Print World Asia Magazine
Issue 3 2014
Covering the Printing, Packaging and Publishing Industries across Asia. MICA (P) 155/12/2013 - KDN PPS1529/05/2013(025527) (Formally Print Pack Publish Asia)
its all about winning
www.printworldasia.com
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Š 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
Asian PrintAwards 2014 th
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Contents Page 4 8 10 12 14 16
Issue 3 2014
3D's Place in print Making Strides with Acquisitions Enhanced Folding Carton Suite The Next DIGITAL FRONTIER– Ceramics Business Analytics and Content Correction EFI ANNOUNCES REVOLUTIONARY 4D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY 18 SUCCESS 20 IPEX 2014 DELIVERS BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE OF PRINT CENTRIC EVENTS 24 The first H-UV press in Australia 28 Keeping Millennials Industry-Ready 30 Medium-format Rapidas are a hit in Singapore and Southeast Asia 32 BEING FIRST IS NOT AT ALL THAT NEW TO KTC VIETNAM. 34 Flexiprint standardizes with Martin Automatic for maximum efficiency 36 The Label Says it All 46 Signs of SUCCESS 48 Stratasys Pioneers World’s First Colour MultiMaterial 3D Printer 50 Turn concept into reality with showstopping results 52 Industry news 58 The Last laugh Page
57 Ubi Ave. 1, #03-06 Ubi Centre, Singapore 408936. tel+65 6733 5342 fax +65 6733 3586 Publisher Paul Callaghan paul@cpublish.com.sg Events Elizabeth Liew eliew@cpublish.com.sg Advertising Manager Abel Tan sales@cpublish.com.sg Journalist Sha Jumari editorasia@cpublish.com.sg Advertising Sales Matthew Callahan matt@cpublish.com.sg Accounts/Circulation Meynard accounts@cpublish.com.sg
Collect your entiies early for the 2014 Asian Print Awards. Show you are one of the best quality printers in Asia
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Digital Technology
3D’s
Place in Print Across all industries, 3D printing introduces a whole host of new possibilities. Has 3D infiltrated viably in the print world? Sha Jumari finds out how 3D can be a viable technology for the print world.
The hottest topic in town? 3D Printing. After the Singapore government pledged $500 million to go into the Future of Manufacturing (FoM) programme, 3D printing is the new buzzword in town. According to research report World 3D Printing to 2017, the global 3D printing market demand is expected to increase more than 20% a year to $5 billion within three short years. 3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing. Essentially, it is a layering technology that is able to create an object in three-dimensional from a digital data
model. Layers of material are deposited consecutively in order to build up to a shape. 3D print operators are quick to dismiss additive manufacturing as part of the print industry. “3D printing is not like paper printing. It may be called printing, but it’s really not from the same world. The idea is that it lets you quickly fabricate things. The closest analogy to the print industry is the photo printer. A photo printer is a very specific machine that prints photos. Similarly, a 3D printer is a very specific machine that prints parts,” explained Benoit
Valin, founder of 3D printing company, Prototype Asia. That has not stopped Sim Boon Keng, owner of Botak Sign Pte Ltd from delving into 3D printing: “I purchased the Makerbot machine four years ago, partly for fun, and also for R&D purposes. This was way before the government announced its plans for 3D printing. I see 3D printing as the future of this company.” 3D printing may have started out as a hobby for Sim, but it has since evolved. He has been experimenting with 3D printing
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Digital Technology
and seeking ways to make it work for his Singapore-based business, citing declining print numbers as a main motivation. Sim is in the large format printing industry. “In our line of business, we use inkjet. Inkjet is one of the best technologies for 3D printing, and that is how I began exploring it. There is so much potential in 3D. A lot of people think that 3D printing is only limited to the prototyping and R&D industries, but this is not true at all. Prototyping is in fact a very traditional way of using 3D printing. I’ve not seen many industries successfully incorporate 3D printing, except for dentistry,” said Sim. One of the more popular uses of 3D printing is in the packaging industry. 3D printing allows printers to present their clients with a realistic prototype faster and more economically. Clients can easily adjust the packaging via digital means, as opposed to the more arduous method of injection moulding, which would require expensive production molds too. Sim has other plans for 3D printing, and he’s optimistic that he can use it to further his business. Sim saw its potential first hand, having used 3D printing services before. His patented display system, the B-Lock, was created using 3D printing that he outsourced in China, back when
he was not as familiar with the technology. Although he remains tight-lipped on the exact nature of his current 3D printing venture, he did reveal that he is actively looking for partners to develop a programme that can print embossed, rounded surfaces in 3D. “At this point, I’m looking for partners and investors to develop a software that can merge the technology of 3D Max and Maya. Specifically, a software that can create rounded surfaces at one go. For now, such embossed surfaces require you to manually shape each 3D layer, and each layer is a tedious process requiring very precise calculations. To have a software that allows you to enter all the data at a go, and have it printed out the surface immediately, that is the goal,” implored Sim. Lack of funds has not made the R&D process smooth sailing for Sim. 3D printing is a costly undertaking, especially when it is uncertain if he will be able to reap enough benefits. One of the most crucial factors Sim needs to take into account is in having skilled staff that will be able to operate 3D print processes. “3D printing is a new technology that requires constant re-training. It is an expensive business that requires heavy investments. You don’t just need a 3D printer; you need a 3D scanner, software, people who can operate it. At this stage of 3D printing infancy, there are still a lot of
changes in technology, and you need to constantly re-train staff and update them on the new advancements. Otherwise you can’t change along with it and get left behind,” said Sim. The role of additive manufacturing for mass adoption for viability remains ambiguous across all industries. While most print service providers have shelved 3D printing as irrelevant for now, Sim’s risktaking demeanor is commendable. The all-important question had to be posed: who will ultimately be your customers? “I still don’t know yet!” Sim quipped. ”Maybe my existing customers, but I will need to educate them on 3D printing first, which will take time. Typically, the software we use now is Photoshop, but 3D printing requires a different software. If our existing customers cannot adapt and change software, or if they cannot afford to change, then we will need to change our customer base,” he projected. Having been in the 3D print industry for four years now, Valin imparted this piece of advice: “Asia is too small a market, if you just focus on 3D printing it’s hard to be sustainable. 60% of the time our 3D printers are not in use, so we sell services. You need to create value-added services, such as content creation. For Prototype Asia, our niche focus on engineering and our product design service is what keeps us afloat in this industry.”
DO I CONTROL JOBS FROM ORDER TO DELIVERY? I HAVE TO. IS THERE A SINGLE END-TO-END SOLUTION? Get all the tools for success with EFI. EFI print products and production software give you an end-to-end digital solution that helps assure profitable growth. Keep control from the moment your customers order a job to the moment they get it.
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Š2013 EFI. All rights reserved.
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PrePress
Making Strides with Acquisitions EFI is no stranger to acquisitions and strategic alliances. Sha Jumari catches up with Steve Green to find out how this strategy plays out with EFI’s activities in the Asia Pacific arena. Speak of acquisitions, and EFI comes to mind. Since the company’s inception, it has made numerous acquisitions, which has led to expansion of the business. Taking the lead in the Asia Pacific market is Steve Green, in his newly appointed role as vice president of EFI for the region. Prior to joining EFI, Green was the Asia Pacific regional managing director and vice president at Kodak. He brings with him 25 years of print sales and marketing expertise. “The beauty of doing business in Asia is that every country is different. It’s a big market in the US but when you drive from one state to the next, it’s still the same language and currency. In Asia though, you drive across a bridge and you can be in a different country altogether. With 22 countries in Asia, there cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution. We have a great product range, and certain products are better suited for some markets than others. And that’s what makes it interesting,” said Green, when asked about EFI’s direction in the region as compared to operations in the US. One of the company’s main focuses is in expanding the software business in Asia Pacific. Green anticipates that EFI’s software business will experience a healthy growth in the regional market. “We’ve done markets such as Singapore and Malaysia for software, but we’d like to push further on that. We have a huge portfolio of software products and I’m confi-
dent that by the end of the year we’ll be actively selling and pushing our software products in the region. I doubt any of the current printers will not be able to find something to suit their businesses, whether is be small, medium or large corporations,” Green surmised. As a company that has firm beginnings in software with its proprietary digital front-end system, Fiery, EFI has not slowed down on that front. Since 2012, the company has gone down an aggressive path in software, buying out organisations in the field of MIS, RIP and proofing, web-to-print, wide-format output and file management. The company kicked off early 2014 with the acquisition of SmartLinc, adding logistics into their software repertoire. “It’s all about efficiency and productivity. We have web-to-print software that lets you communicate with your customers without having to meet them, and this takes minutes. This process used to take days of physical approval and proof checks, before the actual printing can take place. Our software is very intuitive and it helps the printer be more agile, to connect with their customers better, even track their costs better,” Green said. Another focus is in promoting the LED cool cure technology on its wide-format digital presses, which it hopes to be a major market driver for its inkjet business. The company recently unveiled the
Vutek GS3250LXr for the Asian region in Guangzhou at Sign China 2014. The Vutek GS3250LXr is the first dedicated roll-to-roll printer to incorporate the LED cool cure technology. Thus far, the response for environmentally friendly solutions has been nothing short of welcoming, according to Green: “The take on our LED environmentallyfriendly technology has been brilliant. The GS3250LXr printer is going to be a good replacement for solvent machines, which Asia has a lot of. Solvent is slow, and environmentally it’s very nasty. This is very clean technology.” The inkjet business only materialised after the acquisition of VUTEk, Raster Printers (marketed in EFI as Rastek) and Jetrion in 2006. The Jetrion deal also introduced EFI to ink expertise. Green highlighted the company’s commitment to investing in R&D. EFI reportedly employs 300 staff dedicated to software R&D alone. “We spend 20% of our income to R&D, no one else in the print industry puts in that much of their total revenue to it. We will continue to invest heavily in our solutions platform, software, inkjet and Fiery businesses, which are all closely aligned,” Green emphasised. “We want to work closely together to produce a fantastic output, which is what printing is all about. At the end of the day, the more our customers succeed, the more EFI succeeds.” As recent as late January 2014, EFI partnered up with Landa, announced live in a grand gesture at Connect, the annual user conference. EFI will be developing its Fiery technology as part of Landa’s end-to-end Nanographic Printing solution. “We’re excited for the Landa partnership. Essentially, Landa is coming up with a large high-powered digital print engine based on its revolutionary Nanographic technology. When you have a machine that is going to be that big and powerful, you need an equally formidable RIP that can drive the digital data through, and that’s where Fiery comes in – we’re the leading, most high-powered RIP processor in the market. Landa agrees, and we’re more than happy to be involved and work alongside them,” Green commented.
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Digital Technology
Enhanced Folding Carton Suite demonstrates Xeikon’s dedication to meet changing needs of packaging market New basic Xeikon configuration for digital production of folding carton extends color gamut Xeikon showcased its enhanced Folding Carton Suite at Ipex 2014. The digital production of folding cartons is ideal for event-driven seasonal packaging, intensive test marketing, just-in-time delivery contracts and customization of shorter runs to appeal to smaller geographic and demographic market segments. With the Folding Carton Suite, Xeikon offers a ready-to-use package, making it easy for customers to configure an efficient and cost-effective set-up for the digital production of folding cartons. It’s the ideal solution for packaging converters who need to add high quality cost-effective short runs of folding cartons to their mix of offerings as well as for commercial printers looking to enter the packaging market. The Xeikon Folding Carton Suite includes a Xeikon 3000 Series digital press, a range of recommended substrates, specific workflow and software components, toners, consumables and finishing equipment. “Digital printing technologies are proven to be the most effective means of meeting evolving market needs such as greater variety of products, smaller quantities and faster time-to-market. The continuous enhancements to the Folding Carton Suite demonstrate our dedication to providing the best end-to-end digital printing solutions to the market, and address the changing needs of brand owners and packaging converters,” says Filip Weymans, of Segment Labels and Packaging at Xeikon. “The Xeikon Folding Carton Suite allows them to digitally produce the same high quality packaging but for a whole range of new applications, allowing them to build new revue streams with higher profit margins.” He continues: “The fact that we offer a web-fed solution ensures maximum productivity and minimum waste thanks to
the full rotary press technology with a variable repeat length, as well as cost effectiveness by purchasing the substrate on a roll. Its ability to offer B2 and larger format print is another advantage of the Xeikon 3000 Series presses. Specifically the Xeikon 3050 and Xeikon 3500 are tuned to the production of high quality short runs of folding cartons for a wide variety of industries.” EXTENDING THE COLOR GAMUT The enhanced Folding Carton Suite now offers a basic press configuration where the print stations are equipped with orange toner, in combination with CMYK. The extended color gamut achieved with this configuration ensures the accurate production of a wider range of brand colors. Optional the orange toner can be replaced with other colors such as red, blue or green when the work of the print provider would rather require a color gamut in that area. “The new configuration with orange toner is the result of Xeikon’s listening to and answering the needs of today’s brand owners and packaging converters,” comments Weymans. “With orange toner, we ensure the best possible match for the broadest array of brand colors.” Also included in the Folding Carton Suite is the cloud-based Xeikon Color Control to make color management even easier. ONE-PASS DIGITAL PRINTING AND DIGITAL VARNISHING An alternative press configuration includes a digital spot varnish station, equipped with Durable Clear Toner. The Durable Clear Toner applies in-line spot varnish to make the folding box scuff and scratch resistant, a standard requirement with folding carton production. Having printing and varnishing done one-pass,
on one press, saves time and space in the plant, and also eliminates the need for additional investments in separate varnishing stations. Weymans adds: “Durable Clear Toner supports greater diversification with one compact solution for inline production of unique cartons with the possibility for each one to be different. It is the perfect solution for small to medium-sized folding carton printers that are mostly serving local markets.” In addition, Xeikon QA-I toners which are used for all label and packaging applications, score well in terms of lightfastness and comply with FDA guidelines for indirect food contact and direct contact with dry food substances that contain no surface oil or fat. STAND-OUT TECHNOLOGIES The Folding Carton Suite also features a unique fuser drum to enable the production of smooth and consistent print on uneven and textured media, especially recycled board stock ranging from GC board to GC, GT and GZ grades. The Alpine 516 fuser drum has a flexible outer layer as opposed to a standard hard drum surface which can result in an uneven gloss level on textured materials. It is offered as an option for the two 516 mm wide printing presses in the Xeikon 3000 Series, the entry level Xeikon 3050 and high speed Xeikon 3500, and existing installations can be field upgraded to benefit from this exclusive Xeikon capability. In order to increase the lifecycle of parts a simple-to-activate web cleaning system has now also been included in the Folding Carton Suite, lowering the overall cost of production.
Printers choose Agfa Graphics. Agfa Graphics has long been a preferred supplier of printers, be it small familyowned businesses or multinational publication printers. Our philosophy is to create sustainable, easy-to-use solutions which improve print quality, as well as enhance productivity and proďŹ tability. We offer integrated print production systems, workow management and quality enhancement software, computerto-plate output systems, and prepress & press consumables. All of our systems are supported with comprehensive consultancy and care programs.
We understand printers, that is why printers choose Agfa Graphics. AGFA (ASEAN) SDN BHD Level 1, MENARA AmFIRST, Jalan19/3, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Tel: +603-79535800 Fax: +603-79535900
www.agfagraphics.com
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Digital Technology
The Next DIGITAL FRONTIER – Ceramics The ceramic tile industry is rapidly shifting to adopt inkjet technologies. Asia is already home to some of the largest ceramics markets globally, is ceramics printing the next big thing? By Sha Jumari.
When digital inkjet printing for ceramic tiles burst into the scene in the beginning of year 2000, it was deemed simply as an interesting novelty. Fast-forward to now and a few technological advancements later, incorporating inkjet for ceramic tiles has evolved from being an opportunity for a niche market, to a necessity for tile manufacturers. Although the digital adoption has been on a quiet albeit rapid rise, it is clear that sentiments are positive and strong. In 2011, the SGIA Industrial Printing Survey Report indicated that over 75% of its members consider ceramic tile printing to be a strong market opportunity. “There’s a whole raft of material that you can print on which is just mind-boggling. One of which is on ceramic tiles, where you can have personalised designs printed on a tile. The ceramic tiles market is in actuality bigger than the print market by a long stretch,” asserted Steve Green, vice president for Asia Pacific, EFI. Ceramics in Asia According to the Ceramic World Review, in 2010, Asia makes up 66.9% of the world production of tiles. Digital inkjet technology has made rapid inroads in ceramic tile printing with huge potential for growth in Asia, which holds some of the
major tile markets in the world. “Globally, the biggest tile markets are ranked as follows: Italy, China, Spain, Indonesia, Brazil, India. Three countries in that list are located in Asia,” said Green. Green observed that the ceramics market in Asia has taken on a hybrid printing centre approach, utilising both analogue production line printers and the newer digital printers. “It’s all about having the right balance. Just like in the print industry, the people who buy our digital ceramic printers have both the big traditional machines to be able to produce millions of tiles, but they also have the smaller inkjet machines for the versatility to take on shorter runs and more innovative jobs.” Key Players in Ceramics A report by I.T. Strategies in 2013 surmised that digital print systems would have as high as 86% penetration into the ceramic tiles market by 2017, based on the 40% penetration rate in the market today. The report also projected that vendor revenues for systems and inks will rise from $713 million to $1.3 billion by 2017. It was not until 2008 that digital systems for ceramics printing began to take off. The introduction of the Xaar 1001 printhead with its patented TF Technology ink
recirculation and Hybrid Side Shooter architecture aided to push this digital revolution in ceramic tiles printing. The company most recently launched the next generation Xaar 1002 ceramic printhead, boasting improved drop volume uniformity and drop placement accuracy for higher quality prints. In 2005, Xaar went into partnership with Xennia, a provider of inkjet solutions for the industrial market. Xennia most recently broke into the India market in 2011 with the Ultramarine. Another printer that uses the Xaar printheads is EFI Cretaprint. In 2012, EFI acquired Cretaprint, effectively extending their inkjet solutions to ceramic tile printing. Subsequently, EFI released the latest version of the inkjet printer, the Cretaprint C3, which is updated to have the first dedicated colour management system for the ceramic market that is highly flexible. The C3 has a single chassis design to be able to accommodate up to eight print bars. Acquisitions such as these further fuel the potential of the ceramics tile industry as an emerging market.
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In addition to the EFI Cretaprint, the market has responded to demands of the tile market with a number of ceramic printers, including Durst Phototechnik’s Gamma series of printers, KERAjet by Ferro, Newtech’s KeraMagic and System Ceramics’ Rotodigit. Hope Ceramics’ Hope Jet printers made their first foray in the industry by entering the China market in 2009 with the Hope Jet 600. Market Drivers With digital, tile manufacturers can streamline production processes and present new products and business models. Digital systems make way for a wider range of creative projects due its ability to provide photo-realistic image quality, for the production of very natural-looking textures and intricate designs. Digital print also has the flexibility to adapt quickly to trends. The biggest appeal of digital is economical. Manufacturers apparently can recover their investments in an inkjet digital press in very little time. Durst Phototechnik reported that the South African Ceramics Industries Ltd has digitally produced close to 4 million square metres of tiles on their Gamma 75 HD within 12 months. Analogue processes are time-consuming to set up a new design, which meant that manufacturers tend to produce huge batches of tiles at a go and having a large amount of stock in storage, as related by Green: “A single production line for just one tile design can be 400 metres long. It’s a very expensive process to set up the line for that one tile design, so millions
EFI Cretaprint C3 fiery of these tiles need to be produced in order to be able to earn a margin. Not all of these tiles will get sold too and there will be warehouses filled with millions of tiles that manufacturers can only hope to be able to sell.” In contrast, shorter set-up times and lower set-up costs make shorter runs more cost-efficient. Reportedly, many manufacturers who adopt digital applications can achieve the return on investment in record time. “With a digital ceramic printer, however, you don’t have to print a million tiles just to make it cost effective. Digital ceramic printing is a different business model, if I want to have just 10,000 tiles, I can print it digitally and I can get it to you in a week,” Green continued.
Besides flexibility and faster turnaround times, lower breakage levels are a benefit. Analogue processes require pattern rollers to come into contact with the tiles during the process, increasing the incidences of tile breakage. Digital is a noncontact printing process, ensuring that less wastage of not just tiles, but ink as well. Although inkjet appears to outweigh analogue processes by a long way, analogue printing is much preferred on strongly coloured surface areas. For now, long run and large stock orders of tiles will also still benefit economically from traditional ceramic tile printing. That said, inkjet technology is always evolving, it is not naïve to consider improved colour quality and further cost reduction as works in progress.
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Digital Technology
AGFA GRAPHICS
Adds Business Analytics and Content Correction to Apogee StoreFront Mortsel, Belgium – Aimed at print service providers that want to use web-to-print to extend their service offering and reach new businessto-business (B2B) markets, Apogee StoreFront 2.1 brings a series of new features centered around the print buyer experience. Support for personalized stores is one of the main new functions. With Apogee StoreFront you can now customize a store so that individual users only see those products and categories that they need. This is a powerful tool for setting up e-commerce stores for dealer or franchise channels as well as for large corporations that operate across various countries or markets. Version 2.1 also features support for Google Analytics, allowing PSPs to finetune their stores by monitoring buyer behavior and conversion rates within a store, as well as the effectiveness of promotion campaigns on the web, social media or in print. For printer buyers there is
a new order history search, which simplifies the reordering, correction and customizing process. “Our focus on the end-user experience goes beyond more refined controls and an easier reordering process. We see that more than half of the items ordered in a web store are products that are personalized by the print buyers,” said Andy Grant, Head of Software, Agfa Graphics. Occasionally such customized business cards or posters may contain typos or other mistakes that need to be fixed with minimal overhead. Apogee StoreFront 2.1 makes it easy to do last-minute corrections, which will automatically be submitted to the prepress workflow. Such cost efficiencies are key in today’s competitive market.” All the features in Apogee StoreFront 2.1 (www.apogeestorefront.com), which was
recently honored as the “Best web-toprint solution” by the European Digital Press Association, are also available in Asanti StoreFront 2.1, allowing Sign and Display producers access to the same web-to-print interface with their customers. As cloud-based solutions, both Apogee StoreFront and Asanti StoreFront offer a fast and affordable entry into the web-to-print market. Tight integration with both the Apogee Prepress and Asanti production workflow systems saves PSPs time and helps them avoid repetitive data entry.
M-600: World’s best selling 16-page commercial web press
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Digital Technology
EFI ANNOUNCES REVOLUTIONARY 4D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY Research staff at digital printing technology firm EFI™ have developed a new technology and framework for 4D printing. EFI’s new 4D VUTEk® printer combines photopolymer additive inkjet printing with a concept-stage EFI Fiery® digital front end (DFE) running PrintFlow® scheduling software to control time coordinates. While many other technology companies are exploring ways to enter the 3D inkjet printing market, EFI decided to leapfrog the competition and be the first to market with 4D printing technologies, utilizing bi-
directional control of time elements in four-dimensional space.
and start over as if the incorrect print job never took place.
“The new 4D VUTEk printer is a breakthrough product not only for its ability to print high-quality solid objects, but for the innovative workflow we have built around it,” said Guy Gecht, EFI’s CEO. “While we have always offered leading-edge tools to help businesses avoid printing errors, on complex production jobs, mistakes are often unavoidable. The new 4D VUTEk printer is the first product that will actually allow the user to go back before the error is made to reprint a job correctly.”
Users who master the printer’s 4D design and production process can exponentially increase their productivity by loading their final print job design to the 4D VUTEk print engine and then moving ahead chronologically to immediately retrieve their printed products. Once retrieved, the 4D VUTEk automatically takes the user and the printed products back to point of job submission, eliminating all the production time associated with the job.
Developed in a previously undisclosed special lab in the basement of EFI’s new Silicon Valley headquarters, the 4D VUTEk printer allows operators to adjust their chronological position during printing. Backwards movements present the ultimate moneysaving feature, as they give users the ability to discard erroneously printed jobs in the space-time continuum
“This new technology will not only fundamentally change the market for inkjet printing of solid objects, it addresses emerging technical requirements in the digital printing industry,” said EFI Senior Research Scientist Emmitt Brown, leader of the company’s 4D VUTEk printer development team. “The key breakthrough was reaching a point of high-speed processing where a job is processed before it is even submitted.” The first installation of the 4D VUTEk printer is expected to take place on April 1, 2015 at New Zealand-based Look Forward Printing. “Although I expected a lot from EFI as a company that is dedicated to making printing more competitive and productive, I was very impressed when I saw a demonstration of the new 4D printer,” said Look Forward Printing’s CEO, Thomas Foolery. “My customers are excited about the prospects of timeless print submission in every point of time.” Prices and general availability of the new EFI 4D VUTEk printer have not been disclosed.
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Sheetfed Offset
SUCCE SS
Leading commercial printer Image Printers in Singapore
with two KBA Rapida 105 workhorses Image Printers, one of Singapore’s top 10 commercial printers, has been running a new Rapida 105 at high speed since the beginning of 2013. The new medium-format four-colour press with board-handling capabilities is their second KBA press. The first one was bought in 2006 and has delivered an exceptionally high quality and performance ever since. The KBA LogoTronic Professional production planningand control software, which facilitates the company-wide digital exchange of shop floor data, has been installed on both KBA machines. Hence, managing director M.H. Yew can keep a close eye on their performance at all times. One year after the installation he is still pleased with the results.
Image Printers’ first KBA Rapida 105U (universal) delivered in 2006 fulfils all expectations of a highly productive medium-format press
After more than 34 years in business, Image Printers enjoys a strong reputation for high-quality products and services among their customers. Established in 1979, they offer a broad variety of products ranging from annual reports, leaflets, brochures, calendars right up to books and high-end marketing collaterals. Along with local customers, like the popular Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, and Singapore Airlines, they also deliver their products to customers in Australia, Mauritius, the UK and USA.
Managing director M.H. Yew (r) and KBA sales director Charles Ang (l) in front of the second Rapida 105 installed in 2013
Image Printers has used technology from several other manufacturers for many years. Yet, Mr Yew reveals that his experiences have not always been positive - until they opted for their first KBA press, a five-colour Rapida 105U (universal), 6 years ago: “We were looking for a heavy duty press that offered minimum downtime. The Rapida is a workhorse that we can run 24 hours a day. It’s highly productive which is the main reason we bought a second one”, the managing director explains. “The KBA Rapida is the best press I have operated so far”, he adds quoting one of his most experienced printers. Image Printers’ two KBA workhorses achieve a high level of performance 24/7. Especially together with LogoTronic they are able to reduce makeready and increase efficiency further. “Another reason for our decision was the possibility to connect the new press with the existing LogoTronic kit,” Mr Yew points out. LogoTronic Professional is KBA’s answer to process automation and workflow management. The production planning- and control software facilitates automatic shop floor data collection as well as the company-wide digital exchange of data, plus it can be tailored to the needs of the individual customer.
The new KBA Rapida 105 installed at Image Printers is based on high-end Rapida 106 technology
“Image Printers’ two KBA presses play a major role in continuing the company’s success that is built upon many years of experience. We appreciate their trust in KBA and look forward to a long partnership as well as future investments,” concludes Charles Ang, sales director of KBA Asia Pacific in Singapore.
IST METZ presents:
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Sheetfed Offset 19
Energy efficient UV systems for all printing applications
UV systems from IST METZ can be integrated into printing presses of any shape or size. This allows production of high-quality UV packaging, UV labels, UV commercials prints and special UV applications.
IST METZ manufactures and develops all key components, such as UV lamps, reflectors and electronic power supplies, in-house: MAdE In GErMAny!
Our new subsidiary IST METZ SEA Co., Ltd. in Bangkok provides services and consulting for all UV applications.
IST METZ SEA Co., Ltd. 1558/12 Baan Klang-Krung Soi 4, Bangna-Trad Road, Bangna Bangkok 10260, Thailand phone +66 2 1 82 00 43
We want to become your regional partner for all UV printing matters. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss UV solutions for your specific needs!
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Sheetfed Offset
IPEX 2014 DELIVERS BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE OF PRINT CENTRIC EVENTS
When Ipex 2014 closed its doors on Saturday, Informa Exhibitions had firmly established the show’s future and new direction at the state-of-the-art ExCeL London Exhibition and Conference Centre. The event, which took place from 24th – 29th March 2014, saw a total attendance of 22,768, which included 3,532 exhibitors, with a geographical visitor split of 54% UK and 46% international. “With the fast evolving print industry and the challenges these changes represent, Informa Exhibitions has collaborated closely with its stakeholders to ensure the delivery of an informative and engaging event that offered a wide range of benefits, most importantly a good return on exhibitor and visitor investment,” comments Peter Hall, Managing Director of Informa Exhibitions. “I particularly want to thank our exhibitors for their continued support, and am delighted that we could repay their confidence in Ipex by providing a high quality in-
ternational and UK audience to ensure it was the key event for the international print community in 2014.” Olotunde Oyelone, CEO of Printmaster Limited in Nigeria, said: “I have been going to Ipex for nearly 20 years and was interested to see what the event was offering. I found the seminar programme in the Masterclasses very useful, especially the session ‘Adding value in the label sector’. Knowledge is important for print businesses to progress, and I’m looking forward to see how Ipex develops in the coming years. Additionally, the new location in London is very convenient and cost effective for me.” Nigel White, Commercial Director of The Henley and South Oxfordshire Standard, added: “Thursday
was our first day at Ipex, but I wish we’d come earlier. There were just too many companies we wanted to talk to; I don’t think we got round to everyone.” Ipex exhibitors also reported positively: Olaf Lorenz, General Manager, International Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, said: “Ipex has been everything we wanted it to be and fulfilled all our objectives. We have been getting 600 qualified leads per day and have already collected more than 40 letters of intent, as well as closing some sales. Based on our historical experience of these types of shows, we are confident that Ipex will net us over €3.5million worth of new business.”
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Sheetfed Offset 21 First time Ipex exhibitor Lumejet is delighted with the show: “Quite frankly we are thrilled with Ipex 2014, it has far exceeded our expectations,” commented Miles Bentley, Commercial Director. “As a company we were fortunate that Ipex 2014 came just at the right time for us in our development cycle; it has delivered a significant number of good quality contacts and we have not stopped since the show opened its doors.” Keith Dalton, Director, Fujifilm Graphic Systems UK, added: “We’ve had immensely positive feedback from everyone on our approach to Ipex 2014, and feel that the support we have given the show and the successful ‘print shop’ we were running on our stand paid off. This was reinforced by the comments we were constantly receiving throughout the show. The visitor numbers were good despite the absence of a number of industry suppliers, and our stand was constantly busy with customers and some of those suppliers themselves!” In addition to the exhibitors on the show floor, Ipex also delivered the most comprehensive content programme ever seen at an international print centric event. Across the six days, over 170 industry experts participated in the World Print Summit, Masterclasses and Cross Media Production theatres, and offered practical takeaways, new ideas, skills and solutions that printers can implement in their businesses. Conference producers reported a very good attendance in the 115 seminar sessions, with packed-out theatres and limited standing room only available in some of the keynote addresses. Kathy Sletten, Director, Print-Manager, Aveda Corp, Estee Lauder, spoke on the 'An Audience with the Print Buyers' session. Afterwards, she commented: “I was pleasantly surprised to find our audience so interested and engaged, and wish we'd had more time to share with them. They asked many relevant and engaging questions, some of which have given me food for thought. We never stop learning from each other as long as we keep the dialogue going, and the
World Print Summit at Ipex 2014 provided the perfect stage for some great discussions.” Carole Arrantash, from UK based Quadrant, which is part of the Linney Group, was complimentary of the sessions she attended in the World Print Summit: “This was a fabulous opportunity to gain an insight, both into what print buyers expect from their suppliers and how they prefer to be approached. To have the opportunity to ask pertinent questions to assist printers in their quest to work with such prestigious companies was also both unexpected and invaluable.” SME printers attended practical sessions that addressed their business issues and solutions to streamline production and support business growth in the Masterclasses.
Bill Campbell, CEO of Australian print business, Fergies Print & Mail, says: “The Ipex Masterclasses were the main motivator for our decision to visit Ipex 2014 – they have assisted our management team in validating the direction we are guiding our company in. From a commercial perspective they have provided clarity to several key areas of interest.” In the content driven Cross Media Production feature, which ran from 25th – 27th March, delegates learnt how to effectively implement multichannel communication strategies in the 1-2-1 Digital and Direct Marketing, Publishing and Brand Management Theatres. Ipex’s stakeholders were unanimous in their opinion that the feature, which had a number of supporting exhibitors, should be a key element in the future blueprint for Ipex.
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Sheetfed Offset confirms that the changes we implemented and the features we introduced provided visitors with more reasons than ever to attend. It also helped us deliver a multi-faceted show that completely supports the industry. I believe that Ipex 2014 firmly set the tone for future events.”
The innovative Ipex Make-Ready Challenge, sponsored by Burnetts, proved a hit with visitors during the show. This entertaining competition drew 24 entrants from the around the world to compete against the clock on a Heidelberg 5-colour press. UKbased contestant Tony Dowd completed the challenge in the record time of 4 minutes 53 seconds, and was crowned the make-ready champion on Saturday. Inspiration Avenue provided visitors with an eclectic mix of visual and factual elements that demonstrated all that is great about print with three stations spread throughout the Boulevard. The Eco Zone, sponsored by Komori, also proved a popular feature for visitors. “Komori has a long-standing track record of utilising major printing industry exhibitions to highlight the benefits of product innovations and latest technology, and this was precisely the philosophy behind Komori's decision to sponsor the Ipex Eco Zone,” comments Steve Turner, Director of Sheetfed Sales, Komori UK. “Our demonstrations of the Komori H-UV curing system, with its many ecological strengths, generated serious interest from a wide range of visitors from within and outside the UK." In the Future Innovations Zone, which included three different sections covering 3D printing, printed electronics and photo products, presented technologies that are set for
rapid expansion over the next few years. Ceradrop co-founder Nicolas Bernardin says: “The Future Innovations Zone at Ipex provided us with the opportunity to raise awareness of the potential of printed electronics to the print industry. A large mix of visitors from the UK, Europe, USA, Middle East and Asia were enthralled by the possibilities of our X-Serie machine and what it could mean for communications in the commercial print and packaging sectors. We were overwhelmed by the interest our technology received, a curiosity that I feel we satisfied and we look forward to business opportunities that may materialise in the future.” Peter Hall continues: “The initial feedback from Ipex’s stakeholders
Tim Webb, Executive Director of PICON, commented: “The decision to move Ipex to ExCeL London has been a real step forward as far as our membership is concerned. The location, the facilities and the staff have all contributed to a really smooth transition from Birmingham, and ultimately a successful show. Overall, the exhibition has been better than expected with a good level of high quality visitors from around the world looking to do business.” Patrick Martell, CEO of St Ives and Ipex 2014 President, concludes: "Every time I visited ExCeL this week there's been a real buzz. It has been brilliant to see the spread of international and UK visitors who attended the show to learn, network and do business. Ipex 2014 has proved that the combination of exhibitors representing the whole print supply chain, supported by a robust content programme, is the future for events including Ipex." Ipex 2018 will take place at ExCeL London from 19th – 24th March 2018.
KBA Sheetfed Offset
KBA Rapida 105 With Rapida 106 technology inside Robust, fast, versatile – and ideal for your market. Our all-new Rapida 105 represents the highest evolutionary stage in its class, with an array of features normally reserved for high-end presses. Based on the makeready world champion, our Rapida 106, it incorporates inking units that respond faster than ever, venturi sheet guides, a highline AirTronic delivery and a raft of automation modules.
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For more information on our new Rapida 105 use the QR code or contact us. KBA Printing Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., +86 10 8447 5909, w.zehner@kbachina.com KBA Koenig & Bauer AG (Asia Pacific) Sdn. Bhd., +60 3 788 588-60, KBA@KBAasiapacific.com KBA Asia Pacific (Singapore Branch), +65 6562 8582, ssegger@KBAasiapacific.com KBA (HK) Co. Ltd., +852 2742 8368, jkwan@kba.com.hk Intergraphics (Thailand) Co. Ltd., +66 2 259 3071, jtsuwan@igraph.co.th www.kba.com
Koenig & Bauer AG
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Sheetfed Offset
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© 2013 Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific Pte Ltd all rights reserved. Xerox and the sphere of connectivity design are trademarks or registered trademarks of Xerox Corporation in the US and/or other countries.
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Sheetfed Offset
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Sheetfed Offset
Keeping Millennials Industry-Ready Singapore’s Nanyang Polytechnic focuses on strong industry ties and industrial attachments to keep their students up to speed with the creative industry.
Sha Jumari reports.
Nanyang Polytechnic’s School of Design recently showcased 153 works by graduating students from the diplomas in Industrial Design, Space & Interior Design and Visual Communication. The students displayed an impressive array of project works, from interesting concepts and designs to actual prototypes and products. One of the contributing factors to the professional standard of the students’ works is the School’s Industrial Attachment Programme (IAP). Students are attached to an industry in their final year of study to put into practice the skills acquired while in their course. The IAP also allows the students to keep abreast of the requirements and expectations of the industry.
“One of the ways the courses keep up with evolving technologies in the creative industry is through mandatory attachment programmes. Through our Industrial Attachment Programme, we are also able to validate if what we are teaching the students is current,” said Ms Tan Mui Siang, Course Manager for the School’s Visual Communication programme. The industry partners span from semigovernment to private organisations. These include the Singapore Philatelic Museum, Flextronics, Kimberly-Clark, Kingsmen Creatives, Banyan Tree, Moove Media and other major design firms and retail mall owners. CLOSE TIES WITH THE PRINT INDUSTRY One of the long time partners is Starlite Printers, which allows student interns to practise their skills and learn about print and converting processes. Other printing companies are also supporters of the interns.
“Since we started the Visual Communication course in 2007, we not only send students to printing companies, but also organise educational trips to Tien Wah Press, Oxford Press and SPH. Teckwah Corporation, a partner in our NYP-Industry Scholarship programme, is another staunch supporter. Our students were even given the opportunity to design the hoardings for its new building in Paya Lebar,” said Mr Tan Khee Soon, deputy director (Academic), School of Design, Nanyang Polytechnic. “Most of the students are familiar with digital printing; it’s more convenient. However offset printing is a major aspect of the print industry. Sending the students to attachments not only exposes them to offset printing, but it teaches them new skills as well,” said Mr Tan, highlighting the importance of maintaining close ties with the print industry. “Offset calls for a different set of skills. For example, when doing press checks in offset, colour adjustment is done there and then, whereas adjustment for digital printing is done on a computer. Most of our students become designers, so it’s essential for them to know what sort of machines are out there in the market, be it 4-colour, 5-colour, even 2-colour machines.” The School of Design frequently conducts design seminars and workshops, inviting industry practitioners to share current industry technology with the students. Among these was a session conducted by Pantone on the creative industry’s default colour matching system, the Pantone Matching System. PRACTICAL DESIGN SKILLS Along with creative design methodology and critical thinking, the courses emphasise heavily on practical design skills such as CAD drawing, digital illustration, spatial planning and design, as well as presentation and communication skills. The students also learn standard designing software including Adobe Creative Suite and 3D Max. “The most vital skill, in my opinion, is the learning of Autodesk 3D Max. It is a valuable programme that can allow designers to transcend the limitations of 2D designs into 3D ones,” said Leonard Lam Yong Heng, a final year student undertaking the Diploma in Visual Communication.
Leonard worked with the Southeast Asian office of Adidas in the visual merchandising department for his attachment. A high point of his internship is the successful implementation of a 3D planogram template for the company. “It was a valuable software skill that I was able to put to good use in the 3D planogram template for Adidas. We were also given challenging studio projects that
stimulate our creative thinking; realising 2D designs into 3D displays. This was essential in planning planograms, retail standardisation and displays as it involves 3D space planning,” Leonard shared. Leonard is a recipient of the Singapore Good Design Mark and the Singapore Design Award this year for his final year project, the Xin Xin Dialect product.
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Medium-format Rapidas are a hit in Singapore and Southeast Asia
NGAI HENG BOOK installs first BINDER KBA Rapida 105
The new Rapida 105 at Ngai Heng has proven to be a real advantage in the company’s day-to-day operations
A five-colour Rapida 105 with coater from Koenig & Bauer (KBA) was installed at Singaporean commercial printer Ngai Heng in early 2013. The success story of the high-performance KBA Rapida press series continues in the Asia Pacific region with this installation. Both the high-end Rapida 106 and the all-rounder Rapida 105, which is based on the same technological platform as the Rapida 106, are particularly valued by commercial, book and packaging printers in the Far East. Superlarge sheetfed presses from the market leader in large format have also proved very popular here. It is therefore no surprise that KBA is growing steadily in this region. Despite structural changes in the print media landscape, production director Lawrence Lui has clear ideas on how Ngai Heng has been able to sustain its success. “We have to keep a close eye on our costs, locally as well as globally, since the markets have been increasingly consolidated
and saturated. Trends have shown that quantities ordered by our customers are getting smaller too”, says Teo Kok Leong, senior manager of sales and business development at Ngai Heng. Whereas some printing houses hesitate when it comes to investing in new equipment, the prominent commercial printing firm in Singapore has decided to follow a different strategy. Teo Kok Leong explains: “In order to maintain our high printing standards we have to replace older presses with state of the art technology. Too many printers have already dropped off the face of the earth as they reacted too late. Products will keep getting more personalised and prices will subsequently increase. It is now the right time to invest in cutting-edge kit to face the hurdles of the media shift”. Established in 1960, Ngai Heng has consistently delivered quality book binding services and the printing of office station-
ary, corporate materials, promotional items, books and packaging. The company offers a wide range of services, from consultation and design work, to finished print products. To ensure that these products exceed their clients’ expectations, the commercial printer decided to switch to cutting-edge sheetfed technology from KBA. The almost 200-year-long history of KBA and its broad product range of technical solutions helped to win Ngai Heng’s trust. “You can’t go wrong with technology from a manufacturer of high-end solutions covering all of the major print segments. If KBA can build massive multi-tower newspaper presses 24/7 around the world, we trust that their sheetfed technology will prove just as reliable in the long run”, says Kok Leong. KBA sales director Charles Ang: “Ngai Heng is extremely pleased with the performance of its first Rapida 105. The global success of this press is down to its reliability, price-performance ratio, comparatively high level of automation, ease of operation and excellent printing quality”. These benefits are greatly appreciated by users in Southeast Asia. Lawrence Lui: “The press has performed great. It has proven to be a real advantage for our daily operations”.
Printers praise the user-friendliness of the KBA Rapida 105
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Packaging Technology
BEING FIRST IS NOT AT ALL THAT NEW TO KTC VIETNAM. After all, they remain a pioneer in digital flexographic plate making in Vietnam. With growing demand for higher quality printing output in Vietnam, KTC was faced with the challenge brought on by the market, consumer package goods companies, and their printing suppliers and customers. A solution had to be found. KTC was looking for a cost effective solution with minimal startup and zero added consumable cost. KTC representatives, Mr. Dinh Kim Bang, Prepress Manager and Mr. Le Van Quang Thuy, Technical Manager began their evaluation by examining various flat top flexographic plate making systems and comparing their ease of use, maintenance costs, technical support and consumable requirements. After visiting the DuPont Packaging Graph-
ics regional technical center located in Shanghai, China, receiving a live equipment demonstration and engaging with the DuPont team in a detailed discussion about the company’s needs, Bang and Thuy decided to invest in the DuPont™ Cyrel® DigiFlow 3000ETL flexographic system. KTC is the first trade shop in Vietnam and the ASEAN region to install the new system. DuPont™ Cyrel® DigiFlow is a digital workflow enhancement that expands the capabilities of digital Cyrel® solvent plates to deliver superior print quality and productivity. As a simple modification to existing DuPont™ Cyrel® exposure units, the DigiFlow modification can be used, as needed, when a flat top dot is required. It also optimizes the benefits
associated with solid screening programs such as HD Flexo Microcell. DigiFlow delivers improved solid ink density and 1:1 image reproduction, with no additional plate making steps. In a comparison of standard and Cyrel® DigiFlow dot structures, ALC Group reported a significant performance improvement. The Cyrel® DigiFlow dot was more dependable. They noted the system’s ease of use, greater speed and smaller potential environmental footprint than current flat top dot systems. “KTC plans to work closely with its customers in Vietnam to meet the increasing demand for quality print performance,” said Bang. “We will continue to drive our services to the next level by looking into other new plate making technologies. Investing in the new Cyrel® DigiFlow 3000ETL has helped elevate KTC Vietnam in the future direction that we have envisioned.” With its experienced staff, KTC has established itself as a reliable printing, graphic and prepress service provider. KTC was founded in 1999 and has expanded with more than 190 staff working in its head office and three branch offices in Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City districts.
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Flexiprint standardizes
with Martin Automatic for maximum efficiency Flexiprint, the leading manufacturer of tea bag tags and envelopes in Sri Lanka, has confirmed further orders for Martin Automatic MBS unwind/splicer and LRD rewinder technolog y. The new Martin machines, which will be installed at the company’s production facility in Colombo, will be the fifth and sixth since Managing Director Sathis Abey wickrama first decided to fit an LRD to his Gidue Combat press in 2005. Commenting on his choice of equipment, he stated: “We were the first in Sri Lanka to install an LRD, and the first with an MBS, and this has all been based on Martin’s reputation for reliability in hardworking commercial environments. We convert around 4000 metric tons of paper and board each year, and our inline production system is geared towards zero waste.” Flexiprint was founded in 1993 to supply the added value tea bag and
Flexiprint 0349s.jpg – Martin Automatic secured further orders from Flexiprint (Sri Lanka) at Labelexpo 2013 – shown here (left to right) are Gavin Rittmeyer, Sathis Abeywickrama, Hope Hu, and David Ho
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Flexiprint.jpg – Sathis Abeywickrama, Managing Director of Flexiprint, describes his Martin machines as ‘unbreakable’.
envelope market that was growing rapidly in Sri Lanka at the time. Preferring f lexo to gravure printing, for its better ability to handle a variety of work, and in the process becoming the first tag converter in Sri Lanka to use water-based inks, Flexiprint began printing with an eight-colour 7” Propheteer, and won an FTA Print Award in its first year of operation. Five more Propheteers followed as production increased to keep pace with demand before the company switched to 14” Gidue lines to improve productivity and quality – it now has six Gidue presses installed.
market leader, with a major share of the Dubai and Saudi Arabian markets, as well as a growing share in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Yemen and Papua New Guinea.
As the company moves from strength to strength - it is currently enjoying a 12 per cent year-on-year grow th and now has the capacity to produce 80 million tags/day – Mr. Abey wickrama points to an export business that has grown to make it
Claiming a reduction in waste of 20 per cent or better, and less downtime on press since the Martins were installed, Mr. Abey wickrama describes them as ‘unbreakable’ with minimal requirement for service and none for spare parts.
With a quality portfolio of clients to keep satisfied, and ISO 22000:2005 accreditation to maintain, Flexiprint’s staff of 220 needs to be able to rely on the technolog y in its plant. Mr. Abey wickrama explained: “We believe Martin roll handling is the best on the market and its MBS and LRD machines allow our Gidue presses to reach their full potential.”
“I have no hesitation recommending Martin Automatic to anyone doing long runs with special substrates – the technology has no learning curve because it is not unnecessarily complex, like some of its competition!”
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Packaging Technology
The Label Says it All
Security logistics labels from Schreiner ProTech showcase the label industry's expertise in product authentication FINAT, Europe’s international industry association for selfadhesive labels, is active in promoting the achievements of its members,many of whom are label converters, through its annual label competition, whose winningentries go forward for judging in the prestigious World Label Awards. Both competitions demonstrate the versatility, f lexibility, and technical skills that print on to self adhesive labelstock can deliver. One area where self adhesive labels have, in recent years, proved particularly adept is in the creation of security labels to help brand owners to provide authentication data for their products,
and foil the perpetrators of today’s huge global business in counterfeit goods and ‘grey market’ trading. The world ’s biggest brand Global sales of fake goods are now estimated at $650bn per annum, making 'counterfeit’ theworld ’s biggest brand. As well as threatening the welfare of purchasers, fake goods negatively affect customer brand loyalty and, of course, the brand owner’s profitability. A winning example A fine example of an effective security logistics label from Schreiner Group’s ProTech division has been honoured in the
2013 World Label Awards competition. Proclaimed the winner in the technical category covering combination line print, the Schreiner security logistics label features a complex package of overt, covert, and digital security features. It demonstrates ‘ best practice’ in leading edge layered security solutions for high value and sensitive goods in this case, critical OEM automotive spare parts and it has already found commercial success for authenticating BMW spares. Why use a label? Labels are the preferred carrier of security features of all kinds, since they provide an accessible substrate which may be checked for authenticity in a number of ways. With self adhesive labels in particular, the opportunities to build covert security features into or under the label face, or in the adhesive, are diverse. Three levels of security The three major areas of focus are the provision of devices for visual authentication (with the naked eye, orwith a scanner of some kind); secure tracking systems (creating a continuum through the supply and distribution chain); and anti counterfeiting technologies often bespoke that are difficult, or impossible, to replicate. Such devices may be overt or cov-
Production Workflow Softwares
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Canon has come a long way in the production printing arena. Our series of color and mono digital press are designed to meet your every business requirement. All imagePRESS and Oce machines come with a range of professional finishing accessories, providing you the ease of business scalability and flexibility. Each of the imagePRESS and Oce comes with its own strength of business proposition. To complement the imagePRESS and Oce series of digital press, we have a wide offering of print production software solutions for your business needs. Ranging from web-based job submission, to integrated workflow, variable data printing and print audit, our production solutions ensure that your business can be simple.
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Packaging Technology ert, to provide the broadest possible umbrella of protection for every thing from ethical pharmaceuticals to legal documents, designer handbags, automotive parts, prepared foods and their ingredients, toys, and computer software. They can involve the use of the label substrate itself (eg with security watermarks), inks and coatings, Data Matrix codes, holography, and even chemical taggants and microtaggants including DNA which are detectable only with dedicated specialist scanners. The key to success in the real world The Schreiner ProTech security logistic label ’s specification brings together a complex cocktail of such features some of which require professional authentication, and all of which need brand owner involvement in developing and using their company’s own security labelling system. As Thomas Völcker, Director, Business Development and Marketing at Schreiner ProSecure, explains: ‘Security is not just a matter of technolog y today. It’s a matter of educating the people who have to authenticate the product.’ Visible tamper evidence Such education will begin with checking entry level packaging features like security seals, which will readily provide tamper evidence without the use of any tools except the naked eye. Covert features At the second level of security, covert features are added to the Schreiner security logistics label via the printing process, including two and three dimensional demetallized holographic stripes which produce different (and identifiable) optical effects when they are viewed from different angles. Security inks deliver additional features. Thermochromic inks, which change colour at differ-
ent temperatures, fade to show a ‘genuine’ message when the labelled pack is at body temperature. UV lu minescent inks produce a hidden text line and other marks when viewed under a black light. Additionally, a high resolution random pattern, printed from an extra high resolution digital master, is printed on the label to enable authenticators to detect labe copying. Anyone copying the pattern illegally will achieve less precision and technical detail in the image, since it is being copied from previous printed matter an d not from the digital master. (It will in fact be slightly blurred). A simple scan wit h a handheld device or even a smartphone and will uncover this blurring and identif y the fake. Track and trace functionality Finally, a unique track and trace security product batch code is added to verif y the integrity of the logistics chain. As with all advanced authentication labelling solutions, customer-specific
features can be added to order and Schreiner ProSecure offers many additional options. Foiling the fraudsters is now a major concern on high value goods such as automotive spares, electronics, pharmaceutic als, and on wines and spirits. Multi layer security labels from FINAT member companies such as Schreiner ProTech are contributing significantly to reducing the damage for both purchasers and brand owners. Schreiner Group were also victorious in the Innovation category in the 2013 FINAT Label Competition with their Electric Conductive Films produced using advanced printing and diecutting techniques, and used in electrical and electronic applications such as membrane touch switches and other conductive functions. www.schreiner-protech.com www.schreiner-prosecure.com
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Packaging Technology
MAKING A SUCCESSFUL SWITCH f ro m l et te r p res s to f l exog ra ph i c p r i nt i ng For decades, letterpress printing dominated the label printing sector. Indeed, it has only relatively recently been replaced as the main printing method by flexographic, offset and digital printing. Other printing methods such as screen and rotogravure printing are used primarily for finishing purposes. Although some label printers still use letterpress printing, more and more are switching to flexographic printing, and it won’t be long before the method is finally consigned to history. The following article looks at the similarities and differences between the two printing methods before going into greater detail about the issues that need to be addressed when switching from letterpress to flexographic printing. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FLEXOGRAPHIC AND LETTERPRESS PRINTING The origins of both the flexographic and letterpress methods lie in relief printing. In other words, the sections of the printing plate that do the actual printing protrude out from the sections that do not – as on a stamp.
Stamp
In relief printing, the protruding sections of the printing plate take up the printing ink and transfer it to the substrate. Both printing methods – f lexographic and letterpress – also use photopolymer printing plates. However, while letterpress printing uses very hard photopolymer plates that usually exceed 80° Shore A, f lexographic printing uses much softer photopolymer plates of 70° – 80° Shore A (with a plate thickness of 1.14mm). That is one of the reasons why f lexographic printing can create areas that are more homogeneous and, in particular, transfer much more ink than letterpress printing. The biggest difference between the two printing methods, however, lies in the way the printing plate is inked up. While cutting-edge f lexographic printing systems comprise only three cylinders, a letterpress printing unit has a much more complex design incorporating numerous inking rollers.
THE PRINCIPLE OF LETTERPRESS PRINTING In letterpress printing, the inking unit features an inking zone adjustment option. This means that ink can be applied to various different extents across the width. For example, more ink can be transferred on the drive side of the press than on the operator side, as befits the print motif.
Ink zones
Before good printing characteristics can be achieved, the ink paste first needs to be transported and distributed by the various rollers. Once the ink has passed through the various rollers, it reaches the protruding sections of the hard printing plate, where it is taken up before being transferred onto the substrate. 1. Inking unit / ink-zone screws 2. Rollers 3. Printing cylinder 4. Adhesive tape 5. Printing plate 6. Impression cylinder 7. Blanket 8. Substrate
Figure: The principle of letterpress printing
Flexographic and letterpress plate
5th International Packaging and Printing Exhibition for Asia
26 - 29
r e t et
b
s s e sin d
bu
AUG 2015
n o ey s
BITEC | Bangkok
b der or
b
BOOK Your Space NOW! Officially supported by :
Jointly organized by :
Messe D端sseldorf / Organizer of:
Messe D端sseldorf Asia Pte Ltd 3 HarbourFront Place #09-02 HarbourFront Tower Two Singapore 099254 Tel (65) 6332 9620 Fax (65) 6337 4633 ppi@mda.com.sg
The Thai Packaging Association
The Thai Printing Association
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Packaging Technology
The principle of flexographic printing In flexographic printing, it is primarily the anilox roller that controls how much ink is applied. The anilox roller has a ceramic surface that is engraved with a fine cell structure identical to that of a honeycomb.
The liquid printing ink flows into the cells of the anilox roller and excess is scraped off by a steel squeegee knife. The squeegee ensures that only ink from inside the anilox roller cells is transferred and therefore keeps ink transfer consistent. This results in one of the key advantages of flexographic printing – fluctuations in solid densities are reduced to a minimum during the production process. On coming into contact with the anilox roller, the protruding sections of the flexible printing plate take up around half the ink from inside the cells before transferring it to the substrate. 1. Ink chamber 2. Squeegee knife (steel) 3. Anilox roller (ceramic) 4. Printing cylinder 5. Foam adhesive tape 6. Printing plate 7. Impression cylinder 8. Substrate
Figure: The principle of flexographic printing (ink chamber version)
What needs to be taken into account when switching from letterpress to flexographic printing? Even though both methods have their origins in relief printing, the principles of letterpress and flexographic printing are still very different. For this reason, it is imperative that beginners in flexographic printing recognise and understand the most important influencing factors in this method, as listed below.
Influencing factors in flexographic printing: - Printing ink - Anilox roller - Printing plate - Adhesive tape - Feed - Prepress THE PRINTING INK UV inks are used on an almost exclusive basis when printing labels with the flexographic method. These inks are cured using UV light and also have the major advantage that the printer doesn’t need to worry about
viscosity or dilution. As with letterpress printing, the original ink is used undiluted and without any additives. All the same, it can take some time for letterpress printers to get used to thin UV flexographic inks. While viscous letterpress ink is relatively easy to handle, thin UV flexographic inks require a much greater level of care and cleanliness. As a result, flexographic printing involves much more cleaning work than letterpress printing.
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Packaging Technology
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THE ANILOX ROLLER The anilox roller is one of the key elements in the flexographic printing process and determines the amount of ink that is transferred to the substrate. One important feature of flexographic printing is that the quantity of ink applied can only be increased or decreased uniformly across the entire print motif and – unlike in letterpress and offset printing – there isn’t a range of different inking zones. The amount of ink applied is defined in terms of theoretical pick-up volume in cm3/m2, which describes in cm3 the theoretical quantity of ink that would be transferred if printing a solid area measuring 1m2. Standard anilox rollers are available in a range of 2.0 to 12.0 cm3/m2. Another important parameter is the ruling of an anilox roller. The ruling indicates the number of cells along a length of 1cm on the surface of the roller. Standard anilox rollers are available in a range of 100 to 500 l/cm. Each flexographic printing unit in a press should be equipped with around 2 - 2.5 differently engraved anilox rollers. For instance, a 10-colour flexographic printing press should have a range of around 20 – 25 anilox rollers and could be fitted with the following examples:
THE PRINTING PLATE
THE ADHESIVE TAPE
The most widely used type of printing plate in flexographic label printing is the photopolymer plate. Flexographic printing plates are available in various hardnesses, usually in a range of 70°-80° Shore A (with a plate thickness of 1.14mm).
Foam adhesive tapes in a range of hardnesses are used in flexographic label printing. The hardness of the adhesive
The hardness of the printing plate has a decisive influence on the printing result. Harder plates are more likely to produce a visible pinholing effect in solids, while soft printing plates tend to produce higher dot gain in halftone printing.
The hardness of the adhesive tape
Soft adhesive tape Low forces on the printing plate = reduced squeezing
tape has a significant influence on the printing result and must not under any circumstances be underestimated.
Hard adhesive tape High forces on the printing plate = increased squeezing
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Packaging Technology
• Adhesive tapes used in flexographic printing are available in a number of different hardnesses. • The hardness of the adhesive tape impacts directly on solid densities and dot gain in flexographic printing.
FEED Feed in flexographic printing is fundamentally different to feed in letterpress printing. While feed in letterpress printing features significant excess pressure, flexographic printers have to keep feed as low as possible (“kiss” printing). This has a significant influence on the printing result, since excess pressure results in a range of printing problems such as dot squeezes, high dot gain, vibration streaks, over-inked printing plates, etc... Fundamentally, feed needs to be kept to an absolute minimum at the following points in the flexographic printing unit:
- Feed from the squeegee knife to the anilox roller - Feed from the anilox roller to the printing plate - Feed from the printing plate to the substrate
THE PREPRESS STAGE In flexographic printing, colour intensity can only be increased or reduced over the entire print motif – in other words, there is no zone adjustment option as in letterpress and offset printing. Colour adjustments in four-colour printing can only be made on the press under certain circumstances, which means that the prepress stage and profiling in flexographic printing are hugely important. To guarantee identical colour results as in letterpress printing, it is essential that profiling is conducted with great care. The procedure is as follows: a) Selecting as few materials as possible (adhesive tape, printing plate, ink, etc.) b) Proof-printing an ICC profile test form under production conditions (“fingerprint”) c) Proof-printing an identical ICC profile test form on the proofing system d) Adapting the printing result from the proofing system to the flexographic printing result
It is critical that the flexographic printer then sticks precisely to the densitometric target values obtained when proof-printing the ICC profile test form. That is the only way to ensure that the proof and the press are identical in terms of colours.
ICC profiling
Test form for profiling and coordinating between press and proof CONCLUSION To complete a smooth transition from letterpress to flexographic printing, print shops need the right know-how and have to ensure they handle the key influencing parameters in flexographic printing properly. Once they have got to grips with the flexographic process, they can enjoy the benefits of the high and very consistent print quality that this relatively simple printing method delivers. Gallus offers a number of flexographic printing seminars that ensure customers can get off to a flying start with flexographic printing. Please feel free to get
in touch with us. Our specialists will be happy to provide you with further advice. www.gallus-group.com
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Signs of SUCCESS Signarama is the latest US import franchise to hit Asia, and rapidly expanding throughout the region. Amidst declining print profits, how does a franchise business model flourish in the industry? Sha Jumari finds out.
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he idea of franchising is simple enough; to set up an independent business with the tried-and-tested model of a successful company. Signarama is the world’s largest signs franchise, with more than 900 stores worldwide. Determined to make Signarama’s model work in Southeast Asia is Alex Butt, president of Signarama Pte Ltd and regional master franchisee of the US-based sign specialists. Over the past four years, he has opened six Signarama stores in Singapore, and recently signed a deal for the first franchise in Malaysia. Butt hopes to hit 30 stores for just Singapore and Malaysia. His ultimate goal spreads throughout the region – he wants to reach 100 stores in Southeast Asia. “We already have Signarama in five countries in Asia; Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand. We set up our first Indonesian operation a year ago, and we’ll be franchising there
soon. We have a store in Thailand, but due to the political situation, we are not able to expand as fast as they’d like to. Once Thailand settles, we’ll be there for support. Now, I have high hopes for the Philippines. I believe we can reach 30, even 50 stores there,” said Butt.
does not seem natural. He summarised his inclination in one catchy phrase: “Every business needs a sign. I always say, a business with no sign, is a sign of no business.”
Butt left the corporate world in 2009 to be an entrepreneur, taking away 17 years of regional management experience in Microsoft with him. Instead of starting from scratch, he decided on leveraging on an existing brand through franchising.
Butt believes that in order to succeed in today’s print climate, businesses need to move from a traditional mindset of being in a product business, to one that is a service provider: “The signage industry has evolved from being a mom-andpop craftsman shop. The whole idea for Signarama is that it is built more as a service-oriented business, rather than a product-oriented one.”
“There are three things that I looked out for, sustainability, scalability, and consistency, and the franchise model has been developed with this in mind. With 27 years of business, Signarama had those qualities that I believed would work in the Asian market,” said Butt. With no prior experience in the signmaking industry, his draw to Signarama
Aim for Service, Not Product
As a storeowner, Butt emphasised that focus needs to be solely on bringing in the business. He believes that is the key to grow as a business, instead of merely surviving in the industry. “Your role in Signarama is as a marketer, and not a technician or a print operator. As a store-
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Sheetfed Offset 47 owner, your job is to go out there and bring in business for the store. You need to be technologically savvy, but you cannot be the technician who’s handling the jobs behind-the-scenes,” said Butt.
Capturing All Markets While a lot of signmaking businesses choose to specialise in a certain market, Signarama aims to be all encompassing. “It’s common that we tend to stick to something that we do well in, and ignore other markets. People are a creature of habit; we do what is comfortable for us. But in order to be successful in the business, we need to be able to do what is required to grow the business. Signarama is a small business, with a big business discipline,” said Butt. The largest market share for the Singapore ventures are taken up by acrylic signs for businesses, lightboxes and vehicle wraps. Butt counts a project for Universal Studios Singapore as one of their proudest moments to date. The company was enlisted to wrap ride vehicles for the Transformers thrill attraction for the theme park. Outdoor advertising, in which signage play a large component in, along with conferences and exhibitions in the MICE industry, are growing industries for the signs industry.
Power of a Brand The power of brands remains a key influence on the draw of franchising, and
herein lies an issue with print franchising – branding for signmaking stores are not as important for the customer. In a highly saturated and competitive print industry that is all the more price-sensitive, Butt acknowledged that this is one of the challenges for his franchise. “In Asia, people don’t recognise Signarama as a brand. Most people here just see us as another sign printing company. Most can’t even pronounce the company name!” Butt laughed. “We started out with a lot of international clients, and through referrals and recommendations we’re building brand confidence for Signarama. We’re beginning to be a reference point when it comes to print prices. No one company comes to mind for sign making, but with our expansion and the brand confidence we’re building, we’re starting to get there now.”
According to Butt, Signarama stores can make an average of 18-22% of profit - a number that many printers can only dream of. Although it is still too early to establish profitability for all his outlets, the prospects appear encouraging: “Based on our first flagship store only, which was set up three years ago, at the sixth month, the books showed profitability. To recoup the initial total investment, took 2.5 years. It may not be guaranteed, but if you follow the system, you can get to that, we’ve experienced it ourselves with the first shop.”
Signarama’s Green Future Butt also hopes to purchase flatbed printers that utilises energy saving, ecofriendly UV technology. Flatbed printers will allow them to print on a wide array of substrates, opening yet more market segments for the franchise. For now, Signarama stores alternate from Roland and HP latex printers. Butt favours the printers for their environmentally friendly qualities. In terms of equipment, he is always on the lookout for print solutions that allows him to be as green as possible. “At the end of the day, the customer can’t tell the difference in print quality. In terms of functionality, Roland and HP are very good. My goal is to go green. I’m always on the lookout for technology that lets me be eco-friendly, and both companies have provided great support in that. Roland with their eco inks, and HP with their latex printing solution,” said Butt.
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Finishing Technology
Stratasys Pioneers World’s
First Colour Multi-Material 3D Printer The new Objet500 Connex3 prints multiple colours and materials in a single run, making it the world’s most versatile 3D printer that can deliver unparalleled colour product realism. The printer was the highlight at Stratasys Innovation Day in Singapore. Sha Jumari reports.
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tratasys unveiled the Objet500 Connex3, the world’s first 3D printer that can print multiple materials and colours – all in a single run. The Objet500 Connex3 is the first in the market that is able to combine colours with multi-material 3D printing. The manufacturer of 3D printers announced the availability of the Objet500 Connex3 in Singapore in February, in conjunction with Stratasys Innovation Day. The Objet500 Connex3 features a unique triple-jetting technology that combines droplets of three base materials to produce parts with various combinations of rigid, flexible and transparent colour materials as well as colour digital materials. This feature to achieve the characteristics of an assembled part without assembly or painting is a significant time-saver. With the printer, product manufacturers can validate designs and make good decisions earlier before committing to manufacturing and bring products into the market much faster. The revolutionary 3D printer lets the user incorporate as many as 46 colours into one prototype. Prior to this, 3D print service providers are only able to print materials in a single colour individually, and multicoloured projects would require assembly after completion. The printer is based on Connex technology, that is ideal for overmolding with Digital ABS and complex multi-material parts. Similar to a 2D inkjet printer, three colour materials, VeroCyan, VeroMagenta and VeroYellow, are combined to be able to produce a wide range of shades and hues. These colour materials join Stratasys’ extensive
range of PolyJet photopolymer materials including digital materials, rigid, rubber-like, transparent, and high temperature materials to simulate standard and high temperature engineering plastics. Over 700 different materials are available to the consumer. Another first for the Objet500 Connex3 is its ability to print flexible materials in colour. The printer features six palettes for new rubber-like Tango colours, ranging from opaque to transparent colours in various shore values. The company aims to address markets such as automotive, consumer and sporting goods and fashion. Designers, engineers and manufacturers can now 3D print models and parts with the colour, durability and surface finish of end products.
We believe that this industry in its infancy and still very much in need of close attention. There is a great advantage of being local and that is being able to better understand the needs of the market. Of course Singapore is a very important, very strategic market for us,” said Jaglom. The company set up office in Singapore in late 2013 in order to better serve their customers in the South Asia region. The Singapore government had also just announced its intention to expand the 3D printing industry ecosystem in the region. Over the next five years, the nation is actively investing and promoting initiatives in an effort to encourage the development of disruptive technologies, especially 3D printing.
“Stratasys’ goal is to help our customers revolutionise their design and manufacturing processes. I believe our new Objet500 Connex3 Colour Multi-material 3D Printer will transform the way our customers design, engineer and manufacture new products. In general and with the Connex technology in particular, we will continue to push the envelope of what’s possible in a 3D world,” said Jonathan Jaglom, general manager, Asia Pacific & Japan at Stratasys AP Ltd.
“Recently, A*STAR mentioned an investment of some $50million to the R&D of additive manufacturing, so clearly there is active, even proactive, government involvement in the 3D printing space. Singapore’s main asset is human capital. The government sees the potential in 3D printing and how it can revolutionise the way people design and create things, and it wishes to provide more tools to its human capital to better elevate the manpower of the future,” said Jaglom.
The company’s patented FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) and Polyjet technology are leaders in the professional industry, taking up 55% of the market share, according to Jaglom. The company recorded a 19% growth in Asia, and counts the region as its fastest growing market. Over the last 12 months, Stratasys has been actively increasing their presence in Asia. “Our approach is essentially global is local.
“Singapore is a small country and space is sparse. The idea of 3D printing where you can print on demand, and where storing of inventory is partially removed is very intriguing to the government. So if I’m a company, rather than have the parts stored as inventory, I can have a farm of 3D printers and on demand have items printed out,” continued Jaglom.
Division ContiTech of Continental AG Print World Asia • 3 / 2014
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Wide Format / Proofing Technology
Turn concept into reality with show-stopping results Making an impact is something that comes naturally to global Wall Decoration manufacturers Graham and Brown, a company that has been specialising in the design and production of innovative wallpapers and wall art since it was established in 1946. But when planning its stand for this years’ Heimtextil exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, Graham and Brown turned to Antalis UK to help execute one of the company’s most spectacular and sensational stands at the event. Proof to Production Coordinator at Graham and Brown Julian Kellett explains; “Our range of wall covering designs certainly speak for themselves in terms of attracting attention, but it’s always a challenge to think of new ways to present our products and this year was no different. We wanted to create something unique that would communicate the versatility of our designs. We finally developed the perfect concept, but then needed help when it came to delivering our vision and turning our concept in to reality.” It was early on in the design and planning stage that Kellett turned to Antalis for input and
advice on selecting the right substrates that would help convert their creative ideas into something that would present a showstopping exhibition stand. Antalis had worked with Graham and Brown for several years and built up a good working relationship, and was therefore able to get involved at the beginning to brainstorm specific requirements and advise on the latest innovative products that could meet Julian’s needs. Central to the success of the stand design was the need to create a complete home environment using illustrated furniture in bold black and white designs to represent different parts of the house, and hard wearing printed graphics on the f loors, all against the backdrop of its vibrant wall papers and wall graphics.
Continues Kellett, “Essentially, our challenge was how we were going to ‘draw’ on hired furniture and cover the f loor with a special wallpaper design created by one of our famous design friends Hemingway Design. What we needed was something that would enable us to apply printed graphics to furniture, that would not only look good and stand up to the wear and tear of the show, but would also be easily removed once the show had finished. As we only rent the furniture for the duration of the event, it was imperative that it wouldn’t leave any marks or damage on the surface of the furniture.” Having listened to the specific requirements of each application, Joe Kennedy, Sign and Display Product Manager at Antalis
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UK suggested covering the furniture using YUPOTako®, a UV 1270mm self-adhesive film that uses micro-suction to adhere to surfaces. Not only did the YUPOTako film work well with the company’s Oce Arizona 360 GT f latbed wide format printer to deliver clear, high quality print, its special suction properties eliminated the need to use adhesive, allowing for easy removal without leaving any sticky residue or markings on the rented furniture. For the f loor graphics, Joe advised on using a two-part Dry tac system comprising Dry tac Floorprint, which was also printed inhouse on Graham and Brown’s Arizona 360GT, then overlaid with Dry tac Interlam Pro Emery tex to create the extremely durable, non-slip f loor covering. Kellett, the stand builders and the Graham and Brown sales team were delighted with the results. Says Kellett, “Heimtextil is the largest exhibition of its kind attracting over 66,000 visitors from some 134 countries, so competition is always fierce amongst exhibitors, and it was therefore essential to stand out from the crowd – which we certainly did!”
“Thanks to Antalis, the substrates they provided really fulfilled the job and produced fantastic results. The YUPOTako® micro suction film provided the perfect solution to our need to apply temporary graphics to the hired furniture without causing damage, and the Dry tac f loor covering stayed in perfect condition throughout the show, without any detrimental effects from the high volume of visitor traffic to our stand. And, by work-
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ing closely with Antalis, any potential printing issues were addressed prior to production, which made the whole process efficient and stress-free.” “When we finally unveiled our 2014 stand at Heimtextil, it was a resounding success and extremely well received by the exhibition organisers, our sales team and customers as well as our stand building specialists who hailed it as the best stand for 20 years.”
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NEWS ‘Game changer’ digital flexo solution delivers results that rival offset and gravure for VEEPEE A ‘game changer’ investment has enabled leading Indian tradeshop VEEPEE Graphic Solutions to become one of the first Asian companies to adopt Esko “Full HD Flexo” and obtain the Full HD Flexo Certification. “The installation of Esko's CDI with Full HD Flexo technology and the subsequent certification has put us in a select group of elite operations, globally certified to Esko Full HD Flexo,” states Jai Chandra, VEEPEE’s Managing Director. As a longstanding Esko customer, VEEPEE followed the development of Esko's Full HD screening and Inline UV technology. “With numerous developments in the flexible packaging industry favoring flexographic printing, there was a need for higher solid ink density and better ink lay to match the quality of gravure printing,” says Chandra. “Though there were a few competing technologies, we decided, again, to work with Esko as Full HD Flexo has proven to be a stable, consistent and reliable technology.” Leading edge technology VEEPEE's relationship with Esko started in 2006 with the installation of a CDI (Cyrel Digital Imager). “This was a conscious decision. Esko has a strong focus on flexo prepress solutions, both for software and hardware, and we already had our entire front-end on the Esko platform,” explains Chandra. “Following a detailed research of all technologies available on the market, we realized that CDIs accounted for most of the CTP systems installed in the world during that period. Our trust in Esko and its technology was the decisive factor
to invest in our first CDI. Going digital was the order of the day then - otherwise we would have been out of business by now. Esko helped us to easily enter the digital market.” Other investments over the past years include licenses for a raft of Esko prepress software solutions such as PackEdge, FlexRip and Plato to name a few. As the flexo printing process evolved over the years, and with lot more packaging jobs shifting from offset and gravure to flexographic printing, the challenge was to reproduce high quality graphics. This is when Esko launched their inline UV technology with HD Flexo screening. VEEPEE once again leveraged on the technology evolution by installing the first CDI with the inline UV and HD screening in the Asian region by the end of 2009. Last year, VEEPEE extended its cooperation with Esko by adopting Full HD Flexo, which enabled the company
to increase production capabilities. “Working with Esko Full HD Flexo, we achieve higher solid ink densities with the existing press parameters. We can print clean solids and extend the color gamut thanks to the microcell technology; and we can eliminate the halo around text and lines - a common phenomenon with flexo printing. Thanks to these benefits, we took label and flexible packaging printing to the next level and produced results that can be readily compared to offset or gravure. A lot of trials are being undertaken in corrugated post print, which is the next emerging market for flexographic printing. Our decision to invest in Esko Full HD Flexo was a game changer,” says Chandra. He continues:” With Full HD Flexo, our existing customers achieve better print quality with their existing machines and dispel the myth that flexo is unable to produce quality as good as offset and gravure. Full HD Flexo also enables to maintain predictable and sustainable print results. Today, with an end-toend solution from workflow to plate imaging, we can handle more complex jobs, enhance productivity, increase job turnaround time and reduce errors, thereby increasing our profitability. We can be assured to expand our customer base without any compromise on our bottom line.” Embracing emerging trends VEEPEE is now poised to embrace the emerging possibilities adds Chandra: ”The flexo prepress business is expected to grow in the next 10 years, with an important part of that growth in the
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NEWS flexible packaging and corrugated sector. As business is getting more localized, we will be looking at a 'spoke and wheel' module, where prepress will be done at a centralized location and multiple plate processing units close to our customer sites. This will help us service our customers better with faster turnaround times and also reduce investment costs on software and infrastructure. As the Esko CDIs with Full HD Flexo are very stable imaging systems, we are confident we will make this business module a big success.” About VEEPEE Graphic Solutions (www.veepeeindia.com) Established as a design studio in 1961 by Mr Peethambaram, the Bangalore operation, part of the VEEPEE Group, supplies flexo plates to flexo converters. Among its key customers are Pragati Packaging, Sai Packaging, Multiflex, ITC, Ajanta Packaging, Positive Packaging, Kalpana, Propack and Universal Print Systems. In the early 80s VEEPEE became the first business house in South India to introduce the water wash photo polymer plates for letterpress. In the early 80s it was also one of the first companies in South India to offer scanning, imposition and CTF capabilities. Later, in 1995 it became the first operation in the country to introduce environment friendly water wash flexo plates. Four years later they moved to a newly constructed 8000 sq feet facility which today is one of the state-ofthe-art flexo prepress facilities in the country. Today the family owned group is managed by Leela Peethambaram, Jai Prakash, Jai Chandra, (sons of founder V Peethambaram) and Nalani Jaichandra.
Marc Graindourze, Agfa Graphics, discusses production of passports in the digital age Today’s passports are much different from what they used to be 20 years ago. Not only do they look different, they are also produced in a different way and no longer examined on a merely visual basis.
electrical pulse mechanism within the print head allows for a dedicated R&D on UV inkjet formulation. Our previous experience in applying functional liquids on various substrates gives us a leading edge over other ink manufacturers and results in customized inks that can be formulated according to the technical specifications of the application.
Most all information needed for international passports is stored in digital format and resides on various online databases. What is physically printed must accommodate the automatic ID scanning tools used by border security personnel and therefore requires marking techniques with high resolving power for the finest details.
Thanks to our understanding of the various tunable parameters, Agfa Graphics can formulate UV inks that accommodate a wide variety of functional requirements. Rather than a one-sizefits-all solution, their UV inks tend to become more specifically designed to the application they are intended for.
Production of today’s passports has therefore become a sophisticated process that is taken on by specialized system integrators. One of the leading players in this field is Zetes, a pan-European company offering solutions and services for automatic identification of goods and people. In the first quarter of 2014 Zetes will install two Bookmaster One systems at its Brussels personalization plant to print the variable data of the Belgian passports by means of a full color industrial inkjet engine that prints the personal data on all pages of the document. Both systems will our Agfa Graphics’ Altamira Pack SUV ink set. The Bookmaster One performs the entire personalization process in one pass. This is an extreme example of variable data printing, i.e. each single passport has a content that is different from the other. To sustain a reproducible production level a variable data printing technology is needed that can keep up with the high bandwidths currently used for streaming the data retrieved from various online sources. For such purposes inkjet turns out to be the technology of preference. In that process ink drops are ejected from a print head cartridge onto the substrate. UV inkjet inks have the capability of curing on the substrate surface by the action of UV light and render text and images as a controlled pattern of fine dots. The addressability as well as the reproducibility of this dot formation process is therefore of paramount importance for obtaining the desired image resolution. Agfa Graphics’ understanding of the interactions between the ink, the substrate, and the
As such our Altamira Pack SUV ink set has been formulated with wetting properties that are specifically tuned for printing on paper-based substrates and cartons to deliver the highest image quality and crisp rendering of text in the smallest point sizes. Industry Leaders Say Renaissance of Print Has Already Begun Frank Romano, professor emeritus at RIT asked the speakers at an Ipex World Print Summit session yesterday if print is doomed or on the verge of a new digital renaissance. They agreed that they see evidence already of print’s expansion into new and innovative directions such as variable data or high-margin industrial applications. Keynote speakers EFI™ CEO Guy Gecht and Landa Corp CEO Benny Landa addressed a packed audience on the second day of the London based exhibition. The session looked at trends and the drivers for success needed by today’s print companies. “Print using digital technology such as for direct mail, is on the rise. No other media gets attention in the same way, and digital lets our industry add value,” Gecht told the audience. “We have to realise that in five to ten years from now, there may be less print, but what is left will be higher in value.” "Unlike publishing, most commercial print and packaging apps can simply not be replaced by digital media," Landa said. Gecht also said EFI is passionate about building relationships with customers, most of which are already involved with digital print and have already moved up this value chain. In the run-up to Ipex his extensive European programme of visits
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included companies in Germany, France and in the UK. “The success of these businesses lies mostly with those where a significant part uses digital technology, and there is a definite shift from very long runs to tailored, on-demand jobs with VDP,” Gecht continued. “EFI’s decision to come to Ipex was based on a long-term plan to double down on customers in Europe, which included significantly increased investments in the region with acquisitions, increased support staff and building a large new demo centre in Brussels. Meeting our customers is more important to us than the size of the trade show.” The two discussed the much anticipated Nanographic press technology driven by the EFI Fiery®. “The incorporation of EFI technology into the Nanographic press is a technological challenge our team is excited about and one that will make Fiery an even better technology for the future,” Gecht concluded. Gask & Hawley, UK, chooses hybrid web press system from Goss The Manchester, UK, based commercial printer, data management and print fulfillment specialist G&H has chosen to invest in a new Goss M-600 web press with integrated inkjet capability to transform productivity at its Trafford Park facility. Set for installation in September, the new press is expected to improve productivity by as much as 85 percent on a variety of specialized print jobs currently produced on sheetfed presses. The 16-page M-600 model for G&H features Autoplate plate changing and will be configured as four units with a
Contiweb CS zero-speed splicer, a Goss Ecocool dryer, a JF-48 jaw folder and a VITS Rotocut S sheeter, all supplied by Goss. Kodak inkjet heads will be mounted inline, after the dryer to provide zoning and personalization capabilities. Initially the proposal was for black-only inkjet capability but after discussions with several customers and visiting sites in the US to gauge the interest, G&H have decided to add four-color inkjet capability from the start.
the power of similar hybrid Goss web press systems. “Although this will be the first such Goss press line in the UK, we are already past masters of setting up this kind of operation in the US where many web printers have vast distribution areas requiring different treatments,” Chambers explains. “The trip helped confirm that this is the right solution for enabling G&H to offer customers real benefits from a truly game-changing capability.”
According to Dave Hatton, managing director of G&H, the investment is part of the company’s strategy of introducing new efficiencies into the marketing mix: “We manage entire marketing campaigns for many of our clients, so the more we can successfully integrate and streamline processes, the greater the advantage to everyone.”
G&H has a proud history of innovation and diversification built around the core philosophy of “superior service and quality for clients at the heart of everything we do”. Comprising seven divisions, the company provides a complete marketing delivery service across print both Sheetfed and Digital, Personalization, Distribution and Logistics, Digital Asset and Data Management, as well as Customer Order Management and Web-to-Print fulfillment.
G&H has a variety of contracts that involve regular repeat printing in high volumes, with personalization and distribution to targeted areas. These are currently printed sheetfed, with several processes involved to achieve the finished product ready for the various modes of distribution. “Once the M-600 press system is up and running, the new inline operation will deliver a much more streamlined, more efficient workflow, allowing us to maximize press uptime and better utilize our sheetfed capabilities,” confirms Hatton. To help G&H in deciding on the full equipment specification and configuration, Goss sales director John Chambers took Hatton and colleagues on a tour of installations in the US where they could see for themselves
Xeikon Secures First Trillium™ Order Xeikon, an innovator in digital printing technology, today announces that TagG Informatique, a Xeikon customer for about 15 years, will be the first printer worldwide to install Xeikon's new digital printing press using its breakthrough high quality Trillium liquid toner printing technology. The French company has been in business for more than two decades and produces direct mail, promotional material, financial and other documents for large corporate clients. The company has a diverse production platform with specialized equipment dedicated to producing various applications, making it the ideal
Creating Greater Business Opportunities
The 8th Indonesian International Printing Exhibition
3–6
Sept 2014 JI Expo Kemayoran Jakarta, Indonesia
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Your Space
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Now!
INDOPRINT 2014 provides the ideal platform for global companies to showcase the latest innovations, develop strategic partnerships and expand business opportunities. Exhibit now to tap into Indonesia’s thriving printing sector! Concurrently held with:
Supported by :
The 9th Indonesian International Plastics Exhibition
The 8th Indonesian International Processing and Packaging Exhibition
Messe Düsseldorf / Organizer of:
Jointly organized by : Worldwide: Messe Düsseldorf Asia Pte Ltd Tel (65) 6332 9620 indoprint@mda.com.sg Within Indonesia: PT. WAHANA KEMALANIAGA MAKMUR Tel (62) 21 5366 0804 info@wakeni.com
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NEWS Print community recognises unique value of Fujifilm at Ipex 2014 Fujifilm today declared that Ipex 2014 was a successful show for the company, with widespread interest in the multiple inkjet production systems for commercial print and label applications displayed on its stand. The Fujifilm booth was buzzing for the duration of the show as the Jet Press 720 B2 sheet-fed press, the Jet Press 540W web press, and the new Graphium digital label press attracted a large number of visitors.
field test site for Xeikon's Trillium-based press. “I had the pleasure of seeing Trillium first-hand last year during Xeikon’s customer engagement process, and I was really impressed with what I saw!” says Hervé Lesseur, Managing Director of TagG Informatique. “I'm convinced that Xeikon Trillium will be a game-changer for the printing market, so I signed up right away for early installation of the new press. I am thrilled to be selected as the first printer worldwide to work with the new technology. Trillium is the perfect combination of cost, speed and high quality. In addition, I have the freedom to use paper substrates of choice, and will be able to produce the highest quality output my clients require. The ability to support IPDS data, which is highly important to print high quality transactional work, is another important benefit. I am looking forward to introducing my client base to the exciting new capabilities enabled by Trillium and leveraging this new press for added business growth.” Wim Maes, CEO of Xeikon adds, “We are extremely pleased to be working with TagG Informatique on the first Trillium field test. This innovative customer, who wants to leverage this breakthrough technology to compete even more effectively on quality, has the right mix of applications as well as extensive experience in digital printing. This fits perfectly in our strategy for Trillium and will ensure a well-rounded field test. We are looking forward to getting their valuable feedback about press performance to help us improve the technology even more as we prepare it for commercial availability.”
Trillium: a digital printing technology breakthrough Xeikon Trillium is a breakthrough liquid toner printing technology which was unveiled at drupa 2012. The 4-color press prints at a speed of 60 meters (200 feet) per minute at 1200 dpi, with a print width of 500 mm (19.7 inches). Lab tests have already demonstrated the ability to increase throughput to a speed of 120 meters (400 feet) per minute in the future. Its combination of cost-effectiveness, high quality and speed adds a new dimension to the world of digital printing that has not previously existed in the marketplace. Trillium-based presses are specifically designed for high quality production of high volume direct marketing materials, transactional documents, books, catalogs and magazines.
Keith Dalton, managing director, Fujifilm Graphic Systems UK, comments: “It was an extremely positive sign to see the high number of visitors to the show despite the absence of some industry suppliers. Almost all of our UK customers attended and we welcomed a steady stream of visitors all week. Even on the last day we hosted some customers who had made the journey from Italy. Overall, everyone was extremely complimentary about our stand concept.” Fujifilm’s ‘real production environment’ ran smoothly throughout the six day show. As Keith explains, the recreation of a print shop on the stand was a huge team effort: “We had only five days prior to the show to set everything up and had to be out of ExCel three days after it closed. We’ve proved that it is possible to do this and run a live production environment during an exhibition, operating a seven and a half hour shift every day of the show. Also, the partnership with the editorial team of UK magazine PrintWeek to produce 5,000 copies of the IpexDaily
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NEWS publication each and every day gave us the opportunity to showcase the pressing demands of short turnaround times.” Short run calendars, brochures, magazines, books, labels, manuals and posters were produced on a daily basis, in line with an intense production schedule. The Jet Press 720 produced an average of over 100 make readies daily, while the Jet Press 540W produced the equivalent of over 110 sections each day. Keith comments: “Our inkjet platforms showed the technology’s ability to handle a variety of paper stocks and produce different jobs, and the support we received from our partners helped us to guarantee perfectly finished products.” Keith is also buoyant about the Graphium label press. “The new digital UV inkjet press developed by FFEI in conjunction with Fujifilm was very popular and produced hundreds of thousands of labels, more than we were actually able to hand out!” He concludes: “We succeeded in taking advantage of Ipex 2014 to inform visitors about the true ‘Power of Inkjet’, demonstrating the advantages of this technology and the different applications and business models that it’s possible to achieve with Fujifilm’s inkjet presses. We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the show and are looking forward to the year ahead.” Print community recognises unique value of Fujifilm at Ipex 2014 X-Rite, Incorporated, the world leader in color management, measurement and communication technologies, today announced the release of ColorTRUETM for Apple iOS and Google Android platforms. ColorTRUE provides photographers, designers, and prepress professionals the ability to calibrate and profile their tablet and mobile devices for accurate color matching. ColorTRUE includes a Create Profile tool and an Image Gallery viewer and is currently available as a free download on the Apple® App Store and Google® Play Store. ColorTRUE Calibration ColorTRUE creates a custom display profile for iOS and Android mobile devices using a supported X-Rite measurement device. The user simply places the connected device on the tablet or phone when prompted and the measurement process begins automatically. The profile is applied
to all images displayed through the ColorTRUE Image Gallery, providing the user with the most accurate color match to a desktop reference monitor, or other color managed monitors. Steve Rankin, Product Manager, at X-Rite, commented: “While iOS and Android devices deliver pleasing color right out of the box, ColorTRUE is the first app that will provide photographers, designers, and prepress professionals with a true color match from desktop to mobile. Tablets have become increasingly important in imaging workflows and getting accurate color on the mobile device is now as critical as it is on the desktop. Whether showing your portfolio to a perspective client or soft-proofing an image before final run, ColorTRUE delivers color accuracy at the level X-Rite customers expect, while maintaining the speed and simplicity of use necessary in the mobile environment.” ColorTRUE Image Gallery ColorTRUE is the only mobile color management app that delivers an Image Gallery viewer with a unique set of tools that enables the highest level of color accurate viewing: Ambient Light Compensation – ColorTRUE will adjust to any ambient viewing condition ensuring that images are displayed correctly regardless of the lighting condition and display brightness setting Print Simulation – Preview or soft-proof images using different printer profiles and rendering intents White Point – Match your tablet to your desktop – to ensure you are assessing the same image on tablet and desktop, ColorTRUE lets you choose between D65, D50 and Native white point ICC Profile – Embedded image profiles are used or you can manually select correct working color spaces for your images (sRGB, Adobe RGB, ProPhoto RGB) Before and After – Toggle the calibration on and off to see the color accuracy improvements on your images Coloratti George Jardine states, "It only makes sense that X-Rite would be first
to the party with a super-easy mobile calibration solution that really works! ColorTRUE gives me the confidence that what I'm seeing on my iPad will match the corrections that I've made on my professional i1Display-calibrated and profiled desktop displays. And the best part is...ColorTRUE uses my existing hardware." ColorTRUE Aware Partner Program With the launch of ColorTRUE, X-Rite also announces its ColorTRUE Aware partner program. Unlike laptop or desktop operating systems, iOS and Android operating systems do not have system wide color management capabilities. This means each app must apply color profiles independently. X-Rite will soon release a Software Developers Kit (SDK) that will allow 3rd party app developers access to the ColorTRUE profile, enabling them to seamlessly deliver color management within their own app(s). ColorTRUE users can be confident any third party app such as image editing or viewing, inline production approval, or even creative sketching for proof of concept is color managed whenever they see the ColorTRUE Aware logo. More information can be found at xritephoto. com/colortrueSDK. Steve Rankin, Product Manager, at X-Rite, continued, “As tablets and mobile devices increasingly permeate color and image based workflows, it has never been more important that these devices become truly color accurate. With ColorTRUE and the ColorTRUE Aware partner program, X-Rite now offers the missing color management components on iOS and Android platforms. Our goal is to enable app developers and help create an eco-system of color managed apps. We encourage all app developers where color is important to their users to contact us and learn more about our ColorTRUE Aware partner program.”
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NEWS
Why I Like Retirement ! Question: How many days in a week? Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday Question: When is a retiree's bedtime? Answer: Two hours after he falls asleep on the couch. Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb? Answer: Only one, but it might take all day. Question: What's the biggest gripe of retirees? Answer: There is not enough time to get everything done. Question: Why don't retirees mind being called Seniors? Answer: The term comes with a 10% discount. Question: Among retirees, what is considered formal attire? Answer: Tied shoes. Question: Why do retirees count pennies? Answer: They are the only ones who have the time. Question: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire? Answer: NUTS! Question: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic or garage? Ans wer: They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there. Question: What do retirees call a long lunch? Answer: Normal .. Question: What is the best way to describe retirement? Answer: The never ending Coffee Break. Question: What's the biggest advantage of going back to school as a retiree? Answer: If you cut classes, no one calls your parents. Question: Why does a retiree often say he doesn't miss work, but misses the people he used to work with? Answer: He is too polite to tell the whole truth. And, my very favorite.... QUESTION: What do you do all week? Answer: Monday through Friday, NOTHING..... Saturday & Sunday, I rest. The value of a Catholic education and a #2 pencil. Little Susie was not the best student in Catholic School . Usually she slept through the class. One day her teacher, a Nun, called on her while she was sleeping. Tell me Susie, who created the universe?' When Susie didn't stir, little Johnny who was her friend sitting behind her, took his pencil and jabbed her in the rear. God Almighty!' shouted Susie. The Nun said, 'Very good' and continued teaching her class.. A little later the Nun asked Susie, 'Who is our Lord and Savior?'But Susie didn't stir from her slumber. Once again, Johnny came to herrescue and stuck her in the butt. Jesus Christ!!!' shouted Susie. And the Nun once again said, 'Very good,' and Susie fell back asleep. The Nun asked her a third question...'What did Eve say to Adam after she had her twenty-third child?' Again, Johnny came to the rescue. This time Susie jumped up and shouted, 'If you stick that damn thing in me one more time, I'll break it in half!'
Getting OLD
Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked, 'How old was your husband?' '98,' she replied.... 'Two years older than me' 'So you're 96,' the undertaker commented.. She responded, 'Hardly worth going home, is it? Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman: 'And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?' the reporter asked... She simply replied, 'No peer pressure.' The nice thing about being senile is you can hide your own Easter eggs and have fun finding them. I've sure gotten old! I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes. I'm half blind, can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 40 different medications that make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts. Have bouts with dementia. Have poor circulation; hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92. Have lost all my friends. But, thank God, I still have my driver's license. I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over. My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out. It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker. These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, 'For fast relief.' THE SENILITY PRAYER : Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.