KBA UK managing director Christian Knapp spoke of the "Gravure Tsunami" coming to the UK magazine market this autumn. Eight new gravure presses at Prinovis Liverpool and Polestar Sheffield will, by his calculation, unleash 60m A4 pages per hour. "Printers have three choices," he said, "Run for higher ground and sell up; do nothing and hope for the best; or specialise in a niche or in greater capacity." He suggested the best response was to invest in technology.

Heidelberg UK managing director George Clarke echoed this. With very short amortization periods on new equipment and financing making up only 10% of most firm's costs as opposed to 31% for personnel he said it was worth trying to stay ahead with new technology. Reducing wastage through connectivity was, he suggested, another way.

While printers and publishers are trying to stay competitive, another session found there was a new menace: environmental friendliness.

Managing director of magazines BBC Worldwide, Peter Phippen put the case for sustainability. "It's often the same as good resource management," he said. "Some of the most environmentally friendly printers I have seen have been in India, because they are waste conscious."

Hello! publishing director Sally Cartwright said it was important readers saw magazines as environmentally friendly. This would not happen if the industry headed down the path of cover mounts and polybagging, she said. These interfere with the recycling process and fill up the nation's landfills, which are due to run out in three to five years. She also warned: "Watch out for new taxes!"

Chris King, group production director at PrintWeek publisher Haymarket, spoke of environmental advances by using CTP and reviewing and reducing spoilage. He said he hoped to bring consumer magazine wastage in line with the low level of B2B publications. "We are hoping to achieve 25% gains over three years," he said.

Thoughts for the day
Christian Knapp, KBA: "Gravure Tsunami"

Peter Phippen, BBC Worldwide: "Some of the most environmentally friendly printers I have seen have been in India, because they are waste conscious."

Sally Cartwright, Hello!: "Watch out for new taxes!"

Chris King, Haymarket: "We are hoping to achieve 25% gains over three years."