Notwithstanding the thrashing handed out to the Wallabies by the All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup, Print21 is set to extend its reach across the Tasman in an arrangement with industry body, PrintNZ.
From this month’s issue on, every member of PrintNZ, the industry association, will receive a complementary copy of Print21 magazine as part of their membership. This reflects the magazine’s status as the official journal of the Printing Industries Association of Australia, whose members also receive Print21.
Commenting on the initiative, publisher Patrick Howard says: “Over the past few issues, we have steadily carried more industry articles from New Zealand including columns written by Joan Grace, the PrintNZ CEO. The response to our more management-focused editorials and analysis has been positive.
“This was confirmed during my attendance at the recent PrintNZ conference Print – Part of Life at which one of our writers, Andy McCourt, spoke. I welcome all our new readers across the Tasman and look forward to more news and contact with the NZ industry.”
Launching awareness of the drive into New Zealand is a campaign headlined ‘Wattle it take?’ celebrating a ‘Ferntastic Partnership’ – obvious plays on the names of the two countries’ national plant emblems.
“Print21 has always circulated a couple of hundred or so copies in New Zealand to subscribers and advertisers,” says Howard, “and we have over 1,200 Kiwi readers of our free weekly online news bulletin, but the cooperation with PrintNZ will take our magazine circulation up to around the 1,000 mark there, adding to the 7,500 copies circulated in Australia.
"I've been delighted with the encouragement of the local industry and especially from such leading suppliers as Aarque Sign&Screen," he said.
In this current issue two world firsts will allow Australian and New Zealand readers to see first hand such graphic arts processes as the Scodix digital embellishment on the cover as well as an 8-page supplement printed on Blue Star Group's HP T-300 Digital Web Press.
"We think showcasing new technologies and graphic arts techniques is an important part of our role," said Howard.
Non PrintNZ members in New Zealand can subscribe here.