Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

Regenerative Fashion: An Exit Strategy for Fashion’s Troubled Relationship with the Planet?

There is no denying the negative impact the multi-trillion-dollar global fashion industry has had—and continues to have—on the planet. Some fashion brands are making honest and open efforts to reduce their carbon footprints; some are greenwashing; and some are simply doing nothing. Until consumers take a stand and drive Fast Fashion out of their wardrobes, not much is likely to change. But there is hope on the horizon, according to Paul Foulkes-Arellano of Circuthon Consulting. In this article, learn about Regenerative Fashion, benefit from Foulkes-Arellano’s deep insight, and think about how you can change your buying habits to help reduce fashion’s impact on the planet.

November 2022 Shipments Drop—But That’s Normal!

November 2022 shipments came in at $7.16 billion, down from the year’s high of $7.48 billion in October. This should not be cause for concern, as business always drops in November and December as things slow down for the holidays.

Around the Web: Pilfering Probe. Font Feud. Retailer Renaissance. Obsolete Offices. Flame Fighting. Credit Credibility. Cool Container. Romantic Russets.

Here we go: there is now a “plagiarism checker and AI detector.” The State Department changes its internal document font and war breaks out. Barnes & Noble has had a remarkable comeback—how? A Colorado library closes to clean up meth contamination. Zillow CEO writes that “traditional offices are as outdated as typewriters.” Graphene-enhanced gear can help protect firefighters. Celebrate Burns Night next Wednesday. FEMA attempts to translate typhoon aid instructions into indigenous languages—with surreal results. A new startup aims to make carbon credits credible. A new fridge container has a built-in dial to indicate when it was stored. This Valentine’s Day, send your beloved an “Idaho potato bouquet.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s non-AI-generated weekly miscellany.

Back In Black: Wide Format 2023—Six Things to Pay Attention to

Here we are in 2023, and one theme in our Fall 2022 Business Outlook Survey was that, for those print businesses that languished during COVID and its immediate aftermath, 2022 was the year they got back in the black. Still, 2022 was a challenging year in many ways. Not as challenging as 2020, thankfully, but still not an easy year to navigate, and there is no doubt that 2023 will present its own challenges—and opportunities. Here are some things to keep an eye on.

Aquario Textile Designer Delivers Essential Tools for Surface Pattern Design—Create, Color, Repeat, and Print

Have you been wondering whatever happened to Adobe Textile Designer? In this article, compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan, we learn what Aquarios, who is now licensing and further developing Adobe Textile Designer, has up their sleeves. It is also important to note that the software supports a PDF workflow, which can be more efficient than a workflow dependent on image files.

Using Eye Tracking to Determine Shopper Interest

Have you ever wondered how the big CPGs determine which packaging designs work and which don’t? For many, it’s as much science as it is creative. To get insight into just how much science can go into it, take a peek at Quad Graphics’ Package Insight division.

Buying a Print MIS/ERP is an Event, ROI is a Journey

A Print MIS/ERP purchase is an event; the journey is where actual differentiation takes place.

Three Reasons to Adopt Standards

This year, we are going to explore a wide range of trends, thought-provoking ideas, concerns, and the role of hardware, software, workflow, automation, and standards in how we communicate to clients, customers, and constituents. That is a mouthful. It’s ambitious. But it would be a fascinating ride. The starting point is the role of standards—something our industry tends to honor in words, but not deeds. =

Bring Agility to Your Print Business with First Line Software

It can be challenging for print businesses to be agile, particularly production printing rooted in small-batch, custom manufacturing. To reach the peak of business agility, you may need to be agile using software and software services. Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee look at how First Line Software’s custom software and data solutions can help improve print business agility.

Hunkeler Innovationdays: A Unique and Important Event

Hunkeler Innovationdays is not really an expo as you might expect, but is instead a unique gathering and presentation of complete digital print and finishing workflows. There are no expos or other events like this that provide the latest in digital printing and finishing equipment, in live and running complete multi-vendor end to end workflows.

A Deep Dive into Climate Action—or Inaction

The venture-funded Climate Board, established in 2022, has amassed a wealth of materials on the topic of sustainability, including insights and research, and has conducted a variety of events. It was founded on the belief that knowledge-sharing is crucial to accelerating climate action. Its work attempts to bring solutions, supported by experience and evidence, to drive speed and progress. But there is a huge mountain to climb. A key finding of its research is that for many organizations, “Ambitious goals are more than twice as common as meaningful action.” This is not where we want to be. In this article, we explore some of the challenges and opportunities for mitigating climate change.

AI-Generated Images Will Spark a Revolution

European section editor Ralf Schlözer takes a close look at AI-generated images, experimenting with some of the tools currently available, and exploring what the implications of AI imagery are for the graphic communications industry.

Around the Web: Computer Creatives. Sign Stickers. Dystopian Devices. Carbon Cousin. Loco Logo. Rodent Research. Webb World. Butter Battle. Pasta Problem.

How worried should creative professionals be about artificial intelligence? A Florence, Italy, street artist who applies whimsical stickers to traffic signs. CNet looks at some dubious introductions at last week’s CES. The FTC has proposed banning companies from requiring that employees sign noncompete agreements. Researchers have found a “cousin” to graphene, which they have dubbed “graphullerene.” Kia’s new logo is illegible. New Wordle-esque game lets you guess the list prices of houses for sale. Good news for mice this week—researchers are prolonging their lives and improving their memories. The James Webb Space Telescope finds its first exoplanet. A fire in a Wisconsin daily causes melted butter to flood nearby streams. Ronzoni discontinues its Pastina and the Internet sees stars. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Other Publishing Establishments—2010–2020

According to County Business Patterns, in 2020 there were 664 establishments in NAICS 51119 (Other Publishing). This represents a decrease of 35% since 2010. In macro news, what’s behind the employee shortages?

New Developments at the High End of Production Digital Print

Production inkjet has been seeing great growth, especially after the enhancements in print quality, but electrophotography continues to have some advantages—particularly for higher ink coverage commercial applications. This article considers some new high-end production digital print technologies that will compete for market share and print volume in the future.

Winning in 2023 Is a Team Effort

We present a virtual roundtable of Dscoop and HP Industrial Executives. They discuss the upcoming event in St. Louis, the value of the global Dscoop community, and the close connection between HP and its users as they transform the digital print industry in 2023 and beyond.

Textiles From Seaweed Moves a Step Closer as AlgiKnit Raises $13 Million in Series A Funding

One of the challenges for textiles and apparel with regard to its abysmal sustainability performance is weaning itself away from petro-based fibers, including polyester and polyester blends, which account for about 60% of garment fabrics today. We've written about a number of alternative natural fibers that could replace these detrimental fossil-based plastics. Most recently, seaweed has surfaced as a potentially viable alternative. Sound icky? It’s not. Be sure to read this article compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan that describes the potential of AlgiKnit yarns to make a difference in sustainability for textiles and apparel.

Case Study: Using Google Analytics to Dig Below the Surface

For their New Year’s marketing resolutions, many companies are committing to making better use of Google Analytics to track their traffic and evaluate their marketing efforts. Google Analytics can be a powerful tool, but if you don’t dig deep, it can be misleading, too.

Turnover and Employment in Print in Europe—Italy

This bi-weekly series of short articles aims at shedding a spotlight on the size of the printing industry in Europe per country and how revenues and employment developed in 2020, when the pandemic hit the market. This time we look at Italy, the third-largest printing industry by turnover in Europe.

Corrugated Goes Hybrid

The demand for shorter runs is increasing, driven by consumer market shifts across the packaging landscape. However, justifying the cost of digital corrugated production per package/box, when the ink cost is almost 10X the cost of flexo ink, and close to equal with the media in some cases, is difficult unless there is some added value or a more efficient solution.

Flagship Press Achieves Efficiency and Sustainability with KODAK PRINERGY, COLORFLOW Pro, and INSITE Horsepower

Flagship Press prints everything from books to direct mail, large format to promotional products, because they embrace their range of offset and digital equipment. But their workflow was slow, hard to maintain, and needed more of the features their volumes demanded. They started the search for a faster more automated workflow. In this case study, written and sponsored by Kodak, the answer was Kodak.

The Key to Z: Managing to a Generational Shift

Last summer, we asked our readers, “Are you ready for the Gen Z work force?” As we enter 2023 and the balance between open jobs and available employees still has not balanced out, it’s time to revisit this topic again. Remember that Gen Zers will make up 25% of the workforce by 2025, when they will range in age from 13 to 28. They are a rich source of potential employees—now and for years to come. We thought it would be good to review what they are looking for, how to hire and retain them, as we enter 2023 with an economy this is still a bit chaotic.

The Target Report: Private Equity Feeds Industry Growth—December 2022 M&A Activity

Fortis Completes Banner Year, Commercial Printing is Back; and more…

Graphic Arts Employment Essentially Flat in November

In November 2022, all printing employment was up +0.1% from October. Production employment was up +0.7% and non-production employment was down -1.2%.

Around the Web: Marketing Muster. Creating Crayons. Joe’s Journalism. Going Graphene. Feather Photography. Car Colors. Checking Chuckling. Fish Fiasco.

Marketing Brew rounds up the most overhyped and overlooked marketing trends of 2022. A new book looks at the history of the crayon. Our own Dr. Joe presents a four-part radio documentary about newspapers in old radio dramas. Graphene is poised to replace silicon as the basis or all electronics. Smart elevators look to take us for a ride. Facial recognition for birds via a “smart feeder.” BMW’s E Ink-wrapped car can display millions of colors for quite the road show. Printed electronics for therapeutic wearables. The cool upgrade on Brava’s smart countertop oven is a…glass window. The “LOL Verifier” is a device that will only let a user type LOL when they are actually laughing out loud. A huge aquarium in a Berlin hotel bursts. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Survey Says! Signage and Display Graphics in 2023

It’s that time again, time to sift through the data from our annual Business Outlook Survey for the forthcoming Printing Outlook report. As has become an annual tradition, we break out some wide-format specific data to see what trends we can quantitatively gauge.

Meet Fashion Designer Megan Van Engelen, Winner of the Epson Design Awards

Events like Epson Design Awards are critical to helping new talent get recognized and established. It is this new talent that is the hope for our future. This year, the recipient was Megan van Engelen. In accepting the award, she said, “I really want to tell my story, and I think that’s more important than saying that the world is dying, because at this point, we need to show people how we can offer solutions and I think that’s what designers are for, and that we show people how we can be more sustainable.” Thanks to textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan for sharing this story.

Seven Marketing Shifts for 2023

HubSpot’s Inbound Marketing Report 2023 takes a look at the changes expected for marketers in the coming year. Specifically, there are seven fundamental shifts HubSpot sees occurring among marketers (and impacting everyone else) in 2023. What are they?

Standardized vs. Tailored Implementation Services

Optimization efforts can often result in generalized approaches that miss the mark of delivering what each customer needs, when they need it, based on their specific business needs.

For Gallus, New Leader Brings New Approach to the Future

Today, Gallus and Heidelberg, after some difficulties in the past, are affirming their roles as “natural relatives” to create the innovation and solution which benefit their customers and the industry as a whole.

Help Your Sales: Update Your Website

You know what they say about cobbler’s children? They never have good shoes because the shoes go to paying customers. We have the same challenge in the print industry. Even companies that offer website design as part of their services offering struggle to create a compelling website for their own services. Let’s talk about that!

Johnson’s World—Christmas Times A-Comin’

Steve Johnson shares some tips for sending Christmas cards.

A Printing Carol

Frank has a visit from the Ghost of Printing Past.

Giving: What Goes Around Comes Around

As things start to wind down for a little while, many of us step back, think about new year’s resolutions, and take a look at what we do, how we got here, and where can we go in the future. Those reflections, in some cases, also remind us that perhaps life is really about the rewards of giving.

Around the Web: Clumsy Cat. Welding Wishes. Beautiful Books. Book Binge. Wednesday Website. Color Can Conundrum. TENG Tech. Fusion Feat. PEARLS Peering. Sculpture Saviors. Cheese Cheer. Large Loop.

The winners of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. This Christmas, give the gift of welding classes. How to gift wrap a dog. “The 60 Most Beautiful Books of 2022.” An exhibition called “Building the Book from the Ancient World to the Present Day.” Find out if it’s Wednesday. Seeing red in an image that has no red pixels. Artist and activist Stuart Semple rebels against the color of the year. Graphene-enhanced power sources for flexible electronic devices. What the “fusion experiment” at the National Ignition Facility actually accomplished. Police break into an art gallery to rescue what turned out to be a statue. Dictionary.com weighs in with its word of the year. Adorn your home with the “Cheese Wreath.” Supersize your breakfast with the Big Fruit Loop. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s pre-holiday miscellany.

Have a Little Holiday Cheer/October Shipments the Highest All Year

October 2022 shipments came in at $7.48 billion, up from September’s $7.32 billion—the best month of the year for the industry.

You Have Digital Embellishment—Now, How Do You Market It?

Taktiful’s Kevin Abergel talks to four print service providers about how they market their digital embellishment services and what levels of customer awareness they’re finding.

Dive Right In: Interactive Print Is Mainstream

If there is a story in interactive print these days, it’s accessibility, both for service providers and for their customers. The range of applications is staggering, from 3D product visualizations and virtual try-ons to AR filters, virtual brand ambassadors and 360 tours. Heidi Tolliver-Walker walks through the various platforms and applications.

Streamlining and Speed Are Key for Finishing: Emerging Trends and Technologies

Trish Witkowski rounds up the top trends in finishing and identifies new product introductions that are addressing those trends.

Association Insights: Foil & Specialty Effects Association and the Digital Embellishments Alliance

Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) executive director Jeff Peterson talks about FSEA’s new Digital Embellishment Alliance (DEA), created as an education and communication initiative for the growing digital embellishment segment of the printing industry.

A Carnival of Innovation: The Latest Textile Technology from PRINTING United

Textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor rounds up the textile and apparel technologies that were introduced and shown at PRINTING United.

Improving Results with a Well-Constructed Sales Guide

The process of selling is only becoming more complex with time. Developing and acquiring new business has become a chaotic labyrinth of tracking down prospects, nurturing clients, and closing the sale. Sales leaders must offer tools that create sales efficiency and eliminate the practice of experimenting on valuable clients and prospects. One way to do this is by developing a sales playbook.

Why the Time Is Right to Set Your Designs on Wallpaper

We’re hearing more and more about demand for customized wallpaper—or at least there are more providers offering this solution, ranging from family-owned Raspberry Creek Fabrics to Shutterfly-owned Spoonflower. In this article, compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan, Phil McMullin of Epson talks more about the trend.

Time to Thrive: Digital Labels and Packaging Will Continue to Grow

David Zwang recaps the year in labels and packaging, with a look at notable product releases, and the continued growth of digital labels and packaging.

For Textiles and Apparel, Sustainability Is Key but Progress Is Slow

This was a year of recovery for textiles and apparel as supply chain issues began to settle a bit, and suppliers were back online after the pandemic. Consumers were also buying—both online and back in-stores, which is good news for brands. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne looks back at how the industry has slowly started to embrace sustainability and some of the initiatives to keep an eye on in 2023.

A PSP’s Guide to Choosing Marketing Technology

WhatTheyThink contributor Joanne Gore explains how to navigate the ever-expanding MarTech landscape.

Focus on Everything But Printing: Your Manufacturing Workflow Is the Ticket

Putting ink or toner on a vast range of substrates is something PSPs do daily, and the process is getting a bit easier every year. What is not getting any easier are the operational processes required before and after printing. Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee explain how job onboarding, proofing and approval, and invoicing are the three most consistent problem areas found during workflow assessments for every type of print service provider.

Sales Clinic: Is Your Sales Playbook Holding You Back?

The world of professional sales has changed dramatically, and if you haven’t reviewed and revised your “Sales Playbook” in the past couple of years, it may be holding you back. Contributor Lisa Magnuson looks at a few critical changes affecting each sales stage.

Multiple Best of Breed Software Systems

More software systems create more complexity, which creates more overhead in your business. Choose wisely based on the realistic and mandatory feature sets required to run your business.

Uncovering the Consumer Mindset for 2023

What will consumers be thinking in 2023? How will they behave and what will drive their decisions? Answering these questions was the goal of GWI, an audience targeting company, in its U.S. “Connecting the Dots” report.

Offset Litho Is Far from Dead: Realism Goes Hand-in-Hand with Optimism as Sheetfed Offset OEMs Survey the State of their Marketplace

Offset lithography was the predominant printing process of the 20th century, and it has given up only limited ground to alternative printing methods in the 21st. Patrick Henry reports on how manufacturers of offset press equipment still see it as an essential product to deliver and a vibrant business to be in.

Key Developments in Digital Print: 2022 Was a Mixed Bag

European section editor Ralf Schlözer looks back at some of the notable product announcements in digital print—and identifies some trends to look for in 2023.

Three Transition Trends for 2023

Did your business change over the last couple of years? What have you done to cope? Did you hire new people, add automation to workflows, buy a company, sell a pieces of business, or find new ways to navigate supply chain issues? If any of these items look familiar, you are on the same ride as most of your peers. Let’s find the learnings to get ready for 2023.

Bobst Is Bringing Inkjet Into Their Analog Mix

Bobst has taken a measured approach to entering the digital print fray. Mr. Bobst often states that he prefers to wait for market entry until he has products that are deserving of the Bobst name and will deliver against the high expectations customers have about the company. While initially they offered a few all digital devices, Bobst has now started to integrate their inkjet print technology into their analog product line.

The Graying of Wide Format: Where We Stand in 2022/2023

A look back at the state of wide-format and signage in 2022—and a look ahead to 2023.

Follow the Signs: Career Journeys in the Sign Industry

The visual communications industry, covering $37.5 billion in economic impact, employs over 200,000 people in America. An industry that’s attractive to creatives, it offers a long-term, rewarding career with growth potential. To mark this year’s Sign Manufacturing Day, FASTSIGNS celebrated the holiday by showcasing the longevity and excitement of a career in the industry.

Celebrating 10 Years: David Zwang Chats with BookBaby’s James Foley

BookBaby is a publishing services provider for independent, small and self-publishers. The company is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2022. David Zwang spoke with President James Foley.

Polartec Innovation Delivers Waterproof Fabric with Breathability; Power Shield Membrane Is Also Plant-Based and Non-PFAS

Looking for an athletic garment that is both waterproof and breathable? With new developments from Polartec, that will become easier as its new Power Shield laminate is incorporated into garments expected to come to market in the fall of 2023. We spoke with Michael Cattanach, Polartec’s Global Product Director, to learn more.

Directory and Mailing List Publishing Establishments—2010–2020

According to the latest edition of County Business Patterns, in 2020 there were 594 establishments in NAICS 51114 (Directory and Mailing List Publishers). This represents a decrease of 64% since 2010. In macro news, estimates for Q4 GDP are in the +1.4%–3.4% range.

Around the Web: Word Weirdness. Search Stats. Print Patron. Tidying Tome. Light Love. Purple Panic. Graphene Guns. Wind Wonder. Moon Mania. Lager Lighting.

The OED’s word of the year is…something. Google’s search of the year. GE buys all the ads in the New York Times. A barcode tattoo that can be scanned by a store checkout. A 504-page photobook of people cleaning things. The Northern Lights Photographer of the Year’s 25 best aurora photos. Why are city streetlights turning purple? A graphene-based artificial muscle that is 17 times more powerful than human muscle. Is Grawindy the “next generation of wind technology”? Reusable elastic lids to replace plastic wrap. Artemis I is on its way back from the Moon. “Busch Light Bush Lights” let you drape “electric glowing cans” across the greenery in your yard, for some reason. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Help Your People Become the Difference You Seek

Give your people the tools to become self-aware. Teach them to move beyond their self-defeating behaviors. The closer they get to their full potential, the closer your business will get to its potential. Contributor Wayne Lynn explains how.

Texintel Spotlights Latest Innovations for Digital Manufacturing in Textiles

As we get back to in-person trade shows, suppliers to the textiles and apparel industry are proud to show off the latest innovations, assuring producers that despite the difficulties of the pandemic, supply chain and more in recent years, their development efforts continue. In this industry round-up, textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan shares some of the latest innovations that are driving digitization across the supply chain.

Knowing the Most vs. Willing to Learn the Most

A willingness to learn can be greatly enhanced by creating a safe environment for mistakes to happen. Documented processes are a tool that removes shame and blame from work mistakes and helps the organization get better.

Missed the Print Production Outlook? Get the Highlights Here

Every year, What They Think offers insights into the print production outlook for our industry. This year was no exception. Our webinar “The Print Production Outlook: The Digital Transition Continues” looked at production technology shifts and the trends driving them. Sponsored by Canon Solutions America, the webinar was moderated by Richard Romano with presenter WhatTheyThink European Section Editor Ralph Schlözer.

The Target Report: Specialty Products Take Center Stage—November 2022 M&A Activity

SupremeX Acquires Royal Envelope, Sealed Air Buys Liquibox; and more…

Turnover and Employment in Print in Europe—Germany

This bi-weekly series of short articles aims at shedding a spotlight on the size of the printing industry in Europe per country and how revenues and employment developed in 2020, when the pandemic hit the market. Kicking off the series is Germany, the largest printing industry by turnover in Europe.

Color Me Frustrated: Users React to Adobe, Pantone Rift Over PMS Libraries

Designers and others who were accustomed to hearing Adobe’s creative software natively speaking Pantone’s language of color are now listening to a dialog that comes with an unanticipated price tag. As a service to its members and to the industry in general, Printing Industries Alliance presents this overview of the situation and its consequences for end-users.

Is a Capsule Wardrobe in Your Future?

For some time now, we’ve been asking, “What’s in your closet?” This is in the context of making your lifestyle more sustainable as the world struggles with a growing climate crisis. While governments, NGOs, corporations, and others are working to improve sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint, it really will take all of us to get this done. Learn how serious reconsideration of your wardrobe can be a contributing factor.

PRINERGY Workflow Has Many Different Facets

In mid-October, the European members of the Graphic Users Association met up in Munich after a three-year, COVID-induced hiatus to explore together the far-reaching potential of the new KODAK PRINERGY platform, benefiting from the extensive expertise of workflow professionals, and learn about both new and existing but unexplored features and tools to help customers further develop their business success. This article, written and sponsored by Kodak, recaps the highlights of the conference.

Around the Web: Winning Word. Paper Perfume. Terminal Typewriter. Crazy Cards. Tarot Tech. Horse Hobby. Moon Material. Canine Console. Cosmic Collision. Bambi Butchery. Pasta Pajamas.

Meriam-Webster’s Word of the Year is “gaslighting.” The latest perfume that smells like old books. What Siri might have been like in the 1970s. The creepy world of Victorian Christmas Cards. E Ink-based playing cards in search of a game. A father photoshops the real world to resemble his child’s drawings. Graphene is going to be tested on the moon. “Apple Health, but for dogs.” In the 16th century, you could sue animals. The James Webb Space Telescope watches galaxies collide. Coming soon to a theater near you: “Bambi: the Reckoning.” Olive Garden’s matching family pajamas. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

September Printing Shipments—The High Before the Holidays

September 2022 shipments came in at $7.20 billion, up a little from August’s $7.17 billion—reflecting a return to the industry’s regular seasonality. Could we be back to normal?

Making a Lasting Impression with the Ultimate Unboxing Experience

The unboxing experience is one of the most important factors in any modern business transaction. In addition to providing customers with the first glimpse of the product they’ve been waiting for, it sets the tone for their entire experience with the brand. This article explores the importance of the unboxing experience and considers how businesses can create lasting memories with their customers.

Kent UK’s PressOn Has Been a Disruptive Force for More than 20 Years

Andy Wilson, the owner of Kent UK based PressOn, a wide-format printing company, entered the print industry some 28 years ago and has been a disruptive force ever since. He has consistently questioned the norm to develop and deliver new products, applications, and commercial opportunities—often in challenging times. We share his story here, compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan.

Asking Your Employees About Their Challenges

Diving into your business to mine ROI out of your processes is best done with your ears and your eyes. Observe and listen to how the processes are being managed today, then step back and choose the challenges that return the most ROI for your business.

Content Marketing Using AI: Putting Jasper to the Test

Contributor Heidi Tolliver-Walker takes a deep dive into using an AI writing engine like Jasper to develop content for use by members of the commercial printing industry.

Is the Company Being Paid for What They Print?

Once a sale is made the job is not done. Not only does the work have to be performed, but the customer must be invoiced, and the money collected. There are many steps on the journey to ensuring that what was sold is what gets billed, but let’s start at the beginning.

DIY Integration: The Secret to Operational Success

The print service provider, their suppliers, and their customers are all a part of a value chain ecosystem, and as such their individual processes need to be aligned and bridged with each other for maximum operational benefit. As a result many of the more successful PSPs have tailored their workflow systems to their specific needs, usually using a modular Lego-like logic.

Preparing for Hunkeler innovationdays 2023

WhatTheyThink European correspondent Ralf Schlözer talks with Daniel Erni, Chief Sales Officer Global at Hunkeler AG, to explore what to expect at the upcoming Hunkeler innovationdays, taking place from February 27 to March 2, 2023, in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Appropriateness, Sustainability, and Availability: The Three Big Concerns in Choosing Signage Materials

Whether you are producing printed signage using the inkjet printing technologies we most commonly write about in WhatTheyThink, or constructing signage from traditional building materials, choosing the right material for the right job is perhaps the number-one consideration for any project. At the same time, there are two (at least) factors affecting the choice of materials for signage: availability and sustainability.

What is Carbon Capture and Why Is It Important?

There is a lot of discussion around companies and governments reducing their carbon footprints, aiming toward carbon neutrality by some date, and changes they plan to make to accomplish these sustainability goals as part of the effort to bring the climate crisis under control. But little is being said about a companion approach: carbon capture and repurposing. This article defines carbon capture and presents its current technological state.

Book Publishing Establishments—2010–2020

According to the latest edition of County Business Patterns, in 2020 there were 2,357 establishments in NAICS 51113 (Book Publishing). This represents a decrease of 21% since 2010. In macro news, October retail sales were up.

Around the Web: PRINT Props. Typography Tutorial. Site Slaughter. Swift Seat. Wandering Walls. Car Copy. Galactic Graphene. Star Start. Cold Color.

The 2023 PRINT Awards are now open. Friedrich Nietzsche’s Malling-Hansen Writing Ball. A branding expert talks about creative a bespoke typeface. A website that “deteriorates” every time someone visits it. Volkswagen’s motorized office chair can cruise up to 12 mph. A cubicle with motorized walls that can follow you around. Get a Hot Wheels version of your own car. A portmanteau word generator. Graphene is going into space. The James Webb Space telescope captures a protostar. Coors has developed nail polish that changes color when its temperature drops to a level acceptable for drinking a Coors Light. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Aquario Textile Design Software Delivers Essential Tools for the Surface Pattern Designer—Create, Color, Repeat, and Print

The design of textiles now demands speed, accuracy and embedded data. The patterns we create are no longer single use, and in a digitized world, their final product form, material application, and flexibility must now be considered and often incorporated into the original artwork. WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan looks at Aquario Textile Designer offers a comprehensive suite of professional apparel and textile design tools with which to prepare and perfect the origination and production of a textile pattern or product.

It’s All About the Experience: This Year’s Digital Signage Experience Awards Finalists Transform Public Spaces

Tomorrow, the winners of the Digital Signage Experience Awards—or “DIZZIES”—will be announced, honoring the cutting edge in electronic signs and immersive multimedia experiences. Our friends at SNA Displays had their LED display technologies used by four nominees in the running. We take a look at these digital signage installations.

The Leadership Challenge Is in the Context

In his last article, Wayne Lynn talked about the contextual realities that permeate leadership. Those realities often have paradoxical elements that require the leader to modulate his/her approach to most effectively deal with the situation in front of them. In this article Wayne goes a step further by describing what he believes is the crux of the leader’s context in the current environment.

Content Marketing Requires Content—Where Do You Get It?

In today’s marketing world, content is king, and marketing in the printing industry is no exception. But printers aren’t writers, a challenge compounded by the fact that printing industry content tends to be highly technical. Coming up with content is a skill of its own. Where do you find it?

When Solutions Cause More Problems

Solving challenges in your print business that involve your software solutions can be tricky because your team has a strong bias to how you are currently working and generally no experience of how other companies are utilizing the software.

Sign Connection—On the Horizon: Seven Tips for the Return of Events

If you attended PRINTING United last month, you know that virtually everyone is happy that live events are back. And as many of us have found out, they are not without their risks, COVID-wise. SpeedPro VP of Marketing Danielle Yuthas offers seven tips for hosting events safely and effectively.

Producing Board Games Is Not Child’s Play

The global board games market (including puzzles and card games) was valued at $13.75 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach a value of $30.93 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 13.7% according to The Global Board Games Market report from Skyquest. European section editor Ralf Schlözer takes a comprehensive look at the forces affecting this dynamic industry—from the surge in board game sales during the pandemic, to increasingly digital production of games, and more sustainable production processes.

Who Will Pay for Climate Change? Climate Pledges Fall Short and Developing Nations Call Out the Failures at COP27

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is in its 27th year, and achievements have fallen far short of expectations. COP27, which is underway as of this writing, has for the first time seriously put the issue of loss and damage on the agenda, with the hope that there will actually be some sort of resolution before the end of the conference, and that developed countries will actually follow through on their promises.

New Mariano Rivera Foundation Print Training Center Set to Open in Premium Color Graphics’ New Jersey Facility

The Mariano Rivera Foundation’s Print Design Packaging Development Program has been gaining steam since it launched in early 2021. New trainees are finding jobs, and printers are finding qualified employees. Now, as the program grows, a new training center is set to launch in the Premium Color Graphics’ Carlstadt, NJ facility in January 2023.

Around the Web: First-Place Fromage. Lice Language. Gorey Gala. Graphene Garments. “Fast Furniture.” Redaction Recreation. Computer Cuisine. Breakaway Baubles.

What won Best Cheese for 2022? The oldest sentence in Canaanite has been found. Entries from this year’s Edward Gorey House All-Ages Envelope Art Contest. A 3D-printed clay humidifier made from industrial waste. A new line of graphene-enhanced activewear that keeps the wearer warm. Cheap, more or less disposable furniture is the next environmental scourge. “Redactle”: a daily game in which the user tries to determine the subject of a random redacted Wikipedia article. Can AI create original, edible recipes? Also: Scientists increasingly can’t explain how AI works. A hacked drone can find the location of every WiFi-connected device in your house. Vlasic has created a scented candle that looks and smells like a jar of pickles. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly post-election miscellany.

Printing Outlook 2023 Sneak Peek: Business Conditions Slipped in 2022

Our preliminary Fall Print Business Survey results are in and our Business Conditions Index dropped slightly from 2021. Last year marked a rebound from the plummeting conditions in 2020, and 2022 likely represents a move toward stability.

Production Inkjet Shopping Guide 1 – Entry Level

This guide aims at providing an overview of the main inkjet presses available for commercial and document-oriented applications. This first in a four part series of articles will focus on entry and low volume devices, the most affordable presses in the market.

3D Printing and the Future of Organ Transplants

3D printing has revolutionized a variety of industries in the recent past, and the healthcare sector is no exception. This article explores how the 3D printing of human organs, also known as “bio-printing,” might change the way we handle transplant needs in the future.

Investing for Success: Caspar Offers a Smart Production Solution for Digital Textile Printing

As the digitization of the textile industry accelerates, on-demand textile printer Caspar’s business model is built for a new decade of industrial manufacturing using smart technologies—they have equipped their smart factory with necessary tools for success. This interview, compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan, tells the story.

The Reality of SaaS & the Delusion of Software Ownership

You can’t buy software like a press. It must keep moving with the technology infrastructure, the market, and your business. SaaS is a subscription model that better matches the reality of the way you need software to keep evolving.

Ricoh Releases the Dragon: The Ricoh Pro Z75 Goes Into Beta

Even with Ricoh’s background in inkjet and cutsheet digital toner press manufacturing, developing a reliable larger format cutsheet industrial press takes a lot of research, testing, and time. With the Ricoh Pro Z75, this new B2+ press may really be a game changer.

Looking Back to Sell Forward

Sales professionals know how to calculate sales margins vs. contribution margins. They are handy with calculating job pricing, and proficient in sales methodologies. At this time of year it’s worth taking a moment to look back to lay plans for next year!