Features

So what’s Lego and Levi Strauss got to do with me? Quite a lot as it happens when it comes to environmental messaging and direction.

- By Walter Hale.

“I, as a designer, made the problem. I made the mess. If we can think of ways of designing without making the messes, we will be ahead.” This observation by Paul Dillinger, head of global product innovation at Levi Strauss, was one of the high points at the Sustainable Brands conference in San Diego this summer.

Adman Vanovitch,
MD, W&CO Displays and Signs
http://www.w-co.co.uk

What’s having the greatest impact on your business at the moment?
Staff leave as we’ve had two ladies off on maternity at the same time, sickness, holiday, compassionate leave and even jury service recently. I find that temporary staff simply do not fill the void. Customers and quality take precedence over other aspects of the business so internal issues can be on the back burner for much longer than I would like.

As the UK and global economies show signs of a sustainable recovery, wide-format PSP chiefs came together to debate this very question at the 2014 Widthwise round table. 

This is not the cheapest printer but is it good value for money? Nessan Cleary puts it to the test.

SwissQ Print has built up a good reputation for the quality of its flatbed printers so I’ve been looking forward to testing one of these. There are four printers in all, ranging from the entry-level Oryx to the top end Nyala, recently updated to the Nyala2. For the test we got our hands on the mid-range Impala.

HP has rejuvenated its entry-level wide format printers with the addition of the third generation latex inks. Nessan Cleary talks to Latex 360 user Ian Penman of IntroScan.

Nessan Cleary takes a look at those substrates that can lead to new applications and new revenueopportunities.

HP will divide into two next year, but what will this mean for the professional print division? Nessan Cleary considers.

So, HP is to split itself into two halves, with all of its printing product operations, including wide-format as well as its big inkjet machines and consumer printers lumped in with the personal computing part of the business to form HP Inc. This company will keep the HP logo and be headed up by Dion Weisler, currently executive vice president of HP’s Printing and Personal Systems division.

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.

It’s again time for Image Reports to recognise products that have been introduced to the UK during the last year, and considered the most innovative and likely to have an impact in the wide-format sector. So here are the 2014 Angel Awards winners.

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. 

How Stylographics is turning its own waste into donation drop-boxes for KitAid.

Stylographics has always had a bit of a thing about environmentally friendly products and pushing them into the marketplace. In keeping with that mentality it introduced 100% recycled, recyclable and sustainable Re-board into its portfolio a while back, and now it’s taking its caring ethos a step further - Re-board cut-offs are used for a charitable project called KitAid. 

An article earlier this year looked at finishing options for rigid substrates. Now, Nessan Cleary focuses on options for finishing flexible materials.