Wade Fouts

The e-commerce arena has proved favorable for package printing suppliers, but their routes to success may surprise you. by Susan Friedman, Editor Postcards back from the trenches of e-commerce imply that the same e-business plan won't ensure online profits for every package printing supplier, but several overriding concepts should hold true for any Web-based sales initiative. Here, several suppliers share the common threads their varied e-ventures have shown. The Explorers: Adhesives Research, a splicing tapes manufacturer; Avery Dennison's Fasson Roll North America Div., a label materials manufacturer; Copac, an offset and rotary letterpress package printer; and Wilson Manufacturing, a rotary die manufacturer Finding #1:

Always the tail that wagged the converting dog, solid rotary die technology is now as sophisticated and efficient as any aspect of the package printing process. by David Luttenberger, CPP With quality and service a given, diemakers are looking toward more sophisticated and value-added options on which to hang their hats. No matter whether the die is for cutting paper, polyester or even non-wovens, new coatings and time-saving methods for hardening steel are what many diemakers feel will give them an edge in a segment that has seen more than a handful of new competitors pop up in the past few years. "Basically, steel