ProPrint April 2021

People Technology Business

www.sprinter.com.au April 2021

Fujifilm Acuity Ultra trifecta at Cactus Imaging j

Sovereign presses on

Fashioning the future

Spot Productions

Ballarat printer beats COVID with Heidelberg CD74 and new premises

Textile, home décor and fashion continue to create print opportunities

Simon Carmody’s take on what the industry needs to thrive in the future

scan to watch Cactus

‘CUSTOMER IS ^ KING AT HERO PRINT’ ...AND IT SHOWS o Queen

AUSTRALIA’S BEST BEST TRADE TRADE PRINTER PRINTER AUSTRALIA’S

rning. ooklets this mo b e th ed iv ce re them.

I uickly I received q w ho ve ie el b I can’t and I’m with the result y p p ha ry ve I’m Greg help. grateful for your

rds my business ca I just received Thanks for your in record time. pt service! per fectly prom

Olev

card! for the sample Thanks millions at. Tr ying to ay they look gre d to it d ve ei ec done R iend to get hers fr r he ot y m ce convin e will see!!

Lindsey with you too. W

etting my thank you for g I just wanted to ckly as elivered as qui d d an d te rin p jobs of a jam. ainly got me out you did. It cert Matt

the quality ppier with both ha e b t n’ d ul co I thank s provided, so uy g u yo e ic rv next and se nly be in touch ai rt ce l I’l h! uc you very m ething printed.

Leo time I need som

anted ay and I just w d to ed riv ar e g and Our magazin It looks amazin .

U O Y K N A H to say T hich has rough quickly w th it d he us p u yo Wendy very happy! made our client

EDITOR’S LETTER SHEREE YOUNG

Industry events back on the agenda after a spell Since the last edition of ProPrint there has been a welcome flurry of industry events taking place across the country. From the annual FESPA Australia BBQ in Melbourne to product launches at Jet Technologies and Epson in Sydney, there has been quite a lot going on.

The benefits of talking face-to-face cannot be underestimated, it is just so much more constructive than peering at each other through a computer screen. The board and Patrons of Women in Print have also released their plans for the year with a national series of breakfasts that will be up and running in May. Planning for PacPrint is also rolling full steam ahead with a number of companies now signing up to exhibit with many of them taking advantage of a federal government business events grant rebate to help cover costs.

This will be the first physical tradeshow in two years and the vibe I am hearing on the ground is many of you are quite excited to visit the show and check out the latest product offerings. This has been the fascinating thing about COVID, so much stopped but it seemed research and development into new technologies did not so I think there will be plenty of new products to check out to help you find a way to make your business stronger and more successful.

This will also be the first month where businesses that had been claiming the JobKeeper wage support payment will have to stand on their own legs. Whilst many printers have been off JobKeeper for some time, which is great news, that may not be the same for their customers, the buyer of print.

Time will tell how the economy goes at bouncing back from this withdrawal but hopefully it will all settle down and business will return to normal for all.

Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, many businesses have strengthened in the new operational space, one of them being

4 ProPrint April 2021

Editor Sheree Young (02) 8586 6131 SYoung@intermedia.com.au National Sales Manager Carmen Ciappara 0410 582 450 carmen@proprint.com.au Design and Production Manager Carrie Tong carrie@i-grafix.com Managing Director James Wells james@intermedia.com.au

Enjoying a catch-up at FESPA Australia’s famous annual BBQ (L-R): Andrew Marrs, Kissel + Wolf; Riley Aickin, Nigel Spicer and Annika Mogg of Cactus Imaging.

Cactus Imaging, which is our featured story for this edition. Cactus Imaging installed its third Fujifilm printer this year and is also now a beta test site for Fujifilm’s software in the press. The high-volume environment at Cactus made it the perfect place to test out the software.

Sovereign Press in Ballarat is our Star Business feature for this edition.

It is always a great pleasure to feature regional printers in ProPrint and to celebrate their wins as they grow in new ways. Congratulations to all at Sovereign Press for not only conquering COVID but also adding new machinery and moving into a newly purchased factory.

I also enjoyed the opportunity to interview Spot Productions managing director Simon Carmody and receive his honest appraisal of the industry, where it is at and what it needs.

Simon’s business is one the largest privately owned commercial print businesses in Queensland and has bounced back very strongly after COVID. We hope you enjoy reading the interview in this edition’s Q&A. Lastly, our erstwhile technology writer, Peter Kohn, has provided an indepth look at the world of textile and home décor printing.

There is so much growth in this space with new evolutions of technology and products to match.

We hope you enjoy the read.

Look forward to seeing you later in the year at PacPrint.

Stay safe and go well.

Subscriptions (02) 9660 2113 subscriptions@intermedia.com.au Subscription rate (6 issues) Australia $69.95

Printed by Hero Print Alexandria, NSW, 2015 Mailed by D&D Mailing Services Wetherill Park, NSW, 2164

ProPrint is published bi-monthly by Printer Media Group, registered in Australia ABN 47 628 473 334. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers. While every care has been taken in the preparation of this magazine, it is a condition of distribution that the publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage which may result from any inaccuracy or omission in the publication.

www.sprinter.com.au

CONTENTS

32

36

42

30

6

28

Contents April 6-17 Update

DOWNTIME

COVER STORY

Check out the latest news impacting the Australian printing sector

28-29 FESPA Aust BBQ tradition

36-37 Cactus Imaging trifecta

The famous BBQ has been running for over 30 years, check out the photos from this year’s event in Melbourne

Cactus Imaging adds a third Fujifilm and becomes a software beta test site

18-19 Debrief Recap of all the major developments published on sprinter.com.au

20 Comment: Watson

30 Epson label launch

STAR BUSINESS

Epson recently launched its new highspeed label press, the SurePress L-6534VW, which brings some exciting unique features

40-41 Sovereign presses on

The Real Media Collective’s Charles Watson on the changed casual employment rules

22 Comment: Romano

Q&A

TEXTILES AND HOME DECOR FOCUS

Printing industry legend Frank Romano asks who will run the machines

32-33 Spot Productions

42-47 Fashioning print’s future

Managing director Scott Carmody gets to the nub of what this industry needs for a stronger future in this issue’s Q&A

Find out what’s new in textiles in this special feature by Peter Kohn

23 Comment: Northwood The Real Media Collective CEO explains why we must keep promoting paper and print

26 PacPrint update Find out the latest with PacPrint as planning for the Melbourne event rolls on

www.sprinter.com.au

DIARY 34 ProPrint Diary Keep up to date with industry happenings

Sovereign Press conquers COVID by upgrading and moving into a new site

Feeling social?

Follow us on: @SprinterNews @SprinterNewsAust @news_sprinter www.sprinter.com.au

April 2021 ProPrint 5

UPDATE

Andrew Macaulay bids industry farewell

by Sheree Young

Andrew Macaulay will soon bid the print industry farewell five years after he began modernising the 140-year-old Printing Industries Association of Australia, now known as the Print & Visual Communication Association.

Macaulay is moving into an international trade role but will stay on until a replacement is found with the search now underway.

Macaulay told ProPrint the job he was asked to do is now done with the PVCA now in a more financially secure position.

“The organisation has changed, evolved and modernised and it is ready for its next set of steady hands,” Macaulay said.

“I’ve really enjoyed what I did. Restructuring, re-organising and revitalising is always difficult, and it is a different skill set to running a steady ship.”

When asked about the challenges ahead, Macaulay said ensuring small printers can access industrial relations support is crucial.

He also said it will become even more important that a united industry voice speaks to politicians and policymakers.

During his tenure, Macaulay instigated the Print2Parliament event which gives the gold medal winners of the National Print Awards an opportunity to show their work to politicians and policymakers.

This event, including the state-based PICAs and the National Print Awards, will now be run by a joint venture business created between suppliers association, Visual Connections, and the PVCA. Another often discussed topic is the potential

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO James Pearson with Andrew Macaulay (right) at the 2019 Print2Parliament in Canberra.

merging of the PVCA with The Real Media Collective, which formed in 2018 when the Australasian Catalogue Association (ACA), TSA Limited and the Australasian Paper Industry Association (APIA) merged.

The Real Media Collective is led by Kellie Northwood with the goal of creating a strong and united industry position.

It has represented industry to government, employs an industrial relations expert and hosts webinars and networking events.

When asked about a possibility of these two bodies joining together, Macaulay pointed to a likely coalescence of industry bodies.

“There is a path that eventually will coalesce.

I think it is highly likely to happen because there are too many conversations going on about it for it not to happen. People genuinely

want it to happen but that is not the only opportunity and focus for the future,” Macaulay said.

“Printing Industries is the registered organisation and legitimately recognised industry organisation. It is also the voice to government because it is the lobbying voice.

“That is what will ultimately drive this because the process of driving policy at a government level does not happen in one conversation, it happens over months and years. Most of those (other) organisations don’t have a voice into policy formulation. Why be a member of three organisations when you can be a member of one?”

PVCA President Walter Kuhn commended Macaulay: “The organisation needed re-structure and refocus, and Andrew has created an agile modern organisation. We thank him for doing the often challenging work associated with this. We are looking for a hands-on GM with the experience to grow our membership and lead our team.”

Kuhn confirmed merger discussions are ongoing but said it would require a common ground between both Boards.

When ProPrint asked Northwood about the topic, she said: “The Real Media Collective remains open to any and all discussions about how to unite the industry for the betterment of everyone. We are having discussions with many associations and in all of those discussions we are looking at how to achieve more for our members and industry.

“I wish Andrew all the very best and thank him for his contribution to the industry. Five years is a significant term.”

PVCA, Visual Connections events joint venture

by Sheree Young

Visual Connections and the Print & Visual Communication Association (PVCA) have formed a joint venture, Visual Industries Events, to co-host industry events.

The events include PacPrint as well the statebased PICA awards, National Print Awards and the Print2Parliament, which are traditional PVCA events.

PVCA CEO Andrew Macaulay and Visual Connections CEO Peter Harper said the new venture continues a longstanding working relationship between the two organisations.

“PVCA and Visual Connections already cohost the industry’s leading trade shows, PacPrint and PrintEx, and our relationship has flourished for many years, through name changes, mergers and industry transformation,” Macaulay said.

Macaulay added the very first PacPrint exhibition in 1970 was co-hosted by the same two organisations, although at that time they had different names.

“While many things have changed over the past 50 years, the strength of our partnership, built on the intrinsic relationship between the industry’s suppliers and its businesses, has 6 ProPrint April 2021

Visual Connections CEO Peter Harper and PVCA outgoing CEO Andrew Macaulay.

continued unabated. It is on this strong and positive basis that we have expanded our partnership to include the PICA and National Print Awards and the annual Print2Parliament! event.”

Harper said the move provides a sound basis for future industry events, adding the state and national print awards and Print2Parliament are a perfect fit for Visual Connections.

“We have always been guided by our commitment to supporting a sustainable future for our

industry, through education, sponsorships, grants, industry events and networking opportunities,” he says.

“The PacPrint, PrintEx, Visual Impact and Label & Packaging expos are foundational in supporting both industry businesses and their suppliers to invest in the future of our industry.

“The PICA and NPA Awards which recognise and celebrate the achievement of excellence are not only so important for the businesses who work so hard, every single day, to maintain the world-leading standards for which Australia is renowned, but also provide a vital platform to promote our industry, demonstrate the value of ‘buying local’ within Australia, and market our advanced, high-quality offerings around the globe.

“We are particularly excited, too, to co-host Print2Parliament!, an outstanding initiative which has already made inroads into the recognition and understanding of our sector with senators and others in the corridors of power.

“We have long supported the event and look forward to working with our colleagues to ensure it continues to deliver even more benefits into the future.” www.sprinter.com.au

BUILD YOUR BRIDGE TO SUCCESS THE NEW ACCURIOPRESS C4080 /C4070

RETHINK VERSATILITY Introducing the AccurioPress C4080/C4070 - the incredibly versatile digital print systems that can help your business succeed. With exceptional output quality, enhanced media capability, compact footprint and expanded finishing options you can build a configuration to suit your requirments and say yes to more opportunities to grow your business.

KEY FEATURES + Colour automation and registration* + 4-edge inline trimming, creasing and perforation* + Effortless set-up and operation + Choice of 4 controller options *Requires option

DISCOVER VERSATILITY THAT DRIVES OPPORTUNITY KONICAMINOLTA.COM.AU/C4080SERIES

UPDATE

Starleaton to distribute Canon’s Colorado

by Hafizah Osman

Canon Production Printing Australia has signed a partnership agreement with Starleaton to resell its Colorado roll-to-roll printer series across Australia.

The reseller agreement is set to grow the indirect B2B channel for Canon Production Printing Australia, and support diversification into adjacent markets which require complementary technology.

For Starleaton, the agreement will expand its latitude within the sign and display market, with the Colorado roll-to-roll printer.

The agreement is mutually beneficial for both companies as they look to be a complete solution provider in the sign and display market.

They say the arrangement will benefit printers that are evolving their wide-format application sets, given the Colorado’s application versatility and premium technology.

With more than 1,000 installations worldwide, Canon’s Colorado roll-to-roll printer series has been recognised by global customers as one of the best solutions for a large variety of wide-format applications.

Specifically, the Colorado 1650 printer features a flexible, yet robust ink set and FLXfinish, a new approach to LED curing that allows the user to choose between matte or gloss modes for each individual print.

Canon Production Printing Oceania managing director Craig Nethercott said with Starleaton, it has found a partner that understands the benefits of technology such as UVGel and FLXfinish in application versatility and can support its growth aspirations to extend its reach within the Australian commercial print market.

Done deal: Starleaton CEO Ben Eaton and Canon Production Printing Oceania managing director Craig Nethercott.

“With the Colorado successfully established within the global and Australian markets as a high volume, superior quality system that is technology rich enough to print a diverse range of applications, we are now looking to extend our reach into markets and printers that we currently do not service,” he said.

“We’re very passionate about bringing the best products to the Oceania printing industry and recognise that by opening up the indirect channel, we provide more printers the opportunity to experience the unique benefits of the Colorado family.”

Starleaton recognises the strategic move as

an opportunity to further expand its footprint into the commercial printing market.

Starleaton CEO Ben Eaton said the relationship with Canon Production Printing Australia is an “exciting new venture for both companies” particularly as the business aims to ensure that the Australian print industry has the solutions required to thrive in today’s environment.

“We’ve seen rapid growth of the Colorado in the past 18 months globally, with productivity levels soaring and metres printed well above that of competitive machines. We’re confident that the Colorado will be the perfect match for our client base,” Eaton said.

Centrum Printing hosts high school students

by Sheree Young

Three high schoolers from Liverpool Boys High recently visited Sydney-based Centrum Printing to tour the facility and get ideas about a future career in print with other schools set to visit in the coming months.

Centrum Printing CEO Sandra Duarte regularly hosts students for site tours and also for work experience in a bid to show teenagers the possibilities that print manufacturing holds.

During the tour, the group learned about knife lines, prepress, prototyping, platemaking as well as what happens in the print room and the finishing area.

“We took them through the whole process of how we produce things here at Centrum,” Duarte told ProPrint.

“It is all about creating awareness for these Year 11 and Year 12 students who may not know what they want to do when they finish high school.”

Duarte said the Australian printing industry has a lot to offer but is often invisible in the careers discussion at high schools and she is 8 ProPrint April 2021

Centrum Printing CEO Sandra Duarte with visiting students from Liverpool Boys High School.

hoping to change that with these site tours.

“There are some great job opportunities in manufacturing, especially in print manufacturing, because that is where we are coming from. There are technical positions, apprenticeships and roles that vary right through from administration through to technical and design and industrial design through to press opera-

tion with state of the art technology,” she said.

Duarte is a volunteer with Inspiring the Future Australia and as part of that involvement regularly has school groups tour Centrum Printing’s facility.

“Manufacturing has come a long way and it is important that school kids get to see and understand this,” Duarte said.

Duarte’s push comes as the federal government announced an expansion of its 50 per cent apprentice and trainee wage subsidy.

The wage subsidy, known as the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements Program, was launched last year as part of a plan for national economic recovery.

The time it was fully subscribed and has helped create 100,000 apprenticeships in less than five months. But it’s now been expanded for a full 12 months for new apprentices and trainees signed up before September 30 2021 and will be demand driven.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says it is expected to generate around 70,000 new apprenticeships and cost $1.2 billion. www.sprinter.com.au

UPDATE

Emerging 50 mentorship underway

by Sheree Young

The winner of the 2020 ProPrint Emerging 50 Mentorship Prize, Kelsey Wade of Print DNA in South Australia, has begun her mentor program with The Real Media Collective CEO Kellie Northwood.

Wade won the inaugural mentorship prize launched by ProPrint, in partnership with The Real Media Collective, last year.

Now Northwood and Wade have joined forces to plan the year ahead and set a series of mentoring objectives.

Monthly events, personal brand development, award entry support and professional development planning were identified as key focuses for the year.

Starleaton managing director Ben Eaton is supporting the the initiative by funding Wade’s travel to attend functions and meet with Northwood and other industry members.

“I am eager to indulge in the knowledge and opportunities the mentorship will provide, by extending my gaze into the world of marketing and creative applications that go beyond my port-of-call as a graphic designer and print operator,” Wade said.

“I am excited to learn more about the transition of the print world into a more diverse online digital medium, where the integration of social media and new innovative online technologies and marketing strategies will help

Kellie Northwood announced Kelsey Wade of Print DNA as the winner of the Mentorship Prize at the Emerging 50 event in Sydney last November.

shape and work in partnership with the future of the print industry.”

Attendance at various events and networking opportunities are being built into the calendar with Wade to attend the Women in Print breakfast in Adelaide on May 20, The Real Media Collective June AGM, a Mental Health First Aid course with Man Anchor and a presentation to The Real Media Collective Executive Committee.

“Kelsey is such a humble person, there are so many awards and industry accolades she has been nominated, short-listed as a finalist for and/or won beyond the Emerging 50,”

Ball & Doggett’s Aspire rewards program returns

by Hafizah Osman

Following the success of its inaugural Aspire rewards program last year, Ball & Doggett has launched it again.

Ball & Doggett national marketing manager Tony Bertrand said the program delivered thousands of rewards last year including iPhones, jet skis and printing presses.

“The feedback from last year’s program has been awesome. We thank all those customers that grew their purchases with Ball & Doggett in 2020,” Bertrand said.

“Our rewards catalogue has also grown with new rewards in 2021, some for business and some for lifestyle.

“Check out the Aspire 2021 program video for all the details.”

There are some changes to the program, including a reduction in the buying period from 12 to nine months between March and November this year.

Targets will be detailed in www.sprinter.com.au

The Ball & Doggett Aspire Rewards Program is designed to reward customers for their growth and loyalty.

personalised letters. Achieving purchase targets on Ball & Doggett products within the buying period will result in customers receiving Aspire tokens, which can then be used to achieve reward products.

There is no limit to the number of tokens that can be earned.

In addition, a monthly sales progress update will be emailed to each customer for them to determine their performance.

For more details email info@ aspire4mnore.com.au or call the Aspire hotline at 1300 438 138.

Northwood said.

“From the South Australian LIA Graduate finalist to a 7News Young Achievers nomination, Kelsey is a definite future leader.

“To ensure the mentor program really achieves some tangible results Kelsey can use for her future, I wanted to offer exposure to the industry’s broad network of leaders, engage with strong skillsets and training, understand the future role of print and to build her own profile in the industry so we can hear the voice of the next generation of our industry.”

The 2021 mentor calendar: • March: Preparing award entries • April: Social media representation using LinkedIn • May: Women in Print breakfast in Adelaide; Introduction to ‘Fierce Women Network’ • June: TRMC AGM June 2020 – Melbourne • July: Mental Health First Aid online course with Steve Gamble of Man Anchor • August: Professional development, resilience-building and learning how to deal with difficult personalities • September: Engaging face to face, interview skills, public speaking • October: Understanding media metrics • November: Women in Print webinar panellist to act as a voice for youth and explore young people in print • December: TRMC AGM event – Sydney

Web-to-print solutions for your business Boost your online storefront with product personalization capabilities • Integrates with e-commerce and MIS • Works in the cloud or on your servers • WYSIWYG editor and preflight checks • Advanced typographic features

+1 800-661-8190 sales@aurigma.com

Try a free online demo at customerscanvas.com

April 2021 ProPrint 9

UPDATE

Mental health focus of Women in Print breakfasts

by Sheree Young

Mental health is the focus of this year’s national round of Women in Print breakfasts which will be held across the country in May. The series of breakfasts will focus on mental health and wellbeing and will feature keynote addresses from Man Anchor’s Steven Gamble and Woman Anchor’s Ashleigh Wilson.

The sessions are designed to help women recognise mental health wellness both within their professional and personal lives.

“Enduring the difficulties of COVID we recognised women, and our industry more broadly, need support across more than economical and professional development to rebuild and recover for the future,” Women in Print Chair, Susan Heaney, said.

“Mental wellness, resilience for ourselves and how to identify others struggling is critical for our workplaces and home lives.”

The breakfasts will explore mental health and examine what it is; the flow of mental health; stress, distress and crisis, maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies; positive and negative thought processes and self-care.

Man Anchor founder Steven Gamble said: “We are thrilled to be selected to work with Women in Print and the Breakfast Series, both myself and Ashleigh work within the industry and understand the value of Women in Print and the important role it plays.

“Having the opportunity to start the

Save the Date: Women in Print breakfasts are now planned nationally for May 2021.

conversation about mental wellness for so many across the industry is a real privilege and honour. We are truly looking forward to these wonderful events.”

The breakfast series will take place in May this year starting with Brisbane on May 12, Sydney on May 13, Adelaide on May 20, Perth on May 21 and Melbourne on May 25.

The Real Media Collective is organising the breakfasts in partnership with the Women in Print Board and Patrons.

The focus is on building a strong training platform for women across the industry to extend their learnings from the event to an expanded Mental Health First Aid Certificate,

self-resilience training and networking programs to continue the breakfast series from a single event to a twelve-month focus.

“Women in Print is an established community and we look to working harder together to collaborate, share and learn.

“Empowering each other with knowledge and tools is the first step, the Women in Print Patrons look forward to building more webinars and events to share more learnings and experiences as well as building an industrywide mentor program,” Heaney said.

We are slowly building these programs and calling on more sponsors to support these initiatives for our industry.”

Partner sponsors include: Media Super, Cactus Imaging, IVE Group, Heidelberg, Lamson Paragon and Ovato. Associate sponsors: Ball & Doggett, DIC, HP, Konica Minolta, Spicers. Industry sponsors: Advance Press, Bright Print Group, Creative Juice SA, Heaney’s Performers in Print and Taylor’d Press.

Association sponsors: The Real Media Collective and Visual Connections.

“We are extremely grateful for the support of our long-term sponsor partners and are absolutely thrilled to continue these relationships as Women in Print and the industry as a whole continues to rebuild and grow,” said Sandy Aspinall, Deputy Chair, Women in Print.

Registration and ticket purchases are now open via www.womeninprint.com.au

Debbie Burgess NSW’s Women in Print patron

by Hafizah Osman

Bright Print Group co-director Debbie Burgess has taken over as NSW’s Women in Print Patron following Natalie Taylor’s departure from the industry.

Women in Print chair and managing director of Heaney’s Performers in Print, Susan Heaney, said finding a new patron was critical for maintaining a strong NSW Breakfast Series and Women in Print program for 2021.

“The process was a difficult one with solid candidates applying. The board had a very difficult decision in their hands, however Debbie was a standout with her reputation, passion and leadership credentials,” Heaney said.

“I am thrilled to have Debbie on the Board and as the NSW Patron to share ideas, support and continue to build the wonderful momentum of the Women in Print initiatives.”

Burgess and her brother John Bright run Bright Print Group, a third-generation family business with over 110 staff at two sites in Wetherill Park and Newcastle. This year is Burgess’ 32nd year with the organisation.

Burgess has also sat on numerous industry and community boards over the last 20 years including steering committees for workers compensation and Workcover reforms. In 2016, she was awarded the Western Sydney University’s Women of the West Award for her 10 ProPrint April 2021

Debbie Burgess is recognised in the industry for her reputation, passion and leadership credentials.

contribution to business in Western Sydney along with her philanthropic work.

“I have had a wonderful career within the print industry and to now have the opportunity

to be the NSW Patron for Women in Print, a terrific organisation that has given so much to me working in this industry, is a real honour,” Burgess said. www.sprinter.com.au

Labels, Flexible Packaging High Volume Digital

ComputerTo-Plate Automated Workflow

SCREEN Truepress Jet 520HD with SC inks – the digital inkjet press that prints superb colour on standard offset stocks.

SCREEN Truepress Pac 830F Digital flexible packaging using aqueous inks across 830mm web.

SCREEN Truepress Jet L350UV SAI digital label press. Up to 7 colours inc. white.

Up to 80 m/min across 350mm web.

SCREEN PlateRite 8600NII New generation 8-page thermal CtP with fiber laser diodes.

Up to 32 B1 plates/hour.

SCREEN GP Australia Pty Ltd Tel: +61-(0)2-9016 -3400 • Toll Free: 1300 305 118 • sales@screenaust.com.au • www.screenaust.com.au

UPDATE

Sue Threlfo shares her story for International Women’s Day

by Sheree Young

Konica Minolt a Aust ra lia celebrated International Women’s Day by holding morning teas in each of its branches with General Manager Production and Industrial Print, Sue Threlfo, sharing her journey and career highlights in a nationwide webinar.

Threlfo told ProPrint her address charted the highs and lows of her career including her ultimately wise decision to challenge a workplace bully through human resources in 1991.

At the time, she says, she was confronted with two options: either leave the company or challenge the behaviour.

“I decided I could either challenge this guy or leave, I could either make a difference or get fired. I opted to make a difference and I went on to have another 25 years with that company,” Threlfo said, adding this is very much in line with the #ChooseToChallenge theme of this year’s International Women’s Day. Threlfo says women should show their “authentic selves” in the workplace. She also said women should speak up if they think workplace improvements could be made.

She also said when she was rising through the ranks there were very few women role models with most of her mentoring coming from people like her mother, friends and family members.

Sue Threlfo shared the highs and lows of her career in the Australian printing industry to mark International Women’s Day.

International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

This year’s theme #ChooseToChallenge is based on the concept that an alert world comes from a challenged world.

Brisbane-born Threlfo began her career in IT in the 1980s and went on to become part of the digital revolution that swept through the printing industry.

After moving to Sydney, she took up a role with Xerox Corporation as an IT customer support analyst.

Various other roles came her way and she

NSW family opens third Kwik Kopy franchise

by Sheree Young

Suzan Lindsey has now opened her third Kwik Kopy outlet, this time close to home in Shellharbour, NSW. Suzan and her husband Paul already own the award-winning Kwik Kopy franchise in Five Dock in Sydney and co-own Kwik Kopy Coburg in Melbourne.

Suza n w ill r un t he new Shellharbour outlet with her son, Daymein, in production.

Suzan says when the opportunity arose, she jumped at it. Her husband will continue to commute to Sydney to run the Five Dock outlet.

“Our job is to make life really easy for our customers. That means fast turnaround times on print jobs and quotes, as well as guidance along the way on how to prepare artwork and how to get the best results. Our goal is to ensure our customers always have a great experience with us,” she said.

The outlet operates using a unique press that can print metallic and fluro colours, creating a vibrancy that’s unrivalled.

12 ProPrint April 2021

Kwik Kopy Shellharbour owner Suzan Lindsey.

Suzan says choosing to open a Kwik Kopy centre in her hometown is testament to the strength of the Kwik Kopy franchise network.

“Kwik Kopy’s support is next level. It’s really like a family because they look after you,” she said.

“I know we are in great hands.

Combine that with Kwik Kopy’s fantastic brand and I couldn’t find a reason not to do it.”

soon found herself selling the merits of digital printing to offset printers which obviously presented itself with challenges all if its own.

She joined Konica Minolta in 2017.

“I was delighted to be a part of our celebrations for International Women’s Day 2021 at Konica Minolta. It is great to be working for an organisation that is committed to diversity and inclusion,” Threlfo said.

“I am pleased to say, our industry has come a long way since I first joined and enjoyed celebrating the contribution of inspirational women within our business.”

A growing number of print organisations are getting behind International Women’s Day. Included is packaging company, Pakko, which was founded by Nina Nguyen in 2017.

“Women are brilliant business leaders, compassionate world leaders and exceptional entrepreneurs,” Nguyen said.

“Our society and gender roles are evolving, yet in some areas we lag.

“For International Women’s Day 2021, I choose to challenge the role of gender and employment opportunities within male dominated industries, such as manufacturing in Australia.

“Manufacturing roles where women are operating machines or on the factory floor are still perceived as male roles,” she said.

GEW hits milestone

by Sheree Young

UK-based UV curing specialists GEW, which formed in 1991 to supply narrow web label market with UV curing systems, is now 30 years old.

The company was started by Gillian and Malcolm Rae to manufacture mercury arc and LED UV curing systems for applications all across the printing, coating and converting industries.

It now also has subsidiaries in Germany and the United States serving an international customer base with sales, service and support.

“The future of GEW is in many capable hands, supporting our customers and developing innovative new products to maintain our leading position in the industry,” Malcolm Rae said.

“Today, GEW equipment is used on many of the world’s most advanced printing machines and our products are highly regarded for their standard of engineering, reliability and performance.

“Our fast, friendly and flexible approach has kept customers loyal to us over many years. Our first-ever customer is still buying from us today.”

In the early years GEW developed UV systems for a range of label printing machines, and the success of these first models enabled the business to grow rapidly.

From 1992 and 1999 it repeatedly relocated to bigger sites and expanded its product range.

GEW quickly became identified with UV curing systems on narrow web printing machines.

At first sales were directly with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) accounts, with the majority based in Europe.

But recenly, the company has grown significantly, opening a second production factory in the UK and expanding the product line-up to include world-leading UV LED solutions.

Expansion into adjacent UV application areas has also continued, with GEW now a major force in sheetfed offset, wide web converting and large-scale industrial UV solutions.

“Even during the recent pandemic GEW has been recruiting and with the core products more reliable and in higher demand than ever, the future looks bright for the Europe’s leading UV curing provider,” Rae said. www.sprinter.com.au

THE RANGE OF TRACTUS3D PRINTERS PROVIDES A COMPETITIVELY PRICED ENTRY POINT INTO LARGE FORMAT 3D PRINTING. INDUSTRIAL 3D PRINTERS WITH PRINT SPEEDS UP TO 600MM/S AND HIGH RESOLUTION OF 10 MICRONS - RESOLUTION: 0,02 MM. PREMIUM COMPONENTS AND FEATURES ARE INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN, CREATING A RANGE OF 3D PRINTERS THAT EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS AND LEADS THE MARKET IN LOW PRODUCTION COSTS. PRINT LIFE SIZE OBJECTS. ENDLESS APPLICATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES. EASY TO INSTALL & OPERATE. DELIVERED READY TO PRINT. EVERY TRACTUS3D PRINTER FEATURES: › CLOSED CHAMBER DESIGN › GLASS BUILD PLATE › OPEN SOURCE FILAMENTS › HIGH PRINT SPEEDS › MODULAR DESIGN

THE RANGE

LARGE VOLUME SERIES T2000 / T3000 / T3500

DESK SERIES

PRO SERIES

T650 / T850 / T1250

T650P / T850P

CALL

1800 538 627

EMAIL

sales@jetmark.com.au

VISIT

jetmark.com.au

© 2021 JETMARK SIGNAGE SUPPLIES PTY. LTD.

UPDATE

Tailor Made Packaging jumps on push for Aussie made products

by Sheree Young

Kim Lagos’ Tailor Made Packaging has grown over the last few years by supplying fruit and vegie boxes to growers across the state but with the purchase of a new Century 1650 Die Cutter the business is ready to expand into new areas.

The business, on NSW’s Central Coast, has been busy folding and gluing printed boxes supplied through international conglomerates for the produce sector for the last few years.

But Lagos is now hoping to pivot into plain packaging and point of sale markets.

“I have always liked the idea of a flatbed die cutter because everybody was telling me that they give a really good cut and a great crease.

So, I have been looking at that side of it for a couple of years and finally took the plunge and decided to buy one,” Lagos told ProPrint.

“We are now looking at getting ourselves into the packaging industry and manufacturing our own boxes – either short or long run work.

“We are not trying to replace the way we supply our fruit boxes. We don’t have the capability to print directly to the cardboard as yet, but there are other opportunities that we can look at for the future.”

Lagos is combining the Century Die Cutter, purchased through Neil Southerington at Graffica, with a large format laminator to expand his range and tap into the growing demand for Australian made products.

After lengthy research, Lagos decided on the Chinese-built Century Die Cutter as positive feedback from other owners provided assurance that the machine could handle tough Australian conditions and was a reliable and value for money purchase.

So far, the Century Die Cutter has been installed at 130 locations across Europe as well.

Tailor Made Packaging owner Kim Lagos with his new Century Die Cutter on the NSW Central Coast.

“I have done a lot of research and there are a few Century die cutters operating already here in Australia. This was really attractive to me because I didn’t want to buy a machine that nobody else had and be the guinea pig,” Lagos said.

“So, I had the confidence that it is already working in our environment here, it is working in Australian conditions and this gave me confidence to make the purchase. It’s a proven machine. There are a lot of Chinese machines that aren’t operating in Australia so the fact that a lot of guys are using this machine in Australia that sealed the deal for me.

“We don’t really know where we fit in to this marketplace as we are pretty new to the manufacturing side of it, but we are just looking to capitalise on the shift to having things manu-

factured here in Australia.”

Lagos said the experience of dealing with Southerington and the Graffica technicians was superb.

“I am so happy with Graffica and all associated staff for the amazing trouble-free install to the excellent training received. It has been a great experience,” Lagos said.

Graffica owner Neil Southerington commended Lagos for his decision to expand with his own equipment and capitalise on the push for Australian made products.

“The Century Die Cutter is a perfect fit for Tailor Made Packaging because it has a great ROI, is very reliable and the people we have installing the machines and doing the training have a wealth of experience in this area,” Southerington said.

Fujifilm invests $US19m in inkjet pigment dispersion

by Sheree Young

Fujifilm Imaging Colorants has begun building a new production plant for pigment dispersions, a colorant for water-based pigment inkjet inks with construction of the $US19 million plant in the United States set to finish in 2022.

Fujifilm says the new production plant for pigment dispersions will enable it to produce consistent, fully featured water-based pigment inkjet inks built with its own core dispersion technology.

Fujifilm’s pigment dispersions are based on its RxD (Reactive Dispersant) technology, which cross-links polymer dispersants adsorbed on the pigment particles.

The dispersant prevents desorption from the pigment, aiming to create a very stable dispersion. This technology makes RxD dispersions suitable for multiple applications as they enable the design of stable ink formulations that meet demanding performance requirements.

Fujifilm uses RxD dispersions not only for its own inks, but also supplies to ink manufacturers around the world, and they are used in 14 ProPrint April 2021

The new US plant will ensure global supply is maintained.

many water-based pigment inkjet inks.

Currently, the development and manufacture of pigment dispersions using RxD technology is limited to Fujifilm Imaging Colorants in the UK but this new establishment in the US will ensure supply meets demand.

FFIC president and chief operating officer Ian Wilkinson said inkjet technology can deliver fast, versatile, print production at short or long run-lengths with variable data.

“Applications for inkjet are expanding into industrial fields such as packaging printing in addition to commercial and publishing printing,” he said.

“There is a growing need to use water-based pigment inkjet inks, which have low environmental impact and potential to meet requirements for food packaging safety compliance.

“RxD is a key technology for current and next-generation water-based inkjet inks.

Expansion of our manufacturing capacity is part of a commitment to ensure we can meet increasing demand to support our global customer base. We are already manufacturing a very high-quality, high-purity product in the UK. “In this venture, we are using the design and project management expertise of our UK team to execute this project in the US. This, alongside expert knowledge, technology and processes will ensure that we manufacture RxD dispersions to the same exceptional standard across both sites.” www.sprinter.com.au

P5 350 HS SPEED LIKE NEVER BEFORE

BE PRODUCTIVE

VOC FREE HEAVY METAL FREE REACH COMPLIANT

BE PRECISE

SAVE TIME

Multi track

Dual roll

Multi roll

Continuous printing of up to 6 boards side by side

Integrated material transport system with independent dancers

Roll material changeover time minimized

FROM PIXEL TO OUTPUT durst-group.com/p5

UPDATE

Epson unveils high-speed industrial, digital UV label press

by Sheree Young

Australia’s first SurePress L-6534VW industrial UV digital label press is now installed at Epson’s experience centre in Sydney’s Yennora.

The high-speed production press was first unveiled at LabelExpo in 2019 but this is the first time the model has been in Australia.

Epson Australia managing director Craig Heckenberg says the new SurePress – a versatile UV inkjet label printer which can print at speeds of up to 50 metres a minute and offers a unique inline digital varnish in gloss, matte or spot finishing option – proves Epson’s commitment to the label market.

“This marks a significant milestone for our industrial label business for two reasons. One, this is the very first time in the country that we are showcasing a new UV digital label press and secondly, this reinforces our commitment to the Australian and New Zealand label industry by delivering unique factors that only Epson can provide to customers that are serious about printing high quality labels,” Heckenberg told the gathering.

“Most of you know that Epson is committed to sustainability and we are achieving this through the performance of not only our products but our operations.

“One of the other activities we are looking to do is to work with our customer to help them transition from analogue to digital technology and in doing so reduce waste, raise productivity and lower environmental impacts.

“We hope through our new platform here we can continue to work with the label and printing market to transition from analogue to digital.”

Epson President Yasunori Ogawa also appeared by video link from Japan to provide his best wishes to all in Australia and New Zealand.

The new SurePress L-6534VW utilises single-pass high opacity white ink and a wide gamut CMYK to provide high-density performance making it an ideal base layer for printing vivid colour on clear or metallised substrates.

This bright white ink means the press can print opaque, fine text and lines, even when printing clear labels for clear packaging.

It offers the flexibility to print white on top of colours. The result is a weather resistant label that has multiple applications in FMCG, cleaning products, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage sectors.

Epson marketing manager Bruce Bealby said the press, which also has a related resin-based model targeted at the high-end paper wine labels market, is growing in popularity with installations occurring throughout the world.

Bealby said the rise of digital label production has coincided with the technology’s ability to meet growing demand for short run and personalised products.

“Using this technology, labels can be customised on the fly which is something you cannot do with an analogue press,” Bealby said.

“This is also much more economical and sustainable as you are not having to changeover the plates.

16 ProPrint April 2021

Epson Australia managing director Craig Heckenberg says the new press proves Epson’s commitment to label technology.

Bealby said COVID has accelerated the digital transition as producers looked to package products locally and demand, particularly in the health care, food and beverage markets increased.

The SurePress L-6534VW features Epson’s PrecisionCore printheads which the company says are key for maintaining high performance and reliability by delivering precise droplet placement without web meandering or skewing.

Each of the six lineheads are comprised of PrecisionCore print chip modules (printheads), delivering precise quality with accuracy and high resolution.

This assures smooth and natural gradation and colour tone, from highlight to shadow, and can be reproduced with 600 x 1200 dpi resolution using a minimum droplet of 3 picolitres and Variable Sized Droplet Technology.

The press also utilises Epson’s proprietary Nozzle Verification Technology (NVT) and automatic head maintenance which generates efficiencies as the press can print through each shift without operator intervention.

Standard features for the L-6534VW include corona treater, web cleaner, ioniser and additional UV curing kit for increased ink adhesion on difficult substrates, all of which combine to help the press provide the highest level of versatility in print production.

The operational status of the press is also supported by a remote monitoring server.

The press includes an extensive network of sensors which feed into a diagnostic system allowing for quick responses when servicing is needed.

Epson’s business development manager Terry Crawford gave a demonstration of the machine and provided an overview of its features.

He pointed to key features including the corona treater which treats the material before printing to allow for a solid uniformity of spot colours and an etch detection system which automatically corrects uneven substrates to ensure the media is threaded through straight the entire time.

“Quite unique to this Epson designed product is our external drum platen,” Crawford said.

“No other label press manufacturer has this technology, it is purely an Epson design. What this ensures is that the substrate is always straight and not skewing or meandering.”

Epson robotic technology is also used to control the printhead array, is built using PrecisionCore printheads.

There is also an Epson LED pinning system which means droplets of ink are pinned onto the material to prevent spreading ensuring a sharper image on the substrate.

Crawford also pointed out the label press has an additional LED curing station should it be needed, depending on the job.

“There is also a final LED curing station and if we need to, we have an additional UV curing station,” Crawford said.

“From an operator perspective it is very easy to use and maintain.”

Any printer interested in having a look at the press, is urged to get in touch with Epson and book in a time.

To book in for a personal demonstration of the new press, please visit Epson.com.au/company/contactus/ www.sprinter.com.au

UPDATE

Jet Technologies brings industry together in Sydney

by Hafizah Osman

Jet Technologies recently hosted a Digital Innovations session at its demonstration centre in Sydney.

The session showcased the new Screen L350UV SAI S and also featured conversations about the growth of digital print.

“It has been an odd year and we’re excited to have any kind of event. It was very hard to know what to expect in terms of numbers and attendance, because people in other states are still a bit twitchy about travel,” Jet Technologies Director Jack Malki said.

“We in NSW are very comfortable about attending events locally, so a lot of our attendees today are local.

“It’s also the first face-to-face event for our industry for the year and we’re just thrilled with that. I think everyone was happy to be here as well. It’s just the start to having more ‘normal’ situations in future.”

Malki also gave a rundown of the company’s relationship with Screen, which has been ongoing for the last 12 years.

“We’ve had a relationship with Screen that branches beyond the team here in Australia.

We also have a relationship with the team in Japan. Screen has a solid, reliable team and without them, this partnership wouldn’t have worked,” Malki said.

“Whoever has a Screen machine knows that they are always a call away and they are there whenever needed. They have so many areas of great expertise and a very strong global presence.”

Malki also covered recent trends in the digital and packaging industries.

“Labels and packaging has grown year-onyear and that’s quite impressive. It is in a better

Screen GP Australia managing director Peter Scott with Jet Technologies director Jack Malki

position than some other markets. In terms of digital and inkjet, we have seen it grow by more than two times in terms of square meters,” he said.

“We’re also seeing some great supply chain disruptions, resulting in challenges in getting things out of Asia in the same sort of way or cost as before. And with consumers demanding solutions ‘now’, inkjet has been on the rise locally.

“We’re going to see increased growth in packaging and exponential growth in digital packaging. With the new Screen L350UV SAI S press, we’re able to do a lot of things on a lot of

different materials successfully – this is a machine that is going to last many years.”

Screen GP managing director Peter Scott said the Screen L350UV SAI S press stands for “being colourful, providing stability, ensuring accuracy, and integration, resulting in a flexibility to meet the demands of today”.

Both Screen and Jet Technologies say productivity with the L350UV SAI S has jumped by 20 per cent in colour printing from the past model (regardless of number of colours, repeat or otherwise) and 67 per cent with its highest opacity white – going from 30m/min to 50m/min in all instances.”

Xeikon launches new Colour Services

by Hafizah Osman

Xeikon has released its new XCS Pro 2.0, a fully automated suite of cloud-based colour management tools, which aim to deliver every advantage of quality colour control – predictability, repeatability and profitability.

Xeikon says e-commerce is driving the need for colour consistency across the print process and this solution enables brand owners and retailers to do just that.

The new package includes training and ongoing consultancy on a ‘pay as you go’ model.

Xeikon colour management expert Bruce Dransfield said, “Historically colour management software has needed an expert to deliver results, and this takes time. Xeikon has developed its XCS Pro 2.0 as a ‘no waste, no expert’, fully automated colour system.

“Xeikon now has the first digital dry toner, web press solution which embraces self-fixing colour control, quality control and ICC profiling plus Pantone/brand colour generation to meet all industry standards. www.sprinter.com.au

Xeikon’s new colour management tool is easy to use.

“Xeikon has built its new colour management system’s architecture to enable it to remotely analyse, target and fix any colour problem in minutes. Xeikon’s cloud based analytical tools can diagnose any colour issue and the issue is sorted with no delays which adds to significant time savings in production.”

The solution also enables a lean approach to colour management, offering advantages that include:

• Quality control tools that can be set to industry standards – theoretical, ‘process corrected’ or ‘house’ standards and results are measured and traced using the new analytics in Xeikon’s cloud-based system • Operators to fix and re-verify the colour quality of the print on the fly • Xeikon’s dry toner engines are all fitted with inline spectrophotometers to automatically make this possible during production saving on waste and rejected jobs • For packaging and label printers, accurate brand colours are vitally important • Xeikon’s new suite of colour management software contains tools that can copy and paste from a pre-printed sample to optimise the brand colour for the selected substrate • Xeikon uses CxF (colour exchange format) in order to communicate with tools found in the analogue world such as Flint Group’s VIVO or Pantone LIVE as well as proofing systems.

For more info, please visit www.xeikon.com.

April 2021 ProPrint 17

UPDATE FEBRUARY - MARCH TIMELINE

Debrief Recapping the major developments since your last issue. Stories are breaking every day at www.sprinter.com.au

February issue

2 february

9 february

16 february

HEIDELBERG’S GALLUS SALE NO GO The sale of Heidelberg’s Gallus Group to benpac holding ag has fallen through after the Swiss packaging company failed to pay the German manufacturer 120 million euros (A$190m) to complete the deal. Heidelberg is now looking at other options for the conventional and digital narrow-web reel-fed label press manufacturer with its five sites and 430 employees remaining under the Heidelberg umbrella for now. Heidelberg bought Gallus in 2014 but announced in July last year it would sell it.

“Nothing will change for Gallus customers. Heidelberg will continue to handle sales and service for the Gallus portfolio and their personal contacts with remain the same,” Heidelberg said in a statement.

COATES GROUP WINS AMPOL DEAL Australian signage company, Coates Group, has won the contract to replace Ampol Australia’s national external signage including shopfront fascia, price boards and identity signs as the company undergoes a rebrand. Now a global tech company, Coates Group, began as a small, family-owned signage company in Sydney in the late 1950s and, like Ampol, has a proud Australian heritage. Over ten years ago, it evolved from being a traditional signage provider to a global digital experience company. In addition to traditional signage, it also produces digital signage, merchandising solutions and immersive customer experiences utilising software and hardware.

MIMAKI’s NEW PRINTERS Mimaki has launched two new printers – the TS100-1600 and the Tiger-1800B MkIII – for the sublimation and textile sectors. The entry-level TS100-1600 supports 1600mm widths, which are frequently used in the textile/apparel industry. Mimaki says the entry-level machine can print up to 70 m²/h in the fastest mode making it twice as fast a conventional textile printer.

News happens every day at

sprinter.com.au

9 february

11 february

CLEVER TRADE PRODUCTS REBRANDS Sydney’s Clever Trade Products has rebranded to All Clever Stuff after business owner Maggie Thomas (pictured) sold off the fridge magnet manufacturing section of the business. Thomas launched Clever Fridge Magnets in 1994 with Clever Trade Products its wholesale name. It then expanded into stickers, promotional products, name badges and magnetic car signs.

“I was expecting our first child when I decided to start the business, and I’ve been with the company for over 26 years now,” she said. “We’re a local employer that supports the local community. Family values run strong in our business as it was built around flexibility for our kids, which is why a lot of our staff are young mums.” But as magnets were heavy, required importing, and were labour intensive, Thomas decided to sell that division and focus on the other segments of the business.

HEXIS FILM COVID-19 CERTIFIED Hexis’ Pure Zone antibacterial adhesive film has been independently certified as being able to combat the viral load of coronaviruses including COVID-19.

Hexis Australia managing director Ian Parsonson told ProPrint the French-made film is already widely used in Australia, particularly in medical centres, museums and on public transport systems. He said it has now gained certification from French lab, UB’L2, for its ability to combat the viral load of coronaviruses including SARSCoV-2, including COVID-19. “It has been found to reduce the efficacy of the virus by 72 per cent within the first hour,” Parsonson told ProPrint. The films contain silver ions which activate when they come in contact with humidity.

This surface layer activation quickly blocks and inhibits microbes which Hexis says limits their ability to proliferate between two cleaning and disinfection protocols.

Sign up for our free regular news bulletin.

18 ProPrint April 2021

www.sprinter.com.au

UPDATE

23 february

25 february

4 march

OOH DOWN 39% The Outdoor Media Association’s FY 2020 results show the damage COVID-19 has inflicted on all categories in the Out of Home (OOH). Total revenue decreased by 39.4% with the sector generating $566m in FY net revenue - a down from $935m in 2019. Digital Out of Home (DOOH) made up 56.1% of that, up from 55.8% for the year before. Roadside Billboards generated $272.2m in 2020, down from $369.4m in 2019. Other roadside advertising including street furniture, bus/ tram externals and small format generated $153.2m, down from $266.5m. Transport, including airports, raised $62.4m, down from $169.4m in 2019. The retail and lifestyle category brought in $78.7m, down from $130.2m in the year before.

YARROW JOINS TWINE SOLUTIONS Two industry heavyweights that used to work for competitors are now working together at digital thread dyeing start-up, Twine Solutions. Andy Yarrow, Kornit Digital’s former Asia Pacific managing director and president, was recently hired with former HP Indigo general manager, Alon Bar-Shany - who is also active chairman of digital cutting and creasing manufacturer, Highcon - named active chairman. The news comes after Kornit Digital hired Ilan Elad last year as Asia Pacific president.

“Kornit has taken a different direction in its approach in Asia – it wanted to focus more on Japan and that left me with a need to find a role which suited my experience,” Yarrow said.

CLEM JOHNSON RECOGNISED FESPA Australia has awarded past-president Clem Johnson (pictured) with the association’s highest honour – the life membership award. The award recognises members who have demonstrated a professional approach to the sign industry over a long period. Johnson’s involvement with FESPA Australia began in 1998 as treasurer of the Queensland branch of SGIAA (now FESPA Australia). In 2005, he was elected federal president of SGIAA and served for 11 years. FESPA Australia President Nigel Davies said Johnson became president at a challenging time for the industry. “Digital technologies were changing our traditional membership profile, and Clem championed our drive to join the global community.”

18 february

24 february

2 march

ORORA BOOMS Orora has reported positive HY results to December 31, 2020 with an underlying net profit after tax of $91m, up 18.9% on the pcp.

Underlying earnings before interest and tax was $140m, up 5.2%. Orora managing director and CEO Brian Lowe said: “We are pleased to announce that all businesses reported an increase in underlying EBIT compared to the prior corresponding period as a result of disciplined execution against our revised strategy”. In Australasia, Orora’s beverage business continued its record of earnings growth driven by strong volumes across cans and closures.

“Volume gains were partially offset by an unfavourable mix in cans and glass driven by an increase in at home consumption and ongoing higher energy and insurance costs,” Lowe said.

“In North America, constant currency earnings were higher for both Orora Packaging Solutions and Orora Visual.”

BRIDGESTONE GROUP NOW REACON GROUP Bridgestone Group, the company that bought Theo Pettaras’ Digitalpress, has been renamed Reacon Group. CEO Jahangir Khan (pictured far right) says the name change applies to the company’s other businesses, including Horizon Print Management, now Reacon Australia. The company is positioning itself as a marketing execution company with a heritage in print management and production with the objective being to gain more customers, at the lowest cost per customer possible. Khan’s research found many providers shape the design and content of marketing communications, but few execute and distribute the messages to customers. “Our services have been poised to answer this question, using a wealth of execution expertise, geographic breadth across Asia, an exclusive supplier network, leading edge technology and a growing list of distribution channels,” he said.

SMARTECH BUYS QUADIENT Quadient Oceania, formerly Neopost, has been bought by Hong Kong-based Smartech Business Systems. The acquisition is part of Smartech’s expansion in the Asia Pacific region with the company seeking to broaden its Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific footprint. Quadient Oceania distributes mail room products and wide format technology from HP and Epson. It also supplies inks and other consumables. “Quadient Oceania has an outstanding range of technology solutions supporting the graphics industries which blends perfectly with Smartech’s strong regional business model,” Smartech CEO Vincent Nair (pictured) said. “We look forward to supporting the local graphics market within Australia and further building on the excellent customer partnerships within Australia and New Zealand.” Nair says Smartech is thrilled to have the opportunity to now grow its presence in the Asia-Pacific area.

www.sprinter.com.au

April 2021 ProPrint 19

WORKPLACE RELATIONS

Casual employment clarified in new laws The definition of casual employment was the lone survivor of an ambitious industrial relations omnibus Bill. Here, Charles Watson, General Manager of IR, Policy & Governance at The Real Media Collective, unpacks the changes.

CHARLES WATSON

Casual conversion

O

ver a decade after the Fair Work Act (the Act) and the related industrial relations system came into effect its limitations and complexities are clear. Although the current IR system has been relatively functional there is certainly room for improvement.

Given the economic and societal effects of COVID last year, it was seen as a perfect opportunity to attempt a ‘come to Jesus’ moment to find consensus between government, employers and unions. At first the government created IR working groups and it looked promising, however by September the good faith seemed to have disappeared and the ghosts of the past returned. Nonetheless, by December the federal government released a Bill to amend various sections of the Act.

What was proposed The aim of the Bill was to improve the operation of the national industrial relations system by providing greater certainty and flexibility to employers and employees to support economic recovery and growth. The Bill contained various proposed amendments to the Act. These included various Award related flexibilities, a clarified definition of casual employees and the avoidance of double dipping on entitlements, various flexibilities around hours of work and payrates for parttime employees, an amended Better Off Overall Test for enterprise agreements, and criminal offences for systemic wage underpayments. To ensure the passing of the Bill, the government was going to need some crossbench support. So, let the political and positional games begin!

What occurred The Bill moved through significant debate in the House, the Senate, underwent a Senate Committee, public critiquing, threatened High Court challenges, and crossbench deals.

The final Bill passed through Parliament on 22 March 2021 and looked like a murder of crows had been at work. Essentially, the 20 ProPrint April 2021

Casual employees will have a right to be made permanent after 12 months if they have worked regular shifts.

government was effectively forced to drop every proposed schedule, except changes to casual employment matters.

What was left — a casual synopsis Although most proposed aspects of the original Bill were cut out, the passing of the remainder has provided clarity in relation to casual employment issues.

Casual employees will have a basic legislative right to permanency after 12 months whereby an employer must offer to convert a casual employee to permanent employment if the employee: 1. has been employed for 12 months; and 2. during the last 6 months, has worked a regular and systematic pattern of hours without significant adjustment.

Generally, an employer will not be required to make an offer of casual conversion if: a. there are reasonable business grounds not to make that offer; and b. ‘reasonable grounds’ are based on facts that are known or reasonably foreseeable.

If a casual employee converts, they will become permanent part-time or full-time on the day specified in a notice to the employee. However, if an employee does not accept an offer of conversion, they lose the right to convert for the next six months.

Definition of casual employee

Small business exemption

Under the amendments a person will be defined as a casual if: 1. an offer of employment made by the employer to the person is made on the basis that the employer makes no firm advance commitment to continuing and indefinite work according to an agreed pattern of work for the person; and 2. the person accepts the offer on that basis, and is employed as a result of that acceptance.

A regular pattern of hours will not in and of itself dictate a firm advance commitment to continuing and indefinite work. This particular issue will require some consideration on the drafting of any offer of casual employment, and the provision of a ‘Casual Employment Information Statement’ to new casual employees drafted by the Fair Work Ombudsman.

This is in addition to the pre-existing ‘Fair Work Information Statement’ currently required for all employees.

Essentially, a casual employee will remain casual unless and until they convert to permanent status.

Small businesses, with 15 or less employees, will be exempt from having to offer conversion after 12 months although their employees can still request to convert.

Casual loading offset Where an employee has been incorrectly described as casual and later found to have been permanent, the new provisions effectively entitle an employer to offset leave entitlements against an identified casual loading. This will require some clarification in an offer of employment so as to make clear what the casual loading encompasses, ie, any and all annual and personal leave.

What’s next Although the amendments only dealt with one issue, they have provided greater clarity and certainty on the nebulous issue of casual employment. Employers will need to consider the effects of these amendments on their casual arrangements and make appropriate revisions to their casual letters of offer and related internal processes. www.sprinter.com.au

PRESENTED BY

// 28th September – 1st October 2021 // Bays 1-11, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Review.

Rebuild.

DATES // Tuesday 28 September 2021 // Wednesday 29 September 2021

Reconnect.

// Thursday 30 September 2021 // Friday 1st October 2021

2021

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

2021

PLATINUM

GOLD

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

E: exhibitions@visualconnections.org.au

SILVER

T: +61 2 9868 1577

www.pacprint.com.au

COMMENT

Who will run our machines?

Change is the only constant when it comes to printing machinery. Here, Frank Romano, reflects on how this evolution makes it hard to find good operators and creates a rising tide of obsolete machines.

FRANK ROMANO

I

n 1995, when I was teaching full-time, I had a call from a printer. He was seeking an operator who could run his Heidelberg press. It was a four-colour Speedmaster 72 introduced in 1974. Mechanical devices can last multiple human lifetimes if you take care of them and this printer wanted to run a 21-year-old press with a 21-year-old graduate. He thought schools trained operators for specific presses.

In the 1980s and 1990s there was an explosion of multi-colour presses, from KBA, manroland, Komori, Ryobi and others. Some of those presses are still in use and the problem is finding people with the mechanical and printing skills to run them.

Printers hang on to their devices for a long time. Go to the rear of any printing company and you will find an array of old machines gathering dust. It is as if the printer thinks that those machines may actually be used again. It is proven that one new printing press can equal the productivity of two or even three older presses. New printing presses are extremely efficient. They can reduce labour by half or more. They are now

as electronic as they are mechanical.

For a modern press, the manufacturer will train operators. But 20 years or more from now, they may not. This problem goes beyond printing presses.

The old Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner is parked in Dubai. It will never sail again. This is not because it isn’t seaworthy or that its engines do not work. It is because all the wiring and electronics that control the ship are 1950s vintage.

We have two problems: Firstly, finding operators for our mechanical systems and secondly, dealing with obsolescence. In the old days you could teach offset fundamentals with a lowly offset duplicator.

Every printing program from middle school to college had a small press and the operators of the 4-up and 8-up presses came from that base of users. Today, only a handful of schools in the United States have a 4-colour press to teach with.

I remember a newsreel about training pilots during WWII. They sat with sticks in their hands to simulate the controls of the plane. It took a while to develop training simulators.

The printing problem becomes more acute

when you look at digital printing systems.

They range from cut sheets to 40-inch sheets to roll-fed to flatbed systems.

Because they came into the industry in the last decade, the suppliers have helped with training. Because there are few standards in their operation, skills are not always transferrable from one system to another.

And no school can afford the majority of them to teach on.

I am sitting right now in a museum surrounded by old machines. We can still run the mechanical devices. But the personal computers from 1985 are useless.

Of course, this is not a new problem Printing underwent many changes in its 500-plus year history. Printers know that there will always be the next version, the next device that is better, faster, cheaper than the one they have. Suppliers and printers must come together to develop more standardisation so that skills are transferrable from one device to another.

There is little we can do about technology changes except analyse what is coming and budget for it.

There will always be change. And the need to manage it.

Penrith

MUSEUM of

PRINTING

Volunteer or Sponsor help us grow!

Come and see the extensive expansion and renovations.

Need a venue for a function?

Talk to us we can help.

Visit https://www.printingmuseum.org.au/ 22 ProPrint April 2021

www.sprinter.com.au

COMMENT

Industry must work harder to properly promote paper New research shows graphic papers are not seen as environmentally friendly as fibre-based packaging. Here, Kellie Northwood, The Real Media Collective CEO, argues why industry must do more to talk up the green credentials of print and paper.

KELLIE NORTHWOOD

partners and retailers to include the ‘Love Paper’ logo on their own print collateral — key objective for The Real catalogues, boxes, loyalty mailers and more Media Collective throughout — to promote paper as the locally 2021 was to launch a global manufactured, sustainably sourced media Trend Tracking study and channel that print is. revitalise our global For those who are not members of The partnerships across our Real Media Collective, please think about the industry campaigns. importance of this campaign and how you To grow the quality of the Collective’s can get involved. campaign content we also committed to a It is important for all of industry to research project to understand where challenge misperceptions of paper and print.

Australia sits globally when it comes to We have a wonderful environmental consumer behaviour towards print. Surveys message to tell — paper is renewable, such as these enable our industry to better recyclable and compostable. understand changing consumer perceptions Print manufacturing supports local jobs inrates Australia amongst the highest Paperrates recycling in Australiaare are amongst the highest in the worldin the world about paper, print, mail, packaging Paper and recycling and the Australian economy. with over 69% of all paper and paperboard being recovered. with over 69% of all paper and paperboard being recovered. tissue products and help work out the best We can, and must, defend our strengths steps to take to mitigate against them. in an era of digitalisation misrepresenting The survey began in January this year and campaign to promote the environmental our credentials. the results are now starting to come in with and social inclusivity of paper and print.

NOTE: The study is part of a global global reports being developed.

The Love Paper campaign explores initiative by The Real Media Collective with As we review initial results, it is quite clear Australia’s paper recyclability rates, Toluna, an independent research agency, that the global pandemic has significantly compostable paper ranges, the renewability operating in 14 countries including Australia.

Learn the real story of paper changed consumer perceptions, which of paper, the social inclusiveness and The study, ‘Paper’s Place in a Post-Pandemic www.twosides.org.au means we as an industry must work harder increased memory and educational benefits World’ will be available to members and key than ever to reiterate the environmental of paper. There are, of course, many benefits stakeholders in early May 2021. credentials of paper and print. and the Love Paper campaign will the realcommunicate story of paperthese across letterbox, The results show Australia is wellLearn aligned Kellie Northwood is the Chief Executive www.twosides.org.au with the United Kingdom — mirroring similar magazines, digital platforms, industry Officer, The Real Media Collective. For any consumer trends and consumer preferences advocacy and more to raise awareness of questions related to this article, Source: CEPI Sustainability Report, 2018 to media and spending behaviours we have the strength of our channel. membership or if you have any other seen in the past. However, whilst fibreWe will also work with our customer questions, contact kellie@thermc.com.au based packaging is seen by an overwhelming majority of consumers as more environmentally friendly than other What the study shows: packaging substrates, graphic papers do not.

This impacts our commercial print Environmental misconceptions members most and as an industry we must • Consumers still believe Australian forests are shrinking (70%) — despite planted forestry increasing by four not rest when promoting the environmental million hectares over a five-year period. credentials of paper and print.

• There is still a significant gap between consumer belief in our industry’s recycling record and reality. Only 15% The Two Sides campaign provides believe the paper recycling rate exceeds 60%. In Australia, 69% of all paper and paperboard consumed extensive content to our members which being recovered, a globally high standard. And over 90% of household paper products are recycled. explores the environmental credentials of Consumers believe digital is more environmentally friendly than print sustainable tree farming, recycling rates, • 63% of Australians believe the misperception that electronic media is better for the environment than paperrenewability and the compostability of based medias. paper, yet the message is not connecting • 64% of Australians are concerned about cyber-security. with consumers and the industry must • 54% believe overuse of digital could be damaging to their health. respond.

• 40% of Australians have more understanding when reading in print.

Reviewing all the data, working with all Online advertising fatigue, how print can stand out stakeholders and engaging government, The • 60% of Australians do not pay much attention to online advertisements compared to 45% across print Real Media Collective, is determined to mediums. respond. As part of this response, it has now • 53% of Australians block or avoid online advertisements. launched a new Australia-wide consumer

A

SEED SEEDCHANGE CHANGE Source: CEPI Sustainability Report, 2018

www.sprinter.com.au

April 2021 ProPrint 23

2021 Coming Soon What is the Power 50?

The Power 50 recognises the leaders and innovators in Australia's print industry - the people who drive it forward with vision and courage.

Every year the industry nominates who it thinks deserves to be recognised in the Power 50.

Each nominee, as well as the broader industry, then has the opportunity to judge who they believe should make it into the Power 50.

Independent auditors review all votes to make sure all is correct and above board.

A 100% peer-voted Power 50 The Power 50 belongs to each and every member of the printing industry and you all have the ability to vote on it. Nominations will soon open and we urge you to nominate someone whom you believe has shown positive leadership and deserves recognition.

How can I get involved?

To become a valued sponsor of the Power 50 please contact Carmen Ciappara on 0410 582 450 or carmen@proprint.com.au Editorial enquiries to Sheree Young on 0402 759 893 or syoung@intermedia.com.au

www.power50.com.au

2021 Coming Soon What is the Emerging 50?

The Emerging 50 burst onto the scene two years ago to recognise the rising stars of Australia’s print industry. Emerging 50 recipients come from all areas of the industry including production, sales, graphic design and administration. They tend to be nominated by employers wishing to recognise their hard work and dedication. It is hoped that as time goes by and the careers of Emerging 50 nominess flourish, they will find themselves on the Power 50.

Who can be nominated for the Emerging 50?

The Emerging 50 is open to anyone working in any part of print with five years or less experience.

Nominees can work across any part of print including production, graphic design, postpress, sales, customer service and account management.

How can I get involved?

If you would like to support this great initiative please contact Carmen Ciappara on 0410 582 450 or carmen@proprint.com.au Editorial enquiries to Sheree Young on 0402 759 893 or syoung@intermedia.com.au

www.emerging50.com.au

PACPRINT 2021

Suppliers show support for first show in two years After the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to trade shows globally, PacPrint 2021 organisers are thrilled to be planning this year’s show which will be the first in person trade event in two years.

Suppliers are showing their support for PacPrint 2021, and its co-located exhibitions Visual Impact and Label & Packaging Expo, with a number of companies confirmed to exhibit at the show.

Chief among those are companies which have signed up not only as exhibitors, but also as event sponsors.

These include: Platinum Sponsor Roland DG, Gold Sponsors Currie Group, Epson, Europoles, HP, Konica Minolta and Spicers and Silver Sponsors Mimaki, software developer Print IQ and Starleaton.

Other companies exhibiting at Pacprint include Graph-Pak, Screen, Fujifilm and Fuji Xerox, Ferag, Böttcher, Mutoh, Colour Graphic Services, Minipack International and Wilenco.

Software and workflow management suppliers will also be represented with Esko, Quote & Print Software and CERM in attendance, along with

Be a part of the PacPrint 2021 action: contact Visual Connections for more information.

finance provider Ecolease.

Planning for the Visual Impact sign, display, wide-format and textile printing show is also going well.

Here, show sponsors Europoles and Mimaki will be joined by Gravotech, Aeronaut, BPG Australia, Shann Group, Elizabeth Machines, Hilton Laminating, SAled, Hexis, Velfex and Sublimation Systems.

Interest in exhibiting at The Label & Packaging expo is also growing with Rodden Graphics, Aldus and Flint on board.

Visual Connections co-hosts PacPrint with the Print & Visual Communications Association (PVCA).

Visual Connections Chief Executive Officer, Peter Harper, says the bookings prove the confidence suppliers have in the show’s viability and their enthusi-

asm to show their latest offerings.

“Events are already being successfully held around the country and that’s only set to accelerate as the vaccine roll-out, continues,” Harper says.

“Already we are seeing how diverse the show will be with everything from software and workflow solutions to digital cut-sheet and wide-format output devices, label and packaging production, finishing systems, colour and quality control systems and a wide range of media and consumables represented.

“Being able to experience this variety of options under one roof is the secret to the perennial attraction of trade shows.”

The popular PacPrint seminars, the National Print Awards and the ASGA/ FESPA Australia HP Awards will also be held during the show.

“PacPrint 2021 is shaping up as our most important ever and feedback from both suppliers and potential businesses is clear. People are keen for the opportunity to review, rebuild and reconnect and we can’t wait to welcome them to Melbourne,” he said.

PacPrint 2021, Visual Impact and the Label & Packaging Expo runs from Sept 28 to Oct 1 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. To book a stand, call Visual Connections on +61 2 9868 1577 or send an to: exhibitions@visualconnections.org.au.

Business Events Grants extended The federal government has extended its Business Events Grants Program making it easier for smaller exhibitors to take part in B2B trade events like PacPrint, Visual Impact and the Label & Packaging Expo.

The federal government has extended its $50 million Business Events Grants Program with the application cut-off moved to June 30, 2021 and the minimum available grant amount reduced from $10,000 to $5,000.

The change opens the door for smaller exhibitors to apply for the subsidy which covers 50 per cent of participation costs in trade events, like PacPrint, Visual Impact and the Label & Packaging Expo.

The package was introduced last year and will cover half of the exhibition costs for events until March 31, 2022.

Peter Harper, CEO of PacPrint organiser Visual Connections, welcomed the 26 ProPrint April 2021

Visual Connections CEO Peter Harper has welcomed the extension of the grant.

extension and said reducing the minimum grant amount makes it available to exhibitors with a total spend of $10,000 or more. He said this was great news for suppliers looking to book smaller 3m x 3m shell scheme stands.

PacPrint and its co-located events, which will run in Melbourne from 28 September to 1 October this year, have been approved for this funding, with many exhibitors already submitting applications and some already approved.

Harper expects the announcement to

increase the already strong interest in the show from potential exhibitors, calling it a “no-brainer” for any company considering participation.

“Those companies which have already successfully applied will enjoy a 50 per cent cash back on everything from their floor space and stand build, to airfares, accommodation, marketing and sponsorships, in fact any exhibition related expense,” Harper said.

“The application process is not particularly onerous and it’s basically free cash to build your business. Competition for the grants will be stiff, however, with many shows qualifying and literally hundreds, if not thousands, of eligible businesses expected to apply so there is no time to waste in submitting an application.”

Those interested should email Grants Advisor Katarina Dayoan from Export Solutions at katarina@exportsolutions. com.au or call 0414 977 775. Businesses looking to exhibit at PacPrint should contact Visual Connections on +61 2 9868 1577 or email exhibitions@visualconnections.org.au. www.proprint.com.au

UPDATE DOWNTIME

FESPA Australia hosts industry at annual BBQ 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.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

28 ProPrint April 2021

www.proprint.com.au

DOWNTIME UPDATE

12

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

1. Andrew Marrs, Kissel + Wolf; Riley Aickin, Nigel Spicer and Annika Mogg of Cactus Imaging 2. Alastair Smith, HVG; Andrew Marrs, Kissel + Wolf 3. Rob Griffiths, Visual Connections; Robert Rae, Image Box 4. Glen Makary, Spicers; John Featherston, Mezographic 5. Jenn Riley, Roscoe Sung, Stephanie Willems, Mulford Plastics 6-7. Groups enjoying a pre-dinner drink at the event 8. Nicholas Sear, Sear Insurance; Roscoe Sung, Mulford Plastics; Patrick Sear, Sear Insurance 9-10. Enjoying the opportunity to catch up after a long break from social events 11. Troy Cavanagh and David Asker, Image Box 12. Colleen Bate, Image Magazine; Nigel Davies, FESPA Australia; Josie De Sousa-Reay, Kine Graffiti 13. John Featherston, Mezographic 14. Mark Brooks, Ancyn Screen Printers; Lorraine Strong, Jenn Riley and Stephanie Willems of Mulford Plastics 15. Stuart Gittus, Active Display Group; Nigel Spicer, Cactus Imaging; Ewen Donaldson, Vivad 16. David Rowe and Bernadette Rowe of VMG Print Group 17. Phillip Rennell and Keith Ferrel, Cactus Imaging 18. Cal Gillespie, Mark Burley & Chris Duke of All About Graphics; Wayne McIntyre, Celmac 19. Matt Ashman, Durst Oceania and Phillip Rennell 20. Damian Pocock, Ball & Doggett; David Rowe, VMG Print Group 21. Mariano Imbrioscia, Vivad; Nigel Spicer, Cactus Imaging 22. David Asker, Image Box and Mark Brooks, Ancyn Screen Printers

13

21

22

www.proprint.com.au

April 2021 ProPrint 29

UPDATE DOWNTIME

Epson launches new SurePress Epson hosted a media event recently to launch new industrial UV digital label printer, the SurePress L-6534VW. It is the first press of its type in Australia after it was intially launched globally in 2019 in Europe.

1. Epson Australia managing director Craig Heckenberg 2. Epson global president Yasunori Ogawa makes a video address for the launch 3. Epson business development manager Paul Cunningham with some examples of label applications 4. The SurePress L-6534VW 5. Epson business development Terry Crawford displays the versatile label applications printed on the SurePress L-6534VW 6. Under the hood: The new press has a number of unique features including the ability to provide a matte, gloss or spot colour finish inline 7. Epson’s Paul Cunningham and Selman Donmez 8. Epson’s Terry Crawford explains the inner workings of the new press 9. The L-6534VW offers greater productivity and sustainability for label printers looking to shift from analogue to digital 10. Epson Australia managing director Craig Heckenberg welcomes the media to the event 11. Epson marketing manager Bruce Bealby

1

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

30 ProPrint April 2021

2

11

www.proprint.com.au

Quality. Reliability.

Durability. Speed.

T H E N E W D I G I TA L U V I N K J E T L A B E L P R E S S With LED UV curing ink, the new Epson SurePress L-6534VW industrial linehead inkjet label press enables high-speed printing that's ideal for producing high quality labels, tags and packaging with outstanding durability. Increase your range of applications and improve your bottom line with wide gamut inks and multivarnish technology that delivers high speed, outstanding finish and low TCO. • Proven Epson technology: PrecisionCore printheads, ink, robotic control • High-speed printing up to 50 m/min.

• CMYK, high density white and value-add digital varnish inks standard • Corona treater, web cleaner, ionizer and additional UV curing standard

Learn more, visit www.epson.com.au/surepress or call Terry Crawford – +61(0)424 750 504

PRINT UP TO 50 m/min.

Q&A

Spot on with Simon Spot Productions is one of Queensland’s largest private commercial print businesses.

Offset printing is its main game but the cutsheet digital and wide format space is also really taking off. Here, managing director Simon Carmody, shares his thoughts on the industry and what it needs going forward.

The last 12 months have been incredibly tough. How are things going for you?

We had the same problems last year during COVID as every business in Australia did. The tide certainly went out a fair way for us from April through to June, but we saw good signs of a return from the middle of July and August, and we have certainly been very busy ever since. The bounce back was very strong for us.

What does the printing industry need to be stronger?

In my opinion there is one key area that needs to be improved for the printing industry to thrive and that is a stronger supply chain.

Supply chain issues were highlighted more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. We had a great deal of trouble getting supplies, mainly paper and other stock, from overseas.

This has been without a doubt the biggest issue for us in the last six months, it has just been such a huge challenge.

To help get around this problem I think printers of a certain size will have to look further than the main suppliers in Australia to ensure they have the supplies they need.

Here at Spot Productions, we will be stockpiling our own paper, especially the commodity grade papers that we use more of.

This will mean we will need to have more foresight about what we pre-order and have delivered onsite direct from the overseas paper mills. We will be starting the conversation about this by dealing directly with mills around the world.

Where this is most important is with the commodity grade papers. We have just moved into a bigger site in the existing industrial complex where we are based. It is a 4,000 square metre site and the power is now up and we are moving in.

Having this extra space will make it a lot easier for us to import direct from the overseas mill and store the paper onsite.

So yes to try and avoid supply chain issues, I will be buying some paper direct. Our turnover warrants us to do this.

Last year there was no commodity grades including 90 gsm coated, publication papers and some offset grades available in the country. I did lose some jobs because I had no paper but then I got smart and started buying it direct, so I only missed out on one campaign. So when it comes to the grades we use a lot of, we will be chatting to mills overseas for sure.

Buying direct is no different to what the carton and packaging companies have been doing for many years. A lot of carton and

Spot Productions is one of the largest privately owned commercial printers in Brisbane.

32 ProPrint April 2021

packaging guys pre-order their stock so they can actually be assured of getting the job.

There are two and a half major players in paper supply in Australia and 15 years ago there were 10. Our raw material is paper so if you are not sourcing that at a better price and managing your storage and your flow you are certainly left behind on some jobs.

Doing business this way is a bit of a gamble.

You’ve got to buy a fair bit of it and have a container dropped on the ground so there is a fair bit of money tied up in paper you haven’t yet printed on.

But there are definitely those times when if you have the paper, you get the job and your cash flow catches up.

It is just a part of doing business now.

What sort of support would help print businesses thrive?

I think the printing industry needs to be supported by one strong peak industry body which can speak to government about our industry.

This body needs to represent all levels of print nationally and not just the southern states. It also needs to have strong IR and HR services and run workshops and education programmes for the whole industry, not just the big end of town or certain members.

Taking a break: Spot Productions managing director Simon Carmody relaxes for a moment with a copy of ProPrint magazine.

www.proprint.com.au

Carmody Does Spot Productions miss out on much work to overseas providers?

No. The work we do is time sensitive and must be lodged with newspapers or in the mailhouse at certain times. I do understand book publishers or quarterly magazines would struggle with overseas competition but everything we do is urgent.

What is the hardest thing about being a printer?

The hardest thing about being a printer is attracting qualified tradespeople, multi-skilled employees and staff that are actually willing to work. There are also huge issues around training. Unfortunately, there is not a huge take-up of apprenticeships and traineeships in our industry. Queensland has seen the biggest growth in apprentices in many years, but we are not seeing them in print.

What do you love about print?

Print is in my blood. I’m a printer, my dad was a printer and so was my grandfather. I like the excitement of print and the feel and smell of print. Our site is quite dynamic and everything is urgent, but I enjoy the adrenalin that comes with creating new products in tight timeframes. Every job is different, and I find that exciting as I thrive on deadlines and adrenalin. I like the rush.

As a Queensland-based printer, what are the biggest challenges you face?

We are based in Queensland, but we class ourselves as a national printer and our challenges are no different to a printer in Victoria or Western Australia. The biggest

challenge we all face is delivery. It is a bit like the lottery dealing with freight companies and managing deliveries. All printers who are exposed to large freight companies experience these issues. That is the biggest challenge we have but I know Victorian and Western Australian printers have the same problem delivering nationally. The job may get delivered, or it may not.

What are the main opportunities for print going forward?

I think the biggest future opportunity is that there will be less players. There is also a lot more diversification into cutsheet digital, wide format and offset printing and there are good opportunities out there for a full-service printer. All printers should be looking to diversify rather than offer one specialty.

What are the biggest threats?

Every business is under pressure because of the Australian dollar and how this impacts the cost of imported products. It is the same in every industry and business, if you don’t have a good business plan in place you are going to end up killing yourself.

People always bang on about the pressure on price, but if you are a full-service business, price is not always the main reason why you get the job.

Where do you see the print industry in 20 years’ time?

I think the print industry will be thriving but the technology and the way we do things will have changed. There will be a lot more inkjet digital work. But you’ve got to have your eyes open to understand what technology suits your

Still king: Offset printing is the main game at Spot Productions but cutsheet digital and wide-format are steadily growing in volumes.

www.proprint.com.au

Spot Productions managing director Simon Carmody

business. But print is certainly not dead, that is never going to happen. All you have to do is look around every shopping centre and supermarket to see that. The biggest opportunities will be ensuring you print on both sides of the paper at once, speed to market and variable imaging through inkjet and digital also presents a huge opportunity.

What do you like to do to unwind?

I used to be a Surf Life Saver at Marcoola Beach on the Sunshine Coast and I still love going to the beach and playing golf.

Favourite holiday location?

That has to be the Sunshine Coast in Queensland or just any beach really, especially one that has a golf course nearby.

First band you saw live?

That took me back! I was a young bloke when I saw Midnight Oil under the big top on the Gold Coast in about 1982 on The Spit.

Room to grow: Spot Productions has now added a new 4000 square metre factory in Brisbane's Pinkenba and will soon begin consolidating its sites.

April 2021 ProPrint 33

PRINT DIARY

EVENT

LOCATION

DATE

virtual.drupa online event

Online

Apr 20 – Apr 23

PacPrint

Melbourne

Sept 28 – Oct 1

ASGA & FESPA Australia HP Awards

Melbourne

Sept 28

38th National Print Awards

Melbourne

Sept 30

ProPrint Power 50 & Emerging 50

Sydney

TBC

Got an event? Send an email to SYoung@intermedia.com.au with all the details and we will put your event on the page

Systems  Printing

THE SMART WAY TO SAVE ON ROLLERS Böttcher Australia: the experts in new rollers and replacements

• Near total coverage of roller requirements for the graphic arts sector • Wide range of rollers for printing and packaging, laminating, gluing, transport and nip • Specialised services for non-standard applications • In-house expertise to help you achieve your production goals

Talk to us about the range of services we offer for all your roller maintenance needs.

WWW.BOTTCHERSYSTEMS.COM.AU National Free Call 1800 204 102

34 ProPrint April 2021

www.proprint.com.au

IT’S DIFFICULT TO SURVIVE SELLING PRINT ALONE Nettl has been designed for graphic designers, printers, signwriters, web designers and marketing specialists wanting to grow or diversify their business.

Nettl simplifies the world of web. It’s a toolkit of software, technical support, training, marketing, and back office systems to easily sell and design websites in a profitable way.

It’s just simply a smarter way of working.

For the first time the Nettl METHOD™ is now available with a free 30 day trial.

Apply today and get instant access to design, build and deploy Brambl and WordPress websites using our step-by-step system.

Cancel any time during your trial, without obligation to purchase. No credit card required.

APPLY TODAY

www.nettl.com.au/freetrial

COVER STORY

Fujifilm Acuity Ultra trifecta at Cactus Imaging A need to speed up production to complement lightning fast digital campaigns has seen Cactus Imaging add a third Fujifilm Acuity Ultra grand format press to its line-up.

I

n the words of Cactus Imaging founder Keith Ferrel, the decision to add a third Fujifilm Acuity Ultra to the engine room of this grand format print specialist was driven through a “necessity of volume” and the need to produce high quality print and fast.

That this need existed after the COVID-19 pandemic ripped a mighty hole in economies globally is testament to not only the enduring strength of wide format print but also the might of Cactus Imaging and its parent company, the publicly listed oOh!media.

36 ProPrint April 2021

Cactus Imaging came to be nearly 30 years ago just as print technology was shifting from analogue to digital. This period of rapid technological development provided fertile ground for Cactus Imaging which unencumbered with heritage ties to analogue was free to adopt emerging technologies.

Ferrel and his then business partner Warwick Spicer started the business in 1992 after moving to Australia from New Zealand.

The fledgling company went through some rough patches and it was not unusual for these two print pioneers to sacrifice their own wage to keep the business afloat.

But through all this Cactus Imaging has grown not just in size but also in influence.

Ferrel and Warwick’s son Nigel Spicer, Cactus Imaging’s general manager, are recognised as knowledgeable operators who are prepared to take risks and think outside of the box.

Beta test site for software It is this intrinsic understanding of print, combined with the highly productive print environment at Cactus, that led the company to be named a beta test site for Fujifilm software before the second generation of the

In motion: Cactus Imaging added a third Fujifilm Acuity Ultra to meet booming demands

Acuity Ultra series is launched later this year.

Cactus Imaging was the first printer in Australia to install the five-metre-wide grand format workhorse in 2018 as it sought to branch out to top-end fabric clients and boost capacity. In 2019 it added a next-generation Acuity Ultra 5044, one of the first five of its generation in the world. And in February 2021 a third Acuity Ultra landed on the floor.

Ferrel was initially attracted to the Acuity Ultra because of its 3.5 picolitre droplet size which means it can produce high quality imagery on five-metre-wide substrates, ideal for high-end indoor displays.

Roll flexibility is another bonus. The Acuity Ultra’s roll mechanism allows it to handle three 300m rolls of a variety of substrates, increasing productivity and reducing downtime, as multiple jobs can be run out at once.

It is equally at home printing on fabric, as it is on other paper-based substrates to produce high quality, perfect prints.

Software upgrade On the outside the latest Acuity Ultra looks just like the others. But the difference is all on the inside thanks to upgraded software that simplifies press operation and improves its capabilities and ease of use.

The software features a new User Interface which will be common across all new Fujifilm wide format printers that are released in the future.

This means that if a business already has an Acuity Ultra printer and decides to add a Fujifilm flatbed printer down the track, operators will be able to seamlessly swap between the two devices.

The new software offers an improved media pre-set function which uses a ‘hot folder’ system. It also features an icon-based display which is more logical and easier to use than its predecessor.

There are also improvements in the multiroll function including RIP-once and auto arrange. The software also allows for job fail notifications and job queue history to be displayed.

It also has an Enhanced Layer Function capability which will allow the Acuity Ultra to print a different image on both sides – making this an attractive option for businesses looking to expand their offering in the retail and signage markets.

Making sure this software is pitch perfect is where Cactus Imaging, Ferrel and Spicer come in. It is up to them to put the software through its paces and work out where it can be improved.

“We needed the printer to meet growing www.sprinter.com.au

Cactus Imaging general manager Nigel Spicer with founder Keith Ferrel (centre) with Fujifilm technicians Dave Archer (L) and Brendan Potts (R)

demand here and Fujifilm wanted to be able to continue to test the software,” Ferrel said.

“It is really exciting so now we will give Fujifilm recommendations on how we believe they could improve the software and add other features to it to make it more useful.”

Cactus Imaging prints billboards, signage for street furniture and buses and trains plus a multitude of other applications for corporate clients across Australia.

It was the ongoing need to keep up with the speed of digital billboard campaigns and manage late decision making by clients that drove Cactus Imaging to install a third Acuity Ultra.

“Volumes are certainly up but also clients are making decisions a lot later, so we need to be faster in the market to keep up,” Spicer said.

Volumes are certainly up but also clients are making decisions a lot later, so we need to be faster in the market to keep up.

Cactus Imaging General Manager, Nigel Spicer

“We are only a small part of the media spend so our speed needs to be up there so people don’t go elsewhere.”

Spicer says while digital billboards will always be attractive for advertisers, print still www.sprinter.com.au

certainly has its place.

“Digital is a great alternative for marketers nowadays so we have got to make sure we complement these other forms of advertising, rather than compete with them so we can stay relevant,” Spicer said.

This highly productive print environment makes it the perfect place to test out the new software before the second generation of the Acuity Ultra is rolled out later this year.

“The Fujifilm R&D team have been listening to businesses around the world, like Cactus Imaging, and have redeveloped the Ultra platform incorporating features to help companies reduce their running costs and make the printers easier to use,” Fujifilm Senior Product Manager, Graphic Systems, Troy Neighbour said.

“They will look different, be easier to use, and offer more print modes and functionality.”

Once the software is refined it will be added to the other two Fujifilm Acuity Ultra printers at Cactus Imaging and also be included as standard in the new series of Acuity Ultra printers.

“There are enhanced ink pumps in this new press and improved computer capabilities but mainly the improvements are in the software,” Ferrel said.

“Being a beta test site means that we can relay back to Fujifilm what parts of the software we think aren’t working properly so they can then look at how to upgrade that.”

Neighbour says having Cactus Imaging onboard for the beta testing is invaluable.

“The Cactus team are very open and don’t hold back, allowing us access to their

operators and equipment whenever needed.

Having access to Cactus’s experience is invaluable to Fujifilm as their market knowledge is second to none. Their team can see improvements required very quickly and explain how they think it should be done and why it will help,” Neighbour said.

He says Fujifilm often receives requests from other printers who want to have the same equipment as Cactus Imaging.

Having access to Cactus’s experience is invaluable to Fujifilm as their market knowledge is second to none.

Fujifilm Senior Product Manager, Graphic Systems, Troy Neighbour.

“Cactus is one of the best printing businesses in Australia. They push the industry forward and are not afraid to innovate, so when they chose the Acuity Ultra, we were confident we were on to a winning platform,” Neighbour said.

“With three Ultras on-site, we know it is a robust platform that can perform in one of the most demanding environments.

“We are constantly impressed with how the Acuity Ultras are performing at Cactus. The volume of print that goes through the printers without any significant interruptions is a testament to the development of the Fujifilm R&D teams.” PP April 2021 ProPrint 37

The superw

Unlike anything currently available, the Acuity Ultra produces almost photographic quality at unprecedented speeds of up to 404m2 per hour, ideal for high-end interior graphics and ith features to enhance productivity like the chilled vacuum platen and built-in backlight, you can check image quality on the fly across three rolls or a single 5m wide roll.

Fujifilm’s high density UV ink produces a low-build ink film with excellent coverage and adhesion for high density vibrant backlits with a durable finish.

The Acuity Ultra, the superwide standard.

wide standard

To find out more information on the Acuity Ultra,

or Fujifilm’s range of wide format printers, contact us on: www.fujifilm.com/au/en/business/graphic ffau.graphics@fujfilm.com 1300 650 504

Darren Brookes from Heidelberg helped Brad and Claire Wootton from Sovereign Press install the Heidelberg CD74 offset press at their new site in Ballarat.

Courage through COVID Ballarat-based printer, Sovereign Press, stared COVID-19 in the eye when it moved into newly purchased premises and upgraded its offset set up from a Heidelberg SM74 to a CD74 right as Victoria was plunged into lockdown.

S

overeign Press owners Brad and Claire Wootton made the courageous decision to not only move to a much larger factory during COVID, but also upgrade their Heidelberg offset press at the same time.

“Our journey for the installation of the Heidelberg CD74 took place when we bought the new premises in Ballarat. The plan was to install the machine in late 2020, but when COVID hit we paused for a moment to work out precisely what we were going to do,” Brad told ProPrint.

It was no doubt an intense time for the couple, but despite the pressures of the downturn and knock-on dwindling print orders they had foresight and decided to maximise the opportunity and utilise their staff to assist with the renovation and relocation.

“Our business was severely affected, and it was nerve wracking. There were some nervous moments when we paid for the press on the Friday and Victorian Premier Dan Andrews sent the entire state into lockdown on the Sunday,” Claire said.

“We were fortunate that printing was an essential service, and this allowed us to remain 40 ProPrint April 2021

open and still take delivery of the press on the following Tuesday while at the same time home schooling four children aged 14, 12, 9 and 7.”

Coping with COVID

COVID gave Claire and Brad a chance to sit back and evaluate the operations of the business in more detail. This highlighted to them the proportion of work the business was relying on from sectors like tourism and events.

“We had high levels of business production loaded up too much in these areas, so we needed to look for new areas that were not affected by the introduction of social distancing and travel restrictions,” Brad said.

“This led us into a higher level of large format work, as well as packaging, using either the offset press, large format machine or the digital press. Once COVID started we were producing a lot of A0 posters and corflute signage, as well as floor decals and wall graphics. Hospitals were changing their signage regularly and they required tight nextday deliveries.”

The new Sovereign Press premises

Sovereign Press now occupies a 1750 square metre site on Old Creswick Road in Ballarat. It is three times the size of the previous factory at Traminer Court in Wendouree.

“We were tucked away at the old site so it is nice to be much more prominently positioned and visible to the local community so people can drop in,” Claire said.

“The new premises have become more of a showroom and when anyone comes on site, we have the ability to show them the factory and all of our facilities. We can share our passion with them and also include them in the entire process.

“We renovated the entire site during the COVID lockdown over 12 weeks and managed the relocation of the business and in effect we only lost one day of production in the bindery

and none in the print departments.

“We were told with planning the relocation of the business it would normally take two weeks, but we didn’t want to have any down time and that is why we ran everything in a scheduled and planned way to ensure we kept operating and delivering to customers thorughout the entire process.

“Over the 12 weeks, us, our team and our family did a huge amount of the renovation work in conjunction with local contractors.”

The history of the business

Sovereign Press was established in 2001 as a family business owned by Brad and Claire as well as Brad’s parents – Ross and Robyn.

“I am a fourth-generation printer. I did my apprenticeship in Maryborough with my father where I was raised. After my apprenticeship, I joined Conlay Press in Melbourne in 1999, but the city wasn’t my thing, so we moved to Bendigo. At the time, I was playing for a VFL side as well as working at Mulqueen Printers in Bendigo,” Brad said.

“Then my father and I discussed starting our own business – we decided the best place to open the business was in a regional town with a growing and developing economy and close proximity to Melbourne. That was how we settled on Ballarat and that was the beginning of Sovereign Press.

“Ballarat has a population of over 100,000 and is growing rapidly and we are located at a centre point between Melbourne and many thriving regional cities, so we are able to service Victoria-wide very easily. When we lived in Melbourne it would take the same time to commute to jobs as it does now to get to the city from Ballarat.”

Sovereign Press began as a commercial offset printer with one offset press that was bought in Sydney, a guillotine and a folder.

“We have gradually added bits of machinery and departments as we produced the income to invest in the business,” Claire said. www.sprinter.com.au

STAR BUSINESS PROFILE

The customised factory boasts offset, digital, large format, prepress and bindery departments all in separate divisions strategically designed to maximise production flow and efficiency.

“We had our first apprentice after six to 12 months as the business grew, and since then our assets and employees have kept growing every year, to the point where we now have 14 staff.

“Our business was primarily offset for the first 14 years before we added digital and now we have three digital presses, a large format hybrid machine, prepress, warehousing and an extensive bindery area of the business.”

“We would estimate that the demand for family histories and also historical records of smaller towns from historical societies has tripled.

“We are working with some of the major print management agencies across Victoria and this still represents about 75 per cent of the business. We also have lots of local support including the City of Ballarat which makes us proud to produce for our local area.

“Packaging has been an existing part of the business and the demand has been growing as customers are producing boutique specifications. Our product range is extensive and includes point of sale, magazines, catalogues, brochures, signage and labelling across a range of industries including agricultural, pharmaceutical, food and wine, government and retail to name a few.” PP

Brad and Claire Wootton often show customers through the site so they can learn more about the print production process and see examples of products on offer like wall decals for offices and meeting spaces.

Sovereign Press Production Manager, Brendan Stevens, in the digital department overseeing the output across the company’s three digital presses at the company’s new 1750 square metre site in Ballarat.

Changes to the business

Claire and Brad have noticed a change to the mix of business in recent years.

“The majority of our customers seven or eight years ago were designers, print managers and other printers, but now we are getting two or three walk-in customers a day that are often producing items for themselves,” Brad said.

“With more and more people requiring design and alterations, we now have two fulltime graphic designers on site employed within the business.

“During COVID we noticed different demand. For example we are getting a lot of people that are dropping in and asking for a 100 or 200 copies case bound family history.

Conquering COVID with the installation of a Heidelberg CD74 offset machine at Sovereign Press Heidelberg Technical Product Specialist, Darren Brookes, was introduced to Claire and Brad when they purchased the Heidelberg CD74 from Tim Michaelides at Complete Colour.

“Claire and Brad were looking for a second-hand press and they contacted Heidelberg at that point to discuss deinstallation, installation as well as a full service,” Darren said.

“I helped set them up with a Print Site Contract with consumables and full service.

This was completed during the early days of COVID in February and March 2020.

“We also helped them with their move including discussions on flooring, marking it out as well as the final transportation and shipping.”

Darren says at the time COVID was looking like causing major disruption, so he checked in to make sure the Wootton’s were still happy to proceed with the installation and they were.

“To be honest, I was surprised that they placed a substantial deposit down to www.sprinter.com.au

secure the machine, but they had made their decision and wanted to approach that emerging dark time in a positive manner.

So, as I learned more about Claire and Brad, I saw this as an educated business decision, albeit at a difficult time for the printing industry and I was determined to make sure that the whole process would work for them,” Darren said.

Brad and Claire are very happy with the service received from Darren and the team at Heidelberg.

“When we contacted Darren we were needing assistance in relation to the installation and the PSA (Preventive Service Agreement) with the press. He made it very easy and any time we needed to call him, day or night, he was willing to take the call or ring us back straight away,” Claire said.

“Darren helped us confirm our site plan for the factory and where the Heidelberg press was going to be suited and also helped us with speaking to the other contractors and electricians that we needed to install the press.”

Brad adds, “The majority of my apprenticeship and printing career has been working with Heidelberg presses, so when it came time to upgrade from our SM74 to the CD74, I felt confident in the choice. I did look at newer presses, but I was impressed when I saw the CD74 running and it also had the Gold Preventive Service Agreement attached with the sale.

This gave us assurance that the press had been well looked after. That is the biggest risk when buying a second-hand press, there are no warranties that come with it when buying from another printer.

“We have had it for nine months and it is fantastic – we are really happy with it. The installation and training was smooth and seamless as Heidelberg addressed any concern on the same day. The CD74 can print on thicker and more rigid stocks compared to the SM74 and has an increased running speed of 18,000 an hour, up from 15,000 an hour previously. There are also added efficiencies in makeready times and changeover processes to the next job.”

April 2021 ProPrint 41

FOCUS DIGITAL TEXTILES & DÉCOR

Fashioning print’s future Whether it is large-scale décor or the very personal world of fashionwear, digital printing technologies have opened the door for Australia’s print providers to exciting new opportunities in fabric printing.

By Peter Kohn

F

abric printing is an exciting domain for Australia’s print providers. Think direct-to-fabric (DTF) printing on flatbeds for the soft signage, displays, flexibles, home, and commercial décor markets. Think wall coverings, furnishings, pigment-based directto-garment (DTG) printing for short-run or personalised merchandise, fashionwear, and apparel. Imagine larger-scale orders printed with roll-to-roll dye-sublimation. The potential is there with fabric printing, a sector that is boldly future-proofed.

And happily, it overlaps – at least to a degree – with the skillsets found in commercial print businesses, so upskilling and its inherent costs are not overwhelming.

And because it is digital printing, it means short runs, just-in-time supply chains, and environmentally sustainable product, either to end-customers or to the trade are possible.

Partnering with a supplier of continuous flatbed or roll-to-roll inkjet lines fits a print enterprise with the optimal equipment to reap rewarding results, as many Australian print companies have discovered. And as we outline here, Australia’s textile print vendors have an array of technology and products to choose from.

The inroads that textile printing has made are often reflected in popular culture, as ProPrint discovered this time last year. We reported comprehensively on a nostalgic renovation project of a famous US TV “home” linked to the cult sitcom family, The Brady Bunch. The 1970s fabric recreations were produced on Durst equipment at a bespoke printing company in Los Angeles.

So, we were amused at an interesting twist 42 ProPrint April 2021

in the news recently. It turns out patio furniture used in the now-famous Oprah Winfrey TV interview with Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle was supplied by Christopher Knight Home, a boutique American furnishings line owned

by Brady Bunch star Chris Knight (who played Peter Brady on the legendary show).

When news of the patio chairs in the royals’ interview emerged, there was a retail run on the wicker-and-acacia chairs the royal couple and Oprah sat on for the interview.

Christopher Knight Home offers a wide range of home décor, including printed products such as wall furnishings and bedding.

Manufacturing takes place in China, Malaysia and Vietnam.

But the take-out for Australia’s printers is that this is an explosive market that occasionally packs a compelling dollop of media exposure. You might say a right royal space for print.

The Durst Rhotex 325 gave Melbourne printer, Vivad, the power needed to supply the Australian Open with seating bay covers in 24 hours. www.sprinter.com.au

Ricoh is one of the world’s largest suppliers of printheads and ink technology and it also manufacturers its own range of DTG and wide-format printers including the Pro L5160.

Durst Oceania

Matt Ashman, managing director of Durst Oceania, says on-demand textile printing is a booming market. “The environmental impact of only producing the actual amount of textile you need is huge, and in addition, the reduced shipping costs shrink a company’s carbon footprint. Finally, the time to market is so short, it enables designers and retailers to order and get garments in a matter of weeks, rather than months,” Ashman told ProPrint.

While the expo sector was hit hard by the COVID pandemic, government stimulus for the trade show and exhibition sector is beginning to show a significant recovery, Ashman says. His view is generally that highvolume dye-sub printing is transforming the home textile and crafting sectors, as well as fast fashion and this is being accelerated by ecommerce sales structures.

Ashman points to Durst installations in Europe and the US that have enabled print providers to remain productive during the pandemic. German company Lillestoff produced an array of COVID-related product.

It uses its Durst Alpha 190 to print personalised, illustrated, child-friendly masks, DIY craft kits for schoolbags and fabric-based colouring books. Importantly, the company has reduced its output by 60 per cent and is focusing only on items in www.sprinter.com.au

immediate demand. Web-based customers and resellers can see designs ahead of printing and select substrates, including Durst’s popular certified range of materials.

The Alpha’s wide colour gamut produces dynamic colours popular with printers and their customers, and wastewater retains high levels of purity.

In the US, digital fabric print company, Spoonflower, uses a Durst Alpha 330 for grand-format printing with a focus on the home décor space. The machine’s dual-roll capability keeps turnaround tight.

But it was right here at home in Australia that Durst technology was perhaps able to make its greatest impact by rescuing a visual problem that popped up at this year’s Australian Open in Melbourne.

With strict curbs on tennis fans at Melbourne Park for a fair portion of this year’s Open, large sections of the Rod Laver Arena had to remain empty. While that was the COVID reality, Tennis Australia was looking for a more positive, cosmetic appearance, and that was where Melbourne wide-format house Vivad became involved.

Vivad has existed since 2000 but began its connection with Durst in 2011, when it acquired a Durst 500R and entered the world of UV-cured printing, a major step up from solvents. In 2017, increased demand saw Vivad invest in a Durst Rhotex 325 which prints direct to fabrics or to paper for paper transfer. Then in 2019, Vivad commissioned its second 5m-wide Durst, a 512R LED roll-toroll device for added quality and speed.

Tennis Australia wanted the empty seating bays covered and this meant over 4,600 square metres of polyester fabric needed to be printed. The dye-sub project meant 1,500 linear metres of fabric was printed and stitched in just over 24-hours at Vivad’s Campbellfield facility in Melbourne.

“The Vivad job is just awesome,” says Ashman. “It shows textile is on the resurgence after COVID.”

EFI

When it comes to soft signage production, Electronics for Imaging (EFI) has a wide range of technology to suit a variety of needs.

Last year the tech giant launched two new printers for the high-end, high productivity soft signage market. The EFI COLORS 340 Continued on page 44

The Durst Alpha grand-format printer range have a dual-roll capability suited for the home décor space.

April 2021 ProPrint 43

FOCUS DIGITAL TEXTILES & DÉCOR Continued from page 43

Currie Group now distributes the EFI Pro 32r in Australia which has a wide variety of applications including textile and soft graphics and flag printing.

printer provides unmatched colour capabilities for superior signage production but also prints at a handy 850 square metres per hour in a four-colour x 4 configuration.

For printers seeking an even higher volume solution there is the EFI POWER 340 which prints at a blistering 1,564 square metres per hour.

Both solutions leverage the technology from EFI Reggiani’s 70-plus year legacy of fabric printing. But this latest technology has made it possible to print on a wider range of materials, while also achieving 100 per cent penetration on both sides of the fabric.

“EFI, through our Reggiani division, has decades of experience bringing to market the highest quality in fabric printing in the industry,” Scott Schinlever, COO, EFI Inkjet, said.

“These two new printers are specifically designed to meet the most stringent quality and productivity needs in soft signage for companies that want to truly differentiate themselves in a highly competitive marketplace.

“With their extreme speed and reliability, the EFI POWER and COLORS printers can often replace multiple soft signage printers, producing more premium signage work with a single footprint.”

Both the POWER and the COLORS models use genuine EFI water-based CMYK dispersed dye inks which produces smoother colour transitions and ultra-realistic skin tones. The solution is available with up to 24 printheads with the COLORS 340 offering greater versatility to print in four-colour x 2, four-colour x 4 or six-colour by 4 configurations. There is also an eight-colour configuration featuring standard CMYK and light CMK colour inks.

These new entrants have built on the success EFI customers have achieved thanks to the VUTEk FabriVU range of soft signage dye-sublimation printers which have been designed primarily for the production of flags, banners, backlit displays and other high-end graphics.

The VUTEk FabriVU series of printers allows print providers to print direct-to-fabric and sublimate inline for one-off products that are immediately ready for finishing and shipping.

There are now over 250 FabriVU printers installed worldwide with the majority of the installations being the FabriVU 340 and 340i models.

The FabriVU range can print at speeds of 250 square metres per hour and offers an ultra-high resolution up to 2,400 dpi with

Epson’s F2150 direct-to-garment printer is one of the world’s top sellers and is aimed at low-to-medium volume production.

four level grayscale printing. It is also comes with an automatic printhead cleaning station which increases the machine’s uptime. The solutions also come with a Fiery proServer SE with Fiery XF production digital front end and colour management workflow.

Currie Group now distributes EFI in both Australia and New Zealand. In addition to supporting the FabriVU series of printers, Currie Group also offer the EFI UV LED portfolio that supports a wide variety of direct to digital ready fabrics.

Paul Whitehead, Business Unit Manager Wide Format at Currie Group states that “the demand for soft signage application is one of the growth segments in the market given its softer look and feel providing a look of higher sophistication.”

Epson Australia

Nathan Fulcher, marketing communications manager, Epson Australia, says international reports in the past two years project significant growth based on a developing trend away from analogue to digital production in the fabrics and fashion sector.

“Here in Australia digital fabric equipment sales have been growing steadily over the last five years, with dye sub printers growing significantly in the last three. The Epson

The Epson 64-inch F9460 printer also comes with the ability to print in fluorescent using the F9460H configuration.

www.sprinter.com.au

DIGITAL TEXTILES & DÉCOR FOCUS Vendors provide fabric and décor printing know-how CANON: Whilst market growth is high, printed décor can also command high value and therefore high prices. Interior décor also lends itself to new markets for digital printers. Retail display, exhibition work, corporate fit outs, museum, and gallery spaces are some examples.

Canon offers a comprehensive range of materials: the IJM417 Universal Poly Canvas is 100% polyester and includes a universal matt coating for a quality matt look and feel; its IJM416 Image Canvas cotton/ polyester blend canvas with high-quality matt, anti-cracking, micro-porous coating; and its IJM691 Universal Poly-Cotton Canvas cotton/polyester blend canvas with a matt finish for high quality fine-art prints and long-term applications.

HP: In the last decade, digital inkjet printing has become the fastest growing printing technology for textile decorations, HP says. Dye-sublimation is an important

financial year finished on 31 March, and despite some extremely difficult business conditions, Australia has seen record sales,” Fulcher said.

“While it is very possible to produce oneoffs and ultra-short runs with dye sublimation, it really comes into its own when you are talking job lots and metres squared. With DTF, you really want to be producing full bolts of fabric,” he said.

Fulcher adds after printing there is still work to be done before there is a finished product.

“You must sublimate and post-treat, and unless you intend to supply fabric for thirdparty use in something like furniture, clothing, awnings, and so on, there is usually some cutting and sewing to be done,” he said.

This differs to DTG which once printed and cured, you have a finished product.

Fulcher says Epson’s DTG range, the F2160 series in Australia and New Zealand, is one of one of the world’s top sellers and is aimed at low-to-medium volume production.

“It offers print quality that will satisfy the most discerning graphic artists while being simple to use, cost-effective to run and exceptionally easy to maintain. Its compact size and all front-loaded consumables enable multiple units to be installed side-by-side and managed by a single operator for easy capacity expansion,” he said.

Epson launched its high performance F3000 last year and Fulcher says it is rapidly gaining a solid following. It is designed for volume production and combines high-speed operation with fast loading, auto-height adjustment and a bulk ink system.

“It is built to minimise TCO (total cost of ownership) with an outstanding print life, CoverPlus service packages extendable up to five years and printheads that can be replaced by the operator,” Fulcher said.

“It was launched complete with a new service called Epson Cloud Solution PORT, www.sprinter.com.au

component and is a key process within digital textiles printing. The HP Stitch S series of digital textile printers provide rapid, precise colour matching, and efficient, straightforward workflows.

KISSEL & WOLF: Jon Field, sales and business development director digital A/NZ at Kissel & Wolf Australia, says streetwear now accounts for $US185 billion in global sales (10% of the world’s apparel and footwear market), with sportswear another powerful growth area. In 2018, Allied Market Research put sportswear at the $168 billion mark globally, with this forecast to grow to $250 billion by 2026.

Online ordering, digital printing, and the adoption of DTG and DTF presses have combined to drive fast fashion, which means brands and suppliers can supply ‘just-in-time’ production benefits and greater opportunities for an on-demand customer experience. Field sees dye sub

that not only enables business owners to track performance live and remote, but also ensures maximum uptime with back-to-base monitoring by Epson. If a problem occurs, our service engineers will be onto it directly,” he said.

As for dye sub, Epson has solutions suitable for one-off fine art and photo imaging to custom merchandise, clothing and highvolume soft signage and fabric production.

The entry level F160 model is a compact A4 desktop printer that prints on sheet-based transfer media and uses cost-effective bottlebased ink. Up from this is the 24-inch F560 model that can print on both sheet and roll stocks using the same bottle-based ink.

“For those wanting to produce even higher impact signage, clothing and merchandise, it can be ordered in a fluorescent ink configuration, the F561,” Fulcher notes.

“Step up from here and you have the popular 44-inch F6360, which features a bulk ink system and can be ordered with an optional auto-take up for roll-to-roll work.

Then you have the 64-inch F7200 and high-

printing on polyester (for exhibition graphics, POS retail graphics, sportswear, home, and hotel furnishings) and pigment prints on cotton, silk, rayon, and mixed fibres (for fashion, home and hotel furnishings, and wall coverings) as growth products.

Kissel & Wolf supplies the Mutoh VJ 1638WX 64-inch dye sublimation printer to the volume roll-to-roll textile inkjet print market. The printer can run dual CMYK bulk dye sublimation inks for sportswear production. The Mutoh VJ 1938TX 75in DTG printer can run dual CMYK bulk-dispersed dye inks for direct-to-polyester printing or CMYK, orange, green and blue bulk pigment inks for printing direct to cotton, silk, rayon, and mixed fibres. And the Kornit Presto 1800mm direct-to-textile printer runs CMYK+ pigment inks for unmatched direct-to-textile production speeds and print quality on cotton, silk, rayon, and mixed fibres.

speed F9460 models, the latter again available as an optional fluoro configuration, the F9460H. Finally, at the top end, sits the all-new, super-high-speed F10060 that prints up to 76-inch rolls up to 60kg and comes with Epson Cloud Solution PORT. “All Epson dye sub models are backed with a single vendor warranty, flexible extended CoverPlus service pack options and quality on-site service.”

Mimaki Australia

If you could have your own design printed and tailored to your needs at a very competitive price, would you purchase a ready-made product mass-produced in China, Bangladesh, or other countries? This is the question posed by Iman Monem, Mimaki Australia’s channel manager, textile, who adds, “Customisation and personalisation are the key factors which have revolutionised the fashion industry.”

In the past 12 months, Mimaki Australia Continued on page 46

Mimaki has direct-to-fabric printing covered with this TX300P-1800MKii which can be set up as hybrid, running with both pigment and sublimation ink.

FOCUS DIGITAL TEXTILES & DÉCOR Continued from page 45

has installed over 18 DTF printers, 90 per cent of them using TP400 pigment ink and some hybrids using both pigment and sublimation inks. Monem says that although this type of printer can also be used for fashion printing, he estimates around 50 per cent of customers are using it to print cushions and upholsteries, with the other half focused on fashion printing.

Mimaki Australia does not currently offer a DTG printer, but its DTF range can be used for printing roll-to-roll directly onto fabric, says Monem.

“Our TX300P-1800MKii which can be set up as hybrid, running with both pigment and sublimation ink, is one complete printing solution for all types of fabrics except stretchy natural fibres which can be printed with our TX300P-1800B. This can handle all-way stretched fabrics by utilising a sticky belt on that model,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mimaki’s TS55-1800 sublimation printer has options including a mini jumbo roll feeder handling 1600mm x 2500mm rolls of paper, a 10-litre bulk ink system, and an additional heater. Mimaki sees it as the most affordable industrial sublimation printer, offering the lowest production cost at high speed and print quality.

“We do have some great pattern designers in Australia who are known globally for their exotic taste in fashion,” Monem says.

“Knowing they could print their own designs at the highest quality with no minimum order quantity (MOQ) not only helps them with prototyping but also helps them promote their own brands.

“They can start manufacturing their own boutique products instead of selling their beautiful designs at low prices to the giant fashion brands for mass-production.”

Monem says easy installation, reusability of the printed fabric, the expensive look and flexibility of fabric used in various shapes such as light boxes, flags, curved signs, hanging and pull-up banners, are the key factors behind growth in the soft signage sector.

He sees DTG as the perfect solution for printing onto ready-made T-shirts, but points out that most DTG printers can only print onto cotton t-shirts, while sportswear tends to be made of polyester. This is the key reason why sublimation is the predominant print method for sportswear.

“Basically, the clients of DTG and sublimation printing are not usually the same and there is no migration from one to the other,” Monem said.

“Still, DTG can be a good addition to most of the sublimation printers who not only print sportswear.”

Ricoh Australia

Just like digital printing in the commercial print world, digital printing of textiles and décor accounts for only a small proportion of all printing, says Henryk Kraszewski, Ricoh Australia’s senior product manager, commercial and industrial print. According to the World Textile Information Network, around 10 per cent of all printed fabrics are printed digitally.

“And again, like digitally printed documents, digital enables printing of textiles and décor on demand. At worst, it limits the need for large inventory, negating

Compact and affordable: The Ricoh Ri 100 is easily accommodated on a shopfront counter to print customised products like t-shirts, pillowcases and bags.

the need of over-ordering and disposal of products that don’t sell,” he said.

Kraszewski says sustainability and environmental benefits are often overlooked when considering digital textile printing.

Traditional textile colouring is one of the most polluting industries on the planet, he says.

Ricoh’s water-based garment and aqueous resin inks are safe for handling and the environment.

“These drivers are fuelling the growth for printing textiles and décor digitally, with some industry pundits forecasting growth rates as high as 250 per cent,” he said.

Kraszewski says fast fashion has been trending for over 15 years, resulting in the explosive growth of major fashion brands, like Zara and H&M. “Digitally printed textiles feed into the value proposition of fast fashion, with rapid turnaround times – from design to production – combined with printing on demand and limiting inventory requirements,” he adds.

Ricoh is one of the world’s largest suppliers of printheads and ink technology to manufacturers of printing equipment, says Kraszewski.

The company also produces a range of its own DTG and wide format printers, with the Ricoh Ri 100 and Pro L5160 available in Australia.

“The Ri 100 is the most compact, most affordable, safest and easiest to use DTG printer available on the market,” he says.

“It’s small enough to operate on a shopfront counter, enabling production of customised t-shirts, bags, pillowcases and other products, as customers wait.

“The Pro L5160 is a highly productive wide format printer with strong environmental credentials, producing high quality print on a diverse array of permeable and impermeable material. It utilises a water-based aqueous resin ink and is the first printer in its class to feature white ink.”

Roland DG

The global textile printing market continues to grow at a rapid rate, and while traditional analogue printing remains the main method, the change in buyer behaviour from massproduced to customised and unique products, and the shortening of fashion cycles, has seen the demand for digital textile printing increase greatly. That is the outlook from Jacob Higgins, marketing & event coordinator at Roland DG Australia.

Higgins sees sublimated textiles growing rapidly in popularity for trade show exhibits and soft signage.

“You can produce fabric flags, banners and textiles that preserve the fabric’s natural drape and texture,” Higgins said.

Lightweight and practical, soft signage is inexpensive to ship and easy to hang and gives sign shops and graphic providers an alternative to heavier, traditional signage.”

Dye-sub printing results in vibrant, highresolution images that are extremely durable.

“With a high-volume dye-sublimation 46 ProPrint April 2021

www.sprinter.com.au

DIGITAL TEXTILES & DÉCOR FOCUS

Unstoppable: Roland DG’s Texart XT-640 delivers outstanding quality and speed on long print runs, day-after-day.

printer, you can cater to high production runs, as well as short runs and one offs, with the same set-up time and cost,” he says.

“With the ability to transfer onto a diverse range of materials, you can offer a large variety of different solutions, from personalised products, signage, sportswear, interior décor and many more.”

With Roland DG’s VersaSTUDIO BT-12 DTG printer, print businesses can print directly onto cotton t-shirts, apparel, tote bags and many other products in minutes from the comfort of a desktop.

For high-volume dye-sub work, the Texart XT-640 dye-sublimation printer “is an unstoppable” machine that delivers

outstanding print quality and speed on long print runs, day-after-day.

Higgins adds by combining Roland DG reliability with the latest technology, users can effortlessly create high-volume sportswear, fashion, soft signage, interior decoration, promotional merchandise and much more. PP

Transitioning from paper to fabric How straightforward is it for commercial print providers to phase into fabric printing? We polled our main vendors and here are some of their insights.

Durst Australia’s Matt Ashman emphasises the natural progression of commercial printing skillsets into those required for textile printing. “With the advent of more sophisticated textile printing devices, such as the Durst Alpha and Rhotex, along with automated laser finishers and automatic sewing, the skill barrier has been lowered considerably.”

Epson Australia’s Nathan Fulcher finds that the biggest issue for printers is getting to know fabrics. “What options are there?

What are their features? How do they respond to the various inks and what are the various steps in the production process? Every fabric is different; some take certain ink types and pigments better than others, some pass through a roller-fed system evenly, while others are better handled flat. Some are very robust while others are heat and abrasion sensitive.”

Mimaki Australia’s Iman Monem states, “I believe the colour management for textile www.sprinter.com.au

printing, especially on sublimation printing, is a bit more complicated than traditional paper printing, as there are so many variables which determine the final colour such as sublimation paper type, RIP software, print mode, press temperature, pressing period, and so on. Also, fabric is not like plain paper and every batch of fabric may end up with some colour variation, using the same print and press parameters.

“Having said that, the main hurdle for fabric printing does not lie in printing but the finishing side. It is hard to find good sewing experts who understand different applications of fabric in the soft signage industry, as well as for sportswear and the like. The other reason which makes fabric printing more complicated is the fact that all sorts of fabric prints are at least two steps (print and press), unlike solvent, UV and latex printing, which can be singlestep if no lamination is required,” explains Monem.

Ricoh Australia’s Henryk Kraszewski notes that although there are common elements in the printing process, the interaction of

ink or toner with paper is very different to the interaction of ink with fabric.

“Garments and décor items utilise a diverse array of materials from natural to synthetic, from neatly calandared fabrics to fuzzy fleece. Some fabrics will require pretreatment to properly absorb ink. Drying and curing adds another level of complexity to the print production process.

“Although technological advancements have simplified the print production process, printing banners or signs is fundamentally different to printing fabrics for apparel and décor applications. If printers are seeking opportunities in the apparel and décor segments, they must note the complexity of production, the supply chain, and an appropriate business strategy.”

Roland DG’s Jacob Higgins finds that the skills and processes used in the paper print business can be transferred into textile and decor printing, with many of the fundamentals remaining the same. “This gives businesses the ability to offer more services to their clients, such as soft signage and personalised apparel.”

April 2021 ProPrint 47

For enquiries, please contact: Carmen Ciappara, National Sales Manager Direct: 02 9833 4314 or 0410 582 450 | Email: carmen@proprint.com.au

MARKETPLACE

PRINTED & BLANK

Since 1989

Labels on ROLLS & SHEETS

01

02

03

Cylinder Repairs

Air Humidifiers

Reverse Osmosis

Mobile: 0414 844 766

Email: gert@lifhart.com.au

Ideal for all your customers RUNS SMALfrLom bels 500 la

P +61 3 9729 9511 Toll free 1800 000 612 E info@labelline.com www.labelline.com.au

48 ProPrint April 2021

www.sprinter.com.au

EOFY SALE Limited time offer: 01/04/21 - 30/06/21

ONLY

$79

PULL UP BANNERS 850(w) x 2000 (h) mm

Deluxe

Reseer Special O er！ *No Minimum Order

Check out our website for more sizes!

Giga Print Silverwater

2 Fariola Street Silverwater NSW 2128 P: 1300 787 718 E: silverwater@gigaprint.com.au W: www.gigaprint.com.au

ONLY

$62.5

Premium

**All prices are GST exclusive

MARKETPLACE

Manufacturing from Pre-printed sheets available

Mouse Pads

from $3.0 each High Quality with PVC Coating and Natural Rubber Custom Size Available Fast Turn Around

Sydney based manufacturing

Sticky Notepads

 Short to medium run specialists  Square envelopes  Banker, wallet, pocket  Special business envelopes & card envelopes  Special window sizes  White & coloured & positions

MT Envelopes Ph: (02) 9734 8100 E: david@mtenvelopes.com.au www.mtenvelopes.com.au 50 ProPrint April 2021

Plastic Cards PVC Labels

Quality Printer since 1979 Ph: 02-9707 2989 Email: sales@kanprint.com.au W: www.kanprint.com.au

www.sprinter.com.au

MARKETPLACE

DO YOU GET ATTACHED EASILY? WE DO. Patch Magnet Attachment Service

Fridge Magnet Attachment Service

ATTACH MAGNET HERE

Our state of the art attaching equipment completes your job at lightning speed!

We can attach to your cards or ours.

We’ll attach fridge magnets to flyers using removable hot glue. We can attach to your cards or ours. Lowest prices guaranteed!

Ideal for promo cards, flyers, booklets, calendars or political campaigns.

North Sydney NSW Tullamarine VIC Lonsdale SA Brisbane QLD Victoria Park WA

1300 20 40 60

trade.mistermagnets.com.au

trade@mistermagnets.com.au

(02) 9191 9894 (03) 9344 1325 (08) 6365 4366 (07) 3123 6141 (08) 6365 4366

Stickers

CLE V E R Wholesale

> Gloss, Matt, Clear, Hi Tack > On sheets or singles (same price)

Name Badges > Full colour > Frameless > White or black frame > Pin, magnet, pin & clip > Free display board - 1st order > Metallic gold, silver, any colour 4 Easy Steps Step 1: Choose a size

25mm x 76mm Step 2: Choose a holder colour

19mm x 64mm

“your competitors best kept secret”

Step 3: Choose a plate colour

Step 4: Choose a fitting

Full colour sublimated name badges Aluminium plate, plastic holder for extra strength and durabilty

www.sprinter.com.au

> www.cleverwholesale.com.au > sales@allcleverstuff.com.au April 2021 ProPrint 51

MARKETPLACE

We manufacture & ship premium quality fridge magnets direct to your door.

Fast. Easy. Cheap.

1300 20 40 60

CALL NOW FOR A

FREE $50

trade.mistermagnets.com.au trade@mistermagnets.com.au

GIFT CARD & SAMPLE PACK

trade.mistermagnets.com.au

North Sydney NSW (02) 9191 9894 • Tullamarine VIC (03) 9344 1325 Lonsdale SA (08) 6365 4366 • Brisbane QLD (07) 3123 6141 Victoria Park WA (08) 6365 4366

JW GRAPHIC ENGINEERING

specialists in fully rebuilt quality printing equipment

Wanted – Polar 92 & 115 Guillotines Polar 92 ED

Polar 56 ECO Guillotine

Serviced and Tested

Serviced and Tested

OTHER EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE • • • • • •

Polar 92 ED Guillotine Polar 66 ECO Guillotine Polar 58 E Guillotine Polar 56 ECO Guillotine Polar 55 EM Guillotine Horizon APG-T61 Guillotine

Contact: Barry Williams 0416 105 340 52 ProPrint April 2021

• • • • • • •

GTO 52 N&P Varn Dampening Heidelberg SM 52 2P N&P Horizon Vac100 Booklet Maker Horizon BQ-270C Perfect Binder Duplo DC-645 Slitter/Cutter/Creaser Challenge MS-4 Head Drill MBO T500 Folder with Cross Fold

jwge@bigpond.com

www.jwge.com.au www.sprinter.com.au

MARKETPLACE

Your Printing FREE CALL 1800 666 088

EMAIL: sales@dockets-forms.com

We are the Specialist in NCR Paper Printing Trusted by Printers Nationwide for Over 20 Years Business books, Pads, Set Forms, Tickets ...

Partners

Trade Only

www.dockets-forms.com

Easy Online Quote & Order Freight Charge

AU Wide Delivery

Per Order

with Capped Freight Charge

54 ProPrint April 2021

www.sprinter.com.au

D&D Mailing Services Did you know that D&D Mailing Services is one of the largest mailing companies operating in Australia?

D&D Mailing Services:  High speed laser printing and print supply services  Cost-effective parcel and postal distribution analysis  Expertise in Australia Post regulations and services  ‘Pick and Pack’ warehousing services  Overseas mail inbound and outbound  Specialised hand-finishing services

D&D Mailing Melbourne

D&D Mailing Sydney

16 Elonera Road Noble Park VIC 3174

1064 Canley Vale Road Wetherill Park NSW 2164

03 9790 5844 ddmail@ddmail.com.au www.ddmail.com.au

02 9725 2114 ddmail@ddmail.com.au www.ddmail.com.au

MARKETPLACE

We specialise in: FORME CUTTING DIE CUTTING CASE MADE BOXES CASE MADE BINDERS WOBBLERS DOUBLE SIDED TAPE

RIVETTING/ EYELITTING PERFECT BINDING REINFORCING HAND ASSEMBLY MENU COVERS WIRE BINDING PLASTICOIL BINDING SHRINKWRAPPING COLLATING PADDING & DRILLING DIVIDERS POLY PROP PRODUCTS MOUNTING STRINGING

EH Manufacturing and Alltab pick-ups and deliveries from 3 McDonald Street, Coburg

TABBING/MYLAR

E: ben@allworkcranes.com.au

4 Lewis Street, Coburg VIC 3058

Phone: (03) 9350 4266

Fax: (03) 9354 1104 Email: sales@ehstat.com.au

www.ehstat.com.au 56 ProPrint April 2021

Established 7 years. Serving a wide range of customers we pride ourselves on punctuality, reliability and customer satisfaction.

Providing a full rage of services including: 3 Machinery handling 3 General crane hire 3 Forklift hire and transport 3 Packing and unpacking of containers

Complete factory relocations:

Specialising in a wide range of machinery from Engineering, Metal Work, Printing & Packaging All aspects of printing machinery

E: ben@allworkcranes.com.au www.sprinter.com.au

RUNNING a job ad?

.COM.AU/JOBS POSTING IS EASY, FAST, INSTANT Contact Carmen sales@sprinter.com.au 0410 582 450

CE ALL THE

XXXX A24 XXX8 203

Goods Type

WAY

ostcode

Pick Up

O

TEMP

A 2 4 2 0 3 8

O

TEMP

Receiver

State

Ph No.

Weight in kgs

X

CLASS / RISK

JOB / QUOTE No.

X

X

NON RETUR NED CHEP & LOSCAM PALLE WILL BE CHARG TS ED AT $75.00 EACH.

X

X

X

X

US GOODS MUST

HIPPING NAME:

No.

X

X

X

SERVICE

m3

BE DECLARED

AMOUNT

FREIGHT PICK-UP/INF.

PACKAGING GROUP

DELIVERY/ONF.

WEIGHT

CONSIGNMENT NOTE

FUEL

S1315001

GST

TOTAL CHARGES

er’s Proposal

very.

RRIERS

Pick-up Driver’s CHARGE Signature SENDER

ed on reverse

Time

ADDITIONAL DELIVERY

$

PRIORITY

WE ARE GENERAL

POSTCODE

STATE

INSTRUCTIONS/TIMESLOT

NOT COMMON / CARRIER Please read TIMESLOT DATE terms and Condition S. FTL endorsed and s incorporated overleaf.

TYPE OF PICK-UP Date ......................

SERVICE DRIVER .................

Please I.D. ............. / ............. / ............. cross (X) box required CHARGE RECEIVER

& S Freighters will

not completed K

ARRANGEMENTS

TIME PICK-UP No.

of this consignment REQUIRED & 15 on reverse PALLET SERVICE to conditions 14 for pallets. Refer

note.

not be responsible

REC’D FROM K

GIVEN TO K & S

/

&S

PLEASE PRINT

If this section is

PICK-UP CHEP

POSTCODE

STATE

LOSCAM

CHARGE 3RD PARTY

POSTCODE

STATE

A/C No.

RVICES

ION OF GOODS/SE

CONTENTS/DESCRIPT

IERS ON CARR on reverse NOT COMM of Carriage printed

onditions

*S1315001*

Please do not mark this area

WHOLE Kgs

1 * 1 5 0 0 * S 1 3 cms (L)

cms (W)

cms (H)

No. OF UNITS

FIRMLY

ird Party

Y

Cust. Collect

Purchase Order No. x H (cms) x Qty

X

X

X

X

X

Deliver

Postcode

Name

L (cms) x W (cms)

EROUS AND HAZARDO

........

OFFICE COPY

Charge Receiver

Receiver

Rec’d at Depot

Items

T NOT E

PLE *A24SAM20 38*

Express

Freezer Chiller

Charge Sender

CON SIGN MEN

(3) box

General

ord W.A. 6935

.com.au

ON

SENDER’S DECLARATI PLEASE TICK

YES

NO

Foodstuffs

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Dangerous Goods If yes EPG & Shipping

Declaration required

submit for cartage I/We the Consignor hereon subject to the goods described and referred to the conditions endorsed this form and declare on the back of contains that if the consignment they have been dangerous goods by name and are in correctly declared for carriage. the proper condition

SENDER’S SIGNATURE

PLEASE PRINT

SURNAME

DATE

CARRIER’S SIGNATURE

PM 25/02/16 3:25

The machine that will change the way you think about your print!

FREE DIE with all new orders

CARBONLESS BOOKS

long and short run

CONTINUOUS

forms

and Variable Data Printing

INTEGRATED Cards and Labels Consignment Note Books & Sets

LONG RUN

Laser

WE ALSO SPECIALISE IN... l NCR, Continuous Forms & Laser Forms (Large Runs are our Speciality) l Numbered Products including Multi-position & Complex Numbering l Continuous Cheques l Stationery & Business Forms l Security Printing l Laser Cheques

T: (08) 9240 6244 E: reception@dataflowsystems.com.au W: dataflowsystems.com.au

ON/OFF instant light source switching

* 91％

lower power consumption

15,000hr long life

Ozone free

Low heat

RMGT 920PF-8 LED-UV

Mercury free

RMGT 1050TP-8 LED-UV

A1-Size 8-Colour Offset Press with LED-UV and Perfecting Device

1,050mm Format 8-Colour Offset Press with LED-UV

NEW! LED-UV now available to all 2021 ushers in a new chapter to LED-UV dry-to-dry printing system. It is now made available to all makes and models of offset printing machines.

Starting from $90,000, come join the LED-UV revolution.

Why LED-UV ?

No odor No Ozone No spray powder No set-off No loss time

• Instant dry • Instant ON/OFF irradiation

Reduce CO2 emission No large peripheral equipment No need for overprint varnishing Reduce electrical consumption

• Up to 91%

No VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) Reduce heat generation Long life span

Energy-Saving & Environmentally-Friendly LED-UV dry-to-dry printing system.

Pioneering success, first introduced in Drupa 2008. Ryobi single-handedly led the industry in LED-UV printing. This revolutionary, award winning printing system offers impressive cost-savings by greatly reducing replacement frequency, power consumption, installation space and peripheral equipment space, while eliminating the odor of UV printing.

The defecto standard for small lot on-demand printing today, it is an important strategic advantage in being able to provide high-quality, small lot on-demand printing at low cost.

Now, 13 years later, Cyber is applying our wealth of expertise as an LED-UV pioneer to provide the printing industry with innovative solutions that meet your needs.

Rediscover the joy of printing…

Specifications

Operating Temperature

25°C

Lifespan

15,000 hours

Additional Printing substrate

Yupo, foil, plastic and film

• Up to 15 times

Irradiation

Patented optical design

Applications

Ink and varnish

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

Start-up time

0 seconds

Press size

52cm - 162cm

Shut down time

0 seconds

Printing Speed

18,000 sph

Sydney

Sydney - Rob Crough 0423 337 788 Melbourne - Greg Knight 0411 338 855 Brisbane - Peter Erskine 0432 663 322 Perth - Alan Strugnell 0418 955 512 New Zealand - Paul Hilleard (64) 21 191 6548 Malaysia - Tel: (60) 3 7955 1668 (Kuala Lumpur) Indonesia - Tel: (62) 21 2555 8924 Tel: (60) 7 598 0771/2 (Senai, Johor) Vietnam - Tel: (84) 9 0938 9468

: 38 Victoria Street, Beaconsfield, NSW 2015 Australia Tel: (61) 2 9318 0099 Fax: (61) 2 9318 0399 New Zealand : Unit 22, Ground Floor, 6 Ken Browne Drive, Te Rapa, Hamilton 3200, New Zealand Tel: (64) 7 949 7722 sales@cyber1976.com www.cyber1976.com

Singapore - Tel: (65) 6272 8936 Thailand - Tel: (66) 2 682 3411-4