News Archive

• GTO to go – passing of an icon marks end of era 

  

  A towering icon of the offset printing world takes its final bow, the Heidelberg Printmaster GTO 52 will be discontinued from March 2014 after more than 40 years in production. The announcement marks the end of an era with production of the press stretching back to drupa 1972.

• Man the presses for a chance at the Ipex crown 

  

  The world’s best offset press operators will go head-to-head in a test of skill to be staged at Ipex 2014, battling it out for the official Make Ready Challenge crown. Printers the world over are invited to put forward their best two-man team and make ready a job in the quickest time possible.

• Mike Boyle shoots to Canon top job 

  

  Well-known industry identity, Mike Boyle steps up as the new managing director of Canon Professional Print Services, picking up the reins from the UK’s Simon Wheeler who has steered the company through tough times in its recent takeover of Oce.

• Currie sits HP Indigo operators up near the teacher 

  

  A multi-million dollar dedicated training facility for HP Indigo operators is a major addition to industry infrastructure. Kitted out with two HP Indigo presses and certified by HP, the standalone facility near the Currie HQ in Hawthorn Victoria is redefining digital print training in the industry.

• Paper dumping actions worldwide on the rise 

  

  A plague of dumping cases has been exposed running rife in the worldwide pulp and paper industry, according to the latest issue of industry bible Pulp & Paper Edge. The report will be a core issue discussed at the upcoming Appita Market Outlook Forum, to held in Melbourne on 28th, November.

• Survival of the Fittest – Change is the key to success 

  

  In an in-depth commentary, Trevor Crawford, event director of Ipex 2014, explains the importance of keeping pace in an evolving and dynamic industry landscape.

• Australia Post puts its stamp on Christmas 

  

  This Christmas mail your loved ones a personalised video message, as Australia Post continues to push multi-platform print with over 3 million ‘Video Stamps’ to hit the market. The new initiative allows customers to record a 15-second video message pinned to a unique QR code.

• Last orders called for NSW PICA bash 

  

  There’s just a few days left this week to book your tickets for the final PICA of 2013 – the Media Super NSW PICA presentation night dinner. Bookings close this Friday 22 November. The event will be held on Friday 6 December 2013 at the Sydney Sofitel Wentworth.

• Kiwi barometer forecasts fair weather for printers 

  

  Printers across the Tasman report sales are up and holding well with positive indications, according to the latest PrintNZ quarterly survey. The recent period of downsizing and restructuring has ushered in more stable volumes for Kiwi print businesses with some price stabilisation noted.

• Open call for future leaders, GAMAA grant up for grabs 

  

  Applications are open future leaders to gain industry-leading knowledge and the chance to contribute expertise to the Australian printing industry. The 2014 GAMAA Industry Overseas Internship Grant is valued at $15,000 and offers applicants the chance to travel internationally for work and study.

• Agfa and KBA on the back foot 

  

  Agfa and KBA both brace for losses in 2013, as third quarter results come tumbling in. Agfa reported a net loss of 6 million for Q3. KBA reported a pre-tax loss of 16.3 million, but a boost in sheetfed and a swell in fourth quarter prepayments helped it cling to a solid financial profile.

• Kodak back on track, delivers solid Q3 results 

  

  Kodak’s first post-emergence figures are in, with imaging giant delivering general improvements across its portfolios, with profits creeping back into the balance sheets and a massive cut in debt. The graphics giant reported a net income of $1.99 billion for the third quarter.

• IPEX 2014 – Join the Aussie & Kiwi Tour 

  

  Ipex, the UK-based international graphic arts trade fair positioned as ‘the largest in the English-speaking world,’ is on from March 24-29. While smaller in both size and attendance than Drupa, previous Ipex have delivered startling results for both exhibitors and visitors.

• Print $’s on the line as reader war heats up 

  

  Advertisers are flocking back to print, according to recent figures from controversial new EMMA report. A boost in news and magazine readership sparks data rival Roy Morgan to pose serious questions about the reliability of its numbers.

• Trevor Hone steps down from Vic PICA Chair 

  

  Long-term industry identity signed off his tenure with an emotive speech to the industry at the 2014 Victorian Awards dinner last Friday. In a moving valedictory delivery he acknowledged the difficult year the industry has passed through, including the largest company collapse in the its history.

• Offset transfer powers record month for Currie Group 

  

  Over 200 HP Indigo digital printing engines throughout Australia smashed another record in October by racking up over 123 million A3 impressions. The record month follows a powerhouse year for the Currie Group both in Australia and New Zealand.

• Printers get predatory at HP event 

  

  HP kicks off a run of educational ‘fuel stops’ for printers looking to help grow their business with its inaugural Relay 2013 event, focussed on predatory marketing. The secret is to be a porcupine in an 800-pound gorilla fight.

• Konica Minolta hits eco-benchmark 

  

  Konica Minolta lives up to its environmental ambitions, saving over 600 tons of waste from landfill as its ongoing print cartridge recycling efforts hit a major milestone. Together with Cartridges 4 Planet Ark and Close the Loop, it has recycled one million print cartridges.

• Spandex expands its reach with double buy-up 

  

  Spandex strengthens its foothold in the Australian market, adding two home-grown businesses to its expanding portfolio, Plas Image and Qualsign. The double buy-out shores up Spandex’s local offering from coast-to-coast, and adds new products to its stable of wide-format signage media.

• Heidelberg partners with Fujifilm on digital deal 

  

  Heidelberg plans for its first inkjet press to hit the market with a Fujifilm engine running under hood, fresh off the signing of a strategic partnership between the two global players. The German offset press giant has announced projected sales targets of €200 million in three years.