A heads-up to those of you involved in the retail display sector that the Popai Awards 2024 are now open for entry. The final deadline is 26 April, with the winners being announced on 1 October with the usual gala fanfare.
Editor's Blog
How do we do this?
The amount of red flags I’m currently getting regarding owners/directors of companies acting unscrupulously - if not illegally - is worrying. So what can the industry do about it? Is there a way of co-funding a centralised ‘investigation team’ that can collate information from multiple sources on companies/people of concern and deal with the outcomes as necessary? There must be a way…
Is speed of the essence?
Are you looking for still faster wide- and superwide-format printers? I ask on the back of Agfa’s latest introduction, the Anapurna H3200, which it says is up to 70% faster than its predecessor. Do you have the volumes to necessitate such workhorses? Wondering if printer speeds are still a real pain point? I'm just going to press with the February issue, in which we ask a handful of print chiefs for their wishlist of technical developments. Speed doesn't feature. No doubt it's a horses for courses kind of situation - so where are you finding increased speeds of the essence?
Be prepared
Entry to The Printing Charity’s Rising Star Awards 2024 opens in a week’s time - Monday 29 January. Applicants have until Friday 5 April to apply but if you have youngsters working for you I’d urge you to get them started on their application now. In case this annual financial awards scheme has passed you by, it provides up to £1,500 for emerging talent working in print, paper, packaging, publishing and graphics to invest in personal skills development and training.
On the up
Inflation and interest rates are still expected to fall this year, despite recent news that the inflation rate rose unexpectedly to 4% in December. Is that expectation impacting your strategic thinking?
Working with white
Following on from my last newsletter comment about the use of white ink in the wide-format inkjet print space, those of you wanting more info might be interested in this - a free webinar from HP on the benefits of working with its Latex white ink. It takes place at 10am this coming Thursday, 18 January.
The white stuff
White ink - do you use much of it? Epson’s introduction of an entry-level direct-to-garment printer with white ink capability just got me pondering. How much white ink is now used in the large-format digital inkjet sector here in the UK? Not that long ago it was a niche offering, but now?
Print and prosecco
I was checking out print events to update my 2024 calendar when I came across a ‘Print and Prosecco Night: Lino Printmaking’, a workshop on 25 Jan at Lavender Leonardos art school in London apparently. Just in case you need more fizz….. and think you can get away with this as a ‘work event’. Welcome to a new year all!
Happy Christmas
Here’s hoping you all have a wonderful festive break and return re-energised as the show season will be upon us before we know it - fast-track entry to SDUK 2024 (25-27 February) is already open! Wishing you all you wish yourselves. Happy days.
Show and tell
As we draw towards the end of 2023 I’d love to hear from you on what you consider your most ‘creative’ job of the year - and why. What has pushed you to develop new techniques when it comes to the options you can now offer? Looking forward to getting your feedback - with pictures where possible!
In search of facts and figures
Last Friday BPIF members joined German Sacristan, group director and principal analyst at Keypoint Intelligence, for the findings of research project ‘Print Buyers Purchasing Trends’. The findings were interesting, but not particularly relevant to the large-format print sector. Are there specific figures you’d like to get your eyes on?
Pantone peach brings peace and love
So, the Pantone colour for 2024 is 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, ‘a velvety, gentle peach whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and heart, bringing a feeling of tenderness and communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration’. Let’s hope for plenty of that in the new year!
A bit of Christmas cheer
A reminder that the BPIF led annual ‘Carols for Printers’ service will take place at 6pm at St Bride’s Church in Fleet Street, London, next Wednesday (13 December) so get along it you want to make merry - there’ll be mulled wine and nibbles afterwards.
Taking inspiration
OK, so COP 28 is in full swing. With that in mind, how do you think we can better come together to discuss the environmental impacts of the print industry as a whole, and work out a cohesive strategy for the future?