Digital Print UK

Would you like to print directly onto, Tissue Paper, Toilet Rolls (why not?), Wine Box materials, cardboard, coffee cup holders, bags, bags, and more bags? Want to do this at a reasonable image quality/speed? Watch this short video:- https://youtu.be/3NimaoZFzqg?si=xZwkG-6VXTnXeNnU For more information, get in touch, 07518 604611

Ricoh has launched a new product, the Ricoh Auto Colour Adjuster and I think it is a belter! In summary, this system simplifies visual colour matching across a range of digital devices, not just Ricoh. If you have multiple digital printers and would like to ensure some consistency, […]

Compared with traditional printing methods, complex operations are eliminated. No plate making, just turn it on and go.. Easy to use, fast speed, good image quality and low cost are the four major characteristics. 1.Strong market adaptability, you can develop your business flexibly, whether it is a small […]

Personalised packaging for bags and boxes on varying substrates. If you are attending the Packaging Innovations exhibition at the NEC in February, Packaging Innovations Birmingham 2024 | B2B Packaging Event (packagingbirmingham.com) and your interests are in bags/boxes, you might want to visit stand D122. Repro Sales & Service […]

‘The sustainable inkjet printer with a new vision of the production printing market.’ The TASKalfa Pro 15000c is the result of Kyocera’s many years of experience and expertise in the production printing industry. This machine has a unique printhead and ink technology on board. This allows you to […]

Toner presses tend to use a lot more power than their inkjet rivals. The main OEMs produce devices that run on 16amp or 32amp power supplies. The Kyocera doesn’t! Would it surprise you to know that the Kyocera C15000 cut sheet colour inkjet printer uses far less electricity […]

It can be, if that’s all your market needs, and there is nothing wrong with that! But what about cross channel communications? What about personalised marketing videos? What about ‘targeting specific markets and dynamics’ with messaging that is relevant to them on an individual basis across all media? […]

The print industry has charged headlong into a race for #Sexyprint, taking things beyond ‘boring CMYK’ with embellishments and additional colours, BUT, how does it work? Don’t ask me… I just sell the machines. Instead, ask those clever people at TAKTIFUL. They offer a short course of consultancy […]

The new production print engines from Ricoh, ProC9500 and ProC7500 are due for launch in the next two months. ASL has secured access to the Ricoh showroom on October 5th and October 12th from 9:00a.m. to 16:30p.m. Would you like to attend? We will be supported by Vpress […]

Inkjet isn’t just for full colour! What about those long runs of monochrome reports, books and invoices? With running costs that are far lower than laser print devices, and power usage that is up to 70% less than comparable printers, perhaps YOUR time for cut-sheet mono inkjet is […]

It’s an initiative put together by a few enthusiastic print industry people who firmly believe that UK Print has reasons to be proud of what we do. Our events are often created off the cuff and ‘making it up as we go along’ is an acceptable accusation. But […]

If your cut-sheet inkjet colour printer isn’t using a standard 13amp plug, then you are probably paying a lot for your power. Speed does not always need 16amp or 32amp power supplies. The Kyocera C15000 uses standard 13 amp plugs and still outputs at 150 A4 full colour […]

There are an increasing number of B2 inkjet devices these days, but… What if your environment is not ready to support this size? What if ‘cut-sheet’ direct mail is your thing? What if power consumption costs are killing your business? What if you just don’t know how low […]

I recently sent out a mailer on the Kyocera TASKalfa C15000 because I think it is a beauty. Sadly, my email address in that mailer is wrong and it should read paul.stead@asl-group.co.uk Schoolboy error or just plain dumb? You decide! The importance of getting your data right is […]

Kyocera will present its inkjet production printer, the TASKalfa Pro 15000c, at the Hunkeler Innovation days 2023. If you are going to Hunkeler and you’d like to see an exciting CUT-SHEET COLOUR INKJET PRINTER, then don’t miss this one.. During the Innovation days, Kyocera product specialists will demonstrate […]

It’s easy to cast your nets far and wide and hope for a few bites. It doesn’t take much skill to bang out an email campaign. But, what about the business you are missing close to home? How do you find it? How do you manage it? This […]

The most common sight in Embroidery suppliers are rows and rows of ‘sewing devices, running multiple threads to each device outputting high quality colours. Each ‘sewing machine’ requires regular replacement of threads to ensure colour accuracy of the sewn garment. Thread replacement can be labour intensive. But what […]

In our rush for higher quality colour output, it is easy to forget that monochrome applications still provide a huge potential for revenue. Monochrome engines are available from many OEM’s, but the Xerox Nuvera remains my favourite. In my role as monochrome marketing manager for Xerox, I made […]

Time to ignore what your Mum told you. These output samples of Scodix embellishments and stunning to look at, but equally impressive to hold. For brands who want their packaging or collateral to stand out, this is one way to do it. Print is not just about creating […]

I like beer! I like personalisation! I like my own personalised beer. Easy when you know how. For more information, get in touch paul.stead@digitalprint.org.uk or call 07518 604611

We have an interesting and surprising line-up of equipment and software solutions at The Print Show this year. In keeping with our message that ‘The Choice is Yours’, ASL will be sharing ideas from all of our OEM partners, to bring you something a bit ‘special’ The layout […]

As print sample books go, this one is real beauty. Created by Stephen Hawkins-Flavell and Brad Hyde of Ricoh UK channels team, this booklet shows the variety of substrates and print output that Ricoh production printers can produce. It includes output from:- ProC5300, entry level production CMYK ProC7200, […]

Inkjet is here and it’s getting more economical. Cut-sheet inkjet devices run as well as ‘mono only’ as they do in full colour. But where are you going and how do you get the right software to support your journey? The Kyocera TASKalfa C15000 and Solimar Systems make […]

Not all PDFs are as print ready as they should be. But how do you avoid wasting time and money putting them right? Here’s one way:- https://youtu.be/oruYxVkMKdU With Solimar Systems, you can take the pain away, reduce your wasted time and thereby increase your profits. Need more information, […]

Simple things work. In this case, the KM C7100 shares feed trays with the C12000 and C14000 that can feed, 900mm x 330mm up to 400gsm from THREE vacuum fed input points. This sheet size can be duplexed, making EIGHT-UP A4 work a possibility. Output quality from Konica […]

One of the printers to be shown on our stand this year, will be the formidable Ricoh ProC9200 For a brief introduction from Stephen Hawkins-Flavell, Business Development, Indirect Channels, Ricoh UK., follow this link:- Stephen Hawkins-Flavell introduces the Ricoh ProC9200 full colour press.. – YouTube This printer is […]

From signage to specialist applications, the Epson Surecolour supports them all. A wide substrate range, matched to very high quality, ease of use and simple to cost. What more does your large format business need? For more information, get in touch, paul.stead@digitalprint.org.uk or call 07518 604611

Let’s start with a short video:- https://youtu.be/o4Ym7EbOWGU Superb Quality Wider colour gamut: Epson UltraChrome GS3 ink with Red achieve up to 98.2% of PANTONE Solid Coated Colours. Ultra-precision: USP= Epson TFP PrecisionCore printhead 360dpi. Epson PrecisionDot (Epson HTM (halftone module) / Epson Microweave and Epson LUT (Look Up […]

Going hither and thither?To collect and deliver!Darren Cox is quite vocal.You need to spend local.! If the ballooning cost of fuel isn’t enough to make you want to reduce your road-time, I really don’t know what is. Are you concerned about the money being spent in your area […]

If the production of short run labels is taking up some of your time, relax, the answer is close to hand. The OKI 1040 and 1050 desktop reel to sheet or reel to reel printer, could be just what you need. The OKI 1040 is CMYK only whilst […]

Seems strange to me that some organisations still struggle with producing “personalised print”, although the truth is that a lot more do it under the heading of “variable data printing”. At a basic level, variable data printing is the use of databases and desktop publishing software to combine […]

Remember this guy? Well, if you can, then you are almost as old as me. Buzby, the BT bird whose challenge it was to get us all talking. Of course, that was before E-mail was invented and talking to each other was the only quick way. In my […]

Maybe, you are a printing company, creating amazing marketing messages for your clients, driving their business to new levels? Maybe, you are a salesman, peddling your various wares from printing devices or printed output that helps to deliver the above? (This is ME BTW) Either way, we all […]

The newly launched Canon imagePRESS V1000 is a beauty. Good to look at and fiercely productive. Substrate ranges are ‘as expected’ in a product these days, namely 52-400gsm with auto duplex on all weights. BUT… did you ever think that you could auto duplex a sheet of 300gsm […]

We are experiencing a huge demand in supplying equipment; software and hardware for the greetings cards market right now. Online greetings have reached incredible levels, to support a very wide range of gifts, some personalised, others not. Whatever you are buying for your loved ones, it usually deserves […]

It isn’t what we usually think about when sourcing printers is it? But these are interesting times. With energy costs set to soar, the low power consumption of the Kyocera TASKalfa C15000 might just be what you need. Water-based ink just adds to the green credentials. Designed for […]

It’s easy to blame the merchants, or maybe the delivery drivers, or maybe Brexit, or maybe the guy with the axe who is taking far too long to cut down the trees. The reality is that there are many reasons why paper price increases are currently out of […]

To increase awareness? To capture attention? To set you aside from your competition? To enhance your brand image? ….All of the above? A great webinar from Ricoh Europe shared information on how the expansion of your colour range and addition of enhancements such as silver and gold, really […]

I don’t mean that it ‘speaks’ to your mind….I mean it really does talk. How’s that for getting your message out there? The image and the sound hit you right in the imagination. Clever people at ‘Talking Print’… Well done David Hyams…

If you work in the print industry and you send e-mail greeting to the people you care about, aren’t you missing the point? Greetings cards take your message directly into the hands and eyes of the intended recipient. Whether it’s a valentine card, Christmas card or just a […]

Whatever you are filling, it doesn’t have to be bland and boring. Upgrade your message Personalise your design Promote YOUR brand If the paper cup you are holding is plain, that’s ok, ‘it’s just a coffee’, after all. But if the cup carries a logo or marketing message […]

As we emerge from the pandemic, the print landscape is changing and new production techniques are coming to the fore. The use of Digital Print Enhancement techniques, such as gold and silver, are increasingly becoming the norm as a profitable way to stay relevant to clients. Later this […]

The PK automatic intelligent cutting system adopts a fully automatic vacuum table with automatic lifting and feeding platform. Equipped with multiple tools it can quickly and precisely handle your cutting, creasing and marking requirements. The PK is suitable for sample making and short run customised products as well […]

With the increasing demand for printed A4 landscape output, comes an increased demand is ‘somewhere to put it’. Not a lot of point printing a lovely brochure if it the gets damaged. This video shows a cutting table printing a simple design that is subsequently folded by hand […]

The method of printing is just the same…load it into your paper cassettes, tell the print engine what the stock is and press ‘print’.. very simple. The output possibilities go beyond simple. Synthetic substrates are:- Tearproof…useful for items that many people may touch Waterproof…useful for menus where spillages […]

Up to 150mm height adjustment Vacuum table Variable print sizes Industrial print head configuration Table up and down, fixed working space Innovative LED curing technology White circulation system Negative pressure system Print white and colours in one job Highlights clear varnish for more value Printing and curing in […]

New Ricoh showroom at Telford – YouTube Not quite finished when I visited last week, but nearly there. A great line-up of the expected hardware, but perhaps much more importantly, you can pick up many examples of printed applications that make YOU money. More can be found at […]

You are probably thinking. ”We have a good working relationship with a wide format company and we send our sign work to them”. Nothing wrong with a little collaboration and long may it continue for those who work it well, BUT, you might be missing the point. The […]

This depends on what you want to achieve, the range of stocks that you use and whether or not 5th/6th colours are required. At entry and mid-production levels, there ARE differences in output image quality, registration and substrate capabilities. At the high-production end of the scale, these functions […]

A few months ago, before things went a bit wobbly, I went to a Konica Minolta showroom to look at the new C14000 colour printer. required speed?…. check nice flat image?…… check smooth even tints?….. check inline quality controls to ensure that page 1000 looks the same as […]

Consumer demands for ‘personalisation of everything’ now includes clothing. Whether a simple T-shirt design of one, or multiple items for a Hen/Stag party, the desire for ‘MY’ shirt is here. Going further, personalised gift-bags for events or maybe even your own design of fabric, the drive for ‘MY […]

Those of us who have been in the industry for a while will remember how involved it used to be to develop and source print. From design, the production of physical artwork through to repro and the need for large print volumes for economies of scale, sourcing print […]

Gallagher recently released its annual ‘State of the Sector’ survey on what’s trending in internal comms (IC) and employee engagement. It understandably reported that 2020 had been a year like no other and chose to position its findings more as a guide to navigating holistic communication challenges. We’ve […]

TORONTO, June 3, 2021 – Joanne Gore Communications Inc., (JGC) a virtual B2B marketing agency that helps software, hardware, manufacturing and print companies stretch their marketing dollars, announced the launch of JGC’s Social Selling Solutions to help professionals dip their toes in new waters and grow their personal brand, network, content and engagement. […]

Adaptability and Convenience Are the Watchwords for Print There is a well-known saying in reference to Darwin’s Origin of Species that characterises businesses that have met the challenges that 2020/1 has thrown at us and found a way to move forward: “It is not the strongest of the species that […]

Imagine the scene if you will dear reader. A print business owner or manager sits down at their desk in the morning, they take their first sips of the morning brew, and with a small sigh they survey all the orders that have come in overnight and start […]

If you have had problems with fonts in your digital print environment, then this subject has been tailor-made for you. Especially for all of you that are taking in what customers have told you are “print ready” PDF files. You know the ones we are talking about—those files […]

PDF optimization (or lack of it) impacts your printing environment’s costs and savings. We continue to see print and digital production processes move to the PDF file format as a standard. As experts in PDF, we believe there are significant cost savings to be unlocked based on how […]

The options for digital printers, in terms of the additional colours that are available can create some stunning and unexpected results. This video was made by Brad Hyde of Ricoh UK and shows the range of colours now available for the ProC7200 series:- 5th colour options for digital […]

In the last year BC (Before Covid), JIT and lean manufacturing were working very well indeed. Fine tuned assembly lines and highly organised delivery processes meant that manufacturers could efficiently control stocks of equipment and supplies, keeping inventory to a manageable level. Toner stocks arrived Just In Time. […]

Powercoat Alive substrates from Antalis can make your printed products work for you. Intelligent packaging Integrated Promotional Campaigns Interactive ticketing and invitations Connected business cards This short video will show you what is possible:- PowerCoat Alive Intelligent paper by Arjowiggins – YouTube With NFC tags inlaid, the marketing […]

We are in a time where being responsible to the environment is important to all of us. For some people, ‘printing’ is perceived as bad for the environment, possibly because paper comes from wood. The following video presents some interesting data that might change your mind. Be responsible, […]

Sorting through old folders at home, I came across a number of items that look like large photo negatives of various sizes, the largest being 12 x 10 inches. They are images of work created by my late father-in-law Fred Burnley who passed away in the early 80s. […]

The Covid period has seen a dramatic increase in direct mail output and whilst a large part is full colour promotional material, we have also seen a huge leap in monochrome transactional print. True monochrome printing costs are much lower than full colour, and usually a lot less […]

There have been a few issues for digital print users recently, namely:- Lack of drums Toners bursting Lack of toner Parts availability Engineer availability Delivery delays for almost everything.. I could go on…. Maybe there is one lesson to learn from this and that is DON’T PUT ALL […]

Management, coaching, and consultancy practice providing a range of services for small to medium-sized print shops MONTRÉAL, September 23rd, 2021 – Print industry influencer Warren Werbitt announces the launch of The Print Whisperer (https://theprintwhisperer.com), a business management, executive coaching, and network facilitation consultancy. To most people in the […]

Konica Minolta reported on the explosion and fire in its Japanese toner factory on 6 July, giving regular updates on the progress of the investigation. The latest notice regarding the fire at Konica Minolta Supplies Manufacturing’s Tatsuno Factory announced that the company has identified the cause for the […]

Inkjet printers are coming into their own where high volume production printing is concerned, but di you you know that INKJET also works in the office, with a much lower environmental impact? Laser and inkjet printers may look the same on the outside. But it’s what’s on the […]

At last.. the new Bond film is out and it’s time to hit the cinema. Gadgets galore no doubt? New fangled ways to ward off the enemy. New ways of dealing with the competition. New recipes for success. Personally, I find the Vesper Martini hard to beat.. Maybe […]

In the world of print, so many people are still focussed on the equipment that they own, even going as far as listing it on their website. Classic ‘My Dad is Bigger than your Dad’ behaviour. Who has the biggest sheet size? Who has the fastest print engine? […]

I heard about this initiative early into the pandemic period and have shared what they do with a number of clients. One has just told me that her business has had “the best August in the last five years, primarily due to an increase in local work”. I […]

Is NOW the time for personalised print?? Lockdown has increased Direct Mail volumes and has changed the way that print is produced. Going to a car showroom for a test drive was virtually impossible, but thankfully, the car manufacturers hit on a great idea. Build ‘your car’ online […]

How can you improve your hit rate? How can you retain more customers? How can you get your existing customers to spend more money? ….Create a personalised video that’s how! We have a few options available, including InVideo from Blue Rush or video via XMPie. For more information, […]

There has been a lot of talk recently about the changes within the high street with some people believing that things will ‘go back to the way they were’. I’m not so sure. The move to online purchasing of all things has been breathtakingly fast and considerably easier […]

Come on folks, we have been sitting around for long enough and the world of digital printing is changing around us. There has been a lot of interest in the Kyocera taskALFA C15000, cut-sheet, digital inkjet printer, but getting to see one ‘in the flesh’ has not been […]

There are a few options in the web2print space right now, many of which are hosted and developed outside of the UK, leading to slow responses when things go wrong. Not all systems are the same and not all approaches to managing them are the same. Right now, […]

At long last, it looks as though we can get ready to host and attend live events. Great news, unless like me, you’ve forgotten all the important things around ‘planning and running’. As with most aspects of life, my knowledge is limited, BUT thankfully, I know someone clever! […]

Very interesting article in Digital Printer magazine about the issues of literacy in the UK today. Nutshell Creative (Formidable marketing agency in Milton Keynes) has launched an initiative called Topic Heroes. Read the article…it really is a beauty. Magazine | Digital Printer (digitalprintermag.co.uk)

What a great way to look at the world of digital print. I’d like to say that I thought of this, but sadly, I’m not that clever. Kudos to Jean Lloyd of JLConsulting Look her up on LinkedIn… clever stuff. I have a copy of her brochure and […]

packed with innovative technologies that will give you the power to grow your business INTELLIGENT AUTOMATIONBy instantly detecting the precise stock you’re using, the Intelligent Media Sensor IM-101* significantly reduces production time.With real-time quality and VDP inspection, the IQ-501 Intelligent Quality Optimizer* also ensures perfectly consistent colour reproduction […]

It is easy to see how more automation might replace people with robots, but is that right for society? Shouldn’t automation work as much WITH us and it does FOR us? A typology has been developed for Operator 4.0, which aims at expanding the capabilities of the industry […]

Scale your print infrastructure to your needs. With ASL Flex we evaluate your print needs and create a contract that provides you with a level of flexibility to ensure you are not locked into a fleet of devices as your business changes Within the agreed parameters you can […]

If there is one thing we should all have learned through lockdown, it is that an online print business is a busy print business. Want to engage with more clients? Want to engage with your existing clients more? Want to create personalised greeting cards? Want to change brochure […]

People are suffering from e-mail marketing overload The sheer volume of e-mail can seem overwhelming for both marketing staff and prospects. According to research group Radicati, over 2.8 billion e-mails are sent every day. In order to keep our inboxes manageable, most people delete a lot of e-mail […]

At last…the SureColor SC-R5000 and SC-R5000L are Epson’s first resin ink large-format printers, offering colour matching consistency, quick drying and scratch resistance. Printing on a wide range of substrates such as vinyl, banner, textile, canvas, wallpaper and film, it combines accuracy, media flexibility and reliability. Maximise uptime, minimise […]

Current trends call for us to reuse things, rather than throwing them away. Great concept, but tricky to apply to a printed piece of paper, or is it? What if you could recycle then reuse the paper in your own premises? The Epson Paperlab turns used office paper […]

..sometimes we use a bit too much jargon, which can damage the simplicity of the message we are trying to send. Personalisation is such an area. Even the word ‘personalisation’ can have multiple meanings to the reader. This short video, from Xerox shows just how easy the message […]

As the number of OEMS supporting digitally printed gold/silver and other metallics grows, it is easy to get drawn into a trap whereby you need the latest printer to achieve these results. Not so…. Look at things a little bit differently and you might find that software is […]

What are YOU waiting for?… let’s make a list! That darn boat has really messed things up! The list of ‘restrained stock items’, as result of this is growing by the day. Equipment:- “sorry, stuck in the canal!” Toner:- “sorry, stuck in the canal!” Drums:- “sorry, stuck in […]

Buying equipment is not easy. How many times has a supplier asked you to share the proposal from his/her competitor, promising to beat/match it? The problem with this, is that it does not get you the best possible deal…it just get’s to the best ‘half-chance deal’. Some buyers […]

I know what you are thinking. ”We have a good working relationship with a digital print company and we send our cut-sheet work to them”. Nothing wrong with a little collaboration and long may it continue for those who work it well, BUT, you might be missing the […]

In Easter 2020, working with our ‘Print With Pride’ partners, we produced some very simple personalised Easter Egg boxes. The process was simple:- print a design onto box board using a Ricoh ProC9200, soft touch laminate, over-print in mono text the parts that we wanted to personalise, pass […]

You are probably thinking. ”We have a good working relationship with a digital print company and we send our cut-sheet work to them”. Nothing wrong with a little collaboration and long may it continue for those who work it well, BUT, you might be missing the point. The […]

I know a little about wide-format equipment, but Sarah Winterbottom knows a lot… so I rely on her and her team at Josero when the time is right. Based in Cambridgeshire, Josero offers a complete portfolio of products from machinery, inks, software solutions and spare parts for wide […]

The new Kyocera Taskalfa 15000 is a beast of a printer. Fast, quiet and environmentally friendly….are all topics for discussion. Maybe more impressive is that cut sheet inkjet does not need pre-treated stocks. But don’t take my word for it…listen to Chris Matthews.. he knows his stuff. Kyocera […]

Great business to be had and as always, to be appreciated. BUT…sometimes the files are just not right, are they? Are they ‘print ready’? Do they process quickly through your workflow? Do you experience font issues? Are the images, sometimes, not quite clear enough? Do you lose time […]

Embellishments and additional colours are very much in fashion right now. But, how easy is it to add those colours? This short video (ran in 2x speed) shows how the internal workings of a Xerox Primelink can be changed to run White, Clear, Silver and Gold, or a […]

We have all changed the way in which we buy goods and services and it’s safe to say that an online presence has saved some businesses. A review of our customer activity through the Covid pandemic has shown that those with a good website offering customers the ability […]

I often wonder about the page sizes that most digital print devices can handle, trying to work-out of size really is an issue. For a long time, SRA3 has been the go-to sheet size and most jobs have been run that way. A few years ago, Ricoh made […]

With all those people working at home right now, print possibilities in your locality are booming. Are you getting your share? Are your google search ratings as high as they should be? Do you have videos to support your business? Are your trade references being noticed and hepling […]