Print Week articles from April 2007

Print Week archives from April 2007

Communisis leads winners in pounds 30m public sector tenders ..
April 5, 2007... Government's faith in outsourced print management was underlined this week with the award of public sector print contracts worth more than pounds 30m. Defra, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has awarded a...

... as pounds 250m government framework kicks off.(Pan Government Collaborative Framework Agreement)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... A public sector framework covering work worth up to pounds 250m per year to UK print kicked off this Monday. Firms involved in the framework, which is being led by the Department for Transport (DfT), will now have the chance to bid for work...

Postal 'zoning' plans unveiled.
April 5, 2007... Details have emerged of Royal Mail's plans to introduce 'zonal pricing' in the UK, with costs set to rise for large mailers in London. The postal operator has applied to regulator Postcomm to put up prices in Greater London and rural areas...

US and China in paper dispute.
April 5, 2007... A trade row has broken out after the United States said that it would impose penalty tariffs on imports of coated paper from China. According to reports, the US has imposed tariffs of between 10%-20% on Chinese manufactured goods, in the...

Stop Press.
April 5, 2007... Xerox has added a DWF file specification support to its Accxes controller. This brings the latest industry format to the Xerox wide-format monochrome range... Esko, the global system integrator for packaging pre-production, has rolled-out...

Prinovis gravure MD to leave after two years.(Bob Robinson quits)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Prinovis's Liverpool gravure supersite is to lose its managing director Bob Robinson just two years after he took on the pounds 115m project. Robinson has decided to move back to the US so he and his wife can be closer to their families...

Southernprint close to sales hire.(Ross Borton quits and Daniel Barnett promoted)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Southernprint has revealed that it is entering into a second round of interviews to find a replacement for sales director Ross Borton. Borton, who left the web-offset printer at the end of March, joined Prinovis as UK sales director. ...

PCP gets in-house perfect binding.
April 5, 2007... Precision Colour Printing (PCP) has invested over pounds 1m to bring its perfect binding work, worth pounds 800,000 a year, in-house at its Telford base. 'We had been outsourcing for a number of years and now we will be a standalone...

Potts Printers officially opens new HQ.(headquarters)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Potts Printers has officially opened its new pounds 4m headquarters and production facility in Cramlington, Northumberland. The Duchess of Northumberland opened the site last Tuesday (27 March). Potts chairman and chief executive Michael...

In brief: Fespa 2007 sells out space.
April 5, 2007... Fespa 2007, the Berlin-based large-format print show, has sold out its exhibition space. More than 600 vendors have signed up to attend the show, which will take place on 5-9 June at Berlin Messe. The show has also recorded an increase of 25%...

In brief: Ancient House Press celebrates.
April 5, 2007... Ancient House Press is celebrating achieving ISO 14001 accreditation in recognition of its commitment to good working practices that minimise impact on the environment. The Ipswich-based company, which employs 128 staff, boasts Argos and the...

In brief: So London closes after three issues.(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... So London, the newly-launched weekly lifestyle magazine targeted at wealthy residents of the capital, has closed after just three issues The title, which was printed by St Ives Plymouth, closed its doors last Wednesday (28 March). It had an...

In brief: William Pollard's hosts GCSE students.
April 5, 2007... William Pollard's, the Exeter sheetfed printer, has hosted a group of GCSE students from St Peter's School. The students visited the company, which has been in operation since 1781, as part of a module on the growth and decline of industry in...

In brief: Komori appoints sales exec for South West.
April 5, 2007... Komori has appointed Colin Hewett as sales executive for the South West. Colin previously worked for rival company Sakurai for more than 11 years, where he covered much of the south of England. Hewett said: 'This is a great opportunity to...

In brief: BFS Pressroom Solutions/Pomeroy Pressroom Products - Clarification.(Correction notice)
April 5, 2007... BFS Pressroom Solutions in Reading sells the Finito underblanket covered in last week's magazine as well as Pomeroy Pressroom Products The two are understood to be the only distributors of the blanket in the UK

TPF Group snaps up NPM direct mail and stationery divisions.
April 5, 2007... TPF Group has returned to the acquisition trail with the purchase out of administration of two former NPM Group companies. NPM Group's three subsidiaries, including the eponymous direct and transactional mail specialist NPM, continuous...

Polestar to split purchasing arm.(Polestar Applied Solutions)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Polestar Applied Solutions, the group's e-procurement arm, has split into two units in a bid to bring a simplified business to the market. The pounds 22m division has divided into Print Services and Technology Solutions, with existing...

April Foogle.(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Google has once again tantalised digital printers with an April Fools' 'launch' of an email print-and-mail service. Gmail Paper promised to print one, 1,000 or 100,000 copies of emails and deliver them for free on what Google described as...

Free PrintWeek ends in 2 weeks.
April 5, 2007... Readers are being urged that time is running out to ensure they continue to receive PrintWeek. The 19 April issue of the magazine will mark the last free copy. From that date, all readers will only be able to receive copies by...

Horner creates role for Arnott.(Neil Arnott)(Horner Brothers Print Group)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Horner Brothers Print Group has appointed Neil Arnott as operations director. Arnott was previously a business consultant at Xerox Global Services (XGS) and will head up the South Yorkshire-based firm's operations team in the new role. ...

LCC receives a helping hand from Duplo as it expands digital suite.
April 5, 2007... London College of Communication (LCC) has opened an expanded digital print room following the installation of a pounds 140,000 finishing set-up. The south-east London-based college's Centre for Creative Digital Printing has installed a...

SMP creates PoP arm to improve clients' profits.(point of purchase)(SMP Group)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Large-format specialist SMP Group has launched an in-store division aimed at giving clients a better understanding of how printed displays can be used in the retail environment. The division, called The Last 4 Feet, is headed up by former...

SMEs to receive free guidance.
April 5, 2007... Small print companies are set to be offered up to four days free business advice from next year. Industry and regions minister Margaret Hodge has announced that the Manufacturing Advisory Service will offer free advice to SME firms from...

Duke Day.(HRH The Duke of York)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... HRH The Duke of York visited Day International's UK chemical production division at Varn House, Manchester, on 27 March. The visit commemorated Day subsidiary Varn's recent achievement of being awarded its fourth Queen's Award for...

Orchard installs 10-colour CD 74.(Orchard Press)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Orchard Press has installed a 10-colour B2 Speedmaster CD 74 and is on track to increase its turnover by 20%. The firm, which specialises in printing catalogues and brochures, installed the press in December due to demand from customers for...

Sun Chemical's sales rejigged.(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Ink and consumables giant Sun Chemical has revamped its sheetfed commercial sales presence to enhance its customer service. The firm said the changes were a response to demand for quick response and delivery in the sheetfed commercial print...

Quebecor, KBA seek to boost Compacta speed.
April 5, 2007... Quebecor World is working with KBA to boost the maximum output speed of its Compacta 818 72pp commercial web press. News of the joint endeavour follows the announcement that the first of two KBA Compacta presses to be installed at...

Reader reaction: What was your best - or worse - April Fools?(Letter to the editor)
April 5, 2007... KIT SUPPLIER - MARY BUCK, GUK CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER, M PARTNERS 'I worked at a journal printer and there was this guy who was meticulous about job specs. He had to deal with this particularly difficult customer who kept on changing...

Vintage press closes as paper moves to Trinity.
April 5, 2007... One of the UK's oldest newspaper presses is to close in June after the Oldham Evening Chronicle decided to move production to Trinity Mirror's site in the town. The newspapers' proprietor, Hirst, Kidd and Rennie, has said that the press,...

TLG boosts green efforts with FSC.
April 5, 2007... Direct mail specialist The Lettershop Group (TLG) has increased its environmental efforts after gaining FSC accreditation. The Leeds-based firm, which has turnover of around pounds 32m, has also introduced a scheme to cut down on window...

Commandante Derek.(Augustus Martin Ltd. prints flag for Charlton Athletic game)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Augustus Martin has printed the latest giant flag to be used at a Charlton Athletic game at the Valley. The 18x18m flag was printed in eight sections by the east London large-format firm, hand-stitched, then hemmed at the edges. The flag, which...

Legal Notices.
April 5, 2007... This information is extracted from the print- and publishing-related notices that appear in the London Gazette. Further Information is available from its website at www.gazettes-online.co.uk. APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATORS George Street...

B2B1 picks Fuji's Luxel to bring repro in-house.(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Packaging and commercial printer B2B1 Print Solutions has invested pounds 200,000 in equipment and personnel following a decision to bring pre-press in-house. The centrepiece of the new department is a Fuji Luxel T-9000 thermal...

Agfa and Epson pool proofing kit.
April 5, 2007... Pre-media giant Agfa and proofer manufacturer Epson have linked up their products to produce a fully integrated proofing package. The two firms will co-market and co-brand Epson's Stylus Pro range of large-format printers and UltraChrome K3...

Delta upgrades colour control kit.(ImageControl spectrophotometer used in Delta Print and Packaging)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Delta Print & Packaging is investing in new equipment and staff training designed to enable closed-loop digital colour management at its Belfast site. The firm's latest purchase is a Heidelberg Prinect ImageControl spectrophotometer, which...

Flowman develops new version of software.
April 5, 2007... Flowman, the newspaper workflow supplier, has developed a new version of its Flowman InkOptimizer software. The new design includes two new features, Super GCR and Black is Black. Super GCR generates effective achromatic under-colour removal in...

Serendipity to debut upgraded Blackmagic v3.4.(Serendipity Software Proprietary Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Serendipity is to debut its upgraded Blackmagic v3.4 softproofing tools at this year's Northprint event in Harrogate. Key features of the new technology include an ink key viewer, reverse page viewing with transparent control, paper background...

XChange International releases extensions for QuarkXpress 7.1.
April 5, 2007... XChange International has released seven extensions for QuarkXpress 7.1. The plug-ins include Bookletizer, Art Gallery XT, Crops XT, FlexScale Resize, Nametag and GridMaster. The new extensions are available for download from www.xchangeuk.com

Esko promotes Dieter Janout.
April 5, 2007... Esko has promoted Dieter Janout to the position of director of brand owners and major accounts group for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Armand Gougay, vice president for sales and marketing, said: 'Dieter is a valued member of...

Fujifilm Graphic Systems reports revenue growth.(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Fujifilm Graphic Systems UK has reported a 10% year-on-year revenue growth for 2006 in comparison with 2005. Fujifilm said that sales of its CTP plates were considerably outperforming market growth, thanks in part to the successful roll-out of...

HighWater Designs installs Python in Yakutsk.
April 5, 2007... HighWater Designs has installed one of its Python platesetters at 'the coldest city on earth'. CMYK, a printer in the Siberian city of Yakutsk, installed the machine despite temperatures in the city in January averaging -43 degC

Extensis releases free plug-ins.
April 5, 2007... Extensis has released free plug-ins to provide advanced font activation and deactivation for Adobe InDesign and Illustrator CS3 documents. The plug-ins ensure that when users open an InDesign or Illustrator project, the exact fonts are...

Hamillroad Software releases FirstProff v4.0.
April 5, 2007... Hamillroad Software has updated its soft proofing workflow with the release of FirstProof v4.0. The product is designed to be used with a Harlequin or TIFF RIP. Among the improvements is the inclusion of a duplex view tool, which allows the...

Zund to exhibit at Sign UK expo.(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Wide-format press manufacturer Zund is to exhibit at next month's Sign UK, through its distributor Planet Digital. The UK distributor for the Swiss firm will show the flagship UVjet 250 The machine was relaunched in December and new...

Canon hosts talks on digital at Northprint.(Canon UK Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Canon UK is to run a series of seminars at this month's Northprint aimed at helping customers make digital printing profitable. The programme, 'See Digital Differently', includes a range of speakers to talk about how digital technology can...

Doc Solutions is sold to brothers.
April 5, 2007... Xerox concessionaire Document Solutions is under new ownership after two directors at the firm staged a management buyout. The Bradford-based firm distributes Xerox printers, multifunction devices and copiers and was previously owned by...

Duplo launches presses for commercial sector.
April 5, 2007... Duplo International has set its sights on the commercial print market after launching two single-colour digital machines. The DP-S850 and DP-S550 print 150 A3 pages a minute and target commercial firms and inplants. The presses can produce...

Digital Screenprint.(installation of Punch Graphix UK's Xeikon 330 at CS Creative Screenprint)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... CS Creative Screenprint has moved into digital printing with the installation of a Xeikon 330 label press from Punch Graphix UK. The new machine, bought as part of a pounds 400,000 investment, comes with inline finishing capabilities. Creative...

S&G buys latest Stahlfolders.
April 5, 2007... Magazine and commercial printer Stephens & George (S&G) has invested in two Heidelberg Stahlfolders. The Welsh firm now has a folding line-up of 12 units, including eight Stahlfolders. It runs one B2, one B3 and 10 B1 folders. S&G...

APG to save pounds 10k per month after bringing its finishing in-house.(APG Visual Colour installs Horizon Stitchliner from Graphic Arts Equipment)(Horizon Stitchliner saddlestitching system)
April 5, 2007... Sheetfed magazine specialist APG Visual Colour has installed a new Horizon Stitchliner, supplied by Graphic Arts Equipment. The move has allowed the Stockport company to eradicate the need for outsourced finishing, and technical director...

Perfect launches host of DGR and Inatec kit.(Perfect Bindery Solutions)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Perfect Bindery Solutions is to launch a host of new machinery at this years' Northprint in Harrogate. The Oxfordshire-based firm will exhibit equipment from Inatec and DGR. Products on show will include the DGR KM40 Automated Binding...

GI Direct boosts capacity with second Leicester mailing site.
April 5, 2007... GI Solutions Group's direct mail division has set up a new mailing centre as part of a major investment that will double the company's enclosing capacity. The new 2,000m2 facility, situated close to GI Direct's main Leicester site, is...

HSP merges its 12 sales branches into just six.(Howard Smith Paper)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Howard Smith Paper (HSP) is to merge its 12 branches into six as part of a restructuring programme over the coming months. The sales operations will be condensed into a network of six regional sales centres, which will each be headed up by...

McNaughton 1st to join CR Group.
April 5, 2007... James McNaughton Group has become the print and paper sector's first member of the Corporate Responsibility Group (CRG). McNaughton's membership was based on the merchant demonstrating its social, ethical and environmental commitment. ...

UPM fails to raise price of magazine papers.
April 5, 2007... Scandinavian paper manufacturer UPM has failed to raise prices for its magazine papers, blaming the market situation, but has achieved increases in other grades. President and chief executive Jussi Pesonen gave the rundown at the firm's...

PaperCo adds Ensocoat to range.
April 5, 2007... PaperCo has added Ensocoat to its range of products for the graphical sector. It is available in weights of 170gsm to 380gsm, and callipers of 190 micron to 495 micron. It has been used as the cover material for the merchant's product...

Access Paper awarded FSC & PEFC Chain of Custody certification.(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Access Paper in Dartford has been awarded FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody certification. Managing director Alan Mitchell said it had always been the intention to source from mills holding either certification, ensuring paper is sourced from...

Stora Enso announces closure schedule.
April 5, 2007... Stora Enso has announced the closure schedule for its Netherlands-based Berghuizer Mill. Paper machine 7 will cease production on 16 April and paper machine 8 on 31 October. Furthermore, Stora Enso's board of directors has appointed Hannu...

Arjowiggins to promote Eural range.(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Arjowiggins will now manage and promote its Eural range of papers through its new Graphic & Communication Products structure. This is in line with its recent sales restructure. Eural is a 100% recovered consumer fibre coated paper made at Le...

Fedrigoni introduces Stucco collection.
April 5, 2007... Fedrigoni has introduced the Stucco collection to its range of products. It is an uncoated range of specialist papers, which, the company said, prints and performs like a coated grade

Tullis Russell adds Cypher to portfolio.
April 5, 2007... Tullis Russell has added Cypher to its FSC-accredited portfolio Cypher is available in a bright smooth finish, from 100gsm to 400gsm. Product manager for uncoated papers Shona Birrell said: 'We are a prime example of a company that is growing...

Contract update.(MPG Group prints a wedding magazine)(Clarity Gazebo Corp. to print medical documents for Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust)(Southernprint prints customer magazines for Royal Bank of Scotland)
April 5, 2007... Chessington-based MPG Impressions has printed a new county-based wedding magazine titled Your Herts & Beds Wedding. Published bi-monthly, the 96pp title has an initial print run of 6,000. It will be distributed across Hertfordshire and...

Client Audit: Mencap.(Organization overview)
April 5, 2007... One of the UK's largest charities, Mencap is a leading learning disabilities charity and is this year celebrating its 60th anniversary It campaigns for equal rights and greater opportunities for those with learning disabilities, and works to...

Editorial: Words saviour of print in battle of the e-zines.(Editorial)
April 5, 2007... The rise of the e-zine (electronic magazine to the uninitiated) is perceived as the latest threat to the already battered and bruised magazine sector. As highlighted in our 'Printed mags on the line' league table feature (page 31-34), the...

Comment: Demand for designers will not die.(graphic designers)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... If pressed to identify the two most glamorous occupations in the graphic arts, I would be inclined to nominate those of a designer and of a salesman. Nonetheless some recent statements in PrintWeek have occasioned pause for thought. One...

Comment: Technically speaking - Oce pins its future on duplex press that grows as user's colour needs develop.(Oce introduces VarioStream 9240 printer )
April 5, 2007... As PrintWeek reported last month, Oce held its annual open house in Poing, near Munich in Germany. Oce's customers and prospects from around the world attended to see the latest developments from the company and its partners. Oce claims to...

Analysis: Profile - Alpha Media Solutions.
April 5, 2007... Specialist finishing firm uses benefit of experience to plot future growth. As AMS celebrates its first birthday, its directors tell Adam Hooker why it is not 'just another finishing firm'. Last month marked the one-year anniversary of...

Analysis: Consolidation - Merging appears to be good for margins.(British Printing Industries Federation)(corporate buyouts help increase profitability margins)
April 5, 2007... But starting from such a low base means sector is unlikely to rejoice just yet. Last week, the BPIF's quarterly Directions report offered, on the face of it at least, some cheer for the industry (PrintWeek, 29 March). Margins were...

Magazine Printers: League Table - Printed mags on the line.
April 5, 2007... Magazine publishing has turned a corner with the introduction of online-only titles, but e-zines don't spell the end of the printed word, reports Simon Nias. Known to Private Eye readers as 'The Hasbeano' and 'The Spectacularlyboring', The...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - Oce VarioPrint 6250.(Product/service evaluation)
April 5, 2007... Oce's duplex digital press boasts top-tier speed with highly accurate front-to-back registration. The name of the game now in cut-sheet mono digital printing is speed - pure and simple. The various arguments over quality and range of...

Product Portfolio: Me & My ... Encode AMS.(The Facilities Group)
April 5, 2007... Rebecca Jacob, director of marketing resource management at The Facilities Group, can offer added value to clients with this configurable software tool. - What does it do? The Encode software accommodates all communication and...

Product Portfolio: Tried & Tested - Theisen & Bonitz QSM 303.(Product/service evaluation)
April 5, 2007... This machine is all about precision; the stitcher doesn't deviate from the fold line and the trimmer is accurate to within 0.1mm, finds Lisa Berwin. Theisen & Bonitz stitching, folding, and trimming machines were first made in 1985, just...

Product Portfolio - Buyers' Guide - Perfect binders & 3-knife trimmers.(Product/service evaluation)
April 5, 2007... As more printers bring finishing in-house, perfect binders are becoming standard kit, while PUR glue tackles even tricky papers, says Lisa Berwin. It used to be the case that only specialist trade finishers would invest in perfect binders....

Product Portfolio: Joanne's Help Line - Spanish sheetfed and print titles.(Column)
April 5, 2007... Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q: I work for an international firm and one of my duties is to find out information related to our industry. Printweek.com has been of great help. However, I am looking...

Product Portfolio: Technical Tutorial - Paper and folding.(improving efficiency paper folding machines)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... The nature and strength of paper can have a significant effect on its folding capability. A frequently asked question is: when does paper need to be pre-creased? This will depend on the characteristics of the paper, as well as the layout and...

Product Portfolio: Diary.(Brief article)(Calendar)
April 5, 2007... APRIL International Colloquium on Integrated Manufacture by Printing Date: 23-24 April Venue: Gregynog Hall Newtown, Powys Price: pounds 50-pounds 150 Contact: c.a.hammett@swansea.ac.uk Northprint 2007 Date: 24-26 April Venue:...

EU Tenders.
April 5, 2007... Please read the important notes below as PrintWeek cannot supply any additional information or pass on your details. These tenders are abridged. It is essential that you obtain a full copy of the tender before contacting any of the...

Post Script: Favre fraud does US printer no favours.
April 5, 2007... Print was never supposed to be a punishment - until now. It seems that stateside, free print jobs can now be a sentence for the industry's less honest operators. Paul Vidani, the owner of a print firm in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, was last...

Post Script: Memory Lane.
April 5, 2007... 1 YEAR AGO: Fulmar accepted a takeover offer from French book group CPI, which valued the company at pounds 33m... On the first day of Ipex 2006, Agfa announced that it had won a 10-year pre-press outsourcing deal for News International, worth...

Post Script: Print's Past - IBM's iconic logo.
April 5, 2007... For better or for worse, most company logos become embedded into the collective consciousness. Some of the most successful logos are basically simple, unambiguous typographic renditions of the company name. Take IBM for example. It was...

Post Script: Q&A - Tony Scott.(Interview)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Tony Scott is business unit director at North West Paper. Aged 38, he is married and has a six-year-old son, Oliver. Tony has 20 years' experience in the print industry with PaperCo. His hobbies include football, golf, and travel. Family man...

Top PLCs urge investors to drop printed R&As and move online.
April 12, 2007... Some of the UK's biggest PLCs are turning their backs on printed reports and accounts (R&A), with several urging their shareholders to read them electronically. Companies including Legal & General, Royal Bank of Scotland, Prudential and...

Royal Mail and TNT Post reported to shed jobs.
April 12, 2007... Turmoil in the postal market was again underlined this week when two major players were linked with big redundancy plans. Around 30% of jobs in Royal Mail's letters division are reportedly under threat. Although the firm refused to...

Greens say jobs were not at risk.(Nicholas Green)(failure of takeover bid)(Brief article)
April 12, 2007... Nicholas Green, joint chief executive at Tangent Communications, has denied a report in the Sunday Telegraph that he and brother Tim Green almost lost their jobs after his company's audacious but failed takeover bid for St Ives. He said:...