Tactility n. The quality or state of being tactile; perceptibility by touch; tangibleness. Tactile adj. Perceptible to the sense of touch; tangible.
Paper and print have tactility The sense of touch sets print apart from every other means of communication.
Text stock: Raleigh Heaven 42 170 gsm Cover stock: Raleigh Lotus Artboard 310 gsm
Touch
is the primal sense
The sense of touch precedes all the other senses. It begins with the unborn child as it feels through its entire body its mother’s heartbeat, voice, and movements. Through touch the child feels reassurance, love and nurturance. No matter how engaging an idea, nothing can replace touch. As our culture moves rapidly into the internet era, things are often replaced by the idea of the thing. People become more isolated. Human contact becomes less common. When you give your customer a printed item, you are giving them something tangible. It is quite different from an email or a link to a website. It is a real thing, a physical link. It’s something you can touch.
Touch creates a bond A hug from a family member, a lover’s embrace, a helping hand or a deal sealed with a handshake ... touch is both result and symbol of a powerful bond. Touch is often the moment when the ice breaks and the bond occurs. Nothing can replace the physicality of a printed item. It has value and substance. It can be carried around, does not require electricity to read and can be highlighted, written on and torn out. It is always ready and willing to be touched. Its simple realness makes paper and the printed word irreplaceable.
or brutal... Not all touch is kind. Sometimes reality is harsh. To deliver your message you may have to smash illusions. Barriers may need to be broken. You may need to invoke anger, shock and awe, sometimes even revulsion.
Touch can be gentle... The human sense of touch is so sensitive it can interpret complex information effortlessly. Vision impaired people can read with the sense of touch alone, using braille. The paper you choose to print on can impart a wealth of subtle information that adds value to your branding. The “touch� of your chosen stock is always carefully considered by good designers.
The uncompromising presence of the printed word and image can deliver a knockout message like nothing else.
and touch is creative As touch drives all the senses, so does a touch of genius drive all creative activities. With the stroke of a keyboard, the pluck of a string, the mark of a brush or the touch of the clay on a potter’s wheel comes the moment of creation. Something exists where it did not before. With touch an idea takes physical form. Print is communication in physical form. It exists not in our mind or on a screen, but is part of the real world with us. Where many readers may simply delete an email unread, a physical communication on paper is perceived as something of value and importance, and commands the reader’s attention.
Touch drives all our senses We hear when soundwaves touch our eardrums. We taste when food touches our tongue. We smell when a fragrance touches our olfactory receptors, and we see when light touches our retina. Touch is the foundation - the primal sense that allows all of the senses to function. And our response to the things that touch our senses is physical and memorable. Things that touch our senses touch our emotions. Realness counts.
Realness Counts
The sense of sight is a high speed processor The printed word is superbly adapted to the human eye and brain, allowing it to exercise its amazing ability to process visual information. Each of our eyes has three thousand billion characters of processing capacity every second. This phenomenal processing capacity enables us to quickly scan a huge amount of visual information and process it rapidly. That is why the printed page reigns supreme for delivering complex information. The printed word is bandwidth for human beings. On-screen information doesn’t even come close.
Why do we print things out?
Get real
“You could do a simple test. Go and pick a copy of something like the Financial Times as a newspaper, and divide ten or fifteen or twenty managers into two groups. University graduates who are well used to processing lots of information very quickly.
The printed word also has great emotional appeal. For instance, you can wrap up a book and give it as a gift. Have you ever treasured a book given to you by someone who matters to you? Try that with an e-book!
“Give one team the FT online. Actually it’s got to be the same number of pages, the same number of words. I don’t care how you present it online, but it’s got to be digitally accessed on their screen. The other team, give them the paper version, and you’re going to give them a five minute test. “And in five minutes, they have to produce a condensed summary on which they can be questioned about every aspect of what is in the paper that day. And you will see an astonishing difference in the productivity. “You will find, on the whole, that those who read from the paper version, they’ve already got to the end of the paper in less than sixty seconds. They’ve marked it with a felt tipped pen, they’ve gone back and scanned in more detail the things they thought were particularly interesting or relevant, and they’ve done it in less than three or four minutes. “In comparison, the people on the screen are still scrambling around, trying to read bits and pieces and hoping for the best. “And that is why people print things out.”
Dr Patrick Dixon, Futurist www.globalchange.com
Paper has tactility. It’s real. You can touch it, feel it, tear bits out. You can write notes on it, draw circles around things, use a highlighter, fold it up and put it in your pocket. You can give it to someone else. Paper can be both individualistic and neutral. It has its own character, which you can add to with embossing, foiling, diecutting, coatings, binding and folding. It’s “carte blanche” for your creative touch!
Touch your audience People give closer attention to what they read on paper than to the continual clutter of the electronic environment. Printed information is also generally regarded as being more credible. If you want to command respect, put your message in print. Bright Print Group can help you create printed items that reach out and touch your market, and add substance and credibility to your business image.
Printed information touches people
Inherently sustainable “There aren’t many industries around that can aspire to becoming genuinely sustainable. The Pulp and Paper industry, however, is one of them. At its best, this industry is inherently sustainable.” Jonathan Porritt During his time as Chairman, UK Sustainable Development Commission All paper is made from renewable, grown fibres which are generally made from timber or some other forms of vegetable matter. Recycled paper is part of that fibre mix. Over a number of years the list of the United Nations 100 most “sustainable” industries has included 8 pulp and paper companies – the highest representation of any industry group. Sustainable forestry and increased use of wood and wood products, including paper, increases the absorption and “locking up” of CO2 emissions through the timber growth, harvest, processing, and re-growth (reafforestation / afforestation) cycle. Sustainable timber harvesting is “greenhouse emissions” neutral. In fact industrial forestry globally absorbs 1 billion tonnes of CO2 annually. Australian plantations and commercial forests removed a net 43.7 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere in 2004. Australian domestic consumers are well practiced and excellent recyclers of paper products. In Europe between 2000 and 2007 the growth in the paper recycling rate was double the paper consumption growth rate.
B|P|G
lean, green, printing machine At the Bright Print Group, we take our role as responsible manufacturers very seriously and continually introduce the best available innovations to reduce water and power usage, wastes and carbon emissions. We have won numerous awards for our environmental initiatives, but awards are not the motivation for BPG’s investment in the environment. We do it because we acknowledge our responsibility to protect this world for future generations. In 2009, applying the same innovative energy to our production systems, we commenced an ambitious three-year project to upskill our entire work force in lean manufacturing principles to certificate levels II, III and IV. Principles such as Kaizen, Creative Problem Solving and Standardisation have added finesse to a powerful printing engine comprising efficient technology and skilled staff with many years’ experience. BPG invests in cutting-edge technologies which add value for our clients. This ensures that we are able to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving business environment, delivering the service our clients need, when they need it. Yet underlying all this innovation and technology, dedication to our clients remains our main focus. In a world undergoing continual technological revolution, we feel that the human touch is more important than ever. Throughout the history of this firm we have set the highest importance on personal service and our relationship with our clients. Even though life these days is characterised by change, for us this will always remain constant.
Investment, innovation and commitment make BPG a force to be reckoned with now, and will continue to do so into the future.
BPG is an active campaigner for environmentally responsible practices not just within its own walls but within the printing industry and beyond.
Sustainable printing Some of our environmental achievements include:
There are many ways of measuring greenhouse gas emissions and some of them aren’t all they appear to be. At BPG we have our GHG emissions independently benchmarked and audited. Bright Print Group manages its carbon emissions through constantly improving production practices, resource minimization and the setting of emission reduction targets.
What do all the accreditations mean?
• Gold medal 2008 NSW Print Awards – Environmental Initiatives • Highly Commended 2009 NSW Print Awards – Environmental Initiatives
Clean air
Quality ISO 9001
• ISO14001 Certification
Quality Assurance ISO 9001 means that we have systems in place that ensure consistency. Annual audits are required to maintain this accreditation. BPG has been accredited since 1994.
• FSC Certification • Silver Member, Sustainability Advantage Program (DECCW) • Level 3, Sustainable Green Print, PIAA, Certification • Gold medal 2010 NSW Print Awards – Environmental Initiatives BPG’s award winning environmental initiatives include: • Water consumption reduced by over 70% since 2007 • Electricity usage reduced by 10% as a unit against sales since 2007 • Carbon minimising with measurement and action plan • Use of soy based inks
Environment ISO 14001
Environment ISO14001 means that we meet stringent standards of environmental responsibility. Annual audits are required to maintain this accreditation. BPG has been accredited since 2008.
Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody accreditation means BPG are licenced to provide FSC certification for printed products meeting strict standards.
Sustainable Green Print is an initiative by the Printing Industries Association of Australia. BPG was the first company in NSW to achieve Level 3 certification.
• Use of low volatility chemicals • Comprehensive recycling streams for 99% of waste • Monthly reporting • Investment in greener technology • Lean manufacturing systems
Sustainability advantage is an initiative of the previous Dept of Environment, Climate Change and Water to assist businesses in the transition to environmentally responsible practices. BPG is a Silver member.
Soy based inks Why we used soy based inks: • The easy to grow soy bean needs no irrigation, requires limited fixed nutrients and leaves little crop residue • Low Volatile Organic Compound content – 2-4% compared with petroleum based inks of 40% • Soy ink can be removed easily in the de-inking process for recycling paper • Can be cleaned easily from the press • Requires less colour pigment due to its clearer base • Is considerably more environmentally friendly than petroleum based inks.
Water The crucial element of a habitable planet - our species is at a pivotal point where we need to completely change the way we look at water. Water, especially in Australia, can no longer be regarded as a limitless resource. Neither can it be treated as the system where all the wastes of the world go to be forgotten, as it was in the past. At Bright Print, we have reduced our water usage by 70% within four years. We have also reduced our outputs to the waste water system commensurately. In 2008, we installed a water recirculation unit on our Computer to Plate processor saving a staggering 92% of water use in that process. What little waste water is produced throughout the factory is filtered before release.
Recycling All paper is made from renewable, grown fibres. Recycled paper is an essential part of that fibre mix. Australia’s paper and printing industries are committed to the sustainable sourcing of the fibre required to make paper, through both recycling and responsible forestry. Australia is well advanced in its paper collection and recycling levels. Collection occurs from businesses, governments and households at a level and proportion that is embarrassing for almost every other product in Australia. At BPG a massive 99.9% of all paper and board waste is separated for recycling throughout our entire factory. Plastics, glass, aluminium, computers, monitors, components, toners and the like are all recycled at BPG, preventing them going into landfills. Even the rags used for cleaning presses are laundered and re-used.
Energy Energy usage is monitored closely at BPG for environmental, GHG emission and sustainability purposes. Our first step to minimise unnecessary electricity consumption was to install a power correction unit in 2006. This unit has saved almost 20% on consumption. In 2010, we installed energy-saving LED lighting throughout the plant, as well as upgrading our entire ducted air-conditioning system. These measures alone are calculated to save 15% on our current energy usage.
The tangible value of print Whilst we believe in the supremacy of the printed word, there is no denying the speed and efficiency of digital technology as a means of communicating in today’s fast-paced world. We too rely on the internet for our daily communication needs, but realise the value of print not only as a powerful way to break through the clutter and relentlessness of the internet, but also as our Earth’s most powerful ally against CO2 emissions. The challenge is finding the right balance between the enticing and provocative nature of the printed word, and the spontaneity and intensity of the internet. For environmental efficiency nothing beats paper and print. Because paper and print are renewable and recyclable, they have an immediate advantage over electronic communications that use new and additional energy every time they are opened or read from a computer screen. Moreover, the production of computer equipment and its complexity of recycling at end of life contribute substantially to its carbon footprint. The 700 page Stern Review provides a powerful example of how paper and print have a better environmental footprint than electronic communications: Printing the Stern Review uses 85 grams of CO2 maximum. Once it’s printed, it can be read and used over and over without new CO2 emissions. Reading the Stern Review on computer for one hour produces 226 grams of CO2 every time, plus any emissions associated with creating the computer file and emailing it. Burning the Stern Review to CD is estimated to produce 300 grams of CO2 for every copy and to DVD 350 grams. A Swedish study shows that if low energy computer equipment is used, the impact on global warming of a web based electronic teaching aid is approximately 10 times higher than that of a printed textbook. If high energy computer equipment is used, the impact is nearly 30 times higher. As a means of education and learning, print is without comparison. Many studies have shown that printed material is overall much faster, easier and more efficient to learn from. Printed material transfers easily into long-term memory, it is stable and consistent.
In today’s internet based world, paper based learning and communication is not merely relevant, but more essential than ever. The more rapidly we need to assimilate information, the more we need the bandwidth for humans provided by paper based communications. For rapid information dissemination the internet knows no boundaries. At BPG we have sought to combine the strengths of these two mediums, print and information relevance and expediency within our digital print department. Personalised messages, and important information can be tailored to suit the needs of the recipient through careful programming that allows the digital press to output only what is needed, when it is needed. This includes adding or subtracting information throughout a print run, depending on the recipient, to ensure it is a perfectly tailored communication piece. The use of digital print methods, reduces print costs by only producing the quantity of the product that you need. This can be a handful of printed items, through to thousands. When combined with offset technology, large personalized runs can be printed very cost effectively. Our expertise in programming and digital technology, also enables us to offer our clients database management services including database cleaning, deduping etc. In addition, this department also assists our mailing department through the production of personalized barcoded mail pieces. The combinations possible through the use of offset and digital technology equals considerable print efficiency without compromising effectiveness, quality and tactility.
The craftsman’s touch Although our developed world is accustomed to instant gratification, there are some things that take time to develop. When something takes time to mature, and where knowledge must be matched with experience, time adds great value. One such thing is the craftsman’s trade. Printing is an extremely technical, skilled industry where it takes years of experience to reach a high standard of expertise. A broad range of skills is required to transform your ideas into fine printed work. These include knowledgeable account managers and estimators, production managers, prepress operators, designers, printers and bindery staff. All of these skilled people must work together to produce the quality printed product. Just as it takes an individual craftsman many years to reach a high standard of expertise, so does it take an organisation many years to mature into a company like BPG. We are fifth generation printers. We are here for the long haul.
The Proof of Quality The following medals for quality printing were presented to BPG at the 2010 NSW Print Awards Gold Commercial Posters, Showcards, Card Constructions and Mobiles Silver
Self Promotion
Silver
Limited Editions or Art Reproductions
A touch of Inspiration When you invest in a printed project, you want to acheive the best possible return on your investment. Printing is about communication. You want your message to touch your clients. Graphic design is how you achieve that result. A good idea can be developed into a great idea with the addition of skilled design and copy writing. At BPG we have top designers who can handle any kind of design project. Graphic design is about transformation. A rough collection of information into a stylish brochure, an idea into a logo, a word file into a coffee table book. It’s all in the design. Good design can immediately add substance and credibility to your business. It can provide professionalism and a recognisable identity that can take your enterprise to the next level. Talk to your account manager about design. It could be one of the best investments you make.
Be in touch We’d love to speak to you. Our contact details are as follows: Bright Print Group T 9757 3000  F 9757 3100 E sales@brightprintgroup.com.au 8-10 Frank Street, Wetherilll Park NSW 2164 www.brightprint.com.au Incorporating: Bright Print Bloxham & Chambers Printers Riverstone Printing Headco Print Management