PrintWeek Awards 2013 Label Printer of the Year – Label Apeel
The Label Apeel team in Leicester printed the silver polypropylene on a digital press, putting down two hits of black for good density. The labels were then put through an AB Graphic Digicon finishing line for an all-over matt over-printable varnish before going through a second time, adding screen and spot-gloss varnishes. The result? A high-gloss, high-build screen finish, combined with the silver substrate making the brand name leap off the label and give the product added shelf presence. A variety of processes give this high-impact label the best possible look. The result is a label that most traditional print processes would find hard to achieve. www.labelapeel.co.uk 0116 231 4555 COMMENDED AJS Labels www.ajslabels.com 01903 731212 Last year’s winner almost made it three victories in a row with its 2013 entry, with labels including Nutriganics Foaming Facial Wash. The brief called for a fresh-looking label with an exclusive feel. The company in Littlehampton, West Sussex, did just that using clever repro, seven colours and three varnishes in what judges described a ” great use of processes”. FINALISTS AJS Labels Label Apeel The Label Makers Mercian Labels...
read morePrintWeek Awards 2013 Poster Printer of the Year – SMP Group
This year’s winning formula was down to “good vibrancy and a good balanced entry, with excellent detail throughout,” said the judges of an eclectic but beautifully executed mix of posters. In the first half of 2013, Bombay Sapphire ran a six-sheet nationwide poster campaign. Different variations of the creative were used on a range of formats including several super-large format backlit skins, the largest of which was a 4,400-run litho-printed 4.5x18m series. Samsung also needed a six-sheet poster to promote the launch of its latest handset, but campaign artwork was received with only 24 hours to deadline for delivery of posters. Key to grabbing attention with Diageo’s Parrot Bay posters was use of extreme colours in the artwork. Meanwhile a cross-format campaign marked the launch of the new Fiat 500L. This culminated in large format 96-sheet posters with a ‘grow up’ theme, from a printer that has proved it has come of age. www.smpgroup.co.uk 020 8855 5535 FINALISTS Augustus Martin SMP Group...
read morePrintWeek Awards 2013 Reports & Accounts Printer of the Year – Pureprint Group
Entries were “quite simply stunning, impressively punchy in print and varnishing”, helping last year’s commended company become this year’s outright winner. Nokia Siemens Network annual report is a step-by-step essay in brilliance, from the comprehensive digital proofing methodology and bound book proofs at pre-press stage, to the intricate matt tints and cover work on a litho coating press. Post-press perfection included folding, gloss lamination of the cover and three-knife trimming. It was a similar story for the Compass and Hiscox annual reports, while the Uckfield printer went to town on the API Group’s 78pp annual report. Some pages were printed four colour plus a Pantone spot colour, while others were printed black plus a Pantone spot. The cover, screen printed in white on 350gsm Colorplan Cobalt Blue, was one of many finishing touches that led judges to conclude: “This is unquestionably the clear winner in this category; the quality of each sample supplied shone through.” www.pureprint.com 01825 768811 FINALISTS Concept Communications Group Park Communications Pureprint Group...
read moreGovernment funds £500k 3D printing programme for schools
According to the DfE, the success of that trial – aimed at boosting the teaching of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and design and technology – has led to another £500,000 funding injection. This will allow 60 teaching schools to buy 3D printers and train teachers to use them effectively – a key development from last year’s trial in which pilot schools reported that early work with the printers was often limited to demonstrations and printing of small files such as 3D shapes. The funding boost is the latest stage in the government’s plan to improve standards in hi-tech subjects. Announcing the new 3D printing fund, Gove said: “3D printers are revolutionising manufacturing and it is vital that we start teaching the theory and practice in our schools. Teaching schools will be able to develop and spread effective methods to do this. “Combined with our introduction of a computer science curriculum and teacher training, this will help our schools give pupils valuable skills.” The new design and technology curriculum, backed by Sir James Dyson, specifically mentions 3D printers and will see pupils taught about advanced skills, including robotics, so that more are prepared for jobs in the engineering...
read moreGovernment funds £500k 3D printing programme for schools
According to the DfE, the success of that trial – aimed at boosting the teaching of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and design and technology – has led to another £500,000 funding injection. This will allow 60 teaching schools to buy 3D printers and train teachers to use them effectively – a key development from last year’s trial in which pilot schools reported that early work with the printers was often limited to demonstrations and printing of small files such as 3D shapes. The funding boost is the latest stage in the government’s plan to improve standards in hi-tech subjects. Announcing the new 3D printing fund, Gove said: “3D printers are revolutionising manufacturing and it is vital that we start teaching the theory and practice in our schools. Teaching schools will be able to develop and spread effective methods to do this. “Combined with our introduction of a computer science curriculum and teacher training, this will help our schools give pupils valuable skills.” The new design and technology curriculum, backed by Sir James Dyson, specifically mentions 3D printers and will see pupils taught about advanced skills, including robotics, so that more are prepared for jobs in the engineering...
read moreGovernment funds £500k 3D printing programme for schools
According to the DfE, the success of that trial – aimed at boosting the teaching of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and design and technology – has led to another £500,000 funding injection. This will allow 60 teaching schools to buy 3D printers and train teachers to use them effectively – a key development from last year’s trial in which pilot schools reported that early work with the printers was often limited to demonstrations and printing of small files such as 3D shapes. The funding boost is the latest stage in the government’s plan to improve standards in hi-tech subjects. Announcing the new 3D printing fund, Gove said: “3D printers are revolutionising manufacturing and it is vital that we start teaching the theory and practice in our schools. Teaching schools will be able to develop and spread effective methods to do this. “Combined with our introduction of a computer science curriculum and teacher training, this will help our schools give pupils valuable skills.” The new design and technology curriculum, backed by Sir James Dyson, specifically mentions 3D printers and will see pupils taught about advanced skills, including robotics, so that more are prepared for jobs in the engineering...
read moreCharles Gee Group appoints administrators
The administrators were called in to the haulage and shipping business, whose services include the transport of large paper reels to many of the UK’s leading national and regional news groups, after the directors established that it was suffering from “acute cash flow pressures”. FRP Advisory is now marketing the business, which employs 250 staff throughout the UK, while working with customers and suppliers to assess the viability of the group and several of its subsidiaries and to try to ensure the companies continue trading while a buyer is sought. However, the joint administrators warned that it was “possible that during the administration process there will be redundancies within the Group” adding that there could be further announcements on this front in due course. Rowley, a senior partner at FRP, said: “We are highly focused on working with the Group’s customers and suppliers and in engaging with interested parties. In line with economic issues facing many businesses, Charles Gee has faced challenging trading conditions for a number of years and despite the support of its loyal customer base, recent cash flow problems have prompted the need to seek the protection of administration.” Charles Gee Group has operations in Tilbury, Felixstowe, Kings Lynn, Birkenhead, Didcot, Chatham, Aylesford, Harmondsworth, London, Kingston-Upon-Hull, Clevedon and Bridgewater. It supplies large UK and other European industrial manufacturers and support services firms....
read moreCharles Gee Group appoints administrators
The administrators were called in to the haulage and shipping business, whose services include the transport of large paper reels to many of the UK’s leading national and regional news groups, after the directors established that it was suffering from “acute cash flow pressures”. FRP Advisory is now marketing the business, which employs 250 staff throughout the UK, while working with customers and suppliers to assess the viability of the group and several of its subsidiaries and to try to ensure the companies continue trading while a buyer is sought. However, the joint administrators warned that it was “possible that during the administration process there will be redundancies within the Group” adding that there could be further announcements on this front in due course. Rowley, a senior partner at FRP, said: “We are highly focused on working with the Group’s customers and suppliers and in engaging with interested parties. In line with economic issues facing many businesses, Charles Gee has faced challenging trading conditions for a number of years and despite the support of its loyal customer base, recent cash flow problems have prompted the need to seek the protection of administration.” Charles Gee Group has operations in Tilbury, Felixstowe, Kings Lynn, Birkenhead, Didcot, Chatham, Aylesford, Harmondsworth, London, Kingston-Upon-Hull, Clevedon and Bridgewater. It supplies large UK and other European industrial manufacturers and support services firms....
read moreCharles Gee Group appoints administrators
The administrators were called in to the haulage and shipping business, whose services include the transport of large paper reels to many of the UK’s leading national and regional news groups, after the directors established that it was suffering from “acute cash flow pressures”. FRP Advisory is now marketing the business, which employs 250 staff throughout the UK, while working with customers and suppliers to assess the viability of the group and several of its subsidiaries and to try to ensure the companies continue trading while a buyer is sought. However, the joint administrators warned that it was “possible that during the administration process there will be redundancies within the Group” adding that there could be further announcements on this front in due course. Rowley, a senior partner at FRP, said: “We are highly focused on working with the Group’s customers and suppliers and in engaging with interested parties. In line with economic issues facing many businesses, Charles Gee has faced challenging trading conditions for a number of years and despite the support of its loyal customer base, recent cash flow problems have prompted the need to seek the protection of administration.” Charles Gee Group has operations in Tilbury, Felixstowe, Kings Lynn, Birkenhead, Didcot, Chatham, Aylesford, Harmondsworth, London, Kingston-Upon-Hull, Clevedon and Bridgewater. It supplies large UK and other European industrial manufacturers and support services firms....
read moreCMC demonstrates Cartonwrap at official launch
The Cartonwrap is designed to manufacturer variable-sized cartons dynamically from a reel of corrugated cardboard, fill them with the relevant goods and seal and label them for shipping; it is aimed at the e-commerce fulfilment market. Because the machine uses wrapping technology to construct each carton around the relevant product, it minimises the size of the carton, cuts out the use of padding materials to fill the empty space in a standard carton and negates the transport of empty space. A size detector in the product inlet registers the size of each product and sends that data to the box forming section to define the carton size; multiple products can be placed in the same box. The automated box forming section features a dynamic creasing and cutting system, a transversal cutting blade and hotmelt glue guns that automatically apply glue to the blank. The products meet the semi-formed cartons in the box filling section of the machine, where product alignment and carton filling operations are performed before the upper flaps on the box are closed and the carton is finished. It is possible to add additional documents, such as marketing materials, invoices, return instructions, through optional feeders in the machine outlet, prior to the carton closing and labelling. The Cartonwrap has an average running speed of 10 boxes per minute. It takes 800mm or 1,200mm wide reels, with other widths available on request, and can form the following box sizes: 240x150x30mm up to 450x350x80mm or 350x350x150mm from an 800mm reel; 300x150x30mm or 240x150x200mm up to 600x350x200mm from a 1,200mm reel. According to CMC the launch event was attended by more than 150 customers from 50 countries around the world. The machine will be available for demonstrations in CMC’s factory until the end of November 2013. CMC first announced the Cartonwrap at Post Expo in Brussels in September 2012, where it showed videos, samples and brochures, after finalising its patent on the equipment; the recent event at the company’s factory was the first time the Cartonwrap has been shown ‘live’....
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