Features

How do printers need to talk to marketers and creatives to build better business opportunities? That's the question I put to Charlotte Graham-Cumming, director of Ice Blue Sky, a fast-growing B2B marketing communications agency. In her own words, the company “acts as a conduit between the printer and their customers”, so she’s well placed to share some valuable insights.

In this series of reports on what vendors are doing to help educate creative and other potential users of wide-format print we talk to Martin Johns, Market Development Manager, Prographics, Epson UK.

Promoting the many creative applications of digital large-format printing technology to creative and interior designers - as well as the general public - is a major element of Epson’s PR and marketing activities. The intention is not only to generate demand for digitally produced print but to inspire creatives to consider buying their own large-format print equipment.

Will you be heading to Birmingham for sign and digital UK this year? If so, here’s what you can expect to see and hear.

Nessan Cleary tests the latest Colorpainter, a production machine that delivers good image quality at reasonably fast speeds.

The ColorPainter M-64S, developed by Seiko InfoTech, was launched at last summer's Fespa show in London but only started shipping in the UK from the end of 2013. The M- series fills out the ColorPainter range nicely, sitting just below the top of the range H2 series but being faster than the entry-level W-series.

This year the NEC will again host the industry’s leading trade exhibition for the sign making, display solutions and digital printing industry, when Sign & Digital UK opens its doors from 29 April to 1 May.

Small businesses can win up to £25,000 each to explore digital innovations in data, as part of a new contest backed by IC tomorrow, part of the Technology Strategy Board.

Printing flooring offers huge scope – but not just for printers. Flooring specialists too can see opportunities and are getting in on the act, so are there lessons you can learn from them?

Twenty years after it was founded, German-based laminate flooring business Falquon has been revitalised by a management team with an innovative business model that revolves around the purchase of an Océ Arizona UV flatbed printer from Canon.

Solvent inkjet has been around for many years but latex is gaining ever more traction, so which is the best choice? Nessan Cleary investigates.

On the face of it latex and solvent printers appeal to the same people – those using flexible roll-fed materials for banners, posters, general display signage and vehicle graphics. There’s a lot of overlap between the two technologies, which offer similar levels of performance in terms of image quality and outdoor performance. So, how to choose between them?

The St Bride Foundation is well known in print circles. Based behind the church of St Bride at the bottom of Fleet Street, it has been synonymous with the industry since it was founded in 1891. It’s aim then was to provide a social and cultural centre for local people, with emphasis for those in the printing and associated trades. Over the years it became well known for its printing school, library and archives, but is it all about the past? Does it have a valuable role to play in print’s future too?

Image Reports editor, Lesley Simpson, asked chief executive Glyn Farrow about the foundation’s current remit.

For every roll of inkjet media you buy CMA imaging will plant/protect a tree in Peru as part ofthis little-known initiative.

Just over a year ago Ilford Imaging acquired CMA Graphix, a provider of colour management solutions and of inkjet papers across Europe and America. Following Ilford’s financial meltdown the company is again operating – as CMA Imaging – and as an independent business. And, in collaboration with Reforest’Action, it is pledging to plant/protect a tree in Peru for each roll of inkjet media sold.

When it comes to wide-format inkjet at IPEX it’s all about getting the technology in front of potential new investors from the commericial print sector, but it’s worth looking at the talks programme.

Image Reports speaks to Andy Walls, director, Dalesflex Signs and Graphics.