Publishing Employees—2010–2018
According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 907,152 employees in NAICS 511 (Publishing Industries—except Internet). By 2018, employees had increased to 1,015,946. In macro news, retail sales were up 9.8% in March.
Frank on Display
Frank opines about museums that once had printing exhibitions and those that have them now, and it's a sad fact that major museums around the world no longer have printing on display. There are now specialized museums that emphasize printing—but they all have the same problems with space and public interest.
Around the Web: Google Gutenberg. Bye-Bye-Broadband? Record Recollection. License Litigation. Quantum Quire. Paraboloid Pringles. Clever Cooling. Runaway Rabbit.
Google’s Gutenberg Doodle perpetuates a sartorial anachronism. 5G may let you ditch wired broadband. A deluxe, expensive collection of Philip K. Dick stories. Remembering the Columbia Record Club. The contentious free-speech history of license plates. Mind-blowing paper cutting and folding. The mathematics of Pringles chips. Alexa can now share songs. This summer, instead of A/C, try the Sensu Punkah. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s virtual miscellany.
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Industry News
- Miraclon to Participate at FTA FORUM and INFOFLEX 2021
- Automated Mailing Services installs Rollem’s Mailstream Solution to Streamline Direct Mail Finishing
- The Printing Industry of the Carolinas joins SGP as Resource Partner
- Nazdar Provides Seamless Transition for Modern Ink Signs & Graphics' Mimaki® Printer to 707 Series.
- Join BOBST at the FTA Europe Diamond Awards
- Neenah, Inc. Expands Sustainability Efforts by Earning Nine USDA Certified Biobased Product Labels!
- Brodelec Meets Growing Demand For Direct-To-Fabric Printing And Small-Scale Personalization with Kornit Digital Printing Technology
- Analog-to-Digital: Adphos Anir® Dryer Enables Compact Drying Solutions in Print Finishing Applications with Digitally Applied PV (Overprint Varnish)
- The Paper and Packaging Board Seeks Nominations for 2022 Board
- Infosource Has Identified How Covid-19 Is Changing the Office Equipment Industry
- UV vs. Solvent – Which is Better for your Business?
- Sharp’s New MFPs Now Feature EFI Fiery DFE for Enhanced Performance and Superior Color Output
- Solutions For All Your Pricing Needs...Arch Crown’s 2021 Tag & Label Catalog
- Quad Expands Partnership With Package InSight to Help Brands Better Understand the Impact of Design on Consumer Behavior
- Giving Sustainable Packaging the Green Light - Cardbox Packaging Offers Recyclability and Significant Reductions in Plastic Use with ACTGreen® Barrier Coatings
- Crawford Technologies Announces Second Annual Customer Communications Virtual Summit
- Next Generation Packaging Market Size, Analysis by Top Leading Player and Forecast Till 2027
Profit at the Margins with Variable-Data Printing
In this age of virtual everything, print means more—it is tangible and can be personalized to replicate that human connection we’ve been craving since the pandemic hit. This article explores how print service providers can better sell the value of variable data printing to businesses and brands.
Going for the Gold—How Rialto Designs Ltd. Is Reinventing Fashion Production in Leicester with Kornit Digital
Is Rialto’s growth a sign of the times? The UK-based digital textile printer thinks so. The company prints millions of meters of dye-sublimation prints onto polyester bases but is also investing in the future with technologies that can print digitally onto a wider array of fabric types.
If I Could, I Surely Would—What Would You Change About Your Job?
When asked what they would change about their job if they could, most salespeople cite speed—“I need to get quotes faster. I need to get answers faster. I need to get my jobs through the system faster.” WhatTheyThink contributor Dave Fellman explains why managing customer expectations is important to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on all aspects of the business.
Buying a New Print MIS is Not Your First Step
Replacing your Print MIS might be one of the most important projects you take on in the history of your business. Shopping is not the first step. Assessing your data and your processes is ideally done before you start interacting with software sales representatives.
Direct Mail Campaigns Bombing? Could the Phone or Website Be to Blame?
Do you have a client who seems to be doing everything right in its direct marketing campaigns, yet its metrics are not what they should be? Before the client pins the blame on you, they might want to check two potential culprits that lie between the campaigns and the sale: the website and the call center.
A moment of levity. View Today's Dilbert
Life in print isn’t easy, right? You deserve a laugh. That's why MindFire brings you Dilbert. And why we help Printers & Agencies of all sizes grow sales with 'OptiChannel'. Learn more now.
JUST RELEASED
Printing Outlook 2021 - The WhatTheyThink Overview of the Current State of the Printing Industry
The new Printing Outlook 2021 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 2021.
Industry Data
Publishing Employees—2010–2018
According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 907,152 employees in NAICS 511 (Publishing Industries—except Internet). By 2018, employees had increased to 1,015,946. In macro news, retail sales were up 9.8% in March. Full Analysis
Printing 2021 Quick Look: 2021 Profits
According to data from our recently published Printing Outlook 2021 special report, print businesses expect a +8.1% increase in profits from 2020 to 2021. Full Analysis
Profits: Back to the Tale of Two Cities
We’ve long been calling it “a tale of two cities”—large printers and small/mid-size printers and the profitability gap between them. The pandemic interrupted this ongoing narrative temporarily, but back in Q3 2020, we started to return to normal, at least in terms of industry profits trends, which continued into Q4. Full Analysis
Recent Discussion
Michael Heaslip on Frank on Display
The Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa, Canada once had an antique printing equipment exhibit but is long gone now as well. Reply
Robert, the make and model of press that I bought should not influence your buying decision, at least not until you know what markets I serve, what products I produce, and who my clients are. That will never stop me from publicizing my installations.… Full comment Reply
Same idea, Tom. Whether serving existing clients or new prospects (or better yet, both) the only justification for any capital expenditure is to better manufacture products that clients will need. The fact that competitors down the street or across t… Full comment Reply
Cliff: it's as if you are reading my playbook! You are absolutely correct in your assessment. In fact, my next article series is focusing on customer experience. This article completed the six-part "new agility" series which addressed practical ways… Full comment Reply
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Dov Isaacs on Frank on Display
If you are passing through Maui, Hawaii, you should take an hour and visit the Hale Pa‘i Printing Museum and Archive Center at the Lahainaluna High School slightly east of the city of Lahaina on Maui's west coast. It is currently closed due to Covid-… Full comment Reply