Cost Of Ink Makers' Support Must Be Recognised

Ink manufacturers claim they have become the UK print industry's number one consultants.

Ink manufacturers claim they have become the UK print industry's number one consultants.

Liquid gold is how printers should see its ink supply, claimed the British Coatings Federation (BCF) on behalf of its ink manufacturing members.

The organisation believes that the analogy is apt, because of the added value being poured in to every tin and drum of ink.

The BCF cites the work being implemented by all ink producers to continue to give the UK printing industry real added value, in the face of raw material and energy cost escalation.

The support given to printers in their battle to contain costs and win work in a tough market is increasing all the time and has to be reflected in the cost of ink itself, said the BCF.

BCF chief executive Moira McMillan commented: "As well as supplying the ink our 25 ink producing members have become top level consultants to the industry.

We are delighted to work alongside our printing customers but it has to be realised that the cost element of services, which have been free in the past, cannot necessarily remain that way forever.

The areas in which ink makers are closely involved with printing clients include on-site technical service, consignment stock arrangements, in-plant schemes, health and safety advice and environmental legislation advice.

In addition, support is also provided for on-site training in colour management, quality audits and the design of pumping and storage systems.

The BCF explained that as the industry has contracted in recent years and, as printing companies have fought to reduce costs, whole strata of management have disappeared.

Technical services that were originally in-house are now sourced from outside, including ink suppliers, who are filling that void.

Ink makers have been quick to support the BCF view and Mal McNulty, the general manager of the Packaging Division at Coates Lorilleux said: "In addition to providing inks and coatings of the highest and consistent quality, we support our customers' businesses by offering extensive value-added services delivering real bottom line benefits.

Our major strength lies in our ability to introduce innovative and imaginative products for customers that are practical and realistic.

In the tough, economic world that we all find ourselves in, the market will appreciate we can only continue to provide this high level of costly support if prices are at a fair and acceptable level.

And David Ward, the joint managing director of Stehlin Hostag, added: "Over the past 20 years, we have placed major emphasis and investment in raising expectations in relation to service and support, in which we have been very successful.

We see it essential to continue to give printers more than just a tin of ink for the continuing success of the UK printing industry and we develop innovative ideas to support our customers.

Reducing those added services, however, is not an option for us and their true value should not be underestimated.

Whilst not losing sight of the need to maintain product quality, Steve Hannon, the business director for XSYS Print Solutions' sheetfed offset operations in the UK, said: "First and foremost our commitment is to continually evolve the quality of our ink systems and to maintain consistency.

This product leadership approach is achieved by being close to our market.

In addition we practice a philosophy of true applied cost, focused on maximising our customers' up-time on press with customer-specific solutions.

We emphasise that ink and its manufacture deliver a value package and not a commodity.

Flint Schmidts' general manager, Doug Aldred echoed those thoughts and added: "We have absorbed significant costs over the past few years.

It is timely to draw attention to the range of services we provide in support of the printer.

This is now a dynamic business, changing previous perceptions of the industry.

We employ highly qualified chemists and engineers to produce quality products, in state-of-the-art equipment on environmentally-friendly sites.

The traditional ink maker has moved on and now offers innovative products and services to help customers differentiate themselves and win business in a very competitive market-place.

The BCF said that it has campaigned to alert the UK industry to inevitable upward trends in inks prices.

Initially, due to the rise in cost of crude oil and petrochemical derivatives, the problems have been compounded by shortages and supply problems for a number of key chemicals.

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