Durst is ramping up the ink and parts it is sending its distributors around the world, including to the newly opened Durst Oceania, in order to be ready for any tightening of supply lines in the wake of the ongoing and unpredictable coronavirus outbreak.

Print shows around the world are being pulled as the coronavirus spreads, with expos in the US, UK, and Thailand the latest to be postponed, although a major Chinese sign show, slated for February but cancelled, has now been rescheduled for July.

Industry software developer Chili publish, known for its Smart Templates, has cancelled its presence at drupa on fears of the coronavirus, becoming the first company to do so.

Nine Media is reporting that collapsed Waratah Group was paying major charity World Vision's printing advisor a hidden $3000 a month kickback in return for its annual $2.5m printing contract.

Print businesses in the areas most affected by Covid-19 are struggling, unable to get consumables in and jobs out, in what could be a precursor for the situation in Australia if lockdown is ordered.

The Printing Industry Creativity Awards deadline has been extended by one week to next Friday 13 March, as printers focus on preparing their businesses for the impact of the coronavirus.

Printing press manufacturing giant Koenig & Bauer is heading to the flagship trade fair of the print and media industry with a raft of digitalisation solutions, product innovations, and a completely new machine design.

Waratah Group businesses Embassy Print, MW Assets and Waratah Digital are officially in voluntary liquidation, four months after the group went under with debts of at least $12m.

The increasing global nervousness over the coronavirus is starting to impact print, with ink and equipment manufacturers among those dependent on China now looking at dealing with the looming Covid-19 shadow.

The world's major wide format expo Fespa Global 2020, due to take place in Madrid in three weeks time, has fallen victim to growing coronavirus fears and been postponed.

Controversial signage outfit Skope and its various associated entities are in administration, just six months after it managed to transform a $2.3m debt in a closely related manufacturing arm into a favourable DOCA, leaving rivals fuming.

Konica Minolta is launching a new digital embellishing system, the MGI JV 3D One. It is targeted at commercial printers, and it enables them to bring embellishing in-house. General manager Sue Threlfo describes as 'perfect for our Aussie market'.

Plans for local trade show Visual Impact on the Gold Coast next month are progressing unabated, with organisers saying that the Covid-19 outbreak is not expected to prevent the industry’s largest sign and display expo opening as planned 30 April – 2 May.

Growth slowed in the out of home industry last year, with 2019 showing a total increase of 1.5 per cent on net media revenue last year – but spend on print fell by eight per cent, according to the figures from the Outdoor Media Association.

A US research report showed that many American printers saw revenue growth last year and many are optimistic about prospects in 2020.

Australian Associated Press (AAP), the national news agency supplying stories to national and regional newspapers, is closing, unable to compete with the free information on the internet used by newspapers as they all struggle with costs.