-fitting company. We intend to grow a group of clever marketing communications businesses, an idea that has evolved directly from the Best Managed Company process. Our involvement in the awards strengthened our belief that spending time and money on your people is a competitive advantage, even in a recession.

Sticking to our guns and funding staff training and development when money was very tight is now paying off, with a flexible 110-strong workforce that, we feel, is the envy of our peers. “ TPI CEO Colin Culliton says that the company is pleased to be representing the print sector in the awards.

“Better still, print is holding its own against the very best of other, more glamorous, industries like hotels, IT, pharma etc. Winning once in Deloitte Best Managed is hard work and they run quite an intense and factbased process. But winning a fourth time meant that our original win wasn’t a flash in the pan. Like the ISO award which we secured recently, it recognises the team rather then the individual and in tough times when money is tight it helps TPI to sustain its work ethic and to keep morale and standards high.”

Litho Supplies Completes Prepress Overhaul at Playprint

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Richard Styles (left), Sales Director, Litho Supplies, with Manus MacCrosain, Managing Director of Playprint.

itho Supplies completed a massive prepress installation at Playprint in February. The new equipment included a Screen 4300s CtP system with autoloader, punching and Zac low chemical processor, as well as Fujifilm’s XMF workflow. Litho Supplies traded out the old Kodak CtP system as part of the deal. “Litho Supplies are delighted to secure additional business with Playprint who have been a customer of ours for many years,” says Litho Supplies’ Sales Director Richard Styles. “We are providing a complete solution incorporating service and support on the Screen CtP line and for the Fujifilm XMF workflow. We have also agreed a three-year Fujifilm plate deal as part of the new arrangement. Fujifilm XMF is a ‘Pure PDF’ workflow for optimum efficiency.

It has an intuitive and easy-to-use interface and aids a highly efficient turnaround time for sheet fed, web and digital print work. XMF uses JDF architecture for maximum flexibility and has built in image processing, imposition and automation technologies. Screen platesetters are known throughout the world for their reliability. The combination of Screen, Fujifilm and Litho Supplies provides today’s printer with the opportunity to focus on the business in hand, knowing the pre-press element is secure and efficient.”

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News | IRISH PRINTER

Strong Turnout in Galway for MJ Flood/DBC Event

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wenty-three people representing 17 print companies from Galway and further afield attended the production print and finishing event, hosted jointly by MJ Flood and DBC Group in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Galway on March 4th. MJ Flood presented Konica Minolta’s bizhub Press C1100, bizhub Press C1070 and bizhub Pro C1060L award-winning digital colour presses, while DBC Group displayed a range of specialist finishing equipment, including small and large format laminators, automatic slit, cut and crease systems, and high quality photobook production systems. A wide range of items were produced on the devices throughout the day, including photobooks, greeting cards, business cards and letterheads. The Konica Minolta bizhub Press C1100 is a 100ppm digital colour press which prints at full speed on all stocks up to 350gsm. The

Robert O’Keeffe, MJ Flood Print Sales Division, with Darren Hurley, Director of Prisma Print Ltd.

Konica Minolta bizhub Press C01070 is a digital production colour press which benefits from vacuum paper feed technology and a wide array of inline finishing solutions. It can also print on envelopes. The Konica Minolta bizhub Pro C1060L is the manufacturer’s entry-level production system which is ideal for companies looking to develop their digital print service.

MJ Flood recently installed a Konica Minolta bizhub Pro C1060L at Prisma Print Ltd in Cork. “Prisma Print are a high profile print company serving Cork city and surrounding area and as a Xerox user for many years, I was

BOOQI WINS GOLD FOR COMPACT MEDIA SOLUTION BooQi Media Solutions recently won the European Tophotel Star Award 2015 in the Upselling category.

European experts from the hotel industry confirmed the power of HotelBooQi by awarding the concept with the 1st prize in this prestigious Tophotel Star Award. The team at BooQi were presented with their award in Germany on March 13th, demonstrating the power of print, as

they beat off stiff competition in the catetory, mainly from online solutions.

BooQi (pronounced Bookie) have designed a simple, yet unique, all-in-one hospitality tool for the hotel industry, which they call ‘HotelBooQi’. HotelBooQi is a compact credit card-sized booklet that has the functionality of a keycard holder, with the possibility to communicate all of the hotel’s

delighted that they decided to select M J Flood as their new digital press provider,” says Robert O’Keeffe, Print Sales Division, MJ Flood Cork. “The Konica Minolta PRO C1060L has proven to be a winner for them, even though it is only on site for a few weeks. Prisma Print graphic designer Darren Hurley says the machine has allowed them to apply a constant workload to the 1060L, which in turn has improved productivity and quality. All these factors, along with very economical running costs, has given Prisma Print a smooth and trouble-free print operation.”

facilities on one side and a map of the hotel’s environment with things to do and places to go on the other side. The innovative concept not only enhances the guest’s overall experience but is also a major, measurable commercial success. It has been shown to Increase RevPAR, reduce remittance to booking sites, and increase guest loyalty.

BooQi have already secured hundreds of HotelBooQi orders from hotels in Europe, including Double Tree by Hilton, Best Western Hotels, Quality Hotels, Amano Hotel Group, Adina Group, various Boutique Hotels, and Worldhotels like Hotel Berlin. With the positive feedback received to date, and the number of re-orders, HotelBooQi has proven its added value in up-selling, crossselling and direct bookings.

HotelBooQi is part of BooQi Media Solutions, one of Europe’s leading specialists in the field of compact media. Headquartered in the Netherland, BooQi have offices in Ireland, France and Germany.

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IRISH PRINTER | News

(l-r) Franz Hunkeler, Chairman of the board of Hunkeler AG, Andy Cork, Managing Director of Printondemandworldwide, and Robin Brown, National Sales Manager for Digital Solutions at Friedheim International.

PRINTONDEMAND BUYS £500K BESPOKE BOOK BLOCK LINE

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visit to the Hunkeler Innovationdays 2015 event paid dividends for both Printondemand-worldwide and Friedheim International with a major investment by the former in a custom-designed Hunkeler Book Block line. “We are currently in the middle of a three-phase technology overhaul, where automation is the only way forward,” says Andy Cork, Managing Director of Printondemand-worldwide. “By reducing the amount of manual handling, our aim is to achieve ‘lean’ manufacturing whereby we produce

a customer’s job on the same day and it is ready for despatch the next day - matching if not exceeding the speed of a warehouse operation!

We are investing a lot of time, effort and money to ensure success in this project, and this involves purchasing the best equipment available. With the Hunkeler line, we are getting the highest possible quality and production efficiency that has been achieved through decades of experience, and that is why the £500K being invested by Printondemandworldwide is a good investment.”

The bespoke Hunkeler Book Block

line is described as ‘unique’ due to the fact that it can run either on-line or off-line. On-line it will be running with mono and colour web inkjet technology at speeds up to 128 metres a minute, while off-line it is capable of operating at up to 200 metres a minute. The line’s configuration will include a plow-fold, capable of taking webs up to 30” wide, a high speed cutter, and an offset stacker.

Peterborough-based Printondemand-worldwide has been in business for almost two decades and is now one of the UK’s longest established digital book printers. Its customers range from high street and academic publishers to individual authors publishing their own titles. “Printondemand-worldwide specialises in books of one, and with the Hunkeler Dyna-cut ‘automatic change size’ shown for the very first time at the Hunkeler Innovations, they will be able to produce a true book of one at speeds of up to 200 metres a minute, and this puts them in a very unique situation,” says Robin Brown, Friedheim International’s National Sales Manager for Digital Solutions.

“The line was configured to run online or off-line to allow the production of real time books of one or, if required, to mass produce longer runs roll-toroll and finish them off-line at speeds of up to 200 metres a minute, some 30% faster than the digital printer.”

Clondalkin Wins Innovation Award

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londalkin Flexible Packaging Harlingen won the 2015 award for innovation at the prestigious DFTA awards, which took place in Stuttgart on March 5th.

DFTA, the German Flexography Association, has one of the largest memberships of any association within the flexographic printing sector. Its annual awards recognise outstanding print quality, performance and innovation, and are one of the most coveted international honours within the industry. Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Harlingen (CFP Harlingen) is part of the Clondalkin Group of companies, which produces innovative packaging solutions

for brands throughout the world.

CFP Harlingen won the award for its unique FleXtreme printing technology, which was used to create the eye-catching bag for the Bofrost “Frühlingsrolle Chicken Curry” brand.

“We are delighted to have won this award in recognition of the excellent results we achieved for our client, Bofrost,” says Sales and Marketing Director, Jack van der Heiden, from CFP Harlingen.

“FleXtreme represents a new generation in flexo printing that offers print quality comparable with gravure printing. Working in partnership with printing plate manufacturers, Team WKA

(Warburger Kliché Anstalt), we produced and printed the packaging using only CMYK and an overall laquer to achieve a high intensity of colour and excellent quality finish. We achieved this using Sun Passion ink, minimum 54 dpcm screening, and 460 line anilox rollers.

“We would like to thank Bofrost for their courage in allowing us to demonstrate this revolutionary flexo technology, and they are equally delighted with the results.”

CFP Harlingen faced competition from six other finalists to win the award. The judges praised the team’s “co-operation and craftsmanship to achieve outstanding results, where less is definitely more”.

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News | IRISH PRINTER

NEW PRINT INDUSTRY COLOUR STANDARDS Lucideon, a leading international provider of materials development, testing and assurance, introduced its latest colour standards product last month. Lucideon Printing Standards has been produced specifically for the printing industry.

According to Lucideon, the printing standards set is ideal for the print industry as, unlike paperbased standards, they will not fade over time and are not easily soiled. The standards themselves are available in a range of finishes: glossy, matt and semi-matt. The mount which holds the standards has been designed to enable the instrument optics to remain on the same plane as the standards, thus providing easy and accurate measurements every time.

“Manufactured using leadingedge technology, the Lucideon Colour Standards are stable, durable, non-fluorescent and easy to use,” says Sean Hillman, Business Manager – Colour Standards. “The standards are also internationally recognised as the leading standards for colour measurement and calibration, and suitable for ISO 9000 Quality Control Procedures, providing colour control confidence in any instrument. These standards provide a stable reference in the unstable world of colour, giving you the peace of mind you need.

The standards will help the print industry to update its systems and to become more efficient, in an affordable manner.”

The standards have an initial set-up fee of £100, with an annual rental cost of £150 for the glossy, £175 for the matt and £200 for the semi-matt sets. Each set consists of seven chromatic standards for spectral response, two colour difference standards, three neutral grey standards for photo linearity, and a black and white. The complete set of 14 is provided in a lightweight protective case to ensure the standards are kept in perfect condition.

Automated Finishing at Ferguson Fashions

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erguson Fashions Print & Embroidery in Derry has automated its finishing operation with the installation of a Duplo 616 Creaser Cutter from Neopost Ireland.

“We were operating small hand creasers for the production of tickets and other products and it was getting busier and busier and this machine seemed to do everything that we needed,” says Paul Ferguson.

“It cuts, folds, creases and perforates - we do a lot of tickets and menus for takeaways so it covers a lot of our requirements on that front. We previously used hand guillotines and hand operated perforators but they were very slow so the Duplo 616 Creaser Cutter has replaced all of those smaller pieces of kit. It has been kept busy since we installed it in October 2014 so it has been a good investment.”

Ferguson Fashions Print & Embroidery has been in business for 60 years. “We have been supplying school uniforms and First Communion outfits for 30 years and we started our embroidery service about 20 years ago,” says Paul.

“We have been printing for about

eight years. We are mainly poster and flyers, signs and banners, and cards and tickets printers but we also produce t-shirts. Personalised embroidered and printed clothing is a big part of what we do.”

Paul says that the company is producing a lot of print work for the Republic of Ireland market.

“In particular, we do a lot of work around the Inishowen Penninsula in Donegal, in Letterkenny, and in schools throughout the county,” he says. “We produce a lot of flags for scouts, as well as t-shirts and pens for Celtic supporters, and we also do a lot of embroidery work for the FAI and for schools in the Republic.

Between embroidery and other types of print work, it doesn’t stop, and this machine has created even more business for us.”

Ferguson Fashions Print & Embroidery operates a Konica Minolta copy printer, two Roland VersaCamm models, and a large AJ740 Roland printer for banner production. “The AJ740 was supplied

by Sign & Digital,” says Paul. “One of the VersaCamm printers came from the UK while the other was supplied

by Neopost Ireland.”

CHANGE GEAR WITH THE LATEST PRINT INNOVATIONS

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eopost Ireland and its partners, The Magic Touch, Xeretec and National Business Machines are teaming up to bring print companies the latest innovations in print technology.

Printers who attend one of their three events can avail of one-oneone demonstrations, updates on the latest technology and receive sample prints. The first event took place in the Red Cow Hotel in Dublin on April 14th. The other events will take place in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cork on April 28th and the Radisson Blu Hotel in Limerick on May 12th.

Neopost will offer consultations

on and demonstrations of some of the leading print technology from Duplo, Roland, Multigraf and Neolt. “Our ‘Change Gear’ Print Roadshow will show you how to expand into exciting, high margin segments such as wide format print, promotional printing, vehicle graphics, sign making, direct mail fulfilment and more,” says Neopost Ireland’s Yvonne Maguire. “And we will be launching the Duplo 150Cr booklet system on the Irish market at each event.” For more information or to pre-register your attendance, contact Neopost on: 1850 33 44 55 or email: info@neopost.ie.

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IRISH PRINTER | News

resource planning, print automation with JDF/JMF, workflow management from pre-press to finishing, process and quality control systems, industrial robots and automation technologies

THE FUTURE OF PRINT IN SIX THEME PARKS

ADDED VALUE IN PRINT The focus here is on finishing, further development, and the advanced added-value of print products, including innovative substrates, new finishing methods, packaging, label printing and displays, green printing and secure printing.

INNOVATIONS IN PRINTING TECHNOLOGIES Modern printing and process technologies will be presented in this theme park and visitors will find applications for functional printing, printed electronics and 3D printing, as well as solutions for prototyping, visualisation and workflow.

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he drupa innovation park at drupa 2016 will be the focal point for the industry’s latest inspiring and creative developments. The six theme parks will display current trends and topics along with business cases associated with process-oriented print and publishing solutions.

“The innovation park is a fantastic way for young companies and start-ups as well as global players with forward looking solutions and applications to present themselves,” says Sabine Geldermann, Director of drupa.

“Since its first appearance at drupa 2004, the park has made a name for itself in the industry as a pioneering technology and solution platform for the international print and media industry and we are building on this success.

In line with the strategic restructuring of drupa 2016 and its focus on highlight topics, the drupa innovation park, with its six themed areas, will provide an opportunity for visitors to acquire insights into the technologies of the future. We believe this opportunity will give our industry an indispensable tool to support strategic business decisions.”

Frank Romano

Visitors to the park will find trend-setting innovations, solutions and business cases in one centrally and clearly laid-out platform.

Covering an area of more than 3,000 square metres, the drupa innovation park will be split into the following six theme parks: MULTICHANNEL PUBLISHING & MARKETING SOLUTIONS This area covers topics such as management of cross-media content/assets, web & app publishing, database publishing and marketing, and brand management solutions. It also covers potential applications and trends such as augmented reality, NFC applications or customised mass production.

WEB-TO-MEDIA & E-COMMERCE This area focuses on solutions for web-to-publish or web-to-print, E-commerce and shop platforms, cloud publishing, and web editors for design/print and HTML 5.

PROCESS OPTIMISATION & AUTOMATION Visitors to this area can expect to find solutions and innovation on the following topics: management information systems, enterprise

BUSINESS MODELS Alongside technological changes, new business concepts and models have an ever more important role to play.

These and strategic cooperation and marketing platforms, finance concepts and franchising and licence models, are the subject of this innovation park. In 2016 an international team of experts will again be responsible for designing and communicating the drupa innovation park. “The park is a platform for all visitors to drupa 2016, sharing knowledge and providing an insight into future communication developments in the print and media industry,” says Frank Romano, Professor Emeritus, Rochester Institute of Technology.

Peter Sommer, Senior Vice President of the Elanders Group says that drupa has always been synonymous with technical innovations. “But what has been lacking is implementation in successful business models, especially in relation to competition in the online and mobile segments,” he says. “The drupa innovation park is a beacon in this respect and does what the name suggests. Ideally, it will turn the drupa slogan ‘Touch the future’ into reality.”

REGISTRATION DETAILS AND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONCEPT HAS BEEN AVAILABLE AT WWW.DRUPA.DE SINCE THE END OF MARCH.

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09/04/2015 12:55

News | IRISH PRINTER

Global

Print Industry

SURPRISINGLY OPTIMISTIC

I

was that the print and supplier most printers. As quickly as the share nitial results from the second industry is heading into 2015 with a of digital printing in the overall print ‘drupa Global Trends’ report are very positive outlook.” technology mix continues to rise, most showing sustained recovery from A total of 48% of service providers turnover continues to be generated the recession with some surprising surveyed answered the question ‘How from traditional print. Only 10% of insights and positive feedback. The do you see the outlook for the coming the print service providers surveyed full report, designed to highlight 12 months?’ by saying that they achieved more than 25% of their 2014 economic and operational trends in expected an improvement in their sales in digital printing (2013: eight per the worldwide print sector, has been companies’ economic situation. Only cent). And, worryingly, print service available since the end of March. The seven per cent predicted a decline. The providers are not turning to services results are all the more interesting as results from the worldwide supplier outside the print sector. Just 27% of the survey itself, conducted in October industry were similarly positive: 51% the print providers surveyed achieved 2014, was largely identical to the first forecast an improvement and only more than 10% of their sales with ‘drupa Global Trends’ report from eight per cent a decline. services outside the print sector (e.g.

February 2014. In addition, this year On a less positive note, while sales asset management for customers, a full survey was conducted among for print service providers continue updating databases, etc). industry suppliers for the first time, to rise, they are less pronounced.

More than 1,100 international ensuring a balanced picture of the How are Growth of 39% of print service providers report decision makers from the print global print market. Developments companies doing? digital print an increase, whereas 22% show a industry and their suppliers and important key data from the and 36% suppliers described company Digital printin asOctober % of total turnover drop34% in printers sales.

This positive responded to the survey worldwide print sector, such as current economic condition as goodbalance compared with justis 13% and 17% as poor.the positive net of 17% well below 2014. The independent market financial conditions, business climate, balance of 27% from the first survey. research company Wissler & Partner investment plans, and technologies In addition, the margins for print (Switzerland) and Printfuture (UK) used, are given in detail and trends are service providers continue to fall. have, as with the first ‘drupa Global revealed.

How are Growth Almost half (43%) of the print service of Trends’ report and the first ‘drupa “The generally upbeat picture 2Global falling13% evaluated and reported by thecompanies expert panel surprised 015 Insights’ report, doing?providers surveyed reportdigital of commercial printers print 38% reported more than 25% of turnover margins, while just 16% succeeded prepared the results.

The executive us,” says Werner Dornscheidt, 34%Matthias printers and 36% suppliers described company Digital print as % of total turnover current economic condition as good compared with in increasing margins. Positive summary has been available as a free Chairman of the Messe Düsseldorf just 13% and 17% as poor. exceptions here are the markets of download in seven languages (English, management board. “Both the print North America and the Middle East, German, service providers and the international 48% of printers and French, Spanish, Portuguese, 17% 51% suppliers expect where 29% and 28% respectively Chinese and Russian) since the end of supplier industry gave a positive their company to improve in 2015 reported March, as well as the entire version, evaluation of the economic situation Growth of increased margins. While digital print is growing fast it is still including the full figures, in English of their own companies as at October 13% doing? digital print2015 of turnover of publishing printers of commercial printers a small percentage for €249.00 online at www.drupa.de.

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09/04/2015 12:55

IRISH PRINTER | News

Public Procurement Process Isn’t Fair and Objective

E

ighty six per cent of respondents to a printing industry survey on public procurement in Ireland do not believe that the procurement process is fair and objective and 75% of respondents do not believe that the expertise exists in the buyer’s organisation to properly assess the criteria specified. This is despite the fact that those surveyed see public sector contracts as offering print companies a genuine business opportunity.

The survey was carried out by the Irish Printing Federation (IPF) to ascertain the printing industry’s perception and experience of public procurement in Ireland. A total of 23 responses were received from over 300 recipients of the survey.

Although the number of responses is relatively small, the size range of respondents broadly mirrors the industry - 53% have under 10 staff and 87% under 50 staff. In addition, there was an almost equal level of response from firms who engage in public procurement consistently and from firms who do not engage at all. The responses were substantially from Dublinbased firms, with only four firms identifying themselves as being from outside Dublin, although five firms did not identify their location at all.

SUCCESS RATES The IPF survey revealed that there is a broad range of success for those who participate in the public procurement process. Of the four firms who have engaged more than five times in procurement competitions, three have been

successful 21% to 50% of the time.

One was only successful one per cent to 20% of the time. One firm in the two to five times engagement category was successful more than 50% of the time. Interestingly, that firm did not believe that public procurement is conducted in a fair and open fashion.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Of those engaged with public procurement, a very significant proportion did not feel that the assessment criteria were clearly explained. Three of the five respondents who reported this lack of clarity also stated that, in their opinion, the criteria were not relevant to the items being procured. All of the respondents who felt the criteria were clearly explained also felt that the criteria were relevant. This may mean that a lack of relevance is being attributed by some firms where the criteria are not fully understood. Shockingly, 75% of respondents do not believe that the expertise exists in the buyer’s organisation to properly assess the criteria specified.

FAIRNESS OF PROCESS Eighty-six per cent of respondents do not believe that the procurement process is fair and objective. Some respondents report pre-existing relationships as being important contributors to success. Given that 75% do not believe that the expertise exists to evaluate submissions based on the criteria published, it is logical that the perception is that the process must be decided on the basis of some other criteria. This is, by definition, unfair and lends itself

to the assumption that the process is not objective. Interestingly, of the two respondents who do believe that the process is fair and objective, one has never engaged in a public procurement competition. Seven of the eight firms who have engaged in procurement competitions more than twice believe that the process is not fair and objective. This means that those who engage in the process the most believe that the process is unfair, even though they may be successful within it.

OPPORTUNITY FOR FIRMS All of the firms that engaged with the procurement process more than five times feel that a genuine opportunity exists. Unsurprisingly, none of the firms who have not engaged feel that a genuine opportunity exists.

However, none of the firms who see public procurement as a genuine opportunity believe that the process is fair and objective. This raises the question as to why they continue to participate in a process which they report as being unfair. It might suggest that they have a specialist knowledge of how the procurement system works in practice which they can turn to their advantage.

SKILLS RELATED TO PROCUREMENT COMPETITIONS Seventy-three per cent of firms reported that they have sufficient skills to complete tenders properly.

Of these 11 firms, four stated that the criteria were not clearly explained and three stated that they were not relevant. This raises the question as to whether the claimed internal skills really exist in terms of seeking clarity and addressing the relevance of the criteria. The survey results suggest that all firms would benefit from an objective review of their capabilities in this area. Of the 11 firms who claim the necessary skills internally, only three believed that the buyer had the necessary skill to assess their application. Given that the substantial perception is that the process is not fair and objective, and that many believe that the criteria are either vague or irrelevant, it seems reasonable to question the basis for respondents claiming that the necessary skills exist within their own businesses.

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09/04/2015 12:56

News | IRISH PRINTER

SNAP IS VICTORIOUS IN IRISH FRANCHISE AWARDS

(l-r): Tom Shanahan, Head of the Skillnet Steering Committee, Dermot Bolger, Snap Group Office, Conor Smith, Snap Sandyford, and Minister of State for Employment, Community and Social Support, Kevin Humphreys.

S

nap Sandyford won the Franchise of the Year (Service) Award at the Irish Franchise Awards 2015 last month, while Sarah Flood, owner of Snap Mayo, was a finalist in the ‘Woman in Franchising’ category. The awards were presented at a ceremony in The Clyde Court Hotel in Dublin on March 27th.

The largest number of entries in the history of the awards were received for the 2015 event and these were reduced to a list of finalists in 13 categories from which the overall winner was chosen.

Organised by the Irish Franchise Association, the Irish Franchise Awards are celebrating 20 years in 2015 and are one of the longest running business award ceremonies in Ireland. “The awards are an opportunity for us to formally acknowledge the excellent work being done by all franchise practitioners in growing the sector, consolidating existing businesses and contributing significant

new sustainable jobs,” says David Killeen, Chairman of the Irish Franchise Association. The judging panel for the 2015 Irish Franchise Awards included Newstalk business presenter and former Irish dragon Bobby Kerr, Orla Nugent, Director Executive MBA, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, Greg Swift, Head of Enterprise at Dublin Local Enterprise Office, Michael Bradley, former CEO of the Irish Franchise Association, and Paul Cooke, CEO of the Sunday Business Post.

The awards categories represent both retail and service industries. Apart from Snap Sandyford, the finalists included Eddie Rockets, Supermacs, The Zipyard, Tax Assist, Home Instead, Kendlebell, Chem-Dry, Sásta, Techcare, Rockets, thebestof, Right at Home, Energie, Fastway Couriers Ireland, Jymka, O’Brien’s Sandwich Bars, Butler’s Chocolate Café, Apache Pizza, Esquires, McDonald’s and Card Connection.

ARE YOU LEVERAGING THE POWER OF PRINT?

I

ncreasingly print must compete for its rightful place as a powerful and effective communications medium in the multi-media world. Recent research shows that print is often preferred above other mediums and is highly effective for organisations that are building and strengthening their brands.

However, consumers are still often misled by ‘greenwash’ and perceive print and paper as having a negative impact on the environment and on forests. The Design, Print & Packaging Skillnet, in conjunction with the Irish Printing Federation, is hosting a breakfast briefing on May 20th on how Print Power and Two Sides are successfully challenging these perceptions and are ensuring that print is still an essential choice in the communications mix. This is not just an opportunity to understand the objectives and success of these necessary campaigns but the event will also give printers access to the knowledge, resources and tools that have been developed and are available to print companies to use as part of their customer communications strategies. The presentation and questions will be limited to about an hour to facilitate printers’ busy diaries but the speaker, Jonathan Tame, will be available to talk to printers on a one-to-one basis about the Power of Print and Two Sides campaigns and about general environmental issues relating to the print industry.

The fee for the event is €20 plus a four per cent bank fee. Jonathan Tame is the UK Country Manager for the Print Power and Two Sides campaigns. He has over 30 years experience in the print sector.

Recent roles include Head of Environment for PaperlinX and a consultant to Defra, where he led a successful UK government programme to increase the consumption of recycled paper.

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09/04/2015 12:56

IRISH PRINTER | Digital Conference

HP’s ‘Dscoop Open’ Set for Convention Centre Dublin

A

s DscoopX closes its doors in the US after its 10th conference, registration is now officially open for the fourth annual Dscoop EMEA conference. Taking place from June 3rd to 5th across four floors of the Convention Centre Dublin, this year’s conference is set to be the biggest Dscoop event in EMEA to date.

The ‘Dscoop Open’ event will feature 50 different educational seminars, designed to inspire and inform delegates looking for new ways to drive business growth and profitability. The seminars will be presented by world-renowned experts and leading digital print providers from across EMEA. The event schedule will also incorporate numerous opportunities for delegates to network with hundreds of industry peers and Dscoop partners.

“Dscoop provides a unique opportunity for digital printers operating in all market sectors to come together and learn about the latest technology, industry trends, new applications and share best practice,” explains Julian Marsh, Harrier LLC, Dscoop EMEA4 Conference Chair. “It’s a chance for me and my colleagues to network and make new connections that can, and

often do, lead to future business partnerships. Combine this with the extensive seminar schedule and access to the latest HP and Dscoop Partner products and services, and you have an event that is hugely beneficial for everyone that attends.”

On the first day of the conference, HP will host visits to local customer sites, providing insight into efficient, innovative digital print operations. Throughout the event, it will also showcase a record number of solutions and remain on-hand to answer questions and offer technical expertise.

“HP will bring an incredible nine HP Indigo presses to Dscoop EMEA 2015, as well as the latest latex, Designjet and PageWide technology,” says Julia Cole, HP EMEA Marketing Manager, Dscoop Liaison. “The amount of solutions that we demonstrate and the range of product information and support that we provide at this year’s conference reflects the scale of the 2015 event. This invaluable community of HP customers has seen rapid growth in EMEA since its first conference in 2012 and it continues to make a significant, positive impact on digital print

businesses across the EMEA region.”

Other highlights of ‘The Dscoop Open’ include 50 Dscoop partner stands in the ‘Solutions Showcase’, displaying and demonstrating a wide-range of business-enhancing products and services. Delegates will also be able to learn more about the latest sales and marketing tool kits, created exclusively for Dscoop members. The new ‘Tell Your Story’ kit provides a clear roadmap to execute a complete 12-week step-bystep sales programme, from planning to sales conversion and lead tracking.

ABOUT DSCOOP

Founded in 2005, the Digital Solutions Cooperative (Dscoop) is a worldwide community of visionaries from leading graphic arts companies and industry partners. They collaborate by sharing ideas and information that drive industry-leading innovation and individual business growth through the use of HP digital print technologies, including HP Indigo, Scitex, high-end latex and inkjet web presses. To learn more about Dscoop, visit www.dscoop.org.

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09/04/2015 12:57

Technology | IRISH PRINTER

3D DESIGN

REACHES 100,000TH 3D MODELS MILESTONE

C

GTrader, an online platform for 3D graphics and printing designs, announced on March 27th that its design community had uploaded over 100,000 3D models to the marketplace. 3D designers embraced CGTrader very quickly, uploading 50,000 models onto the site in the first two and a half years of operation. It took them less than a year to double the amount of 3D models and double revenues for designers. Growth numbers over the past two years have been staggering: CGTrader members have uploaded an incredible range of 3D models in many categories to the designerfriendly online platform, including aircraft, animals, household, science, architectural, gadgets, art, and fashion, among others. Art jewelry and miniatures are currently generating the highest number of transactions.

“We started CGTrader to create fair and transparent working conditions for 3D professionals and have been uncompromising in our goals to always put the designer first,” says Marius Kalytis, CEO and founder of CGTrader.com. “Clearly our efforts have been recognised as the computer graphics and design industry’s biggest names and upcoming artists alike continue to find great success.”

This significant milestone will be marked by special CGTrader Awards, to be announced in April, which will celebrate the industry’s best software companies, most influential artists, news outlets, and best 3D works, as voted by the designer community. CGTrader is known for its commitment to democratising the 3D market and its dedication to educating 3D enthusiasts about 3D printing technology.

NUMBER OF MODELS MARCH 2013

10,238

MARCH 2015

104,897

NUMBER OF USERS MARCH 2013

2,374 MARCH 2015

145,123

“While low-end 3D printers are underutilised by mainstream consumers, we believe that the industry is just a few years away from producing consumer products with industrial 3D printers at mass manufacturing prices, creating immense demand for 3D content and design skills,” says Dalia Lasaite, CMO of CGTrader.com. “Today, a novice consumer can go to our site, download almost anything they can

imagine, and send the file to a local 3D printer to pick up their model. They can also use online printers and have it shipped to them.”

The CGTrader.com marketplace has more than 150,000 registered members and continues to grow at a rapid pace. Founded in 2011, CGTrader. com is backed by Intel Capital and has also raised funding from Practica Capital, a seed and venture fund based in Vilnius, Lithuania.

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09/04/2015 12:57

Cover Story | IRISH PRINTER

for

FUJIFILM IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO HELP PRINTERS GROW THEIR BUSINESSES THANKS TO THE COMPANY’S ROOTS IN TRADITIONAL PRINT PROCESSES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED NEW PRINT TECHNOLOGIES.

a

PARTNER

GROWTH O

ver the years, Fujifilm has demonstrated how its solutions can improve traditional print processes and help maximise profitability. More recently, the company’s continuous investment in R&D has enabled it to develop digital technologies that are transforming an increasing number of print applications. This combination of old and new means that Fujifilm is ideally placed to help printers grow and build better businesses.

AN ESTABLISHED POSITION IN THE PRE-PRESS ENVIRONMENT

Fujifilm offers an extended range of pre-press solutions for offset printing that are designed to deliver improvements in efficiency and reductions in cost. In particular, the company’s Brillia range of ‘lo-chem’ CTP plates enables printers to benefit from the industry’s lowest chemistry, water and processor maintenance figures. Since 2006, the company has also been at the forefront of pre-press innovation with its processless plate, Brillia HD PRO-T. The company’s current third generation plate, Brillia HD PRO-T3, is benefiting from over 10 years of continuous R&D. PRO-T3 is a processless plate that eliminates the processor, chemistry, gum and water used in the plate production process. It features the best combination of productivity and quality on the market and is the most widely adopted processless plate, being used successfully in over 3,000 companies around the world.

Recently, an integrated offering of

Fujifilm’s FLH-Z ‘ZAC’ processor, Brillia HD LH-PXE and PRO-T3 plates helped leading UK-based marketing service provider Howard Hunt to save energy costs and reduce chemistry and water consumption by 70%. This investment hasn’t just enhanced the company’s efficiency but has also improved its environmental credentials.

Over the years, workflow has become an increasingly important part of print production as commercial printers look for new ways to streamline their processes, enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Fujifilm’s XMF workflow allows printers to maximise print quality while managing complex, multi-process production. Since its introduction in 2006, XMF has continuously evolved and has regularly been first to market with innovations that take advantage of Adobe’ s PDF Print Engine, to the extent that it is now one of the most advanced systems on the market. BCQ and STI Group are two recent examples of printers who took advantage of XMF, minimising downtime in their production workflow, more regularly meeting customers’ deadlines, and ensuring colour consistency across different types of presses.

SUPPORTING OFFSET PRINTING WITH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES Thanks to this history in offset printing, Fujifilm is in a unique position to understand printers’ requirements and to develop digital print technologies that tap into

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09/04/2015 12:58

Cover Story | IRISH PRINTER

Clockwise from left: Fujifilm’s Acuity Advance Select series, The Acuity LED 1600, Thermoforming applications created with Fujifilm technology.

new market needs and opportunities.

Digital printing has come a long way in the last 20 years, with inkjet technologies recently coming of age in their ability to transform commercial printing. Fujifilm has always been at the forefront of these developments, being a strong advocate of inkjet technology, initially for wide format applications but also now for commercial printing. The manufacturer considers inkjet platforms as an ideal complement to analogue processes as they allow commercial printers to widen their business opportunities and build healthier profits from short-run jobs and bespoke applications.

Fujifilm’s B2 sheet-fed digital inkjet press has been setting new standards in digital printing since its launch a few years ago. The Jet Press 720S - Fujifilm’s second generation inkjet press maximises the consistency and ease with which ultra-high quality print can be achieved, reducing operator time and involvement. Most importantly, the Jet Press 720S offers a new business

“COMMERCIAL PRINTERS, IN PARTICULAR, ARE FACED WITH THE DUAL PROBLEM OF MAXIMISING THE EFFICIENCIES OF THEIR OFFSET PROCESS, WHILE ALSO LOOKING TO THE FUTURE WITH NEW DIGITAL PRINT TECHNOLOGIES.”

model for the production of short-run print, from applications such as coffee table books, photography portfolios, brochures and variable data direct mail, to book covers, calendars and art posters. They can all be printed to an unprecedented quality standard and turned around quickly and efficiently to generate new revenue streams.

German company, Straub Druck + Medien AG, recently invested in a Jet Press 720S to produce ultra-high quality printed products, including annual reports, brochures, scratchand-sniff calendars, and mailings for regional, national and international customers, with the company now reaping the benefits of this ground breaking press.

Not only are forward-thinking print providers looking to broaden their services with B2 digital print technologies, they are also looking to expand their wide format capabilities.

From mid-range to high-end flatbed printers, along with wide and superwide roll-fed devices, Fujifilm can help

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09/04/2015 12:58

IRISH PRINTER | Cover Story

The Fujifilm Jet Press 720 S.

“NOT ONLY ARE FORWARD-THINKING PRINT PROVIDERS LOOKING TO BROADEN THEIR SERVICES WITH B2 DIGITAL PRINT TECHNOLOGIES, THEY ARE ALSO LOOKING TO EXPAND THEIR WIDE FORMAT CAPABILITIES.”

commercial printers develop their businesses in the wide format space.

Fujifilm’s Acuity range is made up of printers such as the Acuity Advance Select and Acuity LED 1600.

These devices enable print service providers to diversify their offering or even create new personalised applications. Thanks to its investment in an Acuity Advance Select with Uvijet KV thermoforming inks, Tismo Products BV, based in The Netherlands, set new trends in the personalisation of industrial print.

The company responded to the market demand for personalised items with digitally printed thermoformed car dashboard covers. So successful was the application that it is now also expanding further with other industrial applications.

On the other hand, the Acuity LED 1600 allows printers to produce short-run labels and packaging proofs without incurring the costs and make-

ready times of a conventional litho press. Trade UV litho printer, Oriel Printing, invested in Fujifilm’s Acuity LED 1600 to provide its customers with high quality and cost-effective prototypes printed onto a variety of materials such as plastic, foil paper, vinyl and carton board using the white ink and clear varnish options.

Print services providers who are looking for a more industrial wide format offering, and want to raise the bar in terms of their productivity, can take advantage of the Inca Onset flatbed range, which delivers classleading performance. Onset printers feature Scaleable Architecture, a technology platform that enables printers to invest in an entry-level, full-width array printer, for example the Onset R40LT, and upgrade either the colour, productivity or automation options as their business grows.

The Onset flatbed platform, combined with dedicated Fujifilm Uvijet inks and a range of automation options, is now attracting a lot of interest for the printing of corrugated point of sale items. The modularity of this solution enables printers and

converters to achieve high throughput and produce high quality corrugated packaging. Leading packaging company DS Smith recently invested in this solution and is now benefiting from exceptional print quality at optimum production speeds, with the ability to handle a variety of board types.

THE ‘GO-TO’ PARTNER FOR END-TO-END SOLUTIONS

The print industry will continue to prosper through the integration of both conventional and digital print technologies. Commercial printers, in particular, are faced with the dual problem of maximising the efficiencies of their offset process, while also looking to the future with new digital print technologies.

Thanks to its in-depth knowledge of the print environment, from prepress offset solutions and software to high-end wide format and industrial inkjet solutions, Fujifilm is the perfect partner to support commercial printers as they manage this transition and build better businesses for the future.

The robotic arms easily handle difficult corrugated substrates.

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09/04/2015 11:16

IRISH PRINTER | Packaging

MIMAKI MAKEOVER FOR COSMETICS P

ackaging production has been given its very own makeover

by Mimaki and the results, along with the market’s latest looks, were revealed at Cosmopack, part of the 48th Cosmoprof, which was staged from March 20th to 23rd in Bologna, Italy. Solutions on display addressed the need to create stunning cosmetics packaging that stands out on the shelf, while at the same time taking cost out of the manufacturing and distribution supply chain by enabling affordable shorter runs, more customised packaging, and faster time to market. Unique to these solutions is the ability to print imagery and labelling directly onto cylindrical objects, as well as creating folding cartons ready for the final folding/gluing/packing process.

The exhibition marked Mimaki’s first showing in Europe of the CFL605RT flatbed cutter. “This solution delivers cost-effective designs, smoothly and quickly, for even the shortest runs,” says Mike Horsten, General Manager Marketing, EMEA at Mimaki Europe. “Furthermore, this outstanding flatbed cutter facilitates a free-flowing design process that promotes creative results and a fast route to market with immediate finishing of packaging and packaging prototypes using multiple functions.

Creativity is no longer restrained by long cycles of design, approval, implementation and production.

Shorter runs, versioning and promotions can now be supported by highly flexible manufacturing technologies that aid a significantly faster route to market. Highly responsive production techniques also eliminate storage requirements and support more imaginative design implementation on an increasingly wider array of substrates. ” Mimaki also demonstrated how short-run on-demand printing of premium, high-end and luxury items is made possible by the compact desktop Mimaki UJF-3042. An enhanced level of creativity is offered

by the kebab option, which allows 360° direct printing on cylindrical items, including glass and plastic containers. All of the capabilities of the Mimaki UJF-3042 are also available in the larger A2 format Mimaki UJF-6042. An array of beauty and cosmetics packaging samples were produced using these printers during the show. Carton board packaging was produced throughout the show by the JFX200-2513. The latest addition to Mimaki’s family of UV LED flatbed printers, the JFX2002513 offers a range of inks, including white and clear, that can print on a broad array of substrates. Also, silver ink was used to print metallic labels with Mimaki’s CJV150-75.

This integrated printer/cutter from Mimaki can also run orange and light black inks. Throughout the show the CJV150-75 produced packaging printed on transparent media with silver ink and cut/creased in one integrated process.

“Mimaki’s family of solutions supports designers and brand owners who are striving to develop packaging that wows,” says Mike Horsten. “We have everything from an entry-level machine that allows them to check, simply, quickly and cost effectively, whether or not the design of the packaging hits the marketing sweet spot, all the way to high quality systems that address a broad range

of high impact solutions. We have also developed highly versatile machines that support a flexible approach to design and production, allowing brands to be imaginative beyond their wildest dreams and ‘test the water’ profitably without the commitment of expensive longer runs that take up costly inventory space, incur additional distribution costs and often are discarded due to obsolescence. Our motto is ‘run what you need, when you need it, and change it as often as you want’.”

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09/04/2015 11:17

Packaging | IRISH PRINTER

VIRGIN FIBRE A NECESSITY IN CHOCOLATE PACKAGING “When we choose the paperboard for chocolate packaging, the decisive factor is taste and odour neutrality.

Of course the paperboard must be suitable for the construction we have chosen but if we do not minimise the risk of the chocolate acquiring an off-taste from the packaging material then the rest does not matter.” Tom Du Caju and his colleagues at Du Caju Printing & Packaging in Belgium are describing their experiences in food packaging. Du Caju is located in Erpe-Mere, just west of Brussels. With almost 50 employees and annual net sales of €10m, the company regards itself as a medium-sized Belgian converter. Of the packaging Du Caju produces, 85% is food-related and 11% is chocolate packaging. “In addition, just over 10% of what we do is packaging with direct contact between the food and the packaging material,” says Key Account Manager Koen Penne.“We are choosing our food contact materials such as paperboard very carefully to avoid taint, odour

and migration problems.”

Du Caju has been working with the world’s largest chocolate producer, Barry Callebaut, for more than 25 years. The converter is regularly asked to create sophisticated promotional packaging for Callebaut as a sales tool and brand enhancer. The latest creation, The Origin Box, has an outer box made of a brown-coloured speciality paper from James Cropper - Colorscope Bitter Chocolate 350g/ m2. Inside the box are samples of chocolate from many countries.

Each sample is packed in a wedgeshaped box made of Incada Silk 300g/ m2 from Iggesund Paperboard. The box also features a wheel giving information about the different types of chocolate. The wheel is printed on Invercote Creato 400g/m2, also from Iggesund Paperboard, and is covered with the same material as the outer box. The brown material has a matt appearance and a natural look. The brown colour and the uncoated sides give a very good indication

of the look of chocolate.The Origin Box was a finalist in the ECMA/Pro Carton European packaging award competition in 2014.

“We have learned from experience that only virgin fibre is good enough for this type of packaging,” comments Erwin Heeren, an experienced purchaser at Du Caju. “In choosing materials we also get support from our customer, Barry Callebaut, who tests all packaging materials for up to 60 days in its own sensory laboratory.”

As a purchaser he must also keep up to date with both the environmental debate and the discussion about how mineral oils in recycled-fibre-based materials can contaminate packaged foods. “We are following the mineral oil debate with great interest, as are our most knowledgeable customers,” says Erwin Heeren. “However, we are not seeing any increased demand for traceability certificates for paperboard materials - neither FSC nor PEFC. That demand is constant at between three and five per cent of our total volume.”

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09/04/2015 11:17

IRISH PRINTER | Packaging

BESPOKE SOLUTIONS HIGHLIGHTED AT XEIKON CAFÉ T he digital production of pharmaceutical leaflets came under the microscope at the recent Xeikon Café Packaging Innovations in Belgium (March 10th to 12th) courtesy of a presentation by the MBO Group. The equipment line-up used in the digital pharmaceutical leaflet solution included the following equipment from MBO and Herzog + Heymann: a UW500 unwinder, a SVC525C sheeter and a KL112.1 folding machine with 177 delivery. This set-up produced a pharmaceutical leaflet with 16 pages, 4-up, on 40 gm² paper supplied from a roll.

“The digital pharmaceutical leaflet line that was on show was just a small example of our huge portfolio,” says MBO Sales Director Frank Bahmer. “We were also aiming to highlight how we can do much more, by combining the strengths of MBO and Herzog + Heymann. We have

many years of experience and our products are modular and made for a 24/7 environment all good reasons for getting in touch with us to see how we can help. The event was a great opportunity to meet existing customers and those with an interest in how their services can be developed while being supported by us. We also wanted to learn more about the market challenges and opportunities, and how we can help businesses develop and increase their profitability.

Jeroen van Bauwel, Director Product Marketing at Xeikon, says that digital print production enables a wide range of jobs to be produced but some of these need specialist finishing due to the nature of the product or the substrate used. “And pharmaceutical leaflets is one of them,” he says. “To ensure that our customers

The MBO and Herzog + Heymann digital pharmaceutical leaflet solution that was demonstrated at the Xeikon Café.

are supported as much as possible throughout the whole production chain we have developed relationships with leaders in their field and the MBO Group is one of those. We look forward to seeing how our customers can further develop their services with such worldclass manufacturers.”

MBO is a leading worldwide supplier of folding machines and peripheral units, along with feeders, unwinder and rewinder systems, as well as sheeters, for the processing of offset printed and digitally printed products. Herzog + Heymann’s product portfolio caters for individual solutions, with mailing systems and a range of miniature and large folding machines for pharmaceutical leaflets, direct mail and packaging applications.

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09/04/2015 11:18

Packaging | IRISH PRINTER

Abrasion-Proof

Pharmaceutical Labels

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hen coding pharmaceutical products, manufacturers must be able to rely 100% on the flawless and durable printing of variable data, such as the use-by date and batch information. In many cases, however, the printed image produced by thermal transfer technology, which is most widely used at present, does not offer resistance to wear and abrasion. Atlantic Zeiser is claiming that its Digiline Label printing system, as installed in a plant operated by a global manufacturer of vaccines, now offers a solution.

The danger of the codes being damaged by friction occurring between the vials of serum on the production line or inside the secondary packaging has been successfully eliminated in a project pursued in collaboration with Atlantic Zeiser. The greater process security afforded by Digiline Label has also minimised the risk of costly production interruptions throughout the packaging line.

Digiline Label uses high-performance UV-curable inks developed in-house.

The system ensures brilliant print quality and supreme resistance to abrasion and alcohol-based solvents.

In the absence of ink ribbons and print bars, operating costs can be reduced by as much as 30%. Compared to thermal transfer technology, the system offers other substantial advantages such as printing speeds that are up to four times higher. A further argument in its favour is the integrated label buffer of the nearline version, which enables the system to respond effortlessly to fluctuating applicator speeds.

In addition, Atlantic Zeiser says that Digiline Label is very easy to install in any packaging line without any complications or intervention in the existing production system.

The vaccine manufacturer has already been operating Digiline Label troublefree for six months and is so impressed that it now intends to install three more systems. Process security will be further enhanced as they enter service.

Atlantic Zeiser’s Digiline Label printing system enables users to code pharmaceutical labels that resist abrasion. It uses highperformance UV-curable inks.

Ensure supreme resistance to abrasion and solvents (as illustrated here with partly transparent labels) - a crucial factor for vials containing drugs, for example.

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10/04/2015 12:35

IRISH PRINTER | Managed Services

KYOCERA SUPPORTS IRELAND’S LARGEST MPS ROLLOUT

BRYAN S RYAN WAS AWARDED A SIZEABLE, FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT

BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, EQUALITY AND LAW REFORM WHEN IT MET THE EXACTING CRITERIA WITH A KYOCERA AND PAPERCUT SOLUTION.

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n late 2012 the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform decided to use the National Procurement Service’s Framework for the Supply of Managed Print Services for the refresh of the hardware fleet across seven of the Department’s existing key agencies.

These included the Irish Prison Service, the State’s Court Service, Financial Shared Services, the Garda Ombudsman, the Probation Service, the National Disability Authority, and the Department of Justice nationwide. This multiagency contract requested tender responses from seven Preferred Framework Members to meet its strategic objective to ‘economically manage print requirements and maximise volume discounts and provide for reductions in

administrative and transaction costs for the Authority.’

The five-year contract was awarded to Kyocera partner Bryan S Ryan in April 2013. “We knew that we’d make significant savings by coming together and the buying power we’d get by cooperating would be significant,” says George Jackson, Head of IT, the Irish Prison Service. “MPS by its nature saves on average 20% to 30% and we believed we could get more savings based on the consolidation of services such as copying, printing and scanning on the one platform. In its simplest form, we were looking to consolidate our combined print services with one vendor.”

Mr Jackson formed a project board chaired by Alec Dolan,

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09/04/2015 11:20

Managed Services | IRISH PRINTER

MPS BY ITS NATURE SAVES ON AVERAGE 20% TO 30% AND WE BELIEVED WE COULD GET MORE SAVINGS BASED ON THE CONSOLIDATION OF SERVICES SUCH AS COPYING, PRINTING AND SCANNING ON THE ONE PLATFORM.

with department heads and representatives from the Office of Government Procurement. To support this, he formed a working group of staff representing each of the agencies involved who would act as MPS champions in the roll-outs and be the ‘go to’ people on the ground for the Bryan S Ryan team. “With so many people involved, communication leading up to going live was vital,” says George Jackson. “Bryan S Ryan devised a comprehensive transition programme for us with an advertising campaign confirming what was coming. We sent emails out and put information on the various agency intranets.

Our team encouraged all agency champions to speak to their senior management and get them on board - it was important to do so to get everything in place. During the roll out we were keen to ensure that the communication strategy continued and I was delighted with the initial uptake from the staff across all the agencies. While the roll-out took close to nine months, the acceptance from our staff and the little or no impact it had on their day-to-day work was testimony to Bryan S Ryan’s transition programme and vision in educating the users throughout the process. Most notably, we had a few challenges in high security locations and a pragmatic approach was taken by Bryan S Ryan and our project team as we approached each location. They were very agile in responding to our needs during the implementation stage and they worked extremely well in delivering the solution under challenging circumstances.”

Gerry Cheung, Director at Bryan S Ryan, says that when the contract

was awarded there was an immediate requirement to fulfil requests that were previously put on hold as the client went through the tender process. “At the same time there was a desire by each agency to move to the more competitive ‘cost model’ at their earliest convenience,” he says. “Each of the agency’s project plans comprised a detailed scoping and pilot of the new solution and sign off on the final design and hardware configuration. Due to the number of agencies involved and their nationwide presence, we set up seven separate project teams to cater for their individual needs. Part of our implementation involved optimising newer assets on the existing fleet and these were strategically redeployed within the new solution. Our main objectives were to provide immediate savings on the variable cost per copy model and, secondly, to deliver an extensive change management programme as part of the roll-out. One of the key components in the tender was the provision of monitoring, reporting and simple invoicing so that costs could be allocated correctly across the agencies. Bryan S Ryan used KYOFleetManager, Kyocera’s web-based fleet monitoring and management system, as a remote monitoring system for service and toner tools. All senior stakeholders are being emailed on a monthly basis with their usage broken down by cost centre and other criteria specific to their organisation. Bryan S Ryan also compiles an overall monthly report for the senior board. Savings are already visible and the Kyocera devices are providing additional benefits to each location.”

The Bryan S Ryan team worked with Kyocera to successfully deliver what is considered one of the largest deployments in the Irish public sector. “Over 10,000 multiagency staff across Ireland have benefited from the new solution, which also ensures that each agency has its own invoice relevant to its own budgets,” says Gerry Cheung.

“The project has already delivered significant financial benefits – from the obvious reductions in paper waste and cost savings, to space saving, energy savings and business efficiencies. We are now adding further value to the Department and its agencies, utilising the full suite of innovative applications and, given the success to date, some agencies have already begun to integrate the solution with other key organisational workflows.”

George Jackson says that everyone was made aware of what was going to be involved and the whole project was very well managed by Bryan S Ryan. “We worked very closely with their project teams to deliver each roll out on time,” he says. “We were never in any doubt that it would be a huge undertaking and we were delighted that it all went so smoothly. It’s been a great success and we have a good working relationship with Bryan S Ryan, who have been very responsive to our needs, and having Kyocera in the background has helped to ensure that the project exceeded our goals.”

“A SIZEABLE, FIVEYEAR CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO BRYAN S RYAN, WHO MET THE EXACTING CRITERIA WITH A KYOCERA AND PAPERCUT SOLUTION.”

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09/04/2015 12:59

IRISH PRINTER | WIde Format

SCREEN TAKES TRUEPRESS TO NEW LEVELS AT FESPA

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creen will show what the Truepress Jet W3200HS UV flatbed printer is capable of at FESPA 2015 (May 18th to 22nd in Cologne). Plus, for the first time worldwide, visitors will see the new 3.2m wide roll-to-roll option on the high-speed 150sqm/hr press.

A joint development between Screen and its subsidiary company Inca Digital, the Truepress Jet W3200UV printer is a six colour + white device designed to meet the demands of the POS, signage and decor markets. It has the ability to print onto a wide range of rigid and flexible media up to 3.2m x 1.6m in size and up to a maximum thickness

of 50mm. The printer features automatic cleaning and nozzle mapping.

During the show Screen will print a variety of challenging graphics so visitors can see the printer’s ability to produce smooth tints, vivid colours and sharp 4pt text. The aim is not only to demonstrate the printer’s significant 150 sqm/hr productivity at great quality, but also how easy it is to print high-value products, including 5

and 7-layer multi-layer backlit and day/night graphics and accurate 75lpi lenticulars at over 50sqm/hr.

The Truepress Jet W3200UV is available in both standard (85sqm/hr) and high-speed (150 sqm/hr) versions. Both models are supplied as standard with the Caldera GrandRIP+, including the EasyMEDIA option for ICC profiles.

Integration to a range of other workflows is also available.

Sealwise Signage from Soyang

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pecialist printable media manufacturer and distributor, Soyang Europe unveiled two new products at Sign & Digital UK last month - Sealwise, a printable rigid substrate incorporating closedcell technology, and So-Netic, a

printable and easily replaceable magnetic wallcovering. “Sealwise is a lightweight and highly rigid material that is both recyclable and made from recycled material,” says Soyang Europe Managing Director Mark Mashiter. “Manufactured in

Germany, the product is available in a range of thicknesses and is printable on UV flatbed printers.

So-Netic is a two-part product encompassing a magnetic lining which is affixed to the wall along with a thin, printable film incorporating a ferrous element allowing it to be placed, repositioned and removed from the lining with great ease. The positive impact this product can have in the hospitality and education sectors as well as retail environments - where there is a real need for PoS graphics to remain current - is massive and it offers great flexibility. Once the initial magnetic lining is in place, it can then be easily overlaid with repositionable drops of printable graphics which can be produced on any roll-to-roll latex, solvent or UV printer. ”

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09/04/2015 12:59

WIde Format | IRISH PRINTER

INKJET FOCUS FOR FUJIFILM

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CANON LAUNCHES NEW OCÉ COLORWAVE PRINTER

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ujifilm will display an extensive array of midrange and high-end printing platforms at Fespa 2015, including the latest advancements in its wide format portfolio, and will highlight the features of the Inca Onset R40LT. The entry-level Onset R40LT has the ability to develop from a four-channel, 265 m2/hr device up to an eight-channel 400m2/hr printer with a variety of colour configurations. The full-width array Onset R40LT is targeted at print service providers that are considering a standard midrange digital flatbed machine. Making its first appearance at the show, Fujifilm says that the printer is distinguished by a more user friendly interface and guarantees high quality results with no banding at higher throughput speeds than scanning head technology.

The Onset R40LT model can start as a manual 3.14m x 1.6m (123.6 inches x 63 inches) full-width array flatbed printer and is capable of printing onto substrates up to 50mm (2 inches) thick at speeds equivalent to 40 full-beds sheets/hr.

Fujifilm will also demonstrate a new 25-zone vacuum table developed for the Onset platform and the new Uvijet OW ink, which is designed to facilitate the shift from PVC to polypropylene materials without compromising on quality and performance.

The Vybrant F1600 will also be showcased at FESPA 2015. The four colour, 1.6m roll-to-roll device with a productivity of up to 18 m2/hr, is ideal for printing vinyl and other flexible materials to create indoor or outdoor applications.

anon Europe recently launched two new high performance colour systems, which come both as printer only and multi-functional - the Océ ColorWave 500 is dedicated to work groups and the Océ ColorWave 700 is designed for wider graphic arts applications. Both printers utilise the latest version of Océ CrystalPoint technology for high speed toner printing and can produce instant dry and water-resistant prints on roll-based media.

The Océ ColorWave 500 is designed to support CAD, GIS and production applications in the manufacturing, architecture, construction, design and reprographics industries. The system comes with secure cloud

connectivity and Windows 8 embedded controller.

There is also an option for removable dual hard drives, for added data security. The Océ ColorWave 700 caters for businesses requiring a higher print volume, including reprographics, sign and display print providers, and in-house printing applications in industries such as retail, hospitality, POS, education and government. It supports media up to 0.8mm in thickness, making it suitable for a large range of graphics applications, including canvas, wallpaper and banner printing.

Both the Océ ColorWave 500 and Océ ColorWave 700 have been available to order since the end of February.

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10/04/2015 12:30

IRISH PRINTER | WIde Format

CMYK Ink Added to Digital Sign Printing System AVERY DENNISON RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THE ADDITION OF CMYK INK PRINTING CAPABILITIES TO THE TRAFFICJET 1638 PRINTER, ITS REFLECTIVE DIGITAL SIGN PRINTING SYSTEM FOR TRAFFIC AND WORKZONE APPLICATIONS.

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he TrafficJet 1638 is now capable of printing CMYK inks and TrafficJet spot inks at the same time. This enhancement will allow the addition of custom graphics or logos to traffic signs and will give printers the ability to create commercial signs on both reflective and vinyl graphics media.

“Continuous improvement is the key to staying ahead of the curve,” says John Peck, Global Technical Product Manager at Avery Dennison.

“The addition of CMYK functionality to the TrafficJet 1638 printer provides significant value to what is already the reflective industry’s most costeffective traffic sign printing system.

We are excited about the ongoing evolution in our industry that is

already underway with digital printing and we’re proud to remain at the forefront with additions like this that continue to enhance the technology.”

The newly-added Mutoh Eco Ultra CMYK inks with overlay will provide a life expectancy similar to that already available in the graphics industry.

The TrafficJet spot inks continue to carry the same warranty period of the underlying reflective sheeting when combined with Avery Dennison clear overlay film, and are designed to meet a variety of industry standards for reflectivity and durability. In order to facilitate this improvement, Avery Dennison has teamed with SAi, developer of the Mutoh Edition FlexiPrint DX, to provide a driver

update to newer software versions. Customers looking to upgrade a current TrafficJet 1638 printer are encouraged to contact their Avery Dennison sales representative for details.

TrafficJet is a complete inkjet printing system for traffic safety and reflective sign producers, as well as government agencies that produce or purchase signage.

Avery Dennison claims to be the only eco-solvent inkjet system provider offering a complete 10- and 12-year-warranted, “costeffective, highly-flexible inkjet printing solution,” complete with equipment, ink, and reflective sheeting for both permanent and workzone signage.

ROLAND DEMOS NEW RIP Roland DG (UK) gave visitors to the Sign and Digital exhibition in the UK demonstrations of a new RIP and print management solution for Mac OS X operating systems driving a Soljet Pro 4 XR-640 printer/cutter. Described as the perfect counterpart to VersaWorks, Roland’s PC-based RIP, the new programme is a 64bit Mac application that incorporates the Adobe PDF Print Engine. The multitasking environment allows users to RIP, print and cut to multiple devices simultaneously. Hot folder, job queue presets, automated true shape nesting and advanced tiling utilities contribute to making this a productive workflow solution for Mac-based businesses. Included in the new RIP software are industry standard colour libraries and spot colour matching functionality. There is also an embedded profiling module to enable operators to create custom ICC profiles. Mark Elvidge, Print Product Manager with Roland DG (UK) says that the new RIP software is the key for Mac users to unlock the ‘full creative potential’ of Roland’s wide format printers, print and cut systems, and stand-alone cutters.

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09/04/2015 13:00

Ink | IRISH PRINTER

DON’T SPLASH

THE INK

INK IS ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY PRICED COMMODITIES IN THE WORLD AND BUSINESSES IN ALL INDUSTRY SECTORS ARE FEELING THE IMPACT OF THESE PRICES.

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t doesn’t matter whether the company is a small local one or an international business that sells millions of products everyday, ink is vital. The use of ink is important to both in-house activities, such as providing information to business partners or potential customers, and to external activity such as creating advertising by use of pamphlets and banners.

Even the company newsletter can be costly. The infographic above will be very helpful to any size and type of

business that has high ink costs.

The title of the infographic is ‘7 ways to lower your ink costs’, which is exactly what any business should be doing. The seven ways vary in terms of the level of difficulty involved in implementing them.

Some are very simple things that require little to no effort, while others require getting better equipment, but the majority are simple tasks that anybody can complete.

The first tip is one of the

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IRISH PRINTER | Ink

most interesting options on the infographic as it is based on a real study carried out by university students in the US, which showcased how much ink each font type used up. The most important revelation from the experiment was that the difference in the amount of ink used with some fonts is absolutely shocking. Popular fonts such as Impact and Comic Sans were massive ink users which drained the ink cartridges quickly, while others such as Garamond and Courier were less harsh.

The emphasis on ink cartridges is quite apparent too, with many interesting facts being revealed.

Using the right cartridge with the right printer is not commonly done and, according to the infographic, it can waste quite a bit of ink as it isn’t being used to its full potential.

Most printers now provide their own cartridges that are tailor-made for

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their products. Another tip to notice with cartridges is that many will say they need to be replaced when some are still nearly half full. This is done by companies who want to increase sales. The best way to judge is by eye. When the colours begin to noticeably fade that is the best indication that a new cartridge is needed.

A good and reliable printer is also invaluable to any business. It is worth chipping in for an expensive printer because, not only are they better quality, a large amount of ink can be saved by avoiding the smudges that are common with cheap and old printers. Most branded printers such as HP and Epson, are good choices. Asking for advice when purchasing is your best option.

Another important and easy to carry out tip is simply to take out one of the cartridges when

printing - depending on what you’re printing. If your document features mainly text, removing the colour cartridge will stop the black being used from the colour (as it will take from both), which is an obvious waste. If your content is more colour orientated, simply taking out the black cartridge can save you a noticeable amount of ink. Another valuable point on planning ahead is to decide whether you will even need a colour or black cartridge. If content is predominantly text, try to stick to just black ink.

Most laptops come preloaded with certain features that can save ink automatically by simply enabling them in print settings.

For example, inkjet printers come with a draft mode which will only make the cartridge swipe over the characters once, instead of multiple times, saving a large amount of ink.

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13/04/2015 15:12

Workflow | IRISH PRINTER

PDF IN

BOOK

OUT

In addition to producing in batches, companies can now also produce personalised short and ultra-short runs using the SigmaLine, thanks to the VDP modules.

MULLER MARTINI SHOWED THAT IT IS A GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY LEADER IN THE FIELD OF AUTOMATED PRODUCTION WORKFLOW IN DIGITAL PRINTING WHEN IT SHOWCASED ITS VARIABLE DATA CAPABILITIES AT HUNKELER INNOVATIONDAYS 2015.

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DP production runs can now be processed using the regular Muller Martini SigmaLine, as newly developed modules seamlessly integrate into the complete digital book production solution. Muller Martini says that, with the new modules, companies that currently produce predominantly in batches will now also be able to produce short and ultra-short runs, with the same high quality of page assembly and print finishing.

The VariableProduction, VariableImposition and VariableBundle modules are fully integrated with the proven Connex data and process management system from Muller Martini. With the additional functions for variable data printing, Connex can be used as specialised VDP printing software to process both static and variable data. The starting point is the optimised printing data in PDF/VT (variable transactional) format file.

Connex takes care of the optimal folding scheme, the preparation of the production data, and the optimal production type.

With Connex, both traditional and variable printing data can be

processed via the same operating interface. Like in batch production, for VDP production, the number of blank pages, the number of signatures required, and the utilisation rate are displayed. The operator controls the production process through to pre-press (with VariableImposition) directly on the screen and has no need to learn how to a use a new system.

THE NEW CONNEX MODULES Variable-Production for Variable Data The Variable-Production module enables variable products to be processed using the SigmaLine.

Products with different content and even a different page count can be produced in one production run.

The signatures are tracked using barcodes, and Connex monitors the production process, including feedback to a high-level production system.

Variable-Imposition: Digital Page Assembly With the Variable-Imposition module, which builds on the

previous module, both normal PDF data and PDF/VT data for variable printing can be printed and imposed using Connex. A production series is extracted from the VT data and blank pages are automatically inserted depending on the folding scheme selected. Intelligent barcodes are placed on every signature during the digital page assembly. The finished PDF signatures are then transferred straight to the printing press, and the printing process is managed accordingly. Connex also tracks the products here, and provides the possibility of reproducing rejected products automatically following the production run.

Variable-Production: Unique Worldwide In addition to the Variable-Production and Variable-Imposition modules, the Variable-Bundle module prebundles books selectively in the SigmaCollator. Using a run list, the collator collates a varying number of books and delivers them together. For example, with this function, which is unique worldwide, all the books of a student can be produced and collated.

Subsequent time-consuming sorting of the products by hand is no longer necessary.

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IRISH PRINTER | What’s New in Print?

Press Partnership H P and KBA announced plans on March 4th to develop the HP T1100 Simplex Color Inkjet Web Press. This is a high speed, high volume 110-inch wide (2.8 metres) simplex inkjet web press for the pre-printing of corrugated top liner. It will enable corrugators to combine many individual jobs together on a roll or across rolls for short, mid or long runs.

Unlike traditional analogue pre-print, every box can be different. Planned to print at speeds of up to 183 metres (600 feet) per minute and produce up to 30,000 square metres (300,000 square feet) per hour, this inkjet press will print corrugated liner rolls that can then be placed directly onto existing industry-standard 2.5 or 2.8 metre (110 inch-wide) corrugators. This press will be the first solution co-developed by the two companies since the announcement of their strategic collaboration at Graph Expo 2014 in Chicago on September 28th, 2014.

INVERCOTE UPGRADE

Iggesund is rolling out an upgrade to its Invercote G paperboard for digital applications in response to the rapid development of digital presses and the increasingly widespread interest in using digital print on packaging. “The upgraded Invercote G - Invercote Creato - will give customers who want a clear difference between the paperboard’s two sides but who still want to be able to print on both sides using their digital presses precisely what they’re looking for,” says Fredrik Lisinski, who is responsible for developing Iggesund Paperboard’s sales to the digital print market. “The secret lies in the new coating on the reverse side of the upgraded Invercote G. Iggesund’s engineers were asked to create a reverse side with improved printing properties - in both offset and digital - but without compromising on the natural feel of the product.

“We don’t want our customers to have to choose between good printability in digital applications and first-class packaging characteristics in terms of designability, material stiffness and strength,” he says. “With Invercote we want to give them both. We’ve worked with the leading press manufacturers and the result is a product portfolio that is perfectly suited to people who do digital printing on higher grammages.”

MOBILE PUBLISHING

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gfa Graphics demonstrated its automated mobile publishing solution for magazines and newspapers live to visitors at the Digital Innovators’ Summit in Berlin last month. Media houses use Agfa’s Eversify solution to publish editorial content to the ever-increasing range of smartphones and tablets in a highly automated way, with a choice that ranges from enriched e-paper to HTML5 based apps and web editions. It allows the publisher to offer a widespread digital portfolio. “Eversify automates the workflow for making mobile publications and works with any existing editorial or layout system based on structured content,” says Rainer Kirschke, Head of Business Development Mobile Publishing Europe, Agfa Graphics.

“As such it enables publishers to automatically create a branded responsive app for their titles without manual intervention. It pleases the reader thanks to the excellent reader experience and it suits the publisher because he can keep track of reading behavior through detailed analytics.”

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10/04/2015 12:31

What’s New in Print? | IRISH PRINTER

DRY TONER DIGITAL Xeikon presented its new Xeikon 9800 dry toner digital colour press at Graphispag in Barcelona, Spain, from March 24th to 27th. The Xeikon 9800 digital press replaces the Xeikon 8800 press in its family of digital colour production presses.

The manufacturer claims that it uses the new Xeikon QA-CD toner to deliver print quality at speeds up to 21.5 metres per minute at reduced consumables cost. They

say that this makes it the most productive digital colour press in the Xeikon portfolio with 5/5 single-pass duplex printing. The Xeikon 9800 can print on a wide range of untreated substrates, ranging from a lightweight 40gsm up to 300gsm substrates.

In addition, integrated with the variable data capabilities of the Xeikon X-800 front-end, this press is suitable for high-end direct

marketing work. The Xeikon QA-CD toner and Xeikon’s imaging system deliver a print resolution of 1200 x 3600 with variable dot density.

Available QA-CD toners include CMYK, Red, Green, Blue, Extra Magenta and SuperBlack, as well as White and Clear (UV reflecting) toner. Xeikon can also provide special colours specified by print production operations and their brand owner client upon request.

AUTOMATIC TRIMMER

ChalkMate Film

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rytac Europe recently announced the immediate availability of ChalkMate five millimetre PVC film. Ideal for teaching environments, restaurants and bars, office and home use, and promotional applications, ChalkMate offers a traditional chalkboard finish that can be used with both standard chalk and liquid chalk markers. It can be cut into custom shapes and designs and is designed to be installed on most smooth surfaces. ChalkMate is available as either a black or a green film backed with a permanent, waterbased, pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive. For optimised customisation, the film can also be printed on using most brands of UV printer. ChalkMate is available in black and green and can be purchased in 1m x 25m rolls.

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he Kala Automatic X-Y Trimmer (KalaXY) made its UK debut on the Colourgen stand at Sign and Digital UK 2015 last month.

The new machine demonstrated Kala’s move to more automated cutting. With a manual element for adjusting the machine’s light cutting guide, the X-Y is intended as a more entry-level alternative to other trimmers on the market. The machine’s maximum cutting width of 1,650mm has been deliberately designed to be compatible with the width of Kala’s existing laminator range. The KalaXY can cut substrates up to 1mm thick, including photo paper, vinyl, laminated substrates, light PVC banner and polyester films.

It has a maximum roll media diameter of 250mm, an operating speed of up to 18m/min, and a cross trimming blade speed of up to 120m/min.

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IRISH PRINTER | Finishing

THE PERFECT FOR OFFSET BINDER & DIGITAL MULLER MARTINI’S VAREO PERFECT BINDER WAS THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION ON THE COMPANY’S STAND AT THE HUNKELER INNOVATIONDAYS IN LUCERNE IN FEBRUARY. LARGE NUMBERS OF VISITORS WANTED TO SEE THE MACHINE IN ACTION AS IT MADE ITS GLOBAL DEBUT.

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he Vareo offers a mechanical output of up to 1,350 cycles per hour. Each of the three clamps is equipped with its own servo motor and is driven individually for the first time. Muller Martini displayed the Vareo in Lucerne together with its partners Hunkeler, Heidelberg, ATS and Polar in a flexible machine configuration that produced a complete brochure on site. It consisted of digitally printed content (web printing) and a cover, was bound using hotmelt, and was given a final three-side trimming. In this configuration, the comprehensive monitoring of the content and cover by barcode was demonstrated. All modules involved used the same barcode system to ensure that the product had the right composition and was bound correctly.

Samir Graba is Managing Director of Société Imprimerie Beta in Ariana, Tunisia. The company has two Acoro A7 perfect binders and a 335 saddle stitcher from Muller Martini. “With its excellent price-performance ratio, the Vareo all-rounder comes into its own not only in digital printing for ultrashort runs right down to one copy per job, but also for medium runs, regardless of whether the brochures are produced using offset or digital

Hunkeler - Visitors wanted to see the perfect binder and the saddle stitcher Presto II Digital in action at the Hunkeler Innovationdays. Vareo - The Vareo is ideal for smaller runs in digital printing but also for the medium run segment of offset printing.

printing,” he says. “This makes it the ideal perfect binder for bookbinders and printing houses that work with conventional printing methods and plan to enter digital printing or are already active in digital printing.”

Vareo’s flexible equipment enables varied applications. Photo books, personalised catalogs and highquality brochures can be produced cost-effectively thanks to short setup times (e.g. in less than one minute from A4 to A5), which are indispensable for ultra-short and

one-copy runs, and short production times.

In addition to the Vareo, Muller Martini demonstrated how the Presto II Digital saddle stitcher is also perfectly suitable for the gathering of signatures.

It can be used for the production of both digital and offset printed products.

The digitally printed signatures were folded on the TH 56 steel folder and gathered digitally on the Presto II Digital before the finished book block was finally perfect bound live on the Vareo.

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NEW TRADE PRICE OFFER 130gsm & 170gsm gloss QUANTITY 1,000 2,500 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000

A4 FLAT € 60 80 130 225 335 430

DL € 40 50 60 90 130 160

– printed full colour both-sides A5 € 40 55 80 130 190 240

A6 € 40 50 60 80 120 130

A3 TO A4 € 105 160 255 465 650 835

* As of April 13th 2015, all orders received before 12 noon, relating to the130gsm & 170gsm gloss price list, will be dispatched in two working days, regardless of the day of receipt.

Please allow an extra €2/1000 to fold A4 to DL or A5.

All prices exclude VAT & Delivery.

Please contact us with any queries!

Freephone: 1800 613 111 Email: sales@walshcolourprint.com

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