Crawl, Walk, Run—Enter the Embellishment World at Your Own Pace
Trish Witkowski takes a deep dive into the hardware available for adding embellishments, be they analog or digital. She runs down the top technologies, and identifies specific equipment at the entry level, mid-range, and high end of the market for each technology.
The Whole Package: How to Turn a Product into a Purchase by Appealing to a Consumer’s Senses
David Zwang provides a primer on embellishment technologies for packaging applications—including why they are becoming more important than ever for brands.
Artful Adaptations: Matt Redbear Is No Stranger to Changing Technology and How to Use It to His Advantage
WhatTheyThink Multimedia Production Editor Jessica Taylor profiles Matt Redbear, creative director for Taktiful, and talks about how he used AI to come up with the cover for the most recent (Issue 3) print edition of WhatTheyThink.
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Industry News
- PRINTING United Alliance Announces Newest Release of iLEARNING+ Courses
- DuPont™ Artistri® Inks Expands Pigment Inks Portfolio at ITMA 2023— Launches Direct-to-Film (DTF) Inks for Inkjet Printing
- FASTSIGNS International, Inc. Announces Company Brand Campaign at Annual Convention
- Canon Publishes Sustainability Report 2023
- Epson Awarded Order of the Blue Ribbon for Humanitarian Assistance to Ukraine
- PPC’s Folding Carton Boot Camp Enlightens Attendees on the Art of Carton Manufacturing
- Baldwin to Showcase Its Advanced “Complete Quality Control Solutions” at High Security Printing Latin America
- Epson Celebrates World Environment Day by Encouraging Less Energy Consumption
- American Print Consultants To Market and Support PolyPrint TexJet NG DTG /DTF Printers in the US.
- Toyochem Constructs New Pilot Facility for High-Performance Polymers in Japan
- Luminy® PLA Sustainable Under EU Taxonomy Regulation
- Quadient Customers Realize New Customer Experience Possibilities with Inspire Release 16
Tech Outlook: A Framework for Automation
Two weeks ago, as part of WhatTheyThink’s fourth annual Technology Outlook Week, our five-day series of webinars that look at the latest trends and technologies in a broad cross-section of the industry, Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee took a look at software and workflow—specifically addressing automation. In this article, Heidi Tolliver-Walker recaps the webinar.
The Rise of Sexy Print: Digital Embellishments Are Revolutionizing Ink on Paper, Creating New Opportunities for Marketers and Brands
Digital embellishments allow brands to create visually stunning packaging and labels, with intricate designs otherwise difficult or impossible to achieve affordably with traditional printing methods. Joanne Gore looks at the current lay of the land.
From Display Graphics to Graphic Tees: Already Print Soft Signage? Why Not Add Garment Printing?
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.
Talkin’ ’Bout My Generation
The USPS conducted the “Generational Research Report,” which shows who’s reading what and what elements of direct mail are most important to which generations. Think of it as that generation’s direct mail fingerprint. Heidi Tolliver-Walker offers some highlights.
Technology Outlook: Digital Printing
Two weeks ago, as part of WhatTheyThink’s fourth annual Technology Outlook Week, our five-day series of webinars that look at the latest trends and technologies in a broad cross-section of the industry, Ralf Schlözer took a look at digital printing. In this article, Heidi Tolliver-Walks recaps the webinar.
Industry Data
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Printing Outlook 2023 - The WhatTheyThink Overview of the Current State of the Printing Industry
The new Printing Outlook 2023 report provides detailed analysis of the latest WhatTheyThink Business Outlook Survey, the latest industry economic data and macroeconomic trends, as well as industry and cultural technological trends to look out for in 2023 and beyond.
Paperboard Container Shipments Back up to Pandemic Levels
In March 2023, the value of shipments of paperboard containers was $6.361 billion, the highest it has been since August 2022. Full Analysis
Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing Establishments—2010–2020
According to County Business Patterns, in 2020 there were 723 establishments in NAICS 32222 (Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing). This category saw a net decrease in establishments of -12% since 2010. In macro news, the Architecture Billings Index suggests a recovery from the slowdown in the construction industry. Full Analysis
April Printing Production Employment Down Slightly, Non-Production Up
Overall printing employment in April 2023 was down -0.2% from March. Production employment was down -0.8% while non-production employment was up 1.1%. Full Analysis
Recent Discussion
Joe Treacy on Frank Knows Jack
Even more amazing, looking up “Cracker Jack lenticular card”, I see on ebay that in the 1950s, Cracker Jack’s marketers actually produced a completely clear lenticular (apparently, no opaque backer). ebay.com/itm/225482302052 To a kid, it’s surely… Full comment Reply
Joe Treacy on Frank Knows Jack
Frank, as you’ll surely recall, one of the coolest Cracker Jack prizes were the lenticular printed pieces. I was always fascinated by these little, probably 1” square, mystery boards with ribbed plastic glued to them, that would change pictures a… Full comment Reply
Amanda Woods on Another Year, Same Pandemic: COVID-19’s Ongoing Impact on Mental Health
Thank you for shedding light on the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on mental health. The pandemic has undoubtedly taken a toll on people's well-being, and it's crucial to address this issue with compassion and support. One effective way to prioritize … Full comment Reply
Eric Vessels on Club FESPA Chat: Wouter van As on FESPA 2023 and Sustainability
We will have to continue the "Fespa Beer Series" next year! These were fun to do. Thanks to Neil for being a good sport and giving us the time! Reply
WhatTheyThink Magazine
WhatTheyThink Magazine is the resource for the Commercial Printing, Visual and Graphic Arts Industries. Industry experts share their ideas and technical knowledge on ways to improve operations.
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- Inkjet label OEMs from China coming to Labelexpo Europe 2023
- Voice of the Customer: aiim’s Patrick Masset, PrintMail Solutions’ Gretchen Renaud, and Sattler Premium Print’s Christian Haneke
- A look at the Jet Press FP790 Flexible Packaging Press
- The Inky Innovations Driving Inkjet
- Professional Mail Services’ Paul Hamilton on Inkjet Equipment Expansion
- Data, Data, Everywhere! But…
- Voice of the Customers: 4 Screen Customers Share Inkjet Automation Experience
- Voice of the Customer: Workflow Optimization and Partnerships Driving Inkjet Investments
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John Wiki on Needed: Quick Turn Labels—A Trio of OEMs Share What to Expect in Label Printing Trends
Cool info on labels printing Reply