One of the saddest business closures we have had to report is the liquidation of Zetland, Sydney premium Photobook producer Momento Pro. Its work was superb and many top professtional photographers only ever trusted their collections to Momento Pro. Their bindings were legendary too, works of art in their own right.

Click to see Youtube video of Momento Pro's Benny-award winning edition

MomentoPro logo Momento Pro won awards galore for its fine print work, mostly performed on specially colour-managed HP Indigo machines with Mellow Colour (David Crowther's Colour Graphic Services) precise calibration and profiling, and Epson 11 - colour wide formats.

For example, on winning a Prinovation award in 2013, for the book 52 Suburbs Around the World, the judges comments were: " So many wonderful entries in this category, the judges considered this piece a definite standout," adding: “The entrant has extended the bounds of what is possible when magnificent digital print and creative finishing meet.”

As recently as the 2021 National Print Awards, Momento Pro took out Gold for the category Limited Editions. Renowned on the global stage Momento Pro won best photobook at the 2019 USA Bennys awards for Peter Eastway's collectors' limited edition entitled: Middlehurst | Middle Earth, printed on an Epson wide format printer. (see video above)

Momento GeoffHunt with AwardsIn happier times - Momento Pro Director Geoff Hunt with some of his many Awards

Momento Pro’s dedication to premium colour quality for professional photographers reaped rewards both commercially and in peer recognition. At the 2019 National Print Awards, Director Geoff Hunt was able to collect two Gold Awards; the Fuji Xerox Award for Most Effective Use of Digital Printing and also the Digital Printing – Inkjet category. At the NZ Pride in Print Awards, they collected no fewer than seven Golds. In all, since 2010, Momento Pro collected over 30 Gold awards in state, national and regional competitions plus a host of silver and bronzes.Momento GeoffHunt with Indigo7600Momento Pro's Geoff Hunt with his finely-tuned HP Indigo7600

In an emotional facebook message to his customers, Geoff Hunt posted:

"It was with a heavy heart that, after 20 years of printing photos and forming friendships in the ANZ photo community, we closed our doors last Friday (17th May).
Despite every effort to keep the business alive, economic conditions of the last few years sealed our fate.
If you have a current order or outstanding business with Momento Pro, please contact PKF Liquidators on 02 8346 6000.
We sincerely appreciate the support you showed us along the way, and loved helping you preserve photo memories.
While we will no longer be around, our books and albums will stand the test of time, and this gives us much comfort. Our parting wish is that you continue to print photos, and to support local and small businesses wherever you can.
We also wish you much health and happiness, at work and play. A heartfelt farewell from Libby, Geoff, James, and the whole Momento team."
 
Farewell Momento Pro - you were the best-of-best. A burning question for the policy-makers in Canberra must be "Why are so many top quality small businesses like Momento Pro failing?" We don't need political bullsh#t excuses and newspeak - this nation needs policy-leadership action and it needs it now. Either take this action or get out of the way and call an election NOW! (Publisher Andy McCourt's opinion only).
 
A sad, sad, sad day for our industry.

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