Print Week articles from February 2008

Print Week archives from February 2008

Barclaycard to close Northants print site with 160 jobs at risk.
February 7, 2008... Barclaycard is to make up to 160 print redundancies with the closure of its Northampton statement and credit card production facility. Staff at the Bewer House plant learned of its planned closure, which is due to complete by the end of...

Polestar Sheffield gets fifth MD in four years.(Paul Erickson has resigned from Polestar Sheffield )(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Polestar Sheffield managing director Paul Erickson has resigned with immediate effect ahead of a return to his native America. Erickson quit his post last Friday for 'personal reasons' and was replaced on Monday by Polestar Greaves managing...

Administrators remain hopeful of Corby sale.
February 7, 2008... Administrators of Corby-based Quebecor World UK have said they expect to announce a development in the next few days as the search for a buyer goes into a second week. The Corby site was placed in administration last week by its parent...

Fuji raises costs for conventional.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Fujifilm has announced a price hike of up to 20% on conventional plates, film and related chemicals, ahead of a possible rise in digital prices. UK managing director Keith Dalton said the price rise, which comes into effect in March in the...

Pelican Print awarded ISO 14001 accreditation.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Pelican Print, the Aylesbury-based commercial printer, has been awarded ISO 14001 accreditation to support its ISO 9001. Pelican Print is also due to receive FSC certification early this year. Gerald Costello, joint managing director of the...

Printank applies quality management system ISO 9001 compliant.
February 7, 2008... Printank, the Leicester-based printer has applied a quality management system (QMS) that has been recently certified as ISO 9001 compliant. The company is also seeking to gain ISO 14001 and FSC accreditation. Printank's Prab Tank said: 'As an...

Pindar celebrates after receiving accolade in Green Apple Awards.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Pindar is celebrating after receiving a significant accolade in the annual Green Apple Awards, for its commitment to the environment in the UK. Pindar was presented with the prestigious accolade, against stiff competition from more than 750...

Appointment at Everydayprint.(John Carter )(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Everydayprint, the Macclesfield-based digital print specialist, has appointed the former Sale Sharks flanker John Carter as a new sales and marketing executive. Carter joins the pounds 1m turnover set-up with a brief to secure new business and...

Curtis Fine Papers presents three staff with long service awards.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Curtis Fine Papers has presented three of its staff with long-service awards after they each completed 25 years with the Fife-based specialist papermaker. The company stalwarts are Jimmy Braid, web wrap operator; Dave Pasley, electrical...

BPIF McInnes Corporate behind sale of K2 to Dsi CMM.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... BPIF McInnes Corporate was behind the sale of K2, the pounds 30m-turnover direct mail company, to Dsi CMM, it has emerged. Marcus Clifford, managing director of BPIF McInnes Corporate, said: 'We were very pleased to have been mandated by the...

Paper prices rise again as mills blame higher production costs.
February 7, 2008... Printers are to be hit with further paper price hikes after merchants warned customers to expect increases of up to 8% in the coming months. Mills have recently announced increases as a consequence of continually rising costs and a policy...

DS Smith plans pounds 100m spend after mill buy.
February 7, 2008... DS Smith is to invest pounds 104m in its UK paper and corrugated packaging business after the firm acquired M-real's New Thames paper mill in Kent for pounds 60m. The sale signals the withdrawal of M-real from UK paper production and comes...

PaperCo in Donington Packaging acquisition.(PaperCo acquires Donington Packaging)(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... PaperCo has boosted its industrial packaging division with the acquisition of Lincolnshire-based Donington Packaging. The pounds 4m-turnover, 12-staff industrial packaging merchant supplies packaging materials to the food processing and...

YPS spend takes work in-house.(Your Print Solution )(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Your Print Solution (YPS) has responded to growth in on-demand personalised work with an investment in an HP Indigo 3500. The High Wycombe-based commercial printer, which signed for the press at Digital Print World last year, has taken all...

SunMetallic ink set to go global.(Sun Chemical is planning to launch of a new range of metallic inks)(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Sun Chemical is planning a global launch of a new range of metallic inks after forming a partnership with a Chinese aluminium pigment manufacturer. The ink giant's parent company, Dainippon Ink & Chemicals (DIC), has launched Nantong DIC...

Acquisitive Day brings HDP into Flint family.(Hydro Dynamic Products acquires Day International )(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Consolidation in the ink and consumables market has continued as Hydro Dynamic Products (HDP) was acquired by Flint-owned Day International. The West Sussex-based manufacturer of pressroom chemicals was formerly a subsidiary of...

Used print kit under the hammer in PressXchange's first online auction.
February 7, 2008... PressXchange.com, the online used graphic arts equipment sales website, is to host its first online used kit auction, selling off pounds 9m worth of kit over 48 hours. John Roadnight, the founder of PressXchange, which incorporates the...

Erstwhile owners buy and rebrand Setmaster.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Finishing kit manufacturer Setmaster has rebranded as BCB Professional Finishing Solutions after its former owners bought the company out of administration. The Hampshire-based company has also closed its UK manufacturing arm, which led to...

Maritime buys Colorspan 5460.(Colourgen acquires Maritime Progress )(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Marine signage firm Maritime Progress has bolstered its digital production line-up with a Colourgen Colorspan 5460uv. The machine, bought through reseller Print Technologies, will be used to print Southampton-based Maritime's range of...

Tall Group hits pounds 10m as Africa market opens up.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Demand for security printing in Africa and the development of software-based payment solutions have driven secure print specialists Tall Group's turnover to a record pounds 10m. Martin Ruda, managing director of the Hinkley-based group,...

Litho Supplies unveils 52VP.
February 7, 2008... Litho Supplies this week gave the first UK showing of the Shinohara 52VP convertible-to-perfecting B3 press at a GAE open house. The launch at the firm's Perivale, London, headquarters comes one week after Litho Supplies bought GAE for...

Reader Reaction: Does the printing industry invest enough in marketing?
February 7, 2008... After the BPIF's Andy Heap stressed the importance of print marketing, we ask if printers agree LARGE-FORMAT PRINTER Richard Saysell, managing director, Creo Retail Marketing and Lauren Displays 'It is difficult to measure...

Service Graphics hunts for superwide talent.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Service Graphics, St Ives' superwide-format arm, is on the lookout for quality staff following its successful pounds 1m kit investment. The firm, which recently produced graphics for the new Eurostar terminal at London's St Pancras, has...

Redmond invests in Komori press.
February 7, 2008... Redmond Graphics has bought a five-colour Komori Lithrone S40 plus coater to replace two Heidelberg SM-74s as part of a pounds 2m investment in printing, repro and finishing equipment. Maurice Champion, managing director of parent RGL Print...

Centreprint trials web-based MIS.
February 7, 2008... Centreprint has developed an innovative management information system (MIS) designed specifically for use in the print industry. PRIMAS, which allows users to track and adjust customer orders and send information to the relevant department,...

Legal Notices.(Report)
February 7, 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 Aurora Colors...

Agfa set to grow OEM interests after closing platesetter site.
February 7, 2008... Agfa Graphics looks certain to extend its OEM partnership with Japanese pre-press manufacturer Screen, following the proposed closure of its own platesetter manufacturing facility in Wilmington, USA. Agfa announced last week that it planned...

Group 1 unveils DOC1 extension.
February 7, 2008... Group 1 Software, a subsidiary of Pitney Bowes, has released Content Author, an extension to its DOC1 Series 5 document composition software. Group 1 said the extension would reduce review cycles, potential delays and costs when adding...

Digital sales boost for Kodak GCG but increased costs hit revenues.(Financial report)
February 7, 2008... Kodak's Graphic Communications Group (GCG) has recorded a 7% increase in turnover, up to dollars 998m (pounds 505m), in its fourth quarter 2007 results. However, the firm, which attributed the rise to a 12% increase in digital sales,...

Artwork, Markzware settle patent dispute.
February 7, 2008... FlightCheck maker Markzware has reached an out-of-court settlement with Artwork Systems in the patent infringement lawsuit it filed against the Netherlands-based company last year. Markzware, which is based in California, filed a patent...

Nipson 'overcomes VaryPress challenges' with sales of pounds 27m.
February 7, 2008... AIM-listed digital printer manufacturer Nipson Digital Printing Systems has posted a positive trading update, driven by an increase in sales of its VaryPress printer range. Total sales for the last quarter of the year to 31 December 2007...

PODi report on PPML released.(Personalised Print Markup Language)(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... PODi, the digital printing initiative, has released its second Personalised Print Markup Language (PPML) Intero-perability Report. PPML allows the creation of personalised high-volume print campaigns by service providers, enabling...

Canon UK and Bitstream link up to offer Pageflex on digital products.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Canon UK has teamed up with the developer of the Pageflex range of variable data publishing and web-to-print products to strengthen its variable data offering. The deal, with UK-based Bitstream, will give users of Canon's digital...

New group operations director at DM giant.(Howitt Group)(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Direct mail giant Howitt and its sister digital firm Dialogue Solutions have appointed a new group operations director from K2. Vincent Gidley has joined the Howitt group of companies after 11 years at K2, which last month became part of...

Wohlenberg kit to be built at Perfecta plant.(Baumann )(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... German manufacturing giant Baumann has closed its Wohlenberg guillotine manufacturing facility in Hanover and moved it to its Perfecta site in Bautzen. Both Wohlenberg and Perfecta are owned by Baumann, but in the UK, MAN Roland is the...

Muller unwraps its new Ventura.(Muller Martini)(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Muller Martini has stolen a march on the industry by showing off its Ventura book sewing machine six months early. The machine is now available with an Asir3 control system, which tests for the correct sequence of sections and ensures that...

John Price plumps for B1 Premier guillotine.(John Price and sons)(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... B2 commercial printer John Price and Sons has invested in a new CCM Premier 115 guillotine from Terry Cooper Services. The Bilston-based company, which was established 180 years ago, bought the B1 machine despite it being larger than the...

Printforms Group in Wakefield invest in host of new kit.
February 7, 2008... Printforms Group in Wakefield has invested in a host of new kit from supplier Graphic Arts Equipment. The company purchased a twin-tower Horizon VAC-Turbo PowerCollator with integrated JDF-ready SPF/FC-200A with 4,500bph production capability....

Robust launches tandem version of SPO-Flexo die-cutter.
February 7, 2008... Bobst has launched a tandem version of its SPO-Flexo die-cutter especially for the corrugated cardboard industry. The Swiss finishing kit manufacturer's customers will now be able to run two machines side by side and operators will be...

Kolbus UK secures UK agency of manufacturer Technograf.
February 7, 2008... Kolbus UK has secured the UK agency of Italian small bindery equipment manufacturer Tecnograf. According to Kolbus, the Tecnograf equipment will complement its own products. The Tecnograf range of small one and four clamp binders operate using...

Christian Publishing & Outreach (CPO) invests in PitStop digital creaser.
February 7, 2008... Christian Publishing & Outreach (CPO) has invested in a PitStop digital creaser from Encore Machinery to meet the demands of printing 2.1m digital leaflets and greetings cards a year. CPO, which is based in Worthing, West Sussex, produces a...

Plant4Print to hold open days on 14 and 15 February at offices in Pride Park.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Plant4Print in Derby is to hold an open day on 14 and 15 February at its offices in Pride Park. The company will be showing off its new Maverick high-speed placing system and the Vortex auto adjusting friction feeder. Visitors will have the...

Economic slowdown to affect UK paper in 2008.
February 7, 2008... Sluggish market conditions will impact on the fine paper sector, with this year proving to be 'generally tough' in terms of UK paper and board consumption, according to PPL Research. The findings are from the UK Preview 2008, which also...

Cropper hit by cost pressures.
February 7, 2008... Specialist paper manufacturer James Cropper has said the weakness of the US dollar, a higher cost base and a changing product mix have negatively impacted on its performance. In a trading update, chief executive of the Cumbrian-based firm...

Animal Attraction.
February 7, 2008... The Exotic Paper Company has made a variety of Ellie Poo - elephant dung - gifts for Valentine's Day. The Somerset-based firm has also produced Rhino Poo paper in partnership with Save the Rhino International, and has handmade wild seed paper -...

Appointment at Confederation of European Paper Industries.
February 7, 2008... The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) has appointed Magnus Hall as its new chairman. His tenure began at the beginning of January and will hold the post until the end of 2009. Former chairman Frits Beurskens will keep the...

Antalis raised pounds 6,250 to help Breast Cancer Campaign.
February 7, 2008... Antalis has raised pounds 6,250 to help the Breast Cancer Campaign to continue funding its research. The Leicestershire-based paper merchant has launched a range of six FSC-approved envelopes with pink opaque interior. It will donate 10% of the...

James McNaughton launches Self-Adhesive Family Swatch.
February 7, 2008... James McNaughton has launched the Self-Adhesive Family Swatch. It has been split into four sections containing related groups of products There are four printed sample pages for the Graphic, Adestor and Graphic Laser Gummed ranges. The paper...

Denmaur Papers confirms list of speakers for seminars at Publishing Expo exhibition.
February 7, 2008... Denmaur Papers has confirmed the list of speakers for its seminars at the Publishing Expo exhibition, 13-14 February 2008 at Olympia 2, London. John Sanderson, director of regional environmental affairs UK at UPM, and David Lucas, managing...

UPM publishes printing and paper workbook.
February 7, 2008... UPM has published a printing and paper workbook for its UPM Finesse woodfree coated papers. The workbook shows the effects achievable with duplex printing on four different paper finishes and two grammages

Sappi to present latest innovations in paper and board at Drupa 2008.
February 7, 2008... Sappi will present its latest innovations in paper and board at Drupa 2008, as part of PrintCity's Connection of Competence. The exhibition runs from 29 May-11 June in Dusseldorf. PrintCity members' 'new concept' approach will inform visitors...

Contract update.
February 7, 2008... Pindar Tewkesbury, formerly Cooper Clegg, is set to print FHM's new travel-sized edition, which will hit newsstands this spring. The lad's magazine, published by H Bauer following its acquisition of Emap's consumer magazine business, is...

Client audit: International Fund For Animal Welfare (IFAW).
February 7, 2008... The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is an international charity aiming to stop the commercial exploitation and trade of animals by changing policies and practices through campaigns and grants. Rosa Argent is communications...

Comment: Lawrence Wallis.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... The importance of orthography. For a personal treat I recently bought a book on mnemonics called i before e (except after c) by Judy Parkinson. As might be deduced from the title, a chapter in the volume is dedicated to correct...

Editorial: Darryl Danielli - Europe's papermakers must also pay the price.(Editorial)
February 7, 2008... Hold the front page, paper prices are going up. Again. As usual, the rises have been blamed on the soaring cost of energy. I have no doubt that the mills' input costs (as they're now euphemistically called) have risen since the last...

Comment: Talking business - Philippa Dempster.
February 7, 2008... Public tenders are complex and full of pitfalls, but the rewards can be great. There is a lot of work available for printers from government agencies, local authorities and NHS Trusts. But when tendering for work, it's important to...

Profile: Wyndeham Pre-press.(Company overview)
February 7, 2008... Downsizing leads to a brighter future for Wyndeham's pre-media division. Decisive action from Barry Fitzpatrick has brought the group's pre-media stable up to date, says Simon Nias. From his office in the heart of trendy east London's...

Analysis: Insolvency - Spate of admin sparks pre-pack debate.
February 7, 2008... William Mitting asks if the process always ensures the best result for everyone concerned. Administration is a sad part of modern print in the UK. All too often companies have shaved their margins one too many times, finding themselves...

Making a run for the sun.(trends in printing industry)
February 7, 2008... Dreary British industrial estate or sun-kissed Australian beach? For an increasing number of print expats, the choice is a no-brainer, as Joanne Gardner discovers. They were once known only as 'Ten Pound Poms', but 50 years later Brits...

Technology report: Inks - The lesser of two evils?(Report)
February 7, 2008... In an industry striving to improve on many environmental issues, inks based on vegetable oils may sound like a great idea. But, asks Karen Charlesworth, is this really the case? At last year's PrintBuyer Forum, the environment provided a...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - Fujifilm Acuity.(Product/service evaluation)
February 7, 2008... Cheap and versatile, this printer is a low-risk choice for firms getting into wide-format, says Karen Charlesworth. Wide-format transformation to digital began some 20 years ago with Vutek's first airbrushing machines, and is now just about...

Better business: Redundancies - Easing the path of redundancy.
February 7, 2008... With redundancies on the rise, it is more important than ever that help is available to support laid-off staff and get them back to work, says Philip Chadwick. Being made redundant can hit someone as hard as a bereavement in the family....

Product portfolio: Me & my ... Shinohara 75.(Interview)
February 7, 2008... Ian Hickman, print manager at the University of Leicester's print division, says the infrared dryer on this press has cut overtime by speeding up production. - What does the machine do? It's a five-colour B2+ press that consistently...

Product Portfolio: Tried & Tested - Duplo System 2000.(Product/service evaluation)
February 7, 2008... This entry-level hybrid machine, now faster and more digital-friendly, is still a firm fixture on the bookletmaker market, finds Nosmot Gbadamosi. That the Duplo System 2000 has racked up a load of sales since its launch nearly eight years...

Product Portfolio: Buyers' guide - Die-cutters, drills and ram punches.
February 7, 2008... An often-ignored yet important addition to the print armoury, the latest die-cutters offer a host of new features, writes Nosmot Gbadamosi. In the print market, it often seems like the big presses get all the attention, while finishing can...

Product Portfolio: Joanne's help line - Laminating film & hand-block print.(Product/service evaluation)
February 7, 2008... Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your print problems Q: We're trying to find a trade laminator to laminate a matt film onto a five-colour litho laminate B-flute carton. The trouble we're having is the blank size. The...

Product Portfolio: Technical tutorial - Invoice finance.(Product/service evaluation)
February 7, 2008... Increasing numbers of businesses are turning to more innovative ways of funding such as invoice finance to support company expansion plans. The argument for growing businesses to use factoring or invoice discounting is powerful, because it...

Product Portfolio: Diary.(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 7, 2008... FEBRUARY FUJI ENVIRONMENT ROADSHOWS Dates: 12, 19, 27 February Venues: Marriott Bristol City Centre, Bristol; Hilton Metropole, Birmingham; The Lowry Centre, Manchester; Marriott Metro, Newcastle; Thistle Barbican, London Price:...

EU Tenders.(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... 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: Money for old notes at Derbyshire auction.
February 7, 2008... Those that believe the value of print is dropping should make a trip up to Derby, where print values seem to be soaring. An antique bank note, probably worth a couple of bob when first in circulation, is expected to fetch up to pounds 150....

Post Script: Memory Lane.
February 7, 2008... ONE YEAR AGO Emap named Debbie Read as its group production chief... TPF Group looked to become the UK's largest digital printer, after placing the biggest ever Xerox iGen3 order... RR Donnelley planned 35 redundancies at its UK site,...

Post Script: Print's Past.
February 7, 2008... Emery Walker In a previous column, I mentioned that Emery Walker died 75 years ago in 1933; but who was he? The son of a London coachbuilder, Walker started work at a local photoengravers when he was just 13 years old. In the late...

Post Script: Q&A - Spencer sands.(interview)(Interview)(Brief article)
February 7, 2008... Spencer Sands is joint managing director at East Grinstead-based The Lingfield Press. His print career began on work experience and he hopes to end it by the time he is 50. He trusts no-one, hates rudeness, detests under-pricing and would...

Magazine contracts rejigged as curtain falls on sad Corby.
February 14, 2008... BGP, St Ives and Polestar have picked up the main work from Quebecor World's site in Corby after its closure was announced this week. Administrators at the site, whose future has hung in the balance since before Christmas, told staff and...

Revival plan set at CPD after Cromwell buyout.(Cromwell Press Group )(Brief article)
February 14, 2008... Cromwell Press Group has revealed plans to breathe life into failed Welsh book printer Creative Print and Design (CPD), after buying the firm out of administration. The Trowbridge-based company is planning to invest pounds 2.5m in the...

Print still fuelling business media.
February 14, 2008... Print remains the largest revenue generator for the UK business publishing sector, accounting for 47% of all revenue, according to the latest Connecting Business study by Gfk/NOP. The report, commissioned by the Periodical Publishers...

Brightsource mounts global push.(Brief article)
February 14, 2008... Print management firm Brightsource, formerly known as Target Direct Print, could be on the verge of overseas expansion this year after posting a pounds 10m leap in turnover. Managing director Peter Frings revealed the firm, which posted...

Appointment at Pureprint.(Mike Wells appointed as manufacturing director)(Brief article)
February 14, 2008... Pureprint has appointed a new manufacturing director. Mike Wells will report to chief executive Mark Handford. Prior to joining Pureprint, Wells spent two years at Royle Corporate Print as sales and technical director. Handford said: 'Having...

Appointment at Royal Mail.(Tony Devine appointed as head of mailing agents)(Brief article)
February 14, 2008... Royal Mail has appointed Tony Devine as head of mailing agents. In the role, he will be responsible for meeting the changing needs of the mailing house industry. The appointment follows the introduction last year of Royal Mail's Mailing House...

Charlesworth Group commissions the design of special logo.(Brief article)
February 14, 2008... The Charlesworth Group, the Huddersfield-based litho and digital printer, has commissioned the design of a special logo to coincide with its 80th anniversary this year. From its conception in 1928, the company has grown into an international...

Inc Direct achieves ISO 14001 certification.(International Organization for Standardization)(Brief article)
February 14, 2008... Inc Direct, PrintWeek's Company of the Year 2007, has achieved ISO 14001 certification, which recognises its work to improve environmental efficiency. The certifying agent, QMS UK, granted the certification after examining recycling and...

Ancient House Press installs Technotrans barrel ink pumping.
February 14, 2008... Ancient House Press in Ipswich has installed Technotrans barrel ink pumping on its 12-colour Mitsubushi Diamond 3000 tandem perfector. Paul Sadler, operations director at the company, said the installation had been 'very easy indeed'

SV.Two wins contract with major car manufacturer.
February 14, 2008... SV.Two has won a contract with a major car manufacturer after gaining ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification. Nick Ide, director of PrintWeek's SME Company of the Year, said: 'We had already made credible advances down the environmental road...

Webmart teams up with Business Link programme.
February 14, 2008... Webmart, the print management firm, has teamed up with the government's Business Link programme to launch a number of free 'Effective Print Procurement' workshops. Simon Biltcliffe, managing director of Webmart, said: 'Irrespective of...