Print Week articles from December 2006

Print Week archives from December 2006

Pre-press giants set to increase plate prices from the New Year.(Agfa, Fujifilm and Kodak)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Printers are being warned to expect further plate price rises in the New Year, as manufacturers look to pass on the increasing cost of raw materials, especially aluminium. Agfa, Fujifilm and Kodak have all decided to raise prices sometime...

Receiver key to Polestar rejig.(appointments of Nicholas Dargan and Neville Kahn )(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... A key element in Polestar's company structure was placed into administrative receivership as part of last week's crucial financial restructure, it has emerged. JPMorgan Europe appointed Nicholas Dargan and Neville Kahn of Deloitte &...

Chesapeake dispute hits new low over dismissal claims.(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Claims that 10 staff from Field Bradford have been sacked over the ongoing pay dispute has further heightened tensions between Amicus and Chesapeake. The union claimed that the staff, who left last week, were 'dismissed' for not agreeing...

Stop Press.(briefs)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Diamond Envelopes was due to start further discussions with Amicus on Wednesday (20 December) about improving compensation for staff at its Dyce factory in Aberdeen... Kidderminster-based Readyprint has become the first UK company to...

Former MAP chief buys struggling firm Loupe.(acquisitions of Loupe Solutions by Presstige Print & Communications )(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Financial printer Loupe Solutions has been bought out of administration by Presstige Print & Communications for an undisclosed sum. 'This is exactly the news we hoped for,' said joint administrator Andrew Stoneman of Menzies Corporate...

TfL opts out of PM freesheet deal.(Transport for London)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Transport for London (TfL) has decided not to issue a distribution contract for a London afternoon freesheet, according to reports. The move will mean that Associated Newspapers will retain its exclusive distribution rights at London's...

PM giant unfazed by poor results.(print management)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Communisis chief executive Steve Vaughan is optimistic about the future of the transactional and print management firm, despite a mixed trading update. Although the group's transactional printing arm performed ahead of expectations, its...

In brief: TripleArc's management to receive shares.(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... TripleArc's top management will receive more than 7m shares in the print management company if its results meet market expectations for 2006 and 2007. Under the bonus scheme, announced to the stock market this week, chief executive Jason...

In brief: MailShop rolls out investment plan.
December 21, 2006... The MailShop has started to roll out its investment plan with the installation of a Xerox DocuPrint 425 continuous laser printer at its Nottingham site. Managing director Tom Carr said: 'We already have over pounds 40,000 worth of pre-booked...

In brief: Frontline Stationery installs press.
December 21, 2006... Frontline Stationery, based in Harlow, Essex, has installed a four-colour Ryobi 524HE press, which was purchased from UK agent Apex Digital Graphics. Frontline partner Jason Woolf said: 'While the two-colour press gave us the potential for...

In brief: Precision Colour Printing uses metallic finishes.(investments)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Precision Colour Printing has used metallic finishes on the front cover of lifestyle publication The Bath Magazine, as well as on the text for sports nutrition magazine Maximuscle. Based in Telford, the magazine printer is part of The...

In brief: Appointments at Hi-fli Banners & Flags.(Nick Miller and Ian Homer appointed as a sales managers )(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Hi-fli Banners & Flags has boosted its team with four appointments. The digital textile printer, which has its headquarters in Scotland, has taken on two sign manufacturing specialists, Nick Miller and Ian Homer, as sales managers for...

In brief: Fretwell Print installs Heidelberg.
December 21, 2006... Fretwell Print and Design in Keighley, West Yorkshire, has installed a five-colour B2 Heidelberg following the increase of its annual turn-over from pounds 1.9m to pounds 3.3m in the past three years. The Speedmaster CD 74-5PLX perfector will...

In brief: CCA Group bought by US corporation.(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Preston-based CCA Group has been bought by a US corporation after it fell into administration last week. Job losses at the 180-staff Christmas and greetings card printer were possible as new owner The Taylor Corporation looked to streamline...

Natmags signs long-term deals with Polestar and Wyndeham.
December 21, 2006... The National Magazine Company (NatMags) has signed long-term deals for the seven high-profile monthly magazines that it pulled out of New Jarrold Printing in September. Wyndeham Heron, which took on the seven magazines on an interim...

Print unaffected after Trinity sells off titles.(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Trinity Mirror's print network will be kept intact following the newspaper publisher's decision to sell off the Racing Post and 138 of its regional titles. The planned disposal of the titles in the Midlands, London and the South East,...

New factory in South Wales.
December 21, 2006... Lexon Group has celebrated its 35th anniversary with the official opening of its 2,400m2 factory in Newport, South Wales. First Minister of Wales Rhodri Morgan (centre) opened the factory, which joins premises in London and the Isle of Man in...

Arets to supply ink to Capital.(Arets Graphics)(Capital Print and Display)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Capital Print & Display has placed most of its UV ink and varnish business with Arets Graphics. The London-based large-format firm has linked up with the ink company as 'more of a partner than a supplier' after Capital general manager...

Scots print and publishing bodies appoint Fairclough as new chief.(Scottish Print Federation)(Scottish Newspaper Publishers Association)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... The Scottish Print Federation (SPEF) and Scottish Newspaper Publishers Association (SNPA) have appointed Simon Fairclough as director. Fairclough takes up his post as director designate on 3 January. He will take over fully from Jim...

GB to expand sheetfed with magazine branch.(Goodman Baylis )(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Worcester-based printer Goodman Baylis has moved into sheetfed magazine printing with the launch of new division GB Magazines. Simon Hunt, the former managing director at Stones the Printers, has joined to launch and head up the venture...

BPIF's training in UK's top 10.(British Printing Industries Federation)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) has named the BPIF as one of the country's top adult training providers. ALI chief inspector David Sherlock said: 'This is an outstanding achievement as it means that the BPIF has created a winning...

Training day.(training for employers to develop skill)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Newcastle-based Statexcolourprint lined up its young apprentices to demonstrate its investment in training. The company has put all of its 100 staff through training programmes or professional qualifications. The firm was upbeat on the...

McNaughton to merge regional sales centres.(James McNaughton Group)(planning for restructuring)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... James McNaughton Group has revealed plans to restructure its operations by combining branches to create larger regional sales centres. The paper merchant said that the move, which will lead to the loss of 38 jobs at the 700-staff group,...

Animal advocates.(services of NB Colourprint)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... NB Colourprint in Chorley, Lancashire, is hoping to help Chester Zoo update its membership and animal adoption by printing a new set of literature for the zoo. The campaign, which was devised by Preston-based advertising agency Heckford...

Contract win for Charterhouse.(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Print management firm Charterhouse has won a three-year deal to supply print to top property investor and developer Hammerson. Charterhouse, which has offices in Hatfield, Tonbridge, London and Amsterdam, will source a range of print,...

Legal notices.
December 21, 2006... 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.london-gazette.co.uk WINDING UP ORDERS Osprey Printing Management...

Kodak bags major supply deal with Nordic catalogue printer.(Kodak's Graphic Communications Group)(Elanders Group)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Kodak's Graphic Communications Group has sealed what it claims is its biggest EMEA pre-media deal of the year with Elanders Group. The Nordic-based printing and publishing company, which has operations in seven countries, including China...

Xerox and Esko combine to take on packaging's digital market.(contracts of Esko-Graphics Inc. and Xerox Corp.)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Esko-Graphics and Xerox have teamed up to take on the packaging industry with a combination of Xerox's digital presses and Esko's pre-media software and finishing equipment. Under the terms of the agreement, signed last month, Xerox will...

Toolkit ordered for 550 stores.(contracts of Tangent Communications)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... London-based Tangent Communications has extended its software contract with Wolseley UK, more than doubling its use of Tangent's online Toolkit system. Wolseley, a nationwide distributor of plumbing and building products, initially...

Wave2 jumps atlantic with new US branch.(Wave2 Media Solutions)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Software developer Wave2 Media Solutions expanded its overseas presence this month when it opened a US office in Waltham, Massachusetts. Founder Chris Hodges said: 'We've been active in the USA through our resellers MEI and Stibo, but...

Zap Digital installs first 'litho quality' Canon ImagePress C1.(Zap Digital Print)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... B2B print on demand firm Zap Digital Print has taken delivery of the UK's first Canon ImagePress C1 digital machine. Guildford-based Zap was the first company in the world to sign up for the new press when it went on display at Ipex in...

Salvoscreen fits Mimaki printer.(Salvoscreen Ltd)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Screen printer Salvoscreen in Leamington, Warwickshire, has made its first move into digital after buying a Mimaki JV3 wide-format printer. The installation at the 10-staff firm will allow it to produce personalised short-run work on a...

First Sellers eyes more 2100s as HIP takes off.(First Sellers Pack )(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... First Sellers Pack (FSP) is aiming to buy up more Kodak NexPress 2100s if the business takes off next year. The Fareham-based firm, which is focusing on the home information packs (HIP) market, made the biggest investment in NexPresses...

Perfectly toned.(installation of printing press)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Black Dog Digital has upgraded its recently installed Xeikon 5000 press with the addition of a new type of toner that gives improved colours and applications. The Hertford-based firm has become the first user to undertake an on-site...

Paper experts foresee difficult 2007 for mills.(economic condition of paper industry)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Paper industry experts have warned that 2007 will be as tough as 2006 for the UK paper manufacturing sector. Speaking after M-real confirmed the closure of its 350-staff Sittingbourne mill in Kent by the end of January, Amicus national...

Stora accused of price fixing.(Stora Enso Oyj)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Scandinavian manufacturer Stora Enso has become embroiled in fresh accusations of price fixing. The firm's US-based operation, Stora Enso North America, was last week charged by US anti-trust authorities with anti-competitive conduct....

Raw deal.(publishing of catalogue)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Paper manufacturer Arjowiggins has worked with Sketch restaurant to create an unbound catalogue illustrating food as a raw ingredient. It contains photography of innovative food styling and is targeted at the fashion, design and art...

In brief: Favini promotes Brown.
December 21, 2006... Favini has promoted Chris Brown to the position of sales and marketing director. He has 16 years' experience within the paper industry, of which the last four have been at Favini as marketing director. A new UK managing director will also...

In brief: Stora Enso sells holding in Finnlines.
December 21, 2006... Stora Enso has sold a 5.4% holding in Finnish shipping group Finnlines for pounds 23.5m (EUR35m). The group said that it would record a pounds 21.2m one-off gain from the sale in its fourth-quarter results.

In brief: Mondi Business Paper promise.
December 21, 2006... Mondi Business Paper has promised to present a 'world exclusive' this January at Paperworld 2007. It will also present further improvements in the area of sustainability with the launch of the Green Range and newly FSC-certified products from...

In brief: Russian forest passes management certificate audit.
December 21, 2006... Some 184,000 UPM-leased hectares of forest have passed an FSC forest management certificate audit. The Tikhvinsky Lespromkhoz forest in Russia was assessed by auditing company SGS Vostok, which has recommended the granting of the FSC...

In brief: Howard Smith Paper launches call for printers.
December 21, 2006... Howard Smith Paper has launched a final call for printers hoping to participate in its Graphic Design and Print Awards. Entries must be in by 31 December. There are 10 categories for work produced using Howard Smith Paper's Creative...

In brief: Fedrigoni UK brings products together.(united kingdom)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Fedrigoni UK has brought its felt-marked products together into a collection called Marcate. It has 10 different brands and is grouped into three volumes: White and Ivory, Coloured and Stucco. Felt-marked papers are natural uncoated papers,...

In brief: Appointment at James McNaughton Group.(James McNaughton Paper Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... James McNaughton Group, the merchant, has appointed Julie Downey to its corporate account management division. Downey has 15 years' experience in international sales and marketing, including seven years with Arjowiggins as national promotions...

Editorial: Best wishes for a more prosperous '07 in print.
December 21, 2006... It would be all too easy to use this last comment of 2006 to lament yet another tough year for the industry. For many of us, 2006 will be remembered for the sheer number of business failures, but to focus on the difficulties that many...

Comment: Tying up the new releases of 2006.(digital printer introduced)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Completing the cardinal product calendar for 2006, started last week, here are the remaining months. July: Konica Minolta announced that the gestation period of the Bizhub Pro C6500 digital colour printer would come to an end in October....

Comment: Technically speaking.(printing industry data report)
December 21, 2006... Print straddles manufacturing and the service industries to distort statistics. Even though official statistical data is not yet available, it is clear that 2006 has been a difficult year for the printing industry in the UK. Competition...

Review of the Year 2006.(Lauretta Roberts joins "Drapers" as editor)(growth of Mike Dolan's company Media & Print Investments.)(Tangent Communications' bid to buy St Ives PLC)
December 21, 2006... In October, we rewarded Herculean achievements within the printing industry with the glitz and glamour of the PrintWeek Awards. Now, with our tongue firmly in our cheek, we're doling out prizes in those categories that fall under the radar of...

Product of the week: Enfocus PitStop Automate 1.01.(Product/service evaluation)
December 21, 2006... For file sorting and integration with third parties, Automate lets you see each stage of the workflow, writes Simon Eccles. PitStop Automate is a new file sorting and routing programme from Enfocus, which aims to bridge the gap between...

Me & My: 'Stephenson Blake' proofing press.(Product/service evaluation)
December 21, 2006... She's not even sure who built it, but Karen Charlesworth is chuffed with its fabulous rolling power, and the fact that it's heavier than her car. What is it? I'm not quite sure. It's definitely a press, though. I think it's a...

Tried & tested: ECRM Stingray.(Product/service evaluation)
December 21, 2006... CTP may have virtually killed off film, but imagesetters, especially used ones, are still in demand as a handy back-up, discovers Lisa Berwin. Arriving just as CTP was taking off, the ECRM Stingray was an imagesetter that promised speed...

Buyers' guide: Pressroom consumables III.(Buyers guide)
December 21, 2006... Consumables manufacturers are having to come up with alternatives to oil that won't burn a hole in the pocket or the planet, finds Lisa Berwin. It has been an unsettling year for any firm buying or selling oil or its derivatives. The...

Philip's Help Line: Plastic stencils & clinical finishing.
December 21, 2006... Philip Chadwick tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q: A client has asked me to source a company that can make A-board stencils to be used at various locations across the UK. They must be durable and the client wants to...

Diary.(Calendar)
December 21, 2006... JANUARY Digital Sales Solutions Date: 26 January Venue: BPIF Business Centre, Wakefield Contact: 020 7915 8377 FEBRUARY Introduction to Colour Management Date: 7 February 2007 Venue: Walsall College, Walsall Price: pounds...

Technical Tutorial: Fire risk.
December 21, 2006... Fire and explosion are very real dangers of which nearly every print-room is at risk, often several times a day. Every time a chemical such as solvent, blanket wash or fount solution is poured from its container, there is a possibility of...

EU tenders.
December 21, 2006... 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: The last laugh ..
December 21, 2006... JANUARY: Canadian firm Rowanlea Grove printed Posh Spice loo rolls... Gutenberg! The Musical launched at Jermyn Street Theatre, taking a comical look at the life of Johannes Gutenberg, the father of modern print... FEBRUARY:...

Post Script: Print's Past - Children's books.(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Today, we have an entire industry focused on producing children's books. But it was not always so. In the 19th century, children's books were simply a sideline. Children's books were a low priority and frequently ill-considered and badly...

Post Script: Q&A - The best of 2006.(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Clockwise from top left: Mary Buck (M-Partners), Wesley Dowding (Inc Direct), David Lowe (Cambrian Printers), John Ashfield (Polestar), Duncan Long (Atomic MK), Petie Loyal (Fuji) Why did you get into printing? Lowe: There were no...

Banks take control of Polestar in pounds 557m debt-for-equity deal.
December 14, 2006... Polestar Group's financial stability has been secured in an pounds 814m refinancing deal that has prompted speculation about the firm's future. The deal, which is reported to have cost the company's debt and equity investors almost...

M-real's Kent mill to close.(M-real Corp.)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... M-real has confirmed that production at its Sittingbourne mill will cease by 31 January 2007, resulting in the loss of 350 jobs. Following the consultation process undertaken with Amicus and staff since 23 October a redundancy payment and...

Stop Press.(brief)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Book publisher Bloomsbury has issued a shock profits warning due to lower than expected Christmas sales. In a statement, it said that full-year pre-tax profits could be as low as pounds 5m... Packaging manufacturer DS Smith has posted...

AGI plans Birmingham closure by next spring.(AGI Media Europe)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... AGI Media Europe has revealed plans to close its Birmingham media packaging plant under proposals to move the group's manufacturing closer to clients in continental Europe. The plant, which employs around 130 people, is due to enter a...

UK book industry getting greener.
December 14, 2006... Greenpeace has said the book industry is making 'great strides' in making books greener and has highlighted titles that are printed on environmentally friendly paper. Three years after the start of the Greenpeace Book Campaign, it said...

Southernprint wins back car title.(acquisition)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Web-offset printer Southernprint is to resume printing Exchange & Mart (E&M) after a seven-year gap, and has also snapped up Viz magazine. Both magazines will be printed at Southernprint's Upton plant in Poole, Dorset, from January. ...

Palladian Press in Essex wins award.
December 14, 2006... Palladian Press in Essex has won the Growing Business of the Year award at the Colchester Business Awards. Managing director Paul Douglas said: 'Palladian is all about customer service and we believe that has been the single most important...

Associated Newspapers registers potential Lite titles.
December 14, 2006... Associated Newspapers has registered 28 potential Lite newspaper titles with the Patent Office. Alongside London Lite, the Lite brand could extend to 25 cities including Birmingham and Edinburgh. Three further names, Urban Lite, Scotland Lite...

Edale sells a fourth machine to Data Print.(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Edale, the Hampshire-based label printing machinery manufacturer, has sold a fourth machine in as many years to Estonian label printing firm Data Print. The company has installed a five-colour fully UV flexo press to sit alongside the...

MAN Roland publishes update.
December 14, 2006... MAN Roland has published an update on its involvement in a German project on printed electronics. The report, by the Organic Electronics Association, focuses on how electronics could be printed and progress on developing mass-market printed...

The Post Office comes under fire.(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... The Post Office came under fire for poor service at a Commons committee meeting last week. The chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, Conservative Edward Leigh, said: 'Given that people are now receiving their mail later in the...

Smurfit Kappa Preprint wins award.
December 14, 2006... Staffordshire-based Smurfit Kappa Preprint has won the Supreme Award at the FlexoTech International Print & Innovations Awards. Smurfit Kappa sales director David Spencer said: 'We are delighted that our approach means the industry may now...

IGPM invests in two new Goss presses.
December 14, 2006... IGPM, the French commercial printer, has invested in two new Goss presses: an M-600C to be installed this month, and a 32pp Sunday 4000 to be installed in October 2007. The company, which has a workforce of 83, will use the presses to print...

Strikes begin at Chesapeake as politicians join union dispute.(Chesapeake Corp.)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Strike action was due to start this week at Chesapeake's Bradford and Newcastle sites, with the relationship between the company and Amicus at an all time low. Local MPs have now added their voice to the dispute, which is over new terms...

ING inks pounds 236m Astron PM deal.(ING Americas)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Astron has sealed its massive seven-year document outsourcing deal with Dutch financial giant ING. The business process outsourcing deal, which was first revealed in May this year, will be worth pounds 236m (dollars 465m) over the period...

Tea for two at Ten.(Prontaprint's owner Alex Graham joined Cherie Blair for afternoon tea)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Prontaprint owner Alex Graham joined Cherie Blair for afternoon tea at 10 Downing Street to support heart charity Arrhythmia Alliance's annual awareness week. The Stratford-upon-Avon printer was invited after he provided the print and...

Johnston rejig to cost pounds 15m.(Johnston Press PLC)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Johnston Press is to take a pounds 15m hit in its full-year accounts due to the print rejig that followed the opening of its pounds 60m Dinnington print site near Sheffield. In a pre-close trading update released this week, the local...

Heidelberg expands XL range and plans larger Anicolor kit.(Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Heidelberg has launched UV and double coating versions of its Speedmaster XL 105, and said that it will introduce its Anicolor anilox inking technology onto larger format presses. 'We have a timetable in mind (for launching larger-format...

Harlands hires three top staff.(Harlands Labels)(appointments)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Harlands Labels has made three senior appointments in a bid to manage its changing and growing client base. All the posts are newly created. Andrew McConnell has been promoted to commercial manager and will be responsible for developing...

BPIF granted LDA funds for business scheme.(British Printing Industries Federation)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... The BPIF is to unveil a support scheme for the capital's printers after securing funding from the London Development Agency (LDA). Printovation will involve a range of business support programmes under three areas: business growth, cost...

Pick up a Penguin.(Penguin Classics)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Penguin Classics has celebrated its 60th anniversary by publishing five limited-edition titles with covers by some of the world's leading design gurus. The five Designer Classics, which cost pounds 100 each, were printed by Italian printer...

Birmingham CC goes in-house.(city council)(machinery installation)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Birmingham City Council's Design & Print Unit has installed a four-colour press and polyester platesetter as it gears up for full in-house production. Print operations manager Tom Cole said: 'Although we are a local government in-house...

IPT unveils new fluorescent ink.(Inks and Printing Technologies)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Ink and consumables newcomer Inks and Printing Technologies (IPT) has launched a solution for firms having trouble with printing with fluorescent inks. The company, which is based in South Croydon, has claimed that Epple Fluorescent inks...

MidOcean seals pounds 190m deal for Europackaging.(MidOcean Partners)
December 14, 2006... Private equity firm MidOcean Partners' foothold in the print market has grown further after it bought UK packaging giant Europackaging in a deal thought to be worth up to pounds 190m. Exact terms for the Birmingham-based packaging group's...

Reader reaction was 2006 a dog or a diamond for UK print PLC?
December 14, 2006... LABEL PRINTER - Steve Baker, managing director, Baker Labels 'It has been a lot tougher this year, but not so many companies in the label sector have gone bust. Apart from developments in digital, there was nothing fantastic going on out...