Print technology manufacturer Kyocera Corporation has agreed to a $49.9 million settlement to end a class action lawsuit by investors over the company’s 2020 merger with US electronics manufacturer AVX.

Agfa will showcase its latest inkjet technology for sign & display, packaging and textile printing at next month’s Printing United trade show in Las Vegas (19-21 October), including the first demo of the Inca Onset running on Agfa ink.

The federal government is expected to announce new cyber security measures after hackers accessed personal information including identity document numbers of 9.8 million Optus customers. The ACCC has warned Optus customers to watch out for scams following the massive data breach.

The Australian Sign & Graphics Association (ASGA) will hold the first of its signage taster courses in Brisbane next month before a national roll-out later this year and early next year. The courses are designed to build on the momentum of series of successful ASGA career expos hosted by AusSIP. 

Today, September 22^nd, is a public holiday and day of mourning for the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Whichever side of politics, monarchism and republicanism you are on, it was a remarkable reign and one conducted with unflinching grace and dignity throughout very challenging times for post-war Britain and the Commonwealth, writes Andy McCourt.

Avery Dennison officially opened its new distribution centre in Moorabbin, Victoria, designed to meet the changing needs of graphics converters and installers in Australia and New Zealand.

Canon Oceania has published its 2022 Sustainability Report, detailing how the company has delivered on its annual sustainability objectives - including a circular economy initiative that saw seven tonnes of toner waste reused in 187 kilometres of Australian roads.

Australian businesses need to be ready to substantiate any environmental or sustainability claims when marketing their goods and services, ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said in a speech to the Sydney Morning Herald Sustainability Summit. “The ACCC won’t hesitate to take enforcement action," she said.

Turnover in the manufacturing industry fell by 3.8 per cent in July following five consecutive monthly rises, partly reflecting supply chain disruptions and labour shortages in the industry, according to latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Swiss manufacturer of large format printers – distributed in Australia by Pozitive - began as a six-man operation in 2007 and has since blossomed into a leading global developer and producer with 200 employees. More than 1600 swissQprint machines are in operation worldwide.

The "desire for affluence” may be contributing to the destruction of the natural world, according to Seiko Epson CEO and president Yasunori Ogawa, who's outlined the company’s plans to further accelerate its sustainability initiatives. “Epson’s unique Micro Piezo inkjet technology can help to reduce environmental impacts," he added.

“Markets had suggested we may see a softening in the supply chain dynamics that pushed ocean freight to historical highs by mid-2022, unfortunately this has not eventuated,” said Ben McCauley, managing director, Spandex Asia Pacific.

Industry consumable and hardware supplier, Starleaton is moving from its Brookvale, Sydney location, to larger premises closer to the CBD at St Leonards - a hub of sign industry businesses. The move begins on September 26th and should complete by October 7th, with only minor potential disruption to deliveries, says COO Josh Eaton.

Neschen describes the new film as having 'crystal-clear transparency' in unprinted areas. Easy Dot PET transparent L-UV is an addition to the hugely successful Easy Dot range which includes white and is distributed by Starleaton in Australia and New Zealand.

A week after acquiring ‘substantially all of the printing and finishing assets’ of Ovato Limited for $16m, ASX-listed printer IVE Group has announced a $20 million capital raising to investors.

“My intention was to morph an insect and a human to highlight our interdependence,” said North Queensland-based professional photographer Charmaine Heyer, winner of the inaugural Australian Photographic Prize Epson Print Award presented in Melbourne.

Outdoor media company QMS has reported strong demand for its “3DOOH” product, with new campaigns from Gillette Australia, Michael Hill International, ANZ and AAMI, plus a growing list of other blue-chip marketers lining up to use the 3D creative approach to out of home advertising.

Global print and graphics software specialist Corel has announced a full rebrand, including a new name: Alludo. Popular products including Corel PaintShop Pro and CorelDRAW will retain their existing brand names.

Fujifilm Dimatix has launched Fujifilm Samba JPC UV inkjet modules to help deliver single pass printing on a range of UV ink print applications for integrators and original equipment manufacturer suppliers. 

Amcor (NYSE: AMCR) (ASX:AMC), the AUD$20 billion Australian global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, has announced a further strategic investment of up to USD$45 million in ePac Flexible Packaging, a leader in high quality, short run-length digitally-based flexible packaging, which opened its Melbourne operation last year. The investment will increase Amcor’s minority shareholding in ePac Holdings LLC.

“Although many of the global supply chain issues improved in the second quarter, global events are still impacting the industry,” said researcher IDC. Industrial printer shipments were down slightly overall in Q2 2022 but direct-to-garment (DTG) printer shipments increased by 22% compared to the previous quarter.