Paul Bailin

Despite losses in market share, paper labels continue to dominate. by Kate Sharon, Associate Editor WITH ALL THE talk about film substrates, it's easy to forget that paper is still the most widely used material for packaging labels. Films, and their sister substrates synthetic papers, often take the limelight thanks to the mounting popularity of shrink materials and the need for evermore durable labels. In the end, however, paper's simplicity and practicality persist. "Paper is still the dominant label type, with over 70 percent of the market by volume," said Paul Bailin, an industry analyst and author of a study called "World Labels," soon

In an uncertain economy, package printers should stay in aggressive pursuit of profit-generating capabilities and growth markets. NEWS FROM THE NPES 2002 Print Outlook® conference was predictably somber. Printing Industries Association (PIA) Chief Economist Ron Davis related before the terrorist attacks of September 11, projections forecast print industry sales to grow to $169 billion in the following year, a meager 3 percent annual gain. Post-September 11 predictions for 2002 were scaled back to $166 billion. NPES Consulting Economist Michael Evans also had dismal tidings for equipment manufacturers: total printing equipment shipments had dropped approximately 18 percent from last year's levels in both the

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