My upcoming retirement is prompting me to reflect on what’s transpired during my career in the graphic arts industry. Considering I started in the print industry nearly forty years ago, I’ve witnessed some major transformations and have been an active participant in forging new futures. Here are some key takeaways…
My upcoming retirement is prompting me to reflect on what’s transpired during my career in the graphic arts industry. Considering I started in the print industry nearly forty years ago, I’ve witnessed some major transformations and have been an active participant in forging new futures. Here are some key takeaways…
The book business is going gangbusters. Being responsible for hardcover finishing solutions at Muller Martini, of late I’ve seen unprecedented activity in both the hard and softcover book markets as printers and binderies reach out for new finishing solutions. Some of this activity is the result of: Migration from overseas.…
The book business is going gangbusters. Being responsible for hardcover finishing solutions at Muller Martini, of late I’ve seen unprecedented activity in both the hard and softcover book markets as printers and binderies reach out for new finishing solutions. Some of this activity is the result of: Migration from overseas.…
Traditional book sewing’s superior construction strength, layflat performance, and quality have long established it as the binding of choice for textbooks and yearbooks, as well as such high-end genres as reference books, cookbooks, and religious texts. But, until recently, book sewing was only possible with offset production, thereby limiting its…
Traditional book sewing’s superior construction strength, layflat performance, and quality have long established it as the binding of choice for textbooks and yearbooks, as well as such high-end genres as reference books, cookbooks, and religious texts. But, until recently, book sewing was only possible with offset production, thereby limiting its…
Nearly twenty years ago, three U.S. organizations—National Association of State Textbook Administrators (NASTA), Association of American Publishers (AAP), and Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI)—created the Manufacturing Standards and Specifications for Textbooks (MSST). MSST’s purpose was to establish physical standards of quality for elementary and high school (i.e., El-Hi) textbooks which…
Nearly twenty years ago, three U.S. organizations—National Association of State Textbook Administrators (NASTA), Association of American Publishers (AAP), and Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI)—created the Manufacturing Standards and Specifications for Textbooks (MSST). MSST’s purpose was to establish physical standards of quality for elementary and high school (i.e., El-Hi) textbooks which…
Touchless workflow is an integral building block of Muller Martini’s Finishing 4.0 engineering and design philosophy. It provides the intelligence to help speed the processing of products that are printed traditionally, digitally, or in combination. Recently, I visited our factory in Germany to conduct a series of touchless workflow…
Touchless workflow is an integral building block of Muller Martini’s Finishing 4.0 engineering and design philosophy. It provides the intelligence to help speed the processing of products that are printed traditionally, digitally, or in combination. Recently, I visited our factory in Germany to conduct a series of touchless workflow…
The North American book market is currently in full swing and healthy recovery following several years of marked uncertainty. The impending “death of the traditional book” was widely reported in trade publications and business journals as the introduction of digital tablets and related devices rapidly took off. Today, however, we…
The North American book market is currently in full swing and healthy recovery following several years of marked uncertainty. The impending “death of the traditional book” was widely reported in trade publications and business journals as the introduction of digital tablets and related devices rapidly took off. Today, however, we…
Because of a photobook’s one-off nature, production success can only be achieved through a highly-efficient workflow, one that’s typically barcode-driven. That’s why the high volume, branded internet-based retailers utilize automated production systems. This allows them to achieve the efficiency that’s needed to profitably produce an exceptionally high volume of one-off…
Because of a photobook’s one-off nature, production success can only be achieved through a highly-efficient workflow, one that’s typically barcode-driven. That’s why the high volume, branded internet-based retailers utilize automated production systems. This allows them to achieve the efficiency that’s needed to profitably produce an exceptionally high volume of one-off…
The US book business continues to struggle in these challenging economic times. Margins are under increasing pressure, competition is increasingly global, and consequently there is a strong reluctance to reinvest in the business – who knows what will happen over the coming year? While these concerns are certainly justified, the…
The US book business continues to struggle in these challenging economic times. Margins are under increasing pressure, competition is increasingly global, and consequently there is a strong reluctance to reinvest in the business – who knows what will happen over the coming year? While these concerns are certainly justified, the…
Photo Books remain an active area for capital investment, and a solid growth prospect in these uncertain times. We are seeing a lot of interest in this segment, enabling the companies to expand their businesses into new areas. Our recent workshop at Graph Expo was well attended, and focused on…
Photo Books remain an active area for capital investment, and a solid growth prospect in these uncertain times. We are seeing a lot of interest in this segment, enabling the companies to expand their businesses into new areas. Our recent workshop at Graph Expo was well attended, and focused on…
One of Muller Martini’s most efficient binding lines ran 17 different jobs in one 8 hour shift and still produced 62,000 books! If they kept doing this for one whole month, they would run over 1500 different jobs and produce nearly 6 million books! Come visit us in Booth 845…
One of Muller Martini’s most efficient binding lines ran 17 different jobs in one 8 hour shift and still produced 62,000 books! If they kept doing this for one whole month, they would run over 1500 different jobs and produce nearly 6 million books! Come visit us in Booth 845…
