Will 2022 Be the Year of Consumer-Level Graphene Products?
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!
Europe: Looking Back at 2021 and Forward to 2022
2021 was not quite what we expected, with paper shortages, transport issues, and cost increases disrupting the industry. European section editor Ralf Schlözer offers some lessons learned by the European printing industry and how to take advantage of them as we move into 2022.
Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing Employment—2010–2019
According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 19,221 employees in NAICS 322291 (Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing establishments). This NAICS category bounced up and down over the course of the 2010s, ending with 19,593 employees in 2019. In macro news: CPI increased 0.5% in December.
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Industry News
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- Color-Logic Certifies Mark Andy Digital Series iQ Label Press
- Sun Chemical to Increase Prices on Inks, Coatings, Consumables and Adhesives in North America
- Apollo Mailing Group and 1st Class Mailing form Strategic Alliance with Merger
Ironmark Makes Its Mark
Frank was near Annapolis, Md., visiting Smithsonian warehouses (because of course he was) and stopped by Annapolis Junction to visit Ironmark, a local printer. He interviews president Jeff Ostenso, who has built his 150-employee company into a Top 500 printer through organic growth, mergers, and innovative thinking.
Around the Web: Toaster Tech. Car Color. Tongue Texting. Dynamic Dumbbells. Pointless Purloining. Malicious Meters. Face Fitbit. Snow Solution. Troubling Tie-In.
A graphene-based toaster. A BMW covered with E Ink panels can change color at the push of a button. A “smart retainer” for tongue-based text messaging. Alexa-based smart dumbbells can adjust weights via voice command. “The Spine Collector” scams book editors for manuscript copies of forthcoming books, for seemingly no reason whatsoever. QR code-based parking meter scams. An electronic mask can detect leaks. A liquid based bubble clock. How did people clear roads before the snowplow? Walmart’s special “Pain Box” DVD edition of “Dune.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s Wordle-winning miscellany.
Artificial Intelligence: Defining an Often-Misused Term
Artificial intelligence (AI) is much more than just a buzzword—it is currently available technology that is poised to transform much of our world, including the printing industry. This article defines this often-misused term and explains how AI differs from more traditional software programs.
Talent and Culture as a Competitive Advantage
In this article Wayne Lynn presents the case for gaining competitive advantage through leadership development, helping employees meet their needs, and helping employees develop into better behavioral matches to high performers in their chosen jobs. Adopting this approach will, over time, strengthen the talent base of the business and foster a performance oriented culture.
The African Print Company Invests in Digital Textile Print for Absolute Supply Chain Control
Choosing to purchase their own machinery and not to outsource the manufacture of their products will give the husband-and-wife team at The African Print Company absolute control of their supply chain as they gear up the business, removing the requirement for keeping inventory on hand. And importantly, giving them the freedom to listen to their consumers and create the designs and products that their loyal customers love. They intend to implement customized manufacture and on-demand production from day one.
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.
Industry Data
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
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.
Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing Employment—2010–2019
According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 19,221 employees in NAICS 322291 (Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing establishments). This NAICS category bounced up and down over the course of the 2010s, ending with 19,593 employees in 2019. In macro news: CPI increased 0.5% in December. Full Analysis
European Print Industry Snapshot: Bulgaria
In this bimonthly series, WhatTheyThink is presenting the state of the printing industry in different European countries based on the latest monthly production numbers. This week, we take an updated look at the printing industry in Bulgaria. Full Analysis
Preliminary 2021 Business Conditions: Help Ruin This Chart!
We are sifting through the preliminary data from our 2021 Print Outlook Survey, and so far we have found that 17% of print businesses reported that revenues in 2021 increased more than 25% over 2020, and a further one-third (32%) saw revenues up 10–25%. But our survey is still open, so here is your chance to wreck this chart. Full Analysis
Recent Discussion
Hi Frank, Here in Malaysia, I can see that old printing building being converted into a cafe, an industrial theme cafe. Reply
Seems like Frank has an “edifice complex” or perhaps an interest in a complex of edifices? Reply
Heidi Tolliver-Walker on HBR Study Finds 28% Lift in Sales and 600% ROI by Adding Print Catalogs
Thanks for the clarification. One of the challenges of today's "information everywhere" world is that original stats are cited and re-cited so many times that the age of the data gets lost. I try to do my due diligence on all research I post, but in … Full comment Reply
John Zarwan on HBR Study Finds 28% Lift in Sales and 600% ROI by Adding Print Catalogs
not disputing the point of the piece, (see my 2015 study on retail advertising and the 2017 white paper done for PRIMIR https://printtechnologies.org/research-library/the-evolution-of-u-s-retail-print-in-an-increasingly-digital-world-2/) but the HBR … Full comment Reply
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.
WhatTheyThink publishes 2 editions of the magazine: Printing News and Wide-Format & Signage. Subscription are free to qualified industry professionals or via paid subscription.
- Inkjet for Decorative Surfaces
- Wizardly Workflow Guidance for 2022
- December Inkjet Installation Roundup – 2021 Look Back
- Going Green with Plant-Based Ink from Ricoh
- Wild Workflow Learnings of 2021
- Why Inkjet Fits Direct Mail Like a Glove
- Thanks For Giving us a Break – See You in 2022
- Inkjet Packaging Print in 2021
Smooth Sailing in the Production Process: How to Ensure Your Artwork Files Won’t Slow You Down
What’s Your Digital Transformation Quotient?
Where Brands are Headed with Mass Customization
Time is Money—The Spot Color Matching Challenge
An Internal Indigo Study—How HP Indigo Customers Fared During the Pandemic and What We Learned
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David Spencer on Artificial Intelligence: Defining an Often-Misused Term
Greg, excellent article! I especially like your comment, "AI excels at pattern recognition and learns by correction". What production printing tasks do you think are ripe for AI solutions? As you know, we collect gobs of production print data and… Full comment Reply