Actively investigating and supporting the wide-format print sector
ISSUE 3 • VOLUME 28 • JUNE / JULY 2020
The HP Latex R Series 2020 Edition Transform any surface
Talking Point ImageCo’s MD talks about lessons from lockdown and new normal working Top Tips How to keep the cash flowing Colour Management Technologies making it an easier to control process
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Editorial
WHERE TO START… Editor: Lesley Simpson lesley.simpson@imagereportsmag.co.uk
How are you? And how’s business? Are you still in business? If so, how are you managing to operate? So many questions - and so
Production / Design: Alex Gold
many ‘answers’ swirling about that cutting through the noise and
Publisher: Wayne Darroch wayned@sjpbusinessmedia.com
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Advertising Manager: Carl Archer carl.archer@imagereportsmag.co.uk Tel: 07723 079928
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SJP Business Media, 2nd Floor, 123 Cannon Street, London, EC4N 5AU www.imagereportsmag.co.uk
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From Top: Lesley Simpson Alex Gold Wayne Darroch Carl Archer
Editor LESLEY SIMPSON LESLEY.SIMPSON@IMAGEREPORTSMAG.CO.UK TEL: 01932 707173
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Contents
CONTENTS JUNE / JULY 2020
REGULARS: 6 News Keeping you abreast of all the latest news in relation to digital wide-format print.
22
8 Cover Story Advertorial Transform any surface with HP Latex.
22 Think Bigger Gallery showing off the creativity and complexity of largeformat inkjet print.
24 Forum Vital stats to help you run your business; Digging below the surface with Industry Mole; Out and About - events diary; Over to You with Steve Jackson, director, DigiPress
26 Zeitgeist Dare you think of ‘Future Factory’ working?
SECTIONS:
10
Business 10 Talking Point … with ImageCo MD Nathan Swinson-Bullough on trading in the current climate.
12 Top Tips Good habits - and principles - to manage cashflow more effectively.
Technical 14 What to Watch I A look at technologies to help you keep running in a disrupted working environment
16 What to Watch II Colour management - what’s new?
NEWS AND VIEWS ONLINE Go to www.imagereportsmag.co.uk for all the wideformat sector’s industry news, updated regularly
Environment
online. Image Reports can also send a twice weekly
21 Coronavirus and climate change
enews bulletin straight to your inbox – register at:
Amidst a global economic reboot will ‘greening-up’ be a real consideration?
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News
The Printing Charity rolls-out helpline support The Covid-19 crisis has prompted the Printing Charity to bring forward the roll-out of its free helpline services, which it had planned to do gradually over the next 12 months (see feature at http://bit.ly/2t5wd13). The helpline (helpline@theprintingcharity.org. uk) - available to staff within the sector, and to their immediate family members - can help with practical advice as well as emotional support through counselling. The charity’s 24/7/365 telephone helpline offers in-the-moment counselling from British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited counsellors and advice and guidance Monday to Friday. The free service covers a range of areas from dealing with debt and housing issues to addiction and stress.
GO TO WWW.IMAGEREPORTSMAG.CO.UK FOR THE FULL STORY… ] IMI Inkjet Summer School to run online ] Print4All Conference to now run virtually in June ] BAPC and IPIA work together on The Sourcing Bridge ] Epson enhances entry-level SureColor range
BPIF publishes Coronavirus Support Schemes Survey The BPIF has published the results of its Coronavirus Support Schemes Survey, a follow-up to its Business Impact Survey conducted in March. It shows 12% of responding print companies ceased operations entirely, with a further 73% having furloughed some employees. The survey showed that the HMRC portal for the Job Retention Scheme (JRS) has been a success for the majority of responses - almost three-quarters (73%) of companies have been able to access the portal and complete their application. Over 600 redundancies are anticipated once JRS ends, this equates to about 4% of all employees from responding companies; a considerably lower proportion than the 35% of employees that are on furlough (or going on to furlough) and might otherwise have been made redundant already if it wasn’t for the JRS. 74% of respondents would like Government to extend furlough capability as they take time to recover and ramp-up capacity. 55% of companies would like to have the ability to roll staff in and out of furlough more frequently. A third (33%) of responding companies have applied for Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Schemes (CBILS). 26% of those companies that had applied had been successful in their application at
the time of responding to the survey. 21% had not been successful and 53% were waiting to find out. In terms of other Government support, 62% have not applied for any grant, while 19% have applied for and received some grant support. 46% of respondents were using the deferral of VAT payments, with a further 23% intending to use. 26% of respondents were using business rates relief and a further 16% intend to use. Only 3% of responding companies had received access to a hardship relief fund. 45% of companies have cancelled non-critical services, a further 20% intending to do so. 35% of companies were taking a finance/lease holiday, with another 10% intending to. 31% have arranged a rent/ mortgage holiday, with a further 12% intending to. The two changes most likely to become more permanent, as identified by survey respondents, are social distancing in the workplace and more clients’ employees working from home - both were selected by 64% of responding companies. A faster digital transformation for meetings, events and training were selected by 45%. The vast majority of companies do not expecting demand levels to recover anytime soon. The ‘more than 12 months’ time’ category attracted the largest share of respondents - 27%.
] Instant Print offers refillable sanitiser to PSPs ] Leach to sell ‘social distancing’ products via new dedicated portal ] GIS and Esko collaborate ] WOO congress scheduled for May 2021 ] Meteor Inkjet brings out eLab Pro ] Covid-19 signage/banners reignite Signworks ] Durst now making ‘community masks’ ] ISA-UK shelves its first Sign and Print Awards ] British Sign Awards 2020 to run online ] Global Graphics wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise ] Five-axis head waterjet cutting head added to WardJet range ] Roland extends online training courses ] Xaar leaders buy shares to show commitment ] Five-axis head waterjet cutting head added to WardJet range ] SGIA and PIA merge ] Drupa Spotlight report figures released ] Paragon makes acquisitions ] 24in SureColor SC-T2100 available ] Color-Logic extends online training programme ] Leach and Blueberry donate £2,000 worth of PPE ] Imageco in PPE production drive ] FD Signs delivers floor graphics for TFL ] Onlineprinters renews eco certification ] Chili Publisher Online service launched to optimise W2P ] Memjet CEO Len Lauer dies ] Perfect Colours answers PPE call to arms ] Premier and Lexon help out the NHS ] PPE making initiative from AXYZ Automation ] Elite Signs turns over its large-format printer to PPE ID badge production
6 | June / July 2020
CMYUK launches Safer Spaces range CMYUK has launched a Safer Spaces range of printable media and products, including PPE. In the range are floor materials, vinyls and laminates for both indoor and outdoor use. Compatible with UV, Latex, solvent and eco-solvent inks, materials available cover the whole gamut of floor composition. There is also a floor tape collection in a variety of colours, chevrons and finishes for line marking and anti-slip applications. The Safer Spaces range has several anti-bacterial materials and textiles suited to the bespoke manufacture of face/mouth masks as well as the more usual graphics applications.
There is also the option of Pongs ready-towear, reusable community grade mouth/nose masks. Made from dual-layer pure cotton, these can withstand 100 industrial washes at near-boiling temperatures. They can be custom printed. Full length, cotton, protective healthcare gowns are also available with an outer PU coating for a nonpermeable, waterproof barrier. Gowns can withstand approximately 100 industrial washes. The Safer Spaces range includes materials and textiles for soft signage applications including barrier sleeves, textile space dividers and curtains as well as indoor and outdoor displays.
PitStop 2020 released Esko business unit Enfocus has released PitStop Pro and PitStop Server 2020 - both using patent pending computer vision techniques that enables the packages to ‘see’ the visual content of PDF files. The new technology means PitStop can look for images and graphical shapes like logos to check if they are present or absent in a PDF file. It can flag cropped or partial images that may occur in the file, and has options for size and rotation. This new technology has special value when files have particular legal or design restrictions such as a corporate identity or compliance rules. Also new in PitStop 2020 is the ability to trace raster elements to create a vector shape. And it can overlay and merge one PDF document onto another
to make a single document, while using variables for placement, resizing and opacity options. Find and replace text is being added as ‘Action List’ feature. A totally new check for bleed is also a major improvement as it works using a page-based approach as opposed to an object-based technology used in older versions. Additionally, adding copied graphics and adding pages will be able to be accomplished using variables which greatly increases the automation possibilities in PitStop Server, especially when used in a Switch environment. “For me Enfocus PitStop 2020 is not un upgrade it is an evolution. It brings Preflight to the next level. A must have, especially for large-format printing,” said Degrande Koen, support engineer at Igepa Belux.
News
UVgel Wallpaper Factory launches
Canon, together with Fotoba, has launched UVgel Wallpaper Factory - a modular workflow solution for fully automated wallpaper production. It is available as an upgrade for existing Colorado large-format printer users and as an end-to-end solution for new ones. The UVgel Wallpaper Factory comprises a motorised Fotoba Jumbo Roll media loader (JRL) connected to the front of a Colorado roll-to-roll printer, which in turn is linked-up to a Fotoba Cutter XLD 170WP and Rewinder REW 162 to automatically cut flexible media into custom sizes and lengths. An embedded taping unit, makes this a ‘print, cut, rewind and tape’ system, with wallpaper rolls ready for immediate delivery. For regular print jobs, the two media drawers of the Colorado remain accessible. The UVgel Wallpaper Factory solution can be integrated into a PSP’s existing workflow due to the Colorado’s open interface structure. UVgel inks are odourless and certified Greenguard Gold, AgBB, and Type II by ASTM, so wallpapers printed on the Colorado are safe to use indoors. With FLXfinish technology, users can offer customised wallpaper with a velvety matte finish. Dirk Brouns, vice president, large format graphics at Canon production printing, said: “Our customers repeatedly tell us that our UVgel technology is enabling them to explore new growth opportunities in the interior decoration market. That’s why we’ve developed the UVgel Wallpaper Factory in partnership with Fotoba. The highly automated workflow solution enables our customers to print exceptional quality wallpaper in quicker turnaround times, helping them to expand their offering in this market.”
Global Graphics joins the Ghent Workgroup Global Graphics Software has joined the Ghent Workgroup (GWG). David Zwang, chairman of GWG, said: “As one of the largest developers of printing software platforms, Global Graphics is at the leading edge of the transition to digital print across many applications. We look forward to their participation in the continued development of GWG efforts to help bring coordination and best practices to help drive the industry transition and growth.” Justin Bailey, managing director Global Graphics Software, added: “One of the reasons prospects choose to work with Global Graphics is the high quality and compliancy of our technology with industry standards. To be able to say that we are compliant with the Ghent PDF Output Suite and to have a more formal association with them, makes perfect sense for us.” The Ghent PDF Output Suite determines whether workflows are behaving as expected and gives users the ability to identify errors. It includes test patches for compatibility issues that might appear in a PDF/X-4 (ISO 15930-7)
compliant workflow. Harlequin Rip perfectly passed the critical test, processing all 48 test patches without problem, and is now fully compliant with the Ghent PDF Output Suite 5. “The Harlequin Rip has been compliant with PDF/X standards for over 20 years now (from the original CGATS standard in 1999), and we’re very happy that our commitment to easy and predictable high-quality print is being recognised by listing as compliant with the GWG Output Suite 5,” said Martin Bailey, CTO at Global Graphics Software. Stephan Jaeggi, chair of the process control subcommittee, stated: “Martin Bailey has already significantly contributed to the first version of the Ghent PDF Output Suite in 2006. Therefore, I am glad that Global Graphics has successfully passed the latest Ghent PDF Output Suite 5 compliancy test. The Harlequin Rip is one of the most important PDF Rips for production printing which is used by many vendors in their PDF output workflows. By using the instructions published on gwg.org all users of these systems can achieve full PDF/X-4 compatibility.”
PFI on the lookout for further acquisitions Manchester based PFI Group has acquired Leedsbased Futurama Group, and has other buy-outs in its sights. The acquisition - part of PFI’s buy and build strategy - brings the combined group revenue forecast to around £35m for 2020. Darren McMurray, CEO of PFI - which now comprises PFI Signs, GB Sign Solutions, Sign Plus (inc HT Screenprint), Lofthus Signs, In2 Signs and Graphics, Shades Graphics, Mardan Products and Futurama - said: “We are truly delighted to welcome Futurama and its team to the PFI family. The acquisition compliments PFI Group’s specialist capabilities, strengthening our leadership position in the UK print and signage marketplace and extending our ability to provide an all-encompassing, full-service sign, graphics and display offering to customer’s across Europe while, at the same time, diversifying both our product and customer mix.” Marc Edwards, Futurama MD, added: “We are
delighted to be joining the PFI family. It was clear from the initial stages with Darren that there was a true fit and alignment between PFI/Futurama, with both sides wanting to enhance their offering to customers. The combined business has a robust leadership team, and Futurama brings some further qualities to the group by offering a full turnkey branding solution both in the UK and Europe. Since the summer of 2017 Futurama has seen some challenging times, during which the board and senior management team have succeeded in providing the stability required for supporting our existing clients and introducing new brands/orders to the portfolio, and I thank them for that. The coming together of PFI and Futurama means the dawn of a new era where we can start to further enhance the group’s offering and firmly build the blocks to support our aspirations for growth and achieve our collective milestones. The combination will in turn give our staff an environment and clear pathway as a group to succeed.”
Drytac Protac Antimicrobial now available in UK Drytac has released Protac Antimicrobial in the UK, a laminating film that protects against bacteria and fungus, and that has an indoor durability of up to 15 years. It has a thickness of 150μ (6 mil), a solvent acrylic adhesive, and a textured matte finish. It comes in widths up to 1200mm. Also new to the European market are two PVC-free floor graphic products. Polar Floor PET 170 is for
indoor floor graphics and has achieved a post-printed anti-slip rating of R10 according to DIN 51130, has been classed as low slip potential by the UK Pendulum Test and is certified to the US ANSI A137.1 slip test. New SpotOn SynTac Floor is one half of a two-part solution with Drytac’s Interlam EcoTex PVC-free overlaminating film. When paired with the latter -
tested in accordance with DIN 51130 standards and awarded an R10 anti-slip rating - the printable matte white, self-adhesive film gives floor graphics a pebble-texture finish. Drytac Polar Floor PET 170 is 170μ (6.8 mil) thick and comes in widths up to 1524mm. SpotOn SynTac Floor and Interlam EcoTex have a combined 240μ thickness and come in widths up to 1016mm.
www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 7
Cover Story
LATEST HP LATEX R SERIES PRINTERS TO ELEVATE RESULTS FOR GRAPHICS BUSINESSES By Jane Rixon, Signage and Decoration Business Development Manager, HP Large Format Printing
This March, HP upgraded the HP Latex R Series – its most advanced wide format digital printer range to date – for 2020. These three hybrid printers enable print service providers (PSPs) to explore a greater range of flexible and rigid substrates than ever before, with HP’s water-based Latex inks coming into play to deliver stunning and easily replicated colours across a graphics portfolio. The HP Latex R Series can transform any rigid or flexible substrate with incredible colours, helping PSPs to set themselves apart from their competition. The ability to print direct-to-substrate is itself a major advantage. The process of printing on vinyl, applying it to a board, mounting and then trimming it, is totally removed – saving time, materials and ultimately money. The updated HP Latex R Series printers are compatible with a long list of rigid substrates: paper and plastic foamboard, PVC foam, corrugated board, acrylic, polycarbonate, compressed cardboard, honeycomb board, aluminium composite panel and wood. Thanks to the hybrid design, R Series devices can also print to roll substrates including PVC banner, self-adhesive vinyl, coated paper, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyester, textiles and canvas. Kent-based PressOn chose to replace its UV printer with an HP Latex R-Series, in part for its material versatility. A key project was for Dulwich College in London, who took the
8 | June / July 2020
opportunity to turn hoarding around a building site into an informative timeline display. PressOn printed the graphics – which included very small text, which had to be precise – directly to aluminium composite. This was then laminated for outdoor protection and adhered to a plywood hoarding. Direct-to-substrate printing also has environmental benefits in terms of material choice. Andy Wilson, Managing Director of PressOn, says the ability to print to alternative, more sustainable materials such as fabric, wood, polyester and repurposed and recycled media is a boon to his business. “The market is actively demanding more environmentally conscious products,” he comments. “Direct-printing with HP Latex gives us a competitive edge to retain existing and attract new customers, while limiting our own impact on the environment.” UL ECOLOGO-certified HP Latex inks are 70% water, making it easier to recycle printed substrates. They are non-hazardous and safe for standard disposal together with non-printed substrates, including paper-based materials which can be recycled locally in a carton/mixedpaper stream. This makes life easier for the consumer, while the water-based chemistry also offers crucial benefits to printer operators. Latex inks have no odour, making print rooms a pleasant space in which to work without special ventilation such as air filtration systems (but users should refer to the site preparation guide). The newest HP Latex inks require no hazard labels, which are generally applied to UV, UV gel, solvent and eco-solvent ink products. The extensive material compatibility of HP Latex R Series 2020 edition helps PSPs to diversify into new applications and markets, such as custom short-run packaging, POP corrugated displays and, thanks to HP Latex ink’s elongation capabilities, printed thermoforming. HP Latex is also ideal for interior decor applications, in domestic, commercial and public environments, thanks to its low VOC levels that have achieved GREENGUARD GOLD certification for unrestricted coverage. Announcing the launch of the new portfolio, Guayente Sanmartin, General Manager, HP Large Format Graphics Business, HP Inc, comments: “With the new HP Latex R Series 2020 Edition printer, large format print service providers will benefit from new levels of performance. They will also be able to expand to fast-growing applications, such as short-run special packaging and printed thermoforming for which HP Latex inks technology delivers top-quality performance.” It’s not just the ability to print onto an incredible variety of substrates that sets HP Latex R Series apart, but the amazing colours it achieves: a vibrant new colour gamut for 2020 helps to increase profitability with higher value applications such as luxury decoration and durable outdoor
Cover Story
signage. HP has made further advancements with White ink for the R Series 2020 edition – a glossy, high-quality ‘true white’ that doesn’t yellow over time like traditional UVbased white ink and performs excellently on transparent and coloured media. There’s no waste between white jobs thanks to removable HP Thermal Inkjet printheads, stored in an offline rotating chamber, and automatic recirculation and printhead cleaning eliminates manual purging. These improvements mean PSPs can always be ready to print rich, glossy white, as soon as an order comes in. The latest HP Latex R Series features advancements to increase productivity, such as more efficient multi-sheet media loading and handling to significantly boost output. Across the whole R Series portfolio, including on pre-2020 models, software has been updated and now includes expanded queue management capability and automated updates. All R Series users can also take advantage of HP PrintOS, HP’s revolutionary cloud-based print production operating system. Already used by 26,000 print professionals and counting, its functions including automated colour control, a searchable database of certified media and integration with the HP Applications Center suite of design tools that can help businesses produce exceptional work. However, it is PrintOS’s remote management functionality that has attracted more and more users throughout the first half of 2020. Via the PrintOS web platform or dedicated mobile app, operators can track a job on the print room floor, check job completion, add new jobs to the print queue, receive notifications of technical issues, and monitor media and ink usage, all from a remote location. This helps businesses with several branches, teams working to social distancing guidelines, PSPs who run their printers unattended overnight and anyone else who needs updates anywhere, at any time. The R Series printer portfolio includes three models for 2020. The HP Latex R2000 Plus printer has been designed to deliver the highest capacity and productivity, feeding materials in roll-fed or sheet-fed configuration up to 98” (2.5m) wide and printing with high-capacity 5 litre cartridges with white ink printing capability. The HP Latex R1000 Plus printer handles media up to 64” (1.64m) wide in a roll-fed or sheet-fed configuration with 3 litre ink cartridges and white ink printing capability. Finally, the HP Latex R1000 printer is an entry-level solution at an attractive price, able to handle media up to 64” (1.64m) wide with 3 litre ink cartridges. It is provided in a sheet-fed configuration with white ink printing capability, with roll-fed functionality available as an accessory. With exhibitions and trade shows cancelled or postponed this year, HP has embraced the opportunity to replace traditional demonstrations of its new systems with a modern, internationally accessible webinar. On June 17th 2020 at 11am, Terry Raghunath, HP’s Business Development Manager for Graphics Solutions Business, will present an interactive and informative session on the HP Latex R Series 2020 edition. The webinar will focus on the latest R Series updates and the applications and business opportunities they could enable for PSPs, with case stories on R Series customers around the world. The online event will conclude with a Q&A, so attendees can have their queries answered by HP experts there and then. Print professionals should book their place now via the HP Virtual Booth, www.hpvirtualbooth.com, or contact HP for more information on the HP Latex R Series 2020 edition.
www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 9
Business | Talking Point
talks to...
Nathan Swinson-Bullough Wondering when it will be ‘back to business as normal’? Isn’t everyone? There can’t be a single print operation that has not been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic - nor is there a magic pill for getting back to full fitness - but is there a case for what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger? I asked ImageCo MD and Fespa UK board member Nathan Swinson-Bullough for his take
10 | June / July 2020
How has the pandemic impacted your business so far? Massively. First off, all of our event and exhibition work was cancelled - tens of thousands of pounds worth of work was cancelled with in a few days. We still had plenty of retail work in, but then once the shops closed, this was then cancelled. We didn’t panic as we were in a good place financially and we reworked our monthly targets to face the grim extremities of what was in front of us and calculated how long we could continue on a drastically reduced turnover. The Government’s announcement of the furlough scheme was a huge relief. We furloughed all but five of us, who could keep the company going should we have any work. It was at this point that I instructed our sales and marketing to get creative, brainstorm innovative ideas that could help in the crisis. We came up with a range of products, from sustainable sanitiser stations to anti bacterial vinyls, floor graphics and face visors. We also thought of ways to help the key workers and NHS. We devised a visor that we made from stock materials and donated them to local nurses that were friends, and started to reach out on Facebook if any other nurses needed them. I then had friends messaging me if they could donate money to help. This, I thought, would be messy in terms of payment, so I came up with the idea to create a Just Giving page. In just over two weeks we raised £4,300 and delivered 2,900 visors to hospices, hospitals and care homes in the region - this is ongoing. At the same time we put effort in to marketing the Covid-19 products, my instructions were not to look like we were trying to profiteer from the crisis but just get the message across that we were open and still operating. Due to our large 30,000 sq ft factory we could work safely and not come in to contact with each other. The plan worked and we started to pick up lots of work for social distancing and Covid-19 safety signage. We
also had some regular work coming in including a sixsite rebrand for a builders’ merchants and some office branding, so that’s good. We have remained positive throughout the crisis, and have also been working on a brand new website which will be live once this article is published. The whole crisis has made us think differently - we’ve taken a step back and evaluated how we can improve the business going forward. We’ve been in close contact with Fespa UK and had Zoom member catch-ups to talk about how everyone is finding it, which has been good to know. Suzi and Carol [at Fespa UK] have also been incredibly supportive helping us with the visors distribution and production and also with live enquiries for some obscure request for branded PPE. What do you think will be the key challenges facing your business going forward? One of the main challenges will be our exhibition and event work. As it stands we don’t see this returning any time soon. That said, a few of our events clients have said they are starting to see sign of activity. We will assume that we won’t see much work from this side of our business so we’re reworking our financial plans accordingly. We expect retail to have a huge surge once the shops open so our POS and retail display could prosper. Then there is the new-found work of Covid-19 safety signage. This will repeat throughout the year, so we will benefit there. However, we have already seen lots of competition for this work and prices are hitting rock bottom. We won’t get into this battle as there is no point - we’ll focus our energy elsewhere. We are service lead and hold value in our services of design, project management and overall can-do attitude. Nothing is set in stone and things seem to change weekly. We are in a good place as it stands but I wouldn’t want this to last too long. I think I speak for every business manager in the land there though - we are not alone.
Business | Talking Point
MD, ImageCo Do you think these challenges are typical for the wideformat print sector as a whole? Yes, without a doubt. As I mentioned, we had a chat with other Fespa UK members and everyone is saying the same. Some PSP’s have chosen to shut down completely. Others have made the decision to stay open. Many of us have been making PPE, and also there is a large market for the Covid-19 graphics so that has kept a few busy from what I have seen on social media, which is good. The general feeling is that we are in this together, and there are cases of companies working together to help each other - be it lending ink or passing on work - which is how it should be. Make no mistake, things won’t be the same for a long time. I hope everyone comes out of this OK once things are back to normal, but I know that’s not going to be the case, which is sad. Such an unexpected situation for everyone unprecedented and impossible to plan for. I hope to God we see nothing like this again. Do you think the virus will permanently change the way large-format print providers do business? I think for the short-term, things will be different. We have seen some suppliers increasing prices, which is shocking. Everyone has the responsibility to try maintain business as usual and not over emphasise the situation. With work dropping off in the likes of the exhibition sector, for now at least, we need to refocus and innovate. We are always looking at new products, technology and ideas so this is nothing new and we enjoy the challenges. Overall I don’t see things changing too much, and if anything we will pick up new work. We will certainly be watching the cashflow, spending, and trying to improve our efficiency further. I would have been a nervous wreck had we not been in the position we are in, so we are thankful for that.
What lessons can the wide-format sector learn from the crisis? I think the main lessons are take nothing for granted, you never know what is around the corner, watch every penny and wash your hand regularly! Do you think anything positive is likely to come out of this? Like I’ve said, we have remained positive throughout and we have seen a wave of innovation in the crisis. I personally will never take being busy for granted again. We are always thankful but will be even more so now. I have worked every day through the crisis and lockdown and never been as happy to come to work. I would like to think our staff will return with a renewed sense of purpose and drive. The same applies for every other company out there - employees will hopefully return with renewed energy and be thankful for their jobs. What are your expectations for market recovery? On the whole it’s going to be up and down and more competitive. We like to be challenged and will deal with whatever the future holds. I think some sectors will flourish, others not - for the time being anyway. Our sports retail I expect to go crazy, whereas anything we get from events and exhibitions will be a bonus. I would expect to see rebrands become a big thing with increased marketing levels on some of the big brands so graphics will be refreshed. What would be a disaster if we started to see even more of a shift or retail to online, I don’t think that will be the case though. At the end of the day, it’s only work. As we have come to reallse over the last few months, the health of loved ones and friends is the most important thing. Speaking on behalf of ImageCo and Fespa UK we want to thank all the key workers and NHS staff our problems are nothing to what they have faced. They have made us proud, and we are thankful for all they have done. Stay safe everyone.
WE NEED TO REFOCUS AND INNOVATE
www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 11
Business | Top Tips
?ǓǓȒǩǿǠ ȠǦǓ ljƺșǦ МȅΛǩǿǠ Looking beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, Walter Hale highlights some good habits - and principles - that can help you manage cash more effectively as you enter the new normal.
IT CAN OFTEN BE A MISTAKE TO INVEST MONEY WHERE YOU’VE EARNED IT.
THE OLD ADAGE THAT ‘CASH IS SANITY AND TURNOVER IS VANITY’ HAS NEVER SEEMED MORE RELEVANT. WALTER HALE PROVIDES CASHFLOW POINTERS FOR THOSE OF YOU STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
1.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Even before Covid-19, some managers treated cashflow as if it was a new religion. Others were happier to incur debt in pursuit of growth. Yet in times of crisis, cash is king and managing it wisely could save your business. If you don’t appear to place great importance on cashflow - and remember what you do is more important here than what you say - your employees probably won’t either. Good cash management requires every department to cooperate. If they don’t, you will only discover process inefficiencies when they become too obvious - and expensive - to ignore. Historically, businesses owned by Warren Buffett have consistently generated cash because he has put that at the heart of their culture. He looks at projected cashflow per share over five years before acquiring a business, and says managers need to think laterally about how they use cash because it can often be a mistake to invest money where you’ve earned it. It is also true that no company - not even one owned by Buffett - is perfect when it comes to managing cash - precedents, workarounds, cutting corners happen in every business. By showing staff you have bought in to a back-to-basics approach, you can eliminate these and manage cash more efficiently.
2.
THINK LIKE A PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTOR
With a business model based on deriving value from the indebted businesses they acquire, private equity investors spend the first 100 days in charge estimating how much cash they can generate without hurting the business to reduce debt and improve working capital. The exercise can highlight particular parts of the business that aren’t generating enough cash so managers can either fix this or close the unit down. Legacy costs, which often fly under the radar, can also be exposed.
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3.
DRILL DOWN
In a volatile business environment, it makes sense for companies to forecast their cashflows every week, looking ahead for 26 weeks, rather than the usual 12 and taking a granular approach to receipts and payments. If you understand your payment position on payroll, suppliers, bank interest, rent, tax and pensions, it is easier to decide which are most critical. You can then prioritise the kind of help you might need and from whom, whether it be a small business loan from the government, support from an existing lender, funds from a new lender or a deferral from the landlord. If you know what the figures are, and can share them with stakeholders, your arguments for help will be much more persuasive.
4.
TALK TO PEOPLE
You may be able to bring cash into the business by being more vigilant about when payment is due, changing payment terms, discounting for early settlements and requesting some - or all - of the money upfront. You may also find that customers, especially in the public sector, are willing to embrace informal schemes to help you cope with unexpected costs. Whatever steps you have already taken, be sure to stay in touch with the bank. There is some truth in Mark Twain’s famous definition of a banker - someone who will lend you an umbrella when the sun is shining but wants it back the moment it starts to rain - but avoiding lenders when a problem arises, which a surprising number of companies still do, is only going to make things more difficult to resolve.
Business | Top Tips
DO STAFF REALLY BELIEVE YOUR FORECASTS OR ARE THEY REALLY JUST MOVING THE DATA AROUND TO MEET YOUR TARGETS?
5.
USE YOUR TECHNOLOGY WISELY
Although we are gradually, finally, exiting the age of the spreadsheet, many companies are not making the most of the systems they have acquired. If your shiny new management information system isn’t improving your cashflow as expected, it may be because your staff aren’t using it properly, the technology doesn’t suit your business or, quite possibly, a bit of both. There are now many easy to use, low cost (or free) cloud-based software programmes that can help you manage cash. Astonishingly, the one lesson that many companies in different sectors have still not learned is to make it as quick and easy as possible for their customers to pay them.
6.
BE BRUTALLY HONEST
Too many business forecasts are clouded by wishful thinking or internal politics. The inevitable result is that most companies don’t achieve their forecasts most of the time. When it comes to cash management, such failures can be catastrophic. Ask yourself: do staff really believe these forecasts or are they really just moving the data around to meet our targets? The risks of forecasting too bullishly are obvious and well publicised but it is also true that businesses which are too cautious can fail to meet demand in an upturn.
7.
ENCOURAGE DEBATE
With cashflow now such an urgent priority, many leaders will be tempted to hunker down with the finance director, compile a list of cost savings and present that to stakeholders and staff as a fait accompli. Making decisions quickly is good, making the right decisions quickly is even better and you are more likely to do that if other people, especially those with dissenting opinions, are involved. It may not be possible to engage everyone in the process but be as inclusive as possible. Shop floor staff may understand why a particular measure, which looks good on paper, is actually a false economy.
8.
REFLECT, REAPPRAISE AND RECONSIDER
Understanding cashflow in granular detail should clarify your view of the business. You will probably have identified ‘soft’ spending that you can cut without damaging the business. You may also have identified spending that, over the medium to long term, you can shrink. For example, how much does it cost your company to operate its fleet vehicles (both cars and trucks)? Before the pandemic, this expense was rising by more than 2.5% a year for a typical British SME. Fuel prices were partly to blame but, even if you discount that factor, there are probably ways you could run your fleet more economically. The obvious one being to shrink it or mandate a shift to electric vehicles. There is also spending that you could cut, but at the risk of damaging your business. That should always be the last resort. Revamping your website - or fixing some of the glitches with your Web-toprint/e-commerce solution - may not seem critical, but maintaining such investments may put you in a better position when the recovery gathers momentum. If you are fortunate - or brilliant - enough to be cash rich, you may find that now is the opportune time to acquire a company for a good price.
9.
SAVE FOR A RAINY DAY
Many print service providers already say that cash is their best form of insurance. In an ideal world, every company should have enough money in its accounts to pay operating expenses for the next two months. That may be difficult to achieve in the current economic turmoil but it is still a good long-term goal as the market returns, however erratically, back to something we recognise as normal.
10.
STICK WITH IT
Cashflow management is not something you do once, fix and move on. A disciplined approach to cash can create value for your business. It may be appropriate to start the process with shock measures - such as a regular, intensive scrutiny of costs and volumes - to focus managers’ minds. That can also help reduce the risk that, as business recovers, you engage in impulse spending instead of prioritising your cash reserves. If you look at the big picture, optimising cash flow can seem complex but simple steps deliver simple gains. Defining what the ‘new normal’ might look like, when the pandemic is under control, has become a global sport. Yet Bill Gates, who knows a thing or two about change, was surely right when he said that we are hard-wired to overestimate change in the short-term - and underestimate change in the long-term. One prediction for a post-pandemic marketplace does seem fairly safe: cash will reign supreme for a while yet.
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Technology | What to Watch
COVID CONTINGENCIES WHAT HAVE YOUR SYSTEMS SUPPLIERS BEEN DOING TO HELP YOU KEEP RUNNING IN A DISRUPTED WORKING ENVIRONMENT? SEE IF YOURS ARE DOING AS MUCH AS OTHERS… Yup, if ever remote diagnostics and virtual support were going to prove their worth it’s been over the last few weeks – for obvious reasons. As we move into a ‘new normal’ we take a look at how kit suppliers are working to help you run streamlined businesses in straightened times. At Durst, for instance, remote diagnostics are expected to become more important, “though it’s something our clients have been benefiting from for many years,” says Peter Bray, MD Durst UK and Ireland, pointing out that “automation and initiatives such as Industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence are part of our all-encompassing ‘from pixel to output’ approach. “We pride ourselves on having machines that have a world-class reputation for productivity, quality and reliability. But, if something goes wrong, the first step will be to use a team viewer to take control of a machine to establish what needs fixing and how to go about it. In about half the cases in the UK and Ireland, this can be done remotely on the first occasion,” Bray claims. “The machines benefit from Durst Analytics software. In real time, we can view all kinds of useful data. It can also include monitoring critical issues to prevent downtime, enabling faster reaction times for trouble shooting and support and monitor ink durability. If a visit is then needed, we can prevent further downtime by ordering the necessary part that can be taken to the site or will be there when the engineer arrives. And the software also provides the ability for us to be proactive and, on occasions, inform the client that they are going to need to take action to avoid any potential problem in the future.” Bray adds that Durst’s Customer Experience Centre has also reopened “and our staff have developed concepts for virtual presentations and webcasts as we begin to look to a return to ‘normality’.” At Fujifilm the support and service team switched to a remote system, “whereby our staff are on hand at all times to provide customers with solutions to any problems. For any maintenance tasks that can be performed by our customers themselves, we supply remote diagnostics and support tools to help them through the process,” says Nils Gottfried, segment product marketing manager EMEA - wide format inkjet systems and packaging, Fujifilm Graphic Systems Europe, stressing that “we also continue to support customers on site where necessary, and where it is possible do to so in line with local regulations.” Gottfried also points out that the Onset X HS series from Fujifilm and Inca Digital has been helping wide-format PSPs through hard times due to its high level of automation, including IncaConnect for reducing manual intervention in regards to job preparation.” “For those signage and display customers operating in countries affected by restricted travel policies, we are equipped to support them remotely and have been rolling out augmented reality tools for an immersive remote
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IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, THE FIRST STEP WILL BE TO USE A TEAM VIEWER TO TAKE CONTROL OF A MACHINE TO ESTABLISH WHAT NEEDS FIXING AND HOW TO GO ABOUT IT Peter Bray
WE SUPPLY REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS AND SUPPORT TOOLS Nils Gottfried
support experience wherever possible,” says Jan De Roeck, marketing director, industry relations and strategy at Esko. “All our software and hardware engineers are equipped to access the Esko intranet through a secure remote connection (VPN). With many prepress operators confined to their homes or unable to work onsite, we supported businesses through making additional temporary licenses for desktop applications available, enabling customer associates to continue working from home more easily. These temporary licenses will be renewed on a monthly basis for as long the industry is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.” De Roeck adds: “While it will take some time for the full impact of the Covid-19 crisis to become clear, one thing we have already noted is that those businesses that have
Technology | What to Watch
embraced automation are weathering this storm more successfully. For example, our Kongsberg range of digital finishing equipment integrates perfectly with Esko workflow automation software to enable maximum productivity and efficiency, even in the face of a reduced workforce. “Efficiency is further enhanced with multi-zone finishing meaning only one operator is needed for two jobs, while the Kongsberg Automate board feeder and stacker, and the Motorized Roll Feeder for wide-format cut down on operator intervention. The Robotic Material Handler offers complete unattended operation. Moreover, with Esko Device Manager, it is also incredibly easy to take control and optimise finishing production, with everything from precise production planning and prioritizing jobs queues to inserting rush jobs and balancing workloads.” At Agfa a remote 24/7 support system allows an engineer to speak with a customer and assist. Should a part be required it will be dispatched for fitting by either the customer or an Agfa engineer. Agfa too flags up the importance of automation in the new normal of fewer staff at PSPs - spotlighting add-ons for the Jeti Tauro H2500 and H3300 such as the dual-role mode, automatic feeding and unloading.
THOSE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE EMBRACED AUTOMATION ARE WEATHERING THIS STORM MORE SUCCESSFULLY Jan De Roeck
BRINGING CONSIDERABLE BENEFIT TO OUR CUSTOMERS RIGHT NOW IS HP PRINTOS Colin Easton
As part of the company’s response to Covid-19, it is also running a series of online webinars covering print related activity from colour management to press automation and MIS integration. Among its ‘new normal’ offerings, Blackman and White is “moving into a future of self-diagnostics” according to Eiko Ichikawa-White. Other initiatives include free material testing for new applications. At Roland, Rob Goleniowski, head of sales, UK and Ireland, says its online support system is proving its worth. Among its remote monitoring options, OnSupport sends e-mail notifications in real time with critical information like job completion status or ink depletion alerts. “Aside from this, most of our recent devices have been developed to include ethernet connection capabilities which means they can be operated over a network/VPN,” says Goleniowski. Roland DG has responded to the current situation with a ‘We Are Here’ campaign too, with maintenance guides, webinars etc. Brett Newman, chief operations manager at Mimaki distributor Hybrid Services, highlights developments that reduce operator intervention - such as Mimaki’s Nozzle Check Unit (NCU) and Nozzle Recovery Systems (NRS) that can be found on the majority of the current product line-up, and recently introduced technologies such as ID Cut. Mimaki’s development of its IP Job Controller software heralds connectivity between its printers and external devices such as laser cutters, robotics, QR scanners etc and with customer info (from business management software), image data and the Mimaki Rasterlink Rip with jig support. Epson UK’s Paul Restarick, pre-sales technical specialist, points out that for PSPs where machine downtime is a consideration, “after a period of inactivity, all Epson devices will perform maintenance when a new job is sent to the printer. Users whose product supports the Epson Edge Dashboard software and has maintenance features, can use remote connection software to perform this remotely.” According to Colin Easton, UK and Ireland large format print channel manager at HP, “one feature that is bringing considerable benefit to our customers right now is HP PrintOS. We are seeing an increasing number of additional new users actively using HP PrintOS to remotely monitor unattended print production, check on job completion, monitor media and ink usage and add new jobs to the print queues - all from a remote location via the web or the dedicated mobile app. In the current business climate HP PrintOS is proving itself to be a highly effective tool to simplify and optimise socially distanced remote printing. “HP is working hard to support increased demand with additional training webinar programmes for channel partners and end-user technicians via the HP Latex Knowledge Centre. New training programmes are also being developed to support customers keen to explore the new printing opportunities that have been similarly simplified by HP PrintOS and its growing number of sectorspecific applications.” The above is not an exhaustive list of suppliers taking actions to help customers in these unprecedented times of course, nor is it a comprehensive review of all being done by those that are - but it should show you that manufacturers are acting to support you in this new normal.
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Technology | What to Watch
SEEING RED? IF THE MERE MENTION OF COLOUR-MATCHING IS ENOUGH TO RAISE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE, YOU’RE NOT ALONE - IT’S A DIFFICULT AREA. BUT RELAX - THE PROCESS IS BEING MADE EASIER.
The XMF ColorPath Brand Color Optimizer interface
What are the latest developments in colour-matching technologies for use by large-format print companies? That’s the simple question we put to software specialists and printer manufacturers alike, because as we know, when it comes to colour, things can get complicated. We’ll start with EFI, where Kerry Moloney, product marketing manager for Fiery products says there are “a number of exciting developments and innovations happening right now in the area of colour for large-format print companies.” In terms of colour matching to a print standard, EFI’s Fiery Rips for large-format printer users - the Fiery XF and Fiery proServer - recently saw the arrival of a new colour verification tool, Fiery Verify. Users of Fiery XF 7.0 or higher that have a licence for verification, can use this MacOS 10.15 compliant tool which supports the latest standards. “On the point of matching colours customers want to see as an end result, we increasingly hear from largeformat print buyers wanting prints with more pop,” adds Moloney. “This sounds simple on the surface - just turn the colour volume up, right? But of course, there’s a bit more to it than that. Print consumers expect boosted results that still have a neutral grey balance, naturallooking skin tones, and smooth colour transitions - all of which would be compromised by simply turning up saturation levels. This is where our next-generation colour profiling technology comes in - EFI Fiery Edge. “Not only does Fiery Edge technology produce more accurate results with high-precision ICC profiles, it also offers users the ability to boost colour results with one particularly intelligent feature - Fiery Intensify. This new rendering intent innovation can dramatically boost colour, while at the same time protecting those critical areas
16 | June / July 2020
EFI Fiery Verify
from change. The result being best of both world prints - ones that have more impact, while at the same time look realistic and pleasing, plus importantly familiar in terms of colour characteristics for those used to matching to print industry standards.” Fujifilm’s XMF ColorPath is a cloud-based colour management system capable of creating colour profiles and matching printed output to industry standards too. The most recent addition to the XMF ColorPath product line is a module called BCO (Brand Color Optimizer). “Producing print for brands requires brand colours to be accurately reproduced. This has traditionally been managed by referencing Pantone colours, and using special spot colour inks to produce the required brand colour. However, using special inks can be expensive, and most equipment is printing with just four CMYK inks,” points out John Davies, workflow product manager, Fujifilm Graphic Systems Europe. “With wide gamut inks, reproducing Pantone colours is possible, but a system is required to manage the process, and this is the purpose of Brand Color Optimizer. When setting up BCO, a chart containing all 1867 Pantone colours is printed on the device being used, and unique to XMF ColorPath, every Pantone colour is measured. “XMF ColorPath can now perform two important tasks when printing brand colours. First, when given a Pantone colour reference, it is possible to predict prior to printing whether or not it is possible to match the Pantone colour in question on a given device. If the colour gamut of the device does not allow this, users are informed prior to printing that this is the case. If the Pantone can be reproduced, users can proceed with printing, confident that the colour will match.” Earlier this year, Agfa introduced PrintTune, a print standardisation solution that allows PSPs to measure
Technology | What to Watch
Agfa PrintTune screen colour reproduction against any identified standard, including ISO 12647, G7, and specific buyer quality and colour requirements. A pass/fail reporting process and scorecard system certifies that jobs are printed exactly to specification and is real-time verification function eliminates the need for clients to be physically present to sign-off on a job. PrintTune can be deployed as a cloud-based solution for use across different inkjet printers and sites and it can be used with any prepress workflow solution or printing technology. The built-in G7 calibration methodology even allows bringing different workflows at the same quality level. Bobby Grauf, inkjet sales manager at Agfa UK and Ireland, is keen to reference Asanti too in relation to colour-matching. “When we first introduced Asanti, our dedicated large- and wide-format workflow suite, we made the handling of colour a central automation task and created the patented ‘One Click Colour Management’. This simple integrated process allows PSP’s to quickly match colour across all their output devices by selecting engine, media and desired output quality. All necessary colour related parameters are automatically set, such as colour profile, screening, UV curing, head height, number of print passes etc. Should a new combination be required, Asanti guides the operator through a 15-minute process starting from a supplied Agfa CPM (calibrated print mode): print base, measure base (Asanti automatically loads measurements), print with new CPM, measure to verify, done.” Asanti incorporates colour management tools such as TAC, InkTune for GCR and Dynamic Ink Splits, Pantone libraries, open ICC profile and spot colour editing as standard - and is compliant with ISO, Fogra and G7 standards. In terms of new colour-management products, Brett Newman, chief operations manager at Hybrid Services Mimaki’s UK and Ireland distributor - flags up the Mimaki Profile Master 3. “Whilst for many large-format print companies the inbuilt colour matching within Mimaki’s latest RasterLink Rip technology is entirely suitable, Mimaki offers an optional package that works alongside the Rip software to deliver superior colour representation that maximises colour accuracy and reproducibility. Mimaki Profile Master 3 (MPM3) enables the user to create bespoke profiles for specific media and applications and with the capacity
The Mimaki MPM3 software works with popular devices such as the X-Rite I1 spectrophotometer.
to create advanced device profiles. It also delivers highly consistent colour matching across multiple printers and ink types,” he says. The Mimaki MPM3 software works with popular devices such as the X-Rite I1 spectrophotometer. According to Tom Owers, product manager at Epson UK, when fitted with the optional Epson SpectroProofer, powered by the X-Rite ILS 30 spectrophotometer and paired with a compatible third-party Rip solution, its relatively recently launched SureColor SC-P7500/P9500 becomes a fully automated solution for calibration and verification of colour, supporting the M0, M1 and M2 standards used in the proofing market. To simplify the process of adding new custom media to the print driver and on the printer itself, Epson has developed a proprietary file format called EMX. EMX files are acquired using Epson Media Installer, a stand-alone application that access Epson’s EMX file server. Once the relevant media has been downloaded, this can be easily applied to the printer. The driver is then automatically populated with all the relevant settings and the ICC profile installed for use in third party applications like Photoshop and Lightroom. The SureColor SC-P7500/P9500 series brings together Epson’s latest PrecisionCore Micro TFP printhead, along with the newly developed Epson UltraChrome Pro 12 inkset, which together have Pantone accreditation. Epson’s flagship signage printer, the SureColor SC-S80600, also features an expanded 9 or 10 colour ink set that has achieved Pantone accreditation. At HP, Colin Easton, UK and Ireland large format print channel manager, points out that all HP Stitch and HP Latex 500 printers have a spectrophotometer built-in, and that “HP Stitch printers feature a host of other HP SmartColor tools including the HP PrintOS Configuration Center, which displays the status of all printers in a fleet and deploys colour references easily to achieve a consistent colour difference across them all.” Easton adds: “Developments in Rip software have also improved colour matching for PSPs. HP Ergosoft Rip Color Edition includes the super-fast and simple HP Easy Profiling tool and HP Professional Pantone emulation, which automatically provides the visually closest colour match. The ink itself is also essential - HP Stitch runs a
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Technology | What to Watch
An Onyx ColorCheck report formula that delivers consistent and repeatable colours.” According to Roland DG, the recent update to its TrueVis range of printer/cutters has introduced a slew of small developments across the entire gamut of technology, from hardware, to ink, to Rip software - updates that together significantly enhance colour matching capabilities. VersaWorks 6, the latest iteration of Roland’s proprietary Rip software, includes several features designed to accurately match colours and give users more control. These include new ‘True Rich Color’ colour management presets, integration with spot colour libraries (eg Pantone), spot colour replacement, the ability to create custom profiles, and a multiple device colour management feature for consistency between printers. The company promises that more colour-management solutions are on the cards later in the year, so be alert! Watch out too for further developments from the likes of Onyx and GMG. Onyx, as its international marketing manager
Jonathan Rogers points out, employs colour scientists and is deeply involved in the International Color Consortium and with the development of the newest ISO standard for wide-format print applications iccMAX. Its latest Onyx 19 - launched last summer - provides a number of colour matching technologies. These include: iccMAX v5. profiling as well as ColorCheck to meet brand colour needs and match standards such as G7 and Fogra; AccuBoost, an iterative ICC profile fine tuning for increased accuracy; and DeviceLink+ for matching output and achieving consistent colour across various devices. GMG, perhaps best known for its ColorServer with InkOptimizer, also has an ink optimisation solution especially for digital and large-format printers. Called GMG Ecosave, the non-ICC product works by increasing the levels of black ink and standardising the colour composition of PDF files. It works where the human eye reacts most sensitively - the grey balance - keeping greys neutral with no contamination, so they don’t become red or green in appearance. “We’re seeing the world in a new light now. Wherever your business is based, we are all hoping to see a ‘bounce-back’ economy, post Covid-19 pandemic. In short, this means finding bigger efficiencies in business. For large-format printers of every kind, that means overcoming the one challenge people never want to talk about consistent colour,” says Toby Burnett at PrintFactory, known for its Visu colour control technology. “When it comes to colour reproduction, LFPs in every sector want a set-up that delivers the right results, efficiently and with minimum overhead and waste, to maximise profits. However in a lot of cases this is not achieved - the in-house skillset isn’t there, or there’s no insight as to the technologies that can solve colour issues. Good colour is often the sacrificial lamb, so that a business can deliver greater quantities of output print because ‘colour management takes too long’. This is ironic as most LFPs are actually significantly hampered in production by not getting the colour output right the first time, every time.” Hopefully, techcnial advances mean that’s changing.
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Make an Impression with Airplac® foam board www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 19
Environment
CORONAVIRUS AND CLIMATE CHANGE AMIDST A GLOBAL ECONOMIC REBOOT DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WILL CLIMATE CHANGE - AND ‘GREENING-UP’ - CONTINUE TO BE A REAL CONSIDERATION? “Do we just go back to business as usual?” That question, raised recently by Peter Betts, formerly the UK’s chief negotiator on climate change, underlines the uncertainty about the Covid-19 pandemic’s enduring impact on corporate environmental practices and government environmental policies. The disease was probably originally transmitted to humans from bats, sold illegally in a seafood market in Wuhan. The genetic make up of the coronavirus found in people is, virology tests in China indicate, 96% identical to the form found in bats. The tragic global consequences of this transmission are a compelling reminder that the way we exploit the environment can still harm us, that we have blithely accepted air pollution as a fact of urban life (with so few cars on the road, residents in such diverse cities as Los Angeles, New Delhi and Rio de Janeiro are literally gasping with surprise at how fresh the air is) and that we are all intimately interconnected. As devastating as the recent Australian bush fires were, they did not kill hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, force governments to confine citizens to their own homes, or wreak economic havoc. In that respect, optimists say that the pandemic is educating the public about the mechanisms that drive climate change, encouraging businesses to change behaviours and making a compelling case for government action. It is certainly plausible that the kind of small- to medium-sized businesses that form the bulk of the British wide-format industry will, post-pandemic, adjust to a new normal. As Andrew Missingham the co-founder of creative management consultancy B+A, says: “Cheap flights, car journeys to attend meetings that are being held just for the sake of having meetings, not investing in training or retraining, these are all part of the kind of ‘business as usual’ that no longer exists.” The march of globalisation, may be another aspect of ‘business as usual’ that doesn’t suit the new normal. Missingham said that, even before the pandemic, there was a sense in the corporate world that globalisation had peaked. Covid-19 hasn’t just exposed the fragility of many global supply chains, it has compelled people to think locally, which could stimulate local sourcing and supplies. The pandemic is not, as it is often called, a one-off ‘black swan’ event. Covid-19 is the third viral respiratory disease to strike in the past 20 years. The original SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which was also traced to bats, broke out in southern China in 2002. Ten years later, a similar virus struck the Arabian Peninsula, killing more than 6,000 people. Last year, before the coronavirus struck, China was grappling with a swine flu epidemic that killed four
COVID-19 HAS COMPELLED PEOPLE TO THINK LOCALLY, WHICH COULD STIMULATE LOCAL SOURCING AND SUPPLIES
out of every ten pigs. These outbreaks are too frequent and too damaging to be classed as ‘black swan’ events and resilient companies are already thinking how they can mitigate the impact of the next disaster. At the moment, Covid-19 looks certain to lead to the biggest ever fall in the world’s CO2 emissions since records began - possibly, some experts believe, a drop of 10%. Yet will that have a lasting impact, as governments across the world scramble to rescue their economies? There is already evidence to suggest it may not. As part of its post-pandemic economic recovery, the Chinese government approved more new coal-fired power plants in the first three weeks of March than in the whole of 2019. After the most recent global recession in 2009, many governments, not just China’s, found that the easiest and most effective short-term way to boost economies was to financially support industries that relied heavily on fossil fuels. Inevitably, emissions shot up again, exacerbating climate change. Experts also question whether, after committing $3trn to economic rescue packages, the world’s governments have the resource to invest in green industries such as clean energy. That said, Alok Sharma, the British secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy, recently told an online international conference that the “world must work together to build a green and resilient recovery which leaves no one behind.” There is one abiding lesson from the pandemic that may alter our attitudes, as citizens, executives and regulators, to global warming and the environment. As Nicholas Stern, chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change, says: “People understand that the consequences of their actions are collective and big.” Even in the midst of a global economic restart, that understanding could yet apply to climate change
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Think Bigger | Gallery
a. Signs of the times Leach has released a new ‘social distancing’ product line via a dedicated virtual shop. MD James Lavin said: “When the world eventually manages to emerge from this pandemic, social distancing infographics will become an integral part of our lives. And, the procurement of such collateral needs to be simple, and hassle-free.”
b. Offering friendly advice Durst has started producing ‘community masks’ at its demo centre in Brixen, Italy, and said its know-how for the production of the masks will be made available to interested PSPs
c. Getting personal Elite Sign has been putting its Roland Soljet Pro 4 XR640 to good use, producing dozens of sheets of name stickers for use on PPE to identify staff at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend. d. Money maker ImageCo has produced 2,900 protective visors for medical and care staff in Yorkshire and across the UK, and raised £4,000 for charity in the process.
e. Thanking you Premier Paper teamed up with Semaphore Display to help say a big thank you - or ‘diolch’ in Welsh - to the NHS with a graphic installation at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. f. Hospital sticker drop StickerDrops is using its Mimaki CJV150-130 printer/ cutter to produce stickers in support of its local hospital, which is self-funding additional items of PPE.
g. A waiting game McDonald’s is testing decals to promote social distancing among customers on floors, tables and at digital ordering points. At a location in Arnhem this designated waiting spots to separate customers.
22 | June / July 2020
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Think Bigger | Gallery
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Forum
DIGGING BELOW THE SURFACE WITH INDUSTRY MOLE If you’re in the car, and you get lost, what’s the first thing you do? Most of us turn down the radio. Because we intuitively understand that the noise is a distraction and, if we’re going to find our way again, we want to cut out the clutter. Unfortunately, we don’t often apply that principle to our own businesses. The almost infinite variety of expressions for describing people who are, to put it politely, not the sharpest tool in the shed, encourages the belief that stupidity is something we’re born with. Yet the other day - in a bid to do something constructive in these extraordinarily difficult times - I discovered an interview with the American educator Adam Robinson in which he observed: “People think stupidity is the opposite of intelligence - in fact, stupidity is the cost of intelligence operating in a complex environment.” He went on to list seven factors that encourage us, no matter how smart we are, to behave stupidly. In no particular order they are: being outside your normal environment or changing routines; being in the presence of a group; being in the presence of an expert on a topic
Comments please to industrymole@ imagereportsmag.co.uk
DRUPA 2020
THRIVE IN PRINT
THE PRINT SHOW
SIGN AND DIGITAL 2021
When? 16 - 26 June, 2020
When? 15 September, 2020
When? 27 - 29 September, 2020
When? 2 - 4 March, 2021
Where? Dusseldorf Messe, Germany
Where? Oulton Hall, Leeds
Where? NEC, Birmingham
Where? NEC, Birmingham
Cost? TBA
Cost? Various packages – go to https:// ukgraphicawards.com/tickets/
Cost? TBA
Cost? Free for trade visitors.
Who will be there? Good question! We need to wait until closer to the event to see which companies of relevance to large-format will be exhibiting. It’s likely that those who do so will have already launched any new products at the preceding Fespa Global 2020
Who will be there? This is a new event organised by Fespa UK and Vism MD Dan Tyler. The conference is at aimed at owners/senior managers of wideformat PSPs, with talks on how to exploit business, technical and marketing opportunities. He new UK Graphic Awards presentations will take place the same evening.
Who will be there? The organiser puts the onus on this being a UK specific show that doesn’t over-extend itself, so best check out the exhibitor list closer to the time - there’s usually a broad range of manufacturers and suppliers exhibiting.
Who will be there? Traditionally, this is the UK show serving the sign and digital print market, and the exhibitors reflect that. Given all that is happening we’ll have to wait until a bit closer to the event to see how it is shaping up. Watch his space.
Should you go? Depends what you want from attending. If you want to see new large-format kit and you’ve attended Fespa Global 2020, you’ll probably not see many more introductions. If you want to see how the industry as a whole is progressing, then it’s a big tick
Should you go? Definitely worth attending.
Should you go? If you want to see a smattering of all different types of print wares in one easy reach location.
Should you go? Worth checking out
EVENTS 24 | June / July 2020
you are an expert on; intensely focusing on any task; information overload; physical or emotional stress and fatigue and urgency. We’ve probably all encountered these in our businesses. I know I have at Mole Graphics. In my younger days, when I regarded doing an allnighter as a badge of honour rather than proof of inefficiency, I was getting impatient about the need to get a particular decision made and my father told me: “After working all night, you have the motor control and reflex speed of someone who is legally drunk.” He had a point. Most of the things that make smart people do stupid things can be mitigated against. You don’t need to make decisions when you’re tired. Just don’t rely on a checklist. As Robinson says, the worst disaster in aviation history, which occurred in 1977, killed 600 passengers and crew, involved two planes colliding on the ground. Aware that several of the factors that encourage stupidity were in play, one of the pilots had made a checklist. He was reading it as he slammed his plane into the other one.
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Forum
OVER TO YOU... STEVE JACKSON, DIRECTOR, DIGIPRESS WWW.DIGIPRESSLTD.CO.UK What’s having the greatest impact on your business at the moment? Covid19! Hopefully, we are on the road to recovery at this point, but I just don’t want us all o rush back to work with little or no structure as I fear we will then have to do this all again. Where do you see the greatest wide-format opportunities? For the rest of this year I can see that social distancing signage will be in big demand as it becomes commonplace in all businesses and not just the High Street. I also think when the green light is giving for exhibitions and conferences this will be a boom sector again. What would make your day-to-day operations easier? Not having a mobile phone!!! Your favourite bit of kit is..? We have two SwissQprint machines, a Canon Colorado, an Indigo 7900, and two Zund cutters - and we have just had a Durst P5 350 installed. I do love large formatprinting and the SwissQprint machines have been my
favourite bit of kit by far but I am hoping the Durst will change his - it’s just spectacular. What’s the best bit of business advice you’ve been given? By my dad when I told him I was going into business with two partners: “When are you going to buy them out?” was the first thing he said. There are still two of us and it works really well. What are you most proud of achieving? Never falling out with my business partner Ian in 15 years of working together and building a successful business that offers a great service of course, but which is also a place where I hope people are happy to work together everyday - that is very important me. What lesson does the wide-format sector need to learn? We need to learn from the route litho took - where everybody was printing for no profit just to keep the lights on and devalued the trade so much. I see pullbanners selling for £20 now which surely just devalues the market for everyone. We need to learn to work together as an industry to add value to what we do.
LEGAL EAGLE
LOOKS AT NEW NORMAL WORKING BY ANNE-MARIE BOYLE, PARTNER AT MENZIES LAW
An economic re-start over the coming months means businesses will face tough decisions, . As redundancies are neither cheap nor easy, the alternatives to achieve savings yet retain skilled staff are worth examining. Here are some of the options together with the legal issues to consider. CHANGING EMPLOYEES’ TERMS AND CONDITIONS Adjusting employees’ contractual entitlements such as pay cuts or reducing other benefits can make good savings. Pay, benefits and hours of work can be ‘express terms’ (written down), ‘implied’ (created by custom and practice) or ‘incorporated’ - derived from collective agreements with Unions. Major changes require the variation of employees’ contracts and this is legally challenging. Our advice would depend on things like the specific terms of your contracts and whether your staff are unionised. Some minor changes may be permitted in the terms but these are unlikely to achieve much-need costs saving. Most changes will either need your employees consent or, if not forthcoming, terminating existing contracts and offering new ones containing the changes needed. Either route requires careful handling. If you
decide to take the dismissal/re-engagement route, you’ll need to be mindful of the legal pitfalls such as triggering your legal duty to consult and potential unfair dismissal claims. PENSION SCHEME CHANGES Pension changes can look attractive but may still require you to consult with employee representatives. Special consultation requirements apply to pension schemes. LAY-OFF AND SHORT-TIME WORKING The CJRS was designed to avoid lay-offs or reducing working weeks. However, when the scheme ends it may be that employers will reconsider these options. Again, you will need to look at your employment contracts but few businesses currently have lay-off terms. Without contractual ‘permission’ you are back to the ‘changing terms and conditions’ section above. Without your employees’ express and informed consent, you risk claims for unlawful deduction from wages, breach of contract and constructive dismissal. REDUCING USE OF CONTRACT WORKERS Dispensing with the services of casual or agency workers and self-employed consultants will reduce costs but make sure none of them qualify as
‘employees’. If they do they will have statutory redundancy pay and unfair dismissal rights. Check any fixed term contracts to ensure there is a ‘break’ clause. If not, you could be liable to make payments to the worker until the end of the fixed term. NON-CONTRACTUAL BENEFITS Non-contractual (‘discretionary’) benefits are easier to reduce/remove. Employees would probably rather lose these ‘extra’ benefits than face a reduction in salary or risk their jobs. OTHER OPTIONS Redeployment, secondment and sabbaticals may also be on your list. Redeployments or secondments need your employee’s consent (in the absence of an express right to do so in the contract of employment.) A sabbatical, or career-break, is simply time away from work and some employees can afford some time off. Continuity of employment is generally preserved during a sabbatical. FLEXIBLE WORKING Part-time working or job-sharing can reduce costs. Seek consent here and set out the new ‘regime’ in writing. Remote, home or flexible working all reduce overheads but be aware of our advice above on changing terms and conditions. Also consider issues such data and health and safety. COMMUNICATION IS KEY With any changes, engaging with your workforce will be key to getting buy-in. In our experience, open communication goes a long way to getting consent to changes and consent reduces your legal risk is almost nil
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Zeitgeist
Where now? ON 24 JUNE THE PRINT4ALL CONFERENCE ‘FUTURE FACTORY’ WILL STREAM, FOCUSSING ON SUSTAINABILITY AND I4.0 WORKING. THE SHAKE-UP AND FALL-OUT FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC MAKES THE EVENT MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER, SO SHOULD IT BE IN YOUR DIARY?
Want to hear what these people have to say on future working? Andrea-Briganti, Enrico-Barboglio, Alice Bodreau, Fabrizio Renzi, Nigel Tapper, Ulrich Leberle, Enzo Baglieri
The strapline for the aptly entitled ‘Future Factory’ Print4All conference 2020 is ‘together today for tomorrow’s future’ - so could you benefit from joining industry colleagues and competitors at what has been turned into an online ‘event’ that will stream in two parts (11am-1pm, 3pm- 5pm) on 24 June? The focus will be on sustainability and Industry 4.0 working, never more relevant than now. The last four months have seen a redrawing of private, public and business life, and the ‘new normal’ has yet to be fully established, but already there are lessons to be learned - and plenty of discussion to be had - on how to ensure a viable future for print. Organised by Acimga (the Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machinery for the Graphic, Paper and Converting Industry) in collaboration with Argi (Italian Graphics Supplies Industry Providers) in preparation the next edition of the Print4All fair to be held in Milan within The Innovation Alliance’s project, the Future Factory conference - which will be delivered in English - aims not only to delve into matters of production efficiency, but also at preparing new and stable organisational and decision-making strategies that allow companies to be proactive and not simply responsive to situations. It will kick off the Andrea Briganti and Enrico Barboglio, general managers of Acimga and Argi respectively, talking about how to build a future starting with opportunities emerging from crisis. As stated, the conference programme (https:// conference.print4all.it/en/today/program/) will then focus on the pairing of I4.0 and sustainability, topics that are closely linked for future working.
26 | June / July 2020
Nigel Tapper (Professor of Environmental Sciences at Monash University of Melburne, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment) will explain how the print industry must consider its role in protecting climate, and how the use and implementation of processes that create low climate impact become value topics for the supply chain and their stakeholders. Ulrich Leberle (raw materials director at CEPI) will show how the supply chain can design paper packaging in order to support recycling processes in a circular economy harmonising test methods and national protocols is key for facilitating the work of printers as well as all the other players in the industry. The first session of the day will be rounded off by Vincenzo Baglieri, professor of practice at the SDA Bocconi School of Management, looking at the first Italian supply chain project using smart manufacturing. In the second streaming of the day, Alice Bodreau (global partners manager at Ellen MacArthur Foundation) will delve into the industrial transition to circular economy, talking about strategies, business models and best practices in the printing and converting industry. The conference will then turn to look at artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to the graphics industry with Fabrizio Renzi, president and CEO rnbgate rnb4culture, and Angel Investor. If all of these big picture topics seem too far removed from your business, bear in mind that there will also be focus on the detail - on the market and the supply chain’s more concrete visions, with different round tables involving printers, creative agencies and brand-owners . You can sign up to the Print4All conference at conference. print4all.it/en.
Weblook | Inks / Hardware
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Josero is specialised in new and used wide format equipment sales and maintenance. We are an authorised Agfa, Mimaki & Ricoh reseller as well as exclusive distributors for Triangle inks, Bubble Free applicators and Comagrav cutters. For expert wide format advice call the team on 01954 232 564 or visit our Cambridge showroom.
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Leading supplier of Nazdar UV, Solvent, Aqueous and Textile inks. Specialists in front line wide-format technical support 6XSSOLHUV RI OLTXLG ODPLQDWLQJ à XLGV Authorised resellers for Longier UV platforms, Roland and suppliers RI D UDQJH RI À QLVKLQJ HTXLSPHQW Second user printer sales.
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<36 VSHFLDOLVH LQ ZLGH IRUPDW SULQWLQJ VROXWLRQV À QLVKLQJ equipment and print software. We are authorised resellers for Mimaki, Roland, Epson, Easymount and Flexa. We provide OEM inks and consumables and supply a wide range of digital print media including Drytac and Metamark. Our dedicated service team offer installation, technical support and training, maintenance and extended warranty packages. Call the team on 0191 256 6889 for more info or visit:
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Spandex supplies materials and equipment to the graphics industry. Our portfolio includes Avery Dennison, 3M, ImagePerfect, Arlon, Orafol, HP, Epson, Roland and more. Exclusive UK distributors of VZLVV4SULQW 89 à DWEHG SULQWHUV. online store – training – next day delivery
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Weblook | Sign & Display Systems
Established in 1994, Plex Display are hardware designers and manufacturers of Display, CafÊ Barrier and Signage systems. We offer the trade highly competitive pricing, unrivalled stock levels and same day despatch, all EDFNHG E\ À UVW FODVV FXVWRPHU VHUYLFH DQG WHFKQLFDO support. So whether you are in the exhibition, display, signage or large format printing industries we have products to suit you. Call 01905 798123 and speak to one of our Sales Team today.
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Our aim is to set the benchmark for trade display solutions by providing innovative, high-quality products at the most competitive prices. Trust Very Displays to enhance your brand and exceed expectations, from a personalised service through WR VDPH GD\ GLVSDWFK *HW LQ WRXFK WRGD\ WR À QG out more about our comprehensive range of products. 0116 232 3156 | Sales@VeryDisplays.com
Drytac has been a leading international manufacturer of adhesive-coated products, digital SULQW PHGLD DQG SURWHFWLRQ À OPV IRU WKH JUDSKLFV and industrial markets for over 40 years.
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Landor Uk specialises in providing its own unique range of innovative imaging products that increases productivity, durability and value of the printed image. Landor UK are the Exclusive distributor in UK & Europe for the Worlds best selling and innovative Landor Phototex Self adhesive Fabric, and Landor Liquid Lamination protective coatings and Coating Systems
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AirplacÂŽ foam board is made in the UK. The lightweight panels come in all formats up to 3050x1524mm. The polystyrene foamboards are rigid, white and extra light. A new 100% recyclable XPS panel AirplacÂŽPRINTFOAM is perfect for environmentally responsible campaigns.
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