Digital Print show being promoted by Faversham House at Sign & Digital

Faversham House executives, including new sales manager Chris Rushton, are using the three days of Sign & Digital UK to promote their new show at the same venue, the NEC in Birmingham, from 18-20 September. The organisers are holding discussions with the growing number of exhibitors who are looking to sell into the commercial print market and see Digital Print UK as a key target market for sales opportunities and networking.

Mr Rushton, a familiar figure to commercial printers, comments, “People who I have already spoken to at the show see Digital Print UK as an important new event to generate new leads and develop further contacts in this all-important digital marketplace. And, as a trusted show partner, they know we will deliver another first-class event.”

More than half the stand-space has already been allocated for Digital Print UK, the first dedicated digital printing exhibition at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. And momentum is building for this three-day cross-industry show in Halls 7-8 at the NEC that will be a magnet for both exhibitors and visitors alike.

An important element of the show, which will have the theme of “the business of making money from digital print”, will include bringing together senior-level delegates in a series of discussion forums that will be led by independent industry professionals on each of the three days. Further details will be unveiled in the coming weeks by Faversham House, one of the UK’s leading independent media companies, which will be making a series of announcements in the run-up to the big event that will follow on from other show successes.

Show director Rudi Blackett says, “All the signs are there for Digital Print UK to become another popular and successful UK show at the NEC, which will build on our successes and  become one of the most important, unmissable events of its kind in the UK on an annual basis. Already, we have cross-industry support and will be unveiling more exciting details about Digital Print UK in the coming weeks.”

He adds “Digital Print UK will be an important platform from which show-goers can discover many ways in which to drive their profits forward. It’s not just about the products and software; visitors will experience a mix of advice, demos and working applications that will be of real business value whether they are looking to invest in digital or are already in this increasingly important printing market.”

CWE Solutions moves to larger offices in Chessington

CWE Solutions has relocated its southern office from central London to a far bigger site in Chessington, Surrey.

Throughout the recession, CWE Solutions has experienced year-on-year growth and has outgrown its office and warehouse space in Bermondsey, London. The company has moved to a site that is four-times bigger than its previous location.   As a result of this move, CWE Solutions is now able to stock an even larger range of printing equipment and consumables, ensure an increased stock availability and offer a better demonstration facility to its clients.

The new office and warehouse are vastly bigger than before, resulting in an enhanced service. From being able to demonstrate more variety and much bigger models of equipment to clients, which aids the decision-making process, to boosting efficiency thanks to holding a wider range of stock, CWE Solutions can now continue to build on its reputation as one of the leading UK companies in the print industry.

Furthermore, CWE Solutions’ expansion has the added benefits of providing more space whilst ensuring central London is still within easy reach.  CWE Solutions is now looking to hire new employees across its business areas including sales, accounts, warehouse and drivers.

Doug Gilbertson, Managing Director of CWE Solutions, comments, “This is an exciting time for us. The new office and warehouse are incredible â€" far bigger than our last site so we can offer even more to our customers. Plus, we have the ability to show and demonstrate a larger variety of products onsite, making it easier for customers to select the right device for them.  Being able to continue to grow our business is another bonus of the move. We now have the space to take on new recruits to work with us and help increase our success yet further.  All of this is coupled with the fact we’re not far from London and will continue to work closely with clients in and around the City as well as the rest of the UK.”

 

The new southern office address is 61 Barwell Business Park, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2NY.

The telephone number is now 08444 829 895 and fax 08444 829 896.

CWE Solutions’ Sheffield office address and contact details remain the same.

To find out more about CWE Solutions and its range of printing equipment and consumables, please visit www.cwesolutions.co.uk

Robert Horne recommends and installs HP Scitex FB500 printer for Glendining Signs

Robert Horne Group has helped ensure that Reading-based Glendining Signs is geared for future growth with the recommendation and installation of a new HP Scitex FB500 printer.

Glendining Signs has provided quality signage solutions for over 30 years and has enjoyed continued year on year growth throughout that time.  Continuous investment in its manufacturing facility has always been a key part of Glendining Sign’s strategy for growth. The firm is a major supplier of health and safety signage within the construction industry and has, over the years successfully expanded into other areas, such as the provision of freestanding sign frames and large format print services.

The latest round of investment involved a decision to move to ‘direct to substrate’ UV printing.  Prior to the new installation, signage production was  a time consuming and labour intensive process.  In order to improve on speed and quality of service, the service capacity needed to be increased.

Having worked with Robert Horne Group since 2003, the firm asked them for advice on UV printers. 

As part of its consultative approach, Robert Horne invited the team to its Manchester-based based Digital Suite. Glendining Signs was able to trial the technology using its own files and substrates to experience first-hand the value the HP Scitex FB500 would bring to its operations.  This approach - combined with Robert Horne’s expert knowledge - cemented Glendining’s decision to invest in the HP Scitex FB500.

The HP Scitex FB500 enables one employee to operate the printer to create finished signs, with fewer processes than solvent printers. Running costs are significantly reduced with cheaper inks, no vinyl costs, less labour and a better quality finish.  The new HP printer is helping Glendining Signs to manage its existing work remit as well as allowing the company to expand into new areas of sign making.

Chris Lake, Operations Director at Glendining Signs, comments, “Robert Horne has helped us find the perfect solution.  We will now be able to keep a competitive edge with keen pricing, supreme quality and turnaround, as well as exploring new avenues of business.”

For more information on Glendining Signs, please visit www.glendining.co.uk

For more information on Robert Horne Group, please visit www.roberthorne.co.uk

Winners announced for Sign & Digital UK Awards

The winners of the Sign & Digital UK Awards were announced at a gala dinner held last night at the National Motorcycle Musem, Birmingham.  Hosted by the highly entertaining Seann Walsh, the awards recognised the best creative talent in the industry.

There were 10 categories and the winners and the runners up in each category are detailed below:

Individual Sign Project of the year 1-9 Employees

• Winner: Allen Signs â€" tasked with creating a dramatic sign to draw attention to the newly independent Chameleon Print shop premises. Allen Signs expertly retrofitted the store’s original fascia and projecting sign to create the imaginative and eye-catching Chameleon projecting sign with a colour changing eye.  Winning the support of all the judges, Allen Signs Chameleon Print sign was unanimously praised for its clever use of LED technology.  The judges were impressed by an imaginative solution to a simple brief featuring a creative, arresting and appealing sign.
• In 2nd place Highly Commended, Signs Express (Leeds) - impressed by the technical expertise required to produce the striking and elegant sign project, the highly commended title goes to Signs Express (Leeds) for its Floating Illuminated Signage for Hush Puppies.
• 3rd place, ID Signs & Graphics for its work on the Baskind Pharmacy.

Individual Sign Project of the year 10+ Employees

• Winner: Signbox provided signage at global investment solutions firm Blackrock, in line with its re-brand which bridges the two approaches to investing, the ‘intuitive’ and ‘scientific’. By using natural materials including black granite, cherry wood and glass to represent the ‘intuitive’ and technological signage to represent ‘the scientific’, the result was a visually impressive and elegant project. Impressed by the exceptional quality of work throughout the project, the judges were blown away by Signbox’s unique and contemporary signage
• 2nd place, Piggotts with its GAP Signage project.
• 3rd place Amber & Green and the IBM Southbank Refurbishment Project.

Multiple Sign Project of the year 1-9 employees

• Winner: The Grain Sign Company used vinyl, dibond, acrylic, wood, PVC and metal across a range of locations through Longleat Safari Park to create imaginative, fun signage which remained sensitive to its surroundings.  Impressing the judges with the professional creativity displayed throughout, The Grain Sign Company has won the award for its sensitive yet bold interpretation of the brief, where the company combined materials, visual effects and impact with finesse for an attention grabbing signage project.
• 2nd place is Create Signs for the Mshed Museum, Bristol work.
• 3rd place Signs Express (Leeds) for its Bridgewater Place project.

Multiple Sign Project of the year 10+ employees

• Winner: Graffiti Design undertook its largest ever single contract when providing signage for the “American Express Community Stadium” including external identity and wayfinding, internal public wayfinding, internal hospitality and graphics. Rising to the challenge, Graffiti Design used a variety of modern signage materials and digital signage for the project.  Graffiti Design was recognised for its excellent conception and execution of the work at this prestigious location, overcoming difficult installations with finesse to create remarkably varied signage with remarkable effect and impact.
• 2nd place Highly Commended, Piggotts for the Hong Kong Asolay -  Judges described the entry as “a masterclass in design and execution”, Piggotts has been highly commended for the project’s great vibrancy and colour and the excellent example of high quality and service coupled with creativity to fulfill a difficult brief with dramatic and dazzling results.
• 3rd place is Image Technique for the Westfield Stratford City project.

Vehicle Wrapping Project of the Year

• Winner: Raccoon was given “Official Branding” status for the prestigious Gumball 3000 event, requiring it to create unique individually designed car wraps. Utilising a range of materials and cutting edge technology, Raccoon produced a range of arresting and innovative designs. Winning rave reviews from all the judges with comments such as “Beautiful on every level,” and “unsurpassable work”, Raccoon take home the Best Vehicle Wrap Project Award for the second year running.
• 2nd place highly commended, Wrap Kings. Wrap Kings high level of attention to detail, creative and intricate design work, and impressive use of colour and materials caught the attention of the judges, and ensured the company was highly commended for an extremely well executed and creative project.
• 3rd place is Principle Reprographic Services.

Wide Format Print Project of the Year

• Winner: Signbox used a great creative concept when producing signage and environmental graphics at Expedia head offices. Using a range of materials and technology, including white ink, it used a fun approach to wayfinding and produced beautiful and arresting designs. Described as 'simply a perfect blend of materials, creativity, expression and precision', Signbox is this year's winner for its consistently excellent work throughout the complex project.
• 2nd place is Service Graphics for its work at the National Museum of Scotland.
• 3rd place, Hollywood Monster for its banner display at Westfield Shopping Centre.

The Green Award sponsored by DS Smith Recycling

• Winner: Aggregate Industries has environmental responsibility at the core of its company values with ISO and Building Research Establishment certification, the framework for responsible sourcing of construction materials. Using natural stone materials and environmentally friendly production techniques it produced a stunning signage project for the forestry commission. Aggregate Industries’ excellent craftsmanship coupled with elegant, minimalist designs to create durable signage from natural materials bowled over the judges for its green credentials and lovely hand-crafted pieces.
• 2nd place highly commended, The Grain Sign Company for its Sandblasted Cedarwood Signs.  Judges were impressed by The Grain Sign Company’s intelligent solutions to use green processes and sustainable materials for beautifully crafted, traditional signage.

Rising Star Award

• Winner: John Matthews of Sign Vision â€" against the odds John has grown his business throughout the recession, including an increase in projects and moving to larger premises. A truly aspirational individual, his passion for his work is clear in the creativeness and effort he infuses into each project he works on. With comments from judges including “Definitely one to watch”, “A success story for tomorrow’s industry” and “Definition of rising talent”, it is no surprise that this years’ winner of the Rising Star Award is John Matthews of Sign Vision, impressing judges with his motivation, aspiration and success to date.
• 2nd place is Chris McIntosh of Service Graphics.
• 3rd place is Gemini Katwa of Fusion Print.

Wide Format Printing Company of the Year

• Winner: Hollywood Monster’s dedication to offering customers the best service using the latest technologies with as little impact on the environment as possible, makes the business a great example of success. Following a successful 2011 with increase in turnover, increased numbers of employees including investing in two apprenticeships, it continues to grow from strength to strength. Consistently impressive in terms of innovation, excellent quality, diverse portfolio of services and strong business ethics including its dedication to developing and investing in its staff, Hollywood Monster is the winner of the Wide Format Print Company of the year.
• 2nd place highly commended, Service Graphics. Its level, quality and range of work, as well as its continual investment in technology and dedication to their customers ranks Service Graphics in the Industry’s Premier League.

Sign Company of the Year award, sponsored by Trade Signs.

• Winner: Signbox battled the economic downturn by investing in their in-house printing facilities so it was able to successfully diversify into new markets leading to a tremendously successful 2011 with strong retained profits and a 10% increase in employees. Evoking quality in everything it produces and with design and innovation at the pulse of the organisation, Signbox was a worthy winner in this category for the second year running. Rewarded for its outstanding work throughout 2011, the judges placed this company as the industry benchmark for quality, creativity and service, and judges' comments included “versatility and elegance are its trademarks” and “This is simply what a modern sign company should aspire to become.”
• 2nd place is Graffiti Design.
• 3rd place is Sign 2000.

For more information on the finalists and the winners, please visit www.signanddigitaluk.com

Océ announces Arizona deal with John E Wright at Sign & Digital UK

Long-standing reprographics business John E Wright today signed a contract at Sign & Digital UK for an Océ Arizona 360 XT printer, part of the award-winning Océ Arizona family, the world’s best-selling family of flatbed printers for the display graphics market.

Tony Barnett, a fourth-generation owner of the Midlands-based business, who visited Océ’s show-stand, E10 in Hall 3, for the official signing, said, “We did consider other manufacturers, but the Océ Arizona XT 360 is a fantastic product to fill a gap we had in our signage and graphics business. It will be based in our main graphical operation in Nottingham. We have had an extremely busy time recently, winning important new contracts in key areas including retail, fashion products and general signage. This is just the first â€" we expect to buy other Océ systems going forward.”

Established more than 100 years ago, John E Wright has grown to become a £6million-turnover business employing 96 people across nine branches, of whom 25 work in the graphics department in Nottingham. It is a leading supplier of diverse digital print solutions to trade, retail and end-user clients. The company has a long history in the CAD and small format colour printing industry, as well as poster printing, POS production, signage & direct UV cure print to many substrates. Other business areas include canvas & fine art printing, large format photographic quality ink jet print, scanning & archiving services and much more.

Neil McMinn, Océ UK Sales Director, Display Graphics, said, “John E Wright has been a long-standing customer and has now shown further commitment to this important and growing market through its investment in an award-winning Arizona 360 XT UV flatbed.”

The contract signing was another measure of success for Océ, part of the Canon Group, which has been providing live demonstrations at the show. Systems on display include the newest model, the Océ Arizona 318 GL unveiled in February, the Océ Arizona 360 GT and the Océ ColorWave 600 poster printer, which incorporates Océ CrystalPoint technology that uses toner pearls. Océ Imaging Supplies has also had a significant presence. Océ is also showing the new ONYX Thrive workflow software, a scalable print production solution based on Adobe PDF Print Engine technology.

And once again, Océ, an international leader in digital document management and delivery, has been partnering Zünd Plotting Systems (UK) Ltd, the UK distributor for Zünd Systems Technik AG, the Swiss manufacturer of digital flatbed cutters. The two companies are displaying the Zünd G3 L2500 digital cutting system.

Océ and its partners are using the event to demonstrate latest labour-saving innovations, designed to reduce waste and increase productivity. There will also be online access to the popular Océ Media Guide, which provides detailed advice and guidance.

OPG installs HP Designjet L26500 printer to become 'all latex'

Lanarkshire, Scotland-based OPG has replaced the last of its solvent ink-based printers with a 61in, six-colour HP Designjet L26500 Printer

Since its establishment in 1995, OPG has built a business and a reputation on the production of fleet liveries and vehicle graphics. The new HP Designjet L26500 Printer is ideal for these applications, but can also produce a wide range of outdoor and indoor applications at speeds up to 22.89m2/hr (246ft2/hr).

“The year 2008 marked a turning point for us,” said Alan Watson, general manager, OPG. “Like many companies, with the recession, we saw orders falling, but we used the time that gave us to look closely at what we were doing and think about what we might do to bolster revenues and improve the company.”

OPG’s team came to several conclusions in the process of changing the business.  “We realised that we had more than a decade of experience and were working for some large well-known companies,” Watson continued. “That gave us the confidence to look at our service, performance, quality, and waste levels and how we were serving our customers. By doing these things the company was able to mature. Our attitudes changed and our investments since then have reflected that shift.”

In 2011, OPG installed an HP Designjet L25500 Printer and an HP Scitex LX600 Printer, both of which use HP Latex Inks, replacing two solvent ink printers.

“Often when you introduce new equipment into a company there can be some resistance,” Watson explained. “With our latex printers, the operators readily embraced the technology to the extent that we’d find a queue to use the latest printers while the remaining solvent printer stood idle.”

New market opportunities

While the production of odourless prints improved the environment and throughput in the print room, the level of vehicle graphics orders was still lower than it had been.

“With the latex printers, and our new thinking, we decided that it was time not just to stir the pot, but to add something to it,” said Watson. “We approached our vehicle graphic customers and offered them indoor graphics for their offices. They responded very positively.”

OPG’s success in this new market was such that apart from printing wall graphics, it also produced self-adhesive graphics for application to glass partitions and windows, and wall coverings, using HP Wall Paper, designed for use with HP Latex Inks.

“One customer was so pleased that we produced graphics for the company’s financial headquarters in London,” Watson said. 

“In 2012, we installed our third latex device, an HP Designjet L26500 Printer,” said Watson. “We’re now a completely latex operation.”

Leveraging latex

Having “responsibly disposed of” the last solvent printer, OPG expanded its latex knowledge by undertaking HP’s EcoSolutions Training Programme. This convenient downloadable training helps print service providers and their customers lay the foundations for a long-term commitment to sustainability, hone their competitive edge and create new opportunities for growth.

“I thought the HP EcoSolutions Training was so good that we’ve sent eight of our 27 people to it,” Watson said. “Not only can operators benefit from the course, but also sales teams and administrative staff. Having a full understanding of the technology and markets will enable us to realise our potential and better serve our customers.”

Watson is an advocate of HP Latex Inks technology and notes that the advantages go beyond print quality and odourless prints.

“We can now finish and wrap graphics as soon as they are printed, rather than have to wait 24 hours for them to dry and off-gas,” said Watson. “That means we have more space, and capacity for more jobs. The customer benefits from the high quality, but also from the faster turnaround times we can now deliver and a wider choice of applications.

“The environmental benefits are good, too. Apart from greatly reduced odour in the print room, fire risk is reduced, and HP provides free collection of empty ink cartridges and old printheads. We used to have to pay for removal and certification of solvent ink-based waste. You don’t have to be a Scotsman to appreciate that,” Watson concludes.

For more information, please visit www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts or follow HP on www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts.

Contex's HD Ultra scanner wins Wide Format Imaging 2012 Top Product Award

Contex's HD Ultra wide format scanner has won Wide Format Imaging 2012 Top Product Awards for Best Wide Format Scanner (24 inches+).  Voted for by readers of US-based Wide Format Imaging, the seventh annual Top Products Awards recognises breakthrough products that have created the most excitement in the industry, and that have been a valuable asset to the wide/superwide format businesses over the last year.

Contex's HD Ultra, released in Q4 2011, has been receiving rave reviews for its advancements in speed, productivity and image quality. Wide-Format Imaging will feature the HD Ultra in the March issue, and will present the plaque to Contex at the ISA International Sign Expo in Orlando, FL.

"We are very pleased to receive this honour from Wide Format Imaging," comments Phil Magenheim, President, Contex Americas. "When designing the HD Ultra, we incorporated our customer's valuable feedback that we've received over the years. The result is a well-designed product that is already proving to be very successful in the market."

Groundbreaking Advancements

The HD Ultra is the market's most advanced wide format scanner, breaking the technology barrier with unmatched productivity and versatility. The scanner is built with Contex's new xDTR2 technology and Gigabit Ethernet, enabling it to output images faster than any other scanner on the market. This is significant boost for reprographic shops or offices with high-volume scanning projects whose productivity is measured by more than just scans per inch, but how quick the scanned images can be accessed.

ENERGY STAR compliant, the HD Ultra is available in 36- and 42-inches, and is the most field-upgradeable wide format scanner in its class. The scanner comes in two versions: Professional, for high-volume applications, and Office, for daily office use or walk-up scanning. The HD Ultra is also available as a multi-function product (MFP), which includes a space-saving high stand that allows users to combine the wide format scanner with most large format printers.

Contex and its distributors will be exhibiting the HD Ultra at events across the United States, including Graphics of the Americas, March 1-3, in Miami Beach, FL, booth #1024 and ISA International Sign Expo in Orlando, FL, March 22-24 at booth # 2879. The company will also be hosting product demonstrations at ARC Imaging in Addison, IL on March 20th, RJ Young in Nashville, TN on April 4th, and Topaz Engineering in Hingham, MA on April 26th.

For more information, please visit www.contex.com

HP unveils 'feature-rich experience' for visitors to Sign & Digital UK

HP has unveiled a 'feature-rich experience' for Sign & Digital UK visitors, including at-show cashback promotions, on-stand application demonstrations and an extensive product showcase that demonstrates its position as a leading supplier of innovative wide-format digital printing technology for high impact graphic arts applications.

On stand J10, HP's solutions line-up focuses on HP Latex technology, designed to meet the needs of environmentally-conscious print service providers (PSPs) and their customers. This hardware showcase is spearheaded by the recently-introduced HP Designjet L28500 and L26500 Printers.

Ideal for point-of-purchase displays, soft signage, vehicle graphics and more, both the Designjet L28500 and L26500 feature HP 792 Latex Designjet Inks which produce rich blacks and glossy results on banners and self-adhesive vinyl. A key benefit of HP Latex Inks is the ability to produce odourless prints that can extend the PSP's applications offering and enable them to meet the changing needs of customers.

Exclusive at-show cashback promotion

Sign & Digital UK visitors can maximise their visit to the event by taking advantage of an exclusive at-show cashback promotion on purchases of the recently-introduced HP Designjet L28500 and HP Designjet L26500 Printers. The first 50 buyers who confirm their order on HP's stand during Sign & Digital UK will receive an exclusive golden ticket, with which they will be entitled to claim back £1000 or €1250 against the new printers.

Live car-wrapping demonstrations

Sign and Digital UK also sees HP holding live, on-stand vehicle-wrapping and other application demonstrations using Latex technology, including wall coverings, with well-known expert, James Deacon of Bigger Stickers. These informative and engaging sessions present useful tips and tricks to those looking to extend this increasingly popular, revenue-enhancing service as part of their applications offering.

Also part of the product display at Sign & Digital UK is the 3.2m (126in) HP Scitex LX850 Industrial Printer. The HP Scitex LX850 delivers maximum versatility and productivity with multiple workflow features, including dual-roll, roll-to-free fall and roll-to-collector handling, and an ink collector.

Alongside these devices, the HP Scitex FB500 Printer is a robust and versatile device enabling indoor and outdoor applications using both rigid and flexible media. With 1.63m-wide printing at speeds of up to 37m2/hr, and optional white ink capability, the HP Scitex FB500 is ideal for PSPs who want to expand into new markets.

Completing the line-up is the HP Designjet Z6200 Photo Printer which uses HP Vivid Photo Inks to deliver photo-quality prints at 2,400dpi and versatility for indoor applications from line drawings to photographic output to signage.

For more details on HP Latex Printing Technologies, please visit: www.hp.com/go/latex

Additional information is also available at www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts or by following HP on www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts.

New ValueJet models from Mutoh announced

At Sign & Digital UK 2012 (and inCOM France 2012), Mutoh Belgium will introduce its new ValueJet 1638 line.  These two four-colour 64” (165 cm) wide high speed printers are Mutoh’s first ValueJet printers to feature a staggered dual head setup, offering improved productivity.

The new ValueJet 1638 model, offering production quality speeds up to 36 m²/h at 720 x 720 dpi, is targeted at the sign & display market.  The printer utilises Mutoh Eco Ultra CMYK inks and will address the needs of PSPs and commercial printers looking for a high volume printing solution. The ValueJet 1638W model was designed specifically for the sublimation transfer market.  The printer uses Mutoh water-based direct disperse inks and will deliver production speeds up to 65 m²/h. 

The new dual head printers incorporate Mutoh’s award-winning Intelligent Interweaving print technology which guarantees predictable and repeatable output quality.    The VJ-1638 and VJ-1638W printers also feature a high level of operator comfort and print production efficiency, thanks to a newly designed keyboard, an automatic sheet off system and a tiltable ink cassette holder which saves space and enables loading of different ink volumes.

Staggered Dual Head Setup for Increased performance

The new 1638 dual head printers offer a unique blend of high speed and high quality printing. The new staggered head setup is a good example of how ‘1+1’ can be more than ‘2’.  Basically three elements are brought together. First of all two latest generation 1440 nozzle heads in a staggered setup.  Secondly, higher carriage speeds & ink firing frequencies thanks to new machine electronics.  Last but not least, adapted weaving algorithms tuned to the new print heads.  Altogether, this technology mix gives an impressive increase in production speed in combination with an optimised ink spread and improved drying behaviour.

“The new 64” wide ValueJet 1638 line will enable us to perfectly address the needs of volume-oriented users requiring high print speeds and who at the same time put impeccable print quality on top of their wish list”, says Arthur Vanhoutte, Mutoh Belgium’s General Manager.  "The ValueJet 1638 is the fastest 64” Eco printer on the market today. It will replace our Blizzard 65” model and is an addition to the recently launched ValueJet 1324 â€" 54” and ValueJet 1624 â€" 64” models. The ValueJet 1638W has been purpose-built for high-speed digital transfer printing. The “W” stands for water-based.  This model will replace our Viper Extreme 65” printer and will complement our existing ValueJet 1304W â€" 54” and 1604W â€" 64” dye sub printers.   With sellable production speeds up to 65 m²/h, the 1638W will set a new performance benchmark for wide-format dye sub printers in the growing market of soft signage applications."

Features of VJ-1638 & VJ-1638W printers

• Max. media width : 1625 mm (63.97”) / Max. print width : 1615 mm (63.58”)
• Two drop-on-demand micro piezo inkjet heads with dynamic variable dot imaging technology.
• Staggered head setup â€" latest generation 1440 nozzle piezo heads (360 nozzles / head â€" two nozzle rows per colour), drop mass range 3.6 â€" 35 pl/37.4 pl
• Print Resolutions (dpi) : 360 x 360, 360 x 720, 540 x 720, 720 x 720, 720 x 1080, 1440 x 720 and 1440 x 1440
• Mutoh Intelligent Interweaving technology (i²) incorporated.
• Media thickness : heads low : 0.3 mm / heads middle : 1.3 mm / heads high : 2.8 mm
• Standard non-motorised scroller supports at the back of the machine for non-motorised roll-off of media up to 30 kg â€" roll media diameter max. 150 mm.
• Different motorised winding/unwinding systems (30, 80 & 100 kg) available.

Features specific to VJ-1638

• Targeted at the sign & display market : high volume and high quality production of long-term outdoor posters, signs and banners, backlit signage, POS displays, vehicle graphics as well as high quality durable prints for indoor use.
• Prints directly onto a wide range of uncoated and coated substrates.
• Three individually controlled heating elements below the print platen for media pre-heating, ink fixation and drying.
• Mutoh Eco Ultra inks, CMYK â€" 220 & 440 ml cassettes.  Inks do not spread any harmful VOCs in working environment.  No need for forced ventilation.  Inks are UV and water-resistant for up to 3 years outdoors.
• Production speed range :
  • High quality speed up to 20 m²/h (720 x 1080 dpi)
  • Typical production speed up to 36 m²/h (720 x 720 dpi)
  • Top speed up to 48 m²/h (360 x 720 dpi)

Features specific to VJ-1638W

• Targeted at the sublimation transfer market : soft signage & graphics for events, home decoration, flags & pennants, sportswear, in-store banners etc
• Prints on all typical dye sub transfer papers from 66 g/m² to 150 g/m².
• Mutoh high speed quick dry water-based disperse dye inks, CMYK, 1 & 5 l bottles.  Rich and vibrant colours; top scores for wash fastness, rubbing and perspiration.    Do not spread any harmful VOCs in the working environment.
• Ready for connection to Mutoh’s optional bulk ink system.
• For heat transfer of dye sub prints from paper to fabric, Mutoh’s Unifixer calender can be used.
• Production speed range : 10 m²/h â€" 65 m²/h
• Typical production speeds up to 42 m²/h (360 x 720 dpi) / up to 65 m²/h (360 x 360 dpi)

Engineered & manufactured in Japan, the new ValueJet 1638 line will be showcased at all major sign & print industry events throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa during the next coming weeks and months.  The product will become available during the month of May 2012.

For more information, please visit www.mutoh.eu

[photos show Mutoh ValueJet 1638 (above) and Mutoh ValueJet 1638W (below)]

FESPA Hall of Fame winners announced

The FESPA Hall of Fame is the international award which recognises the leading lights of the wide format print community. After an immensely successful campaign prior to and during FESPA Digital 2012 in Barcelona, the individual votes per country in the Hall of Fame have now been counted and verified.

Over 6,000 votes for more than 400 printers in 40 countries were received for Hall of Fame and only 60 votes separated the top 5 printers.

Duncan MacOwan, Head of Events and New Media for FESPA comments, "The calibre and overwhelming number of nominations we received for printers from all over the world for the inaugural FESPA Hall of Fame has been awe inspiring. It really does underline once again FESPA’s strong international audience, and how valued these talented printers are to our industry. To have been nominated by your peers is an amazing achievement, well done to everyone”

FESPA would like to say thank you to all that have voted and congratulations to those who were nominated for their fantastic work for our industry. View www.fespa.com/halloffame to read a personal quote from the overall winners and stay posted to FESPA.com for more information on Hall of Fame 2013.

The crowned World Print Champion for the FESPA Hall of Fame 2012:

• 1st overall: Rich Thompson, AdGraphics, (USA)

with runners up:

• 2nd Kishore Musale, Classic Stripes, (India)
• 3rd Birol Fedai, Sistem Printing, (Turkey)
• 4th Keith Ferrel, Cactus Imaging, (Australia)
• 5th Simon Pless, Erler & Pless, (Germany)

The breakdown of the FESPA Hall of Fame 2012 winners and runners up for each country:

Australia

• 1st Keith Ferrel, Cactus Imaging
• 2nd Martin Johnston, VE Graphics
• 3rd Glenn Watson, AFI Branding Solutions
• 4th Steve Allardice, Direct Image
• 5th Bruce Rayment, Halifax Vogel Group

Austria

• 1st Stefan Fiedler, SALON IRIS Stefan Fiedler Imaging GmbH
• 2nd Werner Lang, Lang + Lang
• 3rd Thomas König, Typico GmbH & Co KG
• 4th Martin Wikturna, Trevision

Belgium

• 1st Dan Vandevoorde, X-treme creations
• 2nd Christian Duyckaerts, FESPA
• 3rd Marc Verdonck, GSI Printing
• 4th Edwin Birnbaum, Wollux

Bosnia Herzegovina

• 1st Goran Kukic, Margo Digital Printing
• 2nd Adrijan Kurtovic, PRINT STUDIO d.o.o.
• 3rd Osman Kucuk, SOREA d.o.o.

Brazil

• 1st Ricardo Fantini, Fantini All Print
• 2nd Emerson Camargo, F9
• 3rd Ricardo Nani, Fusão
• 4th Alessandre Pi, Fixxar Print Solutions

Bulgaria

• 1st Mario Stoyanov, Billboard JSC
• 2nd Alexander Tanev, BRAVO Printing Technologies
• 3rd Vladislav Shindov, ANDREA Ltd.
• 4th Stanislav Draganov, Piramidi ltd

Canada

• 1st Scott Crosby, Holland & Crosby
• 2nd Robert Murray, McRae Imaging
• 3rd Alan Culbert, The Central Group

China

• 1st Jiwen Zhang, Beijing Taipingqiao Printing Materials Factory
• 2nd Chunlai Li, Beijing Guohe Haidali Electronics Technology Co.,Ltd.

Croatia

• 1st Robert Kunstek, Print Grupa d.d.
• 2nd Nehad Vukovic,

Czech Republic

• 1st Tomas Novak, Astron Print s.r.o.
• 2nd Pavel Benes, ELON Technologies
• 3rd Nosek Vaclav, Eclipse, a.s.
• 4th Martin Kulisek, PrintHouse Morava s.r.o
• 5th Ivan Dolezal, Svet Tisku, spol. s r.o.

Denmark

• 1st Anders Vangsgaard, Vangsgaard A/S
• 2nd Allan Hansen, OK Skilte & Print ApS
• 3rd Troels Nørhede, Visuel Print AS

Finland

• 1st Jussi Heinämäki, Seri-Deco Oy
• 2nd Aki Alenius, LEEVIPRINT
• 3rd Hannu Aejmelaeus, SCA Packaging

France

• 1st Jean - Philippe Delmotte, Prismaflex
• 2nd Michel Caza, FESPA
• 3rd Jean-marie Lambert, Horizon Numeric Center
• 4th Guy Soffientino, Kroma
• 5th Franck Allilaire, Cottel Com

Germany

• 1st Simon Pless, Erler + Pless
• 2nd Andreas Thamm, Thamm GmbH
• 3rd Helmuth Frey, Emil Frey KG
• 4th Gerhard Worch, Kürten & Lechner GmbH

Greece

• 1st Ioannis Arvanitis, Image Solutions
• 2nd Solos Sokratis, Aemex S.A
• 3rd Joseph Athanassiou, Technographiki L.T.D.
• 4th Elias Koutoumanos, NETPRINT S.A.

Hungary

• 1st Csaba Mile, OSG Hungary
• 2nd Peter Bannerth, ScreenArt
• 3rd Ivan Dimitrievics, Plastiprint Kft
• 4th Ildikó Simon, Eclipse Print
• 5th Csaba Horvath, Budapest University

India

• 1st Kishore Musale, Classic Stripes
• 2nd Anuj Desai, Image Care
• 3rd Kamlakar Wadekar, Ace Printers
• 4th Amit Shah, Spectrum Scan Pvt Ltd

Ireland

• 1st Ronan Conway, Print & Display
• 2nd Nathy McIntyre, CSS
• 3rd Fergus Murray, Universal Graphics Ltd
• 4th Colin Culliton, The Printed Image

Italy

• 1st Roberto Posarelli, Esanastri
• 2nd Andrea Masserdotti, Gruppo Masserdotti Spa
• 3rd Giuseppe De Bartolo, Pubblicità & Stampa srl

Mexico

• 1st Rafael Munoz Morales, Prodigyo Imagen Visual SDE RL DE C.V.
• 2nd Daniel Sunderland, Serigrafica Industrial Y Comercial S.A.

Netherlands

• 1st Andre America, Matrix Frame BV
• 2nd Nico Van Straaten, VAN STRAATEN B.V.
• 3rd Marc Schoenmakers, Dereumaux XL
• 4th Ed Hoogendijk, Poster Publi Print Nederland

Norway

• 1st Egil Lindberg, Serimaster AS
• 2nd Morten Emanuelson, Mageprint AS

Poland

• 1st Marcin Mielcarek, Masterprint Xl sp.z o.o.
• 2nd Maciej Urban, Grawcom
• 3rd Jacek Stencel, Pasja

Portugal

• 1st Pedro Jacques De Sousa, Impression Portugal
• 2nd Carlos Nevoa, Ditram

Romania

• 1st Gheorghe Baraian, Impression Graphics Romania
• 2nd Andrei Cascaval, Media Tech Services
• 3rd Bokor-toth Zoltan, Multi NR SRL

Russia

• 1st Artem Nadirashvili, Midiprint
• 2nd Aleksandr Antipyev, CRT Perm
• 3rd Ruslan Zakirov, Ligo
• 4th Andrey Bayduzhiy, Mir Reklamy

Serbia and Montenegro

• 1st Sinisa Radnovic, GRAFIX
• 2nd Djordje Mihalacki, NS Plakat
• 3rd Dusan Golubovic, Serbian digitalprinting association

Slovakia

• 1st Mojmir Bittner, Bittner Print s.r.o
• 2nd Lubos MacKo, Willmark, s.r.o.
• 3rd Andrej Klima, KPK Group Ltd.

Spain

• 1st Juan Garcia Tripero, JDJSA
• 2nd Javier Clemente, Pioner Serigrafia
• 3rd Luis Rovira, Sundisa
• 4th Pep Moreno Sastre, Brown Tailor, S.L.

Sweden

• 1st Torbjörn Johansson, Tobex AB
• 2nd Anders Nilsson, Gamlebyscreen
• 3rd Stefan Engelin, Paravan AB
• 4th Johan Soovéer, Aare Grafiska
• 5th Andreas Skantze, Big Image Systems

Switzerland

• 1st Philipp Gloor, movingposter.ch GmbH
• 2nd Hanspeter Spitzer, Scanwork AG
• 3rd Sandra Jacot, ADL Publicité
• 4th Lorenz Boegli, Atelier fur Siebdruck
• 5th Yannick Durussel, GIGA+print SA

Thailand

• 1st Surachet Lumpaolertwilai, President Digital Media Co Ltd
• 2nd Nicom Ruangtinnakorn, SCALA  SILKSCREEN CO.,  LTD.
• 3rd Prapaporn Narongrit, Papawin Co Ltd
• 4th Pirach Thampipit, Morio Co., Ltd.

Turkey

• 1st Birol Fedai, Sistem printing company

UK

• 1st Richard Gardner, Gardners
• 2nd Tim Hill, Speedscreen Creative Print Solutions
• 3rd Mark Simpson, Simpson Group
• 4th Lascelles Barrow, Augustus Martin

Ukraine

• 1st Oleg Kalinichenko, Grand Affiche
• 2nd Andrii Kyrchanov, Eight color

United Arab Emirates

• 1st Tareq Ali Al Jawharji, Color Lines Group
• 2nd Rakesh Puri, Express Print Services LLC
• 3rd Ahmad Bin Hassan Al Shaikh, Modern Printing Press
• 4th Amit Radia, Atlas Printing Press

USA

• 1st Rich Thompson, AdGraphics
• 2nd Michael Ryan, Brilliant Graphics Group/Sampco Co
• 3rd JR Kraft, BuildASign.com
• 4th Charlie Taublieb, Taublieb Consulting
• 5th Harry Bowers, Drillpress LLC

GPT teams up with Secabo to sell range of heat presses

Graphic Printing Technologies (GPT) has teamed up with Secabo to sell its range of heat presses. Secabo’s heat presses will enhance GPT’s capability to fully service the textile and apparel industry as they complement Mimaki’s range of market leading dye-sublimation textile printers.

Secabo develops high quality devices and machines for signmakers from vinyl cutters to heat presses. Secabo’s seven heat presses provide simple, cost-effective solutions for all common heat transfer methods and objects. The TC 5 and TC 7 are clam presses and the TS 7 is a swing away heat press. The TC C is made for caps and hats, the TC M for mugs and other round items and the TC D 7 is a pneumatic double plate heat press for professional use. For large-scale applications the TC 10 offers a much larger working area.

GPT will offer the Secabo heat presses together with Mimaki dye-sublimation printers, which use heat to transfer dye onto a broad range of materials including plastic, paper and fabric.  The Mimaki TPC-1000 is an integrated printer/cutter designed to produce a range of apparel, including uniforms, workwear, t-shirts, swimsuits and virtually any type of clothing that requires additional text or graphics. The Mimaki TPC-1000 is based on Mimaki’s market-leading CJV printer/cutter and delivers a cost-effective integrated solution to creating unique designs on a range of apparel.

GPT’s General Manager, Stuart Cole, says, “Now we are able to offer customers the complete package from Mimaki’s expert dye-sub printers to Secabo’s heat presses. The two really go together and we are confident that this is a winning combination. Many people printing with small format Epson-type printers using Saw Grass or other 3rd party dye sub inks are finding that as their workload increases, the cost of this printing setup is expensive. GPT can offer a complete, cost-effective solution that delivers more of a production-level solution with lower cost per print and greater flexibility to deliver a broader and most value-oriented service.”

Oliver Tiedemann, General Manager of Secabo, adds, “We were keen to build a relationship with GPT as they already had a comprehensive dye-sub range, which complement our heat presses perfectly. GPT also have a wealth of experience and knowledge in the broader printing arena and we are confident that they can extend this into the textile and apparel printing trade.”

Secabo’s heat presses and the Mimaki TPC1000 printer/cutter will be on view at GPT’s Dye-sublimation and textile printing area at Sign & Digital UK (27-29 March 2012. Hall 3, stand D30).

The Print Coach launches Print Profitability event with Ipex and Antalis McNaughton

The Print Coach has announced a new sales training event in conjunction with Ipex and Antalis McNaughton â€" Profit Fitness Live.  The event is scheduled to take place in April in London and the Midlands and has been developed in order to help print businesses maintain and increase profit in this tough marketplace.

The Print Coach, a.k.a. Nick Devine, comments, “Profits in the print industry are declining at 2.5 times the rate that sales are declining.  The reason this is happening is fundamentally simple and could be stated like this: If you don’t have a system for selling at higher margins, then you are at the mercy of the customers system for buying on price.” 

He adds, “When you look at the industry research, you see the average printer has net profits of less than 3% whereas profit leaders within the industry enjoy net profits in the 10% range.  If they are getting two different profit results then it follows that they must surely be using different selling systems?” 

Following in-depth research, Nick Devine has identified two primary profit strategies within the print industry: the ‘quote & hope’ system and the ‘profit fitness’ system.

The print industry norm currently seems to be the ‘quote & hope’ system.  Nick explains the process as follows: “Print salesperson calls the customer and asks for an opportunity to quote on a particular print job.  After the estimate has been sent, they follow up by asking: ‘Did you get the estimate â€" how did the price look?’  And the whole process puts the focus firmly on the price of the print.”

That is why Nick Devine believes the average printer is struggling to make a profit.  To be profit leaders, to outperform competitors, Nick believes that more businesses need to follow the profit-leaders’ ‘Profit Fitness’ system.

This Profit Fitness system looks at the customer process as a series of steps.  Nick explains, “There are 6 important steps where you can make additional profits.  You don’t need to make major gains on any particular step.  It’s the accumulation of what happens over the 6 steps that causes your profits to increase on a predictable basis.  One of the reasons it’s proven to be so effective is because it’s simple and practical to use for people of any skill level.”

The Profit Fitness Live events will focus on this process and help attendees work through it to maintain and increase their profitability.

For more information, please visit www.profitfitnesslive.com

Ricoh introduces Aficio MP CW2200SP wide format printer

Ricoh Europe has announced a new four-colour wide format printer designed to address the CAD market. The Ricoh Aficio MP CW2200SP features Ricoh’s Liquid Gel ink and according to Ricoh, it is ideally suited for a variety of industries, including manufacturing, architecture, engineering, construction, planning authorities and product design. It is also expected to meet the demands of the print room and quick print markets.  Because of the quick drying properties of Liquid Gel ink, the system provides high productivity, minimises blurring and produces superb line accuracy.  The new printer will be available by autumn 2012.

The CAD market has traditionally been served by black and white devices. However there is a shift towards on-demand premium quality, colour prints. For example, architects using colour to make their drawings easier to read, may highlight areas such as electrical details in red or water infrastructure in blue. With the MP CW2200SP they can also quickly produce drawings and other documentation onsite, whenever required. This type of immediacy makes it easier to update and produce new revisions quickly, helping to reduce the risk of costly errors occur due to outdated documentation.

An in-built colour scanner on the MP CW2200SP allows customers to digitise hand-drawn documents and archive older documents.  The scanner offers an improved total cost of ownership and space saving when compared to other colour offerings on the market, particularly businesses that are using separate systems for colour printing and scanning.

Environmental impacts are minimised with a 40-second warm-up time and the MP CW2200SP uses as little as 10% of the power that other printers in its class consume.  Productivity is maximised with an easy to maintain device and intuitive interface.  It runs at print speeds of up to 1.8 A0/min (b/w) and 0.6 A0/min colour.  Its rapid warm up performance enables it to print the first five sheets faster than existing LED and inkjet models in its class.  For added convenience it also features a USB port, where documents can be saved, stored and accessed without the need for a computer.

Flexibility is enhanced with a maximum print width of 914mm for prints larger than the A0 size and a suction-fed paper handling feature ensures that the paper is loaded more easily.   It can also hold a 20-sheet stack as standard and a second roll for efficient feeding of substrates.

The MP CW2200SP is one of the live demonstrations on the Ricoh stand at drupa 2012, Dusseldorf, Germany in Hall 8a, 3 to 16 May.

For more information, please visit www.ricoh-europe.com

CBS Outdoor UK upgrades national rail sites with Storm-Flex dry posting system

CBS Outdoor UK is making a major investment in new poster systems that deliver higher definition images, a lower carbon footprint and a safe environment for poster installers.  The company has teamed with visual communications and printing specialist Prismaflex UK to provide a new poster system for its national rail sites.

CBS Outdoor UK is to install Prismaflex’s proprietary Storm-Flex dry posting system on 230 prime national rail sites. Storm-Flex offers a new form of tensioning system which improves visibility and quality by ensuring that there are no creases in the poster.   This creates much higher definition images than standard posters due to the absence of creases, the poster equivalent of High Definition broadcast images.

By doing away with paste, paper and ladders, Storm-Flex is also much safer for operatives, cheaper and quicker to install and remove than standard posters. It also produces a lower carbon footprint than current industry standards in its manufacturing process while adhering to the most stringent fire regulations.

Storm-Flex was developed by London company Urban Storm, founded by Sam Cook in 2001. In February this year Urban Storm, merged with French listed printing giant Prismaflex. In all, the company holds 45 patents in outdoor technology. Cook is now CEO of Prismaflex UK with Tom Weaver as Managing Director.

Following the Urban Storm merger, Prismaflex now offers higher value display to out of home media owners and property/brand owners through the transformation of standard outdoor hoardings and banners into drum-tight highly presentable display systems or display networks.

Jason Cotterrell, Country Director at CBS Outdoor UK comments, “We are determined that our national rail sites offer advertisers the highest quality visual display and most rapid turnaround available in the market, alongside our commitment to produce the lowest possible carbon emissions in the manufacturing process and the safest possible circumstances for our installers.  Our partnership with Prismaflex is a key part of our drive to be not just the best and the biggest in the transport sector but also the safest.”

Prismaflex UK CEO Cook adds, “This is a significant advance in the move away from paper and paste being made by outdoor companies and CBS Outdoor UK is leading the way in upgrading quality and convenience in the sector.   Crucially it also offers advertisers and media agencies a fast, reliable HD quality product that can deliver best-in-class results in a highly competitive part of the media market.”

Following the Urban Storm merger, Prismaflex now offers higher value display to out of home media owners and property/brand owners through the transformation of standard outdoor hoardings and banners into drum-tight highly presentable display systems.

Dscoop Board of Directors plans formal launch activities at drupa

The global board of directors for Dscoop (Digital Solutions Cooperative) will convene in Washington, D.C. this month to 'strategise' education and content delivery for members around the world. Dscoop, an independent community of HP Graphic Arts customers, encompasses members across North America; Asia-Pacific; Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA); and Latin America.

“The global board brings three key areas of value: the first is the limitless expansion of the core of what Dscoop embodies. The sharing of experience, ideas and successes continues to grow and the effort of unifying our cooperative worldwide makes the value for our members ten-fold,” said Chris Petro, global chairman of Dscoop. “We also have a responsibility to our Partners and HP to leverage their investment and support in the worldwide Dscoop community. Lastly, our goal as a board is to leverage our experience, community and resources worldwide to add value to our membership that just isn’t available anywhere else.”

As a global organisation, Dscoop is launching a new face-to-face networking event called Dscoop at drupa. The event will bring together members from North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and EMEA to experience the major industry trade show together, lending a closer-knit community feel to what can otherwise be a solitary experience.

At Dscoop at drupa, Dscoop Asia-Pacific is taking advantage of the fact that it draws many HP Graphic Arts customers and hosting a two-day conference prior to the start of drupa. Approximately 800 Asia-Pacific members are expected to attend.

“The first two Dscoop Asia conferences have been incredibly successful,” said Yukinori Okamoto, chairman of Dscoop Asia-Pacific Regional Board of Directors. “We look forward to building upon that success with this year’s event held during drupa with the added benefit of being able to network with peers across other regions.”

For Dscoop EMEA, which has only existed for five months, the support of the global board and the existing organization in other regions is essential to spreading the word and increasing members.

“From forums on the website to Webinars to newsletters, it is immensely helpful to have a set of resources already available to our English-speaking members at launch, which occurred last November,” said Erwin Koerts, chairman of Dscoop EMEA Regional Board of Directors. “As we continue to grow our membership, I have no doubt that we’ll continue to tap into the global community to help us lay the foundation.”

The global Board of Directors brings together leaders from each region to oversee the actions and events that affect more than 6,000 Dscoop members worldwide. Their responsibilities include financial oversight of operations, education and content delivery, as well as control of the Dscoop brand and standards. In addition, the board works closely with each regional board to ensure sustained growth and independence.

Eric Hawkinson serves as the executive director overseeing the global leadership team. The rest of the board is comprised of:

• Chairman â€" Chris Petro, Global Soft Digital Solutions (U.S.)
• Alon Bar-Shany, HP
• Craig Curran, Nosco (U.S.)
• Erwin Koerts, Drukkerij Aeroprint (The Netherlands)
• David Minnett, Group Momentum (Australia)
• Yukinori Okamoto, FIS (Japan)
• Gary Peeling, Precision Printing (U.K.)
• Jan Riecher, HP
• Larry Vaughn, Seebridge Media (U.S.)

Found... Wrap Industry Statistics - Why Should I Use a Vehicle Wrap?

On our travels around the Googleweb, we often find information that we think is interesting, creative or worthy of sharing. Below is one such gem we found online, from the website of Arizona Color, that has all 3 of the aforementioned attributes.

There is some valuable information here, particularly if you are selling vehicle wrapping as a service.

Wrap Industry Statistics - Why Should I Use a Vehicle Wrap?

Results of a vehicle wrap can vary depending on the expertise of the wrap provider. Arizona Color is recognised as a leader in the vehicle wrap industry and delivers optimal results to every client.

- Mobile advertising can be the most effective and efficient form of outdoor advertising, reaching more consumers at a lower Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) than any other form of outdoor advertising.

- More than 95% of Americans are reached by media targeting vehicle drivers and passengers.

- The average American has traveled 302 miles in the past 7 days.

- One vehicle wrap can generate between 30,000 - 70,000 impressions daily.

- Federal Highway Administration study forecasts a sharp increase in the amount of time spent in personal vehicles and the number of trips per household.

- Fleet vehicle wraps are ideally suited for various types advertising campaigns, including new product launch, and event marketing and are increasingly being used as part of the marketing mix.

- Fleet vehicle advertising boosts name recognition 15 times greater than any other form of advertising.

- 30% of mobile outdoor viewers indicate they would base a buying decision on the ad they see.

- Transit advertising has grown to be the second largest segment of the outdoor advertising industry in terms of dollars spent (as of 2003) representing 19%. The Outdoor Advertising industry has nearly doubled since 1993 from $1.19B to $2.09B in 2003. These numbers continue to grow each year.

- Eight out of ten Americans report they have walked in a town, city or downtown area, on average 6.1 miles in the past seven days. This pedestrian traffic represents a significant reach opportunity for advertisers.

Think about what you spend to advertise in other areas:

- The cost of most billboards in a single city is $2000 to $3500 per month. Because a billboard is stationary, roughly the same people see it every day.

- A moderate advertising schedule on the radio or television is priced at an average of $2500 to $4500 per month.

- Yellow Pages $500 - $3000 per month and is slowly losing it's impact on society.

- Local magazines or trade magazines $300 - $1500 per month and has limited reach.

- The cost of advertising your business with a vehicle wrap on a van would cost approximately $1500 to $3000, depending on the vehicle and it's size. The average life of a vehicle wrap is 5 years, which calculates to an advertising cost of $20 to $55 per month.

By being mobile, you will reach a broader audience. Imagine the number of people that will see your advertisement while driving around town or parked outside of a crowded event. The exposure is limitless!

Vehicle wraps just make sense, they open up conversations with potential clients wherever you go. Some of the costs may be written off as an advertising expense. The benefits are limitless.

At Arizona Color we can help you create a wrap campaign that will get you new customers while you go about your normal day driving.

With thanks to Arizona Color for the original content, find out more about them at www.producerwraps.com

London-based Kall Kwik franchise celebrates 30 years in business

Nigel Toplis, the new owner of the Kall Kwik brand in the UK, visited the Great Titchfield Road centre in London recently to help celebrate Kall Kwik's 30 years trading in the West End.  The centre was opened in 1982 by Jeff Tang and became one of Kall Kwik’s best performing centres.

Nigel - who stepped in to buy the Kall Kwik licence last December - is delighted to be involved once again with the franchise operation he left in 2002. Since then he has become managing director of the Bardon Group whose stable of franchises includes Recognition Express, ComputerXplorers and the Zip Yard.

Nigel comments, “Kall Kwik has always been special to me. I am really looking forward to working with the centres again to strengthen the brand and restore Kall Kwik to its rightful position in the marketplace.  I have kept in touch with many of the owners during the past decade, and one of my first priorities is to get round all of the centres to get a feel for how the land lies. I have known Jeff Tang and his team at Great Titchfield for a very long time and it is great to see how well they are doing.”

Great Titchfield Kall Kwik is to be a training centre for new franchisees, which its manager Tony Plews sees as testament not just to the centre's financial success but also to the working practices and ethos of its management team.  He explains, “We are very lean â€" we buy slowly and carefully and never rush into any decision without thinking it through carefully first.   All of us wear several hats and multi-task effectively. We treat our staff well, and build lasting relationships with suppliers and customers. We may not necessarily be the cheapest but customers know that if they want something printed for 9am tomorrow morning it’ll be there.”

Great Titchfield is now fully digital having said goodbye to its last litho press last year.  The centre’s latest purchase is an HP Latex poster machine which is both state of the art and environmentally friendly for both the end user and employees.

Thirty years ago the company’s main business came from the rag trade, but as the West End fashion industry declined, the media world grew.  Now the bulk of Great Titchfield’s business comes from production houses and television companies.  However, no job is too small for the five strong team, most of whom have worked there for 18 years.

“Some print shops have a sign on the door saying minimum order £15  but we don’t do that,” said Tony. “We aim to impress everyone who comes in. Most people are connected to a business in some way or other, and the man who needs a quick copy of his passport one day is very likely to remember the service we gave him when his boss needs some large format posters printed.”

And Tony’s thoughts on the return of Nigel Toplis? “Nigel has been a good friend to us for many years. We worked well with him before and we look forward to working with him now. He’s just what Kall Kwik needs after the last few years of uncertainty. He always does what he says he’s going to do â€" just like us!”