Say What? A quick word with Steve Wenlock of Flexpress

How was it when you started to print litho?

I felt I was at a disadvantage against people with print experience, but then started using Silvermaster plates. Being open to anything that saved time and effort is an advantage.

How did you think in the early days?

We used to like getting a job with a Pantone special colour as we could charge more. Now we realise that the time we would spend on washing up, we would not be finishing anything. That hour is lost to guillotines or booklet makers. It took a while to realise that not all work is good work.

When you looked at your customer base, what did you find?

We had assumed that trade printing was the enemy, but when we filtered the customers, it wasn’t. We realised we might be on to something.

Does this not mean being all things to all people?

I had read about the need for diversification. We did the opposite, by becoming more specialised and expert in certain products.