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Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your print problems

Q I was wondering if you could recommend a firm that could handle newspaper printing
for an individual project in the realm of 500 copies at most.
Christian Smith
Via email

A I suspect web-offset would be uneconomical because of the set-up costs for such a short run. However, Nick Schiller, managing director at contract newspaper printer Archant Print, is happy to provide a quote. Contact him on 01603 772 348 or nick.schiller@archant.co.uk, or go directly to the firm’s website and fill in an enquiry form (www.newspaperprinting.co.uk). Stuart Parker (stuart.parker@bigspark.co.uk) of Big Spark (www.bigspark.co.uk) says it would be cheaper just to order 2,500-3,000 and “skip the overs” rather than 500, but it does depend on the pagination, paper weight, whether we’re talking single or four-colour and so on. The other option to consider is digital. Kodak launched its Digital Newspaper Line press last year (Kodak Graphic Communications Group – 00 32 2352 2511) and there’s also Océ’s (0870 600 5544 www.oce.com) Variostream 7000 Newspaper System and DemandStream 8090 NP. Both manufacturers could probably point you in the direction of a user that may be able to help. For example, Wembley printer Stroma (020 8961 5470) has a DemandStream 8090 and is part of Océ’s Digital Newspaper Network, so they’d definitely be worth a call. Other contract newspaper printers to consider include Mortons of Horncastle and Broughton Printers.

Q We are looking for a company that provides a double-sided tape applicator as an add-on for carton folder/gluers. We have a Vega Junior 450 at the moment and have spoken to the Vega representative and they don’t supply such applicators but have advised us of an Italian company that could. Can you help?
Linda Hall
H&S Partners

A The Italian firm mentioned is probably Fidia Macchine Grafiche (www.fidiagraf.com) in Turin, which sells two types of double-sided tape heads, Speedy and Mistral (they sound like goldfish names). Packit Equipment is a good UK alternative to try (www.packitequipment.co.uk). Its tape applicator has a maximum speed limit of 40m/min, which can be well below the typical production speed of a carton/folder gluer, but it also has an option that allows the tape machine to be used with tape bobbins of 5,000m capacity. Contact Steve West at general@robatech.co.uk. Finishing kit supplier Ryegold (www.ryegoldltd.co.uk) might be another option. Call Colin Johnson on 01707 336777.

Worries with your workflow? Problems with your press? Email printweek.helpline@haymarket.com