28.12.2007
 CEPI organises workshop

The Confederation of European Paper Industries is planning a new workshop on implementing the Reach regulations, which replace more than 40 existing directives and regulations on the use of chemicals across Europe.
The workshop, aimed at representatives of pulp and paper companies and mills, will run on 30 January in Brussels and update participants on developments in the implementation of Reach (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals).
Under Reach, manufacturers and importers are required to gather information on properties of their substances, which will be used to advise safety measures, and to register the information in a central database.
The workshop will cover registration needs, in light of the fact that pre-registration of substances starts from 1 June 2008, exemptions from registration, the use of intermediates, the status of Substance Identification Exchange and pre-registration, as well as consortia formation and management.
The workshop will also encourage contact building and liaison between company representatives and staff members of the national organisations that will implement the regulations.
Reach is an EU regulation rather than a directive, which means it will apply in all member states immediately without local legislation.
The deadline for workshop registration is 21 December.

28.12.2007
 Captaris buys ODT

Océ has announced it is to sell its Océ Document Technologies (ODT) to US firm Captaris in a deal worth nearly 23 million euros. The cash deal is expected to be completed in January 2008.
ODT provides software and solutions for document capture, text recognition and document classification and achieved revenues of approximately 22.7 million euros in 2007.
Rokus van Iperen, chief executive of Océ said that the document arm was "too far removed from our core business" and that the sale would allow Captaris to "fully develop its expertise in intelligent document recognition technologies".
Océ recently announced it is to embark on a "Document Services Valley" project, but said that despite the company name, the loss of the Document Technologies division would not affect the initiative.
The company said the sale is will not to impact Océ's 2009 results onwards and is expected to have a positive impression on the company's first quarter 2008 financials.
The 180-staff group has sites in Germany, US, Belgium and Switzerland.

27.12.2007
 UPM and Sveza Group join forces

Finnish forest industry group UPM and Russian Sveza Group have signed a letter of intent to form a joint venture company, and to make a final investment decision after finalising the feasibility study on a state-of-the-art forest industry facility in the Vologda region of Northwest Russia. Each party would hold 50 percent of the joint venture’s share capital. The planned industrial complex includes a modern pulp mill, a sawmill and an OSB building panels mill in the community of Sheksna, in the southern part of Vologda. The planned capacity of the pulp mill would be 800,000 metric tonnes, the sawmill 300,000 cubic meters and the OSB mill 450,000 cubic meters. "This wide-scale project is really a national one and has a tremendous impact on the development of the Russian economy as a whole and the Vologda region in particular. It will help to utilise the Russian forest resources more efficiently based on the latest technology," claimed Alexey Mordashov, the owner of Sveza. "Russia plays an important part in UPM's global growth strategy. Since 2004, UPM has actively investigated new openings in Russia," says UPM's President and CEO Jussi Pesonen. The total investment in the facilities would exceed EUR 1.0 billion. When fully operational, the new Sheksna mills would employ approximately 650 persons, while the indirect employment benefit in the region would total thousands of jobs. Sheksna is located in the southern part of Vologda, a region of abundant forest resources. The Vologda forests have a growing stock of close to one billion cubic meters of sustainable capacity.

27.12.2007
 Suez acquires germany's BellandVision

Energy company Suez said that its environmental unit bought BellandVision GmbH, a German licensing and service company for recycling manufacturing and retail packaging. Financial details were not disclosed. Suez Environnement now holds 68.4 percent of the shares of BellandVision. "In a German waste market that is booming and particularly in the packaging segment, which is growing and is already valued at euro1.5 billion, this latest step enables Suez Environnement to position itself in a key segment of the waste sector," Suez said in a statement. BellandVision, whose 2007 gross revenues are estimated at 35 million euros, operates a packaging recycling contribution system with 100 large-scale retail companies and 1,800 manufacturers.

26.12.2007
 Adobe PDF becomes international standard

Adobe PDF 1.7 is to become an international standard, in a move that could lead to "confusion" for the print industry and affect printers bidding for corporate and government contracts.
An International Organisation for Standardisation ballot approved the file format as ISO 32000, in response to continued pressure from Microsoft's XPS format, open-source format ODF and corporate and government clamouring for standardisation.
Adobe, which opened up the full PDF 1.7 spec to enterprise content management association AIIM in January, has stolen a march on Microsoft, which released rival format XML Paper Specification (XPS) to a standards committee in July.
Adobe marketing manager John Bedford said the move marked "a positive step for the print industry" and would lead to "a broader adoption of PDF" and "accelerate innovation" while ensuring the format met "the unique needs of the print industry".
PDF 1.7 has passed all the hurdles and will officially become ISO 32000 around mid-2008.

26.12.2007
 Fedrigoni launches Hi-Kard

Fedrigoni has launched Hi-Kard, a new collection which has three product types including a range of smooth cards from the Sirio collection (pictured).
Available in the colours of the Sirio Color range, the cards have been branded Sirio Kard.

21.12.2007
 UPM and SCA reduce costs

Two of Europe's biggest paper manufacturers have pointed to broad jobs cuts and downgrading capacity as rising raw materials costs play havoc with margins.
Finnish paper and pulp giant UPM-Kymmene has cut 450,000 tonnes of magazine paper capacity at its Miramichi mill in Canada, which had been on temporary shutdown since August, with the site's 580 employees to go.
Magazine papers president Jyrki Ovaska said the firm had looked at ways to make the mill viable throughout the closure, but that "the current business environment leaves us no options".
UPM has also announced a string of temporary closures, including one paper machine at its Kajaani mill in Finland and another at Steyrermühl, Austria with a reduction of 250,000 tonnes of newsprint capacity, as well as machines at two label paper plants in Finland and a coating line in Melbourne, Australia.
A total of 680 UPM employees will to lose their jobs.
Meanwhile, Swedish paper maker SCA has announced it will restructure to cut up to 300,000 tonnes of paper capacity in its European packaging operations as it shifts focus to its tissue offerings.
The move, which will not affect its publications paper division, leaves as many as 1,700 jobs hanging in the balance.
SCA has three magazine papers and newsprint mills, including partly owned Aylesford Newsprint in the UK, as well as plants in Ortviken, Sweden and Laakirchen, Austria, which have a total capacity of 1.8m tonnes of publication papers.

21.12.2007
 Quark releases integration tips

Quark has created an online book that highlights how its design software can be integrated with arch rival Adobe’s Creative Suite 3.
The book details how Adobe applications including Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Flash can work in conjunction with QuarkXPress 7.
Quark spokesman Marc Horne said: “QuarkXPress now has better integration with Adobe Creative Suite than ever before and this free book highlights how users can leverage all applications to improve their design experience.”
The book ends with a comparison table that evaluates how well QuarkXPress and InDesign CS3 integrate with Creative Suite applications.
According to Quark, both applications integrate “equally well” with CS3.

20.12.2007
 PaperCo moves 9lives manufacture to Arjo

PaperCo has revealed plans to move production of its 9lives coated recycled paper supply to Arjowiggins, dropping previous manufacturer Burgo Group.
The paper merchant said the move would improve the FSC-certified paper’s carbon footprint, as it would no longer travel from Burgo’s Italian mills, instead being imported from one of French-owned Arjowiggins’ domestic sites.
9lives’ FSC accreditation will be retained and for every tonne of 9lives 55 and 80 produced, the mill will process an equivalent amount of recycled fibre from post-consumer UK waste.
No specific reasons for the move have been made public. However, PaperCo marketing director Bob Ide said: “This move adds significant environmental benefits to our 9lives coated recycled paper and board range and meaningful improvements to the physical characteristics of both 9lives 80 and 9lives 55.”
Arjowiggins produces Maine Gloss, Chromomat and Satimat Silk ranges of paper. It is now working with PaperCo to develop the 9lives product further and the merchant has provided enhanced whiteness, surface smoothness, bulk and rigidity.
The new product will be available from February, when stocks of the current version will be cleared.

20.12.2007
 Fuji launches eco roadshow

Fuji is to run a UK-wide environmental roadshow in February, with a focus on how green printing can be cost effective.
Envirowise, WRAP and Print and Media Certification will all be involved in the roadshow. Graham Leeson, Fujifilm marketing manager, said the events would give “expert, impartial advice” on the green agenda.

19.12.2007
 drupa targets print buyers

For the first time, drupa 2008, print media trade fair, will offer a special event for print buyers: the drupacube. Just as in the other 19 exhibition halls, the spotlight at drupacube will also be on printed products, with one key difference: at drupacube, the focus will be on marketing-driven applications for printed products; the technology that makes this possible will play a secondary role. This gives marketing and publishing directors, production managers, account executives and creative directors the possibility to get a compact overview of the potential of printing in the marketing mix. “With this tool, we intend to attract print buyers to drupa in greater numbers. Undoubtedly, many of the exhibitors also have products catering to this target group. But at a technology trade fair such as drupa, this type of information is often in danger of being overshadowed,” explained Manuel Mataré, drupa project director.
The drupacube will feature symposia and workshops on a variety of topics, each day dedicated to a specific topic (for example one day will be dedicated to newspapers and/or magazines, another day to direct marketing, catalogues and corporate communications). Also planned are cross-sector symposia addressing themes such as brand protection, green printing and the relationship between the arts and print.To ensure this, the relevant associations have been asked to assist with the planning and design. The following associations have already committed to the project: the German Direct Marketing Association (DDV), Forum Corporate Publishing (FCP) and the media production association (f:mp). Newspaper, magazine and free sheet publishers have also given their support to the concept. In addition, the drupa organizers are consulting with numerous drupa exhibitors on how their print-buyer-relevant information can be combined with the presentations in the drupacube.
The drupacube will be located in a pavilion off the fairgrounds but in its immediate vicinity, in front of the Congress Center South.

19.12.2007
 Alpha Colour Printers moves into digital

Alpha Colour Printers has made its first foray into digital printing after investing in a four-colour Konica Minolta Bizhub press.
The Gloucester-based company made the "six-figure" investment on the Bizhub Pro C6500e to expand capacity and improve efficiency of short-run work.
Managing director Jeff Williams told that it "was definitely the right time" to invest in digital and the press was "a whole new way of working".
"We're all amazed with the quality and output of the press. We've already produced 100,000 sheets since it was installed four weeks ago," Welling added.
The ISO 14001-accredited company has also been impressed with the environmental qualities of the new machine.
The Bizhub Pro C6500e produces 6,500 A4 impressions per hour with a target output volume of up to 200,000 pages per month on substrates up to 300gsm.
The 50-staff firm also includes two B2 Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 74s, a five-colour perfector and a five-colour with in-line coater.

18.12.2007
 Sequana grows pulp capacity

Sequana Capital, the owner of Arjowiggins and Antalis, is aiming to strengthen its influence in the eco-friendly coated paper market by buying one of Europe’s leading pulp manufacturers.
The acquisitive French group has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire Greenfield, a recycled paper pulp producer with capacity of 130,000 tonnes per year. It is currently owned by Can¬adian group Cascades.
The acquisition of the French firm is expected to complete early in the new year and follows Sequana’s purchase in August of Dalum Papir, the Danish recycled paper manufacturer.
Arjowiggins, which already has two de-inking plants in France and Denmark, hopes the acquisition will position it at the forefront of high-end coated paper production.
It has developed and is producing a new generation of products in the area, notably Maine Gloss Green and Satimat Green, which are manufactured at the Wizernes and Bessé plants.
Arjowiggins chief executive Charles Dehelly said the acquisition was part of a strategy to reposition the firm in growing “value-added” markets.
“Through this expansion, we will be able to step up the pace of expansion of our green product range,” he said.

18.12.2007
 Print adds influence to web audiences

Readers of printed and online news are more influential than general web surfers, according to a survey conducted for the Newspaper National Network.
Those that read print and online versions of newspapers influence 18 people per week, claimed the reports, 52% more than web users who don't peruse look at newspapers in either print or digital forms.
They are also 82% more likely to be early adopters of new products and technologies, making them a key target for advertisers.
Ed Keller, chief executive of the market research firm Keller Fay Group and co-author of The Influentials, said: "There are billions of conversations every day, and newspapers and their websites are a powerful catalyst to word of mouth interactions.
"Newspaper publishers should work more creatively with their advertisers to find ways to engage this highly influential audience in word of mouth conversation, both online as well as offline. The impact could be dramatic."

17.12.2007
  Austrian RoK receives honours

Rondo Ganahl AG from Austria recently received a “2007 Innoward” in silver for its implementation of direct offset printing on corrugated board. These awards are presented annually by the Chamber of Commerce of the Austrian state of Styria to commend outstanding uses of innovative technologies. At the same time, the company was also nominated for a “State Prize for Exemplary Packaging”, awarded annually by the Austrian Institute of Packaging. Rondo Ganahl submitted a corrugated wine presentation box, which according to the jury combined an ingenious design with full product visibility, while ensuring optimum protection for the contents and simple handling. Rondo Ganahl has been running a six-colour Rapida 142 coater press at its subsidiary RoK in St. Ruprecht an der Raab for over a year now. This press was configured specifically for direct printing on corrugated boards up to a thickness of 1.6 mm. As pile changes at both feeder and delivery are extremely frequent when working with such substrates, an automated pile logistics system takes care of the necessary productivity. Compared to the flexo alternative, direct offset printing permits RoK to achieve a higher print quality with finer gradations. Since commissioning the Rapida 142 a year ago, RoK has already produced a multitude of high-quality corrugated packaging for top-flight customers from the most varied branches. Revenue has also been increased significantly. Compared to the conventional lamination process, which necessarily involves a second process step, direct offset printing on corrugated board brings clear economic benefits for many applications.

17.12.2007
  Heidelberg offers cost saving advice

Heidelberg has announced a series of technical tutorials for users of its Prinect PrePress Interface, which links its presses to workflow systems. The trio of dates will focus on how users can get more out of their CIP 3/CIP 4 connectivity, including enhanced presetting and reporting. Visitors will also be able to preview version 4 of the PrePress interface, due for release in 2008. The tutorials will be held free of charge at Heidelberg's showrooms, starting in Leeds on 29 January, Tamworth on 30 January and ending in Brentford on 31 January. Customer services marketing manager Bob Higgins said: “We anticipate a good turnout of pressroom managers for these seminars because an estimated 40-60% of press makeready time is spent adjusting colour, so the potential speed and cost savings of fast presetting and print colour management are enormous.”

14.12.2007
 Océ unveils new printers

Océ has set its sights on domination of the on-demand book market following the launch of four new digital presses. At the unveiling of the new Océ VarioStream 9710 at the company’s German manufacturing plant in Poing, near Munich, executive director Josef Simmerl said the prin¬ter was breaking boundaries in digital book production. The addition to the monochrome VarioStream 9000 family promises to increase productivity of earlier models by up to 80%, with the machine printing at 1,425 2-up A4 pages per minute. Océ has teamed up with Muller Martini to provide an all-in-one on-demand book printing system. Launched in 2004, the Muller Martini SigmaLine was the first fully integrated system offering prepress through to the finished, perfect bound or saddle-stitched product. Digital printing currently accounts for 6% of the total book printing market. This figure is expected to soar to 25% by 2015. Driving this growth is the increasingly cost effective printing methods offered by companies such as Océ. The book market currently accounts for around 600bn pages a year. However, 3% of titles account for over 50% of the total market, with 10% accounting for 90% of the total book sales in the UK. Simmerl said the new VarioStream series would enable digital printing to be more efficient and cost-effective than web-offset up to a print run of 3,000. With the average UK print run now down to 5,030, Océ believes the new system will be a key player in the on-demand book market. Simmerl’s comments came as Océ unveiled its new Océ JetStream and Océ VarioPrint 8000 and showcased the European premiere of the Océ ColorStream 10000. The company believes the new machines will reinforce its position as the market leader in direct mail printing, as well as breaking new ground in other markets.

14.12.2007
 Extensis releases update

Extensis has released a free update to its single-user font management application, Suitcase Fusion. Version 12.1.7 will automatically adjust system settings for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard users, rather than requiring them to be changed manually. In addition, the update ensures Leopard’s new system fonts can be managed via Suitcase Fusion’s Manage System Fonts feature.

13.12.2007
 Konica presents a raft of printers

Konica Minolta has launched a host of network-ready colour and monochrome printers. The products include four colour laser printers, Magi-color 8650DN, Magicolor 4650DN, Magicolor 4650EN and Magicolor 2590MF, and two monochrome laser printers, Pagepro 5650EN and Pagepro 4650EN, both aimed at large workgroups and high-demand environments. The US-based company’s vice president, product planning and marketing, Kevin P Kern, said: “Our newest Magicolor and Pagepro products provide our customers with all the workflow tools they need to implement digital imaging throughout their department or organisation, as well as an aggressive total cost of total ownership program that is comparable with our competitors.”

13.12.2007
 Heidelberg reveals pre-Drupa release

Heidelberg has confirmed a long-perfecting version of its XL 105 flagship B1 press will be available for some customers before Drupa. Machines are already being beta tested, including one at an undisclosed UK operation. The long expected and hinted-at machine was confirmed at the firm's 10th annual end-of-year press conference at the Heidelberg headquarters yesterday (6 December). The launch of a perfecting XL 105 will not mean the end of the hugely successful 102P series, which will remain to address applications and markets that don't demand the XL's higher productivity. The soft launch of the long perfector came as chief executive Bernhard Scheier said the firm wouldn't wait for shows to launch products. "There is no need for customers to hesitate," said Schreier. "We've opened the curtain before Drupa. We already said two years ago about the VLF presses. There will not be a new machine at Drupa that has never been seen before. It's not fair for the customer any more. There should be no surprises." Schreier said that innovation cycles in products were getting too quick to hold back for a big show every four years.

12.12.2007
 Domino launches DSL Plus Laser Coders

Domino has launched its new DSL plus range of laser coders. This is the latest in a series of launches for the Domino plus programme, an initiative that is being rolled out across the entire portfolio, including the S-Series plus laser products. Furthermore, the DSL plus has the widest mark window and duty cycle performance in its class, providing numerous options for complex code, real time data, and track & trace applications without compromising speed or up time. Supported by Domino's global sales and service network, the range includes three models, boasting 10W, 30W and 55W lasers respectively. In addition, all DSL plus models are available in a pharma version that is 21 CFR part 11 and GAMP compliant with a complete validation package if required. Thorsten Foecking, Product Director for Domino's laser product range, comments, "The new DSL plus scribing laser range demonstrates our absolute commitment to helping our customers enhance their business opportunities through improved overall equipment effectiveness. Domino's laser range is unmatched in breadth, capabilities and reliability. The new DSL plus and S-Series scribing laser ranges, along with the proven DDC range of dot matrix lasers, afford customers the ultimate in laser coding flexibility and performance. "

12.12.2007
 FESPA World Expo India unveiled

FESPA has launched a major new digital wide-format printing exhibition, called FESPA Digital Printing India, which will take place in Mumbai at the Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), 14th – 16th December 2008. FESPA Digital Printing India has been developed in response to the fast-growing digital imaging market in the region. FESPA aims to exceed 2000 sqm of exhibition space for the Digital show and also plans to run a Digital Conference alongside the show. Frazer Chesterman, managing director of FESPA, says, "After speaking with some of the larger digital manufacturers in India - HP, Gandi and Aqua Tints it became apparent that there was a need for a purely digital printing exhibition in India. We will draw on our experience from launching the hugely successful FESPA India in 2005 and hope that the show has a similar impact in the marketplace. However, FESPA's aim is not purely to be an exhibition organiser but to reinvest funds into the region's industry in many different ways, providing printers with the support they need to be profitable."

11.12.2007
 KBA debates brand protection

A select audience of some 50 trade professionals from Germany, Austria and Switzerland were brought up to speed on the latest advances in print-based brand protection at a forum organised by German paper wholesaler Schneidersöhne at KBA’s Radebeul showroom. In view of the increasing sophistication with which luxury goods, pharmaceuticals and other products are being counterfeited, brand protection is a burning issue. Addressing the impact of pirate copies upon the economy and, in the case of pharmaceuticals, on people, the speakers discussed the options available for brand protection on the substrate, via the inks and coatings and in the actual process of printing. Practical examples and demonstrations were used to illustrate the possibilities. Christoph Weinert, head of technical quality management at Schneidersöhne, focused on security features in the papermaking process. He explained that every papermaking machine has its own “fingerprint”, so it is possible to ascertain with a high degree of accuracy which machine was used to produce a specific substrate. The manufacture of coated paper and board in consumer qualities affords very few options for counterfeit protection. The only possibilities are watermarks, fluorescent mottled fibres, iridescent ink strips, security threads, holograms and embossing. Jutta Birkenhauer of Curtis Fine Papers outlined a concept for design paper which united prestige and security. Every sheet of A4 Veritas stock is numbered to make it unique. In addition the paper can also incorporate other security features, among them hologram strips, invisible security strips, watermark lines or a hologram seal. Hans Peter Seyer of Flint Group examined ink systems affording counterfeit protection. The two-day event concluded with the production on a Rapida 142 six-colour coater press of some luxury packaging incorporating multiple security features which the print pundits proceeded to track down with the aid of decoder lenses and black-light lamps.

11.12.2007
 Torraspapel publishes summary report

Torraspapel, part of the Lecta Group, places at its customers’ disposal a new brochure with summarised information on its principal environmental achievements. The company published its 2006 Environmental Report, in keeping with the commitment set forth in 2004 to make periodical progress reports on the reduction of the environmental impact of its business activity. In this report, Torraspapel reiterates its concern for sustainable development and tracks its progress towards accomplishing the commitments it set out to fulfil, in addition to setting new challenges for the future. The publication of the 2006 Environmental Summary Report represents yet another step forward in information transparency through greater dissemination of Torraspapel’s environmental policy, its goals, commitments and achievements, in addition to the new challenges that the company faces from the standpoint of a real commitment to the environment, working to lay the foundations for a sustainable future. Torraspapel’s 2006 Environmental Summary Report is published in three languages, Spanish, English and French, and will be distributed massively to our stakeholders (customers, suppliers, designers, etc.). It can also be consulted on the website www.torraspapel.com.

10.12.2007
 Remote diagnostics at new levels

UK manufacturer Autobond is launching laminators with wireless webcam and Skype phone facilities, which will give the company the ability to provide customers with instant advice if they are experiencing a problem during production, regardless of where they are situated. “Autobond laminators have incorporated Siemens electronics for years and this has enabled us to offer remote diagnostics facilities using a standard telephone line,” says managing director John Gilmore. “However, we are taking the concept of remote diagnostics to a completely new level. “New laminators will be supplied with a wireless Panasonic Network Camera, which will simply be clipped on to the side of the machine when not in use. When required, the operator can pick up and move the camera around as instructed by the engineer. We will also provide customers with a Skype telephone, which gives free unlimited telephone calls over the Internet to an Autobond engineer. In addition, the system will have a built in microphone and this means that the engineer can listen to the sounds that the various parts of the laminator make, which is extremely valuable in diagnosing problems. The system is wireless, so the equipment is not intrusive in any way and the cost is so little that we will absorb it into the normal selling price, with no increase to customers.

10.12.2007
 New USB 2.0 Controller operates two ports simultaneously

Epson has developed the S1R72V18, the newest product in its S1R72V Series of USB controller LSI products that are compatible with high-speed USB 2.0. The S1R72V18 is the first model in the series to be capable of operating two USB ports simultaneously. The S1R72V Series products already are making it possible for users to connect to computers and download high-volume files at super high speeds, and tap into USB memory to transmit music data at high speeds. In terms of standby power consumption, the S1R72V17 model consumes only 3.9 µW of power during Sleep Mode. Due to their low power consumption and other features, the products have contributed to the development of equipment and mobile terminals for which noise reduction is an extremely important factor.

07.12.2007
 Océ launches high-speed kit

In order to promote the growth of transpromo print, Océ created a new “ultra high-speed” kit of production printers. The JetStream colour inkjet range is useful for personalized and targeted direct marketing. This kit includes the 150 m per minute single-engine JetStream 1100 and the twin-system 2200 machine, which prints at 152 m per minute. As Mal Baboyian, president of production printing systems at Océ North America, said the machines are able to “capture lucrative new business” by offering “significantly higher productivity than competing systems”. The machines are also equipped with Océ’s new IPDS controller to ensure integration into existing workflows and to make applications for variable-data print and transpromo documents simpler.

07.12.2007
 Polestar looks for Euro boost

Polestar pretends to invest in European market growth with a new KBA Compacta 818 press, by expanding the capacity of its Budapest operations. The 356-staff Révai Nyomda, which is specialized in retail material and magazines, will install the machine in summer 2008, for retaining jobs normally printed elsewhere. For László Lázár, managing director of Révai Nyomda, KBA was “the obvious choice for taking the company forward”. The KBA Compacta 818 “expand our lead in the Hungarian market and move up into the European league”, affirms László Lázár. The KBA’s machine has an automatic reel-handing system, a freestanding in-feed unit and four printing units with semi-automatic plate change. It also presents a maximum stock weight of 130 gsm.

06.12.2007
 Quark launches QuarkCopyDesk 7

Quark announced the launch of QuarkCopyDesk 7, Quark’s text and picture editing software designed for writers, editors and others who contribute to publishing workflows. QuarkCopyDesk 7 improves communication throughout the editorial workflow by providing a simple and intuitive work environment and seamless interaction with QuarkXPress 7. Built completely on the award-winning QuarkXPress 7 code base, QuarkCopyDesk 7 enables writers and editors see the same graphic-rich pages that designers see. All attributes, such as colors, article geometry, style sheets, and hyphenation and justification rules, are maintained so that formatted files move easily and accurately between the two applications. QuarkCopyDesk 7 can also exchange text with Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, XPress Tags, HTML and other word processing formats. Any image format supported by QuarkXPress, including native Photoshop files, can be imported to QuarkCopyDesk 7. Pictures can be scaled, cropped, rotated, and flipped. Adjustments to brightness and contrast, as well as blur, mask, and despeckle filters can also be applied – all through easy-to-understand controls in the context-sensitive Measurements. In addition to new functionality, QuarkCopyDesk 7 features XTensions for Notes, which enables users to place comments directly in the text that will travel with the article, and Redlining, which lets multiple users review na article while tracking and highlighting editorial changes.With its proven and easy-to-use authoring environment, writers, editors, and reviewers using QuarkCopyDesk 7 know the precise article geometry, so their revised copy always fits perfectly.

06.12.2007
 Xerox and MGI Digital join forces

Xerox has added a new coater to its European digital finishing range after striking a deal with digital kit manufacturer MGI Digital Graphic Technology.
The supply deal for France-based MGI's UVarnish offline infrared and UV coater is effective immediately, and means that Xerox sales staff can offer the UVarnish alongside its colour printers.
The coater, launched in early 2007, is a push-button UV coater designed for both digital and offset printed paper or plastic substrates, accommodating up to 2,400 sheets per hour and sizes up to 36x52cm. It has an ultrasonic sensor to detect and prevent double feeding, designed to protect personalised variable-data sheets.
The manufacturer claimed the UVarnish is environmentally friendly, due to its ozone-free UV curing technology. Various varnish finishes are available, including matte, glossy and pre-lamination varnish for plastic hot platen lamination, depending on the type of substrate and intended application.
Optional accessories for the UVarnish include a high-capacity feeder and a high-capacity stacker.

05.12.2007
 Flint unveils new ink range

Flint Group has launched a solvent-based ink portfolio for the packaging ink markets. The consumables giant said its European Standard Portfolio of inks offer "maximum technological flexibility" for every application and demand. The product range includes six main technology types and is available as modern building block technology base systems and spot colours. The portfolio includes the PluriRange of nitrocellulose-based ink systems for high-quality gravure work, the FlexiRange for flexographic printing and the MultiRange of PVB-based ink systems formulated for both gravure and flexo printing. Also included are the ElioRange, a set of PVC resin-based ink systems for gravure, the ProRange of CAP-based ink systems for gravure and flexo printing and the SentryRange of products, which include inks, whites, lacquers and primers for the tobacco packaging industry. The range was introduced across the European, Middle East and African region during November 2007.

05.12.2007
 LCD screen uses Xaar's printheads

Xaar's inkjet printheads are being used in a machine to make LCD screens.
Japanese firm Nakan has installed a machine at an unnamed LCD screen manufacturer that is capable of producing screens of up to 1,300x1,500mm, which uses Xaar's 760 printhead.
LCD fabrication has previously used screen and flexo print techniques in its manufacturing process. Xaar claimed the switch to inkjet reduced the amount of materials used and the amount of scrap material produced during manufacture.
"Our relationship with Nakan gives us a foothold in the LCD screen manufacturing sector at a time when many of the major manufacturers are considering moving from analogue to digital deposition technologies in high-volume screen production," said Xaar chief executive Ian Dinwoodie.

04.12.2007
 XChange supplies Markzware's new InDesign tool

London-based distributor XChange International is aiming to simplify the migration of content from Microsoft Publisher to Adobe InDesign by supplying a new plug-in from Markzware. PUB2ID (Microsoft Publisher to Adobe InDesign) allows users to instantly convert content rather than recreating documents from scratch. The plug-in migrates details including page size, positioning, colour models, fonts and styles as well as text attributes, tables, layers, and linked text boxes. The product is compatible with Adobe InDesign editions CS2 and CS3 and Publisher 2002 through to 2007. PUB2ID supports both Mac and Windows platforms and retails for 195 euros.

04.12.2007
 Agfa begins M-Press shipments

Agfa will start commercial shipments of its M-Press from early next year. The high-speed UV-cured inkjet machine, which can also include screen process units and was jointly developed with screen press specialist Thieme, is now in the final stage of testing at five customer sites, including Woolwich-based SMP Group in the UK. From the first quarter of next year, the firm will begin installing machines to customers that pre-ordered it, including many of the UK’s leading display printers. Agfa predicts the potential market for the machine, which competes with Inca’s Onset in the market for printing direct to rigid substrates, is about 3,000-strong worldwide. Sales director for inkjet wide-format printing systems Hans Gerinckx predicted that, of those firms, 50% will have invested in digital technology within three years. He also added that ink costs would fall as more firms adopted the technology.

03.12.2007
 Two million Leopards in a weekend

Apple sold (or delivered in the case of maintenance agreements) over two million copies of Mac OS X Leopard since its release on Friday. Sales included copies sold at Apple’s retail stores, Apple Authorized Resellers, the online Apple Store, under maintenance agreements and bundled with new Mac computers. Leopard is the sixth major release of Mac OS X and is packed with more than 300 new features. “Early indications are that Leopard will be a huge hit with customers,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Leopard’s innovative features are getting great reviews and making more people than ever think about switching to the Mac.” Leopard introduces Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac*; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock; and major enhancements to Mail and iChat.

03.12.2007
 Finland: 150 meters of book manufacturing line

St Michel Print Oy is specializing in printing on thin and ultra thin paper. Using mono-colour technology St Michel Print prints on coated and uncoated substances from 25 to 60 g/m2. Its bindery equipment handles both paperbacks and hardbound books. The product range covers Bibles, New Testaments, hymnbooks, legal publications, professional texts, reference manuals and dictionaries. Over 90% of their production is exported to more than 30 countries. St Michel Print approached EGS with the question to extend, optimise and automate their existing Kolbus casing-in line. The objective was: signatures gathering, book block production with coldglue and gauze, drying, book block splitting and casing-in on the existing Kolbus line. It also had to be possible to use the gatherer as a solo machine for gathering signatures for the sewing machines. For that purpose EGS provided a custom made solution. The line starts with a gatherer of Müller Martini suitable for double production (so-called 2-up), of 24 stations. The gatherer was equipped with a signature recognition system of WST, to make sure that the correct signature is put on the machine on the right position. Via a new 90 degree bend transfer of Solema to a rebuilt Meccanotecnica RALISSA stacker with criss-cross possibility, which was equipped with a modern PLC control system. The gatherer was linked to a SIGLOCH SB 6000 book block production line, consisting of endsheet gluer, double coldglue application with InfraRed (IR) and High Frequency (HF) drying. Next through a double nipping press and (brand-new) Sigloch transport belts with a length of approximately 60 meters to a Wohlenberg book splitter with turning-belt to the existing Kolbus three-knife trimmer and Kolbus Compact 60 casing-in line. In total the books are travelling a total length of approximately 150 meters through this line. The specialists of EGS have rebuilt these machines in their own factory in 's-Hertogenbosch and modified the drives so that all individual machines were synchronised. All machines have been repainted in the new Kolbus colours so that it cannot be distinguished from a brand new line. The installation was also taken care of by the EGS specialists. The first production was a legal book for Norway with a thickness of 80 mm. EGS has already supplied a similar line in Finland.