Print Week articles from December 2007

Print Week archives from December 2007

J Jays facing closure after RBI pulls sole supplier repro deal.(Colour Systems contracts with Reed Business Information Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... J Jays looks certain to close after 30 years in business following Reed Business Information's (RBI) decision to pull all of its titles from the pre-press provider. London-based pre-media firms Colour Systems, which is a subsidiary of the...

Olympic print bidders hit with further delays.(Olympic Delivery Authority)(London 2012 )(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Bidders for the London 2012 print tender are facing another month of uncertainty after the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced a further delay to the published schedule. Printers, who should have received an Invitation To Tender...

Shackell Edwards hires 'heavyweight' Penfield.
December 6, 2007... Stehlin Hostag UK founder Grant Penfield has become managing director at ink manufacturer Shackell Edwards after buying equity in the company. Penfield's arrival at the firm came just weeks after he returned to the industry with...

Hutson moves to save ailing HDIP.(Highlight Digital Imaging and Print acquires Hutson Fastprint)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Highlight Digital Imaging and Print (HDIP) has been saved from administration following its acquisition by Hutson Fastprint. The acquisition was made by two existing directors of HDIP who acquired Hutson as a vehicle to invest in HDIP,...

Expansion forces EDM to relocate.(EDM Group )(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... EDM Group will move to a new site by April next year as it looks to continue a growth spurt that has led to pounds 2.5m of new business within the past 10 months. The Wolverhampton-based firm, whose clients include Avis, BUPA and Lloyds...

In Brief: Oce's new UK managing director gives message to staff.
December 6, 2007... Oce's new UK managing director Bron Curley kicked off his tenure in upbeat style by telling staff: 'We have made enormous progress, but this is just the beginning.' His message to staff came as he settled into the top job on Monday

In Brief: Clondalkin expands empire.
December 6, 2007... Clondalkin, the packaging giant, has expanded its empire with the acquisition of Spanish folding cartons firm Cartonplex, which specialises in packaging for the pharmaceutical sector. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed

In Brief: Communisis closes final salary pension scheme.
December 6, 2007... Communisis has closed its final salary pension scheme and said that the group is performing in line with expectations. In a trading statement released this week, the group said that cross-selling of different services, as well as waste...

In Brief: Beacon wins award.(Thames Valley Business Magazine Small Printer of the Year award)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Beacon has beaten 35 up-and-coming businesses to win the Thames Valley Business Magazine Small Printer of the Year award. The ceremony was hosted by former spin doctor Alastair Campbell and the award was collected by Beacon managing...

In Brief: Williams Lea raises charity money at gala dinner.
December 6, 2007... Williams Lea raised more than pounds 100,000 at a gala dinner last week for charity Winston's Wish, which helps children come to terms with the death of a parent. Speakers at the event included racing driver Damon Hill, swimmer Duncan Goodhew...

In Brief: Appointment at Troika Systems.
December 6, 2007... Troika Systems, Highworth, has announced the appointment of Graham Manders to the position of general manager. Manders, spent 20 years as a founder director of HighWater Designs, the CTP and RIP supplier

In Brief: Top 500 clarifications.
December 6, 2007... The wrong accounts were used for Charterhouse Print Management, and figures published were for one division of the group only. The actual turnover for the group was pounds 63.5m, which would have placed it 29th in the table. Evolution...

In Brief: Correction.(Correction notice)
December 6, 2007... ABC Print's new Heidelberg Anicolor press is a B3 machine, not B2 as we reported last week. Apologies

Gemini, Beard merger creates south coast's top print group.(Gemini Group merges with Beard Digital)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... South coast print group Gemini Group has merged with Beard Digital to create one of the region's leading print outfits with a combined turnover of pounds 20m. The Sussex-based group currently has 220 staff, but is expected to expand its...

De La Rue cash division could attract US buyer.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... De La Rue's cash systems division could be sold to a US or German company as part of the second phase of its development programme. Announcing strong first-quarter results last week, which boasted a 5% increase in sales to pounds 345m, the...

French franchise.
December 6, 2007... Print franchise group Printing.com has named its first French franchisee, with the granting of a bolt-on licence to Paris-based Impactcom. The firm's managing director, Philippe Morel, said he hoped to increase the size of his business by...

Formpro MM puts its house in order after pounds 2.75m investment.(Formpro Mail Marketing )(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Mailing company Formpro Mail Marketing is looking to turn its business around following a multi-million-pound investment. The Bristol-based company has had a tumultuous 2007. Several managers have moved on and the company struggled...

Wyndeham VC opens 4th site.(Wyndeham Visual Communications )(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Wyndeham Visual Communications (WVC) has opened a fourth facility in its packaging division, ahead of an anticipated pan-European sales offensive. A new London-based artwork and design studio has opened, while WVC has appointed a business...

Polestar targets Euro boost with KBA press.
December 6, 2007... Polestar has European market growth in its sights after expanding the capacity of its Budapest operations with a new KBA Compacta 818 press. The 356-staff Revai Nyomda site, which specialises in retail material and magazines, will install...

CDMS survey says personalisation and multimedia up DM response.
December 6, 2007... Marketers are realising the benefits of targeted event-driven DM, which is boosting response rates, according to research by CDMS. The Merseyside-based data and DM print firm surveyed 1,000 marketers and agencies. It found that...

CBI hits back at CGT rate plans.(Confederation of British Industry)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Chancellor Alistair Darling has told delegates at the Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) annual conference that concessions to the proposed capital gains tax (CGT) reforms would be announced 'within the next three weeks'. In a blow...

Cut more waste says eco-group.(Green Alliance)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... The Green Alliance has challenged manufacturers, retailers and local authorities make all packaging recyclable or compostable by 2013. The London-based organisation has published a step-by-step guide which calls for an 'integrated recycling...

TUC puts long working hours in the spotlight.
December 6, 2007... Printers are a third as likely as the rest of the UK workforce to work more than 48 hours a week, according to research from the Trades Union Congress (TUC). A report released this week by the TUC found that more than 13% of the UK's...

Reader reaction: Is succession planning a problem for the print sector?
December 6, 2007... One in four family firms will change hands in the next five years Is print ready for the handover? M&A EXPERT - Marcus Clifford, corporate director, BPIF McInnes 'Succession is a problem for any small to medium-sized business and, due...

SMP takes alcohol-free leap with Roland XXL.
December 6, 2007... SMP Group has kicked off plans to switch to a teetotal production line after purchasing a new alcohol-free large-format press. The Woolwich-based point-of-sale and poster printer will install its MAN Roland 900XXL later this month. The...

Maidstone Prison adds 4-colour Printmaster.
December 6, 2007... Printing at the Prison Service has taken a major step forward with the purchase of a new colour press from Heidelberg. The Printmaster 74, the services first four-colour machine, was installed at Maidstone Prison at the end of November. At...

TPH fires up its first digi press.
December 6, 2007... The Printing House has moved into digital to meet the demands of its clients with the installation of a Xerox DocuColor 5000. Supplementing the new machines with XMPie software, the company aims to provide a complete front and back end...

Legal Notices.
December 6, 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 Winding-Up Orders Sienna Print Solutions Ltd...

Haymarket Prepress aims for all titles after successful year.(Haymarket Consumer Publications)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Haymarket Consumer Media and Haymarket Network have started bringing repro in-house following the creation of an internal prepress department last year. Teddington-based Haymarket Prepress has taken on newsstand titles including Classic...

Hub+ closer to chief executive.(Omnicom Group )(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Omnicom Group subsidiary Hub+ is closing in on a new chief executive after it announced the appointment of Graham Bibby as chief operating officer. Bibby's appointment follows the surprise departure last month of Hub+ managing partners...

Adobe teams up with Yahoo! for online PDF marketing initiative.
December 6, 2007... Adobe Systems and Yahoo! have created a new advertising channel for online marketers, launching a joint venture called 'Ads for Adobe PDF powered by Yahoo'. The opt-in service, undergoing beta trials in the US, will allow publishers to...

JB aims to reduce eco impact with new kit.(JB Printing )(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... JB Printing has kitted out its pre-press department with an Acento platesetter and ApogeeX workflow as it looks to boost its environmental credentials. JB sales director Peter Sullivan said: 'Our clients are very keen for us to make every...

Danwood adds to its portfolio.(Danwood Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Danwood has launched a range of three Sharp light production printing systems to the graphics sector in the UK and Ireland. The range, which Danwood describes as 'a true workhorse for all mono printing needs', is aimed at printroom or...

Letterworks upgrades to a DocuColor 7000AP.
December 6, 2007... Letterworks has become the first UK company to install the Xerox DocuColor 7000AP digital press as part of a wider upgrade programme. To meet the rising demand for digital printing, the firm replaced a Xerox DocuColor 5252 with the larger...

Konica unveils a raft of printers.(Konica Minolta Business Solutions launched monochrome printers)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Konica Minolta Business Solutions has launched a host of network-ready colour and monochrome printers. The products include four colour laser printers, Magi-color 8650DN, Magicolor 4650DN, Magicolor 4650EN and Magicolor 2590MF, and two...

Bespoke Covers.
December 6, 2007... German magazine Cicero has become the first to be printed with 160,000 unique covers for a single issue. With the use of the 10 HP xw4400s, the firm drew on Reuters' picture database to create the covers

Car dealers take a direct route to market in a bid to drive up sales.
December 6, 2007... Car dealers are increasingly using direct mail as part of their marketing strategy as they move away from print media, a survey has found. A survey by Motor Trader and Experian found that 57% of respondents had increased their direct mail...

Autobond connects laminator operators to service engineers.
December 6, 2007... Finishing equipment manufacturer Autobond has launched what it believes is a world first in after-sales care for the print industry. The Heanor, Derbyshire-based firm is incorporating wireless webcam and Skype phone facilities on all of its...

Landmark picks Col-Tec collator.(Landmark Press buys collator from Col-Tec)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Landmark Press has stepped into the 21st century with a new collator from Col-Tec, bringing to an end its hand collating facility. The company, based in Carrbridge, Inverness-shire, produces around 120,000 information packs for holiday...

Baker Goodchild eyes green badge to make housing scheme roster.
December 6, 2007... Direct mail fulfilment firm Baker Goodchild has been named as a preferred supplier for a green campaign thanks to its environmental credentials. The Birmingham-based company is one of 25 firms across the Black Country to be selected by...

Brunswick plumps for Muller saddlestitcher.(Brunswick Press contrcats with Muller Martini UK)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... B1 and B2 printer Brunswick Press has invested in a new stitcher and connected it to its management information system (MIS), creating a complete workflow. The Dublin-based company purchased a BravoPlus from Muller Martini, with automatic...

AbitibiBowater announces cuts.
December 6, 2007... Mill closures and a new asset sales target are on the agenda for AbitibiBowater as it implements phase one of its joint action plan. The company was formed last month when Abitibi and Bowater merged, creating one of the largest paper...

FSC gets tough on print firms misusing its logo.(Forest Stewardship Council )(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... UK print firms are risking legal action through the misuse of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo according to the FSC, which awards the accreditation. The council said that, although interest in the certification is at an 'all-time...

RSQ wins PEFC, FSC certificates.(Quebecor Printing UK PLC)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Roto Smeets Quebecor (RSQ) has been awarded FSC and PEFC accreditation for sourcing paper at its UK site in Corby. In a letter to clients, Andrew Parker, managing director at the site, said: 'The certificates show that we source paper from...

EBB set to open Sheffield branch following success in Manchester.(Elliott Baxter Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Elliott Baxter (EBB) is due to strengthen its northern operations by opening a new branch in Sheffield in the new year. The independent paper merchant's latest venture follows the opening of a site in Manchester in March and will bring the...

Union urges members to accept CPI pay offer.
December 6, 2007... Unite has backed a 3.65% pay increase for the paper industry following its annual pay talks earlier this month. The union will ballot its 12,000-plus members in the paper industry on the deal, which it has agreed with the Confederation of...

Contract update.(Magnetic Advertising )
December 6, 2007... Magnetic Advertising has produced a curvaceous cover for the seventh anniversary issue of the German edition of popular lad's magazine FHM. The 'stand-out' cover features a three-dimensional image of former Baywatch beauty Pamela Anderson....

Client audit: Dulwich picture gallery.
December 6, 2007... The Dulwich Picture Gallery (DPG), in south London, opened in 1817 as the world's first purpose built art gallery. It houses one of the world's most important collections of paintings by Europe's old masters. Kate Knowles, head of...

Editorial: No room for confusion in eco-accreditation.(Forestry Stewardship Council )(Editorial)
December 6, 2007... I'm more than a little confused this week about environmental accreditations, and not for the first time to be fair. The Forestry Stewardship Council has said that some printers mistakenly believe that by using FSC certified stock they can...

Comment: A better outlook for e-books.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Kindle means to light a fire. It is also the name given to the latest e-book reader launched by Amazon, the online bookseller. With a suspicious mind, I ponder whether the label is intended as a metaphor for the burning of conventional books in...

Comment: Talking business.
December 6, 2007... Print has to wake up to the fact that to survive it needs to train its workforce. Much has been said about the need for companies in the UK to invest in training if they are to remain competitive in a global economy. There has also been a...

Profile: CGI Digital.(Company overview)
December 6, 2007... Ambitious CGI Digital sets its sights on growth and conquering new markets. CGI Digital has had a very successful past two years but the best is yet to come, discovers Adam Hooker CGI Digital started life as 3D Digital until financial...

Analysis: HP aims for digital print transformation.
December 6, 2007... Changing the market perception of graphic arts is core to HP's Print 2.0 vision. There is little doubt that Drupa 2008 will belong to digital printing. The sector has come of age over the past four years, replacing incumbent printing...

League Table: Direct mail - Better times ahead for DM?
December 6, 2007... It was a tough year for direct mail printers, as volumes declined and rolling postal strikes threatened to scupper marketing campaigns Philip Chadwick wonders if there's light at the end of the tunnel. Strikes, falling volumes, looming...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - Sharp MX-M series.(Product/service evaluation)
December 6, 2007... The electronics giant brings low running costs and unique finishing modules to the light production market, finds Karen Charlesworth. It is widely accepted that Xerox coined the term 'light production' five years ago, when the corporation...

Product Portfolio: Odystar Professional.(Interview)
December 6, 2007... G&H web offset repro manager Peter Smith has been able to handle different PDF formats while saving money on hardware investment with this workflow system. - What does it do? It is a native PDF 1.7 workflow, which provides an extensive...

Product Portfolio: Tried & Tested - Komori Lithrone S40.(Product/service evaluation)
December 6, 2007... This machine offers consistent quality and fast job changeovers, as well as automated and eco-friendly features, discovers Nosmot Gbadamosi. At Ipex 2002, Komori launched its Lithrone S40 range, which offered printers capabilities ranging...

Product Portfolio: Buyers' Guide - High-volume B&W digital presses.(Product/service evaluation)
December 6, 2007... Increasing speed and better quality is boosting sales of digital printers, discovers Nosmot Gbadamosi. Digital print is now considered a mature market and it continues to grow. A steady rise in very short runs (as little as one copy in some...

Product Portfolio: Joanne's help line - Kimoto quandary & low humidity.(Product/service evaluation)
December 6, 2007... Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your print problems. - Q. I'm looking for a thermal imaging plate that is 0.25mm thick and compatible with our Kimoto 340 platesetter. We have already approached Haynes Graphics Arts, who sold us...

Product Portfolio: Technical Tutorial - Saving energy.(Product/service evaluation)
December 6, 2007... As a sector, the print industry is energy-intensive, so it is the responsibility of all businesses involved to examine ways that they can consider reducing their energy usage on the factory floor - a move that can also bring substantial...

Product Portfolio: Diary.
December 6, 2007... DECEMBER Carols for printers Date: 11 December Venue: St Bride's Church, Fleet Street, London Price: Free Contact: heena.bulsara@bpif.org.uk, 020 7915 8338 JANUARY PrintLondon Conference Date: 17 January Venue: The Oval,...

Post Script: Printer's new vocation puts brothers at arms.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... A former printer in Derby has become so disgruntled with the industry that he is prepared to risk losing the love of his mother to find a new vocation. Alan Yates has become the landlord at the Alexandra Hotel on Siddals Road in London,...

Post Script: Memory Lane.
December 6, 2007... ONE YEAR AGO: Amicus vowed to press ahead with strike action at Chesapeake's sites, after a third dispute arose in Nottingham .. Capital Print and Display became the world's first firm to order two KBA Rapida 205 presses... 5 YEARS AGO:...

Post Script: Print's Past - Print journalism.
December 6, 2007... As a typographic journalist, I have the best job in the world. For me, print is not just about machinery and technology. It is also about people, society and progressing humanity. I'm not only interested in how something was printed, but why it...

Post Script: Q&A - Nick Hancock.
December 6, 2007... Nick Hancock has been in print for 16 years and is now Konica Minolta's business development manager. He is 45 years old and married with three daughters. Despite this, he seems to have a slight obsession with Angelina Jolie. We are not sure if...

Sector input is key as Proskills enters Academy planning stage.
December 13, 2007... Printers have been called into action to help shape the future of the industry's training after Proskills' planned National Skills Academy entered its business planning stage this week. Employers are being encouraged to work with the sector...

Bauer set for major print role with Emap buy.
December 13, 2007... H Bauer is on the verge of becoming a major player in the UK print market, as it awaits approval for its proposed pounds 1.14bn acquisition of Emap's consumer title and radio divisions. The deal, which was announced last week, will result...

Incoming Stralfors MD aims to awake 'giant'.
December 13, 2007... John Carter, the new group managing director of Stralfors UK, is aiming to awake the 'sleeping giant' and win new business as part of his initial strategy. Carter, who joins from Pitney Bowes' document division, will start work at the end...

Wales announces pounds 1m print tender.
December 13, 2007... The Welsh Assembly's tourism unit is setting up a new specialist framework for personalised direct mail. A contract notice, published in the Official Journal of the European Union this week, estimated the value of the work as pounds 1m...

Ex-Scorpio staff tribunal delayed.(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Former employees of Scorpio Print Finishers will have to wait until next year to find out if they are entitled to back pay from the current Scorpio incarnation. A tribunal, scheduled for 29 November, was cancelled because Pudsey-based...

In brief: Colourprint UK wins prestigious award.(Pembrokeshire Business Awards)(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Colourprint UK, the south Wales litho printer, has won a prestigious award at this year's Pembrokeshire Business Awards. The Pembroke Dock company won the innovation award and was nominated for entrepreneur and employer of the year. Managing...

In brief: Former Telegraph Group owner sent to prison.
December 13, 2007... Conrad Black, the former Telegraph Group owner, has been sent to prison in the US for six and a half years for stealing millions from newspaper empire Hollinger International. Black became famous in the print world for his rocky relationship...

In brief: Communisis appoints new non-executive chairman.
December 13, 2007... Communisis has appointed a new non-executive chairman to replace Mike Smith, who announced his retirement earlier in the year. Peter Hickson is a former finance director of PowerGen and is currently chairman of Anglian Water Group and senior...

In brief: Fuji to run UK-wide environmental roadshow.(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Fuji is to run a UK-wide environmental roadshow in February, with a focus on how green printing can be cost effective. Envirowise, WRAP and Print and Media Certification will all be involved in the roadshow Graham Leeson, Fujifilm marketing...

In brief: Chris Fowler managing director invested as a Liveryman.(Chris Fowler International)(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Chris Fowler International managing director Kevin Eyers has been invested as a Liveryman in the Stationers' Company. Alongside Screaming Colour managing director Stuart Duncan and KBA UK managing director Christian Knapp, Eyers was 'cloathed'...

In brief: American print worker guilty of insider trading.
December 13, 2007... An American magazine print worker has pleaded guilty to insider trading in a Manhattan court. According to reports, Juan Renteria, 22, pleaded guilty to passing on details of stocks mentioned in a share-tipping column in BusinessWeek as part of...

Benson rounds off acquisition drive with Integrated buyout.
December 13, 2007... Independent packaging firm Benson Group has put an end to its recent acquisition trail after it purchased Integrated Packaging for an undisclosed sum. The deal has pushed the group's turnover up to pounds 85m, making it one of the UK's...

HP ups the ante in the digital war with pounds 57.1m swoop to buy NUR.(Company overview)
December 13, 2007... HP has fuelled the fires of the digital conversion with the dollars 117.5m (pounds 57.1m) acquisition of NUR Macroprinters, the wide-format inkjet manufacturer. 'This marks another milestone in HP's growth strategy to ignite the transition...

Schools project gets under way.
December 13, 2007... Large-format digital printing is heading to the classroom after the launch of Eduprint, a joint initiative between HP and The Landscape Group. The project, now being piloted in 36 schools, aims to encourage enterprise in students aged...

UK must retain print presence.(The Sherwood Press)(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Jeremy Bacon, managing director of The Sherwood Press, has called for the UK to maintain as large a production presence as possible in the face of competition from Europe and Asia. Over the past two years, The Sherwood Press has invested...

Int'l Greetings let down by UK.(International Greetings Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Greetings card printer International Greetings has said that the failings of its UK greetings card operation will lead to its 2007/08 results falling short of expectations. In a pre-close statement issued last week by the Hatfield-based...

Ex-Loudwater MD snaps up stricken firm's assets.
December 13, 2007... Loudwater's former managing director Marc Cox is back in business after buying the assets of the specialist greetings card firm from administrator Ernst & Young. Loudwater's assets were sold to business partners Marc Cox and Vincent Lewis...

Heidelberg's perfecting XL 105 due before Drupa.
December 13, 2007... Heidelberg has confirmed it has a long perfecting version of its flagship B1 press the XL 105, and that it will be available for some customers before Drupa. Machines are already being beta tested, including one at an undisclosed UK...

Drupa to launch print buyer resource zone.(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Drupa is to target print buyers for the first time with a special area devoted to publishers, creatives and marketers. Drupacube will offer seminars and workshops on print buying and will focus on the role print can play in the wider...