German manufacturer BST eltromat International has strengthened its market position in Australia and New Zealand with a new sales and service partnership with Melbourne-based Maxteq.

PwC’s Skills for Australia initiative, which has joined with the PIAA to review print industry training, has opened an online survey to gather feedback on the state of the 3D printing industry.

Stan Kilpin, owner of Image Magazines, has announced his retirement after 29 years in the industry. He has sold his magazines, including Digital Image and Sign Gear NZ, to new publisher Image Publications, headed by Janet Maitland.

HP has announced its Latex R Series of rigid signage printers at ISA Sign Expo in Singapore. The company is also releasing white ink for Latex, which it promises will not yellow over time like traditional UV white. The R Series will debut at FESPA, and will be available in the latter half of this year.

Brisbane supplier Sign Essentials has been appointed Australian distributor for iECHO flatbed cutting devices and will launch the flagship iECHO BK3 digital cutting system next month at Visual Impact in Brisbane.

A chance meeting between Konica Minolta CEO David Cooke and Beehive Industries chief Brendan Lonergan has secured the future of the Sydney-based not-for-profit organisation that supports seniors, people living with disabilities and the long-term unemployed.

Liquidator PKF Melbourne is selling off several big-ticket items from collapsed Melbourne printer Graphic Impressions, which closed its doors earlier this month reportedly owing hundreds of thousands of dollars to creditors.

Andreas Johansson deepens engagement with Italian colour measurement specialists, Barbieri Electronic, installing the new innovative device to focus on colour measurement in wide format textile printing.

ASX-listed direct mail and marketing services company Salmat is selling its contact centre business to a Sydney-based private equity firm for $53 million as part of a strategy to focus on core businesses including catalogue distribution.

Press manufacturer Mark Andy has acquired of US-based Presstek, a leading global supplier of direct imaging (DI) offset plates and presses, CTP solutions and service for commercial and in-plant customers.

Peter Lane’s 30 years of service to both the South Australian industry and the industry nationally was celebrated by around 70 South Australian print personalities at a cocktail function last week in Adelaide.

New Zealand label printers won five categories at the 2017 World Label Awards in Brussels while Perth-based Label Force picked up the Flexo Colour Process award.

Sign and graphics franchise Signwave Australia is opening its second West Australian centre, at Osborne Park in Perth. It’s Signwave’s second launch of 2018, following last month’s opening of Signwave Adelaide Central.

Neopost Australia has announced a sponsorship deal with Ryal Harris, Australia’s most successful V8 Ute race car driver in history and owner of Queensland signage firm Rad Visuals.

The pros and cons for installing UV curing, conventional, low-energy, or LED, on an offset press have much to do with the type of work undertaken. Read Patrick Howard's full report in the latest issue of Print21 magazine.

Labor Senator Doug Cameron (pictured), shadow minister for skills and apprenticeships, has told Print21 he would be happy to work with Printing Industries on boosting apprentice numbers and promoting vocational training.