Images_Digital_Edition_July_2019

www.images-magazine.com 60 images JULY 2019 IS BRAND PROFILE covers that feature pictures of the grandkids and favourite pets are popular because what is being sold is not just a cushion cover, he adds. “It’s Grandma getting a cushion for her favourite chair with a picture of the grandson on. It’s emotion. And people pay for emotions. It’s very profitable.” Surprisingly, another positive for the indu stry is Brexit, believes B rett, whatever the outc ome is, as it has made people real ise that pe r h aps it will be more difficult to get things into the country and so being able to manufacture in the UK is important. “Whatever happens in Brexit – I don’t know, the government doesn’t know, or anybody else, for that matter – what we have seen is people making certain that they can produce, they can serve their customers, and that in itself is a demand for local production.” Business will continue whatever happens with Brexit, he points out. “The demand will continue. I will still buy my mother-in-law a cushion with a picture of the grandkids on it. That won’t stop just because of Brexit.” Five to niners Reduced cost of entry is also helping to boost the number of UK printing businesses and drive and develop the market, believes Brett. The aforementioned TS30-1300 is a case in point. “It’s enabled more start- ups, what many people refer to as the ‘cottage industry’. Nowadays the term is ‘five to niners’, where people finish the day job, come back and then start their hobby, and then that hobby grows into a business.” It is also very easy these days to create websites and web shops. “With very little investment, people get the hang of it and they get to express their creativity. And then that grows. I think that’s shaping the market, changing the market, and it is in itself driving the demand locally. People now see you can go and get pretty much anything personalised on all these kinds of Not On The High Street-type websites.” Last minute purchases – forgotten birthdays and missed anniversaries, for example – can only be resolved by using local production. People will pay a premium for personalised, emotive items, Brett says. “You can’t wait for four weeks for something to come from Turkey or India.” New hybrid At Itma last month, Mimaki introduced a new hybrid digital textile printer. No details were available before Images went to press, not even to Brett, but he says Itma is a massively important show for the industry that only occurs once every four years so it is important to show new developments there. “Most people know Mimaki as the manufacturer that leads this mid-range arena and will be going to it looking for what Mimaki have to offer,” he explains. “Mimaki has the reputation of bringing product to market very quickly. They have a massive investment in R&D, and they’re committed to driving the textile arena forward and continuously develop it. “They have conversations with all the people that are involved in the industry, so they get feedback on what people are asking for, and are also able to spot trends early, which allows them to respond quickly.” The manufacturer also showed the TA Job Controller Software at Itma, which is designed to simplify, control and automate the production process from the design stage right through to post print. Earlier this year, Mimaki introduced the TS55-1800 dye sublimation printer, which has enjoyed “phenomenal success” according to Brett. “We’ve got one customer who bought one, and then he came back and bought another three,” he adds. Priced at £24,995, the TS55-1800 is a 135sqm/h machine. “Mid- to high- production volume work that had been done offshore is coming back as well. Again, it’s about the point of entry coming down,” Brett explains. “Mimaki structured it at £25,000 for the base machine and then options can be bolted on as production and the business grows. Customers buy the machine, they get going. A year later, they’ve picked up the bigger contracts, so they buy the bulk ink system. They go from a two-litre pack to 10kg bottles, which dramatically reduces their ink costs. Then they go onto jumbo rolls, which dramatically reduces the cost of the paper.” Educated marketplace The digital print market is still a young marketplace, Brett comments. There are, however, many early adopters who bought a Mimaki TX2 20 years ago and are now very experienced users. “What you’ve got is an educated marketplace that’s giving feedback, and so manufacturers are learning and responding to the demands of the developed users. That’s making it easier for people to enter the marketplace – there are not many industries like that.” As the market expands, so has Hybrid. The team in the showroom has grown, and the number of engineers has grown from 12 to 18 in the year and a half since Brett joined. Hybrid is investing heavily not just in staff, but also in internal systems and process. All this can only happen, he says, because of Mimaki’s heritage in digital print and its investment in R&D. “Mimaki helps people grow their business and make money. That’s what everybody’s in business for. Let’s not kid ourselves. If people can’t make money from their machine, then they’ll go and buy something else.” www.hybridservices.co.uk The Mimaki TS55-1800 has enjoyed “phenomenal success” following its launch earlier this year