100-plus newbie publishers have now benefited from Imaging Centre’s seminar
“It’s two years to the day that we held our very first InPress event – they’ve been attended by over 100 different new publishers,” began Adam Short, md of the Imaging Centre digital print and fulfilment business addressing the latest InPress graduates at the company’s Kent premises recently.
“Our aim is to give you the best possible start as you embark on your respective greeting card publishing journeys – and we’ve had our first InPress Henries’ winner in Little Roglets, which has to be a good sign!”
Set out classroom style, the would-be and newbie publisher attendees were treated to a series of engaging talks, videos and hands-on activities which shared insights into the industry’s workings, retailers’ considerations, and publishers’ experiences as well as practical advice of key considerations when publishing greeting cards, from the envelope through board selection to how to set up a design for print.
Presentations and videos involved advice from envelope company Enveco, paper company G.F Smith, the GCA, PG, retailers Scribbler and &Quirky, along with publishers Deckled Edge, Poet And Painter, Toasted Crumpet and Lanther Black, as well as from the Imaging Centre team.
As Lanther Black’s Dominique Miranda said, when starting out as a new publisher: “You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, but you can choose the best tyres!”
The grand finale took place in the factory, to the joyful amazement of the attendees as their uploaded designs magically appeared from one of the digital print presses.
Here are a few highlights from those to attended the event…
Hatty De Roeper: “We absolutely loved seeing the internal workings of the factory, taking a look at all of the stock and seeing the possibilities for our designs first hand. The presentation was inspiring and we’re so excited that there are so many solutions and logistics which will help us focus as much of our energies possible, on what we do best… which is design! We loved meeting other people – and discovering more about we can make the most of to put ourselves out there in this sector!”
Sally Kelly: “It was so great to visit the Imaging Centre. As well as it being a fun day out, I learned some invaluable information about the industry and it really fuelled my enthusiasm to get my card collection to market. Adam from the Imaging Centre put together a great schedule of talks, workshops and delicious food! And PG’s Jakki Brown was so helpful in answering our long list of questions, giving us invaluable advice to take home.
“I run my own textile design business and it’s the natural progression to get my designs on to greeting cards. I worked as a senior designer for Liberty for many years, and one of my previous roles was as the cards and wrap buyer for the London store. It’s been at the back of my mind that I would do this one day and now feels like the right time. I also love the fact the Imaging Centre is a family-run business, so it feels like it is the perfect fit for my requirements.”
Imogen Partridge, founder of Imogen Partridge Illustration and Design: “I loved the InPress day. It all really energised me for the journey I’m starting with greeting cards. I came away feeling really inspired and motivated.
“It was so useful to understand the greeting card industry in more depth and really get to grips with how cards are printed and finished. The highlights for me were hearing from such a great range of voices – from paper suppliers, to retailers and other publishers, and understanding more about the Imaging Centre. It was really inspiring to hear their story to date, but also exciting plans for the future.”
