Established in 2006, Print 2 Media has expanded its offering into other areas, picking up a range of new customers in the process, particularly in the education sector, helped by the launch of its school-focused division, The School Sign Shop. Offering everything from school playground signage to wall murals, The School Sign Shop now works with education settings across Cornwall and the UK.

Most recently, Mousehole School, Penzance, was the recipient of graphics including three large maps; one of the area local to the school that highlighted nearby landmarks, another a UK map showing sites of interest and importance, and the third a world map with postcard pictures of famous sights. A fourth graphic was a timeline detailing major historic events.

For this project, Print 2 Media selected Drytac Polar Grip, a white polymeric self-adhesive vinyl, used in schools before, which offers adhesion to any surface including metal, plastic, wood, glass, and brick. Print 2 Media purchased the film and accompanying laminate from Premier Paper Group, the exclusive Drytac distributor in the UK and Ireland.

Print 2 Media printed all graphics in house using its Canon Océ Colorado 1640 and SwissQPrint Nyala 4, while its specialist team installed the pieces on site at the school.

‘School customers are always the best,’ Print 2 Media founder Glenn Wrigley said. ‘The teachers are so enthusiastic and happy to have such a useful teaching aid and the children certainly let us know their thoughts. They are always so positive and take real pride in their new wall murals. We have been working with Drytac materials for over five years now and are always pleased with the end result.’

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Young People In Print (YPIP) aims to ‘cultivate a passion’ for entering the industry by connecting schools and universities with local print facilities and organising ‘engaging events’ that promote print as an attractive career.

One of the group, Elizabeth Bowerman, head of UK sales at Stephen Austin & Sons, commented, ‘We are reaching out to schools and universities to enable students to see for themselves how amazing the print and packaging industries really are.’

Joining Ms Bowerman are Paul Stead of ASL group, Joanna Stephenson of PHD Marketing, Kelvin Bell of VPress, Lucy Swanston of the SMP and Nutshell Creative and Delroy Simmons of Dayfold.

According to 2023 BPIF data, the UK print sector has an annual turnover of £13.7 billion and employs around 98,000 people in 7,200 companies, meaning it remains an important economic contributor in all UK regions. It is also an advanced manufacturing sector, utilising innovation, and production technologies, connecting organisations around the world. Despite this, attracting young people to work in the industry continues to be a challenge.

Ms Bowerman pointed to an aging skilled workforce and the lack of formal print-based education available today as being major concerns for the print industry in the UK. She said, ‘The number of tradespeople working in print is plummeting – by 73% between 2006 and 2021 according to the latest data.

‘Workers are approaching retirement and there is a risk their skills will be lost, which could have serious consequences for our industry if not mitigated.

‘Sadly, our industry has an old-fashioned image, and there is very limited print or packaging education available today, apart from print apprenticeships, but even then, not all printers are using their levy to fund employees.’

Other factors cited by Ms Bowerman as discouraging young people from joining the sector are the often negative environmental perceptions about the print industry and competition from better-publicised industries like aviation, engineering, automotive and biotech.

To combat the lack of youth joining the industry and to try and change its perception, Ms Bowerman concluded, ‘YPIP has been established to promote the industry as a far more dynamic, high-tech, innovative, connected, and exciting place to work, with clear career progression routes and opportunities.’

The group said it will hold its first event connecting students and print facilities in March 2024.

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The event enables people aged 18 to 30 in the print sector to invest in their future career ambitions by providing funding of up to £1500 for training that develops the skills and knowledge that will grow their personal skillset, beyond the training they are already undertaking in their role.

Previous winners have used award funding to develop a wide range of skills including management training, negotiation, copywriting, pitching, and project management; as well as to fund professional qualifications and Chartered Institute training.

The Printing Charity’s CEO, Neil Lovell, said, ‘Helping young people grow and develop through access to training which will benefit them, their employers and, of course, the print industry as a whole is something The Printing Charity is absolutely committed to.

‘Through speaking to employers in the industry we know that building a portfolio of personal skills such as problem solving, resilience, confidence and effective communication is crucial to help young people develop their career ambitions, stand out, grow and thrive. The Rising Star Awards offer a great way for businesses to underpin their commitment to developing and nurturing the young talent in their organisation by supporting them in their application to develop these skills.

‘I’d encourage anyone thinking of applying to speak to their manager, mentor or HR teams to discuss their career ambitions, and what they could apply for to help achieve these. I’d also encourage anyone working in print who knows potential Rising Stars, in their own organisation or within their wider network, to ensure they are aware of what the Awards scheme can offer.’

Applications close Sunday 2 April, 2023.

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Supported by engineering organisation, the Smallpeice Trust, over 50 local Year 10 students attended, with the day held on 18th January deemed a great success.

The event gave an opportunity for students to engage with Xaar with practical tasks reinforcing the benefits of STEM subjects and their importance for future career opportunities. Xaar’s six-strong team, who were involved in organising the event, were on hand to help pupils fully explore and understand the wealth of future opportunities available within its industry.

After an initial presentation about Xaar and its research and manufacturing processes based in Huntingdon and Cambridge, students were set several challenges. An introductory task of building the tallest tower (capable of supporting a weight of 100g) out of only A4 paper, engaged them from the start. The students then had to design, build and market some audio speakers and as they were able to take these home at the end of the event.

New soldering, design, manufacturing, electronics and marketing skills were developed during the day, along with understanding the importance of team building. Finally, congratulations were passed to the team who created a butterfly themed speaker as they were presented with their winners’ medals.

Amira-Ashley Moore, a student at St Peter’s School said; ‘The team helped us with our tasks and encouraged us with advice on how we could improve our speakers. Having Xaar here today really showed us what they do and what we could maybe become in the future.’

Helen Clifton, learning and development manager at Xaar said, ‘We are delighted to collaborate with the secondary school and to be part of such a successful day for local students, which delivers on the Community pillar of our Sustainability Roadmap.

‘Highlighting the role of STEM related careers and the many exciting opportunities in our industry is key to our future and we hope that this event will have helped us to do this.’

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The graduation and awards ceremony was held in St. Brides Hall in London, and was an opportunity for learners who had completed their courses and made outstanding progress to come together with guests to celebrate all their hard work.

The day included a welcome and congratulatory speech by Ian Wilton, President of the BPIF and address by Karly Lattimore, managing director of BPIF Training, expressing pride in the two years’ cohorts and what had been achieved in such unprecedented times.

Presentations were made for the Victor Watson and Kathy Woodward awards, which are BPIF-recognised awards providing winners with an opportunity to progress their continuing professional development. The Kathy Woodward Award for Learning, sponsored by Webmart, gave the winner £1000 towards courses of their choice, while the Victor Watson Trophy, sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards, provided the winner with a chance to apply for £1500 through The Printing Charity.

Ms Lattimore added in her closing speech, ‘Apprenticeships are one of the most established ways of bringing new talent into the workforce – and one of the ways that our industry can remain competitively skilled in the future. We are extremely proud of all of our apprentices, and we look forward to you being the future leaders in our industry.’.

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Developed by Nutshell Creative in conjunction with the University of Bedfordshire, whose research was supported by Whitmar Publications, the publisher of Digital Printer, Digital Labels & Packaging and FlexoTech magazines, the programme is currently being piloted by Huddersfield Town Football Clubinitiative. It aims to provide every primary school-aged child in the UK with the opportunity to create and receive a printed copy of a book unique to them.

‘Below-functional literacy is estimated to affect nine million adults in the UK, resulting in a greater chance of unemployment and represents a cost the UK economy of some £36 billion in lost revenue, while some 380,000 UK children are thought not to own a book,’ explained Nutshell managing director Lucy Swanston.

‘The World Literacy Foundation Annual Report 19/20 identified a need for quality educational resources to inspire children to write, so Topic Heroes has been developed to capture children’s imagination and get them excited about topic-based learning. It will also build confidence, enjoyment and ownership of learning, while developing ICT (information and communications technology) skills,’ she added.

The programme, which has already been trialled in 25 UK primary schools, involves pupils creating their own books on-screen, based on one of a wide range of school subject-related topics, with guidance from teachers, and receiving professionally printed and bound copies of their books when completed. It has been supported by the Premier League’s Primary Stars outreach project and by Huddersfield Town FC and has received positive feedback from children, teachers and parents. Research was presented at the World Literacy Summit 2020

The programme has secured initial funding and is now actively seeking sponsors at a range of levels, from topic and category sponsors to headline sponsors. ‘Topic Heroes is an ideal CSR programme to get involved with; it’s an ‘out of the box’ initiative that is already proven to make a positive impact on young children,’ said Ms Swanston.

‘We want the print industry to get behind this and help create a societal change, blending digital with physical so that putting printed pages in the hands of young children will become normal to them, like engaging grassroots fans to become future fans of football. As an industry if we can normalise this we create a sustainable platform for future generations to embrace print. We will also be creating new printed pages,’ she added.

Prospective partners can find out more at www.topicheroes.co.uk.

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The Yeovil-based company has a stated aim of ‘Giving Hope Through Education’, where it commits to changing the lives of as many disadvantaged children as they can through providing them with learning materials.

Last October the company announced it had designed and donated over 3000 free letter writing kits to London’s children as part of an effort to improve literacy rates in the capital.

‘I am so pleased that Blake have been able to be involved in another distribution of school bags, this time in Nepal,’ said creative director Tim Browning. ‘We know from past experience that this will have a profound effect on the education and hopes of these young people. We are glad one again our ‘Giving Hope Through Education’ program is really making a difference.’

The bags arrived in November 2019 at the school, which has 127 pupils and is found in the Paanch Pokhari region.  

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Epson has given two awards to BA Textile Design students at Birmingham City University. Charlotte Greenwood secured the Epson Award for a Final Year Student and first year student Zoha Javed has been named the Birmingham City University Winner in this year’s Epson Challenge.

Heather Kendle, market development manager at Epson Europe, said, ‘When assessing the final year degree show for Epson, we are looking at how students are incorporating print into their thinking, but also want to see a breadth of thinking and original interpretation. Charlotte’s work incorporates elements of origami and is very precise in its execution, which complements the quality of Epson print. Her laser cutting, pleating and alignment of print with these techniques created some unusual pieces and demonstrated a good eye for detail.’

Ms Greenwood commented, ‘It feels amazing to be recognised for my individual surface pattern and creativity. It is great to know that a prestigious company like Epson have considered my designs worthy of an award.’

Visitors to Fespa 2018 may have seen some of the design work produced by BCU student Zoha Javed on show in the “aspirational apartment” including kitchen units, splashbacks, plates and cutlery in the kitchen area (picture attached). The annual Epson project was initially introduced as an extra-curricular competition but was so successful that it has been incorporated into the university’s first year module.

Kelly-Marie Sifleet, senior technical demonstrator, said, ‘We use Epson SureColor SC-F dye sublimation and DTG printers in the textiles department and students are encouraged to use digital print effectively. The Epson project enables them to learn a great deal about colour and register and to discover how easy the equipment is to use and how it opens up creative opportunities.’

‘What I enjoyed most with this project was that it gave me a chance to play around with colours, introduce my own colours to complement the palette given by Epson and also to work with all different types of fabric and different printing processes,’ stated Zoha Javed. ‘I’m glad I got a chance to have fun and work in the printing studios. To be selected as the winner was something I really did not expect at all; it was shocking in a good way and it has boosted my confidence in myself and in the work that I produce.’

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Fashion designer Frances Murphy has collaborated with CREATE Education and Ultimaker to produce 3D printed textiles.

Ms Murphy has over 15 years’ experience in the luxury fashion and textiles industry and has always tried to explore what sits at the forefront of technology in a bid to keep up with the demanding fashion market. 

Studying for a Masters at the Royal College of Art, Ms Murphy’s work looks at traditional textile structures such as knit, weave and print, using 3D print technology and materials, while still preserving the original aesthetics traditional textiles lend themselves to.

She approached collaboration platform CREATE Education and technology partner Ultimaker who were willing to sponsor the research and provide the designer with her own dedicated 3D printer.

Within the wider context of 3D printing, Ms Murphy is examining the use of bioplastic and cellulose based materials and how these can be used to develop 3D printed textiles. Collaborating with developers of recycled materials such as nylon, TPU and PLA for 3D printers, she wants to get consumers thinking about what they’re purchasing, and how much goes into the making process. 

As an ambassador for the CREATE Education project, Ms Murphy is able to connect with the online desktop 3D printing community, providing a platform for her to educate consumers and analyse engagement, granting her the opportunity to develop a 3D process that can be shared in a commercial market.

With 3D printers becoming ever more accessible, Ms Murphy is also exploring opportunities to engage with students and communities.

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A series of five full-day educational seminars for packaging professionals are being held by Esko in five cities across Europe over the next several weeks.

Dates and locations include:

–        Stuttgart on Tuesday, 11 September

–        Düsseldorf on Thursday, 13 September  

–        Malmö on Wednesday, 2 October

–        Paris on Thursday, 11 October

–        Manchester on Tuesday, 30 October

The seminars are planned to help packaging and sign and display professionals “Dream Big”, automate, digitise and connect their businesses. The programmes will consist of plenary sessions with expert and thought-leadership content as well as break-out sessions dedicated to specific segments across labels, flexible packaging, corrugated carton, folding carton and sign and display production.

‘We are excited to be presenting these important educational sessions,’ said Eddy Fadel, vice president sales EMEA. ‘Content will be presented by our industry experts and selected partners. We’ll also provide attendees with the latest updates on the Esko Cloud Project, our recent acquisition of Blue Software, and other areas of interest. Throughout the day, there will be plenty of time for questions and answers, networking with peers, and more.’

Most break-out sessions will include a customer case study, illustrating how Esko helps its customers to solve particular business challenges and providing attendees with actionable ideas they can implement once they return home.

‘During these sessions, we will zoom in on the importance of implementing agile solutions that meet the digital transformation that our industry is undergoing,’ concluded Mr Fadel. ‘The goal is to make this a fun, highly interactive and value-added event.’

The event will wrap up with a Town Hall Q&A, followed by networking cocktails.

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