The publisher replies: We appreciate the letter writers’ kind words about Physics Today. Our staff strives to make each issue interesting and useful.
Current economic conditions, especially the decline in advertising revenue, are driving Physics Today, and many other publications, to look at all expenses. The new binding might be a small nuisance to some and a godsend to others. More important, it saves more than $30 000 annually in production costs. In addition, the current saddle-stitch binding method is a bit more “green,” and that will influence any decision to return to the previous binding.
Inking is related to characteristics and interactions of paper and ink. It is something we look at periodically with our printer. This, too, is a tradeoff between cost, utility, and environmental concerns.
