Over the last couple of years the use of uncoated/offset papers has become more fashionable.

The increasing range and whiteness of 100% recycled papers with brand names such as Revive 100 and

9 Lives offset being regularly specified.

Now we believe that we will be one of the first companies in the UK that can offer digital proofs that are produced on  uncoated paper and are run to the ISO 12647:2 certification standard.

To maximise the quality of the reproduction we recommend that all photoshop RGB to CMYK conversions are done using the ISO Uncoated CMYK profile.

For more information – please contact Dominic Vacher on 0127 501 700 or email  on dominic@fourcornersprint.co.uk

January has seen the publishing of the CSR Professional Services Directory 2009. The PUR bound 96pp directory was produced in accordance with the Responsible Print credentials including biodegradeable matt lamination and printing on 9 Lives 55 silk.

The directory itself contains detials of 553  ethically minded organisations listed in 57 categoriesfrom all over the world.

For more information go to ethicalperformance.com

The improvements in the way Adobe CS and in particular, Photoshop can handle image reproduction on uncoated or offset paper seems to have gone unnoticed by many graphic designers.

The traditional print minder will tell you that if you print on an uncoated paper the images will look flat and murky but this no longer has to be the case.

The artworker/designer has the power to influence how well the images can be reproduced on the printed sheet by using the appropiate CMYK colour separation in Photoshop. In my experience, when confronted with the colour management options in Photoshop, designers bury their head in the sand and either leave the CMYK separation as US SWOP coated (a profile used in north america) or worse still, turn it off.

CMYK profiles are available for coated, uncoated and web coated papers and using these profiles in Photoshop will greatly improve the colour reproduction of the final printed job.

Four Corners can help with clear and simple advice on how to implement a sound colour managed system and best of all, the advise is free.

Brighton Green Pages Directory 2009 has just been produced by Four Corners.

The 100 page directory which is a guide to greener living in Brighton and Hove was produced in accordance with the Responsible Print criteria and was printed on 100% recycled offset paper.

For more details go to: http://www.brightongreenpages.org/what-is-the-green-pages

Responsible Print was also the choice for the 2009  Seventenths Divewear catalogue.

Printed on 9 Lives Offset, the artwork was prepared using the ISO Uncoated profile, and printed on an ISO calibrated press resulted in a stunning brochure.

A switch from silk to Howard Smith’s On Offset FSC paper was also made for the 2009 Orange Mountain Bike Catalogue – the increased bulk off the offset stock enabled the text weight to be dropped to a 120gsm, the saving allowed the budget to stretch to PUR binding the catalogue for the first time, resulting in a superior looking brochure.

All the major paper merchants have advised us that an increase of up to 9% will be applied to most papers.

As the majority of papers are imported from Europe, the weakening of Sterling  against the Euro has resulted in the increase.

Printer who are already feeling the squeeze are unlikely to absorb this latest increase.

Since September 2007 the price of paper has risen four times – each time at around 7% with increased fuel costs to blame, so this latest increase will only add to the financial pressures that businesses face.