PODi European AppForum not for the faint-hearted
The PODi European AppForum is due to take place in London on 24 and 25 September. PODi Europe director Tony Hodgson said: “PODi has strong educational objectives and seminars will focus on areas such as cross media and print-on-demand. This event is quite advanced and not for the faint-hearted.” He added: “Despite economic problems the market is encouraging for print, some of it due to the ‘mantelpiece effect’. “If you receive direct mail it doesn’t go in the bin immediately, but on to the mantelpiece where it is eventually opened – more than can be said for much email marketing. Print hangs around whereas digital tends to be much more ephemeral. “Print has qualities that perhaps marketers underestimate and consumers quite like.” One of the presentations at next week’s event will include a case study from specialist peronalised greetings cards producer Transarnia, which printed 650,000 personalised postcards at last year’s London Olympics. Using a mobile app, visitors took photos, added a message and ordered a printed version to be sent. Another event highlight will be a keynote presentation from David Cole, author of From Letterbox to Inbox, the DMA’s first attitudinal print tracking report, which surveyed 1,232 UK adults. Cole will explain the findings and their impact. The theme of PODi’s annual European AppForum this year is about creating customer value. The two-day conference will focus on the latest applications of digital printing and advanced data analytics in multi-channel marketing. It will bring together digital printers, marketing services providers, marketing and data professionals to explore how online media, personalised content, big data and digital print interact to create new value streams for businesses and consumers. PODi has also announced that HP will be a “gold sponsor” and conference contributor. Hodgson said the company “shares a commitment to the educational objectives of PODi”. HP UK and Ireland marketing manager Julia Cole said her company has a strong affiliation with the organisation. “The PODi European AppForum provides a platform for digital printers and marketing professionals to explore the benefits of using a mix of digitally printed marketing materials and online communications to achieve effective, creative and highly-targeted multi-media campaigns.” PODi is billed as the world’s leading independent organisation for digital printing. Its goals are to grow the market for digital print, help members expand their businesses and build a community of professionals who value sharing ideas and experience. PODi has championed the use of personalisation, cross-media and web to print and built the world’s largest collection of case studies of successful and innovative applications of digital printing. The European AppForum is produced by Individua, the PODi Affiliate for Europe. For more information click here...
read moreDomino readies white ink facility on digital label press
The UK-headquartered manufacturer of coding and printing equipment has also revamped other elements of the press. The latest N610i version will have its global launch at the show. It will be available with up to six colours, plus white. “We are using two printheads for the white, to create high levels of opacity,” explained Domino director of digital printing Philip Easton. “That doesn’t mean we will use more ink, though, because it’s a smaller drop size. And those smaller drops give better definition. “We recognised we would need white ink for this market when we first launched it, but we wanted to solve it with a higher-resolution head,” Easton added. Domino uses 600dpi Kyocera heads in the press, which also has new unwind and rewind units and a fresh look. “It looks spaceshippy!” said Easton. Pricing will be “consistent with the existing model”. In its interim management statement (IMS) issued today (17 September), Domino said sales in the ten months to the end of August were up 7% year-on-year, with latest acquisitions Graph-Tech and PostJet accounting for 2% of the increase. The firm was upbeat about trading in the USA and in parts of Asia including China. However, it said trading conditions in India had “worsened” and the weak Indian rupee could impact future results. India currently accounts for 6% of Domino’s global sales. Market conditions in Europe remained difficult Chairman Peter Byrom gave a cautious outlook statement: “There is little evidence that more positive economic news reported recently is yet having an impact on the confidence of our customers or their investment plans.” Domino said there had been no significant developments at TEN Media, the US egg-coding venture that resulted in a significant write-down in Domino’s interim results....
read moreSET invests in Ricoh
The Cardiff-based business and stationery printer installed a Ricoh Pro C901 colour and a Ricoh 1357EX mono printer. The new colour printer replaces a Kodak Nexpress M700, with the mono device a new addition. Total investment was around £90,000. Print manager Lyndon Ricketts said: “We have a number of regional offices and retail outlets across the UK and will be using our new Ricoh machines to serve retail and commercial customers as well as all our own internal marketing collateral requirements. “We went to a few market leaders. But if you find a supplier with a good product, competitive pricing and great customer service the decision is easier to make. Having two fast, dedicated machines means we are able to effectively print on demand at a more competitive pricing levels. “The closest rival was the Konica Minolta 8000, which was a bit too glossy; more photographic quality than litho and conventional print. The Ricoh Pro C901 has the most up-to-date technology, although not the cheapest. “However support is great and proactive in terms of upgrades and retrofits. The new kit is not greatly different from the old machine, but the reliability and consistency of colour is excellent, without fear of strips, bands or colour drifts. It gives us confidence to run more complex work. “Initially we were only looking for a colour digital press to replace the existing Kodak. But Ricoh looked at our current and future requirements and recommended the Ricoh 1357EX mono press, as it would have a positive impact on our workflow and give us the capability to meet future demand.” The C901 prints at up to 90 A4 ppm and integrates full-colour scanning, copying and document storage for image capture and print-on-demand requirements. It handles stocks up to 300gsm in duplex mode, making it ideal for DM material and postcards, Ricketts said. Meanwhile the 1357EX mono production press prints up to 135ppm and offers reduced maintenance thanks to operator replaceable units. It offers a range of finishing options including multi-folding, stapling, punching and cover insertion, ring and perfect binding. Ricketts said: “We decided to replace the Kodak as the service contract had expired and the costs to run the machine were escalating. The technology has also moved on in terms of quality, speed and flexibility. The black and white machine is a great opportunity for us to open up new markets. “Having dedicated mono and colour machines means the company now has a more productive work-flow, as the 1357EX produces work such as reports and manuals that would have previously been done on the Kodak colour machine, holding up the colour production process.” SET Office Supplies has an annual turnover in excess of £25m, employing nearly 250 staff. Print includes stationery, brochures, flyer, greeting and post cards, labels, manuals, reports and application forms....
read moreSET invests in Ricoh
The Cardiff-based business and stationery printer installed a Ricoh Pro C901 colour and a Ricoh 1357EX mono printer. The new colour printer replaces a Kodak Nexpress M700, with the mono device a new addition. Total investment was around £90,000. Print manager Lyndon Ricketts said: “We have a number of regional offices and retail outlets across the UK and will be using our new Ricoh machines to serve retail and commercial customers as well as all our own internal marketing collateral requirements. “We went to a few market leaders. But if you find a supplier with a good product, competitive pricing and great customer service the decision is easier to make. Having two fast, dedicated machines means we are able to effectively print on demand at a more competitive pricing levels. “The closest rival was the Konica Minolta 8000, which was a bit too glossy; more photographic quality than litho and conventional print. The Ricoh Pro C901 has the most up-to-date technology, although not the cheapest. “However support is great and proactive in terms of upgrades and retrofits. The new kit is not greatly different from the old machine, but the reliability and consistency of colour is excellent, without fear of strips, bands or colour drifts. It gives us confidence to run more complex work. “Initially we were only looking for a colour digital press to replace the existing Kodak. But Ricoh looked at our current and future requirements and recommended the Ricoh 1357EX mono press, as it would have a positive impact on our workflow and give us the capability to meet future demand.” The C901 prints at up to 90 A4 ppm and integrates full-colour scanning, copying and document storage for image capture and print-on-demand requirements. It handles stocks up to 300gsm in duplex mode, making it ideal for DM material and postcards, Ricketts said. Meanwhile the 1357EX mono production press prints up to 135ppm and offers reduced maintenance thanks to operator replaceable units. It offers a range of finishing options including multi-folding, stapling, punching and cover insertion, ring and perfect binding. Ricketts said: “We decided to replace the Kodak as the service contract had expired and the costs to run the machine were escalating. The technology has also moved on in terms of quality, speed and flexibility. The black and white machine is a great opportunity for us to open up new markets. “Having dedicated mono and colour machines means the company now has a more productive work-flow, as the 1357EX produces work such as reports and manuals that would have previously been done on the Kodak colour machine, holding up the colour production process.” SET Office Supplies has an annual turnover in excess of £25m, employing nearly 250 staff. Print includes stationery, brochures, flyer, greeting and post cards, labels, manuals, reports and application forms....
read moreIndustry Trends Report: Part 3—Profits
In this four-part series, we’ll take a look at how each indicator from the Monthly Conditions Dashboard is affecting your business based on the survey results from the past 15 months. Charts are also provided to show the trends in an easy-to-read format, so you can benchmark your current market conditions with hundreds of other printers. In July, we shared some market insights based on data pulled from the Monthly Industry Conditions Dashboard. This market monitoring report from our Economic and Market Research department can be used to determine where the industry is trending in the short term, which can help you better forecast demand for the coming quarters. In Industry Trends Report: Part 1—Monthly Sales we learned about the wide swings and modestly rising sales printers are experiencing. Positive sales for 2013 are predicted in Industry Trends Report: Part 2—Sales Expectations. How do we get these results? Survey respondents provide information in five principle areas—1) Monthly Sales, 2) Sales Expectations, 3) Profits, and 4) Print and Paper Prices. Current sales and profits are compared to the previous month. Printing prices and paper prices are current month compared to 12 months earlier. Sales expectations are expectations for next month compared to the current month. Respondents are asked to report the directional change of each of the five key indicators (increasing, decreasing, or no change). We’ll compare print and paper prices in two weeks for Part 4 of the series and where you can expect them to be in 2013. The findings you will read are based on July 2013 calculations using a net diffusion index. A net diffusion index is an index where the percentage of respondents reporting an increase is subtracted from the percentage of respondents reporting a decrease. The net diffusion index provides a simple snapshot of printers’ market perceptions for each...
read moreIndustry Trends Report: Part 3—Profits
In this four-part series, we’ll take a look at how each indicator from the Monthly Conditions Dashboard is affecting your business based on the survey results from the past 15 months. Charts are also provided to show the trends in an easy-to-read format, so you can benchmark your current market conditions with hundreds of other printers. In July, we shared some market insights based on data pulled from the Monthly Industry Conditions Dashboard. This market monitoring report from our Economic and Market Research department can be used to determine where the industry is trending in the short term, which can help you better forecast demand for the coming quarters. In Industry Trends Report: Part 1—Monthly Sales we learned about the wide swings and modestly rising sales printers are experiencing. Positive sales for 2013 are predicted in Industry Trends Report: Part 2—Sales Expectations. How do we get these results? Survey respondents provide information in five principle areas—1) Monthly Sales, 2) Sales Expectations, 3) Profits, and 4) Print and Paper Prices. Current sales and profits are compared to the previous month. Printing prices and paper prices are current month compared to 12 months earlier. Sales expectations are expectations for next month compared to the current month. Respondents are asked to report the directional change of each of the five key indicators (increasing, decreasing, or no change). We’ll compare print and paper prices in two weeks for Part 4 of the series and where you can expect them to be in 2013. The findings you will read are based on July 2013 calculations using a net diffusion index. A net diffusion index is an index where the percentage of respondents reporting an increase is subtracted from the percentage of respondents reporting a decrease. The net diffusion index provides a simple snapshot of printers’ market perceptions for each...
read moreXerox upgrades iGen150
Like its predecessor the latest iteration of Xerox’s iGen150 delivers speeds of up to 150 A4 ppm at resolutions of 2,400dpi. The device also incorporates the Xerox Confident Color suite, which includes an inline spectrophotometer for colour consistency, as well as auto-density control and matte and gloss dry inks. New features include Object Oriented Half Toning and a choice of line screens providing users with greater control over colour consistency across each page, with a new 210 lines-per-inch line screen improving skin tones and maintaining fine details. Xerox UK product marketing manager Ian Mitchell said: “The choice of screens allows printers to apply the correct line screen to the right part of the page, so it maintains sharp text and lines that are expected from the 150, whilst improving the images and sweeps. Previously there may have been a trade-off where you might lose in one area what you gain in another, but now the superb quality is upheld across all images and text on the same page. “We are really targeting the growing photobook and photo application market with this. The UK is a reasonably slow adopter of this market and we want to help our customers diversify into it, because everyone is looking to stand out.” The device also features improved auto-streak detection, and can process a greater range of stock thanks to improved tray automation. The DFE uses Xerox’s new Freeflow Print Server v9 as well as the EFI Fiery FS100 platform, which is claimed to cut RIPing and processing times by up to 30%. Mitchell added: “Overall this is about improving the automation and improving the value proposition of the machine which is about productivity, predictability and profitability.” The new model will be ready for shipping and available to view in Xerox’s Uxbridge, UK showroom from 1 October....
read moreXerox upgrades iGen150
Like its predecessor the latest iteration of Xerox’s iGen150 delivers speeds of up to 150 A4 ppm at resolutions of 2,400dpi. The device also incorporates the Xerox Confident Color suite, which includes an inline spectrophotometer for colour consistency, as well as auto-density control and matte and gloss dry inks. New features include Object Oriented Half Toning and a choice of line screens providing users with greater control over colour consistency across each page, with a new 210 lines-per-inch line screen improving skin tones and maintaining fine details. Xerox UK product marketing manager Ian Mitchell said: “The choice of screens allows printers to apply the correct line screen to the right part of the page, so it maintains sharp text and lines that are expected from the 150, whilst improving the images and sweeps. Previously there may have been a trade-off where you might lose in one area what you gain in another, but now the superb quality is upheld across all images and text on the same page. “We are really targeting the growing photobook and photo application market with this. The UK is a reasonably slow adopter of this market and we want to help our customers diversify into it, because everyone is looking to stand out.” The device also features improved auto-streak detection, and can process a greater range of stock thanks to improved tray automation. The DFE uses Xerox’s new Freeflow Print Server v9 as well as the EFI Fiery FS100 platform, which is claimed to cut RIPing and processing times by up to 30%. Mitchell added: “Overall this is about improving the automation and improving the value proposition of the machine which is about productivity, predictability and profitability.” The new model will be ready for shipping and available to view in Xerox’s Uxbridge, UK showroom from 1 October....
read morePM Solutions replaces Kodak Digimaster with Konica Minolta Bizhub 1250
The printer was bought to replace a Kodak Digimaster mono printer following Kodak declining to renew service contracts on four Digimaster machines, according to PM. Kodak has maintained, however, that continued service support was offered, stating: “Kodak continues to offer a fully comprehensive service support program to all Kodak Digimaster digital production system users.” But founder of PM Solutions Ron Davidson commented: “We were simply told maintenance would be ended as of December as this was too expensive for Kodak. I asked if we could pay more for maintenance, so maintenance on top of a click charge, but we were told ‘no.'” “One cost £175,000 and the rest £80,000 for refurbished machines so that’s a couple of hundred grand that it’s cost me for the machines and I’ve got to replace them now. I’ve now got very expensive doorstops.” Davidson added that, because his Digimasters were supplied direct from Kodak, PM wasn’t able to enlist service support from Ricoh, who now supply and maintain the majority of UK Digimasters. The 1250, launched along with a new Konica Minolta Bizhub 1052 in February, has a top speed of 125 A4 (70 A3) pages per minute and is 1,200 dpi. The machine will be used at PM to print a wide range of marketing mailings, and so the printer’s ability to process stock from 40 to 350gsm simplex and 300gsm duplex and up to SRA3 size was a key attraction. “The company has shifted from being a mainly transactional mailing house to marketing and so it was important to have a flexible machine. With marketing jobs it could be 10,000 postcards or 80, and it needed to be able to process silk and uncoated,” said business development director at PM Solutions Brian Purves. Another key attraction was the overall cost of ownership of the 1250. The press cost £32,500 and has a favourable click charge, reported the company. “It does A3 and A4 at the same click charge,” said Purves. “So we’ll end up running most jobs A3.” Having to install a new mono printer in time for a large job scheduled for mid-September, also affected PM’s choice of machine. “We looked at Canon, Ricoh, Kodak and Xerox machines too but this was the first available and in stock,” reported Purves. So though PM feels the 1250 is an “excellent” machine, the company might opt for different models to replace its other Kodak Digimasters. “Moving forwards to replace the other Digimasters we might look at others,” said Purves. PM Solutions is set to expand its premises with the construction of a new £1.3 million purpose-built extension next year....
read morePM Solutions replaces Kodak Digimaster with Konica Minolta Bizhub 1250
The printer was bought to replace a Kodak Digimaster mono printer following Kodak declining to renew service contracts on four Digimaster machines, according to PM. Kodak has maintained, however, that continued service support was offered, stating: “Kodak continues to offer a fully comprehensive service support program to all Kodak Digimaster digital production system users.” But founder of PM Solutions Ron Davidson commented: “We were simply told maintenance would be ended as of December as this was too expensive for Kodak. I asked if we could pay more for maintenance, so maintenance on top of a click charge, but we were told ‘no.'” “One cost £175,000 and the rest £80,000 for refurbished machines so that’s a couple of hundred grand that it’s cost me for the machines and I’ve got to replace them now. I’ve now got very expensive doorstops.” Davidson added that, because his Digimasters were supplied direct from Kodak, PM wasn’t able to enlist service support from Ricoh, who now supply and maintain the majority of UK Digimasters. The 1250, launched along with a new Konica Minolta Bizhub 1052 in February, has a top speed of 125 A4 (70 A3) pages per minute and is 1,200 dpi. The machine will be used at PM to print a wide range of marketing mailings, and so the printer’s ability to process stock from 40 to 350gsm simplex and 300gsm duplex and up to SRA3 size was a key attraction. “The company has shifted from being a mainly transactional mailing house to marketing and so it was important to have a flexible machine. With marketing jobs it could be 10,000 postcards or 80, and it needed to be able to process silk and uncoated,” said business development director at PM Solutions Brian Purves. Another key attraction was the overall cost of ownership of the 1250. The press cost £32,500 and has a favourable click charge, reported the company. “It does A3 and A4 at the same click charge,” said Purves. “So we’ll end up running most jobs A3.” Having to install a new mono printer in time for a large job scheduled for mid-September, also affected PM’s choice of machine. “We looked at Canon, Ricoh, Kodak and Xerox machines too but this was the first available and in stock,” reported Purves. So though PM feels the 1250 is an “excellent” machine, the company might opt for different models to replace its other Kodak Digimasters. “Moving forwards to replace the other Digimasters we might look at others,” said Purves. PM Solutions is set to expand its premises with the construction of a new £1.3 million purpose-built extension next year....
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