A MESSAGE FROM THE SPONSOR | BILLERUD

About Billerud

Billerud provides paper and packaging materials that challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future.

We are a world leading company in high-performing paper and packaging materials made from virgin fiber; passionately committed to sustainability, quality, and customer value. The company has nine production units in Sweden, USA, and Finland with around 6,100 employees in over 13 countries and customers in over 100 countries. Billerud is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

In the United States, Billerud operates out of a regional head office in Miamisburg OH, two mills in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and a converting facility in Wisconsin. We are a leading supplier of high-quality graphic and label papers, packaging materials, and market pulp. At Billerud, we build brands and business results for our customers.

Our Story

Our roots in the paper industry and our proud history go back more than 150 years. Since then, we’ve grown to what we are today: A world leading company in high-performing paper and packaging materials — passionately committed to sustainability, quality, our customers, and their businesses.

Sustainable packaging is no longer optional. It’s a must for any brand that wants to future-proof its business. That’s why our decisions are always guided by the promise of creating a better tomorrow, today.

As a leading supplier of virgin fiber-based paper and packaging materials, and with sustainability at our core, we are passionately committed to our customers and their businesses, every day. With our industry knowledge and expertise, we are here to inspire and make you feel confident in making the best packaging choices that help reduce your climate impact.

Our Graphic Products In North America

With our distinguished graphic product line, streamlined supply chain and flexible manufacturing capabilities, we are ready to respond to market demands that best service our customers. Ours is the best quality graphic papers with a broad selection of forest management and chain-of-custody certification options for all types of commercial printing applications. Our U.S. mills are strategically located near top industry printers across North America, so our products are available when you need them. And we provide expert customer support, on-press technical service and insightful solutions that bring added efficiency and productivity straight to your business.

OUR COATED SHEETS PORTFOLIO:

Our family of sheetfed grades spans your premium through economy needs, for applications that include high-end brochures, annual reports, corporate collateral, direct mail, high-end packaging, and general commercial printing:

• Sterling® Premium

• Productolith® Pts.

• Anthem Plus®

• Sterling® Ultra C1S

• CrownBoard Prestige®

OUR COATED DIGITAL & INKJET PORTFOLIO:

We have been a leader in manufacturing digital papers since digital printing technology first emerged more than two decades ago, offering specialized expertise, dedicated production capacity and a portfolio of products to meet the needs of the various applications of digital and inkjet printing:

• Sterling® Premium Digital™

• Productolith Pts. Digital®

• Blazer Digital®

• TrueJet® Book

• Sterling® Ultra EX

• Sterling® Points EX

• Influence® EX

OUR COATED WEB PORTFOLIO:

We make it easy for coated web paper customers to do business with us, with breadth and quality of web products that are second to none:

• Sterling® Ultra

• ArborWeb Plus®

• Influence®

• ArborWeb®

• Liberty®

• New Era® Matte

To learn more, please contact your Billerud graphic papers sales professional or visit billerud.com.

THIS EDITION OF GDUSA IS PRINTED ON INFLUENCE ® GLOSS, 60 LB. TEXT FROM BILLERUD

PRINT SURVEY | THE NUMBERS

OUR 2024 POLL WAS SENT TO A RANDOM SELECTION OF 25,000 GDUSA PRINT AND E-SUBSCRIBERS. THE BENCHMARK RESULTS MAKE CLEAR THAT, EVEN IN A DIGITAL AGE, PRINT REMAINS ESSENTIAL TO THE GRAPHIC DESIGN PROFESSION.

IS PRINT IMPORTANT IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE?

From the start of my career til now, the world has taken a dramatic shift to digital, generally speaking. And yet, I've never felt a large shift away from print in design. Being involved in a wide variety of project types, the work tends to roll out to a wide variety of applications naturally. I have yet to work with clients who have decided to leave print behind to rely only on digital projects. Just about everyone, spanning multiple generations, run their business with print in mind. I appreciate the fact that they continue to value things like paper stock, special finishes, sustainability, etc. Even a younger generation of business owners seem to enjoy handing people something physical as part of their brand experience versus just having an online presence.

In our industry, ideas and execution are the key to our industry, the brand touch-points are important for delivering the messaging and dependent upon the audience and where and how used. The traditional strengths of print are all relevant and serve as a tangible resource to have and hold.

Invariably every client I have worked for comes around to realize they need print in their communication mix. There is still something about holding information in your hand and not needing any power source to access it.

There will always be a need for printing, no matter how far the digital world progresses. There are certain aspects/benefits to having something printed that a digital version will never be able to reproduce. I’ve found that many clients prefer a physical, printed copy—and it’s not just the older clients who aren’t great with technology. Being able to print and knowing everything that it entails adds an extra layer of credibility and professionalism to you as a designer.

For me, print is still essential in my professional life. I get the advantages of digital but a constant bombardment of banners, emails, etc. makes me blind and I begin dismissing the contents because it feels less than. With print, it commands my attention due to it interacting with tactile sensibilities, a break for my eyes to see something in a practical dimension and it feels more personal.

As a designer and an educator, there's a certain intimacy that is missed in digital. It is abundantly clear in seeing my students, and even my children interact with printed items, sometimes at a loss for what to do. We need more print if we are keep the soul of design alive.

Print is still very important. Clients ALWAYS comment on the feel and quality of the printed material. Digital is throw-away/scrollaway and cheap printing feels cheap immediately. Higher quality materials, finishes, etc. have lasting impact.

I push myself hard to make sure my print work is at the highest level possible. It's because it's more personal to me. When I wake up in the middle of the night, it's the print work that's got me thinking and rethinking fonts and colors and presentation.

“PRINT IS WHAT IS REAL”

Print and design go hand in hand. Great design can be come lousy of the wrong paper is used. Great paper can help bad design. Tactile experiences are more immersive and nothing beats a postcard or direct mail piece with a coupon. Special promotions delivered by print with in-store specials bring you in store instead of shopping online. Online email blasts can be easily overlooked and discarded, or lost after a glance. With print, you have innate longevity.

I started my career as a printing press operator, went to college for graphic design because of print, and landed in a digital world. While digital media has certainly changed the landscape of marketing and communication, print media continues to offer unique advantages that can make it a valuable part of a comprehensive media strategy. Print materials are physical, allowing for a tactile experience that digital media cannot replicate. This tangibility can create a stronger emotional connection with the audience. Highquality print materials can enhance the perceived value of a brand. A well-designed and printed piece can convey professionalism and attention to detail.

Print design still matters. From my experience, people are tired of digital everything. ROI is higher on print compared to digital. The numbers back it up. Uninformed people are the ones still pushing for digital. Yes, working partially for the prison sector, print is still a major option. Brought up as a printer with letterpress, litho and the digital process, I’m a big advocate of print.

PRINT SURVEY | SELECT COMMENTS CONTINUED

IS PRINT IMPORTANT IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE?

PRINT is what is real. DIGITAL is a vaporish spirit, devoid of permanence.

Tactile response can be a huge game changer. People shop online, but receive a physical product - that experience will always matter. Since COVID has faded, people are out experiencing events and finding more ways to be a part of their local community. Signage, print ads, posters; even giveaway items like apparel, pins, koozies and the like play a huge role in engaging with people.

RESPONSE CAN BE A HUGE GAME CHANGER”

While digital platforms have gained significant prominence, print remains important in both my professional work and personal life. Print offers a tactile experience that digital media cannot replicate, allowing for a deeper connection with information. Additionally, print provides a sense of permanence, as physical copies can be stored and accessed reliably over time. The credibility associated with print materials also persists, as they are often regarded as more trustworthy and authoritative. Despite the convenience of digital alternatives, the traditional strengths of print, such as touch, permanence, and credibility, continue to hold value, making it relevant and significant even in today’s digital age.

Digital is like a date who ghosts you. Sites go down and disappear; content, likewise. Print is with you for the long haul.

Print design is critical in my professional life as that is my area of expertise but I have seen a steady decline in the actual printing of the final pieces. Most are now provided as pdfs that is now offered to people to download and print on their own. But in general people still like to have them especially for events like meetings to jot down notes. Not sure how much longer that will exist though as each generation is adapting more and more to a digital world.

Today's audiences are bombarded with digital communication. Print is breaking through in a more strategic way.

I am officially a print designer, but a lot of my work is turning digital to save money. Just the high priority projects are still being printed. But that makes the paper choice and printing style even more important.

Print design is very important. Even though you can get most things digitally now, there is still something special about seeing something in print. Especially when it comes to invitations or publications for example. To feel something in your hands, relay a feeling through touch, turn the pages and read. You just can't get that experience through something digitally.

Even more today with electronic communication all delivered by slick tech devices, touch, portability, connection and credibility are critical to setting clients and their messages apart from all others. Print is a far more powerful way to communicate uniquely and distinctively.

Print design still adds a tangible value to products and services that one simply cannot experience through digital means, and therefore it will always be important on some level.

I consider myself a print designer first. While our firm does a lot of digital design, print is still important to us.

Print is still important as the older generations are not as digitally experienced as younger generations. Print is much easier for them to navigate and understand than digital.

While digital media is convenient and dynamic, I feel that the tactile experience of holding a printed product — the feel, sight, and smell — should never be undervalued. As more people immerse themselves in a digital world, print can surprise, delight, and make a memorable impression in a white noise-filled world.

Print is not dead. Our internal creative services team has projects that are print heavy still. We have partially transitioned to digital but a good 60+% of our collateral remains print. Since we also design collateral for the multiple trade shows we hold as well as exhibit at, that won't change anytime soon.Yes, print is still important - in fact we have seen a return to having physical handouts/ brochures.

Holding marketing material in one's hands does still matter, and it may matter more than ever in our growing digital world. I am seeing more effective returns on direct mail as the mailbox becomes less cluttered (outside of the political mailing timeframe). Packaging continues to be the #1 way to sell a product even through on-line avenues where one can blow up a digital image of the package. I do believe printed material does have a great perception of credibility and likeliness for brand permanence.

Without a doubt, I understand and retain Information delivered in print better than information delivered digitally. Plus, I appreciate the tactile nature of print and the design possibilities

Print design in not obsolete in any way, it has simply become a part of a bigger picture. People digest communication in different ways. Some skim, some headline, some read it all. Some read print, some read screens. As it should always be. Print is digested, then saved or recycled. Digital is almost always skimmed, then forgotten and replaced. Humans need to return to the LONGER ATTENTION SPANS that enjoying print requires of us.

I work with the designers for our company. We do everything from our own biz cards, letterhead, catalogs for products, break out segment catalogs, invites, fun Zine handout to promote different papers and calendars and notebooks and wrapping paper. I work for the paper merchant as the specifier who meets with designers as well. Print is always evolvoing as customers needs change. All designers love print.

Much of my work is now sold as greeting cards, posters, and Giclee prints. Other work is printed transit so much of my product is not delivered as digital imagery.

I will always need the tactile side of print. Touch, feel, hold. I buy things that are packaged beautifully even though I may not need the product. I’m very visually tied to aesthetics. If form has function, it’s a bonus. In my opinion print will never die. A handwritten thank you note sent via USPS has more intention and is more relational (to me) than an email.

Print’s qualities still matter. I design the alumni magazine of my institution, which is distributed 3x a year. This issue was focused on AI, so the font of the magazine was predominantly white vs. a typical photo — in order to make the cover more engaging, instead of printing on uncoated paper, we used soft touch AQ coating, and accented the masthead and logo with a clear foil to have a contrast in textures. For the annual holiday card, I designed an architectural piece that was embossed white on white with the simplified lines of a historic building, and did a small spot color to give it an accent. Whenever possible, I love to incorporate texture into print, to enhance the tactile experience.

Reading print material is a different experience than digital. I work with all ages and younger customers want and are more comfortable with digital and older people want print materials because of the experience.

As a print designer for over 25 years, print will always have an importance in my professional life! I fully understand why design has shifted to the digital space, but I think there can still be a place for print in this world. With seeing so many ads on devices, I think it’s exciting to hold the actual product in the real world…. whether it be an annual report, book or just packaging. And print does that for us!

Yes, print design is very important in my professional life as a book designer. All the traditional strengths come into play, touch,

CONTINUED

IS PRINT IMPORTANT IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE?

permanence, portability, connection, and credibility. They still endure and they still matter.

It is a relief to get a printed communication after being overwhelmed on screen day after day.

All of it matters. The more we surround ourselves with the digital world, the more it has become something in the background. We have grown so used to it that we take it for granted now and are searching out physical media in response in order to get human connection. Additionally, digital media is scrutinized as being fake, manipulated, altered, or untruthful. Which by default makes physical media and print more solid, truthful, OFFICIAL. Its tangible in a way that the digital world isn't.

The downfall of print is that it's less trackable in a marketing setting. But the beauty of a well crafted and designed print piece can't be denied.

I am an OG print designer but do alllll kinds of design projects now. But, have discovered newer, younger designers don't have much print expereince...so I guess, that's good for us oldies, that we can bring that to the design table. Print will always be important to me. Not every client feels this way, but love it when they do!!

Print continues to be relevant. While digital media offers various advantages, such as interactivity and real-time updates, print has its unique strengths. Interaction with printed materials creates a connection that digital media cannot. Paper texture and weight, or the finish of the paper can leave a lasting impression and authority and credibility. Print materials can be carried anywhere without the need for internet access, making them accessible in areas with limited connectivity. Print design can foster a deeper connection with the audience by appealing to their senses and emotions. Print can work synergistically with digital in marketing campaigns.

Print marketing took a big hit but has evolved into the cool kid on the block through digital printing and pairing with digital marketing (e.g., AR). Printed pieces are a refreshing alternative to wornout digital marketing.

As long as we remain civilized humans, the tactile experience will endure.

I design private-brand packaging for a grocery chain. I generally don't specify substrates. The suppliers do that, and of course, it's all about preserving what's in the package for transport and shelf life. Personally, I still love a good book, and you never need batteries.

For the right situation, and the right audience, print is important. However, those moments and occasions are becoming much fewer with clients scaling back on budgets that typically fund those targeted experiences.

Yes, the tactile quality and joy of being off-screen matter.

Yes, print design is important in my life. Much of my work is designing packaging displays for trade shows, etc.

Yes even though we may print less these days most people still like having their info on a printed piece.

I've been in the industry since before digital was a thing. I feared that print materials would die a slow death but it hasn't happened. People want to have and to hold marketing materials. It certainly is different but it still matters and is important. Print is here; digital is fleeting.

Most of our print work has gone to digital print on demand, so budget friendly, high-performing papers for digital print are more what we look for rather than high-quality high-end papers.

I work designing billboards. Static/print ads are very important. It's the one medium you can't turn off.

Paper matters! Color, feel, ability to accurate represent your message.

Print matters most in my work on packaging, but has mostly been phased out of other client requests in favor of digital.

To me print is very relevant and I focus a lot on choosing materi als that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Paper (touch) is absent from digital communication. Adding back or including print/paper is more rare and therefore even more impactful than ever.

Print still matters. I see its use reserved for special situations, when a project needs to make an extra splash or requires a personal touch.

I believe print will always be needed and it is my preference for marketing materials.

All brands and their innovations in paper and other substrates are always welcome. I’ve also spent a lot of time over the past 17 years with a dietary supplements products client, working to get them out of plastic bottles and into paperboard containers and stand-up pouches, hoping for ever more sustainable and truly recyclable solutions.

Print products create a competitive advantage in a local market. Not everyone can publish, and not everyone can bundle digital with print.

I feel like print is still very relevant. In my personal life, it is very much. However, for my job, I’m not called on as often as I once was to produce print materials. That probably differs from job/ industry to job/industry.amount of different things during the year.

I believe all print in front of customers is effective. Haptics, the science and technology of transmitting and understanding information through touch, is more meaningful now than ever to be noticed.

Our audience is mainly older financial real estate people who still prefer something they can look at. The connection is still needed despite the availability of a digital edition as well.

The lasting printed item will have a higher chance of being read than an email in your inbox - [click>delete]

Having bought printing and prepared graphics for printing across all techniques for 50 years, I’m hopeful that uncoated textured stocks will endure and gain variety, too.

Print’s strengths will always matter to me. And I never stop impressing all that on my clients.