Putting a Different Spin On 'I'll Be Home for Christmas'

Hi, I’m Erik Cagle, senior editor at Printing Impressions magazine. Some of you may recognize my name from bylines in the magazine, while I’ve had the good fortune to meet many of you at places like Graph Expo in Chicago. The powers-that-be at PI have graciously allowed me to pen a blog here on PIWorld.com, which is an honor I truly appreciate.

The thought process behind this move is to take a topical news piece and stimulate a little conversation among the readers. The news won't always be solely about printers; it could be something regarding business conditions that may impact you, or general news of interest. I promise I won't spend much time on how the Cincinnati Reds, God's gift to baseball, need a right-handed power hitter or how they'll rue the day they traded Adam Dunn. After all, when you drive in 100 runs and score 100 every year...anyway, I’ll try my best to keep it topical.

First, some ground rules. I am a writer. I have written for PI the last 10 years. I am not an expert on printing. What knowledge I have was obtained by talking to you, the printer. The opinions I have forged are based on observing the industry and drawing my own conclusions. At times, you may think I'm full of crap. You may say as much, but please keep the tone of discourse within the boundaries of good taste. After all, if you really want to read me the riot act, you know my e-mail address (ecagle@napco.com). I will afford you the same respect.

Now that we've dispatched the pleasantries, I invite you to drop by now and then, have a look and leave your $.02 U.S. Sometimes, it's the input of many that helps to shape your views. And maybe you might jot down something for people to think about. Perspective is a wonderful thing. The more we have, the better off we become.