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There is a bit of euphoric overreach often accompanying the subject of production inkjet printing, one that Chris Illman would like to set straight. As amazing as the technology may be, production inkjet isn’t a magic pill that will transform your company overnight...nor is it accompanied by “the force” or any other supernatural phenomenon that, by extension, will naturally resonate with a printer’s sales team.  By the same token, Illman—CEO of OneTouchPoint, a digital printing giant headquartered in Hartland, Wisconsin—is a huge proponent of the technology, as it enables both his firm and its customers to be more competitive in the marketplace. His firm was one of the handful of beta testers for the Océ VarioPrint i300 sheetfed press from Canon, and the company has experienced much initial success with the device.  So while Illman offers some caveats to production inkjet newcomers, it is nothing that a little homework and some preparation won’t solve.  The company prides itself as a …

Winterberry Group’s Managing Director Jonathan Marqulies came to the thINK 2016 Conference to relay a story we have been hearing more often lately:  personalized direct mail is growing and there is an opportunity for printers and marketers alike to integrate it into an omni-channel marketing plan, one that can marry production inkjet printing and big data in a cohesive way.  In his presentation, titled “Lessons Learned: What a Decade of Disruption Tells Us About Direct Mail’s Future,” Margulies explored the steady increase of direct mail spending and annual growth, specifically the 1.1% CAGR that was recorded from 2009-2015, according to a Winterberry Group analysis. And although Margulies pointed out that direct mail piece volumes have decreased — volume CAGR was -1.1% between 2009-2015, according to the same analysis — the fact that direct mail spending and growth are on the rise likely indicates that spending per piece has increased. This could be attributed to the increase in …

As 2016 comes to a close and we plan for 2017, Victor Bohnert, thINK Executive Director shares highlights from thINK 2016: The threat of Hurricane Matthew didn’t dampen the spirits of attendees at the second annual thINK user group conference. The event, which attracted more than 400 Canon production inkjet printing professionals, solution partners, analysts and trade press, was held Oct. 10-12th in Boca Raton, Fla., at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort.  “There was a great deal of uncertainty with Hurricane Matthew, but we really had little falloff due to that risk. People were excited to be there to both learn from each other but also to contribute. The mood was very upbeat and energetic,” said Victor Bohnert, executive director of thINK..  Word on the Street  Throughout the three-day event, a prevailing sense of community, interaction and education was ever-present as both new and existing thINK members united to share their production inkjet experiences, learn …

Glatfelter is a thINK founding partner and a Gold sponsor of thINK 2016. We sat down with Rob Keller, Director, New Business Development, Specialty Papers Business Unit and Siva Mudigonda, Manager, New Products to hear their inkjet perspectives. How important is the inkjet market for Glatfelter?  It is one of the top priorities of our company. Glatfelter is a market leader. We were among the earliest to pioneer purposed papers for inkjet technology and establish a portfolio of leading uncoated and coated products in the Pixelle brand family, and we have steadily grown our product lineup and market leadership position through multiple channels and with many valued business partners.  Why are you such a strong supporter of thINK?  We understand the importance of a coordinated approach to customer solutions. thINK allows us to interface with a very important OEM partner and potential customers. The opportunity to build relationships across the supply chain and help promote this exciting …

Midland Paper is a thINK founding partner and a Platinum sponsor of thINK 2016. We sat down with Mike Ratcliff, Midland’s Vice-President and General Manager for Specialty Paper and Film to hear their inkjet perspectives. Tell us about Midland Paper, Packaging + Supplies Headquartered out of Chicago, IL,  Midland Paper is over 100 years old with annual sales volumes over $1.1 billion. The company is independently owned and is one of North America’s largest independent merchant distributors with resources dedicated specifically to the high-speed continuous inkjet market. Our Quick Jet! Line of Inkjet Media consists of products compatible with leading production inkjet digital presses. How important is the inkjet market for Midland Paper?  Extremely important. It’s a growth market and a market in which we can use our unique talent, knowledge and resources to provide value to our customers who are investing in inkjet technology. Our ultimate goal is to help them maximize their return on …