Viewpoint
August 2005
A magazine for printers by printers
Graphic Monthly was born to give printers a unique perspective on the industry
A long time ago, well, 25 years ago to be exact, a couple of guys from the printing industry decided to start a magazine for printers. They wanted it to be about printing in Canada, written by printers in Canada, and they wanted the magazine to deal with management issues, like how to make a buck in this industry. They wanted it to filter out all the hype and let printers know what was going on in this country. I was one of those guys. That is how Graphic Monthly was born. Twenty-five years later, that perspective is still what makes the magazine tick.

Most of our columnists are people who have been in the industry and have learned from hard experience. Our features still try to present all sides of the issue, good and bad. We still do not print supplier-written stories (they have a tendency of being a little biased). And Graphic Monthly has consistently raised the information bar. Over the years, we have introduced several exclusive features that added to our understanding of the printing industry. These include The Gold List , a ranking of the top 100 printers in Canada; the Henderson Index, a charting of the value of public printing companies; Print Watch, a roundup of surveys and industry statistics; and the first-ever industry census on pg. 46 of this issue. The Printer of the Year was created to celebrate some of the heroes of our industry—those who have changed the face of printing in Canada.

In fact, the history of Graphic Monthly very much reflects the history of the industry for the last 25 years. Our first issue was 16 pages, mostly black and white, and our second issue had a letter to the editor complaining about too much iron on the floor and how it was hurting prices. Some things never change.

The 80s saw the rise of the trade house, and, staying in step, we published our first Estimators’ and Buyers’ Guide in 1984 at 32 pages. Today, it’s the most authoritative directory in the business and runs more than 300 pages. In the mid-80s, the Canadian printing industry started to move out of the shadows of the U.S. industry and take on a life of its own. Keeping pace, the Print Ontario trade show appeared in 1986, with 60,000 sq. ft. of space and 5,000 visitors. It gave printers a unique Canadian venue. The digitization of the industry began in the late 80s. New equipment started replacing old models at a rapid rate. To keep up with the changes and help readers make sense of the new choices, The Master Equipment Catalogue began publishing in 1989.

The recession in 1992-94 created many casualties among both printers and suppliers. The de-unionization of commercial printers accelerated and had become almost a non issue by the late 90s. The paper business turned upside down with going green, recycling content, merchants expanding across the country and paper mills charging distributors. We published the first issue of the Paper Buyers’ Guide in 1994. It’s now called the Canadian Paper Finder.

After the Internet bubble burst in 2001, the true impact of the Web started to affect printing, and PrintCAN.com, a portal to the graphic arts industry with a uniquely Canadian perspective and exclusive news stories, went online.

After going through the pages of Graphic Monthly for the last 25 years, several interesting observations come up. Trade Talk, the section in which all the people appointments appear, was, in some cases, like watching a merry-go-round. Individuals moved around regularly and at times the picture didn’t even change, just the company where they were now working. New technology and trends that were new and noteworthy at the time have become mainstream. Think of CTP, digital presses and cross-border sales. Some things that were supposed to become mainstream are still niche based or in specialized markets, including waterless printing, stochastic screening and selective binding.

Graphic Monthly, like the printing industry, has come a long way. Both of us have charted distinct courses, and come though many changes. But one thing remains the same: the spirit of those two guys to serve the printing industry in Canada.
Alexander Donald is the publisher of Graphic Monthly Canada.
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