Thirty years in business is no mean feat. ProPrint has been covering the industry for three decades. Please enjoy this retrospective and thank you to our advertisers for supporting us then and now.
ProPrint marks 30 years in print
Three decades ago, a new magazine for the Australian printing industry sprang to life. It was printed in full colour paving the way for other industry titles to follow suit.
ProPrint was launched by Agency Printing owner Don Elliott, Cliff Ewing and Noel Boltwood. It came as the industry found itself on the verge of a digital transformation which would challenge it in unimaginable ways.
There was no email, no smartphones, no CTP, no digital printing, and no private equity. The Apple Mac was sending tremors of change through companies like Crosfield, Hell, Scitex and Screen. The Indigo had not yet been released and digital printing was in its infancy.
Amid this changing landscape, ProPrint emerged promising to, in Don Elliott’s words, “tell it like it is”.
Thirty years on this focus continues with Star Business profiles and interviews with industry leaders giving insight into what makes this industry tick.
It is also important to mention another continued force behind ProPrint — Carmen Ciappara. Ciappara was just 16 when she started working at Agency Printing.
Later she would join Elliott and ProPrint’s first editor Dee Warring to launch the fledgling publication at the LIA national conference in Wollongong. It wasn’t long until Ciappara was put in charge of advertising sales.
“Don believed I could do it, even more than I could. I never felt I could pull the job off, but I did it and I’m so pleased they put their faith in me,” Ciappara said as she
reflects back on the last 30 years.
“Back in those days I would print off 11,000 mailing labels and the bindery staff would manually apply them to the plastic bags in preparation for Australia Post to lodge for mailing.”
Nowadays, in addition to ProPrint, she also manages advertising sales for ProPrint’s sister publications Australian Printer, ProPack.Pro, leading industry website, Sprinter together with the ProPrint Awards, now in its 11th year.
Ciappara’s industry knowledge is unsurpassed, the same can be said for her passion for ProPrint.
We hope you enjoy our journey through history. This is the first in a six-part retrospective series which will be published in five year periods.
The very first issue of ProPrint in October 1991 reviewed Print ’91, a print industry tradeshow held on the shore of Chicago’s Lake Michigan. Stock Journal Printing in Adelaide, a subsidiary of Hannan Print, was featured as the first Australian site to install a Mitsubishi five colour press, the 3F. The Printing and Kindred Industries Union (PIKU) were covered on topics including membership and the 3% superannuation. Frank Steel & Co, a Sydney screen printing and spot UV varnish specialist, was also featured.
In the early days an entire section of the magazine was devoted to travel, food and wine, cars, and other fun pursuits. The first issue included a review of the new Mazda 929 and explored the wonders of St Kilda’s Hotel St Moritz.
Clockwise from top left: ProPrint’s first cover in October 1991; Carmen Ciappara during ProPrint’s early days; an Impress paper ad showing the style of the day; Frank Steel & Co celebrated; Print ‘91 in review; Where it all began with Don Elliott, Dee Warring and Cliff Ewing.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
What happened in 1992
In 1992 Opposition Leader John Hewson was busy selling his Fightback plan and a GST, while Prime Minister Paul Keating launched a $2.3 billion package to shrug off “the recession we had to have”. All printers really wanted was an end to it all. On the tech front, Xerox revolutionised print by launching the DocuTech. Apple Macintosh challenged repro technologies. Training, recycling and the environment were hot topics. Queensland’s Inprint moved from being a jobbing printer to one with 240 staff and a bounty was set up for recycled paper manufacturers to support them after the partial removal of a sales tax exemption.
From top left: A Heidelberg Muller Martini ad; APPM ad shows the strength of Aussie paper; Inprint tells all; Sony Music opens huge print site; Hyphen ad; A standout ProPrint cover; Apple Macintosh move in; Rawson Graphics’ John Cable and Peter Finch in the Big Bash; Linotype-Hell ad; Xerox Docutech makes a splash.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
What happened in 1993
As Paul Keating became the unlikely election winner, IPEX was the key trade show of the year attracting a strong crowd from Australia. Heidelberg Harris “redefined the standards for quality” with the launch of the M-600 16-page web offset press. In a major move, Polychrome Corp announced it would build a lithographic plate and film production plant in Melbourne and Websdale Printing installed Australia’s first 8-colour sheetfed Heidelberg — a Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 102 A+L.
From top left: Roland 100 launched; IPEX fun; Potstill Press celebrates; Crosfield ad; Heidelberg’s M-600; Doran Printing profiled; Tom Pongrass’s new Heidelberg; Vic Premier Jeff Kennett with Polychrome’s Tom Heckels; Currie and Company MD David Currie; ProPrint’s chocolatey cover.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 1994
Desktop publishing continued to challenge traditional typesetting with demand for scanners increasing. The Agfa CristalRaster was launched with great fanfare, while Heidelberg released a new GTO. Polychrome forged ahead with its new plate and film factory in Melbourne. The 11th National Print Awards were held in Sydney with 1000 guests. WA’s Lamb family were also profiled having been in the industry since the early 1900s. The Printing and Allied Trades Employers’ Federation of Australia (PATEFA) hosted then NSW Industrial Relations Minister, Kerry Chikarovsky, to discuss law reforms.
From top left: An early Currie Group Horizon ad; Holograms Fantastic and Southcorp Packaging show possibilities with this insert; Hypen management systems ad; Polychrome makes its mark; Heidelberg promotes new GTO; National Print Awards; Then NSW Industrial Relations Minister Kerry Chikarovsky with PATEFA’s Reg Waite; Pongrass Australia expands into Hong Kong; ProPrint’s cover features Agfa’s CristalRaster; The Lamb family of WA.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 1995
This was a drupa year so there was lots going on. The Indigo E-1000 had landed in Australia and the Agfa Chromapress was also turning heads. At drupa, Indigo exhibited a dozen presses and Xeikon was also there. Scitex announced a tie-up with Xerox, resulting in the Spontane — a colour laser printer. Heidelberg had the largest stand at drupa with a whopping 1500 employees working on it. Roland were also well represented. Anne Rimer was elected as the Graphic Arts Merchants Association of Australia’s first female president.
Top from left: ProPrint’s drupa guide; Postcards from drupa; Queensland’s print training centre moves; Kodak’s new plates; Anne Rimer elected GAMAA president; Prepress featured at drupa; Agfa promotes the Accuset; Fujifilm ad; Heidelberg’s new logo; Indigo lands in Australia; The Indigo E-1000 Digital Printer; Apple Type & Design merges with Colorplan to form Complete Imaging Centre.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 1996
With Pakprint came plenty of talk about emerging digital technologies and prepress debate. PATEFA became the Printing Industries Association of Australia (PIAA) with South Australian designers Barbara Harkness and Dinah Edwards designing the winning logo, which featured five colours with silver foiling in the centre with a similar version of the logo still in use. Then PIAA president Peter Lane said the refresh went beyond symbolism as it would remove any confusion of trade union links. A GASAA conference in Queensland had golf high on the agenda.
From top left: GASAA attendees; Jeff Kennett opens Pakprint; SICPA ad; Rhino Ink feature; David Currie doing deals; industry identities at Pakprint; Xeros ad; Holograms Fantastic; Associations merge; ProPrint’s Pakprint guide; NPAs grow.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 1997
In 1997 Heidelberg launched a new Speedmaster SM 74-8-P in Wiesloch, whilst the then PIAA successfully lobbied for a temporary reprieve in the Book Bounty system to support Australian book printers facing increasing competition from overseas. The National Print Awards were held with Peter Lane, the national president of the PIAA, taking out the Graphic Arts Person of the Year award. HP also launched a new wide format range and Lamson Paragon’s Arthur Frost installed a cutting edge DocuColor 4040 online. It was exciting times for the industry with Print 1997 held in the USA with key announcements from Heidelberg and Kodak.
From top left: Canon on the cover of ProPrint; Australian Paper ad; the Book Bounty coverage; LIA news; Arthur Frost invests in a DocuColor 4040; Peter Lane honoured at NPAs; Heidelberg’s new press; HP ad for large format printers; Screen ad; Photos from the National Print Awards.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 1998
This was the year that marked the IPEX trade show in the UK. CTP technology and prepress technological advancements continued to be the talk of the town. As usual a strong contingent of Australian and New Zealand printers made the trip and took advantage of the technology and new ideas on show at the fair, but also took some time out to enjoy each other’s company at the IPEX barbecue, organised by Andy McCourt. ProPrint published its customary full guide into the show and what would be on offer and in the subsequent addition published all the photos from the barbecue event. In other news Avon Graphics made a significant acquisition with the purchase of Advance Bookbinders setting in train an acquisition journey that continues on today.
From top left: Transilwrap ad, HP calls on the Christmas theme in this ad; ProPrint’s IPEX guide cover; Dalton Paper ad; MediaPrint ad marks a change in style for the era; Postcards from Ipex’s Australian & NZ bbq; Dupont features in ProPrint; Avon Graphics acquisition; Trade show travel packages in the day.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
What happened in 1999
As the internet and websites were well and truly making their presence known – including the launch of ProPrint’s very own site – the first ever PrintEx trade show was held in Sydney. HP launched a captivating campaign which involved the literal flattening of preloved printers that had been traded in for a new HP unit for recycling. Avon Graphics was touting the value of embellishment as a way to stamp out counterfeit products. Indigo founder, Benny Landa, visited Australia in a much-hyped event which coincided with the shock announcement of a strategic alliance between HP and Landa. The National Print Awards were a literal blockbuster and attracted a whopping 1,400 guests.
From top left: PrintEx hits Sydney; NPA highlights; HP flattens the competition; Barry Webster and David Rogers of TLC feature; K.W. Doggett on the cover; Macworld coverage; Avon ad; HP announces Indigo plan; Currie Group ad for the Fuji 66IIP; Benny Landa in town; CPI feature article.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
What happened in 2000
Y2K paranoia which had gripped the world came to nought to the relief of ProPrint’s then editor Steve Crowe. Digital print and personalisation really began to take off this year. This trend was marked by the release of the SNAPpy personalisation software from Indigo. The offshoring of ticket printing for the much-awaited Sydney Olympic Games also caused fury among local printers with the PIAA meeting with SOCOG CEO Sandy Hollway. Drupa 2000 also got underway with ProPrint’s trademark full coverage. Pettaras Press launched and described itself as being a ‘new breed’ of commercial printer.
From top left: EFI on the cover of ProPrint; Böttcher ad; Clever ad from Raleigh Paper; Agfa features in ProPrint; K.W. Doggett continues with dog-themed ads; Xerox’s quirky take on advertising; Drupa coverage ramps up; Highlights from drupa 2000; Pettaras Press on the scene; CyraChrome ad; Drupa coverage continues; SNAPpy personalised software launches.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 2001
This year marked the launch of the Print21 Printing Industries Action Agenda by then Science Minister Nick Minchin. The Action Agenda provided a framework for sustainable competitive advantage and innovation in the industry. Print consultant, David Zwang, visited Australia from the US to talk about the internet’s impact on print. A key issue was a plan by Adobe to fine printers who did not hold the font license for designs they were printing. Adobe said using the fonts without the license was piracy. Major printer Diamond Press crashed out owing $171 million.
From top left: ProPrint’s PacPrint coverage wins praise; Eastern Press in the news; Screen on ProPrint cover; Foil embellishment on PacPrint preview; Print21 Action Agenda launched; Industry furious over Adobe font fuss; David Zwang visits Australia; Heidelberg ad; Creative Fuji Xerox ProPrint cover; Diamond Press hits the skids owing millions.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
What happened in 2002
IPEX 2002 was the main event this year and provided a space for digital technologies – Heidelberg’s NexPress, Xerox’s iGen3 and HP Indigo – to fight for digital print supremacy. Back at home, the industry praised the government’s re-adoption of the EPICS competitiveness scheme. Currie & Co became the distributor of HP Indigo technology in Australia, after HP bought out the Indigo brand. PMP announced it would totally sell Pacific Publications to Seven, while Hannanprint closed its Dubbo heatset plant 11 years after buying it. K.W. Doggett opened new premises in Melbourne to better service clients, while a forum was held to end the plastic bag.
From top left: ProPrint IPEX guide; HP Indigo moves in; EPICS reintroduced; K.W. Doggett’s new premises; PMP sells magazines; Hannapak featured on ProPrint cover; Digital technologies on show at IPEX; Fuji Xerox’s Yin & Yang; James Cryer talks talent; Canon uses sprint theme in ad; Plastic bag forum coverage.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 2003
PrintEx03 was held with some manufacturers finding the space too small for their wares, while Horizon made a splash at IGAS 2003. Leo Moio stepped into print with the Print Media Group and in Perth, Picton Press installed Australia’s Lithrone S40. Pettaras Press was also making waves with celebrity of the time, Effie, launching the new Lithrone Ls6-40. Océ also got into the newspaper printing business using the Demandstream 8000 to remotely print copies of The Guardian and The Observer in Australia meaning those in Sydney and Melbourne could read the paper before London had even woken up. K.W. Doggett kept with the dog theme in some colourful advertising.
From top left: A musical theme on the PrintEx preview; PrintEx space issues highlighted; Another beautiful Screen cover; K.W. Doggett work the dog theme in advertising; Leo Moio features in a View from the Top article; Pettaras Press make a splash; AllKotes ad of the time; Océ moves to newspaper printing; Horizon at IGAS; Picton Press make history with first Lithrone S50 installation; Chad Pearce, Brett Maishman and Henryk Kraszewski on the Fuji Xerox stand at PrintEx03.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 2004
Being a drupa year there was thorough coverage of the show. David Currie featured on the July front cover charting Currie Group’s rise. Meanwhile there was lots of activity going on in the industry with Platypus Print’s developments and the installation of Australia’s first 12-colour Roland 700 at Chippendale Printing. KBA also made its first Karat install at iPrint - a joint venture between Wellcom and Australia Post. Warwick Roden of Rodenprint was also featured. There were also some quirky ads published, including an early appearance from EFI. There was also a laughterinducing correction from ProPrint’s then Editor, Steve Crowe – pity the sub-editor.
From top left: Kodak Polychrome on the drupa preview; Chippendale Printing in the news; EFI ad; A humourous correction; KBA’s iPrint install; Agency Printing featured on the ProPrint cover; Platypus goes hybrid; Bottcher ad from the day; Fuji Xerox’s creative at the time; David Currie features on the cover of ProPrint; Interview with Warwick Roden; Currie Group’s growing team.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 2005
PacPrint 2005 burst onto the scene, bigger and better than ever. CPI guests could even arrive by helicopter and David Currie had no problem giving then Victorian premier Steve Bracks some fashion advice. Digital printing was really coming into its own with Konica Minolta out promoting its Bizhub series, along with Currie Group making sure everyone knew about the wonders of the HP Indigo. At the same time, Norske Skog signalled a reduction in newsprint production and Clive Denholm signed off as CEO at his Worldwide Online Printing business.
From top left: HP Indigo makes its mark; PacPrint grows; Robert Black, now LIA Victoria president, shares his thoughts; ProPrint’s December cover; David Currie and Steve Bracks talk fashion; Epson ad; Konica Minolta’s David Procter at PacPrint; CPI’s PacPrint chopper; Peter Mattick, Salmat featured; Clive Denholm retires from Worldwide Online Printing.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 2006
Konica Minolta launched itself into the production printing market in 2006 with some clever advertising, while Böttcher Systems also made use of some attention grabbing creative. Meredith Darke was appointed as the marketing manager of DIC Graphics Australia’s web division and the Junior Printing Executives Association of Australia was active with many get togethers organised through the year. DES also merged with CyraChrome as the industry continued to reshape itself. Along these lines The Laminating Company acquired V&L while David Fuller from Focus Press provided a view from the top and M&M Binders featured on the November cover.
From top left: DES and CyraChrome merger; Böttcher and Konica Minolta get creative; All Print China 2006 gets some press; Darke appointment; A beautiful Océ cover in June; TLC acquires V&L to expand; David Fuller of Focus Group; Ball & Doggett adds labels; EFI ad; Screen cover; M&M Binders up service.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 2007
Women in Print held its first ever dinner series this year with our very own Carmen Ciappara in attendance, meanwhile the countdown was on for Sydney’s PrintEx07. The forums at this trade show were so popular there was standing room only in the rooms. Bright Print Group were the feature of a story after installing a new Komori press, while then NSW Education and Training Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, opened a new Canon-sponsored training facility at TAFE NSW. Print imports from China were continuing to cause headaches with one member of the industry writing in to advise businesses to talk up the carbon cost of imported print to encourage local purchases.
From left to right: More creative from Screen; Inaugural Women In Print function; CanPrint sets a new record; Matt Aitken features; Heidelberg feature on the front cover; An insightful letter to the editor; PrintEx07; Bright Print Group’s new Komori; NSW TAFE print school opening; Bernie Robinson talks CtP.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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What happened in 2008
ProPrint changes hands with Don Elliott selling the magazine to Haymarket Media, owners of UK publication, PrintWeek. Geon was also making waves announcing the closure of Agency-Graphic World site in Seven Hills. It was also a drupa 2008 year so there was a flurry of new announcements including MAN Roland’s release of a new two metre plus web printer. Neil Southerington from Graffica attended drupa to show the Hamada 466 press. Commentator Andrew Tribute slammed printing associations for not doing enough to promote print in the marketing mix. There was also a great story about the print room on the Queen Victoria cruise liner.
From left to right: DS Chemport front cover; Celmac hosts Roland open house; Andrew Tribute lets loose; Geon causes waves; Komori’s drupa surprise; Fujifilm plays on the trust theme in this ad; ProPrint’s drupa coverage; MAN Roland goes wide; The Queen Victoria print room explored; ProPrint’s new owners; Screen teams up with Fujifilm on CtP; Neil Southerington at drupa.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
What happened in 2009
With the recession taking effect, news was focused on job losses and downsizing. Then editor Steve Crowe asked readers to “stay positive”. There was controversy as a Gunns $2.2b pulp mill was approved in Tasmania. Printers jumped onto FSC, PEFC and Sustainable Green Print accreditations. PMP’s former CEO Brian Evans chased a $1.56m payout and being a PacPrint year ProPrint delivered a preview and review. Heidelberg ANZ MD Andy Vels Jensen told ProPrint the industry needed a strong, united and effective voice to go forward; Fuji Xerox got a new MD in Nick Kugenthiran and Konica Minolta’s David Procter reflected on four years since the company launched in Australia’s production market.
From top left: ProPrint’s PacPrint guide; Bob Lockley interviewed; a selection of local industry news; Epson ad in 2009; Mitch Mulligan as GAMAA president; David Procter disussed Konica Minolta’s launch in Australia; Heidelberg ProPrint cover; Andy Vels Jensen interview; Océ launch and more print industry news.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
What happened in 2010
ProPrint received a facelift in 2010 with new sections added as printers continued to feel the GFC pinch. Bright Print Group’s Debbie Burgess said the recession proved that cash truly is king. Geon continued to expand, while securing refinancing and reporting a $183m after tax loss in NZ. Phoenix activity was an issue for many. In a sign of the times, Pettaras Press was put in receivership with a new buyer sought. It was an IPEX year and the Fujifilm Truepress Jet 520 was released. Melbourne Uniiversity unveiled an on-demand book arm in a sign of things to come. Heidelberg and Kodak announced a partnership to open local opportunities.
From left to right: Fujifilm’s new Jetpress; A round up of industry news of the time; ProPrint’s Ipex cover; Fuji Xerox ad; Pettaras Press was close to sale; Preparations underway for Visual Impact; Gunns controversy continued; PMP takes on Geon and Blue Star with the purchase of a new sheetfed press..
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
What happened in 2011
Emerging from the GFC, many were asking whether a new normal had been set. Printers were facing threats from digital and online retailing was really hitting home. Geon was busy rejigging its debt, while Opus Group was eyeing book prospects in the UK and the US. Women in Print dinners were held across the country with great success and print industry members slept rough to support the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. Michael Todisco also became became the sole director of PrintLinx, the trading name of Mercedes Waratah Group. The first ever ProPrint Power 50 was published with Richard Allely of PMP placing first.
From left to right: PacPrint plans underway; Whirlwind in the news; Andrew Price exits; Wayne Finkelde profile; Richard Allely tops the Power 50; Women in Print dinners; Geon’s finances shuffled as Opus loks at book prospects; first ever Power 50 cover and industry backs Vinnies CEO Sleepout.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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HYDRAULIC PRESSURE ASSEMBLIES ARE ADJUSTED EASILY VIA THE BLACK WHEEL. INFINITELY ADJUSTABLE UP TO 3,000 PSI OF CUTTING PRESSURE IS AVAILABLE. GAUGES ENABLE OPERATOR TO DETERMINE MINIMUM PRESSURES TO EXTEND DIE LIFE.
HYDRAULIC PRESSURE ASSEMBLIES ARE ADJUSTED EASILY VIA THE BLACK WHEEL. INFINITELY ADJUSTABLE UP TO 3,000 PSI OF CUTTING PRESSURE IS AVAILABLE. GAUGES ENABLE OPERATOR TO DETERMINE MINIMUM PRESSURES TO EXTEND DIE LIFE. www.graph-pak.com.au
HYDRAULIC PRESSURE
ASSEMBLIES ARE ADJUSTED EASILY VIA THE BLACK WHEEL. INFINITELY ADJUSTABLE UP TO 3,000 PSI OF CUTTING PRESSURE IS AVAILABLE. GAUGES ENABLE OPERATOR TO DETERMINE MINIMUM PRESSURES TO EXTEND DIE LIFE.
HYDRAULIC PRESSURE ASSEMBLIES ARE ADJUSTED EASILY VIA THE BLACK WHEEL. INFINITELY ADJUSTABLE UP TO 3,000 PSI OF CUTTING PRESSURE IS AVAILABLE. GAUGES ENABLE OPERATOR TO DETERMINE MINIMUM PRESSURES TO EXTEND DIE LIFE. www.graph-pak.com.au
S pec ia li singin C ap it a l Equip m en tSal es, S er vice, Engineering Solutionsand Consumables. Enquiries: info@graph-pak.com.au FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT OUR HEAD OFFICE Unit 1G, 1-3 Endeavour Road, Caringbah NSW 2229, email: info@graph-pak.com.au Toll Free: 1300 885 550 www.graph-pak.com.au SERIESDIECUTTER INSIGNIASW/WASTESTRIPPINGUNIT
TheInsigniaisasheet-fed,rotary, flexomagneticdiecutterdesigned forproduction-drivenoperationat anaffordablepricepoint. GRAPH-PAK SUPPLIER PROFILE packaging industries in Australia & New Zealand. Our mission is to continue to provide advanced, reliable and functional equipment and engineering solutions and services that enable our customers to maximise their business potential. S pec ia li singin C ap it a l Equip m en tSal es, S er vice, Engineering Solutionsand Consumables Enquiries: info@graph-pak.com.au FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT OUR HEAD OFFICE Unit 1G, 1-3 Endeavour Road, Caringbah NSW 2229, email: info@graph-pak.com.au Toll Free: 1300 885 550
SERIESDIECUTTER INSIGNIASW/WASTESTRIPPINGUNIT INSIGNIASW/RECEDINGSTACKER
TheInsigniaisasheet-fed,rotary, flexomagneticdiecutterdesigned forproduction-drivenoperationat anaffordablepricepoint. S pec ia li singin C ap it a l Equip m en tSal es, S er vice, Engineering Solutionsand Consumables. Enquiries: info@graph-pak.com.au FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT OUR HEAD OFFICE Unit 1G, 1-3 Endeavour Road, Caringbah NSW 2229, email: info@graph-pak.com.au Toll Free: 1300 885 550
SERIESDIECUTTER INSIGNIASW/WASTESTRIPPINGUNIT
TheInsigniaisasheet-fed,rotary, flexomagneticdiecutterdesigned forproduction-drivenoperationat anaffordablepricepoint. S pec ia li singin C ap it a l Equip m en tSal es, S er vice, Engineering Solutionsand Consumables Enquiries: info@graph-pak.com.au FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT OUR HEAD OFFICE Unit 1G, 1-3 Endeavour Road, Caringbah NSW 2229, email: info@graph-pak.com.au Toll Free: 1300 885 550 www.graph-pak.com.au SERIESDIECUTTER INSIGNIASW/WASTESTRIPPINGUNIT
TheInsigniaisasheet-fed,rotary, flexomagneticdiecutterdesigned forproduction-drivenoperationat anaffordablepricepoint. Head Office: 1/44 President Avenue Caringbah, NSW, 2229, email: info@graph-pak.com.au Available Sizes • 510 x 380 • 510 x 510 • 760 x 610 See us at on stand D08 Head Office: 1/44 President Avenue, Caringbah, NSW, 2229, email: info@graph-pak.com.au PRESENTS Our range of compact versatile folder gluers Suitable for straight line, crash lock as well as application of tape, magnet, silicone and more As seen at PacPrint22 Folding gluing machine with hand feeder and delivery table Same machine as Box 1 but is upgradable to add the automatic continuous feeder PLUS an automatic delivery table Scan to watch Scan to watch Scan to watch Same machine as Box 1 but is also upgradable by added second folding unit to fold and glue crash lock bottom and machine
What happened in 2012
Industry consolidation was moving swiftly with IPMG moving to close Craft and the Champ private equity fund eyeing oOh!media. McPherson shareholders voted to demerge paving the way for a merger with Opus. Being a drupa year organisers threw open the doors to the world as ProPrint covered key industry events. The PIAA also announced it would merge with GASAA, in another show of consolidation. Geon’s communications and sustainability manager, Kellie Northwood, was named as the new manager of Two Sides. Benny Landa also blazed back onto the scene 11 years after selling Indigo sparking great expecations of what was ahead.
Left to right: Benny Landa makes a comeback; Industry associations merge; Two Sides appoints Northwood; ProPrint cover; Champ eyes oOh!media; Drupa gets underway; Colour Graphic Services on the cover; McPherson in the news; a Konica Minolta bizhub ad; Frank Romano visits Australia.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
Sales and surprises
What happened in 2013
Geon collapsed during this year, leaving many asking how and why? Geon was Australia’s third biggest printer and after private equity takeovers, the voluntary administrators were called in when it was unable to secure a $3m debt finance facility. In other news PacPrint was held with a full review in ProPrint. Sydney hosted the Mohawk Show, presented by BJ Ball. Hannanprint and Next Printing were featured, while all the highlights from the 2012 Power 50 were published. Kellie Northwood was also appointed to lead the Australasian Catalogue Association.
Left to right: ProPrint cover focuses on credit; photo highlights from the Mohawk Show; Hannanprint featured; PacPrint in review; The Geon saga explored; Rodney Frost invests; Kellie Northwood appointed as head of ACA; Next Printing looks to the future and PacPrint was full of surprises.
www.proprint.com.au WE WANT YOUR STORIES Any special dates coming up?Mohawk Show Creative types mingled with printers at Sydney’s plush Arthouse Hotel as BJ Ball presented the New South Wales leg of the annual Mohawk Show on 15 May. The touring event, which is run by US manufacturer Mohawk Papers, showcased winners of the Mohawk Award. Entries into the competition, which came in from around the world, were all printed on one of the premium uncoated brands for which Mohawk is known. This year there was one Australian winner of the prestigious awards, Paul Garbett from Naughty Fish design. on Graphics’ Konecke Ball’s Garth Corcoran and Aaron Carter with Maria SedoFont from PMG and Brown, chief executive of BJ Ball Ball sales executive Michael Tsiailis with Dominion Print Group managing director orn Press managing director Craig Foley with Circle Communications managing director Campbell Ball’s Glen Ellis, and DES’s Mark McInnes termarx Graphics’ Alan Fawcett, David Jones’ Karin Rojas, Ball’s John Pennock ndra Berzins, studio manager at Folk, with Lindsay Yates Group Paul Richardson Darrin Marshall UPDATE DOWNTIME 1 3 4 www.proprint.com.au ProPrint JPE Industry Review night Prominent journalist Tim Burrowes, who edits media and marketing website Mumbrella, was the guest speaker at the Junior Printing Executives Industry Review Night. The function’s other speaker was BT Financial Group chief economist Chris Caton The Industry Review Night was held on 13 May at the North Ryde RSL in Sydney. It was organised by the Printing Industries Association of Australia, JPE and the Lithographic Institute of Australia. Mumbrella editor-inchief Tim Burrowes, Graham Trickey and DIC’s Meredith Darke Gary Wilson from Expense Reduction Analysts with Colin Burnell from Graphics Plus Printing president Glenn Ford from BJ Ball, Aaron Millner from Bottcher and Tom Walkerden from BJ Ball Lynne and Russell Morrow from Morprint with JPE past president Steven Gamble Ray Berwick won a NSW jersey autographed by former Blues skipper Wayne Pearce 2. Heidelberg’s Nick Hammond, Bob Milner and Savas Mystakidis Nominees: Shanmugan Vadiveloo, Patricia Teo, Romeo Abellana, Nicole Clark, Lauren Peatman Graduate of the Year Samuel Moss from Sinnott Brothers 5. A member Steve Kyd with Patrick Rey and John Sfikas from Anzpac 6. Sinnott Brothers general manager Stephen Cuthbert and Kayell sales director Andreas Johansson LIA-Heidelberg Grad Awards UPDATEDOWNTIME Samuel Moss from IPMG firm Sinnott Brothers was named LIA-Heidelberg Graduate of the Year at an event in Sydney on 4 June. Sinnott Bros general manager Stephen Cuthbert said Moss had impressed supervisors with his intel ligence and enthusiasm during his apprenticeship. The other finalists were Shanmugan Vadiveloo from Opus Group book arm Ligare, Nicole Clark from News Ltd, Romeo Abellana from Anzpac Services, Lauren Peatman from Integrated Marketing Solutions and Patricia Teo from Jet Swimwear. 4 3 6 A PrintWeek publication GLOBALISED BUYING PHOTO SPECIAL OFFERING CROSS-MEDIA ALSO INSIDE... Profile Industrial Printing Technology Soft proofing Product Fujifilm Jet Press 540W Pulling in crowds from state to state Knowledge and networking at Heidelberg Women in Print p22 International print brokers take aim Corporate clients are increasingly demanding worldwide deals p30 Will web services buoy your business? Don’t expect an expansion into cross-media to be easy sailing p34 Sick of being left exposed, suppliers are determined to break the cycle Knock-on effects of debt ANALYSIS CREDIT TERMS PROFILE STAR BUSINESS www.proprint.com.au20 ProPrint June 2013 I t takes quite a while to get around Hannanprint’s Warwick Farm supersite. That’s not only because of the building’s aircraft-hangar footprint, although that’s part of it. The other reason for the slow progress is the tour guide, Tony Dedda. The outgoing managing director of the IPMG-owned business just keeps stopping. People have told ProPrint in the past that Dedda prides himself on knowing everyone’s name. Taking a tour of Warwick Farm with him, it’s clearly not lip service. Dedda is shaking hands, shouting out ‘g’day’, asking after people’s children. One worker, who was offered extended leave after a family member fell ill, tells ProPrint, unprompted, “Not every boss is like Tony. It’s nice.” Over recent weeks, Dedda has also been playing tour guide for an increasing number of customers. Warwick Farm is a showpiece; it’s easy to understand why he would want to show it off. While there are no customers visiting the plant when ProPrint tours, they are there in spirit. Warwick Farm is still sparkling and new; it lacks the lived-in feel of even the cleanest print shop. Dedda’s office is bare, so it’d be hard to miss the single piece of A4 paper pinned to the empty noticeboard in an otherwise sparsely decorated room. The note reads, “There is only one boss, the customer. He can fire everyone in the company from the directors down simply by spending his money elsewhere.” For Dedda, this philosophy starts as the top and permeates the business. “The whole company is customer focused. Not just me; it’s the guy in the bindery, the guy in the pressroom. We understand the customer is the business. It is not a motherhood-type statement. We live it.” Back to the tour, which continues at a stop-start pace. Of course, the gregarious MD is not the only reason that a journey around the newly opened plant takes quite some time. Warwick Farm is all about size. It would be the biggest plant built since PMP’s Moorebank supersite in the mid90s. The former Kimberly Clark plant AutoJobChange control package with QuickStart pre-inking function; inline control systems for cut-off register; ink density control and colour register. While twin webs are not as popular wider presses, Dedda is an advocate of the configuration. “Some people are frightened by having one web on top of the other, but we have mastered it. They give you enormous output; it is technology that we are very familiar with.” Everywhere you look in Warwick Farm there is technology. Shiny new machines sit alongside older models relocated from Alexandria. In the centre of the plant, printing technology actually fuses with the building itself. The masterstroke in the factory’s design is the control room for its fleet of four Manroland presses. The offices have been built directly over the press lines. Freshly printed catalogues clipped to the Ferag lines zip down and around the press control desks like laundry spinning on the world’s most high-tech Hills Hoist. It is in stark contrast to the congested layout at the old site. “Alexandria grew over many years, so you stuck things where they fitted. Here you had the ability to develop a flow; you have paper, presses and finishing and stitching and dispatch.” “We have the people who live this in the control room, the mezzanine over the pressroom. They can feel the presses. They are part of it. That is important,” he says. On the ground level, press operators man the control desks. Some of them have been at Hannanprint their entire careers. Guys like Tony Moore, who has been with Hannanprint for three decades, or his co-pilot on the Manroland console, Terry Fripp, who has “only” worked for the company for 18 years. occupies 12.8 hectares. Everywhere you go, there are huge numbers to ponder, staggering volumes, impressive run lengths, machinery values with plenty of zeros. The rainwater tanks hold a combined three million litres. There’s room in the paper store for 22,000 tonnes. Some 20 tonnes of ink per colour is on hand. One of the gatherers ramps up to 32,000 copies an hour. The newest press is running at 180,000 sheets per hour. Dedda says that if all four web presses were running full speed at their optimum web width, the plant could churn out eight million pages per hour. If those numbers aren’t impressive enough, then double them. Because plenty of the integral equipment is counted in multiples of two. When Hannanprint relocated from its long-time home in Alexandria to this new site in western Sydney, it needed to double-up on all essential machinery, to ensure continuity for its customers. “We need two sets in case one breaks down. When you buy a new piece of equipment, you try to align it to the old one,” says Dedda. “Redundancy is built into the plant. The new Lithoman is exactly the same web width as the other two; we could’ve bought something wider, but then if you have to move work to another press, you would have an issue. Staying with one width also makes warehouse management the same.” Seeing double This case of double vision doesn’t only apply to duplicate machinery: the flagship press also has a split personality. The heart of Warwick Farm is a 96pp Manroland Lithoman in a twin web configuration. When ordered, it was the only press of its kind anywhere in the world. Reaching 45,000 cylinder revolution per hour, the machine’s productivity has been boosted further thanks to optional bells and whistles. According to Manroland, automation includes: automatic plate loading; the factfile Staff 300 Size 38,000m Established 2013 Owners Hannan family Presses • One 96pp twin-web Manroland Lithoman • Two 48pp Manroland Lithomans • One 32pp Manroland Rotoman Markets magazines, catalogues, newspaper inserts A towering achievement Establishing Warwick Farm and relocating from Alexandria was an undertaking of a scale not seen for many years By Steven Kiernan HANNANPRINT www.proprint.com.au June 2013 ProPrint PACPRINT REVIEW Decision-makers, it seems, did show up; time-wasters did not. Garry Muratore, Oceania regional sales manager of GMG, who was stationed on the Kayell stand, says: “The tyre kickers were missing; those people who have no intention of purchasing but want to waste your time to prove they are clever.” Muratore points to one reason for this. “The industry has been through some tough times so the big labour force that used to be out there is no longer there. Once upon a time, the bosses would rent a minibus and send 20 people in. The guillo operator would come and ask how a plate works. He was educating himself.” While students have always been part of the PacPrint make-up, Muratore reckons their numbers were down this year. Other vendors suggest to ProPrint that while students did show up, they were on their best behaviour, there to collect a few free posters but not waste exhibitors’ time. Konica Minolta general manager production printing David Procter subscribes to the ‘numbers down, quality up’ view. The digital supplier’s centrally located stand was “constantly busy”, he says. “For Konica Minolta, we are very happy with the result from PacPrint. Even though the numbers may have been down through the door, the quality of customers on the stand far exceeded that from previous shows.” Pleasing partnership The cross-aisle traffic with partner Kodak can only have helped both suppliers. Beyond the typical task of sales and leadgeneration, the two companies had different but equally important reasons for making a strong showing at PacPrint. For Konica Minolta, like fellow digital supplier Ricoh, the exhibition was an opportunity to further bolster its reputation as a serious supplier to the graphic arts market. For Kodak, there was a need to remind the industry that not only is it still here after last year’s fall into Chapter 11, but that the printing industry remains its core focus. Procter says: “In our customers’ minds, we have cemented ourselves as a serious player in the digital marketplace. This is our third PacPrint. At the first one we were the new boys on the block. Four years ago we were being considered by a fair few. Now we are regularly on the consideration list.” Kodak’s Fleming says that following dramatic collapse of the once mighty company, “we could’ve cancelled [PacPrint} and no one would have blamed us”. “But we looked at it and said would take the opportunity to say are still here, we are coming back. Come September, we will be out of Chapter and we will be a very graphics-focused company,” says Fleming. The partnership between Kodak and Konica Minolta at PacPrint13 might remind people of their affiliation at PrintEx11, where the pair were joined Heidelberg. This year was not the PacPrint of old. The absence of the industry-leading offset press manufacturer was not just reflection of the tough market, but symbolic of wider trends of technology. Doubters had made much of Heidelberg’s withdrawal from PacPrint and the absence of offset presses. Mutterings about the minimal litho presence – there were just two, a pair Ryobis on the Cyber stand – continued throughout the show. But where some the lack of traditional machinery as a CMYKhub’s free webstore service was a hit 2. Manroland’s Allison Whitelaw on the Canon stand 3. Konica Minolta’s David Procter 4. Centrum Printing signed for a KBA press 5. The Kodak stand 43 5 www.proprint.com.au26 ProPrint June 2013 PACPRINT REVIEW I could’ve been a PacPrint measured by what wasn’t there. No Heidelberg. Few offset presses. A prediction of low sales, dismal visitors numbers, a lack of ROI for exhibitors. The glass-halfempty voices had been loud. Considering the brutal start to 2013 it’s easy to see where they were coming from. Would an extravagant trade show, appearing amid the worst economic climate many in print have ever seen, be a white elephant? As the doors opened on Tuesday 21 May, many worried that the nay-sayers would be proven right. Foot traffic was light. Exhibitors spoke in worrying tones. A lot was riding on PacPrint13; the first day did little to reassure those who had staked so much on the once-every-four-year show. But this is not an article about failure. Because the visitors did arrive. Wednesday got busier. Thursday was busier again. On Friday, stands were mobbed by potential The show got off to a slow start. Day one and two were underwhelming Steve Donegal, HP customers. The Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre hummed with an energy that has been lacking in our industry of late. Exhibitors say those who arrived were the industry’s leaders, the people who write the cheques, and that they were ready to do business. Adrian Fleming, up until recently the managing director of Kodak Australia & New Zealand, says: “There were plenty of worried looks going around on Tuesday, but I can’t think of a trade show when day one wasn’t slow. Day one of Drupa was dead, so were days 13 and 14.” Steve Donegal, director of strategic accounts at HP Asia Pacific, agrees. “The show got off to a pretty slow start. Day one and day two were very underwhelming. I was actually a bit concerned on the second day, but I have to say that Thursday, Friday and Saturday made up for the slow start. Our lead generation expectations were met and our business activities exceeded expectations.” Even the organisers, who had spent months promoting the show and doing everything in their power to ensure its success, kept their expectations modest. Just a day before the doors opened, PacPrint president Ian Martin told ProPrint that organisers were expecting around 10,000 visitors. There was a feeling that fewer might even be acceptable, as long as those who attended were decision-makers. It must have come as a huge relief to organisers when the curtains closed on PacPrint13 and some 13,427 visitors had crossed the threshold. A decline on 2009 but a welcome bump on the worst-case scenario. Across the dozens of exhibitors that ProPrint spoke to both during and after the show, the theme of ‘numbers down, quality up’, was consistent.
It may have been smaller in scale with some notable absences but the exhibition did not disappoint. Many were taken aback as industry leaders arrived in force By Steven Kiernan and Nick Bendel
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
Paper
by
The
Major turer Norske Skog raised its by 3-5 per cent from January 1.
As a rule of thumb a three per cent rise in paper prices adds one per cent to the cost of a job.
The companies follow decisions by Spicers to implement price hikes of 6-9 per cent from December 15 last year, and KW Doggett by up to eight per cent from February 2.
The most popular commercial grades will contain the full price increases.
However Dale O’Neill, sales director at Direct Paper Supplies says even with the rises paper will only be back at the level it was costing in 1996.
BJ Ball marketing and business devel opment manager Tony Bertrand says the Aussie dollar, which has fallen to a four-year low of less than 82c against the US greenback, is a major contributor to the price hike. “The rise is quite mod est considering how much the dollar has devalued,” he says.
What happened in
“It has fallen significantly from its high of $1.05 and that has a great effect on our costs so we have no choice but to pass it on.”
Norske Skog vice president Andrew McKean also says the price rise does not reflect the full effect of exchange rate changes and that it would be ‘silly’ not to follow the rest of the market.
He also says intense competition has driven down prices since the company launched its Vantage catalogue paper brand last year, to the point where the
rise would not bring them back to that level.
The company, which sells direct to high-volume Australian customers from local mills, produced more than 70,000 tonnes last year from its Boyer mill as a result of entering the catalogue market, with a capacity of up to twice that. Its massive newspaper contracts will not be affected by the price rise as they are long-term agreements, but cata logue printers like PMP, AIW, Franklin Web, IPMG, and Webstar will likely be hit.
The last major round of price hikes last March saw BJ Ball customers paying eight per cent more across the board, KW Doggett up to 10.5 per cent, and Spicers 8-10 per cent. However, Doggett managing director Simon Doggett says ‘only a couple per cent’ of the 10.5 per cent March price hike was actually realised because the dollar moved from 90c to 95c soon after.
The Australian dollar has seen sharp declines recently, falling from parity in May 2013 to its lowest levels since June 2010 last month, with further falls pre dicted as demand for commodities weakens and China’s economic growth slows.
Print businesses were closing down and consolidating with the full details of Sumo Visual’s collapse revealed. Bright Print Group co-director Debbie Burgess talked down the effectiveness of social media in a ProPrint column. There was also an indepth feature into how select Australian printers were maximizing efficiency for gain featuring Tom Lusch from Platypus Graphics, Craig Pearce from Flying Colours in Tasmania and Naresh Gulati from Melbourne’s Print Bound. There were also plenty of gatherings from Asian Cup final celebrations to days out on boats with E-Bisglobal.
From left to right: Peter Cleary from Media Super; OMA sets big plans; Debbie Burgess’ insights into social media; Printers back Movember; Downtime highlights; E-Bisglobal hosts a day out on the water; Printers talk about productivity and efficiency; Peter George from PMP profiled; Sumo’s collapse.
www.proprint.com.au14 ProPrint March 2015 COMMENTUPDATE A flurry of research over the last 12 months, from all parts of the globe, continues to support the value of the printed communication piece By Debbie Burgess, director Bright Print Group A ustralia Post commissioned a report titled, “Creating connections that matter: How Australians want to hear from brands”. The report was endorsed by ADMA (the direct marketing association), whose CEO Jodie Sangster describes it as providing ‘a significant step forward in assisting Australian marketers to deliver customer-centric marketing and creating connections that matter’. One of the primary take aways from the report was that direct mail, the traditional communication channel now fully customisable with personalisation, featured as a top three preferred channel for communication, as ranked by consumers for each major category of client engagement: switching customers; existing customers and new customers. A direct mail piece that engages through being thoughtful, articulate, targeted and thereby customer-centric will deliver results. More people will open a mailed piece than an emailed piece. More than 75 per cent of emails are never viewed, compared to less than 20 per cent of personalised mail which is never opened, or to put it another way, compared to the more than 80 per cent of personalised mail which is opened. DEBBIE BURGESS Engagement fares even worse with only 0.073 per cent of Facebook fans interacting with major brand sites In a sea of visual digital overload, where advertising and marketing filters through almost every aspect of life, it can be argued that everything equals nothing in terms of cut through. One of the myths busted by the Australia Post report is that younger demographics enjoy receiving personalised mail above all other channels. The report makes kit plain that this is simply not the case. Yet marketers are increasingly turning their back on a proven channel, despite consumer sentiment. According to Nielsen, a total of $9.3bn was spent in fiscal year 2013 on advertising in Australia. However, there is confusion over which channels are actually the most effective, with many marketers seemingly embracing a new way of communicating which is in reality not delivering results or resonating with their clients. A Forrester report from the US cites major agency Ogilvy as claiming that only 2 per cent of Facebook posts reach their intended audience. Engagement fares even worse with only .073 per cent of Facebook fans interacting with major brand sites along with Twitter at 0.035 per cent. Billions of dollars are being spent globally on social network advertising, which is not hitting the intended target. So what is the winning combination? Research supports a content rich company microsite integrated with clever, well-designed and beautifully printed personalised communication pieces, this is a clear winner in delivering effectiveness, reach, authenticity and value. Mixed with the speed to market of digital or online campaigns, the concept of the slow burn or gradual reveal that can play out in a savvy direct marketing campaign could be the novel approach in an overpopulated market, and achieve an improved ROI. For access to the free Australia Post report visit: http://pages.auspost-email. com.au/connectionsthatmatter For access to the Forrester report visit: http://marketingland.com/ forrester-says-marketers-wastingresources-facebook-twitter-108376. Social media’s ineffectiveness uncovered UPDATE NEWS ANALYSIS O the three high-profile eightAustralia’s biggest display graphics printer, might have the worst tale by badly executed shift away from cutprice offering exacerbated by difficult by administrators into Sumo’s operations, and first hand accounts by private equity interference derailing profitable business in growth market in just 18 months. PPB Advisory details the $23m turnover company’s decline from administration last October. Frustrated former senior managers, who spoke The downward spiral began with June 2013. Though he had sold the ProPrint digs behind the headlines into the collapse of the previously successful Sumo Visual late last year and finds a sobering story of a rapid journey from boom to bust firm Harbert Management the helm as chief executive, and by all accounts kept the business going Harbert replaced him with its own man, Robert Read, as interim chief executive. Opinions differ over whether are most to blame, but all the senior managers agree there is plenty of blame accumulate debts of more than $7.5m. It took lot of factors working together to topple the established, including Target, Dan Murphy’s, laundry list causes and contributing factors, many of which begin with which says were largely avoidable. with high margins, even with big corporate clients and tight deadlines. work that killing so many commercial printers. However this began to change as executives pursued jobs Sumo would have let go in the past. Gross margin plummeted from before administration Sumo was losing 11.5 per cent on every job. According faulty costing is projected to have made loss of at least $1m year. After an plan was not presented Woolworths The falling margins were coupled with significant expenditure on supervisory staff and extra layers managers and IT staff, increasing employee costs by 23 per cent between inefficiencies that had caused ‘significant issues around production performance (ie rework) in Q1 FY14’, staff also say the firm spent $800,000 developing an in-house MIS system not have the required functionality – at time when the company could least administrators managed to sell, for an making began to happen secret Boom to bust Which of the recent printing company collapses were you most surprised by? 40% Adelaide CBD: 7% GWPM: 3% focus UPDATENEWS ANALYSIS background briefing budget shortfalls because budgets were based on sales that were only vaguely eventuate. The administrator’s report found forecasts differed wildly from growth FY14 ‘based largely on unidentified business, assuming that an expanded sales team would generate lost $3.4m. The managers say the left managers in the dark about expectations, strategy and company also led to ineffective strategic and service changes. They say under the new executive regime the company model and implemented textbook process into different areas with separate account managers. Clients did not react well to the changes and left in from its retail printing base to focus on external signage, and pursue longerwas financially successful. “There was no strategy for the print business and new business was not being chased or Staff lost confidence in management cent staff turnover the last six months, and the company lost senior about seven months before the end and eventually joined Carlton and United Breweries, and sales director Gary By 2010 it had grown into an almost $20m-a-year company’s margins were mostly above 30 per cent. co-investor for about $18m in December 2010. the time of Sumo’s collapse, Harbert owned 28.9 per Things were looking good February 2011 when Sumo won huge contract with beverage producer Huber had major stress-related heart attack in Soon after, Sumo won a big contract with lost the company $1m each year. This was not rectified by the time Sumo collapsed. daddy of wide format printing and March 2014 The volume of work was on much lower margin jobs Ken Swan replaced Read as chief exec in March 2014. months and still owes $1.5m of it. the same month, Masters announced was taking fivemonth hiatus from May, blowing huge hole in Sumo was given more than $3m by Harbert and the secret co-investor in May, July and September to Sumo was likely trading while insolvent from July, acquisition of Sumo in early October. Senior managers say this uncovered the true extent of Both Harbert and co-investor advised they would stop supporting Sumo mid-October and in late Continued on page 28 with many the businesses FOCUS PRESSROOM www.proprint.com.au34 ProPrint March 2015 Tom Lusch Position Owner Company Platypus Graphics Geebung, QLD Established 1985 Workforce 80 Business: Commercial and packaging print In its new facility at Geebung in Brisbane’s north, Platypus Graphics, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, will focus on package printing from its latest hardware acquisition, a six-colour KBA Rapida 106 with double coater, UV/ conventional hybrid operation and inline colour control, which has replaced a five-year-old Rapida 106 with fewer features. Tom Lusch, owner of the Queensland company with some 80 staff, says the additional bells and whistles will reduce waste and enhance productivity. He describes the inline colour control as ‘quality control on the run … it is hard to control quality on a press that is running full-tilt at 18,000 impressions an hour by pulling a sheet. We have invested a considerable amount in order to do what we are doing now, but better and quicker’. The new Rapida 106 will be located at the dedicated packaging Geebung factory, alongside sheeting, Bobst diecutting equipment and folder/gluers, to create a super-efficient packaging printing workflow. The new premises complement Platypus Graphics’ head-office site in nearby Stafford, where commercial printing and some boutique package printing continue on its Komori Lithrone SP540 ten-colour and Lithrone 28 six-colour, as well as on a Roland 104 six-colour press. Productive print Optimising efficiency is essential in today’s printroom, and production performance comes from a combination of highly specified presses, automated workflow and optimal consumables including plates. ProPrint looks at how three print business are best optimising their productivity By Peter Kohn Productivity is driven by individuals, not by technology alone Craig Pearce, managing director, Flying Colours W hile print prices remain depressed, a key route for printers to increase margins is by increasing productivity, achieving more sheets on the floor in less time with less waste and less downtime. So how do you set up your printroom to maximise the likelihood of success, what measures should you be using, and what type of presses are entering the market? The press manufacturers have come up with a dazzling array of features over the past 20 years that have transformed the output capacity of their printing beasts, but that is not the whole story. Workflow plays a central role in productivity, and encompasses everything from the location of the press in the factory to its digital connection. Staff are crucial, as are measurement, planning, control and monitoring. Consumables also play an important role, having press-approved poducts is essential. focus FOCUSPRESSROOM www.proprint.com.au March 2015 ProPrint 35 Lusch is emphatic about keeping Platypus versatile, and retaining a foothold in a number of markets and technologies, in Queensland and interstate, rather than specialising in package printing, even though this now constitutes more than 70 per cent of the business. Digital wide-format package work on a Canon-Océ Arizona flatbed is on the rise, while commercial sheetfed is dwindling. “The reason we are doing all this is efficiency and productivity,” he reflects. The short-run digital box work is mainly for mockups and samples, up to around a dozen, mainly for presentations and photo shoots, before volume runs are generated on the Rapida, he says. Some of the work on the Arizona is for personalised microruns of packaging. “The short-run work is a service we offer our customers.” Platypus runs a Kodak Prinergy prepress workflow and recently upgraded to the latest version. It is connected to an inhouse-developed MIS, again a configuration that Lusch says minimises double handling and bottlenecks before files go to plate and press. Trade work figures strongly in the company’s efficiencies – some of the binding is outsourced to the trade, while Platypus takes in trade printing, embossing, diecutting and folding/ gluing – mainly for commercial printers with package contracts. Lusch says Platypus tries to stay ahead of the curve on productivity by trialling new consumables – inks and plates -- on its Lithrone 28 six-colour machine. “That way, we can trial new ideas on a small scale – if it works, fine, if not, we move on to other ideas.” Craig Pearce Position Managing director Company Flying Colours, Launceston, Tasmania Established 1995 Workforce 18 Business Commercial, packaging, wide format Managing print “We don’t just print,” asserts Craig Pearce, managing director of Flying Colours, a versatile printing enterprise in Launceston. “We manage print.” It is a philosophy conveyed by the Tasmanian printer to ProPrint on his way to his first meeting as chairman of the Diemens, Tasmania’s state printing awards. He is also on the steering committee of the National Print Awards. Twenty-year-old Flying Colours was founded by Pearce with a single-colour GTO in a 200sq m building when he emerged from his printing trade apprenticeship. He was just 15 when he began printing. Now housed in 1500sq m, the northern Tasmanian company, a winner of multiple National Print Awards and dux of the Diemens in 2014, has diversified its offerings. From a base in sheetfed offset through its two- and four-colour Heidelberg Speedmasters, it has expanded into digital VDP on its Xerox machines, and now also provides largeformat inkjet services from an Agfa Anapurna M1600 1.6m inkjet, which was installed in early February 2015 in a custom-built 60sqm room. Pearce says: “We now offer print, packaging, online and creative services.” A custom-developed W2P system, through a Quote & Print MIS, means customers can upload artwork online, which is proofed and sent to an Agfa Apogee plate workflow. For Pearce, productivity begins with the latest technology but the true key is in the human resources, he says. “Productivity is driven by individuals, not by technology alone.” Sixty per cent of Flying Colours staff are under 30 and they form a dynamic corps serving the company’s range of banking and financial clients, commercial customers and the emerging signage component of the business. “We have a lean team of 20-24 in number. Each member of staff is highly proficient in a diverse range of skills, which means they are adaptable and highly productive. The market we lend ourselves to is driven especially by speed. So we have invested in a highly streamlined set of processes and procedures.” Naresh Gulati Position CEO Company Print Bound, Melbourne Established 1991 Acquired 2014 Workforce 50 Business Commercial print, finishing Efficient across technologies At Print Bound, a 24-year-old printing and finishing outfit at Oakleigh South in Melbourne, productivity has been a priority ever since the 50-staff operation was acquired by businessman Naresh Gulati’s OCA Group last year (It is now OCA’s commercial printing arm). Pride of the production floor is a Heidelberg XL106, a six-colour press with inline UV coating, including spot UV, and is the only carbon-neutral press in Australia. It has joined a 12-colour Speedmaster SM 102 sixover-six perfector, and a five-colour four-plus-one-plus perfector with inline aqueous coating. And in addition there is a comprehensive bindery including a Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST 350 and Performance power: the pressroom Continued on page 36 Productive print UPDATE www.proprint.com.au4 ProPrint February 2015
Nic White
last of the big players in the Australian paper market have con firmed their prices will rise in the next few weeks due to rising costs and a crashing dollar.
merchant BJ Ball will up prices 6-8 per cent from February 9, and news paper and catalogue paper manufac
prices
price hikes finalised CATALOGUES Heatset printers are riding a boom in catalogue printing as marketers spend big PMP Debt-free future beckons for country’s biggest printer SCOTT PRINT Family-owned Perth printer officially launches its two new Komori HUV presses PAPER PRICES Printers are going to struggle with the cost of paper rising by up to 10 per cent this month MANROLAND German press giant forced to put 814 staff on short-time working hours AD SPENDING Newspapers and magazines hit by reduced print ad spend UPS & DOWNS MADE AN IMPRESSION Printers do Movember: Industry figures submited photos of their furry faces to raise awareness of men’s health. It’s not too late to donate so check out the gallery on the ProPrint gallery for links to their donation pages. The campaign raises money for research and support for mental health, prostate, and testicular cancer, and other men’s health issues. Clockwise from left: Aaron Finn, Perma Labels; David Chaplin, Eastern Press; Naresh Gulati, OCA; Mark Katrakis, Ricoh. Movember has raised some $580m to date. Up again: paper prices rising thanks to weak Aussie dollar
2015 PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
THE EVOLUTION OF E-BISGLOBAL
Commenced business as
Established an in-house IT Development team and commenced trainee program
Developed one of the first web to print applications for a global financial brand which provided corporate stationery to over 500 Financial Advisers Australia wide
Company name change to to reflect the emerging opportunities in e-commerce
Launched ® and ® a range of sustainable envelopes and paper products manufactured from farmed eucalyptus & post-consumer waste
Purchased a 3600sqm warehouse in Tuggerah NSW and established an in-house fulfilment team
Successfully integrated StreamlineOnline™ into a major NSW Government Agency
In-house development of ® a procurement workflow solution
Placed 18th in the BRW Most Innovative Companies in Australia
Secured a $50 million Federal Government contract
Developed EVENT
QOKK I an Event Management scheduling solution for major organisations to manage event collateral and marketing assets
Company name change to to move forward within international markets
Transitioned to an Aboriginal owned and operated business
Gained recognition and membership with the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commence. Implemented an employment and training program for Aboriginal young people
Continuing to diversify and create innovative solutions for Government and Corporate Australia while partnering with our Australian print partners
www.ebisglobal.com 1300 300 784 1997 1990 1999 2000 2009 2010 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2020 2021 2022 2007
M A N A G EM E N T
® ®
What happened in 2016
This was a tumultuous year for the print industry with the key association splintering amid a flurry of member discontent and board resignations. Andrew Macaulay replaced Jason Allen as the PIAA’s new CEO and set about using his experience in corporate turnarounds to address the issues. Kellie Northwood, the now CEO of The Real Media Collective, which is about to merge with the former PIAA, was appointed to the PIAA board in 2016, along with IVE's CEO Matt Aitken.
Left to right: Whirlwind celebrates 20 years in print; Andrew Macaulay new PIAA CEO; timeline of turmoil at the PIAA; CMYKhub’s wide format foray; Tharstern and Vpress partnership; Geoff Selig rings the ASX bell as IGL lists; Heroprint’s Alex Coulson on the cover; Kellie Northwood’s Two Sides; HP ad; Talks to end PIAA turmoil; Drupa’s key themes; Redbubble launches and PIAA leadership losses.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
What happened in 2017
Major industry changes continued this year with the ACCC greenlighting the merger between print giants PMP Ltd and the Hannan family owned, IPMG. There were also plenty of other takeovers and acquisitions with Dominion Group acquiring Graphitype and in the paper space, Japanese Paper, acquired the merged result of BJ Ball and KW Doggett for $75 million. IVE also announced plans to build a greenfield catalogue site in Sydney. All the while the usual round of industry awards continued with Cliff Royle winning Konica Minolta’s National Specialised Print Award that year.
Left to right: A beautiful cover featuring Whirlwind; National Print Awards photo highlights; Xeikon’s cat-themed cover; Jet Technologies on the cover; a printIQ ad; Japanese Paper acquires local paper merchants; Cliff Royle wins Konica Minolta National Specialised Print award; IVE plans new catalogue site; Hannapak sold; a golden AllKotes ad; Greenlight for IPMG and PMP merger and Dominion acquires Graphitype.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
What happened in
This was the year that ProPrint changed hands and came under the ownership of the Printer Media Group, which is part of Australia’s largest B2B publisher - The Intermedia Group. Industry upheaval continued throughout 2018 as the industry’s association, the PIAA, held its first ever Print to Parliament event. Businesses changed hands as well with Bright Print Group acquiring Enviro and Kirwan Print Group disrupting the market by launching into flexibles. Theo Pettaras’ Digitalpress was also frequently in the headlines, notably for the installation of a Fuji Xerox Iridesse press.
Left to right: EFI Connect features; Steven Dunwell retires; Norman J Field leaves industry; Print Approach receives a visit from PM Malcolm Turnbull; a Durst Rho SPC 130 ad; Roger Kirwan disrupts the market; Printer Media Group takes over ProPrint; Currie Group Road Show features; Power 50 2017 photo highlights; Bright Print Group acquires Enviro; Print to Parliament held and Digitalpress invests in a new Iridesse from Fuji Xerox.
2018 PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
For more information, please visit durst-group.com/p5350 PRODUCTION EXCELLENCE P5 TM The hybrid printer that elevates the efficiency in your production cycle. P5 350/HS
What happened in 2019
The year 2019 will always be remembered as the year before Covid-19 when life was seemingly simple. Events across the printing industry were taking place with various companies, including Currie Group, hosting well attended open houses. This was also the year that Whirlwind Print went into administration, while PrintEx19 was held in Sydney with ProPrint providing extensive preview coverage of the event with features on key exhibitors. It was also the year the ProPrint Emerging 50 was launched to recognise the efforts of those with around five years’ experience in any part of print. The other new entrant in the industry was the Sprinter.com.au website – an online hub for all printing news in Australia.
Left to right: Currie Group welcomes Anthony Jackson; Currie Group hosts open house; Graffica’s Neil Southerington makes an impression; ProPrint Emerging 50 launched; Whirlwind Print liquidates; Sprinter.com.au launched; Power 50 and Emerging 50 share the cover; PrintEx19 photo highlights; Massivit 3D hits Aussie shows; Taylor’d Press in the star business; PrintEx19 preview package and Steven Gamble’s Man Anchor journey.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
For the latest leading printing industry news, subscribe now www.sprinter.com.au/ subscribe Sprinter News e-newsletter straight to your inbox www.sprinter.com.au ProPack .pro
What happened in 2020
The year 2020 tested us all as Covid-19 lockdowns took over. The print industry was quick to respond, however, and showed how agile it can be in pivoting towards new business opportunities. The pivots were everywhere from Clarke Murphy Print’s Fan in the Stand concept to Carbon8’s face shields and AFI Branding’s funky masks. There were also hard times with Bambra Press going into administration, although the business did come back out again the following year. Over at the PIAA, there were also a few headaches as former staffers were alleged to be branch stacking for the Liberal Party while on the payroll.
Left to right: PIAA staffer's alleged branch stacking; Kodak PRINERGY on Demand ad; Clarke Murphy Print in the star business; Bambra Press enters voluntary admin; Hero Print’s ‘undercover’ cover; Mediapoint confronts Covid; Next Printing’s Covid plan; David Currie reflects as Alon Bar-Shany departs HP Indigo; Digitalpress sold; Carbon8’s Covid pivot; AFI Branding launches cloth face masks; Power 50 turns 10; Ricoh featured on the cover and Bright Print launch a bindery.
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
What happened in 2021
Covid-19 continued to impact business in 2021 but despite the difficulties there were still opportunities for growth and celebration. IVE Group celebrated its 100th birthday and Renz Australia turned 40. Whilst the pandemic interrupted some party plans, there were some celebrations. Women in Print’s breakfasts went ahead, FESPA Australia got social and the ProPrint Awards were held. In tech news, Durst launched its high-speed P5, Currie Group began to distribute EFI’s wide format range, Jet Technologies launched the new Screen Truepress and the Dimense 3D textured printer was launched in Australia by Stick on Signs.
Left to right: Women in Print breakfasts a hit; 2021 ProPrint Awards; FESPA Australia get together; Ovato faces tough times; Southern Impact’s Impact Digital buy; Cactus Imaging gained a third Fujifilm Acuity Ultra; Currie Group and EFI in the news; Jet Technologies show new Screen Truepress; Durst launches high-speed P5; Renz celebrates 40 years; the new Dimense ad and IVE’s 100 years.
UPDATE DOWNTIME www.sprinter.com.auProPrint The women of Australia’s printing industry came together throughout May for a round of national breakfasts with mental health awareness and suicide prevention the key theme. Women in Print 2021 breakfasts a hit 1 6 119 2 3 4 5 7 10 8 AWARDS Platinum Sponsor 2021 UPDATE DOWNTIME www.proprint.com.au28 ProPrint April 2021 Over 60 members of FESPA Australia got together in March for an annual BBQ at Melbourne’s Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club. The event has now been running for over 30 years with FESPA Australia president, Nigel Davies, describing it as a fantastic evening which allowed members of the industry to get together and share their news and stories. FESPA Australia hosts industry at annual BBQ 1 5 8 9 6 2 3 4 10 11 UPDATE www.sprinter.com.au14 ProPrint August 2021 by Sheree Young After going through a comprehensive restruc ture and recapitalisation plan at the end of 2020, which included closing its Melbourne print site and making 300 jobs redundant, Ovato has announced further changes. The latest announcement from the company, which is 43 per cent owned by the Hannan family, was the decision to close the Ovato Residential Distribution business on July 30, amid a continued decline in letterbox volumes. In announcing the decision to the Australian Securities Exchange, Ovato CEO James Hannan, who replaced Kevin Slaven as CEO in June, said the decision was driven by a contin ued downward slide in volumes across the resi dential distribution network. He added the costs from redundancy and leasing will be recovered well within the cur rent financial year as the company avoids ongo ing trading losses in a business where volumes have continued to steeply decline. “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen volumes across our Australian residential distribution network fall sharply since early in 2020,” Hannan said. “While the business is committed to cover ing this impact, it is now clear that the volume the network requires is some way off and the business can no longer offer this support.” Hannan said the company continues to offer unparalleled national reach and speed to mar ket via print sites in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. The Real Media Collective, an industry asso ciation for the paper, print, publishing and dis tribution sectors, offered its support to Ovato. “TRMC is aware Ovato has released an announcement that as at the end of July they by Hafizah Osman Southern Impact has acquired wide format spe cialist Peak Digital in a major move that will see the company increase its play in the wide for mat point of sale space. Both businesses came together on August 2 but under the terms of the acquisition, Peak Digital will retain its current brand and will continue to operate and manufacture at its cur rent premises in Seaford, Victoria. Peak Digital was established in 2006 and is currently owned by Andrew and Mel Robertson. Since then the company has established itself as a high-quality manufacturer that delivers on outcomes for a varied customer base. Southern Impact confirmed that the Robertsons and the entire Peak Digital team will continue to operate as they have, providing both customers and suppliers with complete continuity and high levels of service. Southern Impact managing director Rod Dawson said the company commenced its wide format manufacturing in August 2019 and will no longer offer Residential Distribution services across their business,” The Real Media Collective CEO Kellie Northwood said. “This is part of a committed focus of Ovato which was communicated by their new CEO and Managing Director, James Hannan, last month. Ovato is right sizing its business and maintaining a laser focus across all operations to build a strong and profitable print group. “We provide all the support we can on this journey, our industry needs healthy and per forming companies to offer stability. Whatever support the industry association can offer through this process we will provide.” Ovato shareholders have also voted to sell the company’s retail distribution businesses in Australia and New Zealand to magazine pub lisher Are Media, itself a client of Ovato and a 16.4 per cent shareholder in the company, for $15 million. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has also approved the sale of the Australian entity. The ACCC ruled the deal could proceed find ing the sale would not give Are Media a signifi cant competitive advantage. ACCC chair Rod Sims said a key concern was the impact the sale may have on competing magazine publishers and whether they would be effected by not having access to competitive distribution services. “Consistent with the ACCC’s findings when it considered Bauer acquiring Pacific Magazines in 2020, circulation and revenue of most maga zines continue to decline significantly, and many titles have closed over recent years,” Sims said. “Historical data showed that consumers that still buy magazines have a high level of loyalty to particular titles, meaning that very few con sumers would switch to an Are Media publica tion if it favoured distribution of its own magazines over its rivals’ publications. “The ACCC concluded that Are Media would have insufficient incentive to favour distribu tion of its own publications over those of other publishers.” In other changes, Ovato Creative Services, Ovato Technology, Ovato Communications and a related entity in India have also been sold to Hannan family business, Ballygriffin Holdings, for $9 million. expertise of Peak Digital provides us with eve rything required to continue our expansion plans in this sector,” Dawson said. “The way that Andrew and the team at Peak Digital deal with their customers is strongly aligned to the business approach held by Southern Impact. “We couldn’t be happier to welcome them into the fold.” Southern Impact also recently launched its new website, bringing together the capabilities of the previously standalone sites of Southern Colour and Impact Digital. The new webiste has been developed in the wake of three of Australia’s most successful print companies – Southern Colour, Impact Digital and Intelligent Media – rebranding as Southern Impact in September 2020 following their merger in March that year. The features of the revamped website include simple and easy to use Request for Quote forms, the ability to upload large files quickly and eas ily, a full list of departments and services, and product and service information. Ovato residential distribution closed, further sales Southern Impact to bring Peak Digital under its banner Right sizing continues: Ovato CEO James Hannan Wide format covered: The Southern Impact team since that time has seen significant growth in this area which resulted in its investment of several pieces of new equipment. Dawson said the acquisition of Peak Digital further enables Southern Impact to continue its expansion plans into the sector. “The opportunity to add the capabilities, diverse product offering, and manufacturing People Technology Business www.sprinter.com.au April 2021 Sovereign presses on Ballarat printer beats COVID with Heidelberg CD74 and new premises Fashioning the future Textile, home décor and fashion continue to create print opportunities Spot Productions Simon Carmody’s take on what the industry needs to thrive in the future Fujifilm Acuity Ultra trifecta at Cactus Imaging scan to watch Cactus AUTOMAT PRODUCTION EXCELLENCE P5 350/HS - DURST AUTOMAT mat c Feed ng and S acking Rol To Rol Product on Rol Product on Dual Feed and Stack H gh Speed Opera ion Qual ty Outpu Advanced Software Managemen uc ion Workflow Una tended Product on Mult p e Colour Opt ons World’s first installation in Australia Scan to listen to podcast Scan to watch install People Technology Business www.sprinter.com.au October 2021People Xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx Xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx Xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx Xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx Xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx Xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx Going further since 1921 The Special T Factor Special T Print owner Corey London muses on the print industry Digital in the driver’s seat argument for digital strengthens as technology rises to meet demands ProPrint turns 30 Major milestone celebrated in six part ProPrint retrospective series UPDATE www.sprinter.com.au10 ProPrint February 2021 By Hafizah Osman Jet Technologies is now demonstrating Screen’s latest inkjet label printing technology, the Screen Truepress Jet L350UV SAI S, at its Sydney showroom. The new press is said to deliver full colour definition and high-opacity white printing with Jet Technologies adding its high productivity rate means it can deliver a 20 per cent increase in throughput for colour printing compared to its predecessor. There is also a 67 per cent productivity increase when the high-opacity printing method is being utilised. Other standout features include improved quality and stability, easy application and board application, as well as exceptional registration accuracy for micro-droplets for security print ing support. “We are very excited to welcome this new innovation to the A/NZ market,” Jet Technologies sales director David Reece said. By Hafizah Osman EFI and Currie Group have come together in a new Australia and New Zealand distribution partnership with EFI Asia Pacific vice president of sales Rodd Harrison describing it as a “com bination of two powerhouses”. The agreement makes Currie Group the only distributor for EFI’s range of roll to roll, flatbed and hybrid printers in the A/NZ region. Currie Group was established in 1949 and is one of the largest, independent, privately owned suppliers to the printing industry oper ating on both sides of the Tasman. The company is well known for its technical training and development expertise. It also offers the latest technology in prepress, print and finishing equipment. Currie Group executive chairman David Currie said, “Currie Group continues to drive growth in our business and for our customers through digital transformation. “Printing companies have many opportuni ties for growth with wide-format, so we are excited to begin this new partnership to pro vide customers with EFI’s world-class, versatile UV LED solutions. “The range of innovations available through EFI’s line up of roll to roll, flatbed and hybrid printers opens up new, creative possibilities for our customers.” Harrison says the both companies share a similar go-to-market strategy with Currie Group recognised for its expertise in digital printing and EFI known for its continued push into wide-format digital printing. “We’re driving this analog to digital conver sion, even in the offset space, and in the highvolume retail graphics space, which gets rid of screen printing. “That segways into the EFI and Currie Group “We now already have clients printing 20,000 lineal metre runs, and with the sub stantial improvements to productivity experi enced from the L350UV SAI series, there is no reason why they can’t aim for even larger print runs that have, until recently, been restricted to the domain of flexo.” The addition of orange and blue, along with CGS colour matching using CxF data, enables partnership,” Harrison told ProPrint “Currie Group is the top business in the space that it plays in. EFI’s wide-format range is quite large and as the main go-to-market in A/NZ, we are now funnelling all these leads through Currie Group.” Partnership talks between the two compa nies began a few months ago. “Currie Group approached us and given its fantastic reputation, incredible infrastructure, great service coverage across every market, and a professional group of people, along with our product portfolio and continual innova tion, it was the perfect marriage. “We now have a tier one manufacturer with a tier one distribution company,” Harrison said. Harrison said printers are preparing for a strong comeback in 2021 after the impacts of the pandemic and to achieve this are needing to reengineer their businesses. printers to achieve an extremely wide range of the colour gamut, with extremely high levels of repeatability. Jet Technologies says the extra colours also provide a noticeable reduction in ink usage. “The L350UV is able to print on an extremely wide range of local and imported materials, and we are glad to have worked alongside Jet Technologies to bring this product to life in their demo centre,” Screen GP managing direc tor Peter Scott said. “The current installations in Australia and New Zealand report uptime in the range of 92 to 97 per cent, including the oldest installations that are approaching five years. The aspect of reliability and intelligent performance deliv ered by the L350UV is something we are most proud of. “Any press will be reliable when it is new, but to maintain this high level of performance after many years, that is what Screen is renowned for.” “No one is buying capacity – everyone is looking for efficiency,” Harrison said. “We have been able to close nearly 20 place ments in the second half of 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, and that’s only because our products are delivering value to customers. The market cannot lie. “The pandemic has been brutal on every body, not just our industry. It has forced every one to raise their games and change their go-to-market strategies, including us. “Literally everything in our business has had to change.” To equip itself to service this market, Currie Group has hired Paul Whitehead, a 20 year industry veteran, as its new wide-format busi ness manager. Whitehead will be responsible for creating, managing and growing Currie Group and EFI’s presence in the wide-format market. Jet Technologies shows new Screen Truepress Currie Group, EFI join forces for wide format Productivity gains: Screen Truepress Jet L350UV SAI Driving the digital transformation in print: EFI Asia Pacific vice president of sales Rodd Harrison UPDATE by Sheree Young Durst, an Italian manufacturer of advanced printing technologies, has unveiled the latest member of its P5 family, the high-speed Durst P5 350 HS press. The new press operates at twice the speed of its predecessor and can produce 600 square metres per minute. It was unveiled at global virtual launch in December with Durst Oceania managing director Matt Ashman hosting more localised launch for A/NZ customers. 350 HS is triumph of innovation and realworld functionality you have been asking us for,” Ashman said. “I’m very proud to bring these devices to the Oceanic region in 2021.” Ashman says the speed enhancements of the new P5 350 HS make this press the most pro ductive hybrid printer in the market. The new model includes the same unique features as the P5 350 including the versatile multi-roll and the multitrack 6 option. The press can also be configured with up to nine colour channels including light colours inline feeding technology, an enhanced Durst software offering, full LED ink portfolio and details of a new partnership allowing Durst Workflow to be used on non-Durst printers. The new fully automated inline board feed ing and stacking solution can be combined with the new P5 350 HS. It comprises two lanes for increased productivity and speed. It can handle innovation in the large format market.” A new partnership with PrintFactory means printers. The partnership has allowed Durst to access PrintFactory’s superior API software for easy management of different print environments. says is “best-in-class” hybrid ink suitable for variety of roll-to-roll and board media. This was described as another example of future-proof ink that can be used with Durst’s full portfolio of LED printers. Durst has been steadily building its workflow offerings in line with its end-to-end thinking for 360-degree business solutions aimed at the Smart Factory concept to streamline produc tion and processes. The company says Durst Smart Shop, Workflow, Analytics, Lift ERP – and now Durst Automat – all push automation boundaries. Durst Group CEO Christoph Gamper said: “We’re looking forward to the future. am con fident that in 2021 the economy will recover and, in some fields, be even stronger than before. So, we will continue what we do best: Durst launches new high-speed P5 Durst Oceania managing director Matt Ashman Renz Australia is celebrating 40 years in business with the launch of a versatile range of case making and binding equipment that promises to grant printers of any size a costeffective entry into the lucrative hard cover book market. enz Australia has quite a lot to be excited about right now. Not only is the wholly owned subsidiary of Renz Germany turning 40, but it has also added new range of game-changing German-made case making and binding equipment to its supply offering, which already boasts number of well-regarded finishing equipment Killen says if COVID-19 has taught the industry anything it is that demand for highquality hard cover books and specialist publications that exist in the ‘real world’ and are not confined to a computer or mobile phone will keep growing. “During the pandemic, our customers reported an enormous increase in demand for this type of work and we also noticed an increase in enquiries for this type of COVER STORY Renz Australia: 40 years on and the entry-level price tag make them a real option for operators that may have been put off in the past from entering the hard cover book market due to price of entry. The Schmedt range is best at home producing between 100 and 500 case bound director, Tim Killen, says this capability fits perfectly with the increasing popularity of self-published books, family history almanacs dimense.com.au Compare the difference with your FREE sample inside this magazine!
PROPRINT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS 1991–2021 celebrating years30
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