PI 400 -- Commercial Printing - Cutting Down Times

As with the broader economy, though, the prevailing wisdom holds that the printing industry should not be counted out any time soon. Nonetheless, printers do need to be realistic about the business outlook for the future, the experts warn. That's easier said than done, of course.

"Even though it is very difficult to accurately forecast in these tough times, printers still need to develop a business plan for the next three, six and 12 months," notes Ronnie H. Davis, Ph.D., chief economist at Printing Industries of America in Alexandria, VA. "And, this plan must be based on some view of the future." Davis concedes that printers may need to develop alternative plans based on different scenarios.