Vendor Views

Nathan Atkins, managing director of Papergraphics, talks about relationship building for creative exploration.

Personalisation is currently one of the hottest topics in the print industry. Whether you’re targeting consumers or businesses, personalised merchandise, apparel and textiles present great opportunities. We’re particularly excited by the commercial interiors market and how printers, designers and even artists can work together to create truly unique environments. However, as with any industry, to be successful you need to have a good understanding of how to get the most from emerging trends.

Bruno Vermeulen, EMEA marketing director at Esko, talks about how brand owner needs are being addressed by creatively innovative operations.

There’s no doubt that the market shift in the creation and production of sign, display and wide-format applications is shaping the relationship print operations have with their clients. It is a shift that is being encouraged by a level of education that previously did not exist. Esko has talked about the process of 'design to print-and-cut’ for quite a while. As brand owners are challenged for more creative ways to gain attention on the aisles and shelves, basic, straightforward applications such as rectangular signs or one part displays often no longer do the trick.

Jamie Manifold, Amari product development manager, explains why it’s changing its communications strategy to wow designers.

As a relative latecomer to supplying the world of print with substrates Amari has had to look to innovate, the result being products that enable printers and designers both to fully express their ideas in POS /POP applications. Think Falconboard, which Amari brought to the UK market, and Bubbleprint board, the polypropylene based lightweight sheet - and latterly PET films that provide a non-PVC option for in-store displays.

At Drupa 2012 design guru David Bartlett launched a range of inkjet printable cardboard furniture under the BrandIt label. Demand is growing from end users, but print licensees are not shifting in the UK. Could it be your new revenue stream?

Cardboard is becoming extremely popular as a cost effective quick branding solution for pop-up shops, POS products and event branding. And if you visited the Printeriors section of Fespa 2015 you will have seen for yourself the possibilities now offered via cardboard BrandIt Furniture, a range of over 50 inkjet printable products that are gaining traction with end users – but not it seems, as yet with UK printers!

Chris Martin,? country manager for Mactac UK, explains how it’s helping get the message out about the creative potential of printable wide-format media.

Having served the Graphics Industry for over 40 years, Mactac has built its reputation on innovative, reliable products. At the heart of its development strategy is understanding what the end user wants so that it can deliver materials that exploit the company’s knowledge and expertise across its three business units - graphic and decorative products, technical tapes, and label materials.

Fabio Elmi, marketing director Guandong, explains how the company works closely with the market to develop new products for ever more creative applications.The natural vocation of Guandong is that of a real visual communications – a trendsetter if you will.

The natural vocation of Guandong is that of a real visual communications – a trendsetter if you will.

Alongside a comprehensive range of large-format digital printing media, the company is engaged in researching original products, capable of extending demand in new application sectors and anticipating emerging market trends.

Steve Collins, wide-format inkjet product and channel manager for Agfa Graphics UK, explains its ‘technology meets creativity meets technology’ strategy.

The advancements in inkjet technology have certainly been a driving force behind an explosion of ideas. Major improvements in speed and quality have allowed people to push the boundaries of wide-format inkjet technology and with the evolution of UV printing and the ability to print directly onto the surface of different types of substrates, virtually anything is possible. We are now witnessing an increase in diverse applications used by graphic designers and architects as printing directly on materials such as glass, wood and ceramics becomes more commonplace.

Jo Bentley of Contra Vision explains why it is seeking further collaboration with printers as it targets new creative markets.

Contra Vision transforms glass into opportunities for advertising, branding, architectural expression, one-way privacy and solar control; with 30 years of pioneering inventions, it has developed see through graphic products suitable for all locations. Reaching out to creatives - including designers, advertising agencies, architects and interior designers - is a key component in its strategy to help grow the market for see-through graphics and extend their knowledge of what is possible through print.

Duncan Smith, wide-format printing group director, Canon UK, explains what is being done to engage with creatives and other potential users of wide-format print. 

You only have to visit events such as Clerkenwell Design Week to see that the creative and design communities have an innovative and progressive approach to their work. Designers, architects and specifiers are willing to explore all avenues that will enable them to bring their - or their clients’ - designs to life in new and engaging ways. They are also very tactile by nature, keen to see and touch products to help them visualise their concepts and stretch the boundaries of their imagination.

Peter Davidson, business and commercial director, explains why taking the long view is worth the wait when it comes to developing new demand for large-format products.

Over the past five years at Landor UK an active decision has been taken to focus on presenting the company’s solutions to what could be described as new markets - certainly for Landor!The creative design market is a good example, and to get in front of this audience we’ve this year exhibited at the likes of the annual 100% Design Show in London. The decision to do so has been quite an adventure, and we are still adjusting our marketing approach to match the culture of this and the other markets we are now investigating as potential growth sectors.

Why getting in front of thousands of creative at the 100% Design show is a strategic priority for this digitally printable media supplier. 

Soyang Europe’s presence at 100% Design at London’s Earl’s Court may have raised a few sign and graphics industry eyebrows but by the end of the four day show, which attracted over 25,000 visitors, the decision to exhibit was clearly vindicated. The event definitely helped raise the profile of the digitally printable media supplier who’s wide- and grand-format media portfolio comprises Asian manufactured substrates and handpicked printable media from the US and Europe. 

Dongsoo Kim, managing director of InkTec Europe, explains how the company is collaborating with artists like Jeffrey Kroll to take wide-format print into the fine art sphere.

Recognising the quality, detail and colour tone required in creating fine art, InkTec is increasingly becoming involved in this interesting and diverse sector. Critical to its approach has been harnessing all of the knowledge and expertise gained from manufacturing Jetrix printers, inkjet ink and media, and actively taking this in-depth familiarity of printing into the realms of fine art. Initially this has centred on developing an association with New York born artist Jeffrey Kroll. The outcome of which is a ground-breaking exhibition at the Mead Carney Fine Art Gallery in Mayfair, London, presented alongside Samsung, which opened on 23 September and runs until 4 October 2014.