As a new era of austerity unrolls, many businesses will see their marketing budget as an easy target for cost cutting. More fool them. Unless those printers have a magic wand that guarantees their existing customer base will sustain its business volume and order values (while also paying invoices on time) they will need new customers, fast.

A new brochure and technical guide has been launched by Antalis Printall to highlight its large format digital media and finishing products.

Avery Dennison has released a reference resource for its entire Avery Graphics range of self-adhesive films and ancillary products. Two new film and colour selector swatches have also been launched.

Large format lamination specialist, Print Finishing Solutions (PFS), introduces a new website and logo as it celebrates ten years in business.

Italian on-line digital print specialist, pixart.it, has launched its web2print-based on demand digital printing service to the UK. The service, which is initially targeted at the graphic arts and digital imaging sectors, offers commercial printers a portfolio of digital print products to complement their own in-house services.

Roland DG (UK) is pleased to announce Tim Eaves of Tim Eaves Signs as the winner of its VersaArt RS-640 competition, which came to a close during Viscom Italia 2008. Valued at £12,000, the VersaArt RS-640 will join a Roland VersaCAMM SP- 300 30in integrated printer/cutter already installed at the company.

Companies and brand owners using ultra-violet (UV) invisible ink to protect their products against counterfeiting could be threatened by the widespread, illegitimate availability of the technology, according to Sun Chemical. This has led to the emergence of a new generation of infra red (IR) security inks and coatings, such as SunGuard Apollo, which uses specialist pigments from a secure supply chain to offer a combination of security features.

Quality paper and print technology ensure UniversalPoster.com's person­al­ised celebrity posters look and feel convincing.

Environmental research initiative, Verdigris, is encouraging printing industry professionals to find out more about green issues using its library of articles, news and reference links, now available on-line.

With hands on training from a crew of professional fitters, Victory Design's vehicle wrap training course is led by a team who regularly fit national fleet vehicles and are approved by leading vinyl manufacturers.

WHAT DO we mean by substrate? The substrate is the surface onto which you can apply a printed image. Some people call it material and others media. To your average general printer substrate is paper or board and the main differentiator is whether the finish is gloss or matte. To a screen printer a substrate is virtually any stable material that can be supported and make contact with the print side of a stencil. As screen printing breaks into more industrial applications, so the range of exotic substrates increases. The substrate can be horizontal, vertical or any angle in between. In reality 99 per cent of all print surfaces are horizontal. It is generally in some forms of container decoration that vertical printing is used. However, there is a UK-based specialist who can screen print onto walls and other vertical surfaces.

ONE OF the most common forms of outdoor advertising is the billboard: a concept which remains a popular way of attracting attention. However, it is people with ever more ingenious ideas who stand to gain the most from the superwide format market.

Vista System International has launched an improved system of suspended signs that are claimed to be light, easy to install and low cost.

Vivid states the main advantage of its new Matrix 530 laminator, compared with other single-sided models, is the £8,000 price tag for a system that laminates at up to 10m per minute.

Graphic Printing Technologies has added Mimaki's UJV-160 to its portfolio. The new printer can print onto PVC and vinyl media and is designed for display, outdoor signage and vehicle-wrapping applications.

Rose Plastic's VarioPack VPN and VP poster tubes feature an innovative slide, twist and lock mechanism for variable length adjustment. VPN features a silver rope for easy handling and a name plate for personalisation. Known as the traveller's tube, VarioPack VP is a premium product featuring an adjustable shoulder strap and screw cap. Both products are manufactured from durable, fully recyclable plastic.

WHEN TRADING is difficult, some accountants will look at expenditure and cut back on the very things the company really needs: training, marketing and association membership etc. These are soft targets but cancelling them can quickly become an own goal. Training helps companies perform more efficiently with reduced wastage and improved quality. Marketing helps the company stands out from the crowd. Trade Associations, that's an easy saving of £1 a day: equivalent to 40mm of squeegee or 10cc of digital printing ink. At this point the accountant has swiftly severed his nose from his face.