Editor's Blog

There’s nothing like a bit of sun to make you feel good – and turn your thoughts to the great outdoors. But are you doing enough indoors to ensure continued environmental wellbeing?

Do you think print should have a say when it comes to presenting ‘priorities for the creative industries’ to Government? I ask because a conference is taking place in London on Thursday (9 July) that aims to bring together people form all ‘creative’ disciplines and Government representatives to discuss key issues and aims. The DMA has reps attending, but perhaps print in particular should have someone there?

With the appointment of Robert Flather, MD of Kolbus UK, as new chairman of Picon, comes the resurgence of my long gnawing feeling that large-format is not very well represented by print trade bodies. Despite digital inkjet now being well-established, and one of the most vibrant print sectors, it still seems to be sidelined. How do we change that, and ensure this sector’s issues are given proper attention?

Do you know of kit/consumables vendors that are supporting creatives - and thus helping grow the interest in, and demand for, large-format digital inkjet print - by giving products and specialist know-how to schools, colleges etc.? Or perhaps you are? Let me know and I’ll do my bit to help raise awareness too.

Just look at what SignAway has done with London Bridge! We need more of these ‘statement’ jobs to get the message out there that large-format inkjet print has fabulous creative potential. Let me know if you’ve completed anything with such a public ‘wow’ factor.

Figures released by Fespa on the number of international visitors to its show in Cologne this past May, has me wondering whether we Brits are up for two mainland Europe shows next year. Some of the wide-format PSPs I’ve been speaking to seem to be questioning whether it’s worth going to Drupa when they think they will have seen most of what they want to see at the preceding Fespa Digital.

What are your intentions?

How flexible are you in your approach to diversification? And are sensor embedded textiles on your radar? Perhaps those of you thinking of getting in on the action when it comes to supplying the growing customised printed sportswear market should note the name BeBop sensors – see the news item below and all will become clear!

The ISO colour standard development story prompts me to ask if – in the wide-format space in particular – colour management remains a headache, and if so, what needs to happen to alleviate it?

If you were at Fespa 2015 you can't fail to have noticed the emphasis on digital textile print technology. For once, the Fespa Textile part of the exhibition was a hub of activity – even if that had as much to do with its positioning as content – and many of the inkjet printer vendors were showing off textile kit on their main showfloor stands too.

I see that Canon has now included wide-format in new business analysis audit tool for general commercial printers. Do you see many ‘traditional’ cut-sheet PSPs still moving into this sector, or do you think we’ve seen the main influx?

Get the diaries out and get the new date for Sign and Digital 2016 in it. And I’d plan a good Christmas break this year as you won’t be getting another until the end of June next year by looking at the trade events calendar!

The news item in this mailer about Babywise completing an order for 40,000 printed PVC changing mats for supermarket giant Aldi using Roland wide-format printers equipped with Lightbar solvent-UV ink technology, prompts me to wave the ‘Think Bigger’ banner for closer co-operation between PSPs and creatives to build business in new and profitable markets. That’s it. Enough said!

Now that a full week has passed since Fespa 2015 closed its doors and everyone has had time to reflect, I’d love to hear what key ‘learnings’ you came away with. If the show raised points you would like to see investigated/discussed further within Image Reports, let me know.

It’s good to see Hybrid Services doing its bit to get wide-format career opportunities in front of youngsters. When Image Reports launched its ‘Turning on the Talent’ campaign last year to highlight vendors, PSPs and industry bodies working to this end, it became clear quite quickly that one of the reasons the sector was having trouble in recruiting enthusiastic and talented youngsters was because it wasn’t doing enough to promote it as an attractive option. If you are, let me know!