The decision to designate Premier as an exclusive stockist comes after Drytac began working with the supplier in July. Hayden Kelley, CEO of Drytac, explained, ‘We have very much enjoyed working with Premier over the past couple of months and have already felt the benefits of this partnership.

‘In order to streamline our distribution across the UK & Ireland, we have decided to make the stockist arrangement exclusive – making it even easier and quicker for our customers to purchase Drytac products.’

Brad West, Premier’s wide-format media sales director, added, ‘Drytac is trusted by display printers, sign makers and installers alike and we are delighted to be able to now offer this market leading brand to our customers across the UK and Ireland.

‘This is a significant move for us and a great opportunity to further grow our wide format sales. The Drytac range will be stocked throughout our branch network and in-depth at our display graphics centre in Wellingborough.’

Premier will be showcasing various Drytac products on its stand at The Print Show from 19–21 September 2023 at the NEC, Birmingham. The company is also running a promotion for Drytac’s SpotOn monomeric film with dot pattern adhesive material during the last quarter of 2023 in which purchasers of the material may win ‘spot’ prizes.

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They say it’s the thought that counts when it comes to gifts, but it’s never been easier to turn the thought into physical reality when it comes to personalised products that demonstrate at least some degree of individual consideration. Examples range from coasters, mugs, mouse mats and notebooks to T-shirts, cushions, photo blocks, canvas prints, notebooks and of course the ubiquitous photo book.

From the big name consumer-facing e-commerce sites and eBay shops to smaller and more boutique operations selling via virtual outlets like Etsy or Not On The High Street, there are plenty of sources for consumers or businesses, but all of them need a fulfilment operation. While the big players own or run their own, that leaves a lot of space for the smaller businesses who don’t want to be printers but who do need to partner with one.

And then there’s the direct sales opportunity to work with existing clients, who may have come to you for other things but are open to buying more from a printer they know and trust. This is very much the situation at Fordingbridge Print, located near the picturesque New Forest, where relationships are everything.

The company was established a decade ago, as part of a conscious lifestyle decision by managing director Lorraine Whitburn and production director Andrew Wilson. The pair previously ran a major Agfa dealership, also selling Zünd equipment and print, which gave them useful experience on both sides of the industry, but decided to move out of the city in order to enjoy running a business of a ‘nice’ size.

‘The aim was to run a profitable but enjoyable business,’ explains Ms Whitburn.

This background explains the umbrella business Time2Display, under which Fordingbridge Print sits, alongside X-Consumables, a business consumables supply service and Paper Meadows, which provides wedding and celebration products as well of orders as service for funerals.

As events don’t get much more personal than weddings or funerals, it’s here that a lot of bespoke work is done.

Sales director Nicola Anten comments, ‘We do get pigeonholed, having won a lot of business on the bespoke side, on time-sensitive or labour-intensive work,’ but it’s clearly a successful formula, as the company doesn’t sell online and doesn’t even have a web portal for job submission.

‘We’re not Amazon,’ says Ms Whitburn, ‘We want people to pick up the phone.’ She goes on to add that 95% of deliveries are made by their own driver, who is the face of the company for many customers. It seems very much the antithesis of the automated ‘hands off’ approach often championed these days – ‘we proof everything back, and even correct spelling mistakes,’ says Ms Anten, adding that they will train customers on artwork production and advise on materials and options, encouraging customer visits to see and feel the materials, something particularly relevant for the Paper Meadows brand.

‘There’s nothing we can’t print, we have it all under one roof,’ adds Ms Anten, pointing out that customers typically can’t buy all the things they want online from one supplier anyway. Understanding the deadline-sensitive nature of event-related products, Fordingbridge staff will make calls at weekends if necessary, to ensure that everything arrives in the right place at the right time.

The ‘everything under one roof’ philosophy means that there’s quite a mix of equipment at the Hampshire site. For wide-format work, HP Latex printers are used, though Mr Wilson notes that the company waited for the second generation of these, before replacing its solvent machines.

A 1.6m HP Latex 365 has replaced an earlier 330 model. It’s used to print vinyl banners, papers and floor sticker materials and is complemented by a Seal 600 laminator.

Future plans may include a hybrid or flatbed machine to print directly to rigid media and textile printing via direct to-film technology is also under consideration. From the company’s origins in wide-format work, Mr Wilson says the mix between that and commercial is now around 50:50.

On the smaller format side, there’s a Ricoh Pro 7100 sheetfed toner press with the fifth colour option, mostly used to print white which Mr Wilson says works very well on textured materials and is popular in wedding products. He praises the registration of the press, along with the support, both reactive and proactive, from Ricoh. Complementing this is a Vivid Matrix 530 laminator which handles foil-overtoner work, again popular in wedding items, a Morgana Autocreaser and a Plockmatic booklet-maker, plus a Plockmatic collator feeding a Duplo perfect binder, though the latter is used for pad work rather than books.

The most recent addition is a Veloblade Volta 69+ digital cutter from Vivid, equipped with a tangential head, creaser and drag knives for through- or kiss-cuts. ‘We absolutely love it,’ says Mr Wilson, explaining how it’s been put to work on small cartons and tiny swing tags just 38mm square and needing 4mm holes, that were too small to be handled on the Ideal guillotine.

Personalised or branded items that the company can supply include mugs, pens, lanyards, caps, and T-shirts. A Ricoh desktop printer is used to print dye-sublimation or thermal transfer sheets as appropriate, for use in a dedicated mug press or by transfer via a FreeSub heat press, with further cutting as necessary on a Summa unit. A GCC Spirit laser cutter has also been added to produce more intricate paper products and engraving on wood, another product that has become popular in the weddings side of the business.

On the materials side, brands such as GF Smith and Fedrigoni feature prominently and suppliers ‘who see us as important’, such as Premier Paper, are regarded as valued partners, the latter being willing to bring in samples ‘at the drop of a hat’.

A more narrowly focused business is YoPhoto, an online photo products brand trademarked in 2007 by Tunbridge Wells, Kent-based Copytech, which was one of the first in the photobook sector. Managing director Nick Baldwin says that since then ‘a lot have jumped on the bandwagon but they are more marketeers than printers’, typically selling the product but not producing it themselves. While this does put pressure on his business, it also allows it to differentiate itself via its speed of turnaround. ‘If an order comes in before 12 noon, we can dispatch the same day,’ he says.

While the bulk of the work is photo books for consumers or photographers, YoPhoto also offers children’s books that enable the child’s name and pictures to be incorporated and which carry an ‘eco edge’ message. ‘We offer a zero plastic policy and use FSC-certified and recycled papers,’ notes Mr Baldwin. While he says that these features ‘make people feel good’ he’s not certain that they drive more business, though he notes growing demand for sustainably sourced materials on the corporate side.

The photo books and related items are printed on an SRA3 HP Indigo press chosen for its image quality. The photobook business was originally set up to fill spare capacity on the machine, though Mr Baldwin observes that some consumer customers have also become business ones as the Indigo quality is popular for professional portfolio work. The company plans to upgrade the Indigo in the not too distant future, to reduce operational costs, and is considering acquiring a second digital press as business levels return to pre-pandemic norms. This will probably be a dry toner model, for less quality-critical jobs but also able to handle long-sheet work for dust jackets and the like; items too large for the Indigo are currently produced on Canon ProGraf roll-fed printers.

The photobooks are created using Taopix software supplied by Transeo Media, which is integrated with the YoPhoto website by the company’s in-house developers. Mr Baldwin says the Cloud-based software is very flexible and likes how it integrates into the website behind the scenes.

YoPhoto has standardised on two papers for its photobooks, GenYous uncoated, which is favoured by photographers, and Symbol 3 silk, both supplied by Premier Paper. The Indigo press is profiled for both to achieve optimum results. The light magenta and cyan toners were tested but not felt to yield a sufficient quality improvement to warrant their extra cost, but the EPM (three colour) mode didn’t give the desired depth of blacks, so all work is done in standard CMYK.

On the finishing side, the company is geared up for case-bound books in-house and carries out a lot of hand finishing, which has in the past included foil blocking but Mr Baldwin notes that there has been a longer-term trend away from linen or other textured covers with foiling to more ‘printed’ ones.

While expecting to use silver ink on the company’s next Indigo machine, and interested in the possibilities of metallics on dry toner presses like the Xerox Iridesse or Ricoh Pro C7200, he feels that digital foiling alternatives ‘aren’t quite there yet’

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Each year some 4000 students from the Loughborough Student Union volunteer to help the wider community with local campaigns, projects and activities. In March this year they ran a donation drive for Ukrainian refugee camps based in Poland.

The donation drive was headed up by Tomasz Cendrowski, an international student from Poland. The Lewisham Polish Centre, Mr Cendrowski and the Action Student Volunteers collected donations of items such as medical equipment, hygiene products, dry foods, sleeping bags, torches and batteries. More than a ton of donations was collected, booked and palleted by Event Engineering and sent on its way to Lewisham Polish Centre, with Premier providing transport of the pallets from Loughborough to the depot, helping to save on transport costs.

Mr Cendrowski commented, ‘I did it because I did not want to stand by and be inactive when help was urgently needed. I felt that a collection like this would be the best way to mobilise people’s good will for a great cause as well as providing a chance for people to contribute in a meaningful way. The driver from Premier was experienced, helpful and clearly very happy to assist with our cause. We’d like to extend our thanks to him personally for helping on the day and to Premier for making the delivery possible and smooth.’

Premier is also helping to raise money for the people of Ukraine affected by the conflict by hosting a series of coffee and cake mornings across its various branches on Friday 8 April 2022. Money can be donated online via www.justgiving.com/premier-paper, with all funds raised going to the British Red Cross.

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Entitled The Future of the Connected Print Shop, the one-hour webinar is free to join and begins at 11:00 BST on Wednesday 27 April 2022. It will be hosted by Digital Printer editor Michael Walker and will include presentations from sponsor Zaikio’s Partner Success director Karl Ciz and Keith McMurtrie, managing director of MIS developer Tharstern, which will explain how Zaikio Procurement software can link paper suppliers such as Premier, and other consumables suppliers of products ranging from plates and chemistry to inks and laminating films, with the Tharstern MIS to enable live pricing and availability information for estimating and ordering.

These will be followed by a wide-ranging discussion of the broader issues raised in digitalisation of the businesses of print service providers, with outlines of further plans from the presenters and the opportunity for attendees to ask their own questions directly. The webinar will examine trends in software integration and automation as well as provide valuable insight into the way in which software and communications technology will form the basis for the next step in the evolution of connected companies in both digital and analogue print

Registration for the webinar is free and is open now.

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Brad West, display graphics business development director at Premier, commented, ‘We are delighted to join Fespa UK. At Premier we endeavour to be close to our customers and being a member of Fespa UK will help us to share knowledge and collaborate with other members, particularly In key focus areas such as the environment and sustainability, training and education and technology and innovation.

‘Becoming members of Fespa UK will also allow Premier to help identify trends in the industry as well as providing an opportunity to both learn from and hopefully inspire other members,’ he added.

Suzi Wilkinson, director at Fespa UK, said, ‘We’re delighted to be welcoming Premier into our growing Fespa UK family. Brad and his team’s commitment to understanding and supporting the needs of our members and the wider print community in the UK, combined with our deep industry knowledge and network, will form the basis of a strong partnership going forward.’

Founded in 1962, Fespa is a global federation of some 37 national associations for the screen printing, digital printing and textile printing community and provides key tools and initiatives such as exhibitions, events, publications, education and networking opportunities, including the Global Expo event taking place in Amsterdam from 12 – 15 October 2021.

In 2019 Premier became part of Ovol Japan Pulp and Paper, the world’s largest specialist paper distributor. Premier says it has ‘close and strong working relationships with all major global graphical and display media producers and is now the preferred merchant partner for many of the world’s leading producers.’

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Partnering with Premier Paper, which showed UMP DigiFinesse papers optimised for toner printing (including HP Indigo) as well as pre-cut banner sheets in Mondi’s Color Copy range, and Konica Minolta, which demonstrated its Genarate augmented reality software in addition to a running AccurioPress C7100 and an MGI JetVarnish 3D One digital embellishment press, Morgana built an e-commerce-driven packaging workflow that produced personalised sleeves for boxed gin bottles.

The recipient’s details were entered via an e-commerce storefront website running Flex 4 software and from there flowed into an artwork template on the press DFE for checking before being printed. The next stage was flood UV coating with the Morgana DigiCoater Pro 400, followed by digital ‘spot UV’ on the MGI unit, creating tactile raised ‘droplets’ and flat gloss areas on the artwork, picking out image and logo details respectively. Cutting out the sleeve was done on a Valiani Omnia cutting table, manually folded and glued.

Morgana’s marketing manager Wendy Baker told Digital Printer, ‘We’ve had really positive feedback from all of the customers that we welcomed to our Print ‘n’ Finish event, particularly with regard to the web-to-print, coating, embellishment and cutting of the boxes demonstration – it was great to see how the personalised boxes were created and showcased the products from all the partners – Premier Paper, Konica Minolta and Morgana. A really successful event for all of us …and lots of happy customers as they left with their box and free bottle of gin!’

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The news comes during a busy period for Premier, with the Birmingham-based company recently announcing that it will be stocking and distributing Dufaylite’s Ultra Board and that it has become the UK’s first paper supplier to participate in the Zaikio Procurement online platform, allowing its range of papers and other substrates to be viewed and ordered online via one portal.

‘We are delighted to join ISA-UK as commercial partners; the ISA-UK emblem is a recognised and respected mark of quality,’ said Brad West, display graphics business development director at Premier. ‘The ISA-UK membership is another step forward for Premier’s display graphics development into the sign and graphics arena. We are looking forward to engaging with other members, listening to their needs and lending our support’

Premier, which in 2019 became part of Ovol Japan Pulp and Paper, offers a choice of over 5500 products, with some 40,000 tonnes of stock available through its national branch network. As a partner of ISA-UK the firm will have access to a ‘wide range of services’ including technical guidelines, planning advice and representation/lobbying in Europe and the UK.

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Premier’s sales force will bolster the team at Dufaylite and support the development of a national presence and sales for Ultra Board. The agreement also reflects the Premier’s  growth within the sign and display market.

Ashley Moscrop, managing director of Dufaylite, commented, ‘I am delighted to be working with Premier. We are extremely proud of our eco credentials and are fully committed to sustainability which is a common goal and real synergy between both of our businesses.

‘We are already one of the leading sustainable suppliers throughout Europe and this partnership will further strengthen our position in the UK, enabling us to reach even more customers.’

Brad West, display graphics business development director at Premier, said, ‘Ultra Board is a perfect addition to our extensive range of products because of its unique and innovative design and its ability to enable the production of some eye-catching 1D, 2D and 3D point of sale displays. Like many other products that we supply, there are no creative limits when it comes to the use and application of Ultra Board and this development enables us to offer another excellent product with our ‘Premier Service’, next day deliveries throughout the UK.’

Ultra Board is manufactured in the UK and is available in 10 and 16mm thicknesses. It comes in standard brown core and 3D white and can be made and cut to any length, reducing waste. It has a smooth, printable surface and Dufaylite claims an ‘unparalleled’ strength-to-weight ratio for the material, which it says offers ‘endless’ retail, display or exhibition possibilities. The sustainable core with multiple outer facing options is said to make it suitable for a range of projects, from long term installations to one-off displays or pop-ups. It can also be used for window dressings and banners, free-standing panels and signage. 

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The Zaikio platform has established itself in the central European market over the last year, linking to the Metapaper e-commerce site launched earlier in 2021, and enables various MIS and ERP software to connect to paper vendors’ sites to simplify ordering and stock management. Premier is the first major paper suppler for the UK market to join the platform, bringing its entire range online for printers participating in the system.

Printers can use the product without any installation and free of charge to organise substrate selection and supply. Those who use MIS/ERP products that are already linked to Zaikio (a group that includes Heidelberg Prinect, PrintPlus U-Traxx, PrintVis and Keyline MIS) can order from within those environments; other customers can use the Zaikio Procurement software.

‘We are constantly looking to improve our service and to give our customers the opportunity to search for and order their desired material directly and without fuss. We aim to be a supplier that is easy to deal with and Zaikio Procurement simplifies the ordering process and frees up valuable time and resources for our customers,’ commented David Jones, marketing director at Premier.

Karl Ciz, partner success manager at Zaikio, added, ‘Zaikio has global ambitions and Premier’s involvement will be incredibly valuable to the UK automated procurement service. This way we can really help UK printers in their daily challenges. More partners, countries and markets will follow in the coming months.’

Antalis, Sappi and Metapaper are already connected to the platform across Europe and others are expected to join, as are suppliers of ink and plates, according to Zaikio. Antalis also recently implemented an integration that provides similar capabilities with the PrintLogic MIS.

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We’ve reported extensively in recent months about the negative effects of the Covid pandemic on printers, especially those serving the events and retail sectors, many of whom have pivoted to producing PPE or signage and spacing / social distancing products. While some of these products required existing materials – non-slip printable floor graphics being a notable one, for social distancing and one-way signposting in queues and retail stores, for example – and demand at some points last year seemed to outstrip supply, we’ve also seen a sustained development effort by the substrates suppliers to come up with materials that either kill germs directly, or that can withstand frequent cleaning with solutions that do.

John Vic, sales director, digital media at Premier Paper comments, ‘Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic Premier Paper has seen an increase in demand for signage, synthetic and self-adhesive products driven primarily by the growing requirement for more hygienic, high clarity communications to help government, businesses, hospitals, schools and local councils to instruct, inform, and guide the public as well as their staff.

Drytac’s SpotOn SynTac is easily installable and removable and can be printed with a variety of digital ink types

‘One such product is DigiTuff, a durable synthetic media produced in the UK that can be cleaned with bleach and alcohol. This sheet has provided the perfect answer to restaurants and shops, even airlines for printed media such as menus and manuals that can be easily cleaned after use, with no need for unnecessary reprints or lamination.’

Mr Vic also mentions Teslin, another synthetic paper that has been in demand during the pandemic. While not as durable as DigiTuff, it has a biodegradable version which is said to reduce environmental impact, an ongoing concern with plastic-based materials. Another option from Premier is Synaps, a synthetic white opaque film from Agfa, which Mr Vic says has been popular for its durability and resistance to water and tearing. There are versions for both dry and liquid toner presses, and the most recent addition, Synaps XM110, is a 100-micron version intended for ticketing and signage amongst other applications. It’s available in rolls and sheets.

Premier has also just taken on the Folex Digiprint IG range of materials for sheet-fed HP Indigo presses in both SRA3 and B2 sizes. These include clear, gloss white, silver and translucent polyesters, plus clear and white window cling and a dry-apply window tack grade to support growing interest in window graphics. Mr Vic notes the convenience of ordering all media for digital print from one source ‘one delivery, one set of paperwork’.

One manufacturer that’s been busy over recent months is Kernow Coatings which has launched Kernow Print Dry Toner Matt Pro Antimicrobial. This resists bacterial growth and is suggested for applications such as printed materials and signage in hospital and healthcare environments, as well as protection for menus in restaurants and coffee shops, though there isn’t currently much demand for those under current UK lockdown rules. There is also a labelstock version which works with a variety of print technologies.

Looking down, Kernow’s FloorShark Dry Toner has R10 certified slip resistance and is suited to all kinds of indoor environments, including low pile carpet tiles, from which it can be removed without residue. Its outdoor complement is the forthcoming RoadShark K200XFG which has a more aggressive texture and R12 outdoor anti-slip certification, good for three to six months use. It’s printable with solvent or latex inks. On the PPE side, Kernow has also developed KlearVisor 180KVAF for reusable face shields used across a wide range of retail and hospitality settings. It has an anti-fog coated side which can be cleaned in accordance with hospital guidelines.

Drytac also offers an antimicrobial material, Protac AMP, a 150-micron PVC-free surface protection film that uses Microban antibacterial technology to prevent mould and bacterial growth, including MRSA. It too was launched during the pandemic, to help meet the need for increased hygiene in public and healthcare settings.

For safety-related graphics, Drytac launched SpotOn SynTac for floor and wall applications, also PVC-free, and printable with aqueous, (eco) solvent, latex and UV inks. Available in roll widths up to 1370mm, it has a dot pattern polyacrylate adhesive for easy installation that can be removed cleanly within 12 months.

Ashgrove Trading has also noted the demand for signs, notices and documents that can be wiped and cleaned, and offers Picofilm, a dry toner printable pure polyester sheet that according to the company’s Rolf Smith has been proven by testing to be highly resistant to disinfectants, and to pass infection control standards in medical environments. Mr Smith lists applications as customised signs and notices for offices, surgeries, shops and construction sites. It’s available in sizes from A4 to SRA3.

Another product that Ashgrove has seen flying off the shelves is UPM’s Mastertac SRA3 self-adhesive digital range. Available for both dry and Indigo toner presses, it’s tearproof, waterproof and washable when printed, with a removable version for temporary indoor signage and an ‘extra permanent’ version for outdoor use that has split backing paper for easy removal.

Perspex hasn’t developed antimicrobial materials, mainly because demand has soared for its regular range of clear cast acrylics, resulting in a 300% increase in production in 2020, for use as physical screens, while its ‘print’ materials that have been used for partitioning and in the production of hand sanitising stations. Marketing manager Luke Martyn points out that many of the firm’s UK-produced thermoplastics have good chemical resistance that makes them suited to installations where regular cleaning is required.

Other lines from Perspex Distribution that are being used for niche display solutions include Multishield magnetic panels and a fire retardant version of Alupanel aluminium sheets, which along with the company’s other printable media have been given a Signal White finish.

Fire resistance is also a key characteristics of Ignisafe, a satin paper suitable for poster, PoS and signage printing with (eco)solvent, UV and latex inks. The 150gsm paper from French manufacturer Guyenne Papier is designed for indoor advertising environments and meets the M1 fire resistance standard.

Guyenne also offers a synthetic non-woven fabric for the same ink types, Decolov M1. It suits similar applications – plus wall decoration – and has the same fire retardancy certification, with the added benefits of being tear and crease-resistant. It can be sewed, welded or fitted with eyelets and has good acoustic absorption properties.

Another French manufacturer, Arjobex, produces the Polyart synthetic paper, with which it has an established presence in narrow-web label applications, where in combination with suitable adhesive it passes the BS5609 standard for marine labelling. The company’s cut-sheet range for dry and liquid toners is now being expanded with the introduction of a single-sided 180gsm version for inkjet presses with aqueous inks, which has been successfully tested with the Fujifilm JetPress.

Global marketing director Louis Rouhard told Digital Printer that producing an economically viable two-sided version is the current challenge, as the multi-stage coating process needed to make inkjet inks stick to polyethylene pushes costs ‘through the roof’. He’s optimistic that further investment will crack this.

Coala Coversafe has been shown in lab tests to rapidly inactivate SARS-CoV 2

Anti-bodies

There’s been understandable confusion about the exact properties of various materials that are marketed under the ‘antimicrobial’ tag. In the same way that well-known brands of domestic cleaning products claim to kill 99% of ‘germs’ (and thus drive the evolution of potentially more dangerous resistant species such as MRSA), the word ‘microbes’ covers quite a few different things, from parasites and fungi to bacteria – such as E. Coli or legionella – and viruses, such as those that cause the common cold, all varieties of influenza, and of course, Covid-19, or to give it its full scientific name, SARSCoV-2.

Depending what you’re doing and who it’s for, it’s important to be clear on these distinctions. At the time of writing, Digital Printer was aware of only two materials that specifically kill (or ‘inactivate’, as it’s debatable whether viruses are truly alive) the Covid-19 virus.

One was released by InkTec Europe in August 2020 and was confirmed by lab testing of various surfaces in October to inactivate the virus in four hours. It’s a copper-based film that is available in 50cm x 30m rolls and suited for use on frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, touchscreens, counters, public transport vehicles and ticket machines and power switches.

A more recent addition that appeared in late January 2021 comes from Antalis. Coala Coversafe is a transparent antimicrobial adhesive film that uses technology developed by French firm Pylote that reduces the SARS-CoV 2 viral load by 96% after one hour’s contact. Testing in real-world school conditions showed a decrease in ‘total flora’ – that is, any of the types of ‘microbes’ described above, not just viruses or the Covid virus specifically – by a factor of two to four. Coala Coversafe is available in rolls and can be cut to size for non-flat surfaces like door handles.

‘In the context of this ongoing health crisis, we are delighted with the success of the results of these tests which demonstrate the effectiveness of Coala Coversafe against the strains responsible for Covid-19 and other microbes. This innovation allows us to offer our customers, and their clients, a solution that allows them to continue their activities with improved protection,’ said Mike Collins, product manager at Antalis.

This doesn’t mean that antimicrobial products with no specific or tested capability against Covid-19 are not useful. Given the burden on UK hospitals caused by the second wave of the pandemic, no one wants or needs to get ill with anything else either, so anything that raises general standards of hygiene in communal or public areas is still a good idea. Various antimicrobial or antibacterial materials are listed in the main text of this article.

Shaun Holdom, global product manager at Drytac, adds, ‘Perhaps most important when seeking out antimicrobial protection is to be extremely wary of some of the claims currently being made in the marketplace. New disinfectant and additives used within antimicrobial solutions must have ECHA (European Chemicals Agency), EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval to make valid effectiveness claims; all biocides and pesticides have to be registered.’

Mr Holdom points out that scratches or cuts in films that arise in handling, installation or use can harbour bacteria so it’s important that antimicrobial or antibacterial additives are present throughout the film’s material and not just as a layer coated on top of it. He also warns that anti-virus tests are specific to strains of virus and so effectiveness against one variety does not imply effectiveness against others – so read the small print.

If you’re wondering what role there is for good old fashioned paper in all of this, the good news is that tests reported by print advocacy group Two Sides suggest that the Covid virus becomes non-infectious after only three hours on paper and tissue, so clients buying print on regular stocks shouldn’t need to worry. It actually survives longer on plastics, though printing processes on any substrate also reduce its effective lifespan.

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