Both the Fespa Census and the BPIF’s quarterly Printing Outlook reported a sector broadly optimistic about the market conditions.

In fact, the Fespa study was positively overflowing with good news about the opportunities, both realised and future, in the wide-format world – although some of that optimism, of course, can be put down to the fact that it was an international study – and we all know how annoyingly perky Johnnie Foreigner can be.

In contrast, the BPIF report was focused purely on the UK market, so its hardly surprising that it talked more of “cautious” optimism – we’re British after all and it simply wouldn’t be cricket to be too optimistic.

Equally, it wouldn’t be good form to forget our obsession with rivals’ undercutting market rates – so it’s not surprising that rivals quoting below cost was flagged by more than two-thirds of BPIF respondents as being their chief area of concern.

There’s no doubt that pricing is, and probably always will be, the top of most UK print bosses worry list. However, the fact that so many rank it as their prime concern either means that there are a handful of companies out there in every sector quoting unsustainable low prices or, perish the thought, the vast majority of printers every now and again put in a dirty quote to win a new client or plug a gap in capacity.

That’s probably just crazy talk though, so instead I’m going to go back to my happy place and quietly curse the handful of printers guilty of destroying the value of print.