Space to succeed
The last two years have seen many industries flipped on their heads as sectors such as events and hospitality were forced to close their doors overnight. As a result, companies were forced to think on their feet and look at other areas they could operate in to keep income coming in.
This saw employees get in tune with their creative sides and set up side hustles online as well as workers lend a hand in industries that needed support such as delivery driving and volunteering at vaccination centres.
The print industry also had to diversify when usual revenue streams such as hospitality branding including wall and floor graphics, menus, and even demand for kit such as receipt and ticket printers all dropped out. The events sector saw a drop in demand for exhibition stands, banners, flags, and more.
There was a sudden surge in the need for PPE, safety screens, and safety and informational signage such as two-metre distancing spots for queues. These floor graphics can still be seen worn away becoming a form of ghost sign on many high streets and city centres that are bustling once more. Packaging demand also soared as people were forced to shop predominantly online, a habit that has remained in place for the most part.
Other areas that boomed included digitally printed home décor including wallpaper and soft furnishing patterns, and personalised print such as gifts, photo products, and more.
This provided plenty of opportunities for print businesses to reassess their operations and capitalise on new areas, and they did just that, with the opportunity still very much there for those who haven’t made the most of it yet.
Fantastic opportunities
Another way the pandemic caused an impact was the number of employees at a business, with some being made redundant, others deciding to pursue alternative career routes, and some companies reassessing the way they operate and utilise staff. This shone a spotlight on the part automation can play in the printing process and how streamlined automation can enable a business to utilise its staff in other areas.
Mathew Faulkner, director of marketing and innovation for Wide-Format Products at Canon Europe says that over the last couple of years there has been a growing interest in and a growing need for more automation.
“Automation is important because when your processes and efficiencies are strong as a printer, it makes you much easier to do business with,” Faulkner explains. “But when also you have those better processes it actually gives you the time back to focus on more added value opportunities for your customers.”
In terms of room in the current market to scale up and diversify, Faulkner says he sees fantastic opportunities. “Wherever you are today you can scale up. Let’s say you’re in an entry-level production printing environment, we have technologies that are more productive and faster and perhaps go into different types of technologies to bring that level of print volume.
“But also within the portfolio there’s opportunities for customers to perhaps diversify into new application areas.”
The opportunity to produce more applications is one key area to diversify and Faulkner says this could be moving from cut sheet promotional applications into something more wide-format or something like digital décor or wallpaper, where there’s huge growth.
“Digital décor is one fantastic example of wallpaper that can now be fully customised by producers. I think again back to the way that Canon likes to support its customers, if you’re a signage or graphics display customer, it can be quite daunting to think well yes I believe there’s an opportunity for wallpaper applications and perhaps technically I’m capable of producing these but is this a B2B (business to business) application or am I selling B2C (business to consumer) which then is a whole web-to-print operation and where does my content come from?
“But I think from that B2B point of view you’re then perhaps dealing with customers that are in different environments. I’m going from dealing with a print buyer for a brand or for an exhibition company to now architects or interior designers which is quite a different environment.”
Faulkner adds: “I think for the whole wide-format industry there are some great applications coming on stream, the ability to personalise and produce a whole range of different customised applications whether it’s products or décor is really exciting.”
Canon recently collaborated with Fotoba and Onyx to launch the Fotoba Canon Wallpaper Factory
With the boom in wallpaper printing and printed décor continuing, Canon recently collaborated with Fotoba and Onyx to launch the Fotoba Canon Wallpaper Factory. Using the Fotoba XLA170, differing widths of wallpaper drops can be produced without the need for manual intervention. This is achieved due to the automatic positioning of the vertical slicers and Bulk 400kg Jumbo Roll Loaders can also be added in high volume applications.
Is the future inkjet?
Looking at a different area of the print industry and industrial inkjet technologies manufacturer Xaar says the future is very much inkjet. Justin Noble, head of product management says that the ability to apply a wide range of fluids with precision and accuracy across a variety of substrates is causing inkjet to grow in importance. According to Noble, inkjet is either currently replacing traditional production methods or creating new applications.
On why this move to inkjet is happening now, Noble explains: “The move to inkjet has been gaining momentum for some years, however, it has recently picked up pace as technological advances have made it increasingly relevant to a growing number of sectors and applications.
Xaar recently launched a guide to help print-service-providers know what to consider when moving over to inkjet
“Businesses and industries are now able to use inkjet in processes or applications which are simply not possible with analogue print technology. From 3D Printing and additive manufacturing applications to the personalisation of print and custom messages, a move to digital technologies, and inkjet in particular, offers more attractive advantages, more possibilities and better return on investment.”
Noble adds: “As well as being able to only print what you need, digital print methods are inherently more environmentally friendly than analogue techniques. Our research shows that, compared to analogue alternatives, digital has a huge impact in reducing energy and water consumption as well as CO2 emissions, alongside reducing pollution and waste materials.”
According to Noble, it’s the developments in printheads which have been key in accelerating the possibilities of inkjet and Xaar’s ImagineX platform is on hand to deliver practical printhead innovations that seek to address “longstanding roadblocks” in the application of inkjet.
This covers vastly improving traditional print speeds which reach anything from 160 to 300m per minute, to the use of ink and fluid viscosities at around 100cP for the addition of embellishments for personalisation.
In terms of how making the move to and utilising inkjet technologies can help businesses to move into new markets and diversify, Noble says the use of inkjet technology in particular allows businesses to add value to print. This can be in the form of adding embellishments or special finishes, or to build strong customer and consumer relationships through customisation and personalisation as well as creating a more immersive, engaging pack experience.
Noble continues: “Continued advances are being made in productivity, too. For instance, inkjet is enabling print direct to the product, minimising the needs for a seperate print process and reducing waste and materials. Digital inkjet printheads are already printing directly onto bottles and cans for example and the latest applications are printing at rates that are close to analogue processes.
“In the field of 3D inkjet printing, industries can employ digital inkjet technology to do things that are just not achievable with analogue print technologies – adding functionality and actually printing parts which would otherwise be impossible to manufacture or too costly to be financially viable.
“In all these situations inkjet is enabling businesses to diversify and use technology to provide greater possibilities and a better return on investment in their markets of choice.”
Something Xaar has recently launched to spread the message of the growth of inkjet is its new inkjet guide titled: ‘Your guide to a successful inkjet development project’. This guide has been launched to enable print-service-providers to maximise the potential of inkjet.
The guide helps readers to learn more about what to consider when starting their inkjet development journey such as ‘Why digital inkjet?’, ‘What fluid do I use?’ and ‘What system components do I need?’. The guide can be downloaded from the Xaar website.
Be prepared for change
Another company that has shared its views on the changing world of business is PrintMAX. As consumer habits change and new technology is developed, businesses need to keep track of these and know when to adapt and diversify so as to not get left behind by competition.
Michael Bolton, managing director of PrintMAX offers some thoughts on how businesses can take the risk to diversify and reap the rewards. “Diversifying your business may be a risk; dipping your toe into new markets with new audiences, but it also reduces risk,” he says. “The rewards you can reap are often worth the challenge, and the process can instil stability, growth, and profits into your business".
The rewards you can reap are often worth the challenge, and the process can instil stability, growth, and profits into your business”
“If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that the world can change, quickly, so your business needs to be prepared for that. If your business is overly reliant on just one sector, you could be minimising profits, expansion opportunities and creating unnecessary risk if mitigating circumstances come into play.”
Bolton adds: “We can all identify businesses that were once glorious but are now a lesson in why diversification and planning is crucial; Blockbuster, Blackberry and Yahoo to name a few. Whilst diversification does not guarantee success and longevity, it certainly provides a fighting chance.”
Some of the ways Bolton suggests businesses could diversify include providing more products to existing customers, and adapting product ranges to reach more customers. This could be a standard print room which meets the needs of a business supplier diversifying by adding direct-to-substrate printing services such as merchandise and packaging.
Epson says that DTG technology can address issues shaping the industry at the moment
On what adding direct-to-substrate printing could bring to a print business, Bolton lists: instant finishing, stunning visual effects, vivid imagery, and the ability to print onto curved objects, as just a few of the capabilities possible. The applications a business could produce using this method include promotional products, product design, packaging, and parts, and personalised gifts.
Bolton says: “With the boom in online shopping, and the desire to support independent businesses, personalised gifting is a growing marketplace. Using flatbed printing, you can personalise everything from leather wallets, jewellery, and candles to wedding gifts, wooden boxes, and homeware. You can also print directly onto small intricate items, or large products and add luxurious finishes and textures with gloss ink.” Other applications include trophies and awards, specialist signage, and interior décor.
“The benefit of diversification in print is that the leading manufacturers have considered your business journey with their product range; you can use the same RIP software and familiar technology to print a phone case as you would a PVC banner,” Bolton explains.
He concludes: “Whilst there is an element of risk in the capital involved, the market for short-run and personalised print continues to grow, so if you have a marketing plan in place, the diversification process should be smooth, with an opportunity to upsell to your existing customers and reach new ones.”
PrintMAX supplies a range of printing kit from manufacturers such as Roland, Mimaki, and Summa.
Another company that has highlighted the opportunities within digital textile customisation is Epson. According to the manufacturer, demand for customised products is driving digital textile printing growth. A survey by Smithers predicts digital textile printed volume will increase 13.9% CAGR from 2021 to 2026, to reach 5.531 million sq m each year. Across the same period, textile printed value is expected to increase by 12.7% CAGR to reach £6.95bn annually.
Phil McMullin, sales manager of Pro Graphics Sales at Epson UK, explains how during the pandemic, digitally printed textiles performed better than the overall textile market with home furnishings amongst the most buoyant sectors.
“Technology development is at the core of Epson’s product portfolio,” McMullin explains, adding: “Every day Epson invests $1.2m (£95,000) to support its systems and solutions including textile printing capabilities.
O Factoid: A survey by Smithers predicts the textile printed value will increase by 12.7% CAGR from 2021 to 2026 to reach £6.95bn annually O
“Among them are the versatile SureColor SC-F3000 DTG printer capable of producing complex designs on a variety of light and dark cotton garments and the SureColor SC-F2100 DTG printer that offers a complete direct-to-garment package for designing and printing t-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, baby clothes, tote bags, and other cotton items. There is also the entry level A4 SureColor SC-F100 dye-sublimation printer that is predominately aimed at the gifting market.”
McMullin explains that DTG technology can address issues shaping the industry at the moment such as sustainability, reshoring, and the on-demand business model. It does this as on-demand textile printing produces a low carbon footprint, can reduce water and electricity consumption, and allows users to produce custom designs and produce exact quantities on demand with little waste. This can also be seen through the collaboration between Kornit Digital technology and sustainable fashion company Fashion-Enter.
DTG printing can also enable companies to bring the production of product onshore and allows for greater control of production in terms of quality, turnaround times, cost, and profitability.
When looking at the ways the industry has warped, merged, and diversified over the last two years it is reassuring and motivating to see there are a number of possibilities for businesses to continue to grow and evolve. The key seems to be finding out what areas you can add to in terms of what you are already offering, and following changing customer behaviours to get ahead of the curve.
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