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AllpakTrojan, Renton WA, was the winner of the 2009 WhatTheyThink Environmental Innovation Award for Beyond Environmental Sustainability, which recognized the company its leading-edge solutions and an initiative involving unique creativity. Alyson Meade, Sustainability Coordinator for AllpakTrojan tells about her company's efforts and initiatives. Read More
As Quad/Graphics has begun to integrate its recent mammoth acquisition of Worldcolor, WhatTheyThink checked in with Joel Quadracci, the company's Chairman, President & CEO to get the latest update and his view of the state of the industry. Read More
Few management philosophies have influenced the business world as widely as quality management. Quality management is designed to tap the potential, abilities, skills, and knowledge of the workforce. The quality revolution claimed many names in its heyday, including Total Quality Management (TQM) and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). The most widely known quality expert at the time was Dr. W. Edwards Deming. This article discusses how Mid-York press evolved by embracing Dr. Deming’s quality management philosophy. Read More
Indoor air quality is a big issue for even the smallest offset printer. Here's a clean-air solution that just doesn't make scents! (And that's a good thing!) Read More
The second quarter of 2010 continued a welcome continuation of mild profitability for the industry. Much of the industry is still recovering from a very difficult 2009, and two quarters of profits can't really make up for that. But we're on the right track, even though there are still challenges ahead. Read More
The conventional pressroom ranks pretty high on the list of places you don’t want to be if you want to avoid exposure to toxic materials. Here's how one company is working to help you keep HAPs, S.A.R.A.Title 13 materials, and Calif. Prop 65 materials out of your workplace. Read More
Canon Expo was the first opportunity since their recent merger for Canon and Océ to show their new team face. Patrick Henry was there to report back on just how well the two companies are working together and leveraging each other's strengths. Read More
AAA, the premier association of regional auto clubs, produces 160,000 statements annually at its headquarters location. Its TransPromo implementation with DocPath has saved the organization more than $110,000 annually, streamlined the invoice-to-cash process and resulted in a more attractive statement design. This story demonstrates that TransPromo is not just for the big guys! Find out more. Read More
Want the C-suite's take on how (or if) going greener works for printing businesses? Then don't miss our no-holds-barred panel discussion on Sustainability & Profitability, Saturday, 2 October at PrintCEO Forum. Read More
In his 5th article on cross-media communications, David Zwang discusses metadata and its role in cross-media production workflows. He looks at the basics of metadata and examines what you need need to know to work in an integrated environment. Read More
The only thing certain is confusion. If business is so bad, why does our recent survey of commercial printers show they are planning to invest? Newspapers announce plans to keep their print edition - but we learned of it in non-print media! Things are certainly confusing, and this column might raise the confusion to an even higher level of sophistication. Read More
Quad/Graphics, Sussex WI, was the winner of the 2009 WhatTheyThink Environmental Innovation Award for Environmental Sustainability and Your Plant, which recognized the company for “walking the talk” in their own plants. Learn more from Joe Muehlbach, Director of Facilities and Environmental Policy. Read More
Our increasingly ravenous hunger for new technology, ie. smart phones, flat screens, iPads, grows by the day. Frank Romano looks at the environmental cost of all this new stuff and considers how it compares to technologies of the past and the effect on the environment Read More
Although there has been a lot of buzz about devices like the Kindle and the iPad displacing printed books, savvy publishers have identified opportunities for making printed books more interactive. This article discusses the concept of incorporating QR (quick response) codes in books, provides examples of publishers that have already begun doing so, and highlights the market opportunity. Read More
No doubt about it. Printers order up more spot-color paste ink than they use. That costs money and creates waste. Now an equipment manufacturer and an ink company have teamed up to fix that, and to give printers of all sizes a cost-effective way to go a little greener. Read More
In mid-September, X-Rite will release XRGA, an ISO-compliant metrology standard for the graphic arts industry that is designed to take advantage of advances in color science and new international standards to provide a way to reduce measurement discrepancies between legacy instruments previously developed by X-Rite and GretagMacbeth. Read More
Scorecards are nothing new - they've been used to see how corporations and products stack up on everything from responsible fiber sourcing to carbon footprint. Sometimes, a report card is all you get. But Norcross, GA- based Unisource Worldwide is using a scorecard program to move its entire supply chain toward greater sustainability. Read More
July 2010 commercial printing shipments were $6.87 billion, up $18 million (+0.3%) compared to 2009. Adjusting for inflation, shipments were down -1%. This continues the consecutive gain in current dollar shipments for four months, the first time we have had a period of that extent since November 2007. Read More
We hear a lot about cloud computing being the next big thing. WhatTheyThink’s Jennifer Matt explores how this new platform is impacting printing, and how three major players are planning to use it to change how you get your printing done. Read More
The New Jersey towns of Summit and New Providence are among the most upscale in the state. Household incomes are high, home prices remain strong, and local amenities are first-class. Nevertheless, some residents of these affluent communities are going hungry—an inequity that the area’s AlphaGraphics franchise is working to eliminate. Read More
Standard Register recently made the decision to establish a focus on the healthcare industry. Cary Sherburne recently sat down with President of the company’s Healthcare Business, Brad Cates, and Business Director of Document and Information Management Ann B. Scales, to learn about the transition to all healthcare, EMR reform and the future of printing in the health care space. Read More
Only a year old, Minnesota's Discount Recycle Ink is making a name for itself by promoting the underutilized practice of remanufacturing waste ink. Read More
Thanks to the internet and smart phones, as well as tools like QR codes and text messaging, one of the oldest ad media is becoming interactive. In her current article, Barb Pellow explores the interactive features that many companies are using to enhance their billboards and outdoor signage. She provides many real world examples that range from educational to purely promotional. Read More
As the Graph Expo show approaches, I’ve had people ask if they should go and if they go what they should see. First, the answer is yes – you should go. Even if it’s just for one day – you should go. There is no better way to research equipment and learn about money saving and money making strategies than by seeing the equipment and hearing from the industry experts at the show. Read More
A growing number of print service providers are seeking to increase revenues and profits by adding web-to-print services and applications. Some companies have used web-to-print solutions to drive impressive revenue and profit growth, but many others haven't been quite as successful. Read More
It’s payback time at this year’s PrintCEO Forum, October 2-3 at the prestigious University Club in Chicago! You won’t see a grudge match, but you will hear from a panel of printing execs who have woven sustainability throughout their operations and are realizing very impressive returns as a result of doing so. Read More
We keep hearing that the future for print shops is to become “integrated communications providers”, but making the transition can seem like a daunting task to printers who are still stuck in the old print world. This week, Andy Tribute examines the adjustments printers need to make to survive. Read More
Dscoop, the independent user group for HP Indigo and Scitex owners, has been one of the biggest user group success stories in our industry. Even though last year was terrible for the industry, Dscoop had an attendance of 1,823 and had to turn away both attendees and sponsors because the demand was so high. In 2011, Dscoop 6 organizers expect to significantly exceed that attendance level. The conference will be held February 17-19, 2011, at the Gaylord Palms Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando FL. Read More
In the fourth article of the series, industry expert and WhatTheyThink contributor David Zwang continues his discussion about cross-media communications and production, this time with a high level look at what you need to know to begin implementing eMedia production workflows. This overview will act as an executive summary for future articles that will delve into the specific issues and requirements. Read More
In this week’s installment of Going Green’s Learn from the Winners, we hear from Alice Miller, IT Director for Patient News Publishing, winner of the 2010 Environmental Innovation Award for Environmental Sustainability and Your Community. Read More
The picture above was taken not in a printing museum but in the letterpress department of Taylor Corporation’s Tatex subsidiary in Waco, TX. Somewhere in the room is what’s believed to be the oldest Heidelberg press still in operation in the U.S. Read More
“On the whole, I would rather be in Philadelphia.” It’s what W.C. Fields was rumored (falsely) to have chosen as the inscription on his gravestone. For present-day bloggers in the City of Brotherly Love who remember it, the line carries as much irony as any of the late comedian’s celebrated wisecracks. That’s because the city of Philadelphia wants them to pay what has been incorrectly labeled a “blogging tax”—a development reported by Philadelphia Citypaper last week. Read More
Due to the growing significance of electronic media, packaging is being integrated with mobile technology to drive sales. Consumer Product Goods manufacturers are beginning to incorporate mobile messaging into their packaging graphics and print advertisements to engage consumers. This article discusses why it makes sense for marketers to incorporate mobile messaging into packages. It also provides examples of companies that are currently engaging in this practice. Read More
A Printing Office, WhatTheyThink’s blog for small to medium printers, is now serving this audience under the auspices of PrintCEO. Patrick Henry, managing editor of A Printing Office, will continue to post news and commentary for this segment at PrintCEO, which contains a complete archive of material previously published at A Printing Office. Read More
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. By now, the economy should have picked up, printers’ prospects should have improved, and the banks should have responded by letting some sunlight into their vaults when borrowers from the industry came calling. What happened? Although the nation’s general banking crisis may be over, says Tom Williams, partner, New Direction Partners, there’s been little improvement in the availability of credit for business and equipment financing. Read More
Steve Reynolds has selflessly raised money on behalf of cancer victims by riding in three LIVESTRONG “Century” (100 mile) events over the last three years. This year’s ride would have been Steve’s fourth ride except for his June diagnosis of Stage 4 Colon Cancer. Despite the advanced stage and extreme seriousness of his situation, Steve is rising to the challenge and has begun his fight. A Fundraiser is planned during GraphExpo to raise money for LIVESTRONG in honor of industry analyst Steve's fight against cancer. Read More
How often have we heard that print is a trusted medium, that awareness and familiarity are goals of advertising communications, or that print is key to touching prospects or customers? The new communications market is filled with opportunities for print entrepreneurs, but going against the common wisdom of industry myths is an important aspect of the entrepreneurial spirit. If you believe it's important to embrace change to be successful, then start by questioning commonly-held beliefs about the medium of print. Read More
In this week's installment of Going Green's Learn from the Winners, we hear from Jerome Elion, VP of Marketing for Green Books N Binders, winner of the 2010 Environmental Innovation Award for Beyond Environmental Sustainability. Read More
Print owners are often looking for ways to escape companies with balance sheets that are deep in the red. Typically there’s a strategic acquirer who’s only taking on the general intangibles. Asset values are often less than debt levels. And timing between payments might not always match up with debt obligations. Bankruptcy might seem like an obvious solution, but the NAPL’s John Hyde explores the many advantages of Managed Liquidation. Read More
While two associations jockey over a deinking standard, we take a look at how makers of recycled paper get the ink, and other stuff, out in the first place. Oh. And mom says she's real sorry about the turtle. Read More
Marketing has evolved, and today’s marketers must use both new and traditional media channels to effectively engage their customers and prospects. It’s time to get rid of the gimmicks and utilize technology effectively. This analysis discusses how Hotels.com leveraged new and traditional media to drive results and improve its bottom line. Read More
Sales of a children’s book, The Adventures of Snooky Under the Sea, raise money in the fight against sarcoma, a deadly form of cancer. But the title made news in a curious way when another “Snooki” tried to register her moniker as a trademark for printed matter and books. Read More
Andy Tribute didn’t anticipate becoming an iPad evangelist, but now he’s hooked. He wrote a few months back that he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with it, but now he has seen the light. In his latest article he sings the iPad’s praises, and explains why it might just be the most important tool in your arsenal. Read More
Can recycling become easy enough, profitable enough, or important enough for large-format print customers to overcome the inertia of business as usual and the convenience of the dumpster outside just waiting to be fed? Read More
How have magazines changed over the last 10 years? Dr. Joe looks at subscription circulation, ad pages, postal shipments and weight, and what they tell us about this critical segment of our industry. Read More
In the third article of a series, industry expert and WhatTheyThink contributor David Zwang continues his discussion about cross-media communications with some thoughts on how we got where we are and where we are going. This is important background that will help enable print providers and marketing services providers to stay ahead of the curve. Read More
Learn from the Winners is a 10-part series that introduces each of the winners of the 2010 AND 2009 Environmental Innovation Awards and highlights their award-winning programs and initiatives. By the end of the series, we will have described real and concrete innovation, implementation and communication of environmental solutions -- there is something of interest and benefit to every printer. Read More
There’s a new report out predicting significant growth in US media and communications spending over the next four years. Is it time to start the presses running again? Frank Romano examines what impact new media is continuing to have on media budgets. Read More
During yesterday's WhatTheyThink webinar Frank Romano and David Zwang Preview GraphExpo 2010 we polled the audience asking, “What’s Your Next Big Equipment Investment?” Read More
SMS text messaging has emerged as an effective and measurable engagement tactic that marketers can use to power a variety of programs targeting sales, loyalty, and brand awareness. The nearly universal reach of text messaging makes it a tremendous platform for reaching and engaging on-the-go consumers. This article provides examples of marketers that are using a mobile call to action to establish a digital opt-in relationship with their existing customers and prospects. Read More
“How does a business become green?” Every journey toward sustainability has to start someplace. How about starting with Christopher Columbus? Read More
Running a small print services company is tough. Running for high public office against a richer opponent is tougher. Now imagine trying to do both under pressure from a civil lawsuit by an unhappy business partner.
That, according to press reports, is the can of worms confronting Dave Westlake, a co-owner of High IQ in Watertown, WI, and a Republican candidate in Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate primary election next month. Read More
The modern marketing budget has many more choices beyond print, and some of these choices are essentially free to implement. What are the roots of this massive change and how does it relate to the print industry? Read More
Remember when people used to argue about a V-shaped recovery, or a U-shaped one, or even a W-shaped one? Dr. Joe kept saying the recovery was a lot earlier in the alphabet, and that letter was “L.” Recent economic data seem to be playing out exactly that way, with employment virtually the same as it was last year and GDP growth declining to levels that are indicative more of recession than recovery. Don't say you weren't warned. Yet despite all of the market pessimism, the printing industry seems to be righting itself and showing some signs of vitality. Read More
