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
Frank chats with Colonial reenactor Gary Gregory as he prints the Declaration of Independence on a replica of an English Common Press. 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
The textile market’s demand for agility, sustainability, and personalized merchandise at any volume, is forcing manufacturers to rethink their entire production lines. Digital technology offers the fundamental operating system for efficient, profitable production. In this article, textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan reports on what industry leaders had to say about this at the recent Kornit Konnections 2026 in Hollywood, Fla. Read More
Almost exactly one year ago, WhatTheyThink published an article titled "What AI Means for Your Future Workforce." Today, all of the lessons of that article are showing up in hiring surveys. Heidi Tolliver-Walker takes a look at the Hirevue Early Careers Hiring Global Benchmark Report. Read More
In this article, provided courtesy of PostPress magazine, Erin Judge looks at a unique promotional kit created by J.S. McCarthy Packaging + Print: a backpack containing multiple diecut, embossed, and foiled components that come together as an interactive “build-your-own” campsite. Read More
EFI's Hanan Yosefi talks about the new features that have been added to the company's VUTEk X5R wide-format printer. 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.
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
April 2026 saw printing industry employment overall generally flat, down 0.4% from March. And while production employment was up 0.6%, non-production employment was down by 2.5%—basically the reverse of what we saw in March. Read More
10 Things PSPs Should Consider Before Adopting Robotics: What You Need to Know to Begin the Journey
Why Highly Targeted Communications Make Digital Print Essential to Modern Marketing
Wide Format in 2026: How Technology Is Reshaping Competitive Advantage
WhatTheyThink's web roundup miscellany
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
Cheezy Snack is a cool retro typeface. The art and artistry of gyotaku, or fish printing. Don’t tell Prince: purple doesn’t exist. Next week’s NYC Zig Zag Festival is designed to be a “visual bridge between Italy and the United States.” A supposedly independent, locally owned news publication was actually all AI-generated. Some once-essential analog technologies that have been replaced by digital alternatives. Periodic Table D120 is a 120-sided die that contains all the known elements of the periodic table. A graphene-based cooling headband. Amazon’s AI shopping tool lets you search for items that don’t exist, for some reason. A unique folding chair design. Tips for how to win a tuna-throwing contest. Engineered algae could help solve our microplastics problem. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
