Presstek, Inc. announced that Edward E. Barr has been elected to its Board of Directors. Mr. Barr is an industry leader who served as president and CEO of Sun Chemical Corporation from 1987 to 1998, during which time Sun Chemical's revenues grew from $600 million to more than $3 billion. Mr. Barr has more than 45 years of industry experience, including senior management roles in Sun Chemical and Courtaulds plc, and has also served as chairman and CEO of Sun Chemical Group BV, and as chairman of Kodak Polychrome Graphics.

"I am excited to welcome a seasoned executive of Ed's caliber to the Presstek board," commented Jeff Jacobson, Presstek president and CEO. "Ed's track record, which includes the successful transformation of Sun Chemical into the leading global graphic arts printing ink and pigments company, demonstrates his strategic vision, industry insight and passion to succeed. Ed and I worked closely together during his tenure as chairman at Kodak Polychrome Graphics, and I am looking forward to another successful collaboration as Presstek executes its strategy."

"Presstek has a unique and innovative market position, and I am pleased to work closely again with Jeff Jacobson, and the entire team, as we leverage Presstek's strengths to build shareholder value," commented Mr. Barr.

Mr. Barr joined Sun Chemical in 1962 and served as president and chief operating officer from 1975 to 1982, when he left to become CEO and partner with Courtaulds plc in a US-based specialty chemicals joint venture. He rejoined Sun Chemical in 1987 as president and CEO. From 1998 through 2003, Mr. Barr served as Chairman and CEO of Sun Chemical BV, the holding company for Sun Chemical and its other interests, including its 50 percent equity in Kodak Polychrome Graphics.

A former trustee of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Mr. Barr serves as chairman of the board of United Water Resources and is a director and chairman of the Executive Committee of Newline Noosh, a leading provider of print sourcing and procurement solutions. From 1985 to 1987 he chaired the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, a blue ribbon panel responsible for guiding the state's economic development. From 1976 to 1985 he was a member of the New Jersey Board of Higher Education and served as its chairman from 1978 to 1981.

An economist by training, Mr. Barr received his master's degree from the University of Michigan and participated in the Ph.D. program in economics at New York University (1959-1961). Later, he completed M.I.T.'s Senior Executive Program. A graduate of NYU's Stern School of Business (BS, 1957), he was named a distinguished alumnus of NYU and awarded the John T. Madden Memorial Medal in 1978. Barr was elected an NYU Albert Gallatin Fellow in 1979 and a life member of the Albert Gallatin Associates in 1984. He was awarded honorary degrees by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (doctor of science) and Monmouth College (doctor of laws). Mr. Barr is an overseer of NYU's Stern School, where he led the recently-completed five-year capital campaign.

Central Ink Corporation, the 10th largest North American ink manufacturer, according to a 2007 report by Ink World magazine, will be celebrating 75 consecutive years of serving the printing industry on Oct. 5 of this year.
   
Central Ink Corporation traces its roots back to 1933 when Cecil E. Breen founded the still family-run company as CEB Ink in a loft building on Printer’s Row in Chicago.  The company’s initial focus was letterpress inks before moving into the web offset news ink market in the early 1960s. When the company moved to its current location in West Chicago in 1970, the name was changed from CEB Ink to Central Ink Corporation. CIC introduced web offset heatset inks in 1978 and the inks have since become the corporation’s principal product line. Since moving to West Chicago, the Central Ink facility has expanded four times from 26,000 sq. ft. to its current 160,000 sq. ft. size that is capable of producing 150 million pounds of ink per year.
   
According to Richard Breen, company CEO and son of the founder, “Central Ink has always been a family business. We’re not a giant multi-national corporation making decisions in Germany or Tokyo; our headquarters is outside of Chicago, right in the middle of the country.  That keeps us close to our customers so that we can continue to be responsive to their needs.  Much has changed in the 75 years since my father founded Central Ink, but this business has always been about building and maintaining strong relationships with printers.”

Web offset or sheetfed, virtually any print operation will found new and enhanced ink and coating products as well as money-saving systems from INX International Ink Co. during Graph Expo, which runs from Oct. 26-29 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
   
“We can help printers overcome an increasing array of challenges, energy costs and environmental issues for example, along with the ever-present client demands,” noted Rick Clendenning, INX president and CEO. “In our booth, they can learn the latest on enhanced, performance-proven inks and new replenishable-resource formulations, plus waste-reducing systems that directly impact their bottom line.”
   
INX specialists will conduct demonstrations and discuss featured products, including:

• New EcoTech process colors will be introduced at Graph Expo: Extremely environmentally friendly, they are very low in petroleum solvents/VOCs (less than 3 percent by weight) and rich in renewable vegetable oils (over 45 percent). They deliver superb dot sharpness, press stability, with fast set and dry times. These “stay-open” inks reduce waste and wash-ups, can be left in the fountain overnight, and are an ideal match for aqueous coating or OP Varnishing in-line and foil stamping, or UV coating after 48-72 hours.

• New EcoPure HPJ Soy process inks: Even more environmentally friendly than EcoPure HPJ, printers can use the Soy Seal with these premium quality inks that come up to color quickly on-press, reducing waste. Printers will experience superior ink transfer, high trap percentages and fast set times, and can expect excellent performance with FM or conventional screening.

• Fusion UV Hybrid Process Inks: Fusion  enables printers to go from conventional into hybrid runs without reconfiguring presses or conditioning rollers. These environmentally friendly inks deliver dot sharpness, color balance and press stability. Comparable to the best conventional litho inks, they offer exceptional adhesion to multiple substrates including styrene, PVC and static cling. Fusion is formulated to be VOC-free and qualifies for the Soy Seal.

• INXCure UVXcel high-performance inks are used for a range of general commercial print applications, offer superb dot sharpness, color consistency and running stability with UV ease and speed. Formulated VOC-free, they are UV or aqueous coatable.

• Advanced and enhanced, performance-proven ColorTrac offset inks: Offset printers can catch up on the latest in INX dominant ColorTrac series, including ColorTrac SS, specially formulated for fine-line random dot screening on high-end catalogue and similar applications. It delivers deep, brilliant color tone with low dot gain and excellent color balance. All ColorTrac series inks minimize waste with short make-readies, reduce the number of wash-ups, and come up to color on-press fast.
   
ColorTrac Lo-Temp UVC Process Inks provide excellent drying at reduced temperatures and are ideal for short-oven presses. Printers can expect a potential energy savings of 15-20 percent depending on actual press conditions. They are formulated to run on medium and higher weight coated, uncoated and matte stocks, or even heavier substrates that blister at the higher drying temperatures needed for conventional inks. It has excellent rub resistance with gloss and is a superb choice for inserts and covers.

• New SPEC RTP3000 automated paste ink dispenser: INX expands its offerings with this small-batch system that provides precise color blends in minutes with unexcelled batch-to-batch consistency, using standard quick-change Sonoco-type cartridges. Along with time savings from in-house prep, the system helps eliminate excess-ink inventory.

Siegwerk Indonesia has been awarded with a “Certificate of Honor” as a nominee for the “Sampoerna Supplier Award 2008." Sampoerna, Indonesian subsidiary of Philip Morris International (PMI) in South East Asia, has honored its best suppliers with the award for the first time.

Siegwerk Indonesia is nominated in the “Direct Material Category," which includes all the ingredients and related packaging materials used for processing and manufacture of cigarettes and its packaging. The criteria for the selection are quality, consistency, technical service and support, logistics and price. 

Among 75 contestants only five suppliers were nominated for the Direct Materials Category, with Siegwerk being the only ink supplier to receive this honor.


Sun Chemical is increasing prices for the commercial, packaging and industrial markets by between 5 and 15 percent because of significant increases in raw material, energy and transportation costs. The increases cover Europe, Africa and the Middle East and will be implemented from September 1.

The primary reasons for these cost increases faced by Sun Chemical include the continued high prices of oil and natural gas, combined with governmental policies in China and global shortages of certain raw materials.

“Increased costs are having a significant impact on most industries in Europe, and our industry is no exception," David Meldram, president of Sun Chemical Europe, said. "We continue to monitor the business environment in the sectors in which we operate. We are working proactively with our suppliers and we are taking action to keep costs to a minimum. However, given the speed and scale of these rises, it is necessary to increase prices for the commercial, packaging and industrial markets.”

“We are committed to offering our customers world-class products and the highest level of service through quality, service and innovation, and these price increases are essential in order for us achieve this," Felipe Mellado, corporate vice president and group managing director for Sun Chemical Europe, added. "We will continue to provide proactive support and advice to our customers, especially during this challenging period.”

In July, Sun Chemical Europe announced price increases of 10 – 20% for the Publication market depending on the product.

Flint Group Flexographic Products, the culmination of Flint Group Printing Plates and the rotec sleeve business, introduces its latest plate and sleeve technology to the North American market at Labelexpo Americas 2008, in Rosemont, IL, booth 5713.

With products ranging from nyloflex®and nyloprint®photopolymer printing plates to rotec sleeves and adapters, Flint Group Flexographic Products now presents its broadest range of products, offering system solutions and expertise for printers and tradeshop businesses in the label printing market and beyond.

Developed specifically for narrow web printing, Flint Group Flexographic Products rolls out the nyloflex FAB printing plate, an extremely flexible plate, for use with UV-curable printing inks and smaller press cylinders, making it ideal for label printing. Using different polymer technology from other Flint Group nyloflex plates, FAB exhibits some of the highest imaging and print quality attainable from a photopolymer printing plate.

“With a durometer of approximately 62 Shore A and resolution easily exceeding 200 lpi screen count, the high ink compatibility and improved flexibility of nyloflex FAB provides a much needed step forward in capability for the label market,” explained Dan Rosen, sales director for Flint Group. “We also foresee the benefits of this product ranging well beyond label printing, into the broader flexo packaging market as the plate performs well with other ink systems.”

Flint Group Flexographic Products also showcases the new rotec Hybrid Sleeve, an extremely consistent, stable and high quality fiberglass base sleeve. With significant investment in R&D, Flint Group Flexographic Products has optimized the production of printing sleeves and is now capable of producing basic sleeves with shortened lead times for orders.

The specialty chemicals Group ALTANA has signed a contract to acquire the effect pigment business of the American company United States Bronze Powders Inc. (USBP).

In 2007, USBP achieved sales of approximately $8 million in this business area. USBP retains its powder business as well as its aluminum pigments business. Within the ALTANA Group, the acquired business will be integrated into the ECKART Effect Pigments division, a leading manufacturer of metallic and pearlescent pigments. The acquisition is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

The acquired business mainly comprises the production of copper pigments, bronze pigments, stainless steel pigments, as well as press-ready metallic printing inks. USBP generates about 60 percent of its sales of these pigments in the NAFTA region, and about 15 percent in each of Asia and Europe. No manufacturing site and no
employees are included under the agreement with USBP; the production for this business will be transferred to ECKART’s US Affiliate ECKART America in Painesville, OH, and to its main factory in the Bavarian town of Guntersthal in Germany.

“United States Bronze Powders is a company with a long tradition. The acquired product range is a perfect fit for ALTANA and will help to create value," commented Dr. Matthias L. Wolfgruber, CEO of ALTANA AG. “The acquisition underlines our growth ambitions, which are supported by our operating growth as well as
acquisitions.“
   
“With this acquisition, our product range is strategically complemented, we create synergies and improve our position in particular in the North American market," emphasized Dr. Christoph Schlunken, president Division ECKART Effect Pigments. Of particular interest and advantage was the fact that with the further
diversification of its portfolio, ECKART is now able to enter a new, future-oriented area of business with pigments for stainless steel.

SGIA 2008 visitors will be introduced to innovative new products from Sun Chemical showing significant developments in display, industrial and electronic materials technologies.
 
“Sun Chemical’s major investments in research and development are paying off for our customers in the screen, digital, narrow web label, brand protection and electronics materials industries,” said Michael Kellen, the director of specialty inks at Sun Chemical. “For each of these unique applications, we have innovative products that improve both productivity and durability, and at the same time reduce consumable costs.”
 
At booth 1719, Sun Chemical’s newest additions to its display graphics offerings includes the GEN 7 UV multi-purpose ink system designed for use on a wide range of plastic substrates and the COMETAL UV ink system designed for printing onto coated metals. COMETAL can also be used in the hi-tech graphics market. 
 
The GEN 7 ink system can be used on up to 12 point of purchase display plastic substrates including: treated polyethylene banner material, styrene, treated or top coated mylar/ polyester, treated coroplast, treated high density polyethylene sheet, coated paper and board, rigid vinyl, ABS, acrylic, PETg and polycarbonate.
 
GEN 7 inks are made with high performance pigments which offer excellent outdoor durability. The rheology has been optimized for excellent printability which gives a smooth finish with low dot profile.
 
GEN 7 ink system is an environmentally-friendly solution that creates no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and is NVP free. It also meets the ISO G7 specification, a certification used for the G7 calibration process that is required by some major retailers in North America to maintain printing consistency. 
 
The COMETAL ink system is a UV ink that can be used on decorated coated metal appliance parts and metal signs that passes the Tabor Test, a world standard test that determines abrasion resistance. Unlike most metal signs using UV ink coatings, COMETAL ink system is very flexible which allows for embossing, debossing and bending without fracturing.  
 
COMETAL ink offers five to seven year outdoor durability and is a UV sustainable ink that produces no VOCs and does not require conventional gas dryers.
 
Additionally, COMETAL inks resist gasoline and can be printed on metal gas pumps instead of decals that the gasoline over time eats through, providing gas companies with a more durable solution.
 
COMETAL inks can also be used on promotional signs that require dry erase capabilities. Using COMETAL ink for dry erase displays can help screen printers avoid the cost of using other products that require a single hit of a clear solution that is dry erasable.
 
Sun Chemical will showcase its Platinum White technology, a UV flexo white ink that improves the productivity of converters when printing narrow web labels by delivering increased line speeds, faster changeovers, improved color separations, and reduced costs.
 
UV rotary screen white inks have long provided high opacity and brightness for package printing, however, rotary screen printers are restricted to low press speeds and sometimes borderline adhesion to many substrates. In addition, flexo or letterpress inks printed over them usually require modification for optimal wetting and adhesion. 
 
A recipient of a 2008 InterTech Technology Award, Platinum White technology improves on rotary screen technology by enabling increased press speeds, adhesion to many challenging substrates, overprint ability with standard UV letterpress, UV and water-based flexo inks and coatings, better color separations, faster makeready times, and reduced consumable costs.
 
Printers will not need to modify press equipment or invest in costly new equipment to use Platinum White. Additionally, converters can cut further expenses by purchasing flexo plates at a considerably lower cost than easily damaged rotary screens.
 
At SGIA, Sun Chemical will show visitors its SunTronic product line, a series of screen inks used for printed circuit boards (PCB), membrane switches, fascia panels, industrial labels, medical sensors and others in the printed electronics marketplace.
 
Some of the offerings from the SunTronic product line include: Aqualine water based flexo silver conductive inks for circuit boards and medical sensors; SunTronic 280 conductive silver inks for membrane touch switches, fascia panels and industrial labels; and SunTronic 680 UV Dielectric inks for printable insulating layers between conductive tracks on membrane touch switches. 
 
Globally, Sun Chemical is one of the leaders in the PCB, membrane switch, devices, and photovoltaic markets.

Citing significant and continuing advances in raw material, energy and transportation costs, INX International Ink Co. has announced an increase in ink prices of 10-12 percent across all product lines, effective Sept.1. This move follows similar increases announced by other major manufacturers in recent weeks.

“The magnitude of multiple cost increases continues to challenge our ability to absorb them,” said Rick Clendenning, INX president and CEO.  

“We will continue to expand our renewable-resource product offerings while working diligently to optimize our supply chain.  We also plan to intensify our own energy management and other INX sustainability programs in order to moderate the impact on our customers.  These combined efforts will enable us to meet customers’ ongoing ink and coating needs, with the unsurpassed product quality and service support they expect from us.”

EFI announced that its Jetrion 3025 Inkjet System successfully enabled the China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation (CBPMC) to print 13 million tickets for the 2008 Summer Olympics with radio-frequency identification (RFID) and variable data on every ticket.

EFI's Jetrion 3025 was tasked with ensuring that every ticket meets with the highest image quality and clarity for attendees of the Olympic Games. With the exception of fixed color, the 3025 has inkjet printed all variable and personalized information on the tickets such as ticket numbers, names, date and times, as well as sports items, stadium names, seat information and a variable, unique barcode for each and every one of the 13 million tickets.

Due to its inkjet technology, EFI's Jetrion 3025 allows for variable information to be printed on a ticket containing RFID. In this phenomenal print run, eight million single spreadsheet tickets and five million continuous fan-folding tickets were printed on specialized banknote paper in China.

"We are delighted to work with EFI to print the 2008 Summer Olympic tickets using EFI's Jetrion 3025," said Mr. Li, chief executive officer, CBPMC. "Printing the tickets has been a great honor for us. We would like to wish the Olympic Committee and athletes a very successful and enjoyable Summer Olympics 2008."

"It is a great honor to win the Olympic Games tickets project," said Mr. Cheng, chief executive officer, Basch Group. "As a distributor for EFI's Jetrion 3025, we are proud to offer a total solution to print the fixed, variable and RFID sections for the Summer Olympic 2008 tickets. EFI provides compelling services and technology and we are very glad to work together to accomplish this challenging project."

"EFI's Jetrion 3025 coupled with the 3025's UV inks enabled the CBPMC to print their variable information reliably, guaranteeing crisp, accurate printing of Chinese characters that adhered to the specialized banknote paper," said Ken Stack, EFI vice president and general manager, Jetrion. "We are honored the Jetrion 3025 from EFI was chosen for printing the Summer Olympic 2008 tickets. We are looking forward to working with CBPMC and our distributor Basch in the future as we continue to grow our relationship further."

CBPMC purchased EFI's Jetrion 3025 from Basch Group, EFI Jetrion's exclusive distributor in China. The 3025 represents the industry's best printer for printing variable data such as addresses, bar codes, sequential numbers, expiration dates and other variable data on unique materials at press speeds and, for printing short runs profitably. It can print high-quality output on a wide range of substrates and its fast-cure UV curable inks and high-reliability solvent inks print in an array of colors for drop on demand printers.
 
EFI's recently launched Jetrion 4000, is a unique industrial inkjet printer that offers label converters an affordable full-color narrow web alternative to toner-based digital printers for runs of up to 50,000 labels. It is ideal for meeting high production and image quality demands for primary and secondary labels.

Sakata INX worldwide operations announced that Italy’s Anteprima SRL will become a member of INX Digital, the digital arm of INX Group Limited. The agreement strengthens Anteprima’s ongoing relationships with other INX Digital members, along with its offerings of wide and super-wide format digital printing equipment, supplies and service.

“This joint venture adds important new dimensions to our ability to service digital printing operations throughout Europe and elsewhere,” said INX International president and CEO Rick Clendenning. “As an established leader with strong distribution and a solid customer base, Anteprima’s recognized engineering expertise further positions us to develop and deliver leading-edge systems and services to the fast-growing digital industry.”

Anteprima President Paolo Capano said, “The evolution of our relationship with INX attests to the success of our mutual efforts to date. This agreement opens avenues to additional resources and support for our existing operations, as well as additional new product development in all areas.”

Under the new arrangement, two Anteprima-engineered wide format printers, the San Francisco and UV-curable Milano, will continue to be distributed in the Americas by INX Digital member Triangle Digital INX Co. (TDI). Likewise, Anteprima will continue to distribute TDI’s lineup of digital ink products in Italy and other parts of Europe.

“Anteprima’s engineering expertise and involvement with equipment manufacturers, media and related supply sources ensures a steady flow of new opportunities for advanced-product offerings, along with integration know-how to help users move up to next-generation digital systems," Mr. Clendenning added.

Anteprima SRL, based near Milan, Italy, serves customers with a full range of digital printing inks, bulk ink delivery systems and related supplies, plus advance-engineered wide format equipment throughout Europe and beyond, via affiliated distributors.

From new ink and coating products, to “green” systems, money-saving ink dispensing systems and more, printers will find ways to simplify, streamline and save while enhancing output quality in the INX International Ink Co. booth (#1318) during Labelexpo Americas. The show runs from Sept. 8-11 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

“A label printer will find just about anything he’s looking for at our booth,” said INX president and CEO Rick Clendenning. “We will feature a number of performance-proven ink products with a full array of label applications. Our specialists will also provide a number of packaging examples and be available to answer any questions. We are looking forward to a well-attended show with plenty of visitors to the booth.”

Flexo ShrinkPac shrink sleeve inks, for example, give printers an easy way to grow with this packaging trend. They deliver eye-catching color reproduction plus superb shrink performance on PVC, PETG, OPS, PLA and other substrates.

“Flexo ShrinkPac inks provide superior adhesion on all current shrink films,” notes Luigi P. DeFlaviis Jr., vice president - sales packaging business development for the INX Liquid Ink Division. “There is virtually no solvent attack when running OPS, which eliminates distortion issues and the need for constant adjustments.”

Premium UV Flexo Inks: INXFlex 2000 UV inks offer superb adhesion and produce clear, sharp color on films such as PE, PP, OPP and Mylar, plus other label substrates. INXFlex ITX-free provides still another high-performance UV flexo ink option.

Labelexpo visitors handling high-end combination jobs will want to look into INXScreen UV Rotary Screen Silicon-Free White. It’s a one-hit wonder, specially designed for combination printing. Providing single-hit opacity and superb flexo ink trappability, it delivers the “3-D look” on labels that really pop.

Sheetfed label inks include ProMark conventional and Fusion UV Hybrid inks. Low-tack ProMark process inks are specially designed to run on a full range of substrates, including recycled and low basis weight CIS stocks. These “stay open” inks provide exceptional ink transfer and run stability.

Labelexpo booth visitors also can see why Fusion UV Hybrid inks have gained such rapid acceptance in many operations, enabling printers to go from conventional to hybrid without reconfiguring presses or conditioning rollers. Along with press stability and color balance comparable to the best conventional litho inks, they offer exceptional adhesion to multiple substrates including styrene, PVC and static cling.

Among the extensive coating options featured will be ProCure UV LoCurl, which is ideal for label applications. In addition, they can see examples of INXKote water-based coatings, proven performers that help enable a wide range of products to stand out on the shelf.

Ink room assets: Booth visitors can check out hardware such as the NovaFlow N20SBM water and UV small batch blender-dispenser. Perfect for narrow web operations, this system handles up to 14 components. It is driven by Novaflow’s Materials Management software and has an extensive range of customizable functions and modules. Besides precise color prep, it can assist with reformulation and inventory work-off.

Faced with continued increases in raw materials and operating costs, Sun Chemical’s Specialty Inks Group will increase prices by 6 to 10 percent on all products sold in North America effective Sept. 1, 2008.
 
“The printing ink industry continues to experience unprecedented increases in the supply chain of all our raw materials,” said Mike Kellen, director product management, Sun Chemical Specialty Inks. “These increases are directly and indirectly related to crude oil increases as well as large swings in the manufacturing capacity of some of the primary raw material manufacturers.
 
In addition to record crude oil and raw materials costs, other factors driving up costs include: transportation, tight supply/demand balance for oil, a weakening dollar and the attractiveness of commodity markets as alternative investments.
 
“Unfortunately, these markets will continue to be under pressure for the foreseeable future,” Mr. Kellen said. “Sun Chemical is committed to continue providing our customers with innovative products, services, and constant supply, allowing them to present the best value propositions in the market.”

Superior Printing Ink announced a number of management changes that will strengthen its existing business and establish a foundation for continued industry growth.

Andrew Wasserman has been promoted to vice president, corporate accounts. In this role, Mr. Wasserman will develop and implement business plans with large single-site nationwide prospects. He will also retain responsibility for sales and sales management in the New York region.

Angel Torres has been promoted to vice president, New York operations. Mr. Torres will assume operational responsibility for the Teterboro and Brentwood branch locations.

Paul Fernandez has been promoted to branch manager, Teterboro.

John Rutledge, a 25-year veteran of the printing ink and graphic arts industries, joins Superior Printing Ink as national sales manager. Mr. Rutledge will coordinate national sales growth initiatives in collaboration with Superior’s regional, branch and sales management teams.

Siegwerk is forced to respond in Europe to the rapidly increasing costs of raw materials, energy and transportation. “Since January 2007 the prices of raw materials used in the production of inks and varnishes have climbed by up to 30 percent worldwide, costs for crude oil and natural gas have more than doubled,” stated CEO Herbert Forker. “In Europe we see no other way than to pass parts of these costs on to our customers.”
 
The supply situation regarding raw materials and intermediates is becoming critical, partly because of reduced production in China. This is due to environmental restrictions put in place by the Chinese government ahead of the Olympic Games in Beijing. The supply shortfall is also affected by a greater demand for these materials in the rapidly growing emerging markets in particular.

As a result, major international chemical companies and producers of pigments and intermediates already implemented or announced price increases of up to 30 percent for their products. Several suppliers have put into action their price increases with immediate effect without any room for negotiations or grace period. “This is unfortunately a new trend in the ink industry that we have to take into consideration in our pricing as well,” Mr. Forker said.

Additionally, record levels of prices for crude oil and many other commodities have a severe impact on production and transportation costs. In order to maintain a reliable product quality for its customers and the company’s margins this also makes a cost adjustment absolutely necessary for Siegwerk in Europe.

“In the past, we could partially absorb higher costs through internal rationalization measures and increasing efficiency,” Mr. Forker explained. “But these days costs are escalating faster and faster. And there is no short-term relief in sight.”