Industry Profile & Economics

Printing Industries of America, in partnership with MargolisBecker, LLC, publishes 15 Ratios Volumes on an annual basis. Below we provide a short description of each volume to help you decide which volume(s) are most appropriate for you. In each volume we calculate operating ratios1 as a percent of sales and value added, along with balance sheet ratios, and significant facts; which include profitability ratios, financial ratios, and a detailed employee profile. If at least 20 printers are in a category (ex Sheetfed Printers with $3M to $6M in sales) then we calculate ratios for all category respondents and profit leaders (top 25%). For additional information please contact Ed Gleeson at egleeson@printing.org or 412-259-1756.

Management Guide to the Ratios (Vol. 1): This guide is for users who are new to financial ratios analysis and for first-time purchasers. It includes descriptions and calculation explanations of the various ratios and how to use them for management decision making.

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10848?c=42341

All Printers by Sales Volume and Geographic Area (Vol. 2): Contains the ratios and statistics from all responding U.S. and Canadian firms in six standardized sales ranges and 12 North American regions. Compares operating ratios based on the value added and sales. This volume also contains balance sheet ratios, significant facts, and return on investment for all sales ranges and geographic areas.

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10810?c=42341 

All Printers by Product Specialty (Vol. 3): Reports on printers’ financial status by product (direct mail, commercial and advertising, magazine and periodical, book manufacturers, label printers, and packaging) sales volume, and value added. This volume also contains balance sheet ratios, significant facts, and return on investment for product specialties.

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10809?c=42341  

Sheetfed Printers by Sales Volume & Geographic Area (Vol. 4): Ratios are reported by sales volume and from 12 North American regions; compares firms operations by value added and sales. Balance sheet ratios, significant facts, and return on investment for all standardized sales ranges and geographic regions are presented.

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10808?c=42341

Web Offset Printers―Heatset (Vol. 5): Presents financial data for heatset web printers by sales volume, product speciality, and percentage of paper supplied.

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF:  http://www.printing.org/node/10807?c=42341

Web Offset Printers―Non-Heatset (Vol. 6): Presents financial data for non-heatset printers by sales volume and product specialty.

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF:  http://www.printing.org/node/10806?c=42341

Combination Offset―Sheetfed/Web (Vol. 7): Presents data according to sales volume, product specialty, and percentage of web offset sales. (Note: This special production classification applies to firms with more than 20% sheeted and more than 20% webs sales.)

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10805?c=42341

Book Manufacturers (Vol. 8): Reports on operations, balance sheet, significant facts, and return on investment by size of firm and printing process.

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF:  http://www.printing.org/node/10804?c=42341

Printers with Sales over $18,000,000 (Vol. 9): Addresses unique needs of printing firms with sales over $18,000,000; analyzes ratios for larger firms by the following categories: ($18M to $25M, $25M to $40M, $40M to $80M, and over $80M). Also takes a look at their financials by type of product printed (commercial and advertising, magazine and periodical, direct-mail, and book manufactures). Balance sheet, income statement, significant facts, and return on investment are examined.

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10803?c=42341

Binders (Vol. 10): Trade binders/finishers’ financial ratios are examined by size of firm (Sales to $4.5M and sales over $4.5M).

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF:  http://www.printing.org/node/10812?c=42341

Printers with Sales under $3,000,000 (Vol. 11): Addresses the unique needs of printing firms with sales under $3,000,000. Data is analyzed by size of firm/sales volume and product speciality. Balance sheet, income statement, significant facts, and return on investment ratios are presented for each sales range and product speciality..

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10811?c=42341

Quick Printers (Vol. 12): Presents financial data for quick printers by sales size.

Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012

PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10820?c=42341

Forms and Document Printers (Vol. 13): Presents ratios by sales volume for firms whose product specialty is forms and document printing. Balance sheet, income statement, significant facts, and return on investments ratios are calculated for each sales volume category.

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012

Purchase PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10819?c=42341

Label Printers (Vol. 14): Presents ratios by sales volume, process specialty, market segment, and material types (pressure-sensitive and cut-and-stack papers). Operation ratios are based on sales and value added. Balance sheet ratios, significant facts, and return on investment are presented for each category.

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10818?c=42341

Digital Printers (Vol. 15): This study includes printers who perform some amount of digital printing (toner, inkjet, or both). Presents ratios by sales volume, percent of sales that are digital, and digital printing process (toner or inkjet).

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10817?c=42341

Commercial and Advertising Printers (Vol. 16): Presents ratios by sales volume and geographic region whose product specialty is commercial and advertising printing. Operating ratios are based on sales and value added. Balance sheet ratios, significant facts, and return on investments are presented for each category.

Purchase Book: Expected publication date 9/30/2012
Purchase PDF: http://www.printing.org/node/10816?c=42341

¹Operating Ratios―These ratios are calculated as a percent of sales and percent of value added. Operating ratios or income statement ratios include factory cost of sales or product, materials and outside services, factory payroll, other factory expenses, total factory cost of product, gross profit, administrative and selling expenses, income (loss) before interest expense, interest expense, operating income (loss), other income, other expenses, and net income (loss) before taxes.

²Significant facts―are separated into three categories; profitability ratios, financial ratios, and employee profile.

Profitability Ratios: A few examples include

1. Return on investment as a percent of sales and value added
2. EBITDA as a percent of sales and value added
3. Sales per $1 gross assets
4. Sales per $1 net assets
5. Sales per $1 current assts
6. Sales and value added per employee and factory employee

Financial Ratios: A few examples include

1. Current ratio
2. Quick ratio
3. Cash asset ratio
4. Total inventory turnover
5. Paper inventory turnover
6. Debt to equity
7. Long-term debt to equity

Employee Profile: A few examples include

1. Shareholders’ equity per employee and per factory employee
2. Net assets employed per all employees
3. Machinery and equipment employed per factory employee
4. Total Payroll as a percent of sales and value added by employee type