New Zealand Printer April 2023

People In Print winners

Book printing in Nelson

Judging Pride In Print

Print + Sign Expo is coming WIDE

with 1987-2023 years

Cover Story p12-14

12 Durst: The company is preparing to welcome Australian and New Zealand printers to the Fespa Global 2023 Print Tour. It will also open the doors of its premises in Brixen, Italy, where attendees can explore the latest developments in digital printing, finishing and converting technology

14 Durst: Durst Oceania managing director Matt Ashman shares his thoughts on the challenges we will face in 2023

Features p14-57

30 Konica Minolta: Wholesale Print has installed two Konica Minolta AccurioPress C14000 printers in Wellington

32 Currie Group: Rob Mesaros, chief executive of Currie Group, discusses how to enable customers to realise their full potential

34-35 Offset: The hype around digital print makes it easy to forget about the advancements modern offset presses offer

36-38 Cyber: Aussie trade printer CMYKhub has installed the region’s first RMGT 970 eight-colour press

40 Wholesale Print: Lawrence Evans, managing director of Wholesale Print, discusses the future of offset print

42 BJ Ball: Supporting locally made is what BJ Ball’s Formakote promotion is all about

46 Ricoh: Image Concepts has installed new Ricoh digital production presses in its East Tamaki plant

57 Think Laterally: Mick Rowan says we can optimise our mental and physical health by learning how our mind works

NEW ZEALAND PRINTER

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EDITORIAL: 021 631 559

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CONTRIBUTORS:

Ruth Cobb, Melissa Coutts, Andy Lowe, Iain MacIntyre, Mick Rowan

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People in Print Awards p16-28

Over 100 print industry professionals joined New Zealand Printer Magazine and PrintNZ to celebrate at the 2023 People in Print Awards and Rising Star Awards.

Wide Format Plus p47-55

48 Aarque: We meet Aarque’s expanded sales team and discuss three new wide format printers

50 Fujfilm Business Innovation: Hotprintz is impressed with its new Epson SC S60600 printer and cutting table

52-53 NZSDA Update: Melissa Coutts says save the dates for the upcoming NZSDA Awards, Expo and Conference

54 NZSDA President: Andy Lowe discusses business succession planning

PrintNZ p8-10

8-9 Helping Hand: Iain MacIntyre reports on Nelson-based CopyPress

10 Comment: Ruth Cobb looks forward to a huge night of celebrations during the 30th edition of the Pride In Print Awards in June

Labels & Packaging p44

44 Epson: Auckland-based LabelTec has invested in an Epson SurePress L-4733AW to expand its capabilities to digital print

ISSN 1171 7912

New Zealand Printer is mailed to members of the printing, packaging and graphic communications industry in New Zealand 11 times a year, February-December.

New Zealand Printer is a member of the Printer Media Group

New Zealand: New Zealand Printer Asia Pacific: ProPack.pro

Australia: Australian Printer, ProPrint

MANAGING DIRECTOR: James Wells - james@intermedia.com.au

GROUP PUBLISHER: Brian Moore - brian@newzealandprinter.co.nz

© Copyright 2023: Contents of this magazine are subject to copyright and cannot be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

IN BRIEF

FLINT GROUP has appointed Robert Welford as president for XEIKON, its digital division, who will lead the company through the next phase of success, reaffirming its deep commitment to bringing the latest innovations in digital printing to customers across the globe. “I’m very proud to be given the opportunity to head up this industryleading technology company which has been a pioneer in digital printing since the very beginning,” Welford said.

GMG, a developer of high-end colour management solutions, has launched OpenColor 3.0 and ColorProof 5.14, two powerful updates that will “redefine proofing in the packaging market”. According to the company, the new GMG Spectral MX Color Engine provides performance gains: the proof profile calculation is up to 15 times faster, the profile quality is improved, and the profile size is up to 90 per cent smaller. The higher-resolution MXN profiles lead to better colour matching between proof and print, optimising print approvals in the packaging supply chain.

INFORMA, an international academic markets, B2B markets and digital services group, has acquired TARSUS GROUP, the organiser of LABELEXPO GLOBAL SERIES shows, for USD 940m to further “enhance its presence in growing regions and markets”. Founded in 1998, Tarsus has become one of the most respected names in the B2B events industry, operating a portfolio of over 160 live and on-demand events. Businesses worldwide rely on its events and media to launch products, build supply chains and brand awareness.

XSYS appoints Ferag as its distributor for New Zealand and Australia

XSYS has appointed Ferag Australia as the new distributor of its flexographic printing plates and platemaking equipment portfolio in New Zealand and Australia.

Ferag Australia, based in Matraville, NSW, will stock and supply nyloflex flexographic plates, nyloprint letterpress plates, and nylosolv solvent washout.

Roy Schoettle, vice president of XSYS in APAC, said: “We are very pleased that Ferag will be representing XSYS in this part of the world. The company is well established and a respected

supplier in the graphics industry, having looked after both countries over many years with its existing portfolio of products.

“We feel confident that our customers will truly profit from a dedicated company that will focus on their needs day to day. It’s an exciting time as packaging – and indeed, XSYS as a leading supplier to this industry – is growing around the world. Australia and New Zealand are very much a part of this growth.”

“The opportunity to take on the XSYS portfolio has come at a great time for Ferag

Durst implements electric car fleet to meet sustainability goals

Durst Oceania has confirmed it will use an electric-powered car fleet to pursue internal sustainability targets, with a move in the next 24 months to a bigger more sustainable local headquarters.

“I am proud to announce that all company-owned vehicles at Durst Oceania are now 100 per cent electric.

I think we are the first in our sector to do so,” Durst Oceania managing director, Matt Ashman said.

“The transition to an entirely

electric fleet of company cars represents the first phase in our path to sustainability and brings us in line with the strategy of the Durst Group, to explore all ways to become more sustainable.

“Currently, we are also using an electricity supplier that guarantees electricity from renewable resources. However, the next phase of our path to sustainability and reducing pollution will also be inspired by our head office in Brixen, Italy, and this will

as we continue to move the company forward into new industry segments,” added Philip Batty, managing director of Ferag Australia. “Our main priorities now are to ensure that existing XSYS customers are well looked after and that the changeover is as seamless as possible. Our team is looking forward to representing this worldclass portfolio of flexographic solutions with best-in-class sales, service and technical support,” Batty said.

be to move to new premises with electric charging stations fed by solar panels, as well as battery storage on site.

“On the roadmap is a more sustainable larger building for our new premises that will also meet our expanding needs as we enter new markets; however, we will remain in Melbourne.”

Ferag Australia to supply a wide range of XSYS plates

Durst Oceania transitions to electric-powered car fleet to pursue internal sustainability targets

TRMC launches Industry Insights Report

The Real Media Collective (TRMC) has launched its Industry Insights Report during a breakfast event in Auckland.

The Real Media Collective NZ CEO, Kellie Northwood, shared important statistics with the audience. According to the report, 57 per cent of consumers prefer digital communication, with the remaining 43 per cent of the population favouring print.

Chief executive officer of Blue Star and chair of The Real Media Collective New Zealand Jill Cowling said the breakfast event was about giving marketers insights into the benefits of a multichannel delivery.

“Everyone in marketing needs to get their hands on the Industry Insights Report and have a good read as it is going to be self-explanatory as to the power of print,” Cowling said.” Importantly, 43 per cent of consumers still want to read and consume a printed piece – whether it is a magazine, magalog or

catalogue – and it is targeted. The power of print has a huge place in our world, and it will continue to be influential. We know millennials, Gen Zs, and boomers love to touch things, and tactility is very important.”

“Today, it is about explaining the channels that the Real Media Collective represents, and I would like to leave everyone with one message – stop talking about them and us – online and offline,” added TRMC NZ CEO, Kellie Northwood.

“If I leave you with nothing

Fujifilm appoints new sales manager in New Zealand

Fujifilm Graphic Systems has appointed Cary Rawson as new sales manager based in Auckland.

Cary is an industry specialist with over 29 years of experience within the graphic arts and print industry in New Zealand. He worked for nearly 22 years at Heidelberg NZ, where he started in 2001 as a prepress service engineer and climbed up the ranks through team leader for prepress and electrical, account service manager, service manager for Pacific Nations, up to the most recent position of national sales manager for New Zealand and Pacific Nations.

“I have worked in various roles with Heidelberg Graphic Equipment and Agfa,” Cary said. “This has enabled me to be involved with new developments, technology,

IN BRIEF

FUJIFILM has acquired MicroChannel, an Australian IT services company and its affiliates to expand its offerings in sales and implementation support of ERP systems. MicroChannel changed its name to Fujifilm MicroChannel Services, with Brett Matthews, current managing director of Fujifilm Data Management Solutions, serving as the new CEO of the acquired companies.

else – I would like you to leave with this understanding about online and offline – we have a plethora of channels to use and select when we are developing our campaigns, and I think print has fallen into this defensive approach where we don’t need to be. Print is incredibly effective in all its forms – from catalogues to newspapers to magazines to brochures. Read full report and see the event’s photo gallery on our website.

“This is an exciting step on our path to growing our ERP systems and services as one of our core business offerings,” said Naoki Hama, president and CEO of Fujifilm Business Innovation.

Basketball legend and international business leader EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON will deliver the main keynote at this year’s edition of the DSCOOP EDGE, designed to help forward-thinking printers worldwide learn, connect and grow. The NBA legend will share his thoughts on teamwork and leadership during Dscoop’s flagship conference, set for May 7-10 at the America’s Center in downtown St. Louis.

and ways of introducing opportunities to businesses.

I moved to Fujifilm’s Graphic Systems area, to focus on new technologies and developing growth.”

“We are very pleased Cary joined our team. He brings years of knowledge in an industry that Fujifilm is a leader in, which will help us strengthen our position,” said Stephen Hodson, director of Fujifilm NZ.

Industry Insights Report revealed that 43 per cent of the population prefers print

Cary Rawson has joined Fujifilm Graphic Systems

Computaleta

appoints national sales manager

Industry supplier Computaleta has appointed Brendan Douglas to the role of national sales manager.

“We are delighted to welcome Brendan to the team here at Computaleta,” Arlette Farland, director at Computaleta. “This appointment comes at a good time for Computaleta. After two years of high growth, we saw an opportunity to help our salespeople to further develop their capabilities.

Avery Dennison launches AD

Avery Dennison has launched AD XeroLinr DT, its direct thermal (DT) linerless portfolio, as part of its growing Sustainable ADvantage offering in the region.

AD XeroLinr DT has been designed to increase sustainability and productivity while reducing the overall logistics time and cost.

According to Avery Dennison, as the backing material that carries the label face until its application stage, liners comprise 30 to 40 per cent of the entire pressure-sensitive label construction. With the complete elimination of

HP launches

HP Indigo 200K digital flexible packaging press

HP has introduced the new HP Indigo 200K Digital Press, developed to give digital flexible converters a competitive edge with better productivity, on-demand delivery, no minimum orders, unique designs, reduced energy consumption and minimal waste.

The new press is based on field-proven digital technology for digital flexible packaging and a successful install base of over 300 HP Indigo 25K digital presses, series 4, worldwide.

The new series 5, HP Indigo 200K digital press, prints up to 56 m/min

“Brendan’s experience across sales management is extensive, most recently at Rentokil. He will help our sales team of 10 members to grow their sales skills

and add more value to our customers’ businesses. Under his leadership I am confident our New Zealand sales team will continue to perform at a high level in 2023 and beyond.”

Douglas said: “I am excited with the opportunity to help strengthen the Computaleta sales team. There are a number of areas we will be working in to enable our sales team to offer the best service to Computaleta customers.

“We have experts in our staff who can help our customers make their businesses more profitable,” added Farland. “We see many print companies have set up their own sign shops and they are looking for staff from the industry and how they can add value to their own offering. We want to help our customers grow their businesses and that often means sharing our expertise.”

waste generation.

AD XeroLinr DT’s construction enables more labels per roll and less frequent change-overs, providing more machine uptime.

Jitesh Mehta, senior product marketing director at Avery Dennison Asia Pacific, said: “We are excited to extend AD XeroLinr DT to our customers in this region.

“The linerless market is expected to grow significantly over the next few years, especially where variable information printing needs are high such as quick service restaurants, e-commerce, and weigh-scale applications.

liners, the new range offers significant sustainability advantages compared to conventional DT labels with liners. These include reducing the use of raw materials, greenhouse gas emissions, and solid

“This is coming from increased demand for sustainable alternatives, and we believe our global reach, technical expertise, and innovative approaches will greatly support the sustainability landscape.”

According to HP the new press is 30 per cent faster than the HP Indigo 25K

increasing the productivity of highmargin, sustainable short runs of digital flexible packaging to be delivered in days.

According to the company, the HP Indigo 200K digital press offers a 30 per cent increase in speed and a 45 per cent boost in productivity compared to the HP Indigo 25K.

Featuring gravure-matching colour quality based on the HP Indigo Liquid Electro Photography (LEP) and One-Shot Color technologies, the new press offers the broadest range of ElectroInks.

It is designed to print high-coverage packages with white on most industrial

substrates, both surface and reverse. Additional business opportunities include unique brand protection elements.

The HP Indigo 200K features HP Indigo’s PrintOS software automation capabilities for batching, ganging, and variable data, as well as faster, accurate colour match and workflow. It adds automation tools for operator efficiency, coupled with sustainable production, circular packaging and food packaging safety.

All enquiries can be directed to Currie Group, the authorised HP distributor in Australia and New Zealand.

Avery Dennison expands its Sustainable Advantage portfolio in the region

Brendan Douglas, national sales manager with Arlette Farland, director at Computaleta

Trusted Nelson-based book printer diversifies its portfolio

The CopyPress co-owners Dave and Philippa MacManus have transformed their Nelson-based company from a small bookmaking and photocopying shop into a wide ranging business.

Since acquiring the business in 2003, Phillippa and Dave have increased staffing from two to 10 employees. They have also expanded its offerings to feature:

• A custom-designed bookmaking service for independent authors. They say, “We take your manuscript or print-ready book right through the production process, including editing, design, proofing, printing and binding, and offer promotion and distribution options.”

• A general design, digital print and finishing service for local and other New Zealand print buyers. “We produce business cards, brochures, flyers, stationery, posters, labels and plans, as well as bespoke invitations, gift cards, calendars, reports, presentations and much more.”

• An online, New Zealand-authored bookshop. “Our selection includes hunting stories, novels, poetry, family and regional history, social commentary, children’s books,

cookbooks, biographies, guidebooks and many others.”

Freely admitting that neither he nor Philippa had any previous experience in either the printing or bookmaking trades nor in running a company 20 years ago, Dave says the path to business progression nonetheless soon presented itself.

He explains, “When Kerry Walker founded The CopyPress in 1993, it was a small print shop producing a few memoirs and family histories for local authors, as well as printing and photocopying for the local community and Nelson businesses.

“However, we became aware that a lot of the authors we were dealing with had no idea what to do with the books once they received them. They had no marketing

Print thrives at The CopyPress

IAIN MACINTYRE

Phillippa and Dave McManus, co-owners of The CopyPress

experience. In those days we pretty much left it up to the clients to do all the proofing and that sort of thing as well.

“Once we set up an online bookshop, and began to learn the whole publishing game, we decided that if we were going to sell books, they should be well presented and well edited. We now recommend that all of our clients take full advantage of our custom publishing process, which includes thorough editing and thoughtful design, because if we put a book out there that is not up to scratch, it will reflect badly on us and on New Zealand publishing in general.”

To facilitate the business model, which includes a particular focus on in-house capabilities, the company’s equipment investments have included two Fujifilm Versant 3100 digital presses and a smaller production machine, a Duplo perfect binder and a suite of finishing equipment.

“I would say we have a specific setup. When it comes to books, you tend to work with an editor or a typesetter/designer, and then it gets subbed out to a printer and must go to a distributor. We pretty much have all of that rolled into our business.”

Dave is also quick to highlight the contribution of staff in the business’s evolution. He says, “We came in very raw, and we have been very lucky and privileged with the staff we have had that have worked alongside us and supported us, and been there for the long term. When it comes to bookmaking, I believe

we have some of the most skilled people in New Zealand.”

Loathe to single out any particular job for praise, Dave notes that “each has its own challenges and rewards”. He says, “We have produced some beautiful work. We have always taken great pride and we believe in history being preserved.

“I also recall when we suddenly realised that the distribution model could work for us when we had a book that just kept selling. So basically, all we did for a month was keep printing that book.”

He sees the challenge of keeping pace with technology as a “continual battle” for the business and particularly, being in the publishing industry, with regard to storage and backup systems. He says, “We used to keep a physical book on site and a disk copy both here and elsewhere for all of our works. But technology is moving away from disks, and so we are moving into cloud systems.

“Being able to easily reprint old titles is a tricky part of the business, because people are expecting us to have those files ready to go at any stage, and we might not have touched them for five years.”

In regard to business motivations, Dave says the firm’s underlying “unofficial” goal has been to be considered “New Zealand’s most trusted book maker”.

He explains, “The mantra that I often run through with clients is that we want them

to look back on those books in five years’ time still with a smile, knowing that it was a good project and good experience, rather than looking back with any sort of tainting or any sort of ‘We could have done better’ feeling.

“We believe our books will stand up alongside anything being produced overseas or anywhere else. In addition, clients can also always ring us up and make a change at any time.”

Asked for his thoughts on the print industry as a whole, Dave says the sector has “a lot more potential than people think”.

He says, “I’ve heard it talked down, and I think we can do a lot better at promoting it. The sadness I feel is over a lot of the small guys disappearing. It is a survival thing for the bigger players to buy up the smaller ones, but those smaller towns are losing that local connection.

“The copy centres are gone, pretty much. Economically, I can understand it wasn’t that viable; we were one, but the biggest thing as an industry is really convincing New Zealanders to keep it local. If you haven’t got local businesses, you get a collapse of those economies.”

In a similar vein, Dave laments the disappearance of a viable local paper supply, noting the industry is now “totally at the beck and call” of overseas suppliers. He also implores greater “community” thinking and career path promotion over profits within the industry.

As for advice to other print and non-print business owners, he says it is imperative to have “positive, supportive people around you”.

He adds, “Having not been in business before, it probably took me three years to realise that the other people in the industry weren’t always my competition; they are actually part of my support network. The industry works together in times of breakdowns and supply chain problems, and things like that. That should be happening in every community, but I understand it is not necessarily the case.”

Looking to the future, Dave remains confident the print industry will continue to grow. He says, “There is a bit of a readjustment period going on at the moment, but everyone just has to ensure they have strong foundations to keep on going.

“But it is not always easy, and when you think you have a strong foundation, you just have to keep a watch, because a crack could be showing up.”

Busy in The CopyPress finishing room: Martin Bosley (l) and James Croll

Pride In Print – it is going to be a pearler so save the date

Judging completed as preparations begin for Pride in Print 2023

The Awards turn 30 this year and we are looking forward to a huge night of celebration that reflects on just how far the standards of our industry have come since the Awards first started.

But there is a lot of hard work to be done before then and that work started in March as close to 500 entries were laid out on the table and opened up to the exacting eyes, and eye glasses, of a cross section of our industry’s experts.

The quality certainly didn’t disappoint and was reflective of the exacting standards we have become accustomed to from the industry. This does of course move the bar of what is expected, and it creates some lively discussion and detailed debate over the finer points of the entries and whether they are worthy of being awarded a gold medal.

Judging of the awards always delivers a clear reminder of just how detailed a craft print is. There are experts from all the

print technologies and processes who are willing to share their expertise. From the prepress of a file through to the detailed finishing that puts it all together, it is both fascinating and a continuous learning curve to see just how in-depth the judging process is. The judges know their stuff and we cannot thank them enough, and the businesses they work in, for the time they give and the expertise they share over these two days.

At the end of the two days, we had a total of 191 gold medals to give out (along with 77 highly commended awards). In addition, there are the company awards across the categories of Innovation, Sustainability and Wellness. Golds are awarded in this category for initiatives taken by the business to improve their outcomes in those fields.

There are also nine Process Winners showcasing the best of each print process, and then the 13 Category winners that went on to contend for the overall Supreme Award. And, of course, one worthy Supreme Award winner.

The next stage of the process is also underway: preparations for the big event set for Friday 23 June. We have our fingers crossed that we will not have any further disruptions and that nothing new will appear between now and then. We are looking for a full house at the Cordis

Hotel in Auckland and the pleasure that it brings to see everyone in their finery, having a fabulous night.

We also use the glamour of this special occasion to celebrate not just the work that our industry produces, but also the people that produce it. One of the highlights of my role (of which there are many), is seeing our Apprentice of the Year category winners on stage, and one of them being named the Print Apprentice of the Year. It is such a special moment for them all to have their achievements recognised in front of a large representation of the industry. We also recognise the Trainer of the Year and Training Company of the Year and the enormous effort that they put into training and ensuring that our industry has the skilled workforce it needs in the future.

I encourage you all to attend this event whether you have entries in or not. We are all there to celebrate the incredibly diverse, innovative and award winning work that our industry prints right here in New Zealand.

Save the date: Friday 23 June at the Cordis Hotel, Auckland. Tickets are on sale now and numbers will be limited so don’t delay.

It is going to be a pearler.

RUTH COBB

At the judging table, from left: Laura Cibilich, Tim Upton, Brent Kale, Matt Tobin, Maree Bishop, Anne-Marie Gibbs, Mason Smith

Exacting standards: Laura Cibilich and Adam Smith taking care with an award entry

Alex Straight (l) takes a close look, with Fraser Gardyne assisting

JOIN DURST AT THE FESPA GLOBAL 2023 PRINT TOUR

Durst welcomes its Australian and New Zealand printers to join the company at its Fespa Global 2023 Print Tour and discover the latest innovations in printing technology.

In addition to the huge booth that Durst will have at Fespa in Munich, the company will be opening the doors to its premises in Brixen, Italy, where attendees will be able to explore the latest developments in digital printing, finishing and converting technology. While in Munich, visit Durst at its home!

Durst will be showcasing the latest of its technologies at its Customer Experience Centre, where attendees will take a factory tour, speak to its technical experts and enjoy a delicious lunch while seeing all of its printers in action. Durst Oceania will be organising a special Oceania Two-Day Event in Brixen on 21 May and 22 May.

See continuous live demonstrations of Durst’s top-of-the-line equipment, including the:

• P5 500i D4 – a press that maximises the productivity of the P5 UV series printing systems through the implementation of a double CMYK colour configuration.

• P5 350 HS – a hybrid solution for roll and board printing up to 3.5m and reaches a productivity up to 650 square metres per hour. Fast media change, easy maintenance handling and full safety render the printing process as way more efficient.

• P5 350 HS D4 with Automat –a hybrid solution with all the benefits of the P5 350 HS D4, plus Automat, which is a flexible automated inline solution which can manage up to two lanes with different board sizes – up to 3.5m width, 2.2m length and a loading capacity of 90cm.

• P5 TEX iSUB – a large format dyesublimation printer with an integrated inline fixation (iSUB) technology for

a one-step direct to fabrics printing process up to 337cm printing width. The integrated features of multi-roll and dual-roll printing make the printer very versatile and suitable for many soft signage and fabrics applications.

• TAU series – a platform that sets the benchmark in industrial digital UV inkjet label printing. Thanks to its outstanding performance, the TAU RSC platform is a game changer in short run production and transferring medium/long run flexo jobs to digital.

• Durst Alpha Wallpaper Edition – the most productive digital printing system on the market, with a production capacity of over 1,500 rolls per day or up to 1.2 million linear metres per year. In addition to productivity and outstanding colour consistency across the entire print width or run length, it also delivers on TCO.

Durst Oceania managing director Matt Ashman said, “Durst sits in the high quality and high production end of the

market but there are two sides to that story. First, we know people want to produce reasonable volumes quickly and at a high quality, but we are seeing that turnaround time is more important than capacity.

“There is also a misconception that Durst caters for only high-volume large companies. Nothing could be further from the truth. Across several print sectors, Durst solutions are ideal for businesses of all sizes. When you look at the production footprint and labour footprint of a Durst machine, you can see how having one Durst printer can free up people, who can be better purposed in other parts of the business.

“Durst builds the most technologically advanced printing machines in the world. It delivers a commercial business proposition with a return on investment that can’t be ignored. With a single operator, you can deliver a world class result. Durst provides automation and efficiencies with greater reliability. From the Durst entry level label printer to the wide format P5 platform, which

is designed for versatility, our solutions continue to surpass our customers’ requirements.”

Plus, at the Fespa Global 2023 Print Tour, attendees will be able to discover how Durst’s innovative printing technology and substrates can help them to reach their sustainability goals while providing unparalleled quality.

In addition to this exciting print tour, Durst is inviting attendees to experience the rich culture and history of Brixen. Take a stroll through the historic old town, admire the unique architecture of this dual German/Italian city, and indulge in local delicacies.

“Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to network, learn, and explore. We look forward to hosting you and your team!” Ashman said.

Reserve your place today by contacting our Durst Oceania managing director Matt Ashman at matt.ashman@durst-group.com.

P5 500i D4

P5 350 HS D4 with Automat

TAU series

Alpha Wallpaper Edition

P5 350HS

P5 TEX iSUB

PRINT LEADERS FORUM

A more promising year in 2023

The labour market still poses challenges in all aspects of manufacturing but hopefully now that local and international borders are open, we will have the opportunity to sponsor people from overseas if needed.

Durst is also working with universities here in Australia to bring in more young, smart and keen people who want to work in a great industry – we’re always looking towards the next generation.

On the other hand, packaging is evolving tremendously and crossing over into the printing world – we’ve got the likes of wide format printers diversifying into labels and large format printers doing short-run packaging. Packaging is going to be a huge focus over the next five years, with trends looking towards sustainable packaging that are paper-based as well as the use of water-based inks.

2022 was a massive year of healing and reconnecting with customers, business partners and clients. The year started off a little slow but accelerated tremendously. That allowed the industry to heal from all the negativity that surrounded it for two years following the pandemic.

This was the first time following COVID that the industry looked to renew, refresh and grow. General outlooks were positive, and this gave the industry some hope for better times ahead.

In 2022, since sentiments were better, businesses looked to add automation to their operations, but also re-evaluated their online presence to include B2B and B2C portals to try and ensure that they’re casting their nets wide. Several customers also started developing their sustainability strategies for efficiencies and cost savings where possible.

From a supplier perspective, we had customers asking us questions about our machines that we’ve never generally been asked before, including questions around power consumption. Durst makes machines that are as efficient as possible but these questions used to be an afterthought for customers previously. Now, they’re certainly at the forefront of people’s minds.

Historically, printers have not always been totally across their real costs of production, so it’s reassuring to see that they’re now more aware and heading in the right direction.

The industry can also get obsessed with base costs such as ink and consumables. In reality, this can be a misleading metric as with each device using different technologies to print the same job, the real ink consumption is the true metric –not just the cost per litre.

For this reason, in February, we began to include the Durst Ink saving option with all Durst Workflow RIP solutions free of charge. This gives Durst Workflow users complete control over the ink usage, and hence, cost of goods produced.

In 2023, we can expect a more promising year. There will be some challenges to navigate, as always, but there are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of.

On one hand, we will continue to experience high interest rates, high fuel costs and high energy costs. They will persist well and truly into the next few years. Luckily, the pressures around supply chains seem to be easing.

The industry will also continue to face challenges in hiring as quality tradespeople are hard to come by.

Durst is preparing its strategy for the upcoming drupa event in two years, where people can expect many new and improved solutions launched into the market. We will be presenting and showcasing our innovations at a few other tradeshows such as Fespa, Labelexpo and Printing United later this year, but drupa will be Durst’s biggest tradeshow ever.

Durst will also be hosting its Fespa Global 2023 Print Tour in Brixen, Italy, in May. We will be showcasing some of our latest technologies at our Customer Experience Centre, including the P5 500i D4, P5 350 HS, P5 350 HS D4 with Automat, P5 TEX iSUB, TAU series and Alpha Wallpaper Edition. So, come visit us at our home.

The company is also focusing on growing its existing platform to be more versatile and include more functionality for our customers. Our customers are always a priority for us, and we will strive to keep doing the best that we can for them.

For example, we recently developed more software and more automation for the P5 series, along with increasing the speed of the machine. So, we’re always looking to improve, expand and bring new things to market – whether that be with our existing portfolio or with new options and equipment.

Durst also loves to work with the industry, so you’ll continue to see our support with the events that we sponsor and our work with the local trade organisations. Bringing together the industry for the greater good is what we hope to achieve.

Matt Ashman, managing director, Durst Oceania

PRODUCTION EXCELLENCE

P5 350/HS

The hybrid printer that elevates the efficiency in your production cycle.

For more information, please visit durst-group.com/p5350

People in Print Awards and Rising Stars of Print Awards in

association with

After no live event last year, it was a thrill for New Zealand Printer Magazine and PrintNZ to host the People in Print Awards and Rising Stars of Print Awards for 2023.

The event took place at Sorrento in the Park, on the side of Maungkiekie (One Tree Hill) in Tamaki Makarau Auckland. Just over 100 print industry professionals attended the event to find out who this year’s People in Print Awards and Rising Stars of Print Awards winners would be.

Events like this can’t take place without sponsors and we thank the industry suppliers who stand behind the event. We would like to thank Platinum Sponsor Durst, Gold Sponsors Cyber and Starleaton, Silver Sponsors Konica Minolta and Wholesale Print and Bronze Sponsor Currie Group. The support from suppliers for the Awards reflects their commitment to the industry, and we are grateful for their readiness to sponsor the event.

Our platinum sponsor Durst Oceania announced a partnership for distribution and service with Aarque last year. Matt Ashman, managing director of Durst Oceania, made the journey across the Tasman from his Melbourne head office. He said, “It is really a privilege to be here to recognise and celebrate the people who help to make this industry such a dynamic and amazing place to be.

“Durst is a family-owned company, so it is appropriate that we participate in these awards; it is really all about the people. It is you who make this a great industry to work in. It is vital that we take these opportunities to encourage the talent that we have as they strive for success now and in the future. Congratulations to all the winners. I wish you a happy and prosperous 2023.”

Durst has made a global commitment to the highest levels of research and development to produce high quality, durable and advanced digital printing

technologies for the wide format, textiles, packaging and label markets. Durst is also committed to streamlining operations at the back-end and has developed a complete Durst Software Eco-System, which is all about helping companies to maximise business opportunities.

Automation and innovation are at the core of Durst’s products and the company looks forward to helping New Zealand printers to maximise efficiencies, productivity and profitability in the future.

These awards have kicked off a busy year across all industry sectors. Ruth Cobb, chief executive of PrintNZ, also congratulated the winners and pointed to the upcoming Training Graduations, Pride In Print Awards, Print + Sign Expo as just some of the events that we can look forward to this year. She said, “It is great to celebrate our people here and we look forward to your participation in the year’s events and initiatives.”

DAVID ATKINS SCG

Alongside Fred Soar, David has overseen the merger of Image Centre Group with Soar Print to form SCG. Combining one of the industry’s most astute business minds with a lifetime of experience and expertise in print and media management, David is helping to guide the team at SCG as it takes on new staff and challenges during one of the most challenging economic environments in living memory. The new company has already hit its straps and is a leader in the New Zealand print industry.

RICKY BAKER

Stuff

Despite a predicted downturn in advertising revenue, Ricky is keeping his team at Stuff occupied as they continue production on a range of mastheads including the DomPost. He says, “Our print sites are busy right now. We know that in tough economic conditions, the first thing most businesses pull back on is marketing and advertising, but we have a well motivated group at Stuff, and I am impressed and grateful with how everyone here continues to pull together to support our customers.”

BRIDGET BATCHELOR

Caxton Design & Print Excellence

After guiding Caxton through the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bridget has nothing but praise for the Caxton staff members, who she describes as “amazing”. Working together and sharing a positive attitude is the norm at Caxton. With a heritage stretching back some 88 years, the company is moving forward with sustainable printing practices and ongoing investments in innovative technology and solutions to deliver high quality offset, digital and wide format print to its loyal customer base.

AIDAN BENNETT

Benetifz

Helming the company that he co-founded in 1988, Aidan steers Benefitz across a diverse range of media sectors including print, advertising, design, and web development. He has integrated the company into the community it serves, and thanks his co-directors and staff members, who he sees as vital to the company’s success. Despite recently stepping down as chair of the local community board , Aidan remains heavily involved in community initiatives including the free Channel Magazine, which covers Auckland’s North Shore.

SEAN BENNETTS

Blue Star Collard

Since starting his journey in print 23 years ago, Sean has gained his apprenticeship, printer and supervisor qualifications in the same building in Henderson. He says he learned teamwork on the football field and, as a player, captain and coach of many teams, he tries to bring those values to his role. Workmates call Sean “The production glue that holds Blue Star Collard together with a calm and kind presence. Always willing to help, a fountain of knowledge and liked by everyone”.

SONI BHAVIK

Soni Design

Since he started his own company in 2016, Soni has worked constantly to expand its capabilities. He says, “I love being in this industry and the challenge of using all my design and entrepreneurial skills. I enjoy liaising with clients to find their needs and advising them on a range of issues involved in their specific projects. I have always found it fun to help clients develop their concepts and complete the graphics, layouts and finally the printed products.”

SAM BLENKIRON

Mirage Visual

As growth continues for Manawatu-based Mirage Visual, Sam says, “We remain focused on moving forward with the ability to pivot when required with a strong focus on technology and front-end automation. Now, we focus is on building long-standing relationships with clients and suppliers who support us, and in turn, we support them. It is certainly a competitive market so support for customers always wins in my book. I am mindful to stick to what we are good at and what we deliver well.”

A qualified web offset printer by trade, Robin is heading into his 30th year in print. After climbing the ranks via operations, customer services and sales, he now leads Webstar, the largest division of Blue Star Group. After seeing plenty of change over the last 12 months, he has committed to ensuring Webstar leads the market in innovation, engagement, sustainability, quality and having fun along the way. He says his biggest asset is his people and the passion they have to deliver beyond expectation.

The outlook for the team at popular Glenfield-based print company Broderick Print & Design remains positive, despite facing some strong headwinds over the past year. This is due in no small part to Jonny’s unrelenting efforts and energetic disposition. Determined to maintain the company’s strong reputation for producing a wide range of high-quality printed products, he continues to think outside the box, creating “the kinds of innovative solutions that our customers have to come to expect from us”.

JACQUI BUCKTON

Jacqui recently undertook a huge project moving to a print on demand business model for many of her key packaging clients. This included new equipment, software and most importantly managing staff through the changeover process. Jacqui knows every inch of her business and was able to increase her productivity & margins while saving her customers money through decreasing wasted product in storage, keeping quality high and turn around times fast.

ROBIN BOWKETT Webstar

JONNY BRODERICK Broderick Print & Design

Goldfields Print & Packaging

AARON BUIST

Beacon Media Group

A strong and an active advocate for media in print, Aaron advises community newspaper publishers on developments in print and paper procurement. He offers suggestions and options to optimise print requirements and costs no matter their printer of choice. Over the past year, he has worked pro-actively, and at times urgently, to ensure publishers remain in print following paper supply and cost issues, as well as print company closures. He enjoys working with other print businesses to get necessary outcomes for publishers.

MARK BULT

Torque Digital

As general manager of Torque Digital, Mark enjoys the challenges that confront one of the country’s busiest full-service print companies, running a range of equipment from small format digital to giant rigid and roll to roll solutions. He says, “I love the fact that we have such a great team to provide our clients with design, production, finishing and despatch, all in-house, as well as a signage team that covers installations, fabrication, and fleet. I am looking forward to continued growth as we take it to the next level.”

RAJA CHAKRABARTI

Allied Press

Few people in the industry have as much experience as Raja, who started his career with The Times of India, the world’s largest English language daily newspaper. Even so, he sees the value of ongoing training and continuous improvement, and recently completing a post graduate diploma in Occupational Safety Health and Safety Management at the Southland Institue of Technology. He says, “I am grateful to work with the kind of self-motivated people we have here at Allied Press. We are a good team.”

TONY CHEETHAM

Labelshop

Starting out creating barcodes for the print industry in 1992, Tony evolved the company into Labelshop, creating a flexible, responsive business with a can-do attitude that competes successfully in a tight market. Grateful for his staff, he says, “The best thing about Labelshop is the people I work with. Many of our 23 staff members have learned on the job, and it is great to see what we can achieve in terms of the service we offer.”

JILL COWLING

Blue

It is no accident that Jill oversees one of the most diverse workforces in the country but, when praised for her work with Blue Star Group, and behind the scenes in the industry in general, Jill is always quick to deflect the attention to the achievements of her staff and leadership team. Heading the country’s largest print company took on a new dimension this past year, when this committed advocate for print took on the role of chief executive of Webstar as well.

Star Group

GREG DANIEL

Print Lounge

In the decade that he has been general manager at PrintLounge, Greg has helped the company expand its footprint and capabilities across a range of print sectors, using his expertise in areas include prepress, digital printing and general print production management. PrintLounge owner Steve Sheppard says, “Greg is essential to the successful operation of the business. His knowledge, experience across the sector, as well his work ethic makes him an invaluable member of our team.”

CHRISTINA DRUMMOND

Windmill Press

As a small business owner, and considering her short time in the printing trade, Christina has achieved a great deal in expanding her product range to the public while solidifying her core business of letterpress printing. She has become a very competent machinist in letterpress and foil printing. This past year she has been involved with assisting in teaching at workshops run by the Printing Museum in Wellington. Christina enthusiastically promotes print, but especially letterpress.

JAMES DUFFY

Signature Print, Packaging and Labels

Investing in new technology has enabled James to increase his company’s capacity and capabilities. He says, “For instance, our roll-to-roll label press allows us to bring previously outsourced jobs in-house and give our customers a superior product. We have recently launched a new website and rebranded from Signature Press to better reflect what we can offer. The last year has been a mix but, for the first time ever, we achieved a gold medal at Pride In Print Awards.”

JAMES FLETCHER

Sharp Print Fininshers

Running a specialist finishing shop gives James a window into the state of the industry and current trends. He says, “Our work is steady right now, though we will always welcome more. Late last year, we installed a clam shell die-cutter, which gives us the ability to do die-cutting on thicker substrates like plastics and fluted material. While we have our Bobst cutter for bigger jobs, it is cool that we can bring in a wider range of work.”

GARY FURNESS

Crucial Colour

Ongoing investment in technology and people has seen Crucial Colour become one of New Zealand’s leading high-end print companies. Producing a wide range of printed products, the end-to-end print company offers everything from design and prepress, offset to digital printing, and in-house finishing. Gary says this past year has produced numerous challenges, but the team at Crucial Colour are focused on continuing to deliver the best service to their clients.

CRAIG HARRISON SCG

A Pride In Print Awards judge and former Ovato New Zealand general manager Craig has a love of print and a passion for the people in the industry. Last year, after Ovato went into voluntary administration, Craig helped the staff and management to cope with the closure and to find new positions. His three decades of industry experience across sheetfed and webfed print management made him an obvious choice as general manager operations for SCG.

MIKE HORLER

NZME

When Horton Media closed in December of last year, Mike, as general manager, made sure his staff had opportunities for meaningful employment, showing what leadership is all about He says, “That we could find jobs for all our staff is a huge accolade to them and their skill sets. I am incredibly grateful for the help we received. For instance, Russell Wieck and Matt Wilson from NZME worked really hard in helping to transition staff and customers. I love our industry.”

JEREMY HUNT

Big Brown Industries

Always busy, Jeremy combines good humour with innovative thinking to deliver what his clients need. He says, “At Big Brown, we have let the work dictate where we are heading, and we don’t have plans to be a large company. Signage needs to embrace technology but remember tradition. We are prepared to use both. I would like to see sign making recognised more as a legitimate trade, a viable option for the younger generation. With more support for training and apprenticeships.”

BEN JOHNSTON

Colourcraft

With a vision for his company’s future, Ben is carving out a future for himself in the printing industry and he is in it for the long haul. He says, “I enjoy the diversity of a day at work. Like all business owners, there is always something to do and priorities to juggle. It’s impossible to completely future proof a business, but acquiring more high-quality clients can help. By providing good service every day, we’ve been fortunate to earn referrals and over a period of time become a preferred supplier for clients.”

TRAVIS JORDAN

SCG

Moving on from his achievement as Apprentice of the Year to his appointment as production manager at Rocket Print (SCG’s label division), Travis continues to push himself and to grow his knowledge and expertise. He says, “I am grateful for the opportunities that I have had and I am really enjoying my present role in production. Producing great work with the amazing technology that we have at SCG is inspiring, as is working alongside the great people we have in our team.”

GRAHAM JUDD

Inkiana Press

Having completed his Letterpress Printing Apprenticeship back in the 60’s and having a career in the trade spanning over five decades, Graham is a master of letterpress printing. He is known not only nationally but internationally for his skills and broad knowledge of printing. He continues to commercially print and run regular workshops and in the last couple of years has created a mobile print shop to be able to travel all over New Zealand to share his love of printing with all ages. The letterpress world would be lost without him.

BRENT KALE

Kale Print

As a member of the senior leadership at Kale Print team, Brent’s knowledge and high skill levels have proven essential to the smooth running of the family-owned print company. Active in all areas of print, he takes his responsibilities seriously and is a judge for the Pride In Print Awards. Since becoming production manager, he has gone from strength to strength, overseeing the performance of all manufacturing departments and suppliers. His team describe him as “super organised and easy going”.

GAVIN KALE

Kale Print

Younger brother of Brent, Gavin is regarded by his peers as a ‘true print talent’. His manager says Gavin has the ability to run “any machine in any department of the factory. When there are unexpected shortages in staff, Gavin is able to step in anywhere to keep operations running smoothly. It is reassuring to know that we have someone of Gavin’s calibre on site for whatever challenge arises. He is reliable and knowledgeable as well as being calm and collected”.

RAYMOND KHO

Banner Express

Immigrating to New Zealand from Malaysia in 2013, Raymond saw an opportunity for webto-print. This astute business owner initially focused on designs but later moved to digital printing. Always looking for ways to improve the business, he says, “We have developed a strong web presence allowing us to go nationwide. I am appreciative of the 10 staff members here at Banner Express. The people around me are important and it is a fact that the staff members are a significant factor in the success of this business.”

CHRISTOPHE KIOU

Monster Print

After bringing Monster Print through the Covid-19 pandemic, Christophe has had time to look at the business and now plans to position for future success. He says, “The past year has been challenging as we have had similar issues other businesses such as supply chains and staff shortages. It is a matter of doing the best wee can and doing what we have to do to get the work out, of course without sacrificing our high quality. I see training as an essential parrt of our future and I am keen to take on apprentices.”

BRIAN LANDRY SCG

A hands-on general manager, Brian’s experience in print ranges from his initial work as a photo-lithographer to production and general management across design, printing and wide format. Even after a lifetime in print, he remains a fan of the process, and is always willing to share his extensive knowledge with anyone who wants to learn, especially junior staff. He enjoys working with new technology, always looking for new ways to make a superior and higher quality printed product.

PETER LLOYD

Kale Print

His staff and management team say “no matter how many balls are in the air and how many fires may need putting out, Pete always arrives every day with a smile on his face. He is always coming up with new ideas to improve the operations of the company and support our team and our community. His calm and consistent demeanour reassures the team and the way he guided and reassured everyone through the Covid-19 pandemic is something to be celebrated and awarded”.

CRAIG LOVERIDGE

Blue Star Group

In his more than 25 years in the industry, Craig has developed a distinctive leadership style that has proved invaluable to the companies he has worked for and their clients. Ever willing to listen to new ideas, he believes “no one person always has the best ideas”. In his five plus years at Blue Star Group he has helped oversee numerous business transformations and has been instrumental in helping move the print giant to become more sustainable, achieving several major certification milestones along the way.

JAMIE LUNAM

Jenkins Freshpac

Creating a supportive and well-balanced workplace for his employees, forward-thinker Jamie is also a keen believer in training, and generous with his time across a wide range of organisations. In his seven years as general manager with Jenkins Freshpac, he has continued the company’s tradition of innovation. He says, “This is my first print associated business and it is both interesting and diverse, for example, using technology like robots. But we are also in horticulture, which is very similar to printing.”

NICK MARSH

5Digital

Leading 5Digital since 2015, Nick continues taking the company into new areas of print and associated sectors, but always with the attitude that 5Digital should produce the highest quality print. As a smaller player in a competitive market, he has helped establish 5Digital’s reputation for outside-the-box thinking. He shares an intention to expand the boundaries of what is possible in digital print production with his fellow directors at the company, Glenn Climo and Alan McMillan.

MATT MILLS

Fuzed

Matt’s 2022 achievements are shown in the success of the business and the work the company produces every day, as well as those special projects that Fuzed is well known for. Research and development forms one of the favourite parts of his job. Prior to putting many of its projects into action, the Fuzed team will commit to hours, days, and sometimes weeks of testing and research. Matt sees this aspect of the job as “crucial to the prosperity of the business, and to the industry itself, in this ever changing world”.

TEGAN MILLS

Fuzed

There’s nothing Tegan loves more than using her creativity to showcase new and exciting print projects and abilities. Last year, she found herself elbow deep in several of these. The most notable was the Light and Motion Art – Fuzed X Jane Mason Lenticular Art Exhibition in collaboration with the artist, designer and sculptress Jane Mason. Tegan says, “I also enjoy making sure that Fuzed is running smoothly, the staff are happy, and the business is being marketed successfully.”

TIM MORRIS

Laserfoil

Working in what is now regarded as a highly skilled niche sector of the industry, Tim has established a reputation for excellence, winning the three Letterpress Process Awards at Pride In Print. His attention to detail and commitment to producing work with “no compromise on quality” sees him delivering his customers a plethora of high-end letterpress printed products. Keen to share his letterpress knowledge and to learn more about his craft, Tim has hosted workshops at his premises.

RAJESH MUDUNDI

Five Star

Realising his dream of running his own print business has seen Rajesh transform a copy shop into a full-service print provider. Continuous investment in the latest technologies has meant a relocation for the bulk of the business to an industrial site in Auckland’s Penrose. Rajesh has remained true to his original commitment to “offer our clients a range of possibilities for their businesses and organisations to help them make a better informed decision on their marketing and printing requirements”.

PHIL NORVILL

ACI Screen & Print

Phil and his partner Paula have been instrumental in valuing the skills that well-trained staff bring to their business. Phil has trained up staff over a number of years in the packaging and screen print industries, culminating in Liam Blom receiving the Screen Print Apprentice of the Year in 2022. Phil was then one of the industry advisors that worked with the Workforce Development Council to rewrite the training material and unit standards for screen print and reelfed print apprentice levels 2-4 last year.

MARGRIET O’REILLY

Pinc

Supporting a team of young graphic designers, Margriet has helped them to develop a passion for print; to love what they do; and to take pride in their work. She has also passed on her enthusiasm for print finishes and paper stocks. Margriet regularly creates content and print work to promote our industry to a wider audience. She says, “Pinc offers a customisable print experience with a range of print finishes, techniques and stock options, so that each set of prints going out the door is perfect for every individual client.”

ANDREW SLANE

Blink

Since its inception in 2014, Blink has grown to offer its clients everything from graphic design to brand strategy; packaging to signage; and photography to social media. Blink founder Andrew continues to invest in high quality technology such as printers, cutting tables and lasers, and in high quality people. He believes in working closely with clients, especially during the design phase. His belief is that “design is inherently social and should always be made for the real world”.

ANDRE SMITH

Cube

Recently leading a project to upgrade all the digital equipment at Cube, Andre demonstrated his ability as a forward-thinking and innovative member of the team. He says, “The opportunity to automate processes including prepress, quality control and finishing was too good to pass up. I share a strong passion for print along with my fellow Cube team members. Working in print and creating a range of exciting printed products is a great way to spend your working week.”

FRED SOAR

SCG

New Zealand’s most sustainable printer believes in print. He says, “The industry is morphing into different niches. Offset and web runs have shrunk but there are plenty of opportunities out there for print such as packaging, labelling, outdoor signage, cardboard packaging, and even books. There is still a place for print and it is an exciting place to be. When Soar Print merged with ICG and relocated both operations, we had the opportunity to create a new structure in a new setup. We now have about 160 staff.”

DAVE TROTTER

StudioQ

Doing things differently was never Dave’s intention but he has shown that you don’t have to follow a traditional path to find success in printing. For example, Studio Q provides printing services to artists. He says, “We have called it ‘beautiful things’. It is a safe place for artists and creatives to come together and learn new techniques. We wanted to create an environment where we can help our art customers more. They often need somewhere they can talk about projects or even host exhibitions.”

DAN WHEELER

Freedom Plus

Freedom Plus offers a guarantee to deliver on time or it delivers for free. Dan founded the company in 2002, working out of his garage and he has not lost his excitement for the industry. He says, “We have had that slogan for several years. ‘On time, every time or it’s free’ became our guarantee, our promise and something we live by as we have grown continuously since we began. It was probably easier to get into printing then, but it is still a great industry to work in.”

GEOFF WHEELER

CCL

General manager at CCL, the global specialty label and packaging solutions manufacturer, label legend Geoff Wheeler has an impressive resume in the sector and inspires those around him. His peers describe him as “quite self-aware and always willing to help others. He has the ability to take people through the label making process as well as offering them advice on which substrates to use. He is also incredibly knowledgeable; what Geoff doesn’t know about labels is probably not worth knowing”.

RUSSELL WIECK

NZME

Guiding the team that produces the country’s largest newspaper is a job that Russell relishes. With the recent closure of Horton Media, he was able to place some of the staff from that company into NZME. He says, “We feel fortunate to have been in a position to offer roles to these staff members, who are of a very high calibre. Teamwork forms a major part of our success and part of that is keeping everyone informed about what we are trying to achieve and how we are going to get there.”

KRYSTAL WOODS

5Digital

With a long career in the print industry servicing both the label and digital print sectors, Krystal has really become a great servant to the printing industry with a passion for the industry and the people in it. Her extensive knowledge around all things print and her committed approach to making sure all print purchases are a great experience for her clients, producing a second-to-none print buying experience, has set her apart. The team at 5Digital says it is a joy to have someone as passionate and loyal to the industry.

BRITT ANDERSON PrintLounge

The staff and management team at PrintLounge are forever grateful that Britt decided to embark on a career in print. Now PrintLounge’s head digital operator, Britt has shown no fear of the technology and readily embraced the company’s recent change in process from offline to inline finishing. Her managers say that “her ability to pick up new processes and her work ethic mark her out as someone to respect. She is an incredibly skilled operator who is solution focused and always has a smile on her face”.

LIAM BLOM

ACI Screen & Print

After becoming an Apprentice of the Year finalist and being named Screen Apprentice of the Year, Liam has gone from strength to strength at ACI. His manager says, “Liam shows great determination in everything he does, and he continues to grow in his role, striving to set a good example with the print team. He is also showing leadership in helping to train our newer team members. Liam adds, “The Apprentice of the Year Awards gave me encouragement and motivation. I am excited about the future.”

TOM DEMPSEY

Webstar

With industry experience in various roles within the major suppliers and printers in the New Zealand market, Tom has become a Rising Star after moving into a senior business development role. His manager says, “Tom is loving the challenge web offset print brings to his day-to-day life. He works closely with his clients to keep the channel active, sustainable and exceeding their expectations. He is a robust commercial leader who has a great grasp of the marketplace; a leader who is going places.”

KOSEMA FUIONO

Blue Star Collard

Claiming the Apprentice of the Year and Offset Apprentice of the Year titles, Kosema exudes humility and humour. He says he was blown away by the faith shown in him at Blue Star Collard when they entrusted him to operate a multi-million-dollar press only months into his apprenticeship. His trainer says, “Sema’s ability to pick up quite technical processes quickly are impressive. He’s actually been the lead printer on a five-colour press for at least half of his apprenticeship. He has a generosity of spirit and is extremely diligent.”

ALISTAIR MCEWEN

Fuzed

Starting out as a sign writing apprentice many years ago, Alistair has worked for Fuzed since 2015. His manager says, “He simultaneously manages digital and offset in two separate buildings. His skill and expertise, diversity within the production area and ability to produce quality products is unparalleled. Alistair doesn’t have an off switch. When he is at work, he gives 100 per cent all the time, and he is a great role model for others and an invaluable member of the Fuzed team.”

ALEISHA MUTCH

Pinc

A big fan of creating and surrounding herself with beautiful things, Aleisha has a natural attraction to design. Since entering the print industry three years ago, and working as a graphic designer at Pinc, Aleisha has developed valuable knowledge of print finishes and paper stocks which allows her to explore new concepts and areas of graphic design. She believes it is essential to translate design knowledge into print, so that as trends arise, print can grow alongside them.

MOHAMMED NASIR

Torque Digital

Starting as a digital cutter in 2017, Mohammed has steadily progressed through various roles in the company to become leader of Torque Digital’s Print Team. In 2022, he was thrown in the deep end when Torque’s pregnant production manager had to take early leave before plans for her cover could be completed. During the past 9-10 months Mohammed has shown dedication to improve his company and industry knowledge and provide a cool, calm and collected approach to how he now runs such a large 24/7 production unit.

TESSA ROWE

Kale Print

The management team at Kale Print know they can rely on Tessa, who “has had an amazing year delivering on all our marketing requirements whilst juggling her day to day clients requirements”. Tessa adds, “It has been a huge year in terms of building Kale Print’s brand presence and through marketing initiatives, we have reinforced our key pillars of service, quality and innovation. However, our people are the real heart of the business and I believe they should feel valued, supported and acknowledged for their dedication to their craft.”

NANA SOUTHALL

Blue Star Constellation

The Apprentice of the Year finalist and Digital Apprentice of the Year has impressed her colleagues and manager, who says, “The speed at which she has developed and the focus she displays is remarkable. Nana is continuously improving herself and looking for new learning opportunities. She researches, spends time with colleagues in other departments, and genuinely wants to strive for more. She takes feedback constructively and aims to improve on each and every job. She is a real pleasure to have in the team.”

FREYA WYETH

Pinc

Freya says that beginning her career in the print industry has been nothing but a joy, and joining the fantastic and talented team at Pinc has opened her eyes to the possibilities of this industry. She says, “As a graphic designer, seeing designs come to life in the form of something tangible is like nothing else, and being able to elevate designs with finishes like foil and embossing adds a whole new dimension to my work. Last year, I had the amazing opportunity to be part of my first Women In Print event.”

Wholesale Print doubles down on the AccurioPress C14000

and running another 6000, meaning we can fill up the trays and let it run. With the click rate structure, there is no advantage or disadvantage running A4 or A3. But when you want to run A4, you have the option that it doesn’t take another step to do that.

“Another benefit is that uptime has significantly improved. Clicks between service and maintenance calls have changed things considerably, which is important on a digital platform.

“When we were looking for a new digital platform, we started with the mandate that we wanted the operators to have to make as few decision points as possible and we have found what we were looking for in the C14000, which removes the operator decision points that are not required. We now have the production workflows setup so that what the operator can control is the most beneficial to the printed product. It can handle everything, from which stock gets loaded to how it travels through the machine. These basic operations sound simple but they are so important to productivity and quality.

The country’s largest trade printer has installed two Konica Minolta AccurioPress C14000 printers at its main Wellington site.

Lawrence Evens, managing director at Wholesale Print, says, “We placed the first C14000 in November 2022 and the second one at the end of January 2023. The automation in the C14000 makes it significantly cheaper to run, so we were economically incentivised to get the second machine.

“We need the volume this digital platform provides, which includes our batch printing and short runs. They run all day long. We get maximum flexibility from them, and we will eventually have them running two shifts, up from the 10-12 hours per day they are running now.

“The C14000 prints all the book covers we put through. Its capability to print an extended size enables us to print book covers with flaps. We print the inside of the books with the Konica or high speed inkjet. The C14000 is setup to the Fogra 39 standard, which is the same colour

standard we have with our Komori press. The C14000 is the biggest single advance I have seen in toner-based print in 25 years. It feels like we have managed to leapfrog a few technology iterations to get to this point, and that is a good feeling. You think you have seen it all and then something like this comes along – a new generation machine built from the ground up, not an update of a previous machine.

“The issues we always had to deal with in relation to digital-toner-based operation have mainly passed. Colour consistency is just one example of a digital issue we no longer have to worry about. Another example is the paper path. Having been in the offset game for a long time, I have waited for digital to catch up to offset in terms of paper feeding. The air suction feed that the C14000 uses gives it superior control for the paper path through the machine. There really is no comparison with that and what we had before.

“As you can imagine we have quite a bit of work to get through; basically, stack to stack. The C14000 will hold 6000 A3 sheets in the stacker before outputting

“We have made savings. From an operator’s perspective, we have cut 30 per cent of the time we were using to setup for perfing and creasing, for example. We have managed to automate functions that were manual.

“The experience we are having means at the end of the shift, an operator can push a button and walk out the door. The C14000 will keep going on its own and knock off at two in the morning.

“It is rare to have a digital platform that ticks every box in one column but the C14000 can do that. You usually need to compromise to get that range, but from cost of production to print quality, everything was with the C14000.

“I think even Konica Minolta New Zealand is surprised at how good the C14000 is. It is also good that, since returning to New Zealand as a direct operation, the company can concentrate on production printing, with Brother distributing Konica Minolta’s range of office printers. It is early days for Konica Minolta New Zealand, and no doubt quite exciting for them. The C14000 is a great flagship.”

Konica Minolta’s high volume platform powers digital production

Pat Buckley, prepress manager at Wholesale Print, with one of the company’s Konica Minolta AccurioPress C14000 printers

WITH THE ACCURIOPRESS C14000 SERIES

The digital revolution continues with the highly evolved AccurioPress C14000 series, designed to ensure you never stop printing. These high speed digital colour presses offer next level automation for ultra-efficient, high volume colour printing. Packed with an array of impressive features, powerful inline finishing options for high pr oductivity and with in-built technology, they offer unparalleled quality and consistency print after print.

To rethink efficiency, simply visit: konicaminolta.co.nz/AccurioPressC14000series

Opportunities and challenges in a new era

our vendors in HP and others have exciting products that will once again cause a step change forward.

Our expanded portfolio in 3D print will allow us to capture the onshoring of highly customised short-run manufacturing parts. For many years, technologies were oriented towards prototyping rather than functional final parts; however, technology has now caught up with the hype.

We are excited about the multi-year opportunity. Equally we see continued momentum as we push into sign and display with our partner EFI. We’re now looking into the textiles market purposefully, along with other adjacent markets. We see plenty to be excited about in the future. Overall, we continue to believe in digital and printed communication in all its forms – whether indoor, outdoor, or labels and packaging.

As we transition from the post-Covid era, the best piece of advice I have is to accelerate change. If we stand still now, it’s a recipe for disaster.

As 2023 gathers momentum, we are greeted with an equal measure of opportunities and challenges. The spoils will ultimately go to the brave and strong, and to those that have managed to navigate industry wide headwinds.

It is widely categorised as the postCovid era. Most have managed through survival mode, some even thriving.

However, we have now entered a new operating environment that includes general inflation, spiralling business input costs, labour shortages and the consequences of supply chain disruptions. So, what comes next?

To remain relevant, we have all had to focus on reinventing ourselves, with ideas big and small.

We’ve seen a continued push into the growth segments such as labels and packaging, production workflow

automation, customised short run production expansion, textiles and more.

Market consolidation through acquisitions is also gathering pace in these segments. Unquestionably, growth is there for the taking, even though we are all running into headwinds.

The shifts in human behaviour, and brand communication in general have caused an industry paradigm shift. As history has shown, challenging macroeconomic cycles come and go. The challenges that we’re facing will normalise, and on balance I predict that towards year’s end, we’ll have seen off the worst.

Reading the trends and taking the relevant steps to diversify our businesses will ultimately pay off. The strong inevitably become stronger.

At Currie Group, we’ve continued to accelerate from a position of strength into the labels and packaging sector;

Along with growth opportunities, the astute are closely monitoring operating costs, with a laser focus on process optimisation and getting the most out of every dollar spent. That should be par for the course of any good business. The idea is to become more efficient whilst not affecting your customer experience.

As inflationary pressures cause stress and strain on personnel, marketing, and company budgets, the million-dollar question is, what will happen to the volume of communication in 2023 and beyond? Many are predicting a softening, as a result, discussions have revolved around cost controls and prudent levels of investment.

Moving forward, the industry can continue to expect Currie Group to serve the print and manufacturing industry with best-inclass solutions and service, enabling our customers to realise their full potential. We’ve built an incredible fabric of trust in the industry and the foundational pillar for the business is offering unparalleled service levels. This year will see continued investment in transforming our service offering, as we acknowledge a diversity of needs in various market segments.

Currie Group CEO Rob Mesaros shares his industry insights for 2023

Rob Mesaros Chief Executive Officer, Currie Group

Automating the art of offset

With the ever-present excitement around digital technology becoming faster, cheaper and able to print an increasing number of Pantone colours, it is easy to forget about all the advancements made on the other side of the fence — the offset market. Of course, digital printing is growing rapidly, but still, it is a small piece of pie compared to the huge slice covered by offset printing technology.

Offset technology has been the standard in the printing world since 1903. It is a traditional solution perfect for customers looking for high-volume printing, costeffective methods, flexibility and, most importantly: top-quality results. An aweinspiring degree of detail and clarity is one of the significant benefits of offset.

Faster, automated and connected

One of the shortcomings of analogue printing technology is the time needed for setup; however, as offset is mainly used for long jobs, the setup time is spread over more copies. The same happens to the cost: while it might be higher overall, many copies make the unit cost much more economical.

“For us, the biggest advantage of offset is the length of our runs. If we print booklets or brochures, they could be anything from 50,000 to 100,000 copies, so this order would be too big for digital print,” says Steve Morait, general manager of Otago Daily Times Print (ODT Print).

Nowadays, make-ready processes are less time-consuming because they have been automated along with the overall press operations.

For instance, RMGT’s flagship 10 Series, besides printing up to 17,100 sheets per hour, also enables reduced make-ready time thanks to the SimulChanger function by performing automatic plate changing simultaneously along with a function to quickly and efficiently clean the machine’s ink, blanket and impressions cylinders washup sequence.

The press also boasts its Internet of Things with the Press Information Cloud (PIC) and the Press Information Edge (PIE). These cloud-based management systems allow users to collect and review data while analysing and adjusting the machine’s components when necessary.

The Printing Quality Control System (PQS-D) provides an inspection function, a print density tracking function and an automatic register adjustment function to ensure accurate colour and automatic changeover for continuous printing. The RMGT 1060 offers optional features, including an automatic nonstop logistics feeder, LED-UV drying system and a delivery shutter.

On the commercial printing presses, the ST, TP and PF models, the new Smart Assist Printing system allows the consecutive printing of several jobs in a fully automatic way. Ink presetting, blanket cleaning, plate changing, print tests, register and density adjustment are all done at the touch of a button on the control panel. The company claims the improvements reduce setup time by up to 70 per cent compared to previous models.

“If you look at a new RMGT, it can be up and running in seven minutes,” Morait says. “So it becomes comparable to setting

up a digital machine. Plus, offset presses these days recalibrate automatically and are getting faster.”

In September last year, Heidelberg launched the new-generation Speedmaster SX 102, which has been enhanced with artificial intelligence and other automated assistance systems developed primarily for commercial print shops that require high productivity and top-quality printing.

Heidelberg claims that the basic model offers an “excellent” price-performance ratio, with configurations extending through to an autonomous Push to Stop perfecting press and a new format option (650 x 940 mm) reportedly cutting printing plate costs by up to 20 per cent compared to the conventional 102 sheet format.

The company says that with the help of artificial intelligence, digital assistance systems allow for a further reduction in the number of manual interventions.

Offset printing is the most widely used printing technique, but most of all, it is an art requiring skilful artisans

RMGT’s flagship 10 Series is capable of printing up to 17,100 sheets per hour

One of the benefits of offset is a topquality print and colour reproduction

Plates with a touch of a button

The automation is also entering the pre-press stage of production. Kodak, for example, increased the speed of the high-performance Kodak Magnus Q800 Platesetter once again with T-speed Plus, offering a throughput of up to 84 B1 or 8-up plates per hour.

“We are excited that we have been able to make the world’s fastest CTP system even faster. This is further evidence that Kodak continues to bring solutions to market that enable our customers in the printing industry to become more competitive and profitable through greater efficiency and productivity,” says Jeff Zellmer, vice president of global sales and strategy at Kodak.

This marks Kodak’s third speed upgrade for the Magnus in four years, with more than 40 per cent speed improvement over the former Z-Speed. The Magnus Q800 can also image Kodak Sonora Xtra Process Free Plates at its new top speed.

“While there are several highlyautomated systems, they are usually costly and probably slightly over the top for our local New Zealand market,” says Robin Bowkett, general manager of Webstar NZ. “Having said that, I think this is where the future is. Automation is

already helping with colour registration and CTP. We will also see more post-press automation in the coming years.”

Sustainable inks

Advances in ink technology have also improved the offset printing process. Things changed when UV-LED inks were developed. UV-LED curing lamps run a lot cooler, eliminating the extra cost of special AC units that are no longer necessary. The UV printing process became far more environmentally friendly as it didn’t use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and was less expensive.

Until recently, low-migration offset inks were only used in sheetfed printing. A new binder developed by hubergroup has paved the way for innovation in web offset printing. The company launched the first coldset and heatset inks for foodcompliant paper packaging — the mineral oil-free and low-migration ink series MGA Food News and MGA Evolution.

“With the help of a special binder and the careful selection of raw materials as well as production methods, we have succeeded in developing the first lowmigration, and low-odour web offset inks,” says Thomas Stumpf, director of web offset at hubergroup. “As safety and sustainability are our top priorities, we

worked closely with our sheetfed offset experts who have been developing inks for food packaging for many years.”

Cleaning gets cleaner

In the process of printing, when the new varieties of offset printing ink are replaced, and the printing task is completed, the ink on the ink roller needs to be cleaned. However, the printing machine’s wetting roller, screen, printing plate, and font will be contaminated with offset ink during the printing process. To maintain the normal state of the printing machine and the quality of the printed matter, the printing machine should be cleaned.

“Offset is obviously not as clean as digital. At the end of the day, we have to wash up the ducts if we leave them over the weekend or not run through the night,” Morait says.

Several automated solutions can safely clean cylinders, blankets and plates used in various production processes and tackle cleaning tasks.

UK-based Alphasonics offers a wide range of ultrasonic cleaning equipment, including BWM ‘Combi’ Series, a threetank system that allows the Blanket Wash Module to be cleaned at the same time as the Anilox which streamlines the cleaning process with the added benefit of powerful Alphasound cleaning technology.

“There is no question about it, offset offers amazing results in terms of print and colour quality, but it is quite a dirty process. Automation is more than welcome in this aspect of our production,” Bowkett says. “Having said that, I have been working in offset print for many years with several roles, including working in Europe, and I think certain artistry is needed to be an offset printer. Any automation entering this sector is welcome to ease our manual and physical operations, leaving us printers to focus on creating our artwork.”

Heidelberg Speedmaster SX 102 is powered by artificial intelligence

Kodak’s Magnus 800 can produce up to 84 plates per hour

Alphasonic unit cleans lightly souled modules in just 15 minutes

CYBER OFFSET

Cyber installs region’s first RMGT 970 at Aussie printer CMYKhub

Australia’s leading wholesale trade printer CMYKhub is able to bring to market increased productivity and quality control, as well as better colour management and stock compatibility following the installation of a new press by Cyber A/NZ towards the end of last year.

The company now owns a new eightcolour RMGT 970PF-8 LED press, which includes PQS-D and Smart Assist Printing capabilities.

The machine has been installed at CMYKhub’s Brisbane production centre, yielding many benefits for the business. Replacing the site’s older RMGT 920, the RMGT 970PF-8 LED install is an Australasian first and builds on the partnership that CMYKhub and Cyber have established over many years.

The companies started their relationship in 2007 when the original owners of CMYKhub bought its first press from the RMGT distributor. Exceptionally happy with the performance of this machine, they have continued to buy more units

from Cyber over the years. Since then, CMYKhub has purchased 15 offset presses from Cyber, with the RMGT 970PF-8 LED being the fifth eight-colour UV/LED machine that it has bought.

CMYKhub CEO Dayne Nankervis said, “The machines that we have purchased from Cyber have always been highly productive and profitable for our business. They have always performed the way we expected them to. So, when it came to making the decision to purchase another new machine, it was an easy decision for us to choose Cyber again”.

“The RMGT 970PF-8 LED delivers on value, and it’s a good quality Japanese machine that suits our business perfectly. It’s the only offset machine in our Brisbane site and it works seamlessly with our other machines.”

Nankervis mentioned that investment into its Brisbane facility has seen increased productivity, and quality from all its sites, and that small to medium size print shops and print resellers across Australia can continue to depend on

CMYKhub to support them in growing their businesses without having to invest in more equipment.

Nankervis said, “Our Brisbane site was due for an asset upgrade. Our older RMGT 920 didn’t have any significant issues, but it was starting to age. RMGT’s release of the larger 970 press with improved make ready-times and quality management made it an easy decision.

“We requested many tests from Cyber and the press passed every test we put at it.”

“We chose the RMGT 970PF-8 LED as it’s a modern machine with some improvements. It is a larger press that allows for a greater use of products produced, better imposition planning, better paper transfer, a better in-feed system as well as a camera system with automation for quality control.

“Our operators and production managers have been noting the ease of use of the machine relative to the older model. There’s a noticeable improvement.”

The eight-colour press, with PQS-D and Smart Assist Printing capabilities, has been installed at CMYKhub’s Brisbane production centre, yielding many benefits for the business

(l-r) Greg Knight, GM Cyber and CMYKhub's CEO Dayne Nankervis

Nankervis added that Queensland is a particularly large state geographically, and with a high level of tourism as well as local and international events, trade customers in this region require more support.

The business also has a Melbourne site which services Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, a Sydney site that services NSW and ACT, a site in Cairns servicing the far north Queensland region and another site in Perth that services Western Australia and Northern Territory.

Keeping up with technology

According to Nankervis, the installation of the press has provided CMYKhub with greater confidence and control over the quality and productivity of the press, allowing CMYKhub to focus on servicing its resellers.

“We’re expecting this to become one of our highest productive machines in our fleet over the coming year. To do this we need to the best operational business with the latest and best technology,” he said.

“It has already passed our expectations through one of our busiest periods on record. Since its installation, we’ve

produced typical gang, trim and pack work like flyers and brochures, perfect bound books, saddle-stitched books and posters.”

Cyber general manager Greg Knight, who was involved in the sale and installation of the press at CMYKhub, said that since he had dealt with the company for many years, he knew that they were always looking to maintain a competitive edge over their competition.

“CMYKhub is a company that strongly believes in upgrading its equipment on a regular basis ensuring they always gain all the advantages of working with the most up to date technology.

“The company was looking for a machine that delivered on quicker make-ready times and less make-ready sheets, which the 970 – with some new features on it –is able to achieve.”

The RMGT 970PF-8 LED is just one of the machine configurations within new RMGT 970 series, which is an A1-plus size multicolour offset press. The 970 model is based on a blend of RMGT’s R&D emanating from the 920 series and the 10 series presses.

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

The machine is designed and manufactured for a maximum 650mm by 965mm sheet size.

“The 970 size is something that our customers have been asking for, for quite a while. They wanted a machine that could produce a 650mm by 910mm sheet size, which its predecessor the RMGT 920 was not able to do,” Knight said.

All about the features

The series 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 and LED UV technology enabling instant drying for fast turnarounds all adding up to a highly productive and profitable press.

It also features improved printing stability from thin to heavy stock, the option of a coating unit enabling special printing for higher value added work.

“RMGT listened to the market’s wants and needs. They then developed this new press, which was built from the groundup. It has new cylinder configurations, more rollers and bigger rollers, and the operating system on the machine has also been upgraded,” Knight said.

“It’s a very operator-friendly press, which is a welcomed feature in the industry. It’s getting harder and harder finding skilled operators. The machines of today must be easy to operate and be automated.”

The 970 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

Cyber A/NZ managing director Bernard Cheong

CMYKhub’s CEO Dayne Nankervis with printer David Hopkin

The RMGT 970PF-8 LED press was installed at CMYKhub’s Brisbane production centre

CYBER OFFSET

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.”

Enhancing production capacity

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.

The Smart Assist Printing capabilities enables advanced automation and autonomous press operation in the 8 UP+ press format.

With the system, the pressman touches one button and the entire printing process –from ink and paper pre-setting, blanket and impression cleaning, and plate changing through verification of test printing, register adjustment, ink density adjustment, and full sheet inspection – are all autonomously processed without the need to pull a sheet.

“Enhanced profitability comes from the incremental cost reductions that Smart Assist Printing provides and the additional time opened up in the production schedule adds to a customer’s ability to grow their business,” Cheong said.

As for the PQS-D system, it uses a high-precision in-press CCD camera to inspect each printed sheet with superior reliability. It lets users perform three key functions in-press with a single camera (per side of sheet), namely quality inspection, printing density tracking and automatic register adjustment.

The scanning process can be archived to

provide back-up quality control data to a printer’s end user.

Suitable for commercial printing and very short-run digital-like runs through to packaging printing, it eliminates the need to pull out sample sheets during the run and defective sheets are automatically sorted out, enhancing quality assurance, and further automating printing.

“This press has a wide marketplace – it can go into your general commercial plants and can find a place in the packaging market. Or as in the case of CMYKhub, it fits in very well into the trade printing market,” Knight said.

Future plans

Nankervis said CMYKhub looks forward to adding more kit to its fleet later this year and grow its wide-format business, which it recently invested in. Its relationship with Cyber will also be pivotal in its future plans.

“The last two years were about replacing and upgrading our machinery and expanding our areas of business. We’ve significantly invested in our wide format department and have just relocated our wide format business in Melbourne. So, we’ll be putting an emphasis on that in the early part of the year,” he said.

“Our partnership with Cyber will also continue as a very strong and close relationship. We understand and support each other.

“CMYKhub is continually advancing and growing and Cyber has always supported us along that journey, which has involved many machines and replacements. Cyber has been there for us the whole time and will continue to be there in the coming years as we continue to invest in our offset fleet.”

Knight added that CMYKhub’s close relationship with Cyber over the years is a testament to the quality of RMGT’s presses and the service the company provides.

“It’s always nice to sell a customer one machine, but they won’t buy a second machine from you if the performance of the first press doesn’t meet expectations.” The fact that CMYKhub has purchased 15 machines from us over the years is the strongest recommendation we could ask for acknowledging the quality and performance of our presses,” he said.

“Having the number one trade printer in Australia buy from us also enhances our reputation in the marketplace. We are now seeing some signs that the market is starting to bounce back, so I am hoping for a very successful year.”

The eight-colour RMGT 970PF-8 LED press includes PQS-D and Smart Assist Printing capabilities

CMYKhub’s CEO Dayne Nankervis with printer David Hopkin

What does the future hold for offset printing?

Can offset printing compete successfully with digital formats?

NZP: We see constant competition between offset and digital print. Do you think offset is in danger of being overtaken by digital printing?

LE: In a way, it is all digital print, but if we consider toner and inkjet on their own, they provide solutions that are not possible with offset. The questions for me are: ‘Which direction is market demand moving?’ And ‘How far can offset innovate into that space?’ Offset technology will not be superseded until its unique strengths and weaknesses are eliminated completely. The imminent demise of offset has been predicted for years; however, I would love 50 cents for every time a digital printer gets thrashed on price by an offset print factory. They must get a feeling of helplessness when it happens, as the economies of the offset platform are superb for the right specification and the digital option can still look overpriced and slow.

The technology crossover needs to be recalibrated every time there is a change in any technology. For me, the competing technologies are inkjet, toner, and offset. They each present a strong niche and a strong selling proposition. A printer with all three technologies will often find that for certain specifications, the job can be successfully run on any one, or a combination, for best effect.

In this Q&A interview, we talk to one of the country’s most experienced print managers and head of the country’s largest trade printer, Lawrence Evans. He explains how offset printing can survive in the modern print age.

NZP: From your perspective, what is the biggest advantage and disadvantage of offset print?

LE: Offset print allows fast production of print publications over 1500 run lengths. It produces a stable print image of the highest print quality and the machinery works well within its engineering tolerances for continuous operation and quality of output. An offset machine rarely breaks down.

Its biggest disadvantage is the post press functions required to collate and assemble. The extra cost for bindery labour can reduce the economic benefits for longer run offset.

NZP: What are most significant trends currently in offset?

LE: Offset ink technology is the single biggest technological advance for offset. UV inks that set fast with exposure to light have significantly increased throughput possible from an offset production line. It is also more sustainable, which makes UV ink a no-brainer.

NZP: Have you seen any recent innovations and developments in the offset market space?

LE: Apart from the benefits I spoke about in the previous answer, UV inks also step the print quality up for some images. This is due to the ink setting on top of the paper instead of drying back to a slightly duller image. This is most noticeable on offset stocks and for some image types that benefit from greater contrast and vibrancy. A common observation is that once the UV ink has been used the client will not go back to conventional ink.

NZP: Can offset compete successfully in the long-term?

LE: The technology race for print machinery is hard fought. The market is well served by the different approaches taken with the various technologies and the competitive innovation that naturally occurs. It is fantastic to see that this extends to ink technologies, software advances, and substrates. For instance, our high speed inkjet received a new formulation of dye based ink that increased the ink strength up to 28 per cent, allowing for either less ink, or more intensity of colour. Paper substrates are also increasing the quality and reliability of all the print platforms.

The competition is commonly thought of as being between analogue and digital technology. However, within each, there is separate competition going on. This is more interesting to observe, as small changes in technology can mean big changes within a sector itself.

Lawrence Evans, managing director Wholesale Print

OFFSET

BJ Ball proud to support New Zealand made Formakote

BJ Ball’s new folding boxboard, Formakote, is made locally at Whakatane Mill. The paper mill that makes Formakote employs local people, supporting the local economy as well as supporting New Zealand manufacturing.

To promote the Formakote range, BJ Ball contracted the team at Design Dairy. Jonathan Templeman, director of Design Dairy, says, “We were conscious about exploring new territories but not losing sight of Formakote’s versatility and FMCG credentials. We developed a design that pushed the boundaries of board structure and showcased multiple print finishes. This design celebrates New Zealand made products.”

Chris Thomas, divisional manager of Packaging at BJ Ball says, “It deserved something innovative, not just A4 spec sheets. We found a way to show customers various applications and FMCG products that these packaging boards are suitable for. Even the contents within the boxes had to be locally sourced and manufactured to tie in with the theme. We wanted something we could leave with customers that they would want to keep and show their clients.”

BJ Ball is the exclusive supplier of Formakote White, Natura, Sherpa, and Spectra. Chris adds, “The lead times are much shorter, there is no shipping across the globe, and we are supporting the local economy. Formakote arrives to us at BJ Ball in reels and we can custom sheet to any size which is really attractive for volume clients to save on yield. We also carry a stocked range of 640x900 and 1020x760 in both grain directions.”

Ruth Cobb, chief executive of PrintNZ says “We were delighted to see Formakote continue to be manufactured in New Zealand. It means printers and their customers can create locally sourced and produced packaging; that is important to many businesses and consumers.

“As strong advocates of buying locally, we see the benefits this provides to the community and to our local economy. We promote this through our ‘Printed in New Zealand’ logo that reinforces the local element.”

In the following columns, Chris describes the boxes made using Formakote:

Formakote White – This box is printed with an off-black spot colour and a holographic foil. As the name implies, it is the whitest option in the Formakote range, especially on the reverse, and has great printability on both sides. It is great for luxury products and with FDA compliance, it suits foodstuffs such as cake boxes, shippers, and tea bags, as well as other FMCG products such as medication or health and beauty (perfumes and cosmetics). The sleeve of the box has also been printed on Formakote White, using a gloss clear coating, rather than the Prima clear coating (matt). The peekaboo die-cuts give a window into the layers inside.

compliance, it best suits dry, greasy, and aqueous foods, such as frozen fish; impulse and convenience foods; and sleeves for dairy products or canned goods.

Formakote Spectra – This box is printed with a yellow spot colour and a spot UV as well as having a kraft coloured back. Offering exceptional resistance to tearing and puncturing, it is great for products that require a high level of strength, including products inside freezers and chillers. With FDA

Formakote Natura – This box is printed with a blue spot colour and a blind emboss. Our most popular Formakote product, it is a great everyday packaging board. Formakote Natura has an off-white backing, giving a more natural look. With FDA compliance, and suitable for both dry and fatty foods, it is a winner for cereals, biscuits, pasta, fast food and general FMCG packaging requirements.

Formakote Sherpa – This box is printed with a pink spot colour, Prima clear coating (matt) and an underlay of spot silver in certain areas. With wet strength and tear resistance properties, this board is built as a carrier board, for heavy multi-packs like beer and other bottled and canned items. Even when totally soaked, it gives confidence to both the consumer and manufacturer.

The locally made FORMAKOTE™ packaging board range.

To learn more, or request samples of these locally printed examples, please contact your BJ Ball representative.

LABELS AND PACKAGING

LabelTec starts its digital journey with Epson SurePress L-4733AW

Auckland-based LabelTec has invested in an Epson SurePress L-4733AW to expand its capabilities to digital print, increase the range of applications, achieve consistent quality… and remove the windows from its building in the process.

LabelTec is not a new business in New Zealand. Mark Jackson put the company on the label printers map 16 years ago, offering printed and blank self-adhesive labels, heat-seal labels and developing one of the country’s leading ranges of printed, woven and blank fabric labels.

“We are a full-service label company. Apart from product labels, adhesive labels, fabric labels for the garment, safety, and building industries, we offer warehousing labels, barcoding or in-office labels,” says Andrew Jackson, Mark Jackson’s nephew who took over the business and is currently managing the company. “We also sell commercial desktop printers; we can implement those solutions and support the customers all the way through.”

Last year, under Jackson’s management, LabelTec moved from East Tamaki to a new, modern headquarters in Westgate to facilitate future business expansion and development.

Helping the company to fulfil all of its customers’ needs is an impressive machine park, which includes flexographic and offset printing equipment along with extensive finishing options, flatbed and laser die cutting. Adding the digital angle is the latest investment in an Epson SurePress L-4733AW.

“We were looking to move into a different space in the market, being that product label or short run adhesive label, which we had to produce using our flexo and offset presses or outsource in the past. We couldn’t really cater or compete in this space,” says Jackson.

The choice of digital presses available on the market is simply immense. However, LabelTec’s priorities have ruled out quite a few brands. The company was looking for a machine with the ability to digitally print on fabric products, which are currently a crucial part of the business. The second decisive factor was the

equipment’s cost to ensure the investment would fit the company’s budget.

With these requirements in mind, Jackson travelled to Melbourne to PacPrint, where after seeing the machine in action, the company placed the order for the new Epson press.

“We’ve always had a great relationship with Epson and Aarque Group, the reseller here in New Zealand,” Jackson says. “We knew it would take three to four months, so we scheduled the installation for January 20 this year.

“We made space for the new machine downstairs, and the only feasible way to enable the access was through the windows. We had to take them out with the concrete plinth they were sitting on. Luckily it was a beautiful day, and thanks to the amazing guys at Aarque Group, we had the equipment inside the building in one day.”

Jobs are quick to set up and easy to complete with the absolute minimum in consumption, wastage and labour. The SurePress L-4733AW is compact, easy to install, cost-effective to run, and can be managed by a single operator allowing unattended operation.

“The Aarque guys were impressed with the changes Epson had made with the machine versus the previous model,” adds Jackson. “Everything was easier for them from a setup point, but also in terms of operations, this model has been changed and updated, including next generation AQ4 inks complying with REACH & FCM regulations and added automation for more uptime.

After three weeks of setup and a few days of training, the LabelTec team was ready to use its new machine.

The SurePress L-4733AW is the third generation of Epson’s successful resin aqueous inkjet press, with over 400 installations worldwide. A seven-colour press with orange and green inks and is approved to achieve 96 per cent of the Pantone solid coated colours. White ink allows printing of clear, metallic and coloured substrates.

It produces output on standard “off the shelf” coated, uncoated papers and film substrates with accuracy while maintaining outstanding print resolution and precision.

“From the installation point of view, it was a four-week process from the box landing to us printing our first job. The quality is fantastic. Ease of use is remarkable, and maintenance is definitely bearable. I know some digital machines, you can spend an hour at the end of each day. The Epson is different. It is very easy to operate and maintain.

“We have been using this press only a month and a half, but it has been at its capacity most weeks, which is fantastic.”

Jackson hints that the company might be looking for another piece of equipment in a year or so. The team has been recently expanded with a new business development manager focusing on the digital side of the business. If everything goes to plan, the company will consider buying another piece of equipment.

“I would definitely go back to Epson. They have a UV inkjet press, which I think would be a good next step for us,” Jackson concludes.

The purchase of Epson SurePress L-4733AW puts LabelTec on the digital printers map

LabelTec team with newly installed Epson SurePress L-4733AW digital press

The new press was installed in one day by Aarque Group, Epson’s local reseller

Versatile Printing. Consistent Quality.

Expand your service offering with high quality short-run digital labels of exceptional quality and improve your bottom line. SurePress is easy to operate, offering consistent colour reproduction and precise colour matching.

• Extra wide colour gamut including Orange, Green & Opaque white inks

• Improved turn-around times

• Proven Epson technology

• Non-contact Epson micro-piezo printhead array delivers high quality results even on textured and uncoated materials

Learn more, visit www.epson.co.nz/surepress www.epson.co.nz/surepress

Ricoh printers keep production pumping at Image Concepts

Print shop uses Ricoh technology to “print anything and everything”.

Running all day long

Image Concepts needs reliable technology for its business to succeed. The Ricoh Pro C9100 and Pro C9200 provide a stable base for its production. Chris says, “The machines are good workhorses, enabling us to turnaround jobs quickly and efficiently. They fit our business model 100 per cent. We had our second busiest December ever, and they just ran all day long, every day. We do a good chunk of mono as well as colour.

impressive digital production presses, of course. We were already familiar with some members of the team at Ricoh New Zealand. I have known our account manager Jeff Aris for many years. In terms of technical assistance, Ricoh’s response has been prompt, with any issues sorted out quickly.”

From its East Tamaki site in Auckland, Image Concepts produces a range of printed products for a variety of clients. Owner Chris Else says, “We do anything and everything for anyone and everyone, and that includes brochures, flyers, books, and catalogues. Whether it’s a simple schoolbook or a sophisticated corporate manual, we can print it and finish it.”

In October 2022, Image Concepts installed two Ricoh digital production printers: a Ricoh Pro C9100 and a Ricoh Pro C9200. He says, “The two Ricoh machines replace our old digital platform. I am impressed with them because they do what it says they can do on the box. We have increased productivity by 25 per cent and they offer a number of impressive features such as the banner capability.

“Our workflow has improved. From start to finish, the whole process of printing a job is much more streamlined than what we had before. The Ricoh machines have enabled us to simplify our job processes. For example, prepress is an area where we would have to spend time, but now we just send the files to some hot folders and with the smart workflow, it just spits the job out. Job setup is done in half the time. The RIP capabilities have made a huge difference.

“While our print speed has increased, the Ricoh machines are also delivering a higher print quality. Our clients have given us good feedback about the print quality coming from the Ricoh machines. Clients comment that the prints look better, and the colours are more consistent.”

Like other businesses, Image Concepts is looking at shoring up its advantages to ensure it can compete in a tougher economic environment. Chris says, “We are working on increasing our business and that is tough in this economic climate. Things like paper shortages and cost increases for things like power and rentals are challenging. Having a point of difference to make jobs look better gives us an edge.

“This year, with everyone in the same boat, people have been more understanding about price increases and to be fair, our margins have not risen; it is our costs that are the issue and we don’t always pass those on. For instance, with jobs for the likes of charities and not-forprofit organisations, we try to eat those costs ourselves.

“Customer service is what we do. Having everything in-house means we can do what our customers ask us to do. We can also offer a range of solutions to them and that can make a significant difference to their business.

“It is a benefit having the flexibility to offer a customer a product that looks better because of the capabilities we have. We are currently working on a job that previously, we would have had to outsource overseas. That is good for everyone. Another benefit is the ability to complete such a diverse range of print jobs; I love that variety of work. We can do something as simple as a business card and then a 300-page catalogue and everything in between.

Image Concepts has found a solid partner in Ricoh New Zealand. Chris says, “The Ricoh team is fantastic to deal with. The Pro C9100 and Pro C9200 are

Chris sees a positive future for digital print. He says, “Print quality has definitely improved across the industry. I am excited for what lies ahead in terms of digital print production. It feels like we have reached a real high point in terms of digital speed and quality.”

Ricoh Pro C9200 delivers quality and productivity

Ricoh lists some major features on its Pro C9200 printer:

High print quality. VCSEL laser beam technology and 2400dpi x 4800dpi print laser resolution provide output that compares favourably with offset.

Automatic colour. An in-line sensor ensures real-time colour adjustment and correction during printing.

Oversize sheet printing. Up to 1,260mm simplex and 1,030mm duplex.

Front-to-back automatic Image registration. An in-line sensor provides the data used by the system to adjust image position and shape.

Vacuum Feed Trays. Paper feeding ability of coated media up to 470gsm. You add units to increase the feeding capacity to 18,100 sheets.

Media Library. Easily create paper settings and select desired papers.

Media Management Tool. Setup jobs fast and accurately.

Chris Else, owner of Image Concepts, with the Ricoh Pro C9200 and Pro C9100 in the background

Duncan Brown strengthens Aarque Group’s sales team

Aarque Group has reinforced its sales team with the appointment of Duncan Brown, a highly experienced and knowledgeable sales professional, who joined the Auckland-based team as new capital equipment consultant.

Duncan brings 13 years of experience in the industry and a proven track record of delivering results through strategic planning, relationship-building and excellent customer service.

Duncan has several years of experience and specialised knowledge of capital equipment on offer, along with the ability to handle complex negotiations to find customised solutions to meet regional businesses’ specific needs and requirements. With his deep understanding of the latest technology

trends, he is well-equipped to guide the group’s customers through selecting the best equipment.

“I am excited to be able to use my knowledge and experience working closely with Aarque Group’s customers to understand unique requirements and

text with printheads featuring 10-picolitre ink drops. It produces saturated colour at speeds of up to 122 sqm per hour with innovative water-based HP Latex Inks without HAPs and odourless print.

provide personalized recommendations that meet their specific goals and budget,” commented Duncan on his appointment. “Whether a customer needs assistance selecting new equipment or upgrading existing systems, my expertise is here to help them make informed decisions.”

Duncan will be able to offer financing or leasing options, which for many businesses, may help to make purchase decisions and offer more affordable capital equipment investment options for buyers.

“As our new capital equipment consultant, Duncan will be responsible for helping our customers identify and select the best equipment solutions to meet their needs and ensuring that they receive the highest level of service and support,” added Darrin Weir, national sales manager. “We are confident that his expertise and dedication to customer satisfaction will be a valuable addition to our team. We are thrilled to offer our clients this enhanced level of service.”

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation with Duncan Brown, please contact Duncan.Brown@ aarque.co.nz or 027 473 8424.

Aarque Group has expanded its portfolio with three new options designed to fit any market requirements and commercial printing environments, from HP latex printer to resin ink Roland DG and 9-colour Epson SureColor.

The newly added HP Latex 800 has been designed for high-value jobs in a high-productivity environments focusing on sustainability. It delivers sharp 4-point

The new Roland DG TrueVIS AP640 resin printer combines the quickdrying and environmentally friendly qualities of resin ink with image quality and colour that only a TrueVIS can deliver. This powerful combination makes the AP-640 ideal for a range of applications, including wall décor, indoor signs, retail displays, stickers and decals, banners and posters, vehicle wraps, and more.

The Epson SureColor S80600 has been designed to produce high-value, high-impact signs, POS and other graphics. It features dual printheads and an extended 9-colour ink set with optional white and metallic ink. It can handle paper, canvas, vinyl and film stocks up to 1,626mm wide and 1mm thick. It features a strengthened chassis, new self-cleaning printheads, air circulation, and mist extraction systems.

Three printers of strength in Aarque Group’s portfolio

HP Latex 800

Roland DG TrueVIS AP-640

Epson SureColor DC-S80600

Duncan Brown joined Aarque Group as capital equipment consultant

Hotprintz impressed with Epson SureColor S60600 print quality

Fujifilm Business Innovation partners with Hotprintz for printing and finishing solutions.

we require. We keep the machine quite busy with the work we have coming in.

“It is also easy to operate and quite bulletproof. After two years, we only have to perform the required routine maintenance.

Carl also owns a Speedy Signs franchise and runs the two businesses side by side, covering 1200 square metres with 17 employees. He purchased Hotprintz from Bill Armitt in June, 2020 and has continued to serve the local customer base. He says, “While we do ship a little bit of our work out of Whangarei, most of our clients are in Northland, and it is mostly repeat business. We like it to be consistent.

The company also completes trade printing jobs. Carl says, “We get requests from sign makers, design companies and print shops, but for all our clients, what matters is the quality of work we deliver to the finished product. We control the

temperature and humidity in our room so we can have that consistency. Also important for us is to have the capability to offer a wide range of printing options to our customers.”

Fujifilm Business Innovation also supplied Hotprintz with a cutting table. Carl says, “The cutting table enables us to do value-add in-house work such as vinyl digital stickers, stencils and acrylic work. We also do some bespoke work, for example, when customers want special letters for their homes. Another one is cutting new windows for boats; there is nothing square on an old boat. This cutting table is the only one of its kind Northland, giving us an edge over our competitors with its capabilities and what we can offer our clients.

“It is handy to keep as much work as possible in-house. Like the Epson, the cutting table has proved to be very reliable.”

Whangarei-based Hotprintz is one of the country’s most diverse wide format printers. The company provides an in-house design and printing service that covers a vast range of materials across a variety of formats from wide format flatbed or roll to roll digital printing, to screen printing and Supacolour heat transfers.

Carl Campaan, owner of Hotprintz, says, “We print on everything from textiles, high quality papers, self-adhesives, corflute, PVC, wood, glass and aluminium.

In 2021, Hotprintz installed an Epson SureColor S60600 wide format printer, supplied through Fujifilm Business Innovation. Carl says, “We bought the Epson SureColor S60600 for the quality it delivers. It gives us great print quality on a wide range of colours.

“The printed colours we produce on the Epson SureColor S60600 are really vibrant. We generally use this machine for reproducing photographic images, where we need outstanding colour and strong vibrancy. Consistency is so important in the work we do and the Epson SureColor S60600 delivers that.

“Our Epson SureColor S60600 also has dual printheads giving us the print speed

Epson SureColor S60600 high performance printing

Delivering high performance printing, the Epson SC S60600 offers these features: High performance – Using dual printheads and a dual cartridge ink supply, it produces billboard prints at speeds of up to 52.3 square metres per hour.

Superior media support – The printer handles paper, canvas, vinyl, and film stocks, in widths up to 1626mm and thicknesses up to 1mm, in rolls up to 45kg and 250mm in diameter.

Print quality – Comes from Epson’s latest PrecisionCore and UltraChrome GS3 ink technology; self-agitating ink lines; an improved paper path with an upgraded feed management; as well as an advanced auto tension control system.

Superior integration – Designed with flexible networking to suit a wide variety of operational environments, the printer runs off a standard 240V

power supply and ships complete with Epson Edge Print software. It can also be driven by variety of a third-party RIP applications.

Ease of operation – Offering single operator loading, it uses an auto media setup and skew correction, featuring a see-through platen cover with integrated lighting, and new Epson Edge Dashboard management software.

Reduced maintenance – The printer has a new self-cleaning printhead and air circulation system with mist extraction.

Reduced production costs – Using new low-cost 700ml ink cartridges with reduced ink power consumption, the printer ships with an integrated auto take-up and drying unit. It offers remote management, remote auto status, and error reporting.

Increased durability – Includes a strengthened chassis and a new printhead guard.

Carl Campaan with the Epson SureColor S60600 printer at Hotprintz

Fastest in the class

Two is always better than one with the SureColor S60600. With Dual Precis ionCore Print Heads and Dual Ultra C hrome Ecosolvent c artridge ink suppl y, the SureColour S60600 is geared up to produc e ex c eptional quality prints at high speed.

Capable of printing banners at 550ft² per hou r, create more with one of the most productive sign printers ev er dev eloped.

Find out more: https://www.fujifilm.com/fbnz/

Anticipation mounts across the industry for upcoming events

Sign up now for NZSDA Awards, Expo, Conference, and

Planning is well underway for events in July:

SIGN + PRINT EXPO

Create, Make, and Innovate is the motto for this year’s Sign + Print Expo, which takes place from July 5-8 at Auckland’s Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau.

With two postponements over the past three years, it feels like a long time since the last Expo in 2018. NZSDA is partnering with PrintNZ for the Expo. The past few years have highlighted the value in organisations collaborating to create successful events and this

partnership enables us to concentrate on achieving a sustainable and future focused existence for our industry. We want to bring a bigger and better Expo to the industry, so we are joining with print suppliers as well as our returning sign suppliers.

The Expo offers something for everyone, showcasing innovative printing technologies, laser cutting, routing, illumination LED products, the latest applications, and a raft of sustainable solutions.

A wrap challenge will add some healthy competition to the event, alongside a dedicated area to provide hands on experiences of sign making and printing. Our business partners and training providers will also offer expert tips and tricks on sign making aspects as well as Expo specials.

Free to attend, with complimentary parking, the Print + Sign Expo will provide inspiration for your business, some great

deals from suppliers and the opportunity to engage with others in the industry. Mark the dates in your calendar so you can head along to the Due Drop Event Centre. We would love to see you there.

NZSDA CONFERENCE

Among the guests at this year’s NZSDA Conference, several industry experts and motivational speakers will deliver presentations of great benefit to sign makers.

You will learn about how to integrate the latest innovations into your businesses; what future technologies look like and how to incorporate them into your daily working lives; as well as the value and importance of you, your time and your people.

AWARDS CHANGES

The New Zealand Sign Display Awards 2023 will take place on Saturday, July 8 at the Due Drop Events Centre.

Signee

MELISSA COUTTS Secretary NZSDA

The Print + Sign Expo runs from July 5-9 in Auckland

NZSDA UPDATE

Entries close on May 15, so you still have time to visit the awards entry website and enter your creative works and craft. We have made some changes to the categories, allowing for more flexibility in order to keep pace with rapidly changing industry innovations. Some of the changes are:

• Wayfinding and Navigation Category has been reinstated.

• Shop Fronts is a new Category.

• Traditional Handcrafted Signs and Murals & Illustrations have been combined into one category.

• 3D Modelling and Dimensional Signage have been combined into one category.

• Illuminated Signs allows for all illuminated signage including dimensional.

• For the Corporate Brand Category, interpretation and delivery criteria have changed.

More details can be found on our official Awards website https://awards.nzsda.net.nz/

NOTABLE AWARDS 2023

The NZSDA will also present three Notable Awards on the night.

If you know of someone that represents the following, why not nominate them, and get them acknowledged for their good work in the industry. Head to our website to read about the criteria and to download the nomination forms. The three awards are:

Innovation Champion

– sponsored by Total Supply. This is a sustainable and best practice award. Mana Influencer

– sponsored by PSP. This is a leadership, good character, and influencer award.

Keith Langstone Highflyer

– sponsored by Roland DG. This is a commitment to learning for a Rising Star Award.

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR 2023

Sponsored by Computaleta, the Apprentice of the Year will receive a substantial grant to the value of $3,000.

An apprentice must reach certain standards and achievements to be eligible to enter. To check out how to enter and what the criteria is head to our website at www.nzsda.org.nz/apprentice-of-theyear

Signee Insight

Laura McConchie Training & Communications Officer NZSDA

As I enter my third month of employment at Signee, I find myself in awe of the amazing people in this creative and diverse industry and the work undertaken. I will never look at signs the same way.

It has been a pleasure to meet some of you whether in person or on the phone and I look forward to meeting more of you over the upcoming months.

I want to share just a little of what I have been up to. I attended a LimitedService Volunteer Employment Expo at Burnham Military Camp alongside Paul Walters. We received a few registrations of interest that which we are following up on. It was noted that most had no idea there was a sign making industry and were excited to be advised of the six core pillars of sign making.

Last month, Melissa Coutts and I visited Te Aratai College in Linwood, Christchurch to view the Inzone career kiosk that Signee sponsors. The kiosk is a touch screen that provides guidance, and careers information with a multimedia view of employment and training opportunities for school leavers.

Signee has been conducting interviews and preparing for the upcoming Skills for Industry Jobseekers course where eight trainees (six are currently confirmed) will attend a one-week classroom placement followed by four weeks in a sign making business leading to employment.

Pastoral care of current Signee trainees continues to be a focus and we are excited to see the transformation of knowledge each week with our current trainees.

The Signee website is undergoing a refresh with new material which should be ready soon. We are aiming to add an industry training area with online training sessions, quick tips and tricks videos and training schedules from our suppliers.

If you have any training ideas or can offer any training, please contact me at signee@nzsda.org.nz

Notable: Entries have also opened for the Innovation, Mana Influencer and Keith Langstone Highflyer Awards

Save the date for this year’s NZSDA Awards of Excellence

Who will be this year’s NZSDA Apprentice of the Year?

Succession planning Don’t wait until you had enough

wants to step in and take over with the least amount of upheaval in the day-today operations. So having a team they can become part of that is already operating autonomously is very appealing.

You need to develop sales and production processes that utilise the team entity, or company face, rather than the boss mentality. This requires the ability to let go of the reigns and give your staff more responsibility. The benefits of this transfer are twofold: less work for you the owner and a stronger case for staff retention after the sale. Let your longterm customers know of the transition away from you the owner being their point of contact with the business and introduce your staff to them.

them to develop your plan. Having the views and perceptions from someone outside the day to day running of your business, gives you new insight into what your business can offer a perspective new owner.

The successful creation of your business’ own identity will give the new owner confidence they are buying a business that is self-operating and successful in its own right, rather than another person’s reputation who is no longer around plus some plant and equipment. They can then step into a running entity and add their own personal touch as much as they want.

While the idea of selling a business can present itself as a scary proposition, embracing change is the best way forward. Many in the industry who have succeeded in changing their habits and routines have also managed to sell their businesses.

When you begin to hear the little voice in your head saying, “It’s time for a change. Let’s do that dream trip we have always dreamed about. Why don’t we start enjoying the fruits of our labour?” Well, it could be that time.

I must agree with the idea that a failure to plan is a plan for failure. For all of us, the first step in making change is to formulate a strategy. There are several key points to include in your plan such as business valuation, staff retention, new owners, and training.

I strongly recommend talking to a business advisor about these steps and working with

I believe one of these key steps in the planning process is creating a new face for the business. Most of us start out as a one man show and, in my case, I stumbled along learning the basics of running a business as I went. Essentially, the face of my business was me.

As our businesses grow, and as we add more staff and more equipment, that face stays the same rather than the business growing its own face or identity. When we sell our business, it needs to have an identity of its own. This enables the potential buyer to see they are taking over a strong business identity, not losing the business’ identity, or face, when the old owner steps away.

In my case, I needed clients to start to deal with and therefore recommend my business, rather than recommend Andy Lowe.

This change of face happens over time and can be a hard process, so starting well before you plan to sell is advisable to say the least. Having the right people around you is of paramount importance to help build this new face. Ideally a new owner

Your business succession plan can determine the degree of success of your business’ sale. Getting it right and making that transition away from your business as smooth and stressless as possible while still getting the highest return for your years of effort is important.

If you are unsure talk to a professional. Our network partners Advantage Business specialise in Succession Planning. Dominic Moran has been attending our regional meetings sharing insights and tips on this topic. So don’t wait until you have had enough, start planning now.

Don’t be afraid of change, formulate a winning strategy

When it is time for a change, embrace the opportunity.

Planning holds the key to success

ANDY LOWE President NZSDA

KONGSBERG has unveiled i-cut Production Console version 2.6 (iPC), a new software developed to help users to harness the power and precision of its digital cutting solutions and get the most out of their investment. The new features include iPC Prep Station, a standalone, offline preparation tool that can be used for file and job preparation before production without interrupting the production station or production time estimation. iPC Prep Station uses the same tooling and mapping presets as the Kongsberg table in production so that job preparation can happen faster, but also without a need to be around the cutting table in production.

FUJIFILM has teamed up with HYBRID SOFTWARE to develop “industry-first” Smart Digital Front End workflow for its upcoming digital inkjet water-based Jet Press FP790 flexible packaging solution. The web-based, open architecture production workflow is said to offer fully automated prepress functionality to ensure accelerated turnaround times, maximum productivity and reduced operating costs. Moreover, Fujifilm said its modular configuration will allow greater workflow expansion and upstream customisation to cater for specific user requirements.

Computaleta to distribute Swedish CWT Worktools

The modular design makes the flatbeds easy to transport and install. The units are delivered in compact packages 80 per cent smaller than other solutions available on the market. This means Computaleta can install them in confined spaces or areas where access may be restricted.

The Swedish-made flatbed applicator, or worktable, offers a semi-automated laminating process. According to CWT Worktools, it reduces production time by up to 85 per cent and provides a professional solution for largeformat print laminating. With manual laminating work requiring intense physical effort, CWT worktables reduce operator injuries and waste by eliminating human error during handling or application.

Capable of laminating soft or hard substrates up to 70mm thick, the worktable’s

new design applies glossy thin foil materials as well as heavier sheets. Without an overhead beam, operator visibility and access are greatly improved. In addition, the unique design-protected traversing system provides a smooth travel of the roll assembly.

The table cover is made of hardened glass, unique to CWT laminators, with high-quality LED illumination available on request, providing many advantages for multi-layer applications, where it can help save both money and energy consumption.

Epson commences sale of SureColor T-Series in New Zealand

Epson’s multifunction models, SureColor T-Series T5760DM 36-inch and T7760DM 44-inch dual-roll wide-format MFP printers delivering higher speed print, scan, copy and share functionality, are now available in New Zealand.

Developed from the ground up, the SureColor T-Series MFP models embody the philosophy of high-speed printing, scanning, copying and sharing across an even wider range.

All SureColor T-Series MFP models share the same key features as the other models in the range, which include the latest 2.64-inch PrecisionCore, improved usability, streamlined workflows and media handling, Adobe’s Embedded Print Engine as standard, dual rolls, built-in take-up reel for roll-to-roll printing, complete front operation and easy automatic roll loading.

The new MFP models also share the same compact industrial design with a flat top providing a small footprint for space-

constrained production environments.

The two new models incorporate an advanced high-speed integrated 36inch scanner which opens automatically when selecting either copy or scan mode, allowing printing to continue. The scanner supports scan and copy functionality with network and direct USB, and included is a 960GB SSD for file storage in various formats. It features a dual light source to ensure the best possible imaging, even on aged and creased documents. It also incorporates advanced CIS with RGB filters to reproduce accurate colours and recognise highlighter and pen-based markings even with fluorescent ink.

The SureColor T5760DM 36-inch and T7760DM 44-inch deliver posters and POP displays at speeds over 27 sqm/h and CAD and technical drawings at

Arlette Farland, director of Computaleta, said: “We already have a high demand for a solution in this space, and I have no doubt these will be well received in New Zealand. The stock has arrived, as well as a demonstration table at our new premises in Rosedale, Auckland, and we look forward to welcoming our customers to test this product and see the quality for themselves.”

Peter Fagrell, owner of CWT Worktools, added: “We are pleased to announce our partnership with Computaleta NZ. CWT Worktools finishing products will be a perfect complement to its existing range of print and signmaking equipment, and we are delighted to be able to offer its customers the boost in production and quality that our flatbed applicators provide.”

production-class speeds over 130 sqm/h.

Epson said the new line delivers a range of features designed to “revolutionise business productivity”, including advanced performance, superior image quality with UltraChrome XD3 6-colour inks, seamless, dual-roll productivity, easy setup and operation, Epson Cloud Solution PORT, versatile media, connectivity and enhanced security features.

All printers are available now from authorised Epson dealers in the region

CWT Worktools can reduce production time by up to 85 per cent

It’s time to roll up our sleeves and dig into the nitty-gritty

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood, appetite, and sleep. It is commonly known as the feel-good hormone because it promotes feelings of well-being and happiness. It also regulates social behaviour and can play a role in anxiety and depression.

We’ve all been back at work for almost three months now, after hopefully having a relaxing Chrissy break, and for most, it’s gone by in a blur of activity.

After a blissful period of relaxation and family time, it can be overwhelming to be thrust back into the grind. And while it’s great to hit the ground running, it’s also no wonder that people often feel a little overloaded. We want to get the best out of ourselves and those around us, so avoiding negative impacts on our physical and mental health is a great strategy.

So, this is the perfect time to roll up our sleeves and dig into the nittygritty. Knowing what makes us tick allows us to craft clever solutions to bring out our inner champion in record time. If we take the time to understand our neurotransmitters’ critical role in regulating our mood, cognition, behaviour, and physiological processes. We can manage a simple strategy to significantly help our mental health and get us back to our best in no time flat.

Several neurotransmitters and hormones play essential roles in regulating mood, behaviour, and physiological processes in the brain and body. These neurotransmitters and hormones often interact with each other in complex ways,

and any system imbalance or dysfunction can significantly affect our physical and mental health.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in the brain’s reward system and has a significant role in motivation and the completion of tasks. When we complete a task, especially one that requires effort and concentration, dopamine is released in the brain, creating feelings of satisfaction and reward. It helps us to feel a sense of accomplishment and encourages us to continue engaging in activities that promote our well-being and success.

The best way to get started is by identifying the critical tasks that need to be done and focusing on completing those first. This will help you to feel more in control of your workload and reduce stress levels. Delegate some tasks to others, where possible, to lighten your workload and free up time to focus on the essentials. It’s important to complete your essential tasks before moving on to something new.

Oxytocin also has effects on the brain and behaviour. It is involved in regulating social behaviour and emotions, such as trust, empathy, and generosity. Oxytocin has been shown to increase feelings of trust between individuals and plays a role in reducing anxiety and stress.

Practising mindful breathing is a fantastic way to promote oxytocin release and reduce stress. It’s as easy as slowing your breathing down and focusing on the present moment. This simple strategy can be practised anywhere and anytime, making it a valuable tool for managing stress and anxiety throughout the day.

The best way to optimise your serotonin levels is by undertaking regular physical activity and consuming a diet rich in whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low in processed foods and sugar. Sunlight exposure has also been shown to increase serotonin levels in the brain, so spending time outside, particularly in the morning or early afternoon, can help promote serotonin production.

Endorphins are neurotransmitters that can produce feelings of euphoria and wellbeing. They are released in response to pleasurable experiences such as laughter. Research has found that when we laugh, endorphins are released in the brain, creating a natural high that can help to alleviate stress and improve mood. Furthermore, endorphins have been found to promote social bonding, which may be one reason why laughter is often experienced in social contexts. So, spending time with people who make you laugh or engaging in activities that bring you joy can definitely help boost endorphins.

The truth is that no matter who you are, life can be hard sometimes, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to getting the best out of ourselves and those around us. However, it is reassuring to know that taking a few positive steps can improve our mental health and ensure we get back to our best. Understanding how our moods, behaviour, and physiological processes are linked allows us to create effective mental health strategies to help us recover.

Now grab a cup of your favourite tea, breathe deeply, and make sure you take proper care of yourself – because you deserve it!

Mick Rowan 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 learn how to optimise our mental and physical health.

Taking a few positive steps can improve our mental health and ensure we get back to our best

MICK ROWAN

Employment Help Needed?

Eamar is a leading producer of customised PVC and polypropylene packaging and stationery products.

We have more than 30 years experience tailoring our products to the specific needs of our customers. Our skilled staff and 'can do' attitude mean you are limited only by your imagination.

Call: Viv Poppelwell 0274974997

Email: viv@vpr.co.nz

www.vpr.co.nz

If we do not already manufacture the product you seek, we will find a way to do so. With our sister company, Tabbing Services, we provide a complete solution for all your packaging and stationery requirements.

So come and see us first!

11b Culperry Rd, Glendene, Auckland 0602 Ph: 09 836 9069 www.eamar.co.nz

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We specialise in helping businesses, not-for-profits, and start-ups create a compelling vision, brand identity, and value proposition so powerful that people can't help but become die-hard fans!

But we don't just provide solutions; we empower people to find them themselves Our goal is to help organisations see things from a different perspective so they can decide what comes next on the journey towards success!