Print Week articles from April 2008

Print Week archives from April 2008

Williams Lea in running for massive HBOS deal.
April 3, 2008... Williams Lea is understood to be on the verge of signing a massive print, mailing and fulfilment contract worth up to pounds 200m with finance giant HBOS. Due diligence is currently underway on the deal, which is rumoured to be worth...

Heidelberg falls short of target.
April 3, 2008... Heidelberg has issued a profit warning to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange stating that 2007/2008 sales would be 'about 3% lower' than the EUR3.8bn (pounds 3bn) it indicated in its interim results in February. The company blamed the 'difficult...

Met throws out assault claim against Brady.
April 3, 2008... Alito Color Group chairman Terry Brady has been exonerated of the alleged assault on former employee Mark Burnett, which led to his arrest two months ago. Police at east London's Chingford CID, who had been investigating Brady following...

BGP looks east to earn Polish phone book deal.(Benhamgoodheadprint)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Benhamgoodheadprint (BGP) has struck a blow against the eastward migration of UK print by landing a deal to print Polish telephone books. Under the two-year deal, BGP will produce 29 annual telephone directories for European directories...

Corby property and assets sell-off.
April 3, 2008... Assets at the former Quebecor World site in Corby, Northamptonshire, are to be sold off by GVA Grimley following its appointment by the administrator. Ernst & Young appointed the firm on Tuesday (1 April) to handle the disposal of property...

J&G wins Trinity Mirror contract.
April 3, 2008... Print waste specialist J&G Environmental has been awarded a contract to collect waste from newspaper publisher Trinity Mirror. As part of a three-year contract, J&G has a target of cutting Trinity's waste to landfill by up to 20%. J&G...

In brief: Ely to retire.
April 3, 2008... William Pollard managing director Mervyn Ely has announced his retirement. He has been at the Exeter firm for 25 years, starting out as a salesman. Steve Halstead, formerly commercial director at the company, has been appointed acting managing...

In brief: Ultrachem appointment.
April 3, 2008... Ultrachem has appointed Michael Craven as business development manager, following his departure from Litho Supplies. Craven will have responsibility for UV inks and varnishes produced at the firm's Goldeneye site in Bristol

In brief: Edinburgh publishing celebration.
April 3, 2008... Edinburgh celebrated 500 years of printing and publishing in Scotland with a giant book-swapping event on Tuesday (1 April). The free event was backed by a number of Scottish publishers, donating hundreds of books between them. The event was...

In brief: C&R awarded certification.
April 3, 2008... C&R Printing Services, a subsidiary of the Print People Group, has been awarded ISO 14001 certification. The move follows the introduction of a recycling programme and environmental awareness training for all staff, as well as having a Power...

In brief: Webmart's 'Director of the Month'.
April 3, 2008... Webmart managing director Simon Biltcliffe has been named 'Director of the Month' in the March issue of Director magazine, published on behalf of the members of the Institute of Directors. Biltcliffe founded the company in 1997 with pounds...

In brief: Atex and 2AdPro sign agreement.
April 3, 2008... Atex, the pre-press software provider, has signed a sales and marketing agreement with 2AdPro, the on-demand multi-media advertising design and production company. As part of this agreement, Atex will offer the 2AdPro services to print and...

In brief: Fespa acquires imageWorld rights.(ST Media Group International)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Fespa has acquired all rights to the imageWorld event. It will be held in the Centro Banamex in Mexico City and will run between 21-23 August 2008. Fespa bought the rights from ST Media Group International, with the aim of expanding the event...

In brief: 'Solutions for Profit' event.
April 3, 2008... Apex Digital Graphics, the UK distributor for Ryobi presses, has teamed up with fellow suppliers to host a three-day open house next week (8-10 April). The 'Solutions for Profit' event in Hemel Hempstead will feature Ryobi kit, as well as...

New ministry launches tender to group pounds 135m of print buying.
April 3, 2008... Printers are set for a pounds 135m windfall after the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) launched a tender to create a central access point for its print. The Whitehall department, which is headed up by minister Ed Balls,...

Revenues up at St Ives despite market woes.(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... St Ives has posted a 'strong first-half' performance, reporting a pounds 14m increase in revenues despite 'challenging market conditions' in the UK print industry. According to St Ives, the growth was driven by margin increases across the...

Unite representation for Prinovis Liverpool.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Management at gravure supersite Prinovis Liverpool has signed a long-fought-for recognition agreement with trade union Unite. Unite and Prinovis Liverpool's management team signed the draft agreement last Thursday (27 March) after it was...

DM facing more postal misery.
April 3, 2008... More postal strikes are looking a certainty after workers rejected Royal Mail's pension changes. Members of the CWU, the communications union, voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday against changes which include the end of the organisation's...

B&T boss slams Unite over talks stalemate.(Butler and Tanner)(Media & Print Investments)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Mike Dolan has branded Unite's approach as 'backward looking' in a row over negotiations concerning changes to shift patterns at colour book printer Butler & Tanner (B&T). The chairman and chief executive of Media & Print Investments,...

Mystery around Essex print firm.(Masterange Business Services)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Confusion surrounds the situation at digital printer Masterange Business Services in Essex. The company went into administration on 7 March, with insolvency practit- ioner Chantrey Vellacott stepping in. However, Masterange continues...

New rules put employers in driving seat over safety of grey fleet cars.
April 3, 2008... Printers who pay cash alternatives to company cars could face prosecution if staff-owned vehicles are involved in an accident on work business, under new regulations coming into force this month. The Corporate Manslaughter act acknowledges...

Rapid Response flees 'expensive' capital.(Rapid Response Press)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... East London printer Rapid Response Press has moved to a new site outside of the M25. The company had a tumultuous 2007, going into administration and being bought back out again in June. Rapid Response's new site is in Waltham Abbey,...

SMP links with Sun Chemical.(Sun Chemical Ink)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... SMP Group, the large-format specialist, has held a series of forums with ink manufacturer Sun Chemical. The south-east London company looked at print innovations from across the industry and discussed how they could be applied to point of...

UK print facing another Hong Kong competitor.
April 3, 2008... A Hong Kong-based firm has become the latest Chinese printer to set up a sales operation in the UK. Direct Printing has hired Chris Rossi, whose background is in advertising, to develop a UK client base among advertising and design...

Mercia invests in kit and new site.(Mercia Image)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Litho and digital printer Mercia Image has invested almost pounds 1.5m in a new premises and new equipment, reflecting the company's recent growth. Amanda Strong, director at the Derby-based company, said: 'We have wanted to buy our own...

Reader reaction: Is a non-print background good for the print industry?
April 3, 2008... We ask whether recruiting someone from outside print can bring a beneficial fresh perspective. PRINT GROUP - Simon Jones, HR director, Polestar Group 'Recruiting outside of any industry can be rewarding for the business, but it is also...

Indigo eyes pounds 4m sales as it unveils new press.
April 3, 2008... Print and design company Indigo Press brought in former Southampton football coach Lawrie McMenemy to start up its new 10-colour B2 Komori press. The Southampton-based firm has invested pounds 1.1m in the Lithrone S1029P press and the...

WCPC's Claypole wins top industry award.
April 3, 2008... Tim Claypole, director of the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating (WCPC), has become only the fourth person in the UK to be given the Mike H Bruno TAGA Award for outstanding contribution to the international graphic arts industry. The...

Legal notices.
April 3, 2008... 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 LIQUIDATORS About Print Ltd...

Bolton to retire as GF Smith MD.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... GF Smith's managing director Richard Bolton will retire at the end of April after 38 years' service at the independent paper merchant. Bolton spent 11 years as managing director of the Hull-based firm and will continue on the board as...

Put finances in order to avoid credit slowdown, say experts.
April 3, 2008... Experts have warned the print industry to ensure its finances are in check before an anticipated economic slowdown, which will lead to higher borrowing costs and difficulty gaining credit. Simon France, who heads up HSBC's printing...

Refinancing at AbitibiBowater.
April 3, 2008... AbitibiBowater, the largest newsprint maker in North America, has successfully completed a refinancing in spite of the turbulent and difficult market conditions that claimed the scalp of Quebecor World. The company successfully completed a...

CBI growth forecasts lower than Budget figures as crisis continues.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Continuing troubles in the credit markets, rising commodity prices and weak demand have led to the CBI downgrading its growth forecasts for 2009 to 1.7%. The move contrasts with the chancellor's forecast of 2.75% made in last month's...

BPIF reports positive outlook for industry.(British Printing Industries Federation)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Next week's BPIF Directions report of the economic state of the print industry will show efficiency and volume gains have fuelled optimism in the sector despite the general economic downturn. The survey will also confirm printers' costs...

Mitsubishi to show its latest Diamond presses in full flow.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Mitsubishi will exhibit the largest number of printing units it has ever brought to a single event at this year's Drupa. All the Japanese firm's presses are sheetfed models from the new Diamond V3000 series which was first introduced last...

V2 of OA Symbio tool on display.(automation tool Symbio )(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Objective Advantage will launch version 2 of its automation tool Symbio at this year's Drupa, adding improved status tracking and multiple PDF handling. The developer will partner with Duplo and Pageflex at the show to run Symbio V2.0 in a...

CP Bourg's PUR binder to take centre stage.
April 3, 2008... Finishing kit manufacturer CP Bourg is to unveil a raft of new equipment at Drupa, including a PUR glue version of its BB3002 single-clamp binder. The new binder features a fully automatic set-up, an adjustable suction cover feeder and can...

Autobond lines up laminators.
April 3, 2008... Autobond will launch its new Mini 76 TPM perfecting laminator with cross-cutter and showcase a range of laminating kit at Drupa. The manufacturer is also launching its Mini 105 TPHS laminator with Heidelberg feedhead and stacker at the...

Drupa: 8 weeks to go.
April 3, 2008... PrintWeek and printweek.com will be running a series of dedicated news pages and show previews and will be covering all the news on Drupa in the run-up to the show and live during the event. In addition, PrintWeek's German sister title,...

Zebra on growth trail with new services and brace of contracts.(Zebra )(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Zebra announced two new contract wins and the launch of its 'Be Outstanding' campaign to maintain exacting standards in pre-press last night at a customer event held at London's iconic skyscraper The Gherkin. Managing director Simon...

Eco certificate for Altaimage.
April 3, 2008... Altaimage, the pre-press and digital print firm, has been awarded ISO 14001 certification after implementing an environmental management system. The accreditation, which was awarded to the Docklands-based company last month, is fast...

ECRM to demonstrate Mako range of energy-efficient platesetters.
April 3, 2008... ECRM will be pushing its environmental credentials at this year's Drupa, where it will unveil an enhanced product line-up, including the latest versions of its WorkMates workflow and Mako platesetters. The Massachusetts-based firm will...

Agfa, Canon link over Apogee integration.
April 3, 2008... Agfa Graphics has entered into a strategic alliance with Canon Europe to fully integrate Canon's entire Imagepress range with Agfa's new Apogee Suite JDF workflow. The partnership aims to provide Canon digital press users who also have...

Canon offers low-price digital option with ImagePress 6000.
April 3, 2008... Canon has widened its offering for the commercial print market after launching the ImagePress C6000 range. According to Canon European marketing director David Preskett, the machines target users that want the image quality from the...

Epson printer in copy shop aim.
April 3, 2008... Epson is launching a wide-format printer aimed at copy shops, sign shops and printers who want to print high-quality posters for both indoor and outdoor applications. The 1,400dpi Stylus Pro GS6000 made its European market debut at Fespa...

Lightning Source to set up overseas premises to cut publishers' costs.
April 3, 2008... Lightning Source, the international on-demand book printer, is eyeing expansion in the Pacific Rim and Australia as part of its goal to save publishers' warehousing and shipping costs. David Taylor, senior vice president of global sales and...

Boost for personalised DM in marketing poll.
April 3, 2008... Personalised direct mail is among the least irritating forms of marketing, according to a poll. The study, by information technology company Pitney Bowes, found that UK consumers view personalised direct mail only more irritating than TV...

Baumann unveils showroom plans development strategy.(Finishing manufacturer Baumann Group)(Company overview)
April 3, 2008... Finishing manufacturer Baumann Group has said its new guillotine showroom in Solms-Niederbiel will be ready by the beginning of next month. The new facility will be used to showcase machines from both Baumann and its sister company...

GAE in Countron range contract.(Graphic Arts Equipment)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Graphic Arts Equipment (GAE) has been awarded the exclusive UK and Ireland distributorship for the Uchida Countron range of paper counting machines. The manufacturer's kit includes the T-350 A3 desktop and the Countron Twin double-headed...

FM Print gets MBO folder to meet needs of time-sensitive customers.
April 3, 2008... FM Print in Basildon has installed a new MBO folder from UK distributor Friedheim International. The company, which has more than 25 years experience in print, has bought a B26 and coupled it with an A76 mobile stream delivery. FM...

Elanders adds to JDF kit with Horizon SPF200A.(Elanders Hindson Horizon SPF200A)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Automotive and educational booklet printer Elanders Hindson has invested in a new Horizon SPF200A stitch-fold-trim booklet production line from GAE. The pounds 16m-turnover North Tyneside-based firm is currently introducing JDF throughout...

Brown bows out after 33 years at Norske Skog.
April 3, 2008... Norske Skog UK managing director Doug Brown has stepped down after nearly 33 years service at the Norwegian paper manufacturer. Brown retired from the industry on Monday (31 March) having been in the post since 1985. More than 80...

Stora battles through higher costs.(Conference news)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Stora Enso is aiming to become strategically independent of Russian roundwood imported into Finland, the paper giant said at its annual general meeting held on 26 March. Chief executive Jouko Karvinen also appealed to all its stakeholders...

In brief: Sappi Fine Paper appointment.
April 3, 2008... Sappi Fine Paper Europe has appointed a new marketing communications and business development manager. Peter Tielemans, European technical and specification sales manager, took over the position as of 1 April 2008. He is responsible for...

In brief: Smurfit Kappa mill closure.
April 3, 2008... Smurfit Kappa Group will permanently take out 130,000 tonnes of containerboard capacity with the closure of its Valladolid recycled mill in northern Spain in the second quarter of 2008. The manufacturer of paper-based packaging products is...

In brief: IntelliCoat launches PosPro +.
April 3, 2008... IntelliCoat Technologies, the manufacturer and distributor of precision-coated papers, has launched pop-up and roll-up film PosPro + It is available in the UK from CMYUK, the IntelliCoat UK distributor. Ian Turnbull, IntelliCoat UK sales...

In brief: Elliott Baxter appointment.(Guy Whelton )(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Elliott Baxter has appointed Guy Whelton to its Yeovil team with the task of targeting the Plymouth and Exeter area. He has more than 10 years' experience in dealing with printers in this new territory. He said: 'It is so refreshing to be...

In brief: Arctic Silk+ launch.
April 3, 2008... Arctic Paper has launched Arctic Silk+, a white, fully coated paper with high bulk and opacity. Hans Karlander, sales and marketing director, said: 'Our ambition is to be in the forefront and offer excellent products with high quality...

In brief: Fedrigoni swatch launch.(Sirio Color swatch )(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Fedrigoni UK has launched the latest Sirio Color swatch that fully highlights the grades portfolio. It is a range of coloured, embossed and textured paper and boards, with more than 180 different colour, weight and textured options. There are...

Contract update.
April 3, 2008... Xerox Global Services (XGS) has overseen the printing of supermarket chain Morrisons' first regular in-store magazine. Morrisons Magazine will be available in the supermarket's 375 stores with a distribution of 1m copies. The 92pp...

Client audit: Dogs trust.
April 3, 2008... Dogs Trust is an animal welfare charity set up to protect the wellbeing of dogs. The charity was founded in 1891 and is famous for the slogan 'a dog is for life, not just for Christmas'. It now employs 700 staff and has 17 rehoming centres...

Editorial: Keeping the balance tipped in our favour.(Editorial)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... I think it's fair to say that it's been (yet another) a pretty tough year for magazine printers. The terms 'over-capacity' and 'downward price pressure' have been synonymous with the sector - but with names like Graphoprint, Greaves,...

Comment: 19th century print visionaries.
April 3, 2008... Surfacing at the time of the Northern Rock scare was the name Applegarth, belonging to the beleaguered chief executive of the benighted bank. It is an unusual name that brought to mind the work of Augustus Applegath (1788-1871), a resourceful...

Comment: Technically speaking.
April 3, 2008... HP's new 2,600ppm inkjet web spices up a sector set to take Drupa by storm. I remember the first time I saw digital colour print. It was at Ipex in 1994, and I was royally entertained by the presentations. However, the only drawback was...

Profile: NEMC.(Howard Matthews)(Company overview)
April 3, 2008... Matthews turns honesty and resolve into growth, profit and loyal clients. Nemc Group's chief executive is not prepared to compromise on service or quality and it's proving a successful strategy, discovers William Mitting. You have to...

Analysis: Royal warrants - Privileged printers with palace approval.
April 3, 2008... Royal Warrants not only boost reputations, they can also help win business, finds Adam Hooker. To receive a Royal Warrant you have to have served one of the key members of the Royal Family for five years. So it is no surprise that...

League table: Magazine printers - Overcapacity gives way to optimism.
April 3, 2008... Magazine print has had a tumultuous year, with numerous high-profile casualities rocking the sector. But as Philip Chadwick finds out, for those left standing, it provides a bit of breathing space. The magazine print sector has been well...

Product Portfolio: Me & my... OKI C9800.(Product/service evaluation)
April 3, 2008... David Lloyd, director at Naked Marketing, won his largest ever contract thanks to this machine's ability to print multiple high-resolution visuals. - What does the machine do? We use it for short-run digital printing and...

Product Portfolio: Tried & tested - Muller Martini Merit S.(Product/service evaluation)
April 3, 2008... This trimmer pioneered swing cut action and offered the ability to make adjustments as production was taking place, finds Nosmot Gbadamosi. Some companies are brash, preferring to scream from the rooftops about their success, but others are...

Product Portfolio: Buyers' guide - Perfect binders & 3-knife trimmers.(Product/service evaluation)
April 3, 2008... As finishing moves increasingly in-house, automated cold glue binders with a small footprint are in high demand, finds Nosmot Gbadamosi. Binding has never been the sexiest part of print, but it's a market that is constantly changing....

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - Xeikon 8000.(Product/service evaluation)
April 3, 2008... Punch Graphix believes this press will take digital into the long-run market. Philip Chadwick finds it has speed and high-quality in its favour. Punch Graphix has big expectations for Drupa. It feels that it has come of age in the digital...

Product Portfolio: Joanne's help line - Noise reduction & used screens.(Product/service evaluation)
April 3, 2008... Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your print problems. Q: My company is looking to buy a noise reduction system for our small print factory. It's a growing business and visiting customers have commented on our need for one. Do you...

Product Portfolio: Technical tutorial - Weighing paper.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... There are several ways to determine a paper's weight, but none of them is particularly easy or quick. If it's in reels, you'll need to cut some accurate sheets from it; if it's in sheets already, you'll need to know their size. Once you've...

Product Portfolio: Diary.(Calendar)
April 3, 2008... April Carton Conference 2008 Dates: 7-8 April 2008 Venue: Whittlebury Hall, near Silverstone Contact: www.thecartonconference.co.uk The London BOOK FAir Date: 14-16 April Venue: Earls Court, London Price: pounds 25...

EU tenders.
April 3, 2008... 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: Receipt sir? Why not take 3,500 of them.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Receiving a package is normally a pleasant experience, inducing a heady mixture of delight and suspense as you try and guess who has sent you an unexpected present. Not so, however, if that present turns out to be 3,500 receipts for your single...

Post Script: Memory Lane.(briefs)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... ONE YEAR AGO Communisis beat two short-listed firms to win the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' print tender... TPF Group returned to the acquisition trail with the purchase of two former NPM Group companies......

Post Script: Print's Past - Typographica.(Lund Humphries)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... I recently dragged out some old copies of Typographica and was reminded how revolutionary it was. The 1950s saw great change in the printing industry: the transition from letterpress to offset litho, from metal composition to...

Post Script: Q&A - Len Taylor.(Interview)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Len Taylor is area sales manager for MAN Roland GB. Like every good sales person, he attempted to get as much information about his employer into his answers as possible. And, like every good magazine editor, we cut most of it out to give you a...

Paragon bounces back after fire ravages plant.(Paragon Labels)(Brief article)
April 10, 2008... Paragon Labels has made a swift recovery from a fire which destroyed the principal factory at its Spalding, Lincolnshire complex. The plant, which employs more than 100 staff, went up in flames last Wednesday night (2 April), leaving the...

Tangent drops out of TMN bid.(Tangent Communications PLC)(Brief article)
April 10, 2008... Tangent Communications has shelved its takeover bid for fellow AIM-listed e-marketing company TMN. The digital specialist announced on Tuesday that it had decided not to proceed with its proposed 50p a share offer, which TMN had said...

HH lands petrol giant PoS deal.
April 10, 2008... Print management firm HH Associates has tied up a pounds 10m deal to supply point-of-sale material to one of the world's biggest petrol firms. Although the name of the client has not been revealed, HH has said the deal would cover more...

MPI contests 'fraudulent' B&T vote.
April 10, 2008... Media & Print Investments is preparing legal action against Unite in response to what it has branded 'widespread election fraud' by the union during a ballot last week. The move is the latest in an increasingly bitter dispute between chief...

Printing.com to open Australian franchise.
April 10, 2008... Printing.com, the AIM-listed franchise business, is expanding its overseas reach with plans to set up an operation in Australia this year. The company, which runs a printing hub in Manchester and already has operations outside the UK in...