Print Week articles from January 2009

Print Week archives from January 2009

Cooper Clegg in administration just weeks after it was 'saved'.
January 2, 2009... Magazine printer Cooper Clegg has been put into administration just over five weeks after it was bought in a management buyout led by 'turnaround specialist' John Wood. The move, which surprised the industry, was blamed on inaccurate...

Goodhead refinances BGP debt as Caley leaves.
January 2, 2009... The Goodhead Group has refinanced pounds 32m of its debt and announced that the group sales director of its web offset subsidiary BGP has left the business. In total, pounds 32.4m has been repaid in a debt-for-equity swap, with shares...

Mandelson plans Royal Mail part privatisation.
January 2, 2009... Lord Mandelson's plan to partially privatise the Royal Mail has been met with a mixed reaction from the print industry. The business secretary announced the plans to the House of Lords on 16 December. He said a healthy Royal Mail was 'vital...

Up to 15 staff to go at Chromoworks.(Polestar entering into consultation to make staff redundant)(Brief article)
January 2, 2009... Polestar has entered into consultation with up to 15 staff at its Nottingham Chromoworks site with a view to making them redundant. A spokeswoman for Polestar said: 'At the moment, Polestar Chromo-works has four presses that work a quad...

Communisis gets pounds 20m debt deal.(Brief article)
January 2, 2009... Communisis has set its sights on acquisitions following a deal to secure a pounds 20m debt package from Lloyds TSB. Chief executive Steve Vaughan said the three-year committed loan facility demonstrated 'the robustness of the company's...

In brief: Systems Labelling scoops Innovation Award.
January 2, 2009... Systems Labelling has scooped the Innovation Award at the 2008 Flintshire Business Awards. The company was recognised for its record of developing innovative products for the packaging industry. Gwyn Bouch, director of Systems Labelling, said:...

In brief: Whittle Printers installs Ryobi 524 HXX.
January 2, 2009... Whittle Printers has installed a used four-colour Ryobi 524 HXX, worth around pounds 130,000, in order to boost its capacity. The Washington, Tyne and Wear-based company said it is currently operating at full capacity and has been...

In brief: Ricoh confirms attendance at Ipex 2010.(Brief article)
January 2, 2009... Ricoh has become the latest company to confirm its attendance at Ipex 2010. The manufacturer is currently one of the top-ten exhibitors, having sealed more than 1,400m2 of floor space. Graham Moore, Ricoh Europe director of production printing,...

In brief: 4DM promotes Jenny Haley.(Brief article)
January 2, 2009... 4DM has promoted Jenny Haley to the role of business development director as part of the group's continued growth into new markets. Lance Hill, divisional managing director at 4DM, said: 'Following this year's acquisition and further digital...

In brief: Roland DG announces competition winner.
January 2, 2009... Roland DG has announced that Tim Eaves of Tim Eaves Signs in Preston was the winner of its recent competition to win a VersaArt RS-640 printer. The pounds 12,000 machine will operate alongside a Roland VersaCAMM SP-300, 30in integrated...

Benson Group acquires Cameron Linn's assets in consultation with packaging staff.
January 2, 2009... Benson Group has acquired the order book and various trading assets of Cameron Linn and entered into consultation with its 78 staff. A last-ditch deal for the Glasgow-based food packaging company was finalised on 17 December as the company...

Wyndeham moves forward as staff accept redundancy offer.(Wyndeham Heron PLC)
January 2, 2009... Staff at Wyndeham Heron have voted in favour of the proposed 163 redundancies and changes to terms and conditions at the site, despite Unite advising its members to reject the offer. The agreement satisfies new owner Walstead Investments'...

Stewarts steps up to salvage Summerhall.(Brief article)
January 2, 2009... Stewarts has acquired local rival Summerhall in a deal that will see the Edinburgh-based printer boost its turnover to almost pounds 20m. Summerhall, which specialises in printing for the financial sector, was bought out of administration...

CFH buys two iGen4s in personalisation push.
January 2, 2009... CFH Total Document Management has 'more than doubled' its colour digital print capacity after taking delivery of two Xerox iGen4 presses. The presses, only the third and fourth of their kind to be installed in the UK, are part of a pounds...

Xaar and Nazdar sign inks deal.
January 2, 2009... Xaar has approved the Nazdar 8000 Series UV Piezo Inkjet inks for use with its 760 greyscale printheads. The high-performance inks, developed for industrial and graphics applications, can be used on substrates such as vinyl, styrene, PVC,...

A canny use of ink technology.
January 2, 2009... Sun Chemical has teamed up with Cambridge-based digital print specialist Tonejet to manufacture and supply inks to Ball Packaging Europe. The work for the beverage can manufacturer involves Tonejet's drop-on-demand print engine being built into...

Legal Notices.(List)
January 2, 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. WINDING UP ORDERS Print Management Bureau Ltd...

Agfa share price continues to dip.
January 2, 2009... Agfa's shares continued to fall on Euronext Brussels last month, losing 16% of its value on Tuesday 16 December alone. The company's share price fell to a 52-week low of EUR1.77 (pounds 1.68), about 83% down since the start of the year. ...

Printpak moves into London print college to promote new MIS system.
January 2, 2009... Printpak has backed up the launch of its free MIS by installing a 200-user system at the London College of Communication (LCC), formerly the London College of Printing, to aid teaching. Students will have access to all aspects of the...

Print expert forecasts take-up of Chinese plates across Europe.
January 2, 2009... The graphics art consumables market is about to undergo 'significant changes' as Chinese manufacturers expand their presence in Europe, a new report has said. Pre-press expert Michael Mittelhaus has made the predictions in his report The...

In the family.
January 2, 2009... US-based Monotype has increased its tally of fonts to more than 150,000 after adding typeface collections from 15 different type foundries. The new fonts can be pre-viewed on the company's website at www.fonts.com/new. --------------------...

New Punch Graphix MD signals intent to 'compete with inkjet'.
January 2, 2009... The new UK managing director of Punch Graphix has signalled that he intends to beef up the company by 'doing more than just shifting boxes' and start competing with 'the inkjet boys'. Chris Matthews took on the role at the start of the...

Future of digital papers revealed.
January 2, 2009... Commercial consultancy Pira International has published a major report entitled The Future of Digital Printing Papers to 2013. The report, which costs pounds 3,500, identifies key drivers of the market, such as advances in digital printing...

Colourgen ups output with new Seiko inkjet.
January 2, 2009... Colourgen has set its sights on 'high-volume users wanting high quality' after unveiling its new Seiko I Infotech ColorPainter H-Series range of wide-format inkjets. The distributor revealed the details of the eight-colour ColorPainter...

Polestar Wheatons expands digital offering with 3rd HP Indigo press.
January 2, 2009... Polestar Wheatons has responded to the growing demand for colour digital work by making its third investment in digital kit within 12 months adding an HP Indigo 3250 to its battery. The machine, which will be operational by February, is...

Baxters rounds off investment with Heidelberg Stitchmaster.
January 2, 2009... Baxters the Printers has completed a pounds 1m investment programme with the purchase of a Stitchmaster ST 100 from Heidelberg. The Leicestershire-based company had moved from a Linotype hand stitcher, to a second-hand Harris, which has now...

New Kongsberg for Screenprint.(Screenprint Productions installing Kongsberg i-XL44)(Brief article)
January 2, 2009... Large-format printer Screenprint Productions has installed a new Kongsberg i-XL44 cutting table as it moves into its final year at its current site. The Elland-based company is currently split over three sites but plans to consolidate into...

ProCo installs DigiFold after winning contract.(Morgana Systems)(Brief article)
January 2, 2009... Sheffield-based printer ProCo has installed a new folding line from Morgana after winning a major contract. The B2 company has invested in a new DigiFold 5000P combined creaser-folder. The machine will be handling work produced on the...

Digital Printed Image aims to drive growth with Duplo finishing kit.
January 2, 2009... Digital Printed Image (DPI) has invested in two pieces of finishing kit from Duplo, as part of a move to drive growth in 2009. A DC645 Ducreaser and Ideal 5222 DigiCut guillotine are the first new pieces of machinery to be installed at its...

Editorial: Forget 2008, here's to a more prosperous 2009.(Editorial)
January 2, 2009... Happy new year to one and all. In my comment last week I said that I wouldn't be sorry to see the back of 2008, but equally I wasn't particularly looking forward to 2009, especially as increasingly those four digits seem to be associated...

Comment: Bringing home the print bacon.(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
January 2, 2009... When pigs fly. Tussling with the TV remote last week, I found myself watching a Moonpig ad. Moonpig is an online greetings card business that enables customers to customise printed cards with the names and/or pictures of the recipient....

Comment: Talking Business - Invest in training and support relocation of new staff to ensure skills availability.
January 2, 2009... Taking on new staff may not be at the top of the agenda for most companies in the present economic climate, but for those that are looking for a new employee with the relevant skills and expertise, the credit crunch has made things decidedly...

Profile: Benson Group - Carton printer Benson proves it's well placed to weather the economic storm.(Company overview)
January 2, 2009... While high-profile companies fail the Leicester firm is a model of consistency, says Helen Morris. Leeds United did it in the late 1960s, the Netherlands did it in the 1970s, the Denver Broncos achieved it in the 1980s and Jimmy White...

2009: Preview of the year.
January 2, 2009... Never short of an opinion or two (and having the perfect vehicle in which to voice them), PrintWeek's team of expert writers turn their collective hand to print punditry and take a stab at crystal ball-gazing to predict what the next 12 months...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - Xerox iGen4.(Product/service evaluation)
January 2, 2009... Despite claims that it offers few improvements on its predecessor, Barney Cox finds the iGen4 has upgraded to give better consistency and quality. Rival suppliers have been quick to dismiss the new features on the Xerox iGen4, with some...

Product Portfolio: Me & My ... KBA Rapida 162a.(Product/service evaluation)
January 2, 2009... Michael Todd, managing director at Nottingham's RCS, has expanded his customer base and sped up his service with this large-format press. - What does it do? The five-colour Rapida 162a large-format press has automated setting systems...

Product Portfolio: Tried & Tested - Bobst SPeria 106.(Product/service evaluation)
January 2, 2009... This die-cutter's performance level and clever sheet delivery features are available at an affordable price, discovers Nosmot Gbadamosi. It was at Drupa 2004 that Bobst unveiled its SPeria 106, a machine it believed combined top-end...

Product Portfolio: Buyers' Guide - Guillotines and materials handling.(Product/service evaluation)
January 2, 2009... When it comes to choosing expensive handling equipment, it pays to have done your homework, discovers Nosmot Gbadamosi. It might not be at the glamourous end of the print market, but guillotines are an investment where it pays to do your...

Product Portfolio: Joanne's Help Line - Soft-proofing and low-cost T-shirts.(Product/service evaluation)
January 2, 2009... Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q: We're thinking of adding T-shirts to our list of promotional printed products, but with as low a cost as possible. Rather than setting ourselves up for screenprinting,...

Product Portfolio: Technical Tutorial - Stabilising Colour.
January 2, 2009... Colour quality management (accuracy and consistency) is a challenge whatever print technology you use. Accuracy is getting the colour appearance to where it should be, which usually means matching a standardised print appearance like ISO 12647,...

Product Portfolio: Diary.(Calendar)
January 2, 2009... JANUARY DUPLO EVOLUTION TOUR EAST MIDLANDS Date: 13-14 January 2009 Venue: Hilton Hotel, Nottingham Contact: www.duplotour.com THE REVOLUTION OF SUSTAINABLE, PROFITABLE PRINTING STARTS HERE Date: 28 January 2009 Venue: Ricoh...

EU Tenders.
January 2, 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: Q&A - Shane Burchett.
January 2, 2009... Shane Burchett is large format print product manager for Canon UK He is 34, married and has worked for Canon for eight years in both marketing and procurement roles. After comparisons with Stan Laurel, Post Script eagerly awaits a slapstick...

Post Script: Print's Past - Printers' type specimen books.
January 2, 2009... There was a time when printers produced type specimen books. These specimens reflect trade trends, but are also interesting artefacts whose design reveals as much about the printers as the typefaces. Printers' type specimen books appeared...

Post Script: MediaCo brightens up Leicester's city centre.(Brief article)
January 2, 2009... Revellers in Leicester have been counting down the days to Christmas in style after a giant 24x12m advent calendar was installed in its city centre. The calendar was printed and installed by Manchester-based MediaCo in collaboration with...

Post Script: Memory Lane.
January 2, 2009... ONE YEAR AGO: Charterhouse eyed acquisitions after Bank of Scotland snapped up a 20% stake... Newsquest planned to close its Newport site... Polestar expanded its digital print capacity by 50%... FIVE YEARS AGO: The Print Factory won a...

Suppliers attack guidelines for pre-pack administration deals.
January 9, 2009... Suppliers to the print industry have criticised new guidelines aimed at increasing transparency in pre-pack administrations, saying that they do not go far enough towards ensuring best value for creditors. New guidelines for administrators...

Chesapeake plans growth as buyout agreed.(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Chesapeake hopes to break new markets after signing a deal to sell its business to a private equity consortium. The packaging giant announced on 2 January that it had agreed to sell all of its operations as a going concern to a group of US...

Ink Shop offers reward to jail pounds 400k arsonist.
January 9, 2009... The Ink Shop has launched an appeal for information following a pounds 400,000 arson attack on its multimillion-pound Cumbernauld, Glasgow production site. Cumbernauld CID is currently investigating the fire, which was started at...

Stewarts closes Summerhall Press.(Stewarts company bought the assets of Summerhall Press )(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Stewarts has blamed 'unforeseen circumstances' for the decision to call in the liquidators at Summerhall Press, just days after it bought out the company. The Edinburgh-based company bought the assets of Summerhall Press out of...

St Ives sells US operation to MBO.
January 9, 2009... St Ives has conditionally agreed to sell its US division, St Ives (USA), for dollars 39m (pounds 26.8m) to a management buyout team led by US chief executive and chairman Wayne Angstrom. The deal, expected to conclude following an EGM on 21...

In Brief: Gemini Press prints Countryfile Calendar.(BBC's Countryfile Calendar)(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Gemini Press, the Shoreham-based company, has printed the BBC's Countryfile Calendar. The project aims to raise pounds 300,000 for Children in Need. The calendar, commissioned by The Art of Design, features 12 photographs chosen from 11,000...

In Brief: Kolorcraft agrees to union recognition.(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Kolorcraft, the Yorkshire-based retail specialist, has agreed to union recognition, giving employees the framework to negotiate with the company. Steve Hart, Unite regional officer, said: 'This is a great result for Unite and the employees at...

In Brief: Sun Chemical launches SunGuard Apollo.(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Sun Chemical has launched SunGuard Apollo, an infrared ink designed to prevent counterfeiting. The ink manufacturer also sells a detection device designed to work with the product, which is compatible with existing UV printers. ...

In Brief: Konica Minolta secures Official Supplier status.(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) has secured Official Supplier status until 2013 for UK Athletics Major Events to supply printers, copiers and faxes. The deal encompasses the UK's participation in the 2012 London Olympics and support at...

In Brief: Cooper Clegg's proposed sale continues.(Walstead Investments)(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Cooper Clegg's proposed sale is still continuing, with advertisements placed in national papers and the trade press this week The company went into administration on 19 December following its acquisition by Walstead Investments. ...

In Brief: Kingsdown continues expansion.
January 9, 2009... Kingsdown, also known as Colour Visual, has continued its expansion after buying a new Heidelberg 10-colour XL75 Perfector. The 35-staff Bristol-based printer has replaced a four-colour Heidelberg CD74 with the press, which complements a...

In Brief: Appointment at Presstek.(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Presstek has appointed Guy Sasson as president of its Europe, Africa and Middle East region. Sasson has worked in international roles at Kodak's Graphics Communications Group (KGCG) and Kodak Polychrome Graphics (KPG), a joint venture between...

In Brief: New equipment at Buxton Press.(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Buxton Press, the Derbyshire magazine printer, has said it is planning to install a five-colour B2 double coating press to accompany its large range of perfecting presses. Kirk Galloway, operations director, said: 'The current economic climate...

Celloglas in administration but new company plans sites bid.
January 9, 2009... Finishing giant Celloglas went into administration this week (5 January) with a sale believed to be lined up as PrintWeek went to press. The Reading-headquartered finisher was continuing to trade as a going concern on Tuesday as...

Borcombe SP lays off workers without pay.
January 9, 2009... Borcombe SP is set to be liquidated after its owners of just two months pulled the plug on the Romsey-based business. All 160 employees at the company were made redundant with immediate effect on 22 December by parent company Hollyridge...

Honourable mention.(Queen's New Year's Honours list )(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Pindar chief executive Andrew Pindar has followed in his father's footsteps having been awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours list for his work in the print industry and services to the Scarborough community. Other recipients on the...

Northend holds print showcase.(Commercial printer Northend provides IT diploma course )(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Commercial printer Northend has held an openhouse for pupils at two local schools as part of the newly launched 14-19 diploma. Students from Myers Grove City Learning Centre and Stocksbridge School visited the Heeley site as part of their...

Polestar first UK firm to install JetStream 2200.
January 9, 2009... Polestar has become the first company in the UK to install the Oce JetStream 2200 continuous colour digital press, as part of a pounds 4m investment in digital kit. The JetStream spend is part of a greater investment in Oce equipment that...

Apprenticeship subsidy touted.
January 9, 2009... Printers could be paid to take on apprentices as part of a crisis jobs package unveiled by Gordon Brown. The proposed move is part of a spate of initiatives to offset the anticipated wave of redundancies as the British economy continues its...

Reader Reaction: What are your predictions for the print industry in 2009?(Buckingham Binders)(Butler, Tanner & Dennis)(Service Point UK )
January 9, 2009... Following the PrintWeek team's forecast last week, we ask for your thoughts on the year ahead. PRINT FINISHER - Nigel Crook, managing director, Buckingham Binders 'Well I was proven wrong last year when I said it would be a difficult...

UK's youngest printers predict growth in 2009.(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Britain's youngest print manager is looking to expand after LSR Group's teenage owners reported sales of pounds 2,000 per month. 15-year-old Sam Roper, who also runs local advertising magazine The Calderdale Business Gazette, started the...

Printers split over magazine sector.
January 9, 2009... Printers are divided on the best way to improve pricing conditions in the magazine sector, a printweek.com poll has found. The poll, which ran last month, asked: 'What is the best route to a profitable and competitive market in the UK...

Screen kit for Plastic Card Services.
January 9, 2009... Plastic Card Services has completed a pounds 1.5m investment programme with the installation of a new platesetter from Screen to feed its KBA press. The Macclesfield-based company installed a KBA Genius five-colour UV press and Oasis...

Legal Notices.(Public notice)
January 9, 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 WINDING UP PETITIONS UK Card Publishing Ltd...

Grumman inks deal with Agfa.
January 9, 2009... Defence and technology company Northrop Grumman has signed a deal to manufacture electro-optic subsystems for CTP products from Agfa. Under the seven-year deal, US-based Northrop will produce grating-light valve-based imaging heads for...

Melody tunes up service with 120k investment.
January 9, 2009... Melody Press has taken delivery of a Heidelberg Suprasetter A52 as part of a pounds 120,000 investment. The platesetter has replaced the Guernsey-based company's previous polyester machine. Melody Press said it had already noticed an...

Zevrix launches output software.
January 9, 2009... Zevrix Solutions has released BatchOutput DOC 2, a new version of its multi-document output automation software for Microsoft Word on Mac OS X. The release includes tools for PDF output, including options to save pages as separate PDF...

Xchange unveils latest DTP software updates.
January 9, 2009... Xchange International has announced the release of Exportools 3, an add-on for Adobe Creative Suite 4 and QuarkXPress 8. The software automates the process of exporting individual pages, spreads or selections into separate files. The...

CWE to offer consultancy services following Fogra seal of approval.
January 9, 2009... Large-format kit-supplier City & West End Solutions (CWE) has gained Fogra certification allowing it to offer support and consultancy services. To secure the standard, the large-format specialist was required to prove that it can control...

Printweek.com webcast flags up potential of w2p market.
January 9, 2009... Industry experts have voiced their opinions on how best to harness the potential of web-to-print in printweek.com's first webcast, entitled Web-to-print: Success in practice. The online discussion, which took place on 15 December, had...

Transpromo use is on the rise.
January 9, 2009... Nearly 20% of the UK's top 100 loyalty schemes are now printing transpromo adverts in the white space of their statement mailings, a report has found. The recent study from GI Solutions Group's direct mail division, GI Direct, found that...

CLOC targets turnover of pounds 3m after DocuColor and Nuvera investment.
January 9, 2009... CLOC has targeted a pounds 3m turnover after investing in a quartet of Xerox digital machines to help serve its burgeoning educational client base. The commercial printer, which runs its main facilities in London and Southampton, has spent...

Personalised calendars a hit for Howard Hunt.
January 9, 2009... Howard Hunt Group has enjoyed a successful Christmas period after a campaign that allowed clients to produce a fully-personalised 2009 calendar. More than 200 people signed up for the initiative that allowed users to place specific photos...

Inkfish boosts its DM firepower with second Buhrs mailing line.
January 9, 2009... Direct marketing specialist Inkfish has upgraded its mailing lines with a pounds 200,000 spend on a new envelope inserter from Buhrs. The Coventry-based company bought a new BB300 envelope inserter, less than 12 months after installing its...

Mosca launches entry-level kit.(strapping machine)(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... End-of-line equipment manufacturer Mosca Direct has launched a new entry-level strapping machine. According to the company, the Mosca RO-M features Mosca's quality of equipment, but is less complex to operate than other kit in its range....

MY scores UK first with Horizon investment.(MY Healthcare )(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Pharmaceutical packaging manufacturer MY Healthcare has become the first UK business to install a Horizon AF-406T6A from GAE. The machine is an automated all-buckle 400mm-wide folder and was the final part of a pounds 3m spend at the...

Fear Print Finishers targets large-format market with new cutter.(SBL Machinery)(Brief article)
January 9, 2009... Finishing house Fear Print Finishers (FPF) has invested pounds 120,000 on a large-format die-cutter from SBL Machinery. The Birmingham-based firm said there was a gap in the large-format die-cutting market in the Midlands area and as a...

NAPM calls on printers to boost support for Two Sides campaign.
January 9, 2009... The Two Sides campaign has said it will bolster its efforts to get printers on board, as suppliers UPM and Sun Chemical become the latest companies to announce their support. The campaign, which aims to dispel environmental misconceptions...