Print Week articles from August 2008

Print Week archives from August 2008

Administrators called in at Reed as potential site deal collapses.(Reed Print & Design )
August 29, 2008... Reed Print & Design has gone into administration following the collapse of a deal to sell its factory, putting the jobs of the company's 148 staff on the line. Administrators from PricewaterhouseCoopers were appointed to the Washington,...

Fall in games demand hits Edward Thompson.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Falling demand for paper bingo and newspaper games has led Edward Thompson to announce it could shed more than 20 jobs. The Sunderland-based group, which made a pounds 1.5m profit on pounds 20.5m sales in 2007, is yet to confirm the exact...

Government tenders site attracts criticism.
August 29, 2008... A government tenders website that charges up to pounds 750 for annual membership has faced renewed criticism from printers and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Supply2.gov.uk, a UK public sector site set up for businesses to...

Curtis makes further 28 job cuts.
August 29, 2008... An additional 28 staff at Curtis Fine Papers have been made redundant following the independent paper manufacturer's fall into administration last month. Last Friday (22 August), 16 employees joined 12 other staff members who had been...

Sun unveils second ink price rise.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Sun Chemical has dealt UK printers another blow after it announced a 5-20% price hike for commercial and packaging inks. The increases will be implemented immediately and follow on from an increase of between 10-20% as of 1 August for the...

Appointment at Sefas Innovation.
August 29, 2008... Sefas Innovation, a document software specialist, has added to its UK team with the appointment of Nick Dempsey as business development manager. Dempsey will be charged with strengthening relationships with clients and partners in the UK, as...

Appointment at Richard Edward.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Richard Edward has promoted John Slayford and Richard Douglas to director level. Slayford becomes operations director, while Douglas has been appointed as sales director. Louisa Moger, marketing director, said: 'John and Richard, quite aside...

Printers Superstore hosts open house event.
August 29, 2008... Printers Superstore is hosting an open house event at its new Leeds headquarters. The event, on Wednesday 10 September, is themed 'The future of B3 offset' and will give UK printers the opportunity to see the Sanxin YK524 four-colour...

Emmersons raises funds for Warwick Hospital.
August 29, 2008... Emmersons, based in Kenilworth, has raised pounds 1,000 for the children's ward at Warwick Hospital. Two directors of the company, John and Jamie Emmerson, led a team of seven staff to complete the 10km Two Castles Run in June

Calver Press goes voluntary liquidation.
August 29, 2008... Calver Press went into voluntary liquidation last Friday (22 August), with the loss of six jobs. The Ipswich-based commercial printer, founded in 1865, was forced to close due to the rise in home and office-based printing of products such as...

M Partners gains certifications.
August 29, 2008... M Partners, the Hackbridge, Surrey-based GUK and Steinemann distributor, has gained ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications. Mary Buck, customer service manager, received the award with Mark Stribley, joint managing director. Murray Lock, joint...

Printers' Charitable Corporation engages Manor Creative.
August 29, 2008... The Printers' Charitable Corporation (PCC) has engaged Manor Creative to handle its branding, design, print, trade and consumer PR, DM and digital strategy. Manor Creative was awarded the contract following a three-way pitch involving two...

Gruner + Jahr, emerges as bidder for RBI.
August 29, 2008... Gruner + Jahr, Bertelsmann's publishing subsidiary, has emerged as a bidder for Reed Elsevier's B2B division, Reed Business Information (RBI). It is valued at around pounds 1bn and second-round bidding is expected to conclude in the next few...

Heanorgate fails to find a buyer as Buxton looks at assets deal.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Heanorgate could close its doors for the last time today, (Friday 29 August) barring an improbable eleventh hour rescue bid, after administrator Grant Thornton admitted a sale as a going concern was 'unlikely'. Joint administrator John...

BPMG bought out by Duncan Print Group.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... BPMG, the Buckinghamshire-based printer, has been bought out of administration by Duncan Print Group. Administrators Geoffrey Rowley and Simon Elliott of Vantis were appointed to BPMG on 7 August, according to records filed at Companies...

Top firms wanted.
August 29, 2008... Research is underway for this year's PrintWeek Top 500. We have teamed up with Grant Thornton to compile the industry's most anticipated survey. To ensure we have up-to-date information on your firm, please send in your latest audited...

Domino buys up inkjet rival APS.
August 29, 2008... Inkjet technology manufacturer Domino Printing Sciences has 'added another string to its bow' after completing the EUR15.2m (pounds 12.1m) acquisition of thermal inkjet manufacturer Alternative Printing Services (APS). The deal for 95%...

Impress, Eaton merger forms 'one-shop shop'.(Impress Digital has merged with local rival Eaton Press Print )(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Impress Digital has merged with local rival Eaton Press Print to create the Icon Print Group, a single service point for both digital and litho print with a turnover of almost pounds 2m. The merger between the two Liverpool-based printers...

Coors contract for Williams Lea.
August 29, 2008... Williams Lea has won a contract from Coors Brewers to help the beer company cut its costs and manage its point-of-sale print spend in the UK. The seven-figure, three-year deal commences on 1 October and follows a review by the brewery of...

Raiseprint and Millprint merge to reduce costs and expand markets.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... West Yorkshire-based printers Raiseprint and Millprint have merged operations to make cost-savings and diversify into new markets. Raiseprint, which specialises in the leaflet and stationery market, and Millprint, which focuses on print...

Website takes on more ex-Graphoprint staff.
August 29, 2008... A number of senior ex-Graphoprint staff have been taken on at The Website (Leeds), just over a year after the North Wales-based web offset printer went into administration. Former production manager Harry Gould has joined as production...

Recycling boost for Yellow Pages.
August 29, 2008... Newsprint manufacturer Aylesford Newsprint is to reprocess old Yellow Pages directories for the first time, after Yell Group made improvements to the directory's manufacturing process. Aylesford Newsprint recycling operations manager...

Bell & Bain takes litho option for book covers.
August 29, 2008... Short-run book printer Bell & Bain has invested in Heidelberg's Anicolor short-run litho technology for its book covers, shunning digital. The Glasgow-based printer, which specialises in business, educational, technical, scientific and...

Prices increase for quick print.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Inflationary pressure has pushed up prices in the quick-print sector for the first time in almost 10 years, according to independent research conducted by Storecheckers. The research, the fourth time that franchise group Printing.com has...

Reader Reaction: Should less time be spent on health and safety issues?
August 29, 2008... After a report suggested small businesses cut time spent on health and safety, we ask your views. - Digital Printer Bob Whitaker, chairman, Gemini Digital Colour 'Reducing the time spent on health and safety just doesn't make...

Legal Notices.(Public notice)
August 29, 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 ADMINISTRATORS Eldram Ltd [NP...

BAPC announces 2008 conference speakers.(British Association for Print and Communication)(Conference news)(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... The BAPC has unveiled the speakers for its 2008 conference, which according to the industry body is its strongest line-up yet. Speakers at the November event include high-profile environmentalist Oliver Heath; Tony Travers, director of...

Colourstream ups efficiency.(PitStop digital)(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Colourstream Litho in Derby has bought a PitStop digital creaser and perforator to increase its efficiency on short-run print jobs. The machine, installed online with a MB38 folder with deep-file feeder, cost pounds 45,000, according to...

East Sussex town opts to print own currency.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Lewes, the East Sussex market town, is to start printing its own money in a bid to support local businesses and stem the flow of wealth leaving the area. The printing contract has been awarded to Totnes-based firm Colour Works, which...

Xaar in takeover speculation as share price hit by turnover drop.
August 29, 2008... Inkjet printhead developer Xaar could be a takeover target following a fall in its share price on the back of lower than expected results. Its shares fell to 107p last week following the release of its interim results, which saw...

Oce purchases printer Epcot.
August 29, 2008... Digital press manufacturer Oce has strengthened its digital wide-format division with the acquisition of Scandinavian digital kit reseller Epcot. The move bolsters Oce's position in Scandinavia, where it already employs 425 people in its...

SMEs suffering from quick billing and slow payment, says research.
August 29, 2008... UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are under pressure from suppliers billing quicker, coupled with fewer customers paying within agreed payment terms, according to a study. HSBC's survey of senior decision makers at 596 SMEs...

Quebecor makes loss on Euro division sale.
August 29, 2008... Struggling print giant Quebecor World has unveiled massive losses on the sale of its European division. In June, the company completed the sale of its European arm to Dutch investment company HHBV, which generated cash proceeds of dollars...

X-Rite shares and pension deals raise dollars 175m to slash dollars 411m debt.
August 29, 2008... The founders of US-based pre-press giant X-Rite are to sell part of the business, as well as surrendering or selling their own life insurance policies, as part of a bid to reduce the company's debts. X-Rite aims to plough more than...

Roland rolls out VersaWorks RIP v2.7 as free customer download.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Roland DG has launched version 2.7 of its VersaWorks RIP and colour-management software, which is available as a free download to existing Roland customers. The latest version of the software features a new single-pass white ink print...

Enfocus to host free seminars.
August 29, 2008... Crossroads, an initiative set up by Enfocus 'to promote automated and efficient best-in-class bespoke pre-media workflows', is launching a series of free-to-attend seminars in the UK. The events will be held in London, Bristol and...

Hiflex MIS earns CIP4 and PIA/GATF award.
August 29, 2008... Hiflex's MIS has been JDF-certified by CIP4 and Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF). JDF accreditation means that software complies with CIP4's guidelines for interoperability and will receive a...

Wincanton Print ends pounds 2m kit spend with Konica Bizhub Pro.
August 29, 2008... Wincanton Print has made its digital debut with an investment in a Konica Minolta Bizhub Pro c6500e following a surge in demand for digitally-printed work. The installation completes a pounds 2m spend by the Somerset-based company over...

Boost to IQ Laserpress's digital kit with investment in Xerox iGen3.
August 29, 2008... IQ Laserpress is aiming to increase its turnover to the pounds 2.5m mark after snapping up a Xerox iGen3 110 digital press. The Guildford-based company made the investment to boost its digital print capacity, which it estimates has grown...

Presstek 52DI to be shown at TPE.(Total Print! Expo)(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Presstek is set to showcase its 52DI digital offset press when the company exhibits at this year's Total Print! Expo. The manufacturer will also use the event as a launch pad for its Vector FL52 small- format chemistry-free metal...

HP's net revenue up by 10% in third quarter.(Financial report)
August 29, 2008... HP has recorded growth in its Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) and a 10% increase in net revenue across the company in its third-quarter results. The figures, for the period ending 31 July, saw HP's Imaging and Printing Group grow 3%...

Cambrian cuts costs by bringing stitching in house with used kit.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Cambrian Printers has spent in excess of pounds 50,000 on installing a refurbished Muller Martini Inventa sewing machine at its Aberystwyth site, enabling it to make cost-savings by bringing its finishing in house. The company, which...

Duplo to supply Ideal Digicut upgrade in UK.
August 29, 2008... Finishing kit specialist Ideal has replaced its 5221-05 EP Digicut guillotine with the Ideal 5222 Digitcut, which is being distributed in the UK by Duplo International. The new machine bears all the features of its predecessor, but comes...

Optichrome invests in KAS mailing line to bring fulfilment in house.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Woking-based litho and digital printer Optichrome has brought its mailing and fulfilment in house with the installation of a KAS Mailmaster. Robert Unwin, commercial director, said the Mailmaster was a higher end machine than it had...

Encore wins Jud binders agency.
August 29, 2008... UK finishing equipment distributor Encore Machinery has been appointed as the sole UK agent for French binder manufacturer Jud. The range includes the MR720 fully automated single-clamp machine and the four-clamp Quadrimax II. Both...

Aon hits back at EBB in credit insurance row.
August 29, 2008... Aon Trade Credit has hit back at paper merchant Elliott Baxter's (EBB) comments that it would welcome the withdrawal of credit insurers from the market. EBB claimed earlier this month that credit insurance fuels irresponsible lending,...

Lenzing teams up with Papico.
August 29, 2008... Papico, the West Yorkshire-based paper agent, has been appointed to work as the exclusive UK sales outlet for Austrian-based paper manufacturer Lenzing Papier. Lenzing Papier produces 50%- and 100%-recycled paper, as well as poster and...

UPM to close sawmill due to 'weak market'.
August 29, 2008... UPM will close down its Leivonmaki sawmill in Finland and continue the temporary shutdown of a production line at its fine paper mill in Germany. The magazine, newsprint and fine paper manufacturer said operations at the sawmill will...

Fedrigoni holds Go Ape! team-building day.
August 29, 2008... Fedrigoni has held a Go Ape! team-building day at Sherwood Forest Customers from GMPTE, Inkon, Countryscape, Countryprint, Advanced Consultancy, Hawksworth, Print 4, Empress Litho and Lewis Hallam attended the event. The customers climbed...

Antalis raises pounds 37,000 to help Breast Cancer Campaign.
August 29, 2008... Antalis has raised pounds 37,000 in the past 12 months, beating its target of pounds 25,000, to help the Breast Cancer Campaign to continue research into the disease. The Leicester-based paper merchant launched a range of six FSC-approved...

Howard Smith Paper donates pounds 2,187 to World Land Trust charity.
August 29, 2008... Howard Smith Paper has donated pounds 2,187 to The World Land Trust charity following the launch of its Environmental Photo range in October last year. For every pack sold, the Northampton-based paper merchant donated 35p to the charity,...

Arctic Paper grades selected to produce Ethical Living magazine.
August 29, 2008... Arctic Paper UK's Munken Pure and Munken Print Cream grades have been chosen to produce environmental lifestyle magazine, Ethical Living Both grades are FSC-certified. The magazine is published six times a year by Ethical Publishing. Ethical...

Arjowiggins announces Keaykolour brand to only use pulp from FSC-certified sources.
August 29, 2008... Arjowiggins has announced its Keaykolour brand will only use pulp from FSC-certified sources. Angela De Vorchik, operational marketing manager, said: 'FSC certification is recognised by both end-users and paper industry specialists, which is...

Mondi Group approved to buy UK mill and mill in Finland.
August 29, 2008... Mondi Group, the packaging and paper manufacturer, has been approved to buy Loparex Group's UK-based Glossop mill, and a mill in Finland. The mills make specialist papers and films, and Mondi will also acquire processing units in Poland and...

Contract update.
August 29, 2008... St Ives Music and Multimedia, the music, film and computer games arm of St Ives, has created a 100% biodegradable and recyclable pack for Warner Bros' eco-documentary, The 11th Hour. Produced and presented by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, the...

Client audit: JCDecaux.(Company overview)
August 29, 2008... JCDecaux was founded in 1964 when Jean-Claude Decaux devised the concept of funding public services with advertising revenue. The organisation has grown from a single bus shelter contract for the city of Lyon in France to become one of the...

Editorial: Poor Proskills funding uptake will hurt print.(Editorial)
August 29, 2008... The issue of the painful state of training in the industry is one that simply won't go away. While everyone agrees that something needs to be done, precious few companies seem to be interested in actually getting their hands dirty and doing...

Comment: Training is industry's Achilles' heel.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... It is a source of immense irritation to me that people (who should know better) constantly pillory the printing industry for conservatism and unwillingness to change. Where have they been for the past three or four decades? Most of the...

Comment: Technically speaking.
August 29, 2008... Printers could produce digital editions as another service for their customers. In many ways, the internet has generated a real alternative to print and, in some cases, has gone so far as to eliminate it as a means of production. ...

Comment: Talking business.
August 29, 2008... The summer's big stories confirm the need for training in the print industry. Given the current training opportunities and challenges for companies within our sector, it is no surprise there is such a diversity of opinions on the...

Profile: Abbot - Stationery firm goes against the grain by staying true to its specialist service.
August 29, 2008... Abbot director Alasdair Browne says diversification is not always the best option, Helen Morris finds out why. In today's highly competitive print marketplace, specialist outfits, such as Abbot, are finding trading conditions increasingly...

Technology report: Online payment - The online print opportunity.
August 29, 2008... Choosing the right payment service provider comes down to reliability, time and cost, says Niall Magennis. Despite the predictions of naysayers, the web hasn't led to the death of print. Instead, like Team GB at the Olympics, it's defied...

Packaging: Better business - Energy costs fuel print price rises.
August 29, 2008... To counter rising energy costs, packaging printers have no option but to raise prices, says Philip Chadwick. The packaging sector, like the rest of the printing industry, is being squeezed left, right and centre at the moment, thanks to...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - Sitma 1150 FW.(Product/service evaluation)
August 29, 2008... Sitma's latest automated polywrapper can help mailing operations keep their skill requirements, and therefore salary costs, down, discovers Karen Charlesworth. These days, the margins that printers and mailing houses are able to charge...

Product Portfolio: Me & my ... Muller Martini Acoro A5.(Product/service evaluation)
August 29, 2008... Cambrian Printers' Brian Jones says he chose the Acoro A5 perfect binder for its versatility and the value it can add to customer relations. - What is it and what does it do? It's a perfect binder. It gathers up book sections (up to...

Product Portfolio: Tried & Tested - Epson Stylus Pro 7600.(Product/service evaluation)
August 29, 2008... The resolution of the 7600 is similar to its newer rivals but its ease-of-use and reliability puts it ahead of the field, finds Nosmot Gbadamosi. Launched in September 2002, the Epson Stylus Pro 7600 was successful partly due to its...

Product Portfolio: Buyers' guide - Newspaper mailroom.(Product/service evaluation)
August 29, 2008... Times are changing for newspaper printers. Flexibility is key as PAS 2020 threatens polywrapping and polybagging, says Nosmot Gbadamosi. It has been another colourful and turbulent year in the newspaper sector with consolidation,...

Product Portfolio: Joanne's help line - The folding stuff & flooding screens.(Product/service evaluation)
August 29, 2008... Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q: I'm trying to find a supplier of Japanese Yuzen origami paper in the UK and was wondering whether you know of a UK manufacturer. Jane Gates, via email A: As...

Product Portfolio: Diary.(Calendar)
August 29, 2008... SEPTEMBER The Print for business 2008 exhibition Date: 16-18 September Venue: NEC Birmingham Price: free Contact: www.ipia.org.uk BPIF's 3RD national finance and investment conference Date: 18 September Venue: London Price:...

Product Portfolio: Technical tutorial - inkjet CTP.(Product/service evaluation)
August 29, 2008... The discussion over the benefits (or otherwise) of inkjet CTP was reignited at Drupa, thanks to Israeli processless plate specialist VIM Technologies premiering its JT Direct Inkjet Plate. VIM is only the latest in a long line of...

Post script: Austria sets record in postage stamp print.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... With all the record breaking in Beijing over the past two weeks you could be forgiven for failing to notice the feat of a printing company in Austria. The Guinness World Records team officially recognised that Austria Post and OeSD, the...

Post script: Memory Lane.
August 29, 2008... ONE YEAR AGO Xerox Global Solutions bags pounds 25m print management contract with the NHS to add to its public sector portfolio... B&T's former chief Adrian Huett returned to print in a top sales role at Media & Print investments......

Post script: Print's Past - Digital type.
August 29, 2008... I'm shocked: digital typography, which I think of as new technology, is almost a quarter of a century old! It was in 1985 that Apple adopted Adobe's PostScript page description language for its Apple LaserWriter printer and this,...

Post script: Q&A - Chris Aked.
August 29, 2008... Chris Aked is Xerox UK's continuous feed brand manager. He has been in the print industry for 10 years, seven of which were spent in Australia. Aked is married with a five-month-old daughter. His favourite phrase will hopefully be of comfort...

Buyer sought for Heanorgate as administrators take over.(Heanorgate Printing )
August 22, 2008... Commercial printer Heanorgate Printing has become the latest print company to fall into administration, exacerbating an already miserable summer for print. Insolvency practitioner Grant Thornton was appointed to the Derbyshire-based...

PaperlinX announces price rises and fuel levy.(Brief article)
August 22, 2008... Paper merchant giant PaperlinX has announced paper price increases of between six and 11% in the face of rising raw material and energy costs. PaperlinX companies PaperCo, Robert Horne Group and Howard Smith Paper said the rises are...

Barclays' bumper print contract up for grabs.(Brief article)
August 22, 2008... Print management firms are currently tendering for one of the largest contracts in the business, following Barclays' decision to review its transactional print spend. The contract is currently held by RR Donnelley's Global Document...

Experts offer advice at Total Print!
August 22, 2008... Visitors to this year's Total Print! Expo are being offered the opportunity to hear free advice from some of the print industry's top experts in a series of seminars. Eight 30-minute Spotlight Seminars will be held over the first two...

Kalamazoo may make site switch.(Company overview)(Brief article)
August 22, 2008... A proposed relocation of security printer Kalamazoo Secure Solutions, a subsidiary of the Adare Group, is being 'actively investigated'. The business is currently based in Northfield, Birmingham, but a potential new site, which could be...

In Brief: Danwood graphics director to run half-marathon.(Brief article)
August 22, 2008... Danwood graphics and production systems division managing director Gerry Mulvaney and colleague Paddy Emmerson are running the Nottingham Robin Hood half-marathon on 14 September in a bid to raise pounds 5,000 for charity. The money will be...

In Brief: Ipex 2010 Champions in Print Awards gain momentum.
August 22, 2008... The Ipex 2010 Champions in Print Awards are gaining momentum, with the first champion set to be unveiled at the end of this month Nominations can me made at www.ipex.org/champions and a winner will be selected by the Ipex Advisory Committee...

In Brief: Positive Focus adds print4media to its portfolio.
August 22, 2008... Positive Focus, a print production software specialist, has added print4media to its web2print portfolio and will be exhibiting it at Total Print! Expo. Print4media is a modular scalable piece of software that enables printers to offer...

In Brief: The DMA's Inserts Council releases figures.
August 22, 2008... The Direct Marketing Association's Inserts Council has released figures that reveal insert volumes have dropped 13% compared with the same period last year. The findings come from the group's Industry Monitor for the first quarter of 2008,...

In Brief: Antalis joins with BM Trada for environmental briefings.(Brief article)
August 22, 2008... Antalis has joined with auditing firm BM Trada to give a series of environmental briefings to the former's customers. The aim of the briefings is to enable print buyers to learn how Chain of Custody certification can add value to their...