Industry leaders including Ricoh, Fujifilm, Konica Minolta, HP and Screen have previewed the new technology they’ll be showcasing at the inaugural PRINTING United trade show (formerly the SGIA Expo) in Dallas, TX next month. 

The Australian Sign and Graphics Association (ASGA) is taking its awards and industry gala dinner out of Sydney next year, with the event to be held during Visual Impact Gold Coast 2020 at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach.

Affordable energy and increased funding for training will be at the top of the agenda during the Print and Visual Communication Association’s second annual Print 2 Parliament! lobbying event at Parliament House in Canberra next month.

Mimaki Europe will showcase its new SWJ-320EA large format solvent printer at several trade shows over the next few weeks, including at The Print Show (NEC Birmingham, UK, 17–19 September) Salon C!Print, (Madrid, Spain, 24–26 September) and at Viscom Italia (Fiera Milano, Italy, 10-12 October).

Shane Hilton of the Design Shop in Central Otago, New Zealand has won Avery Dennison’s all-expenses-paid Bathurst 1000 Race Experience prize valued at over $18,500. Shane and three friends will enjoy an exclusive experience at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 from 10-13 October 2019.

Screen GP’s Peter Scott has invited label printers from Australia and New Zealand to the company’s stand at this month’s four-day Labelexpo Europe show in Brussels, where Screen will feature its popular Truepress Jet label printers and preview an all-new 7-colour, 80 m/min model, the L350-SAI.

Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick has reintroduced a bill into the Senate that would ban the importation of all flammable cladding into Australia. The move - opposed by the federal government and the Australian Sign & Graphics Association (ASGA) - comes days after the discovery in Victoria of counterfeit flammable cladding - said to be imported from China - with stickers attached falsely declaring it to be fire resistant.

Following a sabbatical, Vince Bezzina of the Print Head Doctor is again accepting clogged inkjet printheads for recovery, using his unique equipment, solutions and methodology. With replacement industrial printheads costing between $2,000 and $10,000 each, it’s a welcome return.

The suspended CodeMark identification system was once deployed by Fairview Architectural for Vitrabond

With so much debate and finger-pointing happening as the Bill to ban all imports of PE-cored flammable ACM sheets becomes nearer to Law, our attention is drawn to a now withdrawn simple fix instituted by a leading supplier of ACM/ACP to the building industry, Fairview Architectural. However, there is a glitch; the issuing body, CertMark's accreditation is under suspension for non-compliance, and the labels were withdrawn.

A team of 15 talented young Australian ‘Skillaroos’ - including Visual Connections-sponsored Indy Griffiths - has placed 8th in the world after competing in their chosen skills with teams from 65 other countries at the 45th WorldSkills International Championships held in Kazan, Russia.

Landa Digital Printing is expanding its Nanographic press production facilities at Rehovot in Israel to meet “growing customer base and high customer demand.” Six Australian companies – including Blue Star, CMYKhub and Heroprint – are said to have signed up for Benny Landa’s nano technology.

Women in Print’s nationwide 2019 Breakfast Series begins in Adelaide SA this week (Thursday morning) before similar events in WA, Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

Canon is the latest print technology giant to consider moving its manufacturing facilities out of China because of the escalating US-China trade war. The Japan-based company says it’s looking at alternative sites in 40 other countries.

Tickets are now available for drupa 2020, with 1,800 exhibitors from 50 countries, including at least 400 first-time exhibitors, expected at the world’s largest printing industry trade show that takes place 16-26 June 2020 in Düsseldorf, Germany. Organisers also announced the start of the ‘drupa world tour.’

The second major global technical conference on the growing use of electronic and conductive inks in the multi-billion-dollar printed electronics market will take place in Chicago next month.

The 40th anniversary edition of Labelexpo Europe in Brussels this month is set to be the largest to date, with over 600 exhibitors taking part in the biggest label and package printing event in the world.

The Builders Collective of Australia has thrown its support behind a petition calling for a Royal Commission into the building industry that has collected almost 25,000 signatures.

Ovato posted a loss of $4.4 million for the 2019 financial year, compared to last year’s profit of $1.1m, with its net loss blowing out to $84.3m after the addition of significant items. Sales of $669m were down $64m on lower revenue from Ovato Australia.

The multi-purpose LV series employs CO2 laser technology to cut-out, engrave or mark on hundreds of different materials - “perfect for anyone seeking to launch a new personalization business or grow their existing business by adding profitable new applications.”

Canon’s new entry-level imagePROGRAF large-format 5-Color 24-inch TA-20 and 36-inch TA-30 printers are aimed at small businesses and first-time large-format print users.

With the addition of the new Press Cutting Tool - PCT, Zünd expands its range tools for processing corrugated cardboard, offering greater stability and faster processing.