Following Stephen Woodall’s appointment as Global Market Segment Manager for Aqueous & Solvent Digital at Nazdar Ink Technologies earlier this year, he gives his insight into trends in the signage and graphics market. Based in Stockport, Stephen Woodall works closely with regional managers in territories across the globe and Nazdar’s UK- and USA-based R&D teams. He says that currently Nazdar is actively working with channel partners who want to specifically target markets and expand their customer network.
“The Nazdar 130 Series inks, our alternative to the Mimaki SS21 inks, have been a very popular addition to our product range, but recently we’ve also seen greater uptake of Nazdar 203 Series inks, which are a high-quality, more affordable alternative to ECO-SOL MAX 3 inks,” he comments. “Like all Nazdar’s alternative ink ranges, these two products are a close physical match in terms of performance, adhesion, colour vibrancy and outdoor longevity.
“Over the coming months I expect to see continued stability in the signage and graphics market, with demand remaining strong for exciting new products and greater efficiencies helping businesses to reduce their spend while retaining quality. A growing number of people are finding that a changeover to Nazdar inks is painless and trouble-free with no obvious difference except the cost.
“Everyone is looking for ways to reduce their overheads without reducing their quality, which is not a new development, but we are seeing the impact now in the form of increased interest in our free ink cartridge campaign.
“Nazdar has an ongoing programme of supplying an ink cartridge free of charge to graphics, packaging and industrial printers to be trialled in conjunction with their OEM inks. While we’ve always had good uptake in the UK and USA, at present we’re seeing an increased interest from other geographic regions. The campaign offers the opportunity to try out Nazdar inks risk-free, which growing numbers of print businesses seem inclined to do.
“Furthermore, these ink cartridges are provided to each customer by their local resellers who know the market and can provide tailored advice and any support they might need. Customers aren’t just receiving a single ink cartridge through the post; they’re building a relationship with a fellow local company with whom they can work in the future. This reflects a wider trend of people preferring to invest in local, independent businesses and receiving more personal customer care.”
