Print Week articles from July 2011

Print Week archives from July 2011

MBA bumps turnover by 25% with pounds 70m Vertex contract.
July 29, 2011... MBA Group has signed an 11-year contract to manage UK transactional and direct mail print production for the BPO giant Vertex. Under the terms of the deal, which has been 'conservatively' valued at around pounds 70m, MBA will become a...

Royal Mail U-turns on stamp decision.
July 29, 2011... Royal Mail has reversed its decision not to hold a consultation with clients on its new Delivered by Royal Mail stamp, the introduction of which is now expected to be delayed by six months. The controversial mark, which was announced last...

Takeover releases Moonpig into web-to-print market.
July 29, 2011... Personalised greetings cards giant Moonpig has said it plans to bring a broader range of products to an increased audience following its pounds 120m acquisition by digital photo company PhotoBox. Moonpig, which had a turnover of pounds 38m...

York Mailing takes charge of Pindar's web offset division in pre-pack saving 255 jobs.
July 29, 2011... Pindar's Scarborough facility has been acquired by York Mailing after the print group was placed into administration. Mark Firmin, Brian Green and Howard Smith of KPMG were appointed as administrators of GA Pindar & Son and its subsidiary...

H&H Reeds in Albany swoop.
July 29, 2011... 'It came to the point where we were either going to invest in our own equipment or acquire a business, and that's when we entered a dialogue with Albany' Andy Jackson (left), managing director of H&H Reeds on the acquisition of Albany...

Mimeo to enter Europe via CLE.
July 29, 2011... Mimeo, the US-based digital print firm, has acquired Cambridgeshire-based CLE Group, giving it its first European production facility. The company, which took its first steps in the UK market with the launch of a web-to-print offering in...

Haymarket agrees to price rise to support Wyndeham.(Haymarket Media Group contracts with Wyndeham)(Brief article)
July 29, 2011... Haymarket Media Group, publisher of PrintWeek, has become the first publisher to acknowledge the vast increase in raw materials and agree to price increases as part of its latest contract with Wyndeham. The two parties agreed an extension to...

Editor's Comment: Greek lesson to be learned from Pindar pre-pack sale.(Editorial)
July 29, 2011... Pindar's sale, as PrintWeek went to press, brought to mind the financial crisis in the Eurozone, which has led to another bailout for the heavily indebted Greek government. This has rightly been termed a 'selective default' by ratings agencies,...

Communisis continues costs reduction as profits increase.(Financial report)
July 29, 2011... Communisis increased its profit by almost 50% year-on-year in the first half of 2011 and promised further improvement as it announced a new pounds 2m cost savings exercise. In its interim results for the six months to 30 June 2011, pre-tax...

DCL Print takes over Orchestra Wotton.(Brief article)
July 29, 2011... Business forms printer DCL Print has acquired the assets of Orchestra Wotton, which went into administration last month. Orchestra Wotton's sister company Orchestra Bristol was bought out of administration by Communisis after Grant Thornton...

Elanders teams up with Shout Digital in UK.(Brief article)
July 29, 2011... The UK arm of global print and publishing group Elanders has partnered with a digital agency to offer a wider range of cross-media services, including mobile phone application development and personalised artwork. Elanders, which is...

Seven Days in Print.
July 29, 2011... 5: Agfa Printing width (in metres) of the company's Jeti 5048UV XL machine, page 17 pounds 120m: Moonpig.com Cost of acquisition of the personalised greetings cards giant by digital photo production company PhotoBox, page 2 50: Domino...

Seven Days in Print: BGP boosts stitching capacity.(Brief article)
July 29, 2011... BGP has taken its nine-month spend with Ferag to pounds 6m with a second rotative gathering and stitching system from the manufacturer. The machine will be installed this November and follows a number of contract wins in recent months,...

Seven Days in Print: Lick Group liquidation confirmed.(Brief article)
July 29, 2011... Lick Group has gone into liquidation after a meeting of creditors The company's kit, which only featured finishing machinery, was put up for sale via auction on Monday (22 July). The company was shrouded in mystery after staff were sent home,...

Seven Days in Print: Weedon buys second TCY press.
July 29, 2011... Weedon PSC has invested pounds 175,000 in a second TCY three-colour offline flexo press in order to maintain the 'highest level of quality'. The machine was installed at Weedon's Hednesford, Staffordshire facility and forms part of Weedon's...

Seven Days in Print: Chesapeake offers global service.(Brief article)
July 29, 2011... Chesapeake Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Packaging has developed its overseas operations after investing in studios in the UK, France, the US and China. The Buckinghamshire-based carton manufacturer upgraded its design studio in Leicester...

Seven Days in Print: Berforts buys digital book firm.
July 29, 2011... Berforts has acquired digital book printer Good News Digital Books in a bid to increase the company's foothold in the short-run book market. The Hastings, East Sussex-based business completed a deal for the seven-staff company on 15 July....

Seven Days in Print: Tenders sought for press.
July 29, 2011... A project to develop printed electronics in the UK has opened a tender for a printing press, in a deal which could reach pounds 1.5m. The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) wants a narrow-web reel-to-reel press, which will form the...

Seven Days in Print: KopyKat speeds up turnaround.(Brief article)
July 29, 2011... KopyKat has improved its turnaround times with a Screen Truepress 344 digital offset press, which it hopes will help cater for its growing walk-in business. The London-based commercial printer's founder Phil Moretti-Greene said: 'We need to...

Seven Days in Print: Taylor Bloxham wins on safety.
July 29, 2011... Leicester printer Taylor Bloxham has achieved the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) Health and Safety Seal of Excellence certification. It scored 93% on its audit requirements and becomes one of only four companies in the UK to...

Seven Days in Print: Pick of the posts.
July 29, 2011... End of war of attrition means the time is right for a rise in prices. The fact that the web offset sector is not sustainable at the moment should be evident to everyone. The pressure for price rises is building through changes in supply and...

Seven Days in Print: Poll.
July 29, 2011... Can the government effectively support SMEs while centralising its spend to save money? Yes 16% No 84% Next question: How do you define power in the print industry? Have your say at printweek.com -------------------- Did you...

Seven Days in Print: Xerox wins combined Lloy ds/HBOS print contract.
July 29, 2011... Xerox Global Document Outsourcing has won the first merged print contract for Lloyds Banking Group. Previously the print management supplier held the contract for Lloyds, while Williams Lea held the contract for HBOS prior to the merger. Both...

Seven Days in Print: Who bought what.
July 29, 2011... - Currie's installs Duplo booklet system Currie's Print Centre has become the first company in the UK to install a Duplo Mini Suction collator system in a bid to increase capacity. bit.ly/pw-29curries - Steffprint buys another...

Seven Days in Print: Hot topics - The most read stories on our website.
July 29, 2011... 1. Pindar: update on sale process: 3,530 Pindar chairman Andrew Pindar expects to confirm 'a complete or partial disposal' of the up-for-sale business this week. 2. Mediatech sold out of administration to previous owners: 3,440 Direct...

Briefing: Direct mail - Royal Mail to promote itself using customers' envelopes.
July 29, 2011... Royal Mail's plans to stamp a slogan on the front of every envelope to promote its services have aroused fury among those in the direct mail sector. Royal Mail is not a monopoly. However, it's intention to start literally 'stamping its mark'...

Briefing: Direct mail - Opinion: Royal Mail must learn to put customers first or lose out.
July 29, 2011... The Royal Mail's decision to apply a new stamped mark declaring 'Delivered by Royal Mail' on all bulk mail from mid-September has incensed the direct mail industry. Royal Mail customers have been extremely critical of the plans, not least...

Knowledge Bank: Legal notices.
July 29, 2011... This information is extracted from the printand 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 Blackwing (UK) Ltd Co.No:...

Knowledge Bank: Legislation - Encouraging investment in smaller firms.
July 29, 2011... The government has launched a consultation on proposals to encourage investment in small and start-up businesses. According to HM Treasury, the smallest companies and start-ups can find it particularly difficult to attract equity finance...

Knowledge Bank: Killer app - Power 100 gets personal.
July 29, 2011... PrintWeek's annual Power 100 supplement, which charts the 100 most powerful people in UK print, has become an important date in the diary for the great and the good of the print and publishing sector. The HP-sponsored front covers of 100...

Knowledge Bank: EU tenders.
July 29, 2011... PrintWeek cannot supply any additional information or pass on your details. These tenders are abridged. You must obtain a full copy of the tender before contacting any of the organisations listed. Centre for Process Innovation requires a...

Domino revisits registration and colour gamut on N600i.
July 29, 2011... Inkjet manufacturer Domino will unveil the beta version of its N600i label web press at Labelexpo, where it will also be showing its K600i monochrome overprinting system. The N600i is the latest generation of the N600 four-colour, UV-cured...

Business 'better than usual' as Mutoh decamps for Japan.
July 29, 2011... Colourgen managing director Jeff Biggs has said business will be 'better than usual' for UK Mutoh customers, as he moved to allay fears of disrupted production following the manufacturer's decision to move production from Belgium to Japan. ...

Anti-marking jackets reduce downtime.(Brief article)
July 29, 2011... A range of anti-marking jackets promises users a cost-effective solution to marking problems. The quirkily named Green Frog anti-marking jackets and films are being distributed in Europe by specialist pressroom products business Cyan-X, based...

Envelope trayer compatible with Royal Mail's Sort 70.
July 29, 2011... Finishing and mailing equipment manufacturer Kern has launched the envelope auto-traying system K60 Light in the UK market. It marks the UK debut for envelope auto-traying for Kern. General manager Peter Jolley said that Royal Mail's move to...

Sappi fails to find buyer for mill after bidders back out.(Brief article)
July 29, 2011... European paper levels will be 500,000 tonnes lighter by the end of August after Sappi Fine Paper Europe failed to sell its Biberist mill. According to chief executive Berry Wiersum there had been some interest in the Swiss site, but bidders...

Oce records lower sales in the second quarter of 2011.(Financial report)(Brief article)
July 29, 2011... Oce has blamed the decline in construction, coupled with supply chain problems caused by the Japanese earthquake, for lower sales in the second quarter of 2011. Turnover fell 4%, with a EUR50m (pounds 44m) fall on the same period last year. It...

ESP Colour goes through months of testing.
July 29, 2011... ESP Colour has gone through 18 months of testing in order to achieve its goal of fully automated machine set-up. The Swindon-based commercial printer installed a full suite of workflow software 18 months ago. The system is built on Tharstern's...

G10 Design & Print purchases punch and binder.(Brief article)
July 29, 2011... G10 Design & Print has purchased a Renz Print P500 heavy-duty punch and Renz Mobi 500 semi automatic binder. The Birmingham-based business aims to bring more functions in house with a pounds 50,000 spend that included a laminator and Morgana...

Product Portfolio: Digital - Me & my ... Fujifilm Acuity Advance 3545 HS.(Product/service evaluation)
July 29, 2011... Reflex was wary of digital but, after extensive modifications to this press, the firm was convinced that it was backing the right runner. Reflex Printed Plastics isn't shy of innovation. Indeed, it has grown from a front-room screen print...

Product Portfolio: Digital - Star product - Agfa Jeti 5048UV XL.(Product/service evaluation)
July 29, 2011... This five-metre beast can print three separate jobs on three separate rolls. - When was the Jeti 5048UV XL launched and what market is it aimed at? The Jeti 5048UV XL was premiered at Fespa in July. The first shipments of the wide-format...

Wayzgoose Comics: How comic books have seen off their arch-enemies.
July 29, 2011... The unique nature of the printed comic sector's consumers is helping to protect it from the challenges of rising production costs, the internet and digital devices. Quite simply, fans want to display the books on their shelves. Thanks to the...

Printweek Power 100.
July 29, 2011... To: The print industry From: Darryl Danielli, editor, PrintWeek Subject: PrintWeek Power 100 briefing notes Date: 29 July 2011 Time: 0900 hours Welcome to the 10th annual PrintWeek Power 100. While there's no doubt that each...

Power 100 2011: Rankings.
July 29, 2011... RANKING: 100 Name: Jon Bailey Company: ProCo Ranking last year: New Why: For those that know him, Bailey is the epitome of the modern salesman, focused on building collaborative and long-lasting client relationships; all the more...

Community: This week in 2006 - 'Papermakers warn of autumn price increases of up to 10%'.
July 29, 2011... The Confederation of Paper Industries warned of a 'gloomy' UK paper manufacturing sector as manufacturers wrote to merchants informing them of price rises. Five years on and very little has changed; the industry continues to be hit by price...

Community: Overmatter.
July 29, 2011... The government can rest easy, the courtroom soap opera can stop - the blame for the News International phone-hacking scandal has been apportioned: Maggie did it. Yes, Lady Thatcher's fingerprints are all over the situation, according to Unite...

Community: Jo's help line.
July 29, 2011... Jo Francis, contributing editor of PrintWeek, tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. A customer of ours is looking to create a totally edible piece of print Do you know anyone who can do such a thing? 'T', via email To...

Community: Q&A - Alan Purvis, Managing director, MetroMail.(Interview)
July 29, 2011... Former shipbuilder Alan is married with two children and last year reached the distressing point in a man's life when he realises he has been in print for more than half of his existence. - Why did you get into printing? I started life as...

Writtle Holdings buys Loewy Group to form pounds 100m giant.
July 22, 2011... Cross-media specialist Writtle Holdings has acquired Loewy Group, forming a 16-subsidiary giant, with a turnover that could be as much as pounds 100m in 2011. The acquisition was made in an all-share deal at the same time as both companies'...

Mediatech sold back to previous owners.
July 22, 2011... Direct mail and print business Mediatech has gone into administration and been sold back to its previous owners. Stephen Clancy and Philip Duffy of insolvency practitioner MCR were appointed as administrators to the Rugby-based company on 8...

RDI boosts digital firepower with pounds 2m iGen4 EXP spend.
July 22, 2011... Real Digital International (RDI) has invested more than pounds 2m to cut turnaround times and give itself a 'competitive advantage' after taking delivery of five Xerox iGen4 EXP digital presses. The Croydon-based digital print and production...

Wyndeham Heron reinstates old Rotoman after fire crews tackle blaze in press hall.(Brief article)
July 22, 2011... A mothballed Rotoman has been brought out of retirement at Wyndeham Heron after the firm was hit by fire this week. The 32-page press will be brought back into production after a 72pp Lithoman machine caught fire in the early hours of Monday...

W Lea wins pounds 250m gov't contract.
July 22, 2011... Williams Lea has been awarded the print management contract for all central government print in a four-year deal worth up to pounds 250m. The HMRC Print Vendor Partner contract, which went live on 1 July, is available to all central...

Print Futures Awards.
July 22, 2011... 'I'm so passionate about training as it creates a level playing field where everything is possible for everyone. These youngsters have so much passion - it's great for the industry' - Kathy Woodward, BPIF president speaking at last week's Print...

BGP scoops 3-year contract to print Time Out magazine.
July 22, 2011... Cultural magazine publisher Time Out has said that it awarded a three-year print contract to BGP after taking a more 'bullish' stance on its contract awarding. The contract incorporates the weekly title, which has a run-length of 70,000 and...

Editor's Comment: Government U-turn on print tenders a blow to our SMEs.(Editorial)
July 22, 2011... In February, we reported the launch of a raft of measures intended to make it easier for SMEs to do business with central government. These included a Contracts Finder website, which would feature all public sector contracts over pounds 10,000,...

Payments Council reverses decision to 'scrap cheques' shelved.
July 22, 2011... Cheque printers have welcomed the announcement that plans to close the central cheque-clearing facility by October 2018 have been scrapped. In a statement issued last week, the UK Payments Council said that 'cheques will continue for as long...

Green investments scheme underway.
July 22, 2011... A pounds 550m scheme to provide manufacturers with finance for environmentally friendly equipment has been launched by the Carbon Trust and Siemens. Interest rates on the loans, which are underwritten by Siemens Financial Services, will vary...

Seven Days in Print: Jedi Jim turns from print pro to public speaker.
July 22, 2011... Jim Eastwood, sales and marketing manager at Antrim-based W&G Baird, has found fame after making it to the final of the BBC's The Apprentice. The series climaxed last weekend, when 'Jedi Jim' - famed for his persuasive sales patter and...

Seven Days in Print: Pick of the posts.
July 22, 2011... - Woodward outlines new vision for BPIF (see story right) She wants SMEs to join up, but unless she can show she understands their problems, she is going to be faced with cynicism and no support. It has been shown on many occasions that...

Seven Days in Print: Poll.
July 22, 2011... Q: What sort of impact will the News of the World scandal have on newspaper readership? Positive 15% Negative 44% No effect 41% Next question: Can the government effectively support SMEs while centralising its spending to save money?...

Seven Days in Print.
July 22, 2011... 5: Real Digital - Number of Xerox iGen4 EXP digital presses installed in a bid to ramp up capacity at the Croydon-based digital printer, page 2 60k: Tolerans - Cross-web stitches per hour possible on the stitching equipment manufacturer's new...

Seven Days in Print: Who bought what.
July 22, 2011... - Spot On buys Speedmaster XL 75 Commercial printer Spot On has purchased a new Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 75-5+L with Inpress Control automated colour and register control as part of plans to improve productivity at the company. ...

Seven Days in Print: Hot topics - The most read stories on our website.
July 22, 2011... 1. Williams Lea to acquire Tag Worldwide: 6,682 Williams Lea, the global BPO giant, has agreed to acquire Tag Worldwide, the international design and production agency, for an undisclosed sum. 2. Pindar confirms offers made for business:...

Seven Days in Print: Egmont targets teens with new pop music mag.
July 22, 2011... Children's publisher Egmont has launched its first magazine aimed at the teenage-girl demographic, We Love Pop. The launch marks a first for Egmont, which traditionally creates magazines around licensed characters, and is aimed at...

Seven Days in Print: Papierfabrik Scheufelen increases paper prices.
July 22, 2011... Paper manufacturer Papierfabrik Scheufelen has announced a price increase for its coated woodfree sheets (BVS) and reels (BRO). The 8% rise will take effect globally from 1 September 2011. In a statement, the company said: 'This adjustment...

Seven Days in Print: HH 'turns the corner' in past year.
July 22, 2011... HH Print Management has described last year as a turning point for the company after it returned to profit on the back of contract wins and renewals with brands including Google, Intel, TJX, Siemens and Nokia. The global BPO business...

Seven Days in Print: WCPC calls for printers to investigate new technologies at technical conference.(Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating)(Conference news)(Brief article)
July 22, 2011... The Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating (WCPC) has called on printers to investigate emerging print techniques at its seventh annual technical conference. Held at Swansea University on 7-8 October, the event will preview a range of new and...

Seven Days in Print: Woodward outlines vision for BPIF.(Kathy Woodward )(Brief article)
July 22, 2011... New BPIF chief executive Kathy Woodward has pledged to ensure the federation's finances are 'fit for purpose' during her tenure, while doing more to attract new members to the organisation. Speaking at the BPIF AGM on 14 July, Woodward said...

Seven Days in Print: Weedon PSC doubles flexo capacity.
July 22, 2011... Weedon PSC has said it aims to 'maintain the highest levels of quality' after investing pounds 175,000 in a second TCY three-colour offline press. The new machine, installed at the group's Hednesford, Staffordshire site doubles the firm's...

Seven Days in Print: Integrity invests in Epicor ERP.
July 22, 2011... Midsomer Norton-based Integrity Print has upgraded its legacy MIS with Epicor's enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The new system allows for better integration with the company's Kodak Prinergy digital workflow to support digital...

Seven Days in Print: Innovia fined after fireball incident.
July 22, 2011... Packaging manufacturer Innovia Films has been fined pounds 90,000 following a prosecution by the Health & Safety Executive, after two workers were engulfed in a fireball. The incident occurred on 13 September 2006 at the company's Wigton,...

Briefing: Accessible labelling - MEPs support could herald rise in accessible packaging.
July 22, 2011... While making labels on household goods easier to read for the visually impaired is a worthy aim, the best way to implement it is as yet unclear. Packaging for household products, including food and drink, could be covered in large print text...

Briefing: Accessible Labelling - Opinion - Time to remove barriers to independence for the blind.
July 22, 2011... The lack of accessible labelling is a major issue for blind and partially sighted people. Access to information about products is a constant challenge and shopping independently is by and large impossible. While EU legislation introducing...

Knowledge Bank: Legal Notices.
July 22, 2011... This information is extracted from the printand 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 Tax-Print Ltd Co.No: 5219881 No:...

Knowledge Bank: Event - Show offers insight into packaging sector.
July 22, 2011... Packaging printers, as well as commercial printers interested in the packaging sector, will have an opportunity to investigate the latest developments in the field at the Packaging Innovations London show, which takes place on 6-7 October at the...

Knowledge Bank: Killer app - Boss art cards site goes live.
July 22, 2011... Boss Print has launched a new personalised greetings cards venture, Boss Cards, based on a proprietary web-to-print system that is the culmination of three years' development. The London-based printer has also sought to differentiate itself by...

Knowledge Bank: EU Tenders.
July 22, 2011... PrintWeek cannot supply any additional information or pass on your details. These tenders are abridged. You must obtain a full copy of the tender before contacting any of the organisations listed. Inverclyde Council requires printing...

Nustream workflow 'boosts options for Harlequin users'.
July 22, 2011... Nustream Europe has announced a new workflow product based on its Proofstream technology that integrates with version 6 or higher of the Harlequin RIP. The software is available in two versions: Nuflow Lite is the basic package, while Nuflow...

SMAG to launch 'semi-rotary' label press at Labelexpo '11.
July 22, 2011... French roll-to-roll printing and converting equipment manufacturer SMAG Graphique has set its sights on a broader global market as it prepares to launch its new high-speed 'semi-rotary' flatbed screen printing station at Labelexpo Europe 2011....

Flint ups low-migration ink production following food packaging scares.
July 22, 2011... Ink manufacturer Flint Group has expanded its Milan production facility to boost output of low-migration inks following increased demand from clients in the UK and worldwide. A spokesperson for Flint, which has installed new grinding mills,...

Tolerans says 'basic' inline stitcher fills gap in market.(Brief article)
July 22, 2011... Stitching kit manufacturer Tolerans has launched an entry-level inline stitching system, CompactStitch. The Swedish company said this ribbon stitcher is 'half the size' of a traditional machine and is suitable for stitching newspapers,...

Pantone ports myPantone for Android smartphones.
July 22, 2011... Pantone has launched an Android version of its popular iPhone app myPantone and simultaneously released myPantone 2.0 for the Apple mobile device. The software allows designers to capture, create and share Pantone colour palettes while on the...

Adobe Systems acquires EchoSign.
July 22, 2011... Adobe Systems has acquired web-based electronic signature and automation provider EchoSign. It will add EchoSign's software to its online document exchange services platform and integrate it with file transfer software SendNow, forms creation...