Peter Foulkes

[Love Paper @LovePaperUK]

Our new video, The Paper Loop, shows how the paper and print industry is helping build a more sustainable future.

Watch the video and find out more here https://t.co/TXPIwQmhvC

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

How We Created “Mini Mickey” for Crewe Alex’s Kit Reveal | BTS https://t.co/YxX9ST0Gjs via @YouTube

[Perfect Colours @perfectcolours]

This is an unbelievable offer - we're currently knocking up to 40% off the price of a new @EpsonUK SureColor SC-T3700D printer.

Call our sales team on 020 7064 9660 for more information.

#wideformat #printer

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/yZYbgUBpFF via

34 Readers Scribes

Your jokes in print...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/kNB1YmyUrL via @yumpu_com QPP Preferred Supplier Of The Month –
Elmstok Digital Print Finishing, Document Presentation Equipment and Supplies.

With over 40 years of experience, Elmstok are proud to be a main supplier of various types of document presentation, binding, laminating and other print finishing products.
The extensive range of specialised products are suited to a range of industries, including quick print pros, schools, colleges, universities, marketing/design departments and public sector organisations.

Elmstok offer brand new, ex-showroom and previously used machines, which change daily.

Elmstok are proud to be a UK reseller of the Artisjet range of UV print to substrate printing engines. Bringing printing technology to a range of industries including designers, manufacturers, and small businesses.

With Artisjet BEC1GO, you can print braille, emboss, and colour all in one go! From packaging and mobile phone cases to wood, acrylic, glass, leather the range of UV printers deliver professional results with precision and ease.

"See What You See, Touch What You Can't See!"

Customer service available seven days a week.
01945 463434
Out of hours 07876 201288
https://t.co/Uz4jxhQLGC

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/UMqvbBn4Z5 via @yumpu_com

20 Growth Hacks That Work In PRINT

Stuart Mason says…

The print industry is enjoying a resurgence as more business owners return to the tactile magic of print. This is due to digital marketing getting noisier and more expensive.

I have created “20 Growth Hacks That Work In Print. That’s no fluff, no theory, just twenty things small print business owners can do right now to stop leaving money on the table.

My challenge to you, pick THREE, and make a start this week.

Your existing clients already trust you, already buy from you, and already need more than you are currently selling them. Every hack below starts from that fact. I often refer to your existing customers as “The Diamonds on YOUR Doorstep”… because they are.

Mine What You Already Have

1. Pull your last 12 months of invoices and look for the gaps. Every client who bought one product and nothing else is a missed sale. That list already exists in your accounts software.

2. Ring every client you have not heard from in 90 days. Not an email, a phone call. Half of those clients are buying from someone else for something you could be doing.

3. Send a product guide to your top 20 clients this month. Not a price list, a guide showing everything you do. Most long term clients have no idea you offer half your range.

4. Add a 'you might also need' line to every quote. Ordering business cards? Mention letterheads and compliment slips. One line at the bottom of a quote costs nothing and converts often.

5. Ask every satisfied client for a referral and make it easy to give one. Most clients are happy to refer you and never think to do it unprompted. Give them one sentence to forward.

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/U9eJiMCRla via @yumpu_com

"Are you beach ready?"

Kingly T-Shirts And Towels

No price war here: When promoting a brand, cheap is not cheerful. You can’t expect to deliver goodwill to your customers with cheap textiles that shrink, lose colour and have a dubious footprint.

Our duty of care to our customers is for them to impress their own customers and not rub them up the wrong way with rough, poorly sourced promotional textiles.

Consider Compact Textiles for a gift surprise that is tactile and rewarding.

T-shirts and towels are favourite items when it comes to promotional gifts – they’re highly visible and long lasting. And with the ability to press them into any shape Kingly can

double your marketing reach at the flick of switch. You get long lasting publicity and the immediacy of the compact item is remembered and talked about too. And to add even more value, you can combine the compact items with Creative Garment Packaging.

Because they are so long lasting, Compact Textiles are amazingly good value as promotional tools. With Compact Textiles, once you have chosen the shape, the items are compressed and packaged. Front and back inlays carry images of your product and your

promotional message; the item is shrink wrapped and it’s ready for shipping.

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/6cUbjxdwNU via @yumpu_com

Paper View p 22

BagKraft Joins Two Sides To Promote Sustainable Packaging

The print and paper advocacy group, Two Sides, is pleased to announce its newest member, BagKraft, a UK-based supplier of sustainable paper packaging solutions.

BagKraft specialises in the design and supply of high-quality paper bags and foodservice packaging, supporting businesses across retail, hospitality and takeaway sectors. With a strong focus on responsible sourcing and environmentally conscious production, BagKraft provides practical, paper-based alternatives to plastic packaging.

“At BagKraft, we believe paper packaging plays a vital role in helping businesses reduce their environmental impact,” says Jon Marling, Managing Director of BagKraft. “There is increasing demand from both businesses and consumers for packaging solutions that are renewable, recyclable and aligned with circular economy principles. Our products are designed to be functional, durable and, importantly, sourced from responsibly managed forests. Joining Two Sides allows us to support an initiative that promotes the sustainability of paper-based packaging and challenges common misconceptions around its environmental impact. We look forward to helping communicate the positive story of paper packaging and supporting more informed decision-making”

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/PvcxhuN4xk via @yumpu_com

Fedrigoni At Packaging Premiere 2026

Fedrigoni Special Papers and Self-Adhesives present a broad portfolio of solutions that combines innovation, material research and iconic collections.

For Fedrigoni Special Papers, the spotlight will be on the Felt-Marked Papers collection: papers distinguished by elegant tactile textures and sophisticated surface patterns that add depth, character and sensory appeal to packaging and publishing projects alike. The range spans white and ivory shades, coloured variants and recycled fibre options, with grammages from 95 to 390 g/m², all FSC® certified.

Selected ranges are also available in a Stucco version, featuring a special surface treatment designed to enhance print sharpness and colour brilliance while preserving the delicate visible texture of the paper surface. The collection includes iconic papers such as Acquerello, Tintoretto, Old Mill - including Old Mill Eco 40, made with 40% recycled fibre - and Cottage, produced with 25% cotton linters. The assortment also features pulp coloured papers including Nettuno, Tintoretto Ceylon and Freelife Merida, which contains 40% recycled fibres, 5% cotton linters.

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/nnGHtSkOJX via @yumpu_com

Plockmatic ColorCut FB9500 Pro T enhances Cutting Capabilities For Diametric

Diametric Ltd, one of the UK’s most respected manufacturers of badges, labels, and nameplates, has launched full commercial production with a Plockmatic Group ColorCut FB9500 Pro T digital die cutter/creaser.

The investment in the advanced digital technology at its Newport, Isle of Wight production plant marks another major addition to Diametric’s cutting division, strengthening its production capability and expanding its ability to manage a broader range of materials and finishes with greater speed and consistency. The ColorCut FB9500 Pro T combines high speed performance with a compact footprint and full automation - making it a perfect fit for Diametric’s state of the art production site.
“Our customers look to us for quality, responsiveness, and technical precision across some of the most demanding materials,” said MD Joe Newnham. “The ColorCut FB9500 Pro T from Plockmatic Group brings a new level of capability to our operation - fast, fully automated, incredibly versatile and with a small footprint. It gives us even greater confidence to deliver consistent accuracy across every substrate we handle.

Agreeing on the ColorCut FB9500 Pro T was a virtual no brainer with the range of substrates that can be used and many advanced features. This is a new productivity touchpoint, with a drastic increase in automation and productivity.”

Plockmatic’s ColorCut FB9500 Pro T has been engineered to deliver high volume, unattended cutting and creasing performance. Its auto feeder holds up to 1,000 sheets, supported by a refined vacuum and air blade system that ensures faultless sheet separation and feeding - even for laminated or static prone materials.

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/cppD0JGa1n via @yumpu_com Showtime pp 18/19

FESPA On The Fly

The QPP roving reporters team are flat out at FESPA as we go to print with this June edition. Images yet to be packed with accompanying print will be live on the web as usual.

Photos land faster than text and of course are always worth a thousand words. Happy to share our early reports from Barcelona with more to follow across our multimedia channels.

Artwork from the six faced FESPA aisles is merged here to show the vast array of profit in print opportunities.

Watch this space for more FESPA show revelations…

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/kbmJWYGRs8 via @yumpu_com

PIP People In Print p16

Leeds Businesswoman Named ‘Leader of the Year’

A Leeds businesswoman has been crowned both ‘Leader of the Year’ and ‘Manufacturing Leader of the Year’ at the Yorkshire Leadership Awards 2026, recognising her outstanding contribution to the region’s manufacturing sector.

Samantha Overton, Managing Director at family run print solutions provider Zebra Print Group, picked up the prestigious double win at a recent ceremony after impressing judges and beating tough competition from some of Yorkshire’s most prominent manufacturing and business leaders.

Under Samantha’s leadership, the Leeds based print specialist has gone from strength to strength, championing British manufacturing while delivering sustained growth and investment in people, technology and customer service. As a second generation leader of the family run business - her dad, David Storr, set up the business in 2006 - Samantha has built on the company’s heritage while steering it confidently into its next phase of development.

Speaking about her award wins, Samantha said: “I am incredibly proud to have been named both Leader of the Year and Manufacturing Leader of the Year. It’s a real honour to be recognised alongside so many inspiring leaders across Yorkshire.

“These awards are a testament to the hard work, creativity and dedication of the entire Zebra Print Group team.

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/NQYFxHjTfI via @yumpu_com

No Real Short Cuts
Martin Christie –Digital Imaging Lead Colourfast

Once upon a time when I was at school - admittedly back in the last century - we were given lessons in woodwork and metalwork as part of the standard curriculum. It was a time when, as a nation, we were still expecting to make real things so a grounding in some hands on skills seemed logical, in fact rather more so than a teaching of Latin was to an introduction to modern European languages.

While the knowledge of how to make a perfect dovetail joint may not have transferred directly into the twenty first century, one piece of wisdom has travelled with me apart from the painfully learnt sense to keep fingers away from a sharp chisel. It was the aphorism measure twice, cut once. Though the practical example may not be so widely relevant, the lesson is still applicable - be careful before you commit to something that can’t be undone.

In some ways it’s even more appropriate in a world of instant decisions when your finger hovers between save and delete and you face the dilemma of a message that reads do you want to keep changes?. You really want to ask the computer to tell you some options but it doesn’t give you that choice. If you have a decision that cannot be undone, it’s important to double check.

In terms of digital imaging, if you are the creator, then it is not so much of an issue as you have the option of saving a copy of the original, or a version that retains editing capabilities. With files supplied by customers however, that is quite rare and for a number of reasons.

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/KYbGppnSto via @yumpu_com

Elgin Int. Eliminates Bottlenecks With VeloBlade Nexus 2516

Surrey based Elgin International has said its recent investment in a new VeloBlade Nexus 2516 has helped eliminate bottlenecks within its production line and also opened up opportunities for expansion into additional markets.

Elgin designs, builds, installs and manages exhibition stands and live events in regions around the world, working directly with clients from the design phase through to implementation, as well as building stands on behalf of agencies. As part of this, the company has its own in-house graphics production facility to support its own offering as well as other stand builders with their graphics requirements.

As the volume of its work increased, Elgin identified shortfalls in its ability to produce the graphics it needed and went in search of a machine that could increase production capacity while maintaining the fast turnaround times.

“We found traditional graphics facilities could not support the quick turnaround that exhibition and event graphics requires, so started exploring machines to pick up the shortfalls that we found with our current setup,” said Joshua Bingham, Project Manager at Elgin.

A wide format digital die cutter with a bed size of 2,500mm x 1,600mm, combined with a CNC router, the VeloBlade system enables users to work with stocks up to 25mm in thickness, including Dibond, MDF and acrylic. Customers also benefit from an automatic tool changer and cut depth setting, both of which increase setup and operating speed.

“When we purchased the VeloBlade, the idea wasn’t to change the work we were doing, but to speed it up and reduce the manual handling and trimming that we were doing up until that point,” Josh said. “The VeloBlade has done precisely that. With all trimming now done on the VeloBlade, it leaves us more time to work on other things.

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/hhdO4Y5el0 via @yumpu_com
Kyocera Sets New Benchmark In Light Production

Seven high-speed colour and monochrome devices bring non‑stop performance, production‑grade scanning and consistent output quality to high‑volume offices, CRDs and light production teams..

Performance, Built For Real‑World Workloads

The new Series comprises three colour and four monochrome A3 MFPs, delivering output speeds from 75 to 105 pages per minute, supporting paper sizes up to SRA3, a wide range of media types from 52 to 300gsm, and compact finishing options including booklet maker, z-fold, inserter and mailbox.

75 ppm models suit high‑end office environments requiring fast, versatile print and scan capability:

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/UwPDBxupRq via @yumpu_com

New Mutoh STS XPD-924D DTF Printer

Mutoh Europe has announced the addition of the STS XPD-924D 24” Direct-to-Film (DTF) Printer to its portfolio, a high performance solution engineered to address the growing demand for reliable, high quality textile customisation.
Designed for high throughput production environments, the XPD-924D combines speed, precision, and consistency to deliver high and repeatable transfer quality across a wide range of applications. Equipped with staggered dual AccuFine HD printheads, the printer ensures smooth gradations, fine details, and enhanced productivity, making it ideal for businesses looking to scale their DTF operations.
A key feature of the XPD-924D is its built-in white ink circulation system, which operates automatically at defined intervals to maintain stable ink flow. This feature helps reduce maintenance requirements while supporting consistent output quality.
The printer comes bundled with Digital Factory RIP 12 software, providing a balanced combination of productivity and image quality. With pre-installed, high quality colour profiles tailored to Mutoh inks and films, users can achieve a fast and reliable start of production with minimal setup time.

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/nqXCnA1nVG via @yumpu_com Langstane Press Wins £1,000 Charity Prize After Plockmatic Group UK Customer Satisfaction Survey

Plockmatic Group UK has named Langstane Press as the winner of a £1,000 charity prize draw offered to encourage more responses to its recent Customer Satisfaction Survey.
Langstane Press donated the full amount to Barnardo’s – Linksfield Residential Service, supporting the organisation’s work with young people in Aberdeen. The charity’s Rebecca Christie is pictured accepting the contribution alongside Steve Ross (left) from Langstane Press and Andy Livingstone, Area Sales Manager, Plockmatic Group UK Ltd.

“Customer feedback is essential to how we operate,” said Ed Hudson, UK General Manager, Plockmatic Group. “It tells us where we’re performing well, but just as importantly, it highlights where we’re not doing so well. That honesty helps us improve. We will be reviewing the survey results carefully and acting on them to ensure we continue delivering the level of quality, service, and support our customers expect from Plockmatic.”

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/nqXCnA1nVG via @yumpu_com Konica Minolta Partners With Color-Logic To Unlock Premium Print Effects

Konica Minolta has announced a new partnership with Color-Logic, bringing powerful new design and embellishment capabilities to customers using its AccurioPress C14010s, C12010s, C10500s cut‑sheet devices with white toner. The collaboration enables print providers to create high‑impact, premium applications in a single pass - without the need for post‑finishing or specialist embellishment equipment.

The partnership centres on Color-Logic’s design‑stage colour and effects system, which transforms the use of white toner on metallic substrates into a predictable, repeatable, and commercially valuable workflow. Konica Minolta’s customers can produce striking metallic effects for premium covers, that are perfect for direct mail, greeting cards, short‑run packaging and more - while maintaining full control over colour accuracy and designer intent.

Color-Logic’s technology offers 924 metallic colours, including 50 shades of gold, all generated through a simple, design‑led process. Effects can be visualised before production, reducing waste, speeding up turnaround times, and giving customers confidence in the result.

Malcolm Smith, Category Manager – Professional Print at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd, said: “Our customers are always looking for ways to differentiate their print and add value without adding complexity. By combining white toner with Color-Logic’s design‑stage tools, they can now produce premium metallic effects in a single pass with no post‑finishing, no guesswork, and no barriers to creativity. It’s a fast, economical way for print rooms to offer high‑impact applications that command attention and deliver stronger commercial outcomes by taking white toner up to the next level.”

More...

[Peter Foulkes @BestPrintBlogs]

QPP June 2026 https://t.co/qrz3kn5q8A via @yumpu_com Between The Sheets

4 News In Print
Hot news in print for quick print pros

8 New Products
What’s new to print and finish with?

14 Martin Christie
Digital Imaging Lead – Colourfast

16 PIP People In Print
Top print peeps on the move

18 FESPA On The Fly
QPP roving reporters LIVE

20 Diametric Upgrade
Plockmatic ColorCut Case Study

22 Paper View
Fedrigoni At Packaging Premiere 2026

24 Showtime
Register For The Print Show And The Sign Show

26 Green Issues
BagKraft Joins Two Sides

28 NPC New Profit Centre
Hey Presco, What A Time Saver!

30 Business Guidance
20 Growth Hacks That Work In Print

32 Finda Product / Supplier
QPP preferred suppliers in print

34 Readers Scribes
Your jokes in print.

Always happy to be pointed in the right direction…

[email protected]

Further reading and research in print.

https://t.co/nZBBsmR4BF

[Perfect Colours @perfectcolours]

The clock's ticking down, but there's still time!

Order a new @HPUK DesignJet T1700 Postscript printer by the end of May and you could trade in your old printer for up to £400.

Call us now on 020 7064 9660 to get your order in.

#wideformat #printer