printaction

What printaction does

PrintAction is a Canadian B2B trade publication founded in 1966 and headquartered in Toronto, dedicated to the printing and graphic communications industry. It serves printing service providers, suppliers, and related professionals across Canada as a long-standing source of industry news, product information, and market intelligence. The publication operates as a subsidiary of Annex Business Media and is part of the conglomerate's Manufacturing Network of trade media properties.

The company's core product is the PrintAction magazine, supplemented by a digital edition, eNews newsletter, webinars, podcasts, videos, and a buyers guide. PrintAction also produces recurring industry events including the Canadian Printing Awards and PrintForum conference, extending the business beyond editorial into event-based revenue and community engagement. Its go-to-market is sales-led, monetizing through magazine subscriptions (print and digital), eNewsletter subscriptions, and advertising, sponsorships, and branded content directed at the Canadian printing vertical.

The business model is characteristic of a niche B2B media property: revenue is generated from a combination of subscription fees and advertiser spend within a single specialized vertical. As a long-established domestic publication, PrintAction holds an efficient-scale position in the Canadian printing market, though the underlying print industry faces structural headwinds from digital displacement. The company has expanded into multimedia formats (webinars, podcasts, video) as a defensive modernization of its offering, but no AI, data, or technology platform capabilities are disclosed.

Name

printaction

Legal name

PrintAction

Website

https://printaction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Short description

PrintAction is a Canadian B2B trade publication founded in 1966, serving the printing and graphic communications industry with a magazine, digital edition, eNews, webinars, podcasts, videos, and industry events. It operates as part of Annex Business Media's Manufacturing Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: PrintAction generates revenue through paid magazine subscriptions (print and digital edition) and eNewsletter subscriptions targeting the Canadian printing industry.
2. Advertising: The publication monetizes its audience through advertising placements, sponsorships, and branded content opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PrintAction is Canada's premier trade publication dedicated to the printing and imaging industry, publishing news, feature articles, and multimedia content (webinars, videos, podcasts) for Canadian printing professionals. Its core offering is a print and digital magazine supported by an eNewsletter and event programs, monetized through paid subscriptions and advertising.

Product overview

PrintAction is a single unified publication—Canada's longest-running trade magazine dedicated to the printing and imaging industry, with nearly 60 years of publication history. The product portfolio centers on PrintAction Magazine as the core offering, supported by complementary digital channels including a Digital Edition, eNews newsletters, Webinars, Podcasts, and Videos. These products deliver industry news, feature articles, and educational content covering trends, technologies, and business practices in the Canadian printing sector. Additional services include the Buyers Guide directory and event-based offerings such as the Canadian Printing Awards and PrintForum conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PrintAction Magazine Canada's premier trade publication dedicated to the printing and imaging industry, delivering industry news, feature articles, and the latest trends in printing technologies and business practices to Canadian printing professionals and businesses.
• Digital Edition

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Label & Narrow Web: Trade publication serving the label and narrow-web printing industry. Same editorial B2B trade media format with similar subscription and advertising revenue model, covering a printing subsegment PrintAction also addresses.
• Wide Format Imaging: Trade publication covering wide-format printing technology and applications — one of PrintAction's core coverage areas. Same magazine + digital editorial model serving overlapping industry verticals.
• Package Printing: Trade publication specifically focused on package printing, converting, and related technologies. Comparable B2B trade media format with overlapping editorial coverage and advertiser base on the packaging printing side.
• Packaging Impressions: Trade publication focused on the packaging printing and converting market. Comparable trade media model and audience overlap, particularly around packaging — a growth segment PrintAction also covers.
• Printing Impressions: Leading US-based trade magazine for the commercial printing industry, covering news, technology, and business management. Same product format (trade magazine + digital channels) and overlapping audience with PrintAction, but operating at significantly larger scale in the US market.
• Graphic Arts Magazine: Canadian trade publication covering the graphic arts and printing industry. Directly comparable to PrintAction as both serve the same Canadian printing and imaging audience with magazine, digital, and newsletter content.
• Ink World: Trade publication covering the ink, coatings, and printing ink industry. Comparable editorial and trade media model focused on a printing-adjacent vertical, with similar advertising-supported business model.

Emerging players

• WhatTheyThink: Online community and digital-first trade publication covering the printing industry with news, analysis, podcasts, and webinars. Comparable to PrintAction's editorial mission but distributed primarily through digital channels rather than print magazine.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Manufacturing: Sister publication under Annex Business Media covering Canadian manufacturing broadly. Comparable B2B trade media model and shared corporate infrastructure, but addresses a wider manufacturing audience rather than printing specifically.
• Canadian Packaging: Another Annex Business Media sister publication covering the Canadian packaging industry. Same trade media business model and parent company, with audience overlap on the packaging printing side of PrintAction's coverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/printaction
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/printaction

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about printaction