Commercial Printing Outlook : Bootstrap Time for Printers

Moving forward, the Blue Chip consensus expects GDP to reach 2.6 percent in 2014, which is still below the economy's average annual growth of 3.2 percent for the 10 years prior to the recession. Overall, Paparozzi doesn't expect the economy to provide any more help in 2014 than it did this year.

"Pressure on prices and margins will continue because, despite record consolidation, our industry is getting more competitive, not less competitive, as the Internet and digitization let everyone into everyone else's business," he says. "The single most important factor for everyone in our industry is not what the economy or industry at large is going to do, but rather what are you going to do to create your own recovery? What are you doing to become more competitive? More efficient? More valuable to your best clients?"