The debate has been raging for more years than I care to remember, not quite as long as time itself admittedly, but at least since the early 90s. And while the whys and wherefores of the argument have evolved over the years, as new technologies in both camps come on stream, the conclusion essentially remains the same – it all comes down to economics.

Some jobs are better for digital, some more suited to litho – there are a host of variables, of course, but it is those variables (not least if the job itself is variable) that dictate which process is the most suited, it’s not really a question of choice.

Simply put, they’re complementary manufacturing processes and with all things being equal, it’s just a question of which offers the best margins
for the job in hand. And, dear readers, it will ever be thus.

Which neatly gets us on to this issue’s interviewee, Buxton’s Kirk Galloway, a man who has an admirable obsession with margins and a just as admirable collection of PrintWeek Company of the Year trophies as a result.

And the former obsession is one that has stood him and his business in seriously good stead over the years – after all, not many printers can lay claim to regularly achieving double-digit pre-tax profit margins, let alone those operating in the sheetfed magazine sector.

And the secret of his success? Always sweat the small stuff.

Because even the smallest incremental gains, provided they’re along a number of different disciplines, can have a big impact on your bottom line. And I think few people would debate that.