I just wanted to take this opportunity to say a pubic thank you to Roger Bull, co-founder of Genix Imaging, who has been of valuable input to Image Reports and this week retired from the company he set-up 22 years ago with Jeff Vickers. Their stepping away from the company marks a new era for Genix now being steered by its management buy-in team. Good luck to them and to the new chiefs.
Editor's Blog
Show them what you’ve got
The Think Bigger inspirational gallery is becoming more populated as the days go by, but can I take this chance to remind you all to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. a pic/info on any wide-format job that you consider boundary breaking. Our Think Bigger Report has been sent to over 2000 designers/creatives (not 200 as my last blurb stated!) but the more we can highlight print’s potential the better.
A ticket to ride
At last, it’s happening! As you’ll know if you’re a regular Image Reports reader, I’ve been hammering on for ages about the need for the wide-format print sector to get its possibilities in front of creatives in their own space (which is why we’ve produced the Think Bigger Report and sent it to over 2000 designers/creatives – download it here). And now Fespa, which is in the happy position of having some serious money to throw at the task, is going to be putting the possibilities in front of creatives with the Print Inspiration Rallye. Move that bus….
Going the distance
Does it matter to you where your kit and consumables are made? If so, what are your key considerations – is it all about quality, price and availability/supply, or do other factors contribute to your decision making? I’d be interested in getting your input ahead of Sign and Digital UK and Fespa Digital where we’re bound to see new additions coming into the European marketplace.
When push comes to shove
“We see print businesses that are doing phenomenally well, with some small companies punching way above their weight because they have good strategy for growth, but we also see many blocks to success within the print sector. The weaknesses we see in companies are a lack of: high quality professional management; strategic direction and business planning; e-commerce capability; modern sales process; and focus on skills development.”
And the winner is…
Fespa’s call for votes in relation to its awards made me think again about how much marketing value companies can get from involvement in awards schemes etc. Do you enter competitions of any type – local business awards etc. – and if so, do you find them a valuable part of your profile building?
Are you at Ipex?
If you are still at the ExCeL, or just back, let me know if anything wide-format orientated caught your eye at the show. Perhaps it was the Croatian-manufactured Azon Q UV printer being demonstrated by new UK distributor IGS? Let me know what you think.
We hear the BPIF but…
I can’t hear much in terms of Budget response from the other print trade associations and bodies. What’s happened to the GPMA (the Graphics, Print and Media Alliance) which, when it was formed last June (initially known as GAMA - Graphics and Media Alliance) and representing Fespa UK, British Association for Print and Communication (BAPC), Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA), British Coatings Federation (BCF), Picon, the Process and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA), and the Rubicon Network, said its purpose was to “provide the sector with a single authoritative voice”? I can’t say it’s coming across loud and strong.
Something a bit special
What’s your feeling about niche product development? I ask because the findings of the 2014 Widthwise Survey are now not only in but analysed, and they tell a very interesting story about strategic diversification. No, I’m not going to tell you more – you’ll have to wait until the Widthwise Report reveals all and we present the key findings in the May issue. Then you’ll see there’s still plenty of room to manoeuvre so it’s probably worth bearing that in mind as you investigate new products at the upcoming trade shows.
Flatbed focus
Do you have a UV flatbed yet? If so, what’s its ROI looking like? I ask because, as Roland moves into the market, I’m wondering to what extent those of you operating such kit are getting the full value of its higher margin creative and bespoke application possibilities. If you’ve found a particularly lucrative niche I’d be interested in hearing about it - whether the info is for possible publication, or just between you, me and flatbed.
Going for gold
YES, a print company is actually being proactive when it comes to environmental sustainability. In case you’re wondering, the upper case ‘YES’ denotes excitement because I so infrequently hear about large-format print producers making a real stab at improving their green credentials. News of Cestrian Imaging’s Carbon Smart certification has me grinning from ear to ear, but I can stretch it a bit further if you have news of environmental milestones being made by your company.
Preaching to the converted?
It’s my first day back at my desk following the Fespa Global Summit in Munich at the end of last week and my inbox is full of product news etc., but we know that growth isn’t just about making the right equipment investment; it’s about strategic vision, clever development plans and good implementation. That was certainly one of the clear messages from the summit, but so few UK printers were there to hear it, and those that were no doubt already know it. What’s your take on that?
The luck of the Irish
Are things turning a corner in Ireland’s print community? News of the installation of the first HP FB700 in Northern Ireland – at Belfast-based design and production company Minprint – has me wondering if investment is starting to percolate again and how much that has to do with the various election campaigns coming up in Northern Ireland this year; something that Minprint says will impact on its print orders.
Eulogise and democratise
"More and more, we will see printing based materials outside the corporate and retail world, permeate the domestic, institutional, and public spheres. In the public's mind, printing will need to detach itself definitively from paper, its flatness and its durability. As it has happened with the screen, printing needs to be democratised."