Wide Format Online’s editor of the past seven years, and former editor of Labels Plus and Print 21, Andy McCourt, is moving on to new challenges and leaves colleague, Nige Cottingham at the helm.
Image Publications publisher Janet Maitland with new Wide Format Online editor, Nige Cottingham at PacPrint 2025
Eighteen months on from selling wideformatonline.com to Image Publications Pty Ltd (publisher Janet Maitland), which already produces Digital Image Magazine, Textile Image Magazine and Image NZ, publisher and editor, Andy McCourt is stepping down from his role as editor of Wide Format Online. McCourt says: “I’ll still be in and around the industry, writing and research are my passions and I’ll be doing more of that going forward, rather than chasing elusive white balls around greens!”
He adds, "Janet has been a marvelous new owner of Wideformatonline.com and will go from strength-to-strength for sure. I extend sincere thanks to her. Nige is a proven perfomer who I have known since the 1990s when we both worked in London. He'll go well but his photo choice skills (see pic below) need polishing up! I have yet to hit the big 6-0 and I also have to work on my maths!"
Andy McCourt continues to enjoy a lifelong dedication to the print industryAndy started out in the industry with ink in his veins – his grandfather was a compositor on the London Times and his sister and brother-in-law worked for one of the UK’s top prepress trade houses. He trained as a commercial photographer with a spell as a medical illustrator, relocating to Australia in 1974 when he was recruited by the Fujifilm distributor Hanimex. Andy has covered nine Drupas, several Ipex shows ( including staging the infamous Ipex BBQs!), Seybolds, Igases, US Print shows, PacPrints and more. He was part of the team who launched Indigo digital printing in 1993 while on a 4-year stint back in London and has addressed many seminars and conferences over the years, including his 'Print 2020' series for the (then) PIAA in 2009 which has turned out to be eerily prophetic today.
He was the only journalist worldwide to be granted a one-on-one interview with the inventor of digital printing – Benny Landa – at Drupa 2024.
“Huge shoes to fill,” acknowledges Andy’s successor as WFO editor, Nige Cottingham. “But Andy and I worked in the industry together, promoting the likes of Ipex in the UK and handling all the marketing for PacPrint ’96, when it was the largest exhibition of its type in the Southern Hemisphere - taking over all 30,000 m2 of ‘Jeff’s shed’, the then new Melbourne Exhibition Centre.” It was the largest PacPrint ever, with around 27,000 visitors.
Nige adds: “The printing industry being what it is, many of the faces and characters I knew back then, are still around and I’m enjoying reconnecting with them and with the indusry as a whole.”
Janet Maitland, Image Publications publisher, adds: “Andy has been a force in the industry and I obviously wish him well in this next chapter of his journey, confident in the fact that he will always remain a friend to the WFO trade media brand he served and nurtured.”
“I’m delighted to welcome Nige on board and look forward to the next chapter, creating new opportunities as we grow and drive more synergies across our portfolio of magazines.”
Andy officially parts ways with Wide Format Online after PacPrint, but all media releases and news stories from hereon in should be directed to editor@wideformatonline.com
