Business

'Inspired creativity' is Epson's theme at FESPA Munich (22-26 June 2010) where it will show the ability of its Micro Piezo digital inkjet technology to produce innovative display graphics for the signage, decorative art and interior design markets on a variety of flexible paper, plastic and textile materials.

The award-winning Epson Stylus Pro 9700 and 7700 inkjet printers will be in action demonstrating point of sale applications such as posters, backlight panels and textile banners, as well as CAD/ GIS applications, in association with Epson's strategic software partners.  The stand highlight will be the 64in Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 printer featuring UltraChrome GS ink demonstrating a number of different indoor and outdoor applications, including interior decoration.

Epson's focus on environmentally responsible technologies is a strong feature at FESPA. BioMedia, a new biodegradable and recyclable print media, will be demonstrated on the GS6000 producing display graphics which biodegrade in under 5 years. BioMedia is a complete range of printing substrates and is quickly becoming the substrate of choice for organisations adopting environmentally responsible display print, including Virgin Atlantic, BAA and World Duty Free.

Inspired by Epson's passion for extreme colour gamut and photographic print quality, the GS6000 uses the high-performance Ultrachrome®GS ink technology. This new ink allows commercial print makers to integrate safer signage printing technology without sacrificing output quality. Epson UltraChrome GS introduces eight individual colours - including Orange and Green - in efficient 950 ml cartridges and produces an exceptionally wide colour gamut making the Stylus Pro GS6000 ideal for branded applications. It delivers virtually odorless printing without the need for special ventilation or air purification systems and the ink dries extremely fast, eliminating the need for special dryers. Furthermore, this ink does not contain harmful Nickel compounds, which minimizes the negative health impact on both the environment and employees. This inkset allows the production of high-impact, high quality durable prints, enabling printers, copy shops and sign shops to extend their business into higher quality and more demanding applications such as airport and exhibition graphics.

On the Epson booth several third-party software and media partners will demonstrate a range of creative applications and effects using a wide selection of materials including wallpaper, textile, canvas, and biodegradable substrates.

Claes Jeppsson, Senior Business Manager, LFP and LFP Solutions, Epson Europe says: "Companies are increasingly looking to push the boundaries of digital inkjet and produce ever more creative applications with high environmental credentials and Epson meets this need with a range of highly flexible and market-leading inkjet printers that can produce the best quality products for the display, decorative art and interior design markets."

Epson Europe looks forward to welcoming you to FESPA Digital 2010 at booth 360 in hall B2 at Messe Munich on 22-26 June 2010, where you will have the opportunity for an in-depth look at these new technologies and products.

Former St Ives technical director John Charnock has founded Print Research International, a one-stop knowledge base for the printing industry. Print Research International is the access point to a global network of experts and consultants, all specialists in their disciplines, and offers business management and consultancy to help printers, manufacturers and organisations worldwide, adapt to and profit from the changing face of the international graphic arts industry.

"I have spent many years seeking out the best technology and the right people to implement it, and I intend to keep on doing so," says Charnock. "It helped make St Ives a market leader and I am sure it can help other companies and organisations to be leaders in their fields. It's about business process change and positioning print to achieve greater value and applies to both print technology manufacturers and printers."

The aim of Print Research International is to help businesses adapt to the changing landscape of print through research, knowledge and leadership. It offers businesses access to a wide range of skills and partnerships to help them implement new business strategies. It also has links and resources in universities and research bodies which can facilitate product re-engineering, aid market knowledge and help companies stand out from their competitors.

Print Research International has a global remit and is currently working with companies in North America and Europe. A business review is available in order for Print Research International to assess the best course of action and recommend the right people to add the most value to an organisation. It emphasises the importance of high-quality and high-value knowledge and leadership to achieve the best possible results. "The companies we help have to see a return on their investment," says Charnock. "If we don't add the value and demonstrate the benefit that we promise, then we won't charge."

Print Research International's specialist partners work together in a system of business review which is based on six principles of business:

• Pr-international: Territory and market
• Pr-intelligence: Information management and research
• Pr-integration: Effective production and automation
• Pr-internal: Resources and business continuity, products and services
• Pr-interface: Communication, logistics and administration
• Pr-intuition: Leadership, vision and culture

"There are some great minds out there and we have some great partners," says Charnock. "By bringing them together everyone benefits."

One of the UK’s leading flag manufacturers is supporting one man’s attempt to complete a challenging race across the North Pole and raise £30k for a children’s bereavement charity.

Kevin Sheppard is undertaking the 350 mile race across the High Arctic to the Magnetic North in April and Hampshire Flag Company has donated three flags to help raise awareness of Winston’s Wish and for Kevin to take on the expedition.

The 39 year old from Gloucestershire is one of only 42 taking part in the High Arctic Race which will see Kevin battle against extreme dangers such as falling through thin ice, hypothermia and polar bears – all at temperatures of around minus 40 degrees.

Hampshire Flag is backing Kevin by providing three bespoke 68x38cm flags; two featuring the Team Sheppard/Winston’s Wish logos and one for another of Kevin’s sponsors, R&H Interiors, which won a competition to have its logo printed on a flag and taken to the North Pole.

Kevin lost his brother 26 years ago, due to a motorbike accident, when he was just 13 so Winston’s Wish, a leading authority in childhood bereavement, is a charity close to his heart.

He said, “When a child suffers the loss of a loved one, it has a devastating effect and my supporting Winston’s Wish I want to ensure that as many grieving children as possible are given the professional help they need so they can face the future.”

Also Kevin aims to inspire young children from all backgrounds to achieve their own aspirations, goals and ambitions through Team Sheppard.

“This mission will push my endurance to the test and I am delighted to have Hampshire Flag on board. The flags are fantastic and will be an invaluable source of inspiration and motivation during the race. I am very grateful to Hampshire Flag for its generosity and willingness to support me in my ultimate aims,” Kevin added.

Graham Wilkinson, Managing Director of the multi-award winning firm said, “We are proud to be part of this incredible challenge and it is awe-inspiring to think that are flags will soon be in the Arctic!”

“Kevin really is going to the ends of the earth to help bereaved children. It is our pleasure to be able to help by donating flags and the Hampshire Flag team wishes him all the luck in the world for the coming expedition,” added Graham.

Hampshire Flag’s team of 21 produces hand-sewn national and international flags and digitally printed banners. The Waterlooville firm also offers a bespoke flag design service, PVC banners, marine flags, bunting, table flags, exhibition graphics and event systems in addition to the supply and installation an extensive range of flagpoles.

Its prestigious portfolio of clients includes Selfridges, the BBC, Channel 4, Portsmouth Football Club, IBM and British Airways. Hampshire Flag supports various charities and expeditions including Action for Kids, Samaritans, Gumboots and for swimmer and environmentalist Lewis Pugh’s on-going feats.

Everything, from large-format prints to exhibition invitations, was produced using HP cutting-edge printing technology

Challenge

Internationally renowned artist Tadanori Yokoo released a photography compilation based on his own signature work "Y-Junction." For the photography exhibition opened in commemoration of the publication, it was necessary to print high-quality photographs in various sizes that took advantage of the gallery's layout. In particular, it had been Yokoo's dream to create a large-format print, without join lines, that covers an entire wall.

Solutions

• HP Designjet L65500 Printer
• HP Designjet Z3200 Photo Printer
• HP Designjet Z6100 Printer
• HP Premium Instant-dry
• Gloss Photo Paper
• HP Premium Vivid Color Backlit film
• HP Indigo press 5500

Results

• The HP Designjet L65500 Printer was used to achieve a large-format print that covers an entire wall, without join lines. Additionally, an odourless exhibition was made possible even indoors with HP's unique HP Latex Inks.
• High-quality photo printing in various sizes using HP Designjet Z3200/Z6100 Printers and genuine HP photography paper and film, realised the site-specific photography exhibition that Yokoo had imagined.
• Invitations printed on an HP Indigo press 5500, achieving a photograph-like finish with lamination.

From paintings to photographs, seeking a new perspective on Y-junctions

Countless Y-junctions exist, not only in Japan, but also worldwide. Tadanori Yokoo was drawn to these usually unnoticed places and has continued to paint them for many years. With this artwork by Yokoo - who has exhibited his exceptional ability in various fields, including painting, film, plays, music, and literature - you'll enjoy original points of observation and unique global perspectives in condensed form; it's considered a true signature work.

Yokoo explains his theme. "Y-junctions are special places where one road forks into a 'Y' shape. In modern cities they are also extremely difficult to exploit usefully, and thus I sense their gradual demise. Perhaps I'm continuing to chase after a city landscape that will become extinct in the future."

Yokoo's creative output, with almost 100 painted Y-junctions, has gone from painting to the expressive medium of photography. Here, he focuses a new on Y-junctions but in a distinctly different way.

Eliminating people from Tokyo's Y-junctions

Yokoo describes his careful photography preparation. "While I had already taken many photographs of Y-junctions as painting materials, one day I decided to visit the Y-junctions in Tokyo and assembled them as a photo series. From the start I insisted on having no people in the photos. In Tokyo, where the presence of people is a given, I strove to portray Y-junctions non-realistically."

However, doing so was no easy task, as Yokoo explains: "Nowadays, with computer graphics, you can immediately erase people from photographs. But I didn't want to do that. I just kept waiting, committed, hoping that people would leave. Eventually that moment came, and when I opened the shutter it felt like my prayers had been answered."

Of the Y-junctions that Yokoo photographed in his meticulous exploration of Tokyo's 23 wards, outskirts, and islands, he chose 248 works for the photography compilation "TOKYO Y-JUNCTION." To celebrate, he is holding an exhibition by the same name at Nishimura Gallery, Chuo Ward, Tokyo, Japan.

There, Yokoo reflects on the importance of a giant, wall-size printed work. "When I visited Nishimura Gallery and was considering the exhibition artwork selection and layout, I thought how I'd like to hang a wall-size Y-junction photograph. I'd been pondering it for a while; once when I visited New York, I saw a giant photograph on a building and thought I'd like to do that in Japan sometime."

Cutting-edge digital printing technology that supported the exhibition

However, only one digital printer could meet Yokoo's special needs: HP Japan's large-format HP Designjet L65500 Printer, which facilitated the production of a wall-size work. The printer features the newly developed, odourless HP Latex Inks for more comfortable indoor exhibitions.

Standing in front of his newly printed giant-size work, Yokoo expressed delight with its high quality and reproducibility. "I was surprised at the lack of join lines in the print and that it had been completely printed as a single work. Standing in front of it, it feels like I've entered the actual Y-junction depicted."

Including the giant wall-size print, approximately 100 works were selected from the photography compilation for the exhibition. HP printed all the artworks, using the large-format photo printers HP Designjet Z3200 and HP Designjet Z6100. These printers have 12-ink and 8-ink printing systems respectively, use HP Vivera pigment inks, and deliver beautiful photo quality and high colour accuracy. In addition, HP printed the exhibition's invitations on an HP Indigo press 5500, which uses Electroink liquid ink technology to be able to do short print runs with offset printing quality.

In response to the high-quality digital prints enabled through this cutting-edge technology, Yokoo expresses his hopes for new art born from the conflict between analogue and digital. "An analogue human being like me can't keep pace with the digital world. However, I think that as the analogue and digital worlds move further and further apart, the impact of their eventual collision will be greater. That's why I hope HP continues to pursue cutting-edge printing technology, far ahead of my comprehension. Meanwhile, I might lean toward analogue or I might try to catch up with digital technology. Either way, our actions will spawn novel expressions in the new age."

Tadanori Yokoo:

(Yokoo's Circus Co.,Ltd.):

www.tadanoriyokoo.com

Nishimura Gallery:

www.nishimura-gallery.com

Kokushokankokai Corporation Ltd:

www.kokusho.co.jp

HP have announced that it will show its latest product portfolio, demonstrated in a live photo shoot environment for production of premium quality photo applications, at Focus On Imaging, March 7-10th, stand D60, Hall 9, at the NEC, Birmingham.

An HP Media Scientist will provide demonstrations of how to increase creativity in print, through better understanding of available HP media, and how photographers and photo labs can use HP media and inkjet technology together to produce exciting results, that add value to their work/business offering.

HP will hold on-stand seminars featuring industry-leading photographer, Donovan Wylie, and daily live on-stand shoots by Keith Thompson and Robin Preston. These industry experts will demonstrate how professional photographers, amateurs and retail publishers are using HP Designjet Z3200 and HP Designjet Z2100 Photo Printers, to exhibit work, sell prints or even print personal photographic imagery.

Also on the stand, visitors will find information about the recently launched, joint development between HP and Prooftag™, ARTtrust solution. This simple, self-certification system allows photographers and artists to provide individual identity to any Digital Fine Art Collection Pigment Print (Pigment Print), produced on HP Designjet Z series printers using HP Vivera pigment inks with any compatible media. ARTtrust is specifically designed to meet the need for artwork traceability and authenticity. With increased control and availability of information online, artists, photographers and end-customers can be assured of artwork provenance, protect investments and ensure future value.

Anne Sharp, category and marketing, Design, HP UK comments: "We are really looking forward to this year's show, and to explain how HP technology can be used to enhance photo products, and enable increased commercial success."

The HP Designjet Z3200, available in 24" and 44" models, delivers gallery-like quality, black-and-white and colour photographs, art enlargements, large-format designs and high-accuracy proofs. The expanded colour gamut, with 12 HP Vivera pigment inks and a new HP 73 Chromatic Red, enables 95 percent PANTONE® coverage, making it the ideal solution for professional and commercial photographers. Sample finishing techniques will also be exhibited and the demonstrators will be offering expert advice on all aspects of workflow in a business environment.

Featuring the first-ever embedded spectrophotometer with i1 Color Technology, the HP Designjet Z2100, available in 24" and 44" models, delivers higher colour accuracy and consistency. HP Vivera pigment inks produce vivid colour and black and white prints on matte or glossy papers, providing pre-press professionals, designers and photographers with an easy-to-use, versatile large-format printing solution.

"With increased market take-up of our products in the UK photographic market, we are excited about the prospect to further show the benefits of our Designjet professional photographic printers. With HP customers enjoying what they consider to be market leading print quality, product reliability and total cost of ownership from our products, we anticipate a busy show," concludes Anne Sharp.

Following on from an e-mail recently sent to their membership, asking a variety of questions regarding the current state of their business, the BAPC have kindly submitted a sample of the results for public release.

Question - In the 12 months to 31st Dec 09 how have sales performed compared with the same period in 2008?

• 81%    of respondents reported a drop in turnover
• 11%    of respondents reported no change in turnover
• 8%    of respondents reported an increase in turnover

Question - During the same period how has company profitability performed?

• 60%    of respondents reported a drop in profits
• 35%    of respondents reported no significant change
• 5%    of respondents reported an increase

Question -Turnover to 31st December 2009

• 40% of respondents advised that turnover was in excess of £1million
• 40% of respondents advised that turnover was between 500K and £1m
• 20% of respondents advised that turnover was less than 500K

Question - Number of employees?

• 72% of respondents advised that they employed between 11 and 50 staff
• 18% of respondents advised that they employed less than 11 staff

Question – Business spread – contribution to profits

• Pre-Press   20%
• Digital  33.6%
• Litho 33.6%
• Finishing 12.8%

Question - Revenue Split – as a percentage of turnover

• From Existing Clients 86.6%
• New Business 13.4%

Question – Source of new business – as a percentage of revenue

• Referrals from existing clients 22.5%
• Advertising 2%
• Direct Mail  5%
• Salesperson 30%
• Website 5%
• Other 35.5%

Question – How has the service from your suppliers performed during the last 12 months compared to 2008

• Better 32%
• Worse  33%
• No Change 35%