Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

Crawl, Walk, Run—Enter the Embellishment World at Your Own Pace

Published June 6, 2023

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.

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

Published December 15, 2022

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

What’s the Deal with Envelopes? Industry Insiders Share Tips to Help Work Around the Envelope Shortage

Published October 24, 2022

The envelope shortage has been a huge headache for printers, direct marketers, and envelope manufacturers. Contributor Trish Witkowski spoke to several major print, envelope, and mail leaders in the industry and shares some of their “boots on the ground” insights and advice.

AMPLIFY Print Minneapolis was Everything A New Event Should Be

Published June 28, 2022

Trish Witkowski reports from last week’s AMPLIFY—a first-of-its-kind event presented by Association for Print Technologies (APTech) and the Foil and Specialty Effects Association (FSEA). The event centered around the topic of value-added print finishing and embellishment, and boasted the latest and greatest in technology, equipment, materials, inspiration, and thought leadership.

Technology Outlook 2022—Impressive Solutions for Finishing

Published June 9, 2022

In this year’s third annual Technology Outlook, Trish Witkowski looks at the latest binding and finishing technology trends and new product introductions.

The Year in Review: Finishing Is In It to Win It

Published December 13, 2021

It has been a wild year of highs and lows and unique pressures, but the print finishing category met the challenge and pushed forward with lots of new offerings and opportunities. Trish Witkowski looks at some of the highlights.

Look at That: Leveraging the Power of Embellished Print Marketing

Published October 12, 2021

In this application photo gallery, Trish Witkowski displays some great examples of embellished self-promotional pieces across several categories, including direct mail, packaging, and promotion.

A Dose of Pharm Insight: Pharmaceutical Finishing Takes One Giant Leap to Automation

Published August 24, 2021

Pharmaceutical and small-format finishing is a robust and specialized category that can be very profitable to serve. However, until recently the category was in dire need of a technology overhaul to remove labor from the process, increase quality and security, reduce make-ready times, and increase production and changeover speeds. Trish Witkowski rounds up recent finishing equipment releases that are just what the doctor ordered.

Learn the Latest in Finishing from Folding to Taping

Published May 19, 2021

As part of our preview of next week’s Technology Outlook Week, Trish Witkowski runs down the latest advancements in folding, book binding, cutting, coatings, and more.

The Year of Imposed Flexibility: A Look Back at Finishing in 2020

Published December 14, 2020

Trish Witkowski looks back at the major trends in binding and finishing—including a growing interest in embellishments, book-of-one, and robots/cobots/automation. She also looks at a large handful of new products and solutions that hit the market in 2020.

Trend Watch: The Rise of the Blockbuster Self-Promotional Piece

Published September 27, 2018

Trish talks with Scott Engle of Graphic Visual Solutions of Greensboro, NC, about the power—and the pressure—of making visually striking (and costly) print capabilities brochures to inspire, educate, and motivate today’s customers.

Smart Binding System Manufactures Fully-Automated Roll-to-Perfect Bound Variable Books with Ease

Published September 13, 2018

Trish travels to Boston to visit the VIP Demonstration and Training Center at Standard Finishing Systems, and gets a tour and demonstration of their fully automated Smart Binding System.

Embracing Bindery Automation—It’s Time to Take the Leap

Published August 16, 2018

If the bindery is the final frontier of total workflow automation, and the technology has been in existence for over a decade, why are so many companies still passing on the opportunity to gain efficiency and save money? Trish will explore the challenges and benefits of taking the leap into bindery automation.

Snail Mail Shouldn’t Be Stale Mail: Five Game-Changing Envelope Products

Published August 9, 2018

Trish features five different innovative envelope products that can increase your direct mail open rate. She’ll share and explain what makes each product engaging, and include useful links and information for further exploration.

Faces of Finishing: Mark Nixon of Scodix on the Triumphs and Challenges of Bringing Disruptive Technology to Market

Published July 26, 2018

In the latest installment of this interview series, Trish Witkowski talks with Mark Nixon, GM and VP Sales for Scodix NA, about creating a market and elevating print with disruptive technology.

Solutions that “Stick” Around: Five Opportunities in Synthetic Print Media

Published July 12, 2018

Trish's video this week features five different products that utilize “sticky” synthetic substrates for marketing communications. Each product uses completely different techniques and technologies, and she’ll demonstrate and compare them all.

Trend Watch: Popularity of Press Coatings Drives “Designer Presses”

Published June 28, 2018

Greater awareness of special print effects and press coatings is driving printers to rethink their press configurations to meet the demands of discerning customers who need high-impact, quick-turn, two-sided printing with press coatings at a competitive price.

The Selling Power of a Successful Client Event

Published June 7, 2018

A successful client event can drive a lot of business your way, and deepen relationships with your customers. This week, Trish will share the secrets of successful events, along with some of the biggest mistakes that can trip up even the most well-intentioned host.

Digital Variable Scratch and Reveal Technology

Published May 31, 2018

In the ongoing search for new print techniques and technologies for mail, Trish highlights an exciting digital variable scratch-off collaboration between Mohawk, HP and Lawton Connect in Orlando.

USPS Challenge: “Mr. Scratch-Off” Digital Variable Scratch and Reveal Technology

Published May 31, 2018

In the ongoing search for new print techniques and technologies for mail, Trish highlights an exciting digital variable scratch-off collaboration between Mohawk, HP and Lawton Connect in Orlando.

Throwback Thursday, Bindery Edition: Trish Asks Trade Binderies About Their Most Useful Vintage Machines

Published May 17, 2018

In this special Throwback Thursday feature, Trish reaches out to trade binderies to hunt for funky vintage machines that are still useful in today’s modern workflow. This first edition features fascinating finds from four well-known US binderies.

Faces of Finishing: Julie Watson of Ultimate TechnoGraphics on Building Software for Prepress-to-Finishing Automation

Published May 3, 2018

In the latest installment of this interview series, Trish Witkowski talks with Julie Watson, CEO of Ultimate Technographics, about developing software that drives value by eliminating touchpoints in the bindery.

Paul Marino of Impress Communications Talks About His “Picture-Perfect” Bobst ACCUCHECK System

Published April 26, 2018

Trish Witkowski visits Impress Communications in Chatsworth, Calif., and speaks with owner Paul Marino about the challenges and the benefits of installing a 100%-accurate quality control inspection system on their Bobst EXPERTFOLD folder-gluer line.

Paul Marino of Impress Communications Puts 100% Accuracy into Practice with “Picture-Perfect” Bobst ACCUCHECK System

Published April 26, 2018

Trish visits the team at Impress Communications in Chatsworth, Calif., and speaks with owner Paul Marino about the challenges and the benefits of installing a 100% accurate quality control inspection system on their Bobst EXPERTFOLD folder-gluer line.

To Robotize or Not? The Real Numbers Behind Production Chain Productivity (Part 2 of 2)

Published April 12, 2018

In the second of this two-part feature on production chain productivity, guest-writer Henrik Christiansen of Graphic Robotics addresses the quantitative aspects of automation, and how the robotization of finishing processes in the appropriate production environments can greatly reduce labor costs and improve productivity. Read on.

Productivity and the Total Profitability of the Print Production Process (Part 1 of 2)

Published April 5, 2018

Henrik Christiansen of Graphic Robotics writes about the real meaning of productivity and efficiency in the print production process. This two-part article will address the quantitative side of automation in print.

Faces of Finishing: BindTech/Finish Line Bindery Owner John Helline On the Trade Bindery As an Investment Target

Published March 29, 2018

In the latest installment of this interview series, Trish Witkowski talks with bindery owner and investor John Helline on the pitfalls and the strategic opportunities involved in the trade bindery business.

Dangerous Potential: The True Power of A Strategic Approach to Paper Cutting and Handling

Published March 8, 2018

A shop’s cutting department is often thought of—when it’s thought of at all—as an “invisible workhorse”: highly productive—until it’s not. In this feature, Trish Witkowski takes a 360-degree look at cutting equipment, from retrofitting newer features onto older cutters, to the latest automated, and even robot-assisted, cutting systems.

Faces of Finishing: Industry Legend Werner Rebsamen On the Hidden Costs of Poor Material Handling

Published March 1, 2018

Trish kicks off a new interview series to introduce perspectives of knowledgeable people in the print-finishing category. The series begins with the legendary Werner Rebsamen, who steps out of retirement to share his opinion on the greatest advancements in bookbinding, and where he feels the trade still has a long way to go.

New Print Finishing Techniques for Direct Mail

Published February 22, 2018

Tim McGinley of the Mail Innovations Program at the USPS challenges Finishing Section Editor Trish Witkowski to find new print finishing techniques and effects for mail. Trish begins her journey with Jeff Hernandez of Classic Color and his groundbreaking Brand Alchemy exploration. Jeff is developing realistic textures that mock actual products, and he’s putting the ideas directly into the hands of creatives.

Welcome to the Future of Finishing!

Published February 5, 2018

Today marks the launch of a new Finishing Section on WhatTheyThink and section editor Trish Witkowski gives us an overview of the kinds of things she'll be covering in this special interest area. Welcome to the future of finishing!

Articles by Trish Witkowski