1st Quarter Paper Outlook

Only 15 percent of printers surveyed identified paper as the top concern—compared with 51.1 percent from the previous year.

Judging by the optimistic outlook of many printers, it would appear that a mild winter lies ahead—or is it just the calm before the storm?

"The economy cannot keep running at this pace. It's hard to believe that these steady rate increases are going to continue," notes Janis. "The January increase may not even hold across the quarter."