Web printers are coming under increasing pressure from magazine publishers as they push for the adoption of digital workflows.
Future Publishing pre-press manager Brian Hook said his firm would not renew its latest film contract, and that printers unwilling to work with Future would probably lose contracts.
However, he added: "Printers at long last are going down that route."
St Ives is the most notable magazine printer not to have installed CTP systems. One senior production source said the group appeared unwilling to discuss its plans, which was becoming an increasing source of frustration at a time when publishers were keen to adopt digital workflows.
Despite St Ives being generally recognised as the UKs premier magazine printer, added the source, it was lagging behind rivals in the digital field.
Ziff-Davis production director Joanne Hurst said St Ives culture was "more cautious" than some of the other major players in the magazine market.
However, she added: "We cant supply completely digital sections yet. We have to push from our side for them to adopt the technology necessary to get us to the ultimate point, which is computer-to-plate or computer-to-press."
Industry sources had suggested that St Ives lost the contract to print Boots Health & Beauty because of its reluctance to go CTP, but Susanne Collier, production manager at contract publisher Redwood, said the move to Polestar was the result of "constant reviews" of magazine printing.
Polestar will print its first edition of the 2m-run quarterly customer magazine at Idle and Chantry later this month.
Better news for St Ives has come in the shape of the BBCs new womens magazine, Eve. The groups St Austell and Caerphilly plants printed 300,000 copies of the 226pp glossy for its launch this week.
St Ives was unavailable for comment as PrintWeek went to press.
Story by Gordon Carson