Cary Sherburne is a well-known author, journalist and marketing consultant whose practice is focused on marketing communications strategies for the printing and publishing industries.
Cary Sherburne is available for speaking engagements and consulting projects. To get more information contact us.
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Displaying 1-99 of 2200 articles
Published March 26, 2024
Gelato, a global platform for local on-demand production, is announcing the next level of integration for its platform, which has producers located in 32 countries around the globe, offering a seamless connection between creatives and producers, all the way through shipping and logistics. CEO Henrik Muller-Hansen explains how Gelato Connect works and the value proposition for all stakeholders.
Published March 25, 2024
There is no argument that the textiles and fashion industries are key contributors to global warming and pollution of our planet. In this article, we explain why textile-to-textile recycling can help build a more circular fashion industry, including the challenges and opportunities involved in getting it to scale.
Published March 14, 2024
In several previous iterations of FESPA, Debbie McKeegan coordinated a Print/Make/Wear event to demonstrate the value of digital textile printing. This year, the event has been renamed Personalize/Make/Wear and will consist of two Smart Factory workflows: direct to garment and direct to fabric. She discusses how the event will work and the partners she is working with.
Published March 11, 2024
A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate is designed to “establish a regional trade, investment, and people-to-people partnership of countries in the Western Hemisphere to stimulate growth and integration through viable long-term private sector development,” according to an article published in The Sourcing Journal. Perhaps its unique incentive-based approach, rather than the penalty-oriented regulatory compliance approach more often used in these types of legislation, will encourage brands and retailers to jump on board faster. This article outlines key elements of the bill, including both challenges and opportunities in terms of getting it signed into law and implemented.
Published March 5, 2024
After working outside the industry for some time, Filip Buyse is back as Managing Director of Venture 10, an M&A company focused on the printing and packaging industries. In this interview, he talks about how his company helps both buyers and sellers reach agreement that enables them to close the deal. He also talks about what companies should be doing to prepare to sell.
Published February 26, 2024
Michael Reiher, president of Good2Go Software, founded Good2Go in 2019 with a vision to fill a significant gap in the printing software market: workflow solutions for smaller companies. GoodToGo has now added AI-Supported Order Pilot to its SaaS application, automating order entry and preflight tasks among others, making Customer Service Reps and prepress departments more efficient, especially for orders submitted by email, and minimizing the risk of orders getting lost in a deluge of incoming emails.
Published February 19, 2024
Rick Bellamy, formerly of RPI in Seattle, has established a new consulting business. Inflecton LLC is focused on helping companies in the printing and packaging industries manage three key challenges: how to drive their businesses toward increased sustainability and prepare for compliance with the many regulatory changes that will affect their businesses, how best to weave artificial intelligence into their operations, and how to better engage the workforce.
Published February 12, 2024
There has been much discussion about the damage caused by microplastic shedding during washing of synthetic fabrics. Much of the focus has been on trying to trap these microfibers prior to their entering our waterways. But now promising research out of the University of Toronto offers a potential alternative to prevent, or at least mitigate, shedding in the first place.
Published February 12, 2024
In this interview with Professor Kevin Golovin, he explains the origin and results to date of landmark research on a coating that prevents more than 90% of microplastic shedding in the laundering process and its future potential as an oil repellant.
Published February 8, 2024
Cary Sherburne looks at the environmental hazards of glitter, the movements afoot to ban it, and sustainable alternatives that offer all the fun of glitter without the environmental downsides.
Published February 8, 2024
It’s likely that in implementations by suppliers to the industry is where artificial intelligence (AI) will first show up in your business. Cary Sherburne spoke with a couple of industry executives from companies that are suppliers to the industry to understand what, if anything, they are doing or thinking about with respect to AI.
Published February 7, 2024
Cary Sherburne explores how Walker360 completely restructured its production platform—and realized exponential productivity gains.
Published February 6, 2024
Cary Sherburne looks at Mimaki’s Neo Chromato Process, a pilot project that removes ink dye-sublimated onto textiles, and a project underway in India that uses an aerogel adsorbent modified with graphene to remove trace pollutants from wastewater.
Published January 25, 2024
Matthew is new to SGS & Co, but certainly not to the industry. He explains to Cary Sherburne all the connections that made taking on this new role an excellent opportunity. He talks about their role as an intermediary between brands/retailers and printers/packaging converters, how technology is changing the rules, and why he was excited to learn that SGS & Co was already using AI. And much, much, more. This is a not-to-miss interview!
Published January 22, 2024
Did you know that most of what you buy online and ship back as a return ends up in the landfill? It’s too expensive for most companies or their reverse logistics operators to put them back up for sale, so they just ship them off to the landfill. In this space, we have written a great deal about the evil effects of Fast Fashion, and this is just another one. I hope after reading this article, you will take a serious look at your buying habits. The truth is, we as consumers hold the power. If we stop buying Fast Fashion, and if we discontinue the detrimental practice of bracketing shopping, we can make a huge difference. Don’t know what bracketing shopping is or if you are guilty of it? Read on!
Published January 15, 2024
You are probably hearing a great deal about Davos in the media these days. This follows last year’s COP28 session, another gathering of world leaders and influencers discussing topics critical to pretty much everyone on the planet. In this article, we explain what “Davos” is and why it’s important. Full Disclosure: Google Bard helped me write this article.
Published January 15, 2024
In 2024 and beyond, there will be increased focus on organizational agility and sustainability. Teuta Oruci, Founder and CEO of CleanTech360, is helping organizations around the globe establish and execute against goals in order to remain competitive in an increasingly accelerated business environment. Hear what she has to say about why this is important, as well as her comments about COP28, which she attended, and this week's Davos summit.
Published January 8, 2024
A look ahead to 2024 likely includes an even hotter year than 2023, which was a record breaker. Sustainability goals and efforts will increasingly be in the crosshairs—government agencies, industry watchdogs, brand owners, and consumers all are looking to drive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, plastic waste and more, supporting companies that have sustainability as a key business driver. Printing and packaging companies who aggressively pursue reduction in their own environmental footprint, and work closely with customers to help them calculate theirs, will have a competitive advantage in 2024 and beyond.
Published January 8, 2024
Jeff Bittner, owner of the Wood Dale Alphagraphics, is an enthusiastic owner who has had record performance seven out of the last eight years (as you can imagine, 2020 was the year that was left out). In this interview, he discussed his philosophy for running the business and why he believes belonging to a franchise network offers significant benefits for owners.
Published December 14, 2023
On-demand production has transformed many industries, although it has been slower to gain traction in textiles and apparel. Today, though, there are fewer barriers, the biggest being the mindsets and business models of brands and retailers. Cary Sherburne looks at some companies who are on the cutting-edge of on-demand textile production.
Published December 14, 2023
Direct to Film printing is gaining steam and Mimaki has joined the fray. Victoria Harris, Senior Textile Segment Specialist, explains how the system works. Unlike many others in the market, it is a full end-to-end integrated system that provides a faster cycle time and prevents some of the issues print providers have had with multi-phase disconnected systems, including containment of the adhesive powder used in direct to film printing. She also discussed when to use direct to film versus direct to garment solutions.
Published December 13, 2023
Senior editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Brian Techter, Senior Vice President of RR Donnelly's Packaging and Labeling Solutions Group, who has recently added an EFI Nozomi single-pass digital direct to corrugated press in the company’s Milwaukee plant. He talks about the reasons Nozomi was chosen, what he sees as the value of digital, and where he sees it going in the future.
Published December 12, 2023
In this interview, eProductivity Software VP of Product Management Nick Benkovich answers this question and more. If you think AI is not relevant to your business, or even if you do, you should listen to this discussion. Like many things in our past, it's not a fad, although still emerging, and whether or not a printing company takes advantage of its capabilities, it behooves owners and managers to stay current with its evolution, and especially insight from industry thought leaders like Benkovich!
Published December 12, 2023
Colleen Twomey, Professor and Graphic Communication Department Chair, Cal Poly, provides some background on the graphic communication program, how it has evolved over the years, and also talks about the WhatTheyThink/Cal Poly project to send six students to drupa 2024, giving them the opportunity to work in a publishing environment and also experience the world's largest printing trade show.
Published December 11, 2023
PicoNext, a sustainability and customer engagement platform helping brands develop Digital Product Passports, recently conducted a survey of 1,000 consumers in the U.S. and Europe to gain feedback on brand sustainability. In this interview, Founder Dave Dickson explains what a Digital Product Passport is, how they are developed and used, and also summarizes the results of the company's consumer survey.
Published December 7, 2023
One of the huge sustainability issues facing the textiles and apparel industry is the amount of post-consumer waste, much of which ends up in landfills. Mimaki is working to address this with a pilot project. Its Neo-Chromato Process removes inks from dye-sublimated fabric, resulting in a "clean" fabric that can be reprinted. Mimaki's Victoria Harris explains.
Published December 4, 2023
COP28—the United Nations’ annual meeting on climate change—is currently underway in Dubai as this is being written, and many world leaders and climate activists are in attendance. The annual meeting, taking place from November 30 to December 12, has a heavy agenda. In this article, we cover some of the early highlights of the event, topics to be discussed, and comments from some of the leading attendees.
Published November 27, 2023
Are you tired of hearing about climate change? So am I, actually, but it’s something none of us can afford to ignore. In a recent report, consulting firm McKinsey posits that adapting to climate change requires a systemic approach. We dig into their theses in this article, and hold out hope that some meaningful progress will be made at the upcoming COP28 in the UAE.
Published November 13, 2023
During a recent visit to San Jose, Calif., I had the opportunity to tour the Adobe headquarters, including its brand-new building, the Founders Tower. It’s an impressive example of what a work environment should look like today, and it also demonstrates Adobe’s dedication to continuing to invest in Silicon Valley. In addition to getting an update on the company’s history, a look at the many on-site restaurants and other amenities, and the great view, I got a sneak peek at Project Primrose. Read on.
Published November 6, 2023
We recently published an AI explainer that explained the basics of artificial intelligence. In this article, we take it to the next level, explaining generative AI, which refers to the concept of creating an advanced form of artificial intelligence that can perform any intellectual task that a human being can do. Scary thought! But the fact is that it is not only coming, but already here. In fact, I’m almost certain you have seen AI-generated images which, if not designated as such, can be mistaken for reality. But there are also advantages to getting on board early, at least gaining an understanding of genAI and how it might impact your business. Read on to learn more.
Published October 30, 2023
Brian Techter, SVP, RRD Packaging & Labeling Solutions, discusses their recent acquisition of an EFI Nozomi single-pass digital direct-to-board printing solution in their Milwaukee plant, including how the system will be used and his view of the evolution of the packaging and display graphics markets as digital production continues to gain traction.
Published October 30, 2023
When we write about sustainability in textiles, we are often talking about the manufacturing processes. But for true sustainability, we need to go back a step further to understand where the feed stocks are coming from. Senior editor Cary Sherburne looks at what progress has been made in sustainable agricultural processes.
Published October 16, 2023
It seems like news about artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere, but most of it seems to assume that readers or listeners have a basic understanding of what AI is…and I’m not sure that’s accurate. That’s why we decided to dig into the topic and provide this basic explainer for our members. Note: This article was partially written by ChatGPT, an AI application.
Published October 16, 2023
One of the biggest barriers to reshoring of apparel manufacturing to the U.S. is the lack of sewing talent. Among its many initiatives, SPESA, the association for suppliers to the sewn products industry, is working to build a database of cut-and-sew operations in the U.S. SPESA President Michael McDonald talks about these and other challenges the sewn products industry—and textiles as a whole—is facing.
Published October 10, 2023
Raspberry Creek Fabrics, located in Utah, produces custom fabrics on-demand using digital printing technologies, a sustainable approach to producing apparel fabrics. The company is also primarily using Western Hemisphere mills, and partners with some local cut-and-sew shops if customers want that service. Also new is an integration with Etsy and a booming wallpaper business. Learn more in this interview with co-founder Justin Rammell.
Published October 9, 2023
In this interview, Ben Grossman of Boston-based Grossman Marketing, talks about his ninth acquisition in a decade, further expanding the company's Southeastern US footprint. He also provides an update on SwagCycle, an initiative dedicated to landfill diversion by arranging donations of unwanted, branded material to a variety of charitable organizations, including those helping with disaster relief, refugees, needy children, and more.
Published October 9, 2023
It seems that each and every day there is more alarming news about the state of Planet Earth. July, August and September were Earth’s hottest three months on record. This ups the ante for humans residing on Earth…we are running out of time to change course. And the textiles and apparel industry, in particular, has a lot of work to do. In this article, we take a look at two successful businesses, one for profit and one not for profit, that are working hard to keep textile products out of landfills, redirecting them to a second life, which in turn can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and consumption levels, if only by a little. We hope their stories will educate and inspire you, and that you, too, will take some action.
Published October 5, 2023
The COVID pandemic laid bare the frailties of the global supply chain. There was much discussion in the textiles and apparel industry about how to mitigate the issues experienced when shipping product from Asia—included more consideration of reshoring or near-shoring to Latin America. Cary Sherburne looks at the post-COVID state of re- and near-shoring textiles production.
Published October 2, 2023
A growing number of printing companies are placing increased focus on workflow automation as the industry continues to face competitive challenges, both from inside and outside the industry. In this article, sponsored by Fiery LLC, we speak with Meredith Nichols of Nichols Associates, who is Fiery Certified as well as a Certified G7 Expert. She explains how she works with clients to help them reach those automation goals.
Published September 19, 2023
In this wide-ranging interview, EFI's Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Ken Hanulec, talks about RR Donnelley's acquisition of its first Nozomi, the growth in worldwide Nozomi installations, a description of the four models—two for corrugated and two for display graphics—and a look ahead at what EFI has planned for PRINTING United.
Published September 18, 2023
In recent months, we have seen a number of printer manufacturers jump into the digital direct-to-film (DTF) market, some with equipment dedicated to that application, and others hybrid DTF/DTG (direct-to-garment) solutions. Senior editor Cary Sherburne takes a look at the current lay of the land.
Published September 11, 2023
The fashion industry has been under fire for some time over its excessive carbon footprint and the pollution it generates. Now a new metric is being thrown into the mix: Traceability. In this article, we define traceability and cite several reports that paint a not-very-flattering picture of progress the industry is making.
Published September 11, 2023
Kirby Best is a veteran of on-demand, including his days running an on-demand book printing business, and now with a successful cut-and-sew factory in Arizona. Best shares the latest updates, including an exciting project in the bridal industry.
Published August 28, 2023
The volume of returns of unwanted purchased goods has skyrocketed, especially for ecommerce retailers. In fact, the value of returns in 2021 was greater than the U.S. government spend on national defense! There are programs in place to help mitigate this wasteful practice, including aggressive actions by Amazon and others to help with landfill diversion.
Published August 28, 2023
Angie Cohen founded Design Lab Miami nearly 15 years ago, starting with a studio whose goal was to educate children about sewing, life skills, sustainability, and more. Today, she not only runs the studio, with students as young as 7, but she also travels the globe, primarily visiting refugee camps and developing countries to share those skills with young women, giving them the tools to make their way to a better life. In this interview, Angie shares the Design Lab story and some of her plans for the future.
Published August 21, 2023
As Earth continues to heat up, brands, retailers and consumers alike are looking for innovate cooling technologies for textiles and apparel, and there are a number of them already on the market. As we note in this article, however, this is very much a “buyer beware” market, as not all cooling fabrics appear to operate as promised. Read on to learn more.
Published August 14, 2023
The Ferris State University Graphics Program just received a huge donation that has allowed them to set up substantial endowments for both scholarships and student recruitment. In this interview, Patrick Klarecki, Professor and Program Champion, talks about the history of the program, its current state, how they came to benefit from this donation, and what it means for the future of the program.
Published August 14, 2023
Mosquitos are the biggest killer on the planet, killing more than 725,000 people per year. That’s more than humans, snakes, dogs, and other creatures. But help is on the way. Researchers at North Carolina State University have done groundbreaking research on insect-proof textiles. Learn more!
Published August 9, 2023
SPESA, the Sewn Products Equipment and Suppliers of the Americas, is an industry association that represents suppliers to the industry, and plays a key role in the ability to streamline supply chains, bring textiles work back to the Americas, find more ways to automate the sewing process, and attract new talent. Cary Sherburne talks with SPEA president Michael McDonald.
Published August 9, 2023
Michael McDonald, President of SPESA, chats with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the challenges and opportunities facing the sewn products industry, the importance of changing mindsets for brands and consumers and the progress the industry needs to make in automation.
Published August 7, 2023
Cary Sherburne takes WhatTheyThink’s annual look at the state of the print franchises. 2022 was truly a recovery year after a very difficult business environment during the pandemic. Nowhere was this more evident than in the franchise networks serving the printing industry.
Published August 7, 2023
In this interview, Minuteman President Nick Titus provides an overview of the network's performance in 2022, including achievement of the largest systemwide gross sales the network has ever seen at more than $536 million, 125+ centers with revenues over $1 million, and 24 net new centers over the past two years. The company is also focused on employee acquisition and retention, including cross-training and ensuring a career path for center employees and owners.
Published August 7, 2023
Rich Lowe, Chief Operating Officer at Franchise Services, is very bullish on the future of their business and offers great insight on the future of franchises in the industry as well as some of the things the company is doing to grow its talent base. This informative interview has something for everyone.
Published August 7, 2023
Alliance Franchise Brands delivered 18% year-over-year revenue growth in print and 10% in signs in 2022, exceeding 2019 levels. Its new COO Ray Palmer notes that the sign business had already reached that level in 2021. The company also has effective recruitment programs in place, both for employees and new franchisees, with leadership training programs in place both to establish career paths for high-talent employees and to ensure new franchisees get off to a good start. Palmer explains these strategies in this interview with Sr. Editor Cary Sherburne.
Published August 7, 2023
Not only did AlphaGraphics have a record year in 2022 revenue-wise, but the company also say 23% year-over-year growth, added 12 new centers and 17 new owners, and had an average store performance of $1.3 million. In this interview, CEO Ryan Farris also describes some of the programs in place to help alleviate the recruiting issues in a tight labor market.
Published August 7, 2023
While Fortusis ended up with two less centers in 2022, revenues overall were up by 11%. The company is investing in infrastructure, with all of its centers now using a new ecommerce enabled website and making good progress on developing content for its learning management system. Also high on the agenda is recruiting new owners who are interested in opening new centers.
Published July 24, 2023
A recent Axios newsletter was headlined “No safe port in a climate storm.” In this article, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne looks at some of the recent extreme events attributed to climate change, as well as greenwashing, greenwishing, and greenhushing, more buzzwords for your vocabulary. She highlights some of the projects that are underway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the way to getting to Carbon ZERO…a state we are not likely to reach for some time, but progress, however slow, is being made.
Published July 24, 2023
SaviCustoms has been in business for 20 years, with work previously produced in India. As General Manager Jeremy DeBoer explains, the work was re-shored to San Diego a few years ago. He also started SubMFG as demand grew for on-demand work, and now on-demand comprises almost 50% of the company's work. His story is inspiring, from the perspective of re-shoring, automation, on-demand, and of course, the challenge of hiring talent.
Published July 10, 2023
Since the early days of digital color printing, color management has been a struggle for many. And some struggle even in the analog world. Although the presses have improved, including significant color management automation, it can still be difficult to get everything right, especially when it is necessary to exactly match color across multiple press types—analog and digital—as well as to ensure good color representation in digital files often used during the proofing cycle. We spoke with Meredith Nichols, a certified color management and workflow automation consultant, and a member of the Color Management Group, about how she works with clients and why certifications are important.
Published June 26, 2023
The significant investments Documation has made in workflow and finishing equipment has completely revolutionized its business. Jeremy Stanek, Documation’s Vice President of Operations, explains.
Published June 19, 2023
Kevin Cushing has a rich heritage in the franchise business, both as a franchisee and a franchisor executive in both the restaurant and printing businesses. During his tenure at Alliance Franchise Brands, he engaged the organization with Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a unique franchise organization, and now, with Breakthroughs LLC, he is bringing his operational expertise to clients in a variety of industries, including print, as an EOS franchisee. In this interview, Kevin explains EOS, how it works and why it is important to the printing and other industries who are looking to be successful in a dynamic future.
Published June 12, 2023
ITMA, the International Textile Machinery Association, opened the doors for its quadrennial show in Milan, running from June 8 to 14. Owned by CEMATEX and organized by ITMA, this edition is focused on “Transforming the World of Textiles.” For those of you in the printing industry who may not be familiar with ITMA, it’s the drupa of the textiles industry. In this article, we present some of the show highlights as of this writing. Stay tuned for more!
Published June 8, 2023
Solutum is a Cleantech company on a mission to reduce plastic pollution by providing sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic. The company has created a revolutionary compound that can be engineered to create a range of flexible packaging with versatile end-of-life options. Cary Sherburne talks to Sharon Barak, the company’s Founder and CTO, to learn more about this innovative approach to solving the plastics problem.
Published June 8, 2023
Kyocera printheads are popular components in many digital textile printing systems. Now, Kyocera has applied that knowledge and expertise to its first digital textile printer, FOREARTH, making its first public appearance at ITMA in Milan. In this interview, Sho Taniguchi, Kyocera’s Deputy General Manager, IDP Business DevelopmentDivision, explains the strategy behind development of this system and why they believe it is beneficial to the textiles market.
Published June 7, 2023
Kyocera printheads are a popular component of many digital textile printing systems. Now, the company has introduced its own digital textile printer. FOREARTH, which will be on display at ITMA, is the company's first digital textile printing system, a direct-to-fabric printer with inline application of pre- and post-treatments that enable printing on virtually any fabric. Minimal water usage and reduced fabric waste are part of Kyocera's approach to improving sustainability for the textiles industry.
Published June 7, 2023
Levi’s turns 170 this year, but it’s not letting its age get in the way of its innovation. The company reports that it has allocated 25,000 hours to a team of in-house robots over the past year. These robots, though, are not replacing employees. Rather, they are making work more efficient and enjoyable by freeing employees from performing a number of often repetitive and tedious tasks, and making more time for them to focus on more strategic activities. And Levi’s isn’t alone in harnessing the power of robots to make work more efficient. Here’s a quick pre-ITMA view of robotics in textiles, with more to certainly come from the world’s largest textile industry trade show, this week in Milan.
Published June 5, 2023
As commercial printers, in-plants, and sign and display graphics printers look for ways to expand their businesses and offer new products and services to their customers, expansion into the textiles industry looks like an interesting opportunity. Cary Sherburne explains how.
Published May 22, 2023
Did you know that one of the world’s most expansive museums of printing is located in Haverhill, Mass.? If you don’t know about this industry gem, we hope this brief overview will spark your interest in visiting the museum, and even more importantly, donating to ensure its longevity! I was fascinated during my recent visit, and truly, we only scratched the surface of what the museum has to offer.
Published May 22, 2023
Cary Sherburne recently visited the Museum of Printing in Haverhill, Mass., and sat down for an interview with Frank Romano about the museum's origin, its extensive collection, and popular museum events.
Published May 15, 2023
The Graphene Council recently hosted a webinar on the current state of the graphene market. Senior editor Cary Sherburne provides some highlights.
Published May 8, 2023
As part of the media, Adam Dewitz, Richard Romano, and I were pleased to be invited to a recent EFI Ignite customer event. It gave us an opportunity to visit the (relatively) new EFI facility in Londonderry, which includes an expansive Customer Experience Center, manufacturing, and administrative/support services, and see the latest display graphics offerings from the company.
Published May 1, 2023
Many of our members will remember Frank Mallozzi for his more than 25 years of senior leadership roles at EFI. As he moves onto the next chapter in his professional life, he has taken on an important role as President and CEO of the Center Reach Group, which is a consultancy focused on helping companies design and develop go-to-market growth strategies, execute on strategic plans and optimize marketing efficiencies while increasing sales productivity. We recently spoke with Frank to get more insight into his current role, and also to discuss some of the barriers he is seeing to a more accelerated adoption of direct-to-garment printing in the North American market.
Published April 17, 2023
Cary Sherburne previews the upcoming FESPA Global Print Expo and European Sign Expo 2023 , scheduled for May 23 to 26 in Munich.
Published April 12, 2023
Carbon capture and storage: a solution to the climate crisis or an elaborate smokescreen to preserve the status quo? Senior editor Cary Sherburne takes a close look at the current state of CCS.
Published April 11, 2023
imagePRESS V-Series represents next-generation innovation based on ground-up development efforts, and PRISMA solution developments include strategically migrating components to the cloud. Cary Sherburne talks to Katsuhiro “Jerry” Matsufuji, Canon U.S.A., Inc. vice president and general manager, marketing BICG.
Published March 31, 2023
In this discussion, Nick Benkovich of eProductivity Software (ePS) and Keith McMurtrie of Tharstern discuss the advantages to both companies and their customers. The plan is to maintain Tharstern as a brand and to be able to augment its capabilities with the many tools offered by ePS. Hope you enjoy this fascinating discussion!
Published March 27, 2023
Graphene was discovered in 2004, has been described as a miracle material, and its discoverers were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 as a completely new material. We’ve written about graphene before, and usually there’s a graphene item in our weekly Friday Around the Web feature. But for more depth, this article reviews a recent study on products claiming graphene content and also encourages materials suppliers and manufacturers to do their due diligence and to seek certification that their materials and/or products actually include graphene. Spoiler alert: 80% of the products tested had no graphene content!
Published March 21, 2023
Loftware was founded 35 years ago in the founder's Maine loft, thus the name. Over the years, it has evolved into a cloud-based service for brands and label producers, managing all associated data, ensuring compliance with brand and regulatory guidelines, and producing print-ready artwork for its customers. SVP Marketing and Product Management Josh Roffman shares the story.
Published March 16, 2023
Earlier this month, in Debbie McKeegan's post, she noted that growth in digitally printed textiles is expected at 14.4% CAGR through 2030. Yet it will still represent only about 5% of global production of printed textiles. In this discussion with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, she explains how younger designers and consumers have the ability to accelerate this growth even more and why it is important for the industry and the planet.
Published March 13, 2023
The fashion industry is in need of radical transformation in order to reduce its deleterious effect on the environment, including excessive wastewater, carbon emissions, impact on landfills, and more. In this article, we review a recent study produced by Aptean, which approaches the problem from the perspective of the value of an effective, purpose-built ERP, but we also note that the industry must go beyond that with a holistic view of the entire life cycle of its products in order to have any hope at all of meeting aggressive 2030, and even 2050, sustainability goals.
Published March 6, 2023
You may remember Jay Farr who founded ePACE in 1985, a mid-range print MIS solution and the first browser-based MIS, that was ultimately acquired by EFI in 2008 (now eProductivity Software). Following his commitments to EFI pursuant to the terms of the acquisition, Jay continued to be a presence in the Print MIS business, and in 2016, became an investor and the VP of Business Development for DocketManager. We recently spoke with Jay to learn more about this unique MIS solution.
Published February 27, 2023
How much fungi do you expect to see in your future? There is a tremendous amount of research and development ongoing to develop various forms of fungi—including mushrooms and their “roots,” mycelium—into replacements for everything from meat to leather and more. Read on!
Published February 20, 2023
The earthquake in Turkey was a truly devastating event. The death toll is nearing 50,000, a toll that is expected to grow significant over the coming days and weeks, making it the worst disaster in the country’s modern history. The only good news is that, miraculously, rescue teams are still pulling survivors from the rubble, including three that were rescued 11 days after the event, which occurred on February 6. The Istanbul Fashion Connection was scheduled for February 8 to 11 in Istanbul. Hanna Abdulla, News Editor for Just Style, was in the country for the event. We share a few of her insights about how the industry is working to help during this crisis and some background on the textiles industry in Turkey.
Published February 13, 2023
As fashion week hits New York’s runways it's a good time to review the state of the industry and its progress...or not...toward a more sustainable future. Here we provide high level results from a research report produced by The Climate Board in partnership with Textile Exchange: “Friction Points in Fashion and Textiles: Removing Barriers and Accelerating Climate Action.”
Published February 9, 2023
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reports on the results—such as they were—from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s most recent conference, COP27, held in November in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
Published February 9, 2023
Spoonflower, and its parent company, Shutterfly, originated as digital printing operations, and both have made significant technological advantages, Kerry King, Senior Director, Process Innovation for Textiles & Wallpaper, Spoonflower/Shutterfly, shares her thoughts on the changes and advances we have seen in 2022 in textiles and home decor, and what we might expect to see in 2023 and beyond.
Published February 9, 2023
As a hardware provider to the printing industry, Heidelberg also has a robust software offering. In this interview, John O'Donnell, Vice President of Product Management for Prinect and Print Analytics, Heidelberg, explains the company's software strategy moving forward, including migration to the cloud, increased modularity, and growing the number of third-party software integrations.
Published February 8, 2023
The textiles and apparel industry overall has seemingly made little progress toward stated sustainability goals, but there are bright spots that light the way to a more sustainable future for the industry. In researching this article, we spoke with three thought leaders in the industry who we hope will act as an inspiration to others, accelerating the industry transformation that must ultimately occur, including Adobe, Raspberry Creek Fabrics and Spoonflower.
Published February 7, 2023
eProductivity Software, the result of EFI spinning out its software business, is arguably one of the longest standing print software companies in the industry, with its roots dating back to 1989 when Marc Olin founded ProGraph. Now as an independent software vendor, eProductivity Software is looking at ways to make its solutions more open and modular, and to partner with others that may have been challenging to partner with in the past. In this interview, Nick Benkovich, Vice President of Portfolio Product Management, eProductivity Software, explains where the company is headed and the industry trends it is working to capitalize on.
Published February 6, 2023
In this interview, Aleyant founder and CEO Greg Salzman talks about trends in the world of print software and explains how Aleyant, founded as a cloud-based software company, is continuing to address those trends with a modular, cloud-based approach.
Published February 6, 2023
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne looks at how print software solution providers are responding to the evolving needs of customers.
Published January 30, 2023
The U.S., for several years, has been trying to bring back manufacturing across the board, including textiles and apparel. The pandemic and the resulting supply chain crisis spurred more action toward this goal. But simply bringing back manufacturing and doing the same old things, only here in America, I don’t believe plays into the American ingenuity theme. That’s where new shoring comes in. Yes, bring back manufacturing. But do it in a way that is innovative, automated, sustainable, and yet competitive. For more details about new shoring, there is an excellent article available on “The Sourcing Journal” (subscription may be required).
Published January 24, 2023
Andrea Bautil is a Millennial, a practicing architect currently working in the Dominican Republic, while Emma Vessels, GenZ, is finishing her degree at Kent State University in Fashion Merchandising. In this wide-ranging discussion, we hear directly from outstanding members of these two demographic cohorts on their thoughts about fashion and home decor, sustainability, and the impact their generations can have on the future of our planet.
Published January 23, 2023
There is no denying the negative impact the multi-trillion-dollar global fashion industry has had—and continues to have—on the planet. Some fashion brands are making honest and open efforts to reduce their carbon footprints; some are greenwashing; and some are simply doing nothing. Until consumers take a stand and drive Fast Fashion out of their wardrobes, not much is likely to change. But there is hope on the horizon, according to Paul Foulkes-Arellano of Circuthon Consulting. In this article, learn about Regenerative Fashion, benefit from Foulkes-Arellano’s deep insight, and think about how you can change your buying habits to help reduce fashion’s impact on the planet.
Published January 16, 2023
The venture-funded Climate Board, established in 2022, has amassed a wealth of materials on the topic of sustainability, including insights and research, and has conducted a variety of events. It was founded on the belief that knowledge-sharing is crucial to accelerating climate action. Its work attempts to bring solutions, supported by experience and evidence, to drive speed and progress. But there is a huge mountain to climb. A key finding of its research is that for many organizations, “Ambitious goals are more than twice as common as meaningful action.” This is not where we want to be. In this article, we explore some of the challenges and opportunities for mitigating climate change.
Published January 16, 2023
Margo Yohner, SVP of Growth RRD Commercial and Digital Print, shares insights that RR Donnelley gained from its most recent survey with marketers and introduces a new term for us: Optichannel. She explains how this is different from omnichannel or multichannel and can be more effective. She also shares specific data from the report indicating marketers' intent to devote more of their budget in 2023 to print, including direct mail, brochures, signage, etc.
Published January 12, 2023
Gen Zer Eunice Jung is passionate about sustainability, and that passion really comes out in this interview, where she explains what is behind FutureCardVisa and how it can help consumers become more aware of their shopping habits, give more consideration to end-of-life for things they buy, and especially in fashion, using rental or resale to extend the life of garments with less ending up in the landfill.
Published January 10, 2023
FLOCUS was founded by Sara Cicognani and Jeroen Muijsers to leverage the unique characteristics of Kapok as a fiber for multiple uses, ranging from stuffing for toys and other soft products to yarns and fabrics. Muijsers, a textile engineer, learned about Kapok about 10 years ago and recognized its role in delivering a more sustainable textile industry and its link to regenerative agriculture for a holistic approach that not only delivers sustainable fibers but also benefits farmers in subtropical countries. Learn more in this informative interview.
Published January 9, 2023
Last summer, we asked our readers, “Are you ready for the Gen Z work force?” As we enter 2023 and the balance between open jobs and available employees still has not balanced out, it’s time to revisit this topic again. Remember that Gen Zers will make up 25% of the workforce by 2025, when they will range in age from 13 to 28. They are a rich source of potential employees—now and for years to come. We thought it would be good to review what they are looking for, how to hire and retain them, as we enter 2023 with an economy this is still a bit chaotic.
Published January 9, 2023
Paul Foulkes-Arellano of Circuthon Consulting is an expert in regenerative agriculture and regenerative fashion. In this interview, he shares his thoughts on the future of the textiles industry, and how regenerative fashion is an important element of making the industry more sustainable. And he discussed the link between agriculture and fashion as we move to a more circular economy.
Published December 15, 2022
Printful, who has 10 factories worldwide producing on-demand garments, is beta testing Coloreel on-demand embroidery. In this interview, Elina Kruze from Printful explains why the company was excited about the ability to offer customers more design flexibility in embroidery. Coloreel CEO Torbjörn Bäck shares his thoughts on how Coloreel on-demand embroidery changes the market and delivers a more sustainable solution.
Published December 14, 2022
This was a year of recovery for textiles and apparel as supply chain issues began to settle a bit, and suppliers were back online after the pandemic. Consumers were also buying—both online and back in-stores, which is good news for brands. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne looks back at how the industry has slowly started to embrace sustainability and some of the initiatives to keep an eye on in 2023.
Published December 12, 2022
Looking for an athletic garment that is both waterproof and breathable? With new developments from Polartec, that will become easier as its new Power Shield laminate is incorporated into garments expected to come to market in the fall of 2023. We spoke with Michael Cattanach, Polartec’s Global Product Director, to learn more.
Published December 5, 2022
For some time now, we’ve been asking, “What’s in your closet?” This is in the context of making your lifestyle more sustainable as the world struggles with a growing climate crisis. While governments, NGOs, corporations, and others are working to improve sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint, it really will take all of us to get this done. Learn how serious reconsideration of your wardrobe can be a contributing factor.
Published November 30, 2022
The Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF) is recently announced the inauguration of an award honoring the unending service of John Berthelsen to the Education of Students interested in the Graphic Arts. The award, in his name, will be given out each year to a deserving individual or organization that exemplifies the ideals and practices of John over his many years of dedicated service to the industry and affiliated organizations. John was the first recipient. We had the opportunity to interview him and gain an understanding of the many contributions he has made over 50 years in the industry.
Published November 28, 2022
There is a lot of discussion around companies and governments reducing their carbon footprints, aiming toward carbon neutrality by some date, and changes they plan to make to accomplish these sustainability goals as part of the effort to bring the climate crisis under control. But little is being said about a companion approach: carbon capture and repurposing. This article defines carbon capture and presents its current technological state.
Published November 14, 2022
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is in its 27th year, and achievements have fallen far short of expectations. COP27, which is underway as of this writing, has for the first time seriously put the issue of loss and damage on the agenda, with the hope that there will actually be some sort of resolution before the end of the conference, and that developed countries will actually follow through on their promises.
Published November 7, 2022
Companies like Amazon have been adding more environmentally friendly packaging strategies, although a lot of plastic is still used. And Neenah has introduced the Neenah Environment Mailer, which is curbside recyclable. Senior editor Cary Sherburne looks at the current landscape of sustainable packaging for mailers.
Published November 1, 2022
Don't you hate getting all that plastic packaging when you order online, and then trying to figure out if it can be recycled, and if so how, or maybe it just gets thrown away? Neenah has an answer with its new Environment Mailer. Clearly printed on the mailer is the fact that it is 100% curbside recyclable and a patent pending coating repels water and adds strength. Ideal for all kinds of soft goods. Kristen Duncan and Jennifer Dietz of Neenah share the full story, including future plans to expand the product line and options even further.
Published October 31, 2022
Do you ever wonder why some people get bitten by mosquitoes more than others? A recent CNN story says mosquitoes like the smell of cheese and feet. Now Microban and Cosmo may have an answer…at least for the feet part. Their partnership is another example of applying technology to add value to textiles and apparel.
Published October 24, 2022
We’ve been writing about sustainability issues in textiles and apparel and some of the advances that are being made, as well as the barriers—addition to Fast Fashion being one of the latter. But we haven’t really addressed a big segment of the market: shoes. In this article, we delve into some of the advances that will make shoes more sustainable, and also caution our readers not to become over-consumers—of shoes or anything else!
Published October 19, 2022
We've known Tom O'Brien for many years and have always been impressed with his entrepreneurism, energy, and innovative approach to his business. He has now started a new chapter, despite his many threats to retire, with the acquisition of his companies by Taylor Corporation. In this interview, his enthusiasm for his new role is evident and we will continue to follow their news as it develops.
Published October 17, 2022
We’ve been writing a great deal about sustainability options for the textiles and apparel industry with the hope that brands and consumers will be inspired to change their wasteful behavior, including getting rid of the fast fashion concept in lieu of longer lasting, more sustainable apparel, use of non-petroleum materials, more local and on-demand production, and more. In today’s article, we take another look at some of the advances in more sustainable fiber that can reduce the industry’s dependence on fossil fuels.
Published October 17, 2022
Raspberry Creek Fabrics, based in Salt Lake City, was founded a decade ago, and has continued to innovate to meet emerging and existing market needs. Co-founder Justin Rammell tells the Raspberry Creek story, shares how automation has dramatically changed their business, explains the recent patent the company acquired, and mentions a move into wallpaper, a new business for them. The company has also established a marketplace for designers to be able to upload and sell their own designs. More coming in the future!
Published October 11, 2022
Frank Mallozzi joined EFI 25 years ago with a charter to run the European business for the company. Today, he is the Chief Revenue Officer of the company and has seen many changes in the company and the industry over the years. At the end of 2022, Frank will be retiring from EFI, and we are sure he will be sorely missed. But we also look forward to seeing what the next chapter is for him. In this discussion, Frank talks about his experiences over the past 25 years and the opportunities ahead.
Published October 3, 2022
Graphene is a miracle material with the potential to revolutionize textiles. Senior editor Cary Sherburne takes a look at the current state of graphene-enhanced textiles.
Published October 3, 2022
Erica Yngve founded Sonora Stitch Factory a couple years ago in Tucson and acquired two existing businesses. She has about 150 sewing machines to address a wide range of cut-and-sew applications, from apparel and home decor to boat and airplane interiors. Due to the difficulty in sourcing local sewing skills, she has also established a training program for sewists, to benefit both her business and others in the area that require these skills. This is another example of a start-up that is helping to reshore the North American textile industry.
Published September 28, 2022
4Over is the largest trade-only printer in the United States with 10 locations and close to one million square feet of production space and 1,100 employees. The company offers offset, digital, and wide-format printing, covering a wide range of customer applications. Cary Sherburne talks with CEO Shaheen Javadizadeh, who joined the company in 2020 from the enterprise software industry, about company updates and industry insights.
Published September 26, 2022
In this space, and across many other industry spokespeople, the call for an end to fast fashion has been resonating loudly. But are the brands and retailers—and consumers—taking this call for a reduction in unnecessary consumption seriously? It seems not.
Published September 19, 2022
As we have been discussing in this space, graphene, a miracle material discovered in 2004, has begun to make inroads into the textiles industry, with a growing number of products that are graphene-enhanced, either with coatings, inks, or covalently bonded to the base fiber. We recently came across Czech-based GrapheneUP, who has added graphene-enhanced inks and coatings for textiles to their product mix.
Published September 12, 2022
Are we starting to see a resurgence in the US textiles and apparel market? In a recent article, we addressed some of the activity relative to localized cut-and-sew operations, the “last mile” for apparel manufacturing. In this article, we take a deeper dive into what Hodges International has done with Sparty Mill to help this resurgence along.
Published September 7, 2022
Label Traxx, an ERP designed specifically for the labels and flexible packaging industry, has merged with long-time partners Siteline (founded by Jennifer Matt) and Batched (founded by Matt Murphy). Label Traxx President Rob Mayerson explains why this is important for the industry, and for Label Traxx customers. Mayerson and his team will be at LabelExpo September 13–15 in Chicago.
Published August 29, 2022
One of the key barriers to reshoring textiles and apparel has been the lack of sewing talent, the final mile, if you will, of localized apparel and home décor manufacturing. Recently we have seen a number of new cut-and-sew operations pop up across the nation, an encouraging sign for the future of the American textiles and apparel industry.
Published August 22, 2022
In this space, we have had a great deal of discussion about sustainability, supply chain, and the need for dramatic change in the textiles and apparel industry. In today’s article, we look at some of the important research and journalistic organizations that are helping drive this change, the important role they play, and some of their upcoming events.
Published August 15, 2022
Before the pandemic, I never dreamed I would be writing about supply chain so often. But then, before the pandemic things were different…or were they? The problems were there back then, but they were exacerbated and brought to the forefront due to pandemic-related issues. With all the supply chain noise, we wondered whether there would actually be meaningful solutions soon, and/or whether reshoring and digital production would be accelerated. A Forbes article on the topic sheds some light here.
Published August 9, 2022
Shutterfly acquired Spoonflower one year ago. Senior editor Cary Sherburne checks in with the company for a progress report.
Published August 8, 2022
Greenwashing is rampant in the fashion industry, but there is growing scrutiny on this unethical practice. Will it be enough to reduce the tide of discarded clothing and other textile items that are burned or dumped in the landfill? Will we really get to any kind of circular life cycle for fashion? There are encouraging signs, but we are far from reaching any kind of critical mass.
Published August 1, 2022
The newspaper business was in decline long before the pandemic. In fact, a publication called Newspaper Deathwatch predicted the demise of the printed newspaper in the U.S. by 2017. Luckily that did not come to pass. But what has happened is a consolidation of newspapers under large chains, the closing of many, and a reduction in the number of newsroom people they employ. The good news is that entrepreneurs and others are fighting to save local journalism. You may not hear the thunk of the printed newspaper landing on your porch, but there is hope that these efforts will boost local journalism and pause—and even reduce—the existence of local news deserts. Read on to get the full story and see how you can help.
Published August 1, 2022
With 10 plants and more than 1,000 employees, 4Over has established itself as the largest trade shop serving the U.S. printing, signage, and packaging markets. In this interview, 4Over CEO Shaheen Javadizadeh provides a 4Over update and an optimistic outlook for the future of the company and the industry.
Published July 26, 2022
Cary Sherburne previews the upcoming Americas Print Show 2022, scheduled for August 17–19 in Columbus, Ohio, which will offer an opportunity for commercial printing professionals to once again gather in person after a long pandemic hiatus.
Published July 25, 2022
The pandemic may have been a boon for books with people looking for things to do during lockdowns and reduced travel. But that boost is likely temporary and may be hiding a core failure of the industry to update business practices to meet changing demographics, competition from other types of entertainment, and the growth in self-publishing.
Published July 18, 2022
How vegan is vegan leather, and what is the future of this alternative to animal-based leather? In this article, we summarize the literature on the topic, including how damaging animal-based leather is to the environment, the different types of so-called vegan leather, and the future of truly 100% plant-based leather, an important element of a sustainable future.
Published July 11, 2022
According to the World Economic Forum, Gen Zers—those born between 1997 and 2012—will make up 27% of the work force by 2025. And they will bring with them an entirely new set of needs, requirements, and challenges for the workplace. Is your company prepared? We rounded up some information about what Gen Zers are looking for and how companies are—or are not—responding.
Published June 29, 2022
Utah-based Raspberry Creek Fabrics recently received a patent for unique web-to-print software for roll-to-roll fabric printing which automates the step-and-repeat process in a way that creates the smallest possible file, speeding the printing process. Senior editor Cary Sherburne talked to co-founder Justin Rammell about the process.
Published June 27, 2022
Subscription services and fashion boxes for apparel—the ability for consumers to sign up for periodic boxes of personalized clothing selections—predated the pandemic, but arguably, these services prospered along with the rest of ecommerce as a result of retail closures, work-from-home, and a general concern with going out in public. Will that success carry forward as we enter the endemic stage of COVID? And how do these services rank from a sustainability perspective?
Published June 23, 2022
RR Donnelly commissioned an online survey of 300 procurement, brand marketing, and packaging engineering decision makers to provide insights that inform strategy, priorities, and investments. Survey participants are located in the U.S. across a variety of industry sectors. The results are summarized in this article.
Published June 20, 2022
Sourcing Journal recently conducted an in-person sustainability summit in New York titled “The Road to 2030.” Sourcing Journal Founder and president Edward Hertzman spoke with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to explain why this summit was different from other sustainability events and why he is optimistic that substantial changes will occur in the industry by the time 2030 rolls around.
Published June 15, 2022
It is estimated that some 60% of apparel is made of petroleum-based polyester or polyester blends, but there are several initiatives underway to develop more sustainable fibers that are made from natural materials. Cary Sherburne looks at four of these new, cutting-edge fibers being developed for apparel.
Published June 14, 2022
Jeff Bittner, owner of AlphaGraphics in Wood Dale, Ill., shares his experiences in maintaining the business during and post pandemic, including strategies for working through difficult times as well as his optimism for the future of the business. He reports that May 2022 was the best month ever for his store, which opened in 1998, and much more.
Published June 13, 2022
As so often happens, entrepreneurs in the textiles and apparel industry are driving change in the U.S. market. While digitally-driven businesses have not yet reached critical mass, there are good examples of companies that are taking advantage of new ways of working and doing business to build the businesses of the future. We’ll be discussing this in an upcoming WhatTheyThink webinar scheduled for July 20 at 1 pm ET!
Published June 6, 2022
In this space, we have written a great deal about how the digital transformation is proceeding in the world of textiles and apparel. Mostly we have looked at supply chain, including the digital technologies that make reshoring more viable and production of textiles and apparel more sustainable. In this article, we take a look at how the fashion industry is jumping on the NFT bandwagon, generating an amazing amount of revenue, and, they hope, more customer loyalty.
Published June 6, 2022
It's been four years since the last Texprocess Americas show, and according to SPESA President Michael McDonald, a co-organizer of the Atlanta event with Messe Frankfurt, it was an outstanding show, with the exhibit hall and the aisles crowded, and lots of innovation.
Published June 6, 2022
Believe it or not, we have been printing variable data for at least 45 years. What we were doing then is what Jacob Aizikowitz calls Legacy or Classic VDP. In this video interview, he explains what he means by Modern VDP, how it differs from Classic VDP, the technology framework that was required to enable Modern VDP, how adoption of this framework helped print service providers differentiate themselves, and where we go from here.
Published June 1, 2022
There is a lot of talk about recycling, but less talk about reusing, across a variety of product types from soda to sweat pants. Reuse has a key role to play in a circular economy, and packaging is one of the key offenders in terms of waste. The good news, though, is there is increasing interest on the part of brands, retailers, and consumers in reusable packaging, whether it is an insulated water bottle or a crate like the milkman used to leave on our doorsteps for refilling. (I’m old enough to remember that!)
Published June 1, 2022
A recent survey by Canon U.S.A. revealed consumers’ sentiments and preferences regarding the appeal, attraction, and indelibility of fluorescent colors, especially fluorescent pink, an aqueous ink now available with the company's new imagePROGRAF GP Series printers. In this interview, Canon U.S.A.'s Rich Reamer, Senior Director of Large Format Printing, explains why there is a resurgence in interest in fluorescent inks and how they can add value to printed products.
Published May 31, 2022
Ed Levy, Director of Software Technologies at Hirsch Solutions, discusses why customers are excited about being able to dye thread on demand with Coloreel. Hirsch Solutions distributes Coloreel along with conventional embroidery and direct-to-garment digital printing solutions, providing its customers with a wide range of garment decoration technologies. Hirsch has installed a number of Coloreel units in North America and sees significant interest from both existing and new customers in this innovative digital technology.
Published May 26, 2022
Cary Sherburne speaks with industry evangelist and WhatTheyThink contributor Pat McGrew about the Print4All show which took place in Milan. She talks about what both vendors and attendees were looking to achieve at the show, the technology sectors that were covered, and the overall enthusiasm of all attendees, especially being able to get back to in-person venues.
Published May 25, 2022
As the world becomes more conscious of human rights abuses and the impact of carbon emissions on climate, it can be difficult for brands to really understand how these issues are addressed across their entire supply chain. The Sourcing Responsibility Network is working to help brands better understand and address these issues, and the Yarn Ethically & Sustainably Sourced (YESS) initiative is doing so especially as it relates to cotton farming and harvesting. Patricia Jurewicz explains.
Published May 23, 2022
Several U.S. Senators are sponsoring the FABRIC Act to drive protections for garment workers in the U.S. and encourage more reshoring of the industry. This article explains why it is important, how it can benefit the industry and the environment, and encourages outreach to your own Senator to express your support. The legislation has already received the support of various stakeholders in the fashion industry, including designers, manufacturers, and industry bodies.
Published May 19, 2022
Snow Peak Capital recently invested in long-time print industry leader Sandy Alexander, providing the company with additional resources for future growth. In this discussion, President & CEO Mike Graff talks about the ongoing value of print in the marketing mix, anticipation of future acquisitions, and notes that the company has many new offerings in the works.
Published May 16, 2022
There is so much hype around fashion trends—the more different trends that can be hyped, the more fashion that gets sold, I suppose. But it’s not only bad for our individual pocketbooks, it’s devastating for the environment! In this article, we cite two other must-read articles that point out why we should not be following every transitory TikTok trend that comes our way.
Published May 16, 2022
The upcoming Amplify event in Minneapolis in June will be a great place to see all of the latest developments in finishing techniques. Embellishing print adds value and increases engagement, a good way to make direct mail, packaging and other applications more effective. In this discussion, Chris Leary talks about the offerings he will be showing at Amplify from Geitz and Vinfoil, two European companies that have heretofore had somewhat limited exposure in the Americas.
Published May 12, 2022
With the climate crisis top of mind and Earth Day having just been observed, there is increased attention being paid to sustainability. Burke Cueny, Vice President of Marketing at Alliance Franchise Brands, shares some of the ways the company helps marketing be more sustainable for its network and its customers across both signs and print, including use of QR codes and Purls, soft signage, and a blended marketing program.
Published May 10, 2022
As we exit the pandemic phase of COVID, direct mail has seen a resurgence, and production inkjet printing is an ideal mechanism for its production. Industry evangelist and WhatTheyThink contributor Pat McGrew talks about the direct mail market in general and the advantages of producing direct mail with HP PageWide production inkjet printers in this video, sponsored by HP.
Published May 9, 2022
Sustainability seems to be the latest buzzword to grab hold of the business community, and I hate to even call it that due to its importance to the future of our world. But when companies talk about sustainability, are they truly looking at the whole picture, or just a part? And can they even affect the whole picture? Organizations such as the Responsible Sourcing Network and others are dedicated to giving brands and retailers broader insight into just exactly how sustainable they are.
Published May 9, 2022
Founded in 2016, Catalyst Fabric Solutions produces a wide range of home decor items in a quick-turn B2B model using heat transfer dye sublimation with a variety of printer brands. Operations Manager Jim King explains the company's business model and outlook for the future.
Published May 5, 2022
Print franchise networks struggled, like many businesses, in 2020. But most of them have bounced back almost to 2019 levels and are seeing good growth going into 2022. Senior editor Cary Sherburne provides our annual print franchise review.
Published May 2, 2022
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Jeff Peterson, Executive Director, Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA), one of the organizers of AmplifyPrint.com; Kevin Abergel, President, Taktiful, an exhibitor; and Haley Quick-Hutchison, Vice President Infinity Foils, Inc., also an exhibitor, about what to expect at Amplify, taking place in Minneapolis in June, and the importance of beginning with the end in mind—consider finishing at the beginning of the job. They also explain some of the advantages of embellished pieces in direct mail, packaging, display graphics, and more.
Published April 26, 2022
Many in the textiles and apparel industry struggle to find enough workers, as there is a lack of skilled workers in North America due to the outsourcing to Asia and other parts of the world that began in the 1970s. As brands have become interested in reshoring at least some of the production, how do they find those workers? Cary Sherburne talks to a few of the organizations that are working to grow the textiles and apparel presence in North America.
Published April 25, 2022
We’ve been writing a great deal lately about graphene, often referred to as a miracle material, but so far the focus has been on just about everything except packaging. Is there an application? Tetra Pak thinks so!
Published April 21, 2022
Cary Sherburne talks to Caitlin Sullivan, President, FurbushRoberts. FurbushRoberts was founded by Caitlin's great-grandfather. She's been working in the business full-time since 1999 and part-time before that while she was in school at RIT. As the first female leader of the company, she took over running the company a few years ago and shares some of her experiences and thoughts about where she wants to take the company. She encourages others to consider a career in the graphic arts industry, taking advantage of association memberships, networking with colleagues and mentorships to smooth the way.
Published April 18, 2022
In this feature, sponsored by HP, we explore how HP PageWide production inkjet printing systems have benefited leading direct marketing firm Freedom, based in Milton, Wisconsin. The company was an early adopter of production inkjet printing and now has three HP PageWide production inkjet presses installed.
Published April 18, 2022
I recently watched a very interesting panel discussion about graphene, its many uses, some of the challenges and barriers to market adoption, and the great work that a number of companies are doing to accelerate market adoption across a variety of industries. Why is this important? Graphene Council Executive Director Terrance Barkan sums it up: “The whole world is looking at how do we get to net carbon zero, and it is clear that legacy materials will not get us there. We need much better performance out of all of our materials, and graphene is so versatile across so many different application areas that it really is an important element of getting us to that net zero goal.”
Published April 5, 2022
Xeikon recently held a press briefing where it announced it will be holding a special Xeikon Café around developments in labels in light of the cancellation of Labelexpo Europe. Senior editor Cary Sherburne some highlights from that briefing.
Published April 4, 2022
In this space, we have written about the damage Fast Fashion—the creation of inexpensive garments that are often worn once or twice and then tossed—does to the environment. Now let’s take it a step further and expand the concept to Fossil Fashion—clothing made with petroleum-based feedstocks, estimated at more than 60% of today’s production—and how the fashion industry is hiding behind so-called sustainability initiatives that are actually not sustainable at all.
Published March 29, 2022
Industry veteran Michael Poulin is now the Director of Product Marketing & Business Development for Kyocera, building a robust team to enhance Kyocera's go-to-market strategies for sheetfed production inkjet. The company has already installed more than 200 TASKalfa Pro 15000c worldwide. Poulin provides more information in this exclusive WhatTheyThink interview. The TASKalfa Pro 15000c swatch book can be ordered here from April 2022 and beyond.
Published March 28, 2022
There are certain people who give selflessly back to the printing industry, and are often involved in a wide variety of activities to support us all, a lot of it on a volunteer basis. Sometimes we wonder how they do it. No question, Jules Van Sant is one of those people! We caught up with her between meetings and flights to learn more about one of her activities, the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation.
Published March 24, 2022
Graphene was discovered at the University of Manchester in the UK in 2004 and garnered a Nobel Prize. It is being used in a wide range of industries to deliver unique characteristics but has been relatively slow to enter textiles & apparel. Graphene One covalently bonds the graphene into the Kyorene fiber family, ranging from viscose to nylon to polyester and more. Director of Sales and Business Development Dave Vanek explains.
Published March 21, 2022
Plastic waste is a significant environmental problem for the world. But the good news is that new technologies, from design through end of life, are making it easier to recycle plastics and have them be a good citizen in the circular economy. The ultimate goal is to eliminate plastic waste. In this interview, we speak with Kara Pochiro, the Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs at the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) about the ins and outs of plastic recycling.
Published March 18, 2022
Vladimir Gendelman, Founder and CEO of Michigan-based Company Folders, provides an overview of his company and how it was founded, as well as sharing how he is helping his seven employees in Ukraine manage through this difficult time. In addition to ensuring they know their safety and well being come first and that their jobs and income are protected, Gendelman how he is involved with efforts to get needed supplies and materials into the country through https://www.realhelpforukraine.org/.
Published March 16, 2022
There is hope for improved sustainability in textiles and apparel, but it is not without its challenges. Cary Sherburne explains how a major need is to get a handle on how to make the supply chain more sustainable—but the efforts to establish take-back programs and find ways to recycle, resell and upcycle garments are not trivial either and present options for all of us to participate in this important effort.
Published March 15, 2022
Cary Sherburne talks to Mike Scrutton, director of print technology and strategy at Adobe, and Ray Cheydleur, printing and imaging portfolio manager for X-Rite/Pantone, about the similarities and differences between color management for commercial print and for textiles, and some best practices for textile-based color management.
Published March 14, 2022
Robots and cobots are increasingly being used in a variety of manufacturing and warehousing operations, but they have not yet made their way at scale into apparel manufacturing. Do you have one in your home or business? I do. Three actually. Here we talk about how robots and cobots are being used today, and give an example of an apparel factory that is leveraging robots for increased accuracy and efficiency.
Published March 10, 2022
As the unprovoked war in Ukraine continues to unfold and the world watches in horror, we have been in touch with the leader of a print media company in Boryspil, a city not far to the East of Kyiv. In this heartbreaking article, Igor Agarkov, publisher of Print+ magazine, Polygraphy of Ukraine directory (Ukraine), and administrator of the Social network of printers, shares his experience, views, and request to the world, and those of some of his colleagues based on questions we provided to him after he reached out to WhatTheyThink.
Published March 7, 2022
In this sponsored video, Xeikon CEO Benoit Chatelard shares an update on Xeikon's 2021 performance and a bullish 2022 outlook. He also provides an update on company's strategic objectives, sustainability position, and its corrugated business. North America Director of Marketing Donna Covannon chimes in with some very interesting and innovative customer applications. Chatelard also teased some exciting announcements for the upcoming Labelexpo Europe event.
Published March 7, 2022
There has been a great deal of interest in hemp as a renewable source of fiber. But conventional processing uses toxic chemicals and results in a lot of waste. What if hemp could be sustainably processed, using the entire plant and reducing waste materials post-processing—AND could help save trees. Sound too good to be true? 9FIBER doesn't think so!
Published March 7, 2022
DSCOOP is back to in-person and the Indigo team is excited to be there. In this sponsored interview, created from written answers provided by Haim Levit, he reviews Indigo’s 2021 performance, advances in automation, new products being launched at DSCOOP, and a DSCOOP update.
Published March 3, 2022
SPESA and Messe Frankfurt are excited to be getting back to an in-person show. This year's event, scheduled for May 17-19, 2022, in Atlanta, Ga., will feature the latest technology for the sewn products industry. In this interview, Michael McDonald, SPESA's president, and Nina McCormick, SPESA’s past Chairwoman and CFO at DAP America, Inc. and the show's largest exhibitor, give us a preview of what to expect.
Published March 1, 2022
When The International Center of Sindonology in Turin, Italy, was seeking a way to create realistic replicas of the Shroud of Turin for distribution to selected churches and museums around the globe, EFI's sustainable pigment-based digital textile printing technology was selected. In this interview, Adele Genoni, Senior Vice President and General Manager, EFI Reggiani, shares the story. WhatTheyThink filmed exclusive video at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, so our members can experience this amazing replica.
Published March 1, 2022
Last October, HeiQ, a company known for its many fabric treatment solutions, announced its first foray into fiber development with a 100% cellulosic filament yarn called AeoniQ. The goal is to be in full production by 2025 and enable the textiles industry to begin to move away from petroleum-based fibers such as polyester. Carmen Danner, Director Business Development, and Enrique Herrero Acero, Chief Technology Officer, provide details.
Published February 23, 2022
Remote monitoring of all types of equipment used in printing operations has been around for some time. However, its value became even more evident during the pandemic, when it was not possible—or at least difficult—to send technicians on site when a customer had a problem. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne looks at the current state of “smart glasses” and other remote monitoring options.
Published February 22, 2022
In this interview, Jennifer Guarino shares an update on the activities at ISAIC in Detroit, where they focus on innovation and talent development for the sewn products industry. Their unique approach to workforce management has helped attract many young people to the industry, with an average age of 31!
Published February 21, 2022
There’s a lot of talk about a broken supply chain for the textiles and apparel industry. But what’s actually being done to fix it? And what happens if we don’t? Last fall, the Sourcing Journal hosted a Sourcing Summit that addressed these issues. Some excerpts are included in this article, along with a link to the full report, well worth reviewing if you have any supply chain concerns at all!
Published February 21, 2022
In this interview, we catch up with Victoria Harris, Senior Textile Segment Specialist, Mimaki USA, who updates us on the latest developments from Mimaki for textile printing, from a new entry-level dye-sub printer to its unique dual-ink model, and more. She also talks about changing demands in North America as brands look to mitigate the supply chain issues driven largely by the pandemic.
Published February 17, 2022
Todd Roth, Vice President of Operations, Core Publishing Solutions, a Thomson-Reuters Company, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the transformation their plant has undergone since Sherburne's visit in 2016, driven by increasing demand for digital content in the legacy legal publications business. Today, about 70% of Core Publishing Solutions' output is commercial and educational publishing, a significant transition from its legacy business, which the company still continues to support.
Published February 16, 2022
In this interview, Kirby Best talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about his latest venture, BMC.fashion. This vertically integrated and highly automated factory will include two Kornit digital textile printers, Gerber cutting, and 120 sewing stations. Kirby explains how he has applied all that he has learned over the years about on demand manufacturing to create a unique, highly automated and very innovative factory, including a unique process for training sewing talent that should make it easy to attract and retain this valued asset.
Published February 16, 2022
Dani Diarbakerly has leveraged her experience with screen printing into her own business. She offers a wide range of screen-printed apparel products including direct to garment, screen printing on blanks, and a cut-and sew operation, as well as embroidery. She believes the best approach to the business includes a personal touch to make sure that customers receive exactly what they are expecting, including design assistance where needed.
Published February 14, 2022
With many of us barely beginning to understand what is meant by Industry 4.0, we’re now moving on to Industry 5.0! Acceleration is certainly a factor in today’s business and industrial environment. In this article, we define both Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0, and provide examples of how the textiles and apparel industry in North America can accelerate along with the market trends.
Published February 10, 2022
In the wake of the George Floyd tragedy, the Printing Industry Midwest (PIM) team decided to explore putting together a program to drive increased diversity, equity and inclusion in the printing industry. Today, the program is in pilot mode with a soft launch expected in the April timeframe. In this discussion, Kristin Davis of PIM explains the program, and Debby Boyd of JohnRoberts and Mariel Bolger of Bolger, two companies enrolled in the pilot program, talk about why the program is important to their companies and the industry.
Published February 4, 2022
Remote monitoring of all types of equipment used in printing operations has been around for some time. However, its value became even more evident during the pandemic, when it was not possible – or at least difficult – to send technicians on site when a customer had a problem.
Published January 31, 2022
In today’s world, we are inundated with misinformation and disinformation, and it is a constant daily battle to separate the wheat from the chaff, the truth from fake news. This is not limited to politics and healthcare. It’s also a factor in how the fashion industry—in cotton in particular—is portrayed. This article is a summary of a recent report by Transformers Foundation highlighting common myths about cotton. We recommend reading the full report and/or listening to a recent Supima webinar for the entire story.
Published January 31, 2022
In this conversation, Lux Research Senior Research Associate Tiffany Hua discusses the Lux Sustainable Innovation Model and identifies key elements that are applicable to a more sustainable future for textiles & apparel.
Published January 27, 2022
AccuLink continues to diversify the applications being produced, ranging from dye sublimation on stainless steel products and camp mugs, Direct to Garment, and flexible pouches on demand. CEO Tom O'Brien provides an update. He also peeks into the future discussing new applications he plans to introduce.
Published January 24, 2022
Much has been written about the Great Resignation and how worker shortages are affecting many businesses, a situation exacerbated by the pandemic. The retail industry is one that has clearly been heavily affected, leading to an increase in cashier-less checkout to help these businesses stay viable. This is a dramatic trend that also offers interesting opportunities for sign and display graphics businesses.
Published January 18, 2022
Cary Sherburne recently spoke with Adele Genoni, senior vice president and general manager at EFI Reggiani, to get the latest information on what the company has been up to. Despite the pandemic, it doesn’t seem that R&D efforts have slowed down, with three new products announced in just the past few months.
Published January 17, 2022
Graphene, a much-touted miracle material, was only discovered in 2004. Since then, it has permeated many different industries with products and solutions that deliver improved performance or new and innovative capabilities. Now, just a short time after its discovery, it’s beginning to make its way into consumer-level products. Is there some graphene in your future? Let’s take a look!
Published January 12, 2022
EFI recently spun off its productivity software unit as an independent company, acquired by a private equity firm. Some 18 months after leaving EFI, Marc Olin has returned to the software business he founded in 1986 as Executive Chairman. In this video interview, he provides some background and a look what customers can expect from the resulting company: eProductivity Software. Olin and the eProductivity team will be participating in EFI Connect next week in Las Vegas.
Published January 10, 2022
Back in 2019, we pointed out the opportunity presented by adding dye-sublimation printing to the mix as a diversification strategy. A great deal has happened since then, not the least of which is the continuing impact of the pandemic. But one thing that has not changed is the opportunity this technology offers. Read on!
Published January 5, 2022
In this conversation with Mattias Nordin, SVP of Business Development for Coloreel, he explains how their on-demand thread coloring technology works, the benefit of coloring thread for embroidery on demand and talks about a recent sale of 10 units in Portugal.
Published January 3, 2022
Mike Scrutton, Director, Print Technology and Strategy at Adobe, discusses how color management is different between commercial print and textile printing, and why limited color palettes are used in the latter. He offers advice for designers to consider when creating designs for textile printing in order to ensure design intent is met in production.
Published January 3, 2022
We all love our jeans, but consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the massive environmental impact of the denim dyeing process—chemistry, water usage, potential pollution of water sources, and so on. But there are encouraging developments underway in the world of more sustainable denim. We explore a few of them here.
Published December 15, 2021
Cary Sherburne looks back at some of the notable new products and trends that the textile and apparel industry saw in 2021—from a growing emphasis on digital printing, new inks (especially pigment-based), and the reshoring of apparel production.
Published December 14, 2021
As the Graphic Communications Leadership Institute (GCLI) wrapped up its first year of operation, we spoke with three participants to better understand the value they are getting from this three-year program. We also spoke with Francis McMahon of Canon Solutions America, who hosted this year’s final session.
Published December 13, 2021
How many companies have been able to successfully transform their businesses multiple times over a century of continuous operation? Not that many. That’s why the Grossman Marketing Group’s story is so interesting!
Published December 6, 2021
The fashion and textiles industry is one of the world’s worst offenders when it comes to impact on climate. There’s lots of talk from brands about how they will reduce this impact, but it’s not as straightforward as it may seem. To truly drive change, there are many friction points across the entire supply chain that need to be aggressively addressed. We discuss a few of them in this article.
Published December 6, 2021
Paul Hudson, CEO of Hudson Printing, chats with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about his recent acquisition of a Landa S10P B1 digital press. The company still gains about 70% of its revenues from web offset, but also has Indigo presses. According to Hudson, the Landa offers a great bridge technology between the two. View the whole story.
Published December 1, 2021
The printing industry affiliates, under their Operating Committee structure, work together in a number of ways to support members of more than 5,000 printing companies and the printing industry as a whole. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently spoke to the Operating Committee leadership team for an update.
Published December 1, 2021
For the first time in the history of the Affiliates, the top three leadership positions are held by women. Teresa Campbell, Melissa Jones, and Christine Hagopian join Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to talk about the many Affiliates initiatives, how the Operating Committee helps to coordinate across all the Affiliates, and the value of membership in the local printing industry Affiliate organization, which gives members access to a broad array of services.
Published November 29, 2021
As the world continues to struggle with the climate change crisis, methane emissions have been tagged as a key contributor that needs to be mitigated. And cows are being targeted as a key contributor to these greenhouse gas emission levels. Do we eliminate cows completely? Or are there other solutions? This article dives into those issues.
Published November 29, 2021
In this interview, industry expert and Print & Packaging Portfolio Manager for X-Rite/Pantone Ray Cheydleur shares his thoughts on considerations for commercial print or display graphics companies who wish to add more textile printing to the mix, especially as it relates to good color management techniques. What's different, what's the same, and what types of instrumentation and processes work best for each.
Published November 17, 2021
Industry veterans Joe Truncale and Mike Philie have implemented a new program that aims to bring leadership skills to printing company up-and-comers, filling a void that seems to exist in today's industry. Hear what they have to say about the program and learn how to get involved.
Published November 16, 2021
Cary Sherburne talks to WhatTheyThink contributor and industry expert David Zwang about some of the latest, post-COVID developments in production inkjet and industrial printing.
Published November 15, 2021
Kornit Digital showed a 118% year-over-year revenue increase for the second quarter of 2021. The company also has shifted its strategy a bit and made a couple of acquisitions that reflect this shift. In this Executive Q&A, Chief Marketing Officer Omer Kulka shares insight about Kornit’s strategic focus and the state of the industry at large.
Published November 11, 2021
Mistakes in the bindery are arguably the most expensive mistakes a printing/packaging operation can make, and with today's short runs and fast turn times, bindery waste is not an option for a profitable business. In this interview, Rick Salinas, Vice President of Marketing for Duplo, talks about all of the ins, outs and latest developments in finishing technology, including the importance of "beginning with the end in mind" when planning work and process integration across the entire workflow.
Published November 8, 2021
We always talk about the fact that the textiles industry is the world’s second largest polluter. Raising this awareness is helpful, but only if companies take the initiative to change the way they operate to reduce pollution, water and energy use, shipping, and transport, all while treating workers well and providing a living wage. In this article, we document some of those initiatives that can act as a template for others to follow.
Published November 8, 2021
Bryan Ormond, a professor at the Wilson College of Textiles, and his team received a grant from the CDC to take mask research to the next level. He explains it all in this video and also explains that you may be safer wearing different mask types in different conditions. We'll be back in touch with him as the research proceeds!
Published November 4, 2021
Cary Sherburne talks to Inkjet Insight’s Elizabeth Gooding about the latest trends in production inkjet. With physical installations down due to the pandemic, there has been increased activity on the software side, facilitating better remote vendor-customer and printer-client interaction.
Published November 3, 2021
You might be surprised at the volume and type of textiles being used in today’s vehicles—including woven, knitted, and nonwovens. Cary Sherburne takes nonwoven fabrics for a test drive, and identifies business opportunities—perhaps not so much in mass manufacturing of automobiles, but in customization of vehicles, which is growing in popularity.
Published November 3, 2021
There are not all that many companies in our industry, at least in North America, that have been continuously operating for more than a century. It takes a lot of flexibility to evolve with the times and not only survive, but thrive, for that long! Rob Mauritz, President and CEO of Des Moines-based LBS, shares his story.
Published November 1, 2021
Koenig & Bauer just reported one of their best years ever, despite the difficulties of the pandemic, and is looking forward to good momentum going into next year. In this interview, Cary Sherburne talks with Kilian Renschler, the new President & CEO for the Americas, as well as Senior Vice President of Marketing Eric Frank, to get the latest details.
Published October 27, 2021
Following the sale of his printing and publishing businesses last year, Allan Creel has decided to jump back in and found a terrific business opportunity in the acquisition of Fenske Media in Rapid City, S.D. The deal closed last week, and Allan is now President & CEO, with the four Fenske brothers staying involved as Vice Presidents. In this video interview, Allan provides the full story.
Published October 25, 2021
Among the many sustainability issues the textiles and apparel industry is facing, textile waste in landfills is near the top of the list. In this article, we talk with Ben Grossman about SwagCycle, his attempt to give back with a goal of landfill divergence for textile-based products, contributing to a reduced footprint and increased circularity.
Published October 21, 2021
The industry is ready to get back to in-person events, and Americas Print Show will be a great opportunity. Scheduled for August 17–19, 2022, in Columbus Ohio, it promises to be an event chock full of opportunities to see the latest technology, hear from great speakers, provide education to staff, and network with your peers. Easy driving distance from a large part of the U.S. is also a key benefit. Hear Jim Cunningham of GMA and Ed Chalifoux of PIAS describe the key elements of this event. Visit www.AmericasPrintShow22.com for more details!
Published October 14, 2021
Grossman Marketing Group was founded more than a century ago as an envelope printer. In recent years, the company has focused on providing marketing materials to its customers, including collateral, event signage and promotional products. To continue expansion of its portfolio and customer base, the company has made eight acquisitions in the last several years. Co-President Ben Grossman tells the story.
Published October 11, 2021
As we look ahead to the upcoming COP26—UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties—in November, it’s a good time to take a look at some of the developments in textiles that will help the industry move forward in a more sustainable fashion. Just Style hosted a COP26 apparel panel discussion to explore these moves and we summarize here.
Published October 11, 2021
Every year, tons of unwanted materials end up in landfills around the globe. SwagCycle, founded by Ben Grossman of Grossman Marketing Group, is a platform that matches donors with recipients for materials that can be re-used or recycled, giving them a second life and keeping them out of the landfill. This includes such things as donations to charities like Dress for Success and Boys & Girls Clubs to finding ways to use ground up materials in insulation, mattress stuffing, carpet pads and more. Ben shares the details in this video interview.
Published October 11, 2021
In this video, we introduce Kilian Renschler, President & CEO of Koenig & Bauer US & Canada. Renschler is joined by Senior Vice President of Marketing & Product Manager Eric Frank. They walk us through Renschler's background and reasons for joining the company, the latest details about new products and how they are helping customers be more flexible and efficient from prepress through finishing and across commercial and packaging segments, and talk about the very successful year they are having despite the pandemic as printing businesses and the economy at large recover.
Published October 5, 2021
In this article sponsored by HP, Mike Fontana, CEO of Illinois-based American Litho, explains the decision process behind acquiring two HP PageWide Production Inkjet Presses and the value the company has received from its investments. The ninth largest US direct mail producer touts quality, speed, and support as key decision factors.
Published September 28, 2021
Tomcsányi Péter, CEO and Founder of Prime Rate, a printing firm located in Hungary, started his journey as a book author looking for a publisher and ultimately ended up starting his own printing company. In this article, sponsored by HP, Péter has been expanding Prime Rate’s digital capabilities by installing HP PageWide Web Presses and converting his entire digital color operation to an HP platform.
Published September 27, 2021
The pandemic placed stress on most industries, but arguably one of the most affected was the sewn products industry, which was already facing challenges pre-pandemic. In a recent interview, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne discussed the state of the sewn products industry with SPESA President Michael McDonald and steps that could be taken to ameliorate those challenges.
Published September 27, 2021
In this conversation, Michael McDonald, President of SPESA, shares insight into what attendees can expect at the organization's upcoming Executive Conference, 27–28 October in Boston. He also discusses the challenges the sewn products industry is facing in a wide ranging conversation, from workforce development to supply chain to reshoring and more.
Published September 20, 2021
The EFI Reggiani R&D team has been busy, despite the pandemic constraints. The recent launch of the EFI Reggiani HYPER, which EFI categorizes as the fastest multi-pass digital textile printer on the market, has already seen good success. Senior VP and General Manager Adele Genoni talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about EFI Reggiani's 2021 product launches, the company's FESPA plans, and the general state of the market as digital textile printing continues to gain share.
Published September 14, 2021
The Year of Frank, which is designed to both celebrate Frank Romano's 80th birthday and his many contributions to the industry, as well as to drive fundraising and volunteer activities for the Museum of Printing, was looking forward to the opportunity to increase visibility at PRINTING United. Unfortunately, with the show being cancelled, that is now not possible. Frank and Jim Hamilton share an update in this video—donations, future plans and more. This is a must watch! Plus, be sure to visit www.museumofprinting.org where you will find a wealth of information and a big red Donate button! Please help us preserve this priceless industry asset and piece of history.
Published September 14, 2021
Farmington, Maine-based Franklin Printing has a long history of leveraging technology to enhance the craft of printing. Most recently, the company has added an HP PageWide Web Press T250 HD, the first production web press to be installed in Maine, as part of its evolution into the future of print.
Published September 13, 2021
Back in 2015, the United Nations adopted an aggressive sustainability agenda with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth—all while tackling climate change and working to preserve the environment. Participation is voluntary and adoption has been sporadic. That led WRAP, a global sustainability charity to establish Textiles 2030, also voluntary, but aiming to transform the way the UK supplies, uses and disposes of clothing and textiles over the next 10 years. Is this a framework the textiles industry in other countries can adopt?
Published September 13, 2021
Meredith Nichols has been the Director of Print Media at Flagship Press in Massachusetts and involved in many innovative efforts at the company to automate workflows and continuously improve its wide range of services. Now she is taking that expertise "on the road" with the launch of Nichols Associates. She explains it all in this video interview.
Published September 7, 2021
In this interview, Heather Elliot, previous chairperson of AATCC's RA-100 Committee and working for one of fashion's major brands, explains the role of the committee and what its fiber fragment measurement standard is designed to do. Our viewers may have heard the term microfibers, with respect to their contribution to pollution when they are shed during home laundry. Heather explains why they prefer not to use that term, and also provides suggestions about how consumers can minimize fiber fragment shedding as they think about how they launder their clothing.
Published August 30, 2021
Are you a prosumer or do you know one? Or is it even a term you are familiar with? This article explains who prosumers are and the impact they can have and are having on the fashion industry, as well as how each of us can play a role as well in helping move the fashion industry to a more sustainable future.
Published August 30, 2021
As the drive toward sustainability to address the climate crisis heats up (no pun intended), there are a number of technologies that are already working that can reduce CO2 emissions and operate with renewable energy. Near-Infrared drying technology from German company adphos is one of those. Frank de Jonge explains.
Published August 23, 2021
Dave Cich, President & CEO of Vanguard Durst, shares his thoughts about Durst's investment in his company, the driving factors for both companies, and some of the benefits the combination brings. He also reveals two new printers that will be unveiled at PRINTING United.
Published August 23, 2021
According to the U.S. Labor Department, more than 4 million Americans quit their jobs in April, a record high, and even more plan to do so as we exit the pandemic. If people are quitting due to boredom or unhappiness but still want to work, where will they look? And how can the textiles and apparel industry, which has long struggled to attract new talent, generate interest among those looking for something new?
Published August 16, 2021
Over the last several years, Jefferson City, Mo.-based Modern Litho has experienced growth both organically and through acquisitions as it expands its footprint within Missouri. In this interview, Jeff Davidson discusses the company’s strategy, how acquisitions are key to its growth and diversification, and its latest investments in IT infrastructure.
Published August 16, 2021
In this interview, Modern Litho's Jeff Davidson, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and a member of the ownership team, provides an update on Modern Litho and background on its latest acquisition of Kansas City based Watkins Lithographic. If integrating an acquired company isn't enough, the company is also embarking on deployment of a MIS/ERP solution in partnership with Kodak.
Published August 10, 2021
When Shutterfly announced it was acquiring Spoonflower, we sort of said to ourselves, well, that makes sense. Now, Michael Jones of Spoonflower and Dwayne Black of Shutterfly share the entire story with our viewers—how the acquisition benefits both companies and their respective customers as well as the industry at large. An exciting move!
Published August 9, 2021
We’ve been speculating about how the textiles and apparel industry will come out of the pandemic—how much will change, how quickly, and how much will remain the same? To help with this thought process, the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University has published a study entitled "Repeat, Repair or Renegotiate? The Post-COVID Future of the Apparel Industry." We summarize the results in this article.
Published August 9, 2021
Sappi is a well-known name in the printing industry, known for its high quality fine papers, its dedication to sustainability, and more. But did you know they have a product that can deboss wood grain on wood products that use printed laminate for products such as cabinets, or create a 3D paper-based structure that can imprint leather grain on artificial leather products? Nicholas Yardy, Director of Release Technology, explains this and more in this interesting video chat.
Published August 2, 2021
Felix Mueller, President of Heidelberg USA, shares his excitement about the company's presence at PRINTING United, which will feature a Smart Print Shop, whose core is software infrastructure that helps to reduce touches and make the manufacturing process more efficient. The booth will also feature a Heidelberg Versafire digital press and a Heidelberg sheetfed offset press, as well as a Polar cutter.
Published July 26, 2021
We’ve written a great deal about sustainability—or the lack thereof—in textiles and apparel on this site. In this article, we highlight some of the less discussed but equally important textile finishing technology that is driving sustainability in the industry
Published July 26, 2021
Kristen Dettoni founded Design Pool in 2019 as a B2B initiative targeting interior designers with an extensive design library and a network of printers who could execute their projects. During the pandemic, she launched Domanda Designs, a B2C initiative. In this conversation, she discusses some of the challenges with gaining mindshare in a B2C environment and what she is doing to counteract those.
Published July 21, 2021
APTech and FSEA have teamed up to produce a new industry event: AmplifyPrint will be held 14-16 June 2022 in Minneapolis, a conference and exhibition dedicated to educating printers and designers about the latest possibilities in the realm of finishing. More info can be found at www.amplifyprint.org. Jeff Peterson and Thayer Long explain the event in this video interview.
Published July 20, 2021
New players are introducing new technologies for textile and apparel production and are poised to up-end the industry. Upheavals in the supply chain and rapidly changing consumer demands are starting to increase a sense of urgency, and more brands are looking seriously at how to effectively work on-demand or made-to-order manufacturing into their go-to-market processes.
Published July 19, 2021
Adi Chinai of Boston-based King Printing shares his thoughts on how the pandemic affected the book market, which segments are growing most, and how production inkjet printing has changed the business. He also talks about the growth in self-publishing and how digital technologies have made that more accessible to more authors.
Published July 12, 2021
Direct-to-consumer retail for apparel, once the domain of upstarts, is now being more seriously pursued by larger brands, a move that has been accelerated by the pandemic. What does this mean for brands and retail? Is another upheaval coming?
Published July 12, 2021
Adam LeFebvre, President of Specialty Print Communications and a GLGA Board Member, explains why it is important for printing companies to support their local Affiliate and shares some of the benefits he has received from membership and from donating his time to serve on the Board.
Published July 1, 2021
Adobe announced a creative alliance with Aquario Design and NedGraphics, two elements of the textiles portfolio of FOG Software Group, a division of Constellation Software. The alliance was announced by Adobe’s Mike Scrutton at the Smithers Digital Textile Printing conference underway in Arizona.
Published June 30, 2021
Carles Farre, vice president and general manager, HP PageWide Press, talks about his background, current role, and views of the future of HP’s production inkjet business and the industry at large, including both commercial and corrugated applications.
Published June 29, 2021
Cynthia Power, Director, EILEEN FISHER Renew, describes the various ways the brand is taking back, reselling, and upcycling garments as well as recycling efforts to reduce the amount of textile waste in landfills. She'll be discussing this as the upcoming Smithers Digital Printing for Textiles conference as well.
Published June 28, 2021
The pandemic has placed increased focus on supply chain issues in textiles and apparel, but a lot of this has been figuring out how to manufacture the same items more efficiently, especially Fast Fashion. But underneath it all, there is a burgeoning interest in better ways to extend the life of existing textile and apparel items—from reuse and recycling to upcycling. Will this be the next big thing for the industry, and how will it adapt?
Published June 28, 2021
Fernando Marin founded Clean Ocean Fiber Tech to develop a new way of making yarn that significantly reduces, or even eliminates, microfiber shedding, a huge environmental issue. Laboratory tests in Brazil reveal that the Clean Ocean Fiber Tech fabric shed only 4 microfibers during the test, while standard fabric shed over 7,000 with a similar sized sample.
Published June 24, 2021
Dupont has been involved in production of inks for inkjet printing for more than 30 years. In this conversation, Eric Beyeler, Global Marketing Manager for Artistri® Digital Inks at DuPont, talks about their history, how their inks are distributed, and the promise of pigment inks for both commercial/packaging and textile printing. Beyeler will be speaking in more detail on this topic at the Smithers Digital Textile Printing US conference on June 30th.
Published June 21, 2021
As things start to return to normal, conference organizers are looking for creative ways to reengage with their audiences. In the case of Smithers Digital Textile Printing U.S. (and its sister conference, Digital Print for Packaging U.S.), they have chosen to adopt a hybrid virtual/in-person model for both presenters and attendees.
Published June 21, 2021
Michelle Courtois is an experienced design professional with a passion for textiles, product development, and technology. While she started in apparel and has worked with many well-known brands, she is shifting her focus to home decor -- a booming opportunity as more people are choosing to continue to work from home and to spend more time and energy making their homes reflect their style and lifestyle. Michelle talks about the projects she will present at the conference and where she sees the home decor market going from here.
Published June 14, 2021
In its first in-person trade show appearance since the pandemic began, EFI Reggiani displayed its dedication to ongoing innovation for textiles, even during this difficult time. Three new products were announced at ITMA Asia in Shanghai last Friday, as well as ink manufacturing capabilities in Asia and updates to the EFI Reggiani BOLT. Read the full story.
Published June 14, 2021
Adele Genoni, EFI Vice President and General Manager at EFI Reggiani, joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to talk about the company's first in-person presence at a major trade event since the pandemic began. At ITMA Asia 2021, EFI Reggiani is launching two new ease of entry digital textile printers and teasing a third that will be launched later in the summer.
Published June 10, 2021
Following PRINTING United Alliance’s acquisition of the Printing Industries of America (PIA), the 21 local Printing Industries of Americas Affiliates joined together to see how they could work together to continue to support their local print communities. Cary Sherburne spoke with members of Affiliate Operating and Education Committees about their plans for the future.
Published June 7, 2021
As we begin to see the end of the pandemic (we hope), we wonder what things will look like on the other end. WTIN recently conducted a very informative webinar that touches on this topic and more. Worth a view! This article contains a summary of key information provided.
Published June 2, 2021
Frank Romano, an industry icon who needs no introduction, spoke with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne on the eve of his 80th birthday. He shared stories about how he got into the printing industry and some of his early career, talked about the Museum of Printing and a few of the unique items that are on display there, and provided sage insight and advice about the future of the industry.
Published June 1, 2021
For the 2021 AATCC Concept 2 Consumer® Student Merchandising Competition, AATCC received nine entries, with 19 students participating from five colleges and universities. In this video, we interview Evietta Chapman and Keaton Springer, the first place winners with their Circular Edit project. They talk about why they are choosing careers in textiles & apparel, what their project consisted of, and what their plans are after graduation in June of 2021.
Published May 24, 2021
We recently suggested that the Fast Fashion trend should come to an end sooner rather than later, especially in today’s more sustainability-conscious environment and increased focus on solving climate change issues around the globe. In this article, we share insights from recent UBS and other research supporting this position and suggesting what happens if consumers cut back on fast fashion.
Published May 24, 2021
With textiles & apparel being the second largest contributor to pollution, behind the petroleum industry, everything we can do to minimize that is important. In this discussion, Reinhard Umber of bluesign discusses the extensive process the company's partners must undergo to be able to use the prestigious bluesign logo and become a system partner.
Published May 17, 2021
With a goal to ultimately employ 300 people, and with some very unique and sustainable ways of washing, preparing, cutting and sewing denim products, SAI-TEX USA is not only playing a substantial role in reshoring of apparel manufacturing, but has also introduced benefits of on-demand production to this product category. SAI-TEX USA President Kathy Kweon explains.
Published May 10, 2021
The pandemic has driven significant change into a number of aspects of our lives, many of which are likely to stick around long after we get through this difficult period. One technology that has seen an increase in adoption is Smart Glasses. We’ve got examples of how forward-thinking companies have leveraged this technology to keep revenues coming in despite pandemic restrictions.
Published May 10, 2021
We spoke with Sasha Stolyarov, CEO of AFFOA, about a year ago on the subject of fiber-based computing. Now, a year later, he has plenty of updates to share in this informative video interview. The future of fiber-based computing is here, and will only grow in functionality as AFFOA and others advance this exciting field for the textiles industry.
Published May 3, 2021
Kornit recently upped its direct-to-garment (DTG) game with announcement of the Kornit Atlas MAX printer, incorporating new technology that allows much more detail to be printed on garments than before. MAX technology is expected to be available for direct-to-fabric printing in the future.
Published May 3, 2021
Recent RIT graduate Nicole Saunders has joined commercial printer Kirkwood and is currently working her way through various departments in the company under the mentorship of its managers. The goal is to determine where she feels she can deliver the most value and where her true passions lie. This is a great story that can encourage others to pursue a career in graphic communications.
Published April 26, 2021
The best way to figure out how to deploy technology to accelerate adoption of emerging trends is to use it yourself in a real-life operation. That’s exactly what software and services company Ziel is doing. Learn how the company is leveraging its own on-demand apparel manufacturing platform to develop industry-changing solutions for those wishing to implement a sustainable, on-demand manufacturing model for their businesses.
Published April 26, 2021
In this video, Marleen Vogelaar, who has a background in 2D and 3D printing, explains why she decided to enter the apparel industry with her company Ziel, and what the objectives and future plans of the company are, including stimulating on-demand manufacturing of apparel, and developing a software infrastructure that makes the process easier for manufacturers.
Published April 21, 2021
In WhatTheyThink/Printing News’ Annual Print Shop Franchise Review, Cary Sherburne takes a look at how the major print franchises fared in the past year, how they managed the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they plan to make up lost ground in 2021.
Published April 19, 2021
Cary Sherburne talks to Robert Stabler about the latest digital packaging product introductions from Koenig & Bauer Durst, as well as some of the changes the pandemic has brought to the press placement process.
Published April 19, 2021
Back in 2019, Durst and Koenig & Bauer announced a joint venture to develop digital printing capabilities for the corrugated and folding carton markets. Fast forward two years, and the vision has become reality. Hear what Managing Director Robert Stabler has to say about the experience.
Published April 12, 2021
Marci Kinter, Vice President of Government & Regulatory Affairs for PRINTING United Alliance, has significant knowledge and expertise on the various aspects of sustainability and what it means for a printing plant all the way out to the consumer and end of life of the printed product. In this interview, she offers insight into print, packaging and the circular economy.
Published April 5, 2021
In this interview, Jules van Sant shares a Printing & Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF) update. Among the many industry-related hats she wears, she has taken on this volunteer leadership role to help get the word out on scholarships that are available to help or encourage students to consider a career in the broader graphic arts industry, from marketing and sales, to graphic design, to running a press and the myriad of other opportunities the industry offers.
Published April 5, 2021
Sustainability is a hot topic in the textiles and apparel industry, as well it should be. Discussions have heated up even more as a result of the pandemic and the associated supply chain difficulties it has presented for the industry. Expect to see increased use of the terms recycling, upcycling, and even return of rentals as the industry works to adjust to a wide range of new realities. Lenzing Tencel is a good example of the type of environmental stewardship that is needed to make the industry more sustainable. Other examples are included in this article as well—and there are many more in the works or already in the market.
Published March 23, 2021
For the past two years or so, the former PIA Affiliates (now we are just calling them the Affiliates!) have been working behind the scenes to develop an infrastructure to help them better serve their local communities. This has taken the form of an Operating Committee and a number of sub-committees as well as a high spirit of collaboration among the individual Affiliates for the benefit of their members. In this video interview, several members of the Operating Committee share their views on a positive future for the industry.
Published March 22, 2021
Fast fashion became a thing around the turn of this century. It’s the process of churning out low-quality, you could even say disposable, clothing to take advantage of every passing fad and trend. But in this writer’s humble opinion, this has to stop! We are choking our oceans and landfills with junk clothes. Can we put more focus on quality and durability? Just sayin’.
Published March 22, 2021
Marci Kinter, Vice President of Government & Regulatory Affairs for PRINTING United Alliance, talks about the issue of sustainability and the circular economy as it affects the textile industry and the need to reexamine the supply chain to create a more environmentally conscious industry, especially in light of its fragility as exposed by the pandemic.
Published March 16, 2021
John Thorbeck of ChaingeCapital.com has been working with Stanford University on a number of sustainability issues relative to the textiles and apparel supply chain. In this interview, he communicates a sense of urgency for brands to implement programs that reduce inventory risk, freeing capital for necessary changes in the supply chain. It's a fascinating don't-miss conversation!
Published March 15, 2021
Cary Sherburne talks with Christoph Gamper, CEO of Durst, and Christian Harder, Vice President of Sales, about the current state of their business, which segments were performing better than others, and how the company was helping customers to innovate, even during this pandemic, including holding virtual demonstrations, introducing new products, and more.
Published March 15, 2021
In this interview with Christoph Gamper, CEO of Durst, and Christian Harder, Vice President of Sales, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne discussed with them the current state of their business, which segments were performing better than others, and how the company was helping customers to innovate, even during this pandemic, including holding virtual demonstrations, introducing new products, and more. Gamper shared his view that we will come out of this stronger than ever, even though it may be later in the year before things completely turn around.
Published March 8, 2021
There is no question that the pandemic had a deleterious—and immediate—impact on the printing industry and the economy as a whole. While both now look to be on the road to recovery, although slower than we ever could have anticipated, it’s interesting to look at how and when that might actually occur based on research largely conducted in the final quarter of 2020.
Published March 8, 2021
20 years ago, Ken Holsclaw and Max Nair founded Phase 3 Marketing and Communications as a digital printing company with eight employees. Today, the company has offices in five cities with 175 employees, offering marketing services from ideation to execution—including branding and public relations all the way to small and large format print, fabrication, installation and promo products. Their foresight and vision has enabled them to grow through two previous downturns, and the company is positioned well to return to pre-pandemic levels. It's a great success story in an industry that has been hard hit by the economic impact of the pandemic.
Published March 4, 2021
Following the merger of PIA and SGIA to form PRINTING United Alliance, our understanding is the affiliates, for the most part, were supportive of the action. However, recently they were presented with a proposal from PRINTING United Alliance they felt took away one of the key values of the affiliate structure—the local presence and support their members depend on. In this WhatTheyThink exclusive story, Christine Hagopian of PINE, Tim Freeman of Printing Industries Alliance, and Lou Caron of PIA Southern California share their perspective on what this move means for the future of the affiliates.
Published March 2, 2021
In addition to sharing his strategy for the overall PRINTING United Alliance organization, in this interview, CEO Ford Bowers talks about why the Idealliance acquisition was done and how Idealliance fits into the overall PRINTING United family, as well as some thoughts about where it will go in the future. He also addresses the organization's plans to hold the PRINTING United trade show and exhibition in Orlando in October.
Published March 1, 2021
GLS/NEXT Precision Marketing recently announced a rebranding to ENPOINTE, a branding + marketing solutions company. The company, which has an in-house advertising agency as a result of an earlier acquisition, has had digital printing since 2003 and recently added a production inkjet press, along with its conventional printing resources, including heatset web. Founder and Chairman Gary Garner and Executive Vice President of Sales Todd Matuska, share their story in this video interview with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne.
Published March 1, 2021
In a recent TexProcess/TechTextil webinar, panelists discussed what is happening with respect to the textiles and apparel supply chain, especially what has been accelerated by the pandemic. Has there been a sourcing shift? Is there a balance shift between Western and Asian sources? What key elements do brands and suppliers need to address to bring about needed systemic change? How many are even capable of driving systemic change? These were some of the questions and issues discussed in this very interesting session.
Published February 25, 2021
Cary Sherburne speaks with three printing industry veterans who have chosen to make a new beginning: Marc Olin, former COO at EFI; Michael Makin, former CEO of PIA and EVP at PRINTING United Alliance; and Ken Garner, former SVP for Content Creation at the Association for Print Technologies. As they start the new year with new adventures, we wanted to give them special recognition for all of their contributions and years of service to the industry.
Published February 22, 2021
A push toward a more sustainable textiles and apparel industry is underway, largely driven by consumer demand, and, to some extent, by brands who are working to restructure their supply chains post-pandemic. Key considerations include not only the adoption of more digital technologies, about which we have written extensively, but also the further development of fabrics created from bio-based materials, and a significant change in consumer behavior with respect to their wardrobes. Learn more about the pros and cons of bio-based materials, some of the emerging developments, and behavior changes that can reduce your personal textiles-based environmental impact.
Published February 22, 2021
Lewis Shuler has worked at several well-known apparel brands and also spent 10 years working in China. He has tremendous insight to share about the current state of the industry and what it will take to accelerate both the analog-to-digital transformation and re-shoring of manufacturing. He also shares his thoughts on emerging technologies such as solid color spray dyeing.
Published February 15, 2021
Runway Kit, a subsidiary of Sri Lanka-based MAS Holdings, was established in mid-2019 with the goal of providing professional manufacturing support to designers and entrepreneurs. Either starting from basic provided designs or from the ground up with a custom design, Runway Kit works with designers to create professional quality tech packs to enable manufacturing with them or with another manufacturer, with minimum order quantities as low as 100. Nethmi Wickramasuriya, Digital Launch Entrepreneur, explains.
Published February 8, 2021
A relatively new company, founded in Atlanta in 2016, National Print Wholesale, gained about 30% of its business from trade shows and exhibits prior to the pandemic. In this interview, Whit Copley explains how the company has pivoted to deliver new applications and find new customers during the pandemic and shares his positive outlook for 2021.
Published February 1, 2021
2020 and a good part of 2021 will be seen as the time of virtual events. It was either that or put everything on hold, which clearly was not an option. There was great hope that we would be back to in-person events by spring of 2021, but one by one, scheduled events such as drupa and Interpack, FESPA, TechTextil/TexProcess, and more were either cancelled, converted to virtual events, or postponed until late summer or fall. We spoke to a number of folks—organizers, sponsors and attendees—to get their views about the value of these events. We also included some virtual event questions in a broader survey.
Published January 25, 2021
In this video interview, Shlomo Nimrodi, CEO, and Simon Lewis, VP Marketing, of Highcon, along with their newest addition, Alon Bar-Shany as Chairman, discuss the current state of Highcon following its very successful IPO, the target customer base, some of the changes driven by the pandemic, and their vision of the future in a dynamic, interactive discussion. Following this interview, Highcon and EFI announced a global partnership benefiting their common core of customers with ERP integration; Highcon also has a similar partnership with HP Indigo—and a common core of customers—where integration of print and finishing has offered many benefits.
Published January 18, 2021
Poshmark (ticker: POSH) shares entered the public market last week, with shares soaring nearly 142%, opening at $97.50 and hitting a high of $104.98, with a Thursday close at $101.50, making it up 141.7%. This kind of feels like the 90s dot-com boom. Will it lead to a bust? The Poshmark CEO thinks not.
Published January 18, 2021
Jim Fleet, CEO of Ashton Potter, talks about how security printing differs from other types of printing in this interview by Senior Editor Cary Sherburne. Using flexo, offset, and intaglio, plus serialization and track-and-trace technologies, Ashton Potter delivers a unique service.
Published January 5, 2021
Mike Scrutton, Adobe's Director of Print Technologies and Strategy, shares his thoughts on changes in packaging, for both brands and converters, as a result of the increased use of ecommerce due to the pandemic, conditions he believes will continue to prevail post-pandemic.
Published January 4, 2021
If you are interested in textiles and how they are woven through human history (pun intended), The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World is a well-written and very informative history of how fabrics have been part of human history from the beginning. In this article, we take a look at silk—not it’s history so much, but at where it might go from here.
Published January 4, 2021
Kristen Dettoni founded Design Pool as a way to make her textile designs available to other designers and developed a network of printers who can execute those designs. More recently, she founded Domanda, an online store that enables consumers to use professional designs on a wide range of home goods. She talks about why she started these businesses, what she has been able to achieve, and how the pandemic has affected the demand for these types of services, especially in home and commercial decor.
Published December 17, 2020
Ever since Gutenberg, print and its uses have continued to evolve. That's true today as well, and that evolution has likely been accelerated by the pandemic. Hear what Adobe's Mike Scrutton, Director of Print Technology and Strategy, has to say about where we are with print today, where it's going, and how printing companies can take advantage of new opportunities offered by this continuing evolution.
Published December 17, 2020
Mimaki offers a broad portfolio of solutions for the sign and display graphics market. Mike Maxwell, Senior Manager–Corporate Strategic Development at Mimaki U.S., provides a look at the range of applications customers are producing, including how customers can incorporate 3D printing into the sign and display graphics businesses.
Published December 16, 2020
Cary Sherburne talks to Diana Wyman, Executive Vice President at the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), about the state of the association, the occasion of its 100-year anniversary, and its upcoming plans.
Published December 15, 2020
Marc Olin co-founded ProGraph in 1989 right out of college and has stayed with the same company through its many iterations since, through formation of PrintCafe and acquisition by EFI. Effective December 1, 2020, Olin has left EFI to explore his next chapter. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Olin to revisit history and get a look toward the future for this industry veteran who has contributed much to the industry over the years.
Published December 15, 2020
The COVID crisis laid bare the weaknesses and fragility of the textiles supply chain, and brought to the fore a renewed interest in and need for digital textile production and more environmentally sustainable practices. Cary Sherburne takes a look back at the year in textiles.
Published December 15, 2020
Sewing is often referred to as the "last mile" in the manufacture of sewn goods in terms of an overall automated workflow. Huge progress has been made in the level of automation, and an operator can be quickly trained to execute sewing of some types of items. But the fine work of sewing apparel is still out of reach. Rick Frye shares his thoughts about the current state of sewing automation, and describes Brother's new Bridge sewing technology.
Published December 15, 2020
Cary Sherburne speaks with Dwayne Black, COO of Shutterfly, and Haim Levit, General Manager, HP Indigo. Shutterfly, the US-based online personalized products and photo leader, last month signed a landmark agreement with HP Indigo for more than 60 new HP Indigo digital presses, as it expands its capabilities to supply the growing demand for printing photo memories.
Published December 14, 2020
As was the case with so many events this year, the Digital Textile Printing Conference, hosted by AATCC and the PRINTING United Alliance, was held virtually over two days. The inability to meet in person didn’t stop these organizations, their speakers, and attendees from spending quality time reviewing the latest trends and looking ahead to 2021 and beyond.
Published December 14, 2020
In this discussion, Michael Makin talks about his experience in the SGIA/PIA merger that created PRINTING United Alliance, the benefits for PIA Affiliates, and the industry of the merger and his view of the future of the industry.
Published December 10, 2020
Victoria Harris, Textile Specialist at Mimaki USA, discusses the Mimaki TX300P-1800 MKII hybrid printer, which easily switches between pigment ink printing for direct to fabric and dye-sublimation inks for printing on heat-transfer paper, as well as other digital textile printing solutions from Mimaki.
Published December 10, 2020
Adele Genoni, General Manager of EFI Reggiani, talks to Cary Sherburne about EFI Reggiani’s BOLT being awarded an InterTech Award—the first textile product to win an InterTech Award.
Published December 9, 2020
Thayer Long, President of the Association for PRINT Technologies (APTech), and Eric Hawkinson, Senior Vice President at Innovatis Group, explain APTech's partnership with Innovatis Group to enable the association to broaden its offerings and increase its value to its members and to the industry.
Published December 8, 2020
Cary Sherburne talks to EFI’s Frank Mallozzi about the launch of the second-generation Nozomi digital corrugated press, its trade event plans, and winning an InterTech Award for the EFI Reggiani BOLT digital textile printer.
Published December 7, 2020
Manufacturing automation in textiles and apparel is moving ahead apace, accelerated by advances in digital technology. But the remaining “last mile,” sewing, continues to be a barrier to reshoring of apparel manufacturing on a large scale. This article explores some of the efforts underway to automate sewing and what impact that could have on the future of apparel manufacturing in North America and Europe.
Published December 7, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended many things, not the least of which are trade shows and other in-person events. EFI's Chief Revenue Officer Frank Mallozzi talks about the company's decision to pull out of drupa 2021, its creation of a virtual event, EFI Engage, to replace EFI Connect 2021, and shares an update on the EFI BOLT including talking about its recognition with an InterTech Award. (Note: This video was recorded before drupa announced its cancellation of the 2021 event.)
Published December 7, 2020
Entrepreneur and innovator Kirby Best has been working with Gerber to make on-demand fashion design and manufacturing tools more accessible to designers and brands, especially smaller organizations that have found the cost of these tools to be a barrier. The result is Eloise.Fashion, where designers can leverage tools and technology to create designs, prepare them for manufacturing, and connect with manufacturing facilities such as OnPoint Manufacturing. Kirby explains it all in this video.
Published November 30, 2020
As we wrap up 2020, let’s take a few minutes to look back over what has been a difficult year and highlight a bright spot for the textiles and apparel industry: increased efforts to reinvent the textiles and apparel supply chain, which has been hard hit by the pandemic and the resulting economic disruptions. Inside that effort is an increased focus on sustainability from both establish brands and suppliers and new emerging players.
Published November 30, 2020
Jennifer Guarino, CEO and Chair of the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC), based in Detroit, explains the multitude of programs the organization has in place to attract and train new industry talent, manufacture sewn goods such as masks and gowns, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and more, and to implement the newest technologies.
Published November 19, 2020
Printing Industries released its annual Wage & Benefits Report and it contains a wealth of great information for print service providers, with input from more than 500 companies across North America. In this video, Teresa Campbell, President of PIA Mid America, and Steve Bonoff, President of Printing Industries of the Midwest, explain some of the trends uncovered. More information will be provided in a webinar on December 15, 2020.
Published November 17, 2020
John Lacagnina is a digital printing pioneer whose company Entire, founded in the 1980s, was the first to connect high-speed production digital printers to networks for document printing where before they had been connected only to mainframes. He has a rich heritage of innovation between now and then, and most recently started a 3D printing company. Here what he has to say about the past, present, and future of digital print.
Published November 16, 2020
The pandemic and the economic and political uncertainty have cast a pall on many aspects of our lives. But it’s not all bad news. Graphco President Chris Manley joins the chorus of voices that sees growth and opportunity in printing—some going as far as to call it the Golden Age of Printing. Here’s how Manley explains it.
Published November 16, 2020
Christian Compera, Deputy General Manager, Industrial Print Business Group, Ricoh, shares his thoughts on the digital printing opportunity in textiles, why Ricoh chose to enter the direct-to-garment (DTG) space, the family of printers it now offers, and where Ricoh may go in the future with regard to digital textile printing.
Published November 12, 2020
And she's doing a lot more than just talking. Schreiber participated on a Smithers Digital Textile Printing Conference panel, sharing her thoughts on recycled fabrics, textile waste and sustainability. In this video, she explains how Fabscrap is working in a number of creative ways to minimize the amount of fabric waste that goes to landfills.
Published November 10, 2020
In this interview with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, Chris Manley, President of Graphco, shares his business experiences during the pandemic, including equipment sales driven by growth in book printing and direct mail, as well as the company's unique Ready to Rebound program.
Published November 9, 2020
There is no question 2020 has been an unusual year across the board, and especially in the textiles and apparel industry. As the year comes to a close, be sure to attend the 2020 Edition of AATCC and PRINTING United Alliance’s Digital Textile Printing 2020 conference, packed full of the information you need to finalize your plans for a successful 2021 and beyond. Check out the details.
Published November 9, 2020
In this interview, CEO Rick Bellamy talks about how his company is structured, some of the recent acquisitions he has made and why, the impact of the pandemic on his business, and why he thinks we are in "the golden age of print."
Published November 5, 2020
At the Digital Textile Printing Conference hosted by Smithers, Jena Nesbitt, Product Strategy Director for Oregon-based Pine Crest Fabrics, presented a session on how digital printing has affected the ability of small manufacturers and direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands to develop trend right textile designs quickly and inexpensively. In this video, she talks about how digital printing technologies have changed the game for her business and her brand owner customers.
Published November 3, 2020
In part 2 of this video interview, Kathryn Lawrie, Kathy Phillips and Cathy Valent share more of the latest developments at Springs Creative, including new acquisitions for its Baxter Mill archive, an increased focus on fabrics and designs for home decor, and its ability to help designers and brands find inspiration when traveling around the world to find new ideas has become difficult during the pandemic.
Published November 2, 2020
The story of how Lilly Pulitzer got started as a fashion designer is fascinating, and so is the story of how the company has leveraged digital printing technologies to streamline its workflow and unleash increased design creativity. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Margaret Getty, Lilly Pulitzer Senior Associate for Woven Fabric and Trim, to learn more.
Published November 2, 2020
North Coast Litho devoted a great deal of time and effort in assessing digital printing options, waiting until it could find solutions that met its extremely high quality requirements and that of its customers. It found that quality level in digital presses, acquired in 2011 and 2016, but only recently was able to find the same level of quality in an envelope press, acquiring the iJetColorPro from Printware in 2020. General Manager Bob Strohmeyer explains in this article, sponsored by Printware.
Published November 2, 2020
Margaret Getty, Senior Associate, Woven Fabric and Trim, for Lilly Pulitzer, shares the company's founding story and talks about how it has evolved over the years, most particularly, how digital design and print technologies have helped the company carve significant cycle time out of its go-to-market process.
Published October 28, 2020
Fashion and apparel brands are trying to reshore textile production, but the finishing part of the process is proving challenging: cut-and-sew. Automation has its limitations, and skilled sewists are hard to come by domestically. Cary Sherburne looks into some of the solutions to these challenges.
Published October 26, 2020
Even before the pandemic, there was lots of discussion about how the textiles and apparel industry needed to re-examine its supply chain both for increased efficiencies and to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint. Has the pandemic accelerated this? Learn more.
Published October 26, 2020
In the first part of a two-part video interview, Kathryn Lawrie, Kathy Phillips and Cathy Valent share the latest developments at Springs Creative, including new acquisitions for its Baxter Mill archive, an increased focus on fabrics and designs for home decor, and its ability to help designers and brands find inspiration when traveling around the world to find new ideas has become difficult during the pandemic. (Look for part 2 of this interview next Monday, 11/02.)
Published October 21, 2020
The COVID-19 crisis has upended the fashion industry, but it has also given the industry an unprecedented opportunity to reinvent itself for the better. Texintel CEO Debbie McKeegan discusses the supply chain, sustainability, and the impact of digital technologies on textile production.
Published October 19, 2020
Back in early 2016, Ricoh acquired AnaJet, a leader at the time in direct-to-garment (DTG) printing. Since that time, the company has continued to develop its DTG portfolio, recently adding a new, more productive printer to its line. We spoke with Deputy General Manager for Ricoh’s Industry Print Business, Christian Compera, to learn more.
Published October 19, 2020
AATCC Executive Vice President Diana Wyman shares the latest AATCC updates, including initiatives that will be considered at the association's November virtual committee meetings, the availability of a PPE monograph on efficacy of various types of masks, sustainability, and more.
Published October 12, 2020
Seattle-based RPI recently made several acquisitions, actions that caught our eye in light of the uncertain times we find ourselves in. We reached out to CEO Rick Bellamy to get an update on RPI, the strategy behind the acquisitions, and Bellamy’s general feelings about the industry at large.
Published October 12, 2020
Jeff and Eric Schwarz chose to convert their independent digital printing company, ISS, to an AlphaGraphics franchise in the summer of 2019. In this interview, they share their reasons for making the change and what it has meant for their business.
Published October 5, 2020
The sewing process has often been described as the "last mile" of apparel manufacturing automation. In this interview, Palaniswamy "Raj" Rajan, Chairman & CEO, Softwear Automation, talks about how sewbots, and in particular the sewbots the company is manufacturing, have the ability to automatically manufacture T-shirts today in amazing quantities, with a few toward being able to expand this capability to other apparel types in the future. He also shares projections about when the technology will be more commercially available.
Published September 28, 2020
The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) has a robust program of educational webinars. Most recently, the organization has sponsored a series of three important sessions related to testing and standards for PPE, especially important during this COVID-19 pandemic which shows no signs of ending. Of particular interest to our readers is a Duke University research project that developed a low-cost method for testing the efficacy of facemasks.
Published September 28, 2020
Lux Research Analyst Anthony Schiavo reports on the work being done by Europe-based Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research and Swedish company re:newcell to create viscose filament yarns from recycled cotton, a process that can help reduce textile waste that ends up in landfills and improve the industry's sustainability. These yarns, he says, can be seamlessly inserted into existing fabric manufacturing processes in place of viscose fibers created using a less sustainable process.
Published September 24, 2020
Susan Sherman, Co-Founder and Former Board Chair of the Saint Louis Fashion Fund, and Jon Lewis, who heads up Evolution St. Louis—a knit manufacturer— joined Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to discuss how the Saint Louis Fashion Fund is helping revitalize the fashion industry in St. Louis, once a fashion hub. The Fund also attracted Evolution and its advanced 3D knitting capabilities to the city.
Published September 23, 2020
Spoonflower was a pioneer in the field of on-demand textile printing and production. As the rest of the industry races to catch up, new CEO Michael Jones is aiming to take Spoonflower to the next level. Cary Sherburne talks with Jones and senior vice president of research and development Kerry King about their vision for the future.
Published September 21, 2020
The textiles industry is a huge polluter. Although there are many sustainability initiatives at play, there is still more that can be done. Just ask multidisciplinary researcher Roya Aghighi. She’d like you to reimagine your wardrobe as living things. Find out what that means!
Published September 21, 2020
David Murphy, who has run marketing for a number of industry companies including most recently HP, has founded a digital marketing agency, Nvent Marketing. In this video, he discusses the various ways smaller to mid-sized companies can leverage increased Internet usage to keep leads coming into the business during the pandemic and beyond.
Published September 16, 2020
Jeff White, Director of Development for the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF), provides an update on the status and activities of the organization in its efforts to educate students about the benefits of a career in print and graphics (including textiles), as well as the scholarships that are granted to those students. PGSF awarded 226 scholarships this year!
Published September 15, 2020
In this article, sponsored by HP, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne provides an overview of the latest features of the HP Indigo 12000 and HP Indigo 15K digital presses, including innovations that take digital printing to a new level of quality and productivity. She also cites on-site experiences of two customers, L&L Printers and New London.
Published September 14, 2020
I first crossed paths with John Lacagnina when he brought to market the world’s first network production printing solution through his company at the time, Entire. Over the ensuing years, he has continued to innovate and bring dynamic change to the industry. Learn more about his story, his thoughts about the industry, and what he’s up to today.
Published September 14, 2020
Mohawk Paper, which has a long history of working toward sustainable manufacturing of fine papers, has introduced its Renewal line of papers. It is using hemp and straw fibers in two paper lines, with 30% hemp or straw content. Even more interesting is its 100% cotton fiber Renewal paper. Senior Vice President of Marketing & Creative explains how the line came about and its contribution to Mohawk's sustainability footprint.
Published September 10, 2020
Frank Henderson of the Henderson Sewing Company is the third generation running this family business and has been doing so for the last 40 years. He has an extensive amount of experience to share, including what's being done to accelerate reshoring of manufacturing of sewn products, how his company interacts with others in the industry to create innovative workflows, and what he sees as future developments in sewing, robotics, and workforce development.
Published September 8, 2020
Aviv Ratzman, who spent time at HP Indigo and co-founded Highcon, starts a new venture today. Compack (Com-Pack.net) is an online solution that enables brand owners to compare and choose suppliers who provide on-demand custom packaging services for both primary and secondary packaging. Ratzman explains the strategy behind the business in this video discussion.
Published August 31, 2020
Did you know that St. Louis, Mo., was a fashion hub from the turn of the 20th century until the end of World War II? Now there are significant efforts to reestablish the city’s fashion prominence, led by the Saint Louis Fashion Fund. We spoke with co-founder Susan Sherman, and the CEO of high-tech knitting manufacturer Evolution St. Louis, Jon Lewis, to learn how their initiatives are progressing.
Published August 31, 2020
Alex Tschopp founded Tailored Industry with the vision of using 3D knitting machines to produce knitted garments on demand. After a period of educating brands and retailers about they benefit of on-demand production, they are now starting to take advantage of the service. He talks about progress to date and plans for the future.
Published August 27, 2020
There has been a great deal of discussion here and elsewhere about how the pandemic has accelerated efforts to restructure the textiles and apparel supply chain, resulting in both companies exiting China for destinations such as Vietnam and India, as well as reshoring of textiles and apparel in the US and Europe facilitated by the growing availability of digital technologies that enable new ways to design, manufacture and distribute textiles and apparel. This article contains a review of a report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation: “A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future.” Well worth reading in full!
Published August 27, 2020
Michael McDonald, President of Sewn Products Equipment and Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA), provides background on the organization and discusses the latest developments in cut-and-sew automation with an emphasis on the "last mile" of sewing. He also discusses the need to attract new talent to the industry and cites some of the activities that are helping to do so.
Published August 26, 2020
Augmented reality (AR) has played a somewhat limited role to date in the world of print and packaging, with its largest footprint in the digital world—but that may be about to change. Cary Sherburne looks at some recent AR-enabled catalogs developed by Paris and Montreal’s ARGO.
Published August 24, 2020
Pete Santora has been working across a variety of industries to examine how automation can help reshore manufacturing and strengthen supply chains, especially post-pandemic. He shares his thoughts on automation in textiles and apparel in this video interview.
Published August 20, 2020
Epson’s new SureColor F10070 sports new features and capabilities, sure to help spur growth in digital textile fabric printing. Cary Sherburne takes a look at this new printer.
Published August 17, 2020
Tom O'Brien, founder of AccuLink, now has a new business added to the mix. AccuFlex Packaging is producing flexible packaging on demand with a unique combination of an HP Indigo 20000, Color-Logic print embellishments, E-Beam lamination and pouching. This is a must-watch video for anyone in the packaging industry or any brands looking to produce vibrant and sustainable flexible packaging.
Published August 12, 2020
Many employees at EFI, including Frank Mallozzi, have been working from home since March 14th, but it hasn't dimmed their enthusiasm for the company, their teammates, and their customers. Mallozzi shares some of the innovative ways EFI has turned to virtual work and offers advice to others who may be struggling with this during the pandemic.
Published August 10, 2020
We’ve been following some of the research on graphene for some time now. Developments and innovations are continuing, especially in the European Union. Here we review the EU Graphene Flagship Initiative and some of the developments related to the textiles and apparel industry, including how graphene can affect advances in wearables.
Published August 3, 2020
Do you know how much water it takes to make a single pair of jeans? The answer will likely shock you. In this article, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne explores how a commitment to zero-waste fashion—and some emerging technologies—can save precious water and protect our planet yet still let us enjoy those comfortable jeans and other fashion items.
Published July 27, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare many frailties in the global textiles and apparel supply chain but may also be a driver for brands, retailers and manufacturers implementing significant changes as we move into the post-pandemic "new normal," according to textiles expert Debbie McKeegan.
Published July 20, 2020
Most people understand there is a benefit to wearing a cloth mask to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. But with so many mask types available, how do you choose the most effective type? Senior Editor Cary Sherburne digs into the latest research on this topic.
Published July 20, 2020
Debbie McKeegan, textiles expert and CEO of Texintel, shares her thoughts on how digital technologies can help ameliorate the huge sustainability problem facing the textiles and apparel industry, suggesting that coming out of the pandemic, there may be unique opportunities to change operating practices.
Published July 13, 2020
Diana Rammell wanted better fitting clothes but was disappointed in the selection of fabrics she could find. So she took matters into her own hands, founding Raspberry Creek Fabrics in 2010 to create more compelling fabric designs. When her dreams got a little out of control, her attorney husband, Justin, stepped in to help. Today, the company produces some 40,000 yards of custom fabrics every month and continues to grow.
Published July 13, 2020
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spent time speaking with PrintLink executive search and professional placement experts for the graphic communications industry. Arnie Kahn, President, and Dino Scalia, Senior Vice President, shared their thoughts on a wide range of subjects, including what's changed with recruitment, skills that employers should be looking for, what candidates should focus on when looking at opportunities, and much more. They also discuss why it's important to consider hiring even during this difficult period.
Published July 8, 2020
In this video interview, Scott Schinlever, now COO for EFI's Global Inkjet Business, discusses his decision to return to EFI after 2.5 years with Gerber Technologies, what his organization looks like, what he learned at Gerber that will help him execute his new duties, and what the future looks like for EFI's inkjet business.
Published July 6, 2020
As we proceed into the second half of 2020, Cary Sherburne rounds up some of the top textile and apparel trends we have seen thus far this year.
Published June 23, 2020
On May 1, 2020, the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) and the Printing Industries of America (PIA) merged to become PRINTING United Alliance (PUA). Ford Bowers, President and CEO of the combined organization, reveals many of the details of the merger and what it means for members.
Published June 22, 2020
How much of the post-pandemic “new normal” will involve on-demand manufacturing for textile-based products? Already we are hearing from on-demand manufacturers that their businesses are seeing increased demand, both due to the pandemic-related supply chain disruption and a general move in the industry to more efficiency, less waste, and more sustainability. In this story, we provide examples of how an on-demand manufacturer is helping both startups and brands achieve these goals.
Published June 15, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the fragility of the global supply chain for textiles and apparel. This is driving brands and retailers to give more thoughtful consideration to how they can streamline that supply chain, bringing production closer to the point of use and eliminating at least some of the inventory risk inherent in the current process. In this article, we explore the role of the digital front end (DFE or RIP) for digital textile printers in making this a viable alternative to the current offshore bulk manufacturing of printed textiles and apparel.
Published June 8, 2020
With more than 1.8 million design options in its library, and with the availability of easy-to-use mask kits, Spoonflower and its designer community have responded in force to the need for masks, making more than 150,000 non-medical-grade fabric masks. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Michael Jones, Spoonflower’s new CEO, and Kerry King, Senior Vice President of R&D, to learn more about this outstanding response and to get an update on what’s new at Spoonflower.
Published June 2, 2020
Colordyne 3600 Series AQ – Retrofit Printer Powered by Memjet offers increased flexibility and 3X increase in job throughput for Florida-based label and packaging printer G2 ID Source.
Published June 1, 2020
Since it appears that masks will be part of our wardrobe for the foreseeable future, we continue to look for unique yet functional mask solutions and the companies that are converting their manufacturing operations to help address this critical need. We wrote about Tailored Industry last year, and recently heard they were knitting masks, so we checked in to get more detail.
Published May 26, 2020
Each year the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (www.pgsf.org) conducts poster and T-shirt design contests, accepting submissions from students around the country that are pursuing a career in graphic communications or a related field at a U.S. technical school or college. In 2020, Abigail Carter, a high school junior at Mattoon High School in Mattoon, Ill., won in both categories.
Published May 18, 2020
It’s been almost two years since we wrote about the work that Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) is doing to develop functional fiber computing solutions that will likely be the basis for moving us into Industry 5.0. Seems like we don’t even have Industry 4.0 under our belts, but technology does move fast these days! We spoke with the AFFOA team, including CEO Alexander (Sasha) Stolyarov, Chief Marketing Officer Eric Spackey, Senior Director of Business Development Natasha Spackey, and Chief Technology Officer Jason Cox, to get an update on what has transpired in the past two years.
Published May 11, 2020
In light of event cancellations during the pandemic, many companies are turning to virtual events to get their news out. Mimaki held a virtual press event recently, packed with industry news and announcing a five-week Virtual Print Festival to keep the industry informed and ready to move forward. We tuned in to learn more.
Published May 6, 2020
Printing on ceramic objects is a great business opportunity for printers and sign shops of all sizes. Although there are multi-million-dollar ceramic printing systems on the market, the good news is that it can be easy and affordable to enter the market for short to mid-sized runs of decorated ceramic products. Senior editor Cary Sherburne explains how.
Published May 4, 2020
As the textiles and apparel industry works to improve supply chain management and reduce its environmental footprint, many view pigment inks as the Holy Grail—print on any fabric, no need for pre- or post-treatment in many cases. What’s not to like? The hand feel, that’s what. Here’s what Kornit is doing to address that issue.
Published April 27, 2020
PrintFactory offers a RIP-based workflow for wide format printers in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. The company has about 17,000 active installations, supports more than 2,000 physical devices, and has about 40 employees. Find out more.
Published April 22, 2020
Cary Sherburne provides our annual review of the print franchises. As these organizations work to adjust to the changing industry and business environment, they are all aggressively working with their franchises to add infrastructure for more efficiency, encourage the addition of new products, provide training and help franchisees looking for an exit strategy look for new potential owners. Combined, these five organizations generated $1.34 billion in revenues.
Published April 21, 2020
Access to honest news and investigative reporting is important in the best of times, but even more so in the worst of times, such as the battle against COVID-19 that is underway around the globe. While virtually all media organizations are under stress due largely to the evaporation of advertising revenue, none are seeing more stress than local news organizations, resulting in what is being called local news deserts. In this article, we look at some of the efforts underway to relieve some of this stress.
Published April 20, 2020
As consumers increasingly turn to online shopping, brands and retailers are looking for ways to enhance the customer experience and to reduce product returns when the product the consumer receives doesn’t fit or otherwise doesn’t meet expectations. Volumental has an answer for shoe retailers and brands.
Published April 6, 2020
One of the more popular means of digitally printing to fabrics is heat transfer dye sublimation where images are printed on a sublimation transfer paper and then processed through a heating unit (calender) to sublimate the image into fabric. Until now, this process has been limited to polyester or polyester blends. Neenah Coldenhove is addressing this shortfall with its new digital transfer paper for natural fibers.
Published March 30, 2020
A growing number of companies are popping up in North America that offer custom apparel produced on demand. This is an important supply chain shift, both from an environmental and economic perspective as weaknesses in global supply chains have increasingly come to the forefront. Not everything, of course, can be produced on demand. But companies like California-based Equipe are demonstrating that local production is not only feasible, but a viable alterative for a growing variety of apparel and home décor items.
Published March 30, 2020
On March 30, Xeikon unveiled its extensive plans for what was to be its drupa 2020 exhibit in an exclusive briefing for the media. Following the briefing, we spoke with Filip Weymans, Xeikon’s Vice President of Marketing, to gain deeper insight into the strategy behind these developments, how being part of Flint Group has benefited the company, and more. In light of the postponement of drupa till April of 2021, Xeikon is putting plans in place to support the industry with continued innovation during the balance of 2020.
Published March 26, 2020
One thing about a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic is that it can bring people together to come up with creative ways to help. We are starting to hear stories about how players in the textiles and apparel industry are doing just that, converting operations to the production of much-needed masks and other PPE, and we wanted to share these inspiring stories with you.
Published March 23, 2020
The continued evolution of digital technologies, including printing, for textile-based products has opened the door to more reshoring of manufacturing as well as on-demand production, ease of customization and more. Florida-based Catalyst Fabric Solutions is taking advantage of all of these trends for business growth.
Published March 17, 2020
The first in a series of articles about the current cannabis landscape. While this is a high-growth market opportunity for packaging converters, it is also still a Wild West environment, and there are many misunderstandings about what it is comprised of, what’s legal and what’s not, and what the actual benefits of cannabis-derived products are from a health and well-being perspective. In this introductory feature, Cary Sherburne provides an overview of the current state of the market, including definitions, and applications, as well as developments in packaging and even apparel.
Published March 16, 2020
We all love our blue jeans. They are comfortable, often stylish, but what about their impact on the environment? What if you could have a pair of jeans with an almost indistinguishable look on the outside, but silky soft on the inside, with a 97% water footprint reduction? Sound impossible? With new fabric printing technologies, it’s totally achievable. Read what Dalton Cheng of Intech has to say on this subject and more.
Published March 9, 2020
Expect to see accelerating developments in smart textiles through 2020 and beyond. A few of the more recent developments are explained in this article by Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, who is keeping tabs on this market segment and the exciting news coming out almost daily. Be sure to check out WhatTheyThink’s Around the Web every Friday for additional smart textile news.
Published February 24, 2020
As the market for wearable technology continues to evolve, UK-based Dresscode has taken a unique approach with CashCuff, the world’s first smart payment shirt. See what founder and CEO Andy Boothman has to say about the origin of the company and its strategy for the future.
Published February 18, 2020
As we continue to cover the burgeoning cannabis market and the business opportunities it offers, we spent time talking with Chris Cooper, CEO of California-based Lucent Botanicals, who has taken a different approach to CBD that is taken orally—mints enhanced with a variety of herbs and essences to tune their effects to different consumer requirements. He also shared his packaging strategy for these unique products.
Published February 18, 2020
Peter Wagner, Managing Director of Australia-based All Flags Signs and Banners, explains how his company has gone from needing four people over three weeks to produce 400 banners in 1998, to its capacity today to output 54,000 square meters of printed media today with its fleet of EFI VUTEk printers. The company serves a large portion of the Asia Pacific region with flags, banners, branding for sporting events, vehicle wraps, carpets, and more.
Published February 17, 2020
To pang-wangle is to live or go along cheerfully in spite of minor misfortunes. That’s exactly what Jennifer John is doing with her Pang Wangle fashion business, creating sustainable fashion ideal for hot, buggy climates such as is experienced in her home state of Louisiana. We spoke to Jennifer to learn more about her background, her growing business, and the challenges she faced finding just the exact right fabric for her unique creations.
Published February 10, 2020
At the recent EFI Connect 2020 conference, Lynn Smith from The Sourcing Group spoke on the customer panel, sharing The Sourcing Group’s unique story. We followed up with her afterward to get more details on this print-related Business Process Optimization (BPO) company.
Published February 6, 2020
Dave Johannes, now with the Moore DM Group, a group of companies focused on fundraising initiatives for the non-profit space, talks about the IT infrastructure the company has in place to manage the scale and scope of its offerings. He identifies the efforts the company is undertaking to place the organization—which has done a number of acquisitions—on a common IT infrastructure, and why that is important.
Published February 4, 2020
Ken Hanulec, VP of Worldwide Marketing for EFI, looks ahead to some of what drupa 2020 will have in store: automation, inkjet, and the digitization of packaging, as well as the elements of “Industry 4.0”—connectivity, software, and the cloud—which will drive efficiency and effectiveness.
Published February 3, 2020
You can’t attend any textiles and apparel events or speak with industry professionals without the subject of workforce challenges arising. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Marilyn McNeil-Morin about the Fashion Exchange program at Toronto’s George Brown College that has programs in place to help address these issues.
Published February 3, 2020
Adele Genoni, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EFI Reggiani, talks to Cary Sherburne about the most important trends in textiles as the industry continues its analog to digital transformation—including sustainability, data management, and AI and technical textiles. She also provides an update on EFI BOLT installations.
Published January 31, 2020
Cary Sherburne talks to Guy Gecht, former CEO of EFI, about what he has been up to since leaving EFI. He talks about the corporate boards he has joined, and discusses his adventures in home-building, where he hired himself as his own general contractor.
Published January 30, 2020
EFI Connect 2020 marked the 21st year this user conference has been held, and the 13th year it has been hosted at the Wynn Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas. This edition marked a year of dramatic change for the company, with the departure of long-time CEO Guy Gecht, a short-lived CEO in Bill Muir, and an acquisition by Siris Group that took the company from public to private. EFI Connect 2020 was an opportunity for customers to gain first-hand insight into what these changes might mean for them.
Published January 30, 2020
Cary Sherburne talks to Doug Edwards, EFI’s Chief Technology Officer, who has been on the job for two weeks and last week attended his first EFI Connect. Edwards has been in the industry for 30 years and comes to EFI from Xaar and Kodak. He talks about what attracted him to EFI—namely, the company’s broad product portfolio.
Published January 27, 2020
At last month’s AATCC/SGIA Digital Textile Printing Conference 4.0, I had the pleasure of meeting Jonathan Tio and his brother Patrick of California-based Prima-Tex. His active and informed participation in the conference discussions were an inspiration, and he agreed to a subsequent interview for this article.
Published January 23, 2020
Al Zollar, Executive Partner at private equity firm Siris and a 34-year veteran of IBM, attended EFI Connect 2020 and took the time to share his thoughts about the event, the industry, and the EFI acquisition overall.
Published January 23, 2020
EFI's Chief Revenue Officer Frank Mallozzi shares his thoughts about leveling up from thinking about the customer experience beyond simply customer satisfaction to building a culture of customer obsession. He explains some of the impact and effect this approach has had on EFI's customer community.
Published January 22, 2020
EFI Connect 2020 is the 21st edition of this users group event. As new EFI CEO, Jeff Jacobson explains the event theme: "The Now and Future Pendulum," as well as the importance of a "stratactical" approach to business.
Published January 20, 2020
At the AATCC/SGIA Digital Textile Printing Conference 4.0 last December, one of the high points was a presentation by Kathy Phillips, Vice President of Design/Trend at Springs Creative, a show-and-tell that highlighted the company’s rich history in textiles, beginning with the founding of the Fort Mill Manufacturing Company in 1887 by Samuel Elliot White. We talked with Phillips to get more detail on this fascinating story to share with our readers.
Published January 16, 2020
David Gross of Conde Systems explains how his passion for heat transfer dye sublimation has grown into a highly diverse business that provides everything customers need to decorate just about any product, not only creating and producing items but helping them with marketing strategies as well. Users can enter this market with a minimal investment.
Published January 14, 2020
Sonja Mechling, Chief Marketing Officer for Heidelberg, talks to Cary Sherburne about Heidelberg’s plans for drupa 2020, which include artificial intelligence (AI) applications to help improve productivity, as well as its digital solutions.
Published January 13, 2020
If you grew up, as I did, watching Captain Kangaroo, you’ll remember Mr. Green Jeans. These days, Green Jeans has an entirely different meaning, and San Francisco/Hong Kong based unspun set out to define the category.
Published January 13, 2020
Cary Sherburne talks to Joshua Feller, owner of ColorZone. Feller bought ColorZone 15 years ago and began to acquire wide-format equipment—as much as $8 million worth—in order to reduce the amount of work he had to outsource. An early adopter of printing technologies, he has expanded from wide-format to label printing, which has proven highly successful
Published January 6, 2020
For the fourth straight year, AATCC and SGIA joined forces to bring the Digital Textile Printing Conference to the industry, a forum that addressed pressing issues and provided nearly 140 attendees with the ability to learn, network, and provide feedback that will help the associations continue to meet the needs of an evolving industry.
Published January 6, 2020
Ralph Giammarco, Vice President at S-One Labels & Packaging, discusses the similarities of the analog-to-digital transformation in flexible packaging to the sign industry's transformation. Digital now comprises 1% to 2% of flexible packaging, and Giammarco estimates growth to a double-digit share over the next few years and delivering a more sustainable product.
Published December 19, 2019
Tanya Wade explains how the Carolina Textile District acts as a matchmaker for companies and entrepreneurs interested in textile manufacturing in the U.S. to connect them with the necessary resources. Through an online application process, manufacturers, mills, pattern makers, and others can quickly review requests and determine whether to participate.
Published December 19, 2019
Graeme Richardson-Locke, FESPA's Technical Support Manager, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the role of FESPA in the industry, its constituency, and its Profit for Purpose program. He also talks about some of the special experiential features that FESPA includes in its European event.
Published December 18, 2019
Mark Lane, President & CEO of American Color Imaging, describes the company's journey from a portrait photo studio and wet photo lab to a digital operation that includes two HP Stitch digital textile printers for production of personalized blankets and other textile-based photo products.
Published December 18, 2019
Debbie McKeegan, Textile Ambassador for FESPA and organizer of the event's Print. Make. Wear. exhibit, explains how the exhibit showcases technologies that are changing the future of manufacturing in textiles and apparel. She notes how the exhibit will be expanded for FESPA 2020 in Madrid.
Published December 17, 2019
Mike Scrutton, Adobe's Director of Print Technology and Strategy, brings our viewers up to date on the latest developments with Adobe Textile Designer. He also explains his participation in judging the SGIA Golden Image Awards, with entries including everything from banners, to signage, to prints, including full-color wedding invitations printed on slate! He also notes the launch of Adobe Design to Print, making it easier for designers to visualize how a design will actually look when manufactured.
Published December 16, 2019
At the recent SPESA Executive Conference, I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Krasley of Shimmy, a company that provides training for garment workers using gamification (to make it more engaging) and artificial intelligence for localization, among other things. With automation increasingly expected to eliminate jobs in the textiles and other industries, upskilling of these workers is a critical investment in our future—and theirs.
Published December 16, 2019
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne discusses industry workforce issues with GLGA President Joe Lyman. He outlines the new skills that are required by HR professionals to recruit new talent to the industry and to educate potential employees about the modern, technologically-based nature of the industry today.
Published December 16, 2019
A third-generation family-owned company in business for 50 years, Henderson Sewing Machine Company has changed with the times, according to CEO Frank Henderson. With sewing—the "last mile" in textile manufacturing automation—still requiring significant manual labor, Henderson talks about the challenges of automating textile sewn products and the progress that is being made.
Published December 12, 2019
Kevin Cushing, President of the Marketing & Print Division of Alliance Franchise Brands. provides an update on the company's franchise activities in print and signs, as well as its dual branding initiatives with an Allegra and Image 360 franchise under the same roof with a target to reach 100 of those dual-branded operations. He also talked about the various programs Alliance Franchise Brands has to help franchisees with exit strategies and to help new entrepreneurs enter the Alliance Franchise Brands family as well as new product offerings within the network.
Published December 12, 2019
Dan St. Louis describes the work being done over the last 30 years at the Manufacturing Solutions Center to help create and maintain jobs. As part of the Catawba Community College, the group, among other things, hosts tours of its facility and selected manufacturing plants for 8th graders to encourage them to seek jobs in the industry.
Published December 11, 2019
Sarah Krasley, CEO of Shimmy, talks about the company's efforts to help with workforce education in the textiles industry through gamification. Initial efforts have been in Asia, but the company is also looking to bring its unique technology to North America as well. The goal is to help workers adapt to changes in the industry driven by new technology and automation.
Published December 9, 2019
A cosmetic chemist who has worked with some of the largest beauty brands, Stas Chirkov saw an opportunity to develop his own line of skincare products based on industrial hemp. In this article, he explains how he got started and details how specialized packaging impacts his ability to market his products.
Published December 5, 2019
Scott Schinlever, President and Chief Operating Officer of Automated Solutions for Gerber, discussed the company's strategy and how its acquisition of MCT fits in to the overall integrated ecosystem, from design to the cut piece. This positions Gerber and its customers to play in the fast fashion and microfactory initiatives that are gaining steam in textiles and apparel.
Published December 5, 2019
Eric Dalton, Director of Sales, Western Region, for GMG, talks to Cary Sherburne about the company's package prototyping solution using GMG ColorProof, GMG OpenColor Software, and an Epson SureColor S80600 printer to print and proof with white ink on clear materials and other specialty substrates, such as shrink sleeves for bottles.
Published December 5, 2019
Cary Sherburne looks at how print businesses can profit from offering heat-transfer dye-sublimation services, including textile-based products, as well as mugs, metallic substrates, and more.
Published December 3, 2019
The Digital Textile Printing Conference 4.0, jointly presented by AATCC and SGIA, is a great way to wrap up a year full of dynamic change for the industry. It’s a full agenda designed to address the needs of everyone, from those that need a primer on digital textile printing, to those looking to expand their digital footprint, to developers who want to bring to market solutions closely attuned to existing and emerging market needs.
Published December 2, 2019
The market for CBD-based products is exploding, and will grow even more once a few of the regulatory issues have been ironed out. California-based CannaBath is an example of an entrepreneurial company that has brought CBD-based bath and body products to market and has benefited from a creative approach to packaging these products in partnership with San Diego-based Hippo Packaging.
Published December 2, 2019
Lloyd Wood, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods and Materials, U.S. Department of Commerce, was a speaker at the recent SPESA Executive Conference and took time to share his thoughts about what the Department of Commerce is doing to help the textiles and apparel industry be more competitive.
Published November 27, 2019
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne interviewed Craig Chumney, Vice President of Baton Rouge-based Franklin Direct Marketing, to gain insight into how the acquisition of a Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1 UV inkjet press has enhanced his business.
Published November 26, 2019
BOBST has been providing solutions to the printing and packaging industries for four generations, and more recently has added digital textile printing to the mix. Cary Sherburne talks with CEO Jean-Pascal Bobst.
Published November 26, 2019
Bill Conlin, Jr., of Conlin’s Print talks to Cary Sherburne about the company’s nearly 40 years as a family-owned digital printing business. About five years ago, they began offering wide-format printing. Conlin’s Print recently acquired an EFI VUTEk h3 hybrid flatbed/roll-to-roll superwide-format LED inkjet printer, replacing an older VUTEk QS2.
Published November 25, 2019
As the textiles and apparel industry continues to take heat for its highly negative impact on the environment, some companies are taking creative approaches to not only creating sustainable garments, but pushing the industry to take more aggressive steps toward carbon-neutral operation. Sheep, Inc., is one of those companies.
Published November 21, 2019
Tom O'Brien of AccuLink is the "poster child" for diversification, starting with dye-sublimation projects in 2016. That application already represents 40% of revenues. The next challenge he is taking on is on-demand production of flexible packaging. His story is an example to the industry of how diversification not only stimulates growth but keeps the excitement in the business.
Published November 20, 2019
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne chats with Debbie McKeegan, Founder and CEO of Texintel, a UK-based advisory service focused on the textiles industry, about her perspective on making the textile industry more sustainable across the entire value chain.
Published November 18, 2019
OnPoint Manufacturing has been looking for a digital textile printing solution that could keep up with the rest of its manufacturing process for some time. The company has determined that the new Kornit Presto digital textile printer fits the bill. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Chairman Kirby Best to learn why.
Published November 18, 2019
Ray Weiss, Director of Digital Print Programs at SGIA, discusses SGIA's Student Ambassador Program that funds students to attend PRINTING United as an extension of their industry education. Ten university students from around the country were funded in 2019.
Published November 11, 2019
Neenah Packaging recently introduced a new line of hemp fiber folding board to address unique packaging needs in the exploding CBD market. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke to Neenah’s Brand Manager, Michelle Turner, to learn more.
Published November 5, 2019
As part of its installer certification program, SGIA hosted a car wrap competition at PRINTING United, a popular destination for show attendees. SGIA's Raymond Weiss explains more about the event and the organization's Installer Certification program.
Published November 4, 2019
Last week, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne had the pleasure of attending the Executive Conference sponsored by the Sewn Products Equipment and Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA) in New Orleans. This was the first major event planned by the new staff, led by Michael McDonald, President, and by all accounts, it was a huge success.
Published October 31, 2019
Frank Tueckmantel EVP of Business Development for NAPCO Media, talks to Cary Sherburne about PRINTING United UX, an initiative being launched at next year’s PRINTING United in Atlanta to allow exhibitors to utilize empty and idle convention center space by setting up their own sessions.
Published October 31, 2019
Michael McDonald, President of SPESA, the Sewn Products Equipment Suppliers of the Americas, discusses the challenges facing the Sewn Products industry, including misconceptions about employment in manufacturing that can be a barrier to attracting new talent. He discusses the role of the organization's Executive Conference, explains what attendees learned, and noted that James Carville, known as the Ragin' Cajun and a native of New Orleans, where the conference was held, was the keynote speaker.
Published October 30, 2019
Chris Pilkerton, Acting Administrator of the United States Small Business Administration, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about his experiences with companies in the textiles and sewn products industries, especially their use of Maker Spaces to make resources more available to small businesses while also doing good for the community. It becomes a case study that can inspire other industries to adopt similar strategies for success.
Published October 28, 2019
As we continue to look into the cannabis-related market, including how cannabis-related products are being used in apparel—more specifically, activewear—and the special packaging requirements the market has, we took time out to speak to Christopher Lackner of Mile High Labs in Colorado to gain an understanding of how the hemp plant is processed to deliver CBD-based materials for the market.
Published October 24, 2019
SGIA President and CEO Ford Bowers talks to Cary Sherburne about the inaugural PRINTING United, which kicked off yesterday.
Published October 21, 2019
In case you haven’t been following it, the market for products containing CBD—or cannabinoid derived from the hemp plant—is growing rapidly. It’s really only taken off in the U.S. since the approval of the 2018 Farm Bill legalized CBD extracted from industrial hemp with less than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana. Hippo Packaging in San Diego is focused on meeting the unique packaging needs for this emerging market segment.
Published October 21, 2019
In this video sponsored by EFI, the company's Chief Revenue Officer Frank Mallozzi explains EFI's "ecosystem" approach to the markets it serves, focusing on the components that create an inspiration to production, shipping, and invoicing for textiles. He also outlines the range of EFI Reggiani printers available, from the entry-level Next to the EFI BOLT at 90 meters per minute at the high end.
Published October 14, 2019
When you think about digital textile printers and where they might be installed, your first thought isn’t a photo lab. But that’s exactly where the first North American HP Stitch S1000 production model went. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Mark Lane, co-owner of American Color Imaging (ACI), to learn how this printer will fit into its overall business model.
Published October 7, 2019
As PRINTING United approaches, we checked in with SGIA’s Ray Weiss, Director of Digital Print Programs, to better understand what textiles and apparel solutions will be at this expanded show, and to get his advice on how commercial printers, display graphics companies, or other attendees interested in gaining a foothold in this dynamic market can most effectively get the information they need at the show.
Published September 30, 2019
As a proponent of the various benefits of cannabidiol (CBD), Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was intrigued to learn about Acabada’s CBD-infused activewear. She spoke with co-founder and CEO of Acabada, Seth Baum, to learn more. Watch for the March 2020 issue of Printing News for more information on all things cannabis, from definitions to sourcing CBD to unique packaging requirements and more.
Published September 23, 2019
Twenty-seven years ago, David Gross identified heat transfer sublimation as an interesting market opportunity with good potential for future growth. Today, at Condé Systems, he has made that vision a reality. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Gross to find out how others can benefit from what he has learned.
Published September 16, 2019
Funxion was founded about a year ago as a spin-out from North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles, where its founders obtained their Ph.Ds. The company is focused on building out a platform for smart wearables that can be adapted to various use cases. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Dr. Raj Bhakta, co-founder and CEO, to learn more.
Published September 9, 2019
Web-to-print has become well-entrenched in commercial printing, and same on-demand production model is now making its way into the textiles and apparel industry. Cary Sherburne talks to Steve Smith, founder of DPInnovations, about the company’s Web2Fabric, a set of tools that can be modularly configured to meet the needs of individual companies.
Published September 3, 2019
Roman Barba, Market Development Manager, Textiles, for HP says, "When you buy a printer, it's not about the printer itself—it's what you can do with it." This philosophy is a key to HP's application development efforts in sportswear, fashion, decoration, and soft signage. Barba explains how HP approaches each of these markets from an application perspective in this video sponsored by HP.
Published August 27, 2019
Joan Jorba, Textiles R&D Engineering Manager at HP, explains how HP has implemented color management for its HP Stitch S Series dye sublimation printers in this HP-sponsored video. He reports that the goal was to make color management easy, even for users who have limited color knowledge, and to ensure accurate color across fleets and with hybrid analog/digital production.
Published August 26, 2019
Color Solutions International Tim Williams provides background on the company and the value it brings to the textile and apparel supply chain. This includes integration with Datacolor's ColorReader PRO and Adobe Textile Designer. He notes that 30% of colors are from the company's ColorWall which has nearly 10,000 colors available, and 70% are custom colors requested by brands.
Published August 22, 2019
Joan Carol, Services Segment Manager, EMEA, discusses HP Smart Services for textile printing in this video sponsored by HP. He shares how the system works for both predictive and responsive service and leverages HP's large global service footprint for fast response when needed.
Published August 22, 2019
Datacolor's Ken Butts explains the importance of its new ColorReader PRO in the overall textile and apparel design process, enabling designers to quickly and easily acquire color data from inspiration items that can be passed along the rest of the supply chain. The ultra-portable colorimeter also links to CSI ColorWall color libraries. It is also integrated with Adobe Textile Designer.
Published August 21, 2019
Katelyn Lee, Textile Chemist at Cotton Incorporated, explains how cotton, as a natural fiber, can be processed in the carding, spinning, and woven fabric preparation to prepare it as a good surface for digital printing with pigment or reactive inks. She also identifies developments the industry should be focusing on to make the process more effective and sustainable.
Published August 20, 2019
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne interviewed John Hummel, fourth-generation owner and CEO of Hummel Integrated Marketing Solutions, to gain insight into how the acquisition of a Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1 UV inkjet press has enhanced his business.
Published August 20, 2019
HP launched PrintOS for commercial print and packaging three years ago. Now HP has migrated this cloud-based production management solution to its new textiles business as well. In this video sponsored by HP, Jan Panek, Worldwide Software Solutions Senior Product Manager, explains how it helps textile printing operations be more efficient.
Published August 19, 2019
Many of our readers will remember Wim Maes for his tenure as the CEO of Xeikon, a role he held from 2009 to March of 2017. From Xeikon to Summa, Wim Maes helps make the company a worldwide industry leader.
Published August 19, 2019
Last week, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne tuned in to an interesting WTIN webinar, Smart Textiles for Fashion, Entertainment, and Lifestyle. She summarizes some of the key points here, but recommends that industry professionals interested in smart textiles review the entire free webinar.
Published August 19, 2019
Mimaki's Ronald Van Den Broek talks about what's new with the Mimaki digital textile printing product portfolio, including the Tiger 1800B MkII printing at 400 square meters per hour; the company's ability to control the entire workflow (both analog and digital processes); TA Job Control for advanced, interconnected job control; a new ink type for printing on real and synthetic leather; and the technology demonstration of a textile printer with a dual ink system to broaden the range of fabrics it can print on.
Published August 15, 2019
Carlos Lahoz, Global Textiles Brands Strategist, explains the role of digital technologies in improving sustainability within the textiles and apparel industry in this video sponsored by HP, from design through production and supply chain. He talks about the role of innovation in helping move the industry to a more digital and sustainable future.
Published August 15, 2019
Omer Kulka, Vice President of Marketing and Product Strategy for Kornit Digital, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about Kornit Konnect, a cloud-based solution that delivers on Kornit's vision of a data-driven business and production environment for textiles and apparel, stressing the importance of data as an asset in the design and manufacturing environment.
Published August 15, 2019
In a surprise announcement this week, EFI reported that with the departure of CEO Bill Muir for personal reasons, Executive Chairman Jeff Jacobson would be taking on the additional role as CEO of the company. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke to Jacobson to gain insight into his plans for the company’s future.
Published August 13, 2019
Joan Perez Pericot, General Manager for HP's textile business, shares his thoughts on the current state of the textiles industry, the impact digital technologies are having, the opportunities he sees in the future, and the role HP wants to play in this evolving market.
Published August 12, 2019
World Textile Information Network (WTIN) has released its latest data regarding worldwide digital printing of textiles and we recap some of that information here.
Published August 12, 2019
Pointcarre develops, sells, and supports textile design software. President Steve Greenberg explains how the product helps brands and designers visualize the surface design of fabric prior to production. The product supports both Pantone and CSI color libraries.
Published August 12, 2019
Cary Sherburne talks to Wim Maes, Executive Member of the Board at Summa NV, a global leader in cutting and finishing equipment for the printing, signage, outdoor advertising, packaging, and textiles industries.
Published August 12, 2019
According to a recent study by the European Printing Inks Association (EuPIA), the share of offset printing inks is less than 2% of the overall eco footprint of the printed paper material or paper packaging on which they are used.
Published August 8, 2019
Yariv Bustan, Vice President of Product Marketing for Twine, explains the company's digital thread dyeing system that creates on demand a multi-color thread on a single spool (or a single custom color) that can be used to produce complex embroidery, knitting, and sewing applications. He also comments on the sustainability aspects of the solution for these markets.
Published August 6, 2019
EFI's Senior Product Director for Scheduling, PrintFlow & TGO Udi Arieli, explains how FedEx Office has leveraged technology to build a Smart Factory, the benefits they have achieved, and why it is important for other companies to follow suit.
Published August 5, 2019
The topic of technical textiles can be a bit geeky. But there are always new and interesting developments in this area. Take P&G’s new smart diapers, or the protective lava suit for geologists from the University of Missouri working in volcanic areas, for example. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne digs into these topics and more.
Published August 5, 2019
Jos Notermans has been with SPGPrints almost since the beginning of the company's digital journey, joining the company in 1989. Most recently, he has taken over the role of managing the company's digital textile printing inks portfolio, including reactive, sublimation, and acid inks. He also explains benefits of the company's Archer technology and where the name came from.
Published July 31, 2019
Parashar Kacha, Business Head for India-based Conceptive Colors, a manufacturer of reactive and acid dye colorants for both conventional and digital textile printing, explains how the company has ensured highly purified dye colorants while guaranteeing the necessary properties of these dye colorants following two years of intensive research and development.
Published July 30, 2019
Kevin Currier, Product Manager for Software in North America for Durst, talks about the Durst Professional Services strategy, announced in 2018. He also explains the value of Durst Lift ERP, focused on large-format operations and the specific requirements these businesses have. He notes that Lift ERP is device-agnostic and can apply to the textiles and commercial print markets as well.
Published July 29, 2019
Lectra offers solutions that give fashion, automotive, and furniture companies the means to embark on the Industry 4.0 journey. Its recent acquisition of data company Retviews is another arrow in the company’s quiver. We spoke with Maximilien Abadie, Chief Strategy Officer for Lectra, to learn more.
Published July 29, 2019
CloudLab, an ecommerce provider, has an online store offering that integrates with other components in the workflow, including production and business applications, for an automated environment. Steven Antoni, President of CloudLab Americas, explains how.
Published July 25, 2019
Reto Simmen, Chief Business Officer at Mouvent, a Bobst company, talks about full commercial availability of its digital textile printers (including a new model introduced at ITMA, printing at 400 square meters per hour) with reactive or acid dye inks. He also explains the unique compact, lightweight printhead cluster technology these printers use.
Published July 24, 2019
Spencer Cramer, CEO of ei3 Corporation, talks about how the company, founded in 1999, leverages the Internet to monitor, manage, and analyze machines. ei3 has partnered with Bobst to serve the package printing and converting industry and now has more than 5,000 machines connected in 100 countries around the world. The next step is develop predictive algorithms to identify potential machine issues before they occur.
Published July 23, 2019
Mike Scrutton, Director of Print Technology and Strategy for Adobe, talks about how Adobe Textile Designer enables brands to bring their defined color libraries into the world of digital textile printing. This helps ensure color consistency in a hybrid analog/digital production environment.
Published July 22, 2019
As part of our coverage of textiles and apparel, we look for interesting developments, both in the more conventional textiles and apparel market as it transitions to a more digital approach, as well as developments in technical textiles. In this article, we present the work being done at the MIT Media Lab to use knitting to embed conductive fibers in fabric in order to add functionality.
Published July 22, 2019
Liz Logue, Director of New Business Development for EFI, talks about how ecommerce is changing the way brands and consumers think about the buying experience. She gives examples of how combining the capabilities of digital textile printing with digital direct-to-corrugated experience can offer an exciting unboxing experience for the consumer—for example, for high fashion or product-of-the-month subscriptions.
Published July 18, 2019
Durst Textile Segment Manager Martin Winkler explains how digital textile printing is being adopted both by traditional analog businesses and new online businesses. He also stresses the importance of an end-to-end workflow to address the shorter runs and faster cycle times occurring in textiles and apparel today. Durst also focuses on making these technologies more sustainable.
Published July 17, 2019
Jack Noonan, Marketing Manager at MGI Digital Technology, talks about embellishment of print as the next phase in the evolution of digital print for packaging. Digital special effects can add value to packaging, raise brand awareness, and foster customer engagement. Find out how.
Published July 16, 2019
Cary Sherburne talks with Thayer Long, the current president of the Association for PRINT Technologies (APTech), about the evolution of APTech, the upcoming PRINT 19 show, and a look ahead to the new Brand Print Americas 2020, the result of a strategic alliance with the Tarsus Group, owner and organizer of Labelexpo and Brand Print Global Series, which will replace PRINT 2020.
Published July 16, 2019
Robin East, Group Director for CMYUK, a UK-based graphic arts distributor, suggests that print service providers should be exploring digital textile printing as a new business avenue that offers higher growth rates than commercial print. He points out that digital print providers have many transferable skills that could serve them well in the textiles market, especially home decor.
Published July 15, 2019
In the textiles and apparel industry, color management has historically been a given. Now with the introduction of digital textile printing into the mix, new color management challenges have arisen. In this article, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne takes a look at the current state of color management in the textiles and apparel industry, and where it goes from here.
Published July 15, 2019
Chuck Slingerland, Vice President of Sales and Digital Operations at Abbott-Action, discusses how the company has addressed the need to streamline the file-to-production workflow. Partners include Conductor Systems, an MIS provider, and Esko Graphics for its Automation Engine and Kongsberg cutting solutions, gaining 5 to 10 times more productivity.
Published July 10, 2019
H2O Melon CEO Savvas Tsoukalas talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about how digital direct-to-corrugated printing has helped him better promote his watermelon business, customizing packaging to the particular regions the company serves.
Published July 9, 2019
At the end of 2018, Durst Phototechnik and Koenig & Bauer announced a 50/50 joint venture to develop a single-pass digital printing system for the folding carton and corrugated fiberboard industries. Initially, the joint venture portfolio will comprise the Koenig & Bauer CorruJET 170 and the Durst SPC 130—including all associated services and the ink business—with a top priority to develop the VariJET 106, which was originally announced at drupa 2016 with a different partner. After learning that Robert Stabler would be managing this joint venture, WhatTheyThink was able to speak with him about his role and his thoughts about the future of the initiative.
Published July 8, 2019
Digital technologies, innovation and sustainability were key elements that drew a great deal of attention at the recent ITMA 2019 show in Barcelona. In this second ITMA article, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne highlights some of the advances she noticed during the show. This just scratches the surface of ITMA announcements but provides a feel for the speed with which the industry is adopting digital technologies that affect the entire supply chain.
Published July 8, 2019
Chris Bernat, Chief Revenue Officer of Vapor Apparel, discusses how his company avoids channel conflict between his B2B and B2C apparel business. The company sells blanks as well as garments printed using dye sublimation. He discusses channel strategy, fabric sourcing, printing technologies, and more, including IT systems that facilitate an accurate just-in-time manufacturing environment for B2C.
Published July 8, 2019
Anne Veldman, Ricoh's direct-to-garment product manager, explains Ricoh's mid-range DTG Ri 1000 printer introduced at FESPA, and talks about Ricoh's strategy in the textile market going forward as well as the markets into which its DTG printers are being installed.
Published June 26, 2019
Bluestone Fabrics, a wholesale digital fabric printing business, offers cutting, sewing, and packaging as well. Co-Founder and CEO John Otsuki talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about his efforts to educate the market on the benefits of digital fabric printing, including the ability to get products they never could before and to help make the industry more sustainable. He also talks about the need to introduce into the printing process things that will help in automating the sewing process, currently the least automated process in the manufacturing process.
Published June 25, 2019
Mark Elvidge, Senior Product Manager at Roland DG, explains some of the 40 enhancements to the company's TrueVIS VG2 print and cut solution, its 16th generation. This includes orange ink for a wider color gamut and faster outgassing for same-day turn of laminated projects.
Published June 24, 2019
ITMA 2019 Textile and Garment Technology Exhibition, the world’s largest trade fair for the textiles industry, is taking place in Barcelona from June 20 to 26. For our printing industry readers, this is like the drupa of textiles. Here are some of the highlights from the show, with a focus on how companies are addressing the growing need for an ecosystem approach to digital textile printing.
Published June 24, 2019
Kristen Dettoni, interior designer, founded Design Pool as a resource for highly curated interior textile designs as well as a way for designers to connect with fabric printers that have the capability to produce the work they need. Her goal was to make customization of interior decor more affordable and accessible.
Published June 20, 2019
Long an industry trendsetter, North Carolina-based ImageMark recently announced the addition of promotional products to its portfolio of offerings in order to increase its value to customers as a one-stop shop for everything marketing. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with CEO Walter Payne to find out what drove this decision.
Published June 19, 2019
Hear what Massivit's new CEO Erez Zimerman has to say about the company and the opportunities it sees for 3D printing to augment signs and display graphics with "stopping power," including illuminated models.
Published June 18, 2019
Dr. Hamid Shirazi explains how Fujifilm has participated in the textile industry for many years by providing contract manufacturing to OEMs for producing colorants and purification of those colorants. More recently, Fujifilm has launched colorants and inks for digital textile printing under its own brand.
Published June 17, 2019
Once again, market research firm SmithersPira hosted Digital Print Week, with two conferences back to back: Digital Print for Packaging U.S. and Digital Textile Printing U.S. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne attended both sessions. The WhatTheyThink team also captured some great video content during the conferences, which will be run on the site over the next few weeks.
Published June 17, 2019
Paolo Torricella, Sales Segment Specialist for Digital Textile Equipment at EFI Reggiani, explains all the different elements EFI considered when designing the EFI BOLT single-pass digital textile printer in order to make the manufacturing process for the printer—as well as its use—as environmentally friendly as possible.
Published June 13, 2019
Ronen Samuel, CEO of Kornit Digital talks about consumer demand driving changes in the textiles and apparel supply chain and what that means for apparel and interior design. It is moving from supply and demand driven by the brands to demand and then supply, moving from 18 months lead time to one month or less. He outlines Kornit Digital's role in helping to drive this change.
Published June 12, 2019
David Murphy, Worldwide Director of Marketing and Business Development for HP PageWide Industrial Solutions, explains HP's collaboration with users of its HP PageWide corrugated solutions to form the world's first digital users group for this market segment. Called DigitalPack, the goal of this new users group is to make digital print for corrugated better, easier, and more inspirational for global brands.
Published June 11, 2019
Adobe, Datacolor, and Color Solutions International (CSI), have teamed up to continue the enhancement of Adobe Textile Designer for Photoshop by making it easier for designers to seamlessly capture inspiration colors, sending them directly into Photoshop. Adobe’s Mike Scrutton explains the details.
Published June 11, 2019
FESPA Textile Evangelist Debbie McKeegan talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about how digital technologies are helping address sustainability issues in the textile industry, the world's second largest polluter. This includes not only the printing aspect, but the entire textiles and apparel supply chain.
Published June 10, 2019
FESPA 2019 in Munich was, by all accounts, its most successful show yet. The WhatTheyThink team walked all six halls, attended lots of press events, and did video interviews with a number of exhibitors that will be running over the next few weeks. Here are our key takeaways from the show.
Published June 7, 2019
Duane Neidert, Director of Operations, Americas, for SmithersPira, explains the genesis of its Digital Textile Printing conference and its future. The conference started about five years ago. Its goal is to educate the industry about the digital technologies that are shaping its future, from the print engines to inks and substrates/fibers, and the software and processes that are required for an on-demand production environment.
Published June 3, 2019
FESPA Munich was an amazing show. If you didn’t attend this year, you should definitely consider attending next year in March in Madrid. There is something for everyone, regardless of which segment of the industry in which you play. Of particular note are the special features FESPA has organized to add to its educational value. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reviews them here.
Published May 29, 2019
Print. Make. Wear. is one of the highlights of FESPA, creating a microfactory environment on the show floor to demonstrate to attendees that just-in-time manufacturing of textiles and apparel is not only possible but is being done today. Debbie McKeegan, Textile Evangelist for FESPA, organizes the event and explains what goes into putting it together.
Published May 28, 2019
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with EFI's Senior Product Manager Mike Wozny about the EFI FabriVU 340i. Applicable to both the soft signage and textile markets, the FabriVU 340i incorporates patented print and calendering in one footprint and a one-step operation.
Published May 23, 2019
Ronald Van Den Broek of Mimaki explains how synergies across its various business units bring new and innovative technologies to market. He uses as an example the development of the new JFX-200 EX with 17-layer printing to create "2.5D" printing for easy creation of fine art and other applications.
Published May 22, 2019
Christoph Gamper, CEO of Durst, talks about the strategy behind the company's development of a complete modular workflow solution from the webshop through production, working in conjunction with its P5 printer platform. The company also added two new printer models to its P5 family of printers.
Published May 20, 2019
In the world of interior design, finding the exact fabric needed for a commercial or residential interior design project can be difficult. But why not have the exact fabrics you need, designed and printed on demand in the exact quantity you need? That’s the concept behind Design Pool.
Published May 13, 2019
As consumers look to ecommerce for more and more of their purchasing, the fashion industry has a growing issue with costly returns—largely because items don’t fit as expected. Dresslife works with fashion brands and retailers, enabling them to offer a better customer experience and has launched a mobile app. We spoke with Dresslife’s marketing manager, Yvonne Georgi, to learn more.
Published May 8, 2019
Six months ago, we reported on Adobe’s Project Paras, a public beta of an addition to Photoshop CC that made it easier for textile and apparel designers to do their work. We checked in with Mike Scrutton, Director of Print Technology and Strategy for Adobe, to get an update.
Published May 6, 2019
On Friday, EFI announced yet another acquisition, this time Turkish company BDR Boya Kimya, a leading manufacturer of reactive inkjet inks for industrial digital textile printing. We spoke with Adele Genoni, EFI Reggiani’s Vice President and General Manager, to get the inside scoop on this acquisition. While we had her on the line, we also asked for an update on EFI BOLT, the world’s fastest digital textile printer.
Published May 2, 2019
In WhatTheyThink/Printing News’ Annual Sign and Display Franchise Review, Cary Sherburne takes a look at the major franchises—Alliance Franchise Brands, FASTSIGNS, Signarama, and SpeedPro—as well as the non-franchise Sign Biz network. She analyzes how they fared in the past year, as well as where they see growth opportunities in the future. Franchise center growth across all the networks has been strong, and will likely remain so. What is driving it?
Published April 25, 2019
Back in early 2018, we spoke with Mike Horsten, then Business Manager for Large Format Professional EMEA at HP, about HP’s potential plans for entering the digital textile printing market. Now, more than a year later, HP has made its first announcements, launching the HP Stitch series of textile printers. The company held a media briefing to discuss its strategy.
Published April 23, 2019
The acquisition of Ferrari Color by Signs.com caught our attention. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Signs.com cofounder and chief operating officer Nelson James to get the inside story.
Published April 22, 2019
Up until about 25 years ago, knitwear manufacturing was a big deal in Brooklyn. But since then, much of it has moved offshore. Tailored Industry is looking to revitalize knitwear manufacturing in Brooklyn using proprietary on-demand software and 3D full-garment knitting technology.
Published April 16, 2019
A press release from EFI Monday morning caught the industry by surprise. The company announced a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Siris Capital Group LLC. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with CEO Bill Muir and CFO Marc Olin to get some background on the announcement.
Published April 15, 2019
Are you a supplier to the sewn products industry? If so, are you a member of SPESA? And if you are not, this article from Senior Editor Cary Sherburne lays out why you should be. SPESA’s President Michael McDonald shares his thoughts on the association’s role in promoting and supporting the sewn products industry from the supplier’s perspective.
Published April 9, 2019
In WhatTheyThink/Printing News’ Annual Franchise Review, Cary Sherburne takes a look at how the five major print franchises fared in the past year—and looks back at the last decade to see how franchises were tracking compared to commercial print and draws some conclusions about the value of franchise networks vs. an independent small commercial printing firm operating on its own.
Published April 8, 2019
At TechTextil North America, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne stopped by the Cotton, Inc., booth to learn what’s new with this staple fiber (pardon the pun) and was amazed at all the uses cotton is being put to these days. It’s not just for T-shirts anymore!
Published March 29, 2019
The Fashion Institute of Technology and OnPoint Manufacturing yesterday announced a new development in fashion design that will enable more entrepreneurism to occur in this market. Unique.Fashion is a unique web portal for designers and buyers that is set to transform how fashion is marketed and produced. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with OnPoint Chairman Kirby Best to learn more.
Published March 25, 2019
We recently wrote about graphene as a miracle product. At TechTextil 2019, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was able to see graphene in action, courtesy of Kyorene. In this story, she speaks with Matt Reid, the company’s director of sales, about current and future strategies of the business, and how he expects to see graphene impact the textiles market.
Published March 18, 2019
While the retail and apparel industries are moving to more digital technologies and processes, many observers still believe we are in the infancy of the analog-to-digital transformation the industry will ultimately need to undergo. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently spoke to a digital advocate to gain insight into the industry’s progress. Kelly Price, Director of Business Development for consulting firm ArcherGrey, made some interesting observations.
Published March 11, 2019
Techtextil North America was a success by any measure. The show, which moved from Chicago to Raleigh N.C., drew more than 3,000 textile and apparel professionals and included an impressive symposium program. Cary Sherburne provides a quick summary.
Published March 7, 2019
Last month, Pantone entered into an agreement with FiberForce Italy to bring Pantone colors into the world of 3D printing. Although color has been available in 3D printing filaments and powders for some time, there has been no standard way to ensure users achieve the color they are truly looking for. All of that changes with this partnership. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with both Pantone and FiberForce to learn more.
Published March 4, 2019
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Roland DGA President Andrew Oransky about the company’s entry into the direct-to-garment (DTG) market as well as its overall go-to-market strategy and its future plans relative to direct-to-textile printing.
Published February 25, 2019
As the analog-to-digital transformation heats up for textiles, the opportunities for entrepreneurs heats up as well. Experience in transformations of other industries shows that not only do opportunities abound for entrepreneurs, but established businesses risk the most from non-traditional competition. We share some of their transformative stories in this article.
Published February 21, 2019
Much has been written recently about the issues legacy publishers are facing as they try to navigate the digital world, including Jill Abramson’ book "Merchants of Truth." Setting aside the plagiarism charges, Abramson, formerly an editor at the New York Times, makes some excellent points. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne wanted to add her two cents’ worth in this article.
Published February 18, 2019
An announcement from WeaveUp, a technology company offering digital print room solutions and customization tools for fabric, about its partnership with JOANN Fabrics, the leading fabric and craft retailer in the U.S., caught our eye. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne connected with Flint Davis, the company’s President, to learn more.
Published February 11, 2019
Once a 3D skeptic, Jordache Executive Vice President Shaul Cohen is now a true believer. Initially adopting 3D technologies from Browzwear to solve issues with getting fits right, Cohen not only achieved better fits and a rapid ROI, but is looking to expand its use of 3D technologies to solve other issues as well.
Published February 4, 2019
ShareCloth has developed an integrated cloud-based solution that is designed to fill the gaps that exist in the apparel design and manufacturing ecosystem to facilitate profitable on-demand manufacturing of apparel, minimizing forced markdowns, overstocking, and waste. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with ShareCloth CEO Sergey Moliavko to learn more.
Published January 28, 2019
Browzwear began its life as a 3D solution dedicated to fashion. While the initial concept back in 1999 was to create a virtual dressing room, a concept that was ahead of its time, the company has pivoted to create a suite of 3D solutions for fashion that can have a positive impact on all phases of the supply chain. We spoke with Browzwear’s Chief Commercial Officer, Lena Lim, to learn more.
Published January 21, 2019
As brands look to take time and waste out of the apparel design and manufacturing process, there is a strong focus on automation. Much progress has been made—yet the sewing stage has provided challenges. Softwear Automation is tackling that challenge with SewBots—robotics designed to automate the sewing process. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Softwear Automation’s Chief Commercial Officer, Pete Santora, to learn more.
Published January 14, 2019
Do you use sunscreen when in the sun? Of course you do. But if you are working under the powerful lights used to artificially grow plants—say, legal cannabis—are you taking the same precautions? Because that light can be as dangerous—or even more dangerous—than sunlight. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Daniel Jordan, founder of RayWear Clothing Company, who has made it his personal mission to provide clothing that will protect cannabis workers from the harsh environments in which they work.
Published January 7, 2019
On a recent visit to Miami, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne stopped by to visit Carla Llull at House of Llull Atelier, an apparel design and manufacturing operation focused on delivering high quality swimwear. House of Llull is celebrating its fifth anniversary.
Published December 11, 2018
MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys, has two primary missions: Helping to innovate in STEM education to better prepare kids for the future, and to help companies bring product to market faster. It is in this latter category that today’s announcement of MakerBot Method falls. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Forrest Leighton and Shawn Miely of MakerBot to learn more.
Published December 10, 2018
I was intrigued to read in a recent Axios newsletter that fashion designer jobs are expected to increase by +148%, according to Cognizant, a technology and business services company. I reached out to Ben Pring, who runs the company’s Center for the Future of Work, to learn more. And boy, did I learn more!
Published November 26, 2018
I first got to know Kirby Best when he was running on-demand book printer Lightning Source. And I was interested to see him turn up as Chairman at OnPoint Manufacturing, an on-demand garment manufacturer. We connected for a wide-ranging discussion at the recent Gerber Technology Ideation event, including the newly announced FashionTech Platform 1.0 initiative.
Published November 20, 2018
Officially launched in September 2018, the Rhode Island Textile Innovation Network (RITIN) is another example of initiatives across the country that are working to revive the U.S. textile and apparel industry, both with innovations that improve efficiency and to reshore textile and apparel manufacturing. We spoke with RITIN steering committee chairman and CEO of textile company Trans-Tex Michael Woody to learn more.
Published November 19, 2018
EFI Reggiani held a gala launch event for its new EFI Reggiani BOLT single-pass digital textile printer at Reggiani’s Bergamo, Italy, headquarters. Attended by nearly 300 media, customers, and potential customers, the event generated a high level of excitement. With high-quality print speeds of up to 90 meters per minute, this press looks to be a game changer for high-volume digital textile printing.
Published November 12, 2018
Austin Community College in Texas has launched an innovative Fashion Incubator with the goal of creating a real-to-industry learning environment in partnership with the City of Austin, Gerber Technology, and others. This is a unique approach to bringing new talent into the industry and giving new fashion-oriented businesses a jump start.
Published November 5, 2018
The digital transformation in textiles and apparel is well underway. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne writes about the drivers for this transformation and how fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff is leveraging digital technologies in unique ways.
Published October 31, 2018
With its new CEO in place for just two weeks, I wanted to tune in to the company’s third quarter financial analyst call to get a feel for his approach to the business. This brief article summarizes what I heard and my thoughts on EFI moving forward.
Published October 29, 2018
What were you thinking about at eight years old? Probably not the career that would be your life’s passion! That’s when Ariel Swedroe began her fashion career. At Age 11, she began exploring digitally printed fabrics. Today, at age 15, she has a full-fledged fashion business. But she’s not stopping there! You’ll love this story.
Published October 29, 2018
Designers in textiles and apparel typically use Adobe products to create their designs. But until now, there have not been textile-specific tools to make the task easier. To address this, Adobe has announced Project Paras, a set of tools that allow designers to stay within Photoshop CC and reduce the number of steps required to complete and preview a design. We spoke with Adobe to learn more.
Published October 22, 2018
Since launching its high-end Avalanche HD6 direct-to-garment printer and HD upgrade to most Avalanche systems with RAPID ink technology in the first quarter of this year, Kornit Digital has installed or upgraded a whopping 150 HD systems. Now the company has brought HD direct-to-garment technology to within reach of smaller businesses with the launch of the Storm HD6.
Published October 15, 2018
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently traveled to Miami Beach to join more than 300 people at the Gerber Technology Ideation event, the company’s software users’ group. This educational and networking event is in its 20th year. The enthusiasm among the more than 240 customers and prospects in attendance reflects the efforts the company has made to listen to customers and stay ahead of the trends.
Published October 8, 2018
Microban recently released Scentry Revive, the second generation of a unique odor control fabric finish that was developed in response to brands seeking a more innovative approach to odor control. This approach could reduce the number of times a piece of clothing needs to be washed, its primary environmental benefit.
Published October 2, 2018
A great deal is being written about graphene, in textiles and other industries. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talked to Vorbeck Materials Corp. President & CEO Dr. John Lettow to learn more about what many are characterizing as a miracle material.
Published October 1, 2018
Last summer, we took a look at the state of industry associationswith the goal of reminding our members about the many resources available to them to help move their businesses forward. By popular demand, we are now presenting Part Two in order to cover additional organizations that were not included in Part One. I’m sure there are still more!
Published September 28, 2018
PRINT18 offers the opportunity for attendees to get their own copy of a unique publication that will be distributed at the show. Not only does it feature stunning variable covers, but it contains a wealth of original thought leadership content that will benefit attendees during the show and long afterward. WhatTheyThink President Eric Vessels explains.
Published September 25, 2018
In this next in the series of articles about technical textiles, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Smithers Pira Associate Consultant for Nonwovens Phillip Mango to learn more about nonwovens—what are they, how is the market categorized, and what are some of their uses.
Published September 24, 2018
The Association for PRINT Technologies (APTech) is announcing a new print service provider membership category just in time for PRINT 18. If you are going to PRINT, you can get the first year of membership free! We spoke with APTech to find out more.
Published September 17, 2018
In recent years, significant advances have been made in both aesthetic and functional fabric finishes. While some finishes are produced mechanically, the focus of this article, the latest in our series on technical textiles, is on chemical treatments or coatings that add functionality to fabrics for comfort or for specialized uses.
Published September 10, 2018
This is the fourth installment of a series of articles by Senior Editor Cary Sherburne on technical textiles—how they fit in the industry, why they are important, and interesting new developments. In this installment in the series, Sherburne discusses geotextiles, an important but rarely discussed segment of technical textiles.
Published September 4, 2018
The mission of Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) is to enable a manufacturing-based revolution—what we could call Industry 5.0—with the transformation of traditional fibers, yarns, and textiles into highly sophisticated integrated and networked devices and systems. In a recent conversation with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, the organization’s Chief Marketing Officer, Eric Spackey, explains.
Published August 27, 2018
As brick-and-mortar retail works to streamline costs by updating facilities with LED lighting, are they overlooking an important effect—how LED lighting will affect the way customers see the color of their products? Senior Editor Cary Sherburne looks into the pros and cons of LED lighting and how the retail industry is approaching this conversion.
Published August 20, 2018
This is the third in a series of articles by Senior Editor Cary Sherburne on technical textiles—how they fit in the industry, why they are important, and interesting new developments. In this installment in the series, Sherburne visits with Fabdesigns, an innovator in knitted technical textiles. The company helped Nike bring the FlyKnit shoe to market and much more.
Published August 14, 2018
In August, Sir Speedy, franchise operation in the Franchise Services family, celebrates its 50th year in business. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Don and Richard Lowe to get an update on the business, and to take a little trip down memory lane.
Published August 14, 2018
Karen English, Market Development Manager for Printpack, shares how this conventional flexible packaging converter has implemented digital printing for a hybrid manufacturing process.
Published August 13, 2018
This is the second of a series of articles by Senior Editor Cary Sherburne on technical textiles—how they fit in the industry, why they are important, and interesting new developments. In this installment in the series, Sherburne shares the Glen Raven story, a 138-year-old company that has almost completely reinvented itself.
Published August 8, 2018
This is the first of a series of articles by Senior Editor Cary Sherburne on technical textiles—how they fit in the industry, why they are important, and interesting new developments. In this first installment in the series, Sherburne defines technical textiles and provides examples of how they are purpose-built for specific applications.
Published August 8, 2018
Mary McFadden, Executive Director of CAD Project Management for Gerber Technology, discusses the new enhancements to AccuMark Version 11. Gerber continues to make enhancements to this premier CAD system for the textiles and apparel industry.
Published August 7, 2018
The recent acquisition of print automation software provider Aleyant by Canada’s Volaris Group raised some eyebrows in the industry. Who is the Volaris Group? What strategy are they pursuing relative to the printing industry? And what does this acquisition mean for Aleyant? These were questions Senior Editor Cary Sherburne investigated.
Published August 6, 2018
Liz Logue, Director of Corporate Business Development for EFI, discusses the growth of the digital direct-to-corrugated market, with some great show-and-tell to share.
Published August 1, 2018
Michael Frankhauser, Owner of Carriage House Printery, shares his inspiring personal story, from designing equipment for a manufacturing company to starting his own custom textile printing company.
Published July 31, 2018
Tim Brule, Vice President of Disruptive Technologies for Fanatics Inc., shares how this company has grown its business via online stores. From fast fashion and fad fashion, to micro moments, the world of fashion is rapidly changing.
Published July 31, 2018
Do we need another color system? Coloro thinks so. The company launched its color system last year, based on the 100-year-old Munsell system, and claims it to be the easiest to use and most logical system on the market. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Coloro Managing Director Thorsten Traugott to learn more.
Published July 31, 2018
EFI CEO Guy Gecht surprised many industry watchers by announcing during the company's 2nd Quarter Earnings Call that he would be stepping down as CEO after nearly two decades in the role. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Gecht to find out why he took this decision, what the process is for replacing him, and what might be on the horizon for him in the future.
Published July 26, 2018
Gart Davis, CEO of Spoonflower, takes us through the history of a company that has grown its business largely through digital textile printing and e-commerce and now celebrates its 10-year anniversary.
Published July 25, 2018
Chuck Slingerland, Vice President of Sales and Digital Operations for Abbott-Action, is excited about the potential for augmented reality (AR) in corrugated packaging.
Published July 24, 2018
It’s been some time since we have taken a look at the state of our industry associations. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne conducted 17 interviews in late Spring 2018 with key industry players to get an update on status and strategies. We don’t cover every organization in the industry—there are simply too many—but it gives a good overview on the organizations and resources available to help printing businesses be more successful.
Published July 23, 2018
Do you have a cat or a dog? Or would you like to, if only you or someone in your household weren’t sensitive to allergens shed by cats and dogs? Devan Chemicals has an answer that may help. The company recently launched a technology to make textiles free from allergens shed by cats and dogs. Purissimo™ is a probiotic-based solution and is completely natural. We spoke to the company to learn more.
Published July 23, 2018
Jeff Lucido, General Manager for IT Supplies, celebrates the 20th anniversary of the company with a new facility and shares how it will help the industry.
Published July 19, 2018
Paolo Torricella, Textiles Segment Manager for EFI Reggiani, describes the benefits of EFI InNova pigment inks for direct-to-fabric printing from vibrant colors to a lower impact on the environment.
Published July 18, 2018
Matt Poovey, President of Champion Thread Company, discusses the importance of automation in bringing textile and garment manufacturing back to the United States. This industrial sewing thread manufacturer is leading the way with a number of innovations.
Published July 17, 2018
Sean Smyth with Smithers Pira discusses the value of the Digital Print and Packaging show and shares some data on packaging forecasts for digital print.
Published July 16, 2018
Digital textile printing is taking off, and solutions that increase flexibility while maintaining high quality standards will help speed this analog-to-digital transformation. We recently spoke with Ann Sawchak, co-founder of Expand Systems, about the company’s DuraVibe fabrics and the role they play in enabling more digital printing volume.
Published July 16, 2018
Karsten Newbury, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Software for Gerber Technology, discusses the trends driving change in the textiles industry. Now more than ever, the industry is about speed with pressure on brands and manufacturers for faster time to market.
Published July 10, 2018
Jeoff Bodenhorst, Jr., President of LACorp, talks about his contract cut-and-sew company that offers a wide range of services to the garment industry. He talks about how automation will continue to improve this part of the manufacturing process, which can often be a labor-intensive bottleneck.
Published July 5, 2018
Web-to-print is well established in the world of commercial printing, and web-to-fabric is now gaining steam in textiles, as the demand for shorter runs and faster turn times for customized and personalized textiles and apparel grows. We recently spoke with DPInnovations about its web2fabric workflow solution which has been installed in more than 20 customer locations.
Published July 5, 2018
Ryan Kurek, Director of Marketing for North America at Kornit Digital, discusses the analog-to-digital transformation as it relates to textiles. As the way we buy clothing changes, the textile industry must adjust, with faster time to market and less waste in the supply chain.
Published July 3, 2018
Mike Schliesmann, Senior Vice President of Great Northern Corporation, talks with Cary Sherburne about filling the gap between corrugated and folding cartons, plus developing ways to digitally print direct to corrugated.
Published June 28, 2018
Yoram Burg, Regional Sales Director for EFI Optitex, gives us an idea of what to expect in the textiles market as the analog-to-digital transformation continues to unfold. Companies need to develop product and get it to market faster than ever before to keep up with consumers' changing buying habits.
Published June 27, 2018
Doris Brown-McNally of HP Graphic Solutions discusses the importance of educating brands on the value of digital print: First by imparting technology and marketing knowledge, then discussing the capabilities of digital print and helping with any challenges they may face.
Published June 26, 2018
At TechTextil, Kirby Best, Chairman of OnPoint Manufacturing, talks about his company, which was founded based on lessons learned in the book industry. OnPoint produces original, beautiful textile work using automated production.
Published June 25, 2018
Smithers Pira hosted two terrific digital printing conferences in Chicago earlier this month—Digital Print for Packaging and Digital Textile Printing. Both had great content and were very interactive. In this article, we’ve just scratched the surface of what was covered. We highly recommend putting these conferences on your calendar for next year!
Published June 25, 2018
Carlos Jimenez, Professional Services Manager of Fashion and Apparel for Lectra, discusses the broad range of services the company offers to streamline the process from design to cutting room for textile-based products. Lectra serves the fashion industry, as well as furniture and other market segments where textiles play an important role.
Published June 22, 2018
Pantone has been providing color standards for the fashion, home, and interiors marketplace since 1987. Cotton standards were introduced in the mid-1990s. Since then, Pantone has developed additional textile color standards, including today’s announcement of 203 new colors for polyester. We spoke with Laurie Pressman, Vice President at Pantone Color Institute, to learn more.
Published June 21, 2018
Mark Sunderland, Textile Engineer and Strategist at Thomas Jefferson University, discusses the future of coatings for performance fabrics and their effect on sustainability.
Published June 19, 2018
Leading companies in the labels business are benefiting from smart workflow automation. While some feel intimidated by the thought of changing a workflow that works—maybe not as well as it could—we've talked to folks who have made the transition and can't imagine how they actually functioned before.
Published June 18, 2018
Sharon Donovich, Product Marketing Manager for Kornit Digital, talks about the offerings from this Israeli-based company, a solutions provider for printing on textiles. Kornit received a warm response to its line of direct-to-garment and direct-to-fabric printers at the recent TexProcess show in Atlanta.
Published June 12, 2018
Mike Tancini, Director of Sales for North and Central America at Datacolor, describes Datacolor's services for the textile industry. The company recently introduced Spectravision, positioned as a game-changer for measuring printed textile samples.
Published June 11, 2018
MWW On Demand has leveraged automation and technology to gain its position as the single largest weaving and on-demand printing company for textile-based products in the U.S. The company employs digital printing technologies for heat transfer sublimation, direct-to-garment, and direct-to-textile, and is one of the few—or perhaps the only—company that maintained a large fleet of looms when others began sending weaving offshore. The result is a vertically integrated, environmentally sustainable, on demand manufacturing operation that is a model for the future of textiles.
Published June 11, 2018
Dave Pullin, CEO of Coldlogic LLC, suggests apps as a solution for increasing workflow automation in the textile industry, much like JDF did for print, enabling systems to talk to each other, minimizing human intervention.
Published June 6, 2018
What if you could cost-effectively color thread on demand? You know exactly how much of each color you need and in what order. You produce what you need, and you can do even very complex embroidery designs using a single head. That’s a dream that’s rapidly becoming a reality. Coloreel is another example of thread on demand in action. We spoke to CEO Mattias Nordin to take a deeper look.
Published June 4, 2018
For 50 years, Gerber Technology has been providing solutions for the fashion and apparel industry, from planning through sourcing and production. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Karsten Newbury, Senior Vice President and General Manager, and Mary McFadden, Executive Director, CAD Product Management, to learn about the company’s latest offerings and how they help the industry in the analog-to-digital transformation.
Published May 30, 2018
Pablos Holman is a serial entrepreneur whose latest venture is Bombsheller, an online source for leggings manufactured on demand. Customers can select from more than a thousand designs, or upload their own, and each pair of leggings, which are available in 10 sizes, is digitally printed, cut, and sewn, with shipment in 24 hours in most cases.
Published May 24, 2018
WhatTheyThink attended TechTextil/TexProcess in Atlanta, and one of the key messages that came out of the show was the fact that apparel microfactories are a reality. This brings many advantages to the apparel industry, especially in North America and Europe where there is a move to re-shore some part of apparel manufacturing.
Published May 10, 2018
Seth Godin, world-renowned entrepreneur and marketing and publishing guru, will be keynoting this September’s PRINT 18. Cary Sherburne spoke to him about the changing role of print in today’s marketing and publishing landscape. Read on for some insights from one of today’s thought leaders.
Published May 8, 2018
For a dozen years, Forrest Leighton held marketing roles at Canon USA, and then spent four years with Marcomm Central. Today, he is Vice President of Marketing at MakerBot, a Stratasys company and a global leader in desktop 3D printing solutions. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with him recently to learn more about MakerBot and how 3D printing might be a relevant opportunity for commercial, sign & display graphics, packaging and textile printers.
Published May 7, 2018
Changing market dynamics, including the increasing proliferation of digital printing technologies for textiles and apparel, are boosting reshoring efforts in many countries. UK-based Standfast & Barracks has worked closely with digital textile printer manufacturer Durst to help accelerate this trend using its Durst Alpha Series digital textile printers. Read more.
Published May 2, 2018
Tel Aviv-based fashion designer Danit Peleg creates custom garments and accessories using desktop 3D printers. Today, Peleg is also in the process of creating and uploading to her site designs that can be downloaded and printed. Read on for more on her unique projects.
Published May 1, 2018
One of the high points of the Color Conference held earlier this year was a talk by Lisa Price, Design Operations Director at 3M. I was able to speak to Lisa recently to get a little more detail about her very successful Print Quality Management Program that helps her manage a network of more than 700 printers worldwide. Read more.
Published April 30, 2018
Fashion designer Michal Ratzman turned to digital textile printing to find a way to make her dress design business more attractive to buyers and more profitable for her. By switching to the sell-then-manufacture model from manufacture-then-hope-to-sell, she is able to provide more customized apparel solutions while eliminating returns, inventory and waste for her on-demand dress manufacturing business, byme.
Published April 24, 2018
In preparation for attending TechTextil/TexProcess in Atlanta in May, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne connected with Will Duncan, Executive Director of SEAMS, a trade organization dedicated to empowering the Made in America movement by supercharging the U.S. supply chain from concept to customer. Learn more about SEAMS and the benefits of joining the effort.
Published April 23, 2018
Can apparel be completely manufactured in an automated environment? Not yet. But it’s coming soon and will revolutionize apparel manufacturing. Learn how NextWave, and its partners EFI, Klieverik, Zund, and Henderson are creating an on demand microfactory, which will be on display at TechTextil/TexProcess in Atlanta in May.
Published April 17, 2018
Great Northern Corporation added an HP PageWide T400S inkjet press to its operation last year to bring more flexibility to its unique ultra-strong folding cartons. In this post, learn how Great Northern is leveraging offset and digital for more efficiency, and the approach the company has taken to filling the gap between corrugated and folding carton.
Published April 16, 2018
Following its announcement of its formation as a joint venture between BOBST and Radex last July, Mouvent is now bringing its innovative textile printers to market. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Ghislain Segard, Marketing & Sales Manager for Textile Machines at Mouvent, to get more details about the current product and Mouvent’s strategies for the future. Read more.
Published April 10, 2018
Retailers are seeing an unprecedented volume of returns, according to a recent eMarketer Retail story, and they are struggling with how to deal with this while still keeping margins at an acceptable level. Many are burdened with legacy supply chain issues that digital technology could mitigate. This post is a recap of some of the innovative approaches to digital textile and apparel manufacturing that are poised to revolutionize the world of textiles and apparel.
Published April 9, 2018
Are you going to FESPA 2018 in Berlin? If so, there’s a special treat in store that you will not want to miss. In this article, show organizer Duncan MacOwan explains FESPA’s Print. Make. Wear. exhibit that showcases how digital technologies are transforming textiles and apparel while also demonstrating the ongoing value that analog production processes still add to the mix. Read more.
Published April 2, 2018
SGIA Chairman Ed Cook, Jr., explains the importance of the organization's upcoming conference on functional printing. FP3 is a new show serving the industrial printing and printed electronics communities. Scheduled for June in Chicago, the event is designed to educate executive-level members of these communities, including operational and business tracks. Google's David Hogue will keynote the event.
Published April 2, 2018
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Zazzle's Chief Fulfillment Officer Charles Ohiaeri about the role of digital textile printing in its ecommerce business that delivers personalized paper and textile products. He shares his views on the analog-to-digital transformation underway in the textiles industry and how digital can make the industry more efficient, profitable, and environmentally friendly, while giving consumers more choice with the ability to personalize or customize their garments and other textile-based products.
Published April 2, 2018
Durham, N.C.’s Spoonflower allows users in its community of more than 3.5 million individuals to design and digitally print their own custom fabrics for curtains, quilts, clothes, bags, furniture, dolls, pillows, framed artwork, costumes, banners, and much, much more. Read on to see how Spoonflower is continuing to transform the digital textile printing market.
Published March 29, 2018
Chris Bernat, Chief Revenue Officer at Vapor Apparel, likes to break the rules. Fourteen years ago, the company determined that good fabrics for sublimation printing were hard to come by and worked to solve that problem. Today, the company provides high-quality blanks for shirts, accessories, and more, including sublimation-certified white and colored garments that perform on press and in the market, making its clothing in the United States. He also discusses the relative roles of digital and conventional printing for textiles.
Published March 22, 2018
Ryonet's Ryan Moor talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the overall positive impact the analog-to-digital transformation in textiles and apparel stand to have on the environment. He also discusses how his company is helping the people of Haiti by providing workers in his manufacturing operation in the country with a living wage, good working conditions, and more.
Published March 22, 2018
At an ISA preview event last night, HP presented a new technology for Latex printing on rigid substrates up to two inches thick. Although pricing and availability are not yet available, the company showed sample prints and plans to demonstrate the machine in operation at FESPA in Berlin in May. Learn more.
Published March 21, 2018
Epson’s 2018 Digital Couture Project leading up to New York’s Fashion Week caught my attention, and I reached out to the Mark Radogna, Strategic Marketing for Epson America, to learn more about how Epson is approaching the digital textiles market and where the company sees it going in the future.
Published March 21, 2018
Andy Louis-Charles, Vice President of Business Development at CustomInk, one of the largest online custom apparel companies in the U.S., talks about the importance of mutually beneficial partnerships with others in the industry. He believes this practice of "co-opetition" raises the level for everyone in the industry. Custom apparel for events is a $7 billion industry—there's lots of room for everyone and an opportunity to grow the pie. With a bigger pie, everyone gets a larger slice, he says.
Published March 20, 2018
Robert Prioleau, Partner and Brand Director at the Blue Ion agency, and a principal of Outpost, another agency, explains what he meant during his talk at ThreadX, when he said, "The best brands are defined by what they are made of, not by what they make." What values, purpose, mission and cause are you bringing to the table on top of your great products and services?" Hear what he has to say, and think about how you can apply his advice to your brand.
Published March 19, 2018
As a garment decorator or textile printer, have you ever bemoaned the fact that you have to pretreat natural fiber fabrics in order to use heat-transfer sublimation for a brilliant, durable image on natural fiber textiles? Moan no more! The Mosaica Group is introducing a breakthrough product from a European mill that makes heat transfer news. Read more.
Published March 19, 2018
Matthew Cochran, CCO of of Purchase Activated Apparel Technology (PAAT), is building an open digital product development network, looking to augment the traditional tech pack that is the DNA of a product. His Smart Tech Pack (STP) technology is a machine-readable file that takes some of the opportunity for human error out of the garment manufacturing process. The goal of this digital product development network is to move to a design-sell-produce model as opposed to today's design-produce-hope-to-sell model.
Published March 15, 2018
Mark Coudray, Founder of Catalyst Plan, has nearly 50 years of experience in graphic communications. He talks about the analog-to-digital transformations that have occurred in the industry over the past few decades. The fourth iteration of analog-to-digital transformation is revolutionizing the discipline of marketing and having a huge impact on the textiles and apparel industries. He offers guidance to buy time and gain breathing room.
Published March 14, 2018
It’s been 20 years since Mimaki began its digital textile printing journey, one of the first, if not the first, to do so. We spoke with Ronald Van Den Broek, General Manager of Sales for Mimaki Europe, to gain insight into how the company addresses the growing digital textile market today and it is vision of the future.
Published March 14, 2018
Chris Simpson, Digital Marketing Director at Blue Ion, talks about how companies can make a transition from marketing B2B to marketing B2C. He identifies a set of tools from Google and others that can help companies add this new capability.
Published March 13, 2018
Mel Lay, Owner of Sandilake Clothing, has a riveting story of how she went from producing clothing for her kids in 2014 to being a garment icon. Her business has grown largely through the use of social media, including her public battle with Target and ultimately her appearance on Shark Tank. Great story! Lots of guidance about how others can use social media to grow their businesses.
Published March 12, 2018
OnPoint Manufacturing offers an innovative approach to an on-demand manufacturing model for textiles and apparel. Leveraging digital technologies to streamline supply chains, remove waste and speed time to market is the hallmark of the analog-to-digital transformation of any industry. OnPoint combines a number of interesting technologies to enable this in textiles and apparel for its own manufacturing, and a vision of the future for the industry.
Published March 12, 2018
Matthew Cochran, COO of OnPoint Manufacturing, talks about the feasibility of on demand manufacturing of garments to address Fast Fashion and the waste of time and materials associated with the traditional garment supply chain, moving from design-produce-hope-to-sell, to design-sell-produce.
Published March 8, 2018
Skya Nelson, COO of Fed By Threads, talks about the company's "dirt to shirt" strategy and its innovative approach to fibers that are environmentally sustainable and recyclable. One example is 65% recycled plastic bottles and 35% recycled organic cotton. Currently they are working on a recycled cotton fiber that prints well, recycles easily, and is cost effective.
Published March 8, 2018
Tom O'Brien, President of AccuLink in Greenville, N.C., talks about how he was able to turn his business around following the recession by turning to dye sublimation of textiles, ceramics, and more. This commercial printer is also now one of the largest dye-sub operations in the Southeast with minimal investments as compared to normal commercial print investments—about 100 pieces of equipment that cost less than one digital printing press!
Published March 7, 2018
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reports from the inaugural ThreadX, powered by SGIA, a unique conference held last week to serve the needs of garment decorators.
Published March 7, 2018
In seeking to better serve its membership, SGIA took the advice of its Garment Decorating Committee to host an event dedicated to that under-served segment. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was there, and explains why this event was different. The sold-out event will be held again next year, location TBD.
Published March 6, 2018
Joe Tuccitto, FTA's Director of Education, explains the FTA's FIRST program, Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications and Tolerances, which has been around for two decades. Created for the industry by the industry, it is a book of starting points, a guide to getting started with everything flexo. Version 6.0 has just been released, and is accompanied by certification programs.
Published March 5, 2018
As the analog-to-digital transformation in textile printing starts taking off, hybrid solutions are emerging that fill the gap between screen and digital printing. In this article, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne discusses this gap issue, includes insight from a California-based screen printer, and highlights an interesting hybrid solution in the form of M&R’s Digital Squeegee. Read more.
Published March 5, 2018
Adele Genoni, Vice President and General Manager for EFI Reggiani, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about how Reggiani fits into the EFI ecosystem. She explains how the company is moving the analog-to-digital transformation forward in textiles, and what she expects to see in the future, including reshoring textile production in North America and Europe.
Published February 27, 2018
Since the launch of our dedicated textiles section in January, we have been talking to the major suppliers to the industry about their offerings in this exploding space. Recently, we spoke with Mike Horsten, Business Manager for Large Format Professional EMEA at HP. He shares his thoughts on the digital textile market and HP’s future plans in that segment.
Published February 27, 2018
Joe Tuccitto, Director of Education for the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the value of PIA's Color Conference to members of FTA and the industry as a whole. Color Conference 2019 will be held in San Diego in January.
Published February 26, 2018
A Furious Goose can be frightening and entertaining at the same time. It was this idea that led to the unique naming of this British provider of high-quality silk scarves and pocket squares. The company works with Think Posi+ive Prints UK (Think Positive) in producing stunning accessories. Read more.
Published February 26, 2018
SGIA CEO Ford Bowers explains the genesis of ThreadX as coming from a focus group of garment decorators who felt an event dedicated to helping with business and technology information them didn't exist. This first edition sold out, and SGIA is planning to do the event again next year. Hear what Bowers has to say and stay tuned for more news and videos from ThreadX!
Published February 23, 2018
Kevin O'Connor, Principal at Make Color Behave, talks about advances by Apple and others are looking ahead to new video standards that will enhance color viewing beyond SRBG which only presents about 35% of the colors the unimpeded human eye can see. The most current Apple screens will support new standards that will capture about 53% of what we can see with our eyes.
Published February 19, 2018
There’s a lot happening in the world of digital textile printing, an exciting and vibrant market. It seems like every day we come across new products, services and applications that digital technology enables—either to streamline existing traditional methods or to enable entirely new capabilities. Israeli company Twine Solutions is bringing digital printing technology to the most basic commodity in the industry, the thread. Read more to learn how this technology can benefit your business.
Published February 16, 2018
Cal Poly Professor Brian Lawler explains what designers should be thinking about to serve the needs of those who don't see color the same way most of us do. He recommends a process for using "considerate color" that allows the people with color vision defects to still see contrast and tonal difference in colors selected for graphic projects such as roadmaps and charts where color itself is a factor in understanding the content. He mentions specific tools designers can use to accomplish this.
Published February 15, 2018
Standards Guru and X-Rite Printing & Imaging Portfolio Manager Ray Cheydleur talks about his many roles within the standards community and the importance of standards in the printing industry. He highlights print production standards that digital, offset, and flexo printers should be aware of as they work to continuously improve their operations.
Published February 14, 2018
Brian Yap, an artist and illustrator who works for Adobe, shared his lifelong journey in art, computers and augmented reality. From stating as an artist he would never use a computer for his art, to becoming a completely digital artist, today Yap primarily creates his illustrations using an iPad. He talks about how he uses augmented reality as a unique way to animate posters and other images. "Looking at a poster with your phone and having it come to life is magic," he says.
Published February 13, 2018
Christopher Campbell, a lifelong photographer and artist, explains how he blends these two passions to not only create great art, but to capture his unique artwork with a camera, generating a printed image that is almost indistinguishable from the original. He sees this as a remarkable moment in history: digital printers have such a large color gamut and can do so much, cameras now capture such high resolution, and color science has come to a point where ordinary people can profile a camera and a printer, and make these things.
Published February 12, 2018
Unmade, a UK-based company dedicated to providing solutions and tools to enable widespread adoption of on-demand personalization and customization of apparel and other soft goods, started by developing software to enable custom knitted items, but is now expanding into direct-to-textile printing and more. Read the full story.
Published February 12, 2018
Marc Olin, CFO at EFI and a board member of the Association for Print Technologies (APT), highlights the strategic reasons behind the rebranding of NPES to APT, citing the need to broaden the scope beyond print to other relevant technologies important to the industry. This also opens the organization to other stakeholders as well. Both are designed to foster inclusiveness and better support the industry.
Published February 9, 2018
Cal Poly Professor Brian Lawler explains common color vision defects and why designers should take these color vision defects into account when designing maps, transactional documents, signs and other items where color plays a role in the ability to understand the messages being conveyed. He also provides insight into how color vision can be tested and tools available to verify if designs comply with good color practices.
Published February 9, 2018
TAGA is known for its informative sessions and animated discussions of print technology, and the 2018 TAGA Annual Technical Conference will be no exception. Scheduled for 18 to 21 March in Baltimore MD, this is a must-attend event for anyone in the printing industry who wants to stay current with emerging trends and learn about opportunities for new revenue streams and continued business growth. Learn more.
Published February 8, 2018
Thomas Lange, President of Grupo SG, a distributor serving Central America and the Caribbean, speaks about his long-term relationship with EFI and the addition of EFI Reggiani textile printers to his offerings. This region has a significant base of textile and garment manufacturing and many players are following the lead of brands and retailers in driving the analog-to-digital transformation occurring in these industries for faster time to market and improved profitability.
Published February 8, 2018
At the 2018 PIA Color Conference, Lead User Interface Designer for Google, David Hogue, presented a fascinating keynote. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was able to sit down with him afterwards to get his perspective on barriers to innovation that may be impacting companies in the printing industry. He provides insight into how to overcome these challenges, including anchoring bias and the cathedral effect. A must-watch for printing company owners and managers.
Published February 7, 2018
Lisa Price, Global Design Operations Manager at 3M, explains the company's Print Quality Management program that helps her manage a supply base of 700 printers. This 100-year-old company employing 90,000 people is a thought leader in the field of Print Quality Management; Lisa's story is an inspiration to others responsible for managing complex print supply chains.
Published February 6, 2018
Glenn Shull, Product Manager at Nazdar Source One distribution company, talks about the company's position as the first distributor in North America to distribute the EFI Pro 24f true flatbed large format printer. The printer will be featured in the company's new Chicago demo center, where visitors will be able to experience the product first-hand.
Published February 6, 2018
We recently had the opportunity to visit Memjet’s San Diego headquarters and get an update on how the business is going since our visit last summer. The Print 17 trade show gave the company’s prospect list a huge boost. Read more.
Published February 5, 2018
WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne caught up with Gavin Jordan-Smith, VP/GM, Industrial Print and Graphic Communications at Konica Minolta and Board member of APT, to gain his perspective on the recent rebranding of industry association NPES to the Association for Print Technologies (APT). The rebranding reflects the Association's focus on the entire value chain, beyond the physical act of printing, and fostering change in the way suppliers and producers think about their businesses.
Published February 5, 2018
Liam O'Hara, Associate Professor at Clemson University and President of TAGA, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the upcoming TAGA technical conference, scheduled for 18-21 March in Baltimore. TAGA, celebrating 70 years of service to the industry, is one of the leading associations for disseminating research and information about graphic arts technologies. Student-oriented programs are also an important feature of this event. View the video to learn who should attend.
Published February 1, 2018
Mike Loyd, Executive Director of IPMA, talks about why the new In-Plant Track at EFI Connect 2018 was beneficial to his members and a recognition that in-plant print shop managers often have different needs than commercial printers.
Published January 31, 2018
Michael Makin, CEO of the Printing Industries of America, previews the association's upcoming webinar and highlights the benefits of the new law for printing companies. PIA fought hard for inclusion of provisions that benefit the industry. The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15, at 2 PM Eastern, and PIA experts will be on hand to answer questions.
Published January 31, 2018
For many companies, digital communications promised fast, easy, relevant, and more affordable customer communications. But now marketers are realizing that print has a valuable role in the customer communications mix that cannot be underestimated. As a result, the role of print in an omnichannel world is being redefined yet again, with print as a key element.
Published January 30, 2018
Eric Bacourt, CEO of Spanish company Hinojosa Packaging, explains why he took the leap as the world's first installation of the EFI Nozomi direct-to-corrugated printing system. He also discusses the future of digital print for the corrugated business. The system is now running three shifts per day.
Published January 30, 2018
Idealliance, NAPM, and PostCom announced a coalition designed "to work towards the long-term vitality of mail and ensuring that the mail industry remains at the very center of communication and commerce in the United States and around the globe." Is this the right approach? Read more for my opinion.
Published January 29, 2018
Have you ever shopped at Zazzle? The company personalizes just about anything and has both paper and textile offerings. In past Zazzle stories, we have focused primarily on the paper side. But the company was actually founded with textiles. Read more to find out what Zazzle textile offerings - and its view of the market - looks like today.
Published January 25, 2018
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks to EFI CFO Marc Olin at EFI Connect 2018 about what is new at the event, including Nozomi installs and unique applications being employed by customers and Pace developments. They also discuss other product developments around textiles.
Published January 24, 2018
Gecht shares his thoughts on Industry 4.0 and what it means for the future of the printing industry. He encourages companies to expand their definition of printing to putting beautiful images on all types of materials, beyond ink and toner on paper, to provide the necessary growth path for the future.
Published January 23, 2018
Joe Marin, Vice President of Education and Training at the Printing Industries of America, and the PIA team did an outstanding job of organizing this year's Color Conference, the 20th edition. In this video, he talks about the strategy of bringing in fun, thought-provoking and inspiring keynotes along with the more granular sessions the conference is known for.
Published January 22, 2018
SGIA's President & CEO Ford Bowers shares information about the upcoming ThreadX Conference, scheduled for 25-28 February in Palm Springs. Designed to support the garment and apparel decorators community, the second largest community within SGIA, ThreadX will feature well-known speakers and thought leaders from the industry.
Published January 18, 2018
Ford Bowers, President & CEO of SGIA, talked with us about the partnership between SGIA and PIA, and the value to their respective memberships. A key element is introducing SGIA's membership to the many conferences that PIA hosts, as well as participation in legislative affairs activities.
Published January 17, 2018
Michael Makin, CEO of the Printing Industries of America, shares information on PIA's iLearning University for the printing industry, which has been completely retooled and includes the opportunity for certification across a variety of disciplines, including Customer Service. Core content included in PIA affiliate membership fees.
Published January 16, 2018
Tim Baechle, Vice President at Idealliance, talks about how Idealliance is repositioning itself around three primary goals: communication, education and validation. With offices around the world hte organization's evolution to a think tank has changed the model of how it works. Programs like G7 and BrandQ create a swim lane for the packaging supply chain to create seamless communication. Baechle shares thoughts about how the organization is serving some of the worlds largest brands and converters to tame what he calls the Wild West of Packaging.
Published January 15, 2018
Amazon’s patenting of an on-demand clothing manufacturing warehouse points to a future of on-demand mass customization of fashion.
Published January 11, 2018
Details for the 2018 edition of Xeikon Café Exhibition & Conference, the fourth such event held in Belgium, are becoming available,;and there are exciting changes planned. We spoke with Xeikon Corporate Communications Manager Danny Mertens to get more details. Read more.
Published January 8, 2018
Want a vision of the future of the world of digital textiles? Skya Nelson of Fed By Threads has a unique perspective on the market, and is already implementing much of it with the company’s “dirt to shirt” approach to socially responsible, environmentally sustainable apparel.
Published December 14, 2017
There has been a lot of hype over the last few years about 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, being the next big thing in the print-related world. We recently learned that EFI hired Gal Barak as its Inkjet Eastern Region Sales Manager. Barak most recently worked for 3D printing company Stratasys. Why did he make this move and what are his thoughts on 2D versus 3D? Read more.
Published November 14, 2017
CMYK, XCMYK, CMYKOVG, ECG, Fixed Palette – so many terms to describe various types of process printing. What do they all mean and why should you care? We’ll explore all of that in this article.
Published November 1, 2017
I was recently given the opportunity to review a new book, Pioneers of German Graphic Design. Did you know that modern graphic design originated more than 100 years ago in Germany? I didn’t. The book is fascinating and includes fabulous imagery. I’ll recap some of it here, but you might want this one for your personal library!
Published October 30, 2017
Ricoh hosted a small group of media and analysts at its Global Executive Briefing Center in Boulder CO last week. This is one of four sites worldwide that has extensive capability to demonstrate Ricoh’s production printing portfolio, with the others being in Telford (UK), Thailand and Singapore. The company shared its strategy for the Commercial and Industrial Print Group, formed last April, as well as provided a tour of the facilities, including the demo center and some of the labs.
Published October 30, 2017
All too often, it seems that within the printing industry, we spend more time talking to each other than to customers. Ask yourself: How well do you truly understand your customers’ businesses, the issues they face every day, and how your services could help them meet their goals and objectives in truly unique ways? What services could you add to be able to do this even better?
Published October 24, 2017
Today, Idealliance announced a new program – BrandQ, designed to provide brands with the proper tools and language to better manage print quality across complex supply chains. What is not addressed in the press release is what that means for packaging converters and suppliers to the industry. We spoke with Idealliance Vice President, Global Print Technologies & Workflows, Tim Baechle to find out more.
Published October 20, 2017
The first-ever Xeikon Café North America drew a larger-than-expected audience. Xeikon has been using this platform as a gathering point for its customers and prospects at its European headquarters for the last several years. The success of the event prompted Xeikon to launch a North American version, which the company reported would be convened on an annual basis moving forward.
Published October 17, 2017
Phoenix-based Techniprint needed to adjust its business to account for a growing trend to digitally distribute document sets for architectural and construction projects rather than printing a large number of copies of these sets. Adding two HP PageWide XL 8000 wide format printers to its business resulted in a 25% increase in revenues in the first six months.
Published October 16, 2017
The interest in Augmented Reality has grown, especially with recent attention paid to the technology by Apple, Google, Snap and others. But there is also a great deal of confusion about Augmented Reality – what is it, really? How is it different from other technologies like QR codes? What is the relevance to print? Read more.
Published October 12, 2017
Many in the industry were surprised by this week’s announcement by SGIA and NAPCO about the launch of a reinvented SGIA Expo called PRINT United, designed to draw in more segments of the print market, including commercial print, publishing, 3D printing and more. I had a long conversation with Thayer Long of NPES, the organizers of two longstanding events, PRINT and GRAPH EXPO, to understand the organization’s reaction. Long was kind enough to provide a statement.
Published October 3, 2017
Yesterday, EFI announced the acquisition of Escada Systems, a provider of Corrugator Control Systems for the packaging market. The UK company adds another puzzle piece to EFI’s growing ecosystem for corrugated, with its earlier acquisition of CTI (ERP) and development of Nozomi (direct-to-corrugated printer). We spoke with Nick Benkovich to get the inside story.
Published September 22, 2017
More than 60 journalists from around the globe gathered in Würzburg, Germany, at KBA headquarters to begin celebrating with the company its 200th anniversary. The event theme is 200 years: Future needs an Origin. It was a unique experience and total pleasure to be part of this historic event, which included a factory tour and a formal gala at the local convention center. Read more.
Published September 22, 2017
Cary Sherburne talks to Koenig & Bauer CEO Claus Bolza-Schünemann during a press event for their 200th Anniversary Celebration. They discuss the new/old branding and how the company will be moving forward and taking on the next two hundred years.
Published September 20, 2017
Rob Daniels, President of Quality Tape and Labels, joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to talk about how a traditional fourth-generation flexo business got into the digital business. With zero digital business 10 years ago, the company now is producing more than 14 million impressions per month on three HP Indigo presses.
Published September 12, 2017
Joe Olivo, President of Perfect Communications located in the Philadelphia area, shares why he recently acquired an HP Indigo 10000 and an HP Indigo 7800 to be able to offer enhanced capabilities, including printing with white ink and achieving high quality CMYK printing on coated stocks. The company won an INKspiration Award with AIGA that included designs submitted by 35 designers. Benefits include enhanced productivity and a great look on uncoated stock that customers love.
Published September 12, 2017
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Fernando Gomez, General Manager of Operations for Grupo Ercus in Mexico City, to learn how Ercus Packaging leverages digital printing to produce packaging for the group's candy manufacturing business. The company also brings in outside work to produce on its HP Indigo presses, including participation in the Share-a-Coke campaign with an HP Indigo 20000. The company won an INKspiration award for coffee packaging it produced for an outside client.
Published September 11, 2017
Today EFI announced a new Fiery platform. The company reports that digital front ends (DFEs) based on the EFI Fiery FS300 Pro platform will drive presses across sheetfed, high-speed continuous feed, B1 folding carton, and corrugated digital production systems. This is perhaps the most aggressive Fiery release in some time and is being described as the platform for the next decade.
Published September 5, 2017
Steve Ebanks, owner of Orlando-based Xerographic Digital Printing, joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to discuss why he recently chose to displace competitive toner devices with an HP Indigo 12000 and an HP Indigo 5600. He cites HP's robust product portfolio, aggressive roadmap and larger sheet size as the primary decision factors.
Published August 29, 2017
Luis Romo, Director of Sales and Visual Solutions at Grupo Romo in Mexico City, a 4th generation family business founded in 1989, not only prints catalogs for its clients, but offers a turnkey service that ranges from models, photography and lighting to design, printing and distribution. Its printing services are augmented by an HP Indigo 10000 that complements its 40" offset press workflow.
Published August 28, 2017
Ben Adner, CEO of InkCupsNow, talks about the company's ability to digitally print to 3D objects. We observed their equipment in practice at InPrint USA, for cylindrical or other shaped objects with UV inkjet. The devices are suitable for short to mid-sized (up to 10,000 pieces) runs and in many cases will replace labels.
Published August 22, 2017
Nick Gawreluk, Supplies Product Manager for HP Indigo, Speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about some of the unique liquid inks HP Indigo has recently developed, including fluorescent inks. Gawreluk shares application of examples using these inks.
Published August 16, 2017
An image used in presentations at EskoWorld struck me as a telling comment on changing consumer behavior. Take a look.
Published August 16, 2017
At drupa 2016, Shutterfly placed an order for 25 HP Indigo 12000 digital presses, with an aggressive installation plan over the summer to be ready for the company’s peak season. Now Shutterfly has added another phase of HP Indigo 12000s to the mix. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Shutterfly to get the details.
Published August 15, 2017
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne tuned into Kodak’s Second Quarter Earnings Call to get an update on Kodak’s strategy. There were some surprises in the call, and more detail about strategic initiatives moving forward.
Published August 15, 2017
John Cockrell, Vice President at Fort Worth based Cockrell Enovation, has used its new HP Indigo 10000 press to migrate work from offset for more efficient production. Hear what he has to say about the future of offset in his business and the kinds of applications he is producing on the HP Indigo 10000. HP Indigo's Business Development team has been a partner in this transition.
Published August 14, 2017
Michael Cox, a Solutions Architect at HP, Inc., talks about HP's collaboration with Esko to create limited edition Bud Light cans for a special event using Studio for Sleeves and HP's Mosaic in the design process. This eliminated the need for physical samples in the approval process. From ideation to production in less than a month -- amazing!
Published August 10, 2017
Time and again, we have seen non-traditional competitors storm a market to the detriment of the establishment. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne came across a fascinating story that could be a bellwether indication of trouble ahead for the textbook industry.
Published August 8, 2017
What is OEE and why should you care? How does this metric – Overall Equipment Effectiveness – play in the world of digital printing? Those are questions addressed in a new report from jzarwanpartners. We’ve got a summary of findings for you!
Published August 8, 2017
Nigel Worme, Managing Director of COT Holdings in Barbados, was an early adopter of HP Indigo digital presses. The third generation family company is now on its 5th generation of Indigo presses with the acquisition of an HP Indigo 10000, now field upgraded to an HP Indigo 12000, providing a single sheet size for offset and digital presses that streamlines workflow.
Published August 1, 2017
Ron Sizemore, Partner at NYC-based Influence Graphics, describes his digital-only shop and a variety of wide format inkjet technologies. He describes the value of community events like Dscoop as a venue for innovation and inspiration that has helped him keep his company on a growth path.
Published July 25, 2017
Digital embellishment was a hot topic at drupa 2016, and more companies are entering the fray. We came across JetFX at an event earlier this year and were intrigued by their approach. Read more about JetFX approach to foiling, spot varnishing, embossing, and high end digital holograms.
Published July 18, 2017
Cece Smith, President of Toolbox Studios, worked for P&G for many years and brought her marketing expertise to SmithPrint. Now with her branding and marketing business operating as a sister company to SmithPrint, the two exploit the symbiotic relationship the two businesses offer to their respective clients. Smith cites her attendance at Dscoop as a key turning point for realizing how the two could be blended. She provides invaluable insight on how to create programs where print is not commoditized.
Published July 11, 2017
Ryan Smith, Vice President of Business Development at San Antonio based SmithPrint, talks about the company's unique relationship with its sister company, Toolbox Studios. The symbiotic relationship helps SmithPrint deliver cross-media services and variable data printing using its HP Indigo 7900 , HP Scitex FB 700 and its Heidelberg offset presses. Toolbox Studios also benefits from the ability to offer printing services along with her branding and marketing services.
Published July 10, 2017
Joakim Weidemanis, Vice President at Danaher, talks about the Danaher family of companies that play in the packaging supply chain, how they work together, the challenges they address, and where the company might go for future acquisitions.
Published July 4, 2017
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently spoke with Xerox executive Jacob Aizikowitz about his new role as head of the new Xerox Software Products Group to learn more about how the new Xerox is bringing together its diverse software development efforts.
Published June 27, 2017
Fadal Iskander, VP of TPSi in Tulsa OK, reports his company has been offering digital printing since 1978. Today, the company has a robust portfolio of HP Indigo and wide format presses it uses to produce a variety of applications, from transactional printing to wedding invitations. Despite his Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering, Iskander has dedicated his career over the last 40 years to printing!
Published June 27, 2017
What’s the future of the paper business? One company has a bright vision of its future and is making the requisite changes to get there. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Mark Odgers, Director, Packaging Grades at Sappi North America, to get more details.
Published June 26, 2017
Joe Lydic, Art Director at packaging converter ProAmpac, talks about how Esko HD Flexo has benefited the company in its analog to digital platemaking transformation. Its first commercial job earned the company a Print & Packaging award. ProAmpac was the first printer in the Western Hemisphere to be HD Flexo certified. He also talks about how Esko workflow helps the company be more efficient.
Published June 23, 2017
People seem to move around a lot in our industry, and sometimes it is hard to keep track. In this edition of “Where Are They Now?” we share Wim Maes’ thoughts on his new gig at Summa NV.
Published June 20, 2017
Anthony Narducci, President of O'Neil Printing in Phoenix, explains that the company has been operating in Downtown Phoenix for more than a century. But being a century-old company certainly doesn't mean they are old and stodgy! Narducci talks about its recent digital and wide format acquisitions and how they help O'Neil stay at the top of its game.
Published June 19, 2017
Ronald A. Whitfield, Automation Systems Manager at PSP Retail, a sign & display graphics provider, has taken a 4-person prepress department that was an operational bottleneck to a one-person department that is no longer a bottleneck and processes even more work. Find out how.
Published June 14, 2017
How is the United States Postal Service perceived by key members of the mailing supply chain? A recent Idealliance study lays it all out, the good, the bad and the ugly. While there is certainly room for improvement, and it is unclear what the USPS response to this study will be, be sure to read to the end for a view of what mail and communications would be like if the USPS wasn’t functioning as well as it is!
Published June 13, 2017
Udo Panenka, President of Esko, shares news about the 26th EskoWorld. 2017's event, the largest ever, attracted 500 customers, which included 100 brand owners from 40 companies. The event was the launching pad for three major announcements: Esko Platform for Brands, a new browser-based interface for Automation Engine and pre-configured automated workflows for label production, and expanded 3D rendering capabilities
Published June 13, 2017
Last month, I attended EskoWorld for the first time. This was the 26th EskoWorld, so I am a little slow on the uptake. But the event was well worth attending and had quite a different feel from other user groups I have attended.
Published June 13, 2017
Mike Panaggio, CEO of Daytona Beach based DME, tells Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, "We never want to have to apologize to a customer; no excuses are allowed in our business!" He also shares advice for his peers.
Published June 5, 2017
Dan Mauer, Vice President of Digital at Heidelberg, represented the company at the recent InPrint USA show, where the company's OmniFire direct-to-object printer. It capitalizes on the emerging demand for personalization in the industrial printing market with the ability to print in high quality on spherical, cylindrical or other objects.
Published May 29, 2017
Terri Mascagni is Senior Account Executive at Hederman Brothers, which has been in business since 1898, is a family owned commercial printer located in Mississippi. The company recently acquired an HP Indigo 12000 to bolster its digital capabilities. She talks about the many changes the company has recently gone through to maintain its competitive position.
Published May 25, 2017
In late March, Xeikon announced that Benoit Chatelard, at the time the Vice President, Production Printing, for Ricoh Europe, would be joining the company as President & CEO Digital Solutions, Flint Group, Xeikon’s parent company. Chatelard began his new role May 8th, and speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about his vision for Xeikon.
Published May 22, 2017
Joe Morgan, formerly CEO of Standard Register and now Founder and CEO of Be Safe. Be Inspired. Be YOU. shares his insights on the InPrint USA show and the opportunities he sees for printing businesses in functional printing applications, particularly for packaging. He sees this as changing the role for the converter and requires businesses to redefine the role they will play in the future.
Published May 16, 2017
Marketers’ love affair with a digital-only strategy has begun to wane, and while they are continuing to invest in digital channels, print is regaining ground as an important part of the overall media mix. This opens the door to a more active role for print service providers in moving upstream and becoming engaged with helping marketers develop and execute an effective omni-channel strategy that aligns with the way consumers want to interact with brands. We spoke with some experts to learn their secrets of success.
Published May 10, 2017
We recently caught up with Joe Morgan, formerly CEO of Standard Register, to find out what he is up to these days. Now Founder and CEO of Be Safe. Be Inspired. Be YOU, Joe is translating his 20+ years of experience as a CEO into a consulting business that helps companies improve leadership and transform corporate culture to better meet the market needs of today.
Published May 9, 2017
Jim Lambert, Vice President and General Manager of INX Digital, talks about the company's role in industrial digital printing. The goal is to be the company that helps its customers make the transition into digital in the industrial world. This includes the continued move from screen and pad printing to digital technologies. He explains how non-contact printing direct to objects is enabling new applications, showing real-world examples.
Published May 9, 2017
Karl Swanson, Vice President of Global Sales for ebeam Technologies, explains the company's electron beam curing technologies, discussing the benefit of electron beam versus UV curing, especially where ink migration is a concern.
Published May 8, 2017
Ken Mead, the new Dscoop Regional Director for the Americas for Dscoop, shares a little about his background and why he decided to take on the Dscoop role. He also talks about the future of Dscoop and where he sees it going under new management, including more local events, brand owner focus and 24/7/365 member support and resources.
Published May 4, 2017
Last month, NPES announced it was taking on sole ownership of the Print/Graph Expo show franchise in order to give it the flexibility to make necessary major changes to the show. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with both Printing Industries of America and Idealliance to get their take and to better understand what their involvement would be moving forward.
Published May 4, 2017
Gerhard Martterer of Eversfrank Gruppe shares the company's success with location-based marketing using LOCR maps, enabling global/local advertising. Hear how his company has implemented this for magazines with circulation as high as 600,000 using digitally printed wrappers.
Published May 2, 2017
Tucson-based Spectrum Printing recently underwent the Idealliance G7 Master Facility Qualification process by leveraging G7 Expert, Jeff Collins, National Color Solutions Manager for Konica Minolta. We checked into learn more about the process and the early results. We’ll touch base again in about a month to find out what longer term benefits the company has achieved.
Published May 2, 2017
Jan De Roeck, Director of Solutions Management at Esko, explains Esko's recently announced pre-configured workflows for label production. Leveraging its dozens of years of setting up workflows, the company has turned its expertise to helping label converters address workflow automation with an out-of-the-box solution that can be up and running in 3 days.
Published May 2, 2017
Cary Sherburne talks to Frazer Chesterman of Mackbrooks talks about bringing the InPrint show to the USA and the developing industrial printing market in the United States.
Published May 1, 2017
Ralf Schlözer, Director of On Demand Printing and Publishing for InfoTrends, shares insights into the state of printing in Europe. Overall the industry is flat in Europe, but there is quite a bit of uptake for production inkjet and interest in automation. He talks about the differences between Europe and North America in this regard.
Published April 25, 2017
On a recent visit to Belgium, I attended a Esko press briefing scheduled in conjunction with the company’s Flexo Innovation Day customer event.
Published April 25, 2017
Steve Nigro, President of HP's 3D business, provides an update on HP's JetFusion 3D printing solution, which is now commercially available. After a period of hype, Nigro believes 3D printing is "frothing" again ... and talks about how 3D printing can fit into a graphic arts business, and what new skills are required. He also predicts what market growth will look like.
Published April 20, 2017
NPES has unveiled what it characterizes as a “bold new direction” with its 2020 Strategic Plan. The organization has been evaluating its performance and considering where it wants to be as an organization by 2020 – and what value it can and will bring to the printing industry. NPES has assumed full ownership of the PRINT and GRAPH EXPO tradeshows.
Published April 18, 2017
Xeikon Café marked some significant Xeikon announcements, including the company’s entry into the production inkjet business and a leadership transition. The event, held at Xeikon headquarters in Belgium, drew more than 800 unique international visitors and was supported by about 40 partners.
Published April 18, 2017
Udo Panenka, President of Esko, talks about being part of Danaher, the value to the business being part of the Danaher family brings. A toolbox of proven great processes has been key to continuing -- and even speeding up -- the innovation that has enabled Esko to continue to bring new products to market. He talks also about the ability to bring these tools to customers to strengthen relationships and help them improve their businesses as well.
Published April 17, 2017
It was a pleasure to speak again with Gerhard Martterer of the Eversfrank Gruppe again at Hunkeler Innovationdays. He always has interesting applications to talk about, and this conversation is no exception. Take a look at the great success the company is having on behalf of its customers with real-time printing.
Published April 14, 2017
Canon didn’t disappoint with its One Canon event in Boca Raton last month. About 40 journalists and analysts gathered to hear the latest news and engage with Canon customers. It’s always a pleasure to hear from Joe Adachi, Canon USA Chairman and CEO, who kicked off the event with a broad corporate overview. And a surprise product launch occurred during the event as well.
Published April 13, 2017
I grew up in the shadow of Navy base Moffett Field in Mountain View CA, and later lived near Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth NH, and had the opportunity to see many Blue Angels shows and practice sessions. So it was quite an experience to hear from John Foley, a retired U.S. Navy Commander who led the vaunted Blue Angels, a keynote speaker at Dscoop.
Published April 12, 2017
Jan De Roeck, Director of Solutions Management for Esko, talks about the importance of rooting out waste in every step of the business and production workflow to make sure equipment has a higher effectiveness rate. Esko published a white paper in partnership with InfoTrends and the International Signs Association on the topic.
Published April 11, 2017
Pat McGrew, Director of Production Workflow at InfoTrends, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about trends in the corrugated market. The desire to create shorter run corrugated packaging is getting more popular and she explains how new digital technologies and workflows will facilitate that in a profitable manner while opening new opportunities for marketers.
Published April 5, 2017
Paul Gardner of Time Starvd works with clients to help them build their production inkjet businesses. He shares his insights into why businesses should seriously consider getting into inkjet, taking digital printing to scale but opening new opportunities by removing constraints of traditional technology.
Published April 4, 2017
Dan Byler, President of LaGwana, a printing firm in Indiana, acquired a 3D printer to explore its possibilities and it's been worth the investment! The company modeled its new building, which led to new business in the Architectural arena; was able to print a repair part for a digital press; and is selling furniture models to Amish furniture builders! Hear the whole story.
Published April 3, 2017
Rick Lindemann, President of Total Printing Systems, a short-run digital book manufacturer located in Newton IL, describes the workflow the company has implemented for book manufacturing, as well as his thoughts about the new technologies and solutions he saw for book manufacturing at Hunkeler Innovationdays, and these how technology investments can pay for themselves.
Published April 3, 2017
Esko's CDI Crystal 5080 XPS flexo platemaking solution was in good company when it was awarded the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design. Previous award winners have included HP, Polycom, Bosch, and others. Esko President Udo Panenka talks with Cary Sherburne about the award, which was entered into the competition by Esko's German desig agency, Designship.
Published March 29, 2017
Bryan Constable, Director of Engineering for Seattle-based RPIprint, explains the company's workflow automation strategy, incorporating RPI and partner manufacturing into a seamless, almost completely touchless, order-to-delivery process with a homegrown Order entry/workflow/MIS solution. He also talks about the future of the company's homegrown solution.
Published March 28, 2017
On a recent visit to Switzerland, I had the opportunity to spend time with Antoine Preisig, General Manager EMEA for X-Rite Pantone. Preisig joined X-Rite a year ago with a diverse background in the dental, IT and consumer electronics industries. He shared his thoughts on how Industry 4.0 is changing the world – and our industry.
Published March 22, 2017
Matt Swain, Senior Director at InfoTrends, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the latest trends in customer communications, some of which is driven by financial technology that is enabling more voice-driven communications. Consumers have increasingly demanding expectations about how they interact with financial services providers, including optimized print communications.
Published March 20, 2017
Charyl Kahanec, President of Marketing Solutions at EarthColor, always has interesting insights to share, and this video is no exception. She talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the role of print in today's marketing mix. She points out that marketing is not just one channel, but rather the overall conversation with the customer; and print is the strongest component of that conversation. Hear more.
Published March 20, 2017
Aron Allenson, Sales Support Specialist for High Speed Inkjet at Screen, talks about how new SC inks from Screen allow inkjet printing to commodity offset stocks without pretreatment. The ink is used in the Truepress JET 520 HD. He also explains the next generation of Truepress JET presses, the Truepress JET 520 NX, just released.
Published March 20, 2017
Automation is playing a growing role in book manufacturing, as evidenced by the sophisticated solutions on show at Hunkeler Innovationdays 2017
Published March 14, 2017
It’s been more than two decades since the first flurry of web-to-print solutions hit the market in the midst of the 1990’s dot-com boom, and these solutions have continued to evolve. Today, the next generation of web-to-print solutions are gaining steam as pure-play cloud-based solutions that provide the Uber- or Amazon-like experience consumers expect today. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne delves into experiences of forward-looking firms who have adopted these next-generation solutions.
Published March 14, 2017
Michael Poulin, Director of Product Marketing at Canon Solutions America, share's his thoughts about Canon's finishing partner strategy. The goal is to provide an integrated and automated end-to-end solution for applications in the graphic arts industry, such as book printing, Book of One, and more. He also talks about the mix of inline versus near-line finishing he has observed in the field.
Published March 14, 2017
Grant Miller, Chief Operating Officer, Pitney Bowes Document Messaging Technologies, explains the advances in the company's Epic inserting solution for high-speed letter processing as well as flexible processing of flats since its introduction at Hunkeler Innovationdays in 2015. This includes full automation, booklet making and more. He also discusses the advances in the Clarity Intelligent Mailing Solution and the company's partnership with HP, Inc.
Published March 13, 2017
Cheryl Kahanec, President of Marketing Solutions at EarthColor, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the progress that has been made in production inkjet technology since the first "inkjet drupa" in 2008, calling drupa 2016 the inkjet drupa on steroids. The challenge now is working the economics -- balancing toner, inkjet and offset.
Published March 8, 2017
Jim Tomblinson has done a great job at Modern Litho as VP of Operations as the company has moved to automate operations and make the customer experience exceptional. An effective MIS system is key to their efforts -- and yours. Hear what Jim has to say about the importance of fully implementing your MIS.
Published March 8, 2017
Todd Roth, Vice President at Thomson Reuters Core Publishing Solutions in Minneapolis, talks about the importance of driving a continuous improvement culture, and provides implementation guidance for organizations interested in lean manufacturing, safety, quality and more.
Published March 7, 2017
Benoit Chatelard, Vice President, Production Printing, Ricoh Europe, talks about the Business Innovation Principle: Co-Creating the Future, a Ricoh initiative to help customers develop their businesses. It engages the entire Ricoh community, from research to the sales team that work with the customer in a comprehensive manner for business innovation.
Published March 6, 2017
Keith Wilmot, new CEO of Dscoop, shares his background, his reasons for joining Dscoop, and his vision for the organization moving forward. He has experience as a brand owner and a producer of large events, skills that will help him take Dscoop to the next level with the vision of Innovating Print Together, including more engagement with the design and brand owner community.
Published March 3, 2017
Toby Weiss, General Manager of EFI's Fiery Business, joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to discuss the recent acquisition by EFI of the Xerox Freeflow digital front end. He talks about the benefits to customers, EFI and Xerox, including improved efficiencies for all parties. He shares EFI strategies for the future in this area.
Published March 3, 2017
Andrew Copley, President of Graphic Communications Solutions at the new Xerox, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the company's exhibit at Hunkeler Innovationdays, the first show for Xerox where everything is production inkjet. The company was displaying roll-to-sheet, roll-to-roll and sheetfed solutions along with new inks.
Published March 1, 2017
Jack Glacken, President of TGI in Philadelphia, talked about his first visit to Hunkeler Innovationdays, saying his business today is all about automation and Hunkeler, Horizon and Standard Finishing have that covered. He learned a lot, was impressed with what he saw, and would like to return in 2019.
Published February 28, 2017
Mark Hunt, Director of Strategic Alliances at Standard Finishing, shares his thoughts with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne on the increased automation trends and innovations on show at Hunkeler Innovationdays 2017. He characterizes the bindery as the "Last Frontier" for automation and is optimistic about today's solutions being able to stand up to the challenge and help customers be more productive and profitable.
Published February 28, 2017
Bryan Constable, Director of Engineering at RPI Print, shares his thoughts about his first visit to Hunkeler Innovationdays, citing the beautiful surroundings and the more intimate environment than most other industry events. He also appreciated seeing the integrator of both Hunkeler and Horizon products in the same production line, as well as Hunkeler integration with Muller Martini.
Published February 27, 2017
Frazer Chesterman, co-founder of the Show, explains why graphic arts professionals can benefit from attending. With the growing number of solutions and applications in the industrial print arena making their way into the graphic arts domain, including packaging and wide format, the show offers a learning and networking opportunity that should not be missed.
Published February 27, 2017
Philip Cullimore, President of Kodak's Enterprise Inkjet Systems Division, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the company's history in and strategies for production inkjet. He points out that the majority of pages printed on Kodak production inkjet presses are offset transfer, speaking to the quality and speed of the output. He highlights successes in packaging and provides an update on Ultrastream technology.
Published February 24, 2017
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne interviews Mike Herold, VP of Marketing at Ricoh about the company's production inkjet strategy and product portfolio. Ricoh recently announced the Pro VC40000. This new inkjet platform is designed for mid-volume high quality transactional and direct mail applications.
Published February 23, 2017
Yoshihiro Oe, General Manager for Export at Horizon International, highlights the company's smart book binding systems being shown in partnership with Hunkeler at Hunkeler Innovationdays for complete inline automation book binding down to a book of one at up to 800 books per hour. He emphasizes the importance of Hunkeler Innovationdays in driving deeper customer relationships.
Published February 23, 2017
As a successful Hunkeler Innovationdays 2017 wraps up, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Hunkeler CEO Michel Hunkeler about the company's strategies for the future. Key to the future is Hunkeler's partnerships with printing and finishing vendors to leverage respective strengths for the benefit of their mutual customers.
Published February 22, 2017
Daniel Erni, Sales Director at Hunkeler, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the new products the company has on display at Hunkeler Innovationdays 2017. He highlights the increased integration among Hunkeler, Horizon and Muller Martini for better end-to-end finishing productivity.
Published February 21, 2017
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne and Technology Editor David Zwang discuss highlights of Hunkeler Innovationdays, where a number of new products were announced. Attendance at the show is expected to be about 6,000 people over four days in beautiful Lucerne, Switzerland.
Published February 20, 2017
For a quarter of a century, Hunkeler Innovationdays has been a preferred venue for new product announcements, and 2017 is no exception. Hear what Hunkeler President and Innovationdays Project Director Stefan Hunkeler has to say about what to expect at this year's event, which is expected to draw nearly 7,000 visitors.
Published February 15, 2017
Dr. Erica Walker, Lecturer in the Graphic Communications Department at Clemson University, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the university's program and its contribution to attracting new talent to the printing industry. She emphasizes the importance of stressing print as an important element of multi-channel communications.
Published February 14, 2017
In looking at some of the changing paradigms made possible through new packaging technologies, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne takes a look at one that is emblematic of those changes. Those large boxes with lots of filler that you get when ordering products online are about to get smaller, if CMC Machinery has anything to say about it.
Published February 14, 2017
Son Do, Chief Technology Officer at Rods and Cones, a color management and workflow consulting firm, talks about the impact of optical brightening agents (OBAs) on color management and how to compensate for them. He explains how new standards for viewing conditions help ensure colors are in sync across a variety of lighting conditions. He also talks about the importance of having the right controlled lighting conditions and color measurement instruments.
Published February 14, 2017
Ray Cheydleur, X-Rite's Printing & Imaging Portfolio Manager and Chairman of CGATS, provides an update on the most recent changes in the M-Series and viewing standards, and how they interact in terms of accurately and consistently measuring color, especially when optical brighteners are involved.
Published February 13, 2017
Pat McGrew, Director of Production Workflow at InfoTrends, discusses recent InfoTrends research that reveals that printers are not so willing to pay for Professional Services, but rather, expect the vendor to support them with services as part of the purchase. The fact that vendors see services as a growth area reflects a disconnect that will be important to watch play out. She provides advice to both parties.
Published February 9, 2017
Are you planning to attend InPrint, the industrial printing show in Orlando in April? Maybe you think industrial print doesn't apply to you. But take a look at this video with show co-founder Frazer Chesterman who explains what it means and why it is important for print and packaging service providers to pay attention. As he explains, we're not talking about additive manufacturing as much as we are talking about different ways inkjet deposition technologies are being used for industrial purposes, including home decor. We'll see you at the show. Don't be left behind!
Published February 8, 2017
On a recent visit to Thomson Reuters Core Publishing Solutions in Minneapolis, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was able to speak with Vice President Todd Roth about the organizations history, dating back to the late 1800s, and his strategies for the future. The company follows Lean Manufacturing principles to deliver outstanding service and quality to both internal and external customers.
Published February 8, 2017
It's John The Math Guy Seymour's opinion that traditional statistical process control strategies don't really apply to the printing industry. View the video to find out why, and what his recommendations are.
Published February 7, 2017
Artificial intelligence, connecting the dots that no one else sees, and print as the igniter … some key learnings from EFI Connect 2017. The WhatTheyThink team was there and captured some great video interviews. In this post, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne shares the highlights that caught her attention.
Published February 7, 2017
Dr. Abhay Sharma, Professor of Graphic Communications Management at Ryerson University, talks about the revolution Extended Color Gamut printing is bringing to color printing by using a fixed set of inks to achieve a wider color gamut, minimize the need for spot inks and custom manufacturing, and improve productivity. It's a revolution ... better color and less costly.
Published February 6, 2017
Content Strategist Margie Dana talks about how printers can present their technology content in a way that is understandable to customers. She recommends investigating all available channels and creating small bits of content to get started. Creating content in terms that resonate with the customer is critical.
Published January 31, 2017
Idealliance's Tim Baechle visits with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to take some of the confusion out of expanded gamut printing, also known as extended color gamut and fixed color palette printing. He also talks about Idealliance's X-CMYK initiative for expanded gamut with four-color printing and the process of using a fixed palette of CMYK/OGV inks.
Published January 31, 2017
Cory Sawatzki, Director of Digital Print Technologies at CGS, shares his thoughts about the relatively new ISO standard, CxF for communication of color specifications and why it is important for printers and suppliers to the industry to be aware of and compliant with this standard. He also talks about how and when to use this standard.
Published January 30, 2017
Jim Tomblinson, VP of Operations at Jefferson City MO based Modern Litho led his company's very successful efforts to modernize and streamline the company's workflow, significantly enhancing the customer experience. He talks about the value of a scalable workflow in an environment of growth through acquisitions and organically. His hands-on experience provides good insight for his industry peers.
Published January 27, 2017
Konica Minolta Senior Vice President Kevin Kern speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the company's partnership with EFI. He categorizes EFI as Konica Minolta's go-to partner in areas where they are bringing new things to their customers, emphasizing KM's focus on solutions selling and end-to-end workflow integration.
Published January 26, 2017
Jimmy Vainstein, Senior Project Manager at the World Bank, explains how the Bank is revamping it's cut sheet operation to achieve a near lights out workflow, integrating web to print and EFI Fiery Central with Pace MIS.
Published January 25, 2017
Nathaniel Grant, President of Graphics & Marketing, talks about the 40-year-old company's move into superwide format with the acquisition of a flatbed printer. The company has migrated from a primarily offset platform to 100% digital with much of its work being delivered within 24 hours. He also talks about new markets its hybrid printer has opened for the firm.
Published January 24, 2017
Frank Mallozzi, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for EFI, shares his thoughts about EFI Connect 2017, the 17th year of the conference. Highlights included a fireside chat between CEO Guy Gecht and Joel Quadracci, as well as a fireside chat with Xerox CEO Jeff Jacobson. The conference featured new products, a large number of eduational sessions and lots of opportunity to network among peers, with EFI executives and technical staff, as well as EFI partners.
Published January 23, 2017
Guy Gecht, EFI's CEO, typically includes a thought leadership segment in his opening talk. In 2017, he put the industry on notice that artifice intelligence is almost upon us, with a convergence of technology and market demand that will bring this to mainstream in the foreseeable future. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that will have an impact on the printing industry, and printing owners and managers should keep tabs on its progress, understanding both eh risks and the opportunities for their businesses.
Published January 19, 2017
Angela Stone, Manager of Packaging Optimization at Canadian Tire Retail, is responsible for all of the private label packaging that is used for the wide range of products it offers. It covers all types of packaging, from folding carton to flexible to sewn-in labels. She talks about how she handles color management across this disparate array of packaging applications.
Published January 17, 2017
At Thomson Reuters Core Publishing Solutions, the focus on lean manufacturing is core to its business. WhatTheyThink recently visited the company’s Eagan MN facility to learn more about the operation. Read the full story.
Published January 17, 2017
Christine Gallagher, Director of Commercialization at Sonoco Trident, a division of the $5.2 billion packaging organization Sonoco, comes from a brand owner background. She speaks about the latest trends in anti-counterfeiting in packaging and how Sonoco Trident controls anti-counterfeiting measures, including reporting, and next generation developments that empower consumers.
Published January 17, 2017
Mark Lewiecki, Senior Product Manager at Adobe, talks about PDF 2.0, now being developed through the International Standards Organization which has responsibility for the PDF standard. A key new attribute is the ability to put page-level media-specific information directly into the PDF file. The ISO is also defining the metadata as it relates to media, especial for variable data printing, and is incorporating CxF spectral data into the PDF file.
Published January 16, 2017
Don Hutcheson of HutchColor, one of the industry's most knowledgeable color experts, shares his thoughts on the latest developments in color management and the tools print service providers should have to be able to print to the numbers and deliver against customer color expectations. He explains how industry standards are driving more process control into the art and science of printing.
Published January 11, 2017
Thomson Reuters Core Publishing Solutions in Minneapolis, kindly hosted the WhatTheyThnk team to view the digital transformation the operation is undergoing. Larry Soler, its Director of Prepress, Press and Digital, explains that while offset will be a core functionality for the foreseeable future, web and sheetfed production inkjet is driving change, including a 3-to-1 replacement of toner devices and migration of shorter runs from offset to digital.
Published January 6, 2017
2016 marked my first visit to the Color Conference. Over recent years, the conference has broadened its audience to include more content for designers and brand owners while still sticking to its color technology heritage. Read more to find out why this conference was a great way to end 2016.
Published January 5, 2017
Tim Hughes, Director of Manufacturing Client Services for Thomson Reuters Core Publishing Solutions, explains how in-sourcing work has helped the company balance workload peaks and valleys. Insourcing now comprises about 20% of the company's revenues, with clients taking advantage of CPS's unique niche in black & white printing. Hear what Tim has to say about how insourcing work has benefited CPS business.
Published December 21, 2016
Michael Makin, CEO of the Printing Industries of America, shares the latest developments at the association and highlights where he plans to take the organization in the coming months. He highlights educational and certification opportunities offered by the association, as well as its role as the national voice for the industry on Capitol Hill.
Published December 21, 2016
2016 was a very busy year in the printing industry, but the highlight of the year was drupa … it marked what appears to be a turning point in the industry energy level. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne revisits drupa and other key events that occurred during 2016.
Published December 20, 2016
Visiting Shutterfly was an amazing experience. The company produces hundreds of thousands of orders per day during peak periods across its three U.S. production sites in a highly architected and efficient manufacturing process. Read the article to find out more.
Published December 20, 2016
Dwayne Black, COO of Shutterfly, talks about the key to success at the company. They are both innovators and fast followers. They know how to scale. They are focused on a single business. Hear what he has to say about the secret of their success.
Published December 19, 2016
Dr. Erica Walker, Lecturer in the Graphic Communications Department at Clemson University, shares results of her research about printing companies offering creative services. She provides guidance for companies thinking about adding or increasing in-house creative services.
Published December 14, 2016
Filip Weymans, newly promoted to the position of VP of Marketing for Xeikon, joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to discuss the vision for Xeikon's future, and how the company is enabling new revenue streams and enabling increased productivity for its customers. He discusses Xeikon's Fusion Technology that incorporates digital embellishment and finishing into a one-step inline process for digital printing and finishing.
Published December 14, 2016
Color Expert Dave Hunter from the Pilot Marketing Group explains how having the right tools, including controlled lighting and spectrophotometers, changes the face of color measurement. He reinforces that depending on ink density alone using a densitometer is not a good approach to color. His advice: Do it right the first time; don't risk rework that results in financial losses you can never make up.
Published December 13, 2016
CHILI Publish CEO Kevin Goeminne talks about why offering online editing and publishing services can help printing companies generate new business and improve profitability. He identifies three ways commercial printers can leverage this software infrastructure to grow the business and increase customer loyalty.
Published December 13, 2016
Ray Cheydleur, X-Rite's Printing & Imaging Portfolio Manager and CGATS Chairman, talks about the importance of using embedded spectral values for color in all aspects of the workflow, from design through production. He also talks about how to ensure that specified colors are actually achievable on the target substrates and printing technologies.
Published December 12, 2016
Today, Cimpress, the parent company of Vistaprint and multiple other Internet printing brands, announced it is acquiring National Pen, a leader in custom writing instruments. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Cimpress CEO Robert Keane to get the inside scoop.
Published December 12, 2016
At the recent PIA Color Conference, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Steve Upton, President of Chromix, about the blending of cloud services and color management. Color monitoring in the cloud allows access from multiple devices and facilities for more consistent color communication. He describes how Shutterfly is using the Chromix solution in photobook printing.
Published December 9, 2016
Pantone announced the 2017 Color of the Year and it is Greenery, described as a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew.
Published December 6, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Shutterfly COO Dwayne Black as a follow-up to the company's announcement at drupa 2016 that they would be installing 25 HP Indigo 12000's before the beginning of peak season. They are all up and running! He also talks about how production inkjet might fit into the business.
Published December 6, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Martin Saavedra, Jr., EVP at MLI Marketing in Tampa, the 1,000th HP PrintOS customer. Saavedra explains why solutions like HP PrintOS are important in helping printers remain competitive with a streamlined and productive workflow in an open, cloud-based ecosystem.
Published December 6, 2016
In this interview, Cary Sherburne, Senior Editor, talks with Max Dunn of Silicon Publishing about the company's clean sheet redesign of Silicon Designer leveraging the talents of former Adobe InDesign developers. This Web2Print/online editing solution is used by some of the world's largest companies.
Published December 6, 2016
Have you ever attended Hunkeler Innovationdays? If not, you are missing one of the most innovative and focused events in our industry. Scheduled for 20-23 February 2017 in beautiful Lucerne, Switzerland, this event is expected to attract more than the 6,000 attendees that graced the 2015 event, with more than 80 exhibitors and 40 dedicated multivendor production lines. Read more.
Published December 5, 2016
Julie Shaffer, Vice President of Education and Marketing Strategies for the Printing Industries of America, explains the evolution of the Color Conference and its value to brand owners, printers and premedia professionals. She also discusses broader PIA educational initiatives and certification programs, including a customer service certification that will be available soon.
Published December 1, 2016
Chris Halkovic, Web-to-Print Manager at Arizona State University's Print and Imaging Lab, talks about how the shop/learning environment is integrating Web2Print and MIS for a coherent and automated workflow for printed materials and 3D objects.
Published November 30, 2016
Universal Wilde in Massachusetts is the largest direct marketing and book printing company in the state. Its Vice President of Operations and Technology, Jeff McFadden, explains the company's decision to acquire production inkjet about 5 years ago. Today, about 75% of its production ink work being book production with the rest being direct mail. He also shares his thoughts about the value of users groups like thINK.
Published November 29, 2016
JohnHenry Ruggieri, Managing Partner at SunDance in Orlando, shares thoughts about the importance of focusing on core competencies, bringing as many services in house as possible in order to meet a wider variety of customer needs. He discusses how his various HP printing solution's contribute to providing a great customer experience.
Published November 28, 2016
Dave Erwin, SVP at Racami, talks about the company's role in providing technology solutions for commercial printers to provide them with a visibility dashboard to monitor performance across the shop.
Published November 21, 2016
Scodix CEO Roy Porat talks about digital embellishment trends and the opportunities this opens for commercial printers to differentiate themselves in the market and rise above commodity services. Between January and September 2016, the company has installed nearly 60 machines including foiling, 80% of which are in commercial printing firms who have never sold foiling.
Published November 17, 2016
Chris Kropac, President of PCI Group, a transactional printing business located in Charlotte NC, talks about how his company got into production inkjet and why. The company sells quality and compliance, Production inkjet has enabled them to continue to raise the bar while keeping costs in line.
Published November 16, 2016
IDC's Terry Frazier, Research Director for Document Solutions, recently completed a study of the insurance industry in the U.S. and Western Europe. He shares the top-line results and trends uncovered by the year-long study with 403 insurance company executives responding.
Published November 15, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently had the opportunity to have in-depth discussions with three leading companies about their success with workflow automation and what it has meant for their businesses.
Published November 15, 2016
Michael Corbett, Director of Operations for Webcom, chats with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the changing needs of publishers, and how the company has added digital printing to its platform to address those needs. The company has also added software infrastructure to aid publishers in reducing inventories and supply chain costs. He also addresses the production of personalized copies of Unsquaring the Wheel at Graph Expo.
Published November 14, 2016
Dan Foster, President of DataPrint Initiatives, explains why he decided to get into wide format printing. He added the capability to serve the needs of one customer and was pleasantly surprised at how fast the business grow with that customer and others, going from 0 to 25% of revenues in a year. He offers advice for other commercial printers who may be considering the addition of wide format.
Published November 9, 2016
Mark Baran, VP of Purchasing and Print Operations at CCG Marketing Solutions, talks about the company's journey into digital printing and reasons for moving to the Xerox iGen5, including the 5th color and clear ink capabilities to expand the available color gamut and add spot varnish capabilities.
Published November 8, 2016
Caraustar, a packaging solutions provider with plants throughout the U.S., has added an HP Indigo 30000 digital press to augment its offset and flexo production of folding cartons and set-up boxes. Director of Business Development John Ramsier explains why ... speed, high quality, innovation.
Published November 7, 2016
Arizona State University's Print & Imaging Lab hires students in the graphic arts program to provide them with hands-on experience while also providing needed services to the University. Kyle Pendley, Production Manager, shares outstanding examples of some of the work the shop has produced
Published November 3, 2016
Chuck Werninger is Senior Manager at Houston Independent School District, a community of about 250,000 teachers, staff and students. Its print shop recently added the Canon VarioPrint i300 sheetfed inkjet press to open up full-color teaching. The press, which replaced several toner devices, was justified at a million impressions a month, and is already at 3 million three months after install.
Published November 2, 2016
David Murphy, Director of Marketing for HP Pagewide Presses, provides an update on HP's High Definition Nozzle Architecture (HDNA) and its field roll-out. Combined with HP's priming solution, it opens the door to a wide range of new applications.
Published November 1, 2016
Are you planning to attend the Color Conference in December in Phoenix? If you have anything to do with color in your daily work, you should consider it. There have been many advances in color management as well as launching of new standards. This is the best place to get the scoop on all of it and rub elbows with the experts – consultants, printers, suppliers and brand owners who are passionate about color.
Published November 1, 2016
Pylar Pinkston, Director of Sales & Marketing at Texas-Born and Texas-Proud Abox, talks about digital printing as a game-changer for her company, which now has a digital division in addition to offset and flexo. "We realized that digital was the way ..." The company selected the HP Indigo 30000.
Published October 31, 2016
Konica Minolta's Gavin Jordan Smith, VP of Product Solutions, joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to discuss the company's new Accurio production print graphic communications line of hardware software and services, and its partnerships, especially with MGI. He also talks about the company's move into the industrial printing space and its aim of helping its customers grow.
Published October 27, 2016
Christine Soward, President and Owner at DMS Ink in Ohio, has grown the business from $2 million to $20 million since 2005. The company introduced inkjet as a means to continue to scale the business and increase uptime. Two Canon roll-to-roll production inkjet presses and a Canon VarioPrint i300 sheetfed inkjet press replaced 7 toner devices, delivering more than 90% uptime.
Published October 26, 2016
We’ve been talking about cross-media, multi-channel, omni-channel – whatever you want to call it – for a long time. But now technology has arrived to add a brand-new element to these consumer experiences that is accessible to printing firms of all types. Read this article to find out how Fenske Media has harnessed real-time interactive video to achieve up to 284% increase in engagement and an 80% improvement in click-through rates, while still growing print volumes.
Published October 26, 2016
Rich Lloyd, VP of Sales for GMC, shares the company's strategy to help customers bridge the gap between printed and digital communications and to service the enterprise on multiple levels. He cites the industry skills that ideally position service providers to be a single source communciations services provider.
Published October 25, 2016
Mike Schliesmann, Senior Vice President at Wisconsin-Based Great Northern Corporation, talks about why the company is interested in digital direct-to-corrugated printing and how this will bring disruptive technology to corrugated.
Published October 20, 2016
Jen Mitchell, Marketing Director at Harding Poorman, talks about the value of the thINK conference in terms of staying abreast of industry developments and being able to network with peers. The company has not yet invested in inkjet and views the thINK platform as an excellent part of the education and due diligence process.
Published October 20, 2016
Gavin Jordan Smith, VP of Solutions at Konica Minolta, talks about Konica Minolta's Accurio Pro Suite workflow solution that allows a print service provider to manage connectivity to CTP solutions as well as Konica Minolta and competitor digital presses as well as other value-added software the company has developed.
Published October 19, 2016
John Foley, CEO of interlinkONE, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the opportunities for printing firms in the association market, helping associations with strategic marketing plans, printed materials, multi-channel and more. "They are starving for this help," he says.
Published October 19, 2016
In its 20th year of serving the customer communications management (CCM) sector, Prinova, located in Toronto, is a founding partner of thINK. The company's Founder & CEO Nick Romano was at the event to share information about MessagePoint, its CCM solution. MessagePoint places control over dynamic personalized content in the hands of business stakeholders and is a companion solution to production inkjet.
Published October 18, 2016
Mark DeBoer, Director of Customer Experience at Darwill and thINK conference chair, talks about the maturation of the conversation about production inkjet "beyond the box." He sees more emphasis on data at the thINK conference, as an example, "stretching our imaginations as to what is possible with data." He also touches on the advances that have taken place in finishing for production inkjet.
Published October 16, 2016
Bob Radzis, Chief Customer Officer at SG360 and a founding member of the thINK community, discusses this year's conference and how he foresees a bright future ahead.
Published October 14, 2016
Phil Riebel, President of Two Sides North America, shares the results of a global survey designed to understand how consumers value paper. 88% of respondents in the U.S. felt it was acceptable to use trees from well managed forests to make lumber for construction or pulp for paper for printing, reflecting that their primary concern is that the industry does things responsibly. Watch the video for more details, including changes in messaging about paper from Starbucks.
Published October 14, 2016
Print began to flex its muscles and show its power not long after Gutenberg invented movable type. Print was a causative factor in the rapid spread of Martin Luther’s teachings in the first half of the 1500’s. Andrew Pettegree has done an excellent job of presenting a blend of European history of the period, the story of Martin Luther and how print influenced it all in Brand Luther. Highly recommended reading!
Published October 13, 2016
Canon executive Francis McMahon shares his thoughts about the evolution of thINK, the Canon production inkjet users' group whose annual conference just concluded. He speaks about the importance of community and selflessness in supporting the growth of the industry. A demonstration of this is the fact that 60 customers presented at this conference, openly sharing experiences and advice.
Published October 12, 2016
Marco Boer of I.T. Strategies and Senior Editor Cary Sherburne discuss the second year of the thINK Conference, the Canon production inkjet users, as well as the overall value of users groups to the industry. Boer emphasizes how these groups provide the opportunity for users to share ideas and experiences with each other, which helps their businesses, increases their confidence in making new technology investments, and spurs industry growth.
Published October 10, 2016
Despite its move to Orlando after 20 years in Chicago, Graph Expo 2016 exceeded expectations according to most exhibitors and attendees. In this article, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne shares the highlights that caught her attention at the show.
Published October 10, 2016
Quad/Graphics CEO Joel Quadracci speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the company's book printing strategy. He reports that digital printing is important for book printing, as well as other parts of the business and shares his thoughts about how it and other technologies help the company bring innovative solutions to its customers across multiple industries.
Published October 5, 2016
Ivor Jacobs, Director of UK-based Print Evolved, a print software company providing Web2Print and MIS solutions, discusses the need for an integrated end-to-end workflow for trade printers to be able to achieve maximum efficiency, claiming a minimum of 20 to 30% improvement in efficiency.
Published October 5, 2016
Michele Brennan, Vice President of Business Development and MarComm at Bridgeport National Bindery, talks with WhatTheyThink President Eric Vessels about the company's transformation from a library bindery to a printing company that also does binding, including the support from HP that has made it possible. Adding an HP PageWide T230 inkjet press offers new options for the company's customers. The company has added a second press and is considering a third.
Published October 4, 2016
John Carrington, CEO of ZVerse, shares his thoughts on his first experience exhibiting at Graph Expo and talks about how his company can help printing firms add 3D printing solutions as a new revenue-generating offering with little investment. ZVerse exhibited in the Konica Minolta booth at the show.
Published October 3, 2016
Dino Pagliarello, VP of Product Management at Konica Minolta, speaks about the Konica Minolta/MGI partnership and the value add digital embellishment brings for commercial printers. He shares tips on how printers can sell that value to customers for better profit margins.
Published October 2, 2016
Listen to what Quad/Graphics CEO Joel Quadracci has to say about the future of the industry and what printing companies should be doing to be successful moving forward. "If you don't think differently than you did yesterday, you won't be where you need to be" in the transformation that is required to remain competitive.Quad/Graphics CEO Joel Quadracci on the future of the printing industry.
Published September 28, 2016
NPES and GASC President Thayer Long talks about his first Graph Expo, and the first Graph Expo in Orlando. Thayer Long says GASC expects a strong showing with over 13,000 people attending the show over its four days.
Published September 28, 2016
WhatTheyThink's Senior Editor Cary Sherburne and Technical Editor David Zwang talk about about trends at Graph Expo: the mindset of show attendees has changed from wondering the show floor to visit to companies and products they have already researched. Attendees are seeking solutions to specific problems instead of making general inquires about products. Zwang also thinks the industry is getting its sea legs back.
Published September 27, 2016
All eyes are on Graph Expo this week in Orlando. EFI CEO Guy Gecht says that participating vendors have created value for attendees and early results have been promising for EFI.
Published September 27, 2016
Lori Messina, Owner and EVP at Access Direct, talks about the company's strategy of replacing toner and offset with production inkjet, most recently adding a Canon VarioPrint i300 sheetfed inkjet press to round out its production platform. First half color printing volumes have already exceeded that of the entire year of 2015.
Published September 26, 2016
Cary Sherburne talks to Joel Quadracci CEO of Quad/Graphics about the transformation that has occurred at Quad in its 45 years in business. Recently the company has rolled out a multi-channel platform that is brings cutting edge marketing technology to its customers.
Published September 20, 2016
At Zazzle, everything can be personalized. Chief Fulfillment Officer Charles Ohiaeri talks about the variety of products the company produces in its Paper Division using HP Indigo, Latex and DesignJet printers, including custom postage stamps that are validated by the USPS. "We will continue being curious on our own, understanding what customers want, and giving them the best possible experience."
Published September 18, 2016
Hunkeler President Stefan Hunkeler shares what to expect at Hunkeler Innovationdays scheduled for 20-23 February 2017 in Lucerne, Switzerland. This unique event is not to be missed for anyone looking for an integrated software, printing and finishing solution, since it features multi-vendor production lines per application.
Published September 14, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Xaar CEO Dr. Doug Edwards about the company's move into new markets, including commercial print & packaging and textiles with new heads that can jet aqueous inks.
Published September 14, 2016
Sal Sheikh, Senior Director at Canon USA and Vice President of Marketing at Canon Solutions America, discusses with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne how Canon is addressing the CAD and graphic arts markets with its wide format offerings. He points out that CAD color printing is experiencing a radical shift to color printing, and discusses new developments in graphic arts.
Published September 13, 2016
Thomson Reuters Core Publishing Service focuses on short and long runs of monochrome legal and other publications on lightweight papers. Adding a HP PageWide Web Press T360 with an inline Magnum Flexbook has significantly improved efficiencies for mid-sized to short runs. Learn more in this article sponsored by HP.
Published September 13, 2016
Cimpress CEO Robert Keane discusses his philosophy of mass customization and the platform he is building to support it. The goal is to achieve the cost economics of high volume products in low individual quantities and ow that concept is expanding beyond Vistaprint to graphic arts professionals.
Published September 12, 2016
Jimmy Vainstein, Senior Project Manager at The World Bank, chats with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about how his printing operation supports the World Bank's mission to reduce poverty around the world, including using augmented reality, virtual reality and other advanced techniques for making print interactive.
Published September 7, 2016
Wim Maes, President of Flint Group Digital, assumed this role following the acquisition of Xeikon by the Flint Group. In this conversation with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, he explains the company's strategy to be a full solutions provider allowing customers to acquire as much as possible from a single supplier, taking complexity out of the process for customers.
Published September 6, 2016
Thought Leader Jay Mandarino, President & CEO of C.J. Graphics in Canada, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the latest technology investments he has made to differentiate his company and enable new applications. He also talks about how he he has built a culture of innovation at the company.
Published September 6, 2016
Ariel Markowitz, Director of Creative Services at Village Print and Media in New York, talks about the company's position as a 24x7 full service provider in The City That Never Sleeps. The company prides itself on offering excellent quality, a high level of customer service and competitive pricing with its design services, HP Indigo printing and full bindery.
Published September 6, 2016
As Creative Sign Designs was preparing to remodel its facility, President & CEO Jamie Harden came across dry-erase paint from ThinkPaint and immediately saw the benefits, both for his own staff and as a potential new revenue stream for the business.
Published September 1, 2016
Paper Artist Peter Dahmen has been working with Highcon for some time. At drupa 2016, his creations were an important element of the Highcon stand. He was creating 3-dimensional artwork that was impossible to produce until he was discovered by Highcon in 2014. Includes show and tell!
Published August 31, 2016
Rick Clendenning, President & CEO of INX International Ink Company, talks about the wide range of applications enabled by new inkjet inks. He also shares his thoughts on fixed color palette printing versus spot color printing.
Published August 30, 2016
Digital is the way to go, according to Mark Howard, Vice President of Graphic Services at Syracuse Label & Surround Printing. He talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the company's digital journey and the role an HP Indigo WS6600 has played in allowing the company to add new applications, meet tighter deadlines without any sacrifice in quality. He shares an award-winning example of shrink-sleeve production.
Published August 30, 2016
Mal Baboyian, Executive Vice President at Canon Solutions America, is also chairman of NPES. He discusses Graph Expo's move to Orlando and what visitors to the show might expect in 2016 and briefly discusses Canon's presence there.
Published August 29, 2016
Mike Horsten, General Manager of Marketing (EMEA) for Mimaki, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the changes occurring in the world of wide format and how Mimaki is both driving and supporting those changes. The company's latest printer includes an LED backlit on the printer that allows operators to quality check backlits after only 10 cm of printing. He also describes the company's Kebab unit for printing on cylindrical objects.
Published August 25, 2016
Udo Panenka, Esko's President, talks about how the company is working to make the packaging supply chain more efficient, from brand owner to shelf. Esko Software Platform 16 and new platemaking capabilities are among new developments.
Published August 24, 2016
At an industry analyst/journalist summit held early this month, Canon unveiled its “One Canon” approach to the business, further integrating Canon U.S.A. Business Group, Canon Solutions America and Canon Information & Imaging Solutions to provide a seamless customer experience. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne also interviewed Canon Americas Chairman & CEO and Senior Managing Director of Canon Inc. Joe Adachi during the event.
Published August 23, 2016
Taylor White, CEO of Performance POP in Dallas, recently invested in four HP large format printers to expand its POP business, which he saw as the future of the company. The company sells to retailers and retail brands, producing both 2D and 3D displays. Combined, these offer the company significant market differentiation. Performance POP also produces many hybrid digital/offset projects.
Published August 22, 2016
The first installation of a MASSIVit 1800 3D printer in North America at Carisma Large Format in New York has enabled the company to produce very unusual and compelling 2D/3D bus and truck wraps for the likes of Sony, who took advantage of these capabilities to promote the Angry Birds movie. Gil explains what it takes to add 3D to the mix.
Published August 22, 2016
Francis McMahon, Vice President at Canon USA and Senior Vice President at Canon Solutions America, explains the One Canon approach to the market under the leadership of Toyo Kuwamura, moving the company from a product focused organization to a customer focused organization, the next logical step in the integration of the organization following Canon's acquisition of Oce.
Published August 17, 2016
Color management used to be a matter of intuition and educated guesswork. Now, says X-Rite Pantone president Ron Voigt, it's what can happen automatically when printers use "a consistent language and a consistent set of processes to control color from the front of the workflow to the back of the workflow." Voigt reaffirms that color will always be associated with art and the designer's inspiration. X-Rite Pantone supplies tools to turn that vision into digital specifications for accurate reproduction in print.
Published August 16, 2016
Liturgical Publications (LPI) has carved out a unique and interesting business. Vice President of Operations Frank Horning shares the company's story in this interview with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne. Six facilities around the U.S. produce weekly Catholic Church Sunday bulletins and has leveraged four HP PageWide web presses to incorporate more color and meet tight delivery deadlines, migrating volume from offset.
Published August 16, 2016
Brian Sidebottom, General Manager of UK-based Glossop Cartons, was the first company in the world to purchase a Highcon Euclid. Now the company is the first in the world to install the Highcon Beam to raise the crossover point between conventional and digital cutting and creasing while enabling new applications and revenue streams.
Published August 15, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with MASSIVit 3D CEO Avner Israeli about the company's unique approach to 3D printing. The MASSIVit 1800 prints at 35 cm/hour and is designed with graphic arts applications in mind. MASSIVit will make its US debut at SGIA Expo 2016.
Published August 10, 2016
Joakim Weidemanis, Vice President at Danaher, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the $20 billion company's strategy relative to the packaging industry through acquisition. drupa was the first time Danaher companies Esko, Enfocus, X-Rite and Pantone have jointly exhibited, featuring co-developed solutions and other synergies.
Published August 9, 2016
Neil Hopkinson, Director of 3D Printing for Xaar, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about new offerings the company showed at drupa 2016 to enable high volume 3D printing and the cost-effective manufacture of products that could not be made before. He claims the company will be able to deliver some of the highest speeds in the market.
Published August 8, 2016
Jeff Clarke, Kodak's CEO, talks with Cary Sherburne, Senior Editor, about functional printing, 3D printing, and Kodak's future strategies in this area, including its new development partnership with Silicon Valley based Carbon 3D.
Published August 3, 2016
Eric Wiesner, General Manager of HP's PageWide Web Press Division, explains PrintOS, a cloud-based production management system, set to redefine the concept of end-to-end workflow, beginning with the printer's customer and carrying an automated workflow through to shipping, invoicing and track-and-trace. All this will contribute to print being an equal Internet citizen and part of the Internet of Things far into the future.
Published August 3, 2016
Thayer Long, NPES' new President, shares his thoughts with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about what to expect at Graph Expo 2016, scheduled for September 25-28 in Orlando. He shares his thoughts on the relevancy and value of trade shows. The goal is to reach 12,000 attendees, including printers in the Southeast for whom it might be their first Graph Expo.
Published August 2, 2016
Antoine Fady, the new CEO of the Flint Group, shares the company's strategy to expand its offerings in the commercial print and packaging markets, including its acquisition of Xeikon. But States the Company "is not addicted to acquisitions." Packaging now represents 70% of Flint Group's revenues.
Published August 1, 2016
Thomas Lange of Grupo SG, a 3rd-generation graphic arts distributor serving Central America and the Caribbean, the first to distribute Heidelberg presses in the region. The company was the first in the world to sell the new EFI Nozomi digital direct-to-corrugated press first shown at drupa 2016. He talks about rapid adoption of new graphic arts technology in the region.
Published July 28, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Gavin Jordan-Smith, Vice President of Solutions and Production Planning for Konica Minolta U.S., about getting customers to an efficient end-to-end workflow across the entire value stream, including efficient integration of embellishments for applications like labels, and the importance of offering business development services to enable new business opportunities.
Published July 27, 2016
What’s the printing business like in Barbados? Highly competitive, according to COT Holdings’ Nigel Worme. Learn how this innovative company is investing in the future of its business with a brand-new HP Indigo 10000 in this article sponsored by HP.
Published July 26, 2016
Bill Duerr, President of New Jersey based Hatteras, joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to discuss how adding two HP Indigo 10000s has changed the company's production platform and expanded its offerings, with a combination of offset transfer and new applications. It has also helped make offset production more efficient by removing shorter offset runs from the mix.
Published July 25, 2016
Aviv Ratzman, Founder and CEO of Highcon, joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to talk about what's changed at Highcon since it first launched at drupa 2012. The company saw great success at drupa 2016, which featured a giant paper sculpture created using Highcon technology.
Published July 20, 2016
Arizona-based large format printer bluemedia has taken a unique approach to workflow that is serving them well, making it possible to efficiently produce large and small projects – including all of the Super Bowl graphics.
Published July 19, 2016
Adobe Product Manager Mark Lewiecki shares the latest APPE news in this tenth year of its existence. APPE 4.0 includes enhancements in performance, color and quality, including tiled parallel processing that enables breaking up images, processing them and reassembling seamlessly. Products featuring APPE 4.0 are already hitting the market.
Published July 18, 2016
A new book by former HP Executive Dieter Legat is a how-to guide for getting to operational excellence. Surf the Waves of Opportunity: Lead your business to operational excellence with five things done right, draws on Legat’s many years of operational and consulting experience to provide a working model that can be used in any business.
Published July 14, 2016
Dieter Niederstadt, Technical Marketing Manager for Asahi Photoproducts, discusses the company's Pinning Technology for Clean Transfer that reduces flexo press stops for plate cleaning while delivering very high quality. These plates are primarily used in flexible packaging and are ideal for fixed color palette printing due to precise registration.
Published July 13, 2016
Say what? Mainstream media is reporting that the two are in talks, and all this in the middle of Breaking Up Is Hard to Do for both companies. Xerox responded to an email inquiry early this morning with this: “All we are willing to share at this point is that we don’t comment on market speculation.” Expected. RR Donnelley has always been extremely close to the vest even when the topic is not material, so there wasn’t any point in reaching out there. But we do have our feelers out to see what we can pick up.
Published July 13, 2016
At drupa 2016, HP Indigo announced its largest deal ever – 25 HP Indigo 12000s to go to photo specialty printer Shutterfly. This is notable not only for the size of the agreement but for the fact that all 25 units are to be installed over the summer in order to be ready for peak production in the 4th quarter – a monumental task.
Published July 12, 2016
3D printing was one of six focused areas at drupa 2016. Most printing operations are probably wondering how this can apply to their businesses. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne has some ideas to share that will shed light on the subject.
Published July 12, 2016
Bill Wieners, President of Digital Lizard, a Creel Printing company, talks about how the company's extensive installed base of digital presses is being completely refreshed, and the impact that HP PrintOS is having on production efficiencies. With 17 HP presses on the floor across three plants, the company has the most presses installed on PrintOS. Creel will also be a beta site for the new HP Indigo 50000.
Published July 11, 2016
Jeroen van Druenen of Amsterdam-based Jubels talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the XMPie User Group, of which he is President, including the decision to make membership in the group free for all XMPie users. The next conference will be held in November in Atlanta.
Published July 7, 2016
World Bank Senior Project Manager Jimmy Vainstein talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks about how drupa provides an opportunity to shift focus from short-term to long-term goals, ensuring that the organization takes advantages of all opportunities to support the organizations poverty reduction mission.
Published July 6, 2016
Nate and Vanessa Quigley, co-owners of Chatbooks.com, talk about their first drupa experience and why it was important for them to attend, even though they outsource all of their printing. They were particularly interested in post-print embellishment techniques for photobooks.
Published July 5, 2016
For journalists, drupa means a press conference marathon. Most of these conferences have great content, and it is important to be able to ask questions of executives during these sessions to be able to bring the most accurate and important news to our readers. In this post, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne highlights four press conferences that are deserving of special recognition.
Published July 5, 2016
Jay Mandarino, CEO & President of Canada-based C.J. Graphics, traveled all the way to Dusseldorf for drupa 2016. He was amazed and overwhelmed by the level of innovation at the show and recommends visitors allow several days if they plan to attend drupa 2020. C.J. Graphics will be the first Canadian install of a Landa Nanographic press.
Published June 28, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Jeff Jacobson, President of the Xerox Technology business (and tapped to become CEO when Xerox separates into two companies). Jacobson contrasts the Xerox drupa 2016 presence with that at drupa 2012, reflecting a significant amount of diversification the company has achieved in the past four years.
Published June 27, 2016
4over CEO Zarik Mergerdichian talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the company's expansion to better serve its customers. He outlines the benefits of outsourcing some work to improve service levels, build new offerings and benefit from 500 line screen printing. The company now has 17 locations across the US and Canada.
Published June 27, 2016
By all accounts, drupa 2016 was an amazing show for both exhibitors and attendees. In this article, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne highlights some of the important trends coming out of the show, including drivers bringing Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution – to print.
Published June 24, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne chats with EFI CEO Guy Gecht about his drupa experience. Gecht characterizes drupa as terrific on every level and a great moment for the industry with vendors more than ever willing to invest in solutions that are necessary for the future success of the industry. And customers were in a buying mood.
Published June 21, 2016
Cary Sherburne, Senior Editor, talks with Xeikon CEO Wim Maes about the reception at drupa 2016 to the new Trillium One liquid toner press. He also stresses the positive future for dry toner and document printing and explains the company's Fusion technology for inline embellishment of labels.
Published June 20, 2016
In this exclusive WhatTheyThink video interview, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with EFI's CEO Guy Gecht about the company's most recent acquisition. Optitex, a leader in 2D and 3D software solutions for the garment industry, broadens EFI's presence in the textile ecosystem.
Published June 16, 2016
InfoTrends analyst Ryan McAbee discusses drupa trends in the software space with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, including expansion of cloud-based solutions beyond web-to-print and using the cloud for production performance analysis — the Internet of Presses!
Published June 16, 2016
Senior Vice President of Canon Solutions America Francis McMahon talks to Adam Dewitz about the impact their production inkjet technologies is having on their customer base. They also discuss the new media lab in Boca Raton and how it helps bring new technologies to market.
Published June 14, 2016
Marco Boer of I.T. Strategies and Senior Editor Cary Sherburne discuss the latest developments in inkjet inks being shown at drupa 2016. Expect to see inks that act and feel differently.
Published June 13, 2016
In this interview with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, Thayer Long, NPES President, shares thoughts about his first drupa, and the state of the industry it portrays. It reflects a clarity of vision and positive attitude that are good signs for the industry.
Published June 10, 2016
Cary Sherburne and David Zwang offer their insights on drupa 2016, by all accounts a very exciting show. Zwang tags it the digital drupa representing the ubiquitous nature of digital processes integrated into the overall workflow. "Inkjet is bringing a democratization of printing itself." They also discuss digital direct to corrugated trends and 3D.
Published June 10, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reviews drupa 2016 with InfoTrends Group Director Jim Hamilton, who feels like a kid in a candy story at this broadest-ever drupa. Hamilton calls it the Inkjet drupa 4.0, signifying the maturity of inkjet technologies. He also emphasizes the broad array of digital embellishment technologies.
Published June 9, 2016
Marco Boer of I.T. Strategies shares insight about the latest developments being shown at drupa 2016. Offset is still viable, but with HP having the largest stand at the show, it signifies the passing of the baton to a digital printing industry.
Published June 9, 2016
Michel Hunkeler, CEO of Hunkeler, speaks to Senior Editor Cary Sherburne from the drupa show floor, sharing the company's strategy of collaborating with clients, working from the application backwards to create an optimum configuration for clients and to guide new product development. He also shares some of the new solutions that were shown at drupa.
Published June 8, 2016
Warren Werbitt, Co-Founder of Pazazz Printing in Montreal, always has something interesting to say and this segment with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne is no exception. He explains why it is important for North Americans to attend drupa.
Published June 6, 2016
HP's General Manager of Large Format Xavier Garcia shares details of the company's Strategic alliance with Smurfit Kappa in the development of the PageWide C500 digital direct-to-board corrugated press, scheduled for commercial availability in 2017.
Published June 6, 2016
Robert Keane, President and CEO of Cimpress, the parent company of Vistaprint, talks about his decision to beta test Landa Nanographics presses and commit to ordering 20 units. This is the culmination of the partnership between the two companies and is expected to address the gap between digital and offset for Cimpress.
Published June 4, 2016
drupa Director Sabine Geldermann shares early drupa statistics with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, with more than 109,000 unique visitors by the end of Day 4, with 80% coming from outside Germany. Exhibitors are already lining up for drupa 2019!
Published June 3, 2016
Dino Pagliarello, the Konica Minolta US VP of Product Management & Planning, joins Cary Sherburne, Senior Editor, at the Konica Minolta stand at drupa to learn more about what Konica Minolta is showcasing, including the KM-C, a flatbed direct-to-corrugated press.
Published June 2, 2016
Just two days into drupa 2016, HP Indigo has announced two large deals: Cimpress and Shutterfly. Combined with some other smaller transactions, the company has already chalked up sales of about 50 HP Indigo Series 4 presses, with likely more to come, making this an exciting show for the company. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Indigo General Manager Alon Bar-Shany to get the details.
Published June 2, 2016
Jeff Clarke, CEO of Kodak, explains what visitors to drupa will see at the Kodak stand, the 5th largest stand at the show. Kodak is making 20 new product announcements, reflecting its dedication to continuing to support the industry and help customers differentiate themselves, including improving environmental sustainability. He also discusses the upcoming sale of the company's PROSPER business.
Published June 2, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Xerox SVP Robert Stabler from the floor of drupa 2016 about the Xerox and partner solutions being featured at the show, including sheetfed inkjet, direct print to 3-dimensional objects, and the 160 applications being produced in the booth, as well as the High Fusion inkjet inks allowing printing on standard offset substrates without pretreatment. It's also the first time Xerox has had an entire segment of its booth dedicated to packaging applications.
Published June 1, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with David Zwang about first impressions at drupa 2016. The "Rebirth of Heidelberg," Single Pass Corrugated, Landa's announcements, Canon's B1 inkjet offset press, Xerox High Fusion Ink and the Xerox-KBA Hybrid Press Partnership.
Published June 1, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with David Zwang about first impressions at drupa 2016. Heidelberg's Big Data initiative to help its customers become more efficient. Konica Minolta's AccurioJet KM-1 and their growth targets including corrugated. Kodak's ULTRASTREAM Technology, Extended Gamut, and the sale of the inkjet business.
Published May 23, 2016
Most printing companies have either adopted omnichannel and web2print solutions or are planning to. With XMPie’s upcoming ‘Campaigns-on-Demand’ feature - an enhancement to both its Cross Media and Web2Print solutions -- the benefits of multi-touch 1:1 campaigns and a more efficient ordering workflow are no longer mutually exclusive. Learn more in this interview sponsored by XMPie.
Published May 23, 2016
Alon Bar-Shany, General Manager of HP's Indigo Business, talks about the complexity of the packaging market, from substrates to color requirements, and how digital can benefit this market segment, including HP's new offering, the Pack Ready ecosystem, that compresses cycle time for laminated products.
Published May 19, 2016
Jeff Clarke, Kodak's CEO, heads off to his first drupa, where he expects Kodak to show the expected -- and the unexpected! Technology demos will show new technologies and applications, and new industries that can benefit from inkjet now and into the future. Disintermediating technologies that will take you outside your comfort zone!
Published May 18, 2016
It’s been some time since HP first announced it would be entering the 3D printing market with a production-class printer and it is finally show time. The HP Jet Fusion 3 Printing Solution will be unveiled at RAPID, the largest 3D additive manufacturing conference. As promised, the printer is 10X faster and half the cost of its nearest competitor.
Published May 16, 2016
Denver-based Hampden Press recently added an HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press to its fleet of offset, digital and wide format presses and has been able to not only increase capacity and produce many brand-new applications, but has also seen revenues rise 10% as compared to last year, largely due to the HP Indigo 10000. Read more in this article sponsored by HP.
Published May 16, 2016
It’s been some time since HP first announced it would be entering the 3D printing market with a production-class printer and it is finally show time. The HP Jet Fusion 3 Printing Solution will be unveiled at RAPID, the largest 3D additive manufacturing conference. As promised, the printer is 10X faster and half the cost of its nearest competitor.
Published May 10, 2016
A little over a week into his new role as President of NPES/GASC, Thayer Long, who has taken over from Ralph Nappi, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne in this WhatTheyThink exclusive interview about why he is excited about his new role and what he expect to achieve moving forward
Published May 6, 2016
Kristy Cameron, Starbucks' Creative Manager for Brand Expression, talks about expectations for the printing community in terms of preserving the Starbucks brand and aligning with the Starbucks corporate mission, including maintaining the human touch when production is on a mass scale.
Published May 3, 2016
In 2008, this full-service label & packaging company saw the writing on the wall with respect to the looming impact of digital printing technologies on its business and wanted to get ahead of the curve with digital adoption.
Published April 27, 2016
This is the refrain Senior Editor Cary Sherburne heard over and over again during and after Dscoop 11, held in San Antonio TX. The conference attracted double the number of companies as compared to last year and featured outstanding keynotes, content and activities.
Published April 26, 2016
The second annual Jetcomm conference, comprised primarily of owners of HP PageWide Web Presses, was held in San Antonio TX in conjunction with Dscoop 11. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was there and shares her thoughts.
Published April 26, 2016
For printers and packaging converters looking to take advantage of the market opportunities offered by customized or personalized packaging, the Zoxxbox story is an interesting one. Learn how the company is leveraging digital tools to make customized packaging an affordable reality in this article sponsored by XMPie.
Published April 20, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Dscoop's Global Executive Director John Rogers about the outcome of Dscoop 11. The organization's new approach to member communication, using a data-based approach, resulted in double the number of companies attending as compared to Dscoop X, Now they are planning for Dscoop 12 in Phoenix, March 2-4, 2017.
Published April 18, 2016
Marco Boer shares his analysis recent advancements in production inkjet technology including increased image quality, support fora wider range of media including the ability to print on offset coat paper, and new commercial print and packaging applications.
Published April 18, 2016
IDC’s U.S. Quarterly Production Print Tracker results for 2015 peg Ricoh as the only supplier that increased year-over-year market share in production inkjet.
Published April 18, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks to Alon Bar-Shany, Vice President and General Manager, Indigo Division, HP about the evolution of HP Indigo and 11 years of Dscoop.
Published April 15, 2016
Brad Boskovic, President of Digiwrap, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about one of the more unique HP Indigo applications we have seen -- personalized gift wrap tissue paper and Euro-style tote bags in a patented process that took about four years to develop.
Published April 13, 2016
At a pre-drupa briefing last month, duomedia hosted a large crowd of press and analysts from around the world to hear from eight different companies about their drupa plans and general strategies. This article includes links to other WhatTheyThink reporting on these announcements as well as a focus on the announcements made by the Danaher family of companies including Esko, Enfocus, X-Rite and Pantone. This included a flexo platemaking breakthrough announced by Esko that is set to create a shift in that market.
Published April 12, 2016
codeMantra, which has been in the business of supporting content publishers for a decade, has just launched some interesting new capabilities that could have value for print service providers looking to expand the range of content-oriented services they offer customers. Read more.
Published April 5, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne has been a long-time customer of Zazzle and was thrilled with the recent opportunity to visit the company’s manufacturing sites in San Jose CA. Learn more about the successful business this unique company has built in this article sponsored by HP.
Published April 5, 2016
Ryan Farris, CTO of AlphaGraphics, explains why the migration from EFI PrintSmith to EFI PrintSmith Vision across the network is important to the company's growth path and how the company is leveraging this migration to better integrate and automate the network.
Published March 31, 2016
John Crumbaugh, Product Manager for Ink and Media at Canon Solutions America, has a lot to say about ink and media for production inkjet, and claims to have the best job in Canon Solutions America where he runs the Boca Raton Media lab, often testing 3 or more substrates per week.
Published March 22, 2016
Boris Katsnelson, CEO of SpeedPro Imaging, with 125 wide format locations in 31 states and an affiliate in Canada with an additional 40 locations, shares thoughts with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about why the company is introducing EFI hybrid wide format printers to its production platform.
Published March 17, 2016
Kristy Cameron, Creative Manager of Brand Expression for Starbucks, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about how the Starbucks mission statement drives the brand image and the inspiration it provides to creatives. The goal is to make sure that everything they do has that human touch to it.
Published March 15, 2016
John Berthelsen, VP of Business Development of the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF), talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the tools available from PGSF to promote career opportunities in the printing industry. PGSF needs your support in educating today's students about opportunities in the industry, which is facing challenges due to an aging workforce, many of whom are preparing for retirement.
Published March 3, 2016
EFI is using both organic growth and acquisitions to get to CEO Guy Gecht’s much publicized goal of reaching $1 billion in revenue this year, and another acquisition was added to the mix this week. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talked to EFI about how the acquisition of Rialco LLC fits into the mix.
Published February 23, 2016
Are you gearing up to attend the 2016 TAGA conference in Memphis? Senior Editor Cary Sherburne gives you lots of good reasons why you should plan to go … read more.
Published February 18, 2016
David Murphy, VP of Marketing for HP PageWide inkjet presses, talks about why it is important to attend drupa 2016. HP plans to demonstrate new technologies across its graphics portfolio and will be occupying the entirety of Hall 17 (more than 5,000 square meters). At drupa, exhibitors are showing the promise of the future for the graphics industry. Be there!
Published February 16, 2016
Mercury Print Productions of Rochester NY reports continued growth, increased use of digital print technologies, and a new facility that consolidates 3 previous ones. CEO John Place talks about current business and future strategies in this company spotlight.
Published February 11, 2016
Peter Lancaster, CEO of documobi, talks about being the "new kid on the block" making all printing interactive, working with the entire supply chain. The solution enables more revenue opportunities for printers and more relevant and engaging communications for marketers.
Published February 4, 2016
Steve Henck, VP of Operations for OneTouchPoint, is an early adopter of sheetfed production inkjet, migrating work from offset and toner as well as developing new applications and customers.
Published February 3, 2016
Yesterday, IDEAlliance and Epicomm announced a proposed merger that, pending member approval, will combine the two organizations under the 50-year-old brand IDEAlliance. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with IDEAlliance’s David Steinhardt and Epicomm’s Ken Garner to get the inside story.
Published January 28, 2016
How does The Wynn Resort create such an excellent customer experience? Steve Wynn shared his thoughts and experience in a fabulous keynote at EFI Connect 2016.
Published January 26, 2016
Gearing up for drupa yet? At WhatTheyThink, we are. In fact, our drupa page is already up, so be sure to follow the news as the show gets closer! One of the areas worth investigating when you go to drupa is the developing area of advanced materials, whether it is resins for 3D printing, conductive inks, or advanced inkjet ink formulas.
Published January 25, 2016
Cheryl Kahanec, SVP at high-tech commercial printer Earth Color, talks about the role and value of trade shows and users groups. She emphasizes the importance of getting out there to look at what is happening in the industry and what your peers are doing, and learning how new tools can benefit your business.
Published January 25, 2016
Frank Mallozzi, SVP at EFI, talks about the holistic approach to workflow to remove touch points and cost that he sees on customer visits around the globe.
Published January 21, 2016
I read with interest the announcement by Las Vegas based Creel of its acquisition of Globalsoft Digital, based in New Jersey with operations in France as well. Chris Petro has done a great job with Globalsoft Digital and has always been on the forefront of technology adoption. Alan Creel’s Las Vegas operation also includes Digital Lizard. With the addition of Globalsoft Digital, he significantly expands his geographic footprint and adds a business that generates about 50% of its revenues from photo specialty printing with the balance from web-based commercial print.
Published January 20, 2016
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with EFI's CEO Guy Gecht about EFI's new Imaging of Things Exchange announced yesterday at EFI Connect, where attendance is up 10% over last year. He also shares thoughts about the value of specialized versus generic trade events for exhibitors and attendees.
Published January 19, 2016
As 2015 drew to a close, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne had the opportunity to sit down with X-Rite Pantone CEO Ron Voigt to review the year and look ahead into 2016.
Published January 17, 2016
Our President, Eric Vessels, came across the Chatbooks service in Instagram and shared it with the team. Our own Frank Romano commented on it in a video last week, and today we have an interview with Chatbooks CEO Nate Quigley for a deeper look at the service and print’s value add.
Published January 11, 2016
Rieva Lesonsky, Founder & CEO of GrowBiz Media, a custom content company, talks about the role of print in an omnichannel world. Repurposing content across multiple channels increases both engagement and revenues.
Published January 11, 2016
After the U.S. executive order in early 2015 that allowed more classes of U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba without seeking prior U.S. government approval, I decided I would like to visit the island to learn more about the culture and doing business there. In my role as a journalist covering the printing, packaging and publishing industries, the goal was to visit those types of companies.
Published January 6, 2016
Ron Voigt, President of X-Rite Pantone, talks about the importance of standards, instrumentation and lighting to ensure that printers can deliver reliable, consistent, accurate color, efficiently and cost-effectively. This goes way beyond simply measuring ink density.
Published January 5, 2016
Mark DeBoer, Director of Customer Experience for Darwill, talks about how the company leverages its multi-technology production platform, including production inkjet, to produce high-end personalized direct mail with a complete toolbox.
Published January 4, 2016
Patrick van Baelan, Vice President at Xeikon, provides Senior Editor Cary Sherburne with an update on the company's Trillium liquid toner technology announced at drupa 2012, including beta customer status and target markets, with expected commercial availability at drupa 2016.
Published January 3, 2016
In December, Cimpress, the parent company of Vistaprint, announced plans to acquire German web-to-print company WIRmachenDRUCK. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks to CEO Robert Keane to find out more about the company’s strategies and growth plans.
Published January 3, 2016
IDEAlliance offers a number of significant and valuable services to the industry, including a broad array of online and in-person training. EVP Steve Bonoff explains what is available, including a new course on Color Management for Digital.
Published December 16, 2015
Andy Fetherman, Director of Digital Solutions at Muller Martini, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about where finishing equipment decisions should fit into the digital press investment cycle. Begin with the end in mind and scalability is key!
Published December 14, 2015
Integrated direct marketing solutions provider SG360° made an exciting announcement the other day, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it.
Published December 3, 2015
After doing a multi-year stint managing the established imaging and printing businesses for HP, Steve Nigro is back doing what he loves – running a start-up business. His current role is President, 3D Printing, at HP, Inc., with worldwide responsibility for creating and scaling HP’s 3D business.
Published December 1, 2015
As the production inkjet market continues to gain traction, more choices are coming to market, many of which were first shown at drupa 2012. As we approach drupa 2016, there is no doubt that a growing number of production inkjet solutions will be making their way to commercial availability. Delphax elan is one of those.
Published December 1, 2015
As printing companies continue to transform their businesses by offering marketing and related services, establishing direct communication with the brand owner at client or prospect companies – the person who ultimately has responsibility for driving brand initiatives – can pay big dividends. Learn more about what these new services might look like.
Published November 25, 2015
If you been to Comic-Con in the last five years, you have seen Las Vegas based Off the Wall Signs & Graphics’ work. Its updated fleet of grand format printers have enabled bigger projects with shorter cycle times and are the basis for the company’s growth. Learn more in this story sponsored by HP.
Published November 24, 2015
Five years ago, Kodak CTO Terry Taber began building a technology pipeline that he hoped would lead the company into new businesses, including a key focus area for CEO Jeff Clarke, Functional Printing. He speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the current state of the organization from a technology perspective.
Published November 19, 2015
The news story reporting that James Eby, a 25-year veteran of Wunderman, joined Tukaiz as Chief Creative Office caught my eye. Tukaiz, which recently started an in-house agency, agenz, has long been an innovator and thought leader in the industry. Now they have taken that to a whole new level with Eby leading agenz.
Published November 18, 2015
Allison Payment Systems was founded in 1888 by Noah Allison, who is credited with the invention of the coupon payment book. The focal point for Allison Payment Systems is personalized customer communications through electronic delivery and first class mail … and lots of it.
Published November 17, 2015
The choice of a digital front end (DFE) is perhaps one of the most overlooked decisions in the purchasing process. In some cases, there is only one choice. But for a wide range of toner-based digital presses, two (or even more) options are available. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with a number of printing professionals to better understand how they are approaching this decision and what criteria they use. Read more for advice from the front lines.
Published November 16, 2015
It’s hard to believe that the Xerox DocuTech Production Publisher was launched 25 years ago last month. This was truly a breakthrough product that is credited with launching the print-on-demand market and ultimately generated billions of dollars of revenue for Xerox and its customers.
Published October 27, 2015
Digital Lizard of Las Vegas reports an astounding 500% growth from 2011 to 2014. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Digital Lizard President Bill Wieners to find out how this growth was achieved and what his expectations are for the future in this article sponsored by HP.
Published October 26, 2015
Cary Sherburne talks to John Berthelsen of PGSF about what's new with their program centered around attracting more students to our industry.
Published October 19, 2015
At drupa 2016, expect post-press to emerge as a Cinderella story. Already, prepress and print have benefited from technologies that speed work through the production process, but for many companies post-press processes are still a bottleneck.
Published October 14, 2015
Dreamworks Graphic Communications calls its HP Indigo 10000 a game-changer, eliminating one offset press and increasing the amount of hybrid offset/digital work it does. EVP John Perkins shares his thoughts on the benefits of digital printing with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne in this HP-sponsored article.
Published September 22, 2015
Those of us who love printing and paper love to get swatch books to see the latest and greatest paper offerings. Over the last year, Neenah has taken a creative approach to swatch books with its Explore series.
Published September 21, 2015
Production inkjet held center stage at Graph Expo 2015, proving that has gone mainstream. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne looks at some of the announcements and the North American debuts for this game-changing technology.
Published September 15, 2015
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks to Gavin Jordan-Smith, VP at Konica Minolta about Graph Expo and Konica Minolta's solution selling service called "Marketing as a Service" to help printing companies grow their business.
Published September 13, 2015
Today at the very first Graph Expo press conference, Komori and Screen shared some big news: Komori and Screen have entered into a strategic selling agreement that effectively joins the two companies’ sales organizations.. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was on the scene to bring WhatTheyThink members additional insight on the news.
Published September 10, 2015
Cary Sherburne talks to Senior VP of Marketing for Canon Solutions America Francis McMahon at the first thINK Forum, covering highlights from the show and what it means to sponsor such an event.
Published September 9, 2015
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne presents details and insight relative to Pantone’s announcement today about its new Extended Color Gamut Coated guide – what is it and what does it mean for printing and packaging for designers and print providers.
Published September 8, 2015
Nearly 2,000 marketers attended, up from about 1,350 last year, to hear 50 speakers from companies including Google, Starbucks, Adidas, Twitter and more. Ricoh was one of 100 exhibitors with a very busy booth that featured lots of information and examples of cross-media marketing solutions, featuring direct mail.
Published August 31, 2015
You remember the effect the Internet had on your business from 1995 through today? It’s nothing compared to what’s coming your way now. That’s the basis of a new book that is a must-read for anyone who owns or manages a business. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Scott Stawski about Inflection Point: How the convergence of cloud, mobility, apps and data will shape the future of business.
Published August 25, 2015
In an increasingly complex and demanding printing environment, color management is critical. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Canon Solutions America executives to learn more about how Canon is approaching this issue.
Published August 24, 2015
In an exclusive online interview, Cary Sherburne talks to Hal Hinderliter, who discusses the Must See 'Em program for Graph Expo 2015.
Published August 18, 2015
Creative businesses are leveraging new digital finishing technologies to drive new business, new designs, and entry into entirely new markets for printing and packaging companies. Brands are also turning to paper structures to get their message out and enhance their displays. Learn how digital finishing techniques are revolutionizing the world of paper creations in this article sponsored by Highcon.
Published August 11, 2015
Blue Octopus is furthering its ability to create employment opportunities for veterans with disabilities by improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of its printing operations. Learn more about how this entrepreneurial organization is blending print and social consciousness to make a better world, in this article sponsored by HP.
Published July 29, 2015
Adobe is taking mobile app creation to a brand-new level with the launch of Adobe Digital Publishing Solution 2015. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Adobe’s Bridget Roman and Colin Fleming to learn more.
Published July 27, 2015
Celina McMahan, Digital Workflow Specialist, explains how HP SmartStream Production Center helps the company better manage 6,000 to 10,000 files per day, saving significant operator time and streamlining overall workflow.
Published July 23, 2015
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently had the opportunity to speak with Yariv Bustan, Product Manager at Scodix, who shared a very interesting new product announcement.
Published July 21, 2015
Packaging is one area of the printing industry where growth continues. But it is not without its challenges. Learn how leading packaging converters are leveraging digital technology to address time-to-market challenges and developing new revenue streams in this article sponsored by Highcon.
Published July 16, 2015
Senior Editor Cary Sherburen recently had the opportunity to visit Bridgeport National Bindery in Western Massachusetts. They have a great story!
Published July 15, 2015
Yesterday, EFI and FedEx Office announced that FedEx Office is using EFI products for a more cost-effective and streamlined delivery of professional print services. I spoke to Udi Arieli, EFI’s Director, High End Market Business Development, EFI Productivity Software, to get the scoop for this WhatTheyThink exclusive.
Published July 13, 2015
UK-based Blackdog Digital is a terrific example of a company that has morphed from being a commercial printer to a digital printer to a variable data printer to a full-service provider of cross-media campaigns. Blackdog’s Phil Copperwheat shares his thoughts on the company’s transformation and what other companies need to do to get in the cross-media game.
Published July 7, 2015
As our readers may know, Aurelio Maruggi led the InkJet High-speed Production Solutions (IHPS) division at HP since its inception and has recently moved to a new role within HP. He spent a lot of time with customers and really understood the business and their needs. His successor, Eric Wiesner, has a very different background, but one that is equally valuable to HP and customers alike. I had the chance to speak with him recently about his background and his thoughts about the future.
Published July 6, 2015
We’ve been writing about the adoption of digital publishing tools for publishing and sales enablement. The next wave for this discipline is a natural: employee engagement. We spoke with Douglas Fajardo, CEO of Mirum Miami, an agency working with Sony Latin America, about the impact Sony’s employee engagement app is having on its employee on-boarding process.
Published June 30, 2015
Colorado-based EPS Doublet creates amazing event experiences for its many marquis customers and is an expert in experiential marketing. See how the company leverages large- and small-format digital printing to bring innovative solutions to its customers in this article sponsored by HP Graphics Solutions Business.
Published June 4, 2015
EFI made its acquisition of VUTEk 10 years ago this week. The deal moved EFI from focusing only on digital production and print MIS workflows into the center of the inkjet graphics space. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reviews how this acquisition positioned EFI and interviews EFI CEO Guy Gecht.
Published May 21, 2015
Adding production inkjet to its book printing operation is enabling Cordoba Printing & Binding of Israel to adjust to drastic changes in the Israeli book market as well as to pursue new business opportunities. Learn more in this article sponsored by Kodak.
Published May 14, 2015
Guy Broadhurst of Canon Solutions America joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to talk about how Canon positions its broad production inkjet portfolio to meet diverse market needs.
Published May 8, 2015
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne visited EFI’s Fremont CA headquarters to interview EFI CEO Guy Gecht and SNAP Group CEO Stephen Edwards about the multi-year, multi-million-dollar deal entered into between the two companies as part of SNAP’s Project DNA. This Franchisor, which is growing and adding centers and operates through a hub-and-spoke model, is working hard to provide franchisees with a unique, easy to use and highly functional technology infrastructure to help them grow profitable businesses and a base of loyal customers.
Published April 28, 2015
We recently learned that Kodak has hired a new workflow chief. Allan Brown, formerly with HP and Xerox, joined the company as General Manager of its Unified Workflow Solutions business. Read what Brown has to say about workflow and Kodak strategies moving forward.
Published April 22, 2015
Kevin Cushing, formerly CEO of AlphaGraphics, has accepted the position of President of the Marketing & Print Division of Alliance Franchise Brands LLC (parent company of Allegra Network LLC). Hear what he has to say about the company, franchising in general and the importance of a learning environment.
Published April 21, 2015
BR Printers discusses how production inkjet printing is changing the way the company does business and opening up new business opportunities in a highly competitive marketplace. This article is sponsored by HP.
Published April 9, 2015
Do you know about the joint NPES/PIA program for raising Print’s Voice in the Nation’s Capital? We all complain about Congress not getting anything done, but how many of US actually do anything about it? Here’s a great program that gets the word out about print and pokes at Congress to get stuff done.
Published April 8, 2015
We’ve written a fair amount about digital publishing in this space since we believe it presents a good opportunity for new revenue streams for printing firms – not only for traditional publishing applications but increasingly for sales enablement and other enterprise dissemination of information. Adobe is about to take this to the next level with its summer launch of Adobe Publish.
Published April 2, 2015
Dustin Graupman, Xerox VP/GM Inkjet Business, talks about the Xerox Rialto 900 roll-to-sheet production inkjet press introduced at Hunkeler Innovationdays. He highlights small footprint, quality and entry-level price point.
Published March 18, 2015
While many other trade events are struggling to survive in a dynamically changing environment, Hunkeler Innovationdays, which has taken place in Lucerne, Switzerland, every other year for the past 22 years (11th event this year!) has continued to grow in both size and vitality. Here’s an overview of the 2015 event.
Published March 17, 2015
Quad/Graphics has been in the news a lot of late … first with its agreement to acquire at least 20 HP T-Series Inkjet Web Presses, and then with the attempt to acquire book printer Courier Corporation. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with CEO Joel Quadracci to get more information and find out what else Quad is up to.
Published March 10, 2015
Facing typical offset run lengths of 750 or less, make-ready waste of as much as 50%, and with evolving customer expectations for more color and higher expectations of color quality and consistency, Liturgical Publications turned to production inkjet as a strategic gamble which has turned into a strategic advantage for this innovative publisher.
Published March 6, 2015
Marco Boer, VP at IT Strategies, talks to Cary Sherburne about the inaugural HP inkjet web press user group event - Jetcomm. They discuss what was learned and the success of this first year of the event.
Published March 5, 2015
In early February, Ricoh and Avanti announced that Allegra Network had chosen Avanti Slingshot as the core of its WorkStream™ integrated web storefront/MIS/workflow automation solution. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with the franchisor’s executives to get the details of what this means for franchise members and customers.
Published March 4, 2015
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne joined a group of 40 journalists and analysts to help Canon Solutions America celebrate its 2nd anniversary and to learn what is new from the organization and where it is going in the future
Published February 27, 2015
Franz Hunkeler, Chairman of the Board at Hunkeler, looks back over the week at a very successful Hunkeler Innovationdays 2015, the history of the event over the past 22 years, and a peek ahead to 2017.
Published February 18, 2015
Jimmy Vainstein, senior project manager of the World Bank Group’s Printing & Multimedia explains how investing in a production inkjet printing solution has revolutionized the institution’s business and increased its value to Bank Group clients.
Published February 17, 2015
While the TAGA Annual Technical Conference doesn’t draw huge crowds, it should. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Printing Industries of America’s Dr. Mark Bohan about this year’s program featuring new ideas and solutions for growth.
Published February 17, 2015
Sometimes, trade shows don’t even have to open before they start making news. Yesterday, officials of Messe Düsseldorf, producer of the drupa expo, held conference calls with journalists to explain the drupa committee’s decision to shorten the interval between the events from four years to three starting in 2016.
Published February 12, 2015
2015 saw a bigger and better EFI Connect, with more than 1,000 customers in attendance and a total attendance of more than 1,500 people. As usual, the conference featured many educational sessions and outstanding keynotes. But there were some differences this year.
Published February 5, 2015
WhatTheyThink was present in force at Digital Book World, our first time to attend this event which is in its 6th year. Were you there? We didn’t see many printers! See what Senior Editor Cary Sherburne has to say about this event and begin planning to attend next year.
Published February 5, 2015
Today HP announced breakthrough inkjet printhead technology to be incorporated into its Inkjet Web Presses in 2016. Summary information here with more to following in a detailed article from David Zwang on Monday.
Published February 3, 2015
King Printing continues to grow in a highly competitive book printing market, spurred by its investments in production inkjet printing presses. In this article, sponsored by HP, Managing Director Adi Chinai explains how inkjet printing has changed its business and that of its publishers.
Published January 30, 2015
Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen group and noted author, discusses his latest book, The Innovators. Many interesting historical tidbits are included in this interview, including thoughts from Steve Jobs and Isaacson’s conclusions about how to foster a culture of innovation in your company, including the need to cannibalize current products to prepare for the future. Watch the video, read the book. It’s important for the future of your business.
Published January 22, 2015
Seth Godin, author of several best-selling business books, sits down with Cary Sherburne at Digital Book World in New York to share his thoughts on the current state of the printing and publishing industries. Seth also shares information on how he's distributing his latest book.
Published January 20, 2015
Swiss-based Trendcommerce (Schweiz) AG has always been a trendsetter in Switzerland. The company has secured its market-leading position through the acquisition of production inkjet presses. This has enabled a white-paper-in workflow, virtual elimination of offset printing, reduction in black & white toner-based volumes and a revenue growth of 50% since 2011. Read more in this HP-sponsored story.
Published January 19, 2015
Today, the alphabet soup of NAPL/NAQP/AMSP, one of our favorite industry associations, is getting rid of the unwieldy name generated by a series of mergers and acquisitions in favor of brand-new branding as Epicomm. I spoke with Ken Garner, CEO of Epicomm, to learn more about the what and the why.
Published January 12, 2015
2015 is already shaping up to be a busy year, and one of the highlights is Hunkeler Innovationdays scheduled for February 23-26 in Lucerne, Switzerland. Cary Sherburne speaks with Standard Finishing President Steven Reny to learn what we might expect at this year’s event.
Published December 18, 2014
Following our publication of the latest update from Landa Digital Printing, published last week, I spoke with Benny Landa to clarify a few things.
Published December 18, 2014
EFI Connect 2015 is shaping up to be one of the best ever, so much so that EFI COO Marc Olin describes it as “Connect on Steroids.” Read what he has to say about Connect, EFI’s future strategies and his role as COO of the company in this interview with WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne.
Published December 17, 2014
Last week, Ricoh invited a group of press and analysts to a discussion about its acquisition of PTI Marketing Technologies. As our readers will remember, Ricoh made an investment in PTI in 2012 and has since trained its sales force on selling PTI solutions, including MarcomCentral and FusionPro (FusionPro is sold as a standalone and also is embedded in MarcomCentral). During the session, Coleman Kane, President & CEO of PTI Marketing Technologies, and Ted Takahashi, Ricoh’s Senior Vice President, Production Print Global Marketing Center, shared thoughts and comments and answered questions.
Published December 11, 2014
As our readers will know, we have been following developments with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite, both in terms of how it is helping publishers tackle the “dollars to digital dimes” conundrum of digital publishing as well as some interesting views into how enterprises are adopting DPS for sales enablement. Today’s story takes us to Maxim Integrated, a designer and manufacturer of semiconductors, who has benefited from the integration of DPS with Adobe Experience Manager for increased sales power.
Published December 3, 2014
Doug Edwards, Kodak President of Digital Printing and Enterprise, discusses his role leading digital printing, packaging, and functional printing.
Published December 2, 2014
Rotolito, one of the largest printing companies in Europe, has built a €10 million business in digital book printing since the inception of its digital operation in 2010. Read what Rotolito’s Gabriella Moretti has to say about the changing dynamics of its book printing business in this article, sponsored by HP.
Published November 18, 2014
HP's Alon Bar-Shany, VP & GM Indigo Press Division, talks to Cary Sherburne about its new folding carton press shown at Graph Expo. Alon shows examples and talks about the technology and capabilities of the press.
Published November 13, 2014
HP has begun planning for Jetcomm, its first-ever Production Inkjet User Group, with a conference to be held in March 2015 in Washington, D.C., immediately preceding DscoopX. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with David Murphy, WW Director of Marketing for HP’s production inkjet business, to learn more.
Published November 11, 2014
Todd Bigger, Director of Product Management at Kodak, talks to Cary Sherburne about Sonora and the benefits Sonora plates bring to the mainstream printing industry.
Published November 6, 2014
Toby Weiss, EFI's Fiery SVP & GM, is joined by Cary Sherburne in the new EFI headquarters in Fremont to discuss mobile. What do commercial printers and in-plant printers need to think about relative to mobile?
Published November 4, 2014
Massachusetts-based Bridgeport National Bindery has turned to production inkjet press technology to revolutionize its business and to significantly outweigh the decline in its traditional library binding business as discussed in this article, sponsored by HP.
Published November 4, 2014
Kodak VP of Marketing Chris Payne speaks with Cary Sherburne about the Prosper 6000, the status of their beta sites, and printing Dr. Joe Webb and Richard Romano's new book - 2,400 books in 90 minutes.
Published November 3, 2014
Alejandro España, Business Development Manager at Eshuis America, talks about the business and how they leverage HP digital printing for large label campaigns.
Published November 3, 2014
Alejandro España , Gerente de Desarrollo de Negocios de Eshuis Latina , habla sobre el negocio y cómo se aprovechan de impresión digital de HP para las grandes campañas de la etiqueta.
Published November 3, 2014
Our continuing coverage of the impact of digital alternatives on the world of print and publishing features Stryker Orthopaedics’ use of digital publishing technologies to more deeply engage its sales force and surgeon customers while reaping significant cost and time savings. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Stryker’s Orthopaedics’ Creative Director Stephen Brown to learn more about the journey.
Published October 29, 2014
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently had the opportunity to spend quality time with Kodak’s new CEO, Jeff Clarke. Read on to hear what Clarke has to say about what attracted him to Kodak, where he plans to take the company, and his strategies for getting there.
Published October 29, 2014
Jeff Clarke, CEO of Kodak, talks to Cary Sherburne about how he came from a Silicon Valley background to take the job at Kodak and what he's been focused on in these first seven months.
Published October 27, 2014
Cary Sherburne interviews Kevin Horey, VP & GM of Workflow & Solutions at Xerox. They talk workflow innovations, what Xerox has to offer with their products, and what makes workflow a hot topic.
Published October 23, 2014
Frank Mallozi, SVP for Sales and Marketing at EFI, sits down with Cary Sherburne at their new headquarters in Fremont to talk about how sales and marketing handles all the acquisitions the company makes.
Published October 22, 2014
After serving for 30 years at NAPL, Joe Truncale has decided to leave the association to accept the positon of CEO of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Effective January 12, 2015, Ken Garner will become the CEO for AMSP/NAPL/NAQP. Garner was the CEO of AMSP at the time of its merger with NAPL/NAQP. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Truncale about the past, present and future of his career.
Published October 21, 2014
WhatTheyThink was at Graph Expo in full force, including our annual Economic Outlook Breakfast with Dr. Joe Webb and our popular WhatTheyThink Video Studio. We also made time to attend press conferences and walk the show floor in order to bring news and insight to our readers. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne shares a few thoughts about the show.
Published October 21, 2014
Greg Salzman, President of Aleyant Systems welcomes Cary Sherburne at Graph Expo and talks a bit about the company and their Pressero web-to-print solution. They also discuss the launch of a new entry-level job management system.
Published October 21, 2014
Published October 20, 2014
Pat McGrew, Go-to-Market Evangelist at HP, joins Cary Sherburne in the WhatTheyThink studio to talk about being honored with the first annual "Girlie Award" by the Girls Who Print peer group at Graph Expo. They also discuss what is happening in Europe with digital inkjet.
Published October 17, 2014
Marin Bailey, CTO at Global Graphics, talks to Cary Sherburne about the recent announcement of a Harlequin Partner Network to formalize many of the advancements being made by the user community.
Published October 16, 2014
Cary interviews Martin Bailey, CTO at Global Graphics, who updates us on their "Do PDF/VT Right" publication as well as where the technology is at and how to use it.
Published October 16, 2014
Cary Interviews Mark Hischar, President & CEO of KBA, talks about some interesting digital additions they announced at Graph Expo. In this segment, they discuss the RotaJET L Series and their collaboration with HP.
Published October 15, 2014
Amit Shvartz, VP of Marketing for Scodix, is interviewed by Cary Sherburne and shares the story of their technology and how their customers are using it.
Published October 15, 2014
Mark Hischar, President & CEO of KBA, speaks to Cary Sherburne about the many announcements they made at Graph Expo 2014, including a collaboration with HP, expansion of the RotoJet line, and a new distribution agreement with Tensor.
Published October 14, 2014
Michael Musgrave, COO of Heritage Paper, talks to Cary Sherburne about their business and the growth of digital in their shop. They also discuss the acquisition of an HP Scitex FB10000 and the drivers behind that.
Published October 14, 2014
Aviv Ratzmann, CEO & Founder of HighCon, talks about debuting the Euclid in the United States at Graph Expo 2014 after having first showing it at drupa 2012.
Published October 13, 2014
In this article, sponsored by HP, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne follows up on progress at Hudson Printing in Salt Lake City with its customized HP T350 Color Inkjet Web Press. Paul Gardner, Director of Innovation, talks ink, applications, substrates and strategy.
Published October 9, 2014
Cary joins Guy Gecht in Fremont California at their new headquarters to talk about how they weathered some tough years and the decision to double down on this industry and focus on customers to not only survive, but thrive.
Published October 6, 2014
Canon USA recently hosted a roundtable discussion titled The Evolving Workplace: Examining the Opportunities and Challenges Created by BYOD and Mobile Technologies. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Canon USA’s Dennis Amorosano, Vice President & General Manager of Marketing and Professional Services, Business Imaging Solutions Group, about the internal and external implications of the underlying Workflow Optimization Study for printing operations.
Published October 6, 2014
Aurelio Maruggi, VP & GM of Inkjet Web for HP, talks to Cary Sherburne at Graph Expo 2014 about the exciting announcements from HP relative to inkjet.
Published October 6, 2014
The annocument from HP that it will split into two different companies is not unexpected, given the public discussion and rumors about spinning off or selling the personal systems and printing business, including the recent failed merger with EMC.
Published October 2, 2014
Cary Sherburne wraps up Graph Expo 2014 from the show floor talking about the size of the show, attendance, and many exciting announcements being made. Print software, workflow, production inkjet, new partnerships, and some smaller vendors all made a splash this year.
Published September 30, 2014
Sam Mousavi, President of DPI Direct, and Cary Sherburne discuss the business and his focus on digital from the beginning days of the company.
Published September 29, 2014
Since its founding in 1980, Buffalo-based Zenger Group has a history of innovation. Today, the company is an expert in personalized communications and runs a highly efficient operation. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Steve Zenger for an inside peek.
Published September 25, 2014
Bill Graushar, Principal at Bill Graushar Consulting, talks about the MBO America Customer Open House event and gives his impressions on what he saw there and what he thought about the "The New MBO" offerings.
Published September 25, 2014
Paul Gardner of Hudson Printing joins Cary Sherburne from the floor of the Adobe Summit. They discuss the 104 year old company and how they're innovating to last another 100.
Published September 23, 2014
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talked with Aaron La Porta, graphic designer/developer for the Buffalo Bills. The team is leading the NFL in implementation of mobile apps, and La Porta has a great story to tell. Inside the story is sage advice for printers looking to get into the mobile app world.
Published September 22, 2014
Cary Sherburne talks to EFI's Guy Gecht about the upcoming Graph Expo event and winning 11 Must See 'Em Awards - a new record. They discuss specific products and the reasons for their success.
Published September 18, 2014
Juan Sanchez, Plant Manager at Unitecblue in Argentina, talks to Cary Sherburne about the business and how MBO America is helping them develop innovative new products.
Published September 18, 2014
Juan Sánchez , Gerente de Planta en Unitecblue en Argentina , conversa con Cary Sherburne sobre el negocio y cómo MBO America está ayudando a desarrollar nuevos productos innovadores.
Published September 16, 2014
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently spoke with Documation Vice President and COO Martin Aalsma in developing this HP-sponsored feature. Documation is the proud owner of two HP T230 Color Inkjet Presses that it is leveraging to reduce costs, improve throughput and develop new product offerings
Published September 16, 2014
Cary Sherburne interviews Mike Romer, VP of National Accounts for Tobe Direct, finding out about their direct mail marketing company and how they've invested in digital with HP.
Published September 4, 2014
With Graph Expo around the corner, attendees should take some time at the show to investigate the latest developments in color management, a field that is changing quickly due to the availability of a broad array of new technologies. In an interview with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with John Sweeney, Business Development Manager for matchmycolor talks about color management developments inside and outside the printing industry.
Published September 2, 2014
John Wynne, CEO of Labels Unlimited, and Cary Sherburne discuss the exciting label segment of the industry and their transition to digital. We learn how HP as a business partner was able to help with the transition to digital.
Published August 28, 2014
Steve Carlson, Director of Operations at Prisma, talks to Cary Sherburne about the business and how they are working to improve bindery throughput using MBO America.
Published August 28, 2014
John Cracknell, Managing Director of IBIS Bindery Systems, talks to Cary Sherburne about technology developments in the bindery and finishing side of the print workflow.
Published August 26, 2014
James Wamser of Ripon Printers talks to Cary Sherburne about Ripon and his role in helping to educate their customers as an Adobe Certified Instructor. They also discuss Creative Cloud and how it's changed how they use Adobe products.
Published August 26, 2014
Kurt Konow, Director of Vertical Marketing at Ricoh, talks to Cary Sherburne about their cloud-based marketing services portal that leverages PTI.
Published August 21, 2014
Lance Martin, Director of Sales for MBO America, talks to Cary Sherburne about "The New MBO" and why it's important to begin the print job with finishing in mind.
Published August 20, 2014
GI Solutions in Leicester UK is on its second generation of high-speed production inkjet presses. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Patrick Headley, Deputy Managing Director, to find out what the drivers were for the technology replacement and what benefits the company is seeing.
Published August 20, 2014
Dave Smith, Director of Operations at DST Output, talks to Cary Sherburne about some details about their business and the critical mass building toward color in transactional printing.
Published August 19, 2014
Cary Sherburne talks to Dave Casteneda, Director of Premedia Services at SmarPractice. They discuss their business, equipment, and how they've been able to automate their workflow with HP.
Published August 12, 2014
Mike King, President & CEO of Eagle Systems, talks to Cary Sherburne about some of the finishing technologies that make print stand out. They discuss the capabilities of both hot foil and cold foil technologies
Published August 8, 2014
Larry Moore, VP of Partner Programs at Esko, talks to Cary Sherburne about the packaging sector moving to digital and what he sees in that transition. They also discuss finishing and color management.
Published August 7, 2014
Chris Kitchener, Group Product Manager for Adobe InDesign & Illustrator, talks to Cary Sherburne about the perception that Adobe has abandoned the print industry and how Creative Cloud can grow print businesses by adding other revenue streams.
Published August 6, 2014
Larry Kaufman, Product Manager at Epson, talks to Cary Sherburne about direct to garment (DTG) printing and what is happening in the garment industry.
Published August 5, 2014
Workflows are becoming more complex and savvy print service providers are looking to streamline and automate business and production processes for a more sustainable business and production environment. Utilization of vendor professional services can be an effective means of finding opportunities to take time, cost and touches out of both business and production processes as well as to introduce innovation. Learn what Canon Solutions America has to say about the changing world of professional services.
Published August 5, 2014
Martin Aalsma, VP of Operations at Documation, talks to Cary Sherburne about the company and their experience with publishing and direct mail using the HP T200 series inkjet web presses. They also talk hybrid workflow and color management.
Published August 5, 2014
Greg Salzman, President of Aleyant Systems, talks to Cary Sherburne about their expansion into Latin America and what he's seeing in those markets.
Published August 4, 2014
John Foley, CEO of InterlinkOne, talks to Cary Sherburne about how marketers can leverage print technologies to enhance their customer communications strategies.
Published August 1, 2014
In May, the HP Graphics Solutions Business effected an organizational change at the top of the Americas organization. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with the new Vice President and General Manager Yishai Amir to see what’s up.
Published August 1, 2014
Jonathan McGrew, MarComm Manager at Crawford Technologies, talks to Cary Sherburne about how they are focused on being partners to their customers and giving back to the community.
Published July 29, 2014
Allen Taheri, President of A2Z Printing, talks to Cary Sherburne about the growth of the company and their acquisition of HP digital devices which enables them to get business they otherwise wouldn't.
Published July 29, 2014
Jeff Bianca, Senior Development Manager at RISO, talks to Cary Sherburne about their being awarded a Must See 'Em at Print 2013 for their envelope wrapper system. He also gives us the latest happenings at RISO.
Published July 25, 2014
Konica Minolta used the launch of three new digital presses as an opportunity to brief a media and analyst group at its Manhattan showroom earlier this month. In addition to learning about the new presses as they were launched, the group also received a strategy update from the company. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was there and shares her thoughts.
Published July 25, 2014
Jacob Aizikowitz, President of XMPie, talks to Cary Sherburne about how integrated XMPie is within Xerox since the acquisition 7 years ago. They also discuss the Circle product and what they are learning about multi-channel campaigns.
Published July 24, 2014
Russell Viers, Speaker/Trainer/Digital Handyman, talks to Cary Sherburne about teaching and the impact Creative Cloud has had on the creative community and printing industry.
Published July 23, 2014
Greg Salzman, President of Aleyant Systems, talks about their main products and winning a 2013 InterTech Award. He also discusses how they leverage partnerships to offer customers the best software solutions possible.
Published July 22, 2014
Forrest Leighton, VP of Strategic Alliances at PTI, talks to Cary Sherburne about how printers need to evolve to keep pace with the changes in technology and the shift of content to the digital space.
Published July 21, 2014
Mike Ring, President of Xeikon America, talks to Cary Sherburne about the Trillium technology and its availability in North America. View the white paper discussed in the video here.
Published July 15, 2014
Rob Reddinger, Owner of Pinnacle Data Systems, talks to Cary Sherburne about the business and the production platform they use. They also discuss what sets Canon Solutions America apart and why they partnered with them.
Published July 15, 2014
Paul Tykodi, Principle at Tykodi Consulting Services, talks to Cary Sherburne about his work with the Printer Working Group. More information at www.pwg.org
Published July 14, 2014
Nearly two years after its acquisition by AIP, Presstek named Jeffrey A Beck as CEO. Previously, the company had been managed by AIP executives as they restructured the organization and set a go-forward strategy. Prior to Presstek, Beck was COO of Boston-based iRobot. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne visited with Beck to learn more about his background and Presstek’s strategies for future success.
Published July 11, 2014
Mike Ring, President of Xeikon America, talks to Cary Sherburne and gives us an update on where the company is in terms of sales and recent projects. They also discuss their presence in the labels and packaging vertical as well as their roots on the document side.
Published July 10, 2014
Bob Radzis, Chief Customer Officer at SG360, sits down with Cary Sherburne and talks about the acquisition of RT Associates by Segerdahl (now SG360), their use of Canon Solution America and what drew him to them as a vendor.
Published July 9, 2014
Ron Friedman, COO of Compart, talks to Cary Sherburne about the challenges end users face relative to output management. Today, there is a greater demand for multi-channel input and output making it a more complex process.
Published July 8, 2014
Greg Weaver, Print Production Manager at Communicorp (AFLAC), talks to Cary Sherburne about the business and their production platform. They discuss ways they've automated their workflow to enhance efficiency.
Published July 7, 2014
Sam Hosoe, EVP at Ricoh, talks to Cary Sherburne about their investment in Avanti and PTI in order to help their customers to automate their workflow.
Published July 3, 2014
On July 2nd, Veritiv, the result of the Unisource/Xpedx merger, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: VRTV). WhatTheyThink’s Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Chairman and CEO Mary Laschinger shortly after she rang the Stock Exchange’s Opening Bell.
Published July 1, 2014
Eric Hawkinson, Director of Marketing at Canon Solutions America, talks to Cary Sherburne about customer engagement and Canon's commitment to the customer. They also discuss efforts to build customer community and preview a fall announcement.
Published June 27, 2014
WhatTheyThink recently attended a Canon Solutions America customer event at Canon’s Customer Experience Center in Poing, Germany. We had an opportunity to speak to several executives about the future of the company and its achievements to date.
Published June 27, 2014
Andy Jacobs, CTO at MRM McCann, talks to Cary Sherburne about print's role relative to digital marketing. They discuss connecting print with the digital world. Andy also gives printers advice on how to handle the digital marketing trend.
Published June 26, 2014
Alon Bar-Shany, VP & GM of HP Indigo, joins Cary Sherburne again to talk about new products for flexible packaging and folding cartons. They discuss the new 20000 and 30000 presses.
Published June 24, 2014
Cary talks to Francis McMahon, VP of Marketing at Canon Solutions America, about the smooth integration of Canon and Oce in creating Canon Solutions America and the company's strong 2013.
Published June 20, 2014
Aleks discusses how color management is changing with the variety of substrates that are being printed on.
Published June 17, 2014
Mike Chiricuzio, President of VDP Direct, talks to Cary Sherburne about how the variable data printing market has evolved and changed in the past few years.
Published June 6, 2014
Ziki Kuly, Vice President at Scodix, talks to Cary Sherburne about their technology and what's new at the company. They discuss some of the applications being used with the technology including what Tukaiz is doing.
Published June 5, 2014
Xerox announced the grand opening of its expanded Impika Inkjet Innovation Center in Aubagne, France, with a customer Inkjet Summit on June 4th. Chairman & CEO Ursula Burns was on hand to officially open the new center. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Andrew Copley, President of Xerox’ Graphic Communications Operations, to understand the extent of the expansion and what it means for the Xerox production inkjet business.
Published June 5, 2014
Chuck Stempler, President & Owner of Alphagraphics Seattle, talks to Cary Sherburne about their use of EFI's Pace MIS system. Their use of data from the system has allowed them to add to their bottom line. They also discuss using the OPS web-to-print software and their Vutek acquisition.
Published June 4, 2014
About a year ago, we interviewed X-Rite Pantone President Ron Voigt shortly after he took on the leadership role. In this interview with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, he updates our readers on what has transpired in that year and strategies moving forward.
Published June 4, 2014
Aleks Zlatic (VP of Sales Americas at X-Rite) talks to Cary Sherburne about how the company, along with Pantone and Esko, is changing the way color communication and color management is done within the packaging industry.
Published May 27, 2014
Alberto Garcia de Quevedo, Director of Commercial Printing at Moti, talks to Cary Sherburne about his company and why they chose HP as a business partner.
Published May 27, 2014
Alberto García de Quevedo, Director de Impresión Comercial en Moti, conversa con Cary Sherburne acerca de su empresa y por qué se eligió a HP como un socio de negocios.
Published May 22, 2014
Cary Sherburne talks to Dennis Riggs, President and CEO of Mound Printing in Miamisburg, Ohio. They discuss why they got into wide format with the Vutek line. They also discuss their use and experience with the Pace MIS system.
Published May 19, 2014
Cary Sherburne talks to David Zwang about what's next in his article series on WhatTheyThink. 2012 looked at production inkjet. 2013 looked at workflow options. They discuss his series this year that focuses more on application - how are people using all these products?
Published May 15, 2014
Jim Tomblinson, VP of Operations at Modern Litho, talks to Cary Sherburne about what is new at the company. They talk about a recent acquisition and how that's affecting their operations using EFI OPS web-to-print solution.
Published May 13, 2014
Craig Curran, VP of Sales at Nosco, talks to Cary Sherburne about the company and their production platform. We learn about Nosco's position in the labels and packaging segment and how they are utilizing HP technology.
Published May 8, 2014
In Part One of this two-part series, we discussed how printing companies are responding to changing market dynamics to future-proof their businesses, and offered some of the questions you may consider asking to stimulate new customer conversations. In Part Two, we look at people, processes and technology required to successfully and profitably change the conversation and deliver new services.
Published May 8, 2014
Marc Olin, COO at EFI, talks to Cary Sherburne about his stint as interim CFO and now Chief Operating Officer. They discuss new ideas about expanding the company into new areas and how they are handling different integration issues internally.
Published May 6, 2014
Jennifer Matt talks to Cary Sherburne about the launch of WhatTheyThink's new Print Software special focus area. Jennifer talks about what areas the section will cover and her philosophy in both content direction for this new area of WhatTheyThink.
Published May 6, 2014
Cary Sherburne speaks with Lynly Schambers-Lenox, Group Product Marketing Manager at Adobe, who gives us an update on their Digital Publishing Suite.
Published April 29, 2014
Recently, WhatTheyThink joined more than 7,000 marketing professionals from more than 30 countries at the Adobe Summit in Salt Lake City. This is the world’s largest digital marketing conference, according to Adobe. It was a great place to network with marketers, benefit from great content and learn what marketers are thinking about the future of business communications and where their challenges lie.
Published April 29, 2014
Jim Benedict, Direct of Marketing at GLS, talks about the different applications they've developed using their newly acquired HP 10000 press.
Published April 17, 2014
Robbie McDaniel, President of PSP, talks to Cary Sherburne about his business and their full transition to digital using HP technology. They also discuss why PSP picked HP as a partner.
Published April 15, 2014
On a recent visit to Salt Lake City, I had the pleasure of spending time at Hudson Printing. The company’s tagline is Reinvent Print, and it boasts a Director of Innovation. Read more about my visit and the great things happening at Hudson Printing.
Published April 15, 2014
Hudson Printing's Paul Gardner talks to Cary Sherburne about taking a legacy commercial printing company in a digital direction. Paul is Director of Innovation and thinks Hudson will become a digital printer with offset capability. See also: Hudson Printing: Innovation and Inspiration
Published April 10, 2014
Three weeks into his new job as Kodak’s Chief Executive Officer and a member of its Board of Directors, Jeffrey L. Clarke conducted a briefing with the printing trade media. WhatTheyThink’s Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was on the line and shares some of the thoughts and insights from the call.
Published April 8, 2014
Ron Gizzo, COO of Visual Marking Systems, talks to Cary Sherburne about the business and their acquisition of an HP Latex 3000.
Published April 3, 2014
At Dscoop9, the organization debuted Dscoop University, a member educational initiative announced last year that has come to fruition in a big way. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne provides insight for our readers into the competitive advantage that this offering provides for Dscoop members.
Published April 2, 2014
In Part One of this Two-Part series, learn how to “up your game” in sales by changing the customer conversation. Are you “talking the talk” and “walking the walk” in a way that reflects the way marketers approach their day? In Part Two, we will look at the people, process and technology required to successfully and profitably change customer relationship dynamics.
Published March 25, 2014
Rob Mayerson, General Manager of Digital for Sandy Alexander, talks to Cary Sherburne about the company and their growth into digital services. Rob also discusses being the beta for the HP Indigo 10000 and the current largest install base.
Published March 20, 2014
Udi Arieli, Senior Director of Product Managment at EFI, talks to Cary Sherburne about innovations in workflow and removing steps from the process.
Published March 17, 2014
John Foley, CEO of InterlinkOne, talks to Cary Sherburne about how marketers can better understand current and emerging technologies for customer communications. They also discuss what's new with InterlinkOne.
Published March 13, 2014
HP's David Murphy kicks off a series of HP sponsored videos as Cary Sherburne talks to Gary Garner, Chairman and CEO of GLS, about the GLS business and how the leverage HP equipment to diversify their product offerings.
Published March 12, 2014
Greg Maze, Senior Digital Marketing Manager for Neenah Paper, talks to Cary Sherburne about the demand for paper in the digital world and Neenah's strategy to deal with the needs of hybrid environments.
Published March 7, 2014
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne interviews Celebrity Cruises about its first-ever set of digital vacation planning apps and what they mean for brochures and other printed materials. Most of what we have written about Adobe DPS and other publishing app makers has been focused on digital magazine issues. This story takes digital publishing deeper into print territory. Is it good news or bad for print?
Published March 5, 2014
Industry veteran Ramesh Ratan joined Bell and Howell as its CEO in January of 2014. He previously held executive positions with the DMA and Pitney Bowes, among others. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with him about Bell and Howell’s current state and it strategies for the future.
Published February 27, 2014
Chris Harrold, VP of Business Development and Creative Director at Mohawk, talks about the emerging cultural movement of "makers" which is bringing craftsmanship to the forefront. He also discusses moo.com, which is growing print using the web.
Published February 24, 2014
Ken Macro, new Department Chair of Graphic Communications at Cal Poly, talks to Cary Sherburne about what it means to be the department chair and his vision for the future.
Published February 20, 2014
Fabian Prudhomme, VP at Enfocus, talks to Cary Sherburne about how they help printers create good PDFs for the printing process. Their collaboration with Monotype will help prevent one of the biggest problems with PDF files: missing fonts.
Published February 18, 2014
Patrick Kerr, Technical Product Manager for Kodak, talks to Cary Sherburne about their partnership with EFI and what that means to their customers.
Published February 17, 2014
Since its launch in March of 2011, Adobe’s Digital Publishing Suite has captured a significant market share of digital magazine issues (Adobe claims 80% of top 100 magazines on iTunes) and we have followed its progress both in terms of added features and results for publishers. This article by Senior Editor Cary Sherburne takes a look at another option for digital magazine publishing. Mag+ launched in 2010. Mag+ premiered on the first iPads in April 2010 with PopularScience and has recently attracted former MPA Senior Vice President, Digital Strategy & Initiatives Ethan Grey as its Director of Product Strategy.
Published February 13, 2014
About 1,500 people descended on the Wynn Las Vegas for Connect 2014 at the end of January. WhatTheyThink captured lots of video interviews (watch for them!) and had an opportunity to participate in the event as well. Here are a few Connect 2014 thoughts, including an interview with Benny Landa, who joined EFI CEO Guy Gecht in making an exciting announcement re: Landa Digital Printing.
Published February 11, 2014
In Part Three of our Dscoop series, WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with John Tenwinkel, Director of Dscoop University, for a sneak peek into its debut at the upcoming Dscoop9 conference and what it will mean for Dscoop members worldwide.
Published February 4, 2014
Chris Petro is an innovator and thought leader in the digital printing industry and has given selflessly of his time to Dscoop over the past several years, currently serving as the Chairman of the Global Board of Directors as well as running his own multinational business, GlobalSoft Digital Solutions. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently spoke with Petro to learn more about what is happening with Dscoop on a global basis, and new developments he expects for the future.
Published February 4, 2014
Cary Sherburne interviews Sam Hosoe, EVP of Production Print Solutions for Ricoh. They discuss their recent acquisition of Avanti and PTI and how that impacts their production systems group and strengthens their product portfolio.
Published February 3, 2014
Benny Landa talks to Cary Sherburne about the development of the nanographic printing process and discusses the quality progress as he explains the S-curve of technology developments. They also discuss the timing of the press shipments.
Published January 31, 2014
David Zwang talks with Cary Sherburne about his new article series for 2014. David plans to take the workflow series to the next level by looking at specific products and applications.
Published January 28, 2014
It’s hard to believe that we are already in the 9th year of the Dscoop conference, the highly successful annual event for the Dscoop independent HP user group. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with both the Executive Director of Dscoop Mike Fogarty and Conference Chair Gary Garner, Chairman & CEO of GLS Companies, to find out why Dscoop9 is being positioned as the “Best Ever” and what the organization has done to keep its momentum going.
Published January 28, 2014
Cary Sherburne gets a chance to meet EFI's new CFO David Reeder on the final day of Connect. We learn a bit about David's background and get more insight into the reasons for his decision to accept the position.
Published January 27, 2014
Cary Sherburne speaks with Marc Olin, COO of EFI, as they wrap up another EFI Connect at the Wynn in Las Vegas. They discuss the announcement with Landa, which was the big highlight this year at the show. They also discuss what attendees are saying about the event.
Published January 24, 2014
NAPL President and CEO Joe Truncale talks to Cary Sherburne about combining NAPL and AMSP and what the combination does to benefit both memberships. They also discuss the subject of association consolidation in general.
Editor's Note: Don't miss Pat Henry's article series on industry associations. The first talks about NAPL and PIA.
Published January 23, 2014
Jim Tomblinson, VP of Operations at Modern Litho, talks to Cary Sherburne about his 6th EFI Connect. They talk about the value the event brings to his company and why he returns year after year.
Published January 22, 2014
EFI CEO Guy Gecht talks to Cary Sherburne about Connect 2014 - their biggest ever. Guy also talks about the big Landa announcement that Fiery will be the front end of all Landa nanographic devices.
Published January 21, 2014
Jamie Harris, VP of Diversified Services at GMC, talks to Cary Sherburne about how technology is changing the landscape of customer communications across multiple channels.
Published January 20, 2014
Warren Werbitt, Founder & Fisherman at Pazazz Printing in Montreal Canada, talks to Cary Sherburne about what's new at Pazazz. They've acquired a large format printer to extend their capabilities. They also talk about using the new X-Rite eXact in their shop.
Published January 14, 2014
Xerox announced a significant organizational change, creating a new position as Chief Operating Officer for its Technology (versus Services) Business for industry veteran Jeff Jacobson, who joined Xerox in 2012 as President of Xerox’s Graphic Communications Operation. Andrew Copley, who joined Xerox 18 months ago, will step into the role vacated by Jacobson. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Copley in an exclusive WhatTheyThink interview to get the inside scoop.
Published January 14, 2014
Rolf Richter, CEO of locr maps, talks to Cary Sherburne about the company and learns more about the technology of geodata and map personalization for printing.
Published January 13, 2014
Sabine Geldermann, new drupa director, talks to Cary Sherburne about her new role and the coming drupa trade fair in 2016. They discuss what's happening leading up to the show and the trends shaping the focus of the show.
Published January 10, 2014
FastSigns CEO Catherine Monson talks to Cary Sherburne about what's happening at FastSigns and gets an update on their co-branding program launched just over a year ago.
Published January 6, 2014
KBA CEO Claus Bolza-Schünemann talks to Cary Sherburne about where they are strategically and how they are addressing the shift from analog to digital.
Published December 19, 2013
Cary Sherburne talks to Dan Defino, VP & Managing Partner at Tukaiz about their wide format business. Dan talks about why they got into the wide format sector and shares details about it.
Published December 17, 2013
Cary Sherburne and Frank Defino Jr., VP and Managing Director of Tukaiz, discuss the history of the company and the growing range of output devices they have expanded to utilize.
Published December 11, 2013
Recent data published by Adobe sheds light on what’s happening with digital magazine publications. Since the launch of Adobe DPS less than three years ago, more than 150 million Adobe-DPS powered digital publications have been downloaded and read on mobile devices. (Adobe DPS has 80% market share in digital magazine publishing). And more time is being spent with publications in digital form than in print. This is a trend our readers should be watching and looking for ways to capitalize on.
Published December 10, 2013
Ricoh commissioned an I.T. Strategies study titled The Evolution of the Book Industry: Implications for U.S. Book Manufacturers and Printers. The study looks at the impact of ebooks on printed book volumes, reader preferences for print versus electronic formats and more. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with I.T. Strategies VP Marco Boer and Ricoh’s Worldwide Manager Inkjet Technologies, Mike Herold, to learn more.
Published December 10, 2013
Gavin Jordan Smith, VP of Solutions and Production Planning at Konica Minolta, talks to Cary Sherburne about their unique partner activity that allows them to position themselves to be exceptional.
Published December 3, 2013
Gavin Jordan Smith, VP of Solutions and Production Planning at Konica Minolta, talks to Cary Sherburne about automation and removing waste out of production processes.
Published December 2, 2013
Last month, I had the opportunity to visit HP’s Boise offices along with other members of the media. While the session focused on print solutions for small to mid-sized businesses, many of the solutions we saw have implications for commercial printers.
Published November 26, 2013
Kevin Kern, VP of Marketing at Konica Minolta, talks to Cary Sherburne about the transformation of their marketing efforts.
Published November 22, 2013
Elli Cloots, formerly Director of Product Marketing at Enfocus, recently joined EFI as Senior Product Marketing Manager in EPS, the company’s software group. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with her about her new role and the importance of workflow and automation in the graphic arts industry.
Published November 21, 2013
Kevin Kern, VP of Marketing at Konica Minolta, talks to Cary Sherburne about the longstanding partnership between the company and Komori and how it's evolved over the years.
Published November 19, 2013
Bill Riley, President of Ironsides Technology, talks to Cary Sherburne about shop floor management and the intricacies of working with mixed systems.
Published November 14, 2013
Minneapolis-based John Roberts has installed the first 7-color HP Indigo 10000 digital press in North America. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with CEO Michael Keene to delve into why the company made this decision and what they expect to achieve going forward.
Published November 14, 2013
Bob Buongiorno, VP of Web Sales for Komori, speaks with Cary Sherburne about the Chambon brand. Komori acquired Chambon in 1989 as a standalone business. The company specializes in packaging printing and is now being more integrated into the larger company.
Published November 12, 2013
Mike Fox, President of Screen, talks to Cary Sherburne about what Screen is doing in the inkjet market, including wide format, UV, labels, high-speed web, and B2 sheetfed.
Published November 11, 2013
Bob McCurdy, VP of Sales and Marketing at GTI, talks to Cary Sherburne about the company and winning a Must See 'Em Award at Print 13. They also discuss the future of soft proofing.
Published November 7, 2013
Komori's Doug Schardt talks to Cary Sherburne about the crossover point between offset and digital. The answer is not as clear cut as some make it out to be.
Published November 5, 2013
William C. Lowe, who supervised the creation of IBM’s first personal computer and went on to hold executive roles at Xerox, NEBS, Moore and Gulfstream, passed away on October 19th. He was 72.
Published November 4, 2013
The announcement of the intent on the part of RR Donnelley to acquire Consolidated Graphics sent a few shock waves through the industry. What will it mean for the 70+ CGX locations and its more than 5,000 employees?
Published November 4, 2013
David Savage, CEO of Presstek, talks to Cary Sherburne about the year since being acquired by American Industrial Partners Capital Fund.
Published November 1, 2013
I recently joined about 30 of my press and analyst colleagues at a media event held at Screen USA headquarters in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Parent company Dainippon Screen celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Screen USA used the event as an opportunity to bring the press and analyst community up to date on its latest product offerings with a peek into its strategic future. Is there a new trend here among Japanese companies in our industry?
Published October 29, 2013
Mike Ferrari of Ferrari Innovation Solutions, sits down with Cary Sherburne to talk about his background in packaging and how HP is helping brand owners meet the challenges of today's market. They also discuss the outlook for digital printing in labels and packaging.
Published October 22, 2013
Cary Sherburne interviews Gina Testa, VP of Business and Market Development with Xerox, as they discuss what they are doing in the business development area for their print service provider customers.
Published October 21, 2013
Fred DeBolt, VP & GM of Xerox Cut Sheet, speaks with Cary Sherburne at Print 13 about the latest developments with the iGen platform.
Published October 17, 2013
Kevin Horey, VP & GM of Workflow & Solutions at Xerox, talks to Cary Sherburne about the change in FreeFlow and how it is now more accessible, modular, and scalable for different sized businesses.
Published October 15, 2013
Miles Bentley, Commercial Director at LumeJet, talks to Cary Sherburne about the company and introducing their unique inkless digital printing technology to the North American market.
Published October 14, 2013
Cary Sherburne talks to Paul Morgavi - former Impika CEO, now COO of Xerox Inkjet - and Dustin Graupman - VP & GM of Inkjet Business at Xerox about the Impika acquisition and the implications for Xerox moving forward.
Published October 10, 2013
Cary Sherburne talks to Xerox President of Global Graphic Communications at Print 13 about the changes at Xerox in how they are supporting the graphic communications market.
Published October 8, 2013
Corporate EVP and President of Xerox Technology Business Armando Zagalo de Lima talks to Cary Sherburne about their acquisition of Impika as they discuss the impact of technology change on the industry.
Published October 7, 2013
Brian Dollard with Canon USA talks about the new Melville New York headquarters that houses the largest Canon showroom in the world and shares details on their new Niagara platform.
Published October 7, 2013
Cary Sherburne talks to Print Evangelist Pat McGrew of HP about the return of print to the marketing mix and about how print service providers are offering more than print and getting more bang for the buck out of offering new technologies to customers.
Published October 4, 2013
Bills are necessary, and necessarily a little boring … or maybe not. A great deal is happening in the electronic statement realm and it is pretty exciting stuff.
Published October 4, 2013
Xeikon America President Mike Ring talks to Cary Sherburne about their new Trillium liquid toner technology. They discuss developments, details of the technology, and timing of the full release.
Published October 1, 2013
Marco Perlman, Founder and CEO of Digipix, speaks with Cary Sherburne about the growth of their company and their use of HP Indigo presses to offer a wider range of products.
Published October 1, 2013
At PRINT 13, Neopost USA unveiled an interesting cloud-based Delivery Preference Manager (DPM) solution designed to help companies manage customer delivery preferences. A little over a year after Neopost S.A.’S acquisition of GMC Software Technology, we checked in with Dennis P. LeStrange President & CEO of Neopost USA to find out more about DPM, what else is new at Neopost and look into the impact of the GMC acquisition.
Published September 30, 2013
Mike Ring, President of Xeikon America, gives Cary Sherburne a quick update on Xeikon's business and the financial health of the industry. They also talk about the growing labels and packaging sector as well as their document business.
Published September 24, 2013
Cary Sherburne talks to Michael Musgrave, VP and COO of Heritage Paper, about their transition to digital 3 years ago and how the team at HP has helped them in their business.
Published September 23, 2013
In an exclusive WhatTheyThink interview, Benny Landa talks to Cary Sherburne about what has been happening with the company since drupa and Graph Expo. They discuss things they've learned and major changes they have made to the design of units since visiting over 100 customers in the field.
Published September 19, 2013
Cary Sherburne talks to Marc Olin about his transition to interim CFO and gets an inside look at the new EFI corporate headquarters.
Published September 17, 2013
Darrell Friesen, President of Jet Label, talks to Cary Sherburne about their shift to digital and how their business responded to the wider economic downturn.
Published September 16, 2013
Adobe, MPA, 4As and a group of publishers collaborated to develop a set of metrics to standardize the measurement of engagement for digital publications. Previously there were a variety of inconsistent measurement methodologies with no standard reports and varying metrics. Hear what MPA’s Ethan Grey and Adobe’s Lynly Schambers-Lenox have to say about these new standardized audience metrics for digital publications.
Published September 16, 2013
Chris Payne, VP of Marketing for Kodak, talks to Cary Sherburne about emergence from bankruptcy and the company's focus going forward.
Published September 13, 2013
Cary Sherburne wraps up Print 13 with her final thoughts on the show. One thing that stood out was the pace of change in the industry given the innovations on display at Print in just one year removed from drupa.
Published September 11, 2013
Marco Boer of IT Strategies talks to Cary Sherburne about what strikes him at Print 13 after a day or so to peruse the floor. While there is less iron and less overall space taken up, Marco finds Print more interesting.
Published September 10, 2013
Matt Giandonato, Digital Print Supervisor at Tukaiz, talks to Cary Sherburne about their long history with Indigo presses and what they are able to do better with the 5600 versus the 5500. They also discuss working with HP partners like Scodix and other new developments at the company.
Published September 9, 2013
HP Print Evangelist Pat McGrew talks to Cary Sherburne about what to look for at Print 13. Pat gives great advice and strategies for getting the most out of the show.
Published August 27, 2013
Leslie Rutlege, Director of Operations at Clear Story, talks to Cary Sherburne about the manufacturing elements that has driven their success and things they are experimenting with to push the envelope.
Published August 27, 2013
Following a recent experience with a personalized video bill from AT&T, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne interviewed SundaySky President and chief revenue officer Jim Dicso to learn more about the company’s operations. SundaySky provides the infrastructure for high volume personalized videos from AT&T, Lenovo, Office Depot and more.
Published August 26, 2013
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently joined 36 other industry analysts and journalists at a special event at Canon USA’s brand-new Melville NY headquarters located at One Canon Park. Also attending the event were WhatTheyThink’s Frank Romano, Richard Romano, David Zwang and Patrick Henry. Sherburne shares her thoughts about the visit.
Published August 20, 2013
Peter Cober of Cober Evolving Solutions talks to Cary Sherburne about their business and the changing nature of the business as reflected in their new name. They also discuss being the first install of the Indigo 10000 in Canada.
Published August 19, 2013
As the first HP Indigo 30000 units begin to come to market, we are checking in with new owners to see how these B2 sheetfed presses, optimized for folding carton work, will be affecting their converting businesses.
Published August 13, 2013
As part of its ongoing philanthropic and community support efforts, Canon Solutions America spearheaded an effort to support Delray Beach’s Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens in the production of a catalog featuring its world-class exhibit of Japanese Kokeshi dolls. Learn how this first-ever digitally printed catalog has opened new doors for the museum.
Published August 12, 2013
Multi-Packaging Services, based in New York City, is an early adopter of the HP Indigo 30000 folding carton press. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with them to learn more about why they bought this press and what benefits they expect to gain from adding it to their production portfolio.
Published August 12, 2013
Erwin Busselot, Director of Digital Printing at Kodak, talks to Cary Sherburne about Prosper and trends in the European market in book printing and the effect of e-books on this segment.
Published August 9, 2013
In this exclusive interview, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks to Presstek CEO David Savage to understand the strategy behind the acquisition and where Presstek plans to go from here.
Published August 6, 2013
Adi Chinai, Managing Director of King Printing, talks to Cary Sherburne about moving from offset and toner to production inkjet technology with the HP T350.
Published July 29, 2013
The HP Indigo 10000 B2 press caused a bit of a stir at drupa 2012. Now, more than a year later, the first sold units are making their way into the marketplace. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne takes a look at two very different installs to see how this new press is fitting in and the impact it might be having on conventional printing technologies.
Published July 29, 2013
Marie-Luce Delaune, Marketing Program Manager at Kodak, talks to Cary Sherburne about the S series printheads.
Published July 26, 2013
Dscoop, the Digital Solutions Cooperative, recently appointed Mike Fogarty as its new Global Executive Director to replace long-time Executive Director Eric Hawkinson, now at Canon. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Fogarty to learn more about why he joined the organization and what he expects to achieve there.
Published July 23, 2013
With Print 2013 rapidly approaching, ‘tis the season for product updates, many of which were shown as technology demos or prototypes at drupa 2012. Delphax Elan is one of those products. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Delphax CEO Dieter Schilling to see what’s new.
Published July 15, 2013
Mark Sarpa, Progressive Solutions CEO, talks to Cary Sherburne about an online printer directory being used by Dscoop members.
Published July 15, 2013
With the adoption by Procter & Gamble of PantoneLIVE to better control its iconic library of brand colors throughout the production process, we wondered what that means for the packaging supply chain as a whole. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks to Pantone’s Cheryl Johnson to learn more.
Published July 12, 2013
AT&T Mobile now features personalized video explaining bills for new customers or those who change their plans. In addition to reducing the call volume at AT&T call centers (a significant reduction in bill-related calls, according to a company blog), it has a real WOW factor, with almost 80% of recipients watching the video all the way through. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne explains.
Published July 12, 2013
A couple weeks ago, a source informed Senior Editor Cary Sherburne that HP was in the process of pulling the plug on its Hiflex MIS and web-to-print offerings. While there has been no official public announcement from HP, this article summarizes what customers are being told and includes an official statement from HP.
Published July 12, 2013
Chris Harold, VP of Business Development at Mohawk, speaks with Cary Sherburne about the history of the Superfine brand and it's place in today's digital world.
Published July 10, 2013
On July 10th, Xeikon conducted a web briefing for journalists and industry analysts to provide an update on developments with its Trillium liquid toner technology shown as a technology demonstration at drupa. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne shares some of the highlights.
Published July 8, 2013
John Tenwinkel, Director of Dscoop University, talks to Cary Sherburne about his new position as they discuss the goals of the initiative and the vision for the group.
Published July 8, 2013
With the recent announcement of a bankruptcy filing by National Envelope, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne took a closer look at the envelope market. Is it a doomed and declining market or are there bright spots that signal a viable market moving forward?
Published July 2, 2013
Chris Petro, Dscoop Global Chairman talks to Cary Sherburne about the changes in the organization including management changes and other initiatives.
Published June 21, 2013
Giovanni Ghilardi, Sales and Marketing Director at Meccanotecnica, talks to Cary Sherburne about their book business and the reception of high end book binding.
Published June 20, 2013
Mark Debouer, Sales Manager for SET, talks to Cary Sherburne about their business as a software reseller in the industry and the effect of continuing industry change.
Published June 18, 2013
Neenah Paper is “running towards new media,” not running from it, with its The Beauty of Engraving and The Beauty of Letterpress sites. They are also leveraging this presence to financially support two worthy causes: preservation of the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum and support for victims of the Moore OK tornado tragedy. Read more.
Published June 18, 2013
Kent Larson, VP at Bridgeport National Bindery in Massachusetts, talks to Cary Sherburne about trends in their business and how they've continued to transform themselves from bindery, to digital printer, and beyond.
Published June 17, 2013
Andreas Nielen-Haberl, Product Category Manager at Kodak, talks to Cary Sherburne about developments on the Nexpress - including the addition of gold pearlescent color.
Published June 13, 2013
Stefan Hunkeler, CEO of Hunkeler AG, talks to Cary Sherburne about trends in the transactional printing market and what commercial printers should be doing to take advantage of them.
Published June 12, 2013
Following Ricoh’s announcement that it would not be participating in Ipex 2014, WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reached out to Ricoh Europe’s Graham Moore to learn more about this decision and Ricoh’s overall customer engagement strategy.
Published June 11, 2013
Duncan Newton, Managing Director of Global Bookbindery, talks to Cary Sherburne about digital book binding at high speeds and high volumes.
Published June 10, 2013
David Reny, EVP of Standard Finishing, talks to Cary Sherburne about managing the quality of data in print workflows. David talks about both print quality data and printed piece content data.
Published June 6, 2013
Ricoh Europe GM Benoit Chatelard talks to Cary Sherburne about the many announcements made at the recent Hunkeler Innovations Days.
Published June 5, 2013
Juan Pablo Méndez, Director General de Mayaprin, habla con Cary Sherburne acerca de sus negocios en Guatemala y entrar en la impresión digital de HP Indigo.
Published June 4, 2013
Martijn Groot, CEO and Co-Founder of Peecho, talks to Cary Sherburne about their business and explains what a "print button for the Internet" is.
Published June 3, 2013
Eric Hodel, Director of Sales for Hunkeler, gives his impressions of this years Hunkeler Innovation Days and what makes this event special.
Published May 31, 2013
George Promis, VP of Continuous Forms Solutions at Ricoh, talks to Cary Sherburne about the evolution of digital form printing.
Published May 24, 2013
Andy Fetherman, Director of Digital Solutions for Muller Martini, talks to Cary Sherburne about the trends today in finishing and the impact of digital and inkjet.
Published May 23, 2013
Andre Brazeu, Senior VP & GM of Ricoh Americas, talks to Cary Sherburne about trends in the inkjet market and the acceptance of the technology.
Published May 20, 2013
Bill Graushar, Vice President of Post Press Technologies at QuadGraphics, gives us an update on what's happening with the company. They also discuss what's new in the post-press arena.
Published May 16, 2013
Buddy Mountcastle, Senior Marketing Executive for Canon Solutions America, talks to Cary Sherburne about the USPS and the challenges presented to the mailing segment of the industry.
Editor's Note: The USPS originally announced plans to discontinue Saturday delivery but recently reversed course and announced they would not at this time.
Published May 9, 2013
Jim Harvey, Executive Director of CIP4, gives Cary Sherburne the latest inside scoop on jdf development.
Published May 6, 2013
Rido Simen, Business Operations Manager at GraphTech, talks to Cary Sherburne about their focus on monochrome inkjet printing with a small footprint.
Published May 3, 2013
German Sacristan is ROMI (Return on Marketing Investment) Developer for Kodak and the author of The Digital and Direct Marketing Goose: 16 Tips and Real-life Examples That Will Help You Lay More Golden Eggs. His work is focused on helping marketers gain increased ROI through the use of data and effective marketing techniques. We spoke to him recently to learn more.
Published April 26, 2013
Bill Casella, Production Manager at Winchester Printers, talks to Cary Sherburne about managing the workflow of several different output devices in their shop.
Published April 25, 2013
Senior Marketing Executive Buddy Mountcastle and Cary Sherburne discuss current book printing trends and how Canon is helping its customers as run lengths shrink down to as small as a Book-Of-One while the market continues to increase.
Published April 24, 2013
Last month, Blurb announced a global partnership with Samsung for auto-creating photo books and magazines on the company’s new GALAXY S 4 smartphone, available today from T-Mobile and later this week from other carriers. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Blurb SVP Bruce Watermann who shared details about the app and his thoughts about mobile and print in general.
Published April 22, 2013
Cary Sherburne talks to Harold Weimer, President of Heidelberg Americas, about the changing North American strategy for the company and the differences in the European and North American markets.
Published April 19, 2013
Cary Sherburne interviews HP Vice President Aurelio Maruggi about the different applications in high speed inkjet including book printing, magazine printing, and other areas.
Published April 18, 2013
WhatTheyThink was saddened to learn of the passing of innovator and entrepreneur Efi Arazi on Sunday. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with EFI CEO Guy Gecht and Landa Nanographics CEO Benny Landa who share their thoughts about Arazi’s contributions to the industry and the world, and she invites our readers to chime in with their own remembrances and thoughts about this great man.
Published April 18, 2013
VP of Marketing Francis McMahon talks to Cary Sherburne about the new Canon Solutions America and it's three divisions and how Oce and Canon have combined to make up the new Canon organization.
Published April 16, 2013
Dieter Schilling, President and CEO of Delphax, talks to Cary Sherburne about the elan 500 first introduced at drupa last year.
Published April 16, 2013
At Graph Expo, we reported on some interesting software additions to the Konica Minolta family of products. WhatTheyThink’s Senior Editor Cary Sherburne followed up with Gavin Jordan-Smith, Vice President for Solutions and Production Planning, to see what else is new at the company.
Published April 12, 2013
Following the acquisition of GMC Software Technology by Neopost last summer, long-time Chairman and CEO Dr. René Müller has ceded the CEO position to Henri Dura, retaining the position of President of the Board for the time being. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Dura to learn more about his background, the status of the integration process post-acquisition, and his strategic view of the future.
Published April 11, 2013
In October of 2012, Presstek announced the completion of its sale to American Industrial Partners Capital Fund, taking the company private. WhatTheyThink has learned that the company is in the process of undergoing a significant restructuring. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with David Savage, Presstek’s new CEO, to get the details.
Published April 9, 2013
Gary Marron, Sales and Marketing Manager at HP Hiflex, talks to Cary Sherburne about what it's like being a part of HP and how the Hiflex products fit with the rest of the HP line up.
Published April 9, 2013
Senior Editor has been having ongoing conversations with Adobe’s Lynly Schambers-Lenox, Group Product Marketing Manager, Digital Publishing, about the impact adoption of digital publishing is having on magazinepublishers, especially for users of Adobe’s Digital Publishing Suite. In this article, Schambers-Lenox shares new data that is beginning to show real results in revenue, advertising and subscribership for publishers.
Published April 8, 2013
Last month, WhatTheyThink’s Senior Editor Cary Sherburne joined a group of journalists, industry analysts and customers for a visit to Canon’s Poing Customer Experience Center located on the outskirts of Munich, Germany.
Published April 5, 2013
Cary Sherburne interviews Jeroen van Druenen, Director at Jubels and Vice President of the XMPie Users Group. He talks about how XMPie has helped his company to transform themselves and remain competitive in a challenging economy.
Published April 2, 2013
Marco Perlman, Founder and CEO of Digipix speaks with Cary Sherburne about why he travels so far from home in Brazil to attend Dscoop.
Published April 1, 2013
Jonathan McGrew talks to Cary Sherburne about his mother, industry social media legend and print evangelist Pat McGrew who seems to be EVERYWHERE on Foursquare - sometimes even at the same time!
Published April 1, 2013
Marco Boer of IT Strategies talks to Cary Sherburne about his struggles finding the right kind of shampoo at hotels across the world for his unique hairdo. Marco introduces us to the exciting new world of nanoshampoo.
Published March 25, 2013
Peter Schaefer, Partner at New Direction Partners, talks to Cary Sherburne about what he's seeing in M&A trends in the industry.
Published March 21, 2013
In a move that is likely to cause a few ripples, Eric Hawkinson, who has been Executive Director of Dscoop, HP Indigo’s user group, will be departing to join Canon Solutions America, working for VP of Marketing Francis McMahon as Director of Marketing. Cary Sherburne speaks with several of the principals about this surprising move.
Published March 21, 2013
Francis McMahon, VP of Marketing for Canon Solutions America, talks to Cary Sherburne about bringing Eric Hawkinson in as Director of Marketing in Production Printing.
See Also: Dscoop Executive Director Eric Hawkinson to Depart by Cary Sherburne
Published March 18, 2013
Following Tom Vacchiano’s departure as President of X-Rite Pantone, WhatTheyThink’s Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with his successor, long-time Danaher veteran Ron Voigt, in this exclusive interview to learn more about Danaher business strategies and the future prospects of X-Rite Pantone under the Danaher banner.
Published March 12, 2013
David Murphy, Director of Marketing at HP, talks to Cary Sherburne about the importance of educating their customers on how to enter the creative process and do more selling upstream.
Published March 11, 2013
With pieces of Kodak being lopped off as it works to emerge from bankruptcy proceedings, some are taking root as new businesses. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne interviewed one of the founders of Three Leaf Insights, born out of the ashes of Kodak’s MarketMover Managed Campaign Services, as well as a print service provider and an end customer, to offer a view of how these services are likely to evolve after being shed by Kodak.
Published March 8, 2013
Bryan Rose, VP & GM of Cooley Commercial Graphics talks to Richard Romano about their sustainable chemistry corporate philosophy.
Published March 5, 2013
Dscoop Executive Director Eric Hawkinson talks to Cary Sherburne about the growth of both the Dscoop membership and conference attendance and plans for the organization moving forward.
Published February 26, 2013
WhatTheyThink has become aware of a number of major changes at Mimeo.com over the last few months. With the recent decision by CEO Adam Slutsky to step down, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talked with Co-Founder and new CEO John Delbridge to get the inside scoop.
Published February 25, 2013
Dscoop, the Digital Solutions Cooperative, just held its 8th annual conference. The group, comprised primarily of HP Indigo and HP Scitex users in the graphic arts industry, has continued to add member value since its inception. At Dscoop8, which concluded last week in Nashville, Tennessee, Dscoop raised the bar once again with new member value.
Published February 22, 2013
How does a printing company with more than a century of history and success step out of the box and reinvent itself for another century of success? Hire the right people! WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke to industry veteran Tom Clifford to find out how he and his team have made a difference at HCMiller.
Published February 19, 2013
A recent press release from Tukaiz, an early adopter in color digital printing, caught the eye of Senior Editor Cary Sherburne. This interview with Frank Defino, Sr. and Frank Defino Jr. provides more “color” to the story!
Published February 14, 2013
WhatTheyThink's Cary Sherburne gives a wrap up from Hunkeler Innovation Days and talks about the evolution of the market and how the event has evolved to respond.
Published February 14, 2013
As the digital transformation of the packaging industry continues to present new challenges and opportunities for both brand owners and converters, WhatTheyThink Senior Editor checked in with Aviv Ratzman, CEO of Highcon, to see what progress the company has made relative to Euclid, its market entry for laser die cutting and creasing. Read more.
Published February 13, 2013
Franz Hunkeler, Chairman of Hunkeler AG, talks to Cary Sherburne from Innovation Days and shares his thoughts on things that stood out about this particular event.
Published February 12, 2013
Johan Laurent of Standard Finishing talks about what's caught his eye at Hunkeler Innovation Days. Johan highlights the importance of increasing system up-time and productivity, two of the big themes at the show.
Published February 11, 2013
Stefan Hunkeler, CEO of Hunkeler AG, gives Cary Sherburne some highlights from Innovations Days 2013 in Lucerne Switzerland.
Published February 8, 2013
Hamilton Costa is with Cary Sherburne and gives us an update on what is happening in the Latin American printing market.
Published February 4, 2013
Brenda Kai, Executive Director of EDSF, talks to Cary Sherburne about the mission of the organization and it's expanding role in the industry.
Published February 1, 2013
There has been lots of press about the struggles of traditional publishers in making the transition to a more digitally-enabled business model, but less attention has been paid to the impact of digital on catalogs and other retail-oriented pieces that typically have been produced in print. Printers take note: There is significant change coming your way if you are in the business of producing print for retail.
Published February 1, 2013
During EFI’s recent 2013 Connect user conference in Las Vegas, CEO Guy Gecht took time out to talk to Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, followed by a discussion after EFI released its financial results on January 24th.
Published January 29, 2013
As the publishing market continues to seek ways to innovate and to take advantage of the opportunities extent in digital publications, Adobe continues to support their efforts with ongoing enhancements to its Digital Publishing Suite and a growing number of publications on board with the solution. And the executive editor of Fast Company magazine shares his thoughts on the digital transformation.
Published January 25, 2013
Roger Gimbel of Gimbel & Associates talks to Cary Sherburne about what Xerox Premier Partners is and how it is helping printers be successful in a difficult industry environment.
Published January 24, 2013
Jason Dizzine, Director of Marketing at Ricoh, talks to Cary Sherburne about how they are leveraging internal quality control programs to help their customers.
Published January 22, 2013
For the last several conferences, a highlight at EFI Connect has been the fireside chat between CEO Guy Gecht and an industry luminary. This year’s “luminary” was Benny Landa, and the fireside chat was a highlight of the event. Read more EFI Connect highlights.
Published January 17, 2013
Annette McCrary, Director of Production Field Marketing at Ricoh, talks to Cary Sherburne about their new program called Digital Literacy Through Media.
Published January 15, 2013
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently had the opportunity to visit Allegra Network’s Marketing Resource Center, established more than two years ago to provide support to Allegra Network’s franchisees as they expand horizons into new business opportunities.
Published January 15, 2013
Ultimate Technographics President & CEO Joanne David talks with Cary Sherburne about the how imposition and automation integrates with the finishing side of the printing process.
Published January 11, 2013
HP recently had a unpublicized change in management in its Graphic Arts business with the retirement of SVP Chris Morgan. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Stephen Nigro, who has rejoined the group as Global Business Leader for Graphics Solutions and Inkjet.
Published January 10, 2013
Eric Staples, Senior Product Manager at Ricoh, speaks with Cary Sherburne about "Clickable Paper".
Published January 8, 2013
Leslie Rutledge, Director of Operations at Clearstory, talks to Cary Sherburne about the business of digital book printing and moving from the academic world to the private sector.
Published January 7, 2013
The 2006 merger of NAPL and NAQP has seen its share of naysayers and bumps in the road, but is a new industry association the answer? Find out why some former NAQP members think so.
Published December 14, 2012
Eyal Harpak, Deputy General Manager at Graphica Bezalel in Israel, talks to Cary Sherburne about their business and the trends in packaging printing as well as their use of Highcon.
Published December 14, 2012
Enfocus VP Fabian Prudhomme talks to Cary Sherburne about their Switch solution and gives examples of workflow tasks that can be automated using the tool.
Published December 13, 2012
Kevin Karstedt, CEO of Karstedt Partners, talks to Cary Sherburne about the digital transition in the packaging segment.
Published December 12, 2012
HP recently announced that Hamburg, Germany, based RAKO Etiketten acquired five new HP Indigo WS6600 digital presses. This large investment caught the attention of Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, who spoke to RAKO about its investment, production platform and strategy moving forward.
Published December 11, 2012
Tom Vacchiano, President & CEO of X-Rite Pantone, talks to Cary Sherburne about about the two companies coming together and the synergies born from that combination as well as the potential for the future. They also discuss the possibility of a Danaher acquisition of the company.
Published December 10, 2012
Chris Payne, VP of Marketing at Kodak, talks to Cary Sherburne about their new slogan "Yellow Changes Everything", how they chose it and the larger meaning for Kodak and the industry.
Published December 10, 2012
Eddie Kopaczynski, Graphics Manager at Graphic Packaging International, talks to Cary Sherburne about Kodak's user group Graphic Users Association.
Published December 7, 2012
HP's Environmental Leadership Program Manager Stephen Goddard is with Cary Sherburne discussing sustainability and where things stand in the industry from his broad perspective.
Published December 6, 2012
Anita Stanley, Manager of Printing Services at Ohio Northern University, talks to Cary Sherburne about transitioning to digital color utilizing MGI's DP60.
Published December 6, 2012
Carsten Knudsen, President & CEO of Esko is with Cary Sherburne discussing the movement in the packaging sector from analog to digital technologies.
Published December 4, 2012
Julie Watson, VP of Marketing Strategy at Ultimate Technographics, talks to Cary Sherburne about dynamic imposition and what their customers say about the benefits to them.
Published December 4, 2012
Mark Levenson, Manager of US Manufacturing at Sage, talks to Cary Sherburne about the mix of digital versus offset in their print buys and what is important to him as a buyer of print.
Published December 4, 2012
Zumbox, a digital postal mail service, recently announced that Chuck Teller, formerly of CatalogChoice.org and TrustedID, has joined the company with the objective of identifying new industries that can be served by digital postal mail and broadening the range of mail (documents) recipients can migrate to digital-only. Here's what he had to say to Senior Editor Cary Sherburne.
Published December 3, 2012
Jon Drennan, Operations Director at Chesapeake, talks to Cary Sherburne about how Pantone Live has affected brand owners and the reasons they've converted 7 of their 10 largest customers to the platform. 11/1/12: Jon Drennan of Chesapeake gives an update on Pantone Live
Published November 30, 2012
Vicki Blake, Director of Business Development and Marketing at CGS, talks to Cary Sherburne about the Oris product line and the implications for the packaging segment.
Published November 30, 2012
WhatTheyThink's Senior Editor Cary Sherburne had the opportunity to visit Boston-based King Printing Co., Inc. recently and found an amazingly efficient manufacturing operation with a great family story behind it.
Published November 30, 2012
Hunkeler Innovationdays has become a tradition in the digital printing world. The organizers promise an even more exciting event in 2013, with visitors able to see live demonstrations of an impressive line-up of end-to-end multivendor digital solutions. The WhatTheyThink video team will be there to capture the action. Read more.
Published November 29, 2012
Blurb SVP of Print Operations Bruce Waterman talks to Cary Sherburne about the relationship between printed books and e-books and trends he's seeing in this area.
Published November 29, 2012
Jim Chadwick of Wild Apple in Vermont talks to Cary Sherburne about their business of reproducing artwork and the importance of color management and control.
Published November 28, 2012
Dr. Francis Lamy, EVP and Chief Technology Officer at X-Rite Pantone talks with Cary Sherburne about the consolidation efforts between the two companies since the acquisition.
Published November 27, 2012
Jacki Hudmon, SVP of Sales & Marketing at Komori, talks to Cary Sherburne and gives an update on things that came out of drupa including establishing a presence in the digital market and partnering with Konica Minolta and Landa.
Published November 27, 2012
Eddie Kopaczynski, Graphics Manager at Graphic Packaging, talks to Cary Sherburne about the adoption of digital methods in the packaging printing market.
Published November 26, 2012
Giovanni Marra, Director of Corporate Marketing at Pantone talks with Cary Sherburne about the status of integrating X-Rite and Pantone together and on being acquired by Danaher.
Published November 26, 2012
Standard Finishing President Steve Reny speaks with Cary Sherburne about their long standing partnership with Hunkeler and about how North American printers can benefit from Hunkeler Innovation Days in Luzerne Switzerland.
Published November 16, 2012
Bruce Watermann, Senior Vice President of Operations for Blurb, talks to Cary Sherburne about the company, their photo-book business, as well as their self-publishing business.
Published November 15, 2012
Jacki Hudmom, SVP of Sales at Komori, talks with Cary Sherburne about the challenges of a changing print market and how Komori is responding with solution selling and product innovation.
Published November 15, 2012
Dr. Vlad Sljapic, Sales Director at Domino, speaks with Cary Sherburne about what he's seeing in terms of trends in the analog to digital transformation relative to the label market.
Published November 13, 2012
Published November 13, 2012
Joanne David, President and CEO of Ultimate Technographics talks with Cary Sherburne about imposition software, it's history and advancements, as well as ganging for smaller jobs.
Published November 12, 2012
Whit Everett, President of Everett Graphics talks to Cary Sherburne about the trends in the folding carton printing market. They discuss run-length trends, copy obsolescence, just-in-time demands, and finishing.
Published November 12, 2012
Santi Morera of HP discusses some of the trends he is seeing in the wide and grand format printing; including roll and flatbed.
Published November 8, 2012
Stefan Hunkeler, CEO of Hunkeler AG speaks with Cary Sherburne about the Hunkeler Innovation Days event, giving a preview of the next event February 11-15 in Luzerne Switzerland.
Published November 8, 2012
HP Graphic Arts Director of Marketing David Murphy talks to Cary Sherburne about upcoming DSCOOP meetings and the growth of the organization and events.
Published November 6, 2012
Bruno Mortara, Technical Director at ABTG talks to Cary Sherburne about the organization and the work they've done with standards for the Brazilian printing industry.
Published November 5, 2012
Like many of our readers, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne is increasingly depending on a tablet computer for a growing array of activities. In this article, she talks about the business opportunities these devices offer for printers, and the tools provided by Adobe that make it easy to do.
Published November 5, 2012
Pantone Director of Corporate Marketing Giovanni Marra speaks with Cary Sherburne about the new Capsure device, new colors added to the Pantone palette, and new lighting indicator pages.
Published November 2, 2012
Nigel Street, Regional Business manager for Unified Workflow Europe/Africa/Middle East at Kodak talks with Cary Sherburne about the Graphic User Association and their meeting at drupa 2012.
Published November 2, 2012
Vicki Blake, Director of Business Development at CGS talks to Cary Sherburne about packaging and how processes are moving into the digital realm.
Published November 1, 2012
Presstek Group Product Director for Digital Imaging Mark Sullivan talks to Cary Sherburne about the recently announced Virtuoso press tool for quality management and what sets it apart from other simliar tools.
Published November 1, 2012
Chesapeake Operations Director Jon Drennan gives Cary Sherburne an update on Pantone Live and their progress since the launch in March and the progress since.
Published October 30, 2012
Co-Founder of MetaPaper Axel Scheufelen talks about the company and the services they provide as well as the partnership with Mohawk.
Published October 30, 2012
HP GM of Production Inkjet Aurelio Maruggi speaks with Cary Sherburne about the current state of inkjet as well as future trends and HP's developments in the segment.
Published October 29, 2012
Charlie Corr, Chief Strategist at Mimeo, talks to Cary Sherburne about all the industry chatter about B2 and gives his overall thoughts on industry format sizes.
Published October 29, 2012
Thanks to Ben Miyares of the Packaging Management Institute for bringing this absolutely unique Absolut Vodka packaging story to our attention. Four million bottles, each different. How did they do it? Read more.
Published October 26, 2012
NPES has commissioned The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) to produce an updated worldwide print forecast. WhatTheyThink's Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Ken Lane, Business Development Manager, Americas, Economist Intelligence Unit, an Economist Group Business, along with representatives from NPES, to learn more about what to expect from the forecast.
Published October 26, 2012
VP of Technology for dmh Marketing Partners Randy Seberg speaks with Cary Sherburne about the business and the changing nature of working with non-profits as digital forms of communication are added to print.
Published October 26, 2012
Axel Thien, President of Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions for Presstek talks with Cary Sherburne about the geographic fit of the DI presses for his customers, PearlDry Blue plates, and waterless printing.
Published October 25, 2012
Messe Düsseldorf created a bit of a stir when it announced it was considering moving to a 3-year show cycle starting in 2015. WhatTheyThink's Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reached out to a few drupa stakeholders to get their opinions.
Published October 25, 2012
MGI Marketing Communications Manager Giselle de la Moriniere talks to Cary Sherburne about winning a Graph Expo Must See 'Em Award for the JetVarnish 3D Spot UV coater.
Published October 25, 2012
X-Rite VP of Services Yves Giraud talks about the combined service offerings of X-Rite and Pantone with WhatTheyThink's Cary Sherburne.
Published October 24, 2012
With drupa and Graph Expo under our respective belts, Ipex is looming on the horizon scheduled for London, March 26th through April 2nd. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Trevor Crawford, Director of the Print + Media Group for Informa Exhibitions during his recent visit to Chicago.
Published October 23, 2012
Florian Sussl of Zipcon Consultants talks with Cary Sherburne about the new X-Rite i1Pro 2 and what has changed that will help them do their job better.
Published October 22, 2012
President & Owner of Alphagraphics in Seattle Chuck Stempler talks to Cary Sherburne about a new business he started to do "search engine marketing".
Published October 19, 2012
Presstek VP of Sales Joe Demharter discusses the demands of print service providers and the evolving technology of digital printing.
Published October 19, 2012
During Graph Expo, I had the pleasure of meeting with Benny Landa to learn more about the progress of Landa Nanographic Printing since it took many of the headlines at drupa 2012. We also discussed other initiatives Mr. Landa has underway in Landa Labs, which has the tagline "Big Things from Small Particles."
Published October 18, 2012
Cary Sherburne talks to President of Ariva Mark Ushpol about the newly branded company and their recent partnership with MGX. Be sure to catch Cary's interview with MGX President & CEO Doug Watson
Published October 18, 2012
Doug Watson, President & CEO of MGX talks to Cary Sherburne about the company and their recent distribution partnership with Ariva. Be sure to watch Cary's interview with Ariva President Mark Ushpol.
Published October 16, 2012
Martin Bailey, CTO of Global Graphics Software, speaks with Cary Sherburne about speed improvements to Harlequin RIP and getting external validation by InfoTrends. For more information contact [email protected]
Published October 16, 2012
Graph Expo 2012 was quite a different show than previous years, for a lot of reasons that our Senior Editor, Cary Sherburne, discusses in this article.
Published October 15, 2012
Patrice Aurenty, Business Leader at Sun Chemical, talks to Cary Sherburne about Sun's involvement in PantoneLIVE and their interest in ensuring consistent color for their customers.
Published October 12, 2012
Graphic Arts Show Company President Ralph Nappi speaks with Cary Sherburne about his impressions of Graph Expo 2012 and talks about what this year's show means for the industry and for Graph Expo going forward. Ralph also gives us his outlook on Print 2013.
Published October 11, 2012
Judi Hansen of J.S. McCarthy shares some of the benefits that J.S. McCarthy has received as a result of implementing their MIS System.
Published October 9, 2012
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks about press conferences at Graph Expo 2012 and vendors involving their customers and doing things differently.
Published October 9, 2012
HP's General Manager of Specialty Printing Systems Kathy Tobin talks to Cary Sherburne about the specialty printing systems segment and what she sees for the future of specialty printing modules on offset equipment.
Published October 8, 2012
Brian Baarman, Executive VP of Finance & Administration at Holland Litho gives some back ground on the company and talks about their process automation efforts.
Published October 5, 2012
Senior VP of Sales for Komori talks to Cary Sherburne about their multi-tiered digital strategy starting with a relationship with Konica Minolta shown at drupa. The next step features the first two digital inkjet presses manufactured by Komori.
Published October 5, 2012
bopi Director of Operations Jeff Mercier speaks with Cary Sherburne about the history of the company and the addition of marketing services to their offerings. They also talk about the importance of MIS systems and bopi's deep use of it in their business.
Published October 4, 2012
Mandy Baker, Director of Customer Solutions & Automation at WorkflowOne talks to Cary Sherburne about the analog to digital transformation in the industry and what she sees from her perspective.
Published October 3, 2012
Cary Sherburne speaks with Marty McQuiston, Senior Project Manager at Schmidt Printing in Minnesota and learns a bit about the company and their specialty in versioning. We get an insight into their digital technologies and what a project manager does.
Published October 2, 2012
Komori Product Manager Doug Schardt speaks with Cary Sherburne at Komori America headquarters about what printers should consider when thinking about acquiring news presses and talks about what's new from Komori.
Published October 1, 2012
Cary talks with Whit Everett, President of Everett Graphics about their business and working with KBA on some new applications in the packaging segment that require heavier substrate printing.
Published September 28, 2012
Tim Arnold, Vice President of Arnold Printing, talks about how their more than 100 year old printing business in Cincinnati has evolved and changed over the years and today embraced digital technologies.
Published September 28, 2012
Cary Sherburne interviews Komori President & COO Kosh Miyao at their Headquarters in Chicago, who talks about the founding of Komori in Japan in 1923 and their strengths as a company both financial and strategic.
Published September 27, 2012
Marco Boer of IT Strategies discusses some of the Innovation in the inkjet industry.
Published September 25, 2012
Cary Sherburne speaks with John Wynne, CEO of Labels Unlimited about his company and the impact he's seen in digital technology on the larger labels and packaging industry.
Published September 25, 2012
VP of Sales at Presstek Joe Demharter talks about getting into the packaging market and the opportunities it presents for the company.
Published September 24, 2012
Heidelberg recently hosted a customer event at its North American Print & Packaging Technology Center in Atlanta for nearly 100 printing professionals and WhatTheyThink's Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was there. We spent an extra day with Heidelberg executives and product managers to gain more insight into what we saw at the event and at drupa as well as to discuss future strategies for Heidelberg in North America. Read more.
Published September 24, 2012
President, Chairman, and CEO of Komori Yoshiharu Komori talks with Cary Sherburne about their new strategies relative to a hybrid offset/digital manufacturing workflow.
Published September 21, 2012
ColorNet Printing & Graphics Owner Max Wepasnik talks to Cary Sherburne about his business and the lessons learned moving from offset to digital.
Published September 18, 2012
Cary Sherburne speaks with Armando Zagalo de Lima, President of Xerox's Technology Business, about their technology business and gives some hints on what to expect from Xerox in the next few years.
Published September 17, 2012
Cary Sherburne talks to GASC & NPES President Ralph Nappi about the upcoming Graph Expo show and highlights what things seen at drupa will also be at Graph and what news things will be seen as well. Ralph also speaks about next year's Print 2013 show.
Published September 14, 2012
Kent Larson, VP of Bridgeport National Bindery, talks to Cary Sherburne about transitioning their business from a bindery to full book printing services and the changes he's seeing in the industry.
Published September 13, 2012
Clear Story CEO Debara Medina on How Path to Photobooks
Published September 11, 2012
Cary Sherburne interviews Leslie Gurland, President of Logotech, about operating a hybrid labels and packing shop and the advantages digital has to offer.
Published September 10, 2012
Cary talks to Stan Freimuth, Chairman President & CEO of Presstek, about his new position within the company and gets his insight into the future direction of the company.
Published September 7, 2012
Craigh Hath, "Port Master" of Zuza, talks to Cary Sherburne about the path they took in creating a new brand and logo for their two companies that were combined into one.
Published September 4, 2012
Michael Wilks, Product Manager of Bunting Magnetic Company talks to Cary Sherburne about his company and the increasing partnering they are doing with digital press manufacturers
Published August 31, 2012
Jay Dollries, President of Innovative Labeling Solutions talks to Cary Sherburne about their business and how digital technology is changing the labels and packaging industry.
Published August 30, 2012
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne recently had the opportunity to visit two X-Rite and PANTONE locations, in Grand Rapids MI and Tewksbury MA, respectively, including hands-on with X-Rite instrumentation, a tour of the manufacturing floor, discussions with software engineers, and time with the company’s CEO Tom Vacchiano.
Published August 30, 2012
Warren Werbitt, Founder and Fisherman at Pazazz Printing in Montreal, talks to Cary Sherburne about being the first to purchase and use the new X-Rite eXact color management system.
Published August 28, 2012
Cary Sherburne speaks to Agfa VP of Global Marketing and Strategy Tim Van den Bossche about his impressions of drupa 2012 and confirms that offset is still quite alive in this digital printing age.
Published August 24, 2012
Cary Sherburne talks to GlobalSoft Digital Solutions President & CEO Chris Petro and gets an update on their business and how being digital differentiates them in the global marketplace.
Published August 23, 2012
Warren Werbitt, Founder of Pazazz Printing - famous for his YouTube video Printing's Alive! - talks with Cary Sherburne about the business and thoughts on recent industry developments at drupa 2012.
Published August 20, 2012
Ricoh VP of Marketing Sandra Zoratti speaks with Cary Sherburne about their recent Clickable Paper announcement.
Published August 17, 2012
John Foley, CEO of InterlinkONE & Grow Socially talks to Cary Sherburne about writing two business books and the impact they've had on his personal reputation and his businesses.
Published August 16, 2012
Cary Sherburne again talks to Axel Robert, Prepress, Print Studio, and Graphic Chain Quality Manager at Ubisoft about how they've used Enfocus products to automate their prepress process.
Published August 14, 2012
Zipcon Consultants' Florian Sussel speaks with Cary Sherburne about the company and the tools they use to get consistent color at various stages of the printing process.
Published August 7, 2012
X-Rite Pantone SVP of Sales & Marketing Vic Stalam talks to Cary Sherburne about their experience at drupa 2012 and reviews their major announcements and plans going forward.
Published August 6, 2012
Axel Robert with Ubisoft talks about the company and the need to automate their prepress operation. Ubisoft, a maker of many video game titles such as the popular Assassin's Creed, has a distributed manufacturing and printing operation and the need for automation and consistency is critical.
Published August 6, 2012
Cary Sherburne speaks with Founder Electronics President Larry Yang Bin about the company, their prepress beginnings and current offering in digital inkjet through the EagleJet brand.
Published August 3, 2012
John Torrey, President & CEO of Ferrostaal talks with Cary Sherburne about partnering with Kodak to offer the first fully integrated hybrid sheetfed/digital press with the 750 Series with Kodak PROSPER S5 Imprinting System.
Published August 3, 2012
Digital postal mail system provider Zumbox recently announced that it had secured $10 million in Series C capital, bringing total capital raised to $28 million. What’s driving the interest on the part of investors? Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Zumbox to learn more.
Published August 2, 2012
Cary Sherburne speaks with Joe O'Connor, Mohawk's Senior VP of International Sales on the history of the company and how they've transformed a four generation company in the modern digital age.
Published July 31, 2012
Cary Sherburne talks to Forrest Leigton, Director of Product Marketing at Canon about their acquisition of Océ and the results of combined R&D efforts.
Published July 30, 2012
Published July 27, 2012
Cary speaks with Chris Payne of Kodak and Jeff Ward of Timsons about the business of book manufacturing and explore their partnership which allows them to provide customers with a new generation of inkjet based book manufacturing.
Published July 26, 2012
Cary Sherburne speaks with John Sillies of GSS and Chris Payne of Kodak on their partnership going back 15 years and the new business opportunities it opens up for hybrid print environments.
Published July 24, 2012
Published July 23, 2012
Kodak President and COO Phil Faraci talks to Cary Sherburne at drupa 2012 about their many announcements at the show, most becoming available within the year. Phil also speaks about the "hybrid" nature of this drupa.
Published July 20, 2012
Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was recently the keynote speaker at ABIGRAF’s GEDIGI digital printing conference in São Paulo, Brazil, and spent time with Rodrigo Abreu, the holder of the International Master License for AlphaGraphics in Brazil. Read what Rodrigo has to say about printing in Brazil and some of the innovative actions he is taking to grow the business.
Published July 20, 2012
Cary Sherburne speaks with Ferrostaal President & CEO John Torrey about their company and their partnership with Ryobi as well as some specific product announcements made at drupa 2012.
Published July 19, 2012
Digital Color Graphics VP & COO Jim Rosenthal talks to Cary Sherburne about how they've transformed their business and adjusted to the market realities using EFI technologies.
Published July 17, 2012
Mike Ring, VP of Marketing at Xeikon talks with Cary Sherburne at drupa 2012 about their liquid toner Trillium product announcement at the show.
Published July 16, 2012
Cary Sherburne talks to KBA North America CEO Mark Hischar about their products that support packaging and also discuss their mix of presses going into packaging versus commercial printing.
Published July 13, 2012
WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Dennis Amorosano, Sr. Director, Solutions Marketing & Business Support at Canon USA, to learn what Canon is doing in the Cloud/Mobility space in a wide-ranging discussion from the office and production into the Cloud.
Published July 13, 2012
Cary Sherburne talks to Canon's Director of Product Marketing Forrest Leighton about the B2 digital sheetfed market and learns how he sees Canon in the marketplace.
Published July 12, 2012
Cary Sherburne talks to President and Owner of Alphagraphics in Seattle Chuck Stempler about Migrating from EFI PrintSmith to Pace.
Published July 10, 2012
Published June 29, 2012
Doug Albregts has been President of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) since November 2012. He talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about why he chose Sharp and the company’s prospects.
Published June 29, 2012
Cary Sherburne talks to KBA North America CEO Mark Hischar about their recent technology demonstrations at drupa related to inkjet and discuss the future implications for this new technology on the company.
Published June 28, 2012
Tony Heinl, President of Repacorp takes time out from EFI Connect to talk to Cary Sherburne about how their company transitioned from analog to digital using Jetrion.
Published June 26, 2012
HP surprised the printing industry when the news came out last week that the company had decided not to exhibit at Ipex 2014, which is moving from its long-time location in Birmingham to new digs in London. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with HP’s Sumeer Chandra to get a better understanding of what was behind this decision, and also includes an official statement from IPEX.
Published June 22, 2012
We’ve heard the vendor reports about drupa successes and seen the press releases rolling out. But there is nothing better than speaking directly to buyers. Think Patented bought big at drupa and Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Chairman and Managing Partner Niels Winther and CEO and Managing Partner, Ken McNerney to find out more.
Published June 21, 2012
Judy Hansen, Director of IT at JS McCarthy discusses using EFI solutions and shares how they use the tools and the impact they've had on their internal workflow and data collection. They've since added other tools and Judy discusses their impact as well.
Published June 20, 2012
Cary Sherburne interviews Leslie Gurland, President of Logotech who gives us an overview of her company including their current equipment set up. She also shares an interesting story about a winery customer and how digital printing made the project possible.
Published June 20, 2012
While drupa isn’t technically a packaging show, there were many packaging solutions on display and a great deal of interest in the segment on the part of visitors. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reviews a few of the new development she came across as she traversed the many halls in Messe Dusseldorf during her 12 days of drupa …
Published June 19, 2012
Xerox VP of Graphic Communications Gina Testa talks about their Premier Partner program, explaining the use of a portal for networking with peers. Gina also touches on their Profit Accelerator
Published June 14, 2012
Published June 13, 2012
Published June 12, 2012
Published June 7, 2012
DPI President Susan Moore takes time out of a busy Dscoop schedule to speak with Cary Sherburne about why she gives so freely of her time to the Dscoop event and community. They also discuss the event and feedback from attendees.
Published June 6, 2012
Bridgeport National Bindery Vice President Kent Larson talks with Cary Sherburne about their business and how they evolved from binding only to printing and binding. They discuss HP's impact on this transition and how the digital transformation of the industry is changing the nature of book printing.
Published June 1, 2012
Coming off of a press conference extravaganza at drupa, WhatTheyThink’s Senior Editor Cary Sherburne challenges Graph Expo exhibitors to change the press conference game. (And feature more customers in their booths!)
Published June 1, 2012
AN Consulting's Hamilton Costa speaks with Cary Sherburne and gives a Latin American perspective on drupa 2012 and discusses what he is hearing about the Latin American market and what printers there are taking away from drupa 2012.
Published May 31, 2012
Cary Sherburne speaks with Todd Kalagher of Finlay Printing at Dscoop 7 about the importance of attending the event and the launch of "Book of Possibilities" component of their Marketing to Win program.
Published May 30, 2012
With drupa behind us, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne takes a retrospective look at this landmark drupa and dubs it the “Hybrid drupa.” What does she mean by that? It’s more than print engines! Read on …
Published May 29, 2012
John Foley, CEO of InterlinkONE, talks to Cary Sherburne about his first experience with drupa. John came to Germany to see what other solutions were out there other than printing for service providers. John and Cary also get into the changing nature of communications and what drupa might look like in 20 years.
Published May 29, 2012
Cary Sherburne talks to Kevin Horey, Xerox VP of Production Product Marketing, about the many announcements they made at drupa. Biggest among them is the iGen 150. They also discuss a big finishing announcement made at the show as well as waterless inkjet.
Published May 25, 2012
Mark Levenson, Manager of US Manufacturing and Composition for Sage Publishing shares his views of drupa 2012. Mark offers a unique perspective from a print buyer's point of view and shares the most exciting thing he saw: nanography!
Published May 24, 2012
Susan Moore, President of DPI in Atlanta, GA talks with Cary Sherburne about transforming her business using E-commerce. Focusing on front-ends and workflows has enabled DPI to differentiate itself.
Published May 23, 2012
Clear Story is a young commercial printing outfit in San Diego that specializes in photobooks in the B2C market as well as other short-run commercial digital printing. CEO Debara Medina talks about the process of sourcing equipment for her business.
Published May 22, 2012
Since drupa members have written to get our thoughts on the which digital press is the best investment. Cary Sherburne has written up some recommendations. We share them here as a reference.
Published May 21, 2012
Published May 18, 2012
Back home from drupa 2012 and preparing to write some insightful articles about the show, the announcements and what it means for our industry over the next four years, so watch for those. Hint of what’s to come: for me, this was the Hybrid drupa. But first I wanted to offer some special recognition from a journalist’s perspective.
Published May 18, 2012
Cary Sherburne sits down with CEO of Clear Story Debara Medina and asks her about starting a new company with no equipment during the economic recession.
Published May 17, 2012
President & CEO of GlobalSoft Digital Solutions and Member of Dscoop Global Board of Directors Chris Petro shares with Cary Sherburne about the duties of Dscoop Global bringing the success of Dscoop to the worldwide community.
Published May 14, 2012
Published May 11, 2012
Cary Sherburne asks Mimeo's VP of Product Platforms Chuck Gehman what his impressions were during the opening days of drupa.
Published May 10, 2012
Dieter Schilling, President/CEO of Delphax unveils details of their new entry into color with Elan using Memjet technology.
Published May 9, 2012
Cary Sherburne and Alon Bar-Shany discuss the HP 10000 platform and overall Indigo strategy.
Published May 7, 2012
Cary Sherburne and Frank Romano discus their impressions at drupa.
Published May 1, 2012
As we rapidly approach drupa 2012, WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talked with Jeff Jacobson, president, Xerox Global Graphic Communications, to find out what Xerox is up to and what we can expect to see at drupa and beyond.
Published April 30, 2012
Following the mid-April announcement by Mohawk about its reinvention plans, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Thomas D. O’Connor, Jr., the company’s Chairman & CEO, to dig deeper.
Published April 30, 2012
Cary Sherburne interviews Dr. Rüdiger Schmidt, Managing Director at Bosch-Druck about the company's rich history and their modern conversion to digital printing.
Published April 27, 2012
There is no question that drupa 2012 will be an inkjet drupa, where inkjet technologies really begin to come into their own. But it will also be a “cloud computing” drupa. We have already seen a major announcement from Adobe, and many more companies are moving in that direction, including Xerox. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Xerox’s Deb Cantabene to find out more about the company’s cloud strategy.
Published April 25, 2012
Ariva's Sales Director Charlie Launsbach and Cary Sherburne discuss some more unique digital printing applications the company offers.
Published April 23, 2012
I was curious what customer reaction has been to the HP announcements delivered to the press in late March in Tel-Aviv, and who better to answer those questions that the general manager of the HP Indigo business, Alon Bar-Shany. I caught up with him while he was waiting at baggage claim in Mexico City. Bar-Shany has been on a global road show following the briefings held in Tel-Aviv and a very successful Dscoop event in Washington D.C.
Published April 23, 2012
This announcement is quite an interesting business model change for Adobe and could be a game-changer. The company was very clear that it is not abandoning its desktop licensing model for Creative Suite, but the ability for users to access the full range of Adobe publishing solutions, including Creative Suite 6 and Digital Publishing Single Edition, for as little as $50 a month (for a one-year commitment), will be a significant boon, especially for the growing force of freelance designers.
Published April 20, 2012
In this WhatTheyThink exclusive, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne tells the story of DX Imaging, a DuPont/Xerox joint venture founded in 1987, that might have changed printing history.
Published April 18, 2012
Cary Sherburne and Charlie Launsbach, Sales Director at Ariva, discuss some of the more unique applications their substrates can provide.
Published April 18, 2012
In this Part Two of her pre-drupa overview, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reviews some of the new digital presses visitors to drupa will be able to see. It is not, by any means, an exhaustive list … while this is being called the inkjet drupa redux, there are also very interesting announcements in the toner space as well.
Published April 13, 2012
Jim Hamilton, Group Director for Intotrends, and Cary Sherburne discuss the some of the trends they'll be looking for at the rapidly approaching drupa conference.
Published April 13, 2012
President of Ariva Mark Ushpol updates Cary Sherbrune on the company's rebranding and shares how paper media is more important than ever for hybrid printers.
Published April 12, 2012
WhatTheyThink spoke with X-Rite-Pantone Senior VP of Sales and Marketing Vic Stalam upon learning about this news. Stalam indicated that X-Rite Pantone will join Esko and VideoJet in the Product Identification subgroup of Danaher, making this business a $1.2 billion subgroup.
Published April 12, 2012
March was a pre-drupa whirlwind for many of us journalist/industry analyst types. No one can attend all of the events, but it seemed like I had more than my share. I will be breaking my report up into three parts … the first will focus on the softer side—color management, workflow, etc. Stay tuned for additional information on new digital presses, finishing and more. Companies covered here: Chili Publisher, Enfocus, Esko, HP, Kodak, Xeikon and X-Rite Pantone
Published April 11, 2012
WhatTheyThink had the opportunity to speak in-depth with Mike Bryant, Worldwide Practice Leader for Strategy and Marketing Analytics, and Jay Robinson, Senior Solutions Consultant, Utility Market, to gain more information about this new offering from Ricoh for this WhatTheyThink exclusive commentary.
Published April 11, 2012
I have been following Mohawk for a number years, dating back to its early engagement with Indigo in the 1990s and its work on developing digitally-optimized papers that worked with that press and others. It has been interesting to watch this fourth-generation family business evolve over those years. And now, under the leadership of Thomas D. O’Connor, Jr., Chairman and CEO, the company seems to be accelerating its rate of change.
Published April 10, 2012
Bill Barta President & CEO of Rider Dickerson updates Cary Sherburne on the business and state of their digital equipment.
Published April 9, 2012
Gary Peeling Managing Director Precision Printing Co Ltd. discusses the change to a digital print workflow and the growth the company has seen by that transformation.
Published April 5, 2012
In February, Delphax Technologies announced it would be bringing to market a digital color print system powered by Memjet at drupa 2012. Industry watchers have been waiting to get more details on this sheet-fed device and the news is finally out. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne gets the details from Delphax’ Dieter Schilling.
Published April 5, 2012
Operations Director for Chesapeake Pharmaceutical, Jon Drennan discusses with Cary Sherburne about their involvement with Pantone to launch PantoneLive as a print producer.
Published April 2, 2012
Cary Sherburne and Paul Bean, Managing Director of Sun Branding Solutions discuss the importance of color matching across a variety of substrates and digital media markets for big brand companies like Heinz Beanz.
Published March 30, 2012
Tim Flaman Vice President of Marketing for West Canadian speaks with Cary Sherburne about transitioning into an entity that melded together its businesses with the advancement into the digital era.
Published March 30, 2012
Cary Sherbrune chats with Hamilton Costa with AN Consulting from Brazil about his Latin American perspective on the "Mecca" of print conferences.
Published March 29, 2012
Cary Sherburne was recently at DSCOOP 7 in Washington D.C. and interviews Sappi's Director of Marketing Mark Hittie about the value in sponsoring a user's group like DSCOOP.
Published March 29, 2012
Cary Sherburne interviews Dennis Killion, Director of Marketing with xpedx about the platinum sponsor perspective on why DSCOOP is such a success.
Published March 26, 2012
Cary Sherburne interviews Dr. Sonia Megert, Vice President of Pantone's Digital Business Unit about the successful partnerships offered at the launch of PantoneLIVE.
Published March 22, 2012
Cary Sherburne interviews Vic Stalam, Senior VP at X-Rite about their initiatives into the packing market.
Published March 22, 2012
In this exclusive WhatTheyThink interview, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Roland Ortbach, just named as CEO of manroland web systems Inc. North America. Ortbach discusses the new organization, its relationship with the manroland sheetfed division and more.
Published March 20, 2012
Vic Stalam leverages his expertise as a long term technology customer of X-Rite and Pantone to unify the brands.
Published March 15, 2012
Allegra's Chairman Carl Gerhardt discusses how critical drupa is to the industry and how the Allegra Network benefits.
Published March 6, 2012
I had the opportunity to participate in an analyst briefing at Pantone in late February, and X-Rite President & CEO Tom Vacchiano took the time to speak with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne one-on-one with an update on X-Rite/Pantone strategy—where the company’s been and where it is going. Read more.
Published March 2, 2012
Pantone Senior Vice President Ron Potesky and Cary Sherburne confer about the newly announced PantoneLIVE
Published March 2, 2012
FedEx Office recently announced that it would be accelerating investment in grand format printing services in selected centralized production centers to supplement its service offerings. The same release also reported that Boeing had selected FedEx Office as its print service provider of choice. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talked to the company to learn more.
Published March 1, 2012
Tim Vellek, Vice President of the Production Printing Business Group at Ricoh Americas and Cary Sherburne address the biggest needs that arise during the dynamic and dramatic changes occurring today in the industry.
Published March 1, 2012
On February 2nd, Presstek announced the appointment of Stanley E. Freimuth as Chairman, President & CEO. Mr. Freimuth, who stepped into the role on February 13th, spent nearly 25 years with Fujifilm where he ultimately had responsibility for all Fujifilm U.S.A businesses. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Freimuth about his reasons for taking on the role and his expectations for the firm and the market.
Published February 28, 2012
Director of Marketing for AGFA Deborah Hutcheson and Cary Sherburne discuss preplanning for drupa and offers a key tip.
Published February 23, 2012
Cary Sherburne and Annette McCrary, Director of Production Marketing at Ricoh Americas Corporation discuss the reoccurring trending topic of printers adjusting to the current market state and how Ricoh is helping their customers make that adjustment,
Published February 22, 2012
The announcement that Jeff Jacobson, President & CEO of Presstek, was departing the company to take on a senior role at Xerox caught many industry watchers by surprise. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Jacobson to get the story behind the story.
Published February 17, 2012
Chief Strategist for Mimeo Charlie Corr and Cary Sherburne talk about bringing inkjet into the primarily toner company.
Published February 16, 2012
Cary Sherburne and VP of Marketing Mike Dane discuss Ricoh's view on the rebirth to paper in a multi-channel communication market.
Published February 14, 2012
Today, Epson launched its next generation, newly-branded 64” solvent printer – the SureColor S30670 is a four-color solvent printer (CMYK) using Epson UltraChrome GS2 ink. Read more.
Published February 10, 2012
Dscoop, the wildly successful HP digital printing users group, has added a new conference to its repertoire. Co-located with Dscoop7 being held in Washington D.C. March 22-24, the event, DSee, takes place on March 22, 2012, and has already sold out. Hear more from Dscoop board members and HP about this novel event.
Published February 7, 2012
Christian Schowalter, Product Marketing Manager at EFI, tells Cary Sherburne about the new turnkey solution with the Fiery XF solutions.
Published February 7, 2012
Now that the dust has settled a little on the acquisition of AlphaGraphics (AGI) by Blackstreet Capital and CEO Kevin Cushing’s unexpected departure, Art Coley, AlphaGraphics’ Interim President, talks to WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the AGI perspective, future prospects and franchisee reaction.
Published February 6, 2012
David Erwin Senior VP Market Development at NCP Solutions discusses some of the challenges they face with customer organization in transaction and trans-promo markets.
Published February 3, 2012
President of Hubcast Tony Dolph and Cary Sherburne discuss the success of their global cloud printing network and the international cost savings potential.
Published February 1, 2012
Cary Sherburne, WhatTheyThink’s Senior Editor, had a few questions for Allegra’s Carl Gerhardt and Mike Marcantonio about this acquisition. Here’s what they had to say.
Published January 30, 2012
Well known industry analyst and President of Printcom Bill Lamparter and Cary Sherburne discuss an industry analyst perspective of the 2012 drupa show.
Published January 27, 2012
In December, WhatTheyThink’s Senior Editor, Cary Sherburne, joined a number of her press and analyst peers on a visit to Fenske Media in Rapid City, South Dakota. In this article, she shares details about the event and includes an exclusive interview with Tom Fenske, one of the four brothers that own and operate the business.
Published January 27, 2012
Rumors that AlphaGraphics was on the blocks proved to be true when the company announced it had a new owner. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke to CEO Kevin Cushing to get the story behind the story for our readers.
Published January 25, 2012
Océ Business Services introduced Océ PrintExpress, an online print and distribution service that augments its Managed Print Services offerings. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Océ Business Services and its partner, Mimeo, to get the scoop.
Published January 24, 2012
Cary Sherburne and President of imageoptions Brian Hite discuss the company's involvement as a beta site for EFI's GS3250LX.
Published January 23, 2012
Cary Sherburne and HP's General Manager of Scitex Xavier Garcia have a conversation focused on print service providers looking to expand their offerings with wide format.
Published January 19, 2012
Jeff Hayzlett’s second book, Running the Gauntlet, is out, launched January 3rd. Read what Senior Editor Cary Sherburne has to say about the book and the SnapTags it incorporates.
Published January 17, 2012
Cary Sherburne and EFI's VUTEK Product Manager Jamie Dolpies talk about the latest LED curing technology recently included in their product line and the suite of advantages it brings to the industry.
Published January 17, 2012
Web-to-print provider Aleyant profiled one of its customers in a recent press release that caught my attention. Thinking this was an innovative print service provider who had launched a niche holiday application, I contacted them to see what they do the rest of the year. Not a print service provider!
Published January 16, 2012
Scitex Strategic Marketing Manager Harel Ifhar tells Cary Sherburne how HP is constantly striving to bring new technologies and business ideas to their customers to help them evolve their business.
Published January 13, 2012
Cary Sherburne visits Mercury Print Productions and interviews President John Place about their increase in educational book printing in the inkjet market.
Published January 12, 2012
Gina Testa, VP Graphics Communications Industry for Xerox, talks about the preparation and expectations for this year's drupa season.
Published January 10, 2012
Senior Marketing Manager Mark Goodearl and Cary Sherburne discuss how EFI brings better integration for a more efficient workflow to meet wide format's ever increasing demand for automation.
Published January 9, 2012
On December 7th, HP announced the acquisition of print MIS provider HiFlex. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with HP to understand more about this acquisition and how it fits into the HP portfolio. You may be surprised to learn where the acquisition is reporting within the HP organization.
Published January 9, 2012
Cary Sherburne and Xavier Garcia, General Manager for HP's Scitex, discuss the evolving wide format market and give advice to print providers.
Published December 19, 2011
On April 15, 2010, President Obama announced his intent to nominate William J. Boarman as the 26th Public Printer of the United States. Following that announcement, WhatTheyThink covered the long, and ultimately unsuccessful confirmation process, revealing a number of problems with the nominee. Apparently more problems have arisen and his nomination was returned to the President. Read more.
Published December 15, 2011
Andy Tribute and Cary Sherburne chat about the rapidly approaching drupa season and some of the key things they will be looking for.
Published December 15, 2011
NewPage was the first paper manufacturer to bring to market a coated stock optimized for production inkjet. Availability of an affordable coated stock solution is at the top of the wish list for many production inkjet press owners. We expect to see much more activity in this space between now and drupa. In the interim, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with the folks at NewPage to get the full story.
Published December 12, 2011
Wild Apple Graphics recently added a new digital press that allows the company to offer short runs of certain popular print sizes. Cary Sherburne spoke with Jim Chadwick, Director of Technical Services, to understand how digital printing is streamlining the company’s art print business and why they chose the digital press they purchased.
Published December 2, 2011
Chief Marketing Officer at GMC Bill Parker shares with Cary Sherburne why GMC rebranded their software into GMC Inspire.
Published December 1, 2011
continue their in-depth discussion on KCI. Part 1 can be found here
Published November 29, 2011
Cary Sherburne and KCI's General Manager Eric Liggett sit down for an in-depth discussion about KCI
Published November 28, 2011
Cary Sherburne and Vice President of IT Strategies Marco Boer highlight some of the key findings in the latest PRIMIR study, Impact of Electronic Technologies on Print.
Published November 18, 2011
German firm Printechnologics has developed another way for print to be interactive utilizing the increasing number of touch screens—tablets, smartphones and more—now in the marketplace. What is a Touchcode, how can it be used and when might we start seeing them in the market? Cary Sherburne speaks with Printechnologics CEO Sascha Voight.
Published November 18, 2011
Crackerjack Robert Carrier and Cary Sherburne sit down to discuss how automation is playing a bigger role with smaller jobs.
Published November 17, 2011
Cary Sherburne asks CEO Gary Garner his perspective as a repeat attendee and the value drupa brings to the industry.
Published November 15, 2011
Susan Moore with DPI in Atlanta shares with Cary Sherburne the value of automation measured in both time and money saved.
Published November 14, 2011
As we approach drupa 2012, what are the technologies we can expect to see that will drive change in the printing and publishing markets? Once again, we can expect to see a significant position for inkjet in the array of new technologies exhibitors have on display. This time, however, while there will still be a large presence in the production sector.
Published November 10, 2011
Howard Owen of Stafford Printing shares some of the trials and tribulations of retraining people now that they're a hybrid printer with both digital and offset.
Published November 8, 2011
Vice President for Global Strategic Product Management Grant Miller and Cary Sherburne chat about the how Pitney Bowes is helping their customers adapt as more mailers are printing and printers are mailing while maintaining efficiency and keep costs low with new products and services.
Published November 4, 2011
Printing firms today face many challenges and opportunities. Entrepreneurs like AlphaGraphics Owner Chuck Stempler provide examples of what the printing firm of the future might look like and offer services to small commercial and quick printers to help them reach their own goals.
Published November 1, 2011
As we look at ways to ensure that print remains viable and that we have the right set of services to go with it, becoming an iPad app developer is an interesting avenue to explore that may be easier than you think. Cary Sherburne reviews two options for easy entry into this market.
Published November 1, 2011
Kevin Marks and Cary Sherburne sit down and discuss Pitney Bowes recent product announcements that aim to help firms be more productive in the production print space.
Published October 28, 2011
Cary Sherburne interviews Vice President of Interactive Solutions Val DiGacinto about life after the DG3 Group acquired the Ace Group.
Published October 27, 2011
Jochen Meissner President/CEO of Goss International shares his unique perspective as both an exhibitor and attendee on why it's so important to attend drupa.
Published October 24, 2011
Cary Sherburne and Bill Parker chat about GMC breaking into new markets with GMC Inspire and moving with the industry beyond just print.
Published October 20, 2011
PTI's Director of Professional Services Shabnam Behzadpour tells Cary Sherburne what printers should look into in order to optimize their print on-demand worflows.
Published October 17, 2011
Cary Sherburne and Consultant Hamilton Costa from ANconsulting discuss the Latin America market and the opportunities that lie within.
Published October 13, 2011
Vice President of Marketing for PTI Dustin Ritter sits down with Cary Sherburne to share just what modern marketers are looking for in today's more social world.
Published October 12, 2011
Recent news stories about Kodak have implied that the company’s digital transition is not going as planned, even suggesting an investigation into filing bankruptcy. While waiting for Kodak to announce quarterly earnings on November 3rd, WhatTheyThink spoke with President & COO Phil Faraci to gain his perspective these issues.
Published October 11, 2011
Cary Sherburne asks Dan Horkan, Owner of PreCycled, to give a few detailed examples of how their customers utilize their digital printing toolsets.
Published October 11, 2011
Bill Cole, CEO of TRI-C Enterprises and PIAG Chairman, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the impact last year’s PIAG book study group, featuring Disrupting the Future by Dr. Joe Webb, had on the future of his business…a wake-up call that infused new energy and excitement into his life and his business.
Published October 5, 2011
Although most of us understand that electronic communications are here to stay, it can still be difficult to figure out how best to leverage it in a business sense. WhatTheyThink spoke with Mohawk’s Chris Harrold, VP, Business Development, about the company’s new service platform for digital printers, Mohawk MakeReady, a great example of using the Web to deliver valuable information while building increased credibility for the business.
Published October 3, 2011
Strategy Partners' Oscar Dubbeldam and Cary Sherburne discuss privacy standards in Europe and how they compare to the United States.
Published September 30, 2011
Following up on her recent article, Graph Expo Retrospective, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne takes a look at production automation, a key "Critical Technology" as identified by the Graph Expo Must See 'ems committee. Getting started might be more affordable than you think.
Published September 29, 2011
Cary Sherburne interviews Frank Romano about his expectations at the upcoming 2012 drupa and why it's so important for members of the industry at any level to attend. For more information on drupa 2012 click here.
Published September 27, 2011
As the industry gets back to work following a busy Graph Expo 2011, it is a good time to take a look at some of the technologies that were on display-both those that are critical to the short- and long-term profitability and survival of a printing company, and opportunistic technologies that can provide differentiation.
Published September 20, 2011
CEO of Progressive Solutions Mark Sarpa chats with Cary Sherburne about the world of digital printing and offers his advice for those looking to enter the digital field.
Published September 9, 2011
In July of 2010, Agfa acquired the assets of the Harold M. Pitman Company. It's been just over a year, and WhatTheyThink takes an exclusive look at the status of the integration.
Published September 7, 2011
Yesterday, Ricoh and Zumbox announced an alliance under which mailers can opt to provide their customers mail via Zumbox, the world's first digital postal mail system. WhatTheyThink spoke with Ricoh's Don Dew to get the inside scoop.
Published September 1, 2011
Following our recent article on the latest news from Zumbox, a player in the digital mail space, we contacted Pitney Bowes' John Schloff to find out the latest about its digital mailbox offering, Volly. Schloff shares an update, including insight into strategy and plans.
Published August 30, 2011
For almost a decade, pundits have been projecting that paper mail, especially transactional mail, will be displaced by electronic alternatives. Just like the paperless office, it hasn't happened yet. But there's a lot happening in the digital postal mail realm that could change the picture entirely. John Payne of Zumbox talks about what's ahead.
Published August 29, 2011
On August 25th, Seattle-based RPI announced the acquisition of Paro Group BV, based in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The entity in the Netherlands will be known as RPI-Paro to capitalize on Paro branding there. WhatTheyThink spoke with Rick Bellamy, CEO of RPI, and Jan-Paul van den Hurk, owner and CEO of Paro Printing, for more details.
Published August 17, 2011
EFI continues its efforts to consolidate the print MIS market with yet another acquisition. On August 3rd, the company announced the acquisition of Prism Group Holdings. Marc Olin, GM of EFI's Software Applications business unit, comments on the reasons for the acquisition and its value to EFI.
Published August 16, 2011
I recently had the opportunity to visit four printing firms in the Rochester/Buffalo NY area and was impressed with their vitality an innovative approach to the business. Their stories are sure to brighten up your summer, as they did mine. Part 2 of a 2-part article.
Published August 15, 2011
I recently had the opportunity to visit four printing firms in the Rochester/Buffalo NY area and was impressed with their vitality an innovative approach to the business. Their stories are sure to brighten up your summer, as they did mine. Part 1 of a 2-part article.
Published August 5, 2011
Toronto-based book printer Webcom has built a reputation for providing customers with innovative solutions to the challenges of printing books, catalogs and directories. The company has recently launched BookFWD, a paradigm shift for publishers, powered by a new HP T300 Inkjet Web Press.
Published August 4, 2011
In July, online printer Mimeo announced the acquisition of UK-based CLE. In this conversation, with CEO Adam Slutsky talks about the reasons for the acquisition, Mimeo's expectations, and hints about future plans.
Published July 31, 2011
You might want to think again. Sure, many do. But their primary association, the DMA, apparently doesn't. A friend forwarded me an email he received recently from the DMA, and while I will not include the whole thing here, here are the high points that demonstrate that something is lost in translation here!
Published July 29, 2011
In early June, The Informa Print Group announced that Ipex would be moving to London's ExCeL international exhibition and conference centre for its 2014 exhibition. Scheduled for March 26th to April 2nd, 2014, Ipex returns to the city of its birth after 30 years in Birmingham. Learn more.
Published July 25, 2011
Published July 25, 2011
WhatTheyThink was saddened, and quite frankly, surprised, to learn about the closure of Dallas-based Padgett Printing, a respected family-owned printing business that had operated for more than 100 years.
Published July 14, 2011
In mid-June, Xerox Corporation hosted a large group consisting of members of the analyst community in Rochester NY for a Document Technology Business Briefing covering both the production and office businesses. A highlight of the event was a talk by Chairman & CEO Ursula Burns followed by a Q&A opportunity.
Published July 12, 2011
48HourPrint began its life in 2001 as a magazine publisher, publishing a nightlife magazine for the City of Boston called 411. Noticing the uptick in activity in the world of online printing, the company migrated the business model to the online printing success story it is today.
Published July 7, 2011
On June 24th, Printing Industries of America President & CEO Michael Makin sent an email touting his letter to President Obama that objected to the President's characterization of the printed version of the Federal Register (and by association, the entire printing industry), saying people might think "printed material is a dying and irrelevant relic." WhatTheyThink research reveals a different picture.
Published June 28, 2011
Last year, PSDA (Print Services & Distribution Association) announced it had entered into a management agreement with association management firm SmithBucklin, the same organization that manages Dscoop and the XMPie Users Group. WhatTheyThink checked in with PSDA Board President Bill Prettyman and Executive Vice President Matt Sanderson to see how things were proceeding.
Published June 16, 2011
Joe Demharter retired from The Pitman Company about three years ago, where he was President for eight years. After two years of taking it easy, he decided to get back in the game. During this interview, he explains why, and offers advice to printers for a successful future.
Published June 3, 2011
As printers continue to evolve their businesses to meet the new market realities, one of the challenges they face is how to optimize their operations and market their new products and services. This is an area where suppliers to the industry can provide significant help. This interview with Kodak's Deb Stranaghan outlines the new Kodak MarketMover program, designed to help printers transform their businesses.
Published May 26, 2011
This is the second year for Consolidated Graphics (CGX) emerge conference. This is a truly unique event, which I had the pleasure of attending this year. The nearly 500 CGX customers who attended came to learn about new technology, new processes and stay current with the trends in a dynamic environment.
Published May 19, 2011
Aditya Chinai manages King Printing, whose business focuses primarily on book printing, discusses new technologies and some of the transitions the company is doing to keep the business up to date.
Published May 16, 2011
WhatTheyThink has published various pieces about Memjet over the last several months, but most of it has been focused on the label and office markets. At the end of last month, Memjet's latest partner was announced-Delphax Technologies, a provider of high-speed digital monochrome printing. The strategy is that the Memjet collaboration will jumpstart them as a player in the color digital market. Article
Published May 13, 2011
Published May 10, 2011
Standard Register is nearly 100 years old, but with its recent rebranding and the transformation efforts being driven by President & CEO Joseph P. Morgan, Jr., the company is placing itself squarely in the 21st Century. It has reported three quarters in a row of profit and has a positive cash flow, a sign that Morgan’s transformation strategy is working.
Published May 6, 2011
EFI held its 12th annual Connect users' conference April 26th through 29th at the Wynn in Las Vegas. Attended by approximately 1,000 customers and a record number of partner sponsors, along with an international group of journalists, Connect was a success by anyone's measure.
Published April 26, 2011
Lancaster, Ohio, based Cyril Scott, a CGX company, has invested some $10 million in equipment, technology and people over the past two years, despite a difficult economic climate. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Cyril Scott President Matt Coltharp to find out more.
Published April 25, 2011
In this final part of a four-part series, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne interviews two more printing firms about their social media experiences. Part One examined the reasons why printing firms need to be engaged in social media and reviewed offerings by MarketingIdeasForPrinters that make social media as easy as a click of the mouse. Part Two reviewed the Grow Socially offering for Social Media services. And Part Three looks at the experiences of a supplier, Komori and a printer, Quad/Graphics.
Published April 19, 2011
In this third part of a four-part series, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne interviews one printing firm and one supplier to the industry about their social media experiences. Part Four will contain the final two printer interviews. Part One examined the reasons why printing firms need to be engaged in social media. Part Two reviewed Grow Socially’s offering for Social Media services.
Published April 15, 2011
In this second part of a Four-part series, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reviews another option for printing firms to get into the social media game, from Grow Socially. She spoke with CEO John Foley to learn more about the kind of value they’re offering their clients.
Published April 12, 2011
Published April 11, 2011
Published April 10, 2011
Published April 5, 2011
In this first part of a three-part series, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne looks at options for printing firms to get into the social media game. This article examines offerings by MarketingIdeasForPrinters that make social media as easy as a click of the mouse.
Published March 31, 2011
Published March 28, 2011
Bob Tapella sits down with Cary to give his take of OnDemand. He also comments on the state of conferences as a whole, where there is room for improvement, and a hopeful look forward.
Published March 25, 2011
Yesterday saw the conclusion of On Demand 2011, which also ran in conjunction with info360 (formerly AIIM) and a new conference, PublishingXchange, at the Washington D.C. convention center. Two key digital printing players, Xerox and Kodak, were absent. What's in store for next year when the show(s) move to New York's Javits Center in June of 2012?
Published March 17, 2011
HP is upping the ante in the inkjet game with the new T400 Color Inkjet Web Press announced today during a press event being held at Los Angeles based O'Neil Data Systems. With a 42” web width, the T400 offers more than just raw speed, promising to be a game changer for several target markets.
Published March 14, 2011
On Friday, March 4th, DG3 North America announced the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of The Ace Group of Manhattan. DG3 touted its ability to expand its Interactive Services group through this acquisition. This interview with Ace Group’s Val DiGiacinto and DG3’s Tom Saggiomo digs deeper into the transaction and what it holds for the future of both firms.
Published March 1, 2011
Published March 1, 2011
Published February 28, 2011
One of the more important announcements at Hunkeler Innovationdays was the Xerox waterless production inkjet engine; Xerox updates its positioning. Soon after this event was the long-awaited announcement by Heidelberg of its digital partner—Ricoh. Sherburne highlights pros and cons of this arrangement and shares a prepared statement from Xerox along with some interview comments about the deal.
Published February 22, 2011
This year’s Hunkeler Innovationdays, held in Switzerland every other year, was a resounding success by anyone’s measure. More than 5,000 attendees descended on Lucerne, Switzerland, taking up just about every available hotel room, to benefit from this highly focused digital printing event. Several suppliers chose this venue to make important announcements and to discuss future and planned digital printing/finishing innovations.
Published February 14, 2011
Xerox chose Hunkeler Innovationdays 2011 in Lucerne, Switzerland as its platform to make its long-awaited production inkjet announcement. The company has been showing technology concepts, beginning with drupa 2008, and speculation was it would be some time before they were able to get a product to market. That time has come, with an innovative waterless printing process that can use virtually any type of uncoated substrate without pretreatment.
Published February 9, 2011
Published January 31, 2011
In mid-January, show organizers for PrintChina 2011 hosted more than 40 journalists from around the world to raise awareness about the importance of PrintChina and to encourage foreign visitors to attend the show. WhatTheyThink represented North America at this event, which featured presentations from government, industry and supplier representatives as well as a visit to a Chinese printing factory. Interesting data, and some thoughts about the future of print in China. Read more.
Published January 27, 2011
Published January 27, 2011
Last week, EFI and Heidelberg announced an agreement under which Heidelberg will distribute the VUTEk GS series of superwide format digital printers to the commercial print market across the U.S. WhatTheyThink spoke with both Heidelberg and EFI to get the inside scoop on this deal.
Published January 25, 2011
Published January 20, 2011
Published January 11, 2011
Bill McGlynn was well-known to many of our readers during his 25 years with HP, where he helped accelerate the company’s printing business from $150 million to $24 billion in annual sales, including his role in the Indigo acquisition which led HP’s entry into the commercial printing space. Now McGlynn is building Memjet’s Home & Office Business as its President. Read more…
Published January 10, 2011
Mailing giant Pitney Bowes has announced a new secure online mailbox initiative. Volly is a secure repository for bills, promotional mail and even household documents that attempts to solve many of the issues that have been barriers to more rapid adoption of online billing. Read more...
Published December 29, 2010
Published December 27, 2010
Published December 21, 2010
As the WhatTheyThink team prepares to head for Lucerne, Switzerland in February to attend the Hunkeler Innovationdays, we talked with Hunkeler CEO Stefan Hunkeler to gain insight into what to expect at this unique event. We also asked Hunkeler to share his thoughts about the current state of the industry.
Published December 21, 2010
What better way to end the year than by having a conversation with Joe Davis, CEO of Consolidated Graphics and WhatTheyThink’s Print CEO of the Year. Davis tells us what’s new at Consolidated Graphics, talks about acquisition strategy, and shares valuable insight into the strategies that have delivered business success for the company.
Published November 19, 2010
Google is arguably one of the most fascinating companies of our times. Founded in 1998, the typical Silicon Valley “two guys in a garage,” the company quickly skyrocketed to prominence as the preferred search engine for many as well as a premier advertising platform. In his book, Ken Auletta does an outstanding job of documenting the company’s history and accomplishments to date.
Published November 18, 2010
Published November 1, 2010
Memjet may be a new name to many of our readers. The company was founded in 2002 and designs and manufactures low-cost high quality inkjet printheads, print controllers and inks designed for use in printers for packaging and mailing applications. Although OEMs have only had product components for 60 days, Memjet has been busy—five shows in the last six months in North America and Europe. Read more about this potentially disruptive technology.
Published November 1, 2010
Bill McGlynn was well-known to many of our readers during his 25 years with HP, where he helped accelerate the company’s printing business from $150 million to $24 billion in annual sales, including his role in the Indigo acquisition which led HP’s entry into the commercial printing space. Now McGlynn is building Memjet’s Home & Office Business as its President. Read more…
Published October 31, 2010
Published October 29, 2010
Published October 26, 2010
EFI released positive quarterly earnings last week with 28% revenue growth. CEO Guy Gecht indicated that EFI’s transformation is complete. EFI has gone from a single family of products (Fiery) to a broad portfolio of products, including VUTEk, Rastek, and Jetrion inkjet printers as well as APPS. They’ve aimed their efforts at key growth areas of the print industry: short run digital printing for documents, signage, packaging and software that automates business processes, with multiple channel strategies. WhatTheyThink spoke with Gecht following the earnings call to learn more.
Published October 15, 2010
In this video, SGIA CEO Michael Robertson comments on a recent article by Cary Sherburne entitled "Too Many Trade Shows?"
Published October 14, 2010
Published October 12, 2010
Looking for a good read? Check out this review of I Live in the Future and Here’s How It Works: Why Your World, Work and Brain are Being Creatively Disrupted, by Nick Bilton. Bilton calls it “a unique reading experience,” and it is. Each chapter begins with a QR Code! (And this from a “Gray Lady” reporter.) It even includes some history about how print was one of the original disruptive technologies. Read on!
Published October 8, 2010
The last couple of years have been difficult for both printers and suppliers to our industry. While there are positive signs that indicate a path to recovery, and many companies are investing to better position themselves for a brighter future, many suppliers to the industry believe that we have too many trade shows and too many of them are too siloed for today’s diverse environment. Hear what they—and GASC—have to say.
Published October 7, 2010
Published October 1, 2010
In this interview with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, Ricoh Europe Executive Vice President Peter Williams talks about the company’s IPEX experience, European distribution strategies, and the progress being made with integration of IKON and InfoPrint Solutions into the customer experience. Read the full interview.
Published September 30, 2010
Chris Lyons, Kodak’s Global Market Segment Director, talks about his role at Kodak, what to expect from Kodak at Graph Expo, and his goals and challenges in this new role. Read the full article.
Published September 22, 2010
Colombia's printing industry association, Andigraf, held its annual meeting in Santa Marta, Colombia, in early September. WhatTheyThink's Senior Editor Cary Sherburne participated in the event as an attendee and speaker, joined via video by WhatTheyThink's Dr. Joe Webb, Director of the Economics and Research Center. Sherburne shares her thoughts about the Colombian experience.
Published September 21, 2010
In a recent WhatTheyThink webinar, both listeners and industry experts commented on the potential offered by the new Presstek 75DI digital offset press, which was debuted at IPEX and will be on display at Graph Expo 2010. WhatTheyThink checked in with Presstek Chairman, CEO & President, Jeff Jacobson, to get his take on what the 75DI means to Presstek and its customers, as well as his opinion on the state of the industry, and more.
Published September 20, 2010
Published September 17, 2010
As Quad/Graphics has begun to integrate its recent mammoth acquisition of Worldcolor, WhatTheyThink checked in with Joel Quadracci, the company's Chairman, President & CEO to get the latest update and his view of the state of the industry.
Published September 14, 2010
AAA, the premier association of regional auto clubs, produces 160,000 statements annually at its headquarters location. Its TransPromo implementation with DocPath has saved the organization more than $110,000 annually, streamlined the invoice-to-cash process and resulted in a more attractive statement design. This story demonstrates that TransPromo is not just for the big guys! Find out more.
Published September 7, 2010
In mid-September, X-Rite will release XRGA, an ISO-compliant metrology standard for the graphic arts industry that is designed to take advantage of advances in color science and new international standards to provide a way to reduce measurement discrepancies between legacy instruments previously developed by X-Rite and GretagMacbeth.
Published September 3, 2010
Standard Register recently made the decision to establish a focus on the healthcare industry. Cary Sherburne recently sat down with President of the company’s Healthcare Business, Brad Cates, and Business Director of Document and Information Management Ann B. Scales, to learn about the transition to all healthcare, EMR reform and the future of printing in the health care space.
Published August 30, 2010
Dscoop, the independent user group for HP Indigo and Scitex owners, has been one of the biggest user group success stories in our industry. Even though last year was terrible for the industry, Dscoop had an attendance of 1,823 and had to turn away both attendees and sponsors because the demand was so high. In 2011, Dscoop 6 organizers expect to significantly exceed that attendance level. The conference will be held February 17-19, 2011, at the Gaylord Palms Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando FL.
Published August 6, 2010
Published August 3, 2010
Does email marketing still work, or is it beset by too many problems with mailbox clutter, spam and more? A recent study and a specific example indicate there is plenty of life left in this medium. Is it part of your service mix?
Published July 22, 2010
WhatTheyThink was notified yesterday by the Senate Rules Committee that: "The Senate Rules and Administration Committee voted to discharge the nomination of William J. Boarman out of committee. It will now go to a vote on the Senate floor."
Published July 16, 2010
New evidence has surfaced in relation to the nomination of William Boarman for the post of U.S. Public Printer. WhatTheyThink has been covering this story since the nomination was announced through posts on the Print CEO blog. Most recently, we learned that Boarman had received—and cashed—a check for a “gain sharing” payment in 2010—33 years after he left active employment with the GPO.
Published July 16, 2010
The July 15th announcement of Agfa’s Pitman acquisition had been rumored for some time. Agfa expects the acquisition to strengthen its presence in the U.S. printing market, including an expanded growth opportunity for Agfa’s industrial inkjet and prepress solutions. The company held a press conference to discuss the acquisition.
Published July 14, 2010
Published July 12, 2010
AlphaGraphics has recognized the importance of keeping up with the changes in the marketing services industry. At the their recent annual owners conference, CEO Kevin Cushing announced to franchisees the major strategic changes they’re planning for the network. Cary Sherbune caught up with Cushing to find out how they’re staying on top.
Published July 11, 2010
Published July 9, 2010
With a little more than a week in his new position, HP’s Director of Marketing for the Americas, Graphic Solutions Business, took time out to speak exclusively with WhatTheyThink about his goals and objectives in his first 100 days.
Published July 8, 2010
Last month, Kodak’s Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Marketing for Digital Printing, Kevin Joyce, announced he would be leaving Kodak—and the industry—for a different media opportunity. Among other things, Joyce looks forward to taking some lessons learned from print into broadcast. Read the whole story in this exclusive WhatTheyThink interview.
Published July 6, 2010
As we have been discussing in the Quick Printing thread of this blog, the classifications for our industry are about to be changed to the following: 323113, Commercial Screen Printing, 323117, Books Printing, 323119, Other Commercial Printing (except Screen and Book.
Published June 30, 2010
Canadian Printer, a leading printing industry trade publication in Canada, has announced that it will no longer be producing print editions. Instead, the publication will maintain an online presence and distribute bi-weekly e-newsletters to its readership. The company's intent is to publish one printed edition annually highlighting innovations in print.
Published June 30, 2010
PSDA, formerly DMIA, has made a decision that is likely to have a major positive impact on its future. The association has chosen to work with professional association management firm SmithBucklin rather than continue to operate as a standalone entity. WhatTheyThink spoke with several stakeholders to gain an understanding of what this move means for the association.
Published June 29, 2010
Published June 29, 2010
Published June 29, 2010
Published June 29, 2010
I recently read a Wall Street Journal article entitled “’Vanity’ Press Goes Digital.” It featured author Karen McQuestion, who had spent nearly a decade trying to persuade a variety of New York publishers to print one of her books. Failing to get their attention, she decided to self-publish. Although enabling technology has been available for more than a decade, many publishers have only recently begun to understand the value of print on demand in the book life cycle. Now they are faced with an even greater challenge—how to deal with e-books within the publishing framework. Karen McQuestion’s experiences are a great example of the disruptive process of self-publishing at work.
Published June 28, 2010
Published June 26, 2010
Published June 25, 2010
Published June 25, 2010
Indexx, Inc., serving upstate South Carolina, including Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg, as well as customers throughout North America, has taken an aggressive approach to migrating its business from traditional commercial print to a marketing services business that includes print among its offerings. Owner Jordan Finn talks about his transition in this interview.
Published June 24, 2010
Published June 23, 2010
Published June 23, 2010
The Government Printing Office (GPO) was established on June 23, 1860, when President Buchanan signed the Congressional Resolution creating the agency. It opened its doors several months later on the day of Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration. Surprisingly, the only sitting President to ever visit the agency was Lincoln, but that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of the employees at this $1 billion agency, some of whom have several generations of family who have worked for the GPO.
Published June 22, 2010
Published June 16, 2010
Quad/Graphics has once again demonstrated a high level of innovation, being one of the first, if not the first, print manufacturer in our industry to provide its customers with a customized iPad application that offers clients another distribution channel for their publications. Hear what Jason Sawtelle, Director of Premedia Sales, has to say about this exciting move.
Published June 4, 2010
We have been hearing about QR codes for some time, but adoption rates in the U.S. have been slow compared to the rest of the world. Not sure what QR Codes are or what business opportunity they represent? This interview with Val DiGiacinto of Manhattan’s Ace Group tells the story.
Published May 27, 2010
Published May 26, 2010
Published May 21, 2010
Published May 19, 2010
Published May 17, 2010
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Published May 11, 2010
Published May 11, 2010
At the end of March, Francis McMahon, director of marketing for HP's US Graphic Arts Business, Imaging and Printing Group, departed HP after being there for eight years. Effective April 12th, he joined Océ North America as the Vice President of Marketing reporting to Mal Baboyian, President of Océ Production Printing Systems Division based in Boca Raton, Florida. Here is what McMahon has to say about his new company and the Canon acquisition.
Published May 10, 2010
Published May 10, 2010
Published May 7, 2010
Cary Sherburne talks with EFI CEO Guy Gecht about their recent earnings release and acquisition of Radius Solutions.
Published May 7, 2010
Published May 6, 2010
Published May 3, 2010
Published April 23, 2010
Leading a printing company can be a challenging task in the best of times. Not only do you have to keep up with all the technology, maintain connections with and a deep understanding of your customers’ business needs, but you also have to build the right team and inspire them to carry your message to customers and prospects. A recent keynote by Joan Davidson at EFI Connect sheds some light on how a successful leader is accomplishing these objectives.
Published April 21, 2010
Published April 20, 2010
Published April 20, 2010
This is the 11th EFI Connect conference and the fourth time it has been held at the Las Vegas Wynn. Compared to 2009, the conference has 50% more attendees, and users are seeing first-hand enhancements made to PrintSmith, Pace and Monarch, EFI’s three MIS product families. Also taking center stage are inkjet offerings from VUTEk, Rastek and Jetrion, as well as Fiery.
Published April 19, 2010
Published April 18, 2010
Published April 16, 2010
I trekked to Nashville for the National Postal Forum for the first time in years and was shocked at the attendance. The Postmaster General's keynote was standing room only, more than 2,000 people. While these Forums have been larger in the past, this was quite a turnout considering the economic conditions and the experience other trade shows and conferences have had in drawing attendance.
Published April 16, 2010
Eric Owen, newly appointed as Kodak’s Worldwide Vice President of Customer Development for Digital Printing Solutions started at Scitex and moved to Creo, then Kodak, as a result of acquisitions. Read what Eric has to say about the key strategic objectives of his current position, where he sees inkjet and toner fitting, and his advice for print service providers as the economy begins to recover.
Published April 14, 2010
Yesterday, FedEx Office, Canon and HP jointly announced an alliance to create an unmatched network of printing and imaging capabilities. Over time, FedEx Office will be sole-sourcing its black & white and color staffed and self-service copying and printing equipment from Canon, wide format from HP, and will take advantage of other technological advantages and innovations derived from the three companies and their partnership. Read what Canon and FedEx Office have to say about this major announcement.
Published April 13, 2010
Published April 6, 2010
Pantone has become virtually the de facto color standard for the graphic arts industry, but we often forget that they also serve other industries, including fashion, home and industrial. Increasingly, designers need to be able to match colors across all or several of those systems for integrated projects. Today’s announcement is designed to simplify that process for designers using either an iPhone app or a free application available on the Pantone web site.
Published April 3, 2010
Published March 30, 2010
Published March 26, 2010
Published March 26, 2010
There is no question that 2008 and 2009 were difficult years for our industry. It seemed that every week, we received news of another plant closing. This week, Dr. Joe Webb, Director of WhatTheyThink’s Economics and Research Center, indicated that we are “climbing out of the swamp” and may be getting a little closer to the safety of economic high ground. We have a ways to go, but there are positive signs if you look for them.
Published March 23, 2010
Published March 19, 2010
Published March 16, 2010
Published March 12, 2010
EFI Connect, one of the larger user groups in our industry, will be taking place in April at the Wynn in Las Vegas. Since the event overlaps with the On Demand Conference in Philadelphia, WhatTheyThink is splitting its forces to cover both events. Marc Olin, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Advanced Professional Print Software, of EFI, shared his thoughts with WhatTheyThink about what attendees can expect to experience at the 11th Annual Connect conference.
Published March 9, 2010
More from the "Move Ahead with HP Graphic Arts" video series: HP's Michelle Weir on the transformation of publishing and the growth of digital printing
Published March 5, 2010
Published March 2, 2010
Published March 1, 2010
Although there has been much discussion in the industry about whether we have too many associations and how much consolidation is needed, IPA and IDEAlliance seem to rarely come up in those discussions. WhatTheyThink spoke with the Executive Directors of both organizations to learn what brought them together and the benefits they believe will come from the new integrated organization. It is a fascinating discussion. David Steinhardt: “We don’t want to be fighting or addressing past issues. We want to be moving forward with a new model and new definition…we have to get out of our bubble to get reengaged where [the market] is moving.”
Published February 22, 2010
Published February 17, 2010
As the 2010 show season begins, the emphasis has shifted increasingly toward digital solutions, including printing equipment as well as workflow. WhatTheyThink spoke with several offset press manufacturers to find out more about their plans for the most significant North American printing show, Graph Expo, scheduled for October 3-6, 2010, at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
Published February 16, 2010
In November, FUJIFILM announced a merger of its FUJIFILM U.S.A. and FUJIFILM Graphic Systems organizations to create FUJIFILM North America Corporation. At that time, the company had not made a final determination about who would lead the new organization. Today, Ryutaro Hosoda was named as President & CEO of FUJIFILM North America.
Published February 15, 2010
In September 2009, Ramesh Ratan left his position as COO at The DMA (Direct Marketing Association) to become President of Pitney Bowes’ Document Messaging Technologies (DMT). In this interview with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, Ratan talks about his reasons for joining Pitney Bowes, his top strategic initiatives for the organization, the role printers can play in the age of digital media, and much more.
Published February 11, 2010
Published February 11, 2010
Published February 8, 2010
Xerox announced that its acquisition of ACS was completed today, transforming Xerox into a $22 billion global enterprise, tripling the size of Xerox’s service business to $10 billion, with annuity revenue representing 80% of total revenue.
Published February 8, 2010
Published February 5, 2010
Published February 4, 2010
Published February 2, 2010
Published February 1, 2010
I had the opportunity recently to visit one of the largest printing operations in the Dominican Republic, in a visit arranged by Executive Vice President Fernando A. León. I have visited many printing operations in the U.S., and I was interested to see how this compared—it was quite impressive. I thought our readers might enjoy sharing a virtual walk-through.
Published February 1, 2010
Published January 29, 2010
Published January 28, 2010
Published January 26, 2010
Published January 26, 2010
Published January 26, 2010
Published January 25, 2010
Published January 22, 2010
On January 4th, we posted a PrintCEO blog notice that Adobe had decided to discontinue the worldwide Adobe Partner Connection Print Service Provider program, effective February 4th. Since that time, we spoke with Adobe and connected with a number of people in the field, both through live conversations and dialog on the blog. This was important, since the Adobe announcement came as an email through its PR agency, rather than letters to customers or a formal press release, although we do understand that all authorized and premium members received an email about the program closure. We wondered, as did many of our readers, what was behind this, why Adobe chose to do this now and what it means for Adobe’s commitment to the printing industry.
Published January 22, 2010
Published January 21, 2010
Published January 19, 2010
The IPA Leadership Conference is taking a different route and it looks like a not-to-be-missed event where you can hear from and hobnob with thought leaders from the marketing discipline, including the former CMO of Walmart. If you think you know what marketers want, you may want to think again and take advantage of this opportunity. As a special offer for our readers, IPA is offering a $100 discount off the cost of conference attendance.
Published January 19, 2010
Published January 16, 2010
Published January 14, 2010
Published January 11, 2010
As a follow-up to Gail Nickel-Kailing’s post on PrintCEO about DS Graphics’ acquisition of LVI (formerly Lavigne Inc.), I spoke to DS Graphics’ Vice President, Jack McGrath, to find out how the integration of the two companies was proceeding, and to gain more detail about the actual events that occurred leading up to DSG’s acquisition of the assets of the company.
Published January 11, 2010
Published January 4, 2010
Published December 30, 2009
Published December 15, 2009
Published December 14, 2009
It has been some time since WhatTheyThink has hooked up with Coleman Kane, CEO of Printable. Following a flurry of press releases on new integrations, WhatTheyThink checked in with Coleman to get more detail, and to get his perspective on the industry as we exit what has been a difficult 2009 for the industry.
Published December 14, 2009
Published December 11, 2009
Published December 11, 2009
Published December 10, 2009
Published December 10, 2009
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Published December 7, 2009
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Published December 1, 2009
We recently spoke with The UPS Store's Christa Martin (VP of Product Development & Management) and FedEx Offices Anthony Norris (VP of Digital Access Marketing) about their businesses and competitive positioning in the marketplace.
Published November 30, 2009
Published November 30, 2009
As this recession drags on, WhatTheyThink is reaching out to various companies to see how they are doing, and what they are doing to survive and thrive. We had the pleasure of speaking recently with Jim Cohen, Executive Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions at Consolidated Graphics. He had some very interesting insights to share.
Published November 30, 2009
Published November 23, 2009
Published November 23, 2009
I recently read two reports issued by the CMO Council that are definitely a must-read for anyone in our industry. Taken together, the two will arm innovative print service providers (dare I say marketing services providers??) with much of the ammunition they need to start a conversation at the highest levels in customer marketing organizations. Here are a few highlights, and some of them are pretty scary!
Published November 20, 2009
Published November 19, 2009
Published November 17, 2009
Following Canon’s announcement that it would acquire Océ, WhatTheyThink spoke with a number of sources to get more detail on this significant acquisition and continued sign of industry consolidation. While Canon proposes to purchase Océ at a 70% premium on the stock value, it works out to about 50% of Océ’s annual revenues. The press release is fairly detailed about the terms and conditions.
Published November 17, 2009
Published November 16, 2009
There was quite a firestorm of online activity following a post at Prepress Pilgrim indicating that Kodak was moving its Prinergy development efforts to Israel and laying off everyone at the Willingdon Avenue plant in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. This started rumors that Kodak was shutting down development of Prinergy. PrintCEO blog posted a Kodak statement with the company’s assurances that Prinergy is alive and well, and fully supported by Kodak. WhatTheyThink contacted Jon Bracken, Kodak’s General Manager, Unified Workflow Solutions, in the Burnaby location to get more details on the company’s move.
Published November 16, 2009
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Published October 27, 2009
Mohawk Paper Mills Create Buzz in the Designer Community Do a Google search for “felt and wire” and most of the hits on the first two pages refer to Mohawk’s recently launched Felt and Wire blog, and even more recently launched Felt and Wire Shop.
Published October 27, 2009
Published October 23, 2009
Published October 20, 2009
At the EFI press conference at Print 09, CEO Guy Gecht took a very different approach, using the “Recession, Schmecession” theme and tying a top ten attributes for success into the value of various EFI products. While we won’t be talking about the products specifically here, we thought his top ten attributes for success were worth delving into and took the opportunity to speak to Guy directly, hoping he would share his thoughts with our readers. Herewith the results!
Published October 20, 2009
Published October 20, 2009
Published October 19, 2009
Published October 16, 2009
Published October 15, 2009
Published October 14, 2009
The recent closure of Mallard Press caught our eye. While I don’t know Bob Gay or the company personally, a review of its web site revealed a company that appeared to be on the right track and making the right investments for the future. Bob Gay was kind enough to speak frankly with us about the factors that led to the demise of the company.
Published October 14, 2009
Published October 14, 2009
Published October 13, 2009
Published October 12, 2009
The recent closure of Mallard Press caught our eye. While I don’t know Bob Gay or the company personally, a review of its web site revealed a company that appeared to be on the right track and making the right investments for the future. Bob Gay was kind enough to speak frankly with us about the factors that led to the demise of the company. Perhaps there are lessons here for others in the industry who may be teetering on the edge or worried about the future.
Published October 12, 2009
Published October 9, 2009
Published October 6, 2009
Published October 2, 2009
I recently ran into Patrick White, an industry veteran I had not seen a long time. In the late 1990’s, Patrick was regarded as one of the industry’s leading prepress consultants and was the recipient of NAPL’s 1998 Technical Leadership Award. In 1995, he founded Digital Art Exchange, known as DAX, as an integrator of ISDN (remember that??) and related technologies for prepress connectivity applications.
Published October 1, 2009
Published September 28, 2009
Published September 25, 2009
Last week, Barb Pellow wrote an article on WhatTheyThink about Print 09 emphasizing that people came to the event with a purpose, and much of that revolved around education. She highlighted Executive Outlook and the conference sessions, as well as WhatTheyThink’s first-ever in-person educational event, the Print CEO Forum, along with the significant networking opportunities attending a show like Print 09 offers. I wanted to add to that perspective. I think many of the exhibitors also did an excellent job of providing in-booth educational opportunities. Of course, they were there to sell products and services, but they also put forth extraordinary efforts to emphasize the educational element.
Published September 10, 2009
Published September 8, 2009
Print 09 is just around the corner, and exhibitors have been busy ensuring that they have the right mix of information, hardware, software, education and entertainment to make this an outstanding show.
Published August 28, 2009
Print 09 is shaping up to be an interesting show. The Graphic Arts Show Company has continued to shift the shape of the show based on changing industry dynamics. In case you haven’t visited the show site, it is being billed as myPRINT and has lots of great features to help attendees plan their show experience and navigate once they get there. The show company is even doing a cross-media campaign with mailings linked to personalized URLs. Visitors to the show site can customize their experience there as well, by specifying the type of visitor they are: commercial printer, in-plant printer, print buyer, etc., and being presented with the most relevant content.
Published August 21, 2009
Each year for the last several years, I have taken the time to speak with Bill Lamparter, who coordinates Executive Outlook and the Must See ‘ems program for Graph Expo/Print, to learn more about what went into the Must See ‘ems panel decision about top technologies. This year was no exception.
Published August 11, 2009
Yesterday, InfoPrint Solutions and Sinclair Oil announced a TransPromo partnership that has a slightly different twist than the programs we normally hear about. Most of the TransPromo case studies tend to focus on business-to-consumer applications: Companies who place marketing or educational messages on statements, invoices, notifications and other consumer (customer) communications, reducing costs and often converting these mundane documents from a cost center into revenue generators.
Published August 7, 2009
At the recent IPA Technical Conference, Chromaticity introduced an ink optimization solution that, according to the company, reinvents the way color separations are produced, a process that has remained relatively unchanged for decades. WhatTheyThink spoke to Ian MacKenzie, Chromaticity’s Vice President of Marketing, to get more detail about this bold statement and what it might mean to the industry.
Published July 30, 2009
Published July 24, 2009
A year ago at drupa, HP announced an OEM relationship with Press-sense to bring to market HP’s SmartStream Director Web-to-fulfillment workflow solution, citing key benefits, components and features including:
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