Print Week articles from November 2007

Print Week archives from November 2007

Williams Lea heads for pounds 900m with giant Reader's Digest deal.
November 1, 2007... Williams Lea is targeting turnover of pounds 900m in its current financial year, after securing a billion-dollar direct marketing contract for the Reader's Digest Association (RDA) and announcing its expansion into Germany. In a seven-year...

Premier likely to be top indy after Antalis deal.(Map Merchant Group acquired by Premier Paper )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Premier Paper is likely to become the UK's biggest independent merchant after the EU ruled it must be sold in order for Antalis to buy Map Merchant Group. The pounds 258m (EUR382m) pan-European deal was signed off by the EU Commission last...

Presstek cuts jobs in savings plan.
November 1, 2007... Print giant Presstek is axing thousands of jobs as part of a cost savings plan that is expected to generate a rise of pounds 9.7m (dollars 20m) in annual operating profit. The manufacturer, which has delayed the release of its...

Royal Mail uses senses in DM fight.
November 1, 2007... Royal Mail is mounting a fightback against electronic media with a DM campaign targeting marketers. The organisation has linked up with creative agency Brand Sense to create a mailing piece designed to appeal to all five senses. Packets...

Fox Print Services wins ISO 9001 accreditation.
November 1, 2007... Fox Print Services, based in Tunbridge Wells, has won ISO 9001 accreditation for quality assurance. The company is working towards ISO 12647-2 colour quality management proficiency, plus FSC and PEFC accreditations. Fox has recently installed a...

Communisis achieves ISO 27001 accreditation.(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Communisis has achieved ISO 27001 accreditation for its Bath manufacturing site. The standard covers information security management and is important for the continued production of regulated cheque products. The company has gained the...

Graphoprint presses go to auction.
November 1, 2007... Graphoprint has sold one of its presses following an auction Administrator Paul Flint of KPMG was unable to give further details about the buyer, but said negotiations concerning the remaining three presses were ongoing.

Bezier scoops awards.
November 1, 2007... Bezier, the in-store marketing group, scooped one gold, one silver and two bronze awards at this year's POPAI Awards. The Wakefield-headquartered firm won acclaim for its Coca-Cola and Rimmel campaigns, as well as its Night at The Museum DVD...

Stephens and George Print Group hold long service awards.(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Stephens and George Print Group held its annual long service awards this week. Bill Bird and his wife Joyce, who have been with the south Wales firm for 46 and 43 years respectively, took the honours. Group managing director at Stephens and...

X-Rite acquires Pantone.(X-Rite Inc. acquires Pantone Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... X-Rite has completed its acquisition of rival US-based colour management firm Pantone. The company expects to save approximately pounds 3.1m (dollars 6.5m) of annual operating expense a year, as a result of the acquisition. X-Rite's chief...

Athenaeum Press hands reins to new directors.
November 1, 2007... The Athenaeum Press has handed the reins to sales director George Cullen and production director Darren Wilkinson. The change comes after managing director Anne Rennie announced her retirement at the end of the month. Rennie has been in charge...

Integrity FSP collapses as HIPs demand fails to materialise.(Home Information Packs )
November 1, 2007... Integrity FSP, the specialist Home Information Packs (HIPs) printer, has collapsed amid reports that the company was frustrated in efforts to move to a new site. The Fareham, Hampshire firm's 35 staff were sent home last Friday (26...

TPF closes down Wace site amid sale rumours.(TPF Group )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... TPF Group has pulled out of the Swindon site that previously housed Wace amid fresh rumours that former Multiplex director Myles Bunyard is set to buy the premises and the remaining equipment. Wace, part of the TPF Group, officially shut...

Debts force Loudwater into administration.
November 1, 2007... Specialist greetings card printer Loudwater, whose subsidiaries include Eazyrizer, Atomic MK and Plastiscene, has gone into administration. Administrators Ian Best and Chris Marsden of Ernst & Young, who were appointed on 23 October,...

Scorpio in administration amid staff claims for lost earnings.(Scorpio Print Solutions)
November 1, 2007... Scorpio Print Solutions, the firm owned by former Scorpio Print Finishers director Darren Walker, has gone into administration, while former employees are in the process of claiming against the company for lost earnings. According to...

PPF fills Walsall pension fund.
November 1, 2007... The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has taken over the pension obligations of Walsall Print Company in the West Midlands, which went out of business last year. The company ceased trading in June 2006, with the loss of 50 jobs, after...

Xerox introduces fastest colour toner-based press on market.
November 1, 2007... Xerox is set to make inroads into the potentially lucrative transpromo sector after launching its first full-colour, continuous digital press. The Xerox 490/980 Colour Continuous Feed Printing System becomes the fastest toner-based digital...

Unite wins over HarperCollins.(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Unite has recorded its first major triumph in the battle against what it calls the 'systematic replacement of permanent jobs with agency workers'. The union has claimed victory in a dispute with HarperCollins UK, which it accused of hiring...

MBO at Manor rings changes.
November 1, 2007... Print and design firm Manor Creative has been bought by a team of its directors in a management buyout. The MBO team, led by new chief executive Graham Brownett, brokered the deal with the help of the Royal Bank of Scotland's structured...

Hibbert is new PCC president.(Printers Charitable Corp. appoints Barry Hibbert)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Polestar chief executive Barry Hibbert is set to become president of the Printers' Charitable Corporation. The appointment was announced last week at the PCC Annual Printing Lunch at Stationers' Hall in London and will be effective from...

Litho buys Graphica to take on wide-format.(Litho Supplies PLC acquires Graphica Plus )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Litho Supplies has increased its footprint in the wide-format market with the buyout of supplier Graphica Plus for an initial cash payment of pounds 600,000 and is 'actively pursuing' further acquisitions. The deal, completed on 23...

Reader Reaction: Will the printing industry shrink in the next 12 months?
November 1, 2007... After research claimed 4,000 jobs would be lost, we ask if print is really on a downward spiral. Commercial Printer Paul Riches, managing director, Annodata 'I think the print industry will inevitably shrink, but the workload will...

Alderson moves print business to single site.
November 1, 2007... Alderson Brothers Print Group is in the midst of a pounds 5m project that will allow it to house all its services on a single site. The south London printer has purchased a new 6,200m2 building, which will be known as Britannia House,...

HBPG aims for market expansion.(Horner Brothers Print Group )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Horner Brothers Print Group (HBPG) has appointed a sales director in a bid to move into new markets. Cameron Moir will lead the firm's sales team and also oversee the relationship manager's role of managing its existing client base. ...

Moving pictures.(Totally Dynamic )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Totally Dynamic has produced four Tracey Emin-designed vehicle wraps to create a moving exhibition of the controversial artist's work The designs, which have been applied to four Fiat 500 cars, were produced on Avery MPI 1040 (Clear) using one...

Legal Notices.
November 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.gazettes-online.co.uk Winding up Petitions Sienna Print Solutions...

Hub+ chiefs quit amid rumours of failed MBO.
November 1, 2007... Hub+ managing partners Kevan Thorn and Mark Rhys-Thomas have resigned amid rumours of a failed management buyout at the London-based pre-media company. Hub+, which is part of the Omnicom Group, revealed that former chief executive...

DTI unifies web-print publishing.
November 1, 2007... Newspaper software provider Digital Technology International (DTI) has launched a tool aimed at bringing web and print publishing closer together. MediaPool keeps all content together in one database, regardless of destination. The...

Mug's Game.
November 1, 2007... For struggling printers looking to move away from working with paper, a more lucrative alternative has emerged. Pantone guide distributor Cherlyn has reported phenomenal demand for its Pantone mugs The firm is currently offering the set of...

Apple unveils upgrade.
November 1, 2007... Apple has unveiled the sixth major upgrade to its Mac operating system. Mac OS X 10.5, known as 'Leopard', went on sale last week. The software has more than 300 new features and includes full native 64bit support, multi-core optimisation and...

Inkfish Services and FCS Lasermail sign as UK providers for PrintSoft.
November 1, 2007... Inkfish Services and FCS Lasermail have signed up as UK providers for Australian direct mail technology firm PrintSoft. PrintSoft's DeskDirect Global Services tool allows users to upload mail, from single letters to batch jobs, direct from...

Callas Software ready for Apple.
November 1, 2007... Callas Software has revealed that its PDF tools are ready for Apple's new Mac OS X 10.5, Leopard. Callas announced last week that its PDF tools for professional colour conversion, error correction and PDF optimisation for pre-press, printing...

GMG wins plaudits for GMG Colorproof.(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... GMG has won plaudits for its remote digital proofing system, GMG Colorproof. The software was recognised at last month's Print Media Production Forum following independent, comparative testing by Wuppertal University. The tests focused on...

XChange International releases updates.(XChange International has released Blacklining)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... XChange International has released updates for MultiPage and text-tracking tool Blacklining. The MultiPage 4 plug-in lets users create multiple-page layouts in Adobe Illustrator CS3. New features include the option to export pages to JPEG or...

Oce chief says environment is crucial to digital print future.
November 1, 2007... The digital print sector is growing at a fast pace and environmental issues are moving further up the agenda, according to Oce's group chief executive. Speaking exclusively to PrintWeek, Rokus van Iperen said that the market was shaping up...

Presstek hires Euro adviser.
November 1, 2007... Digital imaging specialist Presstek has appointed Peter Blum as its new senior adviser for European operations. He will work alongside Ray Hillhouse, European director for sales and operations. Blum's role will be to build channels, develop...

Cats Solutions boosts sales after move into new print markets.
November 1, 2007... Digital printer Cats Solutions is on target for a turnover rise after experiencing a 20% increase in sales over the past three months and branching out into new sectors. According to managing director Greg Smith, the company, headquartered...

Inca Digital adds more colours to Columbia.(Inca Digital Printers Ltd launched Columbia Turbo Plus )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Inca Digital has launched a six-colour version of its Columbia Turbo flatbed printer. The Columbia Turbo Plus incorporates two additional print modules, increasing the number of printheads to 96, compared to 64 on the previous model. The...

Formpro splashes pounds 1m on Buhrs polywrappers and refurbishing.(Formpro Mail Marketing )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Formpro Mail Marketing has invested almost pounds 1m to overhaul its polywrapping. The pounds 20m-turnover company has bought two new Buhrs 4000 lines, replacing five old Sitmas. Buhrs has also refurbished three of its existing lines at...

Mortons buys first DAN MK6.(Mortons Media )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Independent newspaper printer Mortons Print has become the first to buy DAN-Palletiser's new MK6 newspaper bundle palletiser. Launched at this year's Ifra event in Vienna, the MK6 is a modularised version of DAN's MK3 model. The new...

Terry Cooper offers 25% discount in end-of-year sale for CP Bourg.(Terry Cooper Services)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Terry Cooper Services has announced an end-of-year sale for the CP Bourg finishing equipment that it sells in the UK. The move is in response to the company's belief that finishers and printers may look to other, cheaper finishing equipment...

Intype Libra speeds up with Horizon binder.(Horizon BQ470JDF four-clamp binder)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Digital printer Intype Libra has kicked off a pounds 300,000 investment with a new Horizon BQ470JDF four-clamp binder. The deal was finalised with Horizon's UK agent, GAE, at DPW 2007. Intype Libra is also lining up two DocuColor 7000...

Stora cuts 2,000 jobs as higher costs bite.
November 1, 2007... Stora Enso is planning 'painful' cutbacks in staff and capacity in a move that it said is 'crucial' for long-term competitiveness. As poor third-quarter results were announced last week, the manufacturer said it planned to shut down...

Moore Paper.(BAS Printers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Robert Horne's Revive 50:50 Silk paper has been used in a catalogue showing work by sculptor Henry Moore, whose work is being exhibited at The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, south-west London. The text and cover stocks of the 96pp exhibition...

The Delivery Co celebrates.(The Delivery Co collaborates PaperlinX)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The Delivery Co, the logistics firm launched last year with collaboration from parent company PaperlinX, is celebrating achievements in its environmental performance and improvements in service levels to customers. Since it went live in its...

Mondi Group announces new structure.
November 1, 2007... Mondi Group has announced a new structure following its listing as an independent business in July 2007. From 1 January 2008, there will be a Europe & International division and a South Africa division, in place of the current Mondi Packaging...

Abitibi Consolidated expected to merge with Bowater Incorporated.
November 1, 2007... Abitibi Consolidated, the Canadian paper maker, which has a plant in the north of England, is expected to merge with US rival Bowater Incorporated this month. The firms have been given the green light by the US Department of Justice. Under the...

Paper Innovation buys site.
November 1, 2007... Paper Innovation, the bespoke paper products manufacturer, has purchased the property site that it had previously leased from a large North West company. The board of directors at Preston-based Stick Up Note secured the purchase at the end of...

Reel Paper supplied paper for The Big Draw.
November 1, 2007... PaperCo's Reel Paper division has supplied paper for The Big Draw, an annual event to encourage families to be creative through drawing The Big Draw took place at Goldsmiths, University of London, on 20 October.

Howard Smith Paper announces all Sovereign will be FSC mixed-sources.
November 1, 2007... Howard Smith Paper has announced that its Sovereign range of papers will be FSC mixed-sources certified as of 2 November. The Northampton-based paper merchant's Regency grade was also certified in June this year. Howard Smith Paper achieved FSC...

Sodra Cell raises prices of softwood.
November 1, 2007... Sodra Cell has raised the price of its softwood to pounds 413 (dollars 850) per tonne from 1 November. International president Ulf Edman said: 'The pulp market remains strong, with declining inventories and strong demand.'

Contract update.
November 1, 2007... Paceprint UK, in Avon, has been awarded a pounds 100,000 design and print contract by North Somerset Housing. The independent association previously used a number of different suppliers for its requirements After a competitive procurement...

Client Audit: Royal College of Art.(Ros Sherwin)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The Royal College of Art (RCA) is the world's only dedicated postgraduate art and design institution. The London-based university, established in 1837, specialises in fine art, applied art, design, communications and humanities. Ros Sherwin is...

Editorial: Don't stop taking risks but do learn from FSP.(Editorial)
November 1, 2007... Sadly, hearing that companies have gone bust or have been bought from the administrators is a weekly occurrence in our sector. But it was with particular regret that I received word on Monday that Integrity FSP had closed last Friday (see page...

Comment: Statistics are 'mendacious truths'.
November 1, 2007... Politicians have been scornful of statistics on occasions. Arguably the most famous quotation of the genre emanated from Benjamin Disraeli who said that 'There are lies, damned lies, and statistics'. Winston Churchill was no less caustic when...

Comment: Talking business.
November 1, 2007... The economic growth forecast is down, but predictions of recession are foolish. Alistair Darling chose to shake up industry with his proposed 'simplification' of capital gains tax rules last month, in his first Pre-Budget Report and...

Profile: Altaimage.
November 1, 2007... Expanding according to customer needs pushes Altaimage towards top flight. From humble origins, the pre-press and digital firm now boasts a host of big clients, says Nosmot Gbadamosi Rob King is surprisingly humble. Especially since his baby,...

Analysis: Web offset - UK market lukewarm on 96pp Goss web.
November 1, 2007... Printers question its competition from gravure and technical stability, finds Philip Chadwick. Reaction to the news that Goss International is developing the world's first 96pp commercial web offset press (PrintWeek, 25 October) has been...

Better Business: Recruitment - Industry tackles temping trouble.
November 1, 2007... The recruitment of temporary workers is vital to smooth out the peaks and troughs of the industry, but many believe it undermines pay and conditions for full-time workers. Simon Nias reports. Salaries accounted for 28% of the average print...

Technology Report: Counterfeiting - Print stamps out fakes.
November 1, 2007... Counterfeiting is a pounds 400bn business, copying everything from banknotes to branded goods. Karen Charlesworth discovers what print can do to tackle it. In 1788, Jeremiah Grace and Margaret Sullivan were sentenced to death by hanging at...

Product Portfolio: Product of the week - Brightblue.
November 1, 2007... This web-based, automated estimating tool generates fast and detailed quotes that reflect the printer's capabilities, finds Karen Charlesworth. The very first computerised MISs for the print industry began life as plain and simple...

Product Portfolio: Me & My ... Saroglia FUB.(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2007... Chris Woods, managing director of Finecut Finishing, argues his new foiler/embosser means he can offer flexibility and competitive prices to customers. What does the machine do? The Saroglia foil blocks and embosses sheet sizes from...

Product Portfolio: Tried & Tested - Kodak NexPress 2100 Classic.(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2007... After the controversy surrounding its joint origins subsided, the press proved how versatile a digital machine is it, says Nosmot Gbadamosi. The first digital press launched by Kodak was a joint venture with Heidelberg. Officially unveiled...

Product Portfolio: Buyers' guide - MIS.(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2007... In a year of rapid developments, the foundation of MIS is still to maximise profitability and improve customer relations, says Nosmot Gbadamosi. A good Management Information System (MIS) can provide detailed customer history, stock...

Product Portfolio: Joanne's help line - DPS paper scales and 3D glasses.
November 1, 2007... Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your print problems. Q: We have a set of Digital Paper Scales from DPS Technologies. They are superb and have been invaluable over the years, but they have stopped working. We tried to contact DPS...

Product Portfolio: Technical Tutorial - Checking GRC and TAC.(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Correcting for GCR (grey compoment replacement) and TAC (total area of ink coverage) in submitted PDFs before they are sent to the RIP can be done in two ways. The first is by applying a CMYK to CMYK transformation on the RIP, with the...

Product Portfolio: Diary.(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... NOVEMBER bapc conference 07 Date: 2-3 November Venue: Crown Plaza Hotel, Buckinghamshire Price: pounds 115 Contact: www.bapc.co.uk 020 8349 3009 Richmond Capital Partners M&A seminar Date: 8 November Venue: Hilton, Birmingham...

EU Tenders.
November 1, 2007... Please read the important notes below as PrintWeek cannot supply any additional information or pass on your details. These tenders are abridged. It is essential that you obtain a full copy of the tender before contacting any of the...

Post Script: Heart-throb printer in 'other interests' shock.
November 1, 2007... With the huge number of advertising campaigns focusing on 'ordinary people', it was only a matter of time before a humble print worker got involved. This week, Post Script chanced upon an advert for L'Oreal Elvive Anti-Dandruff shampoo,...

Post Script: Memory Lane.
November 1, 2007... ONE YEAR AGO: The BPIF reported that the industry needed encouragement to become greener, but should not be hit by more regulations and taxes... Polestar's financial head, Peter Johnston, revealed the company was likely to change ownership......

Post Script: Print's Past - Buried type.
November 1, 2007... I love type, but I also have a fondness for graveyards. Warstone Lane Cemetery, Birmingham, unites these two delights. Warstone Lane was built in 1848 to ease the over-crowding in the older burial grounds in the city centre. Its...

Post Script: Q&A - Jane Houghton.(Interview)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Jane Houghton, 32, is Future Recruitment's managing director. She has worked in the print industry for nine years. She lives in Cheshire and is a property developer in her spare time. Her favourite film stars Robert Redford but, proving that...

Training levy is back on agenda as Train to Gain timetable slips.
November 8, 2007... Print is facing renewed debate on a training levy after it emerged that the government's Train to Gain scheme was in danger of missing its targets by two years. The union Unite has called to put the issue of a statutory training levy back...

LCC entices industry with part-time courses.(Brief article)
November 8, 2007... The London College of Communication (LCC) is aiming to attract more industry participation by making some of its key print courses available part-time. The south London university, formerly known as the London College of Printing, made its...

Polestar staff arrested in illegal worker sting.
November 8, 2007... Polestar Sheffield has been targeted by the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) as part of a crackdown on illegal working. Four men and two women were arrested in an intelligence-led operation by the agency's south Yorkshire criminal...

BPIF warns over CGT backtrack joy.(British Printing Industries Federation)(capital gains tax)(Brief article)
November 8, 2007... The BPIF has said a 'sting in the tail' remains for any business owner planning a sale or exit of their business, despite the government's apparent U-turn over capital gains tax (CGT) taper relief. Chancellor Alistair Darling and Prime...

Education reform could help print.
November 8, 2007... Print could benefit from the government's plan to force all 16-18 year olds to stay on in education or training. The legislation, unveiled in this week's Queen's Speech, is set to reform apprenticeships with all 16-18 year olds being...

In brief: Prontaprint Chorley wins award.(Brief article)
November 8, 2007... Prontaprint Chorley scooped the top prize at this year's BAPC awards. The company was crowned print business of the year and director Claire Bailey said: 'To be recognised by our fellow print suppliers is certainly a terrific achievement for...

In brief: Stora Enso's workers stage strike.
November 8, 2007... Stora Enso's plan to cut 2,000 staff and dramatically reduce capacity resulted in thousands of its workers staging a 24-hour strike last weekend. The paper manufacturer will cut annual paper capacity by 505,000 tonnes and reduce its pulp...

In brief: Capital makes profit.(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 8, 2007... Capital, the east London large-format printer, made a pre-tax profit of pounds 505,000 in 2006, compared to a pounds 602,000 loss in 2005, according to accounts posted at Companies House. The firm, which this year has moved to a new...

In brief: Delay for Premier Paper's expected management buy-out.
November 8, 2007... Premier Paper's expected management buy-out has not yet gone through. It is not known if a formal bid has been made or accepted. The EU Commission last week ruled that Premier Paper must be sold in order for Antalis' acquisition of Map Merchant...

In brief: Spellman and Walker records pre-tax profit.
November 8, 2007... Spellman and Walker, the Bradford-based printer, has recorded a pre-tax profit of pounds 2.3m in 2006 compared to pounds 3.4m in 2005 According to accounts posted at Companies House, the firm hit turnover of pounds 17.2m for the year, up from...

In brief: Duraweld launches digital print capability at conference.
November 8, 2007... Duraweld launched its digital print capability at the BAPC Conference, held last weekend in Buckinghamshire. The manufacturer provided personalised, digitally-printed conference folders for the event. It is using the theme 'Small is Smart' to...

T-systems nets 10-year deal.
November 8, 2007... T-Systems, a sister company of T-Mobile, has won a 10-year deal worth pounds 92m with Royal & SunAlliance (R&SA) to outsource its print and IT operations. The contract will allow T-Systems, the business customer division of Deutsche...