“We used the slower moments of the pandemic to take a long and hard look at our own organisation and visualise the business we really want to be, thereafter we fully initiated the steps required to move us towards the vision we created.”  Comments Nevelle Bower, Innova Art Ltd CEO.

The first step in this direction was to notice that, as we enter our 19th year in business, we have become, an industry leading manufacture of digital fine-art and photographic media with a high-quality sheet and roll converting facility. We recognised that our skills and capabilities could be offered across a much broader digital and imaging media range. Therefore we took the initiative to expand and increase our capabilities in order to offer our experience and services to others just as markets turned their attention to more regional solutions. We added four batch-slitters, a reel-to-reel master roll slitter and a state-of-the-art (semi-automatic) sheeting line with packing processes to our already very capable facility. 

Adding these 6 new machines have increased the production capabilities from 2000 finished rolls per month to 12000, with sheeting and packing potentials up more than 100%. All of this we  achieved while maintaining a strict COViD safety policy with socially-distanced workstations spaced much further apart than the governments required 2m divisions.

We are growing responsibly
The resulting growth in the last quarter of 2020, even though planned and targeted, has created a consequential pressure on the storage space required to hold the increased raw materials and support the through-put of finished goods. So, as part of our forward vision, we have moved forward with the planning permission previously granted to build an additional warehouse at the rear of the main factory. The work is scheduled to begin in August 2021.

The first COViD lockdown in March, through May, in 2020 resulted in some areas of our business experiencing a drop in sales, especially (and significantly) in the retail segments. Nevertheless, we were able to quickly adapt and respond through the vision actioned, securing new business, utilising the production capacity mentioned above, to conclude the financial year with a slight increase in turnover on the previous year. With the retail segments now returning with significant volumes, Innova Art Ltd. is on target to report record growth by the end of this current financial year.

Furthermore, during the pandemic we focussed on our commitment to quality by expanding on an already well established “Lean thinking” and “Lean management” philosophy by working towards, building, and ultimately achieving the prestigious ISO 9001 certification for Innova Art Ltd. https://innovaart.com/iso90012015-certification-for-innova-art/ 

Innova Art takes its social responsibilities seriously, and so in addition to the 100KW solar panel system installed at our production facility to reduce our carbon footprint, Innova Art is committed to supporting a sustainable future for all. In order to bring our attention to the forestry commissions and further our environmental story, Innova Art has undergone FSC-Chain-of-Custody certification for the relevant products and is actively seeking other exercises that will benefit society. https://innovaart.com/archival-and-environmental-standards/

Forward to the Future
Innova Art Ltd. has a progressive attitude, and a hunger to succeed now and in the future. With a fully focussed management team we are able and willing to continually take on the challenges businesses today face with a positive and opportunistic intention. But our vision doesn’t end there, we recognise that the future is always just in front of us and, Innova’s management team is clearly focused on the next steps as we continue to expand and build a future able to realise the potentials ahead of us.

As we move forward into the new ‘normal’, there are exciting new products on the horizon, enhanced customer support and the reintroduction of live trade shows later this year. Our vision for an eco friendly future whilst preserving the beauty and wonder of the printed form in a sustainable way will ensure the printed art form should not be lost.

We have grown up and are striding forward into our future! We hope you will join us….

Natascha Van Niekerk is a fine art photographer based in South Africa, dedicated to capturing the essence of the beauty in her home land. She currently sells her work as a range of products including jewellery and soft furnishings as well as digital fine art prints on paper.

The inspiration

For Natascha it was a natural progression to start selling her photography work in alternative formats; “with digital printing these days the options are quite limitless and I feel the photographic medium lends itself to such a wide range of applications.” A passion for photography and an interest in décor combined to result in the launch of her own range of wallpapers, large format prints and cushions. Alongside this she launched her ‘forest in my heart’ range of nickel free silver jewellery – her contribution to the world of wearable art. To do this Natascha had to learn a whole new set of skills. Each application required research and experimentation to learn the best production methods. She persevered through failed experiments and spent many hours working to turn each desired application into a professional product.

As a result of this Natascha now creates her products through a combination of her own resources and carefully selected external partners.

Finding the perfect team

For her jewellery range, Natascha prints digital fine art images on her own wide format printer and makes each individual piece of jewellery, including pendants, earrings and rings, by hand. She also uses her wide format printer to produce her larger digital fine art prints. Currently she is experimenting with Innova’s own YouTac® Textile product to see if printing her own wallpaper could be a viable option. For her soft furnishing and apparel products she works with a team of people, “the cushions and purses I outsource mostly as I have the fabric printed and then hand it over to seamstresses to do the sewing for me.” To choose this team Natascha developed a process to select the best people for the job. First and foremost was to make sure that the quality produced by external parties matched the quality produced by Natascha herself. This was decided through a series of test prints, pricing did play a role in the selection process but, for Natacha, there is something much more important. “Most importantly for me is how well they communicate and how quick they are to respond to emails etc. I live in a rural area and rely greatly on email communications and couriers to run my business.”

Getting the balance right

Producing her own products by hand is a continual learning curve for Natascha. Taking a different approach to large format digital fine art images was just the start of it, “the greatest key for wallpaper images is to have your print files as large as possible. Also, carefully consider the type of wallpaper, as some mediums will leave your image dull and muted.” She also has to evolve and adapt her portfolio for the applications she uses to sell her work. There are set images for specific products within her library but she also keeps the intended product in mind when she is out shooting images. There is always an element of experimentation in the development of a new product: “Not all images will be able to be applied on the whole range of products, for instance, some images won’t print well on the fabric, others will be too small or too detailed for the jewellery and so forth. This is also a big experiment mostly! I have been convinced that a certain image will work on the fabric range only to receive the printed fabric to great disappointment.”

Finding the balance between creating from an inspired place and producing products for a specific market can be a challenge but this is something that Natascha thrives on. “…it’s totally stimulating…this process can be so much fun, finding the right balance between image and product.” Alongside the creative challenge is the business one, “marketing and actually selling your product… that is a whole different ball game! It’s also a skill set I have to update continually!” The development of the right range for the right market, getting the balance between profit and desirability, is a challenge that any business faces. For Natascha, the variety of her product range achieves this, “the smaller products always sell at a quicker rate, as it is more affordable for a wider range of people. But when the larger pieces sell, it balances out with regards to profit.”

The Future

Any business has to constantly evolve and adapt, for a creative professional that is no different. Natascha has many plans to expand her range of products into a full suite of home décor offerings. The challenge is just to decide which one to do first! “I still want to further branch out my fabric range into linen bedding, curtains and table cloths, make some side tables with my images on top and set in resin, I’m busy designing and developing a sterling silver jewellery range that will feature its own range of images and will be limited edition, printing on ceramics for a full range of crockery and some carpet designs!”

You can see more of Natascha’s work on her website: www.nataschavniekerk.com and on her facebook page

Natascha Van Niekerk is a fine art photographer based in South Africa, dedicated to capturing the essence of the beauty in her home land. She currently sells her work as a range of products including jewellery and soft furnishings as well as digital fine art prints on paper.

The inspiration

For Natascha it was a natural progression to start selling her photography work in alternative formats; “with digital printing these days the options are quite limitless and I feel the photographic medium lends itself to such a wide range of applications.” A passion for photography and an interest in décor combined to result in the launch of her own range of wallpapers, large format prints and cushions. Alongside this she launched her ‘forest in my heart’ range of nickel free silver jewellery – her contribution to the world of wearable art. To do this Natascha had to learn a whole new set of skills. Each application required research and experimentation to learn the best production methods. She persevered through failed experiments and spent many hours working to turn each desired application into a professional product.

As a result of this Natascha now creates her products through a combination of her own resources and carefully selected external partners.

Finding the perfect team

For her jewellery range, Natascha prints digital fine art images on her own wide format printer and makes each individual piece of jewellery, including pendants, earrings and rings, by hand. She also uses her wide format printer to produce her larger digital fine art prints. Currently she is experimenting with Innova’s own YouTac® Textile product to see if printing her own wallpaper could be a viable option. For her soft furnishing and apparel products she works with a team of people, “the cushions and purses I outsource mostly as I have the fabric printed and then hand it over to seamstresses to do the sewing for me.” To choose this team Natascha developed a process to select the best people for the job. First and foremost was to make sure that the quality produced by external parties matched the quality produced by Natascha herself. This was decided through a series of test prints, pricing did play a role in the selection process but, for Natacha, there is something much more important. “Most importantly for me is how well they communicate and how quick they are to respond to emails etc. I live in a rural area and rely greatly on email communications and couriers to run my business.”

Getting the balance right

Producing her own products by hand is a continual learning curve for Natascha. Taking a different approach to large format digital fine art images was just the start of it, “the greatest key for wallpaper images is to have your print files as large as possible. Also, carefully consider the type of wallpaper, as some mediums will leave your image dull and muted.” She also has to evolve and adapt her portfolio for the applications she uses to sell her work. There are set images for specific products within her library but she also keeps the intended product in mind when she is out shooting images. There is always an element of experimentation in the development of a new product: “Not all images will be able to be applied on the whole range of products, for instance, some images won’t print well on the fabric, others will be too small or too detailed for the jewellery and so forth. This is also a big experiment mostly! I have been convinced that a certain image will work on the fabric range only to receive the printed fabric to great disappointment.”

Finding the balance between creating from an inspired place and producing products for a specific market can be a challenge but this is something that Natascha thrives on. “…it’s totally stimulating…this process can be so much fun, finding the right balance between image and product.” Alongside the creative challenge is the business one, “marketing and actually selling your product… that is a whole different ball game! It’s also a skill set I have to update continually!” The development of the right range for the right market, getting the balance between profit and desirability, is a challenge that any business faces. For Natascha, the variety of her product range achieves this, “the smaller products always sell at a quicker rate, as it is more affordable for a wider range of people. But when the larger pieces sell, it balances out with regards to profit.”

The Future

Any business has to constantly evolve and adapt, for a creative professional that is no different. Natascha has many plans to expand her range of products into a full suite of home décor offerings. The challenge is just to decide which one to do first! “I still want to further branch out my fabric range into linen bedding, curtains and table cloths, make some side tables with my images on top and set in resin, I’m busy designing and developing a sterling silver jewellery range that will feature its own range of images and will be limited edition, printing on ceramics for a full range of crockery and some carpet designs!”

You can see more of Natascha’s work on her website: www.nataschavniekerk.com and on her facebook page

Alongside their award winning range of digital fine art and photographic papers, Innova Art will be presenting the latest developments in their image display range at The Photography Show in March.

Users of the Olmec range of resin coated and speciality photo papers will be familiar with the eye catching print finishes that can be achieved with this range. For those that want to take their photography to the next level and begin producing their own line of photo gifts, the JetMaster Photo Panel offers the perfect pairing. Members of the Innova Art team will be on hand every day of the show to demonstrate just how easily a simple resin coated print can be transformed into an elegant, frame free display.

The full range of Innova Fine Art and FibaPrint® Papers will be available for visitors to touch, feel and buy on the stand. Paired with the innovative Pinchbook Photo book, launched at the show last year, professional albums can be created in seconds. Pinchbooks are available in a range of standard sizes, and after high demand, selected sizes are now available in a leather look finish. No tools are needed to create a professional photo book – just standard size prints. When coupled with a paper such as Innova’s Décor Smooth Art Double Sided 220gsm, stunning double page spreads can be created, making any portfolio stand out from the crowd. Pages can also be removed and changed easily – making a Pinchbook Photo Book a long term investment. Try it out yourself on the Innova Art stand at The Photography Show.

The Innova Art canvases have always been a popular choice for the professional artist and photographer looking to create canvas wraps. Now that process is even easier with the GOframe stretching system, also available from Innova. Supplied in lengths ranging from 4” to 60” and at a depth of 1.5” these wooden bars could make outsourcing canvas creation become a thing of the past. GOframe have developed a patented system that rules out the need for specialist skills or tools when creating canvases – no canvas pliers or staple gun required. See how easy the process is by visiting the demo counter on the Innova Art stand, just next to the super stage at The Photography Show 2016.

Brand new to The Photography Show this year is YouTac® Textile, the repositionable and removable printable textile from Innova Art. Create bespoke wall coverings or repositionable digital fine art prints with ease – YouTac® intelligent adhesive makes installation simple to complete. The unique properties of YouTac® adhesive also mean that a print can even be removed from one location and then the same print can be repositioned in a new space – providing the adhesive is kept clean! For owners of a printer with roll format compatibility, the applications are endless. Print small format images and display them as posters, or take full advantage of the 30.5m roll length and tile one image over a large area. Daily print runs of YouTac® Textile Aqueous will be happening on the Innova stand, stop by and pick up a sample for yourself.

The Innova stand will feature work by Mark Playle and David Osborn. All these products and more are available from Fine Art Foto, the Innova Art reseller will be present on the stand at The Photography Show and will have offers to buy on the day or to order for delivery after the show.

To stock up on all your digital fine art and photography print and display media visit stands B1/A1 at The Photography Show, Birmingham NEC, UK, March 19-22 2016, click here to book your ticket.

Alongside their award winning range of digital fine art and photographic papers, Innova Art will be presenting the latest developments in their image display range at The Photography Show in March.

Users of the Olmec range of resin coated and speciality photo papers will be familiar with the eye catching print finishes that can be achieved with this range. For those that want to take their photography to the next level and begin producing their own line of photo gifts, the JetMaster Photo Panel offers the perfect pairing. Members of the Innova Art team will be on hand every day of the show to demonstrate just how easily a simple resin coated print can be transformed into an elegant, frame free display.

The full range of Innova Fine Art and FibaPrint® Papers will be available for visitors to touch, feel and buy on the stand. Paired with the innovative Pinchbook Photo book, launched at the show last year, professional albums can be created in seconds. Pinchbooks are available in a range of standard sizes, and after high demand, selected sizes are now available in a leather look finish. No tools are needed to create a professional photo book – just standard size prints. When coupled with a paper such as Innova’s Décor Smooth Art Double Sided 220gsm, stunning double page spreads can be created, making any portfolio stand out from the crowd. Pages can also be removed and changed easily – making a Pinchbook Photo Book a long term investment. Try it out yourself on the Innova Art stand at The Photography Show.

The Innova Art canvases have always been a popular choice for the professional artist and photographer looking to create canvas wraps. Now that process is even easier with the GOframe stretching system, also available from Innova. Supplied in lengths ranging from 4” to 60” and at a depth of 1.5” these wooden bars could make outsourcing canvas creation become a thing of the past. GOframe have developed a patented system that rules out the need for specialist skills or tools when creating canvases – no canvas pliers or staple gun required. See how easy the process is by visiting the demo counter on the Innova Art stand, just next to the super stage at The Photography Show 2016.

Brand new to The Photography Show this year is YouTac® Textile, the repositionable and removable printable textile from Innova Art. Create bespoke wall coverings or repositionable digital fine art prints with ease – YouTac® intelligent adhesive makes installation simple to complete. The unique properties of YouTac® adhesive also mean that a print can even be removed from one location and then the same print can be repositioned in a new space – providing the adhesive is kept clean! For owners of a printer with roll format compatibility, the applications are endless. Print small format images and display them as posters, or take full advantage of the 30.5m roll length and tile one image over a large area. Daily print runs of YouTac® Textile Aqueous will be happening on the Innova stand, stop by and pick up a sample for yourself.

The Innova stand will feature work by Mark Playle and David Osborn. All these products and more are available from Fine Art Foto, the Innova Art reseller will be present on the stand at The Photography Show and will have offers to buy on the day or to order for delivery after the show.

To stock up on all your digital fine art and photography print and display media visit stands B1/A1 at The Photography Show, Birmingham NEC, UK, March 19-22 2016, click here to book your ticket.

Innova Art distributor Sign-Tronic will be on the FESPA Digital stand to show browsers how quick and easy it is to print the JetMaster Direct Print Photo Wrap décor art system on the Océ Arizona flatbed printer.

The printing accuracy and capacity of the Océ printer, combined with flexible inks formulated by Sign-Tronic means top quality gallery wraps – a product once the preserve of the high-end art market – can be made available in minuets to everyone, whatever their budget.

“We’ll be printing eight at a time of the 12×12″ JetMaster Direct Print Wrap,” promises Adrian Wolman of Sign-Tronic. “The aim is to show how bulk printing of premium prints can be very profitable business. Every visitor to the stand will be able to see for themselves: it isn’t only what you do – it’s the way you do it.”

Reflecting the many ways it can be done – printing more profitably – is Innova Art’s key message at FESPA 2016:

• Look out for the dry lab, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness and flexibility of a digital print suite in combination with Innova Art media and display products, which will be in operation on the stand throughout the exhibition.
• Try your hand with the GOframe canvas stretching system, now transforming the manufacture of gallery wraps. GOframe stretcher bars, supplied in lengths of 4 to 60 inches and a depth of 1.5inches, in combination with the patented GOframe corner kits , provide a streamlined workflow. The canvas is affixed with a super strength, high quality adhesive tape and locked drum tight with unique U-shaped pins. No specialist skills required – the perfect stretched canvas, time after time.
• Pinchbooks Photo Books, one of the biggest successes of FESPA 2015, transforming loose-leaf photographs or prints into hardback books with a simple elegance, will also be on display. PinchBooks are compatible with every type of paper: photo, fine art and laser printed, and are avaialable in two colours (black or taupe) and a range of sizes. Varying the choice of prints is as easy as pulling back the spring clamp cover.

And the success of Innova Art’s range of printable substrates – some of the world’s most highly engineered digital media – in bringing exciting images to scintilating life will also be on display in a special showcase exhibition. Whether your interest is a warm tone, heavily textured traditional art paer, a high-end digital canvas, a bright white photo media or textile media for point-of-sale graphics, look here first. Innova Art always has the stand out substrate.

Don’t miss the Innova Art stand at FESPA Digital 2016: Hall 7, Stand T64.

Click here to register as a visitor for FESPA Digital 2016.

Innova Art distributor Sign-Tronic will be on the FESPA Digital stand to show browsers how quick and easy it is to print the JetMaster Direct Print Photo Wrap décor art system on the Océ Arizona flatbed printer.

The printing accuracy and capacity of the Océ printer, combined with flexible inks formulated by Sign-Tronic means top quality gallery wraps – a product once the preserve of the high-end art market – can be made available in minuets to everyone, whatever their budget.

“We’ll be printing eight at a time of the 12×12″ JetMaster Direct Print Wrap,” promises Adrian Wolman of Sign-Tronic. “The aim is to show how bulk printing of premium prints can be very profitable business. Every visitor to the stand will be able to see for themselves: it isn’t only what you do – it’s the way you do it.”

Reflecting the many ways it can be done – printing more profitably – is Innova Art’s key message at FESPA 2016:

• Look out for the dry lab, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness and flexibility of a digital print suite in combination with Innova Art media and display products, which will be in operation on the stand throughout the exhibition.
• Try your hand with the GOframe canvas stretching system, now transforming the manufacture of gallery wraps. GOframe stretcher bars, supplied in lengths of 4 to 60 inches and a depth of 1.5inches, in combination with the patented GOframe corner kits , provide a streamlined workflow. The canvas is affixed with a super strength, high quality adhesive tape and locked drum tight with unique U-shaped pins. No specialist skills required – the perfect stretched canvas, time after time.
• Pinchbooks Photo Books, one of the biggest successes of FESPA 2015, transforming loose-leaf photographs or prints into hardback books with a simple elegance, will also be on display. PinchBooks are compatible with every type of paper: photo, fine art and laser printed, and are avaialable in two colours (black or taupe) and a range of sizes. Varying the choice of prints is as easy as pulling back the spring clamp cover.

And the success of Innova Art’s range of printable substrates – some of the world’s most highly engineered digital media – in bringing exciting images to scintilating life will also be on display in a special showcase exhibition. Whether your interest is a warm tone, heavily textured traditional art paer, a high-end digital canvas, a bright white photo media or textile media for point-of-sale graphics, look here first. Innova Art always has the stand out substrate.

Don’t miss the Innova Art stand at FESPA Digital 2016: Hall 7, Stand T64.

Click here to register as a visitor for FESPA Digital 2016.