In terms of the general overall economy in the U.S., the first eight months of 2000 had been bleak enough. One could look at the publication market and see the decline in advertising, a sure sign that the economy was in a downturn. Newspapers and magazines alike were becoming noticeably thinner, as ad declines of approximately 10 percent were generally reported. For ink manufacturers who specialize in selling heatset and news ink to publication printers, the shrinking ad pages are translating...