Can you believe it’s been six years since we launched our Annual Technology Outlook? The original outlook was born out of necessity during the COVID pandemic lockdown of 2020, when all industry events were on indefinite hold. To help manufacturers get the word out about new equipment, and inform the industry about overarching trends—technological and otherwise—WhatTheyThink had launched its series of Technology Outlook webinars in May 2020 that aimed to fill in the gap left by the absence of trade events. Over the ensuing years, the online sessions were complemented by corresponding written articles, often written by the same webinar presenters.
Now, even though trade events are decidedly back, the Technology Outlook has remained a WhatTheyThink tradition, and this year’s printed “Annual” is accompanied by a weeklong series of webinars that ran in September, with presenters including Kelly Lawrence (Production Print), David Zwang (Labels & Packaging), Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee (Software & Workflow), Richard Romano and Cary Sherburne (Sign & Display and Textiles & Apparel), and Patrick Henry (Finishing). To access the full archive of those sessions—slides and audio—please visit the 2025 Technology Outlook.
The articles from the printed Annual will be appearing on WhatTheyThink this week and next.
Our Technology Outlook breaks the industry down into several sectors (there is overlap between and among them of course).
Today, we look at four aspects of PRODUCTION PRINT:
- Production Inkjet/Industrial Print—Kelly Lawrence looks at all the facets of inkjet in the commercial print and related segments.
- Toner/EP-based Digital—David Zwang provides an update on the electrophotography/toner side of digital printing.
- Industrial—Mary Schilling digs into the inkjet side of industrial printing, which is where a lot of the cutting-edge applications are taking place.
- Offset—Patrick Henry looks at offset and digital “mashup” workflows and how they help print businesses get the best of both worlds.
On Tuesday we look at LABELS & PACKAGING:
- David Zwang does double duty this issue, and looks at the latest developments in labels and packaging application technologies.
On Wednesday, SOFTWARE & WORKFLOW:
- Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee look at automation, specifically how shops can design scalable automation ecosystems tailored to their specific goals, budget, and evolving team.
On Thursday, DISPLAY GRAPHICS & SIGNAGE:
- Richard Romano looks at the latest trends, products, and other announcements in the world of wide-format printing and signage.
Next Monday features a deep dive into TEXTILES & APPAREL:
- Cary Sherburne looks at some of the latest trends in textiles, especially with regard to ongoing sustainability efforts.
Next Tuesday, MARKETING:
- Joanne Gore explains how to build your print-aware marketing stack.
Next Wednesday, we look at FINISHING. Specifically:
- Binding & Finishing—Patrick Henry looks at how digitally controlled postpress systems are coming into their own as linchpins of automated print manufacturing.
- Embellishments—Taktiful’s Kevin Abergel provides some of the highlights of this year’s Taktiful/WhatTheyThink Digital Embellishment Study.
We conclude next Thursday with STANDARDS:
- Julie Shaffer explains what’s going on in the world of standards development.
The Technology Outlook articles are designed to help bring print businesses up to speed on the latest technology trends, and arm them with things to look for and questions to ask at the fall trade events, particularly PRINTING United.
About WhatTheyThink
WhatTheyThink is the global printing industry’s go-to information source with both print and digital offerings, including WhatTheyThink.com, WhatTheyThink Email Newsletters, and the WhatTheyThink magazine. Our mission is to inform, educate, and inspire the industry. We provide cogent news and analysis about trends, technologies, operations, and events in all the markets that comprise today’s printing and sign industries including commercial, in-plant, mailing, finishing, sign, display, textile, industrial, finishing, labels, packaging, marketing technology, software and workflow.
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