Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

PRODUCTION PRINT TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK—Digital Production Inkjet 2025: Technology, Trends, and Vertical Market Shifts to Watch at PRINTING United

Published October 13, 2025

WhatTheyThink contributor Kelly Lawrence looks at the state of all the facets of inkjet in the commercial print and related segments.

The Potential of AI In The Printing Industry: Real or Hype?

Published March 31, 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing industries worldwide, including the print industry, by transforming how jobs are performed, and decisions are made. Kelly Lawrence explains how AI can be leveraged to enhance efficiency, decision-making, and creativity across nearly every function.

Unintended Consequences: AI and the Impact on Sustainability

Published September 9, 2024

Unintended Consequences of Regulation

Published June 12, 2024

A look at the complexities of regulating the printing ink industry. Dialogue between regulators and industry is vital to mitigate adverse effects and support market stability.

Inkjet, Partnerships, and Joint Development Agreements

Published May 16, 2024

 With Drupa on the horizon and the impending unveiling of new inkjet innovations, this article digs in to how solutions can be created through partnerships. We’ll look at when partnering makes sense, consideration before entering into a Joint Development Agreement and some examples of recent Inkjet industry partnerships.

The Future of AI In Packaging

Published April 16, 2024

Artificial Intelligence will impact the packaging business from design all the way to the supply chain and recycling. Get tips on planning for your packaging future.

The Inevitability of Technology Shifts and How to Communicate with Credibility

Published April 3, 2024

Technology is always changing and the best solution or component last year may not be a fit this year. OEMs and integrators must communicate technology shifts with credibility when they inevitably arise.

To Allow or Not Allow: 3rd Party Inks. An OEM Perspective.

Published February 28, 2024

Buyers want lower ink costs but what must an OEM must consider before letting 3rd party inks on their press?

3 Critical Components of Inkjet Innovation

Published November 30, 2023

This article highlights 3 components that must be considered for any company wanting to realize revenue from innovation in the inkjet space. The learnings apply regardless of value chain position, end market or application area.

Innovations in Ink Expand Inkjet Printing Possibilities

Published March 7, 2023

The ability to print on a wider variety of substrates is a significant unmet need for inkjet users. This article explains why this is such a difficult challenge for many application segments an how ink technology is making strides in some markets.

New innovations in digitally printed textiles address unmet needs

Published January 26, 2023

A look at innovations in digital textile printing and why they matter. The analysis explores “what must be true” in order for digital textile printing to increase penetration of the printed textile market.

Invest In Our Planet

Published April 21, 2022

For those of us who dare to dream of making our world a better place, Kelly Lawrence turned to a few sustainability experts to help us identify next steps.

Primers Provide the Foundation for Inkjet Success

Published April 19, 2022

As inkjet continues to grow, how can OEMs accelerate the learning curve for their customers, ensure quality prints, boost ROI, and accelerate adoption of inkjet in new applications?

Moving Inkjet Forward with Michelman

Published March 22, 2022

The quality of any printed product must consider the quality of the chosen media. Substrate quality is affected by the primers and overprint varnishes (OPVs). What should you know?

Creating Solutions from Inkjet and Consumables Technology

Published March 21, 2022

Technology developments are science-facing. They turn money into knowledge. Product development is market facing and turns knowledge back into money.

2022 Outlook for Digitally Printed Labels

Published March 9, 2022

Digitally printed labels continues to be a growing market for inkjet. To dig into the potential for inkjet in the label market, we interviewed industry experts Catherine Heckman, President of the Tag and Label Manufacturers Association (TLMI); Paul Lender, of Avery Dennison and Gianluigi Rankin from Michelman.

Kodak Introduces KODACOLOR Ink for Film-to-Fabric Printing

Published February 16, 2022

Film-to-Fabric, also known as Direct-to-Film or DTF, is an emerging technology that is seeing rapid adoption, particularly among custom t-shirt decorators. Read on to learn about KODACOLOR, new ink system for Film-to-Fabric (DTF) printing projects from Eastman Kodak and how garment decorators can take advantage of this system to grow their businesses.

Download: Improving Operations and Profitability with Thermal Inkjet Technology

Published January 26, 2022

Learn how printing companies in packaging, coding & marking, direct mail and more are expanding the substrates they can print on and commanding premium pricing using thermal inkjet technology. Free download.

What Makes an Inkjet Ink Sustainable?

Published January 19, 2022

Sustainability is getting more focus, but the print industry has yet to agree on a definition. So what makes an inkjet ink sustainable? This article looks at the different parameters to be considered. Perhaps sustainability goes beyond the ink itself…