Welcome to this webinar archive. The live event was held on April 4th 2007, but you may still access the content with the resources below.

The easiest way to view the archive is to have it stream just as it did the day of the live event. Please try this option first (available for one year)

Streaming Webinar Archive

After one year, you can still get the following downloadables:

Adobe Acrobat version of the slides (2.3 MB pdf)

Downloadable audio archive (6.51 MB MP3)

Post-Webinar Q&A - Following are answers to questions we were unable to address at the time of the live webinar:

Q:  How about the impact of the postal increase AND the impact of changing work rules that adds considerable cost to current expenses.....impact on print markets by segment and overall?

A:  The postal reform is still unsettled, especially for periodicals and catalogers, so we won't know for certain until June. Direct mail will be one of the biggest beneficiaries as catalogers push to lower their total mailing costs and push e-commerce. I think we can expect higher magazine subscription prices to try to cover some of the increased costs to publishers. No matter how bad the reform package is to these groups, it will continue the long trend of doing more of the postal service's work in printing plants. It will also increase incentives for avoiding using the postal service. Look for declines in page counts, declines in frequencies where possible, and more use of mailings with smaller physical dimensions. Databases become yet more important in reducing costs for improved lists and better targeting.

Q:  What is the impact of print material being "exported" to Asia to be "imported" as finished product in the upcoming periods?  This has clearly been a trend in non-time based material.  Do you see this growing with the pressure on CDV on plain paper?

A:  I'm not that familiar with these trends specifically, but it is very common in other industries, where raw materials are imported, become parts, then are exported where they become parts of larger assemblies, and then end up somewhere else as a final product. Printed materials with long lead times or long shelf lives have long been printed overseas, and there is little reason to think that it will not continue. Since shipping and transportation have undergone a little-reported revolution in efficiency (UPS and FedEx are the most obvious examples), lead times can shrink and materials printed offshore can be more time-sensitive than they were. We should not forget, however, that offshore printing has less impact than the much larger factors of the Internet and the ease of creating, storing, and transmitting PDF files. Avoiding print has never been easier.

Q:  What is your outlook for import and export trends for printing papers and paperboard grades such as bristols?

A:  These are not areas that I track consistently, but these are quite sensitive to changes in exchange rates and other issues. Having global paper companies changes this, however, as they can balance their business and currency issues more easily because they have transactions in both countries; that is, on both sides of the currency exchange. When a company does not have that advantage, they become more susceptible to currency variations.

Q:  We have seen print companies acquire other print companies with prices based on EBITDA multiples up to 12.  Will this continue and what do you attribute this to?

A:  In the 1990s, consolidation was based on a growing market with many senior owners looking to leave their businesses, and seeing great benefit to selling at that time. Buyers saw an industry that could benefit from having a local focus to being more regional, if not national, with a dose of professional management that could increase their efficiency. Today, most of these consolidation deals have a defensiveness about them. Consolidating sales efforts, eliminating excess equipment and operations, and dramatically decreasing costs are the theme. There is no sales euphoria this time. The emphasis is on operations.

Q:  What's your expectation about what will happen with aluminum and other commodities prices?

A:  There appears to be great pressure for many of these industrial commodities to start rising again because of international demand and a time lag in bringing on new supply.

Q:  You indicated that the Commercial Print Shipments in 2007 will be 89-90 Billion; any thoughts on the size of the Digital Component of this?

A:  We'll look at this next time in greater detail when we update the forecasts. Digital appears to be the only segment in commercial printing one can depend on to keep rising.

If you have questions about this webinar, please contact Eric: eric@whattheythink.com

About Presstek

Presstek, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of high tech digital imaging solutions to the graphic arts and laser imaging markets. Presstek's patented DI(R), CTP and plate products provide a streamlined workflow in a chemistry-free environment, thereby reducing printing cycle time and lowering production costs. Presstek solutions are designed to make it easier for printers to cost effectively meet increasing customer demand for high-quality, shorter print runs and faster turnaround while providing improved profit margins. Presstek subsidiary, Lasertel, Inc., manufactures semiconductor laser diodes for Presstek's and external customers' applications. For more information visit www.presstek.com, or call 603-595-7000 or email: info@presstek.com.

About WhatTheyThink.com

WhatTheyThink.com is the print and publishing industry's leading online community. The company offers a mixture of free and subscription-based content for industry executives. Additionally, WhatTheyThink.com provides a robust content syndication program serving related web sites.

About Dr. Joe Webb

Dr. Joe Webb is one of the graphic arts industry's best-known consultants, forecasters, and commentators. He is the founding partner of the new business www.PrintForecast.com, which publishes the free newsletter PrintForecast Perspective, the paid newsletter/podcast PrintForecast Contrarian view, and other global print business planning and forecasting resources.

A 28-year veteran of the graphic arts industries, he was the developer of the influential TrendWatch information service, which was sold in 2000. Since January 2003, his "Mondays with Dr. Joe" column has become a popular feature on www.WhatTheyThink.com. His running commentary on the printing industry, new media, and the economy, can also be found at www.drjoesblog.com.

He is a Ph.D. graduate of the NYU Center for Graphic Communications Management and Technology (1987) and serves on the Center's Board of Advisors. He holds an MBA in Management Information Systems from Iona College (1981), was a magna cum laude graduate in Managerial Sciences and Marketing from Manhattan College (1978), and was a member of the economics honor society.

Dr. Joe can be reached by e-mail through the PrintForecast.com website, where executives can also sign up for the free PrintForecast Perspective newsletter. His phone number is 1-401-709-4423.