Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

What does the Groupon IPO have to do with print?

Published June 7, 2011

What does the Groupon IPO have to do with print? Or maybe we should say, what does print have to do with the Groupon IPO? In a word: Eric Lefkofsky. That would be the Eric Lefkofsky who founded Innerworkings.

Learn from the Winners: Patient News Publishing, Environmental Sustainability and Your Community, 2009

Published October 10, 2010

Patient News Publishing (Haliburton ON) was the winner of the 2009 WhatTheyThink Environmental Innovation Award for Environmental Sustainability and Your Community, which recognized a company that is involved in an environmentally progressive community program.Alice Miller, IT Director, tells about her company’s programs that support both the environment and the community.

Learn from the Winners: Spirit Graphics, Thought Leader, 2009

Published October 3, 2010

Thomas Ackerman Jr, owner of Spirit Graphics, and his business partner (and mother) have been working diligently for approximately 12 years in the printing industry to change the way they do business as a whole with the environment, their employees and themselves in mind. Learn what initiatives earned them the coveted WTT award.

Learn from the Winners: Homewood Press, Environmental Sustainability and Your Processes, 2009

Published September 26, 2010

In December 2008 Homewood Press installed a power generating wind turbine for the purpose of providing electricity from a clean energy source to assist in providing power to their plant. Projections that suggest that the wind turbine will generate approximately 1/3 of the power the plant consumes annually.

Learn from the Winners: AllpakTrojan, Beyond Environmental Sustainability, 2009

Published September 19, 2010

AllpakTrojan, Renton WA, was the winner of the 2009 WhatTheyThink Environmental Innovation Award for Beyond Environmental Sustainability, which recognized the company its leading-edge solutions and an initiative involving unique creativity. Alyson Meade, Sustainability Coordinator for AllpakTrojan tells about her company's efforts and initiatives.

Learn from the Winners: Quad/Graphics, Environmental Sustainability and Your Plant, 2009

Published September 12, 2010

Quad/Graphics, Sussex WI, was the winner of the 2009 WhatTheyThink Environmental Innovation Award for Environmental Sustainability and Your Plant, which recognized the company for “walking the talk” in their own plants. Learn more from Joe Muehlbach, Director of Facilities and Environmental Policy.

Learn From the Winners - Patient News Publishing

Published August 29, 2010

In this week’s installment of Going Green’s Learn from the Winners, we hear from Alice Miller, IT Director for Patient News Publishing, winner of the 2010 Environmental Innovation Award for Environmental Sustainability and Your Community.

Learn from the Winners - Green Books N Binders

Published August 22, 2010

In this week's installment of Going Green's Learn from the Winners, we hear from Jerome Elion, VP of Marketing for Green Books N Binders, winner of the 2010 Environmental Innovation Award for Beyond Environmental Sustainability.

Learn from the Winners - Portland Color

Published August 15, 2010

Learn from the Winners is a 10-part series that introduces each of the winners of the 2010 AND 2009 Environmental Innovation Awards and highlights their award-winning programs and initiatives. By the end of the series, we will have described real and concrete innovation, implementation and communication of environmental solutions -- there is something of interest and benefit to every printer.

Learn From the Winners - Brown Printing

Published August 8, 2010

Today begins a 10-week series - Learn from the Winners - that introduces each of the winners of the 2010 AND 2009 Environmental Innovation Awards and highlights their award-winning programs and initiatives. By the end of the series, we will have described real and concrete innovation, implementation and communication of environmental solutions.

Subsidies for Green Printing - The Challenge: What is Green?

Published June 15, 2010

Celebrating the Environmental Innovation Award Winners

Published May 20, 2010

Putting together an awards program is not an easy task! And until you've done it more than once, it's hard to claim success. This year, at the dinner for the winners of the Second Annual WhatTheyThink Environmental Innovation Awards, it was clear that the program is recognizing the companies that are truly industry leaders.

Welcome, Peter Nowack!

Published May 17, 2010

WhatTheyThink Going Green recently passed the 2-year mark for publication - a milestone! I've thoroughly enjoyed putting together the site, seeing readership grow, and developing relationships with the many "green printers" in our industry. After more than 375 posts, endless recording of upcoming events, listing of 44 "must read" books, two Environmental Awards programs, and many tens of thousands of page views, I'm moving on to new challenges.

Warren Werbitt, CEO, Pazazz Printing - His Journey Through Reorganization

Published May 4, 2010

Printers have been struggling and over the last few months a number have been closed or sold. It’s a hard process when your business is on the edge. Here is a letter from Warren Werbitt, CEO of Pazazz describing how he felt through his company's reorganization process, and what he did to turn things around.

Patty Calkins, Xerox, Talks with Author Andrew Winston (Video)

Published May 3, 2010

Enjoy this conversation between Patty Calkins, Xerox, and Andrew Winston, co-author of Green to Gold. They discuss sustainability initiatives as part of an organizations core business strategy.

And Where is Our Wood Going?

Published April 28, 2010

TreeFrog "Treeless" Paper - And WHERE Does it Come From?

Published April 28, 2010

When an announcement for something new like copy paper made from 100% sugar cane and bamboo fibers comes across my desk, I have to learn more about it. So, where does this "miracle" paper come from?

The Box That Fits Anything Perfectly

Published April 27, 2010

When no box is best of all - PUMA's clever little bag/box

Published April 23, 2010

PUMA has designed the ultimate “flat box!” The bag/box is made of a single folded sheet of cardboard in a reusable, recyclable PET bag, designed to protect shoes from the time they leave the factory until the customer gets them home.

Stephen Goddard, Environmental Leadership Program Manager, HP (Video)

Published April 23, 2010

Sabine Lenz of PaperSpecs talks about choosing the right sustainable paper for a project

Published April 23, 2010

Congratulations to the winners of the Second Annual WhatTheyThink Environmental Innovation Awards

Published April 22, 2010

Part of the WhatTheyThink Going Green Earth Day celebration is our recognition of five companies who have been selected as winners of the WhatTheyThink Environmental Innovation Awards. These are companies who are making real and concrete contributions to innovation, implementation, and communication of environmental solutions.

Wendi Latko of Xerox talks about print as a manufacturing process

Published April 22, 2010

What do condoms, Smokey the Bear, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Kentucky Fried Chicken have to do with Earth Day?

Published April 21, 2010

Wear condoms, retire the bear, and eat less fried chicken. Those are among the unusual ideas for helping the environment in general and forests in particular that were turned up by a Dead Tree Edition study of recent news reports. I don't think you'll see these in the mainstream media's usual Earth Day articles.

Worried About Print Being Eliminated? Print Trumps Here...

Published April 20, 2010

Fish Where the Fish Are - Finding New Customers

Published April 19, 2010

Congratulations to Shapco Printing, Minneapolis! These folks have figured out how to fish where the fish are. Instead of waiting for their new customers to come to them, they are going where prospects will be congregating. In bunches... and with sustainability on their minds.

Uncertifiable - FSC Controlled Wood Certification Suspended for Asia Paper Resources International Ltd.

Published April 16, 2010

False dilemmas and forced choices making you a hypocrite?

Published April 14, 2010

The false dilemma is: “By using paper to print your email or by receiving paper bills you are knowingly degrading the environment, destroying forests and/or killing trees.” The forced choice is: “Eliminate your use of paper or feel like a guilty hypocrite.” In his newest report, Print vs. Digital Media: False Dilemmas and Forced Choices, Don Carli (Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Communication) takes a clear-eyed look at organizations' insistence that we choose between print and digital media.

In the Loop - Gavin Gaynor, Mohawk Fine Papers, Provides Details

Published April 13, 2010

Recently Mohawk launched a new line of environmentally-friendly papers - Mohawk Loop - and we took the opportunity to dig a little deeper into the new product line.

Gavin Gaynor, Vice President, Research and Development, Mohawk Fine Papers, filled us in on the details.

Congratulations to T-Formation, SGP Printer #20

Published April 13, 2010

Sustainable Green Printing Partnership has certified T-Formation of Midway, FL, the first apparel printer and the 20th SGP printer to be recognized.

BIGink Thinks Big and Prints Big

Published April 7, 2010

A Look at a Recycler: Greenstar-Kensington

Published April 6, 2010

Harold Kirstein, President of Greenstar-Kensington, comes from a long line of recyclers and his sons are following in his footsteps. Greenstar, America’s fastest growing recycler, is headquartered in Texas. The company currently processes 2 million tons of recovered paper, plastic, glass and metals a year through 16 material recovery facilities. Read the "inside story" of a recycling company.

Not to Miss! Learn from the "Seven Sins of Greenwashing" Guru

Published April 5, 2010

Don't miss this one! You still have time to register for tomorrow's event. Scot Case, VP of TerraChoice - the force behind the Seven Sins of Greenwashing - is part of a stellar panel discussing how to promote your "green" efforts legally and ethically.

Research by TerraChoice discovered that 98% of products analyzed committed at least one of the Sins of Greenwashing.

Compostable Packaging - Printing's New Best Friend

Published March 31, 2010

Package printing - whether digital, commercial or flexo; paper or flexible substrates - is a multi-billion business world wide. And, unlike promotional printing and direct mail, it's a growing segment. When someone launches a new product in a fully compostable package, green printers should take note.

WhatTheyThink Wants You!

Published March 29, 2010

Ladies and gentlemen, your time is running out! Start your computers! Fill out those forms!

The WhatTheyThink Environmental Innovation Awards were a great success last year and we want YOU to apply for one of this year's awards.

Five Sustainability Lessons Without Which Your Business Cannot Succeed (Webinar)

Published March 29, 2010

Just how did FedEx Office make the EPA's Top 20 Printers List and became a major green power purchaser? What has the sustainability journey added to the bottom line?

There is still time to sign up for tomorrow's (Tuesday, 3/30) FedEx Office-Domtar-Rainforest Alliance Webinar, to be broadcast at 2:00 EDT.

Print Grows Trees - An Educational Campaign

Published March 28, 2010

Print Grows Trees, an educational campaign launched by Printing & Graphics Association MidAtlantic, counters the concept that by using less print on paper, trees are saved. Print Grows Trees is a "pro-print campaign" that makes a connection between consumers and private landowners who control almost 60% of America's woodlands.

Onsite at GLOBE 2010 for "The Future of Sustainability"

Published March 25, 2010

What does an international "Eco" event have to do with printing? When 10,000 business leaders and policy makers discuss sustainability, they are talking about issues that affect us all: energy, clean technology, water, and finance.

This year is the 20th anniversary of GLOBE, a biennial event held in Vancouver BC. Conference attendance consisted of more than 2000 world leaders in the business of the environment, representing 84 countries.

Update: Nationwide Graphics Acquires Assets of Premier Graphics

Published March 22, 2010

Friday, March 19, 2010, Nationwide Graphics acquired the assets of Premier Graphics in a "uniform commercial code sale” from GE Capital. Nationwide Graphics provided day-to-day management of Premier Graphic's operations under a management contract since early 2002. The purchase price was not disclosed.

"Premier Graphics was a company we managed and cared about," Carl Norton, Chairman and CEO of Nationwide Graphics, told PrintCEO, "so we bought it."

End of Year One of the Seattle P-I Online Only

Published March 21, 2010

This time last year, the Seattle Post Intelligencer – fondly called the P-I here in Seattle – made the move from paper to pixels.

So how has it gone?

Environmental Innovation Awards Deadline Extended!

Published March 21, 2010

We heard you! We’re extending the WhatTheyThink Environmental Innovation Award deadline until April 8!

You have 18 more days; don't put it off!

What's in Your Paper?

Published March 19, 2010

The Environmental Paper Network has redesigned and relaunched its paper resource site called "What's in Your Paper?" making it easier to use.

New resources include Paper Steps, a visual guide to switching to environmentally responsible paper. And the Eco Paper Database from Canopy.

Why Graphic Systems Jumped into the UV Screen Printing Pool

Published March 17, 2010

Marty Kauls, Graphic Systems, talks about how adding UV digital screen-printing capabilities was more than just a good move – it was transformative. UV printing allowed Graphic Systems to enter markets that had previously been closed off from, in addition to giving the company a whole new set of products to offer its clients.

Jim Duffy talks about closing Alonzo Printing

Published March 16, 2010

In mid-January, Alonzo Printing closed its doors after more than a year of struggling financially. Jim Duffy, owner of Alonzo Printing for 22 years, shared his thoughts on the closure and had some advice for others in the same situation.

Steve Metcalf, Air Motion Systems, on the Future of UV Printing (Video)

Published March 16, 2010

PrintUV 2010 is over and we have a year to wait for the next one. In the meantime, Steve Metcalf from Air Motion Systems has put on his prognosticator's hat and he gives us some thoughts about the future of UV Printing.

A Look at the Quad/Graphics and World Color Press “Arrangement”

Published March 15, 2010

The joining of Quad/Graphics and World Color Press followed an intricate dance between giants. Quad/Graphics was the smallest of the three players in the contest for ownership of World Color Press. RR Donnelley's attempt to buy World Color out of bankruptcy failed and, shortly after, Quad/Graphics began discussions that brought the much larger World Color Press under the control of the Quadracci family.

Dana Alan, Bentley Graphic Communications, on Getting Involved with Sustainability (Video)

Published March 12, 2010

Premier Print Holdings, Operating as Premier Graphics, in Liquidation

Published March 11, 2010

Unfortunately, the recession has taken down another company. Premier Graphics is being sold under a “uniform commercial code sale” by GE Capital, which is foreclosing on the business and liquidating the assets.

Congratulations to the latest SGP printer: Coating Excellence International

Published March 11, 2010

Congratulations to Coating Excellence International (CEI), Wrightstown WI, is the latest certified SGP Printer. CEI is a leading domestic converter of flexible packaging products.

PrintUV 2010 - A Symposium in the True Sense of the Word

Published March 10, 2010

UV technology is evolving almost faster than we can keep up. This year’s event had both technical sessions and business sessions, and it was clear that getting up and running with UV doesn’t stop at the plant floor. Training sales and customer service reps to sell the technology is as critical as installing a printer or curing unit.

Find out why "symposium" is the right word for events like this!

The FSC/SFI Sham … or Is It?

Published March 4, 2010

Is FSC/SFI certification a sham? Is there really FSC-certified pulp in the FSC-certified paper you buy? What about recycled pulp? Can you trust anyone?

Wow! Now that's telling 'em!

Published March 4, 2010

"We engaged a printer for the production of this piece that is 100% wind powered, carbon neutral, uses a waterless printing process, and is an EPA Green Power Partner and EPA Climate Leader. It was printing on FSC certified paper using vegetable-based inks." Could you say that?

Third Annual Print UV Conference in Las Vegas, March 7-9, 2010

Published March 3, 2010

Make your reservations, buy your plane ticket, pack your golf clubs, and head to Print UV 2010 at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas. This year’s event takes place beginning Sunday, March 7, and concludes on Tuesday, March 9.

Donnelley and Bowne: Financial Printing Powerhouse

Published March 2, 2010

What will DonnellyBowneBantaMooreWallace look like? The addition of Bowne’s products and services will support and leverage Donnelley’s financial print, statement outsourcing, document business process management, and print management services.

Reversible boxes! Why didn't I think of that?

Published March 1, 2010

Why do corrugated boxes have to be tossed out after just one use? Dennis Salazar, President, and Lenora Salazar, Vice President, of Salazar Packaging, asked each other that very question.

And they developed a reversible box that turns inside out in seconds. Boxes don't have to be thrown out because they're ugly any more.

Plastic paper, is it good for you?

Published February 26, 2010

Is plastic - PVC, vinyl, or other types - good for paper? During a recent Webinar, titled Alternative Papers and sponsored by PaperSpecs, the discussion got pretty hot about the use of plastics for making paper.

Speakers Wendy Jedlicka, author of Packaging Sustainability, along with Peter Nowack, founder of PrintLeadership, answered a long list of concerns. With permission from PaperSpecs, we've published the questions, their answers, and a link to the archived Webinar.

Mohawk: From Paper to Software

Published February 23, 2010

At PMA 2010, the trade event for “everything photo,” Mohawk Fine Papers announced the acquisition of LabPrints, a developer of workflow software and services for professional photographers and photo labs. WE spoke to Bart Robinson, Mohawk's VP Marketing and Customer Service, and Bill Gamble, LabPrints' CEO.

Design for the Environment: Lexmark and Close the Loop

Published February 21, 2010

John Gagel, Manager of Sustainable Practices at Lexmark, and Jim Tocash, President of Close the Loop, talk about their partnership recycling plastic and ink from Lexmark inkjet cartridges. From this partnership came a pen made of recycled plastic and filled with recycled ink. A great example of "cradle to cradle" manufacturing.

PIA Names Doreen Monteleone as Recipient of Environmental Award

Published February 18, 2010

Doreen Monteleone, Ph.D., Director of EHS, Membership & Special Projects of the Flexographic Technical Association, has been named the recipient of the 2009 William D. Schaeffer Environmental Award by the PIA. Dr. Monteleone also serves on the Board of Directors for the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership.

Not to Miss: Green Conferences, Webinars, and Other Events

Published February 17, 2010

Here at WhatTheyThink Going Green we sift through lists of dozens of trade events every month to filter those that might be of interest for our readers. The Going Green Events page is a "rolling" list to help you plan. We'll keep you busy for months and there will always be more to choose from!

Recycled Paper? Yes. Recycled Pixels? Excuse Me?

Published February 16, 2010

The U. S. Postal Service recycled more than 200,000 tons of paper, plastics, and other waste on 2009. That’s a good thing!
But their recycling enthusiasm may have gotten a bit out of hand. They say that they are recycling pixels as well.

Olympic Torch-Bearer: George Kallas, Metropolitan Fine Printers, Vancouver BC

Published February 15, 2010

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver started off with a bang on Friday evening, February 12. Last Thursday, February 11, George Kallas, President of Metropolitan Fine Printers, fulfilled a dream by carrying the Olympic torch as it traveled to Vancouver. From the beginning, printing and the 2010 Olympics have been closely linked!

HP Bans Export of Non-Working Electronics to Developing Countries

Published February 15, 2010

My 6-year old HP Deskjet gave up the ghost - with vengeance! At first I worried that once I got my new one, my old one would become third-world toxic waste. HP assures me that when I send it back to them with their UPS call tag, they won't export non-working electronics to developing countries.

MindFire's Moe Farsheed on the growth and recognition of the company

Published February 12, 2010

Third Place Books - Hot Off the Press

Published February 10, 2010

According to Dane Neller, CEO, On Demand Books, the Espresso Book Machine® is the “most significant step in publishing in the last 500 years…”

A visit toThird Place Books, Seattle WA, let us see the Espresso in action and learn more about the business of printing books - one at a time!

From Office Paper to Toilet Paper

Published February 8, 2010

Office paper getting out of hand? Get a White Goat! And turn 40 sheets of office paper into a roll of toilet paper in just 30 minutes. See it in action!

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going - Academy Press

Published February 7, 2010

Nearly one-third of all offset printing establishments have fewer than 20 employees. Forecasts are predicting that we’ll see a loss of even more printing companies over the next decade. Like small businesses of all kinds, printers have always faced challenges. So what has it that has made it possible for some small printers to overcome adversity and keep going?

Stand out companies in our industry

Published February 5, 2010

Over the last few weeks, I've posted a series of articles on the importance of creating and implementing a differentiating strategy for your business. I've been getting some very positive feedback...readers have said they feel this is an important topic for this industry, at this time.

Put your mark on paper and know it can be taken off!

Published February 3, 2010

It is not enough that we print on recycled paper; each printed piece should be recyclable in turn.

At drupa 2008, de-inking of digitally printed paper became a hot potato. On Print CEO Andy Tribute clarified the issue by presenting comments from INGEDE...

Articles by Gail Nickel-Kailing