New Format, Design But Mission Remains –Michelson
Readers Will notice some changes to Printing Impressions beginning with this month's edition. Coupled with a smaller trim size, we have redesigned the magazine to make it more reader-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. But, while our "packaging" may have altered, the contents remains the same with an editorial recipe that incorporates a blend of insightful news and analysis, profiles of successful printing operations, long-standing departments and columns—sprinkled with a dash of humor and entertainment, for good measure.
Coincidentally, this issue also marks my 30-year anniversary with North American Publishing Co. (NAPCO), publisher of Printing Impressions and several sister titles focused on the graphic arts industry. Our company was founded in 1958 with the launch of PI as a tabloid newspaper (left), hence our evolution to a tabloid-size magazine that celebrated its golden anniversary in 2008.
It's been a wonderful journey for me personally covering our great industry, and I'm forever indebted to so many long-time subscribers who have told me how they, literally, grew up reading our publication, and always considered it as the "bible of the printing industry." Our magazine's mission to inform is far from over, however, and I'm especially excited to be attending the Drupa trade show in Germany this May. The exhibition's sheer physical size and the bevy of high-tech, cutting-edge technologies on display will help lay to rest those doubters who chime that printing is a dying industry.
Sure, the graphic arts has taken it hard on the chin during the Great Recession, just as have other highly capital equipment-intensive manufacturing industries. And, the over-capacity of too many commercial printing establishments, treading water to stay afloat amidst a shrinking pool of print jobs, has created a perfect storm keeping some ships from being able to rise with the tide.
But, as we all well know, printers as a group are a salty and resilient breed. Despite the choppy waters, many have found their sea legs and are charting new courses that marry the value proposition of ink-on-paper in concert with the Web, mobile communication and social media. In coming years, many companies will undoubtedly evolve into new services that aren't even imaginable today. Printing Impressions' mission is to help guide and chronicle each step of the way.
Mark T. Michelson
