New Zealand Printer December 2022-January 2023

December 2022/January 2023

Cover Story p12-14

12-14 Cyber and RMGT: Currently on a growth trajectory, Cyber and RMGT have launched new products, following a series of global events. These products have spurred considerable interest in the market

PrintNZ p8-11

8-10 Helping Hand: Iain MacIntyre sees the print sector breaking out of the pandemic’s shackles with a positive attitude

11 Comment: This year saw a mix of ordinary and extraordinary events, says Ruth Cobb

Features p16-41

16 Konica Minolta: Paraparaumu’s Precise Print has boosted its productivity with two AccurioPress C4070s

18 Think Laterally: Mick Rowan discusses the importance of good old-fashioned service

20 Currie Group: When it comes to consumables, it’s all about keeping the products relevant and working to their optimum, says Colin Edwards

22 Competenz: Apprentice Levi Lindsey is seeing his career path open up with diverse work challenges and opportunities

36 Real Media Collective: Print can offer creative solutions and technologies to help customers stand out and kick their sales goals, says Kellie Northwood

38-39 VDMA: Heidelberg is taking a lead in climate neutrality. VDMA talks to Eva Boll about the press giant’s strategies for a greener future

40 Letterpress: The Association of Handcraft Printers hosted the annual Wayzgoose in Hawkes Bay recently

41 Opportunity: Daniel Edwards discusses the benefits of creating a design that produces emotions

Wide Format Plus p23-35

26 Currie Group and EFI: The EFI VUTEk 340+ offers opportunities for new revenue streams in the fast growing soft signage sector

28 NZSDA Update: Planning and success in 2022 has laid solid foundation for positive change in 2023

30 NZSDA President and Secretary: Andy Lowe reflects on recent NZSDA initiatives. Melissa Coutts discusses the return of NZSDA regional meetings

31-33 NZSDA Signee: Big Brown Industries marks a decade as a signage company

34-35 Fespa: A global survey is underway, aiming to identify trends and opportunities for businesses

Advertiser’s Index

Aarque Group 21, 25 APM 21 Contact Labels 21 Currie Group (NZ) 21, 27 Cyber 1, 15, 44 Eamar Plastics 42 GLC 5 Konica Minolta 17 NZSDA 29 People In Print 7 Pride In Print 43 Print NZ 37 Ricoh NZ 19 Think Laterally 42 VPR 42 Wholesale Print 2

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IN BRIEF

KOENIG & BAUER says that, with its Group revenue rising by 6.7 per cent, it is on a growth trajectory, despite the recent difficulties affecting the global economy. The company says its sheetfed, digital and webfed segments in particular contributed to its solid performance with their product and solution offerings. Dr Stephen Kimmich, chief financial officer, says, “In a turbulent economic environment, Koenig & Bauer demonstrated in the third quarter that it is on track for profitable growth and can manage all challenges well.”

LABELEXPO ASIA 2022 has been postponed until 2023. It will now take place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) in China from December 5-8, 2023. The last edition of Labelexpo Asia in 2019 attracted over 23,000 visitors from 90 countries. Labelexpo Global Series portfolio director Jade Grace says, “China is a key global market for label and package print technology, and Labelexpo Asia in Shanghai remains our most important event in this region. We look forward to returning in 2023.”

UNITED STATES print industry organisations, the Printing Industries Alliance (PIA) and the Graphic Arts Association (GAA) have consolidated to form one of the USA’s largest regional trade associations for the printing industry called the Print & Graphic Communications Association (PGCA). The new organisations co-presidents Timothy Freeman, currently president of PIA, and Melissa Jones, president of GAA, say the response from their members to the idea of a merger was favourable from the start, given the trend toward consolidation that has been reshaping the industry as a whole.

ABG widens web for Digicon Series 3

Print finishing equipment manufacturer, A B Graphic International (ABG), has launched its flagship Digicon Series 3 in the wider web width of 430mm.

Currie Group supplies ABG in New Zealand and Australia.

The new 430mm model retains all existing modules of the 350mm machine, including flatbed screen and Big Foot 50-ton hot foil emboss unit with swivel head. Providing improved efficiency and performance, the new wider width machine is available in a left to right format only.

Matt Burton, global sales director for ABG, says, “Having the Digicon Series

3 available in 430mm, demonstrates that we are ahead of the market in listening to customers and helping them convert wider digital webs with the highest quality finishing from ABG.”

The Digicon Series 3 modular system can operate at up to 150 metres per minute in full-rotary mode, or 64 metres per minute in semi-rotary mode, and can run inline or offline with an SGTR (turret rewinder) for a straight to box solution.

ABG says the flatbed screen provides the ability to offer exceptional embellishments in silk screen with fast set-up and increased speed and coverage.

Xaar releases latest aqueous printhead

Inkjet printhead manufacturer Xaar its solution for printing aqueous fluids: Xaar Aquinox.

The Aquinox, developed from Xaar’s ImagineX platform, uses a new approach to how the printhead reliably jets water-based fluids, and new technologies designed to optimise Aquinox’s lifespan and robustness when handling aqueous fluids. These include a redesigned

internal architecture; new water compatible materials capable of coping with an extended working range of pH levels; and a new drive system enabling optimum drop ejection.

The company says that, together with Xaar’s TF Technology ink recirculation, they enable Aquinox to deliver significantly increased nozzle open time compared to typical aqueous printheads.

It can also produce vibrant colours for maximum impact.

The Big Foot 50-ton capacity hot foil and embossing module offers multiple foil feeding across and along the web, creating dynamic effects and finishes that ensures a competitive advantage. Both modules can be jointly fitted on the Digicon Series 3 430, enabling foiling and embossing in one pass to produce the finest of labels.

As with all Digicon Series 3s, the 430mm is fully compatible with fleyeVision, ABG’s camera inspection and editing capability, providing automatic selection and 100 per cent inspection

Xaar claims that Aquinox enables print speeds of over 100 metres per minute and compatibility with multiple aqueous fluid types.

It adds that the new prrinthead offers a high native resolution of 720dpi and firing frequency of up to 48kHz, enabling high fluid laydown, with maximum productivity.

Adding that its High Laydown Technology extends the drop size capability, Xaar makes that case for Aquinox being the ideal solution for printing textiles, highly absorbent substrates, or thick film coatings.

The ABG Digicon Series 3 is now available in the wider web width of 430mm

Visual Impact opens registrations

Organisers have opened registrations for Visual Impact Sydney, which will run from May 3-5, 2023 at Sydney Showground.

The show will be the first Visual Impact Expo in the harbour city since before the pandemic and will highlight the latest solutions for print, sign, display, wide format, engraving, and textile printing.

Sarah Moore, business development manager for show organiser Visual Connections, says, “The show theme, ‘Envision Your Success’, is apt for a postpandemic market, with businesses still grappling with how to meet the changes wrought across the sector over the past four years.

“We saw at PacPrint in

Melbourne that businesses are now firmly looking forward and are keen to invest in their future success. They came to Melbourne with their wallets in hand to see and compare potential business solutions, talk to the experts and take advantage of show deals.

“Now, we’re offering the same opportunity in Sydney and we’re confident those who were unable to get to Melbourne will be keen to catch up.”

Some of the industry’s leading names have already confirmed their attendance, including platinum sponsor Roland DG, and gold sponsors

Epson ranked highly for sustainability

Business sustainability ratings provider EcoVadis has awarded Epson its third successive platinum rating for sustainability.

The award recognises Epson’s global efforts to uphold the highest standards on the environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. Also, it highlights Epson’s commitment and actions on sustainability.

Yasunori Ogawa, Epson global president, says, “Our company is focused on achieving sustainability through our products, technologies and operations. This third consecutive platinum accreditation is the result of a lot of hard work and highlights the steadfast commitment and actions by the entire Epson team as we seek to achieve a sustainable future.

“In line with our environmental vision of becoming carbon negative by 2050, we will continue

to challenge ourselves to perform to the highest standards for sustainable practices, both as an organisation and a member of the wider global community.”

The platinum rating places Epson in the top one per cent of companies in its industry, particularly excelling in the fields of the environment as well as sustainable procurement. EcoVadis uses an evaluation methodology based on a framework of 21 sustainability criteria mapped to global standards and guided by the international scientific community.

Epson has also committed to helping customers reduce their environmental impact by engineering innovative solutions. These include heat-free technology, energy efficient printing technologies and PaperLab, which turns wastepaper into new paper in a virtually water-free process.

Epson, Euro Poles, HP, Spicers, Starleaton and Trotec.

Charly Blades, events manager for Visual Connections, says, “Exhibitors are keen to reconnect with the market in Sydney and with innovation always running fast in this sector, there’s sure to be plenty of interest even for those who attended PacPrint in Melbourne in mid-2022.

“Already, a number of exhibitors have indicated they will have new releases at VI Sydney, including some exciting innovations which failed to arrive for the Melbourne show but are now landed and ready to go for VI.”

IN BRIEF

KODAK has reported its financial results for the third quarter 2022, including consolidated revenues of US$289m ($466m). Sonora Process Free Plates volume declined 10 per cent and Prosper inkjet annuities revenue declined 11 per cent. The company ended the third quarter with a cash balance of US$216m, a net decrease of US$146m from December 31, 2021. It attributes this decrease to increases in working capital, the impact of higher costs and increased capital investment.

FLINT GROUP will implement a global price increase as of January 1, 2023. Chief executive Steve Dryden, says, “Our primary purpose is to make sure our valued customers are supplied with the high quality products and services they expect from Flint Group. To achieve this, we must recover inflationary cost increases by building inventories of raw materials, sourcing alternate raw materials and investing in our workforce; we are continuing to underwrite the security of supply.”

Organisers expect plenty of interest for Visual Impact in Sydney

Durst signs on as Platinum Sponsor of People in Print Awards

Durst Oceania managing director, Matt Ashman, has signed on as Platinum sponsor of the New Zealand Printer People in Print Awards and Rising Star Awards, in association with PrintNZ.

Represented in New Zealand by Aarque, Durst has been the Platinum sponsor of the prestigious ProPrint Awards organised by NZP sister magazine, ProPrint across the Tasman for the last two years, and has renewed its sponsorship of the Awards for 2023.

Meanwhile, major industry suppliers, Currie Group and Starleaton have also signed on as sponsors of the 2023 People In Print Awards.

Currie Group and Starleaton join fellow sponsors Cyber, Konica Minolta and Wholesale Print who’ve signed up to date. Limited sponsorship opportunities are still available, and anyone interested should email brian@newzealandprinter.co.nz

Brian Moore, publisher at New Zealand Printer Magazine, says, “We are

Pienaar joins Packaging Hall of Fame

The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) has announced that its education director, Prof. Pierre Pienaar FAIP, CPP has been recognised by the US packaging and processing organisation PMMI with a Packaging and Processing Hall of Fame award.

Since 1971, the Packaging & Processing

Rowan shares his passion project

Print industry identity, columnist and avid runner Mick Rowan is putting his IAM merino wool active wear products through their paces as he competes in events across the lucky country.

He says, “I’ve always been passionate about Australian manufacturing. So, I combined this with my passion for running and launched ‘It’s Australian Manufactured’ (IAM) to produce the best possible products using local suppliers and staff.

excited to welcome Durst Oceania on board as Platinum sponsor for the People in Print Awards and Rising Star Awards.

“The event will take place at Sorrento in the Park, Auckland on the evening of Thursday, March 9, 2023, and photographs from the night as well as biographies of all awardees will be published in the April issue of New Zealand Printer magazine.”

New Zealand Printer magazine is running the awards in conjunction with PrintNZ. Ruth Cobb, chief executive at PrintNZ, says, “Once again, we are pleased to support the People In Print Awards and Rising Star Awards.

“Recognising members of our industry that have contributed during the previous year gives us a welcome chance to

appreciate those who go above and beyond.

“We look forward to celebrating their achievements as we take the time to acknowledge them in Auckland on March 9.”

Nominations have opened for the awards and should be directed to editor, Bruce Craig, on 021 631 559 or email bruce@newzealandprinter.co.nz

As in previous years, readers, be they printers or suppliers, can nominate someone in the industry for achieving excellence over the past 12 months (calendar 2022), in any number of areas.

This might include their work in a particular field of the industry, such as prepress, offset, digital, finishing, packaging, signage, design and so on.

It could also be about their service to and work for the community or perhaps their contribution to sustainability and the environment.

Bruce Craig, editor of New Zealand Printer magazine, says, “We welcome nominations from across the industry; from those in management and at the coalface.

“This is the time to celebrate the often unsung heroes of our industry, from the shop floor to the front office and beyond.”

Readers interested in attending the awards night in Auckland on March 9 should email brian@newzealandprinter.co.nz

Pienaar says, “It is humbling. But this is also a proud moment to be honoured by one’s international peers. What I value most from this accolade is that it gives me more opportunities to persuade the global packaging industry that we must become more sustainable, as there is no Plan B.

Hall of Fame recognises career packaging and processing professionals for their significant contributions to the industry and education.

“Whatever packaging course you follow, packaging education is where our future lies. The more that become knowledgeable in packaging, will produce better decisions in packaging technology, which leads to more innovation and better quality of life, through better packaging for more people around the world.”

thousands of kilometres to realise what it was. The natural world was perfect, and we couldn’t improve it if we tried. But we missed a time when things were made here, using local produce and local staff.

“Sacha, my running and now business partner, and I knew we were blessed to live in a paradise like Burleigh Heads, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Yet, something was missing, and it took

“So, we created a business dedicated to providing high-quality Aussie products designed, sourced, and manufactured right here, the way they used to be. Now we use locally sourced natural fabrics and the exceptional talent we have here. Our dream is to see people becoming more active and healthy while enjoying their natural environment as they become fitter, stronger and more engaged. IAM is a passion project, and we believe it’s a win-win proposition for all involved.”

Matt Ashman, managing director of People in Print Awards Platinum Sponsor Durst Oceania

Prof. Pierre Pienaar FAIP, CPP

Still running: Mick Rowan wants to share his passion for fitness

in association with Presents the 2023

Generously Sponsored By PLATINUM

The Event

Awards will be presented at Sorrento in the Park, One Tree Hill Domain, Royal Oak, Auckland, on the evening of Thursday, March 9 2023. Email brian@newzealandprinter.co.nz for your invitation to attend

Post-Event

Photos from the Awards event as well as photos and bios of all Awardees will be published in a special April edition of New Zealand Printer

Nominations

Nominations are now open for both Awards and should be sent to bruce@newzealandprinter.co.nz by Tuesday, January 31 2023

Sponsorship

To join the prestigious line-up of Sponsors, please reach out to brian@newzealandprinter.co.nz

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSOR

Print industry optimism lifts mood for businesses

Despite another evolving year of significant impacts, including the ongoing effects of the global pandemic and new, emerging factors, the New Zealand print sector ends 2022 expressing a general sense of positivity.

Ruth Cobb, chief executive PrintNZ,

says the country, and indeed the world, breaking free from some of the more constrictive aspects of Covid-19 has provided a huge uplift in the mood of the general public as well as the business sector.

She says, “Even with the Delta variant then being followed by Omicron, the government gradually eased border restrictions in the earlier part of the year.

“By September the Covid-19 Protection Framework ‘traffic lights’ ended and most pandemic management rules were removed. No longer having to endure lockdowns and being able to move freely without the need to distance from others or

even wear masks has improved all aspects of everyday life, flowing into business.

“Nonetheless, we face the ongoing challenge of staff shortages and now the new reality of rapidly-rising inflation.

“The global supply chain, upon which New Zealand’s economy is so dependent, remains in somewhat of a state of flux, exacerbated by such geopolitical events as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

Cobb makes the observation that the New Zealand print industry has also seen degrees of consolidation and in some sectors contraction over the course of the year. She says, “This again creates

As it breaks out of the pandemic’s shackles, printing embraces a positive outlook

IAIN MACINTYRE

Pride In Print Supreme Award Winners: Logick Print’s Dave and Jan Gick with Penny Savidan and Paula Vasquez from B&F Papers

uncertainty in regard to both retaining work and staff.

“Such events reinforce the need for New Zealand printers to both maintain the highest standards and also continue to demonstrate the value that print delivers.

“However, despite the somewhat fluid landscape, our members largely seem to be confident and busy as we head into the Festive Season.”

A return to direct contact

The PrintNZ team and members alike fully embraced the opportunity to return to person-to-person contact.

Ruth says, “It has been great to once again visit our members in their workplaces and

have the opportunity to re-engage with them in person and discuss the issues they are facing. This has been vital to ensuring that we continue to focus our work where it is required and to target the assistance we provide.”

As a prime example, she explains how the association worked closely with a member company to source and distribute 25,000 rapid antigen tests (RATs) to the industry in the first quarter of the year.

She says, “As the new variants of Covid-19 made their way onto our shores, contributing to significant business disruption due to illness and the need for isolation, the RATs were vital to streamlining workplaces and making sure staff still coming to work were safe to do so.”

Reasons for celebration

With pandemic-management restrictions easing “in the nick of time”, the return to in-person celebration of the industry’s best, both in products and people, received an enthusiastic welcome from industry members.

Notable winners this year included:

• BJ Ball Papers Print Industry Apprentice of the Year – Kosema Fuiono (Blue Star Collard)

• Trainer of the Year – Mandy Nilsson (Blue Star Constellation)

• Training Company of the Year – PSI Brands

• Pride In Print Supreme Award

– Logick Print

Winner

She says, “Judges were again spoiled for choice and all winners were outstanding examples of just what can be achieved if you focus on getting the job done with dedication and quality.

“The 2022 Pride In Print Awards evening, at which the PrintNZ Training Awards were also presented, proved a successful event at the brand new Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. An audience of 400 people saw 161 Gold Medals and 87 Highly Commendeds awarded.

“The opportunity for the wider industry to attend these events and honour the amazing people and work that are our industry produces was a real highlight and a step back into that feeling of normality. These events always make me feel so proud to be a part of this industry.”

New initiatives

Following its unveiling last year, 2022 marked the first full year of the Printed In New Zealand campaign and logo.

“This initiative, which also served as the theme for this year’s Pride In Print Awards, was launched as part of a drive to keep production local and support New Zealand businesses.

“Aiming to further encourage our members to take great pride in the work they produce and to broadcast this fact to print buyers and consumers alike, the campaign is gaining traction and we look forward to it going from strength to strength.”

Regionalised logos, such as ‘Printed in Hawke’s Bay’, are now also being produced to further localise the message.

In another key initiative, Women in Print, returned after a three-year absence due to the pandemic. She says, “We hosted two events in the latter part of the year, one in Auckland and the other in Christchurch,

Kosema Fuiono, from Blue Star Collard, BJ Ball Papers Print Industry Apprentice of the Year

Trainer of the Year Mandy Nilsson, from Blue Star Constellation

and both sold out. They were fantastic evenings to network and celebrate.

“We had an incredible response from both our sponsors and attendees, and presenter Kerre Woodham was extremely entertaining.

“While this event remained solely the domain of women this year, we will be looking to run open events next year under the ‘People In Print’ banner to include even more of the industry.”

Lobbying

The government was noted to have passed or otherwise advanced legislation at a prolific rate this year. Ruth says, “This is something we have seen before in the middle year in an election cycle and it felt like we were in the midst of somewhat of a legislative landslide.

“As a great volume of this pending legislation will have direct impact on our members, we drew upon all resources in an extensive campaign of research, discussion and presentation to effectively lobby our industry’s positions.

“PrintNZ also collaborates with a number of other groups to ensure that a broad perspective is taken and that our submissions contain the views of the wider industry.”

This year’s list of passed legislation with direct relevance to the print industry included:

• Holidays (Bereavement Leave for Miscarriage) Amendment

• Holidays (Increasing Sick Leave) Amendment

• Matariki Act

• Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistle blowers) Act 2022

• Incorporated Societies Act 2022

• Fair Trading Amendment Act 2021

• Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day

• Fair Pay Agreements

Additionally, the following items are presently undergoing consultation and will potentially result in new legislation in 2023:

• Advanced Manufacturing Industry Transformation Plan

• Emissions Reduction Plan

• Transforming Recycling

• Skilled Migrant Category

• Holidays Act

• Contract Workers

• Skill Standards

• National Careers Strategy

• Modern Slavery and Worker Exploitation

• New Zealand Income Insurance Scheme

• New Zealand Freight and Supply Chain Issues

• WorkSafe – pending new regulations around plant, mobile plant, design, manufacture, supply, import and installation of plant or structures, high risk plant, working at heights and scaffolding, excavation work and upstream businesses

Member communications

Complementing the return of site visits, PrintNZ continued its other regular channels of communications with

members. This included the monthly ‘Helping Hand’ articles in New Zealand Printer Magazine, articles in other trade magazines, E-notices and a plethora of posts on social media.

Ruth says, “We continue to communicate with our members across as many platforms as possible to ensure that we are able to reach everyone.

“In addition, we remain committed to the Value of Paper and Print, Two Sides and Love Paper campaigns to provide collateral for members to use to promote the effectiveness and sustainability of print.”

Goodbye 2022, welcome 2023

Cobb emphasises that the PrintNZ team has again enjoyed working with members for the betterment of both their businesses and the sector overall during 2022.

She says, “It is a pleasure to be welcomed inside our member company teams and we thank them for their ongoing support of our work. We remain committed to adapting to whatever comes our way and providing our members with the best possible service and support.”

The resilience that the industry continually demonstrates forever impresses her and the PrintNZ team. She adds, “The resourcefulness our members demonstrate in navigating the complex challenges they continuously encounter, to not only just keep going but to adapt and reinvent to positively succeed, is always inspirational.”

From left: Linden Horverd, PrintNZ membership co-ordinator; Niue Vaimoli, PSI Brand apprentice; Jim Crawshaw general manager PSI BrandTraining Company of the Year – PSI Brands

2022 – The Year of the RAT (kit)

sell-out crowds. The networking that went on was phenomenal and Kerre Woodham did not disappoint.

• The changes to vocational education have continued and PrintNZ has ensured worked extensively with both of the new organisations created that are now responsible for industry training.

• Our Print Finishing, Print and Pad Printing qualifications have all been reviewed and updated. In addition, we have identified opportunities to develop micro-credentials that will allow bite size pieces of learning in specific areas and these will be developed in 2023.

• We have commenced a collaboration with the New Zealand Sign & Display Association which will see more joint venture events and projects. Our industries have a natural alignment and this is a chance to maximise these synergies and enhance the benefits we are able to provide our members.

as PrintNZ distributed almost 25,000 kits to the industry so that workplaces and households could continue to function and feel safe. The office was awash with boxes and we became masters at boxing, taping, labelling and despatch.

We started 2022 in a wave of Covid and at the moment, it looks like it is going to end in exactly the same way. But the major difference is we are not as constrained by this as we were 12 months ago.

It is hard to believe that this time last year, Aucklanders were unable to leave town, Christmas events were small and we were barely travelling. So much has changed and while it has not all been plain sailing, there is still reason to celebrate, knowing that this Christmas, whether you stay home or go on an adventure, it will be your choice, not someone else’s.

While 2022 has felt a little more ‘normal’, when you look back, there has been a mix of both ordinary and extraordinary events that have occurred that add up to another year we won’t forget. A few of the highlights for PrintNZ are:

• The start of the year was lost in a sea of Rapid Antigen testing (RAT) kits

• Twenty-two new organisations joined PrintNZ, which is testament to the work that PrintNZ does and the level of change that is happening that businesses are required to keep on top of.

• We held our Auckland training graduation in March where we recognised our 2021 graduates in front of their family, friends and colleagues. Our Top 5 Apprentice of the Year candidates and Trainer and Training Company of the Year were announced.

• In June, the Pride In Print Awards were held at the brand new Christchurch Te Pae Convention Centre with 400 in attendance. Logick Print won the Supreme Award for a record breaking fourth time and 160 gold medals were awarded.

• Kosemo Fuiono from Blue Star Collard was named Apprentice of the Year. Mandy Nilsson, Blue Star Constellation, was named Trainer of the Year and PSI Branding was named Training Company of the Year.

• We held two very successful Women In Print & Sign events in November to

• While a lot of the work we do takes place directly with our members, there is also a lot more we do behind the scenes, in particular lobbying government to ensure that we have a strong collective voice and that print is recognised for the role it plays in both the economy and the community, particularly during these unique times. There has been a landslide of legislation and consultation documents issued that have required substantial input to put forward the views of our members and potential impacts for our industry.

It has once again been a privilege to lead the organisation and the amazing PrintNZ team. While we head into 2023 facing inflation at a 32 year high, shipping and supply disruptions, labour shortages, the loss of some major companies from our industry and a pending election, know that PrintNZ is here working hard in the foreground and the background to represent the industry.

I want to acknowledge and thank our PrintNZ members for their support of our organisation that allows us to do the work that we do, those who sponsor our events and the Board for their continued support. You are the people and businesses that ensure there is an industry association when you need one.

Have a safe and happy holiday season, Meri Kirihimete

This year saw a mix of ordinary and extraordinary events

RUTH COBB

Testing times: PrintNZ distributed almost 25,000 rapid antigen testing kits to the industry

Cyber and RMGT introduce new products to the market

Cyber and RMGT are on a growth trajectory as the companies have launched new products over the last six months, following a series of global events. These products have spurred a lot of interest in the market, resulting in greater sales.

The companies took to Indoprint 2022 in Jakarta, Indonesia in September and supported a series of Open Houses in Japan and Malaysia to show their latest kits, which garnered plenty of attention from attendees.

At the Cyber Open House in Malaysia, Cyber launched the new RMGT 970 series, which is an A1-plus size multicolour offset press, and showcased a number of other RMGT presses and Horizon machines.

With the offset market seeing rising global demands for presses offering greater productivity and cost performance, RMGT produced this machine as it saw a trend towards enhancing production capacity by enabling offset presses to handle a wide range of paper sizes.

The press now has new features that aim to help print service providers improve business. Some of these features include advanced automation and labour-saving mechanisms to assist the operator, short make-ready times to ensure high productivity and instant drying perfection for quick turnarounds.

It also features improved printing stability from thin to heavy stock and varnish coating and special printing for higher added value.

The 970 model is based on a blend of R&D emanating from the 920 series and its 1050 series presses. The range offers versatility, durability, and advanced automation, according to Cyber A/NZ managing director Bernard Cheong, who added that the range will further improve profitability of users.

“RMGT has been combining the two founding companies’ strengths of energysaving designs that incorporate new ideas with high-precision manufacturing technology and highly durable construction for long-term use,” he said.

“The new RMGT 970 has many advanced features based on the 920/940 presses, known for their superior quality and productivity. The new 970 model incorporates the latest technologies in addition to many features found on the flagship RMGT 10 series.

“In the face of rising paper and printing supply costs, the RMGT 970 is perfectly positioned to meet the needs of the times by handling the most popular A1-plus paper sizes used around the world.”

The machine is built for a maximum of 650mm by 965mm sheet size. The series can handle a comprehensive range of

print jobs, such as multi-page materials, displays and packaging.

Cheong said the 650mm by 910mm model is a popular format in Australasia, giving print service providers the ability to generate output without the need to trim. It also has a benderless plate clamp, feeder and delivery operation touch panel, along with other automation features.

“Users are moving to the SRA1 format to stay lean and profitable. The SRA1 format can do both shorter runs and long runs at the volume end of the market, so it’s a very versatile solution,” Cheong said.

Cyber also launched the new RMGT 970 ST5 CC SLD press at its Malaysia Open house. The machine is a five-colour printing machine with LED UV plus coater.

It aims to provide high-value printing such as chemical embossing and metallised paper printing.

Installations in Australia

Meanwhile, the RMGT 970PF-8 LED with PQS-D and Smart Assist Printing, which was scheduled to arrive in Australia in the third quarter of 2022, has been installed at CMYKhub’s Brisbane production centre, with Cheong saying that the machine has yielded many benefits for the business.

The RMGT 970PF-8 LED with PQS-D and Smart Assist Printing isn’t the only recent

The RMGT 970ST-6 with coater for packaging printers

Cyber and RMGT have had a busy six months with the launch of a range of new products at a series of global events

local installation by Cyber Australia. It has also installed the 920ST-5, the 750PF-8 + coater LED, and 790PF-4 machines from RMGT in the last six months.

A company that has been a customer of Cyber A/NZ for more than 16 years is Spot Productions. The company has purchased a range of machinery from Cyber Australia over the years, including seven RMGT presses that includes the first 920PF-10 LED installed in the A/NZ region about three years ago. It has also purchased from Cyber several folders, die cutters and finishing gear.

In the last six months, Spot Productions added to its fleet the RMGT 750PF-8 + coater LED, as well as the RMGT 790PF-4 machine, dramatically expanding the company.

Spot Productions managing director Simon Carmody said, “When we decided to expand the business 16 years ago, we had a wish list of machinery that we required to take our business to the next level. We sought expressions of interest from the major machine manufacturers and Cyber came to us with the best deal, the best options and the most support.

“When we installed the 920PF-10 LED, we needed speed to market, quality and automation. With the ease of printing with LED UV, we were able to create applications in just one pass, with no spray powder. We could use the machine to print on a variety of substrates and it made the printing process so much easier and certainly a lot quicker.

“We also recently added on the RMGT 750PF-8 + coater LED and the RMGT 790PF-4 to our portfolio. With this investment, we have three printing presses side by side, which bolsters our growth plans. Having three presses beside each other and printing two sides at once was a major goal in Spot’s expansion plans, which we have now achieved.

“With the changing landscape in the print industry, there are plenty of opportunities for us to do more. I invested in a 3,500 square metre shed to cater for our growth, which we’ve just about moved into now. I also bought the adjacent one to it, which has a space of 3,000 square metres, which I’ll expand into as well at some point.

“As a business, today, we’re 50 per cent to where we want to be. And Cyber has been a supporter of ours over the years – and continues to be as we grow – and that’s the reason we’ve stayed loyal to them as well.”

Growth, with an eye on the region

Cheong said 2022 has been a busy time for the business in A/NZ. According to

Cheong, Cyber and RMGT have aligned their goals for the region, to offer their collective customers nothing short of quality when it comes to printing.

“These solutions feature labour saving automation, quality control features, and IoT capabilities which are increasingly becoming important for offset in a digitised world,” Cheong said.

“The machines are designed to bring out the best in their operator, in turn, making the company profitable. The early adopters of these technologies have been reaping the rewards and will continue to grow their businesses. It is a no brainer in choosing offset technology.

“We aim to have an industry where customers are prosperous, relaxed and

invigorated to work by using Cyber’s machinery. RMGT’s corporate message of Irodori, which means colouring the world together, reflects our desire to establish a relationship of trust with our customers and everyone in the printing industry.

“RMGT offers the global market a widerange of printing equipment and services based on unique and original technologies to create this Irodori society.”

Cyber has also got an eye on infiltrating the Southeast Asian region. Indoprint 2022 was one of the global events that Cyber exhibited at in recent times.

Cheong said the company is increasing its efforts in Indonesia as based on the statistical development of the country’s economy. Data shows that in 2050, it

The RMGT 970PF-8 with PQS-D and SAP installed in Australia

The Cyber team at the launch of the RMGT 970 series

The crowds in Cyber’s showroom in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

will be the fourth largest economy in the world just after China, India and America.

“The printers in Indonesia do not focus on export, but the country has a very big domestic demand. That’s why all eyes are on Indonesia now,” he said.

“Moreover, more than 50 per cent of the Indonesian population is under the age of 30 – this is the strength of the domestic economy. Indonesia has skilled workers in many fields, and there are high export opportunities and the vast availability of natural resources.

“The printing industry in Indonesia will get extraordinary opportunities and we must prepare ourselves to be more competitive in the market.”

The Vietnam market, on the other hand, is seeing lots of foreign investments, even from China according to Cheong. As such, the company is also increasing its efforts in this country.

Cyber Vietnam recently installed its first RMGT 1060ST-5 in Vietnam at the end of September. The 1060 is the latest model to be launched in the country.

During the pandemic, Cyber also installed several RMGT presses in Vietnam, including: the 1050ST-6, two machines of the 1050ST-5 and the 920ST-6+C.

An Open House in Tokyo

A key focus for Cyber and RMGT is sustainability. In disseminating the message of its benefits to customers, Cyber supported RMGT’s Open House, named Eco-print 2022, which took place at the RMGT Tokyo showroom for two days in July.

“Under the theme of discovering the new businesses with the latest eco-friendly printing, we collaborated with many printing material suppliers to introduce applications for eco-friendly printing

materials, such as paper, inks, as well as know-how on eco-friendly printing,” Cheong said.

At the event, paper suppliers and RMGT presented a session about sustainable development goals (SDGs) supported by the companies. On the other hand, the RMGT 970ST-5+CC+LED-UV was demonstrated by using biomass ink and eco-friendly paper, proposing environmental load reduction printing by LED-UV.

The RMGT 1050ST-5+LED-UV was also demonstrated with waterless LED-UV for ink reduction and environmental printing by UV and concentric screening.

“Concentric screening is a multi-tone screening process that involves mixing with halftone dots which are divided to suppress ink coverage on halftone dots and reduce ink consumption by five per cent to 25 per cent,” Cheong said.

“The demonstrated biomass inks, ecofriendly paper, and LED-UV showed customers how to achieve prints with reduced environmental impacts using the RMGT 970ST-5+CC+LED-UV.

“In this process, the eco-friendly paper was made from non-edible rice, where about three to five per cent of rice was used in the make of the paper. And to get the texture of rice paper, double-sided instant-dry printing with a straight mode was used on the LED-UV feature of the 970PF-8 machine.

“RMGT also showed off the specific features of the 970 series, highlighting reduced costs such as a 30 per cent reduction in installation space compared to the B1 sized machine, and a 34 per cent saving in its power consumption.”

Waterless printing using specific ecological conscious materials, such as waterless UV ink with waterless plate

and concentric screening with halftone dots was demonstrated.

“It was a successful event and a very useful opportunity for all related suppliers to talk about their sustainability initiatives. Approximately 50 visitors participated in the event and learnt something from each other,” Cheong added.

Productive flexibility shown off at Hiroshima

Cyber also supported another of RMGT’s Open Houses in August – this one was at RMGT’s HQ showroom in Hiroshima.

“For two days, RMGT held an Open House event for the B1 sized RMGT 1060LX model. This latest printing machine incorporates various new technologies and functions to reduce printing make-ready time, as well as improve productivity, print quality control with PQS-D (I+C+R), and operability,” Cheong said.

“The press is thin and thick paper printing compatible, and was introduced through a technical explanation and printing demonstration.

“We also showed the operational demo of the automatic guided vehicle (AGV) named Nipper that saves labour between the material transporting processes and showed how the sheet pallet is automatically transferred to the next post-press process after printing.

“In addition to having the customer directly review the printing machine, we deepened their knowledge through the exchange of opinions with RMGT technical staff who also addressed any challenges that they raised.

“All of these events show the direction that RMGT and Cyber are taking. The new machines that we have introduced are tailored to the needs of today and tomorrow, and we will continue to provide the market with premium products and exceptional service.”

Spot Productions’ Simon Carmody and Cyber A/NZ’s Bernard Cheong

Spot Productions’ Simon Carmody with the RMGT presses at his premises

Why?

No odor

No spray powder

No set-off

No loss time

• Instant dry

• Instant ON/OFF irradiation

No VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)

No Ozone

No large peripheral equipment

No need for overprint varnishing

Reduce electrical consumption

• Up to 91%

Reduce CO2 emission

Reduce heat generation

Long life span

• Up to 15 times

Printing on film and cardboard Just like your conventional offset press ...without the cons.

sales@cyber1976.com

970PF-8 LED with PQS-D and SAP

A1-Plus Size 8-Colour O set Press LED-UV, Perfecting Device with Printing Quality Control system and Smart Assist Printing functions

NEW 970PF-8 LED with PQS-D and sap

Once again, CMYKhub has led the industry by purchasing the first 970PF-8 LED with PQS-D Printing Quality Control system and SAP Smart Assist Printing functions, featuring the award winning Ryobi LED-UV printing system. The LED-UV revolution in print was unquestionably led by Ryobi since Drupa 2008.

With a proven track record, this will be the group’s 15th press and their 6th 8-colour convertible perfector.

Gaining a reputation as a 100% trade only printer who is constantly evolving and setting new standards, CMYKhub strives to empower their resellers, providing them access to the latest technologies.

New Zealan d : Unit 22, Ground Floor, 6 Ken Browne Drive, Te Rapa, Hamilton 3200, New Zealand Tel: (64) 7 949 7722

Sydney : 38 V ictoria Street, Beaconsfield, NSW 2015 Australia Tel: (61) 2 9318 0099 Fax: (61) 2 9318 0399

Singapo re - Tel: (65) 6272 8936

- Paul Hilleard (64) 21 191 6548 New Zealan d

Sydne y Brisban e Pert h

- Rob Crough (61) 423 337 788

Melbourne - Greg Knight (61) 411 338 855

- Peter Erskine (61) 432 663 322

- Alan Strugnell (61) 418 955 512

Indonesi a - Tel: (62) 21 2555 8924

www.cyber1976.com

www.cyber1976.com

Thailand   - Tel: (66) 2 682 3411-4

Malaysi a - Tel: (60) 3 7955 1668 (Kuala Lumpur) Tel: (60) 7 598 0771/2 (Senai, Johor)

Vietna m - Tel: (84) 9 0938 9468

SINCE 2008

Precise Print doubles down on the AccurioPress C4070

seamless. We already had a comprehensive array of finishing equipment so, with the AccurioPress C4070, we just opted for the stitcher. Because the AccurioPress is modular, we know that we can add a number of options to the machine if and when they are required. We will know if we feel those kinds of pressure points. Right now our workflow is in the right shape with no bottlenecks.”

Sean and his wife Joanne started Precise Print in 1989. He says, “We still run our offset machines, but we find the quality of the AccurioPress C4070 at least equal to offset.

“Precise Print are A3 commercial printers. With the AccurioPress C4070s, we produce everything, from humble business cards to some reasonably large publications of booklets and magazines on the AccurioPress C4070s. It is now feasible to look at longer digital runs with the click rates a lot more economical than previously.

The company employs eight staff members. He says, “Since we began, the printing business model has evolved but after 30 years, we are always tweaking and adjusting and that is an ongoing process.

Recently, the team at Precise Print found out what’s better than running a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C4070. According to company co-founder Sean Donnelly, it’s running two AccurioPress C4070s.

He says, “The first AccurioPress C4070 was so good that we had to buy another one. We are absolutely rapt with the performance of these machines.

“The print quality we get from them is so superior compared to our two old digital presses, which in the end, weren’t fulfilling our needs. The AccurioPress C4070 results are really next level. They have placed us where we need to be in terms of digital printing. There is no blurriness and spot colours are almost perfect; they don’t have that grainy look. We have also increased productivity.

“Two reasons for that increased productivity: the AccurioPress C4070s

never jam, and they don’t break down. They just go and go and go. Having a machine that jams on a regular basis places an enormous amount of stress on your operator.

“Our AccurioPress C4070s are jobbing presses that deliver a really quick turnaround and that is vital for modern printing. They offer a number of advantages. For example, when we move from paper to board printing, we don’t have the waiting time while the fusers reach the right temperature. They do long sheet printing of up to 1300mm (simplex), 864mm (duplex), and the duplexing is also very good.

“The improvement in quality means we can deliver our customers a far superior product and service.

“Konica Minolta provides great service and support. The whole process around installation, service and support has been

Sean and Joanne’s son Jesse owns a sign making business, Graphic Garage which is located in the same street. Sean says, “It’s great that we can offer our mutual customers pretty much a one stop shop for their design, printing and signage requirements.

“I actually believe the industry now is in a much better place than it was a decade ago. Things have levelled off in the last six years and the market is stable. Sure, it is not as big as it used to be and turnover used to be higher but with the number of players in the market, cost cutting between competitors was rife. The opportunity to make a fair margin now exists and overall, the industry is reasonably healthy for those that survived. For us on the Kapiti Coast, long may it continue.

Outside of printing, Sean keeps busy riding and racing classic motorbikes. He has no intention of retiring any time soon. He says, “I would miss it to be honest. I like what I do and if you have been doing it all your life, why not keep doing it.”

Konica Minolta AccurioPress speeds production at Kapiti Coast printer

Productivity: Sean Donnelly (l), co-owner of Precise Print and Adam Hawkes, production print specialist Konica Minolta with the AccurioPress C4070

Speed: Sean Donnelly in action at Whanganui’s Cemetery Circuit

RETHINK VERSATILITY

Is there anything better than good old-fashioned service?

Industrial (Indigo and PWP), Australia and New Zealand.

Zaidee Jackson’s role sees her supporting and partnering with a diverse range of customers, from printers, and converters, to government, council, and industry bodies, supporting the pathways around sustainable outcomes.

Zaidee has been instrumental in creating the online platform ecoporium by Ball & Doggett. This network can influence, inspire, and educate customers, empowering them to make informed decisions and connect directly with specialists.

I asked Zaidee what she’s learned from being in her position that people should know. “At the core of what we, as an industry, need to reconcile is that we must collectively be on a pathway with sustainable impact at heart. We need to start being purpose-led and open to being educated about sustainability, and we need an understanding of why it’s simply good business”.

are my measures of success. Seeing customers with beaming smiles kicking goals, it’s infectious. Farming win/ win relationships built on respect and credibility leads to success.”

Lastly, I spoke with Craig Walmsley about why he loved his role at HP, “I am constantly learning and often amazed at what is being produced from sites with incredible workflows, finishing, and new applications; every site is unique.

“We are all in this together, our industry is a tight-knit community, and the more we share and collaborate, the better we will all be together.”

The responses genuinely warmed my heart, and I knew the future would be bright with leaders like this. So, I finished by asking all three one final question; If you could change anything about your industry, what would it be?

We’ve all unwittingly accepted a role at the checkout of our local supermarket, so the chance of a chat when checking out your groceries is no more. And if you don’t like this new job (that you didn’t apply for!) and feel obliged to speak out, you’ll have to hold your tongue because there’s no one to listen to your complaint. Of course, you can make a call listen to the Ai prompts, and, if you’re lucky, talk to a foreign help desk because local support or, heaven forbid, someone to talk to in person is a thing of the past.

I must be honest; I don’t believe there’s anything better than good old-fashioned service offered with a smile and a reassuring word. We’re lucky our industry still has more than its share of exceptionally talented suppliers happy to lend a hand. So, I asked a couple about their journey.

I decided on three people recently recognised in the 2022 ProPrint Awards Supplier 50 category: Zaidee Jackson, national business development for anager Sustainable Packaging at Ball & Doggett; Anthony Jackson, national sales manager ANZ for Commercial HP Indigo; and Craig Walmsley, country manager for HP

She then explained how she defined success in her field: “Creating opportunity for those around you to see value in themselves, ultimately creating space for all voices to be heard.”

With leaders like Zaidee, the next generation is in good hands.

Next, I spoke with industry stalwart Anthony Jackson, or AJ, as he’s affectionately known. HP Indigo technology was AJ’s nemesis throughout his sales career at Fuji Xerox and KM. When I asked him about his current position, he quipped, in true AJ style, “It was time to learn, appreciate and respect why ‘drinking the ElectroInk’ was the path forward.”

When I asked him what he liked most about his job, his response encapsulated why he’s such a good supplier, “Working with an energetic and talented team at Currie Group is one aspect. But the biggest kick is watching customers succeed with our implemented solution and building relationships with their sales and production teams – being a part of their journey.

“It’s all about our customer’s growth, sustainability, and happiness. These

Craig led off with, “We need to constantly develop and nurture new entrants into our industry, which may be school leavers or experienced people looking for a career change. I believe we can do more to attract more talent into our industry.”

Next was AJ: “Making it more attractive for Generation Z or any generation of people wanting to pursue a career in our amazing and creative industry”.

And lastly, Zaidee, “Impactful programmes at internship and apprenticeship levels for young individuals to feel drawn to the industry. To feel connected so they can take the baton and lead through passion and sustain this industry that has provided so much to so many.”

I couldn’t agree more with the final responses. If we work together to make our industry an attractive option, we’ll draw in new talent, new ideas and a different perspective. We need to encourage the younger generation to join us in this industry so that they can help shape it into something even better than it is now.

Mick has spent the past decade building printIQ into one of the most recognised software brands in the printing industry, and with over four decades of experience, Mick truly has ink in his veins.

We can shape a better industry by working together.

MICK ROWAN

Our industry

has more than its share of exceptionally talented suppliers happy to lend a hand

CONSUMABLES

Keeping product ranges relevant

There are many niche markets in the printing industries, so understanding what our customers are doing and what specific products they need is key.

We also need to work hard on keeping our product ranges relevant and understanding what our customers require, while maintaining strong customer relationships.

Currie Group has noticed a growing trend within the consumables space for UV Low Migration inks for food packaging. As such, it has introduced a new T & K Toka UV161 UT product. Not only does it excel in adhesive property but also in drying property and solvent resistance.

2022 has been yet another challenging year for consumables. It is still seeing the effects of COVID, but this time around, international freight has been heavily impacted from a cost and supply perspective.

Product costs have also continued rising over the past two years due to transport, raw materials and supplier increases which has proved challenging for distributors, suppliers and customers.

However, in saying that, there will always be a need for consumables within the offset market. So, Currie Group supplies the products that work for our customers from a quality and price perspective.

We have been consistently working for months behind scenes to ensure that we have sufficient products in stock to supply our customers.

We are always working to get the best fit for our customers’ needs and this means that we have had to continually push our suppliers to continue R&D to improve the products that we offer as it needs to specifically work for our customers’ requirements.

In the last 12 months, Currie Group has been providing a variety of conventional, UV, LED inks and a full array of consumables into the lithographic printing market for both conventional and UV users. We are always looking to supply the products that work for its customer’s needs.

Currie Group supplies a full range of Sava Blankets, Hi Tech Coatings, Toyobo Plates, UV/LED Katsura Rollers, Tyre F Coating Blankets, Finito Packings, Pavan Super Packings and a full range of chemicals including Hurst chemicals, in addition to other products. It supplies almost anything that is used in an offset printing factory.

The offset market has been in decline for many years now, but the key is to investigate new markets.

The industry needs to continue to talk to its customers to see if there are any new requirements or where they see their businesses heading with machinery purchases or the creation of new jobs that have specific product needs.

Over the past few years, low energy requirements and products have increased as well, such as UV low migration inks. So, companies need to see where the trends lie and do more in those areas. It is all about keeping the products relevant and working to their optimum.

Currie Group is selling its UV161 UT Low Migration product to several customers in the packaging sector. The UV161 is a very versatile product for paper and a large variety of nonabsorbent stocks.

This ink, often used for non-absorbent substrates like PET, BOPP, treated aluminium-laminated paper, PVC films, synthetic paper, PE and PP films, as well as paper, is suitable for both films and paper. Further, it is widely used in printing of labels (stickers), food labels and packaging and in-mold labels.

Currie Group’s Sava Blankets, which offers dimensional stability, good resilience and impact resistance combined with a long working life and excellent print quality, and Hi-Tech coatings are also performing very well in the market.

However, not all inks and consumables are the same. At Currie Group, we look for quality products at competitive prices. Running quality products may incur a higher price when purchasing, however quality products are generally stronger and have better lithographic properties which equates to less waste and less downtime. While the initial dollar outlay is higher once you consider all the factors, the more expensive quality products can work out cheaper overall.

Currie Group has proven this with many of its products but the T & K Toka Best One Premium Process ink that users pay more for upfront costs them less in the end.

When it comes to consumables, it’s all about keeping the products relevant and working to their optimum

By Currie Group national

sales manager – ink,

Colin Edwards

In the last 12 months, Currie Group has been providing conventional, UV, LED inks and a full array of consumables into its lithographic printing market

Mastering skills motivates print apprentice

Career path opens with diverse work challenges

“not the highlight of my apprenticeship”, Levi credits the regular support of his Competenz training advisor to keep him focused and on track, especially through that tough period.

He says, “I have enjoyed the structure and timeframes laid out by Competenz in my apprenticeship, and with the aid of my training advisor Grant Alsop I’ve had both the resources and time needed to develop my knowledge.

“Through the Covid-19 period, the shared phone calls from Grant kept me focused when everything seemed to be doom and gloom.”

Levi Lindsey was as surprised as anyone when he found himself in the printing industry and he is loving it.

After leaving school, Levi felt motivated to find a promising career and moved from Hamilton to Auckland with an open mind. Nothing offered him the challenge he was looking for until he started work at Adhesif Labels in East Auckland.

He says, “I’ve always liked a challenge but found in most workplaces, it doesn’t take long to hit the ceiling and find you have learned most of what there is to know.”

Now he is undertaking an apprenticeship towards a New Zealand Certificate in Print – Reel-fed Printing (Level 4) qualification and feels confident he has found his career path.

Levi says the variety of work, processes and sheer knowledge required at Adhesif Labels, and the print industry in general, contributes significantly to enjoyment in his work. It was also a major factor in motivating him to undertake his apprenticeship. He explains, “The print industry is one with many paths to take and requires that you master a set of skills, so I quickly found myself drawn to starting an apprenticeship and learning all I could.”

Established in 1981, Adhesif Labels has developed into one of New Zealand’s leading specialist commercial printers. The company produces a range of selfadhesive labels for local and international companies, across many product sectors.

Currently, Adhesif Labels employs 97 staff members, which includes six apprentices in training. Russell Westray, production manager at Adhesif Labels, says Levi came on board in an introductory role but made an impression very early on, displaying a good attitude and work ethic. He progressed out of the post-press department, to prepress, then onto a role as a print assistant where he proved himself.

Russell recalls, “We identified that Levi would be an asset, on a technical level he is clever and quickly picked up knowledge and skills such as tool filing and ink mixing.

“Levi has also established himself as having one of the best quality records in the company, he doesn’t take shortcuts.”

Russell mentions the importance of on the job training and acknowledges the long-serving employees who openly share their knowledge to support the apprentice’s training programme. He takes pride in the company’s sharing culture and is seeing it continue through to the younger generation now with Levi’s ability to train others. He says, “Levi’s position as a printing apprentice began on the press, learning right from day one. Partnered with an experienced printer, Levi observed, and then performed basic operations of the printing press, before rotating day-on day-off printing and assisting his partner.”

A challenge Levi didn’t anticipate in the middle of his apprenticeship was the Covid-19 pandemic. With a young family, he was faced with challenges at home and work. Describing the bookwork as

Grant says he is impressed with Levi’s commitment to the apprenticeship. Like Russell, he acknowledges Levi’s eye for detail, which is important for the type of high-quality work that his company produces. Grant says, “Levi has been engaged right from day one presenting well-researched quality bookwork that provides good evidence showing the understanding of the work he does. We often have good discussions about the assignments he has completed which confirms his knowledge.”

As he moves closer to completing his qualification, Levi says he wants to keep furthering his abilities and knowledge in the printing industry. He is also keen to be involved in training new staff and apprentices, saying it’s something he both enjoys and gets personal satisfaction from. Levi’s advice to others thinking about embarking on an apprenticeship is not to wait, emphasising that you are never alone in the process.

He concludes., “With the help of Competenz and your employer, you will gain the practical skills and confidence to be the best you can be.”

Confident he has found his career path: Levi Lindsey at Adhesif Labels

Levi Lindsey picking up some tips from Russell Westray, production manager at Adhesif Labels

Big Brown turns 10 • CCG is on the move • Drytac releases Viziprint

New teardrop logo and new premises drive CCG into 2023

Industry supplier CCG has made some major changes to its logo and have announced a big move for 2023.

Directors Bryan Simpson and Mark Oudney purchased the business four years ago, and the new logo reflects their intention to keep moving it forward. Bryan says, “We have introduced the new CCG Glaze Drop Logo for potters and CCG Ink Drop Logo for the garment decorators.

“The highlights are that the icon has three parts to reflect our name and it has three parts to reflect the three parts of the business. In addition, it is a nod to the old logo and our New Zealand heritage.”

The company’s other big news is that it will move into a much bigger building in Albany early next year. Plans for the new building include a dedicated pottery retail

Latest Viziprint Impress film now available

Drytac has announced the global availability of its improved Viziprint Impress Clear UVL film.

Stark Digital supplies Drytac film in New Zealand.

Dave Raos, managing director at Stark Digital, says, “Viziprint Impress Clear UVL is an optically clear gloss PET printable film designed for troublefree installation of graphics onto glass and other smooth flat surfaces. It incorporates Drytac’s low tack hybrid adhesive technology. Drytac says this creates a strong bond in both high and low temperatures. Also, it does not leave residue behind when removed.”

Drytac has now incorporated a new thinner face film to make the media easier to work with. Compatible with UV and

Vanguard gains Color-Logic certification

Color-Logic has announced certification of the Vanguard VK300D-HS High

store; a dedicated garment decorators retail and demonstration area; and more customer parking away from trucks and couriers.

Bryan adds, “We will have more details about the new building in the new year. Meanwhile, we have added Brother direct to fabric and direct to garment printers, alongside our tried and trusted Epson range. Brother has been at the forefront

of DTG for 20 years, so it is great to have their printers, accessories and consumables available.

“We now have demo units of both the Brother and Epson Printers, as well as Viper pre-treatment machines and Vastex DTG dryers. This technology has come a long way and we look forward to discussing our end to end solutions with customers.”

Latex printing, ViziPrint Impress Clear UVL uses a mechanical bond to adhere images to surfaces. It can be repositioned and reapplied multiple times. Drytac says its adhesive technology eliminates bubbling and ensures the product is unaffected by moisture.

Drytac says ViziPrint Impress Clear UVL is PVC-free, 100 per cent recyclable and resistant to wear, tear and water. Applications include prints for indoor and outdoor use, including graphics for window advertisements and screen displays, as well as stickers on whitegoods.

Amanda Lowe, global marketing director at Drytac, says, “We are delighted to be offering ViziPrint Impress Clear UVL to our customers around the world. This is one of our most flexible film products as it allows users to take on all sorts of work.

“Add in the fact that the film can be easily removed without leaving any residue, and ViziPrint Impress Clear UVL is the ideal solution for use in all manner of creative applications.”

Production Flatbed LED UV Printer.

Discussing the certification, Mark Greeves, Color-Logic director of sales and marketing, says, “Vanguard flatbed printers have been honoured in each of the last six years at industry exhibitions, as Product of the Year at SGIA shows, and subsequently as Pinnacle Products at Printing United shows. The availability of white ink on the Vanguard VK300D-

HS makes it ideal for producing metallic prints in volume, and the recent collaboration of Vanguard and Durst bring quality production flatbed printing to a community accustomed to only the finest output quality.

“Color-Logic is pleased to certify and partner with one of the leading production flatbed printing equipment suppliers.”

Bryan Simpson, director at CCG, is looking forward to moving the company to a larger building

Drytac says its ViziPrint Impress Clear UVL is PVC-free and 100 per cent recyclable

Currie Group and EFI open the door to soft signage

keeps it running at production level speeds, with outdoor print mode up to 480 square metres per hour; production mode up to 248 square metres per hour; and high quality backlit print mode up to 166 square metres per hour.

Achieving exceptional print quality, The VUTEk FabriVU 340i+ printer offers ultra-high resolution up to 2,400dpi and three level grayscale printing with 7pL, 12pL and 18pL drop sizes. And with the use of high resolution print heads, EFI has optimised the ink drops with no overlay for smooth transitions and crispness. EFI says the result is dramatic four-colour printing with a wide colour gamut, rich blacks and deep colour saturation for exceptional high quality, backlit fabric displays.

Globally and locally, soft signage markets continue to grow, providing new revenue streams and opportunities for print and signage companies.

Soft signage applications have increased dramatically over the past five years, driving a demand for dye-sublimation devices, which enable you to print on a much larger range of textiles. Soft signage offers reduced shipping costs because of the lighter weight, compared with vinyls, and their foldability, making them easier to transport.

Businesses looking to move into soft signage will find the transition smoother with the right partner and the right technology.

EFI offers a full range of advanced inkjet solutions. Launched in 2018, the EFI VUTEk FabriVU Plus series is a proven soft signage platform with some 300 installations worldwide, ranging from the 1.8 metre FabriVU 180 through to the 5.2 metre FabriVU 520, with the 340i+ proving the most popular.

Currie Group supplies EFI solutions to the Australian and New Zealand markets and, when it comes to soft signage capabilities, the EFI VUTEk FabriVU 340i+ dye-sublimation printer stands out, offering a wide application range,

impressive production speeds and high image quality.

This upgraded version of the EFI VUTEk FabriVU 340i+ offers numerous benefits. Firstly, it utilises inline fixation, which enables you to direct print to fabric and sublimate inline, in one step, for production runs that are immediately ready for finishing and shipping. Another innovation is its advanced media control that allows printing direct to a range of polyester-based materials up to 3.4 metres wide.

EFI says the VUTEk FabriVU 340i+ is perfect for those wanting to enter the dynamic soft signage market, and those seeking a more compact, timesaving all-in-one device. Without the requirement of a dedicated calendar, not only do printers save floor space but it allows printing directly to fabric and sublimating inline. The resulting prints are ready immediately for finishing and shipping.

Applications include exhibit graphics, backlit graphics, retail fixture wraps, front lit graphics, block-out banners and flags, as well as fabric interior décor.

High speed and high quality

For production printing, the VUTEk FabriVU 340i+ printer’s industrial design

It also addresses the need for lower ink consumption and less waste. EFI medium-viscosity inks contain higher concentrations of ink. More ink means less water, so it is easier to dry. Its ink usage is up to 30 per cent less than with competitive units. With EFI’s platen technology, heat is reliably and consistently distributed across the platen for less material and ink waste. Its ink recovery system delivers more than 95 per cent of the inks lost during purging, compared to other systems.

The FabriVU 340i+ utilises eight highperformance printheads, and enhanced high-quality and backlit print modes, which give the ability to print on transfer paper or direct to fabric using the same ink set. It also boasts the FabriVU Plus series’ new CMYK x 2 configuration printhead array, along with new electronics, a new vacuum system, and a new heating element, which combine to deliver higher quality graphics with better saturation and more density.

EFI adds that, as your business and volumes grow, the inline sublimation can be turned off when offline sublimation is added, extending the VUTEk FabriVU 340i+ printers’ capabilities to paper transfer printing for even more application possibilities.

Finally, Currie Group has a reputation for service that is second to none. It supports and services the full range of EFI VUTEk FabriVU soft signage printers.

Soft signage offers opportunities for new revenue with numerous applications

Soft signage opportunity: the EFI VUTEk FabriVU 340i+ dye-sublimation printer

Positive change is on the horizon

apprentices, as they can come together in front of their family and work peers to be acknowledged for their commitment to completing their apprenticeship training.

Furthermore, the print association have the capacity to assist our NZSDA sign maker members with governance, including employment and legislative advice. This is a fantastic benefit, knowing that we have previously lacked capacity in those areas. Our members can now look forward to having access to up to date information and advice when they need it.

Planning large events like the Expo with PrintNZ comes with many knock-on opportunities for both industry suppliers, sign makers and printers. Our industries coming together to showcase a vast range of products, innovative technologies and solutions will only make our relationship stronger and our industry bigger and better for years to come.

Keeping it real, we will continue to hold the NZSDA Conference and the New Zealand Sign Display Awards separately, as acknowledging the differences with the industries is also important.

Looking back on 2022 brings an opportunity to reflect on some great accomplishments for the New Zealand Sign & Display Association. Many of the initiatives that took place during the year contributed to a positive and motivating end to what has been quite a challenging year.

The successes that NZSDA has shared with members over the last six months of 2022 have given us a stable foundation as we head on into 2023.

Positive change is on the horizon, as we align ourselves with our fellow industry association, PrintNZ, on a few common goals and visions. While keeping our own identities, we will be working alongside each other and collaboratively, bringing strength in numbers for representing our industries, more strategic thinking, successful events and better training opportunities. We understand the disruption and changes that the Covid-19 pandemic brought to everyone, but we now embrace the opportunity to become more aligned as our industries continue to evolve.

Some the key changes you may see heading into the new year are with our events, now combining to Print and Sign.

For example: Golf Days, Women in Print + Sign, Regional Meetings and the Expo.

With training we hope that Sign will be included in a one-week Foundation workshop for new apprentices for both industries, as it has already been established and running by the print industry with great success. Also, we are pleased to announce that our Apprentice of the Year candidates will be officially included in the celebration evening that PrintNZ hosts once a year. This is an excellent way to reward and celebrate

We understand that it is our requirement to educate and advise on specific content and topics for all our members and also most importantly to recognise outstanding craftsmanship and achievements from very talented sign makers across the nation, within a very diverse sign manufacturing industry.

Signing off for 2022, we do wish all our members and industry peers a fantastic Christmas and holiday period. We look forward to jumping on this rollercoaster ride with you all in 2023.

Planning and success in 2022 lays stable foundation for 2023

NZSDA and PrintNZ are aligning with many common goals and shared vision for the future

The NZSDA Conference and the New Zealand Sign Display Awards will remain separate, acknowledging the distinctive differences of the industries

Get it right the first time

Our members have the right knowledge and experience, so to get more kiwis trusting your business become a member today!

Right people, job done well!

NZSDA PRESIDENT & SECRETARY

President Post – Roll on 2023

ANDY LOWE President NZSDA

So another year is almost at an end.

This has been another signature year for NZSDA with most of our plans coming to fruition.

Among our achievements: we hosted an excellent conference and awards in Queenstown; we saw a continuation of the Signee Programme implementation; we fostered sustainability initiatives; and importantly, we helped build confidence in the future of our industry.

The last couple of years has seen plenty of stress and uncertainty for sign businesses. However, with most of those concerns beginning to subside, we can again concentrate on moving forward with a really positive focus.

Signee will be pushing forward with a strong new drive next year. We also anticipate some exciting initiatives to begin to come through on the training

front together with our training provider Te Pukenga.

In addition, we are welcoming some new faces to our board along with their ideas and passion. We will make these announcements in the New Year, so watch this space.

We also continue to welcome our members to let us know of any initiatives and ideas they have to continue the betterment of our industry as a whole. Working together is key to moving forward and we need to know what you want to work on.

Secretary Note - Regional meetings prove their value

MELISSA COUTTS Secretary NZSDA

As 2022 comes to an end, our regional meetings have received positive feedback from our active members.

Those that have taken the time to come to these meetings have found them both beneficial for their businesses and valuable for themselves.

Benefits have included being able to come together with like-minded peers locally;

swapping ideas; as well as learning and working together with each other. It has been a real privilege to have witnessed the passion and interest that our members have with each other and their businesses. We are pleased that we can provide that platform.

Our meetings have had common themes, ranging from Association updates with Signee and apprenticeships; upcoming event dates; some legislative and wellbeing advice; and lastly, the basics on good business sense, ranging from succession planning, marketing your business, to people in your business.

I am certain that over the past few months of meetings, our members have been challenged with their thinking. If they need to connect, they can reach out to us, or to our Network

I would like to thank all the NZSDA crew and our great suppliers and sponsors for their work again this year.

We can all be proud as an industry of how well we have weathered the storm of recent Covid reaction induced mayhem. We will continue to build a strong future for our businesses and our industry.

Merry Christmas fellow signees, and all the best for 2023. I look forward to working beside you all next year and personally welcome the world moving on.

Partners, Safety Charter, PrintNZ and Advantage Business.

A few good takeaways from these meetings were:

• Just making your staff aware of risks is one of the first steps towards bettering your workplace Health and Safety environment.

• The Fair Trading Amendment Act coming into effect from December 1, will see disruption amongst businesses nationwide if they are unprepared with their unfair contract term regime for business-tobusiness or “small trade” contracts as substantial fines are now in place if compliance is neglected.

• Succession planning is not just about selling your business. It begins from when you purchase your business and what you plan to do to invest and grow your business with people and technologies, it’s a journey.

To find out when a regional meeting, event or golf day will be coming to a town or city near you, check out our website calendar events at www.nzsda.org.nz.

Bring it on: after weathering 2022, signees are ready to handle 2023 with a positive attitude

NZSDA SIGNEE

Big Brown celebrates its first 10 years

Busy sign shop looks to a busier future

This year marked sign maker Jeremy Hunt’s 27th year in the industry and a decade for his company Big Brown Industries.

When we last spoke to Jeremy, Big Brown Industries had just signed on its first official apprentice, Jay Isgrove. Jeremy says, “Jay has come on in leaps and bounds. I feel lucky I have a good apprentice in Jay. I have taught a few guys over the years at different companies, I have seen some great people come into the industry. Some of those have stayed and some have left.

Jay is just one of those really enthusiastic guys, with a great work ethic and a willingness to learn. We have also discovered that he enjoys design work, so I have been sharing as much as that with him as I can.

“All the effort that he has put in, and the team’s effort has paid off. Jay won a gold medal at the New Zealand Sign Display Awards for work by an apprentice, and that is in his first year.”

Racing stripes

Big Brown Industries has undergone other significant changes in staffing and workload. Jeremy says, “We are still a crew of four: two full-time and one part-time and one contractor. We have a few more contractors come in to ease workload, so occasionally we have six or seven people working.

It does get a bit hectic. I have to make sure the work is there for them, ready to install and that they have all the information they need. Of course, I need to ensure they complete it the way I want and to the level

I expect. That might make me look like a slave driver but producing quality work requires keeping our standards high.

Recently, my original semi-permanent contractor had to move on as he had too much of his own work happening. That is how I started on my own, so I appreciate the time he did work for me, and we are still good friends. However, that also brought an unfamiliar situation, where I had to find a capable replacement, which I managed to do after a bit of time.

One of the other changes, we have gone through is changing the type of work we produce more of. Our largest portion of work now comes from the motorsport sector, producing graphics for race cars, helmets, transporters and event signage.

We used to do a lot of race cars, but now we are doing even more. We cover the likes of GT3 and GT4 cars: McLaren, Porsche, Aston Martin and so on. Our race season starts in January and finishes in December, so we are going all year. The work is diverse with so many different racing series, from grassroots amateur, up to professional drivers, as well as the million dollar cars.

These jobs can be a gift and a curse at the same time. We can get a call mid-week to have a car ready for the weekend. It is stressful but also rewarding. This also brings work for sponsors, owners and others associated with racing. It all helps us to grow Big Brown as a company and as a brand.

“We feel fortunate that we haven’t felt the economic hit that others felt with the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath. This is mainly due to the nature of the majority of work we do with the race cars. Also, we are small enough to last through any quiet times before we would run out of money. That hasn’t happened. In fact, we have been busy for so long that we actually look forward to having a quiet week or two. That gives us space to do some of our own side-line projects and time to do some planning.”

Despite dodging major economic damage, Big Brown Industries has still had to deal with the same challenges other businesses have faced. Jeremy says, “We have had the frustrations of the supply chain issues and the continual price increases. Some of our materials have increased over 60 per cent in last couple years but luckily for us, we are able to pass these on without too many issues. Our clients are quite accepting of this, but also we don’t have to price as much as we used to. We just get given the job and the bill gets paid on completion. We feel rather blessed with this.

“As far as the supply chain issues are concerned, you just have to be as clued up

Jeremy Hunt shares a laugh with Cally Freestone form Computaleta at the NZSDA Conference

NZSDA SIGNEE

Conference and awards

Jeremy has welcomed the return of industry events. He says, “I had missed the New Zealand Sign Display Awards and the conference. It is always a great event, giving us a chance to catch up with the signage family. We enjoy having a sharing this time with our friends in the industry.

“The conference also provides us with a chance to meet other signees. I am part of a network group of fellow small sign shops. We stay in regular contact, socially and professionally. We share tips, work, contacts and a fair amount of childish banter.

“As far as the awards went, we came away with a gold and a silver. That is a good haul for us, as we don’t have too many entries, but it also keeps our streak going: six awards over six years.”

New blood

as possible about the availability of the alternatives out there in terms of brands and colours.

In addition, you need to be prepared to make something new where you need to.

We have done this with wrap films and colours by matching and printing our own. We are also flexible with brands, so we will happily jump from one to another. They all have something to offer. Of course, it all depends on colour and application.”

Among the subjects covered at this year’s NZSDA Conference was training and the requirement for fresh ideas. Jeremy says, “It was good to talk to fellow signees about work and the future, which we all agree is the youth and apprenticeships.

The Signee Programme is promoting the industry to a younger generation

Gold medal winning apprentice Jay Isgrove flanked by Computaleta director Janene Ford and NZSDA president Andy Lowe

The need for having young blood coming into the industry is a real one.

“I am a huge believer in the fact we need young people to see this as a viable trade. We also need to show them how it can actually be a fun and challenging industry to be in. Jay winning an award in his first year speaks volumes about the value of encouraging the young ones. And keep your eyes peeled, I already have him working on next year’s award entry.

Jeremy has helped the NZSDA with the Signee Programme and participates in the Gateway Programme. He says, “We are promoting the industry to the younger generation. I have been to a couple of youth centres and done a few demos and made myself available to chat about sign making.

“I enjoy seeing how the Gateway Programme operates where school students get to spend one day a week for several weeks, working in the sign shop to see if this is an option for them. I have given advice to a couple of young people, helping get them started in the industry. To them, we are signage rock stars as we get to do what they deem cool; things like placing an iCE wrap on a high end car.

“It would be great to be able to take them all into Big Brown but that would not be fair to Jay. But we intend to put ourselves into a position in the future where we can take on more trainees. Jay will continue to grow as a signee and he won’t me looking over his shoulder all the time.”

NZSDA SIGNEE

Looking back and forward

While it has been mooted for a long time, this year saw the print and signage sector organisations working together and next year will see further joint initiatives. Jeremy says, “The combination of the print and signage industries is an interesting one. I mean it is a good thing, but I have seen the price and knowledge wars first hand.

“Our industries are very much intertwined, and they share so many similarities but there are also moments where they are very different.

As long as there is mutual respect, that they are two different industries that share some techniques and skills, then everything should be fine.”

With Big Brown Industries going from strength to strength in 2022, Jeremy has several significant moments to reflect on. He says, “We welcomed our second child, Reuben so we now have two budding apprentices who will no doubt decorate the walls.”

We asked him for his highlights from 2022:

• Watching our two boys growing

• The New Zealand Sign Display Awards

• Being able to travel relatively freely

• Women’s sport being the main event

• Celebrating 10 years as Big Brown

He concludes, “Bring on 2023 and whatever opportunities arise. We will continue to push and to be ‘louder’ than ever.”

Work life balance: Jeremy relaxing with wife Kim and boys, Darius and Reuben

Fespa sends out a call for your help with print census

Global survey aims to identify trends and opportunities for businesses

In this interview with Graeme Richardson-Locke, head of associations and technical lead at Fespa, we discuss Fespa’s Print Census and how it can help print and signage businesses.

Q: What is the Fespa Print Census?

A: The Print Census is an international survey hosted by Fespa. Its aim is to update our understanding of trends, recognise challenges and explore opportunities within the global speciality print, signage and textile industries, based on direct feedback from printers and sign makers around the world.

The Print Census is a pillar of Fespa’s Profit for Purpose reinvestment

programme. The findings help us to support the Fespa community by providing insights that can inform their business decisions.

This year’s Print Census was launched at Fespa Global Print Expo 2022 in Berlin and in conjunction with our international associations, we’ll be collating responses until early 2023.

From then, our expert research partner Keypoint Intelligence will analyse the responses and produce a report of the findings.

An initial overview of the results will be shared with visitors to Fespa Global Print Expo 2023, which runs from May 23–26, 2023 at Messe Munich in Germany, with

a complete executive summary to be published shortly after.

The full report will only be made available to members of a Fespa Association or Fespa Direct.

Q: What areas does the survey explore?

A: This is the third iteration of the Print Census; the last having been published in 2018. Now, we are looking to delve further into the six core areas identified in the last report. These included optimism within the market; how customer demands are evolving and the impact this has on their buying behaviours; the growing wide format product mix; the importance of digital technology and the

The Fespa Print Census allows you to have your say in the industry’s future

investment decisions print providers are making; the rise of textile printing; and the influence of environmental pressures.

By expanding on these trends, we aim to identify how long-term trends are progressing, in the context of the broader commercial and economic backdrop. We will also look to identify new drivers impacting the industry, such as equipment, software and workflow trends, automation, supply chain challenges and how pricing and margins are changing.

Lastly, given the issues affecting businesses in recent years, we are seeking a full picture of the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic on print and signage businesses.

Q: What results are you expecting to see? How do you anticipate these will vary from the 2018 survey?

A: It’s always hard to make exact predictions of what we’re going to see because the market is so fluid. That’s the value of the Census.

The picture in 2018 was a positive one and, despite the challenges of the past few years, we hope that the overall mood is still upbeat.

It’s reasonable to expect optimism to have dipped as a result of the pandemic but, our routine conversations with printers and sign makers show that they’re focused on moving forward, future proofing their business by taking hold of new opportunities to diversify, streamline their processes and drive growth.

I do think a big trend we will see is around market and application diversification, as many print and signage businesses have had to look to different revenue streams

in recent years due to the downturn in business because of the pandemic.

In 2018, almost all respondents reported that customer demand for fast turnaround, the trend to shorter runs, and expectations of just in time delivery were increasing or stable. These consumer demands remain, but we would also expect printers to have adapted, as they’re not new challenges.

In the face of these trends, it’s clear why digital wide format technology, optimised as it is for flexible, short runs and quick job turnaround, has been so instrumental in business growth over the last decade. And in recent years, we have seen so many innovations in digital wide format technology and software which have helped print service providers to simplify production from start to finish. We’re looking forward to hearing about the impact these have had on print and signage businesses.

One of the other strong themes we’re expecting to see is the growing importance of sustainability. In 2018, 76 per cent of respondents stated that they were being influenced by sustainability. We expect that this would have increased, as we’ve reached a point where demonstrating environmental credentials has now become business critical for most service and manufacturing businesses.

Q: How will the Print Census results benefit the industry?

A: Fundamentally, our purpose at Fespa is to deliver education and inspiration to our communities to help them grow and prosper. By gaining a clear and up-todate picture of the commercial reality for printers and sign makers around the

world, and a deeper understanding of how the market is diversifying, we can develop our Fespa events and information products to ensure that, in conjunction with our local associations, we’re enabling our members to succeed.

The findings of the Fespa Census will then help us to develop new products and evolve our existing ones. For example, after the 2018 survey, we developed our Print Make Wear feature to reflect the textile printing trend and at Fespa 2019. Our Trend Theatre programme centred around the key topics highlighted in the survey. We have also recently launched the Sustainability Spotlight at Fespa Global Print Expo 2022 and we’ll continue to evolve this in line with the identified focus on sustainability.

The most prevalent issues highlighted by the Census will help us to ensure that the articles we share on Fespa.com and our member-only Club Fespa platform are providing relevant guidance and inspiration in areas where our support is needed.

Above all, the Census findings help our community of business decision makers to benchmark themselves against similar businesses globally, and to make informed choices for their future.

Q: Why should a printer or sign maker take part in the Census?

A: Firstly, it’s easy and doesn’t take long. This year, the survey can be completed in 24 languages, including French, German, Italian and Spanish, and it can be filled in online or in person at a Fespa event.

All respondents will receive a copy of the executive summary ahead of it being published to the broader community. Plus, they will be entered into a prize draw to win free entry to Fespa Global Print Expo 2023 in Munich, with accommodation for two nights included.

The specific value of the Fespa Print Census is that it reflects the reality on the ground and allows printers to have their say in the industry’s future. So we’d love for printers and sign makers to take the time to answer the questions and share their experiences.

Delivering relevant services and educational content is more vital now than ever. With valued input from our community, we can develop a clear view of the industry and help print and signage businesses to recover and grow. We look forward to seeing the full results in 2023.

To have your say, complete the survey online at https://www.fespa.com/en/ become-a-member/fespa-print-census.

Graeme Richardson-Locke, head of Associations and Technical Lead at Fespa

‘Tis the season for print

solutions receive the best results when used cooperatively with one another.

to be reused at least 50 times to achieve the same climate change performance as paper.

By providing paper bags you will also meet customer demand, as they remain the most preferred option. Across the Tasman, a Two Sides survey found that 69 per cent of Australian respondents preferred paper and cardboard packaging due to it being better for the environment, 72 per cent preferred its compostable nature, and 50 per cent preferred it for being easier to recycle.

Catalogues

With the summer season acting as an opportune time to increase your brand’s market share, catalogues are a powerful channel to help you do so.

The weather is warming up, the summer ranges are hitting the racks and with Christmas just around the corner, retailers, the largest print buying group, are coming in hard with their festive season campaigning. And they are exploring colour, size, substrates, sustainability and more.

As retailers and brands are looking for their edge, it is our role to offer creative print solutions and technologies to help our customers stand out and kick their sales goals with print. Let’s explore some trends across each sector to assist your sales teams when communicating with clients across summer campaigning this year.

Print marketing

Print marketing has a distinctive capacity to make an impression on customers and draw their attention to your products and offerings through its tactility, variety, and potential for creative and memorable content. Often online channels can lack emotional connectivity and recall but offline can fill in the gaps, building trust. It is important to note that when it comes to offline and online channels, it by no means needs to be one or the other. At a time when marketers and advertisers have a range of sophisticated tools, these print and digital

The largest global marketing platform company, Salesforce, knows this well and uses offline channels and print despite their digitally-led approach. According to their research, 43 per cent of consumers prefer offline channels, and that is 2.2 million Kiwis we brands shouldn’t be ignoring.

Signage

It is well-known that consumers prefer environmentally conscious options and products, and meeting this demand means extending your sustainable approach to the signage you use. More and more brands and retailers in the world of POS and signage are focusing on reducing waste and producing displays that consider end of life materials and manufacture, and so should you. The best practice now for sustainable in-store signage is to craft signage from a single material, typically locally made and recyclable cardboard that contains no celloglaze or plastics. It is important to ensure the entire unit can be placed in a household recycling bin, and that it contains clear directions for disposal.

Paper bags

As sales and shopping increase throughout the season, so inevitably does the consumption and use of bags for retail. Paper bags are created from a renewable resource and are a costefficient option for non-food packaging. While textile bags are a common choice, research has shown that they would need

This has been proven by retailers who have chosen to divert from their letterbox catalogue distribution.

In September 2020, a major grocery retailer publicly discontinued its distribution. This led to an extensive, 14-week research program by a large competitor to study the effectiveness of catalogues. They discovered that affluent suburbs realised double-digit sale declines when catalogues were removed, and that metropolitan suburbs realised no difference, but that recall was reduced.

Despite the grocery retailer’s heavy investment in digital marketing after their catalogues were discontinued, they received a mere one percentage point increase in market share. Compare this to their competition, who grew 4.4 points in market share in the same period, simply by keeping their catalogue and letterbox marketing in place. Never under-estimate the power of the letterbox.

Across print, the role that our industry plays across the summer sales season is significant, and understanding the reach, environmental and effectiveness qualities of print is vital in our approach. Keep your customers informed about the industry’s strengths and enjoy the festive season.

Kellie Northwood is the executive secretary of Women in Print, the CEO of The Real Media Collective and incoming CEO of the Print and Visual Communications Association. For more information contact: 03 94212206 or hello@thermc.com.au. www.therealmediacollective.com.au.

KELLIE NORTHWOOD

Across the sectors of print, the role that our industry plays throughout the summer sales season is significant

As retailers and brands look for their edge, it is the role of print to offer creative solutions and technologies to help customers stand out and kick their sales goals

Season’s Greetings from

Heidelberg takes a lead in climate neutrality

Driving solutions for a carbon neutral industry

The VDMA Printing and Paper Technology Association asks its member companies about their plans, solutions and challenges on the road to a circular economy. What can the industry do to minimise the ecological footprint of packaging and other printed products?

In this interview, Dr Eva Boll, head of Corporate Sustainability at Heidelberg, explains how the Group is proceeding to meet its voluntary commitment to climate neutrality by 2030.

VDMA: By the middle of the century, the leading industrial nations want to have a climateneutral economy. Is this goal realistic in your view?

EB: In view of the progressing climate change and the global political situation, which makes us painfully aware of our dependence on fossil energy sources, I see the goal as quite realistic. However,

it demands massive transformation efforts from the industrialised nations.

VDMA: What is Heidelberg doing to make its own production climateneutral?

EB: In view of the voluntary commitment to climate neutrality by 2030, we are putting all processes to the test. Heidelberg is not starting from scratch. We have had an environmental management system for several years, are certified according to 14001 and defined clear environmental goals for our production sites years ago, which we implement through continuous improvement processes. It’s all about energy efficiency, which is usually directly linked to greenhouse gas emissions. With a view to our 2030 target, we are developing a transformation concept that considers the changed political framework conditions. After all, politics also clearly stipulates that we must become climate neutral. This forces us to

question every process. We are carrying out potential analyses at all production sites, with which we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Every kilowatt hour saved counts. We will also increase our own production of renewable energy. We already have photovoltaic systems, but we still see a lot of potential here. The purchase of green energy is another option.

On the other hand, we are critical of the purchase of greenhouse gas certificates for the neutralisation of our production sites. Offsetting is only an option for unavoidable emissions for a transitional period until 2040, at the latest, after which we want to operate climateneutrally under our own steam.

We can currently see how challenging this goal is with our combined heat and power plant, which runs on natural gas to generate electricity and heat. We need to find a new solution quickly. Whether

Heidelberg’s efforts are working; its presses are using less energy than before

SUSTAINABILITY

give us information when regulatory innovations are announced in their area, so that we can develop solutions at an early stage. Of course, this also applies to climate neutrality throughout the entire supply chain.

Cooperation with research institutes and universities is also important, both regarding technological innovations and for questions of environmental and climate accounting. Because there is a lack of binding standards here, we are involved in standardisation committees under the umbrella of the VDMA.

VDMA: What would you like to see from legislators on the road to climate neutrality?

EB: The industry needs planning security and binding rules that remain valid for longer than one legislative period. Compromises between security of supply and reduction targets as well as practicable support offers are needed. In principle, the EU has set the right direction with the ‘Green Deal’.

hydrogen comes into question, biomass or a heat pump will have to be clarified. What currently helps us is that we have developed many energy efficiency concepts in recent years that were not economically feasible due to low energy prices. We are now drawing on this pool and exploiting all the potential: green electricity for the electric melting furnaces in our foundry, optimised compressed air, drive and drying technology and LED lighting. In the search for solutions, we exchange ideas with partners from research and our networks in order to learn from their best practices.

VDMA: How do you support your customers in producing more energy efficiently?

EB: Here, too, we can draw on years of experience. We have been carrying out life cycle assessments of our products since 2012 and have been offering our customers the option of making their machines climate-neutral through offset certificates for many years. In our development, we generally subject new developments to an ecological product review, in which we focus not only on compliance with environmental laws in the target market, but also on energy efficiency. These efforts are having an impact: to print 1,000 sheets with our presses, our customers need on average 40 per cent less energy than 20 years ago.

On request, we equip the presses with energy meters to create transparency. We also offer targeted advice to teach them energy-efficient operating strategies. This

includes printing faster because the basic load is distributed over more output. A lot of attention is also paid to efficient drive technology, which is important in view of decreasing print runs and more frequent starts and stops. Reducing waste and more efficient drying technologies are also on the agenda. The latter include the use of UV LEDs in UV printing, turbo radial instead of side channel blowers and reduced distances between the sheet and the dryer. The push-to-stop philosophy we have introduced can also shorten make ready times, which also saves energy. In fact, more and more customers are asking for efficiency solutions because their clientele is also taking a closer look and the demand for climate- and environmentally friendly print products is rising rapidly.

VDMA: What role does the topic play in your research and development?

The ecological product review already mentioned has been firmly anchored in our guidelines since 2013. Every development project goes through it. This ensures that every project is also based on ecological criteria.

In addition, we are pushing ahead with projects that focus on energy efficiency. We have been working in close partnerships with our suppliers for many years because innovations and the integration of more efficient solutions usually have an impact on installation spaces. This creates a need for coordination. Our partners also

In this country, too, there is broad agreement on the climate targets. However, the current need to compensate for the lack of natural gas with coal shows us the challenges of the transformation. For companies that are not yet involved in European emissions trading, regulations such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the new EU taxonomy bring major changes. They are increasingly under pressure to minimise their greenhouse gas emissions and document their measures. Despite all the criticism of the taxonomy, which also poses problems for us because it ignores large parts of our economic activities, I think the path we have taken is basically the right one. Greenhouse gas emissions and the ecological footprint of products must first be recorded in order to develop meaningful reduction strategies. There is a willingness to do this in the mechanical and plant engineering sector.

Our industry has long since set out and is pushing forward engineering solutions for a climate-neutral industry with great seriousness. We at Heidelberg are actively pushing this development.

The VDMA Printing and Paper Technology Association is the mouthpiece of around 170 manufacturers of equipment and systems for the printing and print processing, paper manufacturing and converting, and auxiliary materials and equipment sectors from Europe. It thus represents around 90 per cent of the industry. The trade association offers its members services, for example on topics such as trade fairs, public relations, technology and research.

Dr Eva Boll, head of Corporate Sustainability at Heidelberg

Wayzgoose flies down to Hawkes Bay for letterpress

Sunny setting for this year’s letterpress gathering

Recently, the Association of Handcraft Printers hosted the annual Wayzgoose in Hawkes Bay.

Graham Judd, from Inkiana Press, says, “Taking place on a Friday and Saturday, the Wayzgoose was a great success.

Attendees enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with friends and meet fellow members of the letterpress community.

“On the Friday afternoon, a number of early arrivals spent time at the MTG Hawke’s Bay Archive where they examined a number of Colenso artefacts set out by conservator Nicola Wall. Museum Theatre Gallery (MTG) Tai Ahuriri Hawkes Bay is home to several local Taonga and other treasures. Attendees saw how William Colenso can be regarded as the first commercial printer in New Zealand, having set up a press in 1834, at the Bay of Islands.

“The next day started with a coffee meetup, from where people split into two groups to visit two local print shops. Jeff Park of Neighbour’s Press has a small commercial print shop, including a Heidelberg platen and a very large, and mighty, Harrild proof press which came from the now closed Printing Museum in Melbourne.

“The other site visit was to Imprimo, owned and run by Terrie Reddish. Terrie is a letterpress printer, bookbinder, and artist of exceptional skill. Her print shop is the tidiest you will ever see.”

Deco Print hosted an afternoon swap meet. Local print legend Neville Smith, former co-owner of Brebner Print, has a letterpress setup in a building, which also houses a collection of classic Buick cars, petrol pumps, old radios and other memorabilia. Graham says, “About 45 local artists, bookbinders and letterpress printers turned up to buy some bargainpriced equipment and supplies.

“Dinner at local restaurant The Thirsty Whale rounded out the day and the Wayzgoose. Guest speaker Ruth Cobb, chief executive PrintNZ, encouraged us to always print with pride in our craft. She also explained the plan for micro credentials that PrintNZ plans to setup. Micro-credentials will be a great option for existing employees who need to upskill in a certain area.

Graham concludes, “The Association of Book Crafts will host next year’s Wayzgoose. We look forward to welcoming printers and bookbinders who love the craft aspect of their trades.”

Jeff Park, of Neighbour’s Press, demonstrates the mighty Harrild proof press.

Neville Smith shows his skills on his original Heidelberg at Deco Print.

Viewing the Colenso artefacts, from left: Alan Curtis, Richard Kearney, Makyla Curtis and MTG conservator Nicole Wall

Don’t hesitate to create emotional content

Humour, surprise, knowledge, arousal, fear can all be triggered by an image, a punchline, or valuable information

spiders common in our area, featured prominently was the deadly Funnel Web.

FAQ for those in the pest control industry. The images on that fridge magnet I grew up with were valuable to my mother and ultimately to me years later.

I used this approach on a job recently for a martial arts academy. The academy wanted a flyer promoting an upcoming open day for prospective students. We used one side of the flyer to promote the open day; on the reverse side, we put a class timetable and tips for first-time visitors.

EDWARDS

Not long ago, I moved to a new house with an old garden shed slumped in the back corner of the yard. Spreading from a corner of the shed was a messy pile of surplus fence palings flat on the ground, taking up space I wanted for my lawn mower.

I set about picking them up and piling them outside. Right at the bottom of the pile, I came across what looked like a long grey stocking lumpy with snail shells. I thought it odd but not significant.

As I lifted the next and last paling, something gleaming black about the size of a cricket ball scuttle across the floor.

I was looking at a wild Funnel Web spider for the first time in my life. The ‘stocking’ I had found earlier was its nest.

Highly venomous spiders are a reality over here in Australia. My mother equipped my childhood home with a fridge magnet from a local pest control company. The artwork included photos of and information about all the dangerous

That magnet sat on our fridge for easily a decade. I must have looked at the photo of the Funnel Web a thousand times. When I saw that spider, inches from my feet in the dim light, I knew what it was, thanks in part to that magnet.

A flyer lasting years on a fridge is not a rare story for a printer. Print marketing has an exceptionally long tail, and it is not uncommon for flyers to bring home customers years after their distribution. Print can exist for years within a home or office.

Emotional content may sound difficult

The idea of creating a design that produces emotions sounds difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. There are a lot of emotions on offer, and some are relatively easy to trigger. Humour, surprise, knowledge, arousal, fear can all be triggered by an image, a punchline, or valuable information.

Knowledge is a very practical emotion to aim for. Every business is asked the same handful of questions every day. These FAQs are low-hanging fruit for creating content that is valuable to the end user and creates emotion.

To return to my pest control fridge magnet example, questions about dangerous spiders are undoubtedly an

The thinking is that people would use the flyer for the open day and keep it on the fridge to get them to their first class. All the while it is on the fridge, it is being helpful, creating the emotion of knowledge, and quietly building emotional capital and perceived value of the brand every time they look at it. It keeps the academy in the conversation and may bring in new students or help reactivate past students.

Paper and print have been a part of our culture for hundreds of years, and it has become deeply embedded. Every household has a place designated for the storage of printed paper and others for the display of it.

Familiar places are in the hallway near the front door, on the kitchen bench, on a set of shelves next to a desk or on the side of the fridge. When print enters a space, it has a place to go and can spend a long time in a person’s possession. The length of the stay allows for multiple impressions on a person, satisfying the requirements for brand building.

Print also has two sides, allowing for two different messages to be sent on the same piece of paper. One side can be devoted to emotional priming, while the other is devoted to short-term activation. These satisfy the marketing best practice of supporting long-term campaigns with short-term campaigns.

Daniel Edwards is the account manager at Posterboy Printing. He has worked in the printing industry since 2002. He has worked on thousands of print jobs with hundreds of Australia’s top marketers, and is also the author of The Power of Print.

The idea of creating a design that produces emotions sounds difficult, but it doesn’t have to be

DANIEL

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