Printing World articles from February 2000

Printing World archives from February 2000

Presstek sings Anthem's non-process plate praises.
February 7, 2000... Presstek will introduce a non-process thermal web offset plate at Drupa with performance characteristics closer to conventional plates than its previous efforts. Twenty-one sites are running trials of the plate, which Presstek is confident will...

Devonshire Press on the rocks.
February 7, 2000... The Devonshire Press in Torquay, one of the south-west England's largest book and periodical printers, has closed with the loss of 40 jobs. The closure, which chairman Mike Hook says is due to "cut-throat competition", follows the purchase of a...

Thieme and Kippax in UK screen onslaught.
February 7, 2000... Thieme, the German screenprinting press manufacturer, is attacking the UK and Irish markets with a new joint enterprise with its longstanding UK agent HG Kippax & Sons, Huddersfield. The new company, to be called Thieme KPX, illustrates the...

Wide format row sees Norscreen berating NUR for Fresco flaws.
February 7, 2000... Golden boy of the wide format press, NUR Macroprinters, has walked into a gloves-off row over one of its installations. Bill Hesse, managing director of Newcastle screenprinter Norscreen, claims the NUR Fresco was the "worst installation" he...

Going green? KPG says we do it all.
February 7, 2000... The Printers Enviroservices Programme is Kodak Polychrome Graphics' new environmental care scheme, described as a "total service providing not only equipment and waste disposal functions but also consultancy to users", ensuring users know how...

Seven and Aaron score well with the Co-Op.
February 7, 2000... The Co-operative Wholesale Society has pruned its supplier list to two - Seven Worldwide and Aaron Associates. Both chosen companies are delighted that between them they will supply design artwork and repro for the packaging that bears the...

Tactica in #66m mbo at Stationery Office.
February 7, 2000... A newly formed group has staged a #66m management buyout of Tactica Solutions, the print procurement and document management company. Document Management Services (DMS) which trades as Tactica Solutions, has been acquired by PPM Ventures...

New press.
February 7, 2000... Polestar Group's main board paid a combined visit to the Worcester works of Polestar Varnicoat to see the main attraction - the new KBA TR10B gravure press taking shape in the pressroom.

Germans buy Smith & McLaurin.
February 7, 2000... Smith & McLaurin, the world renowned labelstock manufacturer in Glasgow, has been bought by its giant German competitor, Schleipen & Erkens, for an undisclosed sum. Commenting on the sale which was completed last week, Graham Crossbie, business...

McIntosh wraps up PO deal.
February 7, 2000... Alistair McIntosh, the print management company, is celebrating winning a #100,000 contract to outsource the printing of internal labels for the Post Office. The contract, which could well be extended further, sees the PO's label printing...

COMMENT: Has Agfa acted too hastily?
February 7, 2000... With the decision to move its Digital Printing Systems, based around the Chromapress, to Xeikon, the reshaping of the industry continues following the trend set by Scitex and its decision to part with its prepress systems to Creo. The reasons...

Hitachi targets DocuTech with its low cost MicroPress.
February 7, 2000... Hitachi has officially unveiled its new digital document solution called the DDP MicroPress. It is a robust machine which could see a lot of work moved from the commercial printer towards an inhouse environment at many companies, Hitachi...

Leeds may win in Lottery work.
February 7, 2000... The US company which prints National Lottery scratch cards is to close one of its biggest factories. The move by Scientific Games could see more scratch card production moved to the company's UK site in Leeds. Scientific Games, which has...

Xeikon steps in for the Ikea in-store catalogues.
February 7, 2000... Ikea, the chainstore that is synonymous with style, is having new catalogues printed to appear in its store worldwide. Swedish printer Centraltryckeriet is using a Xeikon DCP/50D to digitally print the shop catalogues in runs as low as one....

Inveresk adapts Clan label paper for water-based inks.
February 7, 2000... After two years of development work, Inveresk's Westfield mill has adapted its Clan range of label paper to cope with water-based inks. The breakthrough is aimed at satisfying the flexible packaging sector as it increasingly moves away from...

PAPER NEWS.
February 7, 2000... `Try Vanguard's standard' Sappi Nash Mills has produced a new brochure to highlight the presentation and tactile qualities of its Vanguard range of embossed papers. The range is designed to combine contemporary shades with textures and is...

Sorry says Polestar, it is an Italian job.
February 7, 2000... As reported in Printing World last week, Polestar is spending #10m on a gravure press for its Madrid subsidiary Polestar Hispanica. Great news, except that Polestar named the press as a KBA TR6. KBA reports that it fought hard for the order,...

First quarter tale of woe for Polestar.
February 7, 2000... Shortly after reporting the 1998/1999 figures, showing a commendable #60m trading profit whittled away by interest charges and exceptionals, Polestar has unveiled a tale of woe for the first quarter of its new financial year. To blame, says the...

IoP's top honour for Benny Landa.
February 7, 2000... Benny Landa, chief executive officer of Israeli company Indigo, has struck gold with his work in research and development, winning a coveted award from the Institute of Printing & Graphic Communications. The Gold Medal is awarded annually to...

Rudd for Argent.
February 7, 2000... JAMES RUDD IS joining Argent Colour, London EC2, this week in the lead sales role at the Wyndeham Group prepress subsidiary. This is the position previously held by Quentin Jones, who is "on gardening leave". Mr Rudd can count Colourpath and...

New non-exec for St Ives board.
February 7, 2000... St Ives has appointed Lorraine Baldry as non-executive director. Currently managing director, service, of Regus Business Centres, Ms Baldry's previous experience includes creating and running an IT department at the BBC, and a senior role in...

Spear Europe creates 200 jobs at Cwmbran labels printing factory.
February 7, 2000... Two hundred jobs are being created in Wales with the #6m launch of international label printing company Spear Europe. The 60,000 sq ft site at Cwmbran is the European manufacturing and administration headquarters of Spear Group Holdings, formed...

EUROGRAPHIC PRESS.
February 7, 2000... Swiss printers ready to climb every mountain By Franz Wick The expectations for this year are positive with all the economic indicators pointing upwards - the economy as a whole is projected to grow by about 2%. The rate of...

After growing pains, KPG promises exciting Drupa.
February 7, 2000... A new "all in one" thermal processor which requires no preheating, a better kind of DryView film and new kinds of thermal plate: Kodak Polychrome Graphics is promising a welter of product launches at Drupa in May, as it tries to put...

New Leeds showroom.
February 7, 2000... Ry-Offset Graphics has completed its new 6,000 sq ft Leeds showroom, which it claims is the "largest of its kind anywhere in the world". Part of a #2m investment in redesigning its headquarters and showroom, the building occupies more than five...

EF Taylor is driven to Dustraction.
February 7, 2000... A major supplier of printed packaging to the pharmaceutical industry has installed specialist equipment to wipe out the problem of ink misting. EF Taylor, part of the Field Group, now has a tailor-made Dustraction extraction equipment for each...

Low & Bonar seeks a clearer focus with sales.
February 7, 2000... Low & Bonar is selling its North American industrial packaging operations for #80m, with the proceeds initially helping to reduce debts. Hood Companies, Mississippi, is planning to buy the three plastic packaging factories, and five paper...

Polaroid Imaging major Euro roles announced.
February 7, 2000... Polaroid Graphics Imaging has made two key appointments for its European operation, with Robert Verpoest becoming general manager and Ad de Kock marketing and technical manager. The graphic arts company was formed recently between Polaroid...

McGann to the Smurfit board.
February 7, 2000... President and chief operations officer of Jefferson Smurfit Group, Gary McGann has been appointed to the company board. He joined the Group in August 1998, since when, says chairman and ceo Michael Smurfit: "He has become an invaluable member...

Vutek vows to take on top wide-format rivals.
February 7, 2000... Vutek, the US maker of ultra-wide format inkjet printers, made 80% of its sales in Europe in 1999 and is determined to take on Scitex, NUR and Svecia in their own back yard this year, now that it has opened its first European showroom in...

Carwin gains Iveco print contract.
February 7, 2000... Print management company Carwin has won a 12 month contract worth up to #300,000 to deliver a single-source print service to Iveco Ford Trucks. The deal involves the supply and print of all marketing materials with emphasis on high quality...

Kippax screen presses pass hard US test.
February 7, 2000... A three-month factory trial in Pennsylvania, has culminated in an export order for four customised screenprinting machines from Huddersfield manufacturer HG Kippax & Sons. Top Flight, which will use the machines to print specialist medical...

Trinity Mirror is the regional No 1.
February 7, 2000... Trinity Mirror has increased its lead as the UK's largest regional newspaper publisher, with a total circulation each week almost twice the size of its nearest competitor, according to new figures from the Newspaper Society. With total...

MoDo shows better 1999 operating margins.
February 7, 2000... The MoDo paper group which is poised to rebadge itself as Holmen Paper later this month has reported on its 1999 year. Operating profit increased to SKr2.6bn (SKr2.4bn) and profit after tax of SKr595m was SKr1.8bn (SKr2.5bn). Net turnover...

No home brew as Polestar moves outside for ops chief.
February 14, 2000... Polestar has ended a seven month search with the appointment of Chris Pavlosky as its chief operating officer. He joins the company from the Scottish & Newcastle Breweries where he has been managing director of the John Smith brand since 1996,...

Williams Lea earns its way 28% ahead.
February 14, 2000... Following last year's precedent, Williams Lea, the international document management company, has reported yet another substantial rise in profits for the year ending September 1999. Sales from continuing operations are up 16% to #89.6m while...

Smith Print failure defies feng shui forecast.
February 14, 2000... No amount of good feng shui could save Smith Print from the hands of the receivers when it failed to reach its ambitious turnover levels. The Gateshead company's investment a year ago in new premises had a practitioner in the Chinese art of...

Variquik press rights are sold.
February 14, 2000... Strachan Henshaw Machinery, the Bristol manufacturer of the Variquik book press, is to close down in the next few weeks after three months in receivership. Although two foreign buyers have been found for SHM's sheeter and sleeve divisions and...

W&G Baird plucks John Cleland from the ashes - but only some jobs saved.
February 14, 2000... John Cleland, the Belfast cartons and labels group which went into receivership last month, is being bought by W&G Baird in a deal that could see another factory closure and a further round of job cuts. Although the workforce and GPMU will...

Six arrested in forgery raids.
February 14, 2000... Six people have been arrested by City of London police after dawn raids at six London addresses unearthed illicit printing and foiling machinery capable of producing "large amounts" of counterfeit currency. Police also found piles of...

Confident ET Heron creates a seven press battery.
February 14, 2000... ET Heron is this summer installing its third eight-unit MAN Rotoman at its Maldon factory in an investment put at #6m. The new press is delivered at the end of June and will give the Wyndeham Group subsidiary a seven press battery. The...

Board mill death sparks HSE probe.
February 14, 2000... A paper worker has been crushed to death in a horrific accident at Smurfit board mill at Burnley, leading to an investigation by the Health & Safety Executive and fresh demands from the GPMU for better safety standards. Ian Holgate, a...

Record half year for Newscom.
February 14, 2000... Media group Newscom has revealed record half-yearly results with pretax profits up 10.4% to #10.3m and operating profit up 10.9% to #12.2m. Chief executive John Dux says: "These excellent results, driven by a substantial reduction in costs,...

New design called Penguin Classics.
February 14, 2000... Penguin is redesigning the covers of more than 600 titles from its 20th Century Classics series as the books are no longer deemed "modern". The series is being rebranded as simply Penguin Classics, hence the need for a new design. The covers...

Name change and shake up at Linney companies.
February 14, 2000... February marks a sea of change for the Linney Group, Mansfield, as its three companies consolidate with name changes and new branding. The Design Works, Linneys Colour Print and Mail-Lin have become, respectively Linney Design, Linney Print and...

Edlon exits labels as AB Graphic takes Comco.
February 14, 2000... Edlon is leaving the label business and has sold its label division to AB Graphic Machinery. This consists in the main of the UK agency for Comco, US manufacturer of uv flexo presses, which Edlon has held for ten years. "There are certain areas...

Creo/Scitex vows to take the friction out of prepress systems.
February 14, 2000... The Creo/Scitex prepress merger can help turn a dream into reality for the future of the international printing industry. So forecast Creo Products' president Dan Gelbart, speaking in Israel last week. Sharing a platform with Scitex president...

Scitex rings up huge BT billing deal in the UK.
February 14, 2000... Your future British Telecom phone bill is likely to be Scitex produced. The company has won a $6m contract to provide a battery of eight VersaMark MPS 90/500 digital printing systems backed by Sefas print management software. This...

Aprion - three markets - and three inkjet press formats.
February 14, 2000... Described as one of the most exciting launches to come out of Israel in the last decade, Aprion strode onto the digital stage last week amid a blaze of claims from its operating company. Robust, fast, flexible and a range of inkjet systems set...

Scitex success creates a milestone year.
February 14, 2000... In a year which president and ceo Yoav Chelouche describes as "the most exciting and fruitful year in living memory," Scitex Corporation has achieved its highest ever revenue and a profit level the best since 1995. Net income for the full year...

What will they do at Drupa?
February 14, 2000... The potential merger of Creo and the preprint division of Scitex has posed the question of what and how both companies will present themselves at Drupa 2000. The problem is regulatory approval for the deal in both Canada and Israel which is not...

COMMENT: The squirting ink on paper process.
February 14, 2000... Israel's two leading graphics arts organisations, Scitex and Indigo, presented their plans for Drupa 2000 and the future last week but, boy, oh boy, did they have very differing views on the process which Scitex president Yoav Chelouche calls...

Big seven colours thrust Indigo into commercial print big time.
February 14, 2000... With a new promotional video that would not disgrace the best of Hollywood, Benny Landa and Indigo waved its digital flag last week and declared war on commercial printing. "We aim to thrust deep into the heart of the commercial printing...

New Ebony press targets lowest cost per page.
February 14, 2000... Available in the second half of this year will be the Ebony, Indigo's first black and white product, which is targeted at the mono document production market within the corporate sector. The model is claimed to offer the highest quality...

`Quality is now our mindset'.
February 14, 2000... "Quality is now a mindset at Indigo," claims Benny Landa. For this, the Indigo chairman points to his president and chief operating officer Rafi Maor who came to Indigo from the aeronautical industry and has applied aircraft standards to...

Up and down market move.
February 14, 2000... With more than a 60% share claimed, the UK is Indigo's most successful market, with Germany chasing it as the fastest growing region. Benny Landa claims that the Indigo customer base perfectly reflects the small company profile of the industry....

Fussell and Barnett to Adare board.
February 14, 2000... Adare Printing Group is appointing two new board directors. Terry Fussell, formerly of Rexam, joins as group commercial director designate while current director of Adare's Prontaprint subsidiary, Alan Barnett, is group sales director...

DCC calls for views on inhouse printing.
February 14, 2000... Derbyshire County Council is reviewing its internal printing, graphic design and repro unit to determine whether it should farm out its print needs or continue with investment inhouse. The county council is seeking the views of "experienced...

Seybold points way to cross media.
February 14, 2000... Cross media workflows have dominated Seybold presentations with Adobe pointing to a future based around PDF, while Quark has revealed that its future strategy is linked to XML, allowing print formatted material to be easily ported to the web,...

Imation shows control of web colour.
February 14, 2000... Imation claims it is bringing accurate controllable colour to the web, a development which will reduce the rate of returns that online retailers suffer when customers are disappointed that the colours of the actual goods do not match those on...

New team leads Ward Knowles, Accrington.
February 14, 2000... A new management team is at the helm of Ward Knowles, the Accrington printer and listing paper manufacturer. Glenn Smith, previously production services director, heads a team which has bought the shares in the company for an undisclosed sum....

Potts' high flier will seek more acquisitions.
February 14, 2000... Thomas Potts, which owns Premier Metropolis in London's Docklands and rescued digital printer Goodfellow & Egan last November, has brought in a high flier to fill the new post of group chief executive. Paul Smith, 40, has been lured from being...

Job cuts costs rein in Oce profits for 1999.
February 14, 2000... Oce has announced disappointing results for 1999, with profits of E131.9m only 2.2% higher than 1998. With the costs of making 1,000 staff redundant taken into account, profits at the giant Dutch printer and copier supplier were down to only...

E-commerce name for Slough printer.
February 14, 2000... Slough company Print for Business is ditching its name in favour of Print.uk.com, reflecting an emphasis on print communication and a confidence in the growth of e-commerce applications. And this week the 9,000 sq ft operation will take...

Swanley booster for Bousfield.
February 14, 2000... Bousfield Heatons, the supplier of ink, pressroom chemicals and electronic equipment that reported poor trading conditions and bad debts recently, is pressing ahead with investment in its showroom network, with particular emphasis on showrooms...

GOP moves south with Spectrum Graphics buy.
February 14, 2000... Midlands prepress and consumables supplier Graphic & Offset Plates (GOP) has acquired Spectrum Graphics and Spectrum Prepress Supplies for an undisclosed sum. Maidstone company Spectrum supplies inks and printing consumables throughout...

Sodra may buy two Norwegian mills.
February 14, 2000... Sodra has announced it is in discussions to buy two Norwegian papermills belonging to Norske Skog. The move indicates the emergence of a single wood market in the Baltic region. The two mills are Tofte, south-west of Oslo, and Folla at...

StoraEnso predicts demand will lift pulp and paper price.
February 14, 2000... In its first year of trading as a unified company, Finnish paper giant StoraEnso has increased turnover by 1.4% to e10.6bn. It has also dramatically increased pretax profits by 340%, although this figure owes much to one-off items. More...

Xerox ES moves into colour.
February 14, 2000... Xerox Engineering Systems, the wide-format inkjet supplier part-owned by Xerox, has moved into colour printing with the purchase of Californian company ColorgrafX, San Jose, another Xerox subsidiary. The deal gives XES access to Xerox's...

Michael Olley dies aged 65.
February 14, 2000... Michael Olley, chairman of the Olro Group, has died at the age of 65, leaving his son, managing director Jonathan, in charge of the Chingford lamination and varnishing business. Mr Olley joined the screenprinting company his father Ronald...

Scottish printers quit capital for expansion.
February 14, 2000... Two major Scottish printing companies are moving out of Edinburgh city centre in pursuit of expansion. George Waterston & Sons, printer in the Scottish capital for almost 250 years, is to leave its Edwardian headquarters in Warriston Road for a...

Software pirates offered amnesty.
February 14, 2000... UK businesses using illegal software are being offered a 30-day amnesty as part of a Business Software Alliance (BSA) drive to stamp out pirate software copies. During the truce, which starts on March 6, the BSA will encourage businesses to...

Hawkshead Digital celebrates a year in business.
February 14, 2000... Pioneering Hawkshead Digital Imaging is celebrating a year in business as the UK's first print company created to serve a leading converter. Part of MCG Graphics, Hawkshead was conceived last January to work for Lawson Mardon's centre of...

Alive and KICKING.
February 14, 2000... Tony Rudston is sleeping well at night despite the fact that Polestar is clocking up losses. This means that company is on the right course. He talks with GARETH WARD Tony Rudston joined BPC as ceo three and a half years ago. His...

B&H delighted with Platinum output for ctp.
February 14, 2000... Going ctp is a step some fear. But for B&H Printing Services, Watford, which has installed a HighWater Platinum device, nothing could be further from the truth. "It has been the best decision I have made," says chairman Brian Boyle. "It is...

Field toasts Champagne labels maker acquisition.
February 14, 2000... Field Group is injecting some fizz into its drinks labelling business by buying the French Champagne label specialist Lesbats. The 25-strong Bordeaux-based operation manufactures conventional and self-adhesive labels, largely for the Champagne...

PCS moves into Web world to support Internet publishing.
February 14, 2000... Press Computer Systems, the West Midlands company which produces software for the publishing sector, has set up its own Internet subsidiary. The aim is to help customers to set up and maintain their own web sites, allowing extra revenue...

Cash back cheer from those Tetley teabags.
February 14, 2000... Tetley make teabags make savings with an innovative cash back coupon on leaflet labels supplied by Labeltext. The company has introduced leaflet labels on its Drawstring teabags for both retail and catering packs. The catering box carries...

Wohlenberg scores for Spema Print Finishers at Wembley.
February 14, 2000... As the furore over the national stadium design rages on, it is good to see that at least some money is being well spent in Wembley these days. Spema Print Finishers, a 53-year-old family business in the north London suburb, is so pleased with...

Jobs fear at Aberdeen Journals.
February 14, 2000... Up to 40 jobs are at risk at the newspaper publisher Aberdeen Journals, whose papers have suffered a #3m drop in recruitment ad revenue with the decline of the North Sea oil and gas industries. Aberdeen Journals was bought by Northcliffe...

Union arbitrator choice said to "shock" GPMU.
February 14, 2000... The GPMU is said to be shocked at the news that Sir Michael Burton, a former barrister who once represented News International during the Wapping dispute in the 1980s, is to chair a key arbitration committee between unions and employers. Sir...

Smith celebrates 100 with #1.1m buys.
February 14, 2000... A 100th birthday is a special event for anyone, and Coventry commercial printer HA Smith & Son is no exception. It has celebrated its centenary by buying itself two expensive presents, a five-colour Komori and an Agfa ctp system. The #1.1m...

Cleckheaton does the double.
February 14, 2000... Bradford printer Hart & Clough is joining forces with its sister company Amadeus Press, Huddersfield, in a #1.25m move to Cleckheaton. The move will combine the prepress and book printing capabilities of Amadeus with Hart & Clough's commercial...

Emap stung by Ford ads switch in the US.
February 14, 2000... Emap's share price has plummeted by 12% in the wake of a profits warning about its US publishing operations. Emap's American titles, which include everything from Elle to Hot Rod, have been hit by a 7% decline in advertising revenue in the last...