Printing companies are facing the prospect of double-digit rises in paper prices following announcements of up to 12% increases by UK paper merchants. Printers have been warned that most merchants will make their increases from 6th April, although not all of the increases have been confirmed.
Depending on the grade, Antalis and its sister company James McNaughton Group have announced it would raise its prices by 8-10%, saying it would affect coated and uncoated graphic papers for sheets, reels and cut-size grades.
Howard Smith Paper have made it known that the full extent of the proposed price rises on its pricing strategy was not yet clear, but it is likely to raise prices between 8-12% for coated and uncoated grades for stock and direct mill deliveries.
The increase is expected to be in the region of 8-10% at Robert Horne.
Blaming rises in the cost of raw material and production, most of the paper merchants increased their prices last month and now they are back again, profiteering beyond the price rises introduced by the paper mills.
It would appear that the rationalisation of UK paper merchants over the last decade has resulted in a situation where there is little competition. Maybe it is time for the big boys to be broken up?
I refer to this article dated 29th October 2009.
An oversight or a cock up? I commend Heidelberg for their effort but to what end? I find it pretty difficult to criticise what I and many deem to be the standard bearers in terms of printing press manufacture – 95% of the presses our partners in print employ are made by Heidelberg, and why? Because these printers can, when using ISO12647 accredited papers supplied by Howard Smith Papers, match our contract proofs, ran through a GMG/Epson system and calibrated to FOGRA 39L – the ISO12647 standard for proofing. In their attempt to align themselves with the ISO12647-2 colour management standard Heidelberg have scored a bit of an own goal!
The word on the street is that Heidelberg have a deal in place with Robert Horne for the supply of paper – well done Robert Horne but really, how can it be that they thought that nobody would pick up on the fact that the papers used in the guide do not meet the criteria set by the ISO? The result – a colour guide with a price tag of £50.00 that does not meet the standards set by the ISO!
