Printing World articles from March 2001

Printing World archives from March 2001

Scitex bows out of Vio and Karat.
March 5, 2001... Scitex has signalled a further retreat from the conventional graphic arts market after signs that managers at Vio are leading a buyout and KBA has taken complete responsibility for the Karat Digital Press. The management buyout of Vio is...

KBA boost to digital press.
March 5, 2001... The decision to sell Scitex's share of the Karat Digital Press to KBA is good news for the direct image press says the German press manufacturer. "A streamlined chain of command will enhance efficiency," the company says. Already it is...

Burlington take over.
March 5, 2001... The Burlington Press near Cambridge has been taken over by ex-William Capel managers Andrew Tooke, Richard Tooke and Jack Lindop, who are vowing to increase sales by 25% in two years. Copyright: United Business Media Ltd.

Carwin's new office.
March 5, 2001... Specialist print management company Carwin, West Thurrock, is to open a new sales and administrative division in Cardiff, bringing the number of regional offices to five. The company claims that the division will provide total UK coverage. ...

CCL deal signed.
March 5, 2001... Negotiations between the Paper Federation and the Government on the Climate Change Levy Agreements have been completed. On behalf of the paper industry, the federation has signed the Umbrella Agreement and all underlying agreements between...

Empire strikes back.
March 5, 2001... Former employees of Empire Paper mill in Kent have won a battle for #3.2m compensation which began back in 1993. The Thames-side mill went into liquidation with the loss of 300 jobs. The GPMU and the workforce then expressed the belief...

Schreier predicts digital dominance.
March 5, 2001... Digital print technologies will come to dominate the industry, Heidelberg chief executive officer Bernard Schreier told the On Demand Printing conference in New York last week. Speaking at the opening keynote presentation, he declared:...

Castelli expands.
March 5, 2001... Lediberg, the Italian diary manufacturer, believed to be the world's largest, is opening up a new production site and warehousing for its UK division Castelli Diaries. Named after the family that owns the Lediberg group, Castelli will move...

Tinsley Robor Labels have a new line up.
March 5, 2001... Tinsley Robor Labels, Littlehampton, has signed three former Jarvis Porter staff to join Andrew Scrimgeour who became TRL managing director last year. John Davies becomes business manager, responsible for the north of England. Tracy Sheldon, a...

The Co-op helps out.
March 5, 2001... The Co-op has launched its Books for South Africa campaign and is urging shoppers to donate their unwanted children's books at the company's stores. Coinciding with the 11th anniversary of the release of Nelson Mandela from prison, the scheme...

Xaar/Seiko pact grows.
March 5, 2001... Xaar, Cambridge inkjet company, has announced that Seiko Instruments has upgraded its Licence Agreement to cover Xaar's entire patent portfolio, including IPR arising out of its Page Wide Array wide printhead development. Xaar has more than...

Global booster.
March 5, 2001... Global Graphics has reported full year sales up 52% at g93.3m compared to g61.2m last year. Hardware sales were helped with new shipments of the Kodak Polychrome CTP1 thermal plate processor, while software revenues also put in a strong...

Encad slips into loss.
March 5, 2001... Wide-format supplier Encad has reported a loss of $400,000 in 2000, following $3m profits the year before, because of a decline in sales, tax changes, and costly delays in bringing its new NovaJet 850 product to the market. Sales have...

Attic Futura for sale.
March 5, 2001... The future of print contracts at UK publisher Attic Futura could be up for grabs after its Australian owner put the company up for sale last week. Among other titles, Attic Futura publishes Sugar, B, TV Hits and Good Health magazines in...

Jobs in jeopardy in Dublin demise.
March 5, 2001... Two hundred and fifty jobs are in doubt after electronics labelling group Worldmark, parent company of Donprint, decided to cease production in Ireland and call the long-term future of factories in East Kilbride and Llantrisant, South Wales...

Quebecor cuts on the cards.
March 5, 2001... The GPMU is currently in discussions with Quebecor World in Corby over a possible 20 redundancies. GPMU Ouse Valley branch secretary Steve Ireland says: "There have been three or four managerial staff redundancies due to restructuring. We...

RR Donnelley superplant.
March 5, 2001... RR Donnelley's move to its new Flaxby Moor site in Yorkshire is now nearly complete. The giant printing company claims that the $50m 220,000 sq ft factory will be fully operational by April. RR Donnelley's superplant, fitted with four MAN...

New mill for Vietnam.
March 5, 2001... Vietnam's Haiphong Paper is to build a Dong 70bn papermill in Haiphong city. Director Vu Duong Hien says the factory will make kraft packaging paper which is expected to reach a third of Vietnam's current annual import demand of 60,000-70,000...

JP's #1.49m press sale.
March 5, 2001... Jarvis Porter is selling its Goebel GN520 label press and ancillary equipment to printer Pachem Etikettieren Mit System of Austria, for #1.49m cash. The sale is part of the company's programme of selling surplus assets arising from the closure....

Boom time at Morgana.
March 5, 2001... Morgana finishing equipment made at the Bedfordshire plant has proved so popular that export sales have doubled in 2000. Sales manager John Clason says the UFO, Junior and Docu-Fold folders, FSN and FRN5 rotary numbering machines and...

Photobition falls foul with figures.
March 5, 2001... Photobition has suffered a sudden fall in half-year profits and is in danger of breaking banking covenants before it can repay its debts of #100m, which are 30% higher than a year ago. Profits in the last six months of 2000 were #3.04m,...

Butler & Tanner board shuffle.
March 5, 2001... Frome printer Butler & Tanner is radically restructuring its board after announcing four new appointments. Greg Bird has been appointed as manufacturing director, Andy Pang print director, Jeremy Snell North American sales director and Tim...

Jaws for Motorola.
March 5, 2001... Harlequin has struck a deal with Motorola that will put Harlequin's Jaws PostScript Rips onto Motorola processor boards and allow PDF files to be printed direct, without having to be translated into PostScript format first. Harlequin has...

Walking for charity.
March 5, 2001... Employees at paper company Tullis Russell have raised #2,500 for Rachel House, a Fife children's hospice, by hiking in the Lomond Hills and other fundraising activities. Elsa St Clair, a voluntary worker at Rachel House says: "The money raised...

US court backs Xerox.
March 5, 2001... Xerox has been awarded $1m in a US Supreme Court appeal brought by a company accusing it of illegally trying to monopolise the repair market for its machines. Copier repairer CSU, based in Missouri, had its argument - that Xerox refused to sell...

Cheaper e-books.
March 5, 2001... NetLibrary, a US leading provider of e-books and Internet content and collection management services has launched Global Print Solution. This short run digital printing service allows publishers to increase the number of titles they...

Clays' wise move.
March 5, 2001... Clays made the headlines last week following the initiative it showed in delaying the print run of Wisden, the cricketers' bible, so that an obituary to the great Sir Don Bradman could be included. Printing of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack...

Mill's demise.
March 5, 2001... East Lancashire Paper Mill Company closed last week leading to the loss of 180 jobs. The Manchester mill finally ceased trading after administrators failed to sell the company after it went into administration in January. An Arthur...

Paper talks at Arjo.
March 5, 2001... Appleton Papers in the US is holding talks with its parent company Arjo Wiggins Appleton to sell the company to its employees. This would be accomplished under a special structure put in place by the employees of Appleton Papers. The...

SMG lifts SRH stake.
March 5, 2001... Scottish Media Group has boosted its stake in Scottish Radio Holdings, signalling that it may want to take over the company. Printer-publisher DC Thomson has recently raised its stake in SRH to more than 10% and is also seen as a potential...

EfI goes Dutch.
March 5, 2001... Electronics for Imaging has taken over the Publishing Solutions Group of Fair, the Dutch IT specialist, to improve its variable data printing expertise. Copyright: United Business Media Ltd.

Successful structure.
March 5, 2001... A commitment to business to business publishing and a successful restructuring programme has raised #3.2bn for United Business Media, with #2bn being realised in exceptional profits. The results for the year ended December 31, 2000, showed...

Apax pays #35m for ex-HMSO SPS.
March 5, 2001... A majority stake in SPS, a printer of ID cards and passports that used to be part of HMSO, has been acquired by Apax Partners, the private equity group which bought Germany's Federal Printer immediately after it was privatised last December....

Job cuts boost Goss profits.
March 5, 2001... Goss has put its financial troubles behind it, reporting pretax profits of $65.1m in 2000, in sharp contrast to a loss of nearly $100m in 1999. Order intake is now up for the fourth quarter in a row, and Goss has seen orders grow across...

Question time for Reed.
March 5, 2001... The Government has launched a surprise investigation into Reed Elsevier's $5.4bn takeover bid for US publisher Harcourt. The company's power in the scientific, medical and technical field has been called into question. Although it is...

Bunzl profits rise 15%.
March 5, 2001... Bunzl, the packaging and paper group, has seen its profits grow 15% last year, up from #150.5m to #173.4m. However, its Bunzl Fine Paper arm saw profits increase by only 4%. The reason the company gives for the smaller rise is that "price...

Browser interface.
March 5, 2001... Springtek has added a web browser interface to its Little Big Box portable Raid system, allowing users to monitor the unit's performance and to receive warnings when failures occur or the LBB needs attention. The enhancement requires an NT...

KPG OKs DesertCat.
March 5, 2001... Kodak Polychrome Graphics has approved the ECRM DesertCat platesetter to run its Approval Type 2 media, allowing the platesetter to be used as a proofing device. The combination has passed a beta test programme with both partners now confident...

DesignJet's Wisp link.
March 5, 2001... Image Technology Developments is releasing its Wisp-PS Rip for the Hewlett Packard DesignJet 5000 large format inkjet printer. The ITD Rip will also drive other HP large format devices, offering a productivity hike at a price below the...

Digital proves to be in demand at On Demand.
March 5, 2001... Xerox has announced a 500pp a minute DocuTech at On Demand in New York, the most important digital print show in the US. The event has drawn more than 200 visitors, had a keynote presentation from Heidelberg chief executive officer Bernard...

Digimaster delight.
March 5, 2001... Heidelberg Digital is well on course to achieving its declared aim of acquiring a 30% market share of the high volume digital print engine marketplace. In its first year as a commercially available machine the Digimaster 9110, also sold by...

Westward ho!
March 5, 2001... Westward Communications is dropping the separate identity for its Westward Stationery companies and trading everything under the DocuMedia name. This follows the success of its online ventures involving estate agency and stationery buying...

Stamp of approval.
March 5, 2001... Boots Healthcare International has passed for use the Kensa proof checking system which was developed by Toppan Printing in Japan and is supplied in the UK by Avenor, Watford. Kensa is a calibrated monitor and standardised viewing unit to...

Ricoh boost.
March 5, 2001... Ricoh UK is now supplying the EfI E-700 colour controller to drive its Aficio 6000 engines. It will sell the Rip at #7,295 and offers higher productivity through more powerful processing and software capability. Maximum output format is an...

Practical archiving.
March 5, 2001... Iomega is delivering its first 3.5 in MO drives to European customers. The drives hold 1.3Gb of data each with read speed of 5.9Mb/sec making the drive a practical archiving option. The Iomega drive unit can also read and write smaller...

Automedia invests.
March 5, 2001... Automedia is producing its own film output following the installation of an ECRM Mako 4600 imagesetter, Scanmate F6 scanner, proofer and Macs from Bousfield Electronic Imaging. The Loughborough printer is already cutting back on the #5,000 a...

Web solutions for proofing.
March 5, 2001... Brighton supplier Pdfsolutions is introducing a web-based proofing solution to the UK and world markets having signed a distribution deal with its Danish developer. The application is the Web Proof Reading Solution, developed by Int...

Yale plate spend.
March 5, 2001... Yale Press, London SE25, has invested #25,000 in a Screen PlateRite 8000 thermal platesetter and Kodak plate processor to boost quality print production. As part of the continuing programme of IT and prepress upgrades, Yale has attempted...

Wavelet wins out.
March 5, 2001... The combination of two companies specialising in compression technology has resulted in a best of breed wavelet application. German developer LuraTech and Sweden's Inzomia have pooled technology so that Inzomia's digital imaging application...

Shining examples.
March 5, 2001... York & Ford Paper has launched two new brochures to show the printing results which can be achieved using the Profistar and Profimago silk and gloss ranges of paper and boards. Profistar portrays pearl manufacture with uv varnishing to...

Stefan Kay stands down from Inveresk.
March 5, 2001... Inveresk chief executive Stefan Kay has announced his decision to retire this month after 12 years with the company. Chairman William Goodall is also to stand down from his role as chairman with non-executive director Brian MacDonald set to...

David S Smith down.
March 5, 2001... In view of changing market conditions, packaging and paper group David S Smith has announced that it is taking "more plant downtime than expected". Since the Group announced its interim results on December 6, sales volumes in the UK...

Innovation awards go to International Paper.
March 5, 2001... The US Environmental Protection Agency has recognised International Paper for innovation in environmental management at two of its US papermills. The Androscoggin mill and the Mansfield mill recently became members of the EPA National...

APS Kodak investment.
March 5, 2001... As part of a #1m investment, APS in Cheadle has enhanced repro operations with the installation of a Kodak Approval XP4 digital halftone proofing system and a ctp platesetter thermally imaging Kodak Polychrome Graphics' Electra plates. The...

Third ctp for Anton.
March 5, 2001... The Anton Group has installed a third Agfa Galileo ctp system at its Brentwood factory. According to chief executive John Knight, the third Galileo was "essential". The new system increases automatic plate production capacity to 15,400 plates a...

Triangle triumph.
March 5, 2001... Triangle Print is looking forward to the move to a new purpose-built 15,000 sq ft factory within the next 18 months. Meanwhile the company has acquired another factory to house its second Heidelberg Speedmaster, bringing its current floor...

Microsoft's new server.
March 5, 2001... Microsoft has launched its Small Business Server 2000, the third- generation version of its networking solution designed to address the needs of small businesses with under 50 PCs. Small Business Server 2000 includes full-powered editions...

Call to punish fraud not failure.
March 5, 2001... Business information provider Experian has called for greater protection from dishonest directors so that they are not able to take advantage of proposed new Government legislation. Although in principle it has welcomed Government proposals...

Mirror misconduct probe.
March 5, 2001... The DTI is now looking into three separate cases of financial misconduct at the Mirror Group. In addition to the well-publicised probe into Robert Maxwell's theft from the pension scheme and the ongoing investigation into current editor...

Coups for Quark and Adobe.
March 5, 2001... Adobe and Quark have made major installations of their rival publishing systems at two of the UK's biggest broadsheet newspapers. The Telegraph Group, which publishes the UK's biggest circulation broadsheet paper, has signed up for the...

On the up in Austria.
March 5, 2001... The Austrian printing industry is thriving and one of the key growth areas is digital By Richard Hollinek Numerous phrases crop up again and again when looking back over the past 12 months in the Austrian printing industry: economic...

Checking specials.
March 5, 2001... Tobias Associates (001 215 322 1500) has produced a supplementary spectrophotometer to be added to its SDT scanning densitometer. This is a hand-held device and requires a reading area of 4mm in depth to be effective, and its use is primarily...

Microtek scanner.
March 5, 2001... A high specification scanner has been launched by Microtek (01908 317797). It has a dynamic range of 3.9Dmax, ICC profiler and is suitable for both Macs and PCs, plus transparencies up to 4x5 in. The kit is bundled with ScanWizard Pro and is...

Uvopoly unveiled.
March 5, 2001... A uv letterpress ink claimed to have high resistance to water and solvents has been launched by Akzo Nobel (0161 776 7600). Uvopoly is aimed at the cosmetic, healthcare and household product sectors and will print to synthetic substrates as...

High gloss film launch.
March 5, 2001... Yupo Europe (0049 211 523 9260) claims its new synthetic translucent film is tough enough for scrolling and static type applications. It can be printed using most printing systems and there is said to be excellent scuff resistance on the high...

Quark XML extension.
March 5, 2001... Quark has now brought out its first XTension software to allow publishers to take advantage of the fast developing XML format. Called avenue.quark passport edition, the XTension has been developed to enable users to maximise the value of...

Top notch knives from Wohlenberg.
March 5, 2001... Wohlenberg has introduced an extensively revised notching system to its City, Golf and Master perfect binders, says agent Pershke Price Service. Spine preparation is what distinguishes the performance of one binder from another and PPS...

Adobe announces agreement.
March 5, 2001... Adobe last week announced an agreement with e-commerce specialist Webprint in which the two would develop products for the Internet print market. Webprint will integrate Adobe's PDF and various Internet printing technologies with its own...

Triple launch from Xeikon.
March 5, 2001... Xeikon has launched three new products: the entry-level DCP 320 Dx digital colour press, the Ucoat uv coating unit and the IntelliStream v3.0 digital front end. The DCP 320 Dx is described as a cost-effective solution for printers entering...

Printing's barmy army.
March 5, 2001... Why are there so many seemingly sane print bosses out there willing to take the helm of a football club? By Jim Larkin It is getting late in the office. In the noisy press hall outside there are problems. The main press refuses to work and...

Does MIS pass the test?
March 5, 2001... Management information system suppliers are having to think laterally to expand into new markets and overcome printers' prejudices about the Internet By Alex Grant As if from nowhere, a handful of new management information systems...

Showing off MIS.
March 5, 2001... As the MIS 2001 show opens its doors this week, Printing World takes a look at what the exhibitors will have to offer By Aveleine Byrd It is time to rev up your engines and speed along to the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull for this...

Leading by example.
March 5, 2001... In the third part of our education series, Leeds College of Technology displays its forward thinking By Robin Meade A Virtual Academy is changing the way Leeds College of Technology is providing education and training to the industry. ...

Fresh challenges as foiling follows fashion.
March 5, 2001... Just as printing becomes more and more of a high-tech manufacturing business, one area of finishing is almost as much of a craft as it ever was: foiling and embossing. For the small firm, short runs and a lot of variety are still the order...

Litho Supplies - Appointment.
March 5, 2001... Litho Supplies has been joined by Bernard Clark as an executive director. Currently a director of Lloyds Smaller Companies Investment Trust and of Edwina Investments, Mr Clark was formerly the investment manager of the Lloyds Bank Group...

IPC Connect - Appointments.
March 5, 2001... IPC Connect has restructured its marketing department reflecting the London SE1 company's focus on six key areas: Classic, Mature, Celebrity, New Media, Youth and Easy Entertainment. Chrissie Ferber, currently senior marketing manager for Mizz,...

RES Distribution - Appointments.
March 5, 2001... Appointments at RES Distribution, Wokingham, mean Sharon Eames and Tracey Walker have become external sales managers for the south and north respectively. Both will handle all sales and service for the Hewlett Packard DesignJet large format...

Carlton Barclay - Appointments.
March 5, 2001... The sales team of Essex direct mail specialist Carlton Barclay has been joined by Richard Sargent who has 17 years' experience in the industry having been production manager with the Fulmar Group. He has recently been working for McNaughton...

RR Donnelley - Appointment.
March 5, 2001... Elliot Eisenberg has been promoted within the RR Donnelley organisation to be senior vice president, capital markets at RR Donnelley Financial, Chicago. He was previously vice president of capital markets for the company's central region. ...

Cross & Morse - Appointment.
March 5, 2001... Promotion within Cross & Morse, the Great Barr, Birmingham power transmission engineering company sees Kevin O'Connor move up to head external sales. He had been southern regional sales manager. Copyright: United Business Media Ltd.

Able Instruments & Controls - Appointment.
March 5, 2001... Able Instruments & Controls, Lower Earley, Reading, has taken on Dave Skuse in a technical support role. Copyright: United Business Media Ltd.

Staking your claim.
March 12, 2001... Stakeholder pensions are just around the corner. What should the employer know, and the employee expect? By Chris Plume In a few months' time, almost all employers with more than five employees will have to offer their staff access to one...

Pips: leading the way to secure pensions for printers.
March 12, 2001... By Andrew Brown, director of training and commercial products at the BPIF With stakeholder pensions coming on stream from April 1, companies now face a bewildering choice of plans. Many of these are being heavily promoted across all...

Making an impact.
March 12, 2001... Encompassing a huge array of technologies, non-impact printing is set to claim an even bigger slice of the pie By Laurel Brunner When it comes to non-impact printing technologies there are two major technology candidates that spring to...