Top Ten Articles of 2017
As 2017 comes to a close, Printing Impressions has taken a look at what stories captured our readers' attention the most this year. We have compiled a list of the top 10 articles from 2017 based on the number of visitors to each online article.
1. LSC Communications Buys Privately-Held Creel in Blockbuster Publication, Commercial Printing Transaction – July 17
In July, LSC Communications announced that it would acquire Creel Printing, a privately-owned offset and digital printing company headquartered in Las Vegas. Although news about LSC Communications appears three times on this list, this acquisition garnered a lot of attention, winning this story the No. 1 spot.
2. 2017 Printing Impressions 400 Ranking – Dec. 6
Our top 10 list wouldn't be complete without our annual PI 400 list of the largest printing companies in the U.S. and Canada, ranked by annual sales. Printing Impressions has been compiling this list for the past 34 years and it always ranks in the top articles for the year, indicating continued interest in the industry's performance as a whole.
3. LSC Communications to Close Virginia Book Printing Plant; Layoffs Impact 140 Workers – May 26
Although LSC Communications announced that it would be closing its Salem, Va.-based book printing plant in July of 2017 and laying off approximately 140 employees, other, more positive news from LSC Communications that indicated growth for the company led the year in news.
4. The Top 100 Print Buyers – Aug. 16
In the No. 4 spot is another annual list, our Top 100 Print Buyers, as ranked by the amount each company is forecasted to spend in the coming year. The list is intended to help our audience develop future sales planning and business development initiatives.
5. 2017 Printing Impressions 400 Printers List Reveals Key Industry Trends – Dec. 6
Halfway through the top 10 articles of 2017 and the PI 400 has made it on the list again, this time with an article by Printing Impressions' own Editor-in-Chief Mark Michelson highlighting three key trends, as revealed by the list of top printers.
6. Blockbuster Deal: The Sheridan Group Is Acquired to Expand CJK Group’s Footprint – April 3
Our readers were probably familiar with The Sheridan Group, a company with reported annual sales of $196.5M according to the 2016 PI 400 list, prior to April 2017. But many may not have been as familiar with Brainerd, Minn.-based CJK Group, which announced that it would be acquiring The Sheridan Group for an undisclosed amount of money. Needless to say, the acquisition created quite a buzz in the printing industry and ended up in the No. 6 spot on our top 10 list.
7. 10 Things Printers Can Teach Designers – Aug. 7
Coming in at No. 7 is a blog post written by graphic designer Marina Poropat Joyce outlining the 10 ways to use a smartphone to reach out to designer clients, add value to a company website and make life easier. Not only did this post snag the No. 7 spot, it garnered some serious engagement from readers, who started lengthly discussions in the comments section. Check out the article to see for yourself what our readers found most interesting about this piece.
8. LSC Communications Further Consolidates Magazine Printing Market with Publishers Press Acquisition – Sept. 7
Following the July announcement of its Creel acquisition — our No. 1 list topper for 2017 — LSC Communications announced that it would acquire Publishers Press, a family-owned printing and digital solutions provider based in Lebanon Junction, Ky.
9. RFP? Sales Rep: No Thank You – Nov. 30
Another article that garnered a lot of engagement was for one of Bill Farquharson's recent columns in Printing Impressions' November print issue. Online, the article received positive feedback from readers, making its position in the top 10 for the year not a shocking one. Farquharson stressed the importance of building long-term relationships with clients and customers — a good lesson, indeed.
10. NSA Leaker Identified Thanks to Hidden Watermarks from Xerox Printer – June 8
Rounding out the list of top 10 articles for 2017 was an article straight out of a detective novel, but instead of fingerprints leading to the culprit in a crime, it was the ingenuity of printing technology. When Reality Leigh Winner allegedly leaked classified NSA documents to the media, the NSA and FBI were able to track her down using steganography — a series of hidden dots printed on the forms she leaked by the printer she used. The dots ultimately led authorities back to Winner.
