Print Week articles from June 2009

Print Week archives from June 2009

Industry set for 'bloodbath' as recession claims latest victims.
June 5, 2009... PrintWeek staff More than 250 jobs in the print industry have been lost in the past seven days and more threatened in what has been one of the darkest weeks of the current recession. Industry commentators warned of a 'bloodbath' in the...

Mailcom optimistic after pounds 3.5m finance deal.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Direct mail and customer communications business Mailcom is looking to grow its turnover and boost its enclosing capacity after securing a pounds 3.5m funding injection. The company, which will now operate under the Mailcom Plc brand name,...

BPIF's Gray: print must adapt to new climate.
June 5, 2009... Credit conditions for printers have 'radically changed' and the sector must adapt to the new credit climate, industry experts have warned. Over the past six to 12 months, printers have faced the 'perfect storm' of the withdrawal of credit...

W&L fined over safety violation.(Waddington & Ledger )(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Waddington & Ledger (W&L) has been fined pounds 14,000 and ordered to pay costs of pounds 3,205 after it pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety Act. A driver for the West Yorkshire-based direct mail and point-of-sale...

Tangent suffers 54% profit drop.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Tangent communications chief executive Nicholas Green has said he is 'optimistic', but expects business to prove difficult after company profits dropped by more than 54% in the year-ending 28 February 2009. Revenue for the year was pounds...

TNT Post premieres a 3D-effect direct mail offering.
June 5, 2009... TNT Post has premiered a 3D-effect direct mail offering using a 'new' printing technique. The postal operator said the effect could be viewed from any angle and gives the impression of visual elements within the design floating in...

Communisis and Prolog partnership.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... NHS Pensions, the largest centrally administered public service pension in Europe, has awarded a contract to inform its members of their options for late retirement to Communisis and Prolog. Communisis managing director Alistair Blaxill said:...

Precision Colour Printing (PCP) achieves ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 accreditions.
June 5, 2009... Precision Colour Printing (PCP) has achieved ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 accreditations. The web offset printer said that publishing houses and print management companies are increasingly demanding the accreditations. Alex Evans, managing director...

Resource sponsors and completes printing for the sixth annual Leeds Sports Seminar.
June 5, 2009... Resource has sponsored and completed the printing for one of Leeds' most high-profile sporting events - the sixth annual Leeds Sports Seminar, which was held recently at Leeds Metropolitan University. This year's event attracted former British...

Zenith Print & Packaging installs maiden UV press.
June 5, 2009... Zenith Print & Packaging has installed its maiden UV press after opting for a five-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 102. The new machine, configured CD 102-5+L UV, has doubled the capacity for B1 printing at the Pontypridd company, while the...

Durawel celebrates 50th Birthday.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Duraweld has celebrated its 50th birthday with a special event for clients and suppliers at its facility in Scarborough. The company, which produces bespoke presentations, packaging and printed stationery products, was joined by more than 25...

Transport for London launches tender process.
June 5, 2009... Transport for London has launched a tender process for its morning freesheet slot, which could lead to The Metro being ousted from tube stations for the first time in 11 years. The new contract is for a shortened seven-year cycle and allows the...

Companies using recession as an excuse to cut pay, says Unite.
June 5, 2009... Trade union Unite has claimed that some employers are 'taking advantage' of the recession to force pay cuts and warned of industrial action to fight any unsubstantiated claims by companies. Tony Burke, assistant general secretary at the...

Heidelberg to receive help from Bundestag.
June 5, 2009... Press giant Heidelberg is set to receive financial support from a fund launched by the German government to help companies affected by the recession. It was reported last month by several news agencies that the German manufacturer had been...

Best Cover Manchester site in administration.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Lamination specialist Best Cover UV has closed its former Celloglas Manchester facility, just three months after buying it out of administration. A meeting of creditors for subsidiary company Best Cover (Manchester) has been called for 16...

Double contract win at Polestar.(Polestar Applied Solutions)(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Polestar Applied Solutions has signed a three-year print management contract with Monarch Travel Group as Polestar Petty announced that it had been awarded the print contract for bi-monthly freesheet Blue Tomato. Polestar renewed its...

Printing.com turnover up 7.3% but profits fall.(Financial report)
June 5, 2009... Printing.com has recorded an increase in annual turnover, coupled with a drop in pre-tax profit, in its preliminary results for the year ended 31 March 2009. The Manchester-based print franchise business posted a 7.3% increase in turnover,...

Etrinsic secures 2 new PM deals.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Print management company Etrinsic has continued to take on new contracts after securing deals with LaSer UK and Baxi Group worth a total of nearly pounds 2m per annum. Etrinsic is to provide a range of print management and marketing...

Reader reaction: Will capacity cuts and closures have an impact on prices?(Viewpoint essay)
June 5, 2009... We ask if the ongoing downsizing in the industry will allow printers to increase prices - Trade body Andy Brown, director, corporate affairs, BPIF 'I know that some print buyers have become concerned with the supply side and feel...

Anton XL purchase takes H'berg spree to pounds 30m.
June 5, 2009... Anton Group has brought its total spend with press manufacturer Heidelberg to pounds 30m in five years after opting for its second Speedmaster XL perfector, a 105-12P. The 12-colour is the latest in a long line of B1 presses for the...

Charterhouse secures Carlsberg Europe deal.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Charterhouse has won a pan-European contract with brewery group Carlsberg in a deal that the Hatfield-based print manager said confirmed its position in Europe. Chief executive Gary Mahoney said: 'This is a great win for Charterhouse and...

Service Point in new site launch.
June 5, 2009... Service Point UK has opened its largest document management centre to date in London and said it is set to target further expansion into other countries. Based near Tower Bridge, the document and print management specialist said the new...

Legal Notices.(Public notice)
June 5, 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 DK Digital & Galleries Ltd...

Cost savings from soft proofing top agenda at latest DAL event.
June 5, 2009... Soft proofing was top of the agenda at the latest quarterly meeting of the Digital Ad Lab (DAL), with case studies from Bauer Consumer Media and BBC Magazines (BBCM). Attendees at last week's meeting, which was held at Apple's Executive...

Wigfield takes BSSG position.
June 5, 2009... Dave Wigfield, the former UK & Ireland director and general manager for Kodak Graphic Communications Group (GCG), has been appointed worldwide sales and operations director for the company's Workflow, Business Solutions and Services Group...

MGS boosted as kit buys shunned in favour of upgrades and software.
June 5, 2009... Independent pre-press specialist Marlowe Graphic Services (MGS) has reported 'significant growth' in its business this year, in spite of the current recession and the ongoing clampdown on credit. MGS, which distributes and installs a range...

EFI builds APPE2 into Colorproof and Fiery.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... EFI has incorporated the second generation of the Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE2) in its Colorproof XF and Fiery XF v4 RIPs for colour proofing and production printing. APPE2, which was launched at Drupa last year, enables native processing...

Roland merges Irish and UK ops.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Wide-format kit manufacturer Roland DG (UK) has integrated its Irish operations into its UK business, following strong growth in the Irish market. As part of the move, Roland DG Ireland will move out of its current Dublin base, which it...

James Byrne buys iGen4 for short-run digi work.
June 5, 2009... Environmental printer James Byrne has invested in a Xerox iGen4 digital press to meet a growing demand for short-run work. The Hampshire printer opted for the iGen3 successor to boost its print capacity in the face of a growing migration of...

Blackburns in HP 7000 purchase.
June 5, 2009... Blackburns of Bolton has boosted its digital capabilities with an HP Indigo 7000 digital press. The new 7000 complements an Indigo 5000 press and will cater for digitally printed work, which makes up 25% of the 42-staff company's print...

Key2 Group buys UK's first Mimaki JV33 press.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Display graphics printer Key2 Group has made its second wide-format investment in less than a year after opting for the UK's first Mimaki JV33. The new machine, bought from UK distributor Hybrid after Portsmouth-based Key2 saw the model at...

NEMC secures NEL finance and eyes kit investments and acquisitions.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... NEMC Group has set its sights on digital equipment investments and possible future acquisitions after securing a pounds 250,000 finance package from NEL Fund Managers. According to Howard Matthews, chief executive of the Tyne and...

Park Lane Press buys Polar 92X.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Corsham printer Park Lane Press has eradicated the bottleneck in its guillotine department following an investment with Heidelberg. The company's ageing Wohlenberg machine was beginning to slow down the department, so managing director...

Alito adds B30 folder to list of new investments.
June 5, 2009... Alito Color has continued its aggressive investment strategy with a pounds 250,000 spend on equipment from finishing equipment distributor Friedheim International. The Leyton-based company has added a second MBO folder - a B30, which...

Cava in retrofit Braille launch.(Cava UK)(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Cava UK has developed a new product that allows carton printers to add Braille to packaging without having to buy a new folder-gluer. New legislation means that, from next year, all pharmaceutical cartons will be required to include Braille...

Reflections invited to join finishing group.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Speciality finisher Reflections has accepted a prestigious invitation to become part of one of Europe's most powerful finishing organisations. Following the International Print Finisher Group (IPFG) conference in Mallorca this month, the...

Pitney Bowes unveils pounds 1m training facility and showroom in Surrey.
June 5, 2009... Mailing equipment manufacturer Pitney Bowes has unveiled a new pounds 1m showroom and training centre. The 1,858m2 site in Redhill, Surrey, will be used to showcase the company's hardware and software within a working facility. It will...

Fedrigoni profits soar by 16% despite 'unfavourable' climate.(Financial report)
June 5, 2009... The Fedrigoni Group has reported a 16% increase in profit and a turnover boost of 6.2% for its 2008 consolidated financial report, despite the continued difficult market conditions. The Italian paper manufacturer and merchant said the group...

Forestry leaders discuss impact of economic crisis on paper industry.
June 5, 2009... Efforts by governments to offset environmental challenges and the economic crisis may have the perverse impact of accelerating the problems, global forestry leaders have said. Chief executives from the forestry industries of 12 countries...

Thermal paper 'aids efficiency'.
June 5, 2009... Mitsubishi HiTec Paper has launched a new thermal paper which it claims increases efficiency at retail tills. The company, which is a subsidiary of Japanese group Mitsubishi Paper Mills, said it has a lighter and thinner base paper, which...

Pap art.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... German artist Simon Schubert has used paper from manufacturers M-real Zanders and Fabriano to create a series of unusual artworks. He creates the pieces by folding pieces of paper to give the illusion of a shape, without the use of any ink or...

Editorial: Workers must face up to need for rationalisation.(Editorial)
June 5, 2009... In one of its recent members' bulletins, Unite warned of an increase in print businesses looking to make pay cuts. A phrase involving a certain iconic sleuth with a penchant for deerstalker hats and pipes springs to mind. The union's...

Comment: Jo Francis - Printer's devil - Flying the flag for print's power.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Sign of the times As a neutral observer of the FA Cup Final, I found myself getting over-excited. Not about whether Malouda's strike was a goal or not, but about the superabundance of large-format graphics to be seen at the event. Not so...

Comment: Technically speaking.
June 5, 2009... HP's web press has all the attributes to push digital print into the mainstream. Last year, there were several product launches in inkjet technology. The most significant was HP's web press, which was actually delivered to a customer while...

Profile: Parker & Collinson.
June 5, 2009... Expanding service portfolio is survival secret for 90-year-old veteran printer. Hard times have forced the business to diversify, but opened up some interesting doors, finds Helen Morris. Commercial printer Parker & Collinson (P&C) has...

Excellence awards 2009: Shortlist - Excellence Awards shortlist released.
June 5, 2009... Judging panel unveils the frontrunners for the 2009 PrintWeek/BPIF business awards. After a rigorous judging process by industry experts and BPIF specialists, which included written submissions, face-to-face interviews and site visits, the...

League table: Packaging printers - Squeezing the fat out of packaging.
June 5, 2009... Despite a consistent effort by the packaging industry to become greener, with print companies taking a lead role, news of its achievements is failing to reach the public, finds Philip Chadwick. Back in February, the packaging industry found...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - Dryprint.(Product/service evaluation)
June 5, 2009... This one-of-a-kind printer and coater proved to be a star attraction at Northprint, discovers Barney Cox. One of the joys of exhibitions is the chance of stumbling across something ingenious and useful that you've never heard of before....

Product Portfolio: Me & my ... Bobst FoilMaster 104.(Interview)
June 5, 2009... Luke Hastings, managing director at Reflections, was impressed by this foiling machine's ability to maintain high quality even at very high speeds, says Philip Chadwick. - What is it? The Bobst FoilMaster is a foiling and embossing...

Product Portfolio: Tried & tested - Kongsberg XL.(Product/service evaluation)
June 5, 2009... Despite its recent role in cutting Barack Obama's presidential crest, the Kongsberg XL hails from modest beginnings, finds Nosmot Gbadamosi. It's not often a machine can boast that it produced a slice of history, but that's exactly what...

Product Portfolio - Buyers' Guide.(Product/service evaluation)
June 5, 2009... Proofers - More and more organisations seem to be bringing proofing in house, says Nosmot Gbadamosi. While the benefits of proofing are patently obvious, the debate about whether to use 'soft' proofing technology or tried and tested...

Product Portfolio: Jo's Help Line - Advice on turning over a new leaf.(Product/service evaluation)
June 5, 2009... Jo Francis tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q: I am writing to you for advice, or any help or knowledge, that you could give me in starting my own publication - a lifestyle magazine for men. As you may have noticed from...

Product Portfolio: Diary.(Brief article)(Calendar)
June 5, 2009... JUNE GRAPHITEC - CONVERTEC Date: 9-12 June Location: Paris More information: http://en.graphitec.com > PROPAK ASIA 2009 Date: 17-20 June Location: Bangkok More: www.allworld exhibitions.com/propak > PRINTEXPO 2009 Date:...

Product Portfolio: Technical tutorial - Ink rollers.(Product/service evaluation)
June 5, 2009... The inking systems on conventional offset presses have continued to evolve with new types of rubbers being introduced to run alongside steels or other compounds. A standard inking system consists of a number of rollers which are used to...

Post Script: Ryanair puts premium price on personal print.
June 5, 2009... Someone once said that you don't get anything for free, but some print companies are proving this theory wrong, with the likes of Kingsdown Print literally giving their print away. The latter offered new customers up to five hours free press...

Post Script: Memory lane.(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... ONE YEAR AGO Reed Print & Design began a 90-day consultation with its 148 staff over a possible relocation to alternative premises in the North East .. Heidelberg denied it had received a takeover approach from Warren Buffet, the world's...

Post Script: Print's past - Henry Lewis Bullen.(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Henry Lewis Bullen, author of The Origin and Development of the Linotype Machine, died shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. First employed in the sales department of the American Typefounders Corporation, in the 1920s he devoted...

Post Script - Q&A - Mike KEating.(Interview)(Brief article)
June 5, 2009... Mike Keating is the managing director of Key2 Group and has been in the industry for 25 years. He co-directs the company with his wife Lesley He claims never to have had a fashion disaster, which suggests a man in denial, an accusation he would...

Government unveils extended credit insurance top-up scheme.
June 12, 2009... The government has responded to pressure from business and widened its 'top-up' trade credit insurance scheme to enable more companies to purchase cover, but experts have warned against complete cover for UK businesses. A credit insurance...

'Most difficult year' slashes Heidelberg profits.(Financial report)
June 12, 2009... Heidelberg's pre-tax profit nosedived by EUR546m (pounds 470m), according to its 2008/2009 year-end results. In figures released this week, pre-tax profit fell from EUR199m in 2007/2008 to a EUR347m loss in 2008/2009, while sales at the...

Howitt MD Singh leaves to rejoin Communisis.(Gurdev Singh )(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... Howitt managing director Gurdev Singh is to rejoin Communisis as part of its management board, six years after leaving the company. Singh leaves Howitt, part of the pounds 54m-turnover Lateral Group, after more than four years with the...

Pindar lets 14 staff go at Preston.(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... Commercial printer Pindar is to make 14 redundancies at its Preston plant following the decommission of two ageing Heidelberg machines. Nine posts in the pressroom of the sheetfed facility are set to go, along with five from the bindery....

Kalamazoo in pounds 2.5m relocation.(Kalamazoo Secure Solutions)(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... Security printer Kalamazoo Secure Solutions is to move to a larger site following a pounds 2.5m investment. The Birmingham-based company will relocate to a 5,760m2 site in nearby Redditch from its current location in Northfield, south...

Pensord partners with Independent Publishers Advisory Council.(Independent Publishers Advisory Council )(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... Pensord has become the strategic partner of the Independent Publishers Advisory Council (IPAC), an offshoot of the PPA, in a three-year deal. 'Smaller publishers need our help, and our aim is to give them as much support as possible,' said...

Closure of Harmsworth Printing's Bristol plant.(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... Harmsworth Printing has closed the doors of its Bristol plant for the last time following a 30-day consultation. The closure resulted in the loss of 88 jobs. It is understood that the Swansea Evening Post has been contracted to Trinity Mirror's...

Appointments at Pureprint Group.(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... Pureprint Group has bolstered its repro and digital print operation by taking on 12 staff that lost their jobs when Paterson Printing went into administration on 30 May. Uckfield-based Pureprint has taken on three Mac operators, four digital...

Royal Mail's part privatisation could be put on hold.
June 12, 2009... Royal Mail's part privatisation could be put on hold despite business secretary Lord Mandelson's vows to press ahead with plans for the mail operator. The sale of part of Royal Mail could be delayed if bidders fail to table an offer that meets...

Recent open house hailed a success.
June 12, 2009... Hine Labels has hailed the success of its recent open house, held in conjunction with Xeikon supplier Punch Graphix. The event showcased the compatibility of digital and flexo label printing under the theme 'Digital and Flexo, a Perfect Match'...

New certifications for Blue Printing Company.
June 12, 2009... Blue Printing Company has become ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 accredited following an increase in customer demand for the certifications Managing director Paul Mursell said the new certifications meant the company would be able to tender for more...

JF Print visited by leading engineer.
June 12, 2009... JF Print was visited by a leading engineer involved in the development of the Mini motor car last month, after it printed Mini - The Definitive History for Haynes Publishing. The Sparkford-based company, previously the book printing arm of...

Suppliers slate directors over second pre-pack in two years.
June 12, 2009... Creditors and suppliers have reacted angrily to the pre-pack sale of digital printer 4Cilities to new company Inc Solutions. The north London-based company went into administration with MCR on 19 May, emerging the same day as Inc Solutions...

Redlin Print buys out fifth company in five years with The Hackney Press.(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... Redlin Print is set to boost its turnover by up to 20% after acquiring London printer The Hackney Press. The move is part of an aggressive acquisition strategy by the Essex-based printer, which has taken over five companies in as many...

Arnie urges total textbook recall.
June 12, 2009... Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for an end to 'antiquated and heavy' printed textbooks as part of plans to introduce extended online learning to Californian schools. The governor of the State of California is looking to save millions of...

DST renews four contracts and rebrands to reflect US operation.
June 12, 2009... DST International Output, the transpromo specialist, has rebranded as DST Output and announced contract renewals with four of its largest clients, including the mobile communications provider Orange. Tim Delahay, chief executive at the...

Ex-B&P pair set up new supplier.
June 12, 2009... Two former employees of B&P Lightbrigade, the printer and supplier that went into administration in March, have set up a new consumables business for wide-format printers. RPSD Print Supplies was founded in May by Shauna Doody and Rodney...

UK Mail adds postcard feature to imail service.(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... UK Mail has expanded its imail service offering with the introduction of a new marketing tool that allows low-volume direct mail customers to send postcards direct from their computer. The Business Post Group subsidiary said imail offers...

Food for thought.(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... - Butler Tanner & Dennis (BT&D) has been chosen to print Food For Heroes, the official cook book for the Help For Heroes charity. The title features contributions from celebrities, politicians and chefs. It will initially have a print run of...

Delayed SME tax could top pounds 5bn.
June 12, 2009... UK small businesses have delayed the payment of almost pounds 2.5bn as they struggle to survive the recession, it has been reported. The Observer reported last Sunday that 141,000 tax rescheduling agreements had been reached with HM Revenue...

Timing of Ipex 'couldn't be better', says Clarke.(Ipex 2010)(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... Ipex 2010 'could be the most important Ipex ever', according to show president and Heidelberg UK managing director George Clarke. Clarke was speaking as organiser IIR unveiled its visitor promotion plans, along with a host of...

ICSM warns of debt build up.(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... Credit checking organisation ICSM has warned printers to be aware of small debts building up during the summer. The company has also revealed record figures for debt recovery in 2009, currently at pounds 7.1m to the end of May. In 2008,...

Reader reaction: Have you diversified to mitigate the effects of recession?(Viewpoint essay)
June 12, 2009... We ask whether adding extra strings to your bow ensures safe passage through the downturn STATIONERY PRINTER Alasdair Browne, director, Abbot Print 'We are not diversifying at present, but I feel we may well end up being new boys...

World's largest press gets live debut in Italy.
June 12, 2009... Press manufacturer Goss has installed the first of three Sunday 5000 presses - the biggest web press in the world. Italian magazine printer Grafiche Mazzucchelli began printing on the machine last month, which it ordered in 2007. It is due...

Bezier keeps Kimberly-Clark work.
June 12, 2009... Bezier Group has landed a two-year contract extension with Kimberly-Clark to supply point-of-sale (PoS) work for retailers across the UK and Europe. The deal extends the 11-year relationship between both parties and will continue Bezier's...

Fujifilm drops 'chemistry-free' tag.(Brief article)
June 12, 2009... Fujifilm has challenged the environmental credentials of so-called 'chemistry-free' plates ahead of the commercial availability of its Brillia HD Pro-V and Brillia Pro-VN plates. Fuji has chosen the commercial launch of its Pro-V plates,...