In June Steve Jobs Announced the Newest version Of Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Snow leopard has no major new features but is a transitional releases concentrating on increasing performance in particular:

• Faster installation times and lower hard drive footprint.
• Support for up to a theoretical 16TB RAM.
• Grand Central: a parallel-programming technology that aims to have the OS take full advantage of multi-core CPUs.
• QuickTime X which will feature optimised support for modern codecs.
• OpenCL (Open Computing Language): allowing developers to code applications to use the GPU for non-graphics purposes.
• Improved Safari performance using SquirrelFish core to improve JavaScript performance by 53%. Although this Safari update will be included with Snow Leopard, it is expected to be available for OS X iPhone, 10.5 Leopard, and 10.4 Tiger.
• ZFS File system with support for storage pooling, data redundancy, automatic error correction, dynamic volume expansion, and snapshots
• Power PC Support dropped

For the printing industry this should allow applications like Photoshop to make better use of multi core systems and larger memory configurations, also the ZFS file system has a lot of advantages for professional users.

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 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 -  Steve Cropper, 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”.

Steve 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.

We have had some issues recently with duotones not printing from QuarkXpress 7.3, It’s very strange but once a duotone is placed in Quark, all you get when printing to a proof is a black or grey box, however after searching the blogs we found a remedy:

• Import a Tiff with a blank or white background into a separate picturebox the same size as the original duotone
• Make sure it is in front of the original image
• In the colour palette; make the background none
• Hey presto the original image prints perfectly

Just another quirk of Quark it seems perhaps we should call it QuirkXpress (Duotone images print fine from InDesign). 

Tech Help team 

Gemini’s fresh look provides flexibility in colour through natural beauty.

The drive behind our brand will always be the partnerships we enjoy with our clients and the changes we continue to make 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 and click on the different colour icons at the top of the page, our graphic designers Visual Identity Ltd, thought why stick to one colour when we can print them all.

The Heidelberg SM102-10P is big by nature and has an even bigger reputation for top quality reproduction.

The machine runs 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 offers

• Unequalled customer support from start to finish of each and every job
• Commitment to fast turnarounds
• Upholding delivery dates
• Ensuring quality is maintained at every stage of production
• A large range of repro equipment and other printing machines
• A complete range of finishing equipment

Call our sales team to discuss your print requirements on 01273 464884 or email enquiries@gemini-press.co.uk 

Alternatively use our online contact-us form.

The Komori Lithrone S529 allows us to move nearer to our environmental goals of alcohol free running and reducing paper wastage.

The machines automated capabilities means faster set-up and output times making us very competitive especially in the high quality, short run market.

10 members of staff at Gemini Press have now opted in to the Ride2Work programme. 

We are committed to supporting the Green Transport plan and embrace a healthy work force.

The Ride2Work government initiative allows staff to save up to 50% off a brand new bike, to find out more view www.evanscycles.com/ride2work.jsp 

Encourage your staff to do the same!

Gemini Press supporting ”The Woodland Trust” Tree For All campaign with a third donation of £3,584.10 helping children plant over 12 million trees in the UK over the next five years.

Tree For All is a new kind of movement that gives children the chance to understand nature and how to take care of it.

Its about young people taking action today that will reap benefits for their children and grandchildren - a thriving landscape teeming with life.

Its hoped that by getting outdoors and planting trees, children will develop an interest in nature and grow up with a view to protecting it.

The UK is one of the least-wooded countries in Europe. The European average is 44% compared to a total UK cover of 12%, and much of this is in Scotland. Cover in England is only 8%, Northern Ireland 6% Wales 13% and Scotland 16%.

Trees are crutial to life on our planet, they generate oxygen, store carbon, stabilise the soil, are home to wildlife and are a stunning part of our landscape.

More trees and woods mean more homes for wildlife, including threatened species like dormice and red squirrels.  

Find out more about Tree For All www.treeforall.org.uk

Total donation to date:    £10,626.80

The world’s slimmest laptop and also one of the most expensive and desirable just got a little bit cheaper. Apple has reduced the prices of the MacBook Air by £300. When it first came out in January this year the Macbook Air had a price of £2028 it now costs £1719 with the 64GB SSD and 1.8Ghz Core Duo Processor. The 80GD hard disc model remains with its original price.

This price reduction comes from two changes on the MacBook Air options, the SSD and the 1,8GHz processor. Before adding the SSD option used to cost £500 now it is just £300 and adding a 1,8GHZ processor used to cost an extra £150  this now costs and £100. This cut is due to the fall in the price of SSD drives as manufacturers ramp up production.

With the price cut on the MacBook Air with SSD and a 1,8GHz processor this is no longer Apple’s most expensive laptop.

The leader of the pack now is the 17" MacBook Pro with a price of £1799 for the base configuration.

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.  

About PEFC….

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/