Whew! The dust has cleared, the in-boxes have been tamed, the press releases attended to, and another PRINTING United is in the books. By all accounts, the Orlando show—held October 22–24—was one of the most successful yet, if show floor crowds and a general sense of excitement and optimism are anything to judge it by. In many ways, this year’s show reminded me of the first PRINTING United Expo in Dallas in 2019—the industry was riding the crest of a wave and there was a sense of optimism the likes we had not seen in a long time. (But then, of course, was 2020, the less said about which the better.) Now it seems we have largely overcome the pandemic-era challenges and while new challenges remain, everyone seems eager to face up to them. It’s very encouraging to see.  

Tuesday, October 21 was the dedicated “Media Day,” which began with a session presented by Alliance Insights analysts Nathan Safran and Lisa Cross  on “Top Industry Trends & Influencers,” based on Alliance Insights (né NAPCO Research) surveys of the printing industry. The top challenge facing the industry in Fall 2025 is higher operating costs and inflation, which survey respondents indicated were outpacing price increase—or the ability to increase prices.  And it’s no surprise where the inflation was coming from: 90.3% of Alliance Insights respondents said tariffs had affected their business—and respondents cited the unpredictability of tariff policy rather than the tariffs themselves as the bigger challenge. Ergo, there is the possibility that these businesses could be delaying any major capital investments—even though they have their eyes of stuff.

So, in a nutshell, top concerns are: