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Trade shows, both local and international, are excellent ways of garnering information, trends, ideas and sometimes, great deals on equipment. 2025 is kicking off with a hectic schedule for those wanting to travel in the first half.

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 A couple of weeks before PacPrint opens its doors in May is the FESPA Global Print Expo, this time returning to Berlin. Over 500 exhibitors will be present, including 17% who are first-time Fespa exhibitors.

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Since joining forces for packaging print inkjet digital development in 2019, Koenig & Bauer has brought its expertise in high precision sheetfed paper handling, while Durst has added its in-depth knowledge of inkjet. The result is the VariJET 106, which can now be seen at a new customer center in Radebeul, Germany.

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In its New Year address alongside an Integrated Report on 2024 activities, Japan's leading press manufacturer Komori - CEO Satoshi Mochida - says 2024 was a 'rebirth year' as Komori reached 100 years. Looking ahead, the company sees B2 and B1 digital as 25% of its future sales, with inkjet featuring in all three of its digital press offerings.

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The Swiss manufacturer swissQprint is taking its flatbed range to a new level of productivity, precision, and application diversity based off a totally reworked platform. The new models are 23% faster than their predecessors and all come with 10 freely configurable color channels.

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Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and printer/cutters, announced the addition of the TrueVis XP-640, a new 64” eco-solvent inkjet printer that combines high image quality and productivity with its TrueVis series.

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Consistent Colour inspection and assessment is essential for all professional graphic arts, textile and packaging players. For decades, colour inspection booths have relied upon specific and precise D50 or D65 fluorescent tubes from major suppliers such as Just Normlicht, GTI and so forth. Today, fluorescent tubes are gradually being phased out and LED is emerging as the replacement - but is it good enough?

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With the great opportunity presented by the pre-Christmas announcement that TAFEs will provide fee-free Cert 3 courses for signage and graphic arts students, here is a timely assessment by Dr Miro Bada, who apart from being an ER doctor co-founded Peak Protocol to enable ordinary people reach their full potential.

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Xerox Holdings Corporation has announced it has agreed to acquire Lexmark International, Inc., from Ninestar Corporation, PAG Asia Capital, and Shanghai Shouda Investment Centre in a deal valued at USD$1.5 billion, inclusive of assumed liabilities.

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Following on from the September '24 announcement of its new DTF printer, Roland DG in N. America has released its own shaker oven to partner up with the TY-300 for apparel and textile prints, also released this month.

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Sign China 2025 is expanding to Shenzhen, known as China's 'Silicon Valley.' Scheduled for 17th-19th February at Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, Sign China is set to bring the latest innovations in advertising signage and digital signage to the first half of this year. This development marks the evolution of Sign China into a biannual event, with exhibitions held in Shanghai (September) and Shenzhen (February).

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February 24th-27th sees the Hunkeler Innovations Days at Lucerne in Switzerland. This biennial event focuses specifically on paper processing, something that Hunkeler has been exelling at for 100 years. Digital print at its fastest requires precision reel feed and post-print finishing and all the major suppliers join with Hunkeler every 2 years to stage a 'mini exhibition' of the trends and technologies. Several ANZ attendees will be there.

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As the new year dawns, it's worth considering that it is only 4 months until the doors of PacPrint 2025 open in Sydney - incorporating Visual Connections, the Label & Packaging expo and National Print Awards. In December we ran a profile on the larger exhibitors, now Andy McCourt looks into the new entrants and smaller, but equally imprtant, stands.

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Supercar wraps are the glamour side of signage and HVG recently supplied Ritrama vinyl for this Boost Mobile-sponsored Nissan GT-R model, soon to be screaming around the tracks!

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Mutoh's first entry into Print & Cut devices - the XpertJet C641SR Pro - has landed at its Sydney showroom, with the first bulk shipment due in January. Further demo models will be installed nationally at Mutoh dealer sites as expectations are high for this 60cm printwidth affordable 'pocket rocket.'

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Williams Lea has a print history spanning over 200 years when it began as a financial printer in the City of London. The acquiring company, RR Donnelley (RRD) was once the world's largest printer and is still a major force but was broken up into 3 companies in 2016, and acquired by Chatham Private Equity in 2021.

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Sign China comes in two iterations, Shanghai and Shenzhen, with Shenzhen expo taking place from 17th to 19th February 2025. The Shenzhen event tends more towards digital and electronic signage and is held alongside LED China and Digital Signage China. ASGA's Mick Harrold and Damien Nielsen will be there to provide support to Australian visitors.

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Diverse industry supplier Smartech Business Systems has delivered a Christmas present to PacPrint by sigining up for a 108 square metre stand in the Dome hall of the expo. The show is steadily filling with 5 months to go an an assured flurry of bookings in early 2025.

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 A sobering fact as we near the end of 2024. The government's own mid-year data predicts our national debt will hit AUD$1 Trillion in 2025 or '26. That's from next year, and it has progressively worsened under both Labor and Coalition governments. As 65% of developed economies worldwide are reducing* their debt, Australia under the present government is spending like drunken sailors. All of us, especially small businesses, will suffer.

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In a huge boost for aspiring sign and graphics apprentices in South Australia, Queensland and NSW, the Certificate III in Sign & Graphics (CPC30216) TAFE training for sign and graphics apprentices will be fee-free from 2025.

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Two of Epson’s production facilities, Epson Precision Philippines (EPPI) and Epson Precision Malaysia (EPMY), have achieved Platinum Recognition under the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) Validated Assessment Program (VAP), based on audits conducted by RBA-approved, independent third-party firms.