There were also unsettling seismic shifts on the political front with the UK narrowly opting to exit the European Union in a referendum vote that divided the nation – the decision is likely to have long lasting economic ramifications for UK businesses beyond the immediate damage it caused to the value of sterling. To top things off America did the unthinkable electing a property developer cum TV personality to the most powerful political position on the planet. 

So as the curtain starts to fall on a turbulent 12-month period PrintWeek asked some of the great and the good of the printing industry what – in a parallel fantasy world where money is no object – would be their dream Christmas gift and what more realistic present would they like to find wrapped up under their tree on Christmas morning. 

Jason Gadd

Managing director, Elephant Print & Display

“After some thought I would choose an HP Indigo 12000 as the ultimate gift for our business. We have great enthusiasm for Indigo technology at Elephant and this B2-format press takes digital printing to a new level. Although this larger format is still relatively new I think this press has marked a significant change in the industry as it opens up the potential for so many products: landscape books, gift wrap, packaging, etc. The potential is enormous. We are also currently expanding our factory space by 30%, which would definitely be required! HP continues to provide engineering excellence and service cover that is second to none so this press would be top of my list. A more realistic ambition would be a new website and web to print system. Although I think our current site is very good we would like something that is optimised for handheld devices along with giving the customer the ability to order online quickly and without fuss. The ideal scenario would be a system that generates a job sheet and is integrated straight into the MIS workflow without any other intervention. It will be quite a big job to do properly, but I think ultimately it will be worth the effort.”

Karl Gater

Operations director, Pensord

“It’s difficult for me to answer this question really as we do what we do and we have the right kit and the right people for the job to produce an excellent product and service. I suppose in a dream world for our business a sheetfed press with a folder in line would be nice, but if it was that easy then it would have already been designed and made!”

Miles Linney

Managing director

Linney Group

“It would have to be a bit of software in this big data age. Ideally I’d wish for something that could predict an exact response to my suggestion as to how to market a campaign and what return it would give to my clients. I could pump in different amounts of investment across all the channels to market – social media, print, outdoor advertising, online, etc – and then get an accurate prediction of what sales and gross margin it would generate. I would then offer to produce the campaign for free and charge a 30% success fee on the predicted results. I would be so confident that I would offer to ‘double the cost of failure’ if I got it wrong by 10%. I’ve been trying to perfect this offer myself for the last 14 years! It happened to me once (sort of) 10 years ago and I completely eliminated the competition in the decision of who to pick. Realistically a Terry’s Chocolate Orange and a bottle of Famous Grouse are more on the cards although the quest to realise the dream proposition continues!”

Simon Dipple

Managing director (UK and Ireland), InnerWorkings

“My dream Christmas present would be a time machine in order that I can go back in time to help more clients make better choices with their marketing budgets. What would be a more realistic option/aspiration? Oh come, on it’s Christmas, a time for giving... if I really have to compromise, I’d have to say it would be great to have businesses investing in their future and the printing industry by attracting new talent with good old fashioned apprenticeships though to graduate training programmes like those we’ve introduced at InnerWorkings.”

John Kennedy

Chief operating officer, Moo

“Our dream present would be a team of elves who could help people with the designs to bring the extra sparkle to their work. As a bonus they’d have six arms, so they could work the phones, email and chat all at once. The capabilities of our production team are there, our challenge is to ensure we inspire people to use them to the full. In reality we’ve got a present for Xmas, having just acquired our first HP label press. Already our team of product designers are at work so we are hopeful that we’ll extend our range during the course of 2017.”

Harry Skidmore

Chief executive, Easibind International

“I already have a couple of wish lists of things that I can’t have, which may be controversial. I would like a digital litho B1 six colour UV press to print thick substrate packaging and polymer grades, that I can add to my current list of UV screen, UV litho, UV waterless, UV digital inkjet and UV HP Indigo 5600 presses. Alongside this I would like a Ricoh 9 series six-colour unit, with Ricoh 7 series white inks and clear varnish. These would print on a wide range of substrates, including thicker substrates. Realistically, I will be looking at the HP Indigo 12000 series, with specific features, or a flatbed B2 high speed inkjet press capable of printing up to 1,000 micron. That is my challenge for 2017.”

Paul Banton

Managing director, Ruddocks

“Without question my dream bit of kit would be the ‘customer predictor megatron machine’ (with optional reliable courier system) – it would allow us to foresee the urgent orders, immediately schedule them, order the stock and ensure they were signed off on time for us to meet the required delivery date. So all we would have to do is press the big green button and have the job delivered on time without stress and panic. But the MIS says they are out of stock, so, setting our sights a little lower, I would love new premises. Ours are fine and fit for purpose, but a little tired and not very pretty. I think it would be a great lift for our staff to come to work in a modern, comfortable, customer friendly building. And I’d be really interested in unwrapping something like the Fuji Jet Press 720. Things are changing, demand is more complex, more urgent and for shorter runs. Digital works and does a great job, but there are limitations and something like the Fuji is bridging the gap, offering printers something that competes with litho and digital and enabling us to keep ahead of the customer needs, now and in the future.”

Spencer Slee

Managing director, Print Evolved

“Having invested heavily over the last couple of months in new laser cutting and foiling technologies my fantasy Christmas present would be to have a two-minute advertising slot at the end of the Queen’s speech on Christmas Day promoting our extended capabilities as a great example of British commerce. More realistically, all I want for Christmas is for my trade customers to grasp how using these new quick and low-cost production techniques can deliver real value and differentiation for their clients printed collateral to give me a good excuse to put on a second shift!”

Roger Severn

Founder, Aquatint

“What I would really be after is a digital print salesman who actually understands digital print! Someone who understands that digital print is not cheap alternative to litho and someone who will not tell me they will bring loads of business with them, but have no idea how to create new business.”

Philip Dodd

Managing director, Healeys Print Group

“I was visited earlier this year by some people from Ricoh Japan who asked me what I would like to see in a B2 inkjet press. My answer was a fast machine that could print 5,000-6,000sph. It would also have the capability to print both sides in one pass and have a way of costing that would take digital printing deeper into the realms of litho. Due to the capital cost of the machine, the maintenance cost each month and the ink charge rather than a click charge, if such a machine existed it would make a big difference to a lot of people’s businesses because at the moment if you have a multi-tonne lump of a litho press when you get to a 1,000 run length or even shorter it’s almost as cheap – given the fast makeready times – to just chuck it on the litho press. So a fast B2 inkjet press would definitely be on my wishlist. It wouldn’t make a great deal of difference to my business, but if someone gave me a McLaren 570S or an Aston Martin DB11 it would make a massive difference to my wellbeing. Other than that we’ve got a pretty good range of equipment already so I’m happy, although that probably means Santa will pass me by again.”