Hans Gronhi will integrate Shinohara's B1, B2 and B3 presses into its own range and transfer manufacturing capabilities from Japan to its own facility in Yingkou, China.

Shinohara's first presence under its new ownership will be at next month's Drupa when Hans Gronhi will showcase the first 'S' series Shinohara presses on its 400sqm stand (Hall 16, D18).

Comprising the S-79-IVH B2+ four-colour press and the S-66-IVP SRA2 four-colour perfector, the machines will complement Hans Gronhi's five-colour GH525 B3 presses at the show.

The Shinohara range of presses will now be supported in the UK by Hans Gronhi's agent Printers Superstore, which becomes master European distributor for both manufacturers.

Graham Moorby, joint managing director of Printers Superstore said: "This is a logical step which enhances the product range on offer and opens up exciting new opportunities for us developing an established product with a longstanding user base.

"Having achieved so much in the arena of B3 presses we are most excited about the expertise Shinohara bring in the B2 and B1 arena."

Shinohara endured a difficult start to 2012 after filing for the Civil Rehabilitation Act (CRA), the Japanese bankruptcy protection scheme similar to the US Chapter 11 in January.

Speaking at the time, Shinohara president Mikio Shinohara said the company was "deeply" sorry for the inconvenience and anxiety it caused customers and would continue to operate as normal while it was working through the bankruptcy protection.

She added: "The College will explore ways in which aspects of the existing curriculum can be delivered within the course portfolio, including the potential for Continuing Professional Development delivery."

The LCC initially planned to "rest" the Foundation degree (FdA) in Print Media Management in 2009 due to a lack of demand from students.

The college then decided to run the course under an "amber light", which meant the decision to run the course was dependent on all 24 places being filled.

The then head of college Sandra Kemp said that the LCC would examine whether print­ing could be re-integrated with the school's other core subjects of media and design.

"It's been a long time since print really connected with graphic design," she said. "If we can get the students, reconnect with the industry and the rest of the college, print at the LCC has a really good future."

The announcement by the LCC follows the recent decision by Leeds City College to close its in-house print training facility and change its Level 3 NVQ Machine Printing course to an industry-based apprenticeship model with no teaching on campus.

BPIF chief executive Kathy Woodward said: "It's really sad that the LCC is pulling its degree programmes. The BPIF will be launching its level 5 qualification in September, which is a response to member companies wanting to up skill their management teams. The appetite exists but the delivery of the course has to be wrapped around current lean management structures."

Alwan Hall 9, Stand D10
Alwan has yet to unveil its line-up for Drupa, but keep an eye on printweek.com for any announcements.

AVT Hall 3, Stand B69
AVT will unveil its new SpectraLab software, which automatically measures colours by sampling user-defined points on the print image and provides ISO-compliant colour values that match those made off-line. AVT will also exhibit its newly re-engineered family of ink and colour controls for web press applications - CQ/Clarios offers spectral measurement technology for "virtually any commercial web press". It is now fitted with automated ‘wizards' and simplified touchscreen controls that allow a web press operator to achieve industry-standard print conditions, with little or no manual intervention. Among other launches will be the PrintVision/Argus Elite, a new solution with upgraded viewing capabilities, a brand new interface, and pressure setting from the image.

Barbieri Hall 7, Stand A23
Italian spectrophotometer manufacturer Barbieri will be highlighting its SpectroPad, Spectro LFP, and Spectro Swing products. The SpectroPad is a portable spectrophotometer that can measure colour on a wide variety of wide-format media, while the Spectro LFP is a versatile automatic transmission/reflection spectrophotometer, specially designed for automatic measurements of a wide range of materials in large-format, flatbed and industrial printing.

Bodoni Systems Hall 5, Stand A41
Bodoni Systems says it will use Drupa to launch its most important upgrade to pressSign yet. It claims pressSign will provide "ever-greater flexibility and control over print quality". PressSign 5 enables users to set, measure and score whatever the colour bar or colours they need. Bodoni will demo pressSign's soft-proofing capabilities to show how clients can complete a press pass without ever leaving their office, whether that is in the same building or on the other side of the world. The company says it will demonstrate how to get accurate colour on both litho and digital devices.

Canon/Océ Hall 8a, Stand C6
Printers will be able to speak to colour specialists on the Canon stand about how to achieve optimum consistency and quality from their digital presses. They will be encouraged to better understand the colour management tools provided as standard with ImagePress technology and the options available to control colour at every stage of the design and printing process, including monitor displays and standardised lighting conditions.

ColorLogic Hal 7, Stand C20
ColorLogic will show its complete product range of solutions, covering DeviceLink profiling and automatic colour conversions. The latest software versions of Copra, Zepra, ColorAnt and DocBees-Reprofiler will be demonstrated with practice-oriented user cases. The main event, however, will be the launch of the new version of Zepra 3.0, the company's smart colour server. The main innovations include the SmartLink feature. This builds all required DeviceLink profiles for source and targets colour spaces dynamically, as well as providing an intelligent sharpening option for images. In addition, a sneak preview on a number of new technological enhancements in the Zepra colour server will be shown for the first time - in particular, the option to adopt printing data automatically to match a desired printing condition based on a few measurements and a high-quality spot-colour processing option.

ColorWare Hall 7, Stand D16
ColorWare will launch the PressView Printability Test Suite in Düsseldorf. PressView is a server-based colour control system that enables printers to measure, analyse and control the colours in offset, heatset, flexo, gravure and digital printing processes. The new Printability Test Suite means printers can now make a complete print analysis before the final print production. The company says this will take all the guesswork out of colour quality, as in a few minutes the PressView Printability Test analyses the exact colour behaviour for any given ink and substrate combination for all print processes. The test will calculate the closest colour match and density and determines the optimum density value and density bandwidth of any specific ink/substrate combination, predicting the exact colour performance of the ink-of-choice on the selected substrate.

Digital Information Hall 8b, Stand B2
The Swiss company will highlight its InkZone product, a software suite that consists of components for online ink-presets, closed-loop colour control, and the connection of scanning measurement devices from Techkon and X-Rite allowing for real-time on-screen visualisation of target and actual values.

Fujifilm Hall 8b, Stand 25-1 & 25-3
XMF ColorPath, Fujifilm's new cloud-based colour management system, will be on show. It boasts a range of new features and capabilities designed to help printers calibrate and maintain compliance to printing standards, with the ability to work across multiple print processes.

GMG Hall 4, Stand B25/Hall 7, Stand B11
GMG will give a global launch to its new spot-colour simulation tool for packaging printers, in addition to a cloud-based tool for soft-proofing at Drupa. Although details are being kept under wraps, the developer said its new tool marks a "breakthrough" in calculating profiles for simulating the combined printing of both spot and process colours. In conjunction with GMG FlexoProof, Hanno Hoffstadt, leader of the GMG research team, promises "predictability that was previously thought unachievable". Hoffstadt added: "We know the packaging industry has been searching for technology like this. At the moment, we are working flat-out on the products and expect detailed information to be available just in time for the exhibition." Information on GMG's cloud solutions will also be fleshed out at the show. The company has developed a completely new cloud-based tool and will be targeting organisations across the entire publishing supply chain, from advertising agencies, photographers and repro studios to printers and publishers, through to the brand owners themselves. The new solution has a highly flexible and clear interface with intelligent tools for central management and control of all correction and approval procedures. The collaboration tool is the first in a series of innovative cloud-based solutions, providing user-friendly integration of GMG color management, says the company.

QuadTech Hall 17, Stand A1
QuadTech will be showcasing its control systems for colour measurement during Drupa. The company says its "automated, image-based control systems offer the newspaper, commercial and packaging printer exceptional colour quality and consistency". QuadTech will attempt to demonstrate this during the show. Of particular attention will be the new QuadTech Color Control and Web Inspection System with AccuCam.

X-Rite/Pantone Hall 8b, Stand A23
On the Esko stand will be a new cloud-based colour management and standardisation tool aimed at the packaging sector. PantoneLive, which has been developed by Pantone and X-Rite in partnership with Esko and Sun Chemical, enables all phases of the packaging design process to access common digital colour definitions and aims to reduce complexity and re-work. It uses Esko's Colour Engine database to manage colour and device profiles, and to support the colour management process across the packaging pre-press workflow. Sun Chemical is to withdraw its SmartColour colour management system from the marketplace and transfer all current customer licenses to PantoneLive. The new tool features a standard library, which includes all of the colours from Pantone Plus and the Pantone Matching System, and brand owners will also be able to create specific colour palettes and store them in the system. Also on show will be i1Pro 2 colour management solutions, including the newly enhanced i1Pro 2 spectrophotometer. The company says that this provides an even higher level of accuracy, versatility, ergonomics, functionality and value than i1 Pro. "Combined with recently released i1Profiler software v1.3, the new i1Pro 2 portfolio meets the unique needs of pre-press, digital printing and photography imaging professionals," says the company. A new spectrophotometer platform that incorporates the latest touch-and-swipe navigation technology and intuitive software to make colour measurements quick and easy for pressroom personnel, including ways to monitor and control colour the new and emerging ISO standards, will also feature on stand. New products from Pantone that expand its colour libraries will be showcased, alongside additional solutions from X-Rite specifically targeted for pre-press, print, publishing and converting industries

GSE Hall 3, Stand F50
A newly developed MIS will be one of the features of the GSE stand this year. As well as providing total control of ink budgets through real-time information on ink availability, ink recipes and an immediate overview of ink costs per order, the system is also geared towards waste-reduction through improved stock forecasting and utilisation.

Optimus Hall 4, Stand D4
Optimus will be unveiling new functionality for its Dash MIS at the show. New features include Dash Sales Generator, which provides instant analysis of sales to highlight things such as top selling goods and most profitable goods, while also enabling customer profiles to be built up. Also new is Dash Campaign Manager, which uses the data available in the Dash Sales Generator to enable the sending of email or printed mail-shot campaigns to targeted customers, and Cloud Mobile, a module specifically designed for the sales team on the road using mobile tablet devices. This device enables them to prepare instant quotations and take orders for standard pre-defined products and finished goods. They are also able to view customer-specific information, including job history, current job status and quotation history.

Rhapso Hall 7a, Stand 3
Rhapso will present the latest version of its Graphisoft MIS, the Graphisoft 2012, on its stand. The new version features solutions for multichannel distribution, a web solution for online sales, a scheduler for full optimization of print jobs, extended JDF/JMF connections and management solutions for hard- and soft-cover books.

Shuttleworth Hall 9, Stand E3
Shuttleworth will launch Business Intelligence for its eponymous MIS. The company says Business Intelligence is a "fantastic set of innovative tools, including enhanced dashboards, customer-specific KPI's, user-definable reporting, executive analysis, web-based reporting and mobile apps". It will also showcase its recently launched new user interface, which is based on a Microsoft Outlook-style appearance. Joint managing director Paul Deane says: "Business Intelligence is the business tool that every printer has been waiting for and is a must-see for any visitors to Drupa. It takes the user experience to another level and provides customers with the tools to increase performance and profitability".

Tharstern Hall 5, Stand A36
Tharstern is using Drupa to launch its new estimating module, branded as ‘estimating Pro'. This new module is all about intelligent estimating - you get a very easy user interface to enter the job details and the system will return all the ways in which the printer can manufacture the job, providing cost analysis for all the different manufacturing scenarios", says the company. It will also be showing Job Ganging features within Primo with the option to link to Lithotechnics Metrix for automatically creating ganged impositions. Tharstern Primo and the new e-commerce solution e4print Pro with Chili Publish, will also be on stand.

PLATESETTERS

Agfa Hall 8a, Stand B64
Agfa Graphics is introducing two new high-speed platesetters for the high-volume newspaper market. The Advantage N PL HS (pallet-load, high-speed) and the Advantage N TR HS (trolley-load, high-speed), both produce up to 350 printing plates per hour. At Drupa, the Advantage N PL HS will be running live and imaging Agfa Graphics' N94 VCF chemistry-free violet plates. With a completely new design, it can store more than 6,000 plates configured on two pallets of 3,000 plates each plus an additional cassette in a fully-automatic setting.

BasysPrint Hall 8a, Stand 44-1
BasysPrint will unveil its next generation of 4up and 8up Computer-to-Plate (CTP) UV platesetters for the digital exposure of UV-sensitive offset printing plates. According to the company, the new UV-Setter Series 460x and Series 860x deliver "unsurpassed exposure quality" with resolutions of up to 2,400dpi. The company says the unique flatbed design of the new products enables digital imaging of a wide variety of plate sizes. It can achieve formats as small as 200x200mm and up to 680x830mm with the 460x, and a maximum of 940x1,150mm with the 860x. It adds that the dual plate-loading option also offers the flexibility of loading and imaging two plates at the same time. This allows the systems to image up to 145 plates per hour with a plate size of 400x550mm, improving productivity significantly. "As well as imaging UV plates for offset printing, the UV platesetters can be used to image coat plates for spot-varnish printing; photoengrave magnesium or copper plates of thicknesses of up to 10 mm for hot-foil stamping or embossing; image-screen meshes for all kinds of screen printing applications and even image dies for flexible die-cutting. This offers the opportunity to generate additional revenue - all from the same engine," says director of sales and marketing Christophe Lievens.

Esko Hall 8b, Stand A23

On display at the Esko stand will be the company's flexo plate technology, including the CDI Spark 4835 Auto with unique digital Inline UV 2 exposure and the CDI Spark 2530 with Inline UV and magnetic drum. The CDI Spark 4835 Auto combines plate imaging with inline digital main and back exposure in the same device. Visitors can also learn more about Esko's latest HD Flexo technology and Inline UV2 exposure unit. Esko will launch Pixel+, an optical, electronic and screening enhancement for HD Flexo imaging to support flat top dots creation, a solution for those customers who use partner technologies for the oxygen-free curing of imaged plates. "We're excited to have Drupa as the platform for our newest digital flexo solutions. Flexo print service providers will learn how our solutions produce plates at a previously unseen high quality in flexo printing with bright and vivid colors, sharp details and smooth vignettes, while guaranteeing consistent and reliable reproduction of brand colours," says Esko vice-president of Flexo Business Jürgen Andresen.

FFEI Hall 5, Stand C18
FFEI will have an Alinte CTP engine on the stand. There is no specific news or updates to the product to be announced at the show, but the product will still be there due to its continued success in the emerging markets. FFEI's violet CTP system has seen the company become the leading manufacturer and supplier of CTP systems to India, with their own-brand Alinte range and solutions manufactured on behalf of Fujifilm, Founder Electronics and TechNova.

Fujifilm Hall 8b, Hall 25-1 & 25-3
The Flenex DLE (Direct Laser Engraving) B2 CTP system wll be on show, which Fujifilm says offers an "incredibly simple and high-quality method of producing flexo plates". Fujifilm's FLH-Z ZAC processor, which is part of Fujifilm's ‘low-chemistry' family and allows printers to reduce chemistry usage, maximise bath life and minimise processor cleaning, will also be available on the stand. Meanwhile, the XR-1200F developer waste reduction and water re-use system, designed to reduce pre-press developer waste ( for use with Fujifilm Brillia HD LH-PJE, Brillia HD LH-PLE and Brillia HD LH-PXE plates processed using the Fujifilm developer) and water use for printers with plate production systems requiring chemistry, will get an airing as well.

Heidelberg Hall 1
With security applications in mind, Heidelberg will unveil a 5,080dpi version of its Suprasetter A52/A75 Suprasetter. Also, a new compact Auto/Dual cassette loader for the Suprasetter 105 will be unveiled with a smaller processor to reduce chemistry and power usage. Lance O'Connell, UK and Nordics business executive, Heidelberg, says: "In today's tough marketplace, printers cannot afford not to go to Drupa to pick on on tips and tricks that help to make them more efficient and stand out from the crowd. Heidelberg will certainly have plenty that will interest British printers, and aims to make sure they feel their journey has been money well-spent."

Kodak Hall 5, Stand F9-1
Kodak will showcase its Achieve All-in-One CTP System, which it says delivers "all the benefits of Kodak's thermal imaging technology, such as exceptional image quality, true stability on press and operational efficiencies". The Achieve CTP System includes platesetting, plates, workflow software, processing, and chemistry. The Kodak Achieve CTP System is currently being introduced in the Asia-Pacific region. Later in the year, availability will expand into emerging markets in Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Agfa Hall 8a, Stand B64
The Apogee StoreFront is a new cloud-based software solution that enables print service providers to market their services and products more efficiently. The company says the W2P solution makes it easy to set up online stores for both printed and non-printed products. Apogee StoreFront is ideally suited for printers who wish to attract a broader audience with additional services. As it is cloud-based, printers do not need to invest in hardware or additional bandwidth.

B2C Print Hall 8b, Stand C6
Founders Rafael Royz and Amir Shaltiel set up W2P software business B2C Print seven years ago and the firm now provides software solutions to printers in 36 countries worldwide. "All solutions are SAAS and don't require any hardware installed at the customer's site or at the end user's computer. W2P is increasingly moving towards this type of service, with faster implementation and faster ROI," says Royz. The company will be using Drupa to launch a range of new products, including new online design and order tools, online ordering systems for wide-format prints and online ordering systems for labels. "The internet speeds and accessibility improvements have meant that more countries are now getting into W2P, including the Middle East and Eastern Europe. This has created a global market of print providers that works worldwide as well as nationwide," adds Royz.

Canon/Océ Hall 8a, Stand C6
Visitors to the Canon stand interested in exploring opportunities in W2P should consider Helix Production Workflow, according to Canon, a software solution capable of "seamlessly integrating powerful W2P and flexible production workflow within a customer's business". Ideally suited for in-house printing environments, Helix PW will be shown alongside Océ PrismaPrepare, Océ PrismaAccess and EFI Fiery Central.

Chili Publish Hall 7a, Stand C15
Chili Publish will unveil the latest iteration of its online document editor Chili Publisher 3. Chili Publish director Kevin Goeminne says the software developer was trying to avoid the label "InDesign in the cloud" as it continued to add greater functionality. New features include the ability to use table structures for page layouts, where each cell can hold text, images, barcodes, vectors or tables, and Chili's second-generation mobile reader. Another addition to be announced in Dusseldorf is 3D Folding, a 3D visualisation tool to give printers and end-users a preview of what finished products will look like. In addition to previewing folded paper documents, Chili said the tool could be used to create previews of simple packaging products from the artwork and folding patterns. Chili will also unveil its latest partnerships at Drupa, including a mystery deal with Agfa Graphics and a deal with Cronos Group-subsidiary PHPro, which has resulted in the development of a Chili connector for the popular e-commerce platform Magento.

Optimus Hall 4, Stand D4
Optimus will be highlighting its Fespa-launched Cloud W2P system, which enables one-click ordering of standard products and variable data products with full access to the product's template, regardless of complexity. The variable data engine automatically converts orders into jobs in the workflow. It also features an online quote generator, which integrates with the MIS so customers can choose options, view prices and place orders.

Printing.com Hall 7, Stand F13
Printing.com will be showcasing its new ‘W3P' system, a cloud-based W2P platform based on InDesign. The software seeks to address the main limiting factors in the uptake of W2P in terms of the cost and complexity of creating templates for variable print jobs.

Printdata Hall 7, Stand D8
German companies Printdata, Karlsruhe-Eggenstein and software developer M/S VisuCom will release the latest iteration of their joint W2P offering Online-PrintShop 5 (OPS) at the show on the Printdata stand. Among the new aspects is HTML Editor, an app for mobile devices, integration of the publishing solutions from the German software supplier VIVA in OPS 5, integrated process control right up to production and an optimised back-end for administration.

RedTie Hall 7a, Stand D23
RedTie will be highlighting its recently launched App Apace at the show, which the company claims gives it the technical freedom to do "almost anything and be the first 100% W2P solution". Along with its latest App Plug-ins, it will be showcasing its new features created to improve both the printer's and end-user's experience and ease of use. This includes a completely rewritten back-end set of tools to make creating successful webstores and products "easier than ever before".

ROI 360 Hall 4, Stand A2

ROI 360 will be highlighting its W2P portal Pageflex, which includes the Storefront and iWay modules. Visitors to the stand will have the chance for a behind the curtain preview of the upcoming major releases of Pageflex v8 and iWay v6 with significant enhancements and new global trading features. There will also be demonstrations of Pageflex's mobile to print solutions and digital media partnerships. ROI 360 commercial manager Simon Ellington says: "We are aiming to use Drupa to inspire businesses such as print providers, agencies and leading brand managers. Our aim is to focus on customer success, not just clever technology. We pride ourselves in becoming a partner of choice helping our clients increase business, add new revenue streams and radically change the way they do business."

Vit2Print Hall 9, Stand A25
Vit2Print will be highlighting its W2P software on stand, which consists of multiple modules enabling the online proofing, editing and submission of work. The software includes TransVit, a translation software module aimed at minimising the time to market for multi-language work.

AgfaHall 8a, Stand B64
The newest version of Agfa Graphics' workflow management suite, Apogee 8, will be demonstrated. Agfa says Apogee 8 features greater connectivity and drives an ever-growing range of digital presses, supporting 64-bit systems and offering optimized imposition for large-volume web printing systems. It will be driving systems live at the show. Agfa will also showcase Arkitex Eversify. This SAAS solution offers newspapers an easy way to convert their print content for mobile digital publishing, "without increasing production costs and still providing a rich reading experience". Using HTML5 for the reproduction of images, audio, video animation and other content, Agfa says Arkitex Eversify enables publishers to deliver newspapers to a variety of tablet and smart mobile devices easily and with minimal investment.

Arden Software Hall 8b, Stand C15
Arden Software will be showcasing the next generation of its product lifecycle and workflow tool WEBcnx, along with its Impact CAD/CAM application and Impact Enterprise solution, which provides centralised support for multiple Impact databases across multiple locations and enables structural designers to share drawings across an organisation, regardless of location. Visitors to the Arden Software stand will be able to preview a number of new WEBcnx developments, including the addition of a supply chain management module, which enables packaging companies to introduce supply chain planning and execution capabilities across its business through the use of advanced barcode technology; and a planning and scheduling module, which allows the allocation and monitoring of design tasks to prevent project conflicts, under-utilisation and bottlenecks. A new version of the Impact structural design, product development, virtual 3D sampling and die-making application Impact will also be previewed. Impact 2013, due for release later this year, includes many new feature enhancements, including improved graphics handling and a completely new dynamic stripping tool.

Atlantic Zeiser Hall 11, Stand C56
Atlantic Zeiser will highlight its in-house software solution, which encapsulates colour management on press controls and PDF handling. Marketing manager Marcus Geigle says that the software, including the BLS solution for on-press controls, is a comprehensive solution for Atlantic Zeiser users and that its full capability will be demonstrated at Drupa.

Caldera Hall 4, Stand A14
Caldera will show various new products at Drupa, including version 9 of its RIP software for wide-format print, featuring the new version of Adobe APPE 2.5 and its ink saving option Inperformer. Also on show will be the Flow+ business workflow solution and the company's new W2P offering.

Canon/Océ Hall 8a, Stand C6
Canon has extended its partnership with photo print software provider Taopix and at Drupa 2012 will be demonstrating how Taopix's photobook software can be used together with imagePress colour digital production presses to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the growth in the European photobook market. Visitors to the stand will be able to follow the workflow from image capture to output as images are captured on a Canon EOS DSLR camera, transferred to the design area for editing and then output to a Canon imagePress C7010, before being finished using FastBind FotoMount binders. For customers seeking to add value to print by offering cross-media campaigns, the Canon Workflow Program offers a consultative approach utilising DirectSmile software. This will be demonstrated on the Canon stand, where visitors will be able to participate in creating their own personalised cross-media campaign including video, web and print, with the printed elements produced on a Canon imagePress C7010VP. As with cross-media, a number of the customer success stories and innovative examples of applications will show how customers have delivered transactional and personalised promotional projects using Canon production printers, together with software solutions in the Canon Workflow Program, including PrintShop Mail and PlanetPress Suite. In addition to the latter, other VDP software solutions being showcased on Canon's stand at drupa include Océ Prismasatellite for ERP and Océ Cosmos.

DirectSmile Hall 7, Stand E11
DirectSmile Cross Media will take centre stage on DirectSmile's stand in the Drupa Innovation Park, where the company will be trying to demonstrate how this marketing tool enables the quick and easy creation of cost-effective, successful database-driven campaigns. Designed for the production of personalised, automated marketing campaigns across print, online and mobile media, the company says users can easily create personalised print, e-mails and websites (PURLs), and link them together to create one integrated campaign.

"To meet today's market challenges, maintain a competitive edge and tap into new, profitable revenue streams, many print service providers are making the transition to become marketing service providers. DirectSmile Cross Media is the ideal solution to facilitate this transition," claims Harry Raaphorst, the new managing director at DirectSmile. "The different applications for campaigns created using DirectSmile Cross Media include direct marketing campaigns for lead generation and customer loyalty, customer surveys, competitions, newsletters, sales-support applications, communication for trade shows and events. As you can see, the list is endless!"

EFI Hall 5, Stand C1
EFI has provided some teaser information about its Drupa launches, which include cloud-based MIS with cloud versions of the Pace and Printsmith systems, as well as an expansion of the Digital Storefront web-to-print product. The Fiery controller also moves into the cloud with the new Fiery Dashboard data analysis tool, and Fiery is being integrated with all EFI MISs, including recently-acquired Prinance. The new Fiery Hyper RIP will be up to 40% faster than previous models, and can process variable data content with transparency at full engine speed.

Enfocus Hall 8b, Stand A23
Enfocus vice president Fabian Prudhomme says that the company's stand, which it is sharing with parent company Esko, will be themed around the slogan ‘More Power to You'. The latter is designed to celebrate the release of Smart Automation and Smart Preflight solutions, which the company says return more power to the users than "any product in the company's history". The company says users will benefit from significantly more accurate and flexible PDF preflight and correction when Enfocus releases PitStop Pro 11 and PitStop Server 11 at the show, while it says the automated use of metadata (e.g. JDF and XML) for job processing, via PitStop Server, introduces a new level of automation.

Esko Hall 8b, Stand A23
Esko will launch Suite 12 of its workflow software at Drupa, with the company calling it a "major update" of the solution aimed at packaging, labels, sign and display industries. The software, which features WebCenter 12, Automation Engine 12, Color Engine 12, Studio 12 and the flagship editors ArtiosCAD, PackEdge, ArtPro and DeskPack, now offers enhanced 3D capabilities, more control over each step in the process, and a "major breakthrough" in getting consistent and accurate colour reproduction. "Packaging professionals looking for faster time to market, effective and reliable workflow solutions and guaranteed colour consistency will be impressed by Suite 12. They will see many examples of our commitment to our customers and our dedication to continuous improvement of our solutions," says Bernard Zwaenepoel, senior vice-president of the software business at Esko.

FFEI Hall 5, Stand C18
FFEI will demonstrate its new end-to-end digital labels solution, which includes a Caslon digital inkjet press incorporating a new digital spot-colour unit printing white ink, and FFEI's latest RealPro Workflow software. The newly enhanced RealPro Workflow System, a fully automated production solution for commercial, digital and label printers, will have additional specialised labelling and packaging features enabling "seamless integration" with the Caslon digital inkjet press, providing users with the ability to centralise control of their files and output them via the most cost-efficient route, whether on a digital or conventional output device, or a third-party system. Visitors will also see live demonstrations of RealVue 3D Packager, a 3D visualisation software solution for fast carton packaging or label prototyping.

FourPees Hall 7a, Stand 13D
FourPees says it will have a selection of new products on show at Drupa, including the official launch of the Atomyx Portal and Atomyx Automation systems. The Atomyx modular workflow solution was the successor to the company's previous DFlux product and at Drupa the Atomyx Portal will be introduced. The latter is an out-of-the-box job submission and quality control portal solution, based on Callas Software's PDFToolbox preflight and correction technology. It streamlines file submission, including additional metadata, quality control and verification against product properties setup by the printer or publisher. Atomyx Automation, meanwhile, is a complete production automation solution covering all stages of a workflow, from delivery and quality control and image optimisation to proofing, and production for the print and publishing market. Drupa will also mark the official launch on the FourPees stand by Axaio Software of MadeToTag, an Adobe InDesign plugin for efficient export of InDesign documents to tagged PDF files. It will also show its flagship product, MadeToPrint, a plug-in for Adobe InDesign, Illustrator or InCopy and an XTension for QuarkXPress, that allows manual, one-click, print and export from your design document to one or more output targets. Also on stand will be Twixl Publisher, a publishing solution that takes projects from InDesign to iPad.

Fujifilm Hall 8b, Hall 25-1 & 25-3
Fujifilm will be showing major updates to its entire XMF Workflow and Production Management Suite - the company's systems for managing print production that address selling, submitting and approving print through to managing the creation of printed products. Version five of Fujifilm's XMF workflow will be seen for the first time at Drupa, with enhancements that are designed to further improve speed and simplicity of use for the user, while the new XMF Remote V9 has been developed to allow print jobs to be approved via Android-based tablets and mobile phones in addition to Apple devices.

Goss Hall 17, Stands A59 and C59
A Goss Control console will be on show in order to highlight how Omnicon controls and the Goss Web Center workflow system can significantly reduce substrate, labour and time wastage through advanced software that automates the presetting, control, adjustment and monitoring of the press.

Global Graphics Hall 7, Stand A21
Global Graphics will unveil the latest version of its Harlequin "digital" RIP, Harlequin Host Renderer 3 (HHR3), at Drupa. The RIP features a trio of headline enhancements designed to help process the massive amounts of data needed to keep modern digital presses running at their rated speed. These include HP's Indigo range and T-series high-speed web presses, both of which are powered by Harlequin's digital RIP technology, as well as presses from SIS and Miyakoshi. Global Graphics chief technology officer Martin Bailey says: "It's perfect for many print sectors, from variable data labeling to personalised marketing materials, from general commercial print to print on demand, so print shops will benefit from being able to expand into new types of work." The aim of all three enhancements was to allow the RIP to process pages faster, thereby reducing the hardware requirement and number of RIPs required to feed light, medium and high-volume, toner- and inkjet-based digital presses.

Harlequin said it would make more announcements in the run up to Drupa, although it was coy on whether these would include more product or OEM partner news.

GMG Hall 4, Stand B25/Hall 7, Stand B11
The company will showcase the Fespa-launched ProductionSuite, which it claims to be the "most comprehensive production solution on the market" for the sector. The modular system includes SmartProfiler, which can identically align several printers of similar type and enables precision processing of spot colours; RIP, which runs independently from the Editor; and PrintStation, which can combine individual jobs to ensure optimum material use and cutting sequences. All of these elements are fully connected to each other for a seamless automated workflow.

HP Hall 4, D60-1 & D60-9
New workflow solutions include HP SmartStream Production Center for managing large job volumes through comprehensive production processes, as well as updated versions of HP SmartStream Production Pro DFE and HP SmartStream Director. HP also now offers HP Hiflex cloud-based software solutions, including MIS and W2P solutions, as a result of its recent acquisition of Hiflex. HP Hiflex solutions address most application areas, including commercial printing, sign and display, publishing, and direct mail.

Kodak Hall 5, Stand F9-1
Kodak will present its latest suite of workflow production tools, including Kodak Prinergy 6 software, Kodak Insite Prepress Portal software and an app for iPad devices, plus new versions of Kodak Colorflow software and Kodak Preps Imposition software. These tools help increase profitability by automating manual production processes in customers' digital and hybrid printing environments, says Kodak. The newest version of Prinergy Workflow provides unified job management driven by production intent, resulting in reduced costs in the manufacturing process. "Efficiency improvements are required long before the actual print production process," says Jon Bracken, Kodak's general manager of unified workflow solutions. "Prinergy Workflow 6 takes optimisation further to address the entire production planning process, driving equipment and manufacturing capabilities based on customer intent." In the new solution, Prinergy captures product and processing information, reducing the time customer service representatives, production planners, and prepress operators collectively need to spend on preparing optimised production plans. Jobs are now planned with a customisable interface, automated and easily monitored across multiple devices. Also new at Drupa will be the Kodak Intelligent Prepress Manager 2.0, which enables printers to harness more productivity and achieve peak quality and efficiency from their prepress systems, says Kodak. The new mobile app enables customers to manage their prepress systems anytime, anywhere from their smartphone or other mobile device.

Heidelberg Hall 1

Drupa will herald a wave of additions to the Heidelberg Prinect system, all targeted at demonstrating the company's aim of highlighting what it calls the "coming of age" of workflow integration. Additions include Prinect Business Manager, a new MIS following on from Heidelberg's acquisition of Belgian company CERM. Prinect W2P Manager, a development that comes in the wake of a collaborative deal with US developer Pageflex; increased functionality for Prinect Digital Print Manager; and developments of the Prinect packaging workflow. "By integrating all Prinect modules, users will benefit from a single database, GUI and business, sales, administration and production workflow that can be seamlessly integrated," says Prinect, workflow, UK and Nordics business executive Lance O'Connell. "It means job planning and production data will be available in the same system as, for instance, job processing and materials management data. Heidelberg has been a strong advocate of seamless CIP4 connectivity since its inception and at Drupa visitors will be amazed at just how far the integration has evolved." Prinect Business Manager and Prinect W2P will be shown operating in an integrated way although it might be 2013 before the final seamless version comes to market. Gang automation will also be shown at Drupa. The Prinect packaging workflow at Drupa will include modules to cover CAD and one-up design, one-up editing, sheet layout and processing, printing and die-cutting and folder-gluing applications. The company says that in the very near future, there will be a single workflow for digital and offset printing, with it possible to automate the processes of creating and costing a job and allocating work to the most suitable production technology or hybrid production, even providing imposition layouts for inline finishing on the Ricoh digital lines. Colour management will be optimised in the workflow, it says, so a particular colour produced on the digital press can aim to match the corresponding colour in offset.

Pitney Bowes Hall 4, Stand C4
The Pitney Bowes stand will feature dedicated software booths demonstrating the tools that the company says will enable customers to build towards an end-to-end, fully automated ‘White Paper Factory' approach. Highlights include a demonstration of Pitney Bowes' Hybrid Mail solution P/I OfficeMail. The demo will show how the solution enable customers to capture distributed mail and route it through a cloud-based architecture for print and mail production for cost efficiencies, robust compliance and more. Pitney Bowes will also be announcing several new versions of core products that enable and enhance the White Paper Factory concept including the ability to add demographic enriched transpromo content to transactional documents while tracking the multitude of client jobs within one full-colour print flow through the White Paper Factory.

Screen Hall 9, Stand A40
At Drupa, Screen launches its Equios Universal workflow, which has been designed for conventional and personalized printing environments. This single workflow with a single interface drives streamlined production from W2P to the delivery of the finished item automatically. With Equios, users don't need to operate different device-dependent workflows, each with a different way of handling imposition and colour management, to drive their variety of Screen and third-party CTP, toner and inkjet devices. Screen will also bring a world-first to Drupa 2012: the introduction of a cloud-based variable data application that "simplifies the production of variable jobs and gives printers an investment-free entry into the fastest growing area of printing." Designers and data owners can collaborate on projects via a web browser before the finished file is sent to the printer (Equios user). The service will be launched within the next 12 months and will be demonstrated on the stand.

Six Offene Systeme Hall 7a, Stand E1
Six Offene Systeme develops software and solutions for print and online publishing. Products include CMS, asset management and workflow tools and all will be on show.

StudioRIP Hall 7a, Stand E14
Workflow and RIP providers StudioRIP will showcase the media-saving capabilities of its software. This can be used on anything from ganging pages on a proofer or film, to an imagesetter, to control manually the placement of pages, thus wasting fewer consumables. The company will also highlight the way its CIP3 module reduces paper and ink waste by calculating the ink coverage for the ink ducts of the press, thereby improving the speed of the press.

Xerox Hall 8b, Stand A62-1 & A62-5
Xerox is keeping details of its Drupa line-up under wraps until just before the show, but says it will have its range of Xerox FreeFlow workflow at Drupa, as well as other pre-media related technology such as the new Xerox Phaser 7800. The latter was launched at the end of last year and can print on a range of media weights from 75gsm to 300gsm at up to 45ppm.

Random House divisional production director Neil Bradford, HarperCollins operations director David Murray and Baker & Taylor vice president for academic/educational merchandising and digital printing David Hetherington will form the panel.

Pramod Khera, executive director of Repro India, who will kick-start the event with an overview of the Indian book print industry, said it was important to the sector for Indian book printers to focus on boosting their export sales.

"The Indian book print exports are negligible, even to the English speaking countries. This needs to change and the only way of doing this is through increasing interactions between the stake holders", he added.

The theme for the conference, which will be held in the Old Press Centre at Earls Court from 4-6pm on 16 April, is: Discover Indian Bookonomics - Ability, Affordability, Adaptability.

A selection of leading Indian book printers, including Gopsons Papers, International Print-o-Pac, Jayant Printery, Kalajyothi Process, Lovely Offset, Manipal Technologies, MultiVista Global, Nutech Print Services, Replika Press, Repro India and Thomson Press, will also participate in the event.

The objectives for the conference are: to present the strengths of India to publishers; to reveal the changing face of the Indian book printer; to discuss the fast growing Indian book market; to examine the challenges faced by the publishers in distributing content through various media; and to enable networking between buyers and media partners.

The idea for the "Indian Noon" conference was proposed during the inaugural National Book Printer's Conference (NBPC), which was held at Thiruvanthapuram, India in November 2011.

The London Book Fair 2012 will be held between 16-18 April at Earls Court, London.

Vivid's product manager Bruce Cozens said: "We developed the auto-feeders in response to customer demand; when we produced the single-sided laminator, which is semi-automatic, people kept asking whether there was an auto-feeder.

"The auto-feeders that we are launching at Drupa have been two years in design and development and they are in testing at the moment. We are very pleased with it and we are aiming to have it commercially available in four to five months.

"It was important to design a system that our customers could buy as an add-on unit. We've created the feeders for our customers to simply attach to their current machines."

The Leicestershire-based manufacturer will be demonstrating the auto-feeders, along with their whole range of laminating and finishing products, at Drupa.

Pricing for the auto-feeder is yet to be confirmed but Cozens said it would be "competitive".

Manchester-based Holdmede was sold to Craig Ikin and Janette Rennicks of Eastland Colour on the 27 March, the same day that Lisa Hogg and Kelly Burton of Wilson Field were appointed joint administrators.

Ikin and Rennicks are understood to have been operations manager and commercial manager respectively at Pelican prior to its collapse.

A letter sent to creditors by Wilson Field said that the business had been sold for £20,000, with £10,000 paid on completion and the remainder to be paid in instalments.

Billingham Press managing director Ian Dodds said: "Nobody has ever saved any jobs with a phoenix - all it does it further suppress prices in the industry, cause job losses elsewhere and, ultimately, how many of them actually survive? Capacity has to be taken out otherwise we just end up prolonging the uneconomic situation over a greater period of time."

Ink Shop Printing Glasgow managing director Stuart Mason was even more vehement, threatening to boycott any supplier known to be working with Pelican Press.

He said: "If your business fails, you have my deepest sympathies - let it die. Do not expect the rest of us to absorb your bad debt through our increasing prices. There needs to be corporate responsibility in this industry."

Duarte Goncalves, managing director of Stockport-based DXG Media, added: "For a long time the unrealistic prices of this company have caused our industry many problems. When is our industry going to come together and do something about this? The government won't so we should. I advise all our suppliers that we will pull away from any company supplying this outfit."

Pelican's collapse was blamed by the administrators on the purchase of a secondhand press, which was funded by Close Asset Finance, and overdue taxes. Secured creditor Close Asset Finance made a charge against the company on the 17 January.

The letter to creditors said: "Following the purchase of this printing machine, a refund of approximately £100,000 was due from HMRC. This refund was to be used to fund the short-term cash flow of the business as the turnover had begun to reduce in 2011.

"Upon submission of the Company's VAT return in 2011, HMRC confirmed that they would not be releasing the refund to the company, and it would instead be offset against the overdue PAYE balance.

"The directors approached HMRC with a view to agreeing a time to pay scheme. HMRC rejected all proposals, and threatened to distrain over the assets of the company. Following this the director approached Wilson Field with a view to obtaining professional insolvency advice."

According to the administrators Pelican Press chief executive Ian Crow is involved with the management of Eastland Colour, but is not a director.

Billingham's Dodds said: "As a small, well-run print business we are absolutely in favour of tighter credit controls to squeeze phoenix companies out of existence.

"If we want to have a healthy and a vigorous printing industry in this country then we need to work together to stop these dubious practices."

Pelican Print, based in Aylesbury, has no connection or link with Manchester-based Pelican Press.

The Hull-headquartered supplier of specialist papers has teamed up with Monotype; the British Council's Architecture, Design & Fashion department; and creative hub It's Nice That to put together the Beauty in the Making event.

It will explore all aspects of the creative process, and includes a series of workshops and talks.

GF Smith joint managing director John Haslam said the company aimed to attract 5,000 creative professionals over the course of the five days.

"As an industry as a whole we need to educate and inspire," he stated.

"Good print, good paper and good design will deliver a beautiful and effective product. This is all about the power of print and it's in the interests of every printer to come along to this."

Previously unseen items from Monotype's Gill Sans archive will also be on display in public for the first time.

Workshops include letterpress printing and paper making, as well as a "handmade envelope experience."

GF Smith will also launch its new range of Japanese Papers during the exhibition.

Beauty in the Making is being held from 23-27 April at Victoria House Basement in Bloomsbury.

It will also be the venue for the UK and European premier of Linotype the Film on the evening of 26 April, although tickets for this are already sold out.

To book free tickets to attend Beauty in the Making, visit beautyinthemaking.eventbrite.co.uk

Announcing the technology in November 2009, Hamillroad chief executive and Harlequin founder Andy Cave described it as a "an FM screen with some elements of AM on top" that looked at every pixel to eliminate problems such as dot gain or patterning.

Hamillroad has now published a 94-page sample book containing 15 real world jobs, including invoices, shipping notes, letterheads, compliment slips, business cards and company brochures on a wide range of stocks from 70gsm uncoated NCR paper through to 350gsm silk coated board.

Each sample is printed on the left hand side with a 175 lpi AM screen and on the right hand side with Auraia-II for easy comparison, while on the front of each sample is a narrative providing background information on the job and the benefit the printer was seeking in using DM screening.

Some jobs were also printed using a coarser 133 lpi AM screen or a finer 250 lpi AM screen, while at the back of the book are two technical pages, one on coated and one on uncoated, showing some more specific technical benefits of Auraia.

These are followed by four ICC prints, of a 175 lpi screen and Auraia both on coated and uncoated stocks, that were used to measure the press curves used to align the colour of Auraia with the 175 lpi screen.

The complete book was plated on a violet CTP, so an additional fifth ICC print was included which was plated on a thermal CTP to enable a direct comparison of the results from the two competing plate technologies.

Hamillroad has said that the technology can ensure production of rosette-free, moiré-free and noise-free flat tints that equal or better the smoothness of conventional screening.

In addition, press ink duct settings were recorded for one of the jobs which showed ink savings of up to 20% could be achieved, depending on job. Hamillroad said that the software would allow "an incredible ROI to be obtained with a relatively small investment".

Hans Kellogg, Professor in Graphic Arts Management at Ball State University, said: "I just finished the Auraia Sample book and I must say it is very impressive. What are most striking are the smooth tonal renditions of the vignettes and flat tints and its ability to hold open the subtle detail within the deep shadows."

A total of 2,000 copies of the sample book are available to commercial printers/publishers, industry consultants/analysts, printing associations and colleges/universities on a first-come, first-serve basis. The book is free of charge and Hamillroad is limiting individual distribution to one book per request.

To request a sample book, email auraia@hamillroad.com and include a shipping address and contact information.

The group's print facility primarily handles the production of high-security documents for a range of banks and credit companies including personalised transactional, transpromo and direct mail collateral.

However, Affinion is now offering its comprehensive print capabilities to financial service businesses, utilities and local authorities that require high-quality direct mail campaigns.

At the heart of its new on-site print facility is an Océ ColorStream 3500, which can print at speeds up to 1,040 A4 pages per minute in full-colour.

Featuring the manufacturer's DigiDot drop-on-demand technology, the inkjet printer is linked to a bespoke finishing system from Italian manufacturer CMC.

Developed specifically to work with the company's ColorStream, the CMC system can collate, staple and stitch as well as insert documents into envelopes.

Affinion's facility also comprises a Hunkeler unwinder and slitter, Domino inkjet system for small-scale personalisation and an Impika inkjet inline.

According to Greg Howford, head of Affinion International Print Services, dynamic digital prin afforded by its new operation is "quick, efficient and extremely cost-effective".

He added: "This investment is another big step forward for us. Virtually all printing is now done in-house and around 85% of everything we produce goes through the Océ ColorStream 3500.

"The investment saves us money in the long run because we no longer have to outsource a £1m a year printing to external suppliers. Another majoy benefit is that we no longer have to stockpile printed materials, much of which went obsolete."

He returns to the industry after a period in management consultancy, but has an extensive background in senior management roles within the industry, most recently as senior vice president for sales and marketing at M-real Graphic Papers.

Clinton was also responsible for setting up M-real's London office when he served as UK managing director for six years.

Antti Makkonen, sales director at Sappi Fine Paper Europe, said: "We are delighted that John is joining us to head up one of our core markets. The experience and vision he brings to Sappi are ideal in our efforts to further develop our services with customers and partners in the UK."

According to EFI, the online dashboard also give users access to a range of metrics such as paper jams and job errors to help them identify inefficiencies within the production process.

The Dashboard view can be customised to focus on specific devices or groups of devices, to define targets for engine utilisation, or choose date ranges to measure daily, weekly, quarterly or annual growth.

Fiery Dashboard also provides system status information to show operators when engines require calibration to improve colour consistency or if new software updates are available.

EFI claims that the MIS will help customers determine whether the right machine is producing the right job, either colour or mono, most efficiently and cost-effectively.

John Henze, vice president of Fiery marketing at EFI, said the new cloud-based service, which is available as a free 30-day trial, gives users a firmer-grip on their production operation.

"From printer uptime and utilisation to media use and paper jams, as well as a host of other metrics, now print shop owners and managers can take better control of their operation with our cloud-based Fiery Dashboard service," he added.

EFI also used its latest US conference to demonstrate developments within its ERP portfolio, including PrintSmith Vision.

Launched last year, browser-based PrintSmith Vision offers a range of tools including estimating, quoting, order tracking, scheduling and data collection.

The company also demonstrated new additions to its EFI Pace and Radius software, the latter adding new flexible packaging enhancements and improved intergration tools.

In addition to the product developments announced at Connect, EFI has bolstered its large scale MIS capabilities with the acquisition of Latin American ERP specialist Metrics.

The privately-held firm, which develops ERP software for print and packaging businesses, will assist EFI in its growth in Brazil and across Latin America, as well as supporting existing EFI products.

Guy Gecht, chief executive of EFI, said: "With this acquisition we believe we are now the largest MIS/ERP provider to the printing and packaging industries in North and South America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand and South Africa."

In addition, the acquisition will be a significant boost to North Plains' footprint outside North America - particularly in Europe where Xinet's WebNative Suite has the stronger presence.

North Plains chief executive James Christopher said: "By acquiring Xinet, we are able to optimize the synergy between the two companies' solutions and fully leverage the strong channel partner network and team of Xinet.

"This acquisition aligns with North Plains' company strategy to deliver best-in-class products and services that reduce the time and costs associated with the creation, management, distribution, and archiving of rich media assets, and allow our customers to derive deep value from investments in these critical business processes."

Xinet chief executive Scott Seebass added: "We have grown Xinet based on the strength of our software and our ability to address the needs of creative talent within organizations.

"Like Xinet, North Plains' deep focus on DAM and their equal passion for delivering innovative products and services allows us to jointly provide our customers unparalleled products, services and solutions for rich media."

The acquisition comes just over a year after Accel-KKR bought an undisclosed stake in North Plains, with the company announcing its intention to use the extra capital to fund its expansion plans.

Commenting on the Xinet deal, Accel-KKR managing director Rob Palumbo said: "Accel-KKR is excited to support North Plains' in its acquisition of Xinet. We believe that by combining two innovative and industry leading rich media management providers, who serve clients that span from small creative groups to the global marketing teams in some of the worlds largest companies, we strategically position North Plains for continued and sustained growth."

Advertising company Clear Channel approached Prismaflex UK to make a special prototype poster that could withstand the extreme weather conditions to raise awareness for the TA's recruitment campaign.

The TA used pure manpower to mount the poster, frame and lighting equipment, which weighed a total of 3.5 tonnes, on the mountain top.

The poster was shipped to the peak in one piece and assembled with the apparatus atop the mountain.

Prismaflex UK, based in New Haven, East Sussex, printed the 12m x 3m mesh on its QS3200r printer using full colour QSR UV ink, despite the image being in monochrome.

The stormy weather meant that it took two attempts to display the poster, as at first the peak was deemed unsafe for climbers. However, the second attempt saw the slogan lit up on top of the mountain range to promote TA recruitment.

Prismaflex UK managing director Tom Weaver said: "This was clearly a big test for the TA but also for us. We knew our posters worked on the high street but we'd never tried to put one up on a windswept mountain before."

"I was amazed at the skill and commitment shown by the TA team. Their motto really is 'nothing is impossible.' I was pleased and relieved that we didn't let them down."

Prismaflex UK is a wide format printer, formerly known as Urban Storm until it was bought by Prismaflex International in early 2012.

According to joint owner Lee Masters, who runs the company with Rob Easton, Aspect Press is now more confident that it can take fast-turnaround work on.

He said: "We got a job for 125,000 eight-page A5 folded booklets that had to be delivered four days later. Previously we would have sent the work out expecting to meet the deadline, but never quite sure. This time we knew for a fact we would. Now we can control quality and costs.

"Apart from taking the ‘muscle' out of the job, the PSX-56 turns the entire folding process into a genuine one-person operation. Recently one operator produced 400,000 6-page DL booklets, 2-up and split down the middle, boxed and packed on a pallet on her own."

The 40,000sph AFC54/56 series features a high profile colour icon-based touch-screen, while Aspect's model is equipped with six buckles and cross knife.

Masters added: "It keeps the value of a job in-house; before we were sending up to £7,000 worth of folding work out every month."