Round Tables

What’s the real dynamic between printer and supplier? Is it the business partnership we’re told it should be? We asked printers from a cross section of the industry, Jon Baker from NES Solutions, Anthony Drogan from Super-Wide Digital, Justin Murray from Pyramid Visuals, Damian Quarmby from Quarmby Colour, Ian Sullivan from HH Print Management and Neville Tosar from Icon Graphics, for their experiences and views...

The printer/supplier relationship has often been an uneasy one but it has nevertheless developed into one of mutual respect where both parties now interact more closely in business partnership for the good of their own operations and for the sector as a whole. Discuss.

Put seven printers together around a table with a remit to debate the state of trade and direction of the marketplace and you know you’re for a lively discussion and some eye opening comment. That’s exactly what the participants in this second annual Image Reports Round Table delivered. The panellists, chosen to represent a cross-section of the UK’s digital wide-format market, were asked to provide their thoughts on the back of key findings from the magazine’s 2009 Widthwise Report and as a precursor to the upcoming 2010 survey. On the broad issues there was a high level of agreement but don’t be led into thinking that meant everyone was of one accord! Here’s how the discussion panned out…

Eight players from the digital wide-format sector, Chris Stringwell from Digital Plus, Ian O'Connor from Superior Creative, Andy Wilson from Press On Digital Imaging, Steve Hart from reddhart Graphics, Justin Murray from Pyramid Visuals, Iain Morning from Screaming Colour, Mark Roblett from Riot of Colour and Austin McKinlay from Universal Imaging Systems, discussed and hotly debated the idea of ‘diversify or die’ and other key messages at the recent widthwise 2010 roundtable.

“The cost of entry into large-format print is so low compared to other industries, or even other print sectors, that you can almost do it on a whim and see what happens. It doesn’t surprise me that such a large number of those polled for the Widthwise 2010 survey said they are looking to diversify to survive because we’ve seen so many new entrants.” So said Iain Morning of Screaming Colour, setting the mood of Image Reports’ third annual Widthwise Round Table which brought together the heads of eight companies to discuss the key findings of this year’s poll of the UK and Ireland’s large-format printers.