Today, a special message for print buyers and others in the business of procuring print-related products. As it’s the morning after the PrintWeek Awards night before, my thoughts are naturally filled with visions of happy, successful printing people picking up their well-deserved accolades. Our Awards categories encompass quality in print production, as well as quality business practices – some companies even manage to combine both, shock, in that they produce superb print AND make a decent profit. Hallelujah! Dear buyers, please don’t pillory your printers for being good business people. Sad to say I have heard tell of some clients making negative comments along the lines of “you must be charging too much” in the face of a printco's financial success, when clearly that cannot be the case because I can’t think of a single printer who doesn’t operate in a highly-competitive market. If a supermarket, a department store, a telecoms company – even a publisher – makes record profits then they are generally lauded. Look at the reaction to WH Smith’s improved figures under the estimable Kate Swann. I really, really, wish that profit in print was not such a dirty word for some people in procurement. With profit comes the freedom to invest and develop, to be a reliable, quality supplier. And yes to reward those who make it happen. I don’t see anything wrong in that.