2022 Feb/Mar

Industry Influencer: Keith Whisler

PostPress

The Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA) exists to promote the value of paper-based communications and, in particular, envelopes and printed products. EMA is dedicated to the business activities of manufacturers and envelope printers, forms companies, packaging companies, market intermediaries and the suppliers that support the industry. EMA works closely with state, national and global legislative and regulatory authorities to ensure business remains successful and to protect the industry.

EMA’s Senior Director of Technical Services Keith Whisler spoke with PostPress to discuss trends, changes in envelope manufacturing and what the future holds – in both predictions for the industry and upcoming events.

What changes have you seen in envelope manufacturing in the last few years? What are some of the trends happening in direct mail and envelopes?

The increase in digital communication and e-commerce continues to change the landscape of the direct mail and envelope industry, as well as alternate mail product solutions also impacting the industry. As a result, marketers and mail providers are finding success with creative messaging that takes advantage of the physical features of paper communications. Finishing techniques such as embossing, diecutting, foil treatments and special coatings bring a higher quality level to the mail piece, which increases open rates. Of course, personalization and multi-channel communications also take advantage of the power of physical mail.

What are the biggest challenges the direct mail and envelope industry currently is facing? How should the industry respond to successfully grow and thrive?

Digital communication continues to threaten both transactional and marketing mail communications. Ensuring the relevance of direct mail in multi-channel communications creates an avenue for growth.

From a manufacturing perspective, the availability of qualified labor is quite a challenge. The aging workforce continues to be difficult to replace – not just in the paper industry, however. Other industries are competing for the same labor pool, while the training of new replacements can be time consuming. Alternative recruiting efforts and new training methods will help the industry move forward.

We know EMA is one of the association sponsors for the upcoming Amplify Print event. Embellishments, such as foils and specialty coatings, continue to be very popular in the production of envelopes and direct mail. Why do you think this has been a trend? Do you believe it will continue to be a trend in the future?

The Envelope Manufacturers Association is looking forward to participating in the Amplify Print event to endorse the value of using creative finishing techniques in envelopes and direct mail. As the only trade association dedicated to envelope manufacturers and the suppliers who support them, EMA will share the advantages of membership and how we work to improve the longevity of the envelope and direct mail marketing.

The impact of non-verbal, haptic communications through the sense of touch can be extremely powerful. This only can be achieved through a physical item, such as paper, which delivered via mail is an incredibly effective avenue to reach the intended audience. These techniques will continue to develop new creative means to impact emotional responses.

What predictions do you have for the envelope and direct mail industry in the near and long-term future?

The envelope industry will continue to take advantage of creative print and finishing techniques to increase the value to the envelope. It also will continue to expand product offerings such as lightweight packaging, folded mailers and other mail industry services. Long-term, we will see an increase in digital printing and personalization combined with other media to create robust and creative marketing communications.

Overcoming Supply Chain Chaos

By Hallie Forcinio, writer, PostPress

Supply chain disruptions are soaring. Compared to 2019 (before COVID-19), global supply chain disruptions have more than tripled to 11,642 in 2021, according to Statista1. This is no surprise to anyone who ships/receives anything or buys, sells, prints, finishes or converts paper, paperboard or corrugated. Incredibly, it seems supply chain issues are worse now.

“We just didn’t have these issues pre-pandemic,” commented Mark Baugh, president at Baugh Graphic Finishing House, a specialist in embossing, foil stamping, coatings, diecutting, folding and gluing. Todd Greenwood, chief commercial officer at Case Paper, a supplier and converter of paper and paperboard, agreed. He recalled, “Looking back to March of 2020, paperboard and packaging, in general, seemed to weather the storm fairly well. Business remained robust for many of those producing folding cartons and corrugated boxes. Commercial print took a hit for sure. From our perspective, we saw demand pick up in both segments, especially commercial print, around August of 2020. Since then, activity has continued at a feverish pace. After customer and mill inventories began to be depleted, the unmade order book started to grow and hasn’t let up yet. The demand for product certainly is there, the trick is fulfilling it. We are all working within the constraints of allocations.”

Supplies are tight. Production of paper, paperboard and corrugated is not keeping up with demand and any inventory cushion has been consumed. “Paper and paperboard supply has been one of our biggest challenges over the past 10 to 12 months,” said Greenwood.

Maintaining its inventory of paper and paperboard has been a huge challenge, agreed Eric Longnecker, senior buyer at Diamond Packaging, a converter of paperboard cartons. He said, “We were fortunate we were able to produce when others were totally out of paperboard. Some paper companies basically turned off the supply, some restricted what we could buy. Virtually all had longer lead times. Corrugated has become especially problematic.”

“We don’t buy any paper, but we work with printers and know some companies are shutting down halfway through the month because they are out of paper,” reported Baugh.

Then there are the logistics problems. Baugh said, “The freight system is disastrous right now. It’s 100% unreliable. Delivery guarantees are almost a joke. We have to build in more time.” What used to be accomplished in three or four days now takes two weeks. He explained, “A lot of projects we do are really time-sensitive cartons or direct mail. If we miss delivery by a day, it’s a big deal, so we try to do everything we can to compensate.” Fortunately, he said, “People are much more understanding today about these issues than they were a couple of years ago.” Nevertheless, he warned, “Customers can’t wait until the last minute to cut a purchase order.”

Other materials needed for printing, finishing and converting also have been in short supply. The deep freeze, which hit Texas in February 2021, caused chaos in the supply chain for any product related to fossil fuels, delaying production and delivery of products such as adhesives, inks and coatings. These difficulties expanded as 2021 progressed, to the point that, “December 2021 was the most difficult yet for maintaining the supplies needed to run jobs and provide timely delivery,” reported Longnecker.

Another challenge has been service. With COVID-19-related restrictions limiting travel during most of 2020 and 2021, virtually no service technicians could make in-person visits, nor were many operations allowing visitors entry. That caused lengthy periods of downtime, especially for equipment dependent on technicians based overseas.

Overcoming challenges

With the supply chain constraints, costs have increased, margins have shrunk, lead times have lengthened and it hasn’t always been possible to deliver the specified product as quickly as a customer wants it.

Longnecker reported, “The cost of paperboard increased 25% last year. This reduced margins on contract business.” At the same time, lead times have increased because material orders frequently don’t arrive on schedule or are incomplete. Most lead times have increased by a minimum of two weeks, some have gone from two weeks to eight weeks, and lead times for paperboard from European suppliers have jumped from eight weeks to 12 to 16 weeks. “When you have a commitment for a 14-day turnaround, this is a problem,” said Longnecker. Late deliveries of materials also disrupt production schedules if jobs need to be set aside to await the arrival of finishing materials.

On the logistics side, many suppliers and customers are using their own trucks as much as possible. This control makes it possible to avoid hubs, where goods can be trapped for days or weeks. Less-than-truckload shipments are particularly challenging because the truck might only have room for six skids in a 20-skid order. Meanwhile, the 14 skids awaiting the next pickup experience more handling, increasing the chances of damage

“We are focusing on communicating with customers and planning as far in advance as we can while recognizing the reality of limited supply,” said Greenwood. He stressed, “Planning is the key. Supplier relationships are very important these days, so you should ask suppliers to meet with your key people, sales representatives and production personnel to help them stay informed on the current state of supply chains.” Longnecker agreed, noting when building relationships with suppliers it’s important to emphasize commonalties in philosophy, target industries and practices. For example, Diamond Packaging holds a Diamond EcoVadis Platinum sustainability rating as does two of its paperboard suppliers. “We travel the same path and can help each other,” he explained.

Baugh is using the same tactics: more advanced planning, longer lead times, a willingness to compromise and more detailed and frequent communication. He talked to his suppliers several months ago to ensure supplies of hot stamping foil would be adequate. He recommended maintaining higher levels of inventory in-house by placing larger orders and/or ordering more frequently. He said, “Higher inventory costs are better than machines sitting idle.”

Even with more inventory on hand, some projects may require a compromise or even a redesign. Noting a lot of foil producers are based in Asia, he said, “Unusual foil colors can be a real challenge. It’s impossible to stock odd colors.” Ultraviolet (UV) coatings also have been problematic. Lack of timely availability has necessitated replacing the UV coating with an aqueous alternative or deleting the coating completely for some projects.

It’s important to be flexible and ask about options like replacing gloss paper with matte and then enhancing the piece with spot coatings or other techniques. “We see a lot of projects reprinted on different stock because the first choice isn’t available or has an unacceptable lead time,” said Baugh. “At any given time, some grades may have better availability than others,” added Greenwood.

“We just have to rethink about how to compensate upfront for things that are out of our control,” stated Baugh.

Will 2022 be better?

Looking forward to 2022, the supply chain chaos is not over. “Honestly, I don’t think anyone can predict when it will end,” said Greenwood, noting the many influences beyond the company’s control, including consumer spending; return of workers to the workforce; inflation; port congestion and constraints in ocean, truck and rail shipping; growth in e-commerce; government actions; and the potential for converting fine paper machines to making brown paper for the corrugated market.

He said, “Most experts originally saw a trend of rising prices and tight supply into mid-year or Q3 of 2022. We are not so sure about that now, given the way the year started with more increases and supply issues. Hopefully, by mid-year, we will have a better idea, with better mechanisms in place, to add order to the chaotic times we are seeing today. We don’t see an increase in import volumes this year, at least not until Q4. This will continue the strain on domestic production and pricing.”

Baugh and Longnecker feel even less optimistic and don’t expect any improvement until 2023. Longnecker predicted paperboard availability will get worse before it gets better and fears another freeze in Texas and Louisiana. He explained, “In 2021, there was extra capacity, and you could get what you needed for the most part.” But demand has grown faster than capacity has been restored or expanded so it’s no longer uncommon for suppliers to reject orders. One reason demand has soared is the need to package COVID-19-mitigating products and government actions such as mailing 500 million COVID-19 test kits to US residents. “Each test kit uses paperboard and takes material away from regular users,” noted Longnecker.

The test kit mailing also will exacerbate the difficulties being encountered with logistics. The US Postal Service and organizations such as UPS and FedEx are struggling to make timely deliveries. Demand for trucks and truck drivers has exceeded supply since well before the pandemic started, and the situation has worsened during the pandemic years. With insufficient trucking capacity, shipping costs are rising. For example, the cost of cross-border shipments into Canada has risen 90% in 90 days. The steep increase means higher prices must be charged for the goods, which in turn fuel inflation.

Keeping customers happy

For the most part, customers understand and accept the current supply chain constraints. “Are they happy? No. Is there pushback? Yes,” said Longnecker. He wonders what will happen when the constraints are overcome. Will the frustration with higher prices, longer lead times and compromises on material and delivery times prompt customers to seek new suppliers? He observed, “We’re keeping the business now. How this will affect us in six to 12 months is the wild card.”

To ensure there are no defections once the supply chain stabilizes, Diamond Packaging is making every effort to ensure customer relationships remain strong. In practice, this has meant taking some extreme actions such as agreeing to help a customer by providing a competitor with paperboard to run a job. However, that gamble paid off. The move already has generated new business.

“Planning ahead and educating your customers is key,” said Greenwood. “There is no such thing as over-communicating during this time,” he concluded.

References

Statista, “Number of supply chain disruptions worldwide 2019-2021,” https://www.statista.com/statistics/1267082/supply-chain-disruptions-worldwide/#statisticContainer, accessed Feb. 1, 2022.

Designing for Specialty UV Coatings

By Liz Stevens, writer, PostPress

Specialty UV coatings have grown in popularity with the increase of digital inkjet processes and conventional screen UV coatings as well. To take full advantage of the creativity offered by UV coatings, it is helpful to understand their strengths and weaknesses as dictated by the underlying press being used – traditional vs. digital. And it takes design expertise to use UV coatings for the most effective and memorable results. FSEA Executive Director Jeff Peterson spoke with a trio of printing experts who have mastered the use of UV coatings. Doug Fontana from The Fontana Group, Christine Yardley of Print Panther and Matt Greer with DMS Color shared valuable best practices, practical suggestions and design ideas for using specialty and spot UV to make print pieces sing, pop and make a lasting impression. They also showed examples of UV coating applications on some of their favorite recent projects.

Making the most of UV coatings

“The use of spot UV usually is to highlight something,” said Doug Fontana. “Whether it is text or a logo or a product, the aim is to make it stand out from the background. That can be done by using contrast – using a gloss UV with a matte background or using matte UV with a gloss background. A soft-touch feel, or a rough feel, can add contrast, too. Designers even can use spot UV with glitter, but the main technique that designers would use is to add contrast to really make the artwork pop.”

The Extreme Digital Guide, created for Konica Minolta by Christine Yardley, Print Panther. The cover of this piece features diecutting, foil and varnish with the addition of a soft-touch coating for tactile appeal.

Fontana mentioned some new spot UV coatings that are gaining notice. “We call them ‘reveal’ coatings,” he said. “There is a thermal coating that completely covers an image; when heat is applied – the heat of a finger, for instance – the image beneath the coating appears. There is lottery ticket-style reveal with a scratch-off coating.” Fontana also described a coating called a flash reveal; the hidden image can’t be seen unless the viewer takes a picture of it with a phone camera using a flash. “All of a sudden,” Fontana said, “the hidden image will show up in the phone’s picture, but on the original print the image cannot be seen with the naked eye.” There also is a hydrochromic reveal – a water-based coating concealing an image that will appear if moisture is applied, like a litmus test.

From the Extreme Digital Guide, created for Konica Minolta by Christine Yardley, Print Panther. This interior spread illustrates what heavy varnish embellishment can do for a printed piece.

Fontana stated that it is best to avoid using UV to highlight a white element – a logo or text, for example. “It just doesn’t work to get a pop on something that is white on a background of another color,” he said. “The background color always is going to dominate the image.” Black, however, loves UV. “If you put spot UV on black, it shows up fantastically.” Fontana also avoids using raised UV on large areas. “Raised UV is all about the sense of touch,” he said. As with the contrast between matte and gloss, raised UV works best if there are peaks and valleys in the image. “A finger, a person’s sense of touch, feels all of those differences which bring the wow factor to a piece,” he said. “I always tell a designer: Avoid big silhouettes of raised UV. Break up the pattern to get a lot more contrast out of it.”

Brochure by The Fontana Group. For this 14 x 18 brochure cover, Doug Fontana began with a soft-touch film, then added flat gloss UV and finished with sculpted embossing for a raised effect.

Christine Yardley, president of Print Panther, Oakville, Ontario, Canada, seconded Fontana on the use of UV coatings to highlight an element of a print design. “Whether the element is the photograph or the logo, it is about capturing interest by highlighting an element,” she said. Yardley likes to use multiple passes with UV coating over digital foil for a raised effect but, like Fontana, she stays away from using UV coatings on large areas. “I use the spot varnish, for instance, if I am doing a large foil area that could scratch or get damaged,” she said. “Putting a clear varnish on top protects my foil.” She advised using spot varnish thoughtfully. “When I work with a designer, I ask what are we trying to capture here? What is the most important thing? Brands want consistency,” she explained. A brand doesn’t want to completely change its look, but by adding a bit of varnish and capturing a bit of interest on a campaign or a print ad, it can keep its branding consistent and just add that little bling factor. It can’t always be done with foil, but with varnish it’s a pretty simple way of capturing interest that does not go off brand.” Yardley also appreciates that digital printing allows for adding spot varnish in sync with variable elements; for example, personalizing each piece with a person’s name and using spot varnish on top of the black text to make it stand out.

This perfect bound book by The Fontana Group features foil stamping and spot UV in tight registration. The UV, applied in one pass, creates a 65-micron raised effect.

Matt Greer, CEO/CTO of DMS Color in Pelham, Alabama, added his experience with UV coatings. “There are different ways to spin the use of coatings,” he said. “I usually preach the ‘less is more’ concept. When we look at a project, we don’t necessarily always pull an element out with gloss coating; sometimes we want to add texture, to feel the element in the hand.” For texture on an image of a lizard, for example, Greer said that it might take multiple passes of varnish to build up the reptile’s scales, but since process varnish is not inexpensive, he always designs with cost in mind. “We also are very keen on making sure we have gutters that are not on score lines and around cut marks, so that we don’t have any issues with anything cracking or potentially losing its adhesiveness,” said Greer.

Communicating advantages and disadvantages of UV coating processes

Fontana explained the unique qualities and benefits that traditional screen UV coating processes have to offer and that should be communicated to the end user or designer. “Our strongest advantages are in the large-run, large-sheet, large-format type of work,” said Fontana. “We usually are running 28″ x 40″ sheets. If the item is a carton, let’s say 300,000 cartons for the job, you can fit 10 of them on a half sheet or 20 on a full sheet. We can put 20 cartons on a sheet and print 15,000 sheets. The speed and sheet-size capacity are the biggest advantages.” Another advantage, said Fontana, is that using a screen for UV coatings allows for a lot of experimentation. “Anything that can fit through the screen can be run without damaging the press,” he said. Fontana pointed out that the reveal coatings he described likely are only available with traditional UV coating processes, and he stressed that with traditional screen printing, it is possible to apply coatings at a specified thickness in a single pass, unlike the multiple passes required for digital coating processes.

The disadvantages of traditional processes, said Fontana, include the consumables and labor involved. He illustrated this by explaining that his company has an employee solely dedicated to screens. “All he does is make screens, prepare screens, clean screens and store screens.” Fontana explained that set-up and the tooling costs are disadvantages of the more traditional UV coating process. However, for longer runs, these costs can be absorbed and will help keep costs down for a large project overall. So, it is important, from a design perspective, that the designer understands what type of coating process will work best for the print job.

How digital stacks up for specialty and spot coatings

Sweetwater Brewing Company posters by DMS Color. Matt Greer’s company created these limited-edition commemorative posters. The posters are first printed with a layer of holographic foil, then overprinted and finished with a layer of varnish.

Greer laid out how digital decorating coatings and foils offer advantages in their run size capabilities and turnaround times. “Digital can do the shorter runs, and it can be on demand,” he said. “We also can enter markets that typically are not available to traditional printers since they are not tooled to enter some markets like e-commerce and short-run packaging.” He noted, however, that with the right mindset, the right talent and the right tools, digital offers unique qualities and can sometimes compete with traditional processes. “We can handle variable data. We can capture different parts of the market – like smaller businesses,” he said, “and offer services that may not have been available to these companies in the past. DMS Color has done several really large mailer jobs, in the hundreds of thousands of pieces, with a person’s name emblazoned across the front of the mailer in holographic foil.” Providing samples of digitally decorated work is important for designers to be able to see what is possible.

Greer admitted, though, that digital cannot offer specialty coatings with characteristics like reveal, thermal-sensitivity or water-solubility. And he noted that digital cannot match the level of image detail that traditional processes can offer. “Our level of detail has not reached what a screen or a foil stamp can do quite yet,” he said. “Right now, for things like fine silver inlays with intricate details or very small text, the traditional side still has the advantage. We do try to mitigate that in our design process by focusing instead on what we can offer as a design with comparable quality.”

Yardley pointed out that designers need to be aware of what types of paper stocks are available for digital decorating processes. “We are limited with our substrates – the thickness of our substrates and the kinds of substrate that we can use,” she said. “We are getting more uncoated stocks that we are able to work with, but these are limited. I often am jealous of the fact that I can’t use some of the uncoated, really toothy stocks that I want to use.” The other thing, she said, is that digital cannot easily produce flat spot UV. “Sometimes I don’t want a raised look,” she said. “Sometimes I want a really flat look, and that is hard to achieve on my system. We can give it a very light skim coat, but it still is not like a traditional, very flat spot UV.”

Like Greer, however, Yardley pointed to digital’s ability to handle variables, to be the answer for short runs and to easily handle multiple passes. “And,” she said, “digital is slightly more sustainable, slightly greener, because digital does not have as much cleanup and chemical use as traditional processes.”

When it comes to embellishing with foil and spot UV coatings on a traditional press or a digital one, approaching the artwork with a designer’s sensibilities and expertise dramatically can elevate the appeal and impact of a piece. With the continued growth of digital and more traditional screen processes for spot specialty UV coatings, designers have a multitude of options to help make their printed materials stand out.

Cast and Cure Finds Niche for Many Applications

Although film casting, known as Cast and Cure™, is not a new print technology, many industry veterans still misunderstand how the process actually works. PostPress sat down with Tim Cain, president of Breit Technologies, to discuss Cast and Cure, the best applications, and the advantages and disadvantages of the process.

Cast and Cure has been available for a while now, but how does the process work?

Cast and Cure is a process in which users can create a decorative, clear holographic pattern on all types of printed substrates. First, a UV coating is applied to the substrate (labels, paper, paperboard or flexible plastic). Then the casting film is nipped in contact with the wet varnish. UV light passes through the casting film and cures the varnish while the film holds the varnish in the desired shape, much like a mold. The film then is delaminated and separated from the printed web or sheet and is carefully re-wound so it can be used again. The Cast and Cure process leaves behind a beautifully micro-embossed shape in the coating’s surface that can be holographic, matte or a texture.

What are some of the most popular applications for Cast and Cure?

Cast and Cure is used in everything from liquor and beverage labels, printed collateral and direct mail to magazine and book covers, and even food and pharmaceutical cartons. Brand owners find the clear holographic patterns are an excellent way to grab the consumer’s attention when they are applied to a carton or label. Since Cast and Cure is clear and transparent, the printed graphics and text are not affected and remain readable by the consumer.

What is the best way to design for Cast and Cure?

Designing for holography in general can be tricky. For instance, when a holographic metalized PET (H-MPET) substrate is used for a carton or label, it most commonly requires designing multiple opaque ink layers to mask those areas where the holography should not bleed through. Since Cast and Cure is applied over the UV varnish, masking specific areas is not needed. Rather, the designer can create a spot varnish layer on the artwork where it should be applied.

Although bold, solid-colored backgrounds showcase Cast and Cure holographic effects the best, the process also can be used to create the illusion of movement over photographs and more busy backgrounds. Ultimately, however, there is no wrong way to use Cast and Cure holography or textured effects.

For most applications, Cast and Cure works best with a full coverage of the clear pattern over the printed image. It can be used in specific areas of a design, but full coverage provides the most impact and attention. In those cases, the designer needs to create a separate layer of solid black where the UV coating and casting film should be applied.

What are some of the benefits of Cast and Cure?

As discussed earlier, the Cast and Cure micro-embossed film works as a type of mold for the cured UV coating; as such, the film is not actually applied to the substrate, so it can be reused up to a dozen times (and sometimes even more). This provides a significant cost savings in terms of the amount of film needed for any given job. There is less spent on shipping fees, warehousing and waste disposal compared to other decorating methods, such as hot and cold foil. Moreover, since the film can be reused over and over, it is more sustainable than other processes.

What are the disadvantages?

Since Cast and Cure is applied to the surface of a UV coating, it reduces the effectiveness of any desired security features. Traditional security holograms are embedded sub-surface to make them difficult to copy, so Cast and Cure usually is not used solely for security.

There also are limitations to the type of substrates it can be applied to. Since it’s applied to a coating of UV ink, a coated, smooth stock works best. An uncoated or textured stock will absorb the coating and not allow the process to work as well.

What are some of the on-press challenges with Cast and Cure, and how can they be overcome?

The most common on-press challenge is poor tension control when winding the film back onto its roll. Once a wrinkle is introduced to the roll, it’s almost impossible to eliminate. Fortunately, if press operators follows proper tension guidelines, they will be able to start and splice the film without wrinkles, ensuring that the film can be reused over and over again.

Applying the UV coating correctly before the casting film is introduced also is essential for the successful application of Cast and Cure.

Are there any new applications for Cast & Cure?

Recently, the shrink sleeve and gift-wrap markets have started to embrace Cast and Cure, which is truly exciting. Brand owners with long-run jobs also are starting to use the technique, as the process can be applied now at close to 1,000 feet per minute.

We also are working to combine Cast and Cure with a monochrome inkjet system so a variable varnish application can be applied (such as unique security features, names, etc.) to individual printed pieces.

Tim Cain is the president of Breit Technologies, LLC, the global provider of Cast and Cure™, a low-cost, sustainable decorating printing process for paper, paperboard, pressure-sensitive labels, films and plastics, metal and shrink wrap. Breit also provides inline and offline equipment solutions, as well as stock and custom casting films. For more information, visit www.breit-tech.com.

Troubleshooting Foil Stamping Challenges on Press

By Liz Stevens, writer, PostPress

FSEA Executive Director Jeff Peterson recently queried a trio of industry experts about foil stamping and embossing challenges, including working with paper stocks, coatings, digital printing and more. Bertrand Hayoz, Bobst; Andy Dvorsky, Dvorsky Press Services and Sean Hurley, MCD, answered questions and offered advice for finetuning techniques, making jobs more cost effective and speeding up production.

Q: What are the challenges for foil stamping, coatings and embossing when it comes to paper stocks? Are there new paper stocks of particular interest? Are recycled stocks becoming more prevalent?

Bertrand Hayoz of Bobst replied that, as he trains customers, he finds that SBS board is the best choice and easiest to work with. Hayoz pointed out that fluted stock can be particularly challenging for foil stamping. “One thing that often will happen,” said Hayoz, “is that foil stamping will crush the flute, even when using a very thin flute, like a N or E flute. The paper will be crushed, the flute will be indented.” In some instances, this result will be acceptable, but in other cases, it is not acceptable to customers.

Dvorsky Press Services’ Andy Dvorsky brought up problems he has seen with recycled paper stock. “I have seen that a lot of recycled papers are really hard to stamp,” said Dvorsky. Dvorsky appreciates that new stocks are being introduced but wondered whether paper manufacturers are considering the embellishing processes that may be used on them. “Foil stamping, embossing and diecutting are not going away,” he said, and new ways of applying these techniques will emerge to suit different paper stocks.

Dvorsky described problems encountered by a customer applying foil stamping to recycled stock. “The customer was having all kinds of trouble,” said Dvorsky. “The stock would stamp perfectly before being printed. But when the customer treated the paper stock, printed digitally and then tried to stamp it, the foils would not stick.” The customer had to put a primer on the paper after the digital printing, and then the foil stamping worked properly. “It is not the paper itself that caused the problem,” he said, “but all of the materials and processes involved that caused the problem.”

MCD’s Sean Hurley explained that when he consults with customers, he recommends a thicker stock when possible. “With a thicker stock,” he said, “you don’t have to worry about impression. With thin stocks, you may have to worry about impression, and they can be tougher to run.” Hurley said that smooth stocks typically are better and that some of the recycled stocks are very porous, which can cause issues. He noted that textured stocks are more difficult to work with, but that they allows for more creativity and can be fine for routine applications. “I see synthetic stocks as being more difficult,” Hurley said. “They can be tough to run vs. a smooth cover-weight sheet.” Stocks, such as Plike and Touche, have become very popular but can be challenging. Stocks that are translucent also can present challenges. A more expensive stock doesn’t necessarily mean it will perform well. Hurley advised checking with paper vendors for the stamping and embossing specs for their stocks and asking for recommendations.

Q: UV coatings can produce cracking problems and create other challenges for foil and embossing. Have UV coatings improved? What recommendations, especially from a pre-planning standpoint, do you have for dealing with coatings and laminates for use with foil and embossing?

Dvorsky has seen UV coatings improve over the years. “There is stampable UV,” he said, “but a problem with conventional UV is that it continues to include silicone. That can introduce a challenge for stamping.” A shop might be running a conventional UV on its equipment, Dvorsky explained, and then switch over to an over-stampable UV. “They will wash the machine up,” said Dvorsky, “put a stampable UV in and then try to foil stamp over it. They may have to wash the machine out five times before running the stampable UV through because of contaminant from the standard UV coating in the machine.” Dvorsky recommended doing pre-planning for using UV coatings with foil: Talk to vendors to get their specs and make sure that coatings are stampable, see if it is possible to avoid stamping on the coating and then use spot UV or apply the UV after the foil. “There also have been foils,” said Dvorsky, “that are formulated to stamp on UV coatings. Talk with your foil supplier. Talk with your coating supplier. Talk with your paper supplier. It is all in the planning to make a job beautiful.”

Hurley agreed that a small amount of regular UV coating can contaminate a large amount of gluable, stampable coating. “We tell customers that what they want is a gluable, stampable coating,” he explained. Hurley recommends also checking dyne levels. “When we receive jobs involving a UV coating,” he said, “we check the dyne level. We test sheets ahead of time, before they go on press, using dyne pens. If you have low dyne,” he said, “you probably have to think about going to a specialty foil, and that can be a more expensive product that is made for problematic jobs.”

Hurley has seen problems with darker colors of ink that are printed and coated inline to speed up the printing process, but this can lead to the ink below the coating still being wet. “When the face of the die hits the coating, foil might not adhere because the ink is not set, and this causes foil adhesion problems. We see a fair amount of this and it can be challenging.” Hurley noted that this problem can occur with UV cured inks as well; the key is the topcoat. “We prefer a gluable/stampable coating and a higher surface dyne level,” he said. “The chemistry from the printer needs to be compatible with foil stamping over the UV coating.” He stressed that communication is critical for success.

Hayoz offered another solution to address the dyne level problem. “Do one pass first to stamp without foil and then a second pass to put the foil on,” said Hayoz. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it will not.” Hayoz’s suggestion prompted Hurley to offer additional ideas. “In jobs where a perfect mirror image is not required, it may be possible to run a separate pass on press with a die with a slight texture on the die face to break the surface of the coating slightly. That can help the foil to bond on the second pass.” Hayoz weighed in with a final strategy and mentioned for large foil stamped areas, the makeready can be built up like a pyramid to the center of the image and it will help the air disperse on every side of the areas that are being foiled.

Q: Digital printing continues to grow and create challenges with foil stamping and embossing. What recommendations do you have for pre-planning on press and working with digitally printed sheets?

Hurley recommended talking with the customer about advanced testing when working with digitally printed sheets. If the customer has used the same inks and coatings previously, he suggested asking for a few sheets to have ahead of time to test the foil. Hurley also suggested working with foil companies to learn about their latest or updated products, as well as asking for recommendations. “With newer digital equipment and newer UV inkjet, we have had better results,” he said. He did say that the registration systems with digital printing can cause challenges for conventional grippers and side guide registrations. “Something with drop-dead, tight registration can be a challenge because of the way digital printing equipment uses optical registration,” he explained.

Hayoz commented that some machines have a registration system which makes it possible to register by a printed or stamped mark on the sheet as opposed to registering by the sheet’s edge. There is emerging foil machinery that includes a built-in registration system, along with a different method for guiding sheets through the machines.

Dvorsky offered advice on using a primer for foil stamping over stocks with digital printing. “What I have seen is that darker inks are harder to stamp on because so much color has been put down onto the paper,” he said. “Priming the paper after the ink has been printed definitely helps, and it also can help to have a soft-touch or other type of laminate over the digital printing before foil stamping.”

Q: Print runs are getting shorter and there is increasing concern about waste and rejects. What do you recommend, from a production standpoint, to keep rejects down when working with foil and embossing?

Hurley stated, “A big thing is to track the waste so that your operators know that it is important. You might even save waste on a job that you know you are going to be tight on. If you look at the incoming packing slip to see what the count was and you end up short on the job, you then have a way to determine how much you had in waste, because you
tracked it.”

Hurley also recommended being more efficient when using sheets in makeready. “Depending upon how many operations are involved in a job, you will need to do an additional press makeready for each operation to get up and running,” he said. Each makeready adds even more spoilage and waste. Also, you might ask your customers to send their own makeready from the printing press – clearly marked as ‘makeready’ – and use it prior to using good sheets.” He also pointed out that some substrates are very expensive per sheet and that using a less expensive paper of a similar thickness for makeready might cut down costly waste.

Hayoz added his thoughts about decreasing rejects and waste. “We see a lot of operators who just take the good paper stock right from the beginning to do their makeready and they waste a lot of sheets.” Hayoz suggested that operators use the makeready sheets from the printing for the entire set-up process, but he noted that it sometimes does require multiple sheets. “It is not only on the first stamping process,” said Hayoz, “it is all the way along the line. Cutting, gluing and all the different processes. That will save a lot of sheets.”

Hayoz stated also that, depending on the quality required, keeping the machines and the environment scrupulously clean can reduce waste that inadvertently is generated. “A tiny piece of dust or something on the foil stamp or on the sheet, and the picky customer rejects the sheet,” said Hayoz. “When you move the sheet around, you have to keep everything perfectly clean.” He stated that if a speck of dust gets stuck between the stamping or on the top of the stamping before a coating is applied, the sheet may be rejected by a demanding customer. “We have a maintenance program that we recommend customers follow,” he said. “Mostly, they have to know when to clean the inside of a machine; not only the outside of the machine but the inside, too.” Hayoz also recommended covering loads of paper with plastic sheets to keep dust off the surfaces.

Dvorsky added, “I look at it as an operator. Operators are craftsmen, so waste is impacted by the attitude of the operators.” Dvorsky brought up the advantages of having multiple machines in a shop. “When you are setting up a job that has to go through the press five or six times, set it up on three different machines – tracking the registration throughout – that reduces waste.”

Dvorsky advised that having well-trained operators makes a difference and that poor training can result in waste. Dvorsky reiterated that “reducing waste requires the right state of mind, the right operators, regular maintenance of the machines, cleanliness and making sure that counters are working – all of that has an effect.”

Q: Today’s customers want jobs faster and faster, so foil and embossing equipment must run at high speeds. Any recommendations to decrease makeready time on the press, or things to do so that setup from one job to the next goes as fast as possible and the equipment can run at optimal speeds?

Hayoz commented that he is a stickler for saving time by having jobs queued up and ready to run. “It is not your operator’s responsibility to go looking for the next load,” he said. “Before you finish one job, the next job already could be by the machine, not at the other end of the building.” Hayoz said that documentation is a must for speeding up operations. “When you have a job change,” he said, “write down all the data from the job, especially if it is a repeat job. That way, you can set up everything on the machine before you start to do the job.” Hayoz recommended taking advantage of machines that can retain job specs in memory. “You may have a machine that memorizes the old job and you can bring it up each time. Preparations like this can be done in advance so that when you finish one job, the next job will be there. Having the next job prepped and letting the operators know what job is next can speed things up. That makes a big difference on makeready time and being able to run quickly and smoothly.”

Dvorsky wrapped up his advice with some valuable suggestions. “Having a second honeycomb is great, so that you can start setting up your next job. Having the press maintained and the platen parallel will reduce your makeready times,” he said.

“Having all the tools on hand, having the press parallel, level, having the operators know how to do proper makereadies, these all help,” said Dvorsky. “Operators can get lazy and do things the easy way, but that is not always the best way. I had a customer running a scratch-off job. The operator decided to use masking tape as makeready over his makeready board, which caused all kinds of issues. The job looked awful, and you couldn’t scratch the scratch-off properly. So, it is important for operators to maintain the press, have all the tools needed and run the press at optimal speeds.”

Hurley threw in a few last bits of advice for speeding up operations. “I suggest leveling the press, doing maintenance, even tracking the speeds,” he said. “If you have trained operators that are good at what they do, they are true craftsmen in many ways, and giving them incentive to run faster is important.”

This article was based on a panel presentation – “Troubleshooting Foil Stamping Challenges: Ask the Expert,” – which was part of FSEA’s Online Spring Summit in the summer of 2021. Thank you to panel members Andy Dvorsky, Dvorsky Press Services; Bertrand Hayoz, Bobst; and Sean Hurley, MCD for their contribution.

Electronic Communication – Is Paper a Better Choice?

By Two Sides North America

As global demand for resources continues to grow, a sustainable future will depend heavily on the use of products that are highly recyclable and based on renewable materials and energy, as opposed to non-renewable materials produced with fossil fuel energy. Paper is well positioned given its unique sustainable features. “Go paperless, go green” is a common claim that encourages us to switch to electronic transactions and communications. But are appeals to help the environment by eliminating paper based on sound science or on marketing strategies?

The responsible production, use and recycling of print and paper contribute to long-term, sustainable forest management in North America and help mitigate climate change. Print and paper will remain an important element in our media mix, and also will continue to provide social and economic benefits that contribute significantly to the well-being of North American businesses and citizens alike.

Environmental marketing rules often are broken

A study by Two Sides found that half the leading Fortune 500 telecommunications companies, banks and utilities were making unsubstantiated claims about the environmental benefits of electronic billing. In response, Two Sides initiated a campaign to educate senior executives on the sustainability of print and paper and to encourage them to abandon misleading environmental claims. As of June 2021, 146 North American companies and over 700 globally had removed or changed inaccurate anti-paper claims.¹

Marketing claims like “go green, go paperless” do not meet guidelines for environmental marketing established by the US Federal Trade Commission and the Competition Bureau of Canada. Marketers must ensure that all reasonable interpretations of their claims are truthful, not misleading and supported by reliable scientific evidence.^2,3

A recent consumer survey commissioned by Two Sides in the United States showed that 57% of respondents agreed that claims about switching from paper to digital being better for the environment were made because the sender wants to save money.⁴

Digital information has an environmental impact

The material footprint of digital technology is largely underestimated by its users, given the miniaturization of equipment and the “invisibility” of the infrastructures used. This phenomenon is reinforced by the widespread availability of services on the “cloud,” which makes the physical reality of use all the more imperceptible and leads to underestimating the direct environmental impacts of digital technology.⁵

In 2015, the global energy footprint of the Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector was 805 terawatt hours (TWh) or 3.6% of global energy consumption.⁶

The share of digital technology in global greenhouse gas emissions could reach 8% by 2025, i.e. the current share of car emissions.⁷ Data centers on their own could produce 1.9 Gt (or 3.2%) of the global total carbon emissions.⁸

The energy consumption required for digital technologies is increasing by 9% each year.5 Depending on the level of energy efficiency achieved, ICT could use as much as 51% of global electricity in 2030 and contribute up to 23% of globally released greenhouse gas emissions.⁹

By 2023, North America will have 345 million internet users (up from 328 million in 2018), and 5 billion networked devices/connections (up from 3 billion in 2018).¹⁰

In 2014, data centers in the US consumed an estimated 70 billion kWh, representing about 1.8% of total US electricity consumption. Based on current trend estimates, US data centers are projected to consume approximately 73 billion kWh in 2020. This energy consumption does not include the energy required to build, power or recharge the devices.¹¹

An analysis of 113 ICT companies in the US showed that 14% of the energy consumed was from renewable electricity in 2014.¹² This compares to 65% of energy demand met at US pulp and paper mills by carbon-neutral biomass and renewable fuels in 2018.¹³

E-waste is a growing problem

The vast majority of Americans – 96% – now own a cellphone of some kind. The share of Americans that own smartphones is now 81%, up from just 35% in 2011.¹⁴

Nearly three-quarters of US adults now own desktop or laptop computers, roughly half now own tablets and roughly half own e-readers.¹⁴

Since technologies change quickly, many users change devices regularly; often before they actually break. Average replacement cycles are becoming shorter. The average smartphone lifecycle in the US, China and major EU economies does not usually exceed 18 to 24 months.¹⁵

In 2019, the world generated 53.6 million metric tons (Mt) of electronic waste, and only 17.4% of this was officially documented as properly collected and recycled. The amount recycled grew 1.8 Mt since 2014, but total e-waste generation increased by 9.2 Mt. This indicates that the recycling activities are not keeping pace with the global growth of e-waste.¹⁶

The US and Canada annually generate 7.7 million metric tons (Mt) of electronic waste or 20.9 kilograms (kg) per capita. Of that 7.7 Mt, the US generates 7 Mt and Canada generates 0.7 Mt. Only 15% of e-waste in North America is recycled.¹⁶ This compares to 66% of paper and paperboard recycled in the US¹⁷ and 70% recycled in Canada.¹⁸

Increasing levels of e-waste, improper and unsafe treatment, and disposal through incineration or in landfills pose significant challenges to the environment, human health and to the achievement of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.¹⁶

E-waste contains precious metals including gold, silver, copper, platinum and palladium; valuable bulky materials such as iron and aluminum along with plastics that can be recycled. It also contains rare earth and scarce metals as well as hazardous materials such as mercury, lead, cadmium, fluorocarbons or various flame retardants.¹⁶

The increasing need for raw materials (especially for rare earth and minor elements) and unregulated e-waste recycling operations in developing and underdeveloped counties contribute to the growing concerns for e-waste management.¹⁹

Sources

Two Sides, 2021
Federal Trade Commission, Green Guides, 2012
Competition Bureau, Environmental Claims: A Guide for Industry and Advertisers, 2008
Toluna and Two Sides North America, 2021
The Shift Project, Lean ICT. Towards Digital Sobriety, 2019
Malmodin and Lunden, 2018
The Shift Project, The Unsustainable Use of Online Video, 2019
Andrae, A., Total Consumer Power Consumption Forecast, 2017
Andrae and Edler, 2015
Cisco, Cisco Internet Annual Report, 2020
U.S. Department of Energy, United States Data Center Energy Usage Report, 2016
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Renewable Electricity Use by the U.S. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Industry, 2015
AF&PA, 2020 Sustainability Report
Pew Research Center, 2019
Global E-Waste Monitor, 2017
Global E-Waste Monitor, 2020
Paperrecycles.org, 2020
Forest Products Association of Canada, 2020
Tansel, B., From electronic consumer products to e-wastes: Global outlook, waste quantities, recycling challenges, 2017

Two Sides North America is a non-profit organization whose members span the entire print, paper, paper-based packaging and mail value chain. Funded entirely by membership dues, Two Sides is the only industry organization that directly challenges unsubstantiated environmental claims about paper made by corporations, the media, government agencies and others. Learn how to join at www.twosidesna.org/become-a-member.

Paper with a Plan – a DataGraphic and Mohawk Collaboration

By Jewlissa Frickey, editor, PostPress

Sample booklets are nothing new to the paper industry, but Mohawk sought to revamp its own with an entirely re-imagined process of paper selection. The Paper with a Plan Collections Kit is a set of five sample booklets in custom slipcases that feature its papers grouped by their primary attributes: Beautiful, Sustainable, Expressive, Elevated and Practical.

DataGraphic, located in Commack, New York, was involved in the project and printed the multi-process Elevated Collection booklet as well as the screen printed custom slipcases that hold all five collections.

“Mohawk was interested in doing something unique and, of course, well executed,” said Glenn Schuster, president at DataGraphic. “We thought screen printing would be a great solution given the nature of paper stock.”

The Paper with a Plan Collections Kit was designed by Hybrid Design, San Francisco, California, and produced by Tocci Made, New York, New York. Other partnering print came from Kirkwood Printing Company of Wilmington, Massachusetts, and Flash Reproductions of Etobicoke, Ontario.

The slipcases, printed by DataGraphic, used a Carnival Deep Blue felt cover with an M&R Renegade UV flatbed screen press. The five custom slipcases were screen printed in a green gloss ink and embossed with the graphic symbols that represent each collection.

Specialty effects and embellishments were not spared during the project, Schuster noted, “On just the slipcases alone, we included debossing on our Thompson machine, then two hits of screen printing and, of course, the diecutting and assembly.”

“Printing on such dark paper was a challenge,” said Schuster. “But we were able to screen print first. Then we debossed and did two hits of green.” Schuster continued by saying, “We had a lot of trial runs to try and get that right, but we were all excited with the way the custom slipcases came together.”

Among the challenges was an initial registration issue. “Registration was challenging because of the fine type and the precision of the stamping,” said Schuster. “With the two hits of the screen press at two different passes, it took some time to get it perfect.”

Mohawk’s Paper with a Plan Collections Kit is a 6 x 9″ container filled with five unbound booklets representing each collection. Each booklet contains printed demonstrations and samples, including printed color and texture chips, that are approximate representations of all the papers that can be found from the full product offering in that Collection.

“In addition to the slipcases, we also were able to produce Mohawks Elevated Collection booklet,” said Schuster. The Elevated collection showcased some of Mohawk’s more famous stocks, traditionally used in stationery and letterpress, in various tones. Embellishments, such as embossing, engraving and foil, are more popular pairings with the papers in this collection.

“The Elevated cover is diecut and shows through to beautiful holographic foils and impress papers that also are cotton,” said Schuster. The papers included in the elevated booklet include Crane’s Lettra Dark Black for its cover, the impress cover used Crane’s Lettra Light Pink and Crane’s Ecru and the interior also used Crane’s Lettra Light Pink.

The ecru sheet was letterpress printed, while the light pink sheet was offset printed and foil stamped with holographic foil. “The booklet consisted of some really interesting artwork that really made the holographic foil stamping and letterpressing fun,” said Schuster.

Along with the pink sheet, the black cover was foil stamped and diecut and the white sheet was offset printed. Then, all four leaves were die-scored, closed gate folded and nested into three folded pieces above and below the box to create the completed collection.

“The binding process consisted of four sheets in various sizes that have four gatefold panels,” noted Schuster. “This creates a waterfall of the different sheeting, leaving it loose bound. The final product is just collated and nested without any mechanical binding.” Leaving the booklets unbound gives viewers the opportunity to discover more information about the product. Each of the pages can be taken apart to find detailed chart information on the back of the sheets.

On top of the slipcases and Elevated booklet, DataGraphic produced an introduction card. It was made with a blue stock with green letterpress printing, similar to the green printing on the sleeve of the slipcases.

“We used a Heidelberg KSB Letterpress for the introduction card as well as for the letterpress printing of the inner sheets in the Elevated collection,” said Schuster.

“The collection itself still is pretty new,” Schuster stated. “It hasn’t been in the field too much, but we’ve already received great accolades from the industry. Our name being on it gives DataGraphic a lot of credibility, especially since the product was for Mohawk.”

The collections

Beautiful, Sustainable, Expressive, Elevated and Practical. These five categories bring the collection together with a more straightforward and simple way to think about paper.

The Beautiful collection focuses primarily on the photography industry with its formation papers, while also supporting other illustrations and solid ink coverage. Next, the Sustainable collection is for papers with recycled or alternative fibers and a compelling sustainability story, from hemp stalks to straw waste and recycled cotton fiber, to the highest levels of PCW fiber and certifications. Expressive collections are papers with distinctive tactile and colorful properties. The Elevated collection focuses on papers made from cotton and premium fibers for stationery and letterpress while the final collection, Practical, is made of the economical “workhorse” papers.

Embossed Cookie Makes a Splash

By Cienna Sorell, writer, PostPress

An enormous, 14-inch Oreo cookie that looks good enough to eat, is held together by a mysterious binding technique. Designed by Nabisco’s in-house team and offset printed CMYK by Sandy Alexander, Inc., the giant Oreo Brand Guidelines Book uniquely holds together the brand’s guidelines.

This extraordinary binder looks and feels like a giant Oreo cookie. “It was truly inspired by the Oreo Cookie,” said Sandy Alexander’s Carole Shelton. The super-thick covers made from Eclipse Black 80 lb. Neenah Royal Sundance Cover and mounted to paperboard contribute to the touch and aura of the realism of the cookie.

The uncoated paper’s surface is blind embossed with the Oreo logo and trademark outer ridges, as well as the dots, dashes, florets and other textures that contribute to the chunky nature of the Oreo wafers. The covers also were diecut in the round Oreo cookie shape, including the edges of the guide, which was a final touch to the realistic look of the cover.

“Beyond the shape and likeness of the cookie, there are a number of production highlights to note,” said Shelton. “For instance, the print quality and embossed cookie design create a very unique brand identity book.”

The white coated pages between the covers – 100 lb. Sappi McCoy Text – add to the realistic quality of the binder. Sitting snug between the cookie’s top and bottom, the thick white pages aid in the illusion of the giant Oreo. Rather than flipping up the front cover, the top of the binder pivots out to reveal the page beneath, and instead of turning the pages, they too pivot out. Information is easy to find thanks to the rounded diecut tabs – printed on 120 lb. Sappi McCoy Cover – that allow for easy access to each section of the brand guideline book.

In order to create this binder in disguise, the folks at Sandy Alexander had to figure out a way to make the binding appear invisible, so they used Chicago screw binding. Chicago screw binding is an extremely versatile binding technique that allows loose documents of practically any shape or size to be securely bound together. The process also makes it easy to expand pages, with a number of screw post extensions readily available. A hole was drilled through one edge of the pages, and then an aluminum post was slipped through the hole, capped off with a slotted cap screw. Thanks to the extra-thick cookie covers, the Chicago screw binding is completely hidden.

Sandy Alexander’s team noted that damaging the embossing when mounting and wrapping was one of the challenges the company faced when creating the cookie. The handling and packaging of each book was of great importance to keep the embossing secure. This piece was a learning opportunity for those involved, with the conclusion that a unique design can elevate a traditional approach to corporate literature.

The finished product is a beloved piece for Nabisco, and the book itself now is a collector’s item.

The Oreo Branding Book is featured on PaperSpecs.com, an innovative online hub for brand owners and graphic designers who actively spec paper and print and refuse to be limited by short print runs or tight budgets.

Revival of the North American Book Market

By Andy Fetherman, Muller Martini North America

The North American book market currently is experiencing an actual revival. Despite (or because of) the COVID-19 pandemic, 8.2% more printed books were sold in 2020 compared to 2019.

Without exaggerating, the current positive trend can be described as a revival of the North American book market – and not only in softcover but also in hardcover. So, as a participant at the virtual spring conference of the Book Manufacturers Institute (BMI), which describes itself as the only graphic arts industry association in the US focused on the book manufacturing market, I saw some interesting statistics to support this trend.

23% more books in the first quarter of 2021

A chart entitled “US unit sales of printed books” from NPD BookScan¹, which covers 85% of book sales in the US, showed that the number of printed books sold in the US increased from about 694 million in 2019 to about 750 million in 2020. This represents a growth rate of 8.2% – and this was through the pandemic!

The World Economic Forum² noted that, “readers in the US bought 821 million books last year, putting it 67 million more than in 2020.” It continued to speak towards the impact of social media and how it was a large factor in this growth. “This is especially true about TikTok, through a phenomenon known as ‘BookTok’ where posts featuring its hashtag have received almost 40 billion views.”

While I have yet to see new sales figures regarding the volume of books produced in the current year, I learned from a book manufacturer that he produced 23% more books in the first quarter of 2021 as compared to the previous year. Another book manufacturer instructed its plants to do its maintenance work now to prepare for future volume demands. These are undoubtedly signs of strength for the North American book market.

E-books stagnate

The fact that during the COVID-19 pandemic many North American book printers experienced, and are still experiencing, striking growth in the production of books is primarily attributed to three specific reasons. First, we are seeing a general flight back to reading printed books (see sidebar on reading print material from Two Sides North America). Secondly, the younger generation is reading more again, which has led to an upswing in books for young people and bodes well for the book market in the long term. Thirdly, volumes in the book-on-demand segment in particular also have strongly increased.

The fact that more North Americans are buying printed books again also has to do with the fact that they are not being displaced by e-books. A recent report by NPD BookScan¹, for example, states that the share of e-books in total book publications has levelled off at 20% and has not recently increased. This is another reason why publishers are expecting more printed books in the months ahead and are asking book manufacturers for higher production capacities.

Both offset and digital printing capacities in demand

The largest growth sectors for softcover production are in black-and-white trade books and digital book production. As a result, many manufacturers are looking for ways to modify their equipment to bring the production of digitally printed books up to date. As digital production becomes increasingly important, many publishers are insisting that its print partners have both offset and digital printing capabilities so that they can meet production needs from a single source. That is why digital-only printers are now pursing offset printing capabilities – either through acquisitions or by investing in new equipment. And vice versa, offset printers are expanding their digital capabilities.

Part of the increased volume also is the result of book production moving back to North America and there are several financial and political reasons for this. For example, some religious publishers now prefer production in the home market again. Four-color hardcover books (cookbooks, for example) also are moving back to North America.

Although there still can be costs savings in offshore book production, publishers are determining that it is more productive to pay a little more and have books manufactured here in North American versus fighting the shipping delays and difficulties of working with vendors abroad. The increases in shipping of containers from China in recent months has escalated to over 500% more than what it was just one year ago. This alone has helped bring the costs of book production here in the North America much closer in overall prices compared to overseas.

Impact on finishing/bindery equipment

This positive development also has a pleasing impact on the number of newly installed perfect binders and other binding equipment in North America. There has been a steady growth of new equipment sales in this area over both 2020 and 2021, even with the concern of the pandemic. Suppliers are seeing orders of new equipment from customers who have not purchased new finishing/bindery equipment for over 20 years. This increased interest in buying new equipment with the latest technology, and therefore with a higher level of investment, shows printers’ and publishers’ confidence in the strength of the North American book market.

Most of these recent orders have been either to replace older, obsolete machines or to purchase a machine to increase capacity due to growing book production demands. A percentage of the new equipment is from either an offset printer adding digital print and binding capabilities or a digital printer adding offset printing and bindery capabilities.

From secondhand to new equipment

Another trend is that book producers are realizing that investing in new binding equipment, especially for handling shorter run books and other work, is well worth the investment. New technologies that decrease set-up and makeready time are dramatic in newer equipment these days. Set-ups for a perfect binding job may take four or five hours on older equipment where more state-of-the-art perfect binders can cut set-up times to less than one hour. With shorter runs and more digitally printed books, having quick change-over from one job to the next is essential.

New equipment also comes with the support of the manufacturer that can be important from the installation to proper training. Customers buying new perfect binding and other binding equipment is the best way forward for them to create stability and security for their book manufacturing growth initiatives.

Andy Fetherman is the vice president of Sales and Technology for Muller Martini North America. Muller Martini is a worldwide organization that manufactures, markets and services a full range of postpress finishing equipment for commercial printers, binderies, digital book manufacturers and newspaper plants, as well as web offset presses. For more information, visit www.mullermartini.com.

Facts About Reading in Print vs. Digial

The following information and sources where compiled by Two Sides North America. For the complete article and further information on the facts about sustainability as it relates to print, paper and paperboard packaging, visit www.twosidesna.com.

Three studies that compared print and digital comprehension among college students reading newspaper articles and fiction excerpts found that students read digital formats faster – at a cost. Students gleaned the main idea from digital texts as well as they did from print. But they absorbed fewer details, which suggests students are much better off reading print for in-depth, university-level study.
Despite immense technological advances, learners still prefer studying text from printed hard-copy rather than from computer screens. Quantitative findings from a study of university students in the US, Japan, Germany, Slovakia and India revealed high levels of affirmation about advantages of reading in print. Nearly 92% said they concentrated best when reading in print, and more than 80% reported that if cost were the same, they would prefer print for both school work and pleasure reading. Students reported they were more likely to re-read printed material than digital.
A large international survey with more than 10,000 participants found that, for academic reading, a broad majority reported a preference for print, especially when reading longer texts. Interestingly, participants reported that they felt they remembered the material better and were better able to focus when reading in print, compared to when reading digitally.
The tangibility of traditional print also provides a stronger emotional impact, allowing readers to interpret and internalize text through their own experiences and beliefs.
A 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project of 2,252 people ages 16 and older found that 81% of parents believe it is “very important” that their child read print books, citing the importance of prints’ unique sensory and tactile experience.
When is comes to reading books, magazines and newspapers, print is preferred over digital. 68% of Americans and Canadians believe print is the most enjoyable way to read books, 65% of Americans and 59% of Canadians prefer to read magazines in print, and 53% of Americans and 49% of Canadians prefer to read newspapers in print.

Sources

The NPD Group, NPD Bookscan, https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/industry-expertise/books/
World Economic Forum, How BookTok Has Boosted Book Sales to Record Levels, 2022, https://www.weforum.org/videos/how-booktok-has-boosted-book-sales-to-record-levels

What Will Impact Growth for Holography in 2022?

By The International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA)

COVID-19 threats and increased illicit trade and counterfeiting are among the factors set to drive hologram growth in 2022, particularly for authentication purposes.

The International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA) says authentication and track and trace systems, which feature holograms, will help to underpin international efforts by government and law enforcement agencies to bolster overt and covert protection strategies in the next 12 months.

Fake COVID-19 cards, documents and vaccines will remain a big security threat in the months ahead, so government, law enforcement authorities and global supply chains must review their anti-counterfeiting plans and investment in security resources.

Growth in security devices appears ‘strong and potentially lucrative’, says the IHMA, following The Future of Anti-Counterfeiting, Brand Protection and Security Packaging to 2026 and other reports predicting increasing incidences of global counterfeiting alongside heightened awareness of tracing technologies.

These indicate that brand protection, track and trace and other anti-counterfeiting technologies in packaging will increase in use as economies wrestle with the impacts of COVID-19. The packaging industry will continue to benefit in the coming months from the use of anti-counterfeiting solutions, particularly as fears over shortages of medicines, pharmaceuticals and vaccines in many parts of the world drive demand for counterfeit and illicit products.

Security devices, such as holograms on packaged goods, can ensure quality and check the distribution and smuggling of illicit products while items not displaying them can be seized and destroyed.

There is a growing volume of fake medicines on sale in developing countries, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), while Interpol has reported an increase in fake medical products. Seizures of fake COVID-19 tests and personal protective equipment (PPE) also have been reported by the US CBP and the World Customs Organisation.

Added to this, the economic damage wrought by COVID-19 – including tax hikes, global shortages of raw materials and finished goods, rising prices and falling incomes – is providing fertile ground for illicit trade to flourish.

This situation is set to continue in the next 12 months, the IHMA predicts, while growth in authentication devices will stay ‘strong and lucrative’ on the back of forecasts that the market for anti-counterfeit technologies on pharmaceuticals and cosmetics products will grow. The overall global market for anti-counterfeit products on security packaging is projected to be worth in excess of $188 billion by 2025.

A poll has revealed that almost 50% of hologram manufacturers and suppliers are seeing an increase in demand from customers, specifiers and end-users for holographic devices and technologies. This indicates that hologram users will continue to be concerned about the impact of counterfeiting on supply chains as the pandemic continues to be felt well into new year.

IHMA chair, Dr. Paul Dunn, said, “Counterfeiting puts governments, companies and the public at risk and must be tackled effectively to minimize the impact on society. We look forward to seeing supply chains further bolstered in 2022 with countries enhancing their anti-counterfeiting plans, which should include the introduction of harder hitting anti-counterfeiting legislation and strategies.”

“It’s clear that in the face of the continued impact of COVID-19 and other threats, we can legitimately say law enforcement, government, brand owners and other influencers will continue to push demand for authentication and brand protection devices such as holograms,” said Dr. Dunn.

Holography also will hold up well in comparison with other optical variable features in the currency market in 2022, says the IHMA. Despite predictions about the demise of cash, demand for banknotes has actually increased around the world during the pandemic – especially for high value notes as a store of value, which fuel demand in turn for holograms.

One third of all banknotes currently feature a holographic device, and the R&D going into ever more secure and complex holographic features for both paper and polymer banknotes that reassure the public and central banks about cash authenticity will continue.

On the other hand, a drop in travel has seen a decline in the demand for passport and travel documents, hence the holographic devices that protect them. As uncertainties remain around COVID-19, this situation will persist, but is somewhat offset by the global migrant crisis, which will continue to drive the development and deployment of secure personal identification outside of that related specially to COVID-19.

Dr. Dunn said, “Innovative features in banknotes are pushing the boundaries of what the technology can achieve, reflecting that there is plenty of mileage in holography. We also will see new applications for holographic features on ID documents coming through, where innovations linked to digital applications, packaging and tax stamps, could all see continued growth.”

The exploration of holography technologies for new wearable head-up displays and other smart devices to enhance people’s lives along with applications will see continued development in the new year. Holographic optical elements (HOEs) which are used in, for example, vehicle lighting and head-up displays, also will continue to gain traction alongside ‘ground-breaking’ holographic applications in medical imaging, solar energy, data storage, healthcare such as legalised cannabis-derived treatments, and cryptocurrencies, says the IHMA.

The use of authentication solutions, as advocated by the ISO12931 standard, enables examiners to verify the authenticity of a legitimate product, differentiating it from fake products coming from counterfeiting hot spots in Asia and eastern Europe. Even those that carry a ‘fake’ authentication feature can be distinguished from the genuine item if that item carries a carefully thought-out authentication solution.

The IHMA is made up more than 80 of the world’s leading hologram companies. Members include the leading producers and converters of holograms for banknote security, anti-counterfeiting, brand protection, packaging, graphics and other commercial applications around the world, and actively cooperate to maintain the highest professional, security and quality standards. This article is issued on behalf of the IHMA by MHW PR Ltd. For more information, visit www.ihma.org.