Printing Industry Video

Profiles in Print

BJU Press

Watch Film

Profiles in Print

Thysse

Watch Film

Profiles in Print

Colorchrome

Watch Film

Profiles in Print

DCG ONE

Watch Film

Profiles in Print

Premier Press

Watch Film

The Target Report Interview—Regional Print Consolidator Builds Diverse Offerings

Rod Bristol talks with Mark Hahn of Graphic Arts Advisors about Graphic Village's acquisition of DMS Ink, a transaction that is representative of the “regional roll-up” trend that has been developing in the industry for the past couple of years. Watch Video

Frank and Fitzgerald

Frank discovered a book about the WWII publishing program for the military called “The Best Read Army in the World” which discusses how F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel “The Great Gatsby”—which upon its release got mixed reviews and sold poorly—became a beloved classic. Frank segues into a letter from F. Scott Fitzgerald to a cousin written during the 1919 Spanish Flu pandemic. Somehow it’s all related. Watch Video

Devastated by the Downturn, APPi Bounces Back with Antimicrobial Paper Coating

David Zwang talks with John Beadel, President of Associated Printing Production Inc. (APPi), founded in 1991 by Beadel and his brother. From day one, the company’s primary client bases were the cruise line, hospitality, and leisure industries—the ones that were the hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis. Facing a “devastated business,” APPi worked with Biomaster on an antimicrobial coating for paper that provides life-time, 24/7 protection for printed materials. As the leisure industry starts to reopen, demand has skyrocketed. Watch Video

Mary Schilling Shares Smiles, Not Cooties

Inkjet Insight co-founder and WhatTheyThink contributor Mary Schilling has put her digital printing skills to work, producing on-demand facemasks featuring either stock or custom images. All masks are digitally printed and hand-sewn. Curiously, her best-seller features the face of WhatTheyThink’s Adam Dewitz—and in this video, check out some of her “face models.” Watch Video

Frank Gets Lost in the Good Book

Frank previews an upcoming Museum of Printing exhibit showcasing original leaves from famous Bibles, including every Bible printed in Colonial America. The King James became the best known English translation—even if a printer’s error changed one of the Commandments to read “Thou shalt commit adultery.” The first Bibles printed in America were not in English—they were in Algonquin. Watch Video

Racami on Solving Variable Data PDF Problems

David Zwang talks to Matt Mahoney, Executive VP of Sales & Marketing for Racami, a developer of software and IT services for transactional printers and direct marketers. Mahoney talks about some of the issues Racami customers have with variable-data printing, especially problems stemming from VDP PDF file creation, and some of the solutions Racami offers. Watch Video

Just Frank’s Type

Frank discusses an old report he wrote in the 1980s called “The Evolving Markets for Type,” about changes in the typesetting industry. Typesetting used to involve dedicated typesetting companies setting metal type and delivering it to printers. Phototypesetting then allowed type buyers to do their own typesetting, and ultimately desktop publishing finished wiping out what had been an $8 billion typesetting marketplace. Technology changes everything. Watch Video

Ashland Adds New Textures to Labels

Amy Gran, LA&C Radcure Tech Service & Product Development Chemist at Ashland, talks about Ashland’s energy-curing adhesives and coatings for the food packaging markets, some of the new product trends coming to market—such as tactile materials like soft-touch coatings, sand textures, and raises images—and the advantages of UV curing for these kinds of applications. Watch Video

HP’s Gershon Alon Talks About Increasing Print Job Complexity

Gershon Alon, Head of HP PrintOS, HP Indigo, talks to David Zwang about how increased print jobs and the greater complexity of those jobs—largely due to variable data—have put great strains on digital front ends. Users thus need to create variable-data PDFs that won’t tie up RIPs and digital presses. HP’s partner Global Graphics recently released the “Full Speed Ahead” guide to variable-data print PDF creation. Watch Video

Frank’s Alphabet Soup

This episode wins the award for most acronyms used at one time. Frank traces the evolution of American printing associations from UTA to GATF to PIA, from NPEA to NPES to APT, from SPA to SGIA to PUA. WHEW! (That’s not an acronym.) Watch Video

Warren Werbitt Says, “Leave Out the Lame Salespeople”

Print evangelist Warren Werbitt talks about underperforming salespeople—the ones you wish would do something but never do (i.e., who were “lame and useless” before the crisis). As you start up again and plan your sales strategy, do not include these underperformers in your planning meetings. Watch Video

Global Graphics Goes Full Speed Ahead with New Guide to Making Variable-Data PDFs

Martin Bailey, CTO of Global Graphics Software, talks with David Zwang about “Full Speed Ahead,” a new guide that helps people make PDF files for variable-data printing more efficiently, especially as VDP is taking off in new markets and applications, such as labels and packaging. Watch Video

Frank Catches Up On His Reading

Frank has lots of free time on his hands nowadays and is getting caught up on his reading. This week, he reviews two books. “Death of a Typographer” by Nick Gadd is a murder mystery with loads of typographic clues and gags. “Merg: The TRUE story of a WWII soldier's selfless act of valor and sacrifice that one town never forgot” by Peter Lion is the story of Ottmar Mergenthaler’s grandson George Mergenthaler, who joined the US Army during World War II, was sent to Luxembourg, and was ultimately killed by the Nazis. Watch Video

The Target Report Interview—Alphabet Soup of Trade Association Mergers

Rod Bristol talks with Mark Hahn of Graphic Arts Advisors about consolidation among printing industry trade associations, culminating in the recent merger of PIA and SGIA, and with John E. Hyde of Graphic Arts Advisors about the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the state of industry M&As. Watch Video

Poll Position

Frank reviews a new book “This is What Democracy Looked Like: A Visual History of the Printed Ballot” by Alicia Yin Cheng, timely because of the current talk about mail-in voting and support for the postal system. Frank uses examples from the book to show how printed ballots evolved as printing technology changed over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. Watch Video

Marci Kinter on the Increased Importance of Sustainability in Packaging

Marci Kinter, Vice President, Government Affairs, SGIA (now Printing United Alliance) talks about the increased importance of sustainability and the circular economy to packaging producers, brand owners, and consumer products companies. Watch Video

Kodak Adapts to the New Environment

David Zwang talks with Jim Continenza about where Kodak is today, where it's going in the future, and how some of the changes Kodak made in the past year have helped the company weather the current crisis. The company is also using the shutdown to devote its energy to R&D. Watch Video

Lori Anderson on Cancellation of ISA International Sign Expo 2020

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the International Sign Association Board of Directors met this week and has voted to cancel ISA International Sign Expo 2020 re-scheduled for August 22-25. Lori Anderson, ISA President and CEO of ISA talks about decision to cancel this year's event and the scheduling of next year's Sign Expo to be held in Las Vegas during April 2021. Watch Video

Small Wonders

Since the Museum of Printing in Haverhill, Mass., is, at present, closed to visitors, Frank is showcasing some highlights of the Museum’s collection. This week, Frank explores the Museum’s collection of miniature books including what Frank contends is the smallest book in the world. Smaller than a Tic Tac, it was bought at the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany. Watch Video

Warren Werbitt Says, “We All Need Money to Run our Businesses”

Print evangelist Warren Werbitt talks about credit. When you reopen, you’re probably going to have to have uncomfortable conversations with customers about how you’re going to get paid. Warren offers some advice for ensuring that you can get paid for the work you do for clients without losing those clients. Watch Video