Printing World articles from May 2001

Printing World archives from May 2001

Impresse is latest dotcom casualty.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... US print dotcom Impresse Corporation, has reportedly shut down its operations and released most of its employees. It is thought that some staff remain at the company's Sunnyvale, California office, while Impresse's UK operations at Egham...

Adobe down time.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 7, 2001... Adobe is to shut down all its US and Canadian operations for the first week of July, in a bid to save about $4m, with workers being forced to take this time out of their "personal time off" entitlement. Adobe PR director in the US, Cheryl...

Expresso set to go.(e- commerce venture by paper producers and merchants)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Nine paper producers and merchants are teaming up to create a new e- commerce venture, codenamed Expresso, which they claim could one day account for 60% of all European paper sales. International Paper Europe, M-Real, Sappi Europe,...

Secure in Oldham.(Barco, Security Printing & Security Systems, digital design)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Barco has installed the first Fortuna NT digital design and assembly system in the UK for Security Printing & Security Systems in Oldham. Fortuna is touted as the only security fully digital design and assembly system encompassing the complete...

Accolade for RPM.(RPM Reprographics)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Expanding Chichester firm RPM Reprographics has picked up an Investors in People award, after the company met all 12 criteria of the National Standard. RPM was assisted by Patricia Gates from Sussex Enterprise and Cooke Burton Management...

Cwmbran boost.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Paul Murphy, the Secretary of State for Wales has opened a #750,000 extension to the factory of KV Rollers in Cwmbran. KV Rollers is one of the largest manufacturers of rubber rollers for the printing industry. Copyright: United Business...

Trade mags sale.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Highbury House Communications has bought ten trade titles from Reed Elsevier for #4.85m. The portfolio spans the transport, retail and electrical sectors, including the flagship titles Independent Retail News and Electrical Review. ...

KPG to abandon hardware.(Kodak Polychrome Graphics)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Kodak Polychrome Graphics has announced its intention to focus almost entirely on consumables and leave hardware sales to other companies. This will see KPG forming relationships - or open partnerships as the company puts it - with a wider...

Wam!Net jobs to go in restructure.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 7, 2001... Wam!Net has announced it is cutting 105 jobs in the US as part of a restructuring plan, just weeks after Vio, its major competitor, went out of business. The losses represent a fifth of the 500 headcount in the US, but do not affect the...

Slim chance of Vio survival.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... It is looking increasingly unlikely that Vio will survive beyond the summer, despite interest in the ailing electronic file transfer provider from a number of quarters. Three groups are believed to have tabled bids for the company, but insiders...

ReelColor at Cumbrian.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Cumbrian Newspapers, which publishes The Cumberland News and the News & Star, has installed its first ReelColor halftone proofing system from SeeColor to proof more than 400 colour pages each week. Cumbrian Newspapers runs its two HP 1050C...

Style bible closes.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Style bible of the 1960s, Nova, is to close despite a 2000 relaunch to renew interest in the magazine. IPC managing director Tim Brooks says: "It is with great reluctance that we have had to make this decision. Nova was ground-breaking in its...

President elected.(Gary Reeves, Institute of Bookbinding & Allied Trades)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Gary Reeves is the new president of the Institute of Bookbinding & Allied Trades. He is the market development manager of National Starch & Chemical and is a judge for this year's Printing World Awards. He is seen here being congratulated by...

Vasey's goes for third Komori.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 7, 2001... Vasey's, the Northallerton book and direct mail printer, plans to boost capacity by 35% with the installation of a new six-colour Komori Lithrone 640 with coater. Managing director Guy Vasey says: "Sales this year will be around #3.5m, a...

Massive Muller Martini mail order.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Trafford Park Printers, the Manchester newspaper works jointly owned by The Guardian and the Telegraph Group, is on the verge of signing a huge order for Muller Martini mailing and inserting equipment to cope with the burgeoning number of...

Rival Envelope seeks buyer.(Rival Envelope Co.)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... The Rival Envelope Company in London SE8 is still looking for buyers after being put into the hands of the joint administrative receivers last week. Creditors have, however, accepted a Company Voluntary Arrangement to pay them back 32p in...

Nyland goes Deluxe.(Nyland Graphics to act as distributor for Deluxe Bostitch)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Nyland Graphics, the finishing supplier in Alfreton, Derbyshire, is now an official agent for Deluxe Bostitch, a company that specialises in the supply of stitching heads and replacement parts for saddlestitching lines. Copyright: United...

Keep on trucking.(ink supplier Sericol renews distribution contract with Hammond Logistics)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Ink supplier Sericol has renewed and restructured its distribution contract with Hammond Logistics. Three Hammond-run trucks deliver Sericol inks throughout the country. Copyright: United Business Media International Ltd.

NUR closes factory.(NUR Macroprinters)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Israeli wide-format digital manufacturer NUR Macroprinters is closing its factory in Boston, US, and consolidating its American operations to a single site in San Antonio, Texas. NUR, which has said it wants to be the consolidator in the wide...

Warehouse expansion.(for Gardners Books)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Specialist book wholesaler Gardners Books has expanded its Eastbourne warehouse with the opening of a new bulk store and goods arrival store. It has also installed powered accumulation conveyors from Excel, the materials handling group. ...

JCM retained but 85 jobs will go.(Littlewoods will not sell JCM Media, but will lay off 85 people)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Littlewoods is to make 85 people redundant following a backtrack on its plans to sell JCM Media, the Liverpool direct mail and printing operation. However, a new focus on direct mail will lead to the creation of 42 new jobs, taking staff...

Lotem limbers up.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Greenshires will become the first UK printer to work with the top of the range CreoScitex Lotem Quantum when its takes delivery of the platesetter in ten days' time. The company confirmed the order at Northprint, but has still to finalise...

Digital print for Pims.(Pims buys digital print firm DaCosta Print and Finishing)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... North London digital print firm DaCosta Print & Finishing, and its marketing arm The Book Factory have been bought by Pims, a #27m turnover firm in Islington. DaCosta has been moved from Highbury and integrated into the Pims operation,...

Press blow for Xeikon.(Xeikon N.V. having problems getting its CSP 320D press to market)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 7, 2001... Xeikon is putting a brave face on technical problems that have all but halted deliveries of its CSP 320D press and dealt a major blow to its cashflow. Although Xeikon originally promised that the CSP press would be commercially available...

Screen celebrates.(sales rise in 1st-quarter 2001)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Screen has celebrated its most successful ctp sales last quarter, with orders worth more than #3m. Eighteen of the 25 ctp installations are PlateRite 4000 or PlateRite 8000 systems, which, according to Screen, emphasises the increasing...

Service in Durham.(Prontaprint franchise)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Prontaprint's Durham centre has achieved internal corporate accounts accreditation which was presented to franchisees Giles and Nancy Radford, thanks to its business communications services. The centre recently achieved a one hour turnround...

Danka refinances.(Danka Business Systems PLC)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Danka Business Systems in the US anticipates that it will close the refinancing of its senior bank debt and complete the sale of Danka Services International to Pitney Bowes for $290m in cash by June. The money will be used to reduce and...

Sakurai UK first.(printer installs first Oliver 458EII press from Sakurai in UK)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... The president of Sakurai, the mayor of Waverley and local MP Virginia Bottomley were among guests at a small printer in Farnham to officially unveil a new press - the first Oliver 458EII in the UK. The four-colour press has been installed...

Waddies saves jobs at Polton.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Polton Press, the Lasswade, near Edinburgh, print business which went into receivership on March 20, has been bought by Waddies. The deal was sealed for an undisclosed sum with receivers Gordon Christie and Iain Watters of accountancy firm...

Record Goss buy by Johnston Press.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Following the news of a #43m press upgrade investment (Printing World, March 26), Johnston Press has revealed that it has purchased a record 56 units of Goss Universal 70 press equipment for its sites at Portsmouth and Peterborough. ...

Cameron Linn changes to Heidelberg.(print shop Cameron Linn adds another machine from Heidelberg)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Glasgow carton printer Cameron Linn is on its way to becoming a completely Heidelberg house with the recent installation of a Speedmaster CD 102-6LX with full Logistics, interdeck uv coater and Heidelberg prepress Image Control. This is...

Komori expertise.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... David Jarrett, the former sales manager of Drent UK and West Park Graphics, has set up DDJ Graphics, a one-man used machinery business that will specialise in Komoris. Mr Jarrett spent 17 years with Komori prior to joining Drent, and it is this...

Champion cuts deal.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Champion Industries, the US commercial printing and office supply company, has signed a strategic alliance with Xpedx, supplier of paper and graphic arts supplies to distribute paper products. Copyright: United Business Media International...

Blanket approval.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Western Newspaper Printers, the Northcliffe-owned factory in Bristol, hopes to cut down on paper waste with the arrival of Baldwin Impact Global blanket cleaners for all 64 cylinders on its Goss HT70 presses. The Baldwin product is already...

Mailtech's City buy.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Mailtech, a Peterborough mailing house, has brought the 50-year-old City Ruling Company in London to have its own print capacity for the first time. CRC, which has three staff, used to just print ruled paper but now prints stationery and...

Broglia goes for `batting power'.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Poole company Broglia Press can now claim to be one of the biggest B1 sheetfed printers in the south of England following its acquisition of Drogher Press, located 15 miles away in Christchurch. The takeover will create a 140-man operation...

Paperloop purchases exhibition.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... US Internet paper network Paperloop has purchased the Paper Summit exhibition owned by the Technical Association for the Pulp & Paper Industry (Tappi) for an undisclosed amount. Established in the 1960s, the pulp and paper industry...

Speedy Phoenix.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Eastern Counties Newspapers, the independent regional newspaper group, has installed two Agfa Phoenix 2250 imagesetters at its Ipswich factory to feed its Tribune press. The media group publishes more than 100 titles, including 62 daily...

Highest print profit margins.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... It is no surprise that label printer David Instance was at No 268 in the Sunday Times Rich List last month: his company Inprint Systems (formerly David J Instance) has a higher profit margin than any other British printer, according to a new...

Profitable paper.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Swedish papermaker Holmen is enjoying a rise in Q1 profits from Skr605m to Skr699m, with sales up from Skr641m to Skr703m. "Market conditions for newsprint and magazine paper were still good, and Holmen Paper's order situation remained strong,"...

BASF inks suffer.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 7, 2001... BASF has suffered a fall in the profits it makes from inks, the company's first quarter results show. Thanks to rising raw material costs, profits in the colorants and finishing products division fell by 44.5% in the quarter, opposed to an...

Global situation.(Global Graphics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 7, 2001... Reflecting on a 6.5% fall in first quarter profits Global Graphics, the owner of Harlequin and ICG in the UK, is aiming to reach a 15% profit margin by the end of 2001 through increased prices and job cuts. Global's sales have increased by 17%...

Epson cuts back.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 7, 2001... Epson is shedding 500 jobs at its factory in Hillsboro, Oregon over the next six months because of falling printer prices and "global economic factors," according to the company. Only 250 jobs will be left at the site, which has been open for...

Xeikon sales suffer after Xerox withdrawal.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 7, 2001... Xeikon's sales have fallen sharply in the first quarter from $40.6m to $33.6m, with colour equipment sales dropping fastest of all, from $14.3m to $8.8m, mainly because of Xerox's decision to buy no Xeikon presses this year. Losses have...

Indigo sees sales increase by 13%.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... In sharp contrast to rival Xeikon, Indigo increased its sales by 19% to $42.6m in the first quarter and has seen net losses fall from $4.1m to $3.5m in the first quarter. The growing popularity of the UltraStream 2000 press will bring much...

Steady profits for Quebecor.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 7, 2001... Weeks after announcing the closure of two US factories at the cost of 1,000 jobs, Quebecor has announced another steady increase in profits. Profits in the first quarter of 2001 rose 13% to $42.5m, up from $37.6m a year ago. However, sales...

Havelock hit by PoS cuts.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 7, 2001... Havelock Europa, the point-of-sale and retail interiors company, is suffering a big fall in point-of-sale business, where sales were down 18% in 2000. Two of Havelock Europa's major customers, which have not been named but are believed to...

Jobs go at Donnelley.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... RR Donnelley has confirmed that it will close its Des Moines, Iowa, printing works, which employs nearly 800 people, in July 2002 (Printing World, April 2). Production will be transitioned gradually to other factories. The Des Moines...

Spotlight on Donprint.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... The future of Donprint, the Scottish label printer in East Kilbride owned by US group Worldmark, has been placed under the spotlight following the closure of Motorola's Bathgate factory with the loss of 3,100 jobs (Printing World, last week)....

Magazine merger blocked down under.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... PMP and Independent Print Media Group, two of Australia's largest printers, have had their proposed merger blocked by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission because of the anti-competitive effect it could have on commercial printing...

Appointment of liquidators.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... * GBR Business Services Ltd Printer. Liquidator: T Papanicola, Langley & Partners, Langley House, Park Road, East Finchley, London N2 8EX * MMP Mail Order Ltd Previous company name: Green House Publishing Ltd and Sedvicta Ltd, Active Lives...

More for Ricoh.(digital cameras)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2001... Ricoh UK's digital camera range will be available via its 350-strong dealer channel, says the company. The RDC-6000, RDC-7 and RDCi-700 will become part of the range for dealers enabling them to add further value to sales or to help introduce...

Colourgen Guidelines.(Colourgen and Guideline Distribution agreement)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... UK distributor of large format digital printing solutions, Colourgen, has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Guideline Distribution for the BestColor Rip when bundled with the Epson Stylus Pro range of wide format printers....

Security service.(Mullis Morgan hires Keyfort)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Internet security service provider Keyfort has been taken on by Mullis Morgan, the publishing and new media services supplier, to secure its leased line Internet connection and to interlink its four sites using Virtual Private Networking. The...

Dalim settles on Linux and debuts with Swing.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2001... Dalim is converting to Linux, the Open Source version of Unix that is considered the most robust and economic operating system available. Its new Swing product, a prepackaged set of workflows based on the successful Twist application is the...

Designed for photographs.(new digital printer)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2001... Mitsubishi Electric Europe has launched a high speed digital printer that delivers photo size prints without borders, designed for mini-labs and professional photographers. The CP8000DW claims to be the fastest printer in its class,...

PrintChannel deal.(PrintChannel.com)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... London print management company Quddos has begun using PrintChannel in a bid to reduce future costs. Quddos hopes the ProductionWeb and OrderWeb software will enable it to build client-facing e-procurement sites linked to back-end...

Ikono in focus.(Bunzl Fine Paper to focus on marketing this line)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Bunzl Fine Paper has begun concentrating its marketing efforts on the Zanders Ikono coated art paper range. The paper was first introduced by Zanders in 1967 at the Gohrsmuhle mill. The gloss, silk, silk ivory and matt finishes will be...

IP mill closure.(International Paper Co.)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... International Paper's US Moss Point bleached board mill which has one machine and employs 375 people is to close this summer due to high costs. Newell Holt, vice president and general manager Bleached Board Business, says: "The mill simply can...

Capital idea.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Premier Paper is giving users of its newly launched Elements range the chance to win a weekend break for two to Edinburgh. By answering a question on the Elements website, at www.paper.co.uk/elements the winner will be given the chance to visit...

Out and about.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... The Robert Horne Group treated employees and families from Birmingham design and print company Jones & Palmer to a day out at Alton Towers to promote its Mondial range. Copyright: United Business Media International Ltd.

StoraEnso sales stable despite weak demand.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... StoraEnso's financial review for the period from January to March 2001 was good despite continuing weak paper markets. Sales were E3.6bn, similar to the last quarter while operating profit was up 19% on the previous quarter to E523m. ...

Conqueror update.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Arjo Wiggins has relaunched its traditional Conqueror brand with the range now divided into five sub-categories aimed at different market sectors and end users. Iridescent versions, finishes, contemporary textures and ultra smooth sheets...

Silken is Hyway choice.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Sappi Nash Mills' Silken paper has been selected by Hyway Printing Group for the reproduction of the creative images included in the fourth edition IT boxed set from Wild Publishing. The set of album cover-sized brochures includes...

Howard Smith ON course.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Howard Smith Paper is now distributing a new brand of offset paper for improved print quality. ON is a standard paper for everyday printing in a high-white smooth finish. It is available in Offset and Business versions, of which offset...

Paper sampling.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Bunzl Fine Paper has opened a paper sampling unit for designers in the north-west of England. The company's distribution site in Preston will provide samples and dummies for customers who channel their requests through the Liverpool and...

Complement on the Net.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Using the Internet to complement printed literature effectively can be a difficult task, but this was the brief Mercedes Benz recently gave to E-fact, a London design consultancy. The aim of the project was to promote the manufacturer's A...

T&W comes up trumps with food.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Foreign Minister Robin Cook was not the first person to use food as a symbol for the positive impact of multiculturalismin the UK. Trickett & Webb, the internationally renowned London design agency, hit upon the same idea a few months...

PPL-Adobe awards.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... PPL, the print and communications group, has teamed up with software giant Adobe to launch the PPL-Adobe Design Awards. PPL, which has headquarters in Reading and 18 centres in the UK, has developed the competition to highlight local...

Bike book brief.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Phil Carter, a director of designer Carter Wong Tomlin, made life interesting for one printer recently when he produced a book made up entirely of bicycle symbols painted on roads. As a designer and a keen cyclist, Mr Carter carries a...

Prone to Outburst.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Robert Horne is showcasing a selection of some of the UK's best design work in an eye-catching publication called Outburst. The principal aim is to promote the ways in which Robert Horne's range of printing materials are being used by the UK...

Photobition fallout.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Eddie Marchbanks has gone from having the world at his feet to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders By Tony Brown The hunter has turned into the hunted. Photobition, the darling of the display graphics industry for most of the...

Credit where credit's due.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... When dealing with customers it pays to check, check and check again By ICSM partner Ian Carrotte An angry printer recently contacted me having discovered, too late, that his customer was actually a bankrupt sole trader. The debtor had the...

Imaging sleeves.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 7, 2001... ThermoFlex, CreoScitex's wide web flexo platesetter, is being developed so that it can image sleeves. CreoScitex (+32 23 52 28 47) says the sleeve option for the ThermoFlex will be available in 12-18 months, and devices bought today will be...

Southend tuf guise.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Britton Mailing, Southend-on-Sea (01702 468976), has launched a new range of super strength Polylope envelopes as part of its Millennium range. The Polytuf envelopes are designed to offer extra protection to items being sent by post or courier....

Buying British.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Polestar's Varnicoat gravure factory has begun using two multi- direction reach trucks from Sidetracker Engineering in Clowne, Derbyshire (01246 810655). They are capable of carrying 4.5m long printing cylinders. Copyright: United Business...

Small barcoding.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Datamax, a thermal barcode printer manufacturer with UK offices in Harlow (01279 772200), has added the E-4304 to its product range. It is a small device with 300dpi resolution that can be used for various on demand applications besides...

Agfa goes under the microscope.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Agfa claims to be producing better quality plates at its factory in Leeds after installing an imaging system capable of showing microscopic details from each plate. Auto-Montage, a microscopy system from Syncroscopy, Leeds, comprises a...

VersaMark fast and variable data.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... A digital print specialist in Israel has become the first printer in the world to install a VersaMark Business Colour Press from Scitex Digital Printing. Although there are questions about the quality of the print, the verdict from the...

Pile turners meet demand.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... A range of pile turners is being launched by Intech Machinery, Morden. Engineered for demanding print production, the machines combine robust construction with ergonomic design. There are eight models in the range and they can be augmented...

Inks for vinyl and plastic.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Starna Industries has launched two ranges of inks designed for litho and letterpress printers producing labels. UVF.P/S ink has been designed specifically for plastic and vinyl products. The Romford firm says they have high colour,...

Cava claims versatility.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Cava (UK) of Featherstone, West Yorkshire, has launched a standalone pick and place product feeder called the Sigma. The greatest strength of the system is said to be its versatility. Because it is a standalone system, it can be used for a...

Duplo launch.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Duplo-BPS has launched a suction folder called the Foldmaster 235. It is available as a standalone unit and has a folding capacity of up to 30,000 A4 sheets an hour for sheet sizes from 90x120m and up to 350x630mm for six-page A4 leaflets. ...

Going, going, gone.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2001... Auction dotcom sites are now under the hammer, so diversification would seem to be the name of the game for the survivors By Tony Brown A Hyundai billboard recently hit the mark. The glib advertising copy for its latest car read:...