Konica Minolta Australia has announced the retirement of Sue Threlfo, general manager, production and industrial print, after 33 years in the printing industry, effective at the conclusion of this year’s PacPrint.

David Procter, chief operating officer, Konica Minolta Australia, said, “Sue has without doubt made a massive impact at Konica Minolta and more broadly in the industry. As a woman in leadership, I have no doubt she has contributed to equalising the gender bias and she should be proud of this achievement. We are grateful for her contribution and wish her all the best for the future.”

Various components of the Fiery for Display Graphics software suite:

Fiery XF 7

Fiery XF7 is the easiest way to achieve superior colour results, gain maximum productivity and profit from business insights with EFI Fiery Command WorkStation digital print job management. It is a workflow solution that caters to different job types and makes it easy to automate repeat jobs and repetitive tasks.

Fiery Prep-It

Fiery Prep-It is a print-for-cut preparation software. It’s an easy-to-use solution for the preparation, layout and automated production of print-for-cut jobs – which is likely most of the jobs our customers are producing! It can save them hours of prepress time and dramatically decrease media usage with efficient true shape nesting, as you can see from the graphic below.

Alternative means of true shape nesting either involve longer preparation times or excessive use of media or both, when compared to Fiery Prep-It.

Fiery JobFlow

Fiery JobFlow automates job preparation steps in prepress workflows to produce ready-to-print files. This easy-to-use print workflow automation software increases productivity and reduces costs. With its easy-to- build workflows, users can use it for automated image enhancement and automation, file submission and archiving, integration with other workflows for intelligent job routing and much more. The JobFlow mantra is “Don’t touch what you can automate.”

EFI IQ for Display Graphics

EFI IQ, a cloud-based application, provides the data analytics that help owners and managers make smart decisions. It can provide answers to questions such as:

How well is my shop running today?

How much ink did we consume in the last quarter?

Is there a disruption in my shop I need to know about?

How well are my printers being utilised?

By gaining real time access to the answers to these questions and more, owners and managers can quickly adapt to get things back on track, whether it needs additional operator training, better inventory management, scaling up production capacity, or any other action to ensure a smooth and profitable operation.

Contact Currie Group for more information:

E: info@curriegroup.com.au
W: www.curriegroup.com.au

Epson, who is today celebrating its 80th year in business, has opened the new Epson Museum Suwa at its corporate Head Office in Suwa, Nagano, in Japan. The two-part museum, which consists of a renovated Monozukuri Museum and a new Memorial Hall, gives visitors a chance to learn about Epson’s history and products from the past. Memorial Hall is housed in what was the original administrative building, construction of which was completed in October 1945 and this recently renovated historic building is open to the public from today.

Epson Museum Suwa, Memorial Hall

Epson’s predecessor, Daiwa Kogyo, Ltd., was founded in May 1942. Over the ensuing eight decades, the company evolved while passing on its DNA as an innovator and manufacturer. Refining the micromachining and precision processing technologies Epson developed for watches and deploying them in other areas are what fueled the company’s growth.

Construction of the administrative office for Factory 1 of Daiwa Kogyo was completed in 1945 (the picture was taken in 1949)

The company have renovated the original administrative building from the founding era and reopened it as Memorial Hall to allow visitors to step back in time to experience the history and stories of products from a bygone era.

Exhibits in Memorial Hall cover the period to the 1970s, the time during which the building was actually used. From the technology and skills that go into mechanical watches, to the world’s first quartz watch, to the compact EP-101 digital printer from which the Epson brand name is derived, visitors will be given a retrospective look at the efficient, compact, and precision technologies that Epson has developed since its founding.

Visitors to Epson Museum Suwa can tour both the Monozukuri Museum and Memorial Hall.

Epson has also launched an 80th anniversary website to trace the company’s philosophy and history since its founding. To visit the website go to: https://80th.epson.com/en

Epson has ticked off eight decades by ceaselessly pursuing creativity and challenge. The company is committed to solving societal issues by working to achieve sustainability and enrich communities.

Award brings further affirmation of sustainability efforts

Epson has won this year’s DataMaster Lab GREEN Award in recognition of the environmental benefits afforded by its Heat-free PrecisionCore inkjet printers and MFPs and the sustainability measures employed as part of their development, production and distribution. DataMaster is an independent laboratory, expert in professional document imaging solutions.

DataMaster acknowledges that one of the primary environmental impacts of printing is energy use and has recognised the reduction that can be achieved by Epson’s Heat-free PrecisionCore inkjets. When compared to laser printers, this averages up to 83% less power consumed, which across a fleet can amount to a very significant saving.

That said, this award is not just about electrical consumption. Edward Bilson, Technical Director of DataMaster Lab said, "We take into account accreditations for manufacturing facilities, levels of noxious emissions – and the nature and lifetime of a machine’s consumables. When you consider the carbon footprint of a consumable item’s manufacture, transportation, distribution and its final resting place in a landfill site, you realise that all consumables need to be designed with the environment in mind and have the longest lifetime possible. The winners of DataMaster Lab’s GREEN Award have the least impact on our precious environment."

Since 2018 Epson has invested considerably into the development of their PrecisionCore printhead, and last year the company committed to investing 100 billion Yen into further developing sustainable technologies, decarbonisation and resource recycling. They also committed to becoming underground resource free by 2050. 

www.epson.com.au 

In 1952 Mutoh initially produced measuring equipment such as disk-type slide rules for aerial navigation, callipers, and rotary protractors. Mutoh says these products reflected the technical capabilities required to engrave scales accurately and marked the beginning of the company’s spirit of supporting monozukuri (the act of making things).

In March 1952, MUTOH Memori Chokoku (MUTOH Scale Engraving) LTD was established. With this came new products like the drafter and pen plotter that printed product drawings. Over the years, Mutoh says it has continued to uphold the same spirit by supporting those in various aspects of monozukuri, especially when it comes to large-format printer products.

“Understanding the customer’s needs, providing security and trust, and the excitement of our future to reach new milestones and breakthroughs is our commitment to achieving our target of celebrating our 100th anniversary,” said Mutoh’s President Yasuhiko Isobe. “We are still in a difficult business environment due to the new coronavirus, soaring prices of materials due to the situation in Ukraine, difficulty in procurement, and turmoil in logistics, but all employees will continue to work to overcome these difficulties.”

With world headquarters in Japan, and its affiliates in the U.S., Europe, and Australia, Mutoh prides itself on being a source for wide and small-format printers and plotting cutters.

“Seventy years is quite a milestone for Mutoh,” says President of Mutoh America Brian Phipps. “It says a lot when a company can grow and adapt over the many decades and remain a leader in the markets they serve. I’m very proud to be part of this organisation and to celebrate this giant achievement with Mutoh."

Locally, Mutoh Australia Managing Director Russell Cavenagh says, "Monozukuri (the act of making things), and a commitment to quality are at the heart of Mutoh's design philosophy. Our customers benefit from this and I am proud to represent Mutoh in Australia and New Zealand."

The only all electric Automatic Screen-Printing Press in the world, made by Anatol, has arrived in Australia. Three excited customers are getting their Anatol Volt’s installed, undergoing training and watching their production rates skyrocket while their screen-printing processes become more efficient.

With user-friendly operating software, the Volt can be operated by one printer, saving a salary or making your team more efficient as they perform other tasks. With the capacity to produce prints at rates of over 500 per hour, printers can take on bigger jobs without worry.

The Volt enables printers to maximise the quality of prints, minimises operating costs and increases production outputs.

Without the need for complicated pneumatic systems, the Volt offers years of reliable service with fewer maintenance requirements than traditional automatic screen-printing presses. With the lack of a compressor or pneumatics, the Volt provides printers with a quieter, more ergonomic working environment.

Having used the Volt for a few months, Sam Austrin-Miner from Ministry of Shirts is “absolutely delighted” with the press. He says: “The Volt has changed our life. Previously an 8-colour simulated process job on a manual would take around one minute per shirt; now, we are doing it in four seconds! It has given us the ability to reduce the minimum quantities we require for certain jobs, making it better for our customers.”

When asked what the key factor was in making their auto screen press decision, Sam advised: “Trusting the vendor supplying the equipment was the first priority, followed by the functionality of the machine and the price.”

Howard Debney from Leapfrog Machinery, the Australian agent for Anatol, says, “It is fantastic to see the Volt in action and better still to see the positive impact it is having on our customers. We look forward to helping more screen printers throughout Australia automate their printing with this innovative, high quality and robust machinery.”

Taking a Significant Step in its Digital Printing Business with Special Focus on Growth in the Packaging Market

The Agfa-Gevaert Group announced today that it will acquire Inca Digital Printers, subject to meeting and obtaining customary conditions and approvals. The acquisition strengthens Agfa’s position in high speed digital printing and brings an additional focus on packaging printing markets.

“The Inca acquisition is a major step in Agfa’s transformation. Digital printing is a profitable growth engine for the Group with a tremendous potential that will be further accelerated by the addition of Inca,” said Pascal Juéry, President and CEO of the Agfa-Gevaert Group.

Inca Digital Printers is a Cambridge UK based leading developer and manufacturer of advanced high speed printing and production technologies for sign and display applications as well as for the rapidly growing digital printing market for packaging. Inca is an ideal partner for Agfa, bringing a complementary portfolio of printing solutions of the highest standard and a strong technological platform to launch robust single pass printing presses for the packaging market.

The acquisition encompasses the portfolio of existing high speed multi pass printers, including a strong service organisation; a newly designed line of single pass printers for several packaging applications as well as a joint development of a customised in-line Print Engine in collaboration with leading corrugator manufacturer BHS Corrugated.

Stephen Tunnicliffe-Wilson, CEO/CTO of Inca Digital Printers Ltd.: “The acquisition by Agfa allows us to combine our technological knowhow and will enable us to become a leading digital packaging press manufacturer worldwide. Our new parent has shown long term commitment to the digital printing market and we are extremely proud and look forward to becoming part of the Agfa family.”

Vincent Wille, President of Agfa’s Digital Print & Chemicals division, comments: “The combination of Inca Digital’s manufacturing knowhow and Agfa’s technical expertise, worldwide presence and excellent service networks will allow us to bring unparalleled printing solutions to our customers and to adapt seamlessly to their needs in this rapidly evolving space. This investment leverages and strengthens our position in the high-end and high speed wide format market as a whole and specifically in the promising packaging segment.”

Many leading print businesses are making it a top priority to diversify their large-format print offering as customers increasingly demand unique ideas, eco-friendly output, more creative solutions and new content.

One recent study from Report Linker said the value of the global wide-format print market will rise to $4.0bn by 2027. The only way to take advantage of this and secure new business is to innovate and pivot your offerings to meet demand, while also delivering reliable and efficient services.

In a new, free-to-download article, HP analyses how print businesses can grow and evolve with large-format print. By offering more competitive services that will shape the future and better serve existing customers, they can transform their operations enabling them to enter new markets, develop new solutions, find fresh revenue opportunities, and scale up their print offerings into the future.

Whether this is by adapting to meet rising demand in the interior décor market, or capitalising on the growth in the printed packaging and labels sector, there are plenty of opportunities for expansion.

Additionally, the sharp rise in web-based content has led more customers online and this shift towards ecommerce could also open up multiple opportunities for print service providers.

Whatever industry transformation means to you, now is the time to explore your options.

To learn more, please click here

Exceptional service, high quality work and a willingness to collaborate are the common themes which underpin the success of the winner of the Digital Manufacturing category in the 2021 HP New Zealand Partner Awards, just announced, which has been awarded to Sign and Graphics Distributor, Computaleta.

“The outstanding service from this family-owned business made it an obvious choice for the award,” says Mike Jamieson, HP New Zealand Enterprise Sales Director. “Computaleta just go that extra mile for its customers and for us. Their willingness to work together in a collaborative and transparent way means they are a highly engaged partner that delivers a lot of value.”

Computaleta has only been an HP partner for 18 months but in that short time has made a huge impact. Its 40-year history in the New Zealand print and signage market and their high-quality relationships sees Computaleta bring a lot to the table.

“What’s great about the Computaleta team is they are willing to listen and try new things and that has been hugely successful for them and us in the past year. They always have the stock and supplies on hand that are needed by their customers and they seek advice and offer us solutions which means we can collectively deliver the best outcomes for our customers.”

“Computaleta collaborate with HP to ensure outstanding service and supply every time, they are problem solvers and lateral thinkers, and we love the way they help us tell our story.”

Computaleta is also committed to the environment and sustainability which is also important to HP’s business.

“They are very advanced and engaged in this space.HP is incredibly proud to work with the team at Computaleta and we are delighted to see them win this inaugural award,” Mike says.

Arlette Farland, Director at Computaleta, is honoured to win this award and believes it solidifies her company as a serious contender in the hardware space.

“I am exceptionally proud of our team for winning the HP Digital Manufacturing Partner of the Year Award.  It is our 40th year in business, so to continue to go from strength to strength after all this time, makes me feel very secure in our future success, too.

"Thank you to the HP Team, who give us outstanding support, and of course, our own hardware team led by Aaron Kemp,  this really belongs to them.Their dedication to our success is inspiring. 

"Most importantly, thank you to our customers across New Zealand who have put their faith in us, we will continue to deliver for you now and into the future." 

Epson and its subsidiary company Epson X Investment Corporation have, through their EP-GB Investment Limited Partnership, invested in robotic piece-picking solutions developer, RightHand Robotics.

RightHand Robotics is a startup that combines its grasping knowhow with computer vision¹ and machine learning to develop piece-picking solutions. The company was founded in 2015 by a DARPA Autonomous Robotics Manipulation (ARM) Program challenge-winning team from the Harvard Biorobotics Lab, the Yale GRAB Lab, and MIT.

RightHand Robotics’ RightPick™ platform uses AI software equipped with advanced computer vision to recognise and reliably pick a wide range of products at a high rate with an intelligent gripper that combines suction and compliant fingers. The platform contributes to automated logistics operations in the warehouse supply chain process and meets the evolving needs of the fulfillment² industry.

Epson has efficient, compact, and precision technologies along with expertise in volume production at factories that assemble small, precision products. The company seeks to leverage these strengths to drive innovations in manufacturing by co-creating flexible, high-throughput production systems that reduce environmental impacts. By engaging in cooperation with RightHand Robotics, Epson will respond to the growing demand for automation in factories beset by labour shortages and will explore a range of applications to improve working environments.

Going forward, Epson aspires to achieve a sustainable society by creating a variety of partnerships and synergies based on proprietary technologies, products, and services.

¹A field of research and technology in computer science that focuses on enabling computers to identify and understand objects and people from information such as images and videos. Computer vision, especially in combination with machine learning and AI, can enable computers and robots to replicate human abilities and automate tasks.

²In businesses engaged in e-commerce and catalogue sales, for example, fulfilment refers to the entire process from the time an order is received until it is delivered to the customer. (Fulfilment may encompass everything from order management and the handling of inquiries to payment, inventory management, item picking, packing, and shipping, as well as after-sales support for returns and exchanges.)

Ricoh Europe has agreed a landmark €50million printhead technology deal to extend its successful collaboration with Durst Group AG.

A leading manufacturer of advanced digital printing and production technologies, Durst Group already uses Ricoh Gen 5 inkjet printheads in its Alpha textile printing systems and the Durst P5 series for large format printing – considered the most successful, productive and versatile printer series in the market. As part of this new deal, in future, Ricoh printheads will also be further developed for upcoming Durst printing systems for their various fields of application.

Both Durst and Ricoh share a commitment to delivering long-life performance. In recent years, the two companies have intensified their partnership and created the most stable and flexible printing system, especially in digital textile printing with the Durst Alpha series. Though the end result might seem simple, to achieve maximum print quality and productivity and such reliable, risk-free solutions has involved intensive development and ink formulation work, plus rigorous testing of thousands of printheads and tonnes of ink. This experience was then applied to Large Format Printing.

Dr. Christian Compera, Global General Manager of Ricoh’s Industrial Print business, Ricoh, says: "The partnership will allow us to develop our printheads in a more focused way with real-world requirements. Often there can be a high level of protectiveness surrounding printhead intellectual property, materials and printhead production technologies as well as ink formulations. By bringing together the Ricoh and Durst development teams, we share the goal of continuously improving the entire printing system, which ultimately benefits customers.”

Christoph Gamper, CEO and co-owner of the Durst Group, adds: “This deal reaffirms and continues a collaborative approach with Ricoh. Extending our partnership with Ricoh enables us to achieve a faster time-to-market for new printing systems, as we work together on the perfect interaction of printheads inks and substrates. Not only does this allow us to achieve maximum print quality and performance but also to guarantee reliability for extended printer life. It gives our customers a clear basis for their investment decisions, without the risk factor of the printhead."

The technical expertise and teams of both Ricoh and Durst will collaborate on new solutions, developing printheads as well as printers, to open up potential for inkjet technology to address the needs of emerging applications. New ways to use inkjet technologies and materials for enhanced sustainability – for example lower drying energy consumption – are already being explored. Further collaborative initiatives will be revealed in the coming months.

For more information visit www.ricoh-europe.com

The ASGA Board of Directors is pleased to announce that it has appointed Mick Harrold as the new ASGA President, effective immediately. Harrold succeeds Julie Rochester who stepped down from the President role following the ASGA Annual General Meeting on 25 February.

Harrold previously held the position of Vice President for one year and held the position of Victorian Chair and Treasurer for two years. 

As a qualified engineer and more than 18 years as Managing Director of one of Melbourne’s prominent sign companies, Visual Exposure, the Board is confident that ASGA will continue to deliver value to its members and to drive and promote excellence within the industry.

“I’m proud to say the ASGA has achieved a lot over the past couple of years while I’ve been at the helm, but this could not have been achieved without the time commitments and contributions of the rest of the Board. I was especially fortunate to have the support of Mick during my time”, said Julie Rochester.

“Mick contributed a significant amount of his own time in making improvements across a number of areas and getting new initiatives off the ground, such as the Sign Industry Directory and program of webinars. His industry expertise across a number of areas, strong leadership and vision for ASGA make him an ideal choice for the role.”

“I’m delighted to accept the position of President knowing that I am supported by a dedicated Board and skilled staff”, said Harrold. 

“I want to thank Julie for spear-heading one of the most transformative years in ASGA’s history. My goal in leading the ASGA is to build on the achievements of the past fifty years and to continue to provide even greater value and benefits to our members.”

Other ASGA executive appointments changes took place at the meeting: Damien Nielsen was appointed Vice President, Marc Martello was appointed Public Officer and Treasurer and Wade French was appointed WA State Chair. Regional committees are represented by the following Chairs: Marc Martello (NSW), Mick Harrold (VIC), Julie Rochester (SA) and Wade French (WA).

 Epson has been listed as one of the Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovators 2022, announced by global information services firm Clarivate Analytics. This represents the ninth time Epson has been named to the list since its inception in 2012.

The Top 100 Global Innovators model of excellence calculation uses a mathematical foundation focused on comparison and is based on a twin track approach to evaluation.

The first track identifies innovating organisations that pass qualification criteria based on volume of inventive activity. The second track evaluates all inventions in the Derwent World Patents Index™ (DWPI™) and score them on four factors: Influence, Success, Globalisation and Technical Distinctiveness. Each invention returns a Derwent Strength Index based on these four factors, creating a holistic baseline that compares each idea with all other patented ideas.

Epson considers its unique, advanced core technologies to be its most important asset and intellectual property activities to protect these core technologies are a vital and integral part of Epson’s business strategy.

Piezo printheads are a core device in the printing sector and Epson owns more patents related to these printheads than anyone else in the industry*. This IP has given Epson a formidable competitive advantage.

Toshihiko Kobayashi, General Administrative Manager of Epson’s Intellectual Property Division, said, "It is an honour to be selected as one of the Top 100 Global Innovators. We at Epson are seeking to address societal issues through our aspirational goal of achieving sustainability and enriching communities. We are thus working to convert intellectual property into value and to sustainably increase corporate value so that we can promote innovation, shape the future, and further enhance our brand image. We will continue to conduct our business and intellectual property activities in line with Epson 25 Renewed, a corporate vision that makes finding ways to use Epson's strengths to help solve societal issues a top priority."

For more details about Epson's intellectual property, click on the link below.
https://global.epson.com/technology/intellectual_property/?fwlink=meganav

Cameron Sutherland, former Director of  Australian Visual Solutions for over 25 years has launched new business Rapide Resources.

Rapide Resources is a Consulting and Business Coaching specialising in the Print, Signage and International Trade. 

Cameron is quoted “The sign and print industry is defining it’s direction, I am so excited to use my experience to help business transition and secure their profitability with clearly defined goals and accountability of their team”

Rapide Resources has a pool of international and domestic experience in the industry and offers one off coaching or embark on a six or twelve month journey with Cameron to align your business for success beyond 2022. New print technologies have been instrumental in the growth of our industry, running a lean print room, maintaining well trained operators, selling the right products, into the right market, at the right price are the same issue in any print shop.

Cameron built Australian Visual Solutions over 25 years to be the premier supplier to the industry with six locations nationally. The experiences of importing, distribution, training and customer service can be a valued resource for Rapide Resources customers.

Rapide Resources is the first resource for the print and sign market for online coaching or project management.

Contact Cameron Sutherland direct on 0491 08 6679 or email cameron@rapideresources.com.au

www.rapideresources.com.au

Since their recent launch of business printer solutions, Epson NZ has built a solid distribution channel and network of copier dealer partners for the new category. Of particular note is the signing of distribution agreements with major distributors including Sektor and Ingram Micro, in addition to a number of dealers and resellers across the key regions of Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Palmerston North and Wellington in the North Island and Queenstown and Christchurch in the South Island. 

Epson WorkForce Pro WF-C579R

Epson NZ General Manager, Kaden McCaffery, said, “The interest in and demand for Epson’s Heat-Free business printers has been significant, allowing us to rapidly establish a network of active copier dealers across both the North and South Island of New Zealand.”

McCaffery sees real customer value in this new network of copier dealers and has sought to widen Epson New Zealand’s potential partner and customer base by adding two distributors noting “As a specialised distributor, Sektor works with a range of non-traditional print partners and operates with resellers in specialist areas such as the medical industry which complements our clean hand–clean air print technology. Sektor has seen significant growth and expansion across its New Zealand operations as a result of its strong customer partnerships in specialised verticals. As the largest wholesale provider of technology products and supply chain management services within New Zealand, as well as internationally,Ingram Micro is expanding through the acquisition of new employees, a head office and warehouse in Auckland, a sales office in Wellington along with a sales office and satellite warehouse in Christchurch which has in turn resulted in faster delivery to South Island customers.  Although these are only two of many examples of how our new copier dealer and distribution network will add significant value to our customers across New Zealand.”

Andre van Duiven- Managing Director of Sektor, said, “Epson is one of our most prominent vendors and the dominant force in the retail receipt printing landscape. Epson has retained its market-leading position due to the quality of its technology and hardware reliability. We are excited to now extend our engagement with Epson to include their full range of printing technology. Epson’s innovation in sustainability and technological advancement means their product ticks many boxes around environmental impact, energy savings and support. Their Document Solutions inkjet printers are a disruptor in the market that provides a better quality of print and removes the complexity of print with minimal ongoing maintenance requirements.”

Andre van Duiven, Managing Director of Sektor, holding an Epson award

 
Ingram Micro NZ Managing Director, Jason Langley, added, “We’re thrilled to be invited to take Epson’s exciting new range of business printers to market in New Zealand. The fact that they’re heat-free and consume less energy is a differentiator that will not only resonate with the market but is also well-aligned with one of Ingram Micro NZ’s key guiding principles; reducing our overall carbon footprint and the impact our business has on the environment. Epson has been a leader in print and an important partner for Ingram Micro for many years. It’s a privilege, therefore, to deepen our relationship with this new, energy-conscious, aspect of its portfolio and to facilitate new conversations for our shared partners to have with the customers they serve.”

Jason Langley - Managing Director of Ingram, holding an Epson award

The sales and growth combined with the fact that Epson’s business printers use Heat-Free Technology and thus use less energy, is no coincidence as the company was recently voted the No.1 Sustainable company by Forbes Japan.

The recent Better Futures 2021 report, compiled and issued by Colmar Brunton after 12 years of studying New Zealanders and their purchasing decisions, also found that many NZ businesses have responded with sustainable initiatives and a greater sense of purpose in recent years. It also highlighted that New Zealanders know that brands with strong brand purpose, such as sustainability, grow their brand value at a much faster rate of around 175%.

The report further states that, despite the significant challenges of the last two years, New Zealanders’ commitment to living more sustainably continues to build with over 60% of people (in most cases) trying to do the right thing by recycling, reusing, reducing and repairing on an everyday basis.

Epson also recently earned its second successive platinum rating for sustainability from EcoVadis. The platinum rating, which was established in 2020, indicates that Epson was ranked among the top 1% of companies in the industry. The platinum rating was awarded in recognition of Epson’s global sustainability initiatives. In the four themes assessed by EcoVadis, Epson received high scores for the environment, sustainable procurement, labour and human rights and ethics.

Kaden McCaffery concluded, “It’s clear that New Zealand businesses want to have a positive effect on the environment and one of the ways this can be achieved is through the use of Epson’s Heat-Free inkjet business printers which use a substantially lower level of energy than a comparable laser printer. Looking beyond product/material innovation, businesses like Epson can also make a difference through the promotion and demonstration of climate responsibility.  In that regard we are transitioning to 100% renewable electricity and are engaging with initiatives such as the RE100 renewable energy project; working to close the resource loop by, for example, promoting product refurbishment and reuse.”

For more on Epson NZ’s enterprise, business and document solutions products go to: https://www.epson.co.nz/products/printers_for_business/

For more on Sustainability at Epson go to: https://global.epson.com/SR/

To read the Better Futures 2021 report go to: https://www.kantarnewzealand.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Better-Futures-Report-2021.pdf 
 

Epson has joined forces today with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) to become an Official Partner. The LPGA and Epson alliance reflects both organisations’ commitment to diversity and supports Epson’s aspirational goal of achieving sustainability and enriching communities.

With a partnership that will run for an initial five years, Epson and the LPGA have committed to work together on a variety of player experiences and events focused on supporting and highlighting women’s challenges through golf. Additionally, Epson will become the title sponsor with exclusive naming rights to the LPGA’s qualifying tour. As the official “Road to the LPGA,” the Epson Tour supports all competitors and sends the top ten finishers to the LPGA and is the most established women’s qualifying tour in the world, entering its 42nd year of structured competition in 2022.

Through the partnership, Epson will share the ongoing accomplishments of these athletes through prominent branding, broadcast, signage, and digital integration across the LPGA network, as well as across all tournament promotions, content, and social media platforms. In addition to exclusive naming rights for the Epson Tour, which will run through the 2026 season, Epson has also pledged additional contributions including player ambassador funding, and product and technology support.

“Our partnership with the LPGA presents a unique opportunity to inspire future women leaders and advance the Epson brand,” said Yasunori Ogawa, global president of Epson. “The Epson Tour is focused on providing promising women golfers with the opportunity to pursue their dreams, and young women with role models for the future. The LPGA is a world-class organisation and working together over a multi-year period allows Epson to take an active role in advancing the professional careers of talented women golfers.”

“We are delighted to welcome Epson to the LPGA Family. This ground-breaking partnership will provide expanded opportunities for the future stars of the game from around the globe to test their talent and take one step closer to realising their dreams,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “We are grateful that Epson shares our commitment to supporting young female athletes as they grow and develop and to playing an active role in the growth and equity in women’s sports. The ‘Road to the LPGA‘ has never been better.”

The Epson Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 42nd competitive season in 2022. The Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s most promising women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Expanding from 16 tournaments and $1.7 million in prize money to $4 million in prize money awarded over the course of 24 tournaments, more than 435 LPGA titles have been won by former Tour players. Previous Epson Tour graduates include 27-time LPGA winner Lorena Ochoa of Mexico and Olympic gold medallists Inbee Park from the Republic of Korea and Nelly Korda of the United States.

The printing and ink world has evolved over the years, perhaps more dramatically with the rise of digital in the last two decades. Finding accurate and useful information to keep pace with the changes can still be challenging, so INX International Ink Co has created a helpful solution with the Printer Space blog.

Each month, Printer Space will provide timely advice on a wide assortment of topics. Articles will range from Color Management, Digital Printing, and Innovation, to Productivity, Shelf Appeal, and issues pertaining to Sustainability and Compliance.

“The idea for the Printer Space blog was largely based on the number of questions we receive and address from our customers. We saw it as an opportunity to increase awareness and help the print and packaging communities,” said Renee Schouten, Director of Marketing for INX.

“With the number of experts we have on staff, our goal is to make Printer Space the place where people go for insightful information. We did receive feedback from some initial postings that will shape our focus in the coming months. And it’s important to continue having an open dialogue because our industry is constantly changing.”

The experts Schouten mentioned have a world of experience and advice to offer, with the majority having 20 or more years invested in the printing industry. Some have devoted their entire careers to ink chemistry while others offer a brand owner, R&D or marketing viewpoint. All told, the different perspectives make for compelling reading.

inxinternational.com

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. is announcing that it will be prioritizing technology investments to accelerate growth in its fast-growing industrial EFI Inkjet business to continue to lead the industry in the analog-to-digital transition, as well as in its market-leading Fiery business. As part of this focused strategy, EFI has completed a sale of its eProductivity Software (“EPS”) packaging and print productivity software business to an affiliate of Symphony Technology Group (“STG”). EFI and EPS will continue to collaborate with their joint customers and partners to ensure mutual success.

This realignment allows EFI to accelerate investment into its Inkjet and Fiery business units to capitalize on the growth opportunities available in existing segments the company serves, as well as drive expansion into markets that are beginning the transformation toward digital. 

“We have never been more excited about the opportunity in the industrial inkjet markets and our ability to leverage Fiery, the leading Digital Front End (DFE) technology for digital color printing, to continue to drive the analog-to-digital transformation in all high-value segments of imaging – while increasingly serving new adjacencies including e-commerce, direct-to-garment, and other rapidly growing segments,” said Jeff Jacobson, EFI’s CEO and Executive Chairman. “We are making significant investments to continue to be the clear leader in the Packaging & Corrugated, Display Graphics, Textile, and Building Materials/Decor markets.”

“The potential of the high-growth industrial inkjet markets is the impetus for us to accelerate our investments in market-leading products and services that drive the analog-to-digital transformation. Industrial inkjet imaging is one of the greatest opportunities I have seen in my 35 years in this industry,” Jacobson added. “The sale of the software business provides our industrial inkjet and Fiery teams the focus that will best position them for success.”

Industrial Inkjet: Capturing Unprecedented Opportunity 

The industrial inkjet space is ripe with opportunity in existing and adjacent vertical markets. EFI Inkjet will continue to drive its leadership in high-volume, shuttle and single-pass inkjet technology, which the company has currently implemented in award-winning, high-performance products for the Packaging & Corrugated, Display Graphics, Textile, and Building Materials/Decor verticals. EFI will also leverage its industry-leading expertise in hardware, mechanical control software, high-speed electronics, services, cloud-connected devices, and ink innovations to deliver the next generation of versatile, high-volume, superior-quality printers and presses. 

Following the realignment, EFI is making investments in R&D to strengthen its position in core markets while entering new categories – including the development of technologies to address new applications for the textile space and for packaging.

“The future of print is digital, and this realignment further solidifies EFI’s technology leadership position and accelerates growing our innovation edge as a provider of the world’s leading digital printers for the Packaging & Corrugated, Display Graphics, Textile, and Building Materials/Decor markets,” said Scott Schinlever, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, EFI Inkjet. “This sets the stage for our customers to continue to produce more in less time, with less labor, at higher quality, with a reduced environmental impact, and will allow us to drive our level of inkjet knowledge and expertise into promising new market applications.” 

Fiery: Driving Digital Print Innovation and Growth

The Fiery business unit, under the continued leadership of Fiery Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Toby Weiss, remains as the world’s premier DFE provider, enabling the high performance required across many vertical markets including packaging, signage and commercial print with advanced Fiery solutions driving high-end printers and presses from many major equipment manufacturers. 

“The Fiery portfolio of products incorporates world-class color algorithms, advanced cloud technology, and many other best-in-class proprietary solutions that reduce production time and increase print quality,” said Weiss. “Working in close consultation with our partners, the investments we are making in the future of Fiery technology will foster even stronger solutions – including leading-edge cloud offerings through an EFI IQ™ suite of products that continues to help customers achieve new levels of automation, accuracy and profit potential in digital printing.” 

Productivity Software: Investing for Growth under New Ownership

EPS’ new owner, STG, is a leading private equity firm that focuses on investing in software, data analytics, and software-enabled technology services companies, and will support EPS to deliver enhanced value to its packaging and print customers and accelerate global growth. STG completed this acquisition on December 30, 2021. The price and terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

Moelis & Company LLC served as exclusive financial advisor, and Sidley Austin LLP acted as legal counsel, to EFI in the sale of EPS. Paul Hastings LLP acted as legal advisor to 

Entries are now open for this year’s Printing Industry Creativity Awards, hosted by the Print & Visual Communications Association. The State Awards will run across the country in March and April, and will be the precursor to the 39^th National Print Awards, to be held during PacPrint at the end of June.

Industry businesses are being urged select their best examples of ‘print perfection’ in the 32 Awards categories, which cover everything from conventional and digital print, to design and effectiveness. Nominations are also open for the recognition awards, which celebrate personal and business achievement.

Peter Harper, CEO of event organiser Visual Connections, says a judging panel is currently being assembled, with an open invitation for anyone interested in providing their expertise to the process to make contact.

“We have already made contact with experts across a variety of industry sectors, with the intention of assembling a panel of experienced experts who are qualified to judge the diverse array of high quality entries we know will soon be flowing in from all parts of Australia,” Harper says.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who may be able to assist, particularly those who may have recently retired from the industry or who have specialist expertise relating to a specific category, in order to maintain the freshness and impartiality of the Awards judging.”

As for print service providers, Harper says there’s no time to lose in identify potential entries, selecting flawless copies for judging, and completing the entry process.

“Entry forms are up on the website at www.printingawards.com.au and I’d encourage anyone who believes they have produced Award-worthy work this year to get prepared now and send those entries in,” he says, adding a reminder that entries which win Gold at the State level will be automatically entered into the ‘best of the best’ National Print Awards competition for 2022.”

Entry to the Awards costs $80, with PVCA members able to claim their first entry free of charge and enjoy a member only price of $50 per entry. Entries are open now and will close at COB on Friday 25 March, 2022.To view the competition categories, enter your printed work, or download nomination forms for the recognition awards, go to www.printingawards.com.au

Keypoint Intelligence, the world’s leading independent provider of testing services and analytical information to the document imaging industry, has announced that multiple Epson products have won Buyers Lab (BLI) 2022 Wide Format Pick Awards in the Signage category.

SureColor S60660L CISS

This round of Picks acknowledges the products that gave the best performances in Keypoint Intelligence lab testing in the previous 24 months.

The BLI 2022 Wide Format Pick Awards go to the following Epson models - SureColor S60660L CISS for Outstanding High-Production CMYK Eco-Solvent/Latex 54"/64" Printer, the Epson SureColor S80660L CISS for Outstanding Gamut Expansion Eco-Solvent/Latex 54"/64" Printer and the Epson SureColor R5000 Series for Outstanding Enhanced CMYK Eco-Solvent/Latex 54"/64" Printer.

SureColor S80660L CISS

Keypoint Intelligence Director of Research & Lab Services EU/Asia, David Sweetnam, said, “Because of the pandemic, these awards cover tested products launched over the last two years, with several vendors submitting for the first time. There was stiff competition, but in the end, Epson won across three of our Wide Format Signage Pick categories. These devices delivered impressive productivity and have noteworthy usability design coupled with the class-leading output quality that we have come to expect. Epson’s new resin ink devices are targeted at the latex ink market, while the other two winners are equipped with Epson’s new Edge RIP and bulk-ink formulation matched up to the same standards of performance that helped their cartridge-based siblings claim BLI Awards in 2018.”

SureColor R5000L

Epson Australia’s Business Marketing Manager, Large Format, Gordon Kerr added, “Epson’s signage business has grown dramatically over the last ten years and our range has expanded to include cut sheet, roll-to-roll and flatbed solutions using aqueous, eco-solvent, resin, UV and dye sub ink. Our focus from the very beginning was image quality and customer satisfaction and we wanted to produce machines that would offer superior quality output on the widest range of media while ensuring reliable and cost-effective operation. From our engineers to our ink chemists, our manufacturing to sales team, we are truly honoured to have won so many of these prestigious awards.”