About Inkjet Tony Chard Outlines the Strategy 14

the magazine for forward thinking printing November 2012

anCient house

Book printing

mpg Books’ route to the future is Book Binding all aBout inkjet tony Chard outlines the strategy 14

remous

COMMENTARY

THE WORLD OF BOOKS IS CHANGING AS FAST AS THE WORLD of newspapers and the same external pressures of relevancy in a digital world where tablets are selling like hot cakes apply. But if it is difficult to shape a new future for newspapers because of their dependency on advertising revenues, the future is not so gloomy for the printed book. Reader behaviour is very different. The newspaper reader flits from page to page, from article seeking out the news items that provide interest or the comment pieces that provoke or inform opinion. The book reader by contrast is engaged in a more leisurely activity, hoping to be entertained as well as informed. Sitting back with a printed book will always be a great pleasure in a digital world. Books cannot be immune to change and we agree with those that anticipate that novels and light reading will switch to digital devices. However, more than one has remarked that consumers, having read and enjoyed a book on their ereader, are going out to buy a nicely produced hard copy version, if only to display on their book shelves. A decade ago people might have A Short History of Time to impress visitors though few NOVEMBER 2012 ever read the book. Now they want to show off books that they have read. 4 NEWS Landa seeks backing. And there is a boom in self publishing, either would be authors unable to Cambrian dries out. convince a conventional publisher that here is a best seller, or the newly 7 INNOVATIONS & retired wanting to write a book for posterity. Either way, the relative ease INVESTMENTS Flatbed moves. with which these books can be printed is providing business for printers. Printers and the Booker. Then there are the books which transition from photobooks, travel records Perfector spree. or illustrated diaries, cookbooks and garden books to come. All fodder for the digital press. 14 COVER story MPG Books is For here is a big difference from the newspaper world. Where newspaper basing its future on inkjet. publishers are stuck with 20-year investment cycles and find digital 18 BOOKS There is space for all technology cannot compete with offset, book printers are finding the in printing books. opposite. Digital printing is rapidly supplanting offset and this is helping to 22 BINDING Perfect binding feed the new style of book publishing and production. Numbers may fall, comes in house. but the printed book will survive a few years yet. 28 SUPPLIER Heads up for Kodak. GARETH WARD Editor 31 PROFILE Remous changes how small print behaves.

GARETH WARD 01580 236456 • 07866 470124 EDITORIAL [email protected] ARCHIVE bit.ly/RoivIT PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION bit.ly/RgsAZ5 NEWS printbusinessmagazine.co.uk DEBBIE WARD 01580 236456 • 07711 696190 COMMERCIAL [email protected] • printbusinessmedia.co.uk Published by Print Business Media Ltd. 3 Zion Cottages, Ranters Lane, Goudhurst, Kent TN17 1HR. © Copyright Print Business Media Ltd 2012. All rights reserved. Apply for T&Cs. News

On the Newspapers seek hope at website renamed Ifra exhibition printbusinessmagazine.co.uk why Drupa Is plaNNINg The newspaper exhibition perforation, and dryers. out maintenance and later for tO chaNge frequeNcy which used to be called Ifra, “Print can secure additional operating the press. A single The latest on Drupa’s but is now the World Publish- brand advertising with creativ- interface now runs across both thinking behind its every ing Exhibition, attracted 7,000 ity,” he said. A further venture commercial and newspaper three years proposal. Is visitors to Frankfurt but was set that the press manufacturer presses. it more about the hotel against the declining market for had been engaged with was It announced that Axel industry in Dusseldorf than newspapers in Europe and the in adding a coater to a Cortina Springer is to add three more the printing industry? US. press to apply a dispersion Kodak Prosper S30 heads to bit.ly/Q19qtl This was acknowledged by coating to a coldset page and Colorman presses after success KBA CEO Claus Bolza-Schüne- achieving a commercial level with the initial installation. INNOvatIONs IN cartONs mann who pointed to the work of quality and distinctive feel. Elsewhere the emphasis was DemONstrate vIbraNcy underway to improve the versa- The coating, developed by Sun on ecology with both Kodak and The Packaging Innovations tility and range of products Chemical, is only suitable, it Fuji announcing process-free show in London provided a that can be produced on news- seems, for waterless printing on plates for newspapers. Kodak’s showcase for quality and new paper presses. The company the Cortina. is the Sonora News, Fuji’s is the approaches to packaging. claims world leadership in the This sort of creativity has Pro-VN2, a low chemistry plate bit.ly/QLmG1B newspaper press market having been the forté of Ferag with that is suited to print runs to achieved 46% of the sales this its MemoStick applicator for 300,000 impressions. XerOX plaNs tO regaIN year, albeit in a market that is adding self adhesive notes to However, while there were pOle pOsItION 60% smaller than the market in the outside of newspapers to software developments like The digital press company 2008. offer promotional games or Agfa’s Page Register feature wants to reassert its position The answer to declining redeemable coupons. The Swiss for Arkitex to improve image fit in production printing circulations and paginations company has been majoring on on wide web presses, the over with a shake up of its sales (which has led to the removal of its inserting options, from the arching theme was about finding structure says Mike Holyoake. newsprint production capacity new MiniSert for entry level a future for newspapers. bit.ly/T433X0 on either a temporary or perma- mechanical inserting to more According to Vincent nent basis across the continent), complex lines driven by demo- Peyrègne CEO of organiser INkjet surpasses DIgItal comes with innovation. News- graphic data. WAN-Ifra, exhibitors had cONtrOllers fOr efI papers he said were becoming Manroland Web concentrated got more value than they had Sales from industrial inkjet, more like magazines in their on fast makeready systems expected. “Exchanges between both Vutek and Jetrion and use of images and graphics and including One Touch start up, publishers and their partners in associated inks, produced advertisers were being tempted which will apply to heatset webs the supplier community come more sales than sliding with new formats. KBA presses as well as newspaper machines. at a crucial time,” he said. Or revenue from the core Fiery have been delivered with Control panels will move from more succinctly from Bolza- business in Q3. modules for stitching, trimming, press consoles to tablet comput- Schünemann: “It is about more bit.ly/S5ItkF gluing, half covers, Zip ’n’ Buy ers in future, initially to carry possibilities in a smaller market.” st Ives’ marketINg strategy Is payINg Off Diamond Dispersions presented with queen’s award Figures from St Ives show that its transformation DiamonD Dispersions from printer to marketing has received its Queen’s Award services company is gaining for Enterprise from David traction while transformation Moody, Lord Lieutenant of of the printing division is South Yorkshire. completed. The Sheffield business earned bit.ly/S5ItkF the accolade for international trade for its success is shipping chIcagO shOw brINgs a the colour dispersions to inkjet bIt Of Drupa tO the us ink producers around the world. The Chicago marathon Diamond Dispersions direc- complicated the start of the tor Peter Callahan says: “This is American printing show, but the proudest day in Diamond’s there were strong vibes in history. This is a massive Sue Wright, who is in charge the Lord Lieutenant and Peter the air by Lake Michigan. achievement for us.” of sales, is pictured alongside Callahan. bit.ly/TkOX2Z

4 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk News Landa goes on tour to bring nanography to a wider audience

Landa Corporation has which demonstrated significant expanded gamut over standard embarked on a round of semi- artefacts. four colour offset and a 15% nars and speaking engagements In the White Paper, the increase in the PMS colours to evangelise the nanography company says the blanket tech- achievable with four colour technology to a wider audience. nology is crucial. Not only does printing. At the same time the company this dry the ink to remove water What the company does not has published a White Paper and create a 500 nanometre thick discuss is how it builds the inkjet explaining the technology, the film to be transferred to the bars across a B1 sheet, nor how impact on using nano particles paper, it has to make this trans- data will be delivered to the and how the image is carried to fer work at 13,000 B1 sheets an press to drive the inkjet heads. the paper or flexible film. hour. It must also ensure that the In interviews, founder Benny Landa has also started to talk full image is transferred, that Landa has indicated that the to the financial community with there are no ink residues left on company will be building its the aim of raising around $150- the blanket and that the move- own presses, telling an Israeli 200 million to move the print Benny Landa: “we received ment of the blanket is smooth paper: “We hope to build several technology from the concept more than $1 billion in and stable. plants, at least one plant for the levels seen at Drupa to market orders at one exhibition. The thickness (thinness) printers, and one for the ink. what can you do?” ready machines. This values of the ink layer provides the We launched the product in the business at up to $1 billion, secret to the image quality as Germany a few months ago, and putting it ahead of almost every received letters of intent for 400 this allows light to pass and be demonstrated many products – press manufacturer in the indus- machines, equivalent to orders reflected back off the substrate seven prototypes. We expected try. The aim is to raise funds worth $1 billion. and through the ink layer to interest, but we didn’t expect from institutions and individu- The messaging has been the observer’s eyes. The ink to have sales. We received more als through a private placing of that the company is on course layer is half the thickness of a than $1 billion in orders at one shares rather than seek an IPO. to achieve this with improve- standard offset ink film which exhibition. What can you do? During these discussions, the ments in the imaging quality accounts for the lift and pure- There’s demand, so we must company revealed that it has over samples shown at Drupa ness of colour. Landa claims an build plants to meet it.” R&D tax rebates are advantageous to printers printers are missing obvious research streams.” engaged tax consultancy Jump- typically find that that 1% - 2% out on tax rebates because they The scheme persuaded start after a chance encounter of the sales turnover is eligible do not claim money that could Rafferty not to shift the highlighted the possibility of expenditure, and the individual be due under R&D tax credit corporate headquarters from R&D tax credits. business would get around a scheme. Manchester to Switzerland he The company has been devel- quarter of that back in cash Printing.com CEO Tony says because of the support that oping ways of improving label rebate depending on tax status. Rafferty says: “You can save up is available. Printing.com has printing for the drinks industry, “In the most basic terms, it to 31.25 per cent of every pound been developing its own web to including pearlescent varnishes, could be calculated that that print spent on research and develop- print system to drive sales along- new barcoding systems and businesses could be eligible for a ment through tax relief aimed at side its franchise model. printed security devices. cash return equivalent to between supporting innovation in British The company is not the only The company is not disclos- 0.25% and 0.5% of their sales companies. The definition of what print business to benefit from ing the value of the rebates, turnover. This is an average constitutes R&D activity is broad these tax breaks. Glasgow label but Jumpstart managing direc- though and each case has to be and can go much wider than the printer John Watson & Co has tor Brian Williamson says: “We looked at on their own merits.” Bertelsmann print plants become Be Printers Just days after agreeing This will control 17 print CEO will be Bertram Staus- sheetfed and digital printing, to merge its Random House operations, including the berg, who also heads Prinovis. producing magazines, cata- book publishing interests with Prinovis plant in Liverpool, He will be in charge of a group logues books and calendars. Penguin, Bertelsmann has in six countries under the new with annual revenues of €1.2 The other plants are in brought its print interests under brand. Each plant will continue billion and around 6,800 staff Germany, Italy, Spain, the US the single name: Be Print. to run under its own name. across gravure, web offset, and Colombia.

www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 5 News Landa goes on tour to bring nanography to a wider audience

www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 5 InnovatIons & Investments océ adds to arizona flatbed inkjet printer range matched by Fuji

Océ has develOped a new These enable operators to member for its Arizona flatbed reduce the amount of masking inkjet printer family that will needed around the material also be sold as a member of printed as a further step to Fuji’s Acuity UV flatbed family. increase productivity. The Arizona 480 comes in The software also has produc- GT and XT versions, both with tivity to the fore with the ability eight channel printing. The first to batch jobs, printing sequen- four are for CMYK inks. Chan- tially to aid later collation into nels five and six can be used for the arizona 480 has 25% extra functionality and the Fuji sets for customer delivery. a double white or varnish and version is the acuity advance select. The Fuji version of the white print. The white allows printer is the Acuity Advance printing on clear or very dark productivity mode in through- 2.5x3.05 metres on the XT Select and follows the intro- substrates to create a better put. Against existing Arizona version. Both will print rigid duction earlier this year of the four-colour finish. The varnish machines, this extra functional- media to 51mm thick. A roll Acuity 1600 UV which was not can be applied as a flood varnish ity amounts to a 25% increase in media option will handle flex- an OEM of an Océ design. or as a spot varnish. productivity. In high production ible media to 2.2 metres wide. Fuji stresses the benefits of The final two ink channels mode, this delivers a print speed The media is held in place by using the Uvijet Micro-V UV are reserved for an extra cyan of 25.3m2 an hour. six vacuum zones on the smaller ink which has been mixed to and magenta so that high quality The bed size is 1.25x2.5 flatbed, seven on the larger deliver wider adhesion and mode can come closer to high metres in the GT model, machine. colour vibrancy across the Imaging solutions opts for enfocus Crossroads

ImagIng sOlutIOns over or under exposure, remove where workflows can be created covers web to print and file has signed up for the Enfocus colour casts, open shadows and managed through a single transfer, variable data, preflight- Crossroads initiative to bring to unveil lost details, correct console view into a chain of ing and proofing, imposition, its automated image enhance- for red eye, improve sharp- different applications. image optimisation, colour ment application Viesus, into ness and correct for noise and This will enable a workflow management and file conver- the family of linked specialised grain. It has ben designed to involving file input and checking sion. Viesus is the first link applications. process large volumes of images to include the image processing outside the graphic arts commu- The application has its focus automatically. routines before imposition and nity and points to a greater role on the photobook sector where Now this functionality is output for example. for Switch in future, moving ino the software will correct for available to Switch operations The Crossroads partnership more creative applications. Healeys chooses Linoprint replacement for Ricoh havIng cOmmItted to a print C901, based on the same is a known factor says managing if we cannot justify moving it B2 Speedmaster XL75 for end Ricoh technology. It had earlier director Philip Dodd. He adds: to double day shifts within three of year delivery, Ipswich printer run Xerox machines. “Although initially this press months. Healeys has now replaced what The new digital press has will run a single shift (the litho “This technology gives us IFS_TPB_strips_Layoutwas the first Ricoh C6511 06/02/2012 in a higher 16:45 Pageduty 4cycle than the presses operate are round the really good quality which is Europe with a Heidelberg Lino- machine it succeeds, and quality clock) we will be disappointed important to our customers.”

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www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 7 InnovatIons & Investments ancient House turns Japanese as Komori GL40 replaces KBa Rapida

Ancient House Press Komori in the UK to be speci- eyeing expansion, “allowing us will become an all Japanese fied with asynchronous plate to develop new markets which press hall in the new year when changing, meaning that all is very exciting” according to a ten-colour perfecting Komori plates are lifted and replaced Allison Berry, joint managing GL1040 is installed to replace in 75 seconds. It also comes director. The company antici- a KBA Rapida perfector. The with KHS AI self learning pates increasing staffing levels sheetfed press will join two makeready systems and closed once the press is installed in Komori System 38 webs and will loop spectrophotometer. The January. run alongside the only Mitsubi- michael Underwood and result is a highly automated The £2.5 million press is shi T3000 tandem perfector in allison Berry are joint mDs press with minimal down time. the cornerstone of a larger the UK. at ancient House. It will have a Mabeg web sheeter investment programme which The new press was chosen fitted which will allow Ancient has seen it replace an old MIS after a lengthy examination with the latest Komori sheetfed House Press to use the same with a Technique system to of both Heidelberg and KBA technology; the quality of print, reels on both sheetfed and web bring production systems and alternatives. The company’s combined with the efficiency presses. commercial operations under experience with the web presses gains are the two main factors While this will enable the the control of a single system. swung the decision. “Our expe- our clients require,” says joint Ipswich company to service The company will also be rience with our Komori System managing director Michael its existing commercial print extending its finishing capabil- 38S webs has been excellent Underdown. customer base with a faster ity to cope with the increase in and we have been blown away The sheetfed press is the first turnaround, the company is also finished sheets. tradeprint goes B1 with speedmaster XL106 scottisH online printer Managing director Rod arounds. Our new XL106 will get through 14 makereadies in Tradeprint is moving to a B1 Scrimgeor says the aim is to allow us to offer an improve- an eight-hour shift on the SM74, press, ordering a ten-colour make sure that delivery times ment to our current next day anticipating a big increase from Speedmaster XL106 from continue to be met within printing service.” the new levels of automation, Heidelberg. It is buying a second the 48-hour turnaround that The company has run a ten- which has driven the demand for platesetter, calibration software, the company promises. “We colour SM74 as its workhorse an additional platesetter able to folder and joggers to bring monitor our dispatch rates and machine and has already been supply not just the Speedmasters investment to £3.5 million. currently 99.8% of jobs are batching work on a sheet, which but also a Ryobi. The market has The press is designed for dispatched on time,” he says. will grow with the larger format come from small printers that are fast makeready on short runs, “The press and additional press. It also works to group closing their doors on produc- with jobs ganged up on a sheet capacity will allow us to improve different jobs from a customer in tion, but retaining customer to enable the company to offer this figure event further. Many a single basket, even where sent contact. trade customers extremely keen printers offer woolly turna- to different end clients, in order “Many smaller printers are prices. Autoplate with asynchro- round times of 5-7 days. We to supply a single invoice. struggling in this tough market nous plate changing and Inpress focus our competitive prices on Average run on web to print and some have opted to sell their Control on board spectropho- guaranteed 48-hour product orders is 2,000 sheets he says. equipment and become resell- tometry will keep start up time turnarounds for orders placed “Web to print work is about low ers, sourcing print from us. to a minimum, while the second before 5pm, but go a step touch and specialisation bring- We believe there will be a new platesetter will ensure that further and offer discounts for ing efficiencies to compete in structure to the printing market supply of plates does not dry up. slightly longer production turn- today’s market.” It reckons to in future,” says Scrimgeor.

Warners midlands adds ten-colour B1 perfector from KBa for new year

MAgAzine Printer the year and is expected to be of makeready aids including magazines that it both publishes Warners Midlands has ordered in operation by the early spring, closed loop colour control. and prints. Recent wins have a ten-colour B1 perfector to run and Warners says that start up is This is a much higher level of included TESS, a weekly for alongside an existing Roland anticipated by early March. automation than on the Roland. the education sector in Scotland 710P, but has switched to KBA. The KBA Rapida 106 will be The £3 million investment is and Bitcoin Magazine, which is a The new ten-colour press fitted with a Mabeg reel sheeter a reflection of Warners success title dedicated to the emerging starts arriving by the end of and is supplied with a full range with the shorter run specialist crypto-currency sector.

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30817 ANT MCN Curious Skin Advert-CR Nov 2012.indd 1 12/10/2012 12:36 InnovatIons & Investments altaimage has colour and repro support to help publishers

AltAimAge in London’s approved for print. It all stems Docklands has built its busi- from our old school colour ness on high quality repro for skills and repro is where we will illustrated books, as well as for continue to make our money,” consumer magazines. But it has he says. been colour correction, retouch- The ICE concept is only ing and top notch repro work for weeks old, so it is too soon to book publishers that sets it apart judge the impact as yet. It is and as magazine publishers also too late to create simulta- have tended to bring prepress neous versions of this seasons in house, has provided the bed best sellers like cook books rock for the business. from Jamie Oliver and Nigella Some of the finished files Lawson, but in 12 months time, head to Somerset and Butler it might be a very different Tanner & Dennis to print, but mark Robson of altaimage says: “Publishers that would like matter. many more head overseas to to get into the digital marketplace are not sure of the RoI.” And there are other uses for Asia and mainland Europe for the technology, other than a printing. high profile examples. Soft- This can be done by the finished book for the AppStore. The coloured books sector ware to build digital editions is publisher through the extended In the meantime the company has been relatively protected is available but can cost several flat planning application, which is keeping at the day job, from the rise of digital readers, thousand pounds for each Altaimage calls the Interac- working for publishers and while partly because the first Kindles project, further increasing the tive Cloud Environment (ICE), the ICE technology has an appli- and others were mono only risks for a publisher unsure for no additional cost. Should cation in creating digital blads, and partly because configur- whether the investment can be the repro house be required to perhaps to show designers how ing a coloured book, where recouped. provide more illustrations, there final designs might work, it is images and text are related to If this is a difficulty for will be a charge for this work, also producing digitally printed each other and where layout is publishers, it’s an opportunity but provided it has handled the blads for customers. It has much more integral to the book for Altaimage. The company repro for the printed version recently installed Ricoh digital itself, has been expensive and is using an extension of its flat Robson says there is no addi- presses, which with a larger long-winded. It is possible to planning software and Dalim tional cost. “We want the repro than standard sheet size are idea replicate PDFs on screens, but workflow software to create work,” he says. for this and it is looking at the this is a failure to maximise the digital books in its Fixed Pages The company uses the final potential of the MGI Meteor possibilities of the tablet and format, where the links between print ready files as the basis for digital press, where its ability the interactive technology. And text and illustrations are main- the digital version. The files are to print on a longer sheet would then as Altaimage partner Mark tained in a digital format. “It exported to create a digital book be suited to cover production or Robson points out “publish- is giving us the opportunity complete with swipe naviga- for larger format photobooks, a ers that would like to get into to go to clients and show them tion, images at the base of the sector that currently appeals to the digital market place are not that this is available,” Robson navigation panel show where Altaimage. “We want a larger sure of the ROI”. Because it says. Further, the format allows the reader is and images can be format option and a lay flat has been expensive to build the elements on the page to become zoomed in for closer detail. option,” says Robson. “And we epub versions or the apps that gateways to further digital “There’s a lot of smoke and have been investing in binding are needed to bring an illus- content, an image for example mirrors out there about how equipment to get that set up. We trated book to a digital format, can launch a video, text can you build digital versions of have tried to cover everything they have tended to shy away open a web page or perhaps a books. All we are doing is using that a book publisher might from the idea, outside a few sound loop. the same files that have been want.”

10 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk InnovatIons & Investments sCa launches new high bulk paper for web offset applications

SCA iS introduCing a This follows swiftly behind strong balance sheet with no The lower weight of the paper new high bulk paper for web the sales of its 50% share in financial debt and an improved will have an impact on postage offset applications that it claims the Aylesford newsprint mill operating structure will repre- costs and on the associated will match more expensive near Maidstone this month. sent key assets for the future,” carbon footprint. Marketing paper grades for experience This was sold for a symbolic said Landry Kouakou, executive director Rolf Johannesson and performance. It is pitching amount to The Martland Hold- director at The Martland Hold- says: “The investment will also the “super bright bulky paper” ings. The US investment group ings. The investment group strengthen SCA’s position as a above SC grades and below has also bought the 50% that says it intends to be a long term pioneer for the environment.” LWC in terms of price. belonged to Mondi. According investor. Excess heat from the mill is GraphoInvent has been to SCA the mill, which has a The new SCA paper comes piped to 5,000 nearby houses. developed as part of a £30 capacity to produce 400,000tpa in 54, 57, 60, 65 and 70gsm Power comes from renewable million upgrade to the Ortviken of newsprint from recovered weights, with the bulk to give biomass resources. mill in Sweden which has led to fibre, has been loss making for it the feel of a higher gram- SCA reckons that the market a rebuild of PM5 and increased several years. In 2011, sales were mage LWC paper. At the same for these grades of paper in capacity to produce high white approximately £150 million. time SCA is extending the range Europe is stable with overall pulp. It is a move upmarket Ahead of the sale, Aylesford of LWCs with GraphoSilk, a European printed paper which is in line with the strate- Newsprint was recapitalised to silk finish LWC available as 75, consumption at 40 million gic direction that SCA is taking. leave a business with no debt. 80 and 90gsm. The paper is tonnes a year. SCA has capacity The mill is also improving “Aylesford’s high quality asset produced from 100% virgin of 1.8 million tonnes, of which capacity to produce improved base, its unique industrial fibre and carries PEFC and FSC 880,000 tonnes comes from the newsprint. know-how combined with a certificates. Ortviken mill.

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www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 11 ins_memostick_186x132_e_221012.indd 1 22.10.12 15:32 InnovatIons & Investments Rise of independent publishers puts emphasis on print partnership

Chris hamilton-EmEry sent an email to Clays early in October. It was an order for a rush job to be printed over- night. Just in case. The proviso was that should The Lighthouse, a novel by Alison Moore, win this year’s Booker Prize. Like other publishers, winning the award would trigger a rush of sales and books need to be in the shops ready. Even being nominated and on the short list has boosted sales, but nothing compared to the spike that follows winning tJI managing director angus Clark says: “It is now more crucial than ever that we do what we the award. In the event Hilary do best and that is being a partner, an extension of the publisher’s production department.” Mantel won and duly shot from around 40 in the best sellers list to top of the charts. But rate publishing towards houses from High Wycombe. This is ancies” that had not been picked Mantel’s book is published by that can cherish a title into the smallest of the publishers, up earlier. Clark explains that Macmillan, one of the goliaths print. A few years ago the lack usually specialising in transla- the experience of the internal of the publishing industry, of marketing and sales support tions of foreign language books. production team is used to advise while Salt, Hamilton-Emery’s might have confined such books And as such it does not have a publishers. “This is especially company, is at the other end of to the backwaters, but with production specialist in house. the case when working with the scale. social media, web pages, reading “That has not been a problem,” smaller, independent publish- Like two of the other groups and so on, marketing has says director Stefan Tobler. ers that don’t always have the shortlisted titles, The Light- become a lower cost activity. “The printers have been great, resources, facilities or experi- house is published outside of But it does not suggest drawing our attention to a few ence to do all that’s necessary London and by an independent any lack of professional- things that they picked up on.” for a project to become a book. publisher. This does not mean ism. Hamilton-Emery set up Angus Clark, managing We see this as an inclusive part any difference in quality from Salt Publishing in Cromer a director of TJI, adds: “Produc- of our service offering. Being a books produced by the main- dozen years ago after leaving ing Swimming Home for And printer nowadays means much stream publishers, but there is a Cambridge University Press Other Stories was a real pleas- more than just providing a print huge gap in scale – no produc- where he had been production ure. Once we’ve found out that service,” he says. tion teams to source paper and director and used to placing it had been shortlisted for this The book was selling well manage relationships with book print across the globe. For a year’s Man Booker Prize, we felt even before the Booker shortlist printers, delivering print ready period there were two jobs and a real sense of achievement and was announced and had enjoyed PDFs that can almost be printed he has since been joined by his pride to have been a part of this a first printing of 3,000 copies blind. wife Jen. project.” last year, which put it firmly in Perhaps the future lies with “From the start we printed With what he calls the chang- the litho camp even if TJI can the independents for the arrival this with Clays, producing ing publishing landscape, the offer digital printing. For Tobler of ebooks, Amazon (and the 40,000 units. They are a fantas- role of the printer is evolving. litho remains important: “We consequent loss of high street tic printer to us,” he says. “Our The expectation is that the wanted to print properly and to book shops), growth of self short run work goes to TJ or printer becomes more flexible. make sure the books were prop- publishing ventures, has helped perhaps MPG, but for longer “It is now more crucial than erly distributed, even where our to spur discussions about the runs trade and B format we are ever that we do what we do best books are translations. When role of the publisher in future using Clays.” and that is being a partner; an you have put the effort in to find The phenomenon has been TJ International was not extension of the publishers’ great books and then to translate most marked by the success of excluded from the Booker production department; build- them, you do not want to settle the Fifty Shades series of books excitement as it has been behind ing that relationship and trust is on printing just 100 copies. produced outside the main- another of the independent extremely vital.” “We have used digital print- stream. This year’s Booker has short listed titles, Deborah That was proven when the ing, but it’s something to make perhaps been another indicator Levy’s Swimming Home, printer’s production team was up a shortfall or to op up exist- that there is a move from corpo- published by And Other Stories able to spot “a couple of discrep- ing orders.”

12 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk InnovatIons & Investments memjet believes the future lies in commercial inkjet printing

A commerciAl printing or firing nano layers of silver the press.” And there is a long machine powered by Memjet’s in medical applications because standing connection between inkjet technology will be availa- silver is the ideal anti-bacterial the two. McGlynn was at HP as ble in a decade, according to Bill coating. head of the production print- McGlynn, president of Memjet This lies in the future. ing business when the company Home and Office. But first the “We reckon it will be three to bought Indigo in 2002. company will need to crack five years before we can fire “We can get the heads open the office market with first pigmented inks in the office running five times faster than and second generations of its and for applications in commer- we can now,” he says. “That is page wide printhead technology. cial print will be five to seven definitely achievable.” These are being used in an years away and that a commer- First comes the matter of office printer produced by memjet’s Bil mcGlynn: “We cial printing press is probably reaching 1% of the office laser Lomond that will be sold on would love to have our ten years away from running’” printer market, and persuad- a monthly rental basis. Pack- heads in Lnda presses.” the ing office managers that a fixed ages from £49 a month for 500 Widestar 2000… price, mobile phone like deal, pages to £149 a month for 5,000 is a better solution than moving pages are designed to appeal to desktop printing to end of schools and SMEs and to shift corridor workgroup printing in these users from reliance on a bid to contain costs. laser printers to inkjet. Memjet “The laserprint model has not wants to ship 1 million units by changed in 25 years since HP 2015 and to secure 1% of the introduced the LaserJet. It takes 500 million laserprinters that someone from outside that is not are in use worldwide. wedded to the existing model to It needs to do this to provide challenge this. Our fixed price the revenue to continue devel- model is as revolutionary as opment of page wide heads that the technology itself,” he says. are more suitable for commercial “We know that we are not the print applications. The ability to only company working with fire pigmented inks rather than the technology come in wide he says. This has not stopped page wide print head arrays. In just dye inks is around two to format presses, including one approaches from a wide range ten years this will laser print- three years away. At the same for FujiXerox in Asia and the of companies looking to use the ers in the same way that mobile time the company’s R&D teams Velocity project for Canon-Océ. heads in both web and cutsheet phones killed long distance tele- in Sydney will be striving to OWN-X, Xanté and Colordyne applications. phone operators.” increase print head life and to already have machines using By then the cost of manu- The introduction of the increase speed. Memjet heads on the market. facturing the head will have Lomond product has lifted Currently print head life is Delphax is already looking dropped to $150 a time, the head the veil of secrecy which used put at 50,000-100,000 pages towards future products as the life will be much closer to piezo to envelope everything that and print speed at a page a technology evolves. Memjet’s heads and Memjet will be an Memjet did, down to filing second. While this is one aspect development path accounts for established technology provider. patents that may or may not of the appeal to the SME sector, this with a switch from thermal McGlynn muses on the possibil- have been relevant. Now along with no financial penalty inkjet to what it calls mechanical ity of using Memjet heads in the Memjet CEO Len Lauer has for printing in colour, both inkjet. Landa Corporation nanography invited the media to what had speed and head life would need Instead of using a piezo printing system. The heads been the development bunker substantial improvement for crystal, as heads from Xaar, already fire a 1.2pl droplet for close to Sydney. He told Print commercial print. The Delphax Panasonic, Fuji Dimatix and 1600dpi resolution. 21 magazine in Australia: “With Elan is a first production printer Kyocera do to fire ink droplets, “We would love our heads to the next generation of Angel to use the technology in a cut Memjet is working on tech- be in Benny Landa’s presses. printheads, we will very much sheet machine for the commer- nology that uses a ‘paddle’ to These would make it a lot more extend the printhead life, and cial print market. The press propel the ink droplet. As with economical than what they are improve the print quality. We was previewed at Drupa and a piezo, this opens the way for doing now with Kyocera heads. will start to look at pigmented first machine has been sold to firing a limitless range of liquids If the heads account for 70% of inks, and then a few years later Berforts where it will produce and applications. McGlynn the cost of the press, imagine when we get to the mechanical covers for digitally printed points to printing with lithium the impact of the heads cost head, that really opens up the books. Other applications of to produce ultra thin batteries, just 10-15% of the price of industrial commercial markets.”

www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 13 MPG Books JoininG the dots for MPG the future of book printing means being highly responsive to the needs of publishers. And for MPG Books, that is driving investment in inkjet.

ony Chard has a clear vision for be no printed books, but there is always how MPG Books can develop. The the question of degree to which this takes only problem is that there is not place, but it will be fairly substantial. I much visibility in this market sector think this will happen more in trade books Tat present. This is the books sector where than in academic because the cover price in the challenges of consolidation, overseas academic is so much higher. I don’t believe imports and above all the rise of the ebook that publishers can price their books at a combine to obscure the view. It is like stand- consumer level. Consumers will not pay ing on a hill with a clear view to the next £75 for an academic book. They will not peak but with the valley between hidden pay even £10 for an ebook. This means that under a blanket of mist. academic publishers will need to be much more measured about about what migrates It Is more than a decade since to ebook. I still don’t believe that the printed Chard led a management buyout of the book book will disappear in its entirety.” division of the Martins Print Group, prin- cipally the factory in Bodmin which serves In the academIc world the digital as the group headquarters and which at one download will exist, but with severe disad- time was the Robert Hartnoll bindery. The vantages. There is no ability for students to company has expanded through acquisition scribble notes in the margin for example. since, buying Biddles out of administration It is without question however that some to give it a factory in Kings Lynn, and most books are going to be lost, perhaps as much tony Chard: “there are two schools of recently the book production business of as 40% of the market Chard estimates, and thought. ebooks will rule the world Cambridge University Press. this will have an impact on the number of and there will be no printed books, A factory is being prepared at Bar Hill but there is always the question of book printers that the industry can support. on on the edge of Cambridge to house the degree to which this takes place, but “There are probably seven or eight special- ten-unit KBA B1 press and a colour inkjet it will be fairly substantial.” ist book companies in the UK currently. If web press. Final decisions and negotiations the market drops by 40%, some will have to about this press are currently underway disappear. And we are trying to ensure that with the choice falling between HP, Kodak What happens to books is important to the we are not one of those that is affected in and KBA. “We have to cross the Ts and dot company. Unlike the two larger businesses, that way.” the Is,” he says. “We’ll decide by the end of MPG’s focus is not on trade books, though the month.” it will print a number of these thanks to thIs has meant constant investment some long standing accounts. The core of in order to cope with shorter production the growth has put mpg on target the business, however, is print for academic runs and faster turnaround times, delivered for sales of between £24-26 million by the publishers, which Chard believes provides a through a complete shift in focus to inkjet end of next year from 264 staff. It is the measure of protection against substitution printing. There is a brace of KBA 142 mono largest book production group in the UK by digital readers. perfectors at Bodmin and the offset used for behind Clays and CPI and, as Chard points “There are two schools of thought. colour sections and some covers, but recent out, “the largest independent group”. Ebooks will rule the world and there will investments have been resolutely inkjet.

14 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk MPG Books Cover Story JoininG the dots for MPG the future of book printing means being highly responsive to the needs of publishers. And for MPG Books, that is driving investment in inkjet.

At Kings Lynn, older toner based ony Chard has a clear vision for be no printed books, but there is always This is absolutely the case at Kings Lynn specialises in a certain type of work. Bodmin digital and Speedmasters have given how MPG Books can develop. The the question of degree to which this takes where older toner based digital and Speed- has the longer run offset work and also a very way to a timsons t-Press and Kodak only problem is that there is not place, but it will be fairly substantial. I masters have given way to a Kodak Prosper short run digital set up. Kings Lynn has the Prosper 1000. much visibility in this market sector think this will happen more in trade books 1000 and a Timsons T-Press. On the way inkjet presses and is very much geared to Tat present. This is the books sector where than in academic because the cover price in the company has come together under one print on demand for academic publishers academic market. “We will extend colour the challenges of consolidation, overseas academic is so much higher. I don’t believe roof as there is no longer any need to store and also has a direct sales business for self to the trade market but at the moment it’s imports and above all the rise of the ebook that publishers can price their books at a work in progress and the bindery has been published authors. debatable that the quality is at the level combine to obscure the view. It is like stand- consumer level. Consumers will not pay moved into one highly efficient factory unit, There is an online sales operation required. Digital is good for children’s ing on a hill with a clear view to the next £75 for an academic book. They will not now being decorated to bring the surround- geared towards smaller publishers and self books and educational, but it is not going peak but with the valley between hidden pay even £10 for an ebook. This means that ings to match the advanced technology of published authors, covering obtaining an to produce the next Jamie Oliver,” Chard under a blanket of mist. academic publishers will need to be much the presses. ISBN number, help with marketing and explains. “It’s part of the total service more measured about about what migrates sales as well as producing the book itself. provider strategy.” It Is more than a decade since to ebook. I still don’t believe that the printed “Run lengths aRe getting shorter “This market is closer to the photobook Chard led a management buyout of the book book will disappear in its entirety.” and we have to remain competitive,” says model,” says Chard. “When we started it Being fast to maRket is essential to division of the Martins Print Group, prin- Chard. “Litho is extremely wasteful in terms was a unique model, though it’s now not as ensure that books remain competitive against cipally the factory in Bodmin which serves In the academIc world the digital of start up and running waste. With inkjet unique as it once was.” devices like the Kindle. “The problem with as the group headquarters and which at one download will exist, but with severe disad- there are no metal plates, no chemistry and The Cambridge factory, when it is ready a book is that it’s static. There are no moving time was the Robert Hartnoll bindery. The vantages. There is no ability for students to its overall costs, inkjet will have as profound in March next year, will be the colour images, and it has to compete with the company has expanded through acquisition scribble notes in the margin for example. an effect on litho as offset had on letterpress. operation. immediacy of a digital download. since, buying Biddles out of administration It is without question however that some The lesson of history is that the letterpress “The trend for a book has to be about to give it a factory in Kings Lynn, and most books are going to be lost, perhaps as much guys that did not embrace litho are now the company stRuck a deal with being quick and extremely competitive in its tony Chard: “there are two schools of recently the book production business of as 40% of the market Chard estimates, and thought. ebooks will rule the world supermarkets or housing estates.” CUP to outsource its book production price offering, and that’s what inkjet deliv- Cambridge University Press. this will have an impact on the number of and there will be no printed books, But the change is more than just switch- requirements, taking staff on under Tupe ers. It allows short runs and faster lead time A factory is being prepared at Bar Hill but there is always the question of book printers that the industry can support. ing an analogue technology for a digital one. arrangements. It was not an acquisition of and is more competitive. We can get books on on the edge of Cambridge to house the degree to which this takes place, but “There are probably seven or eight special- “We need to be a total service provider to our the printing house, Chard explains. “But out the door faster and invoiced faster. It’s a ten-unit KBA B1 press and a colour inkjet it will be fairly substantial.” ist book companies in the UK currently. If customers, whatever that might mean. We we still needed to be aware of the sensitiv- very efficient set up. The challenge is how web press. Final decisions and negotiations the market drops by 40%, some will have to need to be very aware of what our custom- ity of the agreement. It is the world’s oldest to get product to market at the price point about this press are currently underway disappear. And we are trying to ensure that ers ask us to do and that means investment continuing printing business, producing its publishers can sell it for,” he explains. with the choice falling between HP, Kodak What happens to books is important to the we are not one of those that is affected in in technology.” first book in 1584. There is a lot of historical and KBA. “We have to cross the Ts and dot company. Unlike the two larger businesses, that way.” context.” a cRucial paRt of that is also found the Is,” he says. “We’ll decide by the end of MPG’s focus is not on trade books, though that will continue to be inkjet Along with the people, MPG has signed a in production alliances that MPG has with the month.” it will print a number of these thanks to thIs has meant constant investment rather than toner. “Our T-Press is the fastest supply deal for a large part of CUP’s Euro- Sheridan Books in the US and with Opus some long standing accounts. The core of in order to cope with shorter production digital web press on the market and is 20 pean requirements. “It is not a sole supplier in Australia. Combined the Content Deliv- the growth has put mpg on target the business, however, is print for academic runs and faster turnaround times, delivered times faster than a toner machine, produc- deal,” he says. ery Alliance provides a distribute and print for sales of between £24-26 million by the publishers, which Chard believes provides a through a complete shift in focus to inkjet ing more sections per hour because of its The move will to the new factory where offering to publishers wanting to reduce end of next year from 264 staff. It is the measure of protection against substitution printing. There is a brace of KBA 142 mono web width. In relative terms inkjet is high there will also be a new binding line should the costs of shipping long distances and the largest book production group in the UK by digital readers. perfectors at Bodmin and the offset used for volume and very competitive on costs. In be complete by March. The aim is not to time and carbon footprint associated with behind Clays and CPI and, as Chard points “There are two schools of thought. colour sections and some covers, but recent our market toner is dead.” produce coffee table illustrated books, but that. Six of MPG’s top ten customers are out, “the largest independent group”. Ebooks will rule the world and there will investments have been resolutely inkjet. The group is organised so that each plant to meet demand from the educational and global companies and as technology shrinks

14 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 15 MPG Books

the globe, the ability to operate on differ- for delivery,” he says. “For the first time in a or a high volume book printing ent continents is essential. The thinking is long time, the UK has the tools and under- factory, it is strangely quiet at MPG that the publisher should not lose out on standing to start to bring back volume.” Books in Kings Lynn. The reason the opportunity to sell a book. “The chal- But this will not rescue the industry as lies in the print technology: its two lenge is remaining relevant in a globalised it is. The merger between Penguin and Fbook presses are inkjet machines. There are market and that means printing much Random House is the most visible example no plates, no plate gaps and no blanket to closer to where the book will be sold,” he of how consolidation is taking place among impression cylinder contact to create the says. This has been in place for three years. the publishers. What has happened in the hubbub that for decades has signified litho “It’s not necessarily accelerating at a rapid magazine sector where there are now three book printing. Instead the Kings Lynn rate, but it’s not getting any smaller,” Chard key print groups will happen in books. plant has a Kodak Prosper 1000 tucked comments. “Our part of the industry will consolidate. in one corner while the other side of the The shift towards the Asian markets, The customers are getting larger and as factory is dominated by a Timsons T-Press. India and China especially, where the print manufacturers we must do the same. Along with new finishing machines and a educated middle class is “exploding expo- It means that we will continue to acquire and new sheetfed digital press, Kings Lynn is nentially”. But Chard sees this as a benefit grow.” showing the fruits of a £7 million investment rather than a threat because wage inflation For Chard that is what lies on top of the spend since the middle of last year. will increase costs and their home markets hill he can see in the distance. Getting there become so vast that the inclination to export means staying alert and remaining prepared The KodaK machine has been in is lessened. And this takes the story back to for the challenges and changes to come. operation for a year or so and has become the need for efficient production practices, “We have created an organisation that fully the most productive machine inkjet press away from offset and towards inkjet. embraces all the challenges that the chang- that Kodak has sold. It has printed 860,000 “There is much more work being repatri- ing consumer market is bringing,” he smiles. metres of paper in one week, 107,000 ated because of the need for speed to market “We are having good discussions with our metres in one 12-hour shift. “The more you where publishers cannot wait 10-12 weeks customers.” run it, the better it likes it,” says production operations manager Gary Mackney. “It definitely runs best at high speed.” Nor is this a short run press. Its production window is 500-2,000 copies. And now the T-Press takes this further, pushing the comfortable ceiling up to 4,000 digitally printed books thanks to non stop operation and imaging units that are twice the width of the Prosper. A day after the machine has produced its first commercial job, engineers from Timsons, from Kodak, from dryer manufacturer Adphos and from Civiemme, whose stacker collects the folded signatures, are gathered around laptops analysing data and seeing which servo motors need adjustment. It is a scene from the pits at a Formula 1 team rather than engineers working on a printing press.

BoTh presses deliver to a Timsons T-Fold for gathering folded signatures into a book block and these are collected as a log to be fed into a Kolbus binder. MPG worked with Timsons on this folder, recognising the need for a folder which can run at high speed rather than adapting something from an existing digital press which would not have been robust enough. The sequential gathering section on the binding line was likewise developed by Kolbus to meet MPG’s specification and is the first of its type in the world. It comprises two book block feeders each with readers to recognise when a complete block has been fed into place. This is followed by The T-Press in kings Lynn is now two hoppers to feed either one or two plate operational and leading the change. sections and is followed again by two further block feeders. If a book requires a plate

16 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk Cover Story Timsons T-Press makes a quiet impression at MPG in Norfolk

space at the top of the factory for the Indigo 1000 which will offer four up cover production and greater flexibility on illustrated sections. Mackney is pondering the advan- tages of adding an inline folder. Currently the company has a pair of iGens, one for the illustrated sections, the other for covers. There is an HP Indigo 10000 on order to replace these and a space created for it. The larger format of the new press will provide extra flexibility in both design and in finishing as iGen printed pages must be PUR bound.

the comPany is far from new to digital printing having operated both Nipson and Océ presses alongside Speedmasters. At this point the company had pioneered the idea of agreeing to a unit cost and overall numbers printed, but with the publisher able to call off only the volume needed at the time. It was intended to make publishers, particularly the academic publishers that Biddles deals with, feel comfortable with print on demand and digital printing. The office area above the factory is only Production manager Gary Mackney sparsely populated because most adminis- says of the timsons t-Press: “the trative functions are handled by head office more you run it, the better it likes it.” in Bodmin, including most file preparation. A large screen in the board room is used for video conferences. It means that there section, MPG will print the bottom half of once every three reels or so. On the Timsons are now just 58 staff on site compared to the book as one job fed through the first set this will not be necessary as the impression more than 200 a few years ago. Investment of feeders and the top half fed through the cylinders will drop to avoid damage to the to automate other areas, case making and latter set of feeders with the illustrated plate print heads caused by the splice between one casing in for example, has eliminated other sections sandwiched between. Any miscol- reel and the next. Mackney has found that manual tasks. lated books are rejected before reaching the the presses are happy with standard papers binder proper. and that heads can last up to 3,000 hours, there is a small PrePress team in adding that it remains too soon to provide a Norfolk to cope with the direct sales to small Previously the comPany had a proper replacement period. publishers and self publishing authors who 24-station gathering section and had had to The layout and flow of work through the create an incredibly diverse range of titles hand feed digital blocks. “That’s fine when factory is down to Mackney. “This is the and generate sales of around £1.5 million via only 20% of what you produce is digital,” best way I could lay a factory out,” he says. online ordering. says Mackney, “but when everything is At one end paper is held in what used to be But the mainstay is academic work. In the digital you need a mechanical solution.” the CTP room, moving through the presses board room, there is a ten-volume edition He tries to schedule work so that jobs are to binder and through a shrink wrapper or for Oxford University Press. Mackney batched by the paper they use on the digital to packing cartons as necessary. says: “We showed this to buyers who were pressses and by format for the binder, the Across the factory is a case maker, block- not convinced about inkjet printing. They aim being to minimise make ready waste. ing machine, Autobond laminator and 30 looked at it and were amazed at the consist- It will take around six minutes to change a cycles per minute casing in line. There are ency and density of the text from start to reel on the Prosper with MPG using the time only very few pallets of work in progress, a finish. I wouldn’t have been able to do that to clean any misted ink from the imaging area vast change from a litho operation. There is on a litho press.” n

www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 17 Book printing Book the trends

t is easy to become caught up in the published books appeared, 43% of the total doom and gloom surrounding pros- in our headline- of new titles appearing. While the major- pects for printed books. All sorts of ity choose ebook publication in the first media attention is focused on ebooks reading world, the instance, there has been a 33% rise in self Ias the destroyer of print and sales are published books that are printed says the man in the street stratospheric. Percentage increases in sales research business. of ebooks are more than doubling year on believes books year while book sales through Amazon are “this is no longer just vanity driving another nail in the coffin of the inde- are on their way presses at work; self-publishing is out of pendent high street book shop. the dark corners and making its way into the out. But it is not mainstream. Notable success stories include But scratch at the surface and book numbers that a number of self published authors landing a more complex picture emerges. The book their titles onto the prestigious New York publishing industry is suffering a tsunami of are changing, but Times bestseller list for ebook fiction,” says change, but publishers are proving resilient. Beat Barblan, director of identifier services As the tidal wave recedes with the backwash, the way they are for Bowker. the industry is changing, but book publish- “Self publishing is now supported by a ing remains a vital business. It is just that produced. sophisticated and highly accessible support what a publisher does is changing and how structure. It’s provided everyone who has a publisher is organised, markets and finds a story to tell with a method for sharing it readers is all up for grabs. ing, like music before it, the deal is expected and levelled the playing field to an unprec- The most spectacular example of this to be given clean passage by European edented degree.” change is the combination of Pearson’s and competition authorities. Bertelsmann’s book publishing interests. A But if this demonstrates the trend in the uK the eBooK has yet to make new jointly owned business will combine towards consolidation in publishing, there the impact it has in the US where digital Penguin (itself a highly disruptive business will almost certainly be those now working versions are expected to account for 17% of when launched in the 1930s) and Random in either operation that take the opportu- all sales by 2014. By the same date, digital House. Pearson gets 47% of the new busi- nity to start out on their own and launch editions will account for 9% in the five ness, Bertelsmann takes 53% and Markus smaller publishers. These sorts of inde- largest European markets and 8% in Japan Dohle, chairman and CEO of Random pendents are starting to make an impact in according to the European Commission. But House will drive the new business as CEO. some areas, producing a handful of books it points out that ebooks account for only Penguin’s chairman and CEO John Makin- with limited internal resources, but able to 3% of the global total. son becomes chairman of Penguin Random work more closely with partners to achieve a In 2011 ebook sales in the UK increased House. final result. Half of this year’s Booker Prize 366% according to the Publishers Asso- shortlist comprised books from independent ciation Statistics Yearbook. Delving deeper, the rationale is that the merger publishers. ebooks account for 6% of consumer sales will enable “them to publish even more Alongside these there is a veritable explo- and 13% of academic and professional. effectively across traditional and emerging sion of self publishing activity. According The combined value of physical and ebooks formats and distribution channels” accord- to Bowker Books in Print in the US there decreased 2% to £3.2 billion with PA chief ing to Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe. are 235,000 self published books available executive Richard Mollet saying: “Physical With the increasing digitisation of publish- in the country. During 2011, 148,424 self books remain the format of choice for the

18 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk Book printing book printing Book

kevin Sarney, butler, tanner & Dennis: Jeff Ward, timsons: “For runs of Jon tolley, prime group: “there are the trends “Digital quality is getting better and 2,000-10,000 copies and beyond, the titles being added all the time and with time the economics will work.” litho model is alive and well.” new publishers coming on board.” t is easy to become caught up in the published books appeared, 43% of the total vast majority of British readers, underlining Ward. “For production runs of 2,000- doom and gloom surrounding pros- in our headline- of new titles appearing. While the major- the continued importance of a strong high 10,000 copies and beyond, the litho model butler, tanner pects for printed books. All sorts of ity choose ebook publication in the first street sector.” is alive and well,” he says. “The ZMR (zero media attention is focused on ebooks reading world, the instance, there has been a 33% rise in self In the US, the rapid rise in ebook sales makeready) machines at Mackays have the & Dennis Ias the destroyer of print and sales are published books that are printed says the is slowing while the loss of bookshop ability to produce huge volumes, the equiva- man in the street stratospheric. Percentage increases in sales research business. space has also ended. And bookshops lent of 50 million books in a year, running at ButLer tanner & dennis is the of ebooks are more than doubling year on believes books remain crucial. Retailer Barnes & Noble 2,000ft per minute with two people operat- book printer that came back from the dead, year while book sales through Amazon are “this is no longer just vanity led a boycott of a new title from Amazon’s ing the press per shift and running around or at least from a close encounter with the driving another nail in the coffin of the inde- are on their way presses at work; self-publishing is out of publishing venture with the result that the clock six days a week.” grim reaper. Today the Frome business may pendent high street book shop. the dark corners and making its way into the sales are running well below expectations not have the extensive line up of presses it out. But it is not mainstream. Notable success stories include and Amazon’s claim it would not need book there is aLL round agreement that used to possess, but its reputation as the But scratch at the surface and book numbers that a number of self published authors landing stores to make a success of a title, has been run lengths will fall in future with faster country’s leading colour book printer is a more complex picture emerges. The book their titles onto the prestigious New York exposed. turnaround demanded. It was this trend that secure. The problem is that over recent publishing industry is suffering a tsunami of are changing, but Times bestseller list for ebook fiction,” says pushed waste levels up at Clays, something decades publishers have been able to source change, but publishers are proving resilient. Beat Barblan, director of identifier services But there is no douBt that the book mentioned in the St Ives results. off shore, gradually edging east in search of As the tidal wave recedes with the backwash, the way they are for Bowker. business is changing faster than ever before. Kodak, through its Stream inkjet technol- lower and lower prices. As Chinese prices the industry is changing, but book publish- “Self publishing is now supported by a As publishers try to manage their costs, they ogy has been vying with HP at the volume begin to edge up, printers in the Philippines ing remains a vital business. It is just that produced. sophisticated and highly accessible support aim to take advantage of shorter production end of the market while Screen and Océ are begin to look attractive. what a publisher does is changing and how structure. It’s provided everyone who has runs and to eliminate the costs associated offering inkjet solutions at lower volume That is the reality that BT&D has learned a publisher is organised, markets and finds a story to tell with a method for sharing it with high wastage levels and inaccurate points. Paul Randall, regional market to live with. Its proposition is not to the readers is all up for grabs. ing, like music before it, the deal is expected and levelled the playing field to an unprec- forecasting. This is pushing supply chains to manager for the publishing segment of HP, sentimentality of printing in the UK, but The most spectacular example of this to be given clean passage by European edented degree.” become more responsive, and bringing work says: “In book printing, digital production to the practicality and supply chain bene- change is the combination of Pearson’s and competition authorities. back from the far east where extended deliv- means there there is no longer a minimum fits of doing so. “We are seeing significant Bertelsmann’s book publishing interests. A But if this demonstrates the trend in the uK the eBooK has yet to make ery times are being taken into account in the run to ensure profitability and books are change in attitudes to stocks and supply,” new jointly owned business will combine towards consolidation in publishing, there the impact it has in the US where digital total cost package. never out of print.” says managing director Kevin Sarney. “We Penguin (itself a highly disruptive business will almost certainly be those now working versions are expected to account for 17% of For the UK’s book printers digital are seeing more orders but of less quantity when launched in the 1930s) and Random in either operation that take the opportu- all sales by 2014. By the same date, digital production methods are becoming more the market, he says, is expected to each. That is becoming the norm and the House. Pearson gets 47% of the new busi- nity to start out on their own and launch editions will account for 9% in the five important. Inkjet is making inroads that grown from 83 billion digitally printed pages investment programme we have made is to ness, Bertelsmann takes 53% and Markus smaller publishers. These sorts of inde- largest European markets and 8% in Japan toner based technologies have failed to do in 2010 to 151 billion by 2014, meaning that support that.” Dohle, chairman and CEO of Random pendents are starting to make an impact in according to the European Commission. But and it is not too fanciful to anticipate the day almost 28% of all physical books will be If BT&D can supply from Somerset House will drive the new business as CEO. some areas, producing a handful of books it points out that ebooks account for only that inkjet overtakes litho. printed digitally by 2016, compared to 17% the smaller quantities at the timetable Penguin’s chairman and CEO John Makin- with limited internal resources, but able to 3% of the global total. last year. that publishers require, the risk of having son becomes chairman of Penguin Random work more closely with partners to achieve a In 2011 ebook sales in the UK increased Leading this deveLopment has It is a significant change and one that thousands of unsold books languishing in House. final result. Half of this year’s Booker Prize 366% according to the Publishers Asso- been Timsons, the UK’s leading book press brings life to printed books rather than warehouses is eliminated. This cannot be shortlist comprised books from independent ciation Statistics Yearbook. Delving deeper, manufacturer and leading global supplier of threatens them. Through digital produc- offered from China. The supplier needs to the rationale is that the merger publishers. ebooks account for 6% of consumer sales book presses. While attention has focused tion it becomes less of a risk to publish a be as close to market as possible. will enable “them to publish even more Alongside these there is a veritable explo- and 13% of academic and professional. on the T-Press inkjet press it introduced at book, it becomes something that more and The challenge for the printer is that in effectively across traditional and emerging sion of self publishing activity. According The combined value of physical and ebooks Drupa, the Kettering factory has delivered more non professionals feel the urge to do order to work like this, makeready times on formats and distribution channels” accord- to Bowker Books in Print in the US there decreased 2% to £3.2 billion with PA chief two new offset presses to Italian printers this and it demonstrates that despite the growing all equipment need to be as short as possi- ing to Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe. are 235,000 self published books available executive Richard Mollet saying: “Physical year and there are four colour litho machines ecology of ereaders, there is nothing to beat ble. “We might suggest to a publisher that With the increasing digitisation of publish- in the country. During 2011, 148,424 self books remain the format of choice for the in the factory says managing director Jeff the physicality of a printed book. instead of ordering 50,000 copies in one

18 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 19 Book printing

batch, they have two of 20,000 each and has grown to around 20% of volume and has prompted it to look more seriously one of 10,000, which can be adjusted to this year Connekt has produced its own at attracting book work over the last year, increase numbers or delay printing as the promotional book, sending out copies to switching production seamlessly from its sales demand. This is a much better model prospective customers. The company draws Heidelberg to Indigo. Now its own 150-copy for the publishers. As printers we have to no distinction between litho and digital run promotional book has started to bring make the economics work.” print, working from files supplied, though in inquiries. “Designers want to work with not from sister company Technik. someone in the UK.” Davies says. Connekt A mAjor issue is the Absolute The spark which led to Connekt being is aiming to be that someone. seasonality of the colour book market taken seriously as a book printer was God’s which has led the company towards maps Cookbook: Tracing the culinary traditions of and commercial work in the first part of the the Levant. It won the digital book category year. It means that the company has to be in the 2009 awards. “It had been work in prime extra confident when considering additional progress for eight or nine years by then,” capacity. says Davies. “It was simply too expensive to Group It may come in digital production. Sarney produce litho, but we were able to print it says BT&D keeps a close watch on devel- digitally.” peppA pig hAs been good to opments and has a Nexpress set up. Prime Group in Nottingham. So too have “It isn’t something that has hit Noddy and Fifi and the scorer of the our market yet,” he says. Digital winning goal in the cup final. Exactly is making an impact in those areas who that is, what he (or she) looks like, where papers are standardised, is recorded in a book, personalised both in grades and sizes, and where to the child receiving it. The books therefore it is possible to integrate are published by Pen Wizard and are with finishing. This is not the case printed by Prime. And Peppa Pig and in the illustrated books sector. Me is easily the best seller, and in “Digital needs to replicate what line for an award in the British Book litho does, and then there is the unit Design & Production Awards this cost factor. The economics don’t yet month for best use of cross media. work for retail. “But digital quality is getting the books Are colourful and better and with time the econom- are aimed at the preschool market, ics will work. As a business our aim some of the Peppa Pig titles are is to get to zero makeready and then designed to allay a child’s fears we can tie the requested number to the about their first day at nursery requirement of sales.” school for example. And there Nor is the e book a great factor in are plenty of testimonials to the colour books, the readers and the delight that a child gains from content has been tilted towards mono reading about themselves on the publications. Says Sarney: “There’s still Pen Wizard website to attest that a great opportunity to increase book this not a generation lost to books sales in this sector.” and reading. This year the company is short- For Prime, the task is about taking the listed in the photographic book category variables – gender, hair colour, skin tone, for a title about Skoda’s world land speed eye colour, name and so on – and crafting Connekt record attempt. It is a lavish production with personalised books from this data. The mirrored boards, lined slip case and natu- orders are received each morning, are on Colour rally case bound. press by the time operators arrive and are Binding is handled by Diamond Print sent out as a perfect bound book later the Connekt Colour is an award winning Finishing (“we know them and they know same day. “It’s about printing lots of quan- book printer – and has two nominations in us” says Davies), it being less than an hour tities of one,” says managing director Jon this year’s British Book Design & Produc- from Connekt in Berkhamsted to Diamond Tolley. “They all do reasonable numbers, tion Awards – but it never intended to be a in Enfield. but Peppa Pig is far and away the best seller. specialist in this area. It’s very good for Christmas.” Managing director Dave Davies explains it is A typiCAl job for Connekt. The books are only 24pp a time, but have that the Berkhamsted company was “We want to print shortish run, nice quality a drawn-around laminated cover to create a approached by one gallery to handle a cata- colour books,” says Davies, “but we are not quality product. Hard case versions are also logue and that led to another inquiry and out to compete with BT&D. offered. gradually the company has become a book “We can’t see what we do ever disappear- Now volumes have grown to the point printer. “It wasn’t something that we set out ing. It’s the paperback market that is going that the company is investing in Quick to do deliberately,” he says. to go over to ebooks, so we are hoping for a Book casing in machinery from CMC. It has That was several years ago now, and few years from this at least.” already bought a case making unit from the now his attitude is changing slightly. Books The success that the business has had Italian manufacturer, and the expansion into

20 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk book printing

A French worker checks the quality of a book block at Cpi Firmin Didot near paris.

casing in with glued endpapers and so on is The Chippenham site has the UK’s first to 3,000 copies or more, though at Anthony a natural one. The Italian manufacturer has HP T350 designed to print books as part of Rowe, which introduced the concept of developed the system to cope with short run a group-wide retooling to make extensive use digitally printing books as soon as Xerox digitally produced books. of inkjet printing. The first installation of this launched the Docutech in 1991, the average technology was a mono machine at Firmin is much lower than this. Prime would not be doing this Didot in France, but the Anthony Rowe press without a belief that books are a growing is fitted with four colour heads as the first the ability to Print Colour is a market. Tolley says the next step is to take group capacity for colour book printing in the definite advantage with Collyer explaining the personalised concept into the teenage UK since the demise of Bath Press. that it has attracted illustrated books and and adult markets. “Over the six years we It is not yet going to handle coffee table even some magazines “and other stuff that have been doing these books, demand has illustrated books, but instead is about we didn’t expect to do on it”. So far there been growing and growing. There are titles providing publishers with new options to have been no issues around the paper used. being added all the time and new publishers enhance the perceived value of their books. On mono work, depending on the paper coming on board – if you can personalise it, used, there is no need even to fire HP’s we can print it.” the ComPany makes extensive play bonding coat. Collyer admits that a greater The extra dimension is going to come of Philippa Gregory’s Changeling, a title it choice of papers would be preferrable. “We from case binding and the ability to deliver produced for Simon & Schuster UK using are not looking to print more than 50% ink a top quality product. “It takes things to colour to introduce chapters and to print coverage not because of the technology, another level, the product looks phenom- maps, as part of the launch this year of what but because of the cost model,” he says. enal,” he adds. it markets as Quantum Colour. The marketing approach is about reduc- Martyn Collyer, CPI’s UK head of digital, ing volumes printed and helping publishers says that the interest stirred up is such that manage costs, but the real plus is the ability “we are hitting expectations”, adding: “We to break free from restrictions around posi- Cpi books are talking about significant volumes in tion of plate sections within books and to education and higher education.” place images anywhere within the text. It Anthony Rowe The digital press is connected to a changes how an illustrated book is perceived. Magnum Flexbook slitter and stacker which CPi books Covers pretty much all the creates book blocks ready for binding. This “it is about Creating a value bases in book production. The UK end of is not connected directly to the binder, added product. Because we can place the pan European group includes possibly though this is possible. “Some people print coloured text alongside a map or a picture the most productive press in the sector, the reel to reel, though to take real advantage and then opt for better quality binding, say Timson ZMR press at Mackays, through you need to print reel to finished book,” says in a Folio Society style, the reader is getting paperback and cover production at Croydon Collyer. “Within CPI there are some presses a much better quality product compared to or Reading, and short run books printed integrated to the binder, others are like us in an ebook. This is what we are starting to digitally by Anthony Rowe at sites in Chip- running to the finished book block.” see happen and that’s where the T350 will penham and Eastbourne. The press is positioned to print effectively enable us to do things like that.” n

www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 21 Book Binding Perfecting Binding PUR has taken off in a big way, being the only adhesive that successfully perfect binds digitally printed sheets. This brings the once-specialist process within the reach of commercial printers.

here has been a huge swing towards binding has become the new laminating” in base of smaller printers has also tended to printers bringing perfect binding the sense that this is a service that more and shy away from the complexities inherent in in house in recent years with the more printers are bringing in house. “The this type of production. No longer. Manag- reason summed up in three letters: interest and demand has transformed since ing director Quen Baum says: “We added a TPUR. Polyurethane reactive glue is relatively last Ipex,” he says. “Before then the UK led binder with PUR last year and have had a new, only in use in print for around 15 years, Europe in terms of saddle stitching, and we very good reaction, so we brought a range but is a big stride forwards in terms of bind sold three times as many StitchLiners as did of three machines to Drupa and have been strength and finished quality. Germany, but only a quarter of the perfect pleasantly surprised.” It is also the only adhesive to date that binders. Now we are selling as many perfect works well with digitally printed sheets binders as we do StitchLiners.” morgana keepS the investment because there is no reaction with the oils The company sells a number of units price low, around £20,000 for an entry level that may be present in the toners used. PUR from a simple manual unit to an industrial device, which makes the decision process works by being cured on exposure to air, in single clamp binder to an auto set up four- relatively simple. For a printer contemplat- particular exposure to moisture in the air or clamp binder with a choice of glues. “That ing photobooks or books on demand for self paper leading to a cross-linked bond that is unit has become very popular over the last published authors as an extension to shrink- impervious to extremes of temperature and 18 months, and we are finding that the PUR ing levels of commercial work, the risk is is at least two-and-a-half times stronger is outselling EVA-only by a ratio of two to minimised. “These companies are printing than a hot melt bind. one. Companies need PUR when producing digitally and want PUR because they don’t At one time PUR was awkward to work books designed for a long shelf life or for lay want books to fall apart. However, while with. Applicators need to be kept scrupu- flat opening.” they have all heard of PUR very few actually lously clean and air tight and because of the understand the implications, so we are doing cost of the application systems, patented by it iS a more expenSive approach, a lot of educational work. For example they Nordson, PUR tended to be for long run but with the high mark ups on photobook may not realise that as soon as the glue is work only, operated by highly trained staff. products, there is plenty of margin to absorb exposed to air it begins to cure and that And finished books needed time to settle the extra cost. it has to rest after finishing for the cure to properly, a 24-hour rest at least. Godwyn admits that some printers have complete.” a cautious approach to working with PUR, Morgana’s applies only the exact amount Some of that myStique remains. but that good housekeeping and improved of glue from a tank which remains shuttered But everything else about PUR has changed. technology has dispelled issues around the until the spine passes above it. The glue is It remains an expensive option, but for loss of expensive hoses because the glue has supplied as 2kg candles so there can only be printers producing photobooks, digitally cured at the nozzle. Units are designed for minimal waste. printed books, books on demand, short short bursts of operation without causing The three single-clamp units in the range runs, PUR is now the dominant solution. these sorts of problems. are rated at 150, 300 and 450 cycles per hour, Bryan Godwyn, joint managing direc- This is a key benefit to the DigiBook that equivalent to 80, 200 and 300 books per hour tor of Intelligent Finishing Solutions, UK Morgana sells. The company is relatively Baum reckons, and fitting in a small corner distributor for Horizon, says that “perfect new to perfect binding and its customer of the factory able to be used when required.

22 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk Book Binding Book Binding

installed one of the new machines for just this reason. “They didn’t want a machine that would fill up all their space.” That the KB4000 is around half the price of the larger unit will also have helped. PlateWriter Productivity is price dependent, but as the affordable machine it is a step into 2000 perfect binding without the risk that the Perfecting larger commitment entails. It would also High quality 2-up metal plates for provide a back up machine for a company small to medium offset presses with an existing perfect binder, particularly one running only hot melt. Other participants in this sector of the market include CB Bourg, Encore Machin- ery and perhaps surprisingly Heidelberg. While it has not been in position to offer a digital solution for book printing, ground Binding being made up its Ricoh partnership, it does single and four-clamp hand-loaded perfect binders with the EB600 and EB1300. Both PUR has taken off in a big way, being the only adhesive that Morgana managing director Quen have options to include PUR application. successfully perfect binds digitally printed sheets. This brings the Baum says: “We have learned a huge “This comes from the same nozzle system amount and will be doing a dealer as on the 6,000cph EB Pro perfect binder,” once-specialist process within the reach of commercial printers. education day to teach them about says Heidelberg’s Mark Hogan, “rather than PUR.” through a open tank system.” The binder sets itself automatically from New Metal here has been a huge swing towards binding has become the new laminating” in base of smaller printers has also tended to “People don’t want to have to gang up lots data logged in a printed bar code, making CTP System printers bringing perfect binding the sense that this is a service that more and shy away from the complexities inherent in of work before switching on. They need to it easy to cope with ultra short runs. The from only in house in recent years with the more printers are bringing in house. “The this type of production. No longer. Manag- do the small batches of five or ten books as finished book can be fed via conveyors to 95 reason summed up in three letters: interest and demand has transformed since ing director Quen Baum says: “We added a necessary,” he says. a Eurotrim 1000, Heidelberg’s entry level £69. TPUR. Polyurethane reactive glue is relatively last Ipex,” he says. “Before then the UK led binder with PUR last year and have had a three knife trimmer. Another option is the per week* Affordable new, only in use in print for around 15 years, Europe in terms of saddle stitching, and we very good reaction, so we brought a range Nor is the cure issue as major a BC 330, a unit built around a Polar 66 guillo- but is a big stride forwards in terms of bind sold three times as many StitchLiners as did of three machines to Drupa and have been problem as in the past. As customers want tine which rotates the book around the three Eco Friendly strength and finished quality. Germany, but only a quarter of the perfect pleasantly surprised.” next day delivery, the imposition of a 24 cut positions. Metal CtP Solution It is also the only adhesive to date that binders. Now we are selling as many perfect hour settling period meant that some have works well with digitally printed sheets binders as we do StitchLiners.” morgana keepS the investment trusted to the post to take care of this. It is “this short ruN Digital area is because there is no reaction with the oils The company sells a number of units price low, around £20,000 for an entry level a risk, but the book should not be packed in one where we have not historically been The PlateWriter provides clean, that may be present in the toners used. PUR from a simple manual unit to an industrial device, which makes the decision process plastic as this will slow the curing process present,” he explains. This is likely now to accurate digital plates, direct from works by being cured on exposure to air, in single clamp binder to an auto set up four- relatively simple. For a printer contemplat- and lead to disappointment. Baum says that come with the EB Pro, a highly automated your desktop. particular exposure to moisture in the air or clamp binder with a choice of glues. “That ing photobooks or books on demand for self 12-hour and even eight-hour cure glues are 6,000cph machine, which Heidelberg paper leading to a cross-linked bond that is unit has become very popular over the last published authors as an extension to shrink- on their way, which means printing in the demonstrates going through four set ups Ideal for commercial printers using impervious to extremes of temperature and 18 months, and we are finding that the PUR ing levels of commercial work, the risk is morning and shipping the same day. in less than 28 minutes. Most users will be 200 - 1,000 plates per month. is at least two-and-a-half times stronger is outselling EVA-only by a ratio of two to minimised. “These companies are printing “We have learned a huge amount and commercial printers handling a variety of than a hot melt bind. one. Companies need PUR when producing digitally and want PUR because they don’t we will be doing a dealer education day work, rather than book specialists. “Book ✓ 100% Chemistry free At one time PUR was awkward to work books designed for a long shelf life or for lay want books to fall apart. However, while to teach them about PUR and its employ- binding is a makeready business because run no costly chemical disposal with. Applicators need to be kept scrupu- flat opening.” they have all heard of PUR very few actually ment, followed by an open house to provide lengths are becoming that much shorter,” he ✓ 90% Saving on energy lously clean and air tight and because of the understand the implications, so we are doing the same information to customers on a adds. It also pitches Heidelberg against the efﬁ cient use of electricity cost of the application systems, patented by it iS a more expenSive approach, a lot of educational work. For example they seminar basis, probably with the glue people specialists in perfect binding, Wohlenberg, Nordson, PUR tended to be for long run but with the high mark ups on photobook may not realise that as soon as the glue is involved.” Kolbus and Muller Martini. ✓ Save 40 hours per month on plate making work only, operated by highly trained staff. products, there is plenty of margin to absorb exposed to air it begins to cure and that These are no longer single clamp and direct to plate with in line drying and gumming And finished books needed time to settle the extra cost. it has to rest after finishing for the cure to Duplo’s pur biNDer appeared at four-clamp devices designed for short run ✓ 100% Recyclable plates properly, a 24-hour rest at least. Godwyn admits that some printers have complete.” the London Calling event at the O2. “We digital printing, but systems intended for recycle your aluminium plates & generate additional income a cautious approach to working with PUR, Morgana’s applies only the exact amount brought out the DPB500 about four years high productivity achieved through auto- Some of that myStique remains. but that good housekeeping and improved of glue from a tank which remains shuttered ago in response to demand we were getting mation. This does not mean that digital ✓ Dramatically reduces water consumption But everything else about PUR has changed. technology has dispelled issues around the until the spine passes above it. The glue is for machines of that calibre,” says UK printing is ignored. Muller Martini’s Sigma- ✓ Includes Harlequin CTP RIP and PC Server It remains an expensive option, but for loss of expensive hoses because the glue has supplied as 2kg candles so there can only be marketing manager Marc Legge. “Now line was the first to link inline from a digital printers producing photobooks, digitally cured at the nozzle. Units are designed for minimal waste. at Drupa we introduced the KB4000 with web press to delivery of finished perfect ✓ Integrated prooﬁ ng support printed books, books on demand, short short bursts of operation without causing The three single-clamp units in the range PUR because the DPB500 is quite a large bound books. The printed web is taken runs, PUR is now the dominant solution. these sorts of problems. are rated at 150, 300 and 450 cycles per hour, machine and digital printers want to offer through a folder arrangement, adapted from Bryan Godwyn, joint managing direc- This is a key benefit to the DigiBook that equivalent to 80, 200 and 300 books per hour perfect binding but from a smaller footprint web offset presses, with a cut off to create To request a test plate call: tor of Intelligent Finishing Solutions, UK Morgana sells. The company is relatively Baum reckons, and fitting in a small corner to save space.” folded signatures. Sequential signatures are 01202 845960 distributor for Horizon, says that “perfect new to perfect binding and its customer of the factory able to be used when required. Indigo user Reproprint in Woking has gathered into book blocks and then directed [email protected] www.intecprinters.com

* Terms and conditions apply. E&OE. Finance subject to status. 22 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk Written quotations upon request.November Prices exclude 2012 delivery & 23VAT.

Print Business 74mm x 297mm Nov '12.indd 1 30/10/2012 09:34 Book Binding Book Binding

line. While there are no inline installations like this, Muller Martini is prepared to talk digital finishing about lines where the book block can be directed either to become a standard perfect bound book or a cased in hardback on the same line. At Drupa Kolbus demonstrated cased book production with photobooks in mind, showing how different elements of the line for digital printers can be disconnected from the preceding or following sections. It allows a new book to start on its journey before the previous book has reached the stacker. In between DigiBook PUR Binders – the new force in are stations that are shifting into position to accommodate the format of the next book. PUR Binding all variableS are accounTed for “so that every product can be different,” Bryan godwyn of iFS, Uk distributor says UK managing director Robert Flather. At drupa kolbus demonstrated cased DigiBook 150 – entry level 150 cycles per hour for Horizon, says:“Perfect binding has “It is all the result of tumbling run lengths book production with photobooks in become the new laminating.” and faster turnarounds. A lot of products are mind. • Sealed PUR application system for spine and side gluing falling short of litho’s sweet spot and into • Automatic glue head cleaning and sealing to whichever of Muller Martini’s systems is digital.” binding technology,” says Roger Cartwright, most suitable, possibly the Acoro binder. At Drupa the company demonstrated on binding specialist at Freidheim International • Quick start up and shutdown The advantage of inline production is that the fly book production through a binder UK distributor for Wohlenberg. “It is still • Ideal for short run book runs with a spine of up to 50mm any errors can be corrected on the fly, Muller linked to the Timsons T-Press. Completed easier to cope with lots of one-off products Martini’s software will trigger another copy book blocks proceeded along the gathering in this way because while it is not the most of the book to fill the gap left by a rejected section into the binder which moved seam- efficient or fastest way to work it is the most DigiBook 300 – mid range 300 books per hour edition. However, the disadvantage is that lessly between books with varying numbers flexible. And it will remain that way for some when one element of the line is stopped, of signatures. The line could also accommo- time to come.” • Unique angled work-surface for ease and speed of production production has to stop completely. Muller date hand fed book blocks. • Light beam guard with automatic cycle Martini has addressed this by creating a “While there will be instances where The wohlenberg approach has buffer storage zone where the book blocks we will link inline to a press, we think that been to take the best of both approaches, • Retractable milling for sewn section jobs build up in serried formation until the binder there will be more occasions where the near books are moved gently to a conveyor rather • Adjustable pressing station for perfect spine finish has completed its makeready procedure. line solution is better because there are two than dropped on to a belt, says Cartwright, DigiBook 300 Muller Martini GB managing director pieces of equipment that operate at differ- and uniquely books are kept in their spine Andreas Schillinger says that the company is ent speeds and will rarely be operating at the for as long as possible, including during the DigiBook 450 – high productivity 450 books per hour responding to changes in press design. “We sweet spot of either. cooling section. It is a different approach to have a new folder to cope with wider webs “And in a nearline situation, the binding its rival suppliers. “We are coming to differ- • Automatic cover feeder and have improved signature formation. line can handle the output from more than ent solutions as we move towards digital • Optional cover scoring device We continue to work with folded signatures one printing line. It only makes sense where production,” he explains. “Ours is the third which could be directed away for sewing if there is no variation in the format of the way between a totally digital approach and a • Book block measuring device – automatically sets cover scoring and glue nozzle needed.” books produced. “And we prefer to work totally litho approach.” • Fully automatic production, delivery and stacking after book block is inserted with gathered signatures because these It may not be the final solution. Fried- The SwiSS company has delivered are more robust than loosely held sheeted heim also sells specialist equipment from Sigmalines across the globe, from Russia to blocks.” Technograf for hard case book production. PUR glue is four times stronger than hot-melt and ideally suited to today’s demanding digital applications. North America. In the UK it has been the Included is an innovative approach to apply- bindery supplier to Clays where it binds the boTh muller marTini and Kolbus ing end papers in the Pronto. The papers are The Morgana DigiBook range – PURe strength in a range of productive, compact and easy to use machines. books from both the Kodak Prosper and have their heritage in litho book produc- glued to the gauze to create what is in effect from the new Timsons T-Press. This oper- tion and have moved towards digital as it has a cover, which can be applied to the block ates with the Timsons T-Fold to deliver become clear that digital is not just for small like a cover. sequential signatures to Muller Martini. volume production. Likewise Wohlenberg It is, says Cartwright, an example of how These feed inline to an Acoro binder via a has moved in this direction, showing Quick- the evolving demand for shorter run capa- conveyor system. “Working this way we max as a Drupa launch to cope equally well bilities is driving serious manufacturers to don’t have the same degree of control as with digital and litho print. develop new approaches which had previ- we do when we have all our own systems in This goes beyond offering different types ously been left to almost home built devices. place where we control the line from PDF to of glue (which is included), but to include “The whole area is becoming more the finished book,” he says. a gathering section as well as handfed entry professional from a machinery design point For more information or to see the At Drupa the Sigmaline concept was taken for pre-gathered blocks. Even the dedicated of view. These are proper solutions coming to production of case bound books using the photobook producers, making thousands of from mainstream manufacturers to cope video please visit www.morgana.co.uk Allegro binder to add end papers in prepa- books a day, are using the standalone handfed with the drive to shorter run production.” ration for feeding to a Diamant casing in binders. “They are not using cutting edge Shorter run is now big business. n or call 01908 608888

24 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 25 Book Binding digital finishing for digital printers DigiBook PUR Binders – the new force in PUR Binding

DigiBook 150 – entry level 150 cycles per hour • Sealed PUR application system for spine and side gluing • Automatic glue head cleaning and sealing • Quick start up and shutdown • Ideal for short run book runs with a spine of up to 50mm

DigiBook 300 – mid range 300 books per hour • Unique angled work-surface for ease and speed of production • Light beam guard with automatic cycle • Retractable milling for sewn section jobs • Adjustable pressing station for perfect spine finish DigiBook 300 DigiBook 450 – high productivity 450 books per hour • Automatic cover feeder • Optional cover scoring device • Book block measuring device – automatically sets cover scoring and glue nozzle • Fully automatic production, delivery and stacking after book block is inserted

PUR glue is four times stronger than hot-melt and ideally suited to today’s demanding digital applications. The Morgana DigiBook range – PURe strength in a range of productive, compact and easy to use machines.

For more information or to see the video please visit www.morgana.co.uk or call 01908 608888

www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 25 KodaK Benefits of both worlds

our years after Kodak first demon- subtleties of watercolours were rendered strated its Stream technology and the as the distinction well. In the deepest shadows there was some associated Prosper heads at Drupa, loss of detail, indicating that this is a tech- the potential of the technology is between the nology that is still maturing. Fbecoming clear in a range of applications “The speed and frequency we can achieve strengths and that go beyond the Prosper presses that means we can run the print heads very fast Kodak previewed at that show. weaknesses of which means we can already run at 3,000ft This year Kodak has expanded the range a minute. This we are doing in a newspaper of that press platform, announced a second litho and digital application using variable data for a promo- UK user for the Prosper 5000XL in the tional competition,” says Kodak’s xx DSI Output group, and most importantly are blurred, hybrid added the Stream heads to standard press printing throws At this speed resolution is platforms. currently 600x200dpi. At the normal high another ingredient quality resolution running at 600x600dpi, Anton Group has installed the technol- the heads achieve 1,000ft per minute and ogy on the CutStar element of one of its into the mix. the equivalent to 175lpi. If work is still long perfecting Speedmasters. Ryobi has the underway on the screening, on papers and technology at a customer in Japan and Axel so on needed to perfect colour printing, the Springer has put the head on a Manroland Prosper system is comfortable with mono newspaper press. And to cap this, book press printing, particularly for books. Timsons manufacturer Timsons has used the technol- has built its T-Press using four arrays of ogy on a platform using its paper transport six heads each to print on both sides of a system to make a fully digital high produc- 1,270mm web, replacing offset litho imaging tivity book press. with inkjet. This is the new world of hybrid printing, “It has been about matching demand combining litho and digital in one operation for shorter and shorter production runs,” to produce a machine that is tuned to deliver says Timsons managing director Jeff Ward. something that straightforward digital or “The number of books produced is being litho presses cannot. reduced, falling from 10,000 on average to All these came up in a colloquium at IFS’s 5,000 and to 2,000 copies. This is why we Print Efficiently event where the technology are taking away litho and replacing it with and the implementations were explained by inkjet and using our processing technology those engaged with it. to maintain speed. This is offset substitution First off the technology itself is a contin- for shorter runs.” uous inkjet system where droplets are The first production machines have formed by applying heat to produce larger been installed in UK book printers MPG drops which pass through to the paper being and Clays, where the press has to match printed. the 24-hour operation that binding lines There is no reason why the technology designed for litho printing, but instead of cannot print on standard papers, nor why it gathering identical signatures the press should not print full colour jobs with high delivers a complete book block. printing the levels of ink coverage. It does not do this signatures in sequence. “These are presses as yet and samples that Kodak had at the designed for 8-10 million books a year, event included an auction catalogue. This printing on 50-90gsm, including SC and demonstrated the variety of images that suit semi coated without issues. We are testing the technology, as details on furniture to the where the barriers to inkjet lie.”

26 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk KodaK hybrid printing Benefits

As the ink is expelled, a micro heater can be used to form larger droplets which of both worlds reach the paper and are printed. our years after Kodak first demon- subtleties of watercolours were rendered Ryobi, which added inkjet heads to a The answer needs to be a way of drying from paper fibres more easily. Cost will also strated its Stream technology and the as the distinction well. In the deepest shadows there was some standard sheetfed press, is also printing on a the paper without removing all its humid- reduce significantly as volumes build. associated Prosper heads at Drupa, loss of detail, indicating that this is a tech- range of papers says Apex Digital managing ity and to do in a smart way so that it can This increases the scope of the press the potential of the technology is between the nology that is still maturing. director Bob Usher. The Japanese manufac- dry the water based ink from a coated paper to print direct mail and books, especially Fbecoming clear in a range of applications “The speed and frequency we can achieve turer has replaced the litho inking systems running at 2000 metres a minute. The small educational titles which need colour, though strengths and that go beyond the Prosper presses that means we can run the print heads very fast with a vacuum cylinder to hold paper in size of the Stream droplet, around 18 pico- not high coverage high impact colour that Kodak previewed at that show. weaknesses of which means we can already run at 3,000ft place, just 1mm beneath the inkjet heads. litres, means an ultrathin even surface on remains the market for cut sheet digital or This year Kodak has expanded the range a minute. This we are doing in a newspaper The press also varnishes in line, delivering the paper, but at these speeds the press will litho presses. At least not yet. of that press platform, announced a second litho and digital application using variable data for a promo- complete personalised printed sheets he deliver 15g of water a second, more than a UK user for the Prosper 5000XL in the tional competition,” says Kodak’s xx says. Previously print company Komatsu litre a minute. afTer books, The direcT mail DSI Output group, and most importantly are blurred, hybrid would have to print, run the sheet through a The NIR uses a high intensity halogen sector is beginning to nibble at webfed inkjet added the Stream heads to standard press printing throws At this speed resolution is digital press to add personalisation and then lamp which makes the water evaporate digital printing, either as an extension of platforms. currently 600x200dpi. At the normal high run the sheet back through the offset press without causing the paper to heat up. The transactional printing, or as a more person- another ingredient quality resolution running at 600x600dpi, to add a protective seal. units are air cooled and need 800mm of alised purely promotional message. Data to Anton Group has installed the technol- the heads achieve 1,000ft per minute and space to install a twin lamp system. “It is drive this type of application is dropping ogy on the CutStar element of one of its into the mix. the equivalent to 175lpi. If work is still The press prinTs in mono only the power intensity that marks these lamps into place even if the return on investment long perfecting Speedmasters. Ryobi has the underway on the screening, on papers and with three staggered heads fitting on one out,” Bär says. “We are not using heat to is still not completely settled. This is the technology at a customer in Japan and Axel so on needed to perfect colour printing, the unit and the remaining heads on the next evaporate water, but the energy in the light potential that drove The Lettershop Group Springer has put the head on a Manroland Prosper system is comfortable with mono print unit to provide full coverage across the tuned to change the water molecules. to take the Prosper heads and install them newspaper press. And to cap this, book press printing, particularly for books. Timsons sheet. It prints at 12,000sph and on stock “With inkjet we had to apply a technol- on a product finishing line, creating stitched, manufacturer Timsons has used the technol- has built its T-Press using four arrays of from 0.04mm to 0.3mm. “It is being used ogy that does not stress the paper because we perforated and glued mailers from reels ogy on a platform using its paper transport six heads each to print on both sides of a for direct mail work, printing addresses, want the printer to be able to use the paper printed on its 16pp web presses. An area on system to make a fully digital high produc- 1,270mm web, replacing offset litho imaging variable data, QR codes and applications that he chooses.” the web is left blank for the Prosper heads to tivity book press. with inkjet. that require 95% coverage across the width overprint with variable images on the finish- This is the new world of hybrid printing, “It has been about matching demand of the sheet,” he says. as Time progresses there is an expec- ing line. It achieves the cost benefits of offset combining litho and digital in one operation for shorter and shorter production runs,” Komatsu is able to print on standard tation that paper mills will come up with and the variable content benefits of digital to produce a machine that is tuned to deliver says Timsons managing director Jeff Ward. coated papers as the press applies an inline new grades of paper that suit the technol- printing. something that straightforward digital or “The number of books produced is being UV varnish to seal the print. But this ogy. Kodak’s alternative of coating the paper And there is no fear of impact on the litho presses cannot. reduced, falling from 10,000 on average to arrangement will not be possible for all before printing is not considered a workable width of the paper because TLG is only All these came up in a colloquium at IFS’s 5,000 and to 2,000 copies. This is why we applications. For these Kodak is working solution in Europe where the requirement is printing a narrow single head width of Print Efficiently event where the technology are taking away litho and replacing it with with Adphos to provide a drying unit using to use different papers on each each job. In paper, 106mm. and the implementations were explained by inkjet and using our processing technology halogen lamps to deliver Near InfraRed North America where runs are longer this This is a perfect example of the best use those engaged with it. to maintain speed. This is offset substitution energy. This penetrates the ink and effec- becomes viable, adjusting the amount of of technology for the different aspects of the First off the technology itself is a contin- for shorter runs.” tively evaporates any water to leave the coating to suit the profile of the paper. job, hybrid printing in its true sense. It is a uous inkjet system where droplets are The first production machines have pigment dry on the surface of the paper. Kodak is also working towards a page wide cause that Kodak will not have for itself for formed by applying heat to produce larger been installed in UK book printers MPG This is why Kodak dries after each colour is Prosper bar, a significant increase on the long. HP is providing its T series heads as a drops which pass through to the paper being and Clays, where the press has to match applied to the sheet. 106mm maximum width currently available. module to add to production lines, Domi- printed. the 24-hour operation that binding lines It has also announced the Prosper 6000XL no’s offers an inkjet bar to add variable data There is no reason why the technology designed for litho printing, but instead of The idea is To apply energy to as a higher productivity colour press, but no to labels and Atlantic Zeiser has supplied its cannot print on standard papers, nor why it gathering identical signatures the press remove the water from the ink before the shipments have been announced. inkjet heads to sheetfed press manufacturers should not print full colour jobs with high delivers a complete book block. printing the water can penetrate the paper and begin to There will also be continual development to incorporate into the delivery of press to levels of ink coverage. It does not do this signatures in sequence. “These are presses alter it and to do this without so much heat on the inks, improving drying properties add lines of variable promotional or identi- as yet and samples that Kodak had at the designed for 8-10 million books a year, that the paper becomes too dry, and without and reducing the amount of water needed. fier data. event included an auction catalogue. This printing on 50-90gsm, including SC and impact on production speeds. “A 10-metre Already the inks contain less glycol than In future a company buying a litho press demonstrated the variety of images that suit semi coated without issues. We are testing long dryer results in very brittle paper,” says other inkjet inks which will have a benefit should not be surprised to be asked: “Do the technology, as details on furniture to the where the barriers to inkjet lie.” Kai Bär, managing director of Adphos. at the recycling plant as the ink will separate you need anything with that, sir?” n

26 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 27 It is time to upgrade your labels with Pixartprinting. The only one 3 picoleter!

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2012_11_210x297_UK_PrintBusiness.indd 3 30/10/12 17:01 Digital Book Printing Screen truepress Jet520 hits the sweet spot for 2m books per year

Not every book priNter needs to produce 5 million books a year. Nor is every book printer happy to produce just 1 million books digitally. On the one hand there are the high performance inkjet web presses, on the other are cut sheet presses. Yet every book printer needs a strategy that includes digital production. For those contemplating production of around 2 million books a year, the options have been around older technology toner web presses. But the future is about inkjet, leaving Océ and Screen in the game. The former has concentrated on the transactional space, while Screen has now teamed up with Hunkeler and Horizon to deliver the Screen Digital Book Solution. it is a combiNatioN of Truepress Jet520, Hunkeler sheeter, Horizon folder Screen’s truepress Jet520 prints pages and stacker then Horizon’s BQ470 four- print engines. It prints using piezo heads three across and two deep to give clamp binder and three-side trimmer. The firing 1.2pl droplets of aqueous ink, which 12pp signatures. the software adds a system became the centrepiece last month mark to trigger the cutting action on because of their size and the quality of the of an open house at Screen UK’s European ink, are more easily dried than some inkjet head office in Amstelveen, Netherlands. ink. This is a key reason by the press draws The sweet spot of this combination is a to move a gathered book into the binding far less energy than other inkjet digital production rate of 600 perfect bound digi- section. There is also a line printed across presses. tally printed books an hour, 10,000 a day, the width of the web which is produced by adding up to 2 million over a year. Invest- the inkjet press as a means of ensuring that there is No Need to replace the heads ment is £1 million. all its nozzles are firing correctly. This is lost in normal use, each lasting at least a year. The concept aligns the well proven at the trimming stage. A barcode is gener- However, if not in use the heads slide away inkjet web press with the latest version of ated and added to the waste area on the first from the print position and into a station Screen’s Equios workflow, with links to MIS page to both set up the binder and to ensure where they can be protected from damage. and perhaps a web to print application. A that cover and text section are a match. Resolution is 360x720dpi when running at publisher might upload jobs and order 128m per minute. details through the website for the workflow the bQ470 is a four-clamp binder that is Jobs can be sequenced in the frontend so to pick up the job and send it automati- fed by hand, but set up through the barcode that there is no need to stop the line between cally to the presses, deciding on the correct referencing the database to set the clamp jobs as had been the case with the previous template so that no intervention is necessary. positions according to data loaded to the workflow. PXNet control software. Each clamp can be iN a more haNds oN approach, a set differently to cope with a job change on the sX colour press itself posi- job is set up with two elements, cover and the fly. The binder is rated at 600 books an tions the sheet as it enters the press and pulls text section. Screen envisages sending the hour. It can operate with either hotmelt or the long edge into register so that precise cover to its Truepress JetSX B2 sheetfed PUR glues, hotmelt being suitable for the positioning is maintained through print- press where covers can be mounted four inkjet printed pages. ing and when the sheet is turned. A 6mm up on a sheet, printing on both sides. The Once bound the book can be fed to the grip edge is left, enough for any subsequent text section picks up a template according to trimmer either by conveyor or by hand. The finishing processes for the cover. format and the paper used. This creates the book is held tightly and rotated through Duplexed printing like this is rated at imposition and drops pages into the correct three cut positions, top and bottom actions 800 sheets and hour, which with four up position. changing to cut in the direction of the spine production is 3,200 covers an hour, close to The TPJ520 prints pages three across and to avoid pulling the text away from the cover. the rated production of the web press and two deep to give 12pp signatures. The soft- The TPJ520 is the press at the heart of binder. ware adds a mark to trigger the cutting action the system and depending on configuration The SX could naturally be another cover on the sheeter, another mark to indicate the will print at 128 metres per minute or 220 press, and would be additional to Screen’s £1 end of a book which is read by the stacker metres per minute turning the web between million price for the Digital Book Solution.

30 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk Profile AuTomATion delivers service

ne of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex mation of the business, investment across novels, set in Dorset, is Far from This isn’t just any the sectors from a new press, new prepress, the Madding Crowd. It is a title that printing. This is new finishing, new administration systems suits Remous, a printer in Milborne and new business ventures. In short, a top to OPort, a few miles outside Sherborne, which is remous printing, bottom shake up of what might be consid- itself a dozen miles from Yeovil and the A30 ered an archetypal local printer. main road to London. This used to be the a cut above the heart of Dorset’s glove making industry and The firsT invesTmenT was a Remous squeezes into a factory that was part average that goes Horizon Stitchliner bought to replace a of this trade. But the commercial sheetfed that extra mile to old stitching line that had needed several printer is far from a print backwater, rather separate operations and had taken some it is pushing its suppliers for the latest devel- give the customer a time to set up. It was a revelation. Instead opments and is aiming to offer its customers of multiple separate processes and numer- new ideas and ways of working. better experience. ous adjustments, the company could load the Stitchliner with paper, download the job The business was founded 30 And how does settings and make just two manual adjust- years ago by Graham Bunter and passed it achieve that? ments in order to set it in operation. into the control of son Alan (pictured) only At first Bunter admits he had some three years ago. It had started as a business Automation. concerns. “The equipment was on wheels publishing a motor sports magazine, print- which made me worried that it would not ing in the garage. But the facility attracted be up to the task. I was wrong and the the interest of local businesses and sales three-knife trimmer is superb,” he says. It were further boosted when a London based introduced him also to Japanese equipment print sales rep retired to the countryside and and Japanese ways of thinking about auto- his clients continued to ask for work to be mation. “It’s automation where we need it, placed. not for its own sake,” he says. “Those customers wanted a reliable service and a lot of them are still with us remous had been an all Heidelberg today,” says Alan Bunter. Sales quickly rose house under his father, taking a conserva- to around £1 million where they plateaued tive line to investment and finance. That for some years. had paid off in terms of building a solid Alan Bunter joined the business a few foundation for the business as it entered the years after leaving school, aged 20. “I had recession, but it meant that when the son done some other things which I thought was took over, the company was in danger of important. And here I have done all the jobs slipping behind in the technology race. in the factory and know how to run all the “As recession bit we started investing in machinery. Then my father wanted to step more efficient equipment with the short- back and look after his other interests and est possible makeready. We wanted to be I wanted to drive the business forwards.” able to do more with the same people,” he Vital to this apprenticeship was the time explains. “And at the same time our quality spent on direct sales, a first for the company improved.” which had previously relied on trade gener- When it came to replacing the B2 press in ated business. It provided an appreciation March 2010, Heidelberg was able to propose of what customers want from their supplier a five-unit XL75 as a candidate in a deal which has been taken forward with the new which would have meant swapping two older strategic approach Remous has adopted. presses for one. It had all the automation That has meant a top to bottom transfor- and more that the company might need, but

www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 31 Remous

instead Bunter opted for a Komori Lithrone its way into the leading grocery stores in the S29 with plate changing, 16,000sph top country, Harrods, Harvey Nicolls and so on. running speed and rapid makeready. And Pride of place goes to the limited edition the deal left the business with its two-colour carton for Somerset Cider Brandy using a perfector, used for business cards and maga- design commissioned from Damian Hirst to zine sections which would otherwise be too mark the granting of protected origin status expensive to run on the colour press. to the product. Bunter then picks up a promotional “The Komori never sTops,” says product for Microsoft, a swatch style product Bunter. “When you do a job change it runs shaped like a cloud and printed on heavy through a sequence of blanket wash, then board. “I was talking to the company about runs five sheets to carry away the wash, it becoming a customer and she mentioned downloads the new duct profiles, changes she had a problem. We produced it all in 24 the plates and runs 50 sheets then waits. It hours. It’s not something that we particu- does all this without intervention and oper- larly like to do every day,” he says. But for ates from plates straight from the processor, the customer it linked the idea of a problem Alan Bunter praises the Japanese with no need for bending. I am very passion- approach to technology used on solved with what Remous could offer. “We ate about what this press is doing for us.” Horizon finishing equipment. pitched to another business recently and The plates are Agfa’s no process plates stressed that they would become one of our produced from an Avalon line that fits into the business on just one system from CRM primary clients. Perhaps it’s a bit of kidol- what used to be the downstairs office. This and customer contact to stock control and ogy, but it reassures that customer of their had replaced a conventional chemistry based sending out invoices. All the information importance to us, that we will always have platesetter which had occupied too much is consistent and what we send out is brand their preferred paper and it becomes a big space and generated expensive to dispose of consistent,” he explains. comfort factor to them.” waste. With the building blocks of MIS, new As one of the first acts under his manage- press and first steps in the bindery in place, The oTher area where Remous ment, Remous installed Apogee and Bunter Remous was able to develop and grow its has put these skills to good use is in books. could see how effective each Mac opera- business. Even with this investment, the There is a separate website, www.shortrun- tor was, what work was produced and the business would not be able to compete on books.co.uk, which offers online advice reality behind excuses for delays could be price alone. Bunter carried out a Swot including short video guides to producing a seen. What used to be work for a team of analysis of the business which led to the book. It attracts small publishers and those three is now handled by one designer and conclusion individuals that have a book in them but do one on prepress to check the impositions are “We are good at helping people”. This is not know how to buy professional print. But correct, even though more jobs are run. The interpreted to develop the sort of services it is not a hands off operation and the ethos space where platesetter once was is now the for start up businesses that lacked the where- of helping a customer remains to the fore. office area, shelves filled with folders and withal, the experience and demand to work A recent book has been a well illustrated samples of work that Remous has produced. with bigger print companies. Sometimes and designed history of clockmaking in Desktop computers provide access to the this has been because these customers have Somerset, with a run of just 300 copies. Accura MIS that was another of the early been turned away from larger printers. This “The initial contact was by email and then decisions Alan Bunter made. “We had a is how Remous began to produce packaging came a long gestation period as the couple DOS management system, Printpak for for Plastic Soldiers, a company providing producing the book asked lots of ques- estimating, hand written job bags, typed models for wargamers, for railway modelling tions and eventually came in to see the job delivery notes and we would phone through company Peco and for the Somerset Cider on press and be folded. It would have been orders for paper and outwork,” he says. Brandy company. cheaper to print on a B1 sheet, but we had “We can print down to 250 boxes and will got to know the people. needless To say ThaT was swept help a business design a carton. It helped “We are not aiming at the audience that away. “I like things to be concise so that it us that MY closed its Crewkerne factory,” uses Lulu, as you would have to be really is simple to function and track whether Bunter says. “There are a lot of start up streamlined for that. But we work best the paper has been ordered or not. We companies funded from redundancy pack- where we can help people.” Bunter picks looked at Tharstern, a French system called ages where the owners ‘want to give it a up an A4 book written as a beginner’s guide Graphisoft and settled on Accura as best go’.” The press can print to 600 micron to playing bridge. It is not the best designed suiting our needs. At first there were a few board without problem, thicker with care, job, but compared to the photocopied sheets internal issues as people had to give up estab- and the old Cylinder can handle the cutting the customer had started with, it is a big lished ways of working and learn to trust and creasing needs of the B2 sheet. Adapt- improvement. “And she was delighted. the technology. After a couple of months of ing to offer this type of packaging became Then there was the woman who wanted a running in parallel, the company switched to a natural extension to what Remous already single copy of book reproducing all the text the new system completely. Today Remous has. messages between her and her boyfriend as is probably the flagship customer for Accura The recession has spawned a host of a Valentine’s gift.” with a complete sweep of applications micro businesses, particularly in specialist As bookwork has increased, Remous including web to print, fulfilment, remote and artisan foods. As a result the packaging returned to IFS and Horizon buying a BQ access and is pushing for a production plan- that Remous has provided for companies perfect binder to replace an ancient Sulby ning module that is being written. “We run producing gourmet salt or pepper has found and now an HT30 trimmer to free up the

32 November 2012 www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk Profile

needs. “We need an iPad app for the Accura so that customers can log in and check their job, get information about delivery times and so on. At the moment we can send out a text message. And in the longer term we need to get JDF so that we can talk to the guillotine and set it up before the job arrives. All the recent equipment is JDF compliant, the next step is to be automated.”

on the BuSIneSS SIde, Remous wants to move to a new purpose built site closer to Sherborne. Bunter has his eyes on a patch of land for an 8,000sq ft factory that would bring all operations under one roof. Currently while the factory is all together, the company rents three 500sq ft units elsewhere in the village to use as storage and fulfilment for customers. Two are big users of this facility. One is a greetings card publisher where the stock is held and called Alan Bunter says: “The Komori never off on her behalf as orders come in. stops. When you do a job change it The other is a more specialised business runs through a series of blanket wash, producing packs of ephemera linked to a then five sheets to carry it away. it historical event. The company is a start up downloads new profiles, changes the business based in Edinburgh that first came plates, runs 50 sheets and waits. it across Remous via Google. It was a part time does all this without intervention.” business looking for a printer to print sheets of old tickets, newspapers, small posters guillotine. This has also been replaced by ing effort. “Perhaps printing is considered and so on which go in plastic bags with card IFS, for a Perfecta because, says Bunter, too mundane, with people thinking that it is hangers to be sold at tourist spots. At first “we like the simplicity of programming on just about pushing a button as on their home Remous sent the print up to Scotland, but the Perfecta. It seems harder to do in the computer,” he ponders. as Bunter relates, the business started to Polar system. When we invest we aim to cut Eventually Remous sorted its problems grow. “We suggested collating the material bottlenecks.” in other ways, taking on a designer from a here, and then bagging it up and adding the failed print business to learn to run the new header, and then storing and distribution IFS haS more recently supplied Ricoh digital press. The company had had from here,” he says. The MIS again helps Remous with a Foliant laminator and at a a small Xerox and discovered the hard way with Accura’s web module used to track the stroke the company has cut the £45 set up that this was fine for office work, but not stock levels. charge it was paying and kept margins in really suitable for commercial production. “It’s a job where the publishers find origi- house. “We try to do everything in house. “Three or four years ago people were scared nal artwork, we have to scan for accurate Every time something goes out, there’s a of buying a digital press and like us learned colour and then retouch to make some items bill. Everything we do here will contribute the hard way,” he explains. Even now there appear older and some appear as new. Then to the heating and lighting bills. We have is a strict discipline applied to running the we proof it and print and store in the ware- pulled in cutting and creasing, laminating machine. “With digital the minute you have house and distribute it. I wonder how many and perfect binding in house. All these tasks to touch the press you start to lose money. printers would put in that sort of investment were being farmed out and we need them You cannot spend 30 minutes setting a job of time to make it work for the customer?” here to keep our people busy,” he explains. up if you are only printing 50 copies. There Everybody contributes, moving from one is no point in doing it.” and the approach oF automating machine to another as demand dictates. It where possible and focusing on customers is means that as Remous has got busier it has thIS dId not Stop Bunter looking working. Turnover has moved up to around been able to work with existing staff and has at the B2 digital machines being shown at £1.5 million during recession with no added not forced lay offs or wage cuts during reces- Drupa, even if investment is a long way off. costs. If it were a food supplier, Bunter says sion. “We can be quiet in one area and busy “If those arrive, the SME businesses in the that Remous is from the Marks & Spencer in another,” says Bunter. “But we run a tight industry will have to change, and if they mould, where customers pay a little more little ship.” don’t they will not be here. There are still and receive better treatment. Despite this, and despite being in business companies in the industry operating SM74s “Tesco is good and cheap and quick. We for more than 30 years, the company could running 8,000 sheets an hour. How can they are more M&S, nice people who want to not attract apprentices when it needed two make money when they are so slow?” He get it right first time for customers. Tesco’s this year. One would work in the bindery, also saw the Landa press, but was not overly model is great if you want to pile it high and the other in digital print. There were just enthusiastic. “It’s like a DeLorean,” he says. sell it cheap. But there are a lot of Tesco six unsuitable applicants for all its advertis- There are more immediate technology printers out there.” n

www.printbusinessmagazine.co.uk November 2012 33 people in print Mark nixon catches wave of digital from analogue with Conversion-UK

MarK nixon, former sales director of shortened the time to first cut and creased KBA UK and before that Scitex UK, has sheet from days to minutes, it has also started a consultancy and distribution significantly improved the efficiency and business to catch the analogue to digital flexibility of the process. This technology transformation in the print industry. paves the way for packaging companies to Conversion-UK has secured UK stay competitive, creative and innovative representation for Highcon and Scodix, while answering the requirement for ever both Israeli companies with links to Scitex, reducing run lengths.” where Nixon had worked as UK sales The Scodix technology is no less director before its merger with Creo in progressive, though it has been available 2000. The nine years spent at KBA from since Ipex and has installed machines at 2003 until May this year, was his first with RCS in Retford. Scodix produces machines a printing machine manufacture and his which apply inkjet varnishes with absolute longest time with one company. accuracy for special effects, braille and Its first products are both leading the product enhancement. technology change. Highcon launched a At Drupa Scodix launched a smaller digital die cutting machine at Drupa aimed version of its product, bringing the price at the rapidly growing interest in print closer to market expectations. “We are packaging digitally. It features an inkjet At Drupa this attracted the attention of confident of growing the Scodix business applied polymer which hardens on contact the world’s carton converters, though the in the UK,” says Nixon. “It’s a product with a cylinder covering to create a short first production unit has still to be installed. that will open up more opportunities for life die. Says Nixon: “Not only has Highcon printers and their clients.”

l opUs trUst MarKeting, Leicester, will remain involved with the business as extremely valuable member of our team.” As one of the first UK users of the HP inkjet it works to bring the Trillium high viscosity well as being the UK distributor for Vutek, web press, has appointed Jeremy Vickers liquid toner machine, previewed at Drupa, to CMYUK Digital is an authorised partner for as its new finance director. He joins the the status of commercial availability. Zund’s range of cutting tables – and has an transactional mail business with 20 years’ alliance with Antalis McNaughton for colour experience in finance at the point when l tiM elliott has relinquished the matching across different substrates and the company has completed a £6 million managing director’s role at Elliott Baxter applications. spend on two HP presses and mail enclosing Paper to become chairman of the paper lines. Vickers says: “Opus Trust Marketing merchant. He is succeeded by his son l paUl galliMore, is an exciting business with outstanding Matthew who has been operations director recently retired as a CTP foundations for future growth. Since joining and is the fourth generation of the family engineer with Kodak, the company I’ve been impressed with the to lead the business. Tim Elliott has been has turned author to array of solutions we are able to offer clients managing director for 27 years, overseeing produce a first novel – across both print and electronic services and geographical expansion away from its south only available on Kindle I’m looking forward to playing my part in the east base into the west and north of England at present. Gallimore business’s future development.” and led a sales growth from £9 million in was part of the CTP 1985 to £100 million now. technical support team having started his l FranK DesChUytere has rejoined Xeikon working life as an apprentice with British as CEO to succeed Wim Maes who moves up l tony WinterbottoM has joined CMYUK Rail during the 1970s. This has provided to join the supervisory board. He will take Digital from Robert Horne continuing his the inspiration for The Mary Celeste Papers, up the position on January 1. Deschuytere connection with EFI Vutek large format which is available through Amazon for the first joined Agfa’s R&D department working inkjet machines. “Tony’s appointment at Kindle. He says: “The book is really about on digital printing technologies and ten CMYUK enables us to increase our focus on the characters and the shenanigans that years later, after Agfa had dropped the EFI Vutek’s solutions into the UK market went on in the railway depots back then. On Xeikon based Chromapress, moved a few as increasing numbers of offset litho, their own those things were not sufficient to kilometres from Antwerp to join Xeikon screen printing and display companies are build a full length novel, so I took a couple in a number of roles around technical and moving across to digital systems,” says of well known mysteries and wove them into sales positions. In 2010 he left to join OTN Robin East of CMYUK Digital. “His attitude the fabric of the institution that I knew so Systems in the telecommunications sector. towards customer care plus his long term well.” Early reviews have been positive and Maes has been Xeikon’s CEO for three years knowledge about the industry reaped the book has scored early sales. The new and as a member of the supervisory board dividends at Robert Horne and he’ll be an career is taking off.

34 November 2012 Print Business November 2012:Layout 1 22/10/2012 16:13 Page 1

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