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Green-washing, green-wishing, and any terminology in between no longer washes. Consumers are becoming more aware of the damage the textile industry does to the planet. The industry must quickly reevaluate the fashion supply chain. Ethically conscious consumers evaluate their purchase decisions around the sustainability and traceability of the manufactured product. To evaluate the integrity of these products, the consumer must rely on the quality of the certification provided to reinforce their choice. Gone are the days when buzz words like “eco-friendly,” “organic,” and “sustainable” will suffice. See how the EU Digital Product Passport may help in this article compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan.
Consumers are no longer satisfied with only buying mass-produced products. Online and brick-and-mortar print shops have offered B2B and B2C buyers the ability to customize printed products, but the process is sometimes complex and hard to understand. Pat McGrew looks at LiveArt’s web-to-print services which address the gap between off-the-shelf web-to-print solutions available in the market and the growing needs of printers requiring more custom-tailored solutions for their clients.
Want more productivity, higher levels of efficiency, and greater profitability? Automation is one way to get there, but lean is, too. In this Q&A, Bill Prettyman, CEO of Wise, discusses why lean is no longer a strategy for the business. It’s become the strategy for the business.
APTech’s LeadingPRINT Summit, held June 14 and 15 at the Westin O’Hare in Rosemont, Ill., featured two days of formal presentations and informal discussions of the biggest challenges facing the industry and how to address them. The event was capped off by a tour of Morton Grove, Ill.’s Quantum Group. This article recaps the event.
The previously announced Gallus One digital label press is more than just an “all in one” label press, jointly developed by Gallus and Heidelberg. It is at the core of an expandable ecosystem designed for the industry’s digital future and the new normal.
The temptation is always there. How hard can it be to handle a new project, an assessment, a business plan, or strategy development on your own? Why pay a consultant or another organization to come in and do work that you know you and your team can do? Clearly it will be less expensive to handle the requirements between the production work, maintenance, and client care! Or, is it? Let’s investigate!
The significant investments Documation has made in workflow and finishing equipment has completely revolutionized its business. Jeremy Stanek, Documation’s Vice President of Operations, explains.
Print Matters is an annual conference, organized by Intergraf, the European association of the national print associations, and the Nordic Printing Association NOPA. The 2023 conference took place in Riga, Latvia, and focuses on some of the most pressing issues of the European printing industry. European section editor Ralf Schlözer runs down the highlights of the presentations.
April 2023 printing shipments came in at $7.00 billion, down from March’s $7.58 billion and in line with annual seasonality—although it is a bit below the previous two Aprils.
A “public service videogame” that invites players to verify images incorrectly to confuse bots. Type designer and typographer Oded Ezer’s unique “The Samsa Enigma” project for the 140th anniversary of Franz Kafka’s birth. A knitted blanket based on the original Mac OS desktop. Behind the scenes at Seven Days, a Vermont-based weekly newspaper. The continuing resurgence of non-digital technologies. A kitten is rescued from a packaging recycling container. Converting a pickup truck into a giant dot matrix printer. Could life exist on Venus, of all places? When out at the bar, be sure to adjust for drinkflation.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.
All hail the power of print, for ITMA didn’t disappoint. Packed with innovations at all levels, the show proved to be an incredible success. Visitor numbers reached 111,000 from an impressive 143 countries, and exhibitors peaked at 1,709 spread across an incredible 200,000 square meters of exhibition space. The venue was well organized, easy to reach, and well-serviced; and for those that exhibited and those that visited, was credited as a truly successful experience. Textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan shares her perspective.
Even in the digital age, paper remains essential for many office workers. This article cites recent research from Keypoint Intelligence to illuminate how today’s office workers are interacting with paper. It also explores paper’s particular appeal among younger office employees.
For our industry, AI offers up a powerful tool for things like workflow connectivity, analytics, and shop floor data analysis, as well as development of marketing content. But there are legitimate fears around AI, as well. When it comes to addressing those fears, it remains an individual effort.
From the World Wide Web to cloud services, technological developments in recent decades have fundamentally changed industry and business—and with them the work and processes in print shops. However, one small tool, or rather file format, is often overlooked in the list, even though data exchange in general and online printing in particular would not work as we know it today. We’re talking about PDF, the Portable Document Format, which turns 30 this year—and has been with me for just as long. Time to talk about its history and its importance to printing.
Epson has long been a leader in direct-to-garment printing. With the launch of the new SureColor F2270 to the North American market, Epson is bringing its third generation of this popular affordable mid-level direct-to-garment (DTG) platform to market with a number of enhancements that benefit quality and productivity, and have sustainability characteristics as well. We spoke with Epson’s Senior Product Manager, Tim Check, to learn more.
This is the fourth in a series of five articles addressing the need for significant efforts to improve productivity to offset a shrinking and increasingly expensive labor market. The purpose of the article was to develop an understanding of how involved and time consuming the CEO/owner should plan for in leading this effort. In the last article, I provided a long list of recommendations for the reader’s consideration. I concluded that one specific example would be a good way to get the point across. Read on, I hope you enjoy!
According to County Business Patterns, in 2020 there were 324 establishments in NAICS 32223 (Stationery Product Manufacturing). This category saw a net decrease in establishments of -35% since 2010. In macro news, the US birth rate increased insignificantly in 2022—the latest in a worrying demographic trend.
The World Book is the last remaining printed encyclopedia. ChatGPT running on 1980s era computer technology. Satirical UI features in popular apps. “At no point is the child’s nose actually removed from the child’s face. [citation needed]” Graphene-based eco-denim. An ancient manuscript is actually a medieval stand-up comedy routine. A star is turning into a giant diamond. A robot vacuum that can climb stairs. Entering a robot dog in dog show. A woman is knocked unconscious while chasing a giant cheese down a hill. Supreme Court shoots down parody products. The Planters NUTmobile to become “the Nuttiest Dive Bar.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.
Consumers want to do business with firms that share their concern for the environment, but being accused of greenwashing is almost as bad as having no sustainability goals at all. As a result, some businesses are now engaging in “greenhushing,” which involves deliberately downplaying any environmental commitments. This article discusses the importance of striking a balance between the two extremes.
This guest article written by Jos Notermans of SGPrints, and brought to you compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan, dives into some of the objections or concerns of textile printers who have not yet stepped into the digital world, and explains why they should be making the move to digital, sooner rather than later.
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 impacted businesses. This time we look at Czechia (also called Czech Republic), the eleventh-largest printing industry by turnover in Europe and the second largest in Central and Eastern Europe.
Three weeks ago, as part of WhatTheyThink’s fourth annual Technology Outlook Week, our five-day series of webinars that look at the latest trends and technologies in a broad cross-section of the industry, Ralf Schlözer took a look at digital printing. In part two of her coverage of this session, Heidi Tolliver-Walker sums up the discussion of print volumes.
At its essence, software is a tool that is based in science, but has artistic manifestations. The style of coding, the elegance of programming expression, and the user interfaces that join the user to the software capabilities create a yin/yang relationship. Software does require care and feed, however. Here is some guidance on living with software, whether it was created in your shop, downloaded for free, or purchased from a vendor!
In 2011, I began a series that looked at the then-current production inkjet vendor product offerings, and over the years continued to look at how they were being, or could be, used. In this new series, 15 years later and with drupa 2024 on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at how production inkjet has evolved, how it is used, and where we can expect it to go and grow. I will look at each of the production inkjet manufacturers and suppliers and customers and document some of their journeys. In this article, I look at Canon cut-sheet production inkjet.
The FESPA Global Print Expo was held in Münich, Germany, May 23 to 26. WhatTheyThink European section editor Ralf Schlözer attended and identifies some highlights from the show.
ITMA, the International Textile Machinery Association, opened the doors for its quadrennial show in Milan, running from June 8 to 14. Owned by CEMATEX and organized by ITMA, this edition is focused on “Transforming the World of Textiles.” For those of you in the printing industry who may not be familiar with ITMA, it’s the drupa of the textiles industry. In this article, we present some of the show highlights as of this writing. Stay tuned for more!
Last month, as part of WhatTheyThink’s fourth annual Technology Outlook Week, our five-day series of webinars that look at the latest trends and technologies in a broad cross-section of the industry, Trish Witkowski and Kevin Abergel looked at the latest products, technologies, and trends in binding and finishing. In this article, Heidi Tolliver-Walker recaps the webinar.
By law, the US Postal Service is supposed to deliver mail six days a week. Steve Johnson tries to understand why his mail delivery has become erratic and unreliable.
This edition of our Friday data series offers a preliminary “sneak peek” at the results of the Taktiful and WhatTheyThink 2023 Specialty Digital Ink and Toner Embellishment Study. This study takes a deep dive into how current users of digital ink and toner embellishment technologies are utilizing them, what the response from customers has been, how satisfied print providers have been with the sales and profitability of these jobs, where the challenges lie, and their general feelings about the future of digital ink and toner embellishment technologies.
A look at how they used to print ledger books. The Boston Typewriter Orchestra performs on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert. Absolut is introducing lightweight paper-based bottles for its vodka. Another leap forward for graphene-based wearable textiles. The “Barbie” movie caused a shortage of pink paint. Some Maryland license plates contain a link to a Philippine gambling site. Thanks to the “aaS” model, we don’t really own anything anymore. A solar-powered mechanical LEGO clock that will keep time for a billion years. The time has come to address the imminent deluge of discarded solar panels. Can experts really judge wine? A pop-up Cheez-It filling station in Joshua Tree National Park. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.
Vice Media Files Bankruptcy, and more …
With the increased scrutiny of plastic use in flexible packaging, there is an increased interest in moving from plastic to paper. It was once hard to make the switch, but it has been getting much easier.
Taktiful’s Kevin Abergel talks to three US print service providers that have successfully won over customers after installing digital embellishment production systems.
Solutum is a Cleantech company on a mission to reduce plastic pollution by providing sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic. The company has created a revolutionary compound that can be engineered to create a range of flexible packaging with versatile end-of-life options. Cary Sherburne talks to Sharon Barak, the company’s Founder and CTO, to learn more about this innovative approach to solving the plastics problem.
Kyocera printheads are popular components in many digital textile printing systems. Now, Kyocera has applied that knowledge and expertise to its first digital textile printer, FOREARTH, making its first public appearance at ITMA in Milan. In this interview, Sho Taniguchi, Kyocera’s Deputy General Manager, IDP Business DevelopmentDivision, explains the strategy behind development of this system and why they believe it is beneficial to the textiles market.
Today’s mail technology enables campaigns that are truly cutting edge, and that edge is getting sharper. We’ve barely scratched the surface of what can be done with personalized, customized messaging printed on the outside of the envelopes. Heidi-Tolliver Walker takes a look at the current state of the art.
Levi’s turns 170 this year, but it’s not letting its age get in the way of its innovation. The company reports that it has allocated 25,000 hours to a team of in-house robots over the past year. These robots, though, are not replacing employees. Rather, they are making work more efficient and enjoyable by freeing employees from performing a number of often repetitive and tedious tasks, and making more time for them to focus on more strategic activities. And Levi’s isn’t alone in harnessing the power of robots to make work more efficient. Here’s a quick pre-ITMA view of robotics in textiles, with more to certainly come from the world’s largest textile industry trade show, this week in Milan.
Two weeks ago, as part of WhatTheyThink’s fourth annual Technology Outlook Week, our five-day series of webinars that look at the latest trends and technologies in a broad cross-section of the industry, David Zwang took a look at labels and packaging. In this article, Heidi Tolliver-Walker recaps the webinar.
Trish Witkowski takes a deep dive into the hardware available for adding embellishments, be they analog or digital. She runs down the top technologies, and identifies specific equipment at the entry level, mid-range, and high end of the market for each technology.
WhatTheyThink Multimedia Production Editor Jessica Taylor profiles Matt Redbear, creative director for Taktiful, and talks about how he used AI to come up with the cover for the most recent (Issue 3) print edition of WhatTheyThink.
David Zwang provides a primer on embellishment technologies for packaging applications—including why they are becoming more important than ever for brands.
Two weeks ago, as part of WhatTheyThink’s fourth annual Technology Outlook Week, our five-day series of webinars that look at the latest trends and technologies in a broad cross-section of the industry, Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee took a look at software and workflow—specifically addressing automation. In this article, Heidi Tolliver-Walker recaps the webinar.
Digital embellishments allow brands to create visually stunning packaging and labels, with intricate designs otherwise difficult or impossible to achieve affordably with traditional printing methods. Joanne Gore looks at the current lay of the land.
The USPS conducted the “Generational Research Report,” which shows who’s reading what and what elements of direct mail are most important to which generations. Think of it as that generation’s direct mail fingerprint. Heidi Tolliver-Walker offers some highlights.
As commercial printers, in-plants, and sign and display graphics printers look for ways to expand their businesses and offer new products and services to their customers, expansion into the textiles industry looks like an interesting opportunity. Cary Sherburne explains how.
Two weeks ago, as part of WhatTheyThink’s fourth annual Technology Outlook Week, our five-day series of webinars that look at the latest trends and technologies in a broad cross-section of the industry, Ralf Schlözer took a look at digital printing. In this article, Heidi Tolliver-Walker recaps the webinar.
In March 2023, the value of shipments of paperboard containers was $6.361 billion, the highest it has been since August 2022.
Experimental tables of contents. 105-year-old Bay View Printing still prints on century-old letterpress equipment. LA’s “crosswalk vigilantes” help improve pedestrian safety. “Séance AI” for one last chat with the departed. The US Government is auctioning off lighthouses—some for free. Artificial “e-skin” can communicate with the brain. An Indian food inspector drains a reservoir to retrieve his phone. New Zealand Air to start weighing passengers for “data collection purposes.” The “Hammer Fist” is a bizarre tool. Plastic wine bottles are on their way. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.
From DTG & DTF to screen printing and from digital inks to consumables, the scope of innovation was evident to all attendees who showed great interest in the 70+ new product launches at FESPA. In this article, textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan offers some highlights of the most notable unveilings that took place at this global show.
Last week, as part of WhatTheyThink’s fourth annual Technology Outlook Week, our five-day series of webinars that look at the latest trends and technologies in a broad cross-section of the industry, Richard Romano and Cary Sherburne tag-teamed a look at wide-format and signage and textiles and apparel. This article recaps the wide-format portion of the webinar
One of the missing pieces in print marketing automation has been the ability for printers to integrate with their customers through platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zapier. Heidi Tolliver-Walker teases a forthcoming solution that will allow printers and clients to work together directly.
This article is the third in the series on how to incorporate productivity improvement into your growth strategies for the foreseeable future. What approaches to improvement should you consider? This article has a list of five general groupings of ideas and recommendations. Hopefully, it will prompt the reader to generate even more. Building on a long-running theme, we continue to emphasize that improving the personal effectiveness of employees and improving business productivity overlap and work together. Half of the ideas listed touch on various aspects of what that entails.
The European Union is introducing a regulation on deforestation-free products as part of the European Green Deal. European section editor Ralf Schlözer digs into what the new rules mean for printers.
Welcome to the rise of the robots—or at least chatbots! Businesses in every segment are looking at how artificial intelligence can help them grow. The anecdotes are becoming part of the mainstream—eliminating staff positions and replacing them with chatbots is a common theme. That begs the question: what happens if you fire everybody and let the bots do the work? Let’s explore that.
According to County Business Patterns, in 2020 there were 723 establishments in NAICS 32222 (Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing). This category saw a net decrease in establishments of -12% since 2010. In macro news, the Architecture Billings Index suggests a recovery from the slowdown in the construction industry.
A special print edition of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy five-book trilogy is on the way. QR codes just aren’t cool any more, a least in restaurants. William A. Lavalette, an obscure 19th-century Black inventor, received two printing press-related patents. Louisville, Ky.’s American Printing House for the Blind museum expands and is reimaged as The Dot Experience. A biodegradable wedding dress made from the roots of wheatgrass. The first graphene-based kitchen appliance. A star in Ursa Major just went supernova. New research suggests that Saturn’s rings won’t last forever. CatVana is Carvana—but for cats. Heinz has a new mixer for customized ketchup. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.
In early 2023, Keypoint Intelligence partnered with Ricoh Corporation to conduct an in-depth survey of 50 in-plant respondents and a series of one-on-one interviews. This article provides a brief overview of our research findings to shed some light on the challenges that today’s in-plants are facing and strategies for future growth.
Simon Platts, CEO and Co-founder at RE-UP, has been a fashion industry practitioner for more than three decades and has the knowledge, experience and industry insight to successfully navigate change. In this article, compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan, she and Simon discuss the systemic change required in the fashion industry and how it could be changed at warp speed through collaboration, transparency, and knowledge transfer.
In this article, sponsored and written by Durst, learn about the Durst P5 TEX iSUB dye-sublimation printer. With a 3.3m width, the P5 TEX iSUB can print direct-to-fabric as well as on transfer papers, and offers Dual- and Multi-roll options.
Heidi Tolliver-Walker talks with Josh Bluman, co-founder of Hoppy Copy, an AI copywriting platform that focuses on creating sales and marketing copy for email, social media, and newsletters.
In 2011, I began a series that looked at the then-current production inkjet vendor product offerings, and over the years continued to look at how they were being, or could be, used. In this new series, 15 years later and with drupa 2024 on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at how production inkjet has evolved, how it is used, and where we can expect it to go and grow. I will look at each of the production inkjet manufacturers and suppliers, customers and document some of their journeys. In this article I look at HP preprint corrugated.
European section editor Ralf Schlözer reports from Interpack, held May 4–10 in Düsseldorf, Germany. Interpack focuses on technologies and materials for filling, packaging, and packaging printing.
Did you know that one of the world’s most expansive museums of printing is located in Haverhill, Mass.? If you don’t know about this industry gem, we hope this brief overview will spark your interest in visiting the museum, and even more importantly, donating to ensure its longevity! I was fascinated during my recent visit, and truly, we only scratched the surface of what the museum has to offer.
A self-digitizing pen…you have to subscribe to. A realistic animated tour inside a mechanical typewriter. A conductive elastic ink that can 3D print more flexible wearable devices. When in Amsterdam, be sure to get a Rembrandt tattoo. Researchers have developed wearable robot arms. Spin Master’s Bitzee hopes to be the next Tamagotchi. A swarm of bees prevented a Delta flight from taking off. AM radios are disappearing from cars. Prince is getting a Minnesota highway named after him. Is Betelgeuse about to go nova? Oscar Mayer’s “Wienermobile” is now the “Frankmobile,” and you can see the jokes coming a mile away. Mac and cheese truffles. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.
Overall printing employment in April 2023 was down -0.2% from March. Production employment was down -0.8% while non-production employment was up 1.1%.
Dye sublimation continues to grow in popularity as a digital fabric printing technology. Critical to the quality of the print are the inks and transfer papers. In this article, textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan reviews both.
CHRISTUS Health Print Services, the in-plant printing department for the CHRISTUS Health network of ministries and hospitals, took a tentative step into producing wayfinding signage—and has since proven itself essential to fulfilling CHRISTUS Health’s mission of serving its community.
Recently, Fast Company interviewed Karin Kimbrough, LinkedIn’s chief economist, to tap into her insights about the future of work drawn from more than 930 million members and 63 million companies on the LinkedIn platform. Here we look at Fast Company’s seven takeaways from a conversation it co-hosted at the recent RSA Conference and what they might mean for the printing industry.
In his last article Wayne Lynn talked about the fundamentals of measuring your company’s productivity. In this post, he uses that discussion to talk about setting smart, appropriate goals for improving productivity in your firm. Wayne also starts the conversation around how you meet your new goals. Read on…
We hear from printing companies that they have trouble finding new staff that are already trained and ready-to-go. We hear from vendors that they have the same problem. It isn’t a new problem! It has been with us for decades, but the problem grew as we emerged from pandemic restrictions. Not only is it hard to hire experienced people, but it is hard to train people inside your four walls because many subject matter experts are either overwhelmed with their jobs or they are plotting their retirement. Let’s talk about paths to an educated workforce.
In 2011, I began a series that looked at the then-current production inkjet vendor product offerings, and over the years continued to look at how they were being, or could be, used. In this new series, 15 years later and with drupa 2024 on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at how production inkjet has evolved, how it is used, and where we can expect it to go and grow. I will look at each of the production inkjet manufacturers and suppliers, customers and document some of their journeys. In this article I look at Kodak.
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 impacted businesses. This time we look at Poland, the sixth-largest printing industry by turnover in Europe and the largest in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Graphene Council recently hosted a webinar on the current state of the graphene market. Senior editor Cary Sherburne provides some highlights.
According to County Business Patterns, in 2020 there were 278 establishments in NAICS 322219 (Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing). This category saw a net decrease in establishments of -20% since 2010. In macro news, inflation is slowing but still high.
Is the future of computing an AI-based wearable that projects its display in your hand? The Metaverse is no more, assuming it ever was. Quantel celebrates its revolutionary Paintbox. The Chicago Tribune press room sold to Bally’s to become a casino. Graphene nanotubes combine conductivity and durability in polyimide films used in copiers and printers. Shanghai is installing high-tech phone booths. A 3D-printed garden hose-to-HDMI adapter. “Regular internet use may be linked to lower dementia risk in older adults.” Hundreds of pounds of pasta mysteriously found by a New Jersey creek. Italy calls crisis meeting over surging pasta prices. Author of a book on grief is arrested for killing her husband. Lay’s is offering the BLT Sandwich chip. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.
There’s no question that artificial intelligence is an exciting topic. This article strips away some of the hype and considers the ways it might impact the printing industry in the future.
Milan Design Week is the final event in a European trilogy of fashion extravaganzas, which also includes events in Paris and London. In this article, compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan, she provides event highlights, including a new vision of fashion success designed to be both circular and strategic.
Discussion of influencer marketing is everywhere, and when you look at the numbers, it’s easy to see why. But is it relevant to the printing industry? The answer is yes. While we associate influencer marketing primarily with social media, there is an important role for print to play, as well.
The new Heidelberg Boardmaster is the fastest and most productive flexo folding carton press in the market. It is the only industrial flexo press that is designed for zero changeover downtime. This is attributable to the Boardmaster Non-Stop Print Deck technology in conjunction with the Intellimatch precision scanning system, creating the first Push to Stop flexo folding carton press.
As part of the media, Adam Dewitz, Richard Romano, and I were pleased to be invited to a recent EFI Ignite customer event. It gave us an opportunity to visit the (relatively) new EFI facility in Londonderry, which includes an expansive Customer Experience Center, manufacturing, and administrative/support services, and see the latest display graphics offerings from the company.
All Quiet on the M&A Front (well, not entirely)…
March 2023 printing shipments came in at $7.18 billion, up from February’s $6.46 billion and in line with annual seasonality—even if it is below the previous two Marches.
“36 Days of Type” wraps up. The David Rumsey Map Collection is an online database of more than 120,000 downloadable maps. Using a restaurant menu’s typography to anticipate food quality. Striking writers’ picket signs. Automakers are mercifully starting to replace touch screens with tactile controls. The Museum of Failure comes to Brooklyn. A graphene-based engine oil additive is said to improve fuel economy, power, and performance. How did chess pieces get their names? The origin of Beltane. A Titantic-themed distillery in Belfast is now open. Kit Kat breakfast cereal is now a thing. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.
DTF (direct-to-film) apparel printing is making a real impact on the decorated apparel market. Machine manufacturers now offer ever more successful industrial solutions for this growing technology that just a few years ago seemed to be the preserve of the small craft manufacturer. In a global market for DTG (direct-to-garment) printing that is predicted to reach nearly US$1.9 billion by 2032, the DTF process is gaining ground by the month—as it offers new and unique advantages to trade printers. Textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan shares more information in this article.
WhatTheyThink managing editor Richard Romano talks to Daniel Martinez, General Manager, HP Large Format, about HP’s current wide-format strategy, market trends, and some recent product and new initiative announcements—in particular, a unique device for the architecture and construction industry.
It’s that time of year again—time to pick some highlights from the Advertising Specialties Institute’s “Ad Impression Study” and overall takeaways for the industry.
Not every print project needs embellishment! Foil on my credit card statement seems over the top. But there are so many projects that deserve the pop and sizzle that is achievable with a bit of foil, some texture, a hologram, tinted or clear spot varnish, or float coats. But before you get excited, let’s do some planning.
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 impacted businesses. This time we look at Sweden, the 12th-largest printing industry by turnover in Europe.
Many of our members will remember Frank Mallozzi for his more than 25 years of senior leadership roles at EFI. As he moves onto the next chapter in his professional life, he has taken on an important role as President and CEO of the Center Reach Group, which is a consultancy focused on helping companies design and develop go-to-market growth strategies, execute on strategic plans and optimize marketing efficiencies while increasing sales productivity. We recently spoke with Frank to get more insight into his current role, and also to discuss some of the barriers he is seeing to a more accelerated adoption of direct-to-garment printing in the North American market.
According to County Business Patterns, in 2020 there were 546 establishments in NAICS 322212 (Folded Paperboard Box Manufacturing). This category saw a net increase in establishments of 11% since 2010. In macro news, Q1 2023 GDP shows third straight quarter of growth.
A small local newspaper’s print swan song. A 90-year-old high school newspaper wrestles with paper prices. “The world’s most beautiful calendar.” Scientists have finally cracked the code of the Mayan calendar. A German magazine publishes a fake AI-generated interview with Michael Schumacher, for some reason. A shredded book designed to be read. Xerox donates the Palo Alto Research Center to SRI International. Seiko Epson invests in a company that develops brain-to-computer interfaces. The Light-Up Chess Set features pieces that are illuminated. England’s Blackpool Zoo is hiring a “seagull deterrent”—bird costume required. Color-changing marshmallows. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.
The global digital textile printing market size which was valued at US$2,669 million in 2022 is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4% from 2023 to 2030 when it will reach US$8,957 million according to Grand View Research, and the use of dye-sublimation technology continues to grow. In fact, Grandview Research also found that 52% of all digital printing used dye-sublimation inks, making it the largest ink type by usage in the digital textile print sector. Learn more in this informative article compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan.
Even before recent economic challenges and well-publicized bank failures, consumers of all ages have been attracted to large national banks for their credit card loyalty programs and mobile capabilities. This article explores how today’s consumers—particularly younger ones—are managing their finances.
What is it about the younger generation of print industry leaders that drives innovation? Both a native understanding and comfort level with cutting-edge technologies and not having grown up being told they “can’t.”
This article is the first in a series on inkjet for textile printing. It is intended for companies not currently involved in textile printing other than signage. The goal is to assist companies to evaluate, optimize and grow their businesses using inkjet with a focus on roll-to-roll inkjet textile printing, choosing the best technology and equipment fitting their specific needs. It’s essential to consider the production process and its distinct but related stages getting the best results from a digital textile printer.
European section editor Ralf Schlözer looks at the potential growth of packaging waste, the European Union’s proposed Regulation on Packaging & Packaging Waste to help combat that growth, and the outlook for European packaging print.
In Wayne’s last article, he discussed the difficulty of growing your business in the environment we are dealing with today. Growth creates new jobs. These jobs will be difficult to fill. Improving productivity to offset the shortage of talent is becoming the primary path to growing your business. Wayne ended the article with five things for reader’s to consider to move in this direction. He discusses the first one, measuring the productivity of your company, in this article. Read on…
In this article, sponsored by Kodak, Inkjet Insight’s Elizabeth Gooding talks with Jim Continenza, the Executive Chairman and CEO of Kodak, about his decade with Kodak, his love of cooking, and how his approach to cooking and corporate management intersect.
The last two computer magazines stop publishing. A typeface designed for knitting. A new bioink for 3D organ printing. Library of Congress hosts a workshop on rare Japanese books. A robot designed to paint graffiti, for some reason. An AI-based robotic dogsitter. A graphene-based cardiac pacemaker. 16-millimeter fil turns 100 years old. The world’s greatest gate. The James Webb Space Telescope captures two galaxies merging. Russell Stover’s 5,000-pound box of chocolates. The therapeutic effect of power-washing street signs. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.
Overall printing employment in February 2023 was up 0.3% from January. Production employment was up 0.1% while non-production employment was up 0.7%.
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