With few exceptions, 2001 was a tough year for pigment suppliers to the ink industry. Pigment companies could only watch as the downturn of the U.S. economy caused problems further downstream for their ink customers, and wait for the inevitable call for lower prices for their products, which are the most expensive component of printing ink. Meanwhile, offshore pigment companies continue to make gains in quality while lowering prices even further. All of this combined to make 2001 a year wo...