Zünd to highlight importance of sustainable practices at EcoPrint 2012

Sustainability benefits society in three ways - ecologically, socially and economicallyâ€" and this has been Switzerland-based Zünd’s philosophy since its inception in 1984.  All of Zünd’s leading edge cutting systems are developed, manufactured and operated with highest respect for the environment and for society as a whole.

As such, Zünd has made the decision to exhibit at the EcoPrint show, scheduled for 26th and 27th September 2012 in Berlin, where it will highlight its longstanding eco-friendly business practices. The company will be on stand 3-225.

Zünd cutting systems offer more than just efficient production combined with low energy consumption. They are modular systems â€" designed to grow with customers’ businesses and changing requirements â€" and can be continually upgraded with tools, additional productivity and automated material handling features.

Zünd systems are made to last. By combining Swiss manufacturing quality and excellence with a modular design, Zünd assures an average product life of close to 20 years.

Lars Bendixen, product manager at Zünd, comments, “Not only are our cutters of exceptional high quality, they are durable and have a clear migration path. In essence, they grow with our customers’ businesses. Unlike other solutions in the digital printing marketplace, Zünd cutters do not become quickly obsolete as a new technology arrives.”

Rather than focus on specific products at EcoPrint 2012, Zünd has made the decision to highlight the company’s sustainable and environmentally-friendly business ethos. Such as:

• Zünd cutting systems typically use  40% less electricity compared to competitive systems
• Zünd’s energy neutral assembly facilities result in 80% less CO2 emissions annually
• Continuous product development and optimisation ensures that Zund cutters minimise the use of aluminium - resulting in 500 fewer tonnes of annual CO2 emissions (not including transportation to and from the factory.)
• Zünd’s local sourcing policy assures the shortest transportation possible of parts to the factory
• The company’s ISO 14001 certification
• The company’s sustainability award from Zürcher Kantonal Bank
• Zünd’s buildings have ‘living rooftops’ which help to replace of lost meadowland
• Zünd’s on-site water management prevents fresh rain water mixing with drain water

Lars Bendixen continues, “There are more and more demands on print service providers to offer more sustainable print options at present and we believe that this will continue. Therefore, it is only natural that such print service providers should now start to look into the environmental practices of their equipment suppliers and demand that they meet the same exacting standards.”

Karl Zünd, founder of Zünd Systemtechnik AG concludes, “It is for this reason that we are exhibiting at the event. We want to demonstrate to current and future customers that we have long been and will continue to be a sustainable business â€" both in terms of our business practices and in the products that we sell.”

For more information on Zünd, please visit www.zund.com

For more information on EcoPrint, please visit www.ecoprintshow.com

Canon to demonstrate power of print at Cross Media 2012

Canon is set to demonstrate the value of print and the power of cross media communications at the inaugural Cross Media 2012 exhibition taking place at London’s Business Design Centre on 3rd and 4th September.  The company will be on stands 158 and 222.

Visitors to the Canon stand will be able to experience first-hand the breadth of Canon’s solutions portfolio for cross media applications. From image capture through to output, the technology in the portfolio makes it possible for digital print to become an integral element of any marketing campaign.

Mobile Print Recognition (MPR) from Documobi is one of the solutions that will be demonstrated on the Canon stand. MPR can make any image or print interactive â€" whatever the substrate, size or location â€" without any need for QR codes, tags, dots or marks of any kind. Smartphone and tablet users can download and install the free Reader app, scan a piece of print that has been made interactive via MPR, and are automatically taken to a static or personalised web page.

Alongside MPR, Canon will also be demonstrating the latest version of DirectSmile Cross Media Suite and Taopix Portfolio photo print software. An interactive visitor experience will show how the power and versatility of DirectSmile and MPR together can create an integrated campaign that defines the user’s experience based on the time, their location and their previous activity when they scan an image. Marketeers and brand owners are then also able to capture valuable additional information about the recipient and their responses to the campaign, helping to drive return-on-investment and shape future campaigns.

Visitors to the Canon stand will be encouraged by inspiring success stories and case studies from Canon customers who have run innovative cross-media campaigns with measurable commercial benefits. In addition, those visitors who want advice on their specific communications challenges will be able to discuss the opportunities offered by cross media with independent experts in cross media marketing, web-to-print and related strategic business development.

At the Print and Innovation Theatre on 3 September, Mark Lawn, UK and European Marketing Director, Canon Europe will be sharing insights from The Bigger Picture: Your customers’ view of the value of print - independent research conducted this year into the customer’s view on the value of print and the role of digital print within a multi-channel communications mix. In addition to discussing the research findings, Lawn will also explore how it is possible to get more out of integrated marketing campaigns.

Mark Lawn comments, “Research shows that the effectiveness of campaigns is increased when multiple communication channels are used. For instance, a campaign that incorporates print, email, web and mobile could be expected to have a response rate 34% higher than a print-only campaign because they more actively engage customers. When photos and personalised print, both enabled by digital printing technologies, are linked to social and web-based content, you are able to add a whole new dimension to multi-channel and cross-media communications.”

“In research that was commissioned by Canon, responses showed that 94% of cross-media campaigns currently feature print as an integral element. If this print is targeted, personalised and interactive, just think what new market opportunities can now be realised and converted into profitable revenue streams.”

More information about Canon’s presence at Cross Media 2012 is available at http://www.canon-europe.com/for_work/crossmedia/.

Fujifilm North America confirmed as Gold Patron of SGP

Fujifilm North America Corporation has been confirmed as a Gold Patron of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP).  Fujifilm recognises the work of SGP and finds a clear connection to its own sustainability initiatives. Much like print facilities that become SGP Certified, Fujifilm companies worldwide share a strong commitment to building sustainable businesses that seek to reduce their environmental impact. 

"Fujifilm's corporate philosophy and commitment to building sustainable businesses inspire us to come up with new concepts and innovations for improvement," said Todd Zimmerman, vice president and general manager, FUJIFILM North America Corp., Graphic Systems Division. "Through our concerted efforts to reduce the environmental business impact -- especially among the products that we supply to the graphic arts industry -- Fujifilm works toward meeting our sustainability goals and helps other businesses in this industry to do the same."

"We are excited to welcome Fujifilm to the SGP community. Fujifilm leads by example, and its commitment to sustainability is enhanced by its support of the SGP certification program," states Marci Kinter, Chair, Sustainable Green Printing Partnership.

Similar to the SGP Certified print facilities, Fujifilm has taken numerous steps toward operating sustainably. For example, in fiscal year 2012, Fujifilm's facilities in North America reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 24 percent compared to the 2006 baseline. In 2011 and 2012, respectively, Fujifilm North America installed solar panel systems on its Hawaii branch office and its manufacturing facility in North Kansas City, Mo. With 1,455 modules, the solar panel system in Hawaii will produce 483,391 kWh annually, which is equivalent to reducing CO2 emissions by 1.11 million pounds per year, or powering 66 households per year. The 216 panels in North Kansas City will provide about 60,000 kWh annually, which is equivalent to taking 600 cars off the road for a year.

In North America, Fujifilm reuses or recycles more than 99 percent (by weight, excluding batteries) of QuickSnapâ„¢ cameras that are returned through recycling programmes, which prevents thousands of tons of waste from entering landfills. FUJIFILM Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc., in Greenwood, South Carolina, converts the aluminum sludge waste generated from the manufacturing of pre-sensitised printing plates into a usable alum product. The facility generates approximately 6,000 tons of 50 percent alum solution annually. The majority is sold for water treatment; it is also used onsite for wastewater treatment applications.

In addition, in 2009, Fujifilm began utilising landfill gas from the Greenwood County Landfill to provide power for the colour photographic paper factory, thereby reducing the amount of harmful methane gas emitted into the environment and reducing the consumption of natural gas.

Solutions for Sustainability

Fujifilm is the leading manufacturer of UV inks, a growing product in screen printing and wide format digital printing markets. UV inks are formulated to be free of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and they are cured using lower energy consumption ultraviolet light, rather than the traditional heating and evaporative dryers used in solvent ink applications.

Fujifilm also manufactures the Ecomaxx-T, a true processless thermal plate on the market that offers true environmental benefits, and also offers the same characteristics as conventional printing plates. Fujifilm Graphic Systems' FLH-Z plate processor also allows customers to consume significantly less plateroom chemistry.

Cross Media 2012 and XMPie develop cross media campaign to generate registrations

The challenge of developing integrated, multi-channel marketing campaigns and engaging customers through multiple touch points is something that is high on most marketers’ agendas. For the marketing team of Cross Media 2012 (3-4 September 2012, Business Design Centre, London), an event focused on the fast-growing cross media marketing sector, creating an impactful cross media campaign was crucial.

Event Director, Nick Craig Waller says, “We wanted to create a campaign for Cross Media 2012 that is at the cutting edge of the cross media marketing environment. Firstly, we believe in the power of cross media to deliver a message in an impactful way and we wanted to use this power to drive visitor registration. Secondly, as a show devoted to the fast-growing cross media marketing sector, it was vital that we walk the talk.”

With these goals in mind, the organisers of Cross Media 2012 engaged one of the show’s exhibitors, XMPie (Stand 110) to assist them in putting together a multiple touch point campaign to target the show’s three target market segments.

Judy Berlin, vice president of Marketing, XMPie, explains, “Cross Media 2012 already had a personalised print piece ready to go, but they were excited about us helping them with the electronic side of the campaign. We worked together with them to develop a campaign that involved a personalised email component, a personalised print component and a customised video, all culminating in the recipient being able to create his or her own personalised event schedule on demand.”

With teams working on the campaign based in the UK, USA and Israel, the cloud-based XMPie Circleâ„¢ was an ideal tool for the stakeholders to share concepts, agree on a campaign plan, guide development of the campaign components, preview what each recipient would experience at each stage of the campaign, and review and approve touch points. This collaborative approach resulted in the development of two campaign paths that run simultaneously and culminate in the target being able to create a personalised guide for their visit to the show.

Craig Waller continues, “With three distinct market segments â€" marketing, printing and publishing â€" all expected to be interested in Cross Media 2012, it was important that we customise content so that each recipient receives communications relevant to them. XMPie’s unique, integrated technology architecture enabled us to do this.”

Recipients received emails with their names embedded in the header graphic and including content customised according to which market segment they fitted into. This email invited them to follow a link through to a personalised landing page which included a video that was customised to the areas that their segment was most likely to be interested in. On this landing page, visitors were also invited to create a tailored event programme based on the day on which they plan to attend and what areas they are interested in.

Personalised communications isn’t limited to the show organiser’s database. All visitors who follow the link to the Cross Media 2012 website are invited to enter their names and interests to create their own tailored programme, and visitors to the show who haven’t yet had time to create a programme will be able to do so at the XMPie/Xerox stand.

Visitors interested in how Cross Media 2012’s campaign was created, from email personalisation through to video customisation, will be able to find out more on the XMPie/Xerox stand (Stand 110).

Big is better for Big Mountain Imaging

Big Mountain Imaging is a producer of some of the most innovative wide-format graphic imaging solutions in the United States. Therefore when it wanted the outside world to know it had started...

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Roland DG launches new VersaArt RE-640 eco-solvent printer

Roland DG (UK) Ltd. has launched a brand new 64-inch eco-solvent printer - the VersaArt RE-640. 

Priced at £10,999 and offering superb performance and productivity, Roland has once again 'smashed the barriers' to entry to high-speed sign and display production. The price includes a one year RolandCare Silver warranty and an Intermediate Digital Print course at the Roland DG Academy.

“The new VersaArt printer is designed to meet the demands of today’s global marketplace by providing high-speed printing and impressive colour reproduction at an affordable price point,” says Brett Newman, technical director at Roland DG (UK).  “Sign shops and print providers will appreciate the performance features, versatility and outstanding overall value offered by our eco-solvent RE-640. It offers the fast production environment a balance between speed and quality that is unmatched at this price point in the UK.”

Engineered for long, unattended production runs, the new VersaArt features Roland’s latest print head technology for outstanding image quality. The VersaArt’s unique eight-channel print head accurately reproduces the finest details while delivering vibrant high-density colours for flawless photographic reproductions, smooth gradations and superb contrast. A mirrored dual CMYK ink configuration (CMYKKYMC) produces unrivalled colour consistency, even in the fastest print mode of 23.1 m2/hr. In fact, with the new VersaArt, the image quality achieved in high-speed mode equals that of the previous model’s standard mode.  As a result, high-quality prints can be produced much faster. 

VersaArt RE-640 features:

• 64-inch wide-format eco-solvent inkjet printer
  • featuring Eco-Sol Max ink
• Four colours (dual CMYK)
• Roland OnSupport
  • Remotely track production with alerts to your computer or smart phone when ink is low or a job is finished.
• Advanced print head technology for exceptional print quality
  • Variable droplet control produces droplets in seven different sizes to accurately reproduce every detail
  • Mirrored eight-channel ink configuration ensures colour consistency at all print speeds
  • Roland Intelligent Pass Control virtually eliminates banding
• Maximum print speed
  • 23.1m2/hr.
• Easy maintenance and low running costs
  • Automated cleaning function to minimise ink consumption
  • A dual-wiping system effectively removes dust and debris from the print head to reduce maintenance requirements
• Powerful, easy-to-use Roland VersaWorks® RIP software
  • Media profiles that automatically adjust the colour, amount of ink and other factors critical to print quality
  • Easy-to-use interface for quality results from the very first print
• Energy Star and Roland ECO label certified for environmentally-friendly operation and  long-term performance
• Unmatched service and support with Roland DG Care, Academy and Creative Centre

Service and Support Resources

For added value, Roland products are backed by Roland DG Care, providing reliable, world-class service and support for all Roland products over their lifespan.  Roland DG Academy teaches everything from printer basics to advanced production techniques, applications and more.  The Roland DG Creative Centre is an extensive gallery of real-world applications and a great source of inspiration for new creative ideas at the Roland head office near Bristol.

For more information on Roland’s VersaART RE-640 printer, please visit www.rolanddg.co.uk/RE-640 or call 0845 230 90 60.

Free Posterjet v8.6 with Canon & Epson printers from Perfect Colours

Wide format digital print reseller Perfect Colours has announced a promotion on the new version of Posterjet (version 8.6).  Perfect Colours’ customers will receive a free copy of the new Posterjet software when purchasing selected printers from the Epson Stylus Pro and Canon imagePROGRAF ranges.  The offer starts immediately and is valid until the end of May 2012.

Posterjet 8.6 uses the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 database engine which is ‘considerably more efficient and stable’ than the previous version SQL Express 2005.  It is fully compatible with the forthcoming Windows 8 operating system and a new Server Search feature has been added for customers with multiple Posterjet Servers.

Other features include a new integrated button to switch off printer status feedback communication for Canon iPF models.  This has been added to optimise the flow of information between Posterjet and multiple Canon printers, thus avoiding delays in printing when a particular printer is not available.  Cut marks have also been completely reengineered with improved marks for tiling jobs and simplified fitting and cut for tiled jobs with an overlap or gap.  Posterjet 8.6 now automatically adjusts the zoom in Nest Editor to fit all nest jobs into the preview, allowing users to immediately judge the result of the calculation.

Jason Burroughs, managing director of Perfect Colours, comments, “This new promotion applies to a selected range of Epson Stylus Pro and Canon imagePROGRAF printers and is designed to encourage our customers to make investment in new technology to help them increase their product offerings and ultimately their profit margins.  Posterjet is a proven RIP solution with a strong track record and gives users the potential to make savings on ink and media costs.  We are pleased to be offering the product to our customers free of charge with this promotion.”

For more information on the specific printer models included under the offer, please visit http://www.perfectcolours.com/get-a-free-copy-of-posterjet-v8-6-with-selected-printers

For more information on Perfect Colours, please visit www.perfectcolours.com

Orimia opts for Lintec's specialist film for Swiss research laboratory project

Switzerland-based label manufacturer, Orimia, has chosen a highly chemically resistant polyester film from Lintec Graphics Films for a specialist project at an independent, market-leading Swiss research laboratory.

Producing a wide range of customised labels to companies operating in the food, pharma and construction industries, Orimia has used Lintec Graphic Films products for a number of applications in the past, and has been impressed with the company’s portfolio of effective and highly creative labelling products.

Hans Keller, managing director at Orimia explains, “Due to the nature of the work carried out by the research laboratory, the required labelstock for identifying medical bottles had to offer superior chemical resistance as the labels would be exposed to a variety of harsh chemicals including Acetone. Following discussions with Lintec’s Swiss supplier, Alpha Papier, they suggested to trial Lintec Graphic Films’ Durafol® label product which has been specifically designed for this type of application.”

The laboratory organised a trial period to test the performance of label stocks from different manufacturers to ensure the final product would meet the required adhesion strength. “Lintec’s Durafol® product won the laboratory’s vote of confidence as it excelled under extreme conditions due to its superb high performance coating with outstanding resistance to chemicals, humidity, elevated temperatures and UV,” continues Mr Keller. “We’ve now been asked to supply 100,000 labels to the laboratory which will be printed with their thermal transfer printer in-house.”

Andy Voss, Managing Director at Lintec Graphic Films notes, “Durafol® is a thermal transfer printable polyester which enables the production of on-demand high performance variably printed labels. The extremely tough product is ideal for use in scientific research and medical facilities as it can resist repeated harsh chemical exposure without compromising adhesion, topcoating or print.”

Durafol® polyester is available in matt white, matt silver and matt clear.

PTD helps Harrison Drury keep on the right side of the law with office move

Paul Turner Displays has helped Lancashire law firm Harrison Drury with its move to stunning new offices in the heart of Preston’s professional district. The firm, which was established over 100 years ago, provides a range of legal services for businesses as well as private individuals.

Paul Turner Displays (PTD) was briefed with a complex project due to Harrison Drury’s new Grade II listed office being located within a conservation district. It needed meticulous thought and consideration of the type of signage that would work and remain in keeping with the historic status of the area.

Working with the branding and design team of Harrison Drury’s retained PR and communications advisers, Freshfield, and in consultation with Preston City Council, PTD was able to remove all the signage from the old office and reuse most of it in the new location, leading to cost savings.

PTD also developed and installed a series of new office signage including:

• Covering all the downstairs windows with etch effect vinyl in keeping with the age of the building.
• Contour cutting the reception sign out of 10mm white acrylic and fixing it on raised studs behind the reception desk giving a very effective and modern 3D effect.
• Producing a bespoke engraved plaque in stainless brushed steel for the outside of the building.
• Reusing the existing ‘Partner’ acrylics name plates as well as adding new names

On the project, Samit Nayi, Freshfield’s branding and design director, comments, “In any new office move, the signage is a dominant representation of a company’s progression and image. Paul and his team developed a first rate solution and helped us overcome some tricky planning restrictions. The client is delighted.”

For more information on Paul Turner Displays, please visit www.paulturnerdisplays.co.uk

New app launched for Cross Media 2012

Cross Media 2012 has launched a smartphone app which includes information on the latest news, social media feeds, seminars, exhibitors, speakers, interactive show floor map, and up-to-date travel and traffic information.  The new app will keep visitors up to date and will allow them to pre-plan their event experience in order to maximise return on time investment.

With over a quarter of UK adults now owning a smartphone (Ofcom’s latest Communications Market Report), together with the rapid growth of the smartphone application industry, the Cross Media 2012 app is highly relevant to the multi-channel world that is high on Cross Media 2012’s seminar agenda.

In addition to the latest event news, app users have the opportunity to map out their visit to Cross Media in advance, using the ‘My Schedule’ feature. It allows you to select seminars you wish to attend and save them in one place, effectively creating a virtual diary for your time at the event, while the interactive map of the show floor, helps you find your way around. The app includes a comprehensive overview on Cross Media’s exhibitors and theatre programmes, with detailed information on all vendors, seminars and individual speakers.

The Cross Media 2012 app’s social media option will provide the opportunity to easily interact with the organisers and peers on the available platform of your choice, and have readily access to all the latest news and updates â€" all in one place.

Nick Craig Waller, Event Director, comments, “In today’s fast paced business environment, smartphones and tablets play an integral role in helping marketers, publishers, creatives and printers keep their fingers on the pulse of what’s happening in their fast-paced industry and optimise the time they spend doing this. The Cross Media 2012 app will allow them to do just that.”

Visitors can download the Cross Media 2012 app for iphone and android via the website at http://www.crossmedialive.com/Content/Download-the-App/4/

Ceramic tile printing boosts Xaar results

Meanwhile, adjusted pre-tax profit was up 57% compared to the same period last year, from £4.3m to £6.7m.

The manufacturer, which has attributed its half-year growth to its success in the ceramic tile printing sector and an increase in capacity at its Huntingdon facility, revealed it has also boosted gross margins by 2% to 46% due to improvements in efficiency.

The manufacturer's results revealed a shift in the geographic mix of its sales towards continental Europe, which accounts for 62% of its revenues.

Xaar chairman Phil Lawler said: "As expected, the geographic mix of our sales has shifted towards continental Europe, with European-based OEMs selling to the worldwide market.

"Although a good proportion of our revenue remains sterling denominated, our exposure to Euro currency fluctuations has increased. Our treasury policy and procedures have been updated to mitigate the potential adverse effects of this."

Xaar has developed a raft of new products including its GS12 1001 series inkjet printhead, which is designed for ceramic tile production. The manufacturer has scheduled volume shipments of the new printhead for Q3.

Xaar has also launched a new product for the wide-format graphics arts market, which it hopes will help to counter a decline in sales into this market. The Xaar Proton has been developed to offer higher resolution, wide-format printing at a competitive price and volume supply is expected to commence in the second half of 2012.

Other new products still in development include the Xaar 501 GS10, which is also aimed at the wide-format graphics market and which is expected to be available in the second half of 2013, while a new Platform (P4) printhead will be commercially available in 2016.

The P4 printhead aims to offer significant improvements in speed, resolution and cost-effectiveness and will also be targeted at commercial print applications including books, direct mail, high-end packaging and brochures.

Xaar chief executive Ian Dinwoodie said that the results were "fantastic".

"We are very pleased with the interim results. Our strategy going forward is about investment for future growth and this has seen us double the headcount of research and development team, which should be 100-strong by the end of the year.

"We will also be expanding into new markets with products such as our P4 printhead. This will be aimed at commercial print applications which we do target with our existing printheads."

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Arrow orders Autobond Mini 52 TP laminator for smaller format, shorter runs

US-based laminating specialist Arrow Laminating Industries Inc has ordered its second laminator, a Mini 52 TP, from UK-based Autobond.  The new laminator supports smaller format, short runs and frees up Arrow to increase the number of medium and long run one-sided and two-sided laminating jobs on the larger format, high speed Autobond SM 102 TPHS.

Arrow Laminating Industries Inc was founded nearly thirty years ago by owner Mike Barishman. Operating seven laminators, the company uses a range of laminates for both single and double sided laminating, offering added-value, protective finishes to a host of print from postcards and magazine covers to menus and catalogues.

The Autobond SM 102 TPHS was installed in 2008 primarily for laminating of book covers and binder wraps, and Arrow 'has never looked back'. Barishman comments, “Autobond has continuously offered us bang for our buck. When we brought in the Sheetmaster four years ago, it immediately did everything it was supposed to do, and then some.”

2012 has seen orders flooding in and Arrow needed an additional machine to meet this demand. Barishman explains, “I wanted to take some of the strain off the Sheetmaster and bring in a machine specifically for the shorter runs and the smaller sheet sizes. I also wanted a perfector feature to do double sided lamination in one pass. I instantly knew where to find the solution. Autobond’s machines are tried and tested, and its team has always done us right when we need anything, be it a machine or advice, so when they suggested the Mini 52 TP, I didn’t question it â€" I said okay, let’s do it.”

The new machine is set be installed at Arrow’s plant in September 2012. Oran Gilmore, VP of Autobond Inc, comments, “I’m delighted there’s been repeat business with Arrow in such a short space of time. It is evidence of our commitment to our customers, wherever they are in the world. We don’t just build machines; we also provide a service and aim to build long-term relationships. The US market is strong and thriving, and the Mini 52 TP has all the capabilities to give Arrow that extra productivity within that market and beyond.”

Barishman concludes, “2012 started wonderfully for us, and once the Mini 52 TP is installed, I know it will end the same way.”