Sophie Matthews-Paul, the veteran print technology and communications consultant, has died at her home in Herefordshire, UK. Diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in January of this year and given a six-month prognosis, Sophie enjoyed a peaceful departure, in the presence of her son, James, and her three cats. She was 68 years old.
The curriculum vitae of Sophie Matthews-Paul reads like a register of the printing industry’s largest and most specialised organizations. Originally a journalist and editor of a number of trade publications, Sophie launched Screen and Digital Printer in the 1990s before contributing to a number of other titles, from PrintWeek to Output, Image (Australia) to Large Format (Germany).
Over the last three decades she acquired a wealth of knowledge about the digitization of the industry, becoming an instrumental influencer in the evolution of digital ink-jet’s role within the fields of wide-format, textile and industrial print. A renowned international speaker, Sophie was also a mentor to many, both officially and unofficially, and is often credited as the midwife of the modern industry. Alongside this eminent career, Sophie’s diverse passions included photography, aviation and chicken-keeping.
“Sophie’s extraordinary charm and intellect left an indelible mark on the lives, careers and hearts of everyone she knew,” says James Matthews-Paul. “A potent and effusive life force has gone from the world, but I know she would want each of her friends and colleagues to remember her inimitable spirit with a smile.”
