Fujifilm Energy vol5 iss1

Page 1


VOL. 5, ISSUE 1 • WINTER 2015

2

6 The edge of tomorrow

Fujifilm’s innovative solutions equate to success at Direct Edge Media

1

Your moment

16

The right stuff

8 As the industry turns

5 ways the pressroom has changed

William Rongey Editor > wrongey@fujifilm.com

Why FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals are a printer’s best friend

WWW.FUJIFILMENERGY.COM

Doing more with less (or more)

Why the Xerox Versant 2100 is the press for you

A letter from Todd Zimmerman

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST. SIGN UP HERE.

12

ENERGY is published quarterly by FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division Copyright 2015 All rights reserved www.fujifilmgraphics.com

Press: Komori LS 840 Plates: Fujifilm LH-PL thermal plates Screening: Fujifilm Co-Res Screening Coating: 5157A “Glitter Ice” UV Coating, 5296D Imprintable Gloss UV Coating, 9016 Contrast Varnish, 9017 Reticulating UV Varnish Inks: Outside covers: UV 4/c Process Inside covers & body: Conventional 4/c Process, Satin Aqueous Coating


A LETTER FROM TODD ZIMMERMAN

Your moment

W

elcome to your moment – a moment in time that just may determine the next step to take to succeed in the future. Sound ominous? In the last several years, we have seen change weave into the fabric of our lives in the same manner that technology has become a part of our world. Change in the print industry is no exception. We need to adapt to these changes to succeed.

It is easy to let our minds drift to simpler times when things moved far slower than they do in today’s fast paced world. The speed of change has reached a frenetic pace and can make us nervous about keeping up. At Fujifilm, we have learned that as long as we keep up with our customers’ changing needs, we will never have to worry about falling behind. We believe this is the moment for both of us. In fact, we believe that they’re all your moments as long as we focus on you. Being close to our customers, combined with great communication, allows us to adapt to everything. In other words, our sustainability and future success is cemented in Fujifilm’s relationship with our customers. That makes our moments your moments. We are very proud to share the moment with our first issue of Energy in 2015. The cover article, “Watershed Moment,” delves into what factors will lead to success. With compelling insights from industry stalwarts, we think this article provides some unique perspective on what it takes to achieve sustainable results in the year ahead.

We believe this is the moment for both of us. In fact, we believe that they’re all your moments as long as we focus on you.

Our second feature, “As the industry turns: 5 ways the pressroom has changed,” reveals the change that has taken place within pressroom over the last 10 years. While we are striving to move forward, sometimes it is healthy to reflect over what change we have all incorporated into our lives. When we see how much the pressroom has changed, it reminds us how well we have adapted and prepares us at this moment.

We hope you enjoy the latest issue or our award-winning magazine, and look forward to serving you in 2015 by helping you capture the moment.

Todd Zimmerman Senior Vice President and General Manager FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division

ENERGY

1


2

ENERGY


ENERGY

3


WATERSHED MOMENT

Perhaps it was not as challenging as journeying through a wormhole and exploring a distant solar system (Interstellar), but in 1804, when Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led a successful expedition west into uncharted lands, it was a big deal. Some say it was an exploration feat at least as remarkable as landing a man on the moon. It was a watershed moment (literally and metaphorically), as Lewis and his party trekked to the top of Lemhi Pass and crossed the Continental Divide. Behind him to the east was the great watershed of the Atlantic, and ahead, the unknown perils of the Pacific watershed. His next bold steps westward marked the beginning of United States expansion into the West. Many business leaders say the landscape for printers today is a lot like the American frontier of the 1800s. “It’s the Wild West for printers – lots of opportunities for the intrepid, but threats lurk from every canyon wall,” says Mike Thornton, president of Progress Printing Plus, one of the nation’s largest, privately held printing companies.

It’s the Wild West for printers – lots of opportunities for the intrepid, but threats lurk from every canyon wall.

Perhaps printers aiming for success in this new frontier can benefit from a few lessons from the journals of Lewis and Clark:

1. Good Relationships

Lewis and Clark and their handpicked, trusty Corps of Discovery team did not ride into the west with their guns blazing. They encountered more than 50 different Native American tribes along their journey, met them “with kind resolve,” and established friendships and mutually beneficial trade relationships with many of them.

Thornton notes that good relationships also are essential to the success of his company, which serves a coast-to-coast client base of nearly 700. “We align ourselves with the right resources and hang tight with them. We’re as good as our clients, our teams, and our suppliers – success breeds success. We want to surround ourselves with ‘power supplier/partners’ who are as committed to the future of this industry as we are – folks who are making the investments to remain ‘power suppliers’ and who are absolutely committed for the long haul, folks who want us to be successful, and whom we can trust to work with us toward that goal,” Thornton says. “You have to trust those around you.” The trust that Lewis and Clark bestowed upon a young Native American woman, Sacagawea, was crucial to their success. She served as a guide and interpreter, and helped them broker a deal with the Shoshone tribe for much-needed horses. “They knew where they wanted to go, but Sacagawea showed them the way to get there, much like a great CEO,” says Jim Grew, an expert in executive leadership and CEO-level strategy.

– Mike Thornton, President, 2. Short-Term Tactics and Long-term Goals Progress Printing Plus Grew says that success requires a framework that includes shortterm tactics and long-term goals. “In the absence of that, failure is likely, because this industry is going through huge change.” As Lewis and Clark inched their way westward, they regularly encountered unforeseen challenges – changing terrain, waterfalls, grizzlies and blizzards. So they continually had to try new tactics, improvise and innovate to keep heading west and achieve their overall mission. Miles of formidable snow-covered mountains between them and the Columbia River meant they must abandon their boat – after more than a year of traveling against the Missouri’s current – and secure alternative transportation – the Shoshone’s horses. 4

ENERGY


Likewise making adjustments and adapting with an innovative mindset are essential for navigating today’s changing landscape. “We will continue to ‘fight tooth and nail’ for every inch of ground that we continue to occupy in the age of digital media dominance,” Thornton says. Thornton believes that incremental thinking is essential to succeed in today’s evolving marketplace. “We’re building upon business platforms that have served to ‘get us here’ and that are still generating the lion’s share of our revenue streams. Those platforms cannot usually just be blown away and a new one set in its place. Incremental and prudent movement toward our goals – with an absolute ear to the ground for what our customers are saying/asking/doing – is critical for success.”

Success requires change, and everyone is afraid of it. You won’t succeed if you are too afraid of taking chances and failing. – Management consultant Jim Grew

4. Courage

Just after beginning the trek up the Missouri, Lewis and Clark stopped to explore the 300-foot-tall sandstone cliffs that rose along the side of the river. Near the top, Lewis slipped and started sliding down the side of the cliff. “He saved himself by the assistance of his knife,” Clark wrote. Presumably, Lewis drove it into a crevice to break his fall before plunging to the bottom. A fall like that could have ended his life, but he didn’t sit safely in the boat afraid of another misstep. Instead Lewis (who Thomas Jefferson referred to as a man of undaunted courage) often went ashore exploring alone and consequently succeeded in documenting more than 100 new animals and 178 plants while blazing a trail to the Pacific. “Success requires change, and everyone is afraid of it. You won’t succeed if you are too afraid of taking chances and failing,” says Grew, who has worked at 23 companies at the executive level. Thornton, whose company has been evolving since they were founded in 1962, notes that change is certain and nothing lasts forever. “Today’s success is tomorrow’s challenge. Take nothing for granted and never rest on any laurels. Operate with a thankful heart every day, and trust those around you. Be deliberate. Be disciplined. Keep calm and continue printing.”

3. The Right Tools and Gear

The Lewis and Clark expedition carried more than two tons of provisions, including a variety of tools and gear that were essential to their mission. They utilized a number of navigational tools common in their day – sextant, octant, chronometer – and a surveying compass. While primitive compared to today’s global positioning systems, the tools enabled the Corps of Discovery to assess where they were at any given time and create detailed charts and fairly accurate maps for future us e. (Clark’s final map of their trail is accurate w i t hin 4 0 mil e s , though it spans a distance of nearly 8,0 0 0 mile s). Likewise, printers must have the optimal tools and gear to accomplish their mission.

ENERGY

5


CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

S

ince 2001, Direct Edge Media, which quickly has grown to be

one of the larger print providers in Southern California, proudly owns and operates many Fujifilm innovations, including the

Acuity Select HS X2, the Uvistar Pro-8, and the recently installed Inca Onset Q40i with white.

“I believe in partnering with someone that can really satisfy our growth,” says Ryan Brueckner, CEO, Direct Edge Media. “Fujifilm has the supply chain, the distribution, and can support any vertical we decide to go after. We looked at many competitors, and they just do not have the innovation. It’s been a great decision to be a long-time Fujifilm customer.” “We are in growth-mode, and our success is due to the technology we offer,” says Ryan Clark, President, Direct Edge Media. While in college, Brueckner and Clark worked together at a photo lab. Fast forward to the pair while in their early 20s, working with photo equipment in their own shop, all the while envisioning their journey, the future that lies ahead. Hard work and persistence has paid-off. They are progressively and successfully navigating Direct Edge Media into the next generation of wide format and beyond. Years ago, the business partners bought their first Fujifilm Acuity Select flatbed.

6

ENERGY

We went from two beds an hour with our old press to 15 beds with the Acuity Select. A few years later we acquired the Acuity Select HS X2 to keep-up with our workload. – Ryan Brueckner, CEO, Direct Edge Media


“It was a big deal for us,” Brueckner says. “We went from two beds an hour with our old press to 15 beds with the Acuity Select. A few years later we acquired the Acuity Select HS X2 to keep-up with our workload.” Their impressive line-up of clients, many of which have been with them since the doors opened, include hightech industries, well-known national retailers, museums, non-profits, colleges and the health care industry; and collectively, Clark says, they have an appreciation for excellence, creativity and results. Clients have become friends, and invitations to client-related weddings are the norm.

We are managing jobs for other area print providers because they don’t have the capability to print high end white. – Ryan Clark, President, Direct Edge Media After a major North American client visited their shop and saw the high quality output of the Inca Onset Q40i, a request was made for all their work to be printed on the Q40i. “Their jobs have increased over 40 percent because they were so impressed by the Inca Onset Q40i; the bed to bed registration is pretty remarkable,” Brueckner says. “The white on the Inca Onset Q40i is amazing,” adds Clark. “We are managing jobs for other area print providers because they don’t have the capability to print high end white. We’ve added a second shift to keep up with demand.” Upon installing their Uvistar Pro-8 two years ago, it runs at least 16 hours a day, and they have no regrets. “The Uvistar wants to run, it just runs,” Brueckner says. “We have yet to empty the waste tank, because there is no waste, at all. It’s a solid machine.”

L-R, Jim Hudgens, COO; Nick Oshiro, Director of Print Operations; Ryan Brueckner, CEO; and Ryan Clark, President, proudly stand in front of their facility in Orange, California. A well-known client, popular for its West Coast inspired product line, requested signage for its stores across the country to be printed on four-thousand linear yards of raw, natural canvas. Direct Edge enlisted the Uvistar Pro-8, printing in two-pass with the free fall system, and successfully completed the job in four days. “The Uvistar Pro-8 literally saved our lives, it was amazing,” Clark says. Direct Edge Media focuses on forward thinking, skillfully blending the latest technological advances with highly trained and passionate people. Brueckner and Clark are proud to build mutually profitable relationships with their clients, while exceeding expectations. “In this business you must do a great job, and truly be sincere and honest with people,” concludes Clark.

ENERGY

7


AS THE INDUSTRY TURNS 5 ways the pressroom has changed

8

ENERGY


I

t’s another week on the road for Charles Edwards. As owner and president of Mid-Atlantic Printers in Altavista, Va., his current journey finds him weaving in and out of the mountains of North Carolina to visit some customers in Wilmington and Raleigh. Life on the road is something that Edwards knows all too well. In an industry that has seen its share of changes over the past 10 years, he knows that building and keeping relationships is vitally important to the bottom line.

The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking. – Albert Einstein

ENERGY

9


AS THE INDUSTRY TURNS

These days, his trips aren’t all about prospective and current customers. Every once in a while, Edwards visits one of the other printing companies that Mid-Atlantic has partnered with on the digital and wide-format side of the business. While the 90-year-old printing company built its reputation on that “oneproject-at-a-time” approach, these are different days. Ask Edwards, and his answer is honest: The methods, equipment and requirements of yesterday simply are insufficient today. Printing jobs that used to be scheduled for a week or more now are produced in as little as a day or two. The partnerships help Mid-Atlantic keep up with the proven technologies that can give its customers what they need, when they need it.

In the same way that the scribes gave way to Gutenburg, we should always be looking for the next innovation.

“Innovation is at the forefront of what we do on a daily basis,” says Gina Deschamps, owner and VP of business development for Deschamps Printing and Marketing Solutions in Salem, Mass. “We are always looking for ways to be more automated, thus giving us the ability to meet the ever-changing landscape of what our customers need. But printing remains a craft, so the need to understand how a project comes together is even more crucial in this age of automation. Printers need to reinvest in the technology side of our business in order to stay competitive.” As the industry continues to evolve, some say the look of the pressroom could change again in the next five years. “Greater efficiency and better quality are always an innovative idea away,” says John Shadden, owner and CEO Starkey Printing Company in Chattanooga, Tenn. “In the same way that the scribes gave way to Gutenburg we should always be looking for the next innovation.” In the myriad ways the printing services industry has changed over the last five to 10 years, Energy thought it would be interesting to look at five ways today’s pressrooms are different today.

– John Shadden, Starkey Printing Company Innovated manufacturers continue to create newer and better ways to meet the ever-changing requirements of today’s customers. The times, as the old saying so boldly proclaims, are indeed changing. The press room has, by purpose and necessity, become more efficient through advancements in technology, streamlining the production process from setups to make ready, from faster press runs to less employees needed to complete a run. In addition, the financial challenges over the last few years have created leaner workforces that have learned how to churn out the work in an effort to tap into the efficiencies of new equipment and squeeze out profits. “It is all about changing with an industry that’s changing,” Edwards says. “Honestly, it has been difficult to make the adjustments we needed to make, but we did it. There was no other choice. Our mission is to grow, and that means providing world-class quality and service to our customers through advanced technology, teamwork and meeting each of our customer’s unique needs.” Digital. Wide-Format. 3D. Big Data. Social. SEO. These are but a handful of the ways printers are doing business today. In a landscape where printing service providers (PSPs) are evolving into marketing services providers (MSPs), time is not a luxury any more. Where it was once protocol to take days to plate a complicated job, it must be done faster today. And if you cannot offer a bevy of solutions for your customers, you will not only lose money, but lose them as well. 10

ENERGY

#1 Digital Digital printing refers to methods of printing from a digitalbased image such as PDFs and from graphic software such as Illustrator and InDesign. This eliminates the need for a printing plate, which is used in offset printing, which can save money and time. Without the need to create a plate, digital printing has brought about fast turnaround times and printing on demand. Instead of having to print large, pre-determined runs, customers can request limited quantities. A larger percentage of jobs have a combination of offset and digital parts, which combine to create a more economical and relevant product.


#2 Variable Data With the increasing role of digital departments, today’s printers must have strategies to handle the data required for variable printing. Offering variable data printing is often key to obtaining and retaining customers. In the near future, pressrooms could integrate more variable data into every job on the press. It could become common to install a digital print head on an offset press to give it variable printing capacity.

#5 Prepress Advanced pre-press processes are driving today’s pressrooms. Innovations in prepress have helped printers manage the workflow and production schedules more efficiently and economically. This is where many of the innovations have happened. With being able to accept electronic media, dropping them into a workflow, use automated color management, move to digital proofing, and then to direct-to-plate has been an enormous improvement in the way printers operate. With these innovations pressrooms can streamline the printing process from start to finish with full control, furthermore bridging the gap between the prepress and production environment.

#3 Wide Format Wide format offers a whole new world of customers who may have other printing needs as well. From signage, banners, posters, trade show graphics and vehicle wraps, etc., traditional commercial printers are diversifying and stretching their capabilities by using wide format presses.

#4

More eco-conscious, faster and less waste. This is the mantra today, as more printing companies are becoming environmental stewards through paper, ink and the processes they use. More manufacturers and print providers are earning Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) chain-of-custody certifications. Some printers and suppliers are even turning to alternative energy sources, such as wind-power-generated electricity.

Production Automation (Workflow)

Manufacturing as a whole benefits when its processes are more automated – and printing is no exception. Automation uses software to control the print process, which helps eliminate repetitive tasks, gain efficiency, minimize errors and reduce costs. The more automation features a press has, the quicker the job gets done. Where printers used to turn a wrench each time they changed a plate and hand read a color bar, they now have automated features such as auto plate hangers and closed loop color. Translation: Jobs are done in less time with better registration and color consistency, and less waste. JDF (Job Definition Format) is another standard, that when fully adopted, will automate the information that passes between departments and vendors. While some larger printers have adopted the process, many smaller printers don’t have the resources to adopt it just yet. ENERGY

11


M

ore competition. Price wars. Internal cost reductions. Online distribution. In our ever-increasing competitive landscape, the rules of the game have changed for today’s printers. Look around, and you will see a market continually trending toward shorter runs and quicker turnarounds. More than anything else, your customers want to know how many jobs (and if theirs is at the front end of the queue) you can turn out in a shift or day. With the Xerox Versant 2100, printers can have printed quality that is even closer to offset quality. It really gives them the ability to have a high quality product go out the door faster than ever before.” – Mike Barry, product marketing manager, Digital Solutions, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division

12

ENERGY

The question for you is simple – Is it better to do more with less or more with more? It’s an honest (and interesting) question. Depending on your print shop, you may be focused on less, as in less cost in your everyday operations. Reduce your costs and you can be more competitive and stay in step with the always-fluctuating nature of the marketplace. Or, it might be about doing more than you did yesterday – if you do more, it helps differentiate your company from the one down the street.


The Xerox Versant 2100 delivers automation from beginning to end, allowing you to set up jobs faster, and provide outstanding and consistent color, and finishing versatility.

What if the answer was both? What if you could find a press that gives you the ability to do more with less and less with more? Regardless of which way you answered that question; it’s time to put the Xerox Versant 2100 press on your list. With manufacturing and R&D assistance from Fujifilm, the Xerox Versant 2100 is defined by its ability to provide more automation, more quality and more flexibility than anything on the market today.

And thanks to its automated image-to-media alignment function, you can replace the time-consuming and iterative procedure of having to print, measure and manually adjust individual settings. The Full Width Array, color management requires a number of time-consuming, productivity-reducing steps. With the automation of the Full Width Array, you can read test print values automatically, which allows you to easily create revised color calibration profiles.

Automation

Quality

The Xerox Versant 2100 delivers automation from beginning to end, allowing you to set up jobs faster, and provide outstanding and consistent color, and finishing versatility. Its Full Width Array inline sensor provides key functions that automate otherwise time-consuming setup tasks. These automated adjustments help operators ensure the system is ready for optimal performance before jobs start running, minimizing costly interruptions and maximizing performance.

When it comes to evaluating your printing capabilities over your competitors, turning the job around is just part of the equation. Many customers today are looking for quality. This is where the Versant can help give you an edge. Thanks to its Xerox Confident Color and Ultra HD Resolution, the Versant delivers new levels of sophistication to any print job. “The Ultra HD Resolution offers four times as many pixels, which is able to increase RIP resolution to 1200 x 1200 x 10-bit,” says Mike Barry, product marketing manager, Digital Solutions, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. “Ultra Smooth Gradients, 10-bit rendering and a new Stochastic screen optimize the Ultra HD Resolution experience. This helps provide even more customer-pleasing details.”

Here’s how the Xerox® Versant™ 2100 press can help streamline your operations: • Less waste – print in exact quantities

• Less downtime – Xerox Connect Advantage means more press availability • Improved efficiency – fewer steps and less operator intervention • Reduced turnaround times – less trial and error means jobs are produced and in your customers’ hands more quickly • Automated workflow – reduced labor costs and more accurate output

ENERGY

13


PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Flexibility

The concept of flexibility goes back to the “do more for less – more for more” philosophy. If your customers want more, you need your printing solutions to be more configurable, modular and flexible so that you can take on more jobs of greater variety. The Fiery EX and EX-P 2100 Print Servers have powerful features, such as Adobe PDF Print Engine support, that enable complex and impactful imaging on your press. And EX-P offers a HyperRIP with up to 40 percent more horsepower and performance, allowing you to process complex files like variable data print jobs in less time. In a time when the number of jobs on your to-do list increases daily, it takes more than just manpower to handle each. Enter the Xerox IntegratedPLUS Finishing Solution, which makes job preparation and finishing setup automatic. Xerox integrates a broad range of finishing options from its finishing partners to provide automation that keeps you productive while saving time and reducing costly errors. “With the Xerox Versant 2100, printers can have even closer offset quality than ever before,” Barry says. “It really gives them the ability to have a high quality product go out the door faster than ever before.”

14

ENERGY



SNAPSHOTS ON INNOVATION

What’s new with Fujifilm

THE RIGHT STUFF

Why FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals are a printer’s best friend Reliability. Consistency. These are the first two words that come to mind when you mention FUJIFILM Hunt to printers that have been in the throes of a deadline. In the competitive printing landscape, where the demand for quality is high and production time is shrinking – printers don’t necessarily have time to worry about the products utilized in a successful press run. Having the right products in place – from a vendor you can trust – can be the difference between missing, and meeting, a deadline. And when it comes to pressroom products, the first batch should be the same as the last – period. FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals products are chemically formulated for consistent runability, achieving a repeatable process with the turn of every cylinder. Innovative offerings include PressMax and Anchor fountain solutions containing calcium chelating agents to combat the occurrence of calcium plate binding introduced by paper substrates. Also includes aqueous coatings for digital and offset; three types of silicone emulsions to meet current finishing requirements: wax-free, additional wax for durability, and polymer-based product; and specialty auxiliary products such as plate cleaners and scratch removers. “At FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals, quality is every employee’s responsibility. Quality begins with the formulation and is maintained through manufacturing and packaging for not only a consistent, reliable product but to achieve a premium product,” said Lillian K. Janos, product manager, graphics markets, FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals USA, Inc. Ever since FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals acquired Anchor Products in 1998, and then merged into the Graphic Markets Group in 2002, FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals has been providing products that are formulated to run at lower water settings while maintaining a stable pH level. The product line can fulfill a large portion of pressroom consumables all coming from one place and meet the needs of various printers from all web UV printing to conventional sheetfed. The FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals line of products feature elements that help maintain consistent ink and water balance and commonly result in quicker restarts. Lower water settings naturally reduce ink consumption and quicker restarts reduce paper waste, thus reducing two of the most expensive consumables in the printing process – a major impact on the overall profitability of a print job. 16

ENERGY

At FUJIFILM Hunt, quality is every employee’s responsibility. Quality begins with the formulation and is maintained through manufacturing and packaging for not only a consistent, reliable product but to achieve a premium product. – Lillian K. Janos, product manager, graphics markets, FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals USA, Inc. “FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals products deliver consistency and reliability every day,” says Curt Carby, business development manager, CTP & Pressroom Products, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. “From a single step fountain solution to a tote of high speed silicone or UV coating, FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals has the ability to adapt to our customer’s needs. With the ability to perform analytical product evaluations in our Product Testing Center, we can provide upfront evaluations to aid and a smoother transition. Sourcing products from one vendor provides for a single support source with one goal in mind – customer success.” FUJIFILM Hunt Chemicals reliable and consistent reputation also comes with years of expertise in silicone products. These products are designed to ensure maximum protection at low dosage levels while keeping presses running at full speed. Not only do the emulsions reduce the risk of scratching or build-up of ink in the folder, they simultaneously improve the gloss of the finished piece. In addition, Fujifilm’s global R&D and customer support platforms are committed to helping printers achieve consistent results with consistent products. “Customers can expect an abundance of solutions to choose from, each specifically formulated for their intended use,” Carby says.


INFOGRAPHIC

Depending on what data you review, opportunities in wide format abound. Take a recent study by the National Print Owners Association (NPOA) – while it shows traditional offset printing numbers are fading, sales of signs, banners and large format are up 10 percent. Data from InfoTrends and IT Strategies also support this trend. So, how do you take advantage of wide format opportunities? Terry Mitchell, VP of Marketing, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division, offers these four tips to help get you into the game:

Ask and you shall receive

Try this – ask your customers. Your relationship with your current client base may be so strong that simply asking for the business may win you more work.

Outsourcing

Partnering with a wide format shop is a good way to get into the game. When your outsourced work reaches significant volume you can more easily justify a payback on an investment in wide format equipment and personnel.

Make the pitch

More brands are implementing campaigns that include wide format display graphics in conjunction with flyers, circulars or direct mail. Integrating these elements into your offerings could be a strategic advantage.

Learn all you can

Development of wide format expertise takes time, so the sooner you get started the more knowledge you’ll develop. That experience can help give you a competitive edge.

ENERGY

17


Ready to Deliver Brand on Demand When we asked offset printers in 2007 to describe the perfect short run press solution, they didn’t mince words. The print quality needs to be as good as offset litho. Use standard coated and uncoated stocks, and load-up and off-load of sheets shouldn’t require an owners manual to figure out. The prints should be smooth, without any pile-height issues, and look and feel like an offset sheet. Prints need to be durable too, especially when using finishing equipment. And please…no more click charges. Fujifilm’s J Press 720S technology delivers these benefits and J Press installations have produced millions of brand on demand impressions where it counts most - in the field. So why wait on the promises of new technology, when proven Fujifilm innovation can help you dominate the high-quality, short-run market today. Seeing is believing. Visit fujifilminkjet.com today.

The J Press 720S provides offset quality inkjet printing for short run work that will pass the eye test of even the most discerning brand manager. Fujifilm proprietary technologies, combined with the presses’ superb registration accuracy, provide extraordinary fine text and line detail, stunning vibrant colors, and superb skin tones, resulting in a smooth high quality finish with the durability and finishing characteristics of an offset print.

Visit fujifilminkjet.com to:

INFO

Get a Print Sample

DEMO

Set up a Demo

WEB

View Videos


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.