From 1947, A Recruiting Resource for 2009

By Patrick Henry on January 5th, 2009

Those of us not old enough to have seen what the industry was like in the years immediately after World War II can get a fascinating glimpse in Printing, a vocational short subject released in 1947 for the “Your Life Work” series and preserved for posterity at YouTube.

Full of scenes showing bygone production technologies in action, Printing is a treat for print history buffs of all ages. But what makes it most worth watching now is the fact that it’s a recruiting film: an industry overview that promotes careers in printing by appealing to young people’s interests in craft skills, earning potential, job security, and professional advancement.

In a manner suited to its time, Printing tries to do what industry-sponsored recruiting efforts have been trying to do ever since. Our ongoing anxiety over the difficulty of attracting talent tells us that we haven’t hit upon the right formula yet. But I have to wonder whether Printing, a cinematic relic from more than 60 years ago, doesn’t contain elements that latter-day recruiting initiatives would benefit from imitating.

Compare Printing with The Pathway to Prosperity, Choosing a Career in the Graphic Communication Industry, produced last year by Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group and the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF). Printing, a straightforward documentary, depicts in detail what printing occupations are like. The Pathway to Prosperity, a staged dialogue between an industry executive and an actor, mostly talks about them. Printing challenges would-be entrants by advising them of the knowledge they will have to acquire and the skills they will have to master. The Pathway to Prosperity has less to say about who is qualified and what it takes to break in.

Both are earnest and well-intentioned attempts to pitch careers in printing to those who might otherwise have overlooked them. Certainly, The Pathway to Prosperity is the more upbeat of the two: it paints a bright and well-documented picture of job opportunities, whereas Printing somewhat dourly notes that “chances of securing employment normally are good.”

But Printing is the more realistic portrayal of the what the industry has to offer newcomers, and that is where I think its value as a model for career promotion lies. As we plan the next outreach, let’s take a cue or two from Printing. Wouldn’t it be great to see this unsung gem from 1947 updated for the recruiting quest of 2009?

Posted in Education, History, Printing Industry, Printing Industry News - 1 Comment

Way Off Topic - Recognize the Cup?

By Gail Nickel-Kailing on January 2nd, 2009

I came across this photo a while back on one of those silly sites and it literally stopped me dead! Take a close look at the cup!

“Awwww” warning ahead! Cute kittens…

Enjoy!

Posted in Printing Industry News - 1 Comment

Kodak Must Look to the Long-Term

By Andrew Tribute on December 29th, 2008

As my next Tribute’s Tuesday column is not until mid January I am putting this subject on the blog as I feel there are points to be made now. The majority of suppliers today are having a hard time and few are meeting the market projections they made around the drupa timescale. We have seen Heidelberg having promised orders failing to materialize after drupa have instigated major cost saving measures and have also seen their stock price drop through the floor. Heidelberg is not alone in seeing major falls in stock prices and almost all offset press suppliers have seen major falls in this area. In the prepress area Agfa has seen its stock price fall drastically as investors appear to lose faith in the company. It appears the financial community is writing off the printing industry and its suppliers and is losing faith in the industry for the future. In the digital printing area things are somewhat better and we have not seen the major drops in turnover, profits or stock prices that have been seen in the offset area. Some companies such as HP appear to be prospering, and Xerox is not doing badly but has battened down the hatches with cost reductions to prepare for a bad 2009.

The major subject I want to cover is one of the major players in the market. This is Kodak (or Eastman Kodak to be correct). Kodak has been through a massive restructuring over the past four years under the guidance of its CEO, Antonio Perez. This has seen a major move out of film operations with a substantial close down programme of film factories worldwide. It has cut almost 28,000 jobs in its worldwide workforce. Perez’s strategy is a major switch to digital products with a push towards new inkjet technologies. During the time of this four year restructuring plan and the push to digital luckily for Kodak revenues from Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group have held up mainly due to the success of its printing plate business and associated digital workflow and CtP operations. Digital printing by xerography with the Nexpress and Digimaster products and by inkjet with the Versamark products has at this stage not made a real contribution to profits.

In early December Kodak cut its 2008 sales and profit projections for the second time in six weeks, citing a deepening global recession and changes in the value of the US dollar. The stock slid as much as 9% in New York trading. The company stated it plans to intensify its focus on cash generation and reduce costs. Executives won’t receive a salary increase next year, where permissible by law, and Kodak will temporarily suspend its 2009 match for 401(k) retirement savings plans in the US.

At this time the financial analysts that specialize on certain companies make their comments. I have had much experience of dealing with many of these analysts and I find that while they may well understand company finance, few really understand the realities of the printing industry and how its suppliers are working. One of the well-known analysts is Shannon Cross of Cross Research. Commenting on the Kodak statement she said “I fully believe further restructuring will be needed. Their biggest challenge is cash flow. They’ve pulled their cash guidance, are looking for $US500 million this quarter and have rising debt. They’re going to need to trim spending somewhere.” I understand she then continued stating that one of the areas Kodak should look at reducing expenditure is in the development of future inkjet technologies. Cross recommends investors should sell Kodak stock and to expect further cost reduction announcements in early 2009.

Now I don’t know just what expertise Cross brings to the party to make these suggestions to Kodak. I feel however it is a typical example of the short-term thinking that dominates the financial markets in North America and Europe, whereas we see much more structured long-term thinking in the Far East. The suggestion that Kodak should cut investment in future inkjet technologies shows a total lack of understanding of Kodak’s markets. Where the hell does Cross expect Kodak to find its future business. The cash cow of printing plate sales will not continue as a high margin area for long as demand for plates fall as the offset market goes into recession, and new low cost plate suppliers from China enter the world’s markets. The Nexpres and Digimaster xerographic printers while really excellent products, have never been a financial success and are are seeing increasing competition from companies like Ricoh and Konica Minolta, as well as failing to catch HP Indigo and Xerox.

To succeed in the future graphics markets companies will need a really strong market technology, good management and excellent distribution channels. Kodak has the second and third of these and I believe that Kodak with its STREAM continuous inkjet technology has a technology that can achieve market leadership in the changing markets. It is not difficult to predict that HP with its massive investment into inkjet printing technology will be the market leader in inkjet digital printing from the desktop to the enterprise and into graphic arts. Kodak’s STREAM technology appears to me to be the only technology that will really compete with HP in the high volume and high-quality printing areas. STREAM also appears to be the best prospect in inkjet technologies to challenge offset printing in the long-term. Other inkjet technologies from companies like Fujifilm Dimatix and Xaar are likely to impact more in developments in industrial printing such as printed electronics that will use specialized types of fluids for printing.

I believe that Kodak must continue its investments in STREAM technologies as its highest priority of investment. Without STREAM being fully implemented together with the associated Kodak based ink annuity business, Kodak does not really have a long-term future. It may be best in the short term for investors for Kodak to do major cost cutting in areas of development, but to do so will simply pass the future leadership of the printing market to HP and possibly Fujifilm. I hope that investors ignore Ms Cross’s advise and stick with Antonio Perez and his plan for Kodak’s future.

Posted in Printing Industry News - 39 Comments

BoSacks Speak Out: I SALUTE YOU!

By BoSacks on December 19th, 2008

As 2008 draws to a close and, to most publishers, the world’s future seems somewhat dark or at the very least uncertain, we are all looking for shafts of hope and light in the current financial storm. That hope and that brightness are still here if we look in the right places. I actually think there is room for more optimism then may at first seem apparent to many other prognosticators.

Our industry may be a bit battered, but it is not defeated. It cannot be vanquished, because the distribution of information is the cornerstone of a free and democratic society. Writers will write and publishers will distribute that writing to a willing public. Our future is just as vibrant as it always was and I expect, as necessary changes occur, it will manifest itself in positive ways we can’t yet imagine.

So, as we drift into 2009, it is a perfect and natural time for us to take a moment or two for reflection and review and for a reassessment. It is a perfect time for evaluating the current and future possibilities of our professional and our personal lives.

I first suggest that we look back with pride on what we and our fellow publishers have accomplished in the past before we look forward into an unknown future. We as a group and as a business are indispensable. As information providers we are the glue that holds society together. We provide the mortar known as knowledge and we make it available to all.

Technology has given us expanded markets of information distribution unheard of a decade ago. Though the outreach and growth is exponential, our profits haven’t been able to keep up with the new technologies. We clearly need new business models. Fear not, we will invent them.

There are currently four billion mobile phone users and around one billion personal computer users around the world. That means that there are at least four billion potential readers for publishers to learn how to tap into and profit from. This technologic growth and apparently inexhaustible need to read is proof of our value and of our continued existence. The publishing nation has grown and will continue to grow, but most likely in directions that are unexpected. Our former sphere of influence is changing, and our business models must grow with the times and the ages before us. We will go through a complex series of transformations before we are who we are going to become – new age information distributors. This is not a might be, but rather a will be state of affairs.

I feel it very safe to say that as we go into the 6th year of on-going war, with continued industry-wide lay-offs still on the rise, and the general uncertainties of an industry and a country in transition, we have all had a moderate amount of reassessment forced upon us. It is probable that many of us are challenging our own personal paths and calculations of who we are, where we are going and when we will get there. Let me suggest that I believe our industry can and will not only survive but thrive and prosper as never before.

A look at history proves that wars come and then they go; that economic down turns have happened before and will happen again. They appear when least expected and retreat with the same regularity. We know that the winter is cold only to be followed by the joy and beauty of a warm summer’s day. But the most enduring cycle throughout history is the love of family and friends. I send warm greetings to all with a big hug and the hope that you are surrounded by the love of your family and friends.

I found the following message from Fra Giovanni almost 12 years ago. It was first sent from one friend to another in 1513 A.D. It has become part of my traditional year-end expression of hope and reflection. In it I find a certain central peace and great depth. Every time I read it, I come away with a little more understanding.

Like the author, I hope that your paths are clear of shadows and that you have the time and sensibilities to take a few moments to really stop and look around you. Most of us work too hard and forget the reasons for our energetic professional pursuits. I learned years ago that I was “working to live, not living to work”. I think sometimes we have a habit of forgetting that. Work is a means to keep a safe roof over our heads, food on the table, and to help facilitate the comfort and joy of our family and friends.

In the end, the truth is it is our ability to love and share that love that has any real or long-lasting meaning.

I SALUTE YOU!

There is nothing I can give you which you have not;

but there is much that, while I cannot give, you can take.

No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today.

Take Heaven.

No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant.

Take Peace.

The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our reach, is joy.

Take Joy.

And so, at this holiday time, I greet you, with the prayer that for you, now and forever,

the day breaks and the shadows flee away.

—FRA GIOVANNI

Posted in Printing Industry News - No Comments

Big Deals

By Richard Romano on December 18th, 2008

Back in the late 1990s, when I was with Micro Publishing News and Digital Imaging magazines, I got to experience the takeoff and growth of wide-format graphics firsthand. Our magazine(s) used to hold an annual digital art contest, sponsored by some of the leading vendors at the time, and got to see cutting-edge artwork. (I also got to meet Graham Nash, who was one of our judges.) It was around 1998 or 1999 when the first wide-format aimed at end users-rather than print providers and sign shops-started appearing, and we got to review some of the early models, which was not a task for the small of office. I have always had a warm place in my heart for wide-format graphics (I also learned at the time that carrying a giant, foamcore-mounted magazine cover on an airplane is not for the faint of heart, even though, in the event of a water landing, it could probably be used as a flotation device.)

I mention all of this because 10 years later, the wide-format market has changed is complexion a tad, there has been some churn and turnover in some of the manufacturers, but it is no less exciting. New substrates, ink formulations, as well as improved printing speeds and overall print quality, have made wide-format graphics one of the consistent bright spots of the printing industry.

I recently completed a special report for WhatTheyThink called Wide-Format Printing: The Competitive Landscape, a series of specification tables for the vast majority of the current wide-format printer offerings. The idea was to give printers, end users, and other prospective equipment buyers a place to start in the wide-format printer selection process. In addition to the specification tables, we also “cross-tabulated” various models by application-superwide-format, outdoor graphics, packaging, etc.

New models are appearing all the time, and we are learning of new models all the time, so this report is a “snapshot in time,” so look for annual updates.

Posted in Printing Industry News - No Comments

An Ink Saving Typeface?

By Adam Dewitz on December 17th, 2008

Dutch marketing and communications company Spranq has developed a typeface they claim can save up to 20 percent of ink costs by reducing the amount of ink used on a page.

Here’s what it looks like:

the developers say:

The Ecofont is developed by SPRANQ, based on a hunch of Colin Willems. We tried lots of possible ink-saving-options. From extra thin letters to letters with outlines only. We have ommited various shapes: dashes, squares, triangles and even asterisks. In the end the circle was choosen as the best candidate for the job.

With the Ecofont SPRANQ hopes to increase environmental awareness too. Increasing customer awareness about printing behavior: is printing really necessary or (partly) a waste of ink and paper? We also hope to inspire software giants and printer manufacturers to innovate in an environmentally conscious manner.

The typeface is based on Verdana and can be freely downloaded from Ecofont Website

I’m interesting in knowing how much this actually saves.

(hat tip Pat McGrew)

Posted in Digital Imaging, Environment and Sustainability, Ink, Substrates, and Consumables - 12 Comments

Battle for Desktop Printing is Getting Interesting

By Rick Littrell on December 13th, 2008

Just got finished watching the Kodak ESP-7 desktop ink jet printer/scanner/copier advertisement on TV. It started me thinking (Oh, Oh!). They clearly positioned themselves for quality (via long standing Kodak image) and cost of ownership (via cost of ink jet ink). Dramatic price difference illustrated for the ink (The cost of which has always been an issue with me. Cost way more than a bottle of fine California wine. That just doesn’t seem right to me!). Ok, enough of the side talk. Let’s focus on what is going on here.

The battle for print is at the desktop. When I want my print, I only want what I want, and I want it now! And, you are probably very much like me. And now it is integrated into a multi-purpose device (printer/scanner/copier). So, designing information workflows for delivery of content to the desktop will become the norm for the future.

High quality imaging on the desktop is almost a given. With photorealistic imaging and fade resistant supplies readily available, it certainly raises the bar of what we expect for quality at the desktop. Color management is available, though not widely used…yet! It will become simpler and more integrated at the system level. It will only become widespread once that happens.

Duplex printing will become the norm. More focus on optimizing every inch of the paper for imaging purposes, both front and back. How long will it take for the manufacturers to deliver more integrated finishing to the desktop? Trimming? Folding? Stapling?

We will see more devices that have integrated wireless networks. Slowly we are getting released from the shackles of cables. Having to hide them along the walls as we spread out our digital empires will become a thing of the past. Every time that I buy a new device, I consider its ability to connect to other devices without requiring “stuff”. I just want it to happen, without any requirements to connect physically.

The battle between HP & Kodak just went to the next level. The Kodak ad did all the side by side comparisons with HP. Of course, Kodak won every comparison. I was shocked! A Kodak ad finding the Kodak product superior…Amazing. I am sure that the evaluation was completely impartial. I wonder how HP is going to respond? What will Epson do? Is Xerox going to jump into this fray? Will Canon get involved? Who else dares to engage in this very open battle? It is going to get real interesting. Keep an eye on their mass marketing efforts. This will be a case of the battle going very public. May use some direct marketing efforts, but I would image that most would be through TV, internet, and social media implementations. You will hear more about social media marketing in the future. Keep an eye on it, because it is coming into our world.

Pricing is almost reaching ‘throw away” levels. Buy one every year to save on their “closed” ink jet supply imaging systems and added software functionality at a lower cost. Expect this trend to continue for some time. Now we have to consider…When does it become too wasteful? We are becoming a ‘throw away” society, but we are running out of places to throw things away. Need to continue to conserve limited resources and get as much usefulness for everything that we consume. This mantra will only strengthen as we move into the future.

So, it is going to be real interesting (and rewarding for the consumer) as the battle for desktop printing progresses. Print is moving to the individual and away from the ‘monster” printing plants that are in the market today. The print specialists that can add value that the consumer can not get on the desktop with grow. Print automation will increasingly be implemented both in industrial and consumer environments.

So, what does this all mean? I’m not sure, but as I look around the room that I am in now, print is on every table (some on the floor, as I finish reading my morning paper. Which I do every morning. My wife will make me pick it up before I start another task.) and I expect that to continue for a long time…Just, how it got there could be different? I may not have to go to the mail/paper box to get it to bring it in?

Posted in Business, Digital Imaging, Digital Printing, Media, Print - 6 Comments

Is Consolidated Graphics the Buyer of Choice?

By Adam Dewitz on December 12th, 2008

Jim Cohen Executive Vice President Mergers & Acquisitions at Consolidated Graphics passed along a recent article he wrote on the benefits of selling your company to Consolidated Graphics. Mr. Cohen’s article can be download here (PDF).

In the article Mr. Cohen provides ten reasons why Consolidated Graphics is the buyer of choice if you are a seller of a commercial printing business. The list ranges from strong financials and M&A experience to their philosophy of decentralized operations while helping administrative burdens (risk management, human resources, tax, legal, treasury and IT) to training and personal development.

These benefits are contrasted with selling to private equity firms and other financial buyers who may look at a purchase as an investment to flip when the return is right. Often times these types of investors may prohibit capital expenditures and other investments required to renew your business that they may conflict with their short term investment goals.

As I read through the article I found it interesting that CGX was still aggressive in M&A. As Mr. Cohen noted in his closing, “it should be no surprise that we expect the pace of merger and acquisitions to continue, and I am hopeful to be writing another article 18 months from now describing another group of great companies.”

Posted in Printing Industry News - No Comments

Layoffs and Media Spending at the NFL

By Adam Dewitz on December 10th, 2008

In the past two weeks have we have seen a good deal of announcements about staff reductions from companies big and small. The announcement from the NFL about a 10% staff reduction was interesting in that it specifically noted a reduction in printing:

So far, NFL fans haven’t noticed the cutbacks, which also include reduction in travel by some league staff and such secondary costs as printing and minor events.

As Dr. Joe noted in his 2009 and 2010 Economic Webinar, we should expect to see media shift (to cheaper methods) intensify because of recession.

Posted in Business - 4 Comments

Finding Real Magazines on Google

By BoSacks on December 10th, 2008

Finding Real Magazines on Google Book Search

Is this the shot heard around the world for the printed magazine business? Google has announced a new program that will deliver back issues of magazines to the internet public at large. Take it from me this is huge. It is not the beginning, but rather the verification of the beginning of the digital edition age of the magazine era.

Today, we’re announcing an initiative to help bring more magazine archives and current magazines online, partnering with publishers to begin digitizing millions of articles from titles as diverse as New York Magazine, Popular Mechanics, and Ebony. Are you a baseball history fanatic?

Over time, as we scan more articles, you’ll see more and more magazines appear in Google Book Search results. Eventually, we’ll also begin blending magazine results into our main Google.com search results, so you may begin finding magazines you didn’t even know you were looking for. For now you can restrict your search to magazines we’ve scanned by trying an advanced search.

For years, we’ve worked to make as much information as possible accessible online, whether that information comes from books, newspapers, or images. We think that bringing more magazines online is one more important step toward our long-standing goal of providing access to all the world’s information.

It is now only a matter of how the industry handles and monetizes this “advancement in delivery”, and not whether we wish to or not. It is already here! What are you going to do about it?

Posted in Printing Industry News - 13 Comments