Industries in the Printing and Related Support Activities subsector print products, such as newspapers, books, labels, business cards, stationery, business forms, and other materials, and perform support activities, such as data imaging, platemaking services, and bookbinding. The support activities included here are an integral part of the printing industry, and a product (a printing plate, a bound book, or a computer disk or file) that is an integral part of the printing industry is almost always provided by these operations.
Processes used in printing include a variety of methods used to transfer an image from a plate, screen, film, or computer file to some medium, such as paper, plastics, metal, textile articles, or wood. The most prominent of these methods is to transfer the image from a plate or screen to the medium (lithographic, gravure, screen, and flexographic printing). A rapidly growing new technology uses a computer file to directly "drive" the printing mechanism to create the image and new electrostatic and other types of equipment (digital or nonimpact printing).
In contrast to many other classification systems that locate publishing of printed materials in manufacturing, NAICS classifies the publishing of printed products in Subsector 511, Publishing Industries (except Internet). Though printing and publishing are often carried out by the same enterprise (a newspaper, for example), it is less and less the case that these distinct activities are carried out in the same establishment. When publishing and printing are done in the same establishment, the establishment is classified in Sector 51, Information, in the appropriate NAICS industry even if the receipts for printing exceed those for publishing.
This subsector includes printing on clothing because the production process for that activity is printing, not clothing manufacturing. For instance, the printing of T-shirts is included in this subsector. In contrast, printing on fabric (or grey goods) is not included. This activity is part of the process of finishing the fabric and is included in the NAICS Textile Mills subsector in Industry 31331, Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills.
3231 Printing and Related Support Activities
32311 Printing
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in printing on apparel and textile
products, paper, metal, glass, plastics, and other materials, except fabric (grey goods). The
printing processes employed include, but are not limited to, lithographic, gravure, screen,
flexographic, digital, and letterpress. Establishments in this industry do not manufacture the
stock that they print but may perform postprinting activities, such as folding, cutting, or
laminating the materials they print, and mailing.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Providing photocopying service on nondigital photocopy equipment without performing traditional printing activities - classified in Industry 56143, Business Service Centers;
- Printing on grey goods - classified in Industry 31331, Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills;
- Printing and publishing, known as publishers - classified in Subsector 511, Publishing Industries (except Internet); and
- Performing prepress or postpress services without performing traditional printing activities - classified in Industry 32312, Support Services for Printing.
323110 Commercial Lithographic Printing
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in lithographic (i.e., offset)
printing without publishing (except books, grey goods, and manifold business forms). This
industry includes establishments engaged in lithographic printing on purchased stock materials,
such as stationery, letterhead, invitations, labels, and similar items, on a job order basis.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Quick printing - classified in U.S. Industry 323114, Quick Printing;
- Printing on grey goods - classified in Industry 31331, Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills;
- Printing books and pamphlets - classified in U.S. Industry 323117, Books Printing;
- Printing manifold business forms including checkbooks - classified in U.S. Industry 323116, Manifold Business Forms Printing;
- Manufacturing printed stationery, invitations, labels, and similar items - classified in Subsector 322, Paper Manufacturing; and
- Printing and publishing, known as publishers, - classified in Subsector 511, Publishing Industries (except Internet).
323111 Commercial Gravure Printing
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in gravure printing without
publishing (except books, grey goods, and manifold business forms). This industry includes
establishments engaged in gravure printing on purchased stock materials, such as stationery,
letterhead, invitations, labels, and similar items, on a job order basis.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Printing on grey goods - classified in Industry 31331, Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills;
- Printing books and pamphlets - classified in U.S. Industry 323117, Book Printing;
- Printing manifold business forms including checkbooks - classified in U.S. Industry 323116, Manifold Business Form Printing;
- Manufacturing printed stationery, invitations, labels, and similar items - classified in Subsector 322, Paper Manufacturing; and
- Printing and publishing, known as publishers, - classified in Subsector 511, Publishing Industries (except Internet).
323112 Commercial Flexographic Printing
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in flexographic printing without
publishing (except books, grey goods, and manifold business forms). This industry includes
establishments engaged in flexographic printing on purchased stock materials, such as stationery,
invitations, labels, and similar items, on a job order basis.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Printing on grey goods - classified in Industry 31331, Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills;
- Printing books and pamphlets - classified in U.S. Industry 323117, Books Printing;
- Printing manifold business forms including checkbooks - classified in U.S. Industry 323116, Manifold Business Forms Printing;
- Manufacturing printed stationery, invitations, labels, and similar items - classified elsewhere in Subsector 322, Paper Manufacturing; and
- Printing and publishing, known as publishers, - classified in Subsector 511, Publishing Industries (except Internet).
323113 Commercial Screen Printing
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in screen printing without
publishing (except books, grey goods, and manifold business forms). This industry includes
establishments engaged in screen printing on purchased stock materials, such as stationery,
invitations, labels, and similar items, on a job order basis. Establishments primarily engaged in
printing on apparel and textile products, such as T-shirts, caps, jackets, towels, and napkins,
are included in this industry.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Printing on grey goods - classified in Industry 31331, Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills;
- Printing books and pamphlets - classified in U.S. Industry 323117, Books Printing;
- Printing manifold business forms including checkbooks - classified in U.S. Industry 323116, Manifold Business Forms Printing;
- Manufacturing printed stationery, invitations, labels, and similar items - classified in Subsector 322, Paper Manufacturing; and
- Printing and publishing, known as publishers, - classified in Subsector 511, Publishing Industries (except Internet).
323114 Quick Printing
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in traditional printing activities,
such as short-run offset printing or prepress services, in combination with providing document
photocopying service. Prepress services include receiving documents in electronic format and
directly duplicating from the electronic file and formatting, colorizing, and otherwise modifying
the original document to improve presentation. These establishments, known as quick printers,
generally provide short-run printing and copying with fast turnaround times.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Providing photocopying service on nondigital photocopy equipment without performing traditional printing activities - classified in U.S. Industry 561439, Other Business Service Centers (including Copy Shops);
- Printing with lithographic equipment known as commercial lithographic printers - classified in U.S. Industry 323110, Commercial Lithographic Printing; and
- Digital printing on graphical material - classified in U.S. Industry 323115, Digital Printing.
323115 Digital Printing
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in printing graphical materials
using digital printing equipment. Establishments known as digital printers typically provide
sophisticated prepress services including using scanners to input images and computers to
manipulate and format the graphic images prior to printing.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Printing with "up front" computer files on conventional-type printing equipment - classified to books, manifold business forms, or based on the type of printing equipment (e.g., lithographic, flexographic, screen) being used.
323116 Manifold Business Forms Printing
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in printing special forms,
including checkbooks, for use in the operation of a business. The forms may be in single and
multiple sets, including carbonized, interleaved with carbon, or otherwise processed for multiple
reproduction.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Manufacturing single layered continuous computer paper and similar products - classified in U.S. Industry 322231, Die-Cut Paper and Paperboard Office Supplies Manufacturing.
323117 Books Printing
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in printing or printing and binding
books and pamphlets without publishing.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Printing and publishing, known as book publishers, - classified in Subsector 511, Publishing Industries (except Internet); and
- Binding books without printing in the same establishment - classified in U.S. Industry 323121, Tradebinding and Related Work.
323118 Blankbook, Looseleaf Binders, and Devices Manufacturing
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing blankbooks,
looseleaf devices, and binders. Establishments in this industry may print or print and bind.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Checkbook printing - classified in U.S. Industry 323116, Manifold Business Form Printing; and
- Binding books without printing in the same establishment - classified in U.S. Industry 323121, Tradebinding and Related Work.
323119 Other Commercial Printing
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in commercial printing (except
lithographic, gravure, screen, or flexographic printing) without publishing (except books, grey
goods, and manifold business forms). Printing processes included in this industry are letterpress
printing and engraving printing. This industry includes establishments engaged in commercial
printing on purchased stock materials, such as stationery, invitations, labels, and similar
items, on a job order basis.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Lithographic, gravure, screen, or flexographic printing on purchased stock materials (except books, grey goods, and manifold business forms) - classified in Industry 32311, Printing, by printing process employed;
- Printing on grey goods - classified in Industry 31331, Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills;
- Quick printing - classified in U.S. Industry 323114, Quick Printing;
- Digital printing on graphical materials - classified in U.S. Industry 323115, Digital Printing;
- Printing books and pamphlets - classified in U.S. Industry 323117, Books Printing;
- Printing manifold business forms including checkbooks - classified in U.S. Industry 323116, Manifold Business Forms Printing;
- Manufacturing printed stationery, invitations, labels, and similar items - classified in Subsector 322, Paper Manufacturing; and
- Printing and publishing, known as book publishers, - classified in Subsector 511, Publishing Industries (except Internet).
32312 Support Activities for Printing
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in performing prepress (e.g.,
platemaking, typesetting) and postpress services (e.g., book binding) in support of printing
activities.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Engraving of the type done on metal - classified in Industry 33281, Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities;
- Manufacturing photosensitive plates for printing - classified in Industry 32599, All Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing;
- Manufacturing blank plates for printing - classified in Industry 33329, Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing; and
- Printing books or printing and binding books - classified in Industry 323110, Printing.
323121 Tradebinding and Related Work
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following:
(1) tradebinding; (2) sample mounting; and (3) postpress services (e.g., book or paper bronzing,
die-cutting, edging, embossing, folding, gilding, gluing, indexing).
Cross-References.
- Establishments primarily engaged in printing books or printing and binding books are classified in U.S. Industry 323117, Books Printing.
323122 Prepress Services
This U.S. industry comprises (1) establishments primarily engaged in prepress services, such as
imagesetting or typesetting, for printers and (2) establishments primarily engaged in preparing
film or plates for printing purposes.
Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in
- Engraving of the type done on metal - classified in U.S. Industry 332812, Metal Coating, Engraving (except jewelry and silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers;
- Manufacturing blank plates (except photosensitive plates) for printing - classified in U.S. Industry 333293, Printing Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing; and
- Manufacturing photosensitive plates for printing - classified in U.S. Industry 325992, Photographic Film, Paper, Plate, and Chemical Manufacturing.
Information courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau.
