in print FROM THE MAKERS OF PIXEL MAGAZINE
RETAIL SOLUTIONS FOR THE PRINT PROFESSIONAL Volume 1 Issue 3
The personalised greetings cards & gifts kiosk, making a
b i g i mpa c t Turn to page 4
, t Pig & Pigeon Don’t let thacustomer base steal your
PLUS: FUJIFILM’S NEW SOCIAL CHANNELS, KODAK’S RETAIL REVOLUTION, INTRODUCING PICS2YOU, THE LATEST PRODUCTS, CAMPAIGN UPDATES AND MORE InPrint 1 InprintJune.indd 1
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HP Photosmart ML2000D Minlab Printer Profit from the ultra-fast dry minilab and watch your revenue grow with high quality, high margin products
High margin products High volume workflow Up to 55 photobooks per hour 4 x 6” photos at 1500 per hour Borderless & duplex printing Smudge & water-resistant prints Outstanding & consistent quality 5 input trays Environmentally sound 2 InPrint InprintJune.indd 2
ACL Absolute Computing Ltd 29 Nuffield Centrum Abingdon OX14 1RL 01235 559999 www.acl-uk.com sales@acl-uk.com
12/07/2012 17:17
issue three
05 - News
contents
News and updates, facts and figures from the world of printing.
11 - A Wealth of Experience
Dai Nippon Printing - DNP - are bringing Sony and Konika Minolta’s imaging expertise back to the UK, with big plans for the industry.
14 - A Revolution at Retail
InPrint interviews Darren Johnson about Kodak’s huge new roll out in Germany and what it means for the UK market.
18 - Moving With the Times
Ferndown Photographic updates its online offering with Pics2You... find out more inside.
22 - Signed, Sealed and Delivered Save The Photographers Petition taken to 10 Downing Street - Campaign Update.
in print
24 - Launchpad
FROM THE MAKERS OF PIXEL MAGAZINE
RETAIL SOLUTIONS FOR THE PRINT PROFESSIONAL Volume 1 Issue 3
A concise showcase of the latest products and equipment for the printing business. The personalised greetings cards & gifts kiosk, making a
30 - Printed
b i g i mpa c t Turn to page 4
A straight-to-the point conversation with a business on the front line of printing. This issue: Alison Armstrong and Joan West of Photo Imaging in North Wales..
Pig & Pigeon, Don’t let that mer base steal your custo
PLUS: FUJIFILM’S NEW SOCIAL CHANNELS, KODAK’S RETAIL REVOLUTION, INTRODUCING PICS2YOU, THE LATEST PRODUCTS, CAMPAIGN UPDATES AND MORE InPrint 1 InprintJune.indd 1
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CREDITS & CONTACTS Managing Director/Publisher: Lee Mansfield 01323 411601 lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk Sales Director: Simon Skinner 01323 433700 simon@lifemediagroup.co.uk Editor: Laura Knight 01323 437946 laura@lifemediagroup.co.uk Editorial Director: Grant Scott 01323 437941 grant@lifemediagroup.co.uk
Production Design/ Editorial Assistant: Harriet Weston 01323 411601 harriet@lifemediagroup.co.uk Subscriptions: Leanne McConnell 01323 433707 leanne@lifemediagroup.co.uk Accounts: Clare Fermor Amelia Wellings 01323 433708 clare@lifemediagroup.co.uk amelia@lifemediagroup.co.uk
Published by: LMG SE LTD Park View House 19 The Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 3YD 01323 411601 www.lifemediagroup.co.uk Printed by: Gemini Press Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex 01273 464884
All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in InPrint Magazine do not necessarily represent the view of Life Media Group LTD. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers of InPrint Magazine assume no reponsibilty for any damage, loss or injury arising from the participation in any offers, competitions or advertisment contained within InPrint Magazine. All prices featured in InPrint Magazine are correct at the time of going to press.
Copyright Life Media Group LTD 2012 ©
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T h e b i g i mpa c T being made by instant personalised greetings cards printed in your store CardCreator delivers what retailers have been dreaming of - high margin, instant, personalised cards and gifts in just 0.3m2 of floorspace.
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4 InPrint
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call: 020 7183 1411
a system created by
13/07/2012 10:07
news
Fuji Xerox and Memjet Partner on Wide Format Solution Memjet, the global leader in colour printing technologies that provide remarkable speeds and affordability, today announced a partnership with Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd. for the development of a wide format printer featuring Memjet components. Under the partnership, Fuji Xerox is integrating Memjet technology and components into a roll-fed 42” wide format solution targeted at technical and production graphics applications. The combination of speed, colour and print quality (up to 1600 x 1600 dpi) are unmatched by traditional wide format offerings. Fuji Xerox is targeting a formal
product launch in Asia Pacific at a future date to be determined. The Memjet Wide Format inkjet printing system employs Memjet Waterfall Printhead Technology™, delivering more than 3 billion drops of inks per second. The Memjet Wide Format printing technology brings unrivaled speed, performance and affordability for shortrun and variable data colour printing to a variety of markets and applications. The 42” wide print engine prints at speeds of 300mm per second at 1600 x 800 dpi or 150mm per second at 1600 x 1600 dpi.
More Stores Sign-Up to FDIS The Fujifilm Digital Imaging Service (FDIS) group has announced a steady stream of new stores signing up recently. The new branches are: • Gibson’s Pharmacy in Londonderry. • Lazer International in Hackney. • Campbell Pharmacy in Portrush. • Get Set in Bideford Chana Chemist in Southall. • CC Inks in Nottingham. • St Helens Photo Studio in St Helens. Peter Wigington, Marketing Manager for Fujifilm Photo Imaging Group said: “I’d like to welcome our latest members to the FDIS group. These may be challenging times for the high street but I’m sure with the support of Fujifilm all our FDIS stores have a bright future ahead of them.” www.fisdigital.co.uk
Fuji Xerox (Japan) is a subsidiary of Fujifilm Holdings of Japan (75%) and Xerox Corporation of the USA (25%). Fuji Xerox distributes Fuji Xerox and Xerox Corporation products and services throughout the Asia Pacific region with operations in Japan, Australia, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. www.fujixerox.com/eng www.memjet.com
Epson Support “100 Faces of London” Exhibition Epson is supporting the the “100 Faces of London” project with photographer Milan Svanderlik., shown in The Crypt Gallery throughout July. 100 Faces of London features portraits of one hundred Londoners, reflecting the huge diversity of this city. All the participants were photographed within a twelve-month period, mostly during 2010. The youngest sitter was 20 years old and the oldest 100. Every effort was made to embrace a broad range of ethnic backgrounds. The images in the exhibition were printed on an Epson Stylus Pro 3880, using advanced ink-jet technology. These inks incorporate high-density pigme. The paper used was Epson ‘Cold Press Natural’, which is an acid-free, 100% cotton rag paper, ideal for archival usage. www.epson.com
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news
21,000 Image LomoWall opens at Museum of London Almost 30,000 photographs make up a 65 meter Olympic themed LomoWall at the Museum of London. More than 15,000 people from 32 countries submitted analogue pictures responding to the brief “inspiring and achieving in London’s Olympic year”. Famous for the distinctive waves of undulating colour, the LomoWall’s abstract appearance comes from the thousands of printed images taken by fans of Lomography cameras from around the world. Close up, visitors are able to enjoy each photo individually, but when viewed from afar the LomoWall resembles a fascinating mosaic artwork in its own right. Analogue photographs of Paralympic athletes in training for the London 2012 Games also feature in this, the first LomoWall in the UK since 2007. The
The LomoWall, at the Museum of London
LomoWall will span the Museum of London’s foyer and rotunda and will be the longest running LomoWall in the UK to date, scheduled to remain up at the Museum for six months. David Spence, Director of Programmes at the Museum of London, said:
“The LomoWall is likely to be the largest collection of analogue photographs and contributing is a fun way to get into the spirit if the London 2012 Games. The Lomography LomoWall is free and open until 6 January 2013. www.lomography.co.uk
Man Sues Apple Over Lost Images Food for thought for those who question the reliability of digital image storage. Photographs are often preserved as precious memories, which is a point many of us use to highlight the importance of the printed photograph. One man who wishes he’d heeded that advice is Perminder Tung, who is now taking legal action against Apple because he claims that a malfunction of the
Time Capsule caused him to lose precious memories. As the CBC reports, Perminder used the Time Capsule to back up his iPhone and two laptops, on which he had taken many photographs, including some of the birth of his first child. Perminder, who is Canadian, claims that Apple have told him the data on his Time Capsule is irretrievable after the device failed. Apple’s Time Capsule has been so plagued by
manufacturing defects that Apple have offered free replacements for the device previously. Tung, who purchased his Time Capsule in 2008, claims he fell outside of the recall period as the exchange offer was made in 2010, and it’s been reported that Apple did not make the full extent of the problem public. Tung, a lawyer, says is now demanding $25,000 from Apple to compensate him for the broken device and the lost memories.
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Kodak Wide-Format Inkjet Media: BMG Offers Business as Usual Loyal customers for the acclaimed Kodak range of wide-format inkjet media need have no concerns about their ability to purchase Kodak products in future, nor about the expert back-up on which they have come to expect. In a licensing agreement effective from 2 January 2012, the Brand Management Group (BMG) has taken on the international marketing, sale and distribution of Kodak wide-format inkjet media products to imaging professionals. The BMG team has more than 15 years’ experience of selling inkjet media, equipment, and supplies across all market sectors, including printfor-pay, POS, digital photography, government, in-house and beverage distribution markets. With established distribution centres in the UK and the Netherlands, and a further 15 centres across North America, each offering state-of-the-art inventory and order processing, the company is confident of its ability to deliver – and exceed – customers’ expectations. A spokesman said, “BMG has helped over 20,000 printing, imaging and sign businesses adapt to changing markets and develop new revenue sources. Whether it’s with existing products, new products or introducing new technologies, we are here to help you grow your business and increase your bottom line.” BMG, in collaboration with Kodak, is planning to roll out a variety of new inkjet media products throughout the year. “Kodak is extremely excited about BMG’s commitment to providing industry leading sales and support along with their passionate desire to expand the Kodak wideFormat inkjet media portfolio. We will be working closely with the BMG team to evaluate new products and technologies,” said Lisa Singer, Worldwide Product Manager, Packaging Products Group. Eastman Kodak Company. For more information regarding the Kodak Wide Format Media please contact Sarah Punt at sarah@brandmanagementgroup. com or call +44(0)1992 563355.
8 InPrint
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news
Fujifilm UK Unveils New Social and Digital Channels Fujifilm has unveiled its new UK social and digital channels. As part of a six figure investment in social and digital media, the company has developed an integrated online presence across a number of platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Tumblr. Fujifilm already has an online community on its MyFinePix website which encourages users to share images, but it wanted to extend its reach beyond existing Fujifilm users. At the centre of the offering is a Facebook page which combines interaction with users alongside apps that incorporate magazine style content, competitions, wikis and forums. The Facebook Wall will highlight the best images from MyFinePix and encourage discussion about the photographs.. Marc Horner, Fujifilm’s Web Development Manager comments: “At the heart of our plans to develop the new social and digital platforms is the desire to bring the Fujifilm brand to life. We want anyone with an interest in photography to be able to share their favourite images and discuss tips with one another. So many of our target audience and users are active on these networks - we wanted to ensure that we could engage with them further, and not rely on them coming to us. Professionals can showcase their work, while amateurs can see the potential of photography and hopefully be
ABOVE: Fujifilm social media
inspired to share their successes with us.” The Facebook page features a timeline detailing the history of the brand. It includes the Through My Eyes app, a showcase of images taken by professional and semiprofessional photographers using Fujifilm’s ground-breaking X-Series range of cameras. A second app, The Summer Story competition, launching in June 2012, will be an opportunity for users to showcase their best summer images for the chance to win one of Fujifilm’s latest digital cameras. The competition, which will run until the 31st August, is designed to be highly interactive; users will be able to share and like their favourite pictures. The shortlist will be voted for by Facebook users, with the winning images being judged by Fujifilm. In addition to Facebook, Fujifilm now has a presence on Twitter, Tumblr and Google+.
These channels will provide Fujifilm customers further opportunities to interact directly with Fujifilm. The platforms will be monitored closely and Fujifilm will be able to respond to users quickly. The Twitter account @Fujifilm_UK has already attracted over 2,000 followers, and like Facebook it provides followers with photographic tips and new; encouraging conversations and advice between Fujifilm users. Emerging blogging platform, Tumblr will be used to profile the best images featured on Facebook, with Fujifilm engaging with the platform’s creative and dynamic community. And Google+, which has a large number of the professional photographic community, will allow more experienced photographers to engage with the Fujifilm brand and one another. www.fujifilm.eu/uk
InPrint 9
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10InPrint InPrint Unit 14, Waltham Park Way, Billet Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 5DU 32 InprintJune.indd 10
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focus
A Wealth of Experience Encompassing the photographic know-how of Sony and Konica Minolta, Dai Nippon Printing – better known as DNP – are making a bid for the top of the printing market. InPrint talks to Marketing Manager Mark Beulow to find out how the ever-changing state of the trade is affecting DNP’s plans. “The year 2011 was a very successful one for DNP, despite the major challenge of a media shortage of the first half of 2011, caused by the destruction of a media factory in the events of the earthquake and tsunami disaster. Recovery had been slower than we hoped for, especially in the light of the difficult situation for DNP’s valued customers,” says Mark Buelow, European Marketing Manager, “but the financial impact of this was offset by the success of the acquisition of Sony’s photofinishing business. The overall result is that 2011 was up 285% in terms of volume on the previous year. In what turned out to be a very difficult year for the trade all round, this is a very significant result and a big step towards our goal of leading share in the market. “In value, the figures more than tripled, due to the lower media price for DNP print systems. Even comparing media volume for DNP’s own printers, the increase was 119%, which represents really strong growth. With the acquisition of Sony’s print business following the 2006 integration of Konica Minolta’s photo operations, DNP now possesses unique expertise in printing, combining over 130 years of experience, with engineering and R&D skills
“I understand the commercial importance of a passport or ID photo service for retail, so of course this is a major concern but I have no doubt that if the UK’s independent retailers do retain this market, it will continue to be an area of growth for them” integrating know how from the inventor of dye sublimation technology. The latest incorporation of Sony’s printing technology has added equipment such as the Snaplab to the solutions that DNP offers for retail partners. “Any issues we had due to the infancy of the merge have been overcome, and the organisation is better equipped than ever to take on the task of becoming market leader in onsite photofinishing, which is our overall aim.” Whilst the photofinishing industry has been in flux for a number of years, it is currently in arguably its most precarious state. The looming threat that the Post Office could be awarded the exclusive contract to provide passport photographs as well as those
InPrint 11
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12 2 InPrint
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focus
Canon PowerShot G12 camera
DNP DSID400 Printer
for driving licenses could effectively award them a monopoly over ID photographs, putting strain on the independent sector and threatening the UK adoption of one of DNP’s new releases. “We realise the importance of passport and ID photo services for our partners in retail - It is one of the key products that will let retailers earn money and fight the recession. The introduction of [DNP’s ID Photo Solution] the DS-ID400 is one our team has especially looked forward to because of what it would offer, particularly for our retail partners in the UK and other places with similar markets. As a former employee of Sony Europe I understand the commercial importance of a passport or ID photo service for retail, so of course this is a major concern but I have no doubt that if the UK’s independent retailers do retain this market, it will continue to be an area of growth for them.” With so many retailers feeling under threat due to the possibility of the loss of the ID photo market, DNP, are keen to remind traders that there are plenty of other developments making photo printing a profitable and promising service. Mark said: “I believe 100% in the power of dye sublimation to revive the photo printing business. The strengths of total costs of ownership, speed,
print quality, and ecological aspects speak a clear language, especially for shops with lower and medium consumption of prints we see that there are clear advantages. With increases in price for raw materials like silver, for which price have risen by anything up to fifty percent lately, wetlabs are becoming outdated. Drylabs offer more for a sustainable and profitable future.” “The service of offering photos instantly in store is a service that is very much appreciated, and retailers should make that experience as exciting as possible! Creating an engaging in-store atmosphere and offering products consumers really want is the major hurdle here but one that our trade is well equipped to overcome, especially if consumers are allowed to continue to visit professionals for their ID photographs. “For retailers, the investment in photofinishing has to pay out, especially in times of financial insecurity, it is important to make the right investment. That’s why it’s been so important for us to develop a solution that offers profitability as well as functionality, to best enable our retail partners to best take on the current challenges.” www.dnp.co.jp/eng
InPrint 13
A Revolution at Retail
Despite Eastman Kodak’s well-publicised troubles, the European business is going from strength to strength, with new contracts ensuring that Kodak will retain a strong presence in Europe through the American business’ chapter 11 bankruptcy filings. InPrint speaks to Darren Johnson, Regional Business Manager and Vice President of the Consumer business for Kodak with responsibility for the Retail Systems Solutions, Paper and Output Systems and Film Capture businesses across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
After five years running Kodak’s Process R&D Imaging department and as business analyst for the Consumer Business, Darren has spent the last five years growing Kodak’s Retail System Solutions business across Europe. Darren, what are the main projects at Kodak Europe right now? “This year we are achieving national distribution of instant photobooks in Germany, which is the first of its kind, and should lead to a really crucial lift in the European photobook market. “Over all, we are working to strengthen all pathways, including instant prints, behind the counter processing (minilab) and the online to retail
Premium Photobook printed on the D4000
14 InPrint
sector, which is products consumers order or create from their own home and then collect in store. Tell us about the contract in Germany. “Well, as your readers will already know, the new extension of our already strong relationship with Drogerie Marckt will see our instant photobook and print solution rolled out in all of their stores. Basically this will make everything available everywhere, so consumers will be able to just walk in and produce instant prints, greetings cards and photobooks, as well as having the facility to access any pictures they have on Facebook which they might need to do this. This roll out will be completed around photokina time, which will make all of these products and services available in time to target Christmas shoppers. “Photobooks are just on the cusp of becoming mainstream, so this roll out is really important. This rollout in Germany could signal the way forward for the rest of Europe.” And what form will that take? “We’re trying to create, with the DM installations, a different retail experience for photo. Consumers really need a reason to go into stores now, and photo traditionally hasn’t offered a particularly
interview interesting retail experience – it’s been very transactional. You hand your film or memory card over, come back, take your photos and hand over money. We are creating more of a shopping experience, with kiosks side-on to the counter so people can sit and talk to staff whilst creating their photo products, and be comfortable. “It’s also about convenience and presence. Consumers can’t buy an item if it’s not offered to them, or if they don’t know it exists, so it’s time for us to put products like photobooks right under their noses in stores that they are already visiting for other purposes. We must then make it as convenient as possible for them to populate their photo products with their images, which is where automatic fill functions and Facebook connectivity become so important.” Do you think a similar offering would be popular in the UK? “I think it SHOULD be. The UK has a number of suitable chains which could take on a similar offering in order to bring instant photobooks to mainstream distribution in the UK. “The major problem is that photobook awareness is poor in the UK, and until nationwide distribution of an instant solution is taken up, consumers won’t see this option at retail and interest won’t achieve that quick lift. From Kodak’s point of view, is the UK still lagging behind in photobook sales? “The UK is MASSIVELY behind most of Europe when it comes to photobooks. If you look at where the UK stands with instant prints, and the uptake of photobooks corresponded, the UK should be just behind Germany with the second highest rate of photobook saturation in Europe, but we’re nowhere near that. “The good thing about this is we have all that potential for growth. For western Europe, photobook will make up nearly half of the photo sector by 2014. This shows just how much potential this market has and the UK really needs to start cashing in on this potential.”
Drogerie Marckt Instant photo booth
“We’re trying to create, with the DM installations, a different retail experience for photo. Consumers really need a reason to go into stores now” Do you think the UK printing market is threatened, then? “There are plenty of areas for growth in photo printing, particularly in the UK. “Personalisation, for example, is a huge trade in wider retail, let alone in photo. Consumers love putting their own stamp on things they buy, hence the popularity of personalised greetings cards and the like. At the moment, this sector is very much lead by online sellers. Premium products are also growing, which reflects wider recession trends for spending a little more on a better product than throw money away on cheap things which aren’t as good. These trends apply well to the photo industry’s products, so it’s a very promising time.” It’s widely reported as one of the most trying times our industry has ever experience. “People do still want photographs, and the reason people print photographs and buy photo products hasn’t changed. They still want to share, preserve and look at their images, they just have more
InPrint 15
You’re not just creating Photo Books You’re creating Life Stories There is nothing quite like the emotional feelings stirred when pouring over old photographs with friends and loved ones. Captured moments in time, brought together to create a pictorial record of a person, a family, a life. Together, you and Kodak can capture these moments and present them in the best quality possible, to be enjoyed by future generations.
Kodak PS410 Image Scanner
Kodak D4000 Photo Book Printer
Come and talk to Tetenal about how you can make the most of the photo book opportunity 16 InPrint
InprintJune.indd 16
www.tetenaluk.com 0116 289 3644 12/07/2012 17:19
interview choices of how to do that now. Showing them great products and making their consumer journey easy and fun is what will get them to spend their money. “Retail is hard in the photo industry, but it’s hard in general right now and the photo industry has great products with really strong potential, so we’re in a comparatively strong position.” So how do we get from where we are now to this strong future? “I really do believe that making photobooks available instantly at retail is what will bring them into the mainstream. We know from the consistent performance of instant prints that consumers like to be able to press buttons and wait for their prints to pop out of the machine… short time delays are acceptable because once the first print is ready, they have something to look at whilst they wait for others and consumers value this experience. Up until now, this has not been an option for photobooks, generally consumers have had to wait several days for delivery of their project. The ability to walk into a store and take home their product could be the real turning point for this sector. “Another important consideration is connectivity. Instant access to Facebook from kiosks has proved a big driver for print purchasing and has been constantly growing since it was introduced. By the end of this year Kodak will have nine thousand kiosks connected to Facebook, which will hopefully enable this growth to continue. This has occurred quite naturally, without any major marketing or awareness campaigns. It’s just something consumers want to do, so when they see that it is available, it gets used. There is a continued move towards instant printing in the UK, and this area is continuing to perform strongly. Premium products are promising, but again there needs to be more awareness and we need to push this sector. The products themselves are popular and people will buy if they come on-site.” “We desperately need to put this growth into the UK market, and hopefully this roll out in Germany will herald the beginning of a similar shift in UK awareness. The trend towards instant printing started with a roll out much like this, so I hope the mass acceptance of photobooks will follow.” “The photo trade has a big role to play in
Kodak Picture Kiosk G4XE
Kodak Photobook
showing consumers why there is still a point to going into shops, and the increasing growth of personalised photo product and the ability to make your own cards, gifts and photobooks instantly could really help to contribute to the reinvigoration of the high street.” Finally, we must ask how the Chapter 11 reorganisation of the USA business is affecting Kodak in Europe? “I’m happy to say that Kodak Europe has been untouched by the Chapter 11 reorganisation of the US business. We continue to grow and this new contract with DM proves that investment is still happening and the brand is going from strength to strength. I believe we can use this strength to maximise on the potential for growth in this sector in the UK and we’re actively seeking UK retailers to start the instant photobook revolution here.” www.kodak.com
InPrint 17
Moving with the Times
As the photo printing trade struggles to compete with the variety, pricing and convenience offered by online services, retailers are adopting different techniques to ensure they remain relevant and successful. James Edgar of Ferndown Photographic talks to InPrint about the launch of new business venture Pics2You.
So first, tell us about Ferndown Photographic, and the origins of the business. Ferndown is a utility town about 7 miles north of Bournemouth. It has a population of about 20,000 which our business services on a day-to-day basis. Ferndown Photographics was established in 1987 by the late Ron Holland in cooperation with Fujifilm, whom by coincidence I was working with at the time, in the technical department. The shop has been under various management over the years since, and I took the business over full time in January 2009. Then tell us about what gave you the idea for Pics2You. I came up with the idea for the concept itself about ten years ago but at the time didn’t have the resources both technically or financially to push it forward. In 2004 I retrained and qualified as a web and graphic designer while working with an internet marketing company, which gave me the experience and skills needed to develop this sort of platform. Once I took over Ferndown Photographics full time, I felt I had access to the resources and contact I needed to get the business idea I had in motion. Phase one was launched over Christmas, and it’s been pretty constant ever since. Tell us what Pics2You does? Pics2you is, in its essence, a free image upload service, which is a valuable resource for consumers who are keen to back up and share their digital
18 InPrint
pics2you website
“With the web and supermarkets taking high volumes of market share from local business, the high street is suffering, so all retail business needs to stay ahead of the times”
focus pictures. Visitors to the site can store and organise their images online, edit and share them with friends and family. They can also view all their Facebook images via their gallery. There is an extensive range of products and services that they can then order if they wish with no hidden costs and we deliver free to anywhere in mainland UK, Photo Gifts from pics2you including Facebook images. Phase two will introduce more products I don’t expect it to get as big as the likes of such as Photobooks etc. We are Photobox & Snapfish but it would be nice! Having offering 20 free prints on customers first order. said that, with the continued gradual reduction in Other features include free image sharing, online retail footfall due to the internet, this could be a very editing and album organisation, and the ability to positive move forward for my business although it is pull images in via social networks. a shame that people don’t appear to want to leave their homes to use local businesses as much these What audience are you hoping to capture days. We’re all guilty of this I know as it’s all so with this? much cheaper doing it via the net. We are looking primarily at the consumer market, online shoppers who prefer to place orders via the How’s it going so far? internet and have orders delivered to their door. It’s very early days, we’re still working away at More people are using online services now as we the search engine optimisation, pay per click all know, so rather than considering this a threat and other marketing strategies but have recruited to my business, I look at this as my opportunity to many customers already who are actively placing offer a great online service. orders which is a very encouraging start at this very early stage. What difference do you expect it to make you your business? What are the most interesting photo products In my opinion, this is the next step and the natural you have available? progression of the business. With the web and We do a very varied range of photo gifts! supermarkets taking high volumes of market share There’s actually quite a few more to add as the from local business, the high street is suffering, new products arrive, but one product that has so all retail business needs to stay ahead of the been surprisingly popular, are the silver photo times just to survive, We have a number of similar plates with stand. companies who are interested in teaming up with www.pics2you.co.uk us in the future when things really get underway.
InPrint 19
GETTING THERE
Destination. The time of your life. Whichever form of transport you choose to arrive by, it couldn’t be easier to get to Mercedes-Benz World
IJ
II
IJ
at Brooklands. By car From Junction 10 of the M25 follow the A3 towards
IH
II
London taking the first exit and turn left at the roundabout onto the A245 (signposted Weybridge). Continue along the A245 for approximately 1.5 miles. At the second roundabout turn right onto Sopwith Drive. Continue straight over two roundabouts, you have arrived at Mercedes-Benz World. By train Less than 1 mile from Weybridge station, on the
IH
London Waterloo and Woking line. (Shuttle bus service delivers you to the door.) By air Only 25 minutes drive from Heathrow. 30 minutes drive from Gatwick.
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W: www.retailimagingshow.co.uk Tw: @ImagingShow / @PixelMagazine E: simon@lifemediagroup.co.uk Tel: 0870 777 9778 MEDIA PARTNERS 20 InPrint
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advertorial
RETAIL IMAGING SHOW 2012 FRIDAY 12TH OCTOBER
MERCEDES BENZ WORLD / Brooklands, Surrey, KT13 0SL
SEMINARS 8:30am – 10:30am.
EXHIBITION
Meetings and other activities: 10:30am – 6pm.
OVER 60 EXHIBITORS:
Hardware, software, print and services, all of the top suppliers will be in attendance, offering the products, knowledge and opportunities to help your business prosper into 2013 and beyond. From 10:30am on the mezzanine floor.
PMA SEMINAR PROGRAMME: Start your day in the state-of-the-art Mercedes Cinema room, where we have a series of seminar presentations booked. Bursting at the seams with crucial industry information including a Photokina Review, industry analytics, offering unique and valuable insight. Exclusive to the Retail Imaging Show 2012.
PLAN YOUR DAY:
Book your own timetable, schedule private meetings with manufacturers and suppliers. Book your seat for seminars, take time to meet new and existing suppliers in the exhibition, make the most of exclusive show deals and DO BUSINESS. Spaces are limited so book now! *Tickets are limited and cost just £5 per person. This includes all seminars, meeting planner, lunch at Mercedes Benz World Café, anytime between 11am – 4pm during the event and entry into competitions to win Mercedes driving experiences.
Call the Ticket Hotline: 0870 777 9778 to reserve your place at the dealer event of the year* InprintJune.indd 21
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Signed, Sealed and DELIVERED
17,500 signature petition delivered to No.10 demanding fair policies to save high street photog jobs
A petition signed by over 17,500 people, including the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, was delivered to the Prime Minister’s front door on 20th June. The petition, promoted by hundreds of high street photo outlets, retail bodies and trade magazines including InPrint itself, calls on the Government to change legislation that puts the entire photo printing sector in danger. Whilst estimates vary, it’s thought that the loss of
Young children joined Olivier Gimpel and the Save the Photographers Campaign to deliver a petition with over 17,000 signatures to Downing Street.
22 InPrint
business for independent photographers and those providing photography and printing services could result in hundreds of store closures, millions of pounds in lost profit and over 5,000 job losses. So soon after the news that Jacobs - the UK’s largest independent photo retailer - was closing its doors, this threat felt especially poignant. In 2009 the Government awarded the contract for providing ID photos for driving licenses to
special report the Post Office, taking this business away from independent service providers and limiting consumers’ options. It is feared that a similar contact may now be awarded to the Post Office for the provision of passport photographs, diverting further business away from independent retailers and photographers. The Photo Marketing Association proposed an alternative solution in which pictures would still be captured independently and then scanned at the Post Office, which they say represents a substantial cost saving for the Government as well as removing the threat to photography businesses. The petition was delivered by the children of private sector photographers, accompanied by senior Tory backbencher Sir Paul Beresford MP, Mr Olivier Gimpel, Chief Operating Officer of Photo-Me and Mr Don Kennedy, Co-Founder of Snappy-Snaps. Sir Paul Beresford MP, said: “This approach is an appalling creep back to the old days, when organisations owned by Government were able to bid for private sector work. The provision of ID
“Having secured over 17,500 signatures from concerned members of the public and the Mayor of London, it sends a strong message to the Government that they must reconsider current policies” photos represents the core business of about 900 retail outlets that face partial or imminent closure if a solution is not found.” Olivier Gimpel, spokesman for the Save the Photographers Campaign and COO of Photo-Me, said: “This is an important day for the campaign. We have met with many MPs and Government agencies explaining why our campaign is necessary and the benefits of our proposed solution. Having secured over 17,500 signatures from concerned members of the public and the Mayor of London it sends a strong message to the Government
ABOVE: Young children joined the Save the Photographers Campaign and Nigel McNaught from the PMA to deliver a petition with over 17,000 signatures to Downing Street.
that they must reconsider current policies and allow us and the Post Office to co-exist as it always has done.” As InPrint reported in a recent interview, similar social activism has prevented schemes like this being introduced in France and other places in Europe, so Photo-Me in particular have high hopes that this petition and other activities will influence the Government’s decisions on this issue. www.savethephotographers.co.uk
InPrint 23
n take less than 10 minutes, why not w your prints in natural light indoors, y or night, with the colour corrective hting devices that we have within our ge. Colour appearance becomes distorted der standard home or office lighting and rounding colours will impair your colour ception.
Your Essential Guide to the Latest Launches
hese simple steps...
aIr 400ml
product to hers, studio mers who et printers. erosol has primarily and keep free thus aper feed to pick up ctively and .
Jan Pietruszka
it: www.permajet.com for ordering or call team on 01789 739200.
A RAFT OF NEW PRODUCTS FROM PERMAJET PROMISE TO OFFER IDEAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE PHOTO BUSINESS... MAKING YOUR COLOURS WORK FOR YOU......
STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD
Colour Management for your inkjet print output is a highly important topic to address. Operating systems and editing software continue to develop and advance meaning that the way ICC Profiles are created and used need to advance too. So, PermaJet have invested in the very latest professional profiling solution to provide customers with the most accurate ICC Colour profiles on the market. All users of the PermaJet range of papers are automatically entitled to use the FREE ICC Custom Profiling Service - guaranteeing 100% accurate profiles and, in turn, less paper and ink wastage. The i1 publish software suite from X-Rite is the new, in-house software used for this profiling service, helping build far superior ICC profiles and totally universal for both PC and MAC users covering all the very latest MAC and PC operating system platforms.
JP Distribution is now supplying the Image-Block Display System from PermaJet. This really is the easy way to produce and present professional modern, contemporary and stylish inkjet images using the high quality PermaJet range of inkjet papers displayed in a 3D format. This modern and minimalist look is easy to create in seconds, either by hand or with the Jetmounter laminator, ideal for the home, office, studio or exhibition use. PermaJet Image-Blocks are available in a black edge finish in the following sizes: 6”x4” - £4.95 Inc VAT 5”x5” - £4.95 Inc VAT 7”x5” - £6.49 Inc VAT 10”x8” - £10.49 Inc VAT 12”x12” - £14.95 Inc VAT A4 - £12.49 Inc VAT A3 - £22.95 Inc VAT To use this system, simply peel back the self adhesive backing, carefully position your printed image on the self adhesive area and press down firmly using a soft cloth. Now, turn the Image-Block with the printed image face down on a clean cutting mat, using a scalpel, trim flush along the edges of the Image-Block to remove the excess PermaJet media. Your Image-Block is ready to hang and be admired by all!
aDoBe prINt UtIlItY (pc & mac)
The free ICC profiling service is very straightforward to follow and all customer information is available at www.permajet.com
www.johnsons-photopia.co.uk
permaseal 400ml New KEEPING DUST-FREE A clear, water-resistant, and
A fantastic product to assist the material prior to use as there is a tendency to non-yellowing UV protective photographers, studio labs and leave fibres within the printer or on the rollers - with spray that will add colour consumers who print using inkjet PermaAIR the problem goes away! saturation, increase image printers.density The PermaAIR Aerosol has This highly effective air duster will improve your and improve been designed primarilySuitable to help maintain workflow as well as extending the working life of abrasion resistance. and keep dust free thus allowing your printer when used as part of your regular for printers all canvases, fine art papers signage the paper feedand trays andleaving rollers to printer maintenance. a beautiful subtle sheen pick media more effectively and stay Suitable for all desktop and wide format printers higher gloss depending problemorfree. as well as cleaning all other general day to day on printers what finishin you desire. will find Fine art particular sufaces and devices. PermaAIR retails at £7.95 PermaSeal protects from this product extremely useful in removing loose (400ml). dirt, ink fading, atmospheric pollutants and n particular will find this product fibres by air blowing directly over the surface of www.permajet.com fingerprints as well as increasing the density
in removing loose fibres by air over the surface of the material there is a tendency to leave printer or on the rollers – with 24 InPrint blem goes away!
ive air duster will improve your as extending the working life of
of colours, particularly blacks. Always test first. Now compatible with microporous surfaces, give it a try! Average coverage based on two coats per A4 sheet = 25 prints Code
deSCriPTion
ex. VaT
inC. VaT
launchpad UNIQUE DIGITAL STORAGE FROM PICTURE KEEPER Tetenal will be distributing a selection of Picture Keeper products, a device developed in the US, which ensures the protection of the user’s images. The product has built-in software that enables the user to be able to insert the Picture Keeper into any USB port on a PC or Mac and in just a few clicks, the Picture Keeper searches to find and save all images stored on the computer. It also has the capabilities to make any subsequent searches on the same PC quicker, as it will only search for new or modified images since the last search, so no duplicates. Once the Picture Keeper has all the images stored, it can be used with any USB enabled print kiosks, digital frames and HDTV’s. The simplicity of the range is what makes it so unique, the device needs no installing or setup, the PC recognises the device and on launching it the user simply selects ‘Start back-up’ and lets it do the rest. It involves no passwords or cables and the ease of transferring means no copying, pasting, dragging or dropping. “We’re excited to bring this unique product to
the UK market, and feel confident that the Picture Keeper is going to be a great new concept for those who want to protect all their digital photos,” says Craig Bird, Marketing Manager, Tetenal UK. The range, available in 4gb, 8gb and 16gb will be available from Tetenal at the beginning of June 2012. For more information on the Picture Keeper range please contact Phil Barker on 07595 203 764. Suggested Retail Price points start from £14.99 up to £49.99 www.tetenaluk.com www.picturekeeper.com
THE ALL-IN-ONE ID SOLUTION With the announcement of the new Passport ID photo system DS-ID400, DNP Photo Imaging Europe (DNP) is continuing the legacy created by Sony in digital passport and ID photography. With convenient wireless operation, a print is produced within one minute, with just the touch of a button. With state-of-the-art face detection and automatic face alignment, DS-ID400 makes sure you deliver a photo that will pass official controls. The majority of international passport and ID formats are pre-stored in the printer. Custom templates can be added too. Another powerful feature to boost your revenue is save-to-memory, allowing you to up-sell a USB flash drive together with the prints! Consumers can upload the professionally captured image to their social media profile; this is only one of the many potential applications.
The new DS-ID400/WLAN system comes with a high-end Canon PowerShot G12 camera. Attractive Point of Sale communication material is available in English, French and German. Furthermore, DNP offers protective passport photo wallets. www.dnp.co.jp/eng
InPrint 25
launchpad ILFORD PHOTO LAUNCH ARTISAN COURSES IN CRAFT BASED B&W PHOTOGRAPH In conjunction with Bradford College, and the Yorkshire Craft Centre, Harman technology Limited, the makers of traditional Ilford B&W photographic products, launch an exciting new programme of courses designed to show how beautiful images in B&W can be crafted using traditional films and papers. Courses range from a one-day Pinhole
Photography course through to a two-day intensive Creative Printing course. Those attending will learn how to shoot and create images using film then process and print their work in a traditional darkroom. Bradford College has been delivering quality education and training for over 175 years and has a national reputation in a number of fields. Many famous artists, including David Hockney and Andy Goldsworthy, learnt their art there. The courses will take place at the magnificent Yorkshire Craft Centre, adjacent to the Lister Building at Bradford College, where facilities include workshops, gallery, exhibition spaces and a cafe bar. The schedule offers courses in Pinhole Photography, Creative Printing techniques, and Alternative Processes for making black and white prints, all delivered by notable professionals. Ilford Photo Masterclass Instructors Andrew Sanderson and Dave Butcher are both highly regarded around the world, and experts in their field. For further details about the courses, and how to book a place, visit: www.ilfordphoto.com/artisan
CONDÉ INTRODUCES DYETRANS GX E7700N DYE-SUB PRINTER Condé Systems has revealed the DyeTrans GX e7700N ink jet sublimation printer, an updated version of the GX 7000. The DyeTrans GX e7700N’s 4-color printing uses individual standard or high-capacity SubliJet-R sublimation gel ink cartridges. The SubliJet-R format is a specially formulated dye-sublimation ink for the Ricoh platform that gives brilliant, high-resolution colour reproduction without the need for a separate bulk ink system. “The printer’s GelSprinter hybrid laser and ink jet technology delivers laser printer speed at a very low cost per page,” Conde said. The GX e7700N can print an 8.5-by-1-inch page in 25 seconds and an 11-by-17-inch page in 44 seconds. www.conde.com
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+
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Lucidiom Delivers Complete Package for UK Photo Retail Suite includes updated software for online, kiosk, mobile and production. Innovative, Profitable Photo Site Lucidiom’s Photo Finale photo website is modern and intuitive. Consumers edit photos, order prints, create books, build cards and calendars and Taopix share everything with friends. Portfolio Retailers tailor products and services to match their brand and appeal to their market. Retailers who combine the Photo Finale site with Lucidiom’s in-store kiosks and custom iPhone app can revive their entire digital imaging category in a matter of days. The Magic Touch new reflective products
Easy to Print Facebook Photos
On Lucidiom’s APM photo kiosk, consumers can order anything from prints to books to specialty gifts. Now, they can order prints of their Facebook photos or use them alongside pictures from their camera and phone in a book, calendar or other creative product.
web and mobile all on the Lucidiom platform achieve efficient order fulfillment, streamlined configuration and are able to present a consistent branding message and product line.
Custom iPhone App for Stores The new iPhone/iPad app from Lucidiom is named and branded for each retailer. Users can sync their device to view photos they have stored online with that retailer, as well as upload new ones, share collections and order prints from online photos or from photos stored on the device. The app is designed to be custom branded for a store, which means a quick-to-market mobile solution for chains and large retailers and incredible power for a single independent retailer.
A Seamless Photo Centre Lucidiom’s seamless system of digital imaging ordering devices enables retailers to collect orders from consumers wherever they are: in store, online or on mobile. Retailers with kiosk,
Please contact Kevin Andrews on: kandrews@lucidiom.com • Direct 01279 874160 • Mobile 07791 951005 InPrint 27 Lucidiom Finance Ltd, The Stansted Centre, Parsonage Road, Takeley, Essex CM22InPrint 6PU 7 InprintJune.indd 27
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www.pmai.org
6Sight Begins With a Look at How New Trends and Technologies Will Impact Your Business The 6Sight Future of Imaging Conference took place in New York, N.Y. Industry analysts Paul Worthington and Tony Henning opened the event with a brief summary of recent advances that will impact imaging in the near future. For example, in just the past week, Duke University announced a 50-gigapixel camera, and Vyclone announced real-time video capture, production and sharing. “Innovation continues at a pace that is hard to keep up with. This is a thriving industry, and technology marches on,” Worthington stated. “The point is, it’s never enough. As long as it’s digital, there will always be ways to do more and have more. You may wonder, why would I ever need 50 gigapixels? But we used to say, why would we need more than 5 megapixels?” Henning added. “When we can’t see a practical application for a new technology, we can be certain it will come soon behind the innovation. The Lytro camera began as an
academic project, and now it’s a commercial product. It probably won’t take long for Duke to turn this 50-gigapixel behemoth into a product.” Henning also said cameraphones lead the capture business, and smartphones open a world of possibilities because they are so powerful that they are becoming devices people cannot do without. The cameraphone changed the imaging industry, because people now have a camera with them all the time; smartphones are changing it again, because they allow users to capture, edit and share their images immediately. “This is something no one would have even thought of 10 years ago. We expect more devices will have these capabilities. Today, we have the smart phone vs. the dumb camera. Soon any camera that is not connected will be viewed as inadequate,” Worthington said. Except for studio photography, all photography is now mobile, and all photography is now shared, Worthington stated. “You’re not taking a picture just
to store it on a hard drive. You’re taking an image to communicate something. Taking a picture of your son now in order to be able to view that picture ten years from now is still sharing – you’re sharing it with your future self. “All these new technologies have hurt what used to be the main revenue source of this industry. But new technologies, products and services also offer great opportunities. We are all tactile creatures, and there are way to still make money on prints, even though the 4-by-6 has gone away,” he said. Over the next two days of the 6Sight conference, Worthington said: “speakers will reveal what technologies and trends will impact the imaging business in the next few years, and the opportunities these innovations will offer your business”. www.pmai.org/6sight11.aspx
Recently Emerged from Bankruptcy, Ritz Camera Files Again Fox Business reports Ritz Camera & Image LLC, Beltsville, Maryland, filed for bankruptcy protection in a U.S. court on Friday, less than three years after it emerged from its first bankruptcy. Ritz was purchased in a bankruptcy auction in 2009 by RCI, a group led by Ritz
Camera President David Ritz, for about $33.1 million for the chain’s 375 stores. Ritz now operates almost 300 stores in 34 states, and listed their assets and liabilities of between $50 million and $100 million in the filing, according to Reuters. The company’s largest
unsecured creditors include companies like Nikon Inc., Sony Corp. of America, Fuji Photo North America Corp., and others. Ritz Cameras plans to close 128 retail locations and cut its staff of 2,000 employees in half.
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inside track
Highlights: National Photography Month Throughout June Britain held its first-ever National Photography Month (www. nationalphotographymonth. co.uk), a celebration of the importance of photography in our daily lives and all that photography can do. A survey commissioned by National Photography Month revealed a remarkable 83% of us use photos to treasure past memories, supporting the aims of the National Photography Month campaign, ‘Capture and Keep’ to encourage not only taking better pictures but also the importance of printing and mounting pictures. At the launch, ex-Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley, an ambassador for National Photography Month and a keen photographer himself gave interviews to 14 BBC local radio shows broadcast nationwide. He spent a very busy month supporting the campaign, on one morning he shared his family album with Kate Garraway and Daniel Lobb on the Daybreak sofa and explained why he was supporting National Photography Month, a programme watched by nearly 900,000 viewers. The National Photography Month campaign, highlighting the dangers of storing photographs digitally, began a debate and was picked up by bloggers in the national press: http://ind.pn/MweKfN For young people, Colliers Green Focus - a nationwide programme to encourage Key Stage 3 Geography students to explore the environment using the medium of photography
Tony Hadley
was extended during National Photography month and was promoted in all 4,000 secondary schools with Jessops and Canon supporting the schools initiative. Highlights of companies supporting National Photography Month included: • Kodak Express stores giving away free footballs to customers. • Fuji Digital Imaging Services. • ‘Golden Moments’ competition. • Serif Photoplus 2012 competition. • Jessops ‘Celebrate and Share Competition’, supported by Canon. • Park Cameras Imaging Festival and Photographic competition for children. • West End Cameras National Photography Month in-store offers. • Bigger Picture road show events in Hamilton, Aberdeen and Plymouth.
• London Festival of Photography. • ASDA nationwide in-store promotions. • London Camera Exchange in store demonstration days. • National Geographic launch of new children’s photo album. • Raymond Reid Photo instore National Photography Month offers. Nigel McNaught, Director of PMAI and the driving force behind National Photography Month told Pixel, ‘ he was delighted with the success of the nationwide initiative and keen to build the campaign into a regular event to promote the UK photographic industry’.
www.nationalphotographymonth.co.uk
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printed Each issue, InPrint calls a UK printing business to bring you the essential information about life on the front line of our trade and prints the results. This issue, our spotlight falls on Alison Armstrong and Joan West of Photo Imaging in North Wales in with pictures they’ve printed off at home on their inkjets and they’re the wrong size, have dodgy white borders, etc. Consumers don’t seem to realise that these will fade and aren’t as good quality as a professional print, so we tell them we can produce one for them and they’re always pleased with the results. This is a really effective way of persuading people to print.
Alison Armstrong and Joan West Photo Imaging North Wales How’s National Photo Month been for your business? To be absolutely honest, it seems to have been a bit of a non-event. We’re part of FDIS so we’ve been running their ‘Golden Moments’ competition, which is also aimed at encouraging consumers to print, especially in formats other than 6x4. It’s been a very popular promotion but that’s because we’ve been pushing it heavily. The fact that it’s part of National Photo Month doesn’t seem to mean much to our customers…they don’t really know what it is and when you explain it, they tend to just smile and nod. It’s a great idea but I’m not sure how well the concept works as in my experience, those who are inclined to print their photographs will and those who aren’t won’t be swayed. What’s your best sales technique? We do framing, so we see so many people come
What’s selling well for you? Video to DVD transfer! It’s a very popular service. We’re also still getting loads of cine film, who knows where people are still digging that out from! People know there’s going to be a time restriction on their old home movies now so we do our best to advertise these sots of services – things like slides and prints to digital too – even though our window isn’t great for displays, because people do want these services and generally aren’t aware of them. We also still do film, which is doing a roaring trade as there aren’t many left who do it now. The less other labs do film, the more business there is for those remaining as some people do still want to shoot film and others still find undeveloped film in drawers. It’s certainly worth doing! And what doesn’t sell? We CANNOT sell photo gifts! I know they are very popular generally so perhaps it’s the area we’re in or because we off-lab them so we can’t provide a while you wait type service. Without some more assurance that they’d be popular, investing in the ability to produce them in-house doesn’t seem like a great idea. Our local Tesco has a wall of kiosks and one is dedicated to photo gift ordering, but that’s not to say it’s popular, necessarily…Tesco can afford to have it there and not used. We can’t! www.photoimagingwales.com
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Retail Photo Gift Solutions Mitsubishi Electric’s latest photo retail solution Gift Kiosk has been designed to offer ID photos, instant print and personalised gifts quickly and easily. Gift Kiosk enables customers to create and print personalised calendars, albums, gift & greetings cards, mosaic & collage prints and instant prints, using their own images stored on memory card, USB memory stick, CD / DVD or via their online Facebook and Picassa accounts.
Mitsubishi are currently offering Gift Kiosk bundle packages starting at £3899 which includes hardware, starter media, point of sale material as well as installation, training and warranty.* For more detail contact Mitsubishi 01707 278684 email printer.info@meuk.mee.com or visit our website! * Check availability
All of our systems include passport photo printing services and Mitsubishi’s integrated biometric ID software makes the process of making a passport or ID photograph, very simple and quick; instant prints are available in 6"x4", 5"x7" & 6"x8" formats in either a gloss or matt finish.
Tel:InPrint 01707 278684 | Fax: 01707 278541 | vis.mitsubishielectric.co.uk | printer.info@meuk.mee.com 32
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