Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: PlanProphet Brings AI-Powered Tools to Boost Sales and Customer Service Administration

Published July 10, 2025

Pat McGrew takes a close look at PlanProphet’s new AI-powered Tools, designed specifically for print businesses, aiming to automate and elevate front office operations.

Hiring? Learn What Gen Z Is Looking For!

Published June 24, 2025

Trying to find a path to the hearts and minds of Gen Z and following cohorts takes some work. Most importantly, it takes an assessment of your current corporate culture through the eyes of a new hire in their first professional job. Here are some things Gen Z says are important.

When Printers Get Together A lot of Insights and Ahas Happen!

Published May 20, 2025

Printers are often invited to join user groups, peer groups, and networking organizations. It’s a pull on time and resources, but is it worth it? In most cases, the answer is a rousing “Yes!” By sharing a table, discussing challenges, trading ideas, and learning how others solve similar challenges, printers can fast-path solutions that help grow their businesses.

Print Management Information Systems' Ehsan Elahi on PrintMIS ePRO Management Software

Published May 13, 2025

Pat McGrew talks with Ehsan Elahi, Print Management Information Systems, Ltd. UK & Europe, about PrintMIS ePRO management software.

Press Release 101—Even If You Think You Know

Published May 6, 2025

One of the most effective tools in your marketing box is a press release. It can lift your brand, promote your wins, lift customers, and keep you visible in your market. Sadly, a lot of companies miss the value and the opportunities. Here’s why press releases should be in your arsenal.

Product Spotlight: Know Your True Costs and Boost Profits with Profectus' Cost Rates Advisor Software

Published April 17, 2025

Any printing or packaging business can analyze costs, establish budgeted hourly rates (BHRs), and benchmark costs against industry standards using Cost Rates Advisor—empowering smarter pricing decisions that drive increased sales and profits. Pat McGrew takes a close look at Cost Rates Advisor.

Avoiding Intellectual Roomba: Does Your Team Know Their Tools?

Published March 25, 2025

You have a software tool kit to work with in your shop. No matter what you produce or the segment you serve, you have programs to help collect data, manage processes, and report results. Most of these tools require installation configuration and some training for the team on using them effectively. Over time, those tools are updated, but other things about your business also change around them. How can your team stay current to best use your software tool investment? It’s a game of intellectual Roomba.

Unlocking Efficiency: Workflow Automation and Data in Mid-Size Print Shops

Published March 4, 2025

Automation streamlines repetitive tasks, leading to increased productivity, cost savings, an improved customer experience, scalability, and a competitive edge. Utilizing data is crucial for identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies, with practical methods including tracking job turnaround times, measuring waste, monitoring equipment utilization, analyzing error rates, and gathering customer feedback. Here is your guide to unlocking efficiency!

Attracting Gen Z: 13 Lessons from Ted Lasso’s Leadership Playbook

Published February 18, 2025

Maybe you’ve watched Ted Lasso, or you’ve heard people talk about the show. It sparks conversation because the American coach hired by a British soccer/football club became a change agent in unexpected ways. Hired by an owner who believed he would fail, the opposite happened because Lasso surrounded himself with people he empowered, treated his team as individuals, and delicately balanced the needs of the team, staff, and management. Here are some ways we can apply his playbook

“It Takes a Print Sample to Sell Paper”

Published February 4, 2025

Why bother with print samples? It’s a good question. A great answer came from Don Clampitt, president of Clampitt Paper, at a meeting organized by the PIA Southwest chapter at the Clampitt Paper warehouse in Denver. He made the point that selling paper and understanding what paper can bring to a project takes great print samples.

Workflow Whispers: What Will 2025 Bring Us?

Published January 21, 2025

It looks like 2025 should be an exciting year in workflow. To build an infrastructure that takes you into the future, here is guidance on where to look for opportunities in your shop. A dose of automation sprinkled with AI-enablement is the recipe to enable a brilliant future.

Practical Advice Wrap-Up for 2024: Building Better Businesses

Published January 7, 2025

The New Year is upon us. That means it is time to look back and take stock. Here are the trends we saw during the past year. Compare them to what you saw and review the advice for taking advantage of the changing options for workflow automation. Don’t forget to use this guide as you have your year-end business reviews with your vendors!

Making Everything Easier with AI

Published December 17, 2024

If you are among the thousands dipping their toes into using AI tools to help you understand your business, you may be wondering where it can be most effective. Here are some ideas for where to start using your AI skills to learn more about your business!

AI Makes Everything Easier—Right?

Published December 3, 2024

Have you bought into the Artificial Intelligence story? The one that says that ChatGPT and similar tools are all you need to succeed? The one that has led to shrinking marketing departments and even new approaches to product development led by GPT engines? It might be time to think about where AI can help!

Product Spotlight: Streamline Every Print Job, Scale Effortlessly: Choose OnPrintShop for Cutting-Edge Efficiency

Published November 22, 2024

OnPrintShop harnesses the power of AI to streamline workflows, reduce setup times, and deliver a seamless experience for print service providers, enabling faster go-live and improved productivity across diverse print applications.

Product Spotlight: OnPrintShop for Cutting-Edge Efficiency

Published November 22, 2024

In this video sponsored by OnPrintShop, Pat McGrew talks with VP of Sales Naimish Patel and Regional Sales Director Trent Foreman about OnPrintShop’s workflow software.

What Makes Your PDF? (Part 2)

Published November 19, 2024

If you are suffering from the PDF Flu, here are some things to watch for and some ideas on how to ensure that every PDF you send through to production can process and run efficiently, whether going to print or an edelivery platform. Let's look at your options!

What Makes Your PDF? (Part 1)

Published November 12, 2024

At a recent industry meeting, many printers pointed out that they are seeing more poor PDF files than ever before. The point was that many companies are offshoring content development, even for transaction and marketing mail. The PDFs coming into their print queues are so poor that some won’t process at all, while others cause delays in RIP and processing. Let’s look at your options!

Business Update: Fiery

Published November 5, 2024

In this video sponsored by Fiery, Pat McGrew talks with John Henze, Vice President Sales and Marketing at Fiery, about Fiery's long history in the DFE market and the company's current software offerings.

Collaborating for Visibility!

Published October 15, 2024

Whether you are a printer who does industry shows in the segments you serve or a vendor selling into the community printers at a local, regional, or global event, how you come to the show and the samples you share tell a story. Why not make it bigger and better by collaborating with your clients and partners?

Every Business Can Use a Magazine!

Published October 1, 2024

Consider your options for staying in touch with your customers and attracting new ones. If your first thought is a digital marketing campaign, stop! While digital channels are a common tool, they put you into a very big pond with a lot of other bait. Think outside of bits and bytes—consider print. Specially, consider a print magazine! Here’s why!

Integrator perspective on Konica Minolta printheads

Published September 23, 2024

Philip Easton of Industrial Inkjet Ltd. talks about working on integration projects with Konica Minolta printheads.

Is GIGO Killing Your Analytics?

Published September 17, 2024

As we enter the last quarter of the year, you may be crunching numbers and planning strategies based on what you see. You may have a set of trusty spreadsheets that you update or rely on your ERP, MIS, and back-office programs to build reports to analyze. What happens if the data you rely on is wrong?

Global Graphics Integration Story

Published September 10, 2024

Pat McGrew talks to Justin Bailey about Global Graphics and the Hybrid Software Group and how their portfolio of solutions helps inkjet OEMs and bespoke inkjet developers.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Empower Your Wide Format Print Production with PrintFactory

Published September 9, 2024

Customer requirements for color accuracy, print quality, and turnaround times in wide-format printing are becoming more demanding. PrintFactory empowers wide-format printing workflows with its renowned support for thousands of devices and easy-to-implement color management capabilities. It continues to expand its ecosystem to include desktop and cloud-based software. Pat McGrew takes a close look.

Inkjet Integration with Kodak Continuous Inkjet Printheads

Published September 4, 2024

Kodak has been integrating component printheads into many types of presses and marking systems for 30 years. Pat McGrew talks to Rainer Kuessel about Prosper Plus and inkjet printbars.

Is Your File Really Ready to Print?

Published September 3, 2024

Every printer has stories about the files they receive for production that are labeled as print ready but as they are onboarded it becomes clear that there are issues that will impact production. It is a gap that emerges because of the variety of composition and design tools in use, as well as the different print production methods in use. Let’s look at the differences between print ready and production ready files.

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK: DISPLAY GRAPHICS—Mimaki Partners with Artists for Dynamic drupa Stand

Published August 28, 2024

Pat McGrew reported from Mimaki’s drupa stand that combined décor art, wearable art, and 3D art.

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK: BINDING & FINISHING—The Practical Guide to Mail Finishing Equipment Solutions

Published August 26, 2024

Pat McGrew offers some tips for evaluating mail finishing equipment.

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK: SUSTAINABILITY—Preparing for Sustainability Regulations: Evolving from Net Zero to Sustainability Management Systems

Published August 26, 2024

Pat McGrew and palamides marketing director Jonathan Graham discuss the pros and cons of “net zero,” the challenges of accurately gathering and reporting greenhouse gas emissions data, and the advantages of sustainability management systems.

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK: SOFTWARE & WORKFLOW—The Practical Case for Intelligent Automation

Published August 22, 2024

Pat McGrew provides an overview of how Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are only two aspects of building workflow automation that brings efficiency to print operations. Integrating diverse threads is an essential element in building an automated print shop.

An Integrator’s Wish List - Part Three

Published August 21, 2024

The last items on an integrator's wish list can be summarized in three words: collaboration, 0penness, and communication.

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK: BINDING & FINISHING—Your Practical Guide to Researching Book Finishing

Published August 21, 2024

Pat McGrew looks at the factors to consider when shopping for book finishing equipment.

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK: SOFTWARE & WORKFLOW—The Practical Guide to AI and Platforms

Published August 20, 2024

Pat McGrew provides an overview of how intelligent automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are implemented in industry software solutions.

TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK: BINDING & FINISHING—Horizon Bets on the Smart Factory

Published August 20, 2024

Pat McGrew looks at Horizon’s “smart factory” approach to finishing automation.

That’s Amore! Print4All 2024 Gathered the Italian Print Industry

Published August 15, 2024

Bringing together printers and the vendors who serve them is one of the missions of every print association. Most recently, the Italian print industry came together at Print4All in the rolling hills of Valpolicella. The topics were relevant and the conversations insightful!

An Integrator’s Wish List - Part Two

Published August 13, 2024

On the integration journey, the next step is finding an integrator to work with. You can jump on to your favorite search engine and look for companies that could help, but before you do that, talk to peers and colleagues in your part of the industry.

An Integrator’s Wish List (Part One)

Published August 6, 2024

You tell the chef what you want to eat - not how to cook it. The same is true with integrators.

Climbing S2 and Other EskoWorld Adventures

Published August 6, 2024

The value of meeting in person to share ideas, learn, and even complain cannot be overstated. While it is hard to take time away from the day's work, events like drupa remind us of the value of discovery. After the doors in Germany closed, the doors to EskoWorld opened to continue the adventure.

Integrators at drupa: Ricoh Industrial Solutions

Published August 1, 2024

Ricoh's drupa booth highlights the future of inkjet in solar, dentistry, ceramics and more.

OOPS! Your Vendor Isn’t Ready to Deliver to You! Now What?

Published July 23, 2024

For every product in our industry, hardware and software, there is a development cycle. Product managers use one of the standard methods to guide the development, testing, and release of new products and product updates, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. That can impact an anticipated machine installation, firmware upgrade, or software update. How hard should you push?

Do You Have a Disaster Response Team?

Published July 9, 2024

Stuff happens! Weather, a truck crashing into a critical power line, earthquakes, fires, and a panoply of other things can disrupt your ability to get your products to your customers. Having a disaster recovery plan that includes identification of a well-rehearsed response teams to handle adverse events effectively can speed recovery!

Horizon Bets on the Smart Factory

Published June 25, 2024

Horizon embraces the smart factory concept to leverage technologies that streamline operations, enhance productivity, and deliver customer value. It was all on exhibition in their drupa stand in Hall 6 and partner stands across the messe. Pat McGrew takes a closer look.

Fiery Brings Superpowers to Industrial Print

Published June 25, 2024

Fiery is one of the best-known names in Digital Front Ends and Raster Image Processing for print hardware sellers in many segments. If you are a digital printer, the chances are good that you have equipment powered by Fiery in your print shop. Pat McGrew spoke to Fiery CEO Toby Weiss at drupa 24.

Mimaki Partners with Artists for Dynamic drupa Stand

Published June 25, 2024

Danna Drion, General Manager Marketing & PM EMEA at Mimaki Europe B.V. went to users of the Mimaki solutions to find exhilarating examples of how artists use the versatility of Mimaki solutions to create décor art, wearable art, and 3D art. The results were on display at drupa 245.

Scodix Brought More than Hardware: Meet Their AI

Published June 24, 2024

At drupa 24, Scodix was demonstrating its new AI-based design tool developed that makes it easy to embellish any PDF file. Pat McGrew takes a look.

The Fastest Path to Press

Published June 19, 2024

At drupa 24, two much-cited critical challenges faced by print service providers (PSPs) were cost pressures and workforce challenges. Pat McGrew looks at how some vendors are helping printers conquer these challenges.

HP, Horizon and Atomyx Make a Magazine

Published June 18, 2024

At drupa 24, the Atomyx, HP, and Horizon teams collaborated to produce a print sample that showed the power of partner collaboration and provided thought leadership. Pat McGrew documents how the project came together.

Make Your New Hires Productive!

Published June 11, 2024

Hiring new people is exciting and agitating at the same time. Hire experienced people and you may need to retrain them away from how they have done things in the past. Hire inexperienced people and you need a plan to get them up-to-speed on processes and procedures. It takes a plan!

Building the Best Print Production Workflow: Leveraging Finishing Capabilities for Optimal Results

Published June 5, 2024

Finishing is the final gate for every print project. Successful, efficient finishing relies on the design, prepress, and print processes to ensure that the rolls or sheets can be finished as called for in the specifications. To optimize finishing, begin the design process with a clear view of the intended finishing. Cut marks, crease and fold locations, sheet binding, and every other finishing process will be smoother and more efficient!

The Pioneering Journey of Hudson Printing into Digital Embellishment

Published June 4, 2024

Paul Hudson believes in reinvention, and he believes in print. With the addition of new embellishment capabilities to augment his offset and digital print production solutions, he is leading Hudson Printing in Salt Lake City into a new era. Static and variable embellishment on a significant range of substrates allows them to produce spectacular magazine covers, postcards, and other commercial work for their growing clientele.

Why Should I Work for YOU?

Published May 27, 2024

The print industry is facing labor challenges at every level. The complaint is that no one is applying for open jobs, and when candidates do apply and get accepted, they don’t stay. It’s easy to point fingers at the upcoming generations and say that they don’t want to work, but is that really what’s happening?

Leveraging Production Inkjet for Cross-Segment Growth

Published May 23, 2024

Your best-fit inkjet solution can help you expand your business. Part 1 of expanding horizons.

3 Signs Your Print Workflow Software Is Sabotaging Your Business

Published May 14, 2024

Oops! You might have bought the wrong software. Or, you may have outgrown the software you are using. The right software should integrate seamlessly, provide the needed features, and include ongoing vendor support. By being proactive, you can ensure your print software empowers your business, not hinders it.

Harnessing the Power of Synergy: HP High Speed Inkjet and Indigo Liquid Toner Technologies

Published April 30, 2024

By using both inkjet and toner technologies, print providers can optimize their operational efficiency and expand their market reach.

Navigating the Print Industry Community: User Groups vs. Customer Advisory Councils

Published April 30, 2024

There are many ways to learn about the latest changes in the print and e-communication industry. Industry associations and the events they host are a good start. The next most valuable sources are the user groups and vendor customer councils. They let you dial into the specific information that will help you grow your business.

You Should Join a Printing Industry Association

Published April 16, 2024

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. Print industry associations are like that. Once you become involved, you find a vast group of people to talk and trade ideas with. You enter a hive where you are not alone facing challenges. If you haven’t considered joining, or you looking for more groups for networking, this is the year to jump in!

Selling Print Where You Live!

Published April 9, 2024

Governmental and institutional buyers—including print buyers—are often required to source products and services locally. They buy a lot of print, but it can be challenging for print providers to find a path to them. Pat McGrew explains how to get on the list of preferred suppliers.

Moving Past SWOT Analysis for Deeper Insights

Published March 26, 2024

If a SWOT exercise is a regular part of your yearly strategy, and it doesn’t produce the results you expect, it may be time to change your approach. Try adding a dose of VUCA to your SWOT to build a holistic view of how your company, products, and services fit into the changing world.

Workflow— Training to Learn

Published March 19, 2024

If you want new technology and workflow to be successful, you must invest in the training necessary to enable change, growth and a continuous learning cycle. The authors founded Print University to make that process a little easier.

More Considerations for Your Ink Economics Journey - Part 2

Published March 12, 2024

The value proposition of “magic inks” as applied to your current ink usage profile may vary. When is it better to use multiple fluids as needed?

Are You Ready For the Hackers and Phishers?

Published March 12, 2024

Today, it takes more than some commercial firewall tools and virus protection license to keep your business safe. If you haven’t done a comprehensive security review in the last six months, take the time to do it now. If you are held for ransom, there may not be a road back.

Considerations for Your Ink Economics Journey - Part 1

Published March 5, 2024

Learn the role of this essential element in your inkjet cost equations.

My Father’s World Expands Home Curriculum Production with Affordable Color

Published March 4, 2024

In this article, sponsored by Kyocera, Pat McGrew looks at content publishing in the educational market, and how it comes with challenges that are not faced in most other markets. The demand for high-quality print is the same, but the print runs can be very short, and the requirement for substrates ranges from light to heavy across production needs. Add the need for engaging color, and it is clear why more content publishers like My Father’s World are turning to the Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000.

3 Considerations When Buying Software

Published February 27, 2024

There is a cycle to software development that is intended to capture market or customer needs, develop solutions that meet those needs, and then launch into customer use. As more workflow automation tools and platform integration options come to market, consider having a different type of conversation with your vendors to understand the mindset behind the offering. The goal is to learn if their design and architecture are consistent with the needs of your shop.

More Privacy Laws Mean More Disclaimers!

Published February 13, 2024

No one goes into the print business, or the eDelivery business, to become a lawyer, but it almost takes a law degree to keep up with the growing body of legislation impacting the industry. Here is a quick look at new legislation from Illinois! Remember, always consult your legal counsel before making decisions!

State of the Cloud: Zero Trust Workflows in 2024

Published February 5, 2024

It’s time to abandon your Trust but Verify approach to security. The changing legislative and technology landscapes demand a new approach to securing your shop, whether you print, e-deliver, or produce output across multiple channels. Zero Trust is the modern approach to your cloud-enabled workflow architecture.

Three Projects to Start 2024

Published January 30, 2024

The life of a printer is a whirlwind of incoming jobs, production, and delivery. It’s hard to find time to look for new ways to conquer production demands. Here are three projects you can execute with your team to identify new options to set your business up. We know that 2024 will be a big print year. Get your share of the business!

Planning for Change, Succession Style

Published January 16, 2024

If you have watched the TV show Succession, or you have a vague understanding of it, you know that it is a tragedy. It is the story of a family trying to figure out how to move forward as the aging patriarch’s health fails and there is no clear path forward for the family business. If you own and operate a family business, even if you aren’t part of the family, succession planning should be reviewed every year. Things change. Here are some things to consider!

Automation: The Strategic Plan

Published January 10, 2024

Automation is not a single out-of-the-box widget or panacea to remedy the many challenges in your print organization.

Has Your Best Promotion Failed You?

Published January 9, 2024

Have you ever seen a promotion that is so intriguing that you fall for it? We’re all professionals, so it is a bit harder to draw us into a campaign and convince us to participate. But it does happen. We go along with the story and often we are enriched for it. And we get ideas that we can apply. Websites are built and supported with QR codes and triggers. But what happens to those digital assets after the campaign? Let’s talk.

Automate This, Then That

Published December 12, 2023

Automation is a universally understood benefit for any print shop. Yet, automation paralysis sets in quickly when trying to sort out what and where to automate across many products and the associated thousands of individual processes. The key to success is to approach it from a different perspective.

Workflow Mining: Finding Overt & Covert Processes

Published November 30, 2023

Some workflow processes are obvious. Others are like a shadow government hiding below the surface adding risk and inefficiency.

Walk the Line 2 - Workflow is a Verb

Published November 16, 2023

There is a lot behind the question “Do you know your print shop.” Every owner and production manager knows how the place functions, don’t they?

2024 Is Going to Be A Big Print Year!

Published November 14, 2023

Follow the bouncing ball in the print industry as we head into 2024. It’s going to be a big year! There is on-going demand for print across most segments, with personalization expanding into every nook and cranny. There are faster machines, new technologies, and solutions for every business footprint. And there will be shows. Lots of shows. Including the big one—drupa 2024.

Print Marketing: The Power of Open Houses!

Published November 7, 2023

There are a many elements to print marketing. Well-designed websites that are tagged appropriately for search engines and more than a laundry list of equipment can be very effective. Well-placed signage and outbound marketing campaigns are also excellent for visibility. In the pantheon of options, there is one more thing to consider. An open house! Here’s why!

You Can’t Automate What You Don’t Know

Published October 31, 2023

Think about how you prepare for certification tests or giving a presentation. Most people spend time arranging their thoughts and thinking about their approach. The preparation helps to identify gaps in knowledge and set expectations. Updating or adding automation to production processes in your shop requires that same thoughtfulness. Here is how to get ready before you launch your next automation project.

Because Workflow is Mine, I Walk the Line!

Published October 24, 2023

We all have superpowers. Print shops that adopt automation often discover that they have joined the superhero pantheon as they reduce time spent or repetitive activities, discover inefficiencies, and lubricate the friction that can grow in busy shops. Walk the line – the pre-production, production, and post-production lines – with us!

Where Do We Find the Next Generation Print People?

Published October 23, 2023

When it comes time to find new talent for your business, where do you go? The local temp staffing agency? Local schools? The national recruiting sites? You may find that pitching a job in print doesn’t bring the responses you would hope. Let’s change that!

Adopting Vendor-Neutral Workflows: No Hassle Job Management and the Cloud

Published October 23, 2023

Cloud-based solutions can provide a tremendous benefit for in-plant and print-for-pay printers, especially small to medium-sized operations. In this article, sponsored by Ricoh, Pat McGrew explains how offering automated, vendor-neutral, rules-based workflow technology that provides simple, easy-to-use tools in a SaaS environment removes the requirement of a heavy infrastructure and IT expertise. The key to overall workflow profitability all starts with job onboarding.

It’s Fun to Play with the T-C-O-P!

Published October 19, 2023

It takes a Village (People). Pat McGrew looks at how understanding the way that different maintenance strategies affect your Total Cost of Operations and your Total Cost of Print involves ensuring you are capturing the correct data in a normalized way.

Who Are You Hiring?

Published October 10, 2023

Every print shop is in the hunt for new team members. They are harder to come by these days as schools pivoted to teaching more courses focused on online delivery and fewer covering color management, prepress skills, and print operations. It begs the question, where should you be looking? Who should you partner with to find a flow of talent? Here are some ideas!

eProductivity Software’s MarketDirect Platform: A Complete Solution for Print Businesses

Published October 10, 2023

The team at eProductivity Software has been adding features and functions to their entire range of workflow and marketing management solutions. Their MarketDirect platform is a comprehensive solution that helps print businesses sell more online, improve customer engagement, and streamline operations for printers in every segment. And it's a perfect fit for shops of every size.

Zero Trust Environments for Inkjet Printing

Published September 27, 2023

Whether you print data-driven content, labels, packaging or static commercial work, you still have an obligation to protect your customers and your company. Meet the brief by building a Zero Trust Environment.

Tool Time Versus Club Med

Published September 25, 2023

Do you rely on maintenance contracts to keep your equipment running? Or are you more hands-on—or perhaps adopt some kind of hybrid approach? Contributor Pat McGrew looks at your options for equipment maintenance.

We All Live in a Maintenance World

Published September 20, 2023

There are many costs associated with running a print shop. There are machine costs, consumable costs, labor, building, and utility costs. Another cost that is sometimes buried in the numbers is the cost of maintaining the equipment. Pat McGrew explains how maintenance practices and schedules should be part of the company’s Standard Operating Procedures.

How to Work a Trade Show!

Published September 19, 2023

Sometimes it helps to have a refresher! Trade shows are wonderful opportunities to catch up with industry friends, learn about products, and get ideas. The challenge is making sure you bring back the information you were looking for! Everyone needs to put their best foot forward! Here are considerations for printers and vendors as the next set of shows gets underway!

10 Steps to Survive a Crisis

Published September 5, 2023

If your company declares a disaster, what happens next? Who do you call? Where do you begin the process of business continuity? Depending on the type of disaster, the answer will vary. There are physical disasters that can be localized to the building or disruptive to a region. There are cyber disasters. And there are other issues that can disrupt your business, including vendor bankruptcies and supply chain disruptions. Are you ready?

Practical Advice for Prepress Automation in L&P

Published August 22, 2023

Every label and packaging press has unique characteristics that influence your prepress toolkit. Read this before you build your shopping list for LabelExpo.

Building Your Crisis Recovery Playbook

Published August 22, 2023

Our industry has a lot of names for the process of cleaning up when something happens that disrupts the normal flow of business. Disaster recovery planning is a common term, along with business continuity planning, emergency response planning, and crisis recovery. We have learned that the need for a planned response evolves from events of every size. Are you ready?

Get More from Your Print Operations

Published August 15, 2023

By optimizing costs and resolving bottlenecks, the print industry can bring more efficiency to its business, resetting print economics and getting more from its print production. Let’s do it! Process automation increases productivity, helps to control bottom-line costs, and can add hidden capacity. In this article, sponsored by Baldwin Technologies, see how Baldwin solutions are based on decades of experience bringing insights to printing companies with data and automation. See how they can help you conquer today’s challenging print industry economics.

It’s Time for Web-to-Pack Enabled by Inkjet!

Published August 3, 2023

Web-to-pack requires an expanded definition of the key processes that ensure the ability to run at capacity, especially when integrating inkjet into the process.

It’s Fun to Play with the T-C-O-P!

Published July 26, 2023

Printers! There’s a thing you should know! I said, Printers! To keep track of your dough! You can make more, and I’m sure you will do  what you need to increase revenue! (sung to YMCA!)

Social Profiles Are Forever

Published July 11, 2023

Estate planning, succession planning, and getting our affairs in order are part of life. If you run a business, the process of planning for the next generation or next owner is part of the process. In our personal lives, we tend to look at the big things to make sure assets are identified and that there is a plan for how they will be handled in the future. We’re talking about what happens when someone dies, whether it is anticipated or unexpected. Here are some things to add to your list.

Product Spotlight: Getting Product Personalization Right with LiveArt

Published June 28, 2023

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.

Product Spotlight: Getting Product Personalization Right with LiveArt

Published June 28, 2023

As part of our Product Spotlight series, Pat McGrew talks with Volodymyr Yatsevsky, CEO of LiveArt, about the Ukraine-based company’s origins and its full range of web-to-print products and Services.

Tool Time Versus Club Med

Published June 27, 2023

Part of your business strategy is how you manage your labor. You look at the tasks and roles and what level of expertise you need in the person assigned. For maintenance operations, when you deploy team members and when you take advantage of maintenance programs offered by the vendors requires a careful look at your options.

Why Consider Professional Services for Your Mission Critical Projects?

Published June 27, 2023

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!

We All Live in a Maintenance World

Published June 13, 2023

Every print shop, regardless of the technologies used, should have a maintenance strategy. For many, self-maintenance is an attractive approach. Successful self-maintenance should consider more than just the cost of a full-service contract, however. Here are some considerations so you can make the best decisions!

ICYMI: Zen and the Art of Software Maintenance

Published June 13, 2023

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!