Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

NPES Chairman Mal Baboyian is Bullish about Graph Expo in Orlando

Published August 30, 2016

Mal Baboyian, Executive Vice President at Canon Solutions America, is also chairman of NPES. He discusses Graph Expo's move to Orlando and what visitors to the show might expect in 2016 and briefly discusses Canon's presence there.

New from Mimaki: Fast, economical, eco-friendly wide format

Published August 29, 2016

Mike Horsten, General Manager of Marketing (EMEA) for Mimaki, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the changes occurring in the world of wide format and how Mimaki is both driving and supporting those changes. The company's latest printer includes an LED backlit on the printer that allows operators to quality check backlits after only 10 cm of printing. He also describes the company's Kebab unit for printing on cylindrical objects.

Esko: Helping Brand Owners and Converters Streamline the Packaging Supply Chain

Published August 25, 2016

Udo Panenka, Esko's President, talks about how the company is working to make the packaging supply chain more efficient, from brand owner to shelf. Esko Software Platform 16 and new platemaking capabilities are among new developments.

Canon Promotes “See Impossible” and “One Canon” Themes at Press Event

Published August 24, 2016

At an industry analyst/journalist summit held early this month, Canon unveiled its “One Canon” approach to the business, further integrating Canon U.S.A. Business Group, Canon Solutions America and Canon Information & Imaging Solutions to provide a seamless customer experience. WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne also interviewed Canon Americas Chairman & CEO and Senior Managing Director of Canon Inc. Joe Adachi during the event.

Performance POP Sees Market Differentiation in 2D/3D Projects

Published August 23, 2016

Taylor White, CEO of Performance POP in Dallas, recently invested in four HP large format printers to expand its POP business, which he saw as the future of the company. The company sells to retailers and retail brands, producing both 2D and 3D displays. Combined, these offer the company significant market differentiation. Performance POP also produces many hybrid digital/offset projects.

Carisma Large Format Adds 3D Value to 2D Printing with MASSIVit 3D

Published August 22, 2016

The first installation of a MASSIVit 1800 3D printer in North America at Carisma Large Format in New York has enabled the company to produce very unusual and compelling 2D/3D bus and truck wraps for the likes of Sony, who took advantage of these capabilities to promote the Angry Birds movie. Gil explains what it takes to add 3D to the mix.

One Canon: What does it mean?

Published August 22, 2016

Francis McMahon, Vice President at Canon USA and Senior Vice President at Canon Solutions America, explains the One Canon approach to the market under the leadership of Toyo Kuwamura, moving the company from a product focused organization to a customer focused organization, the next logical step in the integration of the organization following Canon's acquisition of Oce.

"Color as you imagine it"—and see it in print

Published August 17, 2016

Color management used to be a matter of intuition and educated guesswork. Now, says X-Rite Pantone president Ron Voigt, it's what can happen automatically when printers use "a consistent language and a consistent set of processes to control color from the front of the workflow to the back of the workflow." Voigt reaffirms that color will always be associated with art and the designer's inspiration. X-Rite Pantone supplies tools to turn that vision into digital specifications for accurate reproduction in print.

Liturgical Publications Boosts Service Levels with HP PageWide Web Presses

Published August 16, 2016

Liturgical Publications (LPI) has carved out a unique and interesting business. Vice President of Operations Frank Horning shares the company's story in this interview with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne. Six facilities around the U.S. produce weekly Catholic Church Sunday bulletins and has leveraged four HP PageWide web presses to incorporate more color and meet tight delivery deadlines, migrating volume from offset.

Digital Cutting and Creasing Drives Change at Glossop Cartons

Published August 16, 2016

Brian Sidebottom, General Manager of UK-based Glossop Cartons, was the first company in the world to purchase a Highcon Euclid. Now the company is the first in the world to install the Highcon Beam to raise the crossover point between conventional and digital cutting and creasing while enabling new applications and revenue streams.

Blending 2D and 3D Printing: A Graphic Arts Approach

Published August 15, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with MASSIVit 3D CEO Avner Israeli about the company's unique approach to 3D printing. The MASSIVit 1800 prints at 35 cm/hour and is designed with graphic arts applications in mind. MASSIVit will make its US debut at SGIA Expo 2016.

Joakim Weidemanis of Danaher Explains the Company's Strategy in the Packaging Market

Published August 10, 2016

Joakim Weidemanis, Vice President at Danaher, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the $20 billion company's strategy relative to the packaging industry through acquisition. drupa was the first time Danaher companies Esko, Enfocus, X-Rite and Pantone have jointly exhibited, featuring co-developed solutions and other synergies.

Xaar Enters 3D Printing Market with New Print Heads

Published August 9, 2016

Neil Hopkinson, Director of 3D Printing for Xaar, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about new offerings the company showed at drupa 2016 to enable high volume 3D printing and the cost-effective manufacture of products that could not be made before. He claims the company will be able to deliver some of the highest speeds in the market.

Kodak's CEO Jeff Clarke on Functional Printing, 3D Printing, and Kodak's Industrial Print Strategy

Published August 8, 2016

Jeff Clarke, Kodak's CEO, talks with Cary Sherburne, Senior Editor, about functional printing, 3D printing, and Kodak's future strategies in this area, including its new development partnership with Silicon Valley based Carbon 3D.

The Promise of HP's PrintOS

Published August 3, 2016

Eric Wiesner, General Manager of HP's PageWide Web Press Division, explains PrintOS, a cloud-based production management system, set to redefine the concept of end-to-end workflow, beginning with the printer's customer and carrying an automated workflow through to shipping, invoicing and track-and-trace. All this will contribute to print being an equal Internet citizen and part of the Internet of Things far into the future.

NPES President Thayer Long Talks About Graph Expo 2016

Published August 3, 2016

Thayer Long, NPES' new President, shares his thoughts with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about what to expect at Graph Expo 2016, scheduled for September 25-28 in Orlando. He shares his thoughts on the relevancy and value of trade shows. The goal is to reach 12,000 attendees, including printers in the Southeast for whom it might be their first Graph Expo.

Flint Group CEO Explains Benefits of Xeikon Acquistion

Published August 2, 2016

Antoine Fady, the new CEO of the Flint Group, shares the company's strategy to expand its offerings in the commercial print and packaging markets, including its acquisition of Xeikon. But States the Company "is not addicted to acquisitions." Packaging now represents 70% of Flint Group's revenues.

Rapid Adoption of Digital Print and Embellishment Technologies for Market Differentiation in Central America and Caribbean

Published August 1, 2016

Thomas Lange of Grupo SG, a 3rd-generation graphic arts distributor serving Central America and the Caribbean, the first to distribute Heidelberg presses in the region. The company was the first in the world to sell the new EFI Nozomi digital direct-to-corrugated press first shown at drupa 2016. He talks about rapid adoption of new graphic arts technology in the region.

Helping Customers to a Profitable End-to-End Workflow

Published July 28, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Gavin Jordan-Smith, Vice President of Solutions and Production Planning for Konica Minolta U.S., about getting customers to an efficient end-to-end workflow across the entire value stream, including efficient integration of embellishments for applications like labels, and the importance of offering business development services to enable new business opportunities.

COT Holdings Celebrates 40 Years in Business

Published July 27, 2016

What’s the printing business like in Barbados? Highly competitive, according to COT Holdings’ Nigel Worme. Learn how this innovative company is investing in the future of its business with a brand-new HP Indigo 10000 in this article sponsored by HP.

How Digital Can Make Offset More Efficient

Published July 26, 2016

Bill Duerr, President of New Jersey based Hatteras, joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to discuss how adding two HP Indigo 10000s has changed the company's production platform and expanded its offerings, with a combination of offset transfer and new applications. It has also helped make offset production more efficient by removing shorter offset runs from the mix.

Highcon's Aviv Ratzman Talks About Advances in Digital Embellishment

Published July 25, 2016

Aviv Ratzman, Founder and CEO of Highcon, joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to talk about what's changed at Highcon since it first launched at drupa 2012. The company saw great success at drupa 2016, which featured a giant paper sculpture created using Highcon technology.

Arizona-based bluemedia Takes Unique Approach to Large Format Workflow

Published July 20, 2016

Arizona-based large format printer bluemedia has taken a unique approach to workflow that is serving them well, making it possible to efficiently produce large and small projects – including all of the Super Bowl graphics.

Adobe PDF Print Engine Celebrates 10 Years with Release of Enhancements

Published July 19, 2016

Adobe Product Manager Mark Lewiecki shares the latest APPE news in this tenth year of its existence. APPE 4.0 includes enhancements in performance, color and quality, including tiled parallel processing that enables breaking up images, processing them and reassembling seamlessly. Products featuring APPE 4.0 are already hitting the market.

How Much Excellence Is in Your Operation?

Published July 18, 2016

A new book by former HP Executive Dieter Legat is a how-to guide for getting to operational excellence. Surf the Waves of Opportunity: Lead your business to operational excellence with five things done right, draws on Legat’s many years of operational and consulting experience to provide a working model that can be used in any business.

Flexo Plates Designed for Clean Transfer, Reduced Press Stops

Published July 14, 2016

Dieter Niederstadt, Technical Marketing Manager for Asahi Photoproducts, discusses the company's Pinning Technology for Clean Transfer that reduces flexo press stops for plate cleaning while delivering very high quality. These plates are primarily used in flexible packaging and are ideal for fixed color palette printing due to precise registration.

Xerox and RR Donnelley to Merge? What Would This Mean for the Industry?

Published July 13, 2016

Say what? Mainstream media is reporting that the two are in talks, and all this in the middle of Breaking Up Is Hard to Do for both companies. Xerox responded to an email inquiry early this morning with this: “All we are willing to share at this point is that we don’t comment on market speculation.” Expected. RR Donnelley has always been extremely close to the vest even when the topic is not material, so there wasn’t any point in reaching out there. But we do have our feelers out to see what we can pick up.

Shutterfly and HP Indigo: The Inside Scoop

Published July 13, 2016

At drupa 2016, HP Indigo announced its largest deal ever – 25 HP Indigo 12000s to go to photo specialty printer Shutterfly. This is notable not only for the size of the agreement but for the fact that all 25 units are to be installed over the summer in order to be ready for peak production in the 4th quarter – a monumental task.

Think 3D Printing is Not for You? Think Again!

Published July 12, 2016

3D printing was one of six focused areas at drupa 2016. Most printing operations are probably wondering how this can apply to their businesses. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne has some ideas to share that will shed light on the subject.

Taking Print to the Future with HP Print OS at Creel Printing

Published July 12, 2016

Bill Wieners, President of Digital Lizard, a Creel Printing company, talks about how the company's extensive installed base of digital presses is being completely refreshed, and the impact that HP PrintOS is having on production efficiencies. With 17 HP presses on the floor across three plants, the company has the most presses installed on PrintOS. Creel will also be a beta site for the new HP Indigo 50000.

XMPie Users Group Changes Membership Model to Spur Growth

Published July 11, 2016

Jeroen van Druenen of Amsterdam-based Jubels talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the XMPie User Group, of which he is President, including the decision to make membership in the group free for all XMPie users. The next conference will be held in November in Atlanta.

drupa Provides a Snapshot of the Future for The World Bank

Published July 7, 2016

World Bank Senior Project Manager Jimmy Vainstein talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks about how drupa provides an opportunity to shift focus from short-term to long-term goals, ensuring that the organization takes advantages of all opportunities to support the organizations poverty reduction mission.

First-time drupa attendees describe the show as "mindblowing"

Published July 6, 2016

Nate and Vanessa Quigley, co-owners of Chatbooks.com, talk about their first drupa experience and why it was important for them to attend, even though they outsource all of their printing. They were particularly interested in post-print embellishment techniques for photobooks.

Emmy-Worthy Press Conferences at drupa 2016

Published July 5, 2016

For journalists, drupa means a press conference marathon. Most of these conferences have great content, and it is important to be able to ask questions of executives during these sessions to be able to bring the most accurate and important news to our readers. In this post, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne highlights four press conferences that are deserving of special recognition.

C.J. Graphics CEO Saw Phenomenal Innovation at drupa 2016

Published July 5, 2016

Jay Mandarino, CEO & President of Canada-based C.J. Graphics, traveled all the way to Dusseldorf for drupa 2016. He was amazed and overwhelmed by the level of innovation at the show and recommends visitors allow several days if they plan to attend drupa 2020. C.J. Graphics will be the first Canadian install of a Landa Nanographic press.

Xerox Technology President Jeff Jacobson Touts Xerox Diversification

Published June 28, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne speaks with Jeff Jacobson, President of the Xerox Technology business (and tapped to become CEO when Xerox separates into two companies). Jacobson contrasts the Xerox drupa 2016 presence with that at drupa 2012, reflecting a significant amount of diversification the company has achieved in the past four years.

4over CEO Zarik Mergerdichian Provides Business Update

Published June 27, 2016

4over CEO Zarik Mergerdichian talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the company's expansion to better serve its customers. He outlines the benefits of outsourcing some work to improve service levels, build new offerings and benefit from 500 line screen printing. The company now has 17 locations across the US and Canada.

Key Themes at drupa 2016 Bring Industry 4.0 to the Forefront

Published June 27, 2016

By all accounts, drupa 2016 was an amazing show for both exhibitors and attendees. In this article, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne highlights some of the important trends coming out of the show, including drivers bringing Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution – to print.

drupa 2016: Good for the Industry. Good for EFI.

Published June 24, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne chats with EFI CEO Guy Gecht about his drupa experience. Gecht characterizes drupa as terrific on every level and a great moment for the industry with vendors more than ever willing to invest in solutions that are necessary for the future success of the industry. And customers were in a buying mood.

Xeikon Trillium One: A Bright Future — Interview with Xeikon CEO Wim Maes

Published June 21, 2016

Cary Sherburne, Senior Editor, talks with Xeikon CEO Wim Maes about the reception at drupa 2016 to the new Trillium One liquid toner press. He also stresses the positive future for dry toner and document printing and explains the company's Fusion technology for inline embellishment of labels.

Guy Gecht Talks about EFI's acquisition of Optitex

Published June 20, 2016

In this exclusive WhatTheyThink video interview, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with EFI's CEO Guy Gecht about the company's most recent acquisition. Optitex, a leader in 2D and 3D software solutions for the garment industry, broadens EFI's presence in the textile ecosystem.

drupa 2016 software trends: everything cloud

Published June 16, 2016

InfoTrends analyst Ryan McAbee discusses drupa trends in the software space with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, including expansion of cloud-based solutions beyond web-to-print and using the cloud for production performance analysis — the Internet of Presses!

How Canon Solution America's Inkjet Technologies Impact Their Customers

Published June 16, 2016

Senior Vice President of Canon Solutions America Francis McMahon talks to Adam Dewitz about the impact their production inkjet technologies is having on their customer base. They also discuss the new media lab in Boca Raton and how it helps bring new technologies to market.

In Inkjet, "Ink is the thing that makes it all work"

Published June 14, 2016

Marco Boer of I.T. Strategies and Senior Editor Cary Sherburne discuss the latest developments in inkjet inks being shown at drupa 2016. Expect to see inks that act and feel differently.

NPES President Thayer Long Sees Positive Industry Attitude at drupa 2016

Published June 13, 2016

In this interview with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, Thayer Long, NPES President, shares thoughts about his first drupa, and the state of the industry it portrays. It reflects a clarity of vision and positive attitude that are good signs for the industry.

Zwang and Sherburne Review the True Digital drupa

Published June 10, 2016

Cary Sherburne and David Zwang offer their insights on drupa 2016, by all accounts a very exciting show. Zwang tags it the digital drupa representing the ubiquitous nature of digital processes integrated into the overall workflow. "Inkjet is bringing a democratization of printing itself." They also discuss digital direct to corrugated trends and 3D.

Jim Hamilton's take on trends at drupa 2016

Published June 10, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reviews drupa 2016 with InfoTrends Group Director Jim Hamilton, who feels like a kid in a candy story at this broadest-ever drupa. Hamilton calls it the Inkjet drupa 4.0, signifying the maturity of inkjet technologies. He also emphasizes the broad array of digital embellishment technologies.

Marco Boer: The Print Industry Is Bigger Than Ever

Published June 9, 2016

Marco Boer of I.T. Strategies shares insight about the latest developments being shown at drupa 2016. Offset is still viable, but with HP having the largest stand at the show, it signifies the passing of the baton to a digital printing industry.

Digital finishing at the forefront at drupa 2016

Published June 9, 2016

Michel Hunkeler, CEO of Hunkeler, speaks to Senior Editor Cary Sherburne from the drupa show floor, sharing the company's strategy of collaborating with clients, working from the application backwards to create an optimum configuration for clients and to guide new product development. He also shares some of the new solutions that were shown at drupa.

Pazazz Printing's Warren Werbitt: Why attend drupa?

Published June 8, 2016

Warren Werbitt, Co-Founder of Pazazz Printing in Montreal, always has something interesting to say and this segment with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne is no exception. He explains why it is important for North Americans to attend drupa.

HP and Smurfit Kappa to Collaborate on Development of Direct-to-corrugated Digital Print

Published June 6, 2016

HP's General Manager of Large Format Xavier Garcia shares details of the company's Strategic alliance with Smurfit Kappa in the development of the PageWide C500 digital direct-to-board corrugated press, scheduled for commercial availability in 2017.

Robert Keane of Cimpress Commits to 20 Landa Nanographics Presses

Published June 6, 2016

Robert Keane, President and CEO of Cimpress, the parent company of Vistaprint, talks about his decision to beta test Landa Nanographics presses and commit to ordering 20 units. This is the culmination of the partnership between the two companies and is expected to address the gap between digital and offset for Cimpress.

Early drupa Attendance Surpasses Expectations

Published June 4, 2016

drupa Director Sabine Geldermann shares early drupa statistics with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, with more than 109,000 unique visitors by the end of Day 4, with 80% coming from outside Germany. Exhibitors are already lining up for drupa 2019!

A Preview of New Technology from Konica Minolta at drupa

Published June 3, 2016

Dino Pagliarello, the Konica Minolta US VP of Product Management & Planning, joins Cary Sherburne, Senior Editor, at the Konica Minolta stand at drupa to learn more about what Konica Minolta is showcasing, including the KM-C, a flatbed direct-to-corrugated press.

HP Indigo Scores Big at drupa with Cimpress and Shutterfly Deals

Published June 2, 2016

Just two days into drupa 2016, HP Indigo has announced two large deals: Cimpress and Shutterfly. Combined with some other smaller transactions, the company has already chalked up sales of about 50 HP Indigo Series 4 presses, with likely more to come, making this an exciting show for the company. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Indigo General Manager Alon Bar-Shany to get the details.

Kodak at drupa: CEO Jeff Clarke Speaks Out

Published June 2, 2016

Jeff Clarke, CEO of Kodak, explains what visitors to drupa will see at the Kodak stand, the 5th largest stand at the show. Kodak is making 20 new product announcements, reflecting its dedication to continuing to support the industry and help customers differentiate themselves, including improving environmental sustainability. He also discusses the upcoming sale of the company's PROSPER business.

Xerox's Robert Stabler Shares the Xerox Experience at drupa

Published June 2, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Xerox SVP Robert Stabler from the floor of drupa 2016 about the Xerox and partner solutions being featured at the show, including sheetfed inkjet, direct print to 3-dimensional objects, and the 160 applications being produced in the booth, as well as the High Fusion inkjet inks allowing printing on standard offset substrates without pretreatment. It's also the first time Xerox has had an entire segment of its booth dedicated to packaging applications.

Cary Sherburne and David Zwang Talk drupa News from Heidelberg, Canon, EFI, Landa, Xerox and KBA

Published June 1, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with David Zwang about first impressions at drupa 2016. The "Rebirth of Heidelberg," Single Pass Corrugated, Landa's announcements, Canon's B1 inkjet offset press, Xerox High Fusion Ink and the Xerox-KBA Hybrid Press Partnership.

Cary Sherburne and David Zwang Talk drupa News from Konica Minolta, Kodak, Heidelberg's Big Data Initiative

Published June 1, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with David Zwang about first impressions at drupa 2016. Heidelberg's Big Data initiative to help its customers become more efficient. Konica Minolta's AccurioJet KM-1 and their growth targets including corrugated. Kodak's ULTRASTREAM Technology, Extended Gamut, and the sale of the inkjet business.

Self-Serve Omnichannel Marketing Campaigns - Taking Web2Print to the Next Level

Published May 23, 2016

Most printing companies have either adopted omnichannel and web2print solutions or are planning to. With XMPie’s upcoming ‘Campaigns-on-Demand’ feature - an enhancement to both its Cross Media and Web2Print solutions -- the benefits of multi-touch 1:1 campaigns and a more efficient ordering workflow are no longer mutually exclusive. Learn more in this interview sponsored by XMPie.

HP's Alon-Bar-Shany on Digital Opportunities in Packaging

Published May 23, 2016

Alon Bar-Shany, General Manager of HP's Indigo Business, talks about the complexity of the packaging market, from substrates to color requirements, and how digital can benefit this market segment, including HP's new offering, the Pack Ready ecosystem, that compresses cycle time for laminated products.

Kodak CEO Jeff Clarke Talks about drupa 2016

Published May 19, 2016

Jeff Clarke, Kodak's CEO, heads off to his first drupa, where he expects Kodak to show the expected -- and the unexpected! Technology demos will show new technologies and applications, and new industries that can benefit from inkjet now and into the future. Disintermediating technologies that will take you outside your comfort zone!

HP Set to Revolutionize Prototyping/Manufacturing with Jet Fusion 3D

Published May 18, 2016

It’s been some time since HP first announced it would be entering the 3D printing market with a production-class printer and it is finally show time. The HP Jet Fusion 3 Printing Solution will be unveiled at RAPID, the largest 3D additive manufacturing conference. As promised, the printer is 10X faster and half the cost of its nearest competitor.

HP Indigo 10000 Opens New Doors for Denver-Based Hampden Press

Published May 16, 2016

Denver-based Hampden Press recently added an HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press to its fleet of offset, digital and wide format presses and has been able to not only increase capacity and produce many brand-new applications, but has also seen revenues rise 10% as compared to last year, largely due to the HP Indigo 10000. Read more in this article sponsored by HP.

HP Set to Revolutionize Prototyping/Manufacturing with Jet Fusion 3D

Published May 16, 2016

It’s been some time since HP first announced it would be entering the 3D printing market with a production-class printer and it is finally show time. The HP Jet Fusion 3 Printing Solution will be unveiled at RAPID, the largest 3D additive manufacturing conference. As promised, the printer is 10X faster and half the cost of its nearest competitor.

New Leadership at NPES/GASC: A Conversation with Thayer Long

Published May 10, 2016

A little over a week into his new role as President of NPES/GASC, Thayer Long, who has taken over from Ralph Nappi, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne in this WhatTheyThink exclusive interview about why he is excited about his new role and what he expect to achieve moving forward

Starbucks Has High Expectations of Print Suppliers

Published May 6, 2016

Kristy Cameron, Starbucks' Creative Manager for Brand Expression, talks about expectations for the printing community in terms of preserving the Starbucks brand and aligning with the Starbucks corporate mission, including maintaining the human touch when production is on a mass scale.

Innovative Digital Print Production Strategies Drive Dramatic Growth at Quality Tape and Label

Published May 3, 2016

In 2008, this full-service label & packaging company saw the writing on the wall with respect to the looming impact of digital printing technologies on its business and wanted to get ahead of the curve with digital adoption.

"Best Dscoop Ever!"

Published April 27, 2016

This is the refrain Senior Editor Cary Sherburne heard over and over again during and after Dscoop 11, held in San Antonio TX. The conference attracted double the number of companies as compared to last year and featured outstanding keynotes, content and activities.

Jetcomm 2 Inspires Attendees to Achieve New Heights

Published April 26, 2016

The second annual Jetcomm conference, comprised primarily of owners of HP PageWide Web Presses, was held in San Antonio TX in conjunction with Dscoop 11. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne was there and shares her thoughts.

Personalized Packaging is Here

Published April 26, 2016

For printers and packaging converters looking to take advantage of the market opportunities offered by customized or personalized packaging, the Zoxxbox story is an interesting one. Learn how the company is leveraging digital tools to make customized packaging an affordable reality in this article sponsored by XMPie.

Dscoop 11 and Plans for the Future

Published April 20, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Dscoop's Global Executive Director John Rogers about the outcome of Dscoop 11. The organization's new approach to member communication, using a data-based approach, resulted in double the number of companies attending as compared to Dscoop X, Now they are planning for Dscoop 12 in Phoenix, March 2-4, 2017.

Marco Boer from IT Strategies on Production Inkjet Technology Advancements and New Markets

Published April 18, 2016

Marco Boer shares his analysis recent advancements in production inkjet technology including increased image quality, support fora wider range of media including the ability to print on offset coat paper, and new commercial print and packaging applications.

Ricoh Again Takes Production Inkjet Market Share Lead in U.S.

Published April 18, 2016

IDC’s U.S. Quarterly Production Print Tracker results for 2015 peg Ricoh as the only supplier that increased year-over-year market share in production inkjet.

HP's Alon Bar-Shany on Growing Digital Printing Business

Published April 18, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks to Alon Bar-Shany, Vice President and General Manager, Indigo Division, HP about the evolution of HP Indigo and 11 years of Dscoop.

Printing tissue paper on a sheetfed HP Indigo — Digiwrap has figured it out!

Published April 15, 2016

Brad Boskovic, President of Digiwrap, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about one of the more unique HP Indigo applications we have seen -- personalized gift wrap tissue paper and Euro-style tote bags in a patented process that took about four years to develop.

ESKO: Driving Change in Flexo

Published April 13, 2016

At a pre-drupa briefing last month, duomedia hosted a large crowd of press and analysts from around the world to hear from eight different companies about their drupa plans and general strategies. This article includes links to other WhatTheyThink reporting on these announcements as well as a focus on the announcements made by the Danaher family of companies including Esko, Enfocus, X-Rite and Pantone. This included a flexo platemaking breakthrough announced by Esko that is set to create a shift in that market.

codeMantra Taking New Capabilities to the London Book Fair

Published April 12, 2016

codeMantra, which has been in the business of supporting content publishers for a decade, has just launched some interesting new capabilities that could have value for print service providers looking to expand the range of content-oriented services they offer customers. Read more.

Zazzle: A Modern Success Story

Published April 5, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne has been a long-time customer of Zazzle and was thrilled with the recent opportunity to visit the company’s manufacturing sites in San Jose CA. Learn more about the successful business this unique company has built in this article sponsored by HP.

AlphaGraphics CTO Shares Details of MIS Migration

Published April 5, 2016

Ryan Farris, CTO of AlphaGraphics, explains why the migration from EFI PrintSmith to EFI PrintSmith Vision across the network is important to the company's growth path and how the company is leveraging this migration to better integrate and automate the network.

Canon's Media Labs: Testing and Qualifying Inkjet Papers

Published March 31, 2016

John Crumbaugh, Product Manager for Ink and Media at Canon Solutions America, has a lot to say about ink and media for production inkjet, and claims to have the best job in Canon Solutions America where he runs the Boca Raton Media lab, often testing 3 or more substrates per week.

Speedpro Imaging Chooses EFI H1625 Wide Format Printers

Published March 22, 2016

Boris Katsnelson, CEO of SpeedPro Imaging, with 125 wide format locations in 31 states and an affiliate in Canada with an additional 40 locations, shares thoughts with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about why the company is introducing EFI hybrid wide format printers to its production platform.

Behind the Branding of Starbucks

Published March 17, 2016

Kristy Cameron, Creative Manager of Brand Expression for Starbucks, speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about how the Starbucks mission statement drives the brand image and the inspiration it provides to creatives. The goal is to make sure that everything they do has that human touch to it.

You can help attract younger employees to the printing industry!

Published March 15, 2016

John Berthelsen, VP of Business Development of the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF), talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the tools available from PGSF to promote career opportunities in the printing industry. PGSF needs your support in educating today's students about opportunities in the industry, which is facing challenges due to an aging workforce, many of whom are preparing for retirement.

Another New Business for EFI

Published March 3, 2016

EFI is using both organic growth and acquisitions to get to CEO Guy Gecht’s much publicized goal of reaching $1 billion in revenue this year, and another acquisition was added to the mix this week. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talked to EFI about how the acquisition of Rialco LLC fits into the mix.

TAGA in Memphis: Tech, BBQ and Music

Published February 23, 2016

Are you gearing up to attend the 2016 TAGA conference in Memphis? Senior Editor Cary Sherburne gives you lots of good reasons why you should plan to go … read more.

HP's David Murphy stresses the importance of the graphics community attending drupa 2016

Published February 18, 2016

David Murphy, VP of Marketing for HP PageWide inkjet presses, talks about why it is important to attend drupa 2016. HP plans to demonstrate new technologies across its graphics portfolio and will be occupying the entirety of Hall 17 (more than 5,000 square meters). At drupa, exhibitors are showing the promise of the future for the graphics industry. Be there!

Mercury Print: Positioned for Growth

Published February 16, 2016

Mercury Print Productions of Rochester NY reports continued growth, increased use of digital print technologies, and a new facility that consolidates 3 previous ones. CEO John Place talks about current business and future strategies in this company spotlight.

Documobi: Making Print Interactive

Published February 11, 2016

Peter Lancaster, CEO of documobi, talks about being the "new kid on the block" making all printing interactive, working with the entire supply chain. The solution enables more revenue opportunities for printers and more relevant and engaging communications for marketers.

Sheetfed Inkjet Boosts Production for OneTouchPoint

Published February 4, 2016

Steve Henck, VP of Operations for OneTouchPoint, is an early adopter of sheetfed production inkjet, migrating work from offset and toner as well as developing new applications and customers.

IDEAlliance and Epicomm Join Forces for the Benefit of the Industry

Published February 3, 2016

Yesterday, IDEAlliance and Epicomm announced a proposed merger that, pending member approval, will combine the two organizations under the 50-year-old brand IDEAlliance. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with IDEAlliance’s David Steinhardt and Epicomm’s Ken Garner to get the inside story.

EFI Connect Attendees Gain Insights from Steve Wynn Keynote

Published January 28, 2016

How does The Wynn Resort create such an excellent customer experience? Steve Wynn shared his thoughts and experience in a fabulous keynote at EFI Connect 2016.

Advanced Materials for Advanced Applications

Published January 26, 2016

Gearing up for drupa yet? At WhatTheyThink, we are. In fact, our drupa page is already up, so be sure to follow the news as the show gets closer! One of the areas worth investigating when you go to drupa is the developing area of advanced materials, whether it is resins for 3D printing, conductive inks, or advanced inkjet ink formulas.

The Value Of Trade Shows And User Groups

Published January 25, 2016

Cheryl Kahanec, SVP at high-tech commercial printer Earth Color, talks about the role and value of trade shows and users groups. She emphasizes the importance of getting out there to look at what is happening in the industry and what your peers are doing, and learning how new tools can benefit your business.

EFI Portfolio Helps Customers Drive A More Efficient Workflow

Published January 25, 2016

Frank Mallozzi, SVP at EFI, talks about the holistic approach to workflow to remove touch points and cost that he sees on customer visits around the globe.

Globalsoft Digital Now Part of the Creel Family

Published January 21, 2016

I read with interest the announcement by Las Vegas based Creel of its acquisition of Globalsoft Digital, based in New Jersey with operations in France as well. Chris Petro has done a great job with Globalsoft Digital and has always been on the forefront of technology adoption. Alan Creel’s Las Vegas operation also includes Digital Lizard. With the addition of Globalsoft Digital, he significantly expands his geographic footprint and adds a business that generates about 50% of its revenues from photo specialty printing with the balance from web-based commercial print.

EFI's Guy Gecht on EFI Connect and the Imaging of Things

Published January 20, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with EFI's CEO Guy Gecht about EFI's new Imaging of Things Exchange announced yesterday at EFI Connect, where attendance is up 10% over last year. He also shares thoughts about the value of specialized versus generic trade events for exhibitors and attendees.

X-Rite Pantone’s CEO Ron Voigt Shares Insights

Published January 19, 2016

As 2015 drew to a close, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne had the opportunity to sit down with X-Rite Pantone CEO Ron Voigt to review the year and look ahead into 2016.

Chatbooks: Linking the Physical and Digital Worlds

Published January 17, 2016

Our President, Eric Vessels, came across the Chatbooks service in Instagram and shared it with the team. Our own Frank Romano commented on it in a video last week, and today we have an interview with Chatbooks CEO Nate Quigley for a deeper look at the service and print’s value add.

Think Outside The Box: The Harmonic Convergence Of Media Channels

Published January 11, 2016

Rieva Lesonsky, Founder & CEO of GrowBiz Media, a custom content company, talks about the role of print in an omnichannel world. Repurposing content across multiple channels increases both engagement and revenues.

Articles by Cary Sherburne