Printing Industry Commentary & Analysis

October Shipments: Still On the Rise

Published December 17, 2021

October 2021 printing shipments came in at $7.23 billion, up from September’s $6.99 billion. This is the third month in a row in which shipments increased. Year to date, January-to-October shipments are $68.21 billion, a bit off 2020’s January-to-October number of $69.03. Unless November and December are higher than expected, 2021 will come in slightly below 2020.

Around the Web: Locked Letters. Coffee Creativity. Clever Clip. Terrific Toaster. Neat Knife. Graphic Glasses. Lego Largesse? Ornithological Oddballs. Strategic Syrup. Gingerbread Ginmill.

Published December 17, 2021

Mary, Queen of Scots: champion paper folder. “Coffee spill art.” Redesigning the binder clip. The smartest toaster was invented in 1949. An Internet-enabled cutting system for printers. A monocle/eyewear system for display graphics. Is it really better to invest in Lego’s than gold? The future of the swag bag? Birds aren’t real! Taping Canada’s strategic maple syrup reserves. The future of work from home? Miller High Life’s gingerbread dive bar. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Other Converted Paper Product Manufacturing Employment—2010–2019

Published December 10, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 35,368 employees in NAICS 32229 (Other Converted Paper Product Manufacturing establishments). This NAICS category bounced up and down over the course of the 2010s, ending with 34,770 employees in 2019. In macro news: Beige Alert!

Around the Web: Polly’s Paper. Printable Pianos. Toilet Tour. Milk Monitors. Rapid Rejection. Arm Artifice. Perilous Press. Bogus Bomber. Pachyderm Parade. Nutty Nutcracker. Crazy Condiment.

Published December 10, 2021

Meet Polly Verity: paper sculptor. Printing playable, paper-based pianos. An exhibition of artistic toilet paper holders. New technology can detect and warn of bacterial contamination from inside a milk container. Introducing the Journal of Universal Rejection. Graphene-based batteries headed for the EV market. Attempting to use an artificial arm to fake vaccination. William Bullock, the ill-fated inventor of the web rotary press. The FBI suspected the inventor of the Tickle Me Elmo doll of being the Unabomber. How to prove the safety of the Brooklyn Bridge? A terrifying nutcracker powered by an explosive piston. “Terry’s Chocolate Orange Mayonnaise,” for some reason. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

October Graphic Arts Employment—Print Production Up, Non-Production Also Up

Published December 3, 2021

In October 2021, all printing employment was up +1.0% from September, with production employment up +0.9%, and non-production printing employment up +1.2%.

Around the Web: Handy Hemp. Digital Donuts. Tarmac Trouble. Cool Calendars. Punctuation Peril. Sheet Chaise. Printed Peeper. Droid Dante. Robot Reproduction. Barbecue Busking.

Published December 3, 2021

Hempitecture manufactures hemp-based insulation and other construction materials. NFTs jump the latest of many sharks. Graphene helps fill in potholes. A brief history of the Advent calendar. Is the apostrophe on the way out? A chair made of interleaved sheets of paper and held together by friction. The first-ever recipient of a 3D-printed prosthetic eyeball. Robot artist Ai-Da tries her hand at poetry. A rolling piano barbecue that grills food while the keys are struck. The “social distancing zapper.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Stationery Product Manufacturing Employment—2010–2019

Published November 19, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 24,349 employees in NAICS 32223 (Stationery Product Manufacturing establishments). This NAICS category declined slowly over the rest of the decade, ending with 15,678 employees in 2019. Also: following up a BoSacks tweet about newspaper circulation.

Around the Web: Lovin' 'Letters. Follicle Fabrication. Canine Calling. MySpace Memories. Freaky Furby. Bar Bots. Better Batteries. Unspun Unveiled. Plague Planet. Plushie de Pain.

Published November 19, 2021

Newsletters continue to thrive. Making ink from human hair. The “DogPhone,” for some reason. “MySpace nostalgia,” also for some reason. Integrating a Furby into a modular synthesizer. Robot bartenders streamline drink-making. A graphene-based battery charger accelerates charging speed. 3-D weaving can produce one-off pants in 10 minutes. The Human Library aims to promote more empathetic human relations. This week’s animal plagues had a 2020 feel to them. A bread plushie.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s plague-ridden weekly miscellany.

September Shipments: We Got Good News and We Got Bad News

Published November 12, 2021

September 2021 printing shipments came in at $6.93 billion, up from August’s $6.87 billion. It’s not a massive increase, but we’ll take it. Year to date, January-to-September shipments are $60.48 billion, a bit off 2020’s January-to-September number of $60.97. Can we close the gap in Q4?

Around the Web: Better Breathing. Climate Catastrophe. Mrs. Mural. Tome Time. Phone Future. Zillow Zaniness. Tube Trouble. Bear Blending. Dead Doornails. Claus Crisis.

Published November 12, 2021

Robotic textiles that can help you breathe better. Fast fashion’s major manufacturing hubs may soon be under water. A robot painter sows the seeds of marital discord. A clock that displays the time using quotes from books. What will the smartphone of the future look like? The world’s first active heating fabric—thanks to graphene! An Indiana town is luring workers by offering free grandparents. Zillow shuts down doomed AI-based real estate valuation business. A “handheld toothpaste manipulation device” that will put toothpaste back in the tube, for some reason. Photoshopping Paddington Bear into every movie. The origin of the phrase “dead as a doornail.” The labor shortage is now getting real: there is a shortage of Santa Clauses. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Around the Web: Robot Record. Living Lava. Digital Doors. Kooky Kafka. Goofy Glasses. Vaccine Vocab. Meta Misinterpretation. Clever Cards. Arrested Android. Truck Tech. Sustainable Spirit.

Published November 5, 2021

A writer, musician, and AI collaborate on a new album. Seen on Halloween: a human lava lamp. Replacing clear glass cooler doors with dynamic displays, for some reason. A recently unearthed collection of drawings shows a playful side of Franz Kafka. Good grief: are full-face sunglasses becoming a thing? The OED chooses its Word of the Year. Memo to Facebook: “Meta” is similar to the Hebrew word for “death.” MasterCard adds distinctive notches to its credit, debit, and gift cards for the visually impaired. Graphene integrated into trail running shoes. Ai-Da, an “artist robot” detailed in Egypt on suspicion of espionage. Air Vodka: “the world’s most sustainable spirit.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing Employment—2010–2019

Published November 5, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 50,879 employees in NAICS 32222 (Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing establishments). This NAICS category peaked two years later at 54,175, declined slowly over the rest of the decade before shooting back up to 51,811 employees in 2019. In macro news, Q3 GDP growth is up 2.0%.

Around the Web: Blue Blues. Token Tracking. Prince Printing. Diminished Denim. Fridge Flaming. Golden Graphene. Mountain Messaging. Munster Music. Silly Strings. Festive Franks.

Published October 29, 2021

The latest supply chain victim: blue paint. Adobe Photoshop to add “Prepare as NFT” option. 3D printing system maker Stratasys partners with Prince’s Paisley Park. Making denim production more sustainable. Amazon is now a bigger shipper than FedEx. You can now get nasty emails from your refrigerator. Graphene + gold = smart windows. Interesting facts about “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” A lost hiker ignores calls from rescuers. A long lost musical album from The Munsters. Hot dog-flavored candy canes. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

September Graphic Arts Employment—Print Production Up, Non-Production Down

Published October 29, 2021

In September 2021, all printing employment was up +0.8% from August, production employment up +1.1%, and non-production printing employment up +0.3%.

Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing Employment—2010–2019

Published October 22, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2019, there were 18,741 employees in NAICS 322219 (Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing establishments), a drop from 21,954 employees a year earlier, and the lowest ebb for this NAICS category. In macro news, new business formation goes “bezonkers.”

Around the Web: Fruit First. Font Follies. Public Papers. Graphene Gums. Android Artist. Resignation Reality. Pulling Plastic. Citation Silliness. Toy Telephony. Venerable Venue. Spider Sleepwear.

Published October 22, 2021

Fun facts about the word “orange.” A 1909 patent for a font that can be read either from left to right or right to left. How typeface choice can impact learning and comprehension. Public radio may help save newspapers. Graphene’s uses in dental applications. Meet the Flingbot and its approach to abstract art. What’s behind The Great Resignation? An approach to removing ocean plastic that just might work. A traffic camera confuses a T-shirt with a license plate. Fisher Price’s classic Chatter Telephone can now make real calls, terrifyingly. A new book celebrates the Fillmore East. Get comfy in (or terrified by) giant tarantula pillows. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Bob Barbera on Canon’s PRISMAprepare Go

Published October 20, 2021

Kelley Holmes talks to Canon USA’s Bob Barbera about Canon’s PRISMA workflow solutions, the new cloud-based PRISMAprepare Go for remote job submission, and PRISMA Home, a standard platform for users to manage all their PRISMA solutions.

Muller Martini: Full Speed Ahead on Finishing Automation

Published October 19, 2021

Andy Fetherman, Vice President of Sales and Technology at Muller Martini, shares his thoughts about the importance of automation, not only in the bindery, but as an integrated workflow across the entire process. He notes some of the advances the company is making and what we should be looking forward to in the future. He also reports seeing a shift beginning from a preference for near-line finishing to the more efficient and less labor intensive in-line model.

David C. Rice on FSI’s Conversion Program

Published October 18, 2021

Franchise Services’ David C. Rice talks to Kelley Holmes at the Sir Speedy, PIP and Signal Graphics International Vendor Show about Franchise Services’ conversion program for independent printers to become part of a franchise.

August Shipments: Summer Ends on a High Note

Published October 15, 2021

August 2021 printing shipments came in at $6.87 billion, up from July’s $6.47 billion. Year to date, January-to-August shipments are $53.42 billion, not far off 2020’s January-to-August number of $53.68.

Around the Web: Polar Publication. Robotic Writing. Waymo Weirdness. Restaurant Robots. Perilous Punctuation. PURE Processes. Nightmare Nanas. Marvelous Mollusks. Canine Carrier.

Published October 15, 2021

A deluxe print edition of the story that inspired The Thing. A 14-foot long robotic pen. Waymo’s self-driving cars are flocking to a dead-end street in San Francisco—and no one knows why… A Paris restaurant replaces its chef with a robot. The Casa Grande (Ariz.) Neon Sign Park. The lack of an apostrophe in a Facebook rant gets an Australian man sued. Apps that delete words from stories leaving just the punctuation. Graphene-enhanced bed sheets. PrimaLoft improves its manufacturing technology for insulation used in garments. China’s “Grannies from Hell.” Hand-crocheted plush octopuses. “The Schnauzer Chariot of Kazakhstan.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly blasting Shatner into space miscellany.

Automating Digital Production with the Canon C10010VP’s Image Sensing Unit

Published October 12, 2021

In this video sponsored by Canon, learn how the image sensing unit on the Canon imagePRESS C10010VP can automate repetitive tasks, monitoring and adjusting front-to-back registration and color accuracy. The sensing unit measures 32 color patches and 8 registration marks to help maintain consistent results and minimize operator intervention.

Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing Employment—2010–2019

Published October 8, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 30,048 employees in NAICS 322212 (Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing establishments). Employment in this category stayed fairly steady throughout the decade, then spiked in 2019 to 47,980 employees. In macro news, sales of light vehicle sales plummeted in September 2021, even as profits reached record highs.

Around the Web: Facebook Fail. Book Blobs. Rogue Reader. Book Boxes. Wonder Waste. Mask Museums. Chromosome Capers. Composer Cash. Beethoven’s Back! Strava Sketches. Dish Disaster.

Published October 8, 2021

The latest trend in book cover design. A DIY “open source ereader.” A new subscription service for under-appreciated books. “The digital death of the collector.” Turning waste into graphene. Celebrating masks. Biohacking DNA to take over gene sequencing computers. How much would Bach make on Spotify? AI helps Beethoven finish his Tenth Symphony. A gallery of “Strava art.” An ill-advised vending machine for china. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly fat bear miscellany.

FSI’s Richard Lowe on Helping Franchisees Weather the Pandemic

Published October 7, 2021

Kelley Holmes talks with Richard Lowe of Franchise Services Inc. (FSI) at the Franchise Services show in Las Vegas about how FSI helped support its franchisees during the pandemic.

August Graphic Arts Employment—Staying on the Plateau

Published October 1, 2021

In August 2021, all printing employment was up +0.4% from July, production employment up +0.4%, and non-production printing employment also up +0.4%.

Around the Web: Domestic Droid. Drone Deterrents. Crazy Calculator. Graphene Grab. Wet Wires. Tag Tech. Furry Financier. Robotic Recaps. Conference Closets. Jean Genie. Spreadsheet Stage.

Published October 1, 2021

Amazon’s new “household robot.” Raven vs. Drone. A calculator that converts normal units to wacky units, such as llama’s spits or bees. The “wonder material” poses national security issues. A 3D map of all the underwater Internet cables. A robot built to spray graffiti. “The world’s first crypto asset trading hamster.” Using AI to summarize books. Are “Zoom booths” in offices likely to be a thing? (We hope not.) How to reduce the environmental impact of your jeans. “I’m not sure Google Sheets is the best way to experience theater.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Diversity of Offerings Helped Sir Speedy Tampa through the Pandemic

Published September 30, 2021

Kelley Holmes talks to Steve Albritton of Sir Speedy Tampa at the Franchise Services Convention. Sir Speedy Tampa had come in at #36 on the 2020 WhatTheyThink | Printing News Top 100 Small Commercial Printers survey, and Steve talk about how the company managed to thrive during the pandemic year.

High Lifespan Consumables for the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press

Published September 29, 2021

In this video sponsored by HP Indigo, Motti Silberberg's, Series 6 Cold Function Manager, shows how consumable components like the blanket, PIP, and acid drum were designed to accommodate the very high speed of the V12 press.

Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing Employment—2010–2019

Published September 24, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 84,136 employees in NAICS 32221 (Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing establishments). Employment in this category dropped abruptly in 2012, then continued to rise over the course of the decade, peaking in 2018 at 88,399 before dropping again in 2019. In macro news, three estimates of Q3 GDP.

Around the Web: Paint Power. Getting GO. Follicle Flora. Luminous Leaves. Simplifying Sneakers. Computer Covers. Peculiar Posters. Card Carriers. Worm Wiki. Avocado Art. Butt Biometrics.

Published September 24, 2021

Scientists have invented a white paint that cools the surface ton which it is applied. Unlocking a mystery of graphene oxide. How to make a living, growing plant-based wig. Scientists create rechargeable light-emitting plants using nanoparticles. Nike develops easy-to-put-on sneakers for people with disabilities. Relive old memories with a gallery of classic 1980s and 90s computer book covers. AI-generated movie posters. Etsy shops now offer a variety of vaccination card holders. A surprisingly extensive list of fictional worms. The impending age of the smart toilet and your—ugh—“analprint.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

EFI’s Ron Teller on PrintSmith Vision

Published September 21, 2021

Kelley Holmes talks with EFI’s Ron Teller at the Sir Speedy, PIP and Signal Graphics International Vendor Show about new integrations and modules for PrintSmith Vision Print Management Software.

July Shipments: Back on the Decline

Published September 17, 2021

July 2021 printing shipments came in at $6.45 billion, down from June’s $6.69 billion. Year to date, January-to-July shipments are $46.44 billion. At this point in 2020, year-to-date shipments were slightly higher at $46.83. The recovery is proving more challenging than the actual pandemic, it seems.

Around the Web: Collaborative Coalition. Faster Fashion. Cool Kicks. Community Cookbooks. Bean Bother. Ape Art. Screw Support. Outside Office. Rowdy Runners. Lego Larceny. Non-Existent Net.

Published September 17, 2021

You’ve heard of “fast fashion,” which is bad? Now there’s “faster fashion,” which is good. Graphene-enhanced sensors allow shoes to diagnose physical and cognitive disorders. E Ink-based displays may be able to play video. Loop helps create reusable packaging. Nebraska’s Morris Press has been printing community cookbooks for decades. A new social media challenge: “beaning.” Bored ape illustration NFTs sell for $24.4 million, for some reason. A new hammer-based screwdriver for getting out corroded screws. A Japanese homebuilder develops home-office sheds for WFHers. A 24-mile NYC road race based on “The Warriors.” A Dutch “toy heist.” The Internet doesn’t exist. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Lemay Sanchez of Plan Prophet Talks About CRM Automation

Published September 16, 2021

Kelley Holmes talks to Lemay Sanchez, Managing Director of Plan Prophet, a Salesforce-based CRM automation engine that integrates directly with Printers Plan and PrintSmith, with support for additional MIS systems soon to be added. The goal is to support as many MIS systems as possible and provide a truly integrated CRM automation experience.

Two Indicators: Retail Sales and Industrial Production

Published September 10, 2021

This week’s Friday data dump looks at two macroeconomic indicators that will give us some sense of how we are bouncing back from the pandemic—Retail sales and the Industrial Production Index.

Around the Web: Patent Palaver. Lamp Love. Street Smarts. Elastic Enhancement. Smart Specs. Pestering Popups. Verbose Vegetation. Foolish Fowl. Tuneful Typing. Tiffany Tidbits. Good Gander.

Published September 10, 2021

US Patent Office rules that AI cannot patent its own inventions. Restoring the all-important water jug/lamp balance in your life. Graphene is an essential part of “smart digital roads.” Making a dress out of Target bags. Rubber Band 2.0. Good Lord, Facebook is developing smart glasses. A new project documents how awful the web experience has become. Can plants talk? “Ripper,” the duck that repeatedly said “You bloody fool,” apparently. A website that turns keystrokes into jazz piano notes. Virtually perfect Tiffany lamp reproductions…as cookies. Remembering the hospitality of a Canadian town on 9/11. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Around the Web: Foliage Finder. Coal Creativity. Sick Sites. Cosmic Color. Doom Dialing. Forestry Fastener. Vending Vocation. Retro Rock. McDonald’s Mystery.

Published September 3, 2021

Find out where and when the best fall foliage is likely to be. Turning coal ash into fibers. “Websites from Hell.” What is the average color of the universe—and does it have a Pantone number? A graphene-enhanced swimming pool. Creative hacking creates a “DoomPhone.” Turning blocks of wood into Velcro. What were the most important scientific developments of the past 50 years? Using a bowling ball for other sports. An Oregon entrepreneur develops vending machines that dispense arts and crafts. Remembering—against our will—the Pet Rock. What the heck was Grimace? All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly milk crate stacking miscellany.

Paperboard Container Manufacturing Employment—2010–2019

Published September 3, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 142,868 employees in NAICS 32221 (Paperboard Container Manufacturing establishments). Employment in this category dropped abruptly in 2011 and 2012, then continued to rise over the course of the decade, peaking in 2018 at 147,301 before dropping a bit in 2019. In macro news, office and mall vacancy rates are at historic highs, the pandemic having accelerated trends that had been well underway beforehand.

Around the Web: Hell Harp. Musical Material. Graphene Gold. Microplastic Master. Macbeth Mystery. Adult AR. Preying Plants. Fake Flora. Crate Craziness. Square Sustenance.

Published August 27, 2021

A working knitted keyboard. Graphene won another Olympic event. A 12-year-old Irish boy invents a magnet that attracts microplastics. Why is Macbeth such an unsettling play? Scholars found “the” reason. A research report on digital adult content looks, upsettingly, at AR and VR (though not QR, curiously…). A new (real) species of carnivorous plant has been discovered. AI creates 300 (not real) plant species. Why is the “milk crate challenge” a thing? Square foods, for some reason. Figurines of The Young Ones. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly milk crate stacking miscellany.

Around the Web: Padding Pi. Non-Fungible Nonsense. Bio Brewing. Measuring Microparticles. Fungal Footwear. Literary Lexicon. Swag Scheme. Mosquito Manipulating. Mollusk Meal.

Published August 20, 2021

Swiss researchers calculate pi to a new record number of figures. Buy an NFT clipart of a rock for almost $300K, for some reason. Graphene-reinforced concrete. “Biosmocking” is a peek at the future of apparel. AATCC announces the first global standard for measuring fiber fragment release during home laundering. A new sock sneaker featuring mushroom soles and 3D knitted discarded dog hair. Words coined by classic authors. Big brands go direct-to-consumer to gather better data. Genetically altering mosquitoes to make them blind to human hosts. “The Big Sleep” at 75. The firefly squid isn’t just a visual feast. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Converted Paper Product Manufacturing Employment—2010–2018

Published August 20, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 253,464 employees in NAICS 3222 (Converted Paper Product Manufacturing establishments). Employment in this category dropped abruptly in 2012, then remained somewhat stable over the course of the decade and reaching 245,579 in 2018. In macro news, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) monthly Architecture Billings Index (ABI) show increased demand for architectural design services, good news for the signage industry.

June Shipments: A Lateral Move

Published August 13, 2021

June 2021 printing shipments came in at $6.65 billion, unchanged from May. We usually see declines from May to June, but at least the lateral move has halted two months of declining shipments.

Around the Web: Pressure Patch. Grape Graphene. Step Signs. Code Column. Corrugated Construction. Pall Pebbles. Emphasis Enigma. Travel Trauma. Fowl Fabio.

Published August 13, 2021

A new wearable patch can monitor blood pressure. New graphene paper can extend shelf-life of fruits. Calorie-counting stair signage. A first-person essay written by a QR code. The new “packaging real estate boom.” Why is the English language as erratic and haphazard as it is? Turning cremains into decorative pebbles. How fast can you type the alphabet? The 1962 Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic. How much trouble is the travel industry in? Remember that time when a goose collided with Fabio’s face? All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly Delta variant miscellany.

Around the Web: Dining Documents. Felt Foods. Potato Packaging. Graphene Gold. Poster Portal. Microscopic Matter. Ant Aficionado. Neat Knife. Space Server.

Published August 6, 2021

The history of the restaurant menu. A “textile artist” specializes in food. French fry packaging made from discarded potato peels. Does it surprise you that graphene played a role at the Olympics? Changes are coming to Google Drive—consider yourselves warned. Pop Charts sells very cool infographic posters. Cornell researchers capture the highest-resolution image of atoms ever seen. An eight-year-old “entrepreneurial ant dealer.” Ron Popeil passes away. SpaceX is looking for a spaceport bartender. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly Olympic miscellany.

Internet Publishing Employment—2010–2018

Published August 6, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 90,892 employees in NAICS 51913 (Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals). Over the course of the decade, employment in this category grew steadily to reach 275,875 in 2018. In macro news, real GDP increased at an annual rate of 6.5% in Q2 2021.

Around the Web: Creepy Codes. Fast Fashion. Cookie Cache. Running Robot. Crazy Crutches. Tennis Trivia. Zipping Sipping. Pricey Potatoes. Human Hamster.

Published July 30, 2021

Fats Domino toured with Scitex equipment? QR codes could be poised to raise privacy concerns. Graphene goes skiing. Is more expensive clothing necessarily more ethically produced? Keep your Oreo cookies away from your kids by using disguised packaging. How fast can a robot run a 5K? Pogo stick crutches, to make your rehab even more challenging. Philosophical CAPTCHAs to make your logins more challenging. Why are tennis balls yellow? A reusable silicone straw that unzips for easy cleaning. The world’s most expensive French fries. Florida man attempts to run on water from Florida to New York in a giant hamster wheel. Cicada killer wasps! All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly Olympic miscellany.

June Graphic Arts Employment—Continuing to Get a Little Better

Published July 30, 2021

In June 2021, all printing employment was up +0.1% from May, production employment up +0.7%, and non-production printing employment down -1.2%.

Assorted Publishing Employment—2010–2018

Published July 23, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 10,166 employees in NAICS 511199 (All Other Publishers). Over the course of the decade, employment in this category steadily declined to bottom out at 4,999 in 2018. In macro news, last year’s “official” COVID recession lasted only two months, according to the NBER.

Around the Web: Reading Rollercoaster. Popular Pen. Author Avatar. Sentimental Software. Will’s Words. Car Cologne. Nerdy Neckwear. Beefheart Beer. The Martin Luther Insult Generator.

Published July 23, 2021

Book sales may keep increasing…or not. A quill-like pen is a Kickstarter hit. A scholarly paper was co-authored by a dead friend in a dream. Do you remember The Print Shop pre-Mac design application? How many words did Shakespeare invent? Batteries need help…graphene to the rescue! A gasoline-scented cologne. A woman uses signage to accuse her cat of robbery. The Bow TIE: the geeky accessory you know you want. Two words: meth trout. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly space-bound miscellany.

Q&A with DG3's Rob Mayerson

Published July 22, 2021

Diversified Global Graphics Group (DG3) was founded as Cunningham Graphics International Inc. (CGI) to provide time-sensitive investment research printing and worldwide distribution in response to customer needs not being met efficiently by other firms. Over time, the company has diversified its client base and its product and service mix to become a leading provider of end-to-end communications solutions to financial, life sciences, and other industries. DG3 has trusted HP technology to provide their customers with the best printing quality in the industry with the latest enhancement to their fleet being the HP PageWide Web Press T250 HD with Brilliant Ink.

Around the Web: Paper Pigments. Athletic Air. Graphene Growth. Modern Medicines. Stamp Cipher. Tape Technology. Music Mural. Cover Catastrophes. Reflective Reindeer. Distasteful Dessert. Taco Trade.

Published July 16, 2021

Electronic paper can now have as many colors as an LCD display. The US Olympic Team will sport wearable air conditioners. What will be in the medicine cabinet of 2030? Decode the latest Forever Stamp. A roll of tape featuring programmable QR-like codes. A repository of horrible sci-fi book covers. Painting reindeer antlers with reflective paint to prevent traffic collisions. A treadmill for hamsters. Mac and cheese ice cream, for some reason. McCormick is hiring a “Director of Taco Relations.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Shipments: An Evening Out

Published July 16, 2021

May 2021 printing shipments came in at $6.59 billion, a slight downturn from April’s $6.87 billion, and the second consecutive month of decline, but is consistent with the pattern we have been tracking over the past five years.

Greeting Card Publishers—2010–2018

Published July 2, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 10,258 employees in NAICS 511191 (Greeting Card Publishers). Over the course of the decade, employment has been up and down, reaching 13,690 in 2018. In sort of macro news, Las Vegas tourism traffic rose substantially in May 2021, as conventions were poised to reopen.

Around the Web: Paper Press. Tricky Typography. Excellent Electrode. Problematic Poultry. Silk Sensors. Augmented Art. Bottle Boards. Fireworks Fail.

Published July 2, 2021

A meticulously detailed paper model of a Heidelberg letterpress. “Algorithmic typography.” Graphene’s latest triumph. Birds aren’t real!! A new approach to wearable tech. An outdoor art installation is all AR-based. Cutting boards made from upcycled bottlecaps. A candy-pushing robot will stalk you in supermarkets. A model of Jabba the Hutt’s internal anatomy, for some reason. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

The Digital Label Factory

Published June 30, 2021

In this video sponsored by HP Indigo, Gershon Alon, Head of PrintOS, talks about leveraging advanced technologies on the HP Indigo V12 to streamline the digital label production workflow and maximize overall efficiency. The goal is for the HP Indigo V12 to be able to replace two flexo presses,

May Graphic Arts Employment—Getting a Little Better

Published June 25, 2021

In May 2021, all printing employment was up +0.7% from February, production employment up +1.4%, and non-production printing employment down -0.8%.

Around the Web: Cardiac Capture. Color-Coded COVID. Marvelous Mapping. Talented Titler. Cinematic Spectacles. Games Galore. Munching Mona. Thwarting Thieves. Crater Cuisine.

Published June 25, 2021

Graphene gets to the heart of the matter. Colored bracelets for wary shoppers. Data visualization studio turns street maps into watercolors. A look at Saul Bass and how he changed movie titles. New smart glasses designed as portable movie screens. A new archive of game show memorabilia to open in Rochester. A petition for Jeff Bezos to buy and eat the Mona Lisa. An app to help catch art thieves. A round up the latest fad: volcano-based cooking. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Directory and Mailing List Publishers—2010–2018

Published June 18, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 41,489 employees in NAICS 51114 (Directory and Mailing List Publishing). Over the course of the decade, employment had plummeted to a low of 14,379. In macro news, new business creation has been at record highs.

Around the Web: Plexiglas Problems. Hat History. Dream Disturbance. Magnificent Material. Peace Portal. Hungry Humpback. Cocoon Calculator. Food Follies. Silly Slippers.

Published June 18, 2021

What is to be done with all those Plexiglas barriers when they come down? The history of the dunce cap. In-dream advertising? Graphene sensors can quickly detect COVID-19. A lobsterman is nearly eaten by a whale. Facemasks made of bread. When will you reach the Brimley/Cocoon Line (if you haven’t already)? An umbrella that converts into a poncho. Dyson’s new laser vacuum cleaner. The history of processed foods. Monty Python Dead Parrot slippers. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

The Year of Frank: Many Happy Returns

Published June 18, 2021

We interrupt Frank’s weekly video to bring these birthday wishes from the team at WhatTheyThink and Inkjet Insight. Happy 80th, Frank!

Meet This Year's #1 Small Commercial Printer: Strategic Factory

Published June 16, 2021

Each year, WhatTheyThink | Printing News invites small commercial print business owners to participate in our Top 100 Shops Survey, and respondents are then ranked according to their 2020 revenues. This year's #1 Top Shop is Owings Mills, Md's Strategic Factory. Keith Miller, President and CEO of Strategic Factory, talks about how the company coped with the COVID-19 crisis and what its plans are for 2021.

Around the Web: Outage Outrage. Toy Typing. Entomological Eating. Martian Melons. Sonar Strolling. Safe Strolling. HOV Hack. Sponge Songs. Regular Rejoycing.

Published June 11, 2021

Who was responsible for Tuesday’s Internet outage? LEGO launches a working model typewriter. Restaurant prevented from locally sourcing cicadas. The NYT reports that watermelons were found on Mars. Anyone can learn echolocation. An inventor creates a third eye for mobile phone addicts. The finalists in this year’s UK Shed of the Year Competition. The laziest carpool lane violator. Sponges that look like old cassettes. Three short videos by The Residents. Next Wednesday is Bloomsday. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly cicada-eatin' miscellany.

Shipments: A New Season?

Published June 11, 2021

April 2021 printing shipments came in at $6.80 billion, a slight downturn from March’s $6.98 billion, but is consistent with the pattern we have been tracking over the past five years.

Making a Sustainable Impact for Print

Published June 10, 2021

HP’s corporate citizenship values go back to the founding of the company, and HP has been recognized as one the world’s most responsible and sustainable companies. The company has more than 100 staff worldwide dedicated to HP’s Sustainable Impact programs—including product stewards assigned to every product line to work hand-in hand-with product development and support functions to guide sustainability and compliance activities. HP recently announced bold 2030 Sustainable Impact goals that will move the company towards becoming the world’s most just and sustainable technology company. What are some of those goals, and what initiatives is HP pursuing to achieve them? What role is digital printing playing in transitioning commercial, industrial, and packaging printing to the circular economy? Sustainability is central to the value proposition of HP PageWide presses—how does that help HP’s direct mail customers, in turn, become more sustainable businesses?

Around the Web: Service Signage. Infrastructure Imperative. Guardian Goofs. Transparent Tree. Faux Forest. Kafka Collection. Auto Aggravation. Cow Concerto. Cereal Cyborg.

Published June 4, 2021

The park ranger who designed the iconic National Park signage. A report on the need for apparel recycling infrastructure. The Guardian looks back at its best typos. Making transparent wood. 3D printed wood. Franz Kafka’s letters, sketches, and other materials are now online. Coming soon: in-car advertising. Danish cellists play for cattle. Kellogg’s develops a cereal-making robot, for some reason. FDA warns about eating cicadas. Jell-O mold lamps. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s Brood X weekly miscellany.

Book Publishing Employees—2010–2018

Published June 4, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 81,511 employees in NAICS 51113 (Book Publishing). Over the course of the decade, employment had dropped to a low of 64,085, but climbed back up to 73,108 in 2018. In macro news, the Great Rebound is underway.

HP Indigo’s Thermal Offset Transfer Technology

Published June 2, 2021

In this video sponsored by HP Indigo, Alon Gazit, VP of R&D, takes us into the HP Indigo 100K Lab to demonstrate HP’s thermal offset transfer technology, which allows the HP Indigo digital press to maintain an offset look and feel, as well as the advantages of offset printing.

Around the Web: Growing Graphene. AR Aroma. Captcha Carnage. Literary Lycanthrope. Functional Footwear. Jittery Jeans. Snitching Stilton. Towel Tribute.

Published May 28, 2021

Watching graphene grow. Smell-O-Vision comes to virtual reality. Doom-inspired Captcha. John Steinbeck wrote a werewolf novel. Google is opening a physical store. Telescoping high heel shoes. “Optical illusion jeans.” A drug dealer is captured thanks to a picture of cheese. Last Tuesday was “Towel Day.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s super blood moon weekly miscellany.

Two Macroeconomic Indicators

Published May 28, 2021

This week’s Friday data dump looks at two macroeconomic indicators that will give us some sense of how we are bouncing back from the pandemic—the Industrial Production Index, and Retail Sales.

Predictive Press Care—An AI-Driven Solution to Avert Problems

Published May 26, 2021

Deisy Kapon, WWTS IST Product & Content Dev. Manager, talks about Predictive Press Care on the HP Indigo presses, an artificial intelligence-based system that collects press data as the press is running, analyzes it, anticipates errors, and alerts the operator that an error is about to happen.

Periodical Publishing Employees—2010–2018

Published May 21, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 134,432 employees in NAICS 51112 (Periodical Publishing). By 2018, employees had decreased to 84,424. In macro news, ecommerce as a percent of retail sales has dropped almost back to its pre-pandemic level.

Around the Web: Glorious Graphene. Crafty Captchas. Criminal Cookies. Robotic Writing. Android Art. Entomological Epicure. Bugless Bulbs. Floating Frankfurters. Perilous Pedaling.

Published May 21, 2021

A graphene-enhanced jacket for sailing. Why are Captchas getting harder? A bakery creates essentially a cookie-based wanted poster. AI writes bleak and depressing stories. AI paints “self” portraits, raising all sorts of existential questions. A cicada cookbook, for some reason. LED lightbulbs attract fewer insects than incandescents. Perfect for BBQ season: a levitating hot dog roaster. Learning to ride a penny farthing bicycle. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.

Process Control for Ultimate Quality on the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press

Published May 19, 2021

Roi Liraz, Indigo V12 Program Manager, demonstrates process control on the HP Indigo V12. Using sensors, smart cameras, algorithms, and other forms of automation, the high-speed press is able to ensure consistent high quality.

Shipments: We Told You

Published May 14, 2021

Last month, we said that “shipments can only get better from here”—and we were right. March shipments roared back from a historical low of $6.39 billion in February to $7.44 billion in March, the second best March in the past five years.

Around the Web: Tax Trouble. Corona Cards. Vampire Vaccination. Graphene Garment. Teflon Textiles. Measuring Micturition. Ephemeral Exhibits. New Notebooks. Wing Worries.

Published May 14, 2021

The IRS’s broken printer problem. A coronavirus-themed pack of Tarot cards. Get vaxxed at Dracula’s castle. Thermally regulated jeans, thanks to graphene. A Teflon coating for textiles. Monitor your hydration with the Pantone Pee Chart. The Museum of Plastic is going to be recycled. A jumpsuit for the “new normal.” The great chiken wing crisis. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly post-vaccination miscellany.

Focus on Innovation: How HP Engineers, Chemists, and Architects Create

Published May 14, 2021

That’s why they’re committed—in every department from engineering to chemistry—to ensure that their solutions grow with their customers over time. So how does HP do it?

Color Calibration on the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press

Published May 12, 2021

Basil Verdene, Color Group Manager for HP Indigo, talks about the advanced color management capabilities of the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press, including its ability to manage color while printing. Learn more about color management on the HP Indigo 100K in this video sponsored by HP Indigo.

Around the Web: Freeway Font. Pollution Printing. G-Man Grammar. Safety Subscription. Car Conference. Novel Noodles. Carp Carrier. Tossing Trousers.

Published May 7, 2021

A new highway sign typeface. A cybersecurity expert’s adventures in book publishing. Air Ink makes ink out of carbon emissions. Are you cheugy? Replacing ads on disused phone booths with art. A subscription-based motorcycle safety vest. The CIA has a grammar stylebook. An Ohio senator in a Zoom meeting tries to hide that he’s driving. The latest in pasta technology can save on packaging waste. An attaché case for live fish. Today is No Pants Day—and for a good cause. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s miscellany.

Printing 2021 Quick Look: Top Investments

Published May 5, 2021

According to data from our recently published Printing Outlook 2021 special report, one-fourth of print businesses have no major investment plans for 2021.

Around the Web: Flammable. Typo Tamer. Documenting Distancing. Pantone Pilsner. Criminal Codes. Terrific Tube. Lying Landscape. Peel Portraits. Tomato Toppling. Demented Documentary.

Published April 30, 2021

Print newspapers will survive—if only to light barbecues. A tribute to forgotten inventor Bette Nesmith. A photographer is documenting COVID signage for posterity. Beer can designs using the Pantone color the beer most closely matches. A man is banned from carrying “loose QR codes.” SVA students design post-pandemic New Yorker magazine covers. A new toothpaste tube lets you extract all the toothpaste. Coming soon: deepfake satellite imagery. Two words: “Banana artist.” Citizen Kane is no longer “100% Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. When Dr. Demento ruled radio. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s miscellany.

Newspaper Publishing Employees—2010–2018

Published April 30, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 264,833 employees in NAICS 51111 (Newspaper Publishing). By 2018, employees had decreased to 153,060. In macro news, Q1 GDP was up 6.4%.

Enhanced Productivity Mode (EPM) with HP Indigo Explained

Published April 28, 2021

Alon Gazit, VP of R&D at HP Indigo, brings us to the HP Indigo 100K lab to talk about the benefits of using just three colors vs. CMYK when using Enhanced Productivity Mode (EPM) on the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press. EPM can increase productivity by 33% vs. printing in CMYK. Learn more about this approach in this video sponsored by HP Indigo.

Around the Web: Alien Aviation. Selling Snoop. Additive Abode. Lab Lumber. Fashion Fission. ’Ammer Artist. Problematic Placement. Propitious Potable. Fish Feud. McGoohan Mania.

Published April 23, 2021

We flew a helicopter on Mars! Has the pandemic changed book publishing, part the infinity. Now being shown: a 3D-printed house. Could lab-grown wood be the future of furniture? “Could the solution to fashion pollution be…tiny nuclear reactors?” Turning plastic back into oil. An artist who “draws” portraits by smashing glass with a hammer. Digitally adding product placement to classic films. Alton Brown on the history of the gin and tonic. “The crime-ridden global market for eel.” The new number two on our wish list: action figures for the 1967 TV show The Prisoner. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s miscellany.

Shipments: They Can Only Get Better from Here

Published April 23, 2021

We didn’t kick off 2021 very auspiciously, with January printing shipments coming in at $6.57 billion, down from December 2020’s $7.17 billion, and then a further drop in February to $6.34 billion.

Printing 2021 Quick Look: Top Challenges

Published April 21, 2021

According to data from our recently published Printing Outlook 2021 special report, recovering business lost to COVID and national economic conditions dominated printers’ top challenges—but traditional challenges will gain prominence post-COVID.

Golan Landsberg on the New HP Indigo LEPX Architecture

Published April 21, 2021

Golan Landsberg, R&D Director, Future Products Platform at HP Indigo, provides a technical overview of the new HP Indigo LEPX architecture and "why it's possible to print faster with Indigo's LEPX technology" in this tech talk video sponsored by HP.

Publishing Employees—2010–2018

Published April 16, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 907,152 employees in NAICS 511 (Publishing Industries—except Internet). By 2018, employees had increased to 1,015,946. In macro news, retail sales were up 9.8% in March.

Around the Web: Google Gutenberg. Bye-Bye-Broadband? Record Recollection. License Litigation. Quantum Quire. Paraboloid Pringles. Clever Cooling. Runaway Rabbit.

Published April 16, 2021

Google’s Gutenberg Doodle perpetuates a sartorial anachronism. 5G may let you ditch wired broadband. A deluxe, expensive collection of Philip K. Dick stories. Remembering the Columbia Record Club. The contentious free-speech history of license plates. Mind-blowing paper cutting and folding. The mathematics of Pringles chips. Alexa can now share songs. This summer, instead of A/C, try the Sensu Punkah. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s virtual miscellany.

Differentiate With Direct Mail - Appealing to all the Senses

Published April 16, 2021

Thriving in the print industry isn’t just about what you can do, but how you can do it even better. Delivering high-quality prints is a start, but standing out requires going the extra mile. And that means kicking creativity up a notch with enhanced, high-value direct mailers that appeal to consumers on a multi-sensory level. In fact, stimulating consumer senses has been proven to increase response rates, brand awareness and emotional bonds to products

A Tour of the HP Indigo V12 Lab

Published April 14, 2021

Maya Poleg and Roi Liraz from the HP Indigo team take us on a behind the scenes tour of the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press R&D lab in this video sponsored by HP Inc. The first in a series of short videos which bring to light HP Indigo technology advancements, advantages, and an insider’s view from Indigo’s top technology experts.

Profits: Back to the Tale of Two Cities

Published April 9, 2021

We’ve long been calling it “a tale of two cities”—large printers and small/mid-size printers and the profitability gap between them. The pandemic interrupted this ongoing narrative temporarily, but back in Q3 2020, we started to return to normal, at least in terms of industry profits trends, which continued into Q4.

Around the Web: Graphene Gear. Sweater Spectrum. Mad Memories. Mysterious Muons. Flipboard Fans. Vexing Vehicles. Hobby History. Restaurant Replicas. Poultry Pummeling. Ketchup Crisis.

Published April 9, 2021

Graphene-enhanced shoes and concrete—it’s a bad time to be a mob informant. Ralph Lauren aims to make cotton less water-intensive. A chart of every color cardigan worn by Mister Rogers. Soap products whose packaging is itself soap. A wall-mounted E Ink display for newspapers. A video history of Mad Magazine. A Fermilab particle experiment may completely upend our understanding of the universe. Install old-time train station flipboard signage in your home. The electric vehicle charging situation is a nightmare. A Brooklyn steakhouse partners with Madame Tussaud’s to help enforce social distancing. Can you cook a chicken by slapping it? The latest national crisis: a ketchup shortage. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s cinnamon shrimp tail-flavored miscellany.

Sabine Geldermann Previews Next Month’s virtual.drupa

Published April 8, 2021

Kelley Holmes talks to drupa and Messe Düsseldorf’s Sabine Geldermann, about this month’s virtual.drupa, which currently has 180 exhibitors from 28 countries, and several major event partners. Virtual.drupa also features keynote speakers and a robust conference program.

Printing 2021 Quick Look: 2020 Profits

Published April 7, 2021

According to data from our recently published Printing Outlook 2021 special report, print businesses reported a -9.1% decline in profits from 2019 to 2020.

Pre- and Postpress Employees—2010–2018

Published March 26, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 32,906 employees in NAICS 32312 (Support Activities for Printing). By 2018, employees had declined to 22,855. In macro news, Q4 2020 GDP was revised up.

Around the Web: Damaging Deadlines. Sartorial Smarts. Crazy Crypto. Green Gabbing. Turing Tribute. Façade Fissure. Creepy Craft. Star Sewing. New Noodles.

Published March 26, 2021

How outsourcing newspaper printing is helping kill local journalism. Smart clothing is evolving. John Cleese twits the NFT fad. A new study suggests that turning off your camera on a Zoom call may be more environmentally friendly. The UK’s new £50 note will honor Alan Turing. A 3D mural “opens up” a Florence art museum. They Might Be Giants launch hardcover book/CD combo. Realistic handblown glass spiders. Light-up constellation embroidery. Pasta technology evolves. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s cinnamon shrimp tail-flavored miscellany.

The Power of Perseverance - HP's Colorful Road to Brilliant Ink

Published March 25, 2021

HP has spent the past four decades not simply investing in inkjet ink research and development but perfecting it. Its five world-class teams of international chemists have worked to create custom inks for a range of different markets. They’ve partnered closely with hardware and writing systems engineers to develop the best integrated technology for its inkjet devices. In this Tech Talk, HP R&D Chemist Saba Lotfizadeh shares stories of the significant challenges and exciting breakthroughs in ink development that enable printing on a wide range of media.

Printing 2021 Quick Look: Anticipated 2021 Jobs/Orders

Published March 24, 2021

According to data from our recently published Printing Outlook 2021 special report, print businesses expect print industry jobs/orders to rebound +9.0% from 2020 to 2021.

Around the Web: More Fungible Fun. Denim Denial. Guilty Garamond. Zoom Zapper. Tattoo Technology. COVID Concert. Gallbladder Gambling. Culinary Compulsion. Legume Limo.

Published March 19, 2021

Charmin’s (oy) toilet-paper themed NFTPs. The environmental impact of jeans. Will graphene save us from the pandemic? The DC Circuit Court cancels the typeface Garamond. Social and mobile media-themed classic artworks. A new web widget that gives you excuses to exit a Zoom meeting. Light-emitting OLED tattoos. Yo-Yo Ma performs at his vaccination site. Doctors get in trouble for “Guess the weight of this organ” Instagram posts. Precision cutting boards for obsessive chefs. The Planters NUTmobile is looking for drivers. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s unfortunately not canceled miscellany.

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