Future color technologies for digital commercial and industrial print are reviewed in summary form. Then a database of 434 print substrates is introduced and used to empirically analyze current distributions in the color, tactile, gloss and fluorescence properties of these substrates. This data is also used as the context for identifying future technology trends. Substrates with a significant degree of coloration are not unusual although there is a distinctly bi-modal distribution of the hues of media. The tactile and gloss properties also vary widely and in combination with fluorescence present significant challenges for proofing, crossmedia reproduction and in-line or near-line quality control of prints. There are also new digital technologies for the direct modulation or control of these properties. Finally the need to simply better organize and communicate all of these features and attributes of print is considered from standpoint of tabular visualization, in this case a ‘periodic table’ of substrates.