Growing Large Format & Laminating industry supplier Total Image Supplies has added products from Lamination System to its portfolio of quality equipment and consumables and is now a distribution partner for the South Australian-based manufacturer and importer.

In an effort to assist employers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Sign & Graphics Association (ASGA) is offering free membership to all companies until 31 December 2020. For current members, 2020 membership will be extended from 30 June 2020 until 31 December 2020.  

Roland DG Australia has launched a dedicated webpage with a range of online resources to support its customers during the current COVID-19 pandemic. 

Melbourne sign & display business Seen Technology and Sydney-based large format company Composite Images have joined a global network of Massivit 3D customers and distributors to print Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in the fight against the coronavirus.

US digital print technology giant Xerox Holdings is teaming up with Vortran Medical Technology to rapidly scale up production of Vortran’s low-cost GO2Vent ventilator and Airway Pressure Monitor (APM-Plus) to help in the fight against COVID-19.

Large format print technology manufacturer Durst reopened production facilities in Italy and Austria on Monday after shutting down last month because of the coronavirus. Staff will be required to wear masks and protective suits.

More than 50 signage and print industry businesses are among over 500 companies who've so far offered to 're-tool' to manufacture urgently needed medical equipment during the COVID-19 crisis, after an emergency appeal this week by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Australia’s Out of Home (OOH) industry recorded a decrease of 2.59 percent in net media revenue year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020, posting $207.2 million, a dip from $212.7* million for Q1 2019.

HP has introduced a range of initiatives aimed at helping its global partners to navigate operational and financial challenges associated with COVID-19. The new programs span global commercial and retail channel partners across Personal Systems and Print.

Epson’s SureColor large-format printers and an industrial robot have won the global Red Dot Award in the Product Design category, the fourth successive year that Epson products have been recognised in the award. The company’s printers have also been recognised for their second successive Red Dot: Best of Best Award.

Industry employer group the Print & Visual Communication Association (PVCA) is offering its members a lease re-negotiation and insurance review package for $500 “to meet the unusual times we are operating in.”

swissQprint has introduced new options to broaden the range of applications for its large format printers, including orange ink to expand the colour gamut and varnish for the Karibu roll to roll printer.

Canon Production Printing Australia has announced the new varioPRINT iX-series, an advanced sheetfed inkjet press aimed at offset-quality conscious high-volume users. This could be further evidence that dry toner cut-sheet colour is losing out to inkjet at the top end of the market.

“The current global health crisis and resulting macroeconomic and market turmoil caused by COVID-19 have created an environment that is not conducive to Xerox continuing to pursue an acquisition of HP Inc."

We all need to think outside the 'square' during this time. Leading the way, supplier CPH Group has launched a free online resource called Blue Sky to help signwriters and the digital print industry generate new revenue during the COVID-19 crisis.

The Federal Government will provide a historic wage subsidy to around six million workers who will receive a flat payment of $1,500 per fortnight through their employer, before tax. The payments will begin in May but be backdated to March 30. The ACTU has welcomed the announcement but noted several “early issues.”

The timing could be better but then, as a great sage once wrote "Man plans - God laughs." The Publisher of this twice-weekly newsletter and website, Andy McCourt, is pleased to announce he is now also Editor of the industry's leading Label & Packaging title, Labels Plus, and all former Labels-Online subscribers will receive the e-version for free.

National print association PrintNZ says it was “caught by surprise” on Friday when the New Zealand government announced that under new COVID-19 measures only major daily newspapers were considered essential services and that “all other printed newspaper and magazine production was to cease immediately.”  The move comes as the fight to declare printing and signmaking an essential service heats up on both sides of the Tasman. 
PVCA CEO Andrew Macaulay said all Australian print and packaging businesses that maintain the latest CoVid19 safe health work guidelines can continue to operate, "if that is their commercial decision.”
News Corp Australia has stopped printing 60 local newspapers because of a collapse in advertising revenue. News Corp announced on Wednesday it would turn its 60 community mastheads into digital-only products.

ASX-listed outdoor advertiser oOh!media is out of a trading halt after raising $156 million to complete the institutional part of an emergency $167 million capital raising. US investment firm HMI Capital is providing $17.7 million, which could leave it with 25 percent of the company. oOh!media also announced a cost-cutting drive of $45m-65m.

"Because print is such a powerful communication tool, we are providing print-ready Color-Logic metallic files that anyone can use in these stressful times,” says sales and marketing director Mark Geeves.

Director drupa and Global Head Print Technologies of Messe Düsseldorf, Sabine Geldermann, has promised a ‘unique and successful’ drupa 2021, following the postponement of the world's leading trade fair for printing technologies.