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I've been watching the events unfold between HP,  Xerox and Fujifilm/Fuji Xerox and there can be no doubt that a major realignment of our industry's digital supply chains is going to happen, it's just a matter of when. HP's latest letter to Xerox was short and to the point. Only 'No way' would have been briefer. Using this as an example, here's a short digest of the status quo, with a little op-ed.

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The Print & Visual Communication Association (PVCA) has launched a Bushfires information portal and is working with several members whose businesses have been directly affected by the 2019/2020 bushfires that have burned 10.7 million hectares across the country.

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Fire stories of tragedy and survival - and no small amount of ingenuity - are starting to come in. Mutoh Australia's Russell Cavenagh reached out directly to customers at ground zero now that a little respite is in the air.

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As first reported on wideformatonline.com last week, several industry suppliers have put forward aid packages for sign businesses affected by bushfires in NSW, Victoria, SA and now WA. Trade association Visual Connections has now established a central hub for support from both private and government sources, making it easier for affected sign shops to gain fast and much needed assistance.

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EFI has named inkjet guru Dr. Douglas Edwards as its new chief technology officer (CTO), replacing longtime technology head Ghilad Dziesietnik, who recently retired.

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Roland DG users can expect service runs in affected regions as soon as it is safe to do so.

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Geoff Richards, owner of Bay Signs in Batemans Bay, says he’s “just surviving” after devastating bushfires tore through the South Coast NSW area in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

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The scale and impact of the horrendous bushfires has yet to be calculated but it is clear that it is a humanitarian as well as economic disaster. Industry supplier and trade sign printer Jetmark has wasted no time in stepping up and offering practical support in a $35,000 package as detailed below. If you are an Australian sign business directly affected by the fires and need a little help, don't hesitate to contact any of the support organisations, including this publication and Jetmark.

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The Disaster Recovery Payment (DRP) is a one-off, non-means tested payment of $1000 for eligible adults and $400 for eligible children who’ve been adversely affected by the bushfires.

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Japan's Fujifilm Holdings has announced that subsidiary Fuji Xerox will terminate its sales partnership with Xerox and rebrand under a new name, tentatively Fujifilm Business Innovation, effective April 2021. Fuji Xerox affiliates outside Japan will also change their names on April 1, 2021, but their new names will be announced at a later date. Fujifilm also outlined a new focus on technologies related to the cloud, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.

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In response to the bushfire crisis, the Fair Work Ombudsman has issued a reminder notice about employment conditions during natural disasters and emergencies. “An employee may have entitlements…when they’re unable to attend work due to an emergency or natural disaster,” says the FWO. Free legal help is now available for Victorian bushfire victims, and Service NSW is helping with the replacement of critical identity and business documents.

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May we take this opportunity to wish all our readers and sponsors the Compliments of the Season and a Happy and Properous New Year - 2020! If your sign business has been affected by the bushfires, like these ones of the NSW South Coast, we have set up a WFOL help service. Let us know how we can help and we'll put the word out to suppliers and other signees and 'go into bat' for you. It could be a loan machine, trade work to keep you going, urgent supplies, service, cheap used/demo equipment, a loan vehicle, lobbying insurance companies - anything. We can't promise results but promise you we will do our level best.

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Xerox and major investor Carl Icahn are preparing to nominate a full board of HP directors as they try to force HP management to reconsider the $33.5 billion Xerox acquisition bid, according to new speculation on Wall Street.

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New Zealand’s premier printing industry awards event has revamped its entry categories for Pride In Print 2020, with a total of 11 awards now included in an expanded Sign and Display section and a boost in the Structural Design Packaging and Labels categories.

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EasyCut has released Easy Cut Studio version 5, the latest update to the company’s sign-making, vinyl cutting software that features more cutter support and 64-bit compatibility. EasyCut works with a range of vinyl cutters including Roland, Mutoh and Summa devices. Existing users of Easy Cut Studio 4 can be upgraded to Easy Cut Studio 5 for free.

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“The unrest of not knowing what’s going to happen from one day to the next is unnerving and there’s uncertainty around because people are in shock,” Geoff Richards, owner of Bay Signs in Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast, told Wide Format Online. “Local people are doing their best to prop up the morale of the villages and towns but some people have had their livelihoods taken from under their feet with this devastation.” 
 - 23 Dec, 2019

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Aaron Baker, managing director of Perth print and signage business Bomb Visual, says he knew he needed help when a recent colour problem began wasting an increasing amount of ink and vinyl.

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Total Image Supplies, based in Melbourne but supplying nationwide, has proved to be the ideal supply partner for Darwin digital print shop Eprint – recently sending an Ideal 6655 guillotine up to the Territory’s capital.

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WA printer Scott Print has achieved an Australian/NZ-industry first by attaining Mellow Colour Proficient Printer certified for ISO 12647-2:2013 (including ISO 12647-8:2012) for all of its colour production, offset and digital.

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The global large format printer market decreased slightly in the third quarter of 2019 with shipments down by about 0.5% compared to the previous quarter, according to the International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Large Format Printer Tracker. HP continues to dominate the wide format market, while Epson is "a leader in the low-end of the aqueous inkjet market, in the dye-sublimation segment, and increasingly in the eco-solvent market."

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Screen has extended its reach into flexible pouch production with its Truepress Jet L350UV+LM (low-migration ink) used for food safe short-run stand-up pouches. The first installation is to UK label printer Hine Labels, which was already using the Screen press for labels.