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Articles by Wayne Robinson
Graphic Art Mart claims ASGA Punchie
The 2026 Australian Sign & Graphics Association (ASGA) National Golf Series has wrapped up in what ASGA said was ‘spectacular’ fashion, with four successful events held across the country. Taking place in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria, this year’s events brought together hundreds of signage industry professionals for some friendly competition, networking and plenty of laughs.
Riso launches ComColor GN inkjet printers
Riso has launched the ComColor GN series of high-speed, full-colour, inkjet printers, designed for printing documents, manuals, and envelope mailings. Combining heatless, oil-based pigment ink technology with production capabilities, the series aims to improve productivity without, says Riso, compromising quality or sustainability. The flagship ComColor GN9830 delivers a simplex print speed of up to 180 pages per minute, with the GN7630 running at 160 ppm.
Ball & Doggett produces Bright White Album
Ball & Doggett has launched The Bright White Album, a limited-edition self-adhesive swatch, inspired by one of the most influential records and packaging designs ever created. Created to celebrate more than a decade of Bright White Felt in Australia, The Bright White Album showcases the complete Bright White Felt family, through four distinct constructions, united by the same felt finish.
Exhibitors from 38 countries sign for drupa
Exhibitors from 38 countries have already signed up for the next drupa, with 18 months to go before the world’s biggest print expo opens its doors. Alongside Germany, a substantial number of companies from major print and packaging markets, including China, Italy, India, Spain and Japan, will be represented. Major industry players that will be at drupa include Comexi, Esko, Fujifilm, Heideberg, Horizon, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Leonhard Kurz, UPG, and Windmöller & Hölscher.
Ricoh to double inkjet head production
Ricoh will begin construction of a new 39,000sqm inkjet head manufacturing facility in Japan next month, which will more than double its current production capacity. According to Ricoh the facility will combine its ‘ultra-precision manufacturing expertise’ with automation, AI and digital technologies to ‘improve productivity, product quality and supply reliability’.
HP looks to F1 for brand protection
HP used its graphics on the Scuderia Ferrari which raced in the United States Grand Prix in Texas to look at anti-counterfeit brand protection for labels and packaging. According to HP the work in creating the livery for the race car could inform future applications beyond motorsport, including packaging, commercial printing and brand protection. It said the testing new combinations of primers, inks and wrapping materials could also support future customer development projects.
Heidelberg looks to AI and robotics at Shift
Some 300 print people gathered at Shift, the international summit hosted by Heidelberg, on print process digitisation and hybrid print production. Shift discussed the future of the industry through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), software solutions, automation, and robotics. Real-world examples demonstrated the potential of comprehensive digitisation and data-driven system integration for ensuring the future viability of print shops.
VMG’S LOUISE PATON VOTED FESPA LEADER
Louise Paton from VMG in Brisbane has been voted by her peers in the Future Leaders Program to be the 2026 Fespa Leader. Paton has been with VMG for the past ten years, which prints industrial, electrical, and promotional print solutions. She wins a trip to Fespa Global print show in Munich next year.
ENGELHARDT NEW EDITOR AT PRINT21
Print21 has welcomed Liliana Engelhardt as its new Editor, bringing 15 years of magazine publishing experience, and a fresh perspective, to Australia and New Zealand’s leading print industry publication. Engelhardt has already started work, joining the team as Print21 moves into an exciting new chapter, following the Visual Media Association (VMA) taking back operational management of the masthead in August.
Ball & Doggett appoints Sales Manager
Renée Kruit is the new Sales Manager for sign, display and digital in Queensland for Ball & Doggett. She has 20 years of experience in the graphics, signage and visual communications industry.
From CMYK to careers: Women explore print
Women exploring careers in print have moved from the classroom to the press, producing their own business cards in the third session of the Women in Manufacturing pre-apprenticeship program.
Canon expands imagePrograf TM series
Canon Australia has expanded its imagePrograf TM Series with eight new TM Series large-format printer models featuring five-colour pigment ink. New to the market are the imagePrograf TM-500, TM-510, TM-515, TM-600, TM-610 and TM-615, as well as the first multifunction printer models in the series, the imagePrograf TM-510M (24-inch) and TM-610M (36-inch), both equipped with new built-in large-format scanners.
Print & Prosecco events return
Women in Print is running its Print & Prosecco networking evenings in five states from October to February. The events provide opportunities for women in print, signage, graphics, packaging and related industries to build and nurture their networks and professional relationships. Stephanie Gaddin, Chair of Women in Print Australia, said Print & Prosecco is about bringing people together in a relaxed environment.
OPAL LOOKS TO BIO-GAS FOR MARYVALE
Opal Australia’s Maryvale Mill is looking at using renewable bio-energy to power its production, following an innovative feasibility study it has just carried out. Partnering with Delorean Corp, an Australian bioenergy company, the feasibility study confirmed the possibility of constructing a large scale anaerobic digestion facility, which would use other organic residues, and potentially bi-products from paper manufacturing, and convert it into renewable bio-gas.
Worldwide places #2 in Topfranchise Awards
Print franchise group Worldwide has taken the number 1 ranking for Brand, Innovation, Marketing and Support in the 2026 Topfranchise Awards, while ranking second overall. The national design and print franchise network placed first in four of the six individual award categories, as well as third in Passion and fifth in Lifestyle.
Kodak making sustainability progress
Kodak has released its 2025 Sustainability Report, outlining its continued progress across its environmental, social and governance priorities. The company says it is continuing to advance sustainable print solutions including Kodak Sonora Process Free Plates, Kodak Prosper digital printing technology, water-based inks, and Kodak Prinergy workflow, which it says are helping print customers reduce waste, improve efficiency and support more sustainable production.
EPM goes into liquidation
Sunshine Coast based EPM Print Group has been placed into liquidation by its shareholders, four years after they bought the business. The company pulled the pin on Tuesday, entering creditors voluntary liquidation, which essentially means the shareholders recognised it was insolvent. Owner and director Scott Lenhoff told the liquidator that the company’s liabilities meant it could not continue its business, and that the company should be wound up.
Gallus transitions leadership team
Label press manufacturer Gallus has a new interim CEO, as the current incumbent new becomes the new president of the company’s board. Effective 1 November, Dario Urbinati will transition from his role as CEO of Gallus Group and join the board of directors of Gallus Ferd Rüesch AG, before assuming the role of president of the board on 1 January. Michael Bsirske, current Gallus Group chief financial officer, and key member of the Gallus leadership team, will serve as interim CEO of Gallus Group.
PacPrint In Action launched to show applications
Industry suppliers’ association Visual Connections is producing a new trade event next year, PacPrint in Action, which will focus on applications and outcomes. The inaugural PacPrint in Action will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on the first two days in September. It will run alongside the first Connect Conference to be held in Melbourne, which aims to build on the Sydney Connect Conference, which ran in September.
Heckenberg in OzHarvest 2026 CEO CookOff
Epson Australia managing director Craig Heckenberg is swapping the office for the kitchen, to help raise vital funds for Australians experiencing food insecurity. Taking place over the next two months, the CEO CookOff brings together business leaders, leading chefs and corporate teams across Australia to cook, connect and raise funds, to help OzHarvest provide meals to people in need.
Print21 adds to history of Australian Museum of Print
Print21, the industry’s journal of record, has gifted the Australian Museum of Print 18 bound volumes covering the history of the first two decades of the Australian, New Zealand and international printing in the 21st century. The red-bound volumes of Print21 came most recently from Yaffa Media in Surrey Hills, erstwhile publishers of the industry association magazine for the past nine years, with current editor, Wayne Robinson.
Change at the top for HH Global
Print procurement giant HH Global has re-appointed Mike Perez as Group CEO; he served his first stint in the role between 2001 and 2003. HH Global has a major presence in Australia. Perez take the top role again after having spent three years on the board as a non-executive director. Perez has been with HH Global for the past decade and a half.
Aussie wrapper wins Hexis global comp
Mia Saker from Blurred, Melbourne, has been crowned the inaugural Hexis PPF World Series car wrapping champion, at a global competition in company’s the French headquarters. Saker, who remarkably is just in the second year of her apprenticeship at Blurred, took the crown, and the €10,000 prize for first place, after outshining the other 35 finalists who came from all over the world, in the two-day event.
ATO doubles down on card ban
The ATO is refusing to back down on its decision to stop receiving tax payments by credit and debit cards, causing uproar in the business community. Print business owners are among those unhappy with the government for allowing the ATO to refuse credit card payments from the end of next month. Card payments can help ease cashflow for hard pressed businesses, particularly where their customers have been slow to pay.
National Print Awards winners tour UK
A delegation of National Print Awards winners has just toured the UK, gaining insight from leading progressive print businesses, in a trip hosted by the Visual Media Association. The international program is set to continue next year, as National Print Awards Major Award winners will compete for an all-expenses-paid industry tour to Tokyo, Japan.
Konica Minolta unveils new mid-level press
Konica Minolta has launched the new AccurioPress C5080 series, which it says is a highly automated, easy-to-adopt digital colour print system. Printing at speeds of up to 81 pages per minute, Konica Minolta says the AccurioPress C5080 is designed to reduce operational complexity, improve consistency, and deliver faster time-to-value. The company says the series gives Australian print service providers ‘a practical pathway to expand their digital capability with confidence’.
Screen and Horizon team up at Smart Factory
Screen Graphic Solutions will take part in ‘Horizon Smart Factory 2026,’ to be hosted by paper finishing leader, Horizon, at its Innovation Park, Takashima City, Japan. The three-day event is open to international visitors, and will focus on a theme of ‘Coexistence: the automated future’, highlighting the opportunity for human and AI partnership.
Possehl takes full control of ManRoland Goss
The German-based Possehl Group, an internationally active, diversified industrial conglomerate, is acquiring the remaining shares in ManRoland Goss Web Systems.
Orangebox global winner at Fujifilm Innovation
Orangebox, the integrated communications company with offices in Auckland and Wellington, is the global winner of the Direct Mail category at Fujifilm Business Innovation’s Innovation Print Awards 2026. The company’s winning entry was produced for Unicef Aotearoa’s end-of-year fundraising appeal, Wrapped in Hope. The campaign’s purpose was to drive donor donations during the crucial end-of-year festive giving season, using direct mail to connect supporters with Unicef’s work.
Vale Matt Mimmo - Print21
Matt Mimmo, founder of innovative carton print business AMR Hewitts, has passed away, leaving this world peacefully, surrounded by his wife, Rose, and his family. Mimmo’s story is deeply woven into the story of packaging operation AMR Hewitts. From humble beginnings, he built the business with vision, determination and an unwavering commitment to its success, creating the foundations on which the company continues to grow today.
Peacock expands into new 8000sqm facility
Peacock Group is expanding its Victorian operations, with a new 8000 sqm Dandenong South purpose-built facility set to bring its Peacock Bros. and insignia operations together. The new site will increase the company’s combined warehouse and production footprint by approximately 66 per cent, and provide approximately 56 per cent more production space.
Xerox launching inkjet and toner presses
Xerox, which is widely expected to re-enter the ANZ market next year, is launching two new inkjet presses, and a successor to its six-colour Iridesse toner press. The company says it is deepening its commitment to production print with an inkjet portfolio spanning cut-sheet and continuous-feed, alongside its new six-colour flagship press for graphic arts.
McCool officially appointed WiP Patron Qld
Calli McCool, national sales manager at MMT Print, has had her appointment as Patron of Women in Print Queensland officially validated by members, in a Special General Meeting. She will host her first Brisbane Print & Prosecco next Thursday, 8 October, kicking off Women in Print’s 2026 Print & Prosecco series. She will also host the Brisbane Leadership Dinner on 29 October, as part of the Executive Leadership program taking place in Brisbane at the end of October.
Resurrected print title wins top honour
Catholic Life magazine, which came back into print existence last year after a five year hiatus, has taken out two honours at the Church’s annual awards. The quarterly magazine, which had been running since the end of the second world war, ceased printing in 2020, but came back to life last year, and is now published every three months. It prints 56pp perfect bound, printed CMYK throughout, with a 250gsm gloss cover, while the body stock is 120gsm supreme uncoated FSC mix.
VI: Stick-on-Signs stick on slick
Local industry supplier Stick-on-Signs was highlighting the Nekoosa RTape Conform, the original application tape with RLA Release Liner Adhesion. Abe Weiszberger, managing director of Stick-on-Signs said, “With RLA, RTape Conform sticks to slick release liners, so tapes do not dog ear and stick together.” The company was also showing the Nekoosa wall graphic films including Augusta, a 6mm embossed matte white microsphere, removable semi-rigid textured, film for short-term graphics.
VI Workflowz: Next level automantion
Workflowz introduced ANZ print people to the Enfocus Griffin+ an upgraded automation tool for nesting for wide-format and signage workflows. Supporting up to 500 unique products per job, compared with the original Griffin’s 100, Workflowz says the new software is engineered for diverse signage production, where efficiency and adaptability are critical.
VMA launches MAKE: reconnecting creative with print
The Visual Media Association (VMA) today announced the launch of MAKE, a new industry-led initiative bringing leading Australian creatives directly into the modern print environment. MAKE will enable them to explore technology, materials and production capability and build stronger connections between the creative community and Australia’s print industry.
VMA calls for next Markers for Inkers
The Visual Media Association (VMA) is calling on emerging talent across Australia’s print and visual media industries to join The Inkers, Make Your Mark, take part in the program’s national survey, and put their hand up to become the next generation of Markers. The Inkers is the VMA’s nationally co-ordinated emerging talent program, created to connect, develop and give greater visibility to early-career professionals across print, packaging, publishing, signage, media and manufacturing.
EFI AND AGFA DPS TO MERGE
Major inkjet sign and display technology developers EFI and Agfa DPS are merging, to create an $875m joint venture global business. Under the terms of the deal, expected to be completed by the end of the year, EFI’s parent company Siris will have a 60 per cent stake, with Agfa DPS holding 40 per cent. However, governance of the new business will be 50/50.
Easy Signs now offering biodegradeable fabric
Easy Signs claims it has become the first Australian print and signage company to introduce the CiCLO biodegradable fabric technology into its product range. The award-winning online signage and print manufacturer is starting with the Stretch Fabric Media Walls, the first product in what Easy Signs describes as a growing CiCLO range, with fabric banners, table throws and crowd control barriers already in development.
ECO3 launches Apogee IQ for printshop integration
ECO3 is launching a new version of its Apogee automated prepress workflow platform, Apogee IQ,which expands the system into full print operation integration; connecting business systems, shop floor equipment, and production data, all into one environment. According to ECO3 it reflects its commitment to building a future-proof platform for print businesses.
VI: Graphic Art Mart shows one-stop shop
Print hardware was a focal point on the Graphic Art Mart stand at Visual Impact, with an HP R530, and HP730W and a Summa F Series Vantage 1625 all on the booth. The company also supplies Roland DG and Mimaki print solutions, with the Mimaki UJ330H-160 and Roland DG TrueVIS VG4-640 on the stand.
Agfa releases new entry level Jeti Tauro
Agfa has introduced the Jeti Tauro H3300 HS, a hybrid wide-format press positioned as the entry point to the Jeti Tauro family. Then company say it has been launched to enable sign and display printers struggling with tighter margins and workforce gaps to have a clearer route into high-performance digital production. Positioned as the entry point to the Jeti Tauro family, the H3300 HS is built on the same platform, ink system and service infrastructure as other Tauro presses.
Inkers year 2 to build stronger pathway
The Inkers is moving into its second year with a twelve-month mentoring program, building on a successful inaugural year, and creating a structured national development pathway for emerging talent across paper, print, packaging, signage and visual media. The Visual Media Association (VMA) is launching the next evolution of The Inkers – Make Your Mark, with the successful emerging talent initiative moving into Year Two through a new twelve-month mentoring and professional development program.
VI: Ball & Doggett understanding challenges
The country’s biggest printable materials supplier Ball & Doggett used its stand at Visual Impact to show visitors that it understood their challenges in sign and display, and had solutions. It was highlighting its consumables from Metamark, Avery Dennison and Yupo, and on the hardware side its HP, Mimaki and Roland DG print systems, and its iEcho cutter, as well as its lasers and routers.
Balbontin returns to Fespa conference
Former Fespa Australia conference keynote speaker Gus Balbontin will be back at this year’s event, but this time to run a live innovation workshop on the problems the industry faces. Balbontin, former executive director and CTO of Lonely Planet, is the headline speaker for its 2026 Conference. He returns two years after a keynote that, by the association’s account, is still being quoted.
Epson launches Direct-to-Shape Contourjet
Epson is launching Contourjet, a new brand for its Direct-To-Shape printing system, which will combine Epson’s proprietary inkjet and robotics technologies. Epson says it will provide a total solution under the Contourjet brand. The solution encompasses ‘enhanced’ system performance, as well as inks, related software, implementation support, and maintenance services.
Cracking Asga Golf Day in Queensland
More than 100 print people from across Queensland’s sign and print industry came together at Nudgee Golf Club for the 2026 Asga Queensland Sign & Print Golf Day.
VI: Celmac maximising efficiencies
Celmac was showing a combined the HP R530 latex flatbed printing platform with an auto load/unload systems from Neolt Automation, which it said provides virtually unattended, uninterrupted, high-volume printing. It was shown with a 3m x 1.5m extension table, and printing both full size sheets, and triple up jobs spanning the length of the extension.
IVE ENTERS DIGITAL OUT-OF-HOME MARKET
Diversified marketing services business IVE, which is the country’s biggest print business, is making a strategic move, with the acquisition of digital outdoor media owner Motio. The $20.7m acquisition gives IVE a strategic targeted extension to its core capabilities, and is line with its 2030 plan of expanding into adjacent opportunities.
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