With thousands of data centers slated to be built, what’s the impact on the printing industry? Already in an energy- and water-intensive business, printers (especially in rural areas) stand to be impacted more than they realize. Read More
Coming out of three consecutive quarters of year-over-year growth, Kodak has been delivering on their promise to rebuild and transform the company. In this Business Update video, David Zwang talks with Jim Continenza, Eastman Kodak Chairman and CEO. Read More
Ken Hanulec, VP of Marketing at EFI, shares details on the launch of the VUTEk M3h X hybrid LED printer, positioning it for sign and display producers seeking higher-volume production with expanded application flexibility. The discussion focuses on how the VUTEk M3h X combines board and roll printing in a single hybrid platform, giving print providers a path to broaden output without adding separate equipment. Hanulec also outlines key production advantages, including enhanced image quality, automated operation, white ink, multilayer printing up to nine layers, and energy-efficient LED curing. Read More
In this article from the Printing & Manufacturing Journal, Nessan Cleary reports from the MetPack trade fair in Essen, Germany, which covers the metal decorating industry, and discusses the latest in direct-to-can printing technologies. Read More
Diamond Comic Distributors Holds the Cards, and more … Read More
There were few converters in Europe purchasing an HP Indigo V12 that were purely digital operations—they’re mostly converters moving work from flexo to digital because of the overall efficiency digital adds to their production floor. In the case of LABEL!STEN, a purely digital converter, they made the purchase decision because they were always 100% digital and knew that with the HP Indigo V12 they could produce a range of larger and smaller volumes much faster, and more sustainably. Read More
Taktiful’s Kevin Abergel spoke with Marika Knorr of CCL Label to unpack what is quietly becoming one of the most influential forces in packaging today. What emerged from the conversation was not just a discussion about printing techniques or decorative effects. It was a deeper look at how embellishment is reshaping the way brands compete, communicate, and convert at the shelf. Read More
The executive report looks back at 2025 and the first few months of 2026 and ahead to what the industry can expect, economically and technologically, in the latter half of 2026 and into 2027 and beyond.
The report includes current and expected business conditions, top business challenges, top business opportunities, and planned investments for 2026.
According to the latest edition of County Business Patterns, in 2023 there were 947 establishments in NAICS 32312 (Support Activities for Printing). This represents a decrease of 54% since 2010. In macro news, Q1 GDP growth was revised down to 1.6%. Read More
April 2026 saw printing industry employment overall generally flat, down 0.4% from March. And while production employment was up 0.6%, non-production employment was down by 2.5%—basically the reverse of what we saw in March. Read More
Labor shortages, production bottlenecks, and growing workflow complexity are forcing print service providers to take a closer look at robotics and automation. In this article, Keypoint Intelligence examines where robotics can deliver the greatest operational impact, the challenges PSPs should prepare for, and the practical steps companies can take to build a more efficient and stable production environment. Read More
According to the latest edition of County Business Patterns, in 2023 there were 360 establishments in NAICS 323117 (Books Printing). This represents a decrease of 33% since 2010—although establishments were up from 2021 to 2022. In macro news, inflation in April grew 3.8% year-over-year. Read More
2026 kicked off with January shipments coming in at $7.08 billion, down from December’s $7.19 billion. Not a very auspicious beginning to the year. Read More
10 Things PSPs Should Consider Before Adopting Robotics: What You Need to Know to Begin the Journey
Why Highly Targeted Communications Make Digital Print Essential to Modern Marketing
Wide Format in 2026: How Technology Is Reshaping Competitive Advantage
WhatTheyThink's web roundup miscellany
Cheezy Snack is a cool retro typeface. The art and artistry of gyotaku, or fish printing. Don’t tell Prince: purple doesn’t exist. Next week’s NYC Zig Zag Festival is designed to be a “visual bridge between Italy and the United States.” A supposedly independent, locally owned news publication was actually all AI-generated. Some once-essential analog technologies that have been replaced by digital alternatives. Periodic Table D120 is a 120-sided die that contains all the known elements of the periodic table. A graphene-based cooling headband. Amazon’s AI shopping tool lets you search for items that don’t exist, for some reason. A unique folding chair design. Tips for how to win a tuna-throwing contest. Engineered algae could help solve our microplastics problem. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
A sign-writer created the visual style of music festivals. The “2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year” winners. AI appears to be catching on among the Amish. Sony has upgraded its wearable air conditioner. How to easily reuse produce bags. A complex digital water clock. A Nobel Prize–winning technology is able to extract water from dry air. Yes, it is possible to be allergic to water. Laser-induced graphene on Kevlar enables multifunctional structural composites. The “most desired” place in each of the 50 states. “The rise in plastic surgeons asked to create ‘AI face.’” K-pop band BTS has teamed with Oreo to release limited edition OREO x BTS Cookies. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
A new film pays tribute to Roger Cook, designer of the standard Department of Transportation sign symbols. Dory Sign is a 5.2-in. E Ink display designed for small signage applications. Four men were convicted of smuggling cocaine in Xerox printers. An online gallery of phone booth photographs. Converting a hamster wheel into a phone charger. Putting AI in charge of a radio station. May 25 is Towel Day! Researchers develop ultra-sensitive graphene aerogel pressure sensor for flexible e-skin and wearables. How to tune rubber chickens. Could rice be the new graphene? “Vape sommeliers: the next frontier in fine dining?” Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
In Japan, a colored ink shortage has led a major snack company to decolorize its chip bags. The worst counterfeiter in the country was the most successful. Can an AI agent run a coffee shop? Digg (remember that?) is back—as an AI news aggregator. We all know “the house number font”—but where did it comes from? The world’s first ordained robot monk. “RIP social media.” GMG’s (not GMG Color) graphene coating boosts air conditioning performance. A chessboard that administers an electric shock to players who make bad moves. The American Oil Company’s (AMOCO) 1958 map of space depicted some of the unsolved space mysteries of the day—and some remain unsolved. “Scientists Think the Fifth Dimension May Exist.” An ice cream spoon automatically turns your cellphone to silent mode. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
