June Graphic Arts Employment—Continuing to Get a Little Better
In June 2021, all printing employment was up +0.1% from May, production employment up +0.7%, and non-production printing employment down -1.2%.
Frank On Platen Presses
Frank talks about very old printing presses, specifically, the evolution of the two-person hand presses into the single-user platen presses named for George Phineas Gordon of Salem, N.H. The advantage of the platen press was that it used a foot pedal, and thus could be operated by one person, unlike the older hand presses which required two operators. The platen presses were the workhorses of the 1800s and early 1900s, and many are still in use.
Around the Web: Creepy Codes. Fast Fashion. Cookie Cache. Running Robot. Crazy Crutches. Tennis Trivia. Zipping Sipping. Pricey Potatoes. Human Hamster.
Fats Domino toured with Scitex equipment? QR codes could be poised to raise privacy concerns. Graphene goes skiing. Is more expensive clothing necessarily more ethically produced? Keep your Oreo cookies away from your kids by using disguised packaging. How fast can a robot run a 5K? Pogo stick crutches, to make your rehab even more challenging. Philosophical CAPTCHAs to make your logins more challenging. Why are tennis balls yellow? A reusable silicone straw that unzips for easy cleaning. The world’s most expensive French fries. Florida man attempts to run on water from Florida to New York in a giant hamster wheel. Cicada killer wasps! All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly Olympic miscellany.
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Industry News
- Sandy Alexander Installs “Flagship” Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 at Clifton Location
- Diana Fires Up a New Rapida 105 from Koenig & Bauer
- PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Co-Located Healthcare Packaging EXPO Gears Up for Reuniting the Industry in Person
- Junkers & Müllers Mediatex® Covertex Grand Format Wallcovering Now Available from LexJet
- Eco Credentials of Kavalan Sunlight Weldable PVC-Free Banner from CMYUK Chosen for Mammoth Art Installation
- Domtar, Paper Excellence Merger Approved by Stockholders
- Roland DGA Corporation Launches Completely Redesigned “Roland TV” Platform
- Setting Out Your Stall with Countertop Graphics
- Cosmo Films Ltd. Re-launches Direct Thermal Printable Top Coated Label Films
- Pitney Bowes Names Nick Smith SVP Strategy, Product & Platform Management, Global Ecommerce; Taps Amazon Veteran Brent Cervenka to Lead Global Ecommerce Operations
- Orion Engineered Carbons Taps Carlos Hernandez to Manage Technical Service Applications Laboratory in New Jersey
- Rising Demand of Green Solvents in End-Use Industries like Paints & Coatings, Adhesives & Sealants, etc will Boost the Market Growth
- International Paper Reports Second Quarter 2021 Results
- ARC Announces Quarterly Dividend
- adphos aLITE® – Processing Integrated in Multilayer 3D-Battery and Energy Storage Production
- North America Card Printers Market Key Business Strategies and Forecast Year 2028
Implementing a Vertical Market Approach: Benefits and Opportunities
As opposed to a horizontal market approach (which involves developing a specific product offering that touches many industries), a vertical market approach involves serving specific customers with specific needs. This article explores how implementing a vertical market strategy can help you recognize new and existing opportunities.
Exquisite Italian Silks from Mantero Seta Printed to Perfection with Epson Monna Lisa Digital Technology
Throughout history, silk has been recognized as one of the most, if not the most, exquisite and luxurious fabrics available. Now fabric printers are having huge success with digital printing of this glorious textile. In this article, textile expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan shares an example from Italian firm Mantero.
Your Business Constraints and Print Business Software
Constraints are real. You can feel limited by them or you can decide to work with them in a way to maximize your results. No business is without constraints. With print software, humans and existing software are critical constraints to embrace.
Five “Feel Good” Environmental Stories from the Paper and Packaging Industry
Paper and packaging companies are not only consumers of natural resources, but they are striving to be protectors of them, too. Here are five “feel good” stories about how members of the paper industry are doing their part.
The Five Steps to Managing Pricing—Part 2
If you are struggling with setting prices or trying to decide when it’s time to change prices, Pat McGrew offers some starting points with this two-part series on five steps for managing pricing. This second part involves looking not just as the products you sell, but the services, too, and then reviewing and executing your pricing plan.
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.
June Graphic Arts Employment—Continuing to Get a Little Better
In June 2021, all printing employment was up +0.1% from May, production employment up +0.7%, and non-production printing employment down -1.2%. Full Analysis
European Print Industry Snapshot: Sweden
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 a look at the printing industry in Sweden. Full Analysis
Assorted Publishing Employment—2010–2018
According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 10,166 employees in NAICS 511199 (All Other Publishers). Over the course of the decade, employment in this category steadily declined to bottom out at 4,999 in 2018. In macro news, last year’s “official” COVID recession lasted only two months, according to the NBER. Full Analysis
Recent Discussion
Robert Lindgren on The Five Steps to Managing Pricing—Part 2
Robert... Thanks for the extended definition--that helps a lot! The problem I have with gross margin is the inclusion of fixed cost. It's not that fixed cost doesn't exist or that it isn't important it's that including it with variable cost assume… Full comment Reply
Robert Godwin on The Five Steps to Managing Pricing—Part 2
I should have done this to start with with. LOL. They explained more simply than I did. https://www.accountingcoach.com/blog/gross-margin-contribution-margin What is the difference between gross margin and contribution margin? Definition of Gros… Full comment Reply
Robert Godwin on The Five Steps to Managing Pricing—Part 2
I am closing out the month so I have limited. I will get something posted by tomorrow. Anything I presnet with numbers will be a model for obvious reasons Reply
Robert Lindgren on The Five Steps to Managing Pricing—Part 2
Robert.... Thanks for that response, but I have two further questions. Does Cost of Goods Sold include fixed overhead costs? Could share a simple numerical example of how your formula works as your verbal description is unclear to me? Reply
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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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Bryan Gordon on Frank On Platen Presses
Frank: You get better with time. Really enjoyed the video today on the platen or "Gordon" press. The paten model and the painting of George Gordon were new information to me. I have an 1892 C&P 12" x 18" platen press in my garage that I am resto… Full comment Reply