Tewkesbury-based Cooper Clegg will produce Emaps long-awaited ZOO Weekly title, which will hit newsstands at the end of the month, with Colour Systems handling the pre-press for the title.

IPC Media will launch Nuts on 15 January, which will be printed by Polestar Chantry, with the repro handled by the Graphic Facilities Group (London). The first paid for Nuts will be on sale on 22 January.

Emap has forecast that ZOO Weekly will have a circulation of 150,000 within a year, while IPC has not revealed Nuts circulation although it will back its launch by giving away over 1m free copies.

The titles represent an 8m investment for both publishers.

Emap group production director Andy Franks said that the two launches represented an exciting time for the publishing industry and were good news for print.

The Nuts contract adds to Polestar Chantrys recent successes the plant secured the contract for BBC Magazines Songs of Praise magazine late last year (PrintWeek, 4 December 2003).

Cooper Clegg also prints Smash Hits, Bliss and Empire for Emap, along with ZOO Weeklys stablemate FHM.

Nuts will join the IPC ignite! portfolio of mens lifestyle and music magazines, alongside the likes of Loaded, NME and Uncut.

Both publications will offer an editorial mix of sport, news, fashion and women.

Story by Andy Scott and John Davies