Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

From Container to Showcase: Mike Ferrari on the Evolution of Branded Packaging

Published June 22, 2016

Now a branding consultant, Mike Ferrari spent more than 30 years at Procter & Gamble as a specialist in producing branded packaging. He says that over that period of time, packages have taken on a central role as promotional vehicles in omnichannel shopping for consumer goods. At drupa 2016, he saw how workflow and other advances in production are making packages even better able to meet the marketing objectives that brand owners have for them.

drupa 2016: the Package Tour (Part 2)

Published June 21, 2016

The business of printing labels and packaging is changing with almost unnerving speed. Made reassuringly clear at drupa was the fact that new technologies for label and packaging production can give printers the capabilities they must have.

For KBA, the Key Product is Progress

Published June 15, 2016

How did a manufacturer of newspaper presses become a supplier of equipment for nearly all major printing applications, including digital output? That is the story of KBA, and the company's president, Claus Bolza-Schünemann, tells it with justifiable pride. Among the latest highlights is KBA's ongoing development, with Xerox, of the VariJET 106, an innovative hybrid sheetfed press targeting the folding carton market.

drupa 2016: the Package Tour (Part 1)

Published June 14, 2016

drupa 2016 wasn’t exclusively a packaging show, but for label- and packaging-minded visitors, it might as well have been—there was that much to see and be impressed by.

The Direction of drupa: a Presidential Perspective

Published June 8, 2016

Claus Bolza-Schünemann currently is the president not only of KBA but also of drupa, the international printing and paper trade fair. Here, he traces its evolution from a heavy-iron expo into a full-spectrum graphic communications showcase that puts specialties like 3D printing and functional printing alongside the latest developments in conventional and digital print production. The goal, Bolza-Schünemann says, is to make drupa "a very attractive fair for all of our customers" that also promotes the world-bestriding stature and influence of printing in all of its forms.

RMGT Showcases New Offset Technology at drupa

Published June 5, 2016

Ryobi and Mitsubishi merged two years ago to create RMGT. At drupa the company is showcasing new offset technology that leverages the synergies of the two companies.

A First Look at EFI's New Single Pass Inkjet Press for Corrugated

Published May 31, 2016

Exclusive Interview with EFI SVP/GM Scott Schinlever on the Launch of the Nozomi C18000 inkjet press. The single pass inkjet press brings high-speed corrugated board production to the $130 billion corrugated packaging industry.

Time Well Spent, Advice Well Received

Published May 27, 2016

The main criterion for presentations at trade association meetings is relevance. Printer Tom Mercier gives high marks for relevance to the sessions he attended at the recent Epicomm Experience gathering, where mergers and acquisitions, sales development, and personnel recruitment were among the many pertinent subjects under discussion. Mercier also thinks that the success of the conference bodes well for Epicomm's merger with IDEAlliance, which he calls "a win-win for print, mailing, and everything else we do."

A Postal Professional Assesses the State of Direct Mail

Published May 26, 2016

David Mastervich spent much of his 33-year career with the U.S. Postal Service promoting the use of direct mail. Today he works for Hewlett Packard Enterprise, but his focus on direct mail hasn't changed. Mastervich says that as printers and mailers have embraced data management and digital production, direct mail has become a much more targeted and responsive medium than it used to be. He saw plenty of evidence of this progress at the recent Epicomm Experience event, where the emphasis was on technologies for mailing.

Metzgers of Ohio Hosts Pre-drupa Event for RMGT of Japan

Published May 26, 2016

Nobody ever said that the sheetfed offset equipment market is easy to do business in. But RMGT, a partnership between two of Japan’s best known press manufacturers, thinks it has what it takes to make the most of the opportunities that the market still holds.

"The Best Way to Predict the Future Is to Create It"

Published May 25, 2016

So advises John Cassidy of Duplicates INK, who explored creative strategies in a highly rated presentation called "Cross the Line and Disrupt Your Market" at the recent Epicomm Experience conference. Cassidy believes that innovation is still possible even in mature industries like printing. Printers can achieve it, he says, by asking their top customers two questions: "What do you want more of out of me? What can I do to be a 10?"

Need Help? "All You Have to Do is Show Up at a Meeting and Ask"

Published May 24, 2016

Steven Portrude learned a long time ago that there is no substitute for the wisdom of his peers in the printing industry. At the recent Epicomm Experience conference, he talked about what he has learned from other owners he has come to know through taking part in trade association activities. Even competitors open up to one another at these gatherings, Portrude says. "This is where you get an education on how to run a business."

Epicomm Experience: a Participant's Review

Published May 24, 2016

Malia Lageman, who traveled all the way from Honolulu to Savannah to take part in Epicomm Experience, found that the program made the long trip more than worthwhile. Here, she talks about the networking opportunities it gave her, especially with exhibiting vendors; the high energy of the speakers she listened to; and the ideas she gained during conference-related plant tours.

"It Clicked": Ken Garner and David Steinhardt Review the Epicomm - IDEAlliance Merger

Published May 23, 2016

On July 1, the trade associations Epicomm and IDEAlliance will go forward as one under the IDEAlliance name. Ken Garner and David Steinhardt, respectively executive vice president and president/CEO of the combined organization, talk about how bringing the groups together will enhance the value of membership for the more than 3,000 companies now under the IDEAlliance banner. They say that the first positive outcome is the launch of a certification program for mailing professionals.

What Will It Take to “Mainstream” Digital Printing?

Published May 12, 2016

Production digital printing is 25 years old, yet only 2.5% of all printed pages come from digital devices. Yishai Amir, CEO of Landa Digital Printing, says that if digital printing is to move into the mainstream, it will have to prove that it is fully competitive with offset lithography in quality, speed, printable format size, and cost to print. According to Amir, just one process—the one he is responsible for bringing to market—can demonstrate all of these capabilities.

“Nobody Can Do It by Themselves”

Published May 11, 2016

Because trade associations mirror the industries they serve, it’s no surprise to see consolidation taking place among the groups that serve the printing industry. IDEAlliance, an association promoting technical standards, demonstrated this by incorporating Epicomm, a group representing commercial printers, quick printers, and mail service providers. According to Marriott Winchester, the chairman of IDEAlliance, the outcome is a highly complementary relationship that benefits everyone concerned.

Pride of Place for Labels and Packaging at Pazazz

Published May 10, 2016

Warren Werbitt is a passionate printer, and one of his most successfully cultivated passions is the production of high-quality, high-margin labels and packaging.

Pitney Bowes Seeds the Cloud with a New Set of Commerce Enablers

Published May 4, 2016

The company, traditionally known for postage meters, sees a $40 billion marketplace for its digitally enabled shipping and transaction services.

“Publishing” Redefined for a Mobile Marketplace

Published May 4, 2016

Jonny Kaldor is the creator of Pugpig, a mobile publishing platform for delivering content in whatever format is optimal for the end-user’s device. He says that as devices and mobile channels continue to proliferate, the only way to keep up with them will be to embrace a create-once, render-many publishing workflow. This is called structured content, and Kaldor thinks that nontraditional publishers may find it easier to develop and share than publishers locked into design-centric, print-based workflows.

Eyes on the Packaging and Labels Prize: an Interview with Sappi’s Mark Odgers

Published May 3, 2016

Sappi’s credentials as a supplier of coated fine papers are impeccable. Now the company is taking steps to achieve the same high profile as a source of papers for packaging and labels.

Packaging Industry Must Digest New Food Labeling Rules

Published May 3, 2016

Marriott Winchester (SGS Americas) says that new Food and Drug Administration regulations for food labeling represent “the most significant generational event in the food and beverage industry that we’ve seen” since placing nutritional information on labels was first mandated 23 years ago. In this conversation, he explains why food producers and packagers should move full speed ahead toward compliance.

The Coolest Packaging Innovation You Never Saw

Published April 25, 2016

Have you ever stressed out at a self-checkout station because you couldn’t scan the #@?§#! UPC code on the package? Digimarc Corp. has come up with a way to make the entire surface of the package scannable, but in a way that’s invisible to the eye. Digimarc’s Larry Logan explains how the innovation makes packaging a part of the Internet of Things.

At Last, Nano Is Now as Landa Nanographic Printing Presses Line up for Market Entry

Published April 21, 2016

The wait has been long, and the anticipation has been intense. But, Landa Digital Printing believes it can amply reward both with what it will debut at drupa 2016.

HP Previews Extensive Catalog of Print Innovations for drupa 2016 (Part II)

Published April 19, 2016

HP’s sense of itself as a change agent for digital printing is strong. The very broad range of digital solutions it will show at drupa 2016 befits the size of its ambition.

Inside the Brand Makeover at NYC's Duane Reade Pharmacy Chain

Published April 13, 2016

When equity investors decided it was time to give the 250-store Duane Reade pharmacy chain a brand makeover, they handed the task to Todd Maute and his partners at the CBX branding agency. CBX accomplished it in part by creating five private-label brands that required large volumes of printed packaging. Maute says the experience shows how printing technologies can put powerful branding tools in the hands of brand owners and creatives.

Unqualified Support for a Standard

Published April 13, 2016

Administered by IDEAlliance, the G7 protocols for grayscale definition and device calibration have become widely accepted standards for color management. No organization has made a stronger commitment to G7 than Konica Minolta, which claims to employ more G7-certified experts than any other printing systems vendor. Konica Minolta’s Dino Pagliarello talks about what makes the company’s belief in G7 so firmly rooted.

Production Management in the Cloud with HP Print OS

Published April 12, 2016

HP PrintOS is a new cloud-based print production operating system that will be launched by HP at drupa 2016. It consists of web and mobile apps designed to help print service providers boost the productivity of their HP devices. Simon Lewis, in charge of its development, talks about the genesis of Print OS and the range of benefits it can deliver.

With Print, Brands Live Haptically Ever After

Published April 11, 2016

Haptics is the branch of neuroscience concerned with the sense of touch. Daniel Dejean of Sappi discusses why the tactile appeal of print—along with all of the other kinds of sensory stimulation it provides—can be such a powerful advantage for the medium in brand marketing campaigns.

HP Previews Extensive Catalog of Print Innovations for drupa 2016

Published April 6, 2016

If you are planning to attend drupa 2016, make sure your agenda gives you plenty of time to review what HP will be bringing to Hall 17. There is going to be a great deal to see.

HP Makes Bid to Enter Flex Pack Converting

Published April 5, 2016

HP is venturing into post-print production with Pack Ready, a set of solutions it is patenting and develop with partners. The first product is Pack Ready Lamination, which uses a thermal lamination process to convert flexible pouches immediately after printing on HP Indigo equipment. HP’s Dr. Asaf Salant says that Pack Ready Lamination will be of keen interest to converters who want to reduce time to market and to label printers who want to break into flexible packaging.

How Labels and Packaging Can “Touch the Future”: an Interview with drupa’s Sabine Geldermann

Published April 5, 2016

A decision to attend drupa 2016 represents a major investment of time and travel expense. The director of the global event talks about why label and packaging producers are among those who should most seriously consider making it.

Landa: Nanography Will Keep Its “Promise” at drupa 2016

Published April 4, 2016

Exclusive Interview: Benny Landa says that the nanographic inkjet printing process he unveiled at drupa 2012 was a “promise.” At drupa 2016, he intends to deliver on that promise with live demonstrations of nanographic equipment that he says can print offset quality at offset speed on any paper stock at an offset-competitive cost. In this exclusive interview, Landa discusses why he believes the commercialization of nanography will be the second time one of his technologies has revolutionized digital printing.

Nielsen Measures Ad Trustworthiness, Finding Much in Traditional Media

Published March 23, 2016

Now, what was it you wanted to sell me? If the format of your advertising pitch is one that inspires confidence and trust, we may be able to do business.

Heidelberg Promises to Look “Smart” at drupa 2016 (Part II)

Published March 22, 2016

The company finally has made a full commitment to digital, most notably with the coming launch of a B1 inkjet press. But conventional production will still anchor its presence at the show.

National Print Owners Association Successfully Enters Post-Startup Phase

Published March 9, 2016

Starting a trade association isn’t the same thing as establishing a trade association. Giving it a base for an extended life of service to its members requires long-range planning and determined execution. This is the story of NPOA.

Heidelberg Promises to Look “Smart” at drupa 2016 (Part I)

Published March 8, 2016

As the event nears, Heidelberg wants to be seen in a different light: less dependent on equipment, more open to partnership, wholly focused on production efficiency.

The Payoff of Everyday ERP: an IT Manager Explains

Published March 8, 2016

At Lofton Label, Jimmy Rana obtains measurable benefits from using EFI's Radius enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution to optimize processes through comprehensive data gathering and analysis.

Labels and Packaging: Entrepreneurial Springboard for Che International Group

Published March 1, 2016

To build a multi-capable network of companies, what better place to begin than the label and packaging business? Just ask Christopher Che.

Company on Fire: Heidelberg Debuts a Branded Digital Printing Portfolio

Published February 22, 2016

To have a branding strategy for digital printing, there first has to be a cohesive family of digital printing products. Heidelberg says that it now has both.

Brain Science Deems Print a Brainy Choice for Marketers

Published February 17, 2016

What instinct tells us about the effectiveness of print has now scientific backing that links it to measurable brain activity, as detailed in a study commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service.

What Price Privacy? The Pew Research Center Tries to Find Out

Published February 15, 2016

Does “privacy” have meaning any more? People are sometimes willing to trade personal information for rewards—even when they know they are going to regret it. There are implications for print in the conflict.

Packaging Finds Its Proper Place on the Agenda at EFI Connect 2016

Published February 9, 2016

The user conference was too wide-ranging to have a single keynote, but it was a good place to catch up with what EFI is doing to streamline packaging workflows.

No Packaging Necessary—No Question?

Published February 4, 2016

There are those who envision a future free or nearly free of packaging. Although it might seem unachievable, some tentative steps in that direction have been taken.

Fresh, Flexible, and Family-Inspired: Values that Breed Success at Emerald Packaging

Published February 2, 2016

Look around the produce section of your supermarket. Notice how many colorfully printed flexible bags there are? Meet the company that put some of them there.

Gecht and Wynn at EFI Connect: for Printers, the Ultimate Vegas Double Bill

Published January 25, 2016

As leaders in their respective fields, Guy Gecht and Steve Wynn share an exceptional ability to hold a stage and captivate an audience. Both played to a packed house as keynote speakers at EFI Connect 2016.

What’s in Your Wallet? A Printed Piece of $1.34 Trillion

Published January 18, 2016

Paper currency has been part of the American mindset ever since Benjamin Franklin pamphleteered for it in 1729. But, folding money has to confront 21st-century trends that could displace it.

3D Printing Makes Room for a Fourth “D”

Published January 13, 2016

Just when we thought that the definition of “printing” had been pushed to the limit, along comes a new one that envisions morphing objects made of self-assembling materials.

Heidelberg Crosses the Digital Divide: an Interview with Jason Oliver

Published January 12, 2016

Now a committed developer of digital printing systems, Heidelberg knows where it wants to go in the digital equipment market and what it can do to get there.

Digital Applications Make Gains in Packaging, but Progress Is Hard Won

Published January 5, 2016

A special report ahead of drupa 2016 sees the event as the setting for a turning point in the adoption of digital printing for packaging production.

Tidings Are Good and Not So Good for Ever-Popular Greeting Cards

Published December 22, 2015

The greeting card, a tradition and an industry in one, is struggling in its present form but faces no shortage of creative possibilities for the future.

#SharePackage Puts Holiday Boxes to Compassionate Use

Published December 21, 2015

A promotional campaign for paper and packaging goes for the heartstrings with special boxes to be filled with gifts for kids spending the holidays in hospitals.

The Graphical Genius of Albert Einstein

Published December 18, 2015

Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity is 100 years old, but his appeal as a creative inspiration for graphic illustrators is 100 years young.

Tech Trends for Labels and Packaging: the Year in Review

Published December 15, 2015

2015 was a chock-full-of-news year on the technology front—but only a curtain-raiser for what lies ahead in 2016.

Stocking Stuffers: “The 12 Days of Packaging”

Published December 15, 2015

Santa Claus, who knows a thing or two about packaging, has a sackful of innovations for fans of the art form this year.

Why Digital Print for Corrugated? HP Inc.'s Eric Wiesner Explains

Published December 11, 2015

HP Inc. believes that the same "megatrends" toward short-run, on demand production and versioning that have transformed other print markets will have a comparable effect on packaging. It's potentially a $13.6 billion opportunity, and HP Inc. sees corrugated as an ideal place for the transformation to begin.

Holiday Retailing Season Is Shaping Up Nicely - with a Few New Twists

Published December 9, 2015

For the holidays, “shop early and shop often” is still good advice—assuming that you know what “early” now is starting to mean in the retailing world.

KBA's Claus Bolza-Schünemann on Co-Creating the PageWide Web Press T1100S with HP

Published December 8, 2015

The two technology leaders want to take digital printing for packaging to the next level—and to several levels after that—with a 110-inch-wide web inkjet press specifically for the corrugated market.

Aiming at Packaging, HP and KBA Introduce the Widest Inkjet Web Press Yet Developed

Published December 8, 2015

Two technology leaders want to take digital printing for packaging to the next level—and to several levels after that—with a 110-inch-wide web inkjet press specifically for the corrugated market.

A Power Partnership: How HP Inc. and KBA Will Bring the T1100S Inkjet Web Press to Market

Published December 7, 2015

The R&D and the building of the first working model took just two years. Now, HP Inc.'s Eric Wiesner and KBA's Christoph Müller discuss how the companies will deploy marketing, sales, and support strategies with the same kind of high-efficiency cooperation.

Expect New Looks and New Roles for Corrugated

Published November 30, 2015

Take another look at the tried-and-true stuff that shipping cartons are made of. Some top developers of packaging printing technology are.

“We Say Yes Where Others Say No”: At Island Pro Digital, Words to Live and Work by

Published November 24, 2015

Packaging isn’t everything at Island Pro Digital, a printing company with a highly diversified product base. But, it represents some of the most interesting work that the firm fabricates for its clients.

Canon Supports Literary and Print Production with “Future Authors Project”

Published November 23, 2015

The scale of the program is modest, but when the young writers who take part in it see their words in print, its achievement seems far-reaching.

Thermochromic Imaging: the Color Shift That’s Supposed to Happen

Published November 19, 2015

That old hippie mood ring you’d die of embarrassment to be seen wearing now? It was the cutting edge of an important decorative technology for labels and packaging.

Growth in Folding Cartons to 2019 Will Be Meager but Measurable, says Paperboard Packaging Council

Published November 17, 2015

A growth forecast of half a percentage point per year may not sound like much, but it indicates undeniable post-recession momentum for the folding carton market.

Present at the Creation: Frank Steenburgh Remembers the Launch of Xerox DocuTech

Published November 16, 2015

Building the world’s first “print shop in a box” was a watershed achievement for Xerox. So was marketing and selling it—a story that “DocuFrank” knows from the inside.

LED Technology Gains in Importance as UV Curing Solution

Published November 10, 2015

Printers working with UV curing have a new technology to learn about, if they are not already acquainted with it: UV LED

How Quality Comes in a “Chain Reaction” at New York Label & Box Works

Published November 3, 2015

A label and carton company doesn’t get to be 137 years old without having made an unwavering commitment to quality. The 137-year-old label and carton company profiled here has done it by adopting a well-known philosophy of continuous improvement as its playbook.

From “Packademia,” Solutions Not to Be Sniffed at

Published November 2, 2015

Stink-squelching film, inkless color printing, and built-in 3D bar codes are three recent laboratory innovations that could be commercialized as packaging problem-solvers.

A Night to Remember for DWS Printing Associates

Published October 28, 2015

Can you say “sesquicentennial”? It’s an anniversary. This company feels the pride and the joy of every one of its 150 years.

Is There Enough Extra Room in That Package for a Lawsuit?

Published October 19, 2015

People don’t like packages that look as though they contain more than is actually inside them. But, prosecutors and class-action attorneys do.

PrintForm's Mark Abramson on Creating One-off Complex Packaging

Published October 14, 2015

WhatTheyThink's Patrick Henry talks to Mark Abramson CEO at PrintForm about creating complex packaging product with run-lengths of one. PrintForm was recently involved in the team that created a printed virtual reality headset and talks about building teams to do this type of work.

Craftsmen’s Club Visits NYT Plant and Comes Away Suitably Impressed

Published October 13, 2015

As long as The New York Times remains in print, it will print on a massive scale. This is exactly what takes place every evening at the paper’s main plant in College Point, Queens.

TruTag Technologies Pushes Back Against the Pharma Fakers, One Tablet at a Time

Published October 7, 2015

A dust-sized anti-counterfeiting tag for medicine pills? Turns out the idea isn’t hard to swallow or digest.

Image Test Labs: New Sheriff in Town for Grading Press Performance

Published October 6, 2015

Three pairs of eyes that have seen it all in print measurement are looking straight at the acceptability of press output from machines of every type.

Franklin Luminaire Awards: the Industry at Its Best and Brightest

Published October 5, 2015

Among printers, honors and awards signal deep bonds of friendship and respect. In New York City, it’s a tradition that industry members still turn out in force to celebrate.

As Publication Markets Decline, SAPPI Steps Up Its Profile in Packaging

Published September 30, 2015

Anyone who has ever picked up a glossy magazine probably has touched SAPPI publication paper. Now the company hopes to achieve the same kind of ubiquity with its packaging papers.

The Might and the Memory of “Mr. Univers”

Published September 29, 2015

Millions—perhaps billions—have seen his font creations. Those quoted here understand their lasting significance for the art of typography.

Wrapping Up Packaging at Graph Expo 2015

Published September 22, 2015

Those who came to the show in search of answers for packaging production should have had no trouble locating them in the vendor stands and specialty areas where packaging solutions were being featured.

How Graphic Measures International Cultivates Packaging’s “Best of the Best in the World”

Published September 15, 2015

Not every packaging printer has what it takes to pass muster with this performance-certifying organization. But, those that clear GMI’s high bar can claim elite status among packaging service suppliers.

Canon Comes to Town with Everything—Literally—It Makes and Does in Imaging

Published September 14, 2015

“Everything under one roof” took on a new and dazzling meaning as Canon made good on the promise at Canon Expo, its 100,000-square-foot technology showcase in New York City

“The September of Canon”

Published September 8, 2015

This month, Canon will make a triple play for industry attention with events that illuminate how far it has come as a source of production solutions.

SEC’s Rule 30e-3 Said to Threaten Print Revenues and Employment

Published September 4, 2015

The Securities and Exchange Commission wants to modernize the way the investment industry reports on what it does. The plan could include freeing these companies from having to print and mail certain shareholder documents.

Of Politics, Printing, and Innocence Lost

Published September 3, 2015

On Tuesday, November 8, 2016, Americans will go to the polls to elect 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 34 U.S. Senators, 11 state Governors, and one President. It’s been widely reported that next year’s election cycle will be the costliest in history, with spending by candidates, parties, outside groups, and individuals expected to be as high as $10 billion.

Articles by Patrick Henry