Continuing its acquisitive strategy in wide format, Spicer Group's NZ General Manager, Morgan John, has announced its acquisition of industry supplier Blueprint, effective from February 26th 2021. The buyout is via Spicer's subsidiary Total Supply Ltd, itself acquired in 2014.

Australia and New Zealand will benefit from the very latest inkjet technology, as applied to label and flexible packaging production, with the arrival (after customs delays) of the Screen Truepress Jet L350 SAI printer into the demonstration suite of Jet Technologies, Roseberry, Sydney. Screen technicians are currently completing the installation and customer trials can be booked now for dates after Australia Day.

The TS100-1600 sublimation transfer inkjet printer for textiles expands Mimaki’s entry-level 100 Series lineup and will be available worldwide from February 2021. 

Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide format inkjet printers and printer cutters, has announced the launch of the new VersaUV 64-inch LEC2-640 and 30-inch LEC2-330 wide format UV printer cutters to start 2021. Kevin Shigenoya, Vice President, Digital Printing Business Division, says that the LEC2 series printer-cutters offer unmatched production capabilities, including the ability to create unique special 3D effects using UV ink and contour cutting of printed images on-demand.

External administrator appointments were up by 23% in December 2020 and economists predict the number of businesses entering voluntary administration will continue to rise in coming months. Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell has called on the Federal Government to immediately set up an emergency loan system for small business owners. She also wants to change a "flaw" in JobKeeper rules to make it easier for struggling small businesses to replace staff members.

The Out of Home advertising industry says Covid-19 lockdowns caused a 39.4% decrease in net media revenue to $566.5 million in 2020, down from $935.5 million for 2019. But the OMA says the outlook is looking bright.

Ascent Partners, headed by well-known industry specialist Richard Rasmussen, has formed a strategic alliance with turnaround professionals, Rodgers Reidy/ TBA Solutions, to provide Australian printers who have experienced significant sustained downturns, with options to modify their business and trade on or, if necessary, make an orderly exit from the industry via voluntary administration or liquidation.

Konica Minolta has received 12 Buyers Lab (BLI) Awards from Keypoint Intelligence, the world’s leading independent evaluator of document imaging hardware, software and services. All devices acknowledged are from Konica Minolta’s relaunched bizhub i-Series.

US industry heavyweights Printing United Alliance, the largest printing and graphic arts industry association in the US, and Idealliance, the US-based global standards developer and certifying body, have decided to merge.

The Outdoor Media Association’s new MOVE system upgrade will measure more than 100,000 Out of Home locations nationwide and “accelerate the industry’s transition to digital.”

Laminates and films, antimicrobial, with added silver (or copper & zinc) ions will become the new ‘norm’ says a leading Korean producer. Every SmartPhone, iPad, tablet, touch console, door push and possibly product labels may need to play a part in limiting the transference of viruses and bacteria. But there is more to know.

Idealliance, the global standards developer and certifying body for ISO and G7 colour specification, has named David Crowther of Sydney’s Colour Graphic Services as one of 25 global certified G7 colour expert instructors to lead new training sessions on G7 based print and packaging applications.

UK developer Global Graphics - known for digital inkjet software used by customers including HP, Canon and Durst – has completed its acquisition of HYBRID Software Group from Congra Software – after shareholders voted in favour of the deal earlier this month.

After gaining a Queen’s Enterprise Award in 2014 for Overseas Trade, and another in 2015 for Innovation, UK perforated window film manufacturer, Contra Vision, has been successful once again in winning a further Queen’s Award for Innovation - testament to the company’s continued investment into research and development.

Organiser Messe Dusseldorf has opened registration for exhibitors and interested companies from the international printing industry for virtual.drupa (20-23 April 2021). The event was announced last year after the face-to-face format of the world's leading trade fair had to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Hexis has announced a new high-opacity printable film range that uses clear adhesive but has the opacity of gray adhesives. Designated 'TOR' for Top Opacity Range, stocks are on the way and expected to dock around end of February. Also, Hexis' Pure Zone anti-microbial laminates are seing high uptake in the fight against Coronaviruses.

Following the shock resignation of Alon Bar-Shany, general manager of HP Indigo last year, the industry has awaited his next move. The goods news is that his 25 years of experience will remain in the global digital printing and finishing sector, with his appointment as Chairman of Israeli digital finishing leader Highcon, whose board includes Benny Landa.

For multiple reasons, redundancies and company insolvencies have become a fact of life in the printing industry. Shrinking demand, Covid and an uncertain recessionary environment have impacted high volume web printers most, while labels and packaging and, to some extent, sign and display have found alternative product offerings such as Covid health and wayfinding graphics. However, the way in which Ovato has handled its necessary redundancies has attracted criticism.

Cathy O’Connor has  started 2021 in her role as CEO of Australia’s leading out of home media operator, becoming the first new leader of oOh!media since its founding more than 30 years ago. An influential leader in Australian media, Ms O’Connor takes the helm at oOh! after 12 successful years as CEO of Nova Entertainment Group, and five years prior to that as Managing Director of DMG Radio.

The Government has made changes to our insolvency framework to better serve Australian small businesses, their creditors and their employees. The changes introduce new processes suitable for small businesses from 1 January 2021, reducing complexity, time and costs for small businesses.