Graphic Arts Magazine | September 2021 | Innovations in Textile Printing

MAGAZINE

GRAPHIC ARTS For the continuously learning professionals of the design, print, sign and packaging industries of Canada

September 2021 l Volume 24 l Issue 5 | $7.95

INNOVATIONS IN TEXTILE PRINTING

Contents

MAGAZINE

GRAPHIC ARTS For the continuously learning professionals of the design, print, sign and packaging industries of Canada

September 2021 l Volume 24 l Issue 5 | $7.95

INNOVATIONS IN TEXTILE PRINTING September 2021 l Volume 24 l Issue 5

7

Permanent pivot: Virtual tradeshows Reach new audiences, attract new sponsors and maintain revenues Caterina Valentino

13 Predictive maintenance in consumer packaging Why it's now becoming a necessity Staff writers

14 Storming, Part 2: Gamestorming Opening your imagination through Gamestorming Diana Varma

19

Innovations in textile printing

18 The Southwestern Ontario Development Fund Grants of 15% and interest-free loans Bonny Koabel

19 Innovations in textile printing The market, the digital transformation and the major OEMs Tony Curcio

30 Lead-generation strategies Five suggestions to attract a new generation of buyers Joanne Gore

Predictive maintenance in consumer packaging

13

In every issue

Storming, Part 2: Gamestorming

14

Lead-generation strategies

For the

30

11 Print industry news 16 Installations 26 Print innovations 27 Creative & design 28 List of advertisers 29 Classifieds

of print.

View from the publisher

"Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.” – Peter F. Drucker This one goes out to the courageous decision makers. To those leading their businesses to higher heights, and smaller lows. It’s not usually a thank-filled occupation, but being a print professional is necessary, and we salute you for your continued dedication.

In this issue, we are proud to announce breaking news, business tactics and organizational frameworks to help YOUR team innovate daily operations.

On pages 21-24, Tony Curcio researches Innovations in Textile Printing, and highlights the rapidly growing sector and its crucial role in the textile industry. Technological advancements in dye-sublimation, direct-to-fabric (DTF) and hybrid printers have all improved, and are leading to shorter runs, faster turnaround times, and thus increased popularity. Things are certainly shaking up, so be sure to check out all the available options from the world's leading manufacturers!

Big-ups to original equipment manufacturers and to regional business owners who made equipment orders over the summer of 2021. It’s exciting to see new purchases, as it’s a sure

sign that things are opening up again for local print businesses!

Notable installations include MPI’s purchase of a Koenig & Bauer C215 Dual-Line Web Press for its Mississauga, Ontario production plant. Plus, Little Rock Printers of Calgary, Alberta has installed Canada’s first Valiani Optima Cutter from print-finishing specialist Sydney Stone. You can check out more details behind these installations on page 16.

As Canadian business leaders hit the polls on September 20th, 2021, I welcome a changing political landscape. I will not predict what will happen this fall, but one thing is for certain - seats will shift aisles in the House of Commons. I do not care who you vote for, but only that you do go out to vote.

It’s one of the greatest privileges of being a Canadian, so make sure that you make it count! I highly recommend you check out CBC’s Interactive Portal to see where you and the main parties compare on the main issues.

RYAN MULCAHY, Publisher

10,671 industry professionals are using Graphic Arts Magazine as their perfect online connection to the printing, graphic arts, sign, and packaging industries of Canada.

So if you have something to say, join the conversation today!

GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

is published ten times per year by B.K.L.K Inc. 17-17817 Leslie St. Newmarket, ON L3Y 8C6 Phone: 1-877-513-3999 Fax: 905-830-9345 e-mail: info@graphicartsmag.com www.graphicartsmag.com Ad submission deadlines are as follows: September 24 for October 2021 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40029380 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Graphic Arts Magazine 17-17817 Leslie St Newmarket ON L3Y 8C6 email: circ@graphicartsmag.com Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily intended to reflect those of this publisher.

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All the best to your success,

GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE would like to thank our contributing writers: Tony Curcio • Joanne Gore Bonny Koabel • Caterina Valentino • Diana Varma

@graphicarts /graphicartsmagazine /company/graphic-arts-magazine 2020 ADVISORY BOARD STEVEN APRILE

Grant Thornton LLP

EVAN CAMBRAY

Owner of Fastsigns

TONY CURCIO

Chairman

Printing

Joe Mulcahy

AIIM

Publisher

Cover Paper

Ryan Mulcahy

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ANDREW (ANDY) GROUGROU

Editor

Text Paper

ROMESH HETTIARACHCHI

Tony Curcio

APP

B&I Legal Counsel

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Bindery

Paul Phillips

Specialties Graphic Finishers

Hemlock Printing

Account Managers

Maureen O’Sullivan Sandy Lee Tim Mulcahy

Circulation Manager

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Daniel Mulcahy

Kelly White Lorena Florea

Web Development

Art Director

George Dedopoulos

Edward Gorodkine

Brian Gillet Media Coordinators

Editor of Graphic Arts Magazine

RAY FAGAN

Heidelberg Canada 3M Canada

RICHARD KOUWENHOVEN NATALIA LUMBY

Associate Professor at Ryerson University

MARG MACLEOD Manager of DIA

PAUL McCARTHY

HP Indigo Country Manager

JOE MULCAHY

Former Publisher of GAM

DANIEL MULCAHY

Production Manager, GAM

PHIL RIEBEL

Two Sides North America

CTP supplied by

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Sign Association of Canada

WARREN WERBITT

www.warrenwerbitt.com We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

4 | September | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

CMCA AUDITED

SCOTT WILLIAMS

Taylor Printing Group

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Tony's Corner

Recruitment will still be crucial after the pandemic I recently came across a timely article by Piet De Pauw, Head of Marketing at Enfocus. He pointed out that in the U.S., the average age for printers is 47.9 years and most employees are between 45 and 64. Whether it’s the historical reputation of print as uninspiring and labour-intensive, or the need for fewer employees via increased automation, we still need to attract young workers. Enter the millennials, aged 21 to 40. Pandemic-weary, we’re all eager to get back to normal. But for millennials, getting back to normal means being socially conscious in all aspects of life – from what they eat to the technology they use. But that can give printers a huge initial advantage! Internet communications and the use of smart devices have conditioned this generation to expect instant information through the latest technology.

Print shops should start by emphasizing their high-end technology, and that your particular operation is an exciting place to work. Millennials are naturally drawn to agile work and networking, rather than hierarchies, said De Pauw. For them, fulfillment is more important than outward success, and participating in a project requiring teamwork is more important than managing that project. Their ability to absorb new concepts, their ease in handling complex

Top speed of 2906 ft2/h

Direct to textile or on transfer paper

Single-operator control

Vibrant colors

information, and their advanced communication skills are most valuable in a high-tech, digitally conscious environment – i.e. your print shop! Be sure that this comes across loud and clear in your recruiting.

Highlight the fascinating technology, creativity and teamwork involved in printing. Stress the need for team-oriented people willing to approach old challenges in bold new ways.

Seek out individuals who can multitask and are anxious to be part of a highly creative workplace. When you observe them, you’ll realize immediately that the experience itself is much more important to millennials – not just their paycheque. It’s not about working long hours to pay bills in an assembly-line-type process. It’s about a personal lifestyle that yearns to be part of something new, exciting and above all, fulfilling. The successful print shop of the future is destined to embrace this mindset.

Until next time, always remember that we’re here to help.

Tony Curcio Editor, Graphic Arts Magazine tony@graphicartsmag.com

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6 | September | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

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Column

Permanent pivot: Virtual tradeshows Late on March 11 of this year, Kimberly Charters, Coordinator of Convention Exhibits for the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) and the PDAC team, closed their laptops and bid farewell to the 2021 virtual PDAC convention. COVID-19 had pushed and pulled event planners deep into the realm of digital technology beyond just front-of-house activities, to facilitating an entire virtual event. The pandemic had opened the doors for associations to reach new audiences, attract new sponsors and maintain revenue streams.

Judy Healy, instructor at Ryerson University’s Department of Tourism and Hospitality, remains convinced that in-person tradeshows are tactile and are really about "trade-floor buzz". However, after attending several online events, Healy was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the online tradeshows. “Much better than anticipated and enjoyable.”

Making a virtual tradeshow or conference enjoyable means knowing your audience. That’s no surprise to Charters and her team, who spent the better part of a year doing an audience analysis – as well as Beckett and Watson, pioneers in hosting virtual events.

Audience analysis After the 2020 PDAC Convention, Charters saw the sk y writing that COVID-19 was hanging around, and if there were to be a 2021 convention it would have to be virtual. The first thing Charters and the PDAC team did when the conference was mandated as virtual was an in-depth audience analysis.

In many ways, Charters’ audience analysis was akin to product discovery. Would convention goers choose a virtual solution as meeting their needs? Would participants understand or find a virtual conference usable? As well, Charters and her team had to determine if they had the ability to host a virtual convention and would a virtual event remain true to its mission. After much study, a platform familiar to PDAC and its membership was chosen. It had the look and feel of a website or social media platform – a platform with which Charters’ audiences and PDAC staff were comfortable and one that moved seamlessly from a chat message to a virtual space. Familiarity minimized the attendees’ learning curve on the platform.

Wayne Beckett and Chris Watson of Resolve Business Management (RBM) and developers of printing-expo.online, a year-long print virtual conference, see two major benefits from offering a virtual event: the reach is significantly larger and more connections can be made.

The social media analytics for the PDAC virtual conversion supports that point of view. Engagement with 2021 PDAC was high. Engagement, the currency of social media marketing, is the number of interactions (comments, shares and saves) your content receives from users.

Engagement requires the user to do something with the content. It provides a perspective on the site. Reach and impressions are passive measures.

Charters reports that it was exciting to

The PDAC’s post-convention report revealed impressive engagement figures.

Source Prospectors & Developers Association Convention

@graphicarts

see attendees “really engaged and excited with the platform.” More importantly, when the statistics were reviewed, the 2021 convention had raised nonCanadian attendance from 25% to 30%. Beckett and Watson added that printing-expo.online is attracting many visitors to the show from countries that wouldn't necessarily travel to larger, face-to-face tradeshows. And, while normally tradeshows attracted senior managers, the back-stage analytics captured for sponsors and exhibitors showed increasing logins from shopfloor employees who ‘piggybacked’ on organizations that purchased group event tickets.

Yet, some things remained the same.

Whether virtual or face-to-face, one needs time to attend a convention. Time is a fixed and scarce resource for everyone. Participants need to be aware of the privacy setting that can minimize their digital footprint. Yet, both Charters, and Beckett and Watson concur that the back-door analytics provide powerful information and are a plus for vendors and exhibitors alike who are technologically progressive.

David McGinlay, Sales Manager at Muller Martini UK, and a printing-expo exhibitor, believes that a virtual showroom is an excellent tool for keeping in contact with customers. He currently sees nothing comparable in the graphic arts industry. Strange times require innovative ways of delivering content and servicing clients. Perhaps, that’s why exhibitors at the PDAC 2021 convention and printing-expo.online have made the leap to digital tradeshows and conventions.

Caterina Valentino, PhD, is a Contract Lecturer at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University and the Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University. She’s a freelance writer who writes compelling content that makes one’s brand outshine others, and can be reached at caterina.l.valentino@gmail.com

GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | September | 7

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Print Industry News

Koenig & Bauer expands into corrugated The OEM’s entire sales team across Canada and the U.S. will now represent three major products in this sector – CorruCUT, CorruFLEX and Omega Magnus. Koenig & Bauer’s CorruCUT Rotary Die Cutter was designed for the high-performance production of die-cut corrugated products. It can handle corrugated sheets up to 110.24” wide and thicknesses up to .354” while running at speeds up to 12,000 sph. CorruFLEX technology produces high quality post-printing on corrugated board. It features a vacuum-belt feeder that operates without feed rollers, and an innovative anilox roller-changing system.

Omega Magnus is a folder-gluer that utilizes carrier motorcontrol buttons on both sides, a colour monitor on the feeder for surveying delivery, an additional control board at the end of delivery, and remote control. “We are pleased to expand our dedication to the corrugated market,” said Kilian Renschler, President and CEO of Koenig & Bauer (Canada/USA). “All three of our new products are being operated successfully at a customer’s facility. Our North American sales team is the most experienced in all facets of packaging – from folding carton, to lithographic laminates, to flexible Kilian Renschler substrates, to the label markets.”

Researchers create flexible packaging film made from plants Researchers from the University of Cambridge in England have developed a method to create a compostable, plantbased “plastic-like” material that’s as robust as engineering plastics. In a paper published in Nature Communications, researchers from the Knowles Group describe how they can create polymer film from plant proteins in a sustainable and scalable way. The new material is as strong as the most common plastics and could replace plastic in many common household products. It’s home compostable and will degrade naturally in a marine environment and in fresh water. To create the material, researchers developed a new approach for assembling plant proteins into materials that mimic silk on a molecular level. The method, which uses sustainable ingredients, results in a plastic-like, freestanding film that can be produced at industrial scale.

Non-fading ‘structural’ colour can be added, and the polymer can also be used to make water-resistant coatings.

The new product will be commercialized by Xampla which is a Knowles “spinout” that develops replacements for single-use plastic and microplastics.

Heidelberg reports high orders and improved profitability Heidelberg made a positive start to its financial year 2021/2022 (April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022), delivering on promised improvements in sales and operating profitability in its first quarter. Sales increased by about 30% compared to the previous year – from € 330 million to € 441 million. EBITDA improved to € 15 million, exceeding the pre-pandemic level in financial year 2019/20 of € 11 million. “As demonstrated by our encouraging initial quarter, Heidelberg is really delivering.

Buoyed by the global economic recovery and the notable improvement in operating profitability, we are also very optimistic about meeting the targets announced for the year as a whole,” said Heidelberg CEO Rainer Hundsdörfer. Confidence was also fuelled by orders from its recent successful tradeshow in China, which led to incoming orders of € 652 million – an increase of about 89% versus the previous year.

Given the increased demand, especially for new products such as the Speedmaster CX 104 universal press, Heidelberg is convinced it can continue building on the company’s market-leading position in China and is expecting this profitable upward trend to Rainer Hundsdörfer continue.

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Samples of sustainable plastic polymer film made from plant protein

HP discontinues some PageWide office products HP will end sales of smaller PageWide A3 and A4 office products that use an inkjet array instead of a laser engine. The OEM plans to focus on expanding its LaserJet products but will continue investing in its PageWide technology in the largeformat, commercial and industrial-print sectors. It will also continue to support previously installed PageWide A3 and A4 devices for a period of five years, including parts and supplies. According to HP, the differences between office laser and inkjet technologies have been decreasing when it comes to device footprint, acquisition cost, ongoing running costs and energy consumption. Plus, HP’s LaserJet innovations have driven improvements in these areas – including up to a 20% reduction in hardware costs, weight and size, nearly a 250% increase in cartridge capacity, up to a 30% reduction in service costs, and reductions in energy consumption of up to 87%.

GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | September | 11

Print Industry News

Domtar/Paper Excellence $3 billion merger approved Avery Dennison buys Vestcom for $1.45 billion Stockholders of Domtar have approved a proposal whereby Karta Halten B.V. (an affiliate of Paper Excellence), will acquire all the issued and outstanding shares of Domtar common stock for $55.50 per share in cash. Just over 80% were in favour of the merger, which should be completed before the end of 2021 subject to clearances under Canada’s Competition Act. Paper Excellence is a manufacturer of pulp and paper that’s built a massive worldwide network of mills and chipping plants. Domtar manufactures uncoated, freesheet paper in North America, and is one of the largest manufacturers of pulp in the world. It has 13 pulp and paper mills and 10 manufacturing and converting facilities across Canada and the U.S. However, the $3 billion (CDN) merger is not without controversy as Paper Excellence is part of the multi-billionaire Widjaja family of Indonesia. According to the global organization Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the deal “would put at its helm a family that’s internationally notorious for both human rights abuses and deforestation.” Other environmental organizations have reacted negatively and Paper Excellence would also own vast forestlands and other natural assets across Canada once the deal is completed.

In-person Pack Expo Las Vegas set for September 27–29 With over 9,200 confirmed attendees registered at press time, Pack Expo Las Vegas and the co-located Healthcare Packaging Expo will bring the packaging and processing world together September 27–29 in one of the first major in-person tradeshows of 2021. Machinery in every hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center will showcase packaging and processing technology in action – including the latest advances in printing, packaging and processing, sustainability, packaging materials, automation, robotics and more. There’ll be over 70 free 30-minute educational sessions on the show floor, plus roundtable discussions on industry issues at The Forum, and additional presentations in the Reusable Packaging Learning Center. Dedicated Pavilions will explore the latest solutions in digital printing, containers and materials, confectionery, processing and reusable packaging.

These will include The Processing Zone, The Package Printing Pavilion, The Containers and Materials Pavilion, The Reusable Packaging Pavilion and The Confectionery Pavilion. New exhibits this year will include The Pack to the Future Showcase, The Future Innovators Robotics Showcase and others.

12 | September | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

Avery Dennison (Glendale, California) has completed the acquisition of Vestcom for $1.45 billion (USD). Vestcom is a market-leading provider of pricing and branded labeling solutions at the shelf-edge for major retailers as well as consumer packaged goods companies. It uses data management capabilities to synthesize and streamline store-level data and deliver item-specific, price-integrated messaging at the shopper’s point of decision. The acquisition, expected to close in the third quarter of 2021, advances Avery Dennison’s goals and strategies – including the adoption of ‘intelligent labels’ technology. Vestcom (Little Rock, Arkansas) generates about $400 million in annual revenue and has 11 U.S. production facilities and about 1,200 employees. Its sales span multiple U.S. retail channels – including grocery, drug and dollar stores. Its solutions include: stackz pre-cut, pre-sorted self-adhering shelf labels; shelfStrips shelf-edge planogram displays; adSigns signage kits; and shelfAdz branded marketing displays. The move is also expected to accelerate Avery Dennison’s portfolio shift to higher-value categories.

Canon introduces its Digital Mailroom Canon Solutions America has launched a new online platform that helps users anywhere to view, share, discard, or request physical copies of their mail via an easy-to-use interface. Aimed at helping employees navigate the hybrid workplace, the solution is a fast way to get incoming business-critical physical mail digitized and into the hands of intended recipients – no matter where they’re located worldwide. It allows mail scanned from a scanner or multifunction device to be viewed by a recipient in a secured web portal designed specifically for business correspondence. The new platform offers a simple solution to support remote workforces with enhanced ways to operate and interact. The Software as a Service (SaaS) subscription-based technology also provides users with the data they need to respond quickly to business requests from any workspace, while reducing the need to deliver physical mail.

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Column

Predictive maintenance becoming a necessity for consumer packaging companies: PMMI Predictive maintenance for the packaging and processing industry is quickly becoming a necessity for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, according to a recent Packaging and Predictive Maintenance whitepaper produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (Herndon, Virginia). Of all possible digitalization initiatives – including big-data analytics, ‘cobots’, digital twins and others – predictive maintenance is far and away the most likely to be of interest to CPGs, said PMMI. The organization further pointed out that 29.4% of CPG companies are currently evaluating the technology, 21.6% are piloting it, and 23.5% have already implemented it.

Avoiding downtime in production packaging lines is essential

Avoiding downtime and preventing product losses are the major drivers pushing manufacturers towards implementing predictive maintenance. Due to the nature of packaging machinery, packaging lines are 30% more “slightly likely” to fail than other types of equipment. Some types of packaging machinery are more prone to downtime than others, while form/fill/seal machinery, labeling, decorating and coding equipment are “extremely likely” to suffer downtime, according to the new research.

Predictive maintenance, the whitepaper further explained, is being touted now because “it’s the lowest hanging fruit that can be harvested from another much-talked about concept in industry – digitalization. Sometimes referred to as Industry 4.0, digitalization is quite

@graphicarts

nebulous, as its scope is broad and its cost can be challenging to justify. This is not the case for predictive maintenance, which aims to solve the age-old problem of costly plant downtimes, which can incur millions of dollars of lost output.”

Automation advances

New business models needed The report revealed that new business models will be needed to ensure that predictive maintenance delivers on its promise of optimizing equipment performance for CPGs, while ensuring that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) get the revenue they need to stay in business. The most promising candidate for this, as highlighted in the whitepaper, is Machines as a Service (MaaS), which involves pricing based on performance goals set between the OEM and the end users (such as the number of cases palletized). However, if there’s one single problem that could hinder the widespread adoption of the MaaS business model for predictive maintenance, it’s the aversion that many CPGs have to connecting their machines to the cloud, and to allowing remote access.

According to PMMI’s Trends in Adoption of Report Access: Moving Forward During COVID-19 whitepaper, 29% of CPG respondents indicated that they don’t allow any remote access in their facilities.

But 27% of respondents do allow certain OEMs or service providers to maintain a dedicated connection to specific equipment. As both PMMI whitepapers indicated, cybersecurity was the biggest barrier CPG companies cited for not using currently available remote access technologies, and fully taking advantage of predictive-maintenance options. That said, all parties agreed that as a result of the global pandemic, the industry has now shown a willingness to respond to remote access, while also forging helpful partnerships between suppliers and end users that would go a long way to overcoming these barriers.

The expansion of robotics in specific packaging areas will be key

Current automation levels in the packaging and processing industries are about 64% for automated equipment and about 21% for semi-automated equipment. PMMI’s findings showed that although COVID-19 has impacted automation plans, manufacturers recognize that they can improve operations by expanding automation strategies and components. Some of the tools in place driving the future of automation include the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and integration (as more machines now have data-acquisition capabilities), and the expansion of robotics in areas such as secondary packaging and palletizing.

Additional drivers include incorporating artificial intelligence and predictive analysis used for maintenance.

As there are currently many technologies available to safely implement predictive maintenance and remote access, one ideal place to see these technologies up close is at Pack Expo Las Vegas and the co-located Healthcare Packaging Expo 2021, set for September 27-29 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. At press time, over 1,500 exhibitors are planning to showcase the latest solutions to implementing predictive maintenance – as well as improving efficiency, productivity, automation, health and safety, remote access and much more.

GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | September | 13

Column

Open your imagination through Gamestorming In the first part of this 3-part ‘storming’ series, we explored the classic concept of brainstorming, where the act of combining and improving ideas leads to breakthroughs by process of association (1+1=3). The next ‘storming’ concept takes brainstorming to the next level.

Gamestorming is an incredible way to elevate and reinvigorate a common brainstorming session. Plus, it’s just plain fun! In the book Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination and invigorates the soul, author, physician and play researcher Stuart Brown, makes a strong case for professional play. In it he states: “For humans, play lies at the core of creativity and innovation. Of all animal species, humans are the biggest players of all. We are built to play and built through play.”

There are a number of books, websites and resources that describe strategies for innovating through professional play, one of which is Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers by James Macanufo, Dave Gray and Sunni Brown. In it, the authors describe playful activities to achieve three outcomes: Explore and examine challenges, improve collaboration, and generate novel insights about the world. Ultimately, gamestorming provides a framework for solving complex problems through light-hearted methodology. Below are two examples of games that can be found in the playbook.

1: Post-Up The object of this game is to generate a large quantity of ideas by using sticky notes. One to 50 players can participate and it takes 10 – 60 minutes to play.

STEP 1. Begin by posing a question to the group for which they’ll be brainstorming answers. (Example: “What printed products can our digital press produce?”).

STEP 2: Ask the group to individually come up with and write down their answers, one per sticky note.

STEP 3: After a set amount of time, ask members of the group to stick their

14 | September | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

notes to the board and present/explain their ideas. Acknowledge all ideas, focusing on core brainstorming concepts of quantity over quality, withholding criticism, welcoming unconventional ideas, as well as combining and improving ideas. If explanations inspire new ideas, add these to the wall too.

The goal is to place the customer first and create empathy for that person.

What does this person want? What motivates this person? What can we do to help and how can we add value to this person’s life? By placing the person at the centre, it humanizes the customeracquisition process.

STEP 4: Sort the ideas into meaningful topics or categories that’ll help prioritize and contextualize them. While the goal of the game is simply idea generation, the sticky note medium allows ideas to be sorted and categorized in meaningful ways that can lead to novelty. For example, answering a question in this format might help a firm better understand new ways to add value for their clients without investing in new equipment.

According to the Inc.com article You Simply Won’t Believe How Much Time You Waste in Meetings at Work, According to MIT, the average executive spends 23 hours per week in meetings (about half the average work week) resulting in almost seven years spent in meetings!

The author suggests a number of ways to recapture this lost time, including no more PowerPoint and no meeting longer than 30 minutes. I propose adding gamestorming to the list, too. If even a fraction of time in meetings was spent playing games with a clear objective, a helpful number of rules and a little healthy, low-stakes competition, just imagine how different our work days (and by proxy, our lives) might feel! For more information and game inspiration, check out: https://gamestorming.com/.

2: Empathy Map The object of this game is to develop a customer profile in a short amount of time (10 – 15 minutes) with 3 - 10 players helping to achieve this goal. This game starts by drawing a large circle in the centre of a white board. Authors suggest adding eyes, ears and a mouth to make it look like a face. Ask the group to give the person a name and a title (i.e. Layla, Print Buyer). Label sections around the central face with ‘seeing’, ‘hearing’ and ‘feeling.’ With all participants taking the point of view of the customer, ask the group to describe the person’s experience, moving through the sensory categories.

Diana Varma is a Lecturer at the School of Graphic Communications Management (GCM) and the Master of Digital Media (MDM) program at Ryerson University in Toronto. She also hosts a podcast called Talk Paper Scissors. www.talkpaperscissors.info

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Installations

MPI to install Koenig & Bauer C215 Dual-Line Web Press As part of its $12-million expansion, and on the heels of announcing the opening of a new 175,000 ft² Print & Packaging facility in Mount Forest, Ontario later this year, leading Canadian trade-only specialist MPI Print has installed a new KBA C215 Dual-Line Web Press in its Mississauga, Ontario plant. The 40” press is central to MPI’s strategy of offering a comprehensive line of digital, sheetfed and web-printing services, while doubling print speeds and reducing costs.

Along with dual production streams, the 215 utilizes Q.I. closed-loop auto colour, auto registration, an auto cut-off system with inline gluing, stitching and perforating. What does this mean for MPI customers? A typical 32-page booklet, for example, could run on the new web press as two simultaneously running 16-page signatures that would be automatically stitched or glued together to produce a finished product – in one seamless and integrated operation.

The new system will be twice as fast as MPI’s older web press.

With dual-printing streams each running at 55,000 sph, speed will increase to 110,000 sph. At these high levels, costs are slashed and savings will be passed along to customers in the form of lower pricing, the company added. Expansion plans also call for the installation of new sheetfed presses, a new digital press, a full bindery, prepress equipment, and a large

flatbed printer. The new sheetfed presses include a Mitsubishi Diamond 3000 8-Colour Perfector UV Ink Printing Press with dual coaters, ideal for printing on plastics and synthetics. UV coating provides the option of inline spot UV finishing. An additional Mitsubishi Diamond 3000 10-Colour Tandem Press with dual coaters will function as the “workhorse” for MPI Print’s revitalized Mississauga operation. Plus, a new all-inclusive bindery will support the sheetfed presses.

ME

KBA C215 Dual-Line Web Press

Little Rock Printers installs Canada’s first Valiani Optima V250 Cutter Print-finishing leader Sydney Stone (Mississauga, Ontario), Canada’s Exclusive Valiani Omnia dealer, has announced the first Canadian installation of a Valiani Optima V250 flatbed cutting system at Little Rock Printers in Calgary, Alberta. The vacuum flatbed plotter for die cutting can cut a wide range of materials up to 20 mm (3/4”) thick. It’s ideal for signage, in-house prototyping, point-of-sale displays, and short to medium runs of packaging. The flexible, user-friendly machine comes equipped with a wide range of accessories, and is available in four table sizes: V80 (123 cm x 80 cm), V160 (123 cm x 180 cm), V250 (123 cm x 250 cm), and V300 (160 cm x 300 cm).

“Our mission is to provide local brands with access to the highest quality options for their printing and packaging needs,” said Brian Kroeker, President of Little Rock Printers.

“Our goal is to offer minimum run lengths of as little as one copy, printed to the same standards and using the same processes and equipment as we use to produce thousands of items. We strive to complete all orders regardless of run length in 1-5 days, and provide simple, detailed online access to our full offerings to support entrepreneurs and brand owners, with full access to pricing and predictable ordering – any where at any time.” Though initially purchased for

16 | September | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

signage cutting, Little Rock’s new Optima system is now creating new products that result in added revenue streams.

“The quality of the machine and the tools are second to none for precision cutting,” Kroeker added. “We’re now moving jobs from another die-cutting system to the Optima, and are continuing to find new applications and revenue streams.”

Little Rock Production Manager Rick Nay (left) with President Brian Kroeker, in front of their new Valiani Optima V250 flatbed cutting system from Sydney Stone.

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Southwestern Ontario Development Fund: Grants of 15% and interest-free loans If your company is growing and creating jobs, the Government of Canada wants to help. The Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) is one of many incentive programs aimed at stimulating economic development in regions in Ontario where there’s not a significant industry presence. SWODF applies to the following 18 regions – Brant, Bruce, Chatham-Kent, Dufferin, Elgin, Essex, Grey, Haldimand, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, Niagara, Norfolk, Oxford, Perth, Simcoe, Waterloo and Wellington.

Eligible and ineligible projects. The SWODF supports projects that: (1) create jobs and build talent in Southwestern Ontario; (2) attract and encourage private-sector investment; (3) lead to business growth and broad positive economic impacts; (4) encourage innovation, collaboration and cluster development; and (5) contribute to the diversification of the economy of Southwestern Ontario.

Ineligible projects include: (1) ongoing operations including maintenance and capital replacement; (2) refinancing of existing business operations; (3) acquisitions and buyouts; and (4) restructurings or relocations to other jurisdictions within Ontario.

Application Period 7 – 2021

SWODF Eligibility criteria. Businesses must meet the following criteria: • Have been operating for at least three years and have financial statements • Employ at least 10 people (or five if you’re located in rural Ontario) • Commit to creating at least five new jobs as a result of the funding (or a 30% increase for companies with fewer than 15 employees) • Invest at least $500,000 in your project (or $200,000 if you’re located in rural Ontario) • Be located in, or plan to locate in, a community in southwestern Ontario • Be used for activities that are new to the organization SWODF financial support. There are two types of financial support for the SWODF program: Loans. Up to 15% of funding to a maximum of $5,000,000 interest-free loans during the project period, which is a maximum of four years. If the business achieves its investment and job targets, up to 30% of the loan (to a maximum of $500,000) may be forgiven.

Application Period 8 – 2021-22

Application Period 9 –2022

Application opening:

July 28, 2021 – September 9, 2021

October 27, 2021 – December 14, 2021

February 9 March 23, 2022

Application deadline:

September 9, 2021

December 14, 2021

March 23, 2022

Application assessment period (60 business days):

September 13, 2021 – December 8, 2021

December 16, 2021 – March 16, 2022

March 28, 2022 – June 23, 2022

Notification date (last day to notify applicants):

December 8, 2021

March 16, 2022

June 23, 2022

18 | September | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

Grants. SWODF grants are available only for specific circumstances (up to 15%) to a maximum of $500,000 if the business company has fewer than 100 employees and is based in rural Ontario.

This is defined a community with a population of less than 100,000 or population density is less than 100 people per square kilometre. Plus, grants of up to $1,500,000 are also available for strategic projects that are foreign direct investments, or from companies competing against other jurisdictions (in limited circumstances).

Funding restrictions. Businesses are not allowed to combine (or “stack”) Southwestern Ontario Development funding with other provincial programs.

Additional business projects assistance.

Businesses may be eligible for other assistance related to advisory services, assistance with environmental compliance approvals, assistance in accessing skills and talent, and information related to available tax credits. Business applicants may also be eligible for other assistance related to advisory services and navigation support for land-use planning and workforce development.

Application deadlines. Eligibility checklists can be submitted at any time, but should be submitted well in advance of the application intake period. There are four application intake periods per year for full applications. Applicants will be notified of decisions within 60 business days of the application deadline. For additional information, please go to: https://www.ontario.ca/document/ regional-development-program-guidelines-business-projects Bonny Koabel (CPA, CGA) is President of AKR Consulting Canada – a Mississauga, Ontario firm specializing in government grants, subsidies, tax credits, refunds and rebates since 2003. She can be reached at bonny@akrconsulting.com.

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Cover Story

Innovations in textile printing The transformation has already begun! Expect digital to be the driving force as we emerge from the pandemic – and well into the future. Today, digital textile printing technology is becoming more and more sophisticated – and frankly, quite stunning!

Where we stand now and the pandemic’s effects Dover Digital Printing (DDP – Downers Grove, Illinois) recently released an 11-page whitepaper that explores the effects COVID-19 has had on the textile/ apparel industry, while revealing how digitizing the manufacturing process offers enhanced sustainability as well as a bold new way forward. But it also revealed a broken business model: “The problem was already apparent before the pandemic hit sales. The drive towards fast fashion, steep discounting and high retail rents had already created an industry that was teetering on the brink. The pandemic resulted in a high number of fashion retailer bankruptcies, but the majority of these businesses were already floundering before COVID-19 hit. As larger and larger proportions of a company's collections were sold at a discount, gross margins across the industry started to fall. This put pressure on textile suppliers and manufacturers to create items at the lowest sustainable levels. In other words, there was no slack to give when the pandemic wreaked further chaos.”

The good news was that consumer-buying habits have changed, and there’s a growing preference for greater sustainability. The DDP whitepaper further identified compelling reasons why digital printing of textiles will play a much larger role in fashion moving forward: “The additional value of digital printing is its ability to increase the number of versions in a collection, and to offer just-in-time manufacturing to respond to changes in demand. This dramatically reduces the need for discounting, which in turn reduces waste. Any reduction in unsold inventory is a win in terms of sustainability, as is digital printing’s substantially lower water demand, and its contribution towards keeping production operations within domestic national borders.”

@graphicarts

The textile transformation For decades, digital printing for the fashion, décor, industrial and graphics industry was relegated to basic sampling and short-run printing of items such as T-shirts. But with the advantages of today’s inkjet technology, the industry is now addressing the demand for environmentally responsible output, innovative designs, and the need to improve supply-chain operations. So let’s first examine the latest textile industry trends and their effects. Like many industries, the textile printing market has been changing to adopt new technologies aimed at addressing a new generation of consumers and brands, as well as the supply chain. This massive industry – with over a trillion and a half dollars in annual value in the apparel and accessories sector – is undergoing a key transformation.

Brands must adjust to appeal to a new generation of consumers who shop in both brick-and-mortar stores as well as through online retailers. With the digital age, brands as well as textile mills must adapt. Many of these changes have evolved in the past decade as early, highspeed production digital textile solutions emerged. For example, in 2011 Italybased MS Printing Solutions introduced its Lario, the first single-pass digital textile printer. The changes were impactful in several important areas.

Productivity. One of the largest areas in textile printing that’s improved dramatically is the ability to produce ‘just-in-time’ any length of fabrics or garments. With no cylinder or screen make-readies, and utilizing sophisticated workflow automation tools, textile mills can now produce any design rapidly, while also fulfilling the needs of designers and brands in the fashion industry. Additionally, innovations in colour matching and design are revving up the creative process while shrinking creation time – from months, to weeks, to even days.

Creativity. Improvements in productivity and simplified designs have also translated to greater creativity. With the ability to produce single-item runs, there’s no mass production risk associated with taking on new designers. Many brands are allowing promising young artists to compete for ‘mind share’ and recognition.

Today you can order a quarter yard of fabric from traditional textile mills, or a new generation of mass customization, ondemand products.

The environment. Environmental sustainability is now a must. Research has shown that younger generations – particularly Generation Z – prioritize sustainability when it comes to product selection. This group is willing to pay more for products that were created with sustainability in mind. For the textile industry, this signals a major change. Textile manufacturers have traditionally been a large polluter, with 20% of global wastewater produced by textile mills.

Optimizing the supply chain

The Lario was the first single-pass digital textile printer and ushered in a new era in the industry.

The textile market is absolutely changing as digital fabric printing print volumes continue to grow at a 19% CAGR (compound annual growth rate), and are predicted to reach about 4 billion square meters in 2022, according to Keypoint Intelligence. With productivity and

GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | September | 19

Cover Story creativity trends forcing companies to adapt to a more flexible production schedule that prioritizes product diversity, it’s only natural that improvements would come to this vast supply chain.

Integration into product lifecycle management (PLM). When brands plan their next season, they most often use a PLM system. These tools are aggregators of all the components needed to usher in a successful new season. From managing resources, design components, collections and ensembles, to patterns and product photography, these collaborative platforms enable all the functions and processes in the creation of next season’s products. This is an important coordinated effort from brands, designers, textile mills and cut-and-sew operations, to move products to shelves or ship them out in packages.

Just-in-time manufacturing. While justin-time (JIT) manufacturing has been a term that’s existed since the 1960s, it’s grown in applicability in recent decades.

JIT manufacturing allows new businesses to get their product lines to market in days or weeks, rather than months. For larger organizations, it can mean rapid responses to the fashion industry’s needs to meet seasonal demands. Seasonal variations can be on shelves ‘on time’ – giving textile companies better ability to please their customers.

Digital printing. The shift toward digital printing can also mean improved inventory planning, resulting in less overstocked items and warehousing needs. As textile service providers move away from longer runs and shift toward short, varied and targeted production, they’ve been better able to match products to client needs.

Clothing can now be made as needed rather than in bulk, letting companies

20 | September | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

spend less on inventory that may or may not sell. These capabilities ushered in a new type of fabric suppliers – on-demand manufacturers. These companies use what’s called a Purchase Activated Manufacturing business model, whereby production commences only once an order was received and paid for in advance. There are no finished goods in the warehouse, just blank raw materials.

Mass customization: The rise of on-demand fabric manufacturing With the supply chain shortened using new printing technology, and continued advancements in workflow, new players have entered the market, empowered by easy online tools that make it simple to start selling customized clothing commercially. These fit into the growing uses of e-commerce in the apparel industry, where continued growth will drive estimated revenues up to $145 billion by 2023 according to Statista’s 2018 Digital Market Outlook. Several suppliers epitomize this trend, including three current leaders in this space – Spoonflower, Amazon Merch and The Color Soup.

Spoonflower. Spoonflower has been serving the creative and hobbyist markets for many years. It created a community of pattern designers who are linked to customers on the company’s virtual platform.

They can customize fabrics, wall coverings and wrappings on the site, while modifying home décor elements on the Roostery site. The company makes use of digital print technology for cotton and man-made materials that require no extensive use of water for processing – namely pigment inks for cotton and sublimation inks for synthetics. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are processed annually.

Amazon Merch. Giant online retailer Amazon realized the potential of digital printing several years ago when it started printing books on demand. Today, Amazon is an investor in companies such as Kornit, which supplies the company with DTG printers that enable Amazon Merch’s “print-per-buy” operation. Amazon offers its front-end infrastructure to entrepreneurs with designs and ideas, and then provides the ability to benefit from Amazon’s backend infrastructure to get

those ideas fulfilled. Its services support independent designers and large-scale brands. That being said, sellers on Amazon Merch must split their profits with Amazon, earning only a royalty with each sale.

The Color Soup. With several industrial sites, The Miroglio Group from Italy operates in 22 countries providing materials as well as vertically integrated fashion brands. It’s been using single-pass inkjet printing since its inception in 2011 via its Lario Textile Printer, and has also been a pioneer in environmental preservation and design innovation. In 2015, it created The Color Soup as an online portal for the creation and ordering of high-end fashion fabrics for anyone with a browser and internet access.

Ongoing technology innovations Today we’re experiencing relentless innovations in print technology and materials science, with the latter driving the use of various types of inks needed for optimal results on a wide range of fabrics. From reactive dyes used for ‘naturelle fibres,’ to high-energy and low-energy sublimation inks, to those specialty inks for silk and nylon printing (i.e. acid), plus the emergence of new generations of pigment inks that can print on most fabrics without the intensive use of water (as is the case with some textile inks), a new world of design freedom and colour has emerged. Digital printing has evolved from the early 1980s where it was used for strike-off only (i.e. proofing), to today where some single-pass textile production printers can reach speeds up to 90 m/min and beyond. With textile-specific transport

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Cover Story systems, we’ve seen the impact of print head improvements and cost reductions that enable production systems from 1.8 to 3.2 metres wide or more.

According to Keypoint Intelligence’s Annual Digital Textile Printing Industry Forecast 2017-2022, about 12,000 digital printing devices that produce garment, décor and industrial fabrics, will be installed by 2022. This will drive higher print volumes, reaching about 4 billion square metres of printed fabrics globally.

In the textile industry today, technology innovations have reached new heights to include up to 12 colour channels and upwards of 64 print heads, to allow for high throughput of thousands of square metres an hour. Many of these machines also use a ‘sticky belt’ that enables the even transport of fabric through the entire printer.

Textile printing by application.

Source: Keypoint Intelligence’s Annual Digital Textile Printing Industry Forecast 2017-2022

Single-pass printing’s introduction in 2011 by MS Printing from Italy, has resulted in a new area of high-speed textile production. Today, additional single-pass technology has emerged from a range of suppliers capable of printing upwards of 90 linear metres per minute! The manufacturers of these systems are also working on multiple ink-system configurations, inline quality control and more. There are also exceptional hybrid systems that combine analogue and digital systems working in perfect harmony. Lately, we’ve also seen flat-screen analogue frames inline with a scanning-head printer to form a tight integration between the latest in inkjet with traditional analogue processes.

@graphicarts

Nevertheless, the main hurdle to overcome for many companies is converting fabrics into garments. Cutting, sewing and accessorizing finished garments is still labour intensive. As automation encroaches on workforces worldwide, the textile industry will undergo its own evolution. Projects aimed at automating the sewing progress using a multi-stage sewing assembly line with intelligent sewing machines and sensors will emerge.

These systems will eventually outpace human production due to non-stop operation. Even future threads used for sewing will be dyed on the fly using digital technology.

Keypoint Intelligence’s assessment Product customization and reducing environmental impact are trends that will continue to impact the textile printing industry. Today, digital printing firms are starting mass-customization efforts that deliver on-demand printed textiles.

Major brands are taking note of this and are looking for solutions to achieve their goals – namely consistently high quality product creation, waste and inventory reduction, and satisfying customer demands quickly for design innovation and personalization. Many lessons learned in the printing industry regarding production consistency and workflow automation are now being adapted by textile printing equipment suppliers. But to create significant impact, digital printing will need to move beyond quality short-run printing.

Mimaki Tx300P-1800 MkII

As equipment suppliers integrate 2D and 3D design capabilities into their machines that can print directly onto clothing, we’ll see automation kick in for cutting, sewing and integration with vertical manufacturing platforms. These will enable micro-factories to emerge locally and produce timely customer-oriented products. When this happens, it will likely be a part of massive supply-chain realignment that will take some time to fully materialize.

Major industry players MIMAKI. Mimaki’s complete portfolio of textile printers has over the years adapted to evolving customer expectations. Recent developments align with the industry’s decrease in mass-produced products in favour of smaller, on-demand production runs of personalized goods. Mimaki printers deliver shorter lead times and greater agility to produce goods quickly and efficiently, regardless of run length.

Mimaki’s Tx300P-1800 MkII is ideal for small to medium-sized companies wishing to enter the lucrative textile printing market. It’s an exceptional hybrid solution in terms of printing processes, inks and the wide range of printable fabrics and substrates. It also easily handles different types of small runs. The entry-level solution provides both direct-to-fabric and transferprinting capabilities and can be installed with a single ink type (dye sub, disperse, acid, reactive or pigment-based). Various ink combinations can also be configured – including pigment-based / direct sublimation, pigmented-based / sublimation transfer and direct sublimation / sublimation transfer. It’s precisely this feature that ensures optimum results for each individual application, expanding the range of processes and substrates

GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | September | 21

Cover Story supported. From cotton, linen, silk, wool and leather, to polyester, nylon and other fabrics, this printer is highly versatile when it comes to accommodating various fibres and materials. With interchangeable platens and three different ink combinations, an operator can easily switch from one printing process to another, thus offering unprecedented production versatility.

In 2021, Mimaki launched its TS100-1600, an affordable entry-level high-performance sublimation printer. New to the Mimaki line of sublimation printers is the use of one-litre bottled ink that helps reduce running costs by about 50% when compared to conventional models, while enabling stable, long-term operation due to the reduced frequency of ink replacement. Mimaki also offers the TS55-1800, ideal for designers and producers looking for scalability, increased productivity and low running costs, as it facilitates unattended continuous printing and can reach industry-leading speeds.

For larger textile producers, Mimaki has set itself apart from its competitors with the Tiger 1800B-MkII model, an industrial-scale solution that can be set for direct-to-fabric printing or dye-sublimation transfer printing.

AGFA. Though Agfa is known as a world leader in wide-format printing, in June it launched its Avinci CX3200 soft signage, dye-sublimation roll-to-roll printer that can print directly onto textiles or onto transfer papers. Delivering vibrant print quality on a wide range of non-coated polyester fabrics, it can create textile prints up to 3.2 metres wide at speeds up to 270 m²/hr. while utilizing eco-friendly, odourless, water-based dye-sub inks. Being able to print directly onto fabrics is ideal for soft signage applications such as banners, wall graphics, POS, tradeshow displays, flags and more. Transfer paper, in turn, allows for sharp prints, eliminates set-off, reduces media waste and extends

Agfa Avinci CX3200

@graphicarts

applications to include sportswear, fashions and home-décor prints on non-coated polyester fabrics. The dye-sub inks feature high outdoor resistance. Vacuum technology ensures that thin transfer papers are kept wrinkle-free.

EPSON. Epson’s latest rollout in July was its flagship SureColor F10070H 6-colour dye-sublimation printer for industrial, 24/7 production. It features six new, userreplaceable 4.7” PrecisionCore print heads that deliver roll-to-roll performance at speeds up to 2,635 ft²/hr. The F10070H consistently produces high quality textiles, apparel and more using vibrant UltraChrome DS6 Inks. A low-cost, high-capacity replaceable ink pack system holds up to 20 litres of ink per colour for long runs. Multiple ink configurations include light cyan and light magenta, or fluorescent pink and fluorescent yellow for vivid customized apparel and décor. An auto paper-tension control and a fabric head wiper further contribute to uninterrupted production. Plus, the fashion industry and educators have taken note of Epson’s ingenuity in this sector. The FX LIFT (Leading Innovation in Fashion Technology) Lab launched in October of 2019 at the Fashion Exchange at George Brown College in Toronto, has been using Epson’s SureColor F9370 WideFormat Textile Printer since it opened.

inkjet technologies to the market as a replacement for analogue dyeing procedures that make textile manufacturing the world’s second-largest-polluting industry.

EFI Reggiani Bolt

MUTOH. The OEM’s 75” ValueJet 1938TX direct-to-textile printer can create customized fashion apparel, upholstery, interior decor, scarves, tradeshow graphics, soft signage, flags, sportswear and more and can handle closed, open non-stretch, face-in and face-out roll media. Its Smart Printing Technologies, wide print area and fast speeds are only a few of the features that make the ValueJet 1938TX a valuable addition to any shop looking to enter or expand their textile printing applications.

The ValueJet 1938TX uses two print heads for fast print speeds up to 914 ft²/hr, while its 8-channel piezo print head technology creates sharp images. The 1938TX is compatible with: reactive inks for rayon, cotton and silks; acid inks for nylon, silks and wools; disperse dyes for polyesters; and pigment inks for natural, blended and coated fabrics.

Epson SureColor F10070H

EFI REGGIANI. Characterized by the OEM as “The World’s Fastest Digital Textile Printer,” the EFI Reggiani Bolt is a singlepass printer with speeds up to 295 fpm, print resolution of 600 x 600 dpi and high-end grayscale imaging in drop sizes from 5 to 30 picolitres. Recent upgrades include hardware and software enhancements that minimize artifacts, and enhanced uniformity that delivers smoother solid colours. The upgrades also improve print quality via smoother gradients, while enabling faster print head replacement and increasing processing speed by up to 200% for large, complex files. The enhancements are an important step in bringing greener, more-sustainable

Mutoh ValueJet 1938TX

KONICA MINOLTA. Its 9-colour Nassenger Pro 120 uses reactive-dye inks and nine high-density, water-based inkjet print heads each with an independent drive system for high productivity. With a maximum speed of 120 m²/hr, the Pro 120 can handle everything from sampling to high-volume production. Automatic print head maintenance and empty-ink detection technology enable stable, continuous production and labour savings. Other key functions

GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | September | 23

Cover Story include fabric wrinkle, entanglement and fabric-end detection, while displaying print-track records in real time. Capable of printing on widths up to 1,850 mm, the Nassenger is ideal for everything from fashion apparel to interior products such as bedding. Its ability to handle thicknesses up to 3 mm also makes it ideal for towel printing. A built-in dryer and winder make the Pro 120 “a total textile-printing solution.”

Konica Minolta Nassenger Pro 120

KORNIT DIGITAL. Kornit NeoPoly technology is “the industry’s first digital industrial process for high-quality printing on polyester,” said the OEM. Polyester is popular in the sports segment, and is growing in the ‘athleisure’ and functional apparel sectors. Current analogue solutions create major cost and sustainability challenges. Kornit NeoPoly technology addresses these issues with a unique process and NeoPigment Olympia inks that can handle polyester without compromising on design, run size, substrate or labour.

The ink set was developed specifically for low-temperature curing. Polyesterenhancing functions facilitate colour fastness and the process also prevents dye migration. The first system equipped with NeoPoly technology is the Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro – a CMYK+White+Poly Enhancer, 1,200-dpi, single-step system with a printing area up to 23.5” x 60” that’s also ideal for cost-effective short runs.

ROLAND DG. Its large-format Texart RT-640 Dye Sublimation Printer is ideal for soft signage, apparel, décor, promotional goods and other profitable applications. Designed for ease-of-use, an automatic feed adjuster and media take-up system ensure even tensioning and prevent skewing of transfer paper, while a powerful vacuum keeps the paper flat for printing. A Roland DG Ink Switching System automatically switches to the back-up ink pouch when the primary pouch runs out, providing up to 2,000 ml of ink per colour in CMYK mode. Texart ink delivers dense blacks, a wide colour gamut that includes orange and violet options, and a high dye concentration that maximizes high colour density and vibrancy. Texart SBL3 ink (also available in fluorescent pink and yellow) can produce vivid fluorescent colours and soft pastel shades for fashionable sportswear, décor and soft signage.

DTG printers in its class.” The printer is available in two sizes with three different ink options – textile pigment (includes white ink), acid and reactive. It’s also ideal for current DTG shops that need to increase volume or want to print on a wider variety of items and sizes.

HP. Its Stitch S500 Dye-Sublimation Printer (the series also includes the S300 and S1000) was engineered to keep production running smoothly even when unattended or overnight, while yielding high image quality and consistent, repeatable colours. Adopters save time and money with user-replaceable print heads, and reduce manual interventions with automatic maintenance. HP PrintOS software simplifies and controls all print operations. Users can efficiently and remotely monitor printer status and ink/ substrate use. Features include up to a 64” roll width, 3.775 litre ink cartridges, it accepts large rolls up to 121 lbs, has two high-efficiency CMYK print heads, and has a maximum production speed up to 1,185 ft²/hr in one pass. The series, however, can only be used with cartridges using an HP original chip. Users can also download or create their own colour profiles.

Roland DG Texart RT-640

AMERICAN PRINT CONSULTANTS (APC). Its wide-format Shima Seiki SIP160F3 DTG Flatbed, from one of Japan’s leading original textile printing equipment manufacturers, is ideal for printing directly on a variety of finished items, and can print multiple items at once. The head carriage can be raised or lowered according to the thickness of the item up to 1.96.”

This allows printing on fabrics with 3D textures and directly onto completed products, including whole garment knitwear “at a lower cost than other flatbed

HP Stitch S500

Special thanks to Ron Gilboa, formerly of print industry market research leader Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends (https:// www.keypointintelligence.com/), as well as Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, organizer of drupa 2024 (https://www.drupa.com/), the world’s largest printing industry tradeshow, for providing selected content used in this feature.

Tony Curcio Editor, Graphic Arts Magazine tony@graphicartsmag.com

Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro APC Shima Seiki SIP-160F3

24 | September | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

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Compact photo printers for small format

A coreless rewinder, trimmer and label printer

Epson’s new SureLab D1070-Series of Minilab Photo Printers offer fast, high-volume output and exceptional print quality in a compact design, to meet the growing demand for small-format photos. Epson’s SureLab D1070 and SureLab D1070DE Minilab Photo Printers are designed for retail, event and e-commerce applications. The SureLab D1070DE adds a duplex feeder to provide automatic double-sided printing that’s ideal for photo books, greeting cards, invitations, postcards and more. The SureLab D1070 and D1070DE deliver print speeds up to 460 4”x6”, 275 5”x7” or 140 8”x10” photos per hour, and are up to 10% faster than the previous generation. An enhanced 6-channel MicroPiezo print head, AccuPhoto image processing technology, and vivid UltraChrome D6r-S dye-based inks deliver vibrant, true-to-life images and can accurately reproduce subtle tones in portrait photos with smooth transitions and crisp, sharp details. When coupled with Epson Genuine Photo Media, prints are also water, smudge and fade resistant.

The D1070 will be available this fall and the D1070DE in Epson SureLab D1070 Photo 2022.

Printer

Supply55’s new Nepata UA770 30” Coreless Rewinder/ Trimmer delivers fast and accurate rewinds, precision cuts and automatic label printing for lot-number traceability, while eliminating the cost of cores when rewinding. A wide range of materials can be processed – including selfadhesive vinyl films, sandblast mask, vehicle-wrap films, magnetic films, flex films, flock, heat-transfer vinyl, banner materials, VHB tape, photo paper, engineering paper, wallpaper, reflective films, window tint film, and other non-woven films. Benefits include: up to 140 5-foot rewinds per hour; support for coreless or 40-mm core rewinds; rewinding and trimming up to 30” widths; 99.9% rewinding accuracy; precision cuts with a variance of less than 1% for less waste; fewer rejects and reduced customer complaints. Productivity gains of over 40% compared to analogue methods can be achieved. Other advantages i n c l u d e a u to m a t i c l a b e l printing (including bar codes for professional inventory control, reduction in shipping errors and elimination of roll-length errors), metric and imperial system data that’s supported concurrently, and Nepata UA770 Coreless more.

Rewinder/Trimmer

An ultra-fast multi-purpose folder-gluer Bobst’s Expertfold 110 A3 Folder-Gluer offers more versatility and saves packaging converters more time. It adds new, integrated and dedicated modules that produce crash-lock, 4-corner and 6-corner boxes. With these modules, job changeovers from one box type to the next are simplified and can be done much faster. Set-up times can be reduced by up to 80% and changeover times are lessened as well – which is a major advantage when dealing with short runs.

The 110 A3 delivers carton production speeds up to 450 meters per minute – and when running 4-corner boxes, can produce up to half a million boxes per day. The A3 version is the newest configuration of Bobst’s Expertfold 110.

Until now, the range included versions for the production of straight-line, crash-lock bottom, 4-corner and 6-corner boxes. As a result, changeovers took longer because most of the tooling and conveyors needed to be swapped out.

Now, the same module can be used for each box type. With advances built into the new 110 A3, users can save much more time.

Inserter automatically switches between different envelope sizes Kern’s new 3200 Automatic Inserter is a multi-format system that introduces automatic switching between different envelope sizes for smoother, uninterrupted processing. Kern’s 3200 comes in three versions, maximum output is 24,000 envelopes per hour, and the technology can be used for both transactional and direct mail. With a newly developed inserting module at its core, Kern added that this is the only system in its performance class that can be equipped with more than one envelope feeder – so automatic envelope changeovers between C4, C5 and DL envelopes while running multiple jobs can be done.

A wide variety of modules can also be accommodated – including multi-channel solutions for special applications, multiple inputs in different performance classes, single-sheet inputs and various feeders for inserts. The 3200 can be equipped with up to 16 insertion stations (friction or rotary feeders), while at its exit, it can include a Print@Exit digital printing system.

Kern 3200 Automatic Inserter Bobst Expertfold 110 A3 Folder-Gluer

26 | September | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

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Creative & Design

Shutterfly acquires Spoonflower – helping over a million designers Shutterfly (Redwood City, CA), a pioneer in online photo sharing and a leading digital platform for personalized products, has acquired Spoonflower, a global marketplace of custom fabrics, wallpaper and home décor. The acquisition, for about $225 million (USD), will connect 21 million active Shutterfly users to over one million designs by independent artists across the Spoonflower global marketplace. “At Shutterfly, we believe that anyone can be a creator,” said Hilary Schneider, CEO at Shutterfly. “This strategic acquisition helps us expand our lens on creativity to include not only photo personalization, but also a full range of custom designs created by independent artists. And we’ll break down the barriers to creating and discovering custom products, gifts and home décor items by providing expanded access to high-quality manufacturing and production at scale.” Shutterfly pioneered online photo sharing over 20 years ago, enabling millions of people worldwide to create a wide range of personalized products. Spoonflower was founded over 10 years ago to fill a need for print-on-demand fabrics, and has grown its product lines to include wallpaper and home décor.

Hilary Schneider

GMG introduces ColorBook for Pantone Colour simulations GMG (Tuebingen, Germany) has unveiled a new sales tool for printers who want to physically demonstrate their colour competence in digital printing – even before an order is placed. GMG’s new ColorBook “establishes a building block for reliable colour communication,” said the company. “In digital printing, GMG’s ColorBook is a Pantone-licensed colour reference for simulating Pantone and custom brand colours based on a precise set of real-print conditions,” said Peter Schöffler, Product Manager at GMG. “We're not talking about a regular colour guide, but one created on your own press – in real printing conditions. In short, the GMG ColorBook shows the actual end result because it’s produced under production conditions on the same press, using the same inks, and on the production substrate. From design to prepress, from the pressroom to clients and brands – if everyone’s expectations are aligned, we create reassuring process reliability from start to finish.”

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Enfocus releases Connect 2021 Enfocus (Gent, Belgium), an industry leader in PDF quality control, advanced PDF editing and workflow automation for the printing industry, has released Connect 2021 – which brings Connect YOU and Connect ALL up to speed with the latest PitStop Libraries. Connect 2021 also provides support for macOS 11 Big Sur and Apple Silicon via Rosetta. The features that come with PitStop 2020 and PitStop 2021 are valuable additions to Connect. PitStop 2020 included Overlay PDF, Check Page Bleed, Add Copied Graphic with variables, Normalize Pantone Names, and Check for Corrupt Images. PitStop 2021 introduces Check Bleed on Contour, Impose to Spreads, Consolidate Fonts, and Flatten Type 3 Fonts. Check Bleed on Contour checks defined bleed along a die-line. Impose to Spreads can impose a PDF as either printer or reader spreads.

Consolidate Fonts cleans up type fonts for more efficient processing. And Flatten Type 3 Fonts flattens these fonts into raster or vector content for more consistent output.

Monadnock launches new swatchbook for fine printing papers Monadnock Paper Mills (Bennington, NH), the oldest continuously operating paper mill in the U.S., has released a new swatch book dedicated to its virgin-fibre, fine-printing papers.

The paper grades are alkaline pH and buffered to achieve archival longevity. They’re also crafted to the paper-longevity standards of the American National Standards Institute, are FSC-Certified, manufactured carbon neutral, and made with 100% renewable Green-e certified wind-powered electricity.

The new swatch book also contains compelling images that show the effects of colour on the level surfaces of the papers.

It demonstrates that by simply combining CMYK inks, users can create duotone, tritone or quadtone effects with dramatic and exceptional results. “Here at Monadnock, we like to say that our fine printing papers are the result of more than 200 years of craftsmanship,” said Lisa Taylor, VP of Sales and Marketing. “We can’t wait to see how today’s designers, brands and publishers put them to effective use.”

GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | September | 27

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Column

Lead-generation strategies to attract a new generation of buyers Let’s face it, the cold-calling and faceto-face meetings rooted in every sales department’s DNA all but vanished in the wake of COVID-19, forcing seasoned sales professionals to seek new, more effective engagement tactics – and compete against a new generation of digital-savvy marketers. One LinkedIn study revealed that over 70% of all salespeople have adopted social selling. For millennial salespeople, it’s nearly 80%!

Studies have pinpointed the average cost of a qualified lead at about $200.

According to HubSpot, organizations with revenues under $500 million have a mean cost per lead of roughly $180. Firms with revenues above $500 million spend about $430 per lead.

No matter what the industry, good leads are the fuel that powers business growth. As communication preferences ebb and flow, channels evolve and society adjusts to new technology. Successful salespeople need to adjust as well – and more importantly, assume that what worked yesterday might not in the future. To be successful today, you’ll need to discover how savvy ‘hunters’ are diversifying channel strategies – and shifting from legacy cold calling to new, ice-breaking engagements. Lead generation will become ever more crucial as we emerge from the pandemic.

Here are five suggestions to better engage your prospects and convert qualified leads into actual sales.

1. Pinpoint where your sales tactics are stalling. Understand in detail the behaviour of your current and future buying audience. Feeding them objective information that helps them make independent decisions about new solutions will help you to test and target new markets, products and services – and jump-start your lead-generation efforts. Unearth the real roadblocks that are preventing promising prospects

30 | September | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

from making their final buying decisions and remove those barriers quickly. It may be something as simple as a price adjustment, not clearly outlining your stance on sustainability or social responsibility (which is especially important to millennials), or listing technical specifications rather than the actual human benefits of your products or services.

2. Realize where your leads originate.

Knowing where your leads are coming from is also important. It lets you pinpoint

4. Use selling strategies that cut through the fog. Successful commercial printers have a crystal clear understanding of whom they target, what engages them, and what drives their buying habits.

They don’t use clichés, general selling points, or focus on equipment. These printers understand specifically how they can fulfill the changing business needs of their prospects – and the powerful role that print plays in the customer-acquisition journey. They also realize that today, sharing information, telling their unique story, and engaging on multiple social media platforms, IS the new selling.

5. Optimize your social media posts. Which hashtags should you use? Which social media platforms should you be on? How do you grow your LinkedIn network? How can you make your company profile stand out from your competition?

You must answer these questions to be successful with your leadgeneration efforts.

the tactics that work, and which don’t, at attracting the right quality of lead.

Whether they’re originating from your website, tradeshows or other events, prospect lists, advertising or referrals, this will give you valuable insights into buying behaviour, as well as what vehicles or channels best convert prospects into customers.

3. Get the most out of each lead. Smart marketers know how to get the most out of each lead. They target prospects who’ve shown an initial interest in their products or services, then cultivate that relationship with follow-up communications that further explain how their company can fulfill their very specific needs. These marketers engage prospects by telling an interesting and compelling story – and never resort to using outdated, high-pressure sales tactics.

Joanne Gore Communications has two publications that can help. The Ultimate Guide to Optimizing your Social Media Posts answers many of these questions with curated tips, insights and examples from today’s social-selling leaders, movers and shakers. The company’s LinkedIn Business Development Guide explains how to tap into your company’s LinkedIn business page and discover who’s interested in your products, services, solutions and brand. The guide also helps you to pinpoint new prospects and lays out what steps to take next.

Joanne Gore, President of Joanne Gore Communications, is a B2B marketer who’s passionate about print. She has spent the last three decades helping hardware, software, manufacturing and print companies stretch their marketing dollars with programs that generate awareness, customer engagement and growth.

Email: joanne@joannegorecommunications.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joannegore121

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