We all know that print has traditionally been a bellwether for the economy overall, first in to recession and first out. This week it was also likened to "the canary in the coal mine" by the Financial Times following Printing.com's profit warning, when the company also talked of a possible double-dip recession.

Now we have the BPIF's latest Outlook Survey pointing to an improvement in trading conditions, albeit compared to the shocking results from the same period last year. Reading further into the BPIF report reveals something of a mixed picture, not far off 40% still reported a weakening in the state of trade.

It is encouraging, though, that the vast majority (70%) of those surveyed say they don't plan to lay off staff in the foreseeable future.

It's pretty clear there is no one-size fits all recovery. My own unscientific straw poll involving chatting with various contacts has resulted in largely upbeat responses, hoorah, and nobody has sobbed onto my shoulder for a while. Yesterday, for example, someone told me they'd produced a record amount of colour digital impressions last month - up threefold on last year.

I'm hoping the presses keep singing sweetly, and most importantly of all, profitably.