Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

Around the Web: Relaxing Rocket. Seeing Signage. Design Destination. Famous Fyodor. Forgone Fine. Software Snacks. Farming Fiasco. Squirrel Shocker. Goldfish Galore.

Published December 20, 2024

Instead of a Yule log this Christmas, bask in the glow of NASA’s Rocket Engine Fireplace. Brown sugar is apparently going to be 2025’s Flavor of the Year. A recyclable paper wine bottle shaped like a bottle. The First Toronto Post Office is also museum, featuring a reading and writing room complete with quill pens. The New York City Sign Museum is now offering tours. Münich’s Design Museum features a new exhibition of classic children’s picture books. Fyodor Dostoyevsky has gone viral, oddly. AI is used to come up with new snack flavors. Heightened solar activity is playing havoc with agricultural equipment. Carnivorous squirrels! A panoply of new Goldfish favors. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly drone-free miscellany.

Commercial Printing Establishments—2010–2022

Published December 20, 2024

According to the latest, recently released edition of County Business Patterns, in 2022 there were 15,430 establishments in NAICS 323111 (Commercial Printing except Screen and Books). This represents a decline of 30% since 2010. In macro news, Q3 GDP growth revised up to 3.1%.

October Shipments: Pinch Us, We’re Dreaming

Published December 13, 2024

October 2024 shipments came in at $8.19 billion, up quite substantially from September’s $7.69 billion—the fourth straight monthly increase, and the third best October in the past five years.

Around the Web: Lessons Learned. Packaging Profitability. Bottle Blue. Sign Sum. Relic Writing. Popemobile Power. Trekkie Torture. Hubble Hooha. Dish Destruction. Festive Fromage.

Published December 13, 2024

52 things we learned in 2024. An eye-catching bottle design boosted sales. Saratoga Water’s iconic blue bottles now have an official Pantone name. An unusual, mathematically challenged “welcome to…” sign. Rescuing relics from the now-defunct Type Archive in the U.K. Another week, another unearthed relic that challenges our assumptions about the history of language and writing. Mercedes-Benz’s new electric Popemobile. A one-time owner of “Star Trek” novelty license plates is swamped with speeding and parking tickets—and she doesn’t even own a car. What would happen if you actually did put a bull in a china shop? Whole Foods’ “12 Days of Cheese.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Around the Web: Hot Hue. Widespread Word. Cool Covers. Catalog Contraction. Ancient Alphabet. Imaging ink. Tiny Timepiece. Freaky Franks.

Published December 6, 2024

Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2025. The OED’s Word of the Year for 2024. Print magazine’s Best Book Covers of 2024. Print catalogs are getting smaller. A recent find uncovered the world’s oldest alphabet. Ancient Babylonian student’s math error preserved in stone for 4,000 years. A new technology can measure brain waves using electronic, temporary scalp tattoos. Graphene sheets used in a new technique for self-assembling electronics. Casio’s functional ring watch. A new Roger Dean exhibition. Sam’s Club’s “Holidogs” are not for the faint of stomach. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Printing Establishments—2010–2022

Published December 6, 2024

According to the latest, just-released edition of County Business Patterns, in 2022 there were 21,615 establishments in NAICS 32311 (Printing). This represents a decrease of 20% since 2010, but (checks notes) an increase of 0.4% from 2021. In macro news, highlights from the most recent Federal Reserve “Beige Book.”

October Graphic Arts Employment Remains Generally Flat

Published November 22, 2024

Net printing employment in October 2024 was not much changed from September—overall employment was up slightly by 0.4%, with production employment up 1.1% and non-production employment down 1.2%, one nearly offsetting the other.

Around the Web: Packaging Problem. Travel Type. Stretchable Screen. Biker Blade. PlayStation Pizza. Heliotropic Hamsters. Condiment Card.

Published November 22, 2024

A packaging misprint sends Wicked doll buyers to a porn site. A demonstration of the first copier, invented by James Watt. Tracking down an unusual typeface. LG’s new display can be stretched from 12 in. to 18 in. An E Ink-based display for leaving notes for family members. Kurt Vonnegut had invented a board game—which is now available. The ancient Chinese roots of “rock paper scissors.” Graphene can dramatically improve the performance and sustainability of PET bottles. A windshield wiper for motorcycle helmets. Using a PlayStation to keep pizza warm. Solar-powered hamsters. Hidden Valley’s ranch dressing-themed Christmas card. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Printing Establishments—2010–2022

Published November 15, 2024

According to the latest, just-released edition of County Business Patterns, in 2022 there were 22,651 establishments in NAICS 323 (Printing and Related Support Activities). This represents a decline of 22% since 2010—but (but!) a slight (slight!) increase in establishments from 2021. In macro news, inflation is still fairly under control.

Around the Web: Bot Bonanza. Typing Torus. Pate Powder. Razr Reflection. Lunar Lasers. Solar Scooter. Kevin Connections. Aldi Advent.

Published November 15, 2024

A robot artist’s painting sells for more than $1 million. Google Japan’s Möbius Strip keyboard. An interesting approach to sustainable shampoo packaging. A tribute to the Motorola Razr. A question for the ages: if everyone on Earth aimed a laser pointer at the moon simultaneously, what would happen? A solar-powered motor scooter. There is an app for lucid dreaming. The “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” now has data! What is the world’s oldest organism? “Sandwiches from History” rounds up some old recipes. Aldi’s highly anticipated Advent calendars are here! All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

September Shipments: No Fall This Autumn

Published November 8, 2024

September 2024 shipments came in at $7.67 billion, up ever so slightly from August’s $7.66 billion—the third straight monthly increase. Sure, it’s a small increase, but we’ll take what we can get.

Around the Web: Perishing Papers. Vonnegut Volume. Comic Controversy. Country Con. Precious Prime. Fromage Felony.

Published November 8, 2024

Several major NJ newspapers discontinue their print editions. A new limited deluxe edition of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-5. Comic Sans turns 30—is it time to reconsider its awfulness? New clues about the origin of writing. An elaborate and successful 19th-century scam involving a fictional Central American country. The new largest prime number ever discovered. A mathematical model that determines the optimal shape of a beer glass that keeps beer cool. In memoriam: Murray McCrory, inventor of the JanSport backpack. A wooden “artisanal satellite” has just been launched. “Your air fryer may be spying on you,” for some reason. A scammer steals 22 tons of cheddar from a London cheese shop. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Tales from the Database: Packing it In

Published November 1, 2024

Drawing on six years’ worth of Print Business Outlook surveys, our “Tales from the Database” series looks at historical data to see if we can spot any particular hardware, software, or business trends. This issue is in part devoted to labels and packaging, so we delve into the data to gauge print businesses’ interest in adding packaging capabilities.

Around the Web: Logo Library. Auctioning AI. Plonk Packaging. Damned Domain. Cryptid Carnival. Echo Education. Super Stations. Fitting Footwear. Future Food.

Published November 1, 2024

The Space Exploration Logo Archive (SELA) is a series of printed books celebrating 70+ years of space travel. Artwork by robot artist Ai-Da is up for auction at Sotheby’s. A study by the UK’s Wine Society found the most sustainable option for wine packaging, although we have questions. Did you know that domain names can be “haunted”? Reconstructing the face of a 400-year-old vampire. Johnstown, Pa., hosts the annual “Squonkapalooza” to celebrate a mythical beast. An electric scooter that uses a graphene-based battery. Get rid of autumn leaves with ease using a leaf blower mounted to a robot dog. Learn how to echolocate in 10 weeks. Fifteen “stunning train stations.” A line of sneakers that grow with your kids. Whole Foods’ culinary trends for 2025. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Welcome to the Print & Packaging Issue!

Published October 28, 2024

Issue 5 of WhatTheyThink magazine is now out, and this week and next we will be publishing the contents of that issue. Here’s a preview.

September Graphic Arts Employment Remains Fairly Flat

Published October 25, 2024

Overall printing employment in September 2024 was not much changed from August with production employment down 0.2% and non-production employment up 0.5%.

Around the Web: Real Raven. Nurdle Negation. Wallpaper Warming. Color Kindle. Code Controversy. Computer Chronicle. Runner’s Racket. Snack Sobriquet.

Published October 25, 2024

The inspiration for Poe’s “The Raven” A new line of sustainable wrapping paper. A paper-based alternative to plastic “nurdles.” A research project intended to “improve the reading experience for people with low vision through typography.” Electric wallpaper for home heating. The invention of the barcode was not without controversy. A 1968 Bell Labs computer documentary that inspired Stanley Kubrick. A simple, ingenious invention for runners: the Runbell. Goldfish—the snack cracker—is changing its name to “Chilean Sea Bass,” for some reason. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Around the Web: Type Tournament. Price Package. Drone Delivery. Mobile Museum. Absent Accordions. Screw Story. Food Fallacies.

Published October 18, 2024

Show off your mad typing skills with “Typing Bowl.” A German company print the price of its products right on the packaging. Delivering food by a robot–drone team. When online, visit the Mobile Phone Museum. An elaborate, Rube Goldberg-like snooze alarm. A graphene-based “electronic tongue.” The last French accordion manufacturer has gone out of business. Why is it called a “Phillips head screwdriver”? Many of America’s most “traditional” food recipes were based on marketing campaigns. New TikTok-inspired “smoked Cheez-Its” are coming. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Outdoor Advertising Establishments—2010–2021

Published October 18, 2024

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 2,378 establishments in NAICS 54185 (Outdoor Advertising). This NAICS actually grew post-Great Recession, with a slight decline mid-decade before climbing back up to 2,765 establishments in 2018. 2019 saw a massive drop in establishments, but it has climbed back up to 2,532 establishments in 2021. In macro news: retail sales increased in September.

Around the Web: Kafka Covers. Grass Graphics. Costume Chemicals. Time Trends. Comma Creation. Cassette Comeback. Morticia Menu.

Published October 11, 2024

Using Rapid Liquid Printing to produce a handbag. Lawnmower-based graphic design. The dangers of really fast fashion: Halloween costumes. A temperature-controlling graphene-enhanced jacket. Where did punctuation come from? Cassette tapes are becoming popular. The slow acceptance of wearing pants. Burger King’s Addams Family-themed Halloween menu. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

August Shipments Indeed

Published October 11, 2024

August 2024 shipments came in at $7.68 billion, up from July’s $7.44 billion—the second straight monthly increase.

Around the Web: Graphic Gags. Hail Hamlet. Leaf Lenses. Map Mural. Absent AI. Dorito Dye. Fixing Flakes. Car Ketchup.

Published October 4, 2024

Print magazine talks with a former graphic designer for SNL. A production of Hamlet based on Radiohead’s “Hail to the Thief.” Virginia parks provide special viewfinders so the color blind can leaf-peep. Making a giant mural out of a Google Earth Easter egg. The Moon is getting its own time zone. This year’s Lego Advent calendars are now available. According to the New Yorker, there is no AI. Cool. “Mice made transparent with a dye used in Doritos.” Making the original Corn Flakes recipe. VW’s Gewürz Ketchup briefly available in the US. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Product Strategy: ACTEGA at LabelExpo

Published September 30, 2024

In this video sponsored by ACTEGA, David Zwang talks to Mell Bishop, Vice President of Flexible Packaging North America & Global Market Manager Labels, about the company's sustainability goals, the circular economy and the value it brings to the industry.

Kyocera's Dustin Graupman on Entry-Level Production Inkjet

Published September 30, 2024

In this video sponsored by Kyocera, Richard Romano talks with Dustin Graupman, Senior Director, Inkjet Division, Kyocera, about how the company is making entry into production inkjet accessible with their products.

iJetColor by Printware at PRINTING United

Published September 30, 2024

Tim Murphy, President, iJetColor by Printware showcases the company's inkjet envelope presses and how they are answering their customer's wants of affordability, improved print quality and speed.

Sign Manufacturing Establishments—2010–2021

Published September 27, 2024

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 5,824 establishments in NAICS 33995 (Sign Manufacturing). This NAICS category tumbled in the wake of the Great Recession, ultimately climbing back up to 5,865 establishments in 2019, but dipping a little in 2020, and then back up to 5,814 in 2021. In macro news: BEA leaves Q2 GDP growth unchanged at 3.0%.

Around the Web: Viva Vice. Cloned Critic. Fitzgerald’s Flat. More Mozart. Globe Goofs. Hat Hating. Railway Rodents. Breakfast Bag.

Published September 27, 2024

Vice is launching a subscription service—and a print edition. London newspaper is resurrecting its deceased art critic with AI. A billboard-based art project. A robotic “impact printing” system 3D prints with clay. Who would have thought that 2024 would bring us new Mozart music? The oldest surviving globe dates from 1492 and is wildly inaccurate even by 1492 standards. A flying grocery cart. Graphene-enhanced asphalt goes on trial in the UK. When did people stop wearing hats? Jimmy Dean launches a tote bag that can keep your breakfast sandwiches warm. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

July Graphic Arts Employment Was Flat Virtually Across the Board

Published September 20, 2024

Overall printing employment in July 2024 was down slightly in July with production employment down 0.6% and non-production employment up 0.4%.

Around the Web: Font Fracas. Singularity Soon. Data Display. Mesopotamian Meals. Pizza Profile. Eggy Equinox. Cellular Suspense. Taco Turmoil.

Published September 20, 2024

Have “fontroversies” become less common? Is the Singularity all that near? A three-day exhibition of radical data visualizations. The Campbell Soup Company is removing the word soup and adding an apostrophe. Make these dishes from the world’s oldest known cookbook. Have your resumé printed on Pizza Hut pizza boxes. Sunday is the autumnal equinox—get your eggs ready! How screenwriters of horror films solve “the cellphone problem.” A 3D printer designed to cut cardboard into cat scratch pads. When is National Taco Day, exactly? All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

All Other Converted Paper Product Manufacturing Establishments—2010–2021

Published September 13, 2024

According to County Business Patterns, in 2021 there were 358 establishments in NAICS 322299 (All Other Converted Paper Product Manufacturing). This category saw a net decrease in establishments of -22% since 2010. In macro news, inflation was virtually flat in August.

Around the Web: Darth Dreary. Horror House. Phone Folds. Misnamed Monitor. Toddling Table. Cassette Collection. Fridge Fashion. Insulation Initiative. Dew Deal.

Published September 13, 2024

The art of letterpress printing. James Earl Jones reads “The Raven.” “The year without summer” was great for Gothic horror. Huawei has introduced a trifold phone. The worst product name ever. The next trend in home décor: living furniture. An archive of audio cassette design. Good grief: “fridgescaping.” Traceable down insulation. Redesigning nail clippers. Trademarking “Mountain Time”? All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Product Spotlight: The Print Factory Makes Print Profitable

Published September 9, 2024

The Print Factory is know for their spectacular color management, but there is a lot more inside the box. Simon Landau tells the story.

June Shipments: An Unpleasant Surprise

Published September 6, 2024

June 2024 shipments came in at $7.22 billion, down from May’s $7.42 billion—an unexpected and unwelcome drop.

Around the Web: Cut Categorizing. Birthday Branding. Tech Tomes. Timber Towers. Bookish Burglar. Rapid Radiator. Sprinkler Sprayer. Doll Doughnuts.

Published September 6, 2024

What types of paper are best (or worst) for paper cuts? A simple quiz for gauging your color perception. Creating the identity for Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. An online archive of Radioshack catalogs. Milwaukee is building a second wooden skyscraper. An Italian thief stops to read a book mid-burglary. “Robot controlled by a king oyster mushroom blends living organisms and machines,” for your dystopian nightmares. A graphene radiator capable of heating a room in a few seconds. Lego is switching to renewable materials for its bricks. A mural artist who hacks lawn sprinklers to spray paint. Krispy Kreme is helping celebrate Barbie’s 65th birthday. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Eric Vessels joins Taktiful as CXO

Published August 30, 2024

Taktiful is the leader in embellishment learning and now software too. Eric Vessels has now joined Taktiful to help them grow their business through new outreach programs.

Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing Establishments—2010–2021

Published August 30, 2024

According to County Business Patterns, in 2021 there were 126 establishments in NAICS 322291 (Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing). This category saw a net decrease in establishments of 11% since 2010. In macro news, the American Institute of Architects’ Architecture Billings Index (ABI) indicates that billings have declined for the 18th consecutive month.

Around the Web: Poster Parade. Tome Typing. Apian Anniversary. Flash Flames. Bicycle Breaks. Debunked Dodos. Space Snacks.

Published August 30, 2024

A gallery of classic movie posters. Hone your keyboard skills by retyping classic novels. What is the first recorded human voice? Celebrate Burt’s Bees’ 40th anniversary with some branded merch. Need a laugh? Use the Jokephone. Nxylon, a new super-black material that absorbs 99% of the light that hits it. Turn a flashlight into a flamethrower. Bicycles can now be hacked. New research reconsiders the dodo. Climate change is making seafood toxic. Doritos designed for zero gravity. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Content, Collaboration & the Future of WhatTheyThink

Published August 29, 2024

Gina Danner, CEO of NextPage, and WhatTheyThink board chair talks to Thayer Long, CEO of WhatTheyThink about the changes happening in the industry and the role of WhatTheyThink in supporting education and information. They discuss the importance of collaboration between manufacturers and print service providers to address industry challenges and discuss the future direction of WhatTheyThink, including the focus on deep content strategies and providing a platform for OEMs to share information.

Cool Tools at drupa: Macarbox

Published August 29, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Luis Ganuza, Commercial Director, Macarbox about the company's automatic direct-to-corrugated solutions.

Cool Tools at drupa: Barberan

Published August 28, 2024

Mary Schilling talks with Isaac Contreras, Technical Manager, Barberan about the company's solutions for inkjet printing on flooring. The Jetmaster series is able to print on wood, paper, PVC and a variety of plastics.

Enfocus offers printers a brand new ball game at PRINTING United

Published August 27, 2024

Batter up! Enfocus is back and ready to knock it out of the park at PRINTING United in Las Vegas, Booth C113. This year, Enfocus is bringing the heat with its “Field of Automation."

Xitron K2 is a prepress solution to love

Published August 27, 2024

Xitron has 45,000+ installs around the world. Their latest software K2 goes head to head with many of the more proprietary systems, with a full featured prepress workflow solution.

Cool Tools at drupa: KAVALAN

Published August 27, 2024

Mary Schilling continues her quest for cool and talks with Rob Karpenko, European Sales Director, KAVALAN about the company's environmentally friendly banner products.

Around the Web: Print Peril. Offline Onion. Toxic Tomes. Glass Guests. Inside Instruments. Plane Probe. Milk Mystery. Chicken Channel. Rice Room.

Published August 23, 2024

Another classic tech magazine shuts down its print edition. On the other hand, The Onion is re-launching theirs. Some books produced in the Victorian era contained toxic dyes. Glass bottles are not as sustainable as we think. Who’d’a thought staying in a glass hotel room would make one feel vulnerable. Stunning images taken of musical instrument interiors. Graphene-based 3D printing to be used in home construction. In search of the original Air Force One. Can thunderstorms spoil milk? Chick-fil-A is apparently launching a streaming service. A Rice Krispies Treat-themed hotel suite. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Looking Back at Düsseldorf—and Ahead to Las Vegas

Published August 19, 2024

With drupa 2024 in the rear-view mirror and PRINTING United on the road ahead, here are some of the major announcements that came out of Düsseldorf, and a hint of what will be on display in Las Vegas.

Welcome to the Technology Outlook Issue!

Published August 19, 2024

This week and next is dedicated to publishing the contents from Issue Four: The Technology Outlook Issue. This article provides an overview of what to expect in the next two weeks.

May Shipments: Another Pleasant Surprise

Published August 16, 2024

May 2024 shipments came in at $7.43 billion, up from April’s $7.35 billion—continuing an unexpected but welcome rebound.

Around the Web: Sports Symbols. Mitigating Microplastics. Dud Device. Car Copter. Sprinkle Suit. Lost Letter. Martian Moisture. Cat Conundrum. Death Dessert. Gull Grabbing. Mayo Musk.

Published August 16, 2024

Olympic sports pictogram design. The first board game printed in the United States was a geography lesson. Graphene-enhanced packaging aims to reduce contamination from microplastics. The much-hyped “Humane AI” pin is a complete flop. A flying car concept straight out of James Bond. Found amongst Hurricane Debby debris was a WWII-era message in a bottle. Finding water on Mars (but no message in a bottle). Liquid Death’s sparkling hot fudge sundae water (not on Mars). A Scottish seaside food truck offers “seagull insurance.” Hellmann’s introduces mayonnaise-scented perfume. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Around the Web: Missing Manuals. Tooth Tech. Roaming Reference. Image Investigation. Viable Vectors. Owl Oops. Pigeon Plinth. Pretzel Perfume.

Published August 9, 2024

AI can replace user manuals. Creating a visual identity for a new park. Good grief: an AI toothbrush. A new device lets you access Wikipedia offline. A close look at JEG encoding. A Spanish church’s botched restoration. A new color E Ink display is a bit pricey. The Shaper Trace quickly turns hand-drawn lines into vectors. Converting industrial plastic scrap into graphene. The Minnesota Zoo’s owl–tiger problem. NYC is getting a giant pigeon statue, for some reason. Auntie Anne’s new scent smells like pretzels. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Other Converted Paper Product Manufacturing Establishments—2010–2020

Published August 9, 2024

According to County Business Patterns, in 2021 there were 484 establishments in NAICS 32229 (Other Converted Paper Product Manufacturing). This category saw a net decrease in establishments of -20% since 2010. In macro news, the July jobs report may have been below expectations, but other economic indicators are still strong.

Sign Non-Production and PR Firms Win June Graphic Arts Employment Report

Published August 2, 2024

Overall printing employment in June 2024 was generally unchanged—up 0.1% from May—with production employment up 0.8% and non-production employment down 1.5%.

Around the Web: Burg Branding. Print Practice. Button Bandit. Punctuation Palooza. Dated Devices. Bug Banisher. Mallard Manager. Converse Cookies.

Published August 2, 2024

How to brand a city. Atlas Obscura is offering a two-part nature printing workshop. A Chrome extension that copies a button from every website you visit and saves it to a collection. Matching works of art with sports photographs. “Fuzzy graphene”? If you like old tech, be sure to check out OldCrap.org. For example: a Seiko smartwatch from 1984. A fly-repelling fan. Runners can train with a special windshield to help eliminate wind resistance. Meet the Peabody Hotel’s “duckmaster.” The latest in “foodwear.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Stationery Product Manufacturing—2010–2021

Published July 26, 2024

According to County Business Patterns, in 2021 there were 318 establishments in NAICS 32223 (Stationery Product Manufacturing). This category saw a net decrease in establishments of -36% since 2010. In macro news, June inflation was practically 0.

Around the Web: Bead Bodega. Refrigerator Revolution. Chucking Checks. Trainer Tech. Automotive Audio. Cosmic Collision. S’more Story. Pickle Pastry.

Published July 26, 2024

Snack food packaging replicated using beads. A 3D-printed chair that is easy to assemble. The “Cold-Storage Banquet” of 1911 was the most frightening meal ever: it was the first to ever feature foods that had been refrigerated. Target will no longer accept personal checks. Nike is no longer supporting the app for its self-lacing sneakers. Electric vehicles make no noise, but are required to—what should they sound like? The James Webb Space Telescope captured two massive asteroids colliding in a nearby star system. A history of s’mores. Pickle cupcakes, for some reason. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Around the Web: Freeway Fix. Packaging Poetry. Tee Type. Singularity Sequel. Cap Conundrum. Supermarket Silence. Canonized Kid. Hair Horror. Pomme Pillow.

Published July 19, 2024

A renegade street artist fixed an LA freeway sign. “Blackout poetry” makes art out of packaging. “Why is soccer jersey typography so bad?” Ray Kurzweil is still planning to merge his consciousness with AI. A better design for tethered bottle caps. Why don’t Aldi supermarkets play music? A warp drive is actually a thing. The Vatican is about to canonize the first Millennial saint. The man who was killed by his own beard. Shake Shack’s new french fry body pillow. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

April Shipments: A Pleasant Surprise

Published July 19, 2024

April 2024 shipments came in at $7.30 billion, up from March’s $7.24 billion—an unexpected but welcome rebound.

Around the Web: Surreal Celebration. Text Tones. Drone Display. Lady Lexicons. Monument Mystery. Track Torsion. Fabulous Fence. Water World. Apocalyptic Appetite.

Published July 12, 2024

Logo redesigns to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Surrealism movement. The challenges of printing the entire Wikipedia. With Text2Color, type in a description of a color, and it will find a match. A company has found a way to attach fireworks to drones. Graphene to be used in next-generation military footwear. The secret chamber at the top of Mount Rushmore. Extreme heat is making train travel more dangerous. An openable privacy fence. Sunsets on the Red Planet are blue. The James Webb Space Telescope just found a planet that could potentially support life. Costco is selling aa $99 “Apocalypse Dinner Kit.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Around drupa

Published June 28, 2024

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a photo gallery of images taken from around the show. This collection groups the images from days 5–10.

Around the Web: Trebek Tribute. Job Jeopardy? AI Apocalypse? RCA Wreckage. Screen Saint. Bubbler Boondoggle. Robot Rescuer. Reincarnation Remembrances. Pillar Pilot. Caffeinated Condiment.

Published June 28, 2024

A traveling exhibition that seeks to use typography and calligraphy to unite student work across different cultures and languages. Looking for a good ereader? Try the new Boox Palma. Alex Trebek is going to be honored with a postage stamp. One of the big concerns about so-called AI is that it is has the potential to take people’s jobs—but what’s the story so far? Is AI leading us to an energy apocalypse? What happened to RCA? St. Clare of Assisi is the patron saint of televisions and computer screens. Meet EMILY: a robot lifeguard. Are children remembering past lives? NASA’s trippy new visualization that takes you on a trip through the Pillars of Creation. 5-Hour Energy’s new caffeinated barbecue sauce. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Around drupa

Published June 21, 2024

Each edition of the drupa daily featured a photo gallery of images taken from around the show. This collection groups the first four days’ worth.

Around the Web: Literary Lunchbox. Coin Composing. Spreadsheet Sports. Tarot Tales. Roman Routes. Fan Fashion. Flying Flivver. Probe Problems. Grilling Gurus.

Published June 21, 2024

McSweeney’s celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special lunchbox-themed print edition. Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 on a coin-operated typewriter. Inside the world of competitive Microsoft Excel spreadsheeting. The earliest known photo of a first lady. A history of tarot cards—which were only recently used for fortunetelling. The ancient Roman road network as a subway map. A wearable climate control device for hot days. New plans for a flying car. NASA reestablishes contact with Voyager 1—which has been hurtling through space for 46 years. DoorDash and Aldi promotion will give shoppers a BBQ tutorial with professional “grillmaster.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Q1 Industry Profits: The Two Cities Become One (and Not a Good One)

Published June 21, 2024

Quarter-over-quarter profit margin data can be fairly noisy but had been on a general upward trend since the trough of the pandemic—although we had another crash in Q4 2023, which is proving difficult to climb out of.

Student Perspectives of drupa

Published June 20, 2024

WhatTheyThink and the drupa daily arranged to have several students from California Polytechnic State University travel to Düsseldorf. They helped produce the drupa daily and got to see their very first major industry trade event. Here are their impressions of drupa 24.

Booth Tour: Durst at drupa 2024

Published June 19, 2024

Christian Harder, Vice President of Sales and Andrea Riccardi, Head of Product Management, Graphics, Durst, provide a tour of the Durst booth at drupa which features the P5 SMP (super multi-pass).

Around the Web: Dye Discovery. Clay Creativity. Collapsing King. Autocorrect Adversaries. Tape Talk. Machine Muting. Retail Riffing. Bee Brew. Pool Potable.

Published June 14, 2024

Trying to recreate a long lost “recipe” for blue dye. Costco is now only selling books at Christmas. A Polish artist works with “3D-printed clay” to create unusual textures. A 3D-printed chess king that will collapse when checkmated. People whose names are routinely autocorrected have had enough. All about duct tape. Engineering students invent a leaf blower silencer. A new exhibition dedicated to MAD Magazine and we are so going. A heavy metal band turns UPC codes into guitar tabs for serious consumer product riffing. Microbiologists have brewed a beer using yeast obtained from the guts of killer bees, for some reason. Here’s a term we had never heard before: smoothie keg. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing Establishments—2010–2021

Published June 14, 2024

According to County Business Patterns, in 2021 there were 276 establishments in NAICS 322219 (Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing). This category saw a net decrease in establishments of -21% since 2010. In macro news, inflation was virtually unchanged in May.

Tomer Ohavi Shares Sign and Display Graphics Portfolio Updates at EFI

Published June 12, 2024

At drupa 2024, WhatTheyThink's Eric Vessels spoke with Tomer Ohavi, Senior Director of Product Management, Display Graphics at EFI. Tomer explains the benefits of the new EFI VUTEk Q3h hybrid platform, available in 10 configurations with flatbed or roll-fed options. EFI used drupa to roll out enhancements to its entire line up of sign and display graphics portfolio.

Durst Product Strategy

Published June 12, 2024

Christian Harder, Vice President, Sales at Durst provides an update on Durst's product strategy. In the display graphics segment, the company is focused on adding automation to support streamlined production. In the labels segment, the company is developing hybrid solutions utilizing analog and inkjet production. The company is also developing software to support modern print production.

EFI Takes Nozomi to an Entirely New Level with the X5 Nozomi in Partnership with Packsize

Published June 10, 2024

At drupa, EFI launched the latest breakthrough version of the EFI Nozomi single-pass direct-to-corrugated printer. With more than 60 Nozomi units installed worldwide, this brand-new version takes the Nozomi platform to an entirely new level.

Product Showcase: Harris & Bruno ZRX Digital Embellishment System

Published June 10, 2024

Spencer Bruno, Product Manager at Harris & Bruno International provides a product tour of the new Harris & Bruno ZRX Digital Embellishment System. The ZRX pairs the Harris & Bruno Chamber-Anilox system with inkjet technology to create a system that supports flood coat, spot coat, and foil stamp embellishments.

Booth Tour: Dalim Software at drupa 2024

Published June 10, 2024

Tim D'Elia, Director of Product Strategy, Dalim Software shows the Dalim booth at drupa.

Product Showcase: durst KJet

Published June 10, 2024

Martin Leitner, Product Manager, Labels & Flexible Packaging, durst shows the new KJet hybrid concept label printer.

Product Showcase: Reka Klebetechnik

Published June 10, 2024

Katharina Armbruster, Sales Manager - European Adhesive Specialist, Reka Klebetechnik, demonstrates the strength of Reka Klebetechnik's glue for packaging applications.

Product Strategy: Miraclon at drupa 2024

Published June 10, 2024

Deana Conyard, Director of Product Marketing, Miraclon, takes us through the Miraclon booth at drupa 2024 and their flexo solutions.

Tales from the Database: Finishing Up

Published June 7, 2024

Drawing on six years’ worth of Print Business Outlook surveys, our “Tales from the Database” series looks at historical data to see if we can spot any particular hardware, software or business trends. This issue, we turn our attention to various aspects of finishing, including mailing and embellishments.

Driving Digital Transformation: Innovations and Challenges in the Printing Industry

Published June 7, 2024

Volker Leonhardt, Global Sales and Marketing and Andy Fetherman, President and CEO, Müller Martini North America, talk about their commitment to driving digital transformation and presenting their latest innovations. They share the positive response they've received for their Smart Factory solutions and discuss the challenges faced in the industry. Looking ahead, they see a future dominated by robotics, automation, and a strong emphasis on internal culture and customer relationships.

Heidelberg's Innovations in Packaging Automation

Published June 7, 2024

Christian Steinmassl, Executive Vice President Packaging Division, and Joerg Daehnhardt, SVP of Segment Management Packaging, Heidelberg talk about the significance of packaging and its various market segments. They discuss the role of automation, operator guidance and AI-driven systems in enhancing packaging performance. They also touch on Heidelberg's flexo web-fed press and the Boardmaster, both designed for high-volume folding carton applications. They also addresses the digitization of the pre-print process and the challenges of lengthy make-readies in converting equipment.

Around the Web: Sign Shack. Agar Art. Hideous Handset. Hitch Homage. Arachnid Arrival. Clever Cabinet. Kellogg’s Crocs.

Published June 7, 2024

A woman lived inside a store’s rooftop sign for nearly a year. Creating art with modified E. coli. A phone so horrible no one will mind losing it. A mosaic tribute to Alfred Hitchcock in the Leytonstone Tube station. A winery specializes in creative and humorous wine descriptions. “Giant venomous flying spiders with 4-inch legs heading to New York area.” An automated step-pedal kitchen cabinet. Oscar Mayer’s gummy bologna. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Booth Tour: Massivit at drupa 2024

Published June 7, 2024

Erez Zimerman, CEO and Avi Cohen, VP Sales & Marketing, Massivit take us on a tour of the Massivit booth at drupa 2024.

Frank Pennisi talks about EFI's Product Strategy

Published June 7, 2024

Cary Sherburne interviews EFI CEO Frank Pennisi about EFI’s digital inkjet printing equipment portfolio for packaging, textile and sign & display graphics.

Conway Machine at drupa

Published June 6, 2024

Johnny Margrave, Account Manager, Conway Machine, shares his experiences at Drupa discusses new gripper bar samples and expanding coverage for different machine models. Conway Machine specializes in aftermarket replacement gripper bars for flatbed die cutting machines.

Exploring Canon's Innovations: Hans Schmidbauer at drupa

Published June 5, 2024

Cary Sherburne chats with Hans Schmidbauer, European Marketing Director at Canon. They discuss Canon's participation at Drupa, unveil a new product and underscore the advantages of sheet-fed inkjet technology.

Promoting Diversity and Sustainability in the Industry: A Conversation with Danna Drion

Published June 3, 2024

Danna Drion, General Manager Mimaki Europe, talks about the importance of workplace diversity, sustainability and the role of women in the industry. She highlights the need for balance, inclusion and collaboration, as seen in their partnership with Tiny Miracles.

Digital Print Enhancement at drupa with Scodix

Published June 3, 2024

Cary Sherburne interviews Eli Grinberg, CEO, Scodix. They discuss Scodix's digital print enhancement and embellishment services, including their new platforms, the Ultra 6000 and Ultra 2500. The conversation also covers the value of adding embellishments like foil and how offset printers are adopting these digital solutions for a faster time to market.

Welcome to the Finishing & Embellishments Issue!

Published June 3, 2024

This week, we are publishing the content from our latest print edition, Issue Three: Finishing & Embellishments. Here’s a preview.

About the WhatTheyThink Print Edition Cover

Published June 3, 2024

How the special embellished print edition cover was created, thanks to Konica Minolta and Burlington, N.C.’s Elite Print Finishing. It’s a design that demonstrates new techniques using texture, color, and form to inspire and show “the art of what’s possible.”

Around the Web: Apostrophe Annihilation. Staff Stamp. Essential Elements. Quill Queries. Speaking Cetacean. Odd Orcas. Webb Weather.

Published May 31, 2024

British towns are removing apostrophes from street signs as, it claims, they can cause trouble with geographical databases. To celebrate the baguette, the French Post Office has released a commemorative scratch-and-sniff postage stamp. Broadband plans now required to have “nutrition labels” that spell out what you’re getting and for how much. A cute stop-motion animation in which little felt spray cans appear to spray wool “paint.” How many Periodic Table elements are actually in the human body? Before alarm clocks, you could hire a “knocker upper.” Researchers used AI to decode sperm whale clicks. Are we in the midst of an orca uprising? Burger King celebrates its birthday with 70¢ specials. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

April Graphic Arts Employment A Mixed Bag

Published May 31, 2024

Overall printing employment in April 2024 was generally up—+0.5% from March—with production employment up +1.3% and non-production employment down +1.4%.

Insights from Kodak's Jim Continenza: Industry Trends and the Future of Print

Published May 31, 2024

Jim Continenza, Kodak's CEO, shares his insights on the print industry. Jim emphasizes the importance of customer needs, efficiency, and digital transition. He predicts a closer vendor-customer alignment and highlights the significance of planning and new technologies. Jim assures customers about the use of cloud-based software and discusses data protection and industry challenges.

Horizon's Smart Factory: Automation, Robotics, and Global Expansion

Published May 31, 2024

Yasuo Taketsugu, General Manager, Market Promotions, Horizon International, highlights Horizon's various finishing devices and the importance of automation, user-friendliness, and connectivity in their development process. He also talks about the role of robotics and connectivity in addressing rising labor costs. Horizon is planning to expand from Japan to Europe and North America, promoting the concept of a smart factory.

A Conversation with Robert Keane: Cimpress's Growth, Expansion and Challenges

Published May 30, 2024

David Zwang sits down with Robert Keane, CEO and founder of Cimpress, to discuss the company's growth performance and its expansion into new markets such as packaging. They also tackle the challenges of mass customization and the potential impact of acquiring Landa Press on Cimpress's operations.

Exploring the Future of Digital Printing: Landa and Gelato's Partnership

Published May 30, 2024

Cary Sherburne talks with Gil Oron from Landa and Henrik Müller-Hansen from Gelato. Together they highlight their companies' partnership and its growth potential, focusing on production on demand's impact on the print industry.

Exploring Hybrid Software's Innovations and the Future of the Print Industry

Published May 30, 2024

Mike Rottenborn, Group CEO, Hybrid Software, talks about the company's latest innovations and releases presented at drupa. He discusses the future of the print industry with a focus on print quality, flexibility and the rise of cloud-based solutions.

EFI Supports WhatTheyThink’s drupa Video Studio with Stunning Fabric Designs

Published May 29, 2024

WhatTheyThink partnered with EFI to use EFI Reggiani digitally printed textiles to accent the professional video studio WhatTheyThink operated onsite at drupa 2024.

WhatTheyThink and HP Join Forces to Make drupa daily 2024 Incomparable

Published May 28, 2024

The drupa daily for drupa 24 was produced in conjunction with HP Indigo, whose HP SmartStream Designer technology allowed every cover to have a unique image. This article looks inside the production of the daily.

Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems Collaborates with WhatTheyThink at drupa

Published May 28, 2024

This article looks at how Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems partnered with WhatTheyThink to produce the display stands for the drupa daily.

Joju Adekanbi Shares his Global Print Perspective

Published May 28, 2024

Joju Adekanbi, Publisher and CEO of WHERE to Print magazine—serving Ghana and Nigeria—talks to Cary Sherburne about the state of the printing industry in West Africa.

Canon EMEA's Jennifer Kolloczek Previews drupa 2024

Published May 28, 2024

Jennifer Kolloczek, Senior Director of Marketing for Digital Production Printing & Solutions at Canon EMEA, speaks to WhatTheyThink's Eric Vessels ahead of drupa 2024 and gives a thorough overview of their stand in Hall 8a. Jennifer also comments on the meaning of their "Power to Move" theme.

WhatTheyThink's Richard Romano on drupa Global Perspectives

Published May 28, 2024

WhatTheyThink Managing Editor and drupa daily Editor-in-Chief talks to Cary Sherburne about the Global Perspective series of articles in the drupa daily. Writers and analysts from across the globe share the state of the printing industry and the essential trends in their countries or regions.