Print Week articles from January 2006

Print Week archives from January 2006

NJP keeps its options open as it considers new superplant site.(New Jarrold Printing)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... New Jarrold Printing (NJP) has put its plans for a pounds 40m superplant at Wymondham on hold after another site became available 'from out of the blue'. NJP was granted planning permission at Wymondham in March last year, but the awaited...

Polestar in line for massive Standard Life deal.(ard Life Assurance Co.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Polestar is believed to have won a deal to print one of the nation's biggest web offset jobs, targeting around 7m Standard Life policyholders. The UK's oldest mutual insurer, which aims to float on the stock market in the summer, will send...

Stop Press.(kodak gcg)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Kodak GCG has completed the integration of its European consumables businesses, giving clients a single point of contact and supply channel for all its pre-press and ink-jet consumables... Oce has launched the full-colour, multi-functional...

Union slams JDS cutback plans.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Amicus has hit out at John Dickinson Stationery over its plans to halve staffing levels at its Washington, Tyne and Wear plant by making up to 45 redundancies. According to the union, the firm also intends to increase working hours from...

Benson lifts turnover t0 pounds 40m with Medica buy.(Medica Packaging)(Benson Box)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Packaging firm Benson Box has hit the acquisition trail, buying Crewe-based Medica Packaging for an undisclosed sum. The purchase means that Benson Box moves into the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. The combination of the two creates...

Cromwell invests pounds 1.3m in new kit.(Cromwell Press )(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Academic book and journal printer Cromwell Press is spending pounds 1.3m across its factory, with a move to a larger sheet size. Its spend includes the UK book market's first KBA Rapida 130a large-format perfector, a Screen Ultima 16000 VLF...

Fuji spends pounds 150m on ink-jet firms.(Fuji Photo Film Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Fuji has bolstered its digital printing technology portfolio with the acquisition of UK firm Avecia's ink-jet and electrophotography businesses. The pounds 150m deal, which is set to be completed in February, includes intellectual property...

In Brief: Dave Kaye awarded OBE.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Dave Kaye was awarded an OBE in the New Year's Honour's list. He was singled out for the honour for his work in helping to keep Ordnance Survey at the heart of technological development in the print industry. He joined the group in 1964, worked...

In Brief: Snap wins award for progressive training.
January 5, 2006... Snap, the print and design company, has won an employers' award for progressive training. Reverend Canon Alan Haydock presented the gong to Sharon Collier, Snap's managing director, at South Nottingham College's student printing awards.

In Brief: Primopost installs UK's first Schiavi EF4040 Cl flexo machine.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Primopost has installed the UK's first Schiavi EF4040 Cl flexo machine. The eight-colour press with auto wash from Bobst is being installed at the Buxton flexible packaging maker. The machine can take extra print units or change the web width....

In Brief: Private equity irms bid for Northcliffe.(Northcliffe Newspapers Group Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Johnston Press and several private equity firms have made bids for Northcliffe, the Daily Mail and General Trust's (DMGT) regional newspaper division, expected to be sold for up to pounds 1.5bn. Trinity Mirror is also understood to be a...

In Brief: Printing companies forking out up to pounds 33,000 on legistlative red tape.
January 5, 2006... Printing companies could be forking out up to pounds 33,000 a year on legislative red tape, according to a survey of engineering businesses. The Engineering and Machinery Alliance report said employment law was both costly and time-consuming.

In Brief: Borders and its subsidiary Books etc trailblaze print method using light-refracting ink.
January 5, 2006... Borders and its subsidiary Books etc have trailblazed a print method using light-refracting ink. Micromotion 'fills the gap' between costly lenticular and no-frills 2D print, according to a spokesperson for Terry Smith Group which printed a...

In Brief: WRAP, says demand for recycled content paper should incrase this year.
January 5, 2006... WRAP, the Waste & Resources Action Programme, says demand for recycled content paper should increase this year because of growing awareness of landfill issues and improvements in recycled material. WRAP recently launched a recycled paper...

In Brief: Partnership at Work scheme.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... BPIF chief executive Michael Johnson, national president Dominic Walsh and immediate past presidents Ken Iddon, Peter Yates and Roy Bailie enthused about the Partnership at Work scheme at the St Bride Foundation in London before Christmas....

INM wins 15-year deal to print NI's full-colour Irish editions.(News International)(Independent News & Media)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... News International has handed out a third 15-year print contract as it shapes up for full-colour printing from 2007, it emerged last month. Independent News & Media (INM), the Dublin-based owner of The Independent, revealed in a trading...

Legionnaires' at Polestar plant.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Employees at Polestar Varnicoat were involved in a health scare, after the discovery of a strain of Legionella. A cooling tower at the firm's Pershore site tested positive for the bacteria just before the Christmas break, sparking concern...

New firm OFT brings out inline cold foiler.(OFT Technology)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Start-up firm OFT Technology has launched Foiltone, a retrofittable inline cold foiler for B2 and B1 presses. 'Typically, to print and (offline) foil a job costs around pounds 170/pounds 200 per 1,000 sheets. Doing it all inline you can...

pounds 2m Heidelberg kit for Manson.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... The Manson Group has spent pounds 2m on Heidelberg equipment in a bid to extend customer deadlines and cut turnaround times. St Albans-based Manson has bought a 10-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster 102 with CutStar and a new KH82 folder, which...

Service Graphics seals a pounds 7m contract with WPP.
January 5, 2006... Service Graphics has secured a preferred supplier contract, worth up to pounds 7m per year, with advertising giant WPP Group. The rolling agreement will involve the production of branding and display materials for live events, airport and...

Chinese ink maker eyes UK market.(Super Image Computer Technologies)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... A Chinese ink manufacturer is seeking to establish distribution channels for its ink-jet inks in the UK. Super Image Computer Technologies runs two manufacturing facilities Shanghai, producing solvent inks and water-based dyes for the...

95 jobs lost in paper mill closure.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... The Edward Thompson Group is to close its Sunderland Paper Mill in April, resulting in the loss of 95 jobs. Last year, the business announced that it was in consultation with employees over the closure (PrintWeek, 3 November). The...

In Brief: Appointment at Norprint Labelling Systems.
January 5, 2006... Norprint Labelling Systems has made Paul Burrows head of retail security development. He will promote the firm's Nortag retail security tag, and joins from Asda's George Clothing where he used the tag in 270 stores. He will report to managing...

In Brief: Duplo International scopps the Taste of France prize.
January 5, 2006... Duplo International has scooped the Taste of France prize from the organisers of Digital Print World 2005, for attracting the highest number of visitors to the trade show. 'We are so pleased,' said Peter Jolly, Duplo UK's marketing manager.

In Brief: NEC makes battery less than 1mm thick and rechargeable in half a minute.
January 5, 2006... NEC has made a battery which is less than 1mm thick and can be recharged in half a minute. The Organic Radical Battery could help radio-frequency ID, be embedded in intelligent paper or smart cards and solve readability problems, said the...

In Brief: Varo launches machines for trimming doctor blades.
January 5, 2006... Varo of Denmark has launched machines for trimming doctor blades. An auto-cutter processes any width of blade from coils. The kit cuts to exact lengths and rewinds pre-cuts onto tape for dispenser rolls, offering safe handling for printers.

In Brief: Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising showing Robert Opie's collection.
January 5, 2006... Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising, the new visitor centre in London, is showing an exhibition from a man billed as Britain's foremost collector. Robert Opie's collection includes around 10,000 boxes, cartons, packets and tubs, some...

In Brief: European Coatings Conference boasting international speakers.
January 5, 2006... European Coatings Conference is boasting international speakers at the Polyurethanes for High-Performance Coatings IV event in Berlin. Speakers will focus on waterborne, solventborne and radiation curing systems on 23 to 24 March. Visit:...

In Brief: Hawthorne waves goodbye to production director.
January 5, 2006... Hawthorne's of Nottingham is waving goodbye to production director Mike Marriott, aged 56, who is retiring after 40 years in commercial print manufacturing. He will, however, be offering consultancy services.

In Brief: Print Forum Wales kicks of 2006 events with two conferences.
January 5, 2006... Print Forum Wales kicks of its 2006 events with two conferences in Swansea. The first seminar is an overview of 'lean manufacturing' on 16 February, while health and safety best practice will be tackled on 21 February. Visit:...

Agfa launches specific plate cleaning range.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Agfa is aiming to cut damage to plates with a range of plate cleaning chemicals dedicated to specific plates. Four different solutions have gone on sale aimed at the pre-press and consumables giant's silver, photo-polymer, thermal and...

Penguin backs St Bride campaign.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Publishing firm Penguin Group has joined forces with St Bride Library to launch a fundraising scheme aimed at providing the library with long-term financial support. The organisation needs to raise pounds 400,000 every year to continue to...

BBC mags bringing repro in-house.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... The BBC's magazine publishing division is preparing to sign a contract with Fresh Media Group to assist it in bringing its repro in-house. The process is being overseen by BBC Magazines' production director Mel Skelton, who confirmed that...

Legal Notices.
January 5, 2006... 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 Osprey Printing Management...

DuPont reveals speedy low-cost proofing kit.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... DuPont has launched its Cromalin blue digital proofer in response to growing demand for increased speed and lower costs. Aimed at high-end advertising, publishing and packaging markets, the Cromalin blue costs pounds 17,600 for a B3 machine...

Screen's autoloader boosts platesetter.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Screen has upped the flexibility and productivity of its PlateRite Ultima 16000 CTP platesetter with the introduction of a multi-cassette autoloader. The triple-cassette Screen MA-L 16000 enables the VLF platesetter to operate...

New sales exec for Corniche.
January 5, 2006... Corniche Fine Arts, the Bridlington repro house, has appointed Tony Cline as technical sales executive. Cline joins the firm after 14 years at Hull-based packaging pre-press firm Trinity Graphics. He will be responsible for building...

In Brief: Time Inc launches its new Ad Portal.
January 5, 2006... Time Inc has launched its new Ad Portal, developed by Vio. It will enable advertisers to directly upload ads to twenty of Time Inc's titles. As part of the uploading profile, PDF files are delivered with a preflight report and a digital job...

In Brief: Version 8.0 of Canon System Solution's Edicolor page-layout application to have new features.
January 5, 2006... Version 8.0 of Canon System Solution's Edicolor page-layout application will have new features provided by Global Graphics' Jaws RIP and PDF technology. Users will be able to create and print PDF files directly from the application without...

In Brief: Irish News installs Picdar's Media Mogul digital asset management system.
January 5, 2006... The Irish News, the independent regional morning paper of Northern Ireland, has installed Picdar's Media Mogul digital asset management system.

In Brief: Jurgen Schonhut passes away, aged 60.
January 5, 2006... Jurgen Schonhut, an instrumental force in the development of the CIP3 and CIP4 print production formats, has passed away aged 60. He will be sadly missed by those who knew him. Born in May 1945, Schonhut published many works, including a...

In Brief: Colour Confidence taking part in GretagMacbeth customer loyalty programme.
January 5, 2006... Colour management supplier Colour Confidence is taking part in the GretagMacbeth customer loyalty programme. It allows existing Eye-One users to upgrade technology and receive discounts based on the age of their kit. Visit...

In Brief: W. Kohlhammer Druckerei installs Europe's first 32pp Screen PlateRite Ultima platesetter.
January 5, 2006... Germany's W. Kohlhammer Druckerei has installed Europe's first high-speed 32pp Screen PlateRite Ultima platesetter. Its dual GLV head will allow production of up to 46 B1 plates per hour.

In Brief: Xchange International releases ArabicXT for QuarkXPress version 6.5 for Windows.
January 5, 2006... Xchange International has released ArabicXT for QuarkXPress version 6.5 for Windows. The software lets users publish in Arabic without the need for an Arabic operating system.

In Brief: Antonia Henschel pens book entitled A Word is Worth a Thousand Pictures.
January 5, 2006... Frankfurt-based designer Antonia Henschel has penned a book entitled A Word is Worth a Thousand Pictures. It invites readers to explore the frontier between the meaning and representation of words and is published by Linotype.

In Brief: Ken Elsman elected chairman.
January 5, 2006... Global Graphics' Ken Elsman has been elected as chairman of CGATS' Objective Color Matching Committee.

DesignJet 9000 marks HP move into piezo ink-jet technology.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... HP's first piezo ink-jet printer will be launched early this year and will carry the DesignJet name. The firm is set to reveal the details of the machine, called the DesignJet 9000, at a press conference in Barcelona later this month. ...

Konica acquires Dots Software as part of global buying strategy.(Company Profile)
January 5, 2006... Konica Minolta has acquired a majority stake in Berlin-based Dots Software, a developer of high-end software for printing and document workflows, for an undisclosed amount. The deal means Konica will buy 75% of the firm's shares. Konica is...

Avery films aim at digital print.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Avery Dennison is targeting digital printers with a range of films that could minimise costly lapses in print quality. The two self-adhesive MPI films from the firm's Graphics Division offer a high-colour range and fast print speeds. ...

Ink-jet profits look to boom in coming years.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Ink sales will drive the increase in consumable revenues over the next three years in the wide- and narrow-format ink-jet market. Research by US-based IT Strategies estimates that worldwide ink revenues will rise by 11% to pounds 18bn...

Bong secures 15% of envelope market with RCT acquisition.
January 5, 2006... Swedish-owned envelope manufacturer Bong Ljungdahl has acquired German envelope company RCT Kuvert for an estimated pounds 1.7m (EUR2.5m). RCT is one of Europe's 10 largest envelope makers, with annual sales of pounds 18m and volumes of...

Sharp Print beefs up finishing with new creaser, folder and guillotine.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Sharp Print has invested almost pounds 50,000 in a raft of new finishing kit. The Westerham-based firm bought a Morgana AutoCreaser followed by a UFO 1 folder and an EBA 721 programmatic guillotine. 'We wanted kit that was flexible,...

Line Packaging installs Kongsberg XL24 table.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Line Packaging & Display has installed an Esko-Graphics Kongsberg XL24 sample table. 'The reliability, build quality and accuracy are the best in the industry,' said graphic designer Dave Beevis, who needed more capacity for point-of-sale...

Horizon binder fitted at Poplar.(Poplar Services Printers )(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Poplar Services Printers has installed a Horizon BQ-270 Touch Perfect binding system to complement its litho, digital and screen printing service. The machine, which was supplied by Graphic Arts Equipment, will give the St Helens-based...

UPM ends Jamsankoski mill coated production.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... UPM is to cease production of coated magazine papers at its Jamsankoski mill in Finland as part of its review of its magazine paper business. The decision has been taken as part of the Finnish paper producer's measures to improve its...

Finnish paper globalisation talks.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... A joint working group representing employers and workers in the Finnish paper industry is currently holding talks to discuss the effects globalisation will have on the industry. Information will be produced concerning the changes that will...

Paper Pricewatch Newsprint, January 2006.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Newspaper printers are set to swallow higher newsprint price hikes than expected in the current round of negotiations, reports Josh Brooks. A senior paper industry source told PrintWeek that 'several large deals' had been concluded at...

In Brief: UEFA launches re-branding with competition and brand book.
January 5, 2006... UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, has launched its re-branding with a competition and brand book, printed on Hello silk supplied by Robert Horne. UEFA used the brochure to help launch its new identity. The brochure was printed...

In Brief: M-real wins two industry awards in one week.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... M-real has won two industry accolades in one week. The Finnish paper producer scooped both the Periodical Publishers Association's magazine paper supplier of the year award and received an award for the design of its magazine from the...

In Brief: Holmen to invest at its Iggesunds Bruk mill.
January 5, 2006... Holmen is to invest pounds 30m (EUR44m) at its Iggesunds Bruk mill in Sweden. The investment is to improve the quality and consistency of products from the mill's KM2 paperboard machine. The mill has the capacity to produce 300,000 tonnes of...

In Brief: Elliot Baxter holds first golf day for customers ar Moor Hall golf club.
January 5, 2006... Elliott Baxter recently held its first golf day for its West Midlands customers at Moor Hall golf club in Sutton Coldfield. The overall winner was Kevin White of Clintplan in Leamington Spa, pictured with Gavin Menzies of Menzies Nunn Brierley...

In Brief: Ziegler paper mill installs new sheeting and wrapping line.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Ziegler paper mill in Grellingen, Switzerland has installed a new sheeting and wrapping line. This consists of an up-to-date cut-size sheet cutter together with wrapping machine and collector station for stacked reams. This will allow Ziegler...

In Brief: Seven Curtis Fine Papers employees receive 25-year services awards.
January 5, 2006... Seven Curtis Fine Papers employees recently received 25-year service awards from the Guardbridge-based speciality papermaker. They attended a celebratory dinner and were each presented with a pounds 150 gift voucher for the store of their...

In Brief: Fedrigoni issues 3rd editiion of environmental report.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Fedrigoni has issued the third edition of its environmental report. The report features information on the performance of the group's three main facilities in Italy. All the mills succeeded in achieving an overall 14% reduction in their use of...

Editorial: Lauretta Roberts - Expecting next Ipex to exceed expectations.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 5, 2006... Just 88 days to go until Ipex. Now, there's an uplifting thought to kick off 2006. Actually, I mean that in all sincerity. Even though the mere thought of more than a week of schlepping round the NEC with a digital camera and a sack full...

Comment: Lawrence Wallis - Cast a glance back at milestones.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... For the ninth consecutive time I have reached the column that notes some of the printing anniversaries falling due for the year in prospect. 50 years ago, in 1956, the first Intertype Fotosetter was installed at the Printing Department of...

Comment: Technically speaking - Tomorrow's e-paper technology will shake the very foundations of print.
January 5, 2006... The start of the year is probably the right time to look into the future beyond today's challenges and opportunities. PrintWeek readers might have noticed the term 'digital paper' or 'e-paper' popping up from time to time in the news. But what...

Profile: Analysis - DSTI Output - Bristol firm combines marketing and billing in colour to trigger revolution.
January 5, 2006... DSTi is turning heads with its high-quality, technologically advanced bespoke mail, writes Philip Chadwick. Bristol may not have a reputation for being a revolutionary hotspot but one firm on the outskirts of the city believes it has hit on...

Analysis: Opinion - Noise Regulations - Swatting up on the new sound barrier.
January 5, 2006... EU-compliant noise regulations cry out for more management attention, says John Jeffries. Just over three years ago, I advised PrintWeek readers that changes were afoot in legislation governing noise at work, with new UK regulations...

New Year's resolutions.
January 5, 2006... Exercise regularly, spend more time with the family, be a better person and, of course, make a bucket load of money. PrintWeek asks the industry's big hitters what promises they plan to make, and break, in 2006. Mark Shaw bezier ...

Product of the Week: MAN Roland 500.
January 5, 2006... Its initial crack at the long-perfector market caused only a ripple, but MAN has revamped its 500 with commercial printers in mind. By Karen Charlesworth. It's a truth universally acknowledged (in commercial printing anyway) that MAN...

Product Portfolio: Me & My ... Fuji Luxel Vx-9600.(Allan Hicks)(Interview)
January 5, 2006... Managing director of Trowbridge-based Cromwell Press Allan Hicks is saving time, money and power with this Fuji platesetter, writes Simon Creasey Why did you choose the Fuji Luxel? For lots of different reasons, but mainly because Fuji...

Product Portfolio: Ryobi 3304.
January 5, 2006... With a plethora of features, the 3304 has long been a popular pick for four-colour printing. Tess Raine looks at a press that remains in high demand. Ryobi's 3304 was the world's first portrait-format four-colour press. When it launched in...

Product Portfolio: Guillotines & materials handling equipment.
January 5, 2006... Although turnaround times are of paramount importance in the finishing sector, Tess Raine finds there are many other ways to add post-press value. In modern print finishing departments, speed is of the essence. However, the way paper and...

Product Portfolio: Barney's help line - Scratch cards and seats.
January 5, 2006... Barney Cox tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q: I want to feature a silver latex 'scratch off' panel as found on scratch cards, such as those used in the National Lottery. What inks do I need or, alternatively, what...

Dates for the diary 2006.(Calendar)
January 5, 2006... JANUARY 25-29 Paperworld Messe Frankfurt www.paperworld.messefrankfurt.com 26 PrintWeek Print management league table 27-28 British Franchise Exhibition G-Mex Centre, Manchester www.franinfo.co.uk FEBRUARY 9 PrintWeek Ipex...

Post Script: Fancy that - looks like a win for Wheatons.
January 5, 2006... A quick glance at the picture below and it might seem like Polestar's Barry Hibbert and Bob Brown have taken centre stage in some sort of Christmas panto. But rather than 'he's behind you', it was cheers that people were shouting at...

Post Script: Memory Lane.
January 5, 2006... 1 YEAR AGO[QQ]] TripleArc acquired Stream Direct Communications and Stream GWC in a deal worth pounds 8.6m... Polestar expanded its contract with IPC Media with a 3.5m run for the new woman's weekly Pick Me Up... API sold its...

Post Script: Q&A - Peter Hamilton.(Brief Article)(Interview)
January 5, 2006... Peter Hamilton is managing director of Pro Paper & Board. He has spent 33 years in paper merchanting and is divorced with two children. He is a steadfast West Bromwich Albion fan, so requires a constant sense of humour. Of all the superpowers...

Post Script: Print's Past - Printers' Christmas.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Christmas at the Printers' Almshouses in Wood Green in 1896 was full of cheer. Good things poured in from all quarters. The printing company of Eyre & Spottiswoode sent a gift of 3/6 to each and every married couple and a present of 2/6 for...

Haithwaite joins Tesco as Clark takes on Littlewoods position.(Steve Haithwaite and Stephen Clark's new appointments)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... Two of the biggest names in print have started the new year with new jobs. Steve Haithwaite, previously director of publications at Littlewoods and Shop Direct Group, has joined retail giant Tesco as media publishing director. His...

York secures 3m Post Office title.(York Mailing)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... HH Associates has awarded York Mailing a bumper new Post Office printing contract to produce a magazine with one of the largest circulations in the UK (PrintWeek, 3 November). Published by Conde Nast, more than 3m copies of the Post...

Field Boxmore to close plant.
January 12, 2006... Packaging manufacturer Field Boxmore Healthcare has proposed closing of its Bedford factory, causing an expected 87 redundancies. Field Boxmore, part of the Chesapeake Corporation, has blamed 'ongoing market pressure on carton prices' for...

Debt forces Highbury to sell its mag portfolio.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... Highbury House is putting all of its magazines up for sale having failed to trade its way out of a crushing pounds 29.5m debt. PrintWeek has learnt that this could leave Highbury's printers, which include Wyndeham, Polestar and...