We started 2012 as we mean to go on with our recent banner stand offer — determined to provide top quality print at a bargain price. To continue that theme, we’re offering 50% off Business Cards from now until Midnight on Tuesday 7th February!

Upload your own print-ready business card artwork, or choose from our selection of business card templates, suitable for a wide range of professions and industries. This huge discount brings the price of 50 single-sided business cards right down to just £4.25 (+VAT)!

Simply place your order online as usual and enter voucher code buscards50 at checkout.

Presentation Folders

Make a lasting impression & present your documents in style.

Our Presentation Folders are perfect for holding A4 documents e.g. brochures, leaflets, flyers, training materials, stepped inserts — pretty much anything really — and of course we have slits in the right place for holding a standard size business card.

They make a very cost effective marketing tool and ensure your documents remain intact and together with your contact details when mailing, or handing out at exhibitions, training courses etc.

Upload your own print-ready artwork, or pick from our range of free-to-use presentation folder templates, and simply add your logo and contact details.

Point of Sale ⁄ Point of Purchase Printing

Head-turning. Eye-catching. Customer-catching.

Here at Print Buying Direct, we specialise in design and print for Point of Sale ⁄ Point of Purchase. We design and print everything from Shelf Talkers, Wobblers, Ticket Ears, Posters, Floor Graphics, Window Graphics and more. We have a great deal of experience in the retail and wholesale industries in many sectors.

So for Point of Purchase printing that really does POP and grab your customers’ attention when it’s most crucial, have a look at our range of products and order online today!

To make setting up your artwork quick and easy, we have just added blank document templates for many of our products. These templates are available for Adobe Indesign and Illustrator (CS2 and above) and for Quark XPress (version 6 and above).

How To Use the Templates

The template file consists of two layers. The first layer contains the guides, and the second layer contains a legend — indicating the trimmed/finished size plus bleed (3mm on each edge) and a “safe” area.

Any coloured or image-based backgrounds should extend right up to the edge of the document, whilst any text or other important information should be contained within the safe area — this will avoid it running too close to the edge of the document when trimmed.

Remember to hide — or better yet, delete — the layer containing the legend before creating your artwork, in order to avoid any complications. We have included the guides on a separate layer so these will still be visible.

Download the Templates

• A0 Template for Adobe Indesign (.indt) / Adobe Illustrator (.ait) / Quark XPress
  Use for: Posters
• A1 Template for Adobe Indesign (.indt) / Adobe Illustrator (.ait) / Quark XPress
  Use for: Posters, A-Boards, Pavement Signs
• A2 Template for Adobe Indesign (.indt) / Adobe Illustrator (.ait) / Quark XPress
  Use for: Posters
• A3 Template for Adobe Indesign (.indt) / Adobe Illustrator (.ait) / Quark XPress
  Use for: Posters, Certificates
• A4 Template for Adobe Indesign (.indt) / Adobe Illustrator (.ait) / Quark XPress
  Use for: Posters, Letterheads, Note Pads, Certificates
• A5 Template for Adobe Indesign (.indt) / Adobe Illustrator (.ait) / Quark XPress
  Use for: Flyers, Leaflets, Note Pads
• A6 Template for Adobe Indesign (.indt) / Adobe Illustrator (.ait) / Quark XPress
  Use for: Flyers, Leaflets, Postcards
• DL (⅓ A4) Template for Adobe InDesign / Adobe Illustrator / Quark XPress
  Use for: Compliment Slips, Flyers, Leaflets
• Business Card / Appointment Card Template for Adobe InDesign / Adobe Illustrator / Quark XPress
• Stand Banner (Roll Up Banner, Pull Up Banner) template for Adobe InDesign / Adobe Illustrator / Quark XPress
• 1×1m Banner template for Adobe InDesign / Adobe Illustrator
• 2×1m Banner template for Adobe InDesign / Adobe Illustrator
• 3×1m Banner template for Adobe InDesign / Adobe Illustrator
• 4×1m Banner template for Adobe InDesign / Adobe Illustrator

Now get 25% off pull-up banners!

Just a quick reminder that you can still get 20% off all banners ordered online until midnight tonight (Thursday 15th September). Simply place your order online as usual, and enter the code banners20 at checkout.

And from tomorrow, you will be able to order our pull-up banners online at 25% off – right up until the end of September! Use discount code pullupSeptember.

Don’t have your own artwork? We have a range of pre-designed templates for both PVC banners and pull-up banner stands, and they’re free to use!

2012 Wall Calendars

Available soon on Print Buying Direct

The sun’s giving it one last push on its way into autumn, and it’ll soon be time to start planning for next year. We’ve already started – our 2012 Wall Calendars will be available to order soon.

We are currently designing a range of easy to use templates which you’ll be able to personalise with your own photographs, business details and personal messages.

Visit our Wall Calendars page for more information, or just sit tight and we’ll let you know as soon as they’re ready for you to order.

Christmas Card Printing

Spread the cost – buy your cards early

It may seem a little early to be thinking about Christmas – even we were surprised to receive two Christmas card orders recently! – but starting now could save you a financial headache come the end of the year.

Personalised Christmas cards are a great way to spread your festive messages whilst promoting your business, or to create something really special for friends and family.

Order online using our pre-designed templates, or upload your own artwork or photographs. Prices start at £27.00 (+VAT) for 25 cards – that’s cheaper than you’ll find in most shops!

PREPARING TO PRINT

Once the layout and design of a job is complete, you’ll need to decide how to hand over your files. At The Printing House (Print Buying Direct) we usually prefer a single PDF but can work with all of the source files.

Either way, you’ll want to run though a preflight checklist. For more information see our artwork guidlines webpage.
PREFLIGHT CHECKLIST… ARE YOU READY?

• Ensure that all graphics and images are in their final size and correct resolution, 100% at 300 dpi.
• Rotate, scale and edit images and graphics prior to placing them in page layout applications.
• Image file formats should be EPS or TIFF (not JPEG) and verify that all source files are linked properly.
• All spot colours should be designated as spot colors and not as CMYK recipes.
• Spell check your document.
• Remove any trapping (allow the printer to apply trapping).
• Check for transparency and either flatten or notify the printer so they can flatten the file. All bleeds should generally be set to 3 mm.
• Gather all source files: fonts, graphics, images and layout documents, if requested. Use the [Package] feature in InDesign or the [Collect for Output] in QuarkXPress.
• Perform a visual preflight using overprint preview, colour separations preview and transparency flattener preview.
• Prepare a mock-up to give the printer as a finished sample.

TRAPPING

• For best results, trapping should be applied by The Printing House and not the yourself. Trapping settings made in the application are not included in the PostScript when printing with the Composite mode.
• Avoid instances where trapping to gradients or images is required (the change in color may not reproduce well).

BLEEDS

Include 3 mm bleed for all areas that extend off the page when trimming is required.

IMPOSITION

If you plan to use binding, leave ample room for the gutter. Aside from that, we will do all imposition work.

INDESIGN CS2 PREPARE TO PRINT

PREFLIGHTING

• Use the [Preflight] feature under the File menu to make sure all fonts, graphics and image links are present.

PACKAGING

• Use the [Package] feature under the File menu to collect all fonts, graphics and images used in the job. This will ensure that all elements are collected when the job is delivered to The Printing House. Instructions and contact information can also be included by the designer for us.

QUARKXPRESS 6.5 PREPARE TO PRINT
USAGE…

• Use the [Usage...] feature in the Utilities menu of QuarkXPress to review that all fonts, graphics and images are linked correctly in the file.

COLLECT FOR OUTPUT

Use the [Collect for Output] feature in QuarkXPress to gather all fonts, graphics and images used in the job. This will ensure that all elements are collected when the job is delivered to the print provider. Note, however, that you will need to gather fonts from imported EPS or PDF pictures manually unless they are already imbedded into the EPS or PDF file.

ACROBAT DISTILLER 7 SETTINGS

• Create PostScript from the source application using the Acrobat Distiller PPD.
• Be sure to use the Binary data format and include all fonts.
• Use the Smooth Shading feature in Acrobat Distiller.
• The Save As features in PDF Writer/Maker or the Mac OS X Save As PDF feature should be used with caution.

The following recommended settings have been optimized for high image quality printing. In some instances, productivity may take priority over image quality and, therefore, require different settings (such as adjustments in compression).

Open Acrobat Distiller and go to the Settings menu. Select [Edit: Adobe PDF Settings...]. Create a custom set choosing the following recommended settings and select [Save As...] using a new fi le name (e.g.,“ artwork for The Printing House”).

Distiller will save the file in the right place so it can be accessed as a new Job Option set.

• Select Acrobat 6.0 ( PDF 1.5) for the best compatibility. Note that since you are working with a PostScript file there is no need to select Acrobat 4.0 compatibility for transparency concerns (writing files to PostScript always flattens any transparency effects).
• To ensure that the orientation of the pages prints correctly, do not select the Auto-Rotate Pages feature.
• Embed Thumbnails is optional. Versions of Acrobat 5 and higher are able to dynamically create thumbnails on the fly.

IMAGES

To preserve the best image quality, compression is generally not recommended.

Distiller 7 contains a new Policy button. You will need to decide the threshold of what level of resolution is appropriate for the quality of the job and if the job should pass, fail or warn the user. Try setting the minimum as 200dpi and the max as 400dpi.

FONTS

• If jobs fail while distilling, check the job for missing fonts. The following settings recommend cancelling the job when fonts are missing to ensure the document prints correctly.
• To guarantee the font information is successfully included in the Adobe PDF file and will view properly on the monitor, the required fonts should reside either in the system folder of the computer or in the PostScript file.
• A higher percentage value is generally recommended for [Subset embedded fonts . . .].

COLOUR

• The Settings File selection under Adobe Colour Settings should usually be set to [None], [Leave Colour Unchanged].

ADVANCED

• The Convert Gradients to Smooth Shades feature can help smooth vignettes/ sweeps/ gradients with Vector-based programs such as Adobe Illustrator or QuarkXPress. Using this feature with Microsoft Office jobs may or may not improve the job due to the way sweeps are generated in those applications.
• As a precautionary measure, use the Save Adobe PDF Settings Inside PDF File feature. The recipient of the PDF may be able to troubleshoot problem files more easily if the settings are included with the job.

EXPORTING PDF FILES

When exporting files from InDesign or QuarkXPress, you can apply many of the same Acrobat Distiller recommendations discussed previously.

INDESIGN CS2—EXPORT PDF

The PDF options for InDesign are fairly similar to those in Acrobat Distiller. If there is a custom set saved from Distiller, it will be selectable from the PDF Export dialog box. Follow the settings previously discussed.

There is one additional group of settings, [Marks and Bleeds], that can be set to your preference.

QUARKXPRESS 6.5—EXPORT PDF

In QuarkXPress be sure to click on the [Options...] button to access all of the available controls over PDF settings.

You will want to check the options under the Job Options and the Output tab. Take special care to ensure the Color [Output Type] is set to [Composite] and that [Print Colors] is set to [As Is].

Note that blends made with PANTONE® colors in Quark 6, will print as RGB when the [Print Colors] selection is set to [As Is]. To preserve PANTONE Blends (gradients), set Print Colors to [Device N]. Using [Device N] will, however, convert any RGB text, objects and images to CMYK.

PREFLIGHTING PDF FILES

In Adobe Acrobat 6 or higher you can use the Preflight tool to create your own custom preflight profile or use one of the default profiles. If you are not familiar with this tool you may want to talk with your print provider first. They may be able to provide you with a customized profile or walk you through the process.
Also refer to the Adobe documentation provided with Acrobat.

For more information or help please call The Printing House (Print Buying Direct) on 0870 950 8444

Peter Harrison is Joint Managing Director of The Printing House Ltd of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

Print Buying Direct is an online trading name of The Printing House Ltd., specialising in online print ordering. Our most popular products at the moment: Business Cards, Banner Stands, Flyer/Leaflet Printing, Poster Printing.

Have a look at our great online prices, and order online using templates designed by our experienced team of graphic designers, or upload your own artwork.

NEW – We can now take care of your Online Marketing! Email, SMS & Social Media Marketing by Communications Online LLP.

Our outdoor banners are the ideal solution for quick and easy outdoor promotions, temporary building signage, exhibitions, or anything else you want the world to know about – and right now we’re offering 20% off all banners ordered online in the next two weeks.

We have a range of pre-designed templates for all sorts of occasions – parties, sporting events, music events, sales, advertising… or you can upload your own print-ready artwork.

Simply place your order online as usual, and enter the code banners20 at checkout – remember, this offer is only valid until Midnight on Thursday 15th September.

2012 Wall Calendars

Available to order soon at Print Buying Direct

The sun’s giving it one last push on its way into autumn, and it’ll soon be time to start planning for next year. We’ve already started – our 2012 Wall Calendars will be available to order soon.

We are currently designing a range of easy to use templates which you’ll be able to personalise with your own photographs, business details and personal messages.

Visit our Wall Calendars page for more information, or just sit tight and we’ll let you know as soon as they’re ready for you to order.

Christmas Card Printing

Spread the cost – Buy your cards early

It may seem a little early to be thinking about Christmas whilst we’re still waiting for the Summer to really kick in – even we were surprised to receive two Christmas card orders recently! – but starting now could save you a financial headache come the end of the year.

Personalised Christmas cards are a great way to spread your festive messages whilst promoting your business, or to create something really special for friends and family.

Order online using our pre-designed templates, or upload your own artwork or photographs. Prices start at £27.00 (+VAT) for 25 cards – that’s cheaper than you’ll find in most shops!

Our online poster printing is ideal for advertising or as promotional material, and prices start at just £16. But order between now and the end of the month (Midnight on 31st August) and we’ll give you 25% off!

Just place your order online, and enter discount code posters25 at checkout.

Upload your own print-ready artwork, or design online using our professionally designed templates.

Christmas Card Printing

Spread the cost – Buy your cards early

It may seem a little early to be thinking about Christmas whilst we’re still waiting for the Summer to really kick in – even we were surprised to receive two Christmas card orders recently! – but starting now could save you a financial headache come the end of the year.

Personalised Christmas cards are a great way to spread your festive messages whilst promoting your business, or to create something really special for friends and family.

Order online using our pre-designed templates, or upload your own artwork or photographs. Prices start at £27.00 (+VAT) for 25 cards – that’s cheaper than you’ll find in most shops!

NEW! Pull-Up Banner Stands

Now starting at £23.99!

We’ve just expanded our most popular product range – Pull-Up Banner Stands – to include new A3 Banner Stands.

These smaller-scale banner stands are the ideal solution for desktop promotions, point of sale, or for use in small rooms where space is at a premium – and they’re only £23.99.

Visit our Pull-Up Banner Stands page at Print Buying Direct to find out more.

The Printing Industry has seen a considerable increase in environmental and safety legislation, making us all aware of the European and worldwide issues on pollution, safety and the environment. How your company needs to respond to these issues will vary but your performance will be measures against standards such as the following:

• The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 (COSHH)
• The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• The Compresses Ait Safety Regulations
• The Noise at Work Regulations 1989
• The Environmental Protection Act 1990

The Health and Safety at Work Act is undergoing radical changes under the EEC Directives 89/391 and 89/383, and there are now specific requirements for:
Work Equipment, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare), Manual Handling, Personal Protection Equipment, and the Machinery Safety Directive.

The changes resulting from these directives will affect every employed person. In this section we will consider specifically the Noise at Work Regulations 1989 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990, but noise will have interfaces with: safety guarding ducts and waste extraction; ventilation; lighting and energy savings. Management should be aware that these aspects cannot be tackled in isolation. A corporative objective or AIM must be set; budgets allocated, and planned implementation programmes established, if you are to comply with current and future legislation.

One method to achieve this AIM is:
A – Analyse the situation.
I – Involve the right people at the right time.
M – Make decisions based on facts.

Hearing protection legislation
How large is the noise problem in the UK industries? If we consider the 90dBA LEP,d exposure level then 550,000 people are at risk. If we use the 85dBA LEP,d then the number exposed are 1,300,000. Over working life at 90dBA LEP,d 11 people in 100 will suffer a 50dBA hearing loss (this is an insidious impediment) and with 10 years’ exposure five people in 100 will suffer the same damage.

(As a rough guide, two people having a conversation have to shout to be heard if they are three feet apart at 90dB, six feet apart at 85dB).

The EEC Directive on noise set January 1990 as the deadline for all member states to conform. Two action levels were set: 85dBA LEP,d and 90dBA LEP,d with an intention to reduce them with time.

Both the EEC and the UK legislation use the same reference levels and state that if noise levels are over 85dBA, the workers should be informed, be provided with hearing protection when requested and, if they wish, have their hearing checked. Above 90dBA, dangerous zones should be marked and hearing protection has to be used together with a programme of noise reduction. It is considered essential for all companies to ensure that workers’ exposure to noise is ‘as low as technically feasible and economically possible’.

Noise levels and exposure time play an important factor in ‘Noise Dosage’. LEP,d is a time-based value taking into account the noise levels to which a person is exposed and the time of exposure. It is normally related to an 8 hour exposure or typical, normal working day.

The effect of exposure time relative to noise levels of an employees is based on the assumption that the operators should not be exposed to a noise level equivalent LEP,d greater then 90dBA. It should be realised that it exposed to the higher levels for shorter periods then the remainder of that 8 hour period must be spent in noise levels of less than 80dBA, to avoid exceeding the 90dBA LEP,d.

A range of familiar operating noise levels from the printing industry indicate that when considering hearing damage many machines in current use gives rise to concern. If we consider comfort or speech interference level, then improvements are necessary.

Employers have statutory duties under the Noise at Work Regulations 1989. There are 15 regulations of which the following are the most pertinent:

Reg. 4: Assessment of Exposure
Ensure that noise assessments are made by a competent person;

Reg. 6: General Duty to Reduce Risk
Risk of hearing damage to be reduced to the lowest level reasonably practicable;

Reg. 7: Noise Reduction
Reduce exposure to noise as far as is reasonably practiable by means other than ear protectors;

Reg. 8: Ear Protection
The use of availability of personal hearing protection devices;

Reg.10: Maintenance and Use of Equipment
Reg.11: Provision of Information to Employees;

Ensure that employees are informed and trained concerning noise reduction and hearing protection at work;

Designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers also have duties under these regulations.
Reg.12: To provide information concerning the noise of their equipment.

<strong>Noise problems can be considered in three parts:</strong>
Source- Path- Receiver
In theory, noise control can be undertaken at any one or combination of these. Noise control ‘at source’ means reducing the original vibrations, or other mechanisms by which the noise is generated or reducing the radiating efficiency of the machine by redesign or dampening.

This approach is extremely difficult for the majority of the machines and much time, money and frustration can be expended without any significant result. The reason for this is that the overall noise can be made up from hundreds of individual noise sources and the elimination of a few makes no difference to the total. This approach is generally for the machine manufacturers and research institutes.

Noise control along the path between the machine and the operator is the answer that many companies will adopt. In practice this means enclosures or screens and possibly absorptive treatments to the ceilings and/or walls. Noise can reach the operator either as ‘direct’ noise coming straight from the machine, or as ‘reflected noise’. When there is a high level of reflected noise, it is called ‘reverberant’.
Noise control along the path either attempts to ‘insulate’ against the noise, with enclosures and screens, or to ‘absorb’ the reflected noise. To be a good insulator, a material needs a high mass. To be a good absorber a material must be able to admit the sound and then dissipate it by changing the acoustic energy into heat.

Noise control at the receiver means either supplying the employee with hearing protection, i.e. earplugs or earmuffs, or providing noise- reducing refuges.

Much has been heard recently of using the technique of ‘anti-sound’ as methods of noise control. The idea is to monitor the noise and play it back out-of-phase so that it cancels the offending noise. This could be done at source, along the path or at the receiver. It does work, in one plane or via a duct and the results are impressive; however it will be some years before the technique can be offered for general industrial noise control for printing presses.

Community noise responsibilities
When considering an environmentally-conscious shop floor, it would be unrealistic to exclude the outside noise emission or nuisance from a plant. This aspect is dealt with under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and basically states that neighbours should not be offended.

This Act replaced, in most parts, of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 which encompassed noise in one of its sections,

When considering printing firms in relation to the neighbours, it is generally nuisance that is involved. The noise levels from production equipment, waste extraction, and boiler and compressor house may be a problem. Although these may not give rise to concern the complaints during the day-time, evening and night-time levels can give rise to concern. The complaints can be quantified in an analysis to Bs 4142 Method for Rating Industrial Noise Affecting Mixed Residential and Industrial Areas 1990. Noise levels should be assessed and ‘corrected’ for various factors such as tonal content (a high total content is more annoying, so add 5 dBA) and duration (if it for less time it less annoying so subtract a few dBAs) and then compared with the prevailing background noise level. If the ‘corrected’ noise level is 10 dBA or more above background, the Standard states that complaints are to be expected.  A 5dBA excess is considered marginal.

To highlight the differences between day and nigh operation the measurement time base is one hour during the day and five minutes at night. Therefore the possible problems in establishing a plant for evening operations is clearly seen from noise levels which includes a simplified assessment for BS 4142 in terms of day-time and night-time operations. To further illustrate this effect that variation of background noise throughout the 24 hours.

It should be noted that if the noise from the plant and the background are the same then the resultant noise level will be 3dBA higher when the plant is operating.

In the Standard there are methods for calculating the increase in noise from a plant due to the addition of equipment. Because it use a pre-existing noise level rather than the actual background noise level with the plant stopped, this method of assessment can give rise to considerable problems and a false sense of security.

Practical solutions
The addition of absorptive treatment to pressrooms can reduce the reverberant noise levels. It will not stop the noise from the press reaching the operators, but it may be a useful solution with sheet-fed presses where the noise levels are in the low 90s. Absorption can be incorporated at the design stage using the building’s thermal insulation. Should noise be a consideration of the planning permission for the new plant, equipment location and building construction will play an important part in the noise control budget and the project costs. Noise control measures introduced later are more expensive than those planned at the design stages the most used forms of treatment for press noise control are screens, enclosures and refuges.

Noise from vents and cooling fans often disturbs neighbours. This can be due to air extraction from the press room or noise from compressors and condensers locate outside the factory. Trim systems with cyclones, separators, balers and compressors are also potentially noisy areas.

Compressors and vacuum pumps can be removed from the main printing areas and placed in plant rooms. Because these need to be well ventilated, they must be silenced if the air is discharge to the outside.

Liabilities
Some managers are not eager to pay cost of noise control. However, individual claims by workers for industrial hearing damage have been as high as £17,000. it is little wonder, therefore, that insurance companies, risk managers are asking for evidence of a company noise reduction policy before setting their annual premiums for employee liability insurance.
The maximum fine for noise nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act is currently £20,000.

Planning
Managers should be committed to achieving an environmentally-conscious print works baked by budgets and planning. Excessive noise is a health hazard and is going to be part of a normal safety measures from now on.

You should start by getting the facts, identifying noisy ears and machinery/ plant must be quietened, and determining what measures can be taken and the approximate costs involve. At this stage, a feasibility report with recommendations and likely budget costs is money well spent.

If you are in the process of purchasing or planning a new plant, obtain a noise assessment now. Noise problems can be reduced or the cost of treatment reduced if tackled early.

Conclusions
Many printing companies have had programmes for noise control in existence for years; some will need to make improvements, while others have yet to start. Many of these in the last category will have a considerable task before them, particularly in the present economic climate. However, improvements in the working environment will develop with commitment from and involvements of, management, employees, neighbours, enforcement officers and the insurance companies.

The corporate AIM should be to comply with the new legislation. A quality environment and quality print should follow.

Letterheaded paper is a simple and effective way to add some clout to your written communications, and help to present a professional image.

Whether you’re running short, or have just decided you need some, order online in the next two weeks and get our Full-Colour Letterheads for half price!

Between now and 5:00 pm on Wednesday 10th August, we’ve slashed our letterhead prices by 50%. Just place your order at www.printbuyingdirect.co.uk and enter discount code letterheads50 at checkout to take advantage of this offer.

Why not order your business cards, banner stands, flyers and posters at the same time?

Christmas Card Printing

Spread the cost – buy your cards early

It may seem a little early to be thinking about Christmas whilst we’re still waiting for the Summer to really kick in – even we were surprised to receive two Christmas card orders this week! – but starting now could save you a financial headache come the end of the year.

Personalised Christmas cards are a great way to spread your festive messages whilst promoting your business, or to create something really special for friends and family.

Order online using our pre-designed templates, or upload your own artwork or photographs. Prices start at £27.00 (+VAT) for 25 cards – that’s cheaper than you’ll find in most shops!

NEW! Pull-Up Banner Stands

Now starting at £23.99!

We’ve just expanded our most popular product range – Pull-Up Banner Stands – to include new A3 Banner Stands.

These smaller-scale banner stands are the ideal solution for desktop promotions, point of sale, or for use in small rooms where space is at a premium – and they’re only £23.99.

Visit our Pull-Up Banner Stands page at Print Buying Direct to find out more!

Many energy saving measures come under the categories of ‘common-sense’ or ‘good housekeeping’, and cost very little in staff time or real money to implement: these are the obvious things such as switching off lights, controlling building temperature properly, reducing steam or compressed air leaks, switching off motors when not needed. If there is nothing revolutionary or expensive about these measures, why aren’t they being done?

‘Energy is a low priority- it is not a major cost to the businesses. In a survey conducted by PIRA for the EEO, energy costs in printing firms were typically less than 5% of turnover. However, energy cost, whereas the much larger staff and material costs may not be easy to reduce. Estimates suggest that up to 20% of energy use is actually wasted, and that there is typically scope for easily decreasing specific energy use by 10%; a 10% increase in profit level for modest outlay has to be of interest.

‘We already run our operation efficiently’. Obviously no firm wants knowingly to run its overall operation inefficiently. However, because energy is a seen as a small cost, its use is often not monitored in detail, or against production output, and so there is no real indication of efficiency. Except for large sites, it is unlikely that an energy audit has been carried out: indeed the only energy consumption data likely to be available is total fuel costs. Without no split between process and general heating and lighting costs. Without knowing in detail what your energy use is, it is difficult to assess efficiency.

A general action plan for improving energy efficiency is:

• Find out how much energy you are using, and where, and why.
• From this, find out what the potential for savings is.
• Implement the low or zero cost measures.
• Investigate the higher cost measures (many of which will have additional non-energy benefits improving the economic attractive).

Peter Harrison is Joint Managing Director of The Printing House Ltd of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

Print Buying Direct is an online trading name of The Printing House Ltd., specialising in online print ordering. Our most popular products at the moment: Business Cards, Banner Stands, Flyer/Leaflet Printing, Poster Printing.

Have a look at our great online prices, and order online using templates designed by our experienced team of graphic designers, or upload your own artwork.

NEW – We can now take care of your Online Marketing! Email, SMS & Social Media Marketing by Communications Online LLP.

A good start to answering this is to obtain appropriate free EEO publications (from your REEO, or one of the other contacts listed at the end):

• Practical Energy Saving Guide for Smaller Businesses, produced by the EEO in conjunction with industry through the Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment. This is written as a clear step-by step guide, and contains many useful contacts.
• Energy- Containing the costs, produced by the EEO in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), gives a more detailed treatment of measuring and controlling energy use (using M&amp;T Monitoring &amp; targeting).

From these, you should be able to start getting to know your energy use and beginning to get an idea of the savings possible. One of the sources of more detailed information referenced in both the above is the series of Fuel Efficiency Booklets (FEBs) (obtainable as above). These cover specific areas of energy use and will enable you to go further down the route of assessing potential savings and measures.

Fuel Efficiency Booklets:

1. Energy audits for industry
2. Energy audits for buildings
3. Steam
4. Economic use of fired space heaters
5. Compresses air and energy use
6. Degree days
7. The economic thickness of insulation for hot pipes
8. Economic use of electricity in industry
9. Economic use of electricity in buildings
10. The economic use of refrigeration plant
11. Energy management and good lighting practices
12. Economic use of oil-fired boiler plant
13. Economic use of gas-fired boiler plant
14. Economic thickness of insulation for existing industrial buildings
15. Economic use of coal-fired boiler plant
16. Process plant insulation and fuel efficiency
17. Energy efficiency in road transport

As well as free EEO literature, there are other detailed sources of information covering the same areas available at a modest cost: these include HMSO publications, Guides by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, and equipment manufacturer’s literature.

Many of these sources are summarised in a publication that may be of interest to larger print companies: Responsible Energy- A Practical Guide to Energy Efficiency, published by the Chemical Industries Association and supported jointly by the Best Practice Programme, and the CIA Responsible Care Programme. This was developed for the chemical industries, but much of the approach is relevant to many sectors, including printing, in particular the detailed questionnaire sections.

Energy efficiency consultants
There is, of course, another option to assessing energy use and implementing the action plan yourself: that is, get an expert to do it for you. Some electricity suppliers will perform this as a free service, and there are many good consultancies in the filed of energy efficiency. Some consultants will undertake audits with no up-front cost, and deferred payment of fees out of energy savings achieved as a result. Event at full costs, a few days of a consultant’s time can be a good investment if it is instrumental in saving 10% of the total energy bill. To make this even more attractive to smaller businesses, the EEO has a grant assistance scheme:

The Energy Management Assistance Scheme (EMAS) is open to companies with less than 500 employees in all associated companies, with particular benefits for firms with less than 50 employees. This scheme is phased, with different levels of support for consultancy fees in the initial survey to identify energy savings, and subsequently implementation of energy saving projects.

Peter Harrison is Joint Managing Director of The Printing House Ltd of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

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