It's a great time to save money on Mimaki equipment!

Peter King, director of Gigantic Signs in Adelaide, says his sign warning vaccinated people not to enter the business is simply “making a statement” and he doesn’t intend to check on people’s vaccination status. Meanwhile, Wideformat Online launches a free file service for sign manufacturers to stimulate retail business re-opening, see below.

JCDecaux has won one of the largest Out-of-Home advertising contracts in Australia, with Sydney Trains appointing the Paris-based OOH giant as its main advertising partner on station concourses and platforms for up to 10 years. JCDecaux Australia announced mass digitisation plans shortly after winning the lucrative contract, previously held by oOh!media. 

“Incidents involving EWPs have resulted in fatalities and serious injuries,” says Safe Work Australia. The federal work health & safety agency has published a comprehensive new 34-page guide about the risks posed by Elevating Work Platforms (EWPs) that are commonly used in outdoor signage installation. 

Mimaki will showcase its broad portfolio of digital print technologies for the signage, 3D and textile industries at FESPA Global Print Expo 2021 (12-15 October 2021, RAI Amsterdam, The Netherlands), taking advantage of the first in-person FESPA event since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The South Australian print industry recognised their best examples of print perfection at the state PICAs event held at The National Wine Centre of Australia in Adelaide, attended by an crowd of more than 60 industry professionals.

While it is great to hear that the Dutch government has eased quarantine restrictions in time for October's FESPA Global Print Expo in Amsterdam, it has little impact on prospective visitors from Australia and New Zealand, where the hardest part is finding a flight that will get you there. Andy McCourt comments

Bianca Wilson from Multi-Color Corporation in Adelaide has been named South Australia’s LIA Heidelberg Australia Graduate of the Year at a presentation held at Fujifilm Business Innovation.

Out-of-Home advertiser JCDecaux Australia is on track to digitise 35 large format billboards across the country, growing its national total by 25 per cent, but says traditional or ‘classic’ large format sites will remain an important part of its business.

Taya Groups, creator of PVC-free banner material range Kavalan from Spicers, has released a video calling for action against “environmental catastrophe” and highlighting the prevalence of greenwashing. “PVC film is having a pretty devastating impact on air pollution, ecosystems, biodiversity decline and resource scarcity," it says.

Roland DGA (US) has launched its new VersaUV LEC2 S-Series UV flatbed printers designed to maximize direct-to-object printing options with vibrant graphics. Local availability is not yet known.

In a bulletin to all members, ASGA, through its administration manager Kym Oakley of AiG, has assured NSW sign contractors that they come under the construction industry exemptions and can continue working. The notice cites the relevant NSW government rulings. Meanwhile, Victoria's construction industry is shut down amid violent protests.

Following 30 years of wideformat inkjet development, HP has introduced a new range of DesignJet and PageWide XL Pro devices to equip large format print users with the technology to navigate what it terms ‘the new normal.’ The portfolios also deliver advanced photo and colour quality, enhanced precision and new graphics application potential - all while driving improvements in sustainability.

“Malicious actors exploited the coronavirus pandemic environment by targeting Australians’ desire for digitally accessible information or services,” says the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) in its annual threat report for the 2020–21 financial year. The report identified more than 67,000 cybercrimes in the year, an increase of 13%.

Xaar has launched its latest printhead – the Xaar Irix – designed for coding and marking, wide format graphics, product printing, functional fluids and 3D printing applications.

In its first 'Impact and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report', Kornit Digital has committed to saving 4.3 trillion litres of water and 17.2 billion kilos of greenhouse gas emissions by 2026. "Sustainability is top of mind at Kornit."

Zünd's new PreCut Center software creates a simple and efficient workflow for generating cut files, says the Swiss manufacturer of cutting systems. PreCut Center is available in two versions, Basic and Pro.

Xerox Holdings Corporation has announced the formation of CareAR, A Xerox Company, which consolidates CareAR, Inc., DocuShare and XMPie under a single holding company named CareAR Holdings. CareAR received a USD$700 million post-money valuation following a USD$10 million equity investment from ServiceNow, a leading digital workflow company.

Vivad will invest more than $100,000 over the next year to boost its web-to-print portal Vivtrack after the company received a ‘dollar-for-dollar’ grant from the Victoria’s $5 million TAIP program.

Epson says its new global study about the perceptions of climate change has found “a potentially damaging gap between climate reality and people’s understanding of its catastrophic effects.”

Canon Oceania has announced the winners of its 2021 Grants Program, recognising seven organisations across Australia and New Zealand that are paving the way towards a better future for their communities. As Covid-19 lockdowns continue to impact Australian businesses, Canon’s Grants Program includes a small business category and increased cash donations for the second year running.