Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

DataPrint Initiatives Sees Stunning Growth in Wide Format Printing

Published November 14, 2016

Dan Foster, President of DataPrint Initiatives, explains why he decided to get into wide format printing. He added the capability to serve the needs of one customer and was pleasantly surprised at how fast the business grow with that customer and others, going from 0 to 25% of revenues in a year. He offers advice for other commercial printers who may be considering the addition of wide format.

CCG Marketing Solutions' 20-year Partnership with Xerox Aids Company's Digital Journey

Published November 9, 2016

Mark Baran, VP of Purchasing and Print Operations at CCG Marketing Solutions, talks about the company's journey into digital printing and reasons for moving to the Xerox iGen5, including the 5th color and clear ink capabilities to expand the available color gamut and add spot varnish capabilities.

Addressing Customer Needs with Digital Package Printing at Caraustar

Published November 8, 2016

Caraustar, a packaging solutions provider with plants throughout the U.S., has added an HP Indigo 30000 digital press to augment its offset and flexo production of folding cartons and set-up boxes. Director of Business Development John Ramsier explains why ... speed, high quality, innovation.

Arizona State University Print & Imaging Lab: Serving the University and Providing Opportunities to Students

Published November 7, 2016

Arizona State University's Print & Imaging Lab hires students in the graphic arts program to provide them with hands-on experience while also providing needed services to the University. Kyle Pendley, Production Manager, shares outstanding examples of some of the work the shop has produced

Houston Independent School District Adds Sheetfed Production Inkjet

Published November 3, 2016

Chuck Werninger is Senior Manager at Houston Independent School District, a community of about 250,000 teachers, staff and students. Its print shop recently added the Canon VarioPrint i300 sheetfed inkjet press to open up full-color teaching. The press, which replaced several toner devices, was justified at a million impressions a month, and is already at 3 million three months after install.

HP Expects HDNA and Priming to Open New Markets for Production Inkjet

Published November 2, 2016

David Murphy, Director of Marketing for HP Pagewide Presses, provides an update on HP's High Definition Nozzle Architecture (HDNA) and its field roll-out. Combined with HP's priming solution, it opens the door to a wide range of new applications.

Color Your Work Exceptional

Published November 1, 2016

Are you planning to attend the Color Conference in December in Phoenix? If you have anything to do with color in your daily work, you should consider it. There have been many advances in color management as well as launching of new standards. This is the best place to get the scoop on all of it and rub elbows with the experts – consultants, printers, suppliers and brand owners who are passionate about color.

Digital Printing: A Game-Changer in Packaging at Texas-Based Abox

Published November 1, 2016

Pylar Pinkston, Director of Sales & Marketing at Texas-Born and Texas-Proud Abox, talks about digital printing as a game-changer for her company, which now has a digital division in addition to offset and flexo. "We realized that digital was the way ..." The company selected the HP Indigo 30000.

Konica Minolta's Gavin Jordan Smith Shares Company's Strategy in Commercial and Industrial Print

Published October 31, 2016

Konica Minolta's Gavin Jordan Smith, VP of Product Solutions, joins Senior Editor Cary Sherburne to discuss the company's new Accurio production print graphic communications line of hardware software and services, and its partnerships, especially with MGI. He also talks about the company's move into the industrial printing space and its aim of helping its customers grow.

Production inkjet brings scalability, improved uptime to DMS Ink

Published October 27, 2016

Christine Soward, President and Owner at DMS Ink in Ohio, has grown the business from $2 million to $20 million since 2005. The company introduced inkjet as a means to continue to scale the business and increase uptime. Two Canon roll-to-roll production inkjet presses and a Canon VarioPrint i300 sheetfed inkjet press replaced 7 toner devices, delivering more than 90% uptime.

Fenske Media Adds Real-Time One-to-One Video to the Customer Experience

Published October 26, 2016

We’ve been talking about cross-media, multi-channel, omni-channel – whatever you want to call it – for a long time. But now technology has arrived to add a brand-new element to these consumer experiences that is accessible to printing firms of all types. Read this article to find out how Fenske Media has harnessed real-time interactive video to achieve up to 284% increase in engagement and an 80% improvement in click-through rates, while still growing print volumes.

GMC: Working to bridge the print/digital gap

Published October 26, 2016

Rich Lloyd, VP of Sales for GMC, shares the company's strategy to help customers bridge the gap between printed and digital communications and to service the enterprise on multiple levels. He cites the industry skills that ideally position service providers to be a single source communciations services provider.

Digital Direct-to-Corrugated: Disruptive Technology On The Way

Published October 25, 2016

Mike Schliesmann, Senior Vice President at Wisconsin-Based Great Northern Corporation, talks about why the company is interested in digital direct-to-corrugated printing and how this will bring disruptive technology to corrugated.

To Inkjet Or Not? The thINK Conference helps in the decision process

Published October 20, 2016

Jen Mitchell, Marketing Director at Harding Poorman, talks about the value of the thINK conference in terms of staying abreast of industry developments and being able to network with peers. The company has not yet invested in inkjet and views the thINK platform as an excellent part of the education and due diligence process.

Beyond the Box at Konica Minolta

Published October 20, 2016

Gavin Jordan Smith, VP of Solutions at Konica Minolta, talks about Konica Minolta's Accurio Pro Suite workflow solution that allows a print service provider to manage connectivity to CTP solutions as well as Konica Minolta and competitor digital presses as well as other value-added software the company has developed.

interlinkONE CEO John Foley Highlights Opportunities in the Association Market

Published October 19, 2016

John Foley, CEO of interlinkONE, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the opportunities for printing firms in the association market, helping associations with strategic marketing plans, printed materials, multi-channel and more. "They are starving for this help," he says.

Prinova's Nick Romano on Production Inkjet and Customer Communications Management

Published October 19, 2016

In its 20th year of serving the customer communications management (CCM) sector, Prinova, located in Toronto, is a founding partner of thINK. The company's Founder & CEO Nick Romano was at the event to share information about MessagePoint, its CCM solution. MessagePoint places control over dynamic personalized content in the hands of business stakeholders and is a companion solution to production inkjet.

thINK "Beyond the Box" in Production Inkjet

Published October 18, 2016

Mark DeBoer, Director of Customer Experience at Darwill and thINK conference chair, talks about the maturation of the conversation about production inkjet "beyond the box." He sees more emphasis on data at the thINK conference, as an example, "stretching our imaginations as to what is possible with data." He also touches on the advances that have taken place in finishing for production inkjet.

The Past, Present, and Future of thINK and Inkjet Technologies

Published October 16, 2016

Bob Radzis, Chief Customer Officer at SG360 and a founding member of the thINK community, discusses this year's conference and how he foresees a bright future ahead.

Two Sides Survey Reflects High Levels of Consumer Acceptance Relative to Paper Use

Published October 14, 2016

Phil Riebel, President of Two Sides North America, shares the results of a global survey designed to understand how consumers value paper. 88% of respondents in the U.S. felt it was acceptable to use trees from well managed forests to make lumber for construction or pulp for paper for printing, reflecting that their primary concern is that the industry does things responsibly. Watch the video for more details, including changes in messaging about paper from Starbucks.

The Power of Print to Change the World

Published October 14, 2016

Print began to flex its muscles and show its power not long after Gutenberg invented movable type. Print was a causative factor in the rapid spread of Martin Luther’s teachings in the first half of the 1500’s. Andrew Pettegree has done an excellent job of presenting a blend of European history of the period, the story of Martin Luther and how print influenced it all in Brand Luther. Highly recommended reading!

Canon thINK: The importance of community in promoting industry growth

Published October 13, 2016

Canon executive Francis McMahon shares his thoughts about the evolution of thINK, the Canon production inkjet users' group whose annual conference just concluded. He speaks about the importance of community and selflessness in supporting the growth of the industry. A demonstration of this is the fact that 60 customers presented at this conference, openly sharing experiences and advice.

Marco Boer of I.T. Strategies Weighs In On the Value of the thINK Conference

Published October 12, 2016

Marco Boer of I.T. Strategies and Senior Editor Cary Sherburne discuss the second year of the thINK Conference, the Canon production inkjet users, as well as the overall value of users groups to the industry. Boer emphasizes how these groups provide the opportunity for users to share ideas and experiences with each other, which helps their businesses, increases their confidence in making new technology investments, and spurs industry growth.

Graph Expo 2016 Highlights

Published October 10, 2016

Despite its move to Orlando after 20 years in Chicago, Graph Expo 2016 exceeded expectations according to most exhibitors and attendees. In this article, Senior Editor Cary Sherburne shares the highlights that caught her attention at the show.

Quad/Graphics CEO Joel Quadracci on the Company's Digital Printing Strategy

Published October 10, 2016

Quad/Graphics CEO Joel Quadracci speaks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the company's book printing strategy. He reports that digital printing is important for book printing, as well as other parts of the business and shares his thoughts about how it and other technologies help the company bring innovative solutions to its customers across multiple industries.

Delivering Efficiency Improvements with End-to-End Workflow

Published October 5, 2016

Ivor Jacobs, Director of UK-based Print Evolved, a print software company providing Web2Print and MIS solutions, discusses the need for an integrated end-to-end workflow for trade printers to be able to achieve maximum efficiency, claiming a minimum of 20 to 30% improvement in efficiency.

Bridgeport National Bindery Partners with HP in Business Transformation

Published October 5, 2016

Michele Brennan, Vice President of Business Development and MarComm at Bridgeport National Bindery, talks with WhatTheyThink President Eric Vessels about the company's transformation from a library bindery to a printing company that also does binding, including the support from HP that has made it possible. Adding an HP PageWide T230 inkjet press offers new options for the company's customers. The company has added a second press and is considering a third.

3D Made Easy at Graph Expo 2016

Published October 4, 2016

John Carrington, CEO of ZVerse, shares his thoughts on his first experience exhibiting at Graph Expo and talks about how his company can help printing firms add 3D printing solutions as a new revenue-generating offering with little investment. ZVerse exhibited in the Konica Minolta booth at the show.

Digital Embellishment Can Deliver Up to 80% Profit Margin

Published October 3, 2016

Dino Pagliarello, VP of Product Management at Konica Minolta, speaks about the Konica Minolta/MGI partnership and the value add digital embellishment brings for commercial printers. He shares tips on how printers can sell that value to customers for better profit margins.

Quad/Graphics CEO Joel Quadracci on the Future of the Printing Industry

Published October 2, 2016

Listen to what Quad/Graphics CEO Joel Quadracci has to say about the future of the industry and what printing companies should be doing to be successful moving forward. "If you don't think differently than you did yesterday, you won't be where you need to be" in the transformation that is required to remain competitive.Quad/Graphics CEO Joel Quadracci on the future of the printing industry.

Thayer Long on Graph Expo 2016

Published September 28, 2016

NPES and GASC President Thayer Long talks about his first Graph Expo, and the first Graph Expo in Orlando. Thayer Long says GASC expects a strong showing with over 13,000 people attending the show over its four days.

Trends at Graph Expo

Published September 28, 2016

WhatTheyThink's Senior Editor Cary Sherburne and Technical Editor David Zwang talk about about trends at Graph Expo: the mindset of show attendees has changed from wondering the show floor to visit to companies and products they have already researched. Attendees are seeking solutions to specific problems instead of making general inquires about products. Zwang also thinks the industry is getting its sea legs back.

Guy Gecht on Graph Expo 2016

Published September 27, 2016

All eyes are on Graph Expo this week in Orlando. EFI CEO Guy Gecht says that participating vendors have created value for attendees and early results have been promising for EFI.

Access Direct Continues its Transformation by Adding Sheetfed Inkjet

Published September 27, 2016

Lori Messina, Owner and EVP at Access Direct, talks about the company's strategy of replacing toner and offset with production inkjet, most recently adding a Canon VarioPrint i300 sheetfed inkjet press to round out its production platform. First half color printing volumes have already exceeded that of the entire year of 2015.

Joel Quadracci on Transformation at Quad/Graphics

Published September 26, 2016

Cary Sherburne talks to Joel Quadracci CEO of Quad/Graphics about the transformation that has occurred at Quad in its 45 years in business. Recently the company has rolled out a multi-channel platform that is brings cutting edge marketing technology to its customers.

A Culture of Innovation at Zazzle

Published September 20, 2016

At Zazzle, everything can be personalized. Chief Fulfillment Officer Charles Ohiaeri talks about the variety of products the company produces in its Paper Division using HP Indigo, Latex and DesignJet printers, including custom postage stamps that are validated by the USPS. "We will continue being curious on our own, understanding what customers want, and giving them the best possible experience."

Hunkeler Innovationdays Coming Soon

Published September 18, 2016

Hunkeler President Stefan Hunkeler shares what to expect at Hunkeler Innovationdays scheduled for 20-23 February 2017 in Lucerne, Switzerland. This unique event is not to be missed for anyone looking for an integrated software, printing and finishing solution, since it features multi-vendor production lines per application.

Xaar targets commercial print, packaging and textiles

Published September 14, 2016

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne talks with Xaar CEO Dr. Doug Edwards about the company's move into new markets, including commercial print & packaging and textiles with new heads that can jet aqueous inks.

Canon: Serving the CAD and Graphic Arts Markets in Wide Format

Published September 14, 2016

Sal Sheikh, Senior Director at Canon USA and Vice President of Marketing at Canon Solutions America, discusses with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne how Canon is addressing the CAD and graphic arts markets with its wide format offerings. He points out that CAD color printing is experiencing a radical shift to color printing, and discusses new developments in graphic arts.

Thomson Reuters Sees Opportunity in Monochome Book Printing

Published September 13, 2016

Thomson Reuters Core Publishing Service focuses on short and long runs of monochrome legal and other publications on lightweight papers. Adding a HP PageWide Web Press T360 with an inline Magnum Flexbook has significantly improved efficiencies for mid-sized to short runs. Learn more in this article sponsored by HP.

Cimpress CEO Robert Keane Explains the Company's Mass Customization Platform

Published September 13, 2016

Cimpress CEO Robert Keane discusses his philosophy of mass customization and the platform he is building to support it. The goal is to achieve the cost economics of high volume products in low individual quantities and ow that concept is expanding beyond Vistaprint to graphic arts professionals.

World Bank Brings Poverty Reduction Efforts Alive with Interactive Print

Published September 12, 2016

Jimmy Vainstein, Senior Project Manager at The World Bank, chats with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about how his printing operation supports the World Bank's mission to reduce poverty around the world, including using augmented reality, virtual reality and other advanced techniques for making print interactive.

Wim Maes Shares Flint Group Digital Strategy

Published September 7, 2016

Wim Maes, President of Flint Group Digital, assumed this role following the acquisition of Xeikon by the Flint Group. In this conversation with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne, he explains the company's strategy to be a full solutions provider allowing customers to acquire as much as possible from a single supplier, taking complexity out of the process for customers.

Embellishing the Future at C.J. Graphics

Published September 6, 2016

Thought Leader Jay Mandarino, President & CEO of C.J. Graphics in Canada, talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the latest technology investments he has made to differentiate his company and enable new applications. He also talks about how he he has built a culture of innovation at the company.

Village Print and Media Offers 24x7 Printing Services in The City That Never Sleeps

Published September 6, 2016

Ariel Markowitz, Director of Creative Services at Village Print and Media in New York, talks about the company's position as a 24x7 full service provider in The City That Never Sleeps. The company prides itself on offering excellent quality, a high level of customer service and competitive pricing with its design services, HP Indigo printing and full bindery.

Creative Sign Designs Spurs Collaboration with Dry-Erase Paint

Published September 6, 2016

As Creative Sign Designs was preparing to remodel its facility, President & CEO Jamie Harden came across dry-erase paint from ThinkPaint and immediately saw the benefits, both for his own staff and as a potential new revenue stream for the business.

Highcon and Paper Artist Peter Dahmen: A Marriage Made in Heaven

Published September 1, 2016

Paper Artist Peter Dahmen has been working with Highcon for some time. At drupa 2016, his creations were an important element of the Highcon stand. He was creating 3-dimensional artwork that was impossible to produce until he was discovered by Highcon in 2014. Includes show and tell!

Trends in the World of Ink: You can print anything!

Published August 31, 2016

Rick Clendenning, President & CEO of INX International Ink Company, talks about the wide range of applications enabled by new inkjet inks. He also shares his thoughts on fixed color palette printing versus spot color printing.

Award-Winning Narrow Web Printer Syracuse Label & Surround Printing Adds Digital to Meet Market Needs

Published August 30, 2016

Digital is the way to go, according to Mark Howard, Vice President of Graphic Services at Syracuse Label & Surround Printing. He talks with Senior Editor Cary Sherburne about the company's digital journey and the role an HP Indigo WS6600 has played in allowing the company to add new applications, meet tighter deadlines without any sacrifice in quality. He shares an award-winning example of shrink-sleeve production.

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.

Articles by Cary Sherburne