One of the country’s two big outdoor media players oOh! Media lost $35.7m in the Covid-ravaged 2020, in contrast to a $52m profit the year before.

EFI will launch what it says will be a 1000 boards an hour inkjet UV display printer later this year, based on the Nozomi C1800 Plus, challenging the long-run dominance of screen and offset.

Australia’s largest fabric signage manufacturer, AFI Branding, has launched ArchiFrame, a new Australian-made certified product range for brand and product displays.

Large format print business Vivid produced 1.5 kilometers of print at superspeed to cover the seats at the Australian Tennis Open, when spectators were suddenly banned with the snap lockdown.

There may be printers with more of the high-performance machines in the world but none pump through more Fujifilm ink than the iconic Australian wide-format business … and that’s only going to grow as it puts in its third new 5-metre Ultra.

The administrators at one of Melbourne’s major large format print businesses, Magnify Media, has pulled the plug, with the company set for liquidation after racking up debts approaching $5m.

HP has introduced a range of new Latex large format print solutions that it says are aimed at helping print service providers diversify their offerings. A live virtual demo is scheduled for tomorrow lunchtime.

Some 32 different sign and display print businesses have been named as winners of the thrice postponed Asga and Fespa HP 2020 Awards For Excellence, along with half a dozen young stars.

Roland DG has launched the new VersaUV 64-inch LEC2-640 and 30-inch LEC2-330 wide format UV roll-to-roll printer cutters, which are targeted at a wide range of applications.

Luke Knight’s Adelaide sign printer Swift Signs is being liquidated, three months after it went into voluntary administration.

The global EFI Engage online user event currently taking place has seen the imaging giant launch a host of new solutions, including a trio of new print systems, all operating at significantly higher productivity rates.

The growing wide format market is set to benefit from Currie Group’s appointment as EFI’s distribution partner in ANZ for display graphics digital inkjet technologies. Currie Group has also expanded its team, with Paul Whitehead to manage the wide format division.

Local businesses and the print community are rallying behind Adelaide-based large format print outfit Big Image following a Boxing Day fire destroyed its premises, along with around $2m of stock and machinery.

One of Melbourne’s major large format print businesses Magnify Media is in voluntary administration, with debts approaching $5m. Four parties are currently in discussions with the administrator over buying the business, which is continuing to trade on a week-by-week basis, and is being offered on a sale or DOCA basis.

Spending on outdoor media plummeted last year, as Covid wreaked havoc, with $369m wiped off the industry in a 40 per cent plunge in revenue, which totalled $566.5m, down from $935.5m achieved in 2019.

Total Supply, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Spicers NZ, is acquiring wide format supply business Blueprint Imaging, as it boosts its presence in the sign and display sector.