Print Week articles from February 2005

Print Week archives from February 2005

Denton resigns as Curtis MD.(Alban Denton; Curtis Fine Papers )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Curtis Fine Papers managing director Alban Denton has resigned, less than two years after taking the helm at the independent papermaker. Denton will leave the St Andrews-based firm later this year. Announcing Denton's decision to...

Kodak steps in to gain Creo control.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Kodak has signed an agreement to buy Creo, ending the battle for control of the firm being waged by its current board and the group of dissident shareholders. Creo reached the conclusion in December that the sale of the firm as a whole was...

PrintWeek and Mercury join to publish survey.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... PrintWeek has teamed up with recruitment consultant Mercury Search & Selection to carry out its first industry Salary Survey. The comprehensive survey will cover all aspects of employment from remuneration to job satisfaction and training....

Proskills appoints board and chairman.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Proskills has moved a step closer to gaining its Sector Skills Council (SSC) licence in July with the appointment of a board of directors and a chairman. Representing print on the board will be Polestar group human resources director...

Stop Press: New signings for Intergraf.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The British and Irish Printing Industries Council, which includes the BPIF, the Irish Printing Federation and the Scottish Print Employers Federation, has joined Intergraf.

Stop Press: Appointment at Close Asset Finance.(Neil Pitcher)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Close Asset Finance has appointed Neil Pitcher, formerly operations director, as managing director of its Close Print division.

Stop Press: Hydro-Dynamic Products launches new product.(Tonic FR, ink remover)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Hydro-Dynamic Products has added Tonic FR, a low hazard ink remover and roller wash to its recently launched Enviro range of green consumables.

Stop Press: New daily paper for Northern Ireland.(Daily Ireland)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The first edition of Daily Ireland, a new daily newspaper with a print run of 60,000 copies, has gone on sale across Northern Ireland.

Stop Press: Quark adds new dates to roadshow.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Quark has added five new UK dates to its 'Let's Talk' roadshow. The additions are London 23 February, Brighton 3 March, Bristol 17 March, Birmingham 22 March and Cardiff 23 March.

French book giant buys Antony Rowe.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... French-owned book manufacturing group CPI has extended its presence in the UK with the acquisition of Antony Rowe. The deal, the value of which has not been disclosed, takes CPI's UK sales to around pounds 75m and places the group at the...

Quebecor mum over contract.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Quebecor has declined to respond to a Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph story that it was on the verge of saving 100 of its proposed 300 job cuts, only to miss out on the 'major contract' at the eleventh hour. Several sources have said...

Battle for Bousfield brands.(Ultrachem)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Ultrachem faces a hurdle over the use of the brand names it thought it had bought from Bousfield. Brand names, including Spectrum, Win and Wgi, related to the solvent business that Ultrachem bought from the administrative receiver Ernst &...

Shorts: Printoff Graphics Arts wins award.(ISO 9001/2000 quality accreditation)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Lancashire-based Printoff Graphic Arts has been awarded ISO 9001/2000 quality accreditation. The award was presented to managing director Brian Hough (right) by comedian David Spikey (of Phoenix Nights, and currently Dead Man Weds fame)....

Shorts: Appointment at DuPont Imaging Technologies.(Etienne Laurent)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... DuPont Imaging Technologies has appointed Etienne Laurent as business director Europe, Middle East and Africa and global business director for DuPont Color Communication. Paolo Barbieri, who covered the role over the last four years has been...

Shorts: A win for Colyer Printing Systems.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Colyer Printing Systems has won Xerox mid-range and light production colour VAR of the year. Nigel Southey, sales director said: 'We are delighted that that Xerox has recognised our commitment as a unique value added channel partner.'

Shorts: Taws Printers investment.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Taws Printers has invested in a third Printmaster QM 46 giving it a printroom of 18 B2 and B3 Heidelberg presses. The investment came after Taws moved to a 5,000m2 site in Telford. 'We needed a third model for a specific job which can only be...

Shorts: Imprint Business Systems unveiling.(Automated Estimating software )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Imprint Business Systems will unveil its brand new Automated Estimating software at the Pira MIS show on the 8, 9 and 10 March 2005.

Shorts: Oce confirms final results.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Oce has confirmed the final results for the 2004 financial year were equal to the provisional results (PrintWeek, 20 January). Total revenues were pounds 1.8bn (EUR2.6bn), with net income of pounds 54m.

Shorts: Appointment at Media North.(Scott Harrison)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Bradford-based Media North has appointed Scott Harrison as managing director. 'My aim now is to continue growing the business, invest in new technologies and broaden our customer base,' said Harrison.

Shorts: Appointment at Reproprint.(Dan Bennett)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Woking-based digital print solutions provider Reproprint has appointed Dan Bennett as sales director. Bennett said: 'I am delighted with this appointment and am looking forward to playing an instrumental role in Repropoint's continued success.'...

Shorts: Bemrose receives awards.(Bemrose Corporation PLC)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Derby-based Bemrose received 12 awards at the annual National Calendar Awards at the London School of Communication. 'As market leader, Bemrose views the annual development of its calendar range as a key differentiator,' said Joe Pleshek,...

Shorts: Canon announces net sales.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Canon has announced that in the fiscal year 2004, it consolidated net sales of pounds 17.8bn (Y3.5tn). This represents a year-on-year increase of 8.4% over 2003. 'We've seen strong growth in both our consumer imaging and business solutions...

Pindar Preston to take delivery of new Rapida 105.(KBA Rapida 105)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The first new generation KBA Rapida 105 long perfector in the UK will be the centrepiece of a major investment at Pindar Preston. The five-back-five press with Rapid Cut high-speed sheeter forms part of a pounds 3m spend at the 3,350m2...

Northcliffe set to restart work at Derby plant.(Northcliffe Newspapers Group Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The Northcliffe Press in Derby is to resume a reduced production schedule on its Goss Colorliner 70 in the next few weeks, but is unlikely to be back to full production before May. This follows a fire at the plant last month, when flames...

Image Data buys services firm XPS.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Image Data Group (IDG) has bought digital print and services firm XPS, expanding its national coverage and widening the group's work mix. 'We have a lot of national customers here and in Europe generally, and we will now be able to improve...

UPM profits up by 37% despite price declines.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... UPM has reported improved year-end results for 2004, with a forecast of continued improvements in market conditions in 2005. President and chief executive Jussi Pesonen said although the Finnish paper manufacturer's results improved during...

ESP assigns Beacon a B1 role.(East Sussex Press; Beacon Press)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Beacon Press is to take on a third six-colour B1 Heidelberg Speedmaster from new parent East Sussex Press (ESP), as part of the group's separation into a B1 and B2 operation. As a result of the move, Uckfield-based Beacon becomes the B1...

APP subject of protests.(Asia Pulp and Paper Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) has once again been the subject of protests at an international exhibition, this time at Paperworld in Frankfurt. The Indonesian pulp and paper giant came under fire last year, when its booth was seized by two...

BPIF promotes Brown to deputy chief exec post.(British Printing Industries Federation; Cicely Brown)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Cicely Brown has been promoted by the BPIF to the newly created role of deputy chief executive. Brown will be responsible for leading and developing the organisation's strategic direction and will combine the role with her existing...

Pims appoints Ostler to aid its sheetfed drive.(Karl Ostler; Pims Print )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Pims Print has appointed Karl Ostler as production director in its pursuit of a larger share of the sheetfed market. 'We're pursuing magazine work vigorously, Karl's production experience will help with this,' said Pims marketing and...

Polestar picks up Emap Grazia deal.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Emap has awarded the contract to print the 'UK's first weekly glossy' to Polestar, with Grazia hitting the newsstands on 15 February. 'It will follow on from the successful launch of Zoo last year, and Closer prior to that,' said Emap...

CPI welcomes suggested gas investigations.(Confederation of Paper Industries)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) has welcomed a call for a probe into gas producers, which could lead to fewer price hikes for UK paper manufacturers. 'We would welcome the initiative and it is exactly what we have been calling...

Heidelberg narrows its losses.(Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Heidelberg has moved a step closer to breakeven and even made a profit in its previously loss-making post-press division in its latest quarter. However, the company is planning further cost reduction measures and has begun negotiations...

Xeikon Great Britain turnover.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Xeikon Great Britain had a turnover of pounds 4.1m in its first year of trading, which ran until July 2004. Managing director David Mooney said he was delighted to have surpassed the firm's objectives for the year, and has set a tough challenge...

Jade Press plumps for six-colour KBA Rapida 74.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Jade Press has ordered a KBA press as the first part of a pounds 1m upgrade that could include further investment in pre- and post-press in the near future. The Leeds-based firm will install the KBA Rapida 74 six-colour with coater in...

Mondi to pump pounds 95m into site improvements.(Neusiedler-Syktyvkar; Mondi Business Paper)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Mondi Business Paper, formerly Neusiedler, has announced a pounds 95m (EUR137m) investment programme for 2005, which will be put towards expanding its sites and increasing productivity. The announcement was made by the manufacturer at the...

Talk of Amicus and T&G joining forces.(Transport & General Workers' Union)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Amicus has declined to comment on media speculation that is in talks to form a 'super union' with the Transport & General Workers' Union (T&G). If such a move were to happen it would create a union with more than 2m members, creating a...

CIP4 unveils its specifications manual for JDF.(International Cooperation for Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press, and Postpress; Job Definition Format)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... CIP4 has published its first Interoperability Conformance Specifications (ICS), which are designed to make it easier for customers to ensure the equipment they buy is JDF-enabled. 'Users want some assurances that products are interoperable...

Meeting to discuss Scottish mill plans.(Forscot)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Forscot, the company that is behind the development of a pounds 1bn integrated forest industry project in Scotland, is to hold an open public meeting to outline its plans. The project includes the building and operation of a pulp mill,...

Format change at Telegraph mulled.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Telegraph Group vice chairman Jeremy Deedes had wanted to offer a tabloid version of the newspaper during the recent renaissance that has seen a number of titles change formats. Speaking on 'the future newspaper' at last week's World Print...

Wicks to run Print IT! scheme.(Steve Wicks)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Print IT!, the initiative to attract young people to the print industry, will be headed up by ex-Ancient House Press commercial director Steve Wicks. As part of his role he will work with the scheme's partners, including the Specialist...

Flexpress gets first Ryobi GX.(Flexpress Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Leicester-based Flexpress has installed the UK's first Ryobi GX Series B3-format litho press. The firm bought the 524GX machine from Ryobi's UK distributor Apex Digital Graphics and traded back its Ryobi 3304 portrait-format B3 press as...

Legal Notices.(Public Notice)
February 3, 2005... 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 PETITIONS Advanced Publishing...

Creo's dissidents had Fairvest vote.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Dissident Creo shareholders Burton Capital Management and Goodwood received a boost to their management bid, with the Canadian proxy advisory firm Fairvest backing their proposals prior to the takeover by Kodak. In a press release the...

Ipagsa unveils thermal plate.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Ipagsa has released its new thermal plate, the Arte IP21, following two years of R&D and testing by the Spanish firm. 'This is a big step forward for both us and Ipagsa, giving us a product that offers greater flexibility to the printer,'...

Haynes to launch Kimosetter.(Haynes Graphic Arts)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Haynes Graphic Arts is to launch a low-cost CTP platesetter aimed at the short-run small-format market. The Kimosetter 410, an A3+ thermal desktop platesetter from Japanese firm Kimoto, will start shipping in March priced pounds 3,500. ...

Shorts: Print Factory installs platesetter.(Luxel V-9600 fully automatic B1 platesetter)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The Print Factory has installed a Luxel V-9600 fully automatic B1 platesetter from Fujifilm at its Northampton base. 'Having two pre-press systems will make a big difference to our production times and the quantity of work we can output,' said...

Shorts: SoftCare launches new publishing system.(Softcare Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... SoftCare has launched version 5.1 of the K4 publishing system, the professional publishing package for InDesign-based workflows. The new version includes improved support for regional editions and multi-language publications, e-mail...

Shorts: InDesign Conference.
February 3, 2005... The InDesign Conference is to be held in Amsterdam at the Grand Krasnopolsky Hotel, from 25-28 May. InDesign conference director Barry Anderson said due to the success of its Melbourne and Boston conferences, the firm was riding the current...

Shorts: IPC Media goes live.(IPC Media Ltd. Atex Classified advertising computer system)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... IPC Media has recently gone live with its next generation Atex Classified advertising computer system. A broad range of the publisher's sports and men's interest titles are now live on the system, with the final roll out scheduled for later...

Shorts: CGS Publishing Technologies Intl attains certification.(CGS Publishing Technologies International Fogra certification)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... CGS Publishing Technologies International has attained Fogra certification for its Oris Colour Tuner and CGS proofing media. Fogra issued its finding on three CGS proofing papers, PremiumProof Pearl, Satin and Select. The devices tested were...

Shorts: Topflite Labels installs DuPont Cyrel system.(Topflite Labels)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Topflite Labels has become the latest UK print house to install a DuPont Cyrel system for its flexo needs. The Bristol-based label and packaging specialist has installed a Cyrel Spark and Cyrel Fast Uptime for its flexo plate production. The...

Shorts: Filetransfer.co.uk new announcement.(Filetransfer.co.uk)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Filetransfer.co.uk has announced the availability of 4-Sight Fax version 6.0. Version 6.0 includes a 5x speed improvement, automatic fax notification and Apple address book support, and offers improved reliability and faster printing. Contact:...

Eyecandy to show fine art print line at Spring Fair.(Eyecandy)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Eyecandy is launching a series of digitally produced 'iconic' fine art photographic prints at Spring Fair next week. The Maidenhead-based firm has signed a deal with Rex Features to produce black and white limited edition giclee prints. It...

InfoTrends set to launch new digital survey.
February 3, 2005... InfoTrends CAP Ventures is poised to begin a major new survey on trends in the digital printing market. It is calling for printers to take part in its Future of Digital Production Printing study that will focus on the status and outlook for...

EFI to diversify its workflow offering.
February 3, 2005... EFI plans to grow its professional printing division by buying workflow software firms to reduce its reliance on its Fiery digital print server business. 'In the close of '05 we'll be playing much more of a role in commercial print,' said...

Kodak expects digital sales to beat film in '05.(Eastman Kodak Co.)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Kodak expects its digital sales in 2005 to exceed traditional sales in 2005 for the first time, which chairman and chief executive Dan Carp said showed that its strategy was paying off. The firm revealed its expectation for 2005 as it...

Banbury buys 1st Stitchmaster 350.(Banbury Litho)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Banbury Litho is to take the UK's first Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST350 as part of a pounds 1m programme to cope with a changing work mix. 'Our business has moved on from the single leaflet work we used to get to more true B2 work,' said...

Postcomm unveils framework.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Postcomm has proposed a 'licensing framework' as part of the lead-up to the fully liberated postal market, which will come into effect from next year. The Periodical Publishing Association (PPA) has said that it is considering its response...

Bobst shifts Rapidex support.(Bobst Group UK and Ireland)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Bobst Group (UK and Ireland) has brought the sales and service support of the Rapidex range of board converting and stitching equipment in-house. The move follows the integration of the French-based firm, which develops and builds...

Shorts: KAS Paper Systems to show equipment at Northprint.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... KAS Paper Systems will be showing a host of post-press equipment at Northprint on 19-21 April. The firm reckons that its Mailmaster 465HS (pictured) and Mailmaster 565HS envelope inserters, with their fast makereadies and ease of operation,...

Shorts: Laser-2-mail installs latest Kirk Rudy.(Laser 2 Mail)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Laser-2-mail of Bingley, West Yorkshire, has installed the latest Kirk Rudy credit card tip-on line from UK agent MM Digital. The line has allowed the firm to increase production 100%. The 18,000 pieces per hour unit is made up of a shuttle...

Shorts: Field Boxmore adds Bobst EasyFeeder II.(Field Boxmore Leicester)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Field Boxmore has added a Bobst EasyFeeder II to one of its Alpina gluer lines. The investment follows a design change in one of the carton manufacturer's highest volume jobs, which would have drastically slowed production at its Leicester...

Shorts: Mosca Direct installs bespoke conveying system.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Mosca Direct has installed a bespoke conveying system at Bolton-based Newsquest. Each of the four lines consist of a conveyor, underwrapper and a Mosca RO-TAI-5 airless inline cross strapper.

Shorts: Ashe Converting Equipment sells Opal.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Ashe Converting Equipment has sold an Opal inspection slitter rewinder to a Russian label converter. The Ipswich-based firm reckons that Russia consumes over pounds 1bn of print and that growing demand for high quality packaging and labels is...

Shorts: Jimminson Packaging Services installs tray erector.(Jimminson Packaging Services )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Nottingham-based Jimminson Packaging Services has installed a Heber & Schroder CE850 tray erector. The investment in the 250,000 units per day machine, which uses servo drive and microprocessor controls, has increased the firm's capacity to...

Shorts: A&M Ellis boosts laminating capabilities.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Wolverhampton print finisher A&M Ellis has boosted its laminating capabilities with the installation of a Compact 102TP from Autobond. The family-run firm has offered laminating for several years but it believes that the new machine enters it...

PaperCo launches its recycled range.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... PaperCo has launched a range of recycled coated papers, which includes only the second woodfree coated paper made from 80% recycled fibre in the UK. 9lives, dubbed 'the born again paper', is made up of 9lives 80 and 9lives 55 and targets...

Fedrigoni introduces Tatami.(Fedrigoni Group launches new coated paper)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Italian paper manufacturer Fedrigoni has introduced Tatami, a grade with added bulk, which gives printers two key benefits. It allows a lighter grammage stock to be used for more printing jobs than standard grades, and the added bulk...

Paper Pricewatch: Woodfree papers, February 2005.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... It remains unclear whether price increases by woodfree paper producers have gone through, writes Andy Scott. Although a number of producers planned price increases from the beginning of this year, buyers are claiming they have failed to be...

Shorts: M-real invites students to paper mill.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... To promote the paper industry, M-real invited a group of students to visit its Sittingbourne paper mill in Kent as part of their A-level studies. The visit was hailed as a success, with the students from Judd School in Tonbridge participating...

Shorts: GF Smith introduces paper collection.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... GF Smith has introduced its 2005 collection of speciality text and cover papers. Comprising 36 ranges and 297 colour and surface options, the collection includes glassine and iridescent papers, metallics, fibred tissues and feltmarks. The...

Shorts: Heide Klum has own personal watermark.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Top German fashion model Heidi Klum now has her own personal watermark, courtesy of Italian paper manufacturer Favini. The paper was manufactured at Favini's Meerssen mill in Holland to specifications laid down by Klum's father, Gunther, who...

Shorts: Elliott Baxter launches Ebb service.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Following the integration of the former HV Beever branch in Birmingham, independent paper merchant group Elliott Baxter has launched its Ebb service in the West Midlands. With over 1,000 tonnes of stock, Ebb offers same-day deliveries of a vast...

Shorts: UPM's fine paper machine sets world record.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... UPM's fine paper machine at its Kuusankoski mill in Finland has set a world record for machines in its sector. The Kymi PM8 paper machine ran at an average speed of 1,584 metres per minute for a period of 24 hours, producing pre-coated fine...

Shorts: M-real rebuilds units.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... M-real is rebuilding its coating and coating colour preparation units at its Keimart Liners board mill in northern Finland. The rebuild will take one week, in September-October this year, and will result in a two-stage investment of pounds 4.4m...

Shorts: Naturalis used by holiday group.(One & Only Resorts )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Scottish independent papermaker Tullis Russell's Naturalis grade has been used by holiday group One & Only Resorts for a pre-opening brochure for its Maldives resort. A popular choice for text and cover print jobs, the brochure was printed by...

McNaughton launches prize draw to mark merger.
February 3, 2005... The James McNaughton Group is offering its customers the chance to win a SmartCar in a prize draw. The prize is to mark the recent partnership with fellow Map Merchant company MoDo Merchants, completed last month (PrintWeek, 13 January)....

Pira schedules paper science training week.(Pira International)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Pira is to hold the third in its series of paper science training weeks, providing papermakers with the latest information on technology advancements. The paper science training week will consist of five topic-specific days. These are...

Xerox unveils new carbonless grade.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Xerox has produced what it claims to be the first carbonless paper guaranteed for both digital colour and black and white printers. Premium Digital Carbonless Paper will be of benefit to UK business forms printers, who will be able to...

Sodra Cell lifts its NBSK prices by dollars 30 a tonne.(Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Swedish pulp producer Sodra Cell has announced a dollars 30 per tonne increase for its Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp. The price for NBSK will be dollars 660 per tonne, effective immediately. The announcement comes soon...

Eco certificate for Torras mill.(Torraspapel)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Torraspapel's Motril mill in Spain has been awarded ISO 14001 environmental management accreditation. ISO 14001 guarantees that the mill's production processes respect the environment, while being subject to continuous improvement. ...

M-real launches swatch for printers.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... M-real has launched a swatch for printers for its improved product range of Nimrod double-coated fine papers. Designed for use in magazines, brochures, catalogues, direct mail and annual reports. Details on the full product range are contained...

Candis job scoop for Cooper Clegg.(Newhall Publishing)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Cooper Clegg has picked up the contract to print Newhall Publishing's super-compact womens' title Candis. 'We're delighted,' said Cooper Clegg managing director Ian Cooper. 'They just found that we could offer them the package, service and...