DE A BU LL T NE IS W SU E!
Volume 1 Issue 1
illustrated
SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTING WITH YOUR BRAND OWNERS INSIDE J PRESS 720S RAISING THE BAR AT ACUPRINT ONSET X2 HITS THE MARK AT INNOMARK
VOL. 1, ISSUE 1 n SPRING 2017
illustrated
EMBRACING TOMORROW
IN THIS ISSUE
A LETTER FROM TODD ZIMMERMAN
WE HAVE A LONG PROUD HISTORY in print.
With that comes great respect for the traditions of our industry. And while some may believe an industry with our kind of longevity is paralyzed by tradition, we know our single greatest tradition is challenging the status quo, embracing innovation and adopting new technologies....all of which requires us to change.
01 EMBRACING TOMORROW
A letter from Todd Zimmerman
06 LIMITLESS
Improved profitability. New jobs. Color consistency. How Fujifilm’s J Press 720S is raising the bar for Acuprint’s bottom line
02
SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTING WITH YOUR BRAND OWNERS 12
08 PERFECT FIT
How to integrate digital into an offset business
Change for us means we sometimes need to adopt new ways to print, and new ways to communicate with our target audience. The notion that communicating electronically is somehow more creative than communicating via print does not resonate with us. As a collective industry, we understand that print will never go out of style and, quite frankly, may be more relevant and impactful than ever before. The way we create and deliver print may change, but the intimacy of print remains.
12 BULLSEYE
HELPING YOU TODAY
How the Onset X2 is helping Innomark hit the mark with its well-known clients
A LETTER FROM PAUL LYNAUGH
I’m new to the position of leading our sales team, but I am not new to Fujifilm or the world of print. I’ve dedicated my career to the printing industry, and I’m just as passionate about the future today as I was when I started with Fujifilm over 25 years ago.
14 STEP-BY-STEP
A look at how ColorPath SYNC’s cloud-based system optimizes color
16
16 Q&A
Inside the world of corrugated packaging
18 ALL IN
Lower costs. Improved customer experiences. Why you should invest in Fujifilm’s XMF Workflow for your print operation
20 INFOGRAPHIC
The corrugated market – a numbers game
This debut issue of print illustrated is just one example. We challenged the status quo and tradition of producing our magazine, formerly called Energy, and ultimately decided that the magazine needed a new name to better position its value in our industry. We believe print illustrated does just that. This issue, like past issues of our award-winning Energy, offers great insights, and timely information on questions being asked by many printers. Our feature article, “Successfully Connecting With Your Brand Owners”
SIGN-UP FOR YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO PRINT ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE! www.PrintIllustrated.com
I believe our sales and service teams are some of the best people in our industry. Okay, that may be a bit bold, but I believe it’s true. It’s true because our people help find ways to help you print better....always have, always will. To us, printing better means improving print quality, producing more consistent and accurate color and streamlining processes to print more efficiently and increase productivity. It also means finding ways to reduce waste, lower labor requirements and ultimately reduce cost to make you even more competitive. We also help you print better by bringing you new solutions to expand your capabilities, help you reach new markets, and help you further develop your business. I’m optimistic, and encourage you to preach optimism and inspire the people around you with your positive view of the future for our industry. There always will be those individuals that pine for the ‘good old days’ and insist the end is near. If they prevail, our tomorrow will be dark and gloomy. Optimism is a powerful force. At Fujifilm we welcome and embrace change, and will do everything we can to help you today, because the end is not near....we’re just getting started. PAUL LYNAUGH Vice President, North American Sales FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division
touches on what brand owners want, and how you can change your strategies to maximize opportunities to better serve these key clients. Our second feature, “Perfect Fit,” discusses how to embrace the major shift toward integrating digital into your offset business. We are very proud of our all-new publication, and hope that the insights and perspectives help you think about change and how you can embrace tomorrow. All the best,
TODD ZIMMERMAN Division President, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division Corporate Vice President, FUJIFILM Global Graphic Systems
William Rongey EDITOR-IN-CHIEF wrongey@fujifilm.com print illustrated is published quarterly by FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division Copyright 2017 All rights reserved
Press Komori lS 840
Plates Fujifilm LH-PJ thermal plates
Screening Fujifilm Co-Res Screening
Coating 5296D Imprintable Gloss UV Coating, 9017 Reticulating UV Varnish, 5459A Raised Gloss UV Coating
Inks Outside covers: UV chrome silver, UV 4/c process Inside covers & body: Conventional 4/c process, Satin Aqueous Coating www.FujifilmUSA.com print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017 ❘ 1
Y L L U F S S E G C C N I U T S C E N CON H YOUR WIT WNERS O D N BRA
“Cost is not the issue. It’s making them look good. They will say they know what the price should be, but they have no clue. If you take work off their plate, they will pay you whatever you want.” MARK HUNTER, AUTHOR OF ‘HIGH-PROFIT PROSPECTING’
2 ❘ print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017
print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017 ❘ 3
fter 20 years of working with and evaluating hundreds of marketing agencies, along with printers, technology firms and other vendors on behalf of The CocaCola Co. and USA Today, Michael La Kier reached two inescapable conclusions. First, a lot of companies have no clue how important true collaboration is to major brands, and second, he could probably make a nice living teaching them how to do that. His epiphany came during the 2012 holiday season. He was working with a new mobile loyalty app to test if whether rewarding consumers for buying Coca-Cola with an alternative currency could be a viable way to drive more retail traffic and purchases. Initial testing leading into the December holidays resulted in disappointing results. “When we came back from the holidays, it had literally blown up and did amazingly,” La Kier recalls. “But when we began asking questions about it, things started to fall apart. It turned out they did a sweepstakes promotion on their own to up the results.” That rendered the testing useless for Coca-Cola, and the vendor lost its chance of taking the project to the next level with one of the world’s most admired brands. “We were interested in a longer term relationship,” La Kier says, “but they did not do their job of building customer knowledge about what we were really after nor did they do a good job stewarding the relationship.”
MANY SALES PEOPLE SET THEMSELVES UP FOR FAILURE IN THEIR FIRST MEETING BY FAILING TO LISTEN AND ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE SHARING THEIR VALUE PROPOSITION. SPEND EQUAL TIME LISTENING, ASKING QUESTIONS AND SHARING–IN THAT ORDER.
4 ❘ print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017
La Kier says many sales people set themselves up for failure in their first meeting by failing to listen and ask questions before sharing their value proposition. Generally, he advises clients spend equal time listening, asking questions and sharing – in that order. “The key to beginning effective collaboration is to understand your customer’s business and defining objectives you can pursue together,” says La Kier, who began working fulltime at his consulting business WhatBrandsWant last year. “When a customer perceives you are sensitive to their goals, it really starts you down the road to effective collaboration and sales.” THINK BIG It also is important to present yourself as a peer, regardless of the size of your organization, says sales trainer, speaker and author Mark Hunter. “Corporate clients like to talk to people who are at their level,” says Hunter, who has worked with such global brands as Salesforce.com, Lenovo, Coca-Cola, Kawasaki, Sara Lee, Mattel and Unilever. “So know what things they are dealing with in the marketplace, including their fiscal year, how earnings are going and who their investors are. All the things one corporate person would talk about with another corporate person.” In his book, “High-Profit Prospecting,” published in 2016, Hunter also advises patience. Because their decisions often involve spending such large sums of money, global brands tend to move very deliberatively. “Their time frame for making a decision is dramatically different than anything you might a have seen,” Hunter says. “They may go dark on you for a week or two, but don’t be alarmed. They will reemerge. The key is don’t pester them. Treat them as a peer.” Companies also stumble early on by insisting on prompter payment or fighting to remove language from legal documents. Hunter advises clients go with the flow because working a large corporation can end up being more lucrative in the long run. “Cost is not the issue,” says Hunter, who oversaw commercial printers, marketing agencies and other vendors during an 18-year career with companies now owned by The Kraft Heinz Co. and Conagra Brands. “It’s making them look good. They will say they know what the price should be, but they have no clue. If you take work off their plate, they will pay you whatever you want.” In Hunter’s experience, many brand executives don’t even bring up price until after they’ve selected who they want to hire. As an outsider, you’re seeing only a sliver of what’s going on at the organization, which quite likely has a much broader understanding of the market for your solutions than you have. The app testing La Kier did at Coca-Cola, for example, was part of a process developed to evaluate 250 mobile and digital solutions to find a variety to partner with – not just one. That realization – combined with the deep exploration of emerging technology with companies who were not used to focusing on customer collaboration – inspired La Kier to start consulting parttime in 2013. “I found people really did not know their audience,” La Kier said of vendors he encountered while working for Coca-Cola and USA Today. “Companies would come to us, and at one point, I remember thinking that they should pay us for consulting,” he says. “We see the whole of the ecosystem, while they are just focused on one product. I asked myself, ‘what would I want sitting behind the desk of all these people calling on me?’ and that’s what I seek to deliver today.”
5
TIPS FOR CONNECTING WITH BIG BRANDS
HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO ENSURE YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR FIRST ENGAGEMENT WITH A MAJOR BRAND:
1 BE COLLABORATIVE
Spend the first two thirds of your time listening and asking questions, and demonstrating your ability and willingness to collaborate.
2 GET TO KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
The larger an organization or project, the more people typically become involved in the purchasing decision, so use your questions to ferret out who those influencers are and what motivates them. The list of players can include the owner or person who controls the relevant budget; the manager who ultimately will make the purchasing decision; the employees who will use the product; an ally who can champion your solution; and even those seeking to sabotage or block the project.
3 NEVER LEAD WITH PRICE
Brand managers generally are more interested in finding reliable partners than cutting costs. They don’t mind paying a premium to companies that make them and their brand shine.
4 HONE YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION
Your client roster and industry awards probably are what got you to the table, so don’t waste precious time tooting your own horn. Instead, adapt your value proposition to focus only on those products and services you can provide to help them achieve their objectives.
5 BRING DATA AND HUMILITY
Today’s brand managers are data-driven, so be prepared to provide data that proves your ROI and other claims and be aware that they could have a much broader and more sophisticated view of the marketplace than you do.
print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017 ❘ 5
LIMITLESS
IMPROVED PROFITABILITY. NEW JOBS. COLOR CONSISTENCY.
S
“WE ARE ABLE TO GET MORE WORK DUE TO THE COLOR CONSISTENCY OF FUJIFILM’S J PRESS 720S. NO OTHER PRESS ON THE MARKET CAN PRODUCE THE SAME COLOR CONSISTENCY.” SAM SOWLATY OWNER, ACUPRINT
AM SOWLATY HAD PUT THE DUE DILIGENCE INTO HIS SEARCH FOR A DIGITAL PRESS THAT COULD SERVE HIS COMPANY’S EVEREXPANDING REQUESTS FOR SHORT-RUNS. THE LONGTIME PRINTING EXECUTIVE, WHO ENTERED THE GAME IN 1982, KNEW WHAT HE WANTED – HE JUST HAD TO FIND WHO HAD IT.
His checklist was pretty clear-cut. Sowlaty wanted a press that could help keep his company, Acuprint, a competitive player in the competitive Los Angeles market. The print services provider, which prides itself on being able to meet and exceed its customers’ expectations, specializes in high-quality short-run and print-on-demand catalogs, pocket folders, display signage, commercial marketing collateral and booklets. His search ended when he found Fujifilm’s J Press 720S. “We were not able to be competitive with price-points due to the limitations of producing short runs on our litho presses,” Sowlaty says. “We struggled with color matching on short-run and repeat jobs.” Thanks to the J Press 720S, Acuprint no longer have to worry about color matching. “Know-
6 ❘ print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017
HOW FUJIFILM’S J PRESS 720S IS RAISING THE BAR FOR ACUPRINT’S BOTTOM LINE
ing we can meet our customer’s expectations gives us tranquility in a fast-paced environment,” Sowlaty says. With a 29.6-inch x 20.9 inch sheet and an output of 2,700 sheets per hour, the second generation sheetfed J Press 720S features the quality and robustness of an offset press, and the versatility to handle even the shortest of press runs. During a visit to Fujifilm’s Chicago Technology Center, Sowlaty experienced a hands-on demonstration of the J Press 720S that gave him a first-hand look at its color consistency, using various substrates with a number of his own different print files. When he compared those samples to litho, he was enthralled with the offset-like quality and color consistency of
the J Press 720S. Time and labor were other items on his checklist. Running short-runs on its offset presses rendered the jobs inefficient and costly. “Our jobs on litho would involve hours of color matching, along with thousands of dollars in labor and make-ready waste,”
Sam Sowlaty stands next to his J Press 720S, at Acuprint’s Los Angeles, California facility.
Sowlaty says. “With the J Press 720S, there is no need for that extra overhead. It’s a game-changer.” WORTH ITS WEIGHT Today, new jobs are positively affecting the bottom line at Acuprint and, more importantly, its customers are truly enthusiastic
about the output they’re seeing from the J Press 720S. “Previously, we had a lot of opportunities for new jobs, but we just couldn’t manage them,” Sowlaty says. “The J Press 720S is a definite advantage that fills the gap, and enables us to move more and more jobs from offset to the J Press 720S.” And that means a limitless production cycle. “We are able to get more work due to the color consistency of Fujifilm’s J Press 720S,” he says. “No other press on the market can produce the same color consistency.” In order to maximize the color fidelity and repeatability of the J Press 720S, Acuprint has developed custom color profiles that enable the highest level of color matching between their offset and J Press print platforms. “Fujifilm is a great company, we’ve run their plates for a long time, and their high quality products are an anchor in my facility,” Sowlaty says. “We are very satisfied. Fujifilm is always proactive and the install was very smooth. [For us] the sky’s the limit.”
print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017 ❘ 7
Perfect HOW TO INTEGRATE DIGITAL INTO AN OFFSET BUSINESS
“At this stage, printers that have not integrated digital should start by having alliances with standalone digital businesses.” – DR. JOE WEBB, Director, WhatTheyThink Economics & Research Center. print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017 ❘ 9
t
he numbers are right there. Since getting into digital print in 2004, it has become about 27 percent of the sales for J-C Press. And, since entering the wide format arena in 2009, the Owantonna, Minn.-based printer has seen those profits grow to around 7 percent of its sales. So, if you ask Pat McDermott the benefits of opening your mind to the opportunities beyond the offset world, he’ll shoot straight with you. The offset and digital cultures are different, because the reasons, purpose and executions are different. Digital printing is data driven and being integrated with marketing automation practices more than ever – and it continues to grow. These are the kind of things that printers like J-C Press have to contend with every day in the continued quest to stay at the forefront of the technological revolution pacing the marketplace. That’s why McDermott, president of J-C Press, opened his arms to the digital printing space 14 years ago. It was a way to complement the company’s offset lithography. And then things started to blossom. “Digital print allows a marketer the best of both worlds,” McDermott says. “It offers the tactile and visual appeal of print, while providing a gateway to the customization and analytical strengths of digital marketing T
10 ❘ print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017
platforms through QR codes, PURLs [etc.].” It also offers J-C Press the ability to specifically target its customers through variable data, which is a great way to more effectively utilize marketing dollars. WHY CHANGE MATTERS In Epicomm’s “2015 State of the Industry report,” printers were asked to define what they needed to do to improve their company’s adaptability to change. According to the survey, 58.1 percent cited “executing our decisions” as the main factor. The other factors, for perspective, included “figuring out what the change means to them and what to do about it” (45.6 percent); “communicating change” (38.8 percent); “anticipating change more effectively and getting out ahead of it” (35.0 percent); and “reducing resistance to change” (30.6%). That’s what makes the story of J-C Press story such an ideal example of the need for today’s printers to continue the transition into digital capabilities. When its customers required a more competitive approach to short-run production printing, McDermott knew he needed to examine the options. “The process really began with customer
demand for cost competitive short run production and the desire to more specifically target customers through variable data,” he says. The bottom line was that its customers were looking for more, so running large volumes of inventory were not giving them the flexibility to make changes quickly or to better manage their marketing spend. So the J-C Press team poured through extensive competitive analysis to understand where they could gain business in a new area and also understand where it made sense to produce digitally versus offset. The analysis pointed to an opportunity to tie in digital printing with digital storefront technology, which would offer its customers a very efficient ordering process for their marketing collateral. “Storefront development allowed us to provide a tool for our customers to better control their brand,” McDermott says.
close between offset and digital, McDermott says that it’s more of finding the workflow that provides the best value to your customer as well as providing the targeted marketing tools they seek through variable data. “It’s about helping your customers make informed decisions,” he says.
STEP-BY-STEP Adding a digital component to your printing portfolios takes a concerted effort involving all part of your business and team. So, the best advice is to just take the step and do it. To get you started, here is some advice to follow:
KNOW YOUR ROLE In the end, it really comes down to understanding what your customers are looking for and, being able to show them what exists that they might not know about. “Pricing strategies are different because the mix of fixed and variable costs are different, but also because digital pricing is best when it’s based on the value of the benefits delivered,” Webb says. “All of this means that the people you sell to and the people who sell need a different skill set. The best digital printers are more likely to use business development and not traditional sales approaches and structures.” It’s a fork in the road that J-C Press came upon. “Our salespeople need to have strong relationships with our customers and ask questions about what they are trying to achieve,” McDermott says. “As a company, we take that information and build it into our strategic plan for where we need to go from a process and product capability standpoint. Financially, we build the case, educate our sales force and work to build a business portfolio around the particular offerings in demand.”
MIND MELT To some extent, yes, stepping into the world of digital is a mindset change. In the early years, digital print wasn’t to the quality level that offset lithography could achieve, so McDermott says that working with your sales force and, ultimately, your customers to understand where one technology should be used versus the other was an important educational process. You have to get your sales force comfortable with the idea of selling more small quantity jobs rather than fewer larger jobs. In turn, your sales force must be able to articulate the value of smaller lots to your customers, i.e., explaining that there is less marketing dollars tied up in inventory and the ability to react quicker in marketing messages by producing smaller quantities. Today, because the quality gap has become so
PARTNER UP When J-C Press moved into a digital direction, it also became a regular participant in various user groups, where recommendations and advice from industry colleagues helped fill in the blanks. It also relied on partnerships with vendors such as Fujifilm for technical expertise. “Fujifilm has been extremely helpful in evaluating digital workflows and equipment to meet our needs and the needs of our customers,” McDermott says. “Their Chicago Technology Center has been a great way to understand what is available and to help us make informed decisions on equipment we need.”
EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE mission his company set out on. In their book, “Unsquaring the “We hired creatives, strateWheel: Building a Breakthrough gists, and technologists from Business Model,” authors Chris outside the printing industry,” Bondy, Wayne Peterson and Dr. Budington said. “We essentially Joe Webb provide an operatbought the education we didn’t ing manual for printers taking a have to understand the technogood hard look into the future. logical change we were facing.” One of the printers that made While not every company the transformation into the digital has the financial bandwidth to side was Global Printing. In the invest in an educational arm, forward to the book, Global president Jon Budington talked the foundation is clear‑surabout the educational fact finding round yourself with people and
IN THE END, IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE LOOKING FOR AND, BEING ABLE TO SHOW THEM WHAT EXISTS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT.
partners that can help. “At this stage, printers that have not integrated digital should start by having alliances with standalone digital businesses,” says Webb, the book’s co-author and director of the WhatTheyThink Economics & Research Center. “You should also seek to acquire or to be acquired by some of these companies. If those are not options, start a separate company.”
print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017 ❘ 11
BULLSEYE HOW THE ONSET X2 IS HELPING INNOMARK HIT THE MARK WITH ITS WELL-KNOWN CLIENTS
‘‘ Steve Zick, Executive VP, Innomark, proudly stands next to the Inca Onset X2 at its Miamisburg, Ohio, facility.
hen Innomark was looking to upgrade its printing portfolio, executive VP Steve Zick wanted a machine that offered both speed and high quality. In a printing landscape defined by getting your customers what they want, when they want it, Zick’s mission was clear – find the machine that offers the best quality and the fastest speed in wide format digital inkjet printing. “We’ve made tremendous advancements in our capacity, but we needed to replace antiquated equipment with a press that offers high quality and speed, not one or the other,” says Zick, whose company provides in-house design, printing, manufacturing and fulfillment capabilities for graphic displays and also provides retail signage and packaging solutions. “With the Onset X2, we have the high quality along with the speed. We did not have to compromise on either. Speed and quality are absolutely its most defining features.” With a client list that includes some of the biggest retailers in the sporting goods, pet care, cellular, beverages and women’s apparel markets, the Innomark team was determined to conduct an exhaustive search. Because clients of the Miamisburg, Ohio-based visual communications provider have such stringent quality expectations, they knew what they were looking for in their next press and they found it in the Onset X2. With a maximum throughput of 6,889 ft²/hour, equating to 128 beds per hour (126.8” x 63”) the Onset X2 is
12 ❘ print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017
ideal for companies such as Innomark that produce retail graphics where both high quality and fast-turnaround is required. The Onset X2 is also unique because as Innomark’s business expands, the X2 has the flexibility to add ink channels to increase speed and extend the range of jobs that can be produced efficiently. While the X2 starts with a double set of CMYK, the addition of a third set of CMYK will deliver even higher productivity. Other options include Lc, Lm, white or gamut expanding orange ink. “With the scalable architecture platform, our Onset X2 is upgradeable and will continue to meet our needs as business dictates,” says Mark Long, VP of Operations. “It will never be an outdated or disposable press.” TAKING ALL COMERS With the retail space for signage and display making up the bulk of its business, Innomark produces what consumers see inside the stores – big window banners, signage at the check-out areas, directional signs, ceiling banners and the like. With the Onset X2, the Innomark team
can successfully navigate the ever-shifting retail market. “It enables us to provide much higher-quality in-store signage and displays to our retail clients across the United States,” Zick says. “Our clients are more familiar with offset quality, and many felt that the digital inkjet output provided by some platforms offered lesser-quality.” Onset delivers outstanding print quality through innovative Tier Drop technology delivered by Fujifilm Dimatix drop-on-demand printheads. The technology enables the Onset X series of presses to jet either 11, 14, or 17 picoliter droplet sizes. This, along with several print mode options, enables Innomark to produce high output quality at the highest speeds. “Nobody can surpass the quality we get from the 11 picoliter drop,” Long says. “And using the large drop still provides outstanding quality, increases the speed, and allows us to control ink usage as well. ”With the Onset X2, Innomark can offer its clients output they don’t immediately Sam Sowlaty stands next recognize as digital. to his J Press 720S, at“Our sales team shows side-by-side comparisons (Onset X2 vs Acuprint’s Los Angeles, California facility. and they are amazed at offset) to clients the impressive output from this digital
“WITH THE ONSET X2, WE HAVE THE HIGH QUALITY ALONG WITH THE SPEED. WE DID NOT HAVE TO COMPROMISE ON EITHER.” – STEVE ZICK, EXECUTIVE VP, INNOMARK
inkjet press,” Zick says. “When it comes to print quality, nothing else compares to the Onset X2.” Zick says that with the previous equipment, the purging of ink was more common than not in its facility. “With the Onset X2 we don’t need to routinely purge so we are no longer dumping ink into the recycle bin, which positively affects our bottom line.”
With the Onset X2 line-up running three shifts per day, Innomark now is able to say yes to more jobs for existing clients. It also has opened up new business opportunities. And, with a choice of automation systems, including three-quarter or fully automated system, Innomark can increase throughput by reducing manual change-out of materials. “The three-quarter automation was a must for our location,” Zick says. “We can manage high quantity jobs with very tight turnarounds, allowing us to be extremely competitive in our price-points.” And it doesn’t hurt to partner with a team you’re used to working with. “We’ve had a long-time relationship with Fujifilm,” Zick says. “We’ve used Fujifilm offset plates for years, and their plates are rocksolid when it comes to quality and consistency. Fujifilm takes good care of us and always makes sure our needs are met.”
® print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017 ❘ 13
STEP-BY-STEP A LOOK AT HOW COLORPATH SYNC’S CLOUD-BASED SYSTEM OPTIMIZES COLOR
Whether your print house uses conventional, digital or a combination of both, color management is one of the key ingredients to customers satisfaction. The pathway to consistent color excellence can be found in Fujifilm’s ColorPath® SYNC™ – the high-quality cloud-based, color management solution that enables even novice users to become color experts. Whether you’re using Fujifilm’s XMF Workflow or another existing workflow system, ColorPath SYNC is designed to be an easyto-use web platform to manage color across multiple output devices. WITH COLORPATH SYNC, YOU GET: ColorPath Sync Align – A “Cloud Based” color management solution that creates G7 Curves and ISO Curves for the pressroom using iterative and unique color adjustments to achieve the highest color standards. ColorPath Sync DLP – A “Cloud Based” color management solution that enables you
to continually and efficiently optimize color. It’s designed to optimize color for digital presses and inkjet proofing solutions. ColorPath Sync Ink Optimization (IO) – A “Cloud Based” color management solution capable of creating high quality Ink Optimized Device Link Profiles. And that’s not all – the ColorPath SYNC is backed by Fujifilm’s Professional Services team, which has more G7 experts than any other company in the industry.
INSIDE COLORPATH SYNC Industry recognized cloud-based color management solution Synchronizes color across multiple output devices, printing conditions and locations In-workflow and integrated color management for digital and proofing solutions Centralized interface for all G7 and ISO alignments Easy-to-use interface ensures consistent color across multiple output devices and media
14 ❘ print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017
print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017 ❘ 15
INSIDE THE WORLD OF
CORRUGATED PACKAGING
DON’T LOOK NOW, but the corrugated segment of the packaging industry continues to
grow. According to Smithers Pira’s “The Future of Corrugated Board Packaging to 2019” report, demand for corrugated packaging material is expected to increase by an average of more than 4 percent annually over the next five years. That will amount to almost 115 million tons of converted material worth an estimated $176 billion by 2019.
UNLIKE OTHER PRINT MARKETS, THE VALUE OF PRINTED SHIPMENTS CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN THE CORRUGATED MARKET. 16 ❘ print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017
Print illustrated sat down with Jeff Wettersten, president of Karstedt Partners, and Bob Leahey, Associate Director of InfoTrends, to get their take on what’s driving the market and where it’s heading: WHAT TRENDS SHOULD WE EXPECT TO SEE? Bob Leahey: With corrugated packA aging, a small but significant minority receives no printing at all, while another share – half or more – receives only rudimentary printing, just one or two colors. A final minority of the corrugated packaging market is printed with three or more colors, and within that is a slim share that’s truly fine color, up to nine. The high graphics end of the packaging market, plus most of the display market that uses corrugated, is where digital printing has some of its most exciting opportunities. Q
Jeff Wettersten: There are several factors driving the marketplace. Continued changes in retail and brand strategies related to consumer engagement is in response to changing demographics and the use and influence of social media. Continued growth in the use of high graphics packaging. Growth in retail ready packaging and lightweighting through different board combinations. There is a continued emphasis on increased sustainability and an increased emphasis on total delivered cost, rather than per piece cost. DEFINE SOME OF THE WAYS PRINTERS CAN CAPITALIZE ON THE MARKET? Leahey: I’d recommend studying A both multi-pass and single pass equipment options. If you’re a generalist print service provider, look for a solution that’s good for corrugated and that can also contribute to your printing of other media, such as single ply paper board, MDF board, etc. Also, be aware that corrugated is not just for packaging, with displays as the obvious extra example. Displays are normally high graphics printing. They also tend to have at least one element that’s big, so your printer has to be big, too. Keep in mind that corrugated is a big market. While the share of all corrugated that is high graphics printing is tiny, in absolute terms, it’s a lot (as in possibly low billions of square meters globally). There are lots of ways to do high graphics printing, with the lamination of litho prints (“litho lam”) as the highest quality option. Digital lamination can compete for that business, though, and direct digital printing of corrugated board will increasingly compete for it as well. Wettersten: Value chains are becoming more complex in all segments of packaging, including corrugated products. Brands continue to expand their use of contract manufacturing, contract packaging and fulfillment operations as part of their normal operations capability in response to customer requirements driven by new product launches, private label, and discreet marketing campaigns. Thus, converters are seeing an increase in the number of production jobs, with a corresponding decrease in the run size per job. Speed to market, operational flexibility and the ability to produce product when needed, in the exact quantity needed, while maintaining low cost are critical drivers at the converter level. These new dynamics may create opportunities for printers outside the traditional corrugated supply chain. Corrugated products typically require some type of Q
secondary converting operation, in addition to skills in carton design. Printers with these capabilities will find opportunities in the corrugated market by delivering speed, flexibility and convenience. Printers without the skills may still find opportunity by becoming a print provider to corrugated converters. Many commercial printers fulfill that role today, providing high graphic offset sheets to corrugated converters for carton and display requirements. Recent advancements in digital capabilities should increase these opportunities. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THIS SPACE? Leahey: More digital tools, as helpA ers to the overall analog market. Ultimately, brand owners drive this, because they want to used corrugated more and more to convey brand, as seen in “retail ready” corrugated packaging and in free standing displays. Digital print is now long established as a prototyping technology for corrugated – both print service providers and corrugated converters themselves use multi-pass inkjet flatbeds, and they will continue to do so. The help that that type of printing offers to the corrugated market will be augmented, though, by true inkjet production printing, in particular for the short print runs that are difficult or costly to print in analog. Wettersten: Unlike other print markets, the value of printed shipments continues to increase in the corrugated market. However, the market is transforming, driven by retailers and brands. Historically, the corrugated market has been driven by the ability to produce high volumes at a very low price. This is still the driver for approximately 70 percent of the market. The other 30 percent is a mix between high volume, or mid to low volume requirements, but may have special requirements associated with it. Specialists have always existed and found a niche in the corrugated market, typically driven by service or converting capabilities. A new class of specialist is beginning to emerge, offering an expanded capability around design, print, and secondary services such as fulfillment. As the demand for these types of capabilities continue to expand, large converters desiring, or required to participate in this segment may choose participation through acquisition. New entrants developing new capabilities, as well as industry consolidation that ultimately expands new product and service offerings to a larger, and higher volume audience not addressable by new entrants, is driving the expansion of higher value add segments in the corrugated market. Q
print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017 ❘ 17
100
70
30
100
70
30
100
70
30
100 100
100 100
100 100
0000
25
ALL IN
75
100
10.2 7.4 7.4
25 19 19
50 40 40
75 66 66
100 100 100
LOWER COSTS. IMPROVED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES. WHY YOU SHOULD INVEST IN FUJIFILM’S XMF WORKFLOW FOR YOUR PRINT OPERATION
WORKFLOW AUTOMATION. Done effectively – you know what it means to the day-to-
day success of your print operation. Whether you’re running an offset press, digital or a combination of both, workflow can help lower costs and improve customer experiences. So, if you’ve haven’t heard what it can do for your operation, now’s the time to check out Fujifilm’s XMF Workflow – the first commercially available product to
integrate the next generation Adobe PDF Print Engine. When you use XMF Workflow, you’re not only ensured of increased workflow speed
and flexibility, but also of a future-proofed modular technology that can grow with your business. Based on JDF specifications and Adobe
APPE, this highly capable workflow system offers tremendous flexibility and increased integration capabilities with MIS and other third party solutions that support the JDF specification. And if you’re looking for high value features, XMF Workflow has you covered, including the ability to scale the system based on productivity requirements. The powerful and flexible production hub offers a rich set of capabilities in pre-flighting,
color management, imposition and screening for a variety of output devices. That includes platesetters, digital presses and Fujifilm’s J Press 720S sheetfed production inkjet press. Ask printers that have made the leap, and they’ll tell you that XMF Workflow is an end to end solution from PDF creation and preflight through imposition to trapping and output maintaining the PDF file format, right up to the final rendering
FUJIFILM’S XMF WORKFLOW HAS A NICE BALANCE BETWEEN FLEXIBILITY AND AUTOMATION. THE NEWEST ADOBE MERCURY RIP ARCHITECTURE, THE HIGH-SPEED RENDERING TECHNOLOGY FROM ADOBE IS AMAZING, AND EXTREMELY PRODUCTIVE.” BRYAN HUGHES Product Marketing Manager, Workflow Products FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division
stage using the Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE), interpreter. Workflow brings together Fujifilm’s expertise in color, imposition and workflow production to allow you to increase efficiency and productivity while maintaining high-quality production at all times.
WITH THE XMF WORKFLOW ADVANTAGE, YOU GET: ❱❱ Pure PDF workflow for maximum performance and fidelity ❱❱ Native JDF architecture for maximum flexibility ❱❱ Integrated imposition for productivity and accuracy ❱❱ Intelligent automation to maximize quality and throughput ❱❱ Cross-media capability for offset and digital presses Fujifilm’s XMF Workflow is a sound investment in the future of your print production.
WHY XMF WORKFLOW Fujifilm’s XMF Workflow combines key industry-standard and Fujifilm-specific technologies to deliver a comprehensive workflow with a wide range of advanced capabilities as standard. Key components and capabilities include: ADOBE PDF PRINT ENGINE – XMF Workflow is based on Adobe’s native PDF rasterizer, which is capable of rapidly processing the most complex PDFs with ease. PRE-FLIGHTING – XMF Workflow can pre-flight and automatically correct common PDF errors as files enter the system. TRAPPING – XMF Workflow employs Adobe in-RIP trapping for automatic application of advanced trapping optimized for each output device. XMF WORKFLOW IMPOSE – XMF Workflow applies sophisticated imposition as appropriate for digital, sheet-fed and web offset printing. COLOR MANAGEMENT – XMF Workflow incorporates advanced standalone color
18 ❘ print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017
capabilities and XMF ColorPath Organizer, a gateway to the XMF ColorPath cloud-based color management system. SECTION PROOFING – XMF Workflow offers the ability to use digital presses to create physical mock-ups of offset print jobs. 3D PROOFING – XMF Workflow can generate 3D proofs from APPE RIPped data that can simulate different stock, finishing and folding options. JDF CONNECT – XMF Workflow provides an open interface to MIS systems that allows automatic job creation directly from MIS. DFE JDF INTEGRATION – XMF Workflow supports open connectivity with the digital front ends for a variety of digital print systems.
print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017 ❘ 19
s digital presses become more engrained as a tool for packaging production, packaging printers are seeing more of a demand, especially for shorter runs. Here’s a snapshot of the corrugated packaging market and its impact on the market:
$28
92.9
The percent of all containerboard produced that was recovered and recycled in the United States, giving corrugated the best recycling rate of any packaging material used today.*
The number, in billions, that the corrugated industry contributes to the U.S. and Canadian economies.*
7,800
The number of cartons (4,300 sheets) that packaging printers are running on average for a short run. These runs account for about 15 percent of the total volume shipped and 25 percent of jobs processed.**
1,300
* Corrugated Packaging Alliance
20 ❘ print illustrated ❘ SPRING 2017
70,000+
THE NUMBERS GAME A
The number of manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Canada that produce corrugated, making it readily available anywhere in North America.*
** Paperboard Packaging Council/Karstedt Partners survey
The number of workers employed in the corrugated industry throughout the United States.*