The New Zealand print industry has had to close, with only print that is directly necessary for the essential supply chain able to be produced, as the country enters strict level four lockdown over one case.

HP Australia is joining forces with Ocean Impact Organisation to launch Generation Impact Incubator, a programme seeking out the next-gen of eco-innovation from young Australians.

Twenty years of blood, sweat and toil is being celebrated by the Penrith Museum of Printing, which over the years has lovingly restored an impressive range of equipment, creating Australia’s largest working print museum.

As Covid cases rise Melbourne and Canberra are extending their lockdowns, Covid is hurting the economy. Printers can still print if they are compliant with Covid restrictions, but NSW police now have the power to close down non-compliant businesses.

The federal government’s decision to leave it up to individual businesses and organisations whether to make vaccines mandatory in the workplace is copping flack from all sides, over what will likely be the biggest workplace issue of the next 12 months.

Print21 is expanding with a new deputy editor, as highly experienced print industry journalist Colleen Bate joins the ANZ industry’s media hub. Deputy editor is a new role at Print21, reflecting the growth and increasing number of media platforms it operates on.

The FPLMA has had to postpone its national conference, which was originally scheduled for next month, and now pushed back to February next year.

Food packaging outfit SPC has become the first Australian company to mandate all staff be vaccinated against Covid, in a move that will likely open the floodgates to many more businesses following the same path, and which raises a host of legal and ethical questions.

The Bacon Factory, which is the primary letterpress educator and advocate in Queensland, is being evicted, and given less than four weeks to vacate its premises, and is now seeking industry support to carry on its mission, from a mobile basis.

As the Covid crisis escalates the NSW state government is running webinars to show small businesses how to access support and relief in lockdown. The next webinar runs on Wednesday.

Canberra is in lockdown, Melbourne has had its lockdown extended for another seven days, while Dubbo has joined the regional NSW LGAs in lockdown, which now includes all of of Sydney, the Hunter and Upper Hunter, Armidale, Tamworth, Byron Bay, and Cairns in Queensland. Printers can still print if they are compliant with Covid restrictions, but NSW police now have the power to close down non-compliant businesses.

A cyber attack can be your worst nightmare. Your data destroyed, or held hostage until you stump up big dollars to have it released. Stickman Cyber founder Ajay Unni outlines the basic requirements every printer should be adhering to.

The latest issue of the print industry’s leading trade magazine Print21 is arriving on the desks of the owners and managers of print businesses across Australia and New Zealand.

The finalists who will represent Queensland in the Visual Connections-LIA National Scholarship Biennial Awards were revealed at the Queensland Printing Industry Creativity Awards in Brisbane.

Agfa Graphics has appointed Phillip Burns as the new sales manager for its Australian inkjet business, with a focus on growth outside traditional users as new technology comes on stream.

Soar Print managing director Fred Soar is the new president of the New Zealand print association PrintNZ, with Jill Cowling, CEO, Blue Star, and Morgan John, GM at Spicers, also joining the board.