Book Printing Outlook -- El-Hi, Hogwarts Shine

By Erik Cagle

Senior Editor

The book printing industry resembles a high-level chess match. All of the successful players are thinking three and four moves ahead, with increasing market share representing "checkmate."

RR Donnelley (RRD) and Quebecor World are just two of the book heavyweights that have established offshore printing relationships, or have obtained foreign facilities outright, in order to maintain those publishing clients who gush at the opportunity to produce low-priority goods at drastically discounted prices. Although it sometimes seems China is the poster child for international outsourcing, Mexico and Latin America are the alternatives of choice for Quebecor World, promising a quicker turnaround at the same price point.