Steve Giddins · Partner · Perfect Bindery Solutions · The Print Show 2025
Wayne from INKISH is at The Print Show in sunny Birmingham, where he meets Steve Giddings, Managing Director of Perfect Binding Machinery. Steve has been in the printing industry for 60 years, starting out with letterpress, moving into lithography, and then embracing digital technology, which he describes as the most versatile and exciting yet. At this year’s show, he introduces a new piece of digital equipment designed to print images, text, and colours directly onto book edges. The machine was flown in from China just in time for the event, after a long and expensive journey through customs, flights, and visa challenges for the engineers.
Perfect Binding Machinery has been in operation since 2005, following Steve’s earlier venture, Steve Giddings Engineering, which ran from 1988 to 2001. The company specialises in finishing equipment, particularly hardcover book production. Their solutions include perfect binding, three-knife trimming, case making, foiling, board and cloth cutting, and thread sewing. Steve highlights a compact and innovative binder that can handle endpapering and back lining with hot-melt glue, then produce either hardcover or softcover books on demand. In combination with three-knife trimmers, thread sewing, or digital printing, this creates a streamlined, short-run book production line in a relatively small footprint.
Although the UK market has been challenging, with several companies closing down this year, Perfect Binding Machinery continues to serve its customers. Steve notes that, although it hasn’t been easy, the company remains committed to providing solutions that support book production in the UK. Known for his wit and perspective, Steve sums up his lifelong dedication to the trade by saying, “Some people have ink in their blood — I’ve got glue in mine.”
A conversation full of history, humour, and insight into book finishing, filmed live at The Print Show in Birmingham.
Thu September 25th
David Bunker · Director · Compass Business ...
Wayne from INKISH is at The Print Show at the NEC in Birmingham, where he catches up with David Bunker from Compass Business Finance. David has been a familiar face at trade shows for many years, and he shares his thoughts on the lively first day of the show. He explains that Compass is celebrating 20 years in business, having grown from small beginnings into a company that both lends its own money and works with around 25 different lenders to provide flexible financing options for print companies, PSPs, and converters. David highlights that, unlike going directly to a single bank, Compass can match each customer’s needs with the right lender, offering multiple options and solutions tailored to different types of investments. He stresses that it’s not only about securing the best rate but about finding the best commercial option that aligns with a customer’s long-term plans. When discussing how printers typically engage with Compass, David explains that smaller equipment purchases often come through supplier referrals or straightforward finance requests. At the same time, larger, million-pound-plus investments usually involve earlier discussions and long-term planning. Trade shows like The Print Show provide an ideal setting for those conversations to begin. He also discusses how asset depreciation impacts financing options, noting that traditional presses, such as a ten-colour Heidelberg B1, have different financial considerations compared to high-depreciation inkjet devices. To address this, Compass collaborates with initiatives such as the UK Growth Guarantee Scheme, a continuation of government-backed schemes designed to support lending, thereby giving businesses more confidence in financing equipment even during uncertain times. David emphasizes that while the print industry has faced challenges from COVID, rising costs, and market uncertainty, there is still strong momentum for investment and growth. Compass is focused on helping businesses access the right financial products to make those investments possible. A clear and practical conversation about financing in the print industry, recorded live at The Print Show in Birmingham.