Product manager Paul Chamberlain, who will head up the certification team, has created press and pre-press pairs for each area of the country who will work together on projects. The pairs are Jonathan Smith and Neil Blakely in the North, Mark Barrett and Mark Harris in the Midlands and Stuart Baker and Neil Hathaway in the South.
“We’ve found that a lot of customers are getting more clued up about ISO 12647-2 and want to know more about it. What we’ve noticed is that there has been an increase throughout the country so we needed specific teams dotted around to facilitate that,” said Chamberlain.
“Having the guys, both press and pre-press, available in the North, the Midlands and the South saves us money because we’re not travelling great distances. They can get to customers quickly.
“All of the guys have done print colour management training courses in Germany. We’ve got a press guy and a pre-press guy in each pair who will look at colour differently so we do a combined training course to ensure that the press guys understand pre-press and vice versa.”
22 UK printers already hold ISO 12647-2 certification, which gives them entry into the Heidelberg Colour Club. Chamberlain expects that number to rise by 50% over the next 12 months. Companies that renew their certification, which happens every two years, become Elite Members.
ISO 12647-2 certification is seen as a key sales tool but Chamberlain is also keen to encourage printers to undertake broader print colour management audits and projects because this ensures that every press operates to optimum predictable standards, not just the one required for certification.
“From a printer’s point of view there are also cost savings to be had with the certification from quicker makeready times and fewer waste sheets,” said Chamberlain.
The firm is set to announce new colour packages to suit various requirements, applications and budgets in the next few weeks.
“We’re doing a lot of events in the next few months and we’ve got a large open house on 12-13 November where we’ll be promoting the colour team, print colour management, print colour contracts and ISO 12647-2 certifications. Along with these events, and also a little bit more of a sales drive, we are hoping to get the word out there,” said Chamberlain.
