Industry round-up: 17 April 2008
As a high-achieving industry, there's always plenty of recognition and rewards for businesses operating in the printing and graphic arts. This week, Print 21 takes a look at two: Ink Outside the Square and Fishprint.
Ink Outside the Square takes a walk in JDF Park
Thinking outside the square has granted a Sydney MIS company entry into this year's drupa JDF Park.
It is the first time that Ink Outside the Square has made the trek to drupa, so to be included is quite an honour according to Oliver Mergen, director of the Alexandria-based company (pictured).
"It's very exciting news for us," he said. "It shows that we are at the forefront of JDF development in Australia and also at the same standard as other big players in the industry."
Mergen believes the company was chosen for its innovation and world-class standards. He points out that its JDF partners in Germany had undergone testing with other major suppliers in the industry where it was acknowledged that the files all met the latest standard.
Along with his assistant, Mergen will fly to Germany for the show in May. He says that visitors to Ink Outside the Square's drupa stand will be able to witness the latest version of DaVinci automation along with live workflow demonstrations from the JDF stage.
"We're really looking forward to it," Mergen said. "We are an international company with German employees so for us it's a very exciting time."
Making every drop count
The team at Victorian company Fishprint are in the running for the Small Business Award as part of this year's Premier's Sustainability Awards.
Earning itself a reputation as leaders in waterless printing techniques and for its approach to sustainability across all areas of its operations, the company is one of only three to be selected as a finalist in this section.
Peter Booth, director, reckons it's a real honour to have made it this far. "We are told there were more entries than ever this year and the competition was tougher than ever," he said.
Nothing fishy about us says directors Peter Booth (left) and Tony Murphy (right).
"We believe we were chosen as finalists because we have addressed almost every aspect of the way our business could possibly have a negative impact on the environment and tried mostly successfully to totally eliminate those negative impacts, rather than just offset them."
Regardless of whether the company wins or not, Booth hopes that other printers might think about the environmental benefits of reducing water in printing. "It is our hope that more printing companies will at least consider trialing waterless printing," he said.