This article first appeared in the November 2022 issue of Australian Printer authored by Ball & Doggett graphics division general manager Sam Varughese

The last 12 months have seen severe shortages of consumables, with limited availability and a higher cost for these products. However, Ball & Doggett has successfully been able to navigate through this period and has always carried adequate inventory to meet customer needs while minimising price increases through optimising shipping costs where possible.

The company has been at the forefront of technology trends and continually sources and introduces solutions that meet the current and foreseeable demand for a range of products that adhere to the changing needs and trends of customers.

The use of high-quality consumables products that deliver consistent, repeatable results is the key to any print service provider’s success. This means that there are no surprises for the printer when running a job, ensuring they deliver quality end products consistently.

Using a good quality product also means that there may be a marginally higher upfront cost when compared to cheaper alternatives. But, it will deliver a lower cost-in-user outcome and avoid costly mistakes. 

Ball & Doggett has continued to invest in products and technologies that will help support the print industry as it evolves to meet the ever-changing demands of its customers.

Some of the newer products it has introduced recently include:

• Rapida Eco – a new range of mineral oil free process ink
• Huber & ECS – aqueous coatings for direct and indirect food contact and specialty applications
• Non yellowing overprint varnish – for sheetfed and heatset web application
• Huber water-based inks – for Flexo applications

It also carries the widest and most comprehensive range of inks and other press consumables, representing leading global manufacturers such as Huber, Megami, Actega, TechNova, ECS, KSL, Prisco, PRI, Sunshine Paper, Folex, Varn (Flint), Conti-Phoenix, and Trelleborg-Printec.

The range includes offset inks, varnishes and aqueous coatings; printing blankets for all applications including sheetfed, web heatset /coldset, coating and roll label; waterbased flexo inks; LED and HUV inks; spray powders; press chemistry consumables such as founts, washes, and cleaners; washcloth rolls and lint free wipes; anvil covers and accessories.

It also includes impression and transfer cylinder jackets; Pantone Books and X-rite spectrophotometers; and Sauer printing rollers.

While there are shifts in the print industry – from commercial print to packaging – the opportunities for the business are tremendous. The company will continue to diversify its product offering to cover all segments of print, which will include offset, flexo, packaging, and other verticals.

The company is seeing several trends that are shaping the consumables that it delivers to market. The move towards shorter run lengths means that the industry requires more inks that dry faster, enabling quick turnaround times.

It has also noticed a higher acceptance of LED technology for offset presses, a high demand for inks and consumables that are environmentally friendly and ‘green’, as well as an increasing demand for low migration products suitable for direct and indirect food contact printing.

As a business, Ball & Doggett does not see itself in a declining market. On the contrary, it is gearing up for growth through diversification and backward integration.

It believes that the market has undergone a ‘correction’ in terms of capacity – whether it be in print or supplies. It expects the demand for consumables to become stable over the next few years. With diversification plans in place, it expects business to continue to grow. 

To support that growth, the business will continue to work with its supply partners to constantly innovate and bring to its customers the latest and greatest that technology has to offer.

It will further strengthen its logistics and distribution to ensure that its customers are able to get what they want, when they want it.

Ball & Doggett’s commitment remains to provide its customers with the highest level of technical support through its experienced print technicians that will enable customers to get the best outcome from the use of its products.

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