Interviews with Industry Executives, Commentary & Analysis from WhatTheyThink Contributors and other video features.
This past December, the WhatTheyThink team spent a day at Imagine's massive 1-million-square-foot facility in the Twin Cities. Imagine describes themselves as having 'powerhouse print and digital production capabilities'—and they truly deliver. On top of their impressive capabilities, they have great people at every level of the company. Watch the Video
In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, Eric Vessels sits down with Ken Hanulec, Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at EFI, to discuss the game-changing innovations in the digital print world. From the revolutionary EFI X5 Nozomi and its impact on on-demand box production to the Pro 30H hybrid printer and the growing role of sustainability in print technology, this conversation is packed with insights you don’t want to miss.Ken also shares his thoughts on digital embellishments, the analog-to-digital shift in the industry, and practical advice for print service providers looking to stay competitive in a fast-evolving market. Plus, they dive into personal favorites—travel destinations, grilling tips, and even a little football talk! Watch the Video
Frank notes the 175th anniversary of Heidelberg as he sits in front of a Heidelberg Windmill letterpress. He reminds us of the 211 years of Koenig & Bauer, and Komori which began in 1923. Analog printing technology seems to go on forever. Watch the Video
In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, host Eric Vessels sits down with the renowned print industry analyst and consultant David Zwang to explore the rapidly evolving world of digital embellishments, workflow automation, and what’s on the horizon for the printing industry. Watch the Video
John Mack, Vice President of Manufacturing, discusses Imagine’s long-standing relationship with EFI. At its nearly 1-million-square-foot facility in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, Imagine leverages EFI equipment, including VUTEk, Nozomi, and Reggiani systems, to drive its production capabilities. Watch the Video
As it ramps up its production print (inkjet) business, Kyocera has released a report highlighting major trends in the printing industry as we enter 2025, including security, analog-to-digital transformation, office-to-production print migration, sustainabilty and more. Trevor Maloney, Production Print Manager at Kyocera in London, explains. Watch the Video
In this video sponsored by OnPrintShop, David Zwang talks with Naimish Patel, VP Sales, and Trent Foreman Regional Mgr NA, of RadixWeb, a development company that can tailor a solution to your specific needs. Whether based on their own OnPrintShop or starting from scratch, they can help you connect your clients and systems. Watch the Video
Frank tells of his consulting project in 1977 that involved President Jimmy Carter and a type font. He explains the unit system for type design. Watch the Video
In this video, sponsored by Canon, Francis A. McMcMahon, Executive VP of Canon U.S.A., Inc., talks about how Canon Production Print and its customers had a great 2024, and are looking forward to an even better 2025. The Canon US reorganization is well under way and is expected to help provide Canon with a new outlook to the future. Watch the Video
In this video sponsored by Hunkeler, David Zwang talks with Joe Maloy, President and COO of Polaris Direct. This will be Polaris Direct's fifth Hunkeler Innovationdays, and they talk about what makes the event so special. Watch the Video
Welcome to Episode 6 of Taktiful Tuesdays! Eric Vessels from Taktiful sits down with Warren Werbitt, aka "The Print Whisperer," to dive deep into the world of print, entrepreneurship, and the passion that drives the industry forward. Watch the Video
In this video, sponsored by Hunkeler, David Zwang talks with Rainer Wolf, VP Portfolio Management, Heidelberg about Hunkeler Innovationdays. This is the first time Heidelberg will bring printing and finishing in highly automated connected workflows to HID, with some exciting new solutions. Watch the Video
Birgit Plautz, Technical Director of GMG Americas, explains why she and her company have supported TAGA and the annual technical conference for over a decade and what they get out of it. Watch the Video
Richard Romano talks with Erik Norman, President of swissQprint America, about the company's just-launched Generation 5, which updates the company's Nyala, Kudu, and Impala series printers. The next generation boasts much faster speed, greater precision, and more colors. Watch the Video
Mark Bohan of Konica Minolta talks about the Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA) NextGen Conference and highlights its value for everyone in the industry. Watch the Video
Frank waxes poetic as he takes a quick spin around his library of 11,000 books about printing, graphic arts, and typography. Visitors are always welcome. Watch the Video
Ben Lubin, Solutions Development Analyst at FUJIFILM, talks about how the TAGA NextGen Conference gives students and industry veterans a rare opportunity to mingle and provide insights into each others worlds. Watch the Video
In this video, sponsored by Kyocera, Lois Ritarossi chats with Fred Morrone, Senior Product Manager, Inkjet, Kyocera, about the TASKalfa Pro 15000c. The company's mission is to make inkjet affordable and accessible, and the TASKalfa Pro 15000c is their solution to seamlessly integrate inkjet into workflows. Watch the Video
The Canon varioPRINT 6000 series has been around for almost 20 years. While it keeps getting upgraded, it has proven to be a fast, reliable printer for many applications. David Zwang talks with Colleen Molkenbur, Sr. Mgr. Product Planning, Canon USA, about the latest update. Watch the Video
Birgit Plautz, Technical Director of GMG Americas, discusses how the TAGA conferences bring together researchers, educators, students, and professionals, providing a place to learn from each other. Watch the Video
Mark Bohan of Konica Minolta talks about TAGA (Technical Association of the Graphic Arts) and why attending its annual conference is so valuable for everyone in the industry. Watch the Video
In this video, sponsored by Hunkeler, Access Direct CEO John DiNozzi explains the importance of Hunkeler Innovationdays on transforming their direct mail business with connected workflows. Watch the Video
Join Eric Vessels, Taktiful’s Chief Experience Officer, as he dives into an exciting conversation with Ryan Moskun, Marketing Manager at Harris & Bruno International. From Ryan’s journey into the print industry to groundbreaking digital embellishment technology like the ZRX, this episode is packed with insights, music, and a touch of humor. Stick around for Ryan’s life-changing advice at the end—you won’t want to miss it, digital print meets rock & roll. Watch the Video
In this video, sponsored by eProductivity Software, Cal Poly student Kendra Roberson talks about her experiences attending events such as ePS Connect, as well as receiving a scholarship from the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF). Watch the Video
In this video, sponsored by eProductivity Software, Jules Van Sant, Chief Inspiration Officer for Two Sides North America, talks about Two Sides’ mission to dispel the myths surrounding the unsustainability of paper. Watch the Video
Kornit Digital has hired two high-level sales professionals to boost its presence in the Americas. Kyle Garner, Go-to-Market Leader, North America, Kornit Digital and Chris Carson, Vice President of Sales - Kornit Digital Americas, each have a strong background in the world of on-demand printing, from Xerox, HP, and more. They talk about why they chose to join Kornit and their views on the future of digital textile printing. Watch the Video
Frank talks about how we acquire books and consume information. Barnes & Noble changed the bookstore business and Amazon changed everything else. Frank hopes everyone got at least one book as a gift this holiday season. Watch the Video
While we are all familiar with production machine connections, David Zwang talks with Juergen Grimm, Head of Software for Heidelberg, about one of the most important connections...people! Watch the Video
Thayer Long speaks with Nathan Ridnouer and Bob Moran about the current state and future of the flexographic printing industry. They discuss the importance of flexography in packaging, the role of the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), and the industry's adaptation to digital and hybrid technologies. Watch the Video
FSEA’s Jeff Peterson talks with Fujifilm’s Andrew Gunn about the upcoming Amplify Print finishing and embellishment event, coming June 10–12, 2025, to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. Watch the Video
Welcome back to another engaging episode of Taktiful Tuesdays! In this installment, host Eric Vessels sits down with his longtime friend Frank Mallozzi, the President of Konica Minolta’s Industrial Print and Production (IPP) Group. This conversation takes you on a journey through Frank’s unexpected return to the industry and his mission to drive innovation in the world of industrial printing. Watch the Video
After not having visited China for five years, Ghilad had the opportunity to visit a client there, DPI, who recently licensed some inkjet-related technology and equipment from EFI. He shares his perceptions on the Chinese market, including their significant focus on increased quality, exploring both in-country and exports for textile and packaging printing equipment and inks, as well as innovation into other markets. Watch the Video
Frank learned that the color of chocolate was once red. This took him down a rabbit hole of "Color of the Year" by over 20 painters, inkmakers, decorators, and others. He thinks the American printing industry should compile data on ink purchases and produce a real color of the year. Watch the Video
In this video, sponsored by eProductivity Software, HP’s Bob Raus and Fernando Alperowitch talk about how they are integrating ePS solutions into HP products at the request of customers. Watch the Video
Interloop is one of the largest textile companies in Pakistan with more than 35,000 employees. The company recently launched an innovative project, LoomShake, wherein banana plantation waste is collected (instead of being burned) and converted to fibers that can be used in a cotton blend, reducing cotton usage, and the water cotton requires, by 20%. Fahid shares the story in this video interview. Watch the Video
Ready to see what’s next for digital print? In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, Eric Vessels, CXO at Taktiful, sits down with Andrew Gunn of Fujifilm to pull back the curtain on the evolving world of digital embellishment. Curious about how to move beyond CMYK, unlock new ROI opportunities, and truly stand out from the competition? Andrew shares insights on the cutting-edge Revoria lineup, Fujifilm’s Aspire program, and the power of industry collaboration. Watch the Video
Hunkeler Innovationdays (HID) is one of the most unique and valuable events for print service suppliers to see firsthand the premier inkjet manufacturers and their equipment in application configurations. Watch the Video
What’s black and white and printed all over? Frank bemoans the closing of the Providence Journal printing plant. It was the last and only plant that used flexography for printing. This esteemed Rhode Island newspaper will now be printed in New Jersey. Many papers are no longer printed in their own state. Watch the Video
This is the second trend report RRD has executed in an effort to gain insights into how companies are adapting packaging and labels operations to market shifts. Their first Packaging & Labels Insight Report was produced in 2023, and they recently released the latest Q4 2024 report. Watch the Video
In this exciting episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, Eric Vessels, Chief Experience Officer at Taktiful, chats with Richard Romano, Managing Editor at WhatTheyThink, about the future of digital embellishments and the critical need for industry standards. They dive into the evolution of digital embellishments; challenges face printers such as selling, pricing, and educating customers; the importance of creating universal standards for gloss, foil, embossing, and more; and insights from Taktiful and WhatTheyThink’s groundbreaking industry surveys. And of course, they redefine “Taco Tuesday” as “Taktiful Tuesdays” Watch the Video
Frank goes on a rant about the term “3D Printing.” Call it Additive Manufacturing or even just Jetting. Frank believes it is not printing. Gutenberg is rolling over in his grave. Watch the Video
In this video sponsored by OnPrintShop, Pat McGrew talks with VP of Sales Naimish Patel and Regional Sales Director Trent Foreman about OnPrintShop’s workflow software. Watch the Video
At drupa, Gelato launched Gelato Connect, a software solution that enables printers to more efficiently participate in the world of ecommerce. Henrik Müller-Hansen, the company's founder and CEO, explains how Gelato Connect functions as part of the overall supply chain and what the Amazon—and other integrations—mean for the printer. Watch the Video
In this follow-up to the widely-discussed article, “The Case for Standards in Digital Embellishments,” the first-ever panel on The Digital Embellishment Show dives deep into the pressing need for standardization in the digital print embellishment industry. Host Kevin Abergel and moderator Eric Vessels are joined by an all-star panel featuring Sabine Lenz (PaperSpecs), Sean Roberts (Konica Minolta USA), and Ryan Moskun (Harris & Bruno International). Together, they debate how the lack of consistent terminology, quality control measures, and design standards creates confusion and hinders adoption across the industry. Watch the Video
In this video sponsored by Xerox, Terry Antinora talks about the top trends Xerox is seeing in the market and discusses the company's product strategy to address these trends. Watch the Video
Frank tracks the movement of advertising dollars from radio to television to cable and now to email and the Web. Ads in publications as well as direct mail are migrating to the digital world. We need to rejuvenate print advertising. Watch the Video
Richard Romano talks with Eric Zimmerman, Principal Analyst, Keypoint Intelligence's Wide Format Printing Consulting Service, about the latest developments and trends in wide-format, display graphics, and signage. Watch the Video
In this video sponsored by Screen, the final installment in this “Voice of the Customer” series, Lois Ritarossi talks with three direct mailers—Joe Williams, General Manager of MDI Imaging & Mail, Dave Johannes, EVP Strategic Initiatives for Moore Direct, and Fadi Lahlouh, CEO of Lahlouh—about the lessons they have learned in adopting production inkjet. Watch the Video
In this video sponsored by Screen, Lois Ritarossi talks with three direct mailers—Joe Williams, General Manager of MDI Imaging & Mail, Dave Johannes, EVP Strategic Initiatives for Moore Direct, and Fadi Lahlouh, CEO of Lahlouh—about their partnership with Screen and how it has helped their businesses. Watch the Video
In this video sponsored by XMPie, VP of Marketing Ayelet Szabo-Melamed talks about hyper-personalized communications campaigns and the solutions XMPie has to streamline the process. Watch the Video
In this video sponsored by XMPie, Director of Business Development Scott Houck talks about PersonalEffect Print Pro, XMPie’s software solution for creating high-volume variable-data print campaigns. Watch the Video
