Print Week articles from February 2009

Print Week archives from February 2009

Boden buys up Cromwell sister firms from administrator SFP.(managing director John Boden acquires Cromwell Press )
February 6, 2009... Print veteran John Boden has followed up last week's acquisition of Cromwell Press with the purchase of the group's other companies and a vow to re-employ staff at the sites. Boden, the former managing director of Midway Press, made a...

Celloglas jobs rescue attempt on knife's edge.(Printing machinery industry)(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... Hopes of a rescue for the remaining former employees of failed laminator Celloglas are fading after a buyout bid dragged into another week. It emerged last week that rival finisher Best Cover UV had been in talks with administrator MCR...

Headleys and Gibbons win pounds 5m Emap tender.
February 6, 2009... Headley Brothers and William Gibbons have triumphed in Emap Inform's pounds 5m print tender. As a result of the tender, which began in July last year, William Gibbons has joined Headley Brothers on Emap Informs' roster of main suppliers,...

Saxon Photolitho in administration.(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... B1 print company Saxon Photolitho is to close after administrator KPMG pulled the plug on the ailing firm. Allan Graham and Ian Corfield were appointed administrators at the Norwich-based company on 26 January. They made 42 staff...

TPF Group buys local rival Printhaus.(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... TPF Group has bought Printhaus out of administration and said that it will pay the full redundancy payments of all staff let go in December last year. It is understood that around 15 jobs have been saved by the deal, while TPF has agreed...

Appointment at Brightsource.(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... Brightsource has appointed Lindsay Travis to the new role of sustainability analyst to help develop its recently launched carbon footprinting service. Travis said: 'I'm delighted to be involved in the development of this pioneering...

Antalis using 'scratch and sniff'.
February 6, 2009... Antalis is using 'scratch and sniff' direct mail to promote a new competition in which customers can win a year-long family cinema pass. The paper merchant has been mailing a scented popcorn-shaped direct mail piece to its customers to...

Printweek.com survey.
February 6, 2009... Printweek.com conducted a survey that found almost half of printers believe that stopping companies' ability to write off debt is the most effective way to combat low pricing. The poll, which ran on the printweek.com homepage over the past...

Website launch by Duplo.
February 6, 2009... Duplo has launched a website serving the EMEA region. The new site features a 'why buy' guide under each product type for operators and business owners and a 'search by application' option Peter Jolly, UK marketing manager at Duplo...

350 sign up to MIS system.
February 6, 2009... Printpak has said that more than 350 print companies have signed up to its eponymous MIS system since the launch of its free community edition last November. Printpak managing director Norman Marks reported high levels of interest in the...

Appointment at BIGiQ.(printing industry appoints Paul Phillips )(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... The BIGiQ, part of the iQ Group, has boosted its sales setup after hiring Paul Phillips in the role of sales manager. The large-format digital printer has taken on Phillips, who has large-format exhibition and digital print expertise, to...

Printers battle on despite UK's heaviest snowfall in 18 years.(print suppliers suffer from heavy snow fall)
February 6, 2009... Printers and print suppliers from across the country battled on in the face of the 'extreme weather conditions' this week, with many reporting that there had been no major disruptions to service despite the heaviest snowfall for 18 years. ...

Government 'needs to keep promise to SMEs'.
February 6, 2009... The boss of a Hampshire print firm has expressed fears that investment in the industry could dry up if the government fails to make good on its proposed multi-billion pound loan guarantee scheme for small businesses. Stephen Edwards,...

Celebration of Wallis's life at St Bride Library.
February 6, 2009... Friends of the St Bride Library are to celebrate the life and work of Lawrence Wallis, highly respected print author, historian and PrintWeek columnist, who passed away in March 2008. The event will include contributions from Wallis's many...

Economy & exchange rates deal digital vendors a double blow.
February 6, 2009... Economic pressures and currency fluctuations took their toll on digital press and pre-media sales over the past 12 months, revealed in results released by three leading manufacturers last week. Xerox, Fujifilm and Kodak all posted falls in...

Bezier to cut 31 Wakefield jobs.
February 6, 2009... Bezier has entered into consultation with 31 staff at its Wakefield plant following a fall in demand for the company's screen printing service. The group reported a reduction in screen printing volumes, but said that its litho, digital and...

ViP secures sponsorship with HSPG for Snapshot diagnostic services.
February 6, 2009... Vision in Print (ViP) has secured new sponsorship for its Snapshot lean manufacturing diagnostic programmes, meaning print firms can continue to analyse their businesses for as little as pounds 350. The two-year deal with Howard Smith Paper...

Customer publishing to grow, says Mintel.
February 6, 2009... The print industry could receive a welcome boost from customer publishing during the recession if a recently published Mintel report, which has predicted 15% growth for the sector, proves accurate. According to the study, commissioned by...

Board shake-up at Johnston.
February 6, 2009... Regional newspaper publisher and printer Johnston Press has announced a number of boardroom changes following John Fry's appointment as chief executive at the beginning of January. Ian Russell has been appointed as chairman from 12 March...

UK print refutes survey rating digi over offset.(survey rating the quality of digital printing )(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... UK printers and print buyers have questioned a recent international survey of production print buyers that rated the quality of digital printing as better than offset. IT research company Gartner, which polled more than 400 print and...

GMC hires Harris as SE sales rep.(GMC Software Technology appoints Simon Harris as sales manager)(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... GMC Software Technology UK has announced the appointment of Simon Harris as sales manager for London and the South East. Harris, who has a background in software sales involving transactional document processes in the finance and insurance...

Reader Reaction: How will print management fare in the current recession?
February 6, 2009... Print management was forged in the fires of the last recession, we ask how it will evolve this time. - Print manager: Mark Scanlon, managing director, CDP Print Management 'Success in this recession depends on the profile of the...

Legal Notices.(Public notice)
February 6, 2009... 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 - Cromwell Press...

Domain name boost to Zyan beermat business.
February 6, 2009... Zyan Design & Print has bought the domain names beermat.com and beermats.com for dollars 10,000 (pounds 6,996) in an attempt to expand its beermat printing services. The Hampshire-based company, which helped snare a murder suspect using...

Gecko in print deal with Carlsberg.(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... Carlsberg has teamed up with Gecko, the print management company, to provide pub landlords with templates to create and order personalised direct mail and printed items. The Danish brewer's online portal, We Deliver More, is designed to...

Fulprint buys four-colour B3 press.
February 6, 2009... Yorkshire printer Fulprint has broken into the four-colour arena after investing in a Ryobi 524HE to make the company more competitive. The B3 press spend is a response to growing demand from the printer's client base for four-colour work,...

Positive Focus chosen as UK and Ireland agent for DMP Flo Suite.(Positive Focus contracts with software developer Digital Media )
February 6, 2009... Positive Focus has been appointed to distribute and integrate Belgian software developer Digital Media Partners' (DMP) web-to-print software, DMP Flo Suite, in the UK and Ireland. The software package, which will get its debut in the UK at...

PPA launches pass4press V9.(www.pass4press.com)(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... The Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) has released the latest version of its pass4press guidelines for the digital advertising workflow. Pass4press V9, which is available online at www.pass4press.com, stresses the importance of good...

Print leads Second Life on internet island aimed at recruiting students.
February 6, 2009... Print recruitment has entered the 21st century with the launch of Printalution Island in the web-based interactive 3D virtual reality program Second Life. The island, which was launched by the Education Summit for Graphic Communication...

F1 gets its second River title for offshore repro service.(F1 Colour contracts with River Publishing )(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... F1 Colour's managed offshore repro service has been given a vote of confidence by River Publishing after it signed up a second title to the service. River, which took the plunge into offshore repro with Weight Watchers' customer magazine...

Lightning Source aims for 20% growth after successful 2008.(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... On-demand book publisher Lightning Source UK has announced that it printed more than 2m books in 2008. The company described the figure as a 'significant increase in print on-demand manufacturing'. Lightning Source president David...

DPS offers digi photo service.
February 6, 2009... Large-format kit supplier Digital Photo Solutions (DPS) has launched a new outsource print service aimed at photographers wanting large digital prints without the expense of buying the printers. The Bromley-based business is offering a...

HP launches online personalised design and print service in the US.(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... HP has launched a new online service that gives small businesses the ability to design and create marketing collateral that can then be produced through a variety of options. The web-based service, called MarketSplash, provides customers...

KTEC to show VipColor printer at Packtech.(tradeshows by printing machinery industry)(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... KTEC Group has said it will push on-demand label printing into the mid-range inkjet market after announcing it will showcase the new VP485e from VipColor Technologies at next month's Packtech show. The digital colour label printer is being...

Gildenburgh takes on finishing work after bindery kit spend.(printer Gildenburgh investments in machinery)(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... Brochure printer Gildenburgh has transformed its bindery with a six-figure investment in new kit from Graphic Arts Equipment. The investment marks the expansion of the Peterborough-based company into finishing with the installation of a new...

Mosca employs two new staff.(human resource management of equipment distributor firm Mosca Direct )(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... Strapping equipment distributor Mosca Direct has bucked the current trend of redundancies and employed two new staff. The UK subsidiary of manufacturer Mosca has appointed Dave Nevins as an engineer specialising in refurbishment at its...

Micro Print Finishing expands its services with a mailing division.(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... Finishing house Micro Print Finishing (MPF) has launched a mailing division following a pounds 50,000 investment in a used Hunkeler/MBO mailing line. Micro Mailing is based in the same building as MPF, which has been expanded in order to...

Tech-ni-fold warns of sub-par creaser copies.(equipment manufacturer warns customers to beware of mistaking sub-standard products)(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... Finishing equipment manufacturer Tech-ni-fold has warned its UK customers to beware of mistaking sub-standard products for its creasing device. The Leicester-based company produces auxiliary products for finishing equipment, which it...

Premier Paper opens branch in Langley to withdraw from GM2.
February 6, 2009... Premier Paper Group has bolstered its presence in the south of England with the opening of a new stock holding branch in Langley, Berkshire. The site will accommodate the new branch of Premier Beswick, the paper merchanting division of the...

Recycling push at Prontaprint.
February 6, 2009... PaperCo has provided Prontaprint Lincoln with a closed-loop recycling system, supplying the business's paper needs and removing paper waste. Prontaprint's PaperCo supplier is Rothera & Brereton. The closed-loop system involves returning...

UPM posts unexpectedly large Q4 loss due to division writedowns.(Financial report)
February 6, 2009... Paper giant UPM has posted a larger-than-expected EUR46m (pounds 42m) loss for the fourth quarter of 2008. For the year, it recorded EUR513m in operating profit excluding special items, compared with EUR835m in 2007. The company said...

Fedrigoni for Ecopack.(Easyfairs Ecopack)(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... Italian paper and board manufacturer Fedrigoni UK will take part at environmentally responsible packaging exhibition, Easyfairs Ecopack, which is held on 11-12 February at the NEC Birmingham. The company will exhibit its portfolio of...

Editorial: Market forces may put an end to phoenixes.(Editorial)
February 6, 2009... Pre-packs, the scourge of the industry or a valuable lifeline for an ailing company? Discuss. On the printweek.com forums, the general consensus seems to be the former, but with many previously healthy firms struggling under the combined...

Comment: Kodak transformation not enough - When the restructuring never ends.
February 6, 2009... Alongside last week's Q4 results Kodak announced that it would be shedding 3,500-4,500 jobs as a result of the downturn. One might have imagined that of all our industry suppliers, Kodak could potentially have been in the best shape to...

Comment: Talking business.(interest rates )
February 6, 2009... The base rate cut may get the economy back on track, but will take some time. Last month, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) took another half-point off UK Bank Rate, taking it down to 1.5%, the lowest since the Bank of England was...

Analysis: Profile - Longridge Print.
February 6, 2009... Created in a garage, this litho & digital print firm continues to grow stronger. Despite a move to digital, Longridge boss Neil Long tells Tim Sheahan he is keen to carry on litho printing. Litho offset press? Check. Folder? Check....

Analysis: Globalisation - Global thinking leads to local printing.
February 6, 2009... Despite the impact on UK jobs, print-on-demand still offers many benefits, says Simon Nias. It has been a busy month for the print industry, in which the proposed job cuts at Cambridge University Press (CUP) were buried among many other...

Better business - Acquisitions - How to win the administration race.
February 6, 2009... To put an end to the prevalence of pre-packs and phoenixes, potential buyers need to do a lot of research before bidding for a company to make sure the business is sustainable, says William Mitting. When Datateam acquired Borcombe SP out of...

Technology Report: Bio-inkjet - Print paramedics.
February 6, 2009... Print is rarely a matter of life or death, but ground-breaking medical research is making use of inkjet technology to rebuild body parts. Simon Creasey gets under the skin of the process. The year is 2020 and in the basement of a major UK...

Product Portfolio: Me & My ... OKI Degrava DP8500.(JC Printing managing director Pete Culliford speaks about use of color printers)(Interview)(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... JC Printing managing director Pete Culliford says that despite its tiny footprint, the OKI Degrava DP8500 offers flexo colour quality. - What does the machine do? We use the Degrava DP8500 exclusively for short-run digital printing of...

Product Portfolio: Tried & Tested - Watkiss Document Finishing System.
February 6, 2009... The problem of processing pre-collated sheets brought on by the rise in digital print, was overcome with this machine, finds Nosmot Gbadamosi. While the rapid take-up of digital printing allowed the market to go in all sorts of exciting...

Product Portfolio: Buyers' Guide - Drills, die-cutters & ram punches.(Buyers guide)
February 6, 2009... Die-cutters are enabling printers to create eye-catching products, while drills are benefiting from variable speed settings, finds Nosmot Gbadamosi. In recent months, as clients have reduced their print runs, they have been putting even...

Product Portfolio: What's New In ... Drills, Die-cutters & Ram Punches.(Fear Print Finishers contracts with SBL Machinery)(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... Finishing house Fear Print Finishers has spent pounds 120,000 on a large-format die-cutting machine from SBL Machinery. The company says that it purchased the STS 1050SE automatic die-cutting and creasing platen after identifying a gap in...

Product Portfolio: Joanne's Help Line - Outdoor flags and lean litho printing.
February 6, 2009... Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q: Given the tough economic times, it seems sensible to try to get the best out of my 10-year-old presses and streamline my 20-man operation Is there a company that can...

Product Portfolio: Technical Tutorial - Picking.(Product/service evaluation)
February 6, 2009... Picking, the surface damage or tearing of the paper stock during printing, is not as common these days as it was a few years ago. Modern technology and better quality consumables have ironed out a number of common press issues. But users must...

Product Portfolio: Diary.(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 6, 2009... FEBRUARY Packtech Date: 11-12 February Venue: NEC Birmingham More information: www.easyfairs.com PUBLISHING EXPO Date: 11-12 February Venue: Olympia 2 exhibition centre More information: www.publishing-expo.co.uk THE YMP...

Product Portfolio: Product of the Week - Sappi Fine Papers Tempo Silk.(Product/service evaluation)
February 6, 2009... This paper can keep up with ever-faster press speeds to ensure cost savings, while also reducing environmental impact, discovers Philip Chadwick. It's not often that a paper manufacturer can claim it played its part in a world record...

EU Tenders.(Public notice)(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... 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: Press attention turns fans into print geeks.
February 6, 2009... The career of megastar Will Smith must be governed by some random Hollywood generator. After his transition from profanity-free rapper to apocalyptic alien slayer, now we have another unpredictable role, the love interest of a female...

Post Script: Memory lane.(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... ONE YEAR AGO: Quebecor World's Corby site closed, sparking a re-jig of its magazine print contracts... Cromwell Press Group revealed plans to breathe life into failed Welsh book printer Creative Print and Design... FIVE YEARS AGO:...

Post Script: Print's past - Arts et Metiers Graphiques.(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... The periodical Arts et Metiers Graphiques (1927-38) was one of the most entertaining and visually satisfying graphic arts magazines ever printed. Published in Paris by Charles Peignot, director of the Deberny & Peignot typefoundry, Arts et...

Post Script: Q&A - Dermot Callaghan.(interview)(Interview)(Brief article)
February 6, 2009... Dermot Callaghan is bindery products sales manager at Renz UK. He is married with four daughters and five grandchildren, all of whom, like Callaghan, are Spurs fans. His taste in film is respectable, but clearly one of his greatest...

MBA makes pounds 5m spend to 'steal a march' in transpromo market.(twin-engined Xerox X980s)
February 13, 2009... MBA has defied the recession with a pounds 5m-plus investment in continuous-feed full-colour digital kit, which centres around two 900ppm twin-engined Xerox X980s, the first in the UK. 'We contemplated time and time again about whether this...

Unite plans demo in protest over CUP job cuts.
February 13, 2009... Unite is to hold a rally to protest against proposals laid out by Cambridge University Press (CUP) to shed 133 jobs at its printing division, Cambridge Printing Services. The 425-year-old print and publishing business said last month that...

Charterhouse secures double contract win.
February 13, 2009... Print managers have continued to reap the rewards of the recession this week with Charterhouse announcing contract wins with energy and gas supplier E.ON, as well as with information, analytical and data services company Experian. ...

Century Web Offset buyer sought.(Century Web Offset acquired by Smith & Williamson )(Brief article)
February 13, 2009... Administrators for Century Web Offset are searching for a buyer for the business, which fell into administration on 26 January. Administrator Greg Palfrey of Smith & Williamson was appointed after the Penryn-based printer was unable to meet...

Johnston Press clarifies KPMG role.
February 13, 2009... Newspaper publisher and printer Johnston Press has said reports that KPMG has been appointed to restructure the company's debt and sell off its titles are 'greatly exaggerated'. It was reported in the Sunday Times on 8 February that the...

Newsworld starts distributing Daily Mail in New York.
February 13, 2009... Newsworld has started distributing the Daily Mail in New York after printing of the newspaper's US edition started at New York-based Alphagraphics last week. Printing of the paper has been taking place on the company's Screen Truepress Jet520...

BPIF Financial Alliance announces 'liquidity package'.
February 13, 2009... The BPIF Financial Alliance has announced that a 'liquidity package' of up to pounds 40m and a specialist credit insurance broker are to be made available for the print industry, as part of the BPIF's Financial Alliance. Business rescue...

Printhaus's administrators announce creditors meeting.(Brief article)
February 13, 2009... Printhaus's administrators have announced that a creditors meeting will be held to disclose details of the business's administration. The announcement follows the sale of the business and assets of Printhaus to Printhaus (Northampton) Limited,...

Buxton Press wins contract.(print UK contemporary craft magazine Crafts)(Brief article)
February 13, 2009... Buxton Press, the Derbyshire magazine printer, has won the contract to print UK contemporary craft magazine Crafts. The 120pp full-colour magazine is printed bi-monthly, with a run of 16,000 copies. It is distributed worldwide and is published...

Ralph Allen Press subject of takeover.
February 13, 2009... Ralph Allen Press has been the subject of a majority takeover by its managing director Jason Hindle. He was previously joint managing director, but has taken 100% shareholding in the Bath printer after buying-out his former business partner...

Robert Horne announces partnership Bright Green Technology.
February 13, 2009... Robert Horne, the paper merchant, has announced a partnership with light emitting diode (LED) company Bright Green Technology. The company specialises in solid state LED backlighting systems (such as the one pictured) for the signage and...

The UK PPA partners with PrintCity Alliance.(Periodical Publishers Association )(Brief article)
February 13, 2009... The UK Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) is partnering with the PrintCity Alliance to showcase new printing techniques at this year's FIPP World Magazine Congress, which takes place in London on 4-6 May 2009. Printing and finishing...

Secondhand presses falling in value as credit crunch takes toll.
February 13, 2009... Secondhand press prices are plummeting as the credit crunch and the weak pound take their toll, industry experts have reported. According to a number of leading used kit dealers, secondhand press prices have fallen by up to 35%...

Integrity buys Topflite Labels saving 30 jobs.(Integrity Print acquires Topflite Labels )(Brief article)
February 13, 2009... Integrity Print has bought the goodwill, order book and equipment of specialist label printer Topflite Labels from the firm's administrator. Integrity, which has retained all of the company's 30 staff, sealed a deal with administrator Jon...

Paper suppliers refuse Cromwell Press credit.
February 13, 2009... Paper suppliers have come under fire for their refusal to deal with the academic book printer Cromwell Press, following its acquisition out of administration. Cromwell Press and its sister companies Chivers Period and Cpod were bought out...

Government under pressure to increase SRP to match wage rise.(Statutory Redundancy Pay)
February 13, 2009... The amount of money payable to redundant staff by employers could be increased after it emerged that the government is coming under increased pressure to raise the current statutory payment limit. Last week, Lindsay Hoyle, Labour MP for...

PrintWeek to be at US expo.(Graphics of the Americas exhibition)(Brief article)
February 13, 2009... PrintWeek is crossing the Atlantic later this month to appear at this year's Graphics of the Americas exhibition in Florida. Around 3,000 copies of the magazine will be available around the show as part of PrintWeek's media partner...

NEMC combines direct mail with online marketing for new service.
February 13, 2009... NEMC Group has launched a new marketing campaign service called dm2, which combines on and offline mediums. The cross-media service gives clients the ability to combine digitally printed mailings with a web-based presence, personalised URLs...

Warners to cut staff in bid to boost efficiency.
February 13, 2009... Commercial printer Warners (Midlands) has said that it is likely to be making redundancies in a bid to improve efficiency. The Bourne-based company, which has an annual turnover of around pounds 30m, began a review of its business in spring...

Rates relief not used, says FSB.(Federation of Small Businesses)(Brief article)
February 13, 2009... More than half of the UK's small businesses are missing out on up to pounds 1,200 a year in business rates relief as they are unaware of their entitlement, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned. Rate relief is dependent on...

Safety fears following spate of print accidents.
February 13, 2009... Unite and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have called for better safety measures in the print industry following a serious accident involving a 16-year-old boy. The calls came after the East Lancashire Box Company (ELBC) pleaded...

EU sick-pay rule may hit printers.(European Union)(Brief article)
February 13, 2009... Printers may have to rethink their policies on sick pay after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that long-term sick employees are entitled to receive full holiday pay if they leave the company. Experts have said that the ruling may...