ProPrint February 2020 by The Intermedia Group

People Technology Business

www.sprinter.com.au February 2020 $8.00

Star Business

Focus Digital Labels

Power 50 & Emerging 50

Self-belief a key ingredient for success at Imagination

Market pressures continue to propel label printing technology

A review of the 2019 event celebrating print leaders and

EDITOR’S LETTER SHEREE YOUNG

Printing community comes together Without a doubt it has been a rough start to 2020 with the devastating bushfires claiming over 25 lives, destroying thousands of homes and businesses and decimating wildlife and livestock. That the destruction has come against the backdrop of prolonged drought has only added to the hardship faced by many. Incredibly, out of the ashes a groundswell of support has sprung up locally and internationally as the effects continue to be felt. Many printers have been directly or indirectly affected by the fires either through property damage, power outages or a drop off in work. The support that has come from within the printing industry is nothing short of gratifying. It shows the ties that bind this industry are as strong as ever. Not only have printers made their machinery available to affected printers, suppliers have also chipped in with cash offers and free service checks. The Print and Visual Communications Association worked with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to create a business portal to help SMEs navigate applying for financial assistance and recovery grants. Visual Connections pulled together the support offered by vendors into one handy resource. These initiatives will no doubt help business get back on track, keep on staff and survive. In response to the fires, Gold Coast trade printer Integrated Brand Solutions (IBS) committed to planting a tree for every order of 1000+ business cards received. These sorts of initiatives are to be commended. Coincidentally, IBS are our cover story feature this edition. We hope you enjoy learning more about what IBS has to offer and how it can help you in your future success. Print does reach every corner of our lives so it is not surprising that forward-thinking operations like this one are going from strength to strength.

4 ProPrint February 2020

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

The jovial and collegiate nature of the Australian printing industry was on show at the 2019 Power 50 evening with the inaugural recipients of the Emerging 50 (pictured above) named.

With Visual Impact, Fespa Madrid and drupa 2020 fast approaching, this will be a year of decision making for printers wanting to stay ahead of the game. Adopting new technology and having good old- fashioned customer service is just what Emmanuel and Colleen Buhagiar of Sydney’s Imagination Graphics have done to stay ahead. It is always a pleasure catching up with these lovely people as was the case for the writing of this edition’s Star Business profile. At a time of life when many would be hitching a caravan to the back of the 4WD and heading across the Nullabor, the Buhagiars are instead on a growth path fuelled by a belief in themselves and technology adoption. The profits are in the pudding with a new Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1 up and running. I started this note referring to the great community that is the printing industry. Its jovial and collegiate nature was on full show at the recent Power 50 and Emerging 50 awards. It was wonderful to see so many of you there as print leaders mingled with emerging talents. The weather could not have been better and the smoke even cleared so we could enjoy the Cruise Bar deck at sunset. Inside you will find a wrap up of the evening and the pick of the photos from the night. The Power 50 turns 10 in 2020 and we can't wait. We also can't wait to see what comes next for the inspiring Emerging 50 nominees. Bring it on! Go well.

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CONTENTS

26 36

Contents February 8-16 Update

26-31 Downtime

FOCUS

Keep updated on major printing news including Ovato's supersite opening and what's new at Snap Wynyard

Check out the photos and highlights from the 2019 Power 50 and inaugural Emerging 50

40-44 Digital Labels

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

COVER STORY 34-35 Integrated Branding Solutions

As market pressure mounts so does the array of digital label printing equipment available on the market, technology writer Peter Kohn explains

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

Print's power and its ability to foster trust were key topics at a recent Two Sides conference in London

More than just a fancy new website, this Gold Coast trade print powerhouse is always taking extra steps to help your business be more successful

22 Comment: Gettler

STAR BUSINESS

Check out the latest workflow information systems that can help your business grow from printIQ and Accura

Marketing can be a hard concept to pin down, writes Leon Gettler

36-37 Imagination Graphics

POSTSCRIPT

20 Comment: Northwood

PRINT DIARY 23 What is ahead in print 2020 is a big year in print, time to start planning 6 ProPrint February 2020

Sydney printer Imagination Graphics is continuing to push forward with new technology investment and good old-fashioned customer service the keys to its success

46-49 Going with the flow

66 Print's Past and Q&A Catch up with Frank Romano and TK Print director Ben Newberry in this edition's Q&A

www.sprinter.com.au

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UPDATE

Ovato completes its manufacturing footprint by Sheree Young

Media, marketing, print and distribution giant, Ovato, has completed its national manufacturing footprint with the official opening of its sprawling 7.5 hectare Sydney print and distribution supersite in December 2019. The site accommodates seven web presses, including the newest investment, a $20 million 80-page manroland Lithoman, giving it the capacity to produce 18 million pages per hour when operating at full throttle. The 35,000 square metre supersite at Warwick Farm is the combined home for Ovato’s print and distribution operations in NSW w it h t he nea rby Moorebank facility closed with some printing equipment relocated and older pieces retired. The new 80 page manroland, which became operational in November 2019, has been bedded in nicely on the production floor and complements Ovato’s other webfed fleet including a 16 page M600 Goss, a 64 page A4 Lithoman, a 8 ProPrint February 2020

1. Ovato CEO Kevin Slaven talks with NSW MP Scott Farlow and Ovato’s exectuive general manager northern region Craig Dunsford at the launch 2. Brand new: the 80 page Manroland on the production floor 3. Efficiency guaranteed: the Ovato supersite operates like clockwork

stacked 96 page Lithoman with capacity to produce 45,000 sheets per hour, a 48 page Lithoman, a 64 page Lithoman and a 16 page A4 Komori. These web presses plus two sheetfed presses – a six colour Heidelberg XL and a KBA 106 – furthers Ovato’s capability that allows for the efficient and flexible production of print work across a variety of jobs. When all machines are operating at once the Warwick Farm site can produce a staggering 18 million pages per hour which Ovato chief executive officer Kevin Slaven says is unparalled in the high-speed print sector. The web presses are backed up with twin Rima collating lines, meaning there are no bottlenecks as the catalogues fly through at breakneck speed to the bindery. This highly automated site is also equipped with three Ferag lines of highspeed saddle stitching plus two Muller Martini saddle stitchers. Perfect binding is handled alongside the cut sheet

presses with Kolbus and Corona lines. Two robotic arms ensure swift automation runs through the site. The 24-hour site, an employer of 450 people, is also housed with an Australia Post dock meaning no time is wasted in ensuring the printed product lands in letterboxes. Plans are also now in hand to build an additional 4,000 square metre warehouse to give the site extra storage space.

National manufacturing footprint complete

With the eight-month project of merging the two sites together complete, Slaven proudly declared the national manufacturing footprint for the business is where it needs to be. “We are where we need to be from a manufacturing footprint point of view and from an efficiency point of view. This gives us the key ability of a national footprint with one manufacturing site in each state,” Slaven told ProPrint. “We’ve now got a plant in each major www.sprinter.com.au

UPDATE state. One in Queensland, the supersite here in NSW, the site in Clayton in Melbourne, our book printing facility in Salisbury in Adelaide and Bibra Lake in Perth.” The official opening, which was also attended by Ovato chairman and substantial shareholder Michael Hannan, rounds out a three-year period of intense transition for the company. The merger of printing giants IPMG and PMP resulted in the rebranded Ovato, which brings together a number of companies including book publisher Griffin Press and retail distribution arm Gordon and Gotch. The launch followed Ovato reporting a $4.4 million full year 2019 loss, largely driven by a slump in community newspaper volumes. The merger of the two Sydney sites is expected to generate $24m annual savings which will no doubt please the bottom line. The process of moving two factories into one and installing the new manroland which arrived in 53 containers and required the back wall of the factory to be removed in order to bring it inside didn’t come without its challenges, especially at the end of the year. “That has been our biggest challenge. Had we had a choice in terms of timeline we wouldn’t have been commissioning the new press in the busy season but because of the manufacturing timelines from manroland for the new press that’s just the way it worked out,” Slaven said.

2 “It just added another layer of challenge but the team has done an amazing job keeping the customers happy during the period which is our busiest time of the year as well as pulling together all the relocation of the presses and the installation of the new press.” NSW Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer Scott Farlow attended the official opening and commended Ovato on its continued investment in the sector, adding the printing sector in the state generates $2.5b annually to NSW’s total output and employs 43,000 people, with 5,149 of those in western Sydney.

Where to from here

Slaven said the $20m spent on the new manroland proved Ovato’s optimism. “The $20 million investment in new equipment for this facility is a testament to our optimism for the future of the printing sector in Australia,” Slaven said. “Our enhanced manufacturing footprint enables us to produce up to 18 million pages per hour from the one site – an unparalleled volume in the highspeed print sector.

Warwick Farm SuperSite Statistics

Services

Site size: 7.5 hectares with 35,000 sq/m under one roof Operational: 24 hours a day, seven days a week Employees: 450 staff working across four shifts Maintenance: Full onsite maintenance and support Spare parts: $5 million in spare parts onsite Printing plates: 10,000 plates per month using 135,000 sq/m of aluminium annually – 100% recycled Paper storage: 23,500 tonnes onsite Paper consumption: Average of 8,000 tonnes per month Paper certification: From PEFC and FSC certified sources Recycling: All wastepaper, wrappers and cores recycled Rainwater storage: 2 million litres in onsite storage

 Sheet fed and heat set printing  Web presses: Capability ranges from 16pp up to 96pp quarto and A4 cut offs with 4 and 6 colour capabilities  Sheet fed presses: Capability six colour plus multiple coating and special effects  Mailing services  Catalogue distribution  Perfect binding  Saddle stitching  Folding and dye casting  High speed drum stitchers  High speed perfect binders

www.sprinter.com.au

“This investment in our manufacturing capabilities positively impacts on our efficiency and flexibility at scale. It also complements our ongoing investment in data analytics to provide our print and distribution customers bespoke offerings ensuring a greater return on investment for their marketing spend.” Taking advantage of data which can prove a return on investment for clients is a key plank in Ovato’s strategy going forward. “We have been working with retail customers making sure they are getting a much bigger bang for their marketing dollar,” Slaven said. “Marketers are now talking about the return they are getting on the digital advertising that they are doing. “It is one thing measuring with eye balls and click throughs but we, with our partnerships with Quantium and other data providers, can prove a return at the cash register. “That’s what we have been really focusing on because what happens at the cash register is really all that matters at the end of the day.”

February 2o2o ProPrint 9

UPDATE

Print powerhouse Snap Wynyard in the heart of CBD Australia’s largest Snap outlet booms powered by three Konica Minolta Accurio C6100 presses and a HP Latex R1000 flatbed printer. by Sheree Young

It is surprising what you find hidden on the first floor of a high-rise building tucked in behind Wynyard station in the middle of the Sydney metropolis. Initially you could be forgiven for thinking Snap Wynyard is a handy little CBD printer servicing the needs of local businesses but inside you quickly discover this store, the largest in Australia, goes way beyond that. The fact it has installed three Konica Minolta AccurioPress C6100 machines proves it has the demand to warrant the increased capacity recent significant investment has given it. The mountain of paper stock sitting in the entry area is another clue. A full graphic design department and 20 production staff is another indicator. Have no doubt, Snap Wynyard is a fully kitted out commercial print business and while much of its work centres on pamphlet and booklet production, with a full onsite finishing kit, it also goes way beyond that.

A trio of AccurioPress C6100s

Investing in not one, not two but three AccurioPress C6100s was a major decision for owner Nisan Krimhand, who while never having worked in the printing industry before has a good head for business as the former owner of multiple petrol stations in Victoria. “It is very important for me to deal with a company that is strong financially,” Krimhand told ProPrint, adding dealing with Sue Threlfo, general manager production and industrial print at Konica Minolta and managing director Dr David Cooke was nothing but positive. “The setup with the management at Konica Minolta is a big plus. If there is a problem, boom, they fix it on the spot. “With Konica Minolta printing is a small percentage of their turnover as they are heavily into other areas including optics and health imaging. So it was good to know I was dealing with a very serious company.” A trip to Tokyo to visit Konica Minolta’s expansive R&D facility also confirmed he had made the right move. 10 ProPrint February 2020

Snap Wynyard owner Nisan Krimhand (R) with centre manager Anthony Col

“The best aspects of the 6100s is the quality, it is superb,” Krimhand said. “They are not afraid. If I have an issue they will investigate and any money that is needed they will fix it.” For centre manager Anthony Col, that the same print job could be printed on any of the three Accurios with the exact colour and registration, sealed the deal. “We threw some complicated print files at them and they came out perfect every time,” Col said. “The reason we have multiple devices is because of the make-up of our orders. We have lots of short run orders and having multiple devices allows us to process those orders very quickly. We also have really long runs so we can split them across three devices and we can send the same file to the three machines and it will come out the same. “The same colour, the same everything. Before there was inconsistencies as it was always difficult to tune them precisely to get the same result. “The image quality and consistency of colour and reliability backed with great service is very important.” Each of the Accurios is fitted with the optional IQ-501 intelligent quality optimiser. It detects colour quality and registration issues and fixes them on the fly.

Direct to substrate large format

Soon the possibilities of direct to substrate wide format printing captivated the team at Snap Wynyard with Col eventually convincing Krimhand into considering one. Once the decision was made to buy the hybrid HP Latex R1000, actually getting it physically onsite presented a huge problem. A crane was hired, a plate

glass window was removed and road closures were put in place. Next came a precarious balancing act where the four metre wide press was hoisted inside. Both Krimhand and Col can’t speak highly enough of the supplier of the press, Quadient (formerly Neopost), for the support given. So has the decision to buy been worth it? “The print quality is some of the best I’ve seen in the market and its sustainability story is probably the key,” Col said. “It uses the healthiest inks on the market and they are water-based. It also works well with many new substrates that are also biodegradable.” Krimhand says the use of Greenguard Gold certified inks was a key driver in the purchase decision. The press, which can print on a range of rigid and flexible media with no smell, has opened up new markets for Snap Wynyard within the health, aged care and education sectors, he says.

The future of print

Krimhand says the message is clear about the future of print. Why would I buy into a print business if I didn’t think it was going to be a good commercial decision? “I’m not a printer but my opinion when I hear talk about the industry going down I say ‘no it is changing and we are doing different things but that’s technology and we need to keep up with it’,” he said. “If you don’t have the technology to support the change then you may as well shut down and also there is a need to consolidate like every industry. Consolidate and take the right professional advice and I don’t think you can go wrong.” www.sprinter.com.au

UPDATE

Salmat to sell MicroSourcing for $100m by Sheree Young

One of Australia’s most established and long-running marketing services companies, Salmat, has entered an agreement to sell its Philippines-based managed services arm, MicroSourcing, to private equity-backed Probe BPO Holdings Pty Ltd for $100 million. Sydney-based private equity firm Five V Capital is a backer of the business process outsourcing business, Probe Group, and in April 2018 it also acquired Salmat’s contact centre for $53m. Salmat Marketing Solutions and Reach Media New Zealand, the catalogue distribution businesses in Australia and New Zealand, were sold to printing and marketing giant IVE Group for $25m in November 2019 with the deal finalised on January 1, 2020. Once shareholders and Philippines authorities approve the sale of Salmat’s last undertaking, MicroSourcing, the deal will conducted via a share sale and is expected to be completed by the end of February 2020. Salmat chief executive officer, Rebecca Lowde, said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange that once the MicroSourcing sale was also finalised it would be time to “review all options available to the Company to return value to shareholders”. “MicroSourcing has been a strong

Salmat’s main undertaking, MicroSourcing, in agreement to be sold

performer for Salmat since we acquired the first 50 per cent of the business in December 2013, achieving revenue and earnings growth year on year,” Lowde said in the statement. “We believe that this proposal represents the best option for all stakeholders. New capital partners should enable MicroSourcing to invest in additional growth and the completion of this transaction will return funds to Salmat.” Salmat’s 2019 annual report shows a full year 2019 net loss after tax from continuing operations of $26m, with a $5.2m loss reported in 2018. The 2019 figure also included $38.1m i n sig n i f ic a nt it em s i nc lud i n g restructuring costs, industry reviews and a $35.9m impairment as the catalogue market faced a challenging

year through competitive pricing pressure and volume declines in Australia and New Zealand. A segment breakdown shows its marketing solutions revenue was $162.4m, down from $176.9m in 2018, on the back of a 2.6 per cent decline in catalogue volumes. Underlying EBITDA of $10.2m, down from $16.6m in 2018, was driven by catalogue weight increases and reduced volumes putting downward pressure on margins. Reach Media in New Zealand also suffered a $0.2m loss, against a FY18 profit of $0.4m. MicroSourcing improved revenues bringing in $87.8m in 2019, up from $72.8m in 2018. New business growth added $4.1m. Underlying EBITDA was also up for 2019 to $13.4m from $10.5m in FY18. Probe BPO is part of the Probe Group, which provides outsourced sales, service and help desk contact centres. Salmat was co-founded in 1979 by current chairman Peter Mattick and evolved from being a small letterbox distribution business to an ASX-listed company working with some some of Australia’s most recognised and trusted brands. Salmat created the Lasoo online catalogue data analytics tool which informs the targeted marketing of catalogues.

Printing industry backs bushfire effort by Sheree Young

As out-of-control bushfires swept across the country, the Australian printing industry banded together with help coming from suppliers, printers and through state and federal government financial aid. The Print & Visual Communications Association worked with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to set up a business portal for all business owners to help guide the way through accessing assistance. With many suppliers offering support to bushfire-hit businesses, Visual Connections also jumped onboard pulling together all of these offers of support into one handy location on its website. Visual Connections chief executive officer Peter Harper said the association was working closely with its members and trade printers to ease pressure on fire-hit businesses. “In the immediate aftermath of the bushfires, we know that there will be many industry businesses which have either had their facilities lost or damaged, have interruptions to power and supply, or whose staff are otherwise www.sprinter.com.au

Print and Visual Communications Association CEO Andrew Macaulay

occupied on more critical matters, and we stand ready to help them navigate through this difficult time,” Harper said. “Working with our members, trade printers and trade sign suppliers, Visual Connections will help to organise – and, if necessary, cover costs – of ‘bridging’ production, to ensure all affected businesses can produce their current contracted orders.” PVCA chief executive officer Andrew Macaulay said many small print opera-

tors were hurt in the fires. Macaulay said whilst there was a large focus on families, farmers, livestock and wildlife, there were also serious knock on effects for small business, which are also employers of local people. “You don’t have to be burnt out, if your business is supporting a community, if you are embedded in the rugby club, the surf lifesaving club, the butcher’s shop, the bottle shop and that’s the type of printing you do and all of a sudden none of those things are operating, well you stop as well,” Macaulay told ProPrint. Industrial relations support is also something many members are needing at the moment, Macualay said, as they face the realities of staff members needing to fight fires for the Rural Fire Service or protect their homes and family in affected areas. “We have members who are supporting their staff who are off fighting fires and have industrial relations questions. They are wanting to understand what their obligations are and how that is effecting their business,” he said. February 2o2o ProPrint 11

UPDATE

The Real Media Collective turns one by Sheree Young

The Real Media Collective has turned one and in the 12 months since its creation it has now been officially incorporate a nd is registered w ith the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Australian Taxation Office and ASIC. The Collective was borne out of a collaboration between the Australasian Catalogue Association, the Australian Paper Industry Association and Two Sides Australia Ltd in 2018 to improve the sector’s sustainability. Since its inception Ovato managing director and chairman Kevin Slaven has served as chairman with IVE Group chief executive officer Matt Aitken now stepping up into that role, from deputy chair. Salmat CEO Rebecca Lowde is the Treasurer and Kellie Northwood, a passionate voice of print and paper, is the chief executive officer of the collective. Also on the board are Craig Dunsford, executive general manager northern region Ovato; Bambra Press owner John Wanless; Australia Post head of mail channel and product Mark Roberts and Webstar NZ CEO Bernie Roberts. To mark the occasion, a celebration was held in Sydney in December, which also doubled as the organisation’s AGM.

Changing of the guard ( R-L): The Real Media Collective outgoing chairman Kevin Slaven; CEO Kellie Northwood and incoming chairman Matt Aitken

Despite the healthy dose of conviviality in the room, there was some official business to deal with. Topping the list was Northwood’s announcement that the financial audits of each of the organisations that came together to create the Collective have been completed and approved by the TRMC board with no contraventions. A special resolution notice to members seeking approval of the name – The Real Media Collective – was also given the nod with 81 per cent of those returning a vote in favour. Northwood also advised TRMC is registered with the Department of

Consumer Affairs as a corporation and it is also registered with the ATO and ASIC. It was also announced that Slaven has finished his two-year rotation as chairman with Aitken now taking on the role. Slaven said it had been an honour and a privilege to have served. “I’ve been extremely proud and privileged to be the chair of this association, now Collective,” Slaven said. “I think we have moved mountains in the last two or three years, as an industry we have evolved and as the association or the industry body supporting the industry we needed to evolve with it. “Kellie has spent an amazing amount of time coercing, speaking, debating with not just the board but with the industry generally. I think she has done a fantastic job at moving us very quickly to where we are today as the Real Media Collective. “This industry is not going to stop changing and evolve and all of us need to accept the fact that whilst we are extremely fierce competitors on the field in most cases we are actually very much playing on the same team to the extent that this industry needs a very strong and cohesive industry.”

GJI grows again with Signpac buy by Sheree Young

Signpac, a digital and static signage specialist in the education sector, has been acquired by GJI Group as it continues to buy businesses in the digital, marketing, signage and media sectors. The acquisition follows GJI Group’s purchase of leading wide format print business Colorcorp in April 2019. Signpac, based in Sydney’s north, has operated for over 20 years and seven years ago was bought by Larry Wainstein who has built it up to 16 staff with a considerable presence in the school signage space. It has also moved three times in those years to its current location in Hornsby. Wainstein will continue to be the general manager of Signpac with all staff to stay on and nothing operationally to change despite the ownership swap. When asked by ProPrint what it was like to be approached about the sale, Wainstein said it was a privilege to know that his business was sought after. “I felt privileged that a group of that calibre saw Signpac as a fit to their group and where they want to go and what they want to achieve,” Wainstein said. “I will continue running Signpac so 12 ProPrint February 2020

Signpac general manager Larry Wainstein

there is almost no disruption at all to my staff and to our operation and the way we’ve been doing things for the last number of years. It just means now we have the benefit to be a part of this group so we can grow. “Their philosophy is to acquire companies that have synergies with one another so as a group there is the sharing of contacts and leads and your opportunity for growth is accelerated.” GJI Group general manager Marcus Emery said the addition will bring further synergies to GJI Group.

“We are always on the look out for complementary businesses that can help our business grow,” Emery told ProPrint. “The Signpac acquisition is strategically important to the GJI Group. “Our existing clients are now able to benefit from Signpac’s leading edge digital display technology.” Wainstein agreed that many printers may see an offer from GJI Group as a blessing, but added that the benefit for him is he continues to run his business while having the financial backing of a larger group. “My heart is in this place. It’s my baby, I’ve grown it and nurtured it to where it is today from something that was really really small to something that is really big,” Wainstein said. “Financially they are backing it but I’m still the general manager and I’m responsible for revenue. “But will it change? I don’t know because I think my attitude towards the place can’t just change because there is new owners.” Signpac now joins a growing list of companies under the GJI Group banner Customology, Colorcorp and Conversify. www.sprinter.com.au

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UPDATE

Cactus installs Australian first 400sqm/h Ultra by Paul Brescia

Cactus Imaging, the printing division of outdoor giant oOh!Media, has installed Australia’s first Fujifilm Acuity Ultra 5044, one of the first five of its generation in the world, which boosts the platform’s print speed from 236sqm/h to a blistering 400sqm/h. It is the second time in a row Cactus will be one of the platform’s earliest adopters, having installed its predecessor in November 2018, also as an Australian first. The previous model at Cactus Imaging is having its software updated to the newest platform as part of the installation. The latest 5 metre workhorse from Fujifilm combines its predecessor’s 3 picolitre droplet size, with an improved ability to print multi-roll, with three 300m rolls able to be set up to run independently on the 5044. Cactus has seen incredible growth in recent years, and has installed a series of printers to keep up and meet demand, while innovating and pushing for capabilities that its competitors do not have. The Ultra was selected for its ability to help the company diversify, adding flexible capacity across indoor and outdoor applications: fabric, POS, billboards, interior décor, segments which Cactus

Early adopters: Cactus Imaging’s Keith Ferrel and Nigel Spicer

says it has grown since the installation of its first Acuity Ultra in late 2018. Selecting two CMYK heads for its newly installed Ultra, Cactus has prioritised speed to meet demand. With a 3 picolitre droplet size, the CMYK heads of the new generation of machines achieve a print quality and gamut that belies the lack of extra colours. Cactus Imaging is no stranger to early adoption, having been founded 25 years ago with a philosophy to push the boundaries. Since then, it has picked up multiple pieces of kit from different manufacturers as an early-adopter. Its founder, Keith Ferrel, is known internationally for his approach, was inducted into the Fespa Hall of Fame in 2012, and often gives print presentations to international audiences.

As Ferrel explains, “We have been early adopters of technology for the past 25 years. We started this company on a world-first electrostatic printer. We do not like to follow, we like to lead. “We work closely with manufacturers all around the world with what they have got coming up in the future. “We are constantly looking for innovation, new inks, substrates, printers or equipment that may give us some kind of an advantage. “There’s no doubt that this strategy has worked for us.” Of course, with all new pieces of kit come the inevitable teething issues as each one is fine-tuned after the installation process is completed. For Ferrel, the minor hiccups are well worth the results. “My way of thinking is: If you become an early adopter of technology, and work closely with the manufacturer you can make it work for their benefit, and our benefit. “We recognise there are teething problems as early adopters, but if you wait five years for it to be tweaked and proven, then you get no advantage.” The Ultra installation was finalised in December 2019 and is now completely up and running.

Management changes at Messe Düsseldorf ahead of drupa by Sheree Young

As the countdown continues for the world’s epic printing and packaging trade show, drupa2020, organisers Messe Düsseldorf have announced a number of local and international appointments to reflect a more “streamlined” management team. At the senior level, Wolfram Dienar, pictured here on a recent trip to Sydney, was named as the new president and chief executive officer at Messe Düsseldorf GmbH with this position to take effect from July 1, 2020. Dienar replaces Werner Dornscheidt who will retire at the end of June after almost 17 years at the helm of the Düsseldorf trade fair company. In ot her cha nges it wa s a lso announced that New Zealand-based Messe Düsseldorf travel experts, Robert and Roslyn Laing, will be based in Sydney from January 2020. The Laings through their Australian office, Messe Reps Pty Ltd, can help organise travel arrangements and planning for Australians wishing to attend drupa as either an exhibitor or a visitor. Robert Laing told ProPrint that changes in drupa’s representation in Australia meant he was now the local contact for the megashow in both New 14 ProPrint February 2020

Robert Laing of Messe Reps Pty Ltd; Wolfram Dienar, the incoming president and CEO of Messe Dusseldorf GmbH

Zealand and Australia. Laing’s first ever drupa was in 1990 so he is equipped with vast experience and knowledge of trade fairs and travel planning. He also has extensive local contacts in Düsseldorf and Germany. “Accommodation in Düsseldorf or the surrounds is often the hardest part of the whole trip to organise,” Laing said. “With around 300,000 exhibitors and

visitors at drupa it can often be tough to find somewhere to sleep.” The drupa show runs from 16 to 26 June in Düsseldorf, Germany. It is the premier international tradeshow for the printing and packaging industries. Australians interested in making the trip can find out more information at: www.messereps.com.au, email robert@ messereps.com.au or call 0427 353 536. www.sprinter.com.au

PROMOTION

Pressology brings GEW LED UV to Australia Transform your offset press with GEW’s LeoLED UV curing system

EW has launched its latest innovation for sheetfed offset printing. Named the LeoLED UV curing system, GEW distributor Pressology managing director Peter Sage said the solution is “positioned to transform the economics of UV for commercial printers by being faster, greener and cheaper than any other comparable system currently on the market”. “LeoLED represents the next generation for LED UV curing and is set to have a significant impact in this highly competitive market,” he said. He added that LED offers a range of advantages and LeoLED technology is at the forefront of advancements. He said, “LeoLED technology has been redesigned and refined for simplicity and offers excellent value, while at the same time delivering maximum power and dose of UV energy. “As a result, there has never been a better time for printers to refresh their offset press with an LED UV curing system. There are any number of

reasons for you to consider LED. For example, with LED, you can print on plastics, films and other difficult substrates. The instant drying achieves sharper dots and more vibrant colours, particularly on uncoated papers.” It also eliminates the need for spray powder or sealers and cuts out the problem of marking and scratching. Sheets come off the press immediately ready for finishing, enabling LED printers a competitive edge by being able to offer faster job turnarounds. Post-press space requirements are also greatly reduced. “The compact profile of the LeoLED lamp head enables it to be easily retrofitted to almost any offset press. The design brings several new benefits, which include the 50mm width window giving a long dwell time and waterproof sealing for easy cleaning. “It is also resilient to dust and ink ingress. The LED array delivers electrical power at 88W/cm and an intensity of 25W/cm2, with minimal light loss due to the direct UV path. Also, a water-cooling system gives LeoLED the ultimate operating capability and reliability in its class.”

LeoLED can also be configured in a modular lamp array, a customisable arrangement of LED mounting positions on a press. Lamps can be freely moved between any position to change curing configuration and adapt to the job at hand. Sage added that, for highly demanding applications, such as B1 LED coating at 18,000sph, multiple lamps can be placed in tandem at the end of the press. He said, “This modular LeoLED configuration offers the ultimate in flexibility and enables GEW to deliver the highest energy dose in the market, at the best value. The new lamp head is built to GEW’s usual exacting standards, using state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, for robust performance and reliability. “When in operation, continuous remote monitoring of the lamp and LED characteristics ensures reliable operation and fast technical support. LeoLED diodes are designed to run over 20,000 hours and GEW offers the longest LED warranty available: up to three years, irrespective of running hours. The Pressology team is looking forward to discussing LeoLED with customers as soon as possible.” PP

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February 2o2o ProPrint 15 20/1/20 6:47 am

UPDATE

Sign and display conference to coincide with Visual Impact Ths inaugural event will coincide with Visual Impact on the Gold Coast from April 29 to May 2, 2020. by Sheree Young

The Australian Sign & Graphics Association (ASGA) and Fespa Australia are organising a three-day national conference to coincide with the Visual Impact tradeshow on the Gold Coast in April. The ASGA and Fespa Australia 2020 HP National Conference, supported by HP, will be themed: A Shared Vision – Better Business Together and will run from April 29 to May 2, 2020. ASGA’s Michael Punch and Fespa Australia’s Nigel Davies say the conference at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre at Broadbeach is designed to bring the industry together for three days of learning, development and networking. “The establishment of a national conference is a logical extension for Fespa and ASGA, and reflects the strong cooperative relationship we’ve had over many years,” Davies said. “Both organisations are committed to building the strength of the industry, and the national conference is an important step towards improving learning and networking opportunities for our members and the wider industry, and fostering a more coordinated industry vision.” Registration is open to all businesses in the sign, display, engraving, wideformat, screen and broader graphics sector.

16 ProPrint February 2020

Shared vision: Australian Sign & Graphics general manager Michael Punch (left) and Fespa Australia president Nigel Davies (right)

A welcome cocktail party will kick-off proceedings on Wednesday April 29 followed by two days of conference sessions on Thursday April 30 and Friday May 1. The HP Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner will be held on the Friday evening. A recovery breakfast is also planned for Saturday morning. While the full program is still being finalised, Davies and Punch say it will address some of the industry’s most pressing issues, including legislative changes, fire ratings and sustainability, business insights, leadership and digital marketing, stress and burnout. There will even be a motivational message from four-time Olympian and Winter Olympic Games gold medallist, Steve Bradbury. “Visitors will also be able to see the very latest equipment, systems and solutions from leading industry suppliers at Visual Impact, which is at the same venue,” Punch said. “There will be plenty of opportunities to network with friends and colleagues at our welcome cockta il pa r t y,

networking events and the awards and gala dinner.” The Gold Coast setting for the conference, in one of Australia’s most iconic locations, is also expected to be a drawcard, making it the perfect opportunity for business owners, production and marketing managers from across the country to enjoy a mini-break in the sunshine while gaining some genuine perspective and learnings to take back to their business. As well as diamond sponsor HP, a host of industry leaders have signed up as gold sponsors of the conference, including 3M, Amari, Avery Dennison, Epson, Euro Poles, Fespa, Graphic Art Mart, Hexis and the industry’s supplier organisation, Visual Connections. Silver sponsors include Adzon, ChromaLuxe, Hosking Trade, Orafol, Sign Manufacturers’ Insurance Brokers (SMIB) and Trotec. Further information will be released soon, but those wanting to enquire can contact michael_punch@sgns.org.au or admin@sgiaa.asn.au or exhibitions@ visualconnections.org.au

www.sprinter.com.au

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February 2o2o ProPrint 17

UPDATE DECEMBER - JANUARY TIMELINE

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

December issue

10 december

3 december PRINTERS RECOGNISED IN OMA Q3 CREATIVE COLLECTION COMPETITION Grand Print Services and oOh! Creative Production were acknowledged for their work in the Outdoor Media Association Q3 2019 Creative Collection competition. The Creative Collection celebrates the big, bold and audacious canvas Out of Home work by recognising exceptional campaigns each quarter. oOh! Creative Production was recognised for the best use of multi-format for the South Australian Tourist Commission — Intrastate winter campaign. Grand Print Services was given the title for the best innovation in Out of Home in Q3 for the Paco Rabanne Million X Pac Man campaign, on behalf of Puig/Paco Rabanne. The creative agency was Puig/Paco Rabanne and JCDecaux Creative Solutions, and the media agency, Starcom (NSW).

PVCA BACKS PM’S PUBLIC SERVICE OVERHAUL Print and Visual Communication Association chief executive officer Andrew Macaulay welcomed the federal government’s public service overhaul which includes merging the education and employment ministries. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the changes will bust bureaucratic congestion, improve decision making and deliver better services for Australians. The changes mean 18 government departments will be reduced to 14 with five government department secretaries to be shown the door in February 2020. Macaulay welcomed the changes saying they will benefit members. “This is essentially about harmonising service delivery, removing conflicting silos and cutting red tape,” he said. “It is a very positive and timely reform. The PVCA commends the PM for responding to industry recommendations and moving away from some of the ideological but illogical structures inherited from his predecessor,” Macaulay said.

5 december NAVY INVESTS $1.5M IN 3D PRINTING The Australian government announced it would invest $1.5 million in a twoyear pilot of SPEE3D technology for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). A key part of the investment is the installation of a WarpSPEE3D 3D metal printer, developed in Darwin. The cold spray 3D printing technology will be used as part of a worldfirst trial to streamline the maintenance of patrol vessels. The initiative is a result of a partnership between SPEE3D, the Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (AMA) and Charles Darwin University (CDU). “We’re excited to be working with the Royal Australian Navy and the Additive Manufacturing Alliance on this program,” SPEE3D CEO Byron Kennedy said. “Having the capability to produce high-quality metal parts on-demand, in the field or at sea will be groundbreaking for the Australian Defence Force.” Originally unveiled at Formnext 2017, SPEE3D’s 3D printing technology is targeted at final part production, leveraging metal cold spray technology to produce industrial quality metal parts in minutes instead of days.”

News happens every day at

sprinter.com.au

12 december GEOFF LOFTUS TO SPEARHEAD EFI’S CUSTOMER ADVOCACY Electronics for Imaging (EFI) named Geoff Loftus as its vice-president of global inkjet service. Loftus will spearhead EFI’s customer advocacy and service offerings. According to the company, the move follows a recent strategic initiative to enhance its commitment to customer satisfaction. It is one of the key aspects of transformation at EFI under new CEO Jeff Jacobson following the 2019 acquisition of the company by an affiliate of private equity firm Siris Capital.

12 december IVE GROUP OPTS FOR STREAMLINED BRAND APPROACH Australia’s largest printing and integrated marketing business, IVE Group, has announced its divisions will now come under the one IVE brand. All business divisions including the Blue Star printing operation, creative marketing agency Kalido and newly acquired Salmat distribution business, are now known as IVE. The purpose of the simplification is to bring all IVE’s services – data-driven communications, creative services, production and distribution – under one name. IVE Group chief marketing officer Rob Draper said the brand consolidation is designed to make it easier for clients to understand what IVE specialises in and what it can offer them. “IVE is now one unified holistic marketing company with four core offerings” Draper said. “Our goal is to make it easier for clients to understand what we specialise in and what we can offer them, as opposed to how we structure our business and what we call ourselves. “Simplifying our offering will make it easier for clients to engage with us across the board and enable us to focus on getting them the best possible outcome from their holistic marketing activities.”

www.sprinter.com.au

UPDATE 8 january UK LABEL PRINTER GOES FLEXIBLE UK label printer, Hine Labels, has created a new revenue stream by using an existing Screen press to print directly onto flexible stand-up pouches and sachets as the boom for FMCG packaging continues. Hine Labels was the first to install a Truepress Jet L350UV+LM (low-migration ink) and originally used it for label production but printing on standable pouches prompted a new business division, www.houp.com. The press complies with strict safety standards of food labelling and packaging and can produce 60 metres per minute with high uptime, reliability and quality. Screen GP managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Peter Scott, says, “We have been working on pouching solutions for a while now and the level of interest is escalating. The key is combining the short-run benefit of digital printing with a converting line to laminate and make the pouches. These lines are readily available from manufacturers such as Karlville, Uflex and others.

12 december LIA VISUAL CONNECTIONS PRIZE WINNER RECOGNISED The 2019 LIA National Graduate Scholarship Prize winner, Nicole Danger, was recognised by Victoria’s Governor Linda Dessau and Anthony Howard QC, at a reception at Government House in Melbourne, convened to celebrate Women in Trades. A press operator at Chapel Press, Danger says she is passionate about print and the career opportunities it offers, particularly for women. “When I was at high school, print was never even mentioned as an option – it simply wasn’t on the radar, particularly for girls,” she said. “Once I discovered the industry, though, I was instantly drawn to the potential of letterpress to provide unique and beautiful solutions for short-run, high-end work. When people see, touch and feel a superbly crafted job, it literally leaves them speechless; that’s something very special and because so much of the quality of the work in letterpress comes down to the skill and craft of the operator, it’s always a challenge to achieve excellence. I take real pride in that.” As part of her LIA and Visual Connections prize, Danger was awarded a $5,000 study grant which she is using to travel to Packaging Premier in Milan and Luxe Pack in Paris in May 2020. www.sprinter.com.au

21 january

14 january BOOK CHARTS AUSTRALIAN LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING HISTORY A new coffee table book, ‘Printed on Stone - The Lithographs of Charles Troedel’ by Dr Amanda Scardamaglia and published by Melbourne Press, charting the history of lithographic printer Charles Troedel is due out in April. German-born and Melbourne-based Troedel (1835-1906) was a master printer and lithographer and was responsible for producing most of Australia’s early advertising posters, product labels and other print ephemera including the iconic Melbourne Album. Troedel’s lithographs trace the production and evolution of nineteenth century commerce and culture — in the home, at the bar, in health, hygiene and housework, with fashion and style and in leisurely pursuits — defining the legal categories under which this content was protected and the way advertising came to be regulated. Dr Scardamaglia, an Associate Professor and Department Chair of the Swinburne Law School, specialises in intellectual property law.

INTERTYPE TAKES OUT TOP SPOT IN FUJI XEROX PIXI COMPETITION Intertype, a Melbourne-based print and marketing services business, has beaten stiff Asia Pacific competition for top honours at Fuji Xerox’s 2019 PIXI Awards which recognise outstanding and innovative digital print. The awards are designed to showcase what is possible to be produced on the six-colour Iridesse Production Press which in addition to CMYK dry ink can also handle two specialty dry inks of gold, silver, white and clear. Intertype won the Best in Show category with its Designer Education Kit (pictured) and also won the Company Self Promotion category. Three other Australian printers also excelled with Snap Circular Quay the runner up in the Catalogues and Invitations categories, Enviroprint winning the Leaflets and Flyers, POS Materials and Digital and Offset together categories. Condor Group was named the winner for digital marketing. Intertype managing director Ian Bosler said the Iridesse had changed his business offering.

9 january

14 january

IBS LAUNCHES TREE PLANTING INITIATIVE As bushfires continued to rage across Australia, Gold Coast trade printer Integrated Branding Solutions committed to planting a tree for every order of 1000 plus business cards it receives in a bid to help rebuild the country. Using the hashtag #RebuildingOurIslandHome, IBS hopes the initiative will take hold and spread to other businesses to help the landscape repair one tree at a time. “As individuals we’ve donated money and supplies, but as a business we wanted to do more. As a trade printer, we can help make an impact quickly with a message that extends beyond our reach, and onto yours,” IBS chief marketing officer Natalie McCauley said. “Between us, we have access to thousands of Australians to truly do something meaningful and make a difference. At the moment, media coverage for this climate emergency is at an all time high, but when the fires slow down, the coverage will too, and for many Australians, that will just be the beginning of a long journey to rebuild. “We will be feeling the effects of these fires for months, we’ll be feeling these effects for years, and so we put our heads together to come up with an initiative that would keep on giving, not just for the month of January, but for the forseeable future.”

FORMER XAAR CEO BECOMES EFI’S NEW CTO Veteran print technology executive Dr Douglas Edwards has joined Electronics for Imaging (EFI) as its chief technology officer. Edwards joins the company from Xaar, a company that specialises in supplying industrial inkjet printheads, where he most recently served as CEO. He was also the chairman of Xaar 3D, the company’s 3D printing joint venture with Stratasys. Edwards replaces Ghilad Dziesietnik at EFI, who retires after nearly 25 years with the business having been in the chief technology role for the last 14 years. EFI chairman and chief executive officer Jeff Jacobson said Edwards has one of the best technological backgrounds in the industry, combining technology with demonstrated business accomplishments. “EFI has a history of providing its customers with a competitive advantage by keeping them at the forefront of technology,” Jacobson said. “I had the pleasure of working closely with Doug – when I was the CEO of KPG, as well as when I was the COO of Kodak’s Graphic Communications business – and I cannot think of a better person in our industry to lead EFI’s strategic and technology developments.” Edwards said he is looking forward to bringing his inkjet experience to drive value and enhance EFI’s ‘best of breed’ approach. February 2020 ProPrint 19

UPDATE COMMENT

The power of print Two Sides, a global campaign that promotes the environmental credentials of paper and print, recently held its AGM in London. The Real Media Collective’s chief executive officer Kellie Northwood was there. KELLIE NORTHWOOD

could no longer ask for directions, engage in conversation about the best local bakery or restaurant. There was no one looking out for unusual activity or helping kids if they forgot their key. Sutherland compared this direct loss with that of print. Print offers so much more than opening a single door, print offers humanity, conversation and trust. Nick Vale, worldwide head of creative strategy at Wavemaker, outlined his concerns with the current landscape where media is

he Real Media Collective holds the regional agreement to run the Two Sides campaign in Australia and New Zealand. Two Sides promotes the environmental credentials of paper and print. The campaign is growing in relevance, especially in this era of less waste, so now is the time we, as an industry, collectively start our own drum beat. As a member of the Two Sides global team, The Real Media Collective each year attends its international AGM and Power of Print conference. The gathering in London last November did not disappoint. The ninth Power of Print seminar was a huge success and brought together leaders from the advertising, marketing and sustainability sectors. The unifying theme to emerge was the continued resilience of print and its ability to offer trust, credibility and a valuable physical experience for both readers and customers. Print is thriving in an increasingly digital world as it possesses a distinct set of advantages and benefits for publishers, brands and media owners that give it a strong footing today and into the future. Experts and industry leaders from advertising, marketing, publishing, packaging, sustainability and the environment attended the seminar and gave a 360 degree view of the paper and print industry and its future - a view that was overwhelmingly positive. Rory Sutherland, vice chairman of Ogilvy UK, said print’s role must be seen from a birds-eye and not a sales-triggered or isolated viewpoint. “The value of the marketing mindset lies in taking the human perspective, not the spreadsheet perspective,” he said, using an analogy of the traditional role of a doorman. Sutherland made the point that a doorman does more than open a door, likewise understanding media communication is critical. When the doorman was replaced with automatic doors so much was lost. Sure, the doors opened but people

20 ProPrint February 2020

Print offers so much more than opening a door, print offers humanity, conversation and trust invisible. Cautioning us all, including media agencies and brands, if media is invisible the flow-on effect is that brands are invisible. If brands are invisible we have nothing to sell, we live in vanilla. Print, Vale explained, delivers ‘moments with meaning’ compared to the bite-sized ‘micro moments’ offered through digital channels. Micro moments certainly have their place - they are measurable and monetised and excellent for corporate marketing reports. But it is moments with meaning that increase engagement, quality and shared experiences that ultimately lead to long-term brand success. Representatives from content agency Archant Dialogue, which creates HOG magazine for Harley Davidson, also underlined the value

of print. When Harley Davidson first entered the digital arena, many readers criticised the move. The team responded by explaining the digital component was an expansion not a replacement of the magazine. Only the best digital articles and photographs made it into the magazine which maintained its premium status. Large UK supermarket chain Waitrose was also represented with Lauren Sutton and Carl Kirby taking a deep dive into statistics comparing print performance versus digital. Using series of studies, they explained how people are spending more time with print. The research reflects similar work done by Roy Morgan Research in Australia and New Zealand - that print is more trusted than digital channels, it delivers higher recall and response than its digital equivalent. Special mention must be made to Juan Senor from Mediamorphosis who made his position clear in his opening first line: “The paperless office is as plausible as the paperless toilet – paper and print are not dead”. Simply because something is new does not make it innovative, argued Senor. He added, print is a bridge – it remains eternal with unique strengths and in a world where media channels are relocating – they need bridges to connect rather than replace each other. Print’s ability to connect television to digital to radio and others is its greatest strength. For more information contact hello@ thermc.com.au

Look beyond the spreadsheet: Ogilvy UK vice chairman Rory Sutherland

www.sprinter.com.au

February 2020 ProPrint 21

UPDATE COMMENT

Advertising is about selling but marketing is about conversation Marketing can be a hard concept to pin down but it affects all parts of a business and when done well forms the basis of how a business is perceived. LEON GETTLER

Increase communication with feedback

very printer needs a marketing plan. But before they begin, they need to know the difference between marketing and advertising. Advertising is a tactic designed to bring in customers. Marketing is about knowing the client and what they want from the business. Advertising is about selling, marketing is about conversation. Advertising is about creating a persuasive message that draws the buyer’s attention. Marketing is about that mix of business activities and communications that bring buyers and sellers together for an exchange that works for both. Marketing is not advertising and it’s definitely not about sales. Marketing affects every part of the printing business. It goes to the way your people answer the phone, it’s about your relations with customers and suppliers. Even the typesetting and font on invoices can be part of a marketing plan. Solid marketing plans are built around three foundation stones: objectives, strategic initiatives and tactics. Every marketing plan needs these three sections and ideally, it should run to no more than one page showing goals and objectives, strategic initiatives and tactics. Developing the plan is the hard part of marketing. Executing the plan has its challenges but deciding what to do and how to do it is hard work. Good marketing plans for printers need to be clear, concise and convincing. Questions need to be raised and answered. Who are my current customers? Who else will buy my product or service? Why will they buy it? How many will they buy? Where do they live? What is the size of the market? Is it growing? Are there segments of users who are not happy with the competition? And do any of these segments present an opportunity? So what are some good marketing strategies for printers?

22 ProPrint February 2020

The importance here is developing a feedback loop. Customers don’t stop being customers after they buy your service or product. You need to keep the conversation going with feedback. Did the product and service meet or exceed their expectations? If not, take all the feedback on board and use it to change your offering next time. Just to make it perfect and keep the customers.

Get to trade shows This is critical. The printing industry and its customers are part of a big community and it’s important for your business to be seen out there. You are an active part of that community. Getting to trade shows gives you a chance to show off your quality designs, products and services. When you show people you are great at what you do, they will start flocking your way. If they don’t start coming to you, you’ll know it’s time to make some changes.

Sponsor people in your area

Marketing: Don’t fall into the trap of underestimating its importance

This is a great way of getting your name out there. Get into some crowdfunding by putting some of the marketing budget to sponsoring a local community project, something that’s worthwhile and making a contribution to the community. It could be anything from a school’s cricket team touring interstate or community dance put on by the council. Becoming a sponsor links your business with the community and lifts your profile.

Step up communication Let people know you are a quality printer by sending out a monthly newsletter. This represents you marketing your business with quality information that you are now sharing. The brand loyalty you will attract will be worth the investment many times over.

Direct Mail Yes, direct mail works. A printed postcard in the mail or dropped off in the letter box showing your pricing structure and your graphics lets people know what your business is about and how it stands out from the pack.

Social media Use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat to connect with your audience, build your brand, increase sales and drive traffic to your website. It means publishing terrific content and listening to and engaging with your followers. It is a dialogue that allows you to monitor what is being said about the business and to respond to relevant mentions. It also allows you to target the audience and build your market with social media ads.

Follow your competitors The good thing about social media is that it’s just so open, which allows you to follow what your competitors are doing on social media. That allows you to see what they post, which of their posts get the most shares and likes. If you see what works, you can follow their lead.

Customer referral programs Offer customers big rewards for referring new customers. It can be anything from a free product or a free month of service. Something that will let them know that sending their friends to your business can be incredibly valuable. This will make them even more valuable customers and improve the conversation between them and your business. All of this will benefit your operation. www.sprinter.com.au

PRINT DIARY

EVENT

LOCATION

DATE

FESPA Global Print Expo

Madrid

Mar 24-27

Visual Impact 2020

Gold Coast

Apr 30-May 2

Brand Print Thailand

Bangkok

May 7-9

interpack 2020

Düsseldorf

May 7-13

drupa2020

Düsseldorf

June 16-26

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

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February 2020 ProPrint 23

PUT YOUR MAGAZINES ONLINE

Every magazine we produce gets an online version - FREE

1 2 3

EVERY OFFSET BOOKLET GETS ONE

With every booklet or magazine you print with Heroprint, we produce an iMag and automatically send it to you.

THEY’RE INTERACTIVE Apart from being a fabulous online documentation of your job, iMag pages can be linked to advertiser websites, or any URL of your choosing. Ideal for product catalogues and business directories.

THEY RETAIN CLIENTS Your client won’t get this add on product everywhere! So handy for your clients as an online back up to printed publications. Lock your clients into ordering through you.

AUSTRALIA’S BEST TRADE PRINTER

Print leaders and the next generation recognised The ninth ProPrint Power 50 and inaugural Emerging 50 to recognise emerging talents did not disappoint, writes Sheree Young.

he stars aligned for a picture-perfect evening on Sydney Harbour to celebrate the Australian printing industry, its leaders and emerging talents at the ninth consecutive ProPrint Power 50 and inaugural Emerging 50 celebration in November 2019. Printers love a chat and there was plenty of that going on during the evening when the Power 50, supported for the ninth time by gold sponsor Konica Minolta with Esko the silver sponsor and printIQ the bronze sponsor, were announced. IVE Group executive chairman Geoff Selig was named number one and graciously accepted his award telling the 130-strong crowd that he considers himself fortunate to work with 1800 people who “go hard every day of the week and every week of the year”. “It’s a tough space, as we all know, but this is a great industry to work in full of wonderful people, many of whom are in the room tonight,” Selig said. Three women also appeared in the top 10 with The Real Media Collective chief executive officer Kellie Northwood in second place, Bright Print Group co-CEO Debbie Burgess in fifth and Taylor’d Press owner Kirsten Taylor in 10th position.

SPONSORED BY

1. The crowd gathers on a perfect evening 2. Sheree Young, ProPrint 3. Andrew Macaulay, Print & Visual Communications Association 4. Kenneth Beck, Carbon8; Michelle Lees, HP 5. Kelvin Gage, The Real Media Collective; Keith Ferrel, Cactus Imaging 6. The audience during the countdown 7. Carmen Ciappara, ProPrint; Kirsten Taylor, Taylor'd Press; Debbie Burgess, Bright Print Group; Natalie Taylor, IVE Group; Kellie Northwood, The Real Media Collective; Sheree Young, ProPrint 8. Sue Threlfo, Konica Minolta 9. Keith Ferrel, Cactus Imaging 10. Fenella and Charles Batt, MBE Parramatta; Gis Marven, CMYKhub 11. Hafizah Osman, Australian Printer; Carmen Ciappara, ProPrint 12. Dr David Cooke, Konica Minolta 13. Sheree Young, ProPrint; Emmanuel and Colleen Buhagiar, Matthew Zunic and Todd Singles of Imagination Graphics 14. Kelvin Gage & Kellie Northwood, The Real Media Collective 15. IVE Group celebrates on the night 16. Jenny Berry, AI Group; Mel Ireland, Lithographic Institute of Australia 17. Sarah Moore, Visual Connections; Christina Kondos, Labelhouse Vic; Ben Testa, Labelhouse; Natalie Taylor, Taylor'd Press; Andrew Macaulay PVCA 18. Alex Coulson, Hero Print 19. Ben Tam & Geoff Selig, IVE Group; Jude Low & Reeve Ransfield, PKF Australia 20. Tia Truong, Bambra Press; Craig Walmsley, HP PPS Australia; Steven Haas, Bambra Press 21. Power 50 trophies and champagne await 22. Sheree Young, ProPrint; Anthony Parnemann, EFI, Sue Threlfo & Amanda McCarney, Konica Minolta 23. John Myers & Peter Cleary, Media Super; Aleks & Clare Lajovic, Impact International 24. Jacqui Cooper, The Intermedia Group; Glenn O'Connor, ABBE Corrugated; Natalie Taylor, IVE Group

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February 2020 ProPrint 29

DOWNTIME

Next generation recognised The future of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s printing industry is in safe hands if this outstanding group of 2019 Emerging 50 recipients is anything to go by. The inaugural Emerging 50 was created to recognise the achievements of relative newcomers to the industry. We look forward to seeing what comes next for this exciting group of people. Bring on 2020. 1

30 ProPrint February 2020

www.sprinter.com.au

EXCLUSIVE PARTNER

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1. Emerging 50 winners on the night 2. Samuel Brikhia, Paul Norton and Glen Francis, CMYKhub 3. Ashleigh Jones, Digital Synergy 4. Beti Ognenovski; Guillaume Hintzy of Labelmakers 5. Melanie Armstrong, Salmat 6. Andrew Oskar, Next Printing; Cameron Woodbury, Rawson Print Co. 7. Samuel Brikhia, CMYKhub 8. Ashleigh Boyling, Blue Star Print (IVE Group) 9. Carl Butchard, Foxcil; Alex Coulson, Hero Print 10. Chris La Greca, Ovato 11. Matt Schembri, PVCA; Walter Kuhn, Kuhn Corp; Jacobena Mills; PVCA; Christina Kondos, Labelhouse Vic 12. Indigo Philip, Designate; Maddie Allington, Sonnet 13. Tony Ong, Pakko; Nina Nguyen, Pakko; Tanya Watkins, Glue4U; Steve Watkins, Glue4U 14. Aleks Lajovic, Impact International; John Myers & Peter Cleary, Media Super; Clare Lajovic, Media Super 15. Matt Aitken, Ashleigh Boyling, Cliff Brigstocke and David Wilson of IVE Group 16. Christina Kondos, Labelhouse Vic 17. Matthew Zunic, Imagination Graphics 18. Ben Browning, Nicole Simmons, Jacqueline Hammond and James Martin of 1800 for Promo 19. Joshua West & Anthony Bennett, Multi Color Corporation; Chris La Greca, Ovato 20. Charlotte Kent, Andrew Oskar, Romeo Sanuri of Next Printing 21. Andrew Macaulay, Walter Kuhn, Jacobena Mills and Matthew Schembri of PVCA 22. Picture perfect - stunning sunset on Sydney Harbour

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February 2020 ProPrint 31

www.power50.com.au Coming soon What is the Power 50? The Power 50 is an annual event which recognises the leaders and innovators in Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s printing industry â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the people that keep this industry strong with a clear vision into the future. It is also a wonderful opportunity for all 100 nominees to come together and celebrate the highs and lows of the year. The Power 50 is 100 per cent peer voted making it truly your Power 50. In 2020 the Power 50 will celebrate its 10th birthday.

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 02 8586 6131 or syoung@intermedia.com.au

Proudly sponsored by

Coming soon What is the Emerging 50? The Emerging 50 burst onto the scene in 2019 to recognise the contributions of the rising stars of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s printing industry. The Emerging 50 recipients come from all facets of the industry including production, sales, graphic design and administration and were nominated due to their commitment in the workplace. If the 2019 Emerging 50 members are anything to go by, the future is in safe hands.

How can I get involved? If you would like to join Visual Connections and Cactus Imaging in supporting this great initiative please contact Carmen Ciappara on 0410 582 450 or carmen@proprint.com.au Editorial enquiries to Sheree Young on 02 8586 6131 or syoung@intermedia.com.au

Integrated Branding Solutions re-writes the trade print code

1 New decade brings a rebrand, new website, expanded product range and an easy-to-use ordering portal for Integrated Branding Solutions Who we are

The arrival of 2020 has rung in a new dawn for this Gold Coast trade printer. Leading the charge was the decision to swap the IBS Cards name it has long been synonymous with for a return to its roots as Integrated Branding Solutions. The business, which has served the Australian printing industry for 23 years, has also dramatically expanded its product range and later this month will be launching a new gamechanging ordering portal with a 34 ProPrint February 2020

1. Here for you: Integrated Branding Solutions team on the Gold Coast 2. Working the Indigo: Shaun Naude, digital press operator 3. Getting it done: Alan Dyer, IBS production manager

ecommerce solution to follow, that can be custom-fitted to the backend of its customer’s websites. All of these steps form part of a strategic roadmap that IBS owner and founder Scott Siganto believes will further success opportunities for his customers, especially as they continue to face competition from global online retailers like Vistaprint. “Our focus is to try to broaden our product range to allow our customers to continue to say yes,” Siganto said. “It is quite important within our industry when you have so many online disruptors that have been out there for a while now and are starting to be embedded.” It is no surprise that this tech-savvy trade printer made the decision to invest heavily in the right technology so it can best showcase the huge

product range it has to offer. Afterall IBS was borne out of the invention of the ground-breaking concept of gang printing print jobs, predominantly business cards, for other printers. Hence why the name IBS Cards stuck.

So much more than a business card printer

These days IBS is much more than a printer of business cards and it has the production and finishing capacity to prove it. A major production backbone of the operation is a HP Indigo 7600 Digital Press which can produce four million copies per month on a wide range of media and supports IBS in delivering lightning fast turnarounds using a wide range of specialty stocks. Their finishing is well looked after www.sprinter.com.au

COVER STORY with celloglaze provided by long time printing supplier Jet Technologies. Ball & Doggett is also the sole paper provider at IBS and with a 100-year history of operation in Australia has a solid reputation of delivering on time no matter what. All of this, along with KBA five colour offset presses and a new wide format factory means all aspects of print production from stationery to wide format can be handled at IBS. Promotional products and apparel are new areas for IBS and over the last few years Siganto has fostered relationships with Asian suppliers to ensure a reliable and speedy supply chain into Australia utilising the buying power of their collective client base. “We have spent a lot of time overseas and we’ve incorporated very good relationships with promotional product and apparel factories over there,” Siganto said. “We are wanting to provide a full-service model for our customers to be able to provide for their customers or consolidate their existing supply chain. “There are not too many places these days that don’t need apparel, signage and marketing material internally and externally. “We are also preparing to expand into marketing services. Services is another big thing and we have the infrastructure in place to launch that later in the year as well.

Online ordering has never been easier

IBS is proud of its reputation as a global leader in IT. In fact, Siganto, tongue in cheek, suggests that IBS is actually an IT company that “just happens to print”. It is this constant desire to produce better systems, workflows and user experiences that has earnt IBS its solid reputation. Using IBS’ simple ordering system you can instantly quote hundreds of products and browse their online design templates. Their new portal even allows customers to use a customer canvas for tricky to design items, and to generate instant and realistic digital proofs to send to customers for approval. Ordering is as easy as clicking a button and choosing your own dispatch date. Additionally, clients can also instantly invoice their customer with their own markup and branding, track their jobs every step of the way through the IBS factory to the customer’s door ¬ all from the one easy to use portal. This streamlined ordering portal is the result of 12 months of work by a busy team of web developers. The portal is not only extremely user friendly but also comes with functionality and stability not seen before in the industry. “We’ve listened to your requests and made the new portal

3 www.sprinter.com.au

2 extremely mobile friendly so you can quote clients and check on jobs easily on the fly,” Siganto said. “We believe that the user experience of B2B and B2C clients have fused and our portal takes the best of both worlds to create a unique customer online experience.”

tool kits with everything needed to launch a new product, including product info, frequently asked questions, design mockups, email templates and artwork guidelines. No matter your business, IBS believes it is possible to help you grow.

Next level ecommerce solution

IBS has streamlined its processes and tapped into its economies of scale to offer clients some of the best ongoing deals that they can. This includes offering industry low pricing in an effort to help customers grow. Whether you use it to bring in new leads or to keep your existing customers coming back, these deals are available because IBS believes that helping others grow is the secret to success.

Looking to link the back end of your website to the IBS site? IBS’ open API allows for seamless integration if you’ve already got an existing website. Need something a little more flash or starting from scratch? IBS has spent the last 15 years fine tuning its W2P solution to offer clients a retail replica of its own state-of-theart website so they can also experience the benefits of a multi-million dollar e-commerce system for a fraction of the price. IBS truly believe that helping others grow is the secret to success and that’s why they couldn’t be more excited to share their portal.

An entirely new approach to trade printing

More than just a rebrand and a fancy new site, IBS has adopted a different approach to trade printing that’s purely focused on doing everything possible to help its customers grow. The marketing gurus at IBS have spent a considerable amount of time on easy to use and implement marketing tools that get instant results. As part of these initiatives customers can download IBS’ annual deals calendar published 12 months in advance making it possible to confidently plan marketing calendars. It is also possible to download a done-for-you personalised product catalogue as an instant cross selling tool, or download product marketing

Everyday “Super Savers”

Handling the graphic design overflow

Another plank of this strategy is IBS’ expansion into providing a trade only graphic design overflow service. This no-strings attached service can come in extremely handy if a printer’s in-house graphic designer is out of action, either through illness or annual leave, or there is a large influx of overflow work that needs to be done urgently. “As every print business knows if you have one graphic designer on staff they have to have holidays every year and sick days so there is five weeks of the year, 10 per cent of the year, which needs to be covered,” Siganto said. “We don’t offer any fixed contracts, we basically can do it per product and we can deliver it overnight. “Our service is all about making sure we have our clients back any way we can.” To learn more about IBS visit: www.ibsportal.com.au. February 2o2o ProPrint 35

PROFILE STAR BUSINESS

Full steam ahead at Sydney’s Imagination Graphics Learning new tricks does not scare Emmanuel Buhagiar as his journey which began with hot metal typesetting in the 1970s right through to the arrival of the Apple Mac and the evolution of computer-to-plate technology shows.

By Sheree Young

fter nearly 50 years in the industry, Emmanuel Buhagiar did the opposite of what most people his vintage would do. He mortgaged the home he shares with his wife and business partner, Colleen, so they could buy out their previous partners and wholly own Imagination Graphics, the company he formed as part of a joint venture in 1998 with Staas Printing. When the news got out about his plan, sage words of advice quickly followed: ‘What are you doing Budgie? Don’t you want to just retire? Really?’. “Some said ‘are you sure Budgie?’ ‘You’ve got to be careful’ but I just kept saying I’ve got faith. I think Col and I can do it,” Buhagiar tells ProPrint from his factory in Sydney’s Marrickville. Convinced he was on the right path, Buhagiar pressed on and six months later went back to the bank when the option to purchase Marrickville printer, Lindwall and Ward, presented itself. He also added some significant equipment investments to complement his offset business. With his Konica Minolta AccurioPress C1085 and C6100 digital presses firing well, Imagination capped it off last year with the jewel in the crown, an AccurioJet B2 UV KM-1 inkjet press.

How it all started

Buhagiar made a name for himself in the 1980s as a graphic design and prepress specialist and a provider of quality plates and films across Sydney. 36 ProPrint February 2020

factfile Age: 21 years Staff: 20 Owner: Emmanuel and Colleen Buhagiar Strategy: High levels of customer service and a commitment to quality printing and design is at the backbone of this business.

His journey has been long and broad and now with the business acquisitions and equipment installations, Imagination Graphics is first and foremost a printer. “I want everybody to know that Imagination is a good printer. We are still a trade prepress company but we are also an accomplished printer,” Buhagiar said. “I do worry what people think. I want to be known and respected as a quality printing company.” The high regard with which he is held by his peers, customers, staff and former workmates was evident at his Christmas Party last year which also served as a launch for the new KM-1 which was celebrated with a specially made KM-1 lookalike cake.

The value of a great mentor

That his first mentor and work supervisor, John Kidd, attended the launch speaks volumes about Buhagiar’s character. The pair first met in 1971 when Buhagiar graduated from Drummoyne Boys High School and took up a Hand and Machine Compositor apprenticeship at Braycol Pty Ltd in Surry Hills. “In the day in the trade you were a

comp so you would make up artwork out of hot metal which is really old school,” Buhagiar said. “Leaving school at 16 and going into the trade was good for me, I just loved it. “I was good at my trade, real good. I excelled at the School of Graphic Arts coming in the top three in my last year. With his apprenticeship complete, Buhagiar followed Kidd to Sun Gravure in Rosebery, the publisher of popular magazines Woman’s Day, Cosmopolitan and Dolly. The change brought challenges for Buhagiar who had to quickly adjust to new ways of doing things. The upheaval was a precursor of what was to come as a decade later computer-to-plate technology would give prepress a massive shakeup while the advent of the Apple Mac rang in a new era of graphic design. “I had to re-train myself totally. I had done tech and I had done very well but when I went to Sun Gravure I had to learn a totally new trade. I had no idea. It was nuts,” Buhagiar says with a laugh. “Sun Gravure was all paste-up. This is when digital first started in the early days typesetting. I was there for about 18 months not terribly long. I learnt the www.sprinter.com.au

2 trade and then I guess you could say I got bored and moved on.” Next came a stint at Dalley Middleton and Moore, a typesetter for the Sydney Morning Herald, where Budgie, as he is affectionately known, quickly progressed to art room production manager. “I used to get there at quarter past six, I like to be organised. The other guys followed suit and started coming in early also. They offered me the management job to run the production side of the art room so I took it on,” Buhagiar said. “I really enjoyed working there.” After this Budgie moved on to R. T. Kellys, a company that specialised in annual reports and prospectus printing, where he worked alongside Mike Webb and Hugh Chisholm, both well known in the Australian printing industry. Then in 1984, Buhagiar made the leap into business ownership and Aaron Paul’s Typesetting was born. “A number of good printers looked after me. They gave me a go and in turn I looked after all their design and artwork. “To this day I owe Link Printing (the Selig Family), Staas Printing, John Fisher Printing, URI Printing and especially Nick Bujeia at Lionheart a lot as they were good customers to have. www.sprinter.com.au

“They gave me regular work and a base for growth going forward.”

Surviving the crash

But it was not always easy and some big financial hits almost knocked Budgie over. “I nearly went broke in the 1990s in the time of the crash we had to have,” he said. “I had a couple of really bad debts when printers went broke and I couldn’t get my money but I held fast and I paid everyone and kept going.” This is also the intersection that linked him in with Staas Printing and

1. Buhagiar with his latest investment, the AccurioJet KM-1 from Konica Minolta 2. Emmanuel and Colleen Buhagiar celebrate at the 2019 ProPrint Power 50 3. Buhagiar with first time mentor and friend John Kidd

provided the base on which Imagination Graphics was eventually formed in 1998. “I met Colleen in 1997 and she came on board, ever since Colleen’s been involved it has been great,” Buhagiar said. “She has been the backbone of it all. She’s been there and helped with accounts and financial matters. “Then 20 years later I bought Staas out and then along came Lindwall and Ward and now I am where I am now. Owning my own show with Colleen. “I love this industry, what else is there to do? All my mates are retired and they are all bored, a bit jealous possibly wishing they should have hung in there a little longer?”

Words of wisdom

“There is enough printing for everyone but they have got to get out there and knock on doors, see people, give people what they want,” he said. “Don’t be too greedy, but don’t give it away. Right money for the right job. Work with your clients and help with their business. “There is no need for the doom and gloom that many people talk about. “Someone once said to me, ‘you are the master of your own destiny Budgie’ and they were right.” PP February 2o2o ProPrint 37

PROMOTION

Fujifilm fills a gap with Vybrant UF10 UV flatbed Printers looking to grow their wide format printing capabilities should consider this new competitively priced offering from Fujifilm

Speed and versatility: Fujifilm’s Vybrant UF10 suits production volumes of 7,500 square metres a year

Fast start: ‘Instant-On’ capability means no time lost in waiting for the Vybrant UF10 to warm-up 38 ProPrint February 2020

he Vybrant UF10 series is the newest flatbed to be released by Fujifilm and builds on the success of its Acuity portfolio and Fujifilm’s strong reputation as a supplier of flatbed technology. The Vybrant UF10 is squarely aimed at printers keen to expand into the wide format print space with the versatility to print on a variety of rigid and flexible substrates as well as unusual shaped items. Printing at a handy production speed of up to 16 square metres an hour on substrates of up to 51mm thick in full CMYK plus white, the UV inkjet press opens a variety of different application options for customers. Not only can the press handle printing on a range of flexible and rigid substrates but it is also equally at home printing on oddly shaped, heavy, smooth or pre-cut media up to a weight of 50kg per square metre. The bed size is 1.25m x 2.54m and it can print full bleed edge-to-edge on 2.54m x 1.25m media, including on unusual substrates like canvas, wood, tiles and glass. According to Fujifilm the press is designed to serve the print needs of printers who require production volumes in the range of 7,500 square metres per year. The press has variable drop sizes of seven to 21 picolitres and utilises grayscale technology with three droplet levels with Ricoh Gen 5 printheads meaning near-photographic quality imagery can be achieved. Low ink consumption is another big plus for this machine, Fujifilm says, with the press using on average eight millilitres of CMYK ink per square metre. The press uses Fujifilm’s new Uvijet HK UV inks which are said to offer superior adhesion and ink functionality over the broadest media range and are optimised for LED curing. The ink range is also designed for piezo drop-on-demand printheads meaning it offers very good dot reproduction, light-fast colours and will adhere to a range of rigid and flexible uncoated materials. The inks are designed to maximise the performance of the Vybrant UF10 although Fujifilm says performance can vary across substrate manufacturers. Its four-zone vacuum system is optimised for standard rigid media sizes making vacuum masking unnecessary in many cases, further establishing the worth of this press in a busy print room. Another benefit of the Vybrant UF10 is its ‘instant-on’ capability thanks to its LED cure UV curing system. This means the press can be used straight away from standby mode, a bonus for print shops where a flatbed is not necessarily in use all day long. All these features combined point to the Vybrant UF10 being a perfect solution for printers looking to open new markets through the provision of sellable prints at higher speeds than many lower-volume machines can usually expect to achieve. The press also includes an Integrated Static Suppression Bar which Fujifilm says neutralises static electricity on materials prone to hold a static electrical charge such as acrylic, polycarbonate and styrene. It also comes with an anti-crash sensor. www.sprinter.com.au

Introducing Fujifilm’s most affordable flatbed The Vybrant UF10 is a true flatbed printer offering high-quality printing on a range of rigid and flexible media, supported by four dedicated vacuum zones. With performance that is suitable for print volumes up to 7,500m² per year, the Vybrant is ideal for businesses looking to grow their wideformat capability. Using Fujifilm’s Uvijet inks, you can produce vibrant colours using minimal ink while helping reduce production costs. To find out more visit www.fujifilm.com.au or email ffau.graphics.marketing@fujifilm.com To book a personalised demonstration call 1300 650 804

Vybrant UF-10 at a glance: • 16m² per hour in production mode • Versatile 6 channel CMYK with White • Variable drop sizes from 7 to 21 picolitres • Handles flexible and rigid media up to 51mm thick • Four dedicated vacuum zones to minimize masking • Long-lasting, low energy LED curing system • Fujifilm Uvijet UV cured inks • Anti-crash sensor • Anti-static bar eliminates static on the media surface

FOCUS DIGITAL LABELS

The big stick The HP Indigo 6900 Digital Press from Currie Group

Label manufacturing has always been a lucrative sector, but market pressures are bringing digital label printing to the fore and opening exciting opportunities for Australia’s print industry. By Peter Kohn

he line-up of dedicated digital presses for generating printed label stock has opened new opportunities for print houses in Australia. It has also added a revenue stream in this lucrative sector that directly addresses a plethora of consumables and consumer durables from electronics to groceries, cosmetics, as well as the wine, beer and spirits industries. To name just one burgeoning sector, it taps into the exploding demand for ever more sophisticated and attractive promotional packaging of what were formerly the ‘brown cardboard boxes’ that deliver orders to consumers via Australia Post and courier services. Xeikon’s ANZ sales manager Trevor Crowley sees any label application for the consumer sector as having the potential to be printed digitally. “The demand not just locally but also globally is not only driven by the segment, but by the demand of brand owners and ultimately the end-user for customisation or changes to branding,” Crowley says. “Converters are commonly looking for a solution or technology that is flexible, that allows them to have as broad a reach as possible, while maintaining quality as well as a competitive cost-to-print model. “The other key offering they are looking for is after-sales technical 40 ProPrint February 2020

support. In some cases, you see that the digital engine a converter may have will be their only production platform, so they need to be sure that it not only is reliable, but when there is a technical problem, support is close at hand.” Crowley identifies product diversification, the dominance of the internet – and the emergence of webto-print driving label printing beyond the B2B sector to B2C – as the main drivers behind shorter label runs. “All this has allowed the labels to be more ‘personal’ and tuned for smaller customer groupings,” Crowley says. He adds label production has for some time been about highly personalised, variable-information printing in mono, single-colour and full-colour inkjet, with combinations of variably printed components. But with the latest technology this basic printing is expanding to full-colour, variable-data printing to create new solutions or to augment existing ones. His advice to printers looking at digital labels is firstly to define their objective – in terms of presses, consumables, embellishment, converting equipment, workflow and human resources. In relation to technology, he says: “There are entrylevel solutions which really allow you to capture up to 90 per cent of all enduse applications.” Xeikon’s offerings include the Panther range, comprising the entrylevel PX2000 and the PX3000. The Cheetah range includes the CX3, offering faster running speed, lower operating costs and flexibility to meet complex customer demands, while the CX500 suits larger sized labels, and those requiring opaque white or extended gamut. For micro-runs of 100 labels or less, Xeikon offers the Jetrion 4900M and 4950LX LED label presses.

Several factors are driving growth and demand for digitally printed labels, explains Konica Minolta’s Tatjana Ferguson, the company’s Industrial Print and Wide Format product marketing manager. “Manufacturers fight for market share and consumer attention – and the ability to offer personalisation and customisation for short-term product promotions and marketing campaigns is quick, easy and cost effective for short-to-medium label production,” Ferguson says. “The demand for variable data and bespoke or customised solutions that will get consumer attention continues to experience growth. Product compliance and statutory labelling regulations for food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets can require frequent changes to information presented on labels and are driving digital label demand.” Ferguson says a broad range of industries are serviced with digitally printed labels nowadays. These include food and beverage; cosmetics and pharmaceuticals; industrial; manufacturing; chemical and safety labelling, and event or special occasion labels. We asked her if she thought the increasing complexity of products, with multiple versions and smaller boutique brands, are creating demand for shorter variably printed runs of labels. “Absolutely – there has been a large shift to VDP (variable data printing) and customisation. The print industry has seen a continued shift from massproduction of static print to an everincreasing demand for small runs of digital print, down to individual runs of one. VDP is the essential prerequisite for customisation. “There is increasing demand for Continued on page 42 www.sprinter.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.

FOCUS DIGITAL LABELS Continued from page 40

variability of text and images to personalise documents and interactive print (QR codes, augmented reality and so on) that enables print to play a role in an online sales cycle.” Konica Minolta entered the label market with its bizhub PRESS C71cf in mid-2016, followed by the release of the AccurioLabel 190. Then in August 2019, came the launch of the AccurioLabel 230 fullcolour label printing system, notes Ferguson. The AccurioLabel 230 – one of the stars of Konica Minolta’s stand at Labelexpo Europe in Brussels in September 2019 – offers additional features and enhancements and is suited to those looking for added capability or those moving into digital production wanting the technology’s productivity, stability and features that fuel critical thinking around business applications and profitability. Ferguson lists the AccurioLabel 230’s standout attributes as speed (the new label press will run at a faster speed of 23.4 m/min and 1000m continuously); quality (high-quality print jobs across digital production and substrates); no time-wasting warmups (the press’s fuser will be kept warm for up to 30 minutes between jobs); overprinting (it can overprint on pre-printed media); and better registration (an inbuilt speed detector for media feeding helps printers further reduce paper waste). Terry Crawford, business development manager, Professional Print Solutions, at Epson Australia, identifies food and beverage, alcoholic beverages, household products and industrial and pharmaceutical as the main areas of demand for digitally printed labels. “Services they are looking for include fast turnaround and purchasing just enough labels to fulfil their short-run orders,” Crawford says. “They avoid ordering and holding too much label stock as they don’t want to be caught with redundant

42 ProPrint February 2020

labels because one vital component changes, such as the raw ingredient in a grocery item or a legislation change governing a product.” Crawford says the SurePress L-6534VW is a versatile platform that can ably service the growing labels market. “At LabelExpo 2019 Epson unveiled its latest UV inkjet label press, the SurePress L-6534VW, which delivers printers and converters a versatile platform to service the growing durable label markets that include industrial, health & beauty, pharmaceutical and FMCG,” Crawford says. “The SurePress L-6534VW offers high productivity, high density white and a unique digital varnish that provides value-added printing capabilities.” Crawford finds it is very common to print multiple versions of a label for the one type of product. An example would be pre-cut ready-to-eat fruit which uses the same label design and applied to a common container, however the image and text is changed using VDP to match the contents. “For companies looking to diversify and invest in narrow-format digital label printing equipment, the choice of which technology should it invest in calls for rigorous due diligence,” Crawford says. “The three main technologies used today for digitally printed labels are inkjet, dry toner/electrophotography (EP) and liquid toner electrophotography (LEP). Not one technology can cover all the bases in terms of material compatibility, adhesion, durability, food safety, and so forth. However, industry experts predict inkjet will become the dominant choice for companies due to lower running costs, versatility and proven reliability.” Epson’s entry-level production press is the SurePress L-4533AW which is an aqueous resin inkjet press, an

Epson Australia presents an array of static and variableprint label solutions as seen here

affordable and versatile solution for short runs and smaller print volumes. Aqueous resin inks can print on a wide variety of substrates without precoating. The aqueous pigments are resin coated and are cured by a dual drying system, making them durable and water-fast on both synthetic and paper materials. They are also well suited to textured papers as inkjet printing is a non-contact technology which maintains texture fidelity, explains Crawford. The L-4533AW can achieve up to 91 per cent of the Pantone range using a wide CMYK + orange and green colour gamut, with the addition of white ink to allow printing onto clear, metallic and coloured material. It also has a variable web width of 80-333mm meaning material costs can be saved by not having to print onto 330mm-wide material all the time. “The SurePress L-4533AW is very easy to operate, and once a job is set up, operators can attend to other tasks while it is printing. The SurePress www.sprinter.com.au

DIGITAL LABELS FOCUS

L-4533AW is the fourth-generation of the successful platform, with over 300 installations worldwide, and has proven to be a reliable, versatile, shortrun label production press,” Crawford says. Mark Daws, Director – Labels and Packaging ANZ at Currie Group, says the need to frequently and rapidly refresh content is driving the industry’s embrace of narrow-web digital as the key to printing labels for FMCG (fast moving consumer goods), healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Daws points to changes in consumer behaviour and market trends that are prompting brands to adapt and evolve, constantly looking for ways to save money, accelerate time to market, and engage better with consumers. For labels and packaging converters, this translates into a dramatic shift from traditional long runs to short runs and new long runs, consisting of multiple SKUs, brand protection features and variable data. He says HP Indigo, with its innovative 6900 digital narrow-web press, allows converters to seize on growth opportunities by enabling them to print a versatile array of content in the most productive manner and at the highest quality. “As millennials quickly move frontand-centre into becoming the largest consumer demographic, label technologies need to find new ways to enhance packaging to appeal to this market segment, says Daws. “The need to frequently refresh content and launch new SKUs to market makes digital the ideal narrow-web platform.”

HP Indigo is reporting significant market success with its 6900 press, which provides creative solutions that enable converters to generate any narrow-format label, flexible packaging, sleeve, IML (in-mould labelling), wraparound labels or folding cartons job, with easy and quick changeovers. The 6000 series enables printing of any label, at any run-length, in a simpler, more productive and profitable way. Daws says the press supports the widest range of media in digital production, such as synthetic and 12-450 micron paper substrates. It can also print on pre-optimised substrates or any off-the-shelf media using the inline primer. It also supports ecocertified substrates and environmentally friendly primers, varnishes and adhesives. Peter Scott, managing director of Screen GP Australia, says demand segments have shifted from small run and trial marketing labels into mainstream label production across five ‘prime’ sectors – FMCG, food, beverages, pharmaceutical and personal care. “The explosion of mid-micro manufacturing such as craft beers, gins and preserves is certainly a factor in the secondary label sector; as are chemicals and safety labels – they all benefit from digital’s ability to produce quality, embellished labels with rapid turnarounds, in small or large quantities and with variable data.” He sees label producers now having the ability to take on a wide range of orders, no matter how small. “With no plates and little makeready time

Continued on page 44 www.sprinter.com.au

February 2020 ProPrint 43

FOCUS DIGITAL LABELS Continued from page 43

The print path on Konica Minolta’s AccurioLabel 230 full-colour label printing system Screen’s Truepress Jet L350UV SAI edition

needed, digital enables a nimble, responsive customer engagement that sits comfortably alongside flexo, offset and hybrid label production. Converting technology tuned to digital, whether inline or near-line, has also been a contributing factor. “Virtually all label producers have a digital production capability of some kind. Typically, this accounts for between ten and 20 per cent of their revenues and growing at a faster rate than mainstream non-digital production,” Scott says. “For these established producers, they should look at digital presses that enable speeds of 30 linear metres per minute and upwards, white ink is essential, and they need reliability of service and high up-time. “The digital press and converting/ finishing lines need to be built up to flexo/offset/gravure standards. For new entrants, the answer is clear – start with digital and build up to flexo or hybrid production if the demand rises but it is very hard to break into the major brand label market unless you are well established in conventional production already.” Scott says Screen’s Truepress Jet L350UV series has proven very popular and reliable, with many

customers installing a second, third or even a fourth line. Screen’s latest version, the soon-to-be-released L350 SAI, “ticks all the boxes for serious digital label production”. The SAI model – showcased at Labelexpo in Brussels in September 2019 – represents the latest advances in the L350 series since its introduction in 2014. The suffix ‘SAI’ means ‘Stability, Accuracy and Integration’ – with the word ‘sai’ also meaning ‘colourful’ in Japanese. Scott says this is a major step for digital label production as additional slots for printheads are onboard, meaning orange, blue and white inks can be added to the wide-gamut CMYK ink set. Colour management has been developed in collaboration with German graphic colour developer CGS. Four scalable variants of the L350 SAI will be available, E for entrylevel, S for Standard and the flagship Z model for the highest speed of 80 linear metres per hour. There will soon be an LM version using lowmigration inks specifically for food packaging applications. LM inks are already available for the current L350UV presses. With Heidelberg and Gallus now

integrating, Heidelberg ANZ offers the Gallus Labelfire, which combines the latest digital printing technology with the benefits of conventional printing and further processing technology. Jointly developed by Gallus and Heidelberg, the digital inline label printing system features a printing module with state-of-the-art inkjet printing heads. The strengths of digital printing combined with inline finishing processes that have been specially optimised for digital printing enable the Gallus Labelfire to varnish, embellish and further process labels inline – from the roll to the finished die-cut label – in a single production operation. The Labelfire now comes with a digital embellishment unit, an upgrade released at Labelexpo in 2019, enabling cold foiling and varnishing, with CMYK seven-colour plus white. Gallus has also launched its Labelmaster press, in basic and advanced versions, with over 100 sold globally. The Labelmaster features a print bar, for printing one specific ink digitally, and a rotary diecutting unit that automatically changes to a completely different die cylinder within the timeframe of one minute. PP

Predictions Trevor Crowley, ANZ sales manager, Xeikon: “Looking at the population of Australia, 20 million people, spread over such a vast continent, it is a given that the market will shift to digitally printed labels.” Tatjana Ferguson, Industrial Print and Wide Format product marketing manager, Konica Minolta: “Label presses will become faster, better and more economical. In addition, we also expect to see growth in demand for further differentiation and value-add with digital label embellishment in the Australian market.” 44 ProPrint February 2020

Terry Crawford, business development manager, Professional Print Solutions, Epson Australia: “This year FINAT [the European association for the self-adhesive label industry] reported digital label press purchases overtook conventional label press purchases in Europe for the first time and we believe this trend will follow in Australia and New Zealand.” Mark Daws, Director - Labels & Packaging ANZ, Currie Group: “Print quality and versatility to respond to market challenges, optimising the supply chain and accelerating time-to-market will be three challenges for label printers.”

Peter Scott, managing director, Screen GP Australia: “There are very few certainties in printing but one is the growth in digital production. There are benefits for the producer, the customer and the environment, with little or no waste, no prepress chemicals or plates and few emissions.” Richard Timson, CEO, Heidelberg ANZ: “Label printers are busy and looking for new opportunities. It’s quite exciting, if you compare them to some offset companies that are lacking capacity and consolidating. It’s a great spot for us to be in, especially now with Heidelberg and Gallus coming together in our offerings.” www.sprinter.com.au

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TECHNOLOGY

printIQ workflow offers a reliable single source of truth printIQ’s Management Workflow System can handle everything from quotes, jobs and outsourcing through to inventory, purchasing and shipping.

he printIQ Management Workflow System (MWS) is based on years of experience in print shops of all sizes. The printIQ team select the best practices to create workflows that support the manufacturing of commercial, label, packaging, wide format and signage applications. The MWS is also integrated with popular tools including Chili Publish, Enfocus Switch, Esko, HP Box, Hubspot, Infigo and XMPie, to name a few. With printIQ you get the online portal straight out-of-the-box, as standard functionality, and it allows online orders to hit production as soon as the order is confirmed by the customer. Integration is often rated as one of the biggest frustrations with IT systems, so this definitely makes good sense. This plus a number of other points of difference have lead printIQ to become a key player in the industry in Australia and overseas. The printIQ workflow offers a reliable single source of truth about every job accepted for production and if you pair this with a Software-as-aService (SaaS) model, the cost to bring the solution in-house and operate it effectively brings modern tools

Adam Hexter demonstrating at Labelexpo Brussels

without severely impacting capital. With a cloud-based infrastructure, multiple third-party integrations, and a development team focused on the future of print, printIQ offers a compelling case for change. The IQ team works with global industry leaders to gain insights into the needs of each segment. An important part of staying industryrelevant is attending trade shows and industry events. printIQ product director Mick Rowan and various team members spend large parts of the year attending and exhibiting at various industry events. “Brainstorming with industry leaders is an incomparable opportunity to see where the industry is heading and where printIQ can

make the greatest impact,” Rowan said. 2019 was a huge year for printIQ with the team attending events in Australia, North America and Asia and opening a new US headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, all while continuing to expand into Europe. The team also exhibited at Dscoop in Spain, LabelExpo in Brussels while also appearing on the HP stand in Brussels. A new UK office was opened in Aylesbury, with space for client training and dedicated printIQ Europe staff. 2020 will be a busy year for printIQ with a HP summit and masterclass in Israel in March along with Dscoop in Orlando. In April, printIQ will attend the Flexo Tech Association Infoflex show in Columbus, Ohio. “All roads lead to drupa in Dusseldorf this June, where we’ll be presenting for the very first time,” Rowan said. “This will be a fantastic opportunity to get together with some of our global staff and showcase our best in class MWS to the biggest movers and shakers in the print industry.” The team will round out the year with Labelexpo America in September and Printing United in Atlanta in October.

CPCneutek CPC has now been working with the printIQ MWS for over a year and they’re enjoying the relationship they’ve built with the IQ team. According to Mandy Arellano, Operations Manager at CPCneutek, “We have time savings during estimating, job entry and billing, along with fewer questions requiring clarification from the production staff. We are very happy with our move to printiQ”.

Ryerson University printlQ has also partnered with Ryerson University’s School of Graphic Communications Management program in Toronto. The school, in the modern high-tech Heidelberg Centre, is Canada’s only degree-granting program for the printing industries. Christopher Kular, a professor at the school, says: “All of my students were able to grasp the concepts of calculating the cost of consumables, hourly rates and production capabilities. I’ve used a couple of different MIS products over the years, but the printlQ MWS proved to be the most comprehensive and yet the easiest to use and understand.”

Fuzed Fuzed is one of the top print service providers in New Zealand and according to Matt Mills, general manager at Fuzed, “With printIQ we can log in anywhere in the world, track jobs online, and manage the entire project from estimating all the way through to invoicing. That kind of efficiency allows us to focus on what we do best: printing award-winning projects.”

Courtney Colour Courtney Colour has been a long time printIQ customer and according to Aldo Burcheri, director at Courtney, they’ve been happy with the outcome. “Since our implementation, we have diversified in many areas and printIQ has been able to facilitate each stage of our growth. printIQ is now an integral part of our business and has helped in automating and streamlining our processes,” Burcheri said. 46 ProPrint February 2020

www.sprinter.com.au

DESIGN

DIGITAL

FLEXO

FULFILMENT

LABELS

MAIL

OFFSET

PACKAGING

Welcome to the future of print

A WISE PERSON AVOIDS IT A move to printIQ, and its cloud-based management workflow ecosystem, opens the door to transforming your plant into a well-oiled machine. Say goodbye to the islands of automation linked by spreadsheets, sticky notes, whiteboards and phone calls. Your workflow becomes the reliable single source of truth about every job accepted for production. printIQ - Far more than just an MIS.

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To be the best we work with the best

SIGNAGE

WIDE FORMAT

TECHNOLOGY

AccuraOnline now B2B and B2C Updates to the AccuraOnline MIS mean the portal is now functional in both B2B and B2C environments

ccuraOnline is the web-toprint and ecommerce module of the Accura MIS. Technology upgrades also now mean the AccuraOnline MIS can operate as both a B2B and B2C portal. Accura says that unlike other solutions, AccuraOnline offers seamless, realtime integration with the MIS all from one vendor. This means printers do not need IT, web designers and/or programmers to create unlimited web portals. AccuraOnline works directly from the MIS database meaning there is little to no setup and sites can be operational within hours – not days or weeks. This means no integration costs, no protracted timescales, and

no apis or xml files to handle. Site administration is done almost entirely within the MIS database – customer changes, new addresses, product pricing and images are all updated in one place – reducing the overhead of managing the sites and multiple databases.

AccuraOnline: seamless, real-time integration with the MIS

AccuraOnline is a comprehensive B2B and B2C portal with full client branding, quoting, orders, storefront, proofing, live-stock levels and built-in artwork editing to imposed cameraready PDF artwork. From login, users can access their restricted data, both current and historical for online and offline orders. PDF proofing workflow enables customers to view, annotate and approve proofs, and those changes are synchronised back to the MIS in realtime automatically. Printers who store/warehouse stock for clients can manage this with ease, as live stock balances are displayed for the customer, who can then create a shopping basket of items for submission and picking by the printer. AccuraOnline is also mobileresponsive. Everything is pure HTML5 so can be accessed from any device. Artwork editing tools allow creation or editing of templates for self-proofing and submission as hi-res PDF artwork. Alternatively, customers may upload their own artwork files, which are attached to the order in the MIS seamlessly.

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

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February 2020 ProPrint 49

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erly Formman THEXTON ENGINEERING Pty Ltd Bray phic Ph Keith 03 9555 4753 Fax 03 9555 4753 Gra eers Email: thexton@thextoneng.com.au n Engi Web site: www.thextoneng.com.au

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February 2020 ProPrint 51

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February 2020 ProPrint 53

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Graffica Pty Ltd February 2020 ProPrint 55 Phone +61 477 200 854 I Email grafficapl@bigpond.com I Visit Us www.graffica.com.au www.sprinter.com.au

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printing companies Australia NZ. products and services to the printing and Since 2006to GRAPH-PAK PTY LTD has in delivered high&quality packaging industries in Australia & New Zealand. Our mission is to provide advanced reliable and functional equipment

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Digital Finishing Solutions by THERM-O-TYPE Glue-Tech SHEE T-T O - SHEE T GL UING •Eliminates expensive cohesive papers •Paper type, color and size flexibility •Up to 1,500 sheets per hour •Full color touch screen interface • Produces thick printed products • Uses eco-friendly water soluble glues • Cost effective

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THERM-O-TYPE is proud to announce the introduction of the Glue -Tech model SA -1420 sheet-to-sheet gluer. Glue-Tech is a unique sheet-to-sheet gluing machine which provides customers with an efficient and cost effective method of producing thick printed products. Glue-Tech eliminates the need to use expensive cohesive papers or slow and labor intensive manual gluing when producing thick products. Glue-Tech features include: a touch screen computer control, 14” x 20” maximum sheet size, 13.5” capacity offset press style air feeder and full length registration table for the bottom sheets, top sheets are handfed into a loading tray, precise glue application, accurate registration between the top and bottom sheets, top and bottom sheet position sensors, glue level sensor and pump, vacuum clean up system and a throughput speed of up to 1,500 glued sets per hour.

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The NSF Excel can be used to flat foil stamp, blind and foil emboss, die cut and HSFF (high speed foil fusing). The Excel is one of three press models produced by THERM-O-TYPE. • Up to 5,500 impressions per hour • Windows 10 computer control with touch screen interface • Store and recall set up information for up to 500 programs • Step and repeat up to eight positions per sheet • Dual programmable foil draw • High capacity feeder with pre -load feature • Impression pressure adjustment • Optional: inline waste stripping attachment

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56 ProPrint February 2020

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Michael Davis 0419 534 560

For details please call Michael Davis 0419 For details please call534 For details please call560 Michael Davis 0419 Michael Davis534 0419560 534 560

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Did you know that D&D Mailing Services is the largest plastic wrapping company in Australia and one of the largest mailing companies operating nationally? Why you should use 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 Wrap your magazine in Biowrap – exclusive to D&D Mailing Services:  Invented and patented at D&D Mailing Services  Designed specifically for wrapping magazines  Strong waterproof and degradable when exposed to water and oxygen

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February 2020 ProPrint 61

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Bay Series Envelopes since 1892.

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64 ProPrint February 2020

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February 2020 ProPrint 65

POST SCRIPT FRANK ROMANO

Marketing print

nock. Knock. Need any printing today? This is the over-simplified sales approach many printers apply. The real issue is that many printing services have never been very good at marketing. And marketing is different from sales. Marketing is the process of interesting potential customers and clients in your products and/or services. “Process” is the key word here. Marketing involves researching, promoting, selling and distributing your products or services. When the internet came along, printing services created websites and they were all pretty much the same: a picture of their building and a list of major equipment. And even with social media, I see occasional “sale today on brochures” posts. Traditionally, printing services have a sales contingent. Many printers tell me that they are only one salesperson away from great success. Sales staff canvas for new customers and service existing customers. The challenge today is finding new customers. Every business is a potential customer and they all need some kind of printing. I recall a printing company that had three “divisions” ¬ quick printing, commercial printing and specialty printing. There were three entrances to the building, one for each division. But when you entered, it was all one plant but each division had a separate identity and promoted itself separately. It all starts with compiling a database

Marketing paves the way for sales 66 ProPrint February 2020

of potential customers. This is the hard part and one of the things that the sales force should focus on as they make their sales calls. One never knows who makes the decision for purchasing print within a large organisation. I once analysed the print purchasing of a large insurance company and examined every print invoice. But they did not add up to the estimated print spend. I discovered that some departments did not like buying from the lowest bidder so they had the graphic designers acquire the print and integrate it with the design invoice. No one person buys print; you have to hunt them down one by one. The database is the key to marketing. It allows targeted direct mail, and as you acquire email information, it assists with communication and social media. Today, you need every possible communications channel. Social media should create engagement and dialogue. The website should highlight unique projects. Direct mail should demonstrate the power of personalised communication. It is not about what equipment you have; it is what that equipment can do. Emphasise samples both in person and virtually. There was once an explorer who wanted to visit a remote jungle of headhunters. He supposedly air dropped many small photos of himself and said he was later greeted as a god. This may be a myth but the idea is valid: marketing prepares the way for sales. Marketing begins before you make the sales call. Communicating a “sample of the month” is always a good idea. Back in the 1960s and 1970s paper suppliers published newsletters, magazines and brochures that offered “inspiration” for printers and print buyers. They demonstrated the use of photography, colour and special effects. Today we often use the computer to show print. Hopefully, the screen image entices the viewer to want to see the real thing. As home and online printing absorb much of the “bread and butter” printing of two decades ago, it is important to demonstrate how print can engage the recipient and motivate them for an action. Today, marketers are putting their budgets into social media, but print has its place. And marketing helps to define that place.

Q&A Ben Newberry, director, TK Print How did you get into printing? The old school way. I saw an an ad in the paper for a sales and marketing trainee and thought that was me. First job in the industry and when? My first job was for a company called Custom Press in 2000. I met some great people and learnt an incredible amount and that is where I first started to fall in love with it. What do you love about printing? There isn’t one thing in particular. For me it is about working with clients that have also become friends so it doesn’t feel like work. I love bringing great designs to life and achieving what others don’t believe they can. Dream holiday destination? Anywhere with my family. I had an amazing time in Hawaii on honeymoon. Three people you would love to have dinner with? Richard Branson – I love his charisma plus he would be a handy bloke to be mates with; ScoMo – what is happening with Australia Post really irritates me, it’s not just hurting our industry and our suppliers, it’s hurting ALL businesses; Robbie Williams – similar to Branson but would love to hear a few stories. If you didn’t work in printing what would you be doing? In sales somewhere, I love the interaction with others and providing results. Island time: Hawaii is one of Ben Newberry’s favourite places to unwind with family.

Do you have any unusual habits? My wife and guys at work would say yes but none really come to mind. How do you unwind after a busy week? I love my sport, I play a few social sports and also love to watch something with a coldy in hand! Favourite sport and team? Definitely the AFL. I watch all games but mostly go for the Crows. In summer enjoy going to Strikers games. Favourite movie? Shawshank Redemption – first movie to give me a blindside. www.sprinter.com.au

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