Magazine Articles

Last month I reported how the US Department of Commerce announced tariffs on Canadian newsprint (i.e. uncoated groundwood paper) in January and how a bill called STOPP (Stop Tariffs on Printing and Publishing) was later introduced by the US Senate to pause additional duties until a study is done on their effects. Now, the House … Read more →

The digital transformations of packaging and commercial printing  We were on the road in June, attending two user conferences: EskoWorld in broiling (40°C) San Antonio, TX, and Ricoh Interact, in more temperate Boulder, CO.  These industry user groups always present a good opportunity to gauge certain sectors of the industry. Unlike industry-wide tradeshows, which give … Read more →

I attended a wonderful open house at Spicers in Vaughan, Ontario last month. About 50 exhibitors participated and the event attracted over 200 professionals from several industry sectors. Congratulations to Andre-Levin Marcon, Paul Tasker, and their hard working staff for putting on such a well-received event. Further congratulations go out to 2018 Gutenberg Gala president … Read more →

Use these strategies to set yourself apart Finding a job today is not what it used to be. It’s been 20 years since Hotjobs.com launched in 1998, while Monster.com launched in 1999 (remember them?) Before that, you attended career fairs, scanned the classified ads of newspapers, magazines and trade publications or heard about an opening … Read more →

What’s the magic characteristic which allows an entrepreneur to weather the storms of abysmal revenue statements and a tsunami of change? Resilience. The good news is that you don’t have to be born with it. Resilience can be learned. Dictionary.com defines resilience as the power or ability for someone or something to return to its … Read more →

What you need to know about the incentive program In an effort to curb global warming, the Government of Ontario has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15% below 1990 emission levels by 2020, 37% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. It is estimated that 34% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2012 came from … Read more →

How to make continuous improvement part of your business strategy With this article we begin a four-part series on lean manufacturing for printers. Our first installment focuses on implementing a sales and continuous-improvement culture in your company. In subsequent articles, we’ll look at how lean principles can improve your prepress and project management, logistics and … Read more →

Ottawa is increasing funding for commercializing innovations It doesn’t require a visionary to know that smart packaging will play a major role in industry and consumer products over the next decade. If your company is thinking of investing in developing smart packaging, or has what you consider to be a really good idea, but are … Read more →

Printers are rising to the challenge of the transformation The following is an excerpt from my book, Business transformation: A new path to profit for the printing industry.   The printing industry is not dying. But it is certainly languishing. For many, if not most companies, profit margins are smaller, the number of clients is … Read more →

It’s all about boxes with more information, safety, convenience and influence At its core, packaging serves to preserve, protect, and provide information about its contents. However, packaging must contend with the pressures of commerce: limited shelf space, finite design area, accessibility and environmental considerations, consumer experience, and other factors that play a role in whether … Read more →

If you’re looking to expand, give it serious thought Digital garment printing has been making its mark on the digital wide-format industry and has enjoyed significant growth in recent years. The market is expected to grow at an impressive CAGR of more than 18% globally until 2021. In 2016 digital textiles market share was about … Read more →