February 2014

.com

Maximize Your Printing Proďƒžts 4overLug_PA_Feb.indd 1

Proven Plate Performance.

2014-01-20 10:40 AM

The New Peace of Mind: Saphira Consumables www.shop.heidelberg.com

1 800 363 4800 PM40065710 R10907 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Department: P.O. Box 530, Simcoe ON N3Y 4N5

MrSigns_PA_Feb.indd 1 PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 1

2014-01-21 2:39 PM 2014-01-21 3:19 PM

11

12

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 2 4over_PA_Feb.indd 1

2014-01-21 10:47 3:19 PM 2014-01-20 AM

0 10:47 AM

CONTENTS Volume 53, Number 2 Features

13

Scale and Scope After building an integrated print-manufacturing platform for more than a decade, George Mazzaferro, founder and CEO of RP Graphics Group, prepares his 60,000-squarefoot plant for new opportunities

18

Tech Report Flexible Packaging Finesse Detailing new tools driving one of the industry’s most innovative sectors, which the Flexographic Technical Association recently reported to represent 60 percent of the $440 billion packaging market

Print

6

NEWS Harland Clarke moves to acquire Valassis for $1.84 billion, Verso Paper agrees to purchase NewPage for $1.4 billion, and remembering Phillip Wright of Houghton Boston

7

Calendar March 2014 IPEX returns to London with the Cross Media Production conference, RyeTAGA aims for the Helmut Kipphan Cup in Texas, and PrintAction presents Flexo Focus in Mississauga

8

HISTORY Iron Works of the Past Nick and Liana Howard open Howard Iron Works in Mississauga to provide press restoration and a public museum with machine vintages reaching back to the 1830s

10

SOFTWARE Smart Mobile Apps for Business Twenty of the best Android and Apple iOS mobile applications categorized by productivity, note taking, reading, networking and reporting for a typical business day

Columns

11

ZAC BOLAN CES 2014: 3D, 4K, Drones and E Ink A look inside the sprawling Las Vegas exhibition, with over 150,000 attendees, showcasing the latest trends and future communication tools of the $203 billion consumer electronics industry

12

MARTIN HABEKOST Is 3D a Fit for Print Manufacturing?

Despite sharing some of traditional printing’s greatest attributes, such as the ability to manufacture an endless possibility of unique products, 3D printing may not be a great fit for printers

Archive

26

February 1994 The Winter Olympics kick off in Lillehammer, Israeli minister Shimon Peres signs an accord with Yasser Arafat, and LeighMardon of Australia wins a bid to print 45 percent of Canada’s stamps

Resources 19 Services to the Trade

25 Marketplace

Cover photo: Clive Chan

FEBRUARY 2014 • PRINTACTION • 3 11.375x4.125+0KiaraV3.indd 1

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 3

20/08/2013 10:35

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

PERSPECTIVE

Request for Proposals for Printing Services to be posted on MERX.com The Ontario Ministry of Government Services is planning four single procurements to select a number of suppliers to enter into Vendor of Record including: • Envelopes Request for Proposals – OSS_00411841 • Forms Request for Proposals – OSS_00411972 • Forms with Security Features Request for Proposals – OSS_00412000 • Commercial Print Request for Proposals – OSS_00401964 These RFPs are only available through MERX.com, under Services categories of Communications, Photographic, Mapping, Printing and Publication Service from January 2014 to March 2014. MERX™ is the electronic tendering system used by the Province of Ontario. For further information about MERX™, call 1-800-964-MERX (6379) or visit the MERX™ website at www.MERX.com.

Consumer Communications I

t is vital for commercial printers to stay informed about the advances in digital communications products, which will ultimately dictate the direction of the retail market, whether fighting for budget dollars or leveraging new tools to drive print.

PrintAction columnist Zac Bolan, a self-confessed tech and gadget geek, made his annual pilgrimage to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held from January 7 to 10 in Las Vegas, to discover the latest trends on the retail end of communications.

Reading through the dozens of CES reports, including Bolan’s coverage (CES 2014: 3D, 4K, Drones and E Ink, page 11), it is incredible how quickly new trends can trump any attention paid to products of the previous year. It is a reminder that we are still finding our way through the information age, which is perhaps best exemplified by the breakneck pace of media innovation.

You can barely find mention of tablet computing from CES 2014 reports, but advances in the smartphone and televisions remain at the forefront of the consumerelectronics marketplace. High-definition television and related services were a major talking point at CES, which highlighted bigger displays and even flexible OLED screens. In fact, wearables (often fitted with OLED technology), an emerging term to categorize computing-connected clothing, were at the forefront of CES 2014.

The exhibition apparently featured a multitude of everyday products with Internet connection, from toothbrushes and tennis rackets to new 4G-enabled cars.

Arguably, the biggest emerging trend at CES 2014, which many journalists noted as having officially arrived in the marketplace, was presented by 3D printing. This well-known term has been bandied about in the printing industry for a few years now, even if the process might never find a home here. This month, Dr. Martin Habekost of Ryerson University’s Graphic Communications Management program takes a unique look at the current state of this certain disruptive technology in his article, Is 3D a Fit for Print Manufacturing?

Habekost addresses what should be a burning question of whether 3D printing is a process to be applied in a manufacturing environment or if it is the very definition of niche. In late-2013, Xerox exited the 3D printing end-market by selling its Wilsonville facility, including product design, engineering and chemistry group, to 3D Systems for $32.5 million in cash.

3D Systems develops 3D printers, as well as related materials and IT infrastructure, to create prototype or real products with plastics, metals, ceramics and edibles, among others substrates. The company utilizes Xerox print heads for a range of its multi-jet systems, such as the ProJet series 3D printers. Xerox is no doubt satisfied 10:05providing AM the print heads as a consumable for such complicated systems, which will seemingly find their place in the market one product at a time.

BLEED

Government_PA_Jan.indd 1

2013-12-16

Jon Robinson, Editor

More printers read PrintAction magazine every month than any other graphic communications publication in Canada.

USE THE SUBSCRIPTION LINK BELOW TO UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION AND ENSURE YOU DON’T MISS A SINGLE ISSUE.

Canada’s Graphic Communications Magazine. Proudly published for two generations.

Editor Jon Robinson • 905.713.4302 • jrobinson@annexweb.com Contributing Writers Zac Bolan, Peter Ebner, Chris Fraser, Victoria Gaitskell,

Dr. Martin Habekost, Nick Howard, Thad McIlroy, Nicole Rycroft,

Dr. Abhay Sharma, Trish Witkowski Publisher Sara Young • 905.726.5444 • syoung@annexweb.com Associate Publisher Stephen Longmire • 905.713.4300 • slongmire@annexweb.com Advertising Sales Sara Young • 905.726.5444 • syoung@annexweb.com Stephen Longmire • 905.713.4300 • slongmire@annexweb.com Art Director Clive Chan • 905.713.4301 • cchan@annexweb.com Circulation Nicole Cuerrier • 866.790.6070 • ncuerrier@annexweb.com PrintAction is published by Annex Publishing & Printing and is Canada’s only national monthly publication serving the graphic arts industry. ISSN 1481-9287.

Annual Subscriptions: Canada: $39.99 ($35.39 + $4.60 HST); United States: CN$69.99; Other Foreign: CN$139.99

Notice: PrintAction, Annex Publishing & Printing, their staff, officers, directors and shareholders (hence known as the “Publisher”) assume no liability, obligations, or responsibility for claims arising from advertised products.

The Publisher also reserves the right to limit liability for editorial errors, omissions and oversights to a printed correction in a subsequent issue. The contents of PrintAction is copyright ©2014 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. and may not be reproduced in whole or part without written consent.

PrintAction is printed by Annex Printing on Supreme Gloss 80lb Text and 70lb Matte Text available from Spicers Canada.

PrintAction Magazine

www.printaction.com/renew

222 Edward Street, Aurora, ON, L4G 1W6 www.printaction.com • Tel: 905.727.0077 • Fax: 905.727.0017

Publications Mail Agreement Number 40065710 • ISSN 1481-9287 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Department: P.O. Box 530, Simcoe ON N3Y 4N5; Email: ncuerrier@annexweb.com We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

4 • PRINTACTION • FEBRUARY 2014

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 4

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

Epson_P

Powered by with

Epson_PA_Feb.indd 1 PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 5

2014-01-20 3:19 1:56 PM 2014-01-21

PRINT NEWS Océ-Canada’s President and CEO since 2000, joins Canon Canada’s leadership team as the Senior VP and GM of the Professional Printing Solutions Group, which is to remain focused on sectors ranging from architecture, engineering and automotive to graphic arts, advertising, transaction and direct mail.

Harland Clarke Holdings, led by Chief Executive Officer Chuck Dawson, moved to acquire Valassis, for approximately US$1.84 billion. Harland Clarke Holdings provides payment and marketing services, as well as data capture and analytics. The combination of Harland Clarke Holdings and Valassis will create a company with approximately US$3.3 billion in combined revenues, generated from some of the largest financial, consumer products and retail institutions worldwide. Harland Clarke Holdings is a wholly owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, which in turn is owned by Chairman Ronald Perelman.

Phillip Wright passed away in late-December at age 71. Wright steered Houghton Boston Printers and Lithographers of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to become one of the country’s best-known high-quality book-printing operations. Wright’s parents, Philip Robert Wright and Helen Wright, purchased Houghton Boston in 1946. Noting how much Wright enjoyed his long, successful career in the industry, his obituary included the following: “Phil took pride in his profession, and in the many people who worked along side him over the years. Phil was always a lover of the printed word, whether it was in the form of books, newspapers or magazines. He understood and appreciated the power of printing and publishing and the impact that it could have on so many people. Like his father before him, he will be laid to rest with his line gauge in his hand, the tool of his trade. Phil will always be remembered for his hard work, dedication, compassion and thoughtful wisdom.”

Kevin Ogawa, President and CEO of Canon Canada Inc., completed the amalgamation of Océ-Canada as a division, which is to operate under the name Professional Printing Solutions Group.

Océ-Canada primarily provides digital presses, high-speed inkjet systems and wide-format machines, as well as related workflow. As part of the amalgamation, Patrick D’Souza, who served as

Todd Cober, VP of Cober Evolving Solutions in Kitchener, Ontario, led the acquisition of CuteGecko Inc., a design agency based in the same city. CuteGecko was founded in 2009 by Karl and Amy Allen-Muncey with a primary focus on digital design and online marketing. Cober Evolving Solutions, founded in 1916, is recognized as one of Canada’s leading operations in leveraging both print and online production. “They are out-of-thebox thinkers, just like us, and have built quite a strong reputation for innovative social media, design and marketing solutions – a wonderful addition to the expanded services we now offer,” stated Cober. CuteGecko is housed on the third floor of Kitchener’s 340,000-square-foot Tannery Building, a hub of digital and marketing innovation.

Avi Reichental, President and CEO of 3D Systems (3DS), entered into an agreement to acquire Xerox Corporation’s Wilsonville, Oregon, product design, engineering and chemistry group, as well as related assets for US$32.5 million. 3DS of South Carolina develops 3D printers, as well as related materials and IT infrastructure, to create products with plastics, metals, ceramics and edibles, among others. The company utilizes Xerox print heads for a range of its multi-jet systems, such as the ProJet series 3D printers. 3DS plans to add more than 100 experienced Xerox engineers and to increase its annual R&D expenditures by approximately 75 percent to 100 percent over the next few years.

Ultimate Technographics of Montreal, led by CEO Joanne David, enhanced its integration partnership with Enterprise Print Management Solutions (EPMS) of Middleboro, Massachusetts. The two companies will work closely to improve the flow of information between EPMS’ print management system and Ultimate’s Impostrip imposition software.

Ultimate currently has over 30,000 imposition engines in place with prepress and printing professionals worldwide.

EPMS and Ultimate Technographics have already been working together for over two years.

Polonsy Foundation Digitization Project, a collaboration effort between Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries and the Vatican’s Biblioteca Apostolica, digitized one of the most pristine copies of Johann Gutenberg’s masterwork, the Gutenberg Bible.

Fewer than 50 copies of the Gutenberg Bible survive today and the Oxford Bodleian Library copy is described as one of only seven complete examples in the United Kingdom. Historians believe Gary Hughes, the long-time leader of the Gutenberg Bible was produced in eiMuller Martini’s Canadian operation, ther 1454 or 1455. Beyond Gutenberg’s becomes President and COO of Bramp- bible, the Polonsy collaborative project ton Engineering. Brampton Engineering aims to digitize 1.5 million biblical mandescribes itself as a world leader in the uscript pages for public access online. design and engineering of multilayer blown film co-extrusion equipment. The company also supplies its Aquafrost technology for high barrier applications in the food and medical packaging industries. Hughes was the Director of Global Packaging with Swiss finishing-equipment supplier Muller Martini, a position he took on in January 2013 after spending a decade as President of Muller Martini Canada. Hughes also spent 16 years with Husky Injection Molding.

Verso Paper of Memphis entered an agreement to acquire NewPage Holdings in a deal valued at US$1.4 billion. The transaction, approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is expected to close in the second half of 2014. Verso is one of North America’s largest producers of coated papers, while NewPage Holdings, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection back in September 2011, is described as a primary producer of printing and specialty papers.

Upon closing, the combined company will have sales of approximately US$4.5 billion and 11 manufacturing facilities located in six American states.

Martin Johanns, owner of Simpson Screen Print & Lithography in Bloomingdale, Ontario, moved to purchase Denison Print, which, established 27 years ago, is also a well-known printing operation in the Kitchener/Waterloo region. The two printing companies have crossed business paths before.

When Simpson moved its operation to Bloomingdale in 1994, Denison purchased the Simpson facility in nearby Breslau and has been there ever since.

Denison Print began in 1987 as a small, offset print shop. The operations of Denison Print are to be consolidated at Simpson’s 70,000-square-foot plant on Sawmill Creek Road, located northeast of Kitchener.

Graphic Resource becomes an authorized reseller of Kodak’s Versamark D-Series imprinting systems. Operating out of four locations in the United States, Graphic Resource will also sell the Versamark DS6240 and Versamark DS9100 into Canada. As part of the reseller agreement, Graphic Resource, in addition to providing training for Versamark customers, can also sell turnClaus Bolza-Schünemann, President and key solutions, including imaging towers CEO of KBA, in collaboration with the and inline finishing systems. board, introduced a realignment concept to create autonomous divisions for KBA HP made moves to quash black market Group’s sheetfed and web businesses, as sales of Indigo consumables. The compawell as manufacturing and special appli- ny says that it, along with the New York cations. The move – subject to approv- City Police Department, has managed al during the Annual General Meeting to seize approximately $400,000 of sto– would affect KBA’s facility locations len HP Indigo supplies destined for the and anywhere from 1,100 to 1,500 jobs. black market. The company also revealed Most of the structural change will take that additional actions are to be pursued place in the sheetfed offset division. The against the alleged dealer and those that division for special applications focuses provided the stolen supplies. HP will also on metal decorating, security presses and implement more measures for Indigo recently acquired companies Kammann supplies, which includes an end-to-end Maschinenbau GmbH (screen printing) track and trace program, improved secuand Flexotecnica S.p.A. (web presses for rity of the supply chain and fraud prevention built into software and hardware. flexible packaging).

6 • PRINTACTION • FEBRUARY 2014

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 6

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

PRINT CALENDAR

March

2

6

16

18

22

23

24

25

26

27

Print UV Conference, billed as a peer-oriented, intimate event, kicks off at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, with sponsors like Air Motion Systems, ACTEGA Kelstar, INX, KBA, DGM, Trelleborg, Actega and Flint Group. $1,295

The 99th annual National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) Convention begins in San Diego, California, at the Rancho Bernardo Inn.

Canadian Marketing Association hosts its Marketing Math 101 Seminar at the Advocates’ Society in Toronto to calculate business metrics to optimize costs and deliver profit, while reviewing some basic formulas used in marketing-driven companies. $1,195*

Dscoop 9 takes place in Orlando, Florida, with event sponsor HP and technology partners like Kama, Mindfire, GPA, ABG, C.P. Bourg, Duplo, Esko, IP, NewPage, Prisco Digital, Scodix, DirectSmile, Rollem and Mohawk. $699*

The TAGA conference begins at the Sheraton Hotel and Spa in Fort Worth, Texas. Ryerson University will once again send its RyeTAGA team of students to vie for the Helmut Kipphan Cup.

PrintAction presents the fullday Flexo Focus Conference at the International Centre in Mississauga, featuring panel discussions and information sessions.

Lunch is included. $85

The annual National Postal Forum takes place at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Maryland, featuring 100 workshops and sessions led by executives of the United States Postal Service. npf.org

IPEX returns to London for the first time in many years, takes place at the ExCel International Centre in the capital city’s Docklands area. The bi-annual event is co-located with the Cross Media Production conference.

Canadian Marketing Association begins its Digital Marketing II course, in both Toronto (Cundari) and Montreal (CRIM) locations, covering the application of various digital tactics like online advertising, mobile, social and search to achieve business objectives. $2,435*

Xplor, the Electronic Document Imaging Association, holds its Xploration 14 conference at the Wyndham Orlando Resort in Florida. xplor.org

Organizers of the International Printing Machinery and Allied Trades Exhibition (IPEX) moved their biannual exposition from its traditional spot in Birmingham, UK, to downtown London for 2014. Running from March 24 – 29, the exposition takes place in the midst of what has been a major settlement for two millennia. London contains four World Heritage Sites: Tower of London; Kew Gardens; a site holding the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church; and the Prime Meridian settlement of Greenwich (0° longitude).

Pricing listed at standard rates, with * denoting the availability of member or early bird discounts.

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY2014 2014••PRINTACTION PRINTACTION••77

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 7

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

PRINT HISTORY

Iron Works of the Past

Heidelberg’s 28 x 40-inch ROTASPEED Model RZO with Suluminum gripper bars, built in 1967.

N

ick and Liana Howard officially opened Howard Iron Works (HIW) in Mississauga to provide restoration of historic printing equipment and to serve as a globally unique printing museum of around 140 machines with vintages reaching back to the 1830s.

The Howards have operated Howard Graphic Equipment Ltd. over the past couple of decades, supplying and rebuilding modern printing and converting equipment for markets around the world. The business continues into its 47th year, but HIW is the realization of a lifelong dream for the couple.

“Our museum is unique because we are completely restoring machinery to be as new condition. Generally, museums like to keep the patina of old, but that includes rather unpleasing looks for machinery that is outstandingly ornate,” says Howard, who is reluctant to name the gem of HIW’s collection. “That’s a little difficult as we have some very pricey pieces. But if I had to pick one it would be the circa 1900 Harris Bros model SI rotary letterpress, which we have not started to restore yet.”

To help support their endeavor, HIW is also providing leasing and sales from within its large collection, which includes a range of iron presses, cylinders, platens and bindery equipment. HIW’s library also features a collection of vintage printing books, technical and trade journals.

A 10 x 15-inch Golding Jobber #7 Platen Press from Boston, built in 1919.

Intertype’s Model C 3-Magazine Linecasting Machine from Brooklyn, NY, built in 1925.

A 9 x 12-inch J.M. Jones Lightning Jobber from Palmyra, New York, built in 1897.

Built in 1927, the Schnellpressenfabrik AG Heidelberg Tiegel platen press.

Claybourn Co. ink conditioner, built for Ault & Wiberg in Cincinnati, from 1920.

– Jon Robinson W. Notting Alexandra Iron Press, 1883.

A 26.5-inch wide W. Conisbee & Son guillotine form London, circa 1880.

J.P. Lejeune Albion Iron Press from Brussels, Belgium, 1860.

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 8

Clymer Dixon Columbian Iron Press, 1845.

Nick and Liana Howard have been restoring antique presses for years and now house some 140 machines in Mississauga.

An extremely rare machine: The R. Hoe & Co. Model L2 lithographic cylinder metal decorating press from 1879.

A 21 x 27-inch Seybold Machine Company Standing Press, built in 1893.

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

NewEra_

NewEra_PA_Jan.indd 1 PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 9

2013-12-31 2014-01-21 1:05 3:19 PM

PRINT SOFTWARE

Smart Mobile A Apps for Business

pple set yet another internal financial record in December with news it had sold over $1 billion worth of software through its App Store, with customers downloading almost three billion apps in the month.

For all of 2013, App Store sales topped $10 billion. There were also over 1 million Android mobile apps available for download through Google at the beginning of 2013.

It is an onerous task keeping up with this mobile explosion, so we have categorized some of the potentially more useful apps to be applied in a typical business day.

The majority of these apps are free (not preinstalled), allowing for review of their interfaces and features. For

READING Flipboard Price: Free | Platform: Probably the world’s most popular mobile reader, Flipboard aggregates news and social content by subjects of interest into the feel of a digital magazine. Similar competing free readers include Zite and SkyGrid.

Pocket Price: Free | Platform: Few people have the time to digest every piece of information they come across.

Pocket allows users to save files (articles, videos, etc.) directly from a browser or from apps like Twitter and Flipboard.

Readability Price: Free | Platform: Readability provides a clean format for reading Web pages now or later. The developer began as an RSS provider, but has since launched several apps, which can be added on to Readability.

NETWORKING CardMunch Price: Free | Platform: (iPhone) Taking a quick snapshot with this reader created by LinkedIn converts business cards into address-book contacts, as well as LinkedIn connections.

Tweetbot 3 Price: $2.99 | Platform: If Twitter is your primary social vehicle, Tweetbot stands out among competitors.

Redesigned for Apple’s new iOS 7, Tweetbot 3 has strong features for list management and enables drafts.

Viber Price: Free | Platform: Skype is still king of free communications, but Viber – using your existing cell number – is a growing option for making free calls and texts, if the recipient is also a Viber user.

NOTES

every useful free app, there are typically a handful of very similar inexpensive options with unique features.

Good free apps are often akin to robust trials requiring payment to unlock premium mobile tools or larger data allowances. It is also often useful to find apps that can be downloaded to your desktop and synced to a mobile device.

Based on the number of cool apps we had to omit, it was best to leave out the major players most people are familiar with, such as Twitter, Hootsuite, LinkedIn, Yahoo! and a raft of effective Google apps like Drive, Google+, Hangouts, Gmail and Keep.

– Jon Robinson

PRODUCTIVITY iA Writer Price: $9.99 | Platform: Heralded as the great provider of distraction-free mobile writing, iA Writer is a no-frills system with powerful document converting and syncing through iCloud and Dropbox.

Asana

Evernote Price: Free | Platform: Evernote is arguably the leading note-taking app, allowing users to also upload pictures, audio and video, which are organized by Notebooks and can sync across all devices.

The free version provides 60MB of uploading.

Dropbox Price: Free | Platform: Dropbox allows users to keep files in sync between mobile devices and the desktop. It allows for offline file access, as well as using tabs to separate personal and work files.

Dragon Dictation Price: Free | Platform: Voice recognition systems have come a long way in the past few years and Dragon Dictation is remarkably accurate. While it requires network connection, Dragon allows messages to be shared via email, Facebook and Twitter.

Note Taker HD Price: $4.99 | Platform: Note Taker HD is for writing and organizing handwritten notes and diagrams on the iPad. It can also be used to annotate PDF files. Page size can be adjusted to better view a lot or a little amount of content.

SwiftKey Price: $3.99 | Platform: Android, unlike iOS, allows users to change the default keyboard.

SwiftKey is one of the most popular alternatives for potentially easier, faster and less frustrating mobile typing.

Price: Free | Platform:

Self described as the app for “Teamwork without E-mail,” Asana is a shared task list and project management tool for a team (free for up to 15 people), with assignment settings.

Fantastical 2 Price: $1.99 | Platform: Fantastical is well known as the calendar app for Macs, but it is gaining more traction with iPhone users, who can access the DayTicker feature. The app can record simply by speaking into a device’s microphone.

Mailbox Price: Free | Platform: Purchased recently by Dropbox, Mailbox allows users to manage their email inboxes through priority ranking, and even postponing less urgent emails for viewing at a later date.

Todoist Price: Free | Platform: Todoist is an uncluttered to-do list manager focused on your next seven days, with free features to include colour-coded subtasks. An upgrade allows for tagging tasks.

Wunderlist Price: Free | Platform: Wunderlist helps to manage and share daily to-do lists. It allows for collaboration on group projects, with features like assigning to-dos. A Pro version and Wunderlist for Business version are available.

REPORTS Expensify Price: Free | Platform: For business travel, Expensify allows users to log expenses, capture receipt images, and manage reports. Companies can sign up for a corporate account for even greater syncing of department expenses.

Roambi Analytics Price: Free | Platform: Roambi Analytics, also available as Pro and Enterprise versions, takes digital data and turns it into charts or graphs for non-IT personnel to derive meaningful conclusions about what is going in the backend.

SumAll Price: Free | Platform: For the IT and marketing leaders in your company, SumAll is designed to aggregate all of your online data (Website, social media, e-commerce) and present key metrics like traffic, conversions and revenue into an easy-to-understand format.

10 • PRINTACTION • FEBRUARY 2014

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 10

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

Zac Bolan

CES 2014: 3D, 4K Drones and E Ink E

ach January an invading army of consumer electronics visionaries, sellers, buyers, journalists and just plain geeks invade the glitzy streets of Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The sprawling 2014 show attracted more than 3,200 exhibitors and 152,000 attendees to the 4-day event – engulfing every square inch of the massive Las Vegas Convention Centre (LVCC) and overflowing into several nearby hotels.

While exhibitors did not introduce any genre-defying game changers (such as the iPad) during CES 2014, several significant technologies have matured and are poised to make their way into homes, offices, schools and city streets imminently. Debuting at CES only a few short years ago, 3D printing has now grown into a mainstream industry with more than 28 exhibitors showcasing their printers and scanners at this year’s event.

Consumers will be able to choose from a number of 3D printers entering the market this spring from manufacturers such as XYZ Printing, Robo, 3D Systems and MakerBot with price points starting as low as $499.

The airspace within LVCC was buzzing with all manner of remote controlled aerial vehicles ranging from children’s toys to sophisticated aerial photography systems from Parrot, DJI and others. Home automation, fitness and health-related gadgetry competed for floor space with a growing presence from the automotive industry. This year, nine of the top 10 automakers exhibited a wide range of advances in electric cars and solar-powered hybrids as well as cars capable of autonomous parking and braking.

The prime real estate at CES, however,

was devoted to a multitude of television screens assaulting attendee eyes at every turn. Manufacturers from the obscure to the glorious preached the benefits of ever bigger, brighter, smarter, curved and higher resolution 4K displays in 2D, 3D and glasses-free 3D – blurring the line between entertainment device and living room computer.

In another LVCC hall, E Ink, supplier of the electronic paper display technology used in the Amazon Kindle, showcased its new high-resolution CAD displays in addition to the company’s Mobius flexible E Ink display. Prototype tablets designed for architects and industrial designers were available for hands-on use by the inquisitive crowds.

According to a company spokesperson, while the majority of E Ink displays are currently used in e-readers, the retail use of electronic shelf labels represents a rapidly growing market for this technology.

Because colour is important to the retail sector, E Ink developed the Spectro 3 colour display capable of black, white and the all-important Sale red. Designed for the grocery retail segment, the Aurora display maintains stable images when deployed in temperature-sensitive areas such as freezers. Partnered with database and software developers, E Ink shelf labels allow a retailer to change prices store wide in a matter of seconds.

If the enthusiasm of CES exhibitors and attendees is any indication, 2014 will be the year the maturing technology of previous shows finally comes to market in the form of real products, bolstering the US$203 billion consumer electronics industry in the coming year.

w

q

e

r t

Zac Bolan’s blog: blog.softcircus.com

y

o

1)

i

u

q Crowds gather for hands-on demos of E Ink Mobius flexible displays. w Retailers are increasingly adopting the Spectro 3 colour E Ink shelf labels. e Parrot MiniDrone, due for release later this year, fits in the palm of your hand. r Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) robot predicts what’s next for consumer electronics. t Laser teeth whitening right on the show floor... ooooh, lasers! y Innovative DISPLAIR technology projects a fully responsive video screen onto steam. Users could push buttons, swipe and play Fruit Ninja. u Tesla electric car with a Monarch Power Solar Fan. The collapsing solar array is designed for off-the-grid charging of electric cars. Monarch recommends installing the Solar Fan beside your cabin and running a cord to your Tesla... wind resistance! i Will Tweet for T-Shirt – CES Social Media Vending machine would dispense a free t-shirt to anyone tweeting the magic hashtag (and their shirt size). o Ricoh Imaging Americas showcased its full line of cameras and lenses at 2014 CES. 1) Samsung displayed a rotating tower of its new UHDTV Curved 4K televisions.

FEBRUARY 2014 • PRINTACTION • 11

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 11

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

Martin Habekost

Is 3D a Fit for Print Manufacturing?

A fter Benny Landa and the introduction of the nanographic printing process, the biggest attraction circling the print industry is arguably 3D printing.

At the recent Graphics Canada tradeshow, I found it quite interesting to see 3D printers for the first time with my own eyes and being able to hold products in my hands after they were made on the devices at the show. The 3D printers on display included a small single colour device retailing for about $2,500 and a two-colour device for around $4,000. As with the aging path of any new technology, prices will most likely come down as more devices find their way into the market.

The arrival of 3D printing spread across the public’s consciousness earlier this year when the plans for producing a gun using 3D technology were made available on the Internet. The only metal part was the pin used to fire the bullet. Frightening scenarios were painted about the consequences of allowing anyone with access to a 3D printer to produce such a gun, because – among a raft of grizzly schemes – the plastic parts would not be detected by conventional airport security scans. After a deluge of online protest, the person who posted the plans for the gun removed the files, but as we all know they were probably copied countless times and still readily available.

The technology of 3D printing, however, is tout-

ed as the next great thing in customer service. If you need a part for anything, just 3D print it and you can repair whatever is broken. It has also been suggested that 3D printers will make extensive toolkits obsolete, since you can produce the tool that you need right there, assuming you have a 3D printer in your home or workshop. The relatively inexpensive 3D printers use molten plastic to create the objects, others, more expensive ones, employ metal powder which will be hardened through the application of a laser beam or electron beam.

High-quality 3D printing is achieved with stereolithography. It is a polymer-based process. A laser beam is directed at a bed of liquid resin and the energy from the laser causes a thin layer to harden. The laser is directed by a small movable mirror across the whole manufacturing table. The hardened material is attached to a platform that moves away from the bed of molten resin. A good animation of this process can be seen at formlabs.com/products/our-printer. 3D printers using this technology will come down in price, because some

3D printers are available at a staggering range of capabilities and price points, such as the Objet 1000 by Stratasys which costs more than $600,000.

Continued on page 23

March 27, 2014

FOCUS

C O NF E RE N C E An update on the latest flexographic trends and technologies Diamond sponsor*

International Centre Mississauga, ON

Cost: $85

(+HST) Includes lunch

Register online at:

printaction.com/flexofocus For more information, contact: Jim Neate: jimneate@rogers.com Sara Young: syoung@annexweb.com

Silver sponsor*

*As of press time

12 • PRINTACTION • FEBRUARY 2014

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 12

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

Scale &

Scope Story by Jon Robinson

RP Graphics’ George Mazzaferro leverages a unique print position more than a decade in the making

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 2014 2014 •• PRINTACTION PRINTACTION •• 13 13

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 13

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

G

eorge Mazzaferro has been in and around the printing industry for nearly his entire life, beginning at age 12 when he began working after school in a small Toronto shop called Gizzi Printing. Mazzaferro took printing technical courses at Central Tech and after graduation found his way into the main manufacturing plant of Southam Murray, the printing arm for one of Canada’s largest publishing corporations at the time.

Within a couple of years of shift work, Mazzaferro began looking for real estate to open his own print shop with two Southam colleagues, but instead they came across an established printer wanting to retire. In 1978 at age 20, Mazzaferro purchased a skeleton storefront shop with a Heidelberg Windmill on Eglinton Avenue, in the heart of Toronto, and became a founding partner of Roma Printing.

The other partners left the business at the start of the 1980s, but Mazzaferro pushed on. In 1995, he moved what was now called RP (Roma Printing) Graphics deeper into commercial printing with the installation of a Heidelberg Quickmaster DI. The Direct Imaging nature of ablating plates on press, while not what many would classify as a true digital press (printing with dry or liquid toner), foreshadowed the disruptive press technology being developed by the likes of Indigo, Xerox and Canon – coupled, of course, with the maturation of desktop publishing.

As the 1990s came to a close, the Canadian and United States economies – now hooked into a global economy – began to suffer from the effects of the 1997 Asian financial crisis and an ever growing Dotcom bubble. It precipitated the merger of RP Graphics

and Auty Printing, a generational printing operation, to fill sales gaps through the mounting recession. The move allowed RP Graphics to invest in the 40-inch sheetfed offset market even as Mazzaferro was focused on building an infrastructure for digital colour press production, becoming one of North America’s first operations to install Xerox’ iGen3 technology.

In 2005, RP Graphics moved into its current 60,000-square-foot plant in Mississauga with the intention of becoming a truly integrated print provider.

“I predicted in 2003 that we would be less than 50 percent litho in five years and we were there much earlier than that,” says Mazzaferro. Today, with a staff of over 120 full-time employees, around 38 percent of RP Graphics’ revenue is generated through sheeted offset lithography as services have expanded into fulfillment, specialty finishing, direct mail and large-format inkjet.

Mazzaferro is now focused on adding scale and scope to the foundation he has been building in Mississauga for the past decade. In the past two years alone, this translates as a multi-million investment with the acquisition of three companies and the installation of a new 6-colour 40-inch Komori GL-640 press with H-UV, Xerox iGen4 and – one month ago – Xerox 150 presses, as well as finishing technology like an AdTech Chameleon, Watkiss PowerSquare 200 and Morgana DigiFold PRO, intelligent inserter with video match, and a PUR perfect binder.

RP Graphics is now busting at the seams with all of its new hardware and associated IT infrastructure.

The past few months have been hectic in the midst of new layout planning for the facility, which physically began in December. The production realignment

“

George has always been very generous with his industry knowledge and product knowledge.

He is very quiet in demeanor, but George is the quintessential entrepreneur. He has a new idea every day.

- Marc Fortier, President, RP Graphics

”

Left: Marc Fortier, George Mazzaferro and Claudio Castricone at RP’s Mississauga, Ontario, plant.

Below: The new layout of RP Graphics’ 60,000-squarefoot plant is largely led by its January installation of an industrial Agfa M-Press Leopard flatbed inkjet press.

P

Fu to in po ru

Fu “P m

W

Fu pr co

Sp

Q 14 • PRINTACTION • FEBRUARY 2014

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 14

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

32% reducTIon In mAkereAdy WASTe

27% reducTIon In mAkereAdy TIme

”

27% reducTIon In TIme To coLour on PreSS

Proven PLATe PerFormAnce.

Fujifilm’s market leading LH-PJ plate delivers exceptional high quality, consistency and proven value to your business. It was the focus of a recent white paper from noted industry writer John Zarwan who interviewed 25 printers who switched to Fujifilm plates. In the printer’s own words, they highlight the positive impact switching to Fujifilm had in makeready time, makeready waste, reduction in time to colour, run length durability, run waste on restart, and savings in labour, ink, water and fountain solution use.

Fujifilm can deliver proven performance for your business, download John Zarwan’s latest White Paper “Plates in the Pressroom: The Fujifilm Advantage” at www.fujifilm.ca/zarwanpdf to learn for yourself how much of a difference it can make for you.

We Can Help.

Fujifilm is a direct-from-the-manufacturer supplier of Graphic Arts solutions in canada. We stock over 1,000,000 printing plates in canada. We offer local sales and technical service with personnel who live and work in your community across canada. our products are backed by canada’s largest technical support team.

Speak to us at 1-800-263-5018, gsmarketing@fujifilm.com or visit us at www.fujifilm.ca/graphics.

Q

u e b e c

| M

o n t r e a l

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 15

| o

t t a w a

| t

o r o n t o

| l

o n d o n

| w

i n n i p e g

| e

d M o n t o n

| c

a l g a r y

| V

a n c o u V e r

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

largely centres on a new jewel in RP Graphics’ arsenal with the mid-January arrival of a massive Agfa M-Press Leopard.

Roma to Düsseldorf

4611 Burgoyne St., Mississauga, ON L4W 1G3

Tel: 905.238.1307 Fax: 905.238.0589 E-mail: files@tradeimpressions.com quotes@tradeimpressions.com www.tradeimpressions.com

High Quality Short Run

FULL COLOUR Copying Short and Long Run

Black & White

Full In-house Bindery * Prompt Quotes. * Timely Turnaround. * Competitive Pricing. * The ability to accept Hard Copies or Mac/PC files. * 24 hr FTP file upload server for your convenience.

BROKER PROTECTED

Pamela and George Mazzaferro at RP Graphics’ Christmas party in 1988.

state of the industry and the possibility interactive variable appliof working together. cations,” says Fortier. “The “George has always been very gen- challenge for those people erous with his industry knowledge and who started developing product knowledge,” says Fortier. “He is [these programs] close to very quiet in demeanor, but George is 10 years ago is that they are the quintessential entrepreneur. He has a not sustainable.” Fortier, new idea every day.” for example, points to past Mazzaferro remains RP Graphics’ top difficulties like backing up salesperson; despite also looking after the client data and dropping company’s day-to-day operations during third-party software onto Mazzaferro, in front of his Eglinton Avenue storefront in its platform build through the 2000s. It a Fortune 500 company’s 1978, ready to make a delivery. was a demanding schedule that brought server. Cloud computing him in on Saturdays – a work ethic that has alleviated much of this has not diminished to this day. “Marc latter challenge, but many printing oper- scope to its defined client base, this natuhas taken a lot of the day-to-day man- ations continue to struggle with building rally puts a strain on its 15-member sales agement off my plate, so it is a lot less repeatable platforms amidst a sea of soft- force. The company has been retooling its sales team since Fortier’s arrival with stressful, but sales is what I enjoy,” says ware complexity.

Mazzaferro. It is easy enough to see his “You have to reengage customers eight new members joining in the past unwavering passion with a more sus- 18 months. “We solve this challenge with for print because tainable solution product specialists who are more focused of the continthat really solves a on areas like large format, direct mail and ued investment in business challenge. e-solutions,” says Castricone. “The sales innovation at the Then the full digi- reps are encouraged to engage the prodMississauga plant. tal integration has uct specialists on a four-legged call to the “I was here much more legs customer.”

The ultimate goal of this consultawhen we came to in terms of their this building and long-term revenue tive approach is not only to drive profstarted to develprospects,” says itable revenue for the client, but to also op some in-house Fortier. “Having improve the internal efficiencies at RP technology.

We the equipment Graphics, which has spurred the develwere into PURLs doesn’t make you opment of three specific e-commerce and trying to drive integrated – putting platforms. “If it does not drive signifiprint through difit all together into cant print revenue, we are not building ferent mediums,” a solution for the it,” says Fortier. “If we are not solving a says Claudio Casclient makes you business challenge then we are really just trying to keep up with the Joneses and tricone, RP Graphintegrated.” ics’ VP of Sales and Even if RP then it is not going to last.”

The first e-commerce platform is deMarketing and the Graphics’ lithograndson of Gino graphic sheetfed signed to support fulfillment and pickGizzi, from whom output has shrunk and-pack type of transactional products.

Mazzaferro began as a percentage of The second platform driven by Xerox Mazzaferro received the Printing Leader of learning about the Year Award, presented by PrintAction overall sales in the XMPie software is designed to handle print. “We made a at the 2013 Canadian Printing Awards. past few years, it variable work. The third e-solution folot of strides, but it remains as a key cuses on building custom applications was a challenge getting customers to buy component of growth within the com- for clients when off-the-shelf software into this new type of marketing.” Cas- pany’s integrated print offering. Litho, cannot be used, so they need to build tricone explains customer knowledge has toner and inkjet processes work together pure XML solutions from scratch. RP shifted greatly in the past few years, al- at RP Graphics to drive print production Graphics, for example, just completed a lowing RP Graphics to reach clients with for its traditional focus on clients who project for a client requiring a point-rerepeatable and sustainable platforms. need marketing materials. “What a lot wards system, tackling issues like migratof people try to do is create a new mar- ing currency from dollars to points, as ket,” says Mazzaferro. “For me, I always well as making additions and depletions Three platforms driving print “As an industry, we may have focused – thought of it as different solutions to sat- when transactions are made.

“The movement of data in and out of and our suppliers have to share part of isfy the customer.”

As RP Graphics brings more scale and companies has really accelerated over the the blame – too much on the sexy, very Photo by Neil Ta

To help realize his desire of adding scale and scope to RP Graphics’ integrated print foundation, Mazzaferro in July 2012 brought in Marc Fortier as President, who took an ownership position in the company at the start of 2014.

Fortier is well known in Toronto’s printing community for leading high-profile digital platform builds with powerhouses like Transcontinental Yorkville Printing, where he served as GM and Director of Sales and Marketing, followed by five years at PLM Group as Executive VP of Business Development and Digital Services.

“It has been a great opportunity for me to join a dynamic organization at the right time and right place in terms of how the skill set I have accumulated over the years can come into play to take our company now to the next level,” says Fortier. With RP Graphics already having a robust integrated print platform in place, Fortier can focus on going to market with the right amount of critical mass to explore new opportunities.

“We were at a critical time in our company,” says Mazzaferro, who moved into the position of CEO with Fortier’s arrival. “We were growing and needed more structure and Marc brings a lot to the table – his sales, business processes, leadership.”

Mazzaferro and Fortier first met 10 years ago in Düsseldorf at a technology presentation during drupa 2004, dubbed, perhaps prematurely as The Inkjet drupa, even if digital presses and powerful software were the true technologies disrupting the global printing market.

The two executives spent the afternoon together in Düsseldorf investigating the future of print. They remained friendly competitors after returning to Canada, having several conversations about the

16 • PRINTACTION • FEBRUARY 2014 TradeImpressions_PA_Feb.indd 1 PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 16

2014-01-20 11:34 AM 2014-01-21 3:19 PM

past couple of years,” says Fortier. “Customers are now at a stage where there they can adopt these types of solutions.”

Leopard and the chameleon

In December 2012, RP Graphics purchased all outstanding shares of Data in Motion Marketing (DIMM), which operated as a data management centre and lettershop operation for the trade out of RP Graphics’ Mississauga facility.

Much of the print work generated from RP Graphics’ e-commerce platforms is directed through DIMM, which ultimately boosts the company’s ability to manage and process direct-mail work.

RP Graphics’ growing attention on direct mail led to the late-2013 purchase of an AdTech Chameleon finishing line for specialty applications like inline imaging, affixing, fugitive and permanent gluing, pop-ups and zipper perforation.

“It is a machine capable of producing self-mailers and tipping and folding, so it is both integrating existing solutions for clients and also developing a whole new product range,” explains Fortier, noting how the Chameleon also automatically tapes large-format POP work.

“These are always the great pieces of equipment you can bring in. They make you efficient and allow you to develop another market segment, which is a perfect segue into the M-Press.”

Two weeks into the New Year, RP Graphics began to install the mammoth Agfa M-Press Leopard, an industrial-scale flatbed inkjet system producing print at up to 970 square metres per hour. The M-Press is an outright purchase of an established machine, but RP Graphics has also negotiated a unique development relationship with Agfa Canada’s graphics division, which builds large-format inkjet systems directly across the street in Mississauga.

“Because of their proximity and their need to test new technology in a live environment, George and I negotiated the ability to become a little bit more than a beta site, so to speak,” says Fortier. “We participate in dialogue with them as to where the market is going. We see it as a two-way street and a very positive relationship.”

RP Graphics is now testing out new print heads on an Agfa Titan largeformat system it brought in around two years ago. The company established its large-format division in 2007 and, not counting the M-Press, currently runs three high-end systems with two Titans and a Durst Rho 800. The division, however, is still being stretched into overtime hours, despite RP Graphics’ February 2013 purchase of Canadian Impact Imaging Corp. (CIIC), a 16-year-old large-format provider that used to take in RP Graphics’ overflow.

Mazzaferro’s statement about the CIIC purchase reflected what has become a mantra for the company: “This is a very strategic purchase, which creates immediate scale and scope in support of our stated business direction.”

Mazzaferro describes large-format as the fastest growing division at RP Graphics and he predicts it will become

the company’s largest revenue producer within three years, followed by the e-commerce-driven digital colour printing and then lithography. RP Graphics continues to produce digital black-andwhite work, but mostly for manuals and similar short-run static work that existing marketing clients will continue to require in the foreseeable future.

“I use an expression, rinse and repeat,” says Fortier. “We are not going to reinvent ourselves to become a retail flyer company, but we will continue to rein-

so it is an affirmation of our presence in this market segment,” says Fortier, who describes the Chameleon as making the same statement in direct mail.

“If you consider all of the investment we have made, we are not going after commodity stuff. We don’t want to go after volume,” says Mazzaferro. “We want to be different and to add value. It’s like with the [Komori] UV press, we wanted to do something different. Customers are going to print less but we want to make the piece look better.”

...Sunday Presses

Higher productivity. Lower costs. New opportunities.

Step up to the most productive and agile presses available and open the door to new, more competitive web offset production possibilities.

www.gossinternational.com

Print Action STD Sunday ad 14.indd 1 Goss_PA_Feb.indd 1

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 17

vent ourselves to serve our market segment, which is the marketing community. We will continue to reinvent ourselves to better service this market year after year – after year.”

In 2014, it is clear that RP Graphics’ reinvention to service its market revolves around large-format printing and the industrial demands of feeding its new M-Press Leopard. “Adding the [M-Press] allows us to become more efficient for our existing clients and to have the scale and scope to develop new opportunities,

FEBRUARY 2014 • PRINTACTION • 17 1/21/14 11:16 AM 2014-01-21 12:17 PM

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

Technology report

Flexible Packaging Finesse The Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), in a report entitled Benchmarking and Worldwide Market Trends for Flexographic Printing, forecast a four to five percent annual growth for flexography through 2013. The FTA points out that present sales volume of flexo exceeds $260 billion and represents more than 60 percent of the $440 billion printed packaging market. As a result of this robust market, new technologies such as the following continue to find their way into a market now undergoing a significant shift from analogue to digital production.

Featured Companies • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

AMS FLEXO Series UV LED Comexi CingularLaser ContiTech Laserline CSC DigiFlex FlexoJet1725 Epson Stylus Pro WT7900 Esko CDI Spark 2420 Flint nyloflex NExT Fujifilm Graphium Gallus ECS 340 HP Indigo 20000 INX AquaTech ION KBA-Flexotecnica Varius 80 Kodak Flexcel Direct System Mark Andy Digital Series Muller Martini VSOP QuadTech TouchRegister Printware iJetColor Workflow Sun Chemical Flexo Dispenser

Fujifilm Graphium

HP Indigo 20000

HP’s new Indigo 20000 press is designed for short-run flexible packaging applications. The 30-inch web-fed, liquid-toner machine will be available with up to seven-colour printing, including a white channel, and a 44-inch repeat length. The press runs at 88.6 linear feet (27 linear metres) per minute in five-colour mode (full process colour plus white) and at 147.6 linear feet (45 linear metres) per minute when running in Enhanced Productivity Mode (EPM). An inline priming unit on the press is used for compatibility with most standard flexible packaging substrates from 10 to 250 microns thick. HP also recently introduced its Indigo W7250 press, which reaches a top speed of up to 320 ppm in EPM and 960 ppm in monochrome. In addition, the Indigo WS6600, described as a high-volume narrow web press, reaches a top speed of 130 linear feet per minute using HP’s Enhanced Productivity Mode.

Fujifilm in September 2013 commercially launched the new Graphium press platform, developed by FFEI, aimed at the narrow-web converter and label printing markets. Graphium supports up to six digital stations and six flexo stations, as well as the capability to integrate optional finishing stations inline.

The system uses Xaar 1001 print-heads and runs at up to 164 linear feet per minute on a web width of up to 16 inches. Fujifilm describes the Graphium as producing image quality equal to that of flexo and the adhesion, durability and light fastness of screen printing. The system’s Uvijet Graphium UV cured inks are developed by Fujifilm Specialty Ink Systems.

18 • PRINTACTION • FEBRUARY 2014

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 18

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

AMS FLEXO Series UV LED

Air Motion System (AMS) in April 2013 introduced its FLEXO Series edition of UV LED curing systems based on the XP5 Series, first launched at drupa in May 2012. XP5, according to AMS, generates the industry’s highest radiant energy intensity at meaningful working distances from a UV LED module. Noting how very high intensities are critical for effective curing on flexo work, the new AMS FLEXO Series delivers 12W/cm2 (standard) and 16W/cm2 (optional) intensity classes at 385 to 395 nm, which allows for the solid cure of heavy blacks and opaque whites in flexographic production. The FLEXO Series package includes the power drivers, cooling, web mounts and controls necessary to deploy on just about any machine. The XP5 UV LED system does not require a UV-prepared press for installation and can be deployed for standalone LED curing.

PRINT FINISHING AND LETTERSHOP SERVICES

Mark Andy Digital Series

Mark Andy describes its new Digital Series of hybrid presses as a combination of digital workflow, inkjet printing and flexographic printing processes for label, package printers and converters. The configurable hybrid system integrates full colour digital printing technology in line with what Mark Andy explains as a converters’ needs for fast change, web handling, in-line converting and other decoration options. The full colour (C, M, Y, K, O, V + W) inkjet systems can reach running speeds of over 200 fpm (61 m/min). Available in a range of web widths beginning with 13 inches (330 mm), the press line handles a range of substrates from highend packaging materials to films and traditional pressure sensitive label stocks. The press line will be commercially available in North America in the spring of 2014.

CUTTING: up to 60" FOLDING: maps, mini (3/4" minimum), double-double gates, high quality in-line scoring HIGH SPEED TIPPING: In-line production HUNKELER MAILER: Time-perfing, U-shaped remoistenable gluing, spine pasting, fugitive gluing SADDLE STITCHING: 3 high speed machines. Up to 8 pockets. In-line cover crease. Maximum face trim 13". Calendar punch. Loop stitching. In-line soft folding and plow folding.

MINI BOOKLETS: minimum 2" face trim and 2.75" spine with 2 stitches per booklet in 1 pass.

DIE CUTTING: MAX 25" x 35" sheet DIRECT MAIL: Registered Canada Post Direct Marketing Specialist, data processing, ink jetting, envelope insertion, mail preparation, in-line clip sealing NEW - duplex ink jetting OTHER: Drilling, shrink-wrapping, round cornering, padding, folder pads, kit assembly, distribution

Esko CDI Spark 2420 Esko provides a range of technologies for flexography, including its Cyrel Digital Imager (CDI) and associated HD Flexo, Full HD Flexo and Digital Flexo Suite software, in addition to last year’s release of Suite 12.1 and Equinox for extended gamut printing. The most recent CDI Spark 2420, released in February 2013, images a 24 x 20 inch plate in just over 20 minutes. Esko states the CDI Spark 2420 addresses new trends in the label and tag markets with its ability to image plate sizes up to 609 mm x 508 mm (24 x 20 inches) and to also handle a range of plate materials, including: digital flexo plates, chemistry-free film, digital foil-based letterpress plates, digital metal-based letterpress plates and digital silk screens. The CDI Spark 2420 optics also provide for an upgrade path, beginning with standard 2,000- to 2,540-ppi resolution systems or upgraded 2,540- to 4,000ppi version.

• SUPERIOR QUALITY • SUPERIOR SERVICE • OUR NAME SAYS IT ALL

Have a Superior Day! TEL: 416-438-4300 TOLL FREE: 1-866-827-0220 FAX: 416-438-7404 E MAIL: info@rssuperior.com 30 Emblem Court, Toronto, ON M1S 1B1 www.rssuperior.com

FEBRUARY 2014 • PRINTACTION • 19 RSSuperior_PrintAction_Feb.indd 1 PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 19

2014-01-14 3:06 PM 2014-01-21 3:19 PM

Management Software

ContiTech Laserline CSC

One program manages entire company Graphics Enter data once and use it many times Manager Enhances client service Work smart, work efficiently Increases speed - accuracy from estimates to invoices Eliminates duplication of effort Saves time and resources

F L or Di arg Offs gi e F e ta o t, l P rm rin at te & rs

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Enterprise Manager

F & or L Di ar gi ge ta F lP o rin rm te at rs

Bundled with FileMaker® Pro software

Mac OS X, Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, iPad OS or all platforms.

Digital Print Manager

Bard Business solutions inc.

F Pr or D in ig te it rs al

Online tours: www.bardsolutions.com email: info@bardsolutions.com 416-410-BARD (2273)

Barb_PA_Jan.indd 1

2013-12-06

ContiTech in October 2013 launched its CONTI Laserline CSC flexographic printing plates for water- or solvent-based ink systems, including Ultra Violet or Electron Beam curing technologies. Laserline CSC, according to the company, includes a unique and integrated compressible layer that does not require foam adhesive mounting tapes. This compressible layer provides for stronger impact resilience, which in turn allows for more stable and even ink transfer.

Muller Martini VSOP

Muller Martini series of presses aimed at the mid- and narrow-web market includes VSOP, Alprinta and Concepta, as well as various processing and finishing modules.

VSOP features interchangeable sleeves for print lengths that change frequently, as well as an updated tower design with new ergonomic construction for easier machine access for sleeve changes, as well as new electronic control technology with fewer components for better machine reliability and a new external roller setting feature. The VSOP and Alprinta-V, with widths from 520 to 850 mm, are described by the company as being infinitely size-variable for applications in packaging and 9:49label AM printing. Size changes are made by exchanging lightweight sleeves and carbon-fibre cylinders instead of full printing inserts and offer features like StretchCorrect that were developed to print stretchable films.

Comexi CingularLaser

Your Printing Experts Send us an estimate, You won’t regret it.

Need Banners?

Large Format

Best Prices on Digital Printing

Digital Printing Available

6-Color Mitsubishi Diamond

M LTD

1150 Meyerside Drive Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1J4

Tel: 905-670-7309 Fax: 905-670-7170 • E-mail: info@microprinting.ca

8-Color Mitsubishi Diamond Perfector

Comexi’s CingularLaser was introduced in February 2013 to work with the company’s Proslit slitting and rewinding equipment. The integration of CingularLaser within Proslit, according to Comexi, represents a significant step forward by allowing users to deploy a single laser to carry out tasks like die cutting, rotary die cutting, hot-needle and pneumatic perforation, discontinuous pre-cuts on hardened roll (both lengthwise and in the direction of the roll) and discontinuous transversal pre-cuts. With CingularLaser, which includes unique bendable mechanical components, Comexi’s slitting and rewinding machines can make 400 metres of micro perforations measuring 50μ to 300μ per minute and 150 to 200 metres of macro perforations of up to 6 mm per minute. CingularLaser is rated for 25,000 hours.

Epson Stylus Pro WT7900

Epson introduced the WT7900, the world’s first aqueous-based white printing technology, as a contract-quality proofing system specifically for flexography and gravure.

The 24-inch wide system includes Epson’s UltraChrome HDR White Ink based on Organic Hollow Resin Particle Technology, which forces light to randomly scatter, producing the illusion of seeing the colour white. This provides for the ability to produce custom white colour toning, on a range of substrates like inkjet-coated transparent and metallic films, in roll or cut sheet.

Website: www.microprinting.ca

20 • PRINTACTION • FEBRUARY 2014

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 20

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

INX AquaTech ION

INX International recently introduced its AquaTech ION Class label ink systems for paper, thermal and film extensions.

The ink system is available in a Plus option for printers using anilox rolls, to produce 1,000 up to 1,500 lines per inch resolution, as well as a process series component. The ION-P system is formulated to run on various paper substrates like prime label, EDP and semi-gloss liners, while ION-T offers high heat resistance and is designed for direct and indirect printing across various paper substrates. The ION-F formulation is designed to have strong adhesion on most treated, non-porous film structures, including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, cellophane, vinyl and foils.

Kodak Flexcel Direct System

Kodak’s Flexcel NX is described as the cornerstone of its flexographic portfolio. The platform was first introduced to the market six years ago and Kodak in September installed its 300th Flexcel NX system. More recently, Kodak launched the Flexcel Direct System that uses a direct laser engraving system to produce press-ready elastomer plates and sleeves. The technology eliminates the multiple steps of UV exposure and chemical or thermal processing. Kodak also develops its Spotless flexographic technology for expanded gamut printing when employing Flexcel systems.

Kodak also recently introduced the Flexcel NX Wide-C system to image plates in sizes up to 1067 x 1524 mm (42 x 60 inches) using Squarespot.

Gallus ECS 340

The Gallus ECS 340, first launched in 2009, was updated with a “Plus update package” that includes a screen printing unit, a more powerful UV system, secondary rail system, new user interface, and software to reach a higher top machine speed.

Existing Gallus ECS 340 systems can be retrofitted with the Plus package. The ECS 340 features a granite core (long service life) and a short web path of 1.1 metres between printing units to reduce waste.

QuadTech TouchRegister

QuadTech in January 2014 released a new TouchRegister module as an optional feature for its Web Viewing System, designed for register setting on CI flexo presses.

TouchRegister add functionality by automatically bringing up to 12 colours into register. QuadTech explains this 12-colour register, when done manually, would take around 15 minutes with hundreds of metres of substrate wasted. The Web Viewing System can capture a predetermined register mark (or other suitable image) for each colour and display them on the monitor while the press is stopped.

The operator then adjusts the positions of the dots on the monitor. When the press is restarted, explains QuadTech, TouchRegister automatically brings the press into register within a tolerance of 50 microns.

FEBRUARY 2014 • PRINTACTION • 21 Howard_PA_Jan.indd 1 PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 21

2013-12-20 9:35 AM 2014-01-21 3:19 PM

Flint nyloflex NExT OUR SERVICES • • • • • •

Foil Stamping Embossing Die-Cutting Foil Labels Scratch-Off Letterpress

Contact us today for a quote.

TRADE ONLY 1428 Speers Rd, Unit 13 & 14 Oakville, ON L6L 5M1

T 905.827.6009 F 905.827.5228 E andy@houseoffoil.com w w w. h o u s e o ffo i l . c o m Visit our letterpress division

passionletter press.com

AllCan Label One of the largest in-stock selections: ctions: 8.5”x11” & 11”x17” label sheets 50+ sizes of laser and pin feed EDP label Thermal transfer & direct thermal labels Process colour, UL & CSA labels Label printers & thermal ribbons

As low as $73/1000 laser label sheets.

Same day shipping for most products.

1-888-661-6110

Tel:

905-944-9555 Fax: 905-944-9525 www.allcanlabel.com 235 Hood Road, Unit 3, Markham, ON, L3R 4N3

Leslie Electric Ltd. Servicing the printing industry since 1914 Complete industrial service to the printing industry 416.259.6385 Fax: 416.259.6387

Leslie electric PA dec13.indd 1

Flint enhanced its nyloflex NExT technology, a family of products based around UV LED curing technology to produce flat top dots, with the December 2013 introduction of the nyloflex Dryer FIII and nyloflex Light Finisher FIII, designed for processing flexographic printing plates, which can be integrated with the preexisting nyloflex NExT Exposure FIII. The Dryer FIII is based on a three-chamber design with individual temperature control, while also providing six drying drawers for better plate handling. The Light Finisher FIII uses UV-A and UV-C tubes to enable shorter processing times. All lamps are equipped with electronic ballast and start simultaneously, while their operating hours are automatically metered. The nyloflex NExT Exposure utilizes UV-A LEDs as light source. As a result, Flint explains how a rapid cross-linking of the photopolymer surface is achieved before oxygen inhibition can occur, resulting in a strong flat top dot structure on the printing plate.

Sun Chemical Flexo Dispenser

Sun Chemical in December 2013 introduced a new water-based dispenser program aimed at flexographic narrow-web printing operations, which builds upon the company’s preexisting dispenser program for commercial printers. The new program is designed to allow flexo printers to make process, blending bases and spot colour inks from the same dispenser. Looking at narrow web tag and label printers (NWTL), Sun Chemical explains how colour concentrates and technology extenders can be dispensed to make inks for more than one application, providing flexibility to control colour density and compensate for various anilox configurations. NWTL printers that participate in the program receive a dispensing unit with 0.5-gram accuracy of all process, spot and blending base colours. The dispensing unit is provided to printers at no cost based on what Sun Chemical describes as a minimum annual purchase of its products.

2013-11-12 7:28 AM

DigiFlex FlexoJet1725

DigiFlex first introduced its FlexoJet1725 inkjet-based computer-to-plate system in May 2012 to produce plates for flexography (primary labels and tags printing), dry-offset and letterpress processes, as well as rotary silk-screen. The 17 x 25-inch format FlexoJet1725 provides up to 220 lpi on standard analogue plate materials by jetting DigiFlex bi-component ink on any type of analogue plate to create a mask. After creating the image on the plate, using this proprietary inkjet mask, the rest of the plate-making process remains unchanged. By the end of 2013, DigiFlex had sold 50 units of its new system.

KBA-Flexotecnica Varius 80

The Varius 80, unveiled for the first time at drupa in May 2012, is a variable-enabled press designed for short-run flexible packaging. It is a modular system based on a waterless UV offset roll-fed architecture. Similar to KBA’s long-established Genius press line, the Varius 80 is equipped with short-train inking units and Ultra Violet drying. KBA says this combination allows for strong print quality on non-absorbent, flexible medias with low start-up waste and, when compared to the sleeves required for flexo printing, the offset plates are significantly less expensive. The Varius 80 has a maximum web width of 800 mm and a production speed of 400 metres per minute, while handling substrate thicknesses from 30 to 800 micrometers and providing a variable printing length of between 21 and 34 inches. KBA purchased Italian-based Flexotecnica in December 2013 and subsequently announced the machines would be sold exclusively through KBA in the North American market.

22 • PRINTACTION • FEBRUARY 2014

ShelfTalker_PA_Jan.indd 1 PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 22

2013-12-11 9:19 AM 2014-01-21 3:19 PM

Habekost

Continued from page 12

Major 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys had a presence at the recent Graphics Canada trade show in Toronto.

patents in regards to the technology will expire in 2014. This technology deposits layers that are 25 micrometres thick, while the molten plastic deposit method creates layers of about 100 micrometers.

It was also suggested that 3D printers should be on board of future space explorations to lower the weight of items, i.e. toolboxes, that need to be brought on the trip into space for any kind of repairs. That would leave more room for the payload that is transported into space. Artists have also discovered 3D printing as an art form. One of them is using a special technique to 3D print objects into sand, by injecting it with a special polymer, which bonds the sand particles together and hardens when it comes in contact with air. Once the printing process is complete the object gets carefully dug out of the sand. Any remaining loose sand is washed away with water.

The possibilities for printing 3D objects are endless. At the Graphics Canada trade show I had a soft silicone model of a human heart in my hands and it was printed from actual MRI images of someone’s heart. I found this simply amazing. Aside from all the great and astounding things that can be established using 3D print technology one still needs to ask oneself the following question: Is 3D printing printing or is it manufacturing?

Defining moments

You could make the argument that printing also deposits something, although a rather thin film of ink, onto a substrate.

3D printing also deposits material, but in much thicker layers. Printing is also quite often called highly customized manufacturing. Each job is unique and sometimes very intricate techniques are used to create the product the customer desires. This was clearly visible in some of the pieces that were entered into the Canadian Printing Awards competition.

Printing is quite often used to create many copies of the same product, just like in mass manufacturing. So you can twist and turn it anyway but it starts to get a bit difficult and not very well defined.

Let’s have a look at MerriamWebster’s online dictionary for the definition of printing: The process of producing books, magazines, etc. by using machinery the act or process of printing a set number of copies of a book at one time handwriting that uses separate letters that do not join together.

Now let’s have a look at manufacturing in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary: The process of making products especially with machines in factories.

The definition of manufacturing might need some updating in regards to the word factories, when 3D printers are more and more available to the general public.

Continued on page 24

3D printers from MakerBot are now in their fifth generation, as unveiled at the recent CES exhibition in January.

FEBRUARY 2014 • PRINTACTION • 23

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 23

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

Habekost

s i ce Pr es t Canada’s B

Continued from page 23

O

n

Co

l ou

rC e! op i e s & Mu c h M o r

I thought about this discussion for some time and what could be the distinguishing factor to call 3D printing a printing process or more traditional manufacturing process. In my opinion the distinction comes in regards to the fact the printing always involves images and text and in the conveying of information, regardless of what the information is.

3D printing, in my opinion, resembles a more traditional manufacturing process. The reason for this conclusion came in the form of an air nozzle that was shown to me at Graphics Canada. It is the nozzle that is above every seat in an airplane. These nozzles are now made using 3D printing and 3D printing has simplified the process, since no molds are needed to create the separate parts and then have them assembled. The nozzle is manufactured in one step with a 3D printer.

and thermoplastics – the largest selection of materials for 3D printing.

The leader for industrial applications using laser-sintering technology is EOS GmbH from Germany and its customers include well-know names like MTU (a manufacturer of large diesel engines and complete propulsion system), EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company), Daimler and BMW. These companies already use 3D printing in their production lines.

Regardless of the material and fusing technology being used in 3D printing, it must be considered as additive manufacturing. The object is built layer upon layer and the thickness of the layer varies with the deposit and fusing method that is used. The fusing method can incorporate chemical and/or physical processes, precipitation curing and/or melting.

These fusing methods currently allow the use of materials like artificial resins,

COLOUR COPIES FROM ONLY 5¢ EACH! B&W Copies Also Available.

Paper Included.

FULL COLOUR ENVELOPES. 1000 #10 Envelopes – Only $90.

Many Other Sizes To Choose From.

NCR FORMS - BOOKS Best Prices Available.

A MakerBot printer was used to produce this prosthetic hand. Further applications in the printing of internal organs are on the horizon.

A recent article from InkWorld by Rodman Publishing states that Messe Düsseldorf, the organization that hosts the drupa and Interpack and many other tradeshows on the Düsseldorf fairgrounds, launched the 3D fab+print during the K 2013 trade show, the tradeshow for plastics and rubber. Shows and exhibitions related to 3D fab+print will be co-located with seven tradeshows and one of is drupa, which will run from May 31 to June 10, 2016.

Additive manufacturing

Bindery & Finishing, Saddle Stitching Plasticoil, Wire-O, Cerlox, Tabs & Assembly.

This Month’s Special: 15% Discount On All Services.

(Coupon Code: Action15)

Brokers Protected

Free Shipping In Canada Over $200.

(Conditions Apply)

Shop & Save Online! Proudly Canadian!

1.877.503.2679

www.CanadaCopy.com

There are many manufacturers of 3D printing equipment and, just as in the printing world, there are devices for home use, professionals and industrial scale applications. MakerBot is a wellknown American manufacturer of 3D printing. A visit to the company’s Website shows that they have three stores in the United States and all 48 Microsoft stores in the U.S. have MakerBot systems installed. The next time you travel to the U.S., look up if there is a Microsoft store in the city you are visiting. You can have a look at the MakerBot 3D printing and probably for a minimal fee have a product made right there on the spot.

3D Systems is a leader in the consumer sector and Stratasys is, according to InkWorld magazine, the world leader in the professional sector. Stratasys offers up to 150 different types of photopolymers

plastics, metals and ceramics in powder form and paper. They use methods like selective laser melting, electron beam melting of metals, selective laser sintering for plastics, stereolithography, digital light processing, polyjet modeling for photopolymers and fused deposition modeling for thermoplastics (FDM).

FDM is most popular method for 3D printing.

3D printing is already used a lot more than one would think in a range of production and manufacturing environments. I think this alone settles the debate whether it is akin to printing or a more traditional production process.

Malcom Keif from CalPoly University in San Louis Obispo predicts that 3D printers will invade the office like the copy machine has.

Over time, these devices will become more sophisticated and there will be different levels of sophistication with machines, again depending on if the end-use is for consumers, professionals or industrial companies. 3D printing will be part of the manufacturing world and we have not seen the end of the development yet. Au contraire, we are at the beginning of this oddly quiet manufacturing revolution.

Dr. Martin Habekost is Associate Chair of Ryerson University’s Graphic Communications Management program and can be reached at mhabekos@ryerson.ca

24 • PRINTACTION • FEBRUARY 2014

PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 24

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

X-PRESS

ELECTRIC SERVICES LTD.

416-410-9006 Graphic Arts Specialists for installations, maintenance & repairs on all equipment

PRESENTATION FOLDERS • Prepress, print and finishing all in house.

• Four colour and PMS colour mixes proofed and printed accurately.

• We have in stock over 350 standard and custom sized folder dies.

• Fast turnaround - 3 days available.

X-PRESS

PREMIER PRINTING LIMITED 32 Goodmark Place, Unit 1-2, ELECTRIC LTD. Toronto,SERVICES ON, M9W 6J4

416-410-9006 info@premierprintinglimited.com

Tel: 416-675-2920 Fax: 416-675-2930

Graphic Arts Specialists for installations, maintenance & repairs on all equipment

Email: classifieds@printaction.com • Tel: 905.713.4300 • Fax: 905.727.0017

___________________________________

___________________________________

WANTED: PREPRESS OPERATOR Pre-press operator for digital and offset file preparation, must have a graphic design background. Proficient in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Acrobat with a working knowledge of Photoshop and Microsoft Office programs.

Should be able to communicate and work with clients and meet tight deadlines. Some retail experience would be an asset. This position is located in a well-established commercial printshop in a small town in the Quinte area, a popular tourist area of south-eastern Ontario.

Please email resume to quinte1977@gmail.com ___________________________________

MAINTENANCE ENGINEER – HEMLOCK PRINTERS Manage the maintenance and repair of our plant’s equipment and machinery (Heidelberg). Requires an understanding of mechanical and electrical engineering.

Go to www.hemlock.com and refer to the company employment section.

PREPRESS/DIGITAL TECHNICIAN 3+ years experienced. F/T afternoons, overtime required. Etobicoke. Prepress: Troubleshoot, prepare, edit, proof, colour match, preflight files. Digital: Process printing accurately and efficiently. Adobe Creative Suite CS5+, QuarkXPress 7+, Microsoft Office 2011+, Kodak Prinergy & PREPS. Resumes: hr@harmonyprinting.com ___________________________________ BINDERY OPERATOR WANTED RR Donnelley is looking for a Perfect Binder Operator in our Don Mills location. Reporting to the Bindery Supervisor, the Perfect Binder Operator will be responsible for setting up and running the Muller Martini Perfect Binder.

Email resumes with reference to “Perfect Binder Operator” to HR_Canada@ rrd.com ___________________________________ KONGSBERG TABLE FOR SALE Esko has a loaded 2013 Flagship Kongsberg i-XP 24 practically new system in Toronto looking to go into a Sign & Display production environment. The sale price is reduced by an aggressive US$60,000 and comes with the new 3K liquid cooled High Power Milling system, a full warranty, installation, and on-site training.

Interested buyers please call Marc Raad for more information at: (905) 330-6060 ___________________________________ DIGITAL PRESS OPERATOR WANTED The Ontario Liberal Caucus Service Bureau is seeking a Digital Press Operator for a Full Time position. The ideal candidate is customer service oriented, highly organized, has excellent communication skills and is able to work in a fast paced environment. Responsibilities include full operation of the printshop, managing workflow and printing, including: pre press, set up and confirmation of job specifications. Other key responsibilities include job prioritizing, reporting on problems, trouble shooting, scheduling and maintenance of machinery. Multitasking skills are essential, as is ensuring that quality standards and deadlines are met or exceeded.

Apply with resume to: digitalpressoperator@liberal.ola.org ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________ PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR REQUIRED Vaughan, Ontario company is looking for an energetic person to manage art department, develop and maintain exterior printing contracts and warehouse supervision.

Must have experience. Excellent growth potential with an established firm.

Please contact: lance@jbsgraphic.com ___________________________________

Mormark Print Productions of Richmond Hill, Ontario is seeking the following personnel for its growing operations:

KONICA MINOLTA 7000 & RICOH 1107 OPERATOR Full time position with shipping and fulfilment an asset.

EXPERIENCED PRESSMAN FULL/PART TIME Pressman needed for our new Five Colour Heidelberg SM 74 with coater.

Five years or more experience please.

SHIPPER/RECEIVER/HAND BINDERY PERSON FULL/PART TIME Knowledge of fulfillment services required.

SALES PROFESSIONAL Mormark Print has added a Five Colour Speedmaster 74 with Coater to its family. We are looking for a seasoned veteran sales professional to join our organization.

Please forward all resumes to: info@mormarkonline.com

WANTED URGENTLY FOR EXPORT USED OFFSET PRESSES KORD 64, SORDZ,SM 74-2,KOMORI L-426

We Buy

Heidelberg: K-Line/S-Line/ Speedmaster/GTO/MO Komori: 1,2,4 or 5 colours & any size Adast: 714/715/724/725 Mitsubishi: Any model Ryobi:: 2800CD/3200CD Itek: 960/975/985 Hamada: 500/600/700/800 Polar: 72/82/90/92/107/115 CM Horizon-BQ: 220/240/260/440/460 Any model surplus printing machines, paper cutters & bindery equipment.

FOR SALE Ultra+HN/RLD (989) Imagesetting film, 26” x 200’. Also have two extra cassettes for a Heidelberg imagesetter.

Please Call (403) 527-3136 ___________________________________

IMMEDIATE DECISION We buy one piece/entire plant $$$$ TOP PRICES PAID $$$$

Buy & Sell Used Printing Equipment

Call: (416) 824-0236 (647) 835-6224 33 Denison Ave., Brampton, Ontario L6X 0H2 E-Mail: gr_trade@hotmail.com Tel/Fax: (905) 450-2748 FEBRUARY 2014 • PRINTACTION • 25

GR Printing Equipment.indd 1

GR printing PA dec13.indd 1 PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 25

6/24/11 5:55:09 AM

2013-11-12 7:31 AM 2014-01-21 3:19 PM

ARCHIVE

February 1994 United States lifts its trade embargo against Vietnam; Canadian golfer Dawn Coe-Jones wins LPGA Palm Beach Golf Classic; Israeli minister Shimon Peres signs accord with PLO’s Arafat; and the 17th Winter Olympic Games opens in Lillehammer.

Canadian Stamps Printed Down Under

When Ashton-Potter Ltd., the company that printed 70 percent of Canada’s regular stamps, was forced into bankruptcy by its bank last April, Canada Post went shopping for a replacement. They found it in Australia.

Before last spring, Canadian Banknote Co. Ltd. shared the stamp printing work with Ashton-Potter.

That competitive equilibrium kept the printing of Canada’s stamps in this country. Now, Canadian Banknote shares the work with Leigh-Mardon, an Australian firm that prints stamps for about 20 countries.

Regular stamps, such as the Queen or the flag, are printed in runs of hundreds of millions and carry contracts of one year. Canada Post orders 15 or 16 commemorative stamp issues a year and prints them in runs of about 15 million. Contracts for these stamps are issued as they are needed.

Leigh-Mardon will be printing about 45 percent of Canada’s definitive stamps for 1994. Canadian Banknote will be printing the other 55 percent.

“The overriding issue is that we have an obligation to get the best product at the best price. Right now, the only companies who can do it are Canadian Banknote and Leigh-Mardon,” said Jim Phillips, Media Relations Officer for Canada Post.

Specialty Printers Put the Magic into Printing

Imagesetter Line Features Innovations

Cuttell Brothers, which now employs 18 people, began business in 1934.

“We never did ink on paper,” says Jim Cuttell. The company specializes in die-cutting, folding and gluing and in the early 1960s started foil stamping and embossing. The company saw specialty printing grow from the 1960s into the 1980s, at which point it decided to increase its foil stamping capabilities.

After spending a lot of time sourcing equipment in the U.S. and England, the company settled on three Swiss auto-platen presses, which allowed it to serve a highvolume niche. The presses are equipped with computers to allow better use of foil and to deliver better quality and consistency.

In 1991, the company added an auto-platen press with a Japanese base that was manufactured in Chicago. In addition to conventional foil stamping, the press has the ability

Agfa’s SelectSet Avantra series drum imagesetters, including models outputting 14 x 20 inches and 18 x 25 inches, are driven by Agfa’s line of PostScript level 2. It provides four levels of resolution: 1,200, 1,800, 2,400 and 3,600 dpi, as well as four spot sizes from 7.5 to 20 microns.

SelectSet Avantra reaches a top imaging speed of 400 square inches per minute at 1,200 dpi.

The system’s IntelliTrack self-propelled, direct-drive carriage is the first of its kind in the industry. It includes its own motor and drive wheel, which move it along special magnetic rails for motion substantially smoother than previous screw- or bandbased transport schemes.

Jim Cuttell of Cuttell Brothers with a Gietz 720 foil holography press.

to apply holograms. “Specialized knowledge is important, just like for other printers,” says Cuttell. “Ultimately, a company’s reputation for producing good work at competitive prices is what will allow you to weather the storm.”

26 • PRINTACTION • FEBRUARY 2014

SpicersP PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 26

2014-01-21 3:19 PM

Spicers_

From packaging supplies to workplace maintenance, look to Spicers for your industrial needs.

Delivering solutions.

Whether it’s protective packaging and shipping supplies, employee safety, equipment or products to keep your workplace clean and sanitary, consult Spicers for all your production needs.

A leading distributor of printing paper, graphic arts supplies, sign and display media and packaging products. 877 790 2335

spicers.ca SpicersPrintActionAd_Industrial2.indd 1

2014-01-15 3:58 PM

Spicers_PA_Feb.indd 1 PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 27

2014-01-20 3:19 2014-01-21 9:10 PM AM

Our features – Your benefit Consultation

We support your business on all questions around printing inks. Jointly we analyze your product portfolio, your requirements and the substrates with their print characteristics and mechanical properties.

With that knowledge and our expertise we develop your assortment, exactly matching your requirement profile.

Application support

Our application specialists support you in reaching your productivity and quality goals.

Hostmann_PA_Feb.indd 1 PrintActionFebruary2014.indd 28

Training

Our INK ACADEMY offers training and workshops for colour metrics, matching and mixing, plus all the related topics to food conformity.

Ink management

Reduce your stocks and inventory as well as the mere volume of left over inks with our help. A perfectly tailored assortment offers great potential for savings and improved efficiency.

Support

We share our knowledge of product safety, environmental protection, waste water processing, transport of hazardous materials and work environmental protection. An asset for those who have not yet reached the perfect state.

2014-01-23 2014-01-23 1:41 1:45 PM PM