2011 - a look back

[Laurens]

Best wishes for 2012!

I just finished a page about the prepress, printing and publishing news of 2011. I cannot recall any major software releases in the past year but there was lots of other news. Steve Jobs may have dominated the headlines but I think manroland filing for bankruptcy is THE biggest event for our industry. Any thoughts on the major events of 2011 or are there maybe things I overlooked?

[Ear]

I think you mostly covered it. Even if there was news, it isn't in print anymore.  :undecided:

You did miss one big event... DCS' return from his 6 month hiatus.

[Joe]

• Japanese press manufacturer Shinohara to file for bankruptcy protection
• German press manufacturer manroland AG also files for insolvency.
• In its London headquarters Stroma starts printing color editions of international newspapers on an Océ JetStream 1000. This digital inkjet press can print in excess of 1000 36-page tabloid newspapers per hour.
• In the US overall sales of ebooks pass sales of paperbacks. Seven months earlier, in  July 2010, web shop Amazon's US digital book sales had already eclipsed the sales of hardcover books.

I think those pretty much sum up what has been happening and at the same time forecast more of what is to come in the industry. I think 2012 will be even more grim for print.

[DigitalCrapShoveler]

• Japanese press manufacturer Shinohara to file for bankruptcy protection
• German press manufacturer manroland AG also files for insolvency.
• In its London headquarters Stroma starts printing color editions of international newspapers on an Océ JetStream 1000. This digital inkjet press can print in excess of 1000 36-page tabloid newspapers per hour.
• In the US overall sales of ebooks pass sales of paperbacks. Seven months earlier, in  July 2010, web shop Amazon's US digital book sales had already eclipsed the sales of hardcover books.

I think those pretty much sum up what has been happening and at the same time forecast more of what is to come in the industry. I think 2012 will be even more grim for print.

Party Pooper.

[NefariousDrO]

I have to say that the print market just seems weird to me right now.
There are companies like Moo.com that offer surprisingly-good full color printing in low quantities for a very low price, it seems like quality printing tools have never been cheaper and more accessible, yet the print industry is getting butchered as so much is going to internet and tablets. What printing will survive will likely be concentrated in a smaller number of shops, instead of the many mom&pop operations we used to have.

[Chilbear]

Here's another theme I had happen to me late in the year. The local toner supplier to my customer stole the Bus Card biz with lower prices and slower speed (3 wks vs 2 wks) and they bill under the toner contract and hence a different budget. Not sure if the cost is hidden or "enhanced" but the bean counters took it.

That same supplier is looking for network and systems pros to fill their "new" division - hardware and software sales/service to those clients they sell toner to. 1984 and tin foil hat time.

[gnubler]

Doomed.

[Laurens]

Doomed.

No, just looking for its new place in the spotlights. No longer center stage but still among the stars on the first row.

PrintWeek in the UK did a series of interviews about the state of our industry. I liked Martin Bailey's point of view.

[Skryber]

2012 isn't looking so good for me. We are so slow they have me blueprinting and now there's not any of that and I keep getting sent home.

[Joe]

Hopefully it's just the post holidays slow down for you.

[Tracy]

we just slowed a bit- a breather for me
press still runnin tho

[born2print]

Word. Our shop has been doing well (considering) but we slowed quite a bit the past few weeks. It's just now picking back up.

[DigitalCrapShoveler]

It slowed here for a bit after XMas, enough to catch my breath and do some much needed paperwork I so dread. Of course I still have to come in on most weekends for basketball programs. In late every single time, sometimes by days and turned around in 6 hours; prepped, plated, printed, bound, boxed and delivered.

[gnubler]

We're slower but steady.

Mostly I'm doing in-house projects and webstains, but we have 2 peeps in prepress here.

[NefariousDrO]

Our shop was real slow last week, and first half of this week. Today's the first day I've been kept busy all day in weeks. Of course, at 5:30 our CSR's dumped more work on the prepres dept. than the rest of the day combined, too.