Printing Industry News Digest July 9, 2010

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 13, the weekly summary of major news stories from the printing, packaging and communication sectors. Published every Friday, PIND incorporates links to the week’s key news stories: every piece of bold, maroon text below can be clicked on to take you to more detail on that particular topic, which will open in a new window.

Big corporate losses have been the flavour of the week almost gone, with Polstar stealing the “crown”, if that’s the right expression, with a £38 million pre-tax loss for its 2009 accounts. This is a company where the “gross profit” sits at £29.1 million (down a third, according to PrintWeek), and it is suggested that the CEO is paid in excess of £900,000 for the year, including bonuses! This week’s information request involves you e-mailing PIND.editor@gmail.com with some good reasons as to why the CEO of any company should be paid bonuses for losing £38 million. Some of the comment attached to this story on printweek.com makes for interesting reading.

In silver medal position this week, but an excellent effort, goes to the Evening Standard, where the loss was only £28.3 million for its first year of trading under the Russian media mogul’s banner. This is less staggering I guess in so far as it does include restructuring costs, including redundancies and the move to a free-sheet model, and also the acquisition itself, costing a suggested £6.7 million.
In what has to be seen as a positive move, BPIF members have voted to exclude pre-packs from membership of the federation. Companies have already been turned away as a result of this decision.

Going back to previous topics, we talked about browsers last week, and suggested that both Chrome and Opera were taking ground from the original breakthrough company Mozilla and its Firefox product. Well, Firefox is fighting back this week with a Beta release of its Firefox 4 browser. However, it might be argued that with tabs on the top row of the browser layout and the traditional menu bar disappearing behind one coloured button, that Opera 10.6 has been more than a slight influence on the new look product! Further tips on how to fiddle with the toolbar are offered from our friends at Lifehacker.

One other Firefox mention: a new extension, Poyozo, offers one simple streamlined way to collecting together all of your various inbox’s in your virtual life. Might be worth a look. Although both Chrome and Safari have jumped onto the extensions train, neither has anything remotely close to the variety and sheer number of optional extra’s that Firefox can offer.

The week before we looked closely at the new Apple iPhone 4. Now as introductions go it’s had a bit of a rocky ride with the signal loss issue especially! Here at PIND we have gone for a Gear4 cover – a two piece full surround, which actually works out less expensive than the much promoted Apple Bumper, costing £25, which is now in short supply! The Gear 4 cover, as illustrated, makes it easier to get the phone in and out in order to mount it into a car cradle.

For those who have become seriously disenchanted with Mr Jobs and company it might be worth having a look at this “jumping ship” feature, detailing what a move from iPhone to Android would entail features-wise.

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Printing Industry News Digest July 2, 2010

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 12, the weekly summary of major news stories from the printing, packaging and communication sectors. Published every Friday (except for last week!), PIND incorporates links to the week’s key news stories: every piece of bold, maroon text below can be clicked on to take you to more detail on that particular topic, which will open in a new window.

The Times they are a Changing: The Times newspaper has begun charging readers to access its online content. From this day forward access to the Times and Sunday Times website will cost £1 per day, or £2 a week if readers sign up to a subscription. Is this going to change the world of newspapers? You do actually still get a good front page at The Times web site, but if you click to get more detail on anything you are asked for ££££. Will readers just go elsewhere for their online news? Why not mail PIND.editor@gmail.com your thoughts on the subject.

The hot print supplies news from yesterday was Ultrachem purchasing the RW Coatings business, which has been expanding at a rapid rate of some 25% per year in turnover and sales for the last two years; a growth that has to be seen as impressive when you consider what the economy was doing during that time.

Ever wanted to create a newspaper out of your Twitter account? Possibly not the first thought that comes to mind, but now it is possible, and produces some interesting results! Check out TechCrunch, who will tell you all about the product, or go direct to paper.li to create.
On the subject of newspapers, Wired has published an interesting take on the history and future of the British tabloid.

Two different tests on internet browsers came to the conclusion that both Chrome and Opera provided a better overall performance than the rest this week. Both are worth a look, as they examine the issue from different angles, but both Legit Reviews and Lifehacker reach similar conclusions. Both browsers have impressed here at PIND too, though the normal legacy issues still have to be overcome, and we still use mostly Firefox!

One story already featured here on the front page of GenesisNews covers the installation of Wave2 at Mladá fronta, the Czech Republic based publisher. The company launched a new regionalised newspaper last year – a brave decision in its own right – and has been able to further capitalise on the success that it has had with the publication by moving to “self-service” ads with the help of Wave2’s UK created software package.

Also recently covered on GenesisNews, multi-award winning Oxuniprint featured in printweek.com’s e-mail and web site news this week as it unveiled its latest Mitsubishi press investment. The previously owned machine was procured through DPM, the used equipment specialist, and the install makes Oxuniprint’s presses and all B2 Mitsubishi attack. The reliability of the product was a major factor in the decision. New Mitsubishi presses are now distributed in the UK by M Partners.

Perhaps the biggest news on the general communication front this week has been the demise of Microsoft’s Kin phone product. Full details can be found here. Of the smartphones that are still alive and selling, Bill Shrink offers a good comparison of the features that you get on iPhone 4, Droid Incredible, Evo4, and Nexus 1.

In a brief return to our key topic of last week, Apple is claiming some sort of record for shifting 1.7 million iPhone 4’s in three days, and you have to say that is a pretty impressive sales total. As a late breaking additional piece of news, Apple now informs us that the signal loss that was making the headlines during the course of last week is in fact down to a software issue! Mmm, you don't sound too convinced?

One thing that really attracted me from the initial summary of the iPhone 4 features was the ability (at last!) to be able to connect a Bluetooth keyboard for easy text entry. Now it does seem, unless you jailbreak the phone, that you are limited to the Apple Wireless keyboard, which is not the most portable of products (ie, not fold-down pocket-sized), but then maybe I ask for too much! It does, however, work very well, allowing the simple typing of text into many applications, including e-mails, notes, calendar entries, to do lists, Google searches, etc. Many of the top row of function keys also work with the phone, including brightness, volume, and iPod play/pause, track forward and back buttons. OK, it's not cheap (£56), but like most Apple products it does the job extremely well!

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Printing Industry News Digest June 18, 2010

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 10, the weekly summary of major news stories from the printing, packaging and communication sectors. Published every Friday (except for last week!), PIND incorporates links to the week’s key news stories: every piece of bold, maroon text below can be clicked on to take you to more detail on that particular topic, which will open in a new window.

First things first: the World Cup! A summary of the links you might need to watch the games while you work, or while others rest (depending on your time zone!). For me, the BBC coverage has been excellent, along with its web pages on the scores and stats. I have been (as of today) trying out the BBC site with the latest release (10.6) of the Opera browser, which seems to be able to handle the live feed just that bit better than some browsers. Take a look, but I think Opera is now shaping up as pretty stern competition to Firefox.

Back in the world of print it is time to just finish off those IPEX sales success stories. Leicester-based Flexpress were in the news with their new Ryobi purchase. The small footprint, B2 format Ryobi 785E is the company’s first venture into the world of B2 printing, and the press will be installed at new industrial estate premises as the company continues to expand.

Cardboard packaging experts Benson Group also confirmed that it had spent some money at IPEX with the purchase of two Bobst Masterfold carton makers for the company’s Gateshead facility. The two new highly efficient machines will effectively replace four older Bobst products at the plant.
The Daily Express has been holding court in recent weeks in the UK newspaper market, with news of its KBA press purchase, and more recently with the announcement regarding its location. PrintWeek’s Jo Francis added her thoughts to this situation.

Also in the UK newspaper world, we learned that The Sun has somehow managed to skirt around Apple’s no nudity rule for the iPad. Yes, the newspaper’s much celebrated page three pin-up seemed to slip through the censors hands (sorry, was that the wrong choice of words?). Anyway, in our clipping from TechCrunch Chloe from Leeds has been suitably covered up by our learned technical friends, and not by either Apple or News International!

Fans and non-fans alike might well enjoy this little sketch on the iPad. Believe me it’s a lot easier for you to look than for me to describe it! That’s assuming, of course, that you are not reading this on an iPad . . .

iPhone 4 update: Reports are already suggested a huge demand for Apple’s new iPhone 4 product, with pre-order systems being overwhelmed with the demand. The FT details the initial availability of 600,000 products has already been taken up, and there are further suggestions that launch dates may be revised in light of the huge interest.

Those that have been successful in placing their pre-orders are not sitting on their hands either, as e-Bay is now being used to sell on those early orders to eager buyers! WebUser tells us of one auction where the price has reached the dizzying heights of £1,100 already!

WebUser also reveals details of Orange pricing in the UK, and includes in the same posting some further O2 information.

Late Breaking: First iPhone camper spotted one week out in the US.

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Printing Industry News Digest June 11, 2010

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 9, the weekly summary of major news stories from the printing, packaging and communication sectors. Published every Friday (except for last week!), PIND incorporates links to the week’s key news stories: every piece of bold, maroon text below can be clicked on to take you to more detail on that particular topic, which will open in a new window.


Following the heady excitement of IPEX, the world of print appears to have come back down to earth this last week, with back news back on the agenda, especially in Scotland.

Woods of Perth, which has been the subject of bad news reports for the last couple of weeks, has finally had to close its doors for the last time. The £6.5 million turnover business had been part of the Perth picture for some 180 years, and the final 14 members of staff were made redundant.

In Dundee we also had the news that D. C. Thomson was looking to axe 350 jobs with the planned closure of its gravure, sheetfed and bookbinding operation in Guthrie Street. The company stressed that no impact would be felt on its newspaper business at this time.

Big losses were the headline when trading figures revealed for Goodhead Group. A hefty £18.7m loss must have made the eye’s water a little! Management expectations are high, and anticipate a return to profit by the turn of the year.

Certainly a more profitable organisation, Centurfax revealed sales of 100 units of its new microDot product at the recent IPEX. The company is working hard to keep up with orders: what an altogether nicer state of affairs!

Marlowe Graphic Services were also still making headlines with its FFEI CtP sale to Clarendon Press, Gloucestershire. Owners of the company say they were forced into the investment due to an end of line decision by Agfa on a plate product.

Outside of the print industry, the communications sector was very much a phone driven thing this last week, with Apple once again stealing the headlines with more detail on its introduction of iPhone 4 and the new operating system iOS4, which will run the new phone and the previous two versions. Further thoughts on the introduction come from The Telegraph as it focuses on the potential for video calls.
Details included the date for the iOS4 download date: June 21, but don’t all rush at once please. I want to download it too!

The new release details also prompted Lifehacker to produce an iPhone v. Android feature. Some of the arguments and therefore the scoring adopted are a little odd and curious to my mind, but your thoughts are certainly appreciated. What’s taking your calls: Apple or Google? Mail us with the detail at PIND.editor@gmail.com

Apple has also been busy on the browser front. Safari 5 was swept into the world, though I am not sure if so much as an eyebrow was raised by its appearance. It was nice to see that Apple is showing some understanding of the world at large by adopting extensions, and creating an extension library. Only minor flaw is that as yet there’s nothing in it! Other enhancements are neat, however, so why not download it and give it a try. In my humble opinion it has still got a way to go catch up both Firefox and Chrome, but as always let us know what sits on your desktop; mail us at PIND.editor@gmail.com

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Printing Industry News Digest June 4, 2010

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 8, the weekly summary of major news stories from the printing, packaging and communication sectors. Published every Friday (except for last week!), PIND incorporates links to the week’s key news stories: every piece of bold, maroon text below can be clicked on to take you to more detail on that particular topic, which will open in a new window.

We went “major league” on print and IPEX last week, so let’s have a change of focus for issue 8, and with Apple’s much fabled iPad now alive and kicking in the UK market, and Taipei’s Computex very much the talk of the week with the computer fraternity, let us talk tablet.

Firstly, unless you have been on a fact-finding mission to Mars, you will have noticed much hype and excitement about the development and subsequent marketing of the iPad. Well, it is now here in the UK and has been on sale for a week. I was able to get my sticky fingers on one this last weekend at my local, friendly, neighbourhood Apple store; a very busy store I should add: the iPad has certainly created interest. It really is everything that I had imagined and hoped for; it is a superb piece of technology.

However, as many commentators have already mentioned, it really is also a big iPhone. Nothing wrong with that at all, but do you want to shell out some considerable cash on a big iPhone? I’m really not sure that I do. I am quite happy with my iPhone, but I don’t think I really want a big one in exchange for £500 or £600. I want to know what you would do with a iPad; what groundbreaking application or task are you going to give to this great piece of technology to justify that spend. This really is the one flaw that I can see in this glorious product: why do I need it? I am easy to convince, so do send in your suggestions on an e-mail to PIND.editor@gmail.com

According to Steve Jobs, however, I might be thinking in too narrow a plane. He suggests that we need to view this introduction in a broader sense. He believes that the tablet will replace the desk-bound PC in the long-term. That's a big call! Do you agree?

The competition from the “non Apple” sector is hotting up, but to be honest Apple has the market to itself for some months yet. The developments on show at Computex were exciting according to the techies that were present, but most are still products in development, and many will not actually hit the streets for at least six months.

The best of the products on show have been covered by our friends at Engadget during this last week or so. Windows 7 devices such as the Asus Eee Pad probably made as bigger mark as any. A 12-inch screen, Intel's Core 2 Duo processor, a keyboard docking station for real typing, and 10-hours of battery life have to make this a serious competitor in the market. In dollar terms we are talking $399 to $499, but we are still talking first quarter 2011 before you can get one. A smaller Asus Eee Tablet could complete the line-up priced between $199 and $299.

MSI appears to be hedging its bets with both an Android and Windows 7 based offering. Both look inferior to the above in my opinion. LG looks more serious with a 10-inch Windows 7 based product, including (take note Mr Jobs) a 1.3 megapixel front-facing webcam and an SD card slot.

Intel’s Moorestown seems to be getting more than its fair share of mentions this week. Suggestions from Intel, however, that you won’t see a real life product much before the end of 2010.

One tablet that is most definitely eye catching is the dual 14-inch screen Kno. That’s quite a bit of screen real estate, and still they claim a battery life of 8 to 10-hours.

Finally, back at the Apple iPad camp, it was noted that the iPad Camera Connection Kit is now in such short supply in the US that the $30 option is now trading on e-Bay for upwards of $180. This handy kit does certainly help to overcome some of the shortcomings of the product, with a plug in SD card reader and a plug in USB port, but even then the USB port does have its limitations! A keyboard, yes, an external drive, no!

If you are a new reader of PIND you might be asking why all the tablet talk? It might not appear to closely linked to the printing industry, but we are looking at it from the publishers perspective. It could be the start of a major revolution for publishers, and that certainly would have an impact for printers, so it needs watching from both sectors!

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Printing Industry News Digest May 28, 2010

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 7, the weekly summary of major news stories from the printing, packaging and communication sectors. Published every Friday (except for last week!), PIND incorporates links to the week’s key news stories: every piece of bold, maroon text below can be clicked on to take you to more detail on that particular topic, which will open in a new window.

OK it seems that IPEX got the better of us! Whilst we had plans to put together an edition on the fly during the show, the other business of working the event got the better of us! Here, however, we can now summarise what most exhibitors are calling an excellent exhibition, and one that achieved good positive results for them. As a good starter our friends at PrintWeek have an IPEX 2010 news page that is worth checking through for general highlights and sales info happening at the event, whilst a digital perspective comes from Digital Printer magazine.

A few of the stories from the show that caught our eye are headed by the new partnership arrangements for Mitsubishi in the UK, with M Partners taking on the sales and service for the Japanese built litho presses. The show gave the new representatives a great opportunity to meet with existing Mitsubishi users and discuss any service issues that customers might have.

At the other end of the scale in terms of product size and price tag, Centurfax and Ripware had an extremely successful show with the introduction of the new microDot quality control tool. With dealers interest as well as end user sales, the new product, along with the recently introduced EasyDot, contributed to an order book including over 100 units! That’s a successful show!

Best known for its used press equipment, DPM also enjoyed success with its recently introduced GW guillotine range, a product that it sells from new. Used press sales certainly surpassed expectations, and the company is looking to close a number of guillotine deals after the show; more news as we have it!

On the stand sales were also the order of the day for Apex and Ryobi, with all of the equipment on the stand displaying a “sold” sign by the end of the show! Leicester-based Flexpress (Flexpress MD Steve Wenlock pictured, left) made its first move into B2 printing with the purchase of a Ryobi 785E small-footprint machine for its new premises, whilst Absolute Digital confirmed its order for a four-colour version of the same machine. More news to come on other orders!

Ink supplier Van Son enjoyed a very busy exhibition with dealer visits from across the world. The company was delighted with the success of its recently introduced Quickson PERFECT  four-colour set, a suite of inks formulated specifically for ISO 12647-2 printing.

Sales just kept on coming in for the Marlowe Graphic Services team, highlighted by one of the first sales to come from its recently signed agreement with FFEI. The purchase of a violet laser based Alinte 4 SAL machine was just one of the highlights for the company, with many enquiries also received regarding its recently announced tie-up with HighWater Products Ltd.

Software RIP provider StudioRIP also enjoyed much activity during the show, with various OEM versions of the product in use (though we can’t disclose where!), as well as dealer visits and end user interest. The product was included in PrintWeek’s “Ten Top Buys for £10k or Less” feature in its pre-show Technology Report.

One other huge success that Genesis did have some involvement with was the Z-folding media card detailing a map of the show. Some 30,000 of these were available to visitors as they arrived at IPEX. They just about all went. The promotion was all about printers being able to produce these products for themselves, with some help from The Z-Shed. See the links for full details.

And Finally . . .
In the week that saw Apple overtake Microsoft in terms of value, this very day also see’s the UK welcoming in Apple’s iPad. Are you likely to be stumping up the £450 to £650 required to join the iPad club? We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this intriguing device, whether you are buying or not. Send your input on iPad to PIND.editor@gmail.com Amongst other things, we would love to know what you are going to use the device for, and where you will be using it.

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Printing Industry News Digest May 14, 2010

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 6, a weekly summary of major news stories from the printing, packaging and communication sectors. Published every Friday, PIND incorporates links to the week’s key news stories: every piece of bold, maroon text below can be clicked on to take you to more detail on that particular topic, which will open in a new window.

There is only one major topic on the lips of the printing industry in the UK (and for the very many international visitors as well, of course!): IPEX. The UK’s premier printing exhibition, held every four years at the NEC in Birmingham, kicks-off on Tuesday of next week, May 18. If you haven’t already done so (and I really can’t believe that you haven’t!) pre-book your show ticket here right now. It will save you £30.00. This edition of PIND will be dedicated to the delights of IPEX, and if you have already pre-registered you might like to add some of the following suggestions to your “My IPEX” facility within the show’s web site.

In saying that, my first tip is something that you can’t add to “My IPEX”: it’s to pick up a copy of the mini guide to the halls (a Z-folded pocket sized leaflet) available free of charge at the registration desks. There will be a special offer for all UK printers on this leaflet. Make sure you get yours! Two other "freebies" to make sure you get your hands on: the IPEX Daily, a daily version of PrintWeek produced by exhibitors and published at the show itself, carrying news and views from both exhibitors and visitors; and PrintWeek's excellent Technology Report, a supplement sent out with the May 14 edition that should also be available to IPEX visitors - keep your eyes open for it.

Let’s start our equipment guide at the very beginning, in pre-press. For the very latest in UK manufactured computer-to-plate solutions, you need to visit Marlowe Graphic Services, where information regarding the FFEI range of products awaits. Late breaking news also offers some great news for owners of HighWater CtP equipment, so do also visit Marlowe to talk about these products. To drive a CtP, imagesetter, large format device, DI press, or even a digital output device, you need a RIP, and there is no better solution in the independent RIP stakes than StudioRIP. The product will be shown on the same stand as Marlowe equipment.

More computer-to-plate offerings, including very cost effective polyester-based CtP products, visit the Apex Digital Graphics stand. Polyester-based product comes from ECRM, whilst the company’s metal plate solutions are provided by Screen.

I guess in the full workflow picture you could argue that MIS comes before pre-press! Well, whichever way one maps it out, for the very best in digital MIS you need to visit TimeHarvest. The company keeps up with the very latest in technology, as already highlighted in recent months with its cloud computing solution, and its iPhone application.

One process allied to pre-press activity focuses on quality control. Regular monitoring of the image quality on the plate is critical to achieving a consistent printing standard. See Ripware with its Centurfax EasyDot product for the very latest in this technology, as used by the PrintWeek Brochure Printer of the Year, Chapter Press.

Having produced our plates, we now need to print the job, and a full range of printing equipment will be exhibited by the team from Ryobi in conjunction with UK distributor Apex Digital Graphics. From the very latest in B3 format presses, compact B2 machines, to newly introduced B2 product, Ryobi has it all, right through to the very latest in B1 equipment. The company will also highlights its LED-UV drying solutions.

One essential ingredient for litho printing is of course the ink, and our friends at Van Son will be on hand to discuss and detail the very latest in ink technology for both litho, and flexographic and gravure printing. The company is especially keen to promote its Quickson PERFECT four-colour set, which has been blended specifically for ISO12647-2 print production.

Products for conventional printing, such as those already described, will certainly continue to thrive, but it is digital where many visitors will be focusing their attention, and there will be no better place to start than one of the digital pioneers, Xeikon. Commercial, transactional, and label presses will be to the fore on the Punch Graphix stand, as well as its excellent X-800 front-end solution.
Back on the convention route, used equipment is an essential ingredient in the print industry mix, enabling companies to move forward to new formats or new technologies at significantly less expensive prices. One of the UK’s leading used equipment businesses is DPM. A key player on the international stage, DPM exports many presses as well as serving the UK market.

A new print finishing breakthrough will be unveiled by DPM at this IPEX. See the stand and hopefully copies of the show daily for further information when you arrive at the show!

Also in the finishing mix will be M Partners and its range of GUK folding and inserting equipment. This highly specified machinery is particularly sought after in the pharmaceutical finishing market, but all forms of miniature and intricate folding can be undertaken. M Partners also expects to unveil some exciting news one day one of the show: visit them to find out more!

Well, hopefully that’s a start for you! It will, of course, be fascinating to see the very latest trends emerge, and to see what topics are hot at the show. I will hope to round up the best of the news next Friday, mid-show, and then summarise the event the following week. Your thoughts, comments and opinions about IPEX will all be gratefully received. Please do send them through to PIND.editor@gmail.com

Just one more final thing, which we just couldn’t ignore: UK iPad pricing was released during this last week. As an interesting point of comparison (well, it will be when it arrives!) I stumped up £65.00 of my own personal cash for a Chinese 7-inch Android-powered tablet this week because I want to see how good (or how bad!) is the machine you get for that relative “pocket money” amount. It’s coming from Hong Kong via paddle steamer, so sometime when IPEX is just a dim and distant memory I will report to you my findings on this intriguing bit of kit. In the meantime I think it’s going to look something like this . . .

Oh, and just one final, final thing: you are going to IPEX aren’t you?! Are you involved in print? Do you make a living from print related product of any kind? You need to be there! Everything about the print industry is changing. The best place to see the latest trends, the newest product introductions, and chat to the people “in the know” is at IPEX. You can’t afford to miss it! See you there!

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Printing Industry News Digest May 7, 2010

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 5, a weekly summary of major news stories from the printing, packaging and communication sectors. Published every Friday, PIND incorporates links to the week’s key news stories: every piece of bold, maroon text below can be clicked on to take you to more detail on that particular topic, which will open in a new window.

3D imagery has been popping up in various forms this week, notably from Fraunhofer in a poster context. The good folk at Engadget have highlighted this 3D effect which uses 250,000 lenses, each measuring 2mm in diameter.  3D video camera equipment from Sony is also causing a stir, whilst Toshiba get in on the 3D act with a 21-inch “glasses-free” HDTV screen to complete the picture. I guess that no talk of 3D would be complete without mention of Avatar, so here it is courtesy of our friends at PrintWeek!

Our usual visit to the world of tablets reveals that Apple are claiming 1 million iPad sales already, and for the man who has everything, why not stick one in your kitchen cupboard! Following last week’s news regarding HP and Palm, the former has cancelled its tablet introduction. One suspects a replacement plan will come along pretty soon. Samsung meanwhile has gone full steam ahead with an Android based tablet.

As an alternative approach, ASUS has come at this from a different direction: the portable keyboard. The EeeKeyboard comes equipped with a small screen on the right hand side, but can be plugged into a full size monitor when the traveller comes to rest. Interesting approach, but a rumoured four hours of battery time, and a similar price to a reasonable portable PC, the question “Why?” can’t be far away from your lips.

Back in the world of print and publishing, and Daily Telegraph has broken new ground with an ad running ahead of the front page. HSBC were involved in the ad which was printed on a transparent sheet which wrapped the cover of last Tuesday’s edition of the newspaper.

As mentioned on this site last week, Marlowe Graphic Services has announced a deal with one of the few UK CtP kit manufacturers, FFEI, to distribute commercial format product. The PrintWeek version of this story is now available, and a machine will be on show by Marlowe at IPEX.

With all printers now readying themselves for the delights of Birmingham and the IPEX show, a final sales drive by the organisers has brought in 75 more exhibitors, resulting in an extra 1,300 square meters of floor space being taken. New attendees include Adobe. A special overnight package for print buyers and procurement professionals has also been put together to help swell the crowds.
Your own thoughts on IPEX, print shows in general, the guys with no kit on the stand, and other exhibition stuff are all welcomed. Send them through to PIND.editor@gmail.com

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