New Zealand Printer May 2023

When you need packaging designed, printed and converted. Or you have print for foiling or finishing…

May 2023

People in Print pics

Top 10 Apprentices

Training graduations

Charity Golf

with 1987-2023

May 2023

Cover Story p12

12 Contact Labels: With 38 years of experience in the industry, Contact Labels provides a range of finishing and labels solutions for trade customers nationwide

Features p14-49

14 Durst: At Fespa, Durst will to showcase its production excellence and host attendees at its Brixen headquarters

16 Think Laterally: Mick Rowan reflects on how digital technology has changed the industry

18 Konica Minolta: Printcraft has installed two new AccurioPress solutions

20-23 People in Print: Everyone had a great time at the recent People in Print Awards

24 drupa: Sabine Geldermann is optimistic about the industry’s future

32 People: Meqa Smith offers advice on recruiting staff in difficult times

33 Sales: People will pay for top performance, says Dave Fellman

42-45 Charity Golf: The Total and Spicers Charity Golf Day raised funds for the New Zealand Prostate Cancer Foundation

46 Printerverse: Businesses must focus on customer needs, says Deb Corn

47 VDMA: Dr Markus Heering says we must use more sustainable resources

48-49 Sustainability: It’s time to address our plastic waste problem, says Mark Lapping

NEW ZEALAND PRINTER

EDITORIAL: 021 631 559

Bruce Craig, Editor - bruce@newzealandprinter.co.nz

Piotr Wnuk, News Editor pwnuk@intermedia.com.au

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ruth Cobb, Melissa Coutts, Andy Lowe, Deborah Corn, Iain MacIntyre, Mick Rowan, Sabine Geldermann, Mark Lapping, Dr Markus Heering, Dave Fellman, Meqa Smith

CIRCULATION: brian@newzealandprinter.co.nz

DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES & SERVICE:

Brian Moore - brian@newzealandprinter.co.nz

+61 410 578 876

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING:

Brian Moore - brian@newzealandprinter.co.nz

DESIGN & PRODUCTION:

Sarah Vella - sarahvelladesigns@gmail.com

PrintNZ P8-11

8-10 Helping Hand: Iain MacIntyre has the 10 top print apprentices vying for this year’s Apprentice of the Year title

11 Comment: Ruth Cobb reports back from this year’s training graduations

Wide Format Plus p24-45

26 Aarque: Adgraphix has installed the first HP Latex 2700 printer in New Zealand

28 Canon Production Printing: The new Colorado M-series offers a range of features

30 Currie Group: Structurflex has brought its printing in-house with a new EFI VUTEk D3r printer

34-35 Total Supply: The new range of Mimaki and swissQprint printers have expanded Total Supply’s portfolio

38 NZSDA Update: Melissa Coutts explains what’s in it for you at this year’s NZSDA Conference

40 NZSDA President: The industry needs both old and new skills, says Andy Lowe

41 NZSDA Signee: Libby and Nathan Wood find that two’s company at Creative Sign Co in Wellington

People in Print Awards Night, photos on pages 20-23

ISSN 1171 7912

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AVERY DENNISON

CORPORATION has transitioned to a bespoke carbon footprint tool created in collaboration with the Carbon Trust to continue its drive towards transparency and continuous improvement in environmental impact measurement and reporting on its products. The Carbon Trust will present information and insights using verified primary data from Avery Dennison’s suppliers and operations to accurately measure the impact of current and future products.

ESKO has unveiled a new version of its software featuring a host of advanced new features that enable businesses to connect systems and workflows, automate processes, and accelerate innovation to help navigate the challenges they face in today’s market. From 3D to AI-powered bots, Esko says it has developed its software version 23.03 to enable customers to unlock value by improving working methods, eradicating waste, and optimising operational processes to overcome the challenges and bottlenecks associated with today’s megatrends.

MPS SYSTEMS has introduced VirtualCoach, part of the company’s connectivity and performance service offering, based on intelligent algorithms that give the operator awareness of the quality and efficiency of all the activities they perform on the press. It uses AI to constantly monitor and respond to processes in real-time, including register settings, machine speed, pressure settings, job preparation, job memory, web tension and service feedback.

HP introduces HP Indigo 200K Digital Press

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

Currie Group, the authorised HP Indigo distributor for New Zealand and Australia, will supply the press locally.

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 metres per minute. HP says it increases the productivity of high-margin, sustainable short runs of digital flexible packaging, enabling delivery within days.

Noam Zilbershtain, vice president and general manager of HP Indigo and Scitex, says, “The HP Indigo 200K is a mid web digital press specially designed for converters addressing the needs of brands in flexible packaging, but it also serves the growing requirements of the label and shrink sleeve industries for higher productivity and wider format.

MOTAT gets four heritage photocopiers from Fujifilm Business Innovation

Fujifilm Business Innovation

New Zealand (FBNZ) has provided four heritage photocopying machines from the ‘50s to MOTAT, the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland. The donation includes one of the earliest commercial photocopiers, the Rank Xerox Model 1385.

Belinda Nevin, curatorial research manager at MOTAT, says, “We are so pleased to be receiving these devices from the Fujifilm team. To have several machines that showcase the

technological developments and advancements of photocopying in the mid20th Century is rare, and we look forward to adding these rare items to the collection at MOTAT.”

Built in 1953, the Model 1385 found a home at the Government Printing Office in Wellington. Although the 1385 machine made copying less time-consuming, it did involve a manual six-step process to create one copy, and it would take around five minutes to complete the process per sheet of paper.

The HP Indigo 200K digital press offers a 45 per cent boost in productivity

“Flexible Packaging is a growing market, and as HP Indigo customers are growing much faster than the market, I have no doubt that the HP Indigo 200K digital press will open the door for more flexo converters who want to join the success and reign in industry 4.0.”

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.

Kevin Ptak, head of marketing and communications at FBNZ, adds, “These machines were the first of their kind to enter New Zealand workplaces, starting a new era in office technology and completely changing how people worked.

“It was a pivotal moment in our technological history. Workplace technology has changed enormously since these machines launched, but we are still committed to bringing cutting-edge technologies to help people work smarter.”

hubergroup introduces food-compliant web offset inks

German inks and chemicals specialist hubergroup Print Solutions has introduced the first coldset and heatset mineral, oil-free and lowmigration ink series for foodcompliant paper packaging, responding to the increased popularity of paper packaging in the food sector.

The company said that until now, low-migration offset inks were only used in sheetfed printing, and a new binder developed by hubergroup has paved the way for this innovation in web offset printing.

Thomas Stumpf, director of web offset at Hubergroup, said, “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.

“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.”

hubergroup has conducted extensive practical tests with brand owners, printers, and the special paper manufacturer Drewsen.

The newly launched products enable the production of food-compliant paper packaging in large quantities using four-colour printing in web offset for the first time, opening a range of opportunities for food

IN BRIEF

The new inks will be initially available in Europe and Asia, with progressive product expansion globally

manufacturers to enhance their packaging designs.

The coldset series MGA Food News and the heatset series MGA Evolution are suitable for packaged baked goods, fast food, products from the deli counter and other packaging.

Printers can use the new ink series on all common coldset or heatset machines and rely on the hubergroup service team’s assistance during implementation.

Amcor to offer certified-circular

plastics in Australia and New Zealand

Amcor has placed its first commercial order of certifiedcircular polymers leveraging ExxonMobil’s Exxtend technology for advanced recycling for packaging in the Australian and New Zealand market.

The order will make Amcor the first flexible packaging company to offer certified-circular plastics in this market, which supports partial displacement of fossil-based feedstock and meets the growing consumer demand for plastic circularity.

Using its Exxtend technology, ExxonMobil offers certified-circular polymers with the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certification identical to polymers from conventional fossil feedstock. The certifiedcircular polymers can be used in existing applications requiring virgin resins.

Amcor’s sustainability

director for Asia Pacific, Richard Smith, sees this order as another step toward helping its customers achieve the circularity of their flexible packaging in Australia and New Zealand and meet Australia’s National 2025 Packaging Targets.

He said, “We are excited to provide our customers in Australia and New Zealand access to this important resource and to contribute to developing more sustainable solutions that help our customers and their brands continue to meet consumer needs.”

FUJIFILM GRAPHIC SYSTEMS has appointed Cary Rawson to the role of sales manager, based in Auckland. Rawson, a well-regarded industry specialist with over 29 years of experience in the graphic arts and print industry in New Zealand, worked for nearly 22 years at Heidelberg New Zealand, where he started in 2001 as a prepress service engineer. He climbed the ranks at the press giant in roles such as team leader for prepress and electrical, account service manager, service manager for Pacific Nations and most recently, national sales manager for New Zealand and Pacific Nations.

PULSE ROLL LABEL

PRODUCTS has launched PureTone DC, a new dual-cure UV LED ink range. The new food packaging-compliant ink range includes CMYK+OGV for extended gamut printing. The new ink has application for label converters supplying industry sectors that require compliance with food packaging regulations and guidelines and use just one set of inks with both UV and LED curing presses.

Amcor to become first flexible packaging company to offer certified-circular plastics

Feature programme confirmed for Fespa 2023

Fespa has confirmed that its Global Print Expo 2023 visitors will see the return of three popular features – World Wrap Masters, Fespa Awards and Sustainability Spotlight, on top of the new online Sustainability and Printeriors hubs.

Fespa Global Print Expo 2023 will host the World Wrap Masters Europe and Series Final (stand B2-D85), kicking off on Tuesday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24, with the final regional qualifying event: Wrap Masters Europe. The

Mark Andy introduces ProWorx Label Suite

Mark Andy has announced ProWorx Label Suite, an Adobe Creative Cloud extension tailored to the company’s hybrid presses. The extension provides job defining and imposition for printing and post-processing, including diecutting, and, according to the company, allows for more efficient and sustainable label production.

The new software also offers an intuitive panel space to design, calculate,

successful entrants will then compete against winners of the regional heats in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and Ireland.

This year also sees the return of the

Fespa Awards, which opened for entries in May 2022 for the first time since 2019. Fespa has received over 210 submissions from 34 countries.

Sustainability Spotlight (stand B2-B61) will allow visitors to see and touch various environmentally responsible graphics and textile material samples, including leather and leather alternatives, natural fibres, cellulosic and synthetics supplied by participating companies.

Fespa is also launching a new online Sustainability Hub, providing free and universal access to Fespa’s content, including guides and over 150 informative articles and best-practice case studies.

Printeriors will also be a virtual showcase hosted on Fespa’s website, providing a resource detailing dozens of interior décor applications created for the physical Printeriors showcase since its inception.

control of PDF layers for separation to die and flexo plates. Independent control of individual label lanes makes ProWorx Imposition suitable for multi-SKU gang printing, while Data Merge Assistant features support variable data printing.

Ben Richardson senior DFE specialist at Mark Andy, said, “ProWorx Label Suite is another software solution in our portfolio, following the recently launched sMArt Link, a real-time, on-press data collection and press monitoring system for narrow-web devices.

and record step and repeat data for semirotary and full rotary die-cutting. It saves and recalls imposition template files as well as exports XML data for use in a prepress automation system.

The primary function is the creation of an automatic imposition grid with direct

“It is Mark Andy’s response to customer feedback on their requirements and expectations and is designed to complement our top-class hybrid technology. In addition, it offers converters an advanced software solution that brings efficiency and sustainability to the entire manufacturing process.”

Labelexpo. An increasing number of customers are asking for and trying to explore technologies that can reduce their environmental impact.

“If we were to single out the one product that was the most popular, it would have to be our aluminium magnetic cylinders, made from aerospace-grade aluminium. They are up to 50 per cent lighter than conventional, steel-based, magnetic cylinders.”

Rotary tooling specialist Rotometal has expanded its product range with Eco CRO Sleeves GF, a new line of print cylinders manufactured using naturally derived or recycled materials.

The newly expanded portfolio includes Composite Rotometal Sleeves (CRO), which are modern, ultra-light printing cylinders made of composite

materials that can be combined with aluminium, as well as other plastics like PET, polyurethane, or polyester, using modern techniques to build all layers of the cylinder.

Agnieszka Przybysz-Andrasz, commercial director at Rotometal, said, “ECO CRO Sleeves GF, which include recycled PET plastic for its core layer and a green-technology resin, drove significant interest to our stand at

The company is completing the latest expansion of its manufacturing facilities in Poland, increasing production capacity, and enabling the business to continue widening its offering with additional wide-web cylinders and more innovations.

Przybysz-Andrasz adds, “We are also working on developing new markets. We already have an excellent base in Southeast Asia which will give us a great starting point as we move into Australia and New Zealand, our next focus region.”

Rotometal expands portfolio and prepares to enter local market

Global Print Expo 2023 will see the return of World Wrap Masters

The software is tailored to Mark Andy’s hybrid presses

ECO CRO Sleeves GF feature rPET and green-epoxy resin derived from plant origin

NZ PRINTER DIRECTORY & CALENDAR

Durst Oceania Open House

Labelexpo Americas

May 21 and 22

September 13-15, 2022

Brixen, Italy

Chicago, USA

Apart from the latest technology and solutions, Labelexpo Americas this year features a full two-day conference programme and two masterclasses organised by the Label Academy on digital embellishment and self-adhesive materials. www.labelexpo-americas.com

In addition to the vast booth at Fespa in Munich, Durst will open 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. Durst Oceania is organising a special Oceania Two-Day Event between 21 and 22 May.

Wayzgoose 2022

September 17, 2022

Napier

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

Fespa

May 23-26, 2023

Munich, Germany

The Association of Handcraft Printers has a full day programme including visits to Imprimo in Havelock North and Neighbour’s Press in Hastings; a swap meet; as well as a barbecue dinner at the Napier RSA. This is a must attend event for all interested in letterpress and the craft. www.inkianapress.co.nz

Foodtech Packtech

September 20-22, 2022

Europe’s leading printing and signage exhibition will reunite the industry to discover new perspectives with face-to-face business, accessing the latest innovations and trends within the printing sectors. www.fespaglobalprintexpo.com

Auckland

Pride in Print Awards 2023

June 23, 2023

Auckland

The country’s largest food manufacturing, packaging and processing technology trade show brings industry professionals and decision makers together providing a forum for education, discussion, as well as sharing knowledge and expertise. www.foodtech.packtech.co.nz

All in Print China

October 11-15, 2022

Shanghai

Since 1993, the Pride in Print Awards have been a pinnacle of recognition for the best in visual print communication products of any given year. They embody a culture of excellence aimed at meeting and exceeding the customer’s needs. This year’s Gala Night takes place at The Cordis Hotel in Auckland. www.prideinprintawards.co.nz

NZ Sign and Print Expo

July 5-8, 2023

Auckland

More than 1300 exhibitors will demonstrate their solutions across the 120,000 square metres of show space at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Organisers expect more than 160,000 visitors from all over the globe as they open the “Oriental Window of the World Printing Industry”. www.allinprint.com

Letterheads

October 21-23, 2022

Sign Foundry, Welling

Sign Expo has evolved to recongise the sign of the times and renamed to the NZ Sign + Print Expo. NZSDA invited Print NZ Association to join and assist with the organisation and bring both print and sign suppliers together under one roof to view the very best in technologies, new innovations, services, and products at the Due Drop Event Centre www.nzsda.org.nz

Labelexpo Europe

September 11-12, 2023

Brussels, Belgium

The call has gone out for all signees to grab their brushes and head to Lower Hutt for the annual Letterheads event. This year’s theme is ‘Red and Blue’. Your hosts this year are Lydia Reeve and Duncan Rourke. www.letterheads.co.nz

Interpack

May 4-10, 2023

Düsseldorf, Germany

The global packaging industry will meet in Düsseldorf with a focus on packaging materials, packaging machines and related process technology for the food, beverage, confectionery, bakery, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, non-food and industrial goods sectors. www.interpack.com

This will be the first Labelexpo show in Europe since 2019. Along with demonstrations of the latest printing and converting equipment will be masterclasses and special events focused on Automation and Flexible Packaging. New equipment to be seen at Labelexpo Europe includes the world premiere of the HP Indigo 200K press, the Xeikon CX500t Titon toner press and the Screen Truepress PAC520P water-based packaging press. www.labelexpo-europe.com

Top 10 print apprentices embrace opportunities to learn

Having no experience of the industry before commencing with Dzine Signs, Caleb now serves as the firm’s tradesman signwriter, and runs the CNC machine and engineering area, as well as completing applications and onsite installs as required. Dustin adds, “Through quality apprentices like Caleb, we are proud to be doing our bit to keep the trade alive and strong.

fitted in perfectly with our team and company culture. It is to her credit that she has done so well in her apprenticeship. Since joining us in 2018, Tammy has developed into an invaluable team member. The Big Picture team is very privileged to have her on board.”

Brendan Eyles

PrintNZ has announced the 10 top print apprentices to go through for selection to become the BJ Ball Papers Print Apprentice of the Year.

Ruth Cobb, chief executive officer at PrintNZ, says, “Once again, the calibre of graduates made it difficult to narrow down to just 10. In reading through the comments from their trainers, you will see that every one of them without exception has a thirst to learn and has embraced the opportunities that the apprenticeship and the industry have provided them with.

“Going through the selection process never fails to remind me that the future of the industry is in good hands.”

THE TOP 10 APPRENTICES ARE:

• Caleb Bowater – Dzine Signs and Display

• Paul Coe – Hally Labels

• Tammy Connolly – The Big Picture

• Brendan Eyles – Williams Signs

• Isaac Kightley – Blue Star Collard

• Catriona Mellows – Display Associates

• Waka Ropiha – Sealed Air (NZ) Hamilton

• Tana Stewart – Hamilton Stripes and Signs

• Jamie Watson – Printcraft

• Saxon White – Stuff, Lower Hutt

Caleb Bowater

Since joining Dzine Signs and Display as a general sign shop worker in 2018, Caleb Bowater has impressed everyone at the company. General manager Dustin Brattle says, “Caleb’s can-do attitude and willingness to learn new areas in the trade constantly is what shines immediately, but then his calm nature under pressure is what is most special. We love having him as part of the Dzine Signs crew.”

“We are employing more apprentices and focusing on making sure they all get the space they need to qualify as good and proactive tradespeople in the sign and print industries.”

Paul Coe

In October 2017, Paul Coe started as a print assistant at Hally Labels. The firm’s labels operations manager Nick Keats says, “Paul has excelled from the beginning.

“He is friendly and personable; he listens to advice; and he will do anything that we ask him to do. Additionally, he is not fazed by working on the more complicated machinery.

“It comes as no surprise to us to see how well Paul has done in his apprenticeship. He is well organised and good at meeting deadlines.

“We feel proud to see Paul continuing a tradition of printers who have journeyed through their apprenticeship at Hally Labels. They have all been very competent. Paul also follows in the footsteps of previous company apprentices who have been named in the Top 10.”

Tammy Connolly

Paige Bell, general manager at The Big Picture, praises Tammy Connolly’s commitment to her work.

Paige says, “In a stressful industry, with tight turnarounds often demanded day in, day out, Tammy always maintains a personable, friendly energy, which buoys the whole team; all the while efficiently working through a big workload.

“She goes out of her way to help others and she can adapt to any task required. She’s fantastic with clients and has

A sign installer and applicator, Brendan Eyles has made his mark since joining Williams Signs, two-thirds of the way through his apprenticeship, at the start of last year.

Peter Ryder, director at Williams Signs, says, “Brendan shows a willingness to learn and accept challenges to improve his work. His attendance has been excellent, and he has a positive attitude.

“Brendan is a focused young man and has worked hard during the apprenticeship, ensuring his theory work was submitted on time and was thorough.

“It’s great to see young people like Brendan taking up the challenge to improve their skills, gain experience and bring fresh ideas to the industry.”

Issac Kightley

Blue Star Collard operations manager Allen Masterson says that, with a family

High calibre of apprentices shows the industry’s future is in good hands.

IAIN MACINTYRE

Caleb Bowater

Paul Coe

Isaac Kightley

Tana Stewart

Tammy Connolly

Catriona Mellows

Jamie Watson

Brendan Eyles

Waka Ropiha

Saxon White

helping hand

background in the print business and having established his own reputation since joining the Blue Star Group in 2018, Isaac Kightley’s capabilities deservedly earned the apprenticeship opportunity.

Allen says, “The nightshift supervisor at the time recognised quickly that Isaac had good skills and aptitude and was able to adapt to any requirements of the jobs that he was performing.

“Isaac has been a keen family man from a fairly early age which no doubt has made him learn to manage the pressures, expectation, and stress of being a parent and sole income earner for the family.

“He always handles his responsibilities in a calm and measured manner. It is this quality in his work life that sets him apart. As we all know, print is a bit of a pressure cooker, where everything is needed now and at top quality. Anyone who fails to deal with that aspect of the trade won’t last long.”

Catriona Mellows

Display Associates manager Blair Symes says Catriona Mellows has shown that she has “something different”, since entering the industry in 2017.

Blair says, “I have had several apprentices over the years that start with a hiss and a roar but tend to wane towards the end of the apprenticeship. I say to anyone we place into an apprenticeship: they need to understand what they are getting into.

“Yes, you can pass or satisfactorily complete the modules, maybe during work time, or you can take it to the next level. That is what Cat has done and I have seen her on the weekends and always after work, deep into her assignments.

“We can also tell how she has personally benefited from the apprenticeship. For example, on several occasions when we have worked on streamlining a process, she has referenced previous assignments she has completed, taking the opportunity to implement what she has learned.”

Waka Ropiha

Damion Robinson, manager for Printing and Laminates at Sealed Air NZ Hamilton, says, “Since he joined us, Waka has demonstrated excellent attention to detail, and a willingness to go the extra mile to excel in everything he does.

“This includes his outside interests like integrated martial arts. He achieved his blue belt promotion alongside his son, while training for and winning the Waikato championship tournament in

the 80kg-90kg class. At the same time, he completed his apprenticeship to a high level.

“Within his first few assignments and seeing the standard of work he was submitting for sign off, we knew he would be in the running for Apprentice of the Year.

“Waka is a great asset to the Sealed Air team. With his commitment, enthusiasm and focus on everything he does, you just know Waka will go far in life.”

Tana Stewart

Hamilton Stripes and Signs director Nick Ross fondly recalls Mr Stewart walking into the firm’s workshop as a 17-year-old in 2017 “fresh faced and eager” looking for an entry-level position.

Nick says, “We took him on and started training him in all aspects of the job, then offered him an apprenticeship about a year later. Tana has a passion for signwriting, and he takes pride in his workmanship. He is also thoughtful and dedicated in his day-to-day tasks. He is a very respected and valued member of our team of six.

“Tana is always on the lookout for new ideas and skills, looking for new and better ways of doing things, and is not afraid to suggest or teach the junior staff what he has learned. He was motivated and dedicated throughout his apprenticeship.

“From day one, he embraced the challenges that came along with doing the apprenticeship modules and kept up the momentum throughout. This has also shown in his day-to-day work ethics.”

Jamie Watson

Having joined Printcraft in February 2018 as a factory hand with no prior print industry experience, Jamie Watson is now entrusted with operating five-colour A2 and

single-colour A3 sheetfed offset presses. Peter Watson, managing director at Printcraft, says, “For a young man, Jamie impressed us with his reliability and attention to detail.

“We were more than happy to offer Jamie the apprenticeship when it became available. He maintains a high standard of work and has proven to be a particularly good trouble shooter, thinking outside the box for solutions.

“We are pleased Jamie has made the Top 10 after all the hard work he has put into his apprenticeship over the last four years. It is well deserved.

“Jamie has also demonstrated a willingness to upskill into new areas of our print environment. He is a prime example of what our industry needs in its workforce to grow and adapt in the modern print world.”

Saxon White

Manuel Leota, press supervisor at Stuff, Lower Hutt, says Saxon White made a big decision to leave a building industry apprenticeship to begin his career in printing. Manuel says, “Saxon was enticed by the exciting career opportunity to join the printing industry as a reelfed apprentice.

“Throughout his time, and up until now, he has shown a desire to learn more about the press and the printing industry. This is evident with his aspiration to do a Diploma in Print Management through PrintNZ. He has become an integral member of our print team. He posseses a can-do attitude and the willingness and courage to take on tasks to help with the running and operations of the press.

“Saxon is a highly valued and well-liked member of staff, not only in the press department, but also throughout the print site overall. It is no surprise to those of us here that he has been named a PrintNZ Top 10 Apprentice of the Year.”

Kosema Fuiono won last year’s Apprentice of the Year title

Graduations celebrate both our industry and our people

Winners named across the two graduations:

• Heidelberg Offset Apprentice of the Year – Jamie Watson, Printcraft 81, Masterton

• BJ Ball Packaging Apprentice of the Year – Waka Ropiha, Sealed Air, Hamilton

• GAPF Digital Apprentice of the Year (joint winner) – Catriona Mellows, Display Associates, Wanganui

• GAPF Digital Apprentice of the Year (joint winner) – Tamzin Connolly, The Big Picture, Wellington

After completing our industry training graduations in Auckland and Christchurch, I want to shine a much deserved light on the people and companies that are our training champions of 2022.

The graduations recognise the amazing group of graduates who have made a commitment to improve their knowledge base and complete a training programme in the previous year, hence the 2022. They worked hard and persevered to complete their learning programmes. and this represents a significant milestone in their journey.

The bespoke nature of our industry requires print to be versatile and agile. The talent of the people employed is what gets the work to where it needs to be and does what the customer needs it to do.

The word resilience became part of our vocabulary in 2022 and it has carried over to 2023. All the people that completed their apprenticeships and diplomas last year have done the entirety of their study under the shadow of Covid-19 and all its spin-offs. For workbased learning; that is an outstanding achievement. While working around shutdowns, restricted operations, staff shortages and limited access to assistance, they still achieved their goals.

Of course, it takes more than just great printers to make a successful printing company. This year we had 12 people complete Level 5 Diplomas, the highest number ever in a single year, and this assures us that the future of the industry is in good hands. The Diploma in Print Management covers a broad range of topics that take a more in-depth look at what it takes to run a printing company

and the result is a group of well-rounded individuals who can continue to progress their career.

The number and calibre of the Diploma graduates made it extremely difficult to select the winner of the Diploma in Print Management Student of the Year. The two finalists are Rachel Orr from Labelmakers in Hamilton and Sarah Knight from The Big Picture in Wellington.

Selecting finalists for the Trainer of the Year and the Training Company of the Year is no easy task as they have all made worthy commitments to nurture the talent in their businesses and give them a chance to succeed. Those companies and trainers have made an extraordinary effort and we recognised them both for what they do for their own businesses and what they are doing for the industry. We need people like them that are prepared to train others to ensure that the industry has a solid future.

We devote the final part of the night to the sector winners of the Apprentice of the Year Awards, alongside the winners of the Jenkins Award and GAPF Scholarship. These people have excelled in their apprenticeships and as seemed to be the theme this year, the competition was too tough to split. Judges selected six apprentices to contend for the overall BJ Ball Print Industry Apprentice of the Year title.

Our industry relies on highly skilled people to produce the outstanding work that our customers require. You can’t do this without people that are willing to learn; people that are willing to teach; and companies that are willing to support the process: all vital parts of the learning journey.

• PrintNZ Reelfed Offset Apprentice of the Year, Saxon White, Stuff Ltd, Wellington

• Trust4Skills Reelfed Label Apprentice of the Year – Paul Coe, Hally Labels, Christchurch

Jenkins Award:

Paul Coe, Hally Labels, Christchurch

GAPF Scholarships:

• Catriona Mellows, Display Associates, Wanganui

• Tamzin Connolly, The Big Picture, Wellington

Trainer of the Year Finalists

• Rob Ritchie, Opal Packaging, Christchurch

• Wade Collins, Sealed Air Hamilton

• Jason Marshall, MCC Auckland

• Travis Jordan, SCG

• Cheyne Lesa, Blue Star Wellington

Training Company of the Year

Finalists

• Hally Labels, Christchurch

• Opal Packaging NZ

• Sealed Air Hamilton

• MCC Auckland

• Rapid Labels

• SCG

• Blue Star Wellington

The awards culminate in the winners of the Training Company of the Year, Trainer of the Year and the overall BJ Ball Print Apprentice of the Year being named on stage at the Pride In Print Awards on June 23 in Auckland, appropriately recognised for their achievements in front of the whole industry.

On behalf of the industry, a huge congratulations to all our graduates and finalists.

Training graduations show our industry is in good hands.

Amanda Wheeler, director of Competenz/TePukenga between the joint winners of the Diploma in Print Management Student of the Year; Rachel Orr (l) from Labelmakers and Sarah Knight from The Big Picture

Contact Labels locks in quality

enjoy being busy. Throughout Covid, we did not have a break.

“Each job is different and one thing we are aware of is that we can’t afford to make mistakes. Once something is on the paper, we can’t take it off. So, it is about performance and understanding the needs of the New Zealand print market.

“We handle all kinds of print volumes and sizes, from A1 sheets and down. Fast turnaround has become the norm in the industry, but it is important to retain high quality for all the printed products we add value to — from business cards and packaging to tickets and vouchers.”

Embellishment matters

Recently, Contact Labels installed a new press for embossing/debossing and diecutting. She says, “We are excited with the new machine and look forward to putting it through its paces. Embossing gives a printed product a distinctive appearance.”

Contact Labels now offers a range of embellishments including:

• Foil stamping, including hot foil stamping. They offer a wide range of foil colours, which add a luxury look and feel to products.

From its Auckland base, the three person team at Contact Labels provides a range of label and print finishing solutions to trade and retail clients nationwide.

Under the guidance of manager Denyse McQuoid, the company has established a reputation for quality and service. She says, “To achieve a quality print finishing job, you need precision and attention to detail, as well as a passion for the work. We aim for excellence in every job we complete.

“Near enough is not good enough; it must be perfect. If we have to move something half a millimetre, then that is what we will do to make it work.”

A qualified offset printer with decades of experience in the industry, Denyse has helmed Contact Labels for 14 years. She says, “I love the challenge of making a customer happy by meeting, or exceeding, their expectations. From the beginning, it is a matter of getting them on board and taking them through the process.”

She has a knack for working closely alongside customers and believes this is vital for achieving excellent results

and making a difference to their printed product. She explains, “It is worth spending the time with clients to learn and extract all the information they can share, so we can understand their products. This enables us to guide them through what we can provide. It is great when we can make it a happy experience for them.”

She points out that once people in the industry understand how Contact Labels can add value to a printed product, they can offer their own clients a superior service. She says, “Working closely with clients, designers and sales reps has an advantage for everyone as this enables all the people involved to grow as they learn the processes of hot foiling, embossing, debossing, kiss-cutting, die-cutting and many other services.”

High performance

As a top trade provider, Contact Labels has built strong relationships within the print community. In addition, word of mouth has proved an invaluable marketing tool for the company. Denyse says, “For most jobs, people come to us. We welcome the challenges that each job brings, and we

• Embossing and debossing.

• Die-cut printing, kiss-cut labels, creasing and perforating techniques.

She says, “Foil stamping adds a new dimension to any printed product. We offer hot foiling in a range of colours and sizes on a multitude of print surfaces. Our skilled die-cut work can fit any shape and size on many types of printed products.”

In addition to its print finishing capabilities, Contact Labels offers a high quality label service. The company’s label production includes hot foil stamping labels, digital labels, and security labels. These can be adhesive, laminated, standard or custom-made. Denyse says, “Our team creates custom labels that allow our clients to convey the right messages to their customers. Once we have had the discussion with them, we can help with their design. Sometimes those conversations take place over the phone.”

She concludes, “We feel passionate about our work, whether it is a simple embellishment or a sophisticated label job. It can start with a phone call or an email, so please get in touch for a free quote on any of our print finishing or labels solutions.”

Trade and retail customers benefit from decades of industry experience.

Experience and passion: Denyse McQuoid, general manager at Contact Labels

Durst Group to showcase 360 Production Excellence at Fespa 2023 in Munich

Automat, P5 TEX iSUB large format dye sublimation printer, TAU Series and Durst Alpha Wallpaper Edition.

Besides the exciting print tour, Durst invites attendees to experience Brixen’s rich culture and history by taking a stroll through the historic old town, admiring the unique architecture of this dual German/Italian city, and indulging in local delicacies.

Durst Oceania will organise a special Oceania Two-Day Event in Brixen on May 21 and May 22.

Durst Group, a manufacturer of advanced digital printing and production technologies, will present its 360 Production Excellence at Fespa Global Print Expo 2023 in Munich, Germany.

Fespa, scheduled to take place between May 23 and May 26, is returning this year, promising to be one of the biggest shows to date, with over 490 international exhibitors already confirmed.

Durst, a platinum event sponsor, is gearing up to showcase its new and integrated systems and solutions for automated, sustainable, cost-effective large-format print production in Hall A2, Stand A10.

Christian Harder, vice president of sales at Durst Group, said, “The focus today is on automation, sustainability, and profitability, and Durst Group’s offerings align with this focus.”

The company will exhibit an impressive installation of next-level automation for unattended print production. As a product launch, Durst Group will introduce the fastest roll-to-roll printer to date.

Durst will also showcase its water-based and UV-LED portfolio of ink systems that follow all relevant regulations and thirdparty sustainability requirements.

The company’s software division will

showcase its advanced software solutions tailored to digital printing, allowing streamlining of the process “From Pixel to Output”: from initial file creation to pre-press, production and final analysis. This enables greater levels of automation and efficiency, improved print production processes and streamlined business.

Durst Group will bring the taste of South Tyrolean hospitality to Munich with the Durst Lounge, a place to discuss, relax, and enjoy some of the region’s speciality foods and drinks.

Attendees will see the P5 500 in the production environment at Escher Digitaldruck, about one hour away from the exhibition. The P5 500 is the reference in the field of five-metre roll devices and the successor of the Rho 512.

While in Munich, visit Durst at its home!

Durst Group also offers a shuttle service to its headquarters in Brixen, Italy, to view the entire P5 large-format portfolio and other segment solutions such as labels and flexible packaging, textile, wallpaper, and ceramic tiles at the Durst Customer Experience Center.

Attendees will take a factory tour and speak to its technical experts while seeing all Durst’s top-of-the-line equipment, including the: P5 500i D4, P5 350 HS hybrid solution, P5 350 HS D4 with

Matt Ashman, managing director of Durst Oceania, 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 only for 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.”

To coordinate visits or for further information, please visit www-durst-group.com or write to Durst Group. You can also reserve your place today by contacting Durst Oceania managing director Matt Ashman at matt.ashman@durst-group.com.

The company also invites the show attendees to visit its headquarters in Brixen, Italy

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

The digital printing revolution has levelled the playing field

Along with growth will come increased cross-channel marketing opportunities, such as tech-enabled interactive labelling and packaging with links to social media, QR codes and even interactive games. Digitally created interactive labels will also enable users to integrate with the brand at a deeper level, with the ability to access brand-specific micro-sites to promote individual products, events, or campaigns.

Ispent years attending trade shows the world over and loved every minute. Along the way, I gained an intimate knowledge of how quickly technology evolves; it is almost mind-blowing.

I would block out hours to chat with vendors about integrations and possible automated workflow solutions, imagining how far we could go linking upstream and downstream operations via e-commerce.

Jump forward to 2023, and it is no longer a competitive advantage but an absolute requirement. If you haven’t connected your digital front-end with CRM, MIS, digital press, inline finishing and so on, you are missing out. It doesn’t seem that long since I had imagined a time when an order could be automated from commencement directly into the warehouse. As it turns out, this is only the beginning of our digitally connected future.

From a manufacturing perspective, the digital production line can produce finished output inline. So, a savvy operator can automate from commencement to completion. This offers the ability to integrate custom embellishment techniques into the workflow, such as embossing, laser die-cutting, and even foiling. Adding these types of finishes can increase quality perception, the quality that customers recognise via an item’s look, touch, and feel, by up to 46 per cent. Take packaging, for example; foil enhancements increase attraction rates by more than 250 per cent.

Then there’s the evolution of the digital presses themselves, where the world’s most productive B2 digital solution, the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press, prints over 100,000 impressions per shift. Combine that speed with abundant upstream and downstream capability, and you have one hell of a workflow.

Not to mention the AccurioPress C14000. It’s the flagship model in Konica Minolta’s range of SRA3 format digital toner production presses, introducing new levels of automation and self-calibration, plus plenty of configuration options and inline finishing modules.

Then there’s the Scodix Ultra 2000 digital enhancement press that fuses flexibility, quality, and productivity. Scodix provides a vast array of enhancements on a single platform, replacing the need for separate systems on a production floor. Included as standard is: Scodix Sense, foil, metallic, glitter, and spot, plus a range of optional extras.

These days, print companies are no longer content to simply churn out standardised products; they’re innovating with cuttingedge digital tech and becoming increasingly focused on delivering personalised experiences. So, we’ve gone from one size fits all to tailor-made solutions. Which makes perfect sense if you check the data.

According to research from leading industry analysts, Smithers, the analogue print industry was worth $734.5bn in 2017. By 2027, this market is expected to be worth $721.4bn. Digital print, on the other hand, was worth $122.9bn in 2017 and is expected to reach $189.8bn by 2027. We should also see a 3.1 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for packaging over the next five years but an 11 per cent CAGR for digitally printed packaging, representing a massive gain in market size.

When you buy something online, it’s a wonder the physical universe hasn’t broken down yet. Between orders, printing, embellishing, and packaging to tracking, delivery, follow-up notifications and special offers, we owe our modernday convenience to an intricate dance between digital and reality.

Get ready to enter a whole new shopping dimension. Consumers of the present and near future are all about speed, convenience, and having access to every channel available. Without further ado –welcome to frictionless retailing.

In a world of advanced technology, the ability to implement digital printing, integrated workflow, automation, and enhanced finishing options gives business owners an undeniable edge. The digital printing revolution is here, levelling the playing field for all brand owners.

The benefits are clear. Streamlined production, cost savings, and improved customer satisfaction are only a few of the rewards that businesses can reap if they incorporate modern technology with tried-and-true production methods. With increased access to advanced tools, there’s never been a better time to take control of your printing process and get ahead of the competition.

The future has arrived, calling for innovators to power their businesses forward. Get ready – it’s time to start planning how you’ll bring cutting-edge technology into the fold.

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.

MICK ROWAN

Digital connection: now an absolute requirement for print businesses

WITH THE ACCURIOLABEL 230

The new AccurioLabel 230 offers enhanced productivity, job flexibility, operability and excellent image quality at an affordable system cost, making it the perfect solution to ensure you always deliver high quality labels on time, every-time. Printing at an impressive 23.4 metres per minute and with a compact footprint, this label press is perfect for label converters looking to convert to digital technology as well as those entering the label market.

To rethink label printing, simply visit: konicaminolta.co.nz/AccurioLabel-230

AccurioPress ticks the boxes in Printcraft’s production wish-list

Konica Minolta delivers increased productivity and quality to Wairarapa print company.

Last September, Masterton-based Printcraft updated its Konica Minolta AccurioPress C6100 with an AccurioPress C7100. The company also installed an AccurioPress C4070.

Peter Watson, owner and managing director at Printcraft, says, “We were happy with the C6100, but we still went to market, exploring all the options available. My wish-list was long and tough. I decided early on that to improve productivity, we were best to purchase a second machine, rather than opt for one

machine with more capability. But the second machine would have to be capable of producing the same quality as the main digital press.

“Right from the outset, Adam Hawkes and the team at Konica Minolta worked hard to make sure their proposals aligned with my wish-list. They succeeded. No one else came close to offering as many options as possible at a manageable price.

“Both machines have bulk bins, IQ colour management units, and stitching units.

The C7100 also has the new stacker unit which will fill the stacker, eject to a trolley, and continue running to the stacker, for ‘hands free’ operation. Both run Konica Minolta Controllers which are extremely versatile for experienced operators. As we had already run this RIP on the C6100, it was an easy transition.

“A big one on my wish-list was a colour management system which we could manage offline, measure a result to a small tolerance, and get written reports to ensure we always get as close to our

From left: Printcraft managing director Peter Watson; Gary Brown, prepress and digital print specialist; and Adam Hawkes, account manager for Konica Minolta New Zealand with the AccurioPress C7100

colour standard as possible. Konica Minolta came through with the Konica Minolta FD-9 spectrophotometer and the AccurioPro Colour Manager Suite.

“Mark Northin, from Konica Minolta, worked long and hard with an expert on my team to tailor this system and create custom profiles, specifically to our needs. It is fantastic. Every day, we are sure we are meeting our standard for our clients. Occasionally, we get a fail, which alerts us to wear and tear on parts before it becomes a visible issue.

“I am constantly amazed how the two printers match print exactly. I can split long run jobs between the two or run any historical job on either machine without compromise on colour or quality. A job we ran three months ago matches exactly to the job we will run today. No more wasted time adjusting files to try to match something we printed last week.

“Productivity has doubled. We are already well into the millions of clicks. The result is higher productivity, less stress on staff, and less late nights trying to meet deadlines.

“We can now enjoy three weeks between tech visits. We have not had this level of stability with any other digital press system. The team at Konica Minolta are also open to trying ‘press only’ stocks on these machines, even some that are a definite ‘No’ from other suppliers. Subsequently, we have enjoyed enormous success in opening new markets which suit the versatility of digital, while still being able to use challenging stocks.

Positive signs for print

From his start in the industry at Government Print as a photolithographer almost 40 years ago, to his position running Printcraft today, Peter has witnessed some profound changes in the sector. He says, “I have been in the industry all that time, and it is a fast-changing beast, particularly in prepress. I absolutely love the challenge of new technology and the way we must constantly adapt to fresh ways of producing printed material.”

Printcraft is a print institution in the Wairarapa, currently employing 16 staff. He says, “Printcraft has supplied print from Masterton since before World War II. I began here nearly 25 years ago, and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to purchase the company three and a half years ago.

“I have an absolutely fantastic team. We enjoy a wide variety of work from an eclectic mix of clients. Every day we are looking at new ways to produce work or have the chance to produce something

completely new. My team are always up for the challenge, and it makes for an exciting workplace.”

He is realistic about the industry’s future. He says, “The print industry is having a tough time of it, but haven’t we been saying that for the last 30 years?

“There is no denying we are still in the grip of supply issues. It is improving slowly, but lines of paper are coming and going at a horrifying rate. Trusted paper brands suddenly dry up and we are faced with testing, and budget reworks to try to leave the client as unaffected as possible.

“Rising prices from every direction have caught many of us out. Margins have been squeezed at such a rate that we have found ourselves on the back foot for the last 18 months. We underwent a review across the board in January, and it proved how far behind we were. Many customers have trimmed the fat, including their print requirements, but we keep giving them the best service possible, so as the economy strengthens, we are set to help them grow again.

“This year, I have seen a marked improvement in business confidence across my client base. Inflation and the New Zealand Dollar are arguably stabilising. Businesses are just getting back on with it. My export clients are experiencing good growth. I am feeling positive for the coming year. I think we should try to ignore the negative media and economic forecasts. Just get on with what you do well.

“I firmly believe print has a solid future. Packaging, labels, and signage are still experiencing solid growth. We have diversified and expanded into these growth areas with solid success. “Online ordering is here to stay, but whether the purchase is instore or online, as a customer you want to feel wowed with the packaging when you open the product.

“Printed books are also a winner for us. People are realising that a great healer for mental health is a good read. You can feel the tide turning against online advertising too. It bombards the audience so much that it is mostly ineffective.

“Our bright future requires partners we can rely on such as Konica Minolta, and I have become increasingly fussy on which partners we choose. It is vital that the service and supply of print production equipment is sourced directly from the manufacturing company, so having Konica Minolta New Zealand as a direct operation is a real plus. The level of service we are receiving is top notch.

“The sales and technical teams are always available, often working very long hours to sort solutions and keep us pumping. Their work ethic is second to none.

“It is also the only company whose managing director has taken the time to talk with us. Spending time chatting with Eric Holtsmark has shown how he takes a genuine interest in the businesses looking at purchasing Konica Minolta products.”

Gary Brown, prepress and digital print specialist at Printcraft, working with the AccurioPress C4070

New Zealand print industry gathers to celebrate its talent

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

Over 100 print industry professionals have joined New Zealand Printer Magazine and Print NZ teams in celebrating talent from across all verticals of the printing market.

Blue Star team: Robin Bowkett, Thomas Dempsey, Jill Cowling, Craig Loveridge, Pearl Vea, Sudhir Poojari, Leroy D’costa, Glenn Woolford and Daniel Frost, Tina Crooks, Sean Bennetts.

Matt Ashman, Durst Oceania

PEOPLE IN PRINT AWARDS 2023

NZME team: Trevor Hannam, Mike Horler and Sanjit Dutta.

Christina Drummond, Windmill Press; Graham Judd, Inkiana Press

Pinc team: Conan O’Reilly, Sarah Hindt, Aleisha Mutch, Margriet O’Reilly, Freya Wyeth and Vernon Hodgetts.

Ruth Cobb, Print NZ and Craig Harrison, SCG.

Tim Morris, Laser Foil; Christina Drummond, Windmill Press; Graham Judd, Inkiana Press; Liesl Trotter, Studio Q and Dave Trotter, Studio Q.

Wade Marriner, Konica Minolta; Chris O’Hara, Konica Minolta; Piotr Wnuk, New Zealand Printer and Rebecca Hughes, Konica Minolta.

Fuzed team: Alistair McEwen and Iliane McEwen.

Jerry van Dyke, Advanced Print; Peter Lloyd, Kale Print; Linden Hoverd, Print NZ; Ruth Cobb, Print NZ; Pam Seymour Print NZ and Tessa Rowe, Kale Print.

PEOPLE IN PRINT AWARDS 2023

Craig Paul, Currie Group; Mark Daws, Currie Group; Craig Walmsley, HP, Duncan Bray, HP.

Tim Morris, Laser Foil; Liesl Trotter, Studio Q and Dave Trotter, Studio Q.

SCG team: David Atkins, Craig Harrison, Fred Soar, Brian Landry and Travis Jordan.

Angela Robertson, PhilStic Labels and Tania McDougall, Print NZ.

Piotr Wnuk, New Zealand Printer; James Wells, Printer Media Group and Matt Ashman, Durst Oceania.

Tim King, Blink; Andrew Slane, Blink; Jack Danyall; Blink and Jeremy Hunt, Big Brown Industries.

Ruth Cobb, Print NZ and Bruce Craig, New Zealand Printer.

Blue Star Group team: Leroy D’costa, Sudhir Poojari, Glenn Woolford and Sean Bennetts.

PEOPLE IN PRINT AWARDS 2023

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS PLATINUM

BRONZE SPONSOR

Torque Digital team: Liam Robinson, Mohammed Nasir, Liam Talbot, Mark Bult, Angela Nauck and Jo Thomas.

Alistair McEwen, Fuzed; Krystal Clarke, 5Digital and Josh Lindsay, Direct Print & Mail.

Print NZ team: Linden Hoverd, Ruth Cobb, Tania McDougall and Pam Seymour.

Graham Blackall, Aarque Group; Kirabuke (Keyz) Mareko, Auckland Copy Shop; Parth Patel, Auckland Copy Shop and Rob Whiting, Konica Minolta.

During this year’s edition of the event 49 professionals collected People in Print Awards and 10 Rising Star Awards.

Looking to the future with a greater sense of optimism

Geldermann,

global population, rising demand and saturated markets caused by the ongoing e-commerce boom. Furthermore, more environmentally-friendly technologies are expected to generate new growth potential for the industry by using sustainable paper, inks and coatings, which are in turn are expected to drive the demand for innovative machinery and applications. We should therefore not lose sight of the new and very exciting vertical market of functional and industrial print.

Solutions revolving around sustainability and digitalisation as well as new applications will be centre stage this year and over the coming years. drupa 2024 will show how these will impact processes, products, business models and the future of our constantly evolving industry. We will be prioritising topics such as the circular economy, resource efficiency, recycling, automation, print and finishing 4.0, artificial intelligence, platform economy and connectivity.

2022 was a challenging year – still characterised by the effects of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, disrupted supply chains, the energy crisis and inflation. Nevertheless, there is an opportunity in every crisis and against this backdrop, there were also many positive developments. After many difficult COVID years, 2022 sent out the signal of departure of the pandemic, of the re-starts of trade fairs and events and a new normality, which gave a fresh boost to many industries.

However, the war in Ukraine and its consequences had and still has the greatest impact. Geopolitical impacts therefore also prove by far the greatest challenges for most print service providers and upstream suppliers. The print industry is affected, especially by paper supply bottlenecks and high energy costs. But the industry is resilient, and we can feel that sense of new departures fuelled by innovative technologies and opportunities in new target markets. The industry looks to the future with optimism.

I expect that in 2023, we will continue to struggle with the effects of the crisis and skilled labour shortages will also remain a major challenge. But confidence and trust will increasingly return allowing the industry to unfold its full potential. The print industry is highly relevant in terms of its diversity and areas of application. With the help of smart,

strategic investment, market players will succeed here.

Transformation brings new opportunities. And this is what makes the print industry special. We see the courage to venture into innovative and new business models and the big growth potential offered by digital technologies.

In 2022, many companies acquired new core competencies and optimised their internal processes in terms of IT structure, the further digitalisation of workflows and processes, efficiency and automation. All of this goes hand in hand with understanding and fulfilling the needs of brand owners.

On the quest for growth opportunities, you must always be up to date, analyse trends and markets and be aware of innovations. It is advisable to put one’s own actions to the acid test constantly. Ask yourself: Am I well placed? Am I leveraging technological progress? Am I investing in the right things? And am I investing enough? The process associated with structural change is not always easy to introduce and often hampered by obstacles and resistance.

The areas of growth potential within the print industry are wide and varied. Looking at the results of the 8th drupa Global Trends Report, we see a positive outlook especially for the packaging market due to a growing

drupa views itself as a relevant platform for knowledge transfer and as an innovation driver for the industry. This USP also holds true for the non-drupa years. At present, our focus is entirely on drupa 2024.

“We create the future” – the drupa 2024 claim – highlights how the industry will rise to tomorrow’s challenges to tap into opportunities, potential and new business models. To stay successful in the future, companies will identify their development potential, adapt future technologies and mega trends for their needs to take corporate decisions with strategic confidence. This goes hand in hand with the goal of developing a clear vision of the future, a vision for relevant changes and necessary adjustments for today’s and tomorrow’s business.

We are planning the details with our exhibitors and designing our Special Forums, which are touchpoint packaging, dna – drupa next age, drupa cube, touchpoint textile and touchpoint sustainability.

Prior to drupa 2024, drupa Global Events will tour the world and attend the Print & Digital Convention from 16 to 17 May in Düsseldorf, Pack Print International and CorruTec Asia from 20 to 23 September in Bangkok, Pack Print Plas Philippines from 5 to 7 October in Manila and All in Print China from 11 to 14 October in Shanghai.

Sabine

director for drupa Print Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf

Adgraphix installs New Zealand’s first HP Latex 2700 printer

Aarque brings the latest HP technology to Canterbury.

Jeff says, “You can achieve so much with the latest HP digital technology. The HP Latex 2700 printer’s quality is up there with all of HP’s other platforms. We have high expectations in terms of the quality of products we deliver to our customers, and we spend a great deal of time and effort getting things right. We complete all our printing profiles and colour calibration in-house. The HP Latex 2700 printer falls in line with all our other HP gear, which means we have colour consistency across different machines.

“It is printing billboards right now and we are building our own profiles with it. So far, what we have seen of the machine is excellent and speed wise, it surpasses our older platform. The HP Latex 2700 printer offers so many benefits with operator functionality, which come from HP innovations in the new technology.”

Service and support

Christchurch-based Adgraphix produces the full range of wide format printing, from signage, trade show and retail displays to vehicle graphics, soft signage, and old-fashioned signwriting as well as high-end print production.

Jeff Gibson, a screenprinter and Scott Shore, a signwriter, founded the company 25 years ago. They have built a solid reputation with quality printing and customer service. Jeff says, “We have diverse a range of clients, many local and several nationwide. Most of our clients give us print ready work so production is our core business. Many clients are designers themselves.”

Recently, Adgraphix installed the country’s first HP Latex 2700 printer, supplied through Aarque. Jeff says, “We have several HP wide format machines including an HP 800 and HP R2000. This is an upgrade. HP builds reliable machines and we really got a good run out of the HP printer that the HP Latex 2700 printer replaces.

“The installation went smoothly. HP flew an engineer over from Barcelona, Spain

and one from Sydney. The HP Latex 2700 printer arrived on the Tuesday, and we were up and running on the Thursday. Our operators are quite well versed on the new kit. To start with, we will use it to mainly produce billboard and PVC-free banner products, as well as high volume self adhesive jobs.”

HP says its 3.2m wide HP Latex 2700 printer takes production efficiency to the next level, offering vivid colours at up to 89 square metres per hour via symmetrical double printheads, which come equipped with automatic printhead cleaning technology. It enables you to take on high-margin jobs with 30 per cent wider gamut at high speed, preserving media gloss and feel across a range of signage and décor applications including thin films, vinyl and paper.

The new printer takes HP Eco-Carton cardboard–based ink cartridges that reduce plastic by using one hundred per cent recycled and recyclable cardboard containers, as well as recycled plastics from HP’s closed-loop recycling process, including post-consumer beverage bottles and U-validated ocean-bound plastics.

The HP Latex 2700 printer is not the company’s only New Zealand first. In 2018, Adgraphix installed the country’s first HP R2000 Latex wide format printer. Jeff says, “There was a time, we would have felt quite apprehensive about having the first printer. However, this no longer fazes us because we know we have the service and support we need.

“We have enjoyed a strong relationship with HP going back 20 years. For us, having the faith that if something goes wrong, they will back us up is important. We have a really good relationship with Aarque, having known Leo and Jason Bult from our early days. They gave us a lot of help then and we see them as good friends.

“When Scott and I started the company, digital was coming along and we took a punt. We are pleased we did, although looking back, the past 25 years seems a bit of a blur. It feels like we started out only yesterday.

“Aarque has quite a strong team and the local Aarque salespeople are definitely reactive to our needs. In this industry, everyone wants everything yesterday, so it is good have a strong supplier behind us knowing they will support us with everything from hardware to inks and from rolls to flat sheets.”

From left: Jeff Gibson, director Adgraphix; Kerri McGregor, branch sales manager Aarque; Scott Shore, director Adgraphix; Alex Perez, HP product manager from Barcelona, Spain, and Ice Atanasovski, HP engineer from Sydney with the HP Latex 2700 printer

Canon Production Printing launches new modular Colorado M-series

The new large format Colorado M-series is equipped with UVgel Ink support, including optional white ink, amongst other stellar features

Canon Production Printing (CPP) has expanded its roll-to-roll printers portfolio with Colorado M-series, a modular 1.6m machine with two speed configurations and Canon UVgel white ink support.

The new large format printer has been developed to boost productivity and substantially expand the range of applications, supporting business growth with diverse graphics and décor applications.

Retaining Colorado’s industrial build quality, the new M-series design is based on a single platform that can be configured to customers’ needs and grow alongside their business with easy in-field upgrades.

The scalable series includes M3 and M5, two base models offering a choice of an output cruising speed of 29sqm/h and 40sqm/h and maximum print speed of 111sqm/h and 159sqm/h, respectively. Both printers can be easily upgraded to W versions for white ink (M3W and M5W).

Introducing a white UVgel ink maximises performance for a full spectrum of premium graphics and décor applications, such as window graphics, labels and wallpaper.

The Colorado M-series also features new media detection sensor technology for easy media handling, offering customers expansion of their typical product with heavy structured, transparent, coloured, reflective and magnetic materials.

The unique gel formulation of Canon UVgel ink translates to a fast build-up of dense and opaque white images in fewer passes than with conventional printing technologies, with printed output maintaining its original whiteness over time.

According to CPP, it also eliminates many production issues commonly associated with white ink, such as nozzle cleaning and maintenance, offering smooth, error free printing and minimising ink usage and waste while maximising productivity.

FLXfinish+ option to add matte, gloss or mixed matte and gloss on the same print without additional varnish. High-volume customers can automate the print-tofinish process with a UVgel Print Factory or UVgel Wallpaper Factory configuration, which integrates the Colorado M-series printer with cutting, rewinding, taping or sheet stacking to manage volumes of at least 50,000sqm per year with minimal operator time.

Craig Nethercott, managing director of Canon Production Printing Oceania, says, “Ever since they burst onto the market, Colorado printers with UVgel ink have set the highest bar for speed, quality and allround productivity.

“On top of these business-critical performance criteria, customers today want to make smart, environmentally responsible investments in large format graphics printing solutions that can evolve with them and help them tap into lucrative creative applications, products and markets.

“With the addition of an easy-care white ink option, the new modular Colorado M-series is the growth engine that businesses need to level up their capabilities and turn ideas into reality.”

CPP says UVgel ink delivers pin-sharp image quality and consistent colour, while its instant drying properties enable immediate cutting and finishing, and its

ultra-durability removes the need for lamination.

According to the company, compared to other ink technologies, such as latex or eco-solvent inks, UVgel technology consumes up to 40 per cent less ink to build up the same image quality and colour intensity.

The low-heat, energy-efficient LED curing system and instant-on operation reduce energy use compared to other technologies. With UVgel technology, customers can print on environmentally responsible materials, even uncoated, PVC-free, paper-based media. This means the Colorado M-series printer fits perfectly in a sustainability-conscious organisation.

Like previous Colorado models, the M-series is designed to handle the workload of multiple legacy roll-to-roll printers, with industrial-grade round the clock reliability and unattended printing with minimal operator intervention.

It is supported by PRISMAguide software and designed with a low total cost of ownership and rapid return on investment in mind, thanks to the low operating costs, the ability to produce high-value applications, and the modular upgrade options.

The Colorado M-series is available via accredited partners and CPP’s regional direct sales organisations.

WHITE INK WITHOUT WORRY

Are you ready for the next level in productivity, creativity and profitability? With the Colorado M-series, now including white ink, say ‘yes’ to more jobs, create stunning applications and promise short turnaround times. It’s field upgradeable to grow with your business, and designed for a low cost of ownership.

Colorado M-series

EFI VUTEk D3r keeps work in-house at Structurflex

urgent jobs. For us, completing all the production in-house is the only answer as we grow. Our production bottleneck was always the signwriting, but the EFI has removed that.

“The EFI is printing on 900gsm truck curtain fabric and right now, we are printing three to four sets of truck curtains per day. We know it can handle more work, so we have capacity to grow. We use the EFI software, and it is pretty user friendly. The EFI VUTEk D3r is a reliable machine so we don’t have much downtime.

The country’s largest industrial fabric product manufacturer has a long history that goes back to its beginnings in 1937 as Sails & Covers, designing and producing sails and marine products.

During the 1970s, a company restructure saw the creation of Structurflex as a subsidiary of the sail-making business. The new company focused on the design and manufacture of industrial products, such as truck covers, marker buoys, railway wagon covers and flexible containers.

Structurflex has grown dramatically and developed new technology to become one of the world’s leading suppliers of innovative tensile membrane structures with a commitment to creating innovative, cost-effective products.

Simon Higgs, managing director at Structurflex, says, “We have manufactured truck curtains since the early nineties and for over 25 years, we outsourced the printing and signwriting. Initially, a much larger portion of the curtains were signwritten, rather than printed, but as technology has improved, we have brought the graphics in-house.

“We still do some signwriting, but it is labour intensive, time consuming and there is a lot of waste with it. Also, it requires skilled staff, which are very hard to find these days.”

Last year, Structurflex installed an EFI VUTEk D3r, supplied and serviced through Currie Group. He says, “EFI has a proven track record in Australia and the two big curtain manufacturers there have this machine. We have a relationship with one of them, and I saw their machine in operation two years ago.

“Previous to installing this machine, we had not been in the printing business, so we were not looking to reinvent the wheel. We know printers in the past have failed on the truck curtain side of things because the requirements are different than other wide format printing. With a billboard, it does not open and close 50 times a day.”

The new printer has made a significant difference to production. He says, “When we used to outsource the printing, they could only print on white substrates. And, prior to getting the EFI, all coloured fabrics had to be signwritten. The EFI has given us the white ink, which enables us to print on the likes of yellow, green, blue, and black fabrics.

“The adhesion is amazing, better than we expected. The print quality could not be better. It is significantly better than the solvent printers used when we outsourced the work.

“We have cut down on transport and lead times. We now have the ability to do

“As an option, we went for the super-duty winder, which helps when handling heavy rolls. This motorised winder uses a tensioning bar, reducing the chance of having a fault. We have the option to add other features, such as a slitter, in the future. We currently hang banners and truck curtains on the wall to clearcoat them, but the EFI has a clear option to print, which we are looking at using.”

Currie Group is impressed with how well Structurflex has integrated the EFI VUTEk D3r into its operation. Paul Whitehead, business unit manager, Sign & Display at Currie Group, says, “When installing this system, we knew the technology was proven. However, we went in knowing there would be a steep learning curve, given that in-house digital production was new for Structurflex. It has been amazing to see just how fast the team has got up to speed with the technology and more so, how much of the work has already now been converted to digital.”

Simon adds, “We have found Currie Group to be very helpful. We have a good relationship with Craig Paul, Currie Group New Zealand country manager, and Paul Whitehead in Australia is really knowledgeable. Currie Group’s New Zealand office is only a short drive from here, but we have not needed the technical support as much as we thought we would.

“We like providing our customers with high quality products and providing exceptional customer service and one of the cool things is that we see our products all the time.”

Currie Group and EFI add white ink capability to fabric printing.

Ezequiel Sabatino, production manager at Structurflex, with the EFI VUTEk D3r

© 2021 ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | WWW.EFI.COM

Jobs are products now

Here are the five pillars of the insp-hiring methodology to help you think through your approach:

1. Perspective: Are you approaching all things talent as though it’s a partnership? From hiring through to all aspects of the employee experience. Do you understand the human operating system and what people are really looking for from work?

The post-pandemic talent landscape feels very unfamiliar to most business leaders right now. There’s a giant skills shortage, people won’t come into the office unless they must, and advertising on jobs boards isn’t delivering the number of applications you used to get.

It’s difficult to keep people as they’re often headhunted by competitors for more money and balancing productivity and morale is a constant struggle.

When and why did everything change? And more importantly, what can we do about it?

Things have been changing for many years now, but the pandemic shutdown accelerated things dramatically because it allowed people the space and time to think about how they were feeling instead of running relentlessly on the treadmill of work and life.

New roles are being created daily and others are disappearing, so we have many people looking for work who just don’t have the skills to do what’s needed –and few if any, who do.

The nature of the employment relationship has changed fundamentally too. For a long time, roles were clearly defined, skill based and simply an exchange of time and tasks for money. That’s still the case in factory style and some corporate organisations. But in small business this simply isn’t possible. The size of the business is such that even

though there are clear roles, there’s always a ‘swiss army knife’ style of capability and contribution required. You need people to be intrinsically motivated, and can’t offer as high salaries or as many benefits.

So how on earth can small businesses find these people? And more importantly, get them to want to work for them and not the big end of town?

The first step is a shift in perspective. Employment is no longer a top down, command and control style arrangement. People have a lot of options now, and there are fewer people available. So, being able to offer a sense of purpose, connection and appreciation that big business can never compete with is key.

To work for SMBs, employment now needs to be a partnership style arrangement, one that must be based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and an approach that is designed to work with the human operating system. This is the only way to attract the kind of people who can deliver what you need and want to be a part of what you’re creating.

The simplest way to think about this is that jobs are now products, candidates are now customers and recruitment is now sales and marketing. Think about the way you go about attracting, engaging and retaining customers versus the way you do that with employees and you’ll probably already see some of the big mistakes you’re making.

We call the process ‘Insp-hiring’ instead of recruitment because it’s designed with neuroscience principles in mind to attract people who are vision aligned and intrinsically motivated to be a part of what you’re doing and to dramatically improve retention and performance once they’re hired.

2. People: Are the team who work for you now already happy at work? If they’re not, why not? What do you need to fix to change that? If they are great, this is part of the next pillar.

3. Pitch: What are you offering potential employees? This goes well beyond salary and perks, this is about what your business exists to do and why someone would want to be a part of this team and that vision. This is where the human operating system knowledge really comes into play. You need to be asking for and offering value that feels like a fair exchange.

4. Packaging: How are you communicating your pitch? Do you have a well-written and engaging candidate focused ad? Do you have a great careers page or info pack for them? Does your online presence tell a compelling story about why they’d want to work for you? Does your CEO have a great social media presence?

5. Process: Does your recruitment process mirror a marketing process? Do you treat candidates in a way that brings your brand to life and walks the talk? Is this a chance for them to assess you as much as for you to assess them? Is there great communication throughout and does the experience fast-track engagement and accelerate performance once they’re hired?

Once you’ve worked through these five pillars with the mindset that jobs are products, you’ll find that you get very different results from your recruitment process and that this improves engagement, productivity and retention.

To unlock profitability through emotional engagement in marketing and communications, Meqa Smith launched The Unforgettable Agency, which she currently heads as its strategist.

How can small businesses find people, and more importantly, get them to want to work for them and not the big end of town?

Being able to offer a sense of purpose, connection and appreciation that big business can never compete with is key MEQA SMITH

People will pay for performance

Personalised print and print on demand are enticing sales propositions

salespeople should avoid jargon like the plague.

Besides, while Variable Data Printing may be a good way to describe the capability, which represents a feature of your printing company, the benefit that feature produces is the ability to personalise a printed piece.

Do not forget that buyers ultimately buy benefits, not features. In classic advertising terms, they ultimately buy the steak, not the sizzle.

Personalisation has been proven to increase response rates. Having said that, it’s still possible to design a personalised piece that will not perform, but that is a topic for another day.

What is relevant to today’s discussion is that personalisation adds to cost, but can improve performance.

Even at three times the cost of their previous mailings, the short-term and longer-term revenue projections at four to five per cent response would deliver a very solid ROI. You can imagine their glee when this mailing pulled an almost eight per cent response!

You’re probably wondering about the thinking behind this mailing. It was really pretty simple. The company sells 10 products. Their data told them which of those products each of their customers was currently buying, and by process of elimination, which products they were not buying.

Some of the other data they collected suggested which of those “other” products would most likely be of interest. Each mailer offered an incentive to buy one of those “other” products.

Supplier performance

Here’s a question. Would you rather have something that costs less or works better?

In my experience, there are print buyers who tend to come down on one side or the other. We could call them price buyers vs. performance buyers. Now let me ask another question. Would you rather sell something that costs less or works better?

In my experience, most salespeople would rather have the lower price. Most seem to think the lowest price gives them the greatest chance of making the sale.

I call that lazy selling. And sadly, we have too much of it in our industry. Especially considering the many ways in which our current technology provides opportunities for print that simply works better for the customer.

Extreme personalisation

The most obvious application of that statement is probably what you call Variable Data Printing.

I put emphasis on the “you,” because I don’t call it that. I much prefer the term personalisation. Anything that you can express with an acronym (VDP) probably fits into the category of jargon, and

That takes me back to the theme of lazy selling, because most of the personalisation I see only scratches the surface of what it possible. Putting my name in the headline is cute, but it is no longer enough to ensure that your customer’s mail piece jumps out of the pile of mail I pull from my box.

I like to use the term “extreme” personalisation to describe the state of the art, where printing technology and marketing strategy meet at a point of maximum creativity.

One of my clients produced an order of almost 2500 pieces which included four text variables and six image variables, all driven by a database which my client helped to design.

She started selling the concept almost a year ago, helping her customer to understand how much data they already had, and what other data they could collect to gain the maximum benefit from her personalisation capabilities. She also did a very good job selling all of it as an investment rather than a cost.

Here is another key point. She consciously positioned herself to under-promise and likely overperform. Starting with her customer’s perception that they’d been getting one to two per cent response on previous direct mailings, she asked if they would be happy to increase that to four to five per cent.

There are several other applications in which printing technology provides a performance-related benefit, starting with another acronym-commented capability – Print On Demand.

We are close to 30 years into the “new reality” where buying print in smaller quantities makes better economic sense for the customer. Over the course of those years, that has expanded from simple black-and-while to the most complex fullcolour, and taken us well beyond the sort of “pleasing colour” that the first digital colour printers were capable of producing.

If you do not recognise that term, it was very common in the US back in the 1990s when it was generally if not universally accepted that toner-based, digital, full-colour printing just was not as good as traditional 4/C offset.

So, let me close with a question. If you are calling on a prospect who has performance issues with their current supplier, should you have to meet or beat that printer’s prices in order to win the prospect’s business?

Dave Fellman is the president of David Fellman & Associates, a graphic arts industry consulting firm based in the US. His Sell More Printing book is now available in both print and eBook formats through amazon.au. Contact Dave at dmf@davefellman.com. Visit his website at www.davefellman.com.

DAVE FELLMAN

Total Supply expands its portfolio with new Mimaki and swissQprint printers

Total Supply has expanded its equipment portfolio with a new range of Mimaki and swissQprint printers, from entry-level to high-speed models, to suit different budgets and performance requirements.

Geoff Milliken, business manager at Total Supply, said: “Flatbed printers are fast becoming a must-have platform in all medium- to large-format print shops. Mimaki and swissQprint are our two main exclusive flatbed machinery agencies.

“Both are leaders in their respective price and performance sectors, and both have a strong, proven track record for reliability and quality within the New Zealand marketplace.

“Total Supply further back these printers up with a comprehensive inventory of spare parts and eight factory-trained technicians strategically placed throughout the country, which ensures your printer investment remains

operational for many years in the field.”

Mimaki worked on refining its large and small format JFX200 UV-LED flatbeds for over 10 years and currently offers three 2.5 x 1.3m models. Each is available

Large Flatbed UV-LED

Printer

The latest Mimaki JFX600 is 330 per cent faster than JFX500

with five different ink options and multiple-colour ink-set choices, resulting in a comprehensive media range they can print on.

The latest addition to the Mimaki lineup available in New Zealand is the JFX600 model, which takes the brand to the next speed and performance level. Mimaki says this large-format printer offers up to a 330 per cent increase in speeds when compared to the JFX500 model it is replacing. It supports media up to 60mm in thickness and features MPC graphical user interface. It offers owners of the well-established JFX200 an upgrade to a more efficient, higherperformance model.

Models currently available for customers in New Zealand include the latest Mimaki JFX600 (1.3 x 2.5m with speeds of up to 200 sqm per hour), as well as the wellestablished Mimaki JFX200EX (1.3 x 2.5m, with speeds of up to 35 sqm per hour, and Mimaki JFX200 (1.3 x 2.5m, offering speeds of up to 25 sqm per hour).

Total Supply has also expanded its swissQprint offering with the Nyala printer. This brand is often described as a European market leader with its no-compromise-on-quality approach

and Swiss-made machinery built to the highest standards. The printers, manufactured to order, are multiconfigurable and upgradeable, so the customer can grow and diversify as and when the business demand dictates.

The Nyala model has been Europe’s bestselling flatbed printer in its class for the last eight years.

The Nyala 4 offers a 3.2 x 2m print area (also available in a 2.5 x 2.0m version) with the option to run 3.2m and dual rolls. It became a symbiosis of premium print quality printing at resolutions of up to 1,350 DPI, its multifunctionality and efficiency bringing to the market excellent quality and performance value, enabling customers to stand out from the competition. The Nyala delivers these benefits thanks to cutting-edge printhead

TOTAL SUPPLY

technology and the high-precision droplet placement perfected by swissQprint.

Models available in the country through Total Supply currently include swissQprint Nyala 4S (3.2 x 2m, 18-head machine operating with speeds of up to 370 sqm per hour), swissQprint Impala 4S (2.5 x 2m printer with speeds of up to 317 sqm per hour and 18 heads), swissQprint Kudu (3.2 x 2m version, packed with 30 heads and printing with speeds of up to 304 sqm per hour), and 9-head swissQprint Oryx 4 (2.5 x 2m model with speeds of up to 90 sqm per hour).

“Total Supply has all levels of UV flatbed printer bases covered. From the entrylevel through to high-end, high-speed models, we will have a machine to suit your business budget and volume requirements,” concluded Milliken.

swissQprint Nyala 4S has quickly become a symbol of premium print quality

IN BRIEF

SMITHERS’ latest expert study, The Future of Printed Signage in a Digital World to 2028, shows that 2023 will see 10.08 billion square metres of signage media printed globally, down from 10.81 billion in 2019. By value, the printed signage segment was worth USD 45.4 billion in 2019, which fell to USD 36.8 billion in 2020. In 2023, the global printed signage market’s total value will be USD 40.9 billion.

ZÜND, the renowned Swiss manufacturer of digital cutting technology, is expanding its machine portfolio with a powerful system solution. The company has raised the bar for industrial pallet-to-pallet production with the new Q-Line with BHS180 Board Handling System and Undercam. Its smart machine-control technology and high level of automation make the Q-Line with BHS180 the most advanced digital cutting solution in its class.

HYBRID SOFTWARE GROUP, a software developer for the graphic arts industry, including wide format, reported revenue of EUR 46.6 million in 2022, down EUR 1.8 million on the previous year due to “the economic downturn.” Pre-tax profit fell by EUR 2.7 million.

Roland DG launches six large format printers for direct printing on 3D objects

Roland DG Corporation has launched VersaObject, a new brand of products capable of printing on a wide variety of three-dimensional objects. The lineup adds six CO models to its series of large-format UV-LED flatbed inkjet printers, four with fixed flatbed tables and two with belt systems, providing users with many options.

Tony Miller, president of global sales and marketing at Roland DG, said, “The VersaObject line is our direct printing solution that enables easy and efficient high-precision printing on three-dimensional objects without using conventional methods such as pad printing or screen printing that require

Fujifilm to showcase expanding Acuity range at Fespa 2023

Fujifilm will use Fespa 2023 to present updates to Acuity models and unveil a new machine in its lineup. Additionally, the company will announce details on bringing single-pass inkjet to the sign and display market in partnership with Barberan.

Fujifilm’s stand will consist of six display bays. Four will showcase printers first displayed at Fespa 2022, allowing Fujifilm to highlight technological enhancements and early market success. One bay will highlight the partnership with Barberan, while the sixth will house a brand-new machine in the Acuity lineup.

The Acuity Prime first revealed at Fespa 2022, is a larger version of the

specialised skill and know-how.

“We were quick to recognise the value of direct printing by digital technology, and in 2011 we launched our first UV flatbed printer capable of printing on materials such as resin, leather, and wood. Since then, we have added numerous UV direct-to-object inkjet products that have become very popular.”

The new CO inkjet series uses UV inks that cure via ultraviolet irradiation and can print on various materials such as plastic, leather, wood, and cloth. Based on their material and application, customers can choose the best solution from six different 64” and 30” width models,

Acuity Prime 20 and 30 models, with a 3,200mm x 2,000mm flatbed and prints at speeds of up to 202 sqm per hour. It features six vacuum zones and 16 media location pins, allowing tandem printing. Fujifilm says it is easy to operate and produces high-quality results at high speed.

The company will also display a brandnew addition to the Acuity range.

David Burton, business director for Fujifilm Wide Format Inkjet Systems,

including four flatbeds with three different fixed table sizes for the 64” versions and two printers with belt systems.

The CO series can print to objects up to 200mm in height and 100kg/sqm in weight, allowing printing on curved or uneven surfaces. This makes it suitable for personalising various consumer products and customising industrial products and parts, interior decoration, sign graphics, POP displays, packaging, and other high-mix, low-volume production. Also, the belt system allows printing on items with longer shapes and on unique, thicker roll media like natural or synthetic leather, felt, and rubber mats.

said, “We can’t wait to, once again, showcase our Acuity wide format printers, which offer value for money, reliability, and stability.

“Fespa 2023 offers the perfect platform to highlight both the sales success and the technical improvements we’ve made to the existing range over the last 12 months while also looking ahead at what is to come, with the unveiling of an all-new machine on the stand and a lot more detail about our exciting partnership with Barberan.”

VersaObject CO inkjet series includes printers with flatbed tables and belt systems

Fujifilm will present updates to Acuity models at Fespa 2023

NZSDA accelerates preparations for July events

New Zealand Sign Awards

The Association’s flagship event is the Awards evening. Enter your finest work created over the past year and get acknowledged nationwide for outstanding craftsmanship in bronze, silver, or gold. With 17 categories, these awards offer something for everyone.

There are several category changes for 2023, including:

• The Wayfinding and Navigation category has been reinstated.

• Shop Fronts is a new category.

There’s certainly plenty for us to be excited about as we head into Autumn with our foot firmly on the throttle heading to July.

Many of you may have seen all the planning and events that are coming up specifically for our industry and wondering: “What is in it for me?”

Let’s dive deep into why it would be beneficial for your business, your staff and yourself to attend our Sign Makers Conference, the Print + Sign Expo and our New Zealand Sign Display Awards for 2023. Each event has its own benefits.

Sign makers Conference

Traditionally, the Annual General Meeting kick-starts our conference, setting the vision that the Association will bring to those events over the ensuing days and to the industry for our year ahead.

Following the AGM, the conference will begin in earnest. This year, we will integrate it with the opening of the Print + Sign Expo. As part of the opening, the stands will be judged and prizes awarded.

Among the highlights that delegates really enjoy when attending the conference are the insightful visits to leading industry manufacturing businesses, chosen because

they are leading the way with innovative technologies and processes. This year, we have some excellent site visits.

The conference offers an opportunity for you to network and connect with like minded sign and print business owners. You can also hear from a diverse line up of experts on key challenges that businesses face. The Friday morning Speaker Sessions cover topics that include understanding how social media, AI and chatbots are changing communications; sustainability storytelling; building a reputation on facts and not greenwashing; embedding genuine Māori values into communications – the fine line between appreciation and appropriation; as well as tips and hacks on short film videos and why they are seen as a dominant communication tool on social channels.

Print + Sign Expo

Running alongside the conference for two and a half days, the Print + Sign Expo will encompass many creative and live experiences, with learning stations; wrap challenges for all levels of sign makers; the Electric Kiwi Van Wrap Challenge; interactive on stand demos; and special expo deals.

Come along and engage with the sign, display, and print suppliers from throughout New Zealand and Australia. There is so much to see and to do. It is a must attend event for anyone needing to enhance their business with the best innovations in design, production, and manufacturing. Add in free entry and free parking to the mix and the choice becomes simple. Also, with the next Expo three years away, it is a good idea to grab the opportunity and see it all this year.

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

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

• The Illuminated Signs category now allows for all illuminated signage including dimensional.

• The Corporate Brand – Interpretation and Delivery category criteria has changed; please check the website.

Apprentice of the Year 2023

The past few years have seen more promising talent emerging from the industry. We love having the chance to cherish and celebrate these young guns. If you know anyone that is worthy and in their last year of apprenticeship or has just completed it, contact us to learn about the nomination process. Apart from the kudos of participating in the Apprentice of the Year, they have the chance to win a $3,000 Computaleta Grant towards their trade.

Notable Awards

Also up for grabs this year are our Notable Awards, which we launched in 2022. These are the Innovative Champion Award, the Mana Influencer Award and the Keith Langstone Highflyer Award.

Our overall Supreme Award, sponsored by Cohesive – our Diamond Sponsor – is the prize for the most outstanding entry and it will be a huge accolade for the winner.

There is something for everyone with this line up of industry events. We always set out to please, so come along and join in on the fun, the entertainment, and achievements for 2023.

There is something for everyone at the upcoming Conference, Awards and Expo.

The Electric Kiwi Wrap Challenge is just one of the many fun events set for July at the Print + Sign Expo in Auckland

MELISSA COUTTS Secretary NZSDA

Old skills and new skills

all aspects of our sign shops. If your shop needs a skill, learn it or teach it. Promote pride in what we do. To make a good tradesperson, no other trade requires as many disciplines as sign making. It requires everything from graphic design and wrapping to fabrication and installation.

So, let’s take pride in what we do and encourage our younger signees to do the same, rather than argue which tool is the best.

Signee Insight

Technology has changed our trade both for good and bad. Signees have had to evolve with the technology and constantly upskill to stay current and we need to continue doing this.

When vinyl plotters arrived on the scene, some signees saw them as a threat rather than a new tool. The same can be said about printers. Unfortunately, talented tradespeople left the industry.

Whether you believe technology damaged the trade or made it, there is one thing that remains constant and that is learning. If we do not keep learning, we fall behind. Comments on social media between old school and young sign makers include “The brush is dead”, “Computers took the soul out of signwriting”, “Anyone can cut vinyl letters”. They are missing the point.

Sign makers, or sign writers; whatever you want to call yourself, are story tellers. Communication is what we do. We use our skills and tools to communicate a message. A good signee uses all the tools in their toolbox to do just that. The sign of a great signee is how well they use those tools, not which tool they use. Hand

lettering, vinyl cut letters, digital print, fabrication, illumination are production techniques utilised with tools to create a final product. The ability to use the full range of these tools and skills can make and define a great sign shop. Therefore, we need to concentrate on learning or upskilling for the future of our tradespeople and ultimately our industry.

There is no cheaper way to produce large lettering or graphics on concrete walls and the like, than hand painting, so why not learn how. Photoshop offers the quickest and most effective way to edit that unwanted part of an image, so learn it and wow how the list goes on.

Each tool has its strengths and being able to utilise as many as possible makes our job easier and cements our value to our employer and or customer.

Modern production techniques often revolve around specialisation of production jobs, which is watering down the industry’s skill base. Many young signees are not exposed to a diverse range of skills and varying procedures. As a result, they get bored, they fail to develop a passion for what they do, and they become dissatisfied with their job.

As responsible business operators, we must do what is best for the bottom line, but as responsible signees, we need to protect and maintain the skills required to keep our trade alive, so we maintain the skill base needed to keep that bottom line.

Encourage learning, promote diversity in

Signee has been busy with course preparation and further selection of candidates provided by the Ministry of Social Development. Six of the seven trainees selected for the March intake have completed the first week of the job seeker course in the classroom. A positive Covid test has stalled the seventh trainee’s progress, but she can join the group later.

Classroom topics included applying for roles, preparing for interviews, resiliency, health and safety, intro to sign making and introduction to Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Guest speaker Toby Marsh, from Universal Sign Co, spoke to the trainees about how he entered the industry, and shared details on his portfolio which helped him become Apprentice of the Year in 2019.

As trainees enter the first week of their work experience, we thank all the sign businesses giving their time to assist. Experience is a major consideration in hiring, so we appreciate those providing the opportunity to gain that exposure in the sign making industry.

We are updating contact lists for career advisors within high schools and Signee is working with the advisors to share the information to students and parents about the Signee pre-vocational training programme.

Finally, check out our website at www.signee.co.nz to see a list of courses provided by industry suppliers.

Sign makers need to develop a range of skills, old and new

Laura McConchie Training & Communications Officer NZSDA

ANDY LOWE President NZSDA

Two’s company is the recipe for success at Creative Sign Co

with other people who appreciate what you do, given they are in the same industry.”

They face similar challenges to other sign makers. Nathan says, “Staying competitive with ever growing costs is difficult and we have to manage all aspects of the business from admin to design, to prep, to install in a timely manner. So, it is important to keep on top of admin and price book updates, so we revisit quotes the following morning before sending them out. We don’t want to become slaves to the business as workload increases. So, we set allocate set times daily to perform those tasks.

“We live by the quote: ‘They’re only stickers, no one is going to die’. We have a schedule, and we do everything in our power to run to it, but it doesn’t always play out that way. If it doesn’t get finished today, it gets finished tomorrow.

“In a good week, we get everything done on time and on budget, complemented by loud music, good banter and not taking things too seriously. We really enjoy the diversity in our work and the lifestyle. It’s just bloody good fun.

Husband and wife team Libby and Nathan Wood used to co-own a large sign shop in Wellington but decided to go their own way and begin their own business, Creative Sign Co.

Nathan says, “We started the business in August 2021 as we went into Covid lockdown, not exactly perfect timing. With just the two of us in the business, we have a hell of a lot less administration to do and our stress levels are correspondingly lower.

“We came up with the idea of starting our own shop on the same day we decided to leave the old company. We created the new company that night, designing the new logo as well. It is now coming up to two years with our standalone business and we could not be happier. We feel grateful to be in a very strong position.

“Starting from scratch, we had to purchase new technology and we went

for the top-of-the-line equipment which provides exceptional quality in all areas. It helps us cover everything from vehicle graphics to interior and exterior signage, illuminated, dimensional, decals and frosting.

“We want each day to be different and enjoyable. We work in a creative industry and want to explore every avenue possible to keep our passion alive.”

As NZSDA members, Libby and Nathan have attended the annual conference and awards for the past decade. He says, “It is great to have this network of like-minded tradies. We can call upon them to assist and we can reciprocate.

“We are looking forward to the NZSDA Conference, Awards, and the Print + Sign Expo in July. We would not miss it. This gives us the opportunity to see what other ideas are around in design and execution. It is great just to catch up and have a yarn

They don’t feel the need to ‘take the business to the next level’ just yet. He says, “It is a tricky one. We lost eight years of our lives in a company that fell apart so for now, we are enjoying each day as it comes, working in the industry we love. We have not set specific goals apart from ensuring we have fun along the way. This is what matters most to us.

“We understand that company culture is important, regardless of how big or small the company is. Communication is the most critical part of the business, and that is quite easily forgotten when workloads increase. However, it is better when you don’t take things too seriously. You should enjoy your business and your industry.”

For Libby and Nathan, signage has a bright future. He says, “Everywhere you look, you can see a sign. Whether it be a street sign, or billboard, signs are everywhere. It is an ever-changing industry, and we are interested to see where it goes. We stick to what we know and love, but we are open to change, new methods and techniques.”

Having fun: Libby and Nathan Wood

Enjoyment comes from working in the industry they love.

TOTAL AND SPICERS CHARITY GOLF Charity Golf assists Prostate Cancer Foundation

Annual Total and Spicers Charity Golf Day provides fun and raises money.

“Thank you to all the people in the industry that participated. We look forward to next year’s event”.

Foundation aims to end prostate cancer suffering

Te Kāhui Mate Pukupuku Repe Tātea o Aotearoa – The Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand – is Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading men’s cancer charity. Its vision is to significantly reduce and ultimately end suffering and death from prostate cancer, by providing support and education, funding research, and advocating to reduce the impacts of the disease.

Industry golfers had a great day and raised $23,500 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation at the annual Total and Spicers Supply Charity Golf Day.

Held at the Pakuranga Golf Course in Auckland, the event attracted a range of industry participants. On the day, all were enthusiastic golfers. The winning Original Print team comprised James Hedger, Jason Sinclair, Phillip Norcross, and Steve Milliken. This year, organisers put up a 2023 Seadoo GTI170SE Seadoo Jetski and trailer as a hole in one prize on the 15th hole. Sadly, no one claimed the $28,000 prize. All Blacks great, Sir Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford, who is the ambassador for The New Zealand Prostate Cancer Foundation, was on hand to deliver an entertaining speech and hand sign one of the All Blacks jerseys for auction.

Auctioneer Julia Rust donated her time to the event. Among the items auctioned was a signed All Blacks jersey that went for $775. Morgan John, general manager of Total and Spicers, said, “It was great to partner with the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Sir Buck this year. A massive thanks to our customers, suppliers and staff. There were a lot of

laughs shared on the day. Equally as important, the support was fantastic, and we are extremely proud to have raised $23,500 for such a great cause as the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

One in eight New Zealand men will get prostate cancer. The Foundation plays a vital role in raising awareness of prostate cancer. Around 4000 New Zealand men are diagnosed each year and early detection leads to better outcomes .

A growing national support network of over 45 support networks provide valuable support and resources to men and their families living with prostate cancer. The Foundation has made its information service (0800 660 800) available to anyone with non-medical questions and concerns related to prostate cancer. Trained specialists answer these calls. Free professional counselling is also available for those experiencing emotional distress as a result of a prostate cancer diagnosis.

As well as education, the Foundation is the voice of the more than 42,000 men living with the disease in New Zealand. It helps those recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, and survivors of prostate cancer, to lead productive and full lives through shared counselling and discussions.

The winning ABC Original Print team, from left: Phillip Norcross, Jason Sinclair, Steve Milliken and James Hedger

With the cheque, from left Morgan John, general manager Spicers; Sir Wayne Shelford; and auctioneer Julia Rust

TOTAL AND SPICERS CHARITY GOLF

Douglas Brown (l), Avery Dennison and Brian Kidston, S C Leach

Brendan King and Gaye Whyte, A H Beard

Dalton Electrical team, from left: Grant Watt, Wayne Gallagher, Jerry Lightfoot and Liam McCafferty

Dave Rogers (l) BB Digital and Tom Dempsey, Webstar

Dylan Mitchell and Kim Heather, Total Supply

Capitol Signs, from left: Lee Sinclair, Emily Cranston, Justin Smith and Matthew Anderson

Dan Toth (l) and JP Potgieter, Goodman

Dean Ensor (l) and Tim Anderson, The Sign Formula

TOTAL AND SPICERS CHARITY GOLF

Revolution Packaging team, from left: Darron White, Rod Hawkings, Blair Welch and Darren Gallot

From left: Marco Smolcic, Andrew Jackson and Sharyn Kidd, Spicers

Geoff Milliken (l), Total Supply and Carl Twiss, APC Innovate

Kent Troughton, DX Mail and Lee Colson, Webstar

From left: Paul Kendrick, Brooke Painter, Spicers and Allen Masterson, Blue Star

Hotshot Signs team, from left: Tony Greer, Daryl John, Tristan Penman and Andy Watkins

Kylie Taylor (l) and Leigh Burton, Spicers

Ruben Naidoo (l) Prostate Cancer Foundation and Daniel Jones, Total Supply

TOTAL AND SPICERS CHARITY GOLF

Mike Syddall (l) and Mike Wood, Tile Depot

From left: David White, Kayden Wilson and Marco Smolcic, Spicers

Sophie Bowden and Thomas Papesch, Goodman

Wedderburn team, from left: Chris Slack, Vernon Herbert, Richard Hastie and Jim Close

Rhys Lloyd (l) and Dallas Bennett, Benefitz

SCG team, from left: Nick McDonald, David Ashton, David Collins and Brian Landry

Steve Brown (l) and Chris Knuckey, Total Supply

Marco Adriannnse (l) and Dale Bamford, Rapid Labels

Warren Linn (l) and James Martin, I Sign It

We cannot survive without people

Deborah Corn intergalactic ambassador, Print Media Centr

understand the things you care about? Are you giving back to the world? Doing something positive for your community or underserved communities? This used to fall under ‘social selling’ and it was marketable. It still is, and even more so, if it’s authentic. There are 12 months in a year. If Women’s History Month and Gay Pride Month are the only time you speak about and support diversity, equity and inclusion, for example, do better.

Communications: Consumer privacy is topical around the world and the growing outcry has forced lawmakers to address it in more meaningful ways. Tolerance is at an all-time low for intrusive communications and has the potential for opt-outs and spam reporting. Keep this in mind as you talk with print customers about data-driven marketing, buying and using mailing lists. If you aren’t being appropriate with your communications, providing relevant information and opt-out options, then do better.

As I wrote in my 2022 recap post for Print Media Centr, it was a year of tepid transformation for the printing industry. “Better safe, than sorry” as the saying goes. We proceeded with caution that the pandemic was truly behind us, and we didn’t take too many risks with our businesses, purchases and customers.

Despite all the factors working against us, and there were many and most were out of our control, many print businesses made it to other side. Some are stronger, some are leaner, some are merged, and some are acquired. No matter how you got here, you are here now and finally, it’s time to look ahead and plan with purpose.

To keep relevant, businesses understood the value of relationships and invested in their customers in all ways: retention, communication, collaboration, convenience, and education.

They also provided options for paper and substrates when supplies were low. Understanding their customers’ crisis level and delivering on promises was vital. All of this contributes to creating longtime partnerships and customer loyalty.

Personally, I am in the printspiration

business. In 2022 I launched ProjectPeacock.TV to share stories that highlighted collaboration between designer, marketer, printer, paper and printing technology as the key to successful projects. Nine episodes are currently streaming, with more to come in 2023.

To prepare itself in the new year, the industry needs to look at this year as a beginning, not as a continuation or as an end. Businesses need to regroup, restart and remain focused on customer needs.

Listen, don’t sell. Help, don’t sell. Provide options and let customers choose – with your guidance regarding how to best achieve their creative, sales and marketing goals. Do better with your customer relationships. How ‘better’ is defined depends upon where you are now. I offer these examples for you to build upon.

Customer journey: Can a customer get everything they need to educate themselves, make a purchasing decision, place an order, pay, and get notifications for project progress and delivery without ever speaking to you? If not, do better.

Customer connection: Do your customers (who care about such things)

Doing more work with current customers is the simplest, fastest and most costeffective way to generate more revenue in 2023. Invest in customer education so that they are aware of all you can do to help them. Trust me, most of your customers don’t know everything you can do; they only know what they do with you.

There is just one main thing that businesses should be looking to in 2023, and that is people. We cannot survive without people. To attract workers, you may need to refresh your office, offer new shifts, or provide training programs and career opportunities that have a path from entry level to management and beyond.

In addition, you should invest in changing the perception of our industry whenever and wherever you can. Start with students and support graphic communications programs and technical schools. Or you could offer apprenticeships and sponsor career fairs. Make it your mission to make print COOL in the hearts and minds of everyone you meet.

I think 2023 is going to be a good year for print, and those invested in customer success. Print Media Centr will continue to provide printspiration to print and marketing professionals through education, events, Podcasts from the Printerverse, ProjectPeacock.TV and a host of community lifting initiatives. I have a few industry-first launches coming to further support the industry –stay tuned for that info!

The printing industry must move to using sustainable resources

on paper and cardboard. Glass, metal and plastic-based mono-materials also need to be processed, printed and finished with a minimal ecological footprint.

Our industry provides the key to this in the form of highly automated production technology, which it can integrate very efficiently into the increasingly networked process chains of its clientele thanks to standardised OPC-UA interfaces. For the latter, automation and digitalisation are the keys to survive in global competition.

In print and packaging production, the trend is towards networking and digital platforms. The boundaries between the analogue and digital worlds are visibly dissolving.

This exists in printing, where computerto-plate processes, digital artwork, desktop publishing, digital process monitoring or even digital printing and finishing processes ensure the production of top-quality print products.

The impact of the pandemic has been constant since 2019. Travel restrictions, supply chain problems, trade fair cancellations and China’s ongoing zero-Covid strategy, which is severely affecting companies operating there, are having a massive impact on global economic activity.

The same applies to the increasing global political tensions and national egoisms, which culminated in Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Sanctions and the extreme rise in energy and commodity prices are further clouding the economy. However, the member companies of the VDMA Printing and Paper Technology Association have been able to hold their own in this extremely difficult environment so far.

As pioneers of digitalisation, they were able to compensate for many limitations. The change to remote operation was comparatively easy for many companies because they had already advanced condition monitoring.

This enabled them to maintain their global activities despite Covid and to quickly remedy technical faults for their customers remotely. This was also important because printing and paper technology was classified as systemically relevant in the pandemic. In other words,

their contributions to the basic supply of the population remained indispensable.

In some ways, the pandemic, the faltering supply chains, and the energy crisis in Europe acted as drivers of progress. Many businesses are pushing to build and expand their own renewable power supply. Customers are showing more openness to digital formats in business exchanges, and they understand better, after the experience of the lockdowns, how the digital networking of their processes works.

Now, the next step is to make the digital basis that has already been created usable for sustainable products and the circular economy. One of the basic regulatory requirements is to make all material flows and processes measurable and documentable. Only the measurable can be optimised, and only through documentation is it possible to prove the progress made to legislators.

Businesses are therefore, currently trimming their own production to enable energy and resource efficiency as well as the machines and plants they supply to their customers.

In many cases, the aim is to enable the industrial processing of new, recyclable substrates. Increasingly, these are based

Additionally, it exists in pulp and paper production where digital control rooms, in conjunction with machine learning and artificial intelligence, are bringing the vision of autonomous plant operation closer.

The process with the most difficult raw material mixtures and with a high recycling content require efficient databased readjustment of parameters. Such digitisation is not at odds with the analogue, haptically tangible product world that printing presses and paper systems create. Books, newspapers, fabrics, wallpapers, tiles, and packaging are just as much a part of this as printed electronics on chips or printed antennae on windscreens. Both digital and printed media have their justification, often serve complementary purposes – and appeal to different senses.

Today, printing and paper technology is closely interwoven with the packaging category. Packaging has been a booming industry for years, but can only achieve its positive effect if it is sustainable. As such, closed material cycles must be established and value-added networks forged in which all actors along the process chain pool their know-how.

The message is clear: we need to move towards using sustainable resources. To know more about best practices in the field of sustainability, visit drupa 2024 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Dr. Markus Heering managing director, VDMA Printing and Paper Technology Association

Industry collaboration holds the key for a circular economy

Much has been said about the world’s plastic problem, but let’s not forget that plastic has been an enabler of economic growth, making many different commodities more affordable. Offering lower costs and more choice, its production has contributed to the prosperity of many people.

Indeed, it is such a useful material with many beneficial properties, product protection, lightweight and low cost, that it has meant that we have become addicted to plastic. An addiction which is creating environmental damage because we haven’t managed its end of life effectively.

The United Nations estimates that anywhere between 60 per cent and 90 per cent of the rubbish found littering the shorelines, floating on the surface, and reaching the seabed is plastic, invading food chains and causing us harm. Data from Statista suggests that around 70,000 microplastics are consumed by an average person each year, the equivalent to approximately 100 bits of microplastic in just a single meal.

The good news is that there is now a global movement which recognises that it is time to take action and address one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the 21st Century to deal with the plastic waste problem.

At least 57 countries have joined the UN Environment Clean Seas campaign since 2017 and pledged to cut down their plastic footprint sooner rather than later. Some countries have banned single-use plastics, while others have taken the initiative to build more recycling plants.

There will always be a place for forms of plastic in modern consumer society. But there’s a fundamental issue that needs to be addressed if we really want to protect our planet through sustainable behaviours and materials. Most of our global economy is currently designed for linearity – take, make, waste – rather than circularity, but we now can change.

Overcoming the barriers

To create a truly circular economy, the world must overcome several different

barriers. Consumers have become used to convenience, and this means that we now use 20 times more plastic than we did 50 years ago.

The desire for convenience and functionality has also driven the increasing complexity of materials which has made plastic waste even more confusing for consumers to deal with it when it needs to be disposed of, and even harder in practical terms to recycle.

However, we know that there is an appetite for change. Our own research shows that the majority (67 per cent) of people want to buy more products that do not use single-use plastic packaging.

Furthermore, over half (54 per cent) said that they will try and stop buying products which use single-use plastic packaging completely over the next three years. Significantly, more than half (52 per cent) are prepared to pay more for environmentally friendly packaging.

So, if we have the end-user on side, we also need to tackle the business and

Aquapak Polymers CEO Mark Lapping addresses the plastic waste problem and what’s needed in the industry for a circular economy

We all need to recognise there is a new way of working and harness the power of collaboration to accelerate the pace of change towards the circular economy

regulatory environment which doesn’t always support sustainable behaviour among companies and consumers. This is a common problem in the food and beverage sector.

For example, best before and expiry date labels are often required by law to protect the consumer, but may not account for differences in how food is stored such as pantry versus refrigeration, encouraging confused consumers to throw away perfectly good food and creating even more packaging waste.

The world’s recycling infrastructure also remains woefully inadequate. Nearly one-third of plastics are not collected by a waste management system and end up as litter on land, and in rivers and oceans. This problem is especially severe in developing countries that lack a strong waste management infrastructure.

Although recycling technology exists, it needs much, much more investment. Most plastics that are recycled are shredded and reprocessed into lower-value applications, such as polyester carpet fibre; only two per cent are recycled into products of the same or similar quality.

We need more advanced recycling technology that can maintain quality and purity so that product manufacturers are willing to use recycled plastics. When this is deployed at a large scale, we can start recapturing the economic value of plastics, incentivising recovery and recycling.

Finally, we also need to urgently rethink our business models to focus on rental,

reuse, recycle and resale – rather than throw away. Products need to be designed for circularity and better end of life outcomes, allowing for recycling in standardised processes.

Collaboration is key

Not only is solving the plastic problem a huge task, it is complex, involving many different actors, from governments and regulators, to product designers and retailers, industry bodies and waste management companies, through to the end consumer.

Collaboration across the supply chain is the key to unlocking the circular economy. We need to pool our technical expertise and resources to bring together ideas and thinking which will enable us to produce new materials which will genuinely help solve the world’s current, and potentially catastrophic, plastic waste problem if we don’t.

It is new partnerships that will help us find sustainable solutions to replace single-use plastics, reducing landfill and ocean waste and stopping microplastics being made at source. But, this all needs to be achieved without comprising the necessary functionality and protection of food, drink and other products that we purchase. We all have a part to play.

Material manufacturers need to collaborate to understand how their materials can work together to maintain functionality, whilst simplifying constructions and enabling the reuse of materials. Packaging designers and material manufacturers need to work together so that packaging is designed to be separated for easier and more economic recycling, without simply relying on consumer action.

When it comes to improving the recycling infrastructure and recycling rates, recyclers and material manufacturers need to share details on new materials, how they can be recycled, the economics to make it viable and how they can be labelled and identified against traditional, non recyclable packaging such as coated paper.

Waste management companies, retailers and trade bodies also need to place much greater focus on developing closed loop systems to make transportation easier and cheaper, in turn making recycling economically viable. Councils and recyclers need to consider if weightdriven targets are appropriate and develop homogenous alternatives that encourage recycling.

Collaboration in action

An example of how effective it is to pool resources and expertise is our own

relationship with international packaging company, DS Smith. We have been working together to find a solution to the issue of non-recyclable paper packaging, the use of which has increased as the industry has moved to replace conventional, hard to recycle and single use plastics.

This has resulted in a wide variety of fibre-based packaging formats combined with alternative functional barriers being introduced into the recovered paper recycling streams. However, the materials currently being used to give paper the packaging functionality required for products such as food, drink and household goods, are not easily recyclable and mean that the paperboard is rejected because paper mills cannot process the paper and plastic combinations. Instead, they are incinerated or go to landfill.

At Aquapak, we have successfully developed and commercialised Hydropol, a high-performance polymer that enables product design to provide its much needed functionality whilst increasing recycling and reducing plastic pollution.

When extrusion coated or laminated onto paper, Hydropol adds strength and barriers to oxygen, oil and grease. As well as being biodegradable and compostable, it is non-toxic to the environment and marine safe, so it still has a safe end-of-life if it is not disposed of as intended. It is already being used in products such as reusable, heat sealable paper mailing bags for ecommerce.

DS Smith and Aquapak jointly commissioned a study which showed that innovative, bio-digestible barrier coatings increase paper recycling rates and fibre yield, without compromising functionality, providing a viable new packaging alternative which is ready and available for use.

This independent research, published in PITA, ‘’Considerations for process, product and environmental fate testing of soluble bio-digestible barriers for paper and board packaging’, shows that new barrier technologies such as Hydropol provide an alternative to conventional plastic coatings used in paper packaging by promoting improved paper fibre separation and removing plastic waste from the recycling process, dramatically reducing the negative impact of paper packaging on the environment.

The good news is that investment is being made in new materials that provide the benefits of plastic and help existing materials in the economy by identifying new materials that provide circularity and multiple end of life options. We all need to recognise there is a new way of working and harness the power of collaboration to dramatically accelerate the pace of change to transition to the circular economy.

Aquapak Polymers CEO Mark Lapping

Employment Help Needed?

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Email: viv@vpr.co.nz

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It takes more than just motivation to succeed; that's why we're here

At Think Laterally, we don't just think outside the box; we help you blow it up! By breaking down roadblocks, defining your purpose and mission, and developing your identity to truly set yourself apart - our goal is for your brand to reach its maximum potential without compromising creativity or ideals. Let's start this journey together –preparing you for unstoppable success that makes even competitors' heads turn!

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