Print Week articles from June 2006

Print Week archives from June 2006

Printer and buyer face fraud rap.(Anthony Doyle director of printing industry)(Martin Dawes merges BT Cellnet )(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... A former Manchester printer and an ex-print buyer are facing sentencing over a three-year, pounds 1.8m scam. Anthony Doyle, a former director of Salford-based printer Doyle Quays, and Karen Papworth, a former print buyer for mobile...

Strike plan for 21st Century.(negotiate working conditions)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Union members at Kent-based 21st Century Logistics have voted to stage a second one-day strike on 4 July. The firm is a warehouse contractor for paper manufacturer M-real's Sittingbourne and Kemsley paper mills. The dispute is over the...

Kodak hands Baber's UK chief role to Wigfield.(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Kodak has named Dave Wigfield, formerly of Creo, as the surprise successor to UK general manager Terry Baber, who will retire at the end of 2006. Many in the industry believed UK sales director Neil Yeomans was being groomed to take over...

3% share dip at Communisis.(profit and loss data )(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Print and print management group Communisis' share price dropped 3% after it warned that its DM arm's poor Q2 would dent figures. Following a trading statement on Tuesday, the group's share price fell by 2.5p to 82p, despite positive...

Stop press.(Emap merges with Mondadori Italy)(Nova Direct Mail merges with EDF Energy UK)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Emap has sold its ailing French consumer magazine division, Emap France, to the Italian media empire Mondadori for pounds 380m... Fuji has received anti-trust approval to acquire US ink-jet printhead manufacturer Dimatix, according to US...

MPG buys Impressions out of administration.(MPG merges with Unwin Brothers Ltd)(renamed MPG Impressions)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... MPG has brought Lasting Impressions out of administration and will merge it with its Unwin Brothers division. Woking-based Unwin Brothers will move to Lasting Impressions in Chessington, which went into administration last month despite...

Ex-Jarrold boss joins BGP board.(appointments)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... The former managing director of Jarrold Printing (now NJP), William Mills, is returning to the front line of magazine printing after an absence of more than four years. Mills has accepted a position as non-executive director at rival...

CPD long-grain paperback move.(creative print & design)(appointment of Martin Mulcairn )(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Book printer Creative Print & Design (CPD) is to move into long grain paperback production following its acquisition by a major European book printing group. The Middlesex-based firm revealed the move as it announced the appointment of...

Komori gears up production at new high-tech Tsukuba plant.
June 29, 2006... Komori, headed by chief executive Yoshiharu Komori (pictured), has geared up production at its new high-tech Tsukuba plant just six months after opening. The move came as the company reported a significant growth in demand for its offset...

WRH Marketing UK appoints Steve Claxton.
June 29, 2006... WRH Marketing UK has appointed Steve Claxton as customer-orientated service manager. Claxton will service the company's commercial and newspaper customers in the UK and Ireland, and will be based at the company's Harlow office.

Copyprint does its bit to combat water shortage.
June 29, 2006... London-based commercial printer Copyprint has been doing its bit to combat the UK water shortage, and its own water bill, by investing in Kodak's Thermal Direct non-process printing plates and a Lotem 400 thermal platesetter. The company made...

PPA protest to MPs about new bill.(Periodical Publishers Association)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... The Periodical Publishers Association has written to MPs in protest at a bill that aims to push lads magazines to the top shelf. The move follows the 10-minute rule bill laid down by Labour MP Claire Curtis-Thomas on Tuesday, calling for...

FIPP launches digital version of Magazine Wolrd.
June 29, 2006... The International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP) has launched a digital version of its flagship title, Magazine World. Created by Digital Alternatives, the digital issue is a replica of the print magazine, which is currently sent...

The Gemini Group invests in two Komori Lithrone S529's.
June 29, 2006... West-Sussex based print company The Gemini Group has invested over pounds 1m on the UK's first two Komori Lithrone S529 presses. The machines will be based at Gemini Press in Shoreham-by-Sea and Quentin Press in Burgess Hill, two of The...

Polestar apprentices lead the way.
June 29, 2006... Polestar apprentices have been leading the way at Polestar Chantry as part of a week-long best practice initiative. Two first-year under-graduates, two printers and eight Polestar Group apprentices implemented improvements that reduced the...

Domino Printing reports half-year pre-tax profit.
June 29, 2006... Domino Printing, the ink and laser equipment manufacturer, has reported an 8% leap in half-year pre-tax profit after strong product demand across its operations. Turnover at the Cambridge-based company has grown 9% from pounds 92m in 2005 to...

Symbiosis staff band together to fund winding-up petition.(Symbiosis was bought out of administration)
June 29, 2006... Desperate staff at troubled print and marketing firm Symbiosis have rallied together to pay for a winding-up petition against holding firm Arcnor Media, so they can claim statutory redundancy. The Camberwell site has been in limbo since...

Venturini moves into UK DM print market.(United Kingdom)(Venturini UK)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Italian inline print specialist Venturini DMC has established a UK subsidiary to target buyers of direct marketing and sales promotion. Venturini UK goes live on 1 July and will be headed up by Keith White, managing director of agency...

Grand slam squash.(Domino Printing Sciences PLC)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... It's Wimbledon time again, so strawberries and cream will be gulped by the truckload and rain will inexplicably pour. Domino Printing Sciences is getting in on the action too, joining forces with Birkenhead label manufacturer Tipografic to...

FCP's Whitham arm falls into administration.(Fine Colour Packaging)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Fine Colour Whitham (FCW) has gone into administration a week after its parent company went the same way. Deloitte & Touche has been appointed, with Lee Manning and Aileen Crooks the joint administrators. Only last week, Nottingham-based...

Crooning glory.(Eugene Levine, ready for pop show)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Eugene Levine (pictured), managing director of used machinery specialist International Printing Services in Leeds, is set to sing in front of 40,000 adoring Chinese pop fans at a concert in Gansu province. The gig came about following...

Research from Corporate Mailing Matters.(waste management of direct mail sector)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Corporate Mailing Matters research has revealed that 60% of the UK's top company marketers regard the next round of government targets for the use of recycled materials as their key priority for 2007. According to the firm, this backs up the...

PrintCity appoints David Stamp.
June 29, 2006... PrintCity, the strategic alliance of more than 40 graphics arts manufacturers, has named David Stamp (pictured) worldwide director of marketing and communications. Stamp, who has 21 years industry experience, most recently worked as director...

OTm attains systems and physical security standard.
June 29, 2006... Direct mail printer OTM has attained systems and physical security standard ISO 27001. This follows the firm securing ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. Meanwhile, 12-year old Anjali Prashad, daughter of the Leicester-based firm's managing director...

PLP Commercial Printers completes kit upgrade.(PLP Commercial Printers Ltd.)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... PLP Commercial Printers has completed a pounds 550,000 kit upgrade at its East London site. In January, the firm installed a six-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 with IR drying and in May, it added a six-colour Speedmaster 52, also with IR...

'Pressgang' team raisies money British Heart Foundation.
June 29, 2006... The UK's 'Pressgang' team has raised pounds 5,000 for the British Heart Foundation by completing the London to Brighton bike ride. The team, which included representatives from News International, Guardian Print Centre, Sun Chemical and the...

Adsteam appoints Mike Plamer.
June 29, 2006... Ad delivery firm Adstream has appointed former Atelier commercial director Mike Palmer director of print publishing. Palmer, who left Cornish repro house Atelier a month before it went into liquidation in May, will help Adstream, which...

Kalamazoo ups Africa exports.(export earnings of Kalamazoo PLC)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Kalamazoo Security Print has emerged as the latest UK firm to cash in on digital print exports to Africa after racking up overseas sales of pounds 3.5m in the last financial year. The company, a division of the Adare Group, was...

Newstec on course to run as two-day event.(conferences)
June 29, 2006... Newspaper print exhibition Newstec is to be overhauled as a free two-day show at smaller premises in response to consolidation in the newspaper industry. Organiser IIR Exhibitions has decided to move the 2007 incarnation of the biannual...

Bank suspects fake note trio.(Bank of England)(plans of introducing new security features )(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Three gangs of organised criminals have cornered the illegal market of banknote counterfeiting, according to the Bank of England. In its annual report published this week, the Bank revealed that 505,000 counterfeit notes were taken out of...

Reader reaction: Is Amicus still relevant to you?(readers opinion on Amicus )
June 29, 2006... LABEL PRINTER - JOHN WATSON, managing director, John Watson & Company 'Amicus is still very relevant. Around three quarters of our staff are members. You need to have a voice for the employees and I have no problem with that. We have a...

BPIF scheme to counter energy price increases.(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... UK printers will be forced to pay a premium if they wait until October to renew their energy contracts, industry experts have warned. The note of caution came as the BPIF launched a collective buying scheme to help smaller printers...

BGP awarded First Choice contract.(Benhamgoodheadprint)(First Choice Group)
June 29, 2006... Benhamgoodheadprint (BGP) has been awarded a major contract by the holiday group First Choice. Sources said the deal is worth around pounds 2m per year. It is the first time BGP has worked with First Choice and it will produce a broad...

Challenge Africa.(Sandi Langton leaves MAN Roland GB)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Former MAN Roland GB marketing manager Sandi Langton has quit her job to embark on a 20,000-mile trans-Africa motorbike trek. South African-born Langton will depart from Dover, accompanied by her husband Paul, on 9 July and should arrive in...

Legal Notices.(Chart)
June 29, 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...

Polestar snaps up licence for Atelier digital DPD software.(Atelier Data Services)(Digital Publishing Desktop)
June 29, 2006... Polestar has bought the licence for Digital Publishing Desktop (DPD) from the liquidator of Cornish repro house Atelier. Last year, Atelier and Polestar developed Isis, a bespoke version of DPD. In the past 12 months, Polestar has re-sold...

Agfa splits into three divisions.(Agfa-Gevaert NV)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Agfa-Gevaert is to split up its business into three independent operating units as part of a massive cost-cutting drive. The group's graphics division will run as a separate business, with total independence from its healthcare and...

Chandlers makes first CTP move with Fuji.(Computer to plate)(Chandlers Printers)(Fujifilm Electronic Imaging)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Commercial printer Chandlers Printers has made its first move into CTP with a major Fuji order for its Bexhill-on-Sea site. The company installed a Luxel V-9600 CTP violet platesetter, an FLP-1260 MkII violet processor and Fuji Open...

Loewy aims to hit pounds 17m turnover by merging ads pre-media arms.
June 29, 2006... Loewy Group has merged its advertising pre-media firms as part of a bid to boost its turnover to pounds 17m by the end of the year. Loewy, a London-based design and communications group that already owns market research, PR and...

DirecType wins its court battle with competitor DirectSmile.(cases of intellectual property law)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... DirecType has won its court battle with rival software firm DirectSmile over copyright, trademark and patent infringement. The two companies develop image personalisation software that can be linked up to digital presses. The case was...

Oce gains Blue Angel award.(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Oce has been awarded the Blue Angel environmental certificate for its VarioPrint range of printers. The VarioPrint 1055, 1065, 1075, 2062 and 2075 have all been given the award. It means the range uses minimal power consumption when it is...

Mutoh eyes up UK outdoor sector with super wide-format printer.(Mutoh America Inc.)(Ubited Kingdom)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Mutoh's latest addition to its super wide-format range of printers is now available in the UK through distributor ArtSystems. The company will offer the Mutoh Osprey 75 printer alongside the Osprey 102, which was launched last year. Both...

AIT offers third-party RIP for HP and Canon.(Applied Image Technology)(raster image processor )(Hewlett-Packard Company)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Software firm Applied Image Technology (AIT) has released the first third-party RIP for HP's DesignJet 9000 and Canon's iPF 5000/9000 large-format printers. The software, the latest update to its Shiraz range, is compatible with Mac OS...

Idab clinches mailroom supply deal with HMP.(Idab Wamac)(Harmsworth Media Printing)
June 29, 2006... Idab Wamac, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Heidelberg, has been chosen to supply the mailroom kit for newly-formed Harmsworth Media Printing's (HMP) pounds 87m full-colour flexo national newspaper plant in Oxfordshire. The deal is...

Brightsea pours pounds 250k into Heidelberg kit.(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Brightsea Press has invested pounds 250,000 with Heidelberg, part of a finishing kit upgrade to make the firm's production facilities fully JDF compliant. The Exeter-based commercial printer has bought a four-station plus cover...

Mainline buys Forest battery.(Mainline Flatpacks Ltd.)(Forest Oaks Print Finishers)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Mainline Flatpacks has bought the machinery of Forest Oaks Print Finishers to extend its presence in the trade finishing market. Forest Oaks went into liquidation at the end of April. Mainline secured the deal for its kit on the 16 May....

Palamides holds 'Think Tank' open house.(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Palamides is holding a 'Think Tank' open house to promote the benefits of its range of paper-handling and banding systems. The event, which takes place between 21 and 23 September, will be held at the firm's Renningen, Germany HQ, but also at...

Morgana successfully gains US patent for its Flying Knife.
June 29, 2006... Morgana has successfully gained a US patent for its Flying Knife folding technology, which is used in the UK firm's DigiFolder creaser/folder. The system developed by the firm differs from traditional methods by not using knives or...

Habasit (UK) joins forces with Rossi Gearmotors.
June 29, 2006... Habasit (UK), which specialises in the supply, servicing and manufacture of lightweight conveyor belts, has joined forces with conveyor gearbox manufacturer Rossi Gearmotors to create Habasit Rossi. The new operation will be based at...

TNT Post launches PremierSort Flex.
June 29, 2006... TNT Post has launched PremierSort Flex, which is designed to save SMEs and lower-volume mailers up to 20% in mailing costs. The two- to three-day service has been launched as a rival to Royal Mail's standard delivery.

Mabeg officially opens its Chinese operation.
June 29, 2006... Mabeg has officially opened its Chinese operation. The German sheet feeders and sheeters manufacturer created Mabeg Machinery (Shanghai) to target the low-cost Chinese market. As well as building feeders for the local market, the 25-staff...

Trade Binders Daventry's MBO team revamps safety operations.(management by objectives )(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Trade Binders Daventry's MBO team has revamped the firm's health and safety operations and made a 'major' investment in the firm's infrastructure. It has installed a pallet turner for feeding pallet logs into its perfect binding lines and...

Muller Martini UK clarification.
June 29, 2006... Muller Martini UK would like to clarify that the pounds 300,000 that Cambrian Printers invested in its Acoro binder didn't include the two machines it traded in and the fact that it already had a trimmer. Its Acoro, without trimmer, would...

James Cropper profits fall as energy soars.(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Speciality papermaker James Cropper has become the latest supplier to fall foul of soaring energy prices, posting weak end-of-year results, with pre-tax profits dropping to just pounds 300,000 from pounds 2.4m. Preliminary results for the...

Paper production hits record high.
June 29, 2006... European paper and board production has reached record levels, according to statistics compiled by the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI). During the opening quarter of 2006, CEPI's 17 European countries, which include...

M-real to cut energy usage at mill.
June 29, 2006... Finnish paper giant M-real is targeting cost savings of pounds 450,000 (EUR651,000) per year at its Sittingbourne mill after setting up a plan to cut energy usage. The company has spent pounds 54,000 designing an Energy Efficiency...

In Brief: M-real declaration on website.
June 29, 2006... M-real has made paper profile product declarations available on its website, giving clients easier access to environmental data for M-real products. Vice-president of environmental affairs Kristiina Honkanen (pictured) said: 'M-real supports...

In Brief: International Paper draw to win signed England shirt.
June 29, 2006... International Paper is giving users of its Duo paper range the chance to win a signed England football shirt worth around pounds 350. The shirt is signed on the front by 16 team members, including Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and David...

In Brief: UPM signs agreement.
June 29, 2006... UPM has signed an agreement to sell its Finnish building materials merchant Puukeskus Oy to the private equity investor Triton and Puukeskus' management. UPM estimates that the sale will result in a capital gain of around pounds 62m (EUR90m).

In Brief: Robert Horne introduces new colours.
June 29, 2006... Robert Horne has introduced two new colours to its Priplak Duolux range. The new colours, Viola Fantasy 4011, a purple shade, and Autumn Mystery 711, a bronze/green shade, are made using polypropylene and are dirt resistant.

In Brief: FEFCO announces new product.(Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... FEFCO, the Brussels-based European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers, has announced that it will introduce an updated version of its FEFCO standard in September 2006. Up until now the standard has only been available in printed...

In Brief: Stora Enso dispute comes to a close.(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Stora Enso has brought its dispute with workers at its Port Hawkesbury mill to a close after staff agreed to take a 10% wage cut, but is now threatening to close the mill if the Canadian government does not agree to give it a cheaper rate on...

In Brief: Appointment at International Paper.
June 29, 2006... International Paper has announced that Brian McDonald has been named vice president of investor relations. McDonald will report to Marianne Parrs, who is the chief financial officer and executive vice president at the company. He will be...

Contract update.
June 29, 2006... MediaCo and Billboard have produced the posters for a low fares campaign for airline BMI. Posters on the London Underground and a mega banner on the M4 were part of a larger advertising drive that included online media and the national...

Client audit: Imagination.(customer services of Imagination)
June 29, 2006... Imagination is a global independent creative consultancy and production company. It focuses largely on clients' branding and uses a range of media formats, including film, design, sound and printed matter, to enhance and expand brand...

Editorial: Time for another look at health and safety.(reports on accidents of printing industry)(Editorial)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... According to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), 1,200 accidents occur in the print sector every year (including 200 serious ones). On the typical 37.5 hours per week, over 47-odd weeks, that equals roughly one print-related accident in...

Comment: Welcome technological change.(technological innovations of printing machinery)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Echoes of nightmarish memories have sounded of late as the topic of competition features as the focus of an industrial debate. Competition emanates from domestic and foreign sources, both are potentially debilitating. Protective and creative...

Comment: Conflicting factors and mixed reports mean inflation could go either way.
June 29, 2006... Another month and the uncertainty about where the economy is, and where it is heading, is no clearer. In a recent speech, Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, warned that the conditions that have given the UK a low rate of...

Profile: Southernprint - Experience and investment, plus people power, put printer ahead of the pack.(Company overview)
June 29, 2006... This debt-free printer is reaping the rewards in an increasingly shaky magazine sector, says James Donkin. Nestled near the golden sands of Poole - the St Tropez of the south-west - stands a magazine printer reeling in new contracts and...

Analysis: Intergraf - Getting Europe's own BPIF up to scratch.(International confederation for printing and allied industries)(British Printing Industries Federation )(Organization overview)
June 29, 2006... Can fresh leadership make Intergraf more relevant to printers in the UK, asks Joanne Gardner. Ask UK printers about Intergraf and they'll probably look at you with a blank face. The industry's European lobbying group, a not-for-profit...

Merging business cultures.(mergers of printing industry)
June 29, 2006... If you're combining two businesses, you've got to make sure everyone's speaking the same language, especially if the firms are foreign, writes Philip Chadwick. Six months into 2006 and consolidation in the print industry shows no signs...

Health and safety: Warning - handle with care.(guidelines for occupational safety and health in printing industry)
June 29, 2006... With around 200 people a year suffering serious injuries in the print industry, digital printers must take firmer measures to prevent accidents. Printing is traditionally a dangerous occupation. According to the Health & Safety Executive...

Technology report: Hit the right colour and save money.(standards of printing industry)
June 29, 2006... Adhering to ISO colour management standards can add pounds to your bottom line and ensure that your colour never misses the bullseye, writes Scott Morris. Print consistency is the tangible and attainable aim that every printer hopes to...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - Esko DeskPack.(Esko-Graphics Inc. )
June 29, 2006... The 3-dx design plug-in is the star of the show in Esko's landmark packaging design bundle, says Simon Eccles. Esko's DeskPack is a suite of folding packaging design and production tools that run as plug-ins to Adobe Illustrator and...

Product portfolio: Me & my ... Heidelberg Speedmaster 52.(interview with Bill Pandhor)(Interview)
June 29, 2006... Bill Pandhor, managing director at Middlesex-based P&P Litho, remains faithful to the German giant's speedy sheetfed kit, writes Simon Creasey. Why did you opt for the SM 52? We've always been a Heidelberg house. Did you look at...

Product portfolio: Tried & tested - Kolbus Ratiobinder.(Kolbus United Kingdom)
June 29, 2006... With the original still going strong and newer models adding automation, Tess Raine investigates a binder with a reputation for accuracy. The KM 470 was Kolbus's original Ratiobinder and it's been in constant production since 1984. It's...

Product portfolio: Buyers' guide - Multipurpose paper.
June 29, 2006... Better response times, cost-effectiveness and its suitability for virtually any job make multipurpose an attractive resource. Tess Raine takes a look. Using multipurpose paper could make life a great deal easier for many printers. 'In an...

Product portfolio: Philip's help line - Top 10 and scratch card conclusion.
June 29, 2006... Philip Chadwick tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q: Do you have a list of the top 10 printing companies in the UK? Daniel Dawson, Via email A: According to PrintWeek's top 500 UK printing companies, the top...

Diary.(calendar)(Brief article)(Calendar)
June 29, 2006... JUNE ViP: Introduction to Lean - the workshop Date: 28 June Venue: The Daventry Hotel, Northamptonshire Price: pounds 165 (pounds 148.50 for BPIF, SPEF, EFTA members) Contact: 020 7915 8379/www.visioninprint.co.uk ViP: Sustaining...

Post Script: No, this is not a case of taking the Peeometer.(a new device to measure men's hydration levels from Yorkshire Water PLC.)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... As the temperatures rise and we head for what will hopefully be a long hot summer, have you thought how your staff's health could be affected? Yorkshire Water has 'leaked' the details of a new device to measure men's hydration levels....

Post Script: Memory Lane.(labor relations of Finnish Paperworks Union)(Paxar Apparel Group relocates its packaging printing plant)(facility closure of Stream International)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... 1 YEAR AGO: The Finnish Paperworks Union (Paperilitto) failed to reach a conclusion in talks with its employees... the PrintWeek Power 100 singled out Astron chief executive David Mitchell as the UK printing industry's most influential...

Post Script: Print's Past - El Vino.(sex discrimination of El Vino wine bar)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... In its heyday, Fleet Street was a village populated with larger-than-life characters. For decades, the El Vino wine bar was at the centre of this village - it was here that jobs were advertised by word-of-mouth, news stories were gathered and...

Post Script: Q&A - Graham Leeson, Fujifilm Graphic Systems.(questions and answers)(Graham Leeson )(Interview)(Brief article)
June 29, 2006... Graham Leeson has worked in the industry for eight years. Now marketing manager at Fujifilm Graphic Systems, he is married and has a baby son and a 'dodgy' knee. He likes playing football and, as a number of shoppers in a certain Asda store...

Close Asset to restructure CPF and used print finance arms.( Close Print Finance)
June 22, 2006... Close Asset Finance is to restructure its print finance arm amid denials that it is set to exit the print industry. The firm is planning to merge its Close Print Finance (CPF) operation with Surrey Asset Finance (SAF), its used print kit...