I recently had a conversation with a marketing customer about campaign strategy. He told me that he always uses direct mail along with digital and social channels as part of any marketing initiative. When I asked him why this was the case, he said, “The answer is simple: print marketing Read more…
With the presidential elections quickly approaching, it is a good time to stop and think about how important paper documents are. It is becoming increasingly clear that printed paper records are, in certain situations, critical for reliability, authenticity and accessibility. For example, the CEO of Election Systems and Software Tom Read more…
Environmentalists have made strides recently on the topic of the damage caused by throwaway items such as plastic drinking straws. Many restaurants across the country are either limiting the use of plastic straws or banning them entirely in favor of the old-fashioned paper kind. The straw campaign has successfully increased Read more…
I recently had an interesting exchange on social media with a digital marketing expert about the value of print today. I had shared a link to an article about the emotional impact on customers of print marketing. The author of this article pointed out that the tactile qualities of print—especially Read more…
As of February 2019, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has stopped publishing employment figures for “printing and related support activities” as part of its monthly Current Employment Statistics reporting. According to its “Notice of Publication Changes with the Release of Data on February 1, 2019,” the bureau decided Read more…
As we begin the new year and look back on 2018, it is becoming more and more evident that print is having something of a twenty-first century Renaissance. Several recent studies and reports show that print media—especially printed books—have been growing and that this trend will continue into the future. Read more…
The establishment of color standards for content creators and print service providers is among the most important industry achievements of the past two decades. Prior to the establishment G7 color for proofing and press matching, customers and printers alike were left to find their own unique and often expensive work-arounds Read more…
Earlier this year, the US Commerce Department imposed a 30% anti-dumping duty on newsprint imported from Canada. The measure was taken in response to a complaint filed by North Pacific Paper Company (NORPAC), one of five newsprint paper mills in the US, that sellers of Canadian uncoated groundwood had an Read more…
Adding recycled pulp in the manufacturing of commercial printing paper has for many years been a way of establishing one’s sustainability credentials. Buyers of printing have, for example, often requested paper made with post-consumer waste (PCW) content and then promoted this fact with a recycled logo on their printed materials. Read more…
Printing customers are undoubtedly concerned about the sudden multiple increases in paper costs over recent months. Beginning last summer, paper manufacturers began raising their prices by 5%-10% on all grades and finishes: newsprint and coated and uncoated freesheet and groundwood. Since prices had been falling or were flat for several Read more…