Print Week articles from July 2009

Print Week archives from July 2009

Wyndeham owner forms pounds 100m group with Southernprint buy.
July 31, 2009... Wyndeham Press Group parent Walstead Investments has acquired web offset rival Southernprint from Newsquest, creating a pounds 100m group, and hinted more acquisitions could be on the cards. The precise value of the deal, which was signed on...

Webmart seeking allies for Communisis buyout.
July 31, 2009... Webmart is understood to be seeking partners to launch a potential takeover bid for rival print management firm Communisis. According to sources close to the company, Webmart is interested in acquiring the print management arm of Communisis,...

FSB calls for apprentice wage raise.
July 31, 2009... The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called on the government to raise the minimum wage for apprentices from pounds 95 to pounds 123 per week to increase the incentive to complete an apprenticeship. It also called for funds for...

Ward Knowles assesses prospects.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Business forms printer Ward Knowles is clinging to survival after going into administration with insolvency practitioner KPMG Restructuring this week. Paul Flint and Brian Green were appointed to the pounds 15m-turnover company on Tuesday...

Ipex 2010 visitors now able to plan visit to show online.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Ipex 2010 visitors can now plan their visit to the tradeshow online following the launch of a web-based itinerary planner. The tool, 'My Ipex', allows potential attendees to arrange personalised plans for each day by using interactive...

Office for National Statistics reveals results.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... The Office for National Statistics has revealed that the UK economy contracted by 0.8% in the three months from April to June. Gross Domestic Product shrank for the fifth consecutive quarter following a contraction of 1.8% for the final quarter...

Central Office of Information publishes annual figures.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... The Central Office of Information has published its annual figures for media buying, revealing that government departments and public bodies spent pounds 540m on marketing and communications, up 43% year-on-year. However, it said centralised...

Hexis launches printable cast vinyl film.
July 31, 2009... Hexis has launched a printable cast vinyl film that can be applied directly to brick, concrete or plaster walls to provide an alternative to banners and framed prints. The VCSR100WG1 substrate comprises a 50micron vinyl backed by a high-tack...

Daily Mail and General Trust's interim management statement.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Daily Mail and General Trust said that revenue decline at its national titles has slowed, but its third-quarter figures still showed a 33% decrease in UK advertising revenue at its regional titles, according to an interim management statement....

Hobs Legal Docs buys rival, Datalex.(Hobs Reprographics Group)(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Hobs Reprographics Group subsidiary Hobs Legal Docs has bought rival Datalex. The subsidiary, which provides litigation support services to the legal industry does not provide any print services, but Datalex's customer base of European law firms...

Roland DG encouraging two-for-one offer on popular training courses.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Roland DG is encouraging wide-format sign printers to maximise their kit and software with a two-for-one offer on popular training courses. The manufacturer is offering companies the chance to book places on its SignLab and Adobe Photoshop...

More time needed to evaluate effect of pre-pack rules, IS says.
July 31, 2009... The Insolvency Service (IS) has called for more time to evaluate the effects of the SIP 16 legislation on pre-packed administration sales. A report into the new guidelines, which were launched in January, stated there was 'no evidence to...

Unite urges Darling to tackle lending issues.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke has called on chancellor Alastair Darling to be 'clear and firm' with banks to encourage improved lending to small businesses. Burke's comments came after the chancellor began meeting with several...

3,000 firms may fail in October, Tenon claims.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... An estimated 3,000 businesses will fail in October, according to insolvency practioner Tenon Recovery, which has issued a checklist to help companies avoid joining the post-summer casualty list. Tenon warned that although insolvency numbers...

EDM raises pounds 1m to fund growth.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... EDM Group has secured an additional pounds 1m investment from its majority shareholder ECI Partners to support its business plan to 2012. The document management specialist has also secured the backing of its bankers HSBC following a review...

Heidelberg warns AGM of tough year to come.
July 31, 2009... Heidelberg has warned investors that there is no short-term economic upturn in sight, following an autopsy of its grim results for the 2008/09 financial year at its AGM last week. Chief executive Bernhard Schreier told shareholders the year...

A fresh start for Quebecor World.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Quebecor World has emerged from bankruptcy protection in the US and Canada. In a statement, the print giant said it has effectively cancelled its shares and announced new issues of common shares, Class A Convertible preferred shares, and...

Reader reaction: Does e-paper represent a threat to printing businesses?
July 31, 2009... As e-paper use is predicted to be widespread in five years' time, we ask what impact it will have. NEWSPAPER PRINTER Ian Macdonald, formerly of News International I think the two are linked: one will spin off the other. In newspapers,...

Glossop invests pounds 1m in Mitsubishi carton press.
July 31, 2009... Glossop Cartons has installed the UK's first Mitsubishi B1 V3000LC carton press in a pounds 1m-plus investment. The five-colour machine has replaced an existing Heidelberg CD 102 press at the Derbyshire-based packaging printer, which is run...

Potts buys pounds 1.2m press to up turnover by third.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Potts Printers has purchased a pounds 1.2m five-colour Roland 705 LV HiPrint press as part of plans to increase its turnover by 33%. The Northumberland-based commercial printer is approaching full capacity and has set ambitious targets for...

Etrinsic secures PM housing win.
July 31, 2009... Etrinsic has secured a pounds 250,000-a-year contract to supply print management services to housing association Midland Heart in its third business win in two months. The award, which follows wins last month with Midlands-based Laser UK and...

Legal Notices.(Public notice)
July 31, 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 Duraty Digital Ltd Co.No:...

Agfa set to continue legal battle with Xingraphics over patents.
July 31, 2009... Chinese plate manufacturer Chengdu Xingraphics Co has claimed 'victory' in a landmark patent infringement lawsuit brought by Agfa Gevaert in The Hague District Court. The case, which centres on Agfa's allegations about infringements of its...

Quark 8 uptake for Office Depot.
July 31, 2009... Office Depot, which is believed to be the second largest online retailer in the world, has upgraded to QuarkXPress 8 across its entire European organisation. The global office products and services supplier will use the desktop publishing...

Positive Focus plans second open day for its DMP Flo Suite 4 software.
July 31, 2009... Positive Focus will hold a second Web2Print Open Day in September to showcase the benefits of DMP FLO Suite 4, following the success of a similar event at its Shepperton offices last month. The company said that Digital Media Partners' (DMP)...

Fujifilm ships module for XMF Remote suite.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Fujifilm has announced the commercial availability of its XMF Remote online job submission portal and soft-proofing module for its XMF cross-media workflow. Printers can use XMF Remote to expand online services for clients, including the...

Inc Direct prints Nissan promo.
July 31, 2009... Inc Direct has printed a run of personalised books for car manufacturer Nissan aimed at retaining customers' pre-orders for the company's new sports car, the GT-R. The Enfield-based printer carried out the job to produce the 'keep warm' book...

Vivid to double size of digital print business.
July 31, 2009... Vivid Display is aiming to double the size of its digital printing business in the coming year after enjoying a successful six months since the company was founded in February. The Barnsley wide-format printer, which specialises in the...

20-year supply deal celebrated.
July 31, 2009... Electronics manufacturer Prism Electronics has celebrated the 20th anniversary of its supplier relationship with inkjet technology firm Domino Printing Sciences. The St Ives-based firm provides a range of electronics manufacturing services,...

DI press buy cuts costs and enables shorter runs for Gosport council.
July 31, 2009... Gosport Borough Council's reprographics department has cut nearly pounds 50,000 from annual print outsourcing costs after investing in a Presstek 34 DI press. The recent four-colour install, specified with online envelope feeder and conveyor...

Xaar reports revenue up for first half of '09.(Financial report)
July 31, 2009... Cambridge-based inkjet technology specialist Xaar has revealed trading for the first half of the year was 'in line' with board expectations, with revenue up on the previous six months. The firm recorded revenue of pounds 20.9m for the six...

Quentin Press adds finishing capability to boost services.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Gemini Group subsidiary Quentin Press has expanded its site and set up an in-house finishing department. The Burgess Hill-based company has bought the business unit next door and installed a Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST100 and a secondhand MBO...

SMP fits super-sized guillotine.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... SMP Group has installed one of the world's largest guillotines at its London site, a Premier Guillotines Cauhe GH 366 one-piece rear-table guillotine. SMP is the second company to have recently opted for the Cauhe GH 366 after Fujifilm...

Minor investment makes major impact at London's DL Graphics.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Central London printer DL Graphics has said the BooXTer Duo binder it bought from Ashgate Automations has created new opportunities, despite being a relatively small investment. The five-staff company spent less than pounds 5,000 on the...

Kama adds two new units to UK offering.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Finishing equipment manufacturer Kama has launched two new products for UK users: a computer-aided configurator for the ProFold 74 folder-gluer, and the ProFoil die-cutter. Both machines, which made their debuts at the firm's Finishing Days...

Stora warns of capacity cuts as it publishes weak Q2 results ..
July 31, 2009... Paper giant Stora Enso has said further capacity cuts are necessary as it published poor second-quarter results. The business recorded a pre-tax loss for the quarter of EUR370m (pounds 319m), down from a profit of EUR30m in the same period in...

Color Copy gong goes to Staples.
July 31, 2009... Paper manufacturer Mondi has named the Cambridge branch of office supplies chain Staples as the UK Color Copy retail store of the year in the UK. The award has been introduced to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Color Copy, an extra smooth,...

... while M-real posts pre-tax loss and says demand lull will continue.(Financial report)
July 31, 2009... Finnish paper company M-real has warned that the recession will prolong weak demand for paper and board, as it announced its second-quarter results. The company recorded a pre-tax loss of EUR97m (pounds 83m) for the second quarter of 2009, on...

Butterfly effect.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Robert Horne's revive pure white silk grade has been used to print the Butterfly Conservation's members' information literature. The FSC-accredited paper is made of 100% recycled fibre and was used to print the member packs by Galloways...

Editorial: Wyndeham buy has put mag sector in spotlight.(Editorial)
July 31, 2009... It may not have been the world's best kept secret, but this week's news that Wyndeham's owners have bought Southernprint is still a big deal. While the creation of an pounds 80m web offset group (not including Wyndeham's other activities) is...

Comment: Press minding - A non-digital data storage format?
July 31, 2009... - Google's print index Google says its mission is 'to organise the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful' and the online giant has now set its sights on the world's offline content. Essentially Google plans to help...

Comment: Talking business.
July 31, 2009... If print is to survive in the digital age, it must learn to put the customer first. The printing industry is at a crossroads: one road leads to success, the other to failure. In a call to arms made at the BPIF AGM earlier this month, I...

Profile: Lefa print - Generation-spanning family business profits from clever property portfolio.
July 31, 2009... While it may have got into print by accident, this firm is determined to succeed in it, finds Adam Hooker. Print is often described as an old man's game. The average age of print workers is well above 40 and 50-year-old men with 35 years'...

Analysis: Offset versus litho - Harnessing the power of rival processes.
July 31, 2009... Canny printers will build their futures on a combination of digital and litho, says Tim Sheahan. Will litho be around in 10 years time? Is digital print muscling in on litho's territory? Can these two rival technologies work together? Ever...

Better business: Redundancy - The push start.
July 31, 2009... Getting made redundant can feel like a dead end career-wise, but Jo Francis discovers that, for some people, it offers the opportunity to take control of their future and make a fresh start. I'm sorry, we're going to have to let you go'. It's...

Technology Report: Ink - Consumables with a conscience.
July 31, 2009... While everyone may agree that environmentally friendly inks are the way forward, there is less consensus over exactly what these inks are, finds Philip Chadwick. The question 'how environmentally friendly are your inks?' is a bit like the...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - KIP Color 80 High Speed.(Product/service evaluation)
July 31, 2009... Though rooted in the CAD market, this toner wide-format press has the speed and flexibility for graphics, discovers Barney Cox. Drupa 2008 was hailed as 'the inkjet show' and, judging by the machines on display, the process has undoubtedly...

Product Portfolio: Me & My ... Agfa Avalon N36-50.(Interview)
July 31, 2009... Bob Thompson, digital platemaker at Wyndeham Heron, has found the firm's two new platesetters faster and easier to use, says Philip Chadwick. - Describe your business Wyndeham Heron is the Wyndeham Group's flagship offset printer. Based in...

Product Portfolio: Tried & tested - Sakurai Oliver 66SD.(Product/service evaluation)
July 31, 2009... This press caused excitement in the A2 arena, bringing automation and the ability to print on heavier stocks, discovers Nosmot Gbadamosi. Sakurai's 66SD made its debut in 2005 and was a marked improvement on its predecessor, the 66SI series....

Product Portfolio: Buyers' Guide - Platesetters: flexo, newspaper & VLF.(Buyers guide)
July 31, 2009... With more UK printers investing in bigger presses, the need for larger-format platesetters is also on the rise, says Nosmot Gbadamosi. There is a gradual shift occurring in the platesetter market, with the UK set to follow Europe in the move...

Product Portfolio: Jo's help line - Photo finishers & low-cost options.(Product/service evaluation)
July 31, 2009... Jo Francis tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles Q: I need a printing or finishing supplier that can produce photo wallets. These were fairly commonplace before everyone had digital cameras and are a made-up paper wallet that...

Product Portfolio: Diary.(Brief article)(Calendar)
July 31, 2009... AUGUST - Asia Print & Pack Expo Date: 28-31 August 2009 Location: Bangalore More information: www.asiaprintpackexpo.com SEPTEMBER - Print 09 Date: 10-17 September Location: Chicago More: www.gasc.org - YMP National Training Weekend Date:...

Product Portfolio: Technical Tutorial - Absorption chillers.(Product/service evaluation)
July 31, 2009... An often-overlooked area where printers can improve energy efficiency is through the recovery of heat from exhaust gases from a heatset web press's afterburner. Exhaust gases are normally discharged to the atmosphere at up to 400 degsC, from...

Post Script: Q&A - Andrew Brown.(Lick UK)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Andrew Brown is group operations director at Lick UK. Father of four children, Andrew's perfect evening involves the simple mix of family, TV, pizza and a drink. Andrew has worked in print and design since he was 16 and is now in his dream job,...

Post Script: Print's past - Jobbing printing.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Jobbing may be a useful, sideline in a printing house, but it rarely brings fame or fortune. Compared to book or periodical printing it is difficult to trace the history of jobbing work as these items of ephemera are only made for a limited...

Post Script: Apollo 11 book price is truly out of this world.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... Any printer of high-quality books or brochures is likely to have one job that sticks out in the memory, something just a little bit special. Here at Post Script, we can't imagine many print jobs topping the latest version of the late Norman...

Post Script: Memory Lane.(Brief article)
July 31, 2009... ONE YEAR AGO Curtis Fine Papers called in the administrators with an initial loss of 180 jobs... 3,000 blank passports were stolen following a raid on a 3M delivery van... Collective UK acquired local printer Essay Print FIVE YEAR AGO ...

FSB figures suggest 'improved outlook' for small businesses.
July 24, 2009... A number of small print companies have reported an upturn in business after the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) published data claiming that small firms are beginning to enjoy an improved outlook. The FSB said that data collected over...

Jobs saved at label arm of failed print group.(Brief article)
July 24, 2009... The label arm of a group of Isle of Wight print companies recently put into administration has been saved, safeguarding 24 jobs. Connected companies West Island and Intereel Group went into administration with insolvency practitioner Tenon...

BED attracts 20 potential bidders.(Brief article)
July 24, 2009... The administrator for envelope manufacturer Bespoke Envelopes Direct (BED) has said it has received 20 expressions of interest for the firm. Bespoke Envelopes Direct went into administration with Tenon Recovery on 9 July 2009. Tenon...

Former managers buy Wellprint.(Brief article)
July 24, 2009... Failed packaging printer Wellprint was sold to a management team last week (15 July), the day after one of its directors said no deal was on the table. Director Nigel Jones said on 14 July that the management had no intention of buying the...

Roland DG UK launches new website.(Website overview)
July 24, 2009... Roland DG UK has launched a new website to demonstrate how its Pro range of wide-format printers can offer customers a return on investment. The website (www.rolandpro.co.uk) calculates the running cost and the time until a user's kit pays for...

FI Printing liquidator hopeful for quick sale of assets.(Brief article)
July 24, 2009... FI Printing liquidator Alan Tomlinson has said he is hopeful that a sale of the failed Manchester printer's assets and goodwill will go through soon. FI went into creditor voluntary liquidation with insolvency practitioner Tomlinsons at a...

AccessPlus wins contracts.(Brief article)
July 24, 2009... AccessPlus has won health sector print management contracts with Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS Direct and the Care Quality Commission. The contract lengths and values were not revealed. -------------------- Did you find...

Colorific launches Bio ink.
July 24, 2009... Colorific has launched Bio ink, a range of environmentally friendly third-party products. The range is 90% biodegradable and ISO 14001 accredited. It is available in CMYK, light cyan, light magenta, orange or green. The Bio range of inks are...

Superfast Labels launches new website.(Website overview)
July 24, 2009... Superfast Labels has launched a new website, www.fsclabels.co.uk, following its recent FSC accreditation. The website contains a list of more than 1,000 label cutters that have been broken down for easy search, as well as FSC information....

Favini launches Dolce Vita.
July 24, 2009... Favini has launched Dolce Vita, an FSC-certified grade the Italian specialist paper manufacturer said was recyclable and made with green energy from renewable sources. It can be used for printing and packaging applications that include luxury...

TheMagicTouch expands range of short-run image transfer applications.
July 24, 2009... TheMagicTouch has expanded its range of short-run image transfer applications with a portfolio of personalised flip-flops. The company is targeting the footwear at a range of markets that include hotels, parties, sports clubs and bars. Each pair...

JPI claims 'miracle plate' is huge leap forward in CTP technology.
July 24, 2009... A company set up by two former Agfa and Kodak R&D directors has applied for patent protection for what it is calling 'the most important technology breakthrough since the introduction of thermal CTP'. The company, JP Imaging (JPI), claims...

Business rates increase may hit printing firms.(Brief article)
July 24, 2009... Printers could be left facing a business rates hike of up to 3% after transitional relief from April 2010, according to a Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) report. The current rating revaluation is expected to lead to a 3%...

Extended credit plans are 'crippling' printers.
July 24, 2009... Arranging extended payment plans with customers struggling to pay their bills can have a crippling effect on a printer's cashflow, an industry expert has warned. Ian Carrotte, of credit-checking agency ICSM, said that the number of agreed...

E-paper use rising but barriers restricting take-up, says study.
July 24, 2009... E-paper's use is increasing due to its paper-like properties of portability, flexibility and legibility, but it still has disadvantages to overcome before its adoption will become widespread, according to a report from technology research firm...

Key Print looks for acquisitions.(Brief article)
July 24, 2009... Key Print is eyeing potential acquisitions as it starts the first stage of an expansion strategy to add services and capacity to its Kent base. The print and mailing company will also start to target clients in the finance market that produce...

Growing unemployment counters optimism for rapid recovery in UK.
July 24, 2009... Fears for further job losses in the print industry have been compounded by news that unemployment has risen at its highest rate since records began. Total unemployment in the past three months across the UK has gone up 281,000 to 2.38m, the...

Racing ahead.
July 24, 2009... Manroland GB has sponsored eight-year-old racing prodigy Alfie Brown. The youngster, already tagged as an 'apprentice' to Lewis Hamilton, is making in-roads in the go-karting Super One national championships. Manroland is helping with the cost...

Benson in XL 105 buy as workload remains high.
July 24, 2009... Benson Group has bought a second six-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 with coating unit for its Bardon plant, two years after buying its first. Mark Kerridge, managing director of the pounds 93m-turnover group, said: 'Two years ago, we...

Clear Channel in H&M contract.
July 24, 2009... High-street fashion retailer H&M has signed a 'global strategic alliance' with outdoor advertising company Clear Channel Outdoor. The arrangement is not exclusive, but it will make Clear Channel Outdoor H&M's 'preferred partner' in...

4DM hires ex-GI staff member.(Brief article)
July 24, 2009... Direct mail group 4DM has continued its recruitment drive with the appointment of Nick Middleton, formerly of rival mailing house GI Direct, as business development manager. The appointment of Middleton, who has 13 years experience in the...

Reader reaction: What are your top tips for saving money in the recession?(Viewpoint essay)
July 24, 2009... Following our pounds 10k issue last week, we ask what methods you are employing to cut your costs. COMMERCIAL PRINTER Ed Arthur, managing director, LEFA Print 'One thing that you can do, which is actually pretty obvious, but I don't...

Legal notices.(Public notice)
July 24, 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 Newhaven Press Ltd At: The...

Adare labels subsidiary undergoes rebranding.(Brief article)
July 24, 2009... Adare has rebranded its label subsidiary Adare Label Converters as Adare Advantage in a bid to reflect its 'one-stop shop' offering to the packaging industry. Under the name Adare Advantage, parent company Adare is hoping to position the...

BT&D completes Jacko tribute book in a week.(Butler Tanner & Dennis)(Brief article)
July 24, 2009... Butler Tanner & Dennis (BT&D) has completed an initial 100,000 run of Michael Jackson - Legend, Hero, Icon: A Tribute to the King of Pop for publisher HarperCollins. The Frome, Somerset-based colour book printer printed the 192pp...

EDM wins deal to convert records.
July 24, 2009... EDM Group has been awarded a contract by Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust to convert 1.9m patient records, comprising of around 72m pages, from paper to digital files. The document conversion contract, which covers everything from general records and...

Enfocus updates Switch 08 tools with web-to-print functions.
July 24, 2009... Enfocus has released a new update for its Switch 08 range of workflow automation tools that includes new configurators to support web-to-print, soft proofing and colour management software. Update 7 for the Switch product line, which includes...