Print Week articles from January 2007

Print Week archives from January 2007

Pindar chairman in talks over acquisition of Cooper Clegg.(acquisitions of Cooper Clegg and Pindar Graphics London)
January 25, 2007... Web offset's path to consolidation took another unexpected twist this week with the news that Pindar is on the verge of acquiring Cooper Clegg. The two high-profile companies' chairmen, Andrew Pindar and Ian Cooper, are known to be in...

Glastonbury to print photos of ticket-holders.
January 25, 2007... Glastonbury Festival has turned to the security print industry to help combat ticket touts, who it believes ruin the summer event. Passes for this year's event will carry a photo of the ticket-holder. Those hopeful of getting a ticket...

CPI restructures UK operations.(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Book printing group CPI is to implement a new divisional structure in its UK operations, under a management board led by former Fulmar boss Mike Taylor. Taylor will assume the role of chief executive of the UK board, stepping up from the...

Stop Press.(briefs)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Presstek has estimated revenue results for the quarter ended 30 December 2006 at pounds 32.7m (dollars 65m), an increase from pounds 31m in the third quarter of 2006... A new award scheme launched by Proskills, the Sector Skills Council,...

Packaging sector hits out at waste crusade.(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Packaging experts have dismissed The Independent's campaign against 'absurd and excessive packaging' as ill-informed and scaremongering. The national newspaper kicked off the crusade at the start of the week, prior to the government...

PDP unable to secure new owner.(facility closure and job cuts of Premier Decorative Products)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Lancashire-based Premier Decorative Products (PDP), which went into administration last November, has closed with the loss of all jobs. PDP, whose two White Lund-based subsidiaries, Wallcoverings and Transprints, employed around 250...

NCS reinvents lenticular imagery.
January 25, 2007... Lenticular printing is to be made available without the need for a costly lens thanks to a new development from digital and pre-media supplier NCS Integrated Solutions. The Newcastle-based firm has teamed up with HumanEyes, the Israeli...

In Brief: TJ central to economy.(TJ International)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... TJ International, the Padstow-based book printer, has been told that it is central to the economy of north Cornwall. MP Dan Rogerson made the comments following a visit to the printer hosted by the firm's chief executive Angus Clark and sales...

In Brief: Free London newspaper.(Richard Addis launches newspaper)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... A new free newspaper for London is set to be launched this April aimed at the city's rich suburbanites rather than being handed out in the centre. The paper will be started up by former Daily Express editor Richard Addis, who has outlined...

In Brief: Domino profits.
January 25, 2007... Domino Printing Sciences has reported pre-tax profits of pounds 28.2m, an increase of 3% on last year. The Cambridge-based inkjet and laser manufacturer also improved sales by 9% to pounds 208.4m. Nigel Bond, managing director, said:...

In Brief: CGS certification.(CGS Publishing Technologies International gets the colour proofing standard Fogra30 )(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... CGS has secured the new Fogra30 colour proofing standard for its Oris Colour Tuner and Oris Colour Tuner Personal Edition. The company claims to be the first to achieve the certification. Chief executive Andreas Kammerer said: 'CGS has...

In Brief: KBA module.
January 25, 2007... KBA has developed a new dual quarterfold module for coldset newspaper production. The company says that the move has been made in response to the worldwide switch away from broadsheet format newspapers.

In Brief: Blackmore installs press.
January 25, 2007... Blackmore in Shaftesbury, Dorset has announced the installation of a Ryobi 750W Series B2+ format press. The company, which is a member of the TH Brickell Group, produces general commercial colour printing. It has a pounds 7m turnover and...

In Brief: Bezier awarded contract.
January 25, 2007... Bezier, the point-of-sale firm, has been awarded a six-figure contract by bookmaker William Hill. The one-year contract consists of more than 40 products including shop posters, dispensers and promotional leaflets.

K2's groundbreaking software takes on postal electoral fraud.(K2 Interactive L.L.C. introduces ElectorScan to counter electoral fraud)
January 25, 2007... Direct mail specialist K2 has moved to target electoral fraud in the controversial postal voting arena with the launch of a new division. Electoral Management Services has been set up to offer more security to councils using the voting...

DM sales guru joins Howitt.(appointment of Mike Cox)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Howitt has bolstered its sales team with the appointment of direct mail sales big-hitter Mike Cox. Cox has joined the Nottingham-based firm as sales manager, taking responsibility for sales at both Howitt's Sutton plant and its digital...

Action at Chesapeake over, talks commence.(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Industrial action at Chesapeake's Bradford site has ceased as Amicus and the firm start talks aimed at ending the dispute. A meeting took place at the Newcastle site last week and a follow-up is scheduled for today (25 January), with...

Charterhouse hires Fincham.(appointment of David Fincham)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Kent-based print management firm Charterhouse has revealed the latest change to its management, hiring David Fincham to the role of procurement strategy director. Fincham, who previously ran marketing, media and advertising spend at car...

Wyndeham closes another site and further consolidates repro.(Wyndeham Print Direct)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Wyndeham has revealed plans to close its pre-press site in Bow, east London, and transfer work to an expanded facility at Wyndeham Argent's central London base. Under the plans, Wyndeham Graphics, Wyndeham Icon and Wyndeham Argent will...

Evolution buys 10-unit Komori.(contracts of Evolution and Komori UK)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Merseyside printer Evolution has moved to ensure the next stage in its growth with the installation of a 10-colour Komori Lithrone perfector. The LS1040 machine forms part of a pounds 2.1m investment that also includes an MBO T800 folder...

TNT wins pounds 90m BT postal deal.
January 25, 2007... TNT Post has been awarded a pounds 90m three-year contract to provide postal services to telecoms monolith BT. Under the deal, which is the largest postal contract since deregulation of the service in 2004, TNT's premier two-day...

CFP reports success in its funding initiative.(City Fringe Partnership)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... The City Fringe Partnership has reported its first success stories over the past few months, with printers and buyers benefiting from the funding on offer. The initiative aims to revitalise the printing industry in the London boroughs of...

Adare mystery brand ad deal.
January 25, 2007... Adare has been approached to produce above-the-line advertising for a major high-street brand, it has emerged. The news came as chief executive Robert Whiteside revealed details of the group's rebrand as a communications firm rather than...

Reader Reaction: How will rising interest rates affect print?(opinions regarding effect of interest rates rise on print industry)
January 25, 2007... ENVELOPE MANUFACTURERS - NIGEL HARPER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, BESPOKE ENVELOPES DIRECT 'In general, interest rate rises are not considered great news for business. However, the move to increase rates suggests that there is an inflationary...

Johnston to pay pounds 11.2m for Archant Scottish op.(Johnston Press PLC acquires Archant Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Regional newspaper publisher Johnston Press has expanded its empire with the purchase of rival company Archant's Scottish operation. The deal, which includes the purchase of the P Scrogie printing plant in Peterhead and eight weekly...

Bumper Pack.(Sunday Mail's editions )(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Scottish newspaper the Sunday Mail has produced its largest-ever edition, topping 200pp. The 14 January edition was printed by Trinity Mirror's Cardonald Park site in Glasgow, which runs four KBA Commander press lines. Allan Rennie, editor of...

Blackburns to develop site as contracts grow.(Blackburns of Bolton)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Direct marketing firm Blackburns has revealed plans to grow its business with a 2,800m2 extension to its existing facility. The Leeds-based powerhouse is due to begin the development, which will take the size of its site to more than...

DM firm rebrands and eyes a pounds 50m turnover.(Direct mail firm Graphic Inline changes name as GI Solutions Group)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Direct mail printer Graphic Inline is to rebrand as it bids to grow its turnover to pounds 50m. The Leicester-based firm will now be called the GI Solutions Group and incorporate its DM arm GI Direct, database marketing arm GI Insight...

Harrow awards pounds 7.5m contract.(contracts of Harrow Council and Annodata)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Harrow Council has become the latest public sector body to join the print outsourcing bandwagon after awarding a pounds 7.5m print deal to a single firm. Hertfordshire-based business process outsourcing firm Annodata was the sole...

Legal Notices.
January 25, 2007... 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 APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATORS Garden House...

BBC mags to complete move in-house early.(BBC Worldwide Ltd. BBC Magazines)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... BBC Magazines (BBCM) is nearing completion of its Smart Repro project, which it now hopes to finish two months ahead of schedule. BBCM's plan to bring all of its repro in-house, announced in March 2006, was not due for completion until...

Potts launches training tours.(Potts Printers)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... North East-based printer Potts has launched a series of training tours of its new pounds 4m Northumberland facility, for graphic designers from across the region. The service, which aims to boost understanding of print processes within...

Firstan creates repro and artwork group.(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Cambridge-based packaging firm Firstan has invested pounds 175,000 in the launch of an internal artwork and reprographics division, Pak-Art. Firstan, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, expects to shorten turnaround times...

In Brief: Loudwater uses Taffeta.(Taffeta 2.0)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Loudwater Group, which specialises in printing high quality greetings cards, has begun using Fujifilm's stochastic FM screening package Taffeta 2.0, to achieve a 'more artistic appearance' on its products. Client development director Richard...

In Brief: Agfa 3,000th customer.(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Agfa has bagged the 3,000th customer for its IntellSyst remote diagnostic system. New York-based Tech Valley Printing has installed the software, which enables a web-based exchange of information between the printer and Agfa's enterprise...

In Brief: Falkland Press platesetter.(installation of Screen PlateRite 4300 platesetter)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Falkland Press has made the move to CTP with a Screen PlateRite 4300 platesetter, running Fujifilm's Brillia HD PRO-T processless plate. Managing director Andy Lancaster said the Barnet-based family-run firm has seen immediate benefits from...

In Brief: Esko Graphics goes live.
January 25, 2007... Esko Graphics has gone live with a redesigned website. The firm said that digital marketing was an increasingly important tool in its communications. Esko has claimed the website has a user-friendly page format, designed to provide clear and...

In Brief: Print Factory reap benefits.
January 25, 2007... The Print Factory, the Northern Irish commercial printer, which switched to Kodak's Thermal Direct plates nine months ago, has been reaping the benefits of its investment. General manager Aidan Cosgrove said: 'I think we improved turnaround...

In Brief: Zevrix InPreflight version.
January 25, 2007... Zevrix Solutions has announced the release of version 1.5 of InPreflight, the software developer's quality control application for Adobe InDesign. InPreflight identifies potential problems with fonts, colours and links, according to...

New piezo printheads target UK mail sector.(product information of Buskro's piezo drop-on-demand printhead)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Inkjet specialist Buskro has introduced what it has claimed is the largest piezo drop-on-demand printhead. The Atlas 3250 and Aurora 3250 printheads incorporate a 3in head that can be used both inline or on stand-alone applications. The...

Oce results exceed expectations with further growth predicted.(earnings of Oce)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Oce has said that its full and fourth quarter results have been better than expected with improved revenues. The firm's revenue for the full year was around pounds 2bn (EUR3.1bn), up 16.2%. The firm's revenue for the fourth quarter was...

In Brief: Colourgen EFI Designer Edition.(product information)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Colourgen has made the new EFI Designer Edition M RIP available for pounds 275. The product is designed to work with lower-cost, high image quality inkjet printers up to 17in wide, such as the Epson Stylus Pro R2400, 3800 and 4800. Colourgen...

In Brief: HP PrintIT! support.(services of Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... HP is to continue its support of education initiative PrintIT! for 2007. The digital press manufacturer supported PrintIT! last year and donated prizes to schools, including four Designjet large-format printers. 'Everyone involved in print...

In Brief: Algotex colour.
January 25, 2007... Algotex, the Italian manufacturer of wide-format plotters, is to expand into the colour market. The Power Color and Rainbow products will now be available with 360 and 600dpi resolutions. 'We were receiving an increasing demand from our...

In Brief: Creative Media installs.
January 25, 2007... Creative Media has installed a Dupont Cromaprint 22UV wide-format flatbed and roll-to-roll digital printer. Creative Media co-owner Mark Stone said: 'The Cromanet CS technology matches Pantone colours consistently first time, even from...

In Brief: Shades inkjet.(investments of Shades (Screenprint))(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Shades (Screenprint) has invested in its third four-colour Inca Spyder 320 inkjet to print on substrates such as acrylic and glass. 'Inkjet technology is moving quickly and there will be a lot of changes in speed, quality and flexibility in...

In Brief: Oce Vario-Print 6250.
January 25, 2007... Oce is targeting the Asian market after launching the Vario-Print 6250 in the region. The digital press was unveiled in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with over 200 firms attending the launch event. Oce has a workforce of 1,000 in Asia.

Prison Service bolsters its finishing arsenal.(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... The Prison Service has embarked on a major investment in new finishing equipment, with three suppliers benefiting from contract wins this month. Friedheim International, Morgana Systems and Terry Cooper Services are all providing prisons...

Notts firm installs Jetmail device.(Nottingham Trade Finishers)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... A Nottingham finishing firm that began trading in July last year has this week taken delivery of a new inkjet system. Installation of the Jetmail mail processor marks the final phase of a pounds 130,000 investment by Nottingham Trade...

Goodchild kicks off shopping spree.(investments of Baker Goodchild)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Birmingham-based mailing house Baker Goodchild is embarking on a major investment quest in 2007. The pounds 1.5m-turnover company is looking to become more competitive across the mailing sector and has begun by investing pounds 50,000 in...

In Brief: Allan Good, Hurst machine.(contractsof Hurst and Co. and Friedheim International)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Allan Good, Hurst and Co, the Bromley-based print finisher, has invested in its fourth Herzog + Heymann KL 112 miniature folding machine. The new machine was supplied by Friedheim International. This move is part of a general upgrading of...

In Brief: GRG Print folder.(GRG Print installs )(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... GRG Print has installed a Stahl buckle folder TD94. The folder comes with a MWS mailing line incorporating a re-moist, inkjet, perforating, slitting, scoring, and banding unit. The Leeds-based company has also installed a Moll folder-gluer...

In Brief: Future Print line.
January 25, 2007... Future Print in Dublin has brought its bindery in-line by installing a new Kolbus binding line. The KM 473 Kolbus Ratiobinder is equipped with hot melt and PUR gluing. Future Print produces publications for several blue-chip companies...

In Brief: WH Leary sales double.(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... WH Leary, the gluing specialist, has said that 2006 sales in the UK and Ireland were more than double that of the previous year. It announced that there was major growth, specifically in the folded carton quality assurance sector. Gary...

In Brief: Fox Print installs folder.(Fox Print Services )(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Fox Print Services has added to its Heidelberg Ipex spend with the installation of a presetting Stahlfolder TH82 buckle folder. The Tonbridge Wells firm has also upgraded its Stitchmaster ST100 to a ST350. The latest spend follows the firm's...

Arjo staff strike at two sites over closure plans.(Arjowiggins)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Arjowiggins has been hit by strikes over its plans to close its Nivelles factory in Belgium in March this year. Staff at the carbonless copy paper plant, whose planned closure was announced last September (PrintWeek, 5 October 2006), and...

Stora has pounds 61m rise in profits.(Financial report)
January 25, 2007... Stora Enso has revealed an increase of pounds 61m (EUR93m) for its fourth-quarter operating profit due to tax settlements and share sales. In a trading statement released this week, the Helsinki-based paper maker said it had gained almost...

UPM starts building at chemical recovery site.(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... UPM has laid the foundation stone on a pounds 213m (EUR325m) new recovery plant in Kuusankoski, Finland. The project, which began last spring, involves the replacement of two outdated chemical recovery lines with one modern line. UPM...

In Brief: Curtis Secure launch.(Curtis Fine Papers launched Curtis Secure Intone)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Curtis Fine Papers has launched Curtis Secure Intone board, a security ticketing product that features an internal layer of colour, which can be revealed by tearing the sheet or shining a light through it. It is designed for high value...

In Brief: Paper bargaining.(Stora Enso North America )(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Stora Enso North America and the United Steelworkers Union have linked up to create a 'new approach to bargaining in the paper industry'. The deal is similar to the UK's Partnership at Work agreement. The union's president Leo Gerard said:...

In Brief: Charity merge.
January 25, 2007... The Stationers' Social Society and its Benevolent Fund are to be merged into one charity, the Paper Industry Charitable Trust. The merger is subject to final approval from the Charity Commission.

In Brief: PaperCo's 9lives.(supplies of Four Corners Print)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... PaperCo's 9lives range of recycled papers is to become the standard stock for print management company Four Corners Print. The move to use 9lives comes as part of the company's Responsible Print initiative. Requirements for Four Corner's...

In Brief: Domtar launch.(introduction of office papers by Domtar Communication Papers)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Domtar has launched the first antimicrobial office paper available in North America. The product is designed to protect paper against the growth of bacteria, odours, fungus, mould and mildew. It is treated with a silver compound that kills...

Contract Update.
January 25, 2007... - Ipswich-based Ancient House Press (AHP) has won the contract to produce an educational booklet on healthy eating for the British Heart Foundation. The 80pp, full-colour booklet was printed by AHP on its KBA Rapida B1 10-unit sheetfed...

Client Audit: Rocket.(Company overview)
January 25, 2007... Established in 2001, Rocket is a Sheffield-based online, design and marketing agency. It produces a range of direct mail, prospectuses and personalised marketing and promotional materials, mainly for the learning and financial sector. Its...

Editorial: Pindar's brave move to mags needs answers.(mergers of Cooper Clegg and Pindar Graphics London)(Editorial)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... So, Pindar is set to buy Cooper Clegg and add another string (magazine printing) to its already impressive bow (p3). I suppose in many ways, the proposed deal hardly comes as a shock, at least in as far as chairman Ian Cooper's decision...

Comment: Honouring printers' achievements.(Brief article)(Column)
January 25, 2007... Twice yearly the authorities dole out baubles to the great and the good in the Honours Lists. It is a source of annoyance to me that the printing industry consistently gains scant recognition and certainly not in a style commensurate to its...

Comment: Interest rates rise takes UK by surprise, but inflation needs to be controlled.
January 25, 2007... The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) does not usually like to shock its audience, but it did with its decision to raise interest rates at its January meeting. With perfect hindsight, the surprise is that we were surprised at all. While...

Comment: Post-press kit is getting automated to raise production when skills are scarce.
January 25, 2007... Post-press has long been considered the Cinderella of the print industry. It is still stuck, metaphorically, in the cellar and has not enjoyed the radical technological changes that have taken place in pre-press and printing. Binding,...

Analysis: Public procurement - Taking the trouble out of EU tendering.(British Printing Industries Federation)
January 25, 2007... BPIF pushes for a uniform system of bidding minus the fees and bureaucracy. Public procurement has been identified as one of six thorny issues that the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) will focus on in its efforts in 2007....

League Table: Print managers - Land the big one.
January 25, 2007... You've heard about the one that got away, but how do you catch the big fish in the competitive world of print management? Noli Dinkovski offers advice. Print outsourcing contracts are a lucrative business. You only have to look at the...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - basysPrint UV-Setter 1142.(Product/service evaluation)
January 25, 2007... The hardware's costlier, but a return on investment is made via lower cost RIPs and a choice of plates, says Simon Eccles. New laser diodes have boosted the productivity of basys-Print's UV-Setters which, until recently, were the only...

Product Portfolio: Me & my... Founder ElecRoc.(Product/service evaluation)
January 25, 2007... Ritchie (UK) has improved the visibility of its workflow with a future-proof, open software system, according to its pre-press manager Alan Urquhart. - What does the ElecRoc do? It's a JDF-enabled PDF pre-press workflow system. It...

Product Portfolio: Tried & tested - MAN Roland 500.(Product/service evaluation)
January 25, 2007... With a plethora of coating and perfecting modules, plus a host of inline options, the 500 is a handy press to have around, reports Lisa Berwin. In the early '90s, when MAN Roland launched its 700 press, many of its customers were a...

Product Portfolio: Buyers' Guide - Folders and folders-gluers.(Buyers guide)
January 25, 2007... A decent automated folder is integral to running an efficient post-press department, where quick turnarounds are a given, reports Lisa Berwin. A new folder is never an easy purchase to justify. But managing director of Encore Machinery...

Product Portfolio: Philip's Help Line - Scratch 'n' sniff and temps.
January 25, 2007... Philip Chadwick tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q: I'm looking for a 'scratch 'n' sniff' supplier to produce a single leaf insert to be bound into a magazine. The print run will be between 250,000 and 750,000. I've...

Diary.(Calendar)
January 25, 2007... JANUARY Digital Sales Solutions Date: 26 January Venue: BPIF Business Centre, Wakefield Contact: 020 7915 8377 FEBRUARY Introduction to Colour Management Date: 7 February Venue: Walsall College, Walsall Price: pounds 95 per...

Technical Tutorial: Six Sigma.
January 25, 2007... Six Sigma is a statistics-based approach to eliminating defects in any business process in order to do things better, faster and at a lower cost. It can be applied to every facet of business - from production to HR. The six refers to six...

EU Tenders.
January 25, 2007... 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: Red card for publisher over footie diary foul.(Sportwise Marketing recalls Birmingham City football club's official 2007 diary )(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Birmingham City football club has an illustrious history of triumphs, including seven English league championships, seven FA cups, five League cups and were apparently champions of Europe in 1982. At least, that's what a major misprint in...

Post Script: Memory Lane.
January 25, 2007... 1 YEAR AGO Polestar, Cooper Clegg, Wyndeham, Quebecor and Southernprint cashed in after Emap announced the results of its 108-title print review... Three ex-Pims employees launched Nationwide Mailing, a DM firm based in Peterborough......

Post Script: Print's Past - Beatrix Potter.(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... A PrintWeek reader contacted me following a trip to the cinema to see the newly released Miss Potter, a film about the life of Beatrix Potter, the author of many children's books. Potter was always interested in the production and...

Post Script: Q&A - Mick Thomas.(dialogue with Mick Thomas)(Interview)(Brief article)
January 25, 2007... Mick Thomas is European outsourcing and finishing manager for Loudwater. He is 48 years old and has been in print for 24 years. He is married to Linda and has two children. He is scared of spiders in the bath, and dreams of one day owning a...

Smurfit Kappa eyes flotation.
January 18, 2007... Smurfit Kappa, the world's largest cardboard box manufacturer, is considering an initial public offering (IPO) believed to value the company at between pounds 2.96bn (EUR4.5bn) and pounds 3.6bn. The company, which reported a net loss of...