print illustrated v2-2 | Fujifilm by FUJIFILM print illustrated

Volume 2 Issue 2 Summer 2018

BUZZ WORTHY TECHNOLOGIES YOU NEED TO HEAR ABOUT

INSIDE 5 WAYS GREAT PRINTERS STAY RELEVANT

SAMBA PRINTBAR SYSTEM

VOL. 2, ISSUE 2 n SUMMER 2018

illustrated

IN THIS ISSUE 01 DISCOMFORT ZONE A letter from Todd Zimmerman

02 BUZZWORTHY Technologies you need to know

06 GOING BIG

BEYOND THE DOT 5 WAYS GREAT PRINTERS STAY RELEVANT

CONGRATULATIONS print illustrated

Onset X1 and X2 enable brands to push the limits at Graphic Systems

08 BEYOND THE DOT 5 ways great printers stay relevant

12 PROGRESS THROUGH PARTNERSHIP

The drive to be the best starts with the right resources at The Watkins Printing Company

14 ROLL WITH IT Fujifilm’s Acuity LED 1600R, a new roll-to-roll wide format press

16 WIDE FORMAT ADVANTAGE

Wide format printers weigh in on the biggest trends and changes facing their business

18 ONWARD AND UPWARD Why the Samba™ Printbar System can take your business to the next level

20 INFOGRAPHIC Addressing your market with direct mail

DISCOMFORT ZONE A LETTER FROM TODD ZIMMERMAN

A comfort zone is a place that’s familiar and predictable. It’s where you feel safe and incur little risk. Oftentimes, the comfort zone becomes a hiding place from all of those day-to-day challenges and opportunities. And while we may love feeling comfortable because we feel competent and in control, deep down we realize that we may not be where future success resides. Today’s business landscape can make us feel pretty unsettled. And, as we have seen, breakthrough results have always required sacrifice, struggle and dealing with discomfort. The ability to stay focused, regardless of how uncomfortable things may seem, directly correlates with progress. At Fujifilm, we believe it’s good to feel uncomfortable. It means we’re moving forward and exploring new territories. And while new is unfamiliar and unfamiliar is uncomfortable, growth is born from stepping out of our safe space and broadening our experiences. When things become routine, we can become complacent. We no longer look to the future with anticipation and convince ourselves that the status quo is okay. The risk of staying with the status quo is we can resign ourselves to accept mediocrity. So, it’s incumbent upon each of us to

challenge ourselves and get out of our comfort zones. Here at the Graphic Systems Division of Fujifilm, we are focused on getting out of our comfort zone. We have let go of assumptions and changed our mindset to focus on exploring the unknown. In the process, we’re learning more about ourselves and our clients. The more we’re exposed to uncomfortable situations, the more at ease we become with finding solutions. So, while anything new can seem a bit odd at first, all of our successes have started with some difficult first steps. Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is what’s required to discover our potential and achieve a new level of success. In this issue of print illustrated,

GREAT SERVICE IS EVERYTHING Fujifilm has a long-standing reputation in the graphics marketplace for delivering highly innovative and quality products. For those of us in the technical services department, it is our complete responsibility to follow this same standard by providing great service to our customers. Our drive to grow our business will never be complete without an emphasis on driving a customer-first service culture. Our top priority is our responsiveness to customer needs—especially during production interruptions. Throughout my time in technical services, I’ve seen many examples where efforts to get a customer back in production have seemed almost miraculous. We know we must perform at our best every day, because this is what our customers have come to expect from Fujifilm. I’m happy to live by this standard because that’s what service should be— an expectation that every effort is focused solely on the customer, and nothing else. As a company known for its quality and innovation, Fujifilm will always be accompanied by a living service culture that makes great service a standard not to be compromised.

our cover story, “Buzzworthy,” speaks specifically about some of the new things we all need to get comfortable with. The article touches upon some of the most noteworthy technological trends in the business. Meanwhile, our second feature, “Beyond the Dot,” provides five ways great printers are getting out of their comfort zone and redefining the services they provide to differentiate themselves in a very competitive print industry. Enjoy the read, but be forewarned—you may get uncomfortable.

TODD ZIMMERMAN Division President, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division Corporate Vice President, FUJIFILM Global Graphic Systems

Press Komori lS 840

Plates Fujifilm SUPERIA LH-PL thermal plates

Screening Fujifilm Co-Res Screening

Coating/Varnish Outside covers: Gloss UV Coating Gloss Varnish Dull Varnish Pearlescent Varnish Inside covers and body: Satin AQ Coating

Inks UV 4/c process

RANDY HURLESS Senior director, operations & business development, technical services

FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division

www.FujifilmGraphics.com print illustrated ❘ SUMMER 2018 ❘ 1

“IF YOU DON’T LIKE CHANGE, YOU’RE GOING TO HATE IRRELEVANCE.” – ERIC SHINSEKI, U.S. ARMY GENERAL

BUZZ WORTH

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HERE ISN’T MUCH

TECHNOLOGIES YOU NEED TO KNOW

that Marco Boer hasn’t seen in his 25-plus years in the commercial print industry. And, if you ask him, he’ll tell you that things are getting more and more interesting. In recent years, the industry has been engulfed by a sea of technological advancements, creating a number of opportunities for printers willing to seize the moment. And that’s the thing. That’s what Boer will be most honest about—you have to be willing to seize the moment. As Boer tells the many industry members he speaks to at conferences across the country, it’s not just about embracing new technologies. No, today’s printers must be mindful that a lack of a qualified labor force is real. That’s the buzz he wants printers to embrace first and foremost. Start there and your game plan will follow. “Regardless of the pace of the breakthroughs, the fundamental overarching problem of a lack of qualified labor is what will drive more commercial printers to seek change,” says Boer, VP at IT Strategies, which helps printing equipment and supply manufacturers develop products and markets for next-generation digital printing technology. “It is going to change commercial printers’ business models, however uncomfortable that may be.” But there is good news—plenty

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of it. Thanks to changes in U.S. tax laws that allow full depreciation of capital investments during the year of purchase, investing in automation will be a little more printer friendly. Boer expects this to increase incentives for commercial printers to invest in things like inkjet technology. “The commercial print industry has turned the corner,” Boer says. “Data-driven personalization and programmatic marketing campaigns across all print applications are becoming a requirement, not a luxury. Production inkjet is a core part of this requirement, and its growth as a technology is critical to the long-term prosperity of the commercial print industry.” This sentiment is driven by an intense desire to be more in tune with the print landscape around them. Boer says that

today’s buyers have become more educated than ever before about technological advancements, which means they are more apt to make the investment. “They have moved from asking ‘if’ they should adopt inkjet technology to ‘when.’” THE TOTAL PACKAGE In the presentations he makes at industry events across the country, Johnny Shell sees a common theme from the print operators he talks with. The premise is simple—to reduce costs, and operate more efficiently with fewer mistakes and waste. If there is a buzz he wants the industry to embrace, it is that without pause, every print shop should be open to the opportunities to be more than just a printer. “Expand services where it makes sense to capture

additional opportunities with customers,” says Shell, VP, Print Technology & Training, Specialty Graphic Imaging Association. That means embracing areas such as graphic installation services, laminating, mounting, routing, cutting and fulfillment. As he travels the country helping educate the industry on the capabilities and viability of specialty printing, Shell sees too many companies not keeping an open mind. “Staying on the leading edge means adapting to change as it happens, not waiting until you’re the last one riding the horse,” he says. “Becoming irrelevant is considered by many to be a death sentence for any business. Stay relevant by keeping up with what is trending, technology-wise. Don’t miss opportunities simply because you haven’t invested in technology.”

“STAYING ON THE LEADING-EDGE MEANS ADAPTING TO CHANGE AS IT HAPPENS, NOT WAITING UNTIL YOU’RE THE LAST ONE RIDING THE HORSE.” – JOHNNY SHELL, VP, PRINT TECHNOLOGY & TRAINING, SPECIALTY GRAPHIC IMAGING ASSOCIATION (SGIA)

To find where printers are looking to build business today, look at the packaging, corrugated and textile markets, which are converging toward digital printing for production and/ or rapid prototyping. Workflow automation continues to streamline production tasks (robotic material handling/pick-n-place, integrated color measurement instrumentation, etc.), printers continue to improve in speed (Inca Digital just previewed a 1.6m wide printer capable of 30,000 square meters per hour), color management and color verification are paramount for business success. “And if you’re not already—look long and hard at web-to-print and e-commerce solutions for your business,” Shell says. “Integrate technology to improve your tools. A carpenter doesn’t build a house using only a hammer.”

THINGS THAT ARE ALL ABUZZ IN 2018

TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS Productivity increases; advancements in substrate range expansion; data-driven everything

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AI is gaining momentum and can be applied to predictive maintenance, protection from security threats and digitization initiative to reduce the use of paper

RPA Capable of replicating human actions for business processes, and some industry sectors (e.g., banking) are using this to its full potential

INKJET PLATFORMS Continue to evolve and penetrate traditional analog markets. Improved ink chemistries are providing more durability and lightfastness for outdoor environments

WORKFLOW AUTOMATION Every human touch along the workflow drives up costs, causes errors and creates delays, so today’s solutions are automating web-to-print, job status updates and online approvals

INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY Many print businesses are integrating multiple printing platforms to expand the number of tools at their disposal, thus expanding the product range to their customers to become a solutions provider, not just a printer

CUSTOMIZATION The market for personalized print is exploding. As this shift continues, manufacturers will need to provide solutions to accommodate these growing markets— specifically faster and more affordable printers

DIGITAL The digital printing market is expected to reach $188 billion in 2018; if ever there was a time to adapt to meet market demands, it is now

FULL EMPLOYMENT CAUSING LABOR SHORTAGE/THE NEW GENERATION Conventional press operators aging out, retiring and little new supply. Keep an eye on the young entrepreneurs entering the print industry today. They seem to adapt well and stay somewhat ahead of the curve and are eager and hungry to integrate any technology that will give them a competitive advantage

U.S. TAX LAW CHANGES Enables businesses to immediately deduct the cost of new equipment through 2023 Source: IT Strategies Inc., Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA)

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GOING BIG

ONSET X1 AND X2 ENABLE BRANDS TO PUSH THE LIMITS AT GRAPHIC SYSTEMS

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O BIG OR...,” WELL, YOU KNOW THAT OLD SAYING. It’s an ideal that the team at Graphic Systems takes to heart. The Minneapolis print services provider with an impressive list of well-known global brands under its belt even incorporated the sentiment into its company motto 2014—”Where Brands Go Big.” For the past 50-plus years, Graphic Systems has been pushing the limits to satisfy its clients in the retail landscape with its cutting-edge work in marketing, POP build outs and graphics. Throughout its history, Graphic Systems has done what was needed to stay on top of its game. For example, in 2014, to help generate clean energy and reduce costs, it installed a solar panel array on the roof. In 2016, it became one of the first printers in the United States to install the Inca Onset X Series of UV flatbed inkjet presses, which is distributed exclusively in North America by FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. Designed to deliver the high-volume production needs for today’s graphic display print providers, the Onset X Series, which includes four models—the X1-LT, X1, X2 and X3—can be configured with automation for optimum throughput. The purchase was exactly what Graphic Systems was looking for. Helping deliver unrivaled print quality at high print speeds, the Inca Onset X1 and X2 have helped Graphic Systems increase revenue for sustained growth. “We made our decision to purchase two Onset printers because of the quality,” says Graphic Systems’ chairman Herm Kauls. “The capabilities they each have are really second to none. We are acquiring additional business because of the output quality.” The Onset X1, which produces 4,304 square feet per hour (80 - 5 x 10 beds/ hour), features eight active channels, with four channels printing CMYK. The remaining channels are configured as needed, using a combination of Light

Magenta, Light Cyan, White and Orange (Lm, Lc, W, O). With a maximum throughput of 6,889 square feet per hour, equating to 128 beds per hour, the Onset X2 is ideal for producing fast-turnaround, high-quality retail graphics. A choice of print modes and settings

can be selected depending on the specific job requirements, allowing for the flexibility needed in today’s competitive landscape. Steve Ferris, president of Graphic Systems, says the Onset X Series has enabled the printer to continue its growth path. “Having white ink is very important for us given the various materials that we print on, allowing us to do a number of differ-

“WE MADE OUR DECISION TO PURCHASE TWO ONSET PRINTERS BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY. THE CAPABILITIES THEY EACH HAVE ARE REALLY SECOND TO NONE.” —HERM KAULS, CHAIRMAN, GRAPHIC SYSTEMS

Above: Steve Ferris, president, Graphic Systems, alongside the Onset X2 at their Minneapolis facility.

ent jobs,” he says. “We are able to have a variety of different color combinations, allowing for maximum flexibility with PETG, reverse printing on various other materials, as well as the floor graphics we produce.” To succeed in today’s highly competitive landscape, Graphic Systems knows it must be able to offer quality, service and price. “If you don’t have all three, you don’t get to talk with the customer,” Ferris says. In today’s retail signage and display market, an increased number of ink channels and color options allow PSPs to expand their services. “When you look at our workload, the Onset presses have allowed us to increase our capacity,” Kauls says. “In regards to the turnaround times we are able to produce with our Onset X2, we are running a high number of boards per hour, along with the amazing quality with the over/under whites. These aspects allow us to enhance our service to the customer.”

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the

BEYON

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s a printer, how do you stand out? What tools and methods do you implement to rise above the rest? Print illustrated asked a few of the print industry’s leading companies to tell us what works in today’s market and how to identify key dynamics that can’t be ignored. No. 1

GET CREATIVE Does marketing actually work—or even matter—anymore? Michael N. Tardiff, VP of marketing for J.S. McCarthy Printers, seems to think so. He believes it’s critical to have a creative team, not in a marketing sense, but in all aspects of the business. “An open and creative dialog is essential in any business decision and is a key to continued success in our changing industry,” Tardiff says. Even if your company doesn’t deem marketing as critical, it must have a significant understanding of the creative process. Take, for example, the fact that a lot of companies cut their marketing teams after 2010. For printers able to recognize the opportunity, those companies’ loss has been their gain. “The ability to provide this service has allowed printers to gain earlier access into the process, increase revenue by offering creative services and reduce competition by owning the creative process,” says Thomas Moe, president and CEO of Daily Printing Inc. No. 2

dot ENHANCING YOUR MARKETING

As a printer, you may inherently place emphasis on your own printed pieces. While your breadth of services can be wide and far-reaching, you can further show your clients your capabilities when you pay close attention to your own marketing, says Luke Teboul, executive VP of MSP,

OND

5 WAYS GREAT PRINTERS STAY RELEVANT

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which covers digital, large format, continuous inkjet and multi-channel printing. “Even some of our most loyal clients are surprised to learn about all our capabilities,” Teboul says. “We find producing our own marketing is a great way to remind customers of all the other things that we can do. Our annual holiday gift has become a showpiece of all the things we do, brought together in one fun package.” J.S. McCarthy’s most significant marketing item is an annual calendar, which is sent to customers and prospects. Each year, the company chooses a different theme and then uses all its capabilities to showcase what can be done. “Beyond the calendar, we do reference books similar to paint swatch books that highlight new or popular techniques,” Tardiff says. “The guides and the calendar are excellent references for our customers when trying to visualize a new project. Enhancing our marketing pieces is essential as we try to support our clients and build lasting partnerships.” No. 3

YOUR PRODUCT PORTFOLIO Sometimes you have to lead by example, so staying ahead of trends and on top of your product portfolio can prove paramount. Moe says that companies must be on top of the market needs and wants, and adjust accordingly. “If your market moves away from conventional printing of uncoated papers to using more UV, then you need to adapt, or lose competitiveness in that space,” he says. “There was a time when we didn’t think our customers were buying digital print. We asked them and found out we were wrong, so we moved into digital.” Moe says that most businesses are tasked with attempting to anticipate the needs of the market or even create a

demand for an offering that clients don’t know they need. J.S. McCarthy has turned its focus to landing more folding carton packaging work. The company’s in-house finishing capabilities have allowed greeting cards to remain a significant business opportunity, so the ability to use a lot of the same equipment and break into the market was there. No. 4

THE NEED FOR DIGITAL To stay competitive in the short-run color space, and handle variable data and data-driven marketing programs, companies have added digital capabilities. Moe describes data processing and management as requirements, not options, for true growth. Tardiff says J.S. McCarthy has invested in digital printing as well, giving a nod to the potential it brings when deadlines are tight and budgets are small. And MSP’s digital asset management systems are a foundational element of the company’s brand management. Customizable marketing templates have allowed clients to tailor their printed marketing pieces. “More and more, our clients are also using these tools to drive email or even social media content,” Teboul says. “This ensures localized marketing freedom while ensuring brand compliance across channels. For clients managing brands across multiple channels and locations, it’s a major time and stress saver.” No. 5

EFFICIENCY IS KEY As with any business, in the end, efficiency must remain a heightened goal. “Having an efficient workflow allows us to pass savings on to our customers,” Tardiff says. “A culture that supports lean initiatives and efficiency will

HAVING AN EFFICIENT WORKFLOW ALLOWS US TO PASS SAVINGS ON TO OUR CUSTOMERS. A CULTURE THAT SUPPORTS LEAN INITIATIVES AND EFFICIENCY WILL BENEFIT CUSTOMERS FROM THE START.” —MICHAEL N. TARDIFF, VP, MARKETING, J.S. MCCARTHY PRINTERS

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WE FIND PRODUCING OUR OWN MARKETING IS A GREAT WAY TO REMIND CUSTOMERS OF ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.” —LUKE TEBOUL, EXECUTIVE VP, MSP

benefit customers from the start. Our sales and customer service teams can help from the beginning stages, so customers can tailor their designs to take advantage of our stateof-the-art equipment and workflows.” Teboul says MSP is pioneering new ways to streamline and manage high-volume direct mail campaigns through automating the data processing and approval process. This approach creates major efficiency benefits internally with fewer touches. In turn, customers get reporting transparency and accountability, and they consume less of the company’s account management time. For example, MSP leverages the power of continuous color inkjet printing to complement the ongoing need to produce a product quicker, but with more personalization. WINNING ADVICE Investing in equipment and technology and shrinking environmental impact has helped J.S. McCarthy Printers remain on the cutting edge as it has grown. The company’s green initiatives are a perfect complement to the lean manufacturing principles followed in all departments. MSP’s Teboul places emphasis on identifying and solving clients’ pain points, rather than simply executing their marketing plans. Leveraging emerging technologies with brand management software has allowed the company to develop groundbreaking ways to streamline traditional data processing and approval processes, in print and mail production. Daily Printing learned how to combat economic downturns by determining how many employees really were necessary for daily operations, and identifying areas of potential growth that didn’t require a significant amount of cash. Moe says a business plan was created that centered on direct mail, space in digital print was increased, and a platform was developed for integrated multi-channel marketing programs.

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PROGRESS THROUGH PARTNERSHIP THE DRIVE TO BE THE BEST STARTS WITH THE RIGHT RESOURCES AT THE WATKINS PRINTING COMPANY FOR TAMARA WATKINS GREEN, it’s all

about partnerships. Find a good partner and you’ll have access to the resources you need to give your clients what they want. That’s why Watkins Green, president of The Watkins Printing Company, cannot say enough about her company’s relationship with Fujifilm. One year ago, the fourth generation printer converted to Fujifilm’s SUPERIA ZD no-process thermal plate technology—a decision that helped provide an immediate positive impact on its bottom line. “If you have the best product on the market, but the support is not there, it’s worthless to me,” says Watkins Green, whose grandfather started the company. “The sale is one thing, but the followthrough and the day-to-day managing of the sale are equally important, as well. For a large company like Fujifilm, their employees do a really good job in all these areas.” Watkins Green says that the partnership has made all of the difference in what her team has been able to produce using Fujifilm’s SUPERIA ZD no-process plate technology. SUPERIA ZD offers improved durability for longer run length capability on-press that enables the plate to be used in a wider range of press applications, including UV print applications. Its true process-

less technology enables the plate to be imaged and mounted directly on-press, for immediate use. SUPERIA ZD performance is optimized with the utilization of Fujifilm SUPERIA fountain solution products. The JRDC and ARS-SV two-step solution will help eliminate common press problems such as plate blinding and picture framing while improving the overall efficiency of press restarts and initial on-press development. This versatile solution can be used with conventional, UV, HUV and LED applications. Since the introduction of SUPERIA ZD, The Watkins Printing Company is also seeing improvements in UV print production. SUPERIA ZD provides superior performance when printing under UV ink conditions, and also allows for improved run length. “We recently achieved more than 220,000 impressions,” says Watkins Green. “Our previous plates would start to break down at 150,000 impressions.” Thanks to the ease of use, printers can expect an immediate impact. “The plates are ready to use, to mount onto the press, immediately,” Watkins Green says. “Our operators say they are also much more consistent compared to our previous plates. With regard to chemicals, labor and water, we are saving upward of $12,000

“WE RECENTLY ACHIEVED MORE THAN 220,000 IMPRESSIONS. OUR PREVIOUS PLATES WOULD START TO BREAK DOWN AT 150,000 IMPRESSIONS.”

– TAMARA WATKINS GREEN, PRESIDENT, THE WATKINS PRINTING COMPANY

thus far. Our cost has greatly diminished per plate because we don’t process them. The water savings are significant.” A HISTORY OF SUCCESS Established in 1923, The Watkins Printing Company is a certified G7 Master Printer. Today, Watkins Green runs the company with her husband, William, VP of strategic partnerships. Fourth generation family members Emily and Brock, Tamara and William’s adult children, also work at the company. A well-respected publications printer, The Watkins Printing Company manages monthly and quarterly magazines for universities, fraternal organizations, honor societies and niche publications, as well as catalogs for clients in more than 20 states. Along with its web press and sheetfed capabilities, the printer’s services include prepress, pressroom, binding and mailing—all within an expansive 65,000 square foot facility, in Columbus, Ohio.

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ROLL WITH IT

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FUJIFILM’S ACUITY LED 1600R, A NEW ROLL-TO-ROLL WIDE FORMAT PRESS ATTENTION ALL PRINTERS. If you’re looking for the best way to own the wide format market, Fujifilm has a printer for you: the Acuity LED 1600R, a 64-inch, dedicated roll-to-roll press. The latest addition to Fujifilm’s popular Acuity Series, the Acuity LED 1600R offers you a flexible, lower cost alternative to the successful Acuity LED 1600 II hybrid press—one that can produce a wide variety of applications on a broad range of flexible roll-to-roll material, including uncoated media. Now you have the ability to print display graphics, signage, decals and environmental graphics—even architectural graphics that require specialty finishing processes. So, what do you get with the Acuity LED 1600R? For starters, thanks to a built-in modular upgrade path, the Acuity LED 1600R enables you to start with a basic CMYK four color chan-

THE ACUITY LED 1600R A LOOK UNDER THE HOOD

Physical Dimensions with bulk capacity ink unit: 126-inches x 32.6 inches x 57 inches; Weight—661 pounds

Media Width Range: Media width—8.2 – 63.7 inches; maximum print width: 63.3 inches Maximum Media Thickness: .039 inches or less Roll Diameter: 8.2 inches or less

Maximum Print Speed: 355 square feet per hour, CMYK configuration

nel configuration and make upgrades as your business grows. You can add six channels (CMYK, Lc, Lm) to achieve even smoother tonal images like skin tones and vignettes, and a white ink channel (CMYK, W or CMYK, Lc, Lm, W) for printing on clear and colored materials. In addition, picoliter drop sizes range from 10 to 30, allowing for smooth tonal ranges, fine text and solid colors. Designed for flexible media, Uvijet RL ink is manufactured by FUJIFILM Speciality Ink Systems, and combined with the Acuity LED 1600R’s patented LED curing system and FUJIFILM Dimatix printheads, it delivers nearphotographic print quality at an impressive speed. The Acuity LED 1600R, which features Q-Class printheads from FUJIFILM Dimatix, boasts a high-density mode capable of handling heat-sensitive roll media while printing stunning, vibrant displays. This makes it ideal for backlit and window applications. And, like the Acuity LED 1600 II, it offers excellent productivity of up to 355 square feet per hour.

THANKS TO A BUILT-IN MODULAR UPGRADE PATH, THE ACUITY LED 1600R ENABLES YOU TO START WITH A BASIC CMYK FOUR COLOR CHANNEL CONFIGURATION AND MAKE UPGRADES AS YOUR BUSINESS GROWS. Producing low levels of heat and requiring lower ink volumes and less power than similar machines on the market, the Acuity LED 1600R has an instant start-up, long-life LED UV lamps, no ozone or VOC emissions and only one consumable—the ink. “Since LED curing produces very little heat, working with heatsensitive media without deformation or shrinkage is something you can offer your customers,” says Kaz Kudo, associate marketing manager, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. “The Acuity LED 1600R provides a great investment opportunity for printers looking to produce high quality, large format display work—all without compromising on the excellent performance characteristics that have gained the Acuity LED 1600 II such a formidable reputation.”

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WIDE FORMAT ADVANTAGE WIDE FORMAT PRINTERS WEIGH IN ON THE BIGGEST TRENDS AND CHANGES FACING THEIR BUSINESS

AS TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS continue to dominate the

wide format space, printers are making inroads to grow their businesses. That has created a competitive run for the roses as opportunities and margins get tighter than they were a couple of years ago. print illustrated asked some of the industry’s leading wide format printers to weigh in on the trends and challenges impacting the marketplace. Panelists include Jeff Davidson, VP of Corporate Strategy, Modern Litho/Brown Printing (St. Louis, Missouri); Tim Corbitt, President, MegaPrint (Plymouth, New Hampshire); and Ryan Brueckner, CEO, Direct Edge Media (Anaheim, California). Q A

GIVE US A SNAPSHOT OF TODAY’S WIDE FORMAT MARKETPLACE. JEFF DAVIDSON, MODERN LITHO:

The marketplace for wide format is crowded, to an extent. There is pressure from franchise sign shops, and also from larger shops running high-speed equipment. We still feel that we have an advantage as a commercial printer by offering a complete solution that encompasses both signage and traditional print. We also feel like there is an advantage to the way we handle customer service as opposed to a traditional signage company. Overall, the opportunity and margins are still good, but it is much tougher than it was a few years ago. TIM CORBITT, PRESIDENT, MEGAPRINT:

Technology is changing the capabilities of wide-format printing. The big technology advances afford a better product due to more advanced inks, curing methods, substrates and increased productivity. This translates into a marketplace where custom and personalized pieces are more affordable. Customers can do more of their own design layout, and reduce the cost and time to procure large format products. Q

HOW HAS THE BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS?

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MODERN LITHO’S DAVIDSON: The biggest change I see has been the speed, quality, and versatility of the digital printer devices. Not only are the devices very capable, but they are also not terribly expensive in relation to offset print or bindery equipment. It allows a smaller commercial printer (or entrepreneur) to enter the market at a fairly low capital expenditure number and still compete with the larger players.

to hold on to profits and invest more profits in new equipment. Customization is no longer a premium, but rather the norm.

RYAN BRUECKNER, DIRECT EDGE MEDIA:

Business has changed drastically in the last five years. Printing direct to substrate was not as common as it is today. Quality with speed is far better than it was five years ago. Everyone can be a great printer now because of how advanced our equipment is. The color management has become easier and overall reliability has increased. I feel the biggest and most impactful change from five years ago is speed. It was uncommon to find equipment over 100 beds an hour. Now almost every press is capable of printing sub 100 beds per hour. You might compromise quality, but if you need speed, it’s there with what is now a minimal investment. WHAT ARE THE TRENDS/ CHALLENGES IN THIS SEGMENT? MODERN LITHO’S DAVIDSON: I think A the marketplace for this service will be ripe for consolidation in the near future. I think the same trend we saw with printing and mailing will happen in the wide format space with the smaller “mom and pop” shops, and small commercial printers giving way to purpose-built companies that offer the service as a core competency. Q

MEGAPRINT’S CORBITT: Advances in

printing, cutting and materials have allowed large format printers to quickly and affordably produce products. On-line purchases are the norm. Price pressure continues; however, lower cost inks, substrates and higher performance printers allow print shops to continue

BUSINESS HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS—BECAUSE OF HOW ADVANCED OUR EQUIPMENT IS.” —RYAN BRUECKNER, CEO, DIRECT EDGE MEDIA

MEGAPRINT’S CORBITT: Jobs are done

more quickly and lead times are shorter. Large format printing on thousands of substrates rather than just a few dozen choices. Web-to-print is the expectation with mobile apps not very far behind. Shipping has become a larger percentage of the total product cost as the products become larger. In fact, shipping anything over 48 inches long is a costly challenge. DIRECT EDGE’S BRUECKNER: Current challenges are keeping up with the speed of technology. Equipment purchases are getting more challenging due to the market pressure on prices. With more competition comes lower prices, which equates to lower margins. If you’re not upgrading every three to five years, you’ll soon be left behind, as

you will not be able to compete in quality, speed or price. The other challenge we face market-wide are competitors coming into the space with little to no knowledge and setting unrealistic prices. Most clients in today’s market care about cost, then speed, then quality. If you are not in the market, you can come into the space and try and create a 5 percent net business and ruin it for everyone else who has invested heavily. WHAT DO PRINTERS NEED TO DO Q TO STAY COMPETITIVE? MODERN LITHO’S DAVIDSON: If A printers want to offer this service long-term it can’t be approached as a hobby or some value-added service on the side. It has to be treated as a core part of their business—one that needs investment in workflow, equipment and quality employees. There is still room for commercial printers to offer it as a tacked on service you may do on a small scale internally or outsource and make a few extra bucks, but I don’t believe that philosophy will hold much further into the future. MEGAPRINT’S CORBITT: Embrace technical

advances and change processes to take full advantage of the improved productivity offered by newer equipment. Invest in training and hire younger staff to help with the advances in e-commerce and web sales. DIRECT EDGE’S BRUECKNER: Staying

competitive is the secret sauce, the special ingredient. The first thing is equipment; second is efficiencies. I have said for years

THERE WILL BE PRESSURE ON MARGINS JUST AS THERE ARE IN COMMERCIAL PRINT. IN ORDER TO MAKE MONEY DOING WIDE FORMAT IN THE FUTURE, YOU WILL HAVE TO BE REALLY GOOD AT IT.” —JEFF DAVIDSON, VP OF CORPORATE STRATEGY, MODERN LITHO/BROWN PRINTING that material handling is one of the most important facets of our business, and most ignore this fact. We stay competitive by accommodating our clients’ ridiculous turn times. One way to do that is to use software—that’s key. The faster you get the job to press, the better chance you have at meeting the insane deadline. As you become more efficient, you naturally cut costs. This goes back to what I was saying before—if you don’t know the market, you can easily become disruptive and possibly put yourself out of business. This is an industry that deserves respect and praise. We are dealing with multi-million dollar pieces of equipment, printing on material that is upward of $40 per sheet and printing at 150 sheets per hour. A lot can go wrong quickly, costing the company thousands of dollars.

Q A

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR LARGE FORMAT? MODERN LITHO’S DAVIDSON:

Commoditization of wide format is in the near future. The competition will increase. Consolidation will occur. There will be pressure on margins just as there are in commercial print. In order to make money doing wide format in the future, you will have to be really good at it. MEGAPRINT’S CORBITT: Lower production cost per square foot. Expansive substrate materials to choose from. Less paper, less lamination, more production on flat stock. Web-to-print integration for fast, simple ordering of large format print products. Custom/personal products available at reasonable prices (custom wallpaper, for example). DIRECT EDGE’S BRUECKNER: I feel the

industry will undergo some fundamental changes in the next few years. We believe POP will increase along with print. GenZ’s have grown up in a digital age. They now want to see bright and vivid colors in stores. They want to socialize with their friends in a public setting while window shopping. I hope to see a 20 percent increase in our market by 2019. As for technology, we will see automation. We will see automation from file process all the way to material handling. I still feel pricing pressures will not ease, marketing will become cheaper, faster and all around better. Interview me in five years as I want to see if any of this pans out.

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ONWARD AND UPWARD HOW IMPRINTING WITH THE SAMBA PRINTBAR SYSTEM CAN TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

18 ❘ print illustrated ❘ SUMMER 2018

HEN FUJIFILM presented the first live demonstrations of its Fujifilm Inkjet Technology at the InPrint Exhibition for Industrial Print Technology in November 2017 at the Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany, the crowd took notice. During the presentations, FUJIFILM Dimatix’s Samba™ Industrial Inkjet Printbar System helped create the buzz that Fujifilm quickly was becoming the supplier of choice for inkjet innovators across the industry. Since the debut, Fujifilm has launched a new family of advanced inkjet imprinting systems called Samba Printbar Systems. Samba Printbar Systems are set to revolutionize the industry by bringing high resolution and speed capabilities to any print service provider looking to incorporate inkjet in their manufacturing process. Samba Printbar Systems are based on the Samba printhead technology paired with fit-for-purpose inks developed by Fujifilm. Recently, Fujifilm has launched the first product in the Samba Printbar System’s family, the Samba PS4300.

PRINTERS CAN NOW BOLSTER THEIR BUSINESS BY ADDING AN INLINE DIGITAL PRINTING SYSTEM FOR A WIDE RANGE OF PERSONALIZED OR DATA PRINTING APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING TEXT, LOGOS, QR AND BARCODES AND GRAPHICS. The Samba PS4300 is a compact imprinting system offering a print width of 1.6 inches at 1,200 dpi with speeds up to 1,000 feet per minute. The complete system is available with up to four discrete printbars, depending on specific application. Each printbar can be easily integrated into a manufacturing line and controlled from a single controller. Printers can now bolster their business by easily adding an inline digital printing system for a wide range of personalized or data printing applications, including text, logos, QR and barcodes, and graphics. “The Samba PS4300 is a game changing, versatile imprinting device,” says Michael Barry, product marketing manager, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems

Division. “Most notably, the Samba Printbar Systems applies Fujifilm’s proven ultra-reliable drop-on-demand technology with a life expectancy of several years.” How can it help raise your print shop’s production to the next level? The Samba PS4300 can bring new, exciting variable capabilities to existing offset presses, flexo presses, mailing tables, and more, allowing printers to add more value to existing manufacturing processes. The Samba PS4300 is also great for uptime utilizing Fujifilm’s patented RediJet®ink recirculation system, ensuring printbars are instantly primed, resulting in faster time to print, minimal ink waste and improved reliability.

INSIDE THE SAMBA PS4300 THE SAMBA PS4300 CAN EASILY BE INTEGRATED INTO AN EXISTING MANUFACTURING PROCESS SUCH AS OFFSET PRESSES, FLEXO PRESSES, MAILING TABLES, AND MORE. HERE’S A LOOK AT WHAT YOU GET:

The complete system is available with 1, 2, 3 or 4 printbars for your specific application Printbar contains a single 1,200 dpi resolution Samba Micro-Electro-Mechanical (MEMs) printhead A variety of Fujifilm Inkjet Imprinting Inks for various monochrome applications Samba drop-on-demand inkjet printheads deposit billions of drops per second, each directed to a precise location, producing highresolution single pass imprints at an incredible speed Each Industrial Silicon MEMs constructed printhead within a printbar has 2,048 nozzles to deliver a native 1,200 dpi resolution with an ink drop size as small as 3 picoliters (pl) for outstanding fine graphics quality The patented RediJet® ink recirculation system ensures printbars are instantly primed, resulting in faster time to print, minimal ink waste and improved reliability

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What could a J Press do for your business? Imagine what a state-of-the-art single-pass B2 digital printer could do to supercharge your production and increase profitability. This is a digital inkjet printer thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reliable and ultra high quality, like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never seen before. Better than offset? See for yourself and imagine the possibilities.

To learn more visit FujifilmInkjet.com/JPress