Marketing has come a long way from the Mad Men era to today’s hyper-targeted digital landscape. But have we sacrificed creativity for data? In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, I sit down with Gee Ranasinha, CEO of Kexino, to talk about the evolution of marketing, the pitfalls of over-reliance on metrics, and the timeless principles that still drive success. We also dive into: ✅ The 95-5 Rule: Why most of your audience isn’t ready to buy yet ✅ Balancing brand awareness with sales activation ✅ How marketing lost its creative edge—and how to reclaim it ✅ Why bad marketing isn't a tech problem—it's a strategy problem Gee brings 35+ years of experience in branding, storytelling, and marketing strategy, plus a great sense of humor (and apparently, he plays piano too?!). 👍 Like & 🔔 Subscribe for more insights on marketing, print, and business growth. 📩 Follow Gee on LinkedIn for bite-sized marketing wisdom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranasinha/ 📌 Learn more about Kexino: https://kexino.com/ What’s your take on the state of marketing today? Drop a comment below! ⬇️

In this special episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, host Eric Vessels sits down with the legendary Frank Romano, a true luminary in the world of print. With a career spanning over six decades, Frank has played a pivotal role in the evolution of the printing industry—from hot metal type to digital printing and AI. 🚀 What’s Inside This Episode? - Frank’s journey from working at Mergenthaler Linotype to founding Typeworld and editing Pocket Pal - The impact of automation and AI on print and graphic design - The Museum of Printing’s latest acquisition: a 1700s English Common Press and a rare 1873 Sholes & Glidden typewriter - Why direct mail is making a comeback and the future of digital embellishment - Frank’s favorite place in the world and the one piece of history he treasures most 🖨️ Upcoming Event Alert! Join Frank Romano & industry leaders at the Museum of Printing in Haverhill, MA, for a two-day digital embellishment workshop (April 22-23, 2025). More details inside! 🔥 If you're passionate about print, history, and the future of design, this episode is a must-watch! 📌 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insightful conversations with industry pioneers!

Welcome to a special episode of Taktiful Tuesdays! We’ve hit episode 10, the dime episode, and I’m thrilled to have Bill Duerr, President of Hatteras, join me for a deep dive into leadership, innovation, and the future of print. Bill shares his insights on how Hatteras stays competitive in a changing industry, the power of listening to customers, and the company’s investment in digital embellishments with the new Harris & Bruno ZRX press. We also get into AI’s role in print, company culture, and - because we love a good story - Bill’s gnarly 11-day surf adventure in Indonesia. If you’re in the printing world, a business leader, or just love hearing about innovation and leadership, this one’s for you. 🔥 Topics Covered: ✔️ How Hatteras stays competitive in a consolidating print industry ✔️ The role of AI and automation in print workflows ✔️ Investing in new technology & digital embellishment ✔️ Building a strong company culture through leadership ✔️ Bill’s epic surfing and Jiu-Jitsu journey 💬 Drop a comment! What emerging tech excites you the most? 🔔 Subscribe for more insights on print, tech, and leadership

There are so many times when using the post is the best way to lift your message, and if you are speaking to high-value customers it can be worth taking a few extra steps with equally high-value envelopes. Here are some great examples of both envelopes and brochures from Tension Envelope and Summit Direct to give you ideas!

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/enricobarboglio/

Enfocus is one of the maybe most known names in the printing industry. In this interview Managing Director, Wim Fransen goes as far as calling PitStop almost a house-hold name in Europe and the US. In this interview directly ask Wim Fransen whether their in-direct sales channel is the right one for software such as Enfocus Switch. Wim Fransen, who has been Managing Director for a couple of years, tell that this business model is such an important core of Enfocus that he almost compared as important as PitStop itself. As usual watch, like, and share this film.

Maybe you remember, but back at DRUPA 2016, Enfocus announced a really interesting initiative called X-treme Switchover. The X-treme Switchover is a project that elects a printing company to get a free implementation of a workflow based on Enfocus Switch and, the lucky printing company who got this is Sign-Age in Clearwater, FL, USA. After Sign-Age was picked last year INKISH was invited to follow the requirements phase, the implementation phase and the 'after go-live' phase to document the ups/downs of this process. Almost a year ago we published the first film where you see the requirements phase and where we speak to different people at the company about what to expect. A year later the implementation is still on-going, but as both President Linda Levitan and Vice President Michael Quigley explains, is not because of difficulties or obstacles, but more because the company simply have been too busy. At the same time, Clearwater was hard hit by a hurricane which both gave power problems as well as extra work replacing signs. In this film, we speak to various stakeholders and here a year after results are starting to show and the staff is really positive. From an INKISH perspective, we find it interesting to see for several reasons. One is the positive response from staff. Second is the continued high expectations from management - and last and more from our perspective, how modest the demands are and what a huge impact it already has on the company. When Sign-Age discover how much more Enfocus Switch can do I am certain that they will appreciate their solution even more. Take a look and enjoy!

In this film, Robert Zegwaard explains how they use Enfocus Switch as the totally indispensable tool for managing more than 1,000 daily orders. Requirements from customers, combined with the requirements for efficient production, are handled by Switch. Wihabo has used Switch for a long time, but with more than a hundred flows, and an increasing need for automation, Switch is an essential tool enabling its growth! Enjoy!

Enfocus est présent dans la maison et a amené ses spécialistes au salon. Laurent nous met à jour, sans effort, tout comme leurs solutions logicielles comme ils le prétendent fièrement. — Enfocus is in the house and they brought their specialists to the show. Laurent brings us up to speed, effortless, like their software solutions as they proudly claim.

Peter Janssen is the CEO of Endless Branding from Beek, The Netherlands - and one of the interesting things Peter Janssen emphasize in his speech from Benelux Online Print Event 18 in Brussels is that we "pretty much produce the same things we have always done, however, the way we do it has changed a lot"... This is interesting since this is what a lot of printers experience and some are successful others are still struggling. Listen and learn!

Automation, automation, automation. The same word, repeated three times, pretty much describes what customers need and what Ultimate TechnoGraphics provide. In this interview, you will hear Andrew Bailes-Collins and Ray Duval talking about why automation is so needed, but also see what the software does and how it scales with your business. At the booth, Ulitmate TechnoGraphics also emphasized the importance of Binding Automation. If you are interested in workflow/automation, you should check out the options Ultimate TechoGraphics provide!

At PRINTING United, we got a chance to meet with Colin Flinn from Horizon USA. We first met Colin Flinn back at the Think Smart Factory event in Kyoto, where he surprised us by being fluent in both Japanese and English. We have also met Flinn at several online events LIVE from Japan, where he and his team has built up a comprehensive online/offline demo facility - but now it's at PRINTING United where Colin Flinn demonstrates Horizon's new Gauze, End Paper, and bar code printing capabilities, enabling customers to use the BQ-series binders for softcover AND book blocks for hardcover books - quite amazing, but see for yourself :-)

We have visited many great printing companies, but Rotolito is in its own league. It's among the biggest commercial printing companies in Europe, based in Milan, Italy, and it's a smart company. In this interview, we focus pretty much on the HP investments - counting a T380, T490, and an Indigo 100K, but besides investing in digital technology for print, Rotolito also invests in robot technology, workflow/automation, and talking to second generation owner Emanuele Bandecchi, you don't feel that we are even near the last investment. Smart company, great products, and a great example of how this industry can continue being interesting for decades to come! Enjoy!

Talking to Emilio Estrellas was a good experience. Projecta is an Italian manufacturer of tile/ceramic printers, and while we in the graphics arts industry just started the digital transformation today the tile market is 98% produced in digital. Interesting to learn, and also show that talking digital and inkjet is more of a replacement market rather than a transformation market. Interesting!

Michael Aumann, Director, Digital Embellishment from KURZ USA, has a vision that can't come as a surprise - "more embellishment, more embellishment, and more embellishment." He is responsible for digital embellishment, though very honest about the need for both digital and analog embellishment options for a long time to come. INKISH got the chance to meet with Michael Aumann, Allan Quimby, and Myron Werner from KURZ USA - and this is the first of the results - stay tuned!

It's difficult to decide how to start this story. It's about a print and packaging company in Leicester investing in new technology. A new Koenig & Bauer press and a new folding/gluer, also from Koenig & Press. In a way, enough, but there is more to it, because the configuration of the printing press is as such unique, and as Richard Pacey explains, maybe the only one in the world. A seven-color with three coaters. But doesn't that lead to the more obvious question, why? And that's really the story. Qualvis is a print and packaging company that has specialized in high-end packaging. As we sit in the meeting room before the filming, tons of samples are placed on the table, and, of course, we look at them. Marcus Short asks us - so how do you think it's made? It looks like overprinted coldset, yet it has a different shine, and it's still the best option. And here is what Qualvis has developed over the years. Instead of using cold foil, Qualvis has developed Q-lustre. It's a flexo-printed, reflective silver color, UV-dried, and ready to be overprinted, just like a cold foil. The result is a stunning print with a metalization that actually doesn't have any metalization, as we know. It's more sustainable because it doesn't use a foil carrier, the company claims, and customers like what they see. Combined with a fast folding/gluer, the company's existing blue Koenig & Bauer Rapida press, and a few BOBST die-cutters, the company is well set for the future, and the three gentlemen we speak with are all game and ready. This was a fun job!

At Intergraf Print Matters in Budapest, Morten Reitoft speaks with Emanuele Bona, Vice President Europe at PPPC, following a presentation that offered a realistic assessment of the long-term decline in graphic paper consumption across Europe and the broader changes reshaping the paper industry. While the numbers may appear challenging at first glance, the conversation quickly reveals a more nuanced picture of an industry that has spent years adapting to changing market realities. Emanuele explains how paper producers have diversified beyond traditional graphic papers, moving into packaging grades, specialty papers, recycled fiber applications, and even energy production. Many companies have successfully transformed their business models to remain profitable despite significantly lower volumes than in previous decades. The discussion explores the factors that have shaped the industry in recent years, from the financial crisis and the pandemic to geopolitical tensions, inflation, and energy costs. As one of Europe's most energy-intensive industries, paper manufacturing has faced extraordinary challenges, yet many producers have continued to invest in efficiency, sustainability, and innovation. Morten and Emanuele also discuss the role of recycled fibers, the balance between recycled and virgin fiber content, and why different applications require different paper qualities. While recycled papers play an increasingly important role in sustainability strategies, certain premium applications still depend on high-quality virgin fibers to meet customer expectations and technical requirements. The conversation also touches on the challenges associated with declining paper consumption, where lower volumes can create new pressures on fiber availability and recycling systems. Looking beyond the statistics, Emanuele argues that the industry is entering a new phase. Traditional segments such as newspapers, magazines, and catalogs continue to decline, but opportunities remain in commercial print, specialty papers, labels, and other higher-value applications. As producers continue adapting their portfolios and business models, the pace of decline may eventually slow, creating a more balanced and sustainable market environment. A candid and insightful conversation about market realities, sustainability, recycled fibers, specialty papers, and how the European paper industry is adapting to a future that is very different from its past.

MTEX has a background in the textile industry, which makes perfect sense, as MTEX is situated in Portugal. CEO Elói Ferreira speaks about the advantages of being part of Astronova. Enjoy!

Editor Morten B. Reitoft from INKISH speaks with Elni Van Rensburg from Miraclon at Expográfica in Guadalajara about flexographic printing, sustainability, and the changing ways the print industry communicates with customers. The conversation explores Miraclon’s FLEXCEL NX Ultra water-wash plate technology, the award-winning FLEXCEL NX Prime plate, and how efficiency, waste reduction, and productivity remain central to modern flexo production. The interview also touches on the continued importance of trade shows, digital communication strategies, and why plate technology plays such a critical role in overall print performance.

In this 'Over the Skype' session, we talk to VP Marketing & Sales, Ellen Manning, from Eagle Systems. You will get the insides from how Ellen Manning got into the printing industry - and yes, it was on a drupa show. More importantly, we get the chance to talk about why foiling becomes more and more important for printers around the world. As you can see already from the cover photo, Ellen Manning is a 'sparkling' woman - fun and always good to hear engaging stories from engaged people! Enjoy this one!

Elizabeth Gooding is one of the two founding partners of INKJET INSIGHT. Only three years old they have established themselves as the number one go-to resource for inkjet. In this 'Over the Skype' session, Elizabeth Gooding talks about how they are serving their audience and how they get the information that keeps them up-to-date. Great story. As with all our ‘Over the Skype’ interviews, quality is limited to bandwidth, web-cams, and ability to literally LIVE mix the conversations. However, it works, and with Over the Skype, we will bring you more than 20 exciting people, and angles on the industry as it is right now. Enjoy!

Elisha Kasinskas is the Marketing Director of Rochester Software Associated or in short RSA. RSA developed one of the very first web-to-print solutions more than 15 years ago dedicated to in-plants. In the conversation, Elisha Kasinskas explain some of the needs in-plants have and why RSA has focused on this particular segment. However, RSA does also produce software for the broader commercial print market - but listen to the conversation for your self. As with all our 'Over the Skype' interviews, quality is limited to bandwidth, web-cams, and ability to literally LIVE mix the conversations. However, it works, and with Over the Skype, we will bring you more than 20 exciting people, and angles on the industry as it is right now. Enjoy!

Starting in a new position is always exciting, and on INKISH, we share the considerations and ambitions of people getting into new positions. In this interview, Elisha Kasinskas talk to Editor Morten B. Reitoft about the new job as Director of Marketing for BCC software. Only a few days "old" in the position puts a lot of limitations on what you know. However, we find this tense field interesting as this is where knowledge, skills, and ambitions are manifested now, knowing the new company. We love this!

Elisabetta Engel is these days Meccanotecnica's Swiss Army Knife, as she manages for a great part the Open House, Marketing in general, but also sales in two major important markets like Korea and China - well done, and she is a great example of how Meccanotecnica over the years has been able to attract young, very well educated people to the company, and to part of the transformation process that clearly takes place. Enjoy the interview :-)