NEWSLETTER ISSUE 4 | SUMMER 2017
HOT OFF THE PRESS – THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM THE BRIGHTSEA PRINT GROUP TECHNOLOGY
First Anniversary of our new Heidelberg XL75 Press Back in April 2016, as part of our continued investment in the very latest printing technology, Brightsea Print Group made our biggest ever single purchase in the form of the Heidelberg Speedmaster XL75 printing press. The installation of the new press took place during the Easter 2016 bank holiday to avoid any disruption to our customers. The kit was assembled and tested on-site over a period of days by a full team of Heidelberg engineers, who worked long hours alongside our experienced print minders to keep on schedule so that we could be fully operational in the shortest possible time. Our aim has always been to deliver our customers the highest quality
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print product possible to maintain our reputation as the South West's leading print group. This machine can produce up to 15,000 sheets per hour and gives optimum colour matching and quality control. The press continually measures colour, ink consistency and print quality throughout each print run. These new innovations have increased productivity by around 30%. The XL75 has a fully automatic set-up and high production stability even at the fastest speeds. It reduces make ready times and creates less start-up waste so it is even more eco-friendly. The faster make ready times, higher running speeds and production stability means we have been able to turn around jobs much faster without
compromising on print quality. This has allowed us to run a 24 hour service, 5 days a week. During the first year of service, our Heidelberg XL75 has produced a range of fantastic periodicals such as the Devon Wildlife Trust magazine, Mercedes Benz booklets, hundreds of thousands of National Trust leaflets for properties throughout the South West and the South of England, beautiful glossy property brochures for famous household name developers, beautiful travel brochures, quality reports and accounts for blue chip clients and many school and college prospectus from London to Cornwall and lots more. In fact at the last count she has made over 35 million impressions and counting! Happy Anniversary XL75!
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STAFF Q&A #didntknowtheydidthat
TOM CANNON Digital Print Manager How long have you been working at Brightsea? About 12 years. What does your job role entail? Preparing customer files for Digital printing, including variable data and the occasional bit of artwork. Printing and all aspects of finishing (including booklet making, folding, laminating etc). Maintenance of the three Digital presses to keep the quality as high as possible. Being hands on in the department allows me to plan and schedule the workflow to maximise efficiency. What is the best part of your job? Building the reputation of the Digital department from a step into the unknown to a respected and valued part of the company Do you have any hobbies or pastimes? Beach rugby in summer, snowboarding in winter. What three things couldn’t you live without? My family, coffee and single malt whiskey! If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go? Bald Face Lodge, British Columbia. What’s your favourite food? Steak. If you could only watch one film again in your life what would it be and why? At a push I would say Pulp Fiction - I like Tarantino films and still think its one of his best. Which celebrity would you most like to meet? A professional boarder would be good - I need some tips! What is your greatest fear or phobia? Running out of coffee in the morning! What is your favourite smell? Mountain air in winter. Life is… ? Strange, but wonderful.
Flushed with pride... If you have an area that is just a bland empty wall space why not really transform the area with a panoramic photo or spruce up an existing area and turn it into a conversation piece. We have completed this great project to spruce up the loos at one of our National Trust properties. It has created a real talking point, gives fascinating facts, and takes away the bland white loos that were there before. We were delighted to be asked to help and our team worked through the night to install a full room wrap to avoid closing the facilities to the public during opening times. Not only is this a relatively cheap way of transforming a room, it is also a striking way to make an impression and a chance to convey a message to your customers. Why not consider something like this for your reception area or boardroom, or how about some window graphics to capture the attention of potential passing trade? Speak to us today to find out what options are available for making the most of your empty wall space.
Quackers for bath ducks We are always being asked for weird and wonderful promotional items, from the latest fidget spinners to bandannas for dogs. So it was not a problem when asked to brand these cute little bath ducks for Devon Tiles and Bathrooms in Ottery St Mary. They come in many colours and were used as a promotional give away. We love them!
NOT JUST PRINT
NEWS IN BRIEF...
CREATIVE BLOCK
Lewis and Jess pass their Apprenticeships Congratulations and a big well done to Jess and Lewis. Both have now passed their apprenticeships with flying colours. Jess has completed an NVQ Level 3 in Print Administration after two years of study. Lewis has completed his three year apprenticeship and has gained an NVQ Level 3 in Print Finishing. We are very proud of them both. Brightsea invest in our staff to be the best in their field and these two are no exception.
Print on plastic: Membership cards Donna Noll from The Studio at Bankhouse asked us to produce some high quality membership cards for her brand new fitness studio at Magdalene Street, Taunton. Printed and laminated to ISO 7810, in high gloss finish, these cards incorporate signature and membership number panels for personalisation. Four different card types were designed and produced for The Studio and Donna was very impressed with them.
Stick it on the card! Speaking of plastic! Did you know that we now accept credit and debit card payments over the phone via chip and pin? No? Well you do now!
Building Brand Success When our senior designer, George, helped his mother-in-law move house from Starcross to Exmouth over 7 years ago, he never imagined that he would meet one of his future customers in the form of Mike Bradley from Van Man Removals and Storage. Mike was just starting a new business and had a plain white VW Crafter Van. George mentioned he was a graphic designer and suggested that Mike should get his van sign written to help advertise his business on the road. "I am looking for a designer right now, actually! Can you do that sort of thing, then?" Mike asked. Of course the answer was 'Yes!' and within a week the VanMan logo was created and ready to be rolled out for the first time. The simple single colour logo was designed to represent a box which was moving from one place to another as Van Man did removals and deliveries too, so the idea of a box worked in various ways no matter what was being transported. The bright orange colour
and bold typeface and the name 'Van Man' is to give the impression of a super hero coming the rescue. Since its inception, the Van Man logo has become a brilliant brand which has evolved as the company has grown from one van to a fleet of vans, lorries and a storage unit. The brand has been utilised for signage, stationery, websites, social media, leaflets, brochures, adverts, digital signage, promotional pens, notepads, mugs, uniforms and even rolls of parcel tape! It has been scaled up from a business card size to fit the side of a 40ft lorry and has now become 'Van Man Removals + Storage' as Mike focuses the business in one area where customer service and professionalism are crucial. We are so proud of Mike's success and can't wait to see how he expands the business next. It is always great to be involved in the early stages of a start up company so we can help to ensure its success with a great concept and a brand that works!
It starts with a simple logo... If you are really serious about the success of your business, you should be thinking about your company logo in the long term and consider how it will be used in the coming years as your business grows. Will you need to expand your range of services or products? Will you need sign writing on buildings or vehicles? Can you change the colours of your logo easily? At Brightsea Creative we design logos with all this in mind and we have helped many start ups increase their sales and improve brand awareness. Get in touch today to see how we can help you grow your business through design.
SCHOOLS & COLLEGES
Let us educate you about some of our academic achievements The Brightsea Print Group is considered one of the premier suppliers of design, print, banners, exhibition stands and promotional items to the educational sector. We have a proud history of working closely with schools, colleges and universities to add value to your proposed project by spending time understanding your aims and aspirations, and then advising on the most economical way of delivering the campaign in these most stringent of times. We partner with the marketing teams of some of the most forward thinking and inspirational schools and colleges and thoroughly enjoy working closely to help achieve the very best printing results. We are also able to design, print, fulfil and mail out to your mailing list, freeing up your time that of your staff members. If you are a day nursery, playgroup, pre-school, voluntary, foundation, community, academy, independent, special, further education, primary, secondary, higher education, church sponsored, or none of the listed categories, please give Johno a call to discuss your next project and request a copy of our dedicated academia brochure. There is so much that we can help you with and you will be glad you made the call. Email Johno Smith to request our new academia brochure!
L K N A E P T G H X C W Y X Z S O O M L C
A G O T O I H E C S T F V P V R R P I I H
G R E A T W E Y A P I T K O N E D E N A O
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Take time out with our coffee break word search... Grab a nice cup of coffee and take five minutes to challenge yourself. Our word search will stimulate your brain and keep your neurons firing on all cylinders... the coffee helps too! Can you find some of the many things Brightsea can print and design for your school, college or university? Banners Invitations Prospectus Stickers Term Diaries
Newsletters Stationery Flags Activity Sheets Bookbags
Tickets Brochures Certificates Posters Notebooks
When completed, contact Johno for a reward!
#didntknowtheydidthat
Call Johno: 07789 860919 Email: johno@brightsea.co.uk Website: www.brightsea.co.uk Unit 3, Fair Oak Close, Exeter Airport, Clyst Honiton, Devon EX5 2UL
Q L O Z A L F X O F E E V L I S T T F A N
S L W B H I S T O R Y J U B X C I B L N T
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O W T E R M D I A R I E S A L K L O N R N
Take five!
O Y F Y D T X Y G B D N L J W S B C O T G
S E T A C I F I T R E C H Z S T E K C I T
Words could be hidden horizontally, vertically, diagonally or written backwards.
F O U R C O L O U R A Q U A L I F Y O Q S
CHARITIES
Coffee, Cake & Cash! September is the annual Hospiscare Coffee Morning Appeal and where there is cake, there is usually a Brightsea employee not far away. We don't need much of an excuse to indulge and what better way to get together and raise money for a good cause than a coffee morning?
famous Augustus J. Honeybun (Gus Honeybun) of Westward television fame, who gave us a few hops. Everybody enjoyed the occasion and we raised over £140 for Hospiscare! We aim to exceed that total this September when we take part all over again. We can't wait!
Everyone pulled together and donated something to the party and there were plenty of delicious treats to go round... in fact, we had so many that we invited our neighbours over who were only too happy to get involved and make a donation. We were also lucky enough to have a very special guest join us in the form of well loved TV and radio personality, Judi Spiers, who was accompanied by none other than the
Hamper for Hospiscare Festive fun was had by all in the run up to Christmas when our staff took part in the Hospiscare Christmas Hamper appeal. The idea is for everyone in the workplace to fill a box with donated food and drink and raffle off the entire hamper to one lucky winner. Our lucky winner was Jessica (pictured), with wine and chocolates thrown in as extra prizes for the many runners up. We raised £128 from this event which is enough to fund a 7 hour nurse shift on the inpatient unit.
Hooray for Heather! We absolutely love working with Hospiscare and providing them with great print and design is just one of the things we like to help with. We also enjoy getting involved in some of the brilliant flagship events that they put on throughout the year. The Twilight Walk is held every year in Exmouth and is a womens only 5 or 10 mile walk which kicks off as the sun goes down. This year around 800 women took part and we are proud to say that one of them was our very own Heather Patterson! Heather signed up for the full 10 mile route and came in first past the finish line followed by her friend Kate. Heather is one of the talented designers from our Brightsea Creative team and had this to say about her experience, "I had an absolutely fantastic time and can't wait to do the next one! Such a great atmosphere and the entertainment
around the route was spot on! It feels really good to be involved in the actual events as well as in the design and print of all the promotional materials too! I feel like part of one great big happy team!"
Team Nads Tees Nadia Hobbs, 18, from St Thomas, celebrated the end of her cancer treatment on 13th May with family and friends at Sawyers, Exeter. Nadia was suffering with severe pain in her jaw and was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma. We produced T-shirts for ‘Team Nads’ who have managed to raise an amazing £25,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, which will help to transform the lives of young people with cancer in Exeter.
The latest additions to our team...
CAREERS
It has been quite a while since our last edition of Inked and we have been so busy that we have forgotten to tell you about our latest members of staff. We have taken on new members of staff in our print department in the form of Chris Davies who is now operating the Heidelberg Speedmaster XL75. Chris joins us from Maslands in Tiverton, along with Linda Barney who is now in our print finishing department. Linda is enjoying working in such a fast paced department with a great team. Andy Jackson and Neil Robson have also made the move from Maslands to Brightsea and you can read more about them below.
Lastly, Steve Davies has moved from estimating to our Pre-Press department.
Andy Jackson started in the trade 44 years ago, as an apprentice at Heathcoats, Tiverton, learning the basics of letterpress and litho. He then joined Maslands in 1981 as a machine minder on a Heidelberg Kord (single colour press). It wasn’t long before he was invited to invest in the company and become a director, gradually progressing to estimating and eventually running production. We are glad that he made the move over to Brightsea Print Group from Maslands and we welcome him to the team. Andy enjoys gardening, DIY and cooking as well as listening to Liza Tarbuck on Radio 2 on a Saturday Night.
Angela Woodgate started her career in print by accident when she worked at Smart Print in accounts. She then spent over 21 years at Ashley House where she worked with Jackie Snow and Mike Wilson who also made the move to Brightsea. Angie enjoys having the chance to learn new areas of print "you’re never too old to learn new things as I am beginning to find out. It was strange not working with Jackie for 18months but now we are back working together (she said we would work together again – and she was right.) it's lovely to meet new customers, the future is bright thanks to all at Brightsea who have helped me settle in to my new job".
Neil Robson, originally from Sunderland, though don’t hold that against him, has been in the print trade since 1988. He started his career as a Phototypesetter and Paste-up Artist, then as the industry evolved so has his skill set to include all aspects of pre-press. When not working, he indulges in his love for vintage furniture, photography, creative design, history and baking.
Matt Cox has design and photography experience across both the commercial and public sector, having taught Higher Education students how to use design software as well as being a graphic designer himself. Away from work Matt is a big football and Formula 1 fan and self confessed Star Wars geek. Matt is a delight to have in the creative team and has a wicked sense of humour.
Heather Patterson is the latest addition to the creative department and keeps the boys in check. She hails from Southampton and gained her degree at Falmouth University. Heather is a keen surfer and loves spending time by the ocean. She has already established herself as a favourite with the customers and is looking forward to growing the department even further with her skills.
We also have a new delivery van driver called Martin Godbeer who started earlier this year. You might see Martin in the Brightsea van as he travels all over the South West making deliveries. Brightsea Creative, our dedicated design studio has also seen some recent changes with a few members moving on to pastures new and the addition of two new designers, Matt Cox and Heather Patterson.
Singing our praises Brightsea were approached by up and coming classic rock band, Inglorious, to produce a quality stage banner which would need to cope with life on the road during their European tour. We supplied them a fully printed Decotex banner which was not only lightweight and strong, but also flame retardant. The band asked us to print their tour flyers and posters too. Lead singer Nathan James gave us a personal testimonial "So excited to see the backdrop! The quality is much better than we expected for the price, it's perfect. You guys absolutely ROCK!"
It all comes out in the wash up in Warwickshire
Northcott at 50
Property Print
Our creative department have been working with the Exeter Northcott Theatre for a number of years now and are always excited when the latest seasonal brochure comes in to be designed. Chock-full of gorgeous photography and interesting subject matter, it is a joy to be a part of. 2017 marks fifty years of The Exeter Northcott and the autumn edition of the brochure needed to be a little bit special to reflect such a milestone. A golden anniversary inspired this Pantone Metallic Gold cover and we think it really stands out, especially when the light catches it just right. Inside there are the same beautiful spreads that we have come to expect and a great editorial piece about the 50 year history of this fantastic theatre. Grab a copy from the box office or at selected shops and restaurants around Exeter. If you need cutting edge brochure design and perfect print, speak to us about arranging a meeting and we would be happy to come and see you.
Brightsea Print Group have been printing property brochures for as long as we can remember, but we have noticed a big increase in this area over the last few months. As more property developments are built, there is always the need to market the location and properties to potential buyers and the best way to do this is still in print. Important decisions like buying a house or new car are emotive and stressful, so giving them something to take away, think about and refer back to is essential for the sales process. The more striking and tactile the finish the better, and we can provide a great deal of finishes to make your brochures really stand out. From foil blocking and embossing to gloss varnishes and translucent papers, we can suggest ways to really enhance your brochures and secure a sale. So get in touch today and let us print or design your next property brochure, site plan or sales materials. You'll be glad you did.
Exeter Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Exeter Chamber of Commerce & Industry
From time to time we are asked to undertake bespoke projects on behalf of our National Trust Properties and this request came in from Charlecote Park in Warwickshire. With this fascinating project we were asked to print on authentic material to tell the story of the laundry, to allow them to hang the sheets onto a washing line in the laundry and give the Trust members the opportunity to follow the history of its development and tell the tale of Mary Eboral, Laundress from 1851 and read her hints and tips for the laundry. The project has been well received and looks brilliant as part of the exhibit at Charlecote Park. Please give Johno or Jess a ring for our brochure. Johno: 07789 860919 / Jess: 01392 360616
PRINT GROUP
Unit 3, Fair Oak Close, Exeter Airport, Clyst Honiton, Devon EX5 2UL Call: 01392 360616 Email: sales@brightsea.co.uk Website: www.brightsea.co.uk Inked is designed in-house by the Brightsea Creative team and printed on our Konica Minolta Bizhub 8000 digital press. All information correct at time of going to press. Terms and conditions apply for any special offers.