Tray sealing machines, high speed friction feeders, carton machines, high speed bagging equipment and x-ray machines and palletisers are just some of the things that will be showcased at Auspack Plus 2013 from May 7-10 while MPI Australia, Esko Australia and Paksmart Machinery are the latest round of exhibitors that will be bringing their products together under one roof at the Sydney Showground in Homebush.

Registrations are now open for Label Summit Latin America 2013 which will address the key issues facing the region’s label and package printing converters and will be held at the Hotel Transamérica in Sao Paulo, Brazil from May 14-15.

Australia’s biggest sheetfed printing business is on the brink, with new owners KKR p/e calling in the administrators and receivers to Geon yesterday.

Readers of New Zealand Printer, the only magazine that delivers content dedicated to Kiwi printers, packagers and signmakers, can now access the February issue in an online version for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

One of Melbourne’s most renowned printers Vega Press is today in receivership, with KPMG now seeking a buyer for the 53-year-old business.

PacPrint exhibitors were told they have contributed to more than 90 per cent of the available space already being sold, at exhibitors briefings in Melbourne and Sydney this week.

Auckland-based Soar Printing has once again placed the environment ahead of profits by joining the campaign to save our kauri forests, becoming a sponsor of the Kauri Dieback Management Programme.

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) looks likely reconvene a meeting of its Industry Advisory Group (IAG) in late April, hoping to obtain a good response from the industry.

Among its innovations at the Hunkeler Innovationdays trade fair in Lucerne, Müller Martini produced three different print products live and without interruption using a Presto II Digital saddle stitcher.

Finishing specialist Polar has begun to see Asia an increasingly important market, along similar lines to its partner Heidelberg with both companies establishing manufacturing in China.

One of the biggest arguments for digital print over its offset equivalents is that digital print can be produced on demand in exceedingly short runs. This saves waste and improves the economics of what makes for cost effective printing.

The Currie Group's mobile showroom rolls into Auckland's ASB Showgrounds today, marking the start of a month long nationwide tour, highlighting the company's HP Indigo digital print and Horizon finishing solutions.

An announcement from Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia, that the government will introduce plain packaging with health warnings for all tobacco products, comes with a caveat of litigation.

The Packaging Council of Australia has made preparations for its forthcoming meetings with key opposition shadow ministers as well as government, to examine policies that will affect the industry after the election.

Packaging giant Amcor has achieved record profits, up by a very decent 5.7 per cent to $322m for the six months to Dec 31, 2012.

APN News & Media is in chaos after major shareholders Independent News Media and Allan Gray forced out chairman Peter Hunt, CEO Brett Chenowith and three independent directors.

The closure and sale of the two main Fairfax print sites is expected to raise some $90m for the media group.

Tough times in the printing industry have claimed another industry scalp, with NSW print service and engineering business Plunkett and Johnson in voluntary administration.

Wide format solutions developer Rol;and DG is the latest high profile exhibitor to pull out of Ipex next year, and the first from the big print sector.

PrintNZ has named the 12 semi-finalists selected for the 2012 Apprentice of the Year Award, and chosen from all who completed their apprenticeship in 2012,  representing a broad range of businesses from across the country.