Blue Star Direct is expanding and upgrading its digital fleet in Sydney with a new HP PageWide Web Press T370HD, a move it says is in response to increasing demand for agile and high-quality digital printing.

The proposed acquisition of web offset printer Inkwise by rival Mainland Print in New Zealand is in limbo, as the Commerce Commission looks deeper into the implications of the deal for the nation's web printing.

The emergence of direct-to-package and direct-to-container printing is shaping up as a major threat to traditional label printing; however for now label printing is still on the rise, to the tune of 4.4 per cent a year.

The country's largest trade printer CMYKhub is buying the assets of rival Whirlwind, as industry consolidation continues apace. Speaking to Print21 this morning, CMYKhub managing director Trent Nankervis said, “Whirlwind managing director Andrew Cester (pictured) and I have been talking for five years."

The Hannan family is increasing its stake in the country's biggest printer Ovato (formerly PMP) as the company offers its shareholders new stock in a $15.5m cash raising bid.

Printing Industries Association of Australia (PIAA) is congratulating the government on its surprise re-election, and is set to continue its lobbying on five fronts.

Mezographic has ordered a new Durst flatbed digital UV printer in a €750,000 deal inked at Fespa in Munich.

Auckland printer Permark took gold in the global Fespa awards for its screen printed hospital bed controller, while Seen Technology took two silvers, and Cactus Imaging won a bronze.

Screen Graphic Solutions has finalised development of a new blue ink intended for use in its high-end Truepress Jet L350UV+ digital label printing system. The ink will be released worldwide in June this year.

With a tight federal election just one day away, the issue of minimum wage increases could help printers make up their minds.

A Sydney Officeworks has refused to print material for a candidate standing for far-right senator Fraser Anning's Conservative National Party, which claimed Australia was "overrun by an Islamic element intent on imposing the vile sharia law".

Appearing at its fourth Fespa, imaging giant Ricoh launched new roll to roll printers, a new UV flatbed printer, and a new direct to garment printer.

Océ has launched the Colorado 1650 roll-to-roll printer, expanding the application capabilities of its growing UVgel wide-format family.

Kornit CEO Ronen Samuel says four mega trends are converging for commercial printers to exploit with the range of Kornit textile printers, three of which were on show at Fespa.

Esko is launching two new hardware solutions at Fespa: the Motorised Roll Feeder for soft signage applications, and the Kongsberg C Edge, the upgradable digital cutting table.

Centre stage at Agfa is the Jeti Tauro H3300 LED hybrid printer, which is running with manual input and output tables at 450sqm an hour.