Print Week articles from July 2006

Print Week archives from July 2006

Administrators move in to put cash-strapped Pims on track.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Pims Enterprises is up for sale after it slipped into administration this week, blaming a failure to beat trading losses and restructuring costs. The pounds 16m-turnover litho and digital printer employs 124 staff at its 23,500m2 site in...

Last chance to enter Awards.(PrintWeek Awards)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Time is running out to enter this year's PrintWeek Awards. The official deadline for entries is tomorrow (7 July), but late entries can be accepted up to the 14 July, with prior notice. To ensure a chance of celebrating your firm's...

Green aims may hurt business.(influence of carbon emission on electricity cost)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... UK printers could be hit with further energy price rises after the CBI warned that government environmental targets could risk UK competitiveness. According to deputy director general of the CBI John Cridland, the government's latest plan...

Judge rules against Adare in redundancy case.(Brief article)(Case overview)
July 6, 2006... Adare has been forced to pay a total of pounds 620,000 to 18 workers following a legal dispute over whether it or Williams Lea should pay their redundancy packages. Print giant Adare was ordered to pay the cash after a judge ordered that...

Stop press.(GretagMacbeth workshop)(Goss International product introdution at GraphExpo 2006)(Quebecor World downzising and facility closure)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... BPIF chief executive Michael Johnson unveiled his three-year plan for the industry at the organisa-tion's AGM, the highlight of which is a global printing body... GretagMacbeth has unveiled its training opportunities for 2006. Workshops...

Most discouraging BPIF survey in seven years.(British Printing Industries Federation)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Fierce competition, overcapacity, falling employment and rising energy costs have contributed to a 'depressing' Directions survey. The BPIF's quarterly snapshot of the industry found that printers are, in general, not confident about...

Hill & Tyler closes with job losses.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Administration-hit Hill & Tyler has ceased trading with the loss of 40 jobs. The company was part of Fine Colour Packaging (FCP), which went into administrative receivership last month (PrintWeek, 22 June). A spokeswoman for...

CPC acquires APB to take on litho.
July 6, 2006... Wiltshire-based digital packaging printer The Complete Product Company (CPC) has more than doubled its size with the acquisition of the Bristol-based company APB Colour Printing. CPC, which wields a pounds 2m turnover, declined to disclose...

In brief: Fisher & Freckle and Excelsior Packing achieves world-record printing speed.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Fisher & Kreckle and Excelsior Packaging in New York have achieved a world-record printing speed for flexible package printing. The firms printed at a speed of one kilometre per minute on an F&K Flexpress 36 S press. F&K managing director...

In brief: Classic Colours introduces two new waterless inks.(Classic Colours introduced Sahara Classicure and Nevada Anilox)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Classic Colours has introduced two new waterless inks. Sahara Classicure is for use on all waterless presses with UV curing, and can print on coated and uncoated papers, plastic and foil substrates. Nevada Anilox ink is specially formatted for...

In brief: The Queen's Awards for Enterprise.
July 6, 2006... The Queen's Awards for Enterprise, the UK's top business awards, are open to entries for 2006. There are three categories - international trade, innovation and sustainable development. The awards are open to any business based in the UK with...

In brief: Bezier named.(Point-of-Purchase Awards)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Bezier has been named among nominees for this year's POP Awards, which will be held in October. The firm's Decormate unit for Black & Decker was nominated for the Home & Garden category. Other firms nominated for the various awards include...

In brief: Pindar named.
July 6, 2006... Pindar has been named private company of the year at the Yorkshire Annual Awards ceremony, beating off competition from Costcutter and the Evans Property Group. The awards were hosted by Yorkshire Business Insider magazine and...

In brief: DS Smith reports a sharp drop in profits.
July 6, 2006... DS Smith, the packaging firm, has reported a sharp drop in profits for the full year ended 30 April 2006. Pre-tax profit stood at pounds 11m, down from pounds 64.3m the previous year, on a turnover of pounds 1.65bn.

In brief: Kodak responds to last week's story.(retirement of Terry Baber and Neil Yeomans )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Kodak has responded to last week's story on the retirement of general manager Terry Baber and the departure of sales director Neil Yeomans (PrintWeek, 29 June), by saying no replacement for Yeomans has been appointed, or is in the frame for the...

Capital set for relocation deal to make way for Olympic park.(Capital Print and Display contracts to move )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Capital Print & Display will exchange contracts next week to move from east London to a riverside site to make way for the 2012 Olympic Games. The large-format specialist, which currently occupies a 12,500m2 site on Marshgate Lane, at the...

Liquidation for Carton Craft.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Manchester-based Carton Craft has gone into liquidation with the loss of 25 jobs. The packaging company, which was founded in 1976, blamed a loss of major accounts, increased overseas competition and a large 10-year lease for its demise....

Print in bloom.(garden dedicated to printing industry)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... The Clerkenwell area of London is celebrating its printing past with a new garden dedicated to the industry. The Process Garden is made up of cyan, yellow, magenta and black flowers and was conceived by art director and designer Peter Saville....

Quebecor hires ex-St Ives GM.(appointment of Annette Remmert)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Former St Ives Peterborough general manager Annette Remmert has joined Quebecor World as UK operations director. Remmert joined Quebecor on June 12 following the departure of former plant general manager Alan Leach, who left earlier this...

Proskills print training survey gets under way.(Proskills survey)(printing industry training in future skills )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... A two-month consultation that will determine the future skills needs of the printing industry has commenced. Proskills, the Sector Skills Council founded last August, has launched the survey as the first step in setting up an agreement on...

Access Plus bags two big contracts.(Access Plus contracts with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society and Greenwich Leisure )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Print manager Access Plus has won two multi-million pound contracts with the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society charity and leisure centre operator Greenwich Leisure (GLL). The three-year deal with the MS Society includes the printing and...

Pyramid's pounds 2m Heidelberg spree.(Heidelberg SM 102-10P)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Pyramid Press has invested pounds 2m in kit, including its first B1 long perfector. The Nottingham-based firm has bought a Heidelberg SM 102-10P, which is being delivered this week. The 10-colour press has been specified with an...

In brief: Clear Channel installs 10 digital billboards.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Clear Channel is to install 10 digital billboards at busy intersections in London. The billboards, which will carry ads from five advertisers, as well as news and traffic reports, can be updated remotely using Magink reflective digital ink...

In brief: Mercian Labels launches a range of labels.
July 6, 2006... Mercian Labels, the short-run labelling specialist, has launched a range of labels in accordance with new legislation that restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

In brief: Macfarlane Group is set to report a fall in profits.
July 6, 2006... Macfarlane Group, the packaging company, is set to report a fall in profits for the six months ended 30 June, despite increased sales. The group said sales in the first half had risen year on year, but margins were 'softer than expected',...

In brief: Amicus slams reports.
July 6, 2006... Amicus, the trade union, has slammed reports that an American film producer is considering filming the life story of newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell.

In brief: Assistant general secretary 'astonished' by the report.
July 6, 2006... Assistant general secretary Tony Burke said he was 'astonished' by the report, given that Maxwell had 'ripped off the pensions of hundreds of print workers'.

In brief: The Print for Business Exhibition accepts pre-registration.
July 6, 2006... The Print for Business Exhibition is accepting pre-registrations for its 2006 event, due to be held in October in Telford. The trade-only exhibition brings together printers with print buyers and specifiers.

In brief: Premier Print installs a Presstek DI press.
July 6, 2006... Premier Print has installed a Presstek DI press, an A3 four-colour press designed for short- to medium-run colour work producing up to 14,000 A4 sph. The firm is aiming to move away from the high street and into trade markets, said co-owners...

In brief: Baldwin Technology wins largest-ever order.
July 6, 2006... Baldwin Technology has won the largest-ever order for its Jetstream 1000 web cleaning system from the Telegraaf Drukkerijen Group's Amsterdam printing plant.

In brief: Correction.(Correction notice)
July 6, 2006... Paul Cahill would like to make it clear that his involvement with Fine Colour Whitham (FCW) ended well before its fall into administration (PrintWeek, 29 June). Cahill was employed by Smurfit Kappa Group, which sold the company (then known as...

Colour standard test is planned.(event to compare the Gracol and Fogra colour standards)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... The BPIF's Technical Committee has revealed plans for the UK's first event to compare the Gracol and Fogra colour standards. Delegates at the event, which will be held on 20 July, will witness printed sheets being produced using Gracol7 and...

Warm tributes flood in for ex-BPIF head Iddon.(British Printing Industries Federation)(Obituary)(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Tributes have been paid to BPIF past president Ken Iddon after he died suddenly of a heart attack last week. Sixty two-year-old Iddon died in hospital on 27 June. He is understood to have suffered a heart attack following an operation the...

UK's first 1050CF goes in at Loupe.(Loupe Solutions purchased Xerox DocuPrint 1050CF)(digital web printer)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... London-based financial print specialist Loupe Solutions has purchased the UK's first Xerox DocuPrint 1050CF digital web printer as part of a pounds 1m spend to back its move into book printing. The firm, which was formed as part of an MBO...

Reader reaction: Are you expecting a summer lull in orders?(Letter to the editor)
July 6, 2006... HIGH STREET COMMERCIAL PRINTER - ANDY MACDONALD, owner, Alpha-Graphics Leeds 'There is a mental approach to summer - I wouldn't want to say it's completely a state of mind because there is a slight lull - but if you really push for it...

Alden boosts litho at Witney with KBA kit.
July 6, 2006... The Alden Group has revealed a major investment in KBA kit for its new pounds 6m purpose-built factory in Witney, near Oxford. The book and journal printer's 4,400m2 facility will open next month and will sport a KBA Rapida 105 10-unit long...

Rausing gift to Conservatives.(Conservative Party)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Hans Rausing, the former co-owner of packaging giant Tetra Pak, has given pounds 100,000 to the Conservative Party, according to news-paper reports. The Observer reported that the packaging tycoon, who built up the Tetra Pak empire, but...

Radioprint.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has chosen this lino-cut vision of a medieval King Cnut whipping up a storm to destroy modern London as the cover art for his new album, The Eraser. The image, by illustrator Stanley Donwood, is part of a series...

Legal notices.
July 6, 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. APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATORS Castlegate 399...

GWG further advances job ticket software.(Ghent PDF Workgroup)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... The Ghent PDF Workgroup (GWG) is set to develop job tickets for further print sectors following the release of Ad Ticket, its debut job ticket for advertisers and publishers. GWG's job ticket subcommittee worked with Belgian advertising...

Microsoft backs down over XPS.(document format XPS removed from Office 2007 )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Microsoft has caved in to pressure from Adobe and removed document format XPS from Office 2007 and its Vista operating system. But the software giant will offer a free downloadable plug-in to allow Office 2007 users to save documents in...

Hobbs goes all-Fuji with Luxel CTP.(Hobbs the Printers installs Fuji Luxel Vx-9600 )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Hobbs the Printers has completed its conversion to violet CTP with the installation of a second Fuji Luxel platesetter. The family-run business installed its first Luxel Vx-9600 last year and operations director Graham Bromley said the...

In brief: Tailored Solutions Label Traxx software ..
July 6, 2006... Tailored Solutions Label Traxx software now has connectivity with the order system of Green Bay Packaging. Users of Label Traxx, including narrow web label printers and converters, can now order from the major supplier's list of...

In brief: Gradual Software announces a promotional offer.
July 6, 2006... Gradual Software has announced a promotional offer for the latest addition to Switch, its multi-platform workflow automation range. PowerSwitch supports advanced scripting and metadata and will be available at a promotional pre-launch price of...

In brief: Xelix acquires distribution rights.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Xelix has acquired the distribution rights to new soft proofing server package PDF2Proof. The primary user requires a Windows server, but the client viewer software has an unlimited licence for both Mac and PC platforms. Xelis will launch the...

In brief: Keenes installs a GMP Colorserver.
July 6, 2006... Keenes has installed a GMG Colorserver to automate its colour converting. The London-based pre-media firm uses the software to automatically convert RGB from clients' files into the required CMYK colour space. The software, as with its...

In brief: Xitron adds a new article on colour management.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Xitron has added a new article on colour management to the Tips for the Harlequin RIP series published on its website. The article discusses colour management for Navigator and other Harlequin-based RIPs. It covers process control, working with...

In brief: Next Digital Ad Lab meeting.
July 6, 2006... The next Digital Ad Lab meeting will take place on 12 July at William Goodenough College, London. It will include an Adobe Q&A session and updates on the Apple/Intel chip and monitor proofing. www.digitaladlab.co.uk.

OTM creates service for personalised photos.(Interview)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Leicester-based OTM has launched a service that allows customers to create their own personalised photo albums. Print My Album utilises the print firm's two Xerox iGen3 digital presses as well as web-based technology developed with Dutch...

Vertex tests workflow for IBM kit.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Outsourcing firm Vertex is to pilot new IBM workflow software to link up its raft of IBM digital printing kit. The firm is testing the Productivity Tracker product, which will let it monitor individual printers' jobs. It follows Vertex's...

In brief: P2i targets the printhead market.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... P2i, the Oxford-based developer of super-liquid repellent treatments, is targeting the printhead market with its proprietary cold plasma ion-mask technology. The ion-mask process works by applying a protective layer, which is nanometres thick,...

In brief: Purex International develops a system.(fume and dust-extraction systems )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Purex International, the fume and dust-extraction systems manufacturer, has developed a system for use with ink-jet printers. The develop-ment uses two specifically designed 'Delta Cowls' to extract fumes from both the printheads and the vents...

In brief: PrintMax runs a promotion.(PrintMax)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... PrintMax is running a promotion on all Uniform Grenadier sales before the 31 July 2006. The large-format printing equipment distributor is giving away pounds 8,000 of extras with every Grenadier sold. The deal includes a PC server, Troop! V5...

In brief: The Premier Paper Group launches three individual swatches.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... The Premier Paper Group, the paper and board distributor, has launched three individual swatches to target the digital print market. Each swatch features a diverse product range, including samples from the HP Indigo Printing Papers, 4CC Reels...

In brief: HP Indigo signs a deal with Objective Advantage.(Indigo digital presses)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... HP Indigo has signed a deal with graphic arts industry software developer Objective Advantage (OA). HP will adopt OA's OASymbio suite of end-to-end, web-enabled production management tools for the range of Indigo digital presses. The OASymbio...

Gemini stops trading and goes into voluntary liquidation.(Gemini Print Finishing closed its doors )
July 6, 2006... Gemini Print Finishing has ceased trading and is in the process of being placed into members' voluntary liquidation. The company closed its doors and laid off its 58 staff on the 23 June. Gemini Print Finishing chairman David Tye said:...

Circle invests in Thando turner.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Southend-based copying, printing and business promotion company Circle Services Group has purchased a Thando 105P pile turner following the installation of a new B1 five-colour press. The pile turner, which was purchased from Encore...

Warners buys Polar guillotine for new plant as company expands.(Heidelberg Polar 115XT purchased for second production plant)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Warners Midlands has bought a Heidelberg Polar 115XT guillotine with jogger and stacklift for its second production plant in Bourne. The new unit for the plant, which will open in autumn, reflects growth at the magazine production company,...

Corrugated services.(appointment of Alan Letford and Nick Geary )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Bobst Group Limited (BGL) has appointed Alan Letford as service manager responsible for the UK and Ireland after the departure of Neil Jones, who left to become president of Bobst Group Japan. Letford, who has been with the firm for 18 years,...

Europe hits ERPC target for recycling paper.(European Recovered Paper Council)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Europe leads the world in recycling volumes after meeting a target to recycle more than 55% of paper and board by the end of last year. Figures released this week by the European Recovered Paper Council (ERPC) showed that a total of 46.6m...

M-real results down on expected.
July 6, 2006... M-real has announced that it expects second quarter results to be 'clearly weaker than expected' due to increased production costs and seasonally weaker demand. The sale of its Pont Sainte Maxence paper mill in France, to German firm...

EBB lands green accolade double.(Elliott Baxter )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Elliott Baxter (EBB) has become the first and only independently owned UK paper merchant to achieve both FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody certification. The certification applies to all nine of EBB's sales and distribution centres, which...

In brief: Premier Paper Group wins 'Supplier of the Year'.
July 6, 2006... The Premier Paper Group has won 'Supplier of the Year' at the People in Print awards. Managing director Fred Haines (pictured) said: 'Everyone can be proud of this award, which reflects the hard work and commit-ment employees have undergone to...

In brief: UPM sells share capital.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... UPM has sold the share capital of its group head office at Etelaesplanadi 2 in Helsinki to German firm Allianz Lebensversicherungs for approximately pounds 53m (EUR77m). UPM will make a capital gain of around pounds 26m from the sale. Around...

In brief: Sappi Fine Paper agrees to pay fine.
July 6, 2006... Sappi Fine Paper in North America has agreed to pay a pounds 318,000 (dollars 586,000) fine for violations of the federal Clear Air Act relating to its operation of a 'recovery furnace' in its now-defunct Muskegon pulping operations.

In brief: Newport Paper wins a three-year contract.
July 6, 2006... Newport Paper has won a three-year contract to collect co-mingled recycling from Basildon District Council. The contract was awarded on pricing and the promise of building a new recycling facility, reducing the Council's transport and sorting...

In brief: International Paper relocates its global headquarters.
July 6, 2006... International Paper announced that it has relocated its global headquarters to Memphis, Tennessee from Stamford, Connecticut, effective from 1 July. The company now employs approximately 3,000 people in Memphis.

In brief: UPM Raflatac promotion.
July 6, 2006... Robert Horne customers are being given the chance to win dinner for two at a top restaurant. Throughout 2006, its UPM Raflatac promotion will give clients ideas for using self-adhesive sheet-stock products and direct them to a website to vote...

In brief: Walki Wisa's new converting plant online.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Walki Wisa's new converting plant at Changsu in China has come online, making the UPM-owned company one of the biggest producers of industrial wrappers in China. The factory is located next to the Yangtze River, 100km from Shanghai. Walki Wisa...

Contract update.
July 6, 2006... Wyndeham Press Group has won the UK print contract for Time and Newsweek magazines, previously printed at Cradley Print. The magazines have a combined weekly circulation of 195,000 copies and will be printed at Wyndeham Heron in Maldon,...

Client audit: Target Direct Print.
July 6, 2006... Print management firm Target Direct Print (TDP) specialises in direct marketing print production. It handles around 60m mailpacks, 40m door-drops and 50m inserts per year. Peter Frings entered printing in 1979 as part of a team that...

Editorial: Contrasting visions of the industry's future.(Editorial)
July 6, 2006... I'm probably not the only person to notice the interesting contrast between two of this week's features. On the one hand, we talk to six of print's young guns and ask them for their thoughts on why they joined the industry and what it can...

Comment: Quality doesn't always win out.(typesetting)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Picking up the thread from my last column, the matter of defending a market position on the grounds of product quality is fraught with risk, while a relocation upmarket can be similarly hazardous. This was illustrated by the emergence of...

Comment: Technically speaking - Microsoft changes tactics after Adobe stands firm against challenge to PDF.
July 6, 2006... A month can be a long time in global software domination. Early in May, it looked as if the forthcoming release of Microsoft Office 2007 would embody some good news for pre-press service bureaux. Microsoft said it would be able to export not...

Profile: Cambrian Printers - Welsh printer embraces environment and rich history to secure its future.(Company overview)
July 6, 2006... A legacy of innovation, a broad client base and green thinking keep this printer ahead, says Joanne Gardner. Travelling to Aberystwyth by train, you can literally see the London pollution dissipate behind you as the wind turbines pop up...

Analysis: Packaging - Tough times for rapidly evolving sector.(analysis of packaging)
July 6, 2006... Philip Chadwick and Simon Nias find that consolidation should bring relief for those who survive. The packaging industry has been having a tough time of late. The difficulties faced by Fine Colour Packaging (FCP) are typical of the...

A new identity for printing.(Discussion)
July 6, 2006... Six of print's young guns talk to Noli Dinkovski about what steps the industry should take to become a more attractive career option to people like themselves. This year, for the first time, under-16s were allowed into Ipex. After...

Better business: Polybagging - The rising cost of convenience.
July 6, 2006... Good for business, bad for the environment. In the case of polybagging, this dilemma has become a line in the sand between publishers and consumers. The Great British weekend is so synonymous with the way of life in this country that we've...

Technology Report: Automation - An automated future.
July 6, 2006... Increased levels of automation could signal the end of the press operator as printers work to save costs through reducing overheads and human error. Along with so many other species endangered by the march of the modern world, the offset...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - FKS PrintBind KB2000.
July 6, 2006... Morgana is confident that this binder has tackled the fuser oil problem and is perfect for digital, says Karen Charlesworth. The question of adhesive binding for the digital market has been a thorny one in recent years. The first rash of...

Product Portfolio: Me & my ... Autobond Mini 76 TH.(Interview)
July 6, 2006... Carol Rooke, laminator operator at Wales-based Cambrian Printers, gets the finish she wants without any hassle, writes Joanne Gardner. Why did you choose the Autobond Mini 76 TH Laminator? We chose it for the speed and the quality of...

Product Portfolio: Tried & tested - Heidelberg Tango.
July 6, 2006... It captured vibrant and accurate images in high-quality scans, and while the Tango is out of production, it is not out of style, writes Tess Raine. 'The best of the best, but no longer made' sums up the contradictory appeal of the...

Product Portfolio: Buyers' guide - Pre-flighting, workflow & RIPs.(Buyers guide)
July 6, 2006... A suite of software solutions can simplify production. But how do you strike the right balance between efficiency and expenditure, asks Tess Raine. Making sure a print job moves smoothly, accurately and cost-effectively from ordering and...

Product Portfolio: Philip's help line - Digital kit and yet more scratch cards.
July 6, 2006... Philip Chadwick tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q: I visited Ipex for a day back in April and I was looking at digital presses that can cover SRA3 sheet size for 4,000 sheets per run, covering both mono and colour....