New Inkjet Integration Research Study Available

Published July 1, 2021

New research from Inkjet Insight covering customer perspectives on bespoke inkjet development. Free download.

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,

Fujifilm to Launch X-BAR Powered by FUJIFILM Inkjet Technology, a Modular Inkjet Imprinting System

Published June 28, 2021

Fujifilm’s new product provides reliability, productivity, and quality in line with conventional presses or finishing lines for direct mail and transaction printing.

The World’s Fastest Digital Textile Printer, the EFI Reggiani BOLT, Delivers Even Higher Image Quality

Published June 25, 2021

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.

Fujifilm Enters Flexible Packaging Market with Launch of New Digital Inkjet Water Based J Press FP790

Published June 23, 2021

The FP790 will be available in the North America market mid-2022, with the product being launched on a global basis in phases after that.  

Inkjet Innovation Week Highlights - Video

Published June 21, 2021

Last week, Inkjet Insight hosted Inkjet Innovation Week, a five-webinar series that looked at new developments and trends in five areas of digital inkjet printing. In developing these sessions, which are available for download, Inkjet Insight focused on true innovators and their innovations, and drew on an international group of experts to determine makes something innovative rather than just new.

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!

The Expertise to Innovate with New Inkjet Applications: NIXKA

Published June 16, 2021

NIXKA may be the new kid on the block, or are they? They actually have 30 years of expertise in developing ink and material jetting solutions, with an impressive track record. More importantly, they have the right philosophy.

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?

Why Standards Are Important in Inkjet

Published June 9, 2021

Printing to standards doesn’t necessarily mean printing to ISO standards - but you do need standards to follow.

GIS Atlas™ IQ Tools – Intelligent Software Solutions for Modern Industrial Inkjet Printers

Published June 8, 2021

Simon Edwards of Global Inkjet Systems, talks about the Atlas Image Quality (IQ) tools for image optimization and system performance management.

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.

Colordyne: Inkjet Integration That Works

Published May 20, 2021

Consumers expect customized goods that meet their unique needs. Colordyne Inkjet bridges the gap for companies who wish to integrate inkjet technology into their printing or manufacturing systems, enabling very short-run customization.

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?

Elevate Efficiency and Accelerate Growth with the new Canon Colorstream 8000 Series

Published May 12, 2021

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.

Understanding Inkjet Drying Technology - Webinar

Published May 8, 2021

Wednesday May 26 - Free Inkjet Explainer on drying technologies for inkjet and how they work, with Mary Schilling and Vic Salm and Dustin Graupman

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.

Innovation Interview - Taylor Buckthorpe Colordyne Technologies

Published May 3, 2021

Colordyne has evolved from a label OEM to a multi-application platform for strategic integration partners.

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.

Lessebo Paper is the First Paper Producer in the World to Achieve Cradle to Cradle Certified® GOLD award

Published April 26, 2021

Lessebo Paper is the first paper producer in the world to achieve Cradle to Cradle Certified® GOLD award for its white ranges of uncoated, premium graphical paper: Lessebo Design and Scandia 2000.

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.

Transformations Series: Specialty Print Communications

Published April 22, 2021

SPC uses inkjet personalization across platforms on almost every piece of the billion+ direct mail pieces produced every year. Adam LeFebvre, President of Specialty Print Communications discusses the company’s not-so- traditional transition to inkjet.

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.

Global Graphics Group Launches SmartDFE for Labels and Packaging

Published April 19, 2021

Designed to be the heart of a fully automated manufacturing system.

Free White Paper: Quality, Flexibility and Predictability in Graphic Arts Printing

Published April 19, 2021

A close look at the decision factors between toner and inkjet for high-coverage graphic arts printing. This free white paper sponsored by Xeikon

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

Inkjet in a Multi-Process Portfolio - SG360° Video

Published April 14, 2021

John Zawisza of SG360° talks about inkjet, offset and toner working together to drive their direct mail business.

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.

Inkjet Innovation Week Covering 5 Facets of Inkjet Innovation

Published April 9, 2021

Inkjet Insight announces their 2021 Inkjet Innovation Week program curating the most important inkjet advances in 5 focused topic areas. The program will provide concentrated, expert-led coverage for 90 minutes each day starting at 11:30 am ET.

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.

Effects of Paper on Brand Colors

Published April 7, 2021

Real world look at the impact of paper color on inkjet-produced brand colors from IWCO Direct.

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.

FUJIFILM Dimatix Launches New Samba Cartridge

Published April 5, 2021

Intended for Use with the Dimatix Materials Printer

Solimar Systems and Kyocera Document Solutions Europe’s Partnership to Provide More Efficient Digital Inkjet Production

Published April 1, 2021

The collaboration provides a comprehensive workflow solution to maximize the efficiency and productivity of their Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c inkjet production printer.

Quality, Flexibility and Predictability in Graphic Arts Printing

Published April 1, 2021

A digital press is no small investment, and deciding which is the right one can be tough for any print service provider. Much has been written on inkjet technology, and the same can be said for toner-based presses. But the same cannot be said for comparisons between the two technologies, which is arguably the most fundamental choice to ponder when considering this major purchase.

Simply Inkjet Announces SIGRA 1000 Mono Imprinting Solution

Published March 29, 2021

The company partners with Colordyne and Memjet on product development.

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.

Wolverine Solutions Group: A Split Shop Comes Together

Published March 23, 2021

Wolverine Solutions Group shares their experience working with both aqueous and UV inkjet for transaction printing and direct marketing.

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.

Graphic Arts Employment—February 2021

Published March 19, 2021

In February 2021, all printing employment is down -0.5% from January, production employment down -0.4%, and non-production printing employment down -0.8%.

Pivoting to Inkjet with Direct Technologies

Published March 17, 2021

Richard Hawes of Direct Technologies shares an inkjet journey that delivered $13 million in new revenue along the way.

Printing 2021 Quick Look: 2020 Jobs/Orders

Published March 17, 2021

According to data from our recently published Printing Outlook 2021 special report, the average number of jobs decreased -10.8% from 2019 to 2020.

Five Steps to Printing Security Features on Documents and Packaging

Published March 16, 2021

Check out this 5 step process from Monadnock Insights to accelerate your inkjet security print offering.

Innovation and Collaboration Drive Launch of New Inkjet Print Engine

Published March 15, 2021

Around the Web: Fungible Fanatics. Cotton Conundrum. Clever Corsets. Screen Surfeit. Capricious Cartography. Tent Trumpeting. Healthy Handle. Trial Terror. Munster Meteorology.

Published March 12, 2021

A JPG file sells for $69 million, for some reason. Cotton and polyester have their environmental downsides—but neither is going away any time soon. A new company converts discarded sneakers into corsets. A new laptop prototype has seven screens. How to fool AI using “typographic attack.” A non-existent town on a map briefly becomes real. A high school band practices in individual tents. A self-disinfecting door handle. A Zoom assault trial reveals that the defendant is actually in the same house as the alleged victim. Grampa Munster once did a real weathercast. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s non-fungible miscellany.

Book Printing Employees—2010–2018

Published March 12, 2021

According to County Business Patterns, in 2010, there were 28,935 employees in NAICS 323117 (Book Printing Establishments). By 2018, employees had declined to 21,976. In macro news, inflation was soft in February.

Transformations Series: Polaris Direct

Published March 10, 2021

In this installment of the Transformations interview series, Joe Maloy of Polaris Direct, discusses how inkjet transformed not only Polaris, but the way their marketing clients approach customer programs.

Printing 2021 Quick Look: Anticipated 2021 Revenues

Published March 10, 2021

According to data from our recently published Printing Outlook 2021 special report, print businesses expect print industry revenues to rebound +9.1% from 2020 to 2021.

Agfa Introduces Fastest Jeti Tauro Inkjet Printer to Date

Published March 8, 2021

January Printing Shipments—They Can Only Get Better from Here

Published March 5, 2021

We kicked off 2021 inauspiciously with January printing shipments coming in at $6.61 billion, down from 2020’s $7.17 billion. It's the worst January in at least the last five years, but already things are boding well for the rest of 2021.

Around the Web: Cephalopod Selfie. Locked Letters. Evolving Expression. Silly Surgeon. Traumatic Toy. Touch Termination. Myopia Mask. Titanic Television. Plush Paintings.

Published March 5, 2021

An octopus’ selfie—but, unfairly, not the octopus—won a photography award. Using X-ray microtomography to read secret letters. Videoconferencing is changing American Sign Language. A plastic surgeon joins a Zoom call—while in the middle of an operation. Fisher Price’s My First Home Office for preschoolers is perhaps a sign of the apocalypse. Holographic keypads for touchless devices. A face mask specifically designed to prevent fogging. A $400K television that folds down into the floor. Classic works of art rendered in fur.  All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s miscellany.

Making Ink Estimating a Little Easier - Video

Published March 4, 2021

Elizabeth Gooding and Ed Jansen talk about challenges with ink estimating and the multiple approaches CSA has used to improve the process for customers.

Around the Web: Lockdown Lyrics. Poet Praise. Sneaker Snafu. Tinseltown Typing. Expensive Ephemera. Art Aging. Prying Pixels. Picturephone Promo. Transdermal Transponder. Busy Beaver.

Published February 26, 2021

The musical British family who wittily chronicle lockdown life. Marking the bicentenary of John Keats’ death. Adidas seeks to ditch its acquired Reebok brand. “Hot typewriter action” scenes from top movies. The booming market for “nonfungible tokens”—digital art, ephemera, and media. An oil painter who specializes in lenticular art. The “spy pixels” in email messages that track you. A promotional film for 1964’s pre-Zoom Picturephone, a commercial dud. Why “Zoom fatigue” is a real thing. The aptly named DangerousThings lets you inject chips and sensors into your body, for some reason. A “rescue beaver” is compelled to dam up open spaces—indoors. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s Martian miscellany.

Commercial Screen Printing Employees—2010–2018

Published February 26, 2021

In 2010, there were 57,674 employees working in US screen printing establishments (NAICS 323113). By 2018, that number had increased +12.4% to 64,840. In macro news, seven “recovery indicators” for parts of the economy most acutely impacted by the pandemic.

Inkjet for Corrugated Is Not Just for Short Runs

Published February 22, 2021

The use of production inkjet in corrugated production is ramping up at a pace of about 20% CAGR through 2025, according to Smithers. That growth includes both preprint and postprint corrugated, an important distinction, since many believe that digital print, and specifically inkjet, is only designed for short runs or on-demand applications.

December Printing Shipments—One Last Unexpected Twist for 2020

Published February 19, 2021

In December 2020, in one last, end-of-the-year rally, printing shipments grew from $7.0 billion to $7.17 billion.  

Around the Web: Mars Meeting. More Monoliths! Wicked Wheels. Safe Socializing. Modular Mask. Vegan Vestments. Ovine Ovation. Carbon Conundra. Textile Traffic. Saloon Sounds. Audio Oracle. King Cat.

Published February 19, 2021

A new monolith appears—briefly—in Congo. A guy replaces his bicycle wheels with giant sawmill blades. The latest in “mask tech”: the egg mask. First, they came for the silkworms—and now…the sheep? Sheep Inc. says one key to carbon sequestration is…wait for it…sheep. Some other potential solutions for dealing with carbon and carbon dioxide. Textile and apparel imports are on the decline. A website lets you simulate the ambiance of your favorite bar. RIP Rupert Neve: the inventor of the mixing console. A housecat joins “Godzilla vs. Kong” and the related carnage. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s carbon-heavy miscellany.

SG360° on the Marketing Lift of Inkjet - Video

Published February 16, 2021

Elizabeth Gooding spoke with Melanie De Caprio, Marketing Director of SG360 about how they are using inkjet for multi-channel campaigns both for customers and for themselves. Melanie shared response rates and learning from several campaigns and other background on why inkjet print delivers a lift to digital channels.

Monthly Inkjet Installation Roundup - January 2021

Published February 15, 2021

Our monthly Inkjet Installation Roundup for January includes 16 new installs with 6 in the US and 10 in Europe. Sign in to learn more.

Printing Outlook 2021

Published February 15, 2021

The new Printing Outlook 2021 report provides detailed analysis of the latest WhatTheyThink Business Outlook Survey, the latest industry economic data and macroeconomic trends, as well as industry and cultural technological trends to look out for in 2021.

Around the Web: Cat Court. Color Creation. Sustainable Suds. Apt Appliances. ’Acked Aquifer. Manufactured Meat.

Published February 12, 2021

A Texas attorney tries to prove he is not a cat. A brand-new shade of blue is now available for painting. A new business makes sustainable laundry detergent. A handy visual aid to help you determine which appliance is best for which use. A water treatment plant gets hacked—with almost disastrous results. 3D-printed steaks. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s kitten filter miscellany.

Commercial Printing Employees (Less Screen and Books)—2010–2018

Published February 12, 2021

In 2010, there were 380,107 employees working in US establishments in NAICS 323111 (Commercial Printing–Except Screen and Books). By 2018, that number had declined -13.5% to 328,845. In macro news, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.3% in January, or 1.4% over the last 12 months.

Profit from the Need For Trustworthy Voting By Mail

Published February 9, 2021

Best practices and checklist for getting into the growing Vote by Mail segment.

EFI’s Jeff Jacobson on the New Way of Doing Business

Published February 9, 2021

Jeff Jacobson, CEO of EFI, talks to Kelley Holmes about some of the bright spots for EFI in 2020, and expands upon his EFI Engage keynote in which he discusses how the pandemic has affected the way EFI engages with its customers, and how the way we do business has changed.

Around the Web: Spamming Spinach. Novel Novel. Glorious Graphene. Sleeping Sacks. Gargoyles Galore. Sawing Celebration. Calculating Carsey. Weird Waking. Amish Auto. Disappearing Doll.

Published February 5, 2021

Spinach can now send emails. A novel only uses the words spoken by Ophelia in Hamlet. More graphene news! Recycling potato chip bags into sleeping bags for the homeless. Colgate introduces new aluminum toothbrush with replaceable heads. The origin of gargoyles. 100 years of the “sawing a woman in half” trick. “A Lego white noise” playlist. A “smart toilet seat” for measuring vital signs. A teen, in a coma since March 1, 2020, is about to wake up to a strange new world. Attaching buggy wheels to a Dodge Challenger, for some reason. Texas issues an Amber Alert for Chucky from “Child’s Play.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s emailing vegetable miscellany.

Q3 2020 Profits—Back on Track…Sort Of

Published February 5, 2021

Annualized printing industry profits for Q3 2020 rose from -$1.92 billion to -$1.19 billion. That’s still really low, but at least it’s headed back toward positive territory.

Bridging the Gap Between Designers and Production

Published February 2, 2021

Design and production personnel often seem like they are playing for opposite teams, instead of working together. Mike Todryk of IWCO Direct discusses how to bridge the communication gap between design and production.

Behind the Scenes with HP PageWide

Published February 1, 2021

HP has spent the past four decades not simply investing in inkjet research and development but perfecting it. Hear from subject matter experts on timely topics, including a customer spotlight on the new HP PageWide Web Press T250 HD.

Around the Web: Color Quest. STEM Stamps. Cool Codes. Retro Railroad. Clothing Computations. Tea Tints. Sleepless Science. Blade Becalming. Missing Monarchy. Disgusting Dessert. Pasta Passion.

Published January 29, 2021

In search of the original “Apple Beige.” The USPS launches Star Wars stamps to promote STEM learning. How COVID made QR codes cool. A Chinese railroad was derailed when Adobe killed Flash. A man quantifies his wardrobe. Beautiful tea bag art. First Night Effect: why it’s hard to sleep in a strange place. “Chinese Knife Massage.” Gender-neural playing cards. “Everything bagel-flavored ice cream.” Perfect for Valentine’s day: pink, candy-flavored mac and cheese. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s stock shorting miscellany.

Commercial Printing Employees—2010–2018

Published January 29, 2021

In 2010, there were 499,622 employees working in US establishments in NAICS 323. By 2018, that number had declined -12.2% to 438,516. In macro news, real GDP increased at an annual rate of 4.0% in Q4 2020.