Underpinning the commercial printing industry is a support system it can’t do without: the network of trade shops it turns to whenever it needs a dependable helping hand. Read More
While China’s digital printing industry has traditionally been dominated by webfed inkjet technology, manufacturers have recently shifted their focus toward sheetfed solutions to target the higher-margin commercial printing and publishing segments. This article by Oleg Litvinov, takes an in-depth look at the latest developments in Chinese-made sheetfed inkjet presses from several manufacturers. Read More
Want your community to know your name? Show up at the Fourth of July parade with a float, a colonial printing press replica, a modern heatset web press replica, employees dressed like old-time paperboys, candy in satchels, and a plan to tell the history of American print. That’s what Schumann Printers did. Read More
Changes in buyer behavior, driven by technology and business necessity, plus smarter ways to find and hire salespeople are creating opportunities disguised as dilemmas. Wayne Lynn explains how creative rethinking of how we go to market is needed. Read More
In this Business Update video, Koenig & Bauer Vice President Print Technology Chris Travis looks at the latest trends in folding carton, commercial print, labels, and the growing—and fun—trading card business. Read More
IT strategy is no longer a back-office function in a print shop. It is a production decision, a competitive lever, and increasingly, a question of strategic importance. Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee explain. Read More
Packsize Acquires, Corrugated Plants Close, and more… Read More
The executive report looks back at 2025 and the first few months of 2026 and ahead to what the industry can expect, economically and technologically, in the latter half of 2026 and into 2027 and beyond.
The report includes current and expected business conditions, top business challenges, top business opportunities, and planned investments for 2026.
After a sluggish four months, the employment situation picked up in May, with overall printing industry employment up 1.0% from April, production employment up 0.3%, and non-production employment up 2.5%. Read More
Speed on the pressroom floor is still an important factor, but real performance improvements are being driven by smoother workflows, better data, and faster decision-making. Read More
According to the latest, recently released edition of County Business Patterns, in 2023 there were 32,332 establishments in NAICS 511 (Publishing Industries [except Internet]). This represents an increase of 15% since 2010. In macro news, the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index is at record lows. Read More
After an all-time worst month in February, shipments roared back up from $6.78 billion to $7.30 billion in March. Read More
According to the latest edition of County Business Patterns, in 2023 there were 947 establishments in NAICS 32312 (Support Activities for Printing). This represents a decrease of 54% since 2010. In macro news, Q1 GDP growth was revised down to 1.6%. Read More
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Wide Format in 2026: How Technology Is Reshaping Competitive Advantage
WhatTheyThink's web roundup miscellany
The 1835 “Moon Hoax” made ridiculous news stories credible. The USPS is issuing the 2026 Route 66 Centennial Stamp Collection. Highlights from the recent Sustainable Brands Conference. Researchers have created what might be the most accurate mathematical representation of color perception ever. When in North Dakota, visit the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, which opens tomorrow, July 4. An Etsy gardening scam features AI-generated plant images and fake seeds. Good grief: corneal tattooing is a thing. Graphene radar-absorbing coatings for defense use. If you missed Monday’s Strawberry Moon, more moons are coming. Answering the burning question: “do bug zappers still exist?” Turn any water bottle into a water vessel for dogs. Is there any advantage to “alkaline water”? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Newspaper Club has partnered with type foundry abcD8 to create a custom typeface inspired by the visual history of newspapers. MAD magazine has published its 600th issue. “Wordhord: Old English Word of the Day.” New evidence for the cause of death of the model for Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus.” Attending a Zoom meeting while on a roller coaster. Graphene-enabled PFAS-free firefighting foam. A jacket that can harvest moisture from the atmosphere. The iPhone’s Vehicle Motion Cues are surprisingly effective at reducing car sickness. An e-bike designed specifically to carry children. “Do fitness trackers still work if you have tattoos?” Rouser Lab’s “Earth’s black box” attempts to track humanity’s spiral into environmental destruction. “Beef tea” was a thing in the 19th century. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
New book “Empire of Ink” is a look at the history and mythology of the American newspaper. A hacked smart lightbulb provides access to banned books. A digital archive reassembles Leonardo da Vinci’s long-cut-apart notebooks. Michelangelo’s secret underground hiding place—complete with the artist’s graffiti. Marie Antoinette may have been history’s first influencer. A worn copy of a 1912 pulp magazine featuring Tarzan sold at auction for $58,560. New book, “The Graphene Handbook - Making Sense of Graphene at Its Inflection Point.” Visa is integrating its payment network into ChatGPT, which should be fun. A humanoid robot plans to climb Everest. A designer who specializes in chairs without legs. Did a flying monk see Halley’s Comet…twice? The British geologist whose goal was to eat as many different animals as he possibly could. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
A book designer who specializes in spine design. The Chinese postal service is using humanoid robots to sort packages. An amusingly overproduced Day Display. Allen Ginsberg’s spoken-word poetry recitation album is being reissued. The winners of this year’s World Food Photography Awards. A retired geneticist launched the online Museum of Plugs & Sockets. A viral warning about a new gas station scam is actually a hoax. What is the world’s longest domestic flight? Aw, et tu, graphene: Skeleton Technologies launches graphene-based GrapheneUPS for AI data centers. What is the quietest spot in the U.S.? Researchers finally cracked Richard Feynman’s “Restaurant Problem.” Malaysia’s kek lapis Sarawak is perhaps the world’s most complex cake. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
