Print Business Discussion Panel on "Building a Sustainable Business"

Back in November one of our directors Seymour was asked to be a guest speaker at a Print Business Magazine  Event. This was a panel discussion led by Print Business Magazine Editor Gareth Ward and included several other industry experts. The title of the discussion was "Building a sustainable Business" and it proved very interesting and insightful.

Seymour reflected on the panel discussion, "My approach to questions at the forum were to get across the point that all our team are involved in the process and that we completely understand how we make something sustainable and not just tick all the boxes."

He continued "Many people think that just because they have signed up to the idea, that’s all they need to do, whereas in reality you really have to buy into the process and work on it each week."

"From the work with schools to educate year 9 and 10 kids, there is a real sense of how a business can plan to make print the lowest carbon footprint possible. It is taught that this is achieved through good habits and generates a better feeling about how we buy and sell products."

The following bullet points outline some of what we're doing in this area as a company:

• We are currently developing our strategy for our environmental management systems, with an objective of achieving ISO 14001 by the end of 2014.

• We already work closely with Workplace law, looking at our objectives for the next 12 months and our roadmap to reach them.

• Including looking at our main procurement streams, as well as product life cycles and our relationships with suppliers. It’s important that we all have the same outlook and ethic. It’s especially important for us to understand what we are using, how it can be broken down and recycled to minimise the waste going to landfill.

• We are looking at the influences Ltd Ltd have on the environmental performances of it’s suppliers and customers. We are starting to think about the relationship we have with our suppliers as a more collaborative venture when it comes to products which reduce fuel/material consumption 

• Staff welfare is very important to us, a  full training programme has been developed for all staff. Including courses to attend, in-housetraining and department presentations talking about the products that we use and the issues each area encounters. Staff are encouraged to put forward their ideas as part of our ongoing business standards improvement and teams are invited to suggest new methods of production, reducing waste consumption and helping to develop innovative business procedures. This has proved very successful so far and small but relevant changes are taking place, meaning more to the individual people that it effects.

• Our Directors understand that the staff are the company’s biggest asset and truly help to sustain a healthy thriving business. So there is a lot of investment in bonuses, performances reviews, social events.

• Implementing our sustainable program worked well with simple goals to engage staff and help them to buy in. Each Department sets their objectives, making them more relevant and easier to measure. There is a more deliberate approach with a clear goal to work towards and a worthwhile result at the end of it.

• We also took part in the 'Print IT Twinning Scheme' - We have been in the scheme since 2012 and initially twinned with Newstead Wood girls school in Kent. In our first year we won the award for Best Twinner. After the first successful year we have now twinned with two more schools. Norlington School for Boys in Leyton and Haverstock School in Camden.
  We believe this has not only helped us build bonds with the local community, but contributed to the development of young people.

• In addition to these schemes we have also worked with YMCA, Enfield Truth a Basketball after school club, Sound School an Independent music charity. Plus we've donated images to local schools and hospices, and we're especially proud of our installation at the Great Ormond Street Hospital. 

• We have off-set our carbon footprint via MyClimate and have certification to show that we have assessed our carbon emissions and offset our carbon dioxide emissions as well as planting trees in the UK and around the world. 

• We also seek to find companies using greener processes in manufacturing, preferring if they're located in the UK or at least in Europe.
  
• As a company we're aiming to move away from PVC and looking at Polyester or paper based products, plus water based inks ensuring a more efficient and economical recycling process.
  
• We also collaborate with printer manufacturers for research and development.

Ltd Limited and Mind Candy Collaboration

Mind Candy is an entertainment company that creates extraordinary brands with digital games at their heart. In the world of children 6-12 years old there is scarcely a bigger name than their Moshi Monsters brand, with 80 million registered users for their online game alone. Not to mention books, comics and films - as well as mobile, music, video content and much more. It is fair to say Moshi Monster is a global phenomenon.

Ltd Limited and Mind Candy have collaborated before, early in 2011 we mounted the Moshi characters to board, wallpaper, cut outs and floor graphics at the Moshi Monsters pop-up store in Whiteleys Shopping Centre London (Right).

At the end of last month we collaborated again with Mind Candy for a unique project. As part of Hackney Council's Christmas celebrations, several creative and engaging projects have been undertaken. Including local designers creating bespoke Christmas trees that have been dotted around the borough and interactive lampposts controlled by mobile phone and Ltd Limited were called in to help Mind Candy give several lampposts in the area a Moshi makeover

Working closely with Mind Candy, we transferred some of the top Moshi characters to lampposts near the designer trees. You can see some of the results of our efforts below...

...

The Spotlight Project - London Leading Creative Youth Space

One of Ltd Limited's recent projects has seen Craig and his team working on a new creative space for young people called Spotlight. The team are in the process of producing and installing all the manifestations, wallpapers and signage throughout the building.

Spotlight isn't just a youth club, or a youth centre - it’s a multi-million pound creative youth space designed to inspire. It has been created by young people, with young people in mind. Offering free, state of the art sound, film, design, art and broadcasting facilities, alongside performance, dance, boxing, fashion, styling and chill areas. 

Spotlight is partnered with illustrious organisations like the National Theatre, London College of Fashion, Barbican, IMD Legion, Whitechapel Gallery, CM Sounds and the BFI. 

We believe that Spotlight will be an amazing resource for young people. Providing opportunities for discovery, growth and innovation. Inspiring the all important next generation of talent in a safe, empowering and enjoyable environment.

“We wanted to create a place where young people could think creatively, gain confidence and pursue opportunities they may not have thought possible.” 

Babu Bhattacherjee (Poplar HARCA Director of Communities & Neighbourhoods) 

Craig and the team have been working hard to produce something that inspires for this project, we will be sure to update you later on with pictures of the finished results. If you would like to find out more about Spotlight follow the link below.

http://syclondon.org.uk/

Rolls Royce Aerospace Head Office Project

Ltd Limited Rolls Royce from LtdLimited on Vimeo.

Ltd Ltd was recently approached by TP Bennett the architects working on the new Rolls Royce Aerospace Division head office, they tasked us with innovating in the design and production of their new office spaces.

Our technical director Seymour Reeves said, "They wanted to see what could be achieved and to make the project extra special. We felt we could bring to their customer base the feeling that they were in an environment specific to Rolls Royce... Its about creating exactly what our client has asked us to no compromises and they were absolutely blown away with the results"

Using metallic and silver paints we created gradients and colour schemes that you couldn't get before on these types of display or surfaces. Some of the panels we applied continuous graphics to were as large as 15 metres and we had have a meticulous eye for detail on every manifestation we have hung.

James Everett Digital Manager said "We try to do whatever we can with different materials to make things that other people can't make. We are on the cutting edge of experimental media."

Watch the video above to see the results of the project which will finish this week. We are really proud of this work with a British company known the world over, as well as the innovations we have used within the project.

The Adidas 2014 World Cup Launch Zone

A couple of weeks back we went along to the flagship Adidas store in London and installed a new display unit. The brightly coloured unit is part of their 2014 World Cup Football boot campaign, which is less than a year away in the spiritual home of football. We built the box from scratch, with the brief requiring us to use our walk on floor graphics, coloured plinths and acrylic risers. 

We  took a couple of photos during the install, below shows our installer (and contortionist) Phil bending and flexing his way through the inside of the box. Phil was sent inside to fix the large colour plinths to the front of the box, the bottom picture was taken whilst he was inside working his magic.

Display design by the Intermarketing Agency.

Put your imagination on the wall...

We thought it was time to tell you about another of our companies innovations. This is a technique we have pioneered which we like to call 'Wallapeel'. This method is exclusive to us and very unique to say the least. With Wallapeel we can print beautiful, vibrant, rich coloured graphics and install them on a wall easily. Yet, it is completely removable, leaving no adhesive marks, residue or damage to the walls whatsoever.

As you can see from the pictures above and below, we can install stunning artwork on the wall and remove it later on without a trace or mark left. We think this is perfect for art galleries and will have hundreds of other uses throughout different industries.

Below is a drawing that James's girlfriends son William did for him. James got some of the team to scan the image and much to William's delight we installed it on his bedroom wall using the Wallapeel effect.

Not only did it look amazing, but he loved it!!!!

You really can put anything you imagine on the wall this technique!

The London College of Fashions Heated Design...

London College of Fashion's rich heritage, and responsiveness to changes, has positioned it as a leading global supplier of fashion education, research and consultancy. 

The College's say their mission is to "Fashion the Future". With their focus on innovation in design techniques, we knew that when approached to collaborate,  it was required that we deliver something unique... 

Taking the students designs we created these floor graphics. However, they are no ordinary floor graphics. We heated the material into the concrete and brick, meaning the designs conform to the shape of the surface they are placed on and give the effect of it being printed on concrete.

Not only is this a completely innovative technique, this method is approved as a floor graphic that you can even walk on without disrupting the design, as you can see from the bottom picture of the Chelsea FC club store. 

London College of Fashion Student Artwork

London College of Fashion Student Artwork

London College of Fashion Student Artwork

Chelsea FC Club Store

*Chelsea FC design by Intermarketing Agency.*

Moshi Monsters Invade Great Ormond Street....

In 1852, Great Ormond Street Hospital opened with just 10 beds, and was the first hospital in the UK to offer dedicated inpatient care to children. The hospital has had a fascinating 160-year history. From world firsts in surgery and state-of-the-art buildings to pioneering research and celebrity support, it is truly a British institution of which we can can be proud. We wanted to support their innovation and dedication, so we went into the hospital to give the kids activity room as a facelift.

Michael Acton-Smith's Mind Candy, the technology company behind the Moshi Monster phenomenon, kindly supplied and donated some images. Moshi Monster is a virtual world and online game aimed at children aged between 6-12, which allows users to adopt their own pet monster, socialise and play educational puzzles. With 80 million subscribers worldwide, the number one kids magazine in the UK, toys, books, trading cards and even a platinum selling album under its belt. It's fair to say there aren't many kids who aren't aware of Moshi Monster!

We'd like to say a big thank you to Mind Candy for helping us brighten up the activity area of the hospital.

Using the images they supplied we created some customised wallpaper and installed it in the kids activity area, you can see the results below...

Before

After

Adidas all Wrapped Up...

Hello all and welcome to our new blog. We are a printing and graphics company with a difference, working across several disciplines and many different materials. If you can design it, we can produce it!

To kick things off we thought we would show you some of our work and take a look at the company that commissioned it in a bit more depth. Back in May, we were asked to do some work for several Adidas stores in locations across the county.  We created several pieces, including a combination of high gloss and matt media wraps for 6 of their stores across London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool. Plus 5 bespoke window displays using layered effects of football boots and acrylics. In-store we worked on the launch zone and try on areas, including the walk on floor graphics and acrylic risers.

It was a privilege to work for a company like Adidas, not only are they market leaders within sportswear, but they have brand values that are something to admire. Adidas say that there brand represents the authenticity, inspiration, honesty and commitment - derived from sport.

They have demonstrated this consistently with endorsements of Olympic champions and the games themselves, along with the Football World Cup and innovating sportswear in all different types of disciplines. Whilst striving to remain one step ahead of competitors with their shoe and equipment technology. Buying Adidas represents buying a premium sports wear brand, additionally it is a brand that also strikes a chord with fashion concious people between the ages of 16 and 25.

As they say themselves:

"Adidas' mission is to be the leading sports brand in the world. One major lever to achieve this is the brand's broad and unique product portfolio spanning from apparel and footwear for professional athletes to premium fashion. It allows Adidas to address multiple consumer needs, exploit market opportunities from various angles, as well as be less affected by one-dimensional market risks. Adidas' commitment to product innovation and its rich heritage differentiates the brand from competitors and provides a solid platform for future growth."

You can see some pictures of the pieces we did for them below, we would like to think you can see the quality they strive for is reflected in the final work:

(Photo taken at Oxford St store)










Designed by Intermarketing agency www.intermarketing.co.uk