36 minute read
TEXTILES & APPAREL
TEXTILES
YEAR IN REVIEW
There were challenges and successes.
By Cary Sherburne
This year, 2021, has certainly had its ups and downs. We thought we had a handle on the pandemic, but surges kept coming. However, there were not as many lockdowns as we saw in 2020, and that reflects the fact that we are beginning to learn to live with the COVID-19 virus, which seems like it is not going away anytime soon.
Meanwhile, the global supply chain, which was already under pressure even before the pandemic struck, has seen even more pressure. According to an Insider report from early October, nearly half a million 20-foot shipping containers — or about 12 million metric tons of goods — were waiting in drift areas and at anchor in Southern California alone, for spots to open up along the port to dock and unload. This glut is due to several factors – shortages of labor and ground transport, as well as the fact that container ships carry more containers than ever before, and ports simply are not configured to handle the increased volume, even if labor and transport were available. It appears the end of the backlog is nowhere in sight. You can be sure that along with Christmas toys getting a lot of press, there are tons of textile and apparel products in those containers as well.
This further cracking of a fragile global supply chain has moved brands and retailers to step up any plans they had for three to five years out, placing increased focus on this issue, including not only the shipping backlog, but the state of relationships with key offshore suppliers that were damaged as orders were cancelled and contracts were ignored during the height of the pandemic. There has also been increased interest in reshoring at least some production in Europe and North America. The UK seems to be leading the charge in this respect. The only way these developed countries can really compete is to implement more digital technologies.
That’s been a boon to manufacturers of digital textile direct-to-fabric and direct-to-garment printers, who have been busy bringing new products and technologies to market. Here are a few of the highlights.
Durst launched the 5 TEX iSUB textile printer with in-line sublimation and also garnered the prestigious Pinnacle InterTech Award for this product. At the heart of the Durst P5 TEX iSUB is the integrated inline fusing for direct printing on polyester fabrics. It is also suitable for printing to transfer paper.
EFI Reggiani launched three new multi-pass printers this summer with a fourth expected before the end of the year, as well as significant updates to its single-pass BOLT. The new printers include BLAZE, designed to give textile companies the opportunity to enter the digital textile printing market with a compact solution; TERRA Silver, a pigment printer that debuted at FESPA; and HYPER, pegged by the company as the fastest multi-pass textile printer on the market.
Epson brought a number of new products to market, most notably the SureColor F10070H 76-inch-wide dye sublimation printer, which the company says it is offering at a lower cost than comparable solutions.
Kornit recently upped its direct-togarment (DTG) game with announcement of the Kornit Atlas MAX printer, incorporating new technology that allows much more detail to be printed on garments than before. MAX technology is expected to be available for direct-to-fabric printing in the future. The company is also expanding its footprint further across the workflow with acquisitions and organic development, including the acquisition of Voxel8 that adds 3D printing with special materials to fabric printing.
Mimaki continues to add to its portfolio of textile printers, with the addition of the TS100-1600 to its “100 series” portfolio. This affordable, high-quality system is ideal for printers looking to add their first digital sublimation printing solution or expand their production capacity. The company also launched the Tiger-1800B MkIII - the latest model of this high-speed, high-volume industrial textile printer range. Available as a high-quality directto-textile (reactive or direct sublimation) or sublimation transfer printing solution.
Ricoh is showing off the latest version of its Ri 1000 Direct to Garment printer that now offers Film Transfer printing capabilities via its new Print Mode White, which is retrofittable to equipment already installed. Film Transfer printing benefits include working with materials that are not suitable for DTG such as water repelling surfaces and is suitable for both natural and synthetic fabrics.
Roland DGA announced the launch of its new Texart XT-640S – a multi-station direct-to-garment printer. It can print on multiple T-shirts at the same time, or can be used for printing on items like towels, blankets, jeans, jackets, décor and more.
Along with the introduction of new printing equipment, suppliers to the industry are also introducing new inks (with a focus on pigment inks), coatings, fibers, software and workflow solutions, cutting and sewing solutions and more. All of which are expected to experience good growth as the market turns to digital textile printing to enhance production of at least some of its volume – still a single-digit percentage of overall printed fabrics, but a percentage we hope to see experience a growth spurt over the next year or two.
And fabric printing is not the only segment to benefit from reshoring and
Read More…
Find article at PrintingNews. com/21157318 digital technologies. The nonwovens market has seen a boost, initially due to increased demand for PPE during the pandemic. But the industry is also finding lots of new uses for nonwoven products, and we understand that some of the abandoned textile factories that resulted from the move to offshore manufacturing toward the end of the last century have now been refitted as manufacturing for nonwovens.
Knitting is another area of advances. Evolution St. Louis is a great example of a company that is taking advantage of the latest in flatbed knitting technology to help brands and retailers bring production back to the United States.
“Prior to COVID-19, over 95% of clothes sold in the United States were imported from overseas,” according to the company. “ The pandemic disrupted production and shipping overseas, with billions of dollars of clothing orders canceled and countless brickand-mortar stores closed in the past 12 months. Evolution St. Louis’ industryleading flatbed knitting machines can produce whole garments, knit-to-shape, fully fashioned knits and complex shapes, as well as footwear, smart and technical textiles. The company also offers fullpackage services, including raw material sourcing, merchandising, technical design and product engineering. Linking, sewing, finishing and on-site inventory, logistics, packing and shipping are available.”
Another notable development was the acquisition of digital textile printer Spoonflower by Shutterfly, adding increased access to digitally printed textile products for the Shutterfly community while also offering cross-selling opportunities for both organizations.
Apparel is not the only segment benefiting from this rise in interest in digital technologies. According to Trends Market Research, the global home textile products market size is predicted to reach $145 billion by 2030 and anticipated to grow at a rate of 5.7% during the forecast period 2021 to 2030.
“I did a study recently around sustainability and looked at the rates of refresh of apartments and houses,” WhatTheyThink Contributor David Zwang said. “It’s fairly significant, especially when you get into the cities. The availability of marble and wood and all these other things is increasingly more difficult and expensive. You can do a hell of a lot more with ink and with inkjet in terms of creating a lot of this. So from a décor standpoint, I expect that to go a lot faster in terms of growth.”
Another sign we are learning to live with the virus is the back-to-inperson-events trend. China basically never stopped having in-person events, although some were delayed. Most recently, FESPA was held in Amsterdam and by all accounts was extremely well-attended.
In case you missed it, you’ll also want to listen to our Textiles Update webinar that was conducted in July of 2021. We focused on the growing trend for takeback programs, resale of gently used items, recycling and upcycling which we believe will be of growing importance in 2022 and beyond.
The last two years clearly presented challenges for the textiles and apparel industry, but it also stimulated new opportunities and an increased focus on sustainability. Looking ahead to 2022, expect to see even more new developments, especially an increase in the launch and use of a wide variety of digital technologies that will help move the industry to a true 21st century global participant. ●
WAITING AND MAINTAINING
In the final quarter of 2021, we are still seeing the capricious nature of the pandemic and how it can impact the return to live industry gatherings – with a number of those planned ending in cancellation. For now, APTech is observing, waiting and maintaining a digital focus to our programs for the remainder of 2021, but we, like so many of you, look forward to connecting faceto-face again. So, we’re cautiously planning for a gradual return to in-person events in the new year. APTech held several successful online events this year, including our well-attended Variable Data Print & Mail Summit virtual event held in April. Our Master
Class series held classes in Master the Art of Selling and Wide-Format Business, each course lasting six weeks with online instruction from industry experts, while we also held several webinars and podcasts. Our Advanced Leadership Program in partnership with George Mason University School of Business
Executive Development department ran for its second year in August.
This year’s cohort of 17 will graduate in early November. Congratulations to all who participated! “A Creative Approach to Selling
Your Business: Capitalizing on the Latest M&A
Trends,” Dec. 2, 2 - 3 p.m., is a webinar for those thinking about selling their printing, packaging or display graphics company. M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) experts in the printing, packaging and display graphics industries, Peter Schaefer and Jim Russell of New
Direction Partners will discuss the steps potential sellers need to take as they plan for a sale. APTech is delighted to return to in-person events in 2022, joining forces with the Foil and
Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) to present
Amplify, an exhibition and educational program spotlighting the entire print finishing value chain. This three-day experience is set to take place at the Minneapolis
Convention Center, June 14-16, 2022, and will provide an excellent opportunity for printers, finishers and designers to gain critical insights into the everchanging and evolving world of print, finishing and techniques for designing with these new possibilities. Amplify will provide an interactive learning experience event that will allow attendees to explore new processes during “Technology Zone” demonstrations and discover new techniques to deliver products to market faster than ever. APTech is also developing plans for 2022 educational program-
ming and events, including new live events with a twist. These programs bring together the community of marketing professionals APTech has built through its award-winning EDgage and Wellness Marketer vertical platforms. Of course, we’ll share these as and when they become firmed up.
If you have any questions about the Association for Print Technologies, our programs and member companies, please visit our website at: printtechnologies.org, or contact us by phone: 703/2647200 or email: aptech@aptech.org. ● Read More… Find article at PrintingNews. com/21157420
Thayer Long is president of the Association for Print Technologies (APTech) and serves as president of the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF).
EFI REGGIANI UPDATE
Adele Genoni of EFI Reggiani talks about the latest new products to hit the market.
By Cary Sherburne
Read More…
Find article at PrintingNews. com/21156875 W e recently spoke with Adele Genoni, senior vice president and general manager at EFI Reggiani, to get the latest information on what the company has been up to. Despite the pandemic, it doesn’t seem that R&D efforts have slowed down, with three new products announced in Adele just the past Genoni few months.
Printing News: Adele, thanks for taking the time to speak with us today, and congratulations on EFI Reggiani’s 75th Anniversary!
Adele Genoni: Thanks, Cary. The team did an amazing job during the pandemic, and we wanted to make this year, our 75th Anniversary, a special year. We have been able to launch three new products in the last few months, and we will have a fourth later this year!
PN: The most recent launch was the EFI Reggiani HYPER. Can you explain a little bit about that product and why you brought it to market?
AG: The HYPER is targeting the high end of the scan industrial segment in the textile world. It’s not only the fastest multi-pass textile printer in the world, its quality and speed are unmatched in the market as well. It is another milestone in our story, after we launched our singlepass industrial textile printer, the BOLT, a couple years ago.
PN: When you say the HYPER is fast, what does that equate to in linear meters per hour?
AG: It prints at more than 13 linear meters per minute in 1.5m width. You can also run a HYPER 340 with two 1.5meter rolls of fabric and reach a speed of 20 meters per minute, which is comparable to some single-pass printers currently on the market and with a more convenient price than the low-end single-pass printers at the same speed. We think it is a very interesting opportunity to help our customers speed up the digital transformation and really boost their success. That is our target every day.
PN: What ink types and colors does it feature?
AG: The HYPER incorporates a new printhead that for the moment is only
being used by us, and it has eight colors. We are in the process of scaling up and testing all of our ink sets. Reactive inks are already fully tested and approved. Once we finish our extensive testing, there is no reason why all ink classes should not be available for the HYPER, including pigment inks.
PN: I’m sure you have been talking with customers about the HYPER and beta tests as well. What has been the market response?
AG: The market reaction has been incredible. We have already signed four contracts, going into Pakistan, Spain, Portugal and Turkey. The pipeline is very long, and there is huge interest in this printer. It proves that we have identified and addressed the specific needs of the industrial customer base.
PN: I understand you are attending FESPA this year but will be taking another of your new printers to the show.
AG: Yes, we are participating in FESPA; it is an important stage for the textile arena. And we are bringing our new EFI Reggiani TERRA Silver to the show that we launched back in June. It is the ideal solution to get into the industrial printing segment with a short, smart and green process thanks to our TERRA pigment with binder technology. We have enhanced our performance in pigment inks as well, in terms of color intensity. We believe the customers visiting FESPA will be very interested to see the new TERRA Silver and will appreciate all of the properties that pigment ink can provide – less water, less energy, less waste and can print on almost any fabric. This is also a strong message about our focus on sustainability.
PN: Have you placed any of the TERRA Silver printers in the market since its launch in June?
Two views of the EI Reggiani HYPER 340.
AG: We already have several contracts in place. The TERRA Silver is part of our lineup of pigment printers, and we have installed pigment printers in nearly 20 countries. That means that customers can see the printers in action near them.
PN: The other printer you launched this year is the BLAZE, which was a very fast entry-level printer. How is that one doing in the marketplace?
AG: It’s going very well. We are also looking to develop a distributor channel for this product. For companies entering the digital fabric printing space, this
The new EFI Reggiani TERRA Silver and BLAZE printers. is the printer for them. It is very flexible and can have up to eight passes, providing a wide range of possibilities in terms of designs to be printed. We know that this kind of flexibility is crucial, especially for customers taking their first steps with an industrial textile printer. It includes a lot of the technologies Reggiani has developed for our higher end printers, like the continuous ink recirculation system, and it’s easy to operate.
PN: It’s been interesting to watch the progress of the industry over the last several months. There were lots of struggles during the pandemic, but perhaps one of the things the pandemic has done is help to accelerate things like reshoring and digital transformation. Tell us what you are seeing in general out there.
AG: We are seeing some progress in the digital transformation, but it is not happening at the speed that everyone wanted to see. We are hearing from organizations that monitor the market that a full recovery should occur next year. For us, this year is going to be a good year, and we are expecting to come back to normal business-wise. We have seen an acceleration in the adoption of digital textile printing, but it has been more in the direct-togarment segment; but direct-to-fabric is now starting to come back. Certainly, COVID spurred the digital transformation for those players that were already operating online, while the traditional textile business was more affected. But now they are starting to recover as well.
PN: Well, let’s hope that the rest of the industry follows your lead in terms of bringing new products to market, and that we get back to pretty much normal by 2022 and get rid of this terrible virus, or at least get to a place where we can live with it.
AG: Absolutely. I feel like we are getting back to normal, and these three launches have attracted a lot of attention. Plus, we are having success with the BOLT, planning to deliver three printers in the fourth quarter of this year. So that is a really good sign of recovery for the industry, because during COVID, there was a lot of overcapacity in the market and that slowed down placements for the BOLT in particular.
PN: Finally, I understand you will be heading to Las Vegas in January for EFI Connect.
AG: Yes, we are planning EFI Connect in the middle of January as always. At this time, we are targeting an in-person event, and that would be really amazing, to be able to see our friends and customers and be able to speak in person. It will be exciting.
PN: Thanks for speaking with us. We’ll look forward to hearing about another new printer launch later this year! ●
Cary Sherburne is a well-known author, journalist and marketing consultant whose practice is focused on marketing communications strategies for the printing and publishing industries.
REANIMATING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Continued from page 41
LEADERSHIP can disempower their people
by allowing the root of old culture to remain.
Transformation to an accountable, customerexperience-driven organization is serious work. It requires an unwavering constancy to purpose through challenges and victorwwies. Rooting out the old attitudes and habits will take time, patience and grace. Reinforce positive change by creating cultural recognition and awards for transformative behavior, and the new roots of accountable culture will begin to grow and spread.
Alexander the Great famously said, “Don’t fear an army of lions led by a sheep, but fear an army of sheep led by a lion.”
The obvious progression of the metaphor is to tremble at an army of lions led by a lion! As the lion, guide your team on the transformative journey to radical ownership of outcomes. Success depends upon your leadership, and your leadership success will infuse accountability into the DNA of the organization. ●
PRODUCTION INKJET
Continued from page 11
than any of the other comparable cut sheet production inkjet presses.
Koenig and Bauer Durst VariJET 106 – was officially released in 2021. It combines inkjet with inline finishing capabilities based on the proven Rapida platform, and is designed to handle commercial print or folding carton production. It supports aqueous-based four-color inks and is prepared for up to seven colors. It currently prints at 5,500 sph at 1200x1200 dpi with Fuji Dimatix Samba print heads.
On the lower cost end of the cut sheet inkjet press market is the Powered by Memjet FireJet 4C Press from Kirk-Rudy. It is a unique heavy-duty fullcolor inkjet printing system that is designed for production environments and handles a wide variety of applications from bags, envelopes and sheets, to napkins, coasters and more, making it the most universal low-cost inkjet system on the market today.
So while we didn’t get to attend live events in 2021 that would showcase these important new technologies, most of them are available, and as the press manufacturers would say: “They are taking orders.” Hopefully as 2022 finally puts pandemic constraints behind us, we will be able to see these and additional newly designed presses at events and in the wild.
More to Come …
I would like to address your interests and concerns in future articles as it relates to the manufacturing of Print, Packaging and Labels. Please feel free to contact me at david@zwang.com with any questions, suggestions or examples of interesting applications. ●
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Continued from page 49
Epson introduced the next generation of SureColor T-Series printers for the AEC markets, featuring six 24-, 36- and 44-inch models. Fujifilm launched the next-gen Acuity Ultra R2, available in 3.2m and 5m versions, and the new Acuity Prime, which can print up to 4 feet by 8 feet and 2 inches thick, featuring the new FUJIFILM Uvijet HM ink system, formulated to provide excellent adhesion to a broad range of substrates with a wide color gamut. HP launched a new Latex portfolio, comprising four different 64-inch-wide units, the HP Latex 700, HP Latex 700W, HP Latex 800 and HP Latex 800W. These units come with an option for printing white ink, long on users’ wish lists for HP’s new Latex portfolio Latex. LogoJET launched two new next-generation foodsafe printers, the FSR30 and FSR90 printers, designed to print photo-quality full-color images on foods. The FSR30 can print on items up to 2.5 inches thick, and the FSR90 can print on items up to 6 inches thick. Mimaki LogoJET FSR30 food-safe printer launched four new UJF Series printers—the UJF7151 Plus II, and three new UJF-MkII e Series models—designed for direct-to-object printing, featuring a larger print space and support for heavier objects. The company also added two new LED-UV large-format flatbed inkjet printers, the 2.5m x 1.3m x 6cm JFX600-2513 and the JFX5502513, based on Mimaki’s seventh-generation UV print technology. Mimaki UJF-7151 Onyx Graphics announced its ONYX 21.1, the latest version of the company’s flagship wide-format RIP and print workflow software, featuring an all-new PDF Soft Proof workflow and Print Label Cut Path
Fujifilm Acuity Prime. functionality. RGB soft proofs can be easily generated on the fly or automated using ONYX Quick Sets for a quick visual reference of final output before printing. Onyx also launched ONYX Go, a new subscription RIP solution that offers a month-to-month, nocontract, full-featured ONYX RIP with up to four Adobe PDF Print Engines (APPE), Job Editor to edit files before printing, unlimited roll-to-roll cutter support for complete Print-and-Cut workflows, and supports up to two printers.
Roland DGA VersaSTUDIO BN-20A desktop printer/cutter, a CMYK-only “business in a box” for $4,995. Roland also launched its new VersaUV LEC2 S-Series UV flatbeds designed for direct-to-object printing, available in 64-inch and 30-inch widths. As if that weren’t enough, on the rollfed side, Roland also introduced its new 64-inch VersaUV LEC2-640 and 30-inch VersaUV LEC2-330, next-generation UV printer/cutters designed for label, packaging, sign, display and interior décor production. On the finishing side, Roland has also added the 64-inch GR2-640 and 54-inch GR2-540 large-format vinyl cutters to its CAMM-1 series.
SAi released Flexi 21, the latest version of its flagship signmaking software. Amongst many other features, it now supports multi-layer/white and varnish ink layered printing, variable-data printing, jig templates for direct-to-object printing, custom inksets and G7 Certification.
In the digital signage arena, Sharp NEC Display Solutions partnered with Avery Dennison to introduce ActiveScene, which combines Avery Dennison’s Vela Dynamic System and NEC projection technology, to provide a comprehensive A/V solution to transform existing windows into engaging, eye-catching displays. swissQprint flatbed generation 4 features new printheads for a maximum resolution of 1350 dpi and ultrahigh-precision droplet placement.
Roland VersaSTUDIO BN-20A desktop printer/cutter.
Sharp NEC and Avery Dennison’s ActiveScene
Continued from page 23 has taken on an entirely new meaning for companies that use direct mail to attract new business – or grow customer wallet-share. Providing a multitouch, engaging and relevant omni-channel experience is a communication opportunity every step of the way throughout the customer acquisition journey.
The Importance of Workflow and Automation
The third communication trend has to do with intra-business communications – wherein all the systems that help your business function, communicate with each other to provide you with the real-time data insights and dashboards you need to make smart business decisions. This includes your CRM, MIS, W2P, marketing and/or sales automation platforms, analytics engines and so on. While each of these systems has a different function, the better the data, the better they can communicate that data among one another.
At drupa’s virtual 2021 conference, one of the biggest topics was workflow automation. The top four reasons to automate print production workflow are: ● Workflow automation raises the productivity and profitability of your company. ● An investment in the right software increases your output. ● Workflow automation enables the increase of volume of shorter run work. ● It’s easier to avoid bottlenecks.
For example, CRMs that are setup and used properly, provide the ability to track prospects and leads throughout their buying journey. Having insights to customer and prospect relationships aligned to sales funnels and pipelines enables marketers to plan, execute and monitor their email marketing campaigns and get insights into the metrics that would help improve performance.
Another example is print MIS. By automating the workflow process, MIS software allows for greater productivity, quicker turnout, and less downtime. In other words, both you and the customer can get things done quicker – from estimating all the way through to shipping and invoicing. With proper workflow and automation, your customer is kept in the loop and feels reassured about their job in production. When workflow is efficient, their questions are answered with ease. Your CSRs can spend less time looking for information - and more time helping your customer - and growing your share of wallet.
“Selection and effective implementation of a print MIS solution is arguably one of the most important decisions a printing business will make,” said Cary Sherburne, WhatTheyThink Senior Editor and author of the white paper: “Five Keys to a Successful Print ERP/MIS Implementation.”
When systems like CRM and MIS communicate data with each other, the points where engagement is most needed can be automatically flagged, or entirely automated. These triggers and alerts can be set for notification of inventory levels, equipment malfunctions and even customer communications. The ability to automate marketing and communications has become integral in delivering a comprehensive omni-channel experience that encompasses digital, social and even print touchpoints throughout the customer journey.
Shifting from Commodity to Communications
These trends illustrate a transition away from print as a commodity toward one that establishes print as a high-value, touch-oriented communication channel – and the perfect complement to digital acquisition strategies. Moving toward a customer experience management (CXM) mindset helps the print industry position itself as a communications channel, primed to deliver the experience that today’s buyers expect. Further, it shows an incredible adaptability and capacity to innovate not only products, but the nature of the print industry itself. ●
Joanne Gore is founder of Joanne Gore Communications. She has spent the last three decades helping companies maximize their marketing and communications efforts. Contact Joanne at joanne@joannegorecommunications.com.
Continued from page 43
The Right Tools for the Job
Two years ago, Compu-Mail also provided offset printing with over 250 employees. They recognized that inkjet was the future of printing for their business, and so it was time to refocus. Today, after divesting that offset-driven part of the business, they operate with a little over 100 employees and a much better configuration of equipment and personnel to support their growing business and clients.
About 65% of their production is direct marketing and 35% is transactional. Their staffing is designed for maximum efficiency, with about 60% dedicated to production, 10 to programming and technical services, with five salespeople and 10 account executives who work daily with their clients. They work with four different call centers that handle the majority of their inbound and outbound program calls, and they have an internal call center group that supports “boutique programs.”
Their original digital press configuration included a variety of electrophotographic continuous feed and sheetfed presses. About five years ago, they introduced inkjet with the addition of a Canon VarioPrint i300 cut sheet press and a couple of short web presses. Recently, they added two Canon VarioPrint iX presses to take advantage of the higher quality and introduce more flexibility with substrates.
Vitch noted that while they saw very good uptime with the i300, the iX is even better, and when it comes down to it, it’s about keeping the machine running.
The iX includes larger input trays to allow the operator to load up the machine. So if it keeps running with minimal operator intervention, they can reduce the need for a roll-fed press. Although, should the need arise, they will add additional continuous feed web presses.
They believe in automation, and have a full complement of software on premise and in the cloud. Since many customers transmit files overnight, and have requirements to be in the mail that day, they have to be able to automate and accommodate many different types of client systems. Almost all of those systems have different software.
So they even have products that can take native PDFs, strip the PDF apart, pull out data, sort it for postal automation, put it back together and print it in order. That way they get the best postal discount without changing that statement or the way it looks. This is an automated process with very little operator intervention, other than maybe to load paper, unload paper, quality control reporting, etc.
Many clients supply personal data. So CompuMail became an SOC 3 business and are audited. Their data security is so tight that people can’t carry cell phones into their facility.
It’s about flexibility and quality.
Their business philosophy is really about flexibility in offer and value add. They don’t want to be a commod- Read More… ity printer that competes in a Find article at race to the bottom. Vitch has PrintingNews. been in the business a long time, com/21155998 and sees that customers want quality vendors. They want to work with the best, to know that their work is being done in the best way possible, and that their partner has a commitment to do things at a high level. All of their employees are tasked with quality control, and they pay their employees well with good benefits to ensure that.
More to Come …
I would like to address your interests and concerns in future articles as it relates to the manufacturing of Print, Packaging and Labels, and how, if at all, it drives future workflows including “Industry 4.0.” If you have any interesting examples of hybrid and bespoke manufacturing, I am very anxious to hear about them as well. Please feel free to contact me at david@zwang.com with any questions, suggestions or examples of interesting applications. ●
David Zwang specializes in process analysis, and strategic development of firms involved in publishing and packaging across the globe. Contact him at david@zwang.com.
KODAK NEXFINITY Digital Press
Versatility that helps printers say Yes
Print service providers who can say “yes” to virtually any job are at an advantage today. The KODAK NEXFINITY Digital Press puts printers in precisely that position. NEXFINITY stands as a compelling solution for printers seeking a robust, flexible, effective sheetfed digital color press. It delivers running costs competitive with mediumrun offset and prints up to 400% more pages per month than competing sheetfed digital presses.
Raising the bar in terms of print quality and consistency
The NEXFINITY Digital Press is designed for maximum throughput with production speeds up to 152 A4 pages per minute. It operates with unique same edge perfecting, which ensures best front-to-back and side-to-side registration of the printed sheets. Printing at 1,200 x 1,200 dpi in the Ultra configuration, the press leverages Kodak’s Dynamic Imaging Technology with 256 levels of density per pixel. Dynamic Imaging Technology automatically optimizes images in real time using proprietary computational screening algorithms that are applied as needed, even to small areas within images. Together, NEXFINITY’s high-resolution imaging system and sophisticated screening algorithms tighten control of dot sharpness, boosting quality and consistency over long runs. All these features enable NEXFINITY to deliver an excellent, consistent color print quality that rivals, or even surpasses, offset and helps printers increase customer satisfaction.
Profitable CMYK plus a wide variety of digital enhancements
The press supports an exceptionally versatile range of substrate types, substrate thicknesses (max. 24 pt/610 microns) and sheet sizes (max. 356 x 1,295 mm when equipped with a long sheet deep pile feeder). It also provides an unmatched range of digital print embellishment options in its fifth imaging unit. NEXFINITY owners can choose from twelve standard fifth imaging unit solutions for in-line digital print enhancements including specialty inks, plus custom spot colors and matte and gloss finishes.
Digital Front End for more job processing efficiency and optimized productivity
NEXFINITY’s Digital Front End (DFE) utilizes the Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE) and is designed to exploit the many features of the press with an intuitive interface that streamlines time to press. It features flexibility for being operated as a complete standalone prepress station, with imposing, trapping, color management, job specification and job management and reporting capabilities. Furthermore, the DFE supports an automated workflow using JDF and JMF which are compatible with a variety of workflow solutions, including Kodak’s industry-leading PRINERGY Workflow. Fast ripping of short-run, image-intensive applications, as well as complex variable jobs keeps the NEXFINITY Press highly productive.
How printers notch up successes with the NEXFINITY Digital Press
NEXFINITY makes a perfect complement for offset printers and/or digital service providers who want to extend their portfolios with high margin, creative applications and offer a quicker service. Impressions Printing became Canada’s first print shop to introduce a NEXFINITY Digital Press.
“We were searching for a solution that could help us further differentiate on speed and quality, and NEXFINITY has allowed us to increase our output volume while enhancing customer satisfaction,” said Cory Stuart, president of Impressions Printing.
Say yes! Request samples or a virtual demonstration here: kodak.com/go/sayyes
Read More…
Color Printing
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WARMING UP TO COLOR
“Unsettled” is a great book, but the graphs miss the color mark.
Are you concerned about global warming? Many people are in an absolute tizzy about it. Al Gore, who has made his living off global warming, warned us at the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Summit of a “75% chance that the entire polar ice cap during some of the summer months could be completely ice free within five to seven years.” Oops.
On the other hand, perhaps you find the alarm over global warming to be much ado about nothing, or worse yet, a plot to destroy the world economy.
Both opinions are well represented and extremely vocal on social media. Using tweets of one, two or three sentences, advocates for either extreme misquote, distort or outright fabricate evidence to suit their beliefs. These folks gain applause from their fellow devotees, draw upon themselves the wrath of the opposite camp, and certainly annoy folks like me, who are on Facebook mostly to look at pictures of grandchildren.
Enter into the fray Dr. Steven E Koonin, professor at New York University, member of the National Academy of Sciences, and Undersecretary of Energy for Science during the Obama administration. He’s written a book titled “Unsettled.” I highly recommend it.
Professor Koonin has taken vast amounts of very complex information and distilled it down to 300 or so eminently readable pages about climate science and the disciplines which comprise it.
Koonin has a gift for making the complex understandable. Not simple, because it isn’t simple (despite what the twits on Twitter would have us believe) but comprehendible without a doctorate in physics or meteorology. Facts: He inundates us with facts, backed up by studies sited in 25 pages of footnotes.
And the graphs. Oh, those graphs. If a picture is worth a thousand words, Koonin is an artist. The 70+ graphs visually present the data he uses to make his points. For those who tend to get lost in a sea of data, graphs are immensely helpful to literally illustrate the information.
Alas, there is a drawback. Each graph contains a tremendous amount of information. Different tint screens, dashes, dots, solids and varying line thicknesses are all tools employed to add clarity.
Mass market books, remember, are almost always printed in black ink on uncoated paper. The techniques enumerated above are needed because as Henry Ford was quoted as saying, “You may have any color you want, as long as it is black.”
What a shame. The use of color would have gone far toward making the graphs clearer, more intuitive and less cluttered. I don’t fault the author; I’m sure he had nothing to do with the decision. The use of color is a matter of cost between the publisher and the printer.
The publisher, BenBella Books, purports to be “a marketing-focused, author-friendly publishing house.” Perhaps, but they sure missed a chance to make a great book even better.
Most publishers aren’t interested in their printer’s opinion, but this was an opportunity for the printer to make a point, differentiate, assume a consultative role, and add value… even if a suggestion to add color was not acted upon by the publisher.
When a genuine reason to add color appears, especially where it is not normally used, jump in! Make the case. Be an advocate for color and for print. ● Read More… Find article at PrintingNews. com/21157522
Steve Johnson is a successful print owner and digital pioneer. Each month in Johnson’s World, he offers up his take on the day-to-day world of graphic communications.
