Production Automation: How Do You Get Started Affordably?

Published September 30, 2011

Following up on her recent article, Graph Expo Retrospective, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne takes a look at production automation, a key "Critical Technology" as identified by the Graph Expo Must See 'ems committee. Getting started might be more affordable than you think.

Interview with Frank Romano About the Upcoming drupa Trade Fair Next Year

Published September 29, 2011

Cary Sherburne interviews Frank Romano about his expectations at the upcoming 2012 drupa and why it's so important for members of the industry at any level to attend. For more information on drupa 2012 click here.

Graph Expo Retrospective; Critical and Opportunistic Technologies for Future Success

Published September 27, 2011

As the industry gets back to work following a busy Graph Expo 2011, it is a good time to take a look at some of the technologies that were on display-both those that are critical to the short- and long-term profitability and survival of a printing company, and opportunistic technologies that can provide differentiation.

CEO Mark Sarpa's Advice on the Digital Transition

Published September 20, 2011

CEO of Progressive Solutions Mark Sarpa chats with Cary Sherburne about the world of digital printing and offers his advice for those looking to enter the digital field.

Agfa and Pitman: One Year Later

Published September 9, 2011

In July of 2010, Agfa acquired the assets of the Harold M. Pitman Company. It's been just over a year, and WhatTheyThink takes an exclusive look at the status of the integration.

Ricoh and Zumbox Join Forces to Simplify Digital Mailbox Solutions for Billers

Published September 7, 2011

Yesterday, Ricoh and Zumbox announced an alliance under which mailers can opt to provide their customers mail via Zumbox, the world's first digital postal mail system. WhatTheyThink spoke with Ricoh's Don Dew to get the inside scoop.

More on the Digital Mail Revolution, Pitney Bowes' John Schloff Provides Volly Update

Published September 1, 2011

Following our recent article on the latest news from Zumbox, a player in the digital mail space, we contacted Pitney Bowes' John Schloff to find out the latest about its digital mailbox offering, Volly. Schloff shares an update, including insight into strategy and plans.

The Digital Postal Mail Revolution, Will it Speed the Demise of the U. S. Postal Service?

Published August 30, 2011

For almost a decade, pundits have been projecting that paper mail, especially transactional mail, will be displaced by electronic alternatives. Just like the paperless office, it hasn't happened yet. But there's a lot happening in the digital postal mail realm that could change the picture entirely. John Payne of Zumbox talks about what's ahead.

RPI's Bellamy Comments on Acquisition of Netherlands-based Paro Group BV

Published August 29, 2011

On August 25th, Seattle-based RPI announced the acquisition of Paro Group BV, based in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The entity in the Netherlands will be known as RPI-Paro to capitalize on Paro branding there. WhatTheyThink spoke with Rick Bellamy, CEO of RPI, and Jan-Paul van den Hurk, owner and CEO of Paro Printing, for more details.

EFI's Marc Olin Comments on Prism Group Holdings Acquisition

Published August 17, 2011

EFI continues its efforts to consolidate the print MIS market with yet another acquisition. On August 3rd, the company announced the acquisition of Prism Group Holdings. Marc Olin, GM of EFI's Software Applications business unit, comments on the reasons for the acquisition and its value to EFI.

Rochester NY Printing Firms Bright Spots in a Difficult Economy (Part 2)

Published August 16, 2011

I recently had the opportunity to visit four printing firms in the Rochester/Buffalo NY area and was impressed with their vitality an innovative approach to the business. Their stories are sure to brighten up your summer, as they did mine. Part 2 of a 2-part article.

Rochester NY Printing Firms Bright Spots in a Difficult Economy (Part 1)

Published August 15, 2011

I recently had the opportunity to visit four printing firms in the Rochester/Buffalo NY area and was impressed with their vitality an innovative approach to the business. Their stories are sure to brighten up your summer, as they did mine. Part 1 of a 2-part article.

Production Inkjet Continues to Affect Book Printing Market

Published August 5, 2011

Toronto-based book printer Webcom has built a reputation for providing customers with innovative solutions to the challenges of printing books, catalogs and directories. The company has recently launched BookFWD, a paradigm shift for publishers, powered by a new HP T300 Inkjet Web Press.

Mimeo Acquires CLE; Expands to UK, CEO Adam Slutsky Comments

Published August 4, 2011

In July, online printer Mimeo announced the acquisition of UK-based CLE. In this conversation, with CEO Adam Slutsky talks about the reasons for the acquisition, Mimeo's expectations, and hints about future plans.

Do you think marketers understand the full value of personalized communications?

Published July 31, 2011

You might want to think again. Sure, many do. But their primary association, the DMA, apparently doesn't. A friend forwarded me an email he received recently from the DMA, and while I will not include the whole thing here, here are the high points that demonstrate that something is lost in translation here!

Ipex Moves to London, 30-Year Hiatus in Birmingham Ends

Published July 29, 2011

In early June, The Informa Print Group announced that Ipex would be moving to London's ExCeL international exhibition and conference centre for its 2014 exhibition. Scheduled for March 26th to April 2nd, 2014, Ipex returns to the city of its birth after 30 years in Birmingham. Learn more.

EFI President Fred Rosenzweig to Retire

Published July 25, 2011

Padgett Printing Closes, President David Torok Gives Insight

Published July 25, 2011

WhatTheyThink was saddened, and quite frankly, surprised, to learn about the closure of Dallas-based Padgett Printing, a respected family-owned printing business that had operated for more than 100 years.

Xerox Hosts Informative Analyst Briefing at Gil Hatch Center

Published July 14, 2011

In mid-June, Xerox Corporation hosted a large group consisting of members of the analyst community in Rochester NY for a Document Technology Business Briefing covering both the production and office businesses. A highlight of the event was a talk by Chairman & CEO Ursula Burns followed by a Q&A opportunity.

48HourPrint: An Online Success Story

Published July 12, 2011

48HourPrint began its life in 2001 as a magazine publisher, publishing a nightlife magazine for the City of Boston called 411. Noticing the uptick in activity in the world of online printing, the company migrated the business model to the online printing success story it is today.

Printing Industries of America Decries Obama Administration Characterization of Print

Published July 7, 2011

On June 24th, Printing Industries of America President & CEO Michael Makin sent an email touting his letter to President Obama that objected to the President's characterization of the printed version of the Federal Register (and by association, the entire printing industry), saying people might think "printed material is a dying and irrelevant relic." WhatTheyThink research reveals a different picture.

PSDA Revitalized Through New Management Arrangement

Published June 28, 2011

Last year, PSDA (Print Services & Distribution Association) announced it had entered into a management agreement with association management firm SmithBucklin, the same organization that manages Dscoop and the XMPie Users Group. WhatTheyThink checked in with PSDA Board President Bill Prettyman and Executive Vice President Matt Sanderson to see how things were proceeding.

Industry Veteran Joe Demharter Speaks About Current Role at Presstek

Published June 16, 2011

Joe Demharter retired from The Pitman Company about three years ago, where he was President for eight years. After two years of taking it easy, he decided to get back in the game. During this interview, he explains why, and offers advice to printers for a successful future.

Business Development: How the Vendors Can Help

Published June 3, 2011

As printers continue to evolve their businesses to meet the new market realities, one of the challenges they face is how to optimize their operations and market their new products and services. This is an area where suppliers to the industry can provide significant help. This interview with Kodak's Deb Stranaghan outlines the new Kodak MarketMover program, designed to help printers transform their businesses.

Consolidated Graphics emerge a Resounding Success

Published May 26, 2011

This is the second year for Consolidated Graphics (CGX) emerge conference. This is a truly unique event, which I had the pleasure of attending this year. The nearly 500 CGX customers who attended came to learn about new technology, new processes and stay current with the trends in a dynamic environment.

How technology is changing the book printing business

Published May 19, 2011

Aditya Chinai manages King Printing, whose business focuses primarily on book printing, discusses new technologies and some of the transitions the company is doing to keep the business up to date.

Is Memjet a Disruptive Technology? Let's Ask Delphax

Published May 16, 2011

WhatTheyThink has published various pieces about Memjet over the last several months, but most of it has been focused on the label and office markets. At the end of last month, Memjet's latest partner was announced-Delphax Technologies, a provider of high-speed digital monochrome printing. The strategy is that the Memjet collaboration will jumpstart them as a player in the color digital market. Article

Have you entered the Web2Awards Competition Yet?

Published May 13, 2011

Standard Register: A Transformation Story

Published May 10, 2011

Standard Register is nearly 100 years old, but with its recent rebranding and the transformation efforts being driven by President & CEO Joseph P. Morgan, Jr., the company is placing itself squarely in the 21st Century. It has reported three quarters in a row of profit and has a positive cash flow, a sign that Morgan’s transformation strategy is working.

EFI Connect Continues to Grow

Published May 6, 2011

EFI held its 12th annual Connect users' conference April 26th through 29th at the Wynn in Las Vegas. Attended by approximately 1,000 customers and a record number of partner sponsors, along with an international group of journalists, Connect was a success by anyone's measure.

Cyril Scott, a CGX Company, Invests More than $10 Million Despite Economic Downturn

Published April 26, 2011

Lancaster, Ohio, based Cyril Scott, a CGX company, has invested some $10 million in equipment, technology and people over the past two years, despite a difficult economic climate. Senior Editor Cary Sherburne spoke with Cyril Scott President Matt Coltharp to find out more.

No Time for Social Media? There are options... (Part Four of Four)

Published April 25, 2011

In this final part of a four-part series, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne interviews two more printing firms about their social media experiences. Part One examined the reasons why printing firms need to be engaged in social media and reviewed offerings by MarketingIdeasForPrinters that make social media as easy as a click of the mouse. Part Two reviewed the Grow Socially offering for Social Media services. And Part Three looks at the experiences of a supplier, Komori and a printer, Quad/Graphics.

No Time for Social Media? There are options... (Part Three of Four)

Published April 19, 2011

In this third part of a four-part series, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne interviews one printing firm and one supplier to the industry about their social media experiences. Part Four will contain the final two printer interviews. Part One examined the reasons why printing firms need to be engaged in social media. Part Two reviewed Grow Socially’s offering for Social Media services.

No Time for Social Media? There are options... (Part Two of Four)

Published April 15, 2011

In this second part of a Four-part series, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne reviews another option for printing firms to get into the social media game, from Grow Socially. She spoke with CEO John Foley to learn more about the kind of value they’re offering their clients.

Bud Hadfield, ICED Franchise Founder, Passes Away

Published April 12, 2011

Xerox Launches New Matte Dry Ink for iGen4 EXP

Published April 11, 2011

Ricoh Reorg Places Production HQ in US

Published April 10, 2011

No Time for Social Media? There are options...

Published April 5, 2011

In this first part of a three-part series, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne looks at options for printing firms to get into the social media game. This article examines offerings by MarketingIdeasForPrinters that make social media as easy as a click of the mouse.

Is Printing the Congressional Record Wasteful?

Published March 31, 2011

Bob Tapella reviews OnDemand Expo

Published March 28, 2011

Bob Tapella sits down with Cary to give his take of OnDemand. He also comments on the state of conferences as a whole, where there is room for improvement, and a hopeful look forward.

PublishingXchange Conference New at On Demand 2011; Mobile and Cloud Hot Topics

Published March 25, 2011

Yesterday saw the conclusion of On Demand 2011, which also ran in conjunction with info360 (formerly AIIM) and a new conference, PublishingXchange, at the Washington D.C. convention center. Two key digital printing players, Xerox and Kodak, were absent. What's in store for next year when the show(s) move to New York's Javits Center in June of 2012?

HP and O'Neil Data Systems Showcase Brand-New T400 Color Inkjet Web Press

Published March 17, 2011

HP is upping the ante in the inkjet game with the new T400 Color Inkjet Web Press announced today during a press event being held at Los Angeles based O'Neil Data Systems. With a 42” web width, the T400 offers more than just raw speed, promising to be a game changer for several target markets.

DG3 acquires the Ace Group: What does it all mean?

Published March 14, 2011

On Friday, March 4th, DG3 North America announced the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of The Ace Group of Manhattan. DG3 touted its ability to expand its Interactive Services group through this acquisition. This interview with Ace Group’s Val DiGiacinto and DG3’s Tom Saggiomo digs deeper into the transaction and what it holds for the future of both firms.

RR Donnelley and KBA announce technology partnership

Published March 1, 2011

Kodak Announces Price Increase for Offset Printing Plates

Published March 1, 2011

Xerox Comments on Inkjet, Heidelberg Digital Deal

Published February 28, 2011

One of the more important announcements at Hunkeler Innovationdays was the Xerox waterless production inkjet engine; Xerox updates its positioning. Soon after this event was the long-awaited announcement by Heidelberg of its digital partner—Ricoh. Sherburne highlights pros and cons of this arrangement and shares a prepared statement from Xerox along with some interview comments about the deal.

Hunkeler Innovationdays 2011 Draws Record Crowd

Published February 22, 2011

This year’s Hunkeler Innovationdays, held in Switzerland every other year, was a resounding success by anyone’s measure.  More than 5,000 attendees descended on Lucerne, Switzerland, taking up just about every available hotel room, to benefit from this highly focused digital printing event. Several suppliers chose this venue to make important announcements and to discuss future and planned digital printing/finishing innovations.

Xerox enters production inkjet game

Published February 14, 2011

Xerox chose Hunkeler Innovationdays 2011 in Lucerne, Switzerland as its platform to make its long-awaited production inkjet announcement.  The company has been showing technology concepts, beginning with drupa 2008, and speculation was it would be some time before they were able to get a product to market.  That time has come, with an innovative waterless printing process that can use virtually any type of uncoated substrate without pretreatment.

Neither Rain nor Snow nor Sleet … But Maybe Digital Mailboxes

Published February 9, 2011

PrintChina Trade Show Scheduled for April 9-13, 2011 in DongGuan City

Published January 31, 2011

In mid-January, show organizers for PrintChina 2011 hosted more than 40 journalists from around the world to raise awareness about the importance of PrintChina and to encourage foreign visitors to attend the show. WhatTheyThink represented North America at this event, which featured presentations from government, industry and supplier representatives as well as a visit to a Chinese printing factory. Interesting data, and some thoughts about the future of print in China. Read more.

FedEx Office Print & Go

Published January 27, 2011

Inside Scoop on the EFI/Heidelberg Deal

Published January 27, 2011

Last week, EFI and Heidelberg announced an agreement under which Heidelberg will distribute the VUTEk GS series of superwide format digital printers to the commercial print market across the U.S. WhatTheyThink spoke with both Heidelberg and EFI to get the inside scoop on this deal.

Xerox CEO to Join First Lady at State of the Union Address

Published January 25, 2011

Hunkeler Innovation Days Goes Virtual

Published January 20, 2011

Former HP Executive Bill McGlynn Talks About New Role at Memjet

Published January 11, 2011

Bill McGlynn was well-known to many of our readers during his 25 years with HP, where he helped accelerate the company’s printing business from $150 million to $24 billion in annual sales, including his role in the Indigo acquisition which led HP’s entry into the commercial printing space.  Now McGlynn is building Memjet’s Home & Office Business as its President.  Read more…

Pitney Bowes Launches Digital Mail Initiative

Published January 10, 2011

Mailing giant Pitney Bowes has announced a new secure online mailbox initiative.  Volly is a secure repository for bills, promotional mail and even household documents that attempts to solve many of the issues that have been barriers to more rapid adoption of online billing.  Read more...

Public Printer Robert C. Tapella Resigns

Published December 29, 2010

GPO's Little Known Secret

Published December 27, 2010

Hunkeler CEO Stefan Hunkeler Discusses Hunkeler Innovationdays

Published December 21, 2010

As the WhatTheyThink team prepares to head for Lucerne, Switzerland in February to attend the Hunkeler Innovationdays, we talked with Hunkeler CEO Stefan Hunkeler to gain insight into what to expect at this unique event. We also asked Hunkeler to share his thoughts about the current state of the industry.

CGX CEO Joe Davis Shares Latest CGX Strategies, Industry Insight

Published December 21, 2010

What better way to end the year than by having a conversation with Joe Davis, CEO of Consolidated Graphics and WhatTheyThink’s Print CEO of the Year.  Davis tells us what’s new at Consolidated Graphics, talks about acquisition strategy, and shares valuable insight into the strategies that have delivered business success for the company.

Googled: A Book Review

Published November 19, 2010

Google is arguably one of the most fascinating companies of our times. Founded in 1998, the typical Silicon Valley “two guys in a garage,” the company quickly skyrocketed to prominence as the preferred search engine for many as well as a premier advertising platform. In his book, Ken Auletta does an outstanding job of documenting the company’s history and accomplishments to date.

GPO Celebrates 150 Years of History, Uses Social Media to Tell the Story

Published November 18, 2010

Memjet: Bringing disruptive change to packaging and labeling?

Published November 1, 2010

Memjet may be a new name to many of our readers.  The company was founded in 2002 and designs and manufactures low-cost high quality inkjet printheads, print controllers and inks designed for use in printers for packaging and mailing applications.  Although OEMs have only had product components for 60 days, Memjet has been busy—five shows in the last six months in North America and Europe.  Read more about this potentially disruptive technology.

Former HP Executive Bill McGlynn Talks About New Role at Memjet

Published November 1, 2010

Bill McGlynn was well-known to many of our readers during his 25 years with HP, where he helped accelerate the company’s printing business from $150 million to $24 billion in annual sales, including his role in the Indigo acquisition which led HP’s entry into the commercial printing space.  Now McGlynn is building Memjet’s Home & Office Business as its President.  Read more…

Do you have your G7 DEER poster yet?

Published October 31, 2010

Standard Register Reports Strong 3rd Quarter

Published October 29, 2010

EFI CEO Bullish About Future of Industry, Company

Published October 26, 2010

EFI released positive quarterly earnings last week with 28% revenue growth. CEO Guy Gecht indicated that EFI’s transformation is complete. EFI has gone from a single family of products (Fiery) to a broad portfolio of products, including VUTEk, Rastek, and Jetrion inkjet printers as well as APPS. They’ve aimed their efforts at key growth areas of the print industry: short run digital printing for documents, signage, packaging and software that automates business processes, with multiple channel strategies. WhatTheyThink spoke with Gecht following the earnings call to learn more.

SGIA CEO Michael Robertson on "Too Many Trade Shows?"

Published October 15, 2010

In this video, SGIA CEO Michael Robertson comments on a recent article by Cary Sherburne entitled "Too Many Trade Shows?"

Scott Cohen live from SGIA in Las Vegas

Published October 14, 2010

Do You Live in the Future?

Published October 12, 2010

Looking for a good read? Check out this review of I Live in the Future and Here’s How It Works: Why Your World, Work and Brain are Being Creatively Disrupted, by Nick Bilton. Bilton calls it “a unique reading experience,” and it is. Each chapter begins with a QR Code! (And this from a “Gray Lady” reporter.) It even includes some history about how print was one of the original disruptive technologies. Read on!

Too Many Trade Shows?

Published October 8, 2010

The last couple of years have been difficult for both printers and suppliers to our industry. While there are positive signs that indicate a path to recovery, and many companies are investing to better position themselves for a brighter future, many suppliers to the industry believe that we have too many trade shows and too many of them are too siloed for today’s diverse environment. Hear what they—and GASC—have to say.

Ramesh Ratan on merging print with mail

Published October 7, 2010

Peter Williams Discusses Ricoh’s European Business

Published October 1, 2010

In this interview with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, Ricoh Europe Executive Vice President Peter Williams talks about the company’s IPEX experience, European distribution strategies, and the progress being made with integration of IKON and InfoPrint Solutions into the customer experience. Read the full interview.

Chris Lyons at Kodak: The importance of an application focus

Published September 30, 2010

Chris Lyons, Kodak’s Global Market Segment Director, talks about his role at Kodak, what to expect from Kodak at Graph Expo, and his goals and challenges in this new role. Read the full article.

Printing in Colombia: Views from Andigraf's Grafica 2010

Published September 22, 2010

Colombia's printing industry association, Andigraf, held its annual meeting in Santa Marta, Colombia, in early September. WhatTheyThink's Senior Editor Cary Sherburne participated in the event as an attendee and speaker, joined via video by WhatTheyThink's Dr. Joe Webb, Director of the Economics and Research Center. Sherburne shares her thoughts about the Colombian experience.

Presstek's Jeff Jacobson Discusses IPEX, Graph Expo, the Presstek 75DI and the State of the Industry

Published September 21, 2010

In a recent WhatTheyThink webinar, both listeners and industry experts commented on the potential offered by the new Presstek 75DI digital offset press, which was debuted at IPEX and will be on display at Graph Expo 2010. WhatTheyThink checked in with Presstek Chairman, CEO & President, Jeff Jacobson, to get his take on what the 75DI means to Presstek and its customers, as well as his opinion on the state of the industry, and more.

Boarman nomination as Public Printer still on hold

Published September 20, 2010

Quad/Graphics’ Joel Quadracci Speaks about Worldcolor Acquisition

Published September 17, 2010

As Quad/Graphics has begun to integrate its recent mammoth acquisition of Worldcolor, WhatTheyThink checked in with Joel Quadracci, the company's Chairman, President & CEO to get the latest update and his view of the state of the industry.

Triple Benefits for Triple A (AAA) in Transpromo Implementation

Published September 14, 2010

AAA, the premier association of regional auto clubs, produces 160,000 statements annually at its headquarters location. Its TransPromo implementation with DocPath has saved the organization more than $110,000 annually, streamlined the invoice-to-cash process and resulted in a more attractive statement design. This story demonstrates that TransPromo is not just for the big guys! Find out more.

XRGA: New Graphic Arts Standard from X-Rite

Published September 7, 2010

In mid-September, X-Rite will release XRGA, an ISO-compliant metrology standard for the graphic arts industry that is designed to take advantage of advances in color science and new international standards to provide a way to reduce measurement discrepancies between legacy instruments previously developed by X-Rite and GretagMacbeth.

Standard Register’s Brad Cates discusses healthcare business

Published September 3, 2010

Standard Register recently made the decision to establish a focus on the healthcare industry. Cary Sherburne recently sat down with President of the company’s Healthcare Business, Brad Cates, and Business Director of Document and Information Management Ann B. Scales, to learn about the transition to all healthcare, EMR reform and the future of printing in the health care space.

HP Schedules First-Ever Global Partner Summit Coinciding with Dscoop6

Published August 30, 2010

Dscoop, the independent user group for HP Indigo and Scitex owners, has been one of the biggest user group success stories in our industry.  Even though last year was terrible for the industry, Dscoop had an attendance of 1,823 and had to turn away both attendees and sponsors because the demand was so high.  In 2011, Dscoop 6 organizers expect to significantly exceed that attendance level.  The conference will be held February 17-19, 2011, at the Gaylord Palms Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando FL.

RISO/Kodak Deal Adds New Dimension to Inkjet

Published August 6, 2010

Email Marketing: Does it still work?

Published August 3, 2010

Does email marketing still work, or is it beset by too many problems with mailbox clutter, spam and more? A recent study and a specific example indicate there is plenty of life left in this medium. Is it part of your service mix?

Boarman Nomination Heads to Full Senate

Published July 22, 2010

WhatTheyThink was notified yesterday by the Senate Rules Committee that: "The Senate Rules and Administration Committee voted to discharge the nomination of William J. Boarman out of committee. It will now go to a vote on the Senate floor."

Washington Post picks up Boarman story

Published July 16, 2010

New evidence has surfaced in relation to the nomination of William Boarman for the post of U.S. Public Printer. WhatTheyThink has been covering this story since the nomination was announced through posts on the Print CEO blog. Most recently, we learned that Boarman had received—and cashed—a check for a “gain sharing” payment in 2010—33 years after he left active employment with the GPO.

Agfa Graphics Acquires The Pitman Company

Published July 16, 2010

The July 15th announcement of Agfa’s Pitman acquisition had been rumored for some time. Agfa expects the acquisition to strengthen its presence in the U.S. printing market, including an expanded growth opportunity for Agfa’s industrial inkjet and prepress solutions. The company held a press conference to discuss the acquisition.

Joint AlphaGraphics/Allegra Tech Expo Planned

Published July 14, 2010

AlphaGraphics Unveils Bold Plan for Network Growth

Published July 12, 2010

AlphaGraphics has recognized the importance of keeping up with the changes in the marketing services industry. At the their recent annual owners conference, CEO Kevin Cushing announced to franchisees the major strategic changes they’re planning for the network. Cary Sherbune caught up with Cushing to find out how they’re staying on top.

Boarman Nomination for Public Printer: Another Issue Emerges?

Published July 11, 2010

HP Adds Director of Marketing for the Americas to Graphic Solutions Business

Published July 9, 2010

With a little more than a week in his new position, HP’s Director of Marketing for the Americas, Graphic Solutions Business, took time out to speak exclusively with WhatTheyThink about his goals and objectives in his first 100 days.

After 17 Years, Kevin Joyce Swaps Print for TV

Published July 8, 2010

Last month, Kodak’s Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Marketing for Digital Printing, Kevin Joyce, announced he would be leaving Kodak—and the industry—for a different media opportunity. Among other things, Joyce looks forward to taking some lessons learned from print into broadcast. Read the whole story in this exclusive WhatTheyThink interview.

Do You Care How Our Industry is Classified?

Published July 6, 2010

As we have been discussing in the Quick Printing thread of this blog, the classifications for our industry are about to be changed to the following: 323113, Commercial Screen Printing, 323117, Books Printing, 323119, Other Commercial Printing (except Screen and Book.

Canadian Printer Magazine Abandons Printed Edition in Favor of Online

Published June 30, 2010

Canadian Printer, a leading printing industry trade publication in Canada, has announced that it will no longer be producing print editions.  Instead, the publication will maintain an online presence and distribute bi-weekly e-newsletters to its readership.  The company's intent is to publish one printed edition annually highlighting innovations in print.

PSDA Opts for Professional Association Management Firm SmithBucklin

Published June 30, 2010

PSDA, formerly DMIA, has made a decision that is likely to have a major positive impact on its future. The association has chosen to work with professional association management firm SmithBucklin rather than continue to operate as a standalone entity. WhatTheyThink spoke with several stakeholders to gain an understanding of what this move means for the association.

Boarman Confirmation Process Goes Silent

Published June 29, 2010

Libraries Getting More Active in the eBook Game

Published June 29, 2010

Maigen Sawyer discusses a PURL case study and Mindfire's solution

Published June 29, 2010

Disrupting the Future of Books

Published June 29, 2010

I recently read a Wall Street Journal article entitled “’Vanity’ Press Goes Digital.” It featured author Karen McQuestion, who had spent nearly a decade trying to persuade a variety of New York publishers to print one of her books. Failing to get their attention, she decided to self-publish. Although enabling technology has been available for more than a decade, many publishers have only recently begun to understand the value of print on demand in the book life cycle. Now they are faced with an even greater challenge—how to deal with e-books within the publishing framework. Karen McQuestion’s experiences are a great example of the disruptive process of self-publishing at work.

Is Quick Printing Obsolete?

Published June 28, 2010