Quick Print Pro, May 2020 by The Magazine Production Company

MAY 2020

QUICKPRINTPRO.CO.UK £4/€5

AUTOMATED FACE SHIELD PRODUCTION

ColorCut FB8000PRO

n Cuts and creases any shape packaging, point of sale, kiss cut sheet labels and protective face shields etc… n Class-leading 1kg force dual tool cutting head n Reads QR codes to automatically retrieve cut files n CCD camera reads registration marks for accurate cutting n Synchronised feeding onto continuous cutting belt from high-capacity stacker

Quick Print Pro: The print trade journal for news and views, new products and suppliers information since 1998 Sharing Best Practice in Print with Digital Printers, Copy shops, On-Street Quick Printers and In-House Print Rooms, online and on your desk

PAPER REVOLUTION 72% of paper and paper packaging is recycled into new products; one of the highest recycling rates of any material in Europe.

Discover the story of paper www.lovepaper.org Source: Confederation of European Paper Industries, 2018 Europe: EU28 + Norway and Switzerland

LOVE

PAPER

WELCOME QUICK PRINT PRO• WELCOME

Quick Print Pro Quick Print Pro CONTACT Quick Print Pro, Colourfast Group Ltd 36 Cheltenham Place, Brighton. BN1 4AB Tel: 01273 674321 Email: editor@quickprintpro.co.uk Web: www.quickprintpro.co.uk EDITORIAL Marina Peirce

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Nyree Groome

4 NEWS FRONT

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Maureen Foulkes

Hot news in print for quick print pros

8 NEW PRODUCTS

CONTRIBUTORS Lara Groome, Andrew Foulkes, Rebecca Leach and Dan Tester.

What’s new to print and finish with?

12 COVER STORY

FEATURES Peter Foulkes

Intec keeping businesses productive

14 DIGITAL IMAGERY

DIGITAL IMAGING & PHOTOGRAPHY Martin Christie MAGAZINE PRODUCTION Dean Cook www.magazineproduction.com DISTRIBUTION Subscriptions printed at Colourfast plus PYO (Print Your Own) file distribution and eZine available on Issuu

36 years in print: 1984-2020

Quick Print Pro (QPP) — ISSN: 2050-5140 — is published monthly by Colourfast Group Limited, 36 Cheltenham Place, Brighton. BN1 4AB. A company registered in England Number: 2517164. Entire contents within this publication Copyright © 2020 Colourfast Group Limited. Quick Print Pro is an independent publication and not affiliated with any manufacturers or suppliers. QPP Quick Print Pro celebrates 24 years in publishing the professional print trade’s favourite magazine, formerly known as CSN Copy Shop News. Sharing best practice through both print and digital media, QPP magazine is in front of 36,000 quick print pros each month. Each day the live web version is updated with the hottest stories in frontline printing, including news, views, new products and suppliers information. Avid readers include Digital Printers, Commercial Printers, Copy Shops, On-Street Instant Printers, In-House Print Room Managers, FM and Conventional printers specialising in On-Demand, Short Run, Variable Printing, CRDs (Corporate Reprographic Departments), PSPs (Print Service Providers), Graphic Arts Businesses, Sign Suppliers and CAD Bureaus. QPP is available online and on your desk. www.QuickPrintPro.co.uk

Martin Christie – pixel prophet

16 PIP PEOPLE IN PRINT

COMMENT

Positive in Print

The editor said “Don’t expect QPP to be as good this month”. He has been furloughed, as I imagine many of you are, and so I am acting editor. (My reply cannot be printed!) Printz is acting as sub editor – he is more photogenic than me, and you can see he takes reading seriously. You may be planning for a breakout from the lockdown, while others have been staying open for emergency work. Planning holds great appeal this month if for no other reason than you can finally put into action all those ideas you have created in our enforced break. Together, we the nation’s print shops are fresh and eager to do what we love doing – making our customers look great in print. Keep well and safe. Maureen

Sabine Geldermann, answering questions

18 MISSING FOOTBALL? Matchday programmes

20 KIDS ART FOR NHS Art exhibition now on at the NEC Birmingham

22 SHOWTIME

What’s on in 2021

26 GREEN ISSUES

Practice responsibility in print

28 NEW PROFIT CENTRE Best practice shared

32 FINDA PRODUCT / SUPPLIER

QPP preferred suppliers in print

34 READERS SCRIBES These jokes are on you

35 PRINTERSXCHANGE Re-cycle your pre-loved kit

Sign-up for free to our newsletter and discover all the latest news in print, upcoming events, special offers, new product launches and innovative trade and end-user campaigns. Just visit: www.quickprintpro.co.uk

The law on workplace pensions has changed and every employer in the UK must put certain staff into a pension scheme and contribute towards it. This is called ‘automatic enrolment’. It’s important that you understand what you need to do — and when you need to do it. This will depend on your circumstances and those of your employees. To work out what you need to do and when you need to do it contact our auto enrolment scheme advisers on:

0800 132100 or email alan.hudson@meridan.co.uk

Help is on hand from the Printing Industry Pension Scheme which has been running since 1986. Meridan Financial LLP is the appointed advisers for the Printing Industry Pension Scheme (PIPS) and are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Not all Auto Enrolment services are regulated by the FCA.

QUICK PRINT PRO • MAY 2020

NEWS

HORIZON CRF-362 HELPS RUFFORD PRINTING SHARPEN UP Rufford Printing Company is celebrating its 50th year in business with a fresh look at its service offering following investment in a Horizon CRF362 Creaser Folder from IFS. Owner Brian Smith established the Ormskirk business in 1970 after a childhood tree climbing accident left him in a wheelchair. As part of his rehabilitation he was introduced to letterpress printing. Today the business still offers letterpress printing on two Heidelberg platens an Arab platen and a Vandercook cylinder press alongside digital print completed by a Xerox Versant 180 and a Xerox D95. Wide format print is delivered by a Canon IPF8400S and a Roland 540. Smith also shares his passion for hand typesetting letter/press printing with free open days and hosts visitors from local schools and colleges. Recognising increased demand for high quality, short run, faster turnaround jobs, Brian took the decision to invest in a system that supports a more responsive way of working. He explains: “We wanted to move away from high volume work towards high value and investing in the Horizon CRF-362 allows us to work on more bespoke jobs. We can also keep more work in house.” He continues: “It folds both sides of the sheet and with a quality of crease we couldn’t do before. We can also now crease 350gsm card and that opens up many opportunities for us. The quality of the finish looks good – it makes us look more

From left, print room operator, Luke Holden, with Brian Smith and the new Horizon CRF-362 Creaser Folder machine.

professional.” The Horizon CRF-362 creases and folds in one pass a wide range of light and heavyweight stocks, coated or uncoated. Capable of up to ten crease lines on a sheet, it uses an impact scoring technology that eliminates or minimises cracking of the stock or printed image. Set-up and changeovers – including fold pattern, creasing number, and up/ down crease selection – are completed on the high

resolution intuitive colour touch screen. It was chosen to replace an older system and Brian considered Horizon as he already had a Horizon SPF/FC-200 bookletmaker with a VAC1000 collator that was running well. He says: “The bookletmaker is simple and easy to use and the creaser folder has the same set up. We knew it would be quick to get up and running.” www.ifsl.uk.com • www.ruffordprinting.co.uk

VELOBLADE OPENS NEW DOORS FOR DIGITRONIX Leeds based design and print agency, Digitronix Ltd recently took the decision to invest in the VeloBlade 64 digital die-cutting system from Vivid Laminating Technologies Ltd. They have been impressed by the flexibility of the system, the varying products they can produce as well as the incredible service they’ve received from a long standing supplier. Tom Stevenson, Managing Director of Digitronix Ltd said “As soon as we saw the VeloBlade in action at Vivid’s showroom, we knew we had to have it. It was exactly what we needed to bring die-cutting in-house, reduce costs on short runs and speed up production times. Since installation, we’ve produced loads of different jobs to date, from beautiful Christmas cards to packaging products, kiss-cut stickers, hanging tags, you name it, we’ve done it” With a digital first vision, Digitronix look for ways to automate the intricate short-run, high value work they produce for clients. They love the difficult and challenging projects that fall outside of a typical production environment, and wherever possible, aim to produce everything in-house, offering clients an end to end service from concept to production. Over the past year, Digitronix has invested heavily in new finishing kit enabling them to achieve

their goals as a company and to better serve new and existing customers. Tom told us, “We didn’t necessarily have an immediate need or specific application for the VeloBlade but knew that once we enhanced our designs with digital die-cutting, then our clients would go for it. The VeloBlade digital die-cutter is the final piece of equipment to complete a £100k investment in finishing kit in the last 12 months. It’s opened up endless creative opportunities to excite our clients with”. Having partnered with Vivid for coming up to 15 years, Digitronix are vocal in their admiration for not only the quality of the systems that Vivid

manufacture, but also the incredible level of service they continue to receive. On his experiences with the print finishing manufacturer, Tom said, “We’ve always had great service from Vivid. We initially invested in some laminating equipment nearly 15 years ago and the partnership has grown since then. We invested in the Matrix digital foiling system a couple of years ago and the service has always been great, so it was very easy to make the investment in the VeloBlade”. “The VeloBlade 64 was originally launched back at The Print Show in September 2019 and has been incredibly well received within the industry, with sales continuing at a rapid rate”, Richard Marlow, Vivid’s Sales Director told us. “We’re working with our customers and partners to open up new markets and revenue streams, with packaging, POS and labels just a few of the many doors of opportunity”. In fact, due to the tremendous success of the VeloBlade 64, Vivid recently extended its digital die cutting range with the VeloBlade 68, which advances on the 64’s capability of cutting SRA3 sheets to now being able to manage stocks up to B2. Making it perfect for those who need to produce a higher quantity or larger finished products. www.vivid-online.com

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

NEWS

PREMIER AND LEXON, DOING THEIR BIT FOR THE NHS Premier Paper, one of the UK’s leading merchants of printable media, has recently supplied South Wales printer Lexon with enough 470mic gloss clear Viprint, to produce 10,000 protective visors for the NHS. Viprint is easy to clean and is known for its impact resistance, good folding and fabricating capabilities, making it the ideal choice of material for the visors. Lexon are manufacturing the visors with material supplied by Premier and are providing them completely free of charge to NHS workers. Premier’s Marketing Director, Dave Jones, comments “We are a key supply chain partner to the NHS, Government departments, pharmaceutical companies, police forces, local authorities and the food packaging industry, where print media and paper based systems are a critical part of their day to day operations. Maintaining our service levels is difficult in these uncertain times, however these difficulties pale into insignificance when compared to the work that is being done by our NHS staff. We are playing our small part in ensuring that the supply of paper and print media continues, but when the call came in from Lexon for direct support to help protect our NHS workers who are on the front line of fighting Covid-19, then we were delighted to be in the position to offer help.” www.paper.co.uk

‘LOVE PAPER CREATIONS’ KEEP CHILDREN ENTERTAINED Love Paper, the consumer engagement campaign of paper advocacy group Two Sides, has launched a new suite of home printable resources to help entertain and engage households around Britain and beyond. Parents across the UK have taken on the new role of teacher in recent weeks. They have also been looking for new ways to occupy and entertain their children within the home. Being at home, it can be easy to spend the day with the distraction of mobiles, tablets, and games consoles. This can result in a digital overload, which is something parents are becoming more conscious of. Love Paper Creations are a range of games, writing tasks and activity sheets that can be completed by children, or as a whole family. Greg Selfe, Country Manager for Two Sides UK, says “We have seen the country and communities pull together over the last few weeks as the coronavirus pandemic takes hold of the UK. We have all had to adapt to being isolated and we wanted to take the opportunity to help households switch off and enjoy the simple pleasures of engaging with paper, something we are passionate about.” The Love Paper activity sheets are completely free to download, and include paper crafts and origami, games, puzzles, drawing, colouring, and writing activities, plus new resources will be uploaded regularly to keep the family entertained.

QUICK PRINT PRO • MAY 2020

All of the activities can be found at www. lovepaper.org/creations Households are encouraged to share their creations on social media using the hashtag

#lovepapercreations and follow the campaign at: Instagram: @LovePaperCampaign Facebook: @LovePaperUK Twitter: @LovePaperUK • www.twosides.info

NEWS

TOP TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL WORKING The COVID-19 pandemic has forced organisations around the globe to “go virtual” with literally no preparation. However, according to analysis from Associate Professor of Management Petros Chamakiotis at ESCP Business School, if we follow these tips, we have the best chance at keeping productive. 1.THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING SOCIAL. Workers transitioning from the “traditional” to the “virtual” have the benefit of sharing a work history within an established social context. Seeing your colleagues face to face increases the levels of trust; a prerequisite for effective digital collaboration. In the digital environment, it has been found that people focus too much on work tasks, underplaying the importance of social interactions. Virtual workers should not restrict themselves to work tasks, but they should place equal emphasis on social aspects of work in order to mitigate the lack of informal forms of socialisation that typically take place in face to face environments. TIP: Start your Skype meeting with an informal chat over coffee, focusing on non work issues, as this may reduce the perceived geographical distance between workers! 2.SELECT THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGIES: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Dropbox are some of

the technologies that have been developed to support different types of digital work. Some allow real-time communication (e.g. Skype), while others (e.g. Dropbox) have been primarily designed for storing, visibility, and sharing purposes using cloud computing. Though real time communication might feel more natural, it may not always be the right tool, nor is it sustainable to be on lengthy Skype meetings for every single task. TIP: Select the most appropriate technology for each type of task; for example, a chat on Skype could work best for sharing ideas, whereas sharing files in an online space is best for filing purposes! 3. SET WORK-LIFE BOUNDARIES: We often make the mistake of letting our work life penetrate our personal life when working from home. Although digital technologies allow us to work anytime/anywhere, we often end up working all the time. As a result, frequent problems when working from home include extended working hours and reduced wellbeing for ourselves and our families. Receiving constant work related notifications on our mobile devices may disturb our non work life reducing our sense of wellbeing and ultimately negatively impacting our overall performance when most needed. Fully deactivating all work related notifications on our personal devices may help to

ALPHAGRAPHICS PICKS HORIZON BQ470 TO ELEVATE

Stockton multi-channel marketing and print specialist Alphagraphics has elevated its perfect binding productivity and flexibility with an Intelligent Finishing Systems supplied Horizon BQ470. Ryan Richardson, Bindery Manager, explains why the four clamp perfect binder was chosen: “We needed to replace our perfect binding system and wanted to increase our productivity to meet our customer Service Level Agreements (SLAs). “We have some Horizon equipment and looked for systems that would give us the speed the productivity we needed. We also liked the fact the BQ470 enabled a wider range of settings on the thickness and thinness of the book blocks.” Also, an important factor was its ability to complete B2 and B3 work from the operation’s two Heidelberg litho presses and three Indigo presses. He adds: “It allows us to more flexibly handle a wider range of jobs.” The Horizon BQ-470 four clamp perfect binder is ideally suited to mid-range soft back book production with higher production speeds, instant make readies for runs of one. It can bind up to 65mm (2.55”) thickness and offers fully automated set-up through an intuitive iconbased LCD touchscreen. As for the impact the system has made since it was installed Richardson states: “We are pleased with the set up of the machine. It went in very smoothly and the training was good. We have doubled our productivity with the same labour and that is what we expected.” www.ifsl.uk.com

achieve better boundaries. TIP: Think whether using different devices for work and non work activities, or fully deactivating your work related notifications on your mobile devices would help you restore a sense of work-life balance when working from home! “These new ways of working are known for the increased flexibility they offer to both the employer and the employee, the reduction of transportation costs and commuting times, as well as for providing the conditions for creativity and innovation. However, these benefits come with unprecedented challenges, and workers need to have the necessary skills to come to grips with them in an effective and timely manner,” says, Dr Petros Chamakiotis.

PROFILE OF THE MONTH: VIVID LAMINATING TECHNOLOGIES

Designers and manufacturers of laminating systems, Vivid are customer driven, committed to developing, improving and upgrading products for professional printers. Full range of laminators from desktop to large format, plus binding and finishing solutions to aid your customers print presentations. Check out the website for supplies and special offers or phone 0333 252 5020 Your perfect finish starts at www.vivid-online.com

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

YES! They sent

Cupcakes!!

There really is no better way to create a positive feeling towards a brand than to give the target audience something tasty to eat.

Whilst we can’t pretend that our products will provide long term ‘subliminal’ brand marketing, we do know that they are a fantastic way to generate incredible goodwill towards a brand that can last a long time in the memory of the recipient. More and more Distributors are now choosing our ‘Surprise & Delight’ range to help promote their client’s brands alongside traditional promotional products. So if you are looking for a product that will always generate a positive reaction from the recipient, whether a customer, a prospect or a staff member, then the Eat My Logo range is the ideal choice.

01772 472 580

NEW PRODUCTS

DOUBLE LAUNCH FOR ROLAND Roland DG announces two new products. The new VersaUV LEF2-300D has been introduced to enhance print possibilities, while the latest version of Roland’s renowned RIP software — Ergosoft Roland Edition 3 — enhances the user experience for Texart customers. Discover the new potential of the LEF2-300D — First introduced in 2011, the VersaUV LEF series has proved incredibly popular, witnessing years of evolution to allow for larger bed sizes and finer finishing details. Roland DG has now released the VersaUV LEF2-300D, a new model with 200mm height, which not only supports taller items, but adds capacity for a wider variety of jigs, expanding the print potential on offer. The VersaUV LEF creates vibrant colour and realistic textures, allowing for on demand customisation across a range of products and substrates, including leather bags, shoes, phone cases and other promotional items and gifts. Francisco Lozano, Product Manager Roland DG EMEA adds, “Given the versatility of the VersaUV LEF, we’ve seen fantastic success stories from a range of users. They come not just from the print industry, but also from retail, manufacturing and other industries - many of whom previously only relied on screen printing processes, without a complementary digital device such as the VersaUV series.” Ergosoft Roland Edition 3 - With a variety of new features and improvements, including a

redesigned user interface for intuitive operation and enhanced user experience, the ability to quickly find and reach target spot colour, automatic spot replacement and overall improved user efficiency and productivity, this latest edition of Roland’s RIP software is a perfect match for high quality textile printing. Existing Texart XT-640/RT-640 users who have activated editions One and Two are eligible for a free upgrade between 24th March and 30th

September 2020. Part of the latest products being unveiled — Director of Business Development & Product Management, Roland DG EMEA, Paul Willems comments, “We’re so excited to be able to finally introduce our latest developments, created not only to assist current users and printers, but also to inspire creativity and print potential for future use.” www.rolanddg.eu

RICOH PRO™ C5300 SERIES Print Service Providers (PSPs) can harness greater production flexibility, higher print quality and broader service offering with the Ricoh Pro C5300 series sheet fed colour press. The Ricoh Pro C5300 colour sheet fed press delivers high productivity on a broader range of media Building on the success of its predecessor, the Ricoh Pro™ C5200, the Pro C5300 is ideal for small to medium size PSPs, print on demand environments, Corporate Reprographics Departments (CRDs) and print shops. Key benefits of the enhanced system include: • High image quality with Ricoh 2400 x 4800dpi VCSEL technology and new gloss control to address different image output demands. • Greater productivity with a speed of up to 80ppm and an increased monthly duty cycle of 450,000. • Vacuum feed Large Capacity Tray supporting a wide range of

substrates. • Improved front to back registration due to a new paper pass control system. • Broad media handling of substrates up to 360gsm, noncarbon paper, textured media and envelopes. • A wider variety of post press capabilities enabling responsive service delivery supported by peripherals, including an enhanced booklet finisher capable of 30-sheet booklet

production at 80gsm. Versatile end to end production is further aided by its high capacity stacker and efficient fore-edge trimmer. The Pro C5300 incorporates a 10 inch touch screen colour panel for fast and easy set-up and uptime is maximised with simple to change operator replaceable units (ORUs). “The Pro C5300 colour sheet fed press is an evolution of Ricoh’s tried and tested technology and has been developed to support responsive print production

for small to medium volume demands,” says Eef de Ridder, Vice President, Commercial and Industrial Printing Group, Ricoh Europe. “Encompassing all the successful operational elements of its predecessor while adding new capabilities has resulted in a system that offers great usability, flexibility, and productivity.” The Ricoh Pro C5300 will be available across Europe from May 2020. www.ricoh-europe.com

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re rated Excellent on Trustpilot (Based on 1,678 reviews. Correct as of 20/03/20

0114 294 5026 sales@route1print.co.uk www.route1print.co.uk

NEW PRODUCTS

XEIKON’S SIRIUS TECHNOLOGY Xeikon unveils its ground-breaking new generation dry toner technology for the graphic arts industry. It delivers higher speeds, reduced cost of ownership and further improved quality, and — even better — the first digital press based on this new technology will be launched and commercially available as of June 2020. By introducing the ‘Power Of Dry Toner’ campaign last year, Xeikon made it absolutely clear that it remains convinced of the unique power that dry toner technology brings to the graphic arts market — pushing its boundaries even further. It proves its case by announcing the next generation Xeikon SX30000 press: an entirely new, robust single pass duplex machine, powered by the new SIRIUS technology, able to run at a printing width of 20 inch (or 508 mm) on a broad range of substrates at 98 ft/ min (or 30 metres/minute), 404ppm A4) — boasting an average speed increase of more than 50% throughout the range of 40-350 gsm versus the previous platform.

SETTING A NEW STANDARD IN DRY TONER

Xeikon has been allocating major resources since 2017 to set a new standard in dry toner technology and develop a new platform for the graphic arts industry. “The water-cooled LDAs, with 1200x3600dpi technology and the single pass duplex, full rotary concept, have remained unchanged, as well as the 5/5 print station setup. Almost everything else has been re-engineered”, says Dimitri Van Gaever of Xeikon. “One of the things that really sets the SIRIUS technology apart is its ability to print on heavy substrates at high speeds. Dimitri explains some of the core components that enable SIRIUS to set a new standard. “We have been working along four major axis: toner development, imaging technology, fusing technology and media conditioning, resulting in more than 400 design changes and developments compared to the previous generation. All these core components have been redesigned and enhanced to deliver superior quality, market leading performance, unequalled sustainability, widest application range and best in class TCO. “An important step to bring SIRIUS technology to a new era of productivity is realised thanks to Xeikon’s new EkoFuse technology: a new fuser and a

patented new crossflow cooling system add up to achieve superior print quality levels at market leading speeds.” “For our newly developed SIRIUS toner, we have changed the production parameters of the toner and have improved the charging kinetics properties by adapting the outer shell of the toner to cope with the higher engine speed. Our new developer unit ensures superior image quality for high coverage applications.”

HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY FOR HIGH-VALUE APPLICATIONS

With the SX30000, Xeikon is first and foremost aiming at high value applications, usually featuring high coverage colour content on highuquality papers combined with superior quality requirements. “This can be in the book printing segment or high quality direct mail, but because of the versatility of the technology, it might also be in retail and signage materials, security printing and other general commercial print. Furthermore, we are looking at customers who need higher productivity combined with lower running cost and a compelling overall TCO.” www.xeikon.com

MONDI MAKE MUCH NEEDED FACE MASK COMPONENTS Mondi is committed to playing its part to produce important supplies and components during the COVID-19 outbreak. As a global leader in packaging and paper, Mondi’s Personal Care Components team has found a way to convert a production line at its Gronau plant in Germany to manufacture soft, elastic straps which are now being used for face masks and used by medical professionals and consumers globally. Mondi’s plant in Gronau, Germany, typically focuses on making materials used in hygiene products such baby diapers, adult incontinence pads and feminine care items. However, the plant was able to quickly adapt one of its manufacturing lines to produce a three layer, laminated strap that binds a stretchable plastic film between layers of soft, nonwoven material. The straps, which Mondi supplies to its mask making customers on a reel, are then cut and attached to each side of a mask, which can loop comfortably over the user’s ears to hold the mask in place. This elastic material replaces a rubberised band that holds the mask to the face, thereby increasing

operational speed of the machines in comparison to rubber which is slower. “Mondi Gronau is working to provide straps that will fit more than one billion nonwoven face masks. As there is increasing demand for such types of face masks, we are building up our capability to meet this demand. By producing this soft elastic strap, we are able to produce more volume to meet growing demand,” says Dr. Michael Trinkaus, director of R&D and application engineering for Mondi’s Personal Care Components division. Mondi also operates a plant in Taicang,

China, that laminates film made in Gronau to make nonwoven hygiene products similar to those manufactured in Germany. While closely monitoring developments, assessing risks, and implementing preventative policies in line with the local government regulations and recommendations, the company was able to meet orders for mask straps from customers in China when the COVID-19 virus epidemic first broke out. Demand is now growing for more of such supplies from customers across Europe, prompting the Gronau plant to increase production of this material. Further Technical details: Mondi Gronau extrudes the plastic film in strictly controlled, hygienic conditions, before applying an adhesive and the nonwoven layers to either side of it. In a final step the multilayer laminate is then put through a “ring-rolling” process, by which the material is stretched between two rollers with “tooth rings,” thereby activating the elastic properties of the material without causing any damage to it www.mondigroup.com

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

NEW PRODUCTS

MIMAKI LAUNCH LARGE-SCALE 3D PRINTER Manufacturer of inkjet printers and cutting systems, Mimaki Europe has announced the launch of the new Mimaki 3DGD-1800 3D printer, facilitating large scale production up to three times faster than with conventional Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) type 3D printers. The Mimaki 3DGD-1800 3D printer connects the company’s 2D printing expertise and 3D technology innovations, providing customers with a cost effective, total solution for 3D sign and display applications. Capable of producing objects up to 1.8 metres tall in just seven hours — with its assembly based design allowing for the creation of even larger designs — the innovative 3D printing system boasts a number of clever time and cost saving features, including dual-head configuration to enable the simultaneous output of two structures. The Mimaki 3DGD-1800 also facilitates the production of support free hollowed structures, further streamlining production whilst allowing for increased portability and the possible addition of interior illuminations. The technology will open up a diverse range of potential applications, from signage, events and creative art through to interior design. Customers can utilise Mimaki’s extensive portfolio of 2D print solutions to cost effectively decorate these applications, opening doors to a range of new products that combine creativity and innovation with Mimaki’s tried and tested vibrant, high quality results. “Part of what makes our approach unique here at Mimaki is our dedication to being a Total Solutions Provider, and as such we have ensured that even beyond the 3D printing stage, our Mimaki inkjet printers can then be utilised to add colour and décor, making created objects even more impressive and immensely versatile,” comments Bert Benckhuysen, Senior Product Manager at Mimaki Europe. “With our unique vision, wealth of experience from across the print industry and unwavering commitment to innovation, we intend to lead the sign graphics industry in both two and three dimensional signages — and the introduction of the new Mimaki 3DGD-1800 is a fantastic step forward in achieving this goal.” Commercially available from April 1, 2020, the new Mimaki 3DGD-1800 is set to revolutionise the way in which large sized objects are created, enabling a switch from costly and time consuming conventional handcrafting methods which require significant expertise, to effortless, high speed production utilising 3D data. Whereas large objects have traditionally been produced by manually sculpting foam materials, Mimaki’s new 3D printing system transforms this process right through from concept to manufacture — meaning that designs can be visualised as a finished product just based on the 3D data, and then produced in various sizes from a single data set. Contrary to other 3D printing methods involving hot-melt lamination, the 3DGD-1800 employs Gel Dispensing Printing technology, extruding gel-type UV curable resin lineally

and utilising LED UV light to instantly cure the resin, enabling lamination speeds of up to 350mm in height per hour. The 3DGD-1800 3D printer is expected to present sign makers with new opportunities across a number of diverse sectors, with the potential to easily create life sized displays, event decorations, movie props, large product mock-ups and more — as well as quickly and efficiently producing industrial production parts such as moulds for vacuum forming, helping manufacturers to reduce their lead times. “We are very excited to be able to bring such a transformative product to market,” continues Benckhuysen. “With unprecedented modelling speeds and the possibility to create enormous objects even beyond the sizeable formation area, the 3DGD-1800 represents a real transformation in large sized production. Combined with the superior quality that we have become known for here at Mimaki, the potential impact of this new 3D printer is tremendous — particularly for the sign and display market but also far beyond that. The opportunities are boundless.” www.hybridsolutions.co.uk

VINYL CUTTING SOFTWARE: EASYCUT PRO 5.1.02 EasyCut, The developer of sign-making software programmes, has announced global availability of EasyCut Pro 5.1.02, The 32-bit and 64-bit vinyl cutting software for Windows and macOS. Both 32-bit and 64-bit OS machines are supported. The new update also offers a wide range of features, making the tool even more efficient than before. EasyCut Pro is one of the most popular and widely trusted vinyl cutting applications for Mac and Windows. It is perfect for small as well as large printing and cutting businesses. The new version brings above all a significant increase in speed for all operations thanks to multi-core optimisations. The previous versions of EasySignCut Pro 4 are really popular as vinyl cutting software solutions used by more than one million users worldwide

QUICK PRINT PRO • MAY 2020

and 65 percent of sign business companies. But it only supported 32-bit machines before. Since 64-bit systems is more and more popular today, many Windows 10 and macOS Catalina users run

64-bit machines; After six months of hard work and optimisation, EasyCut is finally able to deliver 64-bit versions of its vinyl cutting software. in order to address the needs of computer users who run 64-bit Windows or macOS. EasyCut Pro 5 provides streamlined workflows and user friendly interface that sign-makers specified, and new processing speeds that are faster than anything the market has seen to date. Large images are not only processed faster during the design application but also throughout the printing and cutting process. Thanks to an increase in speed of more than 20% over previous versions, the new versions delivers significantly more thrust to greatly improve production capabilities. www.easycutpro.com

COVER STORY

INTEC INNOVATION

PROTECTIVE FACE SHIELDS KEEP BUSINESSES PRODUCTIVE

As the global Covid-19 pandemic changes our world, one manufacturer, Intec Printing Solutions, has found an innovative way to help printing and finishing companies continue to be relevant in these difficult times — enabling them to supply their clients with products they really need.

nown for manufacturing a range of cutting solutions for label and sheet based products, that are typically used by printing companies to make packaging, point of sale, wedding stationery and folders, Intec Printing Solutions is helping printers realise they can do much more than just cut card or label media. In conjunction with the recently launched FB8000 PRO automated sheet fed cutter, Intec has unveiled a royalty-free face shield cutting design available for download from their website, complete with visor and head band which is ideal for emergency / protective disposable face shields suitable for care homes and the health sector. Intec has been delighted to partner with Active Window Films – www.visorshield. co.uk – who are already using Intec cutters and making these face shields for health care workers and have repurposed their production to solve the growing demand for the face shields.

What makes the Intec FB8000 PRO highly desirable is that it is fully automated and can cut a visor in up to 25 seconds, enabling almost 1,000 face shields to be made per day. The FB8000 PRO is made for busy organisations that want unattended, automated yet versatile cutting to expand the products they offer customers, key features include an automatic feeder that holds up to 2,000 sheets of media (depending on thickness) from its media stacker and can cut up to 600 micron card or even plastic substrates such as PET, Polypropylene or PVC from 100 micron up to 400 micron. To make the system even more attractive to printing companies, the FB8000 PRO includes a job recognition system that retrieves cut files and cuts the correct job for each sheet loaded. The FB8000 PRO including the auto feed system and the cutting software is a highly affordable cutter at £12,999, however Intec is offering an additional subsidy to help companies that wish to use

the system to supply face shields. This makes it attractive both now; to provide the much needed emergency PPE supplies for the current crisis while attracting new customers and also keeping business flowing in these difficult time, as well as also providing a fantastically affordable opportunity to acquire one of these versatile cutters to help you retain more customers and improve your profit margins when business returns back to normal. Telephone: 01202 845960 Email: sales@intecprinters.com Website: www.intecprinters.com

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

PIXEL PROPHET

TRANSLATING PIXELS TO PRINT

Martin Christie is furloughed so unable to submit his column this month. We have therefore compiled some of his very helpful tips from past editions.

ith the enforced furlough we may not be able to do actual work but it doesn’t stop developing our knowledge base — something that’s not always easy during more frantic hours dealing with customers demands. So it’s opportune to review best practise and what we may be able to tune. As this column is all about digital imaging, photo editing tools are key, and although we always stress other software is available, most perform very much like Adobe Photoshop, even if some of the tools have different names, the processes are inevitably similar because of the nature of pixel-based files. Pixel editing files are more useful in the day to day duties of preparing files for print, because unless you are going to delve into colour and density controls in printer management — regardless of the type of printer — it’s a lot easier to simply manipulate the information you are sending to the printer because you are looking at it on a screen, not waiting for it to process and appear in the output tray. It is vital for a modern digital printer to grasp this as most customers are working from apps that they do not completely understand, as they are able to save files without getting involved in the complicated process of actually creating them. Even those who claim a knowledge of Photoshop cannot entirely be believed, as they may have only a basic understanding or be familiar with only an earlier version of the product with limited functions. It may not even be the Adobe product itself, as Photoshop has become such a generic term, not everyone will appreciate the difference. Most importantly what will make the difference is learning how to use, and develop, the tools we have available — not just pressing a button and hoping they will do what you want.

TUTORIALS

There are plenty of helpful tutorials online, from Adobe themselves, and many other experts from different disciplines whether it’s photography or graphic design, so there’s no excuse for sitting around with nothing to do. And if there is a particular problem, a decent search engine will provide a queue of knowit-alls ready to show you exactly how to solve it. As with anything in Photoshop, there is never only one way to do something, so always check several options. That’s because Adobe 14

appreciate we all like to do things differently, and find one approach will work better than another for no other reason than personal preference. The most common task for customer supplied files and images is resizing or reshaping to fit the print area. And while this may sound simple, unless you are aware of the number of pixels in the image and their proportions, you are at risk of decimating or distorting the original. Both of these options are typical of customers trying to do the job on their own on a phone. There they may have only the options of small, medium or large, just like ordering take-away chips. Only a proper photo-editing program will give you the all-important specifications. Because it’s easy to display an apparently sharp and colourful image — even a movie — on a modern phone, you can understand that it’s difficult for the non-specialist to grasp how much information the printer requires for faithful reproduction of something that is effectively a hundred times bigger in real terms. One of the key things that sets Photoshop, and other professional programs apart is the use of layers, copying an original or adding another working surface above it. Layers have been around in Photoshop

from the beginning, but improved functions, together with the tools, makes them more powerful and useful. By using layers you can create a duplicate image over the original, or several, and then work on any of them to apply any changes without affecting the first. This non-destructive editing enables you to explore lots of alternatives, and still be able to refer to the one you started with, and without committing it to history. You are also able to alter the strength of any effect by changing the opacity of any layer, or the position of it, to achieve the desired result. It means you can quickly see a before and after view by unchecking the edited layer, and if you have gone the wrong way, simply delete it rather than having to trash the whole thing. I know this is all very basic to those of you working regularly in Photoshop but I’m just introducing it as the basic starting point to understand creative editing for those who may not be so familiar with the technique. I can’t hope to cover all of the many functions available in this column but at least I can guide you to helpful topics available on the internet.

THE DARK ART OF BLEED

Adding bleed is a particular dark art the average customer will never grasp. It was

Adding bleed is a particular dark art the average customer will never grasp. MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

PIXEL PROPHET always possible to sort out size with a white or other plain border, but anything with a pattern or graduation was a problem. ContentAware gets round most of that because unlike previous tools for cloning or patching, it actually analyses the pixels to determine which are more or less important and creates a new selection to more accurately match the original. That’s a simple way to explain a very sophisticated algorithm, but at least you get the idea. You can use it as a selection on a flattened image by using the shift+delete key and choosing the ‘Content-Aware’ option rather than foreground or background colour. In this way you can create bleed by extending the canvas size and selecting the extra area to be treated. Because you are letting the computer decide, it may not work precisely on every item, but a little bit of practice will determine how best to use it, and the latest updates of Photoshop give you an independent dialogue box so you can select areas of the image to sample from or remove. This really useful trick is also available for masking selections to cut them out from the background: Select > Select and mask. Once these options were fairly crude and clumsy, now they are as sharp and accurate as a surgeon’s knife. Using layers gives more control and more options, so that parts of the image that are unwanted can be completely and seamlessly removed. Instead of the delete key, which will simply do that with a selection in layers, use Edit>Fill>Content-Aware and make sure the preserve transparency box is not ticked. Again a little bit of practice to find exactly the right method of selection will do the trick. Any of the tools like the various lassos, or the more precise pen selection with paths, can do the job. It’s all a matter of the most convenient, or the most accurate, depending on what the job deserves.

YOU ARE THE EXPERT

Probably the most common problem in preparing most customer digital images for print is adjusting the level of brightness to allow for a backlit view to be translated into hard copy. This is the first thing that should be anticipated to avoid wastage of time and paper, and sometimes patience. Always remember the customer comes to you because you are supposed to be an expert. It might be easier in print terms to consider it a matter of density as the printer will produce solid colour with no light leakage from behind to highlight individual pixels. And because you are then viewing the light reflected by it, rather than that coming from behind, it will inevitably look darker than might be expected. Using simple tools to lighten the image is not ideal as it can change colour hue and saturation. Better to use Photoshop’s powerful layer options for much more precise control. Create a duplicate immediately above the original and then work on that, so that you then have the previous version to compare directly. There are QUICK PRINT PRO • MAY 2020

Always remember the customer comes to you because you are supposed to be an expert. a number of ways you can attack the highlights or the shadows to reveal detail or cover over exposed areas. By retaining the adjustments in a layer, you can use the opacity or blending feature of that layer to further refine the effects over the original, or if you are entirely happy with the transformation, simply delete the latter and save the new version.

ADOBE LIGHTROOM

As well as Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom can perform the same magic with a more particular control panel, the Develop mode, also features a before and after option so you can see what you have achieved, and a history panel so you can step back if you have gone too far. Instead of altering or saving over the original, in this case you export a copy. Both Lightroom and Photoshop have a proofing view so you can preview the resulting image relative to the printer profile selected. In Photoshop it’s hidden in View>Proof Setup, which should then reveal a list of ICC profiles available. In Lightroom a similar function also enables a simulation of the background paper. I’m concentrating on shadows and highlights here because they are the usual suspects when comparing the image viewed on the screen, bright and backlit, to that which eventually outputs in print, and which is likely to be darken and flatter by its very nature. That’s where a little bit of preventative surgery comes in handy before the customer has seen the result. That’s when you get that all too familiar, didn’t expect

it to come out like that moment. If you get to that you’ve already lost a little bit of confidence from the customer’s point of view. You have to try and second-guess what the customer expects these days, even if it does mean at some stage being a mind reader. You have to accept they spent a large part of their time staring at a brilliant, high contrast, and slightly blue hue screen and that it is the way their world looks, even before they have started putting fancy filters over it. That’s also why it’s good practice to look at reducing the density of the image for printing long before starting to mess around with the colours because so often the customer, with an inexperienced eye, will announce that there seems too much red, for example, when actually all of the colours are too saturated, it just that they don’t like the red! Changing colour hue is a much more involved process and will almost certainly result in chasing your tail all the way to ending up with a result not much more distant from the one you started with — just a little bit lighter overall! That’s fine if the customer is prepared to pay for your time, or even accept that your opinion is valuable. Otherwise it’s a quick fix and as good as it’s going to get for the price. Hopefully some of these links will be helpful as we are all still learning. Even Adobe appreciate your feedback, and remember, we are the ones who are supposed to know these things. If it was easy, anyone could do it. Stay safe!

If it was that easy, anyone could do it. 15

PEOPLE IN PRINT

DRUPA 2021

ANSWERS FOR THE PRINT INDUSTRY

Mid-March saw the postponement of the world’s leading trade fair for printing technologies, drupa, to April 20-30, 2021. This announcement was due to the exponential spread of the coronavirus. Director of drupa and Global Head Print Technologies of Messe Düsseldorf, Sabine Geldermann, answers…

Sabine Geldermann, director if drupa and global head of print technologies of Messe Düsseldorf

Sabine, what was the decisive factor for Messe Düsseldorf to postpone drupa? Messe Düsseldorf is following the recommendation of the crisis management team of the German Federal Government to take into account the principles of the Robert Koch Institute when assessing the risk of major events. Based on this recommendation and the recent significant increase in the number of people infected with the new corona virus (SARS-CoV-2), including in Europe, Messe Düsseldorf has reassessed the situation. In addition, there was the general ruling issued by the city of Düsseldorf on 11 March 2020, in which major events with more than 1,000 participants present at the same time are generally prohibited. Against this background, there was unfortunately no other option than to postpone drupa. On which criteria did you determine the new date? Under normal circumstances, the year 2020 would have been a ‘trade fair rally’ for Messe Düsseldorf, because from August last year until this June almost all of Düsseldorf’s major world-leading trade fairs should have taken place – with drupa as the finale. Due to the influence of the coronavirus and the associated official decrees or restrictions, seven trade fairs planned for this spring have already been 16

postponed to the second half of 2020 and to spring 2021. Since we need a time frame of around two months for drupa (due to its set-up, duration and dismantling), there were only limited options available. Having weighed up all the parameters and in view of the international trade fair calendar, the date chosen, 20-30 April 2021, is the earliest and best possible date, which we have agreed together with our President and the VDMA as the supporting association. Under the current circumstances, this date now allows the greatest possible planning security for all parties involved. Fortunately, we are now once again in a similar timeframe to the original, traditional May date of drupa, which has become widely established in the industry. How has the global printing community responded to your announcement? The current situation is affecting all industries worldwide in an unprecedented way and the effects of the coronavirus are already having a drastic impact on public and economic life. As in other industries, the printing industry is feeling the effects of this in the form of short-time work, production downtime and supply bottlenecks — on a national and global level. In this situation, however, the health and protection of employees and partners takes precedence. The reaction of our international customers and partners to the postponement was therefore consistently positive and met with great understanding and acceptance. Three months before the regularly scheduled start of drupa, we were thus able to give many exhibitors the opportunity at this point in time to reschedule their upcoming logistical and very cost-intensive measures, such as the shipment of machines. We were very pleased with the numerous emotional feedbacks on our social networks and platforms. One thing is certain: the industry wants to have a drupa again, one that retains its image, its radiance and its global standing — this would not have been feasible under the current conditions. That’s why we will now take every possible measure to meet the expectations of our global customers in April 2021 — let’s embrace the future in 2021 together!

Exhibitors traditionally work towards the drupa date with their new products: Much is already completed for June; exhibitors do not want to wait to present the new products to their customers. Does drupa now see itself confronted with alternative, virtual presentation formats? Our exhibitors will certainly present some of their innovations this year already, using different formats such as customer events or digital platforms. However, these can only bridge the current demand — in our opinion, they do not offer a complete replacement for a trade fair with worldwide appeal. drupa is and will remain the top platform for the printing industry to present innovations, come together and, above all, network. That is why drupa will remain the target the print industry is working towards even after the postponement. drupa represents an indispensable platform for industry participants, providing orientation, impetus and, above all, satisfying the demand for face-to-face meetings and worlds of experience to a high degree. It is all about human needs, haptic experiences and running machines that fascinate participants and which definitely cannot be fulfilled at this point by digital media. What distinguishes leading world trade fairs such as drupa is the concentrated energy that arises from the selective gathering of many people; the personal and emotional exchange; the joint presence of decisionmakers, multipliers and idea providers; lively discussions; presentations that set the pace; chance encounters; opportunities to acquire new customers; recruiting options… Especially in the current situation, where numerous European countries are subject to unexpected restrictions, the need for personal encounters and an extraordinary customer experience after such an experience will certainly be even more pronounced in the future. We are people, not avatars - and the desire for personal exchange, knowledge transfer and networking in a fascinating ambience is unbroken despite all digital formats. That’s why it’s great to see that numerous key accounts are already shaping the motto “let’s embrace the future in 2021 together.” For more information, visit www.drupa.com

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

PRINT IN FOOTBALL

MISSING FOOTBALL?

MATCHDAY PROGRAMMES

Buying a match programme was once an established part of a football fan’s match day routine. Less so now, as changes to the game and wall-to-wall media coverage have hit sales.

s there still a place for the football programme, asks Dan Harrison. A vote at

the EFL’s annual general meeting on 8th June 2018, determined that the 72 member clubs would no longer be obliged to print a programme for every home fixture.

The proliferation of digital media, along with declining sales and rising costs, were cited as reasons. As a result, the governing body agreed to revise commercial arrangements, which made publication mandatory, and clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two were given the freedom to make their own judgements on a match-by-match basis. Of course, football fans have been reluctantly forced to accept dispensing with tradition before. Unsociable kick-off times, the iron grip of TV companies and a seismic shift in clubs’ commercial priorities have put paid to many habits and routines that had filtered down through generations of supporters. Programmes are an intrinsic part of matchday. Stopping at a programme kiosk on approach to the stadium has become second nature to many. Much like purchasing an overpriced pie before kick-off. The EFL ruling, traditionalist’s felt, signalled the final whistle. If one club pulled the plug, others would soon follow. Stevenage took the bold step last August of becoming England’s first professional club to offer a digital-only matchday read. Their League Two counterparts Colchester United adopted a less drastic and far more novel approach by giving supporters a printed copy as part of their ticket. However, the anticipated domino effect has yet to take hold and football programmes are pressing ahead in the battle to evolve. The biggest challenge, perhaps, is that they are no longer a club’s primary method of communication. When programmes were introduced in the late 19th Century, their purpose was providing the team line-ups and a space for fans to note the result and goal scorers. After the Second World War, they became a lucrative revenue stream through advertising and developed into a way of engaging with fans through manager columns, player interviews and statistics. 18

With the saturation of media coverage, both online and through dedicated 24-hour sports news channels that is no longer the case. “I’m not sure how many people actually read the content of a programme,” says Roy Gilfoyle, chief sub editor at Reach Sport, who publishes the official matchday programmes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Celtic. “It is a painful thought for those who slave over making them as interesting and as accurate as they can be — but I know many people who buy a programme purely as a memento of a game.” The biggest challenge, perhaps, is that they are no longer a club’s primary method of communication.

LESS TIME TO TALK

At the game’s top table, it is not so much the direct impact of digital’s stranglehold over print that creates headaches for programme editors in their quest for captivating and original content. A by-product of increased demand from more far-reaching, instantaneous and, indeed, lucrative platforms has put a strain on the time and headspace afforded by managers and players. A typical week’s media duties for a Premier League manager, for example, will consist of an interview with his club’s in-house media team and separate press conferences for TV, radio and written media. Ahead of a live TV game, a one-to-one interview for the broadcaster’s preview show is often factored in too. And let’s not forget international rights holders and separate briefings for Sunday newspapers, depending on the day of the fixture. Very little, if any, original material is left for the matchday programme. In yesteryear, the manager’s programme notes were compulsive and often explosive reading. Like a fortnightly ‘state of the nation’ address. One-to-ones between editor and manager are now a rare beast. Many clubs instead construct a column using quotes adapted from the prematch press conference. The opening words to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ programme are emblematic of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo’s attitude towards

media duties. His proclamations rarely amount to more than five paragraphs. Paul Lambert, one of seven full-time managers I worked with in my time at Aston Villa, had a bizarre ban on praising individuals in his column. It was never a captivating read. Player exclusives too are less frequent. Instead, their time is monopolised by TV and sponsor demands. Wolves ran a series of covers created by local artist Louise Cobbald.

MAKING IT SPECIAL

Little wonder, then, that the target audience of a programme is, more than ever, the collector and the souvenir hunter. The blurred lines of what can pass for a ‘special edition’ — traditionally reserved for prestige fixtures and major anniversaries — have also been redrawn. “Nowadays, every anniversary or special occasion is seized upon to provide an opportunity to make that edition stand out from the rest,” says Gilfoyle. “I remember Liverpool producing a special cover and inside content to mark 100 years since Bill Shankly’s birth. “Each club have their own occasions and half the battle is looking into the future to spy opportunities to make an edition special in some way. MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

PRINT IN FOOTBALL “Programmes may not be cheap but they are certainly cheaper than most other items at a club shop that might bear the club names and date of a particular fixture. And you can’t underestimate the determination of a collector.” The pursuit of new hooks, no matter how tenuous, is understandable when anecdotal evidence points to a decline in sales. Not only are programmes competing with the digital age, the inconsistency of kick-off times has wreaked havoc with supporters’ matchday routines and, in turn, their purchasing habits. In some respects, these challenges provide a catalyst for innovation, through groundbreaking design and the ability to marry print with the latest technologies. Forward-thinking non-league side Frickley Athletic became the first club to find success with Augmented Reality (AR), enabling fans to unlock digital content such as videos and stats by hovering their smartphones over a particular page. The ‘Pokémon-Go’-inspired enhancement has since been adopted by a host of Football League clubs. And, naturally, there’s a greater emphasis on aesthetic. Wolverhampton Wanderers captured the imagination of supporters on their return to the Premier League with a series of front covers created by local artist Louise Cobbald. Her stunning compositions were created using watercolours and the original artworks were auctioned off for charity. Meanwhile, Everton’s programme — which bucked a national trend last term with a 9.3 per cent year-on-year sales increase — provided a talking point among Goodison Park loyalists with its striking cover photography. Adorning the front were images of the Toffees’ star players at Merseyside landmarks, including André Gomes at the Albert Dock, Gylfi Sigurdsson next to the statue of club legend Dixie Dean and Yerry Mina playing drums at The Beatles museum. Everton’s Yerry Mina playing drums at The Beatles museum.

A MOMENT TO TREASURE

A favourite initiative from my two-year stint as editor of Aston Villa’s Villa News & Record publication was enlisting lifelong claret and blues supporter and author of the Jack Reacher novels, Lee Child, as a guest editor. From his Manhattan apartment, the multimillion selling writer contributed several pieces, including an editor’s column, a feature on his penchant for using the names of Villa players in his books and a Q&A with legendary midfielder Gordon Cowans. The front cover also mimicked one of Child’s best sellers. “I have a great job and it has brought me many opportunities,” Child wrote in the 16th January 2016 edition for Villa’s Premier League fixture against Leicester City. “I have met President Clinton and President Obama. Tom Cruise flew me in his helicopter. I have had dinner with kings, lords, sirs and Oscar-winning actresses. “I have watched the Boston Red Sox with Stephen King. I have thrown out the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium. “But best of all was an invitation to meet Gordon Cowans at Villa Park. “I treasure the memory, because I think he was the best player we have ever had — a truly world-class talent — and no Villain gave me more pleasure to watch. I was glad to get the chance to tell him that. “So, when I had to pick a player for a Q&A, naturally I chose him, and I’m grateful he agreed to respond.” In yesteryear, the manager’s programme notes were compulsive and often explosive reading.

PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR

Every season, Programme Monthly and Football Collectible — a long-running magazine for programme enthusiasts — awards a Programme of the Year title to clubs in each of English football’s top four divisions. Brighton and Bournemouth shared the honours in the Premier League last season, while West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City and Exeter City came out on top in the QUICK PRINT PRO • MAY 2020

Championship, League One and League Two respectively. While so-called ‘traditionalists’ –collectors, historians and statisticians — carry out judging innovation is viewed as a critical component. “Obviously articles that appeal to those groups — such as the historical stuff - are really going to work well,” explains Paul Matz, the magazine’s editor. “But the areas that generally score well are innovation and doing things slightly different from the rest of the pack. “Lots of clubs have been innovative. Southampton, for example, moved to an A4 sized programme a few seasons ago — which wasn’t something collectors liked because it doesn’t make them easy to collect. They also charged a fiver, which was a big price increase. “But it gave them greater scope to produce different types of features that wouldn’t work in the traditional B5 format. “Innovation is important to programmes maintaining their buyability in the future.” So, with footballs priorities rapidly shifting, for how much longer will matchday programmes retain a place in hearts and minds? “Sales may be struggling in general but I think there will always be a place for programmes for as long as the game is popular,” Gilfoyle concludes. “Clubs have tried to get digital programmes off the ground but I’ve never seen those as something that could satisfy consumers in the long-term. “People get programmes more for the memories they can bring back in 10, 20 or even 50 years’ time.” Innovation is important to programmes maintaining their buyability in the future. Thanks for this article go out to Dan He handles the press and PR at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and deputy editor of the organisation’s Chamberlink magazine. He worked in the media at Aston Villa FC between 2009 and 2016. He now edits the club’s Villa News & Record matchday programme. 19

ART FOR THE NHS

PRINT EXHIBITION ON NOW AT THE NEC

KIDS ART FOR NHS

Join in to help cheer up the patients and staff at the new NEC hospital being built now in Birmingham to treat coronavirus sufferers

hildren of all ages are producing A4 pictures to brighten and cheer up the newly erected plain walls. Mark at ICS Print & Reprographics is printing and laminating the colourful messages for the NHS to display. This encapsulated art will be safe as it can be cleaned and sterilised. Teachers, who are working with the children of key workers, and parents who are presently home educating can get involved. Simply scan the artwork and email it to hello@ics-print.com where Mark has kindly offered to print and laminate before delivering to the hospital. No real brief for the kids as their own inspiration to cheer the elderly and other sufferers will create a welcome tonic. Anything from rainbows to “We Love the NHS” banners will be brilliant and we would like their names and ages on the picture.

PRINT SHOPS

If you prefer to print and laminate yourselves… The mailing address to send laminated prints to the Kids art for NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham will be confirmed shortly. No extra journeys or contact with others please, only print if you are still open, or send on to someone in the trade that still is.

PRINT SUPPLIERS — A BIG THANK YOU

www.vivid-online.com www.discovery-paper.com www.ashgrovetrading.com You are invited to support the frontline print industry, as you all do every normal business day, by offering to send a few consumables. Let’s hope they have more pictures than patients.

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

Can inkjet trigger a fusion reaction?

Signature image quality on in-demand media. That’s the beauty of the new Xerox® Baltoro™ HF Inkjet Press. With a powerhouse combination of High Fusion print engines and ink, plus 100% Xerox-developed, Xeroxmanufactured print heads, you can spark a reaction like no other.

xerox.co.uk/baltoroHF

SHOWTIME • INPRINT MUNICH

INPRINT MUNICH

THE PERFECT MATCH

InPrint Munich 2021, the International Exhibition of Print Technology for Industrial Manufacturing, is teaming up with ICE Europe and CCE International. The new show dates are 9-11 March 2021 Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany.

he print technology sector is constantly evolving, driven by retail changes and technical advancements that allow for new levels of speed, efficiency, interactivity, and automation. As print tech companies prepare for their next round of product launches and industry collaborations, InPrint Munich is the first important industry gathering of the 2021 event season to bring new technologies and product improvements to market. Over three days, print equipment and machine suppliers will meet international buyers and decision makers from the manufacturing and print service sector to discuss the increasing role of print technology in on-demand production, mass-customisation, and cost-efficient processing in the manufacturing of goods, parts, and packaging.

POWERFUL CO-LOCATION WITH ICE EUROPE AND CCE INTERNATIONAL For the first time, InPrint Munich 2021 will be co-located with ICE Europe and CCE International, creating additional footfall from the fast-growing packaging sector. According to show surveys, the majority of ICE and CCE visitors come from industry sectors that are important growth markets for InPrint exhibitors, including packaging, pharma and electronics, but also food and beverage, transport and logistics, furniture and cosmetics at CCE, and plastics, engineering and paper at ICE. “The co-location of three dedicated trade shows evolving around converting and printing technologies creates a really strong, multifaceted event with increased opportunities and synergies for both exhibitors and visitors”, says Frazer Chesterman (FM Future), Co-Founder of the InPrint event brand. “Whilst the main focus of ICE or CCE visitors 22

is on specialised converting technology, they are also looking for integrated print solutions to label or decorate their finished foil, film, paper, or carton product. Surveys confirm that one third of ICE and CCE visitors want to know more about print technology that can be integrated into their manufacturing process. With InPrint Munich located next door, they can literally proceed to the next step in their production line.” ICE Europe, the International Exhibition for Paper, Film & Foil Converting, is the world’s leading exhibition for the conversion of flexible, web-based materials, such as paper, film, foil and nonwovens, with a strong focus on drying and curing solutions, as well as special films used for touch panels, displays, and food packaging. CCE International, the International Exhibition for the Corrugated and Folding Carton Industry, presents innovative technologies for the manufacturing and converting of corrugated and carton board. It covers the entire production and processing chain of corrugated materials, with digital print on carton as one of the key topics.

INPRINT EXHIBITORS REACH OUT TO NEW MARKETS AT THE HEART OF EUROPE’S TRADE ACTIVITIES

InPrint Munich typically attracts high-level trade professionals; more than 80% of visitors are decision makers, many come with definite investment plans. This makes InPrint Munich one of the industry’s favourite places to start future collaborations and business partnerships, in particular with branded goods manufacturers and industrial production companies on the search for practical print applications and custom-built systems. Another target group are traditional print service providers looking to upgrade their business towards more advanced industry applications by employing new

printing equipment. “Print technology has now successfully penetrated most areas of the manufacturing sector. This is because technology suppliers have long acknowledged that adjusting technology to market demands is an ongoing and very rewarding effort”, says Marcus Timson (FM Future), Co-Founder of the InPrint event brand. ”Stand allocation is now well underway, and with Munich remaining our home, InPrint will be the destination for many visitors from the heart of Europe’s trade activities – a perfect platform for print tech companies to ride the wave, test the market, and promote new paths for print technology in industrial production.”

INPRINT MUNICH 2021

InPrint Munich is Europe’s flagship event of the highly successful InPrint brand for the emerging community of printing professionals and manufacturers who want to maximise on new business potential for print applications in the industrial production sector. The previous InPrint Munich 2019 showcased 136 exhibitors from 22 countries, introducing technical innovations in digital, inkjet, screen and speciality printing on diverse shapes and materials. A total of 2,755 high-

profile industry professionals from 60 countries attended the show. Alongside the exhibition, the popular three day Technical Conference featured more than 70 international top speakers from across the entire print and manufacturing sector, presenting case studies, technical talks and panel discussions. Exhibits on display focused on printing machinery, print heads and components, inks, fluids and chemicals, UV technology, drying and curing equipment, metrology and quality assurance, software for colour and process management, and special custom-built systems for packaging and labels, printed electronics, fabrics and textiles, surface finishings, additive manufacturing, security printing, 3D print, and many more.

EXHIBITOR INFORMATION AND ONLINE BOOKING Companies interested in exhibiting at InPrint Munich 2021 can request the new exhibitor brochure or reserve their stand space online at www. inprintmunich.com. Floor space is selling fast and early booking is recommended. Further updates on the event, participants and conference programme will be posted on the show website as preparations progress. www.inprintmunich.com

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

• Fully Automated Online Ordering System

E-

FR EE

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SHOWTIME

DRUPA

GLOBAL TRENDS

The results, from a survey conducted before the outbreak of the corona virus and the postponement of drupa to April 2021, show a global industry that remained positive but reflected more challenging global economic conditions.

ackaging and Functional market sectors are better placed than Publishing and Commercial. North America remains buoyant but confidence has slipped in Europe and across all other regions. Developing regions are held back by concerns about political instability and corruption, while developed regions are nervous of an inevitable cyclical economic downturn. There is constant pressure on margins but increasingly the better companies counter this by continual innovation. Investment plans remain strong, as printers and suppliers all recognise the need to remain competitive. The findings come from the 7th major annual survey issued last November to the drupa Expert Panel of senior decision takers recruited from printers and exhibitors at drupa 2016 and run by Printfuture (UK) and Wissler & Partner (CH). Almost 600 printers and almost 200 suppliers participated with all regions well represented. Globally 17% more printers described their company’s economic condition as ‘good’ compared with those who reported it as ‘poor’. For suppliers the net positive balance was even stronger at +32%. However, there is a clear trend with confidence peaking in 2017 after the long slow recovery following the 2007/8 recession and a more cautious approach developing since. As always, conditions vary between markets and regions. The Packaging market sector thrives best with Functional, Commercial and Publishing following in that order. Indeed, an increasing number of Commercial and Publishing printers are attempting to diversify into the other two markets. Financial measures confirm these trends with margins struggling in all market sectors, but Publishing showing the clearest evidence of active decline in revenues. North America stands out as buoyant over the whole seven years of the drupa Global Trends Reports. Europe showed increasing confidence until 2018 but has declined since, while all other regions are in decline. Suppliers’ fortunes follow those of their customers both regionally and by market, although in many cases they have the advantage of serving a wider range of markets and regions. For several years printers have responded to the constant pressure on margins by increasing turnover and keeping costs to a minimum. Sabine Geldermann, Director drupa and Global Head Print Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf, commented: “Increasingly we are seeing clear evidence that whilst cost reducing 24

steps will continue, printers are recognising the need to innovate — by launching new products and services in their existing markets or by entering new markets.” Hence, investment plans remain strong with more printers in all regions reporting they will raise capital expenditure next year than those reporting a decrease. Again, the balance of those increasing investment by market was positive for all, but strongest in Packaging then Functional, Commercial and finally Publishing. Finishing is the most popular investment target followed by Print technology and then PrePress/Workflow/MIS. While finishing plans vary too greatly to allow any forecasting, we can comment on planned Print technology investments. Digital toner cut sheet colour is most popular, followed by Sheetfed offset, but there are significant variations by market. Richard Gray, Operations Director at Printfuture, stated: “For the first time we asked specifically about the broader socio-economic pressures and there were two clear patterns reported across the globe. For the developed regions the focus was concern about the risk of,

or reality of, economic recession in the country or region, followed by concern about global trade wars and the impact of global warming/ environmental pressures. For the developing regions, it was corruption and political instability creating economic recession that dominated. Clearly, we must now add the impact of the corona virus, a concern for all which, however, is not yet represented by the report.” The industry coped with the last severe recession and will cope well enough with a global slowdown, even though now it will be exaggerated by the impact of the corona virus. The crucial difference is that, in most markets, the industry has adapted their business models to the challenge of digital communications. Investment is the key to keeping ahead of the curve. www.drupa.com

SHOW EVENTS: NEW DATES

FESPA, Madrid: October 6-8 2020 Metpack, Essen 23-27 February 2021 interpack, Düsseldorf 25 February- 3 March 2021 drupa, Düsseldorf April 20-30 2021

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

GDPR Compliance Notice

QPP magazine subscription is subject to your consent for the publisher, Colourfast Group Ltd., to maintain your data for the purpose of mailing relevant printed material. The option to opt out and requests to update mailing details when required can be actioned by email to editor@QuickPrintPro.co.uk QPP e-magazine and e-newsletters carry an unsubscribe link. The new General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR] came into effect from 25th December 2019-January 2020.

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GREEN ISSUES

PINSEEKER SAVE PRODUCT MILES Golf equipment specialist Pinseeker is hoping to diversify into new green markets following the installation of a new HP Stitch textile printing system. Cheshire based Pinseeker manufacture a wide range of products for the golf course industry, including flags, flagpins and hole cups to name just a few from their huge portfolio. Pinseeker has its own dedicated textile department and offers both embroidered and printed flags, customised with vibrant designs and logos. Until four years ago, dye sublimation printing was outsourced at a substantial cost; the decision was made to bring this process in-house to reduce outgoings while expanding Pinseeker’s team. “Bringing flag printing in-house brought about a dramatic change in lots of ways,” says David Fairclough, Managing Director, Pinseeker. “We had been spending around £100,000 each year on outsourcing this work so investing in our own dye sublimation facility not only saved us money but also allowed us to hire additional staff to improve the textile facility. It’s had a major impact.” After four years of heavy use, in early 2020 it was time to replace Pinseeker’s dye sublimation printer. HP distributor RA Smart, who had supplied the original system, recommended the HP Stitch S300. This fast and reliable dye sublimation solution delivers direct to fabric and transfer printing on one device, with incredibly fast and predictable colour matching and automated functions. “RA Smart are local to us and have always been a really good supplier,” says David. “It was great to see the HP Stitch in action at RA Smart’s demo centre and then receive delivery in March 2020.

“The Stitch S300 has impressive print quality and speeds, an efficient front loading design and intuitive user interface. The app lets you see what it’s doing in real time, but also helps to plan purchasing by allowing us to compare production rates on a year to year, month to month or week to week basis, which is very useful function to a highly seasonal business such as ours” The new HP Stitch will play an important role in Pinseeker’s future plans, as David Fairclough explains. “Our ProPlex™ range of recycled plastic products, such as tee signs, litter bins and benches, is incredibly popular. We plan to expand this range and diversify into new markets, using the HP Stitch to print complementary products for our new range of outdoor furniture, this will include bespoke cushions and covers, with great designs and personalisation options.” www.pinseeker.co.uk

EAT MY LOGO LAUNCH THE MOST FLEXIBLE CUPCAKES EVER! For the fifth year in a row Premier Paper, their customers and the Woodland Trust returned to Pullabrook Wood on Dartmoor; to plant and maintain native woodland in the area. Everyone has been astounded by the success of the Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll, and the key to its amazing sales is down to the fact that it is being eaten by everyone, not just Vegans. With this in mind Eat My Logo has developed a new cupcake recipe to add to the range of their existing cupcakes. This cupcake can be enjoyed by Vegans, Vegetarians and Flexitarians, and it’s even baked with Gluten Free flour*. At a time when eating habits are changing and people are looking to eat more plant-based products, they wanted to make sure that everyone could enjoy their delicious cupcakes. Using carefully sourced vegan friendly ingredients, they’ve created a light sponge that tastes amazing. Production manager Val McArdle commented ‘Finding a recipe that allowed us to keep the same great taste, without the use of any dairy was an ambitious task, but we are thrilled with the results.

This awesome vegan option allows us to cater for everyone whatever their diet. Sales supervisor Megan Gaw reported that ‘With corporate cupcake orders, requests for a number of vegan cupcakes along with the regular cupcakes was a common occurrence. It is great that we can meet these requirements, with another fantastic quality product to delight our customers’ *While the cupcakes are baked with Gluten Free Flour, they are made in a bakery that also manufactures products that contain Gluten. Whilst every effort is made to ensure there is no cross contamination, they cannot 100% guarantee that this will be the case, hence they do not claim that their products are 100% Gluten Free.

GOT A MULTI-SITE PROJECT IN MIND?

Eat My Logo specialise in providing products for delivery to multiple sites on the same date. This is perfect for company-wide celebrations! Next time you need to treat your staff or customers, get in touch and find out about how Eat My Logo can

help you, OR, try their toppers next time you are organising a company promotion. “We can provide toppers for use on your own Biscuits, Cakes and Edible Items! They are suitable for Vegans, and are a fantastic personal touch. Get in touch for more information on the shapes and sizes we can offer!” www.eatmylogo.co.uk

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

NEW PROFIT CENTRE

DORSET ENTREPRENEUR SWAPS WETSUITS FOR SWEATSHIRTS Rosie Lees took over The Embroidery Barn in 2018 with no experience of producing promotional and personalised clothing, but investment in equipment such as the Roland VersaSTUDIO BT-12 has helped her sail into success. Founded in 1998 in Dorchester, The Embroidery Barn delivered workwear, sportswear and attire with embroidered details for 20 years before the owners decided to retire. Rosie heard about the opportunity to buy the business from a mutual friend and opted to pursue it – just in time, as the original owners were about to sell their equipment – but had a learning curve to overcome. “My background is in windsurfing and sailing,” explains Rosie Lees, Director of The Embroidery Barn. “I had no experience of embroidery or printing at all! But after hearing about the opportunity I couldn’t forget about the idea. “I joined the business for two months before the sale, then the previous owners stayed on for our busiest period over Christmas. In total it was a long handover period and it worked really well.” What worked less well, however, was the veteran embroidery equipment. A major machine broke down at a crucial time, so new owner Rosie had to purchase a replacement from Japan. This kicked off a series of investments designed to refresh The Embroidery Barn for the future. “I had to refocus,” Rosie explains. “But that gave me an opportunity to make improvements. The environment is a personal passion of mine and one of my goals is to see how sustainable I can make my business.” The Embroidery Barn already offered some printing services using vinyl, so Rosie went to the Printwear & Promotion LIVE! trade exhibition to look for more eco-conscious alternatives. She found the ideal system in the Roland VersaSTUDIO BT-12, a compact desktop direct-to-garment (DTG) printer. It can print crisp and colourful designs directly to cotton T-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags and other products quickly and safely, without plastic waste. It’s an ideal complementary technology to screen printing, embroidery and dye sublimation. “When I saw the Roland BT-12 at the show I knew it was perfect,” she says. “DTG is a more sustainable option as there’s no plastic, and it was at a great

VIRAL PRINT Spread the word that local printers are here to help with the Coronavirus with signage, labels, stickers and of course marketing for businesses. Get caught doing something good for your immediate customers and your customers existing and potential customers, information is important, with posters paramount, to keep us all healthy and keep our businesses running. Short run print on demand is our business, but try some stock items to tempt your customers to keep in touch.

price point. Our older printing machines can be complicated and clunky but with the BT-12 you just press a button and off it goes. It’s a smooth, lovely process that was very easy to learn. I love it.” Rosie offers printing alongside embroidery, often on the same product. For instance, a popular choice is a polo shirt with a left chest embroidered logo on the front and printed design or name on the back. “People like the high quality finish of the embroidery with the contrast of the print,” says Ro-sie, who is also using the BT-12 to print organic cotton tote bags to promote The Embroidery Barn. “Given our name, many people assume we only offer embroidery, but by giving our customers a printed cotton shopping bag with purchases we’re showcasing our other services.” While The Embroidery Barn was a change in direction for Rosie, in the future she hopes to combine it with her love of the sea and her dedication to the environment. She plans to launch a new clothing brand, intended to run as a separate entity to The Embroidery Barn, with fashion manufactured from ocean waste and featuring DTG printed designs. www.rolanddg.co.uk

SAY HELLO TO FLOOR STICKERS

Your requests have been heard and a brand new product range has been introduced at Route1 Print. Health & Safety won’t have anything to worry about with these ‘friction test’ approved stickers, available on the Route1 website from today. Thanks to Route1 for getting our print shop customers messages on view to everyone queuing or walking around with their nose in a mobile phone. www.Route1Print.co.uk

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

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Be seen to go green ECO FRIENDLY PLASTIC-FREE CLEAR 180MIC A4 BINDING COVERS Over the last few years, we have all been made aware that plastic cannot be absorbed back into the environment; a lot of it ending up in our oceans affecting both us and the wildlife around us. We know that companies, like yourselves, have been looking into ways of reducing their use of plastics and, to this end, we at FD Solutions Ltd are pleased to advise that we can now supply a completely plastic-free A4 clear binding cover that can be recycled along with your paper. Find out more about this exciting new product, contact FDS. Tel: 0118 956 1740 Email: sales@fdsolutions.ltd.uk

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FDS Plastic-Free HP•0619.indd 1 QUICK PRINT PRO MAY 2020

22/05/2019 10:18 29

NEW PROFIT CENTRE

INTEC HELPS ‘ANCESTORS OF DOVER’

ColorSplash: Digital Printing

ColorFlare: Foiling and Laminating

State of the art digital printing and finishing equipment has enabled ‘Ancestors of Dover’, leaders in the huge heritage industry, to produce higher quality packaging, increase profit margins, minimise turnaround times — and even discover new and exciting niche product opportunities! HISTORICAL ROOTS: Ancestors of Dover Ltd. was formed in 1992, primarily as a firm of professional genealogists. Over the passage of time, the need to produce an accurate Royal ancestral chart arose — and today, the company now manufactures and markets an enormous and diverse range of packaged heritage gifts and merchandising to satisfy its growing global marketplace. MOVING WITH THE TIMES: Having established themselves, Nick Humphrey -Smith MD, sought to streamline their production processes with automated printing and finishing equipment. A Google search served up a number of options for their consideration and Nick eventually awarded the contract to Intec, following an impressive demonstration of how well the ColorSplash, ColorFlare and ColorCut products met their very specific requirements. FROM COTTAGE INDUSTRY — TO MAJOR DIGITAL PLAYER: Since their humble beginnings, the company had enjoyed extremely good times with its growing range of product lines, but future success depended upon achieving higher production levels. With payrolled staff now numbering 17, production to date had been conducted both internally and by a reliable core of some 50 outworkers. Using scalpels, hand tools and glue, every single item had historically been lovingly processed by hand. With demand outstripping the capacity of traditional methods — the time had come for automation — and also for the entry of Intec Printing Solutions. SPEED, ACCURACY AND PRODUCTIVITY: As if grasping Excalibur itself, the team now had access to a whole new magical realm of speed, accuracy and productivity — not to mention, a newfound freedom to experiment! “We are all delighted with the ColorCut

ColorCut: Cutting and Creasing

FB8000PRO”, said Nick, “The price point was sensible with a short payback period and it has taken away so much time consuming and laborious effort. Plus the quality of all the cuts and creases is absolutely perfect.” Another pleasingly positive outcome of the new technology, is that rather than replacing workforce, ColorCut has stepped up production to such an extent that new staff have been recruited to cope with the output capacity and options for new lines! Experimentation reaps dividends With their new found flexibility to experiment freely without incurring outsourced charges for dies etc. Ancestors has discovered they can explore new ideas and make any prototypes and one-offs at will.

In doing so, they quickly discovered an exciting and potentially profitable new line in face masks and crowns: whilst producing a pair of these for his children, Nick showed the idea to English Heritage, who loved the idea and now a new range of English kings and queens masks for children to decorate, pop out, assemble and wear has been created. A new line is born. One of Ancestors most popular lines are diecast figurines. Having acquired their own casting company to produce all figurines, they now produce quite unique and intricate hexagonal cartons to contain the fascinatingly detailed Ancestors can now also produce laminated hanging cards which are intricately cut to shape to hold branded items such as bottle openers. “Everything is now within our control internally, to produce any form of printed and finished item we should so desire”. added Tim Parsons, Company Secretary & Design Manager Bottle opener hanging card. Printed, cut and creased for Historic Royal Palaces, one of Ancestors of Dover’s many, key accounts “Our automated ColorCut flatbed cutter revolutionised our production process at a stroke! Output is now many times faster and we’re creating clean, accurate creasing and cut lines” DIGITAL PROFITABILITY AND ECONOMIES OF SCALE: Nobody needs reminding that ‘going digital’ brings with it the bonus of being able to produce minimum quantities — and also the convenience of producing ‘on demand.’ However, the realisation of this was really brought home when Nick found they could now print and cut just a few hundred pieces of one part of a four-part series, on demand and at the drop of a hat! Previously, the company would have had to commit to placing a full external print order of around 4,000 pieces of all four types, and then stock-pile in order to achieve an acceptable unit price. “The CF1200LX’s dual arm enables us to easily swap between lamination and foil at will.” mentions Tim, “and the perceived values of the finished items is much higher too. The kit all works in perfect harmony.” New product lines have been designed and produced, with the acquisition of the new Intec printing and finishing equipment — items such as miniature Crown Jewels, royal chart, family trees, heraldic charts, pewter knights on horseback and more. www.intecprinters.com

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

INSTANT PRICES

Tel: 0151 259 1221 peter@promotionalmugs.co.uk

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www.fdsolutions.ltd.uk 01189 561740 • sales@fdsolutions.ltd.uk FDS Foton 30 HP 0619.indd 1 QUICK PRINT PRO • MAY 2020

22/05/2019 10:39 31

PREFERRED SUPPLIER HUB

FIND YOUR SUPPLIER WITH QUICK PRINT PRO’S

PREFERRED SUPPLIERS HUB ABBOT PRINT

T: 01442 867600 E: sales@abbotprint.com W: www.abbotprint.com Manufacturers of business stationery, books and pads.

ALLIED IMAGES

T: 01604 670679 W: www.allied-images.com 53 Tenter Road, Northampton, NN3 6AX Distributor of Contex Large Format Scanners and MFP solutions with touch controllers, Scan Copy Print. Large Flatbed scanners up to A1 size, Microfilm Scanners and Book Scanners up to A2 page size.

ART SYSTEMS LTD

T: 0870 224 2612 W: www.artsystems.co.uk E: marketing@artsystems.ltd.uk Units 10-12 Glaisdale Parkway, Glaisdale, Nottingham NG8 4GP Colortac Scanners, HP Designjets, MakerBot 3D printers, Canon wide format printers.

BAKER LABELS

T: 01277 281900 E: sales@bakerlabels.co.uk W: www.bakerlabels.co.uk Baker Labels can handle exceptionally large or surprisingly short print runs and aim to have your order ready within four days of proof approval. The sales and customer service team can assist you in selecting the most appropriate material, adhesive and finish depending on the end use of the product.

CALF HEY DESIGN

T: 01484 542 795 W: www.calf-hey.com Unit 23, Colne Valley Business Park, Manchester Road, Linthwaite, Huddersfield, W. Yorks HD7 5QG Label manufacturer, trade-only, plain, printed, laminated, barcodes, numbering, one- to full-colour, we do it all, total label solutions at trade prices. Call for free sample pack.

CASLON LTD

T: 01727 852211 E: info@caslon.co.uk W: www.caslon.co.uk Lyon Way, Hatfield Road, St Albans Business card cutters, Digital print finishing,, Finishing products and systems, Foiling equipment, Print finishing equipment and Thermographic equipment & supplies

COLOURFAST W: STUDIO T: 01273 674321 E: becky@colourfast.co.uk

For all your website design, hosting and E: services.

DUPLO INTERNATIONAL LTD T: 01932 263900 W: www.duplointernational.com/uk Automated Precision House, Hamm Moor Lane, Addlestone KT15 2SD UKmarketing@DuploInternational.com

Everything that you could want from finishing equipment you’ll find the solution within the Duplo range. Duplo provide small, hand-fed desktop machines up to fully automated high quality production systems.

DURAWELD

T: 01723 584091 E: sales@duraweld.co.uk W: www.duraweld.co.uk Salter Road, Eastfield Industrial Estate, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11 3UP Manufacturer of presentation products to package, present and protect printed paper and multimedia. Ring Binders, Tabbed Dividers and Indexes, Files and Folders, Wallets, Polypropylene Boxes, Multimedia Packaging, Self Adhesives and Presentation Ring Binders. Customise to your requirements through screen or litho print, pockets and accessories. Quality service, competitive prices and fast turnaround.

ELMSTOK

T: 01945 463434 E: sales@elmstok.co.uk W: www.elmstok.co.uk 4-6 Algores Way, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 2TQ A leading worldwide supplier in document presentation systems and finishing equipment including Binding Machines and Supplies, Manual and Electric Guillotines, Laminating Machines and Supplies, Paper Drills and Punches, Folders, Booklet Makers and Shredding Machines.

GFSMITH

T: 020 7407 6174 E: london@gfsmith.com W: www.gfsmith.com Paper and card suppliers of prestigious printing and presentation media.

IFS INTELLIGENT FINISHING SYSTEMS T: 020 8997 8053 E: info@ifsl.uk.com W: www.Ifsl.uk.com

A leading supplier of finishing equipment including the Horizon market-leading automated system range in many of the key finishing disciplines — including folding, perfect binding and saddle stitching. 35 years serving the digital and litho print industry.

LISTAWOOD PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS T: 01553 818818 E: sales@listawood.com W: www.listawood.com 24 Rollesby Road, Hardwick Industrial Estate, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. PE30 4LS UK manufacturer of promotional products including mousemats, ceramics, liquid filled products, usb Flashdrives and magnets. 100% trade only.

LISTAWOOD TRADE SUPPLIES

T: 01553 818848 E: tradesupplies@listawood.com W: www.listawood.com 24 Rollesby Road, Hardwick Industrial Estate, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. PE30 4LS A one stop shop for consumables and equipment for dye sublimation and chromablast. Authorised distributor of Hix heat presses and parts.

LUCAS FETTES

T: 020 7392 2800 E: andrew.thompson@lucasfettes.co.uk W: www.lucasfettes.co.uk 1st Floor, 13-15 Folgate Street, London. E1 6BX Insurance — CSMA premier business policy.

THE MAGAZINE PRODUCTION COMPANY T: 01273 467579 E: info@magazineproduction.com W:www.magazineproduction.com

Comprehensive cost-effective white label design, production and print solution for independent publishers. In-house company newsletters, brochures and magazines — we can send print compliant artwork back to you for printing for your customers.

METRO UK

PDC PRESENTATION SOLUTIONS T: 020 8810 5770 E: sales@pdcuk.com W: www.pdcuk.com

PDC are the UK’s Coil/Spiral experts, we manufacture 45 coil colours in any length up to one metre, in diameters from 6mm up to 50mm and in a range of 45 colours. Call or E: for free samples and pricing.

T: 01753 884811 E: hunterslodge@onetel.net

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MORGANA SYSTEMS LTD

New, easy entry, full colour printing system. Advertising

A0 Plan Copiers, Plotters and Cad Printers. Specialists in the supply of quality pre-owned Océ and Xerox plan copiers.

T: 01908 608888 Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes Manufacturer of a comprehensive range of finishing products and systems. Booklet makers & Trimmers, Collators, Business Card Cutters, Creasers.

NCR PADS LTD

T: 0330 111 5040 E: lets.talk@ncrpads.co.uk W: www.ncrpads.co.uk NCR Pads Ltd, 6 Waterside Gardens, Shrewsbury, SY3 9AG

Bespoke printingin the UK for trade NCR pads, sets, books and continuous forms.

NELSON PRESS

T: 01794 340100 E: sales@nelsonpress.co.uk W: www.nelsonpress.co.uk Unit 5, Home Farm Business Centre, East Tytherley Road, Lockerley, Hampshire, SO51 0JT

Now part of the Whitehill Print Group, Nelson Press offers competitive trade prices on Draw tickets and other numbered/perforated tickets & books.

OCÉ IMAGING SUPPLIES

Wide format materials: 0800 623 623 Small format materials: 0800 212 943 Chatham Way, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4DZ Reknowned supplier of copying and printing equipment to copy shops, carries one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive range of consumables, for both small and wide format machines, from A4 white paper to display graphic materials such as backlit films.

OKI SYSTEMS (UK)

T: 01784 274300 E: ukenquiries@okieurope.co.uk W: www.oki.co.uk Blays House, Wick Road Egham, Surrey. TW20 0HJ

PEN WAREHOUSE T: 01252 400270 E: sales@pens.co.uk www.pens.co.uk Trade pen supplies.

PERFECT COLOURS

T: 0845 680 9000 W: www.perfectcolours.com E: info@perfectcolours.com Unit 2 Glengall Business Centre, 43-47 Glengall Road, London, SE15 6NF HP Preferred Partner specialising in large and grand format printing and finishing solutions, supplying Durst, Jetix, HP, Canon and Epson LF printers. For more information or to book a free printer demonstration call or E: us.

W: www.printonbeermats.co.uk W: www.printoncoasters.co.uk E: info@printonbeermats.co.uk in print has become more refined. It’s cooler, more refreshing and its smooth message lasts to the bottom of the glass.

PRINTERSXCHANGE

T: 01273 674321 E: advertising@PrintersXchange.co.uk The UK’s trading platform for the print industry

PRODUCTION PRINT

T: 0333 567 4444 W: www.productionprintuk.com Independent service and support for Konica Minolta, Oce and IKON variants. Sell and support new and used digital presses — mono and colour. Unique rental scheme — no third party lease companies — 12 month contract — ability to upgrade at any time.

RAFFLE TICKETS DIRECT

T: 01933 411332 E: sales@raffleticketsdirect.co.uk W:www.raffleticketsdirect.co.uk Lower Farm, High Street, Irchester, Northants. NN29 7AB One colour to full colour raffle tickets. Fast free express delivery. Cheapest prices in the UK at the best print quality. All tickets are glued within the stub (no metal staples used to fix books).

RENZ UK

T: 01707 270001, W: www.renz.co.uk Hatfield Park Estate, Hatfield, Herts. AL9 5PQ Renz Onepitch® ring wire system now allows binding from just a few sheets through to 350 sheets (1/4”-1 1/2” wire).

ROLAND DG (UK)

T: 01275 335540 W: www.rolanddg.com Griffin House, Windmill Road, Clevedon, North Somerset, BS21 6UJ. Roland aim to help customers feel comfortable and confident when using Roland DG products, and to always be on hand to assist with the continued growth and success of customers’ businesses.

SHARP ELECTRONICS (UK) T: 020 8734 2000 W: www.sharp.co.uk 4 Furzeground Way, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB11 1EZ

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

PREFERRED SUPPLIER HUB

SA PUBLISHING

T: 07434 483777 E: info@sapublishing.co.uk W: sapublishing.co.uk 1 Lowry Close, Church Hill Street, Smethwick, West Midlands. B67 7QT

SOVEREIGN (SOV PRINT LTD) T: 01443 816414 W: www.sovprint.com Riverside House, Maple Drive, Dyffryn Business Park, Ystrad, Mynach, CF82 7UA

Screen printing as a trade service onto many materials. Labels, binder covers, estate agent boards, point of sale, plastic business cards, fire & safety signs, vehicle promotional items, etc. For a competitive quotation call now.

STANFORD MARSH

T: 01905 458000 W: www.stanfordmarsh.co.uk Haycroft Works, Buckholt Drive, Warndon Business Park, Worcs. WR4 9ND Official dealer for all main manufacturers, allowing us to supply best fit solutions for all users. Please visit our website.

SUPREME LABELS

T: 01924 402111 W: www.supremelabels.co.uk Unit 6, Valley Road Business Park, W. Yorkshire WF15 6JY Label Suppliers, Roll Labels, Laser Labels, Warning Labels, most formats available.

MAGIC TOUCH (THE)

T: 01582 671444 E: sales@themagictouch.co.uk W: www.themagictouch.co.uk Unit 4 Apex Business Centre,Boscombe Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU5 4SB Supplier of transfer papers, colour laser printers and heat presses to open up exciting opportunities to print on a limitless range of products.

UMG UK

T: 0800 915 4263 W: www.uchida.uk.com Jasmine House, High Street, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9HN

VIVID LAMINATING TECHNOLOGIES

T: 01530 510946 W: www.vivid-online.com. Matrix House, Norman Court, Ivanhoe Business Park, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, LE65 2UZ Vivid offer a wide range of innovative and exclusive Laminating Systems ranging from Desktop to Wide Format Laminators. Visit the website to view the full range which also includes Binding and Print Finishing solutions.

XERETEC

T: 02380 574100 E: info@xeretec.co.uk. W: www.xeretec.co.uk Brickfield Trading Estate, Brickfield Lane, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire. SO53 4DR Xerox Technology, Document Consulting, Office Supplies

XEROX UK

T: 01895 251133 Bridge House, Oxford Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 1HS The Document Company supply a full range of office equipment.

QUICK PRINT PRO • MAY 2020

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THE JOKE’S ON YOU

READERS’ SCRIBES

SOMETHING TO SHARE? SELF ISOLATION

Self-isolation is getting so bad I’m starting a real crush on my roommate...and we’ve been married for more than 20 years.

IDEAS FOR A MUSICAL

A guy kept boring his friends by going on and on about his ideas for a musical based on his life. Eventually one of them said to him, “Look man, there’s no need to make a song and dance about it!”

FURLOUGHED

Just seen a burglar kicking his own door in. I asked: “What are you doing?” He said: “Working from home.”

FETCH ROVER

I trained my dog to fetch me beer. It may not sound too impressive, but he gets them from the neighbour’s fridge!

TODAY’S MOTTO

Sunday School Teacher: “Now Little Johnny, I want you to memorise today’s motto, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Little Johnny: “Yes miss, but I know it already. My father says he has always used that as his motto in his business.” Teacher: “Oh, how noble of him! And what is his business?” Little Johnny: “He’s a boxer.”

FOOTBALL HEAVEN

Two 90-year-old men, Mike and Joe, have been friends all their lives. When it’s clear that Joe is dying, Mike visits him every day. One day Mike says, “Joe, we both loved football all our lives, and we played football on Saturdays together for so many years. Please do me one favour, when you get to Heaven, somehow you must let me know if there’s football there.” Joe looks up at Mike from his death bed,” Mike, you’ve been my best friend for many years. If it’s at all possible, I’ll do this favour for you.

It’s been raining for days now and the dog seems very depressed.

Shortly after that, Joe passes on. At midnight a couple of nights later, Mike is awakened from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to him, “Mike-Mike.” “Who is it? Asks Mike sitting up suddenly. “Who is it?” “Mike — it’s me, Joe.” “You’re not Joe. Joe just died.” “I’m telling you, it’s me, Joe,” insists the voice.” “Joe! Where are you?” “In heaven”, replies Joe. “I have some really good news and a little bad news.” “Tell me the good news first,” says Mike. “The good news,” Joe says,” is that there’s football in heaven. Better yet, all of our old friends who died before us are here, too. Better than that, we’re all young again. Better still, it’s always springtime and it never rains or snows. And best of all, we can play football all we want, and we never get tired.” That’s fantastic,” says Mike. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams! So what’s the bad news? “You’re in the team for this Saturday.”

A salesman and his manager are reading head stones at a nearby cemetery. The salesman says “Crikey! There’s a bloke here who was 152!” The manager says, “What’s his name?” The salesman replies “Miles, from London!”

You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the value of the products increase as the shopper ascends the flights. The shopper may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building! So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1: These men have jobs She is intrigued, but continues to the second floor, where the sign reads: Floor 2: These men have jobs and love kids. ‘That’s nice,’ she thinks, ‘but I want more.’ So she continues upward. The third floor sign reads: Floor 3: These men have jobs, love kids, and are extremely good looking. ‘Wow,’ she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going. Floor 4: These men have jobs, love kids, are dropdead good looking and help with housework. ‘Oh, mercy me!’ she exclaims, ‘I can hardly stand it!’ Still, she goes to the fifth floor and the sign reads: Floor 5: These men have jobs, love kids, are dropdead good looking and help with housework and have a strong romantic streak. She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor, where the sign reads: Floor 6: You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store. PLEASE NOTE: To avoid gender bias charges, the store’s owner opened a New Wives store just across the street. The First Floor has wives that love sex. The Second Floor has wives that love sex and have money and like beer. The Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Floors have never been visited.

THE HUSBAND STORE

AND A COUPLE MORE TO FINISH

SALES APPRAISAL

What do you call a man who just lost his brain? Sales trained. What’s a copier salesman and a pint of Guinness got in common? A black suit, white collar and the ability to be a pain in the arse!

SALES NOUS

A store that sells new husbands has opened in Nashville where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates:

He keeps standing by the window, staring.

What’s the difference between roast beef and pea soup? Anyone can roast beef. Where do you find a no legged dog? Right where you left him.

If it continues...

…I’m going to have to let him in.

FELIX THE COPY CAT 34

MAY 2020 • QUICK PRINT PRO

PRINTERS’ XCHANGE

Placing your advert couldn’t be easier: www.PrintersXchange.co.uk

PageWide 4000XL

Epson P10000

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GoTex 1.9M Fixation Unit

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HP FB500

HP Designjet T1530PS

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1.6M Second Hand • Warranty: 90 Days RRP £60,000.00

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Intec ColorCut BC480 Business Card Cutter £1,799 +VAT

sales@intecprinters.com 01202 845 960

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36” Second Hand • Warranty: 90 Days RRP £4,200.00

Polar 78-e guillotine

Schneider 78 e line guillotine

With flat screen digital programme and light guards

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Epson SureColor SC-T5400 240V

HP Designjet Z5600

NOW £1,599.00

NOW £2,495.00

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36” Brand New • Warranty: 1 Year RRP £1,895.00

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Epson SureColour SC-3400 240V

£13,500

44” Brand New • 1 Year Warranty RRP £4,995.00

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HP Designjet T930

24” Brand New • Warranty: 1 Year RRP £1,595.00

36” Second Hand • Warranty: 90 Days RRP £4,200.00

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QUICK PRINT PRO • MAY 2020

£8,500

DEALER BLOCK ADS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. The deadline for the next printed copy is 5pm, Wed. 20th May. www.printersxchange.co.uk

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Print, delivered tomorrow.

White label packaging as standard

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Signage Boards Low prices, fast turnaround, free delivery.

Fast, affordable and effective signage boards. Speak to us about our huge range of sizes, materials and finishes.

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