Issue 346 - January / February 2024 www.printmonthly.co.uk Magazine Resurgence ▲ Are magazines really having a vinyl-like resurgence or is the model changing? Page 30 Bluetree closes medical arm There have been major changes at Bluetree Group as it closes medical arm Page 14 Hunkeler and Müller merge Müller Martini Group has acquired all of the shares of Hunkeler Group Page 12 2024 Predictions Find out what industry members think the steering factors for 2024 will be Page 36 Duplo DBM-700 Brian Sims looks under the hood of Duplo’s brand new bookletmaker Page 24 NEXT invests in Vivid kit Major British multi-national retailer NEXT has invested in a Veloblade Nexus Page 18
3 CONTENTS Issue 346 January / February 2024 www.printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 ISSN 2976-9213 NEWS Industry 06 Business 12 Müller Martini Group has announced it has acquired all of the shares of the Hunkeler Group Kit & Media 18 Environment 20 People 22 SPECIALS Under the Hood: DUPLO DBM-700 24 Company Spotlight: TradePRINT 26 MAGAZINE RESURGENCE 30 COLIN SINCLAIR MCDERMOTT: INDUSTRY TIPS 29 2024 Predictions 36 We speak to industry members about what they think the steering factors will be for print and packaging in 2024 FEATURES BINDING TECHNOLOGY 41 DIRECT MAIL 45 Is direct mail becoming more relevant as end-users favour personal and customised marketing? CROSSMEDIA & INTERACTIVE PRINT 51 PACKAGING SOLUTIONS 55 FINANCE & FUNDING 59 IN THIS ISSUE 20 59 30 12 22 06
ISSUE 346January / February 2024 Packaging Innovations & Empack February 21st to 22nd at the NEC, Birmingham, UK Sign & Digital UK / Printwear & Promotion LIVE! February 25th to 27th at the NEC, Birmingham, UK FESPA Global Print Expo March 19th to 22nd at the RAI Exhibition Centre, Amsterdam Drupa May 28th to June 7th at Messe Düsseldorf, Germany Publishing director Page Tuck Sales director Chris Davies Lead contributor Rob Fletcher Contributors Brian Sims, Colin Sinclair McDermott Contact Editorial: 0117 980 5040 Sales: 0117 960 3255 Production: 0117 980 5041 Accounts: 0117 980 5042 Find us online www.printmonthly.co.uk Socials All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the prior consent of the publisher. The views expressed by contributors to Print Monthly magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or editorial team and Link Publishing Ltd. takes no responsibility for any errors that may have occurred. The publisher also accepts no responsibility for the advertising content, including any error, omission or inaccuracy therein. Calls may be recorded for training purposes. Link Publishing Ltd. retains the right to publish and re-publish any images or information sent to the publication. Link Publishing Ltd, Unit G, Link House, Britton Gardens, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 1TF Editor Carys Evans carys@linkpublishing.co.uk Online editor David Osgar david@linkpublishing.co.uk Production Shaun Edwards shaun@linkpublishing.co.uk Sales Tim Hall tim@linkpublishing.co.uk Sales Luke Stoneham luke@linkpublishing.co.uk Accounts Kathryn Quinn kat@linkpublishing.co.uk Office therapist Skye PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine Printed on Sappi Magno Satin from EBB Paper CBP00015512002182040 January / February 2024 - Issue 346 4 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine And just like that it’s our first issue of 2024! The past year has whizzed on by like nobody’s business and what an incredible amount the industry has achieved over this time. From significant investments in technology and innovations and huge funding and grants secured, to repeated invitations to No 10 where IPIA Chairman Charles Rogers has championed the industry and achieved some incredible and tangible results already. As we look to the year ahead of us, there is a mix of optimism and trepidation as it’s no secret that 2023 wasn’t the smoothest of rides for businesses. From high costs, supply chain challenges, economic uncertainty, and the cost of living crisis putting pressure on businesses, the industry has been forced to diversify, sidestep, collaborate, invest, and in some cases sadly shut up shop altogether. However, one thing that’s been clear is the industry’s grit and determination when faced with difficult times and it has continued to grow and evolve just like it has since its inception over 500 years ago. With that said, we have a jam-packed and exciting year ahead with a calendar filled with industry events including the much-anticipated return of Drupa in Düsseldorf this spring. No doubt we will see a flurry of new launches and innovations as manufacturers continue to charge forward with new developments. We are also bracing ourselves for a number of changes, namely the implementation of artificial intelligence on a much broader scale within operations, big changes to the way we receive communications with the end of cookies cited for 2025, and the focus on sustainability gearing up another notch as more solutions are developed and greenwashing is increasingly called out. Thank you as always for your continued support and let’s see what 2023 has to offer! EDITOR S NOTE Carys Evans MEET THE TEAM DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
INDUSTRY / NEWS 6 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine Large explosion hits Welsh industrial estate An explosion has taken place at a Welsh industrial estate that houses towel printing business Bursali Towels and is located nearby to print company DecTek. The ‘fireball-like’ explosion took place at around 7pm on December 13th in Rizla House, a warehouse that houses 13 commercial units including a gym, a telecoms service, and Bursali Towels, which offers digitally printed promotional towels. Treforest Industrial Estate and the surrounding area are home to several businesses and local services which were affected by road closures and investigations following the explosion. Reports from local residents and business owners say that “earthquake-like booms” could be felt in the area, with several cars and businesses becoming damaged. Posting on Facebook, Andrew Cox of Andrew Cox Barbering, said: “The gym is heartbreakingly no longer accessible together with all the businesses inside including Andrew Cox Barbering.” Business owners in the local area have also offered their help and services in light of the situation and a GoFundMe page was set up for the businesses affected. Bursali Towels, which offers a range of products for hotels, spas, and promotional events was hit by the explosion. The company exhibited at Printwear and Promotion LIVE! in February earlier this year. Another printing company situated near to the incident is DecTek, which including its Big Bang Print wide-format division is located across two sites in Treforest Industrial Estate. Situated across the river from where the explosion took place, DecTek was not damaged but like all local businesses nearby experienced disruptions caused by the aftermath of the incident. Speaking to Print Monthly, managing director of the company Mike Beese, said the shockwave of the explosion could be felt throughout the estate as it "shook all the windows in the two businesses". When news broke of the explosion one person known to be in the area at the time was unaccounted for. Police sadly later reported that a body had been found. On December 16th, South Wales Police named the person who lost their life as 40-yearold Danielle Evans. South Wales Police is now working with fire service and Health and Safety Executive colleagues to determine the cause of the explosion. A major incident was declared following a large blaze on Severn Road, Treforest. Image: Valley Times (Facebook) By David Osgar Whistl UK is seeking over £600m in damages from Royal Mail Group and its parent company International Distributions Services (IDS) due to anti-competitive behaviour. In 2018 a £50m fine was imposed on Royal Mail by postal regulator Ofcom for breaching competition law with price changes specifically targeting competition from Whistl in 2014. Royal Mail made three attempts to challenge the outcome before paying the fine. Following this, Whistl filed a damages claim for the significant financial impact on its business as a result of Royal Mail’s actions. The value of the claim, which is estimated to be in excess of £600m, is based on business planning documents which were stress tested in 2013. Whistl claims £600m+ in damages from Royal Mail Following the success of The Print Show 2023, businesses are confirming their presence early for the 2024 event. At the end of the 2023 exhibition, many exhibitors including Resolute, VB Media, Venture Banners, The Online Print Coach, and Trade Embroidery had already confirmed their space for 2024. Since then, Fujifilm UK, Morgana, Solopress, Route1Print, Premier Paper, InkTec Europe, Result Clothing, Graphtec, Vivid Laminating Technologies, and more have also confirmed their spaces with many increasing the size of their stands. Vivid has committed to its biggest-ever stand at the show with a 208sq m space at the back of Hall 17. Artworker and swissQprint will also both be exhibiting for the first time. [L to R] Luke Stoneham, sales manager at The Print Show, and Brad Goldsmith, marketing manager at Premier Paper Group The trial is expected to begin in 2024 following a case management hearing Exhibitors go big early at The Print Show 2024 Fujifilm has announced an 85% increase in the use of its in-store photo printing service PHOTO by Fujifilm Kiosk. The service was launched at its flagship House of Photography store in Covent Garden last year where more than 35,000 photos have been printed so far. Fujifilm has attributed the success to a combination of good kiosk positioning, user-friendly interfaces, in-store customer support, and the increased popularity of personalisation and gifting. The success of the kiosks is part of Fujifilm’s continued efforts to invest in the UK high street as also demonstrated earlier in the year with its transformation of independent retail partners. Fujifilm sees in-store printing increase by 85% Customers of PHOTO can print images straight from their smart phones without a long wait time
INDUSTRY / NEWS 8 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine Moonpig has reported a surge in the popularity of new technology features within its greeting cards. According to the company, search data from Google demonstrates a boom in the popularity of searches for AI birthday cards, digital anniversary cards, as well as video message and VR cards. The search trend increase of AI birthday cards is up 300% while digital and video message cards are up 150%. Recently Moonpig added its Smart Text offering which offers a writing assistant to customers looking to perfect their greeting card messages with the help of AI. Moonpig sees increase in demand for AI cards The Printing Charity hosts Annual Luncheon In November, the Printing Charity held its 194th Anual Luncheon. Held in the Stationers’ Hall in London, the day is a chance to reflect on the Charity’s free resources and support. This year also saw the Charity formally thank its outgoing Chair Jon Wright and Vice Chair James Povey. Both joined as Trustees in 2004. Guests also enjoyed a keynote speech from current president Michael Grade CBE, Lord Grade of Yarmouth, who reflected on the industry’s evolution over the years and praised it for its adaptability. BPIF Training is calling on the next group of apprentices to enrol in its upcoming February apprenticeship programmes. The apprenticeship qualifications have just received a ‘Good’ rating across all areas in their recent Ofsted inspection. The apprenticeship programmes are curated to specifically meet the changing needs of the print industry with trainees receiving comprehensive training that is aligned with the latest industry trends. Those interested in enrolling in a BPIF Training Apprenticeship in February 2024 can register via the BPIF Training website. BPIF apprenticeships to start in February BCF calls on Government for recognition The British Coatings Federation (BCF) has published a report urging the Government to recognise the importance of upstream ‘enabler’ industries to UK manufacturing. Coatings are used in virtually every industry to make products safer, more effective, and to improve their quality, and downstream companies worth £300bn a year rely on them. Without these, the BCF says that a large proportion of sectors such as aerospace and automotive – which were identified by the Government in its Advanced Manufacturing Plan – wouldn’t be able to achieve their potential. Therefore, the BCF has outlined in its Essential Coatings report, five key asks of the Government to ensure the coatings sector can continue to thrive and contribute to the UK economy. The five asks included in the report are the need for regulatory and policy clarity and certainty for chemicals; a long-term industrial strategy for manufacturing; support for businesses in the transition to net zero; a long-term focus on skills and training; and a greater focus on improving post-Brexit trade. [L to R] Tom Bowtell, Sharon Harte, Reception Sponsor Paul Scully MP, and David Park Power of Print 2023 encourages creativity and innovation Returning for its 13th year, Power of Print took place at Stationers’ Hall, London in November. The day was introduced by Two Sides managing director, Jonathan Tame, and covered topics around opportunities in print, current challenges like Net Zero, and AI (Artificial Intelligence). Charles Jarrold, chief executive officer of the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF), gave a brief overview of the current economic, political, and technological challenges facing printers referring to the BPIF Printing Outlook. The biggest concerns for print businesses were competitor pricing, energy costs, wage levels, and sales levels. Like many speakers Jarrold emphasised that digital and print must work together but also embrace the likes of data targeting and green technologies. Jarrold even did a test with AI platform Chat GBT to ask it about the future of the print industry, to which Chat GBT admitted it could not predict the future and suggested speaking to a professional in the industry. Ian Bates, partnership director of Two Sides stressed the importance of collaboration and creativity Businesses ‘win’ in 2023 Autumn Statement Following Jeremy Hunt’s presentation of the Autumn Statement in the House of Commons, businesses and analysts have reacted to the latest details. Included in the Statement was National Insurance rates to be cut from 12% to 10% from January 6th; an increase in National Living Wage from £10.42 to £11.44 an hour from April; and the now permanent “full expensing” tax break which allows companies to deduct spending on new machinery and equipment including printers and office equipment. Also included was a freeze on the small business multiplier for business rates and £50m in funding to increase support for apprentices. IPIA Chairman Charles Rogers, says: “We are very heartened to see the confirmed announcement of £11bn investment per year in UK manufacturing through making the 'Full Expensing' scheme permanent. “This means that print industry businesses and the supply chain that invest in the UK will reduce their tax by up to 25p for every £1 they spend on plant and machinery.” Chancellor of the exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, announced a series of financial changes in the Autumn Statement
INDUSTRY / NEWS PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine 10 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 Tumultuous year at PFI Group continues Filing of a Notice of Intention to Appoint Administrators at Works Manchester (formerly a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grafenia) has made the company the latest to be affected by the turmoil within the PFI Group (Rymack Sign Solutions). The sale of Works Manchester was announced on May 19th, 2022, and included assets of Grafenia Operations. However, on June 1st, 2023 Software Circle had not received the first installment from Rymack Sign Solutions which was due May 31st. Software Circle has now revealed that due to “reduced confidence of receiving payment of any deferred consideration from Rymack”, the £2.81m due has been reduced to £0.35m. With news of the intention to appoint administrators, Software Circle is now in the process of trying to recover these sums. With Nettl Systems a main customer of Works Manchester, a statement from Software Circle says: “The Nettl Systems management team have been making arrangements with alternative suppliers so that continuity of supply is in place for products available through the Nettl Systems platform to minimise any impact on the Nettl partner network.” Trouble within the PFI Group has been ongoing for months with a number of its subsidiaries being shuttered following an acquisition spree dating as far back as 2017. Issues at the Group began surfacing in May this year, as reported by Printweek, when PFI Group chief executive officer Darren McMurray came under fire for the dismissal of five former employees of PFI Group subsidiary Futurama. An unfair dismissal employee tribunal was heard at Leeds Employment Tribunal on October 10th, 2023 with the hearing finding no evidence of gross misconduct (the reason for dismissal cited by McMurray). PFI Group acquired Futurama back in 2020 however administrators were appointed from FRP Advisory on May 5th, 2023. Following this, Mardan Products ceased trading with FRP Advisory appointed on August 16th with around 12 employees reported to have been made redundant. More subsidiaries sadly followed suit with Sign Plus comprising sister companies Jasmine and Lofthus having entered administration. FRP Advisory was appointed on Friday, November 3rd and it is reported that 50 employees were made redundant. The future of Kelso-based Signmaster ED had been in question for months before it also entered administration with reports of staff not being paid and threats of eviction due to unpaid rent dating back to August 2023. Sadly, the issues weren’t resolved and FRP Advisory has now been appointed. A source at the company told Print Monthly that the administration came as a huge relief due to “the uncertainty around jobs and wages and the future of what was a very successful business”. The source has described the stress this has caused to employees, particularly in the run-up to Christmas, with staff, many of whom have families and young children, not having received wages for over four weeks and with no communication from PFI or Signmaster’s director Darren McMurray. The lack of management from the director has been described as “mentally painful” with staff describing feeling in limbo since former managing director, Stuart Horsburgh resigned earlier in 2023. In more positive news, Kesslers London and Proportion London successfully underwent a management buyout from PFI Group at the end of November. Kesslers London, which started trading in January 2021 and is built on the legacy of the Kesslers family brand, recently relocated its manufacturing site to the previous home of its Proportion London brand. Both Kesslers and Proportion now operate from East London, employing 95 staff over two locations offering unique retail displays and merchandising/visual media solutions. Daniel Astarita, managing director at Kesslers London, says: "We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of Kesslers London by our management team. This development represents a pivotal moment for us as we embark on a dynamic journey of growth and innovation.” At the time of writing, PFI Group has not responded to our request for comment. ▲Top: A string of PFI Group subsidiaries have entered administration as trouble within the Group continues ▲Above: Kelsobased Signmaster ED entered administration in November after months of uncertainty Works Manchester (formerly a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grafenia) has become the latest company to be hit by trouble at PFI Group with the filing of a Notice of Intention to Appoint Administrators
BUSINESS / NEWS 12 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine Müller Martini Group has acquired all of the shares of the Hunkeler Group in a deal that was decided by both owner families to bundle together innovation activities and better serve customers around the world. The deal means Hunkeler and Crédit Mutuel Equity have sold off all their shares to Müller Martini but have decided to not disclose the purchase price to the public. As two companies which produce solutions for post-print paper processing both groups have focused on the economical production of individualised print products within automated smart factories. Müller Martini and Hunkeler have a long history with each other and within the industry starting when Hans Müller worked as a mechanical engineer for Hunkeler during World War II. Müller then set up his own business in 1946 and continued a relationship with Hunkeler thanks to the local proximity the two businesses had in the Zofingen region of Switzerland. Speaking about the purchase, Stefan Hunkeler, president of the Board of Hunkeler, and Michel Hunkeler, delegate of the Board of Hunkeler, add: "The opportunity for the merger is currently greatly beneficial for both partners and our joint customers, as it will result in considerable advantages in a combined enterprise. This is also a strong commitment for the Zofingen region." The merger was announced after careful consideration on December 6th, 2023, and is another example of an increasing amount of mergers and acquisitions taking place in the print industry in recent months. Hunkeler and Müller Martini merge [L to R] Stefan Hunkeler, Michel Hunkeler, Bruno Müller, Rudolf Müller, Daniel Erni, and Franz Hunkeler Mail Solutions acquires Adare SEC's Kalamazoo Karl Lee, managing director of telford-based Mail Solutions Telford-based envelope and print solutions company Mail Solutions has acquired Kalamazoo – a security print business and division of Adare SEC. Kalamazoo has a long-standing history having been producing secure documents for well-known organisations for over 100 years. Mail Solutions was founded in 2000 and has evolved into a £30m+ turnover business which works with commercial and public sector clients to provide printed envelopes, direct mail stationary, letters and leaflets, and more. The acquisition was completed on October 31st, 2023, for an undisclosed sum. As a result, Kalamazoo’s Redditch site remains fully operational with all staff moving across to Mail Solutions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment rights). Adare SEC will continue to focus on areas that align with its long-term vision and objectives. By David Osgar The future of Incodia International’s Colchester site is under review less than a year after being acquired. Woodberry Packaging Group acquired Incodia International in February of this year however, Mark Kerridge of Woodberry explained that despite the team’s best efforts, the Colchester manufacturing site is not proving to be profitable to the Group. The consultation process is expected to take at least 30 days and in this time, any other feasible alternatives to closure will be explored. It is solely the Colchester site under consultation with all other Woodberry Packaging companies operating as usual. In July, Woodberry extended its card capabilities with the acquisition of Precision Card Services. Incodia’s Colchester site enters consultation Fujifilm and eProductivity Software are set to partner to demonstrate how Fujifilm’s XMF PressReady workflow can be paired with ePS’ MarketDirect StoreFront e-commerce and MIS system. These solutions can be integrated to manage print production to Fujifilm’s Revoria and Apeos range of digital presses. This will be demonstrated at Fujifilm’s European Print Experience Centres in Germany and Belgium as well as at Fujifilm’s Peak Performance Print event at the end of the month. Fujifilm and ePS customers will be able to see real examples of an end-to-end workflow from job onboarding through a web-to-print system and registering the job in an MIS to the full management of the print job. [L to R] John Davies, Fujifilm Europe and John Morley, eProductivity Software Incodia International’s Colchester site has entered a formal consultation process Fujifilm and ePS to demo end-to-end workflow Print-on-demand and merchandise platform, Merchr, has increased its capacity and machinery following a £250,000 investment. The business has taken delivery of five new machines and has also recruited several new roles within its team including backend and front-end web developers as well as e-commerce and marketing staff. Merchr was founded by Martin Varley, a senior executive in the personalised products industry, who backed a team of experienced professionals after securing £350,000 in an oversubscribed pre-seed fundraising round. The equipment includes a flatbed printer, a 360-degree cylinder printer for bottles, a 360-degree heat press for hats as well as a Graphtec cutting plotter. Print-on-demand platform increases investments Head of operations at Merchr, Jack Fox, with a range of the company’s printed products
BUSINESS / NEWS 14 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine Bluetree Group has announced it will move all resources back onto print and close its medical division, and has reshuffled senior management as a result. The company launched its medical division during the Covid-19 pandemic when it secured a DHSC contract to manufacture Type IIR masks. However, with demand for these products having now declined, all resources are to be focused solely on print again. This additional focus will be mainly on books and booklet printing which Adam Carnell co-chief executive officer of Bluetree says has been identified as one of the fastest-growing areas of the business. The production of books and booklets within Bluetree was strengthened by the acquisition of award-winning book printer Kingsbury Press in October 2021. In May 2023, the Doncaster-based Group relocated all operations to its main site on Manvers Way with finishing now taking place adjacent to the main production facility in Unit B which previously housed the medical division. The restructure has also seen a reshuffle within the Group’s senior management team with Jon Smith, former managing director of the medical division taking on the role of production director having previously also ran the instantprint brand. Phil Tasker will take over as head of Kingsbury Press having formerly ran Route1Print. Jack Parks will move from sales director for the medical division to head Route1Print having also previously ran the instantprint direct brand. Bluetree closes medical division Bluetree Group has announced a restructure with the mothballing of its medical division and in turn has had a reshuffle of senior management Sappi set to close its Stockstadt Mill early 2024 A consultation process is now underway for Sappi’s Lanaken Mill On July 6th, 2023, global pulp and paper-based solutions company, Sappi, began a consultation process on the possible closure of its Stockstadt Mill. This process took three months and has now resulted in the planned closure of the site during Q1 of 2024. The company has cited “the persistent global economic downturn proving to be much tougher than anticipated with depressed markets, geopolitical instability, and weak economic growth combining” as causing pressure. With the significant overcapacity in graphic paper forcing Sappi to take extended periods of costly commercial downtime, the company has also now commenced a consultation process on the future of its Lanaken Mill. Looking forward, Sappi says it remains focused on building a sustainably resilient company and this requires evaluating the future of all areas of its business. By Carys Evans The opening of CSI Manufacturing’s new state-of-the-art premises in Weston-SuperMare has been hailed a success. Described as more than just a celebration of physical space, CSI Manufacturing says the grand opening was a “celebration of collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and the enduring spirit of advancement that defines CSI Manufacturing and its esteemed partners”. Marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth journey, the new premises boasts 9,750sq ft of operational space and has been strategically selected to optimise logistical capabilities. CSI Manufacturing can now further enhance its services and provide an even more streamlined experience for its customers. CSI Manufacturing grand opening a success Aurora Managed Services has acquired Blue Sky Digital, a managed print solution provider based in South Wales and Bristol. A provider of fully managed print services, telecoms, office supplies, and enterprise solutions, Aurora has offices located throughout England, including its recently opened Newcastle office. When growing into Newcastle the company said the expansion was part of its ethos of “local action, national scale.” This latest addition to the company adds further expansion for Aurora in South Wales and the South West of England. The acquisition took effect from December 1st and means Blue Sky Digital and Aurora will be able to continue to elevate services but also drive value for clients across various regions. [L to R] Andy Moffitt, Aurora; Neil Brewer, Blue Sky; Ian Brewer, Blue Sky; and Martin Oxley, Aurora CSI Manufacturing described the grand opening as more than just a celebration of physical space Aurora acquires South Wales-based business WTTB has secured the European rights to CAMI, a communications platform that enables users to deliver personalised video messages through a QR code. Through the system, users can buy a code on the WTTB website, upload a 29-second video via CAMI’s site, and then incorporate a QR code in their printed materials, enabling people to access the additional content. One example of this could be a business card featuring a personalised video downloadable via a QR code, also known as a CAMIcode. CAMIcodes are an example of the way printed products can be used in partnership with digital communications to add value and offer more to users. WTTB secures European Rights to video platform WTTB has secured the European rights to CAMI, a downloadable video platform
KIT & MEDIA / NEWS 18 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine January / February 2024 - Issue 346 SCREEN introduces new A3 sheetfed press Manufacturer of inkjet digital printing technology, SCREEN, has introduced a new A3 sheetfed digital inkjet press to its portfolio in the Truepress JET S320. Building on SCREEN’s commercial printing offering, the new press enables the enhancement of workflow solutions integrated with SCREEN’s EQUIOS workflow system, hybrid printing with CtP and offset printing, and increased productivity through the combined use of the Truepress JET 520 series. According to the manufacturer, businesses are moving more to digital printing technology in the commercial printing and publishing spheres. The company is also seeing increasing demand for a data-driven approach, personalised advertising materials, and printers only producing the necessary quantity of products. The company’s range of high-speed, continuous-feed inkjet digital presses in the Truepress JET 520 series is said to meet these demands with digital inkjet presses being used increasingly for direct mail, catalogues, brochures, and more. SCREEN’s new Truepress JET S320 has been developed by utilising the technical expertise in A3 production printers of KYOCERA Document Solutions. The new press from SCREEN debuted at PRINTING United Expo 2023 in Atlanta, US last October Realisaprint.com first to install RICOH Pro Z75 French online printer, Realisaprint.com, has become the first to install Ricoh’s newly launched perfecting (auto-duplexing) sheetfed inkjet press, the Pro Z75. Known as ‘The Dragon’, the world-first installation comes after a successful beta test at Heeter in the US. Realisaprint.com provides over 50,000 graphic art professionals in France, Spain, and Italy with commercial printing services including brochures, flyers, signage, point of purchase displays, and more. Launched officially in October, the Pro Z75 can print at speeds of up to 4,500sph in straight printing or 2,250sph in duplex/perfect printing; can produce 1,200dpi native resolution at all speeds with four-colour CMYK pigment inks; and features immediate finishing with a proprietary drying system. Offering extended substrate flexibility, the press can handle uncoated, inkjet treated, and offset coated media up to 400gsm with a maximum sheet size of 585mm x 750mm. Realisaprint.com is the first to invest in the new RICOH Pro Z75 B2 perfecting (auto-duplexing) sheetfed inkjet press Major retailer invests in Vivid technology Major British multi-national retailer, NEXT, has invested in a Veloblade Nexus and Zip Core Packaging Suite from Vivid Laminating Technologies. NEXT has approximately 700 stores in its portfolio with around 500 located in the UK and the remaining 200 located across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The brand’s in-house print department needed a new system for its own signage needs with its previous cutting system resulting in extended waiting times for support. As a result, NEXT has now partnered with Vivid and has invested in a Veloblade Nexus and Zip Core Packaging Suite. This technology has enabled the brand to take full control of its in-house production, save time, and benefit from substantial cost savings. Vivid has thanked Ricoh, for its instrumental role in making the sale possible with Ricoh a long-standing technology partner to NEXT. The new Vivid technology will work alongside Ricoh Latex and UV flatbed technologies within NEXT’s in-house print department. British retailer NEXT has invested in Vivid’s Veloblade Nexus and Zip Core Packaging Suite Ricoh Europe has announced the launch of the RICOH Pro VC80000, a commercial print press created to build on the success of the RICOH Pro VC70000. Available from early 2024 across EMEA, features include advanced start-up, print speed, quality control, colour consistency, media changeover, and production capacity. The VC80000 has been developed as the smallest in its class with a full duplex engine measuring less than ten metres and includes brand-agnostic software. Ricoh launches new RICOH Pro VC80000 Canon releases new large-format printers Canon has announced a new series of printers made for technical and promotional large-format printing applications. The models are aimed at industries like architecture, engin -eering, construction, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and education. The imagePROGRAF TM series incorporates five models: the TM-355, TM-350, and TM-340 for A0+ prints, plus the TM-255 and TM-240 for A1+ output. The new printer series is supplied with Direct Print Plus software. Antalis has re-launched the Keaykolour collection following its acquisition of Arjowiggins last year. The brand offers one of the largest ranges of coloured papers on the market including uncoated papers, boards, and matching envelopes. Antalis says the brand is a long-time favourite of the creative community and has a chromatically rich colour palette offering “endless creative applications” from corporate identity to luxury packaging. The range offers options for dry toner and HP Indigo and is suitable for embossing, letterpress, and other print techniques. Antalis re-launches Keaykolour range
20 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 ENVIRONMENT / NEWS PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine Not-for-profit organisation, Two Sides UK, has criticised the recent announcement by BT that it will be bringing an end to its printed Phone Book which BT says marks a “greener future” for the publication. BT Group revealed earlier in the year it would wrap up production of its Phone Book in March 2024. At the time, Faisal Mahomed, director of BT’s UK portfolio businesses, said: “This is an important move for the environment, for our customers and contribution to BT Group’s overall modernisation and sustainability programme.” With the last copies now arriving on doorsteps with the tagline: “Final Edition, hold on to it forever”, many media publications have noted the end of the historic title, reiterating some of BT’s environmental claims. When highlighting the issue to Two Sides UK, an organisation that tackles greenwashing and provides facts about the print and paper industries, Print Monthly spoke to managing director, Jonathan Tame. Tame says: “BT’s announcement doesn’t once mention the significant cost they will be saving, choosing instead to make misleading statements, greenwashing, of the environmental benefits of somehow saving 72,000 trees a year. “Trees for wood and paper products are harvested from sustainably managed forests, the trunk going to lumber and the fewer volume parts; the branches, crown of the tree, and sawmill waste being utilised in paper production. In Europe, sustainably managed forests are actually growing by about 612 million m3 every year. Not using paper does not somehow save trees.” Two Sides runs campaigns including Love Paper and the Anti-Greenwash Campaign and the organisation recently revealed it has removed over 1,075 misleading anti-paper statements since 2010. Tame told Print Monthly that Two Sides has engaged with BT in the past regarding a cost-saving campaign which pushed customers to paperless billing which BT eventually agreed was misleading. “Digital searches are also not consequence-free,” adds Tame, who says: “Data centres, PCs, laptops, and phones all have an impact, as they consume power to store and receive digital information. “The demand for raw materials such as critical and rare earth minerals is growing to meet the requirements to make electronic devices that are also difficult to recycle.” Two Sides responds to BT greenwashing The BT Phone Book started in 1880 and contained 248 personal and business names in London By David Osgar Dundee-based Tradeprint has reflected on how its use of HP Latex print technology is aiding its ongoing sustainability commitments. Tradeprint first began working with HP Latex technology in 2022 when Tayprint, one of Tradeprint’s main suppliers, liquidated. Tradeprint took on two HP Latex R2000 flatbed printers, a HP Latex 570 large-format printer, and two HP Latex 3600 large-format printers all of which were installed by reseller Perfect Colours. As a result, Tradeprint can offer more environmentally friendly services to its customers thanks to water-based odourless HP Latex inks and HP’s cartridge and printhead takeback programme offered through the HP Planet Partners initiative. The company is also committed to removing plastics so being able to combine these machines with PVC-free substrates is a winwin. Tradeprint boosts sustainability drive with HP Latex technology According to new research from DS Smith, the UK is lagging behind the rest of Europe when it comes to paper and packaging recycling. New statistics show that two in five paper and cardboard packages (44%) are set to end up in landfill or incineration by 2030. Though the UK is the third biggest producer of paper and card waste in Europe, it is currently ranked 25th out of 30 European nations for recycling. The report from DS Smith called Wasted Paper: A Path To Better Recycling, reveals that the loss of sustainable and recyclable packaging equates to 17.3 million tonnes which is worth £2.8bn. DS Smith is calling for better labelling and education of recyclable products in order to reverse the decline of recycling rates. Research was carried out through 50 experts and a survey involving 2,000 adults across the UK By acquiring five HP Latex machines, Tradeprint is able to offer more sustainable services for its customers UK paper recycling rate amongst worst in Europe Working in collaboration with the Woodland Trust, a total of 100 of Premier Paper Group’s customers and employees planted around 3,000 native saplings at Frodsham golf course in north Cheshire. To date, Premier’s Carbon Capture program has created over 3 million square metres of new native woodland in the UK, which equates to 107,571 tonnes of CO2e to be mitigated. Antalis, which has worked with Forest Carbon since 2014, also recently planted native oak saplings with customers at The Croft on the Lowther Estate in Penrith, Cumbria. These trees join the 9,000-plus broadleaf and coniferous trees that Antalis has already planted on the six-hectare site. To date, Antalis and its customers have planted around 50,000 trees and restored 30 hectares of ecosystem whilst capturing over 9,000 tonnes of CO2. Paper suppliers plant native saplings across UK Premier’s Carbon Capture program has seen over 107,571 tonnes of CO2e mitigated
22 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 PEOPLE / NEWS PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine EBB Group has named Rebecca Elliott, who has been with the family-run company for almost 12 years, as its sustainability and compliance manager. Prior to joining her family’s business, Elliott worked as an accountant for a small family construction business. Elliott joined EBB initially under a trainee management programme where she spent time in each department of the business. She then moved into project-based work which started with ensuring compliance with the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR). On the Compliance side of her new role, Elliott will continue to manage the ISO and Chain of Custody certificates as well as manage the company’s responsibilities for areas such as European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and Extended Producer Responsibility. In terms of sustainability, EBB is aligning itself with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and in her new role, Elliott will oversee the focus of four key areas: the environment, supply chain, EBB’s people, and local communities. Elliott will ensure that the things the company implements are fully integrated into all areas of the business. On why it is important for such roles to exist within companies, Elliott says: “We can’t expect Governments to mandate us to make changes, we must work with our key partners to come up with practical ideas that we can implement now. This is such a large topic, but big things can happen when we all take small actions to make change.” Sustainability and compliance manager appointed at EBB Group Rebecca Elliott has taken on the role of sustainability and compliance manager at EBB Group Peter Scott Printers remembers founder Peter Scott founded Peter Scott Printers in 1960 from his front living room Burnley-based Peter Scott Printers has paid tribute to its founder Peter Scott after he passed away aged 89 after a short illness. Scott founded the company over 60 years ago in his front living room using his ‘de-mob’ money from military service. The business moved into a chapel before taking premises at Darnley Street in Burnley. A fire prompted another move to Billington Road. In 2015, the business marked its 55th year with a celebration for previous and current staff with over 30 people attending a celebratory meal hosted by Scott. The founder, who retired in 1992 and returned for a short period in 1998, was presented with a special bottle of whiskey by the current directors. Today, Peter Scott Printers is one of the last remaining large lithographic printing businesses in Burnley, from a total of 14 in 1998 – a legacy left by Scott. By Carys Evans An almost 100-year-old print company, SF Taylor, is celebrating the major milestone of one of its colleagues. Gill Tress, who has dedicated 40 years to SF Taylor, is currently business services director and operates within a team of 55 people who help supply services to the NHS across 60 UK Trusts. “When I began my career as an office junior in 1983, our client base was much smaller compared to our current roster,” says Tress, who adds: “Most companies didn't even use computers at this time, and we did everything manually. Obviously, we've seen significant changes since then!” Tress has witnessed the changing attitudes of women in the industry and hopes to continue inspiring them. SF Taylor celebrates employee's milestone Managing director and co-founder of Denmaur, Nick Gee, has announced he will retire from the business at the end of April 2024. Having founded Denmaur with Mike and Denise Gee in 1983, Nick has been at the helm ever since having grown the company from a publishing paper supplier to a national paper and board merchant. Gee’s brother Mike will become vice chairman whilst Gee takes on the role of CEO until his retirement. Andy Buxton will now become Group managing director and Doug Jessop has been promoted to managing director of Denmaur’s media division. Harry E Gould Jr remains as chairman and Robert Gould remains as board director. Denmaur co-founder and managing director, Nick Gee, will retire in April 2024 at the end of the company’s financial year SF Taylor is a print and communications company based in Bamford Business Park, Stockport Denmaur co-founder and MD Nick Gee to retire Renia Gkountiou, an Aston University 3D printing engineer has won the Female Innovator Award at the Innovation Awards 2023. Gkountiou is an engineer and technician within the University’s Advanced Prototyping Facility (APF) project and was nominated by professionals within her field for her role in helping small-to-medium sized businesses use and develop additive manufacturing. The APF was set up by Aston University to increase awareness of the opportunities within additive manufacturing or 3D printing and Gkountiou has been working at the project for just over two years. Since it was launched, the project has helped 75 countries improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their existing designs and develop new products and prototypes. 3D printing engineer recognised with Female Innovator Award Renia Gkountiou won the title of Female Innovator for 2023 for her role in helping SMEs to develop 3D printing EBB Group celebrated 100 years in business last year
Duplo has released the latest addition of its wide range of bookletmaking machines, the DBM-700. Building on the success of recent years the new machine has been designed to increase quality, production volumes, and diversify the options for the user. That is an ambitious target and when layered on top of an already fully packed and productive predecessor, it is interesting to see what Duplo has done to achieve this target. At the heart of the concept is the continuation of uncomplicated machine operation with a single operator being able to configure and run the machine, all via an intuitive and easy to use screen. Using a barcode you can scan the prepared setup information for the relevant job and this deploys the DBM-700 into make-ready mode. The toolless adjustments are made to set the required format and apart from stock being loaded, the operator can skip from job to job with seemingly effortless effect. Numerous Choices Most manufacturers have been able to design their equipment to be almost totally automated, so this aspect of the DBM-700 is to be expected, but the step change from the other Duplo equipment is the modular opportunities the new machine can offer. Added to the numerous choices you may have on your mind should the DBM-700 be your choice, is that the new equipment from Duplo covers new options you may not have considered. First of the new key features is the thicker book capacity available with the DBM-700S which has the ability to fold up to 50 sheets – 20 sheets more than the standard DBM-700 model. This means whether you are finishing offset or digital printed sheets, as a user you can offer a far broader range of booklets or finished products. Next up is the new DBM-700S Square Spine Innovation, and this device can transform the look of any finished product. The purpose of this is to present the booklet in such a way that the square spine imitates in both function and quality a perfect bound product. Finally, the speed of the DBM-700 is higher than other configurations of Duplo bookletmakers so it allows you to make promises on high volume production but be confident you will be able to deliver on those promises. There are a series of options on any of the DBM-700 series that you need to consider. You can update to the Square Spine function as we outlined above but also you can also increase the number of Hohner stitching heads, a sheet by sheet air kit for multiple sheet feeding and the DBM-700T can have the addition of a 75mm Trim Kit, 50 sheet Booklet Trim kit, and DKT Kicker for LSW. Configuring the DBM-700 The new machine format comes in four main systems: 700i Booklet, 700 Digital Booklet, 700 PRO, and finally the 700i PRO Duetto Booklet system. The differences between each system are the various supplementary equipment Duplo has added to its range of binding choices with the release of the latest in a series of successful booklet machines, the DBM-700. Brian Sims finds out more about the machine’s scope and capacity MODULAR OPPORTUNITIES ▼ The basic DBM-700 core can have four additions: 700i Booklet, 700 Digital Booklet, 700 PRO, and the 700i PRO Duetto Booklet system The DBM-700 comes with a wide range of modular automation options making it a flexible and productive machine 24 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 UNDER THE HOOD / DUPLO DBM-700
25 www.printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 Brian Sims Principal Consultant, Metis Print Consultancy, www.metis-uk.eu options you add to the basic DBM-700 core element. You have choices between which sheet feeder, collator tower, Square Spine, trimmer, and stacker you can pull together to create the format you need. As standard the DBM-700 bookletmaker has all the equipment to ensure quick and quality production. All the folding rollers are automatically adjusted and there are error detector sensors for paper feeding, jamming, and on all the safety guards. As described before the bookletmaker changes quickly and effectively between sizes and configurations automatically. There is a straight paper path which is coupled with LED lighting. There is a registration system and adjustment has a resolution down to 0.1mm. Access has been cleverly designed into the machine so that the changing of knives or equipment is quick and straight-forward. With regard to the choices, up first could be considered the DSF-2200 Sheet Feeder which when used in configuration with the DBM-700 or DBM-700T makes for an ideal partner when using digitally printed sheets. The device has a dual bin with high powered fans and the Air Management System Plus (AMS) meaning the transport and accurate delivery of the sheets is assured. The top of the range version is the DBM-700 PRO which is a combination of the bookletmaker and the DSF-6000. This feeder can process offset and digital printed materials and pre-collated media for the production of high-quality finished booklets. Due to the pallet loading systems having an adaptor to fit into digital presses, this combination can assure both high quality and high volume. Duplo can add twin feeder systems and suction tower collators to these combinations which again come with AMS and a number of differing functions that add both adaptability and operational function to the DBM-700 bookletmaker. Duplo offers for the DBM-700 its twoknife trimmer known as DKTS-200. This two-knife trimming station can remove the header and footer from the booklet and can be assigned with the single knife in the machine itself. There is an option of 6 or 8mm gutter cutters and you can enable up to five knives for small-format booklets. All Production speed 5,200 A5 booklets/hr 9,000 2-up booklets/hr Max booklet thickness DBM-700: 6mm (30 sheets of 80 GSM) DBM-700S: 10mm (50 sheets of 80 GSM) Sheet size Max: W 365mm x L 610mm Min: W 105mm x L 170mm Booklet trimmed size Max W 354mm x L 304mm Min W105 x L 75mm Folding capacity 2-30 sheets (50 with DBM-700S) Statistics ► The new DBM-700 can produce both booklets and square spine applications UNDER THE HOOD / DUPLO DBM-700 this ticks the target of increasing the scope of production possible. The bookletmakers come with tried and trusted Hohner stitching heads, but should you require it you have the option to upgrade stitching heads from two, three, or four flat or loop versions. Finishing off the choices is the stacking of the finished product. Duplo has the DBM-400 STR stacker system that can be added to make up the DBM-700i Booklet System. Regardless of the choice you make, operating them is the same driven by a PC-based Job Programming System with a GUI and intuitive software system. You can save and recall jobs from the PC memory and there is an individual control panel for the fine-tuning of a job being run. Duplo makes some bold statements with the scope of productivity of the new DBM-700 series of bookletmakers. Your choices of optional equipment will determine the model you have, but regardless, all of them will live up to the promises made by Duplo. ◄ The DBM-700 has the ability to fold 30 sheets of 80gsm and the DBM-700S can fold 50 sheets of 80gsm
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