There is a 33% increase in newspaper advertising in the first half of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007, according to the half-annual report issued by Pan Arab Research Center (PARC). The print industry has topped the media split for advertising spend with a 45% share.

Ad value reached $1.7 billion for print media, rising from $1.27 billion in the first half of 2007. Magazine ad spend increased by 15% to $343 million. While television achieved a share of 43% of the total ad spend between January and June 2008, ranking second. It has, however, only witnessed a growth rate of 19%. The spend on T.V. advertising was $1.6 billion compared to $1.35 billion in 2007. In the UAE, the total advertising spend in print media was $833 million, split between newspapers with ad spend of $738 million and magazines with $95 million. Their total share was 89%.

Pan Arab T.V. advertising was ahead with a total of $1.4 billion, compared to $152 million for magazines and just $14 million for newspapers. Pan Arab T.V. spend consisted of more than 89% of the total regional T.V. ad spend while newspapers only accounted for 1%. Radio, outdoor and cinema saw a decline in advertising spend, ranging between 7% for radio and 37% for cinema.

Hewlett Packard demonstrated its portfolio for the printing and finishing of photo-specialty products, based on its HP Indigo digital presses, new HP SmartStream workflow portfolio and digital front-end and finishing solutions at Photokina 2008. The company has continued to develop its photo-specialty solutions to meet customers’ business demands.

In the photo-specialty market, HP Indigo digital presses have a leading market share. Multiple press orders from leading photofinishers reflect industry confidence in HP Indigo presses and the company’s ability to meet their requirements. The HP Indigo press 5500 produces photobooks, calendars, greeting cards, postcards and other photo-specialty products. It is now enhanced with options to facilitate greater productivity – including inline connectivity to the HP Indigo UV Coater, streamlined HP SmartStream workflow management and an additional feeding unit and thick substrate support.

The HP Indigo press 5500 is suited to meet the needs of digital printers who need to produce on-demand, short-run applications. Software solutions from HP partners include Pixami, Digilabs, and Ultimate Technographics, with finishing solutions from CP Bourg Renz and Schmedt. With these solutions, the HP Indigo press 5500 demonstrated the ease and quality of end-to-end production of perfect bound and hard cover photobooks.

The custom-made font for Google’s mobile platform, Android, took almost as long to make as the device itself. Dubbed the Droid, the font is a product of a two-year collaboration between Mountain View, a California-based Internet giant, and Ascender, a digital typeface company based in Elk Grove Village.

Ascender has created fonts for Microsoft, Motorola and others. It got the assignment because its workers knew people on Android’s design and development teams. The company is also a member of Google’s Open Handset Alliance, a coalition of 34 companies working on Android projects. For the Android Google, Ascender wanted a font with “common appeal” and Google requested a design that was friendly and approachable. The first design was “bouncy”: a look in line with the Google logo’s angled lowercase “e.”

Google passed on the design and another proposal featured squared-off edges reminiscent of early computer typefaces. This and several others were rejected in favor of a more neutral design that was useful and comfortable to read. Applications written for Android will also feature Droid as the font and is built into the platform’s software development kit.

UNIMAC is a sheetfed and web printer based in Carlstadt, New Jersey. They recently purchased a new fully automated KBA Rapida 106 41-inch six-color press with UV capability, perfecting after the second unit, board kit, and extended delivery. The press will be shipped to UNIMAC in October 2008.

The KBA Rapida 106 features an 18,000 sph output, ultra-fast makeready times, and cutting-edge automation. The press provides a wide choice of automation options: the KBA DriveTonic dedicated drives and simultaneous plat mounting system and the DriveTonic feeder with presetting capabilities. It also features the GATF InterTech Sidelay-feed, DriveTonic SIS. The substrate range runs from lightweight papers to heavyboard, from plastic films to corrugated – all without adjusting any grippers.

UNIMAC is also partnering with KBA’s new independent consulting company known as KBA Complete. UNIMAC sought them out to help the firm deliver ultra-high-level manufacturing efficiency and automation across prepress, press, and postpress systems. UNIMAC Graphics is also developing its own printing processes to help its customers and working with different groups to become more environmentally-friendly.

Wolverine Printing has evolved from a solely a print service provider to a print and marketing service provider by creating Wolverine Business Solutions in November 2007. At its core are a Kodak Nexpress 2100 Plus Digital Production Color Press and the Kodak Marketmover Business Development Services. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the printing business recognized the need to expand to help customers get the most out of their marketing investments.

Wolverine’s successful campaigns are as a result of the Nexpress 2100 Plus Press and the Marketmover Business Development Services. The Kodak Nexpress 2100 Plus Digital Production Color Press meets production needs in a variety of user environments up to and including those with very high volumes. Customers can upgrade presses as they grow their businesses with options to add paper capacity or increase processing capability.

Wolverine Business Solutions found success in its use of Kodak Marketmover Business Development Services by delivering a wide range or innovative tools, resources, and support to enable customers to maximize their return on investment in new technologies and achieve exciting business growth. Wolverine Printing started more than 40 years ago and has moved its focus to one to one marketing.