With just 20-something years to retirement and zero faith in the government's ability to look after even a tiny percentage of my OAP costs I've decided it's time to radically improve my profits. Part of the process involves some business studies and some of the facts I've discovered are frightening.

Carbon footprint calculations are now listed for UPM paper products as part of the Paper Profile. Designed to help customers estimate their own footprint, the calculations are based on the ten elements of the carbon footprint framework for paper and board products developed by the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI). The data is based on annual averages of specific paper machine lines and the figures refer to fossil CO2 emissions.

Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) has signed a three-year contract to install a range of Canon technology in its in-house print centre. The deal includes an imagePRESS C7000VP, two iR150 HV black-and-white machines, two light production CLC5151 colour devices, four iR7105 machines as well as eight networked document scanning devices. This will enable the university to manage high-volume printing in-house, including production of bespoke prospectuses for students.

In a bid to improve the backup and support for Seal laminators in the UK, Laaco Laminates' Simon Dobson has attended a three day training course at Seal's offices in Raalte, Holland. Laaco covers the whole of the UK offering technical advice, repairs, servicing and training on all types of Seal and sallmetal equipment, so the training will give customers access to updated expertise.

Selected for its ability to print, slit and seal in one process, PlotFactory has chosen a Jeti 3324 Aquajet to fulfil its large format fabric printing requirements. The Swiss print service provider purchased the direct-to-fabric digital printer from Gandinnovations.

Two new courses on the latest developments and applications in print technology have been organised by the international group, Colour Research for European Advanced Technology Employment (Create) at the University of the West of England.

As sole UK and Ireland distributor for Ruco printing inks, Kaye-Dee, supplies a number of products into the plastics industry, including the 945UV, 080UV and T40 inks.

Since the July issue I am pleased to say that I have had some eight enquiries for information from PBIF members and about ten enquiries from the public for services offered by Federation members. All have been answered satisfactorily and 90 per cent same day.

Specialist AV distributor, Mentor Distribution, is now a UK distributor for the NEC SpectraView range of colour calibrated monitors.

Printing industry employers who sign up to Proskills' sustainable workforce pledge are eligible for a share of a £62million training fund made available by the Government.

Established in 1998 by Cyrus Norton and Ray Turner in a garage housing just one printer, two computers and a workbench, Digital Factory now operates out of two busy sites totalling 6,500ft2 and employs a staff of 12. The company provides sign and graphics solutions, primarily to the point-of-sale, exhibition and special event markets, using processes including digital printing, vinyl cutting, lamination and cardboard engineering.

When Newport-based Lexon Group wanted to produce POS material for its high-end retail customers, it decided to invest in a Screen Truepress Jet2500UV hybrid roll-fed and flatbed inkjet system. With its grayscale printheads, it can print at a variety of resolutions, producing 70m2/h at 300dpi and photo quality detail at 1,500dpi.

Packaged together for the first time, Robert Horne's Green Box contains samples of all environmentally friendly products from the Sign and Display collection. It offers detailed information on the green credentials of each product, the benefits of changing to a new media, what it can be substituted for and what products could be made from the recycled content.

Organisers of Fespa Digital Printing Europe 2008 have revealed that the sustainable development programme run by Geneva's Palexpo exhibition centre played a key role in its efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of its events.

AXYZ Automation (UK) and Pacer Systems will exhibit at The Sign Show as a joint enterprise. Their machines will demonstrate both companies' abilities to meet contrasting routing and engraving requirements, particularly complex design concepts.

Stylo is one of the UK's leading providers of complete graphic solutions to the retail industry and enjoys a highly successful history of growth through investment in the latest technologies.  Stylo has built a strong reputation for delivering creative print solutions to an enviable client base including some of the leading design and advertising agencies and with blue chips such as Vodafone, Next, Caffè Nero and TK Maxx, as well as niche clients such as Moyse and Stevens.

Decision - Time

April '08's edition of Screen Process & Digital Imaging featured the announcement of Lauren Displays investment with Vision Supplies Ltd. After extensively researching the market place Lauren had decided to make a significant investment in new screen cleaning equipment.

As small business people we are being subsumed in a torrent of regulations, guidance and opportunities to become criminals in the blink of a camera or missed signature. There are some advantages in this bureaucratic onslaught: one is they all need print. In our sector it takes the form of safety signs, warning labels and illuminated displays. Think of the number of ‘No Smoking' signs printed for 1 October 2007.

There was a time when point-of-sale materials were only considered for impulse purchases like perfumes, cosmetics and chocolate etc. The cost of personalising this material was prohibitive, so each campaign was rolled out across the country without regional variation.

In the last few weeks the news has been dominated by the economic downturn and overcapacity.  Resulting changes are not easy to digest, though I'm sure companies are refusing to take things lying down and are now formulating plans to make a difficult situation better for them.