1st Class Type has received patents for converting encoded cine-type film reels into digital data and has started to offer the service to publishers wishing to digitise 35mm Sapp and 70mm Rachwal projection film.

Alex Connell, who came up with the idea after leaving Glasgow book printer Caledonian International (now Omnia), has gained the backing of a private investor and employs six staff at the firms base in Queenslie, Glasgow (PrintWeek, 31 March 2000).

So many titles are sitting in back catalogue bins, said Connell. Everybody wants to get into the digital world and we can offer publishers their intellectual property back in digital format. Its a one-off cost, then they can hold it.

The firm is in discussions with Purup-Eskofot to buy a 3648 large-format flatbed scanner, which would help it when digitising from large imposition negatives, he said.

Connell has 33 years experience in the industry, latterly as head of pre-press and digital at Caledonian International before it went into administrative receivership.

He was also pre-press manager at Hunterprint from 1979-1984, then head of pre-press at BPC from 1984-1989.

Contact: 0141 774 9235, alex@1stclasstype.co.uk.

Story by Gordon Carson