With International Women’s Day celebrated on March 8th, Carys Evans, account manager at Karis Copp Media, highlights the growing need for more women in the print industry and the positive change those already in it are making
The print industry has a gender imbalance. In the UK, this was highlighted in the most recent 2018 data from The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) which showed the split to be 69/31 for the UK print industry. This has improved, albeit minimally, since previous research in 2013, where the figure sat at 72/28. The print manufacturing split has shown far less evolution, having shifted 1% from 76/24 to 75/25. We are now eagerly awaiting up-to-date research to see whether this figure has improved further.
Lisbeth Lyons Black, director of Women in Print Alliance at PRINTING United Alliance, highlights that this is mirrored in the US with data showing that whilst women make up 47% of the American workforce, only 30% work in manufacturing, and print specifically.
In the meantime, you only have to attend an event or take a look on LinkedIn to see that the split is still very much imbalanced. Whilst this is improving and initiatives, groups, and panels are helping to raise awareness of this issue and discuss solutions, why is it still the case that fewer women seek out a career in print, and how can we as an industry improve these figures?
One theory, backed by Lyons Black, is that historically, print was much more of a hands-on, manufacturing, labour-intensive career which was either unattractive to or ‘not approved of’ for women.
Having entered the printing industry two decades ago to serve as the chief US government and political affairs officer for a leading graphic communications trade association, Lyons has headed up PRINTING United Alliance’s Women in Print Alliance since 2022. For manufacturing, and print specifically, Lyons Black believes the two key factors that have long worked against us in attracting women to the workforce are perception and physicality.
“Namely, the perception that manufacturing jobs were ‘dirty jobs’ – ‘ink and stink’ – and too dangerous or physical for women,” explains Lyons Black. “For women who saw through that and were early pioneers on a factory or pressroom floor, they were very few in number.
“I think that print has become more attractive to women in recent years partly as a byproduct of its changing technology and the increase of digital printing,” Lyons Black says. “Printing companies are cleaner than they used to be. Automation has reduced some physical barriers of the job, and even shift work, which in another era may have been unfathomable to women responsible for traditional childcare roles while their husbands worked, now mirrors what workers of all genders say they want – flexible hours to better manage home life.”
So, is it an issue of representation of the industry on a whole? Those of us in the industry are well aware of the breadth of opportunities available, from design, artwork creation, marketing, sales, and admin roles to installations, machine operators, technicians and engineers. The list is exhaustive. So how do we highlight this to those considering a career in print, and even more crucially, how do we ensure the industry is on the radar of those who haven’t considered a career in print?
Someone who is relatively new to the industry is Jodie White, who works in the Very Displays sales team as Northern Territory team leader. Whilst this is her first job in the print industry, White previously worked in events and venues where print and displays were always a part of the role. Coincidentally, White’s dad was also in the print industry for two decades as a print operative. “As a kid he actually taught me to smell colours, so you could say it has always been a part of my life really,” she recalls.
When asked why she thinks the industry is still male dominated in 2025, White says: “It is definitely still ‘traditional’, especially on the production side. I think the main reason for this is that print isn’t necessarily a path that women are educated on as a possible career choice and that’s through the education system from an early age. I would say it’s an awareness issue and maybe not enough is done to reach out to women and show that this industry is a career option. That being said, here at Very Displays we are pretty much 50/50 in terms of gender, so maybe we’re challenging that trend!”
Cindy Van Luyck, head of marketing at Four Pees, an integrator providing automated solutions for operational challenges in the printing industry, found her way into print by accident, as is the case for so many women in the industry. Starting her career in marketing and communication working in fashion and advertising, Van Luyck says print quickly became a passion once she realised it is everywhere. For Van Luyck, meeting people who helped her to grow and develop has been instrumental in her building a successful career in print.
“Tom Peire, then marketing director and my manager at Enfocus, and industry experts like Dave Zwang, Pat McGrew, Vicki Blake, and many more shared their knowledge, introduced me to the right people, and guided me,” she explains. “Their mentorship showed me how important it is to support new people to find their way and succeed in print. I learned everything on the job. With the right attitude, support, and opportunities, anyone can build a successful career in this industry.”
An important factor in retaining women into print and attracting them to a career in the first place, Van Luyck says, is role models and representation. “Print is often seen as a hands-on, labour-heavy industry that mainly attracts men. But with more focus on automation and technology now, it offers more opportunities for women.
“Sadly, the lack of female role models in the industry reinforces the idea that it’s not a space for them.” This lack of representation raises the issue of overall industry visibility, as highlighted by White, and the challenge here is very much linked to the broader industry challenge of attracting young people into print.
“Attracting young people in general to print is a challenge,” Van Luyck agrees, elaborating: “They don’t consider print as a career option because it’s not always brought to their attention early on. Many don’t realise the variety of exciting career options available, from creative roles to technical innovation, and this lack of awareness makes recruitment harder for everyone.”
So, how do we address these challenges? Visibility. As Van Luyck explains, highlighting successful women in print, in a variety of roles from leadership to sales to print operators and apprentices, will help to challenge the stereotypes and inspire others. “I can’t stress the need for coaching and mentorship enough,” Van Luyck adds. “I benefited from guidance early in my career, and we should all pass on our knowledge and connections to newcomers, no matter their age, as it really helps form your career.”
As highlighted by both White and Van Luyck, promoting print as an attractive career choice needs to start from early on in the education stream and this involves showcasing the exciting opportunities in print. Highlighting creative work on social media, hosting open days at print houses, visiting schools and colleges to showcase exciting projects or work examples, as well as offering internships and work experience opportunities, can all help to position print as the dynamic and exciting career path it can be for both young people and women.
Lyons Black adds: “I think print’s best marketing tool to attract women of all ages is to tell the story that there are SO many career pathways and industry niches to explore, some of which can even pair work with personal interests, such as apparel decorating and fashion or wide-format and the entertainment industry. It’s also highly mobile; print manufacturing is everywhere and offers women to chart their course in a new city, area, or even country knowing they can find employment options.”
Once we have attracted more talent to print, the key is retaining them. Van Luyck emphasises the importance of fostering a creative and supportive workplace culture including flexible work options, clear career paths, and addressing bias in hiring and promotions.
White agrees with this, adding: “Creating more awareness and opportunity is key. Since many still consider it a male-dominated industry, creating safe schemes, networking events, or expos specifically aimed at training and educating women on what roles and skillsets are required could be a great idea. Starting this at the education level is crucial. I would definitely attend a women in print trade show!”
Echoing Van Luyck and White’s thoughts, Lyons Black adds: “The key here is to showcase the individual, unique pathways of successful women in print to inspire other women to be part of the industry – and then provide networking and mentorship to support those women and ensure they have long, rewarding, prosperous print careers.”
This September, Karis Copp, managing director of Karis Copp Media, a B2B PR and comms agency specialising in the print industry, will host a panel discussion at The Print Show.
The session will hear from a panel of women who’ve made successful careers in various areas of the industry, including Karis Copp Media account manager, Carys Evans, and will draw on their own experiences of how they came to work in print and their experiences of working in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Together, the panel will explore why there is still an imbalance within print, and how we can tip the scales.
