Print Week articles from May 2006

Print Week archives from May 2006

Communisis to bring DM under one roof as it shuts Altrincham.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Communisis is to consolidate all direct mail production at its Leeds site and will cease production at Altrincham over the next few months. The print and print management group said the move resulted from its previously announced capacity...

Managing director Holmes waves goodbye to Wyndeham.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Wyndeham Graphics managing director and the group's largest individual shareholder Gavin Holmes has resigned. As chief executive of pre-press firm Graphic Facilities, Holmes sold it to Wyndeham in 2004 for pounds 6.3m. Holmes is now...

Who are print's power players?
May 4, 2006... David Mitchell may be out of the running, but two-time winner Barry Hibbert most definitely isn't. PrintWeek is launching its 2006 Power 100, and it's time to have your say. The voting deadline for this year's who's who in print is 26 May,...

Stop Press.(Ian Gibson takes over Trinity Mirror)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Trinity Mirror's new chairman, Sir Ian Gibson, has formally taken over from Sir Victor Blank today following the company's annual general meeting... Archant Life has bought Advent Media. As part of the deal, Imagery Reprographics, the...

Hachette to wind up its struggling B magazine.(Hachette Filipacchi )(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Polestar Chantry has lost one of its seven Hachette Filipacchi titles as the publisher announced the closure of its struggling B magazine last week. According to ABC figures, sales of B magazine fell 10.1% in the second half of 2005, from...

PKF: Cradley Print sale 'unlikely'.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Cradley Print's administrators have virtually ruled out a sale of the firm as a going concern. 'We are still seeking a buyer for the business, however, given the response to date, it is unlikely that a sale as a going concern will be...

Time for tee.(2006 Printing World Golf Masters)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... As summer's round the corner, it's time to think about the 2006 Printing World Golf Masters, and wresting the cup from the 2005 winner, Quebecor World's James Lamond. This year's event, sponsored by Surrey Asset Finance and Screen, will run...

In Brief: Oce teaches finer points.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Oce has taught the finer points of digital document management to members of the Association of Print and Communication Managers. Five workshops covered reduction of office printing costs, marketing the printroom and the future of implants. The...

In Brief: Morecambe Press wins package.(SmallPrint management information system)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Morecambe Press has won a free copy of Tharstern's SmallPrint management information system, launched at Ipex. Visitors to Tharstern's show stand went into a prize draw for the low-cost package targeted at smaller print firms. Graeme McGlasson,...

In Brief: AlphaGraphics wins award.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... AlphaGraphics, based in Leeds, has won a print services vendor of the year award from Office Depot, the supplier of stationery and office equipment that operates in 23 countries. AlphaGraphics' business development director Stephen Dudley...

In Brief: R3R Rollers launches website.
May 4, 2006... R2R Rollers has launched what it calls a unique e-commerce website. The Yorkshire firm said the site was the first of its kind in Europe where visitors could order items including press-ready rollers, return rollers, blankets, chemicals and...

In Brief: Reel Paper aims a World Cup promotion.
May 4, 2006... Reel Paper is aiming a World Cup promotion at buyers of Zanders Autocopy carbonless paper, which will include prize draws for shirts, flags, footballs and face paint. The push, which involves 250 prizes, is included in the latest edition of the...

In Brief: Indigo Press installs press.(B2 Lithrone NL 528 )(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Indigo Press in Southampton has installed a second Komori press to handle increased capacity. The B2 Lithrone NL 528 replaced an SRA2 Lithrone L 526 and joined another Komori five-colour press. Managing director Richard Docherty said customers...

In Brief: Jet Europe moves headquarters.
May 4, 2006... Jet Europe, the Dutch supplier of water-washable polymer printing plates, has moved headquarters to a new base in Zeewolde, Netherlands. The 20-staff firm upped sticks to expand production facilities to handle more demand for its plate...

Astron lands pounds 15m contract to handle Britannia documents.
May 4, 2006... Astron has secured a pounds 15m three-year print and marketing deal with the Britannia Building Society. The RR Donnelley-owned DBPO (document business process outsourcer) will be providing the society with services, including the...

ECRM acquires the Esko polyester CTP arm and DPX line from Kirkbi.
May 4, 2006... ECRM has bought the polyester computer-to-plate division Esko Production from Kirkbi for an undisclosed sum of money. Kirkbi retained the small offset division when it sold Esko's packaging wing, Esko Graphics, to the Danish private equity...

1-to-1 training for executives.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... A training firm has launched 'one-to-one accelerated' training for senior executives new to print and packaging. Courses from 4impression can last from two days up to intensive three month programmes with tailored personal training and...

Xeretec buys Southern X to form pounds 11m reseller.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Xerox high-end production kit reseller Xeretec has bought one of its wide-format counterparts to form the UK's biggest reseller of Xerox gear. The Wokingham, Berkshire-based company snapped up 15-staff Southern X in Southampton, Hampshire,...

Imprint launches new online MIS.(Management information systems)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Chelmsford-based software firm Imprint Business Systems has launched its new e-commerce tool. The online system provides users with the ability to access jobs, estimates, stock and customer information via the internet. The software is...

Star coach.(for Endeavour Training organisation provided by Polestar)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Polestar has provided the Endeavour Training organisation with a Sunshine Coach. Endeavour works with young people to provide personal and social lifeskills. It was nominated by the Variety Club Children's Charity, which Polestar had pledged...

In brief: BAF Graphics rolls out panels.
May 4, 2006... BAF Graphics in south-west London has rolled out huge panels for the Science Museum's Dead Ringers? exhibition on the 1,712 mobile phones upgraded every hour in the UK. The 4x2m single-section graphics, with vinyl lettering and Lambda trannies...

In brief: Fujifilm Digital teams up with National Geographic.
May 4, 2006... Fujifilm Digital has teamed up with National Geographic magazine for a competition for amateur photographers. The winning three digital shots themed on 'morning, noon and night' will earn their shooter an assignment with adventure snapper Bill...

In brief: DataLase launches new label-replacing system.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... DataLase, formerly Sherwood Technology, launched a new label-replacing system for secondary packaging this week. Casemark uses no inks, ribbons or applications, said the firm, which means it needs no maintenance. 'This is the only consistently...

In brief: Appointment at Lauren Displays.
May 4, 2006... Lauren Displays, the large-format and point-of-sale firm, has made Geoff Rawlings sales director of the company in Aylesford, Kent. He joins from Augustus Martin and reports to managing director Tony Gray.

In brief: Walsall Print items under the hammer.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... More than 350 items from Walsall Print went under the hammer in one of the UK's largest print auctions, with the lots notching up over pounds 1.5m. An eight-colour Nilpeter label press fetched pounds 315,000 and a five-colour Heidelberg, pounds...

In brief: Soma Engineering seeks distributors.
May 4, 2006... Soma Engineering is seeking distributors for its printing and converting kit following a boom in exports. The company is based in the Czech Republic and makes flexographic presses, slitters and rewinders, proofers and die cutters. Visit:...

In brief: Folex launches new product.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Folex has launched T-Shirt graphics transfer media for the high-street copyshop and print-for-pay market. TexTrans is compatible with all types of colour laser printers and copiers. The product for heat-press application comes in two versions...

Garnett's pounds 300k post-press buy.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Garnett Dickinson has spent pounds 300,000 on Gammerler finishing kit to further automate and speed up its workflow. Part of the spend comprises two Gammerler BL408 compensating stackers, both bought at Ipex, where the kit made its debut....

PPA rallies against plan to rehash database law.(Periodical Publishers Association)
May 4, 2006... The Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) has launched a campaign against a proposal by the European Commission (EC) to review the Database Directive, potentially overruling database intellectual property rights. The PPA met with the...

Ling plumps for Oce digital web.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Henry Ling is to become the first UK printer to install Oce's VarioStream 9230. The academic journal and book printer will start production on the VarioStream in July. Head of manufacturing Helen Kennet said: 'The main reason we chose the...

Reader reaction: Would you consider buying and selling kit on an online auction?
May 4, 2006... COMMERCIAL AND MAGAZINE PRINTER - Hugh Speirs, managing director, Cambrian Printers 'Selling second-hand print equipment via a website may appear attractive at first glance, but I believe few would pursue the option if they stopped to...

Central Colour installs six-colour Diamond.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Central Colour has invested pounds 1m-plus to boost its presence in the glossy print market with a new six-colour Mitsubishi Diamond 3000LS press with coater. The Nottingham-based sheetfed firm prints short-run brochures for clients such...

Heanor fits MAN's InlineInspector.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Heanor Gate Printing is to be the UK's first firm to install MAN Roland's new press mounted inspection system. InlineInspector detects dots and colour variations larger than 0.6mmx0.6mm to reduce sorting costs and improve quality control,...

Heidelberg kit for Print Matrix.
May 4, 2006... Print Matrix is re-tooling its B3 press line-up by ordering two Heidelberg machines costing around pounds 240,000. A 13,000sph four-colour Printmaster 52 is due at the base in Colchester, Essex, in June. It will join a recently arrived...

Legal notices.
May 4, 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 WINDING-UP PETITIONS CPS Publishing Ltd RO: 7...

LPC to test Heidelberg's Prinect Integration System for JDFs.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Southampton-based B2 printer LPC Printing has been selected as the beta test site for Heidelberg's Prinect Integration System. The firm had previously worked with Heidelberg at an informal level during the development of Prinect Printready...

Xitron increases UK support base on top of its US sales dominance.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Pre-media software firm Xitron has increased its UK support base, securing Digital Colour and Pre-Press Solutions (DCAPPS) as the UK distributor for its RIP and workflow products. US-based Xitron, once a major competitor to High-Water and...

Colorbus proofing for colour consistency.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Colorbus has released a colour-proofing software tool that promises colour consistency from monitor to print. Proofsure works with any colour RIP to check hardcopies, using CMYK colourbars, and softcopies, using RGB swatches, against...

MailBigFile for repro houses.(Design Solutions Inc.)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Design Solution's new service aims to help printers and repro houses take the hassle out of receiving large files from customers. MailBigFile can be integrated into a firm's website without downloading software, said Suffolk-based Design...

DirecType ups personalisation ante with enhanced version.
May 4, 2006... A new version of image personalisation software DirecType is set to be unveiled this summer. According to Integrated Futures managing director Alastair Sames, the UK distributor for the product, version 2 will be an 'exciting development'....

AIT to show v6 of Shiraz tool.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... AIT will show the latest version of its large-format Shiraz RIP at this month's Sign UK at the NEC. Version 6.3 runs on Windows, Mac OSX or Linux servers and the three packages are Lite, Server and Server Plus. Large-format manufacturers...

Presstek profits soar after reducing costs.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Digital imaging manufacturer Presstek has posted record operating profits and consolidated revenue for the first quarter of 2006. The company posted pre-tax profits of pounds 1.8m (dollars 3.3m), up almost 600% on the same period last year,...

Data Image Group buys second PressVu for its expanded site.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Data Image Group has spent around pounds 300,000 on a second Vutek PressVu UV 180/600 as it doubles the size of its base in Leicester. The large-format printer bought the second flatbed machine to produce point-of-sale and exhibition work....

Morgana adds digitally geared perfect binder to its portfolio.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Morgana is targeting digital print firms with its first perfect binder, which it claims uses a unique binding method to offer improved pull strength. The KB2000 makes tiny slits in spines up to 60mm thick and 320mm long to allow the glue...

Thomson Litho opts for top spec Muller Martini Bolero binder.
May 4, 2006... Specialist book printer Thomson Litho has ordered Scotland's first Muller Martini Bolero perfect binder. The machine was installed at the company's headquarters in East Kilbride last week. Thomson Litho managing director of manufacturing...

Crusader upgrades its die-cutter, embosser.(Crusader Foil Blockers)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Crusader Foil Blockers has invested pounds 275,000 in a new B1 flatbed die-cutter, embosser and foiler from SBL. Craig Neat, managing director of the trade finishing firm, said: 'The new press will give us increased capacity, as well as the...

TNT repositions mailing brands.
May 4, 2006... TNT Post has announced a shake-up of its mail brands. The Dutch firm, formerly TPG, is merging its Circular Distributors and TNT Mail companies under the name TNT Post. TNT bought 90% of Circular Distributors, the free sheet and sample...

Stora allies with China firm to construct mill.(Shandong Huatai Paper)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Global paper manufacturer Stora Enso is to set up a mill in Dongying city in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, after signing a joint venture agreement with Shandong Huatai Paper. Store Enso chief executive Jukka Harmala said: 'Our...

Invensys to upgrade Brazil plant.(Invensys Process Systems )(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Invensys Process Systems is to turn one of the world's biggest single-line pulp plants into a high-tech nerve center after winning a multi-million-pound contract. The firm will provide digital automation and an asset-management system to...

Paper pricewatch: Cartonboard, May 2006.(Table)
May 4, 2006... While prices remain unchanged this month, speculation is growing that rising energy costs will affect cartonboard prices sooner than expected, writes Philip Chadwick. According to one manufacturing source, prices could rise before the year...

In brief: M-real invitation to businesses.
May 4, 2006... M-real has invited all paper-using UK and Irish businesses to take part in its world cup tournament. The Nimrod Fantasy World Cup League, which will involve seven mini-leagues based on industry sectors, runs throughout the World Cup. Prizes...

In brief: New brochure for Curtis Fine Papers and PaperCo.
May 4, 2006... Curtis Fine Papers and PaperCo have launched the Conservation 100% Recycled brochure. The latest addition to the firms' joint recycling campaign includes environmental facts and printed samples, which the firms hope will prove the quality of...

In brief: Exotic Paper Company offer to safari parks and zoos.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... The Exotic Paper Company is giving safari parks and zoos the chance to turn elephant dung into paper and stationery. The firm has already started to make 'Ellie Poo' paper from dung provided by the Woburn Centre for Conservation and Education....

In brief: UPM secures FSC Chain of Custody certificates.(Forest Stewardship Council)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... UPM has secured Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody certificates at its forestry and wood-sourcing operations in the Baltic States, Canada, China and France. The firm aims to increase the use of certified wood in all its mills and...

In brief: Arjowiggins' Conqueror enjoys record sales.
May 4, 2006... Arjowiggins' Conqueror paper brand has enjoyed record sales of its new range of iridescent shades. Silver Mist, Golden Haze and Pink Dew were added to the brand's Concept/Effects Iridescent range last September. The range has already sold 70%...

In brief: Midas Press wins award.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Midas Press has won the Fedrigoni Imaginative Paper Print Excellence Award. The winning entry was the John Lewis Partnership Outdoor Living Press Pack brochure, printed on Fedrigoni's Splendorgel paper. Associate partner at Midas Press Steve...

In brief: Cascades enters agreement with Caraustar.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Cascades has entered into an agreement with Caraustar to acquire its coated recycled board mill in Connecticut for pounds 14.5m (dollars 26m). The deal is subject to approval from local environmental authorities and includes a five-year...

Contract update.
May 4, 2006... Howitt has won a large contract with the Yellow Pages through specialist DM agency Proximity London. The DM campaign, which is aimed at SMEs, demonstrates the benefits of advertising in Yellow Pages, Yell.com and directory line 118 247. ...

Client audit: Egmont books.(Alison Kennedy)
May 4, 2006... Alison Kennedy is production and distribution director at children's book publisher Egmont Books. Since joining over 12 years ago, she has helped give a green sheen to the firm's eco-credentials. West London-based Egmont Books now boasts some...

Consolidated weighs up sale possibilities.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Consolidated Graphics, the largest commercial printer in the US, has retained UBS Investment Bank to act as financial advisor for the possible sale of its business. In a statement last month, the company revealed that its board of...

Saudi PoS deal for bezier arm.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Wakefield-based bezier has won a contract to design and print all point-of-purchase items for a Saudi Arabian supermarket chain. Watani, which has two 20,000m2 stores in Jeddah and Mecca and plans to open 10 more, has already commissioned...

NI signs up with KCS to produce ads overseas.(News International deals Express KCS )(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... News International (NI) has signed a deal to offshore the ad production of its Cheshire Property Magazine, one of the London Property News titles. Indian pre-press firm Express KCS has developed bespoke online ad production system Ella,...

Letter from the Ukraine: CIA instigates CTP.(Repro Services Centre)(Central Intelligence Agency)
May 4, 2006... The Russian equivalent of the notorious abbreviation 'CIA' has been chosen as the name for a newly formed Kiev-based firm, which is set to become the first Ukrainian plateshop. The company will specialise in exposing printing plates (in fact,...

Editorial: Printers now loud and proud on going lean.(Lean manufacturing is buzz )(Editorial)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Qubits, sub-atomic particles, algorithms... My head is still spinning from reading Sean Smyth's fascinating article on the future of print: quantum computing, (turn to pp22 and prepare to be amazed). So, predictably, I'll be writing about...

Comment: Memorable slogans remembered.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Somebody described a slogan as 'a war cry in business'. One cannot deny that catchy slogans are memorable and beneficial to a commercial promotion. Printed products have gained from appealing slogans on several occasions. In January...

Comment: Technically speaking.(quantum computing the future)(Column)
May 4, 2006... The next breakthrough will be a leap from digital to quantum computing. I enjoyed Ipex, even though there were no major technology breakthroughs. Digital systems were everywhere and this set me thinking about the next breakthrough....

Analysis News: Astron - Donnelley lifts Astron to the next level.
May 4, 2006... Mitchell hands over reins as his DBPO firm lines up a raft of heavyweight deals, finds Lauretta Roberts. This time last year, when the world's largest print group RR Donnelley paid pounds 520m for David Mitchell's document business process...

Better business: Lean manufacturing - Vision for a dded value.
May 4, 2006... If you want to bolster your profits, you need to whip your business into shape. David Ross looks at some of the great strides being made by ViP in the print industry. Every year the cash-strapped printing industry spends millions of pounds...

Technology report: Show preview - Making all the right signs.
May 4, 2006... Noli Dinkovski finds that the writing's on the wall with the latest round of trade fairs. Let him guide you through the shows' best and brightest kit. Far from being an Ipex hangover, more than 200 manufacturers and distributors will be...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - DirecType.
May 4, 2006... Personalised images are the next weapon in the marketing manager's armoury. DirecType is making it harder for us to ignore the direct mail on our doormat, finds Philip Chadwick. Personalised print has been around for donkeys' years, with...

Product portfolio: Me & my ... MAN Roland 900 XXL.(Product/service evaluation)
May 4, 2006... The Simpson Group operations manager Peter Lillie finds the 900 to be the perfect press for top-quality, time-saving large-format jobs. What is it? The MAN Roland 900 XXL is a four-colour-plus large-format litho press which can produce...

Product portfolio: Tried & tested - Heidelberg ST 300.(Product/service evaluation)
May 4, 2006... Once the cornerstone of the German giant's stitching range, this machine remains a major drawcard for printers and binders alike, says Tess Raine. Introduced in 1996, there are more than 500 Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST 300s now in operation...

Product portfolio: Buyers' guide - Sheetfed presses SRA2 and above.
May 4, 2006... When it comes to turning a profit, bigger can mean better. Tess Raine takes a look at the behemoths of sheetfed and finds out that size does matter. Printers' desires to increase productivity are often solved by investing in a bigger...

Product portfolio: Philip's help line - Environmental issues and picture postcards.
May 4, 2006... Philip Chadwick tracks down the solutions to your technical trouble. Q: I am a student doing a final dissertation on printing and the environment. I am a regular reader and I'm trying to source any recent features that you may have...

Post Script: Tempest of interest is much ado about Folio.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... Sold for a guinea, bought for millions of pounds. It's a print mark-up to die for. And if auction house Sotheby's is right with its estimate, a 950pp edition of Shakespeare's complete works, discovered in the mysterious Dr Williams's...

Post Script: Memory Lane.(Kodak Ltd. appointed Israel Sandler)(Astron won contract with Siemens Business Services)(Rockwell Automation Inc.'s web printing business acquired)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... 1 YEAR AGO: Kodak Graphic Communications Group appointed Israel Sandler as managing director of sales and operations for Europe, Africa and the Middle East... The merger between Axel Springer, Arvato and Gruner+Jahr was greenlit by the...

Post Script: Print's Past - Printers' clothes.(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... For a profession concerned with the good taste of its customers' material, the personal appearance of the print professional is important. But printers have not always been well-dressed. In the 19th century, they were a rather shabby lot...

Post Script: Q&A - Dale Wallis, head of Health, Safety and Environment at the BPIF.(British Printing Industries Federation)(Interview)(Brief article)
May 4, 2006... He is married with two teenage children, although insists he looks far too young to have children that age. He has just completed the London marathon in an impressive 3 hours, 38 minutes. He also enjoys Tae-kwondo and watching Manchester City....

Repro firm Atelier stops trading.(Brief article)
May 11, 2006... Cornish pre-media company Atelier has ceased trading, leaving magazine publishers in search of alternative repro suppliers. The firm's chairman, Mike Slater, denied Atelier had gone into receivership, but confirmed that it had stopped...

Communisis settles forms copyright claim.
May 11, 2006... Custom Forms has won an out-of-court settlement from Communisis, after the design firm launched proceedings against the print and print management giant for infringement of copyright and passing off. The firm won pounds 24,000 in damages...

Cradley Print kit to be sold off.(Plant and machinery)(Brief article)
May 11, 2006... Cradley Print's assets and equipment will be auctioned off following a fruitless search for a buyer. Joint administrator Eddie Kerr of PKF said there had been 'insufficient interest' to purchase the Midlands magazine printer. Plant...

Vote for print's number one.
May 11, 2006... Readers wishing to nominate contenders for PrintWeek's who's who in print can now have their say online. The deadline for entries is 26 May; to vote simply click on the Power 100 button at www.printweek.com.

Stop Press.(Flowman and Data Engineering)(Brief article)
May 11, 2006... Flowman and Data Engineering have agreed to integrate their software to streamline press control and workflow operations... Guardian Media Group has made Carolyn McCall its chief executive to succeed Sir Robert Phillis, who retires in July...

Website to offer online quoting for print jobs.(UKPrintquote.com)(Brief article)
May 11, 2006... A website will launch next week with the aim of hosting more than 700,000 print jobs posted by 400,000 businesses each year. UKPrintquote.com users choose the type of print job, where they want it delivered and the type of artwork file....