Worldwide Printing Solutions has come a long way since its inception as a 'hub and spoke' printing franchise in 1994. In July 2010, the Worldwide name and franchise was acquired by long-established Perth Printer Crystal Print, which now trades under the Worldwide name and services a national network of over 40 Worldwide-branded franchisees.
Worldwide MD Arnold Whiteside with his Heidelberg XL 75-5+L
The Cannington, WA hub covers over 4,000 square metres and is one of the largest printing facilities in Western Australia. It is also one of the most energy-efficient and carbon-neutral print sites, featuring a roof festooned with solar panels, plus more on the ground. Together, they generate over 2.4 gigawatts of clean energy each day and account for approximately 25% of Worldwide Cannington's energy needs.
Aerial view of Worldwide's impressive Cannington, WA hub featuring solar panel energy generation.
Being carbon-neutral is also important at Worldwide. While the ultimate aim is to capture 100% of all fugitive emissions, the inevitable small amount of CO2 that does escape is offset by the purchase of carbon credits in line with the Carbon Reduction Institute's criteria. "Being Green and socially responsible is in our culture," says managing director Arnold Whiteside.
Colour of Highest Importance
Also firmly embedded in Worldwide Cannington's culture is colour excellence, this being assured by completing Mellow Colour ISO 12647-2 Proficient Printer certification for its offset workflow and main production press, a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL75 - 5 colour plus coater. Recently, Worldwide became one of the first printers in Australia to move up to the latest ISO 12647-2:2013 standard.
Worldwide's Arnold Whiteside says: "If we are to maintain our leading position as a trusted print service provider to our 35,000 customers, we had little choice but to upgrade to the latest ISO colour standard. It has proven very satisfying, hitting the right colour every time and with very little waste along the way."
Prepress Manager Laurie Kennedy, checking a proof using the new Techkon SpecroDens.
David Crowther of Colour Graphic Services conducted the training and auditing and supplied a new M1-compliant Techkon SpectroDens instrument for measurement: "As with previous versions, ISO 12647-2:2013 enables us to 'calibrate' an offset press to print within the tolerances of the target values for colour (primaries, CMYK and overprints RGB and 3 colour) and TVI (tone value increase, or dot gain). Worldwide Cannington has achieved excellent results and consistency and, in turn, these benefits are passed on to the many Worldwide franchise outlets across the country who use them as their offset hub.
"Although announced in 2013, the new standard has taken a while to become implemented effectively as uptake of the M1-mode spectrophotometers, new ICC profiles and characterization data sets have taken a while to filter down to real-world production," says Crowther. "The increased use of optical brighteners by paper manufacturers is, however, making adoption of the 2013 standard more necessary for larger print groups who service leading brand customers and used 'ganged-up' printing, such as Worldwide.
"I'd like to congratulate Arnold and his team at Worldwide for their diligence and attention to detail. Once established, maintaining high colour standards is not always easy but in achieving ISO 12647-2:2013, Worldwide is leading the way."
