Editor's Blog

When you think ‘events’, what comes to mind – Fespa, Sign and Digital UK, Drupa, Viscom? What about 100% Design, Retail Design Expo, Ecobuild? The thing is, even print ‘trade’ shows are trying to reach out to creatives as well as print companies because it’s clear that attracting them and stimulating their interest in the print medium is what is ultimately going to grow demand and thus business. But expecting large volumes of creatives – especially those not already buying print – to travel to print shows is a bit of a hiding to nothing in my view – despite there being, in some cases, a real effort to do so via great seminar content etc.  

It’s good to hear that the BPIF is on the case with Creditsafe. If you have been affected by its amendment to its credit ratings model please get in touch – the more of us that make a noise the better.

This week is the last chance you will have to nominate those large-format print company bosses that you think deserve the title ‘Leading Light’. If you have someone in mind go to www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/leadinglights to nominate them – it’s quick and easy!

What’s your take on the return of using white, clear and other specialist inks on your large-format inkjet printers? Just wondering as so many PSPs now buy kit with wider ink capability, yet I’ve had greatly differing feedback on the ‘value’ of such investment given the cost of the inks and varying customer demand for their use. Thinking a Round Table discussion might be in order?

…from the Image Reports’ Think Bigger campaign which - via its own website (http://www.thinkbigger.co), enewsletters, blogs, video interviews with top end designers and various galleries of work - is getting the word out to creatives of all descriptions that wide-format print possibilities should be flashing on their radar. And I’m just putting the finishing touches to the second ‘Think Bigger Report’ which will be published and sent to thousands of creatives before the end of the year. So, if you want to help us make more noise, don’t hesitate to get in touch – it’s an ongoing project to help grow the wide-format market.

… your Leading Light yet, can I urge you to do so right now – it’s quick and easy. Just go to www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/leadinglights to let me know who you consider to be the wide-format print sector’s brightest boss – you can even nominate yourself!

Here at Image Reports we’re launching a new editorial campaign – to find the wide-format print sector’s brightest bosses, and give them the recognition they deserve. In 2015 we’ll be running a series of ‘Leading Lights’ articles on those print company managers that are a source of inspiration to those around them. Please make your nominations now at: www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/leadinglights

Well, HP has finally made the move to split its business, lumping printers with personal computers under HP Inc. while enterprise technology infrastructure, software and services businesses will form a separate entity. Of course we’ll be following developments and bringing you comment and analysis on how the restructuring is likely to impact HP users in the wide-format print sector, but how do you see this playing out?

I’m liking that IMI Europe managing director Mike Willis has posed such an interesting debating point with regards to the likely impact of inkjet moving forwards. As he so rightly - to my mind - points out: “It's perhaps a mistake to predict from the early adoption of products whether there will be rapid growth and disruption, it's more subtle than that." No doubt we’ll hear more at the IMI’s 22nd annual Ink Jet Conference next month but I’d be happy to get your views before that!

Then it might be worth a trip to the new MTEX UK showroom where a grand opening later this month will see the company’s own textile print production products alongside complementary offerings from the likes of AVA Cadcam, Digital Print Media, Blackman and White, Tecna UK and DPI. Let me know if you’re going – I am!

Brits are good at hiding their light under a bushel, but it’s time to let it shine. Here at Image Reports we’re launching a new editorial campaign – to find the wide- format print sector’s brightest bosses, and give them the recognition they deserve.

Got in touch with the people at the Retail Design Expo 2015 that is. Towards the end of August we flagged up an opportunity for printers involved in the retail space to get in front on customers – and potential new ones - by being part of the event’s seminar programme. Have you done so? If not, you have until the 8 October. If you’re making your voice heard there – or at any other vertical market event - let me know so I can help publicise the fact via Image Reports and its associated Think Bigger Report, website, ezine, blogs, video interviews etc. that aim to educate creatives about large-format print possibilities.

Talks with various companies this week have me wondering about how much work UK-based print companies produce for overseas installation, and whether we are making the impact - and profit - that we could be from such work. Let me know what you think.

Well, alongside a smattering of substrates suppliers, I saw that two UK large-format/signage companies at least had stumped up the cash and time to get their offering in front of a hugely diverse crowd at 100% Design last week. It might not pay off anytime soon – indeed, neither expect it to – but it’s the slow burn we all have to get used to if we’re to really educate a much wider creative audience about the possibilities of large format.