The amount spent on outdoor print fell again in the first quarter of the new year, as marketers continue to invest in digital outdoor media. However the rate of print's outdoor decline appears to be slowing significantly.

The Visual Media Association is rallying print business owners to engage in a critical initiative aimed at enhancing apprenticeship programmes, by completing an online survey.

Mackay-based BB Print has installed the first Horizon StitchLiner Mark IV in Queensland, supplied by Currie Group, as the company beefs up its service to the mining and general commercial sectors.

Phillip Rennell has joined Ball & Doggett, with a brief to show printers around the country new opportunities available to them, through the company’s growing equipment portfolio.

Xerox is halting its production print manufacturing operation, bringing to an end a 24-year run as a digital press manufacturer in the commercial print sector. It will now supply OEM presses, with its own software.

Peacock Group is to acquire insignia, a 55-year-old family-owned company specialising in labelling, coding and data capture solutions, with the deal set to go through on 31 May. It is the third acquisition for Peacock in the last two years, after AMR Hewitts and OJ Holdings.

The world’s biggest offset press manufacturer Heidelberg will have a new CEO, Jürgen Otto, as current incumbent Dr Ludwin Monz leaves after two years in the job.

In a new strategic partnership, Ball & Doggett will supply Kornit’s range of DTG print-on-demand digital fashion and textile production technologies to print businesses across Australia.

The Visual Media Association has released an Audiometric Testing Requirements Advisory for members, responding to confusion across the hearing test requirements for printers in different states.

The VMA says the prime minister’s new Future Made in Australia plan has nothing in it for print, and is one of many organisations questioning what appears to be a return to the protectionist policies of the past.

All stands for the Visual Impact Expo in Brisbane in July are now 100 per cent booked, with a full house of suppliers ready to showcase their latest equipment, systems and services.

The Print21 Australia and New Zealand drupa party, for printers in Dusseldorf for the big show, will take place in the middle of drupa, on Friday evening 31 May, with the multi award-winning Frankenheim brewery the location. Tickets are now available.

Australia Post has ended daily deliveries for letters, extended the delivery schedule, and upped the price of a stamp by 25 per cent, the moves causing frustration and angst in the print and mail industries.

Ben Eaton, managing director of industry supplier Starleaton, has issued an open letter to the industry, as the much slimmed down operation begins trading again under a deed of company arrangement.

Mesh Direct Media is in voluntary administration, the Sydney based large format print manager going down with debts of $1.9m, with several print businesses owed substantial sums.

Konica Minolta will have one of the biggest stands at drupa, and will launch a host of new technologies in digital print and embellishing, all in a SmartFactory layout.