St. Gallen, 7 January 2009

Steinemann Technology acquires SPS® ScreenPrintingSystems

Steinemann Technology now has a complete portfolio of solutions to meet all screen printing requirements / Decisive strengthening of the Graphic Division

Steinemann Technology AG, St. Gallen/Switzerland, has acquired SPS ScreenPrintingSystems GmbH, Wuppertal and Seevetal/Germany, with effect from 1 January 2009. As a result, Steinemann Technology now has a comprehensive portfolio of systems and solutions for finishing print products with varnish. It completely covers all screen printing requirements, from short to long runs – starting with the VITESSA flat screen cylinder presses and culminating in the high-speed rotary flexo and screen printing machine of the HIBIS series. The graphic arts product range of SPS^® will be integrated in the Graphic Division of Steinemann Technology, both the SPS^® brand name and the machine range being retained.

"By incorporating SPS^® in our Graphic Division in what is certainly a fairly difficult market environment at the moment, we have taken a major step towards putting our company's positive development on an even broader footing. We are now the only manufacturer in the world in a position to offer its customers systems and solutions to meet all screen printing requirements from a single source – in terms of both printing formats and printing speed. Moreover, our company only recently equipped itself for the future in the extremely exciting market of special-purpose screen printing applications by acquiring Fleischle Siebdruckmaschinen and subsequently establishing Steinemann Coating GmbH," says Jürg Spittler, Vice President of Steinemann Technology AG and Director of the Graphic Division, welcoming the integration of SPS^®. "With its sales and service structure, Steinemann Technology is in an excellent position worldwide and characterised by great innovative capacity. The product portfolios and distribution channels of Steinemann Technology and SPS^® complement each other perfectly. In the long term, taking this step will enable Steinemann Technology to strengthen the further development of its business segments and consolidate their market position. This is definitely a case of one and one making more than two," says Axel Kaiser, Managing Partner of SPS ScreenPrintingSystems GmbH. The origins of the SPS^® brand date back to the company's founding in 1953. After 1957, the company rapidly made a worldwide name for itself by introducing the original SPS^® STOP Cylinder Principle™, which combines particular accuracy and speed. Since then, SPS® has time and again launched trendsetting innovations on the market, setting standards in screen printing for both graphic arts and industrial applications.

Sandler installs HIBIS 104 high-end rotary flexo and screen printing machine from Steinemann Technology

Total flexibility and top quality in finishing print products with special effects / Separate machine for high-end finishing frees up press capacities for printing / HIBIS 104 running at almost full capacity just a few weeks after installation.

Johann Sandler GesmbH & Co KG, based in Marbach/Austria, installed a high-speed rotary flexo and screen printing machine from Steinemann Technology AG of St. Gallen/Switzerland at the beginning of October 2008. The printing company has a very good reputation in the Austrian print and media market and, by taking this step, has now effectively positioned itself at the top in the high-end finishing segment as well. Sandler had spent a good two years intensively examining the question as to the approach the company should take in print finishing, and it had soon become apparent that installing a machine exclusively for finishing was the optimum solution.

In the past, finishing was handled by an offset printing press equipped for mixed operation. "Mixed operation of conventional and UV systems is neither one thing nor the other. If you work like that, you have to accept sacrifices on either cost-efficiency or quality," says junior boss Hannes Sandler, explaining the reason behind the decision to invest in a separate machine specifically for high-end finishing. Just a few weeks after installation, he can already see that this investment was the right choice. As a result, Sandler today manages with two high-speed printing presses and has greater overall capacity thanks to the additional screen and flexo printing machine. Moreover, the capacity of the HIBIS 104 is already being utilised to a very high degree.

Gröbenzell, Germany, January 5, 2009 – The PrintCity Alliance announces the 11th edition of its Webline magazine, available to all web offset printers & publishers worldwide. This edition features articles on Ultra Wide Web Offset, Energy Efficiency and Value Added Printing of Newspapers (VAPoN™).

Newly re-designed for this latest edition, Webline is published by the Publishing, Commercial & Web Activity Group of PrintCity, with the involvement and support of the following members: manroland, MEGTEC, Sun Chemical, Trelleborg and UPM.

• Ultra Wide Web Offset – overview of the new multi-member PrintCity Alliance project for 2009, evaluating the whole prepress-press-postpress value chain including consumables
  
• New CutCon plus™ waste reduction technology from manroland to complement and enhance normal cut-off register control performance on web offset presses
  
• Dryers to drive down costs – new Dual-Dry® RTO dryer technology from MEGTEC helps drive down annual energy costs
  
• How can energy efficiency be improved – holistic overview article on web offset production based on the recently published 20-page PrintCity Energy Efficiency Report
  
• Paper’s Carbon Footprint – a UPM article on environmental data for its range of papers
  
• Trelleborg Metal Back Blanket technology, available from the Rollin® brand,  optimises print quality
  
• Value Added Printing of Newspapers (VAPoN)  test printing analysis - part two
  
• UV inks & drying FAQ by Sun Chemical – Frequently Asked Questions & Answers 
  
• 10 years of the PrintCity Alliance – what has been achieved and how you benefit 

• Direct from all PrintCity Webline members – see www.printcity.de for member details
  
• On request by email to webline@printcity.de – please include your full name, postal mailing address, email and phone details. We will post a printed copy direct to you
  

Gerry Schmidt of Sun Chemical and PrintCity Advisory Council member indicates, “Energy efficiency is currently a hot industry topic and we include several articles this edition to help you reduce costs in 2009. Webline magazine goes from strength to strength and we now regularly mail out over 7,000 copies worldwide each edition in both English and German languages. Reader benefits include access to this knowledge & advice, technical, operational & economic guidelines and contacts for future networking. If you don’t already receive Webline direct from a PrintCity member, ask your local contact or email PrintCity direct to receive a free copy.”

   PrintCity Alliance Webline magazine issue 11 – out now (309 kb)

WEILBURGER Graphics starts on-line coatings community

Gerhardshofen, December 5th 2008 –  WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH, with its registered office in Gerhardshofen (Franconia), is one of the first coatings manufacturers worldwide to recognise the signs of the times and start what is presumably the first Web 2.0 on-line community dealing with coatings in the graphics industry.

"The way people communicate and exchange information and experiences has undergone major change in recent years. Customers and interested parties now require to be served and kept informed in a way that is different to three or four years ago. More and more, they are quitting the passive role which seemed to have been assigned to them permanently and playing an active role in product development and analysis. We don't want to miss out on exploiting this desire on the part of customers, interested parties, suppliers and retailers to work together with us consciously, not only on our product range but also on the company's marketing and sales targets", says Günter Korbacher, executive director of WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH, adding: "A company operating globally can no longer afford to neglect the wide-ranging opportunities which exist today thanks to the worldwide proliferation and public acceptance of the Internet, which is growing continuously. The best things about the active involvement of this sector in corporate communication are the uninterrupted availability of the medium and the direct flow of information between all the communication partners. We shall be able to shift large areas of our support and customer relationship management to this medium and even initiate the development of new products by evaluating customers' wishes. Our customers will get the chance to exchange experiences and knowledge within the expert community and also be able to avail themselves of the platform to offer services of their own within that community. After a start-up phase, even for retailers, suppliers and journalists, the community is sure to represent an ideal analysis instrument with which market tendencies and requirements can be rendered visible at a very early stage." 

The involvement of the on-line community and the general re-launch of WEILBURGER Graphics' website, which has just been accomplished, have proceeded hand in hand. Here too, the company has invested in a modern Internet presence, extending its former website to form a complex portal system intended, in future, to take care of almost all the functions of WEILBURGER Graphics' customer and document management. "We cannot halt this development. Anyone today who still views the Internet as a threat to the printing sector is going to be on the losing side from the very beginning. We're investing here in the intelligent integration of this medium in our communications management and we shall try to do justice to our traditional role as trendsetters for the benefit of everyone in the sector", says Günter Korbacher in conclusion.

The company's new Internet portal can be accessed via the domain www.weilburger-graphics.de, which has been up and running for several years and is currently on line in German and English. Other languages available will soon include Polish and Spanish, and Chinese will follow at the beginning of 2009.

The on-line community is currently in its beta test phase and can be accessed directly via the portal. It goes without saying that registration is free.

The company invites all users, customers, scientists, journalists, suppliers, students and other interested parties to become active members of this community and thus help bring it to life.


For further information go to www.weilburger-graphics.de

Contact:    
WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH
Am Rosenbühl 5
D - 91466 Gerhardshofen
Germany
Tel.: +49 9163 9992-0
Fax: +49 9163 654
info@weilburger-graphics.de

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You can download the complete press kit for this release inclusive all documents in english and german language and high-resolution image material at this link:  http://www.weilburger-graphics.de/files/PR/WG_PR_WEB.zip  (26MB)


 


Caption:     Logo of WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH





 
Caption:     PrintCity | Alliance Member

 

 


Caption:      WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH – now with a new look on the Internet too

 


Caption:     Günter Korbacher – executive director of WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH



About WEILBURGER Graphics

WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH is one of the leaders in the field of print finishing for packaging, labels and job printing.

The company mainly produces for sheet-fed offset, heat-set web offset and off-line coating, and for the screen printing, flexo, gravure, narrow web and digital print sectors. Its tailor-made products are available for the market segments involving packaging, labels and job printing. It also offers seminars and consultancy services.

WEILBURGER Graphics is one of eleven subsidiaries of the GREBE Group, a medium-sized manufacturer of industrial coatings.

www.weilburger-graphics.de

Gerhardshofen, Dec. 1st 2008 – From the very beginning, WEILBURGER Graphics GmbH, with its registered office in Gerhardshofen, has relied on successful personnel management and ongoing growth. The company also takes the training of new skilled workers with a view to the long term very seriously, and this is illustrated not least by the high levels of qualification achieved by young up-and-coming staff members trained in-house. A greater-than-average number of WEILBURGER Graphics trainees regularly complete their training as the best in their class. Almost all of them remain with the company.

As from this year, the new trainees are:

• Andrea Pinsenschaum, industrial business management assistant
• Denise Mertins, industrial business management assistant
• Tobias Zeihe, laboratory assistant for coatings
• Bastian Kunesch, chemical production specialist
• Jochen Weghorn, chemical production specialist

    
The following trainees have completed their training this year with distinction:

Dieci idee regalo il cui prezzo non è aumentato 

Dopo tanti anni, questo sarà il primo Natale all’insegna di una grave crisi finanziaria. Molti consumatori delle principali economie del mondo hanno dichiarato che ridurranno le spese per queste feste. Dato che quest’anno il costo di molti articoli di prima necessità per la vita di tutti i giorni è aumentato, l’inflazione è salita e molte famiglie stanno stringendo la cinghia. Non tutti i desideri saranno esauditi in queste feste.  

 

La recessione è una buona opportunità per ri-definire le priorità della vita. 

In questo periodo, la triste notizia per molti bambini è che Babbo Natale ridurrà il suo budget. Anche i nonni richiedono delle attenzioni. La tendenza è verso i regali personalizzati, fatti in casa, a mano, il divertimento e le celebrazioni in famiglia. Molte famiglie potrebbero trarre dei vantaggi puntando sull’unità familiare durante le feste e fissando un limite massimo per il prezzo dei regali. Ecco dieci idee regalo il cui prezzo non è aumentato: 

·        I fotocalendari sono un regalo classico per la famiglia - stampati da un laboratorio fotografico, hanno un aspetto davvero professionale. Tutti i calendari da cucina, da tavolo o parete hanno anche un ottimo rapporto qualità-prezzo!

Diez ideas para regalos que no han incrementado su precio

 

La recesión es una buena oportunidad para re-definir las prioridades en la vida.

La triste noticia para muchos niños en esta época es que los Reyes habrán reducido el presupuesto. Los abuelos también requieren atención. La tendencia es hacia regalos personalizados, hechos en casa, manualidades, entretenimientos y celebraciones en familia. Muchas familias se podrían beneficiar enfatizando la unidad familiar en las fiestas y fijando un límite máximo para el precio de los regalos. Aquí diez ideas para regalos cuyo precio no se ha incrementado:

A Dozen Gift Ideas which have not Increased in Price

Cambridge. 25 November 2008. After many years, this will be the first Christmas in a recession. Almost 8 in 10 Britons responded that they are taking steps to make Christmas more affordable, according to research by Birmingham Midshires. The survey of more than 2,000 adults revealed the average Christmas spend will drop by £102. The costs of many important goods of daily life have increased in the current year, the inflation has reached new heights and families are tightening their belts. Not every wish will come true this year.

The recession is a good opportunity to re-think priorities in life

The sad news for children is that 14 per cent of parents will be giving their children smaller stockings this year. And Grandparents need to receive attention, too. The trend is to personalise gifts, self made presents, handicrafts, family entertainment, or a games evenings. Many families could be helped if they communicate the importance of unity at Christmas, setting a strict price limit for presents. Here a dozen gift ideas which have not gone up in price:

• Photo calendars are a classic among the Christmas gifts – printed through a photo lab, calendars look really professional. All photo calendars like the kitchen, table and wall calendars from FotoInsight are also good value! See a  photo calendar test  here.

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Dix idées-cadeaux qui n'ont pas augmenté

Cambridge. 19 novembre 2008. Après de nombreuses années, ce sera le premier Noël lors d'une récession. Presque 8 anglais sur 10 ont répondu qu'ils prennent des mesures pour rendre Noël plus abordable, selon une recherche faite par Birmingham Midshires. L'enquête faite sur plus de 2 000 adultes a révélé qu'en moyenne, les dépenses de Noël diminueront de 153 €. Les coûts de nombreux articles courants importants ont augmenté cette année, l'inflation a atteint de nouveaux sommets et les familles se serrent la ceinture. Tous les vœux ne seront pas exaucés cette année.

La récession est l'occasion de revoir ses priorités dans la vie

La triste nouvelle pour les enfants est que 14 pour cent des parents leur offriront cette année des cadeaux plus petits. Il en va de même pour les grands-parents. La tendance est à la personnalisation des cadeaux, les cadeaux faits soi-même, les objets artisanaux, le divertissement en famille ou les soirées-jeux. Nombre de familles ont besoin de communiquer l'importance de l'unité au moment de Noël, en se fixant une limite de prix stricte pour leurs cadeaux. Voici neuf idées-cadeaux qui n'ont pas augmenté :

Un calendario con le proprie foto digitali, stampato professionalmente, sarà uno dei regali più adatti per amici e familiari. Il servizio online FotoInsight sviluppa quest’idea distribuendo un software di design gratuito ed ampliando la sua gamma di calendari personalizzati con le proprie foto.

Cambridge, 19 Novembre 2008. - La FotoInsight sta crescendo e così il formato dei prodotti di stampa fotografica che offre. Oltre alla stampa via Internet di poster, foto su tela e del fotolibro XL, adesso offre anche calendari in nuovi formati più grandi. Il formato maggiore è esclusivo del software di design “FotoInsight Designer” e permette di incrementare le opzioni di editing, nonché di caricare in modo sicuro una maggiore quantità di fotografie con una risoluzione migliore. La FotoInsight offre inoltre la possibilità di chiedere alcuni tipi di calendario direttamente via web, mediante il browser. L’applicazione di design per fotolibri e calendari “FotoInsight Designer” include molte utilities gratuite di editing, alle quali un browser non potrebbe accedere. L’uso di un’applicazione di editing permette, per esempio, di posizionare liberamente qualsiasi quantità di foto su una pagina. Questo è molto utile per dare risalto ad un evento speciale con ricordi delle vacanze, biglietti d’entrata, cartine, cartoline scannerizzate o per aggiungere la foto del festeggiato alla data di compleanno - tutto trova ora posto su un calendario stampato professionalmente. I miglioramenti nella flessibilità del design e l’introduzione di formati più grandi soddisfano le richieste dei clienti che comprano i loro foto calendari personali per amici e familiari, anno dopo anno.

La risoluzione delle immagini digitali è aumentata in modo costante e oggigiorno i laboratori professionali ottengono stampe in grandi formati sempre più nitide; per questo, adesso la FotoInsight aumenta la sua risoluzione di stampa dagli usuali 200 dpi a 360 dpi. “Con i miglioramenti nelle fotocamere digitali ha iniziato ad aver senso offrire dei foto calendari più grandi con maggiore risoluzione di stampa”, afferma il Direttore Generale della FotoInsight, il Dott. Klaas Brumann ed aggiunge: “Non limitiamo l’area di stampa delle foto sui calendari. Le foto possono coprire tutta la pagina e il calendario del mese si può inserire sulla foto”.

Il numero di foto scattate è notevolmente aumentato, mentre la quantità di quelle che si decide di stampare diminuisce in maniera costante. Con i progressi negli schermi e la facilità con cui si possono condividere foto online, gli amanti della fotografia tendono a stampare le foto solo per occasioni speciali e le aspettative di qualità di stampa dei fotoregali sono in continuo aumento. Creare i propri calendari personalizzati ‘va di moda’. I calendari fotografici creati attraverso il servizio online FotoInsight si stampano con l’ultima generazione di stampanti Indigo. Questo processo utilizza il così detto ElectroInk, con minuscole particelle di inchiostro tra 1 e 2 µm. Le particelle più piccole aiutano ad ottenere una risoluzione percepita dell’immagine stampata più alta, con linee più chiare e pulite ed una maggiore aderenza dello strato d’inchiostro rispetto a quanto si conosce dei metodi tradizionali di stampa.

Attaccare le foto è fuori moda - ora i calendari si stampano professionalmente

La FotoInsight sta aggiornando la sua gamma di calendari fotografici in tempo per la stagione natalizia, con fotoregali creati con le fotografie digitali degli utenti, che il laboratorio fotografico consegna stampati professionalmente su carta da 250 g/m². Invece di attaccare le immagini, i file digitali permettono un design assolutamente individuale ed una stampa professionale su una grande varietà di regali personalizzati, come tazze, magliette o fotolibri. Il Direttore Generale della FotoInsight commenta: “La FotoInsight si specializza in articoli da regalo fotografici. La nuova generazione di fotocalendari risolverà per molta gente il problema di trovare un regalo personale unico”.

Un calendario con fotos digitales propias, impreso profesionalmente, será uno de los regalos más apropiados para amigos y familiares. El servicio en línea FotoInsight desarrolla esta idea distribuyendo software de diseño gratuito y ampliando su gama de calendarios personalizados con fotos propias..

Cambridge, 19 de Noviembre de 2008. - FotoInsight está creciendo y así el tamaño de los productos de impresión fotográfica que ofrece. Aparte de la impresión por Internet de posters, fotos en lienzo y el libro de fotos XL, ahora también ofrece calendarios en nuevos formatos más grandes. El formato mayor es exclusivo del software de diseño “FotoInsight Pro” y permite incrementar las opciones de edición y cargar de manera segura una mayor cantidad de fotografías con una resolución mayor. FotoInsight también ofrece la opción de pedir algunos tipos de calendario directamente en la web, por medio del navegador. La aplicación de diseño de fotolibros y calendarios “FotoInsight Pro” incluye muchas herramientas gratuitas de edición, que un navegador no podría manejar. El uso de una aplicación de edición permite, por ejemplo, posicionar libremente cualquier cantidad de fotos en una página. Esto es muy útil para adornar un evento especial con recuerdos de vacaciones, boletos de entrada, mapas o postales escaneados o para agregar la foto del festejado a la fecha de cumpleaños - ahora todo encuentra lugar en un calendario impreso profesionalmente. Las mejoras en la flexibilidad del diseño y la introducción de formatos más grandes cumplen con las peticiones de clientes que compran sus foto calendarios para amigos y familiares año tras año.

La resolución de imágenes digitales se ha incrementado de forma constante y los laboratorios profesionales hoy en día logran impresiones en formatos grandes con mucha nitidez; por ello FotoInsight aumenta ahora la resolución de su impresión de los 200 dpi usuales a 360 dpi. “Con las mejoras en las cámaras digitales empezó a tener sentido ofrecer foto calendarios más grandes con mayor resolución de impresión”, dice el Director General de FotoInsight, el Lic. Klaas Brumann y añade: “No limitamos el área de impresión de las fotos en los calendarios. Las fotos pueden cubrir toda la página y la plantilla del mes puede empalmarse sobre la foto”.

The leading players in the imaging industry's fastest growing segment - Photo Books - are getting ready to showcase their latest developments. FotoInsight announces an upgrade to its "Designer" software and new, even larger Photo Books.

Cambridge. 19 November 2008. -- To provide space in which the favourite photographs can shine, photo book services like FotoInsight Ltd are constantly improving their software and their range. So far, most books printed with own photographs are limited to less than 100 pages. With the upcoming version 4 of FotoInsight Designer its photo books can feature up to 130 pages for the first time. After introducing the Photo Book XL (12"x12" / 30x30cm) last year the software upgrade will add a new "Photo Book XXL" format (H12"x16" / H30xW42 cm) in stylish faux leather and with a traditional screw bound. In the new XXL format landscapes can be spread over 80 cm wide double pages. For this, FotoInsight is increasing the print resolution to 360 dpi.

The software upgrade announced for the UK Retail Imaging Show has finally been launched. The clever 'Assistant' in the FotoInsight Designer photo book software will then be able to design a 130 page extra large photo book in under three minutes, For this the application automatically lays out the pages with the chosen images and can put these in order of date, file name or event.