News Archive

• Help ASOOF preserve print’s heritage 

  

  The Australian Society of Old Friends (ASOOF) is appealing for help with an ambitious project aimed at recording all the print companies that have disappeared for one reason or another over the past few decades. James Cryer reports.

• Water based inks “corrosive” in testing 

  

  A Scandinavian packaging company that has run tests on water based inks says the water can be corrosive to metals in a printing press. Laurel Brunner reports this does not mean water based inks should be abandoned in favour of solvents.

• Thousands of visitors roll up for Fespa 2018 

  

  Europe’s largest exhibition for screen and digital wide format print, textile printing and signage, Fespa Global Print Expo 2018, has opened at Messe Berlin in Germany. Organisers expect 20,000 visitors during the four-day event. Print21 will run updates from our journalist at the show.

• printIQ lands in UK ahead of schedule 

  

  An urgent ‘out of the blue’ inquiry from a North London printer brought forward printIQ’s plans to establish a presence in Britain. According to Anthony Lew, CEO, (pictured) the move into the UK was planned for early 2019 so doing it ahead of schedule meant late nights to get staff on the ground.

• Epson debuts new dye sub printer 

  

  Epson’s product expo in Sydney featured a brand-new dye sublimation printer, the SureColor F9360, never before seen in Australia.

• Amcor Flexibles wins NZ Supreme Print award 

  

  Amcor Flexibles’ Christchurch plant has won the Supreme award as well as best packaging at New Zealand’s 25th annual Pride In Print Awards held at Auckland’s Sky City Convention Centre.

• Orora sees big value in new ideas 

  

  Orora Group has showcased a range of new kit, including Australia’s first EFI Nozomi C18000 digital press for corrugated board, to customers at its Innovation Expo in Oakleigh, Victoria. The inaugural event is part of the packaging giant’s push for innovation in its business model.

• Melbourne paper company denies A4 dumping 

  

  Melbourne-based Central National Australia denied it’s dumping cheap A4 paper onto the local market by importing Fuji Xerox Professional Paper from the Hankuk Paper company in South Korea.

• 46 jobs go at Fuji Xerox Printers 

  

  Fuji Xerox Australia (FXA) declined to comment on reports that only four of 50 staff members at its Fuji Xerox Printers division have been offered jobs in the integration of the business into FXA.

• AAB snaps up SOS, forms $100m printer 

  

  AAB Holdings, owner of Pegasus Print Group, has bought Sydney’s SOS Print + Media Group. The acquisition is expected to create a $100 million per year printer, with $150 million expected within the next year. SOS will continue as a stand-alone operation from its existing premises.

• Xerox to seek better deal with Fujifilm 

  

  After legal action by major investors, Xerox will seek improved financial terms when it resumes talks with Fujifilm over the Japanese company’s proposed $6.1bn takeover bid. Xerox also accused investor Carl Icahn of “highly irresponsible fear-mongering.”

• Ricoh cuts dealers to focus on IT 

  

  Ricoh ended agreements with 16 local dealers as it focuses on the “critical” IT services market but the company denied it’s moving away from print. “We have a major opportunity…to make printing more innovative and productive.”

• NZ’s Gravure Packaging wins label ‘Oscar’ 

  

  Wellington-based Gravure Packaging has won a ‘label industry Oscar’ for the best gravure process label at the 2017 World Label Awards. The winning entry was a shrink sleeve produced for Melbourne yoghurt manufacturer Chobani.

• PIAA gives nod to budget, despite $18bn deficit 

  

  Printing Industries has announced its approval of the 2018 federal budget, praising initiatives in education and tax cuts for businesses and employees. CEO Andrew Macaulay has, however, expressed concern about the $18 billion deficit, saying the country should live within its means.

• Icahn, Deason want $40 a share for Xerox 

  

  Billionaire activist Xerox shareholders Carl Icahn and Darwin Deason – who oppose a takeover deal with Fujifilm – say they’ll now consider a cash bid of $40 per share – a 43 percent premium to the Japanese firm’s offer of about $28 per share.

• Equity firm buys newsprint maker Norske Skog 

  

  Hundreds of local jobs secured as London private equity firm Oceanwood signs a $373m deal to buy bankrupt newsprint and magazine paper manufacturer Norske Skog, which operates two mills in Australia and one in New Zealand.

• Dealer of the year powers ahead 

  

  For eight years, Currie Group has distributed CRON’s range of thermal CTP gear in Australia, launching into New Zealand in the past twelve months. In 2017, the company took home CRON’s Asia-Pacific dealer of the year award – and it doesn’t look like the pace will slow down.

• Melbourne digital printer STS shuts down 

  

  Melbourne digital print business STS Creative Printing has closed its doors after 37 years and gone into liquidation, with staff members “frog marched” out of the business on Friday.

• 47 jobs lost in $9m Fergies sale 

  

  Forty-seven print workers are out of a job after the sale of Brisbane-based Fergies Print & Mail to neighbouring business Printcraft for a rumoured $9 million.

• Currie Group Roadshow opens in Albury 

  

  Currie Group’s mobile showroom opened its doors this morning at Albury in New South Wales on the second stop of its 2018 Roadshow, following last week’s successful launch in Brisbane.