World Color's first foray into comics was syndicating George Herriman's Major Ozone's Fresh Air Crusade from January 2, 1904, to November 19, 1906.

By the early 1970s, World Color purchased more equipment and expanded its plants, becoming the largest player in the comic and newsstand special-interest publication market.

By the early 1980s World Color Press printed most American comic books, including those of the industry giants Marvel and DC.

[10] The development of the web-press in the 1950s enabled World Color to further diversify into the relatively new product lines of web-printed newsstand and special interest magazines.

By establishing the first major pool shipping network to newsstands, the company was able to expand its customer base by offering the lowest distribution costs in the industry.

World Color computerized many aspects of its business in the 1960s, providing the company with more efficient production and distribution capabilities, as well as the ability to perform more complicated printing procedures and reproduce more complex data.

In 1969, World Color started construction of a web-offset facility in Effingham, Illinois, approximately 120 miles northeast of Sparta.

Though it was a short-term risk, the strategy paid off with its clients, enabling the company to become a stronger competitor in the four-color, high-quality magazine market.

[12] During the 1980s, World Color added seven state-of-the-art printing facilities, strategically located throughout the United States, strengthening the company's reputation for providing low distribution costs.

)[14] During this period, World Color expanded its operations into a number of specialty services: catalog printing contracts generated more than a fifth of total revenues in 1993, and represented the company's fastest growing division.

In 1974, as World Color shifted focus to the high-end magazine market, the company purchased Louisville, Kentucky-based Fawcett Printing.

[18] World Color pursued major expansions in 1996 and 1997, purchasing Ringier America and Rand McNally's Book Services Group, thereby becoming second in size only to RR Donnelley.

In May 2009, RR Donnelley tendered an unsolicited bid to purchase Quebecor World;[19] this was rejected as the company emerged from creditor protection in July 2009 (having changed its name back to "Worldcolor Press").