Trouble buying a paper today? No wonder. 

Yesterday’s news about the Queen’s death was a momentous, end-of-an-era event. 

At a time like this lots of people understandably crave something tangible, something that they can hold and perhaps file away for posterity, even in a time of 24-hour rolling news, on-demand streaming and a zillion social media posts. 

Newspapers will sell out, magazines will produce tribute issues that will sell out. 

Books will be reprinted, new books published. 

The printed word, and image, helps people commemorate and celebrate the Queen’s extraordinary life in a way that digital pixels cannot. 

Today, tomorrow and over the coming weeks and months the power of print will be at the fore of events that are happening for the first time in most of our lifetimes. Everything from mourning stationery to the new designs of banknotes, stamps and passports. 

And when the time comes for the coronation of King Charles III, you can bet the presses will be rolling again. 

The death of a 96-year-old woman who devoted most of her life to public service has given many of us pause for thought.

We shall not see her like again.

But we, as an industry, can certainly play a big part in celebrating her life.