Digital FESPA 2008 in Geneva, in a few days? I shall speak about it later…. Logical no?
But on the other hand and following on from my first blog about the communication which was not, at first sight, stirring up a great deal of interest - I wonder really if, at some rare exceptions, our peers want really to communicate, between them, with their customers and with their suppliers!
Too bad for them! Those that understood the importance of the communication have companies which work very well. The others disappear slowly!

And those who are conscious of the importance of this communication, that it is in Europe or in Asia Pacific participated in these two « Summits FESPA », close together in terms of time (the end of February and the middle of March) though very far away in distance (Budapest and Bangkok).. FESPA is really a « global » organization!

The problems and the challenges are also global : challenges faced by the professionals of our technologies especially in visual communication. And it is interesting to note that they are ultimately very similar in Europe – West and East, as in our small France - and in Asia !

And one finds our three current basic problems:
- Our « identification » and how our profession changes – are we still printers ? and which kind are we? Screen printers, digital, multi-process…
- The environment and the ever more critical problems which are facing us in order to preserve it.
- Creativity, Innovation, Quality

Our identity is a subject about which I spoke a lot and on which I wrote a lot too !
Many of you know my position and opinions :
We cannot be anymore  « printers only »!
If we are screenprinters, we should not be afraid of the other techniques, but on the contrary assimilate them and mix them together : offset, screenprinting and digital printing complement, rather than compete with each other.
Our future is to be « service providers », as comprehensively as possible, for our customers.
THAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?

The environment and its protection is now a major problem with a strong impact on our profession, coupled with the necessity of protecting the atmosphere, water and of controlling our waste.
To protect the atmosphere implies essentially a change of techniques : replace solvents ink with UV inks, in screen printing as well as in digital printing.
The case of water it is, especially in screenprinting and particularly in textile screen printing (in the textile industry), the most complex problem (and the most expensive) to solve.
Finally the management of waste, already well under control in certain countries in particular, requires care, attention and a certain discipline, but not a great deal of investment.

REACH, now applicable, is again going to complicate the problem. More and more, in the textile industry certainly, but now also in the graphic industries, our customers require that we « produce GREEN »
THAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?

Creativity, Innovation, Quality.
I put the quality in third position because now, for our customers, it is certainly a « must », but is simply more and more « natural » ! They ask us for ideas, to help them by suggesting the use of innovation and new applications - please , think of « Sensations » and its special effects.
Please , be « creative and innovative » it is exactly what your existing and potential customers expect from you!
THAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?

I look forward to a lively discussion!

Michel Caza