Print Week articles from March 2007

Print Week archives from March 2007

BGP reveals pounds 25m blueprint to create web offset super-site.(Benhamgoodheadprint)
March 1, 2007... Benhamgoodheadprint (BGP) has sprung a new web offset surprise with news of a pounds 25m investment that will create what it claims will be the largest web offset plant in the UK. The site, which will house four 72pp presses, is part of the...

PressXchange joins stable.(acquisitions of Haymarket Media Group and pressXchange.com)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... PrintWeek publisher Haymarket Media Group has expanded its print and packaging portfolio with the acquisition of pressXchange.com. The site boasts one of the largest online print communities and is the market leader in the promotion of used...

Stop press.(briefs)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... RR Donnelley has released its full-year results with earnings on the increase. The US giant's profits were up 11.4% to pounds 283m (dollars 558m)... A meeting of creditors is due to take place for The Polestar Group next Thursday (8...

Graphic arts rivals join forces as Turning Point.
March 1, 2007... NCS Integrated Solutions has bought Turning Point Technologies (TPT) from pre-media house TAG Worldwide to create one of the UK's largest graphic arts distributors. Rumours that pounds 14m-turnover NCS was in talks to buy its smaller rival...

Adare wins pounds 5m finance contract.(contracts of Adare Printing Group PLC and NFU Mutual and Avon Group)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Print and communications group Adare has expanded its presence in the financial sector with a pounds 5m contract for UK insurance specialist NFU Mutual (NFUM). The three-year contract will cover a range of services, including print...

HDP to sell consumables on ebay.(Hydro Dynamic Products Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... West Sussex-based consumables manufacturer Hydro-Dynamic Products (HDP) has opened what it claims is the first ebay shop dedicated to the online sale of pressroom consumables. The shop, Pressroom Consumables, stocks every item in the...

In brief: Sir Digby Jones could be in line to take over Midlands newspapers.
March 1, 2007... CBI former director-general Sir Digby Jones could be in line to take over Midlands newspapers including the Birmingham Post. According to press reports, Jones is leading a bid to take over a raft of titles in the region following Trinity...

In brief: Extensive opportunities to bring impact and value to newspapers.
March 1, 2007... Goss International chief executive Bob Brown has said that there are extensive opportunities to bring more impact and value to newspapers. He was speaking at the Metro Users Group Conference in Orlando, Florida. It was attended by Goss...

In brief: Edale secures forst UK order.
March 1, 2007... Edale, the Hampshire-based label printing machinery manufacturer, has secured its first UK order for its Lambda press. The firm declined to reveal the identity of the customer, but said that it was a 'major UK player in the labelling industry'

In brief: The 5 Core Group promotes Lee Stephens.
March 1, 2007... The 5 Core Group, based in Berkshire, has promoted Lee Stephens to the role of managing director. He will take over from the company's founder Mark Smith. Stephens has been with the firm for 11 years

In brief: Fakenham Press to feature in museum.
March 1, 2007... The Fakenham Press is to be featured at the Fakenham Museum of Gas and Local History. The Norfolk museum is running a feature on the former business, which closed its doors 25 years ago, including a special display on the Warfdale Works, as it...

In brief: FPL Service employee in training.(Marc Boden )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... FPL Service employee Marc Boden is training to compete in a marathon being held in the Sahara desert. Dubbed the 'toughest footrace on the planet', the Marathon des Sables starts on 23 March and is 151 miles long, which is expected to be...

In brief: 1,000th Suprasetter rolls off the production line.
March 1, 2007... Heidelberg's 1,000th Suprasetter platesetter has rolled off the production line in Wiesloch, Germany. The Suprasetter E105 will be delivered to a Brazilian packaging customer. Heidelberg has sold 5,000 CTP units worldwide

Owners sell Encore Direct and Washington to management.
March 1, 2007... Envelope manufacturers Encore Direct and Encore Washington have been sold by print entrepreneurs Tony and Jane Gill to a management buyout team. The team, led by managing director Russell Croisdale and including financial director Mike...

Royal Mail proposes radical post review.
March 1, 2007... Direct mail printers have reacted with some sympathy to Royal Mail's calls for a radical review of postal market regulation. The proposals would mean an increase of 6p in first and second class stamp prices, but an end to the organisation's...

TPF director leaves to set up his own firm.(Phil Brooks )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... TPF Group operations director Phil Brooks has left the company to set up his own firm, Mediatech Direct. Brooks, who was also managing director of TPF's Northampton-based facility, TPF Direct, left at the start of this year together with...

BPIF kicks off pounds 1.1m scheme to seal future of London printers.(British Printing Industries Federation )(Industry overview)
March 1, 2007... London printers have been offered a pounds 1.1m training life-line with the launch of PrintLondon, the BPIF's third publicly-funded business improvement scheme. The scheme has secured pounds 558,000 of funding for the next two years from...

Ormolu finance chief joins BPIF.
March 1, 2007... Ex-Ormolu finance director Michael Gardner has joined the BPIF board in a short-term role to take the organisation to limited liability company status. Gardner has replaced Carolyn Payne, who spent three years as finance director at the...

City Fringe offers cash incentives to printers employing students.(City Fringe Partnership)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Printers willing to take on young trainees are to get pounds 6,000 towards the cost of training them as part of a new grassroots scheme by the City Fringe Partnership (CFP). Speaking at the Newspaper Education Trust's (NET) open day event...

Print reclassification closes training body.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The head of an organisation providing grants and support for printers in the East Midlands has slammed a decision by the Regional Development Agency (RDA) to make print a non-priority sector. Paddy Crabtree, chief executive of the East...

Lithrone bound for Integrated.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Integrated Packaging has bought its fourth Komori press following an upturn in demand from the carton sector. The Gateshead-based firm has invested in a six-colour Komori Lithrone LS40 with coater. The press will be installed in March and...

Donnelley GDS recruits industry high-flyers.(appointments at Global Document Solutions Donnelley Global Document Solutions )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... RR Donnelley Global Document Solutions (GDS) has bolstered its attack on the European business process outsourcing (BPO) market with two high-profile industry appointments. The firm, which rebranded from Astron last month, has appointed...

Guardian offers up stake in TMG.(Guardian Media Group PLC and Trader Media Group)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Guardian Media Group (GMG) is considering offers for a minority share in its lucrative Trader Media Group (TMG) subsidiary, which owns printers Apple Web Offset, Acorn Web Offset and Wiltshire. The group is in talks with private equity...

Reader reaction: How do you incentivise your staff?
March 1, 2007... B2 PRINTER - David Knowles, Marketing Director, BCQ Group 'Fundamentally, everyone works to earn money, and wherever possible, we look to provide fiscal benefits to staff. But, as we can't always do this, we look to incentivise and motivate...

Tangent doubles in size buying Ravensworth.(Tangent Communications )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Acquisitive digital print company Tangent Communications has almost doubled in size following the purchase of Ravensworth Digital Services. Tangent has paid pounds 5.85m for the Newcastle-based firm, allowing it to muscle into the property...

Hague unveils arm for high-end brochures.(appointment of Russell Thomas and Tim Sedgwick at Hague Print)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... West Yorkshire-based print management firm Hague Print is aiming to grow turnover by a quarter, after hiring two former St Ives employees to launch a new division dedicated to high-quality brochure work. The firm has hired Russell Thomas, a...

Reliant installs six-unit CD 74.
March 1, 2007... Maidenhead-based Reliant Colour has traded in a Sakurai machine for a new six-unit Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 74 in a pounds 1m investment. The firm, whose clients include Waitrose, Chanel, Vodafone and the Financial Times, installed the...

Legal Notices.
March 1, 2007... 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 Winding up Petitions Direct Printing (UK) Ltd...

Boxes takes its CTP in-house.
March 1, 2007... Boxes GH, part of the Clondalkin Group, has invested pounds 300,000 in order to convert its manual platemaking department into a modern pre-press facility. The Great Harwood-based firm, which specialises in cartons for the FMCG sector, has...

Kodak debuts Magnus CTP for start-up firms.
March 1, 2007... Kodak has unveiled a new entry-level version of its Magnus platesetter, to be launched in the spring. Kodak GCG UK marketing director Pat Holloway said the Magnus 400E, which is aimed at small and medium-sized commercial printers, was the...

Argent's Austin may have left.(Tony Austin leaves Wyndeham Argent)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Tony Austin, chairman of Wyndeham Argent, is believed to have made a surprise exit from the firm amid the ongoing restructure of its pre-press division. Speculation has been rife regarding Austin's where-abouts ever since the company...

Bunnett urges pre-press firms to change tack at Digital Ad Lab UK.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Pre-press companies need to reposition themselves in order to survive, according to DDB London's integrated systems director Chris Bunnett. Speaking at last week's quarterly Digital Ad Lab (DAL UK) meeting, Bunnett stressed that firms need...

Eco Targets.
March 1, 2007... Target Print in Leeds has become the latest firm to switch to using Fuji's processless Brillia Pro-T plate. The plates, launched last year, will be used on Target's two five-colour B2 Heidelberg Speedmasters Managing director Joy Rice...

Augend seeks dealers for three new presses.
March 1, 2007... Belgium-based Augend Technologies is on the lookout for UK distributors after launching three wide-format inkjet printers and giving a sneak preview of its F16 machine. The company is aiming to set up a network of dealers in Europe...

Canon rolls out digital service.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Canon is set to launch its Essential Business Builder Programme, designed to help digital printers to run their businesses across Europe. The service has been developed in the UK and trialled in Norway, but will be available throughout...

Colourgen wins retail deal with MacDermid.(MacDermid Printing Solutions)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Colourgen has secured the exclusive UK distribution for the latest range of MacDermid inkjet printers. The ColorSpan 5400UV series is a family of four products that will make their UK debut at Sign UK on 1-3 May. The four- and six-colour...

In brief: New Mimaki JV-160s for CCS Digital.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... CCS Digital in Northampton has installed a new Mimaki JV-160s wide-format press that will complement the firm's Mimaki CG-FX cutter and plotter. CCS Digital large-format specialist Nathan Watson said: 'The press offers us much faster lead...

In brief: 7% year-on-year sales growth for HP's Imaging and Printing Group.
March 1, 2007... HP's Imaging and Printing Group has posted 7% year-on-year sales growth in the first quarter of its financial year, with turnover of pounds 3.5bn (dollars 7bn). Operating profit for the quarter was pounds 560m. The firm said commercial print...

In brief: Repropoint appoints James Hewson.
March 1, 2007... Repropoint in Woking has appointed James Hewson (pictured) as equipment account manager. Hewson will sell Repropoint's range of plan printing machines and plotters to architects, engineering firms and construction firms in the South

In brief: Oce to exhibit at Northprint.
March 1, 2007... Oce is to exhibit at this April's Northprint for the first time in five years. The firm will show its flagship VarioPrint 6250 cut-sheet perfecting printer, which can produce up to 250 A4 pages per minute. It will be shown running inline with a...

In brief: Xerox launches entry-level 495.
March 1, 2007... Xerox has launched an entry-level version of the 495 continuous-feed duplex printer. The upgraded product has a small footprint and improved fusing technology for better image quality. The 495 can produce 250 images per minute (ipm) simplex or...

In brief: New toner launch for Katun Corporation.
March 1, 2007... Katun Corporation has launched a new toner for use in Ricoh Aficio 1224C and 1232C digital copier/printers. The Katun Performance colour toner is available through the US company's online catalogue at www.katun.com

Morgana sells raft of digi kit.(Morgana Systems supplies equipments for Ravensworth )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Cramlington-based digital printer Ravensworth has upgraded its finishing department with an investment in Morgana kit. The company recently bought a DocuMaster with SquareBack system, a Foldnak 8 bookletmaker with trimmer, a DigiFold, a...

Workforce doubles as WMS moves sites and sets out to fill capacity.(Worldwide Mailing Solutions)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... A mailing company in West Sussex is looking to handle around 100,000 additional items per day following a move to a new site. Worldwide Mailing Solutions has invested in excess of pounds 300,000 by moving to a new 560m2 site in Lancing. ...

Finishing Co ramps up mag inserts options.
March 1, 2007... The Finishing Company, based in Witham, Essex, is to offer personalised inserts in magazines after investing in a new wrapping line. The firm spent pounds 250,000 on a Sitma W15 Wrapping Line, which features a selective inserting facility....

Blue completes a pounds 500k spend.(Blue Printing Company to use printing machines by Muller Martini Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... London-based Blue Printing Company has invested in three used machines to finalise a pounds 500,000 investment made by the company over the past year. The company has bought a Muller Martini 335 saddle-stitcher, Muller Martini 3006...

80s Throwback.(Tech-ni-Fold Ltd.'s Graham Harris in a charity american football match )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Tech-ni-fold managing director Graham Harris is to appear in a charity American football match in aid of paralysed former rugby player Matt Hampson. Harris will be joined in the line-up for a Leicester Panthers select 11 by rugby World Cup...

JMC distributor takes carbon-neutral route.
March 1, 2007... Gm2 Logistics, the distribution arm of the James McNaughton Group, has stepped up its environmental efforts with the introduction of carbon-neutral deliveries in central London and moved to increase prices by 5-8%. The merchant has ordered...

Carr elevated to group FD at HSP.(appointment of Phil Carr at Howard Smith Paper )(PaperlinX's profit)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Merchant Howard Smith Paper (HSP) has appointed Phil Carr as group finance director. Carr was previously group finance controller at the Robert Horne Group, which is also part of the PaperlinX Group. Carr's appointment follows HSP's...

Mechanical Grade.(Fedrigoni's paper for JCB Excavators Ltd.'s calender)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Construction and yellow paint have always been natural bedfellows, and so it has proven on a new limited-edition calendar printed on Fedrigoni's Symbol Freelife Satin grade. The grade has been chosen for the 2007 calendar for mechanical digger...

In brief: Trident Communications selects PaperCo.
March 1, 2007... PaperCo's Advocate range has been selected for Trident Communications' promotional material and school calendars. The company brochures were produced on Xtreme White 300gsm cover material and 130gsm text pages. All products were printed by...

In brief: Evident improvement in health and safety.
March 1, 2007... The Health and Safety Commission's Paper and Board Industry Advisory Committee has welcomed an 'evident improvement' in health and safety performance in the paper industry. Statistics provided by the Confederation of Paper Industries displayed...

In brief: Sweden reveal results.(effluent water research)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... SCA in Sweden has revealed results from an experiment that was carried out on the effluent water for its Ostrand pulp mill. It aimed to scientifically show the positive effects of the last 10 years of environmental measures. The results are the...

In brief: PEFC accreditation for Denmaur Papers and subsidiary.(programme for the endorsement of forest certification schemes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Denmaur Papers and subsidiary Media Paper Management have achieved PEFC accreditation. Both companies are also FSC-accredited, which means that any paper bearing either certification mark has been sourced from sustainable and well-managed...

In brief: PEFC certification for Torraspapel.
March 1, 2007... Torraspapel has obtained PEFC certification for its Sarria de Ter and Sant Joan les Fonts mills, both in Girona, Spain. All of the European papermaker's coated fine paper mills have now been certified according to PEFC certification standards....

In brief: Grass cutting from Millennium Stadium to make paper.
March 1, 2007... Grass cuttings from The Millennium Stadium, where the Carling Cup Final took place last Sunday (24 February), will be transformed into 100% recycled grass paper by the Exotic Paper Company. Grass Paper is just one of the papers available from...

In brief: Stora Enso appoints David Diekelman.
March 1, 2007... Stora Enso has appointed David Diekelman as vice president for business and product development. Diekelman has been with Stora Enso since 1988 and has held various technical and development positions within the company

Contract update.(briefs)
March 1, 2007... Kent-based Headley Brothers has printed WI Life, a new magazine for Women's Institute members. Published eight times a year, WI Life is delivered to more than 200,000 WI members across England, Wales and the Islands. The 72pp plus...

Client audit: Comic Relief.
March 1, 2007... Comic Relief design and print manager David Gledhill is dedicated to the pursuit of value-for-money. To this end, he has conducted a full audit of where and how the charity buys its print, rationalising its supplier base down to single sources...

Editorial: How long can phoenix firms flourish in print?(Editorial)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Phoenix. There is probably no more emotive word in a printer's vocabulary. The problem is not the term itself, but the negative connotations that it brings to mind - the act of an unscrupulous business owner writing off its debt, leaving a...

Comment: 30 years of digital developments.
March 1, 2007... My initial interest in digital printing was aroused with the launch of the IBM 3800 machine in 1975 and the Xerox 9700 device in 1977. That curiosity quickened when the latter appliance was equipped with typographic founts that rendered...

Comment: Talking business - Spiralling inflation has been reined in, so be prepared to reap the rewards.
March 1, 2007... The sharp rise in inflation in recent months has rightly put the issue on centre stage, but inflation's days as a leading player may already be over. It must have come as some relief to Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, when he...

Analysis: Profile - GI Solutions Group.
March 1, 2007... DM printer comes out of the shadows to tackle a growing market head on. Forced to abandon its muted image, a rebranded GI has thrown caution to the wind, says Philip Chadwick. If GI Solutions Group was a person, it would be a shy,...

Technology Report: Transactional mail - Brighter bills.
March 1, 2007... Advertisers are wising up to the power of full-colour financial statements, but the market remains relatively untapped, discovers Philip Chadwick. A quiet revolution is taking place among Digital press manufacturers Last month, a whole...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - Canon imagePress C1.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... More than just an office printer, the quality produced by the C1 rivals top digital production units. By Karen Charlesworth ever colour gamut, oil-less fusing process for less shine. Digital printing used to be a bit of a limited exercise....

Product Portfolio: Me & my ... PitStop AF Speed.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... John Macdonald, general manager of London-based CGI Digital, can bring more work in-house with his fast, stable creaser/perforator combination. - What does it do? We use the high-speed PitStop digital creaser/perforator with the heavy...

Product Portfolio: Tried & tested - Epson Stylus Pro 9600.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Nifty hybrid inks, plus proofing and imagesetting options, helped to sell thousands of the 9600, and it's equally popular used, says Lisa Berwin. Launched for the graphic arts sector in September 2002, the Epson Style Pro 9600 had a number...

Product Portfolio: Buyers' guide - Pressroom consumables.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Reducing the risk to your workers and the environment is the top priority when using anti-set-off powders and fount solutions, says Lisa Berwin. With safety and environmental issues paramount, the consumables market is continuously awash...

Better Business: Phoenix companies - Getting burnt by a phoenix firm.
March 1, 2007... When a firm goes under and is then resurrected in an almost identical guise, creditors can lose out. Noli Dinkovski finds out how you can avoid falling foul. Those who offer credit in this industry will know that it rarely comes without...

Product Portfolio: Joanne's help line - Rolling Stones & Iberian exploits.(Joanne Gardner )(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles. Q. We need to take 2,000 copies of one of our magazines to an exhibition in Spain in April. To avoid paying freight costs, we're looking to have them printed in...

Diary.(Calendar)
March 1, 2007... MARCH the future of web offset Date: 6-8 March Venue: Holiday Inn, Regents Park Price: From pounds 399 Contact: paul.squires@pira-international.com ISO/Print Conformance Date: 14 March Venue: Walsall College, Walsall Price:...

Technical Tutorial: Eco-friendly sheetfed inks.
March 1, 2007... The environment may be the hot topic of the moment, but sheetfed ink manufacturers are already ahead of the game, having undertaken a range of initiatives demonstrating how seriously they take their responsibilities to the industry and the...

Post Script: Printer scores hole in one rescuing history.(Scottish Print Employers' Federation, The History of the Master Printers Golf Society)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Scottish Print Employers' Federation knows better than most that golf is more than a good walk spoilt. Before his retirement 'teed off' two weeks ago, former SPEF president Jim Raeburn (left) was presented with a freshly-bound and...

Post Script: Memory Lane.
March 1, 2007... 1 YEAR AGO: BBC Magazines confirmed plans to abandon its preferred suppliers and move its repro in-house... Wyndeham Press Group bought London-based Icon Reproduction... Cooper Clegg made redundancies at its Tewkesbury plant... 5 YEARS...

Post Script: Print's Past - Reuter's stone.(Paul Julius Reuter)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Paul Julius Reuter established the world's most famous and trusted news agency. After the failed Revolution of 1848, Reuter fled Germany for France, where he worked in Paris for Charles-Louis Havas' news agency, the future Agence France Presse...

Post Script: Q&A - Peter Stead.(dialogue with Peter Stead)(Interview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Peter Stead is retail print manager at Formgraphics. He is 30 years old and has been in the print industry for 12 years. Peter is single and lives with his flatmate, although he fancies himself as a bit of a ladies' man. He is presently in the...

Cooper Clegg safeguards future as Pindar finalises takeover.(mergers of Pindar Graphics London)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Pindar has completed its acquisition of Cooper Clegg, securing the ailing magazine printer's future and creating a pounds 139m web powerhouse into the bargain. The deal, which was predicted by PrintWeek in January and signed last Friday (2...

Sales dip forces Clowes pay cut.
March 8, 2007... Staff at Suffolk-based book printer William Clowes have been asked to take a 10% temporary pay cut in order to guard against a shortfall in sales. Chief executive Ian Foyster said the move had become necessary due to a period of tight...

Online marketing poised to poach share of print spend.
March 8, 2007... One-third of marketing is published only online and seven out of 10 major print spenders plan to increase their reliance on e-marketing, a study of print clients claims today. According to the study, cost-cutting drives and the need to...

Stop Press.
March 8, 2007... Norwich-based publisher Archant has reported a 6.8% decline in its 2006 operating profit to pounds 29.5m, down from pounds 31.6m in 2005... Pharmaceutical packaging provider Constantia Sittingbourne in Kent has appointed John Turnbull as...

SR to drive growth via deals and multimedia.
March 8, 2007... Direct mail specialist SR Communications is considering growth through acquisitions after repositioning itself as a multimedia provider. South London-based SR is also looking at a move out of its current premises by the end of 2008, as...

NHS puts pounds 32.6m deal out to public tender.(National Health Service)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... A pounds 32.6m print management contract is up for grabs following the NHS Business Services Authority's (NHSBSA) decision to merge two former agreements. The new contract, which will come into effect from March 2008, aims to combine two...

Innovation in focus.
March 8, 2007... Printing World's March issue investigates how to profit from ideas in its cover feature, illustrated with an example of Loudwater's self-erecting Eazyrizer. The issue also includes how to integrate management and manufacturing, a look at the...

In Brief: TPS Print takes delivery of new machine.(Stahlfolder TH82)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... TPS Print in south-east London has this month taken delivery of a Stahlfolder TH82. The new machine will help the company handle additional throughput, which it has picked up since installing a Speedmaster CD 102-5 a year ago. Managing director...