News Archive

• Konica Minolta launches new High Chroma 

  

  “The printed image will be more natural and impressive when compared to an image produced on a conventional CMYK system. The expansion of spot colour reproduction is useful for printing company logos, high-impact point-of-purchase (POP), packaging, and posters.”

• Xeikon releases entry level digital label press 

  

  Trevor Crowley, general manager for Xeikon in Australia and New Zealand says, “It is an end-to-end label print and finishing solution at a price point that will encourage new entrants to the digital labels market.”

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Laurel Brunner 

  

  In the previous blogs we’ve considered the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, emissions controls and management and waste handling. But how about materials usage and considering what’s required to produce a given print product and its recycling?

• Asia Print Expo – new name for FESPA show 

  

  FESPA’s next pan-Asian event will take place, under its new name of Asia Print Expo, from 21 to 23 February 2019 at the BITEC exhibition centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Asia Print Expo is the region’s leading exhibition for screen, textile and digital wide format print.

• IPMG merger punishes PMP share price 

  

  The loss of Coles catalogues along with the Pacific Magazine printing contract to IVE Group as a result of the IPMG deal saw PMP’s share price take a 13.7% hit on publication of its annual results.

• Heidelberg drives into electric car chargers 

  

  Utilising its undoubted technical and manufacturing expertise Heidelberg is turning to other products apart from printing equipment. One of the first to market is the Heidelberg Wallbox Home Eco, a charging device for electric vehicles.

• Aussie customers get Nanographic preview 

  

  It’s been a long time between drinks for local printers who’ve put their hands up and their money down for the Landa-inspired Komori Impremia NS40. The group was given a tour of the Komori factory in Japan last month ahead of field testing next year, but will have to wait a while to get their hands on a press

• Flexo/label confab focus on digital 

  

  The 2018 conference of the initially challenged FPLMA was kicked off yesterday by Mark Easton (pictured) with automation and integration the key for the flexo and label printers attending the two day event in Melbourne.

• Printed solar lights the way in Newcastle 

  

  The first commercial installation of printed organic solar cells at CHEP’s Beresfield facility near Newcastle highlights the wealth of opportunities ‘functional printing’ has to offer the printing industry, says University of Newcastle’s Professor Paul Dastoor.

• Mimaki edges Roland in wide format 

  

  Eco-solvent wide format printers hold market share against latex, even as HP retains its top rankings. Good growth continues in the sector with both printer volumes and revenue continuing to rise.

• Winds of change – Karen Goldsmith leaves Visual Connections 

  

  High-profile industry identity and long-term association professional, Karen Goldsmith, is resigning from her role as general manager, Visual Connections in September. The well-liked Goldsmith ends a 14-year engagement with the supply side of the printing industry.

• IVE sales reach $694m, profits up by a third 

  

  “In the last 18 months we have invested some $200m across the business to further expand our offering including the new Franklin WEB NSW operation. All four IVE divisions are doing well.”

• Spicers increases sales and profits 

  

  Australian sales were up to $204.4m from $201.8m, although this is still behind the 2016 sales of $211m. Spicers does not provide a breakdown between commercial print and packaging in its figures.

• Opus doubles profit as sales slip 

  

    In what may be its last report to the ASX, book printing group Opus saw its profit rise by 95 per cent to $6.3m on sales that slipped by two per cent, or $812,000, down from $39.7m to $38.8m. The company is currently applying to delist from the ASX and list on the Hong…

• Pro-Pac posts loss despite revenue gain 

  

  Pro-Pac Group’s revenue jumped 62 percent in the 2017-18 financial year, aided by major mergers and acquisitions. However, citing increased raw material costs and the drought, the company posted a loss of $5.13 million. Revenue increased to almost $371.5 million during FY2018.

• Salmat revenue down, figures into loss 

  

  Revenue was $250.2m compared with $258.5m the prior year, with CEO Rebecca Lowde attributing the decrease to the company selling off some parts of its business.

• Parcel volumes up by 8 per cent 

  

  Parcel growth is being driven by a surge in e-commerce. Pitney Bowes says global shipping volume is set to to surpass 100 billion parcels in 2020, with Australia on target to receive more than a billion parcels in three years time.

• VI offers Try a Trade to students 

  

  Participants will have the chance to see a range of the latest digital print, sign, display and graphic design technology first hand, with a guided tour of the show, and to get some hands-on experience in various areas at a number of different stands at the event.

• Suppliers deliver on-demand book sewing 

  

  The duo have created a solution using Screen’s Equios universal workflow and roll-fed full-colour high-speed inkjet press, the Truepress Jet520HD working with Meccanotecnica’s automatic book folding and sewing machine, the Universe Sewing Digital print finisher.

• Bell calls time on print 

  

  Hornet Press founder and former owner Graham Bell is having his last day in print today, after a career spanning more than half a century. With his wife Sandra he established Hornet in 1982 as a bespoke trade printer in Knoxfield, Melbourne.