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The potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to change the print industry is huge. We’ve been promised a revolution in the way we work, from increased efficiency and automation to more insightful data analysis and more actionable business insights. But the promise of AI has not yet been fully realized; while adoption is quickly growing, a September 2024 PRINTING United Alliance and NAPCO Research survey found that just 62.4% of respondents were either using AI or planning to within the next year. 1 Print service providers are highly motivated to capitalize on the possibilities offered by AI. Many PSPs report big challenges going into 2025 including increased operating costs, decreased sales, and continuing labor shortages. Of course, implementing AI solutions can be a hurdle in and of itself; with a technology as broad and wide-ranging as AI (and with practically every software and platform out there claiming to have AI tools and features), where should PSPs focus today to get the …

thINK has a letter from the new thINK Board President, resources for 2025, a new thINK Academy class, and more! All in our January E-Newsletter. …

In 1821, a Scottish painter named Patrick Syme published a book of color samples called “Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours: Adapted to Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, Minerology, Anatomy, and the Arts.” Syme’s book was based on a classification system devised by the German mineralogist Abraham Gottlob Werner in the late 18th Century, and a book Werner published in 1814. Charles Darwin used Werner’s system for his scientific observations while developing his theory of natural selection. Werner’s system of classification predated systems such as Pantone (which did not arrive until the 1950s), and it still has relevant lessons for us over two hundred years later.  Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral? Syme’s version of Werner’s guide was reprinted by  the Smithsonian not long ago and made available at an affordable price. (Original copies, if you can find one, sell for thousands of dollars.) The book is only about 80 pages long and has 110 color swatches in the following palettes: Whites (1-8), …

Can a quick price drop close the deal? Is there a downside? Let me share why discounts like this can backfire for Production Inkjet print service providers—and what to do instead. Scenario A: We quote $5,000 to a customer for a production inkjet print job—let's say it includes full-color variable data printing on premium coated stock and mailing services. The customer comes back and says they need us at $4,500 to win their business. We agree to discount the deal by $500 but don’t change anything about what we’re delivering—still the same premium stock, same color coverage, same mailing service. In Scenario A, the customer gave up nothing to get a discount. We changed the price without changing the offering, which I call an “unearned discount.” This obviously eats into our profit. But equally importantly, unearned discounts hurt trust. When the customer learns that they can simply ask for a discount and get it—without any adjustment to the scope or materials—they may conclude there was …