Digital enhancement solutions developer Scodix – supplied in Australia and New Zealand by Currie Group – is launching a new productivity workflow package, Scodix Studio Station, which it says will boost productivity by 60 per cent.

Kurz Australia is celebrating half a century of operation and hosted a series of staff events at locations around the country to mark the momentous occasion.

Print industry business broker Ascent Partners is putting on a free webinar next Thursday to discuss options for print businesses in Covid – the webinar is titled Regroup, Sell or Close.

The iconic oOh! Media 400sqm billboard at Sydney Airport, known as The King for its giant size, has gone digital, the unmissable 400sqm billboard is now one of the largest digital airport advertising screens in the southern hemisphere.

Boutique Melbourne print business Taylor'd Press emerged as the country's de facto best printer with more golds than anyone else, five, at this year's National Print Awards, which were live streamed due to Covid-19.

Melbourne-based digital fabric printing business AFI Branding is seeing its move into mask printing turbo charged following the mandate to wear them in Victoria.

Canon Production Printing is providing a Kick Start package of up to $40,000 with all new Arizona flatbed printers, in what it says is an initiative designed to assist Australian printers adapt to new market trends.

Newly acquired publishing giant Bauer Media is printing magazines again in New Zealand, with the presses at Webstar NZ rolling once more, following a near four-month hiatus from its biggest customer. The new Bauer owner also owns Webstar NZ.

Bauer Media is permanently closing eight of its big Australian magazine brands that have been off the shelves since May, as it battles a severe and ongoing downturn in advertising revenue, and restrictions on travel and transport.

Well known Sydney printing identity Stan Halkeas – who founded, and then ran a major print business for 50 years in the latter half of last century – has died, aged 91.

Alex Commins, CEO of Jamestrong and former CEO and owner of Colorpak, pays heartfelt tribute to his Colorpak/GPI colleague David Johnson who passed away last week: “40 years a one company man. A great life taken too young.”

Press manufacturing giant Koenig & Bauer is among the manufacturers looking to the German government for support during Covid, requesting a €120m loan to help implement its Performance 2024 plan.

Offset press manufacturers Komori and manroland Sheetfed have joined rival Heidelberg to withdraw from global mega print show drupa next year, as the show itself cuts its duration, from 11 days to nine.

Daniels Printing Craftsmen in Perth is investing in an HP Indigo 7r Digital Colour Press – supplied by Currie Group – in order to increase its digital capacity.

The federal government will team up with the states to pump $1bn into the TAFE system to make courses free or low-cost for apprentices in certain sectors, including printing, as part of its new $2.5bn Covid youth strategy JobTrainer.

Paper, media, and hardware supplier Spicers is reorganising its business into two sales divisions – paper and packaging; and sign and display – with the aim of optimising its technical expertise for printers.