Rob van den Braak
Lobbyen bij wetgevers voor een branche of een belangenorganisatie heeft een grote vlucht genomen. Zo besteedde Google het eerste kwartaal van dit jaar 5,5 miljoen dollar om de Amerikaanse overheid op zijn hand te krijgen. Dat staat in schril contrast met de hoeveelheid geld van alle belangengroepen van uitgevers en grafische bedrijven in Amerika die bij elkaar per jaar net zoveel uitgeven als Google. In 2014 voor drukkers was dat ‘slechts’ 31.850 dollar. Maplight geeft ons deze cijfers, cijfers voor Europa zijn ons niet bekend, maar dat zullen zeker geen hogere bedragen zijn.Lees verder....
The wave of mergers in the printing industry is not over yet. One out of every three (31%) printers has considered a merger, a take over or sale in the past year. That is only slightly more than the previous year (+3%). At least that´s what the 2nd Drupa Global Trends Report says. Nearly half has indeed just gone through a merger or will do this year. Printers are looking for cooperation because organic growth is very difficult in the current economic situation with small margins. Through strategic alliances printers can focus on both their core activities and new markets.
Investments
When questioned about investments, half of printers interviewed (51%) say they will invest in press technology, less than half (48%) will invest in finishing and four out of ten (41%) will invest in prepress and workflow automation. Print shops want to primarily invest in digital full colour offset presses (39%) and offset (24%). For packaging printers offset is most important (30%) and flexo print comes in second (25%).
The 2nd Drupa Global Trends Report is based on research conducted in October 2014 amongst 1100 printers and suppliers worldwide (mainly in Europe).
Bron: Drupa
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Passports, identity cards, lottery tickets and entrance tickets are examples of printing with the highest value add. Designing these, in compliance with the highest security measures, is work for specialists. These specialists will now with version 9 of Agfa´s Fortuna get a perfect tool which can save a lot of time. Version 9 builds on the more than 20 years experience which Agfa has with high security design and will give designers an advantage over the ever cleverer counterfeiters, according to Andy Grant, Agfa´s Global Head of Software. More information about Fortuna via this link.
Paspoorten, id-kaarten, loten en toegangsbewijzen zijn vormen van drukwerk met de hoogste toegevoegde waarde. Het ontwerpen daarvan, met inachtneming van de hoogste veiligheidsgraad, is specialistenwerk. Die specialisten krijgen met versie 9 van Agfa’s Fortuna een perfect gereedschap dat hun veel tijd kan besparen. Versie 9 bouwt verder op de al meer dan 20 jaar ervaring die Agfa heeft in high-security design en geeft ontwerpers volgens Andy Grant, Global Head of Software van Agfa, een voorsprong op vervalsers die steeds slimmer worden. Meer info over Fortuna vind je via deze link.
Met de overname van het Israëlische bedrijf Linx Imaging maakt Apple duidelijk dat ze nog niet tevreden is over de fotokwaliteit van haar mobile devices. Linx maakt niet alleen superdunne beeldsensors, maar heeft ook software die een iPhone of iPad spiegelreflexcamera kwaliteit geeft. De Linx techniek werkt ook bij slechte lichtomstandigheden en zal toegepast worden in de nieuwe generatie mobile devices van Apple.
Trust in the printing industry seems to be returning. At least, this can be concluded from the 2nd Drupa Global Trends Report. More than a third (34%) of printers saw a good 2014, only 13% admitted to a bad year. 2015 seems to be even more positive. Nearly half (48%) thinks that this year will be stronger economically; only 7% expects a more difficult year than last year. As far as the suppliers are concerned more than half (51%) are expecting a better year, which points to printers expected to be investing.
There are regional and market differences. Europe sees the same development, but differences are smaller than in the rest of the world. Printers who are active in the packaging market and functional printing are more positive than colleagues in commercial print and publishing.
The 2nd Drupa Global Trends Report is based on research conducted in October 2014 amongst 1100 printers and suppliers worldwide (mostly in Europe).
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Tijdens de Fespa, 18 t/m 22 mei in Keulen, vindt de finale plaats van de World Wrap Masters. In de wedstrijd die gesponsord wordt door 3M en Mutoh strijden 36 deelnemers van over de hele wereld om de felbegeerde titel World Wrap Master.
FESPA’s World Wrap Masters is set to land at FESPA 2015, Cologne, 18-22 May 2015 to continue its success as the leading global competition for wrapping enthusiasts and experts.
The professional wrap event, sponsored by 3M and Mutoh, will see up to 36 individuals from across the world compete to win the prestigious title of World Wrap Master.
Items being wrapped include Opel ‘Adam’ cars, famous for their curvatures and small size, two metre tall space rockets, and luxury Scandinavian designed vacuum jugs from Eva Solo to demonstrate the complexity of wrapping ‘above and beyond’ a typical vehicle application.
The qualifying round will see up to 36 competitors take to the Wrap Hub (Hall 6, Stand T85) from 18-20 May 2015. The qualifiers from this competition will join regional champion wrappers from Africa, Brasil, Russia, and France in the global final of the World Wrap Masters. The top 12 wrappers will then compete in the final, taking place on the last two days (21-22 May) of FESPA 2015. The World Wrap Masters champion for 2015 will be announced at 15:00 on Friday 22 May, with the top three finalists winning trophies and cash prizes of €2,500, €1,250 and €750 respectively. All competitors will receive ‘goody bags’, containing wrap accessories that can be used to practise their finely honed skills.
Judges for this year’s competition include Ole Solskin Ravn, Head Judge and owner of SUNTINT A/S, Denmark. Klaus Willekens, 3M, and Justin Pate, 3M certified graphics instructor/installer specialising in vehicle graphics installations and presenter of The Wrap Institute.
In addition to the competition, visitors to the Wrap Hub will be able to attempt wrapping car doors ‘against the clock’. They will also have the opportunity to speak with the Wrap Master judges to gain insight and guidance into the world of wrapping.
Duncan MacOwan, Head of New Media and Events, FESPA, comments: “The Wrap Hub and World Wrap Masters will undoubtedly see some strong competition among wrap experts looking to be crowned champion, as well as lots of sharing of skills, tips and tricks between competitors. I’m also looking forward to seeing visitors try their hand at wrapping, so they can see the complexity and finesse involved.”
For more information and to register your interest in competing in the World Wrap Masters, please visit www.wrap-masters.com. In the final countdown to FESPA 2015, don’t forget to visit www.fespa2015.com for more information or to pre-register.
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It is an impressive but surprising list, the 10 finalists of the World´s Best-Designed digital news contest. Not surprising are The New Yorker and Quartz, but the nominations of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are, if only for the fact that they are accepted as news providers. If you look at them all there is a lot to learn, from the minimalist design of Medium to the user interface of Facebook and Twitter and the cool AJ+ app with which Al Jazeera shows what news on a mobile device can look like.
Het is een imposant maar verrassend rijtje, de tien finalisten in de World’s Best Designed digital news contest. Niet verrassend zijn The New Yorker en Quartz, wel de nominaties van Facebook, Twitter en YouTube al was het alleen maar om de acceptatie van deze internetgiganten als een nieuwsmedium. Als je ze allemaal bekijkt dan is er veel te leren, van het minimale ontwerp van Medium tot de gebruikersinterface van Facebook en Twitter en de flitsende app AJ+ waarmee Al Jazeera laat zien hoe nieuws op een mobiel device er uit kan zien.
Customization of wide format prints by using variable data is a growth market according to the experts. The possibilities of playing in this market are the subject of the 14th Wild Format guide. Download this guide by Sophie Matthews-Paul form our download page.
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Personalisatie van groot formaat afdrukken door het gebruik van variabele data is volgens experts een groeimarkt. Wat de mogelijkheden zijn om in deze markt mee te spelen is het onderwerp van de 14e Wild Format Guide. Download deze Guide van Sophie Matthews-Paul op onze download pagina.
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VIGC BOPE 2025: Redefining print. Success in a digital world. Met o.a. Peter Luit als gesprekleider binnen het panelgesprek ‘Platformeconomie, kansen voor grafimedia bedrijven?’
Kandidaten gezocht
De trainingen voor 2022 staan gereed. Kijk voor het volledige online aanbod van bestaande- en nieuwe trainingen op de website.
BLOKBOEK.COM EN PRINTMEDIANIEUWS: HET OPTIMALE DOELGROEP BEREIK