Simon Eccles

Best of British: Paper masters
Just over 70 years since ES (Edward Stephen) Hampstead set up KAS Paper Systems in New Malden, this British manufacturer is still going strong.

Star product: Perfect Box Solutions Optimus Prime
Falling somewhere between slow manual boxmaking options and pricey automated systems, this machine may have a familiar face but it is one of a kind – and could have a ‘transformative’ impact.

Star product: Ricoh Pro Z75
This B2-plus duplexing inkjet press is aiming to take over short-run offset work – and give dry toner digital presses a run for their money – by offering higher capacity but lower operating costs.

Me & My: SwissQprint Nyala 4
When GMD Print & Install’s founder Justas Gadliauskas visited SwissQprint’s UK office, he was looking for a used large-format flatbed printer. Instead, with the help of a tailored payment plan...

Best of British: Elephantine ambitions
Metallic Elephant is an Essex- based company that says it’s the only UK based manufacturer of new-design hot foiling and embossing machines.

When CMYK workflow hampers more than helps
Ever since digital workflows started to hit the industry in the early 1990s, the default has been to work in CMYK colours for linework at the design stage, and to convert digital photographs and scans...

Star product: Notpla food cartons and paper
Super-sustainable containers, films and papers manufactured from a “miracle crop” – seaweed – by a British
manufacturer.

Star product: Konica Minolta AccurioPress C84hc
The fifth generation of Konica Minolta’s high-chroma CMYK dry-toner press is a highly cost-effective option for those who offer wide-gamut printing applications.

Best of British: Preserving print's heritage
Letterpress is no longer a mainstream commercial process, but it’s still appreciated for the look and feel of its results, appealing to traditionalists, craftspeople and enthusiasts.

Why you should make room for a baby flatbed
Small flatbed inkjet printers first hit the market 12 years ago. They are compact, affordable and versatile devices that could help virtually any size of commercial printer to diversify, enter new...