Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

Pouring Another Cup O’ Joe: Points for Sellers to Ponder as the M&A Climate Improves

A pent-up eagerness for deals makes it all the more important for those venturing back into the M&A marketplace as sellers to be clear about why they should sell—and why buyers should want to acquire them.

Interpreting Media Use Headlines

Dr. Joe's glad he didn't buy Facebook stock, and explains why the company's stock price matters little to media decision-makers. And then there's the magazine circulation thing. Why is everyone so surprised that it's down? Yet again he rails about inflation, but at least he has some fresh new inflation multipliers to annoy company controllers and CFOs

Become Extraordinary by Building a Loyal Customer Base!

Savvy businesses know that they can build a loyal customer base by providing extraordinary value-added customer service. This article references recent industry research to describe how print service providers can improve loyalty by becoming strategically important to their customers.

Navigating the RIP Tide: Print Workflow Software Comes in All Shapes, Sizes, and Capabilities

Richard provides some features and issues to keep a special eye out for when looking at RIP's for wide-format printing.

What Can We Expect in 2014

Andy gives a followup on some of the responses he received to a recent article where he commented on HP’s decision not to exhibit at the IPEX trade show in 2014.

Are Your Sales People an Asset or Liability?

The role of the sales person has dramatically changed and companies are struggling with how they recruit, hire, compensate, train and manage these essential employees. In order to address this challenge a systematic approach should be designed and implemented. In this series of articles we will address this challenge.

Is the Time Right for Digital Postal Mail?

Digital postal mail system provider Zumbox recently announced that it had secured $10 million in Series C capital, bringing total capital raised to $28 million. What’s driving the interest on the part of investors? Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Zumbox to learn more.

Pitney Bowes and ORION Printing: Optimizing the Marketing Supply Chain for IPG

ORION Holdings and Pitney Bowes have launched a strategic partnership enabling ORION Holdings to create a new unit, ORION Printing. Through its partnership with Pitney Bowes, ORION Printing will focus on supplying print management solutions to IPG companies globally. This article discusses the actions that marketers can take to increase the efficiency of their processes for ordering, storing, and delivering marketing materials.

When we say ‘Become a Solutions Provider,’ this is what we mean

Selling print is a commodity business. In search of higher margins, the mantra is to become a Solutions Provider, aka Marketing Services Provider. Unfortunately the terminology seems to take on many meanings and the message gets diluted.

End Game: In Wide-Format Printing, Finishing is Where the Real Work Begins

Those new to wide-format printing—and even some veterans—often give short shrift to what happens to a print once it comes off press. In wide-format printing, however, the real added value is often in the finishing.

Hierarchy of Needs: Print Customers

Much like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for humans, printers need to elevate their offerings above quality, service, and price in order to stay competitive.

Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail: the Necessity of Strategizing Acquisitions

It may be possible to run a printing company without a formal plan, but buying or selling a printing company will be very difficult to bring off successfully without the help of a written roadmap. An acquisition plan is a vital navigation aid that guides the process and certifies the desirability of the deal.

Drupa 2012, the Inkjet Drupa…again? A closer look at Founder Electronics

In this fourteenth article of the series, David looks at Founder, its production inkjet offerings and applications.

Requiem for a Heavyweight: The On Demand Printing & Publishing Exposition & Conference

Charlie Corr of mimeo.com looks at some of the history surrounding the On Demand Show

Marketing Automation: Learning How to Pull the Trigger

Using advanced data management and cloud-based marketing tools, marketers can send trigger-based communications and create individual campaigns specifically designed to be sent to members of a defined target audience at precisely the right time. This article provides an overview of trigger-based marketing techniques and describes how small and medium-sized businesses are leveraging trigger-based marketing to improve their bottom lines.

European demographics and advertising trends – how they will affect print

With the Olympics starting in London, let’s turn our attention to Europe and specifically the future of print and paper in Europe.

Beyond the Pale: White Inks Offer Unique Wide-Format Challenges and Applications

Those of us used to traditional offset and digital printing rarely give the concept of white ink a second thought. After all, “white” is typically synonymous with the color of paper, so when we want something to be white, we design it with the absence of any color. (Tellingly, in Adobe InDesign, we select the color swatch labeled “Paper.”) There are situations, however, when—oxymoronic as it may seem—we need to specify the color white.

Heidelberg, A New Vision for the Future?

Last week the following significant announcement was made about the future of Heidelberg. Bernhard Schreier, CEO of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg), will not be extending his management contract when it expires midyear 2013 and will be leaving the company at the end of 2012.

Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

Steven Covey died recently. He helped people be more effective by helping them develop a set of Habits based on principles. Start with an end in mind and then create personal and interpersonal habits to help you get what you want effectively.

Printing in Brazil: Rodrigo Abreu Talks About AlphaGraphics

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was recently the keynote speaker at ABIGRAF’s GEDIGI digital printing conference in São Paulo, Brazil, and spent time with Rodrigo Abreu, the holder of the International Master License for AlphaGraphics in Brazil. Read what Rodrigo has to say about printing in Brazil and some of the innovative actions he is taking to grow the business.

A Refresher Course: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Author and businessman Stephen R. Covey recently passed away at the age of 79. This article highlights the key points from Covey’s 1989 bestseller entitled The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and explains how these concepts remain relevant for today’s businesses.

Wide-Format Printing Presents Unique Sustainability Challenges, Opportunities

The past five years have seen an increased discussion of, and emphasis on, the idea of “sustainability.” Sustainability can refer to many things, but one of the oft-discussed components of it is environmental sustainability. That is, what is the impact of a product or process on the environment, and what are the ways of reducing that impact?

Relevance and Industry Capacity

Here Dr. Joe goes again, on another capacity rant. It's about two years since his last one, so we guess we should cut him some slack. This time he takes a slightly different look, or at least he says he did. You decide.

Canon’s Dennis Amorosano Talks about Cloud, Mobility and More

WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Dennis Amorosano, Sr. Director, Solutions Marketing & Business Support at Canon USA, to learn what Canon is doing in the Cloud/Mobility space in a wide-ranging discussion from the office and production into the Cloud.

High Speed Inkjet: Part of the Integrated Customer Experience at First Data

Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC recently completed a large-scale implementation at First Data (Atlanta, GA). This article covers Barb Pellow’s interview with First Data executives as they discuss how the company is using print technology in a cross-media world.

Who’s Going to IPEX?

A major piece of news in recently has been the decision of HP not to exhibit at IPEX. Andy gives his opinion on why he thinks this decision was made.

Recovery Indicators Take an Interesting Wrong Turn

The recovery continues to limp along, and then the Commerce Department says that May printing shipments were just incredibly good. Sure, they tease us a few weeks ago by yanking $600 million in shipments from the first quarter in their annual revision, and now it looks like someone may have snuck them back into May when they thought no one was looking. Dr. Joe explains it all, including a great way to get back to sleep when insomnia hits.

Outlook for Digital Printing for Packaging

Digital Printing for Packaging is growing quickly; by 2016 it will be worth nearly $12.2 billion, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.6% during 2011–16. This equates to 37 billion A4 prints in 2011 and 75.9 billion in 2016. The growth is driven by the changing demands of packaging buyers – more varieties and pack sizes is fragmenting the market, leading to shorter runs that digital technology can produce economically

Clean and Simple: FlexoConcepts Offers Uncomplicated Solution for Better Washups

With its microprocessors, relays, sensors, and software, a modern printing press is a marvel at squeezing time and cost out of production runs. But, one maker of press cleaning accessories contends that these complex systems can still get a big helping hand in a key press function from a simple but strategically placed strip of durable plastic.

Drupa 2012, the Inkjet Drupa…again? A closer look at IMPIKA

In this thirteenth article of the series, David looks at IMPIKA, its production inkjet offerings and applications.

A Tour of Canon’s Suzhou facility

WhatTheyThink recently joined other editors and analysts on a media tour of Canon’s production facility in Suzhou, China. The visit was part of a second leg of a trip that included a visit to the company’s Tokyo headquarters. The plant tour in Suzhou was an opportunity to see the Canon production system up close.

New President of Sharp Imaging and Information shares vision of future for Sharp

Doug Albregts has been President of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) since November 2012. He talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about why he chose Sharp and the company’s prospects.

CEO Fujio Mitarai and Canon Host US Media Tour

WhatTheyThink recently joined other editors and analysts on a media tour to Canon’s headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. There, we were given a unique opportunity to hear from Canon Chairman & CEO Fujio Mitarai on his “5 Year Plan” strategy that focuses on reforming production and a profitable position in the markets they serve.

Symcor: Being Strategic in Re-tooling Workflow

Erika Andersen’s book entitled Being Strategic: Plan for Success, Out-think Your Competitors, Stay Ahead of Change explains how to approach business in a strategic manner. This article highlights tips from the book and provides a real-world example of how Symcor is re-tooling its business to become more strategic.

HP and IPEX 2014: The Full Story

HP surprised the printing industry when the news came out last week that the company had decided not to exhibit at Ipex 2014, which is moving from its long-time location in Birmingham to new digs in London. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with HP’s Sumeer Chandra to get a better understanding of what was behind this decision, and also includes an official statement from IPEX.

Look Before You Leap

Developing a business plan focused on the needs of your market is more critical now than ever to help you stay in business. Rapid advances in technology give you more options on how to grow and take your business forward. Equipment and service decisions need to be driven by your market needs – not your competition.

Think Patented Buys Big at drupa

We’ve heard the vendor reports about drupa successes and seen the press releases rolling out. But there is nothing better than speaking directly to buyers. Think Patented bought big at drupa and Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Chairman and Managing Partner Niels Winther and CEO and Managing Partner, Ken McNerney to find out more.

Xerox CMO Christa Carone Discusses How to Engage Marketing Executives

Barb Pellow recently had the opportunity to interview Christa Carone, Chief Marketing Officer at Xerox. This article offers highlights from the interview, including key challenges that service providers face and how to address these challenges head-on.

Packaging at drupa 2012: Some Out-of-the-Box ideas!

While drupa isn’t technically a packaging show, there were many packaging solutions on display and a great deal of interest in the segment on the part of visitors. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reviews a few of the new development she came across as she traversed the many halls in Messe Dusseldorf during her 12 days of drupa …

Embrace Software (Just Like You Did with Manufacturing)

Software is the tool to remain relevant and integrated with the new communication methods. The print industry’s future will depend on embracing software like we did manufacturing – creating new reasons to print and optimizing and integrating existing applications.

Toshiba's No-Print Day is Awkward and Scandalous, But Don’t Let It Divert You from Bigger Trends

The industry's hackles have been raised by Toshiba's No-Print Day, and it's ironic that the company picks a date with some historical importance for print to hold the event. Toshiba's thinking needs to be confronted, but engagement with their audiences is a more important action for our associations and our businesses.

Postal Vision 2020 v2.0; USPS Strategy Opportunity as a “Platform”

The second Postal Vision conference drew 150 attendees to Washington DC’s L’Enfant Plaza Hotel. This was two Metro stops from the real decision makers, i.e., Congress and the United States Postal Service. No one from Congress could squeeze it in but USPS’ new Digital Solutions President and Strategic Planning Manager were in attendance as well as representatives of the two primary Postal Unions for the two-day duration.

Toshiba – Greenwashing Company of the Year

We often get some rather stupid approaches by companies trying to put out marketing messages to enhance their position in the eyes of potential consumers. Sometimes these approaches show just how stupid marketing people can be and in fact show just how little they know of the real situation in the market.

NBS: Celebrating 40 Years of Adding Value for Customers

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, NBS started out as a data entry service provider. This article explores how the company transformed itself into a digital printing and mailing services expert by positioning for future growth.

M&A Mythbusting: Just How Good an Investment Is a General Commercial Printing Business?

Some think that general commercial printing companies aren’t worthy targets for acquisition by other printing firms. That’s a major misperception, say the M&A experts of NDP.

An Economic Update You Won't See in the Press

Economic conditions are being twisted and distorted by the long-held biases of the business press. The charged political climate of an election year fans passions that magnify momentary small and nearly meaningless changes in economic data into cataclysms or triumphs. You have to step back to see what's really happening, or not happening. Small businesses can't choose economic conditions, but they can choose their means of navigation.

drupa Post-Show Report: Around the Messe in 50 Tweets

This time, instead of a long-form review of product announcements at drupa 2012, here are the highlights in a format that many of us are getting accustomed to: Tweetable bursts of 140 characters or less.

IWCO Direct: Being Direct Works!

We hear a lot about companies transforming themselves into marketing services organizations, but IWCO Direct provides a great model for success. This article provides a brief overview of IWCO Direct’s history and explains how the company is taking an integrated approach to truly transform itself.

Digital Printing at drupa – Part 2

In my last article, I covered what I felt were the key trends in digital printing at drupa. In this article I want to look at some of the trends and try to put them into context in the market.

Drupa 2012, the Inkjet Drupa…again? A closer look at MGI

In this twelfth article of the series, David looks at MGI, its production inkjet offerings and applications.

Stop Selling Stuff & Start Adding Value

Within the great majority of companies today, the practice of sales as a business discipline has become at best ineffective - and in many cases flat-out obsolete.

Attention Graph Expo Exhibitors: Please, Not More of the Same!

Coming off of a press conference extravaganza at drupa, WhatTheyThink’s Senior Editor Cary Sherburne challenges Graph Expo exhibitors to change the press conference game. (And feature more customers in their booths!)

Marketing Services: How Much Should You Charge?

Earlier in 2012, Mike Moniteiro published a book entitled Design is a Job. Although this book is targeted toward the design community, its lessons also resonate with organizations that are attempting to add marketing services to their offerings. In this article, Barb Pellow describes how service-oriented businesses can leverage the principles in this book to become marketing service providers.

The Hybrid drupa

With drupa behind us, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne takes a retrospective look at this landmark drupa and dubs it the “Hybrid drupa.” What does she mean by that? It’s more than print engines! Read on …

The Future of Inkjet Printing – post drupa review

Inkjet printing will grow from a $33.4 billion market in 2011 to $67.3 billion in 2017, according to new research from Smithers Pira. Dr. Sean Smyth, consultant at Smithers Pira, provides an overview of the latest trends in inkjet printing, including developments from drupa.

Who Makes Your Purchasing Decisions?

Organizations have reduced staff due to a drop in sales and the recession. How is purchasing structured in your organization? Now is the time to review your structure, personnel and process for purchasing in your organization and set your objectives.

Inkjet: Taking Care of Business at Webcom

With the technologies now available, book manufacturers can respond to critical market trends and support the increased need for digital book manufacturing. This article provides a brief overview of the changes that are occurring in the book printing/publishing market and explores how companies like Webcom are facilitating these changes.

Digital Printing at drupa – Part 1

Looking back over what appears to be a very successful drupa one can see all the new announcements in both analog and digital printing and hopefully can put them into context.

New words for a new print world

The vocabulary of print is changing. Our language in the printing industry is now beset with many new concepts and technologies. We need a common lexicon to help define and communicate.

Two State-of-the-Industry Briefings at drupa Give Equal Reason for Optimism and Concern

“We need to be in the outcome business, not the output business,” said a printing executive at drupa. “They trust you,” said a senior spokesman for a vendor about the underlying strength of printer-customer relationships. Both presentations were rich in insights about the state of print markets and the prospects that printers will discover in them.

Running Toward Confusion is Good Advice

Dr. Joe is frequently asked questions at conferences, webinars, and by e-mail from around the world that sometimes turn into columns. This week, as a result of some of those questions, he explains why confusion is good, misconceptions start with ourselves, not others; how digital natives affect the workforce; and other matters. And then, there are those seemingly innocent news items that he puts into a different context. That Dr. Joe... he makes your head hurt sometimes.

Special drupa Recognition

Back home from drupa 2012 and preparing to write some insightful articles about the show, the announcements and what it means for our industry over the next four years, so watch for those. Hint of what’s to come: for me, this was the Hybrid drupa. But first I wanted to offer some special recognition from a journalist’s perspective.

Tukaiz: Deploying Drucker’s Principles of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

In 1985, Peter Drucker published a book entitled Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Although Drucker’s book is nearly 30 years old, its lessons remain relevant. In this article, Barb Pellow discusses how Tukaiz, a supplier of quality marketing communication products and services, is putting Drucker’s principles of Innovation and Entrepreneurship into practice.

You Closed the Deal—What’s Next? Here Are the Steps To Take Now That the Ink Is Dry

Inking the merger of two printing companies is the formality that signals the beginning of the hard part: implementation. Methodical planning and careful communication can go a long way toward smoothing the transition.

The “Half of All Workers Don't Pay Taxes” Mantra is Starting to Get Taxing

You've heard it many times from many quarters: “Half of all workers don't pay taxes.” Dr. Joe has gotten tired of hearing this and offers a different perspective. He explores who actually pays taxes, why what you commonly hear about taxes is always out of context, and how the benefits of tax avoidance are immediate, predictable, and risk-free. That's exactly what the economy does not need. Everyone will find something to dislike in this column.

Q&A with InnerWorkings CEO Eric Belcher

Chicago-based InnerWorkings, a print procurement and management company, reported on May 3 record first quarter 2012 financial results. CEO Eric Belcher briefly talked with WhatTheyThink about his company, waste and duplication in printing, and offered some business advice.

Highcon: Finishing the Box at drupa!

The cutting and creasing of carton board to create the physical form of a package has historically been a bottleneck. While the graphical elements of a package can be created, approved, and printed in hours or days, cutting and creasing can add weeks to the process. Highcon addressed this issue head-on with the introduction of its Euclid production-speed digital cutting and creasing machine at drupa 2012.

Drupa 2012, the Inkjet Drupa…again? My exit interview

In this article of the series, David shares some observations on drupa, a look at some of the inkjet announcements, potential implications, and offerings.

First Reactions to drupa 2012: Searching for a “Big Picture” of the Big Show

What were the principal take-aways from drupa 2012? What was new and exciting in the exhibit halls? Where is the industry headed? We’re sifting our notebooks for the answers. In the meantime, here are some broad observations about the character and “feel” of the show.

The New Liquid Toner Generation

While most of the attention at drupa has been concentrated on the subject of B2 sheet fed inkjet presses, and also on the impact of Benny Landa’s new Nanographic Printing Process, there has been another major development that has stayed somewhat under the radar.

Latest Information on Landa's Nanographic Printing

Catch up on the latest information, videos and exclusive reports about Landa's nanographic printing platform.

Everything you wanted to know about UV Lamps

UV curing technology is seeing increased use in the printing industry, primarily for inks and coatings. UV lamps are a high performance component of the drying system. Proper maintenance as well as shopping around for sources can help you get the most from these systems.

Drupa 2012, the Inkjet Drupa…again? Initial notes from the field

In this article of the series, David takes an initial look at some of inkjet announcements, potential implications, and offerings???

The Prime Group: Transforming Business

Originally founded as a traditional offset printer, Prime Group has evolved into a provider of value-added items such as personalized products and cross-media marketing services. This article provides an overview of how Prime Group transformed itself into one of the U.K.’s leading providers of customized and personalized specialty items.

Package Printing to Be a Highlight of KBA’s drupa Presentations

Much of the activity at KBA’s stand in Hall 16 at drupa will center upon packaging, an application in which the company has always claimed a competitive edge. At drupa, KBA will reassert the claim with systems it describes as engineered to meet today’s highest-priority requirements in packaging production.

Xerox at drupa 2012 and Beyond

As we rapidly approach drupa 2012, WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talked with Jeff Jacobson, president, Xerox Global Graphic Communications, to find out what Xerox is up to and what we can expect to see at drupa and beyond.

The Perfect Invention

Pricing for standard printing jobs is typically a cost plus scenario, however when you are selling solutions you have the option to price based on value and then get your fair share of the value you create. You just need a way to figure out what the value is to your client we'll show you a simple tool for making that calculation.

Landa to Give New Life for Offset Iron

As drupa prepares to open its doors to the public, I am wondering if two announcements in the past week may indicate a major change in the printing industry, and also a new lease of life for two of the leading offset press vendors.

Mohawk Reinvention: Tom O’Connor, Chairman & CEO Speaks Out

Following the mid-April announcement by Mohawk about its reinvention plans, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Thomas D. O’Connor, Jr., the company’s Chairman & CEO, to dig deeper.

Xerox and the Cloud: Deb Cantabene Talks About Forward Strategy

There is no question that drupa 2012 will be an inkjet drupa, where inkjet technologies really begin to come into their own. But it will also be a “cloud computing” drupa. We have already seen a major announcement from Adobe, and many more companies are moving in that direction, including Xerox. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Xerox’s Deb Cantabene to find out more about the company’s cloud strategy.

What I Learned at the Océ Direct Mail Summit

We were invited as the guest of Océ to participate in their recent Direct Mail Summit in Boca Raton, Florida. The agenda was focused on understanding how to generate more direct mail business and included both Océ executives and industry experts.

At drupa, KBA’s RotaJET 76 Digital Inkjet Press Will Reveal Deep Roots in Web Offset Production

KBA’s venture into digital printing with its new RotaJET 76 inkjet web press has origins in a market that the company knows well: high-volume offset web production.

Promoting Your Large Format Business in a Digital World

In today’s economy, getting the most out of your marketing dollars requires a smarter and more creative approach. With a little bit of creativity, wide format providers can leverage public relations, innovative Websites, networking, customer education, and social media to reach customers and grow their businesses. This analysis provides five key strategies for promoting your business.

New Screening Technology to Enhance Your Business

These days when print is so competitive, printers need to be able to utilize technology to make them stand out from their competition. Andy looks at a new screening technology that may save money, improve productivity and enhance quality.

Another drupa is Upon Us... Now What?

Dr. Joe tells us what drupa and other trade shows mean to the new capital investment patterns of our industry. He thinks capital investments are becoming more tactical than strategic, more continuous than discrete. This is a problem, because “capex” often locks in a vision of media markets, making it harder to adjust to market changes. Just what we need: Dr. Joe having visions again.

At drupa, Social Media Will Help Xerox Share the Experience

When Xerox exhibits at drupa, its presence won’t be limited to stand A62 in hall 8b. Throughout the show, the company intends to maintain an equally high profile in the realm of social media as it attempts to viralize not just its own drupa experience but the pulse and the intelligence of the event as a whole.

How a 1987 Joint Venture Might Have Changed Digital Printing History

In this WhatTheyThink exclusive, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne tells the story of DX Imaging, a DuPont/Xerox joint venture founded in 1987, that might have changed printing history.

Looking for a Big Opportunity? Think Large Format!

Commercial printers and in-plants are adding large format capabilities, and many report that this move has enabled them to capture additional marketing dollars from new and existing customers. Large format is increasing in importance because it has become a key customer touchpoint for marketers of all sizes. This article takes a closer look at the wide format market opportunity.

Digital Presses at drupa: Delphax, HP, Kodak, Komori, Landa, Presstek, Ryobi, Xeikon

In this Part Two of her pre-drupa overview, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reviews some of the new digital presses visitors to drupa will be able to see. It is not, by any means, an exhaustive list … while this is being called the inkjet drupa redux, there are also very interesting announcements in the toner space as well.

Vistaprint Revisited: New Acquisitions

WhatTheyThink profiled Vistaprint in January 2011and the company has made some notable acquisitions since then, so we are taking an updated look at what has been in development. Conclusion? Vistaprint is still charging ahead.

KBA Prepares for drupa in Confident, Customer-Focused Frame of Mind

Every four years, the international printing community gathers at drupa and asks itself a question: How are we doing? The Koenig & Bauer Group (KBA) believes that if every vendor’s experience over the last few years had been as positive as its own, the collective answer would have to be: Never better.

High-Profile Industry Figure in Latest Role: Frank Steenburgh, a.k.a “DocuFrank,” Joins NDP as Partner

It would be impossible to speak for very long about the evolution of digital printing without bringing Frank Steenburgh’s name into the conversation.

Drupa 2012, the Inkjet Drupa…again? Are you prepared to acquire production inkjet? Part 2

In this 11th and final article of the series, David looks at how to make sense of and apply the information he has presented to make informed purchasing decisions.

Gearing up for drupa: Workflow news from Chili Publisher, Enfocus, Esko, HP, Kodak, Xeikon and X-Rite Pantone

March was a pre-drupa whirlwind for many of us journalist/industry analyst types. No one can attend all of the events, but it seemed like I had more than my share. I will be breaking my report up into three parts … the first will focus on the softer side—color management, workflow, etc. Stay tuned for additional information on new digital presses, finishing and more. Companies covered here: Chili Publisher, Enfocus, Esko, HP, Kodak, Xeikon and X-Rite Pantone

In-Plants: “The Times They Are A-Changin’”

In just in the past few months, the print service operations at the University of North Carolina and Johns Hopkins University made headlines by shutting their doors. Printing is declining, so the volume of work has dropped. More and more of work is being done electronically. The small-run printing that most universities need is being completed with digital equipment, basically high-end digital copiers. In-plants need to change with the times if they hope to survive.

Hybrid Printing at drupa

One of the key trends we are seeing today is the rise of the hybrid printing system. This is where a mix of printing technologies are used on a press or finishing system to allow for adding variable data to offset or flexo printed content.

Surviving “the Printing Industry’s Perfect Storm”—and Its Aftermath

A “perfect storm” of change has transformed the printing industry, and every traditional printing operation caught in it faces the same decision: either issue a Mayday and sell the boat, or do nothing and watch the ship sink.

Drupa 2012, the Inkjet Drupa…again? A closer look at Delphax

In this tenth article of the series, David looks at Delphax, and its new production inkjet offerings and applications.

Delphax elan—a Game Changer?

In February, Delphax Technologies announced it would be bringing to market a digital color print system powered by Memjet at drupa 2012. Industry watchers have been waiting to get more details on this sheet-fed device and the news is finally out. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne gets the details from Delphax’ Dieter Schilling.

Everyone is Talking about Integrating Social Media and Direct Marketing… SourceLink is Doing Something!

A presence in the virtual world is essential to any successful marketing plan, but organizations of all sizes are getting lost in social media. Service providers must decide how they plan to participate in this market. This article discusses how SourceLink’s TAG solution is harnessing the power of social media sharing.

Commentary & Analysis

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