Envelopes aren’t licked yet

Printed post is being eroded by online channels but clever campaigns are proving it is not RIP for the humble DL.

13 April, 2012

Feeling secondhand in a tight market

In past recessions, the secondhand market boomed as printers chased deals. But the GFC has rewritten the rulebook and machinery dealers are paying the price.

2 February, 2012

Skills bound up in the past

Highly automated equipment can only go so far to make up for the lack of skilled operators working in the finishing department

1 February, 2012

Get it down on paper

Handshake deals remain a part of the trade but without a contract, you may be exposed.

28 November, 2011

Modern tech keeps it reel

Cutting-edge developments in web offset machinery are ensuring the old-world mediums of magazines and catalogues can take the fight to the challenge of online channels.

28 September, 2011

The one-stop shop on top

Print buyers increasingly want a single touch point and many mid-range printers are only too happy to oblige. But are these Jacks of all trades at risk of mastering none?

28 September, 2011

Riding the price waves

From regular price increases to unforeseen natural disasters, conditions in the paper market can be volatile. Don’t let surges and swells in costs drown your business, says Steve Crowe.

4 July, 2011

Love clients from hell

Most nightmare customers can be managed with firm agreements and a bit of hand holding. If not, maybe it is time to say goodbye, writes Steve Crowe.

1 June, 2011

Right-sized and ready to rise up

For many in the print industry, the view in the rear vision mirror is more a war zone than a pastoral scene. The numbers tell a story of an industry hammered by the global financial crisis (GFC) and still coming to terms with how it can accommodate the new reality of tough economic conditions and tough competition from other media.

7 March, 2011

Good news travels fast

Digital print’s invasion of offset strongholds has been working to some extent across the wider print landscape, except perhaps in the newspaper sector. This remains a bastion of web offset. While we won’t see a wholesale change of allegiance any time soon, that hasn’t stopped digital invaders trying for a land grab.

7 March, 2011