Print Week articles from October 2003

Print Week archives from October 2003

Lastra acquires most of MCSi's assets.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Lastra has bought the newspaper and digital photography assets of MCSi just weeks after the Mitsubishi-owned company said it would withdraw from the UK market. Former MCSi executive director Mike Warnes will become managing director of the...

Eclipse to get new M600 in web move.(from Heidelberg)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Eclipse Colour Print is making its first move into the web market with a 16pp M600 from Heidelberg. The Kettering-based B1 printer will take delivery of the six-unit web next May along with a Polar 115 guillotine and an ST400 stitcher,...

Zurich awards seven-year PM deal to Astron.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Astron has won a seven-year outsourcing contract from Zurich. The Huntingdon group will manage the production, warehousing and logistics of printed materials for the financial services company in a deal understood to be worth pounds 10m a year....

Adare's senior staff changes.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Adare has announced senior appointments at three of its companies. Williams Lea Facilities Management founder director Peter Desmond has joined as managing director of Adare Pressicion, allowing general manager Laurence Harrigan to...

Ipagsa defends Rubi T-50 plate against claims.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Spanish plate manufacturer Ipagsa has defended its Rubi T-50 thermal plate after reports of processing problems. A source at a Scottish colour printer, who declined to be named, said his firm had suffered numerous problems with the Ipagsa...

STOP PRESS: GPMU general secretary ..(Graphical, Paper and Media Union)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... GPMU general secretary Tony Dubbins told this week's Labour's party conference that it was 'an outrage and a disgrace' that 5m employees of small businesses were still denied trade union recognition.

STOP PRESS: Oce will transfer some assembly activities ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Oce will transfer some assembly activities from the Netherlands to Eastern Europe and China in 2004.

STOP PRESS: Myllykoski and M-real are increasing prices ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Myllykoski and M-real are increasing prices, by 5-8% for SC and coated mechanical paper, and 7% for graphic papers in reels, respectively.

STOP PRESS: Brown Knight & Truscott in Tunbridge Wells ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Brown Knight & Truscott in Tunbridge Wells has installed a B1 six-colour Mitsubishi Diamond with coater and could buy another this year.

STOP PRESS: CWV Group, the new owner ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... CWV Group, the new owner of Crown Wallcoverings, is closing its Darwen production site with the loss of 100 jobs and is relocating to its Morecambe site, where it will create 46 jobs.

STOP PRESS: Paul Utting finally started work ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Paul Utting finally started work as Wyndeham's group managing director this week, six months after he resigned from St Ives to take up the role.

Industry shows its JDF commitment.(job definition format (software))(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... The industry's commitment to open workflow was underlined this week by alliances at Graph Expo and the announcement of plans to make next year's Drupa the 'JDF Drupa'. CIP4 and Messe Dusseldorf, the organiser of Drupa, said next year's...

Beshara goes into liquidation.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Beshara Press has gone into liquidation with the loss of 35 jobs. The Tewkesbury-based firm closed its doors last Monday (22 September) after conditions became too tough to continue trading, said Atul Gandhi of owner AVG Corporation. PwC...

Frank Peters to get MP backing.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Kendal printer Frank Peters has received support from the region's MP after parent Bretton Communications said it was likely to close the firm in October. Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins expressed concern over the potential loss of...

Print Factory invests in M600.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... The Print Factory in Northampton has bought a 16pp Heidelberg M600 web after winning three new contracts with unnamed customers. The six-colour press with Autoplate and inline finishing will be commissioned in November and will replace an...

SHORTS: Integra International Graphic Machinery ..(wins distribution contract for Mariani palletisers)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Integra International Graphic Machinery in Alton has secured the exclusive contract to sell and distribute Mariani palletisers in the UK and Ireland. The contract was previously split between Press & Bindery Systems and WRH Marketing.

SHORTS: Pira International will hold ..(week of print training)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Pira International will hold a Print Production Training Week from 26-30 January 2004 to develop knowledge of all areas of print. Prices start from pounds 199 a day. Visit: www.piranet.com.

SHORTS: MAN Roland GB hopes to complete ..(headquarters relocation)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... MAN Roland GB hopes to complete the move from its Dover House headquarters to a purpose-built factory across the road in Mitcham by next Easter.

SHORTS: A BPIF-sponsored print game ..(London Science Museum to open interactive newspaper exhibit)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... A BPIF-sponsored print game will feature in the London Science Museum's exhibition of the Daily Mirror and how it has adapted to social and technological change. Visitors can become print managers and face the problems press minders encounter....

SHORTS: London College of Printing has ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... London College of Printing has installed an Agfa Sherpa 43 digital proofer as part of its plan to provide a totally networked pre-press department. Dean John Stephens said the LCP provided a print facility that was 'second to none'.

SHORTS: Graham & Heslip in Belfast ..(purchase printing equipment)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Graham & Heslip in Belfast has taken delivery of Northern Ireland's first Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST300 saddlestitcher and a Polar 115 Flowline guillotine with Transomat materials handling.

SHORTS: PrintingZone in Doncaster ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... PrintingZone in Doncaster has installed a new four-colour Sakurai 466 SIP SRA2 convertible perfecter to replace its Komori Sprint.

SHORTS: Vertis Europe has launched ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Vertis Europe has launched a corporate sales team headed up by Vertis Direct Marketing Services Leicester managing director Richard Husband. Corporate sales director Craig Prince and corporate sales manager Danny Clarke will both report to...

SHORTS: Bobst will launch its two-colour ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Bobst will launch its two-colour Flexo 160-Vision press, SPO 160-Vision flatbed die-cutter and gBreak separator at a special event from 7-10 October in Switzerland. Contact: 01527 519750.

SHORTS: Kolbus UK sales director ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Kolbus UK sales director Mike Chugg has retired after 22 years' service. Chugg, who turned 65 last week, and his wife will split their time between the UK and Spain. Ex-GHE sales director Alf Hall will replace him.

SHORTS: West of Scotland Trade Print ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... West of Scotland Trade Print has upgraded its Muller Martini Progress web with the addition of a bespoke online remoist unit. The unit, made to the Glasgow firm's own design, will enhance its production of questionnaires and response mailers.

SHORTS: Gary Lasham was not the sole owner ..(Correction Notice)
October 2, 2003... Gary Lasham was not the sole owner of Print Direct as may have been suggested in the Z-Card article in PrintWeek, 25 September. He joined as head of a 3i-backed MBI in 1998 and became a joint shareholder along with five others including Alan...

Muller's Collibri back-gluing kit premiered at VBF.(back-gluing machine )(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Muller Martini gave its new inline hardcover system a world premiere at its VBF Book Technology Centre in Bad Mergentheim, Germany, last week. The star was its new Collibri back-gluing machine for spine gluing and pressing. A highly...

PGC NTO's plea for support of qualifications.(Print and Graphic Communication NTO )(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... The Print and Graphic Communication NTO (PGC NTO) is calling for employers to support and safeguard the development of new qualifications. The UK qualifications regulatory bodies, including the QCA and SQA, have said there is only enough...

Komori uses Igas to show new S40 P.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Komori launched a perfecting version of its Lithrone S40 at Igas. The S40 P will come in 4/4, 5/5 and 6/6 versions. 'We've always had several perfecting options but attention has focused on the SP,' said Komori UK director of marketing...

Hobbs' MPH to offer advice on ad production.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Former Electronic Solutions managing director Steve Hobbs will advise clients about advertising production as part of his new company's offering. Hobbs has teamed with Alfredo Marcantonio to form MPH, which will give clients an 'objective,...

ViP news coming to PrintWeek.(Vision in Print )(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... PrintWeek has teamed up with Vision in Print to deliver an exclusive and dedicated monthly news service to the industry. The first 2pp Vision in Print news section will appear in next week's PrintWeek (9 October) and will feature...

Pindar buys new boat.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Pindar has bought a new boat for round-the-world sailing heroine Emma Richards. The Open 60 racing yacht, Pindar of Scarborough, is adorned with Pindar's 'from ink to internet' branding and was officially named at a ceremony in Scarborough...

Fulmar results get boost from books.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... A strong performance in books boosted Fulmar's interim results, but chief executive Mike Taylor remained doubtful that commercial print would find its way out of recession before 2005. Group turnover rose 1% to pounds 20.75m, mainly thanks...

Printers expecting strong Q4.(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
October 2, 2003... Printers expect a much stronger fourth quarter with improved prices and margins, according to the latest BPIF Directions survey. The number of companies working below capacity fell dramatically from 92% in July to 55% in October. The...

Croftacre snaps up Papermarc.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Papermarc Group has been bought by UK private investment company Croftacre Holdings. The Burnley-based boardmaking and converting group went into administrative receivership on 23 June with DTE Corporate Recovery (PrintWeek, 17 July). ...

Terry Cooper in new dealership.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Terry Cooper Services in Nottingham has been appointed to sell, distribute and service offline products from finishing supplier CP Bourg in the UK. Apex Digital Graphics previously handled sales, service and distribution for both offline and...

Kodak to build on commercial print.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Kodak has indicated that part of the pounds 1.8bn (dollars 3bn) allocated to its acquisition programme will go towards building up its newly formed commercial printing unit. During an investor meeting last Thursday (25 September), Kodak's...

Independent MD Mitchell goes.(Independent Paper)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Independent Paper chief executive David Mitchell has left the company to pursue his own consultancy business. The firm's head office will also move from Wakefield to Kent, resulting in several job losses. Mike Gee, managing director of...

LabelExpo visitors increase.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... In sharp contrast to the falling attendance at a number of trade shows, last week's LabelExpo Europe passed its previous tally of 15,000 visitors with a day to spare and notched up more than 20,000 by its close. Edale, Gallus, Mark Andy...

Legal Notices.(Public Notice)
October 2, 2003... 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 Central Binding Services...

Igas launch for Screen's fastest-ever platesetter.(new platesetter and software)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Screen has launched its fastest platesetter yet and revealed more details of its Trueflownet software suite. The PlateRite 8800 is 50% faster than Screen's current flagship machine, the 8600, producing 30 B1 plates an hour. It is also...

New versions of OneVision tools made available.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... OneVision Software has launched new versions of its newspaper and magazine advertising workflow tools. Asura Pro 6.0, Asura 6.0 and Solvero 6.0 now provide PDF support via OneVision's new PDF engine, which can accelerate PDF import,...

Cross-media set revealed by Adobe.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Adobe chief executive Bruce Chizen hailed the firm's new Creative Suite as 'a whole new platform for design and publishing' at its worldwide launch this week. Creative Suite comprises 'CS' versions of InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and...

Global Graphics offers 25-seat Jaws licensing.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Global Graphics has created a 25-seat licensing option for its Jaws PDF Server in response to demand from smaller design companies and printers. The new version, which is supplied by UK dealer Positive Focus, costs pounds 1,235, compared...

AB Dick to sell new B3 package.
October 2, 2003... AB Dick's new two-up thermal platesetter and chemistry-free plate from Presstek are now available to UK customers following their launch at Graph Expo in Chicago this week. The Vector platesetter and Freedom plate are targeted at...

Big names opt for VersoProof.(printing companies using Troika Systems software)
October 2, 2003... Troika Systems has claimed more sales of its VersoProof duplex proofing software with high-profile names like Communisis One, Taylor Bloxham and Pillans & Waddies. Taylor Bloxham will install VersoProof this Monday (October 6) running on...

Heidelberg to stay in digital, says CAP.(CAP Ventures evaluates Heidelberg)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Heidelberg has a concrete commitment to the digital market that is 'substantiated by facts', says industry analyst CAP Ventures. In a new report, CAP says the recent financial performance of Heidelberg's digital division has led to a wave...

Xaar expects full-year losses.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Xaar, the Cambridge-based ink-jet developer, expects to make a loss this year after reporting a pounds 2.1m pre-tax deficit for the six months to 30 June. If not for a non-trading foreign exchange gain of pounds 1.2m, its operating losses...

Printcafe in Graph Expo launch.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Printcafe has used Graph Expo to launch version 2.1 of its PrinterSite Internal software and a new suite of data collection products for its Logic SQL MIS. The company also launched version 3.3 of its PrintFlow scheduling tool, which links...

SHORTS: Electronics For Imaging ..(launch of Velocity Balance version 3.0)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Electronics For Imaging has used this week's Graph Expo show in Chicago to launch a new version of its Velocity Balance controller. Version 3.0 provides centralised management of up to 16 digital colour and black-and-white printers and...

SHORTS: The Production Company in Sheffield ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... The Production Company in Sheffield has been making more than 350,000 impressions a month on its six-colour HP Indigo 3000 press in its first six months of operation. Digital print manager Jon Bailey said the firm would work with HP to further...

SHORTS: Rayfount in Coventry has installed ..(Xerox DocuColor 2045)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Rayfount in Coventry has installed its fourth digital press, a second Xerox DocuColor 2045, supplied by Xerographics. The firm, which has moved to new premises in Earlsdon, has also added new Morgana finishing equipment. The new 2045 joins an...

SHORTS: Magnet Harlequin has added ..(Xerox DocuColor 6060)
October 2, 2003... Magnet Harlequin has added new Xerox kit in the shape of two DocuColor 6060s. The Uxbridge firm, a Xerox Premier Partner, installed the UK's first DocuColor 2060 four years ago. The 6060s will allow the firm to print on substrates weighing up...

SHORTS: O'Neill modernmedia in Slough ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... O'Neill modernmedia in Slough is commissioning its Inca Columbia flatbed printer. The firm, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, hopes to offer faster turnaround of jobs printed on a wide range of substrates, including plywood and...

SHORTS: Watkiss Automation will show ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Watkiss Automation will show its Document Finishing System at Digital Print World, which takes place at London Olympia from 25-27 November. Other features will include its DigiVAC collating and bookletmaking system and its Automatic SpineMaster...

SHORTS: KAS Paper Systems will show ..(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... KAS Paper Systems will show the latest generation of the Mailmaster 465HS and 565HS envelopers at Digital Print World. They will insert into envelopes between DL and oversized C4 at speeds of up to 6,000 an hour and DL or C5 at more than 7,000...

York & Ford releases new maxi coated paper range.
October 2, 2003... York & Ford has launched maxi, a new coated paper range developed in an exclusive partnership with manufacturer UPM-Kymmene as a joint pan-European brand. York & Ford is part of the European merchanting group IGEPA, which operates in 17...

Green practice adopted within PaperCo group.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... PaperCo has implemented a company-wide certified environmental management system (EMS) in less than 14 months. The PaperCo EMS has been accredited with BS 8555 phases one to three certification by an independent body, BM TRADA...

Poor results lead to Arjo restructure.
October 2, 2003... ArjoWiggins Carbonless Paper Operations - Europe will move back into ArjoWiggins as part of a new restructuring plan. The group has taken a pounds 3.8m (EUR5.5m) exceptional charge due to the scheme. Further diversification could...

Paper firms in big pay-offs to settle lawsuits.(price fixing)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... International Paper, Georgia-Pacific and Weyerhaeuser have agreed to pay a total of pounds 41m (dollars 68m) to settle two class-action lawsuits. The lawsuits alleged that the three US firms conspired to increase containerboard prices from...

Cartonboard market braces itself for a 'thin time'.
October 2, 2003... The cartonboard market has had a stable but quiet third quarter and hopes for a busy October are dwindling, writes Rachel Barnes. One producer said he had had a quiet few months and although things usually picked up at this time of year he...

Preferred supplier deals for Service.(Service Graphics )(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Service Graphics has signed two new preferred supplier contracts and plans to spend over pounds 1.5m on new equipment in the coming months. One of the contracts is with advertising giant WPP and the other is a pounds 1m-plus deal with a...

KUBE secures abbey contract.(contract to print Westminster Abbey guides)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... KUBE has secured a rolling contract to produce visitor guides for London's Westminster Abbey. The company was selected ahead of more than 20 others to produce the third-A4 guides, which were designed by its City-based design department....

Cooper Clegg keeps Jack job.(contract to print magazine)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Cooper Clegg has retained its contract to print Jack, even though the handbag-sized magazine is being relaunched in a slightly larger format in the autumn. The Tewkesbury-based printer's two 578mm cut-off Komori webs were still the key to...

EU Tenders.
October 2, 2003... Please read the important notes at the foot of the page, as PrintWeek cannot supply any additional information or pass on your details. The tenders below are abridged. It is essential that you obtain a full copy of the tender before...

COMMENT: Don't dismiss the future of 16pp webs just yet.(Column)
October 2, 2003... '16pp webs will become a declining force in the future.' So declared someone, whose blushes I will spare, a mere month ago. I suspected at the time that this statement was nonsense. Not because I believe myself to be some superior authority...

OPINION: Finding sense through the CTP confusion.(Column)
October 2, 2003... Much is said about the confusion faced by end users when choosing the right CTP for their needs. The manufacturers cause much of that confusion, with each touting their products and technology. Manufacturers also face the same confusion,...

WALLIS: Broschek knows the interference of politics in print.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Sometimes politics and printing collide and clash. One such occasion was in 1936 when the Broschek family was dispossessed of its printing plant in Hamburg by the Nazi authorities. Seemingly the displeasure of the regime was incurred when...

ANALYSIS: Digital print starting to more closely match market's needs.
October 2, 2003... Digital Print World will reveal future digital trends, says Pira International managing director Mike Hancock. Crystal ball gazing can be a dangerous activity, especially in these turbulent times. Take the contentious subject of the future...

ANALYSIS: Possible upturn for 2004 on the cards.(economic forecasts for the United Kingdom)
October 2, 2003... Sentiment about prospects for the UK economy next year is improving as a number of recent surveys have shown, explains David Ross. It's the responsibility of economists to translate survey results into percentage changes in important...

ANALYSIS: Adare to up its noise level with united approach.
October 2, 2003... Rebranding of subsidiaries reinforces Adare's group-wide offering. Gordon Carson reports. It was at number 13 in last year's PrintWeek Top 500, yet Adare Printing Group doesn't seem to have packed the collective punch of some of its...

Best of Print Novelty Items.
October 2, 2003... The industry knows no bounds when it comes to novelty items, be they pop-ups, animated animals or lampshades. PrintWeek takes a look at some of the best offerings. 1: SMA Gold child's building block; Manufactured by The Karran Group; Run...

Cards for all seasons.(greeting card industry)
October 2, 2003... Technology and market changes are prompting the greetings card to adapt. Helen Gregory looks at the trends. We may love e-mail and text messaging, but when it comes to birthdays, Christmas and celebrations, the British public still prefers...

PRODUCT PORTFOLIO: Product of the Week - Oce VarioPrint 50 00.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 2, 2003... Flexibility and speed have been the keys to the success of the VarioPrint 5000 range, reports Karen Charlesworth. When Xerox first launched its DocuPrint high-volume copiers in the 1980s, the newly created monochrome page print market...

PRODUCT PORTFOLIO: Me & My Machine - Heidelberg Digimaster 9110.
October 2, 2003... Replacing its Xerox kit with Heidelberg Digimasters was a natural step for DP Direct, as Rachel Barnes discovers. When DP Direct in Mitcham opened its doors in 1971, managing director Andrew Smith was keen for the direct mail firm to have...

PRODUCT PORTFOLIO: Buyers' Guide - Coated board.(Buyers Guide)
October 2, 2003... As coated board manufacturers gear up for the Christmas rush, Darryl Danielli takes a look at the market. The coated board market is very seasonal - as you get closer to the end of each year usage increases. Calendar production reaches...

JO'S HELP LINE: Jo Francis tracks down the solutions to your technical troubles.(questions and answers)
October 2, 2003... Basic estimation We are looking at the possibility of purchasing an estimating/costing package for one section of our business, but don't need the full-blown management information systems that most seem to offer, just a basic system. ...

INSITE: www.etrinsic.co.uk.(website evaluation)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Etrinsic has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? It suggests a familiarity with the new way of doing business, but doesn't fall into the trap of overly dressing things up with a 'Solutions' suffix. This clear message is reinforced by a suitably...

Diary Dates.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 2, 2003... - PrintPack 2003; 8-10 October; Nurnberg, Germany; Contact www.printpack.de - Institute of Printing Annual Lecture; 13 October; Stationers' Hall, London; Contact 01892 538118 - IfraExpo 2003; 13-16 October; Leipzig, Germany; Contact...

PRODUCT PORTFOLIO: Tried & Tested - Kolbus Compact.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 2, 2003... The Kolbus Compact set the standard for casing-in lines. Darryl Danielli has a look at the revolutionary model. Launched in 1978, the Kolbus Compact casing-in line turned the case-bound book finishing sector on its head by offering a...

Print's Past.(printing industry vocabularies)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Printing terms Most industries have developed specialised vocabularies, which allow people from within a given trade to talk the same specific language, thus providing mutual understanding. For those on the outside, specialist terms can be...

POST SCRIPT: Paper goes for the cool kids with Rude GF Smith.(GF Smith promotes paper with events)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Whoever thought paper was boring needs to take a look at the sort of events that super-trendy GF Smith is putting on to promote its range of papers. Gone are the days when a merchant's rep took you down the pub to tell you about their new...

POST SCRIPT: Who prints that then? - Page 3 Calendar.(corporate calendar)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... We've tried to stave off the premature Christmas season, but if sales of a certain 'glamorous' 2004 corporate calendar are anything to go by, then it's too late. 'No one wants their firm going bust,' it says on the website www.page3.com....