Digital Printing
Blog Tag
Leveraging Our Purchasing Power to Navigate a Tight Paper Market
It’s no secret marketers have been feeling the squeeze of a tight paper supply. The size of the North America pulp and paper market was $64.32 billion in 2021, with the U.S representing $59.54 billion of the total, as reported in Fortune Business Insights, April 2022 Market Research Report. North American production capacity of uncoated freesheet paper declined from 8.3MM tons in Q1 2018 to 6.5MM tons in 2022, while coated freesheet capacity declined by 48% since January 2017, down to an estimated production of 2 million tons in 2022.
APTech Sponsored Amplify Show Coming to Minneapolis
During my more than 30 years in the print industry, I have seen direct mail as a media form constantly evolve and change. You must adapt and grow with the advances in technology, or be left out in the cold (and I am not just saying that as a resident of Minnesota.) As a board member of the Association for Print Technology (APTech), and VP of Operations at IWCO Direct, I feel it is important to share information on the new technology, latest trends, and events in the print industry with our valued clients.
We Are Ushering in A Golden Age of Color Accuracy and Consistency
Companies invest tremendous resources into developing the colors that represent their brand. With brand identity such an important matter, it’s no surprise they demand color accuracy and consistency across all their materials. However, this can create quite a challenge when various pieces are produced on different equipment, which are all calibrated differently, not to mention […]
Accelerating the Speed from Data to Delivery
Marketers’ needs are evolving. Our clients tell us they require even more focus on data and analytics to drive enhanced personalization and relevance in their messaging; they’re looking for automated tools to streamline the management of marketing content and creative across channels; and their most pressing need is to accelerate speed-to-market. Utilizing the latest in […]
The Benefits and Challenges of Cellular Manufacturing for Direct Mail Production
My posts for SpeakingDIRECT often highlight new technologies IWCO Direct is exploring or capabilities we are adding, but innovation and efficiency aren’t just driven by the equipment we employ. Processes and workflow can be just as important in ensuring IWCO Direct maintains its leadership role.
3 Questions to Ask When Designing for Digital Printing
We talk a lot about the benefits of digital printing and how you can maximize your creative direct mail design through its benefits. What we haven’t touched on is a specific concern when designing for digital printing: how to stop yourself from overusing or maxing out on the features that make digital printing great.
The Importance of Color Quality Process Controls
Previously, we discussed what marketers should know about color quality process controls. Today we’ll tackle what to ask when evaluating your providers’ process controls.
Understanding Color Quality Process Controls
As color experts, we can say that evaluating your print production provider’s color quality process control doesn’t have to use magic or be scary. Knowing the right questions to ask will get you far. There are a couple of concepts that are critical …
PRINTING United 2019 Really Was a “Bigger, Better, Bolder” Look at the Possibilities of Print
The first-ever PRINTING United promised to be “bigger,” “better,” and “bolder” than any print industry conference before it—and we think it definitely delivered. Here’s what Color Technical Support Manager Steve Malec thought of the inaugural event […]
PRINT 19 Stresses Role of Direct Mail as a Valued Premium Channel
This fall, those of us who value paper-based communications have more than one different industry show to choose from. Today, let's look at PRINT 19, APTech's last annual event under the PRINT name, and what it revealed about the state and future of print communications [...]
