Pf sep oct 2015 pdf

Vol. XVII • No. 101 • OCTOBER 2015

Rs. 20

Mr. Ajit Diaz, Managing Director, Pio Printers Pvt Ltd and Member of The ForuM gave a lecture on “Work-Life-Balance” on 23.09.2015. he is seen receiving Appreciation Memento from our President, Mr. Chellappan.

FORUM’s Lecture on “Work Life Balance” in Pictures

September - October 2015 / Vol. XVII, No. 101 / Print Forum 1

From President’s Desk

P [email protected]

Dear Members,

The hottest topic doing the rounds amongst the printing fraternity, is “Will printing die?”. Let there be no doubt, it will exist and that too for a long time to come. But having said that, we should be ready to face the death of certaing market segments and birth of new ones. We have to adapt ourselves to those inevitable changes or perish.

One of the biggest market segments for the printing industry of the future will be, without any doubt, Packaging and Labelling. We have a couple of articles in this issue that throws light on some developments in this segment.

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is an age old saying. But it is still relevant and will continue to be relevant. All of us business owners and employees tend to spend a lot of time at work or work related activities and devote very little time to our family or our area of personal interests. Without any hesitation I can say that a proper “Work Life Balance” is not only essential to our success in our professional life, but also a successful and satisfying personal life. How to do it, is however a million ruppee question. But in a recent monthly meet of our forum, Mr.Ajit Diaz, Managing Director of Pio Printers, gave us a first hand account of how to achieve it easily. Our sincere thanks to him for having taken time off to share his personal experiences with us.

In today’s changing environment, it is not enough to be a just a Print Service Provider (PSP), one has to be a “Total Solutions Provider” (TSP). One sterling example is the recreation of an 1867 edition of the Tamil classic “Thiruvarutpa” by M/s Srinivasa Fine Arts for one of their customers. This was submitted as an entry for the PrintWeek India Awards and it won a lot of praise from the Jury. One more production of their’s which has won all round praise, is their giant Bhagwad Gita book. the size of this amazing 627 pages book weighing 4 Kgs is 258 x 358 mm! I wish to congratulate SFA for their fine efforts.

I am sure our members will find it interesting to read these articles in this issue and benefit from it.

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Office-bearers P. Chellappan, PresidentMobile 93810 01810Rm. Senthilnathan, Vice-President IMobile 98410 41997Dr. B. Kumar, Vice-President II Mobile 94440 51707M. Venkatesan, Hony. General SecretaryMobile 98842 74908K.B.S.Shanmugasundram, Hony. Jt Secretary Mobile 98842 74912 R. K. Sridharan, Hony. TreasurerMobile 98416 47690

Committee Members V. S. Raman, 99403 19704R. Venkatasubramanian, 98402 60413S. Giridharan. 98840 30519 V. Vaidyalingam, 93828 67972Nitin Shroff, 98400 22652K.R.S.S. Mahendran 86953 29444 N. R. Kumar, 99401 72067Alan Baretto, 98417 21406Murugavel, 95001 22075

Co-opted MembersT.E. Srinivasan, 98403 55284L. Ramanathan, 87540 16030Nizamappas, 99625 28890

Advisory Committee (Past Presidents of THE FORUM)M. S. NagarajanV. SubramanianVipin SachdevDr. N. SankaranarayananR. NarayananD. RamalingamR. JayaramanR.S.Bakshi

n

All communications about THE FORUM and the Journal are to be addressed to Hony. General Secretary The Printing Technologists Forum 25, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai 600 014.

2 Print Forum / Vol. XVII, No. 101 / September - October 2015

HP success at Labelexpo 2015 2Work Life Balance 3WAN-IFRA India 2015 5Essentra acquistion 6The story of Madras 7SFA: Reviving a Tamil classic 8Chennai’s Multivista addition 9Fujifilm’s Hybrid Printing, Flexo Plate Innovations 10A Giant Winner 11V.D.P. and Mailing 12MADOPA Print 2020 16X-Rite Releases Latest Cloud-Based ColorCert Solution for Printers, Converters 17Pantone’s New Extended Gamut Guide Closes Gap Between CMYK, Spot Color 18Inkjet On Fire at Graph Expo 2015 20Esko Introduces HD Letterpress to Increase Store Shelf Impact of Metal and Plastic Cans 22Neenah Introduces Five Creative Packaging Ideas for Building a Brand’s Character 23Xeikon announces Fusion Technology for fully automat ed digital labels and packaging production 24

Print ForumRegd. with RNI Under No. 71818/99

September-October Vol. XVII / No. 101The Official Journal ofThe Printing Technologists ForumChennai

In this issue . . .

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n Articles and materials appearing in the pages of Print Forum are drawn from a number of sources : books, journals, newspapers and internet - current as well as very old. To many editors of various technical journals and newspapers, the accomplished authors and business leaders who have shared their wisdoms and their words whose articles published in these journals, and their publishers, we owe ourdebtsandgratitudewhichisdifficulttoassessoracknowledge.Wealwaysacknowledgethesourcesofeveryarticleandmaterialspublished in every issue of PRINT FORUM at the end of the articles, with our courtesy.

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HP success at Labelexpo 2015HP has reported a successful Labelexpo 2015 exhibition with 70 new HP Indigo press orders at the show.

The print giant showcased its latest innovat ions for the labels and packaging industry, with new product features, upgrade packages, software enhancements for mass customization, and new financing options.HP also unveiled the 1000th worldwide HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press series purchase, by Italian worldwide group EUROSTAMPA, along with strong customer adoption of the HP Indigo 20000 and 30000 Digital Presses.Some of the customrers making orders for the new HP Indigo press were:• Kartongbolaget, a leading supplier

of high-quality folding cartons in Scandinavia. This firm will become the first company in Sweden to install the HP Indigo 30000 Digital Press

• Allflex of Aachen, Germany, established providers of flexible packaging and self-adhesive labels, signed for an HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press.

• Confectionery specialist Kalfany Süße Werbung purchased its second HP Indigo WS6800 Digital Press at

the show, only three months after installing the first.

• Barcodes and RFID automatic identification supplier Inotec Barcode Security, confirmed an order for an HP Indigo WS6800 Digital Press.

• M o b o D r u c k i n Vi l l i n g e n -Schwenningen, Germany, invested in an HP Indigo WS6800 Digital Press.

• Label specialist Coreti, Spain, demonstrated its commitment to digital printing with the purchase of two new HP Indigo WS6800 Digital Presses.

Also announced at Labelexpo 2015 was HP’s Global Label Awards win. The award for innovation (for companies with more than 300 employees) was presented to HP for its HP SmartStream Mosaic software.This software enables automatic creation of millions of designs based on core patterns, offering fast turnaround of highly customised campaigns where every copy is different. n

Courtesy : www.packagingnews.co.uk


FORUM’s Technical Lecture

Work Life BalanceA lecture on the above subject was held on Thursday, 23rd September 2015 evening at Hall of Guiness’68, Anna University, Guindy by Mr. Ajit Diaz, Managing Director, Pio Printers Pvt Ltd.

Ajit Diaz, Managing Director, Pio Printers Pvt Ltd and The Forum Member was the speaker for the Monthly Lecture in September. His lecture on “Work-Life-Balance” was well-received. His presentation came from his heart and from his life’s experiences of working and living on his own terms.

While agreeing that working in the print industry can be highly stressful, Ajit believes that life is definitely made for more things than spending endless days and nights slogging at work.

“After much thought, I came to a conclusion that there are some choices I can make and some I can’t said Ajit. “ What I can’t was change my line of business. But what I can change is how I can live life to the fullest.”

F r o m t h a t d a y o n , A j i t compartmentalized his life with proper prioritizing and struck the right balance between work and lifestyle. This balance, he feels, creates an aura around us and makes us friendly, cheerful and

approachable.

Some say all this is easier said than done, but to these skeptics who haven’t really tried, Ajit’s answer would be: “ Time management is the key to one’s success!”

Ajit firmly believes that setting realistic goals for work and leisure, which includes time well spent with one’s family, can prove to be a fool – proof method of achieving success in one’s life.

“Many tend to bite off more than they could chew just to compete with the Joneses,” says Ajit. “This could be a grave error”.

It’s clear he practices what he believes in – starting his day early, breaking off from work on time, spending time with family and friends, exercising regularly, pursuing a hobby or a passion, connecting with his spiritual side, serving a social cause, and yes, switching off his mobile phone when necessary!

In a world that too often unfairly throws hurdles in our way, Ajit Diaz

embodies the promise that lives in all our young and aspiring business – people to shape their own destinies and succeed as good human beings in their chosen fields.

Even though Ajit Diaz and the world of printing are practically synonymous, this enthusiastic businessman always propagates the dictum that work should only be a part of one’s life, and not life itself.

An accidental printer, as he thinks himself to be, his life was steered by DNA and not destiny. With his father being an accomplished artist, a sculptor of repute in his time, Ajit couldn’t be anything else but a chip of the old block.

He inherited a small press in Royapuram, Chennai, which was founded by Diaz senior, and scripted his life’s path by making use of his


in-built instincts of art and good reasoning.

By the exigencies of circumstance, Ajit a the impressionable age of 14 bagan his long journey into the field of printing. Later, he pursued his Bachelor of Commerce degree from evening college at Loyola in Chennai and took up short six-month certification courses to learn the technicalities of printing. The time spent after his classes in his father’s press proved to be invaluable for the young man.

We can certainly admire his evolution as a print expert who rose to be the Managing Director of Pio Printers Private Limited. Or, Perhaps mostly, we can admire the fact that in addition to contributing an enviable body of work in the areas of design

and print, Ajitmentors a dedicated team of 72 and has instituted a trust for his staff that bears the expenses of educating one child of every employee. Also, he manages another trust that supports economically disadvantaged students of his old school. He has been an active Rotarian for 13 years and is closely associated with “Jeevodhaya’, a hospice for the terminally ill run by Catholic nuns.

Ajit is not just an ivory-tower print technologist. He has been very active in the sport of sailing and has sailed in National Championships representing Tamil Nadu for over 10 years.

With the artist in him always trying to surface, Ajit had also been a part of jazz band playing drums

from his school days till he lost his ‘single’ status. He is married and has a daughter who works as a PR consultant and a son in his final year of Aeronautical Engineering.

Ajit entered his lecture with a Q & A session. n

Report by D. Ramalingam


WAN-IFRA India 2015 Conference & ExpoAfter 12 years, WAN-IFRA India returned to Mumbai with a host of back to back summits, parallel expositions on latest newspaper printing technologies and more. Co-sponsored by INS, around 600 delegates from more than 30 countries rushed to the global event. media stalwarts to the influential confluence of innovative ideas and technologies.

WAN-IFRA India 2015 Conference and Expo organised from September 02-04 at BCEC in Mumbai brought to showcasing what all news media industry has garnered over the last one decade or so since the event was last held in the city. The onset of the event was marked with a common inaugural session to all forums/summits, in which Magdoom Mohamed, managing director, WAN-IFRA South Asia, India delivered a welcome address, followed by the opening address from K Balaji, chairman, WAN-IFRA South Asia Committee and director, Kasturi & Sons Ltd, India.

Young readers spotlighted A big ovation at the opening session was for the World Young Reader News Publisher of the Year Award conferred on the Indonesian daily Kompas. “The newspaper has had a major role in creating new citizens capable of sustaining their own freedom of

expression and peaceful change of government—two basic elements for any democracy,” announced Jacob Mathew, past president of WAN-IFRA and executive editor of Malayala Manorama, who presented the accolade of the prestigious award to the Indonesian newspaper. Among the other winners, Kids’ News, a children newspaper from Denmark, bagged the silver award in the ‘teaching freedom’ category.

The whole three days of the conference were sub-divided into World Editors Forum (Newsroom Summit), World Printers Forum

(Printing Summit) and Crossmedia Advertising Summit, with a common closing session for all.

Day One In his common keynote address on the opening day of the three-day conference and expo, Patrick Daniel, editor-in-chief, English and Malay Newspapers Division, Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) affirmed that South Asian newspaper publishers continue to increase their print business and they are also undergoing a digital revolution. Till 2003, SPH engaged in production of five magazine titles; but the count has reached 100 today, which include both fully-owned and some licensed ones. They also produce a special weekly newspaper for Indian communities residing in Singapore.

Speaking at the Newsroom Summit, Thomas Jacob, chief operating officer, WAN-IFRA Germany revealed that the trend of news publishing in digital age is catching on. On what publishers can do, he urged to understand the disruption patterns first and master the digital eco-system. On the other side, Printing Summit hosted a series of valuable discussions, among which Benedicte Gercke, category director-paper & energy, News UK and Ireland (UK), presented provocative ideas and concepts of newsprint procurement as well as operational excellences in the session on ‘Excellence and Innovation in Newspaper Production’. She imparted a case study on optimisation of paper and energy from one of the largest printers in the world.

Day Two The second day dawned on a significant session on ‘Colour Quality’ at Printing Summit. Anand Srinivasan, research manager, WAN-IFRA India, opened the session with the announcement of advantages of enrolling into the International Newspapers Color Quality Club (INCQC) 2016-2018, which is open to


all. He explained how publications of all sorts—dailies, weeklies, monthlies and fortnightlies—could use the competition in the club to improve their process in achieving consistency in print quality.

Followed-up next in the session on ‘Color Quality’, Anjan Majumdar, vice president-quality & EHS, HT Media Ltd, India, narrated the systematic approach to implement FM screening in newspaper production, a relatively new subject. Reasons for the selection of FM, according to Anjan, are set for: smooth dot renderation, strong spots on plates, easy control of dot gain, ease of ink control on press, RIP and system speed, among others. As a result, he said Hindustan Times has successfully brought 60 percent of paper consumption to 40 and 42 gsm; saved upto 5-10 percent of ink and advertisers are elated to the print production on FM.

Day Three On the third day of the conference, a session titled ‘Trends in print product ion’ a t the Pr int ing Summit witnessed a flock of speakers talking in length about the new trends. Opening the session, Snehasis Chandra Roy, associate vice president-technical, ABP Pvt Ltd, India, shared some innovations which ABP has so far adopted to impress readers and advertisers alike. Unable to attend the conference, but directly streamed live from Dubai, Samer Sabri Abdel Qader, director-digital & prepress, Masar Printing & Publishing, UAE, presented his share of ideas on the adoption of new technologies for sustainability and new business. Masar boasts of

a production facility of half a million sq ft where equipped technologies of all sorts, including web-offset, commercial web-offset and digital presses—certainly a mega portfolio comprising Kodak NexPress, Kodak Prosper, manroland CROMOMAN and so on.

In the follow-up part of the session, Neeraj Mahajan, vice president-technical, Lokmat, India, precisely elaborated the newspaper’s focus on ‘green’ technologies in their overall production process. Established in 1971 with its first Gujarati edition, then English edition in 1987 and Hindi in 1989, what Neeraj revealed was their eco-friendly production process and adoption of renewable energy, minimisation of non-recyclable liquids, reduction in carbon footprints and such other strategies eventually helped Lokmat reap unmatched advancements in using ‘green’ and sustainable technologies.

Closing session At the closure of the three-day conference and expo, Manfred Werfel, director, Word Printers Forum, WAN-IFRA, Germany, presented business model for sustainable print in which he stated that the printing industry is innovating and experimenting to come up with solution best suited to new challenges. He observed the cost of printing is coming more and more into focus, those who don’t adapt will lose their market position.

The ultimate closing note from Rainer Esser, CEO, Zeit Online, Germany, opened up with his story of a long road traffic he experienced in Mumbai as his first impression (laughing) of the city on his maiden visit to India. Key factors of success, he then changed the topic, consisted of steady improvement in layout and editorial designs, winning and keeping the best and most diverse staff, and most importantly the use of ‘big data’ to keep in touch and engage with young readers by embracing digital opportunities. n

Essentra plc (Essentra), an UK based FTSE 250 company and a leading global provider of essential components and solutions, has signed an agreement to acquire assets of Bengaluru based pharmaceutical packaging company, Kamsri Printing & Packaging Pvt. Ltd. (Kamsri), for an undisclosed consideration. Funded from Essentra’s existing facilities, the transaction is expected complete by end 2015.

Kamsri is a leading manufacturer of premium packaging solutions for the pharmaceut ica l and healthcare end markets in India. The transaction will be immediately earnings enhancing to Essentra, and will be reported under the health & personal care packaging strategic business unit.

Commenting on the announcement, Colin Day, chief executive, stated, “The acquisition of Kamsri is a compelling strategic fit for Essentra, and is consistent with the company’s objective of supplementing balanced, profitable organic growth with value adding transactions in its targeted end markets. Indeed, with its highly complementary product range, Kamsri provides Essentra with an entry point into the attractive pharmaceutical and healthcare industr ies in India , thereby reinforcing our global packaging capabilities and enhancing the opportunities for our customers.”

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Essentra’s global net work extends to 33 countries and includes 9,000 employees, 69 principal manufacturing facilities, 64 sales & distribution operations and 5 research & development centres. n

Courtesy : www.pharmabiz.com

Essentra to acquire Bengaluru based pharma packaging company, Kamsri Printing & Packaging


The story of Madras

A simple, lucid history of a 300-year-old city.

T h o u g h m u c h b e y o n d i t s tercentenary, the city of Madras still evokes nostalgia.

Madras: Tracing the Growth of the City Since 1639, written by veteran chronicler K.R.A. Narasiah and published by Palaniappa Brothers, attempts to present the history of the city in an organised way to create interest among new readers. While the author’s earlier book in Tamil, Madarasapattinam, was well received as a first attempt in presenting the city’s history in that language, this enlarged English edition was necessitated by his discovery of new materials like Sarvadeva Vilasa (in Sanskrit — translated in English by eminent Sanskrit scholar Dr. V. Raghavan), which described the lives and times of the British in a conversational manner.

The book tracks the city’s evolution in a chronological order. The English first landed on the West coast of India and built a trading post at

Surat under the protection of the Mughal Governor of Gujarat. In time, they realised the need to get access to the Coromandel Coast in view of the availability of spices and cotton on a large scale.

Start ing from Francis Day’s explorat ion of a s i te at the Coromandel Coast to get a foothold for trade in 1639, Narasiah chronicles the city’s history up to 1947.

He has taken a searching look at issues in trade, religion and caste as well as at famines and the slave trade. More notably, the lead Madras gave to India in fields as wide-ranging as municipal governance, law, surveying, modern education, printing, astronomy, transport, banking, medicine and publishing, among a host of other contributions, are emphatically stressed in this book. As traders, the English started to dominate the resources, labour and the markets of the occupied territory.

Besides their growth in South India, the book vividly describes the British attempts to settle disputes among various castes to their advantage, thereby establishing a lasting confidence among the locals; dubashes who colluded with the colonialists to usurp resources and power and the resultant corruption; British efforts to expand the city and civic development, and the spread of English education among the masses.

This book presents many an effort by the British to improve infrastructure. Among them is Warren Hastings’ plan for a modern port in 1770. Then a member of the Madras Council, Hastings, who later became the first Governor General of India, sought a blueprint for the port, though work began almost a century later. Narasiah also writes of the many relief efforts during natural calamities.

Besides tracing the expansion of the city from a small square called Fort St. George, the book also chronicles various steps taken by the British in establishing infrastructure for civil aviation, observatories, museums, libraries etc. within the city. The book traces the history of printing and publishing in South India and also mentions the rarely known fact that the earliest book to be printed in India was in Tamil, printed in Quilon in 1578, for which the typefaces were developed in Goa. It also chronicles the history of newspaper journalism in the city both in English and Tamil over the years.

Following the growth of education and the development of a middle class, the city witnessed the setting up of the Theosophical Society (about which there are many anecdotes in the book), and the Home Rule movement which was clearly a forerunner to the Indian National Congress. It also traces the background of Kalakshetra, the school of arts.

The book is a worthy effort in presenting the history of this great city in a simple and lucid way by an avid chronicler to whom the lovers of the city, as well as students of History, will ever be grateful. n

One looks back with

appreciation to the brilliant

teachers, but with gratitude

to those who touched

our human feelings. The

curriculum is so much

necessary raw material, but

warmth is the vital element

for the growing plant and for

the soul of the child.

Carl Jung


SFA: Reviving a Tamil classicA rare book, Thiruvarutpa 1867 edition, torn and broken, was recreated once again, maintaining the book's originality by SFA Print.

The book, which was submitted as an entry for the PrintWeek India Awards, was produced by SFA for their customer Arutpa Pathippagam, Mettukuppam. The book, with an initial print run of 5000 copies, elicited a lot of praise from the jury panel.

The reason was simple. Consider this: the book was laminated on the front and the back. After it was structured pagewise to ensure the broken pages remain intact. Each page of the book was scanned individually and cleaned up to avoid the dust.

The pagination, pre-press and print, were all produced in-house. Hot foiling was perfected on the Sujatha foiling M/C and debossing. Ochsner's semi automatic machine was used for edge gliding. For hard-case binding, a Kolbus case-maker and hard cover line were deployed.

Finally, to protect the corners of the board, manual pneumatic machine gave it a fishing point. The cloth material was used on the cover with one colour and a four-colour was used for the inner sections. The 68 gsm natural shade of pharma paper and 120 gsm natural shade maplitho paper from ITC was used for the text and a 130 gsm of Hikote art paper was used for the cover.

A brief look at SFASFA is one of the top five book plants in Sivakasi. Located on a nine-acre plot with peacocks and the rarest of flora and fauna, the SFA Print unit is housed in a 37,000 sq/mtrs of built-up area. SFA has a team strength of 250, who work with a Heidelberg Suprasetter A105 and Heidelberg Speedmaster SM102P, Mitsubishi Diamond LS 1000, KBA Planeta V54, Komori LP37, Komori LP40 plus a

raft of pre-press and finishing kit in their factory.Founded in 2011, SFA is a sister company of Srinivas Group and deals with print production: labels to textile mills, fireworks and matchbox industry. Over the past five years, the group has transformed into a production unit which includes map printing plus stationery, with significant presence in pan India and UK.Srinivas Viswanathan, managing director, SFA Print shares his experience.He says, “Printing was our family business and it was started by Vivekanand (uncle) and his brothers in 1964. Earlier, the company was dealing in trade business but later it was re-modelled from a trading company to a printing press and observing the various aspects of the book making, it has been a learning experience for me. This was the early phase of SFA.” “After completing my graduation, I started my career in print production. Later, I started to market the stationery products. Around that time, I moved to Bengaluru and started taking care of the Bengaluru commercial printing unit. During my training, I always followed a mantra of ‘Go ahead and keep trying’ and even today it’s been the same. SFA has fully supported

my decision during my journey," he says.He shares, “Being connected with print, we have been working in packaging and innovative stationery segment and will continue this for the future as well. We have also seen steady growth in consumerism, pharmaceutical, packaging and innovative stationery market. After the family crisis in the last few years, it was a challenging time for all of us and for the family as well. Due to which, we shifted to Sivakasi in 2011 and the collective support and experience has helped us to overcome the situation and stabilise the company in the market.”According to Vishwanathan, “There has been a change in the mindset of the printers and a lot of printers are trying to fit in an old business strategy. However, from the age of block printing, we have seen the transformation in the printing industry from letterpress to offset printing. The 3D print is a much talked technology alongside with digital. The technology is advancing and it is moving at a rapid speed and it is important to move with the flow, but there are problems which still exist like infrastructural facilities and availability of labour. Plus, there is minimal support from the government.”

About MatrikaSBranding and innovation are essential to be ahead in a competitive market. That's how, the brand MatrikaS was born. At MatrikaS, Vishwanathan says, "The clients are offered products such as notebooks, personalised journals, visitors’ book and registers, ring books and diaries. Every quarterly, we launch one new product in the market, with an innovative design."

He adds "In Sivakasi, the diaries and stationery items have been the centre of excellence, although the digital segment has significantly transformed with new technology and the applications are available in the market, and has been providing cost effective with customised


Chennai’s Multivista adds Heidelberg Suprasetter 106

Book printing major Multivista Global recently added a Heidelberg Suprasetter 106 CTP to their sprawling facility in Chennai. The Suprasetter 106 can process 38 plates per hour and is equipped with Intelligent Diode System (IDS), which uses Heidelberg’s unique thermal laser technology and protects against production failures.

The company recently also installed the Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 102 8-P, a remarketed eight-colour press from Heidelberg India to their press floor.

“The decision to add the Suprasetter 106 to our pre-press settings was made keeping in mind the future influx of jobs and addition to our press and post-press capacity,” said R Karthik, director, Multivista. “This adds close to 250% of additional plate-making capacity in comparison to our existing setup. This means very quick plate-making time,” added Karthik.

The Suprasetter 106 is also equipped with the latest Prinect software workflow and an enhanced Signa station pagination software.

The Speedmaster SM 102 comes with the perfecting option, which is a key differentiator for publishing jobs and has production speeds of up to 15,000 sheets per hour. The press can handle substrates ranging in thickness from 0.03 mm - 1.00 mm (0.0012 in - 0.039 in) with a maximum print format of 710 mm x 1,020 mm (27.95 in x 40.16 in).

“We are confident about the growing demand for our specialised offering in book printing and further investments are being planned with the strategy of differentiating ourselves from the competition globally,” Karthik concluded. n

solutions to the clients. In future, the offset and digital will not only co-exist but will also complement each other. Sivakasi has been providing job opportunities to umpteen numbers of people and we are sure that it will bounce back to its routine.

Viswanathan states, “In today’s commodity market, every business is competitive and the market shares are brunt and the cost is at higher front. We don’t compromise on the quality standards. Also few months ago, we had visited a plant and everyone at the plant spoke about the business model, which has top-down the net profits and their role to benefit the bottom line of an organisation because every individual has their own impact to its organisation. Every industry has more or less the same approach. The bottom line is nothing but the collective net income figure of an organisation. A company that is growing shall have its net earnings and it is said to be strengthening at the bottom line. All individuals at every stage of production play an important role for improvement.”

Going forwardTalking about the structure of the management Viswanathan, added that, "The directors and the board of directors are the decisions makers for the company. The organisation is divided into managers, analysts for marke t ing , f inance and administration. Being a part of the print sector, I am passionate about the industry and I am committed to do my best for the industry and to my hometown."

Viswanathan concludes, “The youth are the driving force and they are the need for the industry. It’s our responsibility to encourage and tap the potential of each individual. During the courses, the students of the colleges should be taken for plant visits, training seminars y their management and workshops held by BMPA and Government Institute of Printing Technology (GIPT) for students has been a good initiative in Mumbai.” n

If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and

correct them in myself.

Confucius


Fujifilm Showcases Hybrid Printing, Flexo Plate Innovations at Technology Summit

Fujifilm hosted a two-day Packaging Technology Summit, where attendees were able to see innovative packaging solutions.

HANOVER PARK, Ill.—September 25, 2015—Fujifilm North America, Graphic Systems Division hosted another successful Packaging Technology Summit at its Chicago Technology Center, showcasing innovative packaging solutions to invited attendees.

Industry professionals experienced hands-on demonstrations at the two-day event, highlighting the Graphium, a UV inkjet press for labels, packaging, and specialty print; along with learning more about the Flenex series, a new, innovative flexographic plate system, Fujifilm’s flexographic inks and Flex Pack, a cost-effective packaging proofing system by CGS.

“I had no idea of Fujifilm’s breadth of offerings in the packaging arena,” said Brad Elledge, director of operations, Nosco, a full-service packaging solution provider based near Dallas. “Technology Summits are certainly guaranteed to change minds and perceptions of Fujifilm’s role in our industry.”

There was considerable interest in the Graphium, a high-speed modular digital UV inkjet press with the option to integrate flexo and finishing stations for hybrid production and conversion in a single pass—greatly expanding the opportunities that can be converted.

Graphium represents the next generation of UV inkjet press for labels, packaging and specialty print that enables profitable printing of short-run jobs while boosting productivity and providing the ability to produce new print options previously unavailable through traditional flexo technologies. Graphium makes converting short to medium print jobs more profitable, as the press streamlines workflow, requires less setup material, reduces waste and eliminates overruns.

Bob Moran, publisher of FLEXO Magazine, and a member of the Flexographic Technical Association, provided insights into the North American label market, and engaged in a lively Q&A with attendees. Todd Zimmerman, d iv i s ion president, Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division, educated attendees about Fujifilm’s innovations in the packaging industry.

Attendees also showed keen interest in the Flenex plate-making system. The Flenex FW water-washable plate system is able to form flat-top dots, and reproduce 200 lpi with halftone dots from one percent to 99 percent. Additional advantages include very good ink transfer, superior compatibility with UV, water-based, and solvent inks;

wear resistance and the ability to consistently maintain good product quality even when printing long-run jobs. Compared to solvent processing, drying time is greatly reduced, productivity is increased, and there is a reduced impact on the environment. The innovative water wash system eliminates the need for solvents, wicking cloths, and thermal equipment.

“ G u e s t s w h o a t t e n d e d t h i s t e c h n o l o g y s u m m i t w e r e truly immersed into Fujifilm’s advancements and leadership within the packaging industry,” said Michael Barry, product marketing manager, Fujifilm North America, Graphic Systems Division. “The hands-on demonstrations of our impressive line-up of solutions got attendees thinking about how these new innovations could be incorporated into their operations to better serve their customers.”

In addition to learning more about packaging technology, attendees also saw many other innovations, including the Acuity Series; the J Press line-up; the Inca Onset and Xerox presses housed within Fujifilm’s over 20,000-square-foot facility.

About Fujifilm Fujifilm North America, a marketing subsidiary of Fujifilm Holdings America consists of five operating divisions and one subsidiary company. The Imaging Division provides consumer and commercial photographic products and services, including: photographic paper; digital printing equipment, along with service and support; personalized photo products; film; and one-time-use cameras; and also markets motion picture archival film and on-set color management solutions to the motion picture, broadcast and production industries.

The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras, and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the graphic printing industry.


A Giant Winner

A winner by a mile, at least from the point of view of visitors to the recent exhibition of prize-winning printed materials held recently in the city in connection with the Awards Function for the annual all-India printing excellence contest, was a giant Bhagavad Gita produced by Srinivas Fine Arts of Sivakasi. This 28.5 cm by 35.8cm, 672-page mega edition weighs 6 kg when packed with its accompaniments. It has been printed on a special, thick eco-friendly paper from Sweden using special eco-friendly vegetable inks from Japan that will ensure neither deterioration of the book nor fading of its text for a “guaranteed” 250 years.

Magnif icently bound in soft leather with lettering and design scribed with gold foil that will not deteriorate, the book contains on each page beautifully laid-out text in Sanskrit with translation in English and Hindi. The 18 chapters of text comprising all 700 verses of the Gita is supplemented with reproductions of 150 paintings by G.L.N. Sinha, in the “Chitra Sutra of Vishnudarmottara Purana tradition”. The fore-edges of the pages have been gilded in gold and the golden metal corners of the cover boards enhance the classiness of the publication.

The book comes in a solid antique-looking box with artistic embossing and foiling, embellished with Swarovski crystals. The box is supplied with a stylised metal lock. And to make this mega edition easy to read, it comes with an antique-styled wooden reading stand that is itself a masterpiece in design and execution. It can be folded and rotated to suit the reader’s comfort. The stand rests on smooth, carved metal legs. A laser cut metal book-marker with a delicate peacock feather design and a tassel accompaniment comes with the book.

The first copy was gifted last April to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wonder how many of this book priced at Rs. 38,750 he has gifted to leaders around the world. Certainly it is proving to be a gift many of the super-rich like to present, for the first edition, I am told, has been sold out and a second edition has been printed.

From the mega to the mini is the motto of Srinivas Fine Arts which has also produced a mini Gita of size 4.5 x 6 cm comprising 848 pages. With text in Sanskrit and English, and black-and-white drawings, this miniature edition is every bit a noteworthy contrast. n

The Optical Devices Division provides optical lenses for the broadcast, cinematography, closed circuit television, videography and industrial markets, and also markets binoculars. The Industrial and Corporate New Business Development Division delivers new products derived from Fujifilm technologies.

Fujifilm Canada sells and markets a range of Fujif i lm products and services in Canada. Fujifilm Holdings, Tokyo, Japan brings c o n t i n u o u s i n n o va t i o n a n d leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including: healthcare, with medical systems, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics; graphic systems; highly functional materials, such as flat panel display materials; optical devices, such as broadcast and cinema lenses; digital imaging; and document products. These are based on a vast portfolio of chemical, mechanical, optical, electronic, software and production technologies.

In the year ended March 31, 2015, the company had global revenues of $20.8 billion, at an exchange rate of 120 yen to the dollar. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. n

Source: Fujifilm

Police and firefighters are great, but they don’t create wealth. They protect it. That’s crucial. Teaching is a wonderful profession. Teachers help educate people to become good citizens so that citizens can then go create wealth. But they don’t create the wealth themselves.

Rush Limbaugh


Variable Data Printing and MailingOne area of the print industry that is witnessing a renaissance is personalised marketing products and direct mail.

A hero awakesThe direct mail market, requiring b o t h m a r k e t i n g m a i l a n d transactional mail, is the largest consumer of envelopes in the UK and is served by manufacturers via mailing companies, direct marketing, and print management companies. Despite consumer perception that direct mail is under threat from digital media and irreversible decline—some believing it not essential to marketing and transactional communication—surveys suggest that both electronic communication and direct mail are both needed for successful campaigns.

In February the media reported that telesales regulators will change legislation with the aim to decrease unsolicited nuisance telephone calls or ‘cold calls’ as many of us know them, which are seen as intrusive, stressful, and inconvenient. This could mean a renewed need for companies using direct mail that can be viewed by the recipient at their leisure and which is likely to be read before deciding on whether to take action. This is in stark contrast to many marketing e-mails which are seen as ‘spam’ and are quickly deleted without opening, or perhaps transactional documents such as financial e-mails which some feel cannot be trusted to be genuine.

There is no doubt that the mailing industry has suffered a decline in volumes over recent years and for many in the industry it is believed

this is due to these modern ways of communicating. This has put traditional envelope manufacturers and printers under increased pressure to maintain a sustainable level of business and profitability.

A new chapterThe UK market though is still thought to be upward of 16bn envelopes per annum, and following France and Germany, is one of the largest in Europe—so it is refreshing to see that making envelopes in the UK is still very much the focus for Heritage Envelopes who make and print nearly 3bn envelopes in its own Blackburn factory.

The company says that this allows it to manage and control quality and service from enquiry, through the manufacturing process to delivery and within the often tight deadlines required by customers throughout the UK mailing market.

One of the largest envelope manufacturers in this country, Heritage, specialises in supplying the increasingly demanding print and mailing industry with bespoke printed envelopes. Indeed, despite the significance of internet communica t ions , market ing companies are now recognising that electronic communications have their place and cannot fully replace the traditional mail we receive through our doors each day.

Recent surveys by Royal Mail Market Reach suggest that over 50 percent of participants want both mail and email in most market sectors and feel more valued when receiving a personalised piece of mail.

“It is still important that companies c o m m u n i c a t i n g w i t h t h e i r customers understand that some communications receive a better response and reaction from their customers when receiving a physical

piece of mail,” advises Mark Sears, chief executive officer of Mayer-Kuvert’s UK operations.

Sears goes onto explain that the direct mail market is more demanding now than it has ever been and Heritage, which is the main UK plant of the largest European envelope group Mayer-Kuvert-network, recognises that to grow their business in this industry they have to continue to invest to be able to compete and offer customers what they need.

It is this approach which has reportedly helped the company to secure some significant business growth for 2015, therefore as a result of investment made last year an additional Winkler and Dnnebier 202 wallet machine has been installed which has the capability to produce envelopes at much higher speeds to increase production output and efficiency.

High demandAs demands increase from high volume mailing companies and print providers, who need manufacturers to reproduce the corporate image and marketing designs of their clients’ brands to the highest quality, Heritage recognise the need to use the emerging technology in repro equipment and have installed the latest repro equipment by Dantex which will now allow the factory to build on the success of their 2014 FTA Excellence in Flexography Gold Award received from the Flexo Technological Association and they hope to improve on that recognition in 2015.

A new hope: The UK market for printed mail and envelopes is thought to be in excess of 16bn pieces per annum, and following France and Germany, is one of the largest in Europe

Devices such as Domino Printing Sciences' BitJet+ can be integrated with post-press equipment, and are capable of adding digital printing to all types of media to produce variable data print products, all with no additional drying equipment


T h e a w a r d s i n v o l v e d a comprehensive panel of 33 judges who deliberated over several days to make their decisions against predetermined targets. The group of judges were tasked with evaluating each job depending on the degree of difficulty and consistency within selected categories including the complexity of print, registration tolerances and substrate printability amongst other added requirements. The market leading Lancashire based manufacturer, which employs more than 130 workers, received the gold award in the uncoated line category.

Sears continues: “The company recognises the increasing demand from customers for high quality flexographic images and in an increasingly demanding market we must not only react to this demand but work harder to proactively push the boundaries of our capabilities.”

The envelope is the first image the consumer sees when the post lands in their letterbox”

Having joined the business in 1985, Sears adds: “The future for the business lies in investing in our people, in our equipment and in our systems, not only to compete through efficiency and quality but also to offer a wider range of capabilities to produce printed envelopes.

“The envelope is the first image the consumer sees when the post lands in their letterbox and so if you want to make an impression then it makes sense to be able to print the customers’ corporate logos or business messages and advertisements to the highest standard available in the most cost efficient way. We think that’s good for our customers.”

For those companies who are involved in high volume mail fulfilment, they will know that inserting machines have evolved over recent years to what they are today and despite the improvement in inserting machine technology,

envelope construction has not changed significantly in decades.

Heritage Envelopes make and print nearly 3bn envelopes in its own Blackburn factory

This is a point that Sears is emphatic about: “Equally important as investments are new and innovative solutions to help our customers to be more efficient in their own businesses, such as packaging solutions to reduce consumption of raw materials or our recently launched Autoflat mailing wallet design.”

This development sees the creation of a new envelope production system, designed specifically to reduce down-time and stoppages during the inserting process. The patented design, which is used and works like standard mailing wallets, has already attracted a lot of interest from the major mailing companies according to Heritage, which are eager to explore the benefits it offers for high speed and high volume mail insertion.

Power to youPrint businesses want the ability to be able to incorporate personalised elements on the fly, and not have to treat each piece of print as a separate task. Whether it is being used for direct mail pieces or personalised brochures or labels, variable data printing (VDP) technology is beginning to reshape the worlds of both printing and marketing.

This technology is focused on harnessing the power of computer databases, digital printers, and highly effective software to create full-colour documents. The process enables the mass customisation of

a given document via the wonders of digital technology, as opposed to the ‘mass-production’ of a single document using offset printing. That technology is now also making its way into wide-format printing, allowing print-service-providers from sign shops to commercial print operations to offer these services on a much grander scale.

In terms of larger print sizes, personalisation might be instanced, for example, in the creation for display posters for a brewery chain, where a standard special offer is tailored and ‘localised’ to each individual outlet.

“ I t is st i l l important that companies communicating with their customers understand that some communications receive a better response and reaction from their customers when receiving a physical piece of mail, ” advises Mark Sears, chief executive officer of Mayer-Kuvert’s UK operations

VDP also has huge potential to change the way that a company can communicate with their customers, suppliers and employees. The fact that names, locations, or any relevant text and images relating to that particular subject are on the final print, drastically increases interest and, in turn, response. It has been proven that this kind of personalisation can increase response rates by as much as ten times compared to non-personalised documents when feedback on direct mail product has been researched—why then should not the same dramatic difference be similar in large-format production?

The use of variable data is not just restricted to the printed area either. Barcodes and other information can be incorporated to assist


with batching and logistics for subsequent production stages or for job delivery, as well as job tagging and identification for reference. This makes perfect sense in fast turnaround environments where it is vital that the right jobs are grouped together in the production process, or where the integrity of the print is critical.

Significant computing power though is required in the process of handling the VDP as well as pure raster image processor (RIP) speed. VDP allows users to add variable text, images, and barcodes to mass-customised batch print jobs for creating point-of-purchase signs, promotional items, advertisements, or full-colour labels. Some RIPs will treat each print job in the batch as a separate item, and RIP each print individually. Others offer a true production VDP workflow that processes the background image only once, so a batch run of ten or 1,000 different prints can start printing almost immediately.

Variable in actionThe pre-press experts at Xanté have incorporated a variable data manager with its iQueue X digital colour workflow product. It allows users to generate and import personalised data into digital files that reside in the workflow. The wide-ranging capabilities of the package include booklet creation, automatic creep adjustment, 2D barcode generation, and iQueue reporting.

Indeed, iQueue X even gives users the option to use its colour controls, imposition, and other features on Xanté’s own print systems, but also users can print any post script printer in their network.

Running at 2,700 B2 sheets per hour, the Fujifilm JetPress 720 press reads the barcode on every sheet as it leaves the stacker and downloads the correct page information prior to printing the reverse

M e a n w h i l e , G e r m a n - b a s e d Colorgate claims to close the gap in the area of VDP with its easy to handle design software being the ideal tool to create customised artwork master templates for the output of print jobs on digital printing systems. It suggests that its VDP Creator is ideal for print service providers in large-format printing with both medium and small print runs. Connected directly to its own RIP software solutions, it sees potential areas of application in signs and displays as well as promotional items.

A variety of professional functions complex data structures and layouts can be simply merged with the system via drag-and-drop, including text, images, graphics, barcodes, and QR codes. In addition multi-user support allows different users to work with one software license, while one user has the right to print. So far current in-RIP and stand-alone VDP solutions available in the large-format market usually possess only limited basic functions, or are at the high-cost end of the scale. Colorgate claims VDP Creator is a significant improvement on such offerings.

O Factoid: The origin of the term variable data printing is widely credited to Frank Romano, Professor Emeritus, School of Print Media, at the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology. Romano used the term as early as 1969 and saw it gain worldwide usage after its appearance in the 1999 book, Personalized and Database Printing, that he authored with David Broudy. O

Roland DG’s Versaworks platforms also offers VDP, allowing the user to merge ‘txt’ or ‘csv’ data fields with a predefined design template to output both variable text and graphic elements. Ideal for point-of-purchase displays, labels, name badges, plaques, menus, and other custom graphics, VersaWorks VDP allows the fast and easy production of a series of digital prints in incorporating text and/or graphics

differences from one print to the next.

Wasatch SoftRIP’s VDP Option helps streamline the production of customised print runs, such as labels, signs, promotional items, and more. SoftRIP’s solution can also be used to quickly customise large format signage or point-of-purchase printing, and can be integrated with the ‘Contour Cut-ting Option’ to create intricate contour cut labels. This system can even create individualised t-shirts and sports jerseys quickly when paired with a direct-to-textile printer or dye-sublimation workflow.

According to Wasatch, adding variable data customisation to the inkjet workflow is easy. Instantly create repeating or sequential values with SoftRIP’s Auto-Data feature or import data from a comma-delimited text file, or from any application that can produce a comma-delimited file. Variable data fields can then be customised with fonts, barcodes, QR codes, and data matrix codes, as well as a variety of sizing, colour, and effect features. The software can also automatically resize text and images with expand or shrink-to-fit bounding box options to ensure the best use of the available space, and to reduce ‘problem’ data issues, such as longer than average names or word combinations.

Industrial sizedSo, the marketscope is clear and so are the clever bits of wizardry that make it all work, but what of the new breed of presses and finishing equipment that are at the heart of the sector?

Taking inkjet and variable data to the ultra-high performance end of the scale and long-standing expertise comes in the shape of UK manufacturer Domino. With products capable of imaging inline at up to 2,600ft/min, the potential to keep pace with super fast newspaper web presses takes personalisation to yet another level. Devices such as the companies BitJet+ can also


be integrated with post-press equipment, and are capable of adding digital printing to all types of media–and all with no additional drying equipment.

Kodak Prosper: variable data by the million. This very clever system has created brand new and profitable revenue streams for printers that once thought their days were numbered

Kodak’s Prosper inkjet printing unit represents another high performance system. Installed on a significant number of Manroland web systems machines producing such titles as the Sun newspaper in UK and Bild in Germany, the unit is able to efficiently create variable data within static content. This might include such elements as marketing ads, individualised game or lottery numbers, variable QR codes, changing graphics, or text information—the potential is certainly huge. With a production speed of 15m/s, variable information can be imprinted with water-based pigment inks.

Fujifilm’s recently announced B2 sheet-fed digital inkjet press, the Jet Press 720S, utilises a variable data system for handling duplex requirements. Although it is a single sided machine, it is still able to print a barcode in the non-image area of every sheet immediately after the paper leaves the sheet feeder.

Once the first side has been printed, the sheets can be turned and loaded into the stacker again. The press reads the barcode on every sheet as it leaves the stacker and downloads the correct page information prior to printing the reverse, guaranteeing front and back page matching. This can all be achieved at the full press speed of 2,700 B2 sheets per hour.

The feature allows VDP and personalisation, but also means versioned applications are much easier to print, or that applications can be printed in page order to simplify print finishing or post-press logistics.

The post-press factorWhen we move into smaller format variable data work, post-press operations often come into the equation. With finishing comes the potential for total disaster in the whole process.

Specialised equipment is definitely called for when seeking integrity in production. The Eclipse enveloper inserter manufactured by KAS Paper Systems in Dunstable is marketed as a ‘closed loop’ mailing system. This new platform is also faster than previous iterations with more facilities for cameras, reporting, and integrity checking than previous systems. This last element is because KAS has some customers where the data integrity is absolutely critical to their products and services provision strategy.

We have systems capable of enveloping sophisticated multi-page personalised documents, with the ability to read various codes, including QR codes, in order to confirm the use of a personalised letter for the customer”

Steve Jarvis, UK sales manager for KAS Paper Systems, outlines the approach: “We have systems capable of enveloping sophisticated multi-page personalised documents, with the ability to read various codes, including QR codes, in order to confirm the use of a personalised letter for the customer. This can then, if needed, trip a number of additional insert stations to deliver extra elements into the mailing that are specific to that individual. An additional station could also incorporate a second personalised piece into the package. Finally, an exit camera can then confirm the finished pack has been sealed and completed.”

Products from the company are appealing to wide range of customers, from banks, building societies and mailing houses through to printers seeking to provide fulfilment facilities for their customers. The company also sells an entry-level Mailmaster Compact which has a small footprint for limited space installations, but can handle up to 5,000 envelopes an hour.

The Mailwrap polywrapper is a mid range automated machine, and it too can be customised. As an example, Resource Print Solutions specified one system with four insert stations, a hand-feed option, and an exit reading camera. Inserts are sequentially numbered with a 2D bar code. The document exit camera on the system checks that the correct documents are inserted into each pack. If there are any mismatches, the machine stops automatically allowing manual intervention to prevent an incorrect pack being assembled.

Essential accuracyThis absolute focus on accuracy an data integrity has led to a wave of new solutions coming onto the market. AMS is one of the latest company's to have launched technology to resolve previous production issues in the form of an intelligent mailing applications to help companies accurately send out mass personalised print campaigns.

Chief among these is its Codesort software, which can store variable data from barcodes and optical recognition marks. It essentially gives users the ability to perform

The Eclipse enveloper inserter manufactured by KAS Paper Systems is on the frontline of a new wave of finishing systems that is servicing a boom in demand for print products such as personalised direct mail


simple to complex code verification tasks, and when used in conjunction with a folder inserter machine, optical recognition cameras, and an envelope printer, the solutions are reportedly ‘endless’.

“For over 20 years AMS has been providing printing and mailing equipment, we have seen an increasing demand for custom-built solutions to highly personalised mailings, this is why we have created the new software range,” says Kevin McPheat, managing director of AMS. He continues: “As well as resolving many mail processing issues and enabling companies to comply with increasingly tough data protection requirements, they also give users cost-effective ways to fulfill large quantities of personalised mail. The new applications also allow ad

agencies and marketers to create more out-of-the-box, personalised direct mail campaigns.”

Enabling companies to comply with increasingly tough data protection requirements, they also give users cost-effective ways to fulfill large quantities of personalised mail”

One recent application showcases just how valuable this technology has now become in the face of demand for solutions that will give marketers that extra edge. Used for a leading insurance company’s direct mail campaign, the job included a personal message printed onto the outer envelope of each of their customer’s mailings relating to the vehicle they drive. Reading a 2D barcode through a window envelope, AMS’s application

allowed data to be read from the enclosed letter, so information, personal to the customer could be printed onto the outer envelope.

So, it seems the stars are aligned. Booming demand for products such as direct mail is in stark contrast to growing frustration with digital marketing. This trend is coupled with the latest software, press, and finishing technology that has improved accuracy, flexibility, and personalisation scope. The result is a true renaissance in a sector that was once discounted as on the verge of implosion, and so if you had not considered its merits until now, it is perhaps the perfect time to dust off those thinking caps. n

Courtesy : http://printmonthly.co.uk

The Madurai District Offset Printers Association (MADOPA), for the first time, is organising MADOPA Print 2020, a one-day conference on 20 December 2015, at the Gateway hotel, Pasumalai, Madurai.

According to the association, 250 printers from the South India print fraternity are expected to be in attendance at the conference.

The conference, with a consolidated goal of preparing for the future, will bring together the printers of Tamil Nadu and focus on the future of printing. Concurrently, six sessions with prominent speakers are scheduled.

On the day of conference, MADOPA w i l l g i ve a wa y s o u ve n i r s t o commemorate printers.

The MADOPA was established in 2011 with the goal to promote the latest technologies and share knowledge through seminar and conferences within the industry. The association has an elected body of 150 direct members from Tami Nadu.

On 29 July 2015, MADOPA had organised a condolence meeting to

pay tribute to the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

During the condolence meet all the members of the association paid their homage to the ‘Missile Man’ of India for his work on the development of launch in vehicle technology. The former President passed away doing what he did best, delivering a talk to young midst at the Indian Institute of Management campus in Shillong.

MADOPA Print 2020 conference in MaduraiIn the past, the association has conducted training programme, s e m i n a r s a n d w o r k s h o p s i n collaboration with Heidelberg, Autoprint and TechNova.

From the past three years, MADOPA has been printing monthly magazine titled, PrintNews. The magazine publishes information on printing professionals and graphic art industry.

Madurai, the third largest city and second largest Municipal Corporation in Tamil Nadu, has five four-colour secondhand presses. With more print programmes being organised in Madurai and in nearby districts, the power of print is bolstering. n

You never stop learning. If you have a teacher, you never stop being a student.

Elisabeth Rohm


X-Rite Releases Latest Cloud-Based ColorCert Solution for Printers, Converters

X-Rite Releases Latest Cloud-Based ColorCert Solution for Printers, Converters

X-Rite Inc., a global leader in color science and technology, and its subsidiary Pantone LLC, today announced the availability of a new version of ColorCert: X-Rite Edition, a cloud-based specifications management solution for easy exchange of color data in real time among brand owners, printers and packaging converters. Designed to improve productivity and quality, ColorCert is a modular job-based color workflow solution for creating color specifications and measuring performance against those specifications using a simple scoring method. It provides real-time statistical process control for defining, monitoring, and communicating color quality—across the plant or around the globe.

User Feedback“ColorCert gives us visibility into problems we were not aware we had, including with our ICC profiles, ink formulation and proofs,” said Vincent Whatley, the X-Rite coordinator responsible for the implementation of the project at UK-based Ultimate Packaging, that includes Asda, a Wal-Mart

them the flexibility to optimize all variables linked to print production for greater efficiency.

Support for X-Rite eXact ColorCert 2.6 extends Mac support to include the scanning option for the X-Rite eXact spectrophotometer, a next generat ion handheld color measurement solution. All stakeholders in the supply chain can now rely on X-Rite eXact as the common instrument of choice for measuring color in any mode across the ent ire workf low, including design and premedia where Mac is the de facto standard. L e ve r a g i n g C o l o r C e r t w i t h X-Rite eXact spectrophotometer provides customers with a power statistical process control solution that improves productivity and consistency in measurements throughout the complete color workflow.

Winczewski continued, “At X-Rite Pantone, we are committed to meeting the color management needs of our customers around the world. These ColorCert enhancements reflect that commitment, and give customers the most flexible yet powerful statistical process control solution in the market.” Its improved user interface and ease of use make ColorCert 2.6 attractive to printers and packaging converters of all sizes who wish to ensure the ultimate in production quality and efficiency.”

Immediately AvailableVersion 2.6 of ColorCert: X-Rite Edition is immediately available and is provided to all existing customer as part of their subscription agreement.

About X-RiteFounded in 1958, X-Rite Inc. is a global leader in color science and technology.

With its wholly-owned subsidiary Pantone, X-Rite employs more than 800 people in 11 countries.

company, in its customer base. “With the data we gather using ColorCert, we have learned a great deal about repeatability, as well as hitting the scores and ICC targets through matching conditions of fingerprinting. It has also helped us work out how variables such as heat, viscosity and temperature were affecting our outcomes.” Since implementing ColorCert, Ultimate Packaging has seen a 200 percent improvement in its ColorCert scores.

ColorCert 2.6: The Details“ColorCert 2.6 includes a range of new features that give printers and packaging converters more flexibility,” noted Christopher Winczewski, vice president of product marketing for X-Rite. “It now incorporates a simple wizard-driven job setup that minimizes job creation time and allows operators to make last-minute changes at any point in the print process based on standard templates within the ColorCert Pressroom. Users get the benefit of a faster process without sacrificing the end-to-end color quality they depend on with ColorCert.”

To help printers optimize job set-up even further, ColorCert 2.6 has now provides two ways for users to populate job information; an interface to MIS systems or using PDF fields from supplied artwork. Either option supports a more efficient print operation, speeding jobs through production with less opportunity for error.

ColorCert 2.6 also now lets users define multiple combinations of settings within a job. For example, operators can use different substrate and tolerance settings for make-ready versus the controlled settings for “sellable” production. This gives


T h e c o m p a n y ’ s c o r p o r a t e headquarters are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with regional headquarters in Europe and Asia and service centers across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. X-Rite Pantone offers a full range of color management solutions used by manufacturers, retailers, printers, photographers and graphic design houses to achieve precise management and communication of color throughout their processes. X-Rite Pantone products and services are recognized standards in the printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles and medical industries.

About Pantone

Pantone LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite Inc., has been the world’s color authority for nearly 50 years, providing design professionals with products and services for the colorful exploration and expression of creativity. Always a source for color inspiration, Pantone also offers paint and designer-inspired products and services for consumers. n

Source: X-Rite

Pantone’s New Extended Gamut Guide Closes Gap Between CMYK, Spot Color

The Pantone Plus Series Extended Gamut Coated Guide is a new resource for brand owners, designers, prepress professionals and printers.

Pantone, an X-Rite company and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, has introduced the Pantone Plus Series Extended Gamut Coated Guide, a new guide for brand owners , designers , prepress p r o f e s s i o n a l s a n d p r i n t e r s , developed in partnership with Esko, the global supplier of innovative printing solutions and packaging software, and DISC Graphics, an award-winning creative packaging printer.

The Pantone Plus Series Extended Gamut Coated Guide is a visual, seven-color printing simulation of the 1,729 existing Pantone Matching System Colors. Printed with an extremely high-quality, seven-color printing process, the Pantone Extended Gamut Coated Guide uses existing Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK) inks, plus commonly used Orange, Green and Violet (OGV) inks that ‘extend’ the color gamut significantly. Extended Gamut printing, also referred to as fixed color palette printing, is increasingly employed in the packaging industry as there are frequently multiple brand colors per

project, but shorter run lengths—an environment where use of spot color can be time-consuming and costly. Pantone’s new guide will allow designers and printers to achieve approximately 90 percent of all Pantone Matching System spot colors.

“Pantone is excited to embrace the emergence of extended gamut printing in a rapidly changing printing and packaging landscape. In concert with industry partners Esko and DISC Graphics, we have developed an essential tool for designers to assess which printing method best enables them to achieve their brand colors, while recognizing the efficiency of process printing versus reliance on spot colors,” said Ron Potesky, senior vice president and general manager of Pantone.

The guide is a visual, seven-color printing simulation of the 1,729 existing Pantone Matching System Colors.

When developing the Extended Gamut Guide, Pantone utilized Esko’s Equinox software to accurately translate Pantone Matching System spot colors into extended gamut formulations. These seven-color


process recipes allow not only for closer spot color matching accuracy but also less downtime and faster turnaround times on press. This also amounts to savings for printers who can take advantage of a reduced ink inventory.

“Pantone is the international language of color and Esko was thrilled to work together on the Pantone Extended Gamut Coated Guide that was thoughtfully reproduced to fit the needs of the industry,” relayed Philippe Adam, vice president of marketing for Esko. “When designers specify colors using the Pantone Extended Gamut Coated Guide, they are increasing the flexibility around press time, turnaround time, budget and overall productivity in the printing and packaging process.”

DISC Graphics, a recognized packaging industry leader, printed the Pantone Extended Gamut Coated Guide. “Having the opportunity to work with Pantone on its Extended Gamut Guide has been an extraordinary experience and an honor for DISC. This book will make it possible for any capable quality printer (with seven- or eight-color

The guide is a visual, seven-color printing simulation of the 1,729 existing Pantone Matching System Colors.

presses) currently running PMS colors to convert them to a standard seven-color process printing,” said Margaret Krumholz, president and director of DISC Graphics. “For DISC, this will reduce the need for wash-ups and changeovers, streamlining our production and reducing both paper waste and time, simultaneously making us more efficient and our customers cost competitive—a win/win.”

Each page of the Pantone Extended Gamut Coated Guide has been repl icated and numbered to mirror that of the current Pantone Plus Series Formula Guide, so a designer or printer can quickly and easily compare the original spot colors to the new extended gamut reproductions.

The Pantone Extended Gamut Coated Guide includes:

1 ,729 seven-color process simulations of Pantone Formula Guide

Solid Coated Colors on coated stock

Closest seven-color process match with sRGB* values

Screen tint percentages displayed as viewed under D50 lighting (5000° K)

Colors bleed off page edges for ease and accuracy when comparison checking

Portable fan guide format

Most commonly used, 100-lb. text-weight paper stock

Pantone Color Manager Software for updating Pantone Colors in popular design applications

Color locator index

Each color identified with a distinct Pantone Extended Gamut Coated (XGC) Number and/or name

* the “s” in sRGB denotes Standard RGB

Pricing and AvailabilityThe Pantone Extended Gamut C o a t e d G u i d e i s a va i l a b l e immediately and can be purchased at an MSRP of $145.00 from the Pantone website at www.pantone.com extended-gamut and through Pantone resellers worldwide.

About Pantone and the Pantone Color InstitutePantone LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite Inc., is the global color authority and provider of professional color standards for the design industries. Pantone products have encouraged colorful exploration and expressions of creativity from inspiration to implementation for more than 50 years. Through the Pantone Color Institute, Pantone continues to chart future color direction and study how color influences h u m a n t h o u g h t p r o c e s s e s , emotions and physical reactions. Pantone furthers its commitment to providing professionals with a greater understanding of color and to help them utilize color more effectively. Always a source for color inspiration, Pantone also offers designer-inspired products and services for consumers.

About X-RiteX-Rite Inc. is the global leader in color science and technology. The company, which now includes color industry leader Pantone, develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services. X-Rite’s expertise in inspiring, selecting, measuring, formulating, communicating and matching color helps users get color right the first time and every time, which translates to better quality and reduced costs. X-Rite serves a range of industries, including printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles, dental and medical.


About ESKO Esko is a global supplier of integrated solutions for the packaging and labels, sign and display, commercial printing and publishing industries. Esko products and services drive profitability in the packaging and printing supply chain by reducing t i m e - t o - m a r k e t a n d r a i s i n g productivity.

About DISC GraphicsDISC is a leading producer of specialty packaging solutions for the beauty, healthcare, private label, entertainment media and consumer product industries. Headquartered in Hauppauge, New York, DISC is a privately held company whose facilities are located in California, New Jersey, Iowa and New York. The company offers a broad range of advanced capabilities for prepress and design services, digital, flexo and offset printing, and finishing and converting for paperboard, plastic and mini-flute corrugate packaging, as well as pressure-sensitive labels. n

Source: www.piworld.com

Production inkjet held center stage at Graph Expo 2015, proving that has gone mainstream. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne looks at some of the announcements and the North American debuts for this game-changing technology.The last two drupas have been dubbed “inkjet drupas,” and as can happen with drupa, the initial unveiling of production inkjet presses in 2008 was ahead of the market. But not anymore. Actually, we are into the third generation of these presses, and they have come a long way. I challenge any of our readers to complain about the quality from any of these presses, and the speed … well, it competes with offset. The other big change over the last year or so is the ability to print on a wider range of substrates, both treated and untreated, and the price of substrates has come down as consumption volumes have increased. All of this adds up to enough critical mass that two manufacturers – Canon and HP – have established user group communities dedicated to production inkjet, thINK and Jetcomm, respectively.

Many of the products that were announced or teased at drupa 2012 are now installed in customer sites, or soon will be. Others are well on their way. Be sure to review WhatTheyThink articles by David Zwang for the technical details. Not all of the presses were on display at Graph Expo, but they were certainly being talked about. And sheetfed inkjet is coming into its own. Research firm InfoTrends predicts that by 2019, 55% of all production inkjet unit sales will be sheetfed, a startling prediction considering that we are starting at nearly zero now.

• Canon has been busy, with arguably the largest number of new production inkjet products in the industry. In addition to the Océ ImageStream 3500 announced in May of last year, our readers will remember that the company introduced the Océ ImageStream 2400 last February at Hunkeler Innovationdays. These were its

Inkjet On Fire at Graph Expo 2015

first full-color presses in the Océ inkjet product line to be able to print on offset coated paper stocks. Also announced at that time was the naming of the Canon VarioPrint i300 (formerly known as Niagara), recipient of the prestigious 2015 PIA InterTech Technology Award, the first of the new generation sheetfed inkjet presses. We had the opportunity to see both of these in operation last June at IWCO Direct. While the VarioPrint i300 was not shown at Graph Expo, it was unveiled publically for the first time at the Canon Expo in New York the week before. Also shown at the Canon Expo and at Graph Expo was the new Océ ColorStream 3000 Z. Originally designed for the space-constrained Japanese market, this slimmer version of the ColorStream 3000 is now available in North America.

• HP was tout ing i t s next -generation High Density Network Architecture (HDNA) heads, available as an upgrade to existing HP production inkjet presses sometime next year, and shipping with new presses at that time. I expect to see these in action on an upcoming visit to HP in Corvallis OR. The company also rebranded its HP Color Inkjet Web presses to HP PageWide Web presses. PageWide will be a common branding across office, enterprise, large format and production products in the world of inkjet. The company also announced two new presses, adding to its expanding production inkjet portfolio and featuring HDNA:

World Teacher’s Day has been celebrated on October 5, every year since 1994 to promote and create conscience of the importance educators have in the future of every generation. This day is observed worldwide to show appreciation and highlight the many contributions of the teaching profession. Many famous writers, researchers, artists, etc… have stated that we all have at least one teacher who changes our lives. Here are a few famous quotes to celebrate these inspiring mentors on their day:

“Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges.”

Joyce Meyer.


the T470HD and the T480HD, with speeds of up to 800 fpm (a 33% increase in throughput), and an upgrade path that includes a variety of quality, speed and drying options. These presses will be shown at drupa 2016 and will feature duplex priming for the ability to print on standard offset coated stocks. HP is also aggressively going after the packaging segment with inkjet, adding the T1100S targeting flexo printing and likely to be used in centralized locations, to the already-announced T400S targeting offset printing on corrugated topliner and suited for distributed production locations.

• Kodak’s PROSPER 6000, also a recipient of the 2015 PIA InterTech Technology Award (Kodak has been recognized with 40 of these prestigious awards over its history!), is also generating a great deal of interest, running at up to 1,000 fpm with the commercial version able to run on glossy offset stocks and produce an offset-type finish running at 650 fpm. Our readers will recall that Kodak produced 2,400 copies of

Dr. Joe Webb’s book, This Point Forward, for Graph Expo last year in two versions and 90 minutes. The company has announced several installs worldwide as it rolls the press out commercially.

• Komori is upping its inkjet game as well. We don’t usually think about Komori and inkjet together, but the company has been involved in inkjet R&D for many years, “waiting for the technology to catch up with our reliability and quality requirement,” according to Jacki Hudmon, Senior Vice President of Sales. The company has partnered with Konica Minolta in the development of the Impremia IS29 sheetfed inkjet press (branded the KM-1 when

sold by Konica Minolta), and announced that direct marketing solutions provider SG360° will be its beta site. And now Komori has stepped deeper into the fray with its announcement of a merger of its sales force with that of Screen Americas, adding Screen’s new Truepress Jet520HD web press to the mix. We understand that the Impremia web press is also still on track, giving the company access to a broad range of solutions. Screen Americas leverages Komori’s market footprint and strong customer base, while Komori is able to access the digital and solution selling expertise at Screen.

• Pitney Bowes was showing the new AcceleJet, a roll-to-sheet solution with a small footprint, targeted at printers and mailers that generate 4 to 10 million transactional or direct mail printing impressions per month. The roll-to-sheet approach and small footprint (25.3 feet in the case of the AcceleJet) offer an easier transition for sheetfed printers than migration to a full

roll-to-roll workflow. Its 1200 dpi perceived resolution, lower entry price (well under $1 million) and speed of up to 246 fpm (75 m/min) will be attractive to printers and mailers who depend upon Pitney Bowes’ expertise in the world of mail.

• Ricoh updated i ts l ine of production inkjet printers last year with the Ricoh Pro VC60000, printing at 50 m/min at a native 1200x1200 dpi resolution. This

press has begun to get some traction in the marketplace, with several installations announced worldwide. Its front end uses the Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE) in addition to some of its own core technology to support legacy

AFP/IPDS formats, in alignment with its IBM heritage.

• Xerox used Graph Expo as its North American debut of the Xerox Rialto 900, based on the Impika technology the company acquired out of France. The Rialto

900 was the first product out of this merger that reflected Xerox trade dress and was first shown at Hunkeler Innovationdays. It has an amazingly small footprint, probably the smallest on the market, and packs roll-to-sheet production into a compact package. It is a narrow web (9.84 inches/250 mm) and enables market entry at a lower price point. Samples coming off the press at Graph Expo were stunning.

Production inkjet is truly on fire and Graph Expo was a great demonstration of that. I encourage our readers (especially those from North America) to head to Dusseldorf next May, where you will be able to see all of these products and more, all in one place. I say especially North America because we don’t typically have a very big attendance at drupa. I don’t think you are going to want to miss drupa 2016, especially if production inkjet investments are in your future. We’ll see you there! n

Source: http://whattheythink.com


Esko Introduces HD Letterpress to Increase Store Shelf Impact of Metal and Plastic Cans

New technology for steel-back platemaking overcomes dry offset printing challenges. First worldwide demonstration at Labelexpo Europe

Esko (www.esko.com) has extended the application of its award-winning HD technology with the introduction of HD Letterpress, a plate imaging technology for metal-backed plates. The new technology allows brands to print plastic and metal packaging such as for example beverage or aerosol cans with a wider tonal range, along with a significant increase of detail and improved productivity.

"If your can does not stand out in the store because it does not look good, your investment in product development and packaging design is largely wasted because consumers make their final buying decision mostly at the point of sale," says Thomas Klein, VP Hardware Business at Esko. "That is why Esko developed HD Letterpress, which utilizes Esko’s HD technology that is adopted by more than a thousand flexo platemaking facilities around the world. The primary difference is that a special digital Inline UV curing system was developed for steel-back platemaking, and that the Esko CDI imager is delivered with a magnetic drum."

Applications like metal cans and plastic tubes are often printed on dry offset presses. Dry offset printing for conical/cylindrical packaging however brings some unique challenges when it comes to achieving the highest print quality. Unlike any other print process, dry offset places multiple inks, ‘wet-on-wet’, on a common blanket. That image is then transferred to the packaging to be decorated. “The ‘wet-on-wet’ ink transfer presents several printing problems that must be properly addressed for a job to look and run well. Smooth highlights and clear fine lines or

negative text – large and small – have been a problem to achieve in the past. With HD Letterpress, Esko is extending its HD concept of higher quality, in order to resolve some of these issues”, explains Klein.

Digital Inline UV head at the center of innovation The technical innovations of HD Letterpress platemaking are the digital Inline UV head with a directed UV LED light source and 4000 dpi high-resolution imaging.

Digital Inline UV plate exposure via UV LEDs assures imaging quality is consistent throughout the entire plate because each portion of the plate receives the same amount of UV light. By engineering the UV light output to the characteristics of the steel backed polymer plates, HD Letterpress allows steeper shoulders of the printed dots – ensuring much finer highlights and truly smooth vignettes in print. Because the UV exposure is now integrated within the imager rather than on an external light table, any waste due to dust, finger prints or daylight exposure is eliminated.

The 4000 dpi high-resolution imaging optics offers three times more pixel data than with standard 2540 dpi resolution. Thanks to this improvement, the printed image is more precise with sharper lines and has easier to read positive and reverse text. Screening dots are more clearly defined and better shaped because they are built with more pixels. HD Letterpress delivers much finer highlights with smooth gradients over the whole tonal scale, without any stepping. Because it delivers highly improved image quality and detail sharpness

compared to standard imaging, it helps a brand to stand out on the shelf.

Increasing production and reliability Apart from the much improved image and plate quality, the Esko HD Letterpress system also offers high productivity and reliability throughout the entire production process. The HD Letterpress CDI is up to six times faster than traditional direct laser engraving technologies when it comes to imaging and exposure. This makes it one of the most efficient and highly productive processes currently available on the market. It also comes without the environmental issues of removing significant residue, additional space requirements and costs.

Additionally, in the pressroom ink transfer is dramatically improved, so press operators don’t have to wash out plates as often as when using standard plates. The printer/converter receives highly consistent plates, from image to image and plate to plate.

“Esko HD Flexo has revolutionized the way flexographic printing is seen in the packaging marketplace,” concludes Klein. “In the same way, HD Letterpress will dramatically improve dry offset printing. It will make life easy for brand owners and print buyers without compromising on quality. And, because it is field upgradeable for those who already own an Esko CDI Letterpress imager with magnetic drum, it does not necessarily require a significant capital equipment investment. For anyone who requires competitive, high quality printing with greater productivity and easier use, Esko HD Letterpress offers the answer.”

About Esko (www.esko.com) Esko is a global supplier of integrated solutions for the packaging and labels, sign and display, commercial printing and publishing industries. Esko products and services drive profitability in the packaging and printing supply chain by reducing time-to-market and raising productivity.


Neenah Introduces Five Creative Packaging Ideas for Building a Brand’s Character

At first glance it looks like a cool shopping bag from an avant-garde fashion brand, but it’s actually the new Neenah Character promotion. The sleek and mysterious carry case with “pick me up” appeal houses five different creative packaging samples that showcase a multitude of Neenah’s premium packaging papers and printing techniques.

The promotion, designed by Design Army, is the third in a series of three-dimensional Neenah promotions that focus on brand packaging. “We want people to think of paper as more than just paper — it’s a versatile material, just like fabric or metal, and it can have a 3D form,” said Pum Lefebure, Design Army’s Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer.

The outer carry case, constructed of a combination of NEENAH® Folding Board, and SO…SILK® Papers, uses a deep, full emboss and foil stamping to create an elegant, yet sturdy structure.

Design Army developed brand characters for each of the five samples found inside the case — each representing different demographics and branches of the retail industry, with a compelling and useful look at “who are they?” and “what hooks them?” According to Lefebure, “The content is trend-

driven, but these are long-term trends that will affect retailers for years to come.”

MEET THE CHARACTERSThe Digi-Generation: Plastic is out, paper is in — especially when paper can look this cool. Meet the gift card for the world’s next digital music mammoth, BOOM. A folded, embossed, debossed and foil stamped sleeve houses three, printed, paper gift cards that look like cassette tapes with redemption codes for digital songs; a subtle wink to mixtape culture. The cards are produced on NEENAH IMAGEMAX™ Card and NEENAH DURAMAX™ Card. Be sure to check out the API Holo Foil Revolution + Blind Emboss on Cassette 2.

The New Shopaholic: On the cutting edge of style and social networking, with disposable income to boot, this millennial market is primed for packaging that replicates the sensation of luxury outside the retail environment. SO…SILK® Papers with tone-on-tone foil stamping on luscious hangtags that evoke the feeling of high-end lingerie conjures ‘40s screen sirens. Ooh la la, indeed.

The Artisan Crafters: Reared on cooking shows and food blogs, today’s at-home cooks are hungry for ingredients with integrity, and sourced close to home. And not all labels are created equal, marrying craftsmanship and creativity are the two things that matter most to Artisan Crafters — die-cut labels and artful type can blend “artisanal” and “authentic” in a masterful recipe for irresistible results. NEENAH® Folding Board, Deep Black creates three bottles that showcase labels for craft tequila, wine and olive oil on ESTATE LABEL® and BELLA LABEL® Papers.

The Savvy Socials: Devoted to cultivating their online personas alongside their real-life personalities, these image-conscious consumers are quick to sniff out products and brands that feel inauthentic. Capture this dynamic demographic with packaging that speaks in their voice and reflects them at their best. An iridescent digital printing paper like STARDREAM® Papers in Crystal, with silver and pink foil, catches the eye of even the most device-addicted shopper, and the combination of elegant finish and shine invites a tantalizing touch.

The Eco Evangelizers: Sustainability has never been so stylish or sleek, and an eco-friendly iteration of practically every product is simply a click away. To connect with consumers that truly care about their footprint — and are compelled to share their experiences on social media — brands should look to sustainable packaging with a second life. How about a light bulb box that doubles as a lampshade. This minimalist pairing of recycled NEENAH® Folding Board and ENVIRONMENT® Papers with white ink feels as stylish as it is sustainable.

“Neenah is always striving to inspire designers by introducing new papers, new techniques, and new ideas. We hope the Neenah Character promotion helps designers think about paper differently, consider paper as a possible driver in design, because often times a customer’s first introduction to the brand is through paper, when they pick up the package, hold it and interact with it,” said Jamie Saunders, Marketing Communications Manager, Fine Paper and Packaging, Neenah Paper. n

Courtesy : whattheythink.com

The new Neenah Character promotion shows how packaging with unique, premium paper can extend a company’s branding.

“Teachers, I believe, are the most

responsible and important members

of society because their professional

efforts affect the fate of the earth.”

Helen Caldicott


Xeikon’s Fusion Technology is “a new concept that br ings closer to reality, fully automated, unattended label and packaging production from customer order to delivery.” Fusion combines full-colour production printing with digital embellishment of labels and packaging in a single, one-pass and fully digital production process. The OEM added that Fusion will consist of a series of embellishment modules released over time that are not just put inline with the press, but are components of an entirely new modular system – with the digital front-end taking care of pre-press, data processing, colour management and press operation as well as full control and operation of all embellishment modules without manual intervention. Potential digital embellishment modules include hot and cold foiling, screen prints, matte, gloss and structured flood and spot varnish, and a digital braille module.

“As part of our mission to be a leader in the analogue-to-digital conversion in the world of labels and packaging, we’re excited to be sharing this new concept with the industry,” said Wim Maes, Xeikon CEO. “Our Fusion Technology will offer converters the true flexibility to produce virtually

any label or package on demand. It will make instant re-runs of previous jobs easy, since all necessary parameters are in a single digital file. More importantly, c o n v e r t e r s w i l l n o l o n g e r n e e d to invest in offline e m b e l l i s h m e n t solutions, nor will they incur the time delays and potential

for errors inherent in both offline and manual processes. We’re looking forward to having a dialogue with printers and converters moving into the future as we continue to develop Fusion Technology so that we can ensure it hits the mark regarding what the industry wants and needs – solutions to handle more SKU’s, increasingly complex jobs, shorter runs and faster turnaround times.”

The concept and how it worksThe goal of Fusion Technology, said Xeikon, is seamless, end-to-end production of labels and packaging that requires high quality, fast turnaround, possibly variable data and any enhancements that increase a brand’s shelf appeal – in other words, the high-end label and packaging markets. With Fusion Technology, a print job containing multiple channels defining each aspect of production is dropped into a hot folder and RIP’ed, after which the different channels are sent to the relevant modules including the press – all without manual intervention! Because every embellishment module is digital, every single design element can be made variable or personalized, which opens up enormous opportunities for new applications. Depending

on the requirements, these digital embellishment modules can be positioned before and/or after the Xeikon digital five-colour press. The resulting configuration produces a digitally printed and embellished label or package in one single pass.

xeikonfusion2-inT h e c o r n e r s t o n e o f t h i s “breakthrough” concept is Xeikon’s dry toner electrophotographic five-colour printing press for the high-end label and packaging market, since it “easily matches offset and flexo benchmark quality.” Xeikon added that its application-formulated dry toners have been specially developed to meet the requirements of this market in terms of print quality, colour gamut and accuracy, light fastness, food safety and brand protection. The Xeikon X-800, its in-house-developed digital front-end, ensures a seamlessly automated digital printing workflow while enabling integration with existing workflows and any market-leading, third-party applications – such as design packages, web-to-print applications and MIS.

“ We ’r e d e v e l o p i n g F u s i o n Technology to address what we see as a critical, emerging need in the labels and packaging market,” Maes added. “Our initial focus will be on self-adhesive labels where we project significant growth in demand for short-run, high-end labels – especially for luxury goods such as cosmetics, wine and spirits and confectionary – or for products like pharmaceuticals where these embellishments can also be used in counterfeit prevention. Building a recognizable brand and protecting it is one thing; trying to win share of mind and wallet in a fiercely competitive and increasingly information-cluttered environment is another. We believe Fusion Technology will be a key driver in the future that will help to accomplish both.” n

Xeikon announces Fusion Technology for fully automated digital labels and packaging production

Xeikon conducted initial demonstrations of the new technology recently at Labelexpo Europe in Brussels, Belgium.

Published by B. G. Kukillaya on behalf of The Printing Technologists Forum from No. 2 Venu Reddy Street, Guindy Chennai 600 032 & Designed by R.Venkatasubramanian at Industrial Prints, 23 Second Cross Street, Trustpuram, Chennai 600 024 Edited by P. Chellappan

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