The year ended with some notable names no longer operating in the print industry; printers, vendors and individuals.

Two high profile cases both of whom denied they were phoenixes occupied the minds of rival printers this year, Chameleon in Queensland and Picton Press in WA.

It has been a long time since strikes hit the printing industry, but they returned in 2018, with the staff at Australian Paper's envelope factory and at the nation's banknote printer Note Printing Australia both taking serious industrial action.

The packaging industry hit the headlines in 2018 thanks to a global focus on sustainability, with plastic taking the title of enemy of the people.

The WA printing community is in uproar as debt-ridden Picton Press has managed to get the ATO's winding up order against it dismissed, so ridding itself of 99 per cent of its $2.25m debt to unsecured creditors.

Newly launched short run on demand digital textile printing business The Textile Hub has closed, with owners Next Printing citing lack of demand as its reason to shut up shop.

EFI’s Director of Operations for ANZ, Kathy Mitchell has made the decision to move on to the next chapter in her career.

Latest data from Pulp & Paper Edge reveals that printing and communication grade imports into both Australia and New Zealand fell by double digits in the year to October.

Konica Minolta has been awarded the top honour in the Australian Human Rights Commission Human Rights Award 2018 in the Business category, for showing leadership in the people-centred policies that promote human rights in its business and supply chain.

Charges have been laid to four people over kickbacks from alleged inflated invoices sent by East Keilor print business F and M Printing to the office of former Victorian Labor MP Khalil Eideh.

The share prices of listed print and packaging companies have been largely unaffected by the current volatility affecting the stock market, instead they have been going in every direction possible.

Sydney digital printer Citywide Print has boosted its production capacity with the addition of a second-hand Horizon SPF-20A saddle-stitcher and FC-20A trimmer, plus two VAC 100 towers, all supplied by Currie Group.

Heidelberg says the new Innovation Center (IVC) for the graphic arts industry is now Open for Innovation, at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site.

Printing is a tough game; a good industry but a hard place to make a quid, especially for large businesses. Startling statistics coming out of the USA reveal small printers are much more profitable.

Orora in Melbourne has become the first printer in the world to have the newly launched white ink and print modes for its Nozomi digital corrugated board press.

The final press has rolled off the production line at the Durham manufacturing unit of Goss, which is now part of the new manroland Goss company.