It's been well documented just how much the UK print industry is wrestling with overseas competition. On certain jobs, print buyers are looking to Asia and Eastern Europe to save money. However, one Welsh company is bucking the trend and winning work from far-flung places - and its expert management of colour is a key factor in achieving that success.
Zenith Print & Packaging is based in the Welsh valleys of Pontypridd. It is by no means a print behemoth with a turnover of around £3m, a workforce of 46 and just one printing press - a Heidelberg Speedmaster CD102. But it's that press that has driven the company to up its game on colour management and has been the catalyst for Zenith's drive towards ISO 12647/2.

Managing director Ken Bell says that the company "still has to do a few little things to do to achieve it", but adds that Zenith is "well on track" to completing these tasks.

To clinch the accreditation that's likely to be handed the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) seal of approval next spring. By gaining ISO 12647/2, Zenith will be able to demonstrate to its highly demanding set of clients that its colour management is of the highest standard. There is also the added benefits of reduction in waste and the opportunity to win more business.

Complex requirements
Colour quality is critical for Zenith's main source of work in the numismatics sector. The firm has carved out a niche for producing high-quality presentation packs for coins and boasts the Royal Mint as one of its customers.

The packs don't just incorporate accurate colours, but also high-quality finishing. It's a complex market and Zenith's high standards have helped it to attract global clients. Walk through the factory and you'll find work being carried out for customers from Bulgaria and Singapore, through to the millionaires' playground of Monaco.

The company has worked hard over its 26-year history to build up a reputation that enables it to win business from all over the globe. "We are known for our quality," says Bell. "We go to trade fairs all over the world and people come to us for our numismatic packaging - we can claim to be world leaders. We've also won the Queen's Award for export. That's why we need to maintain our high standards."

Those standards are driven through rigorous checks at every stage of the production process - from design all the way through to the post-press department. Orange labels are stuck onto each mock-up to show that the pack has been checked at every stage. "Typically there are around six components in the manufacturing process," explains Bell. "We internally check that everything fits together and ensure that it meets the rigorous quality our clients' demands."

The company has the added advantage of having everything under one roof so each process is carried out in-house. Zenith assists its clients in designing the packs and experiments to see what works and what doesn't. In this market, the firm certainly isn't considered a commodity printer; it gets involved at an early stage and produces plenty of mock-ups to ensure that the coins fit into the packs.

A lot of hard work is done at the finishing stage too. Blister packaging is one of the company's trump cards and is a very important part of the business. Essentially, it's the plastic mould for the coins to sit in and the PVC material used in the process is recycled. The blister packaging is then sandwiched inbetween the printed substrate with Zenith able to create eye-catching finishing involving die-cutting and 3D foiling. Its silk screen line also assists in the post-press process and lays down glue or special effects to make the packaging stand out.

The Speedmaster CD102 has helped the company to kick-on and not just in its efforts to attain ISO 12647/2. It can now print on a wider range of substrates. "We can print on many materials including vinyl and plastic," adds Bell. "We also print on mirror boards and we've come up with many weird and wonderful special effects. "

But it's the colour management benefits of the press that have really impressed Zenith since its installation in March this year. It's a five-colour Heidelberg, plus a coating unit, and is able to achieve UV curing. The colour controls include Axis Control, which is a spectrophotometric measurement and helps the company to hit the accurate colour standard much quicker. As a result, there is less waste involved as the machine hits the colour from the word go. It also ensures that all sheets are within a 3% tolerance level.

"The press has been fantastic," explains Bell. "And having the colour control means that we can keep wastage to a minimum. We did look at various models, but we decided to go with the Heidelberg. Looking at the CD102, it confirmed to us that Heidelberg was the best option for the company. And this really is an all-singing, all-dancing combination press."

Further investments
The press has played a major part in boosting the company's colour capabilities, although there is still some further work to do before it can gain the ISO 12647/2 accreditation. A new Epson proofer is on the way, while the calibration of screens and tweaks to the lighting in the pre-press department are also needed. Zenith has already invested in new CTP kit and the company appears to be bucking a trend in the midst of a recession by spending money on equipment. The investment is necessary, not only to attain the ISO, but also to satisfy some highly demanding customers.

Bell adds that it has received assistance from the BPIF and this has helped guide the company along the ISO road. "We are BPIF members and we thought it would be good to get some specialist support for this. Malcolm McReath (BPIF associate technical consultant) has been working with us and many companies have a consultant in to help them. For anyone thinking of gaining ISO 12647/2, I would say that it requires a lot of time dedication."

That time appears to have been well spent, judging by McReath's most recent assessment of Zenith Print & Packaging: there isn't much more work to be done and the company should have the accreditation very soon.

Once the remaining work is completed, Bell is keen that the company doesn't stop there. Next on the ‘to-do list' is gaining the environmental accreditation ISO 14001.

With colour management helping to reduce waste and recycled PVC used in the manufacture of its blister packs, the company already appears to have made good headway.

Zenith Print & Packaging has found that by taking colour more seriously, there have been plenty of positive knock-on effects for the business. By achieving more accurate colour, it is much more likely to keep those highly demanding clients happy, wherever they may be in the world.

BEST PRACTICE TIPS: COLOUR MANAGEMENT
The very long-awaited release by UKAS of the independent certification process for ISO 12647/2 is now set to arrive by the spring of 2010.

A pilot scheme involving 20 companies and a team of UKAS-accredited auditors is already under way. There is a
great deal of interest from both printers and print buyers in adopting a reliable and measurable colour management standard that is achievable and repeatable as the basis of a colour quality contract.

The BPIF has been closely involved in the preparation of UKAS auditing standards for colour management. For some months, BPIF technical consultants have been delivering a pre-audit 12647 Colour GAP Analysis programme to companies. After an assessment visit, each company receives an individually tailored ‘route map’. The report highlights where a business is positioned in relation to the colour management standard. It sets out what needs to be done to reach a point of readiness that will be necessary to apply for UKAS 12647 certification.

Some print firms have taken the view that they won’t deal with colour management to the standards of 12647 until they absolutely have to - often when forced on them by an important customer stating they will take the work away unless the standards of 12647 are met. It can take several months to make any capital purchases, as well as implementing training and documentary procedures. The customer will not wait that long.

The proactive approach is far better. By taking action early to assess colour management status, the BPIF report will let you know what the situation is for your company; what is necessary for investment, training and procedures to meet 12647 certification standards. These can then be planned and budgeted for, prior to any potential problem with colour quality issues arising.

Those looking to move towards UKAS certification should not think that this would inevitably be an expensive process delivering few benefits. In most instances, the reverse is the case. Introducing measured and targeted procedures brings in savings in running costs, the reduction of waste and less risk of rejected work. Investment in hardware and software on many occasions is small. The appropriate tools are often present already - how they are applied and used is often the issue.

Malcolm McReath is a BPIF associate technical consultant

COMMENT
Last year, the BPIF’s Technical Standards Committee established a group to develop a UK certification scheme for ISO 12647/2. With government accreditation service UKAS, the proposed scheme’s requirements are based on input from firms and colour management experts.

Our objective is simple: to establish a scheme that has UKAS approval, enabling certification bodies to seek accreditation from UKAS to assess companies against the standard. Companies such as Zenith Print and Packaging will then, for the first time, be able to gain a certificate from an organisation that has itself been accredited by UKAS.
UKAS accreditation is respected by our industry’s clients as ensuring consistency and rigour on the part of individual assessors. That’s why the BPIF recommends companies only use certification bodies that have been accredited by UKAS to conduct assessments.    

UKAS has advised us that owing to its existing backlog of work, we should not expect to conclude things before 2010, but that doesn’t mean nothing will happen until then. BPIF is working with firms to ensure they have the right processes in place to meet requirements. 

To get the process started, we need to have assessors in place and an assessment body willing to conduct pilot assessments. A number of certification bodies are expected to apply for UKAS approval to conduct assessments to ISO 12647/2. UKAS will commence its accreditation work in April 2010, which will involve witnessing certification body audits and assessing their systems. This will lead to accreditation for certification bodies, which will then be able to issue fully accredited certificates.

Andrew Brown is the BPIF’s corporate affairs director