In a newsletter to Alma subscribers following their win, the publisher’s founders Elisabetta Minervini and Alessandro Gallenzi thanked CPI, “for printing all our books to such a high standard of quality”.
 
Alma’s success at the Bookseller Industry Awards comes as the publisher announced in today’s Bookseller that it would be the first publisher in the UK to use CPI’s new 3D varnish effect on its covers. Launching a new series of low-priced classics, Alma managing director Alessandro Gallenzi said that CPI’s innovative 3D digital varnish would, “add to the quality and perceived value of the books”.
 
The first titles in the Evergreens range will be Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, The Prince by Machiavelli and Praise of Folly by Erasmus, publishing in September. Each will be priced at £4.99 in a response to the price sensitivity of the classics market. Alma Books intends to publish ten Evergreens each year and will add value by including extra introductions, photos and biographical information.

Over 100 customers joined with CPI UK management and staff yesterday to celebrate the launch of CPI Colour, CPI UK’s commercial and colour printing division.

Guests from the worlds of graphic design, corporate communications, marketing and publishing attended the event in central London, which featured a presentation outlining the company’s vision, and an exhibition of CPI products and services.

CPI’s investment strategy for its UK businesses was unveiled at the event, with the announcement of current plans to invest £20 million in the UK businesses over the next three years. UK Group Sales Director Alison Kaye also revealed investment in a new high speed B1 litho press, to be installed in CPI Colour’s Croydon site later this year. The new press follows recent investment in HP Indigo digital printing with variable data and extensive digital finishing equipment.

In an exhibition zone at the venue, experts from CPI and HP showcased the company’s litho and digital capabilities, with a focus on HP Indigo and Quantum technologies. CPI’s app development, digital asset management and logistics offerings were also demonstrated.

 
The event also marked the launch of a new print finish. CPI unveiled it was the first and only UK printer to offer 3D digital jet varnish; a new process which enables a high pile of UV varnish with a variable profile across the sheet, giving the effect of embossing without an embossing die. The varnish opens up opportunities in packaging and POS, book jacket printing, promotional print and brochures.

Designers and print buyers:
 
A 12 page sample brochure, demonstrating the new 3D Digital Jet Varnish, is available from CPI. To receive your complimentary copy, contact your CPI representative or email us here.

 
Industry magazine PrintWeek tweeted a picture of two versions of the same book, printed using litho and Quantum colour inkjet, on display at the launch.
 
Read the full PrintWeek article here.

Despite her considerable output as a writer, Sophie confessed to not having seen how her books were printed, and was delighted by the offer of a factory tour. She was shown around the press hall and binding line by Daniel Bartlett, general manager customer services at CPI Mackays. Thanking the CPI team, Sophie signed a framed copy of the book jacket and commented on a ‘beautiful book’.

 
Wedding Night is the latest offering from the queen of the chic lit genre. ‘Lottie is tired of long-term boyfriends who don’t want to commit to marriage. When her old boyfriend Ben reappears and reminds her of their pact to get married if they were both still single at thirty, she jumps at the chance. There will be no dates and no engagement – just a straight wedding march to the altar! Next comes the honeymoon on the Greek island where they first met. But not everyone is thrilled with Lottie and Ben’s rushed marriage, and family and friends are determined to intervene. Will Lottie and Ben have a wedding night to remember – or one to forget?’

Wedding Night is published in hardback by Bantam on 25th April, priced £18.99

At last night’s awards ceremony, organised by the BPIF, judges praised The Last Holiday jacket’s ‘contemporary and well realised concept, with the front/rear covers and spine working together to create a powerful and effective image’. The winning title was printed on 70/20 Ensonovel by CPI Mackays with a jacket printed and foiled on 135gsm Brilliant White Popset by CPI White Quill.
 
CPI featured in other categories, with a Highly Commended in the Literature category for HHhH (Harvill Secker) with a jacket printed by CPI White Quill. Shortlisted titles bound by CPI included Londoners (Granta) and The School of Life (Pan Macmillan).
 

 
Earlier in the evening, shortlisted titles for the Costa Book Awards 2012 were announced on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row programme.
 
The Costa Novel Award shortlist features two titles printed by CPI: Stephen May’s Life! Death! Prizes! (Bloomsbury) and James Meek’s The Heart Broke In (Canongate). Two CPI-printed titles found their way onto the Costa First Novel prize shortlist: Francesca Segal’s The Innocents (Chatto & Windus) and Benjamin Wood’s The Bellwether Revivals (Simon & Schuster).
 
Each category winner will be announced on 2nd January 2013.  The overall winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2012 will be announced at the Costa Book Awards ceremony in central London on 29th January 2013.

Fulmar Colour has been named Report & Accounts Printer of the Year at the prestigious PrintWeek Awards.

 
Fulmar, part of the CPI Group since 2006, was revealed as a clear winner last night, in a ceremony held at London’s Grosvenor Hotel and hosted by comedian Jimmy Carr. The award was collected by Fulmar Colour sales manager Stuart Tanner, pictured (centre).

 
Judges praised Fulmar’s “amazing quality and execution” and its ability to do “the simple things exceptionally well”. Fulmar also achieved success in two other categories; the Croydon-based company was commended in the fiercely contested Book Printer of the Year category and judged “a close second” as Brochure Printer of the Year.

 
Sales Director Gary Mellish said: “This is an outstanding achievement for the company and credit goes to all those throughout the company that worked on the projects involved – manufacturing, customer service and sales. We continue to produce work of outstanding quality; the award and commendations recognise the commitment of our staff to achieving the highest possible standards.”

 
Fulmar submitted work including the annual reports for Premier Oil and Big Yellow, both commissioned by design consultant Magee.

 
The Premier Oil report was printed on Fulmar’s 12-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 102 perfecting press, and the finishing was a particular challenge because a different material was used for short divider pages, which did not fall in-between sections.

 
Meanwhile, Fulmar was required to produce a full working machine book proof and 2,000 copies of the Big Yellow report within five working days of receiving artwork. Fulmar’s entry was completed with the annual report for BBA Aviation and the Sky Annual Review.

 
The PrintWeek Report and Accounts Printer of the Year Award is sponsored by Premier Paper Group.

Former Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall visited CPI’s Chatham factory today to sign copies of his autobiography, The Binman Chronicles.
 

In addition to the main trade print run, CPI produced special editions of the hardback with five different jacket designs, celebrating high points in the legendary international footballer’s career.
 
Southall enjoyed seeing the book manufacturing process and remarked that everyone at the factory seemed, “happy doing what they’re doing – and if people are happy, it makes a difference.”
 
The Binman Chronicles is published on 13 August by deCoubertin Books. Watch the video of Neville’s visit to CPI Mackays here:
 

In a message to staff, CPI UK chief operating officer Ian Smith said: “Congratulations on your fantastic achievement, a manufacturing record for CPI Mackays – over 10 million books in July. You’ve shown that, with the investment we have made in new equipment and the flexibility and dedication of the workforce, great things can happen.”
 
The CPI Group has invested heavily in its Chatham plant in the past three years, including two Timson ZMR web presses, a Corona 24 station binder and a Corona 27 Station binder for both hardbacks and paperbacks.
 
Smith added: “Congratulations also go to CPI White Quill, who produced over 19.3 million jackets and covers in July; with CPI Cox and Wyman also turning in a strong performance, printing and binding 6.2 million books.”
 
Earlier today, the online retailer Amazon announced that the Fifty Shades trilogy has now out-sold J K Rowling’s seven-book Harry Potter series on its UK website, crowning E L James its bestselling author ever, with sales of over four million books, both physical and digital.