For years, I have been given a multitude of statistics that are meant to convince you that customized digital pieces for customers are far better than mass mailings. The customized units cost more per unit and often have a greater total cost than the mass mail counterpart, but everything else that you’d want is there.

The ROI is often as much as three times greater than traditional mass mail. You have nearly five times the response rate. This list just really keeps on going. The beauty of it is that you seem to get nearly the same results if you go with fully customized print as you do by printing a litho shell and then only hitting a few key areas with customized content. So why am I not getting more customized stuff in the mail?

Around the globe, males and females are relatively evenly split. It is estimated that spanning the globe in 2008, there were 101 men for every woman. In Canada, we see 54% of the population as female and the remaining 46% as men. But, with this relative equal balance in our population, how is that print has been thought of as an “all boys’ club” by so many, for so long?

In retrospect, it makes perfect sense when print was a fledgling industry and even in more modern times. In its earliest days, print was hard, dirty work, and not that much has changed. This was, however, the sort of work that was deemed as man’s work and would have been no place for a lady. As the practice of printing has refined itself, there has been a notable increase in the interest and availability of jobs for women.

But, enough about the globe and statistical information about Canada in general; where are we now?

An independent study* I recently conducted myself showed we are not out of the male dominated print world yet, but we are moving toward parity, if not an entire shift. Overall, 38% of all those surveyed were women. This number is well below half, but the number is significant when taking into account a further demographic breakdown. Of the youngest demographic, 54% were female, which is in sharp contrast to the 70% male representation in the 30-44 age category and the 100% male representation of the eldest age group.

The short and quick of it is that this is a young woman’s printing world, and it will take some time before these numbers even out.
To illustrate my point, my graduating class was comprised of 64% females. In theory, at this rate, women will eclipse men as the primary figures in the industry inside of 20 years.

While women are making great strides as being equals in the workforce, there is one area that is still seeing a severe lack of female representation – ownership. There are nearly 1900 print shops in the GTA, which are all almost exclusively owned and operated by men. It only stands to reason as printing is primarily a family business, and many men picked up where their father’s left off, while women opted for fields that seemed to offer more opportunities at the time.

But, with the equal opportunity workforce, the next generation of female printers may opt to take the reins. That being said, the current state of affairs is that of a male-owned industry, and thus a male-run industry. Even with all this, there were still some women out there who pioneered this increasingly hospitable rise of women in print.

So, what does the future hold for women in print? It seems as though the trend is that women are looking to claim their rightful place as equals with men in the industry. This not only pertains to the number of employees, but also the level of salary and the availability for advancement within the company.

As more women become higher ranking individuals within the print companies, it only stands to reason that we will eventually see an increase in the number of female presidents and owners. A large enough increase in such numbers and we may see print go from a boys’ club to a girls’ club in the next 25 years, but, of course, I am speculating.

What does seem certain is that the number of women in the print industry will only continue to increase over the next five to ten years. I, for one, am very excited and pleased by this as I find my female co-workers to be a wonderful resource and often more helpful than some of my male associates.

For those of you women in the industry who want to see a few more females around the office, it only seems like a matter of time before you are the majority, rather than the minority.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me: johnathonanderson@graphicartsmag.com

^{*A few notes about the figures: 1. This survey focused on primary office type positions and does not take into account press or bindery employees; 2. These are primarily Canadian results relative to the Toronto area; 3. These results are meant to show general trends in the industry and are in by no means an actual representation of the sexual diversity in the workforce.}

I am currently working part time on a Print Masters. Deciding to return to school wasn’t difficult for me, but for many people in the industry, the decision is a tricky one. If you have thought at all about returning to school—or are considering postsecondary education for the first time—the following are some good questions to ask yourself.

“Is it worth it?”

In addition to the obvious monetary investment you will be making, there is also a time investment. I am currently investing roughly twenty hours a week in my schooling, and that is on a part-time basis, doing one course at a time. It is worthwhile to me because I hope that my increased knowledge will give me an advantage in advancing my career.

I must warn you that you should never count on your place of employment to assist you in your education. Companies may change management and you might change companies. If you can barely afford schooling with their assistance, you might be up a creek if that assistance stops for any reason.

“What is the cost?”

If additional schooling makes sense, you must then examine the costs. There are the obvious costs (tuition, transportation) and the ones that are not so obvious (books, supplies, software or hardware that might be required). I even purchased a laptop computer for one of my courses. The best way to determine costs is to talk to a current student or recent graduate. One of my professors from Ryerson was finishing up his Masters just as I began mine, so I had a ready resource.

In addition to materials, you must also put a price on your time and your freedom. You’ll get a better understanding of how much time is required for something by talking to a current student, but everyone works differently. Your weekly time investment may be fixed, as well—which may mean giving up much of your freedom or recreation. Courses with a floating time commitment, which you can complete at your leisure, are often easier to work into your schedule.

“Full time or part time?”

Part-time schooling allows you to work full-time while completing your studies. If you’re dealing with a pricey American school (as I am) part time makes things much more affordable. Part time study also allows you to continue to gain industry experience as you gain classroom experience. You are also able to move at your own pace, taking one or no classes in certain semesters. The disadvantage of part-time schooling is that you really do max out your days and nights, and some employers still don’t value an “online” or part-time degree as highly one done full-time.

Full time takes you out of the working world, but allows you to complete your degree much faster, though most students in a full-time program are very young. Are you comfortable being the “old” one?

There are a variety of courses you can take at Ryerson that relate to print, and there are also certificate programs that some employers equate with a degree. If you’re willing to spend the money, America and even many parts of Europe do courses and degrees online. As the print world continues to change rapidly, your knowledge will be one of the few things that differentiate you from the rest of the pack. No matter how much you know there is always something new to learn.

As always I would love to hear your take on the subject. Email me directly at johnathonanderson@graphicartsmag.com

My fiancée and I are both in the printing industry, and both attended Ryerson University’s Graphic Communications Management program. Often, when gifts are being distributed, we marvel at the wrapping, or the card, or the binding on a book. There’s usually a minute or two of discussion on how it was done, how much it would cost, and the merits of the piece. Our families listen intently and then chuckle to themselves when the conversation is done. They are all curious as to how things are made, but for the most part, no one (save the two of us) is impressed with some of the more remarkable pieces we encounter.

I have often debated the optimum level of quality vs. quantity in the printing industry. I continually find pieces where I would have gladly paid the extra for the quality achieved, only to have a friend or family member chuckle at my willingness. Many such incidents have revealed to me that the only people impressed by printers’ work are other printers.

Printing awards are doubtless impressive to a first time buyer. Someone demanding high quality products may also be interested in these accolades, but to the average buyer, the bottom line seems to stand out. I love the printing awards, and am pleased as punch when I witness an award-winning piece. I glow with pride for the whole industry when I show off an unconventional piece that makes average people oooh and ahhh. It doesn’t even have to be a piece I personally worked on for me to feel this pride. It’s as if the award is going to a teammate, a brother in the common printing struggle.

However, I don’t get that warm fuzzy feeling as much as I used to. I cringe every time I hear the words “what a nice card,” and then watch that card get tossed aside like a napkin after an all-you-can-eat rib dinner. My suspicion that we only impress ourselves with our clever innovation increases daily. So what can we do about it?

Currently, printers must pay a fee to enter most printing awards contests. The pieces entered are often the few best samples of larger runs in the tens of thousands. The pieces are then judged by people with vast knowledge of print. While this process is almost perfect for deciding which printers would most impress other printers, it doesn’t indicate who the best printers are as far as the client goes. If you really want to impress end users, involve them in judging. Subcategorize pieces by price; it is unfair to compare pieces in different price brackets on the same scale. Finally, make nominations and entries free of charge.

I envision the process going something like this: anyone with the ability to buy print could log on to a website and nominate a piece. A piece must have five unique nominations in order to achieve a place at the judging table. (Unique nominations are ones from individuals who are not related through blood, business, or other means of mutual benefits.) In categories with an unusual number of nominations, only the top ten, based on total number of nominations, make it to the judging table.

The final judging is done by a panel of three clients, one industry official, one student of the industry, and two clients from a different market (such as Europe). Each section of the competition would use a unique group of judges, to ensure unbiased judging. The pieces would be judged on quality, value, impact, and originality.

By judging awards in this way, the industry would gain much more than through the current process. The industry would not only see what types of products impressed their customers, but would also be able to see what types of products gained the most recognition from customers on the whole. The awards could both serve as market research and as rewards to printers for a job well done. After the judging, what printer would not be willing to pay a small fee to receive such valuable information?

As always, email your questions and comments to johnathonanderson@graphicartsmag.com

I’d love to begin this article with some kind of rhyming mnemonic for recalling the major large-format printing processes, but alas there are only three. For a few years now, digital has been the mainstay, flooding the short run market with its vibrant color and timely turn-around. Along with digital, gravure has also hung around. With its gapless cylinder, wallpaper and long-run flyers are often the niche of gravure’s porous plates. Flexography, too, still has its own market of interest, with its capability to produce low-cost packaging and its flexibility in substrates. But Sheetfed Lithography has quietly made a lot of headway in the ever-growing market of large format.

Once upon a time, Canada was a market with few large-format sheetfed machines. These machines stuck around, basking in their 4-color glory, but their quality dwindled and the interest and demand dropped, and those giants that ran up to 77” wide sheets are more relics than actual powers in the industry. While the Canadian machines grew old and grey, the Europeans continued to invest in this technology, buying new large-format presses by companies like MAN Roland and KBA. You’ll still find many of the old Harris machines running, but the market for these dinosaurs is shrinking quickly. The only reason they are still able to operate is because the machines are all so old they have depreciated to the point where their BHR is that of a much smaller machine.

The new giants are faster, smarter and more diverse, while still posing a range of challenges for their owners. These new presses have inline coaters, complex software packages that monitor every millimeter of the press, automated densitometer packages—and the list just keeps on going, but it’s not all fun and games. Most stock suppliers don’t readily carry stock sizes that fit on these beasts, and despite all your best efforts at the gym the sheer size of these presses means everything is bigger and heavier. To give you an example, just forty sheets of 72 x 51 gloss text weigh 30lbs—the same as 150 sheets of 25 x 38.

Now let’s meet your starting lineup for GTA large format lithography. Annan & Bird have the largest press in Canada at 81” wide (KBA) and have long been a part of the Sheetfed wide format market. Annan also boasts a 77” press (Harris) along with various other presses over 40” in width. The T.I. Group is next in line with a newly acquired 72” press (MAN Roland). Much newer to this market, T.I. is expanding their existing services in a big way. Other shops, such as Eclipse and Lithotech, have had larger format machines for some time. Eclipse works mostly on commercial displays and posters while dabbling in trade work, while Lithotech does their business in high end boxes.

With such a broad range of products that might be suitable for large format sheetfed, it’s hard to believe there isn’t more attention paid to this market. However, expect that to change as companies like the T.I. Group begin to take the plunge and purchase much larger equipment. Couple larger equipment with an increasing demand for more unique products, and size is just another thing printers can use as a selling feature of their facilities. But before you run out and spend tens of millions of dollars on a new press, make sure you do all your research and think long and hard about the costs and benefits. Bigger is not always better.

As always, questions and comments can be sent to johnathonanderson@graphicartsmag.com

There are so many different ideas about what will happen to print markets in the future. 5 or 10 year trend forecasts tend to be fairly accurate, but let’s look beyond 2017 and hazard a guess (a wild guess in some cases) at what the printing industry will be like in 2040.

The technology of 2040 will likely be similar to today’s. There are a few major innovations, for the most part we have simply improved existing technology to make it faster and less expensive. However, in the future raw materials will be rarer and thus more valuable than they are today, and so I see print prices being comparable to those of today.

Newspapers, magazine, flyers, legal forms, and even many books will not be printed in the future. I have seen too many people receiving copies of magazines and papers to their laptops and enjoying them, to believe that these print markets will continue to flourish. I am certain that printed options will still be available, but the majority of the content will be distributed electronically, rather than physically. The printed book market will be much smaller than it is, but this will be the one market that does not go digital quickly or quietly.

The products that continue to use paper are business cards (could you imagine handing out little chips, screens or anything else?), contracts (ink on paper is still more believable than an electronic signature), signs (you can’t put up screens everywhere), and packaging (you have to put cereal into something). Much of the paper makeup has changed to the point where almost all papers are 90% recycled—primarily because we cannot get enough trees in a year to produce our paper needs any other way.

The number of printers dwindled, shrunk, and in 2040 are down to about 5, internationally. An analogy would be to the gas companies of today. Each printer would have about 5 larger plants with smaller regional locations across the globe. Larger jobs go to the main offices, but for the most part each branch can handle smaller jobs on their own. At this point each of the 5 have been doing this for so long that they all know each other’s prices, so each location sells the same products for roughly the same price. Oh sure, you could save a few pennies if you shopped it around long enough, but chances are the reward program you’ve selected is enough to get you to overlook any savings you’d achieve elsewhere.

But who is buying all this print? All companies must continue to buy business cards for their employees, and lawyers and other legal entities are purchasing larger volumes of contracts around the world. Signs are being done for many temporary sites, like a building under construction. Packaging is still being purchased by those who need boxes or bags to put their products in.

Only time will tell how accurate these predictions are, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. What do you think 2040 will be like for printers, if there are any left? I know it’s a long way off, but for anyone planning on being a part of the industry in 30 years it is definitely worth thinking about.

Any questions or comments should be emailed to johnathonanderson@graphicartsmag.com
Johnathon Anderson
johnathonanderson@graphicartsmag.com