Publishers Weekly - August 17, 2015

manager Alice Fan, whose team has seen increasing demand for
digital printing in recent months. “We also encourage our staff
to respond to environmental concerns and to propose FSC-
certified paper, soy-based inks, and recycled materials wherever
appropriate. But our digital printing services are still mostly
used for marketing collaterals and event programs such as grad-
uation booklets, presentation kits, promotional leaflets, price-
lists, and catalogues. In instances where client requires 300
copies or fewer, which constitutes 2%–3% of our new orders,
we would consider proposing digital printing, or a combination
of digital and offset processes, as it would be much more cost
effective and faster.”
Overall, about 40% of Magnum’s business comes from over-
seas. Its Wong Chuk Hang facility in Hong Kong has remained
more or less the same size throughout the years. Its Dongguan
facility, on the other hand, has the production capabilities to
handle large orders for both domestic Chinese and overseas mar-
kets in luxury packaging, books, and other consumer products.

Furthermore, project inquiries are now coming from countries such as Chile, Panama, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and Tanzania. Janet Yau, account manager for overseas markets, says, “It is fair to say that printing is not a sunset industry as many had prognosticated in the past. New opportunities are constantly being created by the marketplace and consumers, and by our own experienced sales team. Grabbing those opportunities and turning them into profits through stable relationships is about finding alternative ways to meet clients’ budgets and exceed their expectations. Such win-win situations will carry the day.”

Regent Publishing Services

For a print broker, price and delivery are negotiable, according
to managing director George Tai of Regent Publishing Services.
“But quality is absolutely nonnegotiable, and that is how Regent
has survived and continues to serve many long-term clients
across the world,” he says, adding, “Flat management hierarchy
helps too, because clients
have direct access to me at all
times, and that makes for
strong and lasting supplier-
client relationships.”
For Tai, profitability is a
direct result of helping each
other out. “We look out for
our clients’ interests by
giving them competitive
pricing, providing the best
service, and ensuring reliable
and good quality products.

And when their businesses
are profitable, they will come
back with repeat orders, and
that will make us profitable,
too.” Talking about issues—
be they production, pricing,
schedules, or shipping—
openly and solving them
together makes a huge differ-
ence as well: “Honest and open communications ensure repeat
customers. Clients are comfortable with us and our services,
and that support means a lot to our longevity and reputation in
the business.”
Persistence, reliability, and partnership are Regent’s hallmarks,
says California-based national sales manager Valerie Harwell.
“This year is our 30th anniversary, and our long-standing reputa-
tion is something that we are really proud of. So, in celebration
of this major milestone, we are planning to produce a revision
our resource book, which serves as a sample of our printing,
binding, and hand work capabilities, and our marketing mate-
rials. Clients can find paper samples, a glossary of industry terms,
a conversion chart, and a variety of stocks and materials used to
create books.” Harwell and her team distributed more than 4,000
copies of the previous version, as “it was very popular among our
clients and within the industry, and we expect the same reception
for the new edition, which is coming out in a few months.”

Trendwise, Harwell sees significant growth in adult coloring books, “which are not difficult to produce at all, and their popularity is not fading any time soon. Overall, we have been fortunate to not be too adversely affected by the West Coast port strike, and our customers remain faithful. Business is not bad, which is encouraging, but we continue to push harder for great quality, better prices, and faster delivery on behalf of our customers.” ;

P r o j e c t S h o w c a s e Beijing Tong Ren Tang annual report

Exposed section-sewn binding is not exactly new, unique, or innovative. But for this particular project it made sense. “First off, the client wanted a strong, specially made thread that was dyed red to match its corporate color,” says Vicky Chan, manager for overseas sales development, whose team has seen projects with exposed section-sewn binding making a comeback in recent months. “The striking color in itself meant we had to be particularly careful with the stitching process. And then the client speci;ed a very unique way of stitching, giving the spine a pattern of its own. The lack of a proper cover means that our production team had to manually separate each copy of the annual report with a piece of paper before applying the glue.”