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The article discusses The Sustainability Roadmap Vision 2020 sustainability plan of paper manufacturer Asia Pulp and Paper Group (APP) and the company's environmental policy. Topics discussed include implementation of the policy by the production plant Indah Kiat Perawang, work by managing director of sustainability Aida Greenbury, and work by APP with the Indonesian government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to support rain forest conservation in Indonesia.

The article discusses the Asian printing industry as of August 19, 2013, with a focus on Hong Kong, China print manufacturers, mergers and ventures within the industry, and an overview of ten export printers and their projects and services. Topics include the merger of Asia Pacific Offset Ltd. (APOL) with firm 1010 Printing Group, digital printing, and luxury packaging. INSETS: E.D. Ward, A Mercurial Bear: Edward Gorey Sticker Kit;'Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings';Monkey;Star Wars Super Deformed Plush (SDPs)

Reports on the effect of paper supply shortage on the book publishing business in Asia. Dependence from exports by most countries; Impact of fall of the United States dollar; Price increases planned by paper suppliers.

Discusses how Hong Kong and Singapore are used as dumping grounds for paper supplies which results in printers in those markets picking up great deals on fine-quality leftover stock from Scandinavia, Europe, Canada and the United States. Drawbacks; Developments in major paper markets affects paper price and availability in Asia; Problems; Small range of choices in stocks in Asia.

The author explores the environmental impact of the publishing industry in Asia. According to the author, the industry is endangering some of the world's most critical forests--particularly ones in Indonesia. He notes that publishers manufacturing books in Asia are contributing to some of the largest regional greenhouse gas emissions in the world. He adds that the rapid rate of deforestation is seriously affecting Indonesia's indigenous people.

Reports on the Chinese printing and hand assembly operations for book making. Players in hand assembly such as Hung Hing, Leo Paper, New Island, and Yua Yang, that have developed strict labor and ethics rules, and child safety standards, to meet international needs.

The article reviews the state of suppliers in the printing industry in Asia in 2006. The suppliers are divided into three main categories: conventional printing, digital printing and plush-and-plastic. Seeking competitive cost advantage tops every supplier's to-do list. Quite a number of suppliers are either thinking about, or are already putting in place, plans to broaden their services to include print-on-demand.

This article features the KenMacPMS software developed by Ken Mackintosh & Associates in Asia. The print management system offers precise production costs and includes enterprise resource planning components down to job-ticketing and customer-invoicing management functions. The transitional period during which users move from a calculator-and-paper environment to a fully automated workflow would be less of a culture shock.

Reports on the state of book manufacturing in Asia. Export printing services; Cost of paper; Burdens of competitiveness; High-quality pre-press; Binding options.

The article reports an increase in printing costs in Asia. For publishers who have enjoyed low prices from printers in Hong Kong and China in the past decade or so, change is coming, price increases of ten to 15 percent. A major reason for the higher cost came from Beijing, China in January, the reinforcement of a new labor contract law that limits working hours and overtime, sets minimum wages and severance pay, and mandates employer contribution to worker insurance and pension.

The article presents an overview of the children's and young adult book publishing industries in Asian countries including China, Japan, and Malaysia. Topics include the increasing demand for digital and interactive content and software applications, sales of translations of bestsellers and classics from Western countries compared to those of original content, and children's book fairs and festivals. INSETS: Fairs and Festivals for Children;Say 'Aye' to Apps.

Offers tips on the outsourcing of book printing in Asia. Advice from David Birdsall, production director of Templar Publishing; Challenges of sourcing and manufacturing in China; Steps to establish customer-vendor relationship.

Presents the magazine's 1998 twelfth annual report on book printing services in Asia. Reduction in the cost of overseas printing due to the Asian financial turmoil in the second half of 1997; Description of United States representatives of printing services abroad this year as a most competitive print market; 1998 as a print buyers year; Descriptions of Asian printing companies; Tradition of quality print brokering in Hong Kong that continues.

Looks at the impact of the Asian financial crisis on United States publishers. Disappearance of the fastest growing market for books; Possibility that political and economic unrest in Indonesia could have a negative impact on Singapore; Asian placement of a high value on education; Doubling of book prices in most local currencies; Successful opening of a Borders bookstore in Singapore.