manroland declares first PRINTplusX workshop a success

manroland has declared the first PRINTplusX workshop, titled "The Secrets of Added Value Printing" a resounding success. The workshop, which was sponsored by PrintCity and PrintWeek, was held in London on the 9th September and attended by over 50 print buyers, design and advertising agencies and printers. It was organised to demonstrate the extensive range of added value applications print now offers and its versatility as a modern integrated communications medium.

Says Gary Doman, Sheetfed Sales Director, manroland GB: "Right from the opening comments made by Jo Francis, Associate Editor of the Haymarket Print Group who chaired the event, through to the interactive workshops at the end of the day, I'm sure anyone who attended the event now knows that printing is so much more than just ink on paper.

"From inline foiling to 3D polymer printing, embossing to "scratch & sniff" or printing on an extraordinarily broad range of substrates – these can all add real value to the end product. In a world where it is incredibly hard to cut through 1000s of messages we receive each day, we need these vibrant, tactile applications to help marketing campaigns stand out above the crowd.

One of the clear themes to emerge from the day was the need for print buyers, creative agencies and printers to, in the words of presenter David Norton, of Anderson Norton Design "get to know each other again and reconnect" 20 years after the revolution of DTP which transformed the design and print industry and removed creatives and designers from the production side of graphic design.

Doman agrees saying there are so many incredible possibilities with print that perhaps many creative agencies simply don’t know about everything print now has to offer. "Both printers and print buyers/agencies need to get back in touch and work together," continues Doman. "The outcome can only lead to much more creative marketing campaigns and happy clients. And it's not all about spending more money on print. In fact, some of the initiatives presented at the workshop could actually save campaigns money by adding value to existing print, making it more attractive in the eyes of its target audience."