A Cautionary Tale

Unfortunately, the outlook here is perennially bleak, due partly to the demise of graphic arts programs in many high schools and colleges, as well as to the unearned stigma that has come to be associated with working in an “outmoded” manufacturing environment.

Not only is Internet advertising fueling a long-term downward trend for print, but new and emerging technologies—like digital and digital variable data printing (including transpromo), Web-to-print and distribute-and-print—are also exerting pressure on the markets served by sheetfed and web offset printers. “To the extent that Web-to-print and distribute-and-print models are successful and replace present offset work instead of creating new print volume, offset markets obviously will suffer,” Holliday concedes. He notes, however, that much remains to be seen.