The $3 billion signage and display industry never stops looking for new opportunities to use its technology and knowledge. Vehicle wrapping has proven to be a huge boost to the signwriter’s offerings, tying-in brand advertising with ‘mobile billboards’ and fleets. Fleets of another kind are now promising extra revenue streams – “If you can wrap a car, you can wrap a boat - with a bit of extra care,” says Andy McCourt.

Best Digital Signs of Melbourne has won the Roland DG Australia's My TrueVIS competition with a 'battered and worn' looking vehicle wrap based on Peter Brock’s legendary 1979 Bathurst-winning Holden Torana. (video)

Canon’s second quarter 2022 results showed year-on-year sales growth of 13.3% to ¥998.8 billion ($A10.5bn), with operating profit of ¥98.5 billion ($A1.04bn), a year-on-year increase of 27.4%. Sales for the Printing Business Unit increased by 15.9%.

In a move that reflects the industry-wide trend (see: TRMC merges with PVCA), the New Zealand Sign & Display Association is forging closer ties with fellow industry group Print NZ, with a trade show penciled in for July 2023.

“Inflation and supply chain challenges affected margins this quarter," said Xerox interim CEO Steve Bandrowczak, but "our revenue grew in constant currency...driven by improving demand for our products and services and the realization of pricing growth."

Early bird tickets are now available ($165-$231) for FESPA Australia’s Conference 22 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney on 27 October 2022 (8.00am - 2.30pm).

A new HP Wolf Security report says cybercrime is being supercharged by “plug and play” malware kits that make it easier than ever to launch attacks. Cybercriminals are focusing on known bugs and vulnerabilities in popular software.

The data is in and PacPrint, together with its co-located shows Visual Impact and Label & Packaging Expo, has been confirmed as “an unqualified success, creating excitement (and $50 million in business to date!) as dates for future industry expos are confirmed through to 2025,” say the organisers.

North Melbourne signage, vehicle wrap and wallpaper business Grafico – launched in a Carlton garage as part of a university project - has taken the top award in the Lord Mayor’s Small Business Awards for 2022.   

“We are a bigger industry than we realise,” says ASGA president Mick Harrold, who delivered a revealing snapshot of the Australian Sign Industry to the recent AGM of the NZ Sign & Display Association.

Workflow software business PrintIQ has promoted Paul Bromley to global sales director to lead the company’s sales force covering the U.S, North America, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Bromley has been the UK and EAMER sales manager at printIQ for more than two years.

Kornit Digital has opened the doors to a new interactive booth at one of the world’s largest virtual printing tradeshows, Printing Expo Online – which is open 24-7, 365 days a year and has welcomed over 60,000 global visitors since November 2020.

The World Out of home Organisation's first in-person APAC Forum is scheduled for October 11-13 2022 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This follows WOO's first post-pandemic in-person Global Congress in Toronto and builds on the success of virtual Forums for Europe, Asia and Africa in the past year.

In an announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange at 9:30am Thursday 21st July, Ovato (formerly IPMG and Hannanprint and incorporating PMP) has entered voluntary administration. This follows a period of challenging trading, plant closures, division sell-offs and pandemic-related logistic issues. It is sad indeed that  a company with roots back to the 1930s when Norman Hannan started the Randwick District News and 1968 with the establishment of Hannanprint proper, is now in administration and its ASX shares suspended. Our thoughts for a positive outcome are with all stakeholders and, especially, all staff. EOIs are being called for now, followed by binding offers within 2 weeks.

A series of five NSW Apprenticeship/Traineeship & Jobs Expos kicks off in Sydney next month and ASGA will be exhibiting and providing info to anyone interested in a signage career. Over 300 exhibitors and 16,000 visitors attend the series each year.

Studies by several reputable sources confirm that Inkjet is the fastest growing printing process in the world, with Asia-Pacific leading the way. Up until last year, the CAGR of the overall inkjet printing sector was calculated to be around 5.1%. That Compound Annual Growth Rate is now 8.32%, according to a new report using 2021 data, issued by Smithers research, and paralelled by Mordor Intelligence.

The Federal Court of Australia has ordered print-on-demand business Redbubble to pay the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club more than $78,000 for using the club’s iconic logo without permission. The company lost a similar case in 2019.

“Despite a continued uncertain macro-economic outlook, we remain confident and excited by the future and look forward to the launch of our aqueous printhead later in the year,” said John Mills, CEO of the Cambridge, UK-based inkjet printing technology company.

Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions has launched SupremeTM PPF Xtreme, its “next generation paint protection film aimed at empowering vehicle owners to safeguard their investment against the impact of extreme environmental conditions in Australia and New Zealand.”

Two new wide format printers have helped Fiona and Rod Johns, owners of Minuteman Press in Springvale, Victoria for 20 years, to achieve record monthly sales in May 2022 before completing an acquisition and relocating a kilometre north to their new facility in Mulgrave. 

Epson has thrown its support behind high-end fashion design at Paris Fashion week by using its Monna Lisa ML-8000 direct-to-textile printer to print silk textiles designed by Yuima Nakazato, a leading Japanese fashion designer.