A fire in June at a Close the Loop facility in Melbourne has disrupted the Cartridges 4 Planet Ark printer cartridge recycling program used by manufacturers including Canon, Epson, HP, Konica Minolta and Kyocera.

Despite continued disruptions caused by supply chain issues, Agfa’s Digital Print & Chemicals division’s top line grew substantially in the third quarter, “mainly driven by the sign & display business,” with the company signing its first contracts for Agfa-branded Onset wide-format machines. The Agfa-Gevaert Group posted a net loss of 17 million Euro.

We all know that car wrapping is a highly skilled craft and must use the right materials. Last week, our friends at The Big Picture magazine USA ran a horror story about an appalling wrap inflicted on an unsuspecting Singapore car owner. It's so bad it went viral on social media and even ran in AsiaOne mainstream media.

Spandex Group has introduced ImagePerfect EverGreen (to be released 2023 in Australia) - its new range of print and signage films that are 100% PVC free and use a water-based, solvent free adhesive.

Fujifilm Group reported ¥1,349.9 billion ($A14.4 billion) in consolidated revenue In the first half of the fiscal year (up 12% year-over-year) - “reflecting sales increases mainly in the medical systems business and the electronic materials business.” In the company’s digital printing business, revenue was driven higher by growth in shipments of production printers as market conditions recovered.

Orafol’s Sydney Creative Hub is holding an Auto Restyle Colour Change Course on November 30^th to December 1^st. Auto restyling and paint replacement are hot tickets in the wrapping business right now.

Now that trade shows are back in full swing, 2023 will see great Signage and Wide Format events locally, in Europe and the USA. Here’s a digest of what’s happening so you can plan your travel and stays.

Industry rollfed, flatbed and 3D equipment supplier Mimaki spent last weekend changing the signage on its sleek-looking Rydelmere, Sydney building. It's a case of precise simplicity maketh the brand image - and maybe pleaseth the architect too!

Now celebrating its 70^th year in business – and garnering five ‘Pinnacle’ Awards at Printing United in the USA – Mutoh has completed its ‘Pro’ model line-up of wide format printers with the unveiling of the XpertJet 1682SR Pro in Europe. It’s faster and can use gBL-free inks.

Digital outdoor media company QMS is rolling out more examples of its ‘first-to-market’ 3DOOH product, featuring new animated advertising campaigns from Nike x JD Sports and betting and entertainment company Neds.

Sustainability was the key theme when almost 100 delegates attended the first FESPA Australia conference last week in Sydney's Shangri-la Hotel.

Spandex Asia Pacific's latest version of its product guide includes the introduction of ‘The Big Book - Spandex Products & Materials Catalogue,’ which combines Digital Materials, Signage Materials, Rigid Substrates, and Accessories in one book.

Kyocera’s sales revenue for the first half to September 30 was up 15.5% but profit increased only slightly due to price increases in raw materials and a one-time cost of 7 billion yen from a US lawsuit.

AVA, which specialises in software modules used in printed textile, wallcovering, floor covering and engraving industries, has announced a technology partnership with PrintFactory, a global provider of digital print workflow software.

HP recently gathered its APAC channel sales partners together in Singapore, for the first time since the pandemic and for the official release of the new HP Latex 2700. Also on the agenda was the presenting of awards for outstanding achievement. Local reseller Celmac was there and on the receiving end of a high accolade.

Ricoh’s Graphic Communications unit sales increased by 25% to ¥108.8 billion, with commercial printing business sales rising as economic activities recovered from Covid-related restrictions. “Despite the impact of material shortages, sales of production printers increased as we worked to secure production volumes,” Ricoh said.

UPM Communication Papers has collaborated with HP Inc to develop a new generation of digital printing papers specifically designed for high-speed inkjet printing technology, including HP PageWide inkjet presses.

The Australian Sign & Graphics Association says a two-day Sign & Graphics taster course – free to high school students and teachers - has been scheduled for the 23rd & 24th of November in WA. The first of ASGA’s taster courses was held last month in Brisbane, and TAFE SA will host a similar event in Tonsley, Adelaide this week (9-10 November).

The City of Sydney announced an external review of new QMS Media street furniture after complaints that advertising screens on footpaths were significantly impacting pedestrian movement.

Cartel agreements made it possible for freight companies to charge customers more for retail freight forwarding services, said the NZ Commerce Commission. In June, two international freight companies – including Sydney-based Mondiale Freight Services – were fined a total of more than $9 million over 'deceptive' Australia/NZ freight cartels.

Messe Frankfurt, organiser of the DS Printech China trade shows, has deferred this month’s rescheduled fair in Guangzhou as China continues its zero-Covid policy restrictions.