Printing World articles from February 2005

Printing World archives from February 2005

Tussle over Bousfield names.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... A scrap has broken out over rights to use product names associated with the failed Bousfield and Openshaw businesses. Ultrachem bought certain assets from Ernst & Young, receiver of the companies, including some equipment, and formulations...

CIP4 publishes JDF advice.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... CIP4 has published the recommended ways to carry out first level implementations of JDF-enabled connectivity. The papers will allow developers and the technically savvy printers to build interfaces in accordance with the JDF specifications...

Kolorco wins with 528.(528EM five-colour B2 press)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Kolorco, a commercial printer in Bradford, has won several new contracts by installing a Lithrone 528EM five-colour B2 press, complete with a KMS4 workflow management system. The press, installed last month, replaces a slightly narrower...

Karl Ostler appointed to Pims.(Printing industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Karl Ostler has been appointed production director to the recently upgraded and expanded Pims print site at Crewkerne, Somerset. Mr Ostler is joining from Friary Press and will be calling on all of his 19 years' experience in the industry to...

Printers super-union plans.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Printers could become part of a `super-union' of more than 3 million members if plans to merge Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union go ahead. Amicus, which merged with GPMU in the course of last year, may also be joined by other...

Lloyd James extends services.(Printing industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Direct mail specialist Lloyd James has extended its print and direct mail division's services with a Halm Super Jet envelope overprinting press and Pres digital software for easier data manipulation. Group sales director Jo Lloyd said: `Moving...

A1 investment.(A1 Sample and Print purchases a Xerox 3535)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... A1 Sample and Print, Fazely, has expanded its offering into digital print by investing in a Xerox 3535. Installed last month, the machine joins two litho presses and will allow the company to print onto a number of different substrates, produce...

Eve magazine.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Wyndeham Press points out that Eve, the magazine that Haymarket recently acquired from BBC Worldwide, continues to be printed by Polestar Chantry and will not transfer to Wyndeham. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Creo's dream fades as it accepts Kodak offer.(takeover)
February 3, 2005... Creo's plans to become a $1bn prepress company have foundered as it has accepted a $980m takeover bid from Kodak. The deal, approved by the boards of both companies, thwarts proposals from the dissident shareholders who planned to usurp...

How quickly will the two parties come together?(Printing industry's merger)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The question now is how quickly Creo will become part of Kodak and how Kodak will cope with taking on the additional business. In the UK both are based in Watford, making it easier to bring the two together should that be necessary. Terry...

Russian edition.(Axel Springer)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... IPC has partnered Axel Springer to launch a Russian language edition of its design and modern living title Wallpaper. Prepress International and printer Almaz Press, both of which are located in Moscow, will handle the production of the...

Newspaper rumours.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Newspaper industry rumours circulating this week suggested the Guardian could fly in Berliner format copies of the newspaper from Europe for a General Election in May. In its rush to change from broadsheet, Fleet Street insiders said the paper...

Sappi profit.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Strong demand for coated paper and higher prices in some markets helped Sappi notch up a 6 cents a share profit for the final quarter of last year, up from a loss of 11 cents for 2003. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Third Printmaster.(Taws Printers)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Taws Printers has added a third Printmaster QM46 to its new 50,000sq ft Telford site. The Printmaster QM46 was bought for a specific 10-million run job which involved printing onto small card sized photographic material. Currently using...

M-real facilities.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... M-real is to increase capacity of coated kraftliners by rebuilding the coater and coating colour preparation facilities at its Kemiart Liners board mill in Finland. The work will cost the company approximately E6.5m and is scheduled for a week...

Cartridges designed to be refilled.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The first ink cartridges for Epson printers designed to be refilled have gone on sale through Scottish Highland company Spot On. The company says it will save home and small businesses money over and above other refill services that until now...

Polestar notches Emap first with Grazia deal.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Polestar has beaten off opposition by winning the giant contract to print Emap's new women's glossy magazine, Grazia. This is the first time the Polestar Group has won a major weekly consumer magazine title from Emap. The magazine,...

Banbury to get first ST350.(Banbury Litho )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Banbury Litho will be the first UK printer to purchase the long awaited Stitchmaster ST350 from Heidelberg as part of a #1m investment. The saddlestitcher will be installed next month along with a Speedmaster CD74-5L five-colour press with...

Wicks heads up PrintIT.(Steve Wicks )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Picon has named its project manager for the PrintIT initiative which aims to encourage young people into the printing industry. Steve Wicks takes on the role further to running his own print management business, LeanPrint. He is responsible...

United Business Media may be broken up.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... United Business Media, owner of Printing World publisher CMP Information, may be broken up with the sale of its market research division, NOP world. The company said it is considering either sale or expansion. If the former option is chosen it...

Financial Times drive to cut costs.(Pearson's Financial Times )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Low advertising sales have forced Pearson's Financial Times to offer voluntary redundancy packages to about 20 of its 550 editorial staff in a drive to cut costs. Between 20 and 30 staff are expected to leave from writing, senior editor and...

MAN Roland R500 press.(MAN Roland UK)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... MAN Roland's sheetfed press national sales manager David Dale says the company will gain new business as a direct result of its recent open house. Demonstrating its first UK R500 press at NW Printers last Wednesday, visitors had the chance to...

Spartanics management priorities.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The three Spartanics executives who took ownership of the company this week plan to maintain the management priorities that have been successful in creating the inspection, batching, die cutting and special technology company's customer-centric...

Businesses need to sort out bad debts.(Shearing Law Firm)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... A law firm specialising in debt recovery is warning businesses to contact debtors and use their statutory rights to claim interest and compensation. Neil Shearing, of Shearing Law Firm, said: `Post- Christmas, the next big date in the financial...

Blackburns delivers on CPS campaign leaflets.(Crown Prosecution Service)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Blackburns of Bolton has managed the print for high profile campaigns launched this week on home intruders and domestic violence. The Lancashire company has produced a set of three printed pieces for the Crown Prosecution Service outlining...

Tax stamps talks.(tax stamps for Liquor bottles)
February 3, 2005... Informal talks are expected to begin soon involving Customs & Excise, distillers and bottlers, and the handful of specialist print companies who produce the great majority of labels for UK-produced whisky, gin and vodka. The government...

Xeikon's IPO justified.(Xeikon UK)(Initial public offerings)
February 3, 2005... The UK is now the second largest market for digital press manufacturer Xeikon, vindicating its decision to seek an IPO on London's Alternative Investment Market. Following the sale of 15 presses in 2004, at least five of them the Xeikon...

Flex gets first GX.(Flexpress installed Ryobi GX B3 press)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The first four-colour Ryobi GX B3 press in the UK has been installed at Leicester commercial printer Flexpress. The company has a five-year business plan to double turnover to #1m and traded in a Ryobi 3304 portrait format machine to get...

Xaar sales director.(resignation)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Inkjet specialist Xaar has revealed that group sales director Hugh Baker-Smith has left the Cambridge company. It did not disclose a reason for Mr Baker-Smith's departure but Xaar said a replacement has been found and will be unveiled by the...

Adobe conference.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Adobe is to host its InDesign conference in Europe for the first time. The forum, which features active learning and discussion, will be held at the Grand Krasnopolsky Hotel in Amsterdam from May 25-28 and is expected to attract InDesign...

Wimbledon Arts seeks sponsor.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Not-for-profit community organisation the Wimbledon Arts Trust is seeking a sponsor to fund the printing and paper requirements for its ten-day fringe arts festival. The event, known as Wombledon, features 250 events across 35 venues this year....

CopyJet distributed in the UK.(Agfa CopyJet 4000, desktop imagesetting and colour proofing system)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Agfa's CopyJet 4000 desktop imagesetting and colour proofing system is being distributed in the UK through Info-Tec Distribution's dealer network. The device produces film separations and colour proofs in daylight conditions. It consists of a...

Xerox demonstration.(digital printing applications)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Xerox gave creative professionals a demonstration of digital printing applications at Adobe's Partners in Publishing conference in New York on January 20. The demonstration included the printing of full-colour magazines on its IGen3 production...

China states intention of becoming global player.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... China is to pursue an extremely aggressive worldwide policy to win both print orders for production and to develop world class printing presses. This was announced by Chinese vice president Yu Yongzhan at the World Print and Communication...

Jade steams ahead with KBA Rapida 74.(Jade Press)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Leeds family business Jade Press is steaming ahead with its expansion plans by ordering a six-colour KBA Rapida 74. The press will join two single-colour Olivers, a five-colour Komori and a B2/2 Komori. To accommodate the KBA, an extra...

Careers at Stationers'.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Print Dynamics teaching software from Polestar and the BPIF's Printworks computer game was tested at a careers event at Stationers' Hall. Careers Day was organised by the Stationers' Company Educational Charity and supported by the LCC,...

Greenpeace urges Finn ban.(Greenpeace Foundation Inc., finnish paper products)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Greenpeace has called on UK publishers to boycott "unsustainable" Finnish paper products certified under the PEFC scheme. The organisation says IPC, Emap, BBC, Harper Collins, Random House, Penguin and Bloomsbury all use Finnish paper...

Keene doubles capacity.(GMG ColorProof 04 Rips)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Keene's installation of two new GMG ColorProof 04 Rips, driving three Epson Stylus Pro printers, has enabled the London specialist prepress company to double its magazine services capacity and help reduce its costs. Supplied by Turning Point...

Fuji Hunt appointment.(Joe Christopher )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Fuji Hunt's Pressroom Chemicals division is extending its heatset chemistry outreach with the appointment of Joe Christopher as technical service manager for the UK. Taking up his new post on February 1, Mr Christopher, 47, brings with him...

Hunkeler Open House.(Exhibitions)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Hunkeler will be holding its Open House/Innovations 2005 at Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, on February 14-17. The exhibition will include a full range of high performance digital printing, finishing and software solutions. With over 60...

London Book Fair.(Publishing industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The London Book Fair will take place on March 13-15 at Olympia, and will include independent and large publishers. There will also be a free comprehensive seminar programme, including the Bookseller Association's free business improvement...

Technotrans building.(Printing industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Technotrans has started work on its building which will extend capacity in the Augsburg region. The building is expected to treble production and office space at its second German location. The company said it was preparing to manufacture...

Heidelberg climbs but more cost cuts planned.(Printing machinery industry)
February 3, 2005... Heidelberg is looking for further cost savings as the company reports improved sales and operating profits for the third quarter of its financial year. Sales are up 8% over the previous year. The order level remained as high as in the...

Redactive reaps benefits.(inhouse print buying)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... A contract publisher has further increased its inhouse print buying by taking control of its polywrap. Redactive said it is reaping the benefits dealing with its suppliers on a one-to-one level. In the first year it brought print buying...

Laurent comes back to DuPont.(Etienne Laurent)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... DuPont has brought Etienne Laurent back to the Imaging Technologies packaging and prepress operations in Europe in the position of business director. He will take over from Paolo Barbieri, who became global business director last summer...

Haynes looks to the future with Stahlfolder buy.(Printing industry)(Stahlfolder TH/KH 82 )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Car manual specialist Haynes is investing in its future, with the installation of a Stahlfolder TH/KH 82 pallet feeder at its Somerset print works. The company is upbeat about its prospects, having recently published a new `coffee table'...

Extensis appointment.(Martin Stein )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Extensis has appointed Martin Stein as senior product manager for its Font Solutions product lines, including Suitcase and Font Reserve. He joins the company from Apple, where he was responsible for channel development, major accounts and...

Xerox reseller of the year.(Colyer Printing Systems )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Colyer Printing Systems in London has been named Xerox mid-range and light production colour value added reseller of the year. The award was presented to Colyer for its sales achievements and business growth in the mid-range office copier...

Gutenberg conference.(Graphic arts industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The Graphic Arts Show Company has announced the full educational schedule for the Gutenberg and Digital Outlook conference, to be held in Los Angeles on April 28-30. The sessions will focus on new business opportunities, operational improvement...

Discovery Health print run.(Kodak Digimaster 9110 systems )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... South African healthcare company Discovery Health has produced more than 89 million pages on its two Kodak Digimaster 9110 systems in the two years since their installation. The company prints more than 3 million pages a month, increasing to...

Bemrose awards.(calendar publisher )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Derby calendar publisher Bemrose won 12 awards at the National Calendar Awards, held at the London School of Communication on January 13, including Best New Calendar and Best Cause-Related Calendar. More than 300 entries were received for the...

PaperCo debuts 9Lives for sustainable market.
February 3, 2005... The PaperCo has produced two new high end recycled grades in response to the increasing demand for sustainability from government agencies and large corporates. The brand comprises 9Lives 80 and 9Lives 55 woodfree coated papers and boards...

MN to expand with Columbia.(Media North install digital printer)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Point-of-sale specialist Media North is looking to expand into new markets following the installation of an Inca Columbia digital printer. The Bradford company invested #350,000 in the flatbed machine to meet growing demand from retail...

Roberts gets CMD.(Roberts Mart install machinery)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Roberts Mart has continued its #9m investment by installing a CMD 1552ED rotary bag machine to coincide with its new flexible packaging facility outside Leeds. The company said the machine has enabled it to produce high quality bags at a...

Lorien carries on growing with trio of staff.(printing industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Digital specialist Lorien Unique continues to expand its workforce, with the recruitment of three staff. Aran Long joins as production manager, Aleks Sudar will become system specialist with responsibility for databases and Catherine...

Spikey helps Printoff celebrate 1SO.(Licensing and accreditation)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Staff at Printoff Graphic Arts were treated to a visit by Phoenix Nights star Dave Spikey to help celebrate the company's accreditation to ISO 9001/2000. The comedian, currently starring in ITV1's Dead Man Weds, presented the certificate...

Premier has plan for Hale purchase.(Paper industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Premier Paper Group has acquired Hale Paper, a specialist publishing merchant, which was founded in 1921 and is part of the Smurfit organisation, for an undisclosed sum. Fred Haines, Premier Paper managing director, said the company...

Forscot to hold public meeting on Invergordon.(Paper industry)
February 3, 2005... The consortium of business men planning to develop a #1bn paper mill at Invergordon in the north of Scotland will hold a public meeting in the town's Academy on February 14 to explain their aims. Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Forscot group,...

Image Group showcases its wares with catalogue debut.(Customer relations)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The Image Group in Manchester is aiming to expand its customer base with the publication of a new catalogue showcasing its range of display, point-of-sale and promotional goods. Business development manager Kevin Rowe, who joined the...

COMMENT: They were made for one another.(Creo UK Ltd)(Eastman Kodak Co)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Kodak's purchase of Creo will be seen as one of the most obvious marriages between two suppliers this industry has seen for a long time. As soon as Kodak woke up to the potential of the printing industry and the money to be made in its digital...

Letter: Picon initiative applauded.(Letter to the Editor)
February 3, 2005... May I applaud the initiative of Picon and the launch of PrintIT, in `PrintIT aims to attract youngsters to industry' (Printing World, January 20). There is a major problem of attracting the right calibre of young people into our vibrant...

Letter: Print careers are too often ignored.(Letter to the Editor)
February 3, 2005... I read your editorial `We need cream of the young crop' (Printing World, January 20) regarding training, with interest. It is something that I have been banging on about for years. Youngsters do not consider printing because the education...

Sweet and Maxwell raided.(Serious Fraud Office)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Legal publisher Sweet & Maxwell has been raided by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over a suspected #1m accounting fraud. Police and the SFO conducted dawn raids at the company's London headquarters and the houses of a number of directors on...

Purchase agreement.(Mergers of printing industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Consolidated Graphics has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Kelmscott Communications, a privately-owned provider of commercial services in the US, which boasts annual sales of $100m. The deal, which is subject to approval by the two...

Havelock expects results to show increase.(Publishing industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Havelock expects its results for 2004 to show a third successive annual underlying increase, in line with market expectations. The company said that its point-of-sale display division has had a good year, retail interiors has traded better than...

Highbury House statement.(Publishing industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Magazine group Future Network is believed to have made a bid for beleaguered rival Highbury House, publisher of Front and Fast Car. In a statement made to the stock exchange, Highbury House confirmed that it had been approached by a company,...

Archant deal.(publishing industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Archant, the publisher of the Eastern Daily Press and the East Anglian Daily News, has agreed a #100m funding facility with the Royal Bank of Scotland. The money will allow the group to complete its #52m share buy- back objectives and support...

RR Bowker ends relationship with Nielsen.(Publishing industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... RR Bowker, the US bibliographic data service, is to directly offer data on the UK book market from April, after ending its relationship with Nielsen BookData. Bowker said that it would not renew its licence for UK data with Nielsen, which will...

Kodak loss attributed to digital refocus plan.(Photographic industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Kodak paid the price for pursuing its digital product strategy in the fourth quarter, posting its first loss in three years. The cost of the company's three-year plan to migrate its focus from film to digital resulted in a loss of $12m for...

GMG toasts sales surge.(printing machnery)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... GMG is toasting an "extraordinary" increase in sales in 2004, thanks to the expansion of its sales activity in new regions. The company, which specialises in high end colour management and proofing, said that sales in 2004 were up by more...

Blame for EFI's Q4 fall is laid at the slowdown in controllers.(Printing machinery industry sales)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... EFI's weak fourth-quarter earnings provided confirmation of the decline in revenues predicted by the digital imaging specialist late last year. In line with the forecasts, revenues for the three months to December 31 were $81m, a reduction...

Lasertel ties up deal with HTOE.(Printing machinery industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Captive laser diode manufacturer Lasertel, a subsidiary of Presstek, has signed a three-year, $7m supply and distribution agreement with HTOE of Beijing. Under the terms of the agreement, Lasertel will become the primary supplier of laser...

Baldwin revenue rise does not lead to profit.(Baldwin Technology Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Baldwin Technology failed to translate steady revenue increases into profits in the first half of the year. The pressroom accessories company reported interim revenues of approximately $81.2m in the six months to December 31. The...

Seiko inkjet demand not able to turn the tide.(Seiko Epson Corp)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Strong demand for inkjet printers at Seiko Epson was not enough to combat fierce competition and falling prices in the company's electronic devices and LCD displays businesses. The world's second largest inkjet manufacturer reported a...

Appointment of liquidators.(Printing industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... * Intech Graphics Ltd General printers. Liquidators: P Atkinson and G Mummery, Vantis Redhead French Ltd, 43-45 Butts Green Road, Hornchurch, Essex RM11 2JX * Goldfish Ltd Graphic design. Liquidator: IW Kings, Tenon Recovery, Tenon House,...

Meetings of creditors.(Printing industry)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
February 3, 2005... * Paper Products Ltd at Hart Shaw, Europa Link, Sheffield Business Park, Sheffield S9 1XU on February 2 * Principal Bookbinders Ltd at BN Jackson Norton, Dominions House North, Dominions Arcade, Queen Street, Cardiff CF10 2AR on February 1...

Final meetings.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
February 3, 2005... * Sparkprint Ltd at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Plumtree Court, London EC4A 4HT on February 25 at 10.30am * Colorpress Ltd at Holbrook Court, Cumberland Business Centre, Northumberland Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO5 1DS on February 25 at...

Guardian rebuffs Chrysalis.(Guardian Media Group PLC)(Chrysalis Group PLC)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The Guardian Media Group has turned down a #100m proposition for its radio assets by music publishing group Chrysalis. The Sunday Telegraph this week reported that the offer for GMG's radio interests, which include Jazz FM and a number of...

Industry braces itself for crash.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Comfortable trading levels in the run up to Christmas helped printers raise prices for the first time in at least eight years, according to the BPIF's Directions quarterly survey of trends in the printing industry. The improved situation...

Fraud soaring in UK.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Levels of reported fraud in the UK more than doubled last year to #643m, BDO Stoy Hayward has revealed. The accountant reported that London and the south-east were the worst affected areas, where the value of reported cases was up almost...

Ads strong in women's weeklies.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Figures from Nielsen Media Research show that the number of advertising pages in women's weekly magazines were up 12.4% in October 2004 compared with the same period the previous year. The increase was led by a 12.9% rise in display pages....

Coverage and general awareness of coated.(coated paper market )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The competitive coated paper market in North America comprises 20 suppliers and 50 brands but market share is dominated by a select few, says InfoTrends CAP Ventures in a new report. The research found that paper mills and suppliers looking...

Gavin Martin goes that extra mile for Tullis.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Gavin Martin Associates has printed Tullis Russell's Naturalis Is Uncoated promotional swatch book. The brochure was designed by London agency 300 Million, which chose Gavin Alexander "because it is often referred to as the designer's...

Q&A Coming to terms with flexible working.
February 3, 2005... Reg Peplow reports on how to deal with employees' requests for changes to their working arrangements What does flexible working involve? Any working pattern other than the normal is nowadays termed flexible working or flexitime. ...