Paper chase
If shares in listed paper outfits slide some more (as indeed they are in the habit of doing), the mill men can always turn to fashion for a future. Anyone on a Sydney A-List invited to a recent Fashion and Beauty launch at a trendy drinkipoo would have marvelled at an Akira gown being modelled by someone we are supposed to have recognised — would you believe — as Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns’ girl friend, made entirely out of dress paper patterns (the dress, not the girl friend).
An offer you won’t want to refuse
ProPrint columnist Frank Romano introduced a video entitled “The History of Printing in 15 Minutes” which he created with his students a few years back. It walks you through major milestones from Gutenberg to papyrus to important contributors in the development of type. Seems Frank would like this to be freely available for educational use and printers with young turks who might benefit from a smidgeon of the history of their chosen profession could perhaps do the right thing and show it to them. A downloaded copy is available from Adam Dewitz on adam@printceoblog.com.
Sign of the times
They blame the freefalling economy, but one suspects there’s more to it than sub-prime problems causing reduced mail volumes in the USA. The recent US Postal Service reports fiscal 2008 year-to-date net losses of $US1.13 billion ($A1.3 billion). Meanwhile, said Postal Service is reported as using YouTube messages to promote its parcel service. What’s that old song about packing up your troubles in something or other?
More signs of the times?
That veteran of the magazine world, Esquire, is now in its 75th year. Its October issue, it says, was the first magazine ever to embed a revolutionary digital technology — electronic paper – into a mass-produced print product.
The initiative is a partnership with the Ford Motor Co and E Ink Corporation, a leading supplier of electronic paper display (EPD) technologies. If that isn’t an insightful statement about how print can expand its strengths in today’s age, I’m yet to hear one.
Chicago was more than Obama’s town last month
If you managed to make it to Graph Expo (most of you may have had your fill of plane travel after doing Düsseldorf) you will undoubtedly have benefited from last month’s seminar programme which preceded the Chicago show. More than 70 educational sessions, as well as hands-on “computer abs” offered clues for transactional printers to go a step beyond large-volume, quick-turnaround service to allow customers to combine marketing messages in trans promo and trans-educational communiqués with essential reporting data.
A line-up of industry experts ranged far and wide over topics such as business buildings, tips on personalised printing and production issues. Workshops concentrating on building and escalating digital printing businesses covered projections for the hot markets for 2009 and importantly, what equipment purchases will be necessary to capitalise on them.
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