The redesigned super-wide Kongsberg C table, which can work with materials up to ten feet square, was an early crowd pleaser on the Esko stand at day one of PacPrint.

European digital printing giant Xeikon has kicked off its first-ever PacPrint with a Print21 Technology Hot Pick for its CX-3 "Cheetah" label press. The toner-based five-colour digital label press is running live on stand A22. Xeikon, a subsidiary of Flint Group, launched in Australia in February.

Organising committee for the trade show declares it will not stand for companies using the exhibition to promote their own agendas without contributing to the overall success of the show.

As digital printing keeps up its steady march across the graphics landscape, it’s easy to forget about progress in conventional printing, writes Laurel Brunner.

The Lithographic Institute of Australia has called for a Certificate III of Printing and Graphic Arts as an option for VET schools. In an open letter to members and associates, LIA President Mel Ireland requested industry support for more VET school funding.

Collapsed Melbourne printer Print Dynamics has offered unsecured creditors owed a total of $1.3 million a take-it-or-leave-it, 10 cents-in-the-dollar settlement deal. The offer is conditional on all creditors agreeing to the terms. The company says it also owes employees $581,067.17.

APN Outdoor and oOh!Media have called it quits on their proposed merger, walking away from the massive $1.6 billion deal after the ACCC released a statement of issues expressing 'preliminary concerns' earlier this month.

Lily D’Ambrosio, Victoria's Minister for Energy, Environment & Climate Change, will officially open PacPrint 2017 next Tuesday, May 23rd, before touring the show and visiting the University of Newcastle's printed solar panel installation.

Bathurst-based Laura Burgett from Spatial Services, this year’s Heidelberg-LIA Apprentice of the year, is very well credentialed across a range of disciplines.

Another US equity giant has joined the bidding for Fairfax, valuing the publishing and media company at up to $2.87 billion. Fairfax says it will invite both TPG and new bidder Hellman & Friedman to conduct due diligence to see 'if an acceptable binding transaction can be agreed.'

In a $2 million-plus sales spike in the run up to PacPrint, Screen GP and co-exhibitor Jet Technologies have sold two Truepress Jet label presses and a PlateRite flexographic CtP platesetter. “To say I am delighted is an understatement,” says Screen MD Peter Scott.

The role of digital print innovation in customized marketing is the focus of the latest issue of the Value of Paper and Print magazine from Two Sides Australia. "The opportunities to customise and target print marketing communications are endless," says TSA's Kellie Northwood.

The Fespa show in Hamburg brought together all parts of the sign and display business but very few exhibitors were shouting about their environmental credentials and the topic was mostly absent from the conference, writes Laurel Brunner.

More than 150 students from the Holmesglen Institute will be among 13,000 visitors at Pacprint in Melbourne next week. "PacPrint will be an enormously valuable opportunity to learn how they can leverage the power of print in their future careers."

Melbourne print powerhouse Mercedes Waratah has installed Australia’s first Océ VarioPrint i300 sheet-fed inkjet press at its Data Direct business in Preston and is considering buying a similar machine for its headquarters in Port Melbourne.

An executive shake-up at Ricoh Australia has resulted in the departures of three general managers, with the chief financial officer also retiring from the company. A Ricoh spokesperson said the restructure followed an internal review, and was aimed at streamlining decision making.