The inaugural Printing United (formerly SGIA Expo) in Dallas, Texas featured more than 680 exhibitors on the sold-out show floor, as well as over 100 educational sessions and industry events.

Entries for the Printing Industry Creativity Awards (PICAs) will open in January with revised categories - "as a result of member feedback, PVCA board oversight and international judging panel insight,” says the Print & Visual Communication Association (PVCA). Five state PICA events will be held in April-May 2020 before the National Print Awards on 31 July.

The new Roland DG Academy training course Profit Through Personalisation features demonstrations and practical group activities, including the creation of personalised samples using Roland DG technology. 

Few companies do open houses and product launches as well as Epson, combining hands-on equipment experiences with fun and entertainment. This week the Japanese piezo inkjet pioneer held its ‘Productivity and Efficiency’ event at Sydney’s chic The Studio in Rosebery, followed by a tour and tastings at Archie Rose’s boutique gin distillery next door.

Fuji Xerox NZ has added accountancy firm EY (formerly Ernst & Young) as a defendant in its case against three former executives over an accounting scandal that saw FXNZ and Fuji Xerox Australia (FXA) overstate revenues by about $A450 million.

Online entries will be open soon for the biennial ASGA/FESPA Australia (formerly SGIAA) Awards of Excellence, to be presented during Visual Impact Gold Coast 2020 in Broadbeach.

A Boston man has been sentenced in US federal court for selling counterfeit $100 bills printed on an inkjet printer. Five inkjet printers, cleaning solution, bleach, counterfeit currency and real currency were found during a search of the man's home.

drupa organiser Messe Düsseldorf GmbH has appointed trade show travel specialists Robert and Roslyn Laing to head up its new office in Sydney as the countdown continues to drupa 2020, the largest print trade show in the world. The Laings most recently ran the German company’s New Zealand office.

Private equity firm Quadrant is acquiring out of home media company QMS in a deal worth $420 million. The agreement is subject to approval from QMS Media shareholders, the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) and the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office (OIO). Meanwhile, The Australian newspaper reported that Quadrant’s plan to buy QMS Media could be "thrown up in the air by rumoured new private equity bids."

Just days after Adelaide sign business Swift Signs went into administration, major creditor the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is pushing ahead with an application in the Federal Court to wind up the company.

Mutoh’s new generation MS41 EcoSolvent ink has been certified for ‘Wallcovering’ - the highest-level category of Greenguard Gold certification possible.

Epson introduced its first desktop dye sublimation printing solution - the 60.9 cm (24”) SureColor F570 - at last week’s Printing United (formerly SGIA Expo) in Dallas, Tx. It's aimed at small businesses wanting to enter textile printing.

Grafityp printable GEF self-adhesive film is suitable for indoor applications and has an outdoor durability of up to 5 years when used with matching non-PVC laminate. Ricky Richards also launched a new display textile made of 100% recycled yarn obtained from plastic bottles.

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell says there’s been an overwhelming public response to the Insolvency Practices Inquiry since it was launched two weeks ago.

Mimaki’s TX300P-1800 MkII printer rolled out last week at Printing United in Texas offers the ability to switch between transfer paper for dye sublimation printing or direct-to-textile printing.

HP has committed $200 million over five or more years to develop sustainable ink technologies for printing digitally on textiles and corrugated packaging. The move builds on HP’s existing innovation in water-based ink technology for the sign and display market.

In what some might see as a defensive move should Fujifilm's desire to take over Xerox not come to fruition, Fuji Xerox today announced its intention to acquire CSG, the $218 million business technology services supplier, who currently has partnerships with Canon and HP. CSG did once offer Fuji Xerox printers and systems and was chaired by former FXA managing director Phil Chambers when it floated in 2007. The company statement follows:

When we received the announcement that Melbourne-based Total Image Supplies had been appointed as a Mutoh dealer, we had to confess scant knowledge of the company. Happening to be in Melbourne this week, we dropped in to find out - and what a pleasant surprise it was.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has issued a safety alert after several accidents in which winch type (wind up) signs - commonly used in schools - have suddenly dropped, causing serious head injuries and hand lacerations. WHS has recommended the winch signs be lowered and removed from service until they've been upgraded with a new interlock offset handle system. The manufacturer, Spaceage Sign Systems of Caloundra, is in the final stages of designing and testing a safety upgrade to the system after a flood of requests from customers.

Adelaide sign business Swift Signs has gone into administration and the first meeting of creditors will be held next week. The move comes months after the company faced a winding up order application by one of its creditors, Ramair Packaging.

The wide format imaging leader is presenting ten new products at his week's Printing United show in Texas that have never been seen before at an SGIA event. Roland DGA (US) will also be hosting an awards ceremony by Keypoint Intelligence and conducting live in-booth vehicle wrap demonstrations.