There were several examples of new of technology on show at Duplo’s London Calling, from software through to perfect binding, and it turned out that visitors were in the mood to spend.
In the run up to London Calling, Duplo said that inspiration was the key ingredient that customers wanted from the event, but it seems that doing business was high on the last of priorities too. The company says that while visitor numbers were on a par with those who attended in 2013 (just over 300 visitors from nearly 200 companies), more than double the amount of business – totalling over £700,000 – was written at the show compared to 2013.
Things got off to something of a bang on the first day with a raft of sales being sealed, among them a System 5000 bookletmaker to 1st Byte, a Mitamax layflat binder to Lumejet pioneers Altaimage, two iSaddle machines, one each to Doveton Press and Vernon Press, an Esko Kongsberg cutting table for Brilliant Media, and a significant investment in Vpress web to print software by Clicks Digital Solutions.
Sudbury-based Spingold Design & Print added a DC-645i slitter/cutter/creaser the following day, while sales were also made of further iSaddles and bookletmakers, as well as creasing and guillotining equipment over the course of Day Two.
Peter Jolly, Duplo UK managing director, told Digital Printer: ‘London Calling has once again been hugely successful and continues to grow each year. The feedback that we’ve had from those who visited the show has been phenomenal.
‘We launched several new products that were received with a fantastic level of interest, including the iSaddle with A4 landscape capability, which was being demonstrated almost continually. New additions to London Calling, including partners, the print innovations café, and the seminars, also provided additional value to visitors.
‘Our customers help steer our planning for London Calling, and as well as being a show during the day, we held a VIP night on the first evening to celebrate our 30th Anniversary and to thank our customers.’
Among the new products to which Mr Jolly refers are the DC-616Pro all-in-one finisher, the DC-646 slitter/cutter/creaser, and the UltraBind 6000 PUR binder, which has hotmelt side-gluing to ‘lock the book in’ so it can be trimmed and packed more quickly than on conventional PUR devices. There was some partner news too, specifically from Taopix, which unveiled the latest version – version 5 – of its photobook software platform.
Sales director Dianne Moralee explained: ‘Taopix Version 5 represents a completely new generation of photo personalisation software. It includes the brand new Taopix Mobile, our mobile-optimised web app, and an updated version of Taopix Online, our HTML5 based designer. This year we’ve concentrated on designing new interfaces and seamless user journeys. The aim has always been to ensure that the consumer creates what they want, how they want, and can go through the design and order process in as few clicks as possible.’
New and refined features therefore concentrate on encouraging consumers to spend more online on photo products, and include optimised workflows for single prints, wall art, calendars, cards, themed books, quick books and ready books which allow consumers to order from their mobile or their tablet device in just a few clicks.
Live jobs across a range of print applications were put through an integrated workflow at London Calling, all starting with Vpress web to print. UK managing director Tim Cox told Digital Printer at the show: ‘We’ve been part of the event for three years now, and since then we have endeavoured wherever possible to link all parts of the workflow. With web to print obviously being the entry point for many processes, we are creating 1D barcode recognition within the job that when printed on the digital press, say the Balreed engines here, we can have it taken from the back end of the engine and into the finishing side of the show.
‘The products will be picked up, the 1D barcode will be read and automatically set the machine up. Web to finish is the term that we coined to make sure that people did not see these processes as isolated instances, with their own silo of activity.’
London Calling also saw the launch of the 10th PrintIT! programme by Proskills, and it gave a party of students the opportunity to walk around and get up close to functioning printing equipment. Duplo and its trading partners are running a year-long fundraising campaign in support of PrintIT!, and the progress of this can be followed on Twitter via the #PassIT!UK hashtag.
The full list of participating London Calling companies is: Antalis, Balreed, Duplo, Esko, Lumejet, Neopost, Optimus, Renz, Taopix, Vivid Laminating and Vpress.
