Ricky Richards raise funds for the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.

The Ricky tradition continues this year as they give thought to those less fortunate and support the community around them. On December 7 Ricky Richards will once again raise funds to support the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick and help sick kids just like Marguerite pictured below. On this day Ricky will donate a percentage of all sales to the hospital’s greatest area of need.

For 19 years Ricky has worked together with their customers to raise substantial funds which have supported sick children and their families while they are in hospital.

If you would like to read Marguerite’s story go to: www.rickyrichards.com.au/marguerite-story/

And remember if you would like to help raise funds on December 7, call the Ricky Richards sales experts on 02 9735 3333 and place an order.

Rotocontrol appoints agent in Australia and New Zealand

Rotocontrol has signed Maxteq Pty Ltd as local representative in Australia and New Zealand for its suite of finishing machines providing label inspection, slitting, rewinding, diecutting, overprinting, digital and booklet printed labels. The agreement was finalized after Andrew Maxwell, technical director of Maxteq visited the Rotocontrol stand at Labelexpo Americas to evaluate the company's latest in label finishing technology.

"I was impressed with Rotocontrol's live demonstrations on three of their label finishing solutions during Labelexpo Americas," says Maxwell. "Their proven German engineering in highly customized machines, along with a strong backing in manufacturing expertise by their parent company EMT, has proven successful at an international level. There is a strong market here for Rotocontrol in Australia and New Zealand."

Maxteq is an Australian-based print trade house representing international manufacturers of quality printing presses, finishing and print machinery, as well as printing consumables. Their customers range from the small boutique companies to large international corporations. According to Maxteq, it prides itself on being representative and suppliers of the highest quality products, from the smallest chamber seal to full scale printing presses.
  
Featured on Rotocontrol's stand during Labelexpo Americas was the DT-Series 340 for advanced finishing of digitally preprinted label rolls, the FC-Series 540 fully-automatic turret for rewinding of pressure sensitive self-adhesive labels, and the RSC-Series 440 high-performance, compact, robust label slitter/rewinder.

GERBER TECHNOLOGY ACQUIRES MCT DIGITAL

Gerber Technology announced recently that it has acquired MCT Digital, adding modular laser cutting technology to their existing industrial strength finishing solution hardware and software portfolio. 

The addition of MCT’s high-end large format cutting builds on Gerber’s heritage in the sign & graphics and packaging industries, as well as giving Gerber a key technology platform to serve its industrial markets.

MCT and Gerber are both recognised as pioneers providing integrated software and hardware solutions. Their track records of 30 and 50 years respectively have delivered innovative technologies that have transformed the way their customers work. Gerber invented automated cutting in 1968 and the company continues to create the world’s most integrated design and production ecosystem of hardware and software in the apparel, home and leisure, and transportation markets.
Gerber also revolutionised the way vinyl was designed and cut in the sign and graphics space with the introduction of OMEGA™ software and GERBER EDGE® thermal transfer printer. 

Likewise, Steen Mikkelsen, CEO of MCT Digital, was directly responsible for the introduction of today’s print-to-cut workflow in the sign & graphics and packaging industries with his development of the i-cut® software. 

In 2016, MCT launched their current cutting system including proprietary laser cutting technology, winning product of the year at that year’s SGIA.
“The product leadership, engineering and technical knowledge of these two companies creates countless opportunities to help our customers improve their productivity, streamline their workflows and improve overall efficiency,” said Scott Schinlever, president and chief operating officer, Automation Solutions for Gerber Technology.

Gerber’s financial strength, global service and support network and long-standing customer relationships, coupled with MCT’s portfolio of print-to cut software and finishing technology, has the company well positioned to empower their customers in the many markets it serves, and to also position them to fully exploit high-speed digital printing which continues to change many industries.

“We are very excited about combining our technology platform with Gerber’s global scale to drive growth,” said Nik Mikkelson, founder, and CTO, MCT Digital. 

“The passion, focus and culture of our two companies are very well aligned and will maintain the same standard of excellence our customers expect, and our employees’ deliver.”

The beginning of 2018 saw an expansion in HVG Graphics Media’s extensive media portfolio, adding hardware to their range in partnering with MCT Digital to enable a holistic approach to meet market demand for a single supply model.

 “We welcome the acquisition and have seen first-hand the market excitement generated by combining MCT and Gerber Technology - two established and trusted brands, “says Adrian Morris, HVG Graphics Media Business Manager Strategic Growth.

“This will allow MCT, as a partner of HVG, to reach their full potential by bringing finishing innovation to the wide format, signage and packaging markets at an even faster rate.” 

For further details of MCT Cutter product portfolio please visit: www.hvggraphics.com.au

Mimaki Australia OPENS Brand NEW Queensland Facility


Mimaki Australia Pty Ltd is pleased to announce the Opening of our Brand New QLD facility. Mimaki Queensland showroom is located 4a/20 Smallwood Place Murarrie QLD.

“We would like to thank our QLD dealer network for their engagement to Mimaki and being a part of our official opening. This increased investment from Mimaki into the QLD market is a sign of our commitment to our network and customers that the Mimaki brand is here to stay. We boast the largest range of wide format engines in the industry and we are driving hard to increase a leading position in the marketplace.” Comments new General Manager Tomomitsu Harada.
Mimaki Australia is equipped with 3 dedicated demonstration center’s (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane). With sales and applications specialists in each location and a fleet of 9 technicians for pro-active support to our Dealer network and customers. 



Mimaki Australia Locations:

Sydney - Unit 14, 38-46 South Street, Rydalmere NSW 2116
Melbourne - Unit 7 / 3-4 Anzed Ct. Mulgrave VIC 3170
Brisbane - 4a/20 Smallwood Place Murarrie QLD 4172
Contact Details PH: 02 8036 4500 – Web: www.mimakiaus.com.au

Kodak to sell Flexographic Packaging Division to Montagu

Eastman Kodak Company has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Flexographic Packaging Division to Montagu Private Equity LLP, a leading private equity firm.  After closing, the business will operate as a new standalone company which will develop, manufacture and sell flexographic products, including the flagship KODAK FLEXCEL NX System, to the packaging print segment.

Under its new ownership, the business will have the same organizational structure, management team and growth culture that has served Kodak’s Flexographic Packaging Division well in recent years. Chris Payne, who has served as President of the Flexographic Packaging Division for the last three years, will lead the new company as CEO.

Kodak says its Flexographic Packaging Division is an example of Kodak incubating and bringing disruptive innovation to the marketplace. Over the past five years, the Flexographic Packaging business has grown and thrived within Kodak, and has become a significant player in the packaging print industry. The business will be well-positioned to continue delivering solutions to maintain profitable growth for printers in the packaging sector and remain at the leading edge of flexographic print production.

Kodak expects to receive total value of up to $390 million, comprised of the following components: (1) base purchase price of $340 million, subject to purchase price adjustments; (2) potential earn-out payments of up to $35 million over the period through 2020 based on achievement by the business of agreed-upon performance metrics; and (3) $15 million payable by Montagu to Kodak at the closing as a prepayment for various services and products to be provided by Kodak to the business post-closing pursuant to commercial agreements, subject to completion of certain pledge and collateral arrangements. 

The net proceeds from the transaction will be used by Kodak to reduce outstanding term debt. The company expects that the remaining outstanding term debt will be refinanced and/or repaid using cash proceeds from additional asset monetizations. 

“This transaction is an important turning point in our transformation and is a significant, positive development for Kodak,” said Jeff Clarke, CEO, Kodak. “The sale of the Flexographic Packaging Division unlocks value for shareholders and strengthens our financial position by providing a meaningful infusion of cash which allows us to reduce debt, improving the capital structure of the Company and enabling greater flexibility to invest in our growth engines.”

Kodak remains committed to the print industry and delivering products and services which meet the evolving needs of printers. Following this transaction, Kodak will continue to focus on the demonstrated growth areas of SONORA environmental plates, enterprise inkjet, workflow software and brand licensing. The company is well-positioned for the future by leveraging these growth engines and continuing to maximize value in commercial printing, film and advanced materials.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2019, subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals and satisfaction of closing conditions.

UBS Investment Bank acted as exclusive financial advisor and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP acted as legal advisor to Kodak for the transaction.  Ernst & Young acted as financial advisor, Bain & Co. acted as commercial advisor and Linklaters LLP acted as legal advisor to Montagu for the transaction.

Mutoh appoints Sign Supplies, New Zealand as national dealer

Mutoh Australia has appointed Sign Supplies New Zealand as a national dealer for sales and service across the full range of Mutoh printers for New Zealand.

Mutoh General Manager, Russell Cavenagh, commented “Sign Supplies provides a high level of professionalism and commitment to the industry across New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. With offices in four key centres they have excellent market coverage and are well respected within the industry.”

Sign Supplies Managing Director, Charles Schnauer, added, “We had been looking to partner with a major printer supplier for some time but equally important was ensuring quality and value throughout the wide range of products that Mutoh offers.”

Mutoh manufactures highly productive, cost-effective printers in EcoSolvent and UV, plus offering solutions for emerging markets such as Dye Sub and Soft Signage (Textile).

Schnauer says, “We believe Mutoh is the ideal partner for Sign Supplies, to better service our new and existing customers plus offer growth and productivity opportunities now, and in the future, to their businesses.”

Sign Supplies have in stock the range of Mutoh inks and a range of printers available for demonstration.

Ricoh to buy printing software company ColorGATE Digital

Ricoh Company, Ltd. today announced that the company has reached an agreement to buy ColorGATE Digital Output Solutions GmbH (hereafter “ColorGATE”), a leading software provider in the printing industry with a specific competence in colour management.

This acquisition is designed to strengthen Ricoh’s growing industrial printing business. The transfer of shares is scheduled to complete on November 30, 2018.

Founded in 1997, ColorGATE based in Hannover, Germany, has been supporting the printing industry for over 20 years by providing software for the wide format and industrial printing sectors. With its extensive customer base ColorGATE is the European leader in industrial printing software. It has unique colour management technology to support printing and decorating a wide variety of materials used for packaging, floor and wall coverings as well as textiles and signage. It is a leading provider of performance-optimised colour management and workflow software to standardise and automate growing digital print markets including décor and textiles.

In February this year, Ricoh announced its growth strategy plan, “RICOH Ignite,” which sets out its intention to reinforce its value offering by expanding its printing technology portfolio. The investment in ColorGATE is the latest part of this plan. 

To enhance its industrial printing business, Ricoh recently established a “Global IP Technology Center” and a “Global IP Marketing Center”. Significantly, both are located in Europe, which is increasingly the centre of incubation for industrial printing markets. This allows access to cutting-edge technology and enables increased responsiveness to market needs. The centres aim to drive marketing, strategic planning and development of business and products with Ricoh’s alliance partners worldwide.

Peter Williams, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Commercial and Industrial Printing Business Group, Ricoh, says: “By combining ColorGATE’s proprietary software technology with our own industrial printers, Ricoh will provide solutions covering the whole printing workflow from Pre-Press to Post-Press. This acquisition will enable ColorGATE to expand its industrial printing business and global presence as together we become better able to support our customers to accelerate their transition from analogue to digital based production.”

Thomas Kirschner, Co-founder of ColorGATE who will continue to serve as CEO, comments: “We are delighted to have been selected by Ricoh to contribute to this strong future growth strategy whilst we continue to serve our established customer base, OEM partners and reseller channel.”

GJS CELEBRATES 40 SUCCESSFUL YEARS OF BUSINESS

GJS this month celebrates 40 successful years in business, having grown to become Australia’s premier provider of solutions and services for the textile, promotional products, custom photo gift, sign and display industries. GJS plans to celebrate the milestone birthday in style with surprise and delight activities for both customers and staff.
 
GJS was founded by Graham John Stone in 1978 after he returned from active service in the Vietnam war. During his deployment, Graham utilised his printing skills for the creation and dissemination of strategic allied communications as well as aerial photography. Upon returning to Australia he continued with his passion for print and began reconditioning and selling used screen printing equipment.
 
The business took off quickly and Graham was soon manufacturing his own screen printing equipment to keep up with demand. Production continued at an exponential pace and in 1987 GJS was manufacturing some of the world’s largest screen printing machinery, including the AUSJET 5000 jumbo dryer.
 
After two decades of dominance in the screen printing space, in 1999 GJS went online with the Australian print industry’s first website and e-commerce platform and has continued to lead the way in digital and social innovation ever since, with more engaged online audiences than all its competitors.
 
“Digital is in our DNA and always will be,” said Greg Stone, who took over from his father as managing director of GJS in 2012. “Very early in its introduction to the market we identified digital decoration and customisation as the way forward and have strived to bring the best innovations and technologies to market for our customers.
 
“From identifying dye sublimation as an emerging trend and growing to become the country’s largest supplier of the technology, to helping Brother Australia bring to market its first direct-to-garment printer, GJS has always had a measure of what the next big thing will be in digital decoration,” added Greg.
 
GJS has developed a business model that fuses together modern technology and solutions whilst still maintaining a focus on old-school customer service and support. It is a model that resonates with its customers with literally hundreds of positive reviews and testimonials online.
 
In 2015 it launched its first national series of Roadshow events, steering away from the traditional trade-show model with the goal of getting closer to its customers and add extra value to their businesses.
 
Just this year, GJS launched its very own knowledge base and ‘Creator Community’ to bring together digital decorators and share best practice. Now featuring more than 800 articles, how-to guides and instructional videos, the GJS knowledge base and Creator Community has become the go-to place for digital decorators Australia-wide.
 
In the last five years GJS has doubled its headcount with the appointment of additional team members in New South Wales and new teams in Queensland and Victoria and has set a strategic goal of doubling this headcount again in the next three to five years.
 
“There’s no other organisation better placed to lead the digital decoration and customisation revolution than GJS.
 
“Our focus remains firmly on being our customers’ trusted partner by providing them with innovative solutions that help them reach their potential. These symbiotic relationships that we continue to build are not only securing the future of our customers’ businesses and our own, but the digital decoration industry itself,” Greg concluded.

Mimaki Australia partners with Sign Essentials

Mimaki Australia Pty Ltd is pleased to announce the appointment of Sign Essentials Pty Ltd as its newest dealer.  The dealership covers all products in the Mimaki range in the regions of Queensland, Northern New South Wales and the Northern Territory.  

“We are delighted with our Mimaki appointment” says Sean Strange, General Manager of Sign Essentials.  “Mimaki has some fantastic products that fill a few gaps in our existing offerings.  We’re particularly excited with the new UCJV300-160 and UCJV150-160.  These innovative printer/cutters with UV-cured inks offer the ability to output high quality graphics in excellent time without the need to out-gas.   This decreases production times significantly which is great because we all know deadlines are getting shorter and shorter!”

Sign Essentials will be a one-stop-shop for Mimaki, offering sales, training, support and service as they do with their existing range of products.  “The way we do it now works well” says Solomon Ferreira, Service Manager at Sign Essentials.  “Customers like being able to contact our team with any enquiry, knowing we can help them sort it out.  We regularly visit most parts of Queensland and Northern NSW already, so it will be easy for us to add our new Mimaki customers to the trips.”   

Sign Essentials and Mimaki representatives have met several times over the last few weeks and have quickly developed an excellent working relationship.  “We’ve been very impressed with the professionalism of the team at Mimaki” says Sean Strange.  “It was a big decision for us and Mimaki have respected the process we had to go through.  We’re definitely not replacing what we had, for us it was very important we add to our offerings and are able to offer more choice to our customers.  We feel we can achieve these objectives with the Mimaki range.”  

“Mimaki Australia is proud to have Sign Essentials on board with the brand” explains Jason Hay – National Sales Manager Mimaki Australia. “The excitement with the opening of our new showroom at Murarrie and partnering with Sign Essentials shows the commitment from Mimaki moving forward in Queensland.  Sign Essentials has great experience in the Queensland market, especially in sales and service in Brisbane and far north Queensland. The respect that Sign Essentials has in the Queensland market, was a clear factor in adding this partnership to join our existing network. This has certainly strengthened the Mimaki model and presence for sure.”

Mimaki products are available from Sign Essentials now.  Their showroom is located at 20 Prosperity Place, Geebung.  Sign Essentials has been selling to, supporting and servicing the Queensland sign and graphics industries since 1991.

For further information please contact Sign Essentials on 1300 363 464 or email sales@signessentials.com.

Mimaki Queensland showroom is located 4a/20 Smallwood Place Murarrie QLD.

Congratulations to the monthly prize draw winner of Graphic Art Mart’s “Work Hard, Play Hard” Trade Promotion.

Graphic Art Mart wants to congratulate to their second monthly prize winner of the Work Hard Play Hard promotion:

Ray Ebel from Get Displays

In September Graphic Art Mart announced the “Work Hard / Play Hard” Trade Promotion in conjunction with Avery Dennison and Mactac. 
To enter, customers simply spend $50.00 (exclusive of GST) or more on Avery Dennison or Mactac products in a single invoice to go into the draw.
There are some fantastic prizes on offer:

First Prize – Choose between a Nissan Navara RX 4X4 Dual Cab Pick Up or 1 x Harley Davidson motorcycle to the value of $35,000.00 RRP

Second Prize – 1 x Flight Centre travel voucher to the value of $5,000.00 RRP

Third Prize – 1 x RedBalloon gift voucher to the value of $2,500.00 RRP

Monthly Prizes – 1 x RedBalloon gift voucher to the value of $1,000 RRP per month
The draw for the second monthly prize was drawn 12.00pm (AEST) on Friday, 2nd November 2018 at the Graphic Art Mart North Rocks site.

Thank you to everyone that has entered over the last month, the competition is still in full force, closing 11pm (AEST) Friday, 30th November 2018. The remaining Monthly Prize Draw and Major Prize Draw winners to be announced Friday, 7th December 2018.

For more information about the competition, including full terms and conditions, please visit: www.gamart.com.au/WorkHardPlayHard.aspx 

Imagination Graphics triumphs as the winner of the 2018 Konica Minolta National Specialised Print Awards!


Well done to Imagination Graphics who won first place as the winner of the 2018 National Specialised Print awards for their entry, 'The Hamptons'. Emmanuel Buhagiar and his team get to go on a trip to Tokyo, Japan, visiting some of the amazing sites and Konika Minolta's amazing CEC.

The National Specialised Print awards were established to celebrate the craft of digital printing on Konica Minolta print systems and this year, the quality of the entries was exceptional. Konika Minolta thanked all of their customers who entered the awards. This year, they received a record, 245 entries, from 57 print companies across Australia. The finalists, and overall winner, were judged on quality, design concept, typography, and colour reproduction, and the quality of work was very impressive across the country.



The winning entry from Imagination Graphics, The Hamptons, is a beautifully saddle stitched booklet that combined a number of creative elements in the design concept including superb Imagery and a combination of die cut and hand-crafted components. Produced on an AccurioPress C6100 with IQ-501 and Splendorgel media, including a long sheet for the cover, the quality of the colour and registration was impeccable.

The awards were hosted by GM Production Print and Industrial Print, Sue Threlfo and attended by the State Finalists, many Sydney customers, industry VIPs, trade media, our Managing Director, Dr David Cooke, and Konica Minolta Directors Shane Blandford and David Procter as well as many of our sales managers, account managers and other support staff.

Roland DG’s TrueVIS Printer Cutters Awarded Top Honours from Buyers Lab 

n a comprehensive laboratory evaluation, Roland DG’s TrueVIS VG series wide format printer cutters won two prestigious Buyers Lab awards, including Outstanding Enhanced CMYK Eco Solvent/Latex 54″/64″ Printer (7-Colour) and Outstanding High Production CMYK Eco-Solvent/Latex 54”/64” Printer (Dual CMYK). Keypoint Intelligence’s Buyers Lab (BLI) is the world’s leading independent provider of testing and analysis for the document imaging industry. 

To determine the results, BLI analysts evaluated a variety of inkjets from contenders globally in a number of key performance categories, including Image Quality, Usability and Speed. In earning the Outstanding Enhanced CMYK Eco-Solvent/Latex 54”/64” Printer (7-Colour) award, Roland DG’s TrueVIS VG series (VG-640, VG-540) demonstrated “very high quality output even when printing at the most productive speed settings.”　VG series printer cutters were also cited for producing “the widest gamut of bright, saturated colours, as well as smooth skin tones with very good highlight details and contrast.” In addition, the tests showed that the TrueVIS VG yielded “extremely accurate dimensional stability and colour consistency.”
 
Roland DG’s TrueVIS series printer cutters earned their second BLI Award in the “Outstanding High Production CMYK Eco-Solvent/Latex 54”/64” Printer (Dual CMYK)” category. The BLI analysts reported, “At the high-speed print quality setting, this 64-inch unit excelled at producing bright halftone images with very good details and saturation, as well as neutral grays and smooth skin tones while the highest quality print setting was significantly faster than that of the next fastest device. Pair that with the accurate PANTONE^® colour-matching capabilities, as well as above-average print speeds, and this large-format device will undoubtedly satisfy the strictest quality and colour demands of any print shop.”
 
When evaluating “usability,” BLI noted that the VersaWorks Dual RIP software bundled with both the VG-640 and VG-540 provided intuitive operation for diverse tasks such as job tiling and nesting, job queue and ink consumption monitoring, and the ability to readily modify process and PANTONE colours. Also impressing the BLI analysts were other advanced VG series features, including the standard take-up reel for unattended printing, an ink pouch replacement system that reduces overall waste, and remote printer monitoring via iOS and Android devices.
 
In a presentation ceremony at the SGIA Expo in Las Vegas that took place this morning in the booth of Roland DGA, Roland DG’s US-based sales and marketing subsidiary, David Sweetnam, Director of Research and Lab Services for Keypoint Intelligence, congratulated Roland DG and cited how the VG stood out among the competition. “This printer cutter is all about fast turnaround without sacrificing quality, as many of our test images exhibited neutral grays, fine details, and smooth skin tones even at the high-speed print setting. We were also impressed by the VG with 7-colour plus White ink, which produced the largest colour gamut we have tested to date and delivered excellent colour matching in our tests with an average of only 3.45 Delta E00. Both the VG-640 and VG-540 earned very good marks across the board for image quality, speed, and the functionality and user-friendliness of their included Roland VersaWorks Dual RIP software.”

Konica Minolta has received two prestigious Buyers Laboratory (BLI) awards, recognising excellent performance in Buyers Lab rigorous product field tests. 
  
Buyers Laboratory is a division of Keypoint Intelligence. Its PRO awards are held annually. The 2019 PRO awards honoured Konica Minolta in two divisions: the Konica Minolta AccurioPress 6136 with Internal Image Controller was recognised as the most outstanding light/mid-volume production device; and the Konica Minolta AccurioPress C3080 Series with EFI 417 Controller was awarded outstanding light production colour device. 

PRO awards go to the best performers in Buyers Lab’s production field tests, during which tens of thousands of pages are printed. Productivity is tested with both coated and uncoated media in a wide range of weights and sizes, using various finishing options to simulate a mix of job scenarios. Buyers Lab technicians also evaluate paper-handling capabilities, many facets of ease of use, and image quality. 

David Sweetnam, director of EMEA/Asia Research & Lab Services, Keypoint Intelligence, said, “The Konica Minolta AccurioPress C3080 delivers a wide range of production print capabilities to growing CRD and commercial pay-for-print organisations. Chief among these advancements is the system’s unique ability to check and adjust front to back registration and colour consistency in real time without operator intervention, and without impacting productivity. And the flexibility an operator has to choose the frequency in which these self-checks and adjustments will be run ensures high-level, consistent quality, day in and day out.” 

George Mikolay, associate director of Copiers/Production, Keypoint Intelligence, said, “The Konica Minolta AccurioPress 6136 series promises to be a true workhorse in both in-house CRDs and commercial pay-for-print establishments. AccurioPro Print Manager provides job management control by simply logging into the IP address of the embedded Konica Minolta controller. In addition, the system’s Scheduler allows for optimum resource planning, while class-leading media input and output capacities, and a wide range of in-line finishing tasks, allow for a diverse, high-volume workload with minimal downtime on a routine basis.” 

Grant Thomas, product marketing manager, Konica Minolta, said, “To be recognised by an independent third party is significant for Konica Minolta in demonstrating its reliability, handling and capability to customers and prospects. Particularly, when approaching new customers, these types of awards hold great weight in supporting the feedback we already receive from our existing customers, on a global scale.” 

EFI Appoints Bill Muir as New CEO

EFI announced that its Board of Directors has named William (Bill) D. Muir as its new Chief Executive Officer. Muir was most recently the Chief Operating Officer of Jabil, a product solutions company. His appointment is effective October 15, 2018, when he will also join the Board of Directors. 
 
Muir succeeds Guy Gecht, who informed the Board he intended to step down as CEO upon the appointment of his successor, as the Company announced on July 30, 2018. Gecht will remain a member of the Board of Directors and will be an advisor to the CEO. 
 
“Bill is going to take EFI to the next level,” said Gecht. “At Jabil his experience and track record included scaling multi-billion dollar businesses, driving execution and setting the firm’s strategic direction. This background uniquely prepares him to be the next CEO of EFI. I look forward to watching him lead EFI and helping him in any way he chooses as the Company continues to lead the digital transformation of industries globally where colorful images matter.”
 
Gill Cogan, Chairman of EFI’s Board, noted, “In conducting a comprehensive search for the next CEO, the Board had the opportunity to speak with many highly skilled, strong leaders. Bill was our first choice, as his experience in managing a global manufacturing organization, track record in execution and leadership style most closely matched the characteristics we sought to successfully lead EFI in its next stage of growth, building on the legacy that Guy established over the last 20 years. I would like to once again convey the Board’s gratitude to Guy for his outstanding leadership, overseeing the transformation of EFI and driving the Company’s rapid growth to over $1 billion in annual revenues.”
 
“I am honored and humbled to join the EFI team,” said Muir. “I have developed a deep admiration for the culture of courageous innovation, technical leadership and customer care, and I look forward to leading our exceptional team as we work tirelessly to delight our customers and create shareholder value.”
 
Muir has spent the past 25 years helping innovative, leading brands bring exceptional products to the marketplace, including launching Jabil’s Blue Sky Innovation Center. He has a deep background in complex engineering and manufacturing honed over progressive leadership roles at Jabil, a $22 billion product solutions company with more than 100 facilities and 170,000 employees across the globe. Most recently, Bill served as Chief Operating Officer. 
 
Before that, he served as CEO, Global Manufacturing Services, which at the time was a $14 billion division of the company, and as President of Jabil Asia, where under his leadership the business tripled in less than four years. Muir holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Florida.
 
Muir will join EFI’s third quarter earnings call, which is scheduled to take place after market close on October 29, 2018. 

From their humble beginnings manufacturing watches, to now creating some of the most advanced print and display technology in the world, Epson has grown into a global leader by constantly innovating and responding to the changing needs of their customers.  Just how far the company has come, was highlighted by the launch of a range of new products at Epson’s ‘Innovation meets Evolution’ event in Sydney.


Epson Australia, Bruce Bealby, GM - Sales & Marketing, Consumer Division & Craig Heckenberg, GM Sales & Marketing, Business Division

Epson is a world leader in the field of print, sign and display technology. Their products are among the most popular for the business, professional and domestic markets. And it’s a position they will further solidify with a series of new printers developed to respond to the evolving needs of their customers. 

Expanding their business portfolio, Epson Australia has launched four new WorkForce Pro printers for busy offices, bringing its signature inkjet technology, with low environmental impact, low intervention and high productivity, to workgroups wanting A4 mono and colour print capability. Two A4 mono devices – the multi-function WF-M5799 and single-function WF-M5299 – and two A4 colour devices – the WF-C579R and WF-C529R – deliver fast, reliable and high-yield A4 business printing with an extremely low total cost of ownership (TCO). 

General Manager of the Business Division at Epson Australia, Craig Heckenberg, said, “These laser-beating inkjet printers save money, energy and time, and are packed full of business productivity and document management features. Designed specifically to reduce environmental impact, minimise intervention and streamline workflow, they keep cost-saving at the heart of what they do. The low intervention and environmental benefits make these devices ideal for specialist verticals too, such as education, healthcare, public administration and retail, to meet both their print and corporate social responsibility needs.” 



The multi-function WF-M5799 and single-function WF-M5299 printers meet the demands of businesses where a robust mono printing solution is required with a compelling TCO for use in workgroups with a high print volume. Their impressive ink yield of up to 40,000 pages – the highest in the segment1 – helps to deliver this low TCO, while offering minimal user intervention. This not only boosts productivity, but its no-heat and no-warm-up printing process also supports extensive media flexibility that includes labels and envelopes.

These models use up to 87% less energy than comparable laser models2, helping to reduce environmental impact and lowering users’ energy bills. All this while still managing a zero second warm-up time and a first page out time of just 4.8 seconds, faster than comparable laser models2.

Offering the same business benefits for colour applications, the multi-function WF-C579R and single-function WF-C529R colour printers also offer potentially significant TCO savings. Their impressive ink yields of up to 50,000 pages for black, and 20,000 pages for each of the colours – amongst the highest in the segment3 – help to deliver this low TCO, while offering minimal user intervention.

Epson is renowned for exceptional colour print quality, and this now extends into these business models. Colour print resolution of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi is best-in-class4, but the specification provides little indication of what this really means 
for a business. Eye-popping colour empowers sales and marketing material that can give it the winning edge in a competitive marketplace. 

As with the mono devices, these models also use up to 87% less energy than comparable laser models4, helping to reduce environmental impact and lowering users’ energy bills. 

For businesses and clients needing to print technical information, Epson has launched two new high-speed, easy-to-use large-format printers – the 24-inch SureColor T3160 and the 36-inch SureColor T5160, both are available as desktop or floor-standing models. 

Marking Epson’s expansion of the T-Series product line to the low-to-mid-range CAD, AEC, GIS, POS poster and education markets, the wireless models feature a new clean and compact design coupled with the reliable printing performance inherent in Epson’s technical solutions. 



Whether printing blueprints, line drawings, signage, or classroom posters, the SureColor T3160 and SureColor T5160 will assist professionals across a wider range of segments including architecture, engineering, CAD, GIS, education, corporate, home and small office users. The unique auto-switching functionality enables the printers to swap between large format roll paper and A4/A3 size paper, without users having to touch the printer, ideal for small companies that have multi-purpose print requirements in a limited workspace.  



Epson Australia’s GM sales & marketing of their business division Craig Heckenberg said, “The SureColor T3160 and T5160 are designed specifically for the technical community including engineers, designers and architects who are looking for a fully functioned and compact printer that fits neatly in their office. These new printers also produce quality colour posters and displays, and they enable users to wirelessly produce accurate and vibrant prints from tablets and smartphones virtually anywhere.” 

Leveraging Epson’s PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead technology and Nozzle Verification technology to automatically detect and adjust nozzle condition, the new printers offer fast print speeds producing accurate A1 prints in 31 seconds for the SC-T5160 and 34 seconds for the SC-T3160, with precise detail and commercial-grade reliability. Featuring integrated wireless and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity, users can seamlessly print from tablets and smartphones or use the new 4.3-inch colour LCD touchscreen with simple and intuitive menu control and navigation. Next-generation high-capacity UltraChrome XD2 pigment inks deliver durable archival prints with brilliant colour and crisp lines on many paper types.

Epson is famed for their ability to innovate, to see ways in which they can make things easier for their customers. One product in particular stole the show ... the FastFoto – the World's Fastest WiFi Photo Scanner. 

You have to see the FastFoto to believe it. This device will scan a regular photos and documents within a second. It is an amazing timesaver. The device is Wi-Fi and is the world's fastest personal photo scanner, scanning thousands of photos – as fast as one photo per second at 300 dpi3 at up to 36 photos per batch. 

The FF-680W scanner offers worry-free scanning for a variety of media types and sizes, including postcards, panoramic photos up to 36 inches and Polaroid photos as well as convenient photo restoration, editing and smart file organisation tools. 



Families can scan, restore and organise collections of photos for quick and easy sharing, archiving and enlargements with the new FF-680W scanner and with the Easy Auto-Upload feature, the FastFoto scanner software makes it simple to share images to cloud services such as Dropbox® and Google Drive™.

General Manager - Sales & Marketing for Epson Australia’s Consumer Division Bruce Bealby said, “There was clearly a need for an ultra-fast and easy scanning solution that enabled people to digitise hard copy photos often stored in albums or boxes and vulnerable to many kinds of irreversible damage. The new FastFoto FF-680W not only saves these photos but also comes with a host of new features, making it easier to save and bring memories back to life using the latest digital technology." 

Featuring Epson ScanSmart software, the FastFoto FF-680W scanner is also a powerful document scanner. Using the intuitive software users can easily scan, organise, email and store important contracts, receipts, documents and files. In addition, you can easily edit documents and save time with automatic file naming and use powerful productivity tools such as the built-in Nuance® OmniPage Optical Character Recognition (OCR) which enables users to create searchable PDFs, plus editable Word and Excel® files.

From digitising images to projecting them, Epson is the biggest name in projection equipment. In recent years, the company has looked at ways to immerse their projector technology within interiors, creating a system that is as technically advanced as it is subtle. The answer is the new LightScene EV-100 that is ideal for retail, galleries and museums with a low visual noise design that blends in beautifully to displays and exhibitions. 

LightScene

Created to blend into the background with a sleek, conventional lighting design available in black or white, the 2,000-lumen WXGA EV-100 can work as either a projector or a spotlight without distracting viewers from the subject. 

The LightScene EV-100’s unobtrusive design is ideal for curated visual environments such as retail showrooms, shop window displays, museum exhibits and art installations, where minimal visual clutter is key. It can be used to provide information, show video or moving patterns, and even projection map imagery onto small objects. 



“The LightScene EV-100 is a completely new type of projector solution from Epson Australia and a great addition to our range of laser signage solutions,” said Craig Heckenberg. “The design is clearly stylish and visually unobtrusive, without compromising performance, versatility or reliability.”

Epson’s flexible laser technology gives the EV-100 a huge variety of mounting options – it can project from any angle, be floor-standing or attached to the ceiling, all without requiring specialist installation or set-up. It is also capable of projecting in portrait, and multiple units are capable of edge blending for larger displays. 

The LightScene EV-100 is supplied with Epson Projector Content Manager Software, which allows single or multiple playlists to be easily loaded via SD Card and changed using remote control by employees, with no need for a computer. The software also allows you to add overlay effects including colour and shape filters to permit tinted and irregularly-shaped images, as well as creating and editing playlists, timetables and custom filters.



The new additions to Epson’s projector range didn’t stop there. They have upgraded their big guns, going bigger, better and brighter with three new projector solutions - their new 12,000 lumen native 4K 3LCD laser projector, the EB-L12000QNL, new compact EB-L20000UNL large venue projector and the EB-L600 series, a 5-6,000-lumen entry-level laser projector range.



Boasting up to 25,000 lumens of colour and white brightness, Epson’s laser projectors are powerful performers in demanding environments, including rental and staging events, lecture halls, and digital signage installations. 

The new EB-L12000QNL and EB-L20000UNL models share the same robust, compact and lightweight chassis that makes them easy to integrate into existing infrastructure – a breakthrough at this level of brightness. The new projectors also feature support for HDR, 360-degree installation flexibility and a sealed light source and optical engine to protect from dust and smoke. 

Epson’s L600 series is a range of 3LCD entry-level laser projectors that offer a number of useful features, as well as fit and forget reliability, presenting users with the ideal, low cost, solution for meeting rooms, teaching spaces and visitor attractions. 

This series is designed to replace existing lamp based projectors in scenarios requiring 5,000-6,000 lumen solutions and feature a compact, contemporary design that is small and light. It also boasts advanced installation features such as HDBaseT, wide manual lens shift range and built-in wireless LAN Enterprise Security as added bonuses along with a class leading 5 year manufacturer’s warranty.

Epson also have some other really cool gear that they just launched, so stay tuned for more details. 

Heidelberg Makes Digital Postpress Investment with Takeover of MBO Group

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is taking over the international MBO Group in a bid to further expand its offerings in the growing market of postpress operations for digitally printed products. The move will also see the company gain access to new customers in the pharmaceutical industry and add mailing system offerings to its offset portfolio.

This decision highlights the company’s strategic focus on consistently aligning its portfolio and new business model with the growth segments of digital and packaging. Furthermore, Heidelberg aims to use this extended offering to tap into new customer groups for its entire product portfolio.

“The planned takeover of the MBO Group enables us to attain further sustainable and profitable growth by leveraging new technologies and customer segments,” said Rainer Hundsdörfer, CEO of Heidelberg. “By acquiring MBO’s digital portfolio, we are closing a gap for our customers and helping them achieve a smooth industrial process in the digital future. We also expect to see synergies in our own value added chain, which will bring about tangible benefits for customers, too.”

The acquired operations account for a sales volume of around €50 million and will see Heidelberg expand its postpress offerings. The acquisition involves, among other things, taking over the sites in Oppenweiler and Bielefeld, Germany, and the production site in Perifita, Portugal, which employ a total of approximately 450 staff. Besides the German sites, the efficiently structured site in Portugal opens up particularly interesting opportunities for the entire Heidelberg Group.

“Even when postpress operations are running efficiently, there is still huge potential for boosting productivity throughout the entire print shop,” claims Stephan Plenz, Member of the Management Board responsible for Digital Technology. “The takeover is another important step in offering our customers a comprehensive portfolio that generates value and covers everything from technology and consumables right through to service.”

Strong MBO Brand to Be Retained

The MBO brand is well-established on the market and its technology complements the Heidelberg product range well. Continuing to expand offerings together will optimize the portfolio and supply chain, while leveraging the MBO dealer and service network will also result in mutual benefits. Overall, the acquisition is set to create a better basis for unlocking shared potential for future-focused developments that are geared toward market demands.

The planned takeover of the MBO Group is another strategic step for Heidelberg as it seeks to secure its future by pursuing continuous innovation for the benefit of customers. The aim is to increase productivity and decrease costs by achieving maximum efficiency across all print shop processes. The Heidelberg Push to Stop concept and the company’s industrial digital print portfolio for the packaging market, which includes the Labelfire and Primefire product ranges, is driving forward digitalization. In this regard, integrated postpress solutions are playing an increasingly important role when it comes to optimizing the end-to-end process.

Subject to the agreement of the antitrust authorities, the takeover is due to be completed provisionally by the end of 2018.

Böttcher & Brissett: From Good, to Great

Leading Names Combine Forces in Australia

Two leading industry names, Böttcher Australia and Brissett Rollers, have today announced the merger of their two operations in Australia and New Zealand, creating a strong new force in the Australasian print market.

Mitch Mulligan, Managing Director of Böttcher Australia, and Terry Brissett, Managing Director of Brissett Rollers, announced today that the local arm of the global Böttcher Group will acquire the plant, goodwill and equipment of the local family-owned business and integrate the two operations under the one roof before the end of the year.

The acquisition, like so many before it, has been driven mainly by market consolidation and contraction. By combining their resources, the two men say local customers can continue to enjoy the best from both companies, with a seamless transition and continuity of supply.

While any investment in Australian manufacturing is positive, this move is particularly good news for the companies’ customers, as it brings together Böttcher’s market leading products and expertise and Brissett’s unmatched local manufacturing and market knowledge.

“We genuinely believe this is a ‘win-win’ for the industry, securing the future of a trusted local roller manufacturing business and offering our customers an expanded value proposition – the improved lead times, flexibility and continuity of supply which local manufacture ensures, combined with the competitive edge that Böttcher’s world leading technology, compounds and processes provide,” Mulligan says.

Indeed, the combined credentials of the two companies are impressive. Böttcher is a 293-year-old family-owned business which is renowned globally for its quality printing rollers, blankets and pressroom chemistry. Brissett is the largest manufacturer of printing rollers in Australasia, having served the market here with distinction for 60 years.
“While our backgrounds differ, we share much in common and have been ‘friendly competitors’ for years,” says Brissett. “Both Böttcher and Brissett are family owned companies who believe strongly in partnering with our customers and building relationships on the basis of quality products, reliable service, honesty and loyalty.
“We’ve both successfully navigated enormous change, from hot metal days to the high-speed, digitally-controlled and highly automated offset operations we see today, so we understand that the ability to evolve is vital in such a rapidly changing industry. Our merger with Böttcher is just the latest step in that process for us.”

Mulligan agrees, saying it’s the Böttcher philosophy to ‘retain the good things from tradition, and create the new from our own strength’. In line with this, Böttcher plans not only to keep the core of Brissett’s manufacturing team, but is also gaining what Mulligan describes as ‘the centre of knowledge’ – current owner Terry Brissett and his son, Craig.

“While securing the future of a local manufacturer is important to us, it’s even more pleasing to be able to retain the invaluable expertise, knowledge and relationships which Terry and Craig Brissett enjoy with so many print businesses in Australia and New Zealand,” he says.

“Brissett has a proud heritage and an enviable reputation for quality, service and expertise in this part of the world. Terry’s contribution to the industry, in particular, has been outstanding. We are absolutely delighted to be able to bring both he and Craig into the Böttcher Australia fold.”

Already, the team at Brissett’s Tempe plant and  Böttcher’s headquarters in Castle Hill are preparing for relocation, which will commence in the second half of October. Official handover date is 1 November, 2018. 

After a ‘settling in’ period in the fourth quarter, the two manufacturing teams and processes will be fully integrated into a combined operation on a new site at Smithfield, where the entire business will be converted across to Böttcher’s world-leading manufacturing methods and compounds.

“Over the next few weeks, Glenn Brissett and I will be visiting customers around the country to explain the changes and the extended value we can deliver in more detail,” Mulligan says.

“We’re looking forward to maintaining and growing our relationships with our customers across Australia and New Zealand, and are genuinely excited about the future.”

O-I : EXPRESSIONS TO TRANSFORM GLASS BOTTLE DESIGN

A technological leap forward will create new marketing opportunities for brands through customisation and personalisation by sculpting glass bottles into multi-dimensional works of art, enabled by digital printing.

O-I has launched O-I : EXPRESSIONS, an innovation developed for design agencies, packaging professionals and all food and beverage marketers who want to stand out and offer their consumers new reasons to love and choose their brands. O-I : EXPRESSIONS enables late-stage design, combining the integral benefits and heritage of glass with an agile, marketing-focused capability. The innovation allows O-I’s customers to build brand engagement, consumer satisfaction and loyalty as well as demonstrate premium value.



Enabled by digital printing, O-I : EXPRESSIONS will enable brands to create highly personalised and customised glass packaging at flexible volume, industrial speeds, and affordable value, with an unprecedented range of colour and design possibilities, compared to traditional decoration solutions.

With O-I : EXPRESSIONS, brands will be better equipped to respond to growing consumer demand for personalised and ‘made for me’ products. Brands will quickly and nimbly be able to develop packaging to support short campaigns, such as seasonal promotions or limited/special editions to mark major events. In addition, O-I : EXPRESSIONS is sustainable. It uses organic inks, not impacting the recyclability of glass, and it helps reduce waste through lower inventories.

A premium version of the service, O-I : EXPRESSIONS RELIEF, named after the sculptural technique, will also offer brands the opportunity to use customised tactile digitally printed effects, such as embossing and coloured embossing. This will enable brands to interact with consumers through the sense of touch through cost-efficient flexible volume runs. O-I : EXPRESSIONS RELIEF takes brands a step beyond what was previously thought possible in terms of customisation and premiumisation.



The O-I : EXPRESSIONS services are planned to be commercially available by mid-2019 in Europe and shortly after in the US. In the meantime, O-I is already available to initiate projects and discuss collaborations.

O-I : EXPRESSIONS offers extreme flexibility to marketers thanks to speed, small volume print runs, mass-personalisation, vibrant saturated colours in every Pantone hue, photo-quality. New product development cycles will be shortened giving customers the opportunity to make last-minute modifications, while the small volume runs will allow marketers to customise printing down to a single market, region, or even a single event.

For more information visit www.discoverexpressions.com

HP Pitches 3-D Metal Printer in Bid to Expand in Manufacturing

HP Inc., the largest maker of personal computers, is making a big push into the manufacturing industry with its first printer that can churn out 3-D metal parts.

HP is unveiling the Metal Jet printer, and some early customers, at a manufacturing trade show in Chicago on Monday. Engineering firm GKN Plc is using the printers in its factories to produce parts for companies including Volkswagen AG, one of the biggest automakers. GKN makes more than 3 billion components a year and expects to print millions of production-grade HP Metal Jet parts for customers as early as next year, HP said in a statement.

“We are in the midst of a digital industrial revolution that is transforming the $12 trillion manufacturing industry,” HP Chief Executive Officer Dion Weisler said. “HP has helped lead this transformation by pioneering the 3-D mass production of plastic parts and we are now doubling down with HP Metal Jet.”

Since its split from Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., HP has redoubled efforts to expand beyond its core PC and paper printer businesses. 3-D printing is a big part of this plan. The new steel-printing machine could open up new opportunities in the automotive, industrial and medical-equipment fields. Metal parts manufacturer Parmatech Corp. has also signed on as a partner.

Printers that make three-dimensional metal objects already exist, but HP said Metal Jet can produce a lot more parts at "significantly" lower cost than existing machines.

Technology like HP Metal Jet lets manufacturers produce parts without first having to build the factory tools that are traditionally needed, according to Martin Goede, head of technology planning and development for the Volkswagen brand. “By reducing the cycle time for the production of parts, we can realize a higher volume of mass production very quickly.” 

Stephen Nigro, HP’s president of 3-D printing, was more cautious than his boss Weisler, saying it will be at least five to 10 years before the unit generated a material share of HP’s sales, which topped $50 billion last year.

The reason for the caution is that even at early-adopter Volkswagen, use of the printer will be reserved for specialty parts on certain models, and not for the highest-selling vehicles. Volkswagen will start out with cosmetic pieces, having partner GKN use the printers to make customized car key rings and nameplates that drivers can put on their trunk lid or door. For its next generation of cars, Volkswagen plans to use printed mirror mounts and gearshift knobs, and continues to evaluate other use-cases for HP’s machines.

“The sweet spot of 3-D printing technologies is not in giant numbers in vehicles like the Golf,” said Sven Crull, Volkswagen’s head of design for new manufacturing technologies. “There’s a better use case in more specialty parts for vehicles with volume of 50,000 to half a million.”

That underscores the challenge of making the Metal Jet printer ubiquitous: At very high volume, other manufacturing methods are more economical. Still, Nigro said it’s one of HP’s best shots to bolster its future.

“We needed to come up with a disruptive or winning technology,” he said. “We need to have a vision that’s not just compelling today, but in the future.”