Print Week articles from December 2008

Print Week archives from December 2008

Alden Hendi Group placed into administration risking 160 jobs.
December 5, 2008... Commercial and book printer Alden Hendi Group has gone into administration with insolvency practitioner KPMG, casting doubt on the future of the 175-year-old company. Sources close to the company said that additional support from its bank...

Printers concerned over increasing paper prices.(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... Printers have expressed concern at the latest paper price rises, which are set to hit the industry as the UK teeters on the brink of recession. Printers spoke out this week following M-real's announcement of a further price increase of 8%...

SBS boss survives Mumbai attack.(Paul Bean of Sun Branding Solutions )
December 5, 2008... Sun Branding Solutions (SBS) managing director Paul Bean has been caught up in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, but is safe and well. Although full details are not currently available, PrintWeek understands that Bean was dining in the Taj...

Explosion rocks Duco International.
December 5, 2008... The Slough trading estate made famous by BBC sitcom The Office has been rocked by an explosion at a print equipment manufacturing site. Duco International, part of the Flint Group, suffered a fire on its site, following the explosion on...

Sun Chemical launches new range of inks.(Sun Chemical Corp.)(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... Sun Chemical has launched SunCure Lazer, a new range of four-colour process and Pantone Matching System blended UV-curing offset inks. The inks have been designed for printing business forms, continuous stationery and direct mail on web or...

Webmart managing director has founded charitable trust.
December 5, 2008... Webmart managing director Simon Biltcliffe has founded a charitable trust with the aim of allowing 'those less fortunate to create sustainable improvements in their lives'. The print management company has welcomed the first beneficiaries of...

Oce picks up accolades.(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... Oce has picked up a plethora of accolades for its ColorWave 600 machine, which it has claimed is the world's first wide format TonerPearl printer. The machine has picked up the IF Product Design award in Germany, the Good Design award in Japan...

McAnea banned from being company director until 2016.
December 5, 2008... Thomas McAnea, a printer serving a jail sentence for his part in a pounds 1m counterfeiting scam, has been banned from being a company director until 2016 by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. McAnea, who had the...

Top executives visit Anton Group.
December 5, 2008... Anton Group had a double-visit from two of print's top executives on 11 November when Heidelberg chief executive Bernhard Schreier and Kodak chief executive Antonio Perez visited the group's Essex factory Anton Group said it was 'a real coup'...

Death of Wilf Brockway.(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... Wilf Brockway, co-founder of the UK subsidiary of Hartmann Inks, passed away on 29 November, aged 72. Peter Greaves, managing director of Polestar Chromoworks, said: 'He was totally respected by all in the industry.' He is survived by his wife...

Simpson Group defends staff consultation move at Realisis.
December 5, 2008... Simpson Group has defended its decision to enter into a consultation with all 96 staff at newly acquired Realisis, claiming it was the only way to keep the business profitable. The Newcastle-based large-format company began a 30-day...

Dsicmm takes premier position in DM league.
December 5, 2008... Dsicmm has predicted significant growth in the colour variable data direct mail market after the group clinched the top spot in the PrintWeek direct mail league table. The east-London headquartered company, which completed a pounds 10m...

Mayr-Melnhof warns that 45 jobs may go.(Mayr Melnhof Packaging)(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... Up to 45 jobs are at risk at Mayr-Melnhof Packaging UK (MMP) after the company entered into a consultation process with staff representatives. The redundancies are expected to be made across the company's Liverpool and Deeside sites,...

Immerse assets deal delayed.(Immerse Group)(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... The ongoing administration of Immerse Group has moved a step closer to completion following the appointment of CBA Insolvency Practitioners to the Milton Keynes-based company. Confusion had surrounded the administration status of the group,...

Public sector tendering scheme to aid access for smaller businesses.
December 5, 2008... A free online tender marketplace to help SMEs win a larger share of government contracts is to be launched by the government. The move is in response to a Treasury-commissioned study, which was led by former chairman of the British Venture...

Summit completes pounds 1m move and kit spend.
December 5, 2008... Summit Print has 'set solid foundations for future growth' after completing a pounds 1m investment programme that included a site move and Ryobi press upgrade. The Redhill-based printing company has relocated to a 929m2 facility and...

Post-Christmas slump will hurt book printers, say sector chiefs.
December 5, 2008... Book printers CPI Antony Rowe and MPG Books Group have warned that the academic book sector will struggle as the anticipated recession bites. Both companies argued that, although UK book printers will all be operating at full capacity in...

Trafford boosts eco-credentials.(Trafford Press Group)(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... Trafford Press Group has achieved FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody accreditation, bolstering its environmental and social credentials. Richard Hollings, managing director of the Doncaster-based company, said: 'The environment is very important...

Recession 'will attract business' says RRDGDS.(R Donnelley Global Document Solutions)(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... The economic slowdown will result in more companies outsourcing print and multi-channel marketing services, a leading figure in the industry has said. In an interview with PrintWeek, Mike Gordon, RR Donnelley Global Document Solutions...

ACP book dispels waste 'fictions'.
December 5, 2008... The government's Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP) has said it will sort fact from fiction concerning the packaging industry with its new 28pp booklet Packaging in Perspective. According to the publication, packaging makes up less than...

Reader reaction: What is your reaction to this year's PrintWeek Top 500?
December 5, 2008... We ask for your assessment of the trends in the 2008 round-up of the industry's biggest operators. PRINT FINISHER - Reg Walwyk, managing director, Purfect Binding Company 'It seems that the current financial situation may have had...

Legal notices.(Directory)(Public notice)
December 5, 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 Impress...

IPIA to host sustainable printing conference.(Independent Print Industries Association)(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... The Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA) has teamed up with consulting company Pira for a conference on 28 January 2009. The Revolution of Sustainable Profitable Printing, which will be held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, will...

Voucher first for Yorkshire paper.
December 5, 2008... The Huddersfield Weekly News has claimed a UK first by attaching a voucher for fast-food chain Subway to its front page. Trinity Mirror, which prints the newspaper at its Oldham plant, produced 50,000 copies of the paper, attaching the...

KBA Rapida boost for Victoria Litho.
December 5, 2008... Victoria Litho has increased its annual press production time 'by 1,000 hours' by investing in a secondhand six-colour KBA Rapida 162a. The Middlesex company, traditionally a map printer, has strengthened its position in the retail and...

De La Rue enjoys demand surge but chief executive steps down.(Leo Quinn of De La Rue PLC)(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... De La Rue chief executive Leo Quinn has stepped down from his post, despite the banknote printing giant reporting a surge in demand for its products. According to De La Rue chairman Nicholas Brookes, Quinn left the company following the...

Xaar results to miss prediction.
December 5, 2008... Inkjet printhead manufacturer Xaar has released a trading update saying it does not expect its full-year results to meet expectations. Although it has made adjustments to cope with lower demand from China, margins and profits failed to...

Print comparison website launched with 300 printers already signed up.
December 5, 2008... A new online price comparison site, which scans all registered printers in a local area to retrieve a quote for a particular job, has been launched. Printcomparison.com uses printers that have registered on the site to provide a quote for...

'Volatility in demand' hits margins at St Ives.
December 5, 2008... Volatile conditions in the magazine sector are putting margins under pressure at print giant St Ives, the company has said. In an interim management statement released this week, the group said that, while total sales for the 13 weeks to 31...

LithoTechnics says new Metrix has full bindery JDF integration.
December 5, 2008... Software developer LithoTechnics has said that full bindery JDF integration is a reality after the release of version 3.5 of its Metrix layout automation tool. According to Positive Focus, the UK distributor for Australian-based...

Macmillan opts for Ad Depot.(Nature Publishing Group)(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... Macmillan's scientific publishing arm, Nature Publishing Group, has signed up to software developer 5 Fifteen's Ad Depot ad delivery set-up. Ad Depot will be used across the publisher's entire range of publications in order to maximise...

Enfocus releases new standalone version of PitStop Professional.(Enfocus Software)(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... Enfocus has announced the launch of PitStop Extreme 08, a standalone version of its PDF-editing plug-in for Adobe Acrobat, PitStop Professional 08. The Belgium-based software developer said it has built PitStop Extreme 08 from the ground...

Just Deserts.
December 5, 2008... Packaging design and graphics specialist Sun Branding Solutions (SBS) has 'added sparkle' to Asda's Christmas Trifle range with a new retouching technique. The stars and sparkles were added as a separate layer enabling a 3D effect to be...

Finishing Touch makes digital print move with CPS800 buy.
December 5, 2008... A finisher has bucked the trend of printers buying finishing kit by investing in an Oce CPS800 Platinum digital machine as part of a move to tap into the growing market for personalisation work. Cheshire-based Finishing Touch, established...

Konica Bizhubs get UK debut.(Konica Minolta Business Solutions Japan Co.)(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... Konica Minolta Business Solutions has launched its two latest high-volume mono multifunctional Bizhub printers, the 601 and the 751, on the UK market. The machines are aimed at the high-end office and central reprographic department...

Noel Tatt Group adds to capacity after investment in Xerox 700.
December 5, 2008... Noel Tatt Group has bought a Xerox 700 to cope with seasonal uplift in demand for its greetings cards operation. The group, which includes greeting cards publishers Noel Tatt and Impress Publishing, has installed the Fujifilm-supplied...

Inkjet technology used for making new bones.
December 5, 2008... Researchers in Japan are running a clinical trial that uses 3D inkjet technology to produce custom-made bones. The bones will be used to replace damaged or ceramic bones as part of reconstructive surgery. At present, the technology is...

Paton Brown buys two Buhrs BB300s in pounds 1.5m investment.(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... Mailing house Paton Brown has bought two secondhand Buhrs BB300 machines as part of a pounds 1.5m investment. The south Manchester-based company said it has had a bumper 2008, with turnover rising from pounds 3m to pounds 10m on the back of...

Eggbox to 'expand into new areas' after finishing equipment spend.
December 5, 2008... Digital printer Eggbox Graphics has targeted a turnover of pounds 500,000 after investing in bringing its finishing in-house. The Corby-based company has bought a Duplo DC445 creaser, Ideal 5222 guillotine, SRW wiro-binder and a Duplo...

Encore launches UV VersaCoater.(Brief article)
December 5, 2008... Encore Machinery has launched what it claims is the world's smallest liquid UV coating machine, the VersaCoater DocuMate. It has a 600x600mm footprint and is aimed at small-format and digital stock. The entry-level, hand-fed machine...

PBS to distribute Smyth products in UK and ROI.
December 5, 2008... Perfect Bindery Solutions (PBS) has been appointed UK and Ireland distributor for equipment by finishing manufacturer Smyth. The Italian manufacturer, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, produces book sewing, back gluing and...

Denmaur & Independent Paper in merger to boost efficiencies.
December 5, 2008... Denmaur Papers and Independent Paper are to merge their operations on 1 March 2009, parent company Denmaur Group has announced. Managing director Mike Gee has said there will be no job cuts from the the group's 72 staff as part of the...

PaperCo award victory for CUP.
December 5, 2008... PaperCo has announced that Cambridge University Press (CUP) has won its Maine, Chromomat and Satimat Challenge. The publisher won the award for the most creative use of the coated art stocks, after submitting a book celebrating the National...

Stora backing adds further fillip for NAPM's Two Sides campaign.(Stora Enso Oyj)
December 5, 2008... Paper giant Stora Enso has become the latest company to put its weight behind the Two Sides campaign, launched by the National Association of Paper Merchants (NAPM). The Two Sides campaign aims to demystify the environmental impact of...

CEPI celebrates paper sector's performance.
December 5, 2008... Innovation in the paper sector is central to make the sector more profitable in the future, the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) has said. The non-profit making organisation highlighted the paper industry's evolution in...

Contract update.
December 5, 2008... ProCo said it has implemented a more 'responsive and flexible' print-procurement strategy for Little Chef as part of an overhaul of the brand's network of 180 restaurants. The nationwide chain has installed an online ordering system from...

Client audit: WWF international.(World Wide Fund for Nature)
December 5, 2008... WWF International is part of the WWF, a global network of semi-autonomous national organisations all of which commission their own printing. WWF International is the international secretariat of the WWF and is responsible for co-ordinating and...

Editorial: Growing DM giants will consolidate the sector.(Editorial)
December 5, 2008... Direct mail is fighting back. Plagued for years with the 'junk mail' tag, it seemed like the industry was destined to have its investment slashed as clients responded to the growing unease about mailing volumes. This week's league table serves...

Comment: Printer's devil - Print and its shows are evolving.
December 5, 2008... Fat rascals postponed Northprint's a nice exhibition. You can take a twirl around the entire exhibition in an hour or two, or go wild and spend half a day if you're after some more in-depth info. This leaves plenty of time for the short...

Comment: Talking business.
December 5, 2008... With uncertain markets, steps must be taken to safeguard your bottom line. It is fairly clear that the crisis in the money markets is having a major knock-on effect in the print industry. Insolvency is an issue and previously robust...

Profile: RJDA - Buying its own printing kit has turned this design firm into a one-stop shop.
December 5, 2008... RJDA's Rob Walker has reaped the rewards of having print and design under one roof, finds Adam Hooker. RJDA appears, at first sight, to be a typical trendy design agency. As you walk through the front door, cutting-edge music blares out,...

Analysis: Pre-budget report - What does Darling's PBR mean for print?(Alistair Darling )
December 5, 2008... William Mitting asks if the pre-Budget report's big-spending plans will benefit the industry. How will history judge Alistair Darling and his dramatic pre-Budget report (PBR), which is designed to kick start the economy through massive...

Interview: Felix Dennis - The bard of B,T&D.
December 5, 2008... Publisher Felix Dennis funded a last-minute bid to save Butler and Tanner in June. He speaks exclusively to PrintWeek about his motivation Interview by Darryl Danielli and Tim Sheahan. Multimillionaire publishing maverick Felix Dennis...

League table: Direct mail - The personal touch pays dividends.
December 5, 2008... As the economic situation worsens, companies are cutting back their marketing budgets. But Philip Chadwick discovers that investment and added value are softening the blow for DM companies. As the UK slips into recession, organisations are...

Product Portfolio: Me & My ... Stehlin Hostag Substifix AF.(Product/service evaluation)
December 5, 2008... Garry Baldwin, works manager at St Ives Burnley, says this dampening additive has saved the company money and helped it to be greener. - What is the product? It's a dampening additive for alcohol-free printing or alcohol reduction in...

Product Portfolio: Tried & Tested - Challenge - Titan range.(Company overview)
December 5, 2008... Having manufactured guillotines for more than 120 years, Challenge is an expert and its products remain popular today, says Nosmot Gbadamosi. Challenge, the US post-press manufacturer, has been going strong for more than 130 years. Founded...

Product Portfolio: Buyers' Guide - Monochrome digital presses.(Product/service evaluation)
December 5, 2008... Colour presses are in the spotlight, but it will be some time before they can compete with monochrome in terms of price, says Nosmot Gbadamosi. Colour digital presses are hogging print's headlines at the moment and that's understandable...

Product Portfolio: Joanne's help line - Metallic inks & lint-free wipes.
December 5, 2008... Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q: My small screenprinting company is considering using metallic inks, but I have heard they can't be used for outdoor applications. Is this true? Name and address...

Product Portfolio: Diary.
December 5, 2008... DECEMBER CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE FOR PRINTERS Date: 9 December, 6pm Venue: St Bride's Church, Fleet Street, London Contact: 020 7915 8338 or email heena.bulsara@bpif.org.uk (places limited) JANUARY THE REVOLUTION OF SUSTAINABLE,...

Product Portfolio: Technical tutorial - Service contracts.(Product/service evaluation)
December 5, 2008... A service contract may not save lives, but it could save livelihoods. In today's tight-margin environment, downtime can make the difference between profit and loss. Service contracts are generally offered post-warranty, but can be taken out on...

KPMG lays off 135 Hendi staff.
December 12, 2008... Administrator KPMG has made 135 staff at Alden Hendi redundant across both of its sites. It has also emerged that no employees were paid for the month of November. KPMG was appointed as administrator for the book and commercial printer on...

Newsquest in consultation to shut Bolton site.(Newsquest Media Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 12, 2008... Newspaper publisher Newsquest has begun a consultation to close another print site at the beginning of 2009. The consultation began at the pounds 17m Bolton plant, which only opened in 2001, on Wednesday 3 December and will be concluded on...

Polestar slashes debt in surprise equity swap.(JPMorgan Chase and Co.)(Bluebay)(Brief article)
December 12, 2008... Polestar has dramatically reduced its remaining debt after securing its second debt-for-equity swap in two years in a surprise deal completed last week. Under the terms of the agreement, Polestar's backers, which include JPMorgan, Bluebay...

Wyndeham Deal: WPG sold to Walstead but 163 jobs at risk.(Wyndeham Press Group)(Walstead Investments)
December 12, 2008... The group has secured much-needed financial backing, but it comes at the cost of restructuring, leading to staff cuts at Wyndeham Heron. UK print giant Wyndeham Press Group (WPG) has been sold to Walstead Investments, resulting in a...

Wyndeham Deal: Wyndeham retains 18 Bauer magazines in print tender.
December 12, 2008... Southernprint and St Ives have emerged as the key beneficiaries of the eagerly anticipated tender for the former Emap titles announced this week by publisher Bauer Consumer Media. The tender finalisation, which was delayed as the company...

Wyndeham Deal: Rivals welcome deal as a catalyst for progress.(Brief article)
December 12, 2008... Rival magazine printers have expressed hope that this deal will mark a change of fortunes in the sector, which has struggled under rising costs and low prices. Andrew Pindar, chief executive of Pindar, which sold Cooper Clegg in November,...

Wyndeham Deal: Unite ready for battle over pay and conditions.
December 12, 2008... Unite has said that it is 'devastated' for the 163 Wyndeham Heron staff that are set to lose their jobs, as it positions itself for a possible fight over working practices. Steve Sibbald, national officer at Unite, said: 'The current...

Wyndeham Deal: Wyndeham in numbers.(Wyndeham Press Group)(Company overview)(Brief article)
December 12, 2008... Pounds 95m: Debt - Amount owed by the company 100m: Turnover - Revenue (in pounds) of the company in 2007 18: Magazines - Number of Bauer titles the company retained 850: Employees - Total staff at the group 163: Redundancies - Number of...

Queen's speech reveals 2p hike in business tax.
December 12, 2008... Print businesses could be hit by an extra 2p rates burden under government plans to give councils the power to impose a business levy to promote local development. Details of the Business Rates Supplements Bill were published to coincide...

Administrators close Paperstyle.(Brief article)
December 12, 2008... B1 and B2 printer Paperstyle has closed its doors and is understood to be going into administration. The Oldham-based business made all 20 of its staff redundant on 3 December. Gordon Rees, consultancy manager at Kay Johnson Gee, told...

Johnston Press freezes salaries for six months.
December 12, 2008... Local newspaper publisher and printer Johnston Press has followed Trinity Mirror in announcing that staff pay will be frozen in the early part of 2009. The company has deferred next year's basic salary reviews for six months, blaming the...

In brief: Howitt invests in Vision in Print programme.(Brief article)
December 12, 2008... Howitt has invested in a two-year Vision in Print programme in a bid to improve lean manufacturing techniques. Fifty staff will be trained to implement the Best Practice scheme at all levels of the business. Managing director of Howitt, Gurdev...

In brief: Webmart managing director offers helping hand.(Brief article)
December 12, 2008... Webmart managing director Simon Biltcliffe has offered a helping hand to ex-employees of Alden Hendi, which went into administration earlier this month. He is offering a total of pounds 5,000 in interest-free loans, with former staff eligible...

In brief: Horner Brothers employees help local students.
December 12, 2008... Horner Brothers Print Group employees have been helping local students by volunteering as reading mentors at Brinsworth Comprehensive School. The one-to-one reading support is part of a programme established by the Reading Matters charity. ...

In brief: Bemrose Promotional Products unveils 2010 range.
December 12, 2008... Bemrose Promotional Products has unveiled its 2010 range, which includes calendars, diaries and business gifts. Dave Duncan, commercial director for the BemroseBooth Group, said: 'In this time of uncertain economic conditions, calendars and...

In brief: OKI throws weight behind Prince's Trust Business Programme.(Brief article)
December 12, 2008... OKI has thrown its weight behind The Prince's Trust Business Programme, which aims to provide low-interest loans and mentoring support to aid young people in business start ups. The programme has helped more than 70,000 young people in business...

In brief: Royston Labels launches its new website.(Website overview)
December 12, 2008... Royston Labels has launched its new website aimed at making it easier for new and existing customers to find out more about the company's service offering. The self-adhesive label manufacturer, which can print up to 12 colours screen or flexo,...

In brief: KIP commended for KIP3100 digital printer.
December 12, 2008... KIP has been commended for the new KIP3100 digital printer with the BERTL Best Award for the best decentralised wide-format MFP for 2008 The machine can deliver up to 5,000m of output a month and can print up to resolutions of 600dpi. The 3100...

Edale chooses Indian agent.
December 12, 2008... UK narrow-web press manufacturer Edale has appointed Printers Supply Company as its distributor and agent for the Indian subcontinent. Edale caters for the commercial security sector and its products, which include tamper evidence measures...

Interest rate cut to have little impact on printers.
December 12, 2008... Printers with hire-purchase agreements and fixed-rate credit arrangements are unlikely to benefit from the historic cut in interest rates, industry figures have warned. Last week, the Bank of England (BoE) cut interest rates to 2%, their...

Nuprint offer for local businesses.
December 12, 2008... Staffordshire printer Nuprint has offered companies in the Newcastle-under-Lyme area 500 free business cards, to combat the current economic downturn. Production director Leigh Wilbraham said many companies have cut back on marketing their...

Reader Reaction: What is at the top of your Christmas wish list this year?
December 12, 2008... After a difficult 2008 for all, we ask what the print industry is putting in their letters to Santa. PRINT FINISHER - ANDY FOX, MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE FINISHING COMPANY 'If I had a wish list for Christmas it would be that we are around...

Print Co hopes for pounds 1.5m sales after Ryobi spend.
December 12, 2008... Start-up printer The Print Co has targeted a pounds 1.5m turnover in its first year after investing in a five-colour B2 Ryobi 755 press. The company, which was established in September, has complemented the 'significant' investment with the...

Free print for Marie Curie hospice.
December 12, 2008... A printing company has saved its local Marie Curie hospice thousands of pounds by providing it with free print for more than 11 years. Area fundraising manager for West Yorkshire Brian Curran, who manages the hospice's print, praised...