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PCH Exits Print, Arna Acquires Federal Direct, and more … Read More
According to the latest edition of County Business Patterns, in 2022 there were 526 establishments in NAICS 51114 (Directory and Mailing List Publishers). This represents a decrease of 68% since 2010. In macro news, in Q1 2025, GDP growth declined for the first time since 2022. Read More
In this article, provided compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan, Jos Notermans of The Note Consultancy B.V. (https://thenoteconsultancy.com/) provides an update on the status of pigment ink formulations introduced since ITMA 2023 as we prepare for ITMA 2027. Read More
The success of any campaign hinges on understanding the varying needs and preferences of the target audience. According to research from Keypoint Intelligence, younger adults have different priorities and values than their older counterparts. This article explores the role that age can play in fostering connections and delivering better results. Read More
A study from CNBC and Survey Monkey details the needs of women in the workplace. For printers wanting to increase their workforce or retain the women on their teams, what does the data say? Read More
Despite multiple forces pushing print service providers to adopt digital technology, a large installed base means analog presses will continue to print the majority of global output for years to come. Simultaneously, market factors will combine with technical developments to make flexo the fastest-growing analog process across the remainder of the decade, and beyond. This outlook is examined and quantified in the recent Smithers market report “The Future of Flexographic Printing Markets to 2029.” Read More
One of the most effective tools in your marketing box is a press release. It can lift your brand, promote your wins, lift customers, and keep you visible in your market. Sadly, a lot of companies miss the value and the opportunities. Here’s why press releases should be in your arsenal. Read More
The U.S. commercial printing industry is under significant pressure, as new tariffs and rising labor costs drive up expenses across the board. In this article written by Aleyant, COO George Mixco explains how automation tools are an effective strategy to protect against external market forces—such as the uncertainty caused by recent tariffs. Read More
FSEA Executive Director Jeff Peterson offers a preview of the upcoming Amplify Print event, and the “Technology Zone” that will showcase finishing/embellishment and other accessory equipment. Read More
3D-printed functional “houseplants.” A desktop UV printer that can produce textured prints. A pen that folds into the form factor of a credit card. a new book. Caroline Weaver’s new book “The Pencil Perfect” takes a fun look at the history of the pencil. A pencil sharpener from the 1890s work as well as any more modern sharpener. Target’s new line of wine uses paper bottles. The evolution of NYC subway map design—and the newest iteration. Newly uncovered evidence that Shakespeare’s wife lived with him in London. A Doom-like game that fits inside a QR code. 3D-printed graphene composites for efficient ice control applications. The James Webb Space Telescope takes a close look at the “city killer” asteroid that recently menaced us. Perfect for Mother’s Day (?): a 14-karat Kraft Macaroni necklace. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Net printing employment in February 2025 saw printing industry employment stay relatively stable from January—overall, production, and non-production employment were all down by 0.1%. Read More
From an editor’s desk, here are 10 free resources for gaining a better understanding of some essential subjects for print professionals. Read More
The fourth installment of a look back at Dr. Joe Webb and Richard Romano’s 2010 book “Disrupting the Future” looks at the value of forecasting. Read More
WhatTheyThink interviews AI expert, graphic designer, and app creator Michelle Moxley about paid versions of ChatGPT now incorporating Dall-E 3, which is able to add detailed text to AI-generated images for the first time. For Moxley, the new feature is not just cool. It has changed her business. Read More
In the latest installment of the Smart Decision-Making series, Wayne Lynn looks at how evaluating options determines the outcome of the decision you need to make. If you find that the criteria are hard to come up with, you may want to reframe the problem. Read More
Hybrid Software held its first-ever global user group meeting, “Hybrid Fusion,” in Amsterdam, bringing together 180 attendees. The event featured customer case studies, plant tours, and lively social events, highlighting Hybrid’s growing community and product innovation. The next user meeting will take place in North America in 2026. Read More
This ongoing series of short articles provides some country details on the size of the printing industry in Europe per country, especially tracking the number of printing establishments. This time we look at the UK. Read More
Digital embellishment is not just a niche segment or a fleeting trend—it’s a movement. It’s a bold call to action for print service providers, designers, and brands to break free from the shackles of ordinary, low-margin commodity printing and embrace a future where creativity, value, and profitability converge. Taktiful’s Kevin Abergel explains how this is your moment to seize the opportunity, to elevate your craft, and to redefine what print can be. Read More
Everything is changing—markets, technology, and customer expectations—so why should folding cartons be any different? While demand remains steady, consumer preferences, regulatory changes, and supply chain evolution are in constant motion. The real story lies in how print-service providers, converters, and equipment manufacturers will need to adapt. Read More
Scientists claim to have discovered a hitherto unknown color. London-based publisher The Folio Society is launching “The Art of Folio” exhibition. Did you know that you can mail potatoes without packaging? “Why do AI company logos look like buttholes?” A new book from Phaidon looks at mid-20th-century design. Using graphene to develop world’s fastest Flash memory device. Lyft can now provide transcripts of your private conversations. A stable Dyson sphere may actually be possible, which you were no doubt worried about. An LED-equipped drone can provide portable lighting. Some colorful characters from the history of the Papacy. Fermenting miso paste in space. 5-Hour Energy’s Caffeinated Hot Sauce. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Thanks to labor shortages, rising costs, and the constant push for efficiency, automation is now more important than ever. Although some may envision a robotics takeover of jobs within the industry, the reality is much less dramatic and much more necessary. This article explores some of the reasons that automation is taking center stage. Read More
The ISA Sign Expo kicked off yesterday in Las Vegas. Richard Romano recaps the major product announcements on Day 1. Read More
Want to see how print and digital communications can be integrated to support an outstanding donor experience? BioLife offers a master class. Read More
Print Service Providers should transition from email and adopt more structured communication tools. Email is unstructured, time-consuming, complex to share, ambiguous, reliant on specific knowledge, hard to audit, and vulnerable to security issues. It’s time to consider communication methods to enhance efficiency, reduce errors, strengthen security, and improve customer service. Read More
The Sourcing Journal has released its 2025 Sustainability Report, and it is chock full of all of the latest sustainability news and challenges facing the textiles industry. If you are in the industry or a consumer who cares about the impact of your textile (apparel) purchases, it’s a must-read. We provide a brief overview here, focused mostly on recycling, but there’s lots more to be learned in the report! Read More
According to the latest edition of County Business Patterns, in 2022 there were 2,440 establishments in NAICS 51113 (Book Publishing). Although this represents a decrease of 20% since 2010, establishments increased by 83 establishments in 2021 and 2022. In macro news, inflation decreased in March. Read More
Ars Technica just launched a three-part “History of the Internet.” Archaeologists may have found the oldest calendar known to humans. A new study shows that if you want to sell more books, get it banned. OpenAI’s latest image generator makes it easy to create fake receipts. Upcycling fabric waste into useful household items. Removing “forever chemicals” with graphene. Thomas Edison recorded Victorian celebrities to promote his phonograph. In-car infotainment screens may be on the way out. Recreating King Kong climbing the Empire State Building using drones. When in San Francisco, visit the Two-Headed Calf MOOseum. Using oyster blood to combat antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.” The “Sm’oyster” is a roasted oyster topped with chocolate, toasted marshmallow, and graham crackers. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
In our debut edition, we look at everyone’s favorite topic, so-called “artificial intelligence”—aka AI. There has been a lot of hype about AI, and even those who have been initially skeptical about its applicability to the print industry have come round to seeing the vast number of use cases it can have. There is no doubt that it has become a highly transformative technology—more than any we have seen since, arguably, the advent of digital printing. What are those use cases? What is it good for? And what is it not good for? Read More
Any printing or packaging business can analyze costs, establish budgeted hourly rates (BHRs), and benchmark costs against industry standards using Cost Rates Advisor—empowering smarter pricing decisions that drive increased sales and profits. Pat McGrew takes a close look at Cost Rates Advisor. Read More
With operations snarled to the point of getting members of Congress up in arms, the near-disastrous debut of a major mail processing facility exposed a gap between the U.S. Postal Service’s vision of a new, ultra-efficient national mail network and its ability to bring one into being. Patrick Henry explains. Read More
Microfibers are the bane of our existence—or one of them, anyway. In this article, compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan, she highlights a new technology from Matter Industries that claims to be able to remove microfibers from the textile manufacturing process for the benefit of human and environmental health. Read More
In the latest installment of the Smart Decision-Making series, Wayne Lynn looks at how brainstorming—and other creative exercises—can improve a team’s decision-making abilities. Read More
As printers seek to diversify their product offerings, promotional products have been a frequent area of interest. But many of these items come—in whole or in part—from countries now subject to tariffs. Heidi Tolliver-Walker recaps a Print + Promo Marketing webinar with leaders in the promotional industry on the topic of tariffs. Read More
Automation is now a requisite to a profitable print or packaging company, and needs to provide for centralized business and production management. Ultimately, the solution needs to fit the specific needs of a PSP and their disparate customer and partner relationships. Read More
This ongoing series of short articles provides some country details on the size of the printing industry in Europe per country, especially tracking the number of printing establishments. This time we look at Switzerland. Read More
To say that the whole tariff situation is tumultuous is an understatement. But whether or not you are in favor of them, there may be some hidden value. In this article, we discuss the potential impact tariffs could have on textile-related pollution, including the dreaded Fast Fashion. Read More
January 2025 shipments came in at $7.31 billion, down slightly from December’s $7.34 billion—but still the second best start to the year since the pandemic. Read More
A collection of 12th- and 13th-century books were bound in sealskin. The latest Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry inductees include…Brian Eno’s Windows “chime.” When in Japan, visit a 3D-printed train station. In one Japanese town, kids collect trading cards of grandpas. Looking to shake things up this Easter? Why not try some lost Easter traditions from yesteryear. Was the dire wolf really “de-extincted”? So it’s come to this: how to protect yourself against a robot dog attack. A concept for a ridable, four-legged robotic “horse.” A new process that could replace copper with graphene in integrated circuits. A countertop device that harvests water from the atmosphere, suitable for drinking or cooking. Pepperidge Farm remembers…water desalination. Are we headed for a snackcession? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
To remain competitive and keep up with the pace of change, it's essential to have the right resources working for you. The ramifications of not having them can be significant and far-reaching for even the most well-tooled organizations. This article explores how PSPs can improve business operations and strengthen their competitive edge by focusing on available resources. Read More
Foil print embellishments have emerged as a powerful tool for brands seeking to elevate their market position through tactile luxury and visual magnetism. Taktiful’s Kevin Abergel explains how, by combining prehistoric fascination with metallic surfaces and modern printing innovation, this technique can transform ordinary packaging into psychological triggers that command attention and shape consumer perception. Read More
When we think about clients “building trust” with their customers, we generally think about what happens on the front end. But what happens on the back end matters more than we might think. Heidi Tolliver-Walker looks at some key takeaways from a new study from Bloomreach/eMarketer, “The Power of Trust and Emotions in Building Customer Loyalty.” Read More
Automation has been the buzzword of the last decade as organizations across every sector have looked to its transformative potential to accelerate gains in sales, productivity, quality, sustainability, and much more. In this article, written and sponsored by HP, Joan Perez Pericot looks at HP’s portfolio of highly automated presses, robotic solutions like MoviGo, and HP PrintOS and Site Flow solutions. Read More
Wasserman Acquires Bluemedia, and more… Read More
Businesses supporting the print industry continue to face challenges in hiring staff and figuring out how to handle situations where new equipment, software, and business directions change the qualifications they need. The best practice is to assess your staff and create a re-skilling program. Here’s how to do it. Read More
Web-to-Print (W2P) is not new—but how it’s being adopted, applied, and valued across the print ecosystem is evolving at a pace many printers didn’t see coming. Joanne Gore looks at the current W2P landscape. Read More
According to the latest edition of County Business Patterns, in 2022 there were 4,175 establishments in NAICS 51112 (Periodical Publishing). This represents a decrease of 42% since 2010. In macro news, Q4 GDP growth was revised up. Read More
A 16th-century collection of property records concealed in its binding a rare 750-year-old text on the legends of King Arthur. Did the decline of print advertising coincide with the decline of creativity in the ad business? A British window cleaner is trying to prove he has a priceless portrait of William Shakespeare. Using more environmentally-friendly materials for outdoor wear. Who wants a three-foot-tall marble bookmark? Upcycling hazardous chemicals into graphene. Ring Mouse is a smart ring that “happens to control your entire digital universe.” One of the last Radio Shacks is located in an actual shack—in Alaska. When did breakfast cereal companies stop putting toys in cereal boxes? The Blue Diamond Nutty Cruiser a 20-foot-long almond on wheels with a cannon that shoots almonds. The lyrics of the Gilligan’s Island theme song set to “Stairway to Heaven.” Omaha Steaks is releasing a meat-themed romance novel. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Patrick Henry explains how a chemical present in trace amounts came to be seen as an environmental threat worthy of a possible ban on the ink that contains it. Read More
In this article, compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan, she shares insight from Kathryn Sanders, the founder of Western Sensibility, based in Montana, offering a fascinating look at democratizing design. From crafting one-of-a-kind bespoke textiles to innovating sustainable printing techniques, her work embodies the marriage of “Art and Technology.” Read More
In the latest installment of the Smart Decision-Making series, Wayne Lynn expands on how following a well-defined process works best in making decisions by discussing how framing the decision into a workable form is the first step. Read More
A new study from Columbia University Teacher’s College shows, once again, that students process information more deeply and accurately in print than on digital screens. What are the implications for print versus digital marketing? Read More
Demand for inkjet dye sublimation (dye sub) printing is again trending upwards. Almost 1.0 billion square meters (sqm) of extra output will be added to global totals by the end of the decade, opening new opportunities for print service providers, press OEMs, and consumables suppliers, according to Smithers’ latest report, “The Future of Dye Sublimation to 2029.” Read More
Top influencer Rick Azas gives insights into the world of TikTok, YouTube and co. The potential of social selling in online print. HelloPrint focuses on AI-first strategy. EU Accessibility Act is on the agenda. Read More
WhatTheyThink’s annual Print Outlook report is now available! Based on our Fall 2024 survey of print business owners and managers, as well as industry and general macroeconomic data, the report provides the latest industry trends, the latest cultural and technological factors that are driving those industry trends, and the overall macroeconomic landscape. Read More
Publishing had a rough time during the pandemic, although all three publishing segments—especially books—saw a rebound afterwards, with a leveling off as revenues returned to trend. Advertising in general has been on a steep rise, and have been constantly reevaluating where they are spending their budgets. Read More
A new history book called “Six Centuries of Type & Printing.” An exhibition showcases the beauty of book endpapers. Monochrome car wraps à la Pop Art comics. Painting murals using gardening equipment and a subwoofer. "The Savouring" is a desk that turns into a dining table (and vice versa). Vogue magazine’s new...economic indicator? Try playing some vintage word games. How much does the Internet weigh? Bogotà’s experiment with “traffic mimes.” A mechanical sculpture dramatizes the futility of trying to find the end of a roll of tape. “What pasta reveals about the universe.” Brach’s launches an official service that hides Easter eggs for you. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
The third installment of a look back at Dr. Joe Webb and Richard Romano’s 2010 book “Disrupting the Future” asks the existential question: what is print? And how did it—twice!—become itself a disruptive technology? Read More
As was the case with many other sectors, artificial intelligence (AI) and smartphone use have come to the fore in the education industry. Students and teachers alike have begun using these applications and devices in their work, and their use is only expected to increase as time goes on. This article discusses the benefits and threats of emerging technologies in today’s classrooms. Read More
Last year, Fujifilm highlighted their post FujiXerox rebirth with wide range of new product previews and introductions targeting different market applications. While not everything previewed at drupa or PRINTING United is ready for shipment, some key market leading products and technologies were deemed ready for shipment at the Digital Disruption Event. They also seemed to put a stake in the ground identifying themselves as a forced to be reckoned with. Read More
Do text and images created with generative AI violate constitute copyright infringement? More and more lawsuits claim that it does. But why? Let’s take a look at the issues behind the concerns. Read More
You have a software tool kit to work with in your shop. No matter what you produce or the segment you serve, you have programs to help collect data, manage processes, and report results. Most of these tools require installation configuration and some training for the team on using them effectively. Over time, those tools are updated, but other things about your business also change around them. How can your team stay current to best use your software tool investment? It’s a game of intellectual Roomba. Read More
Once considered relics of pre-internet commerce, catalogs are evolving into sophisticated marketing tools that bridge physical and digital experiences. Contributing editor Don Carli looks at the resurgence. Read More
According to the latest, recently released edition of County Business Patterns, in 2022 there were 6,096 establishments in NAICS 51111 (Newspaper Publishing). This represents a decrease of 22% since 2010. In macro news, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Architecture Billings Index (ABI) found demand for new commercial construction projects to be waning. Read More
The design of the “White Lotus” season 3 opening credits. During the First World War, naval vessels used “dazzle” camouflage to dodge U-boats; now, new evidence as to why it worked. A solution to the horrifying problem of books that lean on a bookshelf. A line of Atari-branded watches that simulate classic Atari 2600 games. A “ruggedized” smartphone that’s water-resistant, has a miniscreen that can be detached and inserted into a watch accessory—and includes an earbud. What typeface would professional type designers want on their tombstones? A new performance of John Cage’s “Organ2/ASLSP” (As Slow As Possible) is slated to last 639 years. Jim Morrison is alive and well and living in…Syracuse, N.Y.? Graphene-enhanced roofing materials. “Mycelium foam” for more sustainable earplugs. Robotic cockroaches, for some reason. A plant-based egg substitute. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
This small but highly survivable “boutique chemical company” stays the course with a diversified product line and a personalized approach to supporting its customers. Read More
In this article, sponsored by Aleyant, Aleyant CEO, David Graves, shares some insights about the new PDF2Press preflight solution for the web-to-print industry. Read More
This article, provided compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor, shares her thoughts and key takeaways for fashion design and its future—as presented at the “Design2Futures” Summit held in Istanbul, 2025. One really important takeaway from Matthew Drinkwater, Head of the London College of Fashion Innovation Agency: “AI will not replace designers; rather, it will elevate their creative potential, allowing them to achieve outcomes they could never have imagined before.” Be sure to read the article for the full story! Read More
HP held its HP Amplify Conference this week in Nashville, and made several new product announcements, including the new HP Latex R530 flatbed/roll-to-roll all-in-one printer, new software for wide-format producers, and updates to its SitePrint robotic printer for the AEC market. Read More
In the latest installment of the Smart Decision-Making series, Wayne Lynn discusses the detailed process by which decisions can be made. Read More
Is it really possible that nobody noticed these spectacular design fails until it was too late? The tale of New Era’s Overlap hats is a cautionary one for all of us. Read More
In an intelligent workflow, the data is the key that drives the process. There is lot of data, and increasingly more to come as AI becomes more prevalent. However, that is also the problem. One of the most important keys to creating an intelligent workflow is to be able to normalize all of those different data sets into internally standardized sets. Read More
This regular series of short articles provides some country details on the size of the printing industry in Europe per country, especially tracking the number of printing establishments. This time we look at Sweden. Read More
Even though it seems the focus has somewhat been taken off of climate with new White House strategies and approaches, the Zero Carbon Academy expects firms to conduct a balancing act between short-term and long-term climate goals. They identified Top Trends for 2025, which we summarize here. Read More
Denmark’s state-run postal service is discontinuing its letter delivery service. Edward Tenner has a new book, “Why the Hindenburg Had a Smoking Lounge.” The Malling Hansen Writing Ball was an early typewriter, originally designed for the deaf. The oldest known puzzle is 11,000 years old. Here comes Generation Alpha and their love of…packaging? If you are going to rob a bank, practice your penmanship. An interesting documentary about timekeeping devices. An AI-controlled 3D printer cooks food using graphene. When in Connecticut, visit the Gaylordsville Spite House. Plants and mushrooms with bionic arms playing musical instruments. A clever Japanese strategy for clearing snowy roads using hot water sprinklers. Krispy Kreme has unveiled its St. Patrick’s Day collection. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Net printing employment in January 2025 saw printing industry employment drop from December—overall employment was down slightly by 0.1%, with production employment down 0.4% and non-production employment down 2.3%. Read More
In this article, provided compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan, SPGPrints’ Jos Notermans shares his thoughts about investing in digital fabric printing. He highlights the benefits of digital fabric printing and suggests a logical approach to adding this capability to your business! Read More
Direct marketing is evolving as technologies, consumer behaviors, and data analytics reshape the way that businesses connect with their audiences. Adaptability is the key to success because today’s direct marketing techniques are more dynamic, customer-centric, and reliant on digital channels than ever before. Citing recent research from Keypoint Intelligence, this article explores how direct marketers can maximize their impact, get noticed, and deliver a better customer experience. Read More
In this article, Giselle Robeson talks about how industrial printing is creating new opportunities across manufacturing sectors, from packaging and labeling to direct-to-object printing and textiles, and how Fiery is accelerating the evolution of industrial print, helping manufacturers integrate digital solutions more efficiently and cost-effectively. Read More
The organizers of the upcoming Online Print Symposium provide an update on the speaker line up. Dr. Michael Fries will open the 12th OPS with “Social Selling + Customer Centricity as the key to success,” and start-ups of “The Insight Pitches” have been determined. Read More
Whether you lead a printing company or a country, you are leading people. Although most of us will never lead a sovereign nation, Gallup’s recent “Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want” contains insights that leaders in our industry can take to heart. Read More
Heidi Tolliver-Walker profiles Imagine, a Twin Cities, Minn.-based print business with four locations nationwide, each of which focuses on a different market. Imagine is the subject of the latest WhatTheyThink Films Profiles in Print documentary. Read More
This regular series of short articles provides some country details on the size of the printing industry in Europe per country, especially tracking the number of printing establishments. This time we look at Spain. Read More
I recently had the opportunity to visit the new Fiery LLC headquarters in Fremont, Calif., and spend time with its CEO, Toby Weiss. Toby has been with the company through a few changes in ownership for more than 15 years. He shares his thoughts about the Epson acquisition, what it means for Fiery and its partners, and some thoughts about the future. Read More
The winners of the 2025 World Nature Photographers Awards. A new middle-grade book tells the story of the iconic photograph “Earthrise.” A previously unknown version of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116. The New Yorker and J. Crew offer New Yorker-branded clothing. An app that will generate “CliffNotes” for nonfiction books. An AI bookmark will ostensibly summarize what you just read. Goodbye, Skype. A set of postcards and prints based on They Might Be Giants song. Graphene-based brain implants. Genetically engineered “woolly mice” are a step toward de-extincting the woolly mammoth. When on Cape Cod, visit the original site of the Marconi Wireless Station. Just in time for Easter, Peeps-flavored Icee. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Moss Acquires Rocket Graphics, and more… Read More
According to the latest, recently released edition of County Business Patterns, in 2022 there were 32,109 establishments in NAICS 511 (Publishing Industries [except Internet]). This represents an increase of 14% since 2010 and increase of 4% since 2021. In macro news, the danger of early GDP estimates. Read More
In this article, textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan shares insights from a talk that Chris Govier, EVP of Strategic Growth & Marketing at Kornit Digital, gave at the recent Heimtextil show. He points out that the digital transformation in textile printing makes it easier than ever before to transition from supply and demand to demand and supply, as well as an array of other valuable insights. Read More
Aluminum isn’t gold, but years of import duties on the raw material for lithographic plates are starting to make it seem almost as costly to printers who use those plates in production. Read More
Smart decision-making is key to strategic success. In this article, the first in a new series called Smart Decision-Making, Wayne Lynn introduces the steps in a process to ensure decisions are well thought-through. Read More
The House Financial Services Committee is requesting feedback from the public on a variety of topics of importance to the printing industry. It is also considering The Improving Disclosure for Investors Act previously reported on by WhatTheyThink. Read More
Automation streamlines repetitive tasks, leading to increased productivity, cost savings, an improved customer experience, scalability, and a competitive edge. Utilizing data is crucial for identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies, with practical methods including tracking job turnaround times, measuring waste, monitoring equipment utilization, analyzing error rates, and gathering customer feedback. Here is your guide to unlocking efficiency! Read More
Technical developments and other drivers are transitioning work from analog to digital and is notably affecting the market for offset litho print. These are analyzed and quantified in detail in The Future of Digital vs. Offset Printing to 2029—the new in-depth market study from Smithers. This article provides some highlights. Read More
Hunkeler Innovationdays 2025 was a resounding success for the partners, the attendees and the industry at large. The theme of the event was Next Level Automation and it was displayed in every solution on display at the event. Importantly, it is also a sign that the industry as a whole is on the right track. Read More
Direct marketing is going through a major shakeup. With artificial intelligence (AI) becoming smarter, businesses rethinking outsourcing, and digital channels taking center stage, companies must stay nimble to keep up. New research from Keypoint Intelligence’s 2024 North American Consumer Communication Business Survey uncovered some of the biggest shifts happening right now. From message creation to delivery, the SOP as we know it is unrecognizable. This article explores what’s changing and how businesses can adapt to make the most of these new opportunities. Read More
Attaching a typewriter to a piano to “type” songs. An apple tree plays guitar. Who hasn’t fantasized about having a book ladder? The potential private hell that is in-car advertising. Disturbing video of a flying car test drive. The new, ostensibly addictive word game called Bracket City. Graphene-based “smart pajamas.” The James Webb Space Telescope catches two planets in the midst of disintegrating. A wrist-mounted vacuum for hands-free snacking. When in Macomb, Ill., visit the birthplace of the board game Monopoly. Forget eggs: how about a $19 strawberry? Cook Nathan’s Famous hot dogs in actual New York City water. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
The second installment of a look back at Dr. Joe Webb and Richard Romano’s 2010 book “Disrupting the Future” asks the burning question: what exactly is the value of print? Read More
Direct mail is a long-standing staple of communication that continues to hold its ground in a digital world, but it must evolve to meet today’s demands. This article cites recent research from Keypoint Intelligence to explore how direct mail can maintain its relevance even as the digital transformation continues. Read More
Production inkjet technologies have roots dating back to the 1970s but really didn’t see any commercial impact until the early 2000s. In 2015, Canon introduced a sheetfed press that changed the landscape and went a long way to increase inkjet adoption. Read More
WhatTheyThink contributor Oleg Litvinov surveys the Chinese digital label embellishment market and details the latest equipment available. Read More
Heidi Tolliver-Walker uses a label printer's recent advertising campaign to show how to use AI to create a podcast. Read More
