Following a successful audit by an independent certification body the Gemini Group has now been awarded the FSC and PEFC Certification.

For a clearer understanding of the FSC & PEFC principles please read on……

About FSC…. It is widely accepted that forest resources and associated lands should be managed to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future generations. Furthermore, growing public awareness of forest destruction and degradation has led consumers to demand that their purchases of wood and other forest products will not contribute to this destruction but rather help to secure forest resources for the future. In response to these demands, certification and self-certification programs of wood products have proliferated in the marketplace.The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international body which accredits certification organizations in order to guarantee the authenticity of their claims. In all cases the process of certification will be initiated voluntarily by forest owners and managers who request the services of a certification organization. The goal of FSC is to promote environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests, by establishing a worldwide standard of recognized and respected Principles of Forest Stewardship.  

The PEFC Council (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation, founded in 1999 which promotes sustainably managed forests through independent third party certification. The PEFC provides an assurance mechanism to purchasers of wood and paper products that they are promoting the sustainable management of forests.

PEFC is a global umbrella organisation for the assessment of and mutual recognition of national forest certification schemes developed in a multi-stakeholder process. These national schemes build upon the inter-governmental processes for the promotion of sustainable forest management, a series of on-going mechanisms supported by 149 governments in the world covering 85% of the world’s forest area.

PEFC has in its membership 32 independent national forest certification systems of which 25 to date have been through a rigorous assessment process involving public consultation and the use of independent consultants to provide the assessments on which mutual recognition decisions are taken by the membership. These 25 schemes account for over 190 million hectares of certified forests producing millions of tonnes of certified timber to the market place making PEFC the world’s largest certification scheme. The other national member’s schemes are at various stages of development and are working towards mutual recognition under the PEFC processes. http://www.pefc.org/

Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip have signed a special edition visitors book printed by Gemini Press; the book was hand finished and leather bound, with silver foil blocking. Steve Roe, Gemini Press, comments ‘We were delighted to be asked by East Berkshire College to undertake such a prestigious task’.

Jason Horsburgh, graphics manager at East Berkshire College, comments ‘This was a very special project for us and Gemini Press didn’t let us down, the quality and finish of the book was first class. Steve Roe’s knowledge  and expertise was especially reassuring throughout the production. The service Gemini provided exceeded our expectations and we were especially grateful with Steve’s special evening delivery: a lay-by on the M4.’ See more pictures at www.eastberks.ac.uk

Read about Gemini Groups latest news in Printlines!

Just email us and we will send you a printed copy in the post. 

Edit, proof, print and buy online with our new e-procurement facility – GemStar.We can guarantee we will save you time and money; GemStar is one site accessible to all.

The new e-procurement system GemStar will enable companies to take control of their amending and ordering of items such as business cards and letterheads – often regarded as annoying but necessary part of all business activity.Clients can access their own personalised account via the web, where set artwork templates, including their logos will be in place. All the client has to do is amend what they want such as addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses or images and press go. Nigel Holmes, MD said: ‘We’re really excited about this new service and can’t wait to show potential clients how it works. For many companies, the issue of maintaining a consistency with their print is a major problem but our new system will eradicate this immediately. And with as little as 10% of any print costs being attributed to the actual print run, Nigel Holmes, believes the streamlining of the print purchasing process will also help those businesses with a large print run reduce their overheads.

The development of the e-procurement system like GemStar is becoming more important as companies and institutions recognise the benefits. A recent Office of Government Commerce’s guidelines suggest that all local governments should use an e-commerce system for procurement of supplies such as print.

To further explain the benefits of GemStar please call one of our sales team on 01273 464884

or request a brochure here enquiries

Staff members have embraced the governments initiative of The Green Transport Plan. So far 6 members of staff have chosen to ride rather than drive. Encourage your staff to do the same and they can save up to 50% off a brand new bike. ride2work

Gemini’s fresh new look comes after much deliberation. It was difficult for Managing Director, Nigel Holmes to say goodbye to the Gemini Twins, the twins had been the face of Gemini’s continued success since the late eighties.
However, to celebrate all the changes happening at Gemini, it was a perfect time to rejuvenate the logo .

The drive behind our brand will always be the partnerships we enjoy with our clients and the changes we have made at Gemini Press will add further value to the service and quality we offer.
Impressions of colour - naturally is Gemini’s way of life; we make impressions, with the best technology available, in the most environmentally responsible way possible. Have fun with all the different colours, our graphic designers Visual Identity Ltd, thought why stick to one colour when we can print them all.

Beards Digital, Gemini Group’s newest member, is a huge asset to the group. Beards Digital was formed in 1952 and is now regarded as a forerunner in digital print across the region.The merger will see the company relocate to Shoreham-by-Sea, a move which will increase the Gemini Group’s digital capabilities. It will also see the group offer extra finishing facilities including perfect binding.
Commenting on the merger, Nigel Holmes, managing director of Gemini said: ‘The merger of Gemini with Beards makes perfect commercial sense. It will expand the group’s offer of digital print capabilities resulting in a huge upturn in business for both companies.’Julie Beard, managing director at Beards added: ‘The merging of Beards with Gemini will provide a strong offer for all print work not only in the South East but across the UK. Both businesses have an unrivalled track record in delivering quality and print on time and within budget. This is an exciting time for all concerned and we can’t wait to move.’ 

The Heidelberg SM102-10P is big by nature and has an even bigger reputation for top quality reproductionThe machine runs at up to 14,000 B1 sheets per hour.B1 Sheetsize (1020 x 720mm) with a print area of (1000 x 690mm).10 printing units giving 5 colours (or 4 colours plus seal) both sides, or up to 10 colours one side in a single pass through the machine.State-of-the-art technology making for speedy makereadies and shorter printing times, showing our clients a significant saving, particularly on longer runs.Precision registration ensuring a top quality job every time.In addition, Gemini Press can offer:Unequalled customer support from start to finish of each and every job.Commitment to fast turnarounds and upholding delivery dates.Ensuring quality is maintained at every stage of production.A large range of repro equipment, other printing machines and a complete range of finishing equipment.Call our sales team to discuss your print requirements on 01273 464884, email enquiries@gemini-press.co.uk or alternatively use our online contact-us form.

Our finishing capabilities now include a new Spot UV machine inhouse. We also offer bio-degradable laminate

Other finishes available are:

UV Spot Varnish Spot varnish is a high gloss UV varnish applied to selected areas of a printed image to enhance product impact or form part of the graphic design.

Foil Blocking These finishes can provide the ultimate in decorative appeal. They are not limited to gold and silver foils, but extend to an impressive range of pigmented, holographic and security foils.All of these can be combined with embossed images to produce varying tactile effects - any one of which will enhance the printed message and provide shelf appeal for greetings cards, cartons, magazine covers, brochures etc.

Embossing Embossing gives you the opportunity to enhance your print with stunning 3-D effects. Embossing is particularly effective when used in conjunction with our other processes i.e. matt lamination and spot U.V with the spot U.V image embossed out of the lamination or foil blocking and embossing��. Let your imagination run wild!!!

Encapsulation Encapsulation is a process whereby two pieces of film encase a printed card. The tough transparent film is heat bonded to the substrate and to itself at the edges to form a seal that is both tough and damage resistant.

Textures Textured finishes combine extra tough gloss or matt OPP film lamination and the texture of graining, which together give durability to products such as school book covers, technical pamphlets; travel guides, art prints and menus, and provides for unusual and prestigious packaging on items such as video cassette cases where the customer wants the extra benefit of texture

Gloss OPP Lamination Gloss OPP (oriented polypropylene) lamination provides a wide range of uses across the whole spectrum of printed products. The properties of good gloss and strength and the advantages of low cost make it suitable for all the following applications: Company report and accounts, Brochures, Catalogues, Carrier bags, Greeting cards, Book jacket covers, Magazines, Maps, Labels, Point-of-sale and Displays.

Matt OPP LaminationThis Matt finish coupled with its smooth texture offers a very high quality image to brochures and book covers. Matt finishes are also particularly suited to surfaces which need to be easily read such as wall maps, but can be prone to scuffing and should be handled with care.

Other available finishes available are “Fragrance Burst” & Silver Latex “Scratch off.” Please contact our sales team for further information or use the contact form on our site and someone will be in touch.

Gemini Press environmental certification ISO 14001

First published in 1996, ISO14001 is the internationally recognised standard for Environmental Management Systems and is aimed at introducing a continuous improvement process into a company’s drive to reduce its negative impact on the environment caused by energy usage and generation of waste.The prospect of undertaking ISO 14001 was daunting at first, but it soon became apparent we were doing the right thing - we just needed to document it. With the help from Phil Chambers, associate consultant of the BPIF we have implemented an environmental management system that works and what’s more it’s paperless!

For full information about ISO 14001 visit BPIF’s14001 article -  Nigel Holmes, Managing Director at Gemini said:

“The print industry often has a negative image mainly for the materials used in the printing process. At Gemini, we already have in place a number of procedures to help reduce the impact on the environment such as sourcing paper from sustainable forests and using vegetable based inks.A company’s environmental performance can have a significant impact on its success so to gain the ISO14001 certificate is a great achievement”.

Nigel continues

“In today’s competitive market many private companies and public sector institutions will only look at those that comply with the highest environmental standards. For example all material produced for the London Olympics has come from companies that have ISO14001”.With less than 5% of printers nationwide being ISO14001 accredited printers. Gemini Press is now in a very strong position pitching for new business. As well as generating significant cost savings over time, Gemini are also reducing their environmental impact.

Does ISO14001 play a part in your decision making process, when choosing your print provider?  ”Please comment on the blog  and let us know your views.